When Heng Luo Star Field had been without a Master, no one could stop Wu Heng, a thief, from rushing in and looting the place as he pleased. Now that Yang Kai had become the Star Field Master though, how could he continue to allow Wu Heng to run wild in his territory?
Just as he was no match for Wu Heng in Grand Desolation Star Field, the same also applied vice versa.
Communicating with the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea, Yang Kai faced the vast darkness, took a deep breath, spread his arms wide open, and pushed forward violently while assuming an aggressive stance. In response, the churning darkness rolled backwards like the ebbing tides of the sea. It retreated nearly a thousand kilometres in an instant. Moreover, it continued to shrink backwards. In the places where the darkness had retreated, the originally Starry Sky reappeared again.
Yang Kai had not been joking when he first said ‘Spit out whatever you ate that belongs to me!’ He fully intended to take action to get back what was originally his.
All of a sudden, the withdrawing darkness slowed down, as if some sort of power was blocking its retreat on the other side.
“How dare you resist!?” Yang Kai raised his brow and grinned savagely. How could he not know this was Wu Heng’s doing? Unable to forget the humiliation from the other day, Wu Heng was determined to make things difficult for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was forcing the darkness that was devouring Heng Luo Star Field to retreat. On the contrary, Wu Heng was deliberately exerting force on the other side to hinder Yang Kai’s actions. Unfortunately, Wu Heng’s actions were meaningless. Even though the speed had slowed down by a lot, the darkness continued to recede under Yang Kai’s continuous efforts.
Three years ago, the darkness here had begun to devour everything. It took Wu Heng three years to engulf a few millions of kilometres of this Star Field. The speed of absorption was not that fast compared to the length of time it had taken to do so. On the other hand, the speed of recovery was much faster.
The darkness receded, shrinking towards a centre point, little by little. The black hole that had covered a vast area within the Star Field gradually disappeared and the Starry Sky was restored to its original state.
The entire process took about a month in total before all the darkness had been driven away, leaving behind only the original Void Corridor in its place. Back then, Li Jiao had been assigned to guard this Void Corridor and prevent both the reinforcement and escape of Grand Desolation Star Field’s cultivators.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai and Wu Heng had been battling each other from across Worlds over the course of the last month. The end result was as expected. It was Yang Kai’s overwhelming victory.
The gears in Yang Kai’s head began to turn as he stared at the entrance of that pitch-black Void Corridor.
The reason why this Void Corridor had appeared was mainly that he had taken the Source of Heng Luo Star Field away with him when he left for Star Boundary; thus, the World Barrier between the two Star Fields had weakened. It might have been accidental or it might have been Wu Heng’s plot all along, but the weakest point had transformed into an interconnecting Void Corridor between the two Star Fields.
Now that Yang Kai had brought the Source back and successfully refined the Star Chart to become Heng Luo Star Field’s Master, he was fully capable of closing up the Void Corridor. It wouldn’t take much time or effort for Yang Kai to accomplish this with his current strength. It was just that the connection between the two Star Fields would be completely cut off once the Void Corridor was closed.
How could Yang Kai end things so cleanly when he had yet to exact his revenge? Hence, he left the Void Corridor there as it was. Not only did he not repair it, he even began putting together a nefarious plot.
[The best way to deal out revenge is to return an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Since Wu Heng tried to devour Heng Luo Star Field, I will return the favour and take a bite out of Grand Desolation Star Field to show him what it feels like to be robbed! But, I need to think up a good plan before doing that; otherwise, I’ll simply fail like Wu Heng did here.]
The Void Corridor fell silent, but although Yang Kai couldn’t see anything across it, he was certain that Wu Heng was also watching him from the other side. Grinning, he stretched his hand out and began drawing something.
A light flowed out, and in the next moment, a mysterious pattern appeared in front of the corridor. This pattern was none other than the pattern of the Cross-Territory Space Array. With the Void as its base and the power of the Stars as its materials, Yang Kai arranged a giant Space Array with just a few gestures, demonstrating the great power of a Star Field Master.
The Embodiment right now was sitting cross-legged in High Heaven Sect, far away on Shadowed Star, absorbing World Energy to cultivate. All of a sudden, light flashed behind it and an identical array appeared at its back. It turned to look behind it when it felt something; then, it got up and stepped into the array.
In an instant, it passed through a distance of billions of kilometres and appeared in front of Yang Kai. Looking around, it understood everything even though nothing was said. It quietly walked over to Yang Kai and pressed its hand against his head before sending a vast sea of information into the latter’s Knowledge Sea.
To some extent, the Embodiment was an extension of Yang Kai’s body. It was just that it had the body of a Stone Spirit with Yang Kai’s Soul Clone occupying it.
It was capable of communicating with Yang Kai via words to express different opinions and ideas; however, when it was needed, it could also communicate without using words at all. Yang Kai could understand its various thoughts, as well as share his own with it.
The information the Embodiment was currently sending to Yang Kai was none other than the most powerful and most evil Secret Art in the world, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was created by Wu Kuang and was a Secret Art that could swallow and refine everything in the world. Back then, Wu Kuang had used this Secret Art to devour countless Star Fields. Several Great Emperors had died in order to kill him in a great battle; however, Wu Kuang had seized another person’s body and consciousness, coming back to life again after tens of thousands of years. If those fallen Great Emperors learned of this, they might roll over in their graves or come back to life out of rage.
Even though the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was powerful, Yang Kai had not cultivated it because he always felt that there were significant drawbacks to this Secret Art. His belief had been strengthened even more after the Embodiment cultivated it. The Secret Art contained several critical flaws. Being able to devour and refine everything in existence might sound amazing, but it would only end in disaster if there was no corresponding way to process what was devoured.
That was because there would inevitably be all kinds of energies, Principles, and Attributes, along with innumerable impurities taken in when swallowing and refining raw materials, resources, and energy. In turn, these impurities were bound to produce some complications. Once these complications accumulated to a certain level, they would cause great harm to a cultivator and even lead to the regression of their cultivation due to cultivation dissonance.
Wu Kuang naturally had a method of resolving those issues, which was why he was capable of using his Heaven Devouring Battle Law so wantonly.
As for Yang Kai though, he did not have the means to do so. However, his Embodiment did. The Stone Spirit Clan had a unique physique wherein they could eat all kinds of stones and minerals that contained all kinds of Principles and energies. Then, they simply refined those ores and discard any kind of impurity from their bodies innately.
Strictly speaking, there was no other race in this world that was more suitable for cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law than the Stone Spirit Clan. That was probably something Wu Kuang had never thought of nor foreseen either.
After obtaining the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the Embodiment had been cultivating it for many years but it had yet to encounter any problems regarding impurities or mismatched energies during that time. It even managed to devour Shi Huo’s Source. When it came to understanding and comprehending the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the Embodiment was the only one in this world, aside from Wu Kuang, that held any authority on the subject.
Yang Kai slowly digested the huge amount of information pouring into his mind. He had studied it before, but now, with Embodiment’s notes and key insights as well as things he learnt from Wu Kuang, Yang Kai quickly realized that this Secret Art was far more profound and mysterious than he had originally imagined. If Wu Kuang had not been evil, he would have been a glorified genius.
Half a day later, the Embodiment withdrew its hand and glanced at the black hole not too far away, standing guard next to Yang Kai in case of unexpected accidents.
Time passed by slowly as Yang Kai was completely immersed in comprehending the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. He could not extricate himself from it and the more he learned, the more he was tempted to cultivate this Secret Art.
[This Secret Art is incredibly powerful. Wu Meng Chuan must have been pretty stupid to fail to break through to the Emperor Realm despite cultivating this Secret Art for so many years.]
Fortunately, Yang Kai had been travelling all over the world for many years and had a firm mental disposition from all those experiences, so he managed to curb his greed at this moment.
Exactly one month later, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, eyes that shone with clarity. He stood up and stretched, loosening his muscles and joints. His entire body rang out with cracking noises. Shaking his hands, he discovered that they were as good as new. His injuries were fully healed after one month of recovery.
Staring at the Void Corridor, Yang Kai grinned and muttered, “Let the revenge begin!”
He connected to the Star Chart within his Knowledge Sea and activated the power of the Star Field. Rushing towards the Void Corridor, he next circulated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, demonstrating his skills as he started working.
Upon learning about the pros and cons of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, Yang Kai refused to cultivate it himself. At this moment, he was using the entire Star Field as a foundation to activate this powerful Secret Art. It was as though Heng Luo Star Field was the one using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. In other words, the one cultivating the Secret Art wasn’t Yang Kai but Heng Luo Star Field itself. Regardless of how many different kinds of Principles or energies the Star Field devoured, it could digest and absorb them easily. The Star Field had the natural ability to do so. This powerful technique was something only a Star Field Master could pull off.
On the other side of the Void Corridor, Wu Heng had a grim expression. He had stood guard in this place for a month and was growing increasingly bored. He initially wanted to cultivate by devouring another Star Field, but those plans ended up being destroyed. Moreover, Yang Kai had broken into his home and punched him twice. He instinctively knew that Yang Kai was not to be trifled with. So, he could not just charge into Heng Luo Star Field and attack, lest he be retaliated against and bring trouble down upon himself.
Who could have known that one month would pass by so peacefully? Nothing happened during this period. [It looks like that Yang Kai knows that he can’t do anything to me and has given up.]
The Void Corridor stood there, but Wu Heng kept his distance, as if afraid Yang Kai would launch another sneak attack. How could he embarrass himself in such a manner? In truth, it would be the best outcome for him if things ended as they were right now. Engulfing an entire Star Field was no small matter after all. It was only because he could sense that the other Star Field had no Master that he started having such ideas in the first place. Wu Heng would not have attempted what he did if Heng Luo Star Field had a Master from the beginning.
Wu Heng was willing to overlook this matter and let bygones be bygones. However, Yang Kai was not. He wanted an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
In Yang Kai’s mind, he felt Grand Desolation Star Field’s invasion had caused many families to be separated and Sects to be destroyed. Even Tong Xuan Realm was almost poisoned to death, and Little Senior Sister nearly died as a result. There was no point in cultivating if he couldn’t even vent his anger after such an insult!
An abnormal movement came from the Void Corridor all of a sudden. Wu Heng abruptly lifted his head to look in that direction but his expression soon sank as he gritted his teeth, “Bastard boy! I even gave you a way out of this!”
He felt that he was already making a huge concession in his willingness to overlook Yang Kai’s previous transgressions. Who could have known that Yang Kai would refuse to rest until he got what he wanted?
[I can’t believe he is trying to devour my Star Field instead! I’m going to make sure he learns a painful lesson! Otherwise, that brat will never know his place!]
Darkness poured out of the Void Corridor like a tide. It was as if a thick layer of ink was spreading into the surroundings at a rapid pace. Everything the darkness touched turned into nothingness, leaving a chaotic black hole in its wake.
Wu Heng ignored the darkness and simply kept backing away from it. It wasn’t the right time to launch his counterattack. He could suppress the darkness if he made a move now, but it would definitely lead to an endless tug of war with Yang Kai. Therefore, he calmly waited for his chance to end things in one fell swoop.
So, it would be Yang Kai knowing about it but he is learning from Embodiment and Wu Kuang insights as well.
Wu Heng had no intention of obstructing the darkness since the darkness’ speed of engulfment was not as fast as he had imagined. Instead, he sneered at the sight. Although they were both Star Field Masters, the time they had spent as Star Field Masters was too different. It was only natural for differences in their abilities to appear. It had not been long since Yang Kai became a Star Field Master, so there was no way he could unleash the true power of a Star Field right away. That was also why the speed of devouring was so slow.
Wu Heng slowly retreated, bit by bit. He watched the situation coldly without doing anything as he waited for the moment to launch his counterattack.
Yang Kai stood in Heng Luo Star Field with his eyes closed tightly. His current state was rather strange. His Divine Sense pulsed erratically, as though it permeated the entire Star Field and was gnawing on something with a giant mouth.
A piece of the Starry Sky that clearly did not belong to Heng Luo Star Field had appeared next to the Void Corridor. Not only were there meteors of all sizes drifting about, but slightly varying World Principles could also be felt within this region. More importantly, it was having some minor incompatibilities with Heng Luo Star Field.
Although both Grand Desolation Star Field and Heng Luo Star Field were Star Fields with roughly the same World Principles, they still had their differences. It was similar to the differences between the Principles of Cultivation Stars formed in the same Star Field. These differences were not obvious on the surface, but the more powerful the Cultivation Star, the more apparent the differences became.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law operated with the Heng Luo Star Field as its base. It had a piece of the Starry Sky as its stomach and was digesting the space it had just devoured.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling amazed. Despite using the entire Star Field as his foundation to activate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, everything was still governed by his will. He could clearly perceive all the details of the process as the Star Field slowly digested the space it had devoured.
The World Principles of that piece of Starry Sky that originally belonged to Grand Desolation Star Field quickly collapsed and were gradually assimilated and influenced by the Principles of Heng Luo Star Field. Both sides merged together and slowly became one.
[I can’t believe that there’s no obstruction. Where is Wu Heng?] Logically speaking, the absorption process should not be going so smoothly. Yang Kai was certain that Wu Heng had safeguards in place, but he had yet to notice anything getting in his way. Thus, it was puzzling him greatly.
Strange though it may be, his movements were not the slightest bit hindered. Yang Kai controlled the power of the Star Field, transforming it into a kind of invisible power that engulfed the other Star Field’s Starry Sky. At the same time, he had the Star Field itself operate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to digest whatever was being devoured immediately after.
Yang Kai did not know how long had passed when a strong force of resistance suddenly came from the opposite side and the space he had devoured was quickly snatched back from his grasp.
That wasn’t all though as an extremely terrifying force also swept through the dense darkness and tried to consume his mind in return.
[Is he finally making his move?] Yang Kai had long been waiting for this moment, so he was not flustered. He didn’t even bother to defend against this attack and simply allowed the force to slip through the darkness and rush toward him.
On the other side of the darkness, Wu Heng was laughing coldly. His eyes were full of mockery. [It’s true that a newborn calf isn’t afraid of tigers. I would have let all those incidents pass without a fuss if this Yang Kai had been willing to leave things be. Instead, he turned around and tried to devour my Star Field! How can I swallow this humiliation if I don’t teach him a lesson or two!?]
The wider the darkness spread, the larger the area of engulfment. Accordingly, the more mental capacity Yang Kai had to use to maintain the process.
When Wu Heng was certain that Yang Kai couldn’t withdraw his mind immediately, he boldly made his move and prepared to strike a heavy blow at him using the power of his Star Field.
Just like what happened in Heng Luo Star Field before, the darkness receded from Grand Desolation Star Field like an ebbing tide to reveal the Starry Sky that had been devoured previously. It wouldn’t take long for everything to return back to normal if nothing unexpected occurred.
All of a sudden, Wu Heng’s smile stiffened as he noticed something off. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as the power he had sent through the darkness had encountered an invisible barrier. Forget about taking the opportunity to cause harm to his opponent, he couldn’t even proceed any further than that. Moreover, the place where the barrier was located was within the Starry Sky that belonged to him!
[How can this be!? How can my own Starry Sky put up such strong resistance against me?] Wu Heng felt his heart sinking, and an uneasy feeling grew in his heart. Concurrently, the darkness stopped receding, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not make it retreat any further than this.
When Wu Heng lifted his eyes to look in that direction, his jaw fell open in astonishment and his eyes were filled with disbelief. A black hole sporting a diameter of several hundred kilometres entered his vision. The inside of the black hole was a chaotic piece of nothingness. It looked like the world did not exist yet, and it gave off a terrifying feeling.
The heart of the black hole should have been where the Void Corridor was located, but was the Void Corridor originally this large? It has expanded by more than 100 times at least! [What is going on? Has my Star Field been refined by him?]
That was the only explanation as to why the Void Corridor had expanded into a black hole with a diameter of several hundred kilometres. That was because the Starry Sky where the black hole was located no longer belonged to Grand Desolation Star Field. The loss of this region of Starry Sky was due to it being completely refined, leaving only a black hole filled with nothingness behind.
[How in the world did he do it!?]
Wu Heng even suspected that there was a problem with his eyes. He had spent the last three years devouring a large portion of Heng Luo Star Field’s Starry Sky; however, he had simply swallowed it up and not digested it yet. If he had, Yang Kai would not have been able to snatch it back so easily.
Devouring and refining were two different things, similar to a mortal eating a meal. Eating a bowl of rice was different from digesting a bowl of rice. Something that had been eaten could be thrown up again, but something that had been digested truly belonged to that person.
His three years of hard work had only been ‘eating’. On the other hand, Yang Kai had ‘digested’ a portion of his Starry Sky.
Wu Heng’s original plan also included this step of ‘digestion’. Unfortunately, that part of his plan had to wait until he had completely engulfed Heng Luo Star Field and refined the Source of Heng Luo Star Field before it could begin. That process might take hundreds of years, or maybe even thousands of years. Even so, that time spent was worth it in terms of improving his strength.
‘Digesting’ a Star Field was not something that could be done in a short period of time. Wu Heng had been convinced of that fact prior to this; however, he felt as though his common sense had been greatly impacted after witnessing the scene in front of him.
The entire process had only taken a day, from the time Yang Kai began devouring the Star Field to the time Wu Heng had moved to stop Yang Kai. In short, Yang Kai had managed to ‘digest’ an area covering several hundreds of kilometres wide in just one day!
Wu Heng did not believe that Yang Kai had that sort of ability.
[Don’t tell me… Is it possible that the Heng Luo Star Field is of a higher level compared to the Grand Desolation Star Field? If not, how can such a bizarre thing happen?]
“This is bad!” The moment Wu Heng became distracted, his expression changed drastically and he immediately connected with Grand Desolation Star Field’s Source and suppressed the black hole with all his might.
[I have to get rid of that black hole as soon as possible! Otherwise, the more time passes, I won’t just be losing this small amount of territory. It could very well end up in the millions of kilometres!]
Now, more than ever, he deeply regretted not closing the Void Corridor earlier. He had allowed Yang Kai to fight back; whereas if he had not been stubborn and closed the Void Corridor right away, the connection between the two Star Fields would have been cut off and this tragedy would never have occurred.
In any case, it was useless to regret now so he could only make up for his mistake and pray it wasn’t too late.
The Source Strength of Grand Desolation Star Field flashed a dazzling light inside Wu Heng’s Knowledge Sea. It had clearly been pushed to the limits as a pressing force enveloped the black hole from all directions. Even so, the force couldn’t get any further than the edges of the black hole. The moment it came into contact, even the ubiquitous Source Strength showed signs of being swallowed and digested.
Wu Heng’s complexion became flushed after trying hard for some time while his gaze was fixed intently on the black hole. Rage brewed in his chest, causing his entire being to resemble a volcano that was about to erupt. The aura around him was very dangerous.
“Yang Kai!” He yelled up to the sky, feeling extremely unwilling. Regardless of how unwilling he was to admit the truth, as of this moment, he had completely fallen into a disadvantage in his fight against Yang Kai. The black hole was no longer under his control. The patch of Starry Sky where the black hole was located had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands completely and was now part of the latter’s territory. Thus, Wu Heng was unable to close the Void Corridor no matter how much of the Star Field Source Strength he used. As long as the black hole existed, the connection between the two Star Fields could not be cut off unless Yang Kai took the initiative to retreat!
Yang Kai was obviously not going to retreat. At the moment, he was experiencing a feeling of joy spreading in his heart. He couldn’t wait to swallow up the entire Grand Desolation Star Field. Why would he worry about Wu Heng’s feelings?
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was certainly worthy of being the most powerful Secret Art ever created. To sum up its essence in a single word, it would be ‘plunder’! It did not matter if the other party was willing or not. It plundered every single useful thing it came across without exception.
Cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law as an individual would have brought about terrifying consequences; however, Yang Kai was using the entire Star Field as a sort of proxy to activate this Secret Art, which instantly gave birth to something majestic that could engulf the entire world. He was extremely certain that devouring and absorbing the entire Grand Desolation Star Field would not be a problem given enough time.
The progress in the beginning could not be considered fast. Nevertheless, Yang Kai became more and more proficient in the application of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law as time passed. In turn, the speed of devouring and absorbing increased significantly.
In less than a month, the black hole in Grand Desolation Star Field that initially started out with a radius of only several hundreds of metres had expanded to several tens of thousands of kilometres.
That pitch-black hole stretched out across the Starry Sky of Grand Desolation Star Field and looked extremely horrifying. Moreover, the black hole was still expanding continuously and showed no signs of stopping whatsoever.
Meanwhile, the speed of expansion was also increasing imperceptibly.
Wu Heng’s expression was so sorrowful that he looked like his parents had just been killed and his wife had been stolen away. Grand Desolation Star Field was damaged, and the most obvious change was a black spot that had appeared in a certain part of the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea.
The black spot wasn’t that large relative to the size of the entire Star Chart; however, it was as though a drop of ink had been dripped onto a beautiful painting. It had destroyed the overall harmony and beauty of the picture. What was even more depressing though was that the ink was slowly spreading out into its surroundings. Sooner or later, the entire painting would be dyed black. When that time came, Grand Desolation Star Field would change its surname to ‘Yang’.
It wasn’t that Wu Heng did not resist. He had been in a constant war against Yang Kai for the past month, but nothing he did was able to stop his opponent from devouring his Star Field.
[How does a fledgling Star Field Master, who just refined the Star Field Source not too long ago, have such power? If I had such power, I would have turned Heng Luo Star Field into my backyard a long time ago!] It wasn’t until this moment that Wu Heng realized how bad his situation was.
If this matter was not handled well, forget about increasing his cultivation, he might lose everything instead.
Yang Kai wasn’t the only one happy about the process of engulfment, the entire Heng Luo Star Field also seemed to be experiencing some sort of joyous feeling. Seeing as the world had a Will of its own as well, it was only natural that it could detect how beneficial Yang Kai’s actions were to it.
As time passed, the speed of engulfment became faster and faster. Even though Wu Heng tried his best to push back, his efforts were useless. All he could do was watch while grieving as his territory slowly slipped out of his grasp.
At a certain moment, an idea suddenly came to Yang Kai. He considered the feasibility of this idea while maintaining the engulfment of Grand Desolation Star Field, and the more he thought about it, the more confident he felt it would work. He even had the urge to praise himself for his ingenuity.
Opening his eyes, he glanced at the Embodiment, who had been standing guard next to him while he was busy with the process of devouring and refining the enemy Star Field. When their eyes met, it immediately understood what crazy idea Yang Kai was thinking about; thus, it nodded lightly and spread its palm out towards him.
Controlling the Star Field Source, Yang Kai forced it out of his Knowledge Sea. The resplendent Star Chart that had shrunken by countless times appeared in the palm of his hand, shining with a dazzling light.
The Embodiment took it from Yang Kai and swallowed it in one bite before sitting down cross-legged in the Starry Sky. A short time later, it opened its eyes and nodded at Yang Kai to indicate that everything was prepared.
As of this moment, it had temporarily replaced Yang Kai as the Master of Heng Luo Star Field. It would have been impossible for anyone else to do this as they would have died from the backlash as soon as they swallowed the Star Chart.
Strictly speaking, the Embodiment’s consciousness was formed from Yang Kai’s Soul Clone, both of which originated from the same source. Their auras overlapped perfectly, and as a result, the Star Field Source did not reject this exchange too strongly. In addition, the process of devouring and refining during this period had also given the Star Field Source a taste of the benefits, which made it more willing to accept the Embodiment as a temporary replacement as its Master.
Besides, the Embodiment had been cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law for many years and his comprehension and skill with this Secret Art was far above Yang Kai’s. It didn’t take a genius to know that the efficiency of letting him take control of the Star Field Source, as well as the process of devouring and refining Grand Desolation Star Field, would be much higher compared to what Yang Kai could do.
Freed from the responsibility of controlling the Star Field Source, Yang Kai turned to look at the darkness and grinned as he muttered, “I’m coming, Wu Heng!”
Although swallowing and refining the opponent’s Star Field had given Yang Kai the revenge he had been looking for, he had not actually caused any harm to Wu Heng. He probably needed to wait until the entire Grand Desolation Star Field was thoroughly refined before he could truly cause the other party some grief.
[I don’t have that much time to play with him, but I promised that I would beat him up so badly that even his mother won’t be able to recognize him, and that’s what I’m going to do! Besides, fighting across the boundaries of two Star Fields like this doesn’t give me a sense of satisfaction even though I’m holding the upper hand in battle. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Let’s visit the lion’s den again!] Only this time was going to be different. The last time Yang Kai crossed the World Boundary, it was to rescue Li Jiao and Lu San Niang and he had retreated immediately after succeeding. But this time, he was going there to turn the entire Grand Desolation Star Field upside down!
Needless to say, part of the reason was that he needed to find a way to repair the Sealed World Bead. As the saying went, ‘there is no such thing as a free lunch’. The Sealed World Bead had been damaged because of Wu Heng, so it was only natural for the latter to compensate for this. Besides, there was no shortage of materials for repairing the Sealed World Bead in Grand Desolation Star Field.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai boldly plunged headfirst into the darkness without hesitation.
The black hole had spread as far as several tens of thousands of kilometres within the Starry Sky of Grand Desolation Star Field, and even a couple of small nearby Dead Stars had been swallowed up without a trace.
Meanwhile, Wu Heng continued to retreat, using all his energy to resist the black hole’s advance, but his efforts could only slow the speed of the engulfment, not stop it.
For an instant just now, the devouring came to an abrupt stop; however, it started up again before Wu Heng could even begin to rejoice and seemed to have gotten much stronger than before. He was unaware that Yang Kai and the Embodiment had switched roles. Moreover, the horrifying power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law had increased significantly now that the Embodiment was controlling it.
While Wu Heng was reeling in surprise, a figure suddenly flashed out of the enormous black hole. Glancing in that direction, Wu Heng’s vision instantaneously turned red and through gritted teeth he roared, “Bastard, how dare you come here!?”
Who else could that person be if not Yang Kai? Wu Heng couldn’t believe this boy dared to come waltzing back into his domain! Did he not know how to write the word ‘death’?
However, Wu Heng quickly realized something, if Yang Kai was here, then why did the engulfment not stop and instead become faster?
Logically speaking, there was no way a Star Field Master could make the Star Field continue this kind of engulfment process if they were not in their own Star Field; however, it was also true that Yang Kai had crossed the World Boundary and appeared in front of him.
[Could it be that he isn’t the Star Field Master? Have I been mistaken all this time? No! The last time we fought, he definitely used the power of the Star Field. Otherwise, I would not have been blown away by a single punch.]
Wu Heng’s eyes blazed with hatred upon meeting his enemy. There was no time for him to think so deeply as he fiercely roared, “Since you are here, prepare to die!”
He had previously been humiliated by Yang Kai twice, so how could he dare to let his guard down now? Wu Heng immediately attacked with full force, his large hand stretching out towards Yang Kai and suddenly squeezing hard.
Yang Kai felt his entire body becoming imprisoned. Cracking sounds rang out from all the bones in his body and he spit out a mouthful of Golden Blood. It was only to be expected that he would suffer for angering somebody else in their territory; even so, he did not panic and simply grinned at Wu Heng.
That smile was ill-intentioned and full of mockery, causing Wu Heng’s heart to clench up. He had the feeling that Yang Kai was about to carry out some sort of evil plan, and in the next moment, his expression changed drastically.
Wu Heng had switched his focus to dealing with Yang Kai just now, taking his attention and the power of the Star Field away from dealing with the encroachment of the black hole. As a result though, the shift in momentum between the two Star Fields was dramatic. Although Wu Heng had not been a match for the opposing Star Field prior to this, he could, at the very least, curb the speed of the engulfment; however, the rate of devouring immediately went wild the moment he became distracted and expanded by a thousand kilometres in an instant. The previous speed of engulfment was practically as slow as a turtle compared to its current speed.
Wu Heng wasn’t standing too far from the black hole since he had been trying to contain the devouring to the greatest extent possible; thus, the rapid expansion of the endless darkness nearly swallowed him up too. Shocked, he hurriedly backed away and put a few thousand kilometres between him and the darkness all at once.
Wu Heng did not dare to delay and immediately communicated with his Star Field Source to suppress the darkness again.
The speed of engulfment slowed down once more, but Yang Kai took the opportunity to free himself from Wu Heng’s suppression. After that, he simply crossed his arms in front of his chest and stood there with no intention of escaping.
Calmly looking down at Wu Heng with a mischievous expression, he quipped, “Having fun?”
“You court death!” The veins on Wu Hen’s forehead bulged and twitched wildly as his murderous intent overflowed from him in waves.
Yang Kai chuckled and wiped at the blood at the corners of his mouth, “Why don’t you hurry up and kill me then?”
The corner of Wu Heng’s eyes twitched fiercely in response.
Having seen Yang Kai’s power before, he knew that Yang Kai seemed to be carrying the Dragon Clan’s bloodline. He didn’t know what consequences he would face if he killed someone like him. Even putting that aside, Wu Heng didn’t have the confidence to say he could kill Yang Kai in a short period of time.
The force of his attack just now had not been low, but even so, Yang Kai had gotten off with just some slight injuries. It could be seen that his opponent’s defences and abilities were far beyond Wu Heng’s imagination. [But, if I can’t kill him quickly… The opposing Star Field’s devouring speed will surely increase in an explosive burst the moment I stop focusing on it. Not only will that bring danger to my Star Field, but I may also sustain grave injuries.]
The rage and resentment piled up like a mountain weighing down on Wu Heng’s heart. He was barely able to breathe because of it. He had never imagined that he would suffer such a huge loss in his own Star Field! Just where did this bastard come from!? Why had he never heard of his name before? If he is just a rising star, then this strength was simply too unbelievable!
“Looks like you are all talk and no substance.” Yang Kai seemed oblivious to Wu Heng’s murderous intent and continued to add fuel to the fire. It was as though he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he made Wu Heng cough up blood from irritation. His actions were similar to walking a tightrope on a cliff though, so even Wu Heng had to admire him for his courage.
