The number of Lower Star Fields was incredibly large. Some of them were completely sealed off and isolated on their own. Some of them were connected to the Star Boundary. The cultivators in these Star Fields were undoubtedly blessed, because once they reached a certain cultivation realm, they could head to the Star Boundary to further increase their strength and pursue a higher Martial Dao.
In the past, the Star Boundary was connected to essentially all Lower Star Fields. Not only could the people from below go up once they reached a certain cultivation realm, but the Masters from the Star Boundary could also go down using some methods.
However, after what the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had done, the entrances of those Lower Star Fields that led to the Star Boundary had all been sealed. That was because to those cultivators from the Star Fields, the Masters from the Star Boundary were too powerful. There were many Star Fields that had been destroyed by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, and no one could guarantee that another similar incident wouldn’t happen in the future.
The existence of these Star Fields was crucial to the Star Boundary, so these seals also acted as a kind of protection.
That was where Star Court came in. It was a mysterious great force that was unknown to most people. It was founded by the Great Emperors at that time and was charged with guarding the passageways to these Lower Star Fields so that those from the Star Boundary could not go down as they pleased.
If Yang Kai wasn’t mistaken, the Iron Blood Great Emperor was the current leader of Star Court.
Yang Kai had always thought that anyone who wished to go to any Lower Star Field must obtain Star Court’s permission first. His plan was that he would go back to Heng Luo Star Field one day when he was free so that he could bring his friends and relatives out of that place.
He even suspected that Yang Yan, who had gone missing for quite some time, was currently in Star Court’s headquarters. However, he had never expected that before he could carry out his plan, he would see a Void Corridor that led to a Lower Star Field in the Dragon Temple on Dragon Island. Moreover, it was the infamous Heaven Devouring Great Emperor who had opened it up.
Although it was highly improbable that Wu Kuang would go to Heng Luo Star Field, Yang Kai still couldn’t set his mind at ease. What if Wu Kuang really went there? That was why Yang Kai became flustered when he heard from Mo Huang that Wu Kuang had gone to a Lower Star Field.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai proposed, “Sirs, Wu Kuang has not regained his full power yet. If we don’t take this opportunity to kill him, he’ll be a scourge for all of us in the future. What are you all hesitating for?”
Zhu Yan raised his head and took a look at him. His already displeased expression darkened, “If we can accurately locate where Wu Kuang is, I’ll definitely race after him without you telling me to do so; however, no one can be sure which Star Field he has snuck into.”
“Is that why you’re staying put?” Yang Kai stared back at him defiantly.
With a frown, Mo Huang uttered, “It’s not as simple as you think.”
Yang Kai refuted, “Although we don’t know which Star Field Wu Kuang has snuck into, we have so many people with us now. If we all pursue him, we might stand a chance of finding him. However, if we don’t even try, we’ll only be allowing him to do as he pleases, then, when he regains his full power one day, no one in the Star Boundary will be able to stop him. I don’t think all of you want another Great Emperor War, right?”
“You’re both bold and ill-tempered.” Mo Huang snorted.
Yang Kai replied, “I’m just speaking the truth.”
Fu Xuan uttered, “This matter is very complicated, so you should calm down first.” Compared to the others, Fu Xuan had treated Yang Kai relatively gently. However, she didn’t understand why Yang Kai had become agitated all of a sudden, as though he was extremely eager to go after Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I just don’t understand.”
“Shut up! How do you still have the gall to speak?” Fu Zhun suddenly raised her head and shot Yang Kai a cold glare.
Exasperated, Yang Kai stared back at her and said mockingly, “What is it that you want to say, Second Elder?”
Fu Zhun uttered through clenched teeth, “If it weren’t because of you, all these misfortunes wouldn’t have happened to us. If Fu Chi hadn’t been hurt by you, how would he have lost his life? If Wu Kuang hadn’t obtained Fu Chi’s Dragon Source, how could he have entered the Dragon Temple?”
She was accusing Yang Kai in an overbearing manner.
Yang Kai sneered, “Why do you make it sound like it’s all my fault? I’m just someone with a low cultivation, so I’m not powerful enough to take up this responsibility. You’re thinking too highly of me.”
He wasn’t fond of Fu Zhun at all, because not only did she try to break up Mo Huang and Fu Xuan, but she also wanted to interfere in the relationship between Zhu Qing and him. It was as though she was jealous of others’ love lives, so she wanted to destroy their relationships. Although she was beautiful and alluring, Yang Kai still found her to be contemptible because she tried to get Zhu Qing married to another man. Yang Kai was only giving in to her because he was still not her match. When he became powerful enough one day, he would deal with her and make her have a taste of her own medicine.
Upon finishing his words, he didn’t wait for her response as he turned to Zhu Yan and cupped his fists, “Great Elder, this incident has happened on Dragon Island, and Wu Kuang has fled from this place. So, the Dragon Clan shouldn’t evade responsibility. Now, the most important thing is to track down Wu Kuang and nip him in the bud. Otherwise, he’ll only return to destroy us one day.”
“Brat, don’t you try to cross the line!” Fu Zhun bellowed.
“Great Elder!” Yang Kai ignored her and stared fixedly at Zhu Yan.
However, Zhu Yan replied with a frown, “This has nothing to do with you. Step aside now.”
He was also sick of Yang Kai. Although Fu Zhun’s accusations against Yang Kai just now were extreme, it was true he held a great deal of responsibility for the events that transpired on Dragon Island this day. After all, Yang Kai was the one who had hurt Fu Chi first and held up the other Dragon Clan members. Otherwise, Wu Kuang wouldn’t have been able to carry out his plot so easily.
Certainly, Yang Kai understood that as well, but he couldn’t tolerate Fu Zhun placing all the blame on him.
Instead of stepping aside though, Yang Kai replied impassively with a dark expression, “It seems that the Dragon Clan does not want to get involved in this. Fine. I’ll do it then!”
All of them looked weirdly at him after he finished speaking.
Fu Xuan even secretly spoke to him via Divine Sense, “Don’t say such reckless things. Listen to the Great Elder and step aside for now. Perhaps there’s still a chance for you and Qing’er.”
Yang Kai looked gratefully at her, but he shook his head and uttered, “All I ask is that you will not stop me and allow me to leave. If I manage to find Wu Kuang, I’ll deal with him on my own. If I can’t do that, there won’t be any losses for the Dragon Clan.”
As he spoke, he pointed at the Void Corridor.
During the discussion, the Void Corridor’s entrance had been slowly closing. After all, World Principles had the ability to heal spatial tears. The Void had been broken through after Wu Kuang had made use of the Dragon Temple’s power, so it could be considered a kind of damage to the world. With the help of the World Principles, this kind of damage would disappear quickly.
If Yang Kai wanted to leave this place through the Void Corridor, he had to do it quickly. After it was closed, he wouldn’t have another chance to flee.
“In your dreams!” Fu Zhun shouted.
Zhu Yan shook his head, “I also cannot agree to this.”
It was already their fault that Wu Kuang had managed to escape to a Lower Star Field through Dragon Island. Although they didn’t have to explain themselves to anyone, it would still be embarrassing for them if this news was spread. If they also allowed Yang Kai to descend to a Star Field, their reputation would be ruined.
Since both Elders didn’t agree to it, there was basically no other way around it. If Yang Kai was clever, he should stop insisting now, for if he infuriated the Dragon Clan, he would be punished harshly.
However, all of them didn’t expect that not only did Yang Kai not give in, but he also stepped forward and said in a steadfast manner, “If you don’t agree to it, I can only use force.”
“How dare you disobey us!” Fu Zhun snorted, “Seize him!”
Apparently, she was speaking to all Dragon Clan members. Although she wasn’t fond of Yang Kai, it was difficult for her to personally move against him given her status and cultivation.
Upon receiving the order, the dozen Dragon Clan members started making a move.
Some of them were hurt by Yang Kai not long ago, but although their Blessing Technique was broken, they were mostly fine. With the Elders watching over them, there was no way they would be afraid of Yang Kai.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai and Zhu Qing were surrounded.
“Just try it!” Yang Kai shouted and stomped his foot on the ground, causing the entire Dragon Temple to shake. After a resounding roar was heard, the illusory phantom of a huge Golden Divine Dragon emerged from the back of his head, appearing overbearing and aloof.
Upon sensing the Golden Divine Dragon Source’s aura, all the Dragon Clan members fell into a dazed state, including the Elders.
[It’s the Ancestral Dragon Source! This is the true Ancestral Dragon Source!]
Although the Dragon Clan members were aware that the Ancestral Dragon Source was with Yang Kai, it was the first time they saw its true form with their eyes.
Even the Great Elder and the Second Elder were not comparable to this Pureblood Dragon aura. To all the Dragon Clan members, the Ancestral Dragon Source was like their origin as well as a mother’s embrace, making them feel familiar and amiable.
In an instant, the hostility they had towards Yang Kai vanished into thin air.
The Elders quickly pulled themselves together though and guarded their minds so they wouldn’t be affected by the Ancestral Dragon Source Strength.
“Second Elder, do you remember what place this is, and what kind of power I possess?” After the Ancestral Dragon Source appeared, Yang Kai suddenly began acting lofty and aloof. Although there was no sign of him using his Dragon Transformation, the way he looked at Fu Zhun was clearly as though he was superior to her.
Suddenly, he started forming a set of mysterious hand seals and began speaking in two different tones at once, as though two people were chanting at the same time through his mouth.
The first voice was uttering the abstruse Dragon Language, while the other was his usual voice, “Water cannot be dynamic without its origin. The tree cannot grow without its roots. The Ancestral Source is present, so why have you not come to pay your respects yet?”
Two voices were intertwined in a perfectly coordinated manner, so they didn’t sound awkward to the ears. Instead, they sounded like a perfect harmony.
The ordinary Dragon Clan members didn’t have much reaction when they heard these words, but the Elders all turned pale at the same time.
Fu Xuan’s gaze brightened as she exclaimed. Just then, Dragon roars could be heard again, but this time, they were coming from all directions in the temple in a continuous and alternating manner.
The slumbering spirits of all the Great Dragons in this place awakened at the same time as though they had been summoned by an irresistible call.
Suddenly, a spot in the dim hall brightened and then spread across the entire room. In the blink of an eye, the entire hall was as bright as daylight.
Great Dragons of different colours, scarlet, orange, red, emerald, green, blue, and purple, flew about, illuminating the hall in a dazzling display of light.
The first Great Dragon hovered above Yang Kai’s head for a moment before it stabilized itself and faced the Golden Divine Dragon. After that, it lowered its head in a dignified manner, followed by the second Dragon, the third Dragon, and all the others in order.
…
All who witnessed this scene were dumbfounded.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten Great Dragons had gathered around Yang Kai. These Dragons didn’t have a physical form, but their Source Strength was extremely pure. The most shocking thing about them was their sizes.
Even the smallest one was 400 metres long!
The greatest of them was nearly 1,000 metres in length. Its gigantic figure, which had spread across the entire hall, swam majestically through the air, giving immense pressure to everyone present.
It was as though these gigantic Dragons just jumped out of the ancient scrolls and arrived at this place for no reason.
*Gudong…*
All the Dragon Clan members gulped as their faces turned ashen. Under the influence of such terrifying Dragon Pressure, they could hardly support their own weights as their legs had turned to jelly and their faces were completely white.
Although the Dragon Grave was where the Dragon Clan members would go after their death, not all of them would end their lives in that place. Some of them would be enshrined in the Dragon Temple after their fall to provide good fortunes and blessings to their descendants.
Those who could be enshrined in the Dragon Temple were all Heads of the Dragon Clan.
In other words, only the Great Elder of every generation had the right to be enshrined in the Dragon Temple. For the current generation, only Zhu Yan had such a right. Even Fu Zhun was not eligible for this honour.
Hence, all these Great Dragons coming from all directions in the Dragon Temple were once Great Elders of the Dragon Clan who had been enshrined in this place.
Zhu Yan even saw a familiar figure, a Yellow Dragon between 400 and 500 metres long. In an instant, it was as though he had been thrown into a world of memories as he recalled the events of his childhood tens of thousands of years ago.
At that time, he was still working hard to grow and become a powerful Dragon under this Elder’s guidance. After his death, Zhu Yan took over his position and became the Great Elder.
He looked dazedly at the Yellow Dragon as his lips trembled. In his heart, he longed for this Elder, who had passed away many tens of thousands of years ago, to look at him and praise him for doing a good job. However, he was disappointed to see that this Elder, who had never bowed his head his entire life, was doing just that as he hovered quietly behind Yang Kai.
“The first Great Elder…” Astounded, Fu Zhun stared at the only Dragon that was 1,000 metres long. Although they were many generations apart, Fu Zhun could still recognize this particular Great Dragon at first glance.
Only the Dragon Clan members of that generation could grow to be so mighty.
As time passed, the Dragon Clan had gradually become weaker, and in the current generation, even the strongest of them could barely reach 500 metres in length, half of the size of those from the first generation.
The next largest after the first Great Elder must be the Great Elder of the second generation, followed by the third generation, the fourth generation and so on.
All the Great Elders of the past dozen generations had been called upon by the Ancestral Source and gathered together, a sight then sent shockwaves into everyone’s heart.
“How dare you do this!” Fu Zhun was startled for a long time before she snarled through clenched teeth, her beautiful face contorting madly. She stared resentfully at Yang Kai, as though she wanted to pierce through him countless times with her gaze, “How dare you disturb our ancestors!”
Although her tone was still fierce, she no longer appeared overbearing under the Dragon Pressure of these ancient Great Elders as well as the pressure from the Dragon Temple. Now, she looked like an enraged kitten that was brandishing its claws, so she appeared rather laughable.
She couldn’t be blamed for being so incensed though; after all, the Dragon Temple was where the deceased Great Elders of every generation were enshrined. This was the true foundation of the Dragon Clan’s fortune and the basis of their continued bloodline. All of these ancestors were long gone, so they didn’t have their own consciousness nor will. Even the Great Elder and Second Elder couldn’t summon these ancestors using any Secret Technique.
However, right after Yang Kai gave the order, the Great Elders of the past generations all awoke from their sleep, deeply embarrassing all the Dragon Clan members present.
Mo Huang was also amazed as he looked at Yang Kai. He had never expected this young man to be capable of pulling off such a feat. He swept a glance over the Golden Divine Dragon Source next as he knew that everything was made possible because of this strange-looking Dragon Source.
“You left me no choice,” Yang Kai stared down at Fu Zhun, but he didn’t try to aggrandize himself or pressure her in some way. If it weren’t because he was left with no choice, he really wasn’t willing to make such a big fuss.
The moment he stepped into the Dragon Temple, he could feel that the Golden Divine Dragon Source within his body had become active, as though it had been connected to something in the surroundings. In fact, it was just a subconscious act that he had summoned all these ancestors of the Dragon Clan.
“You were left with no choice?” Fu Zhun sneered, “What do you want now, then? Do you want to kill all members of the Dragon Clan?”
“That’s a great idea. Grudges have been formed between us anyway. The best solution is to kill all of you so that there won’t be any future worries for me.” As Yang Kai spoke, he swept an eerie glance over all of them, as though he was mulling over the feasibility of this idea.
All the Dragons were stunned when they met his gaze, as though they had been engulfed in the aura of death. The blood in their veins seemed to have frozen all over.
Appearing defiant, Fu Zhun pressed her lips together, while Zhu Yan appeared solemn.
If Yang Kai decided to deal with them with the help of the Dragon Temple’s power, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun could only flee from this place even if they joined forces, unless they could kill him in one decisive strike.
However, under the watchful gazes of all the Great Elders from the past generations, killing Yang Kai was all but impossible. They knew just how formidable the Dragon Temple’s power was.
It was a special place that contained a special power, which was what made it unrivalled.
Mo Huang parted his lips in an attempt to persuade Yang Kai. Although he wasn’t fond of the Dragon Clan, the idea of killing any one of them had never crossed his mind, as there were no real blood feuds between them. He wasn’t sure what Yang Kai’s temperament was like though, and if he really did what Fu Zhun had said, the consequences would be dreadful.
Whatever the case, Mo Huang wouldn’t want the Dragon Clan to be slaughtered here. The Dragon Temple was one of the two foundations of the Dragon Clan, and it would be the biggest joke in history if it was responsible for their demise.
Before Mo Huang could speak, however, Yang Kai suddenly curbed his murderous intent and returned to an indifferent stance, “All of you are Qing’er’s family though, so we shouldn’t keep hurting each other. Why don’t we have a seat and talk it out? What do you think, Great Elder?”
Zhu Yan’s face twitched as he uttered, “Since ancient times, the one whose fists are bigger gets to decide. In this place, you have the final say.”
Yang Kai replied, “You seem to have some biases against me, but that’s fine. Besides going to the Lower Star Field, I don’t have other requests, so I hope that you’ll agree to it… Good. Since you remain silent, I’ll just take it as acceptance. You’re indeed a highly principled man, Great Elder. Many thanks.”
The corner of Zhu Yan’s mouth twitched as he lowered his gaze and remained silent. [He’s basically talking to himself. How does he have the nerve to spout such nonsense?]
The Void Corridor that had been created by Wu Kuang would be completely closed soon, so Yang Kai couldn’t dawdle any longer. If he wanted to head to the Lower Star Fields before the Void Corridor closed, he had to do it quickly.
Then, he turned to Zhu Qing and uttered, “You’ll stay here.”
Zhu Qing parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but Yang Kai stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace before locking his lips with hers right in front of everyone.
All of their expressions turned awkward as they looked away in embarrassment. They thought that this brat was too shameless to be carrying out such a blasphemous act in this sacred place.
If someone else had done this, they would have been killed by now.
With her lips locked, Zhu Qing couldn’t utter a word, and after their lips finally parted, she was blushing deeply. Yang Kai only said one thing to her then, “Wait for me.”
It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to bring Zhu Qing with him, but the road ahead was uncertain, so he didn’t have the heart to make her suffer such hardships with him. Since Fu Chi was dead, it would be alright for Zhu Qing to stay on Dragon Island.
Then, he gazed at Fu Zhun and said, “Second Elder, I apologize for offending you today. I hope that you’ll forgive me. After all, I’m young and reckless, so I hope you don’t take my actions to heart. I will return one day to formally apologize to you.”
Since Zhu Qing had to stay here, he had to relax tensions with Fu Zhun. Otherwise, the Second Elder might oppress his woman.
However, what he just said could also be regarded as a threat. Since he had broken into Dragon Island once, he could do it again. If Zhu Qing was mistreated after he left, he would come back to Dragon Island with a different attitude. Instead of apologizing to them, he would be condemning them.
Upon grasping the meaning behind his words, Fu Zhun snorted.
Following that, Yang Kai turned to Fu Xuan, who had been in Mo Huang’s embrace the whole time, and flashed a smile at her, “Fourth Elder, many thanks for everything today. I didn’t manage to prepare a gift for our first meeting, so please accept this small token of my appreciation instead.”
As Yang Kai spoke, he performed a hand seal with one hand, upon which a Dragon roar could be heard. At the same time, a beam of light emerged from the void and shot towards Fu Xuan at the speed of lightning.
Mo Huang frowned upon seeing that. Although he could intercept it, he could feel that Yang Kai did not carry any ill-intentions, which was why he allowed him to proceed.
The beam of light shot into Fu Xuan’s body, upon which cracking sounds could be heard.
While Zhu Yan’s gaze turned softer as he was looking at him, Fu Zhun’s expression became grim.
Fu Xuan’s pale face gradually became lively again as her gaze brightened. Pleasantly surprised, she turned a grateful smile to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded slightly at her before turning around. No longer daring to delay, he stepped into the Void Corridor and disappeared from everyone’s sight.
After he was gone, the Great Elders from the past generations disappeared one by one, as though they hadn’t been there at all.
The terrifying Dragon Pressure ebbed, upon which the Dragon Clan members gasped for air and looked at each other in shock, still reeling from the experience.
Mo Huang appeared pleasantly surprised as he gazed hopefully at Fu Xuan and asked in a small voice, “Was it…”
Fu Xuan nodded gently, “The Binding Dragon Seal has been removed.”
Binding Dragon Seal was one of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques which was used on the Dragon Clan’s sinners. Once the Binding Dragon Seal was implanted on someone, their Dragon Source would be completely suppressed.
When Fu Xuan was thrown into the Dragon Grave all those years ago, the Binding Dragon Seal was used on her.
This Secret Technique wasn’t just a punishment for the Dragon Clan members who had made a mistake, it was also a symbol of their status as criminals. With this technique binding Fu Xuan, even Mo Huang was powerless to remove it.
Although he could get Fu Xuan out of the Dragon Grave, he couldn’t prevent her from growing weaker until she eventually lost her life, unless the Binding Dragon Seal was removed.
However, he didn’t have a method to remove this seal.
Sometimes, fortune arrives when one least expects it.
While Mo Huang was powerless to lift this Dragon Clan Secret Technique, Yang Kai was able to break it with ease. At that instant, Mo Huang was over the moon. Initially, he was biased against Yang Kai because of Mo Xiao Qi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so harsh towards someone who was his Junior. However, at this moment, he felt extremely grateful towards Yang Kai, thinking that he should return this favour one day.
The removal of the Binding Dragon Seal meant that Fu Xuan was no longer a criminal, so she didn’t have to be thrown into the Dragon Grave again.
Mo Huang shifted his attention to Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun as he had made up his mind. No matter what would happen, he had to leave with Fu Xuan on this day. If the two Elders insisted on stopping him, he would have no choice but to fight it out with them.
He had been longing for Fu Xuan while also blaming himself for all the years they have been apart. So this time, he was determined not to leave her behind again.
Then, he heaved a sigh of relief, as he realized that both Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun didn’t react to the fact that Binding Dragon Seal had been removed. Instead, they were just gazing at the narrowing Void Corridor in silence.
At the same time, Zhu Qing was also looking at the corridor.
After the corridor disappeared a moment later, Zhu Yan turned to look at Mo Huang and uttered, “Wu Kuang has fled. We have to inform the others about it so that they can prepare, especially those within Star Court.”
Mo Huang nodded, “En, I’ll go to Star Court later and discuss with Iron Blood on how to deal with it.”
Zhu Yan continued, “The Dragon Clan is responsible for the fact that Wu Kuang has fled. Brother Mo, just tell us straight away if you need any help.”
“Great Elder, since you’ve said so, I’ll ask for your help whenever I need it in the future. I’ll take my leave for now.” Upon finishing his words, Mo Huang was ready to leave with Fu Xuan.
Fu Zhun suddenly demanded, “You can leave, but Fu Xuan must stay!”
Mo Huang frowned, “Second Elder, do you still want to fight with me?”
[This woman is so unreasonable.] Mo Huang was truly infuriated. If Fu Zhun insisted on making things difficult for his wife and him, he was ready to turn Dragon Island upside down.
Nevertheless, Fu Zhun uttered dispassionately, “Fu Xuan’s foundation has been damaged after years of imprisonment. We have a Secret Technique to help her recuperate; does your Spirit Beast Island have such a technique? If you have one, you can bring her with you. I won’t stop you.”
Mo Huang was startled for a moment before he became elated. With a grin, he replied, “I see. That’s what you meant.”
Fu Zhun questioned coldly, “What do you think I meant, then?”
Mo Huang coughed and nodded lightly, “That’s alright, then… Xuan’er, you’ll stay here. I’ll go to Star Court now. After that, I’ll come here again with Xiao Qi to see you.” As he spoke, he stole a glance at Fu Zhun. Seeing that she frowned but didn’t show any sign of disagreement, he became ecstatic.
It seemed that what Yang Kai had done on this day had dealt a heavy blow to her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone through such a transformation. Although she didn’t agree to let him bring his daughter to Dragon Island, she didn’t object to it at the very least.
In the past, Fu Zhun wouldn’t have reacted in such a way.
At the mention of Mo Xiao Qi, Fu Xuan’s gaze brightened as she nodded, “En.”
“Wait for me.” Mo Huang stroked her face, but he didn’t have the nerve to kiss her in front of everyone just like Yang Kai had done. [That brat was just too brazen!]
Then, he turned around and left the Dragon Temple with light steps.
Zhu Qing stepped forward to support Fu Xuan then as the latter was still weak. Both of these Dragon girls shared similar fates, so they naturally became closer to each other.
…..
Countless stars were twinkling in the vast Starry Sky where a black Starship was navigating through the darkness like a giant beast. The Starship was about 300 metres long with a sleek design. Although it was a behemoth, the speed at which it was moving was quite fast.
The Starship was surrounded by an innumerable number of asteroids of different sizes that were passing it by. Sometimes, some asteroids would hit the Starship and cause some sparks, which spread across the surface like a ripple. However, the smaller asteroids couldn’t cause any damage to the Starship as its armour and defences would fend them off and break them into pieces should they come into contact.
Only the larger asteroids could cause the Starship to shake, but there hadn’t been any real danger on the way to its destination.
Inside the Starship, humming sounds could be heard coming from different arrays. In the control room, a group of cultivators appeared solemn as they looked out the transparent window that was made from crystals. Seeing those asteroids that were passing them by, they were all drenched in sweat.
[It’s an Asteroid Sea!]
When navigating through the Star Field inside a Starship, travellers were most afraid of two things. One was an Asteroid Sea, and the other was a Starry Sky Storm.
The former was still alright because most Asteroid Seas could be avoided by plotting appropriate courses in advance. With that said, some of the larger scale Asteroid Seas were unavoidable. However, the chance of coming across such Asteroid Seas was small in the vast Star Field.
On the other hand, a Starry Sky Storm was a more terrifying phenomenon in the Star Field as it was a disaster that could literally kill. If this 300-metre Starship was dragged into a Starry Sky Storm, it would be doomed.
Over the years, Asteroid Seas and Starry Sky Storms had destroyed many Starships and killed countless people.
Nevertheless, it had been an unlucky day for this particular Starship. There were many Masters aboard this Starship, and their Star Chart Master had charted a good navigation route for them. Supposedly, they shouldn’t fall into any danger as they just needed some time to reach their destination; however, they were now confronted by an Asteroid Sea that was coming from the front. It was already impossible for them to evade it the moment they discovered it.
Left with no choice, they had to keep moving forward and pass through the Asteroid Sea with caution.
A woman in an imperial dress was standing in the centre of the cabin. She appeared to be in her 20s, had long black hair, and a beautiful face. At the moment, she was giving orders with a solemn expression, her nose moist with sweat caused by her anxiety.
At the same time, the fragrance wafting from her body permeated the place. All the cultivators in the Starship, both men and women, were breathing more rapidly than usual, as though they were trying to breathe in the fragrance and imprint it in their minds so that they would never forget it.
“How much longer?” The woman suddenly looked in a different direction, where an old man was studying the Star Chart in his hands. A three-dimensional picture was displayed there, obviously a map of the region in Starry Sky in which the Starship was navigating.
Nobody knew how this old man had managed to draw this Star Chart, in which a small dot of light, which represented this Starship, was moving forward slowly. Countless smaller light dots, which represented the asteroids that might pose a threat to the Starship, were passing by as well.
Upon hearing the woman’s question, the old man gave it some thought and replied, “We’ll pass through this Asteroid Sea in one hour. We’re already halfway through it.”
The woman nodded upon hearing his reply, “Very good. Please continue to guide us.”
Apparently, this woman was the one in charge of this Starship. Although her cultivation was incredible, she was still respectful to this old man surnamed Chen. It couldn’t be helped, as this old man surnamed Chen was one of the most famous Star Chart Masters in the Star Field, whom she had paid a hefty price for helping them in this journey.
Star Chart Masters were highly reputable in the Star Field. They were just as important as the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners because, in order to navigate through the Star Field, a Start Chart was indispensable, and a good Star Chart Master could help a Starship evade unforeseen dangers.
With an embarrassed expression, Old Chen uttered, “Lady Lu is too polite. This Old Master should have noticed the existence of this Asteroid Sea. It was my fault that we fell into danger in the first place.”
“Life is full of unexpected circumstances,” Lu Huai Shuang replied.
Just then, she thought of something as her alluring gaze dimmed. With a forced smile, she uttered, “Old Chen, please don’t blame yourself. You’ve already helped us a lot. Without you, we’d have encountered countless crises already. It’s thanks to you that we’ve come so far.”
Old Chen said, “Many thanks for your high praise. This Chen will never forget this favour of yours.”
As they spoke, someone could be heard exclaiming, “Young Lady, we have a problem!”
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression changed as she turned to look at that person, “What happened?”
At this critical moment, she was most afraid of learning any bad news, which was why she was slightly nervous.
“An asteroid is approaching us, distance 100 kilometres.”
“How large is it?”
“It isn’t big, but… it’s giving off an unusually large energy signature.”
As they spoke, Lu Huai Shuang had already approached that person and taken a closer look, upon which she realized that there was indeed a light dot on that Spirit Array Star Chart that was coming at the Starship at incredible speed. In just a short moment, the distance between the asteroid and the Starship had been shortened by half.
After taking a glance at it, Lu Huai Shuang knitted her brows together while astounded, Old Chen uttered, “That’s strange. This asteroid isn’t very large, so why does it give off such a powerful energy fluctuation?”
He was an experienced man, but it was the first time he came across such a strange thing, which was why he was puzzled.
“Charge the Crystal Cannons!” Lu Huai Shuang yelled.
Then, she quickly added, “All ten!”
It was inevitable that they might fall into such a dangerous situation when navigating through the vast Starry Sky. When confronted by an unavoidable threat, the best option was to destroy it, and Crystal Cannons were the most effective means.
They wouldn’t use Crystal Cannons easily because a lot of Crystal Stones were consumed for every shot made; it was almost akin to burning piles of money.
It had to be said that although Lu Huai Shuang was a woman, she was more resolute than most men. It took a firm resolve to give the order to prepare all ten of the Starship’s cannons.
Her order was executed without delay and all ten Crystal Cannons emerged from the Starship’s hull before aiming at their target. Dazzling white lights were agglomerated as an astonishing energy fluctuation began spreading out.
The next moment, a jarring sound could be heard and a heavy blowback could be felt from one side of the Starship, causing the entire ship to shake. Ten beams of white light shot out in a particular direction into the void and accurately converged in a single spot.
The light exploded and illuminated the Starry Sky, as though a new Sun had been born all of a sudden, causing all in the cabin to narrow their eyes.
*Hong…*
Following that, a thunderous explosion rang out, stinging all of their eardrums. The asteroids around their target, be they big or small, were vaporized in an instant and disappeared.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief seeing this. Although they knew how powerful their Crystal Cannons were, they were still reeling from the shock after witnessing the power of ten being fired all at once at a single target, rendering them unable to speak for a long time.
No matter what kind of asteroid was coming at them, it should have vanished into thin air by now.
Some things are supposed to be further and others, not so much. Some things are supposed to be bigger but, later on, not so much…
“Huh?” The cultivator, who had been keeping watch on the surroundings, suddenly grunted in a weird tone and looked dazedly at the Star Chart. Then, in a horrified voice, he uttered, “Young Lady, that asteroid… that asteroid…”
Lu Huai Shuang looked over and turned pale in an instant.
The light dot remained above the Star Chart, seemingly not having taken even the slightest damage after being hit by a barrage of ten Crystal Cannons.
“What is going on?” Disbelief was written all over Old Chen’s face. He had personally witnessed the collective power of those ten Crystal Cannons before. Even the strongest Masters in the Star Field wouldn’t dare to take such a blow head-on, so how was it possible that this asteroid remained undamaged?
What truly shocked him was that the Crystal Cannon barrage didn’t even manage to change the asteroid’s direction, as it was still heading towards the Starship even now.
“Evade it quickly!” Old Chen exclaimed.
With a helpless smile, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “It’s too late.”
If they were in empty space, they could possibly evade the asteroid and escape unscathed, given the Starship’s exceptional capabilities; however, they were now trapped inside an Asteroid Sea, where they were surrounded by asteroids of different sizes. There was no room to manoeuvre, so there was practically no way they could avoid the asteroid.
