After a long bout of drinking, many bottles of wine had been exhausted. Countless people collapsed to the ground as loud snoring could be heard in the square.
Normally, cultivators wouldn’t get drunk by drinking wine. They could just circulate their Secret Arts and let their Qi disperse the effects of alcohol. However, it was time for celebration, so they were all feeling joyous and wouldn’t do such a thing to dampen the mood.
They kept waking up, drinking, getting drunk and sleeping as though they were in an infinite loop. Thousands of cultivators walked around and clinked glasses with each other as they pushed their worries to the back of their minds. At this moment, they were all elated as they were set on becoming totally wasted.
In the main hall, Yang Kai was seated in the main seat as toasts were proposed to him one by one. He wouldn’t reject any one of them as he gulped down the wine, showing enough respect to his guests, thereby livening up this celebration-cum-welcome-back party.
After the Seniors were done drinking with Yang Kai, it was the younger generations’ turn.
Yang Kai wasn’t so familiar with the older cultivators, but he had more or less come into contact with these young ones before.
The married couple Wei Gu Chang and Dong Xuan’er from Shadow Moon Hall, Dai Yuan and Yin Su Die from Coloured Glass Sect, Shen Shi Tao and Lu Ying from Clear Sky Sect, had all gone through life-or-death moments with Yang Kai, so they were on good terms.
However, during this reunion after several dozen years, there seemed to be a kind of barrier between them, so they were not as close to each other as before. This barrier was caused by the difference in their realms.
The difference in their cultivation and status made them unable to look at Yang Kai in the same light as several dozen years ago. There seemed to be an invisible layer of restraint between them.
A person would always get to know new friends and companions in his cultivation journey; however, as one forged onwards, when they looked back, they would realise that they could no longer see many of those familiar figures from the past.
Nevertheless, precious memories would always be kept in the deepest part of their hearts. Whenever they thought about it, they would be able to put on a proud smile. [Look, this powerful man once ran alongside me as I climbed the Martial Dao. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to keep up with him, so I was soon left behind. Nevertheless, I’ll never forget this experience. I’m sure both of us will remember the time we spent together.]
“Sect Master, let me propose a toast to you. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve lost my life. The reason I’ve even achieved such success is thanks to you, so I’m eternally grateful to you.”
Gazing at the woman before his eyes, Yang Kai smiled faintly and gulped down the wine before saying, “Yun’er is doing well now.”
Huang Juan’s body shook as she looked dazedly at Yang Kai.
“I just met her some time ago. She has come of age, so she’s looking like an adult now.” Yang Kai spoke in a small voice, but he was the centre of attention, so the moment he started speaking, the hall immediately fell into silence as they listened to him intentionally or otherwise.
“She’s grown up…” Huang Juan’s gaze appeared longing, as though she was trying to imagine what the little girl, who was reluctant to leave her in the past, looked like now that she had grown up. In fact, Lin Yun’er wasn’t her biological daughter, but rather the daughter of a married couple who were Huang Juan’s good friends. After the couple was killed in an accident, Huang Juan took in Lin Yun’er and regarded her as her own daughter. After they came across Yang Kai, he brought them back with him to enter High Heaven Sect. Soon after though, Lin Yun’er was taken away by Yang Yan.
Huang Juan covered her mouth and uttered, “I’m glad that she’s safe.” Her tears were already sliding down her face, and no matter how hard she tried to wipe them, they just wouldn’t stop streaming out of her eyes. She was on her own, so she was most concerned about Lin Yun’er. However, in this kind of atmosphere, it wasn’t inappropriate for her to ask Yang Kai for more details; what she didn’t know was that he would mention these things on his own.
“Her strength is on par with my own now.” Yang Kai put on a smile, “She was taken in as a Disciple by a Great Emperor, so hardly anyone in this world can afford to offend her now.”
[A Great Emperor!?] Everyone became all ears, even though they didn’t understand what this title suggested.
However, they recalled the Starry Sky Great Emperor of the Star Field from the past. Many of them at the scene had even seen her countenance. She was a dazzling woman who was unrivalled in this world.
[Could she be Lin Yun’er’s Master?]
Yang Kai picked up his wine glass and rose from his chair. After looking around, he shouted, “All of you must be curious about what realm I am in now.”
Naturally, they were very curious. Yang Kai was already a Second-Order Origin King before he left the Star Field, so after years of venturing in the outside world, it was impossible that he was only a Third-Order Origin King now. There were many Origin King Realm Masters at this scene, but none of them was certain about Yang Kai’s realm. Besides the fact that he was a Star Master, there must be another reason behind this. The most fundamental reason was that his cultivation far outmatched their own.
However, no one had the guts to ask him about it, not even Ye Xi Yun. Was he about to unveil the mystery?
All of them stared fixedly at him and held their breaths. The hall was so quiet that even their heartbeats could be heard.
“Above the Origin King Realm is the Dao Source Realm, and above the Dao Source Realm is the Emperor Realm. I am now a First-Order Emperor!”
Dao Source Realm!
Emperor Realm!
These two new names had shaken them to the core. Just like two hammers that had broken the chains binding them apart, a door had opened before their eyes, beyond which a new world could be seen.
“The place I have been staying in is called the Star Boundary. It is a higher world than any Star Field. In that place, Origin Kings are common, and only Dao Source Realm Masters have some right to gain a footing. Meanwhile, only Emperor Masters have the power to stand above the world.” Yang Kai suddenly changed his tone, “Of course, if you’re too arrogant, you’ll still be killed.”
All of them started laughing as the atmosphere became less intense. However, what Yang Kai had said had shaken their concept of reality, especially those Origin King Realm Masters. They had always thought that they had already reached the peak, so they could look down at the mortals below them.
However, when they raised their heads, they realised that there were two higher peaks at a nearby place. They were engulfed in those peaks’ shadows, which caused them to feel helpless about their lives, but at the same time, they were also excited about it.
They had the desire to climb up the mountains and reach the peaks to experience a wider world and see more beautiful scenery.
At that instant, they felt their throats drying up.
“With that said, Emperor Realm Masters are not the strongest. Ten Great Emperors in the Star Boundary transcend Emperor Realm Masters. They are the ones who can truly summon the clouds and call the rain. Even now, I cannot imagine how powerful they actually are.”
All of them caught their breaths again. The Emperor Realm was already like an unreachable dream for them, so how stunning were those ten Great Emperors, who transcended Emperor Realm Masters?
They couldn’t and wouldn’t dare to imagine it.
Turning his head, Yang Kai gazed at Huang Juan and uttered, “Yun’er’s Master is Iron Blood Great Emperor!”
All of them turned their heads with difficulty and looked enviously at Huang Juan.
Earlier, when they heard from Yang Kai that Lin Yun’er was taken in as a disciple by a Great Emperor, they still didn’t understand the meaning behind it; after all, no one knew what a Great Emperor was. However, after Yang Kai’s explanation, they realized that the Great Emperors were the strongest, the ones who stood above all others as overlords.
How was this woman called Lin Yun’er so lucky that she had a Great Emperor as her Master? With such a powerful backer, no one in the Star Boundary would dare to offend her. No one could possibly rival her when it came to the opportunity she had managed to capture. She had basically reached the pinnacle in her cultivation journey, so she was even able to walk around Star Boundary with her head held high.
Noticing the shock behind their gazes, Yang Kai put on a smile, “The Star Boundary isn’t unreachable.”
Just then, something flashed across their eyes as Yang Kai had disappeared from their sight. After a moment of silence, they finally came to their senses.
[What did Yang Kai mean before he left?] That kept them wondering if they were also able to head to Star Boundary.
[That’s right! He already went to Star Boundary several dozen years ago. Since he’s able to come back, he definitely can go there again. Perhaps he can even bring some people with him.] With this thought in mind, all of them became agitated. Then, they turned to look at Ye Xi Yun, only to be shocked to see that many others had surrounded her because they had thought of this as well. Now, many were asking her how to head to Star Boundary.
Ye Xi Yun placed her palm on her forehead as she felt her ears ringing, like countless flies were buzzing around her. Unable to take it anymore, she snarled, “I know nothing! If you all dare to be rowdy again, I’ll definitely teach you a lesson!”
In an instant, the place fell into silence.
After a snort, Ye Xi Yun picked up a bottle of wine and drained it in one gulp. Upon seeing that, all these Origin King Realm Masters were stunned. They had known Ye Xi Yun for years, but they had never seen her drink wine before. It had never crossed their minds that she would be so unflinching when she drank, so they couldn’t help but clap their hands for her.
…
On Jade Tree Peak in High Heaven Sect, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of a house and knocked on the door.
A moment later, the door opened, upon which Yang Ying Feng appeared before his son with messy clothes and a dishevelled look.
“Father, you…” The smile on Yang Kai froze as he examined the ‘spots’ on Yang Ying Feng’s face and neck. After looking around, he questioned cautiously, “Father, are you keeping a mistress? Does mom know about it? How could you be so foolish? If mom finds out about it, both of us will be killed! Who is that woman in the house?”
“Your mother is right here!” A woman bellowed.
Yang Kai flinched and shrank up while Yang Ying Feng glared at him and parted his lips, but his voice couldn’t be heard. Judging from the movements of his lips though, he seemed to be saying, ‘Brat, you’re doomed.’ Then, he was ready to close the door.
With his forehead drenched in cold sweat, Yang Kai stepped forward and stopped the door from closing with his foot. Then, he took his father’s arm and looked sincerely at him.
[Save me!]
However, Yang Ying Feng just glowered at him.
Yang Kai uttered, “Father, you must save me. I’m your only son. How do you have the heart to see me die!?”
After he returned, not only did he not visit his parents right away, he had actually gone missing for a whole month, so it was no wonder that his mother was so furious. In fact, he had never expected that he would spend so much time at the centre of the Star. Initially, he thought that he could deal with those invaders and come back quickly. Nevertheless, his plan was derailed by unexpected events.
Yang Ying Feng patted his shoulder and uttered in a heartfelt manner, “Just pray for yourself.”
Yang Kai felt helpless at that, no longer looking as nonchalant as when he was facing those Origin Kings. With a fawning smile, he called out, “Mother, your son is here to visit you. May I come in?”
Dong Su Zhu’s voice could be heard coming from the house, “Who are you? We don’t have a son like you. Don’t bother us while we’re having fun here. Leave now.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “Mother, don’t you recognise me? I’m your son, Yang Kai.”
Dong Su Zhu sneered, “Do I know you?”
Before Yang Kai could continue speaking, Yang Ying Feng spoke to him in his mind, “Leave first. Your mother is furious at the moment. I’ll give her some consolation and help her vent her anger. A woman’s heart will soften after her needs are satisfied.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai found his father to be sensible. Then, he took out a jade bottle from his Space Ring and secretly stuffed it into his father’s hands.
“What’s this?” Yang Ying Feng took a glance at the bottle and then looked up at him.
“These are Dragon Muscle Tiger Bone Pills.” Yang Kai arched his brow, which suggested that all men should know what these pills were.
Yang Ying Feng took a deep breath and put the jade bottle in his sleeve.
[You’re indeed my good son! Good, I’ll please the tigress with my own body so that she’ll stop being mad!] Then, he turned around and closed the door. Following that, he strode toward his wife in a determined manner.
Well, PP is not made of muscles
Also, no! No .5 chapter here!
I don’t think people want to read it… I think…
There was a palace on the main peak of High Heaven Sect. Although Yang Kai had left this place for several dozen years, the palace remained spotless, as it was cleaned up regularly.
Su Yan was seated by the window as she rested her chin on her palm. Looking at the view outside the window, she was walking down memory lane. Recalling the experiences over the years, she couldn’t help putting on a faint smile.
Sensing something, she turned her head, only to see Yang Kai leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and looking silently at her.
“You’re back.” Su Yan rose from the chair and stepped forward. After she had only taken two steps forward, a masculine figure approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Then, he exerted more force with his hands, causing her to lean forward. In an instant, a plump and elastic sensation could be felt on his chest.
“Senior Sister, you’re so beautiful,” Yang Kai looked down at the woman before his eyes and praised her. After he studied her delicate nose and mouth for a bit, he lowered his head and attempted to kiss her luscious lips.
Su Yan pressed one hand against his chest and stopped his lips with her fingers, “You stink! How much have you drunk?”
Yang Kai beamed at her, “Not a lot. I’ve only drunk with every one of them.”
“Take a seat,” Su Yan pulled him towards the bed and said.
Obediently, Yang Kai took a seat on the bed. Then, Su Yan turned around and took the basin of water she had already prepared. After squeezing the towel, she helped wipe his face. He never moved a muscle and let her do whatever she wanted to him as he felt warm in his heart.
After Su Yan was done with it, she turned around to leave, but Yang Kai grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace, causing her to lose grip on the basin and the water to splash over the floor. Yang Kai waved his hand, upon which everything returned to its original position.
Then, he flipped over and trapped Su Yan under his shadow. He stared passionately at her as his fiery gaze seemed able to burn her.
Su Yan pressed her red lips together as her long eyelashes fluttered. Then, she looked away, as if she didn’t dare to look him in the eyes.
At that instant, Yang Kai’s interest was piqued. They had been man and woman for years, and they had practised dual cultivation countless times, but she was still so shy in front of him. She was a woman, after all. Nevertheless, her bashful look was able to ignite a man’s desire.
After that, he reached out and clenched her blemish-free chin, forcing her to face him.
Su Yan was frustrated as she glared at him. It would be interesting if Su Yan could just be as seductive as Shan Qing Luo. By just thinking about how this pure and innocent woman would seduce and enchant him, Yang Kai felt as though there was a volcano in his body that was about to erupt.
With that thought in mind, his gaze became even more aggressive.
Su Yan couldn’t take it anymore, so she asked, “Have you seen your parents? Your mother misses you a lot.”
“I just came back from seeing them.” Yang Kai’s hand moved from her chin to her earlobe before he gently stroked it. As he spoke, he puffed out some breaths at her earlobe. Certainly, he knew that it was her most sensitive body part.
Su Yan’s aura destabilised as she said through clenched teeth, “Did she scold you?”
She had accompanied Yang Kai’s parents for the past month, so she knew what Dong Su Zhu had been complaining about. She was worried that Yang Kai might have been lectured by his mother.
“It’d be much better if she had scolded me.”
“What happened?”
He appeared dejected, “She doesn’t even acknowledge that I’m her son anymore.”
Su Yan just scoffed, “You deserve it!”
He glared at her, “Why are you taking pleasure in my misfortune?”
She replied, “Your mother told me to teach you a lesson when I saw you.”
“You want to teach me a lesson?” His expression turned weird suddenly as he playfully examined her, “How are you going to teach me a lesson, then? Please tell me about it. I have to get prepared.”
“I don’t know…” Su Yan looked away, as her slender neck was completely red.
Just then, Yang Kai covered her bosom with one hand and stroked it. In an instant, Su Yan frowned, which aroused him slightly.
“Since you won’t tell me, I’ll give you all I have, then.” Yang Kai couldn’t contain his desire anymore. An aggressive glare flashed across his eyes as he grabbed her clothes and tore them apart.
With a loud ripping sound, her imperial dress was shredded, drawing a sharp exclamation as she looked at him in shock and puzzlement.
Over the years, he had always been gentle to her. This was the first time he had been so forward and aggressive, so she thought that he might be acting strangely because he was drunk. However, upon closer look, she realised that he wasn’t intoxicated. Although his gaze appeared fierce, it was extremely clear. Nonetheless, his demeanour was completely different now as he pinned her down on the bed.
For some reason, she felt her heart trembling, but just when she was about to speak, he lowered himself and kissed her.
“Mmm…” Su Yan grunted. It was the first time she felt him being so forceful and domineering. At that instant, she realised she was unable to resist his advance.
At the same time, all her clothes had been ripped off her, which revealed her figure that was as lovely as jade. Under the evening light, her body appeared radiant.
At this moment, two iron-hard hands were wandering on her immaculate body, as though trying to destroy this fine piece of art. Yang Kai didn’t seem to show any sympathy as he exerted so much force with his hands, causing her to feel pain. In spite of the pain though, she also felt a feeling that was unfamiliar and indescribable to her.
She had never had this kind of feeling before. All of a sudden, her body froze as her snow-white skin reddened. It was as though a barrier in her heart had broken into pieces, which released her instincts that have been suppressed for years.
Yang Kai was stunned, as she not only proactively draped her arms around his neck, but she had also demanded a kiss from him. At this instant, she appeared completely lost in her own desire.
Her actions had shaken Yang Kai to the core. Although he had practised dual cultivation with her countless times, it was the first time he saw her taking the initiative. Becoming aroused, he exerted more force with his hands. All his sympathy vanished as he rubbed her body more forcefully. Just then, a crazy idea flashed across his mind.
[I must do this! I must do this! This is the only way!]
A voice was shouting in his mind as though he had been possessed, which forced him to take action. After that, he grabbed her body and forced her to turn around so that she would face away from him.
Su Yan turned her head to look at him. Her alluring gaze appeared out-of-focus and puzzled.
*Pa…* After a loud slap, a palm mark immediately appeared on her fair bottom.
Su Yan suddenly lifted her head as her hair flapped in the air. Her parted lips made her look like a fish that was dragged out of water. She could be heard gasping, but she never let out her breath.
*Pa…* He landed another slap on the other side of her bottom. Now, two palm marks appeared symmetrical on both sides of her backside.
Su Yan hoisted her head even further as her waist lowered, as though it might break at any moment. The curve on her back appeared fatally alluring, and her body could be seen trembling uncontrollably.
She felt humiliated that she was now kneeling on all fours like a dog, but at the same time, she couldn’t help feeling ecstatic. Her mind had turned completely blank. She felt as if she was writhing about on the clouds.
Her sense of morality and virtue told her that she shouldn’t behave like this, but her body wasn’t able to resist her man’s blistering passion.
*Pa! Pa! Pa!* More slaps landed on her backside.
Su Yan couldn’t contain her desire anymore as she moaned in a way that could make any man’s blood boil. She was neither crying nor laughing. She seemed to have gone mad as she shook her head repeatedly, causing her long hair to swing in the air. With tears sliding down from the corners of her eyes, she pleaded, “No! No! Junior Brother, please stop. Please…”
The inner demon in Yang Kai’s heart had gotten out of the cage, so he was oblivious to her plea. He felt like he was doing the most enjoyable thing in this world ever as he raised his hand and landed a slap on her bottom, leaving a mark on her fair skin. Then, he watched her reaction as he panted and let out fiery breaths.
Inside the hall, slapping sounds and Su Yan’s yelling moans could be heard continuously.
A long time later, her yell weakened. Not only had her voice become small, but it had also become hoarse. Moments later, she couldn’t even utter anything at all as only the sound of Yang Kai pounding against her was left.
…
“Senior Sister. Senior Sister…” Seated by the bed, Yang Kai gently poked the woman on the bed.
Su Yan covered herself in a quilt and faced away from him as she remained silent.
Yang Kai scratched his head and cursed himself for being such a brute in his heart. [How could I have hurt her like that?]
However, in that situation and atmosphere, he couldn’t suppress the wicked desires in his heart. He didn’t even know why he had done such a foolish thing.
[It’s all over now. Senior Sister must hate me. I don’t even know whether she’ll talk to me again.] While he was feeling guilty, he was also anxious.
“Senior Sister, if you’re mad at me, please just beat me up. I have really thick skin anyway.” Laying down on the bed, Yang Kai pressed one hand against the bed and pulled her into his embrace with his other hand.
However, she remained silent.
After a sigh, he uttered, “I know I was in the wrong this time. Please don’t get mad at me. It’s not good for your health.”
“That’s not it…” Su Yan could be heard whispering from under the quilt.
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai was elated. [I’m glad that she’s talking to me now. I was worried she’d remain silent forever.]
She turned over to face him, but her expression couldn’t be seen because she was still covered in a quilt, “I’m not mad at you.”
“Then why did you remain silent?”
“I’m mad at myself.”
Yang Kai was rendered speechless. Then, he wanted to lift the quilt off her, but she gripped it tightly and pleaded in a small voice, “No! I’m too embarrassed to face you. Don’t take it away from me.”
Yang Kai burst into laughter. [So, she’s not mad at me; she’s just too embarrassed.]
Nevertheless, she was right to feel this way. They had been a couple for decades already, but it was the first time they had acted so wildly in bed. Now that he thought about it, he also felt utterly embarrassed, to say nothing of the fact that Su Yan was a woman.
Then, he gently pulled her fingers away and took the quilt away from her. However, her eyes remained closed, and her fluttering eyelashes suggested that she was nervous.
“Look at me,” Yang Kai said in a small voice.
Su Yan pressed her lips together for a moment before she slowly opened her eyes. Faced with the man’s narrowed eyes, she immediately attempted to cover herself in a quilt again.
“Alright alright,” Yang Kai stopped her from doing that and ran his fingers through her hair. Lovingly, he gazed at her and uttered, “I love you no matter what you look like.”
[Well, maybe I prefer what she looked like last night.]
Su Yan covered her face as her voice transmitted through her fingers, “Don’t do that again.”
“Yes, yes.” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly and leaned close to her before giving her a peck. With a smile, he said, “It’s time to get up. Please visit my parents with me.”
[If I go over alone, Mother will probably kick me out of the house again. However, with Su Yan around, she might go easy on me.]
The atmosphere around them was intimate when they were putting on their clothes.
Gazing at the palm marks on Su Yan’s fair body, Yang Kai felt utterly sorry. He blamed himself for being rough and causing bruises all over her body. Then, he whisked his hand across her as he activated his Qi, infusing it into her body. As a result, the red marks on her started diminishing.
After they were done getting dressed, they flew towards Jade Tree Peak together. On their way there, Su Yan remained blushing while Yang Kai kept turning his head to look at her. Realising that he had discovered an unknown side of her, he felt a sense of pride in his heart.
That was a side that was only shown to him.
After they landed on the ground in front of a house on Jade Tree Peak, Yang Kai saw his father taking care of the plants.
Then, he greeted his father, upon which they traded glances. Yang Ying Feng secretly made a gesture to tell his son that it was all good.
[Many thanks for your help, father!] Yang Kai felt grateful.
Following that, Yang Ying Feng turned around and shouted, “Su Zhu, our son is here.”
“Tell him to scram!”
Yang Kai cringed and looked bitterly at his father. [Is this what you mean it’s all good? Father, I’m so disappointed in you. Give my Dragon Muscle Tiger Bone Pills back to me this instant!]
“Mother!” Su Yan called out gently.
“Su Yan is here?” Dong Su Zhu was startled for a moment before she hurriedly called out, “Come in.”
Su Yan hinted at Yang Kai with her gaze, after which they stepped into the house together.
The decorations inside the house were simple. It was apparent that only his parents lived on Jade Tree Peak, as there wasn’t even a single servant present. After passing through the living room, they entered a dressing room. Dong Su Zhu was seated in front of a table as she ran a comb through her hair, which was jet black and silky smooth.
Seeing that, Su Yan immediately approached her and uttered softly, “Mother, let me help you.”
With a smile, Dong Su Zhu passed the comb to her, “Thank you.”
Su Yan replied, “You don’t have to thank me. This is what I’m supposed to do.”
Dong Su Zhu nodded and remarked, “Daughters are really the best. Little Su Yan, it’d be wonderful if you were my daughter. You have no idea how badly I want a daughter.”
Smiling faintly, Su Yan replied, “I am your daughter. Moreover, you have more than one daughter. Although my sisters are not by your side, I’m sure they all miss you.”
“That’s true. Little Qing Luo, Little Ning Chang and Little Xue Yue would get some people to pass on their words and ask how I’m doing from time to time.” Then, Dong Su Zhu’s smile froze as she stared at Yang Kai’s figure through the reflection on the bronze mirror and scoffed, “So unlike a certain someone I know. I gave birth to him after ten months of pregnancy, but after he’s grown up, he’s stopped caring about me.”
Meekly, Yang Kai called out, “Mother…”
“Oh?” Dong Su Zhu appeared shocked and spoke in a strange tone, “Who is this? Why are you in my room? Boy, where are your manners? Did I allow you to come in? Su Yan, help me beat him up and chase him out.”
Su Yan hung her head low and uttered, “I’m no match for him.”
An enraged Dong Su Zhu landed a slam on the armrest and bellowed, “How dare he lay a hand on you? He must be sick of living!”
“No, no.” Su Yan’s face reddened as she couldn’t help but recall the crazy incident last night. At that instant, her entire body turned limp.
[He did lay a hand on me last night for a long time. My backside still burns in pain.]
Dong Su Zhu uttered, “Don’t be afraid of him. So what if his cultivation is powerful? So what if he’s a Star Master? If he’s bullied you, just tell me right away. I’ll beat him up for you.”
As she spoke, Yang Kai approached her and crouched down beside her before extending his head.
“What are you doing?” Dong Su Zhu glowered at him.
“Since you want to beat me up, I figured I should come over instead of letting you take a few steps forward,” Yang Kai grinned at her.
“Shoo, shoo. What a shameless boy.” Dong Su Zhu’s attitude shifted between cold and warm. While she was stern to Yang Kai, she was hospitable to Su Yan, causing the atmosphere in the room to be torn between the two.
Yang Kai took his mother’s hand and placed it on his head.
With a cold expression, Dong Su Zhu scolded, “Don’t you think I don’t have the heart to smack you!”
“As long as you stop being mad at me, you can smack me however you want.”
“Good!” Dong Su Zhu clenched her teeth as she raised her hand and slammed down her palm.
On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t even flinch.
Her palm stopped right above his head, causing the wind to swirl around. She glared at him and bellowed, “I’ll die of exasperation because of you sooner or later!”
Certainly, she didn’t have the heart to lay a hand on her son. Just as she said, she gave birth to him after ten months of pregnancy, and she had placed all her hopes on him. She would be heartbroken even if he was slightly injured, so how would she have the heart to beat him up?
“You’re only so daring because you know I dote on you,” As she spoke, she wiped the tears off her eyes.
Yang Kai got to his feet and placed his palms on her shoulders before he looked at her through the mirror and uttered, “Mother, don’t cry or get mad easily because that’ll leave you with wrinkles on your face.”
“Wrinkles?” Dong Su Zhu was shocked as her tears abruptly stopped streaming down her face. Then, she examined herself in the mirror and questioned, “Where are the wrinkles? Do you see them?”
“It’s fine even if you have wrinkles.” Yang Kai seemed prepared as he fished out a jade box and presented it to his mother.
“What’s this?” Dong Su Zhu took the jade box and asked.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “Look for the right time and take it. I guarantee that you’ll look like a young woman in her twenties forever.”
In an instant, Dong Su Zhu beamed at him, “Is it really so amazing?”
She hurriedly stored the jade box in her Space Ring and spoke in a way that was different from what her expression suggested, “I didn’t tell you to bring a gift when you came back.”
Yang Kai uttered, “It’s not expensive anyway. Do you like it?”
“Good, I like it.” Certainly, Dong Su Zhu loved the gift her son had given her. After that, she took his hand and stroked his face with her other hand, “You must have experienced a lot of hardship over the years, right?”
“Not really.” Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m the one who can walk sideways anywhere I go. Who has the guts to offend me? All those who dared to do so are dead now.”
“What silly things are you talking about?” Dong Su Zhu knocked his head. She knew that he didn’t want to tell her what he had gone through because he didn’t want her to worry.
While she was glad that he had come home safely, she knew that even though the outside world was beautiful and filled with wonders, the road he tread upon was paved with danger. Several dozen years had passed, and he had grown into a mature man, so there was no way he hadn’t experienced any hardship. Perhaps he had even gone through countless life-or-death moments.
“Now that you’re back, are you still going to leave?” Dong Su Zhu asked.
“Yes.” Yang Kai bowed his head.
Her face fell in an instant as she waved her hand, “Leave now. After you leave this time, don’t ever come back again. Just let me perish in this place.”
Yang Kai was helpless at that, “I’m going to leave with all of you.”
It was then Dong Su Zhu realised what he was talking about as she stared at him with displeasure, “Why didn’t you speak clearly?”
Then, she paused for a moment before asking, “Where are we going?”
“The Star Boundary.”
“Is that where you’ve been for the past several dozen years?”
“Yes. I’ve founded High Heaven Palace there, and I have countless Masters in my Sect. You and Fa\ther can cultivate there with peace of mind. There are no conflicts or danger.”
“You have a Sect there?” Dong Su Zhu was amazed. Although she didn’t know what the Star Boundary was like, she reckoned that it must be much better than Shadowed Star. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was able to found a Sect there in just several dozen years, which was definitely a difficult feat to pull off.
At that instant, she felt proud of the fact that he was her son. Curious about the Star Boundary and High Heaven Palace, she kept asking him many questions.
Outside the house, Yang Ying Feng listened attentively as he put on a smile. [Last night, I showcased all the skills I have and even tried out eighteen new positions. Paired with the Dragon Muscle Tiger Bone Pills, there’s no way it wasn’t effective at all. My sacrifice was definitely worth it.]
Their conversation went on until night fell.
Most of the time, it was Yang Kai who narrated his experiences in the Star Boundary, while Dong Su Zhu and Su Yan listened attentively as they looked forward to heading to that place. In fact, as long as this man was around, they didn’t mind staying anywhere. It was this familial bond that had bound them together.
Yang Ying Feng had entered the room several times to serve them tea. Although he was displeased with being left out and having to act as a waiter, he didn’t dare to say anything as he was afraid of his wife.
“By the way, I have to ask you a question and you must answer me honestly.” Dong Su Zhu suddenly turned solemn.
Yang Kai replied, “Ask anything you want.”
She took a look at Su Yan, who misunderstood her intention and uttered, “I’ll take my leave now.”
Dong Su Zhu immediately took her hand and said, “Don’t go. This has something to do with you, so you have to listen as well.”
“…Good,” although Su Yan didn’t know what Dong Su Zhu was going to ask, she still took a seat upon hearing that.
For some reason, Yang Kai felt apprehensive as he didn’t know what his mother was going to ask. Moreover, she appeared grim.
“I want to ask you…” Dong Su Zhu looked sternly at her son, “You’ve left us for several dozen years, so have you hooked up with other women in the outside world?”
Su Yan straightened her face as well and gazed at him.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s forehead was drenched in a cold sweat.
“How dare you!” Seeing that, Dong Su Zhu immediately knew the answer. Infuriated, she poked his forehead aggressively and bellowed, “How could you do this to your wives?”
Yang Kai hung his head low and remained silent.
Dong Su Zhu went on to say, “You already have Su Yan, Ning Chang, Qing Luo and Xue Yue. Are you still not satisfied? Are all men like this? Tell me what goes through that head of yours!”
Meekly, Yang Kai replied, “It was an accident…”
“An accident?” Dong Su Zhu sneered, “There are countless beautiful women in this world. Do you want to get into an accident with every one of them?” Then, she pointed at Yang Ying Feng on the side, “Why can’t you learn from your father? When has he ever flirted with other women?”
Yang Ying Feng muttered, “I think it’s not a bad idea to have a few wives. You said so in the past as well…”
“What did you just say?” Dong Su Zhu shot him a glare.
Yang Ying Feng immediately glowered at his son and now scolded, “Brat, you’ve crossed the line this time!”
It was then Dong Su Zhu’s expression turned milder as she uttered, “I don’t care whether it’s an accident or not. After we go to Star Boundary, you have to chase them all away. You already have four wives, and I only acknowledge them to be my daughters-in-law.”
“Mother.” Su Yan took Dong Su Zhu’s arm and put on a smile, “Junior Brother isn’t a cold-hearted person, nor is he a man who flirts with other women without thought. He must have gone through a lot with those women to have formed a relationship with them. Moreover, he’s been alone in the outside world for years, so he needs some women to take care of him. In fact, I, Ning Chang and the others should be thankful to those sisters. Please don’t be so hard on him.”
Dong Su Zhu replied, “I know you’re a magnanimous person, but you don’t have to put up with everything, especially when it comes to a matter like this. You have to make things clear to him.”
Su Yan put on a faint smile, “He’s not a child anymore, so I trust he knows what he’s doing. It’s really fine.”
Staring at her, Dong Su Zhu heaved a sigh, “I’m so sorry for what my son has done to you all.”
Just to make it consistent, I added ‘you said so in the past as well’ just to reference the past.
Yang Kai had ventured into the outside world for several dozen years. There were many beautiful women out there, so it was expected that he’d make a mistake. Dong Su Zhu understood this and her son very well. The reason she made a fuss now was to ask about it on Su Yan’s behalf. She had even predicted how Su Yan would react.
It wasn’t that she was a scheming woman; however, as Yang Kai’s mother, she had to show Su Yan that she was on her side.
Su Yan replied with a smile, “Although the other sisters and I don’t mind, you have to understand that not every woman can be accepted into the Yang Family. They have to be kind-hearted and have a clean background. Otherwise, you’re inviting trouble to yourself instead of enjoying a harmonious life with several wives. Junior Brother, do you agree with me?”
She suddenly put on an Eldest Sister facade, so Yang Kai wasn’t used to it, but he still nodded quickly, “Senior Sister, you’re absolutely right.”