“Too bad for you, but I’m not in a joking mood,” shaking his head slowly, Yang Kai stared at Wu Heng coldly and continued unhurriedly, “Just you wait. I’ll be back for your life later.”
Saying so, he swiped his finger across his neck as though his finger was a knife. After saying that, he turned and left!
“Stop!” Wu Heng shouted as a thought flashed through his head, and the space around Yang Kai turned into a cage, confining the latter inside. However, that moment of distraction caused the expansion of the black hole to accelerate again. It expanded to Wu Heng’s side in the blink of an eye, causing him to panic and struggle to cope with it.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai turned his head and glanced sideways at Wu Heng, “If you have something to say, spit it out!”
Wu Heng’s temper flared at those words. [How dare he be so disrespectful to me!?] Ever since he became the Star Field Master in this place, he felt as though he controlled the world. All the people who had disrespected him had died at his hands. Naturally, he wanted Yang Kai dead too. Although he might be able to pull this off in his own territory, the price he would have to pay was so great that even he could not afford it.
[I’m in a desperate situation!] Those words suddenly popped up in Wu Heng’s mind, so taking a deep breath, he suppressed the anger in his heart and quickly spoke, “As the saying goes, ‘It’s better to have more friends than enemies’. I only tried to devour the Heng Luo Star Field because I could sense that it was a Star Field without a Master. I won’t attempt this anymore now that you have become the Star Field Master. Why not put down arms and make peace instead? If we continue to fight, it will only cause all living beings in both Star Fields to suffer.”
Yang Kai widened his eyes and looked at Wu Heng in astonishment, “Are you begging for mercy?”
Wu Heng replied in a low voice, “I was just proposing a solution to our problem.”
[Beg for mercy!? Is he joking!? The victor isn’t set in stone; we don’t know who will win once I start fighting seriously! I just don’t want to contend with a strong enemy if possible.]
“Oh… It’s just a suggestion then…” Yang Kai looked disappointed. Then, he shook his head exaggeratedly and said, “Then, that’s not a good solution.”
“What’s wrong with it? Making peace is beneficial for both you and me,” Wu Heng questioned patiently.
Yang Kai retorted, “You commanded the people of Grand Desolation Star Field to run amok in my territory. Countless of my people died or suffered grievous injuries because of that. Don’t you think I got the worst end of the deal if I stop now?”
Wu Heng didn’t think so. Even so, he nodded agreeably on the surface and tried to negotiate, “That’s reasonable. If you find it unfair, then I can give you some compensation.”
“What can you compensate me with?”
Wu Heng replied, “You can have the Starry Sky that you have engulfed so far.”
Yang Kai laughed, “That already belongs to me. Can you even snatch it back?”
The Starry Sky that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law digested had long been fused with Heng Luo Star Field, so regardless of how powerful Wu Heng was, he had no means to separate the two from each other.
Thus Wu Heng asked grimly, “Then, what do you want!?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin for a moment, “Since you are asking so sincerely, I’ll give you a chance.”
Wu Heng hated Yang Kai so badly that his teeth hurt from gritting them so hard. Even so, he could only continue to choke down his anger and reply, “I wish to hear the details.”
Yang Kai spread his arms open, “I want half of this Star Field!” His words were so casual that one might think he was asking for half of a cake.
The veins in Wu Heng’s forehead bulged and he enunciated each word carefully, “In your dreams!”
Leaving aside the fact that his pride and self-esteem would never allow him to accede to such harsh conditions; if he really were to hand over half of the Star Field to Yang Kai, then he would completely lose control over Grand Desolation Star Field. [If that happens, I’ll be vulnerable to his every whim! There’s no way I’ll do something as stupid as to dig my own grave.]
Yang Kai’s gaze dropped and quickly added, “The opportunity is right in front of you. You won’t get another chance if you let it slip away now.”
Wu Heng suppressed the rage in his heart and shook his head, “I can’t do that. Friend, you should make a different proposal.”
Yang Kai shrugged lightly, “In that case, there’s nothing else to discuss.” Then, he turned to leave.
Wu Heng hurriedly said, “I can give you a Cultivation Star as a sign of my sincerity. Please consider it as compensation for your losses.”
[I can’t give him half of the Star Field, but it won’t hurt if it’s just one Cultivation Star. There are many Cultivation Stars in Grand Desolation Star Field, it doesn’t matter if I have one less.]
Yang Kai stopped mid-stride and looked back at Wu Heng, “Really?”
Wu Heng was slightly surprised to hear those words. He nodded affirmatively, “That’s right.”
Yang Kai replied, “Then, I want the Cultivation Star where the Netherworld Sect is located.”
Wu Heng didn’t even stop to consider his answer, “Good!”
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “From today onward, the Netherworld Star belongs to you.”
The Netherworld Sect had basically been wiped out, and even if there were survivors, they were cultivators that were too inferior to be the public face of the Sect. There was nobody who could object to Wu Heng making this decision as Grand Desolation Star Field’s Master. Besides, it wasn’t like Yang Kai could just take away a Star because Wu Heng gave it to him. Wu Heng had simply offered that suggestion offhandedly, never really expecting the other party to actually agree to it.
Yang Kai smiled, “Then, point the way, Brother Wu. I’d like to check out my new territory.”
While speaking, he secretly communicated with the Embodiment so that it slowed down the speed of the engulfment.
It was obvious that Wu Heng had sensed the change too and stared at Yang Kai meaningfully. Although he did not know how Yang Kai did it, it was clear that Yang Kai was able to control Heng Luo Star Field’s Star Source despite being in Grand Desolation Star Field.
[This is just too strange! We are both Star Field Masters, but I don’t have the same ability as he does. If I were to enter Heng Luo Star Field, communicating with Grand Desolation Star Field’s Source would be nearly impossible, forget about trying to control it.]
When the pressure from the black hole decreased abruptly, the idea of taking this opportunity to kill Yang Kai on the spot immediately came to Wu Heng’s mind; however, he only entertained the idea for a moment before pushing it aside. He had a better plan.
“Please rein in some of your strength. Otherwise, I won’t be able to divide my attention enough to send you there,” he said while looking at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded at those words and communicated with Embodiment once more and just like that, the pressure coming from Heng Luo Star Field significantly reduced again.
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly turned vigilant as he asked, “You won’t take this opportunity to attack me, right?”
Wu Heng’s expression was calm, “Your Excellency, there’s nothing I can say if you don’t trust me.”
Yang Kai dramatically waved his hands about in response, “Forget it, it’s nothing. Why don’t you send me there for now?”
“As you wish.” Wu Heng nodded lightly and stretched out his hand and a Void Corridor immediately appeared behind Yang Kai, leading to his destination located in the depths of the Star Field.
Yang Kai swivelled his head and looked into the tunnel for a moment before shaking his head repeatedly, “I have an ominous premonition! A greatly ominous premonition!”
The corners of Wu Heng’s eyes twitched at those words, “Do you still refuse to trust me, Your Excellency!?” Although it was true that Wu Heng did not harbour any good intentions towards Yang Kai, it wasn’t as if he could reveal those thoughts at this time.
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “You’re mistaken about something.”
“What am I mistaken about?” Wu Heng asked with a grim expression.
“The ominous premonition I mentioned is for you, Brother Wu. If you don’t believe me, you can just look behind you.”
There was no need for Wu Heng to look back though as the moment Yang Kai spoke those words, Wu Heng distinctly felt the pressure coming from Heng Luo Star Field increasing all of a sudden. Panicking, he hurriedly used all his strength to resist, but even so, he could not stop the darkness from spreading.
There was an abnormal movement behind him at that time and glancing back, Wu Heng saw that Yang Kai had put one foot into the Void Corridor. Yang Kai paused just like that, looked back, and gave him a warm smile while loudly saying, “Many thanks for your good intentions, Brother Wu. Let’s meet again another day!”
“Bastard!” Wu Heng cursed and a thought flashed across his mind, causing the Void Corridor to immediately collapse. He had tried to murder Yang Kai within the Void Corridor, but he was obviously one step too late. A moment later, his expression changed again as he shouted, “How is that possible!?”
Yang Kai had passed through the Void Corridor and arrived at Netherworld Star, which was located hundreds of millions of kilometres away.
[Why is the pressure coming from Heng Luo Star Field not showing any signs of weakening!?] Wu Heng previously thought that Yang Kai was only able to control Heng Luo Star Field’s Source because he was close enough.
Therefore, he thought of an idea, which was to send Yang Kai further away from Heng Luo Star Field. At that time, he was smirking in his heart. As long as he sent Yang Kai deep into Grand Desolation Star Field, his connection with Heng Luo Star Field’s Source would definitely weaken, possibly even get cut. At that time, Wu Heng would be able to free up a hand to get rid of him!
It wasn’t until this moment that he understood why Yang Kai was so calm and confident, it was because Heng Luo Star Field’s devouring showed no signs of stopping regardless of the distance between Yang Kai and the Star Field. Rather, it seemed to be even stronger than before so now Wu Heng had to concentrate all his attention on defending.
Where would he find the energy to deal with Yang Kai under these circumstances?
[Could it be that he isn’t the Master of Heng Luo Star Field after all?] A wave of uneasiness spread across Wu Heng’s heart. He did not know whether sending Yang Kai to Netherworld Star had been the right decision and he couldn’t help feeling as though he had thrown a torch into his backyard, one that could start a raging fire and burn everything down at any time.
…
Netherworld Star was the peak Cultivation Star in Grand Desolation Star Field. It was the Home Star of the Netherworld Sect after all so it was not inferior compared to the Water Moon Star of Heng Luo Star Field. The World Energy was extremely dense and it also contained many beautiful mountains and rivers, as well as plentiful cultivation paradises. Moreover, the ruler of this Cultivation Star was none other than Netherworld Sect.
Unfortunately, the last Star Field invasion had caused a heavy loss to Netherworld Sect. There were only insignificant members left within the Sect at this moment and the number of Origin Kings left was quite pitiful.
Stepping out of the Void Corridor, Yang Kai stood above Netherworld Star, glanced around, and examined the surroundings carefully.
He was extremely satisfied with what he saw and was in no hurry to put his plan into motion.
He flew around the Netherworld Star several times before slowly landing on top of a certain mountain.
The mountain was incredibly tall and the World Energy aura here was abundant. It was very impressive at first glance with countless birds and beasts living among its stones. There were several secluded homes belonging to cultivators here too, all of which were guarded by defensive Arrays. It was clear that people came here to cultivate in retreat. Yang Kai just did not know if they belonged to the Netherworld Sect or some other force.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to these details. He went straight to the highest peak and stretched out his hand. A longan-sized bead immediately appeared on his upturned palm.
It was the Sealed World Bead!
This was something he obtained back in his time on Shadowed Star. If one were to trace it back to its origins, then it was an artifact that Yang Yan had brought with her from the Star Boundary. According to Yang Yan, it was a complete world that was refined by a friend of hers. Since he was similar to that friend in the sense that they both cultivated the Dao of Space, she had left it in his care.
Over the years, the Sealed World Bead had left many indelible marks on Yang Kai’s growth. It had been a huge help to him many times, and more importantly, they were united in their hearts and minds.
It was one of his most important trump cards.
The plan Yang Kai devised this time was very simple. He was going to use the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to devour a Cultivation Star and repair the broken Small Sealed World. The plan had come to him on a whim. He wasn’t even sure whether his idea could be realized. Nevertheless, with Heng Luo Star Field’s devouring as a precedent, he was certain that the feasibility of this plan was very high.
Heng Luo Star Field could be regarded as a complete world, and since it could act as a medium to execute the Heaven Devouring Battle Law from and engulf another complete world, it was only natural that the Sealed World Bead could do something similar. After all, the Sealed World Bead was also a complete world. Fundamentally speaking, it was not much different from Heng Luo Star Field aside from being vastly smaller.
If one were to describe the Sealed World Bead as a Small World, then Heng Luo Star Field was a Medium World while Star Boundary was a Great World. And, devouring was possible between worlds.
Similarly, the Cultivation Stars in the Star Field were Small Worlds too. Netherworld Star was one such Small World among countless Small Worlds. It was also the target Yang Kai intended to devour using the Sealed World Bead. If his attempt succeeded, then it was highly likely that the Sealed World Bead would be completely repaired. It might even become better than before.
At that time, he would have his Embodiment control Heng Luo Star Field from the outside while he used the Small Sealed World to stir up trouble on the inside. Grand Desolation Star Field would be faced with trouble from both inside and out, and Wu Heng would have to struggle to cope with them. After some time, killing Wu Heng would be nothing.
Yang Kai calmed his mind and considered the feasibility of his plan, and after a long while, his expression became serious. Flicking his wrist, he tossed the Sealed World Bead out. At the same time, he sat down cross-legged and communicated with the Sealed World Bead through his mind. At this moment, he had basically become the Will of the Small Sealed World.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s vision changed. It was as though he had become the Sealed World Bead itself. This feeling was not unfamiliar as he experienced the same sensation when communicating with Heng Luo Star Field’s Source. It felt as though his entire being had merged with the world, and he could control it as he pleased.
With the Sealed World Bead as the intermediary, Yang Kai executed the Heaven Devouring Battle Law without delay. He did everything with practised ease since he had had similar experiences just recently, so his actions were neither slow nor sloppy.
The Sealed World Bead that was falling downward was immediately filled with a peculiar aura. It was an aura that could devour everything in the world! Wherever the Sealed World Bead passed, space collapsed and dissolved to reveal a pitch-black Void Crack. It looked like somebody had cut out a long and narrow slice of the cake that was the world.
[It works!] Yang Kai was overjoyed at the sight and immediately understood that his previous conjecture had been correct. It was obvious that the original space where the new Void Crack stood now had been devoured by the Sealed World Bead because he could distinctly sense something extra in the Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai did not know who Yang Yan’s friend was, but that person must have been incredibly powerful to refine a complete world and form the Sealed World Bead. However, what Yang Kai was doing at the moment had surpassed what that person had done.
For a long time, the role of the Sealed World Bead was for him to harbour people, plant all sorts of exotic Spirit Herbs, or hide from his pursuers. The biggest role it played was to drag his enemies into the Small Sealed World, where he could control their life or death. Although Yang Kai had the ability to drag his enemy into the Sealed World Bead and crush them with World Force, he could win most fights with his own abilities alone; therefore, that function seemed a little tasteless.
But starting today, the Sealed World Bead might have an even bigger and more astonishing purpose! Yang Kai couldn’t wait to see the final results!
A jet-black light appeared on the surface of the Sealed World Bead that had become an intermediary for the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It was as though the entire bead had turned into a black hole. Moreover, the black hole was no longer longan-sized as it had been when it first appeared. Instead, it was expanding rapidly while falling downward. By the time it landed on the ground, it had a diameter of approximately one kilometre. That was the limit Yang Kai could bring out. It could just barely pass as a Devouring Domain created from the Small Sealed World.
Without anybody noticing, a huge part of the ground was swept away, leaving behind an enormous pit. Everything had been devoured by the Small Sealed World, but it wasn’t until the pit was several kilometres deep that Yang Kai suddenly had an idea.
With a single thought, the Sealed World Bead leisurely rose from the pit and hovered above the ground before flying off into the distance while grazing against the ground.
At a glance, it seemed as though a black hole with a diameter of one kilometre was wandering around the Star like a living creature with everything in its path disappearing as it passed.
It only took an instant for a long and narrow valley to form at the bottom of the Spirit Peak. When the black hole encountered the middle of a mountain not far away, it immediately tunnelled through it, opening up a gaping hole through which one could see the scenery on the other side of the mountain.
The peak rumbled and shook. Following that, a dishevelled figure flew out from the belly of the mountain and shouted, “Who goes there!? Show yourselves!”
This person had been cultivating in his cave mansion just now when he was awakened by the commotion from the engulfment. Thinking that he was being attacked by a formidable enemy, he immediately rushed out to check out the situation. His cultivation was not that high, only Second-Order Origin Returning Realm; however, such cultivation was considered fairly outstanding on Netherworld Star nowadays, so he rarely met anybody who could rival his strength, causing him to speak with a lot of confidence.
In the next moment though, he widened his eyes and stared at the black hole wandering across the ground in stupefied amazement. He felt a chill running down his back all the way to his toes at the sight and couldn’t help shuddering.
[What the Hell is that!? How can it have such terrifying strength!?] He watched as the black hole turned everything in its path into nothingness, like space itself was being devoured cleanly.
One by one, other figures flew out from the various surrounding Spirit Peaks. They had all been rudely awoken from their cultivation just like this person and soon noticed the presence of the Sealed World Bead.
Staring at it in dumbfounded amazement, they shared a conversation through their Divine Senses, but nobody could explain the situation. Even though they had been cultivating for some time now and their experiences were not lacking, what was happening in front of them right now was beyond their comprehension.
“There’s someone over there. Does anybody recognize him?” The cultivator who first appeared suddenly noticed Yang Kai’s presence and pointed him out while asking such a question.
Everybody glanced at Yang Kai and shook their heads in response.
“Could he be the one wreaking havoc here!?”
“Who is he? He doesn’t look familiar.”
“Is he one of the Elders of Netherworld Sect?”
“Should we go up to him and ask?”
“Go if you want to. That guy looks dangerous.”
Everybody made excuses and pushed the responsibility around for a bit, so in the end, the cultivator who first appeared took up the task of communicating with Yang Kai. Cautiously flying over, this man cupped his fists from afar to Yang Kai and asked, “Wu Zi Min greets Sir. May I ask how to address you?”
Yang Kai looked up and glanced at Wu Zi Min, “What do you want?”
Wu Zi Min felt apprehensive, but he put up a brave front despite being terrified as he asked, “Sir, may I know if I have offended you in any way?”
Yang Kai put his hands on his cheeks and leisurely replied, “No.”
Wu Zi Min looked troubled, “If I have not offended you in any way, then why are you doing this?”
“To what are you referring?”
Wu Zi Min continued, “The secluded homes of my friends and I are located in this place. What you are doing right now will endanger our cave mansions, Sir, if this continues, the Spirit Mountain itself will collapse.”
Before Wu Zi Min finished speaking, he heard an anguished howl coming from the group of people. One of their secluded homes had been swallowed up. Their expression was extremely bitter when even the mountain on which their cave mansion once was began to collapse.
Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “What does that have to do with me?”
Wu Zi Min pleaded, “Sir, please quickly stop using your Divine Ability.”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “No can do! I’m not just devouring this mountain; I’m devouring all of Netherworld Star!”
“Huh!?” Wu Zi Min’s jaw fell open in shock as he wore a dumbstruck expression on his face.
“If there’s nothing else, hurry up and leave. I don’t feel like killing anybody at the moment.” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively as though he was chasing away a fly.
Wu Zi Min’s complexion turned flushed and he hesitated slightly before asking, “Sir, are you not from the Netherworld Sect?”
“You are the one from Netherworld Sect! Your whole family is from the Netherworld Sect! Do I look like I’m from the Netherworld Sect!?”
The man replied, “Sir, don’t you know that this Star is called Netherworld Star? Do you know how powerful the Netherworld Sect is?”
He was hoping to use the Netherworld Sect’s prestige to intimidate Yang Kai so that he would retreat in the face of danger.
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Netherworld Sect has already been obliterated by me.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Shoo shoo! You’re beginning to bother me!” Yang Kai waved his hand again, but this time around, Wu Zi Min felt a strong blast of wind on his face, one so fierce that lost his footing and was thrown out more than a thousand metres.
*Hong long long…*
Another mountain collapsed as it lost its foundation and support after being devoured by the black hole.
Wu Zi Min shifted his gaze in that direction and felt heartbroken. That mountain was where his secluded home was located. Now that the mountain had collapsed, his secluded home was gone too, causing him to turn back and glare at Yang Kai. Unfortunately, all he could do was glare as he did not dare to raise any complaints.
“What do we do now?” These other cultivators present had never seen anything like this before and lost all ability to make decisions as a result.
Wu Zi Min pondered in silence for a moment before decisively declaring, “He is too strong. We are no match for him. Let’s hurry to the Netherworld Sect to report about this matter.”
As the saying went, ‘Even if the sky collapses, somebody taller would hold it up’. The Netherworld Sect was the highest authority that existed on the Netherworld Star so this was their responsibility.
Everybody felt that Wu Zi Min’s suggestion was reasonable, so they immediately set off with him and headed in the direction of Netherworld Sect.
After chasing away those annoying flies, Yang Kai continued to control the Sealed World Bead’s devouring. Regardless of where the black hole went, it left a path of destruction in its wake. There was no stopping it and less than a day later, the mountain range in this region had been devoured cleanly, leaving behind a large, empty basin. One would have a hard time believing their eyes even if they saw what happened.
Cultivators could move mountains and shape the seas to a certain extent when their cultivation reached a certain level; however, even that required the use of extremely powerful Divine Abilities to just barely pull it off. Who would have the ability to make an entire mountain range vanish silently in a day?
After devouring the Spirit Peaks, Yang Kai could sense that the black hole that the Small Sealed World had transformed into had expanded slightly. In other words, its Devouring Domain had gotten larger. The increase in the size of its Devouring Domain meant that the efficiency of its engulfment had improved also!
One full day of experimenting had allowed Yang Kai to verify his conjectures, and he no longer hesitated in this matter. Shifting slightly, he flew off into the distance. In the meantime, the black hole formed by the Small Sealed World rolled about the ground like a black ball. It ploughed the ground and turned it into deep canyons. The lands of Netherworld Star were not the only things that were missing inside those canyons, the Principles and the World Energy were gone too. A canyon like this could never be restored to normal ever again.
…..
A Starship arrived above the wilderness at some point, one with a striking skull symbol on its hull, indicating it belonged to Netherworld Sect. It was just that this was not a Starship of particularly high quality, only reaching the Origin Grade.
It could be said that Netherworld Sect had all but emptied its nest in order to invade Heng Luo Star Field. From the Sect Master to the disciples, more than 90% of its members had joined the crusade. Only a few had remained on Netherworld Star to guard the Sect.
Wu Zi Min and the others had gone to the Netherworld Sect a few days back and had taken a while to finally meet somebody in charge after going through a lot of trouble and reported what they witnessed. To their chagrin, the person in charge had not taken them seriously at all and didn’t even bother to report it to the higher-ups.
It wasn’t until recently, when more and more people arrived at Netherworld Sect to report the appearance of a terrifying man destroying everything in his path that the Netherworld Sect realized that the situation was both real and critical. The reports claimed that that man controlled a black ball and devoured all that stood before him. The places where he passed, regardless of whether they were wastelands, mountains, deserts, snowfields, cities, or even Sects, would be devoured cleanly by the black ball. Everything ceased to exist in its wake. Thus, the Elder who had stayed behind began to gather people to deal with this invader who was raising such havoc.
The Starship had only flown a few thousand kilometres from the Netherworld Sect before a rumbling sound came from the front. It sounded as though thunder was rolling across the ground.
“What’s going on!?” Inside the Starship, an elderly man asked. This elderly man was none other than the Elder who had remained to guard the Netherworld Sect.
A disciple immediately used an array to display the external images inside the Starship. A terrifying scene immediately entered all of their visions. A young man was speeding towards them from the horizon with an enormous black ball rolling several thousand metres below him. The black ball ran across the ground, leaving an indelible scar in its wake. It was impossible to determine how far that scar spread, but it looked as if an unhealable wound had appeared on the ground.
“It’s him!” Wu Zi Min cried out in horror. It had only been a few days since the incident, so how could he forget this person’s face so quickly? It wasn’t until now that he understood something though. Clearly, when this man claimed that he was ‘going to devour the entire Netherworld Star’, it wasn’t an idle boast. He really meant every word he uttered.
“Is that the black ball that is devouring everything!?” The Elder’s eyes widened at the sight. Although he had received many reports on this matter over the past few days, it was hard for him to imagine that something so strange could exist in the world without seeing it with his own eyes. The information he received was perfectly accurate. That black ball was terrifying indeed. Everything and everywhere that was touched by that darkness was devoured cleanly in an instant.
“This is bad! He is coming towards us!” One of the disciples cried out in horror.
“Hurry up and evade!” The Elder shouted. Although he had yet to exchange blows with Yang Kai and had only caught a glimpse of him from afar, he was certain that he was no match for this young man. Putting aside the differences in their cultivation, just the black ball alone gave the Elder a dreadful feeling. [I’m afraid even I won’t be spared if that black ball touches me. I’ll be devoured by it too!]
“It’s too fast! We won’t avoid it in time!” The disciple was close to tears. While that disciple was speaking, a figure swept past the Starship as swiftly as the wind. That young man didn’t even bother glancing at the Starship, as though it was so insignificant to him that it wasn’t worth his time.
Meanwhile, the black ball rolled underneath the Starship. Before anyone had a chance to rejoice, they heard a rumbling earthquake coming from behind them. It sounded as though something had collapsed.
Looking back, the Elder yelled out sorrowfully, “No!”
This place was only a thousand kilometres away from the Netherworld Sect, so while the Starship might not have been devoured by the black ball, the Netherworld Sect located behind them obviously could not avoid this calamity. Thus, the black ball rolled over the Netherworld Sect, immediately dividing it in two, cutting a huge swath out of it. The so-called Sect Defending Array couldn’t even stop the black ball for a single moment before collapsing.
“Hmm? Was that the Netherworld Sect?” Yang Kai glanced backwards, “Then, I have to take good care of it.”
Afterwards, everybody aboard the Starship witnessed an even more horrifying scene. The black ball suddenly turned around, returned to the Netherworld Sect, and rolled around several more times.
In just a few moments, the entire Netherworld Sect… was gone!
Inside the Sealed World Bead, large chunks of land appeared out of thin air. Meanwhile, the invisible Principles and the World Energy that had been devoured flooded in and melded into the Principles and the World Energy belonging to the Small Sealed World, strengthening and perfecting them slowly.
With the emergence of these new lands, various living creatures, most of whom were Humans with some Monsters that had been swallowed by the black ball suddenly appeared, all of them looking shocked and confused.
All these living creatures had failed to avoid the black ball and were swallowed up as a result. They originally thought that they were doomed, only to find that they were safe and sound when they came back to their senses. They couldn’t help finding the entire incident extremely inconceivable. Thus, they tried to leave this place to investigate the mysteries of this new world and figure out their current situation. However, they discovered that they were imprisoned here by an invisible force, with no way for them to leave.
On the other hand, the entire Netherworld Star was in a complete mess. As more time passed, everyone learned of the devilish existence that controlled an enormous black ball that could devour everything in its path. That person was wreaking havoc all over Netherworld Star and none could defy him. Even the famous Netherworld Sect had been obliterated cleanly.
For that reason, all the cultivators with the ability to escape from the Netherworld Star had quickly set off, one after another. They did not dare to remain on the Star for another moment more. Those that could not escape could only pray to the Heavens for mercy. Unfortunately, what was waiting for them was the frightening devourer.
Two months later, the entire Netherworld Star’s appearance had changed completely. Looking down from the Starry Sky, the Star that had once been regarded as the Home Star of Netherworld Sect, a Star that was once rich in World Energy and beautiful scenery, a Star that had once given birth to countless living creatures, had turned into a dead and silent piece of land. The cities, both large and small, had vanished, while the Sects and Clans had all disappeared; even the many Spirit Mountains were gone… At this moment, the entire Netherworld Star looked like a gigantic asteroid. Moreover, this asteroid was covered in endless stretches of deep ravines. Even the volume of the Star had shrunk considerably compared to before.
If cultivators from the other Cultivation Stars in Grand Desolation Star Field came to check on the situation here, they would not be able to recognize that this was Netherworld Star at all and would definitely think that it was a silent Dead Star instead.
“How troublesome!” Yang Kai hovered over Netherworld Star, scanning the Sealed World Bead with his Divine Sense while muttering to himself.
[I can’t believe how many residents have appeared inside the Sealed World Bead all of a sudden.] It was something he had not anticipated, but it was something that could not be helped either; after all, Netherworld Star was not a Dead Star, it was an extremely attractive and populous Cultivation Star. When he used the Sealed World Bead to devour the Star, the cultivators in the Saint King Realm and above had quickly fled at the first sign that the situation was dangerous. Unfortunately, the cultivators below the Saint King Realm had no way of escaping. Similarly, there were many ordinary mortals living here too. Yang Kai couldn’t expect them all to leave the Netherworld Star and escape into the Star Field. That would be nothing more than courting death.
Therefore, Yang Kai decided to finish what he started and swallowed all these living creatures along with the lands into the Sealed World Bead, but now he was having trouble figuring out how he was going to deal with them.
[Do I bring them to another Cultivation Star and release them there? But, they number in the billions. I devoured more than 80% of the living creatures on Netherworld Star after all. Even if I wanted to release them somewhere, I don’t have the time for that. Besides, what Cultivation Star can take in so many people all at once!?]
After considering it carefully, Yang Kai thought to himself, [Hmm… why should I release them in the first place? I have no intention of killing them so I might as well just let them live inside the Sealed World Bead and fend for themselves.]
In a complete world, a steady stream of vitality could only be produced when all the living things in it competed with each other. Perhaps these living creatures could bring unexpected changes to the Sealed World Bead in the future and make the World Principles of the Small Sealed World more perfect. Yang Kai could clearly sense that the Sealed World Bead did not reject the arrival of these living creatures. Rather, it seemed to be accepting them happily.
Another consideration was that he had founded High Heaven Palace in the Star Boundary. Such a large Sect needed to be injected with a steady stream of fresh blood, and the fresh blood in question was none other than recruiting new disciples. The only question was where could he recruit new disciples from? The Northern Territory might be full of talented people, but who could know the backgrounds of every new recruit?
It was different when it came to the beings in the Sealed World Bead. As the Master of the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai could control their lives and read their histories with just a thought. He could choose some disciples with good temperaments and excellent aptitudes from everyone in the Sealed World Bead and cultivate them from young. That way, he did not have to worry about the disciples’ loyalty to High Heaven Palace.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was an excellent idea. It felt like he had accidentally stumbled upon a great fortune. When something troublesome turned into a good thing, it was only natural that his mood brightened up in response.