Indeed, it was too late. The light dot that represented the unwelcome guest on the Star Chart was about to collide with the Starship.
The only thing all of them could do was pray that this asteroid wouldn’t cause any serious damage, but this idea was undoubtedly unrealistic. Although the asteroid was small, the energy signature it gave off was astonishing. If they were hit by this asteroid, their Starship might not be able to bear the impact.
Through the crystal window, they could see a light dot flashing across their eyes like a falling star. Following that, a booming sound could be heard from somewhere on the Starship. The 300-metre-long Starship shook violently, and everyone inside it turned ashen in an instant. All of them thought to themselves in despair, [It’s over now. We’re all doomed!]
The rumbling sound gradually subsided though as the Starship slowly stabilized itself. Inside the cabin, everyone remained silent, and they only came to their senses a long time later.
[We’re alive! We’re still fine!]
After such a life-or-death moment, all of them still couldn’t believe what they had just gone through. The Starship wasn’t destroyed like they had imagined it would be. They seemed to have overestimated the destructive power of the asteroid. Nevertheless, the speed of the Starship was noticeably slower now, as it was apparent that there was damage that needed to be repaired immediately. Otherwise, they might fall into other dangers of the vast Starry Sky.
Lu Huai Shuang was the first to come to her senses as she ordered, “The ship has been damaged. Get some people to inspect the affected areas and begin repairs. We have to leave this Asteroid Sea as soon as possible to look for a place to anchor.”
It was then that all of them regained their senses and started taking action.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips together and looked out at the Starry Sky through the crystal window. It was said that one was bound for good fortune after surviving a disaster. She hoped that would be the case here too.
The cultivators in the Starship then busied themselves with their own jobs. The Starship had slowed down due to the damage. Initially, they had estimated that they would need one hour to leave the Asteroid Sea, but it took them four hours to cross that gap. After leaving behind the asteroids in the borderless Starry Sky, they finally heaved a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t a great idea to allow a damaged Starship to navigate through the Asteroid Sea. Fortunately, all the cultivators in the Starship were well-trained, and they were excellent at controlling the ship, so they managed to stay safe till the end.
Now, they had to look for a stopover immediately and repair the Starship. After Old Chen pointed out a suitable location, Lu Huai Shuang ordered all of them to set sail in that direction.
Half a day later, above a desolate Star, the 300-metre Starship emerged from the clouds and landed on the ground slowly.
There were innumerable Stars like this one in the Star Field. Although there were countless Stars in the Starry Sky, only a small number of them were suitable for cultivators to reside and cultivate on. Only Stars with a complete Star Source that could nurture World Energy were qualified for cultivation. These kinds of lively Stars were called Cultivation Stars.
In contrast, there were Stars that were without any World Energy, and no one could possibly survive on them. These desolate Stars were called Dead Stars.
Some Dead Stars were originally Cultivation Stars. After the Star Source of a Cultivation Star slowly diminished and disappeared, such a Star would turn into a barren rock.
Meanwhile, some Dead Stars could be nurturing new life, and it could possess its own Star Source in the future. After a very long period of growth, such a Dead Star would become a new Cultivation Star. However, this kind of evolution took place over tens of thousands of years at least.
After the Starship landed somewhere on the Dead Star, the crews opened the hatches and streamed out of the ship to head to the damaged section. Although they had done some simple repairs earlier, they had to fully fix the damaged parts of the hull and Spirit Arrays before the Starship could navigate through the Starry Sky again at full power.
Lu Huai Shuang was now somewhat idle inside the Starship, so she decided to take a walk outside. Wherever she went, all the cultivators would salute her. There wasn’t any obscene light behind their gazes as they all truly respected her.
In Unending Star Field, everyone would praise the Eldest Young Lady from the Lu Family, who hailed from Morning Sun Star whenever she was mentioned. They all said that she was just as capable as men of the same calibre.
There were no male descendants in the Lu Family’s main line, and the Patriarch was old and frail. The entire Lu Family now depended on the Eldest Young Lady to manage and maintain it. When Lu Huai Shuang took over the Lu Family at that time, nobody thought she could succeed.
A woman was supposed to get married and nurture her children, so no one believed she could succeed as the leader of her family. However, all of them were proven wrong in the end.
Although she didn’t manage to bring the Lu Family to new heights, she didn’t allow it to decay or decline at least. The continued strength of the Lu Family was all thanks to Lu Huai Shuang’s efforts, and even their enemies had to acknowledge this fact.
Naturally, many people lusted after Lu Huai Shuang’s beauty and her family businesses. Beautiful women and wealth had always been attractive goals for men. The Lu Family was wealthy and had great potential for development, so it was expected that many men were drooling over it. If any man could gain Lu Huai Shuang’s favour, not only could he marry a beautiful woman, but he would also gain control over the Lu Family’s immense fortune, thereby reaching the heights in his life and shortening the years needed to achieve success. Countless men had proposed to her over the years, but none of them could win Lu Huai Shuang’s heart.
“My husband must be the most powerful man in the Star Field. His name must illuminate the Starry Sky just like the Sun. I’ll only marry the man who can achieve that.”
It was an outrageous demand as no man would admit that he wasn’t powerful. Upon self-examination, they would even think that they were the best, and no other men were comparable to them. However, nobody could brazenly say that their name could illuminate the Starry Sky just like the Sun.
Only a handful of Masters in the Star Field could be said to have achieved such status, but they were old men who were in the sunset stage of their lives.
[The Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady is destined to spend the rest of her life alone. No man will love and treasure her. She will never experience how it feels to be loved by a man!] That was the bitter thought of those men who couldn’t obtain her. Since they couldn’t win her heart, they wanted her to live miserably for the rest of her life. Such men would never hope for her future to be bright, as they were already considered to be weak and unworthy by her.
As Lu Huai Shuang tread on the yellowish ground and smelled the humid air, she couldn’t help but knit her brows together. She was a woman, after all, so no matter how others regarded her or how capable she was, she still had her feminine qualities. The environment on a Dead Star was barren and bleak. On this Star, the yellowish sand was seemingly endless, and it was continuously carried up by the gusts of winds. The atmosphere was filled with fog, so she couldn’t see far into the distance, making for a gloomy and depressing atmosphere.
After walking for some time, she stopped in her tracks and wanted to stretch her back without caring about anyone’s opinions. However, she couldn’t even do such a simple thing because she had to uphold her mannerism and authority. She was exhausted, both physically and psychologically.
Standing there quietly, she tried to figure out this Dead Star’s history. Perhaps there had been a civilization on this Star a long time ago. Or maybe in the future, a bright civilization with interesting life would arise on this Star. Maybe somewhere on the sandy landscape before her, a cottage would appear, in which a man and a woman lived. The man would cultivate crops on the fields, while the woman would weave clothes in the house as they lived harmoniously together. Three to five years later, they would give birth to a son and a daughter, then they would take good care of their children. When they became old, they would travel the world together. After their death, they would be buried together in some unknown corner.
They wouldn’t need much money as long as they had enough. They also wouldn’t have to be powerful as long as they had each other. The more powerful a person became, the more difficult it would be to obtain the simple pleasures in life. Only those at the lowest level of the hierarchy would want to gain immense power and make a name for themselves, unaware of the sacrifices and difficulties such power would entail.
“Young Lady…” Someone suddenly called out to her.
Although Lu Huai Shuang’s imagination was disrupted, she wasn’t mad. Turning to look at the one who called her, she recognized him as one of the Lu Family’s guards. At that moment, he was looking dazedly at Lu Huai Shuang as shock and disbelief were written all over his face.
That was because he saw that Lu Huai Shuang was smiling. Although the smile wasn’t conspicuous, he could see that her lips had curved into a peaceful grin.
Lu Huai Shuang was a beautiful lady, and her smile made her look even more charming. He had joined the Lu Family a few decades ago, but since Lu Huai Shuang took over the family, he had never seen her smile like this.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips into a line and asked impassively, “What’s the matter?”
The bodyguard hurriedly straightened his face and replied, “We’ve found something strange.”
Lu Huai Shuang frowned upon hearing that, “What is it?”
The bodyguard scratched his head as he didn’t know how to explain it. Their discovery earlier was so absurd that he couldn’t find the right words to describe it. Just then, a group of people walked out of the broken part of the Starship. They seemed to be carrying something as they rushed towards Lu Huai Shuang.
Everyone shifted their attention to them due to their strange behaviour. In just a short time, these people reached Lu Huai Shuang and dropped a person right in front of her. The person rolled on the ground for a bit before stopping.
With a frown, Lu Huai Shuang took a look and realized that the person was a young man. His clothes were torn apart, as though he had just gone through a great ordeal. His eyes were closed, and his face was pale. He remained unmoving on the ground after he was dropped.
Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t sense his aura, and he didn’t seem to be breathing, so she assumed he had passed away.
It wasn’t that Lu Huai Shuang had never seen a corpse before. On the contrary, she had personally killed many people throughout her life.
Not long after she took over the Lu Family, another prestigious family on Morning Sun Star, the He Family, launched an attack on them. In an instant, the two families went to war, and they lost many lives on both sides. It was thanks to Lu Huai Shuang’s outstanding leadership in the war that her position became firm.
Now, the entire Morning Sun Star was practically divided by the Lu Family and the He Family. Each of these two families had occupied half of the resources and territory on the Star.
However, the appearance of this young man made Lu Huai Shuang frown deeply. It wasn’t that she bore hatred towards him, but rather that this incident was too strange. After examining the young man’s face for a long time, she looked up at an old man and asked, “Third Uncle, is he from our side?”
There were a few hundred cultivators aboard the Starship and although she couldn’t remember all their names, Lu Huai Shuang could at least recognize all of them. However, this young man looked unfamiliar to her, so she was certain that she had never seen him before.
Lu Bing shook his head, “No.”
“He’s not?” Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes.
[Since he isn’t from our side, why did he appear on my Starship?] In an instant, she could think of many possibilities, but the most reasonable explanation was that he must be a spy sent by the Lu Family’s enemies. If that was the case, there might still be other troubles lurking in the dark.
As though he had seen through her mind, Lu Bing uttered, “This man was found in the broken section of the Starship.”
“Third Uncle, you mean…” Lu Huai Shuang looked up at him. Although she was intelligent, she couldn’t grasp what he was talking about.
With a complicated expression, Lu Bing went on to say, “Based on my observations, our Starship was damaged because it was hit by this man.”
Upon hearing that, all fell silent as they were trying to understand what Lu Bing meant. Following that, a terrifying idea sprang into their minds as their gazes were transformed by disbelief.
Lu Huai Shuang came to her senses and stared at her Third Uncle in a bewildered manner. If she wasn’t very familiar with her Third Uncle’s personality and temperament, she would’ve thought that he was pulling her leg.
With a helpless smile, Lu Bing continued, “Initially, I thought that the Starship was hit by an asteroid, but after some investigation, I couldn’t find any traces left behind by an asteroid impact. Instead, I found this man at the centre of the damaged part of the Starship’s hull, right in the centre of the impact.”
All of them gasped and looked at Lu Bing with weird expressions, while Lu Huai Shuang remained silent and fell into her thoughts.
Lu Bing continued, “I know this sounds inconceivable, but I can’t find a better explanation.”
In fact, it wasn’t just inconceivable; it was just too shocking. How did a Human manage to crash into the Starship, which formed a hole on it that caused serious damage to its hull? They also had to look for a place to land to make repairs as a result. This was one of the two best Starships on Morning Sun Star, an Origin King Grade Starship! It could even endure the assault of a First-Order Origin King’s attacks for an extended period of time, so how could one man manage to damage it so seriously?
If such a Starship could be damaged so easily, it wouldn’t have been able to navigate through the Starry Sky, as any asteroid could destroy its hull with ease. Even if a person could cause damage to the hull by crashing into it, what about the Crystal Cannon volley they fired?
All ten Crystal Cannons were fired and hit the target accurately. Who could be strong enough to endure the collective power of ten Crystal Cannons? Judging from this young man’s appearance, it was apparent that while quite dishevelled, he was completely unhurt. Even if his skin was made of the hardest metal, he couldn’t withstand such an attack.
Everyone broke into a commotion. This young man, who was found in the broken part of the Starship, had all their minds messed up, as all their common sense and knowledge seemed to have been turned upside down.
“It’s no use speculating about all this now. Our priority is to repair the Starship,” Lu Huai Shuang ordered.
Lu Bing sighed secretly as he knew that she didn’t believe his speculation. Honestly speaking, he didn’t believe his own speculation either, feeling that he must have missed something and drawn the wrong conclusion, so he didn’t attempt to defend himself.
“As for this person, bury him somewhere.” Lu Huai Shuang looked down at the deceased young man. Regardless of his identity or the reason he appeared on her Starship, he at least deserved proper last rights.
Just then, beams of lights were seen coming at them from all directions as chaotic energy waves could be felt everywhere. The attacks already reached them before their opponents arrived.
*Chi, Chi, Chi…*
A series of sounds could be heard, and when a light flashed across their eyes, the place where these people from the Lu Family were standing had turned into a sea of energy waves.
“Enemy attack!” Someone shouted, but his voice stopped abruptly, as though someone was clenching on his neck. Following that, the person’s aura disappeared, so it was apparent that he had passed away. In an instant, numerous people started screaming.
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression changed drastically as she hadn’t expected that they would be assaulted in such a place. They were on a nameless Dead Star, and they had only decided to land here moments ago, so how did their enemies manage to ambush them here?
With no time to think about it though, she touched her earlobe and broke an earring, upon which a beam of white light transformed into a gigantic dome, protecting all the cultivators from the Lu Family from these attacks.
Explosions could be heard as all the attacks landed on the protective shield and formed a layer of ripples. The glow of the shield increasingly dimmed and only a few breaths later did it shatter with a loud crack.
However, with the buffer time they gained, all those from the Lu Family collected themselves and summoned their artifacts or used their Secret Techniques to counter the enemy assault.
The chaotic energy fluctuations caused the surroundings to shake violently as all of a sudden, a person fell from the sky with his arms crossed. At the same time, heavy pressure descended on Lu Huai Shuang.
Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes as she unsheathed her azure longsword. In an instant, she seemed to have transformed into an entirely different person. She was an alluring lady with bountiful curves, but at the same time, she was an Origin King Realm Master.
Without considerable power, she wouldn’t have been able to command everyone in the Lu Family; moreover, she was a woman, so she needed even more power to earn everyone’s respect.
After she slashed across space with her azure longsword, a Sword Domain was formed instantly, and her Sword Intent caused her enemy to feel a sharp pain on their skin. The longsword in her hand then transformed into a phantom as it flourished above her head. At that instant, more than a hundred streams of Sword Qi shot out.
The horrifying pressure vanished in an instant as the enemy who was descending towards Lu Huai Shuang called out in shock and hurriedly dodged to avoid the Sword Qi blades.
After trading attacks, both Lu Huai Shuang and her opponent could feel each other’s immense power. Surprisingly, both sides were equally matched.
The clamorous battlefield fell silent in an eerie manner after the strongest Masters at the scene traded blows. The Lu Family cultivators felt like they had just returned from death’s door, and when they came to their senses, they realized that their backs were already drenched in a cold sweat.
Lu Huai Shuang took a closer look and realized that a fair-skinned chubby man was grinning at her with a playful expression. He was clad in a loose shirt that wasn’t buttoned up, so his big belly was exposed for all to see. He looked like a fat and slovenly man who had just finished a feast. Paired with his long, narrow eyes, he made for a funny picture.
However, no one dared to laugh at him. Instead, they were horrified.
With a dark expression, Lu Bing yelled, “Ma Chao Qun!”
A cold glint flashed across the fat man’s eyes as he replied with a smile, “Oh? You know me?”
Lu Bing gulped. The person before his eyes had a distinctive body shape and facial features, so there was no way he couldn’t recognize him. He was Ma Chao Qun of the Fierce Gale Pirates!
Fierce Gale Pirates wasn’t Ma Chao Chun’s personal force, but rather the name of a great force that was basically a plague upon everyone in the Star Field. Robbers lived in the mountains while pirates lived on the seas. Then, there were Star Pirates who sailed the Starry Sky.
What they did wasn’t fundamentally different from those robbers and pirates, they robbed people of their wealth and committed all sorts of wicked deeds.
There were a large number of Star Pirates in the Star Field, but only a handful of them actually had widely recognized names. The Fierce Gale Pirates was one such group though because they had Origin Kings among their leaders.
The Origin King Realm was the peak of the Star Field, so the Masters in this realm were practically peerless in every Cultivation Star. If such a Master decided to become a pirate though, it would be disastrous for all.
Historically, many of the top forces in the Star Field had joined forces numerous times to stamp out all Star Pirates; however, like weeds, they could be cut down but eventually, they would spring up again. Even if one to two groups of Star Pirates were destroyed, more would emerge in the future to take their place soon enough.
The Fierce Gale Pirates were particularly sly and cunning as they would never provoke those they couldn’t afford to offend. Those targeted by them were forces that were rich but relatively powerless. Moreover, they had no morality at all as they would frequently kill all of their targets and rob all their belongings. It was said that wherever the Fierce Gale Pirates passed through, even grass wouldn’t be able to grow.
Therefore, the Fierce Gale Pirates could be said to be the most infamous Star Pirates in Unending Star Field.
The Star Pirates from the Fierce Gale Pirates had surrounded all those from the Lu Family at this moment and were sporting evil grins on their faces. Their gazes were especially lewd as they stared fixedly at Lu Huai Shuang’s luscious body, as though they were savouring a delicious dish.
The grin on Ma Chao Qun’s face widened as his belly shook and rippled.
“You must be Young Lady Lu. You’re indeed a beautiful lady with a powerful cultivation. You’re so much better than what the rumours mentioned. I’ve been longing to meet you.”
With a long face, Lu Huai Shuang swept a glance over all those from the Lu Family. What happened on this day was unexpected, but she could feel that something nefarious was going on.
Those from the Fierce Gale Pirates seemed to have figured out that they would come here, which was why these pirates had appeared at this moment to rob them. As the leader of the Lu Family, she had her own suspicions about how this was possible, and with her sharp vision as an Origin King Realm Master she soon found a clue.
One of the clansmen from the Lu Family, who she recalled belonged to her First Uncle’s family, didn’t dare to meet her eyes at this moment. In that instant, Lu Huai Shuang felt her heart aching as she became extremely disappointed. She didn’t understand why someone she considered to be family would betray her.
Lu Huai Shuang had shown outstanding cultivation talent and aptitude when she was still a young child; she was also born into a noble and rich family, so she had never lacked resources.
Her exceptional aptitude, paired with her family’s unconditional support, made sure that she would be one of the leaders of her generation. As such, it only took her a hundred years to reach the Origin King Realm.
Nevertheless, she wasn’t haughty or arrogant like many other Young Ladies from prestigious families and was instead very good to her subordinates. She was one of the most popular individuals on Morning Sun Star.
If it weren’t because the old Patriarch was stricken with an illness, she would still be cultivating on her own. Cultivation wasn’t boring to her. She loved it because she felt joyful that the power within her was growing stronger day by day.
It wasn’t her intention to take over the Lu Family after the Patriarch fell ill, but after she did, her quiet cultivation time was replaced by all kinds of issues she needed to deal with. When she opened her eyes every morning, it was as though she could hear the voices of her subordinates who awaited her orders.
For the past thirty years, she had done everything she could for the Lu Family. As a result, she hadn’t been able to increase her cultivation one bit. Hence, she couldn’t fathom why someone from the Lu Family would betray her.
[What was his reason? What is he after? Do I deserve this kind of betrayal in exchange for my thirty years of contributions?] She clenched her sword and then loosened her grip. Following that, she shot a glare at her First Uncle before she shifted her attention back to Ma Chao Qun and uttered dispassionately, “Second Manager, since you’re here, Head Manager and Third Manager must be here as well. Why don’t they show themselves?”
She swept a glance over the surroundings as she spoke.
Although Ma Chao Qun was powerful, she wasn’t afraid of him. From their battle just now, she concluded that they were equally matched. Both of them were in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so they were equal in terms of their power.
Her biggest advantage was her strong foundation and abundant Saint Qi, while Ma Chao Qun’s advantage was his long years of combat experience. After all, he was a Master who had killed countless people to become one of the most infamous Star Pirates in the Star Field.
If only Ma Chao Qun was there, the people from the Lu Family could still defeat him. Nevertheless, the Fierce Gale Pirates were known to go all out when they made a move.
There were three Managers in the Fierce Gale Pirates. The Head Manager, Sheng Yao, was in the Second-Order Origin King Realm. The Second Manager was the fatty in front of her, Ma Chao Qun. The Third Manager, Ge Ming, was also a First-Order Origin King.
The reason the Fierce Gale Pirates could survive assaults from so many great forces was more than just luck. It was also because of their immense strength.
Ma Chao Qun chuckled, “Many thanks for your concern for them, Young Lady Lu, but I’m afraid I must disappoint you. I’m the only one here today because Big Brother and Third Brother have other matters to attend to. If you want to meet them, why don’t you follow me to Fierce Gale’s Base? I’m sure you’ll meet them there.”
Lu Huai Shuang narrowed her eyes, “Are you inviting me to your base?”
Ma Chao Qun kept the smile on his face, “If you agree, then it’s an invitation.”
“What if I don’t agree to it?”
“Heh heh…” Ma Chao Qun laughed without replying to her. His meaning was clear; if she didn’t agree to it, then it would be a threat.
In a calm manner, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “I’ve heard a lot about the Fierce Gale Pirates. The Star Field is extremely vast, so it’s quite coincidental that we’ve come across each other here. As I was caught unaware, my preparations are somewhat lacking, but I’m willing to deliver some gifts to all of you. In exchange, I hope Second Manager can allow us to leave.”
Star Pirates were mostly after money. If possible, she wasn’t willing to confront them. More importantly, she had a premonition that Ma Chao Qun wasn’t the only one here.
The Head Manager Sheng Yao and the Third Manager Ge Ming might be lurking in the dark, waiting for the best opportunity to make a move. If a fight broke out, all those from the Lu Family would be doomed, and she probably wouldn’t be able to escape from this place herself.
If money was enough to ensure their safety, that would be the best outcome.
A glint flashed across Ma Chao Qun’s eyes as he complimented her, “I’ve always heard that the Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady is incredibly capable. It seems the rumours were not unfounded.”
Most women were shy and frail, but Lu Huai Shuang had courage and boldness that most men lacked. It was no wonder that she could command the Lu Family and occupy half of the resources on Morning Sun Star. If she was a man, she would probably become one of the Overlords of the Star Field in the future.
Ma Chao Qun shook his big head and sighed, “What a shame. I’d like to let you go, but some people might not agree to it.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Huai Shuang asked in a grim voice.
Just then, a black Starship emerged from the thick fog and clouds before it landed on the ground. The Starship was just as large as the one from the Lu Family, as though they were made from the same mould.
A large ‘He’ character was engraved on the Starship, causing a huge commotion to break out when it appeared.
“It’s the He Family’s Starship!”
“Why are they here?”
“It’s a trap. Damn it!”
“The He Family has joined up with the Fierce Gale Pirates. How shameless!”
The He Family was the other top family on Morning Sun Star. The He Family and Lu Family each ruled half of the Star, but it was well known that two tigers could not coexist on the same mountain. These top two families were bitter opponents, so it was expected that there would be confrontations between them. If one family was attacked by the other family, then they would retaliate against the other party the next day. Gradually, their conflicts evolved into a blood feud.
It could be said that these two families on Morning Sun Star desperately wanted each other dead; however, Lu Huai Shuang had never expected that the He Family would join forces with the Fierce Gale Pirates.
The Fierce Gale Pirates were the most infamous Star Pirates in Unending Star Field. If anyone was thought to be related to these pirates, their reputation would be ruined forever.
[Aren’t the He Family members worried that this news will spread? If all the Masters in the Star Field find out about it and launch an attack on them, they won’t be able to enjoy the Lu Family’s wealth even if they can gobble it up.]
Soon, Lu Huai Shuang’s expression darkened, as she realized that since the He Family members had the guts to travel to this place in their Starship, it meant that they had no intention of sparing any of their lives. That was because their secret could only be kept by killing all of them.
Her gaze became cold as she turned to look at her First Uncle, whose jaw had dropped in shock. The fear behind his gaze suggested that this outcome was beyond his expectation.
The Starship landed nearby, upon which its main hatch opened and an energetic old man with grey hair, who appeared to be in his sixties, stepped out. He appeared authoritative despite his calm expression, so it was apparent that he was the leader of his family.
In just a few nonchalant steps, he reached Lu Huai Sheng and the others, followed closely by hundreds of the strongest cultivators from the He Family, who were staring fixedly at the people from the Lu Family.
In an instant, the atmosphere became intense. The sound of gulping could be heard from those of the Lu Family, which went to show how anxious they were.
Ma Chao Qun kept a smile on his face, as though he wasn’t aware that He Wu Zui was there.
Meanwhile, He Wu Zui stared fixedly at Lu Huai Shuang and sneered repeatedly before he uttered, “Little girl, today you die!”
He appeared smug because his plot had succeeded.
Lu Huai Shuang let out a breath as she knew that she probably couldn’t survive. At such a critical moment, she became calm instead. In a dispassionate voice, she mocked, “Old Master He, our feud on Morning Sun Star is only between our two families, so I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to drag outsiders into this?”
He Wu Zui snorted, “The three Managers of Fierce Gale Pirates are my sworn brothers, so they’re not outsiders.”
What he had just said shocked everyone from the Lu Family. Lu Huai Shuang appeared flabbergasted as she had never heard about this before, so she reckoned that no one else in the Star Field knew about it either.
However, things had come to a point that she didn’t think He Wu Zui would be cracking jokes. Moreover, Ma Chao Qun didn’t seem to have the intention of refuting him, so it was probably true that he and the three Managers from Fierce Gale Pirates were sworn brothers.
He Wu Zui felt gleeful as he watched how astounded Lu Huai Shuang was. He had been patient for many years, and this was the day he reaped the fruits of his silence. From now onward, the He Family would be the only one to rule Morning Sun Star while the Lu Family would disappear from history.
“Fourth Brother, I don’t care about the others, but are you sure you want to kill the Lu Family’s Eldest Young Lady?” Ma Chao Qun suddenly turned to look at He Wu Zui and asked.
He didn’t care if the others from the Lu Family died, but he was pretty fond of Lu Huai Shuang. There were many beautiful women in this world, and given Ma Chao Qun’s power and status, he was never short of such women. However, a charming young lady in the Origin King Realm was rare, and he had never had a taste of such a woman.
Moreover, he had heard that Lu Huai Shuang had been cultivating in seclusion for most of her life, so the chances she retained her innocence were also great. In his opinion, it would be a shame if she was killed just like that.
Upon hearing his words, He Wu Zui immediately understood what Ma Chao Qun was up to and warned in a solemn manner, “Second Brother, a rose is fragrant, but it’s also full of thorns. I’m worried that you’ll be hurt.”
After giving it a thought, Ma Chao Qun nodded, “Yeah. Forget it, then.”
He knew how difficult it was to capture someone in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so he decided to give up on that idea. If he hesitated when he made a move because he was trying to subdue her, he would be the one who would be killed instead.
“Begin!” He Wu Zi suddenly shouted. Apparently, he wanted this battle to be ended quickly, thus giving no chance for the Lu Family’s people to fight back.
At that signal, Ma Chao Qun raised his hands, upon which two golden orbs appeared between his palms. The aura around the golden orbs was intimidating, so it was apparently a rare artifact.
On the other hand, He Wu Zui readied himself as his Saint Qi circulated rapidly through his meridians.
With a solemn expression, Lu Huai Shuang raised her azure longsword up high, upon which her Sword Intent significantly surged. The battle was about to begin, but just then, a stealthy figure suddenly appeared beside her and slashed at her with a slender dagger, flustering Lu Huai Shuang greatly.
Earlier, all her attention was on Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, and seeing that they were preparing to make a move, she quickly raised her guard. However, now it seemed apparent that these two were just trying to distract Lu Huai Shuang while the real assassin approached her. By the time Lu Huai Shuang realized this though, it was already too late.
He Wu Zui and Ma Chao Qun grinned as they waited to watch a good show.
A cold glint flashed across the slender dagger, which was shrouded in an aura of death, as though the weapon would soon reap another life.
Right then, the slender dagger’s owner felt a chill all over his body. It was as though he had fallen into a frozen cavern and all the blood in his veins seemed to freeze in place.
Lu Huai Shuang also narrowed her eyes with a shocked expression, because the ‘dead’ young man, who had been lying by her feet, started moving all of a sudden in a very strange manner.
First, his legs slid back until he could place his feet on the ground. Then, his legs straightened as he hoisted his entire body up all of a sudden.
When Lu Huai Shuang turned to look at him, she was met with a pair of dark eyes which seemed to contain a bottomless abyss. By just looking into his gaze, she felt as though she would fall into it.
Astounded, she hurriedly circulated her Spiritual Energy to steady her mind.
The three Managers of the Fierce Gale Pirates all had their own unique skills. The Head Manager Sheng Yao needed no introduction. As someone in the Second-Order Origin King Realm, he could easily be ranked as one of the most powerful Masters in the entire Star Field.
The Second Manager Ma Chao Qun was a fair-skinned and naive-looking fatty, but the fat on his body wasn’t just a result of his overeating habit; it was also his life-saving card. With incredible defensive capabilities, his excess flesh was an incredibly sturdy shield. With the help of his fat, he was able to temporarily stand against a Master who was one Minor Realm higher than him.
Nevertheless, he could only parry a few moves, as his fat couldn’t make up the entire difference in cultivation.
As for the Third Manager Ge Ming, he was a short but sturdy man whose speciality was assassination. He was an elusive man, as no one could possibly find out his exact location.
An enemy lurking in the dark was the most horrifying. It was said that it was easy to dodge a spear out in the light, but it was hard to avoid an arrow in the dark. The person who mounted a sneak attack on Lu Huai Shuang was undoubtedly the Fierce Gale Pirates Third Manager, Ge Ming.
Lu Huai Shuang’s speculation earlier was right, that the Fierce Gale Pirates would go all out whenever they made a move. Ma Chao Qun was lying when he said that his Big Brother and Third Brother were attending to other matters.
With his exceptional Concealment Technique, Ge Ming was able to approach Lu Huai Shuang unnoticed, and just when her focus was completely on Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, he struck.
He was also a First-Order Origin King Realm, and gained a big advantage by executing a sneak attack, so he was confident that his strike would severely injure Lu Huai Shuang, if not kill her. She was the leader of the Lu Family, and as long as they could kill or immobilize this woman, the others from the Lu Family would be easy to deal with.
Everything went according to plan, but the accident that happened all of a sudden terrified Ge Ming.
In the blink of an eye, a young man in tattered clothes was standing in front of Lu Huai Shuang as he stared calmly at Ge Ming. Although there was no emotion behind the young man’s gaze, Ge Ming subconsciously felt lowly before him, as though this young man was a towering mountain that stretched up into the Heavens. He tilted his head back, but still couldn’t see the top of the mountain. Even the clouds partway up the mountain appeared blurred.
[Who is this man!?] He had noticed this ‘corpse’ when he was approaching Lu Huai Shuang secretly, but as he was lying at her feet without showing any sign of vitality, Ge Ming assumed he was dead and didn’t bother with him. However, how did a dead man get to his feet all of a sudden? Moreover, how did his vitality surge so tremendously in that instant!?
Ge Ming’s panic was only temporary, however. Since he was able to reach the Origin King Realm, there was no doubt that his mental fortitude was outstanding, so after hesitating for a moment between retreating and advancing, he steeled himself. As a cold glint flashed across his slender dagger, he charged forward at an even greater speed.
[I don’t care who you are, but with such a short distance between us, I’ll still be able to stab you first even if you’re a Third-Order Origin King!]
