Gao Xue Ting was going to destroy that half of the Demon Spirit as soon as she finished speaking, but Yang Kai arrived in front of the Demon Spirit in a flash, reached into the Radiant Sun Mirror’s light and grabbed the Demon Spirit.
“Junior Brother, you…” Gao Xue Ting’s beautiful face paled.
Yang Kai grinned at her, “Rest assured, nothing bad will happen. I’ll have to trouble everyone to stand guard for me!”
The others were all nervous around the Demon Spirit, but Yang Kai was completely undaunted. His years in the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld made him realize that a trivial Demon Spirit couldn’t do anything to him, because he also had the extremely pure Ancient Demon Qi sealed inside of him. What’s more, he also had an Ancient Demon’s Black Eye. As they say, barefooted people were not afraid of those who wear shoes.
But he couldn’t explain that clearly to everyone, so he could only act first.
Since things had already come to this, Gao Xue Ting had no way of stopping him any longer, so she simply reminded him, “You must be careful. If anything goes wrong, let go immediately!”
“I’ll remember,” Yang Kai nodded his head.
He then sat cross-legged in the air with his eyes closed, using his Divine Sense to communicate with that half of the Demon Spirit so he could search for Gong Yue’s whereabouts.
Chen Wen Hao, Gao Xue Ting, and Feng Ming formed a triangle surrounding him. Gao Xue Ting’s beautiful eyes were fixed on Yang Kai’s body and not moving for even an instant. If she found anything off, she would instantly envelop him with the light of the Radiant Sun Mirror.
Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming exchanged glances, both of them seeing a trace of admiration in each other’s eyes. This couldn’t be helped; after all, they didn’t have the guts to do the same as Yang Kai when faced with such a strange Demon Spirit, yet this youth took the risk despite being the least powerful one of the group. This was something worthy of respect.
It was also at this moment that they both truly felt that new geniuses emerged into the world in each age. They had cultivated to the Second-Order Emperor Realm, so their aptitudes were naturally among the highest in the Star Boundary. They were also leading figures when they were young, the rising stars of their generation, filled with vigour and determination, just like Yang Kai right now.
Times changed, but what remained the same was the rise of talented people throughout the ages.
There was silence all around, with the several dozen cultivators from that small Sect below still not even daring to move. They were scattered all over the mountain peak, and had watched their Sect Master explode and die inexplicably. Trepidation and fear had already seeped deep into their bones, and they looked upon the four Masters in the sky as if they were looking at Gods without even so much as a thought of taking revenge for their Sect Master.
They had no idea that their Sect Master’s death was unrelated to Yang Kai and his group. They thought that their Sect Master had been killed by the man named Feng Ming and further reinforced their beliefs that these Masters from big Sects were abominable people lacking in humanity.
..…
There was only darkness ahead, as if Yang Kai was walking in the land of nihility. There was no light around, nor any sound. There wasn’t a single thing he could feel. He was using his mind to communicate with that half of the Demon Spirit, hoping to trace back to its source to look for the other half. As long as he could find the other half of the Demon Spirit, he would be able to find Gong Yue.
But progress was slow. It was Yang Kai’s first time attempting such a thing and he was inexperienced, so he had to grope his way through the whole ordeal.
He explored that endless darkness for a long time before changing his strategy, splitting some of his attention to sense the outside world.
Finally, he got some results. In the darkness, Yang Kai could feel that this half of the Demon Spirit had a vague but non-severable connection with something, and he began tracing that weak link.
The darkness slowly changed. Something seemed to appear in his field of vision, but it was too blurry, so he couldn’t see it properly.
Yang Kai pushed his Spiritual Energy and Divine Sense harder and harder, even absorbing the half Demon Spirit into his own Knowledge Sea. Then, he scoured it with his Spiritual Energy, breaking through all its innate defences.
Slowly, his vision began to clear up.
It seemed to be a mountain, a lonely mountain peak with a beautiful view, pleasant landscape, and rich World Energy.
Yang Kai suddenly felt that this mountain peak looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before; however, since the image wasn’t too sharp, he didn’t dare to confirm where it was so soon.
This was apparently Gong Yue’s surroundings that Yang Kai was able to observe through the inextricable connection between the two halves of the Demon Spirit. As long as he could confirm the location of this mountain peak, he would be able to determine Gong Yue’s location.
Once again, he increased the intensity of his Spiritual Energy.
This time, Yang Kai saw even more. There was a figure on the mountain peak, and that person looked somewhat similar to Gong Yue. He was standing quietly in a certain spot of the mountain peak, not moving at all, as if he were dead.
Yang Kai’s current situation was very peculiar. It was as if he was inside a dense ball of liquid, blurring his vision to the point that no matter how he tried he couldn’t see clearly, making him feel anxious.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai felt like he heard something. The sound was like a faded echo, muffled and intermittent, making it hard for Yang Kai to grasp onto it.
The sound came again, and this time, Yang Kai could hear it more clearly. It sounded like a dog barking, going ‘wang wang wang’. His vision moved, and Yang Kai saw a small dog-like creature standing not far away from the blurred figure, barking vigorously.
After barking for a while, that little thing actually pounced onto the figure and bit at it.
The figure remained unmoving as if he could not feel anything.
It was at that moment that the man seemed to sense something. He suddenly raised his head and looked in Yang Kai’s direction. His sharp gaze seemed able to break through the many layers of obstacles and meet Yang Kai’s eyes across the endless void.
The blurred view changed at that moment, becoming much clearer all of a sudden.
Yang Kai’s body shook, his eyes snapped open and his jaw dropped.
“Are you alright?” Gao Xue Ting’s hands were covered in sweat. She hadn’t been this nervous since before she broke through to the Emperor Realm. But at this moment, she was speaking with a trembling voice, fearing that Yang Kai’s mind had been corrupted by the Demon Spirit.
Yang Kai shook his head, looking a little dazed.
“Did you find him?” Chen Wen Hao asked.
“Spirit Sword Peak!” Yang Kai stared at Gao Xue Ting and muttered a response.
Gao Xue Ting was stunned at his words, “What?”
“Spirit Sword Peak. Gong Yue is in Azure Sun Temple, on my Spirit Sword Peak!” Yang Kai felt just how ridiculous his words were saying them. He had the constant feeling that what he saw just now wasn’t real, that it was just an illusion, but there was nothing he could find that could prove it.
“Gong Yue is in Azure Sun Temple?” Feng Ming’s eyes also went wide, obviously a little sceptical.
“That’s what I saw,” Yang Kai stood up and cast a spell to force out the Demon Spirit half from his Knowledge Sea before he crushed it with his hand. Since he had already tracked Gong Yue’s whereabouts, this half of the Demon Spirit was no longer of any use to them.
“How did he get to Azure Sun Temple?” Feng Ming asked.
“I don’t know!” Yang Kai shook his head. Not only was Gong Yue at Azure Sun Temple, but he was also at his Spirit Sword Peak!
Spirit Sword Peak was the Spirit Peak that Yang Kai received after becoming an Elder of the temple; it was in a relatively remote location, but whether it be the scenery or the World Energy, it was fantastic, and it was also protected by a powerful Spirit Array.
That was the reason why Yang Kai felt that the peak looked familiar. Even though he had not been staying on Spirit Sword Peak for long, it was his territory after all, so how could it possibly not look familiar to him?
Gong Yue was the former Patriarch of the Gong Family, so he had profound knowledge of Spirit Arrays. The Spirit Array on Spirit Sword Peak could block ordinary Masters, but not necessarily Gong Yue.
If that were all, then Yang Kai would have just thought that what he saw was just an illusion, a trick by Gong Yue to lead them in the wrong direction.
However, that barking confirmed to him that Gong Yue really had gone to Azure Sun Temple and really was on his Spirit Sword Peak.
Because there was indeed a black creature that looked similar to a puppy on Spirit Sword Peak. Even though the creature was a little strange, it had an inexplicable strength. However, Yang Kai had only seen it twice and didn’t pay it too much attention.
“Why would Gong Yue go to the Azure Sun Temple? Is he seeking death?” Chen Wen Hao frowned. With Gong Yue’s strength, he wouldn’t be able to make it out alive if he bumped into the four of them. It was reasonable to say that he should find a place to hide, but of all places, he chose to run towards danger, heading all the way to Azure Sun Temple.
The temple was full of powerful Masters, so how could Gong Yue survive going there?
“I can’t contact them. Junior Brother, can you try?” Gao Xue Ting suddenly spoke after having been silent the whole while. After finding out that Gong Yue had gone to Azure Sun Temple, she immediately took out her own Jade Elder Token and tried to contact her fellow Elders inside the temple.
To her surprise, her Jade Elder Token wouldn’t connect.
Yang Kai quickly took out his Jade Elder Token and immersed his Divine Sense into it.
After a short while, he looked at Gao Xue Ting and shook his head, “There’s no response!”
This place was a little far from Azure Sun Temple, but of course, it wasn’t far enough to be uncontactable. If any Elders in the temple received their message, then they would have given them a response right away; however, neither of them received a response in their attempts.
“Something happened to the temple!” Gao Xue Ting’s face changed.
“Let’s go!” Feng Ming shouted, also realizing the seriousness of the situation.
Yang Kai immediately summoned his Flowing Clouds Shuttle, and the four of them entered it in a line. Then, the Flowing Clouds Shuttle made off like a bolt of lightning, disappearing in the blink of any eye.
After the four people left, the disciples of the small Sect who had been on edge the whole time gradually came back to their senses and fell to the ground, cold sweat covering their backs.
They waited for a few moments to make sure that the senior experts really left far away and were not going to return before the remaining several dozen disciples began fighting each other for the position of Sect Master. Swords clashed as they engaged in a fierce battle for some time.
Inside the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, both Yang Kai and Gao Xue Ting had uneasy looks on their faces.
Chen Wen Hao reassured them, “Even though I have no idea what Gong Yue is trying to do at the temple, he is undoubtedly throwing himself into the net. With Temple Master Wen standing guard at the temple, Gong Yue won’t be able to stir up any waves, so do not fret. Perhaps Gong Yue will already be dead by the time we arrive.”
The worry on Gao Xue Ting’s face did not diminish, but she still responded, “I hope so.”
Looking at the situation, Yang Kai vaguely realized that something wasn’t right and quietly sent a message to Gao Xue Ting, “What’s happening at the temple? Is it something I don’t know?”
Gao Xue Ting glanced at him and answered, “The Temple Master is occupied with something at the moment. If Gong Yue is really causing trouble inside the Sect, then Temple Master won’t be able to do anything.”
“Still, Senior Brother Qiu and the others are there!” Yang Kai said.
Gao Xue Ting wasn’t so sure, “Senior Brother Qiu and the others may be strong, but what I’m worried about is that they might fall for the Demon Spirit’s tricks since they don’t know about them. We can’t get in contact with them now, and we have no idea what the situation is at the temple. You said you saw Gong Yue on Spirit Sword Peak, but why would he be there?”
“I’m curious about that too,” Yang Kai shook his head. Azure Sun Temple had many spirit peaks, but Gong Yue had to choose Spirit Sword Peak among all of them. Yang Kai even suspected that he was purposefully getting revenge on him because he had hindered the resurgence of the Demon Spirits inside the Ancient Cave Mansion.
But that didn’t seem right either. If it was purely for revenge, then Gong Yue couldn’t take such a huge risk.
“Senior Sister, what did you mean when you said that Temple Master was occupied with something?”
Gao Xue Ting was silent for a moment, as if she was deliberating, and only answered after a short pause, “Since you’re already a temple Elder, there’s no reason not to tell you. Do you still remember when you tried to use the Divine Ascension Mirror last time, but I stopped you?”
“Of course I remember. What does that have to do with this though?” Yang Kai didn’t understand.
“It’s Temple Master.” Gao Xue Ting explained, “I told you at the time that someone was using the Divine Ascension Mirror, and that he was not to be disturbed. Do you know who it is?”
This was also something that perplexed Yang Kai when it happened. The Divine Ascension Mirror was considered Azure Sun Temple Sect’s Supreme Artifact, and the core of its heritage and foundation. It was precisely because of the existence of the Divine Ascension Mirror that the Masters in the temple had stronger Soul cultivation than ordinary; however, it wasn’t so easy for one to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror to cultivate. Generally, disciples needed to attain great achievements to obtain a chance to go as a rare reward. Even as an elder, one had to pay 3,000 Elder Contribution Points to enter, and no one was exempt.
Elder Contribution Points were hard to come by, and 3,000 wasn’t a small amount either. Moreover, as a newly conferred Elder, Yang Kai naturally had no such points.
Now though, it seemed Gao Xue Ting did not stop him because his Elder Contribution Points weren’t sufficient, but because someone was using the Divine Ascension Mirror.
Yang Kai was curious who it was back then, but since he wasn’t in a rush, he didn’t pursue the matter.
However, he didn’t expect Gao Xue Ting to bring up this matter at this time.
“Who?” Yang Kai asked with a frown. He had the vague feeling that this person was probably someone very important.
“That person is closely related to Temple Master. It can even be said that he raised Temple Master and trained him personally.” Gao Xue Ting glanced sideways at Yang Kai, not mentioning the person directly by name.
But Yang Kai’s body shook and the image of a person immediately came to mind as he exclaimed in realization, “So it’s him!”
Gao Xue Ting looked curiously at him, “You’re much calmer about this than I expected.”
Yang Kai vaguely realized what was going on and asked, “Did that Sir enter the Divine Ascension World to try to separate their Souls?”
Gao Xue Ting’s tender body trembled as he turned to Yang Kai in astonishment, “How do you know about that?”
Even she did not know too much about this secret. It was only because Wen Zi Shan had inadvertently leaked a few words about it in front of her that she was able to guess it. However, she didn’t expect Yang Kai to make this connection in a single go. No one could have such a terrifying deduction ability, unless Yang Kai knew something about it beforehand.
Yang Kai smiled bitterly, “The reason that Sir became like that actually has a little to do with me.”
“With you?” Gao Xue Ting was even more confused and stared at Yang Kai as if she were a tireless student seeking to learn about a domain she had never stepped foot in before.
Yang Kai briefly described what happened in the Shattered Star Sea to her, then he added, “It was by coincidence that I encountered what I did, and luck that I made it out alive, but as a result of many those many twists and turns, that Sir now seems to have a firm connection ‘that’ Sir’s Soul, forcing them to share one body. I didn’t expect him to come back to the temple… no, that’s right, the Divine Ascension Mirror is a world of Souls, and Senior Tian Yan is also there. They may really be able to find a way to separate their Souls in there.”
“So that’s how it is!” Gao Xue Ting was stunned. All the things she couldn’t understand before became clear after receiving Yang Kai’s explanation, but she never thought that this matter would be related to him, and that he had the honour of being involved in a battle between two Great Emperors. Even though both Great Emperors were not at their peak during that fight, it still wasn’t an opportunity that just anyone could encounter.
The most shocking part was that Yang Kai also played a role in it. If not for his efforts, then that Sir’s Soul may have been extinguished and perished along with the enemy. Even though the current situation didn’t look good, at least their lives were retained. As long as they were alive, they were bound to be able to find a way to separate.
It was because of that person’s sensitive identity that Yang Kai was not able to use the Divine Ascension Mirror during that time.
Gao Xue Ting went on, “It seems they haven’t made much progress though, so Temple Master himself went in to help. Right now, Temple Master’s Soul is in the Divine Ascension Mirror and he knows nothing about what’s going on outside. If Gong Yue really silently infiltrated the temple, the others may not have been able to notice at all.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai nodded, understanding Gao Xue Ting’s worries.
After ending his Divine Sense conversation with Gao Xue Ting, Yang Kai opened his eyes and declared, “I’m going to use my teleportation technique to speed up, please do not resist if you feel any discomfort.”
Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming gently nodded at his words and looked curiously towards Yang Kai.
Even though they had long heard that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, just like that Sir from Spirit Beast Island, they had never seen it with their own eyes. This sort of mysterious power wasn’t something that could be witnessed casually, especially from a Master like Yang Kai.
So, they all looked on with great interest and waited in silence.
Space Principles surged from Yang Kai and enveloped the entire Flowing Clouds Shuttle. If the others had not been warned about it beforehand, then Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming definitely would have resisted after sensing this change; however, they were informed and knew what Yang Kai was trying to do, so they relaxed and did not interfere with the flow of his Principle Strength.
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle seemed to shake slightly, and in the next moment, a sense of vertigo washed over Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming, as well as a kind of desolate fear, like they had suddenly fallen into a bottomless abyss where they could neither hear, see, nor touch anything.
But that feeling was very short-lived, disappearing in just the blink of an eye.
At the same time, the Flowing Clouds Shuttle re-emerged a thousand kilometres away.
Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming exchanged glances, both of them clearly seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes.
They had heard rumours that cultivators proficient in the Dao of Space were unmatched when it came to escaping, and now it seemed that the rumours were true. They were both Second-Order Emperors, but it was still impossible for them to move a thousand kilometres in an instant. Perhaps with the help of some special artifacts they could achieve a similar feat, but it definitely wouldn’t be as smooth as what Yang Kai just did.
With such a Divine Ability, as long as he wasn’t trapped inside a sealed space, who in the world could stop Yang Kai from coming and going as he pleased?
No wonder Flower Shadow Great Emperor failed to take down that man from Spirit Beast Island despite far exceeding his strength during her pursuit. Masters of the Dao of Space were as slippery as a loach. If the first strike misses, then it would be impossible to catch their tracks after that.
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle constantly shook, vanishing and then reappearing a thousand kilometres into the distance after each tremble.
The three other Masters in the shuttle were increasingly in awe of Yang Kai’s Space Technique.
At the beginning, Yang Kai’s aura was strong and steady, his face calm and collected, but he gradually began to struggle as time went on. The amount of energy drained from him to instantaneously move three Emperor Realm Masters and an Emperor Artifact at the same time was immense.
But they were in an urgent situation right now, so Yang Kai couldn’t care too much about this excessive consumption. His only thought was to rush back to the temple as soon as possible.
Half a day later, he stuffed a handful of Spirit Pills into his mouth before signalling Gao Xue Ting to take over control of the Flowing Clouds Shuttle. Then, he sat down cross-legged to adjust his breathing.
Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming could see clearly that all of the Spirit Pills Yang Kai stuffed into his mouth were Emperor Pills. Each one of them was worth a fortune, but he chewed them just like candy before swallowing them all down.
Even if the two of them had always been in high positions, seeing this still made their faces twitch as they cursed this black sheep in their hearts.
Their gazes next turned to the Flowing Clouds Shuttle they were riding, which was clearly a flight type Emperor Artifact of immeasurable value. Even they did not possess such a treasure.
They couldn’t figure it out no matter how they racked their brains. How did this boy manage to amass such a huge fortune despite being so young? Compared to him, they were simply no different from poor country bumpkins. Where was their dignity as Second-Order Emperors?
The three people took turns to control the Flower Clouds Shuttle, so the consumption was not too big and they were able to maintain their peak state so that they could deal with any possible dangers.
Once Yang Kai was done recovering and able to use his Space Principles again, their speed once again rapidly increased.
With that, the four of them arrived at Azure Sun Mountain Range after three days.
Sweeping through the mountain range with their Divine Senses, they didn’t find anything unusual. It looked just like usual, with many disciples of the temple doing their jobs around the staggered peaks. There were simply no signs of an attack having been made.
This allowed Yang Kai and Gao Xue Ting, who were anxious the whole time, to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle stopped in front of the Sect Defending Array, and the four exited. But instantly, Gao Xue Ting noticed something wrong.
A strange barrier had appeared right outside the Sect Defending Array. The barrier wasn’t very strong, and was very well-hidden, so if not for Gao Xue Ting’s understanding of the Sect’s protective barrier, she may not have been able to tell it was there at all.
And, from the traces of the barrier, she could see that it was clearly set up just a few days ago.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before taking out his Jade Elder Token and pouring his Divine Sense into it. After some probing, he quickly said, “It was Gong Yue’s doing. It was this barrier that blocked our connection with the temple.”
“That abominable bastard!” Gao Xue Ting gritted her teeth, the Radiant Sun Mirror appearing above her head and releasing a blazing ray of light towards the barrier.
With a bang, the ground began to shake, and the thin and weak barrier was immediately broken.
“Which bastard dares… uh, Elder Gao, Elder Yang?”
A disciple flew out from inside in an aggressive state; however, he immediately shrivelled up as soon as he saw Gao Xue Ting and quickly bowed.
“Has there been anything unusual about the temple these past few days?” Gao Xue Ting asked the disciple.
The disciple didn’t dare to look at her and he had no idea why he was asked this question, but still answered promptly, “Everything is as usual.”
Gao Xue Ting didn’t ask anything more. She knew this disciple knew nothing, so she quickly urged, “To Spirit Sword Peak!”
As she turned around and rushed out, she sent a message into her Jade Elder Token to alert the others.
Spirit Sword Peak was located in a remote location on the outskirts of Azure Sun Temple. Yang Kai chose this location on purpose due to it being more remote, but he didn’t expect it to become a loophole for Gong Yue to exploit.
Halfway there, streams of light flew over from all around Azure Sun Temple, gathering in a group.
Other than those who were outside the Sect or in secluded retreat, all Emperor Realm Elders were there. Vice Temple Master Qiu Ran was also present, and after greeting Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming, he turned to Gao Xue Ting and asked, “What happened?”
From the atmosphere, he could vaguely guess that something big had taken place. Otherwise, it was impossible for Gao Xue Ting to rush into the temple with the Elders of two other Sects. As far as he knew, they should be in the Southern Swamp right now.
The last time Yang Kai sent them a message, he told them about what happened in the Southern Swamp, so Qiu Ran more or less knew the situation.
“Gong Yue is on Spirit Sword Peak!” Gao Xue Ting answered.
“What?” Qiu Ran was shocked, “Gong Yue? Which Gong Yue?” He simply couldn’t believe her words. He was even wondering whether Gao Xue Ting had made a mistake.
“It’s the Gong Yue that Junior Brother Yang mentioned before. The former patriarch of the Heavenly River Valley’s Gong Family!”
“How could Gong Yue be on Spirit Sword Peak?” Qiu Ran turned to look at You Kun, the one who was responsible for maintaining the Sect’s Spirit Array and safety. If Gong Yue invaded the temple and entered Spirit Sword Peak, then it would have been his fault.
You Kun was covered in cold sweat, “I’m not sure. I didn’t receive any suspicious reports.”
Yang Kai cut in, “Gong Yue is highly proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays. If he really wanted to sneak into any Sect, he would definitely be able to find a way. The temple has been safe this whole time, so the Sect Defending Array clearly wasn’t broken. Gong Yue must have exploited some weakness in it, so it’s normal for him to be able to sneak in. Right now, we need to understand why he came to the temple, and why he’s on my Spirit Sword Peak!”
“Yes. Gong Yue’s actions are extremely suspicious, and we have no idea what his situation is right now, so all of you must be careful later.” Chen Wen Hao nodded in agreement.
Qiu Ran nodded lightly as well. Stroking his long beard, he began to ponder.
You Kun looked at Yang Kai in gratitude while he cursed Gong Yue in his heart.
“There is one thing I must tell everyone. The Demon Spirit has many mysterious tricks that are hard to handle, so all of you must guard your minds carefully. Never give the Demon Spirit a chance to take advantage of you,” Gao Xue Ting reminded everyone seriously. The several Elders from Azure Sun Temple all nodded their heads and used their Soul Secret Techniques to strengthen the defences of their Knowledge Seas.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the group finally arrived at Spirit Sword Peak.
Nothing seemed different in Spirit Sword Peak since Yang Kai’s last departure. Other than the fact that the protective array was open, there was only one other anomaly, a figure sitting cross-legged in the open space on top of the mountain, remaining motionless as if he were dead.
There was also a jet-black little beast lying down by his side, looking comfortable. Its short tail would wag around randomly, and when the group of people came over, it raised its eyes to look at them but did not make any moves.
*Shua shua shua…*
The nearly ten Emperor Realm Masters scattered, surrounding Spirit Sword Peak in an airtight formation.
Gong Yue slowly opened his eyes, and his gaze swept around, finally fixing on Yang Kai. His dark eyes were a sight that sent shivers down the backs of all those who were seeing them for the first time. They were just like a bottomless pit that could devour everything.
“You’ve arrived!” Gong Yue spoke softly, sounding quite exhausted, as if he didn’t even have the energy to speak louder.
“Should this Old Master call you Gong Yue, or by another name?” Feng Ming sneered. Just by looking at Gong Yue’s state, he could not figure out whether this man had lost himself or not, and whether or not he had been overtaken by that Demon Spirit.
He didn’t even know if that Demon Spirit had the ability to take over another person.
Even though the current Gong Yue was good study material, there was no way for them to examine him safely now.
“This Old Master is Gong Yue. Gong Yue of the Gong Family,” Gong Yue answered his question.
Feng Ming threw his head back in laughter, “You still have the face to mention the Gong Family? The Gong Family’s reputation will be forever disgraced after this incident, and you will be remembered as the greatest sinner in the Gong Family for ages to come.”
Gong Yue shook his head, “Is the pursuit of power a sin? If so, then all of you here are sinners.”
Feng Ming coldly snorted, “There are innumerable Grand Daos in the world, with paths thin and thick to follow. Yet you chose to traverse the moor. What power do you seek to pursue there?”
Gong Yue responded indifferently, “As long as it fits, everything will fall into place. The Grand Dao is a path, but who are you to say what is a moor and what is not? All Daos lead to the same end.”
“Nonsense!” Feng Ming’s beard curled in anger.
Gong Yue announced proudly, “If there is no path in the moor, then allow this Old Master to tread a road through it!”
“I’m afraid you don’t have that ability.”
Gong Yue smirked, “Naturally, it is impossible for this Gong to do it alone. However, there will be more who follow me.”
Chen Wen Hao sighed, “Brother Gong, you’ve really been taken over by that Demon!”
What he had with Gong Yue could be described in some way as friendship, so before coming here, he thought about whether or not he could find the opportunity to help Gong Yue. However, after seeing him with his own eyes Chen Wen Hao knew it was impossible. Gong Yue’s body was not taken over, in other words, the Demon Spirit didn’t have the ability to seize someone’s body.
However, Gong Yue had gone through demonification. His mind had been warped under the influence of the Demon Spirit, changing him into an unrecognizable shadow of his former self. Such a man was extremely dangerous as no one knew what he was capable of.
Inside, Chen Wen Hao gave up on wanting to help him.
“Demonification?” Gong Yue smiled, “I’ve just found a suitable Dao for myself.”
“That’s not your own Dao!” Yang Kai quickly said.
Gong Yue looked at him, “And what about you? Are all of you walking your own Daos? The paths you are all walking on are paths opened up by others before you. And who can prove that the Dao you’re following is the right one? In my opinion, you’re only picking up the scraps of others.”
Yang Kai said solemnly, “We may be following the Daos of our predecessors, but we all strive hard to better ourselves and advance that path. But you, Old Patriarch Gong, your path has deviated from the Grand Dao. You’ll never reach the end. You’ll just become a slave to the Demon Spirit.”
It was not known which of his words stimulated Gong Yue, but his expression suddenly turned dark, and a cold glint flashed past his eyes, “Nonsense! This Old Master has never felt stronger, who can enslave this Old Master!?”
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment but decided not to dwell on the issue. Instead, he asked, “May I ask Old Patriarch Gong why you took great risks to come to Azure Sun Temple’s Spirit Sword Peak? What about this place attracted you?”
Gong Yue smiled but did not speak, appearing quite mysterious.
Yang Kai continued, “It seems like there’s something about this place that drew you here. Is something related to the Demon Race here? Could there be another Ancient Demon’s relic here?”
“Oh?” Gong Yue looked at Yang Kai with some surprise, “You actually know about the Ancient Demons?”
Yang Kai sneered, “I probably know much more than you do.”
“No wonder!” Gong Yue looked at Yang Kai with interest, as if he’d discovered something, “No wonder you felt different to me. It turns out you are the same as this Old Master.”
Yang Kai said, “You’re wrong. We pursue different paths.”
“Words can deceive, but your body can’t. I can sense it. It’s inside you.” Gong Yue’s expression suddenly became spirited, and he couldn’t help but laugh, “Interesting! Why remain so stubborn?”
Yang Kai shook his head, not arguing with him anymore. Gong Yue had already been corrupted by the Demon Spirit, so his thoughts and ideas were now different from normal people. There was no sense in arguing with him.
However, Chen Wen Hao and the others were now looking at Yang Kai suspiciously. They had no idea what Gong Yue meant by his words, and whatever it was he mentioned inside of Yang Kai’s body made them extremely concerned.
Gong Yue laughed, “One day you will discover that the Dao this Old Master chose is the correct one. This Old Master wishes that day will come soon enough.”
“Whether that day comes or not, I’m afraid you won’t have the opportunity to see it.” Feng Ming scoffed. Reaching his hand out towards the air and gripping down, his Flying Thunder Spear appeared, brimming with a cold light. Brandishing his spear, he thrust the tip towards Gong Yue while shouting, “This Old Master will tell you now which Dao is the true one!”
His strike was just like a Flood Dragon going out to sea, majestic and indomitable.
His spear that brought together all the power in Feng Ming’s body dazzled the First-Order Emperor Realm Elders of the Azure Sun Temple. It felt like everything in the world could turn to dust under the tip of his spear.
Faced with Feng Ming’s stunning blow, Gong Yue did not try to dodge, but instead smiled, “Even though this Old Master knows that his time is running out, there’s no way he will possibly surrender without a fight. If you want to take this Old Master’s life, then all of you will have to bring out some real skill.”
While speaking, Gong Yue grabbed the little puppy by his side and threw it towards Feng Ming.
The little puppy was clearly a little confused at the sudden situation and it barked a few times, probably overwhelmed by fright. Both its round eyes were filled with panic as its limbs wiggled mid-air.
Feng Ming frowned, having no idea what Gong Yue intended to do. He could not perceive any threat from this dog-like little beast at all. For an existence as weak and insignificant as this Monster Beast, Feng Ming could easily make it die a violent death just by snorting at it.
For that reason, Feng Ming did not withdraw. The only target in his eyes was Gong Yue. As for the little puppy that had been thrown out, it would probably be smashed into a blood mist from the pressure of his spear alone.
Gong Yue’s hands suddenly weaved a series of complicated seals as he aimed in the little puppy’s direction.
Suddenly, as if the wild nature buried deep inside its bones had been awakened, the panic disappeared instantly from the little puppy’s eyes, replaced by a look of indescribable ferocity. Its eyes were filled with a destructive light, as if it wanted to destroy the entire world.
It stopped barking meaninglessly and instead opened its mouth wide at Feng Ming.
The puppy was not very big to begin with, at most a third of a metre long, so at the very most it could barely fit a fist into its open mouth.
But that mouth suddenly stretched apart, becoming as big as a house, completely overshadowing the little puppy’s body, as if it was the only thing left of it.
It was a very strange sight.
Everyone had their attention on Gong Yue the whole time, and even though they saw the little puppy when they arrived, they didn’t pay too much attention to it.
It wasn’t until now that they all realized that this little puppy was not as harmless as it appeared.
Everyone was somewhat stunned.
The group of Emperors which had been on guard the whole time all unleashed their Divine Abilities at that moment, sending a blast of attacks towards the giant mouth together.
The scene of nearly ten Emperor Realm Masters joining forces, including several Second-Order Emperors, was spectacular. The light from all the Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities was dazzling, and the might of their Emperor Artifacts were unbridled, throwing the surrounding World Energy into chaos.
Feng Ming also reacted in time and a light burst forth from his Flying Thunder Spear, exploding directly in front of him.
All of their attacks poured into that huge mouth, but it was just like a stone sinking into the sea, causing no reaction at all.
Mouth closing, the little puppy swallowed Feng Ming into its belly.
*Si…*
There were sounds of people gasping, and everyone could feel their scalp tingling as they looked at the little beast with shocked faces. Their eyes had gone so wide that they were nearly coming out of their heads.
Yang Kai was also stunned.
He had seen that little puppy twice before. The first time was when all the Elders of Azure Sun Temple had gotten drunk, and the second was while he was arranging his hidden Space Array. Other than the fact that the Demon Qi inside his dantian moved a little the second time he saw it, there was nothing else special about this puppy.
But now, he realized he was clearly mistaken.
This little puppy had likely inherited the bloodline of some exotic ancient beast. Otherwise, it couldn’t have such a strange ability. It managed to swallow a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master in one gulp, and even if Feng Ming had underestimated his opponent and been caught off guard, this was still a shocking development.