Su Yan went on to say, “Since Father and Mother are here as well, why don’t you tell us about our new sisters in the Star Boundary? That way we can decide who among them is worthy and who is not.”
A serious Dong Su Zhu uttered, “That’s right! Tell us everything in detail and make sure you don’t hide anything. Otherwise, you’ll die a horrible death.”
Yang Ying Feng also glowered at him. It was as though three people were interrogating him at the same time.
Feeling immensely pressured, Yang Kai wiped away the sweat on his forehead and stuck out one finger, “There’s only one woman. It’s not as many as you think.”
“Only one!?” The three of them were shocked.
The answer defied their expectation as they thought that Yang Kai must have flirted with many women since he’d been in the outside world for decades now. However, he had only gotten together with one woman, which went to show that he was pretty restrained. A man like him, who had left his homeland for years, was quite rare.
Dong Su Zhu asked, “What is she like? Tell us about it.”
Yang Kai replied, “She’s not a Human.”
“She’s not a Human?” Yang Ying Feng’s eyes glinted, “Is she from the Monster Race, then?”
[Tsk… This smelly brat has a special preference in women. Anyway, Monster Race women are indeed more exotic than women from the Human Race. I’m so jealous of him. He’s indeed very lucky.]
“She’s not exactly from the Monster Race either…”
Dong Su Zhu frowned, “She’s neither a Human nor Monster Beast? Is she a plant that has transformed into a Human?” She landed a slam on the armrest. [Damn it! Why is he so not picky when it comes to women? Although plants might get an opportunity and transform into Humans as well, how can he get together with such a woman? I’d rather find out that he had found a woman from the Monster Race.]
Yang Kai bit the bullet and replied, “She’s a Dragon.”
The room fell into silence for a moment before Dong Su Zhu asked in shock, “What!? A Dragon?”
“She’s a Dragon. Literally.” Yang Kai uttered. Seeing that they still didn’t seem to get it, he went on to explain, “The Dragon Clan exists in the Star Boundary. They’re the leaders of all Ancient Divine Spirits that we’ve heard of in our legends. An… accident happened between a Dragon girl and me, then we…”
Dong Su Zhu and her husband gasped as they finally understood what he was talking about.
They had only heard about Dragons in legends. Dragons and Phoenixes were the leaders of all Ancient Divine Spirits. However, such a powerful Race was never seen in the Star Field. They could only see their pictures in ancient books.
So, they couldn’t believe that their son had gotten together with a Dragon girl.
Dong Su Zhu gulped and asked, “Does this Dragon girl… I mean, does she have other family members?”
Yang Kai uttered, “There are about twenty Dragon Clan members in the Star Boundary. They live in a place called Dragon Island.”
“There are about twenty of them?” Dong Su Zhu was startled. It was already difficult to imagine that living Dragons existed in this world. What would it look like if more than twenty Dragon Clan members were to gather up in the same place? Her mind had gone completely blank.
“How did you even come back alive?” Yang Ying Feng was drenched in a cold sweat as he examined his son in shock.
Although he had no idea what the Dragon Clan was like or what position they held in the Star Boundary, he knew that there was no way their status was low. Perhaps they were also the strongest Race in the Star Boundary. Yang Kai was just a mere Human, but he was able to get together with a Dragon girl without getting killed, so his luck was beyond extreme.
With a grin, Yang Kai replied, “I do have some authority to speak in Dragon Island.”
His strength, and the strength within him gave him that authority.
Dong Su Zhu remained silent for a moment before she uttered, “I don’t care what that Dragon girl is like. If she wants to be accepted into the Yang Family, she has to acknowledge that Su Yan is the First Wife of the family.”
Su Yan added, “Mother, we’re all equals because we’re Sisters. I regard us as one family.”
Dong Su Zhu shook her head, “This is different. She’s a Dragon girl, so we have to make it clear to her first.” Then, she stared at her Son, “Do you get it?”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “Yes, Yes.”
“What if she doesn’t agree to it?”
Yang Kai raised his fist, “I’ll beat her up until she agrees to it.”
Upon hearing the reply, Dong Su Zhu directly landed a slap on him, “How dare you lay a hand on a woman!?”
…
Ten days later, they all gathered in front of a Space Array in High Heaven Sect. Yang Kai was standing in the centre of the array as he closed his eyes and tried to sense the passage.
For the past ten days, he and Su Yan had accompanied his parents on Jade Tree Peak. He hadn’t been able to fulfil his filial duties because he had been in the outside world for years. Now that he was back, he wanted to make it up to them. If it weren’t because Dong Su Zhu urged him to leave, he would’ve stayed even longer.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to keep her son by her side for a longer time; however, the Star Field was in a perilous situation as wars were raging across it. They could ignore others because their life or death had nothing to do with them; however, Shan Qing Luo and the others were still on their respective Stars, so how could Yang Kai stand idly by?
Therefore, on this day, she decided to chase her son away and told him to look for his other wives. Yang Kai happily agreed to it because he missed Xia Ning Chang and the others as well.
The situation on Shadowed Star was stable as they had killed all the invaders. After this war, there was no way those from Grand Desolation Star Field would invade them again before they understood the current situation on Shadowed Star.
Moreover, Su Yan was here. Even if the invaders had the guts to come, she would ensure that they wouldn’t go back alive.
In the past, before Yang Kai left the Star Field, he had set up more than 100 Space Arrays, which were able to connect almost every major Cultivation Star in the entire Star Field. However, due to the war that had lasted for more than ten years, many Space Arrays had been destroyed. Some were even occupied by those cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field, which was why the great forces in the Star Field weren’t able to effectively support each other as they could only battle against the enemies on their own. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been in such a helpless position.
The Space Array in High Heaven Sect was the origin of all Space Arrays in the Star Field, so it was also the most targeted. The passages that connected High Heaven Sect to other Stars were all destroyed or occupied, which was why the communication between Shadowed Star and the other Stars was cut off.
These Space Arrays were arranged by Yang Kai though, so no one knew them better than he did. After he activated his Divine Sense, Space Principles started fluctuating as he released his might.
Although he was in a Lower Star Field, he was the Star Master of Shadowed Star, so in this place, he was able to use some of his power and didn’t have to worry about repulsion from the Heavenly Way.
A moment later, he opened his eyes as he had found a passage that could be used. The others were looking at him from a nearby place.
Gazing at Su Yan, Yang Kai uttered, “Senior Sister, I’ll leave everything here to you.”
She nodded her head and replied, “Don’t worry.” She now had a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, so although she had suppressed her cultivation, there was no way any Third-Order Origin King would be a match for her. With her keeping watch over Shadowed Star, there was nothing to worry about.
“Come back quickly!” Dong Su Zhu said as she was reluctant to part with him.
Yang Kai nodded and took a deep breath. As the Principles swirled, a light flashed across the array, upon which he disappeared from their sight.
There was a Dead Star a few million kilometres away from Shadowed Star, and inside a mine that was deep below the ground, a Space Array glowed faintly all of a sudden.
In the darkness, some people opened their eyes and shifted their attention to the array.
They were all Origin King Realm Masters from Grand Desolation Star Field. The reason they were guarding this place was that they were waiting for people from Shadowed Star to come so that they could kill them. Previously, they had managed to do so several times. Shadowed Star was under siege, so it was expected that they would send some people out to spread the news. Those people were killed by the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. They had even obtained some Transmission Tokens that were crafted by Yang Kai in the past.
The Space Arrays Yang Kai had set up were not accessible to everyone. If anyone wanted to use it, they had to possess a Transmission Token specially made by him. Otherwise, the user would be exiled to the endless Void.
With those Transmission Tokens, the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field were able to move around freely. They could even go directly to High Heaven Sect. However, with only a small number of Transmission Tokens, they didn’t have the guts to do so. So, they only kept the tokens to use a limited number of Space Arrays to share information with their own people, which was still quite convenient for them.
Nevertheless, they hadn’t seen anyone try to use this array for the past few years. Apparently, those from Shadowed Star had found out that their messengers were being ambushed and killed here, so they stopped trying to send out people.
It wasn’t until this day that someone was going to make the same mistake.
In the darkness, the eyes of those cultivators had turned bloodshot as they concealed their auras and surrounded the Space Array from all directions.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared on the Space Array. He was a handsome and energetic young man, and as soon as he appeared, five shadowy figures pounced on him like ravenous beasts. They were all ruthless people with incredible cultivation, so in the blink of an eye, the mine became as bright as daytime as explosions rang out.
These five people either wore calm expressions or wolfish grins as they stared at the spot where Yang Kai stood, certain he was doomed.
It wasn’t that they thought they were powerful enough and that no one was a match for them. They were all First-Order Origin Kings in fact, without a single Second-Order among them. Given their power, it would be difficult for them to deal with a Second-Order Realm Master, let alone a Third-Order one.
However, Shadowed Star was extremely far away from this place, and anyone who teleported here from there would inevitably fall into a dazed state for a moment. Even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master wasn’t spared from this side-effect.
The time it took for such a person to regain their senses would be short; however, even a breath of time was enough to launch countless deadly attacks.
These stone-hearted people were determined to kill anyone who came to this place. This was how they had always done it, and they had never failed in their attempts before.
They didn’t care if Yang Kai was instantly killed or if they had to follow up and kill him. What they really wanted was the Transmission Token he carried with him. Anyone who used this array must have a token with them. Those from Grand Desolation Star Field were eager to collect these tokens for, as soon as they obtained ten, they planned to send ten top Masters from Cultivation Stars to directly destroy the forces on Shadowed Star.
In the darkness, lights flashed across these five people as they charged towards their prey.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai raised his head and looked into the eyes of a burly man.
As their eyes met, the burly man was astounded. Yang Kai’s clear gaze appeared vigorous, so it was obvious that he didn’t feel any discomfort. With no time to think about it, the burly man still smashed his hammer towards Yang Kai’s head as the wind swirled around his weapon.
Just then, a hand lightly grabbed the hammer, causing the forceful attack to halt. Upon impact, the burly man realised that his arms had turned numb.
The burly man’s pupils contracted as he thought, [How can this be? This guy just came from Shadowed Star. However, not only is he still clear-headed, but he’s also able to grab my artifact with just one hand! How is this possible!?]
Before he could figure it out, his four companions had launched their attacks on the strange young man. At that instant, waves of Saint Qi surged as a loud clang could be heard in the mine. At the same time, rocks started falling from the ceiling.
After a successful strike, the four of them leapt back to their original positions.
A woman in revealing clothes gazed at the burly man and sneered, “Man Zi, have you become exhausted because we’ve had too much sex lately? Why are you so weak now? You’re so useless.”
A frail and short old man coughed and said in a lethargic manner, “It’s said that a charming beauty makes men fall. You should be more restrained.”
A clean-looking man guffawed, “Lady Can, since Man Zi is useless now, why don’t you try out a different man?”
The beautiful woman called Lady Can shot him a look and pressed her lips together, “Go away. Pretty boys like you don’t suit my taste.”
All of a sudden, a folding fan appeared in the clean-looking man’s hand as he fanned himself with it and replied with a smile, “Yes, I’m a pretty boy, but I’m not a weakling. Lady Can, why don’t you sleep with me to find out about it yourself?”
With a cold expression, Lady Can uttered, “Even if your manhood is big, you’re still not my type. I prefer sturdy men like Man Zi.”
Saying so, she turned around and asked curiously, “Man Zi, why are you rooted to the spot there?”
The burly man called Man Zi felt stiff all over his body as cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
As he silently stared at Yang Kai, his eyes were filled with fear and horror, he felt as if death itself was staring back at him.
[All of you are such idiots! He’s not dead!] The other four people immediately retreated after they launched their attack, so they were not aware of Yang Kai’s condition. After all, hardly anyone could survive their collective attack, so they thought that Yang Kai must be doomed. However, only Man Zi, who was standing closest to Yang Kai, clearly saw that his companions’ attack didn’t harm the young man one bit, as though they had just helped him scratch a light itch. At this moment, Yang Kai was almost expressionless, simply staring at the burly man with a mocking look in his eyes.
The burly man wanted to retract his artifact, but he realised that he couldn’t move it at all. The force exerted by the other party made him feel helpless. Upon seeing that Yang Kai’s lips had curved into an eerie smile, he immediately had goosebumps all over his body as he released his artifact in an attempt to retreat.
Just then, a hand reached out slowly and clenched his neck.
At that instant, Man Zi realised that he couldn’t move at all. Despite his towering figure, he was lifted off his feet as he struggled in the air.
Lady Can and the others exclaimed as their expressions changed drastically. They almost couldn’t believe their eyes. A sense of horror was rising within them, consuming them from inside out while at the same time, their limbs had turned completely cold.
They knew Man Zi’s strength very well. He was just as powerful as any one of them, but at this moment, his neck was clenched by this young man and he was lifted off his feet like a helpless chicken.
[Who is he?]
“I can see that all of you are chatting happily,” Yang Kai’s grim voice resonated in the mine, horrifying Lady Can and the others when it entered their ears.
They traded glances without uttering any word. Following that, they charged forward one more time as they expended all of their might. Lights flashed across their bodies and illuminated the entire mine.
“Haha! Come!” Yang Kai guffawed. If these people decided to flee, it would be slightly bothersome for him to catch them all, but he didn’t expect that they would proactively come over, which saved him some trouble.
Just then, he exerted more force with his hand and hurled Man Zi away in a particular direction. At that instant, Man Zi had become a Human-shaped weapon for him.
Nothing was supposed to be there in that direction, but as soon as Man Zi reached that place, the frail and short old man suddenly appeared on the exact spot, as though he had rushed over to place himself there.
A gale gusted across them as the frail man’s muddy eyes were transformed by terror. He watched in horror as Man Zi’s sturdy figure smashed right at his head.
The sound of flesh and bones breaking apart could be heard as Man Zi and the old man became mashed meat, their blood splattering all over the cave, filling the mine with a metallic tang.
Yang Kai then swung Man Zi’s artifact, which he had still held onto, in a seemingly casual manner. However, this light toss contained a power that could destroy a thousand soldiers and turn the seas upside down.
The next moment, the clean-looking man was broken in half on the spot. The defensive artifact on his body and his protective Saint Qi were as frail as paper before the flying hammer, and a moment later, the remnants of his body exploded into a blood mist.
Lady Can and the other man were not dead yet, but they were still impacted by the violent fallout from this clash and were sent reeling backwards as they coughed up blood. Clearly, they were severely injured and their defensive artifacts had all been destroyed.
By the time they managed to stabilize themselves, they were already engulfed in fear. [Just who is this man? Not only did he not feel any discomfort after teleporting here from Shadowed Star, but he was also able to kill three First-Order Origin Kings with ease as though they were helpless lambs. Is he really Human? How is it possible for such a powerful Master to exist on Shadowed Star?]
While Lady Can was still in a dazed state, the other First-Order Origin King turned around and transformed into a beam of light before fleeing for his life.
Since he was no match for the young man, he knew for certain that he would lose his life if he didn’t flee. He did not know what the full extent of Yang Kai’s strength was, so he didn’t dare to continue to stay.
The mine was full of twists and turns, so after dodging left and right a few times, he disappeared from Yang Kai’s sight.
Seeing this, Yang Kai slowly shook his head with a disdainful expression. Any resistance was futile in the face of absolute power. That was the lesson he had learned repeatedly in the Star Boundary.
Then, he spun the hammer artifact around with his hand before he hurled it away. The hammer flew forward and broke through some layers of the rock. Following that, a man could be heard shrieking before the cave fell silent again.
Lady Can had turned completely ashen as she could clearly feel the aura of her last companion disappearing from her Divine Sense. Recalling the shriek just now, she knew what had happened to him.
Of the five First-Order Origin King Realm Masters who were guarding this place, only she was left now.
Upon meeting Yang Kai’s eyes, Lady Can immediately fell on her knees as she trembled and spoke in a shaking voice, “Please spare my life!”
Yang Kai frowned and walked up to her. Then, he clenched her blemish-free chin, forcing her to look up to him, “You’re called Lady Can?”
Lady Can forced a smile, but it was uglier than if she was crying, “That’s what they call me.”
Yang Kai nodded and examined her hourglass body. Her plump and fair bosom was indeed befitting her title. Then, he exerted more force with his hand and uttered, “You’re making it difficult for me.”
It’d be much better if Lady Can had just turned around and fled. He could kill her just like what he had done to the other people. However, not only did this woman not flee, but she had also fallen on her knees and pleaded. If he still killed her, it would make him appear unrighteous.
Lady Can appeared in pain.
“I’m not good at killing women.” Yang Kai shook his head.
Her gaze brightened when she heard that, “Sir, please spare my life. I’m willing to do anything for you.”
However, Yang Kai still shook his head, “I’m not interested.”
A flustered Lady Can immediately looked up at him. Upon realising that he was staring fixedly at her chest, she hurriedly pleaded, “I’m willing to be your slave as long as you don’t kill me.”
As she spoke, she bent over and lifted her backside before she stuck out her tongue. Not only did she appear fawning, but she also barked like a dog. If there was a tail on her backside, she’d really look like a bitch.
Yang Kai couldn’t take it anymore as he couldn’t help but recall the crazy night he had experienced with Su Yan. The intimate session that night was the most exciting experience in his life. However, after that night, Su Yan wouldn’t let him touch her again. It wasn’t certain whether she was mad or shy.
At this moment, Lady Can’s action made him recollect his previous memories, so he immediately felt his blood boiling and his breathing became rough. Although Su Yan wasn’t willing to play such games with him, the woman before his eyes would surely let him do whatever he wanted to her.
[Tsk. I’m somewhat looking forward to it.]
Lady Can examined his expression and realised that he was tempted. Elated, she swung her backside from side to side as her barking turned into a wail, which sounded like moaning. The way she was teasing was able to make any man lose control.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and placed his hand on her shoulder, “After giving it a serious thought, I think that you should still go to Hell.”
Then, he activated his Qi and infused it into her body. The violent force charged around her five viscera, six organs, and her meridians, shredding them all. She then collapsed to the ground as her blood and bits of her organs streamed out from her nose and mouth, her gaze still filled with shock.
Even at the moment of death, she still couldn’t believe that this man didn’t treasure a beautiful woman like her and directly gave her a fatal blow. She widened her eyes and fell to the ground as her vitality left her body.
After Yang Kai scanned the surroundings and made sure that no enemies were left, he nodded slightly.
He had never expected that the Space Arrays, which he had expended a lot of time, energy, and resources to arrange in the past, had become a convenient tool for the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. These five people had clearly been guarding this place for some time now, so they must have killed a number of cultivators from Shadowed Star and even from High Heaven Sect. As such, he didn’t care that this woman was pleading with him in such a pitiful manner. Even if she had stripped herself bare, he would still have killed her.
Although he wasn’t fond of killing women, he wouldn’t be soft-hearted when it was necessary to do so.
After that, he took their Space Rings and made a search. As expected, he found a few Transmission Tokens in these rings and retrieved them. As for the other miscellaneous items, he disdained to even check them.
Following that, he stepped into the Space Array and tried to sense the right direction. Upon finding several paths to take, he focused his mind and identified which one he wanted. Then, he pushed his Space Principles again and disappeared from the place.
Green Mountains Star wasn’t among the top Cultivation Stars in Heng Luo Star Field. It wasn’t even the Home Star of one of the top forces. However, it was famous.
There were two reasons behind its fame. First, there was a Forbidden Zone in this place called the Blood Prison, which opened up every 100 years. Cultivators in the Origin Returning Realm could take part in the Blood Prison Trial to obtain many benefits and opportunities as well as learn the secret to breaking through to the Origin King Realm.
In the past, Yang Kai had participated in the Blood Prison Trial and obtained many Domain Stones, which could help a cultivator in the Origin Returning Realm condense their Shi and form their Domain. Yang Kai had relied on those Domain Stones to reach the Origin King Realm.
No one was certain when the Blood Prison was created, but it had been in existence for more than 10,000 years. As for the reason for its birth, it was rumoured that many Origin King Realm Masters had gotten into a grand battle in this place and lost their lives. Their Martial Dao essence and insights scattered around the land and seeped into the soil. A series of coincidences led to the formation of such a unique environment, after which, Domain Stones were born.
The second reason for the Star’s fame took place several dozen years ago.
After the last Blood Prison Trial, the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai, died suddenly, which sent a shock wave across the entire Star Field. Most people found it inconceivable.
Although Luo Hai was only a Second-Order Origin King, he was the only person in the entire Star Field, at the time, who had managed to become a Star Master at only the Second-Order Realm. His aptitude was already extraordinary, and paired with his Star Source, he was bound to become a Third-Order Master one day and stand at the top of the Star Field, thus becoming an Overlord of his era.
However, such a bright star lost his life all of a sudden. No one knew what happened to him after the Blood Prison Trial. At that time, most people speculated that he had offended some reclusive ancient Master who hadn’t shown himself for thousands of years, leading to his death.
He was a Star Master who was fairly powerful in his own right, so apart from those old monsters, no one else could possibly kill him.
Nevertheless, the truth was only revealed after more than ten years. The person who had killed him wasn’t one of those ancient Masters, but the Star Master of Shadowed Star, Yang Kai!
The news came from Ice Heart Valley on Scarlet Wave Star. Although it wasn’t certain who spread the news, the source should be credible. It was because Scarlet Wave Star was where Luo Hai lost his life, and many disciples from Ice Heart Valley had personally witnessed it.
At that time, Yang Kai had already left the Star Field and headed for the Star Boundary, so after the news was spread, it didn’t even cause a ripple. Although Luo Hai had many friends, no one had actually stormed into Shadowed Star to take revenge for him. Moreover, Yang Kai had already left the Star Field, so they couldn’t even look for the culprit. Therefore, as time passed, this matter slowly quietened down.
However, it was still a piece of shocking news that a Star Master had fallen. It could be said that in the entire Heng Luo Star Field, Luo Hai was the first Star Master to be killed because he had gotten into a conflict with someone. It couldn’t be said that such an incident wouldn’t happen again, but he was definitely the first.
Looking at this familiar Star, Yang Kai started walking down memory lane. It wasn’t the first time he came to Green Mountains Star. Counting the number of times, this was his third visit.
The first time he came to this place was to take part in the Blood Prison Trial. After that, he was hunted down by the Star Master Luo Hai as he ran around the Star Field for half a year until he reached Scarlet Wave Star. If it weren’t because he had hidden in his Sealed World Bead several times, he would have been killed.
That was one of the rare moments when his life was hanging by a thread, so he could never forget the experience. However, he had long ago set that matter out of his mind.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai still had to thank the deceased Luo Hai. If it weren’t because the latter kept chasing after him, he wouldn’t have accidentally barged into Scarlet Wave Star and come across Su Yan in Ice Heart Valley.
These past events had faded like a puff of smoke.
With a smile, Yang Kai stopped thinking about it and turned into a beam of light before heading to Green Mountains Star.
He had wanted to go to Monster Emperor Star directly, which was the only Cultivation Star in the Star Field where the Monster Race ruled and Humans and other Races were treated as second class existences. Shan Qing Luo was currently in that place, and it was also the closest destination to Shadowed Star where one of his wives was waiting.
If the Space Array he had set up in the past didn’t get damaged, he could have directly reached Monster Emperor Star, thus saving him some time. However, the Space Array on Monster Emperor Star seemed to have been destroyed, so he couldn’t go there directly. Left with no choice, he could only take a detour.
The reason he came to Green Mountains Star was that there was a secret passage that led to Monster Emperor Star in the Blood Prison. During the last Blood Prison Trial, Shan Qing Luo and other Juniors from the Monster Race went back and forth through this secret passage. Yang Kai didn’t know the exact location of the passage, but given his cultivation now, he could easily find it after he entered the Blood Prison.
Landing on the ground, he frowned slightly, because the Star was starkly different from when he first saw it. The entire Star was filled with very thick Death Qi. With his bare eyes, he could even see that the Star was engulfed in a layer of yellowish glow.
Certainly, it had something to do with the fall of its Star Master, but it wasn’t the fundamental reason. The Star Master Luo Hai had passed away several dozen years ago, and the Star Source Strength had all returned to Green Mountains Star. Although it was slightly damaged at that time, it couldn’t have caused the Star to go through this kind of transformative change.
Recalling what he had heard from High Heaven Sect about what those from Grand Desolation Star Field had done previously, Yang Kai had a feeling that the changes in Green Mountains Star had something to do with these invaders.
This Cultivation Star had probably fallen completely. Without a Star Master or powerful cultivators around, Green Mountains Star couldn’t have possibly resisted the invasion of those from Grand Desolation Star Field.
Like a falling meteor, Yang Kai descended upon a city. Stopping several hundred metres above it as he looked down and knitted his brows.
He had wanted to ask someone to point out the location of Blood Prison for him, but upon closer inspection, Yang Kai discovered that there were not many people who were still alive in this city. Instead, the entire place was filled with a bloody stench that could make anyone retch. The entire city was basically destroyed. As birds flew past the city, a few people groaned in pain on the ground.
A city of this size could easily accommodate a million people, but at this moment, only a small number could be seen. The thick Corpse Qi had converged and materialised as it hovered above the city like dark clouds.
Upon closer look, there was a huge blood pool in the middle of the city. The blood pool was brimming with blood as it appeared crimson. Countless broken limbs and what looked like faces of ghosts floated on the surface of this pool. At the same time, terrifying wails could be heard.
The entire city was covered in corpses. No one knew how long they had been lying there, but they were all rotten.
Beside the pool, rows of cultivators could be seen being pushed forward to this place by another group of people. After they were mercilessly killed, they were pushed into the blood pool. Begging, crying, and scolding were continuously heard.
This place was practically a living hell, and the sight of it made Yang Kai’s expression turn gloomy.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t killed anyone before. In fact, he had killed countless people, but it was the first time he saw such a horrifying sight at such a scale. It was also the first time he witnessed how cruel those from Grand Desolation Star Field could be.
[This is basically a massacre! What are those from Grand Desolation Star Field trying to achieve? Have they invaded Heng Luo Star Field just to show off their might and have fun killing people?]
Then, he realised that the blood pool was surrounded by a Spirit Array with flickering talismans. There was also a platform that looked like a strange altar.
It was then he came to the realisation that these people were trying to refine something, while those people who were pushed into the blood pool were the ingredients.
“Who goes there!?” Although those cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field weren’t particularly on guard, it wasn’t possible that they still hadn’t noticed it after Yang Kai observed them for such a long time. Moreover, he had never tried to conceal himself, so someone immediately shouted and looked cautiously in his direction.
After Yang Kai swept his eyes around once, he moved and appeared beside the blood pool in the blink of an eye. Then, he lightly patted the head of the one who had shouted earlier, upon which that person turned limp and fell into the blood pool.
In an instant, howling could be heard from the blood pool as countless phantom hands stuck out and pulled that person into the pool. Soon, he disappeared from everyone’s sight.
The other cultivators were flabbergasted, as they didn’t expect that Yang Kai would directly kill without uttering a word. After that, all of them pounced towards him.
“Watch out!” Some people shouted. They were the cultivators whose cultivation had been sealed as they were escorted to this place. They were clearly the locals of Green Mountains Star who had been captured. They thought that they were doomed, but at this moment, a saviour had descended to save them, so they became hopeful again. Not having the heart to see Yang Kai get killed, they hurriedly called out to warn him.
Just then, Yang Kai moved and transformed into countless illusory phantoms before he circled around this huge blood pool. In just a short moment, he stopped in his tracks, as though he had never moved.
On the other hand, those hostile-looking cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field who were pouncing at him were all rooted to the spot. Following that, sounds of corpses falling to the ground could be heard.
The cultivators from Green Mountain Star were all dumbfounded. It wasn’t until a moment later that they started gasping.
These cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field were not weaklings. There were a little more than ten Origin Returning Realm Masters present, while the remaining hundred or so were all Saint Kings. However, these people were all murdered in the blink of an eye.
If they hadn’t seen it with their eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it. Now, they gazed at Yang Kai as though he was a deity. Upon realising that they had finally escaped from death’s door, they started crying tears of joy.
Yang Kai swept a glance over them and then stared fixedly at a red-faced man. He had the highest cultivation among these people, Third-Order Origin Returning Realm. Nevertheless, he had been restricted by a seal as all his Saint Qi was confined to his meridians.
The red-faced man realised that Yang Kai was an incredible Master, and knowing that his survival now hinged on him, he immediately cupped his fists and uttered, “Greetings, Senior. This one is called Peng Shi Zhong.”
Yang Kai raised his hand and replied, “Bring them away first. I have to ask you something later.”
Then, he looked through the void and gazed at the other end of the city. Over there, two Origin King Realm auras were surging. Apparently, they were alerted by what Yang Kai had done here. One of them was a Second-Order Origin King, while the other was a First-Order.
When the auras appeared, Peng Shi Zhong and the others were aghast as they retreated. There were about 300 of them, but their cultivations varied. Their different styles of clothes suggested that they came from different backgrounds, but at this moment, they were united as they looked worriedly at Yang Kai.
“How dare you spoil my plans?! Don’t even think about leaving!” A sharp voice that sounded like a jackal was heard. Following that, two figures emerged from the other end of the city as they flew toward Yang Kai at lightning speed.
They reached Yang Kai in the blink of an eye. Then, it was revealed that they were a man and a woman.
Both of them appeared aged. One of them was an old man whose hair and beard were all grey, while the other was a wrinkled old lady. The similarity between them was that they exuded a thick Corpse Qi. At this moment, the old man stared resentfully at Yang Kai as though he was eager to skin him and pull out all his tendons.
On the other hand, the old lady took a glance at the blood pool and turned hysterical. Glowering at Yang Kai, she said through clenched teeth, “Little brat, how dare you kill the disciples from Netherworld Sect! I’ll make sure that you’ll go through a pain that’s worse than death!”
The disciples from Netherworld Sect could basically do whatever they wanted on Green Mountains Star. Although they would come across some resistance from time to time, they could suppress it quickly. So, they had never expected that someone would have the guts to kill so many of their disciples at once.
These two people from Netherworld Sect were the ones who were in charge of this place, so they had to assume responsibility for anything that happened here. Moreover, some of the dead disciples were just as close to them as their descendants, so there was no way they could forgive Yang Kai.
“Both of you are from Netherworld Sect?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
[Grand Desolation Star Field, Netherworld Sect… Why do I always bump into my enemies?]
“Brat, it’s too late even if you want to beg for mercy! Your Soul will belong to me, and your body will go to her. Don’t even dream about entering the reincarnation cycle again!” The old man’s jackal-like voice screeched, which was so unpleasant to the ears that it was as though the listener’s heart was clawed at.
Yang Kai gazed disdainfully at them, “Do I look like I’m going to beg for your mercy? Are you too old to even see properly now?”
“How dare you!” The old man was enraged after Yang Kai rebuked him. After that, he extended his withered hand toward the young man. His hand was skeletal, and his nails were all black, which looked as horrifying as a ghost claw.
As his withered hand broke through the air, cold wind could be seen swirling around his hand, which was able to send a chill down everyone’s spine.
Yang Kai snickered, “Having a brain is a good thing, but it seems that not everyone has one. I wanted to ask you something; however, since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish.” Upon finishing his words, he pushed out his fist.
The old man’s expression changed drastically at that moment as, although he couldn’t sense Yang Kai using any kind of Qi and his attack seemed simple and straightforward, this punch gave off a very discomforting feeling and he could tell that he could not block or deflect it no matter what.
Although he was already a Second-Order Origin King and had great strength, there was a more practical reason why he was able to live to such an old age. That was because he was highly sensitive to any possible danger.
Therefore, before his claw even reached the young man, he immediately retracted his hand. However, it was too late, as the violent fist hit right at his fingers and a destructive force caused his hand to explode into a fine blood mist.
“What!?” The old lady was astonished. [Who is this brat!? Where did he come from!? Although his fist appeared light, it’s horrifyingly powerful. How did he achieve that?]
It was then that a gale gusted across them and caused them to stagger back. They traded glances and saw the horror behind the other’s gaze. Not daring to hesitate any longer, they immediately brought out their trump cards.
Simultaneously, they extended their hands towards the blood pool and beckoned to it.
Following that, two banners shot out of the blood pool and landed in their grasp. One of the banners appeared scarlet as though it was dyed with blood and exuded a metallic tang. The other banner appeared as dark as night with no reflection of light on it. Eerily though, faces could faintly be seen floating on the banners as they struggled and growled.
“Blood Sea Banner, Ten Thousand Soul Banner!” Peng Shi Zhong exclaimed from afar. His gaze appeared resentful as he stared at the two artifacts that were refined from countless lives while all the others present wore similar expressions.
An innumerable number of people from Green Mountains Star had lost their lives to these two artifacts, so they knew what the Blood Sea Banner and Ten Thousand Soul Banner were.
With their Natal Artifacts in their hands, the old man and the old lady became confident as they stared grimly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai questioned, “Is this the reason you’ve slaughtered so many people?”
He could feel that both the Blood Sea Banner and Ten Thousand Soul Banner were evil artifacts. The reason they were soaking in the blood pool was to make use of the fresh blood and Souls to nurture their power and spirituality.