“Get back!” Lu Huai Shuang finally came to her senses at that moment. Ge Ming was advancing instead of retreating with a ferocious gaze, but this young man didn’t react to it at all, so she couldn’t help but call out to him as she reached out her hand and grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to pull him back.
However, what shocked her was that this young man still gave no reaction at all, as if roots had grown from his feet. Not only could she not pull him back, but she was also forced to stagger forward and almost crash into his back from the recoil.
Just then, a clanging sound could be heard. The ferocious expression on Ge Ming’s face froze, then it was replaced by extreme fear. When he raised his head to look at the young man, his eyes seemed to be trembling uncontrollably.
Before he made a move, he had imagined many possible outcomes in his mind, the most likely being him killing this reckless boy with one strike. Perhaps his strike would only wound him though, or even less likely this young man would somehow parry his thrust…
However, Ge Ming had never expected that the sight before his eyes would be the outcome instead. This young man remained unmoving and simply allowed him to stab his dagger into his chest. Nevertheless, his weapon couldn’t penetrate the young man’s body, and there didn’t seem to be any wound on the young man’s skin. Instead, the glow on his slender dagger faded greatly and he almost dropped his weapon due to a sharp pain coming from his hand.
The slender dagger was an Origin King Grade Artifact which was extremely sharp and could even penetrate fine metal armour easily, let alone a Human’s body.
Ge Ming couldn’t even sense any energy fluctuation from the young man. In other words, this strange-looking young man had managed to withstand his attack with nothing more than his physique completely unharmed.
[Is he really Human?]
Ge Ming was an assassin who excelled at ending a person’s life with one decisive strike, but he was also extremely sensitive to danger. Therefore, when he realized that his assault couldn’t harm the young man, he immediately decided to run. His thin figure became blurred, as though he would vanish into thin air soon.
He had to flee, for the young man’s presence had defied his understanding of the world. The voice in his heart screamed that he had to escape now or he would die!
Just then, the young man raised his hand in a slow and stiff manner, then he nonchalantly grabbed the air, upon which Ge Ming, who was about to vanish from sight, seemed to have his neck clenched, his half-transparent figure solidifying in an instant.
For some unfathomable reason, his Concealment Technique was dispersed, and at that instant, he felt his Soul leaving his body. The seemingly casual grip around his neck seemed capable of snapping him in half at will, and no matter how hard he tried to struggle, all his attempts were utterly futile.
The young man raised his arm lightly and lifted Ge Ming off his feet, a sight that terrified all present. Ge Ming was an Origin King, but now, he had been captured by an unknown young man with complete ease and hoisted up like a powerless chicken.
“Third Brother!” The smile on Ma Chao Qun’s face was long gone as his chubby face appeared extremely solemn.
He Wu Zui’s expression also appeared grim as he silently summoned his artifact, his gaze darting around as though he was looking for an escape route.
Right in front of everyone’s eyes, the young man sized up Ge Ming for a moment before he frowned, knitting his brow as he muttered, “So weak…”
He hadn’t fought with someone in the Origin King Realm in ages. Over the years, the opponents he had come across were all Masters with more powerful cultivations than his own, which was why he was no longer used to dealing with someone so much weaker than himself and at that instant, he reminisced about his previous battles with a conflicted feeling.
[I was one of these weak cultivators in the past as well…]
“May I ask for Your Excellency’s honoured name?” Ma Chao Qun asked in a grim voice as he tried to recall the faces and figures of the true Overlords of the Star Field, but none of them resembled the young man before his eyes. He had never heard about a young man like him, who had such extraordinary power.
“Trash like you have no right to know my name,” the young man snorted.
His manner of speaking was extremely haughty, but no one found it to be awkward, for he had the power to match his overbearing behaviour. If anyone else spoke in the way he did, that person would have been laughed at.
Ma Chao Qun wouldn’t even dare to blow his top as he gulped and cupped his fists, “Please forgive us for offending you, Your Excellency, and show mercy for my Third Brother. If you could find it in your heart to release him, we will take our leave now and never show ourselves before you again.”
Although he appeared humble and polite, he was viciously cursing He Wu Zui in his heart. [Fourth Brother is such a fool! He didn’t even realize that the Lu Family had gotten the support of such a Master! We came all the way here just to be humiliated! Now, we don’t even know if this young man will let us off. If we manage to escape today, we’ll definitely make a clean break with Fourth Brother! If we stay with him any longer, we’ll lose our lives sooner or later!]
“Do you think you can come and go as you please? Do you think I’ll let you off so easily?” The young man sneered.
Although he was in a special state earlier, it didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of what was going on. Upon hearing their conversation, he had figured out what happened with these people and even though he didn’t consider himself to be a righteous person, he wouldn’t mind lending a hand when someone was in trouble.
Ma Chao Qun lamented in his heart, but he could only speak respectfully, “We acknowledge that the punishment is deserved, so please inform us of what Your Excellency wants from us.”
He couldn’t even figure out how powerful this young man’s cultivation was, so he wasn’t confident of going against him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have appeared so meek. After all, he was someone with power and status.
The young man frowned as he despised this fatty for his readiness to yield, his killing intent fading greatly.
*Hong Long Long…*
Just then, a rumbling sounded across the sky and at the same time, the aura of the entire world seemed to have turned dangerous. At the same time, high up in the sky, lightning arcs began to crackle.
Everyone’s expression changed greatly as they looked up at the sky, only to see a dark swirl in the clouds. There seemed to be a Thunder Dragon swimming through this black vortex, one that emitted a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power.
“What’s wrong with you!? I’ve already hidden so well!” The young man gazed up at the sky and cursed out loud.
Lu Huai Shuang frowned and stared at the young man’s figure with a weird expression wondering if he was cursing the Heavens.
All of a sudden, she felt sympathetic towards this young man. His cultivation appeared extremely powerful, and his actions just now showed he was a brave and heroic character. Upon a closer look, she realized that he was good-looking as well. Unfortunately, he seemed to be suffering from some kind of mental illness. If not, why would he be cursing the Heavens?
[Perhaps even the Heavens are jealous of such a talented man?] Lu Huai Shuang suddenly had this thought in her mind.
While she was still lost in contemplation, a booming sound was suddenly heard, which caused all of their eardrums to tremble. As though it was responding to the young man’s curse, a large beam of lightning shot out of the vortex towards the young man, one that seemed to tear about the world wherever it travelled.
All who witnessed this had goosebumps all over their bodies. Lu Huai Shuang, who was closest to the young man, turned ashen in an instant. It couldn’t be helped, as the lightning had a specific target, and it was going to strike the young man accurately.
[He is going to be struck by Heavenly Lightning! How wicked must he be that even the Heavens cannot allow him to live anymore!?]
“Run!” The young man suddenly turned around and grabbed Lu Huai Shuang’s collars before hurling her away.
Lu Huai Shuang hadn’t even realized what was going on before she was sent flying away like an arrow. As she flew backwards, she saw the giant lightning bolt strike the young man. In an instant, his black hair stood on end, upon which a 1,000-metre radius around him turned into a sea of lightning.
Those cultivators who didn’t escape in time were charred to death instantly without even a chance to scream. A burnt smell then filled the air, as though someone was having a barbeque. When the others caught a whiff of that smell, many felt the urge to start retching.
The lightning kept striking the young man for quite some time. During this period of time, beams of lightning came pouring down on that young man from the dark vortex, causing him to convulse uncontrollably, as though he was suffering from a foul plague. All of them could see that he must be in excruciating pain.
Lu Huai Shuang looked away as she didn’t have the heart to keep gazing at the sight. No matter how cruel he was when he killed, no matter how evil this young man was, he had just done her a great favour. If he hadn’t made a move earlier, she would’ve been injured, if not dead.
Meanwhile, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui were ecstatic, and they almost couldn’t contain their urge to laugh. [The Heavenly Way is on our side! This man is being punished by the Heavens themselves!]
They traded glances and understood what was on each other’s mind without the need for a discussion. Moments later, the beams of lightning finally subsided, and the dark swirl in the sky disappeared.
The place fell into silence. The young man was still holding Ge Ming up with his hand. Nevertheless, both of them were seen with their hair standing on end, and their faces completely charred. There didn’t seem to be any aura lingering about them anymore.
No one knew the state the young man was in now, but it was apparent that the Fierce Gale Pirates’ Third Manager had left for the other world.
All of them saw how formidable the Heavenly Lightning was. It was the Heavenly Way’s method of exacting punishment. Even someone in the Third-Order Origin King Realm would’ve lost their life if they were punished in such a way, to say nothing of the fact that Ge Ming was only a First-Order Origin King. That was basically an unfortunate disaster for him. Although this young man was capable of ending Ge Ming’s life, he hadn’t really shown any intention of killing him. Instead, Ge Ming was killed by the beams of Heavenly Lightning.
Just then, two figures were seen charging forward. Like two beams of light, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui came at the young man from both sides.
An enemy had to be killed with certainty to prevent future trouble. Certainly, they understood this simple principle. They had only appeared meek earlier because this strange young man showcased unfathomable power.
Now that he had been struck down by Heavenly Lightning though, they had to cut him down first whether or not he was dead. They had to make sure that this young man was truly dead so that they would stand a chance to survive. Otherwise, whether they lived or died would no longer be a decision for them to make.
Although Ma Chao Qun was fat, he was extremely agile. His bulky figure charged forward at incredible speed as the two golden orbs in his hands shone brightly. Before he even reached the young man, the golden orbs shot towards his opponent’s chest and head respectively in an overbearing manner.
On the other hand, He Wu Zui performed a hand seal and activated a frightening Secret Technique. A python appeared in mid-air all of a sudden as it opened its mouth wide in an attempt to bite the young man’s head off.
The series of actions was so rapid that Lu Huai Shuang hadn’t managed to react. With her heart jumping to her throat, she hurriedly slashed at He Wu Zui and Ma Chao Qun with her Sword Qi in an attempt to stop them from attacking the young man.
However, her action had come too late. She was doing all she could to save the young man, but it was probably useless.
*Chi, Chi, Chi…*
While the Sword Qi was slashing across the air, Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui suddenly stopped in their tracks, as though they had crashed into an invisible wall. At that moment, their hearts sank, and they were horrified as they stared fixedly at the sight in front of them.
What made them stop wasn’t Lu Huai Shuang’s Sword Qi, but rather the young man’s reaction. The strange young man, who had been struck by a shower of Heavenly Lightning just now, suddenly started moving again. He combed his messy hair back as his gaze turned from calm to furious, as though he was displeased with something.
It was this simple action that forced Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui to stop in their tracks as they had lost the courage to continue their attack.
Everyone seemed to have been restrained by an invisible hand, and time seemed to have stopped at that moment as well. All of them were rooted to the spot.
[He’s not dead? How did he survive inside that torrent of lightning?] Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t help but widen her eyes, an indescribable emotion flashing across their depths.
Meanwhile, Ma Chao Qun’s golden orbs were still shooting toward the young man at full speed and were just about to reach him.
Before the orbs could find their mark though, the young man lowered the hand he was using to comb his hair and waved it lightly.
Ma Chao Qun’s chest tightened, for he realized that he had lost the connection with his golden orbs. Upon a closer look, he felt his entire body trembling violently. In that instant, the two golden orbs had fallen into the young man’s hand. Swinging his fingers lightly, the golden orbs hovered around above his palm before they simply dropped into his grasp.
[How did he manage to snatch my Natal Artifact away so easily? What kind of Divine Ability was that? Who is he? What is he!?]
The python He Wu Zui had summoned reached the young man at that moment; however, he was so shocked that he couldn’t sustain it anymore, so it simply dissipated into a shower of light particles.
He Wu Zui gulped as his face started twitching uncontrollably.
“Uh…” Ma Chao Qun licked his dry lips as he tried to come up with an explanation, but he realized that he had lost all courage and couldn’t even speak properly.
“I didn’t kill him.” The young man finally tossed Ge Ming’s corpse away.
Ge Ming was killed by the Heavenly Lightning, so it was true in a sense that the young man didn’t murder him.
“Sir… I’m sure this is a misunderstanding,” Ma Chao Qun forced a smile, but he appeared more hideous than if he was crying.
“A misunderstanding? How so? Why don’t you explain it to me?” The young man stared indifferently at him.
Certainly, Ma Chao Qun couldn’t come up with an explanation. Normally, he would suppress others with his strength. If he fell out with someone, he would simply fight it out with them or escape if he couldn’t be victorious. Therefore, he had never been a smooth talker who could persuade other people. With sweat oozing from his forehead continuously, he had to keep wiping it away nervously. If he couldn’t come up with an explanation, he was doomed.
In the end, he opted to say nothing at all. Gritting his teeth, he turned around and ran for his life at full speed. Right now, he had no other option but to try to escape.
He and He Wu Zui only had themselves to blame for making a move on that young man. He also blamed himself for failing to realize how powerful his enemy was.
Seeing Ma Chao Qun flee, naturally, He Wu Zui didn’t dare to remain any longer. He immediately made up his mind and turned to run in a different direction. That was his instinctive reaction, as he hoped that the young man would chase after Ma Chao Qun, thus giving him time to escape. However, he was bound to be disappointed.
The young man didn’t even take a look at the fleeing pair, simply waving his hand once, sending one of the golden orbs flying out at a phenomenal speed.
“AH!!” A man screamed and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
He Wu Zui didn’t even dare to turn his head back as he put all his energy into fleeing, wishing he could grow two extra legs at this moment as he knew that the one who screamed just now was Ma Chao Qun.
All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain on his back, and he collapsed onto the ground upon impact. He hurriedly got to his feet, but he was startled upon seeing the puddle of blood on the ground. Moreover, he felt as if he was missing something.
Lowering his head, he saw the last sight of his life. There was a large hole on his chest. Through the wound, he could see his organs squirming within his body. His vision turned dark, upon which he fell to the ground as his vitality rapidly left his body.
The atmosphere fell silent. On this unknown Dead Star, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Be it the hundreds of disciples from the Lu Family or the Star Pirates from the Fierce Gale Pirates, or the elite cultivators from the He Family, they were all shaken to the core as they stared at the unmoving young man, as though they were looking at a deity.
It couldn’t be helped, as from beginning to end, there weren’t any aura fluctuations from the young man, even when he threw out the golden orbs. In other words, he had accomplished what he did using pure physical strength. Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui had collapsed to the ground after a single hit each, without any chance to resist.
Both Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui were dead. Both of them were First-Order Origin Kings, but they were as helpless as three-year-old children in front of this young man. They couldn’t have imagined that this would be the outcome when they had plotted this venture today.
All the cultivators from these three groups were engulfed in feelings of fear, panic, and wariness. Having just witnessed this young man’s terrifying power, they knew that he could kill all of them with ease if he wanted to.
Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze appeared conflicted as she stared at the young man. Besides gratitude, there was also a sense of worry behind her eyes.
This young man had indeed saved her, but it was the first time she met him, so she wasn’t sure whether he was a righteous or wicked person. She was no longer an inexperienced little girl and she currently had hundreds of her family’s top cultivators depending on her, so she couldn’t make a decision based solely on her own preferences.
She wanted to find out the young man’s temperament, but she didn’t dare to ask him anything. While she was hesitating though, the young man turned to look at her with a faint smile on his face.
Lu Huai Shuang’s heart leapt to her throat as she felt that the smile on his face appeared ill-intentioned. Furthermore, his stare made her feel like she had been stripped bare and seen through, which was why she stiffened in an instant.
“If I were you, I would’ve come out voluntarily.”
Her expression changed when she heard that.
[What does he mean? I don’t think I’ve offended him in any way. When he was assaulted, I even offered to help him. Moreover, when the Heavenly Lightning descended, he pushed me away, so he doesn’t seem like a bad person, so why did his attitude change all of a sudden? Did I just walk out of a wolf’s lair only to enter a tiger’s den?]
Since the young man was so much more powerful than she was, she didn’t dare to disobey him. Her cultivation was essentially the same as Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui, but they were killed by this young man with ease. If he wanted to take her life, there was no way she could keep it.
Sighing to herself, she decided to accept her fate. However, before she could take a step forward, she suddenly felt some movement behind her. Shocked, she turned around to discover a figure whose aura suggested that he was in the Second-Order Origin King Realm standing there.
Lu Huai Shuang’s pupils contracted when she realized who he was. [Sheng Yao! The Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates!]
Although it was the first time she came across this person, she could recognize him at first glance. Besides Sheng Yao, no other Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm would appear in this place at this moment.
The Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates had managed to escape unscathed after the great forces of the Star Field had joined to annihilate him in the past, but at this moment, he looked like an obedient servant as he was trotting over in an obsequious manner with a cautious smile on his face.
After moving past Lu Huai Shuang, he stopped in front of the young man and bowed his head deeply as he greeted clearly, “Greetings Senior, this humble one is called Sheng Yao. I am astonished by your incredible power and am willing to follow you and serve as your subordinate. Senior, please accept my obedience!”
Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. They had expected that Sheng Yao would either be unyielding or plead for mercy, but it was beyond their imagination that he would lower his head right after he appeared.
[Is he really the Fierce Gale Pirates’ Head Manager? Is he really a Second-Order Origin King?] Everyone felt that the sight they were seeing was surreal; however, after giving it a thought, they knew that he was just submitting to the circumstances.
Apparently, Sheng Yao wasn’t confident about going up against this young man, which was why he appeared so servile. A Master would only back down in front of an even stronger Master.
A glint flashed across the young man’s eyes as he looked over Sheng Yao and curled up his lips, as though he had found something interesting. However, he soon knitted his brow, for he had never expected that this person would be so cowardly. It was said that ‘one should not slap a person in the face when he was smiling at you. Although Sheng Yao had been hiding nearby the whole time, he had never made an aggressive move; hence, there were practically no grudges between them.
Moreover, he appeared humble and subservient now, so it would be inappropriate for the young man to kill him directly. Ma Chao Qun and He Wu Zui only had themselves to blame for their deaths. On the other hand, this Sheng Yao appeared to have sharp instincts for avoiding misfortune.
[This puts me in a tight spot.] After some deliberation, the young man still didn’t know what to do, so he decided to ignore him and close his eyes while remaining in the same spot.
Sheng Yao remained unmoving, his back bent deeply as pea-sized drops of sweat streamed down his face. It felt terrible to have his life controlled by the whims of another. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to remain subservient as this young man was far stronger than he was.
The place fell into silence again as the young man gave no reaction, but even an hour later, the young man still remained unmoving.
Naturally, the people from the Lu Family wouldn’t make a move since their leader, Lu Huai Shuang, also kept her silence. It was the same for the Fierce Gale Pirates. On the other hand, those top cultivators from the He Family traded glances as it was apparent that they wanted to flee when an opportunity presented itself.
Lu Huai Shuang shot them a cold glance all of a sudden, though, as she would definitely not allow them to escape. Both the Lu Family and the He Family were archenemies on Morning Sun Star, and their powers were equally matched because they both had an Origin King Realm Master assuming command. However, from today onwards, the He Family wouldn’t be a threat to the Lu Family anymore.
After He Wu Zui’s death, the He Family was practically leaderless, so the Lu Family could seize the chance and annex their properties and businesses. It would be the best outcome if Lu Huai Shuang could bury all these top cultivators from the He Family here forever.
Understanding that she couldn’t let this chance slip through her fingers, Lu Huai Shuang took one more look at the young man before steeling herself. A glint flashed across her azure longsword as she pointed her weapon at the He Family’s people and ordered coldly, “Kill them all!”
She had instantly decided the fate of those from the He Family. Although she was a woman, she wasn’t a magnanimous person. A soft-hearted person could never be the leader of great force. Since she took over the Lu Family, she could no longer live for herself.
The He Family instantly fell to a disadvantage. In truth, the cultivators from both families were equally matched in terms of quantity and strength; however, the Patriarch of the He Family was dead, and without a leader, these hundreds of top cultivators were unable to act in a cohesive manner. On the other hand, the people from the Lu Family had Lu Huai Shuang on their side, so their momentum was far greater and they were able to defeat their enemies with ease.
Just one hour later, all those from the He Family were slaughtered except for a small number of people who managed to escape. Despite that, they were just like beasts in a cage on this Dead Star, so they couldn’t possibly cause trouble anymore.
While the two families fought, the Fierce Gale Pirates fled from this place. The Lu Family’s people couldn’t divert their attention to those people either as their priority was the cultivators from the He Family.
That was why the Fierce Gale Pirates managed to leave this place with ease without anyone pursuing them. On the other hand, Sheng Yao was abandoned by his own people.
It was easy to share wealth, but it was hard to endure hardship together. It wasn’t even certain whether their Head Manager could live to see the next sunrise, so none of the Star Pirates were willing to stay there and let someone else decide their fate.
Sheng Yao continued to bow as he cursed all of his subordinates in his heart. Those people were proactive when they followed him around to drink wine and have fun with women; however, after he fell into trouble, they all ran away as quickly as possible. At that instant, he finally saw through their true colours.
One hour later, those from the Lu Family declared victory. In the end, only a few of them had been injured, which was a small price to gain such immense success. After the war, hundreds of top cultivators from the He Family were killed, and even their only Origin King Grade Starship had been seized by the Lu Family. On top of that, the He Family Patriarch was dead.
The outcome was astonishing, and just thinking that the Lu Family would be the sole ruler of Morning Sun Star from this day onward, all of them could barely contain their excitement.
Everyone knew that everything was made possible because of the young man who appeared out of nowhere. If he hadn’t killed He Wu Zui, no one could be certain who would end up the winner today.
Lu Huai Shuang returned from the battlefield with her clothes still clean and her hair still tidy. There was a charming smile on her alluring face; however, she was startled when she took a look at the place where the young man was supposed to be standing and discovered that he was nowhere to be found now.
Meanwhile, Sheng Yao remained on the same spot, still bowing, the sand around him soaked in sweat.
Lu Huai Shuang looked around with a frown, and upon confirming that the young man was indeed gone, she felt somewhat dejected. Then, she moved forward and asked, “Where is he?”
Sheng Yao didn’t reply to her.
“He’s gone,” Lu Huai Shuang uttered.
Shocked by what he just heard, Sheng Yao finally looked up cautiously. Upon realizing that the young man was no longer there, he felt his entire body shuddering. He was more terrified than he was surprised though as he had failed to notice it when the young man left.
He had been less than ten steps away from the young man, and given his Second-Order Origin King cultivation, Sheng Yao should have noticed something even if the young man was a Third-Order Origin King.
However, the young man just disappeared mysteriously without anyone noticing it, which was why Sheng Yao was so frightened. At the same time, he was glad that he had made the right decision. Although his dignity was lost, he had kept his life unlike his Second Brother, Third Brother and Fourth Brother.
“Can I get up?” Sheng Yao asked.
Lu Huai Shuang snorted, “Why are you asking me?”
She was naturally not fond of this Fierce Gale Pirate Head Manager. In fact, all the cultivators in the Star Field despised Star Pirates, which was why Lu Huai Shuang was treating him coldly now.
Sheng Yao put on an embarrassed smile and slowly stood up straight, cautious about his surroundings as he was worried the young man would suddenly reappear and cut him down.
It took him almost as long as it would take to boil a cup of tea to get up completely, but after he did, Sheng Yao heaved a sigh of relief and brushed away the sweat on his forehead. Since he was still breathing, it meant that the young man didn’t have any intention of killing him. Still, he felt slightly dejected for he was a Second-Order Origin King and the young man wasn’t even interested in making a move against him. Otherwise, the young man wouldn’t have ignored him.
“Young Lady Lu, I’ve heard a lot about you. Haha.” Sheng Yao put on a fawning smile and cupped his fists at her.
“Where is he now?” Never before in Lu Huai Shuang’s life had she had such an urge to look for someone. However, at this moment, she could only ask Sheng Yao about it.
“I… I don’t know…” Sheng Yao forced a smile.
In an instant, Lu Huai Shuang looked at him in shock as she had figured out the hidden message in his words, and she couldn’t help but be surprised.
“I suppose he’s still on this Dead Star though.” Sheng Yao wasn’t certain about it himself. Nevertheless, he thought that if that person had really left, he could take the chance and flee from this place. He wouldn’t dare to harm the Lu Family anymore. After such an ordeal, he just wanted to stay as far away from them as possible, so he uttered hesitantly, “Why don’t we look for him together?”
Lu Huai Shuang glared at him for a moment before silently summoning her Star Shuttle and boarding it, flying off in a beam of light.
The corner of Sheng Yao’s mouth twitched as he hesitated between fleeing from this place and looking for that strange young man. Eventually, he clenched his teeth and raced after the shuttle as he shouted, “Young Lady Lu, wait for me!”
For him, it was more than just admiration and fear he felt. He could sense a trace of a higher Martial Dao from that young man which he had been pursuing but couldn’t attain.
Meanwhile, the young man was sitting cross-legged atop a certain small mountain. There wasn’t any vitality on this Dead Star, nor any greenery. Such barren mountains could be seen everywhere on this Dead Star. This particular mountain was covered in sand and stones, and whenever a breeze whisked past, the sand would be brought up into the air, and a radius of ten metres around the young man would be hardly visible.
The stone mountain was only a kilometre high, but as Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang stood at its base and stared up towards its summit, they felt as if they were gazing upon a 100-kilometre-high mountain because of the young man who sat at its peak. The mountain itself was small, while the figure above it appeared many times larger.
Half a month ago, the two of them had cooperated and finally found this figure at this place. Not daring to disturb the young man though, they waited for him at the bottom of the mountain. The wait had lasted for half a month already, and during this time, the young man remained seated on the same spot as though he was dead, no aura leaking from him at all.
Neither Lu Huai Shuang nor Sheng Yao knew what this young man was doing. He didn’t look like he was cultivating at all; rather, it was as if he was simply asleep. The half-month wait was extremely dull, but fortunately, both of them were Origin Kings and were used to cultivating in seclusion for years at a time, so they were used to such monotony.
Sheng Yao wanted to know more about this young man, so he kept asking Lu Huai Shuang about him; however, the latter knew nothing about him other than the fact that he mysteriously appeared on her Starship out of nowhere. At that time, she even thought he was dead. Nevertheless, she realized that her Third Uncle’s speculation was right.
The damage to her Starship was undoubtedly caused by this young man. Only a man with such inconceivable power could ignore a volley of ten Crystal Cannons without being hurt.
However, she was somewhat frustrated now. This couldn’t be helped, as this Head Manager from Fierce Gale Pirates kept talking to her incessantly. He looked more like a nagging housewife than a Second-Order Origin King.
However, she realized that there was no sense of obscenity behind Sheng Yao’s gaze whenever he looked at her. Apart from the fact that he admired the young man, there must be other reasons behind his continued presence.
Nevertheless, Lu Huai Shuang was fine with this as she hated it most when men stared at her with licentious gazes.
“Young Lady Lu, I believe it’s fate that has brought us together. When you’re free in the future, why don’t you visit me at the Fierce Gale Pirates’ headquarters? We have many…”
“We can discuss it if you manage to leave here alive.” Lu Huai Shuang rudely cut him off.
In an instant, Sheng Yao’s expression turned bitter.
A few days later, Lu Huai Shuang and Sheng Yao suddenly sensed something as they looked up at the peak of the mountain. The young man, who had been sitting cross-legged the whole time, finally got to his feet and stretched his back before yawning for a bit. As though he had just awakened from a long dream, he placed his hands behind his back and looked into the distance with his deep gaze.
Lu Huai Shuang and Sheng Yao traded glances before they dashed forward to the peak of the mountain. In the blink of an eye, they reached the top.
When they landed on the ground, they were startled for a moment because at this moment, the young man was giving off an ethereal feeling. Although he was standing there, it was as though he was some elusive smoke. If they hadn’t seen him with their eyes, they wouldn’t have known he was there even if they swept the area intensively with their Divine Senses.
[Did he sit cross-legged on the same spot for so long just to conceal his aura to the point where no one could notice it? What’s the point of doing this?]
Not daring to appear disrespectful, Lu Huai Shuang bowed slightly and uttered, “Lu Huai Shuang thanks Senior for his assistance the other day. It was all thanks to Senior that my Lu Family remains safe. I am forever grateful.”
The young man replied, “It was a minor matter. Just see it as the compensation for damaging your Starship.”
[So he really was the one who damaged our Starship!] Although she had somewhat guessed it before, Lu Huai Shuang was still astounded when this young man admitted it himself. In a respectful manner, she bowed and said, “I wouldn’t dare.”
She was a powerful Master in her own right, but when facing this young man who seemed only slightly older than she was, she lost all confidence as an Origin King Realm Master. Standing in front of him, she felt like a toddler who was just starting to learn how to walk. It was as though he could knock her down with just one finger.
She wanted to ask why he was so powerful, and how he ended up being unconscious. However, she decided to keep her mouth shut as she was worried that she might accidentally offend him.
Sheng Yao was more experienced and flexible than Lu Huai Shuang was, so he put on a fawning smile and asked, “Senior, how may I address you?”
Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze brightened up as she turned to look at the young man.
“Yang Kai. My name is Yang Kai,” the young man replied.
A glint of shock flashed across Sheng Yao’s eyes, as he had never heard this name before. He was certain that this young man wasn’t one of the Overlords of the Star Field. Astounded, he thought, [Does he come from ‘that’ place? If that’s the case, then everything makes sense now, including why he was struck by Heavenly Lightning some time ago. It’s because even the Heavenly Way cannot tolerate his presence here!]
Agitated, Sheng Yao felt that he was right to yield the other day. He might be rewarded handsomely in the future for his wise decision. Apparently, Lu Huai Shuang realized something as well, causing her gaze to brighten further.
“Where’s this place?” Yang Kai asked.
“We’re on… A Dead Star?” Sheng Yao replied cautiously. If anyone else asked him such a ridiculous question, he would have slapped him across the face. There were countless Dead Stars in this Star Field that had existed since ancient times, so it was impossible to name all of them. The young man’s question was indeed unreasonable.
“I mean where is ‘this’ place!” Yang Kai pointed at the vast Heavens and drew a circle. His movement was light, but it was as though he could embrace the entire Starry Sky.
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “This is Unending Star Field!”
“Unending Star Field?” The light in Yang Kai’s gaze went out as he heaved a sigh secretly. He was disappointed that he hadn’t returned to Heng Luo Star Field.
Although the Void Corridor in the Dragon Temple was connected to a Lower Star Field, Yang Kai knew that there were a vast number of such Star Fields. The chances he would return to Heng Luo Star Field through the Void Corridor were far less than one percent, and he didn’t know how to go there either. After entering the corridor, he could only chase after Wu Kuang’s aura. Unfortunately, he lost him halfway through.
Now, he wasn’t even sure if Wu Kuang was in this Star Field. Maybe Wu Kuang had found somewhere to hide, waiting for the right chance to rise again.
“Senior… Are you not from this Star Field?” Sheng Yao mustered enough courage and asked as his heart pounded against his chest, while Lu Huai Shuang stared fixedly at the young man.
“No,” There wasn’t a need for him to hide this fact. Moreover, they must have realized this as well, so they were just asking this question to confirm their speculations.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang turned solemn. Sheng Yao was so agitated that his lips started trembling as he asked in a shaking voice, “Then, where is Senior Yang from?”
Yang Kai shot him a cold glare, upon which Sheng Yao immediately shut his mouth. He was overly excited and had forgotten about the young man’s power. He regretted asking that question now.
Lu Huai Shuang uttered, “There’s nothing of any worth on this Star. Why doesn’t Senior accompany me to my home to have a chat?”
Since he wasn’t from Unending Star Field, he must have many questions to ask, and if that was the case, there was a chance for Lu Huai Shuang to strike up a relationship with him. As long as she could satisfy him, the Lu Family would gain tremendous benefits.
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.”
With a faint smile on her face, Lu Huai Shuang made a ‘please’ gesture, upon which Yang Kai walked forward to go down the mountain.