After swallowing Feng Ming, that gigantic mouth disappeared, and the little puppy went back to its original size; however, it still retained a violent and aggressive stance.
With what happened to Feng Ming as a precedent, how could the others dare to step forward so easily? Every Emperor present fell back while using their long-range Divine Abilities to attack.
The giant mouth appeared again, swallowing the attacks of the many Emperor Realm Masters. The giant mouth was just like a bottomless pit swallowing up everything cleanly no matter how many things were thrown into it.
Gong Yue remained hiding behind the black puppy, constantly forming seals with his hands, seemingly commanding the beast to fight with his enemies. Despite facing off against so many Masters, Gong Yue didn’t fall into a disadvantage in the slightest.
There were several times when Yang Kai thought of teleporting to Gong Yue’s position and catching him that way, but Gong Yue seemed to have anticipated his plans in advance and stopped him.
The Divine Sense of all the Emperor Realm Masters surged, but even after some quick exchanges, nobody was able to figure out what sort of bloodline this little black puppy had inherited. Its ability to devour everything was unheard of, and nobody dared to take any risks on an untrodden path lest they end up in the same situation as Feng Ming.
There indeed existed many powerful beasts in ancient times, among them many Divine Spirits who were the strongest of all. Each of these Divine Spirits had the ability to move mountains and overturn the seas, but no one here had heard of an ability as strange as the one this black puppy presented.
During the midst of the battle, a thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he muttered, “A Demon Beast?”
Gong Yue, who had been sitting behind the black puppy and using it as a shield, smirked, “You really are different from the rest. You know quite a lot. Indeed, this little beast carries a faint bloodline of the Abyssal Returner. It’s neither pure nor rich, but it is still an astonishing coincidence. If you wish to kill this Old Master, then you must pass it first.”
“Abyssal Returner?”
The Emperor Realm Masters were all somewhat taken aback as none of them had ever heard of such a beast before. Even Elder Chen Qian, who was most familiar with the history books, came up empty.
But undeniably, this black puppy with its trace of Abyssal Returner bloodline was Heaven-defyingly strong. Under Gong Yue’s command, it was able to literally take a bite out of the Void each time it snapped its jaws. The entire world was just like a delicious cake in front of it, and each bite left a mark that was unable to heal even after a long time.
After several attempts to fight the puppy, Spirit Sword Peak was filled with Void Tears. Everywhere you looked, it was as if numerous inkblots were accidentally spilled over a beautiful landscape painting. Each one of those holes exuded a chaotic aura of nothingness which, while seemingly empty, held a great deal of lethality, so everyone had to mind their surroundings so as not to fall into danger.
Only Yang Kai moved freely like a fish swimming in water. Through the field of Void Tears, he leapt about while looking for opportunities to get by the Abyssal Returner and attack Gong Yue directly. There were several times where he nearly succeeded, but the Abyssal Returner would always snap right back at him, forcing him to temporarily retreat.
“We can’t delay this any longer. I’m worried Brother Feng won’t hold out.” Chen Wen Hao shouted and declared with a solemn expression, “The moon waxes only to wane, and the water surges only to overflow! Everyone, please lend me your power!”
At the end of his sentence, a dazzling light suddenly emitted from his Flowing Water Sword. As his Emperor Pressure spread out, it was as if his whole person had become an all-conquering sword, radiating a stinging Sword Intent.
The World Energy within a radius of a few dozen kilometres all began to gather towards the Flowing Water Sword.
Everyone’s eyes lit up at his words, and prepared their own skills.
Gong Yue’s brow wrinkled slightly, but his hands kept moving.
With nearly ten Emperor Realm Masters exerting their full strength, it was as if the entire Azure Sun Temple was thrown into turmoil. With Spirit Sword Peak as its centre, it felt like a huge vortex had appeared in the area, drawing in all the World Energy within a thousand kilometres radius. All sorts of fierce and surging Divine Abilities were brewing and taking shape.
“Endless Sword Dao!” Chen Wen Hao was the first to strike. As his Flowing Water Sword cut towards the front, it brought with it a storm of World Energy that was visible to the naked eye. Within that huge wave, countless sword lights were constantly devouring and spitting out everything in its path, seemingly able to destroy all in its way.
“Life or Death Seal, One Seal to Discern Life or Death!”
“Nine Sun’s Radiant Shine!”
“Yin Yang Inversion, Shatter the Universe!”
“Time Flows on Infinitely, Like a Mighty Stream, Like an Unending Dream!”
…
Many Divine Abilities shot out together, causing the sky to shatter and the world to invert, speeding forward in a rumble. With so many Emperor Realm Masters working together, even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would have their corpse ripped into ten thousand pieces if they tried to obstruct them.
Gong Yue’s expression turned solemn as the seals on his hands changed even faster.
There was a roar that shook the world. The Abyssal Returner’s body remained unchanged, but its mouth suddenly opened larger than all the previous times. It now seemed big enough to swallow half a mountain, and the darkness it displayed seemed as if it was connected to another world.
When their powerful attacks landed in its mouth, a ripple that was visible to the naked eye splashed out, but those soon disappeared.
In just three breaths, the Abyssal Returner swallowed up all of their attacks and closed its mouth at once. Its third-of-a-metre long body was now swaying in mid-air as if it were drunk, and its body was giving off an unstable glow.
The hearts of the nearly ten Emperor Realm Masters sank dramatically as all their faces turned ugly. Even Chen Wen Hao’s confidence was very shaken.
He asked everyone to join hands in hopes that he could use this method to swell the Abyssal Returner to bursting, but just as he said, the moon waxes only to wane, and the water surges only to overflow. Even though the Abyssal Returner’s ability to seemingly devour all creation was profound and mysterious, there had to be a limit. As long as it reached that limit, they would be able to defeat it.
But this time, even under their joint efforts, they failed to do anything to it, which was far from his expectations.
“Again! It can’t hold out any longer!” Yang Kai’s shout suddenly rang out in everyone’s ears.
As if they had all found their courage, the Masters once again raised their spirits and sent out their Divine Abilities.
A few moments later, there was a rumble. The Abyssal Returner opened its mouth wide again, but things were a little different this time. The Abyssal Returner seemed to be showing an extremely pained expression, a discovery that excited everyone. They felt that they were not far away from victory.
And as expected, when the Abyssal Returner opened its mouth this time, it was unable to swallow all the attacks. After absorbing half of them, it suddenly shut its mouth, and the rest of the attacks brushed past its body, the furious force of it cutting it into a bloody mess and leaving not a single part unharmed.
Its physical body did not seem to be that strong. It was only its special Innate Divine Ability that was tricky to deal with.
It staggered with its mouth tightly closed. Its stomach was constantly squirming as if something was brewing inside of it.
“It would be impolite if I did not reciprocate, so you should take this Old Master’s moves too!” Gong Yue said with a profound smile on his face. Then, he extended his right hand in front of his chest. Interlocking his thumb and ring finger, his other three fingers pointing up. As he spoke, he moved his wrist forward.
Everyone was greatly alarmed as an aura of death had inexplicably enveloped them. This type of feeling sent chills through many of them, making their hands and feet go cold.
The Abyssal Returner suddenly opened its mouth, and a dazzling light spewed out from its maw with a familiar aura.
“This…” Chen Wen Hao exclaimed with a stunned expression of horror.
What the Abyssal Returner spat out turned out to be the Divine Abilities that they cast before. Only this time, the target was not the enemy, but them.
Nobody expected the Abyssal Returner to have such a strange ability. Not only could it swallow a person’s attacks, but it could also spit them back out intact.
The group was instantly thrown into misfortune.
For the sake of ending the battle quickly, the Emperors had used their most powerful Divine Abilities, unleashing them without reservation. All of a sudden, though, their attacks had become a sharp weapon in the enemy’s hands, and the sudden change in the situation put everyone at a loss.
The swarm of attacks came so suddenly that nobody could react. All of them could only hastily gather their Emperor Qi to protect themselves.
At the critical moment, Yang Kai flew forward and instantly arrived above the group, Space Principles fluctuating as he slammed down a palm.
Without any warning, he and the other Emperor Realm Masters suddenly disappeared without a trace.
The powerful Divine Abilities hit nothing but air, collapsing space as they flew forward before crashing into the big and small mountain peaks in the distance. The entire Azure Sun Temple was shaken by the impact and everyone began to panic. Countless disciples were looking in worry towards the collapsed peaks, not knowing what had happened.
They had never encountered anything like this since the founding of the temple.
Thousands of metres away, some figures suddenly appeared from the Void. It was Yang Kai and the others, each of them with a look of lingering fear on their faces. Yang Kai was also pale-faced and trembling violently.
The amount of energy consumed when he tried to forcibly use his Space Principles on the others without their cooperation was immense, especially with this many Masters. This single move emptied his reserves entirely.
Currently, it took all his energy to even stand.
“Instantaneous movement!” Gong Yue’s gaze turned dark. He turned his head towards the distance and his face was twitching slightly, hatred filling his eyes.
He was obviously blaming Yang Kai for ruining his good deed. If Yang Kai had not interfered just now, then that sudden attack would have been enough to kill or injure at least half of the Emperor Realm Masters present.
But due to Yang Kai’s presence, that group was able to escape this crisis unscathed.
Gao Xue Ting reached out to hold Yang Kai’s arm and support him to prevent him from falling, and Yang Kai nodded in thanks. He quickly caught his breath in order to calm the roiling blood in his chest.
Suddenly, there was a whimper. The Abyssal Returner that looked just like a puppy actually uttered a sad cry, seemingly enduring incredible pain.
At the moment, its appearance looked miserable. They had no idea what method Gong Yue used before in order to stimulate the power of its bloodline and allow it to take on so many Emperor Realm Masters by itself for such a long amount of time; however, it was no longer any threat after reaching its limit. After being swept up by so many Divine Abilities, its body lay bloodied and covered in terrible injuries that were hard to look at.
Gong Yue glanced at it and clearly sensed something. Smiling, he said, “Well, it’s just about time anyway.”
None of them knew what he meant by that, but at the end of his sentence, the Abyssal Returner suddenly heaved a few times before its mouth burst open, transforming into that monstrously big mouth from before in an instant.
A cold aura emerged from that huge mouth, and a man and spear seemed to have been released from the abyss and spiralled out from within.
The moment he saw light again, Feng Ming was clearly dumbfounded. He had been swallowed and surrounded by boundless darkness with no light or sound. Fortunately, he did not suffer any harm. It seemed like he was just sucked into a strange world.
He would occasionally find a glimmer of light appearing in that world, and he tried his best to follow it until he finally broke free.
Sweeping a glance over the scene, Feng Ming made a determination to kick the Abyssal Returner who was still retching beside him and sent it flying out of sight. Then, like a dragon, his spear was thrust towards Gong Yue who was sitting at the side.
Gong Yue did not dodge this life or death crisis. He didn’t even have the slightest intention to resist. His aura had been very weak this whole time and he had been depending on that Abyssal Returner’s strange ability in order to hold off so many Emperor Realm Masters, but now that the Abyssal Returner was no longer useful, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the enraged Feng Ming even if he tried to resist.
He faced the call of death with a calm expression, as if he had already seen through the meaning of life.
With a piercing noise, the tip of the spear thrust through Gong Yue’s chest, leaving a hole where his squirming five viscera and six organs could be seen.
However, Gong Yue just laughed, “Killing me alone is useless. Time will prove that I made the right choice, and that you’ve all chosen wrong!”
“Foolish nonsense!” Feng Ming coldly snorted. Emperor Qi surging, the roar of a beast was released from his Flying Thunder Spear, followed by Gong Yue’s body bursting apart into a mist of blood, leaving no bones behind.
A small black light flew out at that moment, but Feng Ming reacted quickly and thrust his spear over, popping it directly. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief and turned to the group, “Are you all alright?”
Chen Wen Hao’s complexion did not look good, but he shook his head, “We’re unharmed, all thanks to Elder Yang. What about you, Brother Feng? How are you feeling?”
Feng Ming shook his head, “I am also unharmed, but I must check my condition carefully. That thing was truly too strange.”
“What did Gong Yue mean just now?” Gao Xue Ting’s eyebrows were furrowed. She kept on thinking about Gong Yue’s words, but she couldn’t figure out what they meant. Still, they filled her with anxiety, as if something bad was going to happen in the future.
Nobody knew the meaning of Gong Yue’s last words.
Just as the group was lost in thought, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the distance. Both the ground and the mountain peaks began to shake and stir, as if something had been cracked apart. Then, one after another, black lights suddenly rose up from somewhere on Spirit Sword Peak, turning into streams of light that flew out in all directions.
“Demon Spirits… How could there be so many Demon Spirits?” Looking up, Gao Xue Ting’s beautiful face lost all colour in an instant.
The black lights were clearly the same as the ones that corrupted Gong Yue’s mind. They were the remnant Demon Spirits, but their numbers were in the hundreds, possibly reaching a thousand in total. Like fireworks exploding in the sky, they shot off towards the horizon.
“How can this be!” Chen Wen Hao was also dumbfounded at the sight.
Qiu Ran and the others were seeing Demon Spirits for the first time, but even though they had no idea how powerful they were, they could still sense that these things were tough to deal with, and each one of them had serious looks on their faces.
“Spirit Sword Peak… is an ancient Demon Sealing Ground!” Yang Kai coughed, appearing extremely weak, “The reason Gong Yue came here was so that he could break the seal and release the other Demon Spirits!”
Gao Xue Ting was shocked at his words and turned over to look at him, “Junior Brother, you mean to say that this place is the same as the Southern Swamp?”
Yang Kai answered, “There’s no other explanation besides that.”
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the Ancient Cave Mansion in the Southern Swamp, but no one expected that Demons would be sealed under Azure Sun Temple’s Spirit Sword Peak as well. Since Gong Yue’s mind had been invaded by a Demon Spirit, he obviously knew this. That’s why he went around the sun to reach the moon, coming straight here in order to break the seal with the help of his Spirit Array attainments to release even more Demon Spirits.
The reason he did not resist in the face of death was first because he could not resist, and secondly because there was no need to. Because even if he died, his mission had already been completed. Just as he said before, many more would now follow in his footsteps.
“Damn it!” Gao Xue Ting gritted her teeth.
“Open the Sect Defending Array! These things must be stopped as soon as possible. If they’re allowed to escape…” Yang Kai spoke urgently, but he had only spoken halfway before a sudden change occurred. Another rumble rang out, followed by a loud laugh that reached everyone’s ears.
Yang Kai’s words came to an abrupt halt as he looked towards the direction of that voice with utmost shock.
He could already tell who that voice belonged to.
Initially, the laughter was somewhat restrained, as if the person was stunned, but as time passed, it became more and more unrestrained and savage.
A stream of light came from the distance, and the laughter was rapidly approaching.
In the blink of an eye, a scraggly old man with an all-white beard appeared not far in front of them and an indescribable pressure suddenly descended from the sky, as if a mountain was pressed down on each person’s heart. Even breathing was becoming difficult for many of the Emperor Realm Masters present. Yang Kai had been in a bad state to begin with, so this sudden pressure caused fresh blood to spill from the corners of his mouth.
The old man stood mid-air and stopped his laughter before his gaze swept over the crowd lightly, his eyes soon fixing on Yang Kai as he grinned, “Oh? Little brat, you’re here too! Truly, there is nowhere that we do not meet in life.”
Yang Kai frowned. He had the constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right. The old man in front of him was not different from the one in his memories, but his temperament was very different. In his memory, the elderly man was wise and carefree, but the man in front of him now was covered in a malevolent aura.
Gao Xue Ting’s expression turned solemn and she quickly said, “Greetings, Great Emperor!”
Qiu Ran also quickly saluted him.
Everyone else was shocked, including the other Elders of the temple. They knew nothing about this man, but Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting actually called him a Great Emperor. There were only a few Great Emperors in this world, so which venerated figure was this man?
Feng Ming and Chen Wen Hao looked at each other and could both see the shock in each other’s eyes.
Gao Xue Ting explained, “This is Senior Hong Chen!”
“What?” The two men were shocked, but they didn’t dare to delay, both of them cupping their fists respectfully, “Greetings Senior Hong Chen!”
Among the Ten Great Emperors, other than the few who founded their own Sects, the rest were hidden dragons who show their tails but never their face, of which Bustling World Great Emperor was the most mysterious. That was because he cultivated the Bustling World Dao, and to do so, he would assume a thousand disguises and travel through the bustling world in them, experiencing all kinds of lives. Among the beggars on the streets, the woodcutters in the mountains, the pimps in the brothels, and the dignitaries in the court, his figure may perhaps be seen. Only, nobody could recognize him. They may brush shoulders with him or even share a drink and a song with him, but nobody really recognized his identity.
Feng Ming and Chen Wen Hao had never met the Bustling World Great Emperor before, but they were convinced of Gao Xue Ting’s words.
Because rumor had it that Azure Sun Temple was very close with the Bustling World Great Emperor, especially the Temple Master, Wen Zi Shan, who was known to be like a son to him. Otherwise, how could Azure Sun Temple become one of the Southern Territory’s top Sects in just a short few years? It had to be known that other than the Azure Sun Temple, the other top Sects all had inheritances passed down for many generations, with Heavenly Martial Holy Land being able to trace its lineage back tens of thousands of years.
Duan Hong Chen received their greeting with a mere smile, but it was as if he did not hear them. His eyes fixed on Yang Kai with interest the whole time.
Gao Xue Ting followed up, “Sir, the Demon Spirits have resurfaced and the temple is in crisis. Please lend us your aid!”
Yang Kai gently patted Gao Xue Ting’s arm and shook his head, “Stop, he’s not Senior Hong Chen.”
“Huh?” Gao Xue Ting was stunned. Then, as if remembering something, her tender body trembled and she looked at ‘Duan Hong Chen’ with great fear.
Both Feng Ming and Chen Wen Hao were bewildered. They were completely confused when they heard Yang Kai’s words. Gao Xue Ting said that the man in front of them was the Bustling World Great Emperor, but Yang Kai disagreed. Yet, the old man did not try to refute anything, leaving the two outsiders a little puzzled.
“Wu Kuang, how did you get out? What did you do with Senior Hong Chen?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice, his gaze icy cold.
‘Duan Hong Chen’ smiled and pointed his finger to his head and said, “Since this King has come out, what do you think happened to that old fart, Hong Chen? He has already been devoured by this King! Hahahaha!”
“Impossible!” Yang Kai shouted.
Wu Kuang’s laughter stopped abruptly, and his voice turned cold, “You little brat, how long have you lived? What do you know of this King’s Divine Ability? What a joke that Hong Chen thought he could imprison this King in a mere mirror. Instead, he made this King whole! Truly, his foolishness is laughable! Under this King’s Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how could he resist? How could anyone resist?”
“Heaven Devouring Battle Law?” Both Feng Ming and Chen Wen Hao looked shocked, and they both took a few steps back. They had naturally heard of this infamous Secret Art before. This was the most powerful and most evil Secret Art in the history of the Star Boundary. It was the cause of the Battle of Great Emperors and gave rise to the Shattered Star Sea. Even now, tens of thousands of years later, the name of this Secret Art was still familiar to all Masters.
Chen Wen Hao frowned and asked hesitantly, “Your Excellency couldn’t be…”
He dared not continue his sentence as fear of that mighty name had not diminished even tens of thousands of years after his supposed death.
Wu Kuang proudly announced, “That’s right! This King is the Heaven Devourer!”
*Gu dong…*
The sounds of many Emperor Realm Masters gulping could be heard as each one of them took up a defensive stance. Sorrow suddenly welled up in their hearts, but they simply did not know what else to do.
Gong Yue had just broken the seal containing the Demons Spirits hidden below Spirit Sword Peak, releasing them into the world, and now a man came out and proclaimed himself the feared Heaven Devouring Great Emperor. On this one day, more happened in the Azure Sun Temple than in the past eight hundred years combined.
“Where’s Wen Zi Shan? What have you done with him?” Gao Xue Ting asked in a trembling voice.
Wen Zi Shan should have been helping the Bustling World Great Emperor separate their Souls, but Wu Kuang had come out possessing Duan Hong Chen’s body. Since there was no news about Wen Zi Shan at all, Gao Xue Ting couldn’t help but worry.
“Hmph, who is this Wen Zi Shan you speak of? This King crushed a lot of bugs to death earlier. Who knows if he was one of them.”
Gao Xue Ting’s pretty face paled, and she almost fell limp on the ground.
Wu Kuang scanned the Emperor Realm Masters present with a burning gaze, fingers lifting up while he counted, “One, two, three…”
Yang Kai’s face was cold, “Wu Kuang, what are you doing?”
Wu Kuang laughed, “Not bad! There are nine Emperor Realm insects in total! This King is still weak after just reviving, so you’re just the nutrition I need. Even though none of you are very strong, you’re plump enough.”
The moment those words were spoken, everyone’s face changed dramatically.
All of them had heard of the infamous Heaven Devouring Battle Law and knew what this evil Secret Art was all about. It was a Secret Art that could devour anything, and legends told that the number of Star Fields destroyed by this Heaven Devouring Great Emperor was countless. Back then, all the Cultivation Stars in the lower plane’s Star Boundary that he had visited became desolate Dead Stars, drained of all of their vitality and all life being scoured from their surface.
So, when they heard Wu Kuang say this, they all knew what he intended to do.
They could no longer worry about the escaping Demon Spirits. Each one of the Emperor Realm Masters began circulating their Emperor Qi in preparation to face off against this terrifying foe.
Wu Kuang frowned at that moment, but then suddenly grinned again, “Hahaha, why so nervous? It was just a little joke! This King has just been freed so he is in a good mood, a killing spree would spoil this joyous occasion, so I’ll let you all off this time.”
No one responded. None of them knew what this madman really meant, but they did not dare to speak easily for fear of angering him.
Wu Kuang snickered, seemingly finding no meaning in continuing this conversation either. He then turned his head towards a certain direction and grasped towards the void. His movements were calm and relaxed, but when he opened his palm again a black light was in his grip.
No one knew where he caught this black light from.
“What an interesting little thing.” A Demon Spirit that the Emperor Realm Masters couldn’t even hide in time from was now held in Wu Kuang’s hand as he studied it with interest. The black light actually stayed obediently in place without any intention of corrupting him, just as if it were a dead object, “It’s all thanks to your help that this King was set free. En, so I’ll lend you a hand.”
As soon as he said that, he raised his hand towards a point.
The air trembled as if something had been broken.
Naturally, it was the sound of the Sect Defending Array being shattered. Qiu Ran had just quietly ordered the activation of the Sect Defending Array, and it was actually broken open just like that.
The entire Azure Sun Temple was just like a balloon with a hole in it. All the Demon Spirits trapped inside were able to find an escape route and swiftly fled through it, disappearing from sight.
Yang Kai and the rest could only watch helplessly.
Wu Kuang swept his eyes over them again, smiling, “See you next time. This King will not show mercy again, so be careful. The outside world is very dangerous!”
Cackling, his body transformed into a stream of light before rushing out of the gap in the array.
It wasn’t until he disappeared from everyone’s view that the Emperor Realm Masters could finally breathe. Just for a moment, they were clearly able to perceive Wu Kuang’s murderous intent. Even though they had no idea why Wu Kuang changed his mind at the last moment, they still felt extremely lucky to have retained their lives.
“Quick, to the Restricted Area!” Gao Xue Ting shouted, forcefully composing herself as she flew in that direction.
Qiu Ran and the others were also concerned about Wen Zi Shan’s safety, so they quickly followed her as well.
Yang Kai turned to Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming, “There’s a demon sealing ground below Spirit Sword Peak. I must trouble the two of you to investigate the area carefully.”
Chen Wen Hao nodded, “Just leave this to Brother Feng and I. You… should also be careful on your side.”
Yang Kai nodded before he quickly followed after Gao Xue Ting and the rest.
There were several Restricted Areas in Azure Sun Temple, but the most important one was the belly of the mountain where the Divine Ascension Mirror sat. The Divine Ascension Mirror was Azure Sun Temple’s greatest secret and even ordinary disciples have no idea it existed.
The last time Yang Kai was able to enter it for training was as a reward from Wen Zi Shan for the Star Seals he brought back from the Four Seasons Realm, so he remembered the location of that place very well.
Chasing the other Elders over, Yang Kai caught up with them in front of the mountain wall.
Gao Xue Ting opened the barrier here and rushed inside.
The group followed the tunnel down from the side of the mountain and quickly arrived at its base.
When they saw the scene there, their hearts all sank. The scene that met their eyes was that of a middle-aged woman leaning against the cave wall, mouth dripping with blood and her face as pale as a sheet of paper. Clearly, she had been badly injured.
The Divine Ascension Mirror was placed on a stone platform a short distance away, but it was a little different from when Yang Kai first saw it. It was not as smooth as before, and there was even a trace of black Qi lingering above its surface.
“Grandma…” Gao Xue Ting rushed forward and crouched down next to the middle-aged woman, asking nervously, “Are you alright?”
The middle-aged woman tried to smile, but the smile on her face looked even worse than if she was crying, “I’m not dead yet. Quickly, go and see how the Temple Master… Cough cough…”
Her wounds were apparently even worse than they appeared and were clearly inflicted by someone extremely powerful. She spat out a mouthful of blood after only saying a few words to Gao Xue Ting and her aura became extremely feeble.
But Gao Xue Ting had even more important things to worry about at the moment. She was concerned about Wen Zi Shan’s safety. As soon as she heard the middle-aged woman’s words, she immediately began searching for Wen Zi Shan’s body.
Qiu Ran went forward and took out a few Spirit Pills for the middle-aged woman to take.
Looking at the middle-aged woman’s face, she felt vaguely familiar to Yang Kai and he asked hesitantly, “Grandma You?”
The woman raised her eyes to look at him, “Oh, that little brat from back then has now become an Elder! You lot really grow up fast.”
“You really are Grandma You.” Yang Kai was shocked, “Grandma has also changed a lot.”
He had no idea what Grandma You’s real name was, only that she watched over the Divine Ascension Mirror. He remembered the last time he came here with Xia Sheng, Grandma You had the appearance of a mad old granny with a hoarse and unpleasant voice. When he was training in the Divine Ascension Mirror, she had even sent people to hunt him down.
Grandma You was the master of a great force called the Divine Ascension Country inside the Divine Ascension Mirror World where her subordinates were as plentiful as the clouds. During that time, Yang Kai narrowly escaped death several times.
After exiting the Divine Ascension World, he heard that Grandma You was imprisoned by Wen Zi Shan, after which he did not hear any news about her at all. Now, it seems that Wen Zi Shan had completely turned her to his side and left the important task of guarding the Divine Ascension Mirror in her hands.
This time, Grandma You was clearly injured by Wu Kuang during his escape.
Suddenly, they heard Gao Xue Ting’s call in the distance.
They were all surprised and quickly headed that way, only to see Wen Zi Shan’s body completely intact inside the isolated stone room, but he was sweating a puddle for some reason, as if he had been attacked.
“Grandma, the Temple Master is alive, but he seems to be trapped in the Divine Ascension Mirror. Is there anything you can do?”
Yang Kai helped Grandma You over. One of them was injured and the other’s strength was greatly depleted, so both their complexions were terrible.
Grandma You took a look at Wen Zi Shan’s condition before looking at the changed Divine Ascension Mirror, sighing, “He’s not trapped, he’s just not coming out. I’m afraid some kind of accident must have happened inside the Divine Ascension World. What happened out there?”
There was no time to explain everything, so Yang Kai simply used his Divine Sense to transmit everything he knew into Grandma You’s mind directly.
She was silent for a moment, reviewing the information in this Divine Sense package, but soon a look of astonishment filled her face, “Sealed Demons? Demon Spirits escaping? Seems like that thing that rushed into the Divine Ascension Mirror before was a Demon Spirit…”
Gao Xue Ting was shocked, “A Demon Spirit came in here?”
Grandma You nodded, “Yes. It rushed into the Divine Ascension Mirror. Then, that Sir… He suddenly woke up, injured me, and left this place.”
Yang Kai quickly said, “That man was not Senior Hong Chen, he was the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor!”
Grandma You’s eyes narrowed at his words, “So that’s how it is. I was just thinking that that Senior wouldn’t have struck me for no reason.”
“Demon Spirits can actually invade the Divine Ascension Mirror?” Qiu Ran’s face was extremely grim as he stared fixedly at the Divine Ascension Mirror. In that short moment, the black light on the mirror grew denser, and the darkness was clearly emitting the aura of a Demon Spirit.
Yang Kai said, “The world inside the Divine Ascension Mirror is a world of Souls, and the aim for the Demon Spirit’s corruption is precisely the Soul. The Divine Ascension Mirror World is becoming nourishment for its growth.”
“En, what you say is reasonable. We must find a way to stop it. We don’t even know how Temple Master is doing inside.”
“I’ll go in and take a look,” Yang Kai volunteered.
“I’ll go with you!” Gao Xue Ting quickly declared. Even though Wen Zi Shan’s physical body was unharmed, Gao Xue Ting couldn’t rest easy until she saw his Soul.
Yang Kai nodded and said to the others, “I will have to trouble Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters to stand guard here!”
Chen Qian replied, “Junior Brother Yang, your complexion looks terrible. Why don’t I go with Senior Sister Gao instead?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I can withstand the corruption of the Demon Spirit. I’ll be fine.”
Since he insisted, Chen Qian couldn’t say anything else but urge him to be careful.
Time was tight, so Yang Kai and Gao Xue Ting each found a stone room and went inside, sitting down cross-legged. Once the stone rooms were closed, Grandma You pushed herself to open the channel to the Divine Ascension Mirror World.
Two streams of profound light then came out of the Divine Ascension Mirror, pouring into the sealed stone rooms. Yang Kai and Gao Xue Ting’s bodies shook at the same time, and the strange feeling of their Souls separating from their bodies washed over them.
It was not the first time they had entered the Divine Ascension Mirror World, so they did not resist and allowed the force to pull their Souls away.
Yang Kai seemed to have traveled through an endless tunnel of time and space, and by the time he recovered, he was in a whole other world.
Right in front of him, an elderly man was smiling at him, and there was also a man beside him who was sitting cross-legged. The man had a dignified appearance with a stately demeanour, dressed in purple robes. Who else could it be but Wen Zi Shan?
“Senior Tian Yan!” Yang Kai quickly bowed his head to the old man. After not seeing him for so many years, Tian Yan still looked the same as usual without any changes.
Speaking of which, Tian Yan was a Great Emperor level Master and did not have a physical body. He was only living in the Divine Ascension World in the form of a Soul, so it was naturally impossible for him to change too much.
“You’re here,” Tian Yan stroked his beard, seemingly having anticipated Yang Kai’s arrival.
Yang Kai asked, “How did I emerge here so coincidentally? Was it due to Senior’s help?”
They were currently at a mountain peak that towered high into the clouds, and he had no idea where in the Divine Ascension Mirror World this was. It was clearly no coincidence that he emerged here, so someone must have intervened to make this happen.
Tian Yan shook his head, “Not me. It was he who brought you here.” While speaking, Tian Yan motioned to the side.
Only when he looked over did Yang Kai discover a young boy not far away. That boy was chubby and cute and appeared to be around seven or eight years old. He was currently chasing after a fluttering butterfly, playing happily.
“He is…” Yang Kai was stunned as he had no idea what the origins of this boy were to have such amazing ability.
Gao Xue Ting also appeared here, but her attention was completely on Wen Zi Shan. After carefully checking and confirming that Wen Zi Shan was in no danger, only having suffered a small injury, she finally set her mind at ease. She then turned to Tian Yan and bowed politely, “Senior.”
Tian Yan smiled, “I remember you, little girl. You were only sixteen the first time you came in, right?”
Gao Xue Ting blushed and answered in a quiet voice, “Senior has a good memory.”
It was so long ago that even she herself didn’t remember that occasion clearly, so she didn’t expect Tian Yan to recall it so easily.
“Senior, what happened here?” Gao Xue Ting wasn’t in the mood to waste too much time on idle chatter though. She just wanted to figure out what happened as soon as possible, and why Wu Kuang would make off with the Bustling World Great Emperor’s body.
Tian Yan explained, “Old Friend Hong Chen encountered some trouble, so he came to this Old Master for help. This Old Master had been studying with him for many days and we were barely able to find a way to separate their two Souls. If we had succeeded, then we would’ve been able to imprison Brother Wu’s soul here in the Divine Ascension World, and old friend Hong Chen would have regained his freedom. Even though things did not go so well at first, we were still making progress; however, something suddenly rushed into the Divine Ascension World and affected its stability. Brother Wu took advantage of that moment to attack and injure both Old Friend Hong Chen and Little Friend Wen here before escaping.”