After these two artifacts appeared, the blood pool fell silent. Even the colour of the blood inside faded.
“It’s an honour for those useless people to enter my banner!” The old man snorted.
With a wicked smile, the old lady uttered, “There’s no rush. You’ll join them soon.”
Yang Kai scoffed, “Oh, interesting, why don’t you show me then?”
The old lady snorted, “I’ll grant your wish.”
Upon finishing her words, she swung her Blood Sea Banner and engulfed Yang Kai in it.
At that instant, the entire sky had turned crimson.
Yang Kai raised his head and took a look in a nonchalant manner. The old lady had put her guard up because she was worried that Yang Kai might resist, but he was actually absorbed into the Blood Sea Banner without making any move. Seeing that, she scoffed, “What a reckless guy. Since he has the guts to enter my Blood Sea Banner, I’ll make sure he perishes inside.”
The old man uttered, “This man is no ordinary cultivator, so you have to be careful. Let me go in as well. We’ll join forces and deal with him.”
The old lady replied, “You’re overly cautious. After entering my Blood Sea Banner, even a Third-Order Origin King will lose a layer of skin.” Despite what she had said, she still took the old man’s arm and moved, upon which they entered the banner together.
Peng Shi Zhong and the others were flustered as they watched from afar. They wondered why the young man was so foolish when he appeared so extraordinary. The Blood Sea Banner was an incredibly powerful artifact and paired with the power of this old lady’s First-Order Origin King cultivation, there was no way he could come out alive. Not only could he not kill the old lady, but he would also contribute to the power of the banner.
They thought that he was their saviour, but he turned out to be an overconfident fool.
“Brother Peng, what should we do now?” Someone gazed at Peng Shi Zhong and asked. At this moment, only their own people were around the blood pool. All the disciples from Netherworld Sect had been killed; moreover, the two Origin Kings had entered the Blood Sea Banner. It could be said that they were the only ones left in the city at the moment.
“Flee!” Before Peng Shi Zhong could utter a word, some people started making noises.
Peng Shi Zhong put on a bitter smile, “Flee? Now? Where?”
If their cultivations hadn’t been sealed, there might still be a glimmer of hope; however, all of them had their strength sealed at the moment, so they could only rely on their legs if they wanted to flee. They couldn’t even run for a thousand kilometres in a day in such a condition.
A thousand kilometres was nothing to an Origin King. They could easily cross such a distance within a quarter of an hour at most to chase after these people. Now, these people were basically hopeless, unless a miracle happened again.
“Should we just wait here to be killed here, then?”
Peng Shi Zhong uttered, “Maybe… Maybe he will be able to come out of the Blood Sea Banner.”
At that instant, all of them looked at him as though he was a fool.
Peng Shi Zhong rubbed his nose, “It’s still a glimmer of hope for us.”
However, there was only a slim chance that a miracle would happen.
“Brother Peng, I’ll leave now even if you don’t. As cultivators, we’re not afraid of death, but it will be miserable if our Souls and bodies are refined into artifacts, and we won’t be able to get into the reincarnation cycle again if that happens. I’d rather look for a place to kill myself than wait for the two old bastards to come out.”
This man’s words resonated with the others. Sometimes, death wasn’t so horrible, but it would be unacceptable if their body and Soul were desecrated even after they died.
Peng Shi Zhong uttered, “Since that’s the case, I wish you all a safe journey.”
Seeing that he insisted on staying, they didn’t attempt to persuade him. They were running out of time now as no one knew when the duo from Netherworld Sect would come out. The most important thing for them now was to flee.
In just a short moment, half of the people on the scene had left. Several dozen people still remained on the spot though. They appeared apprehensive and hopeless. Perhaps they had realised that it was useless to flee, so they preferred to remain and save some energy. Maybe a miracle would really happen.
…
The Blood Sea surged as only redness could be seen everywhere. At the same time, the smell of iron permeated the air. Inside the Blood Sea, countless hideous corpses were floating on the surface as they all looked like horrible ghosts.
Yang Kai hovered above the Blood Sea and looked coldly at the sight that looked like Hell.
Just then, the old man and the old lady appeared at the same time.
The old lady sneered, “Since you’ve entered my Blood Sea Banner, there’s no way you can leave alive.”
The old man also laughed in a grating manner, “Foolish overconfidence.”
Yang Kai asked, “Are all these corpses cultivators from Green Mountains Star?”
The corpses that were wallowing in the Blood Sea definitely numbered more than 10,000. There were probably more than several hundred thousand of them.
The old lady replied, “How are you still in the mood to ask about other people when you’re about to die? You’re quite soft-hearted, huh?”
“I have the right to find out the truth before my death. Don’t you agree?” Yang Kai turned to look at her faintly.
The old lady put on a laugh that sounded like a crow’s caw, “I’m glad you understand the situation you’re in! Don’t worry. I won’t let you feel any pain. You’ll be killed in the blink of an eye.”
“You haven’t answered my question. Besides blurred vision, have you also become deaf because of old age?”
The old lady’s face fell, “Good, most of them are local cultivators. It’s thanks to their contribution that I was able to reach the Origin King Realm.”
Yang Kai went on to ask, “Has your Sect invaded our Star Field just because of this?”
She replied, “It takes a lot of ingredients to refine a Blood Sea Banner and Ten Thousand Soul Banner. We have to be more restrained in Grand Desolation Star Field, but we can do whatever we want here. By the way, there are indeed many cultivators here. I wonder how far my Blood Sea Banner can be refined after all of them are digested.”
Yang Kai shook his head at that and commented lightly, “It’s already reached its limit because you won’t be able to improve it again.”
She sneered, “Do you still think you can flee?”
“Why should I flee?” Yang Kai looked puzzledly at her.
She was startled for a moment before she asked in disbelief, “Do you want to kill us, then?”
“Of course.”
The old lady and the old man guffawed as though they had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
“Do you know Yin Le Sheng?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
Their laugh stopped abruptly as they gazed at him in disbelief. The old man questioned, “How do you know that name?”
“Yin Le Sheng was the former Sect Master of Netherworld Sect, right?”
The old man appeared hesitant, “You know our former Sect Master?”
[That’s not possible! Our Sect Master had left Grand Desolation Star Field several dozen years ago and headed for the Star Boundary. He’s never come to this Star Field before, so how is it possible for him to know of his name?]
“Of course I know him.” Yang Kai nodded as his voice turned grim, “Because I was the one who killed him.”
Right after he finished speaking, the old man suddenly floated in the air against his will as he felt a vice grip on his neck. It was then he realised that his throat was clenched by Yang Kai, but the young man’s figure was still dozens of metres away from him.
“I’ll send you two to meet him. You don’t have to thank me,” As Yang Kai spoke, he exerted more force with his hand, upon which an old head flew into the air.
Beside the blood pool, one of the several dozen people, who were ready for death, suddenly uttered, “Brother Peng, I think we should flee.”
He didn’t want to die just like this, so he persuaded Peng Shi Zhong by saying, “As long as we can stay alive, we can always get our revenge in the future.”
Upon hearing that, Peng Shi Zhong put on a helpless smile. Just when he was about to say something, he suddenly turned his head, only to see a red glow surging as the Blood Sea Banner, which was floating in the air. The banner flapped wildly, as though something was about to storm out of it.
“It’s too late.” Peng Shi Zhong slowly shook his head.
[Was that young man killed so quickly?] He couldn’t help but laugh in self-mockery. He was too naive to have placed his hope on the young man.
The others were speechless as well. Yang Kai appeared haughty earlier, so they thought that he must be formidable. However, after he entered the Blood Sea Banner, he was killed in just a short moment, which was laughable.
Nevertheless, no one was in the mood to laugh, because they would be killed next.
The next moment, all of them were astounded as they widened their eyes and stared at the front in disbelief.
A person indeed leapt out of the Blood Sea Banner, but contrary to their expectations, it wasn’t the old lady or the old man from Netherworld Sect. It was the foolish young man.
The young man seemed to have just taken a stroll, as he still appeared calm and collected. After leaving the Blood Sea Banner, he waved his hand and stored the artifact, which was made using countless lives. Then, he turned around to have a look and frowned, “Where are the others?”
No one replied to him. All of them were rooted to the spot as though they had been struck by lightning. Their minds were in a mess, and they couldn’t come to their senses.
“Hey, I asked you a question,” Yang Kai scowled. [What are these people doing? I saved their lives, so shouldn’t they fall on their knees and say something like they’ll never forget my favour? Why are they all gawking like fools? Have they lost their minds?]
“T-T-They ran away,” Peng Shi Zhong gulped and replied in an awkward tone.
Yang Kai scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense and realised that there were indeed many people who were running for their lives in different directions a few kilometres away. However, since their cultivations had been sealed, they were pretty slow.
“Never mind,” Yang Kai waved his hand and sent out a wave of force that was as gentle as a breeze across Peng Shi Zhong and the others.
Everyone below widened their eyes in disbelief, because after Yang Kai swept his hand, the seals in their bodies were all broken.
They hadn’t felt their Qi flowing freely along their meridians for a long time, so at this moment, they had the urge to lift their heads and cheer.
“Senior, those two…” Peng Shi Zhong looked hopefully at Yang Kai. Although he had his own speculation, he wasn’t certain about it.
“The culprits have been killed, so it can serve as some small comfort for those who have lost their lives in the city. It’s a shame that I arrived too late.” Yang Kai heaved a sigh, “Flee now and don’t get caught again.”
They were lucky this time, but they wouldn’t always get so lucky. Then, Yang Kai moved and disappeared from their sight as he had left the city.
Peng Shi Zhong was dumbfounded. Although he had made a guess, he still found it inconceivable after his speculation was confirmed by Yang Kai.
[The two people from Netherworld Sect were Origin King Realm Masters. Moreover, they had the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and Blood Sea Banner with them. On top of that, that young man had entered the Blood Sea Banner, but he was still able to kill them in just a short moment. How is that possible?]
The young man’s strength and methods were indeed extraordinary. It was difficult to believe what had happened, but Peng Shi Zhong couldn’t deny reality; after all, the young man had stashed the Blood Sea Banner into his Space Ring. If the old lady from Netherworld Sect was still alive, she wouldn’t have allowed such a thing to happen.
[Who was that young man? What realm is he in that allows him to achieve such a thing?]
In exasperation, Peng Shi Zhong smacked his own head. He was so shocked just now that he had forgotten to ask for the young man’s name. Now, he didn’t even know his saviour’s name, which was highly improper.
While he was deep in his thoughts, a shadow that was as small as a ring appeared in his sight all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, the shadow became as big as a fist. The next moment, it looked as large as a melon, and when he came to his senses, his saviour was already standing in the air above him.
He looked dazedly at Yang Kai and uttered, “Senior, you…”
“En, I think I should give you some extra help.” Yang Kai reached out, upon which Peng Shi Zhong flew towards him and hovered in the air before his eyes.
“Senior!” Peng Shi Zhong was flustered, as he didn’t know what Yang Kai was trying to do. Nevertheless, he wasn’t so worried because the young man didn’t appear ill-intentioned.
“Open your mouth!” Yang Kai ordered.
Peng Shi Zhong was confused, but still opened his mouth as he was told.
Then, Yang Kai flicked his finger and shot a pill into his mouth. The pill soon entered his stomach.
The restrictive power disappeared as Peng Shi Zhong fell back to the ground. After he stabilised himself though, he widened his eyes and immediately sat down with his legs crossed. The other cultivators were still puzzled as they watched the sight, but after a moment of observation, they were flabbergasted by what they witnessed.
That was because, at this moment, Peng Shi Zhong exuded an extremely powerful aura fluctuation. He looked like he had a caged beast inside his body that was battering against him, trying to free itself from its confines.
Between the Heavens and Earth, an astonishing vibration could be felt, and a moment later, dark clouds started gathering in the sky as lightning was seen flashing across them.
[Is he going to achieve a breakthrough? He’s already a Third-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator though. If he achieves a breakthrough, that means he’ll reach the Origin King Realm!]
Many people at the scene were close to Peng Shi Zhong, so they knew what realm he was in. Although he was quite talented when it came to cultivation, he was still quite far away from breaking through to the Origin King Realm. At the very least, he would have to cultivate hard for at least another 100 years to achieve this.
However, all of a sudden, he took a seat on the ground and was about to achieve a breakthrough. Apparently, it was all thanks to the pill given to him by the young man.
At that instant, everyone stared enviously at Peng Shi Zhong, as this was indeed a fantastic opportunity. At the same time, they found Yang Kai to be even more inscrutable. The fact that he was able to kill two Origin King Realm Masters with ease was already stunning enough, but after he offered Peng Shi Zhong such an astounding benefit, they couldn’t help wondering who this young man really was.
*Hong long long…*
In just a short moment, the dark clouds in the sky had grown thicker, as though a pile of dark cotton had covered the entire sky.
Yang Kai looked up and appeared displeased because everything was moving too slow. He was in a rush to head to Monster Emperor Star, and although he didn’t mind lending a hand to Peng Shi Zhong, he wasn’t willing to waste too much time on this matter.
It seemed that it would take half a day before World Energy Baptism would take place.
Suddenly thinking of something, Yang Kai approached Peng Shi Zhong and circulated his Emperor Qi ever so slightly.
*HONG LONG LONG…*
The dark clouds in the sky instantly become more turbulent as the lightning grew far more violent.
Yang Kai put on a smile. That idea had just flashed across his mind, but he didn’t expect that it would really be effective. His existence was not tolerated by the Star Field, so during this period, he had suppressed his cultivation to avoid being rejected by the Heavenly Way. After he unsealed his cultivation a little, he had indeed attracted hostility from the Heavens. Together with the baptism that would allow Peng Shi Zhong to reach the next realm, it had accelerated the convergence of World Energy.
As he made calculations in his heart and realised that it was the right time, Yang Kai quickly sealed his cultivation again. A vast amount of World Energy had already been gathered, so it now had to be released, and Peng Shi Zhong happened to be the best target around.
In just a short period of time, World Energy had reached a critical saturation.
Although Peng Shi Zhong was seated on the ground as he was refining the medicinal efficacies of the pill he was forced to take, he wasn’t oblivious to his surroundings. At this moment, he felt horrified as he reckoned that he would probably lose his life; after all, it required a lot of preparation before anyone could achieve a breakthrough. The incident on this day was totally unexpected to him though, so he hadn’t prepared anything. He didn’t even wear any defensive artifacts.
[What is he doing? He gave me a pill and helped me achieve a breakthrough, but that’s akin to leading on the road to death. This turn of events is a little unbearable for me…]
*Kacha…*
A beam of lightning that was as thick as a baby’s arm directly struck Peng Shi Zhong.
[I’ve come to the end of my life!] Peng Shi Zhong was crestfallen. At this moment, the violent medicinal efficacies were charging around in his body, so he couldn’t even run away as he had to remain seated on the ground and bear this fatal strike.
After he was struck by the lightning bolt, he shuddered and felt numb all over his body, followed by a sharp pain; however, he was surprised instead of afraid because he wasn’t dead. The power of the World Energy Baptism was weaker than he thought it would be, and since that was the case, he knew that there was a high possibility of him managing to endure it.
If he managed to overcome this tribulation difficulty, he would reach the Origin King Realm and become a true Master. In this era that was full of wars, he might not be able to walk sideways, but he would be able to protect himself. At the very least, he wouldn’t be captured easily like what had happened to him this time.
“What wild thoughts are you having? Focus your mind and feel the power of Heaven and Earth around you, then use it to solidify your Domain!” A stern voice suddenly rang in Peng Shi Zhong’s ear, after which he set aside all distracting thoughts and emptied his mind.
Another beam of lightning struck him.
It was then that Peng Shi Zhong realized that when the World Energy Baptism descended, the young man beside him waved his hand and made the force that was approaching from the sky split into two.
Most of the force shot back towards the sky, while a small part of it landed on him.
[He’s even able to interfere in the World Energy Baptism? In the World Principles themselves!?] Peng Shi Zhong wasn’t even sure how to put his feelings into words anymore.
The onlookers around them were equally dumbstruck, as they had never seen or heard of such a thing before. The young man’s power probably didn’t belong to this world.
As the power of Heaven and Earth kept descending, Yang Kai repeatedly waved his hand and split the force in two. With his protection, it was impossible that Peng Shi Zhong would lose his life.
One hour later, Peng Shi Zhong got to his feet. Although he appeared battered, dishevelled and exhausted, there was a glow in his eyes that he had never had before. Then, he cupped his fists and bowed so deeply he nearly became parallel to the ground as he shouted, “Senior, many thanks for helping me reach the Origin King Realm. I will never forget your favour and swear that…”
“Yes, yes, very good,” Yang Kai raised his hand impatiently, “I wouldn’t have done so much if I wanted you to return the favour.”
The value of the pill alone had exceeded Peng Shi Zhong’s ability to repay as a debt of gratitude.
The reason Yang Kai decided to help him was that he didn’t want to see them falling into the hands of those from Grand Desolation Star Field again after he saved them. With an Origin King Realm Master around, they would be able to resist their enemies better.
Green Mountains Star was a Cultivation Star in Heng Luo Star Field, so Yang Kai couldn’t allow the invaders to continue strutting around here as they pleased. Sooner or later, he would chase them all away, but until then, he decided to leave a spark here in the hope that it would eventually set the entire Star Field aflame, bringing hope with it.
Peng Shi Zhong wouldn’t dare to be displeased even though he was interrupted by Yang Kai. In an even more respectful manner, he asked, “Senior, are you a member of White Robes Guild?”
“What is that? I’ve never heard of it.”
Peng Shi Zhong replied, “It’s the greatest force against Grand Desolation Star Field on Green Mountains Star. I assumed Senior was from White Robes Guild.” After giving it a thought, he realised that even though White Robes Guild had risen in fame in the past dozen years, they didn’t have any Masters as powerful as this mysterious young man. The leader of White Robes Guild was only a Second-Order Origin King and naturally, a young man with such phenomenal ability wouldn’t become someone else’s subordinate.
“Good. This is as far as I can help you. From now on, all of you have to rely on yourselves.” Yang Kai extended his hand and patted Peng Shi Zhong’s shoulder, “By the way, where’s the Blood Prison?”
Peng Shi Zhong immediately pointed out the direction for him, but just when he wanted to ask Yang Kai why he was going to the Blood Prison, the latter had already leapt into the air and headed into the distance.
“Senior, may I ask your honoured name?” Peng Shi Zhong shouted.
In the distance, Yang Kai answered back.
Upon hearing that, Peng Shi Zhong frowned, as he felt that the name was familiar to him. He must have heard it from somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember where it was.
“Yang Kai!” One person suddenly exclaimed.
Peng Shi Zhong turned to look at the person as his expression appeared inquisitive.
“Brother Peng, please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten this name.” The person looked at Peng Shi Zhong with a conflicted expression, “Several dozen years ago, Star Master Luo Hai was killed…”
It was then that Peng Shi Zhong recalled who the young man was, “It’s him?”
He finally remembered where he had heard this name before. Although everyone in the Star Field was shocked to learn that Luo Hai was killed, it was the cultivators on Green Mountains Star that were most affected. After the Star Master passed away, the Star Source Strength with Luo Hai had returned to the Star, but it had inevitably suffered some damage, causing the World Energy on the Star to weaken. That was why the billions of cultivators on the Star loathed Yang Kai.
However, Peng Shi Zhong had never expected that the person who saved him on this day was the one who had killed Luo Hai several dozen years ago.
[If it’s him… Then it all makes sense,] Peng Shi Zhong thought. Yang Kai was already able to kill a Star Master several dozen years ago, so it wasn’t surprising that he could showcase such power and methods today.
“I heard that he had left the Star Field several dozen years ago and headed for a Higher Plane. Was this news fake?”
“Maybe he has returned?”
“In the past, there was the Starry Sky Great Emperor in the Star Field who was practically unrivalled. I think even if this Senior Yang is still no match for the Starry Sky Great Emperor, the difference in powers between them isn’t far off.”
“If a new Starry Sky Great Emperor rose, then it would be good news for the countless cultivators in the Star Field.”
Although the fact that Yang Kai had killed Luo Hai had left a bad impression on those from Green Mountains Star, that incident happened a long time ago, so nobody really wanted to take revenge for Luo Hai anymore. Now that they were saved by Yang Kai, naturally, they were grateful to him.
After they chatted for a while more, they stopped talking and approached Peng Shi Zhong to congratulate him on his breakthrough.
Peng Shi Zhong forced a smile. In the past, he would have been over the moon if he reached the Origin King Realm; however, now, so many people had been slaughtered, and his friends and relatives were mostly killed, so the joy of such an ascension had diminished greatly.
“Brother Peng, what should we do now?” Someone asked.
In the past, Peng Shi Zhong already had the highest cultivation among them, and now he was a genuine Origin King. If they wanted to survive, they had to stay by his side and listen to his orders.
After giving it a thought, Peng Shi Zhong raised his head and uttered, “I intend to join White Robes Guild.”
There were many great forces on Green Mountains Star that resisted the oppression from Grand Desolation Star Field. Nevertheless, White Robes Guild was definitely the most powerful among them. Moreover, it had only been a short time since it was founded, so they would surely be in need of more Masters and warriors. Peng Shi Zhong believed that they would certainly welcome an Origin King like him.
He had gone through a bumpy emotional ride today, so he was somewhat enlightened. Not only had he escaped from death’s door, but he was also offered help to reach the Origin King Realm. So, he reckoned that he should join the war to liberate Green Mountains Star. Even if he was bound to die on the battlefield, he wouldn’t regret his decision.
His suggestion resonated with many people and all soon agreed with his plan.
Peng Shi Zhong went on to announce, “Go bring those other people back. If they’re willing to follow me, we’ll go to White Robes Guild together; however, if they don’t agree to it, I won’t force them.”
After that, all of them dispersed to search for the others who had fled earlier.
…
Smoke could be seen billowing from everywhere as scorched earth covered the land.
Yang Kai’s expression was extremely dark. He thought that the city where he came across Peng Shi Zhong was just a rare instance, but he had never expected that it was already the norm on Green Mountains Star.
All the cities he passed by were destroyed with no survivors in sight. Inside the cities, traces of blood pools and altars could still be seen. Apparently, it was the doing of the cultivators from the Netherworld Sect.
Needless to say, all the citizens who once lived in these cities must have been killed and used as materials to refine Blood Sea Banners and Ten Thousand Soul Banners by those from the Netherworld Sect.
What those from the Netherworld Sect had done was evil and outrageous. Nine in ten cities were empty as Death Qi permeated the skies.
On his way to his destination, Yang Kai had saved some people and killed anyone from the Netherworld Sect and Grand Desolation Star Field he came across. However, what he had done was inadequate to save everyone on this Star.
After arriving at a new city, Yang Kai again killed all the invaders he found, but he finally reached a breaking point and couldn’t take it anymore. So, he kept the last person alive and clenched his neck before questioning in a grim voice, “Where’s the strongest person from the Netherworld Sect right now?”
The person was already shaken to the core by Yang Kai’s overwhelming power, so he replied in horror, “The Sixth Elder is currently in Gathering Yang City!”
“Lead the way!” Yang Kai ordered.
“Yes, yes, yes!” The person hurriedly replied and pointed out the direction for Yang Kai. The next moment, the view around them went flying by him in reverse at a horrifying speed. The person was so shocked that he immediately closed his eyes.
Although Yang Kai didn’t have the time to stay on Green Mountains Star to turn the situation around, he could still look for the enemy leader and kill him.
Gathering Yang City was one of the top cities on Green Mountains Star. It was a huge city that was hustling and bustling with countless cultivators entering and leaving the place in the past. However, it had been occupied after those from the Netherworld Sect invaded this place and, since then, the city had become the base for Netherworld Sect on Green Mountains Star.
At least hundreds of thousands of people had been detained in the city as ingredients for those from the Netherworld Sect to refine their wicked artifacts. Over the past few dozen years, countless people had been sacrificed.
Naturally, such an important place was the most heavily guarded by Netherworld Sect. Although they had absolute control over Green Mountains Star, they couldn’t possibly oppress every single cultivator on the Star. Nevertheless, they had never intended to do so, as they only regarded the people on this Star as materials to refine their artifacts.
It was a particularly violent day in Gathering Yang City.
Yang Kai arrived at this place with his guide, but just when he was about to showcase his power, he realised that the city had descended into an intense battle.
Flashes of light could be seen across the city as people were continuously killed. Countless were entangled in the air and on the ground in a chaotic melee.
“White Robes Guild!” The person, who was still being carried by Yang Kai, exclaimed.
“They’re from White Robes Guild?” Yang Kai swept a glance over the battlefield and his interest was piqued.
He had just heard from Peng Shi Zhong about White Robes Guild yesterday, so he didn’t expect that he’d come across them on this day. According to Peng Shi Zhong, White Robes Guild was the strongest force opposing Grand Desolation Star Field on Green Mountains Star, and it seemed that he was right. These people had to be fairly powerful to have the guts to start a battle in Gathering Yang City.
“Yes, they’re from White Robes Guild,” the man replied. Then, he suddenly came to his senses and yelled, “Senior, I’ve brought you to Gathering Yang City. Please…”
He stopped speaking abruptly though before Yang Kai hurled the new corpse away and pursed his lips.
Upon closer inspection, he realised that there was no mystery as to which side would turn out to be the winner. Although there were many people on White Robes Guild’s side, it was apparent that they were no match for Netherworld Sect. That was because they didn’t have many powerful Masters. On most of the battlefields, those from White Robes Guild had already lost, and in just half a day, they would have to flee for their lives.
The prerequisite was that they had to still be able to flee by then.
At this moment, everyone was caught up in the battle around and inside the city. Yang Kai also realised that the City Defending Array of Gathering Yang City had been activated. Although he wasn’t certain what was going on, he could deduce that White Robes Guild must have fallen into an enemy trap. If the array was able to fully close, they would be trapped and eventually eliminated.
Certainly, those from White Robes Guild had realised this problem as well and many wanted to break out of the siege, but they were tied down by the enemy forces. Moreover, with multiple Ten Thousand Soul Banners and Blood Sea Banners in this place, putrid Blood Qi and vicious Yin Souls roamed the air freely, making the entire city look like the very picture of Hell.
[I’ve definitely come at the right time!] Yang Kai strode forward and waved his hand, upon which a few figures appeared suddenly. He needed more people to help him out at this kind of moment. Although it would be completely fine for him to charge forward alone, he knew that he could save more people with additional helpers.
Before he could even say anything, Liu Yan charged forward and landed a kick on him.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai glared at her.
Liu Yan pouted as her eyes had turned wet. She appeared aggrieved, as though she was blaming Yang Kai for ignoring her for the past few days. Yang Kai had wanted to reprimand her, but he gulped down his words and picked her up before placing her on his shoulder, “Are you happy now?”
Liu Yan then rode on his neck and wrapped her arms around his head before putting on a smile.
Li Jiao cupped his fists and uttered, “Brother Yang.”
He Yun Xiang also greeted, “Sir.”
Although his Embodiment, Lu San Niang, and Ruan Bi Ting didn’t say anything, they looked curiously at him.
“Have you all suppressed your cultivations properly? Are you alright with fighting against others now?” Yang Kai asked.
“There’s no problem.” Li Jiao nodded. Since he was put into the Small Sealed World by Yang Kai back on Dragon Island, this was the first time he had been let out, so he wanted to show Yang Kai that he was able to help him.
He Yun Xiang looked in the direction of Gathering Yang City and asked, “Sir, are we going to interfere in the battle over there?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai pointed at the front, “Do you see those banner-wielding people who look like ghosts? Kill them all.”
“Yes.” He Yun Xiang bowed her head.
Seeing that Ruan Bi Ting was constantly looking around anxiously, Yang Kai explained, “Su Yan is somewhere else right now.”
He had forgotten to leave her behind to keep Su Yan company some time ago, but since she was here anyway, she could be a helper at this moment.
As they spoke, they moved towards Gathering Yang City.
At this moment, the array in this city was steadily shrinking, pressuring the cultivators from White Robes Guild. Although they wanted to break out of the enclosure, they were powerless to do so; therefore, they could only watch as the array continued to close up.
Just then, they caught a glimpse of some strangers outside the city, so they looked curiously at them.
Just then, the mountains and the ground could be seen shaking as the City Defending Array of Gathering Yang City finally sealed off completely.
Everyone from White Robes Guild turned ashen as they realised that they were doomed.
Right before everyone’s eyes though, the Embodiment stepped forward and lightly pushed out his fist, seemingly not exerting any force at all.
Nevertheless, the power of his fist was able to make the Heavens and Earth shudder, and those from Grand Desolation Star Field turned pale upon realizing this.
After refining Shi Huo’s Source, the Embodiment could shrink to the size of an average Human; however, his true form was that of a stone giant that was as towering as a mountain. So, although his strike appeared light, it actually contained immense power.
In one move, the City Defending Array, which looked impenetrable, rippled wildly, and with his fist as the centre, several cracks started spreading across the barrier. Lights could be seen flickering above the array, and the next moment, it broke into pieces.
It was indeed stunning that he was able to break the array with just one light fist, and those who witnessed this scene down below were shocked and aghast.
Without the need for Yang Kai to say anything, Li Jiao, Lu San Niang, Ruan Bi Ting, He Yun Xiang, and the Embodiment shot off in five different beams of lights towards five different directions. After they landed on the battlefield, all their enemies were immediately killed as these people were no match for them.
Among the five people, He Yun Xiang had the lowest cultivation, as she had just reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm not long ago. Nevertheless, in Gathering Yang City, their most powerful enemy was only a single Third-Order Origin King, while there were not many other Origin Kings present. So, how were these people supposed to oppose this force?
Just like a bunch of fully grown adult soldiers who had interfered in the game of a group of young children, it was a completely unreasonable and overwhelming disaster.
In the blink of an eye, they had managed to kill more than 100 people, with a number of Origin Kings among the deceased.
The arrival of these saviours instantly turned the situation around and those from White Robes Guild, who were determined to fight till their death, were astounded as they realised that these people were there to help them. While their enemies were still stuck in a dazed state, the White Robes Guild charged forward and counterattacked. Unlike earlier, they occupied the absolute advantage as the cultivators from the Netherworld Sect were forced to retreat again and again.
From a bird’s eye view, Li Jiao and the others looked just like five Dragons that were swimming across the city, leaving five trails of death and destruction behind them. The enemies within a radius of several dozen meters around any one of them were immediately wounded or killed.
These people were totally no match for them as the difference in power wasn’t just massive, it was as wide as the gap between the Heavens and Earth.
“Oh?” Yang Kai suddenly looked in a particular direction. In the sky over there, a white figure was struggling amidst a mass of black Qi, attempting to break free from it. Yang Kai looked through the black Qi, and upon making out the face of the white figure, he was surprised, for he had never expected that he would come across a familiar person here.
After giving it a thought, he finally recalled the person’s name. In fact, he wasn’t close to this person, as they had only met once; however, this person had offered him some assistance at that time, so in a way, they were somewhat related.
They hadn’t met for years, so Yang Kai hadn’t expected this person to have reached the Second-Order Origin King Realm already, but as ‘that’ person’s Disciple, his aptitude proved truly extraordinary.
This person’s enemy was the Third-Order Origin King Realm Master assuming command of this city. Nevertheless, the enemy’s aura was unstable, which was similar to He Yun Xiang’s situation. Apparently, he had just reached the Third-Order a short time ago and hadn’t managed to consolidate his foundation.
This newly promoted Third-Order Origin King was a short old man who was clad in a loose robe, one which almost covered his entire body. As the energy waves around him surged, his aura appeared glacial. He was holding a Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his left hand from which a menacing howling could be heard. These howls seemed able to affect one’s Soul and were causing trouble for the white figure. Meanwhile, beams of lights that looked like blood kept shooting out from the Blood Sea Banner in the old man’s right hand.
There was a gap between their cultivations, and the artifacts in the old man’s hands were eerily powerful, so although the white figure was fairly powerful in his own right, he could barely parry the enemy’s attacks. He appeared battered as he kept avoiding the enemy’s strikes without the power to counterattack.
If the Embodiment hadn’t broken Gathering Yang City’s Defending Array, distracting the old man, the white figure would have lost the battle by now.
Just then, Yang Kai leapt into the air and approached them. The old man’s expression darkened as he had been distracted again, which allowed the white figure to take a breather.
In just a short moment, Yang Kai reached a location that was only a kilometre away from them.
The old man immediately bellowed, “Who are you? Why are you going against our Sect?” He was certain that these people were not from Green Mountains Star. He had stayed on this Star for more than ten years and dealt with countless local cultivators, so he knew most of the Masters here. However, he had never heard of these people who had visited Gathering Yang City on this day, but every one of them was able to arouse fear in him.
As such, he couldn’t remain focused as Yang Kai edged closer to him. He was worried that not only could they not destroy White Robes Guild today, they would also lose Gathering Yang City. However, he was a Third-Order Origin King in the end and was confident in his own power, so he wasn’t in a rush to flee. Now, he wanted to find out more about Yang Kai and the others before he returned to the Sect to ask their Master to deal with them.