Just when he reached Lu Huai Shuang, his left foot suddenly tripped over his own right foot as he staggered and dazedly fell forward. He instinctively tried to stabilize himself by reaching out his hands, but he happened to grab some plump flesh. At that instant, he could feel the amazing elasticity in his hands.
The air seemed to have frozen in an instant. Time seemed to have stopped flowing, and all of them were rooted to the spot. Lu Huai Shuang’s face turned visibly red as though it was burning with fire. The squeezing sensation on her peak made her feel uncomfortable, and she almost couldn’t contain her urge to draw her sword.
Given her power and reflexes, she could have avoided it when Yang Kai was falling toward her. However, she was wary of this young man, so she didn’t dare to react in an agitated manner. Therefore, she decided to remain standing there, and this was the result.
It was the first time her sensitive parts were grabbed by a man, and it was even one she had just met and didn’t know anything about. At that moment, her eyes turned bloodshot.
Sheng Yao widened his eyes as he stared at Yang Kai with a weird expression. [Even if he couldn’t wait, he shouldn’t have done it here. How did he even trip over his own foot? What’s wrong with him? Is he really the same Master with unfathomable cultivation who killed two Origin King Realm Masters with ease?]
Yang Kai was equally shocked as he retracted his hands slowly and straightened up. Then, he spread his palms and took a look with a frown.
When Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang saw that, they misunderstood that Yang Kai might be reminiscing about something.
“It wasn’t intentional,” Yang Kai gazed at her with a sincere expression, but his explanation sounded unconvincing.
Lu Huai Shuang pressed her lips together and lowered her head, “It’s fine.”
Certainly, she wasn’t fine with it, as her reputation was involved. However, there was nothing she could do because she was less powerful than he was. It wasn’t like she would ask him to take responsibility. Even if he was willing to do so, she would still reject him.
After a sigh, Yang Kai spoke up, “Let’s go.”
It was useless for him to explain anything. Only he knew what truly happened. Then, he turned around and walked down the mountain.
Sheng Yao was astounded and thought that this man’s temperament was strange. Given the young man’s incredible power, he could have flown over, so why did he choose to walk? Since he couldn’t figure out what was on the young man’s mind, he could only follow him.
Lu Huai Shuang remained on the same spot for a while to calm herself down before she clenched her teeth and followed him.
“Head Manager, you don’t have to keep following me. You can return to wherever you came from.” Yang Kai suddenly said without turning his head.
More than half a month had passed, so he was no longer interested in killing Sheng Yao. Moreover, he had never had such intentions in the first place as he quite disdained making a move against a mere Second-Order Origin King.
Whether or not the Fierce Gale Pirates were a bunch of evildoers, they were natives of Unending Star Field, so it had nothing to do with Yang Kai.
Upon hearing that, Sheng Yao felt humiliated as his face started flushing, “Senior, I’m a man of my own words. Since I’ve sworn to serve you, I will not simply back down now.”
Yang Kai suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head to look at him, a faint smile forming on his face as he asked, “A ‘man’ you say?”
Sheng Yao’s face twitched, but he wasn’t sure what to reply to him.
“Suit yourself,” Yang Kai kept walking forward, upon which Sheng Yao hurriedly followed him.
Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t help but knit her brows together as she despised this Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates. [How could he still be fine after being humiliated like that?] At the same time, she was amazed at how thick-skinned he was. If she were in his place, she couldn’t have done this.
Although the speed at which Yang Kai was walking was leisurely, and there wasn’t any trace of him using any Movement Skill, as though he was simply strolling, both Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang had to push their Saint Qi to keep up with him, and in just one hour, they managed to return to the Starships.
The two Starships were parked on this sandy plain, looking like two twin giants. Lu Bing was just standing outside the Starship when he spotted Lu Huai Shuang, so he quickly approached her. As someone with sharp vision, he immediately understood what was going on upon seeing Sheng Yao and Lu Huai Shuang walking behind the young man. Bowing slightly, he greeted, “Greetings, Senior, this one’s name is Lu Bing from the Lu Family.”
After a nod, Yang Kai moved past him and stepped onto the Starship. Lu Huai Shuang walked past Lu Bing and spoke to him via Divine Sense, “We’ll talk about it later.”
After that, she followed Yang Kai into the Starship. She was the head of the Lu Family, so she had to arrange everything for Yang Kai first before she could worry about other things.
Sheng Yao wanted to board as well, but Lu Bing and the others stopped him as they stared at him with hostile gazes.
Sheng Yao shouted, “I’m Senior’s escort, so I have to follow him. Make way!”
Then, he circulated his Saint Qi and pushed the crowd apart. He managed to push them away with ease due to his powerful cultivation, and instead of feeling ashamed, he appeared proud when he announced his status as a servant, which shocked Lu Bing and the others.
[The Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates, a Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm, is willing to serve as someone’s escort? What’s wrong with this world?]
The Starship’s interior was spacious. Lu Huai Shuang led the way and walked along the corridors, bringing Yang Kai to a certain room before pushing open the door and beckoning, “Sir, please.”
Upon entering the room, Yang Kai caught a whiff of a pleasant scent. That wasn’t the smell of perfume, but the natural bodily fragrance of a woman.
The room was luxuriously designed, as there were some Luminous Pearls that were as large as fists dotting the walls. The pearls cast a gentle glow in the room. A thick and soft red carpet was placed on the floor and to his left was a big bed with pink curtains around it.
On his right was a large bathtub with flowers floating on the water. Although Yang Kai hadn’t sunk himself into it, he knew that the water must be at the perfect temperature.
There was also a dressing table to the side, and although there were no cosmetic products on it, its purpose was apparent.
Obviously, this was a woman’s room!
Moreover, it should be Lu Huai Shuang’s room, which was the best room on this Starship.
Most women would avoid getting too intimate with a man. Normally, no matter how much a woman respected her guest, she couldn’t let him stay in her room as that would undoubtedly draw criticism.
However, given Yang Kai’s strength, he was more than just a guest. Lu Huai Shuang thought that she could only show enough respect for him by letting him stay in her room. Even though he had molested her before, she wouldn’t dare to grow resentful of him.
Sheng Yao shot her a meaningful glance with a faint smile on his face.
Seeing that, Lu Huai Shuang started blushing. She didn’t have any ulterior motives when she decided to let Yang Kai stay in her room; however, it was still embarrassing for her to do so, especially when this man was just around her age. In a gentle voice, she asked, “Senior, are you fine with this room? If you don’t like it, I can prepare you a different one.”
“No, this is good enough.” Yang Kai nodded as he didn’t find anything inappropriate about it. It was just a resting place for him, so it didn’t matter whether or not it was a woman’s room.
“I’m glad you like it.” For some reason, Lu Huai Shuang heaved a sigh of relief, as her expectation was becoming reality. Shocked by this thought, she hurriedly said, “Senior, please rest for now. I must attend to other matters now but will return as soon as they are completed.”
“Good,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
It was only then that Lu Huai Shuang turned around and left. Before she did so though, she shot a glance at Sheng Yao, as she didn’t like this unwelcome guest. However, he had claimed to be in Yang Kai’s service now, so it was inappropriate for her to chase him away, which was why she only shot him a glare as a warning.
After the door was closed, Yang Kai walked around the room as he picked up a number of things and then put them down repeatedly, as though he was curious about everything in this room.
On the other hand, Sheng Yao followed him around like a tail.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned around, which almost caused Sheng Yao to crash into him. Sheng Yao immediately stepped aside and looked at him with an apprehensive expression, only to see that Yang Kai was staring back at him with a grin, “Are you going to follow me into the bath as well?”
The corners of Sheng Yao’s eyes twitched as he lowered his head, “I wouldn’t dare. I’ll leave now. Please just call if you need anything. I’ll be waiting outside the room.”
Upon finishing his words, he dashed out of the room and closed the door, then he waited respectfully outside. All of a sudden, he put on a helpless smile.
Sheng Yao had always thought that his disguise was perfect, as even his sworn Brothers in the Fierce Gale Pirates, who had drunk wine and had fun with women with him over the years, had never been able to see through him. However, he knew that his disguise was useless in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had probably seen through him in a single glance, but he just didn’t bother to point it out.
Then, Sheng Yao recalled what Yang Kai had done to Lu Huai Shuang earlier. As he thought about his own wish, a glint of determination flashed across his eyes. Then, he nodded and performed a hand seal, upon which his body went through a huge transformation.
Yang Kai had taken off his clothes and was leaning against the bathtub. With his arms spread on the edges, he appeared relaxed. His muscles were well-built and balanced. If any woman saw him in his naked state, they would probably scream in surprise.
He was in a Lower Star Field now, and although he had come to the Unending Star Field, which was an unfamiliar place to him, he had reached his goal at the very least.
When he was founding High Heaven Palace, he thought to himself that he would bring his friends and relatives on Shadowed Star over to the Star Boundary one day. Although he had been trying hard to increase his cultivation over the years, he hadn’t had a chance or managed to find a way to return to his native Star Field.
Nevertheless, he had a chance now. Although he was now in Unending Star Field, it didn’t mean that he had no chance to return to Heng Luo Star Field. He knew that all Star Fields were separate from each other, but some Star Fields were interconnected. Maybe there were some ways or routes to travel to other Star Fields from this Unending Star Field.
Thus, he made up his mind. His primary goal was to return to Heng Luo Star Field, while his secondary goal was to find out Wu Kuang’s whereabouts. He had a feeling that Wu Kuang might be in Unending Star Field as well, and if that was the case, he could try to look for him. Wu Kuang was an old monster with vast experience, so he must know how to travel between Star Fields.
After Yang Kai was done with the bath, he put on his clothes and combed his hair. Then, he summoned his Sealed World Bead. Bracing himself, he cautiously circulated his Emperor Qi and entered the Small Sealed World.
Inside a quaint house in the Small Sealed World, Liu Yan, who was in a lotus position, opened her eyes suddenly and left the house. At the same time, the Embodiment showed up as well. Upon trading glances, they knew what was on each other’s minds.
Li Jiao, Lu San Niang and her daughter were having a good laugh when they saw them. Li Jiao couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Liu Yan, what’s happening?”
“Master is coming,” Liu Yan’s gaze brightened as she looked in a particular direction.
Upon hearing that, Li Jiao was startled for a moment before he looked in the same direction with a surprised gaze.
On the other side, Yang Kai appeared elusive, but he soon reached the house and flashed a smile at them, “It seems all of you are here.”
Liu Yan was standing there as she spread her arms at him.
Yang Kai shot her a stare, “What are you doing?”
“I want a hug!”
Yang Kai uttered, “Are you kidding me? Your age seems to have grown in reverse.” Upon finishing his words though, he still walked up to her and lifted her off her feet, as though he was carrying a baby.
Sitting on his arm, Liu Yan appeared satisfied as her hair hung loose on her shoulders. Previously, she hadn’t seen Yang Kai for a long time as she had been cultivating on Spirit Beast Island. When she finally met Yang Kai on Dragon Island, she didn’t have the chance to spend some quality time with him. Now that her wish had been granted, she fiddled with his ear with both hands in a presumptuous manner, as though she had just obtained a new toy.
Yang Kai kept shaking his head, but she was relentless, so he had no choice but to give in to her in the end.
“Brother Yang.” Li Jiao bowed to him, “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. If you need any help in the future, just ask, I’ll never reject.”
Lu San Niang approached them as well and bowed deeply, “Brother Yang, many thanks for helping obtain justice for me.” As she spoke, her eyes turned moist.
Lu Yu Qin hurriedly uttered, “Many thanks, Uncle Yang.”
She had never been fond of her Dragon Father. During this period of time, she had heard a lot from her mother about what happened in the past. In her eyes, Li Jiao was her father, while Fu Chi was the evilest person in the world.
Yang Kai reached out his hands and helped them up before replying, “It was Brother Li, not me, who got your revenge for you, so you don’t have to thank me.”
Embarrassed, Li Jiao added, “I wasn’t powerful enough for that. If you didn’t help me, I wouldn’t have stood a chance to retaliate against Fu Chi.”
Although he wasn’t the one who killed Fu Chi in the end, he had contributed significantly to his death. However, if it weren’t because Yang Kai had gotten the Blessing from the Dragon Temple for him prior to that, he wouldn’t have even had a chance to stand before Fu Chi.
Taking that into consideration, he was eternally grateful to Yang Kai. He was able to get the fury off his chest for what had happened on Dragon Island, and he could look forward to the future now. In fact, he had made up his mind that after he returned to Fire Dragon Palace, he would treat Lu San Niang and her daughter, as well as his other women much better.
After a casual chat, the Embodiment suddenly asked, “Have you come across any trouble?”
He was Yang Kai’s Soul Clone in the body of a Stone Spirit, so he could share Yang Kai’s memories if he wanted to, which was why he could sense that something was troubling him.
“En, you’re right.” Yang Kai nodded and spoke, “Have a seat first.”
Then, he waved his hand, upon which some wooden chairs and a table flew out of the house. These things were crafted by those from the Tong Xuan Realm who had left them here.
After they were all seated, Yang Kai moved his arms to seat Liu Yan in the chair beside him, but she wouldn’t agree to it. Left with no choice, he put her on his lap and draped one arm around her.
In just a short while, Yang Kai filled them in on what happened in the Dragon Temple. All of them were stunned upon learning that Wu Kuang had fled from the place by breaking through the Void and descending to a Lower Star Field.
Nevertheless, they were more shocked by the fact that Yang Kai had chased after him to an unfamiliar Star Field, Unending Star Field.
“The thing is…” Yang Kai put on a solemn expression, “Every Lower Star Field has its own World Principles that will repel any being that is stronger than an Origin King. So, besides Yu Qin, all of you can’t walk around safely outside of here. If you go out, you’ll be repelled by the Heavenly Way.”
Liu Yan asked, “What about you, Master?”
Yang Kai was in the Emperor Realm, and since Lower Star Fields would even repel people in the Dao Source Realm, nothing needed to be said about someone in an even higher realm.
“I was repelled as well.” Yang Kai rubbed his nose, “Before I came to this Star Field, I tried my best to suppress my own cultivation and aura; however, after I entered this place, I was still struck by Heavenly Lightning.”
The Heavenly Lightning was how World Principles repelled him. Fortunately, he had suppressed half of his cultivation already. Otherwise, the punishment would have been more severe. Although it was just a Lower Star Field, the power of World Principles could never be underestimated. If he was constantly targeted by the Heavenly Way, he couldn’t possibly stay safe in this Star Field.
“I… also stumbled.”
*Pu…* Liu Yan burst into a fit of giggles, as it was hard to imagine how a First-Order Emperor Realm Master would stumble. The others could barely suppress their laughter as well.
Yang Kai reached out to knock on her forehead, upon which she hurriedly covered her head and pouted.
“So, Brother Li, Sister San Niang, both of you should stay here for now as we can’t return to the Star Boundary for a while. Don’t worry. After I finish handling my own matters, I’ll bring you all back.”
Li Jiao nodded and replied, “It’s fine. Since you’re able to come, I’m sure you can leave this place as well. Is there anything we can help with? Given your cultivation, it’s impossible that you’ll come across any dangers in a Lower Star Field; however, since there are so many of us here, we can probably lend you a hand.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “If you want to help me, then suppress your cultivation first.”
“Alright.” Li Jiao nodded.
“I want to help as well!” Liu Yan uttered.
“Good.”
In response, Liu Yan flashed a sweet smile at him.
Yang Kai had a feeling that she had changed a lot since their reunion.
…
“Where’s Lu An?” In another room, after Lu Huai Shuang was done with her chores, she asked Lu Bing this question.
Noticing the coldness in her voice, Lu Bing was shocked as he asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong with him?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “He was the one who revealed our location to the Fierce Gale Pirates and those He Family bastards.”
Lu An was her First Uncle, who didn’t dare to look Lu Huai Shuang in the eyes.
Things were pretty obvious. Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t blind, so she didn’t need to ask anything to have found out the truth. She didn’t punish him earlier because she had more pressing matters to attend to at the time. Now that she was free, she certainly wouldn’t let this traitor off.
No act of betrayal in the Lu Family could be tolerated.
Lu Bing was shocked upon hearing that, “Him? No way!”
He and Lu An were cousins. Just one month ago, they sat together to drink wine and chat, so he couldn’t believe that Lu An had betrayed the Lu Family. However, he knew that Lu Huai Shuang wouldn’t willfully accuse someone. Since she had said so, she must have obtained solid evidence. With a solemn expression, he uttered, “I’ll take a look.”
Then, he turned around and left, but he soon returned with a livid expression, “Lu An has fled!”
He had searched around the entire Starship, but Lu An was nowhere in sight. The other cultivators from the Lu Family also told him that they hadn’t seen Lu An for quite some time.
“Just as I expected,” Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t surprised at all. If she were Lu An, she would have fled as well. Traitors were always more contemptible than enemies. If he hadn’t fled, he would’ve been punished in the harshest way.
At the same time, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief. If Lu An hadn’t fled, she wouldn’t know how to deal with him. Kill him? But he was her Elder as well as her Uncle. If she really executed him, some people might be disappointed and think that she was too stone-hearted.
Since he had run away, it had actually spared her some trouble. Just like those from the He Family who managed to escape, he wouldn’t be able to live a rich life on this Dead Star that was devoid of any World Energy, even if he survived. That was why she didn’t have the intention of hunting him down, as leaving him here was the harshest punishment for him.
“Why did he betray us?” Lu Bing was distressed.
“He was either after benefits or the enemy found a way to blackmail him,” Lu Huai Shuang uttered dispassionately and waved her hand. “Forget it. Keep this matter to yourself, I don’t want to arouse any unnecessary suspicions.”
“Understood.” Lu Bing nodded, “But, Lu An still has some relatives on Morning Sun Star. How should we explain it to them if they ask about it?”
“Third Uncle, you’ll have to come up with an explanation.” Lu Huai Shuang stared at him.
Lu Bing bowed his head, “Alright. Just leave it to me.” He paused for a moment, “By the way, what should we do about the He Family’s Starship?”
Suddenly, Lu Huai Shuang lifted her head and said, “Don’t do anything to the Starship before we get that person’s permission.” Although they were the ones who killed all the He Family’s men and the Origin King Grade Starship was supposed to be their prize, Yang Kai had actually made the biggest contribution.
So, he practically had his name labelled on the Origin King Grade Starship, even though it was invisible.
Lu Bing uttered, “I understand what you mean. That’s why I’ve told our fellow clansmen not to enter the Starship. However, I don’t think that person would be interested in a Starship. Why don’t you… Ask him what he thinks about it?”
Although the Lu Family was one of the two rulers on Morning Sun Star, they only had one Origin King Grade Starship with them. If they could obtain another for free, their strategic strength would increase markedly. An Origin King Grade Starship was one of the sharpest weapons in the Star Field and had many uses. If they wanted to deal with the remaining He Family members after they returned to Morning Sun Star, this Starship’s power was indispensable.
Lu Huai Shuang rubbed her temples. Whenever she thought about that person, she would recall the incident where he molested her when they were about to descend the mountain. She could still vividly remember his touch on her chest, so her expression appeared awkward now.
[He told me it wasn’t intentional but… hah…]
“Have you found out about his background?” Lu Bing asked.
Lu Huai Shuang shook her head, “I only know that he’s not from Unending Star Field.”
Lu Bing’s figure shook when he heard that, “He’s not from Unending Star Field?”
Suddenly recalling something, he exclaimed, “Then he…”
Lu Huai Shuang dipped her head, “Yes, I suspect that he came from ‘that’ place as well.”
“No wonder.” Lu Bing fell into his thoughts, “Even the Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates is willing to become his servant. If he’s really from that place, then Sheng Yao gained a great bargain. Sheng Yao must have realized that as well, right?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied with a smile, “Someone like him is good at avoiding disaster while pursuing good fortunes. If there are no benefits, why would he be so servile to someone else?”
With a solemn expression, Lu Bing added, “Then we have to make sure to be on good terms with him, and we mustn’t let Sheng Yao get the opportunity before us. Alright, we’d better find out his preferences, but we don’t know what he likes. Anyway, men are mostly after money, power and women. Maybe we can start with women. We have a few beauties aboard the ship this time.”
“I’ll think about it,” Lu Huai Shuang nodded indifferently.
Realizing that she wanted to be alone, Lu Bing said, “I’ll take my leave now. Please inform me if you have any news.”
While Lu Huai Shuang was seated on a chair, a myriad of expressions came over her. After pondering over it for a long time, she still couldn’t figure out anything. In the end, she decided to visit that person and take things from there.
Whether or not she could strike up a relationship with him, she had to familiarize herself with him first. Sheng Yao had been following him around since the beginning, and if he managed to gain Yang Kai’s favour first, then the Lu Family would be excluded.
This was a huge opportunity, so Lu Huai Shuang wouldn’t want it to slip through her fingers.
…
While Lu Huai Shuang’s light steps could be heard, she slowly emerged from the corridor, but when she reached her former room, she was shocked by the person who appeared there and shouted, “Who are you?”
There was a woman, whose figure was curvy and sexy, standing in front of her room. Her peaks were so grand that they looked like they would burst out of her robes at any moment. She was clad in a tight-fitting light purple long dress, and a silk sash in the same colour had been wrapped around her waist, which perfectly outlined her willowy body. She even had her back arched slightly in a conspicuous curve, which lifted her bottom and made it look even more alluring.
Her silky smooth hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her watery eyes were so lively that it was as though they were sparkling.
Even though they were both women, Lu Huai Shuang still felt her heart throbbing when she saw this woman.
[This woman is a seductress!]
Of course, her charm would have been even greater if not for the threatening aura of a Second-Order Origin King coming from her.
At this moment, Lu Huai Shuang wasn’t in the mood to appreciate that woman’s beauty though. Anyone would be alarmed when they realized that such an unfamiliar Master had suddenly appeared on their own Starship.
A cold glint flashed across Lu Huai Shuang’s sword as she pointed her weapon at the woman, her expression bitingly cold. Although she had a lower cultivation, she might still stand a chance of defeating her if they fought as this was her Starship and she had support.
To her surprise, faced with such direct hostility, the woman remained unfazed. She was holding a box of rouge with one hand and putting on some make-up with her other while looking at the mirror in the box. Her expression appeared serious.
Then, she stopped what she was doing and said in a frustrated manner, “I haven’t done this for years, so I’m not used to it anymore. Little Sister Shuang, can you help me put on some eye shadow?”
[Little Sister Shuang?] Li Huai Shuang frowned, “Do I know you?”
She was certain that she had never met such a mature and seductive woman before, so she felt doubtful about the way she was addressed.
The woman replied with a smile, “We just met not long ago. Do you not recognize me anymore?”
“What are you…” Lu Huai Shuang became a little impatient, but she soon gawked in shock as a possibility sprung into her mind.
The woman suddenly spoke in a completely different tone, “How about if I speak like this?”
“You’re Sheng Yao?” Lu Huai Shuang couldn’t believe her eyes as her jaw dropped as though two invisible fingers had been stuffed into her mouth.
The infamous Head Manager of Fierce Gale Pirates in Unending Star Field had turned into an alluring and fair-skinned lady with a curvy figure. At that instant, Lu Huai Shuang felt that her understanding of the world had been turned upside down, and her mind had gone blank.
“Hahaha…” the Head Manager broke into a fit of giggles as her chest swung wildly, threatening to leap right out of her dress.
Lu Huai Shuang still found it inconceivable, but the person standing in front of her at this moment was a Second-Order Origin King, so there really was no other candidate other than Fierce Gale Pirates’ Head Manager.
“How… why…” Lu Huai Shuang didn’t know what to say, as she was gripped by conflicted feelings.
The Head Manager suddenly turned serious and put on a sorrowful expression, “We’re both women and leaders of our respective forces, so I’m sure you understand the reason behind it.”
Lu Huai Shuang was startled for a moment before she comprehended. When she took over the Lu Family, she was criticized by almost everyone. It wasn’t that her cultivation wasn’t powerful enough as she was an Origin King, so no one in the Lu Family was stronger than she. She was criticized mainly because she was a woman.
Only after a number of hard-won battles where she had managed to destroy countless opponents and save the Lu Family from a series of crises did her position as Matriarch of the Lu Family become secure.
Now though, she could no longer be willful, as she had to be mindful of her language and mannerism at all times. It was as though men were naturally in a more advantageous position than women, which she felt was incredibly unfair. All men in the world were born from their mothers, so how could they look down on women? Both men and women were Humans, so why was there a disparity between the two?
The situation was already so bad in the Lu Family, so there was no need to even mention one like the Fierce Gale Pirates where the wickedest and most ferocious Star Pirates in the entire Star Field had gathered.
The Head Manager uttered, “If those brats ever found out that I’m not only a woman, but a beautiful one at that, do you think I could still manage them? My sworn Brothers alone would not hesitate to attack me with obscene intent.”
Understanding the situation she was in, Lu Huai Shuang nodded. Ma Chao Qun and Ge Ming could drink wine and have fun with women with Sheng Yao, but the prerequisite was that Sheng Yao was a fellow man just like them. If Sheng Yao turned back into her female form, her two sworn Brothers would undoubtedly develop covetous thoughts about her.
For some reason, Lu Huai Shuang could sympathize with this woman. In a way, they were in similar situations. They were both beautiful women who were the leaders of their respective forces, so they were restricted in many ways.
“Sheng Yao isn’t your name, right?” Lu Huai Shuang uttered. No woman would bear such a masculine name.
The Head Manager covered her mouth and giggled, “It’s just an alias I came up with randomly.”
“How should I call you from now on?”
“He Yun Xiang,” she smiled and replied, “I was born in a poor family, so my name is somewhat tacky.”
Lu Huai Shuang nodded slightly and then frowned. With an awkward expression, she asked, “I heard that every night you sleep with 100 women?”
[Since she’s a woman, how did she manage to do it? However, this rumour is probably not unfounded.]
Still covering her mouth, He Yun Xiang chuckled, “Little Sister Shuang, you’re quite the gossip,” then, a glint flashed across her eyes, “If you want to find out, you can try it with me one day.”
Lu Huai Shuang’s expression immediately turned grim as she replied in an awkward tone, “No need.”
At that instant, she regretted asking her this question. [I must be out of my mind!]
“Why are you standing here?” Upon learning that this woman was the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, Lu Huai Shuang stored her azure longsword and curbed her hostility.
“Sir is taking a bath now. I’m a woman, so it’s not appropriate for me to stay inside.”
“Oh?” Lu Huai Shuang nodded and stood to the side, as she didn’t dare to knock on the door.
The place fell into silence for a moment as He Yun Xiang was still putting on make-up. All of a sudden, she hurled the rouge box away in exasperation and reached out her hand, upon which a crystal clear water ball appeared on her palm.
After removing the make-up with the water ball, she was then seen with her natural countenance. Then, she let out a breath and uttered, “Forget it.” She looked as though she was resigned to her fate, and that she was heading to the execution ground.
Lu Huai Shuang commented, “You look beautiful in your natural state.”
“You think so too?” He Yun Xiang suddenly found this Young Lady from the Lu Family amiable. Then, she sized her up and compared herself to her. [We’re both beautiful in our own ways, so we’re equally matched in this regard. However, our temperaments are starkly different. I wonder if Sir prefers seductive or elegant ladies. As for our figures…]
She then took a glance at Lu Huai Shuang’s chest, upon which she felt very proud of her own figure.
“What are you looking at?” Noticing her stare, Lu Huai Shuang appeared awkward. Then, she lamented in her heart, [What did she eat when she was growing up? How did she manage to make them so big?]
All of a sudden, the door opened silently. The ladies traded glances and turned solemn.
He Yun Xiang crossed her arms lightly to emphasize her bosom, making the deep valley between her mountains appear all the more profound and mysterious before she sashayed into the room.
Lu Huai Shuang was struck speechless. Still, she checked her appearance to make sure it was in order before she too stepped into the room.
“Sir!” He Yun Xiang approached Yang Kai and bowed her head in an attempt to showcase her assets.
Yang Kai nodded without even batting an eye. Apparently, he knew that she had turned back into her original form, so he wasn’t surprised at all.
“Senior!” Lu Huai Shuang performed a salute as well, but in a more restrained manner.
“Have a seat. There’s something I need to ask you two.” Yang Kai beckoned with his hand.
He Yun Xiang covered her mouth and giggled, “There’s no need for Sir to be so polite with us. Please just ask whatever you wish to. I’ll be sure to tell you everything I know.”
Lu Huai Shuang shot her a strange glance as this was the first time she witnessed someone playing up to a person in power so deftly.
“Sir, do you need me to help tie your hair?” He Yun Xiang gazed at Yang Kai’s shoulder-length hair and offered to help, “I’m fairly confident in my skills.”
“Good, then please do.” Yang Kai flashed a light smile at her.
“Pardon me then,” He Yun Xiang immediately moved behind him and summoned a comb into her hand before she got to work. At that moment, she looked like an obedient woman who had just gotten married.
Seeing that, Lu Huai Shuang moved her hand suddenly, upon which a complete tea set appeared on the table. Then, she took some Spirit Spring Water and started boiling it in a meticulous manner. She couldn’t make those seductive moves like what He Yun Xiang had done, so she thought she could start with making tea. Fortunately, she had mastered the art of tea since young, so she was skilful in this field. Her movements were so elegant that anyone would be mesmerized when watching her.
Soon, the aroma of tea permeated the room.
He Yun Xiang never stopped what she was doing as she asked, “Is that Spirit Mist Tea from Cloud Mountain?”
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “It appears Head Manager has broad knowledge and sharp vision.”
With a smile, He Yun Xiang said, “It’s not that I have sharp vision, but rather that this tea is truly famous. It’s thanks to Sir that I’m able to have a taste of one of the top three teas of the Star Field.”
Yang Kai just continued smiling lightly without uttering a word, which made Lu Huai Shuang feel dejected. It cost the Lu Family a hefty price to obtain this tea, and she only had a small sachet of it. Normally, the Lu Family wouldn’t even consider drinking it, but it seemed that even with this tea she couldn’t obtain the results she was hoping for.
After giving it a thought though, she reckoned that if Yang Kai really came from ‘that’ place, then this top tea in Unending Star Field might not even be good enough for him to moisten his throat. With this thought in mind, she pulled herself together and continued steeping the tea in a serious manner.
When the tea was ready, Lu Huai Shuang filled one cup with it and pushed it towards Yang Kai in a respectful manner, “Senior, please.”
Yang Kai nodded and directly picked it up to take a sip. After allowing the taste to linger on his tongue for a moment, he gulped it down and nodded, “Very good indeed!”
For a Lower Star Field, this tea was indeed quite good.
Upon receiving his praise, Lu Huai Shuang finally put on a smile.
“You should take a seat as well,” Yang Kai turned his head and said to He Yun Xiang. Although his hair had been tied, she didn’t take a seat immediately. Instead, she stood to his side.
“Yes,” Only then did He Yun Xiang take a seat with a smile without appearing uneasy.
After having three rounds of tea, Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, “There’s something I need to ask you two.”
The ladies put down their teacups at the same time and straightened up.
“Is Unending Star Field connected to other Star Fields?”
Upon hearing that, they shook their heads at the same time.
In an instant, Yang Kai’s heart sank, but he still asked, “Are you sure it’s not?”
He didn’t think these women would lie to him, but the answer was truly disappointing.
Lu Huai Shuang replied, “Senior, as far as I know, we have no direct contact with other Star Fields.”
Realizing something upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, He Yun Xiang asked carefully, “Sir, do you want to go to another Star Field?”
Yang Kai replied, “En.”
He Yun Xiang uttered curiously, “Then, why didn’t you go to your desired Star Field through the Ancestral Domain? Why did you come here instead?”
Yang Kai stared at her blankly and asked, “What is the Ancestral Domain?”
He Yun Xiang batted her eyes, “Sir, aren’t you from the Ancestral Domain?”