Yang Kai was stunned at his words, “Does that mean that Senior Hong Chen is alive?”
Tian Yan smiled at him and replied, “Even though Brother Wu’s technique is incredibly powerful, it’s not that easy to kill Old Friend Hong Chen. Did he tell you that Old Friend Hong Chen was already dead?”
Yang Kai answered, “That is what he said, but… no wonder he was willing to let us go despite how strong his murderous intent was. Turns out it was not out of goodwill, but rather Senior Hong Chen’s interference.” It was only then that Yang Kai realized why Wu Kuang did not kill them earlier.
Tian Yan said, “If he escaped, then he escaped. With Old Friend Hong Chen holding him back, it will be impossible for Brother Wu to act as he pleases. I’m afraid this will not be a very pleasant situation for Old Friend Hong Chen though, having his body occupied and his own Soul suppressed… Forget it, let’s not talk about things we cannot control anymore. Our goal now should first be to solve the Divine Ascension World’s crisis.”
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious as he looked up and saw that the sky looked dark and heavy, as if a great storm was brewing. Even sparks of thunder could be seen inside the dark clouds. It was a frightening sight, to say the least.
Only, he had no idea why, but even though the clouds were constantly moving, they never moved past a certain range, as if some powerful seal was binding them there.
The dark clouds were filled with dense Demon Essence, so it was clearly the work of the Demon Spirit.
Tian Yan explained, “That thing that rushed in from the outside world has a very strong corrupting power. The beings of the Divine Ascension World are unable to withstand it at all. You’ve seen it yourself, such a large area has already been affected, and if more time passes, I’m afraid this entire world will eventually be consumed.”
Yang Kai nodded with a grim expression. Even if Tian Yan did not tell him that, he would’ve been able to feel it himself, so he asked, “What should we do? Does Senior have any ideas?”
“I do have an idea, but I’ll need to borrow your power!” Tian Yan turned to look at him.
“Me?” Yang Kai was surprised. He never would have thought that the important task of saving this world would fall on his head.
Tian Yan smiled, “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find you for some time, but I didn’t expect you to come here by yourself so quickly. Truthfully, it’s difficult to deal with that thing, but for you, it should be a simple matter, after all, you just have to use your Soul Devouring Insects.”
Yang Kai’s expression lifted, “So that’s how it is.”
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law devoured everything, and the Soul Devouring Insects were similar. As the Divine Ascension World was being corrupted by a Demon Spirit, a large amount of Demon Essence and Demon Qi was being created. It was a great disaster for the inhabitants of the Divine Ascension World, but for the Soul Devouring Insects, that Demon Essence formed from the Spiritual Energy of this world was nothing more than a delicious snack.
Tian Yan knew that Yang Kai kept Soul Devouring Insects with him as Yang Kai had previously taken away a group of them with him the last time he came into this world. Tian Yan had guarded those Soul Devouring Insects for countless years before handing them to Yang Kai and allowing him to take them away, freeing the Divine Ascension World from its greatest scourge.
“The Soul Devouring Insects are not with me at the moment, I must go out and bring them in,” Yang Kai told him.
Tian Yan nodded, “Go and return quickly. Little Friend Wen and this little girl should also go with you. As for the rest, your assistance will not be necessary.”
Gao Xue Ting gently nodded. Her goal of coming here was to confirm Wen Zi Shan’s condition, so now that she knew he was fine, there was naturally no reason for her to remain.
Tian Yan gently waved his hand and a gentle power enveloped the three of them. The next moment, their vision changed and Yang Kai found himself back in his physical body.
He quickly summoned his Insect Enslavement Bracelet, communicated with it using his mind and pulled out the Soul Devouring Insects from it into his Knowledge Sea, settling them on the seven coloured treasure island. Only Souls could enter the Divine Ascension World, so though the Insect Enslavement Bracelet was an Emperor Artifact, it wasn’t a Soul Type Artifact, so it couldn’t be brought inside. As such, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to release the Soul Devouring Insects inside. However, things were different if he placed these Exotic Ancient Insects on the seven coloured treasure island inside his Knowledge Sea.
After rearing them for such a long time, the Soul Devouring Insects had become extremely fierce, especially after going through all the battles in the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld. During the later stages, the Soul Devouring Insects made many achievements. To them, they were no strangers to devouring Demon Essence and Demon Qi, so the crisis in the Divine Ascension World shouldn’t be hard for them to resolve.
After calling out to Grandma You and asking her to send his Soul into the Divine Ascension World again, Yang Kai soon reappeared on that mountain peak.
Seeing him enter, Tian Yan nodded lightly and turned his head to the boy who was chasing butterflies at the side, “Boy, stop playing and give him a hand, quickly.”
Yang Kai had been curious about the boy since before and had no idea who he was. Now, he was even more surprised when he heard Tian Yan actually ask this boy for help.
“Senior, he is…”
Tian Yan smiled, “He is the Mirror Soul of the Divine Ascension Mirror. The reason that thing is confined to a certain range and is unable to expand is due to his ability.”
“Mirror Soul!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he heard that, and he looked at the boy with eyes wide in surprise.
The boy was clearly a little uncomfortable with his gaze and walked over nervously while trying to put on a fierce act, “I’m warning you, don’t have any funny ideas about me, because I won’t establish any connection with the likes of you!”
Yang Kai laughed, “I’m not trying to establish any connections with you either, so don’t worry.”
“Who… Who’s worrying?” The boy was clearly very wary of Yang Kai. Dawdling over to his side, he looked up and asked, “Where are they then?”
“What?” Yang Kai was confused.
“The Soul Devouring Insects!” The boy sighed, “How can you still be so stupid when you’re so old already?”
“Oh, right!” Yang Kai quickly opened his Knowledge Sea and released all the Soul Devouring Insects from the seven coloured treasure island. All of a sudden, a buzzing sound rang out as a large cloud of insects converged in front of him.
The boy shivered and waved his hand in disgust.
The cloud of insects suddenly disappeared, but Yang Kai could keenly feel that they had been transported several thousand kilometres away, into where the demonic cloud was gathering.
After carefully sensing the situation, Yang Kai very quickly sensed that the Soul Devouring Insects were now devouring the demonic clouds covering the sky. And, since the demonic cloud was being restricted by the Mirror Soul, confined to a certain range and unable to expand, it would eventually be devoured clean by the Soul Devouring Insects. Then, the Divine Ascension World’s peace would be restored.
Turning his eyes around, Yang Kai looked at the boy and asked, “What should I call Little Brother?”
The boy rolled his eyes, “Zhang San Li Si Wang Er Ma, whatever you want.”
Yang Kai cleared his throat, “Do you want to go out from here and take a look around?”
Tian Yan suddenly laughed, “Little Friend Yang, no need to waste your energy. He is unable to leave this place.” He clearly understood what Yang Kai was planning to do.
Having his thoughts seen through, Yang Kai blushed a little, but he turned serious again, “By the way, Senior. I have news about the Flesh Incarnation Pill.”
Tian Yan raised his brow, “Oh?”
“It is almost finished refining, so if Senior is willing, your body can be created at any time.”
Tian Yan said, “Little Friend Yang is truly a man of integrity. This Old Master offers his sincere thanks.”
Yang Kai laughed, “No need to be polite, Senior. It was also by chance that I encountered the Flesh Incarnation Fruit. I wasn’t searching for it specifically.”
The boy frowned and interjected, “You’re leaving?”
He looked up at Tian Yan, seeming a little annoyed.
Tian Yan was silent for a moment, “I still wish to go out and have a look.”
The boy scoffed, “Go, then. Go! Better if you died out there.” While speaking, he glared hatefully at Yang Kai with a face full of anger.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he instantly understood that he probably wouldn’t ever have a chance to take this Mirror Soul for himself now.
Even though the Soul Devouring Insects weren’t slow when it came to devouring the demonic clouds, they still wouldn’t be able to finish the job so quickly. Yang Kai and Tian Yan thus chatted for a while before he sat down cross-legged to recover his energy.
Even though Yang Kai was not injured during today’s battle, the amount drained from him when he instantaneously moved so many Emperor Realm Masters at the critical moment was quite a lot, especially from his Soul.
There was no better place to restore Spiritual Energy than the Divine Ascension Mirror World.
While he was meditating, Yang Kai could clearly feel the energy of the world being attracted to him, pouring into his Soul and making up for the deficit. In just a short amount of time, his condition was greatly improved.
The Mirror Soul seemed to be a little sullen after finding out that Tian Yan would be leaving and didn’t even feel like chasing butterflies anymore. Now, he just stood to the side, bored, kicking stones. At that time, Tian Yan was focused on watching the developments of the demonic cloud’s side, so for a time, the three of them stayed in silent harmony.
It was three days later when Yang Kai opened his eyes again. He was no longer sluggish like before, and both his eyes were bright.
After looking up into the distance and sensing the state of the Soul Devouring Insects, Yang Kai knew that it would take at least half a day more for the crisis in the Divine Ascension World to be solved. Turning his eyes back around, he turned his attention to the Mirror Soul, approaching him and trying to find things to talk about.
But the Mirror Soul acted as if he didn’t hear him. No matter what Yang Kai said, he would just be ignored, leaving Yang Kai’s nose in the dirt.
Helpless, he had no choice but to give up and come to Tian Yan’s side again to ask for his advice on cultivation.
Tian Yan may not have a physical body and only cultivated his Soul, but mastery in one Dao opens up mastery to all others. Not to mention, the way Tian Yan viewed each problem from his height was different from other Masters. For many questions that stumped Yang Kai and that he could not make sense of, Tian Yan could easily give him fresh ideas with just a few words.
Yang Kai was able to gain a lot in a short time.
After half a day passed, Yang Kai looked up into the distance as if he’d been woken by something. Summoning his Soul Devouring Insects back, he said, “Senior, I must go first. The temple was suddenly affected by great changes so there should still be matters to take care of outside. I will come back again in a few days to talk to you about other matters.”
“En, there’s no hurry.” Tian Yan nodded lightly.
Yang Kai glanced at the Mirror Soul next to him. Just by the Mirror Soul raising its hand, Yang Kai could suddenly feel a gigantic repulsion force squeezing against him, and before he could prepare himself, he had been ejected from the world.
When his view changed, Yang Kai was back in the Restricted Area.
When he opened his eyes and opened the door of the stone room, Chen Qian who was outside rushed over.
“Junior Brother Yang, you’re awake. How is the situation inside?” Chen Qian asked worriedly.
Yang Kai told her, “Everything’s been taken care of. How about outside?”
Chen Qian said, “Let’s talk while we walk.”
Naturally, Yang Kai had no objection, and the two of them conversed as they moved outside.
Three days ago, Azure Sun Temple’s Elders came to the Restricted Area where the Divine Ascension Mirror was kept while Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming stayed on Spirit Sword Peak in order to investigate the situation. After their search, they were able to find the demon sealing grounds as expected a thousand metres below Spirit Sword Peak. Clear traces of Demon Spirit aura still remained there.
If Gong Yue did not cause trouble this time, then it was likely nobody would have even thought that such a place existed in the Azure Sun Temple. Back then, when Wen Zi Shan founded the Sect here, he had also carefully investigated the area within a ten thousand kilometre radius, but he still had no knowledge whatsoever about the existence of this place.
Now, the seals of the demon sealing grounds were all broken, which was obviously Gong Yue’s doing. Otherwise, there was no way the Demon Spirits would have escaped.
All of the temple’s Elders were on Spirit Sword Peak, firstly to check if they had missed anything of importance, and secondly to seal off this place completely. After all, this was a place where Demons were sealed. Even if there were no more Demon Spirits around, being cautious was necessary.
Besides that, news of the Demon Spirits recovering and escaping from Azure Sun Temple had also spread. Countless Masters from the many Sects in the Southern Territory were all urgently tracking down the whereabouts of the escaped Demon Spirits so that they could eliminate them before any more harm was done.
But everyone knew how difficult this task was going to be.
Demon Spirits were formless and were merely a special collection of energy. They may not even have their own thoughts and only be able to attach themselves to the bodies of living beings, corrupting their thoughts and forcing them through demonification.
So, this sort of tracking was extremely difficult to do. Regardless, the matter could not be left unattended. During Yang Kai’s absence for the past three days, many messages had been passed back and forth between the great forces of the Southern Territory. The resurgence of the Demon Spirits had now become widespread knowledge among the public.
Not long after, the two of them arrived at Spirit Sword Peak.
There was a wide-open stone cave that was too dark to see the bottom off here now, and a grim and eerie aura was wafting from it, as if it was the entrance to the underworld.
The faces of each one of the Emperor Realm Masters standing outside the cave were serious as they observed, Wen Zi Shan’s particularly so.
Hundreds to a thousand Demon Spirits escaped here under Azure Sun Temple’s watch, so as the Temple Master, Wen Zi Shan naturally could not escape blame, especially now that the Bustling World Great Emperor was also in such a bad situation. The carefree smile that used to always cover his face was no longer there.
Gao Xue Ting and the others were standing beside him while Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming had not left either. They needed to know the exact situation about the demon sealing grounds below so that they could send word back to their Sects.
When they saw Yang Kai arrive, they all silently saluted each other.
“What’s the situation?” Yang Kai stood by You Kun’s side and asked quietly.
You Kun shook his head, “The Demon Spirits must all have escaped. Right now, we’re trying to find ways to break the remaining seals so that we can see the demon sealing grounds in full. Maybe we’ll be able to find some clues from that. Only…”
“Only what?”
You Kun laughed dryly, “The Array Masters in the temple will need some time.”
Yang Kai understood what You Kun meant. Even though the Spirit Arrays sealing the demon sealing grounds were from ancient times, and even though Gong Yue had already broken some of them, there were bound to still be many remaining. On the other hand, the skills of the Array Masters in the temple weren’t quite up to the task, so their progress of breaking the seals was a little slow. If this were any usual time, it wouldn’t have mattered, but time was now of the essence. The longer they delayed, the more difficult it would be to track down those Demon Spirits.
At that thought, Yang Kai turned to Wen Zi Shan, “Temple Master, I know an Emperor Array Master. Do you need me to invite him over to help?”
Wen Zi Shan’s eyes lit up at that, “Is he reliable?”
“He’s from my High Heaven Palace.”
“Then invite him quickly!” Wen Zi Shan said in a hurry, but quickly revealed a bitter smile, “But your High Heaven Palace is far away in the Northern Territory…”
Yang Kai smiled, “I’ll bring him right over.”
Yang Kai then disappeared in a flash as soon as he finished speaking. None of the others knew what he was going to do. Even though it was surprising for them to hear that he actually had an Emperor Array Master in High Heaven Palace, distant water could not quench the present thirst. By the time Yang Kai could bring him over from the Northern Territory, it would be too late.
Yang Kai was extremely glad that he had arranged a Cross-Territory Space Array behind Spirit Sword Peak back then.
The main reason he set up this array was in order to connect High Heaven Palace with the Azure Sun Temple so that he could easily come and go. This was also not the only such array he had arranged. For certain reasons, however, he did not reveal this fact to anyone and used the power of the Spirit Arrays of Spirit Sword Peak to conceal it, so Wen Zi Shan and the others were completely oblivious.
Yang Kai went straight towards the back of the mountain in order to head back to High Heaven Palace so he could bring Nanmen Da Jun over.
The Spirit Arrays that still remained in the demon sealing grounds were all ancient seals, and since Nanmen Da Jun had always been fond of studying such things, he likely wouldn’t refuse.
Just as Yang Kai was about to reach the place where the Space Array was located, his feet suddenly paused and he looked to the side with a frown.
He could sense a very weak but familiar aura nearby.
When he saw it, Yang Kai’s face changed, and he began circulating his Emperor Qi, as if he were getting ready to face off against a terrible enemy.
There, in the middle of the trees, lay a small beast covered in blood and injuries. From the colour of the fur still remaining on its body, it should have been black. It was about a third of a metre in length and its aura was slightly weak. Its stomach also swelled up a lot at that moment, and only went back to normal after a while.
The Abyssal Returner!
It was still alive and had actually managed to return back to the mountain.
Yang Kai had been staying in the Divine Ascension World these past few days, so he had no idea what happened to the Abyssal Returner. He only knew that Feng Ming had kicked it away during the fight, and then it disappeared.
Yang Kai thought it was dead the whole time.
Based on what Gong Yue said, a trace of the Abyssal Returner’s bloodline existed in the body of this black puppy, and he had used an unknown Secret Technique to draw out that bloodline power, using it to fight with numerous Emperor Realm Masters alone with the might of its Innate Divine Ability.
Yang Kai guessed that if its bloodline was pure enough, or even just a bit stronger than it was currently, everyone present would have suffered during that fight.
A Divine Ability that could devour everything and rebound it was simply unheard of.
The Abyssal Returner apparently did not die, but they heard nothing of it after it was freed from Gong Yue’s control. Chen Wen Hao and the others were also busy investigating the demon sealing grounds and did not pay attention to where it landed. So, during this time, it seemed to drag itself back here, barely managing to maintain its feeble existence.
But it should not be far from death.
Yang Kai only had the opportunity to meet this black puppy twice, so he didn’t have any strong feelings towards it either way. Only, he was a little interested in its strange Innate Divine Ability.
After making sure that it was really an arrow at the end of its flight and of no threat to him, Yang Kai slowly approached it.
The Abyssal Returner seemed to have sensed something and opened its eyes by a slit to see the figure standing in front of it. It issued two whimpers, appearing extremely weak.
Yang Kai raised his palm, and Emperor Qi began to surge on its surface.
The Abyssal Returner slowly closed its eyes, seemingly resigning itself to its fate as hot air blew out from its nostrils.
Yang Kai thrust his palm down, but stopped just a hand’s length above it before grabbing it instead and picking it up and sighing, “Whether you live or die is all up to your own luck now.”
Saying that, he tossed the Abyssal Returner into his Sealed World Bead.
Regardless of how strong the Innate Divine Ability of this Demon Realm exotic beast was, it would be kept in check by Yang Kai as long as it was inside the Sealed World Bead, so he wasn’t worried about it going berserk and causing trouble for him after it recovered.
Whether it survived or not was a separate matter.
What’s more, Yang Kai constantly had the feeling that its true nature wasn’t like what they’d seen. During the two times he’d seen the Abyssal Returner previously, it did not show any malice towards him. Rather, it seemed to have some affection for him, especially during the second time, as the Abyssal Returner had clearly come to see him.
It can even be said that the reason why the Abyssal Returner hid behind the mountain after it was injured was so it could wait for his arrival.
The reason why the Abyssal Returner became so vicious before was because of the Secret Technique that Gong Yue performed. Yang Kai remembered that the Abyssal Returner even tried to bite Gong Yue when he was tracking him through the half of the Demon Spirit to Spirit Sword Peak.
The secret demon sealing grounds under Spirit Sword Peak and the bloodline of the Abyssal Returner should be related.
Yang Kai carried the Ancient Demon Black Eye, and he had the aura of an Ancient Demon sealed in his body. The Abyssal Returner might have been able to sense it, and that was why it wanted to try and approach him.
All kinds of thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, and soon he arrived in front of the Space Array. Space Principles surged and Yang Kai was back in the Northern Territory’s High Heaven Palace.
A few moments later, there was a flash of light above the array, and two figures were revealed.
“So this is the Azure Sun Temple, Palace Master?” Nanmen Da Jun observed his surroundings curiously before clicking his tongue, “It’s nothing special. Not as grand as our High Heaven Palace. En, even the World Energy seems to be inferior.”
“Focus more on the working and less on the talking. Haven’t you heard about this principle?” Yang Kai took the lead and flew ahead.
Nanmen Da Jun laughed, “Yes, yes, yes. By the way, Xiao Hou asked me to ask you how the flight type artifact is doing, and whether or not any places need to be adjusted.”
“No need, it’s working fine.”
“Also, Palace Master. That girl, something Yao from Ice Heart Valley, she came a few times but she always left when she saw that you weren’t in. Is she our Palace Master’s wife?”
“Do you like having a tongue?”
“Fine fine fine, I won’t ask.” Nanmen Da Jun covered his mouth, but after holding it in for only a moment, he started up again, “That girl’s not bad…”
“We’ve arrived!” Yang Kai flew down as he said that.
The group of people on the ground had obviously noticed him as well, and when they looked over, they were all curious as to why Yang Kai had brought a stranger over.
Nanmen Da Jun, however, was like a cat that had caught the smell of fish. He looked towards the entrance of the demon sealing grounds with an inspired look on his face, eyes glowing as he paced back and forth at the entrance, looking more and more excited.
After a while, he turned around and said, “Palace Master, I will head down now. Just wait for my good news.”
Ignoring everyone, he jumped straight down and soon disappeared.
The group of people looked curiously at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai said, “This man is the Northern Territory’s Emperor Array Master, Nanmen Da Jun. He happened to be nearby, so I invited him to come and help us.”
Wen Zi Shan looked at him with a grin, seemingly having noticed something, but he did not expose him.
As time passed, they constantly received new messages from below. As expected of an Emperor Array Master, Nanmen Da Jun was able to crack apart many of the Spirit Arrays remaining in the demon sealing grounds. He used his own abilities to gain dominance, garnering the respect of the temple’s Array Masters.
Breaking the seals took a whole two days, and during that period, representatives of the big Sects in the Southern Territory were constantly arriving at Azure Sun Temple to ask for information. The temple allowed these people to pass, and several Elders took turns receiving them, informing them about the demon sealing grounds, as well as the Demon Spirits escaping.
Many paled in worry as they listened.
Now that the Demon Spirits were out and about, tracking them was going to be a big problem. It was the first time since ancient times that the Southern Territory was encountering such a crisis, so they were completely inexperienced. They could only count on whatever clues may be left inside the demon sealing cave. Otherwise, it would be like searching for a needle in a city worth of haystacks.
But there were no clues to be found in the cave.
Nanmen Da Jun and the temple’s Array Masters cracked all the seals inside the cave, but they couldn’t find any information about the Demon Spirits. On the other hand, they did get some useful information from the Spirit Arrays.
If a time came when they needed to seal the Demon Spirits again, that information may become of use to them.
Everyone was filled with worry for a while.
Soon, envoys from Star Soul Palace arrived. Great Elder Lei Hong led the group personally, bringing with him a decree from the Great Emperor, ordering all the Sects, families, and great forces of the Southern Territory to check their disciples in case any of them have been corrupted by the Demon Spirits.
It was at Spirit Sword Peak that Lei Hong declared the Great Emperor’s order, to which everyone agreed, naturally.
It must be said that the Great Emperor’s Demon Banishment Order had given the whole Southern Territory courage. Many Masters were not as nervous as before; after all, no matter what happened, the Southern Territory still had Star Soul Palace and the Bright Moon Great Emperor behind it. No matter how mysterious or vicious the Demon Spirits could be, they wouldn’t be able to make any waves with the Great Emperor keeping watch.
After the Demon Banishment Order was issued, many Emperor Realm Masters were ready to leave the Azure Sun Temple in order to return to their own Sects to begin work on this matter.
But right at that moment, a red light suddenly sped in from the outside. It gave off an aggressive aura, as if it placed no one else around it in its eyes, and crossed hundreds of kilometres in the blink of an eye, rushing full speed towards Spirit Sword Peak.
After just learning of the escaped Demon Spirits, the emotions of many Masters were still sensitive, so faced with such a brazen visitor who came crashing right into Azure Sun Temple without notice, many thought the worst.
Alarmed, many people instinctively launched attacks to intercept this invader.
A few days ago, the scene of many Elders joining hands with Chen Wen Hao and Feng Ming in the fight against Gong Yue had been explosive enough, but compared to this scene now, it simply paled in comparison.
There were over a hundred Emperor Realm Masters gathered here, so even if only a third of them acted, the scene was still going to be spectacular.
What’s more, the ones acting now were far more than just a third.
Emperor Pressure spread out, and the lights of Secret Technique after Secret Technique bloomed, whilst the power of Emperor Artifacts began to surge before they all gathered towards the red light.
The red light rushing over was clearly a little confused by all this, never having expected to encounter such a situation. It paused in mid-air, but the space it was in was already enveloped in an endless number of attacks.
A dragon roar suddenly rang out through the air, the high-pitched noise shaking everyone’s eardrums. The faces of everyone changed dramatically because this was the call of an extremely pure-blooded Dragon, and not the calls of those flood dragon-like Monster Beasts.
The moment the dragon roar sounded, Yang Kai’s bloodline was suddenly stirred. Seemingly instinctually sensing something, he had not joined those who attacked earlier. Instead, he looked over wide-eyed at this moment.
The red light dispersed, and a huge creature was suddenly revealed in the air. Its more than two-hundred-metre-long body was as lofty as a mountain and it had a pair of Dragon Horns on its head along with four claws extending from its belly. It was covered in red Dragon Scales that were just like burning flames, and with every movement of its Dragon Tail, the wind and clouds would change with it.
“Ssii…”
Everyone drew a sharp breath of cold air, staring dumbfounded at the huge creature in the sky as if they were being looked down upon by a supreme being. In an instant, many people felt their limbs grow weak.
Dragon Clan! The visitor actually turned out to be a Pureblood Dragon! This was something that not everyone expected.
Dragon Pressure spread forth like a tangible wall, striking upon the Emperor Pressure condensed by the hundred Emperor Realm Masters below, actually shattering it to pieces.
With a crackle, the joint attack of dozens of Emperor Realm Masters landed on the Dragon’s body, causing it to throw back its head and roar as sparks splashed from its armour of scales. The Dragon’s body was incredibly sturdy, but even though all these attacks could not endanger the Dragon’s life, it was enough to cause it much pain and anger.
The Dragon raised its head high and spat out a mouthful of Dragon Breath.
As if a volcano had erupted, searing flames spat directly from the Dragon’s mouth towards Spirit Sword Peak. Before the attack had even arrived, everyone could feel their skin searing painfully. The Dragon’s flames seemed to be able to burn anything under the sky, and even the Emperor Realm Masters could feel the deadly threat from it.
“Not good!” At the same time as when Yang Kai’s face changed, he stepped out and summoned his Jade Elder Token into his hand, rapidly injecting his Emperor Qi.
Spirit Sword Peak’s Spirit Arrays suddenly activated, creating a visible layer of protection between them.
This was the defence he set up by mobilizing all the power available to Spirit Sword Peak from its Earth Vein. But this had been done in a rush, its full power could not be released.
As soon as the dragon flame hit the barrier, the scorching heat immediately deformed it. The sound of quenching flames was incessant as ripples began to form on the transparent shield, like it was melting away.
Everyone was shocked and wanted to scatter away as none of them had the confidence to face the terrifying power of this dragon flame.
Lei Hong stepped forward at this time and threw out his fist.
The barrier suddenly cracked, and a bolt of lightning the width of a water bucket crashed into the flames, crashing left and right in the flames and reducing some of the pressure on Yang Kai. This blow was the essence of Lei Hong’s cultivation, clearly showing the might of a veteran Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
The Big Dragon twisted its head and the flames grew even more intense, seemingly strong enough to melt the lightning.
“Enough!” Wen Zi Shan suddenly shouted, and with one hand behind his back gripping a jade disc, he waved his other hand gently and shot out a beam of light, directly cutting off the dragon flames.
The Big Dragon raised its head and hovered high in the air, looking condescendingly down at the crowd. Its huge dragon eyes were covered in the flames of hatred while its mouth was opening and closing as if it would spit out another mouthful of its Dragon Breath at any moment.
Yang Kai withdrew Spirit Sword Peak’s protection and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“State your identity and your intention for coming here, Dragon!” Wen Zi Shan’s face became serious as he looked at the Red Dragon in the sky, thinking to himself that Azure Sun Temple really was eventful as of late. The Demon Spirits escaped, the Bustling World became trapped, Heaven Devourer escaped, and now a Dragon came to visit. He had no idea how this year could be so unlucky as to invite one wave of misfortune after another, but he was getting too tired to deal with this.
But even Wen Zi Shan did not dare to be careless when facing a Pureblood Dragon, because there was only one place in the world where the Dragon Clan could be found. Behind this Red Dragon in front of him was a force that even Great Emperors could not ignore.
“Who hit me? Who hit me just now!?” The Red Dragon did not answer Wen Zi Shan’s question and instead began to roar as if it was greatly humiliated. It could not be any angrier, and the deafening roar was enough to shake the entire Azure Sun Temple.
The Emperor Realm Masters who accidentally attacked the Red Dragon earlier were all pale-faced at this moment. All of them shrank back into the crowd, lest they be recognized by the Red Dragon.
“You, you, and you!” The Red Dragon looked around, eyes stopping on a few Emperor Realm Masters, “As well as you! Stop hiding, I saw you just now! All of you attacked me earlier!”
“I… I didn’t. This Sir, you must have seen wrongly…” The person who spoke shrank even more, cold sweat covering his body.
Offending the Dragon Clan was no joke. The Dragon Clan was proud and always proclaimed themselves the leaders of the myriad spirits. If they had known that the visitor was a Dragon Clan member, none of the Emperors present would have rushed in like that. But this Red Dragon charged over at such a sensitive time without so much as an introduction, so who would be able to curb their instinct to react?
Attacking a member of the Dragon Clan was equivalent to humiliating them, which was definitely a big problem. Fortunately, whether the visitor was friend or foe was unknown to them earlier, so they held back a little when they attacked and did not go all out. Otherwise, if they wounded this Dragon Clan member, then everyone present would have to suffer.
“You have the guts to act but not the guts to admit it?” The Red Dragon roared, “You lowly ants. All of you will die!”
At these words, the faces of many Emperor Realm Masters changed dramatically. A Dragon wasn’t easy to deal with, and an enraged Dragon was even harder to reason with. It was true that over a hundred Emperor Realm Masters did not need to fear a single Dragon if they joined hands, but so what if they beat him? He had Dragon Island behind him. If Dragon Island really was provoked, then the entire Star Boundary would be thrown into chaos, the result of which would be hundreds to thousands of times more serious than the resurrection of the Demon Spirits.
The Red Dragon was obviously truly incensed. As soon as he was done shouting, he was just about to strike. Wen Zi Shan’s expression turned solemn, and he decided that even if he had to offend Dragon Island, he could not allow so many Emperor Realm Masters to die here in Azure Sun Temple. He secretly connected with the temple’s Sect Defending Array, ready to make a move at the slightest danger.
“Wait!” Lei Hong shouted and stood out.
“Old thing, you also attacked me earlier!” The Red Dragon hovered in the sky, its huge body providing a strong visual impact and mental pressure on everyone. Now, it suddenly bent its body down, and its dragon head was less than ten metres away from Lei Hong, its dragon eyes even bigger than small huts staring at him with hostility.
Everyone was sweating for Lei Hong.
Lei Hong, however, just cupped his fists and spoke, “May I ask if this venerable one is from… the legendary Dragon Island from the Eastern Sea?”
“So what if I am?” The Red Dragon puffed out hot air from its nostrils. Lei Hong’s body was glowing, and his hair was a little burnt from the scorching earlier.
“So it’s true…” Lei Hong suddenly had a look of realization and smiled, “There are rumours that Dragon Island is located somewhere on the Eastern Sea, and that Great Dragons could be found on the island. None have ever seen them, but even so, the fame of Dragon Island was still as great as that of the Great Emperors’ Sects. It is truly fortunate that this one had the opportunity to witness this today.”
It was rare to see the Great Elder of Star Soul Palace shower flattery on another so openly. All the Emperor Realm Masters were dumbfounded when they heard this.
But these words had a miraculous effect.
Everyone could clearly feel that the Red Dragon’s anger subsided a lot, and his huge dragon head moved away from Lei Hong slightly. Nodding aloofly, he said in a powerful voice, “Heh, seems like you still have some knowledge, Old Thing, to know the prestige of our Dragon Island. But of course, who in this world knows not of my Dragon Island’s name? How can a trivial Great Emperor Sect compare?”
Lei Hong laughed dryly. Even though he didn’t feel too pleased about this Dragon’s words, he couldn’t show it on his face.
After all, he was the Great Elder of a Great Emperor’s Sect, so the word ‘trivial’ uttered by the Red Dragon naturally caused him discomfort. However, he knew deeply the nature of the Dragon Clan, so he did not dwell on the matter lest he add fuel to the fire.
On the other hand, it was as if the Red Dragon had his itch scratched and he began boasting about himself, “My Dragon Clan is just not willing to compete with you lowly ants for fame and fortune. Otherwise, if my Dragon Island’s elites step out, then it doesn’t matter what Great Emperor this or Great Emperor that, all of them have to step aside! Do you believe that I can drown you all with a mouthful of spittle?”