“Watch out, old man. I’m going to use a super-secret hidden weapon!” Yang Kai yelled as he didn’t want to waste any time on him. Then, he grabbed something from his head and hurled it forward.
The old man and the white figure were dumbfounded as they had forgotten about the battle between them, for the hidden weapon Yang Kai had thrown at them was a young girl, who had been sitting on his shoulders just now.
She looked like a child of only seven or eight years. Her long hair reached her waist, and she appeared delicate and adorable. Anyone who saw her would take a liking to her; however, at this moment, she was actually thrown out at the enemy as a hidden weapon. So, there was no way she could survive. The young girl appeared dumbstruck as well as her petite figure shot toward the old man. Nevertheless, she didn’t try to struggle or throw a tantrum.
The old man was enraged as he felt that he had been looked down on. He wanted to kill the little girl, but as soon as he met her clear gaze, he suddenly felt terrified.
The flustered old man immediately swung the Blood Sea Banner in his hand, upon which a blood light flashed out across the young girl and drew her inside of it.
[I don’t care who she is. I’ll hold her hostage first.]
The white figure was flurried upon seeing that, so he immediately pounced on the old man and traded some moves with him. However, he was no match for him, so he was forced to retreat. With a spear in his hand, he panted heavily.
“Brother Xu, it’s been too long since we last met. How have you been?” Yang Kai continued hovering mid-air as he greeted the white figure with a smile. His black hair and robe flapped in the wind. If he hadn’t thrown out the little girl as a hidden weapon earlier, he would have looked pretty noble and imposing.
“You are…” Xu Bin Bai looked at Yang Kai with a frown as he found the latter familiar, and after some quick deliberation, he finally recalled an incident that happened several dozen years ago and in shock, exclaimed, “It’s you!”
He finally recognised Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned at him, “En, it’s me.”
“Why are you…” Xu Bin Bai couldn’t believe that Yang Kai would appear in this place; after all, Yang Kai had left the Star Field several dozen years ago. It was said that he had used the Great Emperor Tokens to forcefully break through the Void and head for the Higher World.
His companions at that time were the greatest Masters in the Star Field, President Ai Ou of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Monster King Chi Yue from Monster Emperor Star, Union Master Gu Cang Yun of Sword Union, and Xu Bin Bai’s Honoured Master, Wu Dao.
It had been several dozen years since they left, and there had never been any news about them. Before Wu Dao left, he had told Xu Bin Bai many things, so the latter understood this matter very well.
[Why is he here? Where is my Honoured Master?] Xu Bin Bai looked around in an attempt to look for the person who had raised him, but that person was nowhere to be found.
Seeing his enemies chit-chatting while ignoring him, the old man from Netherworld Sect couldn’t take it anymore and bellowed, “Who are you!?”
Yang Kai turned to look at him, “You’re going to die soon, so what’s the point of you asking so many questions?”
The old man’s face fell as he said through clenched teeth, “I’ll remember you. Our Sect will definitely have its revenge one day!”
Upon finishing his words, he shot into the distance.
Certainly, Xu Bin Bai wouldn’t allow him to leave, so he was ready to chase after him, but just then, Yang Kai raised his hand and uttered, “There’s no point running after a dead man.”
Xu Bin Bai looked puzzledly at him. Although he wasn’t certain about Yang Kai’s cultivation, he knew that the old man was definitely no match for Yang Kai. That was the Sixth Elder of the Netherworld Sect, so if they could kill him in this place, it would be a blow to the Netherworld Sect. Therefore, he didn’t understand why they had to let this chance slip through their fingers.
While gazing at Yang Kai, he realised that there was an inscrutable smile on his face as the latter stared fixedly in the direction the old man had left.
Realising something, Xu Bin Bai turned his gaze in that direction, after which he widened his eyes in disbelief.
The old man, who had flown several thousand metres, suddenly staggered as though he had been hit by something. Following that, the Blood Sea Banner in his hand burst into flames.
Initially, the fire wasn’t so conspicuous, but in the blink of an eye, the Blood Sea Banner was completely engulfed in flames. The old man coughed out a mouthful of blood before he threw away what was left of the banner.
He had used his Soul to refine both the Blood Sea Banner and Ten Thousand Soul Banner, so if either of these artifacts was damaged, he would also be affected. Since the Blood Sea Banner was now burning to ashes, there was no way he could still be alright.
Just then, a spark leapt out of the Blood Sea Banner and transformed into a mini Fire Phoenix. It was only a palm-sized phoenix, but it appeared extremely elegant. As it raised its head and cried, the Heavens and Earth seemed to shake.
Seeing the Fire Phoenix flying at him, the old man was terrified and wielded his Ten Thousand Soul Banner, releasing a thick black Qi to form a protective barrier around himself.
Wherever the palm-sized phoenix went though, the black Qi would immediately vaporize. The protective barrier around the old man was completely useless and after he was lit on fire, he began wailing in despair. However, his cries did not last long as he was soon covered in flames and fell from the sky.
Right then, a fair hand stuck out from the burnt remnants of the Blood Sea Banner, as though it was coming from a different space. Following that, a petite figure appeared.
Standing mid-air, she patted her clothes and looked around. Then, she flew towards Yang Kai and hopped back on his neck. Just like what she had been doing earlier, grabbing Yang Kai’s ears with both hands to stabilize herself.
Xu Bin Bai’s eyes bulged and his jaw dropped as he was left dumbfounded. He regarded himself as a seasoned man, but what he had just seen made him think he was dreaming.
[How was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master killed so easily? What realm is this little girl in? What kind of fire is so mystical?]
As though sensing his stare, Liu Yan turned to look at him. There wasn’t any impurity behind her clear gaze, and feeling somewhat guilty and overwhelmed, Xu Bin Bai looked away.
“Brother Xu, let’s end this battle first,” Yang Kai uttered.
It was then Xu Bin Bai came to his senses and nodded, “Good.”
Then, he wielded his spear and turned into a beam of light before plunging toward the city. At the same time, he yelled, “White Robes Guild, today, we purge these devils!”
His fellow guildsmen cheered along with him and at that instant, the mountains and the ground seemed to tremble. With unrivalled courage, those from White Robes Guild, together with Li Jiao and the others, charged forward and killed all the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field.
Inside a gazebo that was 10 kilometres away from Gathering Yang City, Yang Kai looked up at the sky and observed the movements of the clouds.
Just then, a white figure flew over and landed on the ground, after which Xu Bin Bai’s sturdy yet sleek figure was revealed.
By regaining control of Gathering Yang City, they had managed to completely destroy Netherworld Sect’s foundation on Green Mountains Star. Although some enemies had fled, they couldn’t possibly cause any harm anymore. The haze, which had covered the Star for more than ten years, had cleared up, so even the sky appeared brighter now.
Respectfully, Xu Bin Bai gazed at the figure inside the gazebo as his emotions undulated in his heart, as though he had returned to the time several dozen years ago.
At that time, he and Yang Kai had taken part in the Blood Prison Trial. Both of them were in the Origin Returning Realm, so they were supposed to be equals. Nevertheless, Xu Bin Bai thought he was the stronger one just because he had his Honoured Master, Wu Dao.
If the Starry Sky Great Emperor wasn’t taken into consideration, Wu Dao was universally acknowledged to be the strongest person in Heng Luo Star Field.
With the blessing of such an Honoured Master, Xu Bin Bai’s future was unlimited, and that was truly the case. Several dozen years had passed, and he had already reached the Second-Order Origin King Realm. What’s more, he still had great potential, so it was only a matter of time before he reached the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
However, when compared to the person before his eyes, his achievement was like the light of a firefly compared to the bright moon, not even worth mentioning.
Although Yang Kai hadn’t made a move in the battle on this day, the helpers he had brought with him were all inscrutable. Even the innocent-looking little girl riding his shoulders like a child was able to kill a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master with ease.
So, Xu Bin Bai was certain that Yang Kai’s power was beyond his ability to speculate.
“Brother Yang!” Xu Bin Bai cupped his fists and lowered his head slightly, “Many thanks for helping us today. It is all thanks to you that we’re able to kill those degenerates from the Netherworld Sect. Please accept my gratitude.”
Before he could bow though, Xu Bin Bai felt an invisible force holding him up. Yang Kai replied with a smile, “We’re even now, then.”
Xu Bin Bai looked doubtfully at him.
Yang Kai went on to say, “In the past, after we came out of the Blood Prison, if you hadn’t spoken up for me, I wouldn’t have been able to leave Green Mountains Star safely.”
At that time, during the Blood Prison Trial, Yang Kai had attracted the attention of the Star Master of Green Mountains Star, Luo Hai. After he came out of that place, he was stopped and interrogated. It was only because Xu Bin Bai spoke up for Yang Kai at the time that Luo Hai stopped pursuing the matter temporarily.
Although Xu Bin Bai’s cultivation was low at that time, his backer was Wu Dao, so Luo Hai had to show him some respect.
In the end, Luo Hai still chased after Yang Kai until they reached Scarlet Wave Star; however, if Xu Bin Bai hadn’t interfered at that moment, Yang Kai couldn’t have possibly been able to flee. Maybe he would have been captured by Luo Hai on Green Mountains Star. At that time, Yang Kai wasn’t able to resist the power of a Star Master on their Star.
Xu Bin Bai recalled what had happened, then burst into laughter, “That incident isn’t even worth mentioning compared to today.”
No one could have thought that Yang Kai would be the one who saved him on this day.
“Have a seat,” Yang Kai made a gesture.
Xu Bin Bai hesitated for a moment, but he still elegantly took a seat. When he met Liu Yan’s gaze, he still couldn’t believe how such a young girl was able to kill a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master. Moreover, since the beginning, she had never shown any emotion on her face, as though she had just killed an ant by stepping on it.
After shaking his head, he turned to look at Yang Kai.
Before he could ask the most important question in his heart, however, Yang Kai uttered, “Senior Wu Dao has fallen.”
Upon hearing that, Xu Bin Bai shuddered and gulped with difficulty.
Yang Kai went on to say, “He fell during a breakthrough. No one killed him.”
Of the people who had headed to the Star Boundary, only Wu Dao had lost his life. According to Chi Yue and the others, when Wu Dao was breaking through from the Origin King Realm to the Dao Source Realm, he failed to survive the World Energy Baptism.
Yang Kai hadn’t personally seen it, so he wasn’t certain about what had happened; therefore, he was unable to explain the situation to Xu Bin Bai in detail. Nevertheless, it was regrettable that Wu Dao had lost his life, and one couldn’t help but lament that life was full of uncertainties. In the past, Wu Dao was the strongest cultivator in the entire Star Field. They had travelled to the Star Boundary together, but only Wu Dao had lost his life, while Chi Yue and the others successfully broke through.
[I guess no one can really predict their fortunes.]
At this moment, Xu Bin Bai was engulfed in a deep sense of sorrow, so he no longer felt joyful that they had won a great battle today. His Honoured Master was just as close to him as a father, so he was the most important person in his life. Without him, Xu Bin Bai couldn’t possibly have achieved success in life.
Nonetheless, he had experienced countless hardships over the past dozen years, and he was used to seeing the loss of lives now. He could even disregard his own safety, so he managed to pull himself together quickly as he asked with bloodshot eyes, “Can you tell me the details?”
Yang Kai shook his head and told him the reason behind it.
Upon that realization, Xu Bin Bai said, “Brother Yang, I’m truly grateful that you’ve informed me about this.”
“It’s a coincidence that we’ve come across each other today. Brother Xu, please don’t be overly sorrowful.” Yang Kai paused for a moment and changed the topic, “Are you the founder of the White Robes Guild?”
Xu Bin Bai took a deep breath and replied, “Yes.”
In fact, he didn’t have the intention to create the White Robes Guild. Over the years, he had seen too many people die, and he had even saved some on the verge of death. Thus, he had somewhat made a name for himself. As a result, some people started following him. One day, those people decided to make use of his fame and founded White Robes Guild. It was said that heroes were born in turbulent times. Rather than saying that Xu Bin Bai and his companions had founded White Robes Guild, it was Green Mountains Star that needed an organisation like theirs. The guild developed rapidly after its founding, and now, they were the largest force opposing Netherworld Sect on the Star. After the battle today, they would certainly reach new heights and rule over everything on the Star.
“Brother Yang, can you stay here to relieve the suffering of everyone on Green Mountains Star?” Xu Bin Bai looked sincerely at him. With Yang Kai around, the Netherworld Sect would no longer be a threat.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “I just happened to pass by this place, so I won’t stay for long.”
Upon hearing the reply, Xu Bin Bai appeared disappointed. Although the Netherworld Sect had suffered a setback due to the battle today, and their foundation on Green Mountains Star had been destroyed, no one could guarantee that they wouldn’t send even stronger cultivators to this place once they learned of this setback. If a new Third-Order Origin King came to this place, Xu Bin Bai wouldn’t be able to defeat him, and their previous efforts would all be wasted.
Nevertheless, since Yang Kai had said so, he wouldn’t want to keep persuading him. He was a man, so he would rather rely on himself than the mercy of others. Although he was grateful to Yang Kai, he didn’t want to act as if he was inferior to him.
“Good, I can stay here for two days at most,” Yang Kai uttered.
Xu Bin Bai was speechless at that. What could Yang Kai do in two days? Moreover, if the cultivators from Netherworld Sect or Grand Desolation Star Field wanted to make a comeback, they wouldn’t choose to do so in such a short period of time.
With a smile, Yang Kai replied, “No one has refined the Star Source of Green Mountains Star, right?”
Upon hearing that, Xu Bin Bai trembled and gazed at him in disbelief. Shocked, he uttered, “Brother Yang, you mean…”
[No way! That’s not possible! Even though he’s powerful, he can’t possibly do that!]
“Come with me!” Yang Kai suddenly grabbed Xu Bin Bai’s shoulder, and before the latter could understand what was going on, Yang Kai moved as they disappeared from the place.
Xu Bin Bai could see the view around them flowing by him like a rapid stream, and even given his current cultivation, he wasn’t able to see how Yang Kai was moving. Nevertheless, he got a whiff of the smell of soil, and the view around him was rather dark, so he believed that they were now deep underground.
In just a short moment, both of them stopped moving as they appeared in some kind of cave filled with brilliant multi-coloured light. Xu Bin Bai turned around and narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the source of this radiance.
Over there, a mass of colourful light was waving about, a dazzling sight to behold. After scanning it with his Divine Sense, Xu Bin Bai could feel a horrifying force coming from this mass of light. Moreover, it seemed to contain a mysterious and unrivalled power.
“This is…” Xu Bin Bai had his own speculation, but he couldn’t be certain about it.
“It’s the Star Source of Green Mountains Star!” Yang Kai replied.
[It really is the Star Source!] Xu Bin Bai gasped as he looked hesitantly at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, are you going to tell me to refine it now?”
Yang Kai uttered with a smile, “After you refine it, you’ll be the Master of Green Mountains Star. With the help of the Star, you don’t have to be afraid of any invaders anymore.”
“But I…”
“Hold your breath and focus. Feel it with your heart. This will decide whether you’ll be able to refine it!” Yang Kai suddenly extended his hand and poked Xu Bin Bai’s forehead. At that instant, a lot of information rushed into his head as rows of words appeared in his mind. Hesitating no more, he calmed himself and tried to comprehend all he had just been taught.
A moment later, Yang Kai retracted his hand and straightened up, while Xu Bin Bai still remained unmoving on the same spot.
Yang Kai had passed Xu Bin Bai the Star Refining Art, and with the help of this Secret Technique, the latter should be able to refine the Star Source of this Star with ease. However, Yang Kai still had to stay there to give him some guidance.
He had obtained this Secret Technique from Yang Yan’s Emperor Garden and both he and Xia Ning Chang had relied on this Secret Technique to refine the Star Sources of Shadowed Star and Tong Xuan Realm respectively, so the effectiveness of this technique was unquestionable.
Moreover, Yang Kai did not just pass down the technique, but also his own comprehension and understanding of its mysteries, which would save Xu Bin Bai a lot of time when he tried to learn and master it.
Four hours later, Xu Bin Bai opened his eyes and excitedly looked at Yang Kai.
“Let’s begin,” Yang Kai urged him.
Xu Bin Bai nodded and sat down with his legs crossed in front of the Star Source. Then, he activated the Secret Technique and communicated with the Source.
A moment later, dots of lights jumped out of the mass like fireflies and hovered around Xu Bin Bai.
Yang Kai was astounded, as he didn’t expect that Xu Bin Bai could communicate with the Source so easily.
After giving it a thought though, he realised the reason behind it. Over the years, Green Mountains Star had been devastated by those from the Netherworld Sect, its land destroyed and its World Energy drained. During this time, Xu Bin Hai had valiantly led a resistance trying to save the people from suffering as the leader of White Robes Guild. His actions conformed to the Heavenly Way and were of great benefit to Green Mountains Star.
The Star Source was the will of the entire Cultivation Star. It was like a living being and could sense what was happening on the Star.
Xu Bin Bai was saving the people, so in a way, he was helping Green Mountains Star as well, which explained why the Star Source took a liking to him. The world was full of uncertainties, but there were rules behind the Heavenly Way.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai knew that his worries were unnecessary. It would be difficult for anyone else to try to refine the Star Source, but Xu Bin Bai could achieve this with ease.
Yang Kai knew that soon enough, the Star would welcome a new Star Master. By then, the people on the Star would be able to protect themselves and not need to worry about the Netherworld Sect’s invasion again.
He wanted to leave just like this, but after giving it a thought, Yang Kai still walked to the side and fished out some materials before setting up a Space Array. It was a good decision to place a Space Array around here so that he would be directly transported to this place when he wanted to come here next time.
Two days later, inside a certain gazebo, Liu Yan was bored as she was seated there resting her chin on her palms. Li Jiao and the others were inside the gazebo as well. They didn’t take the previous battle seriously, as it was akin to killing ants for them.
In front of the gazebo, a group of cultivators clad in white robes were looking respectfully at them as they all appeared restrained. These people were the most powerful Masters in White Robes Guild, and there were also a few Origin Kings among them. However, when facing these saviours who had appeared out of nowhere, they were all diffident. Due to the huge gap between their strength, they didn’t even dare to greet the people inside the gazebo.
Just then, a light flashed across their eyes as a young man appeared.
Seeing him, those from White Robes Guild were energised and the person at the front immediately cupped his fists and uttered, “Senior, may I ask where our Guild Master is?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Brother Xu is refining the Star Source of Green Mountains Star now, so you don’t have to worry.”
“What?”
“He’s refining the Star Source of Green Mountains Star?”
All of them were in disbelief, but Yang Kai appeared firm when he said those words, so they didn’t dare to not believe him.
Refining the Star Source of Green Mountains Star was indeed a piece of shocking news. It wasn’t that there were no Star Masters in the Star Field; however, normally, Star Masters were Third-Order Origin Kings. Only cultivators in this realm stood a chance of successfully refining the Star Source. Otherwise, they’d suffer a backlash and be killed by the immense Source Strength. Such an incident had happened many times in the past.
Many years ago, the fact that Luo Hai had managed to become a Star Master when he was only a Second-Order Origin King had sent a shockwave across the entire Star Field. Everyone was envious of him and thought that he was extremely lucky. If it weren’t because Yang Kai broke the record later, Luo Hai would still be the only success story.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was a special case. Now, as a Second-Order Origin King Realm Master, Xu Bin Bai wanted to refine the Star Source as well. Instead of feeling pleasantly surprised, those from White Robes Guild were horrified when they heard about it.
After the war in Gathering Yang City, the foundation of Netherworld Sect on Green Mountains Star had been destroyed. Now, it was the time for those from White Robes Guild to step forward and lead the way to a brighter future. However, at this critical moment, Xu Bin Bai had taken a huge risk to refine the Star Source, which was absolutely ridiculous.
He’d be considered lucky if he could successfully refine it, but more likely he would fail in his attempt and lose his life, causing all his previous efforts to go to waste. By then, not only would Green Mountains Star descend into chaos again, it would also cause White Robes Guild to fall into internal strife.
Yang Kai observed all their expressions but didn’t explain anything, as they would find out that their Guild Master was fine very soon. Then, he looked at Li Jiao and the others before saying, “Let’s go.”
After that, they turned into beams of lights and shot into the distance. Half a day later, they arrived at the Blood Prison.
A blood-coloured barrier had engulfed the entire place and turned it into a Forbidden Zone, which blocked anyone from spying on it. Only when the time was due would this blood-coloured barrier open up and allow cultivators who were below the Origin King Realm to enter.
This barrier was set up by the Star Master before Luo Hai using the Star Source of Green Mountains Star. In the past, even Luo Hai couldn’t change it as he pleased, so he could only maintain the traditions of the Blood Prison Trial. Although the cultivators from Netherworld Sect had devastated the entire Star, they were powerless to do anything to this barrier around the Blood Prison.
So, when Yang Kai arrived at this place, he realised that it still looked the same as when he first saw it. Then, he placed his hand on the blood-coloured barrier, which immediately beamed with a red glow. The glow seemed corrosive as a sizzling sound could be heard coming from his palm.
Nevertheless, he ignored it. If he were just a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master, he wouldn’t be able to do anything to this barrier; however, he was already in the Emperor Realm, and he was also a Half-Dragon. Therefore, this barrier couldn’t possibly harm him.
Then, some strange vibrations could be felt. Yang Kai slowly pushed his palm into the blood-coloured barrier, followed by his arm, and then half of his body. Following that, he stepped forward and entered the Blood Prison.
Inside the prison, all he could see was the colour red. Even the clouds in the sky seemed to have been dyed scarlet. The average person would be horrified upon entering the place, but Yang Kai found it cordial. After all, he had already experienced a trial here and grown stronger as a result.
Liu Yan also ambled into the place and elegantly stood beside him. Her tight-fitting clothes had perfectly outlined her petite figure and her long hair reached her waist, making her look particularly adorable.
Earlier, she had told Yang Kai that she wouldn’t enter the Sealed World Bead again and insisted on following him around.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only grant her wish. However, Li Jiao and the others had no qualms about re-entering the Sealed World Bead.
“Wait here,” Yang Kai stroked her head.
Annoyed, Liu Yan slapped his hand away, as though she was still mad at the fact that he hadn’t released her for a long time earlier.
Yang Kai put on a smile and spread his arms. Then, he closed his eyes in an attempt to sense it. He only activated a fraction of his Divine Sense because he wasn’t on Shadowed Star, and if he showcased a power that was too strong, he would still be repelled by the Heavenly Way.
Just like fish in a river, his streams of Divine Sense, paired with Space Principles passed through the Void as a panoramic view was transmitted back into Yang Kai’s mind, as though he was personally seeing the view within the entire Blood Prison.
His Divine Sense spread across this place in all directions, as though it was never going to stop, and a quarter of an hour later, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and looked in a particular direction.
[Found it!]
There was a secret passage in the Blood Prison that was connected to Monster Emperor Star. In the past, Shan Qing Luo and the Monster Race’s top Juniors passed through this secret passage and entered the Blood Prison to take part in the trial. Since it was a passage that connected two Cultivation Stars, there was definitely a Void Corridor between them. Therefore, the fluctuations of Space Principles around it could be detected.
This kind of fluctuation was elusive to most people, but to Yang Kai, it was as dazzling as a lighthouse in the darkness. Then, he took Liu Yan’s hand and they flickered forward. Despite their slow pace, the view around them was reversing rapidly.
A while later, they arrived at a hidden spot that looked like it was in the centre of a mountain. There was an altar in this place that Yang Kai stepped onto with Liu Yan.
…..
Monster Emperor Star was the only Cultivation Star in the Star Field where the Monster Race ruled. This place could be said to be their paradise as well as their origin. On this Star, Humans and those of other Races could barely survive as their status was low, so they had always been oppressed by the Monster Race. There were no Masters in the Human Race with the strongest Humans being mere Origin Returning Realm cultivators. Those that had the potential to reach the Origin King Realm would be weeded out by the Monster Race early. In such a place, Humans could only subordinate themselves to the Monster Race.
There were Ten Great Tribal Lords on Monster Emperor Star who ruled over different parts of the Star, each of them Tenth-Order Monster Beasts, equivalent to Origin Kings. However, only when they reached the peak of the Tenth Order could they gain the right to be called Monster Kings.
Monster Kings were extremely rare because it might take a few hundred to a thousand years for one to appear.
Several dozen years ago, a Monster Queen had emerged on Monster Emperor Star. She was the Master of Red Moon Territory as well as one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords; however, she soon left the Star and passed her own territory to her adopted daughter. Since then, Monster Kings had become a sort of legend.
The Ten Great Tribal Lords on the Star had different temperaments, and they treated Humans differently as well. In the territory of one of the Tribal Lords, Humans could never gain a footing because they were all killed on sight.
Of the Ten Great Tribal Lords, the leader of Red Moon Territory was the most hospitable to Humans. In her territory, Humans weren’t oppressed, and they were even able to live freely, which was why many great forces had been founded by Humans there.
Chi Yue was a far-sighted woman and knew that Monsters were not good at Artifact Refining and Alchemy, but Humans were experts in these fields, so she decided to provide shelter for those oppressed Humans and ensure their safety. After taking in a lot of Artifact Refiners and Alchemists, she told them to refine artifacts and pills to help increase the power of Red Moon Territory.
After she left, Shan Qing Luo took over Red Moon Territory and continued this practice. Moreover, Shan Qing Luo had the support of the High Heaven Sect from Shadowed Star, so her tribe grew stronger like a rolling snowball. In just a dozen years, she had surpassed the other nine Tribal Lords and seemed set to subdue the entire Monster Emperor Star.
If it weren’t because of the sudden invasion, given Shan Qing Luo’s cultivation and the support she had, she would have ruled over Monster Emperor Star sooner or later. However, the invasion of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field had derailed her plans.
Monster Emperor Star had been targeted by those from Grand Desolation Star Field as well, and the Sect that had set their eyes on this Star was also a first-class Sect from that Star Field, Limitless Beast Mountain. Although they were not as formidable as Netherworld Sect, they were still fairly powerful.
Limitless Beast Mountain focussed on Beast-taming, so their disciples were all experts in enslaving and subduing Monster Beasts. As their cultivation increased, they’d also be able to control more Monster Beasts. When the disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain got into a fight with their enemies, they had the help of their Monster Beasts, so they always had an upper hand against opponents in the same realm.
Upon hearing that there was a Star in Heng Luo Star Field that was ruled by the Monster Race, and that there were many rare and exotic Monster Beasts to be found on that Star, they couldn’t hold back anymore and went all out to invade Monster Emperor Star.
After just a dozen years, of the Ten Great Tribal Lords on Monster Emperor Star, only three were left. The other seven Tribal Lords were either not willing to be tamed, so they killed themselves by destroying their own Monster Cores, or had submitted to Limitless Beast Mountain and become their lackeys.
Now, the Tribal Lords existed in name only, as only Red Moon Territory continued to resist.
The reason Red Moon Territory could persevere in their battle against Limitless Beast Mountain until now was thanks to their leader, Shan Qing Luo. She was already a Third-Order Origin King and possessed the Divine Spirit Heavenly Moon Demon Spider’s Source, so it was hard for anyone to defeat her.
Furthermore, they had the support of High Heaven Sect in the past, so they had developed rapidly and amassed countless Masters and resources. If Limitless Beast Mountain insisted on confronting them, both parties would suffer greatly.
So, even though Limitless Beast Mountain had invaded most of the land on Monster Emperor Star and subdued 90% of the Monster Race population, they had remained awkwardly peaceful with Red Moon Territory.
Despite the peaceful façade, however, a storm was brewing beneath it.
Everyone knew that this peace wouldn’t last forever. Limitless Beast Mountain was accumulating strength as their disciples needed time to tame new Monster Beasts and familiarize themselves with their new slaves. When they prepared well enough though, they would launch an assault on Red Moon Territory like a tempest.
By then, Red Moon Territory wouldn’t be able to fight back.
On Half-Moon Mountain, Shan Qing Luo was seated by the window in her bedroom as she looked out at the mountain view. She was clad in red clothes that were as bright as the sun and perfectly outlined her astounding figure. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her enrapturing face was able to enchant any man who so much as gazed upon her.
Shan Qing Luo was an extremely seductive woman. Back when she was in the Tong Xuan Realm, she was known as the Beguiling Demon Queen, and now that her strength had grown markedly, her charms had become even more stunning.
A bright red dress might look gaudy on most, but she was able to wear such colours with ease and they only made her beauty appear even more striking.
At this moment, she was holding a wine glass in her hand as she gazed out at the sky with narrowed eyes. She seemed to be observing the stars and the moon, but upon closer look, one would realise that her eyes were out of focus, as though she wasn’t looking at anything physical before them.
Then, she slightly lifted her head and poured the wine into her mouth. The clear liquid slid down the corners of her mouth and fair neck before sneaking into the deepest part of her unknown valley, dampening her clothes. If there was a man in this place, his blood would undoubtedly boil and he would lose all control of his rationality from this sight.
Staring at the Starry Sky, she raised her hand and grabbed the air, as though she was trying to grasp a star and never let it go. However, when she spread her palm, there was nothing in it.
Agitated, she hurled the wine glass away and messed up her hair before bellowing through clenched teeth, “That jerk!”
The sound of a wine glass breaking to pieces shocked the people outside and the door was quickly pushed open, upon which an hourglass figure stepped into the room. After taking a look at Shan Qing Luo and then the broken glass on the floor, this newcomer silently crouched down and began cleaning up.
“Bi Luo, come here.” Shan Qing Luo beckoned to her. Her voice was soft and pleasant to the ears. Even Bi Luo, as a woman, felt her chest tightening upon hearing that, as though something was squirming within her body, causing her to be fidgety.
Placing her palm on her forehead, Bi Luo uttered, “Mistress, what do you want?”
“Come here!” Shan Qing Luo was being unreasonable because she was drunk.
Feeling helpless, Bi Luo walked up to her, but before she could stop in her tracks, she was pulled into Shan Qing Luo’s embrace and placed on her thighs.
Looking up, she realised that Shan Qing Luo’s alluring face was just a finger length away. Her lips were as translucent as rubies and the breath she let out exuded an intoxicating scent. Shan Qing Luo was looking down at her with a smile as her long hair tickled Bi Luo’s face.
Bi Luo gulped as her face turned completely red, “Mistress…”
However, Shan Qing Luo just smiled at her without uttering a word, which caused Bi Luo to be on pins and needles. [Oh, my goodness. Is my wish going to be realised now? I haven’t gotten prepared yet. What should I do? Should I reject her? But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When she sobers up, I’ll never get another opportunity…]
Bi Luo was a maidservant who had followed Shan Qing Luo all the way to this place from their original home in Fragrance City, so she had entrusted her heart and body to the latter long ago. Her cultivation wasn’t low, as she was in the First-Order Origin King Realm. In truth, Bi Luo’s aptitude wasn’t outstanding, so the reason she was able to achieve such success was all thanks to Shan Qing Luo’s support and guidance over the years.
Therefore, she would do anything for Shan Qing Luo. She wouldn’t even frown if her Mistress asked her to die for her. At this moment, she was panting heavily as her blood was boiling. Her entire body was stiff as though she had been struck by lightning.
“Do you love me?” Shan Qing Luo suddenly asked with a grin as her eyes appeared out of focus. As she spoke, she extended her finger and whisked across Bi Luo’s lips.
Bi Luo almost couldn’t contain her urge to lick it. Fortunately, she still hadn’t lost all her rationality yet. Torn between tears and laughter, she uttered, “Mistress, you’re drunk.”
“Nonsense.” Shan Qing Luo poked the maidservant’s red lips and spoke in a languid voice, “I’ve only downed a few bottles of wine tonight, so how would I be drunk? Hey, you haven’t answered my question.”
Pressing her lips together, Bi Luo nodded slightly and replied, “I’m yours.”
Shan Qing Luo chuckled, “You’re the best.”
Then, she leaned close to her and let out a fragrant breath.
Bi Luo widened her eyes in disbelief. Just when she thought something was going to happen, Shan Qing Luo only landed a kiss on her forehead, which caused her to feel dejected.
Just then, Shan Qing Luo uttered as she whisked across Bi Luo’s nose, “But we’re both women. If I were a man, I would’ve bedded you by now.”
Bi Luo looked away shyly and said in a small voice, “I am willing…”
“What do you mean?” Shan Qing Luo heaved a sigh, “It’s much better to be a man. He can leave whenever he wants without having to worry about anything. However, he isn’t aware that he’s taken my heart away as well. I don’t even know whether he’s having fun with other women right now. Perhaps he’s gotten more wives and even children. Maybe he has forgotten about me.”
An enraged Bi Luo said, “Mistress, that kind of man isn’t worthy of your love. You should just forget about him.”
Shan Qing Luo took the maidservant’s hand and placed it on her own chest before replying with a weak smile, “But this part of my body doesn’t agree.”