“I have never heard of it before.”
Lu Huai Shuang’s jaw dropped slightly as she took a look at He Yun Xiang. Both of them could see the shock behind each other’s gaze.
[How can this be? If he isn’t from the Ancestral Domain, why does he have such powerful cultivation?] They had always believed that Yang Kai came from the Ancestral Domain, but this speculation turned out to be wrong.
Both of the ladies were dumbfounded. If he wasn’t from the Ancestral Domain, why was he repelled by the Heavenly Way? How did he manage to kill two Origin King Realm Masters with ease?
“Sir, I’m sorry, but could you inform us where you hail from?” He Yun Xiang looked dazedly at him.
After hesitating for a bit, Yang Kai replied, “The Star Boundary.”
“The Star Boundary?” The ladies were puzzled.
It was Yang Kai who was shocked this time, “You’ve never heard of it before?”
He Yun Xiang and Lu Huai Shuang shook their heads at the same time. At that instant, they found it a little funny, as they didn’t seem to understand what the other person was saying. It was as though they were talking past each other entirely.
“Alright. I guess you can’t go to the Star Boundary from here. It’s not like there isn’t such a precedent.” Yang Kai thought of a possibility. Many Star Fields were completely sealed off, so not all cultivators could head to the Star Boundary from their own Star Fields. Unending Star Field must be one such example.
“We have never heard of the Star Boundary, but we can go to the Ancestral Domain from Unending Star Field,” Lu Huai Shuang explained.
“What is the Ancestral Domain?” Yang Kai’s interest was piqued as they kept mentioning this place.
“The Ancestral Domain is the ancestral land of all Star Fields!” He Yun Xiang wouldn’t let go of this chance to leave a good impression on Yang Kai, so she started explaining it to him before Lu Huai Shuang could, “There are countless Planes in this boundless universe, as well as innumerable Star Fields. However, have you ever wondered how these Star Fields were born?”
“No.”
He Yun Xiang smiled and waved her hand, upon which the World Energy in front of her surged and turned into a washbasin-sized orb. She pointed at this World Energy Orb and uttered, “This is the Ancestral Domain, where the Heavens and Earth were born!”
Yang Kai nodded and motioned for her to go on.
He Yun Xiang waved her hand again, upon which some streams of World Energy separated from the orb and stretched out. While using her technique, she explained, “No one knows what happened when the universe was born, but in the early days of the Heavens and Earth, a certain Plane was formed, a Star Field.” As she waved her hand, those streams of World Energy formed into fist-sized orbs and hovered around the first orb.
Then, she moved her hand again, after which more and more World Energy orbs appeared. In just a short moment, countless World Energy orbs floated in the air. They came in different sizes and levels of brightness. Their proximity with the first World Energy Orb varied too.
Some World Energy orbs would burst, but at the same time, more World Energy orbs would be born. However, none of these World Energy Orbs was comparable to the first one.
Upon realizing what she was trying to convey, Yang Kai exclaimed, “Fascinating!”
If that was the case, how was Star Boundary born, then? What was the position the Star Boundary occupied in this amazing theory?
He Yun Xiang went on to explain, “Although the countless Star Fields are not interconnected, they’re all somewhat related to the Ancestral Domain. I heard that some Star Fields are closer to the Ancestral Domain, and when cultivators from those Star Fields reach a certain level of strength, they can head to Ancestral Domain to pursue a higher Martial Dao.”
Lu Huai Shuang then added, “That’s why we all believed Senior was from the Ancestral Domain.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’ve never been there, nor have I heard of this place before.” He paused for a moment, “Can we go to the Ancestral Domain from Unending Star Field, then?”
Since that was the case, he might still have a chance to return to Heng Luo Star Field, as he could just regard Ancestral Domain as a terminal. According to He Yun Xiang, all Star Fields were related to the Ancestral Domain, so it must be the same for Heng Luo Star Field as well.
“Yes, we can.” He Yun Xiang forced a smile, “But we don’t know where the entrance is.”
“Have none of the Masters in Unending Star Field headed to the Ancestral Domain before?”
“There were some who travelled to the Ancestral Domain.” Lu Huai Shuang nodded in a solemn manner. Only the top Masters could enter the Ancestral Domain, and only people like them had the right to survive and prosper in that place. Although the two ladies were both Origin Kings, they did not yet stand at the peak of the Star Field, so they didn’t know how to go there.
“Those who have entered the Ancestral Domain have never returned, so we’re guessing that there may be no way back to our Star Field from there.”
Her speculation was sensible, but Yang Kai thought that the main reason was the Heavenly Way’s rejection. Also, those people might not be interested in returning to a Lower Star Field anymore after they obtained even stronger power.
It was the same for himself. If possible, he wouldn’t want to go to any Star Field, as he would rather stay in Star Boundary to further his cultivation.
“Sir, do you want to head to the Ancestral Domain?” He Yun Xiang asked.
“Yes. Do you know how I can get there?” Yang Kai looked hopefully at them.
With a helpless smile, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “Although the Lu Family is the top force on Morning Sun Star, my family is still quite small when compared to the hegemony of the Star Field, so I know little about the Ancestral Domain.” She felt upset. If she could help Yang Kai with this matter, then the Lu Family would be rewarded handsomely. However, she was unable to seize this opportunity.
He Yun Xiang darted her gaze around for a moment before she uttered, “I don’t know how to get there either, but I do know of someone who might.”
“Who?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
Understanding what she meant, Lu Huai Shuang turned to look at her and said, “Head Manager, you mean the Yan Family?”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “500 years ago, the Old Ancestor of the Yan Family left Taiyi Star and headed for the Ancestral Domain, which caused an uproar at that time. No one knows whether the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor successfully entered the Ancestral Domain; however, those from the Yan Family are the most familiar with such matters in Unending Star Field. If Sir wants to travel to the Ancestral Domain, you should start with them.”
“The Yan Family…” A sense of wariness flashed across Lu Huai Shuang’s gaze as she warned, “They’re not easy to deal with.”
“What’s their background?” Yang Kai asked.
The ladies knew that he wasn’t from Unending Star Field, so he wasn’t familiar with the local great forces; therefore, they explained it to him patiently.
In Unending Star Field, the Yan Family had raised countless powerful Masters. The Yan Family not only ruled over Taiyi Star, but they also controlled five other Cultivation Stars which were at least on par with Morning Sun Star. Meanwhile, Taiyi Star was far superior to Morning Sun Star.
If Cultivation Stars were graded, Morning Sun Star was only at the Mid-Rank, while Taiyi Star would be Peak-Rank. Be it the abundance of World Energy, or the production of resources, Morning Sun Star was vastly inferior.
Hence, the Yan Family’s foundation was solid and their resources plentiful.
In Unending Star Field, the Yan Family stood at the apex. They had somewhere between three to five Third-Order Origin Kings while their current Patriarch, Yan Luo, was touted as the strongest in this Star Field.
Star Pirates like the Fierce Gale Pirates were a band of lawless robbers who committed all sorts of evil atrocities; however, if they ever came across a Yan Family’s Starship while travelling across the Star Field, they wouldn’t dare to make a move on them.
Upon hearing their explanation, Yang Kai had a basic understanding of the Yan Family, and he felt satisfied. Since that was the case, he could start with the Yan Family and learn from them how he could head to the Ancestral Domain.
When the ladies saw how calm Yang Kai appeared to be, and that he was unfazed upon learning that the Yan Family was a superpower, they increasingly found him to be inscrutable.
He Yun Xiang was especially elated and thought that it was really worth it for her to sacrifice her dignity to grab hold of the thigh of a giant like him. If she could follow him to the Ancestral Domain, becoming his servant was a trivial price to pay.
With her gaze brightening up, she covered her mouth and laughed charmingly, “What a coincidence. Little Sister Shuang, isn’t Taiyi Star where you’re heading?”
Yang Kai asked, “You’re going there?”
After a nod, Lu Huai Shuang replied, “We were heading to Taiyi Star to trade for some goods. If Senior doesn’t mind, why not accompany us?” Morning Sun Star was very far from Taiyi Star, so even using an Origin King Grade Starship, it would still take them three months to cross that distance. Moreover, the products both Stars produced were very different. Every three to five years, the Lu Family’s people would take Morning Sun Star’s local products to other Cultivation Stars to trade. Their destination this time was Taiyi Star.
“Good.” Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t reject her. Although he was an Emperor Realm Master, everything was inconvenient for him in this Lower Star Field, as he had to actively suppress his strength and aura. If he tried to use his true power, he would trigger a rejection reaction from the Heavenly Way.
Since they were heading to the same destination, he wouldn’t mind a free ride. After confirming his next course of action, Yang Kai went on to ask about other matters regarding Unending Star Field. The ladies explained everything to him in a passionate and honest manner. He Yun Xiang didn’t even hide her intentions of wanting to enter his service.
Four hours later. Yang Kai told them that he was tired. Lu Huai Shuang tactfully rose from the chair and bid him farewell. Before she left, she asked him hesitantly how he wanted to handle the He Family’s Origin King Grade Starship.
Yang Kai waved his hand and uttered, “You can have it.”
Naturally, he wasn’t interested in an Origin King Grade Starship.
He Yun Xiang arched her brow and thought that he was indeed generous, as he gave the Origin King Grade Starship away without blinking an eye. However, upon some deliberation, she realized that given his power and status, he certainly saw things differently from her. The treasures in her eyes might just be a bunch of trash to him.
Lu Huai Shuang thanked him repeatedly and said that she would give him Crystal Stones of equal value in exchange for the Starship. Upon his rejection, she left the room.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai was pretending to be generous, but these Crystal Stones from the Lower Star Field were completely useless to him. On the contrary, if he took out even one of the many High-Rank Source Crystals in his Space Ring, it would trigger a reign of terror across this Star Field.
Before Lu Huai Shuang left, she shot a meaningful glance at He Yun Xiang, who pretended not to see it and stayed behind, unashamedly.
After the door was closed, only one man and one woman were left in the room.
“Sir, do you have any other needs? Whatever you ask, I’ll do it for you.” Although the room wasn’t particularly hot, He Yun Xiang’s face was flushed pink. Her eyes were watery, and she gently pressed her lips together whenever she spoke. Any man who saw her in such a state would be enchanted and agree to do anything for her. Judging from her suggestive words, there was no doubt about what her intentions were.
Faced with the young man before her eyes, she could only utilize her beauty to seduce him. Fortunately, she happened to be confident of her allure.
Yang Kai was a young and energetic man, and there was a beautiful woman who was trying to seduce him in such a relaxing environment, so he was tempted, but he had been cultivating for a long time now so he wasn’t lacking in self-control. His vision had also been broadened after venturing in the outside world for years. Moreover, he had met countless Heaven defying beauties in the past, so he wouldn’t be seduced by He Yun Xiang easily.
Staring at her, he asked with a meaningful smile, “Is it worth it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You still have your Primordial Yin, right?”
In an instant, He Yun Xiang’s face went from pink to red. She was pretending to be shy just now, but at this moment, she was truly embarrassed. Lowering her head, she bit her red lips lightly, and when she raised her head again, she replied steadfastly, “As long as you can lead me to a higher Martial Dao, then it’s worth it.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t make such deals.”
Since her intention had been seen through, He Yun Xiang stopped hiding anything and said calmly, “It is a woman’s greatest wish to find a reliable man. Throughout the entire Unending Star Field, the man I’ll be interested in hasn’t been born yet.” Her watery gaze reflected the figure of the young man before her. She wasn’t just interested in him; she was mesmerized by his power.
It wasn’t love at first sight. In fact, she wasn’t in love with him at all; however, she knew that if she wanted to look for a man whom she could rely on forever, the one before her eyes was undoubtedly the best choice.
The chance was right before her eyes, and if she didn’t grab onto it hard enough, it would soon slip through her fingers. She didn’t want to reminisce about the past in her old age and regret her hesitation on this day.
“How are you so sure that I can bring you to greater heights?”
He Yun Xiang tucked her hair behind her ear and replied with a smile, “I don’t know what power you possess, but I’ve always trusted my instincts.”
“You’re quite confident. I’m going to visit the Yan Family now, do you understand what that means?”
“I do.” He Yun Xiang gazed curiously at him, wondering why he mentioned this all of a sudden.
“I’m going there to find out how to enter the Ancestral Domain from them. How do you think they’ll treat me?”
He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment, as she had never thought about it before. However, upon pondering the question, she immediately thought of many things.
The way to get to the Ancestral Domain had always been a top-level secret. Although it was rumoured that, in Unending Star Field, numerous Masters from different ages had successfully entered the Ancestral Domain, the general public didn’t know where the entrance was or how to get there. This secret had always been kept by only the most powerful great forces.
Since it was a top secret, they certainly wouldn’t reveal it easily. Yang Kai’s journey this time wouldn’t be smooth sailing and he would probably find himself in conflict with the Yan Family.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s headquarters as well as the place where all their top Masters gathered. Anyone would be put in a disadvantageous position if they were to fall into a conflict with them there.
The young man before her eyes was unbelievably powerful, so she didn’t doubt he could escape unscathed even if he couldn’t beat the Yan Family; however, she was just a Second-Order Origin King. If she was regarded as accompanying him, she would be targeted by the Yan Family. By then, she wouldn’t have a chance to flee.
She was an intelligent person, so she realized many things after giving them a thought. Hence, her steadfastness was soon replaced by hesitation. Initially, she thought that she would have a lot to gain by siding with Yang Kai; however, now, it seemed that she was too naive.
“You may go,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
He Yun Xiang remained unmoving though. She was silent for a short time before she suddenly gritted her teeth and, just like what she had done when they first met, she lowered her head deeply and spoke, “Sir, please allow me to follow you. I’m willing to do anything for you.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “I thought you understood already.” The hesitation on her face just now was real, so how did she change her mind in the blink of an eye? Yang Kai wondered if all women would change their minds so quickly, or perhaps he was just too simple-minded.
He Yun Xiang lowered her head as her fair bosom was exposed, but she didn’t do this intentionally. It was just that her peaks were easily revealed in her current dress and posture. In a determined manner, she uttered, “We all will come across a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at some point in our lives, but it will only be considered an opportunity if we can seize it.”
“It might turn out to be a poisonous dagger.”
“Sir, I’m sure you’ve made bets many times before in your life. So, please give me a chance to make a bet this time.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“We all have to choose our own path. Since I’ve made the decision, I will never regret it.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at her, while she remained unmoving.
Just like what she had said, as cultivators, every decision they made was akin to making a bet when they were faced with an opportunity. Some people won the bet and reached the peaks; however, those who lost the bet would fall into oblivion.
He Yun Xiang became who she was by making the right bets on her way up. One couldn’t cultivate if one didn’t dare to gamble. Although she was a woman, she had spent most of her life among a gang of rough and vulgar men. So, she wasn’t as sentimental as other women. Instead, she had the steadfast temperament of a seasoned warrior.
She wanted to venture a bet, which was to ride on the waves and surge to greater heights.
“Sir, if you doubt my loyalty, I’m willing to give you my Soul Brand. From now on, I’ll be your servant, and I’ll never utter a single complaint.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help laughing, but it wasn’t because he was mocking her. Instead, he admired her courage and boldness. As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, she was indeed a capable woman. If she was just a bit brainless, she would’ve died long ago.
Since she wasn’t foolish, then he might have a use for her in the future. Yang Kai knew nothing about Unending Star Field, so if he had a local as a guide, he would be spared a lot of trouble. Moreover, he was a cultivator in an incredible realm who had descended to this Lower Star Field. Although he possessed an astonishing power, he wouldn’t dare to use it as he pleased. Otherwise, he might be repelled by the Heavenly Way again. It would be a good thing for him to have someone to deal with trivial matters for him.
Moreover, this lackey was quite pleasing to the eyes, at least more so than a bulky man following him around.
Hearing his laugh, He Yun Xiang looked up at him, hope written all over her alluring face.
“You don’t have to be my servant, and I don’t need your Soul Brand.”
“Sir…” He Yun Xing was flustered. She couldn’t believe that he still wasn’t moved after she made her intentions clear. Did she have to take off her clothes and serve him in bed? Although she was prepared to go that far, that didn’t mean she wasn’t resistant to the idea.
“If you want to follow me, then you have to prove your worth. However, your cultivation is still too weak to do anything for me.”
He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before her gaze beamed with ecstasy, “Sir, y-you mean…”
[Has he agreed? That’s certainly what it sounds like!] Never before in her life had she felt so nervous before. It was as though a beautiful landscape was unfolding right before her eyes, showing her the new future she would attain one day.
“So, improve your strength first.”
Agitated, He Yun Xiang replied, “Yes. I’ll cultivate now. I won’t disappoint you, Sir.”
Despite what she just said, her cultivation had come to a point that it was extremely difficult for her to reach the next realm. She had been stuck in the Second-Order Origin King Realm for hundreds of years already. If there was a chance for her to achieve a breakthrough, she would’ve seized it a long time ago. This wasn’t something she could achieve by sitting cross-legged and cultivating diligently. However, since Yang Kai said her cultivation was too weak, then she had to cultivate immediately. Whether or not she could achieve a breakthrough, she had to show him her sincerity.
“Open your mouth!” Yang Kai suddenly ordered.
He Yun Xiang was startled, but she quickly opened her mouth as she was told. Before she could even understand what was going on, she felt something entering her mouth and sliding down her throat to her stomach. She didn’t even manage to taste it.
The next moment, her expression changed drastically, because she felt a scorching heat in her abdomen, as though a fire was burning within her, consuming her from inside out.
[What is this? A pill? What kind of pill has such terrifying medicinal efficacies!?]
She knew that Yang Kai must have fed some incredible pill to her, so she immediately suppressed her shock and changed to a different position. She sat cross-legged on the ground and closed her eyes. Then, she performed several hand seals to circulate her Secret Art.
Yang Kai sat down on the side and ignored her as he took a sip of the spirit tea.
Gusts of wind whirled around in the room as all the ornaments clanged against each other. Ripples were formed in the bathtub as the water splashed out of it.
Blasts of uncontrolled Qi devastated the room, causing the place to turn into a mess. It was as though two peerless Masters had fought a life-or-death battle here. Yang Kai remained unmoving and did not try to resist those blasts of Qi as he just let them wash over him.
He Yun Xiang’s face had turned completely red as she kept moaning with difficulty. Her entire body was soaked in sweat, so her clothes stuck to her skin, emphasizing her alluring figure.
Her cultivation was rapidly improving, and it soon reached its peak after just an incense stick’s worth of time.
Then, her cultivation, which had been stagnant in the same realm for quite some time, suddenly surged and reached new heights. At the same time, an invisible aura spread across the room with He Yun Xiang as the centre, causing the already messy room to become even more chaotic.
Fortunately, this was Lu Huai Shuang’s room, and it was protected by several powerful Spirit Arrays, so the racket in the room wouldn’t spread. Otherwise, they would’ve attracted the attention of those from the Lu Family.
Then, a long groan was heard. He Yun Xiang’s face was so scarlet that it was as though she had applied a layer of rouge on her face. Her body stiffened, and her limbs convulsed uncontrollably. She opened her eyes slowly, and her gaze appeared blurred, as though she was just beginning to breathe again after experiencing a life or death battle.
Her body remained stiff for a long time before she suddenly gasped, upon which her plump bosom heaved violently, forming an impressive undulation.
Yang Kai found himself in an awkward position. It was just a breakthrough, but He Yun Xiang made it look like she had just been ravaged. At that instant, he wasn’t even sure what he should make of it.
Soaked in sweat, He Yun Xiang finally calmed herself down. For some reason, she felt as if she had become lighter, as though she had thrown away some burden that had been weighing her down. Her mind had become razor-sharp, and her vision became clearer than ever.
[This is the Third-Order Origin King Realm! I broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm just like that!?]
She thought she was dreaming, but when she turned her head and saw the young man’s meaningful grin, she realized that everything she just experienced was real. She was now a Third-Order Origin King, a peak level Master in the Star Field. The bottleneck that had been troubling her for hundreds of years had been broken through without her even understanding what was going on.
[What Spirit Pill was that? How is it so powerful?]
Then, she gazed at Yang Kai with gratitude and admiration. Whether or not she would fall into any danger or even get killed while following him around in the future, the reward she had obtained now proved that her earlier decision was right.
If she hadn’t insisted on following him, this kind of reward wouldn’t have befallen her. If she were to cultivate on her own, she might not have reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm in her lifetime.
The man before her eyes allowed her to become a Third-Order Origin King with just one pill, so the chances he could bring her to even greater heights in the future were great.
Elegantly getting to her feet, He Yun Xiang was just about to offer her sincere thanks when she caught a whiff of a foul smell. After she examined herself with a frown, she instantly became embarrassed, for she realized that her entire body was covered in a sticky layer of what looked like black mud, as though she had just swum through a swamp.
Her embarrassment then turned to shock as she realized what had happened. She had gone through similar experiences in her life before, and had seen others go through this process a number of times. Normally, only those with weaker strength would encounter this situation when they first began to cultivate.
All her bone marrow and meridians had been cleansed, so she had practically been reborn now. The mud on her body was all the impurities that had been expelled from her body.
She didn’t expect that as she ascended from the Second-Order to the Third-Order Origin King Realm, she would experience this kind of cleansing, dramatically improving her constitution and physique. This surprise was far more exciting than the fact that she had achieved a breakthrough. A breakthrough simply meant reaching a new realm, obtaining a boost in strength, but the cleansing of one’s marrow and meridians meant that her cultivation aptitude had been fundamentally improved.
At that instant, she realized that she had underestimated the power of the Spirit Pill she had been fed. It was no wonder that she felt so light, as she really had shed her old form and been purified.
With her heart filled with surprise and joy, she thought that no one could be luckier than she was in this world.
“Sir, please forgive my discourtesy.” He Yun Xiang uttered before she leapt into the air and plunged into the bathtub. While she was in mid-air, she shed all her clothes. When her curvy figure dove into the water, she didn’t cause any splash at all, as though she was as light as a feather.
After submerging herself in the water for a while, she emerged on the surface, upon which all the impurities on her skin had disappeared, and her skin appeared delicate and snow-white.
The crystal clear water slid down her face that was as fine as the most beautiful porcelain in the world. The water slowed down when it reached her plump bosom and accelerated after it moved past the twin peaks, cascading down her flat belly.
She brushed away the water on her face and rested her arms on the edge of the bath. With her chin resting on her hands, she stared fixedly at Yang Kai. She didn’t attempt to hide anything. Although she appeared slightly embarrassed, she still tried to make herself look at ease. Since she had decided to serve him, she believed that she would become his woman sooner or later. So, it wouldn’t matter that she let him take a look at her naked body first.
Moreover, after what just happened, she secretly hoped that he would bed her sooner. If she could become his woman, then he would certainly treat her even better. Although she wanted something from him, she wasn’t ill-intentioned about it nor did she have any ulterior motive.
Yang Kai didn’t look away, as there was no reason for him to turn down a naked lady’s advances. As a man, he wasn’t afraid of looking at her as he took a seat beside the bathtub and said, “Tell me about the Secret Art you’ve been cultivating.”
He Yun Xiang’s expression changed as she realized something. Suppressing the excitement in her heart forcefully, she began describing her Secret Art in detail.
Her cultivation technique was one of the best in Unending Star Field, but while others might covet her Secret Art, she knew that the man before her eyes wouldn’t.
While she was explaining her cultivation technique, Yang Kai listened attentively and asked some questions from time to time. Then, he told her to show him her artifact. Upon examination, he formed a general idea of what to do.
One hour later, He Yun Xiang put on her clothes and stood before Yang Kai. After her marrow and meridians were cleansed of impurities, she appeared even more alluring than before. By just standing there, she was an attractive sight herself. However, she was slightly disappointed as she didn’t manage to arouse this man’s more carnal instincts despite the intimate atmosphere earlier.
Nevertheless, a man like him was indeed reliable, so she still felt that she had made the right bet this time.
“As cultivators, we tirelessly try to pursue a higher Martial Dao. However, we’re bound to come across enemies and battle against them along the way. When that happens, whether or not your cultivation is strong enough is often the deciding factor. Nevertheless, artifacts and Secret Arts are indispensable as well. Although your Secret Art is decent, it’s still too weak. I have a Secret Art with me that should be suitable for you. Take it and study it.” Yang Kai took out a jade slip and passed it to her.
Suppressing her excitement, He Yun Xiang performed a salute, “Many thanks, Sir.”
“I’ll also give you this artifact. Try to refine it as much as possible. I might need your help on Taiyi Star.”
Then, he passed an artifact that looked like a ribbon to her.
The ribbon was woven from seven colours, and it was bright and strikingly beautiful. He Yun Xiang fell in love with it at first glance. She had been pretending to be a man for a long time, so even her artifact was rather masculine. She had never used a feminine artifact before, so this ribbon had undoubtedly made one of her long-held wishes come true.
He Yun Xiang didn’t have the time to look into the Secret Art yet, but she believed that since it was given to her by Yang Kai, it wouldn’t be weak. At the very least, it must be better than her own cultivation technique.
On the other hand, she could tell that this artifact was sublime at first glance.
She ran her hand over the ribbon and felt the aura fluctuation coming from it. With an agitated expression, she looked longingly at him, “Sir, your cultivation really must be above the Origin King Realm!”
Most cultivators in this Lower Star Field were aware that there was a higher realm than the Origin King Realm, but they didn’t know the secrets of that realm or how to reach it. They didn’t even know its name.
Normally, they would just refer to it as a realm that was above the Origin King Realm.
The artifact in her hand must be above Origin King Grade, so the person who gave it to her must be in a realm that was higher than the Origin King Realm.
“The realm above Origin King is called the Dao Source Realm.” Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
“Dao Source Realm?” He Yun Xiang raised her head and looked excitedly at him. It was the first time she found out the name of the realm that was above the Origin King Realm, as though a door had opened right before her eyes, which showed her an entirely new world.
“Only by transforming all your Saint Qi into Source Qi will you have the right to achieve a breakthrough to the Dao Source Realm. Cultivate diligently, you still have a long way to go. What you have to do now is to strengthen your foundation.”
He Yun Xiang suppressed her excitement and longing as she replied respectfully, “Yes.”
“You may leave now. Inform me when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star. Don’t bother me if there’s nothing urgent.”
He Yun Xiang bowed and turned to leave. She pressed the ribbon against her chest, as though she was holding the most precious treasure in her life. After she left the room, she didn’t look for a secret room to cultivate immediately. Instead, she directly sat cross-legged in front of the door, acting as Yang Kai’s bodyguard.
A short time later, Lu Huai Shuang came to look for Yang Kai.
Earlier, she had gone to handle the matter regarding the He Family’s Starship. She told some Lu Family members to sail the He Family’s Starship back to Morning Sun Star first. The He Family’s Patriarch and hundreds of their top cultivators were dead, so she had to let the Lu Family members back home know about it as soon as possible so that they could begin preparations. When she returned to Morning Sun Star, she could directly launch an attack on the He Family.
After the He Family was destroyed, she believed that there would be no more dangers to the Lu Family left on Morning Sun Star.
When she saw He Yun Xiang sitting outside the room, she didn’t pay much attention to her at first, but she soon fell into a dazed state.
They had just separated for four hours, but she could feel that this Fierce Gale Pirates Head Manager had gone through some kind of transformation. The latter had become even more charming and alluring. Although she was a beautiful woman herself, Lu Huai Shuang was still enchanted by He Yun Xiang’s current beauty.
Following that, she exclaimed in absolute shock, “How have you reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm!?”
He Yun Xiang had just achieved a breakthrough, so she couldn’t conceal her aura yet.
It was apparent to Lu Huai Shuang that the woman before her eyes was a Third-Order Origin King, but less than half a day ago she was still just a Second-Order Origin King!
He Yun Xiang smiled without replying to her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t willing to reveal the secret to her, but Yang Kai’s methods were too inconceivable. She was worried that Lu Huai Shuang might develop ill intentions upon finding out what happened. If this woman also wanted to rely on Yang Kai, then there would be one more competitor for her.
Naturally, as the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, she wouldn’t ask for such trouble herself.
Despite her silence, Lu Huai Shuang was easily able to figure out some things and asked in shock, “It was him, wasn’t it?”
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Sir is cultivating in seclusion right now, and I need to meditate as well to consolidate my breakthrough. Little Sister, please go back now if there’s nothing important. Sir told me to inform him only when we’re about to reach Taiyi Star.”
A myriad of expressions came over Lu Huai Shuang before she nodded her head, “Good. Congratulations.”
The transformation in He Yun Xiang had had a huge impact on her. [Is this the benefit of relying on a Master like him? What’s the point of me having persevered for so many years? The Lu Family is such a heavy burden on my shoulders, which makes it difficult for me to even breathe sometimes. Should I just give it all up and ask him to become my Master as well?]
The man inside the room was the best choice she would ever come across. Since he could accept He Yun Xiang, then he might accept her as well. She was confident that she wouldn’t lose out to anyone when it came to her beauty. That was the innate advantage of a woman.
[No! She’s walking down the path she has chosen and I have my own path to explore. Vines can grow taller by climbing a huge tree, but with the help of sunlight and rain, a sapling can grow into a mighty tree as well.]
At that instant, the shackles that had chained her for years relaxed a little, causing her aura to change slightly. With her gaze becoming determined, she put on a smile as she had let go of something in her heart, “Got it. I’ll inform you about it by then.”
[We’re not the same kind of people. You have your own way to survive, and I have my own method to grow stronger. Although the paths we’ve chosen are different in terms of difficulty, our destination is the same. When we come across each other in the future, I hope you won’t be too surprised.]
…
The black Starship started to lift off and left the Dead Star, accelerating out into the borderless Star Field.
It was the first time Yang Kai slowed down his pace in years. On his Martial Dao, he had always been running ahead diligently, not daring to slack for even a moment. What spurred him on were the threats from all directions and his desire for greater power. Now that he had slowed down all of a sudden, he realized that there were more paths in his life than he had imagined, and the view around him was magnificent as well.
During his stay in the room, he would often enter the Small Sealed World and chat with Liu Yan, the Embodiment, and the others inside. Sometimes, he would boil a pot of tea and read an ancient book for days. His life on the Starship was quite relaxing.
One had to know when to work hard and when to relax when cultivating. A skilful archer would untie the string when the bow wasn’t in use to ensure the longevity of his instrument.
It was said that by reading more books, one could marry a beautiful wife and earn a lot of money, thereby achieving success in life. However, that was just self-delusion and consolation for those poor scholars. However, it couldn’t be denied that one could improve one’s state of mind by reading more books.
All of a sudden, he put down the ancient text in his hands and gave it a hard thought. Moments later, a realization dawned upon him, “It’s because I’ve always been in a rush!”
He had always been cultivating at an incredible speed, and each of his breakthroughs was astonishing enough to shatter most peoples’ imagination. However, since he reached the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, he had been stuck in this realm for a long time. He couldn’t achieve a breakthrough no matter how hard he tried.
He had always thought that it was because he hadn’t come across the right opportunity to ascend to the next realm. However, he now realized that it wasn’t that the opportunity hadn’t come to him. Instead, it was his mentality that was the problem here. He had always been in a rush to pursue greater strength and achieve a breakthrough from the First-Order to the Second-Order Emperor Realm to explore the secrets of a higher Martial Dao.
What he didn’t realize was that the more eager for success he was, the further his goal drifted away from him. His attitude to relentlessly pursue progress had formed a shackle that chained him to the peak of the First-Order Emperor Realm.
Although he had an inkling of this previously and had planned to let nature take its course, he still craved greater power when he was in an environment like the Star Boundary. Naturally, he couldn’t be at ease, thus failing in his attempt to achieve a breakthrough.
However, since he came to this place, not only did he not dare to use his power as he pleased, but he had also suppressed his cultivation as best he could. Also, he couldn’t cultivate at all. It was when he was forced to enter such a relaxed state that he finally realized the crux of the problem.