Upon a closer look at the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai discovered that it had indeed changed a lot. The entire outer layer of Netherworld Star that was devoured had been used to supplement the Sealed World Bead and the damaged areas had been almost completely repaired. Furthermore, the size of the Sealed World Bead had been expanded several times over.
Although the original size of the Sealed World Bead was not small, how could it be compared to Netherworld Star? They might both be independent Small Worlds, but the gap between them was still quite vast. If Netherworld Star was a Small World in the strictest sense, then the world within the Sealed World Bead could only be regarded as a Micro World. But now, the Sealed World Bead had grown tremendously after greedily devouring everything it was fed.
All of a sudden, an idea struck Yang Kai as he had vaguely realized something. The Sealed World Bead was something that had been artificially refined. If others could refine an independent Small Sealed World, what was to say he couldn’t upgrade and modify it?
The gains and perceptions of upgrading, modifying, and constructing a complete world was not something that could be obtained through cultivation in retreat. This would be very beneficial in helping Yang Kai understand World Force; after all, comprehending World Force was the key to becoming a Great Emperor!
At this point, he couldn’t help scratching his head in excitement as he became more and more certain about the ideas in his heart.
After devouring the surface of Netherworld Star, the Devouring Domain of the Sealed World Bead had also expanded by many times. The black ball that had only been approximately one kilometre in diameter originally was now around 10 kilometres in diameter! The expansion of the Devouring Domain meant that the efficiency of engulfment had also increased. It also meant that the speed of Yang Kai’s modification of the Sealed World Bead would become faster too.
The Netherworld Star was completely done for, but just as Yang Kai was preparing to set off to a nearby Star, he suddenly sensed something in his heart and looked back at the huge black ball with a strange expression.
[I can’t believe I am actually feeling a sense of desire coming from it…] His brow twitched and he murmured incredulously, “No way…”
Yang Kai had acquired the Sealed World Bead many years ago, but it had always been just another artifact. Even though the inside was said to be a Sealed World, it was still an inanimate object. However, Yang Kai could clearly perceive something different about it at this moment. Thinking back on the happiness of the Sealed World Bead upon receiving those living creatures, he suddenly realized that he had received an even greater stroke of fortune.
“As you wish!” Yang Kai laughed loudly while directing the enormous black ball towards the remaining half of the Netherworld Star.
[If the Sealed World Bead isn’t disgusted by this bald asteroid-like Star, then what right do I have to dislike it? In any case, it will only take some more time.]
The giant asteroid became a large asteroid soon after, and then a medium asteroid, then a small asteroid…
Yang Kai repeatedly flew round and round the Netherworld Star with the black ball. Every time they finished one circle around the Star, the Netherworld Star would shrink considerably. The entire situation seemed quite strange from the outside. It was as though a giant Divine being was treating Netherworld Star like food and taking bites out of it.
In the end, the entire Netherworld Star disappeared.
When the entire Netherworld Star was gone, the changes that occurred within the Sealed World Bead caught Yang Kai by surprise.
…
At the same time, the expression of Wu Heng, who was still at the edge of Grand Desolation Star Field, battling against the boundless darkness, changed abruptly. He quickly separated a part of his consciousness and immersed his Soul Avatar into his Knowledge Sea to observe the Star Chart.
Just now, he felt as though something had gone missing; however, he couldn’t detect any changes even upon a closer inspection. Just as he was about to withdraw his Soul Avatar from his Knowledge Sea though, his eyes widened in shock as he stared at a certain spot on the Star Chart in disbelief and exclaimed. “That’s impossible!”
He had been the Star Field Master of Grand Desolation Star Field for many years, so he knew the Star Field like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where each Star was located, but at this moment, he was certain that a Star had disappeared from his Star Chart. The name of that Star was none other than Netherworld Star!
Three months ago, he sent Yang Kai to Netherworld Star, originally planning to use this opportunity to kill Yang Kai but was caught in an unexpected dilemma instead. Not only did he fail to kill Yang Kai, but he was also being held up here by Yang Kai’s strange methods. It left him stuck with no time for anything else.
For the past three months, Wu Heng had been fighting against the darkness that was trying to devour his Star Field, so he could not spare a single thought to investigate Yang Kai’s movements.
Besides, it had been obvious that Yang Kai was going to Netherworld Star for no other reason than to vent his rage and massacre the people of Netherworld Sect. What else could he do aside from that?
For Wu Heng, those actions would not have harmed him much. It wasn’t worth being upset over. Netherworld Sect was already in its twilight years anyway. Even if Yang Kai did nothing, it would not be able to survive for much longer. In any case, the exchange of power and the cycle of life and death were the very foundation of all life. Wu Heng’s priority at the moment was to prevent the opposing Star Field from devouring his own Star Field.
Wu Heng could never have imagined that Yang Kai would give him such a huge shock in just three months! He did not know what methods Yang Kai had used to make the entire Netherworld Star disappear; nevertheless, it was gone. The entire Star had vanished without a trace!
[How in the world did he do that!? How is that possible!? How can he steal a Cultivation Star just like that!?] Wu Heng wouldn’t have believed it himself if he had said it out loud. This was not something that could be casually placed inside a Space Ring! That was an actual Star! And if Yang Kai didn’t steal it, then where did the Netherworld Star go?
Wu Heng was the Star Field Master; he controlled the Star Field Source, so as long as he wanted to, he could take notice of anything that was happening in any corner of Grand Desolation Star Field. The disappearance of the Netherworld Star was by no means an illusion.
Wu Heng’s mood could not get any worse. When he diverted his attention away just now, the power he used to resist the darkness was inevitably reduced by quite a bit. It made the opposing Star Field’s speed of engulfment speed up again. Panicking, Wu Heng quickly put aside any distracting thoughts and did not dare to lose focus again. Even so, the uneasy feeling in his heart was growing stronger. It was practically turning into a tangible substance that filled his core. He knew that he was in deep trouble. Moreover, he was suffering massive losses constantly. [I could have never imagined that I would cause my own downfall over a mere Lower Star Field!]
“What in the world is this!?” Yang Kai floated in the Starry Sky, rubbing his chin as he studied the sight in front of him in astonishment. The huge black ball transformed from the Sealed World Bead was floating in front of him, but the surface of the black ball had split to form a mouth! It was an extremely large mouth, and an extremely terrifying one at that.
The mouth split open, stretching out 100 kilometres. It was like an enormous Void Crack, but that wasn’t all; its mouth was filled with sharp fangs. Whenever its mouth opened and closed, there was a crunching sound as though it was chewing on everything that existed in this world. Even Yang Kai found it rather creepy to look at.
When the Sealed World Bead finished swallowing up the entire Netherworld Star, the black ball had undergone a violent squirming transformation and changed into this form.
Yang Kai nearly found the change unacceptable. Why did his Sealed World Bead become like this? No, strictly speaking, the Sealed World Bead hadn’t changed much. It was still just a longan-sized bead. What changed was the Devouring Domain of the Sealed World Bead. What kind of monster had he created by allowing it to use the entire Netherworld Star as nourishment?
As Yang Kai had surmised, the current Devouring Domain of the Sealed World Bead looked just like a monster at first glance. It was round and bouncy; it had an enormous jet-black body with no facial features; it only had a large mouth filled with dense fangs. It was extremely odd and ferocious.
“The World’s Will?” Yang Kai frowned while muttering to himself. The message coming from the Sealed World Bead was becoming clearer and clearer. He could feel a sense of desire and hunger coming from it. [Could this be the Small Sealed World’s Will? Or, should I say that it’s now an Artifact Spirit?]
The Sealed World Bead was nothing but an Emperor Artifact. It was an Emperor Artifact without consciousness, yet at this very moment, it looked as if it was alive.
This Black Ball Monster, which was so large that even Yang Kai would feel insignificant after using his Dragon Transformation, was probably the Artifact Spirit of the Sealed World Bead. Its consciousness was not very obvious yet since it was only in its budding state. It simply instinctively wanted to devour more. Hence, that large mouth and fangs were the manifestation of the Artifact Spirit’s instinct.
“Hah!” Yang Kai laughed, suddenly recalling the black puppy with the Abyssal Returner bloodline that he had left behind in High Heaven Palace. [Why does everything related to me seem to have the ability to devour? First, the black puppy. Then, the Sealed World Bead. Let’s not forget my Embodiment too. I wonder if it’s due to providence or fate.]
Nevertheless, the Embodiment and the Sealed World Bead’s devouring was a little different from the black puppy’s devouring. The former two relied on the Heaven Devouring Battle Law while the black puppy relied on its Innate Divine Ability. In the end, it was all for the sake of strengthening themselves.
A sudden thought flashed through Yang Kai’s head. [Did Wu Kuang meet an Abyssal Returner back then? Is that why he created the Heaven Devouring Battle Law based on the characteristics of an Abyssal Returner? If that’s the case, their similarity to each other makes sense.]
*Kacha ca…* The sound of teeth clattering against each other rang out continuously as if urging Yang Kai to hurry up.
“Alright! Alright! I’ll bring you to the next place!” Yang Kai started to look around for his next target. It was not a bad thing for the Sealed World Bead to grow its own Will, even if it was vague. Any complete world would have a Will of its own. Such a World Will was invisible and intangible, but it affected all the lives that lived on it. If the Small Sealed World could obtain such an opportunity, then it would be extremely beneficial for its future growth.
[It’s just… Where should we go? The Star Field is so vast and if we don’t get the direction right, we might end up wasting a lot of time travelling. Ah! I got it!] Yang Kai lifted his head and looked in a certain direction. Shifting his body slightly, he stood on top of the black ball and sat down cross-legged. Waving his large hand, he ordered, “Let’s go!”
The black ball seemed to understand his command and there was no need for him to actively control it; it moved in that direction on its own. Moreover, it moved rather quickly, its teeth crunching against each other while flying, making a disturbing sound the entire journey.
Choosing this direction was not without reason. It was simply the direction in which many of Netherworld Star’s cultivators had fled when they were escaping. Yang Kai might not know the distribution of the Cultivation Stars in Grand Desolation Star Field, but there was no way these natives did not know. If they had been heading in this direction, then it could only mean that there were other Cultivation Stars this way too.
One man and one black ball floated through the Starry Sky, heading towards an unknown destination. This scene was indescribably strange. The black ball that could engulf a Star did not seem to have any effect on Yang Kai. Rather, it even transformed into a carrier of sorts that he could ride freely.
Reaching out under him, Yang Kai patted his new ‘mount’ he had newly obtained. It was very soft to the touch, almost like touching a cloud, a sensation that did not match its hideous appearance at all. If it stopped clattering its teeth all the time and kept its mouth shut, it might look rather adorable. It was just that it was just born and its instinct to devour was causing it to constantly make biting movements; therefore, he couldn’t be bothered to stop it either.
“I should think of a name for you. I can’t just keep calling you ‘black ball’.” Yang Kai rubbed his chin and murmured under his breath. The black ball was similar to the original Liu Yan, a mere manifestation of her Artifact Refining Furnace until he gave her a name.
“I know!” His eyes brightened and he snapped his fingers in delight, “I’ll call you Gun-Gun from now on!”
It had rolled across the entire Netherworld Star and swallowed it in the process. The name ‘Gun-Gun’ just seemed fitting.
*Kacha ca…* The teeth clattered against each other, making a crisp clickety-clack sound.
“You think it’s a good name too, don’t you? Let’s go with that then.” Yang Kai smiled, feeling like he was a genius at giving names. Then, he clapped his hands together and looked slightly distressed, “I can’t favour one over the other. Let’s name the Abyssal Returner ‘Xiao Hei’.”
As soon as he decided, he labelled the savage Abyssal Returner which terrorized the Demon Realm, nearly bringing it to destruction, with an inescapable new name. Who knows what the Demon Kings and the Demon Saints would feel when they learned about this?
“Go forth, Gun-Gun!” Yang Kai pointed forward, his heart dancing with joy like a child who had gotten a new toy.
*Kachaca!*
“Devour, Gun-Gun!”
*Kachaca!*
Along the way, they ran into several enormous asteroids. Gun-Gun rolled past them and opened its mouth, swallowing those asteroids into its belly and storing them in the Small Sealed World.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai could clearly sense that Gun-Gun was not very fond of the taste of those asteroids. If Netherworld Star from before was a delicious dish, then these asteroids would be similar to stale bread, extremely hard to swallow and lacking all flavour.
They encountered more asteroids on several other occasions while wandering the Starry Sky; however, Gun-Gun was no longer interested in eating them. Even Dead Stars could hardly arouse its interest. On the other hand, it would change directions once in a while without seeking guidance from Yang Kai. It was as though it had a keen sense of smell and could detect the direction these delicious aromas were coming from.
Yang Kai did not stop it, and one month later, he confirmed his conjecture. A Star that was not much smaller than the Netherworld Star appeared in the distance. Even without landing on it, he could tell that it was an extraordinary Cultivation Star.
[Gun-Gun really does know where Cultivation Stars are located!]
…..
On High Seas Star, all living creatures lifted their heads to stare up into the sky, reacting as though they were facing a terrible enemy.
A few days ago, a small black spot appeared in the sky. It was located between High Seas Star and the Sun Star. In the beginning, not many people cared about it; however, the black spot grew bigger and bigger as the days passed, and now, it blocked out the sun entirely, plunging High Seas Star into utter darkness as if an eclipse was occurring. All living creatures present were feeling uneasy as an inexplicable sense of crisis bloomed in their hearts.
Even the seas were violent and choppy with stormy waves breaking across the surface. More than 80% of High Seas Star was covered in water. Various islands of all shapes and sizes were scattered across the surface like chess pieces on a board, creating a space where the living creatures of High Seas Star could settle. This was a world dominated by the Sea Clan. Humans and other Monster Beasts had very little space to live on this Star.
Looking up at the darkness blocking the Sun, many of the Sea Clan couldn’t help but think of the rumours circulating in the past month regarding the black ball. It was said that everywhere the black ball passed, everything would be devoured and all living creatures would cease to exist!
The origin of this rumour was from some Humans who had fled here. According to these people, they had come from the Netherworld Star where a terrifying devil had arrived and used a giant black ball to devour both the Heavens and Earth, literally swallowing up the entire Netherworld Star.
The Sea Clan had always proclaimed themselves as nobler than other races and they despised those of the Human Race and the Monster Race. Moreover, they felt that those who were born on land were extremely dirty and despicable, especially the refugees who had fled to this Star.
None of the Sea Clan had taken those rumours seriously, but the rumours still spread very quickly. In less than one month, most of the Sea Clan of High Seas Star had at least heard about this wild story. It wasn’t until this moment when they looked up at the black ball that the recent rumours couldn’t help coming to the forefront of their minds. They couldn’t help feeling uneasy as a result.
[Is there really darkness in this world that can devour both the Heavens and Earth?]
The world rumbled and a figure flew out from a large island and headed towards the darkness. When the members of the Sea Clan saw this person, their uneasy moods suddenly stabilized.
“It’s Senior Ao Wei!”
“That’s right! We have Senior Ao Wei! Why should we be afraid of that black ball?”
“If it dares to come here, Senior Ao Wei will surely show it who’s boss!”
“They are walking right to their deaths. Do they think High Seas Star is on the same level as the Netherworld Star!?”
The members of the Sea Clan shouted in excitement. The chants of the name ‘Ao Wei’ turned into a wave, creating an aura that almost overshadowed the world.
Ao Wei was the strongest Master on High Seas Star. He was regarded by all of the Sea Clan as its greatest hero, one who protected this world. It seemed as though he only needed to make a move and the black ball heading towards High Seas Star would be wiped out immediately. The belief of hundreds of millions of living creatures seemed to transform into a tangible substance, blessing Ao Wei and allowing him to adhere to the World’s Will. At this moment, he could be said to be an invincible existence.
It was a pity that no one noticed that Ao Wei’s expression was extremely solemn. Even if the fortune of the Heavens and Earth, as well as the collective will of hundreds of millions of living creatures, converged on him, he still couldn’t help shivering. The thought of turning around and running away was surging in him; however, he was the Star Master of this Star. Even if everybody else could escape, where could he run?
He lifted his head and stared up at the black ball with feelings of despair and fear. These emotions did not originate from him, they came straight from the Will of High Seas Star. It was an emotion that the Star Source was sending him and that made him extremely uneasy. It felt as though a mouse had met a cat or a rabbit had encountered a falcon. The Star had met its natural enemy.
Ao Wei stood in place and could barely muster up the courage to fly upward. He could only wait for the black ball to arrive as he racked his brains to figure out how to resolve the crisis before him.
“What in the world is that!?”
When the darkness descended from the sky, Ao Wei’s expression changed drastically. The enormous black ball had a diameter stretching out for a hundred kilometres at least. It also had a gaping mouth filled with sharp fangs that split right across the middle of its face. The click-clacking noise coming from its mouth gave him goosebumps and chills when it entered his ears.
Even as a Star Master, Ao Wei did not have the courage to face such a monster directly. Moreover, the overwhelming pressure coming from the sky made his chest feel tight and caused him to have trouble breathing.
“Who dares block my path!? Do you court death!?” A voice rang out suddenly, startling Ao Wei. Only then did he notice that a person was standing on top of the black ball. That person seemed to be a rather young man who was currently quietly standing atop the Black Ball Monstrosity and looking down on him from above, like he was looking at an ant.
Gulping lightly, Ao Wei cupped his fists and shouted, “Ao Wei, Star Master of High Seas Star, greets Senior.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly, “You are the Star Master of this Star?”
“Yes!”
“Very good. I am going to devour High Seas Star. Please cooperate with me. I will provide you with great benefits after I’m done!” If the Star Master could cooperate with him, the devouring would surely be much easier.
Ao Wei’s face twitched as he nearly suspected whether he had heard wrongly. This person came here with ill intentions and declared that he was going to devour High Seas Star the moment he opened his mouth. What’s more, he wanted Ao Wei to cooperate with him!
Ao Wei suddenly felt a little angry; however, he did not dare to lose his temper. He suppressed his rage and asked, “What has High Seas Star done to offend Senior?”
Yang Kai replied impatiently, “It’s not about whether you’ve offended me or not. I simply happened to come across this Star.”
[Simply came across…] Ao Wei never expected that the reason for this terrible catastrophe would turn out to be nothing more than the result of a coincidence. A shudder ran down his spine as he spoke loudly, “The Heavens cherish all life. High Seas Star hosts trillions of lives. What will happen to those who live here if you devour this Star? People of our generation are competitive and we constantly strive to reach the peak of the Martial Dao. Our lives are constantly at stake, but what does that have to do with the innocents? You will surely be punished by karma if you destroy High Seas Star. That will be highly disadvantageous to your future endeavours. Please reconsider!” He sincerely tried to dissuade Yang Kai.
Yang Kai put one hand on his thigh, leaned forward, and grinned, “What do you want to say?”
There wasn’t even the slightest fluctuation of aura from this young man when he spoke, but even so, Ao Wei’s expression couldn’t help changing slightly. It felt as though a great ancient beast was baring its fangs at him, preparing to swallow him whole. Fortunately, he was the Star Master of High Seas Star and received blessings from it. Otherwise, he would have turned tail and ran away already.
Cupping his fist again, Ao Wei shouted once more, “Please reconsider!”
Yang Kai touched his chin, thought about it seriously, and nodded, “I’ve given it some thought.”
“Does that mean you…” Ao Wei looked at Yang Kai earnestly.
“My will is resolute. Now, hurry up and move aside!” Yang Kai really could not have gone through with it if billions of sentient lives would be lost because he devoured a Cultivation Star; after all, the Heavens truly were fair in all matters. Even if his cultivation was extraordinary, he could not regard the weak as ants to be slaughtered at will.
The devouring process of the Sealed World Bead would certainly destroy the Star, but it would not harm any of the living creatures here. It simply allowed them to live in another place. Moreover, Yang Kai had the confidence that he could make the Small Sealed World better than any Cultivation Star in time. In other words, his current approach was not only harmless to the living creatures here, but would also bring about infinite benefits to them in the long-term. Hence, he felt no burden at all.
In response, Ao Wei’s expression darkened slightly. Even so, he refused to give in. As a Star Master, he had no room to retreat. Bracing himself, he began releasing the aura of a peak Origin King Realm Master. Scales appeared on his face simultaneously as the characteristics of a Monster Beast appeared on him. From the looks of things, he was not part of the Human Race. Even though he knew that he was no match for Yang Kai and that things would end tragically the moment he acted, he continued to obstruct this wicked destroyer’s path.
Gathering his courage, Ao Wei shouted firmly, “Senior, if you insist on doing this, then you must kill me first!”
His voice was not loud, but it spread throughout the Cultivation Star under the influence of its Will. All the living creatures on High Seas Star suddenly felt touched. They felt extremely lucky to have such a responsible Star Master. It was invisible to the eye, but his aura increased again. That single sentence had given him a huge boost in power, but it still didn’t give him the slightest sense of security.
“Oh? A Flood Dragon descendant?” Yang Kai asked as he looked at the scales on Ao Wei’s face and the traces of monsterfication on Ao Wei’s body, sensing a familiar aura from him.
“Indeed!” Ao Wei nodded. There was no need to conceal anything, it wasn’t a secret after all.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “I know of other Flood Dragons, and they’re indeed not bad, but… You are too weak.”
Even though Ao Wei had always presented himself in a courteous and humble manner while lowering his posture as much as possible, he couldn’t help feeling unconvinced when he heard those words. He stood at the peak of the Origin King Realm and was the Star Master of High Seas Star. There were only a few people in the entire Grand Desolation Star Field who could challenge him! How could his cultivation still be considered ‘too weak’?
Rage burst forth in Ao Wei’s heart, dampening his fear as he gritted his teeth and declared, “Is that so? Then, I will have to see how powerful Senior is!”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “You might not believe me, but that guy can probably take a few of my attacks. You, on the other hand…”
Ao Wei roared furiously, “Let’s see how many attacks it takes you to defeat me!” While speaking, he lunged toward Yang Kai. Although there was a slight hint of a Dragon Roar in his voice, it was not very pure. Flood Dragons inherited the Dragon Clan’s blood, but the difference in purity varied greatly. How could they be compared to True Dragons? Even so, Ao Wei was relatively powerful after receiving a boost from High Seas Star.
In that instant, the world paled and storms surged. The full-powered attack of a Star Master was truly extraordinary.
On the contrary, Yang Kai didn’t seem inclined to defend against the attack nor did he look like he was going to attack. He simply watched expressionlessly as Ao Wei lunged at him.
[He is just too arrogant! He completely looks down on me! I need to teach him a lesson!]
Yang Kai’s attitude had utterly enraged Ao Wei and he no longer held anything back, channelling even greater strength than he had ever before in his life.
An invisible force suddenly swept out from Yang Kai at that moment and it made Ao Wei abruptly stiffen, his eyes widening to the size of saucers in the next instant. He looked extremely shocked, and for a moment, he thought he saw an enormous Dragon hovering around Yang Kai’s body, its massive head staring down at him. Instantly, his Saint Qi stopped circulating and he was unable to summon the slightest strength.
Following that, the Dragon Head pounced at him. Opening its mouth wide, it swallowed him whole. Ao Wei screamed as his robes became soaked in cold sweat. At his cultivation, he was rarely frightened by anything. Even when Yang Kai arrived with Gun-Gun, he was still capable of confronting them directly, even mustering the will to fight back. However, he didn’t even dare to stare back when facing this giant Dragon. This was the effect of bloodline suppression!
By the time Ao Wei came back to his senses, the giant Dragon that was in front of him had vanished. There was only a hateful young man smiling at him, making him wonder if it was all just an illusion; however, it was all too realistic to simply be his imagination.
Before Ao Wei could understand what had happened though, Yang Kai raised his hand and ordered, “Send him in.”
In response, Gun-Gun opened its mouth wide and swallowed Ao Wei in one bite.
[My destined end has come!] That thought flashed across Ao Wei’s mind. Closing his eyes, he stuck out his neck and prepared for death, but to his surprise, there was no pain despite waiting for some time, and when he opened his eyes, an astonishing sight appeared before him.
He had appeared in a different world. This world looked rather messy, like millions of tonnes of soil and stones piled up haphazardly all over the place, and looking around, this scene stretched out as far as his eyes could see.
Ao Wei quickly used his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings and was surprised all over again. The World Energy in this place was extremely dense, several grades better than High Seas Star, but the World Principles seemed to be a little broken, which made the power in his body a little sluggish.
[What in the world is this damned place!? Wasn’t I swallowed up by that jet-black giant beast? How did I appear here!?] A shining object nearby attracted Ao Wei’s attention, one stuck under a boulder. Walking over, Ao Wei lifted the rock up and a plaque entered his vision.
“Netherworld Sect!” His eyes narrowed and he could hardly believe his eyes. [Isn’t this… Isn’t this Netherworld Sect’s signboard!?] Although he was the Star Master of High Seas Star, he had been to Netherworld Star in his early years and even entered the Netherworld Sect once. This signboard was the one erected above Netherworld Sect’s Main Gate. He was certain that he had not mistaken it for something else. Besides, the sense of vicissitude around this plaque was not fake. [This is definitely the signboard belonging to Netherworld Sect’s Main Gate, but… what is it doing here?]
Recalling the rumours circulating around on High Seas Star recently, a very bold conjecture emerged in Ao Wei’s heart.
All of a sudden, he heard some sounds. Flying up, he looked into the distance and saw a group of people heading his way. Thus, he immediately flew to them and exchanged some words with them. After that, he looked even more shocked than before. [These people… They are the residents of Netherworld Star!]
…
“Senior Ao Wei… Was defeated!”
“Senior Ao Wei was swallowed in one bite!”
“The end is coming! The end is here!”
On High Seas Star, countless eyes watched as Ao Wei was swallowed by the giant black beast, unable to resist in the slightest. The visual impact left everyone cold with fear, feeling as though they were standing in the middle of a blizzard. They had never imagined that a Star Master like Senior Ao Wei could be killed so easily. They had been hoping that Ao Wei could save them from the calamity before them. Unfortunately, that hope now transformed into a deep despair.
When Yang Kai led Gun-Gun on towards High Seas Star again, no one dared to stop him. Gun-Gun opened its mouth wide and devoured island after island. Even the boundaryless seawater was swallowed into its belly.
The sounds of weeping and cursing rang out as everybody desperately attempted to escape.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those cries, though, as he sat cross-legged on Gun-Gun’s back as it chewed its way through the entire High Seas Star.
[This bunch of ignorant people. You don’t even appreciate the fact that I am bringing you into a paradise. I guess the ones who escaped are simply unlucky!]
A sudden thought crossed Yang Kai’s heart at that moment. [What is the difference between my current actions and the actions of the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, Wu Kuang?]
Wu Kuang had wreaked havoc across many Star Fields and destroyed countless Cultivation Stars. In the end, the anger and resentment against him built up among the people, and the other Great Emperors were forced to band together to kill him.
[No. Wu Kuang is Wu Kuang, and I am me. What we are doing is very different! All the living creatures on the Stars Wu Kuang destroyed died during the process. But, I am sending them to another world, a better world, it’s not like I’m doing any real harm to them! Rather, they will probably thank me for my actions in the future; after all, order is established from chaos, and only through destruction can the world be reborn.]
At the border of Grand Desolation Star Field, Wu Heng looked livid. He had been confronting this devouring darkness for half a year now, and despite giving it his all, he could only slow the speed of the encroachment. He could not stop it from spreading at all. Over the past six months, he had lost more than a few tens of millions of kilometres of his Star Field! Such a large piece of territory was already larger than what he had engulfed in Heng Luo Star Field in the previous three years!
[Just who is the person on the other side!? How are they doing it!?]
Wu Heng had once driven Grand Desolation Star Field to devour Heng Luo Star Field, so he knew just how difficult this was. It was patient and precise work that required much time and effort. It definitely wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight. Additionally, Heng Luo Star Field did not have a Star Field Master back then, so his engulfment of that Star Field could be said to be practically unimpeded.
[How is the opposing party’s devouring speed still so fast when I am actively trying to resist? How is this even possible?]
If that were the only issue, Wu Heng might not have been this anxious. Unfortunately, something else was also worrying him. Over the past six months, he had consecutively lost three Cultivation Stars from Grand Desolation Star Field. It began with Netherworld Star, followed by High Seas Star, then Flying Crab Star. One after another, they had disappeared from the Star Chart as though they never existed before!
[Those are three Cultivation Stars, not three cabbages! Just what method did that bastard Yang Kai use to steal them!?] There were quite a few Cultivation Stars in Grand Desolation Star Field, so it did not hurt Wu Heng’s foundation to lose three of them. The key point was that this was just the beginning. He had lost three Cultivation Stars in just half a year… How many more would he lose in a year? Or, 10 years? Or, 100 years? If there were no more Cultivation Stars left in the entire Star Field, then what was the point of this Star Field’s existence? When that time came, he would be a Star Field Master in name only.
What made Wu Heng feel slightly relieved was that Yang Kai didn’t seem to be making any movements since stealing Flying Crab Star.
[I wonder what he is doing?] As a Star Field Master, it was a simple matter for Wu Heng to spy on Yang Kai inside his own territory. Unfortunately, he did not dare to do so. The moment he became distracted, even if only a little bit, the speed of the opposing Star Field’s devouring would sharply increase.
[I can’t keep going on like this. I won’t have a good ending if this goes on any longer. Do I really have to resort to that?] Wu Heng’s expression changed constantly. Anger, shame, reluctance… All sorts of emotions showed on his face as he never imagined that he would be backed into a corner to such a degree in this Lower Star Field. Moreover, within his own territory!
…
Gun-Gun was suspended in mid-air above a Dead Star. Its enormous jet-black body was constantly shrinking and expanding in a cycle, over and over again. Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood to the side and watched it closely. He did not know what had happened to lead to this situation, he only had the vague sense that… It was satiated!