The more he spoke, the more outrageous his words became, drawing frowns from all the Emperor Realm Masters. Lei Hong saw this and quickly interrupted him, “The Dragon Clan has not shown itself for so long, so it is the first time we have set our eyes upon its members. That is why we were unable to recognize this venerable one during his approach. We thought that an enemy had come, and that was why we acted hastily. Everything was just a misunderstanding.”
“Yes, yes! We were all too impulsive just now. Please do not mind it, Sir!”
“If Sir had shown Sir’s true form earlier, then we would not have attacked you.”
“It is truly a blessing to be able to see the true form of a Great Dragon today.”
“…”
The group of people clamoured on. Everyone could see that though the Red Dragon was grumpy and hard to get along with, it seemed to have soft ears and his anger could easily be quenched just by a few good words. This was also a common problem of those that were overly proud. Since they were so proud, they naturally did not wish to bother too much with people who are overly humble.
For a while, the crowd was not stingy with singing their praises.
Listening to them eased the mind and body of the Great Dragon. His anger which was just like a volcano that was about to erupt earlier had now dissipated, and he let out a soft grunt, “Forget it. I can’t be bothered to deal with you lot either. We can just forget about what happened just now. But next time, you better open your eyes and take a good look before you act.”
All of them breathed out sighs of relief while Wen Zi Shan also dispersed the energy he gathered and shot Lei Hong a grateful look.
Many things happened at the temple and he himself had been injured in the Divine Ascension Mirror World. His mind was occupied with all sorts of troubles now, so if Lei Hong had not dealt with the situation in a timely and proper manner, Wen Zhi Shan would probably be embroiled in even more problems now. If the Emperor Realm Masters were to get into a conflict with the Red Dragon, then it didn’t matter who won or lost in the end as Azure Sun Temple was bound to suffer.
Lei Hong smiled in response, indicating that he didn’t have to worry about it.
Wen Zi Shan cupped his fists to the sky next, “Since Venerable One is from Dragon Island, may I ask which Sir of Dragon Island this venerable one is?”
“This Dragon is Zhu Lie!” The Red Dragon shook his head and flicked his tail proudly, voice travelling a hundred kilometres.
“So it is Sir Zhu Lie. En, this Wen wonders what Sir is doing here at my Azure Sun Temple?”
“I’m looking for someone!” Zhu Lie’s body writhed and he moved his dragon head over the crowd, scanning the group with his dragon eyes, “Who here is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai was still watching a good show when he suddenly heard the guy called Zhu lie call out his name, so he couldn’t help but be stunned.
Over a hundred pairs of eyes turned to him in unison, with all the Emperor Realm Masters standing nearby Yang Kai quickly backing away, as if standing near him would give them bad luck.
Wen Zi Shan was also stunned.
For a Great Dragon to come out here to Azure Sun Temple, he thought it was the resurgence of the Demon Spirits that attracted him. Even though the Dragon Clan boasted about being the leader of the myriad spirits and thought too highly of themselves, they were indeed a powerful race with countless millennia of inheritance. If anyone in this world were to know best about the Demon Race and the Demon Spirits, then it had to be the Dragon Clan.
But who knew that this guy was actually here for Yang Kai and not the Demon Spirits.
He looked at Yang Kai curiously and discovered that Yang Kai also had a bewildered expression on his face.
“You’re Yang Kai?” Without needing anyone to identify him, just the gaze and attitude of the Emperor Realm Masters around him was enough for Zhu Lie to recognize the target of his trip. He then ordered without room for negotiation, “Come with me.”
“Where to?” Yang Kai frowned.
“To Dragon Island!” Zhu Lie answered impatiently.
Everyone sucked in a breath. Even if they were all Emperors, they still couldn’t remain calm when they heard this sentence. It was definitely an honour for one to be able to step foot on Dragon Island in one’s lifetime. But looking at Zhu Lie’s attitude, they were all worried that it could only be disastrous if Yang Kai really went.
None of them knew how Yang Kai had offended Dragon Island and the Dragon Clan.
But Yang Kai seemed to have understood something, frowning as he asked, “Did Zhu Qing ask you to come?”
“She is not qualified to give me orders!” Zhu Lie coldly snorted, a flash of disdain emerging in his eyes.
“Then who was it that gave you the order?” Yang Kai asked.
Zhu Lie snapped his tail impatiently, shaking the clouds within a hundred kilometres as he gave a booming response, “You do not need to know that. You just have to follow me back to Dragon Island.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “I do wish to visit Dragon Island, but not right now. There are still some things I must deal with here. So, this Brother Zhu Lie, may I please trouble you to go back and tell the one above you that I will pay them a visit when I’m free? No need to send anyone out to invite me.”
Yang Kai had suddenly become wary about Dragon Island and the Dragon Clan.
Previously, Zhu Qing had also invited him to Dragon Island many times. In the beginning, Yang Kai thought it was just because of the Dragon Island Token he possessed, as well as the few dragon artifacts that he refined, but now, it seems like things weren’t that simple.
Zhu Qing had not returned since leaving for the Northern Territory’s Frozen Earth, and he heard no news of her either. Then, Dragon Island’s side even sent out another Dragon Clan member to take him to Dragon Island.
Yang Kai figured that it might have something to do with the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source he carried. It seemed he had underestimated its attraction to the Dragon Clan. So, before he was able to figure things out, there was no way he was going to step foot on Dragon Island. Otherwise, he may not even know what he would be facing. What’s more, the Demon Spirits had only just escaped from their seal, and as a participant in this matter, he could not leave here.
Zhu Lie’s dragon eyes rounded and he looked at Yang Kai in astonishment for a while before quickly asking, “Human, did you just reject me?”
His anger that had subsided showed signs of surging up again, and both Lei Hong and Wen Zi Shan’s faces changed slightly.
Before Yang Kai could answer, Zhu Lie had already flown into a rage, “How dare you! This Dragon came here personally and you dare refuse me? You court death!”
He tumbled in mid-air, and an indescribably killing intent suddenly filled a hundred-kilometre radius.
Yang Kai’s face turned serious as he responded, “I believe I made myself very clear. You can either return to Dragon Island and convey my words, or I will beat you back there.”
When the many Emperor Realm Masters heard this, they all turned pale in shock as they stared at Yang Kai. They felt that the audacity of this guy was simply ridiculous. To think a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator would dare speak to a Dragon in such a way.
Wen Zi Shan, Gao Xue Ting, and the others also reacted as if they were meeting Yang Kai for the first time, all of them dumbfounded.
No one had ever dared to talk to a Dragon like that as anyone who did was dead by now.
Lei Hong was also constantly trying to signal to Yang Kai with his eyes, telling him to ease up a little; after all, it wasn’t easy for him to calm Zhu Lie’s anger earlier. Yang Kai’s words were definitely going to stir him up again.
Even he, as the Great Elder of Star Soul Palace, was able to make allowances here. Yang Kai was merely a High-Rank Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple, so whether it be cultivation or position, he was far inferior to him, so what would it matter if he softened his words a little?
But it was already too late.
Zhu Lie’s anger was rekindled and became several times more vigorous than before. A Heaven-shattering laugh broke out from his mouth as he shouted, “Puny ant, how dare you provoke a member of the Dragon Clan! You really do not know the immensity of Heaven and…”
But he did not finish his sentence because Yang Kai’s figure had already teleported in front of him.
His tiny figure looked insignificant compared to the Dragon’s two hundred-metre-long body.
A loud dragon roar sounded, and as a golden light erupted, a huge dragon head appeared behind Yang Kai in a flash before it disappeared into his body.
Yang Kai threw out a fist and smashed it down hard towards the Great Dragon’s nose.
There was a bang, and Zhu Lie’s head shook. The violent force of his punch made him dizzy, and he felt as if his nose had been broken.
“Hm?” Yang Kai was a little stunned because this blow did not have the effect that he expected.
After interacting with Zhu Qing for a period of time, he learned that the power of bloodline suppression was immensely strong for the Dragon Clan. The side with the stronger bloodline had an absolute ability to suppress the one with the weaker bloodline, and this had nothing to do with personal strength.
The Dragon Clan’s bloodline had clear divisions, and it was said that the Dragon Clan’s Great Elder Zhu Yan was a Tenth-Order Azure Dragon. No matter how strong a Dragon Clan member was, it would be impossible for them to match him if their bloodline was below Tenth-Order
And, take Zhu Qing for example. Her own strength was comparable or even greater to that of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. If Yang Kai really fought her one on one, then even with everything he had, he may not be able to guarantee a victory. However, if he used his bloodline power to suppress her, Zhu Qing wouldn’t be his opponent at all. It would simply be impossible for her to properly unleash her strength when facing him.
From what Yang Kai could see, this Zhu Lie’s strength was not bad, but there was no way his bloodline purity would be higher than Zhu Qing’s.
He was able to suppress Zhu Qing with the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source, so he should naturally have no problems dealing with Zhu Lie.
But Yang Kai realized with this punch that he was wrong. The expected bloodline suppression did not appear. Instead, the impact of his fists on the solid Dragon Scales turned his hand into a bloody mess.
Zhu Lie was completely enraged by his punch and roared, “Since this Dragon dared to seek you out, obviously this Dragon has a way to constrain you! You think you can suppress me!?”
When he opened his mouth to roar, he spat out a jet of flames, instantly setting Yang Kai alight, seemingly melting him down in an instant.
The crowd down below was shocked.
Zhu Lie was also taken aback by the sight and was dumbfounded.
He was ordered to bring Yang Kai back to Dragon Island, but he never thought of killing him. Faced with Yang Kai’s resistance and provocation, he was unable to hold back his anger and wanted to teach him a lesson to make him behave, but who knew that he would end up burning him to death with a mouthful of Dragon Breath?
So what should be done now?
If the Great Elder were to learn about this, then he would certainly be punished.
While Zhu Lie was still caught in his bewilderment, he suddenly felt as if a large mountain had suddenly crashed down on his head, smashing it painfully. He couldn’t help but let out a wild roar, and the burning figure in front of him also finally cleared up at this moment.
It was only an afterimage, one left behind from moving at immense speed.
Zhu Lie was both happy and angry. Happy that he did not accidentally kill his target, and angry that this puny insect dared to trick him. He was completely enraged, and as his body swayed in the air, he avoided the attack from above and faced Yang Kai, grabbing at him with his claws.
His huge dragon claws seemed able to compress space itself, and the power of his Dragon Qi which gathered was astonishing. After compressing his power to the limit, Zhu Li suddenly released it all in a violent blast.
That fierce power from this blast rose up and shot out towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai waved his arm in a large arc, forming a huge Moon Blade, slicing through the space to meet this blast head-on.
The two attacks collided with a loud bang, and an overwhelming wind storm swept out, cutting countless gashes into the surrounding space.
Zhu Lie’s huge body did not move, but Yang Kai was only able to stabilize himself after being pushed back more than a thousand metres.
Yang Kai had fallen into a complete disadvantage in their exchange of blows, and he didn’t seem to be a match for Zhu Lie at all.
“What kind of rare treasure did you bring?” Yang Kai scanned Zhu Lie’s body. He clearly caught a shimmer of light when he struck his body earlier, and it was that shimmer of light that was able to offset the bloodline suppression of his Golden Divine Dragon Source, allowing Zhu Lie to unleash his full strength.
Zhu Lie coldly snorted, “Just be obedient and surrender without a fight. Nothing will happen to you if you just follow me back to Dragon Island; however, if you still dare to resist, then you will be solely responsible for the consequences.”
“Will you forcefully press down a bull’s head even if it refuses to drink?” Yang Kai laughed, but that laugh suddenly turned cold, “I’d like to see how far this treasure can protect you!”
At the end of his sentence, he gritted his teeth and let out a roar. A brave and heroic aura began to swell his body all of a sudden, and traces of a Pureblood Dragon Aura began to fill the air along with a radiant golden light that overflowed from the pores of his body. Both Yang Kai’s hands transformed into the shape of dragon claws while two strange bulges protruded from his head. The exposed parts of his skin were also covered in Dragon Scales.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had transformed into a monster that stood about twenty metres tall with clear traces of the Dragon Clan in his appearance. However, it was completely shoddy, like a drawing of a tiger that ended up like more of a dog.
“This is…” Lei Hong’s eyes widened abruptly at the sky, shocked at what he saw.
Wen Zi Shan and the others were also tongue-tied at the sight while Gao Xue Ting’s beautiful eyes were covered in mixed emotions. Over a hundred Emperor Realm Masters stood silent, each one of them shocked beyond words.
No one had ever seen a Secret Technique that could produce such great changes in a person before.
But Zhu Lie reacted just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, gritting his teeth as he hissed, “Dragon Transformation Secret Art! That girl actually taught you the Dragon Transformation Secret Art! Unforgivable, this is simply unforgivable!”
As if Yang Kai had violated some great taboo, Zhu Lie’s voice became extremely angry.
“Now there’s no way you can avoid going to Dragon Island even if you want to refuse. The Dragon Transformation Secret Art is not to be passed on to anyone! From now on, prepare to stay in Dragon Island for the rest of your life!” As Zhu Lie bellowed at him, he had already flicked his tail and pounced over at him, his two-hundred-metre-long body reaching the sky in a flash before pouncing right in front of Yang Kai, opening his mouth to spew out his Dragon Breath.
With a frown, Yang Kai countered with a move of his own, resisting Zhu Lie’s onslaught.
He did not expect Zhu Lie to react so violently to his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. From what he said, this Dragon Transformation Secret Art seemed to be some kind of core secret of Dragon Island.
But Zhu Qing didn’t mention this at all when she passed it to him.
During that time, Zhu Qing was in a hurry to go to the Frozen Earth in order to find the remains of one of her fallen clansmen. Before leaving, she passed this Pureblood Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to Yang Kai as if it was just on a whim.
It was only now that Yang Kai realized how much of a risk Zhu Qing had taken in doing so. If the secret to cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art were to be exposed, then Dragon Island would never let this matter go. Yang Kai would not have an easy life, and neither would Zhu Qing.
It didn’t matter which great force it was, their core inheritance was never easily passed on, much less a Secret Technique of Dragon Island.
Yang Kai couldn’t understand why Zhu Qing would do such a thing, but he couldn’t fret over that right now. Even though it was hard for Zhu Lie to move around in his two hundred metre dragon form, each one of his attacks was so powerful that Yang Kai had no choice but to deal with him carefully.
Fortunately, Yang Kai could feel that he was able to suppress Zhu Lie’s Dragon Clan bloodline somewhat after using the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. So, even though it was still quite strenuous, Yang Kai could still just about fight on equal footing with Zhu Lie.
The Golden Divine Dragon’s Source was a great treasure for Yang Kai, but even after such a long time, he still could not figure out how he was going to turn this treasure into his own power.
The Dragon Transformation Secret Art could solve that problem. The more he cultivated this Secret Art, the more he could bring out the strength of the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source. Once he cultivated it to the grand accomplishment stage, he might even be able to transform into a True Great Dragon and travel the world proudly.
Unfortunately, the time Yang Kai spent cultivating was still short, so he could only transform into a twenty-metre-tall Half-Dragon Form. Even so, he could still suppress Zhu Lie who was carrying the rare treasure on him a little.
Two figures clashed mid-air, each releasing their profound moves and fighting incessantly for a time.
A mouthful of Dragon Breath spewed down from above occasionally, forcing Wen Zi Shan to open the Sect Defending Array to block the fallout. Otherwise, the entire Azure Sun Temple was sure to suffer.
Gradually, the battlefield shifted. Yang Kai and Zhu Lie brought their battle higher and higher, and they had already flown into the layer of clouds in the sky. Even the Emperor Realm Masters below could hardly see their movements now. Only the occasional dragon roar from within the clouds told them how intense their battle was.
Everyone was sweating. None of them had any idea how this matter was going to end.
Facing off against a Dragon Clan Member, Yang Kai would not be able to get any benefits whether he won or lost this fight. And, Azure Sun Temple was probably going to follow along with his bad luck as well.
When they thought of this point, many of the Emperor Realm Masters didn’t even dare to stay for the show anymore. All of them quickly found excuses to say goodbye to Wen Zi Shan lest they involve themselves in the crossfire. Naturally, Wen Zi Shan wasn’t in the mood to keep them here, so after a few casual pleasantries, he saw them off.
Hundreds of people soon left, leaving only Lei Hong and his entourage from Star Soul behind.
“Brother Xiao said this boy is a constant source of trouble. I didn’t believe him at first, but now…” Lei Hong shook his head and smiled bitterly. Focusing his eyesight as much as possible into the sky, he still could only catch vague traces of the battle happening up above.
Wen Zi Shan’s face was also grim, “Yang Kai is not at fault for what happened today. It is the Dragon Clan that is too arrogant. If it were me, then I would not have gone with him either.”
Lei Hong said, “But now, the question is how we’re going to end this incident.”
Wen Zi Shan replied, “The temple has suffered through many changes recently, and I am powerless to handle it all. I’m afraid I will have to trouble the Great Emperor to put in a word for me about today’s incident.”
Lei Hong pondered for a moment before nodding, “I will report this to the Great Emperor. Even though the Dragon Clan is not to be trifled with, the Southern Territory won’t just accept wanton bullying either.”
“Many thanks, Brother Lei!”
Lei Hong waved his hand, “Temple Master Wen is too courteous. I think it’s better if you and I join hands to… hm?”
Before he could finish speaking, Lei Hong seemed to have discovered a new change and looked up with wide eyes.
Wen Zi Shan had obviously noticed this too and a stunned expression filled his face.
Above the clouds, it was as if Yang Kai had received the Heavens’ blessings, allowing his originally twenty-metre-tall body to suddenly grow to forty metres. This was a massive size compared to a normal human, but compared to the Great Dragon, it was still a little lacking.
As the size of his body expanded, the two protrusions on his forehead also grew a little bigger and an indescribable aura instantly spread out from his body.
“You…” Zhu Lie who was locked in a struggle with Yang Kai was also shocked. If he was in his human form, then his face would probably be filled with fear at this moment. While speaking, he quickly backed away, as if he had seen something terrifying.
Yang Kai also froze for a moment. He had been hell-bent on suppressing his opponent’s Dragon Clan bloodline during the fight just now, and somehow, he ended up breaking through the shackles of his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, allowing it to go a step further and unleash more of the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source Strength in his body, causing this sudden and massive change.
By the time he recovered, Zhu Lie had already backed thousands of metres away while Yang Kai laughed maniacally, “Where do you think you’re going!”
Space Principles fluctuated around him and he caught up with Zhu Lie in an instant, grabbing his Dragon Tail with both claws and yanking it hard.
Zhu Lie, who was heading straight for the sky, was held back by that force, and his huge Dragon Body plunged downward involuntarily as a deafening roar came from his mouth. He suddenly turned his head around and opened his mouth wide, biting towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai sneered. Body weaving back and forth, not only did he avoid Zhu Lie’s attack, he even tied his tail into a bow knot.
Having made a breakthrough in his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source was stimulated to a far greater extent. Yang Kai suddenly felt as if this Zhu Lie was completely not his opponent at all, and he was convinced that this feeling was correct.
It’s not that he had become stronger, but rather that the bloodline of the Half-Dragon Form he transformed into had become purer. It was enough to allow him to suppress Zhu Lie’s bloodline.
“Hou!” Zhu Lie roared furiously, voice filled with grief and anger as if he had been greatly humiliated. A member of the Dragon Clan, ruler of the myriad spirits, actually had his tail tied into a bow. It was simply intolerable. He shook his tail in an attempt to shake off Yang Kai’s hold, but under the bloodline suppression, he was able to use at most seventy percent of his strength, so how could he succeed?
Yang Kai was grabbing onto Zhu Lie’s Dragon Tail and refused to let go. With a shout, the muscles on his arms swelled, and he spun him hard.
*Huchi…*
*Huchi…*
The two-hundred-metre-long Great Dragon was like a toy in Yang Kai’s hands, being spun around and around just like a windmill.
The eyes of the group of Emperor Realm Masters from Star Soul Palace and Azure Sun Temple widened at this sight. Even the soles of their feet were feeling a little cramped from this display.
In the beginning, the speed of the rotation was not too fast; however, the speed gradually became more and more violent. Zhu Lie’s two hundred-metre-tall body now looked like a blurry flat disk, like he was able to form countless clones of himself. With Yang Kai as the centre, Zhu Lie’s figure seemed to be re-created over a dozen times.
But that wasn’t even close, merely a series of after-images left behind by the speed of rotation.
Zhu Lie was dizzy from all the spinning and was unable to gather any of the Dragon Essence from his body. Feeling the stares of the group of ants below, he would rather pass out immediately than suffer this indescribable shame.
With a *xiu* sound, Yang Kai let go and Zhu Lie slammed into the ground just like a meteor.
The earth shook and dust rose up as a huge crater appeared, the two hundred-metre-long dragon shook its head in the crater, trying to get up but was stumbling around like a drunk.
Yang Kai came down from the sky and rode atop Zhu Lie’s head, grabbing one of his Dragon Horns with one hand while clenching his fist and slamming it with the other.
*Hong hong hong…*
Just like a large hammer crashing down on their hearts, each one of Yang Kai’s blows caused the hearts of Wen Zi Shan and the others to clench.
Zhu Lie tried to fight back, but under the double pressure of the bloodline suppression and his dizziness, his resistance seemed extremely childish and ridiculous.
“Come, come, come, tell me now what the immensity of Heaven and Earth is!” Yang Kai said while punching him.
But Zhu Lie wasn’t in the mood for jokes anymore. He could do nothing but hiss and growl. Hearing Yang Kai’s ridicule and sarcasm filled him with even more grief. He almost spat out the blood that was rolling around inside his chest.
After raining down hundreds of punches one after another, Zhu Lie’s head was smashed open. A few pieces of his Dragon Scales almost cracked, and he seemed to be exhausted. Crawling on the ground, Zhu Lie was panting heavily with his big tongue hanging out to the side, but his giant Dragon Eyes were still filled with flames of fury.
If there was no bloodline suppression, then he would definitely jump up and swallow Yang Kai into his belly right now.
“So, do you still want me to go to Dragon Island?” Yang Kai was still riding on his head, tossing a slap across his face while speaking. Even his own hand was in pain from all the blows.
“Whether you’re willing or not, you have to go. The Dragon Clan won’t…”
Before he could finish, Yang Kai had already gotten up and stomped on his head with tremendous force. Zhu Lie’s Dragon Head hit the ground with a bang and he almost bit his tongue. He quickly shut his mouth after that.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Do you still want me to go to Dragon Island?” Yang Kai looked at him from above.
After having suffered an initial loss, how would Zhu Lie dare to answer him?
“You think I can’t handle you?” Yang Kai sneered and began scanning his body. He noticed something during their battle before, he wasn’t too sure what it was he saw. Now was the best time for him to take a look.
In just a few moments, Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, a burning gaze stopping upon a Dragon Scale around Zhu Lie’s neck.
At first glance, that Dragon Scale didn’t seem much different from the rest. However, if one looked closely, then differences of this Dragon Scale could be felt. Its colour seemed to be darker, and its aura was also a little different.
Using his Dragon Claws, Yang Kai grabbed the washbasin-sized Dragon Scale directly.
“What are you doing?” Zhu Lie turned his head over and roared in shock, but when he saw what Yang Kai was up to, he began to struggle even harder. It was not known where this strength came from, but he even tried to fly up to the sky.
Yang Kai ignored him and just grabbed hold of the Dragon Scale with both hands. With a shout, he drew all the strength in his body to rip it violently from Zhu Lie’s body.
With a *chi la*, Dragon Blood splashed everywhere and Zhu Lie’s pained cry filled the sky.
His Great Dragon Body also shrunk in an instant, turning into a red-haired young man in the blink of an eye. In human form, Zhu Lie appeared to be in his early twenties. With sharp brows and bright eyes, he was exquisite in both demeanour and appearance, with healthy jade white skin. With an appearance like his, he was bound to attract the attention of countless women no matter where he went.
However, after taking a beating from Yang Kai, Zhu Lie looked more miserable at this moment. His red hair was messy as if it had not been groomed for more than a decade, his body was covered in bruises and his clothes were messy. There was even a small wound gushing with fresh blood on his neck.
After losing that Dragon Scale, Zhu Lie no longer had the strength to resist the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength in Yang Kai’s body, to the point where he could not even maintain his dragon form.
He leapt out from the ground and pounced like a madman at the scale in Yang Kai’s hand, shouting, “Give it back! That’s mine!”
But right now, in front of Yang Kai’s forty-metre Half-Dragon Form, Zhu Lie was as laughable as a child.
Yang Kai slapped him down like a mosquito, hitting Zhu Lie directly into the ground. Then, Yang Kai stepped on his head with one foot so that he could not move before observing the Dragon Scale in his hand, asking, “So this is what you were relying on to face me?”
Zhu Lie gritted his teeth and refused to answer.
“Without this, how are you going to be bringing me back to Dragon Island?” Yang Kai grinned viciously and looked down at Zhu Lie, coldly snorting, “Seems like that girl Zhu Qing revealed a lot about me.”
Yang Kai was truly annoyed. Zhu Lie was clearly not unprepared during this visit. If he had not been able to make a breakthrough in this Dragon Transformation Secret Art at the crucial moment, then there was no saying who would have won or lost that battle just now.
Information about him must have been revealed by that damned girl, Zhu Qing, which made Yang Kai feel a little uncomfortable.
But on further thought, Zhu Qing was a member of the Dragon Clan. He rejected her request to travel to Dragon Island several times, so it was only natural that she would reveal some of his information.
“Tell me, how does this offset the bloodline suppression?” Yang Kai asked in a solemn voice.
Before this, he thought that the Dragon Scale didn’t belong to Zhu Lie, and that it was the Dragon Scale of a higher-ranking Great Dragon from Dragon Island. However, upon closer inspection, he realized he was wrong. This was indeed Zhu Lie’s Dragon Scale, but as for why the colour was deeper and the aura different, it likely had to do with the enhancement of some Secret Technique.
Yang Kai was a little wary about such a Secret Technique.
Two Dragon Clan members approached him one after another, so there was no saying he might not have to deal with even more of them in the future. He couldn’t rely on making a breakthrough with his Dragon Transformation Secret Art and Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength each time. So, if he could figure out what Secret Technique this was, then he could also make preparations beforehand.
“Just kill me!” Zhu Lie stiffened his neck, seemingly ready to face death unflinchingly as he sneered, “Do you have the guts to slay a member of the Dragon Clan?”
Yang Kai’s expression turned cold, “I can’t stand people provoking me. Once people provoke me, I tend to get impulsive, and there’s no saying what I’m capable of doing when I’m impulsive. So, young man, don’t try and act smart. Whether you live or die is up to my whims right now.”
Zhu Lie gritted his teeth and said nothing more.
Suddenly, Yang Kai crouched down and took a closer look at Zhu Lie’s profile, frowning, “What’s your relationship with Zhu Qing?”
“I have nothing to say about it!” Zhu Lie coldly snorted.
“So be it, then!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully. He just felt that this guy and Zhu Qing shared some similarities in their appearance, and they were both Red Dragons, so they should be related in some way. That was why Yang Kai had asked; however, since the other party didn’t want to answer, he also couldn’t be bothered to get to the bottom of it.
Wen Zi Shan and Lei Hong flew over side by side and stopped ten metres away from Yang Kai, their expression appearing complicated.
Nobody thought that things would escalate to this extent.
At the very beginning, when both Yang Kai and Zhu Lie were engaged in a heated battle, they thought that Yang Kai would be the one to lose. They thought they would wait for the Dragon to vent his anger before coming out to deal with the aftermath, but who knew that Yang Kai would be so fierce as to be able to beat a Dragon into the ground, and even trample him underfoot?
This made things difficult!
“Great Elder Lei, you came just in time!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as if he had found his saviour when he saw Lei Hong.
Lei Hong’s body suddenly froze, and a bad feeling came over him in an instant. He suddenly regretted not having left earlier and actually foolishly followed Wen Zi Shan over. Wasn’t he just finding trouble for himself?
Yang Kai paid Great Elder Lei’s obvious apprehension no mind and carried on, “I caught a Dragon, but this guy is being too arrogant and domineering, so I think it best I hand him to you to bring him back to Star Soul Palace for the Great Emperor to deal with. Whether he kills him or skins him, it’s all up to the Great Emperor. I have no objections either way!”
The corner of Lei Hong’s mouth twitched and he was unwilling to move any closer. Acting as if he did not hear what Yang Kai said, he turned to Wen Zi Shan and cupped his fists, “Temple Master Wen, since the matter has come to an end, this Lei will say his farewells here. We still have to trouble Temple Master Wen on the matter of the Demon Banishment Order. My Star Soul Palace will also do its best to aid in this hunt. If there is any news, please inform me as soon as possible.”
Wen Zi Shan opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Lei Hong’s body had already flashed away with a crackle. Enveloping the other Star Soul Palace members, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the distance.
“The one surnamed Lei, you come back!” Zhu Lie suddenly shouted, voice spreading far and wide, “My Dragon Island will never forgive you Southern Territory cultivators for treating a member of the Dragon Clan this way!”
Lei Hong of course did not stop but instead fled even faster, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
He originally wanted to ask Yang Kai about the situation of his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, but how could he still be in the mood to do so? He just wanted to get as far away from here as possible.
Staring in the direction that Lei Hong ran off in, Yang Kai laughed. But suddenly, he stopped and turned around to see Gao Xue Ting, Wen Zi Shan, and the others looking speechlessly at him.
“What should we do now?” Gao Xue Ting asked.
“I don’t know!” Yang Kai had an innocent expression on his face. Only, paired with his Half-Dragon Form appearance at this moment, it looked particularly ferocious.
“Why not just let him go?” Chen Qian suggested in a quiet voice. She was very afraid of the Dragon Island’s might and also couldn’t bear seeing Zhu Lie being beaten up so miserably.
Zhu Lie gritted his teeth “That’s right. If you’re smart, then you should let me go right now, or this definitely won’t end well for you!”
Yang Kai stomped his foot down again and snorted, “Know your place before you speak, little brat!”
“I’m a member of the Dragon Clan, how dare you treat me like this!” Zhu Lie looked humiliated.
“So what if you’re from the Dragon Clan? Aren’t you still crawling under my feet?”
Zhu Lie flushed crimson as he buried his face into the ground as if he couldn’t wait to find a hole to crawl into and no longer show his face to the world.
“Can’t let him go, can’t kill him either…” Wen Zi Shan laughed bitterly, “You little brat, you really brought me a big problem here.”
The Dragon Clan’s pride was legendary, so if he were really released after being humiliated this way by Yang Kai, then how could Zhu Lie be willing to let the matter rest? He would probably send word to Dragon Island immediately, then a large number of Great Dragons would come in a few days in pursuit of him. And of course, killing him was also impossible. If Zhu Lie was really killed, then they would really start a feud with Dragon Island. Not even a Great Emperor Sect could withstand the wrath of Dragon Island, let alone Azure Sun Temple.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “Forget it. You don’t have to worry about this anymore. I will take responsibility for my own actions.”
Gao Xue Ting asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Yang Kai shrugged, “I can’t kill him or let him go, so I can only imprison him. What else can I do?”
Zhu Lie was shocked at his words. He looked up at him and bellowed, “You dare?!”
Yang Kai sneered, “Open your dog eyes wide and see for yourself whether I dare or not.”
As he spoke, he tossed out his hand, and an antique-looking bell appeared in front of him. As it spun in the sky, the bell grew rapidly in size.
Zhu Lie had obviously perceived the danger of this bell. It might look inconspicuous and simple, but it gave him a strong feeling of suppression. If he were really trapped by this thing, then there would be no way for him to escape.
He tried to struggle, but was met with another round of beating from Yang Kai, one that left him grimacing in pain.
The Mountains and Rivers Bell descended, trapping Zhu Lie inside it. Yang Kai jumped out in a flash and the sound of Zhu Lie cursing and his storm of attacks could immediately be heard from within the bell. With just one hand seal from Yang Kai though, the noise died down.
After all, the Mountains and Rivers Bell was an Exotic Ancient Artifact that could suppress all creation. Even the Phoenix True Fire was suppressed beneath it for several tens of thousands of years and could not break free. Even though Zhu Lie was a Dragon, there was nothing he could do if he was really trapped by the bell.
“This isn’t a long-term solution!” Wen Zi Shan sighed.
Yang Kai said, “Temple Master, you should focus on the Demon Spirits and the Great Emperor’s order instead. Just leave him to me. I assure you he’ll become obedient within a month.”