Bi Luo was heartbroken as her tears almost slid down her face. In a crestfallen manner, she uttered, “Mistress, no matter what happens to us or how the world changes, I will always be by your side. As long as you don’t chase me away, I will never leave.”
“Why would I chase you away?” Shan Qing Luo smiled faintly at her.
Bi Luo beamed at her as well before uttering in an awkward manner, “Mistress, if you really miss him so much… I have a way to help you unwind and relieve your longing.”
A curious Shan Qing Luo asked, “What do you mean?”
Bi Luo replied, “I’ve learned some illusion skills in recent years.”
“Oh?” Shan Qing Luo was surprised.
“I can transform into that person.”
Shan Qing Luo remained silent as she appeared tempted.
Seeing that, Bi Luo quickly struck while the iron was hot, “Maybe I won’t look exactly like him, but it’ll be 70 to 80 percent similar.”
“Who are you going to imitate?”
The voice from outside the window shocked the ladies.
Bi Luo immediately bounded off the chair and bellowed, “Who!?”
They were now in the most important location on Half-Moon Mountain, which was the Monster Queen’s bedroom. How was it possible that someone was able to approach this place without anyone noticing?
When Bi Luo raised her head, her jaw dropped as she uttered dazedly, “Y-Y-You…” That was because she saw a face that she had never expected to see there.
Shan Qing Luo was stunned as well. She fell into a dazed state as she was gazing at the face she had been missing for the past several dozen years.
“Luo’er!” Yang Kai grinned and waved his hand at her before turning to look at Bi Luo, “Little girl, it’s quite bold of you to try to snatch my woman when I’m not around!”
He had known about Bi Luo’s ‘interest’ in Shan Qing Luo since their first meeting back in Tong Xuan Realm, but he had never expected that after so many years, she still hadn’t changed one bit. It could be said that she was really quite obstinate.
The harmonious relationship between Yin and Yang was the Grand Dao of the Heavens and Earth, but Bi Luo seemed dead set on going against it.
With that said, when they were still in Tong Xuan Realm, a certain incident had taken place between Yang Kai and Bi Luo, so upon their reunion, he couldn’t help but glance at her red lips.
The experience was extremely pleasant and he still remembered it vividly.
Upon finishing his words, he attempted to jump into the room through the window.
With a loud slam though, Shan Qing Luo shut the window as the hardwood smashed at Yang Kai’s nose, causing him to stop in his tracks.
“Hmph!” Liu Yan snorted at his side as her expression appeared mocking.
Inside the bedroom, Shan Qing Luo extended her hand and rubbed her own temple.
A stunned Bi Luo uttered, “Mistress, what are you doing?” [The man she’s been missing for years has finally appeared, so why did she shut him out? Shouldn’t she have crashed into his embrace and told him how much she missed him?]
Shan Qing Luo replied with a frown, “I think I’m seeing things because I’m drunk.”
As she spoke, she opened the window and gazed out again, but when she met a pair of eyes out there again, she immediately slammed the window shut once more.
“This wine is so strong. Bi Luo, where did you get it from?”
Seeing that, Bi Luo was torn between tears and laughter.
“Hey, you silly woman!” Unable to take it anymore, Yang Kai pushed the window open and leapt into the room. With an upright posture, he uttered, “How dare you avoid seeing me when I’m back! When did you become so gutsy?”
Shan Qing Luo took a step backwards and sized him up before asking in shock, “Are you really my husband?”
It was as though she hadn’t seen him until now.
Yang Kai took a step forward and pinched her cheek before pulling it to the other side, causing her beautiful face to contort. In a fierce manner, he questioned, “What in the world are you doing?”
“No…” Shan Qing Luo couldn’t even speak clearly, “I thought I was seeing an illusion. Are you really back? Oh, I’m so happy. I don’t think I can contain my joy.”
Although her words sounded happy, she spoke in a monotone voice that clearly portrayed her displeasure.
The corners of Yang Kai’s eyes twitched as this was different from his imagination. After a snort, he released her.
Shan Qing Luo rubbed her cheek and looked meekly at him. Appearing guilty, she asked cautiously, “Husband, how long have you been there? Have you heard anything you shouldn’t have heard?”
Yang Kai grinned at her, “No matter what I should or should not hear, I’ve heard everything.”
Shan Qing Luo heaved a sigh as a glint of determination flashed across her eyes, as though she had just made an important decision. Then, she wrapped her arm around Bi Luo’s shoulder and pulled her into her embrace. Putting on a fearless face, she declared, “Good, there’s nothing I should hide. To be honest with you, Bi Luo and I are deeply in love with each other now. Our life together has been happy and carefree, so I’ve forgotten all about you. Please forgive me for feeling lonely and falling in love with someone else.”
As she spoke, she bowed to Yang Kai, “I’m sorry.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched harder.
While Bi Luo was still dumbfounded, Shan Qing Luo pinched her back, after which Bi Luo hurriedly bent over and added, “I-I’m so sorry for snatching your woman.”
Shan Qing Luo straightened up and took Bi Luo’s hand before looking lovingly at her, “Husband… No. Little Brother Yang, as long as you don’t force us to break up, I’ll agree to any demand you come up with.”
“Little… Brother… Yang…?” Yang Kai said slowly through clenched teeth.
Shan Qing Luo replied with a smile, “You’re younger than I am, so there’s nothing wrong with how I address you. If it really bothers you, I can call you Big Brother Yang.”
Before she could finish her words, Yang Kai pinched both her cheeks again and pulled harder than last time as he muttered, “Are you done?”
“Stop it!” Shan Qing Luo bellowed, “We are no longer husband and wife, so why are you still touching me? Your actions are too outrageous!”
“Alright. Let’s talk about something serious now.” After Yang Kai was done messing with her face, he pretended to be stern and stared at her. He didn’t understand what she was doing. They hadn’t met for decades, and he had finally come back, so why did she put on such a show? What did she mean by this?
“Hmph. I am being serious.” Shan Qing Luo appeared displeased, “What’s wrong? You can flirt with other women out there, but why am I not allowed to fall in love with someone else?”
“When did I ever flirt with other women?” Yang Kai was guilty, so the way he spoke was diffident. [Wait a moment. Yes, I’ve indeed gotten together with a new woman, but I’ve only confessed that to my mother and Su Yan, so how did Shan Qing Luo find out about it? She must be bluffing me! Whatever she accuses me of, I’ll not admit it!]
Shan Qing Luo sneered and looked down at Liu Yan, “You’ve even conceived a child, yet you still dare to say you didn’t hook up with other women?” Then, she turned milder and crouched down, “Little girl, what’s your mother’s name?”
Yang Kai saw this and laughed confidently as he stroked Liu Yan’s head, “Ask all you want.”
He suddenly understood why Shan Qing Luo treated him in such a weird way upon seeing him, because she thought that he had brought his daughter back with him. [She must feel very bitter now. Anyway, if I weren’t there when Liu Yan’s body was restructured in the past, I wouldn’t have been able to recognise her either, to say nothing of the fact that Shan Qing Luo hasn’t met her for decades. So, a misunderstanding is bound to happen; after all, Liu Yan did indeed go through a transformative change.]
“Tell her who you are!” Yang Kai grinned at Liu Yan.
Liu Yan appeared timid as her eyelashes fluttered. Grabbing the hem of Yang Kai’s clothes, she hid behind him and uttered in a small voice, “Daddy, I don’t want to stay here. This aunty is so strange.”
The smile on Yang Kai’s face froze as he stared at Liu Yan with widened eyes, feeling as if a knife had just been stabbed into his back.
“Hahaha…” Shan Qing Luo scoffed and slowly rose from the chair before glaring at him, “What else do you have to say?”
“What am I supposed to say?” An enraged Yang Kai made Liu Yan face him and glowered at her, “How can you do this to me? I’ve treated you so well over the years… why must you harm me like this!?”
Tears almost slid down Liu Yan’s face as she cried out, “Daddy, you’re hurting me!”
“Enough!” Shan Qing Luo bellowed and pulled Liu Yan behind her back before she glared fiercely at Yang Kai, “How can you bully a child? Is this what you’re supposed to do as a father?”
Yang Kai found it difficult to explain himself, so he embraced her and uttered, “Luo’er, this is a misunderstanding. Please hear me out.”
“There’s no need for any explanation!” Shan Qing Luo pushed him away with a cold expression, “I guess I’ve gotten together with the wrong man. From now on, we’re no longer husband and wife. Don’t come looking for me again!”
As if struck by lightning, Yang Kai shuddered as the colour drained from his face. Standing beside Shan Qing Luo, out of her line of sight, Liu Yan stuck out her tongue.
[Argh! It seems that I’ve crossed the line…]
On the other hand, Bi Luo appeared excited. If what was happening was really happening, she would still stand a chance! Although it was improper to take advantage of the situation when they were going through a crisis, she reckoned that she had to do it to save Shan Qing Luo from this mess.
“Luo’er, are you sure?” Yang Kai looked solemnly at her.
A glint of fluster flashed across her eyes, but she still nodded steadfastly, “I’ve made up my mind.”
Appearing dejected, Yang Kai turned around and gave it a thought before he heaved a sigh, “Forget it, then. I’ve made many mistakes in the past because of my recklessness. Now, I’m not willing to hold you back. Luo’er, please take care of yourself.”
Shan Qing Luo’s chest tightened as she hurriedly questioned, “Where are you going?”
Nevertheless, Yang Kai jumped onto the windowsill and waved his hand. Following that, he plunged into the darkness and disappeared from her sight.
“Hey! Come back!” Shan Qing Luo was flustered, as she didn’t expect that he’d really go.
[How could he leave just like that? I was just pulling his leg because I was mad at the fact that he’d left for so many years. Why did he act so hasty and decisively? Why didn’t he even try to coax me?] She rushed towards the window and yelled, “Come back! Come back here right now!”
No one replied to her as all she saw was endless darkness. With her eyes turning bloodshot, she collapsed to the ground and muttered, “Come… back… you heartless bastard!”
Just then, a muscular figure approached her from behind as he pressed his broad chest against her back and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. Following that, he uttered close to her ear in a deep voice, “I was just pulling a prank on you!”
With her eyes already drenched in tears, Shan Qing Luo turned around and thumped her fists against the man’s chest, but she didn’t seem to have exerted any force at all. Rather than venting out her anger, she seemed to be acting coquettishly.
Yang Kai grinned at her without moving a muscle. After pounding his chest for a while, Shan Qing Luo suddenly draped her arms around his neck and landed a kiss on his lips.
“Mmm…” At that instant, Yang Kai found it hard to breathe. The body in his embrace was warm and her soft tongue swiftly snuck into his mouth like a snake and did whatever it wanted. Certainly, Yang Kai had to fight back, so he grabbed her twin peaks and fiddled with them, which caused her body to turn completely limp as she collapsed into his embrace.
A long time later, their lips parted as a thread of saliva still hung between them.
Shan Qing Luo’s alluring gaze was just like a blooming flower, which gleamed with a charming glow. Suddenly thinking of something, she said with a red face, “Your daughter…”
She was so engrossed just now that she had forgotten about the little girl. Although she was quite bold when it came to the affairs of men and women, she was still embarrassed at this moment.
“They’ve already left,” Yang Kai put on a smile.
Earlier, seeing that they were about to make out, Bi Luo and Liu Yan immediately left the room. At this moment, only two of them were left in Shan Qing Luo’s bedroom as the atmosphere turned intimate.
Shan Qing Luo looked around and realised that he was right. Both Bi Luo and the little girl were already nowhere in sight. With no more worries, she cupped the man’s face and thoroughly examined it. Despite her loving gaze, she still scolded, “What a heartless guy. I was just playing with you. How could you hurt me like this?”
Yang Kai reached out and helped tuck her hair behind her ears. His eyes also appeared loving, as though he wanted to suck the woman in front of him into his gaze to relieve his longing for the past decades. In a gentle voice, he uttered, “I’m sorry.”
Shan Qing Luo replied, “You have to be punished for what you’ve done.”
Yang Kai asked with a smile, “Luo’er, how are you going to punish me?”
In response, Shan Qing Luo raised her hand and placed it on his chest before beaming at him, “I hope you’ll be able to endure it and not pass away.”
Upon finishing her words, she released her Saint Qi through her palm and sent the man flying backwards. She was now in the Third-Order Origin King Realm, so her control of her Saint Qi had reached an extreme. Therefore, her attack wouldn’t cause any harm to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai placed his hands on the back of his head and flew towards the wall, but he didn’t seem worried at all. He just looked smilingly at her as he wondered what she was up to.
Shan Qing Luo slowly got up and opened her mouth, upon which a gust of Saint Qi shot out from her lips and whizzed past Yang Kai before turning into a spider web, which hung in mid-air.
Yang Kai crashed into the web and immediately felt that his back was stuck. He tried to struggle, but instead of struggling out of it, he realised that more parts of his body were stuck to the web, including his hands.
[This seems quite exciting.]
He gulped at the sight as his blood started boiling. His eyes appeared lustful and fiery as he stared at Shan Qing Luo, as though he was trying to burn all the clothes on her body.
“Hahaha…” Shan Qing Luo covered her mouth and giggled. Hearing her intoxicating laughter, Yang Kai felt as though his bones had turned soft.
Then, she raised her hand, upon which the door and windows were shut at the same time. Following that, she lightly stepped toward Yang Kai as she took off her clothes and revealed her fair hourglass body. Her skin was so delicate that it looked as translucent as white jade. Her plump bosom swayed as she stepped forward in a seductive rhythm. The red cherries on the tip of her peaks looked like two swirls that were capable of hypnotizing any man. There was no excess fat or muscle on any part of her slender figure, and her long lithe legs and delicate feet looked so delicious they would cause a man to salivate over them.
With his throat turning dry, Yang Kai uttered in a restrained voice, “You seductress, what are you trying to do?”
Shan Qing Luo climbed up the spider web as the most precious treasure between her legs was faintly exposed. She looked down at Yang Kai in an aloof manner, as if a deity was examining her own territory impassively, and she replied, “What do you think?”
Soon, she stuck out her red tongue and licked her lips, which made her appear even more seductive.
At that instant, Yang Kai was about to lose control. Fortunately, he had some fun with Su Yan not too long ago. Otherwise, he might forcefully struggle out of the web and pin Shan Qing Luo down on the floor. Unlike the reserved Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo had always been unrestrained when it came to their bedroom activities. She was able to give Yang Kai a sense of wanton and immoral pleasure that he couldn’t receive from other women; however, it was their first time engaging in such an exciting game.
It seemed that there were still some benefits that came with their decades of separation. At the very least, it had unlocked some chains in the deepest parts of these women’s hearts.
Shan Qing Luo raised her leg and gently slid it down Yang Kai’s shirt, which caused robes to rip apart and revealed his muscular figure. Her gaze appeared cold and elegant as she licked her lips, “I wonder how many women have enjoyed your body over the years.”
Yang Kai replied in a steadfast manner, “There’s no such thing.” Although he was lying, he couldn’t admit it at this moment.
Shan Qing Luo waved her hand and shredded the rest of his clothes before declaring, “How dare you lie to me! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll probably forget how fierce I am.”
In response, Yang Kai grinned at her, “Luo’er, please teach me a lesson immediately. I can’t wait!”
Then, she rode on top of his body and leaned close to him. Following that, she licked his earlobe and puffed out a breath that smelled as pleasant as orchids, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you down to the last bone?”
Yang Kai replied, “I heard that there’s a kind of spider called black widow that eats her male partner after they mate. Luo’er, are you going to do just that?”
“En, I just might!”
Without a warning, Yang Kai stuck out his waist and thrust against her, causing her to straighten up. As her long hair swayed in the air, she shrieked, but her expression suggested that rather than a sense of pain and panic, she was in a state of euphoria, “Damn it! Why didn’t you warn me first? Ah…”
Yang Kai chimed in, “Why should I warn you when you’re going to eat me? Let’s see who will be the one who feasts today! Luo’er, you mustn’t be defeated too soon.”
Shan Qing Luo gritted her teeth as her body swung in the air along with his movements. Intermittently, she uttered, “You’re… doomed! I… will never… go easy… on you!”
Seeing the tall mountains and deep valleys before him quaking back and forth, Yang Kai grabbed onto them and rubbed them vigorously, causing Shan Qing Luo to scowl and moan louder. The huge spider web swayed in the air as two naked bodies entangled with each other in the bedroom.
Soon, a strange smell permeated the air.
In another bedroom, exotic stones dotted the walls, giving off a soft light. Appearing sorrowful, Bi Luo was resting her chin on her palms.
[He’s back! I can’t believe he’s back! And he’s made my Queen cry. How outrageous! After his return, I’ll never stand a chance again. But… why don’t I feel jealous at all? Instead, I feel happy for her and I’m somewhat looking forward to it.]
She shook her head to shake away the wild thoughts in her mind. It was then she remembered that she had brought a young guest into her room.
Raising her head, she realised that the little girl was seated across the table, unmoving. The little girl was strangely quiet. Her gaze was so clear that her eyes looked like crystal lakes. She seemed to be looking at something, but her eyes were out of focus.
[What a delicate child. I wonder who he bore this girl with. Her mother must be a beautiful woman.]
Realising that she had been ignoring the little girl, Bi Luo put on a smile and made a search in her Space Ring. After fishing out some berries, she presented them to her and said, “Try them. They’re sweet.”
Liu Yan took a glance at the spirit fruits and looked up at her before replying with a serious expression, “I’m not a kid.”
Bi Luo burst into laughter and patted her head, “You are a kid. Why would you deny it?”
An annoyed Liu Yan slapped her hand away and bellowed, “I won’t forgive you if you keep acting this way!” Although she had tried her hardest to put on a furious expression, her age and figure, paired with her delicate face, made any adult want to play with her.
Bi Luo said, “You’re so little, but your attitude is quite big. Alright, I won’t touch you.”
Liu Yan leaned backwards as her entire body plunged onto the chair.
Trying to have a conversation with her, Bi Luo asked, “Is your dad good to you?”
“He’s not my dad!”
“What? You just called him Daddy. Why do you deny it now? Oh, I got it. You must be trying to stand up for your mother. You’re quite the precocious child. Anyway, what you’re doing is useless, because your dad has many women. My Queen is just one of them.” Suddenly, she realised that it was quite ridiculous to talk to a little kid about such topics, so she immediately ended this line of conversation and instead began asking, “How old are you? What’s your name? Where’s your mother? How did your parents get to know each other?”
She was extremely gossipy now; however, she told herself that she was trying to get more information for Shan Qing Luo so that they could get to know their competitors better.
Hearing all this, Liu Yan slowly turned her head and looked silently at her.
Bi Luo asked, “Is there something on my face?”
“You’re annoying. Can you keep your mouth shut?”
Bi Luo blinked her eyes. [I can’t believe I’ve just been lectured by a little girl!] She couldn’t believe her ears as her face reddened in an instant.
“You look fidgety. Are you curious about what they’re doing?” Liu Yan asked.
“No!” Bi Luo’s face turned a shade redder, as though the little girl had seen through her thoughts.
Liu Yan moved her ear, as if she was listening to something, before saying, “Oh, it’s intense. Your Queen is indeed unrestrained. That position is quite interesting.”
“Y-Y-You…” Bi Luo stood up straight from the chair and stared at Liu Yan with widened eyes as though the latter was a ghost.
[Is this what a kid is supposed to say? I don’t even need to give it a thought to know what they’re doing in that room, but why does she look like she’s eavesdropping on them? Why did she mention a position? Perhaps she’s a little too mischievous!] Bi Luo felt that her sense of morality had been shaken as it was now showing signs of breaking apart.
Just then, Liu Yan extended both hands into a void and seemed to grab something.
“What are you doing?” Bi Luo asked doubtfully.
Liu Yan replied, “He’s grabbing your Queen like this, then your Queen is doing this now…” As she spoke, she swung her head as her hair flapped in the air.
At that instant, Bi Luo widened her mouth, rooted to the spot as if a Binding Technique had been cast upon her.
Liu Yan was giving some vivid descriptions, as though she was really able to see it, and upon hearing all this, Bi Luo could even picture what was going on in the adjacent room. Nevertheless, Liu Yan appeared impassive as she was describing the scenes, which added a layer of eeriness to the atmosphere. Uncontrollably, Bi Luo felt her body turning cold.
[This kid is too strange. Is Yang Kai aware of this? Maybe there’s an ancient giant beast that’s hidden in her petite body. I have never seen a young kid like her before.]
All of a sudden, Bi Luo came to her senses and smiled with pursed lips, “Stop spouting nonsense.”
[I was almost fooled by her. The Queen’s bedroom is protected by layers of barriers. Even a First-Order Origin King like me can’t possibly peek at what’s going on in there, so how could a little girl like her be able to do that?]
“Forget it if you don’t believe me.” Liu Yan lost the interest to keep describing the scenes as she sat leisurely on the chair. Her hands were placed on her stomach as she fiddled with her own two fingers.
For that moment, the room fell into silence. Bi Luo didn’t dare to speak to this young kid anymore, as she was worried that the latter would say something else to shock her.
“Hey…” Liu Yan suddenly said.
“Are you calling me?” Bi Luo turned to look at her.
“Is there anyone else in the room?” Liu Yan stared at her in exasperation as though the latter was an idiot.
Bi Luo took a deep breath to contain her urge to strangle this kid. [She’s an adorable little girl as long as she stays silent, but why does she keep saying things that infuriate me? Although we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, she’s too different from her appearance. I can’t accept it!]
Bi Luo forced a smile and uttered in a calm voice, “I’m Bi Luo. You can call me Aunt Bi Luo or Big Sister Bi Luo.”
“You didn’t have to tell me this because I know your name.”
[I must be patient! She’s Yang Kai’s daughter after all. If I really strangle her, I can’t explain myself to Yang Kai or my Queen.]
“Do you want to sleep? You can sleep in my room.”
Liu Yan stuck out one finger and shook it, “Stop trying to speculate what’s on my mind.”
“What do you want then?” Bi Luo was no longer fond of this little girl. [A devil must be hidden beneath her beautiful facade. It is said that kids take after their parents. Since she’s Yang Kai’s daughter, I can’t expect her to be anything good.]
“Tell me about the current situation on this Star right now.”
“The current situation?” Bi Luo looked at her in shock, “What do you mean?”
Liu Yan replied, “I can tell that a defensive Spirit Array has been arranged around this place, and the area is heavily guarded. Obviously, all of you have put up your guard against your enemies. Tell me more about your enemies.”
“Why do you want to know?” Bi Luo raised her brow curiously, wondering, [Is this something a child is supposed to worry about?]
“Just hurry up and tell me!” Liu Yan glowered at her.
“Good, good,” appearing helpless, Bi Luo placed her hand on her forehead. Since she couldn’t sleep now, she thought she could talk to this weird little girl to kill some time.
After that, she started explaining the current situation on Monster Emperor Star to Liu Yan. She didn’t take it seriously at first, but upon seeing that Liu Yan appeared solemn and serious, she found it amusing and thought, [I’ve said many things, but can she even understand a single one of them? She sure pretends that she’s attentively listening to me though.]
One hour later, Bi Luo poured herself a glass of water to moisten her throat as she was exhausted from all the talking.
Liu Yan tapped the back of the chair and said, “So, the situation on Monster Emperor Star is actually quite pessimistic. All the great forces of the Monster Race have been destroyed except for Red Moon Territory?”
“Although some have hidden rather than been outright destroyed, they’re practically powerless now,” Bi Luo heaved a sigh. In fact, there were many Masters on Monster Emperor Star. All of the Ten Great Tribal Lords were Tenth-Order Masters, equivalent to Origin Kings. Some of them even had a lineage descended from Divine Spirits, though their bloodlines were incredibly thin. Therefore, they were just as powerful as those from Limitless Beast Mountain, but the problem was that they were not united. Furthermore, the cultivation techniques and Secret Techniques used by their enemies were able to restrain them greatly, which was why they had ended up in such a miserable state.
Another reason for their misfortunes was the resistance from the Human Race.
Over the years, Humans had been oppressed quite harshly on Monster Emperor Star, so the sudden arrival of those from Limitless Beast Mountain was actually a good thing for those Humans. Before those from Limitless Beast Mountain had to do anything, most of the Humans on Monster Emperor Star had sided with them.
Even the Humans in Red Moon Territory were no exception, let alone the Humans in the territories of other Tribal Lords.
Although the Humans that had sided with them were not that powerful, they were numerous. Moreover, they had lived on Monster Emperor Star for generations, so they could provide information those from Limitless Beast Mountain desperately needed. With useful information and great strength, it was no wonder that they were able to win the battles easily. Of the Ten Great Tribal Lords, seven of them had either been killed or subdued. On Monster Emperor Star, only Red Moon Territory was still largely unaffected.
However, when those from Limitless Beast Mountain managed to amass enough power, they would definitely invade this place.
An exasperated Bi Luo said, “That Old Lion from Limitless Beast Mountain is such a shameless bast… guy. Some time ago, he had sent a messenger over to tell our Queen that as long as she sided with them, they’d let Red Moon Territory off. He even said that our Queen would still be able to manage our Tribe. Such impudence!”
“Old Lion?”
Bi Luo explained, “He’s the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain. I think he has the lineage of some kind of lion, or that he’s refined some kind of Monster Beast Source, so he’s quite powerful.”
Shan Qing Luo had dealt with him before, but she couldn’t defeat him because that old fart had the help of many Monster Beasts when he was in a battle. Although Shan Qing Luo was powerful, she wasn’t able to deal with so many opponents at the same time.
“Since you’re in a perilous situation now, why don’t all of you leave? Why do you still stay here like a bunch of fools?”
An annoyed Bi Luo refuted, “What do you know? This is the territory the Queen’s adoptive mother has passed down to her. She wouldn’t give it up until the last moment.”
“It’ll be too late when the last moment comes.”
Bi Luo uttered, “The Queen has her own way of escaping.” Shan Qing Luo was in the Third-Order Origin King Realm, so even if she was really no match for those from Limitless Beast Mountain, it wouldn’t be hard for her to flee.
Upon hearing that, Liu Yan remained silent for a moment before she hopped off her chair, “Come with me.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Limitless Beast Mountain!”
Bi Luo exclaimed, “Are you out of your mind?”
[What’s wrong with this little girl? Why does she want to head to Limitless Beast Mountain? That place is like a lion’s den, so how are we going to break into it as we please?]
“Are you coming or not?” Liu Yan stared at her.
“Of course not!” Bi Luo determinedly rejected her.
Right then, Liu Yan turned around and placed her palms on the chair before lifting her backside. After that, she swayed her head as her long hair flapped in the air.
“What are you doing now?”
Liu Yan turned her head and stared at her with a charming expression as she said, “This is what your Queen is doing right now!”
“Limitless Beast Mountain is over there.” Bi Luo was standing beside Liu Yan on a mountain peak as she pointed at a place up ahead that was brightly lit.
In the past, this had been the residence of the Wild Lion Tribal Lord; however, since Limitless Beast Mountain’s invasion more than ten years ago, one of the Ten Great Tribal Lords, Kuang Shi, was the first one to side with Limitless Beast Mountain. From then on, this place had been the base for Limitless Beast Mountain on Monster Emperor Star.
This place wasn’t far from Red Moon Territory, so given Bi Luo’s cultivation, it only took her one hour to reach this place.
As the cold wind whisked across her, she immediately regretted it.
[Why did I even bring her to this place? This is definitely not safe, and if those from Limitless Beast Mountain find out that we’re here, we’ll be doomed.] Earlier, she just couldn’t put up with the little girl, who imitated Shan Qing Luo’s different positions in front of her, so she brought her to this place out of rage.
At this moment, Liu Yan was standing beside her as she looked fixedly at the largest building down there. After investigating it with her Divine Sense, she managed to find out what was going on inside the building.
“Are you done?” Bi Luo lowered her head and asked, “If you’re done, follow me back to Red Moon Territory. If anything happens to you, I’ll have a hard time explaining myself to Mistress and Yang Kai.”
Then, Liu Yan shook her head and burst into laughter.
[She’s such a mischievous little girl. I wonder what it is that she wants to see here.]
Right after she turned around and flew away, her expression changed drastically. Turning her head, she realised that instead of following her, Liu Yan had actually jumped down from the peak and flew towards Limitless Beast Mountain.
“What are you doing!?” Bi Luo exclaimed and raced after her.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t reach her no matter how hard she tried. They were already in the enemy’s territory, so she wouldn’t dare to use too much power lest their enemies discover them. The young girl didn’t seem to be flying rapidly, but she managed to constantly keep a distance away from Bi Luo.
“Come back now! Are you sick of living!?” Bi Luo said through clenched teeth, but Liu Yan just ignored her.
Bi Luo was enraged at the fact that the little girl didn’t take her seriously, so she exerted more Saint Qi to hasten her speed as the gap between them shortened.
A moment later, she took Liu Yan’s arm to make her stop before bellowing at her, “Why are you so naughty? Do you want me to spank your backside?”
Liu Yan raised her head and looked silently at her.
“How dare you glare at me? We need to go back, now!”
However, Liu Yan shook her head slowly, “It’s too late.”
Bi Luo’s face turned ashen in an instant because streams of powerful Divine Sense spread out from the brightly lit place and engulfed her like a great tide. [Damn it! I must have accidentally exposed my aura because I used more Qi to chase after this girl. I’m going to die here because of her!]
“You’re unable to do anything right? Do you know you’ve just ruined my plan?” Liu Yan pursed her lips.
Her plan was to launch a sneak attack on them and destroy them in one go. Now that their enemies were alerted, it might take her more effort to eliminate them. Though, in the end, it didn’t matter much to her.
“Who do you think you’re accusing?” Bi Luo couldn’t believe her ears. [How dare she still lecture me at this point? Doesn’t she understand that I’ve been dragged into this mess because of her?]
“Hahaha. Welcome, my guests. Why don’t you come in and have a chat with me?” A loud voice was suddenly heard saying. The voice was as deafening as thunder, so it was apparent that the speaker was very powerful. Upon hearing it, Bi Luo felt her chest tightening as she almost couldn’t support her own weight. The speaker’s cultivation was undoubtedly much higher than hers. He was probably the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain.
What she failed to realize at that moment though was that Liu Yan was unfazed upon hearing the voice as she still remained calm and collected.
Feeling conflicted within, Bi Luo muttered through gritted teeth, “I’ll be killed because of you!”
More than ten powerful but restrained streams of Divine Sense had targeted her, so she knew that if she showed any intention of fleeing, she would be severely injured the next moment. Now, she could only see how things would work out. At the same time, she had to come up with a solution quickly. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to leave this place alive.
As she tried to rack her brain for a plan, she drew a deep breath and erased any signs of fear on her face. With a faint smile, she attempted to utter in a calm voice, “Sorry for disturbing you, then.”
After that, she took Liu Yan’s hand and shuffled toward the source of the voice. Simultaneously, she spoke to the little girl in her mind, “After we get in there, don’t say anything and follow my lead.”
She paused for a moment, “If we really get into a fight, you should try to flee on your own.” However, she then shook her head and spoke in a dejected manner, “I think you’d better kill yourself.”
It was cruel to tell a young girl to kill herself, but if they really fell into the hands of those brutes from Limitless Beast Mountain, they would go through an ordeal that was worse than death. So, killing themselves might be a better option.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan remained silent and let Bi Luo lug her forward.
Many of the disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain had been alerted, but seeing Bi Luo and Liu Yan come over together, they looked mockingly at them. Some of the men even presumptuously sized up Bi Luo’s curvy figure and whistled at her.
Naturally, Liu Yan had the attention of some men as well as a delicate young girl like her could attract the attention of some with perverse fetishes.
Bi Luo put on a faint smile as she ambled towards the lion’s den as if she was taking a stroll in her own back garden. Now, she could only pretend to be confident to increase her chances of survival. If she showed any sign of diffidence, she would definitely end up in a miserable state.
It was only a distance of several hundred meters, but Bi Luo walked so slowly that it was as though it would take her a year to reach the other end. If she hadn’t tried to suppress her perspiration, her clothes would’ve been drenched in her sweat by now.
All of a sudden, she felt a pinch on her palm. Looking down, she realised that Liu Yan was winking at her and speaking to her in a clear voice, “Don’t worry.”
Bi Luo pressed her lips together and giggled, as she felt that this kid was indeed strange. Compared to how calm this child was, she looked just like a paper tiger. With that said, her mood seemed to have been infected by her confidence as she truly felt less anxious now.
Outside the hall, more than ten disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain blocked their way. They were accompanied by all sorts of Monster Beasts, which included a wolf, a bear, a tiger, a leopard and so on. These were all their ‘pets’. Moreover, these people had some strange patterns on their faces, so they looked rather exotic.
Bi Luo knew that these were Beast Tattoos. The disciples from Limitless Beast Mountain focussed on taming beasts, and every time they successfully tamed a new Monster Beast, a new Beast Tattoo would be added to their bodies. These Beast Tattoos were their features as well as their connections with their Monster Beasts.
The more Beast Tattoos one had, the more powerful he was, thus enabling him to control more Monster Beasts.