Throughout their journey, Gun-Gun had devoured a total of three Cultivation Stars. After completely engulfing Flying Crab Star, it finally closed its mouth and stopped making those click-clacking noises. It also stopped moving at the exact spot where Flying Crab Star used to be and the changes occurred.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai tried to communicate with the Small Sealed World only to discover that his Soul Avatar could not enter it. Thus, there was nothing he could do but wait and see how things played out. If his guess was correct, then Gun-Gun was simply in a state of digestion.
Those were three Cultivation Stars after all, not something so easy to devour. Having been engulfed into the Small Sealed World, they needed to be further digested, or else those slightly different World Principles would be enough to cause the space within the Sealed World Bead to collapse. If that happened, all living creatures absorbed from the three Cultivation Stars would perish too.
After this digestion finished though, the entire Small Sealed World would probably take on a completely new look; therefore, Yang Kai simply waited quietly and expectantly.
He wanted to check on his Embodiment’s situation, but they were too far apart now. Yang Kai was too deep inside Grand Desolation Star Field and couldn’t establish a connection with it. However, Wu Heng was probably having a hard time, otherwise, everything he had done recently would not have gone so smoothly. If Wu Heng could spare even a little time to deal with him, he would surely have made life far more difficult for Yang Kai.
Thinking so, Yang Kai chuckled. [People who provoke me have always had bad ends. Even Wu Kuang suffered a loss at my hands; much less a mere ‘Wu Heng’.]
The days passed by, little by little. There was no cycle of day and night in the Starry Sky, so Yang Kai wasn’t sure just how long had passed. However, every wriggle Gun-Gun made seemed to cause something in it to change.
Yang Kai could clearly sense that Gun-Gun’s Will was becoming much clearer. There could only be one explanation for that, the digestion process was going smoothly. It had managed to assimilate the World Principles of the three Cultivation Stars it devoured and merged them together until they were no longer distinguishable from one another.
After more time had passed, its Will became clearer yet again. Although it was not to the extent where it could communicate with Yang Kai clearly, it was capable of at least instinctual communication. The most obvious change, however, was in its appearance. Gun-Gun was originally an enormous black ball that later grew a large mouth after devouring Netherworld Star. Now though, it had a tail growing on the opposite side of its mouth. The tail slowly grew longer and longer. At first glance, it now looked like a giant tadpole, quite a comical sight.
Finally, Gun-Gun ended its transformation after an intense wriggling session one day. Its mouth opened once again, making crunching sounds with its teeth as it conveyed the urgency of its hunger. Upon digesting the three Cultivation Stars, it was ready to begin devouring again. Additionally, its body had become much larger than before. It had a diameter of 100 kilometres when it first descended on High Seas Star, but now it was nearly 200 kilometres in diameter!
Yang Kai had no intention of stopping it and simply allowed it to act as it pleased. Hence, Gun-Gun immediately turned and headed in a certain direction. Even though Yang Kai saw nothing but pitch-black darkness in that direction, he was certain a Cultivation Star was located up ahead. It seemed Gun-Gun had a keen sense for locating Cultivation Stars and could smell the deliciousness of them from very far away.
In the meantime, Yang Kai stepped into the Sealed World Bead. It was his first time entering the Small Sealed World since its transformation, and he was completely stupefied the moment he arrived. It was no longer the Small Sealed World that he was familiar with. The size of the entire world had increased by several times over. It actually took some time for his Divine Sense to reach the boundary of the world when he extended it outward.
The original Small Sealed World could only be regarded as a Micro World if a Cultivation Star like Netherworld Star was considered a Small World. Even the World Principles were something that had been patched together by Yang Kai from various sources. If he compared the Small Sealed World to a piece of clothing, then the original Small Sealed World had been covered in patches. The World Principles might have been complete, but they were not smoothly joined together. In contrast, the current world was in complete harmony. There was no dissonance whatsoever, and the World Principles were in perfect condition. It was much better than how the original World Principles had been.
At this point, it could be regarded as a real Small World. A world like this was already higher grade than the average Cultivation Star. The land in the world had changed a lot. Be it jungles, wastelands, seas, deserts, or valleys… It had everything. These places were suitable for all sorts of beings and races to live happily and peacefully.
The countless auras of living creatures were spread all across the world, and buildings of various styles rose from the ground. All the sentient and wild beings of the three Cultivation Stars had been absorbed into this place, and the first thing they did after realizing that there was no immediate danger to their lives was to rebuild their Sects and homes. Not knowing where they were nor whether danger was looming over them contributed to the lack of conflict at the moment. They restrained themselves and did their best not to get into fights with the others despite running into those of different races occasionally.
Yang Kai carefully observed this world for a while before he found the original Small Sealed World’s land. The original space was located in the most central position of this new world. Furthermore, there was an invisible barrier isolating it from the new land, which prevented anybody from trespassing into this space.
Yang Kai couldn’t help breathing out a sigh of relief when he saw this barrier as he had been very worried that somebody might break into the medicine garden and destroy his Spirit Herbs. The current situation was for the best, and it was clearly thanks to Gun-Gun.
[Since I’m already here, I might as well say hello. I should, at the very least, let the people of this new world know who the Master of this place is!]
With a flash of his thoughts, a giant figure suddenly appeared in the sky. All the living creatures in the world only needed to look up to see this phantom giant. His majestic gaze that stared into the void felt as though he was looking at every single one of them. Hence, all were shocked upon seeing that gigantic figure in the sky. They could not help being filled with a sense of worship when they looked up at that figure, while many even fell to their knees and shivered in fear.
“It’s him!” Ao Wei stood on a newly-formed island and looked at the face in the sky, his expression changing greatly. The memory of being defeated in a single move by this young man was still fresh in his mind. How could he not know that that person was many times stronger than him? It was ridiculous how he had tried to fight against that person just because he had been a Star Master before.
Many people recognized Yang Kai; after all, they had seen him from a distance when he was riding on Gun-Gun while devouring their Stars, so seeing him again at this moment, their feelings of awe deepened even more.
“I am the Master of this world, but you need not worry, I hold no malice towards you. I only wish that you live your lives peacefully in this place and lead a good life. If there are talented cultivators, I may even guide you to a higher world and allow you to experience a grander Martial Dao.” Yang Kai pointed at his eyes and grinned, “I will be watching you, so do your best. Whether you become a Dragon and roam the vast oceans, or remain a carp and stagnate in this little pond, will all be determined by your hard work.”
The entire world was completely silent as everybody was so shocked that they couldn’t utter a single word. A long while later, they finally noticed that the giant figure in the sky had vanished without a trace. Nevertheless, those simple words had set off turbulent waves in everyone’s mind, especially those in the Origin King Realm.
[A higher world!? A grander Martial Dao!?] It was like hanging a carrot in front of a donkey; it made them covet and desire that opportunity. Most cultivators in Grand Desolation Star Field that were in the Origin King Realm knew about the existence of the Star Boundary; after all, there was a pathway between Grand Desolation Star Field and the Star Boundary. It was public knowledge that the previous Sect Master of Netherworld Sect, Yin Le Sheng, had journeyed to the Star Boundary together with a few other Masters from their Star Field several dozen years ago. It was just that nobody knew what had become of them after that.
It was undeniable that entering the Star Boundary using the same method they did was dangerous and the slightest carelessness could cost them their lives. For that reason, the cultivators of Grand Desolation Star Field did not dare to use the same route unless they had great confidence in their strength, even though the path had always existed. But now, there was another opportunity before them. It seemed that the Master of this world could guide them to the Star Boundary as long as they could obtain his approval!
These dazzling Stars seem to have always existed, but they collapsed and vanished from existence, one after another. It was as though an invisible hand had erased them from the vast Starry Sky.
Wu Heng couldn’t stand it anymore, gritting his teeth, he roared, “Yang Kai!”
He had completely fallen into a disadvantage in his fight against Yang Kai. Not only had he lost a large part of his Star Field, but he also lost as many as five Cultivation Stars from Grand Desolation Star Field.
[I will lose everything if this silent battle continues in this manner.] A deep hatred and regret overflowed from his heart. [If I had washed my hands clean of Heng Luo Star Field the moment I sensed that it had gained a Star Master, I might not have brought such troublesome matters down upon myself.]
Back then, he wanted to take advantage of Yang Kai, who had just become a Star Field Master. He had completely looked down on Yang Kai and even went so far as to demand he hand Heng Luo Star Field to him. At that moment, their enmity was set in stone.
[There is no point in regretting the past now. In any case, my first priority is to get rid of Yang Kai as soon as possible. Even if I lose a large part of my territory by focusing on him, I cannot allow him to do whatever he wants in my territory anymore!] The moment that thought appeared in Wu Heng’s head, he no longer hesitated and immediately directed some of his attention to investigate Yang Kai’s situation.
In the extremely distant Starry Sky, he soon found a trace of Yang Kai’s whereabouts, and after getting a clear view of the situation there, Wu Heng couldn’t help being dumbstruck and out of sorts, “What is that!?”
Most of the sixth Cultivation Star had disappeared, and there was a gigantic black tadpole-like Monster going back and forth on this broken Cultivation Star, taking bite after bite out of it as if it were eating a delicious cake. The Cultivation Star was missing another huge chunk in the blink of an eye.
Even Wu Heng, who was very knowledgeable and experienced, could not tell what that black monster was; however, he instinctively felt apprehensive when he looked at it.
Yang Kai, who was sitting cross-legged on the back of Gun-Gun, seemed to sense something and looked up at the Starry Sky with a grin.
In the next moment, Wu Heng appeared in front of Yang Kai. As the Star Field’s Master, crossing a distance of hundreds of millions of kilometres in an instant was nothing to him. Lifting his large hand, he clenched his hand and roared, “Die!”
The power of the Star Field was activated instantaneously, turning into invisible shackles that tightened around Gun-Gun’s huge body without warning. As a result, its huge body shrunk continuously. The changes were so obvious that they were visible to the naked eye. In response, Gun-Gun opened its mouth wide and clacked its teeth together loudly, as if it were struggling against something.
Similarly, Yang Kai felt pressure bearing down on him like a mountain. His entire body was stiff and unable to move, as if Wu Heng was crushing all his bones.
[Running wild in another person’s territory really isn’t a good idea, but… I’m afraid it’s too late for Wu Heng to make a move now. If he had decisively taken action at the very beginning when Gun-Gun was still weak, he might have had a chance. But now… Does he seriously think I’m such a pushover?] The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth lifted into a wicked grin.
On the other hand, Wu Heng’s expression changed abruptly as he could feel the shackles he had placed on his enemy being broken, little by little, as the black monster chewed on them, its large mouth opening and closing in the process. No; they weren’t being broken, they were disappearing, just like the Cultivation Star that was being devoured in front of him, the power of the Star Field he had mobilized was being devoured too.
With a clatter, a great storm was set off in Wu Heng’s heart, and in the next moment, Gun-Gun’s body that had been compressed returned to normal all of a sudden, and its movements became free again.
“How is that possible?” Wu Heng looked lost for a moment. He had steeled himself to deal with Yang Kai with the determination of making a great sacrifice in order to succeed. That was because every moment he wasted here meant that Heng Luo Star Field’s devouring went unchecked. The loss he suffered from that terrifying devouring speed was simply something he could not afford.
Hence, he originally made up his mind to kill Yang Kai without any delays before going back to continue his confrontation with Heng Luo Star Field. Who would have thought that his plan could not be realized? The black monster was far more difficult to deal with than Wu Heng imagined, even capable of devouring the power of the Star Field!
During those few moments when Wu Heng was being absent-minded, Gun-Gun had rushed straight up at him. That seemingly fat and bloated body was unimaginable agility at this moment, and by the time Wu Heng came to his senses, a large mouth filled with sharp fangs was already right in front of him.
*Ka…*
The large mouth closed, and a large chunk of the Star Field disappeared. Wu Heng appeared in another location in a cold sweat a moment later. If he had not been the Star Field Master, who could freely shuttle this space, he would not have survived that situation.
Yang Kai stood on top of Gun-Gun’s back with one hand on his waist, doubling over with laughter, “This is your domain isn’t it? Why are you running? Weren’t you itching for a fight!? Get on with the killing! Come, you bastard!”
“Shut up, you damn brat!” Wu Heng’s heart was filled with rage. Despite feeling as if he was a volcano that was about to erupt at any moment, he forced himself to calm down and not pay attention to Yang Kai’s taunts. Still, what Yang Kai said wasn’t wrong, this was his territory, his home. Yang Kai was the thief who snuck in to rob him, but when Wu Heng showed up to deal with him, not only did Yang Kai show not the slightest remorse, he put on an aggressive and provocative stance. Nobody could tolerate such rampant behaviour.
Having gotten his thoughts under control, Wu Heng stretched out his hand and clenched his fist. Thousands of streams of light gathered and condensed into a spear in his hand. That was not an Emperor Artifact, but a condensation of the power of the Stars in this Star Field. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was the power of the world, World Force, contained in this spear.
Of course, this was not the full power of the entire Grand Desolation Star Field as, although Wu Heng was the Star Field Master here, mobilizing the power of the entire Star Field was no easy feat. It would be no easier for Yang Kai to do so.
Be that as it may, the power contained in this spear was nothing to sneeze at. At the very least, the power from the surrounding ten million kilometres of the Star Field had been gathered to form this spear, a feat only a Star Field Master could achieve with ease.
When the spear was formed, lightning flashed and thunder boomed. The spear transformed into a venomous snake that leapt out ferociously and without warning. The Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering power was condensed into an attack that struck at Gun-Gun in an instant.
Yang Kai’s figure stiffened all of a sudden, and all the hairs on his body stood up. If this incredibly powerful attack was a venomous snake, then he was a frog that came face to face with his natural enemy. Even though he had mentally prepared himself for something like this, it was still tricky to overcome it on the spot.
“Gun-Gun!” Raising his foot, Yang Kai stomped Gun-Gun’s back, and in response, Gun-Gun opened its large mouth and bit towards that terrifying blow.
Wu Heng had been sneering as he quietly watched that black monster’s actions; however, that smirk on his face soon vanished. The scene where his enemy was killed did not appear, and instead, he watched as the black monster rolled around and squirmed violently for a time, a large crack appearing on its back, but then, nothing else happened. Moreover, the crack was healing at an extremely fast speed.
Wu Heng’s eyes widened as large as saucers, and he almost doubted what he just witnessed. He had condensed the power from the surrounding ten million kilometres of the Star Field into that one attack! How was it defused so easily!? What the Hell was this black monster!? How could it have such power!?
Unbeknownst to him, when Gun-Gun swallowed that incredibly powerful attack, a stream of light swept across the sky of the Small Sealed World and nearly penetrated it. The Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering aura contained in that light made all the living creatures in the Small Sealed World look up into the sky and released a terrifying aura that compelled them to kneel down and worship that power appearing before them.
As the light flashed by, it left a deep scar in the sky of the Small Sealed World, like the Heavens themselves had been slashed open, and that scar remained for quite a time.
The power of one world could only be countered by the power of another world. Wu Heng had condensed the power of more than ten million kilometres of the Starry Sky in that one attack, which was incredibly terrifying, but the Small Sealed World was now a complete world of its own. The World Principles and the World Energy within the Small Sealed World were no worse than those of the Star Field’s, possibly even higher in terms of quality. The only difference was that the Small Sealed World was much smaller than the Star Field.
Naturally, Wu Heng couldn’t use that attack to destroy the Small Sealed World. The power of the Small Sealed World was enough for it to swallow and digest his attacks. Judging by the results of his attack, the attack not only failed to cause any damage but also seemed to have a nourishing effect instead.
Yang Kai used his little finger to dig at his ears as he mocked loudly, “So weak. Were you trying to tickle me?”
“Shut up!” Wu Heng immediately became angry out of shame.
How could Yang Kai possibly act as Wu Heng wished? Rather, his mockery and yelling became even more venomous, “We are both Star Field Masters, so I feel deeply ashamed just looking at you! If anybody dared to act so presumptuously in my house, I would have beaten them black and blue until even their mother couldn’t recognise them!”
“Impudence!”
Yang Kai just sneered, “I am impudent! Go on and hit me… If you can!”
Despite knowing that Yang Kai was deliberately being provocative, Wu Heng couldn’t help himself. His emotions sharply fluctuated and his eyes turned scarlet with rage. Yang Kai’s words might have been insolent, but there was one thing Yang Kai had gotten right. It was truly extremely humiliating that he could not even get rid of a single thief that had snuck into his home.
Hence, Wu Heng said nothing more. Spreading his hands wide, lights began to appear above both palms. He gathered the power of the Stars, transformed it into a lightning attack, and blasted it at Gun-Gun. He might not know what that pitch-black giant beast was, but he instinctively felt that it was not as powerful as it seemed on the surface. Even if it was capable of swallowing his attacks, there should be a limit. The healing wound on its back is the best proof. It wasn’t that he couldn’t harm it, it was just that the damage wasn’t great enough! If his initial attack wasn’t enough to kill it, Wu Heng just needed to launch a stronger attack. As long as he persisted, he would eventually decimate it completely!
Once again, Gun-Gun swallowed the power of the Stars that came at it. Two wounds subsequently opened up on its back. Unexpectedly though, Gun-Gun became extremely excited all of a sudden and even took the initiative to lunge at Wu Heng without any directions from Yang Kai, as if it wanted to swallow Wu Heng up too.
There was no way Wu Heng would just freeze in place like a sitting duck. Relying on the convenient abilities of a Star Field Master, his figure flickered around as he avoided Gun-Gun’s attacks. At the same time, he continuously gathered the power of the Stars in his hands, transformed it into attacks, and blasted them at Gun-Gun.
In an instant, the situation within the Small Sealed World changed drastically. Streams of light flashed across the sky like a meteor shower. Concurrently, lightning flashed and thunder boomed inside the Small Sealed World. It was as though the apocalypse was coming and the world was about to collapse.
No matter how high or low their cultivation, all living creatures shivered and fell to their knees while begging for mercy from the Heavens. They did not know what they had done to offend the Master of this world; however, they believed that the Master must have become enraged for such changes to have occurred.
The waves above the sea were choppy; the land in the wastelands split open; countless newly built buildings collapsed. It only took an instant for the peaceful world to be filled with anxiety and the fear of death. The longer the phenomenon occurred, the more they understood the meaning behind the words ‘Heaven’s grace was as vast as the sea, but Heaven’s fury was like Hell itself’.
Yang Kai could not perceive any of this at the moment, and even if he could, there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening. Wu Heng was a Star Field Master and could exert the World Force of Grand Desolation Star Field when in it. Yang Kai had no chance of winning if he fought Wu Heng here. The only one who could put up a fight against Wu Heng was but Gun-Gun. Fortunately, Gun-Gun was living up to his expectations. No matter how much power Wu Heng gathered from the Star Field, it devoured them all.
Two figures, one big and one small, chased after each other across the Star Field, making for an extremely lively scene.
[No! Things can’t go on like this!] Wu Heng was very anxious. For every moment he was being held up here, a large portion of Grand Desolation Star Field was being devoured. The shrinkage of the Star Field would directly affect the amount of power he could mobilize. [I will be defeated if things go on like this. How can I lose!?] Just the sliver of possibility that he might lose left him feeling incredulous. He had never even imagined that such an outcome was possible before he came to find Yang Kai; however, he was currently riding a tiger.
Similarly, Yang Kai was feeling that something was wrong. He took the time to investigate Gun-Gun’s situation and finally discovered the changes in the Small Sealed World.
Just like how Gun-Gun needed time to rest and digest after swallowing three Cultivation Stars before, Wu Heng’s attacks that were formed from the condensation of the power of the Stars were not that easy to devour. Those attacks placed more pressure on Gun-Gun than swallowing those Cultivation Stars had. The Small Sealed World would be unable to bear the pressure if things were to continue for much longer, and once that happened, the situation would become dangerous. Gun-Gun needed to rest for a while to digest the power of the Stars that it had devoured.
Both parties were hostile towards each other, but despite each having their own concerns, they both made the same choice to head towards the edge of the Grand Desolation Star Field at this moment. Wu Heng was rushing back to curb Heng Luo Star Field’s expansion while also trying to drive Yang Kai away. On the other hand, Yang Kai was rushing to take Gun-Gun to a safe place to recuperate.
The speed of both parties was extremely fast. Needless to say, as the Star Field’s Master, Wu Heng could cross a distance of hundreds of millions of kilometres in a single blink. Conversely, Gun-Gun crossed an extremely terrifying distance with every move it made despite its bloated and fat body. When coupled with Wu Heng’s intentional or unintentional assistance, it had the effect of instantaneous movement.
In less than an hour, the endless darkness came into sight. Both parties soon arrived at the place where the two Star Fields were connected. Yang Kai reached out with his mind and immediately created a connection with his Embodiment. More importantly, he felt the power of Heng Luo Star Field filling him. Although he was still in the Grand Desolation Star Field, this place was where the two Star Fields intersected, so it was obvious that he was no longer as suppressed by Wu Heng’s power as before.
Feeling all this, Yang Kai couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “There was a path to the Heavens, but you insisted on barging into Hell! Wu Heng, I really have to thank you!” When the words left his mouth, he rode Gun-Gun and brushed past Wu Heng to rush back to Heng Luo Star Field.
Despite finally sending this powerful enemy away, Wu Heng was not the slightest bit happy. On the contrary, his heart sank. He couldn’t help feeling as though he had made a grave mistake for some reason.
In the next moment, a terrifying force pushing against Wu Heng suddenly came from the boundless darkness. It gave him the feeling that he would have a hard time warding it off. However, Yang Kai’s smiling face appeared in the darkness next, imprinting itself clearly in Wu Heng’s eyes.
“You really are the Star Field’s Master!” Wu Heng exclaimed in shock. A deep wave of regret washed over him. [If I had known, I would never have sent him back!]
He thought Yang Kai wasn’t Heng Luo Star Field’s Master; therefore, he decided to kick him out of the Star Field since he couldn’t possibly just leave him alone, allowing him to mess around in his Star Field behind his back. That way, he could purely concentrate on dealing with the pressure from Heng Luo Star Field without any worries. But now, it looked like he made a huge mistake!
Nevertheless, there was something he couldn’t understand no matter how much he racked his brains over it. If Yang Kai was the Star Field Master, then who was controlling the devouring of Grand Desolation Star Field when Yang Kai had barged in and rampaged about? Could it be that Heng Luo Star Field had two Masters? But, that was impossible! There was only one Star Field Source, so how could it be refined by two different people?
An extremely bold conjecture suddenly came to mind as Wu Heng’s expression became furious.
Gritting his teeth, he growled, “A Soul Clone!”
That was the only explanation for all of his doubts. Yang Kai must have a Soul Clone that he had perfect command over. That was how he managed to infiltrate Grand Desolation Star Field while maintaining the devouring of the Star Field!
Techniques to create Soul Clones were not a secret nor difficult to cultivate. Many Masters had cultivated such Secret Techniques, but normal Soul Clones could not do much. They could, at the most, be used to spy on dangerous situations in place of the original. Hence, it was regarded as a rather useless Secret Technique. Furthermore, cultivating this Secret Technique was very time-consuming and also required a lot of precious resources.
Under normal circumstances, not many would put a lot of effort into cultivating a Secret Technique to create a Soul Clone; after all, this Secret Technique could not be used in a fight where lives were at stake. However, it would seem as though Yang Kai’s Soul Clone was ridiculously powerful. Otherwise, it would not have been able to control the power of the entire Heng Luo Star Field.
The darkness was like a tide that flowed outward in waves, engulfing large portions of the Starry Sky each time. Meanwhile, Wu Heng retreated continuously in complete and utter defeat!
He had found it difficult to hold off the darkness when the Embodiment was controlling the Star Field’s devouring and could only do his best to restrain its onslaught. Now that Yang Kai had returned to the Star Field though, it was only natural that the devouring force was boosted. Coupled with the fact that Grand Desolation Star Field had lost a large part of its Starry Sky recently while Heng Luo Star Field’s territory had expanded as a result, Wu Heng was even less of an opponent for Yang Kai.
[I can’t stop it! I definitely can’t stop it!] Wu Heng’s face was ashen. He had never imagined that temporarily devouring a small piece of a Star Field without a Master would cause such a catastrophe! Yang Kai had just become a Star Field Master recently, so how was he capable of exerting such a powerful force!? Both of them were Star Field Masters so technically, the more experienced Wu Heng should have the upper hand in this battle; unfortunately, reality turned out to be the complete opposite.
With a shift of his body, Wu Heng retreated by another million kilometres.
In the darkness, Yang Kai watched him quietly and mocked, “You want to run? Let’s see where you can escape once I finish devouring all of Grand Desolation Star Field!”
Yang Kai was feeling exhilarated. It was no wonder Wu Heng had the idea of devouring Heng Luo Star Field to become its master. Devouring other Star Fields turned out to be such a pleasurable experience. Moreover, Yang Kai could sense the changes in Heng Luo Star Field as he devoured Grand Desolation Star Field. He made up his mind to devour the entire Grand Desolation Star Field and combine the two Star Fields into one.
[I will soon become the Star Field Master of two Star Fields!]
On the other hand, Wu Heng was strangely calm in the face of Yang Kai’s taunting. He looked like he was resigned to his fate, but his eyes still shone with a glimmer of determination in them.
All of a sudden, Wu Heng took out a jade tablet from his Space Ring. The jade tablet was covered in twinkling lights, as if countless Stars were imprinted inside it. Furthermore, it was giving off a profound and mysterious aura.
Yang Kai could not help frowning when he saw this. They might have been very far apart, but even he could tell that the jade tablet was not an artifact.
[Why is he taking that out at this point in time? I wonder what that jade tablet is? It doesn’t look like an ordinary item.]
Meanwhile, Wu Heng’s expression turned solemn as he formed a set of hand seals and then pointed at the jade tablet in his hand. Then, he lifted it above his head and shouted, “I request the Star Envoy to descend!”
Bits of fluorescent light emerged from the jade tablet without warning. It looked like millions of fireflies were flying out of the jade tablet. These bits of light converged into a dazzling beam that shot straight into the sky. When that beam of light reached the far ends of the sky above his head, a bright white light spread out and converged into a circle spanning several kilometres. That circle was filled with complicated patterns that rotated irregularly, making one dizzy looking at it.
Yang Kai was stunned as those patterns seemed familiar for some reason. Upon taking a closer look, he became dumbfounded. [Isn’t that the Spirit Array pattern I use whenever I arrange a Cross-Territory Space Array? Just what is that jade tablet? How can it construct such a complicated array in an instant!?]
The power of space fluctuated wildly, and a sudden trace of anxiety surged in Yang Kai’s heart. Combining what Wu Heng shouted just now and what he was seeing in front of him, Yang Kai could keenly sense that someone would soon emerge from this array. Sure enough; in the dazzling light, a foot suddenly stepped out of the large circular array. It was as though a banished immortal was falling from the sky as the figure slowly revealed itself.
Yang Kai stared wide-eyed and watched the scene unfolding before him.
To his surprise, the figure turned out to be a handsome man with a feather crest and a feather fan. This man was so handsome that it made Yang Kai feel sick. Moreover, he had a distinctive sword hanging from his waist. It gave him the air of a chivalrous swordmaster. His eyes were closed as he stepped out of the large circular array.
Wu Heng stood there with a solemn expression, looking up at the figure.
Suddenly, the figure opened his eyes. It felt as though his gaze was piercing enough to see through everything in this world.
Wu Heng lowered his head hurriedly as though looking at that person would be deemed disrespectful.
Conversely, Yang Kai felt as though all the hair on his body was standing on end. A strange and inexplicable pressure began weighing on his heart. He wasn’t too sure how powerful Wu Heng was, but Yang Kai figured he was a Third-Order Emperor.
Although Yang Kai had met many Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters before, they never gave him much trouble.
However, this feather-crowned man that fell from the sky made Yang Kai feel some difficulty breathing, and that was when the other party wasn’t even targeting him purposefully.
[There’s only one kind of person that can give me this feeling! This person is not in the Emperor Realm! This person must be a Great Emperor! Which Great Emperor is he!?] All the names and faces of the Great Emperors flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, but none of them matched this person. What he found even stranger was that Wu Heng could summon this person.
What was that farce about requesting a Star Envoy to descend? The title of ‘Star Envoy’ existed in Star Soul Palace too, and Xiao Yu Yang happened to be a ‘Golden Star Envoy’ of Star Soul Palace. However, that was not a position in Star Soul Palace; after all, Xiao Yu Yang’s position in Star Soul Palace was as an Elder.
The so-called ‘Star Envoy’ was a title based on the Southern Territory. Star Envoys of Star Soul Palace was mainly responsible for the communication and reconciliation of the conflicts between the major Sects in the Southern Territory. Additionally, Star Envoys held other positions in Star Soul Palace. The two were independent and did not conflict with each other.
This Star Envoy clearly did not belong to Star Soul Palace.
[The feather-crowned man seems to be in the same realm as the Bright Moon Great Emperor. No, he is still weaker than the Bright Moon Great Emperor.] Unfortunately, Yang Kai had limited experience and could not tell how much weaker this person was compared to the Bright Moon Great Emperor.
“Sir!” Wu Heng cupped his fists in greeting.
The feather-crowned man looked down at Wu Heng and asked lightly, “Wu Heng?”
“It is this Wu.”
“How dare you!” The feather-crowned man shouted, his voice striking Wu Heng like a bolt of lightning, causing him to shake from the impact and turn somewhat pale.
“Sir, please forgive me!” Wu Heng lowered his head even more, “I am facing a great emergency and had no choice but to summon you here.”
The feather-crowned man mocked, “You are the Master of this Star Field! What is there that you cannot handle!?”
Wu Heng raised his hand, “Sir, please look over there.”
The feather-crowned man looked in the direction Wu Heng was pointing and saw a limitless darkness stretching out for millions of kilometres, as well as the image of Yang Kai’s appearance in the darkness.
Narrowing his eyes, the feather-crowned man immediately understood the truth of the matter.