“It’s best if you have the confidence, but everything must be done in moderation.” After saying that, Wen Zi Shan led the others away.
If not for all sorts of ripples that emerged before, then he would definitely find a way to deal with Zhu Lie first, but right now, for the temple, and the Southern Territory as a whole, the most important thing they had to do was track down those Demon Spirits and the Bustling World Great Emperor. Wu Kuang had now taken over Duan Hong Chen’s body, and nobody knew what he was going to do with it.
Tens of thousands of years ago, the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor plagued the world and caused the deaths of countless lives. Compared to him, the anger of Dragon Island was secondary.
In just a few days, the entire Southern Territory began to move. Billions of cultivators in the Southern Territory were mobilized under the Great Emperor’s Demon Banishment Order.
Yang Kai did not participate in this campaign, however, and had been resting on Spirit Sword Peak during the past few days.
Even though a demon sealing ground had appeared below Spirit Sword Peak, the Demon Spirits sealed inside had all fled, and the ruins left behind were neither dangerous nor special. So, Spirit Sword Peak remained Yang Kai’s personal spirit peak. The Mountains and Rivers Bell had already been moved to Spirit Sword Peak by Yang Kai, but Zhu Lie’s cursing never stopped for a moment, disturbing his peace.
Every day, Yang Kai would go over and teach him a lesson.
After losing his special Dragon Scale, Zhu Lie was no longer a match for Yang Kai. In front of Yang Kai who had unleashed his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, Zhu Lie couldn’t even assume his Dragon form.
Dragons were incredibly resilient, though, so no matter how badly Yang Kai beat him, Zhu Lie would become as good as new the next day.
Zhu Lie was also hard-headed. He probably knew that there was no way Yang Kai would really kill him, so no matter how miserably he was beaten, his tongue never went soft for an instant. More often than not, he would just glare at Yang Kai with an unyielding look in his eyes as if he were saying, ‘what are you going to do about me?’
After half a month like this, good news finally came.
Many of the Demon Spirits that had escaped from Spirit Sword Peak’s demon sealing ground had been found. In the cleanup operation, most of the Demon Spirits were exterminated, but the Southern Territory also incurred great losses. However, as people learned more about the Demon Spirits, they also found many ways to restrain them, making it far less likely they would be easily corrupted anymore.
But whether it be Yang Kai, Wen Zi Shan, or the other Emperor Realm Masters of the Southern Territory, they knew that the Demon Spirits that were exterminated were not all of them. The troublesome ones were those that remained in hiding.
No one knew whose body those Demon Spirits were hiding in, and no one knew when they would reveal themselves again.
Throughout this whole ordeal, they heard no news from the Bustling World Great Emperor or Wu Kuang.
Since the day Wu Kuang took over Duan Hong Chen’s body and left Azure Sun Temple, it was as if he had evaporated from the world. No one saw him again.
Just like the Demon Spirits in hiding, he had become a thorn in the side of the Southern Territory, and there was a constant risk of that wound festering.
From what Gao Xue Ting told Yang Kai, despite the Bright Moon Great Emperor taking action personally, they still failed to find any useful clues about Wu Kuang’s whereabouts. As such, he had left Star Soul Palace in order to handle this situation and went to look for the Heavens Revelations Great Emperor, hoping to seek help from him.
Yang Kai went into the Divine Ascension Mirror again and spent 3,000 Elder Contribution Points to bring out Tian Yan’s Soul from inside.
It was time for him to fulfil his agreement with Tian Yan.
The Flesh Incarnation Pill had been refined a long time ago, so when Yang Kai sent Nanmen Da Jun back to High Heaven Place, he also took a moment to visit Ji Ying and brought back all the Emperor Pills he had refined to Azure Sun Temple. It was with these Emperor Pills that Yang Kai was able to accumulate Elder Contribution Points so quickly to use the Divine Ascension Mirror. Otherwise, he would not have been able to enter the Divine Ascension World again.
It was nighttime. The moon hung bright in the sky alongside a few stars.
Above Spirit Sword Peak, a strong barrier Spirit Array was arranged, and Yang Kai even turned on the Protection Array to prevent any mishaps.
Tonight was the night when Tian Yan was going to mould his flesh body.
Wen Zi Shan, who had received the news, also came over to stand guard personally. He occupied an Array Node of the array set up by Nanmen Da Jun, which had the ability to stabilize Souls, with a solemn expression. Tian Yan was a Soul with no physical body after all. It was his first time leaving the Divine Ascension World and being brought to the Star Boundary by Yang Kai. If there was nothing to anchor his Soul in place, then it could be extinguished very quickly.
The World Principles of the Divine Ascension World and the World Principles of the Star Boundary were very different after all.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai calmed his mind and concentrated, only opening his eyes after a long time, “Senior. The time has come.”
It was three-quarters past midnight, the time of day where Yin Qi was the densest.
As he spoke, he extended his hand and pointed in front of him.
A small light bloomed before spreading out, forming Tian Yan’s shape.
It was with the help of the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus that Yang Kai was able to bring Tian Yan’s Soul out of the Divine Ascension World. If not for the existence of a Supreme Treasure like the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, then Tian Yan wouldn’t even be able to leave that mirror world.
His body looked illusory and translucent, just like a ghost that could scatter in the wind, a mere Soul Avatar.
As soon as he appeared, Tian Yan frowned. Something seemed to be making him uncomfortable as there was a vague look of pain on his face.
There was a rumble in the sky at that moment, then a bang as an extremely strong will and force flooded in from all directions, ignoring the power of the many Spirit Arrays and Spirit Sword Peak’s Protection Array to press down on Tian Yan.
A being with strength comparable to that of a Great Emperor inexplicably appearing in the world was not something tolerated by the Heavenly Way, so it was no surprise it tried to reject him.
Tian Yan clearly expected this though and forming seals with his hands, a profound power spread out, forming a layer of protection around his body that was visible to the naked eye, resisting the rejection force of the World.
Thunder suddenly boomed atop Spirit Sword Peak and lightning danced wildly in the sky, a scene similar to impending doom.
But the disturbance did not last long. It was not known what amazing means Tian Yan used, but the thunder gradually faded away, and the lightning also disappeared quickly. The omnipresent repulsion force also dissipated.
“There’s not much time. It’s not easy to fool the Heavenly Way.” Tian Yan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Yang Kai, “Give me the Spirit Pill and stand guard for me.”
Yang Kai had been waiting for this, so with a flick of his wrist, a milky white Spirit Pill flew straight towards Tian Yan.
Even though Tian Yan did not open his mouth, the pill still entered his body.
The milky white glow that spread out was not obvious at first, but as time passed, it became more and more dazzling. Soon, all of Spirit Sword Peak was enveloped by the glow.
Yang Kai opened his eyes wide and pushed his eyesight to the max to observe this scene carefully.
He saw the Flesh Incarnation Pill melting away inside of Tian Yan’s body, turning into countless tiny white lights that were moving towards each part of his Soul Avatar.
A faint vitality suddenly emerged. Just like a candle flame in the middle of a storm, on the edge of being blown out.
Tian Yan then sat down crossed-legged and shut his eyes, becoming perfectly still.
The milky white lights continued roaming around inside his Soul Avatar, numerous like the stars in the sky, and every few moments, his body would solidify a little, and the aura of vitality coming from it gradually became stronger.
At a certain moment, Tian Yan’s gradually solidifying body suddenly emitted a strong attractive force that shook the World Energy around Spirit Sword Peak, causing it to surge towards him, and was swallowed up in the blink of an eye.
An even stronger attractive force emerged soon after, causing the wind and clouds above Spirit Sword Peak to howl as the Word Energy from afar rapidly rushed in to fill the area; however, this was still not enough to satisfy Tian Yan’s needs.
His body that was formed by the Spirit Pill was just like a bottomless spit, and no matter how much World Energy came, he would devour all of it.
Discovering this, Wen Zi Shan immediately made a move. He used his mind to communicate with Azure Sun Temple’s Sect Defending Array and had it gather World Energy from around Azure Sun Temple towards Spirit Sword Peak. Yang Kai also summoned his own Jade Elder Token to control the World Energy coming into Spirit Sword peak, pouring it into Tian Yan’s body.
The two of them worked closely in tandem.
Following the influx of World Energy, the vitality in Tian Yan’s body grew stronger and stronger.
If there was any hint of instability in his vitality earlier, then it was now slowly being removed, and Tian Yan’s body was transforming into a real flesh body.
The omnipresent Heavenly Way seemed to have discovered something at this moment and a Heavenly Manifestation suddenly gathered above Spirit Sword Peak. Even though it was faint and hadn’t taken shape yet, Yang Kai and Wen Zi Shan were still startled.
World Force! Yang Kai could clearly sense a faint shred of World Force manifesting.
The World Principles of each world were different, and the only thing they had in common was World Force. In simple terms, this was the power of the World itself made manifest. Emperor Realm Masters comprehended World Principles to manifest their own Principle Strength while Great Emperors gained insight into World Force. This was the fundamental difference between the two of them.
Tian Yan’s existence was not allowed by the Star Boundary. The Divine Ability he used earlier was able to conceal him and help him avoid the Heavenly Way’s judgement initially, but as time passed, his deceptive methods gradually fell short, allowing the Heavenly Way to sense his existence.
Indeed, not much time was left. If Tian Yan could not mold his body before the might of the Heavenly Way revealed itself, then he would definitely be rejected from this world and be exiled to oblivion. When that time came, Yang Kai may not be able to save him even with the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus.
Yang Kai and Wen Zi Shan both looked grim. More and more quickly they pumped the World Energy around Azure Sun Temple into Tian Yan’s body. This was all they could do, the rest was up to Tian Yan’s own efforts.
Time gradually passed and the flow of World Energy in Azure Sun Temple did not pause for even a breath. The sound of wind and thunder constantly echoed above Spirit Sword Peak as Tian Yan’s body became more and more solid, and his vitality stronger and stronger.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Way’s might that was gathering atop Spirit Sword Peak also grew stronger, just like a sharp blade hanging above everyone’s heads, ready to cut them down at any moment, putting everyone present on edge.
At one moment, Tian Yan suddenly opened his eyes and he formed several profound hand seals that seemed neither fast nor slow. The body which he had just shaped was like a vast ocean fed by a hundred rivers. It swallowed up the World Energy within several dozen kilometres in one gulp, and the milky white lights swimming around his body suddenly disappeared.
The sky was still moonlit, and it was not known when Spirit Sword Peak restored its peace, with the Heavenly Way’s judgement which had been gathering the whole time somehow disappearing without a trace.
Yang Kai’s eyes darted around, looking at Tian Yan at one moment, then at Wen Zi Shan the next before looking up at the sky, confused.
“Congratulations, Senior!” Wen Zi Shan suddenly spoke, smiling as he cupped his fists in Tian Yan’s direction.
Tian Yan also smiled, “This would not be possible without the assistance of two friends. This Old Master gives his sincerest thanks.”
Wen Zi Shan was cheerful, “This Wen only provided some small aid. It was thanks to Yang Kai’s Flesh Incarnation Pill that Senior was able to mould a flesh body.”
Yang Kai asked, “Does this mean Senior succeeded?”
He was able to hear a thing or two from their conversation. If it had not succeeded, then Tian Yan wouldn’t be so relaxed.
Tian Yan smiled, “It’s a success.”
“That’s wonderful!” Yang Kai was delighted. Only then did he release his Divine Sense to scan Tian Yan’s body, but when he did, he was dumbfounded.
Because at this moment, Tian Yan actually gave off an extreme feeling of weakness. Not the type of weakness like a lamp running out of oil, but rather a very natural type of weakness. Or rather, it should be described as… infantile.
Yang Kai did not feel any fluctuation of power from his body, like Tian Yan was just an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before.
“Senior, you…” Yang Kai looked at him in astonishment.
Tian Yan smiled, “The Heavenly Way is not easy to deceive. Even if I can conceal it for a moment, there’s no way to conceal it for a lifetime. I can only comply with the Heavenly Way’s Will. At this moment, this Old Master should be equivalent to a newborn baby.”
Yang Kai’s jaw dropped. This situation seemed to be different from what he expected…
He originally thought that Tian Yan would still be a Great Emperor level Master after moulding his body, but who could have anticipated that the final result would be like this? However, upon thinking about it, it did make sense. How could such a good thing be realistic? Tian Yan was indeed a Great Emperor in the Divine Ascension World, but that was only with regards to his Soul. Since his body was moulded by the Flesh Incarnation Pill, it would be impossible for him to reach the level of Great Emperor no matter how much World Energy he devoured.
Considering all this, Yang Kai relaxed as he realized his thinking was too naive.
Wen Zi Shan commented from the side, “With Senior’s foundation, even if he has to cultivate from the very beginning, it probably will not take much time for him to return to his peak.”
“I hope so.” Tian Yan smiled, “But before that, this Old Master will need to spend some time in the temple.”
Wen Zi Shan laughed, “This Wen only hopes Senior does not mind the simplicity of his temple. Please, stay as long as you wish. Does Senior need me to arrange for another spiritual peak?”
“No need. Here is fine. Yang Boy does not seem like one to settle in one place, and this peak is clean and remote. It is a suitable place for me to rest and recuperate. Moreover… This is the place where this Old Master was conceived after all. Cultivating here will be just like a baby in a mother’s womb. It may require some adapting if I were to move to some other place now.”
“In that case, I will follow Senior’s wishes. I will send some disciples to bring over some cultivation supplies tomorrow. If there is anything else Senior needs, please let me know.”
“Then, please send some ancient books over. Any type is fine, the more the better.”
“Very well. This Wen will excuse himself for now.” Wen Zi Shan cupped his fists and looked at Yang Kai for a moment before leaving.
Tian Yan turned his head to look at Yang Kai and smiled, “You seem a little disappointed.”
Yang Kai laughed embarrassed, “I’m not really disappointed, it’s just a little different from my expectations. Ah, you should walk a little slower. Let me help you.” As he spoke, he moved over to help Tian Yan who was about to stand up.
Tian Yan was clearly not used to his flesh body and he stumbled as soon as he stood up. Fortunately, Yang Kai was just in range to help or he would have fallen.
Just as he said, he was like a newborn baby at this moment. He had to learn everything from scratch.
There was a palace on Spirit Sword Peak, and though it wasn’t very big, it was more than enough to house two people.
While chatting, Yang Kai and Tian Yan made their way towards the palace.
After just a few steps, Tian Yan suddenly paused. Yang Kai had no idea what he was doing, but when he looked over, Tian Yan looked blank and dull-eyed as if he had lost consciousness.
Yang Kai was shocked and was worried that something had happened and was about to investigate when Tian Yan’s eyes moved again, his consciousness returning to his body in a flash.
“The fusion of body and soul is not quite stable. My Soul left my body just now,” Tian Yan explained, shaking his head in frustration while walking more and more cautiously.
“It won’t stay this way, will it?” Yang Kai asked worriedly.
“Naturally not. It will be fine in a few days, but I’m afraid it will be difficult during this period.”
They paused three times along their way, and each time it was because Tian Yan’s Soul would accidentally disconnect with his body. Yang Kai had a hard time settling Tian Yan down into his room, and more and more he could feel that Tian Yan’s words were right.
[He really is just like a newborn baby!]
The next day, Wen Zi Shan sent someone to deliver a large number of jade slips that contained a variety of contents to Tian Yan’s room. Meanwhile, Tian Yan had not left since retreating into the room yesterday. Yang Kai did not disturb him either and just flew to the platform at the top of Spirit Sword Peak.
Forming seals with one hand, the Mountains and Rivers Bell flew up.
A dragon roar came out, and at the same time, Zhu Lie, who was trapped inside transformed into a two hundred-metre-long Great Dragon, opening his big red mouth and snapping towards Yang Kai.
“Dragon Transformation!” Yang Kai looked at him in contempt and used his Golden Divine Dragon Source to execute the Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
His body suddenly rose up, and a crackling sound came from all his bones. Short horns grew out from his forehead, and his skin was covered in armoured scales.
The Great Dragon who had just pounced in front of him let out an involuntary grunt, and his two hundred-metre-long body crumbled like a burst bubble. Pitifully, Zhu Lie transformed back into his human form and just happened to have flown right in front of Yang Kai where he was met with an iron fist, almost making it look as if he had taken the initiative to receive this punch.
Zhu Lie was knocked away with a loud bang and he crashed into the side of a mountain not far away, plunging several tens of metres into it.
He was dizzy for a while, but when his vision cleared up, Yang Kai was already standing in front of him. There was a strong suppressive force coming out from his forty-metre tall Half-Dragon Form that made him feel uncomfortable.
“Seems like your memory still hasn’t improved.” Yang Kai sneered and extended a dragon claw, picking Zhu Lie out of the rubble as if he were grabbing a baby chicken. Zhu Lie struggled with all his might, but to no avail.
This scene happened countless times in the past month or so. Each time that Yang Kai lifted the Mountains and Rivers Bell, Zhu Lie would try to sneak in a fierce attack, but without that special Dragon Scale, he simply could not resist Yang Kai after he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Art. Even though his real strength was a few levels higher than Yang Kai, he was still defeated without any ability to resist.
Practically every time, Zhu Lie would end up getting beaten soundly.
There was an incessant sound of banging as Zhu Lie was punched around like a sack by Yang Kai. Dragon Blood splattered everywhere, and he was in a terrible state.
But no matter how hard he was beaten, Zhu Lie never thought of backing down or begging for mercy. Instead, the harder Yang Kai beat him, the colder his eyes would become, as if he was vowing to pay him back for the pain a hundred times over if Yang Kai didn’t beat him to death here.
The Dragon Clan’s arrogance was evident. Even if Yang Kai had already transformed into his forty-metre-tall Half-Dragon Form, he was still no different from an ant in Zhu Lie’s eyes.
There was another loud bang and Zhu Lie was beaten down from the sky, crashing heavily to the ground. Before he could get up, Yang Kai had already stomped on his face.
“Do you submit?” Yang Kai looked down at him, “If you tell me you submit, then I’ll let you go right now!”
“Never!” Zhu Lie ground his teeth, “You think yourself skilled when you have to rely on bloodline suppression? If you have the guts, then fight me in human form!”
Yang Kai laughed, “What sort of dog fart reasoning is that? Don’t you Dragons always judge each other with your bloodlines?”
“You’re no member of the Dragon Clan!” Zhu Lie scoffed.
“That’s not true either. In human form, you’re as strong as a Third-Order Emperor, whereas I’m only a First-Order Emperor. If we fight in human form, then wouldn’t I be suffering a big loss?” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Faced with trash like you, would a Third-Order Emperor cultivation even be needed? This Dragon can suppress his cultivation to the First-Order to fight you!” Zhu Lie shot him a disdainful expression.
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, “Seems like you’re quite confident. You say that now, but what happens if you can’t beat me?”
“Can’t beat you? Impossible!” Zhu Lie tried to shake his head, but he was firmly suppressed by Yang Kai’s large foot. He couldn’t even do something as simple as shaking his head and could only sneer contemptuously, “Under the premise that both parties are at the same level, no one can be a match for a member of a Dragon Clan.”
“You’ll never know.” Yang Kai sneered, “What about this? We can fight in human form, just like you say. There will be no bloodline suppression. However, you must suppress your cultivation to the First-Order. If you lose, then we will write off everything that happened previously.”
“And if you lose?”
“You can do with me whatever you wish.”
“Truly?” Zhu Lie’s eyes brightened.
“Truly!”
“Good. If you lose, then you have to come back to Dragon Island with me. And, I want you to kowtow to me three times, loudly. This is considered a great humiliation to you humans, isn’t it?”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “Don’t even mention three, you can even order me to do thirty or three hundred if it so pleases you.” While speaking, Yang Kai took a few steps back and freed Zhu Lie.
Zhu Lie jumped up, face filled with anger, as if he could pounce over and exact his revenge at any moment, but he held back his impulse desperately and said with a cold expression, “If you’re a man, then don’t let others despise you. I hope you’ll keep your word.”
Yang Kai hummed a soft response, “That will have to wait until you beat me.”
At the end of his sentence, he took the initiative to release his Dragon Transformation Secret Art. His forty-metre-tall body quickly shrank in size, returning to its original state.
At that instant, Zhu Lie rushed over, starting with a breath of dragon flames. Even though he was not in his Great Dragon form and was unable to use most of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques, there would be no problem for him to spit out a few mouthfuls of dragon flames.
He also kept the promise he made with Yang Kai and suppressed his cultivation to the First-Order Emperor Realm, so the power of his dragon flame was much lower compared to when he was in his true form.
Even so, this dragon flame wasn’t something that just anyone could resist as it still contained a very strong burning power.
After the dragon flame, he threw a fist towards Yang Kai with an exhilarated look on his face, as if he could already see himself trampling over the latter’s battered body. He had no regard for a trivial First-Order Emperor Realm human. The reason why he was trampled by Yang Kai until every part of his skin was brutalized was because of the bloodline suppression.
Once Yang Kai used his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, Zhu Lie wouldn’t be able to bring out even a tenth of his power, so how could he be his opponent?
But now, the situation was different. Both of them were in human form, so there was no bloodline suppression. He decided to beat Yang Kai up first to vent his anger before dragging him back to Dragon Island and handing him to the Great Elder.
The fist that followed punched through the dragon flames, producing some amazing and unexpected changes.
Zhu Lie’s fist seemed to be burning, but it didn’t detract the power of the dragon flames in the slightest. Instead, the two complimented each other, increasing the might of the attack dramatically.
*Ci la…*
A sword light flashed over, and a broadsword cut right down onto Zhu Lie’s fist, emitting an ear-piercing noise like the sound of clashing metal. The dragon flame that was wrapped around his fist was actually cut apart and became so weak that it seemed like it might go out at any moment.
“What?” Zhu Lie was shocked, and his face changed slightly.
He had been suffering the ravages of Yang Kai these past few days, so he had some understanding of this Human’s strength and knew that he was much stronger than the average First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator.
Zhu Lie did not expect to be able to do much to his opponent with this opening blow and was just trying to test his depths. However, he didn’t expect his opponent to be able to counter him so easily.
When he looked up, Zhu Lie’s face changed again.
That was because he discovered that Yang Kai didn’t show the slightest hint of strain at all. On the other hand, there was a faint smile at his lips, as if he were mocking him.
Zhu Lie was furious and shouted, “Putting on airs, are you?!”
Another fist blasted forward like lightning. From the momentum, it seemed like it was going to smash Yang Kai’s face to pieces.
Yang Kai turned his Myriads Sword lightly, slamming it forward, striking Zhu Lie’s second punch accurately.
Zhu Lie actually felt pain as the powerful force suddenly hit him, and this sudden change was actually a little hard for him to believe.
He was a member of the Dragon Clan and his body was incredibly sturdy. Every single part of his body was comparable to an Emperor Artifact, and yet the blow casually thrown out by this Human actually hurt him. How strong did he need to be in order to achieve that?
Was he the Dragon here or not?
In that moment of hesitation, Yang Kai had already slashed his Myriads Sword down with a cold expression.
A cold aura emerged atop his head, causing Zhu Li’s face to change drastically as he hurriedly retreated.
With a large crackle, the Myriads Sword sliced down on Zhu Lie’s body with sparks flying everywhere. By the time Zhu Lie moved a thousand metres back and looked down, he discovered that there was a long, eye-catching white mark from his belly down between his legs.
“You should be glad that you’re a Dragon, otherwise you’d have been dead already!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly appeared in front of him like a phantom. Zhu Lie looked up only to see that his enemy had appeared just fifty metres away from him at some point, the broadsword gone from his hand, a dark, ten-metre-long attack in the shape of a crescent shooting out towards him.
Zhu Lie wanted to move, but he discovered that the space around him had suddenly become viscous. It actually gave him the illusion that he had fallen into a mire, and no matter how he tried, he was unable to dodge.
Letting out a roar, his aura soared and Dragon Scales appeared on his skin. He was going to take the blow directly with his body.
The pitch-black Moon Blade soared across the sky, causing Zhu Lie’s heart to palpitate.
He had no idea whether he could resist such an attack with just his physical body. That attack contained clear fluctuations of Space Principles, which were completely condensed from the Void. Anywhere it passed, even space itself was devoured.
If an attack like that were to cut through his body, then it may even be able to devour a part of him. For the first time in his life, Zhu Lie felt overwhelmed. He did not feel this way even when he was suppressed by Yang Kai’s Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
Just as Zhu Lie’s eyes were about to bulge from fear, the Moon Blade suddenly shattered a few centimetres from him.
His heart was palpitating as if he had just escaped from death and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Zhu Lie raised his head to look at Yang Kai with a ghastly complexion, only to see that annoying man smiling at him and snickering, “You lost!”
Zhu Lie’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot, but he did not say a word.
Indeed, he lost, and not from that Moon Blade-like attack, but at his own hands.
During the critical moment, he raised his strength to the Third-Order Emperor Realm and even unleashed some of his Dragon Clan characteristics, which went against the previous agreement he had with Yang Kai.
Without even coming close to figuring out the true extent of Yang Kai’s power, without the latter unleashing his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, he ended up losing in such a muddled manner.
An unspeakable feeling of shame and frustration overcame Zhu Lie, causing his entire person to look incomparably down. His lips opened a few times, but he couldn’t make a single sound.
It had always been the Dragon Clan who looked down on others, but it was at this moment that Zhu Lie realized that other figures had already appeared above the Dragon Clan while they weren’t noticing.
“You’re not going to go back on your word, are you?” Yang Kai peered at Zhu Lie, “We agreed before this that our grudge will be settled if you lost. Unless the Dragon Clan can’t afford to lose?”
These words stimulated Zhu Lie greatly, and his arrogance forced him to snap back, “Who can’t afford to lose! If I lose, then I lose! Just as you said, our grudges are now settled!”
Yang Kai beamed, “Very good, very good! En, in that case, you can go back where you came from. By the way, please pass Dragon Island a message from me. Tell them I’ll visit them when I have the time, so no need to send someone over to me every now and again.”
Zhu Lie said with a grim expression, “I’ll pass on your word to Dragon Island, but I don’t know what decision they will make.”
Yang Kai nodded, “No matter. You should tell Zhu Qing too. You should be able to contact each other, right? Tell her not to look for me again. It’s… dangerous.”
Every time he was around Zhu Qing, Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to control the stirring in his bloodline. The impulses hiding deep inside his heart felt like they could burst out at any moment, which gave him a bad and dangerous feeling. Yang Kai knew that this was draconic nature, and the deeper he cultivated his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, the stronger his draconic nature would become. One day, he would not be able to suppress those impulses.
So, it would be better for Zhu Qing to stay as far away from him as possible, if possible for the rest of their lives.
“Zhu Qing is probably already dead, so I won’t be able to convey your words.” Zhu Lie shook his head slowly.
The smile on Yang Kai’s face slowly disappeared, “What do you mean by probably dead?”
Zhu Lie coldly snorted, “Probably means I’m not sure! Are you stupid?”
Yang Kai opened his mouth, but he was speechless, his mood instantly becoming terrible.
Zhu Lie glanced at him and chuckled, “You seem concerned about her. Are you curious to know her situation?”
Yang Kai snickered, “It’s not like I’m that close with her, so why would I be concerned? Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me. Naturally, that’s the business of your Dragon Island, so enough with the nonsense.”
Zhu Lie shrugged, “The last time she contacted Dragon Island was two months ago, and it’s precisely because we were sure that she was in a dangerous place and would most likely lose her life there that I came out from Dragon Island to look for you.”
“What are you looking for me for?” Yang Kai asked, dissatisfied.
Zhu Lie answered, “Her mission hasn’t been completed, so naturally, someone has to complete it for her!” Shaking his head, he sighed, “Only, it seems like I, too, will not be able to bring you back to Dragon Island. But remember, Dragon Island won’t give up. You won’t be so lucky next time.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Go back and tell your Dragon Clan that if anyone dares to disturb this Young Master again, send one and I will kill one, send two and I will kill two. I just don’t know how many Dragon Clan members you have on Dragon Island for me to kill.”
Zhu Lie’s face turned dark and he gritted his teeth, hissing, “Shameless boasting!”
“Off you go!”
With a flick of his sleeve, Yang Kai turned around and went back into Spirit Sword Peak. Zhu Lie stood in place and stared for a long time before his body moved, flying away in a stream of light.
No one intercepted him on the way. Right now, the temple was busy with the Demon Banishment Order and the search for Wu Kuang, so most of the Sect’s Masters were outside and it was naturally impossible for those who were left to try to stop a Dragon.
Zhu Lie moved very quickly and left Azure Sun Temple in just a short while, but just as soon as he left the Azure Sun Mountain Range, he paused, his eyes staring coldly at a figure in front of him. It was Yang Kai.
Zhu Lie had no idea when he had run past him, or how long he had been standing there with his hands behind his back, but he was annoyed and shouted angrily, “What do you want now? You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you? This Dragon is not even thinking about starting trouble with you, but if you dare to go against your word…”
“Don’t be so nervous!” Yang Kai interrupted him with a cold smile on his face, “I just want to ask how your Dragon Island is prepared to deal with Zhu Qing’s matter.”
“Zhu Qing is already dead, what else can we do?” Zhu Lie frowned.
Yang Kai said, “Didn’t you say probably, and that you weren’t sure just now? So why are you so sure now that she’s dead?”
Zhu Lie told him, “Even if she’s not dead, she won’t be alive for long. The place that she went to is the Frozen Earth. You should know how dangerous that place is.”
“ I know. If it wasn’t dangerous, then it would have been impossible for one of your Dragon Clan to have been lost there to begin with. I just wanted to ask, is your Dragon Island not planning to save her?”
Zhu Lie sneered, “She’s an Eighth-Order Red Dragon, if even she lost her life there, then there aren’t many Dragons on the island who can guarantee their own safety. Dragon Island will not risk the lives of other clansmen just to save a fellow clansman who they’re not even sure is dead or alive!”
Yang Kai shouted, “Even if she’s dead, you should go and collect her corpse! She’s one of your clansmen after all!”
Zhu Lie scoffed at him, “She did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth and decided to trespass into the Frozen Earth, so why should others join her in taking this risk? If she’s dead, then she’s dead. No one will go and save her either.”
“Is this what you think, or is this what Dragon Island thinks?” Yang Kai’s expression was dark.
“It’s what I think and it’s what Dragon Island thinks!” Zhu Lie turned his head away, not meeting Yang Kai’s eyes.
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before muttering, “I really feel like punching you.”
Zhu Lie sneered, “Haven’t you beaten me enough these days? This Dragon will surely return the shame that you gave a hundred times in the future!”
“Talk to me after you can beat me.” Yang Kai looked in contempt at him and turned around, flying back to Azure Sun Temple.
He returned to Spirit Sword Peak in just a few breaths, coming straight to the back of the mountain. Even though they had just experienced the escape of the Demon Spirits at Spirit Sword Peak, the back of the mountain did not suffer much damage, so the Cross-Territory Space Array he placed there was perfectly undamaged.
It wasn’t until he stood in front of the Space Array that Yang Kai suddenly came back to his senses. His mind was so filled with other thoughts earlier that he didn’t even notice his own movements, and by the time he realized, he was already here.
“Follow your heart, huh…” Yang Kai muttered softly and said helplessly to himself, “How troublesome.”
Despite that, the hesitation on his face disappeared without a trace, replaced with a look of determination.
A noise whistling through the air was approaching from the distance. Yang Kai turned his head around and saw a fiery red light flying in. Seemingly able to sense Yang Kai’s location, it came straight to the back of the mountain, landing not far away from him.
“What?” Yang Kai looked at Zhu Lie who decided to turn back without much enthusiasm, looking as if he wanted to fight with him.
Zhu Lie asked, “Are you planning on going to the Frozen Earth to look for Zhu Qing?”
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai scoffed.
Zhu Lie’s face distorted a little. Turning away, he said, “If you’re going to go, count me in.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow, looking at him with interest, “Give me a reason, and don’t tell me it’s because you found your conscience or some other nonsense. I’m not going to believe such a childish reason.”
Zhu Lie scratched his nose and said, “Zhu Qing is my Elder Sister!”
Yang Kai was slightly surprised, but he soon relaxed.
He had a vague feeling prior to this that Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing shared some sort of blood relationship because of certain similarities in their appearance and characteristics. Only, since he asked once and didn’t get an answer, he didn’t bother to get to the bottom of things.
But only now did Yang Kai find out that his guess was correct. These two Red Dragons were, in fact, siblings.
“Is that reason enough?” Zhu Lie looked at Yang Kai with a serious expression.
“En, it’s enough.” Yang Kai nodded before stepping onto the Space Array and calling out, “Get on.”