It was like a shaded area under the light. The problem had always been right before his eyes, but he had failed to notice it because he had never looked down at his own feet.
Whether or not he could return to Heng Luo Star Field this time, the journey had been fruitful because he had realized his own problem. He believed that he would be pleasantly surprised when he returned to Star Boundary.
Then, he picked up his book again and poured his attention into it. He was so quiet that it was as though he was someone who was in his twilight years.
*Du du du…*
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Yang Kai uttered without raising his head.
He Yun Xiang pushed the door open and entered the room, upon which the pleasant fragrance wafting from her body soon permeated the entire room.
“Sir, we’ll be landing on Taiyi Star soon,” She wouldn’t dare to forget Yang Kai’s order. Right after Lu Huai Shuang’s subordinate informed her about it, she immediately knocked on the door to inform him.
“Good.” Yang Kai acknowledged as he continued staring fixedly at the ancient book.
[Is that some kind of supreme Secret Technique Manual?] He Yun Xiang’s interest was piqued. Yang Kai could easily give her a profound and abstruse Secret Art, so his heritage must be incredibly rich. Hence, the book he was reading so attentively must contain great mysteries and unfathomable knowledge.
She knew that it was wrong to take a peek, especially when the other party was a powerful Master, which might cause him to feel repulsion. If that happened, her previous efforts would all be wasted.
However, a woman’s curiosity would bounce back harder the more it was suppressed. Initially, He Yun Xiang kept her head lowered. Yang Kai was unsuspecting, but it didn’t mean she could take a peek at his secrets.
Nevertheless, a moment later, she couldn’t contain her urge anymore, so she stole a glance at the ancient book. However, when she saw the book’s title, the corner of her mouth twitched.
[‘Emerald Mountain Record’? This is not a Secret Technique Manual at all!]
*Pa…*
Yang Kai closed ‘Emerald Mountain Record’ and rose from the chair. As he moved past her in a few steps, he uttered, “Let’s go.”
Hearing that, He Yun Xiang hurriedly followed after him.
“Your realm is only considered stable when you attain complete control of your aura, allowing you to take it out and conceal it at will. You have to work harder.”
Upon hearing what he said, He Yun Xiang nodded repeatedly and replied obediently, “Sir, you’re right. It’s just that it’s been too short a time.”
Only half a month had passed, so she didn’t have enough time to fully consolidate her new cultivation. Although she was already in a better state than half a month ago, her Third-Order Origin King aura was still pretty conspicuous. Anyone with a decent enough vision would be able to easily sense it.
“How about the refinement of the artifact?”
“I’ve achieved some success, but I still can’t wield it freely.”
The ribbon was a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact. Yang Kai couldn’t remember how he obtained it. He had killed many cultivators over the years, and their belongings had all become his spoils. Although it was only a Dao Source Grade Low-Rank artifact, it was still difficult for He Yun Xiang to refine it because she had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago.
“What about the Secret Art?”
“I’m still studying it.”
“En, feel free to ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
“Many thanks, Sir! There are indeed many parts that are difficult for me to understand.” He Yun Xiang didn’t pretend to understand more than she did. If she wanted to work under Yang Kai, she had to make sure that she was useful to him, since her worth stemmed from her power.
The Starship stopped somewhere in the Starry Sky. It would still take them half a day to reach Taiyi Star. After the cabin door opened, Yang Kai cupped his fists and said to Lu Huai Shuang, “Miss Lu, farewell.”
“Sir, farewell. Please stay safe.” Lu Huai Shuang performed a salute to him in an elegant manner. The top cultivators from the Lu Family behind her cupped their fists to bid Yang Kai farewell as well. She didn’t make him stay nor tell him they would meet again, because she knew that the reason he chose to part ways with her here was that he didn’t want to drag the Lu Family into this mess.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base, so the forces they commanded on the Star were vast with countless informants lurking in every corner. Yang Kai’s visit this time would surely turn into a conflict with them, and if the Yan Family looked into the matter, they would find out that he came to this Star with the Lu Family. By then, the Lu Family would be implicated.
Both Lu Huai Shuang and Yang Kai understood this. With this thought in mind, she heaved a sigh secretly. If it weren’t because she had to protect her family, she was more than willing to deliver him to that place directly. Their destination was the same anyway.
However, she had a huge family behind her, so she had to be careful in everything she did. Therefore, she was grateful that he was sensitive and considerate. If he insisted on reaching the destination with the Lu Family’s people, she couldn’t possibly reject him.
Instead, he decided to make the Starship stop when they were still some distance away from Taiyi Star to make a clean break with them. After the departure, they might not even meet again in the future.
Certainly, she hoped to see him again in the future. By then, she would stand before him with a higher cultivation realm.
Yang Kai turned his head and hinted at He Yun Xiang, who immediately summoned her own Star Shuttle. After they stepped on it together, the shuttle transformed into a beam of light and shot towards the Star Field.
Star Shuttles were a commonly used flight type artifact in the Star Field. Yang Kai had used one himself back when he was in Heng Luo Star Field; however, they were no longer useful after he entered Star Boundary.
He Yun Xiang’s Star Shuttle was an Origin King Grade artifact, but although its speed was quite fast, it still took them more than half a day to reach the periphery of Taiyi Star.
It was a huge azure sphere that looked like a giant eye in this boundless Star Field. It radiated a mesmerizing glow and was encircled by a layer of faint aura mist.
Yang Kai knew that it was the World Energy of Taiyi Star.
This Yan Family’s base indeed lived up to its name. Taiyi Star was one of the best Cultivation Stars Yang Kai had ever seen. In the entire Heng Luo Star Field, only Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s Home Star, Water Moon Star, was comparable to it.
“Sir, should we go directly to the Yan Residence?” He Yun Xiang asked as she controlled her Star Shuttle.
Yang Kai was standing right behind her, and despite him not using any energy, his figure was as stable as a mountain. No matter how fast the shuttle was, he remained unmoving, as though roots had grown beneath his feet.
“Yes, go there directly.”
“Good.” He Yun Xiang nodded as she was moved by his confidence.
Yang Kai was someone in a realm that was above the Origin King Realm, so he was practically unrivalled in this Star Field; therefore, the Yan Family was certainly no match for him. If the Yan Family’s people caved into him and told him the way to enter the Ancestral Domain, then it was all good. However, if they were obstinate, He Yun Xiang could already envision the kind of calamity this mighty family in Unending Star Field would suffer.
They had only met each other a short time ago, so she still didn’t understand Yang Kai’s temperament or personality well. However, she could feel that the Master she had sided with was an easy-going man. He wasn’t someone who would oppress the weak with his power.
This was the kind of demeanour a Master should have. Those who loved to oppress and make others submit to them were usually diffident about themselves.
So, the best way to communicate with someone like Yang Kai was to be totally honest with him. One might even get some rewards in return.
[Hopefully, the Yan Family will know what to do.]
He Yun Xiang had been to Taiyi Star several times before; after all, this was the best Cultivation Star in this Star Field. Although she was the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates that everyone despised, no one had seen her real face before, so to enter Taiyi Star safely, she just needed to revert back to her original appearance.
Hence, she was already familiar with the route to get into Taiyi Star. After circling around the Star in the opposite direction for a moment, she flew the shuttle towards the surface.
After they passed through a layer of clouds, the view of the ground came into sight.
“It seems that we’ve come to a remote area.” He Yun Xiang appeared slightly embarrassed as she observed the surroundings.
“It’s alright.”
After they continued flying in the air for four hours, a massive city finally came into their sight.
“That’s the Yan Family’s base.”
When they were about to reach the city, they landed on the ground and walked forward. Any sizable city wouldn’t allow any cultivator to fly into it directly because it would make it hard for them to manage the city. Only some people with special status were allowed to do that.
Yang Kai was already used to such customs, so he was fine with it.
The city wall was more than a hundred metres tall and its gates were wide open. A hideous head that looked like a ferocious ghost was hung below the gate, its eyes gleaming with a crimson glow. Its wide open mouth was the entrance to the city. All the cultivators who entered the city seemed to have been swallowed by this ferocious ghost as they disappeared into its mouth.
Whenever a cultivator passed through, the ghost’s crimson eyes would glint, as though it was examining something.
Many cultivators were waiting at the gate. He Yun Xiang asked for Yang Kai’s opinion and then lined up at the back of the line with him.
An incense stick later, it was their turn to enter the city. Yang Kai suddenly felt a stream of energy sweeping over his body, which felt like he had been inspected by Divine Sense, but he knew that it was something different. At that instant, he realized that it was the Secret Technique embedded in the ghost sculpture’s eyes. It didn’t have any ill intention as it was just making a record.
It was already the middle of the night, but the city was still hustling and bustling, as though it was a living creature. All the households in the city still had their lights on. Even the narrowest alley was illuminated by the lights around it.
Countless cultivators streamed along the streets and rubbed shoulders with each other.
The streets were designed in an intricate manner, and every street was lined with two rows of shops, so the city appeared very lively. All the shops came in different shapes as well. Some of them appeared exotic and pleasing to the eyes. There was also a tower with several dozen floors that looked like a huge pillar in this bustling city.
In the middle of the city was a mountain with two summits. It was so high that it almost reached the clouds. The two summits were perfectly symmetrical, as though they were made from the same mould. Yang Kai raised his head and saw that many buildings had been built from the bottom through to the top of the mountain like a ladder. The lights over there were especially bright. The rows of palaces appeared imposing and magnificent.
“That’s where the Yan Family’s clansmen live. Besides the Masters that have been stationed in other places, all Yan Family members live there,” He Yun Xiang pointed at the mountain and explained. A moment later, she asked, “Sir, are you going there now or…”
“I was just looking around. Let’s go there now.” Yang Kai replied.
“Sir, this way please,” He Yun Xiang uttered and led the way.
Although the city was massive, He Yun Xiang could walk around pretty quickly, as she was in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t exude an aura, but his movements were still remarkably quick.
Two hours later, they reached the bottom of the double summit.
“Outsiders are not allowed past this point. This is where those from the Yan Family live.”
There was a guard who was responsible for blocking outsiders from entering the compound. The guard was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, which was just a step away from the Origin King Realm. He could already be considered a Master in this Star Field, but in this Yan Family base, he could only serve as a guard, which went to show how firm and robust the Yan Family’s heritage was.
Although his tone sounded polite, his expression appeared aloof. The way he swept a glance over Yang Kai was slightly disdainful because he didn’t sense any energy fluctuations coming from him, so he thought that the latter was just an ordinary person.
Nevertheless, he was startled at He Yun Xiang’s Origin King aura. Although he couldn’t determine her cultivation accurately, he was certain that she was in the Origin King Realm. Moreover, she was beautiful and charming, so he immediately started having licentious thoughts about her.
A strikingly beautiful Origin King Realm Master like her was rare.
If he were in the outside world, given his cultivation, he would not dare to size up an Origin King so wantonly. Nevertheless, he was now standing outside the Yan Residence, and he was also a Yan Family disciple, so although he was in a lower realm than her, he still brazenly swept his eyes over her figure and admired her beauty. He thought that if he could sleep with such a woman for one night, he would have no more regrets even if he had to die.
The other Yan Family’s guards around the place also looked at her and drooled over her body.
He Yun Xiang’s face fell when she saw that. She was now a Third-Order Origin King, one of the few peak level masters in this Star Field. So what if they were from the Yan Family? Weaker cultivators should show due respect to a Master like her.
If she had come here on her own, she would’ve swallowed her anger; however, she was now under Yang Kai’s wing, so her actions would affect his reputation, which was why she couldn’t tolerate their presumptuous behaviour.
As such, she swiftly released her Third-Order Origin King aura, causing the Yan Family’s guard, who had been ogling her, to turn pale. After he staggered backwards more than ten steps, he barely managed to stop himself from falling on his butt. With his hand pressed against his chest, he was still reeling from the shock as for a moment, he felt as though he was about to leave for the other world.
That was an Origin King’s pressure! Moreover, it wasn’t just any ordinary Origin King Realm Pressure. The guard reckoned that this beautiful woman must at least be a Second-Order Origin King.
A myriad of expressions came over him as he gritted his teeth and choked down his displeasure. Although he was a Yan Family disciple, this woman’s cultivation was shockingly powerful. The Yan Family wouldn’t choose to offend such a Master over such a trivial matter.
No longer daring to be arrogant, he cupped his fists with a solemn expression, “Madam, may I know your name and what you are here for?”
He was starkly different from his earlier haughty self.
He Yun Xiang uttered dispassionately, “I’m here to see the Yan Family’s Patriarch. Please inform him of my visit.”
“You want to see the Patriarch?” The guard was shocked as he shook his head, “I’m afraid I cannot help you with this.”
The Yan Family’s Patriarch was the Overlord of this Star Field, so not just anyone had the right to meet him. Although the woman before the guard’s eyes was an Origin King, there was a vast difference in strength and status between Origin Kings. She might not necessarily be worthy of meeting their Patriarch.
“I just want to visit Patriarch Yan. Please lend us a hand.”
The person shook his head again, “It’s not that I’m not willing to help, but…” He paused for a moment, “Madam, have you met our Patriarch before?”
If they were old acquaintances, then there wouldn’t be a problem. He would be more than willing to inform the Patriarch about it. Maybe this charming woman was the Patriarch’s mistress in the outside world.
“I’ve always admired him, but I haven’t had the chance to meet him before.”
“Then…”
“Please…” As He Yun Xiang spoke, she flicked a Space Ring towards the guard.
It was said that money made the world go round. As the Head Manager of the Fierce Gale Pirates, He Yun Xiang had a lot of precious things with her.
After taking the Space Ring, the guard scanned it with his Divine Sense and arched his brow, “Madam, since you’re so insistent, I’ll inform the Patriarch about it. Whether or not he’ll meet you…”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “That’s fine. Just help me inform him about my visit.” She didn’t want to make things difficult for a mere guard.
The person turned around and dashed up the mountain at full speed.
“Madam, please have a seat.” Perhaps the other guards knew that they were eligible to share the benefits in that Space Ring, so they treated He Yun Xiang politely. One of them even took out a chair and placed it in front of her.
He Yun Xiang thanked him, but she shook her head with a smile, because she wouldn’t dare to take a seat in front of Yang Kai.
A moment later, the guard, who had gone up the mountain earlier, came down hurriedly and stood before He Yun Xiang, “Madam, our Patriarch is currently cultivating in seclusion, so I’m sorry to disappoint you.” Then, he told her something else with a smile, “However, the Second Elder, who is on duty now, is willing to meet you.”
“The Second Elder? You mean Elder Yan Qing?” He Yun Xiang was apparently familiar with all the Elders of the Yan Family.
“That’s right.”
Although He Yun Xiang didn’t make an appointment before her visit, in the end, she was an Origin King; moreover, she was a Master in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least, on top of being a beautiful lady. Upon learning about her visit, Yan Qing thought it was inappropriate to simply force her to leave, and he wanted to meet her out of curiosity.
The Yan Family controlled several Cultivation Stars not only by relying on the power of their own clansmen, but also the many Masters who worked for them from other clans. If they could recruit this beautiful woman, she would be a great help to the Yan Family.
“Please follow me.” The guard stepped aside and gestured politely.
He Yun Xiang nodded and thanked him. At this point, she couldn’t possibly insist on meeting the Patriarch, so she decided to meet Yan Qing first.
“This…” Seeing that Yang Kai wanted to tag along, the guard frowned. Not everyone had the right to ascend the Yan Family’s twin summits. Although the young man had followed the beautiful woman to this place, he was obviously an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, so obviously he lacked such qualifications.
“He’s with me. Please allow him to come along as well.” He Yun Xiang flashed a gentle smile at him.
The guard frowned but stopped making things difficult for them. After a nod, he led the way for them. It was said that rules were inflexible, but Humans were adaptable. Since he had benefited from her already, he didn’t want to harp on such a trivial issue.
Then, the three of them trekked up the mountain. They came across many cultivators with powerful cultivations along the way, but when the men saw He Yun Xiang, they couldn’t contain their urges as they brazenly sized her up.
He Yun Xiang wasn’t used to such stares so throughout the long walk, her brow remained knitted together as she was gripped by a sense of fury. When she pretended to be a man in the past, things were simpler as she could kill whoever she wanted, and she had never been stared at like this before.
Fortunately, the further up they went, the fewer people there were, and in just an incense stick worth of time, they reached a grand palace.
The guard uttered, “Madam, please go in. Second Elder is waiting for you inside.”
As he spoke, he took a look at Yang Kai in shock. He was in the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm, while the Madam was an Origin King Realm Master, so the pace at which they walked was quite quick. However, he didn’t expect that this young man could follow them closely, but he couldn’t sense him using any Qi at all. [What is going on?]
He Yun Xiang thanked him again and stepped into the palace. The main hall was spacious with sculpted columns dotting around the place. An elderly man was sitting in the corner with a cup of aromatic tea in his hand. Seeing that two people were entering the place, he raised his head as his gaze brightened up. [What a charming lady!]
However, when he noticed He Yun Xiang’s aura, he was instantly shocked, [She’s a Third-Order Origin King!]
When the guard informed him of a woman’s visit, he just said that a beautiful woman wanted to see the Patriarch, and her cultivation was quite powerful. She was thought to be in the Second-Order Origin King Realm at the very least. Nevertheless, the guard’s vision wasn’t sharp enough to judge her accurately, so he failed to realize she was a genuine Third-Order Origin King.
Upon that realization, Yan Qing rose from his chair slowly and greeted her with a smile. He wouldn’t have done this if she was just a Second-Order Origin King, but she was a Third-Order Master, equal to him.
He Yun Xiang approached him and bowed elegantly, “Greetings, Elder Yan Qing.”
Yan Qing returned the courtesy as well and flashed a gentle smile at her, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have your honoured name, Madam?”
After He Yun Xiang introduced herself, Yan Qing’s expression remained calm, but a sense of doubtfulness flashed across his eyes. He didn’t remember any Master called He Yun Xiang in his mind. Moreover, she was a woman. There were hardly any women in the Third-Order Origin King Realm in this Star Field, so where did this woman come from?
Although he was puzzled, he still didn’t directly try to inquire about her background. Since she had personally come here, she must have a request to make. So, he wasn’t worried that he couldn’t find out more about her.
However, it seemed that this woman had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, as she could barely conceal her own aura.
Yang Qing hospitably invited her to take a seat. When he saw Yang Kai sitting down as well, he couldn’t help but frown and think that this brat was mannerless. Nevertheless, before he found out about the relationship between the young man and He Yun Xiang, he wasn’t willing to cause a scene. So, he just ignored him for now.
After he clapped his hands, a maid came over and served tea to them.
During their following conversation, Yan Qing discreetly tried to inquire about He Yun Xiang’s background, but she always tactfully changed the topic, which made him feel displeased. Upon finishing their tea, he asked directly, “Lady He, may I ask what your purpose here is?”
He Yun Xiang stopped smiling and replied in a serious manner, “I’m sorry for coming without an invitation. There’s indeed something I need from the Yan Family. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Yan Qing chuckled, “Lady He, please speak freely. My family does have some power in this Star Field, so if there is anything I can help you with, I won’t turn you down.” Certainly, he was just being polite. Nevertheless, if it was just a small favour, he would consider lending her a hand. It would be good to make this woman owe them a favour as that might help them recruit her in the future.
“Elder Yan Qing, you’re too humble. In the entire Star Field, only the Yan Family can help me with this.”
“Lady He, you think too highly of my family.” Yan Qing chuckled good spiritedly, but he had put his guard up at that moment. Judging from what she said, the favour she was here to ask wouldn’t be small. If that was the case, he had to be more careful.
“I want to enter the Ancestral Domain,” He Yun Xiang uttered.
Yan Qing’s laughter stopped abruptly, as though someone had reached out and clenched his neck, and the smile on his face slowly faded. Staring at her, he questioned, “Madam, do you understand what it is you are asking?”
He Yun Xiang forced a smile, “If it were an easy task, I wouldn’t have come here to ask for your help. I know that the Yan Family is probably the only force in this Star Field who knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain. Elder Yan Qing, please assist me.”
With a cold expression, Yan Qing refuted, “Madam, I don’t know where you’ve heard this rumour from, but no one from the Yan Family knows how to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
He was utterly exasperated as he thought that this woman had overestimated her own abilities. She wasn’t a close friend of the Yan Family, and it was the first time they met, so how could she ask for access to the Ancestral Domain? Was she out of her mind?
The way to enter the Ancestral Domain was also a top secret within the Yan Family and only a small number of the highest level members in the family knew a thing or two about it.
“500 years ago, an Old Ancestor from your family…”
Before she could finish her words, Yan Qing swung his long sleeve and rose from his chair, “Madam, you may leave now. I won’t see you off.”
He wasn’t willing to keep talking to her anymore. If her request was something else, he would still discuss it with her even if it was difficult to achieve; however, the method to enter the Ancestral Domain must never be leaked. If it weren’t because she was a Third-Order Origin King Realm, he would have directly taught her a lesson.
He Yun Xiang remained unfazed, however, as she had expected this outcome. After hesitating for only a moment, she continued, “Since there’s something I need from you, naturally I’ve prepared an appropriate compensation for you.”
Yan Qing laughed smugly, “There’s nothing the Yan Family does not possess in this world. What do you think you can… What is this?”
He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at the Spirit Pill in her hand.
The longan-sized Spirit Pill was white and translucent, like a perfect pearl. Nevertheless, the fragrance wafting from the pearl was unfamiliar to Yan Qing. After he took a whiff, he realized that the Saint Qi within his body was surging, which caused him to be astonished.
He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, as well as the Yan Family’s Second Elder, so there was basically no Spirit Pill in this world that he had not seen or heard of before. Nevertheless, he had no idea what this Spirit Pill was.
At first glance, he could tell that this pill was of an unimaginably high quality and grade. As far as he was concerned, there was no Spirit Pill in this world that was comparable to it.
He Yun Xiang went on to say with a smile, “Elder Yan Qing, are you satisfied with this reward?”
Yan Qing’s expression changed as he instinctively felt that the pill in her hand would help him tremendously. Despite his calm temperament, he still couldn’t help but gulp as he stared fixedly at the pill. It was as though he was looking at a naked beauty who was inviting him, which aroused his greed greatly.
There was rarely anything in this world that he lusted after. If he needed anything, his family could get it for him. However, at this moment, he eagerly wanted to know what kind of transformation he would go through after he consumed the pill.
“What kind of Spirit Pill is this?” Yan Qing asked as he no longer appeared arrogant. They really didn’t have this pill in the Yan Family.
“This is a Source Condensing Pill.”
After giving it a thought, Yan Qing shook his head, “I have never heard of it before.”
He Yun Xiang smiled faintly, “There are countless amazing things in this boundless world. Elder Yan Qing, although you’re a worldly man, there are still things you haven’t seen before.”
The pill actually belonged to Yang Kai, so Yan Qing couldn’t possibly have seen it before.
He Yun Xiang was now a Third-Order Origin King, and the next step for her was to ascend to the Dao Source Realm. In that regard, Source Condensing Pills were indispensable as they would speed up the process of transforming her Saint Qi into Source Qi. Yang Kai had given her a few bottles of these pills to use whenever she needed them.
After she took out one of those pills at this moment, she managed to achieve the desired result.
“What are the benefits of this pill?” Yan Qing asked curiously.
He Yun Xiang appeared to be in a dilemma, as though she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about it.
Seeing that, Yan Qing was anxious as he said, “If you’re not willing to say anything, then go back now.”
He knew that she wouldn’t leave this place easily.
As expected, when He Yun Xiang heard what he said, the hesitation on her face disappeared, and she uttered, “It can help you reach a realm that is above the Origin King Realm!”
Yan Qing’s entire body shook as his eyes beamed with a glare.
“I’ll be able to reach the realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill?” Yan Qing’s throat felt dry, as he hadn’t come across such a thing for years.
He Yun Xiang replied, “To be precise, you’ll have a chance. The pill is just an auxiliary, your own foundation is still the critical element.”
What she didn’t tell him was that one indeed would stand a chance to reach a realm above the Origin King Realm by taking this pill, but the prerequisite was that one took enough of them over a long period of time. Just one Source Condensing Pill wouldn’t help much.
It took a very long time for an Origin King Realm Master to transform their Saint Qi into Source Qi.
“How would I know if what you’ve said is true?” Yan Qing frowned. He was an old fox who had gone through the vicissitudes of life. After the initial shock, he had pulled himself together and started having doubts. [If this Source Condensing Pill is so powerful, why doesn’t this woman take it herself? Why has she chosen to entice me with it? Isn’t she afraid that I’ll take it from her by force?]
“I need something from the Yan Family, so it doesn’t benefit me one bit to lie to you,” He Yun Xiang said solemnly.
Yan Qing shook his head, “I won’t simply believe you for what you’ve said. If that’s the case, I want to examine this pill first.”
In response, He Yun Xiang smiled at him, “Sure.”
A beam of white light flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Qing took the Source Condensing Pill in his hand, but he still couldn’t believe it. [What’s wrong with this woman? Since this pill is so precious, why did she pass it to me so easily?]
“Madam, aren’t you afraid that I might seize this pill?” he asked.
“Will you?” He Yun Xiang questioned in shock, as though she was an inexperienced girl while thinking to herself, [You’ll have to be powerful enough if you want to seize it!]
“No,” Yan Qing shook his head. Everyone in this world did everything for their own interests. When faced with such a huge benefit, they would do anything to grab it. However, he didn’t understand why this woman was so confident and wondered if she was suffering from some mental illness.
With a smile, He Yun Xiang replied, “Is this pill good enough to be traded for the way to enter the Ancestral Domain?”
Yan Qing let out a breath, “Yes, but the prerequisite is that this pill is truly as good as you’ve described it to be. Wait a moment. I’ll get someone to examine it.”
“Please.” He Yun Xiang waved her hand gently.
Since this was an important matter, Yan Qing wouldn’t dare to dawdle. He immediately turned around and disappeared into the inner hall.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yang Kai and spoke to him using her Divine Sense, “The fish has taken the bait.”
With a calm expression, Yang Kai nodded.
He Yun Xiang went on to ask, “Sir, given your power, you could just force the Yan Family members to hand over the method to reach the Ancestral Domain to you. Why do you have to do all of this?”
The Source Condensing Pill was just bait, and they were now in the Yan Family’s base. An outsider with an unknown background was basically inviting the Yan Family members to snatch such a pill from her by taking it out. Since they were bound to suppress the Yan Family with their power anyways, she reckoned that they should just make a move straight away, thereby saving them some trouble.
That was how the Fierce Gale Pirates would do it. They would just snatch whatever they had their eye on. As the Head Manager of that pirate group, He Yun Xiang was a firm believer in that approach.
Yang Kai replied, “I have my own considerations.”
In fact, he just felt embarrassed to take action, using his strength to bully and oppress the weak. Given his Emperor Realm cultivation, him using force here would be akin to a full-grown man snatching candy from a bunch of toddlers. Nevertheless, if they were naughty children, he wouldn’t mind disciplining them.
In a secret room on the top of the twin summit, the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan Luo, was studying the Source Condensing Pill as his expression changed repeatedly. Meanwhile, Yan Qing was standing to the side as he kept licking his dry lips.
Moments later, he asked, “Patriarch, is this pill really so magical?”
Yan Luo gave it a thought and shook his head, “I’m not sure. Let’s wait for the Grandmasters to come over.”
Even the Patriarch couldn’t be sure about it. Yan Qing was surprised rather than shocked, as he thought, [This Source Condensing Pill is indeed something precious.]
A moment later, some people streamed into the room. Regardless of their cultivations, they all exuded the aromatic smell of pills. Apparently, they were the people who had spent most of their time with herbs and Spirit Pills. They were Alchemists.
In particular, these people in the room were Yan Family’s top Alchemists who were all Origin King Rank.
After they entered the secret room and greeted Yan Luo and Yan Qing, an old man in a robe at the front said, “Patriarch, why did you summon all of us to this place suddenly?”
“Please take a look at this pill,” Yan Luo passed the pill to him.
After the robed old man took the pill, the others shifted their attention to it as well. In an instant, they no longer appeared nonchalant as they widened their eyes and exclaimed, “What!?”
“What kind of Spirit pill is this?”
“Let me take a look.”
“Don’t snatch it!”
All these prestigious Alchemy Grandmasters completely lost their noble bearings in an instant, as though they were all bumpkins who had never seen the city before. All of their eyes were brimming with shock.
Moments later, the agitated robed old man stared at Yan Luo and asked, “Patriarch, how did you get this Spirit pill?”
“Can you make out what grade this pill is?” Yan Luo asked him a question instead of replying to him.
“I can’t, but I can guarantee that no one among us can produce this kind of Spirit Pill.”
The other Alchemists nodded in agreement. This Spirit Pill was beyond their knowledge and comprehension. They couldn’t even ascertain the ingredients that were used, let alone produce them.
The answer was pretty obvious now. Even Third-Order Origin Kings and Origin King Rank Alchemists couldn’t verify this Source Condensing Pill that had appeared out of nowhere. The only possibility was that this pill was indeed above the Origin King Grade.
Just when the robed old man wanted to ask something, Yan Luo waved his hand, “All of you may leave now.”
Although the Alchemy Grandmasters were reluctant to go, they wouldn’t dare to disobey him. After bowing, they turned around and left. Before leaving the room, they still looked longingly at the pill.
After they were gone, Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “You said the woman called He Yun Xiang simply gave this pill to you?”
“Yes.”
“It seems that she has more than one pill.” Yan Luo started laughing all of a sudden.
Seeing that, Yan Qing immediately understood what the Patriarch was up to. Certainly, that idea had crossed his mind as well. Both of them basically shared the same thought. Hesitantly, he questioned, “Since she’s able to casually take out such a pill, she surely isn’t someone who can be oppressed easily. What if there’s someone powerful behind her?”
“It’s not possible. Also, don’t forget where we are.” Yan Luo shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Qing was startled for a moment before he nodded, “Good.”
Then, he turned around and left the secret room. [She’s a woman without any background. Even if she’s killed here, no one will realize it.]
“Sir, it’s about to start.” Inside the main hall, He Yun Xiang looked at Yang Kai with a smile as sounds of some things breaking through the air could be heard. Like a large Dragon that was awakening, streams of powerful auras surrounded the main hall.
A person with a grim expression stepped out of the inner hall. He was none other than Yan Qing, who had left this place earlier.
He Yun Xiang asked, “Elder Yan Qing, what’s the result of your examination?”
Suddenly, Yan Qing bellowed, “How dare you take a fake Spirit Pill to fool us! How are you so brazen?”
He Yun Xiang appeared flabbergasted, “Elder Yan Qing, what do you mean that it’s a fake Spirit Pill?”
Yan Qing snorted, “I don’t know where you’ve gotten this pill from, but our Origin King Rank Alchemists have examined the pill and concluded that it’s totally useless. How dare you take this to trade for our top secret? Do you think we’re fools you can easily deceive?”
He Yun Xiang appeared terrified and pale as she said, “How is it possible that it’s a fake pill? It’s really useful for helping a cultivator to reach a realm that’s above the Origin King Realm. I would never dare to lie to you.”
In her heart, she found his behaviour laughable. Now, she could understand why Yang Kai had to go through such trouble. Even the Yan Family had to come up with an excuse before they would deal with her. Perhaps a reason was needed to cover up their wrongdoing.
[It’s just not as fun as when I was in the Fierce Gale Pirates. We could just kill and rob anyone as we pleased. It seems that I still need some time to get used to living on this side of the world.]
“Are you saying that our Origin King Rank Alchemists are inferior to you when it comes to their knowledge and insight?” Yan Qing snorted.
After a sigh, He Yun Xiang replied, “Since that’s the case, please return the pill to me and just forget about my request, then.”
Yan Qing sneered, “You want the pill back? I’ve already destroyed it.”