When their gazes met, Yang Kai felt his heart clench and he nearly failed to maintain his projection, secretly feeling shocked. This person was definitely a Great Emperor, otherwise, he wouldn’t have felt so much pressure just from a single glance. Even the advancement of the devouring had been somewhat stalled and the speed had slowed down considerably.
Wu Heng sorrowfully explained, “Sir, this person has some grievances with me and is deluded enough that he wants to devour the entire Grand Desolation Star Field without regard for the lives of all the living creatures in this plane! I am no match for him, so I had to seek assistance from Sir!”
The feather-crowned man did not respond, but his gaze on Yang Kai became sharper. It felt as though his eyes could penetrate the barrier between the two Star Fields and look into Yang Kai’s heart. That look suddenly gave Yang Kai an uneasy and uncomfortable feeling so he subconsciously urged the power of the Star Field to push the devouring darkness forward and block him from those prying eyes.
“Impudence!” The feather-crowned man gave a soft shout when he saw this. He seemed to be blaming Yang Kai for not knowing the immensity of Heaven and Earth and for trying to conceal secrets from him. While speaking, he drew the longsword at his waist and lightly slashed in front of himself. It was a silent and extremely plain sword strike, but it rolled up the power of the entire Grand Desolation Star Field to erect an invisible barrier in front of the boundless darkness.
Yang Kai felt as though he had hit his head against a thick wall, which immediately caused a wave of dizziness to wash over him. No matter what else he did, he could not make the darkness advance at all anymore, causing him to feel incredibly shocked.
[Who is this person!? How is he able to do something like that so easily?]
Yang Kai instinctively felt that this power did not belong to the feather-crowned man. If this person was a Great Emperor, he would have been rejected by the Heavenly Way here, let alone be allowed to so arrogantly utilize the power of Grand Desolation Star Field.
The Master of Grand Desolation Star Field was Wu Heng, but this person could easily achieve what Wu Heng couldn’t. Judging by the situation, not only was he not rejected by the Heavenly Way of this Lower Star Field, he was also more skilled at mobilizing the power of the Star Field. In fact, he was more like the Star Field’s Master than Wu Heng was.
[This is bad! Where did this person pop out from!? He seems to have a terrible impression of me and is being hostile towards me. How can I resolve this issue peacefully?] Yang Kai did not know the relationship between this man and Wu Heng; however, the fact that Wu Heng could summon him so easily indicated that there was some kind of connection between them.
When the feather-crowned man stopped Heng Luo Star Field from devouring Grand Desolation Star Field further, an imperceptible expression of joy appeared on Wu Heng’s face. [It was the right decision to call him here after all, even at the risk of being criticized. Only he can prevent my Star Field from being devoured. But, it’s not enough…]
Choosing his words carefully, Wu Heng cautiously continued, “Sir, this Little Brat is wild, ignorant, rebellious, and uncouth. He not only devoured a vast amount of Starry Sky, but also destroyed many Cultivation Stars in the Grand Desolation Star Field. He caused many living creatures to lose their lives. Please punish him severely, Sir…”
The feather-crowned man glanced at Wu Heng coldly with an emotionless gaze, and Wu Heng’s expression stiffened abruptly in response. Despite preparing many more things to say in advance, Wu Heng could not speak another word after receiving that look. He had wanted to borrow the feather-crowned man’s authority to force Yang Kai to return the Starry Sky that had been devoured, only to understand at this very moment that borrowing a tiger’s strength was not that easy. Since Wu Heng had summoned this man here, the latter would stop Yang Kai from devouring any more of the Grand Desolation Star Field out of obligation; however, he would not stand up for Wu Heng for no reason.
If Wu Heng continued speaking any further, he might be punished as well; after all, he had failed to defend his territory as the Star Field Master of Grand Desolation Star Field. Furthermore, his fight with Yang Kai had resulted in the loss of a large area of his territory, something like that could only be blamed on his incompetence.
“Withdraw!” The feather-crowned man shouted softly, looking at the darkness in the distance. Although his tone was flat, his words were absolute.
Yang Kai’s mind went blank for a moment as though he had been affected by something. The urge to turn around and flee budded in him, while at the same time, the darkness that could not advance became turbulent due to the instability of his emotions.
At that moment, a coolness spread out in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and shocked him back to his senses. The turbulent darkness also stabilized again. Naturally, this was the work of the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus that took effect at the critical moment.
Yang Kai even suddenly felt that this person was stronger than all the Great Emperors he had met before.
[A Master like that shouldn’t be some obscure figure, so why doesn’t he match with any of the Great Emperors I know of?] All of a sudden, Yang Kai remembered something he had heard once, ‘There were more than 10 Great Emperors in the world!’
Suddenly understanding, Yang Kai calmed himself and shouted loudly, “May I ask for this Sir’s honoured name?”
No matter who this person was, he was not somebody Yang Kai could contend with right now, not even with the power of Heng Luo Star Field. It might be the best outcome for him if this incident was settled here. In any case, he had already devoured quite a large portion of Grand Desolation Star Field. Although he couldn’t engulf the entire Grand Desolation Star Field, the anger in his heart had long been soothed.
Therefore, Yang Kai was mentally prepared to quit while he was ahead. He only asked out of curiosity as he wanted to know the name of such a Master. After all, there might be a chance for them to meet again in the future and it was not a bad idea to form a good relationship now.
“Are you asking me?” The feather-crowned man stared at Yang Kai coldly with a gaze that was completely devoid of anything, as if nothing in this world could enter his eyes.
“That’s right.” Yang Kai frowned, “Please enlighten me, Sir.”
“You are unworthy,” the feather-crowned man responded indifferently. There was no trace of politeness as he raised his hand and snapped, “Scram now! I will not forgive you if you dare to act like this again!”
An amazing power suddenly swept towards Yang Kai from the front. The power was obviously invisible to the naked eye, but it was as if a giant wave rushed toward him at that moment. He would be crushed to death by those waves if he did not retreat immediately.
If Wu Heng had such power, Yang Kai would have lost in the battle a long time ago. There was no way Yang Kai would have been able to do as he pleased in Grand Desolation Star Field for so long.
Needless to say, the wisest course of action at this time was to retreat while he had the opportunity. That power might be ferocious, but it would not harm him as long as he retreated into Heng Luo Star Field. Unfortunately, the feather-crowned man’s arrogant attitude and scornful tone of voice had angered Yang Kai greatly.
Upon examining his conduct, Yang Kai felt that his tone had been fairly respectful and his attitude had been decent enough. He had already made the decision to end things peacefully, but how could he have known that the humility he showed would make the other party become so scornful and arrogant!
A wave of pride and stubbornness burst forth in Yang Kai’s heart, and communicating with Heng Luo Star Field through his mind, he mobilized the power of the Star Field and the boundless darkness condensed into a solid layer of defence.
*Hong…*
A loud explosion rang out as ripples appeared across the layer of darkness and swiftly spread out to the surroundings.
“Hm?” The feather-crowned man raised his brow, revealing an astonished expression. Although he had only waved his hand casually, his strength and status were so much higher than Yang Kai’s that this scene should have been impossible. That wave of power had contained the condensed power of the entire Grand Desolation Star Field, so he thought that it would be enough to repel Yang Kai. Who could have known that it would arouse Yang Kai’s courage to resist instead?
Wu Heng was surprised at first, but his surprise soon turned to glee. He was shocked to see that Yang Kai had the courage to challenge this person.
[Could it be that he really has no idea who this person is? He will surely learn a painful lesson now!]
In the meantime, the darkness vibrated and churned. The huge projection that Yang Kai was maintaining flickered unsteadily, as if it might fall apart at any moment, but eventually it stabilized.
With a grim and imposing tone, Yang Kai coldly asked, “How am I unworthy?”
Upon hearing those words, Wu Heng nearly laughed out loud.
[He truly is a little brat that doesn’t know his place! I can’t believe he actually dared to challenge him! If I had known this would have happened earlier, I wouldn’t have tried to fan the flames just now. All I needed to do was wait quietly for the situation to develop on its own, and that person would get rid of this pest for me!]
Wu Heng could already imagine himself governing two Star Fields and basking in the glory of being the Masters of two Star Fields.
“This aura…” The feather-crowned man frowned suddenly, his gaze searching the boundless darkness as he asked, “What Secret Art are you cultivating?”
Yang Kai felt his heart skipping a beat, [Not good!]
Although he was using the entire Star Field to activate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law without cultivating it himself, this was the Secret Art created by Wu Kuang after all. It was still known as the most powerful and evil Secret Art ever to be created. Nothing good would come of it if this Secret Art were to fall into the wrong hands. Regardless of whether Yang Kai had used this Secret Art to do evil, just possessing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could be considered a great sin.
[I can’t believe that this feather-crowned man managed to perceive a trace of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law just from examining the darkness. He truly does have sharp eyes!]
Even so, Yang Kai did not respond to the question and changed the topic instead, demanding in a forceful tone, “How am I unworthy?”
The darkness seemed to become more and more violent and unrestrained in response to the ups and downs of Yang Kai’s mood, like it was trying to break through its shackles and continue to devour Grand Desolation Star Field.
“Interesting,” the feather-crowned man nodded lightly before he flicked his longsword without warning and thrust it straight out. At the same time, his entire being transformed into a stream of light as both sword and man merged into one. Crossing a distance of millions of kilometres in a flash, his sword thrust seemed to leap across space to pierce the darkness.
Yang Kai’s image swayed. Unable to maintain the giant projection any longer, it suddenly collapsed. He had been communicating with Heng Luo Star Field with his mind, essentially merging with the boundless darkness that devoured the Starry Sky; therefore, when the feather-crowned man’s sword pierced the darkness, it was equivalent to piercing him in the flesh.
As a result, his Soul Avatar flickered and his consciousness returned to his body. All he could feel was a splitting headache that threatened to make his head explode. Additionally, golden stars were swimming in front of his eyes as his vision blurred.
The Sword Qi slashed through his Knowledge Sea’s defences and rampaged wildly, causing the waves of flames inside chaotically. Swiftly though, the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus began to rotate and a seven-coloured light covered Yang Kai’s entire Knowledge Sea, repairing his damaged Soul.
Yang Kai felt much better after that sense of coolness washed over him. Lifting his gaze to look, a chill ran down the back of his neck. At some point in time, the feather-crowned man had approached until he stood not far away from Yang Kai. However, he didn’t even spare a single glance at Yang Kai as his burning gaze was fixed on Gun-Gun, who was right next to Yang Kai.
The feather-crowned man had been incredibly cold and emotionless ever since he appeared. Similarly, his eyes were empty and indifferent. It was as though he looked down on everybody and everything. It wasn’t until this moment when Gun-Gun appeared that he looked interested in something.
Yang Kai could clearly discern a possessive desire in those eyes.
Gun-Gun was the manifestation of the Will of the Small Sealed World. It could also be regarded as the Artifact Spirit of the Sealed World Bead. After devouring five or six Cultivation Stars, its body had grown to a truly massive size. It also grew a mouthful of fangs and a long tail. It had the appearance of a fat tadpole.
Its birth had been a lucky coincidence. It was something Yang Kai had never anticipated. While he was spending his day swimming through Grand Desolation Star Field like a fish in water, he had considered the question of whether Gun-Gun’s existence or the change in the Small Sealed World would be incompatible with the existence of Heng Luo Star Field for him.
He was the Star Field Master of Heng Luo Star Field, as well as the Master of the Small Sealed World. All things considered; he was the Master of two worlds. Unfortunately, one could end up too greedy and bite off more than one could chew. This was especially true for cultivators. Having more worlds might not necessarily be a good thing. If Yang Kai wanted to gain insight into World Force, his best bet would be to do so with the assistance of Heng Luo Star Field; after all, the Small Sealed World could not compare to a whole Star Field in certain aspects.
Yang Kai originally thought that the ownership of the two worlds would be redundant to him and that sooner or later, one of them would become useless to him; however, looking at the feather-crowned man’s gaze at this moment, he immediately understood that he was wrong. Heng Luo Star Field was not incompatible with the Small Sealed World. In the same vein, the Small Sealed World was not inferior to a complete Star Field either. It could even be said that the value of the Small Sealed World was far greater than a Star Field in some aspects that he was unaware about. Otherwise, why would this feather-crowned man show such a look?
Yang Kai moved to stand in front of the feather-crowned man and forced the man to look at him. The feather-crowned man seemed slightly annoyed, but the annoyance in his eyes disappeared quickly and he asked, “Is this Small World yours?”
Yang Kai knew that he was not asking about Heng Luo Star Field, but the Small Sealed World. It was not strange for somebody with such sharp eyes to see through Gun-Gun’s essence. It would have been stranger if he had failed to do so.
“What difference does it make to you whether it belongs to me or not?”
“If it doesn’t belong to you, I will be taking it away with me. Even if it does belong to you, I will still be taking it away with me.”
“Then, why did you even bother asking?” Yang Kai lowered his eyebrows.
The feather-crowned man shook his head, “It’s only right for me to ask. Although I am stronger than you, I don’t seize things by force!”
“What’s this? Are you going to propose an exchange?”
“That’s right.” He nodded, “This Small World will be very useful to me. Name your price, I will pay whatever you desire.”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “I apologize, but it is also very useful to me.”
He might not understand why the other party was so enthusiastic about Gun-Gun for the time being, but there was no way he could exchange it for some paltry benefits. It might play a huge role in his future, but even if it turns out to be useless, Yang Kai still refused to exchange it for anything else with this man.
“Leaving it in your hands is a waste.”
“How is it a waste?” Yang Kai’s expression darkened. There should be a limit to how much one can look down on another. He didn’t deny that this man’s strength was superb, far stronger than his own, but there was also an enormous gap in the number of years they had spent cultivating.
Yang Kai still had some qualms about stirring up trouble though, otherwise, he would have retorted with the words ‘Don’t bully the young for being poor’ as a way to snub the feather-crowned man. Nevertheless, he realized that he wasn’t that young anymore either, having long outgrown his juvenile years, so he decided against speaking up.
“Boy, you should be a little more self-aware,” the feather-crowned man scolded impatiently. His expression seemed to say ‘You should feel honoured that I am interested in something of yours.’
“You will not suffer any losses in making an exchange with me. I can even arrange for you to obtain the neighbouring Star Field. You can devour and refine it as much as you want. I can even give you its Star Field Source.”
With a few simple words, he determined the fate of Grand Desolation Star Field, making Yang Kai wonder how Wu Heng would have reacted if he heard those words?
Yang Kai shook his head again, “I refuse!”
The feather-crowned man said, “I promise to help you break through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm within 10 years.”
Yang Kai glared at the feather-crowned man, “What’s this? Are you trying to bribe and extort me since you can’t seize it by force?”
Even if this person turned out to be a Great Emperor, it wasn’t as if Yang Kai had never met a Grand Emperor before. He even fought side-by-side with one of the Great Emperors, so how could he be intimidated by this person’s aura?
[Provoke me, and I’ll show you my 200-metre Half-Dragon Form! You’ll learn what a sea of Dragon Pressure feels like!]
“Boy, if you refuse to take the easy way out, then I’ll have you take the hard way!” The feather-crowned man’s expression sank. It was clear that he was utterly furious. He felt that he had been extremely sincere. Even for him, giving away a Star Field on top of a promise to break through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm within 10 years would require him to pay a huge price. He was only asking for a Small World in exchange, but to his surprise, the other party refused to agree to the conditions.
Yang Kai grinned, “I refuse both the easy way out and the hard way out.” While he was speaking, the power of the vast Starry Sky pressed down and covered the feather-crowned man like a hood.
[I need to strike first!] Although Yang Kai had not known this feather-crowned man for long, he could tell that this person was not a patient man, and since he was determined not to exchange the Small Sealed World with him, a confrontation was inevitable. Compared to passively being beaten up, Yang Kai figured taking the initiative to make a pre-emptive strike was the better option. Who knows, he might actually stand a chance if he acted decisively enough.
In an instant, the space where the feather-crowned man stood turned into a solid cage. Space Principles fluctuated violently, and countless Void Cracks appeared around him like fish swimming around in his surroundings.
Yang Kai might only be a First-Order Emperor, but he was also the Master of Heng Luo Star Field. Even if the opponent was a Great Emperor, it would not be easy for him to take on the power of an entire Star Field.
Looking up though, Yang Kai felt his heart sink. He was dumbfounded by the sight and nearly doubted his eyes. Although the feather-crowned man’s defence seemed to be full of flaws, his surroundings remained untouched and the power of the Star Field Yang Kai had mobilized against him could not touch him at all, only hover around him.
The feather-crowned man was wearing a treasured garment that was glowing with starlight, which blocked out all of Yang Kai’s powers and at this moment seemed slightly surprised. He had clearly not expected Yang Kai to be so reckless as to attack him; hence, he was so furious that he laughed instead while shouting, “You court death!”
If Yang Kai had not made a move, he would only have snatched the Small Sealed World by force. A Star Field Master was not somebody that could be killed on a whim, and his duty did not allow him to do so. Besides, it would be troublesome if his enemies used this incident against him in the future; however, since Yang Kai was the one who took the initiative to provoke him, it wouldn’t matter if he killed Yang Kai off just like that. Nobody could criticize him for it either.
Then, the feather-crowned man pulled out the sword at his waist and slashed forward with it while shouting, “Sever!”
An intangible but extremely mysterious power burst forth that did not cause any harm to Yang Kai, but still made his entire body shudder.
A moment later, Yang Kai exclaimed in shock, “How is this possible!?”
Those words had always been used by his enemies and it wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai understood the feelings of the many opponents he had faced when they spoke those words. It was unbelievable, beyond imagination, and completely incomprehensible! When the sword of the feather-crowned man fell, it had cut off the connection between him and Heng Luo Star Field!
Yang Kai had spent a lot of time and energy refining the Star Chart, which was the Source of Heng Luo Star Field, to become the Master of this Star Field. The connection formed by this refining process went deep into his Soul and should be impossible to sever unless somebody managed to kill him. Yet, the feather-crowned man made the impossible into the possible with only a light wave of his sword.
The surging power of the Star Field was no longer being driven, and it spread out all at once. Yang Kai tried his best to communicate with the Star Chart, but he couldn’t make it react at all. It felt as though there was a shackle locking up the entire Star Field Source, making his advantage as a Star Field Master disappear.
“How dare you attack me!?” The feather-crowned man lashed out with his sword. He did not take the opportunity to kill Yang Kai though and instead looked down at him disdainfully and declared, “I am the Star Envoy of the Star Court in charge of countless Star Fields. How dare you attack me!?”
“The Star Court!?” Yang Kai’s expression changed. [That really is a mysterious and long-lost name.]
He knew about the existence of the Star Court. It was said that the surviving Great Emperors created it after the Great Emperor War. It was made to prevent someone like Wu Kuang from reappearing again. Its purpose was to seal and suppress the passage to the Lower Star Fields, and protect and monitor the inhabitants of those Star Fields. It would not take the initiative to intervene in the affairs of the Star Field, leaving them to their own devices and allowing them to fend for themselves. If another Wu Kuang appeared though, the Star Court would definitely take action.
The Star Court was so mysterious that not many people in the entire Star Boundary knew about its existence. When Yang Kai was trying to return to Heng Luo Star Field back then, he went around collecting a lot of information. At the time, somebody had told him that he could go to any Star Field he wanted through the Star Court. Unfortunately, that person did not tell him where to find the Star Court.
The only reason he was able to return to Heng Luo Star Field was thanks to Wu Kuang. Had Wu Kuang not used the power of the Dragon Palace to forcefully break through the World Barriers and form a Cross-World Void Corridor, Yang Kai would have needed to go to the Star Court to find a way to return.
The Masters of the Star Court were as numerous as clouds; moreover, it was overseen by a Great Emperor at all times. Rumour had it that the Iron Blood Great Emperor was currently in charge of the Star Court.
[No wonder… No wonder this feather-crowned man managed to cut my connection with Heng Luo Star Field and render my greatest strength useless with a single swing of his sword.] It was only natural for the other party to have this ability since he was a Star Envoy from the Star Court, an organization that supervised thousands of Star Fields.
The treasure garments the feather-crowned man was wearing and the sword at his waist were probably refined specially with Lower Star Fields in mind, to protect him from or reduce the rejection of World Principles when he visited these Star Fields.
Yang Kai had the vague feeling now that this person was not comparable to the Ten Great Emperors but rather that it was a combination of circumstances created by the environment they were in combined with the feather-crowned man’s status.
“Oh? You don’t know about the existence of the Star Court?” The feather-crowned man looked at Yang Kai carefully and nodded, “So that’s how it is. It hasn’t been long since you became a Star Field Master. No wonder you are so reckless.”
Generally speaking, anybody who became a Star Field Master of any Star Field was required to register with the Star Court. That was the case for Wu Heng, and the same held true for the other Star Field Masters.
Every Star Field Master was a Master from the Star Boundary. They couldn’t become a Star Field Master without reaching the Third-Order Emperor Realm. All of them had to go through the Star Court to obtain the qualification to refine a Star Field. Once the refinement process was successful, they had to report to the Star Court as soon as possible to register their name with the Star Court. This registry was both a constraint and a responsibility.
In other words, a Star Field Master was subjected to the administration and constraints set by the Star Court. They couldn’t do whatever they wanted in their Star Fields. Otherwise, a Star Field Master would be fully capable of destroying the entire Star Field if they wanted to.
In a way, the feather-crowned man could be regarded as the immediate superior of Star Field Masters like Yang Kai. If this were not the case, Wu Heng, who was a Third-Order Emperor, would never be so humble and eager to curry favour with this person.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was completely clueless about this. He had jumped right into this without knowing anything and bypassed the Star Court to refine Heng Luo Star Field on his own. It was only to be expected that he was not in awe when he heard that someone was a Stay Envoy from the Star Court.
The feather-crowned man raised his sword above his head. His figure was as majestic as a mountain at this moment. It wasn’t that he had grown bigger; it was simply that his aura had increased sharply, shooting up to the Heavens as he shouted, “Boy, on account that cultivating must not have been easy for you, I will spare your life if you offer up that Small World to me.”
Yang Kai shouted resolutely, “In your dreams!”
“You court death!” A cold light flashed across the feather-crowned man’s eyes. His longsword slashed downward, the sword light flaring brightly. The power was unimaginable, and for a moment, only the noble bearing of this sword existed in this world.
It wasn’t a profound sword technique, just a simple slash, nevertheless, it seemed to block off all of Yang Kai’s paths of retreat and created the sense that there was no way to avoid it.
*Shua…*
Light flashed by as the longsword stopped in mid-motion. Yang Kai had raised his arms and caught the blade of the sword between his palms just above his head, sending several strands of hair flying and turning into dust from the residual Sword Qi.
“Hm?” The feather-crowned man was slightly surprised. There was no way he could have predicted that Yang Kai would be able to stop his sword like this; after all, that attack was something even Wu Heng could do nothing against. This boy’s aura doesn’t even compare to Wu Heng’s though, so how was it possible for him to be completely unscathed?
Even if he thought like that, the feather-crowned man didn’t seem bothered by this unexpected surprise. He simply put more strength into his attack and pressed the longsword down even harder.
Yang Kai instantly felt as though a large mountain was pressing down on his head; moreover, the weight continued to increase without stopping. It gave off the impression that it wouldn’t be satisfied until he was crushed flat.
Lifting his gaze, Yang Kai saw that the feather-crowned man was looking at him mockingly, as if admiring the struggles of an ant.
Rage flared up in Yang Kai’s heart, fuelling his impulse to defy the feather-crowned man. At that moment, his left eye turned into a majestic golden vertical slit. Furthermore, a sabre burst out from that eye and pierced through the air, stabbing toward the feather-crowned man.
“A Soul-type Emperor Artifact!?” The feather-crowned man’s eyes lit up at the sight. He was not affected by the Demon Eye of Annihilation and instantly figured out the essence of the Soul Splitting Saber.
Emperor Artifacts were nothing special to him, but Soul-type Emperor Artifacts were incredibly rare. Although the Soul Splitting Saber was extraordinary, it wasn’t enough to make him greedy for it though. What he really wanted was the Small Sealed World. That was the item that would greatly benefit his cultivation. Even so, he was curious as to why such a young man would possess something so impressive. An ordinary Emperor Realm Master would never have such a heritage.
Releasing his Divine Sense, the feather-crowned man silently deployed a layer of defence around his Knowledge Sea.
*Hong…*
The next instant, a tremor rang out from the depths of his Soul. The defences he had hurriedly laid out had failed to make any difference and a pure blast of Spiritual Energy from the sabre carved out a long ravine into his Knowledge Sea, as if trying to split his Soul in half, sending the waves crashing and churning violently.
The feather-crowned man groaned as a stabbing pain radiated from his head. Just the Soul Splitting Saber alone would most likely not have been able to cause any harm to him; after all, it was difficult for him to be injured given the difference in his cultivation and Yang Kai’s. However, Yang Kai had used his Heaven Severing Slash in conjunction with his Soul Splitting Saber, so the power behind that attack was not as simple as two different attacks stacking on top of each other.
It had been many years since the last time Yang Kai used the Soul Splitting Saber, and over those years, he had constantly been nourishing the Soul Splitting Saber with his Spiritual Energy. As a result, it had accumulated an extremely terrifying amount of power. Combined with the Secret Technique taught to him by Tian Yan, his attack had been successful.
“Boy…” The feather-crowned man’s face instantly became ugly, his shame transforming into rage. He had never expected to suffer damage from Yang Kai. It was as though he had carelessly been bitten by an ant that he could have squashed with a finger.
*Hong…* A huge fist suddenly filled the feather-crowned man’s vision though and an overwhelming force smashed into him head-on, blowing him away like a meteor, causing him to disappear in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai straightened up from the punch he threw. At some point, his body had turned into a 200-metre long Half-Dragon Form. He had Dragon Horns on his head and a Dragon Tail at his back while his exposed skin was also covered in Dragon Scales. It was an imposing and majestic sight to behold as he shouted, “Old dog! Are you done calling me a ‘boy’ yet!?”
Before Yang Kai finished his sentence though, a cold light flashed as the feather-crowned man and his sword came flying at him from a few tens of thousands of kilometres away. He appeared in front of Yang Kai in a flash, and his sword stabbed at Yang Kai’s head.
In response, Yang Kai reached out with his Dragon Claw and grabbed at the longsword.
A loud clanging sound of metal against metal rang out, sparks flew, and Dragon Scales cracked. Gripping the long sword tightly, Yang Kai seemed unconcerned with the damage the sharp edge of the blade was causing him, even allowing the unparalleled Sword Qi to rush into his body and go on a rampage, destroying his body. All the while, Yang Kai single-handedly prepared a Secret Technique with his other Dragon Claw as a strange Principle Strength began surging around his figure.
“This is…” The feather-crowned man lowered his gaze as he felt time stopping for a moment before flowing again, causing his five senses to experience a sense of vertigo, “Time Principles!”
“Time Flows on Infinitely!” Yang Kai struck at the feather-crowned man with his palm, his expression completely solemn.
“Time Flies Seal!” The feather-crowned man’s complexion changed slightly for the first time as he even blurted out the name of this Divine Ability. It was obvious that he recognized this move as the signature Divine Ability of the Flowing Time Great Emperor! A trace of hesitation flitted across his eyes, but quickly turned into a look of determination as he swiftly pulled back and put some distance between them.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Yang Kai’s palm smashed out and the feather-crowned man was enveloped in the power of the Time Flies Seal.
Conversely, Yang Kai frowned. Lifting his gaze, he saw the feather-crowned man’s body flickering several dozen metres away, appearing to resist the corrosion of the Time Principles and a moment later, completely dispel his Divine Ability.
A few dozen metres away, the feather-crowned man took a serious look at Yang Kai for the first time. [A Half-Dragon Form… Plus, he has also cultivated the Time Flies Seal… Just where did this boy come from?]
Although the power of the Time Flies Seal that Yang Kai had exhibited was much weaker than that of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, it still involved the extremely mysterious Time Principles and the feather-crowned man knew he would have gotten injured if he had not pulled back at that moment. It wasn’t that he couldn’t withstand such a minor injury, but it would have taken a lot of effort to free himself from the erosion of the Time Principles once affected by them. There was no reason to expose himself to danger on purpose, so he stepped back instead of engaging in a frontal confrontation.
“Boy, what is your name?” The feather-crowned man stared at Yang Kai with a cautious look.
The Time Flies Seal by itself was nothing noteworthy; after all, the Flowing Time Great Emperor had fallen long ago. Even if Yang Kai had inherited the Flowing Time Great Emperor’s Divine Ability by chance, it only meant that he had incredible luck so there was nothing to be wary about or jealous of.
However, the 200-metre long Half-Dragon Form Yang Kai had assumed gave the feather-crowned man an unsettling feeling that he could not overlook. It was only a Half-Dragon Form, but it felt as if he was facing a True Dragon! He had never heard of anyone who managed to cultivate their Half-Dragon Form to such an extent.
“Are you asking for my name?” Yang Kai grinned at the feather-crowned man, his left hand still gripping the other party’s longsword firmly, fresh blood dripping down his arm. When the feather-crowned man backed away just now, he had wanted to bring the longsword away with him. Nevertheless, how could he succeed against Yang Kai’s brute force? He had no choice but to leave his sword behind.
The moment the feather-crowned man heard those words, a bad feeling rose up in him as he hurriedly said, “It’s fine, I don’t want to…”
“You’re not worthy!” Yang Kai laughed loudly with the arrogant appearance of finally achieving his revenge.
The feather-crowned man’s expression darkened. How could he not know that Yang Kai had repeated the words he originally said back to him?
His face turning grim, he formed a seal and shouted, “Come! My sword!”
Although his longsword was in Yang Kai’s hands, it was still his Artifact, and was connected to his Soul. Yang Kai could not actually take it away from him and it would only take a single thought for him to retrieve it. That was why he had backed away without any hesitation just now.
Following that command, the longsword in Yang Kai’s grasp began to pulse and vibrate. It was clearly trying to break free of his control.