Zhu Lie frowned. Even though he had no idea what Yang Kai was going to do, he didn’t sense any hostility from him, so with utter confidence in his own strength, Zhu Lie mounted the array.
“Don’t resist!” As Yang Kai shouted, Space Principles began to fluctuate. The Void seemed to collapse in on itself in that instant, and if Yang Kai had not warned him, Zhu Lie would likely have tried to struggle, and would perhaps have been exiled to the Void as a result.
With a flash of light, the two figures disappeared.
At the same time, the Northern Territory’s High Heaven Palace.
At the Space Array, both Yang Kai and Zhu Lie appeared at the same time. Seeing their arrival, the two disciples who were keeping watch at the side quickly saluted, “Greetings Palace Master!”
Yang Kai nodded before taking out his communication artifact and pouring a message into it. Then, he stood in place, waiting.
Zhu Lie had already recovered from the side effects of the cross-territory teleportation and was now looking around, frowning as he asked, “Where is this?”
Yang Kai answered without even turning back, “The Northern Territory, High Heaven Palace!”
Zhu Lie was stunned for a moment before he began observing the Space Array, pondering, “Zhu Qing said you had a Cross-Territory Space Array here. So it’s true.”
Yang Kai fumed, “Why does that damn woman report everything to Dragon Island? Do I have no secrets at all over there?”
Zhu Lie frowned, “Watch your words, Human. That’s my Elder Sister you’re talking about!”
Yang Kai sneered, “Elder Sister? I didn’t see you taking the initiative to save your Elder Sister. If I had a brother like you, I would have strangled him a long time ago, what would I need him for!”
“What do you know?!” It was not known which one of Yang Kai’s words struck a sensitive nerve in Zhu Lie, sending him into a rage as he gnashed his teeth, “You think I don’t want to save her? You think I’m willing to just watch her die out there!?”
“Then why didn’t you go? Wherever the heart leads, the body should follow. Cultivators like us should tread upon the path we determine for ourselves, bravely, without hesitation or regret. The only thing we should fear is being over cautious and indecisive. If Zhu Qing is really your Elder Sister, then you shouldn’t have sought me out at Azure Sun Temple. You should have looked for her in the Frozen Earth. Even if you died, you should die together with her. Now, with time delayed, you may have cut off her only chance to survive.”
Zhu Lie’s mouth opened and closed, looking extremely angry, and even his eyes seemed to burn.
But for some reason, those fires suddenly died down. Face hazing over, he sighed, “Wherever the heart leads, the body should follow. Is that the reason you want to save her?”
Yang Kai curled his lip, “What else? I don’t know her well enough to risk my life for her, and I’d rather she have gone and died sooner rather than later… But since the thought of saving her appeared in my heart, I’m afraid this thought will haunt me and become a heart demon if I don’t take action.”
Zhu Lie said, “No matter what, I thank you in Zhu Qing’s place.”
“No need to thank me, just don’t bother me in the future.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
A beautiful figure flew over from afar at that time and landed in front of the pair. It was High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager, Hua Qing Si. Cupping her fist, she spoke, “Palace Master, you’ve returned!” While speaking, she glanced curiously at Zhu Lie who was standing next to Yang Kai, but asked no questions about him.
Naturally, Zhu Lie did not bother to say anything. Members of the Dragon Clan had always been arrogant, and if he had not suffered so much at Yang Kai’s hands, he wouldn’t even look at the latter either.
“We’ll be leaving immediately.” Yang Kai looked to be in a hurry.
“Where are you going?” Hua Qing Si asked.
“I have to make a visit to Fire Dragon Palace. Are we connected to Fire Dragon Palace’s Space Array?”
Hua Qing Si responded, “I proposed it before, but Li Jiao wasn’t too willing, so I didn’t force the issue.”
“Of course he wouldn’t be…” Yang Kai smirked. Even though Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect were established top Sects in the Northern Territory, both of them ate a big loss at Yang Kai’s hands and now owed a huge debt to High Heaven Palace that they would not be able to pay back even after a few dozen years, so how could they be willing to connect their Space Arrays with their debtors? Wouldn’t this just make it more convenient for debt collectors to come and demand payment?
“No matter, I’ll just fly there directly. Point me in their direction.”
Hua Qing Si quickly pointed in a certain direction and said, “Fire Dragon Palace is that way. With Palace Master’s speed, it should only take about three days. Does Palace Master need me to accompany you? I’ve been to Fire Dragon Palace once.”
“No need.” Yang Kai waved his hand. But then, he changed to Divine Sense transmission, “How is the situation with the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld?”
Hua Qing Si adopted a serious countenance and replied, “Everything has been arranged and Chi Yue and the others have gone in once already, gaining much from the experience. However, the scope and scale of the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld are too big. I’m afraid it will take some time to map out the rules. I’m preparing to choose some disciples from Thousand Leaves Sect for the next batch to enter.”
More than half a month ago when Nanmen Da Jun returned to High Heaven Palace from Azure Sun Temple, Yang Kai passed him the Thousand Illusions Butterfly for him to bring back. The reason Yang Kai attached so much importance to the Thousand Illusions Butterfly was that he himself was able to benefit greatly from his adventures inside it.
The Thousand Illusions Dreamworld was sure to become one of High Heaven Palace’s foundations. Compared to it, the Heavenly Tone Temple, which was set up with the Heavenly Music Treasure Box as the core, seemed much less useful.
But the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld was not a static thing. Each cultivator that entered it may encounter a different illusion, and not only were those illusions real enough to pass off as genuine, they were also born out of reality, so truth and falsehood were almost indistinguishable. However, the benefits they are able to gain in the illusion were enough to allow a person’s strength to receive a significant boost.
In particular, the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld had the amazing ability to distort time, which was simply invaluable. Chi Yue and the others were Yang Kai’s elders and relatives, so Hua Qing Si chose them to be the first group to enter the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld. As proven by facts, each one of them was able to gain something from inside.
The Thousand Illusions Dreamworld was a huge treasure, and it was impossible for them to extract everything about it at once, so they could only take it step by step and uncover its mysteries gradually.
After a few words with Hua Qing Si, Yang Kai set off with Zhu Lie.
Moving quickly in the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, one man and one Dragon sat inside and shuttled through the air.
Zhu Lie was puzzled by Yang Kai’s actions.
“If Zhu Qing is trapped in the Frozen Earth, why are we going to Fire Dragon Palace?”
While controlling the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, Yang Kai glanced at him, “Have you been to the Frozen Earth before?”
Zhu Lie shook his head, “I’ve rarely left Dragon Island ever since I was born; members of the Dragon Clan aren’t allowed outside very often. I’ve heard of the Frozen Earth before, but I’ve never been there before.”
“Me neither.” Yang Kai laughed and asked, “Then, do you know where we should go to find your Elder Sister?”
Zhu Lie shook his head again, “I don’t. I tried to contact her these past few days, but I never got a response. I’m afraid she may really be…”
Yang Kai interjected, “If they’re alive, see the person, if they’re dead, see the corpse. Reserve your conclusions for after you see her.”
“That’s how the saying goes, but…”
“There are no buts!” Yang Kai swept him a stern look, “Neither you nor I have been to the Frozen Earth, not to mention the fact that we don’t even know where to begin searching for her, but there is someone who should be able to help.”
Zhu Lie thought for a moment, “And that person is in Fire Dragon Palace?”
“I guess you still have some brains!” Yang Kai grinned, “A chef should sharpen his knife before he begins to make a meal. Even though it will delay us for a bit to seek him out, it will at least be better than diving into the Frozen Earth and searching blindly.” After a pause, Yang Kai said, “But that person’s status is not ordinary. So I may need your help when the time comes.”
Zhu Lie snickered, “Can’t you beat him?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “It’s not a matter about who is stronger or weaker, but a matter of cooperation. I want that man to accompany me to the Frozen Earth, but he definitely won’t be willing. If I use force, then I’m afraid it will create conflict and he would try to resist or revolt, which would not help in finding your Elder Sister at all. But if you can make an appearance, then things will be much easier to settle.”
“Oh?” Zhu Lie was now curious. He had no idea what sort of person would be as Yang Kai described, but he didn’t ask too much. He would find out when they met regardless.
Fire Dragon Palace, which had been established for tens of thousands of years in this part of the Northern Territory, was one of the four top Sects alongside Ice Heart Valley, Seeking Passion Sect, and Full Sky Sect. The reason it could be a top Sect was that it always had a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master assuming command.
And Fire Dragon Palace’s Palace Master Li Jiao was even a Half-Monster Master with a trace of Dragon Clan bloodline in him. In its most prosperous years, Fire Dragon Palace used to dominate the other three Sects, so their influence was second to none.
But ever since High Heaven Palace emerged in the Northern Territory, Fire Dragon Palace’s days had not been easy.
No one knew how their Palace Master offended High Heaven Palace, but since last year, eighty percent of the Sect’s annual revenue had to be handed over to that abominable place, leaving them with only a meagre twenty percent.
Fire Dragon Palace was a large Sect with many industries under its command, but its disciples numbered more than ten thousand, and a trivial twenty percent would only equate to ten million High-Rank Source Crystals. How could that amount be enough for their consumption? In the Sect, from Li Jiao at the top to the common disciples at the bottom, they suddenly fell to the ground at once from enjoying all sorts of benefits. All of them had to tighten their belts to live on these days.
Because of this, many of Fire Dragon Palace’s Elders were very dissatisfied with High Heaven Palace and would try to fan the flames by Li Jiao’s ear from time to time, hoping for him to bring them over to High Heaven Palace in order to avenge their past shame.
But how could Li Jiao have such guts? The Elders and disciples under him had no idea what sort of heritage High Heaven Palace possessed, but he couldn’t be clearer. The last time he followed Ji Ying over to watch a good show, he ended up losing almost all of the Sect’s business. Now, even hearing mention of High Heaven Palace was enough to get his heart pounding, so how could he dare to knock on their door?
Fortunately, Fire Dragon Palace wasn’t the only Sect to suffer this misfortune. Full Sky Sect was also in a similar situation. The two top Sects could now be considered brothers in misfortune, and there was nothing they could do but huddle together for warmth.
On this day, inside Fire Dragon Palace’s main hall, many Elders were gathered. As usual, the hall was filled with noise as many Emperor Realm Masters, completely throwing away the calm temperament and mild demeanour Masters of their station should have, made the room as noisy and foul as a vegetable market.
This situation was not common in the past, but since last year it had been happening often. Many Elders were fighting for nothing more than a single word: Benefits!
Fire Dragon Palace’s annual revenue was about fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals, and if there were no special circumstances, such a large amount would have been more than enough to cover the Sect’s expenses. Even after meeting the needs of each Elder and department, there was still a surplus saved to expand the Sect’s reserves in case of future needs.
But since last year, fifty million had been reduced to ten million, and a problem was then exposed. Each Elder wanted to secure more benefits for the spirit peak or hall they controlled. Alchemy required Source Crystals, Artifact Refining required Source Crystals, and even cultivating required Source Crystals. Who was willing to eat a loss?
But there were only ten million Source Crystals in total now to go around, and they had to last for the whole year. With each hand that reached out and snatched a crystal, one crystal would be missing from the pot.
If the storehouse still had a surplus, then it would be fine. At most, they just had to open the treasury and take out the Source Crystals from there to ease the crisis, but the problem was, Fire Dragon Palace’s storehouse was practically empty. Almost all the reserves the Sect had been accumulating for so many centuries had already been given to High Heaven Palace to pay off their debts, and the situation would not be improving within the next fifty years.
In view of all this, the Elders gathered in the hall refused to back down half a step. Each of them argued until their faces were red and their veins bulged, all so they could argue for the greatest amount of benefits for their side.
Li Jiao sat at the head of the room, listening to the noise below with a grim expression, not saying a word or showing any intention to intervene.
He could only blame himself for following Ji Ying to High Heaven Palace back then. If he had simply stood by and watched, that would have been that, but he actually had to make that accursed bet with Yang Kai. Not only did he make a bet, he even gambled so much of the Sect’s resources.
[I must have been possessed!] Li Jiao sighed and slowly closed his eyes.
But all of a sudden, the noise below stopped. An elderly man with an all-white beard cupped his fists and declared, “Palace Master, Spirit Pills cannot be removed from the cultivation of our disciples. The operation of my Pill Room is a top priority for the entire Sect, so I would like to please ask the Sect Master to allocate three million High-Rank Source Crystals for the Pill Room’s Alchemy use each year.”
“Three million? Elder Xu, aren’t you trying to take the lion’s share!? The palace only has ten million source crystals available to spend each year, and you’re actually asking for three million? What do you expect us to do? Drink the northwestern winds?”
“He’s right! Three million is too much. I think half a million sounds better. One can cultivate even without pills, the speed will only be slower. We just have to make it through these next fifty years.”
“Fifty years? The younger generation will have been ruined in those fifty years! Without enough pills to support them, how can their potential possibly be tapped? Our Fire Dragon Palace’s younger generation will definitely reveal an enormous fault line. Once our Sect’s foundation is weakened, who will take responsibility?”
“Brother Xu, don’t make it sound so serious. It’s only fifty years. Who out of us here has not already cultivated for more than a thousand years? When you were young, did you always have plenty of pills to take? Weren’t you able to cultivate to the Emperor Realm all the same?”
“That is why this Old Master is only in the First-Order. If this Old Master had enough pills available to me when he was younger, then this Old Master definitely wouldn’t be merely at this level.”
After a short moment of silence, a new argument broke out.
Li Jiao finally could not take it any longer. He slammed his fist down in anger, crushing the arm of his chair into dust.
The bustling hall suddenly fell silent and all eyes were turned towards Li Jiao.
With their Palace Master angry, none of them dared to act recklessly anymore.
“Enough!” Li Jiao swept his eyes across the bottom and finally gritted his teeth, “Every single day I sit here, listening to you bicker, but you never come up to me with a solution! You are all Elders of my Fire Dragon Palace, Emperor Realm Masters! This constant bickering is highly improper! If the lower disciples were to see this, would we have any dignity left!?”
All of them felt embarrassed being admonished by the Palace Master and lowered their heads.
The Pill Room’s Elder Xu pondered for a moment before saying, “Palace Master, the matter of Source Crystals must be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise…”
“You think I don’t know that?” Li Jiao glared at him impatiently, “This King was negligent that day and fell into the trap of that petty thief, involving everyone in my Fire Dragon Palace.”
Elder Xu said, “Palace Master does not have to blame himself too much. Sect Master Mi was also unable to see through the truth on that day. We can only blame that little brat from High Heaven Palace for being too cunning. As long as our Fire Dragon Palace’s Palace Master survives, then we will surely be able to rise up again.”
The group of Elders nodded their heads in approval.
Li Jiao said, “As things have come to this, this King has a proposal. I hope that all Elders can cooperate with it to their best ability. If it can be done, then our Fire Dragon Palace will definitely be able to make it past these difficult times.”
Elder Xu asked, “May I ask what wonderful plan Palace Master has come up with?”
Li Jiao glanced around and lightly coughed before announcing, “Everyone present is an Emperor and has been an Elder of my Fire Dragon Palace for more than just a year or two. Surely you must have some personal savings on hand. What this Kind means to say is… he hopes you can first take out your savings for the Sect’s public use, as a loan to the palace. After fifty years, you will be paid back with interest. This King will definitely not let any of you suffer a loss. I wonder what everyone thinks about this idea?”
No one responded, and wherever Li Jiao’s eyes swept past, the Elders would lower their heads.
Li Jiao coldly snorted, “Do none of you have any savings? It’s not possible that every honourable Elder of my Fire Dragon Palace is actually a poor beggar, is it?”
“It’s not that we don’t have savings. Only, compared to what the Sect is lacking… it will only be a drop in the bucket, Palace Master,” Elder Xu looked at Li Jiao timidly with a troubled look on his face.
“That’s right, Palace Master. Even if we, the older generation, were to take out all of our money, it still won’t hold us up for long.”
“However long it holds us is still time spent supported,” Li Jiao tried his best to persuade them, “We just have to get through this moment of difficulty. Once the Sect is well-off again, your contributions will surely not be forgotten.”
Since Li Jiao had already put it this way, then the Elders were also too embarrassed to argue further; after all, what Li Jiao said was true. Everyone had already been in the Emperor Realm for so long that they should more or less have some savings on them. If these assets were taken out, then it could really help to ease the Sect’s crisis.
Everyone looked at each other, and it was Elder Xu who broke the silence first, “Sect Master has a point. In that case, this Old Master will set an example. This Old Master contributes 5 million…”
When they heard this, everyone’s eyes lit up and Li Jiao was also looking at him with a hot gaze.
Elder Xu smiled embarrassedly, “Mid-Rank Source Crystals! This is almost everything that this Old Master has.”
Li Jiao’s face turned pitch-black in an instant.
5 million Mid-Rank Source Crystals, when converted, only equalled 50,000 High-Rank Source Crystals. What could they do with this amount? Moreover, as an Emperor Realm Elder and an Emperor Alchemist who had been refining pills for hundreds of years, it was simply impossible for him to have so little money.
“That doesn’t seem right, Elder Xu,” a dark-faced man jumped out and yelled, “That pot of Myriad Flower Wine you served to your guests alone was already worth 30,000 High-Rank Source Crystals. That was a Peak-Rank wine that came out from Medicine Pill Valley. If you had only that bit of money, then how could you possibly afford that?”
Having his lie exposed to his face, Elder Xu blushed red and tried to defend himself, “That… This Old Master didn’t buy that, it was a friend who brought it and invited this Old Master to try it. How could I be the one who bought it? The amount this Old Master earns each year is also just a small amount. It’s just barely enough to cover this Old Master’s cultivation requirements, so how could I have so many Source Crystals to buy that Myriad Flower Wine? Don’t try to slander others!”
The dark-faced man coldly snorted, “Elder Xu doesn’t have Source Crystals? Who would believe that? Elder Xu, you control the Pill Room of Fire Dragon Palace. You take countless Source Crystals from the Palace Master each year. Not mentioning the past, you took 6 million High-Rank Source Crystals last year alone, and more than 7 million the year before that! Going further back, there were even years you took 8 million! The Sect’s total revenue is only 50 million, while the Pill Room directly consumes ten to twenty percent of it!”
Elder Xu waved his sleeve and argued, “This Old Master has already said that the Pill Room is the most important part of Fire Dragon Palace. How can our abundance of disciples cultivate without Spirit Pills? It’s normal for the consumption to be large.”
The dark-faced man sneered, “If only those Source Crystals were really all spent on buying herbs… Can Elder Xu guarantee that all the Source Crystals you take from the Palace Master are truly put into the operation of the Pill Room?”
Elder Xu instantly felt a little angry out of shame and shouted at him, “What… What are you trying to imply!?”
The dark-faced man snorted, “You know exactly what I‘m implying. If Elder Xu had been embezzling funds to fill his own pocket when the Sect was rich, then so be it, but now, when the Sect is in crisis, shouldn’t Elder Xu show a little more sincerity?”
“Embezzling funds to fill my pockets!?” Elder Xu jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his Emperor Qi surging as if he intended to fight it out with the dark-faced man to prove his innocence right then and there. Turning to Li Jiao, he pleaded indignantly, “Palace Master, this man slanders this Elder! I ask Palace Master to please seek justice for this Elder!”
Li Jiao stood there with a numb expression, as if he did not hear what Elder Xu said.
Elder Xu turned back and sneered at the dark-faced man, “My Pill Room’s financial income and expenditure are available for inspection, so this Old Master will not argue with you here. Whether there is any embezzling going on, Palace Master can make his own decision. As for your Artifact Room, who knows whether your bottom is clean or not!”
“You old thing, you dare try to turn this around on me?!” The dark-faced man was furious.
“How dare you call me an old thing, you bastard!”
“So what if I call you that? Old thing old thing old thing!”
“…”
The two of them immediately began another quarrel. Some of the remaining Elders would try and back one of them up, but others tried to quell the fight. The hall was instantly sent into chaos. If Li Jiao were not still here at this moment, a brawl would most likely have broken out.
Li Jiao gazed coldly at the crowd, wishing only to sweep all these annoying bastards out of the room to end all the trouble to return peace to his ears. But he was still the Palace Master after all. At the thought that the survival of his ten thousand disciples rested on the decisions that needed to be made here, no matter how angry he felt in his heart, he had no choice but to force it down and find a way to solve the immediate crisis first.
At that moment, a creak emerged, the door was pushed open, and in walked a disciple.
The noise came to an abrupt halt as everyone turned their attention to the disciple.
The disciple clearly did not expect such exciting things to be happening inside the hall either. As far as his eyes could see, the prominent and aloof Elders were all red-faced with bulging veins while the Palace Master stood at the head with a mirthless smile on his face. The disciple was immediately so frightened that he did not even dare to take a breath.
“What is it?” Li Jiao asked impatiently.
“Reporting to Palace Master, someone is seeking an audience!” The disciple responded, trembling.
“I’m not seeing anyone!” Li Jiao was in a bad mood, so he refused without even thinking about it.
As if he had received a pardon, the disciple quickly excused himself.
But Li Jiao suddenly asked, “Who is asking for an audience?”
The disciple thought for a moment and answered, “He called himself Yang Kai!”
“What!?!” Li Jiao was shocked to hear that answer. The group of Elders below were also stunned.
Elder Xu asked, “Yang Kai? Isn’t that High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master?”
“If it really is him, then this will be interesting!” The dark-faced man who was arguing with Elder Xu just now had a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He raised his head and said, “Palace Master, why don’t you let this Yang Kai come in? Isn’t he the creditor of our Fire Dragon Palace? Perhaps now we can have a proper ‘discussion’ about our debt with him.”
“Yes, that’s right! What a coincidence for him to visit at this time. Just let him in. Palace Master, what do you… think?”
They all turned to their Palace Master, only to see Li Jiao’s face as black as the bottom of a pot. He clearly didn’t think what they were suggesting was a good idea.
Li Jiao sighed, “High Heaven Palace is not to be provoked. And that Yang Kai… is also not to be provoked.”
But the group of Elders were unconvinced because they’d heard that High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master was only a First-Order Emperor. Last time, their Palace Master and Full Sky Sect’s Sect Master suffered a great loss in their territory, but since this Yang Kai daringly sent himself to their doorstep, then they really had no idea what their Palace Master was afraid of. As long as they got him into this hall and shut the doors, then they could settle that huge debt in mere moments.
“Tell that man that this Palace Master has gone out to wander the world and is not in the palace.”
The disciple answered his command and was just about to turn around when a sneer emerged from outside the door, “What an interesting man you are, Brother Li. This Palace Master has come to visit, but you won’t even see me?”
At the end of that sentence, two more figures appeared in the hall.
Before the two men appeared, none of the many Emperor Realm Masters inside even noticed them, as if they simply appeared out of thin air. Both the newcomers looked young. One of the men had a frivolous appearance with sharp brows and bright eyes, a slight smile on his lips. The other man had hair as red as fire and a cold, condescending gaze. Despite standing on the ground, he gave off the feeling that he was in the clouds, as if he belonged to a different world from everyone present.
The Elders were all shocked and each paled in unison.
Li Jiao was also so shaken that he almost turned around and fled. It took a lot of effort before he was able to hold down that impulse in his heart to flee and turn his eyes to Yang Kai with a speechless face.
Yang Kai looked up with a smile, “Brother Li is going out to wander the world?”
Li Jiao laughed dryly, “That was what I was planning, yes, but it’s nothing important, just a whim. However, since Palace Master Yang is here, this Li naturally cannot leave.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin, “If Palace Master Li still has the mind to go out on a trip, then it seems like life has been going pretty well.”
Li Jiao’s face suddenly looked bitter, “Don’t be ridiculous, Palace Master Yang. Right now, this Li’s life is… worse than death.”
When the Elders heard this, all of them lowered their heads apologetically.
Yang Kai laughed, “Brother Li is really interesting. Fire Dragon Palace is so big, and Brother Li is so strong and holds so much power, how could his life be worse than death?”
Li Jiao thought to himself, [Isn’t this all your fault?] But he kept a smile on his face as he changed the subject, “I wonder what Palace Master Yang is here for today?”
Yang Kai did not answer and merely looked at him with a smile.
Li Jiao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, “This… This… Palace Master Yang isn’t thinking of collecting money, right? There’s no need for Palace Master Yang to come personally for such a trivial matter, is there? Matters like these can just be left to subordinates. What’s more, my Fire Dragon Palace has not forgotten this year’s payment. However, I will need some time to prepare… Once everything is prepared, it will be sent to High Heaven Palace immediately without delay. And besides… The deadline is not up yet!”
“How could I not know when the deadline is? I think today is the deadline.”
The cold sweat on Li Jiao’s forehead was now flowing freely as he stammered, “P-P-Palace Master Yang r-r-really came to collect money?”
He simply couldn’t believe it. Even though it was true that Fire Dragon Palace owed High Heaven Palace a large amount of Source Crystals, it was a bit too much for Yang Kai to come himself without informing anyone.
“The one surnamed Yang, don’t be arrogant!” The dark-faced man stepped out of the crowd and pointed at Yang Kai with his finger, “Even though I don’t know what means you used to cheat our Palace Master and put Fire Dragon Palace in such a tight spot, you should remember that you are at least a Palace Master. We are considered peers in the Northern Territory that are sure to come across each other in the future. As long as you can put things down in writing here and nullify the debts between our Sects, then we can let you go this time. Otherwise… Heh heh!”
Many of the Emperor Realm Masters were looking towards Yang Kai with ill intentions.
After seeing Yang Kai in person and confirming that he was indeed just a First-Order Emperor, they all naturally had nothing to fear. Regardless of how strong High Heaven Palace’s heritage was, as long as they could confine Yang Kai here, that was equivalent to gaining control over High Heaven Palace, and their so-called debt would also turn into nothing more than a joke.
Li Jiao on the other hand was now standing in a puddle of sweat and almost fainted when he heard this.
Yang Kai looked at the black-faced man, then back at Li Jiao, asking, “Is this one of your Elders?”
“No!” Li Jiao flatly denied it.
A group of Emperor Realm Elders turned to look at him, dumbfounded. That dark-faced man clearly did not expect his own Palace Master to answer that way either and for a moment, his jaw dropped and he appeared stunned.
Li Jiao did not stop there, however, and continued in a forceful tone, “I don’t know when this trash got in here and dared to masquerade as one of my Fire Dragon Palace’s Elders! No need to bother about the offences of lowly people, Palace Master Yang. There’s no need to pay men like him any heed.”
Yang Kai said coldly, “Since he’s trash, then he should be cleaned up.”
Li Jiao quickly agreed, “Palace Master Yang is right!”
As soon as he finished his sentence, he raised his hand and palmed towards the dark-faced man, instantly stirring up the air inside the hall.
Clearly, the dark-faced man hadn’t been able to react when that huge palm print came down on him, but even if he had, there was no way for him to be Li Jiao’s opponent with his First-Order Emperor Realm cultivation.
There was a scream, and the dark-faced man fell to the ground. Countless bones were broken and fresh blood was spilling out of his mouth and nose. The impact had caused him to pass out directly.
The entire hall was so silent that even a pin drop could be heard. All the Fire Dragon Palace’s Elders were dumbfounded, never expecting that their own Palace Master would actually raise a hand against his own Elders. In an instant, chills seeped through their hearts and bodies.
Li Jiao was not a man who was subject to shifting moods, and every Emperor Realm Elder present had been following him for at least a hundred years, making great contributions to Fire Dragon Palace, but simply to not displease an outsider, Li Jiao would actually go as far as to all but waste one of his own men. Their hearts couldn’t help but sink at his actions.
Suffering that blow, even if the dark-faced man did not die, the injuries were still severe. At the very least, it would take a month or two of recuperation to recover from them.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Li Jiao waved his hand again, tossing the dark-faced man straight out of the hall before looking around with a stern gaze, “If you have no eyes in your own home, you will lose face, but if you have no eyes outside, you will lose your lives. I hope all of you remember this.”
When the thinly veiled warning in his words entered their ears, the Elders couldn’t help but feel stunned, each one with a different expression.
Li Jiao turned back around and smiled dryly at Yang Kai, “I wonder if Palace Master Yang is satisfied with this?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Brother Li is handling his own Sect’s business, it doesn’t matter whether I’m satisfied or not.”
Only then was Li Jiao relieved and exhaled a light breath, “May I ask what Palace Master Yang has come for?”
Yang Kai responded in a cheerful tone, “To collect money, of course. Didn’t Brother Li guess it just now? Why ask if you already know the answer?”
Li Jiao paled in shock and tried to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead as he said, “Palace Master Yang, please don’t joke with me…”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Yang Kai looked indifferently at him.
Even now Li Jiao could not understand what Yang Kai was here for. It was reasonable to say that the annual debt payment of 40 million Source Crystals was simply not worth Yang Kai making the effort to come here personally, but from his expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking either. This made Li Jiao’s heart pound.
With such a huge debt hanging overhead, he constantly felt as if he was on his back foot and didn’t even have much confidence to object. If High Heaven Palace did not have such a shocking heritage, Fire Dragon Palace might be able to resist to a certain extent, but after gaining a first-hand understanding of the depths of High Heaven Palace’s background, Li Jiao couldn’t even think of resisting.
This man was able to associate himself with Grandmaster Ji Ying and had three Monster Kings protecting his Sect, while even a True Dragon was among their ranks… How could Fire Dragon Place compare to such a lineup? If Li Jiao really did annoy these people, then Seeking Passion Sect’s yesterday would be Fire Dragon Palace’s tomorrow.
For a moment, Li Jiao forced out the ugliest smile imaginable, having no idea what else to do.
Yang Kai suddenly said, “Is Brother Li having difficulties turning over the payment?”
Li Jiao answered embarrassedly, “I will have to ask Palace Master Yang to give me more time!”
“How long?”
“Half a year… No no no, three months. Three months will do,” Li Jiao answered him hurriedly.
“Three months? Isn’t Palace Master Li rushing too much?” Yang Kai smiled, “What if this Palace Master gave you three years?”
“What?” Li Jiao was stunned. He couldn’t understand what Yang Kai was implying.
Yang Kai went on, “This Palace Master will give you three years. For three years, your Fire Dragon Palace will not need to make any payments to my High Heaven Palace. After three years, our agreement will continue as usual. With these three years as a buffer, life for your Fire Dragon Palace should be much better!”
Li Jiao didn’t feel pleasantly surprised by this sudden grace and instead was shocked and asked hesitantly, “What is Palace Master Yang… asking for in return?”
Nothing was free in this world, and there was no way this High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master would be so kind either. Li Jiao had been alive for so many years, so he was clearly aware of such worldly matters.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I need Brother Li to accompany me to a place.”
Li Jiao suddenly became alert and his expression changed, “What kind of place?”
Yang Kai next sent his voice directly to Li Jiao’s ear.
There was a dramatic change in Li Jiao’s expression as if he had heard some shockingly terrible news and he instantly shook his head like a rattle, “Palace Master Yang, it’s not that this Li is not willing to help, but…”
“Then pay me back the money now!” Yang Kai held out his palm before Li Jiao could finish speaking.
Lips twitching, Li Jiao fumed, “Palace Master Yang, this Li treats you with sincerity, so please don’t bully others too much! I, Li Jiao, am not scared of you!”
Yang Kai smiled, “No need to be so unreasonable, Brother Li. All you have to do is accompany me there. It’s not like I’m asking for your life.”
Li Jiao shook his head, “Any other place is fine, only that place is…” He seemed to recall something from the past and was unable to help himself from shivering, “Palace Master Yang should ask for something else instead. If this Li can fulfil it, this Li will surely meet your demands.”
“You really won’t?” Yang Kai’s face sank slightly.
Li Jiao gave his silence in response.
Yang Kai sighed, “Forget it. A forcefully picked melon is not sweet. Since Brother Li is unwilling, then this Palace Master will not force it. It’s just that this Palace Master intended to help Brother Li solve a crisis, but since Brother Li is unwilling to cooperate, then I wish you the best of luck.”
Li Jiao’s heart jumped and he asked in astonishment, “Crisis? What crisis?”
Yang Kai shrugged.
Zhu Lie, who had been standing silently at the side, finally spoke at this moment, “He knows where Zhu Qing is?”
“No one knows better than him,” Yang Kai nodded.
The reason why Zhu Qing went to the Frozen Earth in the first place was because of Li Jiao. Many years ago, Li Jiao was able to obtain a Dragon Blood Flower from the Frozen Earth and brought it back to his Fire Dragon Palace to cultivate it with his own blood. According to him, the reason why a Dragon Blood Flower could appear in a desolate place like the Frozen Earth was because a Great Dragon lost its life there, and it was by drawing on the vital essence of that fallen Great Dragon that a Dragon Blood Flower was able to survive.