These more than ten cultivators in the Origin Returning Realm were standing in a row. Apparently, they didn’t seem to have the intention of making way for the ladies as they looked provocatively at them. The more than ten Monster Beasts growled as well. They seemed to have felt their Masters’ intention, so they readied themself in an aggressive posture.
Bi Luo stopped in her tracks and swept a glance over these people with a smile. Following that, her expression turned cold before she yelled, “Scram!”
Then, she waved her hand as a gale gusted across this group, causing them to stagger backwards. Even their Monster Beasts retreated to the sides. All of them were stunned as they didn’t expect that not only did this woman have the guts to come to their place in the middle of the night, but she also dared to be so presumptuous. At that instant, they were all astounded. Then, they recalled that this woman was an Origin King and realized they truly weren’t powerful enough to deal with her.
After that, Bi Luo walked straight inside. No one dared to stop her again, as if all of them were non-existent. Although she was a lady, her posture was that of a Master at this moment.
Upon entering the hall, she immediately heard the melodious sounds of traditional musical instruments. The hall was spacious and brightly lit as a group of young women, who were clad in semi-transparent dresses, were dancing, their curvy figures faintly visible as they twirled and leapt.
Cultivators of different sexes, heights and weights were seated on both sides of the hall, a table in front of every one of them on which delectable dishes and wine were placed. All of them exuded auras that suggested that they were in the Origin King Realm.
It seemed that tonight, they were having a feast on Limitless Beast Mountain.
Bi Luo was stunned as her heart sank. [We’re really doomed this time. It seems that all the Masters of Limitless Beast Mountain have gathered together tonight. If I can’t come up with an excuse, we won’t be able to leave.]
Facing all the stares Bi Luo found it hard to breathe, as if a mountain had been pressed against her chest. So, she immediately circulated her Saint Qi to pull herself together.
Ignoring the others, she looked fixedly towards the head of the hall. Over there, a burly man was seated in the main seat. His towering figure was like that of a bear. He was clad in a top that was made of animal skin, but he didn’t button it up, which revealed his chest. Apparently, he was an unrestrained man.
He was reclining on a piece of animal skin, which was hard to identify. There was a beautiful woman in his embrace and he was supporting his own head with one hand while tapping his thigh to the beat of the musical instruments with the other. He didn’t open his eyes when Bi Luo was entering the place and even after she stopped in her tracks he still didn’t seem to have noticed it. He was like a sleeping lion that exuded an impenetrable aura.
Certainly, Bi Luo recognised him. He was the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain, as well as the culprit who had devastated Monster Emperor Star, Huang Tu Dao. Previously, Shan Qing Luo had battled against him several times, but it always ended up in a draw. That was because Huang Tu Dao was also a Third-Order Origin King!
The ladies were still dancing to the music and the feast wasn’t interrupted just because Bi Luo had arrived as only the Masters of Limitless Beast Mountain, who were seated on both sides, looked playfully at her.
As for Liu Yan, nobody actually cared about her, as they just wondered why Bi Luo would bring a little girl along with her.
Standing in the hall, Bi Luo pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Like a lion that had awakened from its slumber, Huang Tu Dao suddenly opened his eyes as a glint flashed across his gaze. In a stern voice, he demanded, “Why is there a lady who is not dancing here? Is she sick of living?”
Upon hearing that, all of them broke into laughter as they teased Bi Luo.
“Come on. Dance for us. You’ll be rewarded handsomely.”
“Dance now. Don’t worry. Even if you dance poorly, you won’t be punished. Our Mountain Master is very gentle to beautiful women.”
“Are you too hungry to dance? Come here then, I’ll give you this piece of meat.” Just then, a piece of well-cooked meat dropped beside Bi Luo.
Unfazed, Bi Luo put on a faint smile and slightly bowed to the leader, “Greetings, Mountain Lord Huang, I have come tonight as an envoy from Red Moon Territory.”
Huang Tu Dao arched his brow, “An envoy from Red Moon Territory?” As if he had just managed to clearly see her face, he pretended to examine her, “Oh, you’re that Shan Qing Luo’s maidservant.”
“Bi Luo.”
“En, it’s you!” Huang Tu Dao grinned at her with a hideous face and suddenly blew his top, “How dare you barge into our Mountain! You court death!”
After Huang Tu Dao bellowed, Bi Luo felt her chest tightening. Fortunately, she had come up with an excuse while she was stepping into the hall earlier, so she didn’t appear flustered. After tucking her hair behind her ear, she replied with a smile, “Mountain Lord Huang, please restrain your anger. The reason I’m here tonight is to pass on our Queen’s word to you.”
If they wanted to stay alive, they had to make it clear that they were Shan Qing Luo’s people. Just like how Shan Qing Luo was wary of Huang Tu Dao, he was wary of her; after all, they were both in the same realm.
Huang Tu Dao narrowed his eyes, “Shan Qing Luo’s message? What is it? Has she agreed to become my wife? Hahaha!”
In response, Bi Luo just flashed a smile at him.
“She said that all of you will die tonight!”
Huang Tu Dao stopped laughing abruptly while all the cultivators at the scene were shocked as they got up and glowered at Bi Luo.
The smile on Bi Luo’s face froze as she looked down, because the person who had just uttered those words was Liu Yan, not her.
Huang Tu Dao took a glance at Liu Yan and then Bi Luo before saying impassively, “I can’t pretend that I have not heard that.”
Bi Luo’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as she hurriedly said, “That was just a child’s nonsense, please don’t mind her.” Upon finishing her words, she glared at Liu Yan to warn her not to speak again.
“A child’s nonsense?” Huang Tu Dao snorted, “Rather than that, I think you’re here to find fault with us. Good. Initially, I didn’t want to make things too hard on you because you’re a woman, but since you can’t show proper respect, don’t blame me for treating you harshly.”
“Mountain Lord Huang, please wait!” Bi Luo felt a bitter taste in her mouth. [What have I done to deserve this kind of torture?] She hurriedly pushed Liu Yan forward, “Apologise to Mountain Lord Huang now.”
Liu Yan questioned, “He’s going to die soon. Why should I apologise to him?”
Huang Tu Dao was so enraged that he started laughing. Upon straightening up, he pressed his palms on the table and leaned forward. Staring at Liu Yan, he mocked, “Little girl, you’re quite interesting. I’m curious to see how I’m going to die tonight.” He then growled, “If that doesn’t happen, both of you will go to Hell tonight!”
He didn’t care even if she was just a young child. Since she had the guts to offend him repeatedly, she had to be taught a lesson. He wasn’t a kind-hearted man, so he’d still be able to sleep at night even if he had to kill a child.
“As you wish,” Liu Yan replied dispassionately. All of a sudden, she raised her hand as a fire was ignited on her finger. It was just a small flame that flickered unsteadily as though it could be put out by lightly blowing on it.
Upon seeing this, everyone in the hall burst into laughter, everyone except Huang Tu Dao of course, because the moment this flame appeared, he felt a deep chill shoot up his spine.
Following that, Liu Yan flicked her finger, upon which the flame shot towards Huang Tu Dao.
Feeling as if he was confronting a terrifying foe, Huang Tu Dao braced himself and let out a fierce growl, after which more than ten thick Beast Tattoos appeared on his body. At the same time, one of the Beast Tattoos glowed brightly and a giant beast that looked like a chimpanzee appeared in front of him. The ferocious Monster Beast exuded a Tenth-Order aura, and right after it appeared, it started thumping its chest and howling madly.
In the next instant though, the giant beast stopped howling as a blackened bloody hole appeared on its chest. Flames could be seen around its wound as it immediately spread and engulfed the giant beast in a burning inferno.
Meanwhile, after the flame penetrated the giant beast, it continued towards Huang Tu Dao and easily penetrated his protective Saint Qi and defensive artifact.
Just like a piece of dry wood that had come into contact with a raging fire, Huang Tu Dao’s entire body burst into flame as he shrieked pitifully.
As a crackling sound was heard, those cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain, who were still laughing earlier, jumped to their feet in shock, spilling their wine and food all over the floor. All the dancers in the hall screamed and fled in all directions.
A stiffened Bi Luo was rooted to the spot as her eyes reflected those flames, wondering to herself if she was dreaming.
The shrieks only lasted for a short moment before Huang Tu Dao collapsed to the ground and scattered into ashes. Not a single bone was left while the beast he had summoned before had shared an identical fate.
In less than a breath, Huang Tu Dao had lost his life!
The hall fell into silence, with no one even daring to breathe. Everyone was dumbfounded as they didn’t expect that the Mountain Master of Limitless Beast Mountain, who was still behaving in an overbearing and arrogant manner just now, would be killed by a little girl who looked like she was no older than seven or eight.
They also found it hard to believe that a small flame was able to burn a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master to ashes in an instant.
[Who is this little girl? What kind of flame was that?]
After a moment of silence, the sound of clothes swishing could be heard as everyone fled in different directions, some of them even smashing right through the walls of the hall. Suddenly, ten new exits from the hall were opened.
None of them had the guts to stay there. They didn’t know what realm this little girl was in or what powers she possessed; however, since she was able to kill Huang Tu Dao with ease, it would definitely take her even less effort to end their lives.
If they wanted to survive, they had to escape as far as possible.
“Thirteen…” Liu Yan muttered calmly as if she wasn’t aware of what was going on. Then, she uttered impassively, “Song of the Phoenix!”
Waving her little hand lightly, beams of light shot in all directions. All these beams turned into firebirds that released a cacophony of sharp cries as they circled the hall before soaring out of the palace.
After that, miserable cries rang out from outside the hall for a brief moment before several powerful auras disappeared.
Bi Luo felt her entire body trembling. Rather than feeling joyous, she was horrified. The little girl, who she thought was a harmless child, had showcased an unimaginable power that caused Bi Luo to be terrified as she dashed out of the hall. After arriving outside though, she was immediately rooted to the spot.
At this moment, the firebirds could be seen flying around the vast city, no longer exquisite and petite as they had transformed into giant creatures with dazzling fiery tails. Wherever these giant firebirds went, everything would be reduced to ashes.
In just a short while, besides Liu Yan and Bi Luo, there were no more living creatures within a ten-kilometre radius of the main hall. Those people who were overbearing and rude to them just moments ago were nowhere in sight as they had all been reduced to ashes in different parts of the city. Meanwhile, the firebirds continued flying outwards.
It was a horrifying sight, and it signalled the end of Limitless Beast Mountain as their foundation had been uprooted and utterly destroyed.
Bi Luo didn’t know what kind of celebration Limitless Beast Mountain had been hosting tonight to gather all their top cultivators; however, looking back, she knew that they had made a fatal mistake because it gave Liu Yan a chance to kill them all in one go.
It was then that she came to the realisation why this little girl had insisted on coming to Limitless Beast Mountain. It was no wonder that not only was she not afraid, but she had also offended Huang Tu Dao multiple times in the hall. With such power, there was no reason for her to fear anyone or anything here.
Just then, a cold breeze whisked across Bi Luo’s face and cleared up her mind a little. Still in a semi-dazed state, she stepped back into the hall, only to see Liu Yan sitting on the chair where Huang Tu Dao was seated earlier. Appearing to be bored, she yawned nonchalantly.
Bi Luo’s face twitched when she saw that.
…
Three days later, Yang Kai pulled out his arm from under Shan Qing Luo with difficulty, but she soon wrapped her limbs around him again like an octopus.
Then, he landed a slap on her backside and instantly formed a palm mark. Following that, he said, “Are you not satisfied yet?”
Still in a groggy state, Shan Qing Luo opened her eyes and said languidly, “Am I someone who can be satisfied easily?”
Yang Kai replied in shock, “Are you not?”
The two of them had spent almost every moment of the last three days engaged in a torrid lovemaking session. It was as though Shan Qing Luo wanted to make up for all the time she had lost since they had separated decades ago.
She always proactively came on to Yang Kai, as if she wanted to squeeze every last bit of energy out of him; however, her endurance simply could not match his, so she was always the one to be subdued in the end.
Now, Yang Kai’s cultivation was two realms higher than hers, and he was also a Half-Dragon; therefore, his prowess in bed could easily be unbearable for her. Nevertheless, she would still pounce on him no matter how many times she was knocked out. Hence, the past few days had been quite enjoyable for him.
Shan Qing Luo and Su Yan were two extremely different women.
“What are you talking about?” Shan Qing Luo shot him a glare and pinched him.
Yang Kai put on a smile and placed his hand on her flat belly, “If you pinch me to death, the baby in your belly will lose its father.”
All of a sudden, she widened her eyes and muttered, “Baby…”
She stroked her belly and thought, [En, maybe there’s a child in here now. If that’s the case, I’ll still have someone by my side after he’s gone in the future.]
Following that, she flipped over and rode on top of him. Her hair cascading down over her shoulders and covering her twin peaks, with her lips pressed together, she said, “Give me more. I must get pregnant this time.”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “I was just trying to make a point. Why do you take it so seriously?”
“Are you a man of your word or not? How dare you evade your responsibility!” She clenched his neck with a fierce expression.
Yang Kai replied, “I wouldn’t dare to, but someone is looking for you now.” He pointed at the door.
“Who is it?” Shan Qing Luo frowned, “I don’t want to meet anyone.”
“It’s Yu Xiong.” Yang Kai smiled faintly.
In the past, Chi Yue had adopted a son and a daughter. Naturally, the adopted daughter was Shan Qing Luo, while Yu Xiong was the adopted son. Since then, both of them regarded each other as a real brother and sister.
Previously, Yang Kai had come into contact with Yu Xiong when he came to Monster Emperor Star. Yu Xiong was a forthright man, so they were on good terms.
Upon hearing that Yu Xiong was looking for her, Shan Qing Luo immediately got up and put on her clothes, as it would be inappropriate for her to refuse to meet him.
A moment later, she placed her hand on the handle, but before she could open the door, she heard Yu Xiong yelling outside the room, “Step aside, Bi Luo. I have something vital to tell my Little Sister. How dare you stop me!?”
Bi Luo replied anxiously, “Sir, it’s not convenient for Mistress to meet you now. Please wait for a while. I’ll inform her of your visit.”
Yu Xiong bellowed, “What do you mean it’s not convenient for her to meet me?” While they were bickering, the door was suddenly pushed open. Yu Xiong immediately moved past Bi Luo and walked over, but upon seeing how radiant Shan Qing Luo appeared, he was startled for a moment and gulped down what he was about to say.
Raising his head, he saw Yang Kai stepping out of the room as well.
“Little Brat! It’s you!” Yu Xiong growled. With his brow twitching, he attempted to land a fist on Yang Kai, “I’ll kill you!”
Shan Qing Luo immediately stepped aside and looked smilingly at them. She wasn’t worried that either of them would hurt the other, so she didn’t intend to interfere.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai was able to block his fist with just one finger, Yu Xiong widened his eyes in disbelief and pushed out the other fist.
Yang Kai lightly flicked Yu Xiong’s fist, after which the latter’s muscular arm turned limp as he couldn’t exert any force with it anymore. After moving several steps backwards, he examined Yang Kai and uttered, “You…”
He was rough-looking, but it didn’t mean that he was brainless. Although he hadn’t used all his strength with his two fists, he believed that hardly anyone in this world could stop his attacks. However, since Yang Kai was able to do so with utter ease, he couldn’t help but make all kinds of speculations.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai just stood there with a smile as his expression appeared inscrutable.
Yu Xiong shook his head and stopped messing with him before he turned to Shan Qing Luo, “Little Sister, something major happened.”
A shocked Shan Qing Luo asked, “What happened?”
Yu Xiong was also an Origin King Realm Master now, so anything that could make him so flustered must be serious. On Monster Emperor Star, there were not so many pressing issues, so it must have something to do with Red Moon Territory.
“Limitless Beast Mountain has been destroyed.”
Upon hearing that, Shan Qing Luo was rooted to the spot for a moment before she turned to look at Yang Kai, as though she was asking him whether it had something to do with him. Red Moon Territory had been in a battle against Limitless Beast Mountain for more than ten years, but they had always been suppressed by the latter. She had also dealt with Huang Tu Dao several times before, so she knew that he was truly powerful. No one in Red Moon Territory, or on Monster Emperor Star for that matter, had the power to destroy them.
The person who was able to do this without anyone else knowing must be the man beside her; however, for the past three days, they had basically spent every breath together, so how was he able to achieve that? [Did he go over to Limitless Beast Mountain before coming to see me?]
An excited Yu Xiong uttered, “I also couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news, so I personally went over to investigate the matter and guess what? All the buildings on Limitless Beast Mountain have been destroyed, and not even a single living creature is left. Although I have no idea who made the move, the person must be an expert in the Fire Attribute and possess unparalleled ability. Moreover, from what I’ve gathered, on the night when Limitless Beast Mountain was destroyed, that old dog Huang Tu Dao was holding a feast. Besides the Elders from Limitless Beast Mountain who were all in the Origin King Realm, the participants also included the two traitors, Qian Yan and Kuang Shi! All of them finally got what they deserve! Hahaha! Retribution came for them at last!” He clenched up his fists as his eyes beamed with ferocity, “Little Sister, it’s time we made our move!”
After Limitless Beast Mountain was destroyed and their top cultivators were all killed, Red Moon Territory practically had no more worries. It was time they regained control of Monster Emperor Star.
“It wasn’t me,” Seeing that Shan Qing Luo kept staring at him, Yang Kai shrugged and put on a smile before he turned to look at Liu Yan.
Upon hearing that Limitless Beast Mountain was demolished by someone with a Fire Attribute Divine Ability, he immediately knew who the culprit was.
Liu Yan and Bi Luo had gone out the other night, and although they were able to hide it from Shan Qing Luo, they wouldn’t be able to fool his Divine Sense. Apparently, they had made a move that night.
Liu Yan happened to turn her head and beamed at him, as if she was demanding a compliment from him. In response, Yang Kai showed her a thumbs-up, and her smile became even sweeter.
“You did it?” After examining their expressions for a bit, Shan Qing Luo stared at Liu Yan in shock. Initially, she thought that this little girl was Yang Kai’s daughter from another woman, but now it seemed that she was mistaken.
“She was the one?” After Yu Xiong’s speech was interrupted, he turned to gaze at Liu Yan in amazement. Then, he pursed his lips and uttered, “You must be kidding me.”
It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept new and strange things, but what he had just heard was utterly inconceivable.
To the side, Bi Luo said meekly, “Sir, it was really her who devastated Limitless Beast Mountain.”
Yu Xiong took a glance at her and guffawed, “This is not a joke you know?”
Seeing that Bi Luo was solemnly gazing back at him though, he stopped laughing and asked dumbly, “Are you serious?”
Bi Luo replied, “I was about to tell Mistress about it. Three nights ago, we…” She then went on to narrate what happened that night in detail. Although her tone was calm and she only relayed the facts, not making any exaggerations, her descriptions were so vivid and shocking that Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong were both astounded.
Upon hearing that Huang Tu Dao was killed by Liu Yan with a tiny flame, even they were drenched in a cold sweat.
[He was a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master. How was he burned to death in just an instant?]
Yu Xiong’s face had turned pale as he looked at Liu Yan with respect and fear, because just some time ago, he had gently patted her head as he found her to be cute.
Thinking back, he realised that he was extremely lucky. If this little girl had taken offence to his actions, he would have followed Huang Tu Dao to Hell. Since Huang Tu Dao was powerless to resist her flames, they could also kill him easily.
With difficulty, he gulped and secretly widened his gap with Liu Yan, as if he could find a sense of security by doing so.
“Who is she?” Shan Qing Luo turned to look at Yang Kai, “Isn’t she your daughter?”
Yang Kai spread his palms, “I told you she’s not, but you just wouldn’t listen to me. She’s Liu Yan.”
“Liu Yan!?” Shan Qing Luo was flabbergasted. Certainly, she was familiar with Liu Yan, but she couldn’t liken the Artifact Spirit to the little girl before her eyes; after all, the person in front of her was a living being with a body of flesh and bone.
Then, she immediately realised that since Liu Yan had been following Yang Kai around over the years, the latter must have come across an astonishing opportunity and even obtained a physical body for herself.
After she recovered from the shock, her eyes flashed. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since all the top cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain were dead, the others were now powerless to resist Red Moon Territory. If they made a move now, all their enemies on Monster Emperor Star would be doomed.
Then, she gave Yang Kai an apologetic smile and uttered, “Husband, I’m afraid I have to leave now.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Go ahead. We still have a long future together anyway, so there’s no rush.” The reason he came back this time was to bring all of them to the Star Boundary. Since he wouldn’t disappear for decades again, he’d have plenty of time with his wives in the future.
Moreover, after three days of intense activities, both he and Shan Qing Luo needed some time to recover.
Shan Qing Luo and Yu Xiong soon left the place to embark on a journey to reclaim control of Monster Emperor Star, so only Bi Luo was left to serve Yang Kai.
With a conflicted expression, Bi Luo gazed at him, “Sir, what can I do for you?”
She had never expected that this young man, who was captured and brought back to Fragrance City by Shan Qing Luo in the past, would become so powerful one day. Even Shan Qing Luo had benefited from his protection now.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I remember that there’s a Space Array in Red Moon Territory. Lead me to it.”
Shadowed Star was now free from any enemies, and the same would be true of Monster Emperor Star soon. However, they still had to be careful as those top cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field might try to make a comeback. Shadowed Star was currently protected by Su Yan, so Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about anything. Nevertheless, more power was needed to protect Monster Emperor Star. The best way was to connect both Cultivation Stars so that they could help each other. Once the connection was established, if anyone had the guts to invade Monster Emperor Star again, they would certainly lose their lives here.
And so, the trio headed further towards a certain spot in Red Moon Territory.
According to Bi Luo, the Space Array in Red Moon Territory had been destroyed by Shan Qing Luo more than ten years ago because she was worried that their enemies might arrive at their place through this Space Array.
At that time, they had already lost contact with Shadowed Star, so she had to do it as a last resort.
On their way there, they came across many Monster Race members as they all respectfully saluted Bi Luo. Although she was just Shan Qing Luo’s maidservant, she was an Origin King, after all, so she received the respect she deserved. Furthermore, all these Monster Race members in Red Moon Territory knew that Shan Qing Luo had never regarded her as a maidservant, instead treating her as if she was her blood sister.
On the other hand, they were all shocked when they saw Yang Kai and Liu Yan. However, since Bi Luo didn’t say anything, they did not dare to inquire about it.
Soon, they reached the Space Array. This Space Array was also arranged by Yang Kai in the past, and upon closer inspection now, he realised that it was quite simple and crude. Besides the fact that his vision had been broadened due to the advancement of his cultivation, his mastery over the Dao of Space had also increased dramatically.
“Sir, what materials do you need?” Bi Luo asked, remembering it had required many rare materials to arrange this Space Array the first time.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “There’s no need for that. Just go about your business.”
In the past, the primary materials he used to build the Space Arrays in the Star Field were Space Spirit Jades; however, those materials found in the Star Field were no longer that high of a grade to him.
Meanwhile, he had brought countless Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades from the Star Boundary, and they would undoubtedly bring out better effects after they were used to arrange Space Arrays.
Bi Luo replied with a smile, “My most important job is to serve you.”
Certainly, she had to take Shan Qing Luo’s orders seriously, but after she finished speaking, she realised that something was off, because what she had just uttered sounded somewhat intimate.
Yang Kai happened to turn to look at her at that moment. Realising that he was staring at her lips, she immediately hung her head low. The shadows of her long eyelashes had been formed under her eyes, and no one could make out her expression.
When she raised her head, she realised that Yang Kai was now working on the Space Array in a serious manner. Sensing a stare from the side, she turned her head only to see Liu Yan gazing at her as she spread her arms and drew a circle in the air.
“What are you doing?” Bi Luo was terrified of her now, especially when the latter made any gestures with her hands that might lead anyone to fall into wild thoughts.
“A lot of women. A lot,” Liu Yan replied.
After giving it a thought, Bi Luo realised what the young girl was talking about as her face reddened, “Why did you tell me this?”
“Hah hah hah…” Liu Yan laughed slowly and in a hollow manner.
Seeing that, Bi Luo had the urge to rip her mouth off.
“Liu Yan, come help me!” Yang Kai called out.
Liu Yan grumbled in agreement and skipped toward Yang Kai. Facing the Space Spirit Crystals and Space Spirit Jades he had fished out, she let out a breath, after which, a jet of flames shot out of her mouth and engulfed the materials.
With her help, repairing and upgrading the Space Array became much easier. In just half a day, a new Space Array had been built.
After Yang Kai added some finishing touches and localized its coordinates, the Space Array now had direct access to Shadowed Star. There was no need for relay points anymore, so it was convenient for the people on both ends.
Then, he told Liu Yan to stay behind before he stepped onto the array and pushed his Space Principles. After a glint flashed across the array, he disappeared from their sight. Bi Luo and Liu Yan only waited for half a day before the array began glowing again. In the next moment, they could faintly see some figures atop the array who all exuded powerful auras.
After the glow disappeared, Bi Luo was surprised to see many familiar faces. These people were all the top cultivators from High Heaven Sect and Shadowed Star. She and Shan Qing Luo had lived on Shadowed Star for some time in the past, so she was naturally familiar with these people.
Upon seeing Su Yan, Bi Luo was dumbfounded.
Su Yan had disappeared twenty odd years ago, and there had not been any news about her since. [Why is she back in High Heaven Sect all of a sudden?] Not daring to appear impolite, Bi Luo hurriedly stepped forward and saluted her, “Greetings, First Madam.”
Although Yang Kai had many wives, Su Yan still ranked first. It wasn’t because she was the closest to Yang Kai or because she was his first woman, but because her demeanour could command respect from all the others.
Xue Yue and Shan Qing Luo would still bicker with each other from time to time, but both of them would become obedient in front of Su Yan. Faced with this undisputed First Madam, Bi Luo had to show due respect to her.
In response, Su Yan flashed a smile at her, “We haven’t met for a long time.”
Bi Luo replied, “It’s been twenty years. Mistress has always missed you. If she learns that you’re fine and healthy, she’ll definitely be elated.”
Su Yan turned to look at Yang Kai, “Haven’t you told Luo’er about it?”
Yang Kai scratched his face, “I er… forgot to mention it.”
“Too busy, right?” Su Yan teased him.
Although Yang Kai was thick-skinned, he still blushed with embarrassment at this moment. He had spent the last three full days intimately entangled with Shan Qing Luo and had no time to talk about other matters. Now that Su Yan had pointed it out, he felt slightly bashful.
Fortunately, Su Yan wasn’t someone who enjoyed picking on minor issues like this, so she turned to look at Bi Luo quickly and said, “We’re here to give Luo’er a hand. Where is she? Bring us to look for her.”
Although all the top cultivators from Limitless Beast Mountain had been killed, they had been around for more than ten years and had occupied about 90 percent of the territories on Monster Emperor Star. Therefore, it would take those from Red Moon Territory a lot of time to regain these lands. Besides testing the viability of the Space Array, Yang Kai had also returned to High Heaven Sect to gather reinforcements from Shadowed Star to assist Shan Qing Luo.
Su Yan and the other Masters were just the vanguard though, and more people would continue to arrive from now on to support Shan Qing Luo. As such, it was just a matter of time before they could regain control of Monster Emperor Star.
“Yes!” Bi Luo responded firmly.
Su Yan then turned to Yang Kai and said, “I’ll leave Little Sister Yue and Ning Chang to you, then.”
“Yes, I was just about to set out now.” Yang Kai nodded. His experiences on Shadowed Star and Monster Emperor Star made him realise that the entire Star Field was in a perilous situation; therefore, he was worried about Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue. He eagerly wanted to meet them to make sure that they were safe.
They didn’t even bid each other farewell because they knew that they’d reunite soon. Su Yan and those from the High Heaven Sect then turned around and left, while Yang Kai and Liu Yan stepped onto the array and continued with their journey.
…
Water Moon Star was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
It took Yang Kai one month to reach this place after he left Monster Emperor Star. Upon arrival though, he appeared to be in doubt, because he thought that this place should be devastated by wars, just like the other Stars that he had visited; however, he didn’t expect that the Star would appear peaceful at this moment, as if there were no traces of battle, which made him feel slightly uneasy.
Also, he realised that a few Starships had been anchored in the Starry Sky. He acutely saw the symbol of the Netherworld Sect on those Starships, which made him become even more apprehensive.
Following that, he swiftly shot past the Starships, after which a series of intense explosions could be heard from behind him. These Starships that belonged to the Netherworld Sect were destroyed before the people inside even managed to realize they were under attack. The loud and bright explosions in the sky immediately attracted the attention of those top cultivators on Water Moon Star as they looked up at the same time. Some of them had their expressions change because they realised what was going on.
They were soon attracted to a beam of light, which presumptuously shot down from the Starry Sky and penetrated the clouds before landing in the main city that used to belong to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
With a loud boom, the entire city shook as wide cracks appeared and spread across the ground. At the same time, a gale blasted out across the city, demolishing many buildings in its path.
*Sou sou sou…*
Many figures flew over from all directions and hovered in mid-air, looking down at this unwelcome guest.
Yang Kai swept a cold glance over them as his heart sank, because his worries had become reality.
Water Moon Star had fallen!
None of the cultivators here were familiar to him. Moreover, some of them were clad in clothes that resembled the uniforms of the Netherworld Sect. Even though the others might not be from Netherworld Sect, it was certain they came from Grand Desolation Star Field as well.
[Why has this Star fallen?] Yang Kai couldn’t understand it.
He wasn’t surprised that Green Mountains Star had been occupied, because they didn’t have any peak level cultivators or top forces protecting them. However, even Shadowed Star and Monster Emperor Star hadn’t fallen, so why would such a thing have happened to Water Moon Star? This was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, which was one of the three strongest forces in the entire Star Field. Before the rise of the High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was the top force in the Star Field, with even greater strength than Purple Star and Sword Union.
So, he couldn’t believe that such a Star had fallen. Now, the situation on this Star appeared even worse than Green Mountains Star.
[What has happened to this place over the past decade? Where is Xue Yue? Where are those from Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce?]
As these questions flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, his aura suddenly turned cold, which caused the cultivators around him to feel as if they’d fallen into an ice cave.
[This person is quite bold to descend here straight from the Starry Sky.] Although Yang Kai hadn’t made a move, his cold aura was enough to terrify them.
“Who is the one who is in charge of this place?” Yang Kai swept a glance over all of them. His attitude was that of a tiger that had barged into a place where a herd of sheep lived, as he didn’t take any one of them seriously.
The place fell into silence as no one replied to him. Faced with this formidable young man, these cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field all appeared cautious.
“I asked…” Yang Kai raised his fist and bent his arm backwards before forcefully pushing out his fist, “Where is the person in charge of this place!? Are all of you deaf?”
Just then, a loud boom was heard, as if something had exploded. These people turned their heads and gasped, because in the direction Yang Kai pushed out his fist, a cultivator had exploded into a blood mist on the spot, leaving not a single bone behind.
That person was a First-Order Origin King! How powerful must this young man be to be able to kill an Origin King Realm who was a thousand meters away from him with just one punch? These people, who were already wary of Yang Kai, felt their hearts freezing when they saw this. None of them could possibly be a match for him, so they all started moving backwards at the same time.
Right then, a person stepped forward. He was a thin and tall middle-aged man who was surrounded by Death Qi. An array controller suddenly appeared in his hand and he pushed his Saint Qi into it. The next moment, a buzzing sound could be heard in the air as the City Defending Array rumbled to life.
The Netherworld Sect had been in control of Water Moon Star for many years now, and it had been peaceful on the Star because no one dared to find fault with them. So, they were quite lax when it came to guarding the Star. However, they didn’t expect that someone would barge into the city one day.
The others were afraid of Yang Kai’s power, but this thin man wasn’t. That was because he was in control of the city’s defensive Spirit Array.
[I may not have the confidence to face you if you were acting wantonly outside the city; however, since you have the guts to enter this place, once the array is active, I can still deal with you!]
As he activated the array, he bellowed, “What are you all waiting for? Take him down! I’ll assist you with the array!”
After he finished speaking, the Spirit Array became fully active and exerted a strong pressure to suppress Yang Kai.
At that moment, Yang Kai’s knees bent slightly, as if two mountains had been placed on his shoulders.
Seeing that, everyone present became elated. Hesitating no more, they activated their Secret Techniques and artifacts before launching an attack on Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, the thin man was shocked for a moment before he became ecstatic. Then, in a way that was against the current atmosphere, he yelled, “Keep him alive!”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kill. Yang Kai had killed one of their Origin King Realm Masters and even offended them, so there was no way he’d let him off; however, after he activated the array, not only was Yang Kai not pinned down to the ground, but the latter didn’t even show any sign of using his Saint Qi. At that instant, he realised that the young man’s body must be incredibly tough, so the latter might have cultivated some kind of profound Body Tempering Secret Art.
Body Tempering Secret Arts weren’t all that rare, but it was difficult to look for a person with such a strong body.