Sword Qi flashed wildly, rushing into Yang Kai’s arms, trying to destroy his flesh and meridians.
*Peng peng peng…*
One bloody hole after another exploded along Yang Kai’s arm as Sword Qi rampaged out along with his blood. Gritting his teeth, however, Yang Kai tightened his grip and refused to let go, his face twisting in pain, making him look particularly menacing.
The feather-crowned man watched this scene and sneered, “You are but an ant trying to shake a tree. Don’t overestimate yourself, boy.”
“Cows are flying in the sky!” Yang Kai raised his head to look at the feather-crowned man, his eyes flashing.
The feather-crowned man was startled and thought that Yang Kai had used some strange trick again, quickly raising his head and glancing up. However, there was nothing there.
Yang Kai smiled seeing this and mocked, “They were killed by your stink!”
The feather-crowned man froze for a moment hearing this outrageous line, but when he came back to his senses, his face twitched visibly and he formed a new seal with his hands and shouted louder, “Come!”
In that instant, the Sword Qi between Yang Kai’s fingers went wild and released a huge amount of light. It felt as though what he held wasn’t a sword but a Star that was about to explode. Even his Dragon Transformation could not withstand those sharp bursts of Sword Qi and pieces of his flesh were sliced off, revealing the bone underneath.
“I’ll never give it back to you!” Yang Kai shouted madly.
Glancing around him, his eyes lit up all of a sudden. Shifting slightly, he appeared in front of Gun-Gun in a flash then he heaved with all his might and threw the longsword directly into Gun-Gun’s mouth.
Gun-Gun swallowed it with a gulp and after that, it closed its mouth as its huge body suddenly began to expand and contract violently.
“You…” The feather-crowned man was both shocked and furious. He did not expect to be robbed of his Artifact in a battle like this. A deep wave of shame washed over him and he couldn’t wait to crush Yang Kai into dust immediately to vent the hatred in his heart.
“Hahaha!” Yang Kai cackled before glancing down at his left hand. His arm was a bloody mess, and he didn’t even have the strength to lift it up anymore. As for his palm, it was now just bone. Even so, there was not a trace of pain on his face, only a kind of joyful madness.
Losing an arm in exchange for his opponent’s sword was not a loss!
“You! Court! Death!” The feather-crowned man enunciated each word clearly. He stopped paying attention to his long sword as after being swallowed by Gun-Gun, there was no way to get it back immediately no matter how powerful he was. It was as if his sword had been exiled to another world; thus, the connection between him and it became extremely weak.
Be that as it may be, the feather-crowned man’s strength did not come from his sword. Even if his Artifact was taken away, he still had a hundred ways to kill the young man in front of him.
Yang Kai stretched out his little finger, dug at his ears, and casually said, “I’ve heard those words so many times that my ears are about to fall off. Go ahead and kill me if you can!”
“As you wish!” The feather-crowned man’s furious expression abruptly became calm again. He took several strides forward and appeared in front of Yang Kai as silently as a ghost where he clenched his fist with his thumb pointing forward and imprinted his thumbprint against Yang Kai’s Dragon Head.
The speed of his attack was not fast. On the contrary, it was extremely slow. It was so slow that it could almost be described as the speed of a tortoise crawling. In a fight between Masters, victory or defeat could be decided in the blink of an eye; however, he seemed to be doing the exact opposite. His attitude was so nonchalant that it was as if he was about to crush a bug.
Yang Kai reacted solemnly though as he watched the other party shove his thumb against his forehead, the illusion of being crushed growing within him. His entire body stiffened, and he couldn’t move a single muscle. Moreover, he could see space collapsing as that fist gradually approached him.
[If that attack lands on my head, it will definitely explode!]
Opening his mouth abruptly, Yang Kai let loose a Dragon Roar that could shake the Stars. A violent force erupted from his mouth, making the feather-crowned man’s clothes and hair whip about wildly. It seemed as though a large Dragon was flying through the feather-crowned man’s Knowledge Sea, causing it to roil and daze him.
“Dragon Breath!” The feather-crowned man’s brow twitched as the situation was becoming more and more unbelievable.
Although the Dragon Clan were few in numbers and rarely appeared in public, he had fought with a member of the Dragon Clan several years back; therefore, he knew a little bit about how Dragons fought, and one of the most characteristic attacks was their Dragon Breath. This was not a Secret Technique but rather an Innate Divine Ability. Dragon Breath had extraordinary power and was in no way inferior to the most powerful Secret Techniques. Moreover, it was extremely convenient and easy to use since it was an innate ability. This was the advantage of being born as a Divine Spirit, something other beings simply could never match up to.
The moment Yang Kai opened his mouth, the feather-crowned man immediately felt the power of a Dragon Breath forming. Moreover, this Dragon Breath was extremely pure, almost as if it were the Dragon Breath of an actual Dragon Clan member. The Dragon he had fought a long time ago had just reached a mature state and had an Eighth-Order Dragon Vein, but the Dragon Breath he shot seemed to be weaker than that of the young man standing in front of him right now.
[What is going on!? Even if this boy cultivated some sort of Secret Technique that allowed him to transform into a Half-Dragon, he shouldn’t be able to shoot out such a pure Dragon Breath!] There were all sorts of Secret Techniques related to the Dragon Clan in the Star Boundary, but there were no Secret Techniques that could achieve this.
The raised thumb stopped an arm’s length in front of Yang Kai’s forehead and couldn’t press forward anymore.
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened seeing this and grinned, “I see. It’s not like you aren’t affected by the suppression at all!”
He finally understood something. This man might be a Star Envoy or something from the Star Court and might be in charge of hundreds of Star Fields, but he was still unable to act as he pleased after descending to a Lower Star Field. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had lost his sword, but regardless of the reason, it was obvious that this feather-crowned man was unable to exert his full strength at the moment!
Yang Kai’s confidence increased greatly knowing this. The connection between him and Heng Luo Star Field might have been severed and he could not utilise the various perks of being a Star Field Master, but even so, he had one major advantage over his opponents in this Star Field and that was he was not under any form of suppression! The Star Field’s World Principles no longer rejected his existence; therefore, he could wield all his strength freely provided he did not care about causing damage to the Star Field.
[I’ll be fighting a suppressed enemy at my strongest! There’s nothing to be afraid of even if this old dog is a Great Emperor.]
“Let’s see you act all arrogant in front of me now!” Saying so, something appeared in Yang Kai’s right hand. It was a small bell that rapidly began to spin and enlarge. Soon, it was several tens of metres tall.
Grabbing the bell as if holding a brick in his hand, Yang Kai pounded it towards the feather-crowned man’s head.
The feather-crowned man looked stunned as he could feel an indescribable force of suppression enveloping him, giving him the impression that escaping was impossible.
At this point, it was already too late to back off. Just as Yang Kai had hypothesized, the restraints and constraints binding him had increased after losing his sword so he was unable to unleash his full strength in this Star Field. Otherwise, he would not have performed so poorly.
Steeling himself, the feather-crowned man gathered all of his strength and forced his thumb to press down towards Yang Kai’s forehead again.
Initially, he had hoped that Yang Kai would back down in the face of danger; that way, they could avoid the ending where both sides perished together, but contrary to his expectations, Yang Kai showed no intention of stopping whatsoever. The large bell slammed into his head with a loud clanging sound that reverberated in his ears, causing a wave of dizziness to wash over him, sending him flying once more. The Artifact Armour he was wearing flashed wildly, and if not for its protection, the consequences of this attack would have been dire.
Similarly, Yang Kai’s Dragon Head was also knocked backwards so hard that he nearly broke his neck. Folded at an odd angle, Yang Kai’s towering body was thrown out and froze up in an awkward position.
*Shua…*
The feather-crowned man returned after getting blown away, his expression filled with a lingering sense of dread as his complexion had gone pale. Although the Artifact Armour he was wearing had helped to offset most of the damage, that pure brute strength was not something that could be defended against. Most of his internal organs were still churning from that blow, and he could taste blood in the back of his throat. Glancing at the 200-metre long Half-Dragon body, his expression was extremely complicated.
If anybody had told him that there was someone who could injure him in a Lower Star Field, he would have never believed them no matter what. However, somebody had truly managed to do just that.
His gaze went to the large bell Yang Kai was holding in his hand still. There were plants, birds, fish, beasts, mountains, and rivers depicted on the bell in extremely lifelike carvings. Moreover, it was exuding an extremely ancient and desolate aura as if it had travelled through time and space from the primordial era.
“The Mountains and Rivers Bell!” He narrowed his eyes at the sight before a look of ecstasy flashed across his face.
This was an extremely famous Ancient Exotic Artifact, one that allowed Yuan Ding to rise to the position of Great Emperor. As such, it was understandably of immense value. Unfortunately, the Mountains and Rivers Bell disappeared with the death of the Yuan Ding Great Emperor after the end of the Great Emperor War.
The feather-crowned man had heard that somebody had obtained the Mountains and Rivers Bell in the Shattered Star Sea a few years ago, but he did not know the specific details. It wasn’t until he witnessed it with his own eyes that he realized that this young man was the lucky person who obtained the Mountains and Rivers Bell back then.
[No wonder the force of that blow was so powerful that even I couldn’t defend against it. After all, it was delivered with the Mountains and Rivers Bell!]
The Mountains and Rivers Bell was no ordinary Emperor Rank Artifact as even a Great Emperor would benefit greatly from obtaining it. In other words, what harmed him wasn’t Yang Kai, but the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
When the bell tolled, it subdued mountains and rivers alike. All Emperor Aura would stagnate before it.
[I made the right decision to come here! Not only can I obtain a Small World, but the Mountains and Rivers Bell will also fall into my hands! With these, I will surely join the ranks of the ten Great Emperors in the future!]
If the Small Sealed World was something he coveted, then the Mountains and Rivers Bell was something that he was determined to obtain no matter what. This Ancient Exotic Artifact was much more valuable than this Small World, even though the Small World was no inferior item either.
With those thoughts in mind, his lips became a little dry. Reaching out, he grabbed at the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
A strange feeling flooded his body the moment he came into contact with the bell. It gave him a sense of elevation and made him even more aware of how extraordinary the Mountains and Rivers Bell was. Consequently, he became even more determined to possess it.
For some reason though, the Mountains and Rivers Bell did not move when he pulled at it.
*Kachaca…*
The sound of bones being dislocated rang out at that moment, startling the feather-crowned man, and when he looked up, he saw that Yang Kai’s head, which should have been snapped off his neck, getting back into position again. There was a bloody hole on Yang Kai’s forehead that was trickling with Golden Blood, staining his cheeks.
“You…” The feather-crowned man was astonished. [He took my Divine Ability head-on! How is he unharmed!?]
“Old dog, I’m not dead yet!” Yang Kai put some strength into his arm all of a sudden and snatched the Mountains and Rivers Bell back before the feather-crowned man could notice.
Then, the feather-crowned man watched as Yang Kai turned the bell around and brought it down on his head while shouting, “Suppression!”
Immediately following that, the plants, birds, fish, beasts, mountains, and rivers depicted on the bell looked like they had come alive and a force that was far more terrifying than before came crashing down on him.
The feather-crowned man looked like he didn’t have enough time to react and was covered by the Mountains and Rivers Bell; however, Yang Kai did not rejoice. On the contrary, he turned a slightly surprised look over at the feather-crowned man, who had appeared a few hundred metres away at some point in time and was currently staring at him with a frown.
[Was it an afterimage?]
“Suppression!” Tossing the Mountains and Rivers Bell into the air, Yang Kai cast a Secret Technique with one hand to control it. The mouth of the bell was like the gaping maw of a wild beast as it tried to swallow the feather-crowned man whole.
The feather-crowned man moved about erratically, advancing at times and retreating at others. He moved back and forth without any fixed pattern, but even so, he continuously managed to avoid being suppressed by the Mountains and Rivers Bell at the last moment.
He no longer had the careless and contemptuous expression on his face from before as it seemed as though he had re-evaluated Yang Kai’s strength. After suffering at the hands of this boy on multiple occasions, he had to admit that this boy had the strength to make him fight seriously.
A voice incessantly floated into Yang Kai’s ears, “Treasures make an innocent man guilty. Boy, you should understand this principle too. Putting aside the Small World in your possession, just by holding onto the Mountains and Rivers Bell is enough to attract all sorts of people and trouble to you. Why don’t you obediently hand it over to me instead? Do so and I promise you will never want for anything again in the future.”
“Fuck you!” Yang Kai responded happily.
The feather-crowned man continued, “It seems you choose death.”
Yang Kai laughed riotously, “Although you have nothing worthy of my attention, that life of yours looks pretty good. Why don’t you obediently hand it over to me instead? I promise to give you a quick death!”
“A sharp tongue and foolish bravado,” The feather-crowned man slowly shook his head as if feeling regret that Yang Kai was not living up to his expectations. His entire body paused for a moment then as he stared at Yang Kai coldly.
Feeling his entire body going cold all of a sudden, Yang Kai quickly pushed the Mountains and Rivers Bell without any hesitation. The Mountains and Rivers Bell shone with waves of light, sealing off the space in their surroundings and suppressing everything within. Following that, his vision blurred for a moment and he lost sight of the feather-crowned man.
Meanwhile, a green and opaque giant palm came crashing down. It was accompanied by a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering force that rushed at him. Even a Star would be crushed to pieces by that palm strike, much less his 200-metre-long Half-Dragon Body.
[Is this his full strength!?] Yang Kai was shocked as he realized that even suppressed, a Great Emperor was still a Great Emperor! This man’s cultivation was probably not inferior to any of the Great Emperors he had met before. The carelessness from before was just that he had not gotten serious yet.
[Can I defend against such an attack!?] This question appeared in Yang Kai’s heart for a moment before it melted away like snow under the sun and was replaced by determination.
[I must defend against it! I will die if I don’t!]
A resounding Dragon Roar came from Yang Kai’s mouth, one that was mixed with a mysterious and obscure language that sounded like a chant from ancient times, agitating all the Stars in the Starry Sky.
The space around them shattered. At the same time, several Dead Stars nearby exploded and turned into rubble flying in all directions. The rage of a Star Field Master could affect the entire Star Field.
A Dragon Roar rang out, resounding throughout the Heavens. In the midst of the disorientation, a burst of golden light was released and a Golden Dragon appeared out of nowhere. Its Dragon’s Eyes were imposing as they looked down on the world. All living creatures were nothing but ants in its eyes. Shaking its head and flicking its tail, the Golden Dragon rushed towards the green giant palm.
“Dragon Language!?” The feather-crowned man’s expression changed drastically. He was extremely amazed and shocked. He had heard that obscure and complicated language once before. It was undoubtedly the Dragon Language. Besides, that Great Dragon shining with a golden light was definitely one of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques.
[What is going on!?]
“What’s the relationship between you and the Dragon Clan?” He burst out. The green giant palm paused for a moment in mid-air.
Even if Yang Kai was a Star Field Master, he had the right to kill him since Yang Kai had provoked him. At most, he would receive some light punishment upon his return to the Star Court; however, he had to proceed carefully if this young man in front of him turned out to be related to the Dragon Clan.
The Dragon Clan was extremely arrogant, and such arrogance meant that they were extremely protective of their own. In other words, it meant that they would never forget a grudge. Offending a member of the Dragon Clan was equivalent to offending all of Dragon Island. Even he did not have the confidence to face the fury of Dragon Island. As far as he knew, whether it was the Dragon Language or the Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique, those were things that only Pureblood Dragons had the right to learn and could learn. It was basically impossible for those with the Half-Dragon bloodlines to comprehend the intricacies within the obscure Dragon Language.
[Could it be possible… That this boy did not cultivate some sort of Secret Technique that allowed him to transform into a Half-Dragon? Could he actually be a member of the Dragon Clan!?] The moment he heard Yang Kai’s Dragon Language Secret Technique, he immediately became fearful and subconsciously reduced the power of his Divine Ability by a considerable amount.
Yang Kai was overjoyed at the sight and immediately understood the reason behind this change, secretly thinking to himself, [The words ‘Dragon Clan’ sure make for powerful protection! They can even scare a man like this. Their reputation sure precedes them.]
There was no way he was going to explain himself to the feather-crowned man of course as any negligence would result in death in a life-or-death battle, much less in a situation where he was weaker than his opponent in the first place.
In the midst of the Dragon Roar, the Golden Great Dragon slammed into the green giant palm. Two waves of energy clashed against each other, and be it the green giant palm or the Golden Dragon, they were both stuck in a strange stalemate. Both green and golden lights intertwined around each other, and an invisible wave of energy spread into the surroundings with a loud explosion.
Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
[That was dangerous! Fortunately, that old dog held back slightly just now, otherwise, I would be no match for him at all.]
“Boy, answer my question!” The feather-crowned man shouted authoritatively.
Yang Kai glared at the feather-crowned man so hard that his eyes were about to pop, urgently summoning all the Dragon Aura within his body as he roared, “What’s so great about the Dragon Clan!? I’m the man who is going to become the Dragon Emperor!”
The feather-crowned man was taken aback by the words that left Yang Kai’s mouth. [Dragon Emperor!? That’s the highest title a Dragon can ever achieve!]
Although Dragon Island currently had two Masters on par with Great Elders overseeing their clan, even Great Elder Zhu Yan was not qualified to claim the title of Dragon Emperor.
[Shameless boasting!] The feather-crowned man suddenly felt amused as he secretly mocked himself in his heart. [I was being overly cautious. Even if this boy was lucky enough to come across the opportunity to learn the Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique, it doesn’t mean that he is related to the Dragon Clan. How could someone like him be from the Dragon Clan?]
Even so, the situation did not feel that simple.
*Kachaca…*
The sound of bones cracking entered the feather-crowned man’s ears, and looking in the direction of the sound, his eyes narrowed abruptly.
Yang Kai, who was originally 200 metres long, suddenly became substantially taller, his figure rising to a full 250 metres long in the blink of an eye. Not only did he become taller, but the Dragon Clan features on the surface of his body also became more distinct than before. The Dragon Horns on his head had gotten longer, the Dragon Scales covering his body became fuller, his facial features squirmed and completely transformed into a gigantic Dragon Head, and his Golden Dragon Eyes were filled with an arrogant aloofness that looked at all the living creatures in the world as though they were beneath him.
Under the tremendous pressure he faced, Yang Kai’s Dragon Transformation Secret Art advanced again. Moreover, it was a huge leap forward. The Dragon Blood in his body seemed to flow even more joyfully than before and he could vaguely feel that even his vision and mentality had undergone a subtle change, birthing a compulsive sense of superiority in his mind.
The Dragon Clan claimed to be the strongest among all the living creatures and the head of all Divine Spirits. Although it was a self-proclaimed title, there was no living creature in the world that could object to it. That was because nobody in the world had the right to refute those claims. Any member of the Dragon Clan was inherently prideful and treated everything and everyone with contempt.
Looking into that pair of majestic Dragon Eyes, the feather-crowned man involuntarily felt his heart rate increasing as ripples of uncertainty washed over him.
After Yang Kai’s Dragon Transformation Secret Art made a breakthrough, the power of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Technique seemed to soar as well, and the original stalemate between golden and green light immediately tilted in his favour.
The feather-crowned man gritted his teeth and increased his strength in response, taking quite a lot of effort to offset Yang Kai’s sudden counterattack.
“Divine Dragon Tail Sweep!” Yang Kai shouted, and though his body did not move, the Dragon Tail behind him whipped out and struck in the direction of that feather-crowned man.
As if in a trance, the feather-crowned man felt a terrifying force sweep towards him, and by the time he reacted and tried to dodge, the Dragon Tail had already slammed into his body.
He was completely caught off guard by the Dragon Tail that came sweeping towards him seemingly ignoring the barriers of space. Furthermore, it was so swift and powerful that he had no chance to block it.
His entire being felt as though he had been hit by a Star and he couldn’t help grunting as the sound of bones breaking came from his body. Fortunately, he had prepared some defences in advance, so he was not sent flying this time around. Nevertheless, that attack had undoubtedly and completely angered him.
Gritting his teeth, he roared, “Do you really think I don’t dare to kill you!?”
After being humiliated so many times, the feather-crowned man didn’t even care anymore if this boy was a member of the Dragon Clan. This was a Lower Star Field, so even if he killed Yang Kai here, the Dragon Clan might not be able to prove anything. He might have some scruples over angering the Dragon Clan, but that did not mean he would silently endure such humiliation over and over again.
Power erupted from the feather-crowned man’s body while, at the same time, the green giant palm that had been struggling against the Golden Great Dragon all this while pressed down violently again.
Another Dragon Roar rang out, but even so, the Golden Dragon was overwhelmed and soon collapsed, allowing the giant palm to crash down on Yang Kai’s head, sealing space on all sides and preventing him from escaping.
At that critical moment of life or death, the frenzied look on Yang Kai’s face disappeared, and instead, he appeared incredibly calm.
When their gazes met, the feather-crowned man felt his heart clenching as a sense of unease gripped him, it felt as though something terrifying would occur if his palm strike were to land on its target. It was accompanied by a sense of crisis in his heart. Still, he had already committed himself to the battle, so how could he back down now? Gritting his teeth, he hardened his resolve.
[Die!]
All of a sudden, a slender jade white hand appeared out of thin air and gently blocked the feather-crowned man’s palm strike from reaching Yang Kai.
“Enough!” A cold voice rang out, one that was clear and pleasant to the ears, like a babbling spring. The voice was soft, but it contained a dignity and authority that could not be questioned.
Then, a graceful figure slowly emerged to stand beside the feather-crowned man.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he stared at the person who had appeared out of nowhere with a blank look. That person was dressed in gold and had a red-gold Phoenix Coronet on her head; a pair of Phoenix Wings were spread out behind her like she was about to take flight; her black hair was tied into a neat bun behind her head; a red plum blossom mark stood out between her eyebrows; her starry eyes were bright and beautiful; her nose was exquisite; her skin was delicate, flawless, and as white as snow; and her figure was enchanting. The gold outfit that would seem gaudy and vulgar on most gave off an inexhaustible grace and nobility when worn on her instead.
“Yang…” Yang Kai began to utter; however, he didn’t dare to identify her and simply froze in place as a result. Meanwhile, the green giant palm, which was about to land on his head, dissipated, the remaining power fizzling out and fading into nothingness.
The feather-crowned man turned his head to look at this newcomer and frowned when he saw her face clearly. Although he had met her many times before, he was still amazed by her every single time. In the path toward the peak of the Martial Dao, the number of females decreased with increasing cultivation. The most obvious example of this was Flower Shadow Great Emperor, who was the only woman among the Ten Great Emperors while the rest were men. It wasn’t that women had a lower aptitude for cultivation compared to men, it was just that women were more susceptible to distractions, especially when it came to romance.
Many young women became enamoured with young men and became troubled because of love, causing their cultivation to stagnate. Ultimately, it led to the end result where women were fewer among those with higher cultivation. On the other hand, the woman in front of him was one of those few people who could rival him, an existence close to the Ten Great Emperors, qualified to stand on an equal footing with him.
The feather-crowned man had high cultivation and status, so he could afford to look down on Yang Kai and even go so far as to secretly kill off a suspected member of the Dragon Clan, but even so, he had no choice but to face this woman seriously.
“What are you doing here?” He asked.
The woman smiled back lightly and asked, “What’s wrong? Why can’t I be here?”
He pondered for a moment and nodded, “That’s true. This Star Field is under your jurisdiction after all.”
She said, “That’s right. A Star Field Master appeared in my Star Field, so it’s only right that I come over to take a look. Otherwise, he might have died at your hands.”
He snorted, “He is the one with a death wish.”
Yang Kai immediately felt displeased upon hearing those words. He immediately retracted his gaze from the woman and lifted his chin at the feather-crowned man in a smug posture, “If you’re not happy with the results, we can have a rematch. Let’s settle who is stronger between us!”
The feather-crowned man’s expression sank before he sneered, “You should rejoice for escaping with your life. If you dare make another sound…”
“What are you going to do?”
The feather-crowned man flicked his sleeves and snorted, “Forget it. I won’t stoop to your level.”
Now that this woman was here, he couldn’t act against this young man anymore. The only reason he decided to kill this young man was that nobody would know about it; however, there were witnesses now. His intention to get rid of Yang Kai once and for all had to be shelved as a result. What’s more, this woman would not stand idly by if he attacked Yang Kai. This Star Field was under her management after all. In short, things were going to have to end here today.
“Return my Star Severing Sword to me. Then, we’ll consider today’s matter settled!” The feather-crowned man crossed his arms behind his back aloofly and glared at Yang Kai coldly.
[So it’s called the Star Severing Sword,] Yang Kai’s brow twitched but he looked to the side as if he had not heard the feather-crowned man.
The veins in the feather-crowned man’s forehead bulged as he shouted, “Boy, I’m talking to you! Have you gone deaf!?”
“What did you say? I can’t hear you!” Yang Kai tilted his Dragon Head to the side and put one hand on his ear while shouting loudly.
[What a joke! This guy is the one who appeared out of nowhere to stand up for Wu Heng for some reason and even picked a fight with me! Now, he wants me to return his Star Severing Sword!? He can go and screw himself!] The feather-crowned man wasn’t the only one who was upset, Yang Kai was upset too. [My rescue sure arrived at an untimely moment. It’s a little too early!]
If the feather-crowned man knew what Yang Kai was thinking at this moment, he would surely mock him for being overconfident again.
[In any case, that Star Severing Sword is my trophy. I can’t return it to him. En, I might consider it if he gets down on his knees and begged me though.]
“Peace reigns throughout the land, but foolish people create trouble for themselves. Did you really think I can’t get my Star Severing Sword back myself?” The feather-crowned man looked at Yang Kai coldly before glancing at Gun-Gun that was hovering nearby.
Gun-Gun had not been able to contribute in this fight, but that wasn’t because Yang Kai was deliberately hiding Gun-Gun’s abilities. It was just that the Star Severing Sword was rampaging in the Small Sealed World after being swallowed by Gun-Gun. Gun-Gun needed to mobilize the power of the entire Small Sealed World just to keep it under control, but there were still signs that it was not fully suppressed. The slightest bit of carelessness could cause great damage to the Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai was about to speak when the woman said, “Leave this to me.”
The feather-crowned man glanced at her and nodded gently, “Good!” He could not contradict her words now that she had spoken up.
Then, the woman turned around and studied Yang Kai.
Yang Kai thought he saw her winking at him when their eyes met, but it felt like an illusion. A pleasant voice then sounded in his mind, “You need to return the Star Severing Sword.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Can’t I keep it?”
That sword was extremely peculiar. It could sever the connection between him and Heng Luo Star Field. Besides, the only reason he could confront the feather-crowned man was thanks to the injury the latter sustained when the Star Severing Sword was swallowed by Gun-Gun. Yang Kai had the feeling that if he had not done that, he would have lost a long time ago.
“You can’t keep it. The Star Severing Sword doesn’t belong to him, it belongs to the Star Court. I have one too. They are assigned to all Star Envoys. If you forcefully hold on to it, you will make the entire Star Court your enemy.”
“It’s something that belongs to the Star Court!?” Surprised, Yang Kai excitedly asked, “So it’ll be a disaster for him if I refuse to return it, right?”
She was visibly stunned as she clearly did not expect him to come up with such ideas. Generally speaking, most people would immediately think of returning the Star Severing Sword once they learn that it belonged to the Star Court; the weak could not contend with the strong after all. Contrarily, Yang Kai’s thinking was focused on another outcome entirely.
Failing to stifle her laughter, she commented, “That’s right. He will be severely punished and his identity as a Star Envoy might even be revoked.” Then, she turned the conversation around, “But, you won’t feel any better.”
“Alright, alright!” Yang Kai agreed reluctantly.
As a Star Envoy, losing the sword issued by the Star Court was a serious dereliction of duty, but in the same vein, Yang Kai stealing a Star Severing Sword would also be an open display of contempt towards the Star Court.
“Do you trust me? If you do, leave this to me. I won’t let you suffer a loss.”
“Of course I trust you.” [How can I not trust you? As long as you really are her.]
“Good. I’m going to negotiate with him for a bit.”
“Butcher him mercilessly!” He encouraged.
With a smile, she turned to the feather-crowned man and communicated with him. Their Divine Senses surged during the exchange and Yang Kai did not know what they were talking about, but the feather-crowned man’s expression changed constantly. It was solemn at times and angry at others. Furthermore, he shook his head constantly. It was clear that the woman had given him conditions that were unacceptable to him, which pleased Yang Kai to no end.
The battle started out as a fight between two Star Field Masters, and in the end, it even involved two Star Envoys.
[Does that mean I have a backer too?] Yang Kai glanced at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, his thoughts swirling in his head. [It makes sense when I think about it. She came to this Star Field before in the past, so it’s only natural for her to govern it as a Star Envoy.]
Yang Kai quietly dispelled his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and returned to his original size. Finally able to relax, a wave of exhaustion immediately washed over him, and the pain in his left hand was utterly unbearable.
The battle today might not have gone on for long, but it had been extremely dangerous. Despite being a Star Field Master, Yang Kai couldn’t enjoy the advantages of fighting in his own territory at all. He had relied on his own strength throughout the entire battle. Fortunately, his Dragon Transformation Secret Art had undergone a breakthrough, so it was not totally without gain.
Urging his strength to heal the injury on his left arm, Yang Kai quietly waited for the results, and after a while, the woman smiled at Yang Kai and held out her hand, “Hand it over.”
Yang Kai naturally understood what she was referring to and quickly communicated with the Small Sealed World, causing Gun-Gun to open its large mouth. Following that, a flash of sword light instantly shot out of its mouth as swiftly as lightning and a terrifying Sword Qi slashed toward him. Nevertheless, the look of derision on his face did not change.
The Star Severing Sword abruptly turned away from him at the last moment and circled around him once before landing in the hands of the feather-crowned man.
On the other hand, the feather-crowned man looked livid. He returned his sword into its sheath then cupped his fists at the woman, “I’ll be going ahead.” Turning around, he stepped into the darkness behind him and disappeared in the blink of an eye. From start to finish, he did not learn Yang Kai’s name. Similarly, Yang Kai did not know his name either; even so, they had formed an enmity with each other by pure coincidence.