Zhu Qing had asked Li Jiao about the location, hoping to head into the Frozen Earth to retrieve the Dragon Source left behind by that Great Dragon.
So, if anyone else in this world knew where Zhu Qing was in the Frozen Earth, it had to be Li Jiao. Making him lead the way would be the fastest way to find her.
“Good!” Zhu Lie nodded at his words and walked towards Li Jiao.
Li Jiao’s chest tightened suddenly as an inexplicable sense of danger welled up in him. He had noticed this red-haired young man before and also sensed his might. That was the reason he repeatedly tolerated Yang Kai’s attempts to trouble him. Now, as he had disagreed, Li Jiao was naturally even more wary of him.
Li Jiao asked in a deep voice, “May I ask who Your Excellency is?”
Zhu Lie sneered, “A lizard like you is not qualified to know my name.”
“Li… Lizard!” Li Jiao was furious. Naturally, he was afraid of Yang Kai because there were countless Masters behind him that he could not afford to provoke, especially that female Dragon. She was an existence that he couldn’t even lay eyes on. Though this red-haired young man was certainly powerful, it was not to the extent that he would fear him.
Li Jiao was still a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so there weren’t many people who could beat him in this world.
“Filthy bloodlines like yours disgust me the most. You should have been exterminated a long time ago!” Zhu Lie’s eyes were overflowing with contempt.
This statement angered Li Jiao completely as the impurity of his bloodline had always been a thorn in his heart, so anyone who mentioned it was sure to draw his ire.
So, with a roar, Li Jiao was ready to teach this red-haired young man a lesson. No matter how powerful this man was, as long as he was not a Great Emperor level existence, then they couldn’t be his opponent here in Fire Dragon Palace.
Li Jiao occupied favourable conditions and an advantageous position, allowing him to exert force far beyond his own strength.
But Li Jiao’s raging roar abruptly caught in his throat the next moment while the surging Emperor Qi inside his body froze. Standing on the high platform, his eyes trembled as he gazed down below, shaking like a leaf and nearly falling on his butt as he stammered, “D-D-Dragon Clan!”
Below, behind Zhu Lie who was approaching him step by step, the manifestation of a vibrant red Great Dragon suddenly emerged. The pair of huge dragon eyes floating above his head was staring at Li Jiao without any emotion, causing him to feel as if all energy had been sucked from his body. The blood in his veins felt like it had stopped flowing and even his Emperor Qi couldn’t circulate.
Now, even if the man approaching was in the Dao Source Realm, he would still be able to slaughter him casually right then and there.
A loud dragon roar finally sounded, and the deafening call sent shivers down everyone’s spine.
Fire Dragon Palace’s many Elders were all ashen-faced and panicked at the sight, all of them staring at the figure of the Great Dragon behind Zhu Lie’s back with lost eyes, each of them feeling a deep sense of inferiority and insignificance before it.
Only now did they realize how wise their Palace Master truly was.
When Li Jiao knocked out that dark-faced man and threw him out, they thought that their Palace Master was cold and unfeeling, but now they deeply understood that it wasn’t that Li Jiao was timid and cowardly, but that he had far greater foresight than they.
Without even mentioning how strong that High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master who was watching the show from the side was, a member of the Dragon Clan like this one alone would be enough to sweep away everyone present. If any conflict truly broke out at this moment, then only Fire Dragon Palace would suffer.
That was a True Dragon! A living breathing member of the Dragon Clan! The Dragon Clan that had always existed only in legends and ancient books actually appeared so suddenly in front of their eyes. The situation almost didn’t feel real to the people here.
Only after witnessing it with their own eyes did they realize how subdued the descriptions in those ancient books were. The might of the Dragon Clan could not be described in words alone.
When a Dragon became angry, who could oppose them? Not to mention, clashing with a Dragon meant opposing Dragon Island. Fire Dragon Palace did not have the courage, nor the ability.
In a flash, Zhu Lie had already walked up the platform, reached out, and grabbed Li Jiao by the neck, lifting him up.
Even though he had Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, Li Jiao was just like a baby in front of Zhu Lie, having no power to resist in the slightest. Even if he tried to struggle, he could not break free from his restraint and soon his face was turning blue as his breathing became difficult.
“He… Help me!” Li Jiao couldn’t break free from Zhu Lie’s hold and his neck felt like it was going to be crushed, while the cold murderous intent in Zhu Lie’s eyes filled him with overwhelming fear. He could only turn his head towards Yang Kai creakily and beg for help.
Since they came together, Yang Kai’s words must carry some weight.
But Yang Kai just shrugged, “I apologize, Brother Li, but there’s nothing I can do about this situation.”
Li Jiao was gasping and could no longer spit out any words. The group of Fire Dragon Palace Elders were also anxious, all of them watching their Palace Master suffer this humiliation, but none of them daring to go up and help. Not that they could help with their strength even if they tried. It was an extremely awkward situation.
“I forgot to tell you. This Dragon is Zhu Qing’s younger brother, he also came from Dragon Island. You still remember Zhu Qing, don’t you? She was the female dragon that headed to that place. Speaking of which, Brother Li must also take some responsibility for this matter.” Yang Kai made a long sigh, “Zhu Qing has not returned since she set off for that place, so it seems like she has encountered some kind of danger. After that, her younger brother came out from Dragon Island hoping to save his Elder Sister. Tsk tsk, such a touching sibling love, but since learning that Brother Li was the source of the matter, his impression of you hasn’t been very good…”
Li Jiao’s eyes were almost rolling to the back of his head and only the white of them could be seen.
“Ah, that’s right,” Yang Kai continued piling wood to the fire, “This Brother also seems to not be very fond of those who are not of pure blood. He sees one, he’ll kill one, sees two, he’ll kill both. When I mentioned Brother Li’s situation to him previously, I’m not sure if he heard me or not, but in any case, this is a matter between Dragon Island and your Fire Dragon Palace. It’s really not appropriate for me, an outsider, to interfere.”
Only at this moment did Li Jiao understand what Yang Kai meant by crisis.
This was indeed a big crisis for him. He couldn’t understand how the Dragon Clan that was hard for normal Masters to see even once in their lives would appear in front of him time after time. And it was always related to this damned High Heaven Palace Palace Master!
More and more, Li Jiao was beginning to see Dragon Island’s shadow lurking behind High Heaven Palace, and in the current situation, even if this Dragon really did kill him, he was in no position to argue, much less expect those subordinates of his to avenge him.
He wanted to speak, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t spit out a single word. Left with no other choice, he could only raise his hand and put up three fingers, shaking it constantly.
“Brother Li, what are you trying to say? I can’t understand the gesture you’re making.” Yang Kai had a bewildered look on his face.
Li Jiao continued shaking.
But Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to it.
Three fingers turned into two, and then finally into one.
Only then did Yang Kai say, “I think I understand now. Since Brother Li is so sincere, I think we can negotiate.” He turned to Zhu Lie and said, “Let him go for now. If you really kill him, then don’t even hope that you can find your Elder Sister anymore.”
Zhu Lie coldly snorted and threw Li Jiao out like a loose sack.
With a bang, Li Jiao fell heavily to the side and rolled a few times before he came to a stop. Quickly crawling up, he coughed violently for a while.
It took him a lot of effort before he was able to steady himself, but he didn’t even have the courage to glare at Zhu Lie. His eyes were dodging left and right, nerves overwhelmed by fear. If any other Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was placed in front of him, then he wouldn’t behave this way, but in front of a Pureblood Dragon, he just couldn’t find it in his bones to resist or even feel resentful. He just felt inferior in every way, and that he deserved this mistreatment.
“Brother Li, matters can’t be delayed. We should depart now,” Yang Kai said to Li Jiao.
Li Jiao nodded helplessly.
Yang Kai responded with a smile, “Don’t look so aggrieved. It’s not like we really want your life, we just want you to lead the way. What’s more, it’s not like you’re not gaining anything from this. This Palace Master can give you a grace period of one year to repay your debt.”
Li Jiao could not stop his face from twitching, feeling so much regret that his stomach was doing flips. If he had known that Yang Kai would bring a True Dragon with him, then he would have agreed to anything he said from the start. How could he have tried to bargain with him? Now, it was done. The original three-year deadline extension had been cut to just one year, and it was by his own request.
Li Jiao turned around and instructed the many Emperor Realm Masters present, “Please take care of the palace. This Li will be out for a while.”
The Elders nodded repeatedly and looked at Li Jiao with pity in their eyes. They knew Li Jiao’s situation as well, and knew that he was not a fearful man, he simply had no choice in front of his natural enemy.
Frightened to delay any longer, Li Jiao urged Yang Kai to hurry on their way.
After the Flowing Clouds Shuttle was summoned, the three men entered it and shot off towards the north.
Each territory had its own Forbidden Zones and Restricted Areas.
The Southern Territory had the Southern Swamp, the Eastern Territory had the Ancient Wild Lands, the Western Territory had the Western Dessert, while the Northern Territory had the Frozen Earth. These were only the most famous spots, however, as there were countless other dangerous places of varying sizes.
But in terms of the degree of danger and fatality rate, if the Northern Territory’s Frozen Earth were placed second, then no other place could be named first.
The Frozen Earth’s reputation as the most dangerous place in the entire Star Boundary was recognized by all. Even Great Emperors did not dare to venture casually into this Forbidden Zone. Other places such as Southern Swamp and Ancient Wild Lands contained many different treasures. Though these places were extremely dangerous, they held many hidden opportunities; however, there was nothing beyond cold death in the Frozen Earth.
No one knew what the Frozen Earth looked like inside because everyone who entered its depths, died.
The first reason Li Jiao was able to come out of the Frozen Earth alive was because of luck, and the second was because he did not delve too deep. The place that he went back then was but the outer periphery.
That was several hundreds of years ago, when Li Jiao had just advanced to the Third-Order Emperor Realm. He was in vigorous spirits and reckless, feeling that there was nowhere in this vast world he could not go.
On a whim, he took a trip to the Frozen Earth.
After narrowly escaping death on that trip, Li Jiao swore that he would never go to the Frozen Earth again. It was also during that time that Li Jiao brought the Dragon Blood Flower back to Fire Dragon Palace.
He never thought that he would have to go there again several hundred years later.
Despite it being such a long time ago, Li Jiao still remembered his experience vividly. On the way, he revealed a lot of information about the Frozen Earth to Yang Kai and Zhu Lie, and even though it was not much, it was still useful.
According to Li Jiao, the Frozen Earth’s greatest feature was its frigid temperature. The cold there was not ordinary by any measure and could extinguish all vitality. It was a kind of cold that could not be described, nor could it be resisted.
That damned place seemed to have a natural restraint on all life, and any existence with vitality would not be able to survive there for long.
Very soon, they were able to confirm that information.
The further north they went on the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, the colder the temperature got outside. There was a blanket of white as far as the eye could see, making it impossible to distinguish between the four directions.
Snowflakes the size of goose feathers were constantly floating around the sky, and the entire world seemed to be frozen. Besides white, there was simply no other colour to be seen.
Despite hiding in the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, the three of them could still feel some chill. Even though it was weak, this was still extremely rare.
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle may be a flight type artifact, but it was still an Emperor Artifact after all, one refined by Hou Yu’s hands personally, having many defensive features equipped. If even an Emperor Artifact like this could not withstand the severe cold, it was not hard to imagine how harsh the environment was outside.
Li Jiao’s face grew more and more terrible, and if not for Zhu Lie standing nearby as a deterrent, he would probably have fled and ran back.
Ten days after their departure from Fire Dragon Palace, the three men barely reached the edge of the Frozen Earth.
Li Jiao had a vivid memory of the location where he found the Dragon Blood Flower, so he was constantly leading the way forward.
And so, after another two days passed, Li Jiao suddenly said with excitement, “Over there! See that three-peaked mountain? That’s where I found the Dragon Blood Flower back then.”
Yang Kai glanced at Zhu Lie, whose brows knitted slightly and he slowly shook his head.
He and Zhu Qing were brother and sister, and they were both Red Dragons, so there was more or less some connection between them. If Zhu Qing were still there, he would have been able to sense it.
But at this moment, he could not feel any of Zhu Qing’s aura at all.
Regardless, Yang Kai steered the Flowing Clouds Shuttle towards the three-peaked mountain. At the depressions between the peaks, the Flowing Clouds Shuttle landed, and the three came out in turn.
As soon as they left the Flowing Clouds Shuttle’s protection, a cold that penetrated deep into the depths of both their bones and their Souls came over them from all directions, causing them to be unable to help themselves from shuddering and circulating their strength to resist it.
This was only the edge of the Frozen Earth, and it was already so cold that an ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master probably couldn’t last more than a day or so. It was hard to imagine how things were like in the deeper areas of the Frozen Earth.
Zhu Lie’s Dragon Aura seemed to have some subduing effect on this type of cold though, so when Li Jiao saw this, he couldn’t help but lean closer. But when he was met with Zhu Lie’s cold stare, he chuckled embarrassedly and backed two steps away.
Yang Kai swept out his Divine Sense and scanned through a hundred-kilometre radius, only to retract it after a short while and shiver slightly.
In that short amount of time, it felt like his Divine Sense was going to freeze completely. If he did not retract it then, he would have suffered damage to his Soul.
“This is where you pointed Zhu Qing to that day?” Y ang Kai turned to ask Li Jiao.
Li Jiao hurriedly responded, “Yes, I’m sure of it. I remember this place. Unless there exists another location in the Frozen Earth that is exactly the same as this one…”
The three-peaked mountain was a good landmark, so even though it happened several hundreds of years ago, Ji Liao’s memory wouldn’t be wrong.
While speaking, he beckoned them, “I remember it was in this direction that I found the Dragon Blood Flower back then.”
Yang Kai and Zhu Lie followed behind him, and soon, Li Jiao stopped at a certain spot. Looking up at the direction of the three-peaked mountain, he silently calculated and verified it for a long time before nodding, “This is the place, it has to be.”
Zhu Lie also said, “I can feel a weak Dragon Aura here.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand and a flame erupted on his palm, turning into a vivid Fire Dragon that crashed straight onto the snow on the ground.
The hot fire melted the snow and very soon, a deep depression of several hundreds of meters quickly appeared, revealing the dirt hidden underneath the ice.
The dirt was frozen solid, and was even stiffer than steel; however, there was a very obvious trace of what appeared to be a huge claw mark on top of it.
Li Jiao said excitedly, “See? I was right! This is where that Great Dragon died.”
The huge claw marks were clearly left behind by the claws of a Dragon. Even after hundreds of years, it was perfectly preserved under the cover of the snow.
The trio moved together and soon removed all the snow covering the area. At once, the huge marks left behind by the Great Dragon appeared in front of them.
As Li Jiao said before, there were only traces left here, but not the Great Dragon’s corpse. The reason for that was because the Great Dragon’s physical essence and even bones had become nutrients for the Dragon Blood Flower.
There were no traces left by Zhu Qing here, so none of them knew whether she had been here before.
Yang Kai sensed the area silently for a long time and shook his head, “The Source isn’t here.”
Even though he wasn’t a member of the Dragon Clan, the Golden Divine Dragon Source had truly begun to merge with his body ever since he began cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art that Zhu Qing passed to him. Both his bloodline and physical body were gradually transforming towards being that of a Dragon. So, if there was a Dragon Source here, he would surely be able to sense it.
Zhu Lie glanced at him and said, “I’m going to perform a Dragon Clan Secret Technique. Stand guard for me.”
Yang Kai nodded and stepped aside. Li Jiao’s face also changed, and he looked over at Zhu Lie with both curiosity and eagerness.
The Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques were a type of profound Secret Techniques that could only be performed by those with the Dragon Clan bloodline. Yang Kai could suppress Zhu Lie and Zhu Qing in Bloodline Power, but not through systematic study. Still, he couldn’t perform the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques because they involved the use of Dragon Essence and the Dragon Language.
Li Jiao had a hint of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline, so he was naturally curious and eager to learn about this.
Closing his eyes, Zhu Lie focused his mind.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes. Like a knife, he drew his fingers over his palm, breaking the skin with his sharp nails. Immediately, the air was filled with the rich smell of blood.
Zhu Lie clenched the hand with the wound and raised it high. Dragon Essence surged within his body as a quiet incantation spilled from his mouth. The spell was both profound and complicated. To the ears of others, it sounded very difficult and awkward to pronounce, as if Zhu Lie were speaking with his mouth full.
Li Jiao who had pricked up his ears had a bewildered face, and he scratched his ears anxiously. It was such a rare chance for him to encounter a Pureblood Dragon performing a Dragon Clan Secret Technique in front of him, so he had the heart to learn. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even figure out what he was saying, so how could he learn anything?
Yang Kai couldn’t understand it either, but he felt that this Dragon Clan Secret Technique that Zhu Lie was performing had some similarities to the Shamanic Spells performed by the Shamans of ancient times. Both of them required incantation and circulation of strength.
Under the gazes of the two, drop after drop of fresh blood dripped down from Zhu Lie’s palm. His Dragon Blood was different from normal blood and, just like a ball of hot flame, it gave off a scorching aura.
When it landed on the ground it began to sizzle before melting into the ground and disappearing.
The wind rose and the snow flew. Zhu Lie’s incantations grew higher and higher in pitch until they gradually began to resemble a dragon roar or rolling thunder. It shook one’s eardrums until they hurt and the way his red hair danced wildly and his robes fluttered, the world seemed to be filled completely by this dragon roar.
All of a sudden, Zhu Lie’s voice stopped. As he climbed to the very peak of his momentum, he seemed to deflate like a ball, instantly losing much of his spirit. Some sweat had also gathered on his face.
Even though it was not known what sort of Dragon Clan Secret Technique he performed, it undoubtedly consumed a lot of his energy.
Both Yang Kai and Li Jiao were looking at him with anxious eyes, but Zhu Lie just lowered his gaze and stared at the ground.
After his fresh blood had been poured onto the ground, the surrounding area had been dyed red, and as the burning energy collided with the cold air around them, it began emitting a steaming heat.
Then, Zhu Lie’s eyes flashed, while at the same time, Yang Kai and Li Jiao were also able to sense a change.
The earth that was dyed with Zhu Lie’s fresh blood was writhing, as if something was going to break out from the ground.
Under the watchful gazes of the trio, a little bit of the crimson red sprouted from the ground and quickly rose up, spreading out branches and leaves. In just a moment’s time, a one-third-of-a-meter-tall plant appeared on the ground that looked red as if it were made of fresh blood. No matter how they looked at it, this thing looked just like a blood coral.
Zhu Lie sucked the blood coral into his hand. A dense red glow gathered at its crown, and it began to drift towards one direction as if it had a mind of its own, like a red string that was tied to the top of the plant.
Strangely enough, the direction in which the red band drifted was completely different from the direction of the wind.
Zhu Lie pointed in the direction the red band was moving and said, “Zhu Qing is there. She’s still alive.”
Even though they had no idea how he could possibly figure that out, it was undoubtedly related to the Dragon Clan Secret Technique he just performed.
Without a word, Yang Kai summoned his Flowing Clouds Shuttle and shouted, “Get in!”
Li Jiao, however, stood in place and did not move. He looked at Yang Kai and said in a fawning tone, “Palace Master Yang, this Li has already brought you to this place. For the rest of the journey… Hey, gentlemen use words not fists! This Li is at least…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was grabbed by Zhu Lie and tossed into the Flowing Clouds Shuttle directly, and his expression instantly twisted into one of bitter resentment.
He had no idea why this Dragon was still unwilling to let him go. He had already completed his task of bringing Yang Kai and Zhu Lie to their destination, so what happened next should have nothing to do with him. He should be able to leave this damned place and return to Fire Dragon Palace, but things just didn’t work out how he hoped they would.
As a Third-Order Emperor, it had been many years since he had tasted this feeling of powerlessness. Li Jiao made a vow in his heart that if he made it out of this trip alive, he would never have any dealings with a True Dragon ever again. They were simply unreasonable bullies.
The Flowing Clouds Shuttle broke through the air, but its speed became slower and slower the further they went.
After performing the Secret Technique, Zhu Lie became very weak, so Yang Kai was the one holding the blood coral and using the direction of the drifting red light to lead them to Zhu Qing.
After entering only two thousand kilometres into the Frozen Earth, the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, which was in flight, suddenly shook violently and plunged headlong into the ground.
Yang Kai was stunned. He thought it was some sort of attack, but he soon realized what had happened. While kicking Li Jiao out, he woke up Zhu Lie who was sitting cross-legged and meditating to restore his energy.
Then, he put away the Flowing Clouds Shuttle and stood in the air.
The cold wind that blew over enveloped them with a chill that could seemingly freeze their Souls.
In such a treacherous environment, even Masters who had cultivated Ice Principles may not be able to last long.
Li Jiao flew over, shivering and asking in a sullen face, “What happened?”
When they were taking shelter in the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, they at least had a layer of protection around them. Now that his body was making direct contact with Frozen Earth’s environment, he could clearly feel his vitality slowly flowing away. Even though staying here was no problem for a short time, staying here for any longer may just reduce his lifespan.
“It’s nothing. We just have to walk the rest of the way ourselves,” Yang Kai glanced at Zhu Lie as he spoke.
A flying Emperor Artifact like the Flowing Clouds Shuttle was actually frozen in this place and unable to function properly. If one did not experience it for themselves, then one probably would not be able to believe it.
Zhu Lie was unperturbed, but Li Jiao’s face became snow-white in an instant. He hesitated for a while before speaking up, “Two Sirs, this Li has a presumptuous request!”
Zhu Lie looked at him, his expression even colder than the coldness of Frozen Earth, causing the words in Li Jiao’s mouth to change at once, “This Li will cover the rear.”
“Very good,” Yang Kai smiled. Holding the dragon blood coral in one hand, he led the way in front.
Zhu Lie reached out and grabbed Li Jiao, throwing him forward so he could follow closely behind Yang Kai while he took up the rear himself.
Flying in the Frozen Earth definitely wasn’t a pleasant experience, but soon, Yang Kai noticed an interesting phenomenon. That is, the higher he flew, the more energy it consumed, and the more terrifying that vitality-extinguishing cold became.
After noticing this, he immediately flew down. When he stuck close to the ground, the resistance he felt was much weaker.
Only, their trip was much slower this way, though it was also much safer in relation.
After a full day’s work, the three of them had only moved several kilometres forward, which was simply unbelievable for a group of Emperor Realm Masters.
During that one day, all three of them were shivering, and both their hair and faces were covered in frost. No matter how the three of them circulated their Qi, they could not resist the invasion of coldness into their bodies.
There were many times when Li Jiao wanted to leave, but as soon as he met Zhu Lie’s gaze, the courage that he tried so hard to build up would fall apart again. Unable to say a word, he could only try his best to keep up with Yang Kai’s pace.
He could not understand how Yang Kai could withstand this cold for long, being only a First-Order Emperor. It was reasonable to say that he, as a First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator, should have frozen to death long ago, and yet, it seemed that among the three of them, he was in the best condition. Even Zhu Lie, a member of the Dragon Clan, could not compare with him.
Another day later, Yang Kai, who was leading the group, suddenly stopped and perked up his ears to listen.
He vaguely sensed something.
Li Jiao, who was behind him almost bumped into him, and when he saw Yang Kai’s grave expression, he couldn’t help but feel nervous, “What’s wrong, Palace Master Yang?”
Yang Kai’s eyes crossed over Li Jiao and looked straight at Zhu Lie, “Something’s coming!”
Zhu Lie nodded lightly. He noticed it too. There was in fact something coming at them and the air and the chill around them were showing less-than-normal signs of fluctuation.
“What is it, what is it?” Li Jiao asked with a pale face. The Frozen Earth was devoid of life, so what could possibly be approaching them? However, with how serious Yang Kai and Zhu Lie looked, he couldn’t help but worry.
“It must be that!” Yang Kai raised his head and squinted into the distance.
Li Jiao followed his gaze and gulped.
Something dark had suddenly appeared on that side of the sky, like a curtain that covered the horizon and was rapidly moving towards them.
“Frozen Tide!” Li Jiao seemed to have recalled something and called out in alarm while quickly backing away at the same time.
In a life or death crisis, he finally suppressed his fear of Zhu Lie and ran back the way they came without even looking back. He just wanted to get as far away from the so-called Frozen Tide as soon as possible.
Yang Kai and Zhu Lie were right behind him though, as the fear of death offset any other disadvantages. This time, Li Jiao took the lead and ran faster than anyone else.
“What’s the Frozen Tide?” Yang Kai asked as he fled.
“A Heavenly Manifestation!” Li Jiao answered with a hideous expression. He could only grieve that his parents birthed him with only two legs and caused him to run so slow, “It’s a Heavenly Manifestation specific to the Frozen Earth!”
Li Jiao escaped from a brush with death in the Frozen Earth back then, so he naturally paid more attention to it afterwards. Only, there was simply too little information about the Frozen Earth. Even though he had the heart to collect information, there wasn’t much for him to discover.
He knew that there was a type of Heavenly Manifestation called the Frozen Tide in the Frozen Earth, and knew that no one could survive it; however, how the Frozen Tide was formed, how one should avoid it, or what it looked like, he wasn’t sure.
It wasn’t until he saw it with his own eyes at this moment that he was immediately sure that this had to be the Frozen Tide.
The trio had their speed greatly hampered in this environment, so even though they exerted all their strength, they could not escape the Frozen Tide’s approach. Watching it get closer and closer, both Yang Kai and Zhu Lie’s expressions did not look too good.
In front of a life or death crisis, no one could remain calm.
Yang Kai tried to use his Space Principles, but found it incredibly difficult. The coldness in the Frozen Earth seemed able to freeze even space itself, forcing him to set aside any idea of escaping with instantaneous movement.
As the Frozen Tide grew closer and closer to the three, the bone-chilling cold seemed to hit their back like a huge hammer, causing them to not be able to stop from shivering all over.
Li Jiao’s face suddenly turned fierce as he roared, “If this Li dies here because of you, then I won’t forgive you even if I become a ghost!”
The days of grievance and anger gathering in him finally burst out at this moment. They were going to die anyway, so why should he still have so many scruples? “Yang Kai, aren’t you supposed to be powerful? You even have Monster Kings and Divine Spirits serving you! Find a way to do something about this situation!”
Seeing Yang Kai remain silent, Li Jiao went on angrily, “You’re nothing more than a fox borrowing a tiger’s prestige! Do you think this Li is really afraid of you? If not for Grandmaster Ji Ying’s sake, this Li would have led his men over to flatten your High Heaven Palace long ago! This Li will give you a life worse than death! A trivial First-Order Emperor Realm cultivator dares to act arrogant in front of this Li? Ridiculous!”
Seemingly not satisfied with his scolding, he turned to Zhu Lie next and continued, “Dragon? So what if you’re from the Dragon Clan!? Do you think you can look down on all others just because you were born lucky? This King’s bloodline may not be pure, but so what!? This King was birthed and raised by his parents! This King cultivated to the Third-Order Emperor Realm with his own efforts! If you didn’t have your Dragon Clan bloodline, then you probably wouldn’t even be able to reach this King’s height! All day long, you go around putting on airs; I don’t even know who you’re showing off to! If you have the skill, then don’t use bloodline suppression and face this King head on! This Li will definitely show you this King’s power. Damn, damn… How did this Li get caught up in your mess? Two stars of calamity… I’d known that following you to the Frozen Earth wouldn’t end in anything good… I should have left early on. This is all your fault! This Li had already brought you where you needed to go, so why drag this Li along afterwards? You really think this Li is so easy to bully? Just you wait! If we get out of this alive, this Li will definitely lead his Sect to attack High Heaven Palace and Dragon Island. There will be blood…”
He was ranting on and on as if he had lost his mind, becoming somewhat hysterical, but no matter how he vented his anger, neither Yang Kai nor Zhu Lie paid him any attention.
The two men exchanged glances suddenly, and Zhu Lie said, “If you have any trump cards, better bring them out now! Any later and it’ll really be too late.”
Yang Kai curled his lip, “You Dragon Clansmen have so many Secret Techniques, why are you looking at me? I’m just a First-Order Emperor, what sort of trump card would I have?”
Zhu Lie gave him a deep look and sighed, “Fine. Since you don’t feel like showing your cards, I won’t force you. I’ll do it.”
Li Jiao’s cursing stopped abruptly as if a large invisible hand was pinching his lips closed. Looking at Yang Kai, then at Zhu Lie, he asked carefully with a smiling face, “Sir, do you have a way to get out of this crisis?”
Zhu Lie answered coldly, “I can give it a try.”
Li Jiao urged him with immediacy, “Then what are you waiting for? Quickly!”
While flying, Yang Kai smirked at him.
Li Jiao couldn’t help his frozen white face from flushing with embarrassment, “Sir must take me as well. Just now… I don’t know what possessed me. It was surely a bout of madness. Those definitely aren’t my true thoughts, so please don’t take it personally, Sir!”
He just wanted to slap himself for letting his tongue slip. He didn’t expect to get himself into such big trouble, and he didn’t even know whether this Dragon was willing to help him out now.
But his worries were superfluous. When the dragon roar came out, the figure of a vibrant red Great Dragon appeared above Zhu Lie’s head. The Great Dragon circled around and wrapped around the three of them at once.
They seemed to be isolated from the bitter cold, giving them a sense of security.
Letting out a cry, signs of Dragon Transformation appeared on the surface of Zhu Lie’s body. Then, he turned straight around and actually began rushing in the direction of the Frozen Tide.
Li Jiao was so frightened that his Soul almost left his body and he screamed out loud. Still, he didn’t dare to move away from the Red Dragon’s protection and could only watch himself getting closer and closer to the Frozen Tide.
Yang Kai was also slightly surprised by this, but he quickly understood Zhu Lie’s plan.
It was simply impossible for them to escape from the Frozen Tide’s advance with their current speed, so rather than let it catch up to them and struggle through it, they might as well turn back and face it. With the three of them, they may be able to break through it with their strength.
This was not the best idea, but it was worth a try. Perhaps they might actually get out of this crisis this way.
The cold wind howled, and the Frozen Tide grew closer and closer to the trio. Li Jiao’s face was already shocked to a ghastly colour, and if not for his firm mental temperament, he would probably have fainted then and there.
A dozen breaths later, the three of them finally collided with the Frozen Tide head-on and were enveloped by the pitch-black mass.
Zhu Lie’s face changed dramatically as he discovered that something was wrong at that moment.
Unlike what he expected, this Frozen Tide did not seem to be some natural disaster caused by the convergence of World Energy. Rather, the feeling it gave him was of an indescribable existence, causing him to be unable to use any of the methods he had prepared, swallowing him up directly and whisking him away.
Yang Kai was also taken aback as he muttered, “Space Principles?”
He would never have thought that the Heavenly Manifestation, the Frozen Tide, that existed on the Frozen Earth, actually contained extremely rich Space Principles. The instant they were enveloped by the Frozen Tide, the space around them fluctuated chaotically, and it actually gave them a feeling that they were being teleported. Moreover, this feeling was even more violent than cross-territory teleportation. It felt like they were being completely torn into a fine powder as they were thrown through the Void.
Almost instinctively, Yang Kai pushed his own Space Principles.
In the next moment, Yang Kai became dazed and he could no longer sense Zhu Lie and Li Jiao’s presence, having no idea where the two of them had gone. Yang Kai just felt himself falling endlessly, and that dizzy feeling was growing stronger and stronger. Only by circulating his Space Principles was he able to feel a little better.
It was not known how much time passed when that dizziness finally disappeared all of a sudden. Yang Kai fell heavily onto solid ground, then he bounced up and rolled a few times before he came to a stop.
All the bones in his body felt like they had been broken and he was hit by a feeling of nausea that he had never experienced before, causing him to gag a few times.
The surrounding area was quiet and still snow-capped as usual, but Li Jiao and Zhu Lie were nowhere to be seen.
Slowly getting up, Yang Kai’s expression gradually became grave.
Even though the surrounding scenery did not look much different from earlier, the coldness that penetrated deep into his Soul was no longer present. He could keenly sense the differences in this place. It felt like a completely new world, a world that did not exist in the same plane as the Frozen Earth.
Yang Kai tried to examine the World Principles around him next, and after a few moments, his suspicions were confirmed.
This was indeed another world. Though the World Principles here were complete, they were also somewhat confused, very different from the Star Boundary’s World Principles. In other words, he was not currently in the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai thought back to what happened earlier and was able to muster a faint guess, but he wasn’t too sure.