This thin man was a Netherworld Sect Elder who was an expert in Corpse Refinement, so he was most fond of cultivators whose bodies were sturdy. If he could capture Yang Kai and refine him, he would certainly be able to produce an excellent Corpse Puppet. The man before his eyes was an extremely rare material that he had always dreamed of obtaining.
[He’s even more precious than the other materials I’ve obtained on Water Moon Star over the years!]
With that thought in mind, he wasn’t willing to see Yang Kai get killed. Although he could also refine Yang Kai after the latter was dead, the results would be better if he refined a living Human.
Receiving these instructions, the cultivators, who were pouncing on Yang Kai, cursed at him in their hearts. [Why didn’t you say earlier that you wanted us to hold back?]
Now that they had launched an attack, it was difficult for them to stop. However, they couldn’t disobey the thin man, so left with no choice, they tried their best to hold back some of their power. Some of them even suffered a backlash and spat blood from the exertion.
With a loud boom, all their Secret Techniques and artifacts landed on Yang Kai, sending out surging waves of energy and dazzling explosions of light.
Seeing this, the thin man felt his chest tightening. [Damn it! He’ll probably be dismembered! There will be nothing left for me to refine!]
His face fell as he felt heartbroken.
After the lights all faded though, he was shocked to see that Yang Kai was still alive and kicking. On top of that, the little girl beside him also appeared calm and collected, as though she wasn’t hurt one bit.
The thin man was horrified as he was gripped by a sense of uneasiness.
“It’d be impolite of me if I don’t give you something in return for your warm greeting gift. Since you’re all so hospitable, please accept my regards!” Yang Kai growled as his arms flickered out, sending fist shadows in all directions.
*Hong! Hong! Hong!* Bodies exploded in all directions as no one here could withstand even one punch from Yang Kai. In the blink of an eye, dozens of enemy cultivators had been killed.
At this moment, only the thin man was still alive. His limbs had turned completely cold as if he had fallen into a blizzard.
Yang Kai turned to look at him and said, “It seems that you’re the person in charge here. Don’t worry, I only have some questions for you. If I’m happy with your answers, I promise to give you a painless death.” His hair hung loose on his forehead, and his gaze appeared dark.
At that instant, the thin man found it hard to breathe, as if he was being stared at by a giant ancient beast.
Nevertheless, he was a proud man, so even though he was terrified, he hadn’t lost his will to struggle. After taking out a copper ring, he quickly spun it and glared at Yang Kai as he said through clenched teeth, “I don’t care who you are, but since you have the guts to offend us, you have to die today!”
Just then, a ringing sound could be heard as a few figures suddenly appeared around the thin man. The figures came in different shapes and sizes, but they all exuded very thick Death Qi. Upon closer look, it could be seen that their faces were all ashen and hollow. Their teeth were sharp, and their hair was in a mess, so they looked rather hideous.
“Corpse Refinement!” Yang Kai arched his brow in surprise, as he didn’t expect that someone from the Netherworld Sect was an expert in Corpse Refinement. No one else he had come across from the Netherworld Sect so far knew this skill. It seemed that the Secret Techniques in Netherworld Sect were also divided into different schools; however, they all seemed related to the dead.
“Hmm?” Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at one of the Corpse Puppets. After he sized it up for a bit, his expression darkened.
“Brat, I’ll capture and refine you so that you’ll become one of my Corpse Puppets too!” The thin man bellowed at Yang Kai and glowered at him. Although the young man before his eyes had showcased some exceptional combat skills, he wasn’t a weakling either. With the Corpse Puppets around him, even a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master couldn’t possibly harm him. He might also stand a chance to capture his enemy; therefore, he wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, his interest in Yang Kai had increased because of what the latter had done.
A Corpse Puppet’s strength correlated with its power before death. The more powerful a cultivator was, the more power he would be able to showcase after he was made into a Corpse Puppet.
Not only was Yang Kai powerful, but his body was also tough, which was the best Corpse Refinement material that this thin man had always dreamed of obtaining.
He almost couldn’t contain his urge to cackle out loud, as he couldn’t believe that it didn’t take him any effort to find such a precious material. If he could refine this young man, his position within the Netherworld Sect would be strengthened.
As the copper ring on the thin man’s hand spun, the Corpse Puppets that he had summoned started howling. All of them exuded very thick Corpse Qi as they pounced on Yang Kai with their claws. Their nails were just as sharp as blades, and they also appeared green, which suggested that they were poisonous.
Just then, a fire appeared as a petite firebird flew towards the Corpse Puppets. Its movement was swift, and its demeanour was elegant.
The first Corpse Puppet that it came into contact with was set ablaze in an instant while the firebird didn’t even slow down as it flew towards the second Corpse Puppet. In the blink of an eye, it had burned several of them to ashes.
“Keep this one alive!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted and clenched the neck of one of the Corpse Puppets before pulling it towards himself. The Corpse Puppet started struggling as he clawed at Yang Kai’s chest with his sharp nails; however, it was as if he was trying to jab his nails into a piece of iron as clanging sounds could be heard. Ultimately, he was unable to penetrate Yang Kai’s chest at all.
Liu Yan tilted her head. Although she didn’t know what Yang Kai’s intentions were, she didn’t ask him about it as she controlled the firebird to burn down the other Corpse Puppets.
*Pu…*
The thin man sprayed out a mouthful of blood as his once confident gaze was now filled with utter terror. Staring at Liu Yan in fear, he stammered, eyes turning bloodshot, “Y-You…”
His Corpse Puppets were all as powerful as Origin Kings, especially the strongest one, which was refined from the body of a Third-Order Origin King Realm Master. Given this lineup, he was confident that no one in Heng Luo Star Field would be able to oppose him. However, now, his Corpse Puppets had mostly been reduced to ashes by a little girl who looked at best eight years old, and even his strongest Corpse Puppet had been captured by the young man with ease.
Just then, something flashed across his eyes as the young girl appeared in front of him without warning. She was looking up at him as her clear gaze reflected his terrified face.
He watched as the little girl raised her hand and pressed it against his belly, but he didn’t have the time to make a move at all.
“Keep him alive as well,” Yang Kai suddenly shouted.
Liu Yan released some of her energy through her palm, after which the thin man became listless like a popped balloon. He staggered backwards and fell on his butt as he coughed up blood. At the same time, he felt the organs inside his body churning.
It was then he realized that his cultivation was gone. Nothing in this world was more painful than this for a cultivator. Moreover, his Corpse Puppets were destroyed earlier, which affected his mind, so he was currently half dead.
His enemy was able to severely injure him with ease, which meant if she got serious, no one in this world would be a match for her. Not even his Sect Master.
[Where are these two monsters from?]
Yang Kai clenched the strongest Corpse Puppet’s neck and let him claw at his body with the latter’s sharp nails, a conflicted glint flashing across his eyes.
This Corpse Puppet was under someone else’s control, so he kept struggling and growling, as if he had gone mad. Cracking sounds could be heard coming from the puppet’s neck as, apparently, his bones were breaking; however, as this puppet didn’t feel pain or had the ability to think, he continued lashing out. All he knew was that he must destroy everything before his eyes, so he wouldn’t stop moving even if his bones were all ground to dust.
Yang Kai took a deep breath and pushed his Divine Sense before shouting through gritted teeth, “Long Tian Shang! Wake up!”
Extremely pure Spiritual Energy mingled with his voice and shot into the Corpse Puppet’s mind. Then, a faint sound of something breaking could be heard. Following that, the Corpse Puppet, who had been flailing about wildly, calmed down all of a sudden. Although he was still waving his claws, he wasn’t as ferocious as earlier.
His eyes started darting around and seemed to be regaining focus; however, it was just a weak sign.
Seeing that, Yang Kai immediately knew that the Corpse Puppet hadn’t lost all his spirituality. Perhaps it was because it had only been a short time since he was refined into a Corpse Puppet, or because his cultivation before death had been extremely powerful. Whatever the case, there seemed to be a chance of awakening him, so Yang Kai hurriedly circulated his Spiritual Energy and infused it into the Corpse Puppet’s mind to carefully guide his consciousness to the surface.
A quarter-hour later, the Corpse Puppet’s eyes regained focus and he stopped waving his hands. A strange expression appeared on his hideous face as he asked, “Y-You are…”
His voice was husky, like he hadn’t spoken for a long time, or possibly because his body had been damaged, so it was grating and unpleasant to the ears.
“Senior Long,” Yang Kai gazed at him with a conflicted expression.
In fact, Yang Kai wasn’t close to Long Tian Shang. He had met him once when he arrived on Water Moon Star in the past, but they hadn’t talked much. This man was the Supreme Elder of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so he was actually Ai Ou’s Senior. Naturally, that made him Yang Kai’s Senior as well.
At that time, Ai Ou had followed Yang Kai to leave the Star Field and head for the Star Boundary. After that, Xue Yue took over the businesses of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, while Long Tian Shang stood behind her to give her some support. In fact, given his power, he had the right to follow Yang Kai to leave the Star Field as well; however, he had spent most of his life contributing to Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, so he didn’t have the heart to leave. Therefore, he decided to stay and continue to act as their guardian.
However, Yang Kai didn’t expect that when they met again after several dozen years, Long Tian Shang would be refined into a Corpse Puppet and enslaved by someone else.
Fortunately, he had come across Yang Kai, who was able to use his Spiritual Energy to awaken him for a moment. No one else in the world could have done this.
“You are… Yang Kai!” Long Tian Shang slowly regained his senses as he recalled some memories from the past. Naturally, he still remembered Yang Kai, who was a rising star at that time as well as Xue Yue’s husband.
Yang Kai said, “Senior Long, we don’t have much time. Please tell me what has happened to the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. Where is Xue Yue?”
In fact, he was most concerned about Xue Yue, as it didn’t matter that the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was gone. The most important thing now was that Xue Yue had to be safe. Nevertheless, given Long Tian Shang’s cultivation, he was still made into a Corpse Puppet by someone from the Netherworld Sect, so it was expected that Yang Kai was worried about Xue Yue’s safety.
“Xue Yue…” Long Tian Shang muttered in a hoarse voice as he recalled more memories from the past. He then took a look at his own hands and appeared dejected, “Ah, I see…”
Finally, he remembered the situation he was in. After pulling himself together and finding the right words, he said, “Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was destroyed. Xue Yue… After the fall of Water Moon Star, I stayed behind to cover their escape; however, I don’t know where they are now.”
His memories halted on the day of that epic battle. He single-handedly held back more than ten Starships from the Netherworld Sect and its Grand Desolation Star Field allies. Eventually, he was exhausted, after which he was captured and refined into a Corpse Puppet.
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Xue Yue fled?”
That was indeed some good news, given the perilous situation they were in at that time. Although it wasn’t certain whether Xue Yue was safe, there was a hope at the very least. With this thought in mind, Yang Kai was finally able to relax a bit.
“Have you met this woman before?” Liu Yan crouched down in front of the thin man and a flame on her palm flickered before transforming into the image of a valiant-looking lady. Although the image was formed from fire, it resembled the actual person greatly, which went to show how talented Liu Yan was in controlling fire.
She had refined the Fire Phoenix Source, so controlling fire was her forte.
Although she spoke in a calm and soft tone, it sounded like a reaper of death’s voice to the thin man. He was horrified as he shuddered and shook his head repeatedly, “No! I have never seen her!”
“Haha…” Liu Yan put on a hollow laugh as another fire shot out from her palm and transformed into a fire snake, which surrounded the thin man and opened its mouth wide above his head before hissing and sticking out its tongue at him, as though it would swallow him whole in the next moment. Liu Yan’s fire was able to burn his powerful Corpse Puppets with ease, but at this moment, it seemed to have lost its heat as it didn’t harm the thin man one bit, which made it look quite absurd, “How could you say you had never met her when you didn’t even take a look? Although I’m young, it doesn’t mean you can lie to me.”
It was then the thin man raised his head and took a glance at the fire image.
“You’d better give me an honest answer. Otherwise, you’ll be begging for death before we’re done,” Liu Yan uttered dispassionately.
“Yes, I’ve seen her before!”
“Where is she now?”
The thin man replied, “She and some people fled to a Cultivation Star where there’s a Star Master. Over the years, we’ve been in a deadlock with the people over there.”
“Where did she flee to?”
The thin man tried to identify the location and then pointed in a direction.
Liu Yan turned to look at Yang Kai, who immediately entered his own Knowledge Sea and looked up at the Star Chart. Following that, an idea came into his mind.
[Xue Yue and the others fled to a Cultivation Star where there’s a Star Master. Moreover, the direction is right as well. If I’m not mistaken, she must have gone to that place. A wise decision. Although it is pretty far from Water Moon Star, it’s a better option when compared to others.]
The conversation between Liu Yan and the thin man was all heard by Yang Kai. At the same time, he was trying to communicate with Long Tian Shang, which was a difficult task.
Although he had used his Divine Ability to make Long Tian Shang come to his senses, the latter had lost most of his memories and couldn’t remember most things. He only remembered that Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was too powerful, so they had attracted the attention of those top cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. Netherworld Sect had joined forces with other great forces from Grand Desolation Star Field and launched an attack on them. Besides that, even the infamous Star Pirates from Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair had sided with the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field.
Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair were the two largest Star Pirate groups in the entire Heng Luo Star Field. These people who had come together were the vilest criminals. He Yun Xiang’s Fierce Gale Pirates paled when compared to these two great forces.
Before the invasion from Grand Desolation Star Field, these two great forces had been in conflict with the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union for about a thousand years. Starships from each of these Sects had all been ransacked by these Star Pirates before while navigating through the Star Field. On the other hand, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Purple Star, and Sword Union had joined forces to launch an attack on those pirates. Both sides had suffered a loss of life, so a blood feud had been formed between them.
Now, the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field had invaded Heng Luo Star Field and these great forces, which were led by Netherworld Sect, had showcased their incredible powers. Naturally, those criminals from Galaxy Ridge and Abandoned Lair immediately sided with them to become their subordinates.
It was then that Yang Kai understood why Water Moon Star had fallen.
Faced with this kind of hostility, even though the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce was fairly powerful, they still couldn’t ensure their own safety. The other Cultivation Stars had all fallen, so there was no way Water Moon Star, their Home Star, could be spared from this disaster.
Since the situation was already so terrible in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, there was no way Purple Star and Sword Union were fine now.
It wasn’t that the cultivators in Heng Luo Star Field were no match for those from Grand Desolation Star Field. Both of them were Lower Star Fields, so although there might be some disparity between their powers, the gap was definitely not huge. If they fought with each other head-on, both sides would be severely hurt.
The difference was that Netherworld Sect was the clear leader in Grand Desolation Star Field, so they could give orders to the other Sects, while there was a lack of such a leading force in Heng Luo Star Field. At its peak, High Heaven Sect could act as this leader; however, since the invasion from Grand Desolation Star Field, many of the Third-Order Origin Kings of the Sect had returned to their own Stars, so they were not united against their enemies.
“Be careful!” Long Tian Shang suddenly warned him sternly.
“Be careful of what?” Yang Kai gazed at him with a frown.
Long Tian Shang shook his head, as he didn’t know what Yang Kai should beware of. He just subconsciously thought that he should give the young man this warning as he felt that there was a person that they should be wary of. This person was the key that led to the downfall of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Yang Kai questioned him one more time, but Long Tian Shang was unable to answer. He had managed to help him regain consciousness for a short while, but the latter had already been made into a Corpse Puppet, so both his Divine Sense and body had suffered irreversible damage. Hence, this short moment of consciousness was like terminal lucidity.
Just then, Long Tian Shang started growling as his eyes could be seen trembling. It was apparent that he was losing his consciousness again, and he would soon turn back into a corpse that was ruthless and knew no pain.
Seeing that, Yang Kai heaved a sigh. He was saddened by the fact that the Supreme Elder of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had ended up in such a miserable state.
Liu Yan approached Yang Kai and took the hem of his clothes. The thin man, whose cultivation had been crippled, was lying on his side with a pale face. Liu Yan only asked him some questions before proceeding to ignore him.
At this moment, the thin man was staring at Long Tian Shang as though he was seeing the most horrifying sight in the world. With his eyes filled with terror as he yelled, “Kill me! Kill me!”
Nevertheless, Yang Kai just stared at him coldly without moving a muscle.
The thin man wailed and pleaded with them, “Please! Kill me now!”
Nobody wanted death if they could live; however, his cultivation was gone, so he was unable to flee. If he wasn’t killed, he would experience an ordeal that was worse than death.
Perhaps Long Tian Shang still remembered the blood feud between them, or that he was attracted to the thin man’s voice, he turned to look at him and walked up to him in the blink of an eye. Following that, he jabbed his sharp fingers into his chest and lifted him off his feet.
Blood started dropping from the thin man’s body as he shrieked.
Long Tian Shang appeared hideous as he growled in a meaningless way. His consciousness was replaced by the nature of a corpse. He opened his mouth and revealed his pointed teeth before taking a bite on the thin man’s body.
Another shriek was then heard.
Long Tian Shang tore off a piece of flesh from the thin man and started chewing it as blood streamed down from his mouth.
Most people had only heard about cannibalism in myths, but at this moment, such an incident was happening right before their eyes.
“Kill me… Please… Ah!” The thin man begged them to kill him; however, Yang Kai just stared at him with a cold expression. He watched as Long Tian Shang tore off his flesh piece by piece and gulped them down. Only a quarter of an hour later, the thin man stopped moving and left for the other world.
Yang Kai stepped forward and stood beside Long Tian Shang, who was still eating the raw flesh. Upon sensing an aura approaching him, Long Tian Shang immediately turned around and howled.
Following that, Yang Kai landed a palm on him as the latter turned into ashes and scattered into the wind.
Then, Yang Kai waved his hand, after which a few figures appeared out of nowhere. They were Li Jiao and the others who had been kept in the Small Sealed World. This time, he had even released Lu Yu Qin. Although Lu Yu Qin’s cultivation was low, she should be safe in this place with Lu San Niang taking care of her.
Upon seeing the horrible sight around them, Li Jiao and the others were stunned. When they saw Yang Kai’s gloomy expression, they felt their chests tightening, as they wondered who had offended him because he appeared to be in a bad mood now.
“Brother Li, there’s something I need all of you to help me with.”
Li Jiao straightened his face and replied, “Brother Yang, just tell us what you want us to do.”
“Help me take back this Cultivation Star.” Yang Kai pointed at the ground beneath him.
Water Moon Star was the Home Star of Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce as well as the place where Xue Yue grew up, so it mustn’t remain in the hands of those from the Grand Desolation Star Field. Given Yang Kai’s strength, he was able to retrieve the Star with ease, but he wasn’t willing to keep dawdling.
So, he thought that he could seek help from Li Jiao and the others. Otherwise, it’d be quite boring for them to keep staying in the Sealed World Bead.
“Sure,” Li Jiao directly agreed to it.
He already had a full understanding of the powers of those cultivators in the Star Field. Given his Third-Order Emperor Realm strength, it was like a walk in the park for him to do such a thing. Moreover, he had the help of Lu San Niang, He Yun Xiang, Ruan Bi Ting, and the Embodiment.
Although the Cultivation Star was massive, they could settle everything in half a month if they split up and carried out this task.
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask my Embodiment. He’ll tell you who our friends and enemies are.”
“Good!”
As the others stayed behind to come up with a plan, Yang Kai and Liu Yan directly stepped into the palace that was in the middle of the city. Earlier, there were some cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field in the palace, but they were just observing the battle from afar. Seeing that their Masters had been killed ruthlessly, they knew that they were confronted by a formidable enemy, so they had all fled.
Yang Kai went straight into the palace without coming across any hurdles and soon he reached a square where he found the Space Array he had arranged in the past.
The Space Array wasn’t destroyed, but the connections to many places had been cut off. Moreover, given Yang Kai’s needs now, this Space Array was dated and insufficient.
After that, he spent half a day with Liu Yan to restructure the array and reconnect it to Monster Emperor Star and Shadowed Star. Following that, they left Water Moon Star and headed in a particular direction.
Sensing Yang Kai’s anxiety, Liu Yan took his hand and said, “Lady Yue is definitely safe.”
Yang Kai forced a smile, “If Xue Yue has really gone to that place, her safety isn’t an issue.”
“Master, you know where she is now?”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Yes, I think I know where she is.”
The Cultivation Star in this direction where there was also a Star Master must be Tong Xuan Realm. The Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm was Xia Ning Chang, and Xue Yue was aware of it as well.
Since Water Moon Star had fallen, there were only three places she could go; Shadowed Star, Monster Emperor Star and Tong Xuan Realm.
Shadowed Star was too far away, so she wouldn’t consider that option, as no one knew whether they’d come across any danger while navigating through the Starry Sky. Although Monster Emperor Star was nearer to them, it was a Star where the Monster Race ruled, after all. Moreover, they didn’t have a Star Master, so it wasn’t safe either.
Given Xue Yue’s intellect, there was only one place she would choose to go. She must have gone to Tong Xuan Realm to look for Xia Ning Chang. Apart from seeking her help, she could also help increase the strength of Tong Xuan Realm’s defence.
Liu Yan gave it a thought and figured out where Xue Yue was as well. She said, “Since that’s the case, why are you so worried?”
Yang Kai replied, “Tong Xuan Realm is unlike other Cultivation Stars. In the past, it had shown signs of its World Energy being exhausted. If it weren’t because Little Senior Sister took the risk to refine its Star Source, bringing back some vitality to it, Tong Xuan Realm would have continued to degenerate into a Dead Star. I’m not worried about Xue Yue, but about my Little Senior Sister.”
If the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field decided to go all out to deal with Tong Xuan Realm, it would be disastrous for the Star even though Xia Ning Chang was around; after all, Tong Xuan Realm hadn’t restored all its vitality. If it was devastated by wars, it’d be akin to adding salt to injuries. If its World Energy was exhausted again, Xia Ning Chang, as its Star Master, would be affected as well. By then, it would be impossible to bring her back to life once she died.
The fates of the Star Master and their Cultivation Star were intertwined. If any one of them was destroyed, the other would also suffer. This was no laughing matter.
After some calculation, Yang Kai realised that it had been a few years since Xue Yue fled to Tong Xuan Realm. There was no way that those from Grand Desolation Star Field had done nothing these past few years. They must have done everything they could to destroy Tong Xuan Realm, so Yang Kai was worried that Xia Ning Chang wasn’t able to resist the enemies on her own for a long time. That was the fundamental reason behind his anxiety.
Upon understanding the reason, Liu Yan stopped talking. Her eyes, which were now filled with murderous intent, suddenly started burning with flames.
It was thanks to Yang Kai that she was reborn; moreover, with his help, she was able to keep growing her power until now. If it weren’t for Yang Kai, she would still be an Artifact Spirit that was trapped in the Earth Lung Fire Pond. Maybe she’d be able to obtain a real body for herself one day, but that would only happen thousands and even tens of thousands of years later. So, Yang Kai was the world to her. Whoever had the guts to displease him, she would let that person have a taste of a Phoenix’s wrath.
Tong Xuan Realm, the second stop along Yang Kai’s Martial Dao journey, was also an important springboard for him to reach a higher plane. Without his many opportunities and experiences in Tong Xuan Realm, he would never have achieved what he had today.
As his thoughts floated about, his memories rose up. He looked at the Star that he had left a long time ago with a deep and profound expression. Everything he had been worried about had become reality.
Looking at the entire Tong Xuan Realm from the Starry Sky, he could see that the situation there was much worse than that of the Green Mountains Star. The Star seemed to be suffering from some kind of serious illness and was now showing all sorts of sickly symptoms, like a dying old man that was walking towards his own grave.
The black spots scattered all across Tong Xuan Realm looked like someone had randomly splashed several gigantic drops of ink on it. Those spots were clearly visible even from where he stood hundreds of thousands of kilometres away in the Starry Sky. Furthermore, the surface of the Star was covered in faint Black Qi.
He studied those ‘black ink stains’, vaguely thinking that they were arranged like an Array because of the way they were connected and corresponding with each other from afar. They formed a large yet invisible net that sealed the entire Tong Xuan Realm within it.
This Grand Spirit Array might not be fully formed, but it was gradually demonstrating its extraordinary power. Even Yang Kai, who stood within the Starry Sky, could feel a smothering aura coming from it. So, how would the residents living on Tong Xuan Realm feel? They were trapped inside, and the aura of the Array must be greatly affecting them. This Array would annihilate all living beings within it and if it was fully triggered, the entire Tong Xuan Realm would definitely perish.
[I’m glad I made it in time.]
He might not know when the Spirit Array would be fully formed and activated, but it would not be completed within the next few days. With his current ability, a few days was enough for him to run around killing all the invading enemies in Tong Xuan Realm.
Logically speaking, Tong Xuan Realm had a Star Master guarding it, so it shouldn’t have been so easy for the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field to invade. After all, the strength of a Star Master was extraordinary. In particular, a Star Master, who was on their own Cultivation Star and blessed by its Star Source, was practically an invincible existence.
However, Tong Xuan Realm’s situation was different. Just as he had told Liu Yan, it had experienced a depletion of its World Energy, and although Xia Ning Chang later refined the Star Source and helped it recover, how much could be restored in just a few dozen years?
Therefore, Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy and Principles were much weaker compared to other Cultivation Stars. If not for that, the strongest cultivators on the Star would not have been limited to the Saint Realm. It was precisely because of the Star’s World Energy and Principles that it could not nurture any cultivators more powerful than that. Meanwhile, other Stars in the same Star Field could give birth to cultivators in the Saint King Realm, the Origin Returning Realm, and even the Origin King Realm.
Tong Xuan Realm had, at most, restored some traces of vitality over the past several dozen years. Unfortunately, this small improvement had now been exhausted by the arrival of Grand Desolation Star Field’s cultivators. If Xia Ning Chang wanted to resist the invasion of Grand Desolation Star Field, she would have to rely on the strength of the Star Source; however, it would cause a heavy burden on the Star if it was used too many times. For that reason, she could not keep the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field out for long, even though she was Tong Xuan Realm’s Star Master. Their invasion into Tong Xuan Realm was inevitable.
Yang Kai had completed his analysis of Xia Ning Chang’s current situation in almost an instant.
Pushing such thoughts aside for the moment, he focused on the task at hand. He currently had no idea where to find Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue, and while Tong Xuan Realm was not particularly large, it wasn’t small either… If the two of them were hiding somewhere, he would not be able to locate them any time soon. He might as well use that time to kill some of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field and teach them what would happen to them if they offended somebody they should never have offended.
After observing the situation for a moment, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he rushed towards Tong Xuan Realm. He headed toward the largest ‘black ink stain’ on the Star, letting gravity pull him down. Meanwhile, Liu Yan followed closely behind him. Her movements were neither fast nor slow, yet did not hinder Yang Kai in any way.
It didn’t take long for them to plunge into the atmosphere, and when they did, the aura coming from their surroundings made them frown. It was unpleasant, pungent, and sickening. Fortunately, the two of them were strong enough that they could ignore the discomfort this aura caused. If ordinary cultivators were enveloped in such an aura, it wouldn’t take long for their minds to be affected and for them to turn into walking corpses.
Back when Yang Kai was observing the situation in the Starry Sky, he only felt that the situation in Tong Xuan Realm was not promising, but now that he plunged into the area covered by the large ‘black ink stain’, he discovered that the situation was worse than he had anticipated. He did not know what that ‘black ink stain’ was. However, it made the people trapped within it feel like they were in a living Hell.
A strong wind roared in his ears, his clothes whipped around his body noisily, and his black hair was blown about by the wind as Yang Kai allowed himself to plummet from the sky freely, penetrating through the atmosphere and falling towards the ground. The extreme speed caused his body to rub against the air, and the friction ignited a burst of flames around his form. If one were to look up from the ground, it would look as though a meteor was falling down, a spectacular sight to behold.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Yang Kai raised his hand and spread out his fingers. Then, he bent his arm back before slowly pushing out his palm towards the ground. An incredibly large palmprint formed without warning. It was laid out horizontally and covered a vast swath of ground below Yang Kai, growing larger the further he fell, as if trying to encompass the entire world.
Inside the largest building in the middle of the ‘black ink stain’, an old man covered in Death Qi was cultivating in a cross-legged position. Judging from the way he was dressed, he was from the Netherworld Sect. His cultivation was strangely high. He was a Third-Order Origin King, which would at least make him an Elder of the Sect.
Initially, Netherworld Sect did not have so many Third-Order Origin King Masters among their ranks. The number of Masters in the Sect was similar to that of High Heaven Sect at its peak. In other words, there were only three or four of them, at most; however, invading Heng Luo Star Field had brought huge benefits to the entire Netherworld Sect. Whether they were refining Blood Sea Banners, Ten Thousand Soul Banners, or even Corpses, all of these techniques required living people as materials. The stronger the sacrifices used as cultivation materials, the greater the benefits.
Netherworld Sect achieved unification in Grand Desolation Star Field, and nobody dared to disobey their orders. There was no great force that could rival it in strength. Nevertheless, they could not act too recklessly when cultivating. At the most, they would find reasons to annihilate a few Sects and capture all the cultivators of those forces to become materials for their cultivation once in a while. It was impossible for them to act too unscrupulous as everything in the world had a limit, and Netherworld Sect had a firm understanding of what those limits were. That was how it managed to unify Grand Desolation Star Field without arousing public outrage from the entire Star Field.
Unfortunately, it was different when they came to Heng Luo Star Field. Their cruel nature, which had been previously repressed, was liberated. To them, all the cultivators in Heng Luo Star Field were free to be slaughtered! With the countless cultivators of Heng Luo Star Field as their cultivation resources, how could the strength of those in the Netherworld Sect not increase drastically?
It had only been slightly more than ten years since their invasion began, but all the cultivators from Netherworld Sect had experienced an increase in their cultivation by at least a Minor Realm. Meanwhile, the Elders, Protectors, and Deacons experienced even greater improvement in their cultivations. Those in the Origin Returning Realm broke through to the Origin King Realm; those in the First-Order Origin King Realm broke through to the Second-Order Origin King Realm, and those in the Second-Order Origin King Realm broke through to the Third-Order Origin King Realm!
It would have been fine if only one or two had experienced such growth, but the key point was that this growth applied to all the disciples in Netherworld Sect. This was an extremely horrifying situation. After ten years of wanton destruction and consumption, the Netherworld Sect had already surpassed the High Heaven Sect by leaps and bounds. They had more than ten Third-Order Origin King Masters alone. Moreover, more than half of them had broken through to this Realm after the invasion into Heng Luo Star Field. Similarly, First-Order and Second-Order Origin King Masters were emerging endlessly from among their ranks.
Upon tasting the sweetness of conquest, the Netherworld Sect became even more ruthless in their invasion of Heng Luo Star Field. It didn’t matter where they went, nobody could put up a fight against them. Even Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce had fallen, not to mention the various other great forces. Only those Cultivation Stars guarded by Star Masters posed some threat to them.
Tong Xuan Realm was one such Star that made things a little difficult for the Netherworld Sect. Unfortunately… it was only at the level of being ‘a little difficult’. The World Energy of this Star was weak, as were its World Principles. It could not give birth to anything extraordinary, and under normal circumstances, the Netherworld Sect might not even have bothered to expend the energy required to conquer it.
However, many powerful cultivators had gathered in this place! That was exactly what the Netherworld Sect was looking for. If they could turn those cultivators into their resources, their Sect would be able to produce another Third-Order Origin King Master, at the very least.
Whether it was simply to make an example of Tong Xuan Realm or for the sake of cultivation, this place had to be taken down at all costs. Any who opposed the invasion would be killed! That was the only way for the Netherworld Sect to announce to the world just who was in charge of this Star Field.
For that reason, five of Netherworld Sect’s Third-Order Origin Kings had come to attack Tong Xuan Realm. Moreover, one of them was none other than the Vice-Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect, the one who had chased Xue Yue all the way to this place. The old man sitting cross-legged in the great hall was that very Vice-Sect Master, Xin Xuan Ming.
There was a Star Master in Tong Xuan Realm, and Xin Xuan Ming was aware that this Star Master was a woman in the Third-Order Origin King Realm. Nevertheless, he was not afraid.
It would have been different had it been a stronger Star. He might have needed more effort to deal with that; however, this Star seemed to be very weak. As long as he sapped the World Energy of this Star, it would be equivalent to destroying the Source of Tong Xuan Realm. When that happened, the Star Master would face a tragic ending without even needing him to do anything. Then, without the protection of the Star Master, those rats hiding in the shadows would become his playthings.
The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been arranged for that purpose. Once the Array took shape, the entire Tong Xuan Realm would be sealed within this Spirit Array. Consequently, this Cultivation Star would no longer be supplemented by the essence of the Starry Sky. It would be equivalent to a river without a source, or a tree without roots. That wasn’t all; the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array could also be used to summon the Core of the Netherworld. Then, the power of the Netherworld would spread across this land. This place would turn into a paradise for Netherworld Sect and Hell for all the other cultivators.
Thinking back to several years ago, Xin Xuan Ming had led a group of people to pursue Xue Yue to this place. At the time, he had been intercepted by the Star Master outside the Star. More than ten Starships belonging to the Netherworld Sect had fired their Crystal Cannons all at the same time, but the ridiculous thing was that it only took a few barrages from the Crystal Cannons to break through the Star Master’s blockade, after which they marched right in.