After the feather-crowned man left, the woman turned around and looked at Yang Kai with a smile.
Yang Kai grinned back at her. Striding forward, he rushed over to her and looked her up and down, as if to get to know her all over again.
Then, the woman stopped smiling, her pretty face filling with rage as she shouted, “How dare you cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!? Tell me; how do you want to die? I’ll grant you the mercy of a swift death!”
Stunned, Yang Kai suddenly felt as though the woman in front of him had become extremely unfamiliar and he couldn’t help wondering if she really was the person he knew.
“Enough!” Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Yang Kai opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace without giving her a chance to refuse.
Her long eyelashes fluttered as she blinked several times, her bright eyes filled with astonishment. Not having expected such a situation to occur, she allowed him to hug her before she realized what was happening.
Fortunately, he was not hugging her out of lust. This wasn’t a display of intimacy between a man and a woman, it was simply a hug between old friends to commemorate their reunion after such a long separation.
A slender jade-white hand swiftly lifted and pressed against his chest, pushing him away. That hand was delicate yet conveyed in a powerful force. Separated by an arm’s length now, he smiled carelessly and complained, “Yang Yan, do you know how hard it has been to find you?”
Yang Yan tilted her head and asked, “Yang Yan? Who is that? I don’t know who that is!”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “I almost couldn’t recognize you either.”
Back then, she had an extremely introverted personality and wore a black robe all the time, even covering her head with a veil and shawl, seemingly afraid that people might see her true appearance. After meeting her again several dozen years later, who could have imagined that she would have such a graceful and luxurious side to her? That noble temperament of hers almost made Yang Kai believe that he had mistaken her for another person.
All of a sudden, he couldn’t help but recall the scene when she plunged into his arms in fright, causing him to involuntarily glance down below her neck.
“What nonsense are you thinking about?” She reached out and knocked her knuckles against his head as if she could perceive his thoughts. It made a soft thud, and he rubbed that sore bump on his forehead while complaining, “Why did you hit me? Be careful, or I might get mad at you.”
She glared at him, “Go ahead and try.”
Smiling cheekily, he said, “I-I was just saying. Don’t take it so seriously. En… Oh, right! Are you a Star Envoy of the Star Court too? Does that mean that you returned to the Star Court after we separated back then?”
“That’s right.”
“No wonder,” He nodded. [No wonder she handed Lin Yun’er to the Iron Blood Great Emperor. She is a Star Envoy of the Star Court, and the Iron Blood Great Emperor is the current Great Emperor overseeing the Star Court. It’s easy for them to communicate with each other since they are working together, but it looks like the Iron Blood Great Emperor isn’t very serious about his duties and doesn’t remain at the Star Court much. Otherwise, Lin Yun’er would not have been out of contact with Yang Yan for so many years.]
Yang Kai suddenly clenched his fists and asked, “If you were in the Star Boundary, why didn’t you come and look for me!?”
She wondered, “Are you my son? Why would I look for you?”
He staggered backwards at those words and looked at her sadly, “How ruthless and cold. Sure enough; there’s nothing more poisonous than a woman’s heart!”
Brushing her hair back behind her ear, she lifted her eyes to stare at him, “What kind of relationship do we have between us?”
Yang Kai waved his hands dismissively, “Alright, let’s not mention the past. The past is in the past. Let’s talk about the present instead. That bastard just now mentioned that a Star Envoy is in charge of numerous Star Fields, does that mean that, as a Star Field Master, I have to accept your authority?”
[It’s nice to have somebody supporting me, but I don’t like being controlled. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I’ll have much choice in the matter.]
Yang Yan patted his chest in response, “Good. From now on, I am your immediate superior. Little brat, you seem quite promising, so you better be dutiful towards me in the future, and I will support you well in return.”
Yang Kai widened his eyes and reached out to squeeze her neck with all his strength to throttle her back and forth, “What happened to the Yang Yan I know! Hurry up and return that Yang Yan to me!”
[The Yang Yan of the past was the best! Why is she like a totally different person now!?]
In that moment of chaos, she glared at him furiously, “Take your dirty paws off of me!”
He immediately released his hold on her and rubbed his chin nonchalantly like nothing had just happened, “Forget it, forget it. This isn’t that bad either. If any fool comes again to bother me, I’ll just use your name as a shield.”
Although he was subjected to their control and restraint, at least he wouldn’t be bullied by another Star Envoy again like what happened previously. His expression changed as he asked, “Can I get a Star Severing Sword too?”
Yang Yan brushed her neck and tidied her hair before speaking with great contempt, “In your dreams. It’s a sword assigned only to Star Envoys. A trivial Star Field Master like you… Don’t even dream about touching it. You should look at yourself in the mirror first! Hahahahaha!”
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched and he strongly regretted not strangling her to death just now. At the very least, he could have kept his favourable impression of her as a beautiful memory in his heart. Sighing, he asked, “So, what benefits do I get if I accept the authority of the Star Court?”
She spread both hands out in a slight shrug with her palms facing upward, “Nothing.”
“I refuse!” He resolutely declared.
“Sorry, you can’t refuse. Star Field Masters who are not bound and governed by the Star Court are generally deprived of their qualifications.”
Clenching his fists, he protested, “You’re just a bunch of bullies! You don’t even give me any benefits, so why should I obey you?”
She glanced sideways at him, “Do you think you are visiting a brothel or something? Bullies? Good, it’s not like there’s no way to get out of being restrained.”
“How do I do that?” His eyes brightened at those words.
“Just become a Great Emperor yourself.”
He cursed under his breath.
“What did you say?” Yang Yan glared at Yang Kai.
“Nothing.” Yang Kai sniffed and heroically said, “Forget it. I will accept that authority or whatever for the sake of this Star Field. As the saying goes, ‘I am but a small sacrifice for the greater good’. Heh. I am such a magnanimous person.”
You guys already know since the previous chapter… Well, I changed my decision after Yang Kai thought, ‘if you really are her’.
The biggest part of the reason that Yang Kai resigned to his fate so quickly was that his immediate superior was none other than Yang Yan. If it had been the feather-crowned man from earlier instead, he would not have been so easy-going.
Yang Yan gazed at him strangely, “What in the world do you want to do in this Star Field? Why are you so against the Star Court’s authority?”
“What can I do with it?”
She laughed, “You really don’t need to act like this. It might be labelled as control, but nobody actually cares about it. You are the Star Field’s Master. You can do whatever you want here. Of course, the only thing you cannot do is… Destroy Star Fields!” At the end, her voice suddenly became low and her beautiful eyes looked at the boundless darkness with a solemn look.
Yang Kai hurriedly changed the subject, “I understand. By the way, how did you show up at such a timely moment? Could it be that you were monitoring the Star Field all this time?”
“Not really. It was a coincidence.” She might be in charge of Heng Luo Star Field, but she couldn’t pay attention to it at all times. Not to mention, monitoring Heng Luo Star Field while she was in the Star Court required immense effort. How could she spare so much time and effort to do so? It was just that the feather-crowned man had received a summon and came down to Grand Desolation Star Field. Noticing that, Yang Yan inadvertently looked at the situation in Heng Luo Star Field and discovered Yang Kai’s presence. In the end, she had no choice but to come down and shelter him.
Even so… She had the feeling that Yang Kai had a hidden trump card and would not have died from that attack even if she did nothing just now. He might even have the power to fight back.
[I can’t believe he grew this much in just a few dozen years!]
Back then, she deliberately left him to his own devices rather than taking him with her. She did not want to bring him along because she felt he would gain more experience this way; after all, the power one worked hard to gain was the only strength that they could claim as their own. Anything bestowed upon them would never be anything more than something borrowed.
Yang Yan had long known that Yang Kai was no ordinary cultivator; nevertheless, she did not expect him to achieve so much in such a short time. It seemed she had underestimated him!
“Regardless of whether it was a coincidence or not, I have to thank you for your help,” Yang Kai casually touched the seal on his dantian. That seal had nearly been released just now, and if Yang Yan had not arrived, he would have broken it and underwent demonification along with his Half-Dragon Form. That would have given the feather-crowned man a huge surprise.
“By the way, you haven’t told me yet. What conditions did you reach with that guy? He took back his Star Severing Sword, so don’t tell me he doesn’t need to pay a price at all! He’s getting off way too lightly…”
“What do you mean by ‘that guy’? His name…”
“Stop!” Yang Kai raised his hand, “I have no interest in knowing his name.”
Yang Yan smiled lightly and quipped, “How petty to still hold onto that grudge.”
She had watched the battle between Yang Kai and the feather-crowned man from beginning to the end, so it was only natural that she knew about their verbal spat.
Yang Kai sternly added, “One day, he will take the initiative to tell me his name before he dies.”
“That will depend on whether you have the ability.” Yang Yan didn’t try to dissuade him as it was not a bad thing for him to be so resentful. At the very least, it would make him try harder after tasting shame and spur him forward. Hatred and women had always been the two strongest driving forces for men to become stronger in their cultivation.
Yang Yan instead waved her hand and pointed at the boundless darkness, “The portion of the Star Field you engulfed will belong to you from now on.”
Yang Kai looked at her expectantly, but she said nothing else even after waiting for a long time; thus, he speechlessly asked, “Is that all?”
She replied unkindly, “What else do you want?”
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and shouted, “I’m sure of it now! You are not Yang Yan! Tell me; who are you!?”
[She used to go around spending Crystal Stones like water! How is she so stingy now!? I was hoping to devour the entire Grand Desolation Star Field! What the Hell is this!? Besides, that piece of Starry Sky I engulfed belongs to me already, it cannot be separated! Even if I refuse to return it, that feather-crowned man can’t do a single thing to me. This benefit… Is no benefit at all!]
“Do you think you suffered a loss?” Yang Yan smiled coldly.
Yang Kai’s heart was practically bleeding from the pain, “How is this not a loss?”
“Wake up. If he reported this matter to the Star Court, I can guarantee that it won’t take more than three days before you get captured by Iron Blood and chopped into pieces!”
“That’s an exaggeration.” Yang Kai felt extremely guilty for some reason, “Senior Iron Blood is one of the ten Great Emperors. Why would he personally deal with me?”
“If you were just an ordinary Star Field Master, Iron Blood wouldn’t be able to care less about you, but are you an ordinary Star Field Master!? What Secret Art have you cultivated!?”
Yang Kai muttered, “The one you taught me, the Star Refining Art!”
“I’m not blind!” Yang Yan pointed at her eyes, then pointed at the darkness in front of her, “This familiar feeling; did you think I wouldn’t notice!? Aren’t you amazing, little brat? After just a few years of separation, you actually dared inherit Heaven Devourer’s legacy? You even cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
“What Heaven Devouring Battle Law? I’ve never heard of it before.”
“You still dare lie to me!?”
“Alright! Alright! It is the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!” Seeing as she had already seen through it, Yang Kai readily admitted the truth.
Hearing this, Yang Yan’s expression changed sharply, “So it really is the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!?”
Yang Kai gawked at her in surprise before he growled through gritted teeth, “Why you little! You tricked me!”
On the other hand, Yang Yan was trembling all over. Her expression was incredibly furious, her jade-white hands clenched into fists. Her aura flashed with murderous intent for an instant, which made all the hair on Yang Kai’s back stand. He had never exchanged blows with Yang Yan before, but he had the feeling that she was stronger than the feather-crowned man earlier. Even if he used his Demon Half-Dragon Form, he might still be no match for her.
The killing intent dissipated just as quickly as it came, though, and Yang Yan lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her face. Her expression was unreadable as she bitterly asked, “How are you acquainted with Heaven Devourer?”
She was different from the feather-crowned man. All the feather-crowned man could perceive was that something was off about the darkness; however, he simply thought that whatever Secret Art it was, was extremely mysterious. It wasn’t something somebody like Yang Kai should be able to master or even come into contact with. Meanwhile, Yang Yan had participated in the Great Emperor War back then and personally witnessed the strength of Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, so she knew the horrors of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law well.
Yuan Ding, Martial Flame, Azure Sea, Cyan Lotus… All four of these Great Emperors were extremely famous, geniuses that had left their names in the annals of the Star Boundary to be remembered forever, but all of them had perished at the hands of Wu Kuang back then.
Yang Yan had not dared to confirm that the Secret Art used here was the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Holding on to the mentality that she would rather deceive Yang Kai than to let it slide, she tested him and received an unexpected answer that filled her with despair instead.
Wu Kuang was an eternal sinner and the root of his sin could be traced back to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Anyone who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could not be tolerated in the world.
“If Iron Blood learned about this, he would surely rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces,” she said solemnly.
This was no exaggeration. Iron Blood was a man with a straightforward personality. He liked to fight and was incapable of turning a blind eye to injustice. Moreover, Azure Sea Great Emperor who died at Wu Kuang’s hand during the war between the Great Emperors was his best friend; therefore, Iron Blood would never let things slide if he were to learn that there were people out there with Wu Kuang’s inheritance. It would be useless even if Yang Yan and Lin Yun’er were to beg for mercy on Yang Kai’s behalf.
The agreement that Yang Yan reached with the feather-crowned man was that Yang Kai would return the Star Severing Sword while the devoured Starry Sky would belong to Yang Kai. That was an easy condition for him to accept. Besides, she did not need to demand he keep his silence as he had already regarded today’s incident as a huge shame. As such, he would never mention this incident in front of others.
Nobody would notice the changes in Heng Luo Star Field; moreover, Grand Desolation Star Field was under the feather-crowned man’s jurisdiction while Heng Luo Star Field was under Yang Yan’s jurisdiction. Things would be fine as long as both Star Envoys did not report this incident to their higher-ups. That was why she claimed that Yang Kai did not suffer any losses. Just concealing matters here alone was enough to put the feather-crowned man at great risk.
Yang Yan’s voice was sorrowful. She was sad that Yang Kai had not turned out the way she anticipated.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling as though he had done something wrong and pursed his lips to explain, “It’s not that big a deal, right?”
He was aware that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not something that could be shown in public. Hence, he had been very cautious over the years. It was just that he believed that there were no evil Secret Arts in the world. The evil ones were cultivators. The characteristics of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law might be a little overbearing, but regardless, a Secret Art was just that, a Secret Art.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had not expected Yang Yan to show such a huge reaction to it. The thought warmed his heart. Even if Yang Yan had changed a lot, she still cared for him. Only a person who cared would feel sad. If she didn’t care for him, she would have captured him immediately and handed him over to the Star Court to clear her name.
“What do you know!?” Yang Yan sighed as she thought, [It’s no wonder his cultivation improved so quickly within just a few dozen years. How can his cultivation not progress quickly if he is cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!? That is a Secret Art that can enhance cultivation and strength the most, after all.]
Looking up abruptly, she suddenly came to his side, grabbed him by the arm, and stared at him with burning eyes.
“What are you doing?” Yang Kai was startled by her sudden actions as he could feel a fierce determination in her gaze.
She said, “You have good aptitude and an unwavering will, so it’s not a big deal even if you start over from scratch. Rest assured; this time, I will take you back to the Star Court with me and personally guide you in your cultivation. I promise that you will regain your strength within a hundred years.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai suddenly had a bad feeling.
To which Yang Yan resolutely declared, “I have to waste your cultivation!”
Furious, Yang Kai raised his fist at her, “Try it if you dare!”
[How many life-and-death situations did I go through just to obtain my current strength? How can she destroy my cultivation just because she says so!?]
“You have no choice but to agree!” Yang Yan insisted with a look of self-blame, “I am also at fault for this. I left you to your own devices thinking it would be for your own good, but I never imagined that you would walk down the wrong path.”
“You are the one who walked down the wrong path! Your entire family walked down the wrong path! Hurry up and release me! Otherwise, I’ll hit you! Don’t think that I won’t hit you just because you are a woman!”
“Go on! Hit me then!” She tilted her head sideways and pushed up against him on her own.
His fist came smashing down on her head, and a powerful force blew in her face, but even so, she neither avoided nor defended against it.
When the fist stopped just above her head, she smiled triumphantly.
“Insane woman!” Yang Kai cursed through gritted teeth.
Yang Yan solemnly replied, “Don’t be scared. It will be over in a flash. Just bear with it for a bit.”
“Calm down!” Yang Kai grabbed her other hand and clutched it firmly, “Just calm down first!”
“You’re the one who needs to calm down!”
“Fine. I’ll calm down too! I’m so furious right now, and it’s all because of you!” He looked speechless as he declared, “Listen. Let me finish talking first. If you still want to cripple my cultivation after that, I won’t resist anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded firmly.
“Good, go on then!”
Yang Kai took the time to sort out his thoughts for a bit before speaking, “You’re right about the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. I possess it, but I never cultivated it myself.”
Immediately, Yang Kai began recounting the entire story. Starting from the moment he entered the Star Boundary, to his arrival at Blue Feather Sect, to meeting Wu Meng Chuan, to being ‘gifted’ the Heaven Devouring Battle Law for helping the latter escape from his imprisonment. Afterward, Yang Kai went to the Shattered Star Sea, killed Wu Meng Chuan, and perfected the Secret Art for his Embodiment.
He told Yang Yan everything without concealing anything from her.
Yang Yan listened quietly. Sometimes, her eyebrows furrowed together. Sometimes, her brow relaxed. Only when she finished listening to the entire story did she turn to look at the Embodiment, which had been summoned by him, with a thoughtful look on her face.
The Embodiment had been standing nearby all this time. Yang Kai originally planned to release the seal on his dantian, undergo the Demon Transformation, then summon the Embodiment to fight the feather-crowned man together, but Yang Yan had appeared at the very last moment to stop the fight, so the Embodiment lost his role as a trump card.
“So, are you saying that your Soul Clone is the one that cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai looked at her with some caution, “You’re not going to destroy his cultivation, are you?”
Then again, the Embodiment did not have a physical body nor any meridians to speak of. There was nothing she could do to him even if she wanted to, unless she smashed him to pieces.
“Using a Stone Puppet to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law…” She circled around Embodiment several times with a curious and amazed expression on her face. It was as though a new and novel toy had appeared in front of her, “How did you come up with that idea?”
“It was just a lucky coincidence.” Yang Kai laughed, “Back when Wu Meng Chuan taught me the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, I could not understand his motives, but I instinctively felt he had some hidden agenda. However, the Secret Art was so profound and powerful that I was reluctant to discard it outright, so I tried letting my Embodiment cultivate it. Who could have known that I’d stumble upon such great fortune?”
Yang Yan nodded, “It might not be a coincidence, but an opportunity. Members of the Stone Spirit Clan are born with a body of stone, so the way their emotions or desires manifest are vastly different from those of flesh and blood. Moreover, their Innate Divine Ability allows them to easily refine and reject all kinds of impurities. Letting him cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law may have been the best choice possible.”
She knew about Stone Spirits, as well as the drawbacks of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law; thus, she had a vague feeling that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was practically tailor-made for Stone Spirits. It wasn’t a cultivation technique that was suitable for anyone with a fleshly body.
Wu Kuang might not have been born a cold and ruthless killer, but by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, his mentality had distorted over time. It made him look at all living creatures like they were ants, or worse, food. For that reason, he was capable of destroying countless Star Fields for the sake of his own power.
On the other hand, there was no need to worry about a Stone Spirit in that regard. Its Innate Divine Ability allowed it to refine and reject all impurities it absorbed, so it would not be affected by them at all.
“No wonder all those who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law back then encountered uncrossable bottlenecks. It turns out that they had to devour another person who cultivated the same evil cultivation technique as the key for them to break through those shackles.” Yang Yan’s beautiful eyes flickered as many things suddenly made sense all at once to her.
Yang Kai was surprised, “Were there many who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
“It happened many years ago.”
The ‘many years’ she was referring to wasn’t just several hundreds of years or thousands of years. It was something that happened over ten thousand years ago! Wu Kuang was the creator of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, but such a Secret Art was highly coveted. Who knows what happened back then for the cultivation method of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to become so widespread that people with malicious intentions obtained it? There were even Emperor Realm Masters who destroyed their cultivation just to start over again with this Secret Art.
Unfortunately, those who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law found themselves stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm with no hope of advancing to the Emperor Realm for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t that they had made any mistakes while cultivating or that the Secret Art they had obtained was flawed. It was simply the special nature of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Even Wu Meng Chuan, who was Wu Kuang’s descendant, had been stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for many years, let alone others.
It was simple enough to break through that bottleneck. They only needed to devour another person who had cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, assimilating everything that belonged to that person. It was like raising the strongest and most venomous insect by stuffing many of them into a jar and letting them kill each other until only one survived. The last one standing was the only one with the hope of achieving glory.
There were two reasons why Wu Meng Chuan had taught Yang Kai the Heaven Devouring Battle Law back then. First, it was used as a condition to entice Yang Kai to rescue him from Blue Feather Sect’s Bone Prison. Secondly, it was to cultivate a target that he could devour in the future. Unfortunately for Wu Meng Chuan, Yang Kai was a cultivator from a Lower Star Field who was completely clueless about the reputation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. That was how Yang Kai managed to resist the temptation of learning the Secret Art.
Most natives of the Star Boundary would have jumped at the opportunity to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which would in turn result in a tragic ending.
After Wu Kuang, nobody else managed to advance into the Emperor Realm even though they cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It caused many to wrongly believe that the Secret Art was flawed or that Wu Kuang had not passed down the true Heaven Devouring Battle Law, that the true cultivation method was lost with him in the Shattered Star Sea.
As time went by, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law gradually disappeared from memory and nobody tried to cultivate it anymore.
All of a sudden, Yang Yan recalled something else. [If the Heaven Devouring Battle Law has such sinister conditions, then who did Wu Kuang devour back then for him to advance further in the cultivation of his Secret Art? There must have been another existence that also cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Perhaps… There was an unknown story behind it all, but too much time had passed for it to be traced back…]
She then lifted her head to look at Gun-Gun again and hesitated, “Is this… The Artifact Spirit of the Sealed World Bead?” She was familiar with the Sealed World Bead as it was hers originally, an artifact she had brought to the Star Field from the Star Boundary back then. When Yang Kai acquired it later, she left it in his possession; however, she never expected it to change so much in the short time they had been separated. Not only did it give birth to an Artifact Spirit, but it also evolved to have a nature that relished in devouring.
“Yes!” Yang Kai laughed, feeling proud. The Sealed World Bead had been in his hands for many years and helped him out of trouble numerous times. In addition, it provided him with many insights into the Dao of Space. For that reason, he valued it greatly. Now that it had given birth to an Artifact Spirit, it felt as though he had gained a son.
Suddenly thinking of something, Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly and asked, “Are you going to take it back?”
“What would you do if I really tried to take it back?” Yang Yan glanced sideways at him.
He waved dismissively at her, “Fine, fine, take it.”
[It was originally hers anyway.]
Yang Yan was stunned as she had not expected him to agree so readily.
“But, there’s something you need to promise me. You can’t destroy its spirituality. I might have used it as a proxy to display the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which resulted in it gaining sentience, but it has done nothing wrong. If you can agree to that, then I don’t mind returning the Sealed World Bead to you.”
After barging into Grand Desolation Star Field and devouring as many Cultivation Stars as he could, the space of the Small Sealed World had expanded many times over.
At the same time, Yang Kai gained a deeper understanding of the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai had the feeling that he could now refine a world and condense it into another Sealed World Bead now; therefore, it wasn’t something he couldn’t part with if Yang Yan really wanted to take it back. In the worst case, he could just make his own and transfer the Immortal Tree, Firmament Tree, and his other treasures out of the Small Sealed World and into his new creation.
Everything else didn’t matter.
Yang Yan simply laughed, “I was just asking. You don’t need to take it seriously.”
This was an independent Sealed World, so if one was not proficient in the Dao of Space, it was pretty much useless. Taking it back would only result in the Sealed World Bead collecting dust in some corner. Otherwise, she would not have left a treasure like this to Yang Kai.
Still, she solemnly declared, “Use it with caution!”
“I understand.”
“Also, don’t devour the other Star Field anymore. If this matter escalates to the top, it will only cause trouble for everyone,” she said while pointing at the boundless darkness.
“Good.”
“One more thing, don’t ever reveal the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to the world when you return to the Star Boundary one day. Otherwise, you will be bringing trouble down on yourself.” She warned him with a stern expression. She was willing to believe in Yang Kai and his Embodiment, but that did not mean that others would. If the Iron Blood Great Emperor knew that there were people in this world cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he would be the first to attack. The rage of a Great Emperor was not something Yang Kai could withstand at his current realm.
“I know.” He nodded, secretly sighing in relief. [I’ve finally managed to get through this hurdle.]
Hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“What was the cultivation of that guy just now?”
She didn’t answer his question, choosing to reply with one of her own instead, “What do you think?”
“Great Emperor!” Yang Kai answered quickly. That was not some illusion or figment of his imagination. The feeling he got from the feather-crowned man was similar to when he was facing a Great Emperor.
The reason that man ended up with his pride wounded was that his strength had been suppressed here and because he had been looking down on Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai had met that man in the Star Boundary, he had the feeling that he would not have any power to fight back whatsoever.
Yang Yan smiled and shook her head.
“What?” Yang Kai looked shocked, “He’s not a Great Emperor? Don’t tell me he’s just a Third-Order Emperor? No, that can’t be, a Third-Order Emperor would not have such strength.”
“He is not a Third-Order Emperor either.”
Yang Kai was utterly dumbfounded, “Don’t tell me there’s another Realm between the Third-Order Emperor Realm and the Great Emperor Realm!”
“There’s no such thing. It’s just that that person… Is both a Great Emperor and not a Great Emperor at the same time!”
Yang Kai was confused by her words, “What do you mean?”
“How should I put it…” She pondered for a moment.
If any other First-Order Emperor had asked her this question, she would not have answered as sometimes, knowing too much without the strength to back it up could become a kind of obstacle in one’s cultivation journey. However, Yang Kai was no ordinary First-Order Emperor. With the power he had shown just now, he was more than qualified to know about this.
“Think of the world as a giant bottle, one filled with sand and the stones which represent cultivators. The capacity of the world as a bottle is limited.”
A corresponding image appeared in Yang Kai’s mind and he soon nodded slightly to indicate for her to continue.
“All the living creatures exist inside the bottle, each one insignificant on its own, but as a whole, they can fill the entire world. Furthermore, the larger the size of the clump of sand or stone, the stronger the power that person wields. In other words, the Great Emperors are the biggest stones inside the bottle!”
“And there is only space for ten such stones?” Yang Kai revealed a look of inquiry.
Yang Yan smiled in response, “Correct. The bottle might be large, but it can only accommodate ten stones. It can’t hold a single stone more than that. That’s why there have only ever been ten Great Emperors at once since ancient times. Regardless of how much time passes, this number will never change. However, that isn’t to say that there are only ten stones inside the bottle. Other powerful existences have surpassed the Emperor Realm but cannot receive the recognition of the World. These people are Great Emperors, but at the same time, they are not Great Emperors. From a cultivation standpoint, they are in the Realm of the Great Emperors, but due to the limitations of the bottle, they cannot become true Great Emperors.”
“Like that guy?”
She nodded.
“Like you?”
She smiled at those words but did not reply.
Yang Kai felt as though he received a sudden enlightenment. The long-standing question he had was finally answered. [No wonder there have only been ten Great Emperors throughout the ages. It turns out that there are limitations caused by the world’s capacity.]
It was just like how Tong Xuan Realm could only produce cultivators in the Saint Realm and the Star Field could only give birth to cultivators in the Origin King Realm. It was the limit of the world; it was beyond the control of mortals.
Similarly, the Star Boundary was limited to only accommodate ten Great Emperors at a time! Although many people were not inferior to the Great Emperors in terms of cultivation, they could not become true Great Emperors as long as the world did not recognize them. It was so for the feather-crowned man, Yang Yan, and all the others in the same situation. The same went for the Divine Spirits as well.
Yang Kai had always found it strange. The Divine Spirits were obviously stronger than those in the Emperor Realm and yet they could not compare to the strength of the Great Emperors. That question was finally explained today. The ten Great Emperors were existences recognized by the Star Boundary itself. They themselves were part of the Principles that govern the world. Even in the same cultivation realm, an ordinary Divine Spirit was no match for them if it came down to a fight.
“Are there many others like you?”
“You can say that there are many, but you can also say that there are not many.” Yang Yan smiled, “Most of them won’t reveal themselves, so there’s no need to worry about them.”
Existences like her were rare. Even so, as time passed, many people eventually reached this stage only to go unrecognized by the world and reach an impasse in their cultivation. Since their life spans were extremely long due to their cultivation, their numbers slowly grew over the millennia.
Yang Kai suddenly thought about something and frowned, “If it’s as you say… An eleventh Great Emperor can’t appear due to the limitations of the world. Then, what am I to do in the future?”
She looked astonished, “You sure are thinking far ahead into the future.”
He solemnly replied, “It’s only a matter of time.”
He was so certain that Yang Yan was stunned by his conviction. She smiled at him, “You can only wait until one of the Great Emperors passes and fight for that empty position.”
To which Yang Kai shook his head in response, “Who knows how long I’ll have to wait until one of them passes away.”
The lifespan of a Great Emperor was extremely long. If nothing unexpected were to happen, they could live tens of thousands of years… maybe even more… It might be an exaggeration to say that they would live until the end of the world, but the practical reality was not too far off from that statement.
“There is one other way.” Seeing that he was being very serious, Yang Yan couldn’t help entertaining him.
“What way?” His eyes lighting up at those words.
She reached out her hand and closed her fist, “Destroy one of the stones inside the bottle and the position will open up naturally.”
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment before nodding in agreement, “That’s a good idea. I guess I’ll have to find a Great Emperor and kill them in the future.”
She looked at him with a weird expression, “Are you serious?”
He laughed out loud, “Of course I’m joking, don’t get so worked up. The Great Emperors are recognized by the world, how could they be so easy to kill? I’m not that reckless.”