The only thing he could be sure of was the fact that the place that he arrived at was greatly related to the Frozen Tide. Perhaps the Frozen Tide was the entrance to this world, and its Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering might was merely a mirage.
Suddenly, a red light appeared in the corner of his eye. Turning his head over, Yang Kai saw the dragon blood coral he was holding in his hand glowing a hundred times brighter than before.
The dense light coming from the crown of the coral had coalesced into a thick red band that was drifting in a certain direction, guiding Yang Kai.
“Zhu Qing!” Yang Kai raised his brows and shouted, immediately understanding why these changes happened to the dragon blood coral.
This was something Zhu Lie had created using his Dragon Blood in conjunction with a Dragon Clan Secret Technique, and its main purpose was to find Zhu Qing’s whereabouts. When they were searching for her in the Frozen Earth, it did in fact guide their way.
But its light was nowhere near as strong as now.
Zhu Qing was here! And she was probably not far from him.
When the Frozen Tide washed over him, it clearly swept across a wide area, and he was brought to this world by that Frozen Tide. If Zhu Qing was also swallowed up by the Frozen Tide, she would also appear in this world, which was why these changes happened to the dragon blood coral.
At this thought, Yang Kai hurriedly pulled himself together, picked up the dragon blood coral, and rushed in the direction it led.
In the vast snowy mountains, Yang Kai walked alone.
Sure enough, an hour later, Yang Kai discovered that familiar figure less than three hundred kilometres away from where he emerged.
Blood red long hair like flames, a small and delicate body, lying on her side on the snow, her life or death uncertain.
Yang Kai hurriedly ran over to pick up this figure, and brushing her hair from her face, sure enough, it was Zhu Qing. Letting out a soft sigh of relief, even though he had no idea where they were at right now, Yang Kai was finally relieved to have some good news.
Zhu Qing was found, and as for Zhu Lie and Li Jiao, Yang Kai guessed that they probably weren’t in any danger either. That Frozen Tide was indeed quite frightening in appearance, but it didn’t seem to bring much harm.
The reason they were split up was completely because he instinctively used his Space Principles the moment they were enveloped by the Frozen Tide.
However, Zhu Qing’s condition didn’t seem right. She was a Dragon after all, and one on par or even stronger than a Third-Order Emperor. There was no reason for her to be unconscious on the ground. Perhaps it had something to do with being swallowed up by the Frozen Tide just now; after all, even Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, felt nauseous for a long time after being swallowed up.
But that was clearly not the main reason.
Her body felt as cold as a block of ice, and even her vitality felt extremely weak.
Picking up Zhu Qing, Yang Kai propped her up against himself before extending two fingers to her wrist and pouring his Emperor Qi into her body to check her condition.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s brows knitted into a frown. The aura inside of Zhu Qing’s body was in disorder, but it was not likely the cause of her injury. Instead, it seemed more like dissonance in her cultivation. It puzzled him and made him wonder what it was that Zhu Qing encountered in the Frozen Earth to end up facing such an odd crisis. She was a member of the Dragon Clan, after all.
In addition, Zhu Qing’s physical condition was also very bad. She must have stayed in the Frozen Earth for too long, causing her vitality to be drained by the cold. Most of her body was astonishingly weak, and if she was not provided proper treatment soon, she could very well die.
Yang Kai did not dare to delay. Releasing his Divine Sense, he quickly found a nearby cave, lifted Zhu Qing up, and sped over.
The cave was probably left by some beast as a pungent smell remained inside, but it had clearly been abandoned for quite some time. From the looks of it, no living creature had visited this place in years.
In order to avoid any unnecessary disturbances during the treatment process, Yang Kai directly summoned the Sealed World Bead and brought Zhu Qing into it.
In an environment that was beautiful and refreshing like a spring day, Yang Kai laid Zhu Qing flat on the ground before taking out a large handful of Spirit Pills from his Space Ring and prying her mouth open, stuffing them in without a second thought.
Zhu Qing’s current situation was a little tricky to deal with. Under the effects of the Frozen Earth’s cold, her physique had been severely corroded, and the Dragon Essence in her body had somehow been thrown into dissonance. So, if she were to be saved, the chill first had to be forced out of her from the inside. Only then would she be able to bring order to the rioting Dragon Essence inside her body.
Most of the pills Yang Kai had on hand were good-quality Spirit Pills, worth millions of High-Rank Source Crystals, but he still stuffed them into her mouth without reservation.
The effects were naturally remarkable. Under Yang Kai’s assistance, the Spirit Pills’ medicinal efficacies soon came into play. As they travelled through Zhu Qing’s limbs and bones, a biting chill gradually seeped out from her pores, the same cold as the one permeating through the Frozen Earth. As it flowed out from her body, the surrounding vegetation soon withered and died.
Gradually, her cold body regained a trace of warmth and her snow-white face also began to show some signs of vitality.
Yang Kai kept on calling out her name and even broke into her Knowledge Sea with his Divine Sense in an attempt to wake her up.
But despite his efforts, Zhu Qing showed not a shred of reaction. It seemed as if she were unable to detect any sensations from the outside world and both her eyes were tightly shut, as if she had already passed on.
Yang Kai could only constantly circulate his Emperor Qi to ease her out of her current danger.
Yang Kai lost track of how long had passed, but the situation never improved. After the medicinal efficacies of the Emperor Pills wore out, the coldness inside Zhu Qing’s body reared its head again. The cold seemed to have a life of its own and was able to divide and multiply within her body. As long as a trace of it remained, it would flare up again.
Yang Kai withdrew his hand and sighed, staring at her exquisite face, and only after a long bout of hesitation did he make up his mind and grabbed something from the void.
A verdant glow suddenly appeared on his palm, a glow of bright jade green. Even though it was only a glow, it contained an unimaginable surge of vitality.
The essence of the Immortal Tree!
This time, Yang Kai did not pick a leaf of the Immortal Tree directly since there were not many left. If he picked any more, the Immortal tree would become bare. Extracting the essence of the tree this way was sure to cause damage to the Immortal Tree, but Yang Kai did not care because a life was at stake.
“It’s up to your luck now. If this doesn’t bring you back, then your fate must have run its course.” After muttering to himself, Yang Kai pried apart Zhu Qing’s delicate lips and stuffed the green light into her mouth.
The green light turned into a drop of pure green water and rolled down Zhu Qing’s throat, into her belly.
A dazzling light burst out in the next instant as the surface of Zhu Qing’s body was instantly steeped in green, as if glowing moss was growing over it. At the same time, her faint vitality also burst out like a pot of oil splattered over a blazing fire.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
The cold spilled from Zhu Qing’s pores like a flood, melting with the green light on her body, emitting dense sparks of noise.
Yang Kai watched quietly while constantly checking her condition with his Divine Sense.
As time passed, there was less and less cold pouring out of Zhu Qing’s body, and the green light on the surface of her body also gradually weakened. It seemed as if both the cold and the essence of the Immortal Tree were running out of energy.
Meanwhile, Zhu Qing’s flesh also gradually regained its vitality, and her exposed skin was slowly getting rosy.
Yang Kai breathed out a sigh of relief, feeling that his efforts had not been in vain.
When the last trace of coldness was expelled from Zhu Qing’s body, the green light that was enveloping her form also slowly faded away. The essence of the Immortal Tree was not exhausted, but it would now become capital for Zhu Qing when she grew stronger.
She lay on the ground, seemingly able to sleep until the end of time.
Crossing his arms, Yang Kai stood beside her and looked down at her, eyes sweeping from head to toe without restraint. He recalled the time when he held her before and could not help but feel a little excited.
“As expected of a Dragon, such a figure… Tsk tsk.” Yang Kai commented as if he were admiring a work of art. Suddenly, a trace of evil began to surge in his heart. After suffering such a big loss, shouldn’t he collect some interest too?
Anyways, it wasn’t like he’d never done anything frivolous to this girl before. They were strangers in their first meeting, friends the next, and they already knew each other so well by their third meeting. If not for her, he wouldn’t have risked danger to come to the Frozen Earth, much less be swallowed up by the Frozen Tide, now not even sure where he was.
There was even a chance he may not be able to leave here for the rest of his life and would end up with her here to live like birds flying and nestling together, then raising a family of little dragons.
An excited voice was screaming in his mind, telling him to collect interest. He had to collect some interest for all this!
As such a thought sprung up though, Yang Kai realized in shock that his suppressed desires were cropping up again. He hurriedly tried to suppress the urges, but suddenly, he felt an enchantingly soft feeling on his hands.
Looking down, Yang Kai’s mouth couldn’t help but gape in shock.
His two hands had somehow ended up pressed onto the two great peaks on Zhu Qing’s chest. It was exactly that lofty softness and amazing elasticity that made it impossible for him to kneed and massage these mountains a few times.
His nostrils flared up, and Yang Kai could feel the blood boiling in his body. The quiet voice in his mind now began screaming loudly. Eyes locked below Zhu Qing’s slender and fair neck, he gulped. Just like a traveller walking in the desert for months and finally coming across an oasis of fresh water, he wished for nothing more than to dive in.
It was at that moment that the woman in front of him suddenly opened her eyes and stared at Yang Kai with a blank face.
Four eyes suddenly met, and Yang Kai felt as if he had been drenched with a pot of cold water from head to toe. He instantly came back to his senses and with his mouth twitching wildly, he smiled in embarrassment and stuttered, “If I told you that this was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?”
Zhu Qing did not have the slightest response as her clear eyes continued to stare blankly at him.
Yang Kai stood up and pondered for a moment with a frown on his brow before, like a dead pig that did not fear boiling water, he puffed up his chest and declared proudly, “Yes, I touched them, so what? It’s not like they’ll fall off if I touch them. Speaking of which, I saved your life! If I hadn’t gone through the trouble of coming to the Frozen Earth to find you and save you from that predicament, you would have lost your life, so just take what happened as me collecting some payment for services rendered and let’s call us even. What do you think?”
Zhu Qing still did not respond.
Yang Kai was annoyed, “Could you at least give me a reaction?!”
As if in response to Yang Kai’s noisy chatter, Zhu Qing finally gave him a response, but it wasn’t quite as Yang Kai expected. She opened her mouth, and a long groan of pain was emitted from her throat, as if she were going to die. Then, her body curled up abruptly while at the same time, an extremely cold aura radiated from her body.
Yang Kai was shocked, “Still no good?”
Seeing this scene, he was worried that even the essence of the Immortal Tree was unable to dispel the coldness that had encroached into Zhu Qing’s body, but he soon realized that something wasn’t right. This was not the Frozen Earth’s cold. Even though it was cold enough, it was different from the cold from the Frozen Earth. They were not from the same source.
Just as Yang Kai was at a loss, a dragon roar erupted, followed by the illusory phantom of a Great Dragon emerging from Zhu Qing’s body.
“Huh?” Yang Kai looked at the Giant Dragon’s manifestation in a daze and wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Zhu Qing was a Red Dragon from the Dragon Clan, so her Dragon Source should be the same as Zhu Lie’s. If she were to show her true form, then it would definitely be a vibrant red Great Dragon, but now, the one appearing before Yang Kai’s eyes actually turned out to be a crystalline snow-white Dragon’s phantom.
No matter how he looked at it, the Great Dragon looked just like a vivid ice sculpture, a masterpiece without the slightest flaw; however, it was completely different from a Red Dragon. This was an Ice Dragon, and the chill emanating from Zhu Qing’s body was precisely matching this Ice Dragon’s aura.
Yang Kai wondered if he was mistaken. He wondered if Zhu Qing had any twin sisters or something. There could be similarities in appearance, but as Dragons, their Source Strength couldn’t be mistaken.
At that moment, another high-pitched dragon roar erupted.
When Yang Kai looked over, he saw the expected Red Dragon’s phantom emerging, and this second Great Dragon actually came out from Zhu Qing’s body as well.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as all kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind and he instantly understood many things.
“Two Sources?”
There were actually two Sources inside of Zhu Qing’s body, and they were both of different attributes! The Red Dragon that emerged after was clearly Zhu Qing’s own Source, while the Ice Dragon that appeared before that was just an invader. The reason why Zhu Qing’s Dragon Essence was in a state of dissonance was because of the two Source Strengths clashing with each other inside her body.
Even though Yang Kai checked her condition earlier, he overlooked this point, not because he didn’t check carefully enough, but because this Source was hidden too deeply, and with the severe damage to her body, he ended up neglecting it.
No wonder Zhu Qing was still not awake despite her body recovering. It turned out the problem was not with her physical body, but rather with the battle between the two Sources.
The next question, however, was where did this Ice Dragon Source come from?
A normal Dragon Clan member couldn’t have two Sources, and especially two diametrically opposed Source Strengths. Ice and Fire simply could not coexist in one body. If these two Sources had naturally formed inside Zhu Qing long ago, she likely wouldn’t have made it till today.
In a flash, a bold guess emerged in Yang Kai’s mind.
The Ice Dragon Source could have been the one left behind by the Great Dragon who died in the Frozen Earth.
The reason why Zhu Qing came to the Frozen Earth was not so she could seek out the remains of her fallen clansman. Li Jiao had said clearly back then that the Great Dragon’s bones had long withered away without anything left behind. The reason why Zhu Qing insisted on coming here was so she could bring back the Source left behind by her fallen clansman.
It seemed now that she had found it, but ended up becoming impaired by the Ice Dragon Source.
Sources had no sentience of their own, it was essentially just a mass of power with the lowest level of instinct. As two powers attempted to coexist in Zhu Qing’s body, they greatly repelled and confronted each other naturally. With Zhu Qing’s body as the battlefield, the two Sources fought each other endlessly.
Yang Kai could not see this internal battle unless the two powers directly revealed themselves as they did in front of him now.
While he was still taken aback by the situation, the two Great Dragons roared again in unison and disappeared back into Zhu Qing’s body.
Zhu Qing wailed in pain. At the moment, she had fallen completely unconscious, and even the way she opened her eyes earlier was not a conscious effort, but rather an instinctive reaction.
A thin layer of ice could be seen forming over Zhu Qing’s body as a trace of cold seeped out from her body, seemingly intent on freezing her completely.
But very soon, a burning aura rose up, lashing out at the coldness, shattering the ice. This caused Zhu Qing’s entire body to burn as if it were on fire. Her skin had become red and hot. Even the ground she was laying on was scorched.
Zhu Qing’s moans seemed to grow more and more painful as the two forces appeared alternatively in a cycle that seemed to go on and on.
Yang Kai was at a loss as he had no idea what to do at this point.
If it were just an injury, then it wouldn’t matter how severe it was, he would have a way to solve it, but Zhu Qing had been saved by the Immortal Tree’s essence, so there weren’t any real physical traumas left. The problem now was the two competing Sources.
Her body, which had been turned into a battlefield, was bound to be damaged severely.
Source versus Source… Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he quickly stepped forward and picked Zhu Qing up again, propping her against his body. Then, he silently circulated the Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength in his body.
The phantom of a dazzling Golden Dragon appeared behind him before disappearing into his body in a flash.
The temperature of Zhu Qing’s body changed quickly. One moment it was as hot as fire, but then it became icy cold the next as if it had just been fished up from a world of ice and snow.
When the aura of the Golden Divine Dragon Source revealed itself though, the alternating speed between hot and cold slowed down instantly.
[It works!] Yang Kai was ecstatic. He was just trying to see whether his Golden Divine Dragon Source would be able to suppress the conflict somehow, and now it seemed it was effective.
Right now, the most important thing was to wake Zhu Qing up. Only when she was awake would she be able to fully activate her Source Strength and suppress the Ice Dragon’s Source, either driving it away or exterminating it.
So, gritting his teeth, Yang Kai circulated his Spiritual Energy and was just about to act when Zhu Qing suddenly turned around and clung to him in a tight embrace. Seemingly having savoured the sweetness of relief, the aura coming from Yang Kai’s body caused Zhu Qing to make a subconscious reaction.
Zhu Qing’s body may be small and delicate, but she was a member of the Dragon Clan after all, so her raw strength was no lesser than Yang Kai’s. When they first met, Yang Kai had already experienced how immense her power was.
While she clutched onto him, Yang Kai almost felt as if his body was going to be snapped in half and even his face was starting to become blue.
However, the soft feeling around his chest made his heart flutter.
Things didn’t end there though as Zhu Qing actually began to rub her body up against his like a puppy, constantly sniffing his fragrance as strange noises began to leak from her lips. It seemed as if she had found a delicious meal and was eager to dig into the feast.
As if struck by lightning, Yang Kai’s body stiffened in an instant. He was only brought back to his senses by a burst of pain coming from his chest. Angrily, he pried Zhu Qing’s head away, holding her at a distance with his palms as he hissed, “What are you, a dog? What did you bite me for!”
Zhu Qing’s eyes looked unfocused, and they were covered in a strange glow. Her breathing had also somehow become hurried and Yang Kai could clearly feel that the breath coming out from her nostrils was burning hot. The exquisite delicateness of her features was exuding a charm that made it so one could not help but approach it like a moth to a flame.
It felt as if ten thousand ants were crawling around Yang Kai’s heart, so itchy he found it hard to restrain himself.
Zhu Qing opened her mouth once more, sinking her white teeth onto the hollow of Yang Kai’s thumb. It was a forceful bite that left a mark on his skin and drew Golden Blood from the wound.
His blood was just like the greatest delicacy in the world to her, and Zhu Qing devoured it in large gulps, her dainty and warm tongue actually lapping at Yang Kai’s palm, sending shivers through his body.
Yang Kai had originally thought of retracting his hand, but he suddenly thought it would be a pity if she were to stop.
But very quickly, Yang Kai discovered something strange. After swallowing his blood, Zhu Qing’s condition seemed to have improved a lot. The frequency of the alternating hot and cold flashes slowed more and more. Moreover, the icy aura only lasted for a fleeting moment before it was suppressed by the fiery heat.
His blood seemed to be of great help to her current state!
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Kai vaguely understood something.
Though he was born Human, his body had begun truly merging with the Golden Divine Dragon Source ever since he began cultivating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. In other words, the blood flowing through his body was not merely that of an ordinary Human, but also that of a Dragon. What’s more, it was the bloodline of an extremely high ranking Dragon.
The Masters among the Dragon Clan’s bloodline had a strong suppressive ability towards those weaker than them.
If the aura of the Golden Divine Dragon Source could help ease Zhu Qing out of danger, then his own half-Dragon blood would naturally have an even greater effect. It was no wonder why Zhu Qing bit him, it must have been because she had realized this fact that she did such a thing.
Of course, Yang Kai could have broken free from her, but he just stood there and allowed Zhu Qing to drink his blood.
Zhu Qing was still in a muddled state and her consciousness was not restored. Her hazy eyes were filled with seductive charm and while gulping down Yang Kai’s blood, her deft tongue was constantly drawing circles around his palm.
Yang Kai’s body was about to explode with wicked thoughts. He had to try desperately to suppress them and maintain his calm. He turned away from Zhu Qing’s eyes, and he stopped paying attention to the numb feeling coming from his palm for fear of an accident breaking out.
It was not known how long had passed when he suddenly felt Zhu Qing let go of his hand.
Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was Zhu Qing, who was looking red-faced at him. He quickly asked in pleasant surprise, “Are you better now?”
He could see that Zhu Qing must have regained consciousness now because the signals he got from her eyes were different from before.
In response, he received a Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique. Zhu Qing opened her mouth and an arrow of blood was shot out. The blood belonged to Zhu Qing herself as it was crimson in colour, like a burning flame. Mid-air, her dragon blood transformed into a strangely-looking talisman seal that stuck on Yang Kai’s forehead.
Bewildered, Yang Kai fell straight down.
This Dragon Clan Secret Technique seemed to have an extremely strong binding power, so much so that Yang Kai was unable to move even a finger. Surprised, he tried to circulate his Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength by instinct.
The Dragon Clan Secret Technique that Zhu Qing performed may be strong, but Yang Kai believed that he should be able to break free from it using the suppression of his Golden Divine Dragon Source. He had only been taken by surprise earlier as he never expected her to make a move against him.
But before he could make a move, he froze up once again, because a fragrance suddenly wafted over. Zhu Qing was kneeling between his legs, both hands on his chest, staring at him from above. Her fiery red hair was draped over her smooth back like the finest silk, and the way it covered her perfect bottom only served to add to her fascinating charm.
Her breathing was rapid, as if she were about to die from hyperventilation, and her towering peaks were constantly rising and falling, swaying with her body in soul-stirring arches.
The fragrance that made Yang Kai feel restless was growing stronger and stronger, as if it was being emitted from each and every one of Zhu Qing’s pores, trying to fill the world around them.
Her long lashes were trembling. She was clearly nervous, but her big eyes were just like a stirred pond. He could see the desperate struggle and unrest within.
“What… are you doing?” As soon as the question left his mouth, Yang Kai realized how stupid it was.
He recognized those eyes. Naturally, they were the eyes of a starved beast. Long ago, Shan Qing Luo would often show him a similar look.
It felt like his blood had been set alight in an instant. The meridians inside his body had begun to boil and it was as if the evil thoughts he had been suppressing desperately finally found a place to vent, burning away his reason.
With force, the delicate hands on his chest ripped away his clothes.
Yang Kai drew a sharp breath, opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Their clothes were quickly sent into disarray as the fabric covering their bodies was soon turned to shreds that danced in the air. A strange noise was constantly being emitted from Zhu Qing’s throat while she straddled Yang Kai with her hot tender body, squirming restlessly.
She knew what she wanted, but she had never experienced this feeling before, so it took her a long time before she was able to get the hang of it.
Her fair body arched down, teeth biting lightly against her red lips, her brow furrowed into a frown.
Yang Kai closed his eyes and spread his arms apart, grasping at the grass around him, whispering, “It’s my first time, be gentle…”
Zhu Qing’s suddenly pounced, snow-white skin flushing an abnormal red. She threw her head back as if she were suffocating, hair cascading down like a waterfall. She made no response for a while, and only after a long time did she let out a roar that tore the heart and rent the lungs.
Yang Kai also hissed, feeling as if he had fallen into a pit of lava. An unimaginable heat was wrapping him up from all directions, seemingly trying to melt him.
He had never experienced such a feeling in his life, and it gave him an indescribable sense of thrill.
Inside the Sealed World Bead, with the Heavens as their quilt and the Earth their bed, they lay with dishevelled hair and interlocked fingers, asking not for a lifetime of glory or wealth, nor the company of each other in the next life. When desires are laid bare, who could be blamed?
Amidst a gentle spring breeze, the sweet charm and soft whispers, the bits and pieces of what happened last night felt just like a dream.
Long eyelashes quivering, Zhu Qing slowly opened her eyes to see another pair in front of her that was filled with amusement.
The man who appeared in her dream was lying on the grass, pillowing his head with his arms and looking up at her with a smile. His eyes were filled with a mysterious light while she actually turned out to be lying on top of his body; as for how long she had been sleeping there, that was impossible to say.
Without a single article of clothing, they could feel the warmth of each other’s skin through their naked bodies.
Zhu Qing couldn’t help but scream and scrambled to get up.
But as soon as she moved, she fell back down again. She clutched her underbelly involuntarily, feeling so much pain that sweat covered her forehead.
“Don’t move!” Yang Kai reached his arms behind her waist, hands moving unreservedly over her bare back and waist.
Zhu Qing let out a stifled grunt whilst a fiery red crawled up her cheeks like two sunset clouds. The intimate touch and caress between two of the opposite sex caused her to feel limp and unable to exert any strength.
“What did you do to me?” She asked through clenched teeth, tears welling in her eyes.
“Hey…” Yang Kai’s hands stopped. Whether intentional or not, they just happened to stop on her perky round bottom, and he asked with a sulk, “That’s not the right question to be asking, is it? Don’t you remember what you yourself did?”
“I…” Zhu Qing’s mouth gaped and her expression changed. As the scene inside her dream gradually became clear, the rosiness of her cheek slowly receded and her tender body couldn’t help but tremble.
She remembered. All the memories from before were slowly coming back to her.
She came to the Frozen Earth and found the fallen Great Dragon’s Source, but an accident occurred when she was collecting it. For some reason, the Ice Dragon Source refused to cooperate with her and fled deeper into the Frozen Earth. Her pursuit came with many hardships and she finally caught up to it, but just as she was about to subdue it, the Ice Dragon Source rushed into her body instead and began clashing with her own Source.
She had no choice but to find a quiet place to resolve this crisis. If there had been no interference, then she would have been fine.
However, a sudden disaster disrupted her plans. She felt a terrible force approaching, and before she could escape, she was plunged into darkness.
Then, everything went on just as it did in her dream.
“Your blood!” Zhu Qing figured it all out.
“What?” Yang Kai asked.
Zhu Qing gritted her teeth with tears rolling down her cheeks, “Why is there so much wickedness and obscenity in your blood? What do you think about all day?” If she hadn’t drank his blood and become affected by his evil thoughts, then how could she possibly have done such shameless things as what she did in her dream?
“So now it’s my fault?” Yang Kai was speechless, “I didn’t ask you to drink it. You were the one who bit me and wouldn’t let go. I was…”
“I’ll kill you!” Zhu Qing was about to attack him as soon as she said that, but with just a slight movement, the pain from her lower abdomen would flare up again. She was simply unable to bring up any of her power.
Seems like they went a little overboard yesterday…
Yang Kai snickered, “You’ve had your meal and now you don’t want to pay the bill? And you’re even trying to kill me? It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a woman like you!”
As he said that, he flipped Zhu Qing over and with some light force, held himself up with two hands on each side of her.
Zhu Qing looked nervously at him and asked in a trembling voice, “W-W-What… What are you doing?” His aggressive posture made her uneasy and kept her from putting on the airs of a Dragon Clan member.
Yang Kai rested a hand on her belly, stroking it gently as he poured his Emperor Qi into her body through his palm, easing her discomfort.
“It’s a first for both of us so it’s inevitable that we don’t know restraint. Things will get better once we slowly familiarize ourselves with this in the future. En, I don’t know what you think about this situation, but what’s done is done, so there’s no use complaining about it. Look at me, even though I’m a Human, I’m not bad, right? I’ve been looking at myself for several dozen years, and the more I look at myself, the more handsome I become. But you… Even though your temper isn’t very good, it’s not so bad either. So, can’t we be a little more accommodating to each other? Everything must have a beginning and an end after all.”
His serious look made Zhu Qing feel a little lost in thought for a moment.
Ever since she met Yang Kai, it was the first time Zhu Qing had ever seen such an expression on his face. The hand caressing her lower reaches also seemed to have some amazing power that could break through all her rigid defences and cause endless ripples in her heart, making it impossible for her to think calmly.
“You… want to take responsibility?” Zhu Qing also had no idea why but she couldn’t muster up any anger and instead asked him in a soft voice.
“No no no, you’re the one who should be responsible for me!” Yang Kai argued in earnest.
This answer was both hilarious and aggravating to Zhu Qing, so she did her best to put on a cold face, “Why should I take responsibility for you? Who do you think you are?”
Yang Kai did not answer, but instead asked, “Are you feeling better now?”
“Much better.” Zhu Qing nodded, but abruptly realizing that the topic had been steered away, she couldn’t help but glare at him.
Yang Kai began again, “Do you want to… try it again?”
The topic was changing a little quickly, and all the momentum Zhu Qing had gathered up earlier suddenly dissipated. The warmth in her underbelly was spreading like a wildfire, quickly spreading out and causing her entire body to heat up.
Her long eyelashes quivered, and before Zhu Qing could give any answers, Yang Kai had already let out a shout, got on his horse, raised his spear, and charged into the city. Soon, the defenders of the siege had tossed away their helmets and armour and were pleading for mercy.
……
Half a day later, Zhu Qing lay on the ground with her face looking as if she’d lost her soul. She was just like a living corpse with her hair in disarray, and she heaved, “Please, let me put on my clothes.”
“I’ll help you!” Yang Kai grinned widely.
“No! That’s what you said earlier. I’ll never trust you again!”
“It’s true this time, I promise.”
“Don’t lie to me again.”
“No more lies, absolutely.”
…..
A day later, Zhu Qing lay curled up in Yang Kai’s arms, as quiet as a sleeping kitten, breathing softly. Suddenly, she said, “The future is still far. Let’s end this session here.”
“En,” Yang Kai responded.
“Let go of me. I’m getting dressed.”
“En.”
“What do I have to do before you’ll let me go?”
“One more time!”
“The last time?”
“The last time!”
…..
Another day and many ‘last times’ later, the pair finally cleaned their bodies and dressed themselves.
Zhu Qing still felt a bit of discomfort inside her as she sat quietly on the ground, combing her long hair while facing the clear pool of water in front of her. The mirroring figure in the water seemed a little melancholic, but her delicate brows could not help but rise a little.
Yang Kai stretched his body and a crackle sounded through all his joints. He could feel an indescribable sense of relief going through his being now. Looking down at the person in front of him, he reached his arms out to her and gently encircled her body from behind.
Zhu Qing’s body trembled faintly, but when she realized that Yang Kai showed no signs of taking advantage of her and only buried his face in her hair, breathing in deeply, she relaxed.
“How many?” Zhu Qing suddenly asked.
Yang Kai nuzzled his chin against her shoulder and looked at the figure reflected in the pool of water, asking blankly, “What do you mean how many?”
Zhu Qing sighed, “How many were there before me?”
“You’re the first. Didn’t I tell you before?” Yang Kai answered her in a serious manner.
Zhu Qing scoffed, “With all the tricks you have, you can’t tell me you learned all of that by playing with yourself, right? What’s more… After what happened these past few days, do you think I’d trust you so easily?”
Yang Kai said with a sad face, “We’re already so close, why can’t you trust me? That makes me sad.”
Zhu Qing pinched the hand that was slowly moving towards her chest and turned her head around with a cold smile on her lips, “You have one chance to be honest with me. Think it over before you answer.”
Yang Kai blinked his eyes, looking at the delicate face so close to him, and immediately moved in for a kiss.
“Hey… you bastard!” Zhu Qing tried to struggle, but the force of her hand grew smaller rapidly.
The clothes they had just neatly put on were thrown into disarray again.
……
“I’ve really had enough of you,” Zhu Qing, who had dressed herself once more, complained. Seeing that Yang Kai still wanted to come over, she quickly pointed at him, “You’re not allowed to get close to me for ten days. Otherwise, I’m cutting you off and we’ll never meet again until our deaths.”
“Alright, alright,” Yang Kai raised his hands up and surrendered, “No need to be so nervous. I won’t get close to you.”
Zhu Qing furrowed her brows, sulking by herself for a while before her face cleared up again.
In fact, she was angrier with herself than with him. To think she could hardly even think of resisting this man whom she was having skin-to-skin contact with for the first time. A member of the Dragon Clan shouldn’t be taken advantage of like this!
“I won’t ask about the past, but the future… No one can say what’s going to happen. You have to do what you have to do, but I have only one request. If I don’t consent, do not use force on me.” Zhu Qing eyed Yang Kai with a serious face.
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll do whatever you say.”
The bit of grievance in Zhu Qing’s heart instantly disappeared.
“How are you feeling now? That Ice Dragon Source won’t cause any more danger, right?” Yang Kai asked with concern.
Even though Zhu Qing’s condition had been stable for the past few days, the Ice Dragon Source was still inside her body after all, and they had no choice but to keep their guards up.
“It’s fine now. I’ve already suppressed the Ice Dragon Source. It will be put in the Dragon Tomb once I return to Dragon Island.” A blush suddenly appeared on Zhu Qing’s cheeks, which puzzled Yang Kai.
After a pause, she asked, “Did you come especially to find me?”
Yang Kai answered, “What else would I run over to the Frozen Earth for? This damned place is really worthy of being called the most dangerous Forbidden Zone in the Star Boundary. If I hadn’t been as lucky, who knows how long it would have taken for me to find you.”
He spoke casually, but a sweet feeling suddenly welled up in Zhu Qing, filling her chest with warmth.
“Oh, by the way, your younger brother is here, too.”
Zhu Qing frowned, “My younger brother? Zhu Lie?”
“Yeah, that little brat. If he hadn’t used a Dragon Clan Secret Technique, then I would never have been able to find you.”
“He didn’t ask you to go to Dragon Island with him?”
Yang Kai snorted, “He tried to, but he became much more obedient after I’d taught him a good lesson. The little brat is fierce, but his strength isn’t much. I, your husband, beat him crawling in just a few hits.”
“What… What husband!” Zhu Qing’s face reddened instantly and she couldn’t help but glare at him with an appearance filled with fascinating charm.
Yang Kai once again found himself gazing wolfishly at her.