Over the next few years, the Netherworld Sect and the rest of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field had covered the entire Tong Xuan Realm in their tracks, while the Star Master here had no power to resist whatsoever. She could only hide away to protect a small group of people within a tiny area.
[Since she wants to do things the hard way, she can only blame herself for not being strong enough. It will not take much longer. At most, another half a year before the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array is fully formed. When that time comes, that Star Master won’t even be able to think about resisting!]
All of a sudden, a great crisis descended from the sky. It was accompanied by an indescribably horrifying pressure. Xin Xuan Ming felt like a huge mountain was pressing down on his chest and his expression changed abruptly as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The place where he was located was also the place where the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was located. Many of the disciples of Netherworld Sect and the other Sects from Grand Desolation Star Field were gathered here. The defence here was extremely tight, so Xin Xuan Ming never imagined that somebody would launch a sneak attack here and time had shown that to truly be the case. Over the years, those rats had only assaulted this place once before when the initial preparations for the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been underway. After that, they vanished without a trace.
Therefore, Xin Xuan Ming had been cultivating in retreat here without any worries. He was simply waiting for the day the Spirit Array would be completed. That was the day he would come out of retreat and turn the rivers red with the blood of the people he slaughtered.
While in retreat, his mind needed to be fully focused and he could not afford to be disturbed at all; however, that huge pressure from the sky forced him out of his meditative state. If that was all, Xin Xuan Ming would not have suffered any injuries from the rude awakening, it was just that the pressure was so terrifying that even he couldn’t afford to take it lightly. He bent over, injured by the force of the pressure, his eyes filled with horror as he desperately circulated his Saint Qi.
Standing up under the tremendous pressure, he took a step forward and arrived outside of the hall.
He looked around and saw that the surroundings were in a miserable state. Countless disciples of Grand Desolation Star Field were crushed against the ground, staining it with splatters of red blood that stood out glaringly. It was the blood that these cultivators had coughed up, while some with weaker cultivations had even exploded into blood mist on the spot.
In just the blink of an eye, hundreds of cultivators had died on the spot.
Lifting his head, Xin Xuan Ming looked up and his eyes narrowed. All he saw was a bright light falling from the sky and a humongous palmprint crashing down on them. The palmprint was so enormous that it covered the entire Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core with space to spare.
[What kind of Divine Ability is this!? Just who is challenging us now?] Even Xin Xuan Ming, who had experienced many great storms, was dumbstruck by this sight. [This kind of power isn’t something an ordinary Origin King can display. The only person who can do something like this in the Tong Xuan Realm is the Star Master who has holed up somewhere for the past several years! But, that Star Master is a woman while that palm print clearly belongs to a man. How is this possible?]
There was no room for consideration in that fleeting moment though as Xin Xuan Ming knew that if he did not defend against this falling palm, the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core would be in danger. Leaving aside how many people would die from the force of that palm strike, all their hard work and persistence over the past few years would be for nought if the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was destroyed.
As the Vice Sect Master of the Netherworld Sect, he could not stand idly by and do nothing. That seemingly thin body swelled up with a loud roar, similar to a balloon filling with air. At the same time, his clothes billowed around him. An Array Jade appeared in his hand as he formed a set of seals and injected his Saint Qi into it rapidly.
The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was a Grand Spirit Array composed of eight smaller sub-Arrays, each of which could operate independently. As the place he was located was also where the Array Core was located, this place was able to handle even more power than the other seven.
The Array Jade in his hands was the controller for the Array Core. The moment the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was activated, Yang Kai let out a soft exclamation of surprise as he fell from the sky. The huge ‘black ink stain’ beneath him suddenly distorted and squirmed. Immediately following that, thick Black Qi gathered in one place and transformed into a ghost hand, its fingers sharp like claws as it stabbed upward into the sky.
Looking at it from above, the ghost hand did not look that large, but in reality, it was gigantic beyond comparison. When it spread its palm open, it was large enough to encompass an area approximately 100 kilometres wide. Moreover, the aura it was exuding was extremely powerful and did not seem easy to deal with.
Naturally, that was only when considering ordinary Third-Order Origin Kings. This Array was set up by cultivators in the Origin King Realm, so its power could not exceed a certain limit despite its potency. Unfortunately, Yang Kai happened to be an existence that exceeded all those limits and broke all of such preconceived notions.
“How troublesome!” Yang Kai muttered under his breath and exerted slightly more strength. The palmprint that could cover the world suddenly doubled in size and power instantaneously.
Xin Xuan Ming originally had a frosty expression on his face. With the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core in his control, he believed that the enemy’s ambush would not succeed; however, when he was about to control the ghost hand to clash against the enemy, he saw the descending palmprint rapidly expand, causing his calm expression to turn into one of shock.
[The enemy still had strength left to spare?! How is that even possible?!] He almost thought that there was something wrong with his eyes, but the increased pressure coming down on him proved that it was not a lie.
Under Xin Xuan Ming’s dumbfounded gaze, the black ghost hand and the huge palmprint slammed into each other. The palmprint paused for a moment before pressing down abruptly. The colour of the palmprint had grown distinctly duller than before, but the ghost hand was far worse off. It looked like a thin wooden stick that was splintering apart little by little, and despite pouring every last bit of his strength into it, Xin Xuan Ming still couldn’t stop the palmprint from bearing down.
The whole world darkened instantaneously.
As the palmprint smashed down on the ‘black ink stain’, a wave of violent pressure swept out and crushed the ground below it to form a large depression. A gigantic trench appeared suddenly as a result, and the ‘black ink stain’ was smashed apart at the same time. Looking down from above, a distinct five-fingered palmprint could be seen dug into the ground, covering the entire region where the ‘black ink stain’ had once been.
*Peng peng peng…*
Strange muffled noises rang out as one after another, the bodies of the cultivators within the ‘black ink stain’ exploded into clouds of blood mists. None of the cultivators below the Origin King Realm were spared. They either couldn’t withstand the pressure of the palmprint crushing down on them or they were squashed into meat patties by its eventual impact. Similarly, the buildings in the surroundings had turned into dust.
Only a few Origin Kings were lucky enough to escape with their lives, but all of them were seriously injured. Many didn’t even realize what was going on. All they felt was a sense of crisis looming over them before they collapsed in pain. At this moment, they were looking around their surroundings in confusion and their mouths fell open in shock. The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array had been broken!
All the efforts of Grand Desolation Star Field’s operation here over the past few years had been crushed to pieces, literally. Concurrently, the hundreds of disciples they had brought with them had all either died or been critically wounded. The losses suffered were devastating.
Xin Xuan Ming vomited a large amount of blood as everything below his knees had been smashed, exposing bone while blood flowed out freely. Collapsing to the ground, he could only stare up in horror.
He had the highest cultivation in this place; he was the strongest; he had control over the Array Core; therefore, he thought that he could use the power of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core to resist this invader, but in the end, he had still underestimated his opponent’s strength. He bore the brunt of the attack after the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core was destroyed, so he suffered the most miserable fate. Even the Array Jade in his hand had exploded, covering him in soot and dust. Even though the other Origin Kings suffered severe injuries, none of them was in as bad of a condition as he.
[Who is it!? Just Who!? How is it possible for such a shockingly powerful person to exist in this place!? He destroyed the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core with a single palm strike! Impossible!]
As if sensing something, Xin Xuan Ming looked up and saw a handsome young man slowly descending from the sky. The young man stood in mid-air, looking down on them.
[Is it him!?] He released his Divine Sense and discovered that he could not detect the young man’s cultivation. A seven-or-eight-year-old girl followed closely behind that young man and landed next to his side. She was exquisite and lovely, but she also gave off an unfathomable feeling.
“Who… are you, Your Excellency…” Xin Xuan Ming endured the stabbing pains coming from his wounds and asked in a bitter tone. Under this person’s stare, he couldn’t even form the desire to escape. He knew today was the day he would meet his end, but even so, he wanted to die knowing the reason for his death. At the very least, he wanted to know who was attacking them.
[Perhaps… I might even be able to inform them about this before I die…]
“It looks like I didn’t kill the wrong person,” Yang Kai ignored Xin Xuan Ming. Turning his head, he glanced around at all the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field. Next, he stepped out and arrived in front of Xin Xuan Ming. Then, he placed one foot on the old man’s chest, put his arm against his thigh, and leaned down to stare at Xin Xuan Ming, “Old thing, I’d like to ask you about the whereabouts of someone. Where is the Star Master of this Star?”
“Pei!” Xin Xuan Ming opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of blood in Yang Kai’s direction. This person was cruel and merciless and it was clear that he was targeting them, so Xin Xuan Ming knew that he was not going to survive today, even begging for mercy was useless. If that was the case, he might as well save that effort and act as he pleased instead.
Yang Kai waved his hand and the blood flowed backwards, rushing back into Xin Xuan Ming’s mouth; however, the liquid somehow became incredibly hard and smashed all Xin Xuan Ming’s teeth. Yang Kai smiled savagely, “How dare you spit at me. Have you gotten sick of living, you old dog?”
Xin Xuan Ming sneered, “Hurry up and get on with it. Why are you wasting your breath?”
Yang Kai laughed mockingly, “Kill you? What thing are you? I refuse to kill you.”
“If you don’t kill me, you will pay for this a hundred times over once I recover!” Xin Xuan Ming yelled.
“Then, I’ll be waiting for you.” Yang Kai grinned at Xin Xuan Ming and removed his foot from the other party’s chest. Turning around, he glanced toward another Origin King Realm Master.
Behind Yang Kai, a flash of delight flitted through Xin Xuan Ming’s eyes. [The taunting method sure is useful. Although it can be rather cliché, it often works wonders, especially when dealing with these young and powerful Masters like him.]
Yang Kai turned around abruptly and teased, “You can’t be so naïve as to think that I’d really let you go, right?”
Xin Xuan Ming’s heart clenched and his Saint Qi surged, but before he could do anything, a burst of energy rushed towards him and slammed into his head. His eyes widened in surprise, and he died with his eyes wide open just like that.
“Seriously; what a sly and deceitful old dog!” Yang Kai coldly snorted. Then, he looked over at the injured Origin King Realm Masters and asked loudly, “Alright. Now, who can answer my question?”
His voice was not that loud when he was asking all those questions just now, but even so, the ones still alive here were all Origin Kings, so how could they have failed to hear him? Upon hearing this, one of them cautiously answered, “Will you let me live if I tell you the answer?”
When his voice rang out, his entire body shuddered without warning. After that, both his arms separated from his body. The pain made him screech out in agony. He staggered backwards unsteadily and fell to the ground, feeling a wave of cold air around his legs. Looking down, he saw that both his legs below his knees were gone. All his limbs had been chopped off! Blood-curdling screams resounded through the sky. Following that, he felt pain coming from his dantian as his Qi all began leaking out from his body. His cultivation had been crippled!
Everybody was horrified.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I was just asking. It’s up to you whether you answer me or not.”
“Attack!” Somebody shouted.
Yang Kai’s cruel and tyrannical acts clearly indicated that answering him would not allow them to survive. Every here was an Origin King, and none of them were fools. Even if he promised to let them live, none of them would dare to believe him. The only hope they had to survive was to join forces against him.
“Charge!” Somebody else immediately echoed the first and all of them rushed towards Yang Kai. Eight figures surrounded Yang Kai in an instant, each of them brimming with murderous intent as they charged forward…
After a while, the ground was scattered with dead bodies. It was a large area, but Yang Kai and Liu Yan were the only two people alive.
In the end, not everybody was unshakeable. Although the surviving Origin King Realm Masters had joined forces at the last moment, their efforts were no different from ants trying to shake a tree. They watched Yang Kai’s deadly and savage attitude as he killed them. Eventually, one of them broke down from the pressure and told Yang Kai the answer he wanted to know. He didn’t manage to escape death, but his death was quick and painless.
“Nine Heavens Holy Land?” Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction. [What a familiar name.]
He had been the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land during his time in Tong Xuan Realm. Later, he brought a group of subordinates from Nine Heavens Holy Land to Shadowed Star with him; however, he had not seen hide nor hair of them on Shadowed Star so far.
They must have returned to this land with Xia Ning Chang; after all, this was their homeland. They couldn’t watch their homeland being invaded by foreign enemies and do nothing. Besides, Xia Ning Chang had chosen Nine Heavens Holy Land as her base due to a sense of nostalgia toward him.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai beckoned to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan darted to his side and flew towards Nine Heavens Holy Land with him.
Just after Xin Xuan Ming was killed and the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was broken, one of the old men in the Third-Order Origin King Realm located at another ‘black ink stain’ on Tong Xuan Realm suddenly shuddered. He came out of his mediation and opened his eyes with a fearful expression. He had vaguely sensed something at that moment. It felt as though a crisis was looming just next to them. Frowning, he took out an Array Jade and used his Saint Qi to appraise it for a bit. All of a sudden, his expression changed.
The Array Jade he held was a controller for part of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array. Due to the special traits of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, this Array Jade could communicate with the other seven Spirit Jades and they could perceive each other through them.
The old man could tell through this Array Jade that six places were safe; however, there was no response from the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core.
He seemed to have lost contact with it.
For an instant, an incredulous thought popped into his mind and he did not dare to neglect this matter. Thus, he stood up and quickly entered a secret room. That secret room was filled with the writings of various Runes and Spirit Arrays of mysterious purpose.
He activated a certain Spirit Array, and the entire secret room flashed bright and dark intermittently. A short while later, a blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him. That figure only contained the outline of a person and there were no facial features visible on him. Rather, its appearance was like a stream of water, changing constantly. That figure spoke as soon as it appeared, “Third Elder, I was just about to contact you. A commotion broke out at the place where Vice Sect Master Xin was at, so I contacted him to ask about the situation; however, I did not receive any response and now, the connections between the Array Jades have disappeared. Third Elder, do you know if anything has happened to Vice Sect Master Xin?”
When the Third Elder heard those words, the uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger. If his Array Jade was the only one that lost its connection with the Array Core, then it might have been nothing more than a minor technical issue that could be resolved shortly.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though this person was facing the same issue. Combined with the fact that this person, who was the closest to the Array Core, had sensed a commotion, it would seem that this was turning into a huge problem.
The Third Elder replied, “I also called you because of the issue with my Array Jade. I’m not sure about the details. It’s just that Vice Sect Master Xin isn’t responding. Let’s wait and see how the others are doing.”
While the two of them were speaking, several illusory figures appeared one after another inside this secret room. Even though they were physically far apart from each other, they could still gather together and communicate as if they were face to face. It was all thanks to the help of the Spirit Array within the secret room, which made things very convenient for them.
Including the Third Elder, there were seven figures inside the secret room. They were none other than the top Masters of Grand Desolation Star Field who were guarding the seven parts of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array in seven different locations.
After a brief exchange, they discovered a shocking fact: They had completely lost contact with the Array Core. Moreover, there was no news from Vice Sect Master Xin. Silence fell over the room for a moment. Then, somebody exclaimed in horror, “It can’t be that…”
“Impossible!” Somebody else shot it down immediately, “Vice Sect Master Xin is a Third-Order Origin King! None of us were his equal, and now he is in control of the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core! Who can stand a chance against him now?! It’s impossible for anything to happen to Vice Sect Master Xin.”
“Third Brother You, you are the closest to the Array Core. Tell us what you saw just now.” Everyone cast their gaze at the figure that was the first to appear.
Third Brother You spoke in a low voice, “A stream of light fell from the sky, followed by a huge earthquake that shook the land. Then, there was no more contact from the Array Core.”
The silence in the secret room became heavier.
He continued, “Although I can’t believe it, judging by the current situation… I’m afraid that Vice Sect Master Xin might be…” While speaking, he shuddered from the chill running down his back. If that was truly the case, then Netherworld Sect had truly provoked an incredible enemy. Still… who could be so shockingly powerful?
“Third Elder, what should we do now?”
The Third Elder’s expression was grim as he pondered in silence for a moment before breathing out slowly. It seemed like he had made a difficult decision, “We have to cut off the lizard’s tail!”
Everyone was shocked and somebody immediately said, “Third Elder, I don’t think that’s appropriate. We have been operating in this place for several years and only need to wait for another half a year to achieve success. If we act hastily, then all our previous efforts would have been in vain!”
“That’s right. It’s not too late for us to decide once we’ve confirmed the situation with Vice Sect Master Xin.”
“Fools!” He scoffed coldly, “I know you are unwilling to accept reality, but with the facts placed in front of you, how can you still continue to deny it? Would Vice Sect Master Xin not contact us if he was safe? Why can’t we detect the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array Core? I’m afraid the situation on the other side is… disastrous. Regardless of who attacked us, that person or group is extremely strong. We don’t have the means to defend against them.”
[If our opponent is someone who can kill Vice Sect Master Xin despite the support he had from the Array Core, then that person or people are perfectly capable of barging into our locations and taking our lives as well.]
“It takes courage for a strong man to cut off his hand to save his life. Besides, our efforts will not be wasted.”
“Third Elder, what do you mean…”
The Third Elder sneered, “It’s time to bait the snake out of the hole. It’s also time for that secret chess piece to be of use. As long as we can subdue that Star Master, it won’t matter whether we have the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array or not. If we can take control of the Star Master’s power, I don’t see why we can’t defeat this new, powerful enemy.”
When the others heard those words, they fell into deep thought and understood what he was planning to do. Third Brother You was the first to agree, “I agree with the Third Elder’s decision.”
The main reason was that staying in their respective areas would give them no sense of security anyway, so they might as well take a leap of faith. At least, there was a glimmer of hope with that option.
Everybody here was in the Origin King Realm, and having lived for hundreds of years, they quickly understood the pros and cons of the decision before them. Hence, nobody raised any other opposition and simply nodded in agreement.
“Now that it’s decided, let’s go and prepare ourselves. We’ll begin in a quarter-hour. I’m sure it will catch them by surprise!”
Everybody agreed, and the figures dissipated like flowing water. Soon, only the Third Elder was left in the secret room. He stood motionlessly, frowning deeply. The unease in his heart had not gone away. Rather, it had gotten stronger after the decision he made. Gritting his teeth, he pushed aside the irrelevant thoughts in his head before turning to leave the secret room. At this point, he had no better solution.
…
Yang Kai’s brow was wrinkled throughout the entire journey toward Nine Heavens Holy Land. Looking down at the land below him, his expression was very gloomy. Tong Xuan Realm’s current situation was highly precarious. The World Energy was even weaker than when he was last here. The mountains and rivers had lost the so-called charm they used to have, and the entire Star seemed to be suffering from a serious illness.
If this situation were to continue, it wouldn’t take more than 100 years for the World Energy to disappear completely, even if Netherworld Sect and the Grand Desolation Star Field cultivators stopped actively ravaging the Star. It would be impossible to raise new cultivators in such a situation. Moreover, the lives of the ordinary people would become more and more difficult with time. Once the World Energy was completely exhausted, the Star Source would collapse, and Tong Xuan Realm would turn into a Dead Star that could no longer support any living creatures.
There were countless Dead Stars in the Star Field and many of them had undergone this very transformation, step by step, in this manner. Perhaps tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years ago, those Stars had been thriving and filled with life. Unfortunately, even the Stars would slowly die as the years went by, regardless of how brightly they used to burn. Humans go through the cycle of birth and death, and the Stars were not an exception to that cycle either.
The world that cultivators lived in had been greatly affected; of course, ordinary mortals would have it worse. Disasters would occur endlessly as the end approached, causing countless people to lose their homes and lives. There would be tragedies everywhere.
Even if Yang Kai drove the cultivators of Grand Desolation Star Field away, the situation on Tong Xuan Realm would not improve without outside assistance.
Although he had not returned to Tong Xuan Realm for many years, he was the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land and he was very familiar with this piece of land. Thinking that he would meet Xia Ning Chang and Xue Yue soon, his mood lightened significantly. [Let’s meet up with them first before cleaning out the rats from Grand Desolation Star Field.]
The Nine Peaks were as beautiful and refreshing as a spring day. They were rich with World Energy and thousands of cultivators had gathered here, but many of them looked anxious and forlorn. This was the last piece of pure land in the entirety of Tong Xuan Realm. Xia Ning Chang might not have been able to prevent the invasion of the cultivators from Grand Desolation Star Field or stop them from arranging the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, which poisoned Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy; however, she was still capable of sheltering Nine Heavens Holy Land from those two threats. With her here, the enemy would never be able to set foot into the Nine Peaks.
At this moment, many silhouettes could be seen inside the great hall. These figures consisted of Old Demon and Meng Wu Ya who were the leaders of this group; the Saintess of Nine Heavens Holy Land, An Ling’er; Elder Xu Hui; Li Rong and Han Fei of the Ancient Demon Clan; Hu Jiao’er and Hu Mei’er, the sisters of Twin Spirit Pavilion; the Palace Master of Dragon Phoenix Palace; Wu Jie… All these people in the great hall were Yang Kai’s old acquaintances. There were approximately 30 of them here, and besides a few that he had met back in the Great Han Dynasty, the rest were people that he had met in Tong Xuan Realm.
Aside from them though, there was also another familiar figure amongst this group, the Young Union Master of Sword Union and the son of Gu Cang Yun, Gu Jian Xin. This person had a Special Constitution known as the Universe Sword Body. He was born with an extraordinary talent for swordsmanship, and despite not seeing each other for many years, he remained as suave as before. His Sword Servants, Ling Yue and An Xing, stood at attention by his sides.
Years of training had made him more and more unyielding. He no longer had the imposing Sword Intent he used to have. Instead, he gave off the feeling of a sword hidden in its scabbard. There were no sharp edges exposed on the outside, but instead a sense of calm majesty and hidden ferocity that would only be unleashed when he drew his sword.
At this moment, Gu Cang Yun was talking to another person in a low voice. The other party was none other than Zi Wu Ji, the Sect Master of one of Heng Luo Star Field’s top forces, Purple Star.
In the past, Zi Long, the Master of Purple Star, had a dispute with Yang Kai because of matters involving his first son. Consequently, he was killed by Yang Kai and the Embodiment in the Starry Sky. That incident had left Purple Star without a leader for many years. Internal conflicts had continued endlessly and, in the end, Zi Wu Ji had taken over to become the new Sect Master of Purple Star.
Unfortunately, the Grand Desolation Star Field had invaded Tong Xuan Realm before Zi Wu Ji could enjoy his new position.
The strength of Purple Star had been reduced greatly compared to the past due to the long-term internal conflict it suffered over the years; therefore, it was completely helpless against the Masters from Grand Desolation Star Field. It only managed to stand its ground against the invaders for half a year before it was completely annihilated, losing several Cultivation Stars in the process.
Seeing that the situation was not in their favour, Zi Wu Ji took some subordinates with him and sought refuge under Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce. They managed to lead a peaceful life for some time there; however, Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce eventually fell too. Thus, he could only follow Xue Yue and escape to Tong Xuan Realm.
Sword Union’s experience was similar. The cultivators of the Grand Desolation Star Field had been acting lawlessly in Heng Luo Star Field for many years, and Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce couldn’t maintain its resistance against the invasion. Sword Union was similarly powerless to resist. In this way, several of the former top forces fell, one after the other.
That was the reason why everybody had gathered here. Nine Heavens Holy Land was not just the last untouched oasis on Tong Xuan Realm, but also one of the few refuges in the Star Field as a whole; it was their only remaining hope. If they couldn’t defend this place, then there would be no place for them anymore.
For that reason, they had not been sitting around, twiddling their thumbs and waiting for their deaths to come. When they noticed that the Netherworld Sect was arranging the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array, they launched a series of attacks. Unfortunately, the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was so powerful that they couldn’t slip through the defences of the Spirit Array. Moreover, being exposed to that Black Qi for a long time would cause dizziness and weakness. Their Saint Qi would also become useless as a consequence. Although they managed to kill some people, those people were mere pawns. The deaths of those pawns had little impact on the Netherworld Sect’s plans.
It could be said that these people, along with Nine Heavens Holy Land, had reached the end of their rope. They might not know what the Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array was supposed to do, but they could sense that the moment it was activated, even Xia Ning Chang would no longer be able to protect them. In the end, the foundation of Tong Xuan Realm was too superficial. If it was a Star like Shadowed Star or Water Moon Star, the cultivators of the Grand Desolation Star Field would not have been allowed to roam free with its Star Master overseeing it.
“How is Young Lady Xia doing today?” Zi Wu Ji asked in a whisper.
Gu Jian Xin held a simple longsword in his arms and shook his head slowly, “I haven’t seen her for two months. The last time I saw her… Haa… It’s better not to talk about it.” For a person like that to suffer such torture because of the Grand Desolation Star Field’s poison made his heart hurt just thinking about it.
“Is Lady Xue Yue taking care of her?”
“En.” He nodded, “They are sisters with the same husband. It’s only right for them to take care of each other.”
“Brother Yang sure is a lucky man.” Zi Wu Ji chuckled and continued, “Still, isn’t he a little too unmanly? He escaped but left his women here to suffer in his place.”
Gu Jian Xin frowned when he heard those words. He was a swordsman with a straightforward nature, so he disliked hearing other people talking badly about others behind their backs. Even so, that was their freedom so he couldn’t rebuke them even if he disliked their behaviour.
Speaking of which, even he felt that Yang Kai’s actions were a little too much. Yang Kai had left this place, leaving several women behind to struggle and fend for themselves in this Star Field. Several dozen years had gone by since then with no news from him.
[I wonder if he couldn’t return, or if he had forgotten about these beautiful confidantes of his. If it was the latter… Then, it would be just too sad.]
Zi Wu Ji bitterly added, “Young Lady Xia is exquisite, intelligent, and gentle, if only I could obtain her favour…”
“Brother Zi!” Gu Jian Xin abruptly lifted his head and glowered at Zi Wu Ji in warning.
Other people might not know, but Gu Jian Xin knew only too well. Ever since the first time Zi Wu Ji laid eyes on Xia Ning Chang, he had been lovestruck. Oftentimes, his feelings of love were expressed in his words, albeit discreetly. Gu Jian Xin had always pretended not to notice, especially since they were currently stuck in this tough situation where every ally mattered. Besides, Zi Wu Ji was a Second-Order Origin King and such a minor issue wasn’t worth causing trouble over. However, Zi Wu Ji’s words today were beyond what could simply be brushed off as ‘indiscreet’.
Then again… Although Xia Ning Chang always wore a veil that concealed her true countenance, anybody would still be moved by her beauty. Xue Yue wasn’t inferior to her either, but she had an extraordinarily high status, so it was inevitable that she exuded a sense of arrogance and aloofness that created a sense of distance between herself and others. On the other hand, Xia Ning Chang was a Star Master and a Third-Order Origin King, but even so, she had never once shown the slightest arrogance; she also had an incredibly gentle nature. What man wouldn’t want to get their hands on a woman like that? She was the very model of a loyal wife and a good mother. Any man who could obtain her would be extremely blessed.
Zi Wu Ji couldn’t be blamed for falling in love with her; however, it was also possible that he simply wanted to take advantage of the situation. Xia Ning Chang was a Star Master after all, so it would be a good deed if he could marry her. With her by his side, becoming a Third-Order Origin King in the future would be more than just a dream.
Gu Jian Xin and Zi Wu Ji were not very close; in fact, they had barely interacted with each other before coming to Tong Xuan Realm, so Gu Jian Xin didn’t know much about the latter’s personality. However, the latter’s words had crossed a line so he had no choice but to speak up in warning.
If Zi Wu Ji had revealed such intentions in front of others, he would surely be ostracized by Xue Yue, Meng Wu Ya and the others.
Knowing that he had misspoken, Zi Wu Ji smiled embarrassedly, “How lucky. How lucky.”
Nobody knew who he was talking about.
At the same time, Xia Ning Chang was lying weakly in bed in one of the rooms in the inner palace. A faint layer of Black Qi shrouded her entire body as if she was dying from a terminal illness.
Tong Xuan Realm had been poisoned by the Netherworld Sect, so as its Star Master, she was most directly affected by it. The Eight Desolation Binding Spirit Array felt like chains shackling her body. Meanwhile, the eight Spirit Arrays in different locations were like poisonous sores growing on her body, constantly draining her vitality.
Her veil had been removed, revealing a face that could move the moon and stars with her beauty. Right now though, her complexion was deathly pale, and she was breathing shallowly, a distressing sight to see.
Xue Yue sat on the edge of the bed, holding Xia Ning Chang’s hand without letting go, full of feelings of self-loathing.
When Water Moon Star had fallen, she had no choice but to come to Tong Xuan Realm to seek shelter from Xia Ning Chang; however, that now seemed to have been the worst possible decision.
Tong Xuan Realm was located on the periphery of the Star Field, so it was not highly valued by Grand Desolation Star Field. It was only because she had brought her group here that Xue Yue had attracted her pursuers to this place. If it wasn’t for her, Tong Xuan Realm would not have been besieged, and Xia Ning Chang would not have to suffer such torture.
The more she thought about it, the more guilty she felt.
[How I wish I could take her place instead!]
The figure of a man appeared in her mind at that moment, and gritting her teeth hard, she scolded in her heart, [Where are you right now?!]
All of a sudden, Xia Ning Chang, who was lying on the bed, groaned. Her delicate brow knitted together as her aura became unstable.
Xue Yue was startled and quickly lifted her hand to place it against Xia Ning Chang’s forehead. At the same time, she circulated her Saint Qi and poured it into Xia Ning Chang’s body. Only then did Xia Ning Chang’s frown gradually ease and her fluctuating aura stabilize again.
Even so, Xue Yue didn’t stop her actions as she was worried that Xia Ning Chang might still be experiencing discomfort in her body.
*Shua…*
Xia Ning Chang opened her eyes suddenly and a brilliant light flashed across them.
“Ning Chang!” Xue Yue whispered, more surprised than happy. It had been a long time since she had seen that kind of expression on Xia Ning Chang’s face. For the past few years, Xia Ning Chang had been ill and weakened, losing a lot of weight in the process, becoming thin and withered.
[What’s going on? Did the Grand Desolation Star Field finally take action!?]
“He…” Xia Ning Chang raised a hand and grabbed Xue Yue’s arm hard. She used so much force that Xue Yue felt some pain from it.
“Speak slowly. I’m right here,” Xue Yue quickly comforted Xia Ning Chang.
“H-He’s here!” Xia Ning Chang said.
“Who’s here?” Xue Yue asked suspiciously. The moment the words left her mouth, she froze as a thought that she did not dare to believe popped into her mind.
Xia Ning Chang smiled, “He’s here!”
They were the same words, but this time around, Xue Yue could clearly understand what Xia Ning Chang was trying to express. Her heart began pounding wildly as she bit her lip and asked, “I-Is he really here?”
Xia Ning Chang nodded slightly, “I can feel that he is coming this way. Elder Sister Yue, please go and pick him up… but… don’t bring him to me.”
After saying that, she closed her eyes as if she had gone to sleep. However, there was a slight energy fluctuation coming from her body.
At the same time, a few tens of thousands of kilometres away, Yang Kai suddenly exclaimed in surprise and stopped moving. The surrounding World Energy was reacting strangely as small spots of lights flickered like countless fireflies around him. Those lights soon converged into one spot in the middle and transformed into a beautiful, colourful butterfly that fluttered about nearby.
He grinned and stretched out a finger, upon which the butterfly immediately landed on his finger.
“Little Senior Sister!” He called out softly, looking at the colourful butterfly on his finger. This butterfly could not have appeared without reason. The only possibility was that somebody had used some sort of Secret Technique. Furthermore, there was no other person who could pull this off except Xia Ning Chang. It would seem that she had sensed his arrival and deliberately gave him some instructions, for fear that he could not find her or the others. It was not surprising that she could detect his arrival as she was the Star Master here after all.
[Still… Why didn’t Ning Chang show up in person?] Yang Kai did not have the time to consider the question deeply as the butterfly spread its wings and flew up high, leading the way ahead. Its destination was the location of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, and though its movements seemed light and gentle, its speed was incredible, seemingly reflecting the urgency in its summoner’s heart.
Yang Kai stopped thinking too much about it as he felt he would see her in a few moments anyway. Once he did, everything would become clear.
Inside the main hall of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, everyone fell silent the moment a certain someone entered.
Meng Wu Ya hurriedly stood up and looked at Xue Yue anxiously, “Lady Yue, how is Ning Chang?”
He had raised Xia Ning Chang like his own daughter, so it was only to be expected that he would be uneasy now that she was surrounded by dangers. It was just that her current condition was not due to an ordinary injury or illness. Instead, it was closely related to the vitality of Tong Xuan Realm. More importantly, there was no cure for this. The only solution was to drive away all the invaders from Grand Desolation Star Field and find a way to restore the Star itself. Perhaps, she might then recover on her own once the vitality of the Star was revived after a period of several hundreds of years.
Xue Yue shook her head gently.
Meng Wu Ya immediately understood that the situation was not optimistic; thus, he slammed his palm down in chagrin and the chair below him turned into dust.