In an instant, He Yun Xiang’s eyes turned bloodshot, “How can you do this to me? That was a precious Spirit Pill. Even if you’ve failed to see its value, you shouldn’t have discarded it so carelessly!”
She appeared aggrieved and helpless. Anyone who saw her in such a state would feel sympathetic towards her.
[Is this woman really this foolish or is she just putting on an act?] Yan Qing was somewhat puzzled. [Has she just come out from a long time of closed-door cultivation? Given her strength, why can’t she see what’s going on? That’s right! That must be the case! That’s why I haven’t heard of a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like her before! She must have gotten some incredible inheritance and been cultivating in seclusion somewhere!]
Yan Qing was shocked at this thought, and he no longer felt apprehensive.
“Forget it. It’s just a Spirit Pill, so it doesn’t matter that you’ve destroyed it. Since you’re so stone-hearted, I’ll take my leave now.” Appearing dejected, He Yun Xiang rose from the chair and wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Do you think you can come and go as you please from this place?” Yan Qing growled.
Flustered, He Yun Xiang asked, “What do you want, then?”
“You’ve tried to fool us in an attempt to steal our top secret. If we let you off, our reputation will be ruined. Lady He, you must remain behind.”
He Yun Xiang staggered backward and exclaimed, “You want to confine me?”
Since they had fallen out with each other, Yan Qing stopped hiding his intention as he said, “Lady He, if I were you, I would surrender without trying to resist. You appear weak, so I think you’ve just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm. If you oppose me, I’m worried I might accidentally harm you.”
He was confident of capturing He Yun Xiang. Compared to her, he had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, so she was certainly no match for him. The arrangements outside the hall were just to make sure that she couldn’t escape.
He Yun Xiang snarled, “You’re so shameless. Why is there such a person like you in the Yan Family? I want to see Patriarch Yan and obtain justice from him.”
Yan Qing sneered, “He won’t meet you.”
Just when He Yun Xiang parted her lips in an attempt to say something more, Yang Kai got up all of a sudden. Seeing that, she immediately kept her mouth shut.
Yan Qing shot him a cold glance and frowned. Then, he swung his hand at him in a nonchalant manner, as though he was chasing a mosquito away.
A blast of Qi slashed at Yang Kai’s chest with a loud boom.
Yan Qing didn’t even spare him a glance. Although he didn’t expend much energy when attacking him, he was a Third-Order Origin King after all. A person who didn’t exude any Qi at all would surely end up in a miserable state after getting hit by his strike.
The young man would be considered lucky if only his bones were broken. Most probably, he would simply explode into a cloud of blood mist.
In the next moment though, Yan Qing’s body shook, upon which he turned to look at the young man in disbelief. The young man simply lifted his hand and brushed the part on his chest where he was attacked, as though nothing had happened to him. Then, he put on a grin and approached Yan Qing.
[What!?] Yan Qing couldn’t believe his eyes. [Why is he still fine?]
In disbelief, he scanned Yang Kai with his Divine Sense and became certain that the latter had never cultivated before. [This guy is just like any ordinary person.]
With a frown, he pushed out a palm with 30% of his power in an attempt to probe the young man.
Nevertheless, the young man still didn’t evade the attack and let it hit his chest. His figure didn’t shake one bit, and he appeared totally at ease.
Yan Qing was flabbergasted, as he realized that he had gravely underestimated the young man. [He could parry two palms from me without using any Qi. Is he…]
“You’re a Body Tempering Master!”
There was a peculiar group of people in this world who cultivated their bodies instead of the internal Qi. It was rumoured that they could reach the summit of Martial Dao as well, upon which their bodies would become immortal and indestructible. No one could verify this statement because, compared to the orthodox method of cultivation, Body Tempering was too uncommon. It had been a long time since anyone tried to cultivate solely their body. They could only read about it from the historical records in ancient times.
[Is this young man He Yun Xiang’s backer?] Yan Qing couldn’t help but have this thought.
If this person really was a Body Tempering Master, then it would be difficult to deal with him. That was because Body Tempering Masters only cultivated their bodies, so their vitality was strong, and it was hard to kill them. Although this path was extremely difficult, one could obtain a horrifying power if one had succeeded. At the same cultivation realm, almost no one could be his equal.
Yan Qing quickly brought out his full strength as he sent out a third palm. He wanted to see just how strong this Body Tempering Master was.
The howling of wind could be heard as his Saint Qi converged into a swirl on his palm. As his terrifying aura spread across the hall, he pushed out his palm at the young man.
*Hong…*
The spark of energy caused the entire hall to shake. After that, a perceptible green palm illusion headed for Yang Kai’s chest.
Yan Qing widened his eyes in an attempt to see clearly what would happen to the young man.
Nevertheless, he was astounded by the outcome. The strike that he had used his full strength to deliver still couldn’t move the young man one bit. Not even a crease was formed on his clothes.
[I’m no match for him!]
In the blink of an eye, a person was standing right before him all of a sudden. The young man, who was tens of metres away from him earlier, seemed to have teleported and suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“Duo!” Yan Qing reacted quickly. As he growled, a beam of green light shot out of his mouth and headed for Yang Kai’s eyes when the young man was unsuspecting. It was a palm length needle, which was an Origin King Grade High-Rank artifact. It was basically formless, so no one could have prepared to parry it.
Needle shaped artifacts were rare because they were hard to refine. Nevertheless, this one was extremely powerful, and it was one of Yan Qing’s most formidable trump cards.
However, this trump card didn’t provide him any sense of security. After he launched the attack, he immediately retreated in an attempt to widen the gap with the young man.
Then, he stopped moving abruptly, as his neck was suddenly clenched by a large hand, which caused him to suffocate. The moment his neck was constricted, his entire body turned limp, and the Saint Qi in his body no longer listened to his command.
With a clang, the long needle fell to the ground.
Yan Qing was gripped by fear, as he saw that this young man broke his trump card easily by blowing out some air.
[How is that possible? No! This must be a trick! An illusion! Hahaha!]
Just then, all the doors and windows were broken at the same time as more than a dozen people leapt into the hall.
Certainly, the Masters outside the hall could perceive the movements inside, which was why when they realized that the people in the hall had gotten into a scuffle, they immediately broke into the place. All of them exuded Origin King Realm auras.
The old man at the front had grey hair, but he still appeared very energetic. He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master whose aura was even stronger than that of Yan Qing. He was none other than the Yan Family’s Great Elder, Yan An!
He wielded the long sword in his hand as the tip of the blade swung from side to side. All of a sudden, the sword was thrust out, upon which countless sword waves condensed into a beam of light and shot towards Yang Kai’s back.
The attack was ferocious in every way. He had displayed his Sword Dao to its utmost, which caused the others to gasp in amazement. They were all immersed in his skills as though they had plunged into the boundless world of sword cultivation.
*Chi…* The long sword jabbed into the young man’s back and stuck out from his chest without any hindrance.
[Got him!] The feeling coming from the long sword made Yan An realize that his attack was successful. That was the unique feeling of a sword jabbing into a Human body. As the smell of blood permeated the place, those Yan Family’s Origin King Realm Masters at the scene were elated.
“Ah!” He Yun Xiang shrieked.
She had never expected that the invincible Yang Kai couldn’t even parry one strike from the Yan Family’s Great Elder. Certainly, she saw Yan An breaking into the place just now, but she had total confidence in Yang Kai, so she didn’t attempt to block the attack. Instead, she just stood to the side and watched the good show with a smile.
Then, she saw this unbelievable sight.
[What happened? How is that possible?] Earlier, Yang Kai had shown absolute power and defeated the Second Elder Yan Qing with ease. So, how did the Great Elder Yan An stab his sword into his back so easily? Even though he was facing away from the old man, he shouldn’t have made this kind of rookie mistake.
“Junior, you shouldn’t have been so presumptuous!” Yan An snorted as a cold aura radiated from his long sword and froze Yang Kai’s back. With the wound as the centre, a layer of frost spread across his entire body.
“Great Elder, you… *Pu…*!” Yan Qing’s flustered voice was then heard. He sounded despondent, and it seemed that he was puking blood when he was speaking.
Yan An raised his head and looked at Yan Qing, only to see the latter flashing an eerie grin at him.
With a frown, he thought, [What’s wrong with Second Elder? Why is he grinning at me like this?] While he was feeling doubtful, the familiar face in front of him contorted and turned into an unfamiliar young man’s face.
“What?” Yan An was flabbergasted.
If the person facing him was the young man, then who was it that he just stabbed his sword into?
He wouldn’t dare to keep thinking about it, as his forehead had been drenched in cold sweat. Upon a closer look, he felt his soul leaving his body. The man he had just stabbed his sword into was familiar to him in every way, including his figure, clothes, height and hair. The person was none other than the Second Elder!
[What happened? What is going on? My attack against the young man was successful, so how did the outcome change to this?] Despite the Great Elder’s powerful cultivation and calm temperament, he was still flustered at this moment.
“An illusion!” He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as she could finally set her mind at ease. [I knew he wouldn’t be killed so easily!]
Earlier, at that moment, all of them in the hall had been deceived by a powerful illusion technique as they mistook the Second Elder Yan Qing for Yang Kai. There were no traces of the young man using the technique, but he could draw all the Origin King Realm Masters at the scene into an illusory world without them realizing it, which went to show how horrifying his power was.
The golden glint on Yang Kai’s left eye subsided as his vibrant Spiritual Energy settled. Then, he tutted and mocked. “Great Elder, how did you have the heart to make a move on your fellow clansman like this? I wonder if there are any grudges between you two? Did he sleep with your woman? Or did he kill your father? I didn’t expect that you’d retaliate against him and attack him ruthlessly in this situation! I’d like to tell you that you’ve done a good job! As men, we should retaliate against our enemies in a straightforward manner. Great Elder, you’re a role model for all of us.”
“You…” Exasperated, Yan An pulled out his long sword.
*Pu…* Yan Qing spat blood again, which Yang Kai evaded with ease. The colour had been drained from his face. If he hadn’t known the Great Elder so well, he would have thought that the latter really had some grudges against him and took this opportunity to retaliate against him.
[I could forget the fact that you jabbed your sword into me, but why did you pull it out without informing me?] The excruciating pain was unbearable, and Yan Qing was almost frozen to death by the coldness. He knew that Yan An’s Mysterious Yin Algidity was extremely atrocious.
“I’ll kill you!” Yan An had gone mad with rage as he thrust his sword towards Yang Kai.
His reputation had been destroyed because of this young man in front of him. The fact that he had harmed his fellow clansmen was an unforgivable sin. From now onward, his reputation would be tarnished beyond redemption, and he would lose his right to keep the position as Great Elder. Most probably, he would have to retire and spend his remaining life in seclusion somewhere far from the centre of power.
Yan An had been in the Third-Order Origin King Realm for a long time, but faced with the old man’s furious attack, Yang Kai just put on a faint smile and reached out his hand.
*Chi…* The crisp metallic clanging sound resonated in the hall.
A basin of cold water seemed to have been poured down on Yan An at that moment, extinguishing all his fury and replacing it with fear and horror.
Upon a closer look, he could see that, while the young man was clenching Yan Qing’s neck, he also reached out his other hand and pinched the long sword slashed at him. The young man appeared nonchalant, as though he was pinching a falling leaf instead of an Origin King Grade artifact, which had been used to kill countless people.
Yan An was shaken to the core as his eyes were brimming with shock. He hurriedly tried to infuse his Saint Qi into the long sword and pressed forward instead of retreating.
With a sneer, Yang Kai flicked a finger on the long sword, which caused a clanging sound on the weapon.
Yan An’s heart froze as his sword almost flew out of his hand. He used all his energy to clench the hilt, but he couldn’t stop his sword from heading to the side.
*Chi…* The sound of a weapon piercing into a Human body could be heard. The long sword had penetrated Yan Qing’s chest and pierced into his heart.
“Uh…” Yan Qing widened his eyes as he let out a lethargic breath through his throat. With difficulty, he turned his head and stared fixedly at Yan An. Then, he opened his mouth and expended his last bit of energy to utter, “Damn you!”
After that, his head slumped to the side, and all his aura disappeared.
While all of them were dumbfounded, Yan An had lost his ability to think as his mind had turned blank, and his lips were trembling uncontrollably.
One of the top cultivators in the Star Field, the Yan Family’s Second Elder, who was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, was killed by his fellow clansman for no apparent reason.
Nobody could accept this kind of outcome. It would’ve been better if Yan Qing was killed by Yang Kai; however, since the beginning, Yang Kai had only been clenching his neck. He had never attempted to kill him. The person who ended his life was the Great Elder Yan An, who had stabbed his sword into Yan Qing twice!
Was the Great Elder taken advantage of by Yang Kai because he was no match for him? That wasn’t the case. It was just that this young man was too horrifying because he was able to toy with two Third-Order Origin Kings with ease, making one of them kill the other against his will. No one could possibly be his equal in this world in terms of power.
Yang Kai was a man who would repay a debt of gratitude, but he would also retaliate against those who had harmed him. Although he felt pity for them, he still had to destroy them because they were the ones who wanted to kill him.
When a cultivator picked up his sword, he had to be psychologically prepared that he would be stabbed by his opponent as well.
In a nonchalant manner, Yang Kai threw the corpse away as though the latter was a rag sack. Then, he shot a cold glance at Yan An.
Yan An came to his senses when he was met with the young man’s gaze, and he could feel his heart trembling violently. It wasn’t the right time for him to blame himself and feel sorrowful. The most important task at hand was to solve the crisis before his eyes. He thought that since he had deployed so many Masters around the palace, they would be able to capture their ‘guests’ with ease. However, before they could even find out the young man’s background, the Second Elder had been killed, which was a huge loss to the family. If Yan An was also harmed in any way, Yan Family’s power would plummet.
With this thought in mind, he hurriedly retreated, but he was shocked to see Yang Kai extending his hand toward him. The young man’s movement appeared slow, but it was apparent to Yan An that he could not dodge or parry his move. With goosebumps all over his body, he was already drenched in cold sweat as he shouted, “Patriarch, save me!”
Yang Kai failed in his attempt to grab Yan An, who had disappeared into thin air. Then, Yan An suddenly appeared in a place that was tens of metres away. He was still reeling from the shock as he was panting heavily.
“Oh?” Yang Kai arched his brow. Instead of looking at Yan An, he turned his head to look in another direction.
Someone was hovering in the air over there as he looked down at Yan Qing’s corpse with a gloomy expression.
Yan An didn’t escape unscathed because of his own skill. He was saved by that person. Just now, for a moment, Yang Kai could sense the fluctuation of Space Force. The way Yan An disappeared and appeared again was similar to his own instantaneous movement, but the distance was much shorter.
“Are you the Patriarch of the Yan Family?” Yang Kai asked.
With a cold expression, Yan Luo didn’t even spare Yang Kai a glance, as though the latter wasn’t existent. After staring at Yan Qing for a while, he uttered, “It’s been a long time since anyone dared to make a scene in our home.”
Despite his calm voice, he was burning with rage. An Elder had been killed when he wasn’t paying attention, which was a huge loss for the family.
“You must die!” Yan Luo suddenly turned his head and glowered at Yang Kai with a hideous expression.
Yang Kai grinned, “Patriarch Yan, that will depend on whether you’re powerful enough to kill me.”
“Do you think that Body Tempering is invincible? Many things in this world are beyond your imagination! You’re just a frog at the bottom of a well, so how are you able to imagine the magnificence of the whole Starry Sky?”
Hearing that, Yang Kai pondered on it and nodded, “You’re right.”
Raising his hand, Yan Luo pointed at the young man and uttered dispassionately, “Kill yourself now. You’ll suffer less pain this way. If I make a move on you, I’ll make sure that you’ll go through the most excruciating torture the world has to offer.”
Yang Kai replied, “I came all the way here just to ask you all about the way to head to the Ancestral Domain, and I was willing to give you appropriate compensation. Patriarch Yan, why are you so stone-hearted? Why do all of you want me dead?”
“It seems that I have no choice but to make a move. Otherwise, you’ll never repent!” Yan Luo snorted as he wasn’t willing to keep talking to him anymore. Then, he pressed his finger down.
In an instant, the world seemed to be buzzing as an unspeakable pressure descended from the sky, as though the Heavens themselves were about to collapse. Regardless of their cultivation, all the Origin Kings in the hall bent over and couldn’t raise their heads.
He Yun Xiang was horrified as her alluring face had been transformed by fear. She thought that after she reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm, she could walk sideways around the Star Field. Even if she came across someone she couldn’t defeat, she could still run away with ease. However, after Yan Luo made a move, she came to the realization that she was utterly wrong.
The pressure he could impose on them with just one finger was already so terrifying. If she was targeted by him, she wouldn’t stand a chance to flee.
[Why is he so powerful? Yan Luo’s aura suggests that he’s also in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Even though he’s been in this realm for a longer time, he shouldn’t be so much stronger than I am.]
At this moment, the pressure Yan Luo had imposed on her was even more terrifying than what Yang Kai had before. He was just standing there, but it was as though he was as mighty as the Heavens and Earth themselves. The word he uttered was the law of nature, and no one could go against his will.
“Star Source Strength!” Yang Kai arched his brow as he was surprised, but he soon felt relieved.
Apparently, Yan Luo was a Star Master. Specifically, he was the Star Master of Taiyi Star. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to use its power.
Taiyi Star was the Yan Family’s base. As the Yan Family’s Patriarch, it was expected that he had refined Taiyi Star’s Source, thus becoming its Master.
[No wonder he is so arrogant. So, this is the reason behind it.]
As a Star Master, he was practically the ruler of Taiyi Star.
Yang Kai was currently still the Master of Shadowed Star, so he understood the kind of power a Star Master could use on his own Cultivation Star.
The reason Yan An could escape from him wasn’t thanks to any Space Technique. It was because Yan Luo had used his power as Star Master to move the former.
Despite feeling a heaviness press down on him, Yang Kai didn’t bend. Instead, he looked playfully at Yan Luo, who was hovering in mid-air.
Even without using any Qi, he could resist such pressure with his body. A Star Master couldn’t make him bend his back as he was far beyond that level now. Activating his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique, Yan Kai could assume a 150-metre tall Half-Dragon form. With his Dragon bloodline, Yang Kai wouldn’t bow his head to a mere Third-Order Origin King no matter what kind of external aid he possessed.
“What?” Yan Luo was shocked.
Although he hadn’t exerted all his might, no one could possibly bear a Star Master’s wrath while in their domain. [His Tempered Body is so strong that he can resist this kind of pressure!? Did he obtain some kind of unfathomable inheritance or something?]
With this thought in mind, Yan Luo became excited. If that was the case, he would gain a lot of benefits by killing this young man, which sent him laughing riotously.
“What are you laughing at?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’m laughing at what I should be laughing at.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then I should laugh as well.”
“Only if you can laugh…” Yan Luo straightened his other four fingers, which basically became a palm now. Then, he twisted his wrist and sent a palm towards Yang Kai while he continued to float up above.
The world hummed again and those who were already bowed over now directly fell to their knees. No one was spared from this.
The indirect pressure was already so powerful, so they couldn’t imagine how Yang Kai would end up to be since he was the target. With a worried expression, He Yun Xiang raised her head to look at Yang Kai with great difficulty, only to be left flabbergasted.
Yang Kai stomped his feet on the ground, upon which the area around him collapsed and formed into a pit. Thousands of tiles in the main hall shot up into the air together and turned into dust.
With the help of the stomp, Yang Kai shot up into the air like a meteor.
Rising 30 metres up in the air, he was hindered slightly by the pressure from Yang Luo’s palm. Nevertheless, the hindrance was only temporary and in the next moment, he broke through the resistance with a force that could shatter any Origin King Realm Master.
Yang Kai appeared right before Yan Luo in the next instant and sent a fist out at him.
Yan Luo was stunned as the calmness and contempt on his face disappeared, which were then replaced by seriousness and disbelief.
[How is he so strong? I’m a Star Master, the ruler of all on Taiyi Star! How is it possible that he can resist my powers with such ease!?]
The space around them shook, and collapsed as Yang Kai’s fist shattered space itself, leaving deep gashes in the Void!
Yan Luo could feel his surroundings had collapsed and at that instant, an innumerable number of ideas flashed through his mind, but he eventually concluded that he had to dodge this attack no matter what.
If he was hit by this fist, he would surely lose his life. Even though he was a Star Master, he wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
Just then, a figure flashed across everyone’s eyes as Yan Luo disappeared from their sight.
Yang Kai’s fist struck the air; however, without a target, his power scattered, hitting nothing.
When a rumbling sound was heard, the main hall collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and rubble. Countless figures that appeared quite dishevelled flew out of the hall, coughing repeatedly.
As the commotion spread, people at the bottom of the mountain looked up and were all astounded by what they saw. The main hall of the Yan Family, which had stood on the twin summit for thousands of years, had turned into ruins now as the walls were all damaged. It was as though doomsday had arrived. More and more people flew out of the main hall and cursed.
It was the middle of the night, but the city down below was still bustling, so countless people in the streets stopped what they were doing to look up at the mountain with doubtful expressions. They wondered what had happened to the Yan Family that such a commotion had been caused.
Without anything supporting him, Yang Kai fell back down and landed on a piece of plank sticking out of the ruins. Then, he looked in a particular direction and asked, “Patriarch Yan, are you still able to laugh now?”
Certainly, the grin had been wiped off Yan Luo’s face. His face appeared so cold that it was as though one could scrape a layer of frost off it. With his gaze trembling slightly, he stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
He couldn’t believe that someone was able to threaten him on Taiyi Star. That was something that had never crossed his mind before.
He wasn’t the only Star Master in Unending Star Field. However, it was a universal fact that within a Star Master’s territory, whether the Star Master was in the Second-Order or Third-Order Origin King Realm, they were basically invincible.
That was because a Star Master could utilize his or her Cultivation Star’s Star Source Strength, which was the power of the world. Who could have the ability to go against an entire world?
The thing he had never dared to imagine had actually happened right before his eyes, so he thought that he must be dreaming.
After a moment of silence, he uttered, “You’re indeed incredible. You’ve proven yourself to be a true Body Tempering Master. However, if you think you can defeat me, then you’re wrong.”
He was invincible on this Star. No matter how powerful the young man was, he could never touch a Star Master.
“Patriarch Yan, are you sure you still want to be so obstinate?” Yang Kai shot him an impassive glance.
Yan Luo growled, “You’ve killed my family’s Elder and destroyed our foundation. No matter who you are, we’ll fight with you till our deaths!” There was no way he could tolerate it after suffering such a huge loss. The more powerful his enemy was, the more ill-tempered he became. If he couldn’t rebuild their reputation, the Yan Family would lose their footing in Unending Star Field.
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “Patriarch Yan, something you just said was correct.”
Yan Luo stared coldly at him.
The young man went on to say, “A frog at the bottom of the well can never imagine the magnificence of the Starry Sky. I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll broaden the horizons of you wastes.”
As he spoke, a powerful aura surged within him.
Since the very beginning, Yang Kai had never shown any sign that he had cultivated before. What he relied on was the robustness of his body. Even He Yun Xiang thought that he was a Body Tempering Master.
However, at this moment, Yang Kai exuded some of his Qi. However, it wasn’t Saint Qi. The aura was even purer and more profound than Saint Qi.
[What kind of power is that?]
His aura kept surging and breaking through barriers. Soon, it reached the First-Order Origin King Realm, but there it stabilized.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly, as he had reached the limit. In this damned place, he couldn’t use a power that exceeded the Origin King Realm. Otherwise, he might attract the Heavenly Way’s rejection.
Yan Luo had never worn such a solemn expression before. He thought that the young man was just a muscular savage, so he wasn’t afraid of him. However, he didn’t expect that the young man had been hiding his true power. He was now a Body Tempering Master in the First-Order Origin King, so it would undoubtedly be difficult to deal with him now.
Nevertheless, the worry in Yan Luo’s gaze soon vanished. [He’s only in the First-Order Origin King Realm, so he isn’t that powerful. I’m the Star Master of Taiyi Star, so why would I be afraid of him?]
“Patriarch Yan, are you ready?” Yang Kai looked up at the old man.
Yan Luo’s heart leapt to his throat when he was met with the young man’s dark gaze, as he was engulfed in an unimaginable sense of danger. Soon, something flashed across his eyes, and a figure, who was none other than the young man, appeared right before his eyes.
Yan Luo gasped in shock as he had failed to notice how the young man even reached him. He instinctively activated the Star Source’s power and disappeared from the spot.
The next moment, he was already in a place that was 300 metres away, but before he could even take a breath, the young man appeared before his eyes again, less than an arm’s length away, the grin on his face sending a chill down Yan Luo’s spine.
*Shua shua shua…*
Yan Luo kept changing his location. His forehead dripped as his robes became soaked in a cold sweat.
He could keep changing his location with the power of a Star Master. However, the young man was able to follow him relentlessly. No matter how hard he tried, he could never open a distance with him. Most of the time, right after he re-appeared, the young man would then appear before his eyes, still at arm’s length.
At that instant, he realized that his power was practically useless to deal with this mysterious young man.
All the Yan Family’s Masters on the ground were dumbstruck. The two people in the air were so elusive that it was hard for them to see clearly. In just a short moment, they had changed locations several dozen times. Nevertheless, they always kept a close distance from each other.
“Space Force!” Yan Luo exclaimed.
As a Star Master, he was more sensitive than the others when it came to the changes on this Star. The young man could be seen with clear fluctuations of Space Force around him. Apparently, he had mastered the Dao of Space.
Unlike his power as the Star Master, the young man could move instantaneously by using his own power.
At that instant, Yan Luo was flustered. He thought that he was invincible and untouchable in this place, but it turned out that the young man before him had methods to negate all his advantages.
A fist magnified before Yan Luo’s eyes suddenly. He wanted to evade it, but he realized that the space around him had become viscous. The fist was coming at him like a mountain, blocking all the sunlight from his sight. No matter how hard he tried, he could not avoid it, which frustrated and terrified him.
After a loud boom, blood spurted out of Yan Luo’s nose as he fell to the ground like a meteor. Then, he crashed into the ruins of the main hall and sent yet another dust cloud up into the air.
Now, he was seeing stars, and he could feel that his nose had been broken. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that he was engulfed by a towering shadow.
“Mercy!” Yan Luo howled in a sorrowful voice. He no longer appeared calm and nonchalant. The man before his eyes truly had the power to end his life. Moreover, it seemed that the young man hadn’t even displayed his full strength yet, so he couldn’t imagine how horrifying this young man would be if he utilized all his power.
[Where is this man from? What kind of monster is he? Since he’s so powerful, he should have shown us his strength right from the start! What was the point of him doing all this? Now the Yan Family has lost all face! Not only was I powerless to oppose him, but a Third-Order Origin King Elder was also killed by him…]
Besides Yan Luo, the other Masters of the Yan Family shared similar thoughts. Yan An felt especially bitter. He was the one who had been manipulated into killing Yan Qing and had hoped that the Patriarch would take revenge for him; however, he had never expected that the Patriarch, who was supposed to be invincible on Taiyi Star, would have to beg for this young man to show mercy after less than an incense stick of battle.
Was the Patriarch too cowardly? Nonsense, he simply understood that a wise man must adapt to current circumstances.
Whatever the case, the Yan Family members were utterly shamefaced on this day. Fortunately, there were no outsiders in this place, so the news wouldn’t be spread. Otherwise, it would deal a huge blow to the Yan Family’s reputation and authority.
“I think we can talk now.” Yang Kai looked down at Yan Luo.
“Senior, whatever question you have, I’ll unreservedly answer for you.” Yan Luo forced a smile.
….
In another palace halfway up the mountain, He Yun Xiang put down a cup of aromatic tea on the table and obediently stood behind Yang Kai, as though she was a mere maidservant.
Yan Luo had cleaned himself up and changed into new clothes. After he stepped out of the back hall, he bowed to Yang Kai, “Senior.” Then, he hinted at Yan An with his gaze.
With a fawning smile, Yan An passed a box in his hands to Yang Kai in a respectful manner, “Senior, this is your Spirit Pill.”
After the box was opened, the Source Condensing Pill was seen lying in it.
He Yun Xiang took the box and sneered, “I thought the Second Elder crushed it.”
Yan An’s expression appeared awkward as he explained, “He was lying. His rash actions have nothing to do with the Yan Family. Senior, please forgive us.”
“The Second Elder also said that this pill is fake.”
“Nonsense! This pill is translucent and perfectly round. Moreover, it’s pleasantly fragrant, so it’s not possible that this pill is fake. Although we don’t know what pill this is, we’re certain it is an extraordinary treasure. Yan Qing must have been consumed by greed and lied to you in an attempt to seize this pill for himself.”
With a solemn expression, He Yun Xiang uttered, “Elder Yan An, it’s thanks to you that a wicked liar was purged today. It is a stroke of good fortune, otherwise, he might have brought trouble to the Yan Family in the future.”
Yan An nodded repeatedly, “Quite right. This is all thanks to Senior lending me a hand at that time, or I would not have been able to carry out the execution so smoothly. Patriarch and I were fooled by that traitor, which was how all these misunderstandings were caused. Senior, please don’t take this incident to heart.”
He Yun Xiang replied with a smile, “Sir won’t mind it.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
With a mournful expression, Yan Luo spoke up at this time, “This all happened because I trusted the wrong person. Senior, if you want to punish me, I won’t resist.”
He Yun Xiang took a look at Yang Kai, and upon seeing that he remained silent, she replied with a smile, “The culprit has been punished, so this matter can be considered settled. Patriarch Yan, Great Elder, both of you are able to grasp the bigger picture here. It’s just that you two had been deceived, so you shouldn’t be blamed.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo and Yan An heaved a sigh of relief.
With a serious expression, He Yun Xiang went on to say, “Sir has come all the way here for just one thing.”
Yan Luo uttered solemnly, “Senior, please leave this matter to us. After making appropriate arrangements, I will personally bring you to the Ancestral Domain.”
He Yun Xiang was immediately at a loss for words. With absolute power, something that was as difficult as heading to the Heavens became easy all of a sudden. Before she could say anything, Yan Luo had already agreed to personally bring them to the Ancestral Domain. No one else in this Star Field was qualified to receive this kind of treatment.
Yan Luo rubbed his hands together and said carefully, “However, I do have a request. Senior, I hope you’ll agree to it.”
He Yun Xiang’s face fell as she questioned, “Are you trying to negotiate with us?”
Yan Luo shuddered and replied hurriedly, “No no no, I would never dare to. It’s definitely not a negotiation. It’s just that I have a small favour to ask.”
“What if Sir doesn’t agree to it? Are you not going to tell him how to reach the Ancestral Domain?”
“Certainly not! Whether or not Senior agrees, I shall fulfil my promise.”
He Yun Xiang glanced to check Yang Kai’s reaction before nodding, “Alright. Tell us.”
With a smile, Yan Luo said, “Senior, this will surely be an easy task for you. The thing is, I want to head to the Ancestral Domain as well, so I hope that you will bring me with you.”
“You want to go to the Ancestral Domain as well?” He Yun Xiang asked curiously, “Just go then. You already know how.”
With a grim expression, Yan Luo explained, “Senior, you might not be aware of this. Although I know how to head to the Ancestral Domain, the journey to that place is paved with danger. Even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master like myself might be killed if I’m not careful enough. Otherwise, I would have gone to the Ancestral Domain a long time ago and not waited until now. Senior, you are incredibly strong, so I’m certain the dangers on the journey won’t be a hindrance to you. I simply wish to come along with you.”
“The journey to the Ancestral Domain is dangerous?” It was the first time He Yun Xiang heard about it, so she was doubtful.
“It’ll depend on our luck,” Yan Luo replied seriously.
Luck was basically an intangible thing. If one were lucky, their journey would be smooth sailing. However, if they were unlucky, every step they took would be dangerous. Sometimes, luck could even be considered a part of a cultivator’s strength. It was pointless to lament that the Heavenly Way was unfair, because that was simply how it worked.
He Yun Xiang couldn’t make that decision, so she asked for Yang Kai’s opinion.
Yang Kai didn’t mind it, so he nodded lightly, “Good.”
Upon hearing that, Yan Luo was elated and bowed to the young man, “Many thanks, Senior!”
To the side, Yan An cupped his fists and bowed, “Congratulations, Patriarch. Your dream is finally about to come true.”
With a smile, Yan Luo uttered, “After I’m gone, you shall be the next Yan Family’s Patriarch. Make sure to manage the family well.”
In response, Yan An bowed to him, “I won’t disappoint you.”
Turning around, Yan Luo said, “Senior, why don’t we set off in ten days? Of course, if you are in a rush, we can begin our journey three days from now, but I hope you can give me some time to hand over my role as Patriarch and give some instructions to my family.”
Naturally, he had a lot to do to hand over the position of Patriarch.
“We’ll set off in ten days, then.” Yang Kai rose from the chair, not minding this small delay.
After Yan Luo thanked Yang Kai repeatedly, he brought the latter to take a rest.
The interior of the room was luxurious with Luminous Pearls dotting the walls.
Once they were alone, He Yun Xiang asked, “Sir, do you think they are still trying to scheme against us?”
Yan Luo’s obedience made her feel doubtful. Even if he had caved in to absolute power, he didn’t have to act so subserviently. After all, he was still a Star Master and a hegemon in his own right.
Nevertheless, He Yun Xiang didn’t understand why Yan Luo would want to follow Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain. If he really wanted to play a trick on them, why would he want to tag along?
“We’ll see how things go.” Naturally, Yang Kai wouldn’t be afraid even if the Yan Family had come up with a plot against him.
However, he had unsealed some of his cultivation on this day, so he was a bit anxious to suppress it again, as he could already feel the hostility coming from the world around him.
Ten days passed just like that.
In the morning, countless people were standing at the base of the twin summit. Almost all of the Yan Family’s important people had gathered in this place. All of them were standing close to each other in the square in front of a black Starship.
Basically, everyone had found out that the Patriarch was heading to the Ancestral Domain. This was an important event for the Yan Family, as it had been 500 years since the last clansman left for Ancestral Domain. Moreover, no one knew if he had actually reached his destination. This time, the Patriarch suddenly announced that he would step down and follow his Old Ancestor’s footsteps to pursue a higher Martial Dao and explore a greater world. After the news spread, everyone from the Yan Family was shocked.
Thousands of people had gathered in this place to see the Patriarch off.
Only a small number of people in the Yan Family were aware of what happened ten days ago. They knew that on that day, the Patriarch and the Great Elder were humiliated, and the Second Elder was even killed. These people were all leaders among the Yan Family though, so they wouldn’t spread the news. That was why the Yan Family’s people who had come here on this day had no idea what happened ten days ago. When Yan Luo appeared, all of them looked at him in admiration.
If they found out that the Patriarch had begged for a young man’s mercy ten days ago, they would probably lose all respect for him.
At that moment, Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang were walking at the front. The Yan Family’s disciples had a doubt about it, as they had no idea who these two people were. They just felt that the attitude of the Patriarch and the Elders towards these two was quite odd.
A moment later, they all boarded the Starship. After a loud hum and a strong energy fluctuation, the Starship rose into the air and shot into the vast Starry Sky.
It wasn’t until the Starship disappeared from everyone’s sight that the other people reluctantly left the place.
The former Great Elder, who was now the Yan Family’s Patriarch, Yan An, gave some instructions to the others before he too went back.
Once inside a certain palace, Yan An stepped into a secret room where a conspicuous lantern was placed. The lantern was aged and worn, but although no one knew how long it had been sitting there, there was no dust on it at all.
There were no other things in this secret room besides the lantern, a table, and an incense burner.
Yan An’s solemn expression was that of a sincere pilgrim. Then, he took out an incense stick from his Space Ring. The incense stick seemed to be custom-made. It was as thick as a thumb, and it was about as long as a forearm. No one knew what it was made of, but it exuded a pleasant scent even though it hadn’t been burned yet.
With the incense stick in his hand, Yan An thought about what Yan Luo had told him a few days ago and a sense of determination flashed across his eyes, upon which he slashed at his own wrist with his fingers. A wound was immediately formed on the wrist as his blood streamed out of it.
Then, he placed the incense stick below his wrist and let it be soaked with his blood until it became scarlet.
One hour later, the incense stick’s colour had changed completely. It was like a leech that had sucked in enough blood. It was entirely scarlet now, and it looked quite malevolent.
Despite Yan An’s pale face, he was still very excited. He then performed a hand seal, pushed his Saint Qi, and gripped the incense stick tightly as he growled, “Ignite!”
A spark was lit up on the incense stick. It appeared to be burning, but the smoke wafting from it was red.
With the incense stick in his hands, Yan An wouldn’t dare to dawdle as he repeatedly bowed at the lantern and stuck the incense stick into the incense burner on the table.
At that instant, the place fell into silence, and Yan An’s breathing could hardly be heard. As the incense stick was burning, the red smoke wafting from it seemed to have been summoned as it flowed into the lantern. Moments later, the ancient-looking lantern seemed to be going through some changes as well.
When the incense stick was half-burned, a horrifying pressure descended from the sky all of a sudden. At the same time, two dots of light lit up in the lantern, resembling a pair of eyes.
Yan An was shaken to the core as he immediately fell on his knees respectfully, “Greetings, Old Ancestor.”
The dots of light in the lantern glinted repeatedly before they stabilized, upon which an old voice could be heard speaking from the lantern, “Yan An? We haven’t met for hundreds of years. Are you the Yan Family’s Patriarch now?”
Judging from his words, the person with the old voice apparently knew Yan An.
“Yes, Old Ancestor. I am the current Patriarch.”
“Where is Yan Luo? I remember that when I left home in the past, it was Yan Luo who was in charge of the family. It’s only been a few hundred years. Please don’t tell me that he’s dead.”
Yan An hurriedly replied, “He is not dead. It’s just that he has stepped down as the Patriarch and has headed for the Ancestral Domain.”
“He’s coming to Ancestral Domain? It’s unexpected of him to have taken this initiative. I have to congratulate him, then.” The old voice sounded joyful, but it soon turned grim, “Wait a moment. Did you summon me just to tell me about this?”
If that was the case, they were basically making a big fuss over a trivial matter. Before the Old Ancestor left Unending Star Field in the past, he told them not to bother him if it wasn’t a matter of utmost importance.
Yan An bowed to him again and sobbed, “Old Ancestor, our family has been humiliated, so we must ask you to obtain justice for us.”
The aura in the lantern turned murderous all of a sudden as the old voice was heard speaking in a stern voice, “Tell me about it in detail!”
…
One month had passed since they set off on their journey.
It had been smooth sailing as they navigated through the Starry Sky inside the Yan Family’s Starship. The huge ‘Yan’ on the Starship was the best travel pass in this world, as no one would dare to attack a Yan Family Starship. The Star Pirates would immediately run at the mere sight of such a ship.
In the past month, Yang Kai had been living a relaxed life. He had read many ancient books and gained a lot of new knowledge.
Yan Luo would visit Yang Kai every day with precious food and drinks. Yang Kai wouldn’t turn him down, but he had rejected some women who had been assigned to serve him.
On this day, He Yun Xiang knocked on the door and stepped into the room.
Seeing that her aura was stable, and her skin was radiant, Yang Kai knew that she had managed to consolidate her realm.
“Have we reached our destination?”
She replied, “Yan Luo said we’re about to reach there soon.”
“Good, let’s go take a look.” Yang Kai was curious about the method and route to enter the Ancestral Domain. Although it might not be the same for Heng Luo Star Field, he could still learn from this experience and it might turn out to be useful in the future.
They soon reached the control centre of the Starship. Many disciples of the Yan Family were guarding the active arrays and there was a tinge of excitement in their solemn expressions.
All of them knew where they were heading to as they secretly thanked Yan Luo for choosing them to come along. This way, they could explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain earlier than the others.
Seeing Yang Kai, all of them immediately bowed to him.
Yan Luo approached him and greeted, “Senior, the Star in front of us is where the entrance to the Ancestral Domain is located.”
Yang Kai looked in that direction and asked curiously, “A Dead Star?”
The Star was dim, and as they were looking at it from the Starry Sky, they could see that it appeared desolate. There was an innumerable number of such Dead Stars in each Star Field. No one could have expected that this Star was the key to entering the Ancestral Domain.
With a smile, Yan Luo replied, “This is why not many people are aware of the method to enter the Ancestral Domain.”
There was no World Energy on the Dead Star at all, so no one would attempt to investigate it. Even if they passed by, they would immediately leave this place. No one could have expected that the door to the Ancestral Domain was actually on this Dead Star.
“Your family is quite lucky to have discovered it.”
“Yes, we were indeed lucky,” Yan Luo grinned meaningfully without explaining anything. It was a coincidence that they had made such a discovery, and it traced back to many generations ago. Even he wasn’t sure how their ancestors had discovered and confirmed the gateway’s existence as a lot of information had been lost over the generations.
“Senior, please have a seat. If nothing goes wrong, we will soon reach the Ancestral Domain.” Yan Luo made a ‘please’ gesture.
Yang Kai nodded and took a seat on the side.
The Starship was slowly moving towards the Dead Star and descended in a particular direction before it entered a wide canyon. The canyon was so deep that it was as though it was a bottomless abyss. Some aboard were shocked to discover that they couldn’t sense the bottom with their Divine Sense.
Upon Yan Luo’s order, the Starship dove into the canyon, and soon, all they could see was endless darkness.
It was as though they were navigating through the gates of the Netherworld. The coldness seemed to have penetrated the Starship and made them shudder.
In such a hostile environment, even an Origin King Realm Master wouldn’t be able to survive for long. Only by relying on this Starship could they resist the depletion of their energy.
A long time later, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly as he hurriedly scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense. He could feel a violent Space Principle fluctuation coming from the deepest part of the canyon.
Upon closer inspection, he knew that his speculation was right. There was a huge Void Crack at the bottom of the canyon. The crack was glowing dazzlingly, appearing very different from the other such phenomenon that he had come across before.
Yan Luo’s expression turned solemn in an instant as he personally controlled several arrays to activate the Starship’s defences.
Silently, the huge Starship flew into the Void Crack and disappeared, as though it had been gobbled up or had melted.
*Kacha…*
Just then, ominous noises could be heard from every direction and the expressions of everyone aboard the Starship changed instantly.
He Yun Xiang turned to look at Yan Luo in shock, but upon seeing that he remained unperturbed, she felt her heart freeze over.
It was said that a person shouldn’t bother about trifles if they wanted to achieve great things.
She wasn’t sure about the others in the Yan Family, but given her Third-Order Origin King Realm cultivation, she knew that this Starship wouldn’t last long. The Starship was now being squeezed by the horrible power surrounding them, and within an hour, it would certainly buckle and collapse.
By then, all of them in the Starship would be doomed except the Third-Order Origin Kings. Even He Yun Xiang wasn’t confident of escaping unscathed, so she could only place all her hope on Yang Kai.
Yan Luo must have known in advance that these other Yan Family members would die, but he still brought all 300 of them along to operate this Starship. The reason for it was that he wanted to take advantage of this Starship to exchange for an hour of safety in this passageway.
One month ago, these Yan Family members were still looking forward to the journey, which seemed laughable now. They wanted to explore the beauty of the Ancestral Domain, but they had never suspected that they were just tools to Yan An, ones he was well prepared to discard at any moment.
Inside the control room, the glow of all arrays kept flickering. That was the sign that the Spirit Arrays were about to reach their limits, and cracking sounds could be heard from all directions.
“Patriarch, we can’t continue, otherwise…” One burly man came over with an anxious expression. It was then he realised that they weren’t lucky to have set off on this journey. Instead, it was a journey to Hell.
Yan Luo uttered dispassionately, “Increase speed!”
The burly man’s expression became aghast.
Yan Luo raised his hand and landed a palm on the burly man’s forehead. With his forehead sunken, he fell to the ground without even a sound as fluids leaked out from his seven orifices. The other Yan Family’s disciples were terrified upon seeing that.
“Increase speed!” Yan Luo demanded again.
Not daring to hesitate anymore, all the disciples immediately infused their energy into their respective arrays. The Starship stalled for a moment before its speed picked up.
They were surrounded by lights of different colours, and they couldn’t see any way out. The pressure coming from the Void constantly damaged the Starship’s structure. Although it was an Origin King Grade Mid-Rank Starship, it was still creaking continuously.
A moment later, one of the arrays in the cabin suddenly turned dim, as it had been completely destroyed. At the same time, a part of the Starship began collapsing. As though a chain reaction had been triggered, with the broken part as the centre, the damage rapidly expanded as the Starship started disintegrating.
One by one, all the arrays stopped functioning.
All the Yan Family’s disciples turned completely pale as they turned to look at Yan Luo. Upon seeing that he remained calm and collected, as though he was unperturbed by such a crisis, they began seeing hope again.
[Patriarch will definitely lead us out of this crisis! We’re all selected by him to explore the Ancestral Domain together, so how is it possible that we’ll lose our lives here?]
One hour later, their hope was crushed. Following a loud crash, the Starship completely collapsed.
The pressure from the Void gushed in from all directions, and without the protection of the Starship, there was no way these cultivators who hadn’t reached Origin King Realm could survive.
*Pu, Pu, Pu…*
Just like bubbles that had been poked at, one by one, they exploded as their blood spurted everywhere.
“Patriarch, save us!”
All of them screamed for help. However, Yan Luo ignored them as he made a move, upon which a layer of dark Artifact Armour covered him from head to toe, making him look like an imposing general who was about to storm into their enemy’s territory in ancient times.
At the same time, He Yun Xiang summoned her ribbon artifact.
She had been diligently refining this artifact since she received it, and although she still couldn’t use the Low-Rank Dao Source Grade artifact with ease, it was still useful at this moment. The artifact could be used as a weapon as well as an armour, so it was pretty rare. Moreover, its grade wasn’t too high, so it suited her current cultivation.
The ribbon enlarged and covered her up, as though she had just put on a colourful dress. In an instant, she felt less pressured, upon which she moved closer to Yang Kai as she wouldn’t dare to stay too far away from him.
Yan Luo ran towards them and stood beside He Yun Xiang, his eyes narrowing when he saw the ribbon.
He had sharp vision, so he could see that the ribbon was no ordinary artifact. The artifacts he had seen before were all trash compared to this ribbon. Although he lusted after the artifact, he didn’t let the emotion show on his face.
[I’ll let you keep this treasure for now. It’ll be mine soon!]
A short moment later, the screams for help had died down. It had only been a short while since the Starship broke apart, but the hundreds of Yan Family disciples who had been manning it were all dead. However, Yan Luo remained emotionless, as though the people who had lost their lives were strangers instead of his own people.
He Yun Xiang was shocked as she found him to be too ruthless. Although she had killed countless people before, she could never be as cold-hearted as he was.
In this endless Void, there was no way to navigate as all they could see were vivid and colourful lights. It was the first time Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang experienced this, but they soon pushed it to the back of their mind as they explored the wonder around them.
Yang Kai was walking at the front, still not revealing any aura fluctuations from his body, but the horrifying pressure didn’t even make him frown.
The world was utterly silent, to the point where their heartbeats could be heard clearly.
Yan Luo felt that something was off, because it had been a safe journey so far without encountering any dangers or accidents.
500 years ago, the Old Ancestor embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain. Outsiders didn’t know whether he had succeeded, but Yan Luo knew that he had reached the Ancestral Domain. That was because three months after the Old Ancestor left home, Yan Luo used the Secret Technique left behind by the Old Ancestor to contact him. At that time, the Old Ancestor told him all about his journey to the Ancestral Domain.
According to the Old Ancestor, this colourful Void that they were passing through now was extremely dangerous. If they were not careful enough, they would be crushed to pieces. A lot of inconspicuous dangers were hiding in this seemingly beautiful world.
Yan Luo had gotten himself ready as he remained vigilant at all times, because he was worried that danger would befall him all of a sudden.
However, since the beginning, the journey had been smooth sailing, as though they were taking a stroll in their back garden. There didn’t seem to be any danger at all.
It was impossible for the Old Ancestor to lie to him, so they were either unbelievably lucky, or the strange young man leading them forward was somehow helping them avoid all the dangers, which was why they were safe now.
Yan Luo hoped that the former was the reason, for if it was the latter, then it would be too horrifying. Maybe the plot they had come up with wasn’t the right decision. At that instant, he began feeling apprehensive.
There was nothing around them that could be used as a reference, so they didn’t know how far they had gone. Yan Luo’s Artifact Armour appeared dim, so it was apparent that it had lost most of its spirituality. Nevertheless, he was well prepared, so he immediately changed into a new Artifact Armour.
On the other hand, He Yun Xiang had expended a lot of her energy as she had to use her Saint Qi to sustain the ribbon’s defensive capabilities. It was already difficult for her to use a Dao Source Grade artifact when she was just a newly promoted Third-Order Origin King, so it was expected that she couldn’t persevere for too long.
Despite feeling reluctant, she still fished out a Spirit Pill from her Space Ring and took it, after which she shuddered as a warm stream expanded from her abdomen and spread towards all her bones and organs. In an instant, her Saint Qi, which was about to be exhausted soon, was replenished significantly. The medicinal efficacy, however, was too potent, meaning she couldn’t quickly refine and absorb it, so most of it was wasted.
[All the things Sir has given me are so valuable!] There certainly wasn’t any Spirit Pill in Unending Star Field that was comparable to the one she had just consumed. She didn’t even know the pill’s name, all she knew was that it could help replenish her energy. Yang Kai had given it to her together with the Source Condensing Pills some time ago.
As time passed, they slowly grew tired of the magnificent view. The three of them were like lonely travellers in the desert, not knowing where their destination was. Yan Luo’s expression had turned from hopeful to dejected, while He Yun Xiang was anxious as well. Only Yang Kai remained unperturbed, and even his pace hadn’t changed one bit.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly arched his brow and turned to speak to He Yun Xiang, “We’ll be there soon.”
Upon hearing that, He Yun Xiang was startled for a moment before she became elated.
Yan Luo hurriedly raised his head and saw that there was a different view in the distance. In an instant, he was over the moon, because he had no more Artifact Armours left. The one on his body now was the last set. If they still couldn’t reach the Ancestral Domain by the time it became damaged, he would have no choice but to ask for Yang Kai’s protection.
Fortunately, their destination was now in sight, so his perseverance so far was worth it.
Without uttering a word, they accelerated their pace at the same time.
One day later, a five-coloured swirl appeared before their eyes. The swirl was stationery in an eerie manner. Standing in front of the swirl, the three of them looked as insignificant as dust.
Yan Luo was so agitated that his lips began trembling. He looked fixedly at the swirl, as though he could penetrate the barrier of space and see the view on the other side.
He Yun Xiang’s gaze brightened as well. Just three months ago, she would never have imagined that this would happen to her one day. The Ancestral Domain was just one step away from her. This was the dream countless people had been pursuing for their entire lives, but she would be able to reach it soon.
Both of them turned to look at Yang Kai, only to be surprised to see that he had closed his eyes as he was quietly standing there. Neither of them dared to disturb him.
Moments later, he opened his eyes and uttered, “Let’s go.”
Then, he directly stepped into the stationery five-coloured swirl.
Dawdling no further, Yan Luo and He Yun Xiang immediately followed in his footsteps, upon which a feeling of weightlessness engulfed them.
In an instant, they felt dizzy, and their hearts throbbed uncontrollably. Unexpectedly, they could hear some voices around them. They tried to listen to them, but they couldn’t make out what those people were saying because their ears were ringing.
Only Yang Kai appeared speechless as he looked around.
On his way to his destination, he had thought about what it would look like, but when he finally reached this place, he realized that it was quite different from his imagination.
He wasn’t disappointed, but the sight before his eyes just felt off.
“Hey, there are new people.”
“Wow, there are three people in one go. What Star Field are they from?”
“One of them will go to Sky Pavilion.”
“Surname Liu, who do you think you are? Why must one of them go to your place? Have you even asked if we agree?”
“So what if you don’t agree? Are you going to fight with me?”
“Come then! I’m not afraid of you!”
“Regardless of what you think, one of them will go to Starry Mountain!”
“The remaining one will go to Holy Mountain Peak, then.”
“Are all of you cracking jokes?”
“I’m serious.”
“Your mother!”
“Why are you scolding me?”
It seemed that the situation was out of control because of the arrival of Yang Kai and the others, leaving him dumbfounded at the sight.
“Silence! All of you making such a fuss here before these new arrivals is highly improper! Acting so immaturely will only make them look down on us! Don’t you know the rules? We should ask about where they’re from first,” an old man with a sallow face suddenly uttered. The old man appeared authoritative among this group. His figure was thin, but his eyes were very energetic. There was a pipe in his hand as smoke was rising from the chamber. After he finished speaking, all of them fell silent and looked fixedly at Yang Kai and the others.
Upon a closer look, they were all shocked because the young man at the front was playfully looking at them.
Seeing that, all of them gasped. [How is that possible?]
They must have passed through the Void Corridor to go from a Star Field to the Ancestral Domain. The journey was extremely long, so it always caused some side effects for those who took it. The most notable effect was dizziness and discomfort in one’s Soul.
The time these drawbacks would last depended on their cultivation. If they were strong, then it would only take them a short time to recover. However, if they were weak, they would need a longer time.
Nevertheless, judging from the young man’s composure, he wasn’t suffering from any drawbacks at all.
[What’s going on?] All of them were dumbfounded.
Their expression turned weird after they scanned him with Divine Sense, because there were no aura fluctuations around him. If he was a cultivator, it was impossible that they couldn’t detect any aura from him. It was either because there was a huge gap between their cultivations, so the weaker one couldn’t sense it, or that he was using an artifact that concealed his cultivation.
However, it was unlikely that a cultivator coming from a Star Field would possess such an amazing artifact, and it was impossible that all of them couldn’t see through him.
[He’s such a strange guy.]
A moment later, He Yun Xiang and Yan Luo managed to pull themselves together. Upon seeing the sight around her, she turned pale as she hurriedly activated her Saint Qi and looked around vigilantly.
She had never expected that she would come across this situation right after she stepped into the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, the cultivation of all these cultivators around her was above Origin King Realm. Some of them even exuded an aura that horrified her.
[They’re all above the Origin King Realm! This is the aura specific to the realm that is above the Origin King Realm. It must be the Dao Source Realm that Sir had told me before. Have we reached the Ancestral Domain? If we haven’t, then why are there so many people in a realm above the Origin King Realm here? Why are they blocking our way? Are they going to rob us? However, we’re just cultivators from a Lower Star Field, so our possessions are probably not valuable to them. We’re not on the same level, so what’s the point of them snatching stuff from people who are in a lower realm?]
While she was vigilant, Yan Luo suddenly started moving and heading in a particular direction.
Seeing that, He Yun Xiang was stunned, while Yang Kai stared at him with narrowed eyes.
There were three people in the direction Yan Luo was moving, two men and one woman, standing on a small hill nearby. The young man at the front appeared handsome and carefree, and his aura was profound. The woman beside him, who appeared to be in her late twenties, was smiling elegantly. The last person was an old man who, despite his grey hair, had skin as smooth as that of a baby and a radiant glow on his face.
With an agitated expression, Yan Luo shuffled towards the hill and fell on one knee before uttering in a trembling voice, “Greetings, Old Ancestor! It has been many years since we last met!”
He Yun Xiang’s expression changed when she heard that, and she gazed dazedly at the old man. An idea flashed across her mind, upon which she realised who the old man was.
It was rumoured that an Old Ancestor from the Yan Family had embarked on a journey to the Ancestral Domain 500 years ago, but no one knew whether he had succeeded. Upon hearing how Yan Luo addressed the old man, she immediately figured out his identity.
He was the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor who had left Unending Star Field 500 years ago, Yan Ren Hao!
At that instant, He Yun Xiang felt that something was amiss. Yan Ren Hao was already the strongest Master in Unending Star Field 500 years ago, as he was at the top of Third-Order Origin King Realm. 500 years had passed, and he had been cultivating in the Ancestral Domain, so he must have reached a realm that was above Origin King Realm.
[It’s a trap! No wonder Yan Luo agreed to bring Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain and wanted to tag along! It is because he knew that the Yan Family’s Old Ancestor would be waiting here.]
She wasn’t sure how the Yan Family members managed to contact Yan Ren Hao, but it was impossible that this old man would coincidentally appear in this place. Apparently, after they left Taiyi Star, someone from the Yan Family managed to send a message to their Old Ancestor.
Yan Ren Hao must be waiting in this place to receive Yan Luo.
[Damn it! Sir’s cultivation is indeed powerful, so he isn’t afraid of the Yan Family members on Taiyi Star, but is he a match for Yan Ren Hao? Moreover, Yan Ren Hao has two helpers with him. The woman is just a Third-Order Origin King Realm, so I can probably deal with her; however, that young man gives off a feeling that he’s even stronger than Yan Ren Hao. Can Sir defeat him?]
He Yun Xiang had thought about a lot of things in just a short moment. With a dark expression, she turned to look at Yang Kai, but seeing that he appeared calm and collected, she couldn’t help but be startled.
“Wonderful!” Yan Ren Hao guffawed as he stepped forward and helped Yan Luo up. After examining him, he clapped his shoulder and complimented him, “Very good indeed!”
Naturally, he was glad that a Yan Family descendant had managed to come here. After him, no Yan Family members had managed to reach the Ancestral Domain. Although his power had increased significantly in this world, he was less carefree than when he was in Unending Star Field. So, he was very pleased with Yan Luo’s arrival. With the two of them working together, they might extend the Yan Family’s legacy in the Ancestral Domain.
“It is good that Old Ancestor is well as well,” Yan Luo said excitedly, “Your cultivation…”
Yan Ren Hao chuckled and waved his hand, “Let’s not talk about cultivation now. Come, let me introduce you to a Master.” He placed his hand on Yan Luo’s shoulder and brought him to meet the young man. Then, he introduced him, “This is my Senior Brother in Azure Sea Palace, Duan Mu Qi. Just call him Martial Uncle Duan Mu.”
“Azure Sea Palace…” When Yan Luo heard that, a glint flashed across his eyes as he fell into deep thought.
Although they could contact the Old Ancestor, they couldn’t communicate with him for a long time. In fact, they had only contacted him once 500 years ago. Therefore, they had no idea how Yan Ren Hao had been doing in the Ancestral Domain.
Upon that introduction, Yan Luo immediately understood that Yan Ren Hao had joined a great force called Azure Sea Palace in the Ancestral Domain. Moreover, judging from his attitude, he appeared respectful towards this man called Duan Mu Qi.
Yan Luo was very old himself, and he definitely looked much older than Duan Mu Qi. However, a cultivator could only command respect with his strength, not his age. Since Yan Luo’s cultivation was weaker than that of this young man, he had no choice but to be humble.
Not daring to appear disrespectful, he immediately bowed and said, “Junior Yan Luo of the Yan Family greets Martial Uncle Duan Mu!”
With a faint smile, Duan Mu Qi nodded his head, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be too formal with me. We’ll be one family from now on.”
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Uncle is one of the top ten cultivators in Azure Sea Palace. It was thanks to his recommendation in the past that I was able to join Azure Sea Palace. You’ll have to ask for more guidance from him in the future.”
“Yes.” Yan Luo straightened his face.
“This is your Martial Aunt, Chen Chui Ling,” Yan Ren Hao pointed at the woman and said.
Yan Luo thought to himself that the woman was just a Third-Order Origin King, which was the same as his own cultivation realm. If they got into a fight, it would be hard to tell who the winner would be. So, why was this woman now considered his Senior? He was basically the Overlord of Unending Star Field who stood above all others, so he had never been so humble to someone else before. Nevertheless, upon seeing how intimate she was with Duan Mu Qi, he immediately understood the reason behind it. So, he also bowed to her and greeted, “Greetings, Martial Aunt Chen.”
Chen Chui Ling replied with a smile, “Martial Nephew, you don’t have to be so formal with me either; after all, you are Senior Brother Yan’s Junior. After you join Azure Sea Palace, I’ll definitely take care of you. I haven’t managed to prepare anything for our first meeting, so just take this bottle of pills. They will be useful for your cultivation.”
“Uh…” Although Yan Luo was tempted, he felt embarrassed to take something from her since this was their first meeting. So, he turned to look at his Old Ancestor to ask for his opinion.
Yan Ren Hao uttered, “Your Martial Aunt is an Alchemist and these pills were all refined by her personally. Since she has offered them to you, just take them.”
“Many thanks, Martial Aunt Chen!” Yan Luo hurriedly thanked her and took the bottle with both hands as his heart was filled with excitement. He thought that it was the right decision to come to the Ancestral Domain, as he had obtained a bottle of pills not long after he arrived here. He wasn’t sure about the grade of the pills or their medicinal efficacies, but since they were made in the Ancestral Domain, they would undoubtedly be treasures to the current him.
As the other cultivators listened to their conversation, they realised the relationship between them. At that instant, they sighed secretly, knowing that they couldn’t snatch these people from Azure Sea Palace.
[His Old Ancestor belongs to Azure Sea Palace, so he’ll definitely join the same Sect as well. There’s no way he’ll choose to join another Sect. As for the two people with that Yan Luo fellow, they must be from the same Star Field.]
Upon learning about their relationship, they knew that these people wouldn’t consider other options, so they had lost interest in luring them in.
Normally, cultivators from the same Star Field would stick together, unless there were some grudges between them.
However, if they loathed each other, it was impossible that they would come to the Ancestral Domain together.
After these people from Azure Sea Palace were done with their small talk, Yan Ren Hao traded glances with Yan Luo before he pushed his Divine Sense.
The next moment, he looked at Yang Kai and He Yun Xiang with a smile before he uttered, “Since both of you have come with Yan Luo, why don’t you follow me to my Sect?”
There were too many people around this place. Even though he had intended to deal with Yang Kai, he wouldn’t choose to make a move in this place. Otherwise, the other great forces might find fault with him and criticize him. However, once they left this place and returned to Azure Sea Palace, he could do whatever he wanted to Yang Kai.
[Since you’ve dared to kill my family’s Elder and damaged our foundation, I’ll never let you off! Do you think you can do whatever you want because you have some meagre strength? You’re indeed just a frog at the bottom of the well, so don’t even think about leaping out of it for the rest of your life. However, I must make them follow me to Azure Sea Palace first…]
With a smile, Yan Luo added in, “Brother Yang, let’s go. It’s thanks to you that I’ve managed to come to the Ancestral Domain safely. Please give me a chance to repay you for this favour.”
He no longer appeared obsequious and cautious. His Old Ancestor was right behind him, and he had the support of Duan Mu Qi, so he wasn’t afraid of Yang Kai anymore. It was apparent to him that no matter how formidable Yang Kai was, it wasn’t possible that he could be stronger than his Old Ancestor and Duan Mu Qi.
[You oppressed us in the Yan Residence some time ago. Now, the situation is different, so I’ll let you have a taste of your own medicine.]
With a gloomy expression, He Yun Xiang glowered at Yan Luo.
Although what happened to the Yan Family was within Yang Kai’s calculations, the Yan Family members only had themselves to blame. If they had agreed to her initial suggestion, she believed that Yang Kai wouldn’t have treated them poorly. Instead, he would have rewarded them handsomely. However, those in the Yan Family were too arrogant and made the wrong decision, so they couldn’t blame others for their misfortunes.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had the power to destroy the Yan Family entirely, but he didn’t choose to do that. Unfortunately, as a result, he had fallen into the Yan Family’s trap in the end. Now that Yan Luo had someone supporting him, he appeared smug and haughty, which made He Yun Xiang despise him even more than before.