The succession of the ten Great Emperors would not take so long if it really were that easy. Still, it was undeniably one of the methods to choose from. Who would hesitate if it really reached the point where there was a fight for the Grand Dao? Were the Great Emperors impossible to kill? Four Great Emperors, excluding Wu Kuang, had fallen in the Great Emperor War. To some extent, the four Great Emperors who later broke through to reach that position had Wu Kuang to thank for giving them the opportunity. If Wu Kuang had not killed those four, they would still be waiting for a chance to become a Great Emperor today.
Seeing the unreadable expression on Yang Kai’s face, Yang Yan wasn’t sure whether he was seriously entertaining the idea, but she did not try to dissuade him, instead just hoping he would understand the difficulties of the task in the future.
Rubbing her temples, she continued, “Good. I’ve said everything I wanted to say. I should get going now.”
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Yang Kai grabbed her hand.
She glanced at him in disgust, “If you have something to say, then speak! Get your dirty mitts off me!”
He said, “Why don’t you visit High Heaven Sect? Great Elder Ye misses you very much.”
Ye Xi Yun and Yang Yan went way back together. If that were not the case, the former would not have come out of seclusion back then to help High Heaven Sect. She might not have much respect for Yang Kai as the Sect Master, but Ye Xi Yun practically worshipped Yang Yan.
“No need. You are this Star Field’s Master now. We will have many chances to meet again in the future.”
“Speaking of which, I remember something now. I’m going to bring the entire High Heaven Sect to the Star Boundary. Is that okay?”
“You’re moving the entire Sect?” Yang Yan was slightly surprised at his words.
“Is it not okay?”
She frowned, “Isn’t that a bit much?”
“Not really. It’s only about a few tens of thousands of them.”
“Only!?” Yang Yan looked at him in annoyance, “In each Star Field, only the cultivators who reach the peak have the right to open the Starlight Corridor and enter the Star Boundary. For each Star Field, no more than five cultivators enter the Star Boundary every hundred years on average, yet you want to bring more than 10,000 people to Star Boundary all at once!? Don’t you think it’s too much!? Don’t you think it’s unfair to the other Star Fields!?”
“It’s not too much, and it’s not unfair!”
“Stop speaking nonsense with such a straight face!”
“It’s their own fault for not having a good superior.”
“As a Star Envoy. It is my duty to protect the balance of the Star Fields! I cannot condone your dishonest behaviour!”
“Why can’t you close an eye to this on account of our friendship? We created High Heaven Sect together. As the saying goes, ‘When one man ascends to the Heavens, his entire family goes with him’. I am now the Master of this Star Field, and you are its Star Envoy. I am asking for the good of Heng Luo Star Field!” Yang Kai argued back angrily.
In his plan, he not only wanted to relocate High Heaven Sect as a whole, but he also wanted to gather up all those with talent in Heng Luo Star Field to support him.
“Hahaha, that’s your problem.”
Yang Kai was hoping to argue his stance a little more; however, he suddenly raised his brow and followed Yang Yan’s gaze to the side. Since just now, she had been staring at Gun-Gun the whole time they were speaking.
[Isn’t she acting a little weird?]
Then, he grinned and said, “Me returning to the Star Boundary alone isn’t a problem, right?”
“Of course that’s okay.” She slowly withdrew her gaze and lowered her voice, “Little brat, you better show some restraint. If Iron Blood notices you, you will be done for.”
“I know! I know!” Similarly, Yang Kai responded softly, a mischievous glint flashing across his eyes.
“Alright, then that settles it. I’m going back now. I still need to register you. Otherwise, your title as a Star Field Master will be considered illegal. You can only hold your position secure if the Star Court approves of it.” She lowered her head to look down at his hand on her arm and sneered, “Hey, you better get your head screwed on properly. In the future, I’ll be your superior. You can’t show such disrespect for me!”
He hurriedly released her arm and awkwardly straightened out the wrinkles before stepping back and cupping his fists, “Safe travels, Madam!”
Yang Yan showed a triumphant expression that seemed to indicate that he was a promising young man worth educating, then something flashed in her hands and a sharp sword suddenly appeared. From its appearance, it looked like the same one the feather-crowned man had. Obviously, the Star Severing Sword was part of the standard equipment handed to Star Envoys. With a flash of sword light, Yang Yan shattered space and transformed into a spot of light that gradually disappeared from his vision.
Yang Kai shouted after her, “By the way, I created High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory! Come visit us whenever you have the time!”
The light disappeared, and he had no idea whether she had heard what he said. Looking in the direction she left, he suddenly felt a sense of loss. It took a long while before he slapped his thigh and muttered with regret, “I forgot to ask her where the Star Court was located…”
Still, that was only a minor issue. Just as she mentioned, there would be many chances for them to meet in the future.
Thinking back on his life, he came from nothing but was now a Star Field Master. He also successfully established a stable foundation in the Star Boundary. He only spent around a hundred years to achieve these feats, so what would it be like in another hundred years?
Be that as it may, the position of Great Emperor needed to be contested. If it really came down to a fight, then he would not hesitate to break one of the stones in the bottle.
[But… Who should I choose?]
Yang Kai was suddenly faced with an extremely difficult dilemma. The scenario at this moment was as though an ant was trying to figure out a way to kill an elephant. If Yang Yan saw him like this, she would have mocked him mercilessly.
Yang Kai rubbed his head roughly to clear his thoughts before communicating with the Star Field Source and immersing himself into it. A majestic image of his figure appeared inside the boundless darkness next and glancing out, he shouted, “Hey, you pitiful dog, Wu Heng! I will let you off today, but if you dare to encroach on Heng Luo Star Field again, don’t blame me for showing no mercy to you!”
In the Starry Sky of Grand Desolation Star Field, Wu Heng glared at the churning darkness with great ferocity, his eyes filled with hatred and anxiety. His complexion paled all of a sudden and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
This time around, he really lost his rice after trying to steal a chicken. He had originally wanted to devour Heng Luo Star Field to help improve his cultivation, but who could have known that things would backfire on him instead? He failed to gain anything, while on the contrary, the opposing party devoured millions of kilometres of his Starry Sky and destroyed several of his Cultivation Stars instead.
The loss of his Starry Sky and his Cultivation Stars for no apparent reason had resulted in damage to the Source Strength of Grand Desolation Star Field and it now seemed to be punishing him. The Source that he had refined was showing signs of rebelling already, so how could he withstand being agitated by Yang Kai now?
Wu Heng was tempted to rush to the opposite side to fight to the death with Yang Kai; however, he became despondent again the moment he recalled the instructions the Star Envoy had issued before leaving.
[Even Sir Star Envoy could not help me, so what can I do on my own? How am I supposed to exact my revenge?]
Wu Heng was currently a Third-Order Emperor, so only the Great Emperor Realm remained. He was an ambitious one though, so how could he possibly accept his defeat and downfall at this point? Still, ten years was not too long for a gentleman’s revenge, so he would just have to take his time with this matter.
He did not dare to respond to Yang Kai’s provocations and there was no way for him to respond either. After a long time, the churning darkness stabilized, re-forming a kind of barrier between the two Star Fields. At the same time, it felt like a scar was left in his mind.
As of this moment, Yang Kai had already ridden on Gun-Gun and returned to Shadowed Star. The problems in the Star Field were more or less resolved, but it had taken more than 10 years of effort. Before coming here, he never imagined that it would take such a long time. Even so, everything was worth it. The Star Field was peaceful again; furthermore, he became its Master and Yang Yan became his immediate superior. Having somebody to take care of him whenever something occurs made him feel rather happy.
A short while later, he arrived at Shadowed Star and left Gun-Gun in the Starry Sky for it to digest its ‘food’. Meanwhile, he went back to High Heaven Sect by himself.
Inside a pavilion at the top of the Main Peak of High Heaven Sect, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yue had gathered together. They were chatting about something and their alluring laughter rang out continuously.
Yang Kai appeared suddenly and coughed lightly. Rubbing his palms together as he warmly said, “Ladies, I’m back. Many thanks for waiting for such a long time.”
The chattering laughter disappeared instantly, and several pairs of beautiful eyes swept towards Yang Kai.
Xia Ning Chang got up excitedly, “Junior Brother!”
“Hmph!” Shan Qing Luo snorted, grabbed Xia Ning Chang’s arm and made her sit back down. Xia Ning Chang looked at him apologetically and stuck her tongue out with an expression of helplessness.
Similarly, Su Yan and Xue Yue retracted their gazes and continued talking to each other in low voices. One was expressionless while the other had a smile that was not a smile on their face.
Aside from Xia Ning Chang, the other three women were acting as if he was invisible to them.
Yang Kai’s eyes widened in surprise. [What’s going on?]
Meanwhile, Liu Yan was sitting next to Su Yan. He glanced at her and silently mouthed several words at her. She lifted her small hand and made a swiping gesture around her neck. She even stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes backwards, imitating the look of a dead person.
He laughed and immediately understood the situation. These women were probably blaming him for disappearing for so many years without sending them any news. They were working together to punish him. Still, he was not afraid.
[Oh, well. They are women after all. I just have to coax them. If that doesn’t work, we’ll see each other in bed.]
Just as he was about to speak, he saw a small figure crawling out from under the stone table, running over to stand in front of him, putting her hands on her waist, and looking up at him. He studied the little figure in surprise. The little figure turned out to be a four or five-year-old girl. She was born strong and healthy, looking innocent and cute with her hair tied into twin pigtails. Moreover, she was dressed quite well. She wore a gold locket around her neck and several silver bracelets around her wrists. They sparkled in the light and seemed to be rather powerful artifacts.
Their gazes met, and he was astounded beyond words as he wondered, [Whose child is this?]
The little girl pointed at him and spoke in a child-like voice, “Who are you!? Why have I never seen you before!?”
He immediately felt his spirits lifting. Crouching down, he asked, “What kind of person do you think I am?”
She tilted her head to the side and studied him carefully. After a moment, she shook her head, “You don’t look like a good person. Take my fist!”
Her tender little hand clenched into a ball and she sent out a punch towards his face. However, Yang Kai just gently used a single finger to block her attack. The little girl was shocked. Despite using all her strength, she couldn’t even budge this evil man’s finger. She became so worked up that her face flushed from her efforts as she kept up a babble of noises.
When Yang Kai relaxed his hand suddenly, the little girl became unsteady on her feet and fell towards him. Catching her, he stretched out his hand and pinched her cheeks. Her small face instantly changed shape, stretching out to the sides.
His actions clearly enraged her, and she punched and kicked at him repeatedly.
He lifted his head to ask, “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”
Shan Qing Luo turned around and crossed her knee over her leg. The flesh of her inner thighs was faintly visible, making it seem irresistible. She looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “Whose child can she be? She’s right here. Isn’t it obvious that she’s part of our family?”
Yang Kai exclaimed in shock, “Our family!?”
He quickly turned the little girl in his arms around, looked at her carefully, and widened his eyes in astonishment, “Hey, she actually looks a little like me!” He had not paid much attention before, but with Shan Qing Luo’s comment, he noticed that the little girl’s eyes were similar to his own.
“We had a child!?” He held the little girl and lifted her high into the air while laughing.
In the midst of his laughter though, he suddenly couldn’t bring himself to laugh anymore. His brow twitching, he looked at the little girl and asked, “How old are you?”
The little girl ignored his question and waved a clenched fist at him, “Put me down right now or I’ll get rough with you!” Her voice was incredibly childlike, but her attitude was extremely big. Of course, although she was flailing about wildly, she could not even touch a single hair on his head.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at the others and asked seriously, “How old is she?”
[Could it be that she is not just four or five years old but more than ten years old? She can’t be that young if she is a child from our family.]
Shan Qing Luo quietly replied, “She just turned five.”
“Five… years old!?” Yang Kai gnashed his teeth violently, the veins in his forehead bulging and twitching. He was away for ten years, so how could he have a five-year-old child?
Babies were made between a man and woman, they don’t just pop out of a rock!
All of a sudden, he noticed Shan Qing Luo’s expression. Her delighted expression looked like she was watching a good show. Even Xue Yue’s shoulders were trembling slightly, like she was holding in her laughter. On the other hand, Su Yan had her back to him so he couldn’t read her expression while Xia Ning Chang looked troubled. Hence, he instantly understood the situation and smiled, “Whose child is she?”
Shan Qing Luo changed her sitting posture, uncrossing and crossing her legs the other way round, a smile hanging at the corners of her lips, “Will you believe me if I say she’s mine?”
He shook his head in response, “No, I won’t.”
It would seem that asking them anything else would be fruitless. These women had clearly agreed to make him the butt of the joke. They even found a little girl from somewhere to aid their plan.
[It seems like Little Senior Sister was about to tell me, but she didn’t dare to provoke the others, so she decided to keep quiet in the end. There’s no need to say anything though, this is definitely the work of Shan Qing Luo, that devilish woman! She is the only one that dares to act so wantonly!]
“Did you think I won’t find out just because you won’t tell me?” He scoffed. Putting his four fingers together, he tapped with his thumb for a moment before muttering, “Let me see… Aha! I have it! Are you my little sister?”
He was originally the Star Master of Shadowed Star, and although he gave up that status to refine the entire Star Field instead, it was still a piece of cake for him to silently gather some intelligence. It only took a moment for all sorts of information from High Heaven Sect to flow into his mind, and he came to a surprising conclusion, this little girl was his biological sister!
[I actually have a younger sister!?]
He suddenly recalled that his mother might have mentioned something like that the last time he came back to visit them; however, he never expected to see that it had worked out so quickly.
[Father sure is strong and healthy for his age!] Yang Kai felt impressed. Upon learning the little girl’s identity, he became more cordial towards her. He vaguely felt a subtle yet unbreakable connection between himself and the child in front of him. That was the connection known as blood relationship.
[No wonder I felt as though her eyes were similar to mine. It’s not strange since we are siblings.]
He gently placed the girl down, but to his surprise, she actually kicked at him and angrily declared, “I am your Great Aunt!”
“You’re so small, but your temper sure is big!” Yang Kai laughed.
Even though he did not move, that little girl’s kick hit nothing but air. Furious, she prepared to kick him again only to see him curling one finger and lightly flicking at her forehead.
With a soft thud, the little girl staggered backwards. She covered her forehead with her hands and looked at Yang Kai in shock, as if she never expected that he would dare to hit her.
Everyone in High Heaven Sect treated her preciously and complied with all her wishes ever since the day she was born. Ordinary children would not have received such treatment, but she was different. She was the daughter of Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu, the younger sister of Yang Kai. Even the Sect Masters of all the top Sects on Shadowed Star had to address her as the ‘Second Young Lady’. Moreover, her Sisters-In-Law doted over her. They gave her everything she ever wanted, seemingly willing to pick the Stars and the Moon for her.
Therefore, the little girl could almost be considered a queen in High Heaven Sect. Forget about being hit, she had never even suffered a single harsh word. As such, she was stunned by the fact that she was hit today.
“I am your Big Brother!” Yang Kai looked at her with a smile, “Don’t get the hierarchy between us wrong.”
The little girl blinked her eyes and her mouth twitched. She seemed about to burst into tears.
“You are not allowed to cry!” He flexed his middle finger again, acting like he was going to flick her forehead again.
The corners of her mouth were completely downturned. Even so, she held in her tears and did not cry. She simply turned her head to look at her Sisters-In-Law, as if asking for reinforcements. Unfortunately for her, Su Yan remained motionless, Xue Yue pretended not to see, and Shan Qing Luo was watching the events unfolding with great interest. Only Xia Ning Chang still had the same troubled expression on her face.
The Second Young Lady of the Yang Family might be a little pampered and spoiled, but she was not a bad-natured or wicked child. Xia Ning Chang had spent the most time with her and had the deepest understanding of her.
One time, when the little girl had been playing in the back mountains, it suddenly began to rain heavily; however, instead of running back home, she braved the storm and seemed to be busy working on something under a tree. Xia Ning Chang watched curiously and discovered that there was an ant’s nest under the tree and the little girl was building a shelter for them out of leaves. She was only three years old at the time.
After seeing that, Xia Ning Chang pampered and doted on the little girl even more than ever. It was rare for a child to have such a kind nature, so Xia Ning Chang wanted to show her all the favour and love in the world.
“You know how to judge the difference in strength,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, raised his hand and rubbed her head a few times, “This is the first thing Big Brother will teach you, forbearance. A person will break easily if they are too rigid or stubborn, do you understand?”
The little girl nodded blankly, but obviously did not quite understand what he meant.
He laughed and said, “Look at you. You still won’t admit that you’ve lost. Let’s do this then. If I can guess your name, you will call me ‘Big Brother’. Okay?”
The little girl angrily said, “Deal!”
She felt a little smug inside.
[It’s the first time we’ve ever met each other. How can he know my name?]
It was too bad that she didn’t wonder how he knew that she was his sister even though it was their first time meeting.
Putting his fingers together again, he smiled, “Yang Xue?”
“H-How did you know!?” Yang Xue widened her eyes, thinking that Yang Kai was incredibly amazing. Her clear eyes were filled with admiration.
“Just tell me whether I’m right or not,” Yang Kai said.
She let her hands hang by her sides and dejectedly admitted, “You’re right!”
He prompted, “So, what should you do?”
Pouting, she turned her head away and reluctantly muttered, “Big Brother…”
He smiled, “This is the second lesson Big Brother will teach you. A person is only as good as their word, you must never break your promises!”
“En,” she looked thoughtful.
“Alright, that’s it for today. Go back and tell our parents that I will visit them in a few days,” While speaking, he shot a look at Liu Yan.
Liu Yan stood up from where she sat next to Su Yan, walked to Yang Xue, and stretched out a small hand. Yang Xue voluntarily took the hand stretched out to her, then Liu Yan pushed her strength slightly and the two little figures immediately flew down the peak. During that time, Yang Xue looked back at Yang Kai a few times.
“They sure look like sisters.” Yang Kai watched them leave with a smile. His heart felt warm.
Yang Xue was only five years old, while Liu Yan appeared to be a girl of seven or eight years, so it was only natural that they would look like sisters when standing next to each other.
Turning around, he lowered his gaze and grinned widely, “Who was it that just said she gave birth to Xue’er?”
“I’ll be leaving first!” Su Yan got up and tried to leave.
“Thinking about it, I have something to do too,” Xue Yue looked flustered.
Xia Ning Chang blushed furiously and stammered, “My pills…”
Only Shan Qing Luo remained motionless, staring at Yang Kai provocatively.
“Are you trying to leave now? It’s too late! Stop right there!” Yang Kai laughed mockingly before using his words to mobilize the world’s power. The surrounding space became a prison, and the four women immediately froze in place. Only their eyes could move.
He calmly walked over to Shan Qing Luo with his hands behind his back and held her smooth chin with one hand. Leaning close to her, he whispered, “You were the one who said those words just now, right?”
“Bah!” Shan Qing Luo scoffed lightly in disdain, “So what if I did?”
He nodded, “Good. It looks like you really want to have a baby after all. As your husband, I will do as you wish.”
“Hmph! That’s only if you have the ability to do so!” She snorted.
“You will know soon as to whether or not I have that ability.” After saying that, he walked over to Xue Yue, stretched out his finger, and stroked her face lightly, trailing it all the way down her neck, causing her to blush furiously in response, her tender body trembling.
“Do you still remember the promise from back then?”
She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “What promise!?”
To which Yang Kai laughed, “You said it yourself. If I can help Ning Chang fully recover, you will…”
“Don’t say it! Don’t you dare say it!” She panicked. At the time, she had been so worried about Xia Ning Chang that she did not hesitate to agree to anything. It was only afterwards that she came back to her senses and realized how inappropriate it was. Although she was well-versed in these matters now, she had never acted so outrageously before. She felt frightened whenever she thought about the promise she made, let alone facing it in person. Fortunately, there had been no news from him for the past ten years. Who could have known that it would be the first thing he brought up the moment he returned?
“What promise?” Xia Ning Chang asked curiously as it sounded like this matter was related to her.
He replied, “Xue Yue said that as long as I could restore you back to full health, she would let me be with you all at once…” He stretched out his hands and made a few obscene gestures.
“What!?” Xia Ning Chang was shocked, and her face turned bright red, stuttering out loud, “H-How can that be…”
Shan Qing Luo glanced sideways at Xue Yue and said in astonishment, “That’s surprising. I couldn’t tell that you have such an open-minded side to you, Little Sister Yue. But, it’s a good idea!” She looked eager to try. In fact, she seemed even more interested than Yang Kai was.
“You think it’s a good idea too, don’t you?” Yang Kai turned and looked at her.
“Of course!” The look in Shan Qing Luo’s eyes was velvety, almost as if she could already imagine the scene.
*Pa…*
He snapped his fingers, and Shan Qing Luo immediately regained her freedom. Standing up, she walked over to Xue Yue, bent down, and blew in Xue Yue’s ears, “I might think it’s a good idea, but I don’t like the idea of being sold off in secret. Little Sister Yue, how do you think I should punish you later?”
After Shan Qing Luo softly blew her ears, Xue Yue was feeling extremely ticklish. Closing her eyes, she said dejectedly, “Qing Luo, how can you help a tyrant oppress the innocent?”
Shan Qing Luo chuckled, “You were the one who made that promise, so why can’t I accept it?”
“I didn’t agree to this!” A frosty voice rang out and it instantly made the surrounding temperature plummet.
Shan Qing Luo straightened back up and glanced over at Yang Kai upon hearing that, “Husband, Big Sister says she disagrees.”
Yang Kai laughed, “You don’t have a say today. Luo’er, bring Xue Yue over!” While speaking, he wrapped one arm around Xia Ning Chang and wrapped the other arm around Su Yan. After that, he headed toward the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Shan Qing Luo stretched out her hand, placed it on Xue Yue’s shoulder, and flew into the sky, following closely behind Yang Kai.
Soon, three tender bodies lay on top of a large bed, with Yang Kai and Shan Qing Luo standing side by side, smiling slyly as if they were weasels that had stolen a chicken.
Xia Ning Chang closed her eyes tightly, her long eyelashes trembling as if she had resigned to her fate. Xue Yue turned her head away, biting her cherry lips softly in anxiety. Only Su Yan glared at Yang Kai coldly, a frigid aura radiating from her entire body, “Release me immediately. Otherwise, don’t blame me for ruining your fun.”
“Luo’er, take care of her!” Yang Kai pointed at Su Yan.
“I guarantee your satisfaction!” Shan Qing Luo laughed lightly as she walked over to Su Yan and looked into the latter’s eyes. Then, her beautiful eyes instantly transformed into a well of spring water, exuding an alluring charm. She had the Bloodline and Source of the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, so she was inherently proficient in the art of seduction. If Su Yan had access to her full strength, she could have shrugged off such a technique, but unfortunately for her, her cultivation was currently being suppressed by Yang Kai. Even moving a single finger was extremely difficult, so how could she defend against such an attack?
Su Yan met Shan Qing Luo’s gaze and felt herself sinking into a whirlpool. Her icy-cold body gradually began to heat up, and a pleasant sensation washed over her. After a short while, the ice began to melt…
Amorous sounds could soon be heard from a myriad of voices…
…..
A few days later, Yang Kai brought Su Yan and others to visit his parents. It was only to be expected that he couldn’t escape from being reprimanded by Dong Su Zhu. Fortunately, she had little Xue’er accompanying her so his mother wasn’t as lonely as before.
Since the previous incident, Yang Xue seemed to be a little in awe of her Big Brother and kept glancing timidly at him. Later, Yang Kai took her around the magnificent and beautiful Starry Sky on a sightseeing tour, causing his position in her heart to rise by leaps and bounds. It soon surpassed Xia Ning Chang and the others to a place right behind their parents.
While Yang Kai was spending a few days with his parents and enjoying this family time, the preparations for the relocation of the entire High Heaven Sect were also in full swing under his orders. All the major Sects on Shadowed Star gathered together to find out more information about the matter when they heard the news, and upon receiving a confirmation from Ye Xi Yun, they became ecstatic and overjoyed. All of them expressed that they wished to join in on the ride.
As per Yang Kai’s instructions, Ye Xi Yun neither agreed nor disagreed with their requests. She simply asked them to go back, select their best disciples, and gather at High Heaven Sect again. There were already quite a lot of people in High Heaven Sect itself, so if Yang Kai planned to bring those from the other Sects along as well, the number would certainly exceed a hundred thousand.
Even if High Heaven Palace had a good heritage, it could not afford to feed so many people all at once; thus, Yang Kai had no choice but to be selective.
And this situation wasn’t unique to Shadowed Star; all the Cultivation Stars across the entire Star Field received this grand news. Yang Kai, the Star Field Master, was planning to leave the Star Field and head to a higher world, but before he left, he was going to bring a group of excellent cultivators with him.
These cultivators would be chosen through several different types of rigorous selection methods, and each Cultivation Star only had at most a thousand spots. The cultivations of these candidates did not matter, only their aptitude would be considered. No matter how high one’s cultivation was here, it could not exceed the Star Field’s limit of the Origin King Realm, which was nothing in Star Boundary. Hence, what Yang Kai wanted was talent. He wanted those with excellent aptitude who would one day become the pillars of support for High Heaven Palace. It had nothing to do with their current cultivation. As long as they had the aptitude, they could be nurtured in High Heaven Palace.
Following that news, the entire Star Field trembled.
If Grand Desolation Star Field’s invasion brought disaster to Heng Luo Star Field, then this was a huge blessing. Being able to reach the sky in a single bound was something to be celebrated. Any cultivator with the slightest bit of ambition would not want to miss this chance; therefore, all the Cultivation Stars in the entire Star Field became lively within a short time.
During this period, Yang Kai took the opportunity to bring Su Yan to a world of ice and snow. When he first entered the Star Boundary, he had gained huge benefits by virtue of being a Star Master. Now that he was going to bring Su Yan and the others back to the Star Boundary, it was only natural that he wanted them to become Star Masters before they left.
Xia Ning Chang was the Star Master of Tong Xuan Realm, so she didn’t need to go to the trouble of doing so. On the other hand, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, and Xue Yue had never refined a Star Source before.
Although Yang Kai still had some remaining Star Sources in his possession, they all originated from the Shattered Star Sea and their corresponding Stars had long been destroyed, so there was no room for further growth. In that case, it would be better to refine the Star Source of a Cultivation Star in Heng Luo Star Field.
As the Star Field Master, Yang Kai could understand the situation in the Star Field just by referring to the Star Chart in his Knowledge Sea. For that reason, he could easily choose the most suitable objects of refining for his three women.
Shan Qing Luo was accompanied by Lu San Niang, while Xue Yue was accompanied by Liu Yan. Both were heading towards good destinations. Between their cultivation and the Star Refining Art, there was no danger to them whatsoever. Conversely, he needed to watch over Su Yan in person.
Although Su Yan was already in the Dao Source Realm, the Star he had chosen for her was a little unusual.
The entire Star was pure white, and when viewed from the Starry Sky, it looked like a huge ball of ice, magnificent.
Ice Soul Star.
This Cultivation Star was an extremely famous existence in the Star Field, one Yang Kai had already heard of before he left the Star Field the first time but had never had the chance to see for himself.
Ice Soul Star was extremely inhospitable, making it uninhabitable for both Humans and Monster Beasts, a completely untouched pure land; however, its unique World Principles actually gave birth to a group of extremely strange beings known as the Ice Spirits!
The Ice Spirit Clan was extremely scarce in number, and could not be found anywhere else in the Star Field. They could only live on Ice Soul Star. Needless to say, they were not afraid of the cold. The freezing aura was the cradle of their growth, so the colder the environment, the happier they were.
It was said that the Ice Spirit Clan was extremely hospitable at the beginning. If wandering travellers were to arrive on Ice Soul Star by accident, these travellers would be received warmly. Unfortunately, the Ice Spirits gradually became more and more xenophobic as time went by. That was because the guests they received would often turn around and cause them harm instead.
The men of the Ice Spirit Clan were extraordinarily handsome, while the women were as beautiful as blooming ice flowers. Coupled with their special bodies and unique physiques, they were naturally coveted by others.
What’s more, since Ice Spirits were born from such a unique environment, those who cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts saw them as incredible resources to rapidly gain strength. Simply capturing any random Ice Spirit for dual cultivation would allow a cultivator to accumulate strength rapidly. Furthermore, there were no hidden dangers in this undertaking.
For that reason, many who cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts held malicious intentions toward the Ice Spirits. Even if they did not cultivate Ice Attribute Secret Arts, they could still sell the Ice Spirits at exorbitant prices if they could capture one. It was just that capturing a live Ice Spirit was extremely difficult. It was rumoured that the Ice Spirits would die of heartbreak if they experienced sadness. Even though there had been Ice Spirits who were caught, sold, or even defiled, they would not survive the night away from home. Only a few Masters had powerful enough Divine Abilities to keep the captured Ice Spirits alive, change their inherent nature, and make them obey.
The existence of a single Ice Spirit was of great value, so what more could be said about the entire Ice Soul Star? It was practically a treasure trove.
Ice Soul Star was extremely cold, and the unique environment created numerous special products. Many incredibly precious Ice Attribute spirit flowers and spirit grasses grew on this Star. There were even many species of Spirit Herbs long thought extinct that grew on this Star.
Even if not for the Ice Spirits, who could easily die of a broken heart, the world covered in treasures was enough to entice many cultivators to brave its dangers.
Ice Soul Star was deserving of its fame. When Yang Kai and Su Yan arrived, they saw that the world of ice and snow was enveloped in a layer of silver. It was an extremely enchanting sight. The plants, the land, the mountains, and the rivers seemed to be carved from ice. They were crystal clear and incredibly gorgeous. The mountains were covered in Ice Attribute spirit flowers and exotic grasses. These Ice Attribute spirit herbs were exceedingly rare in the outside world but could be found everywhere here.
However, these items no longer held much use for both Yang Kai and Su Yan even though they were highly valued in the Star Field. They were simply amazed for a moment but had no intention of collecting these herbs.
It was extremely cold here, so most people could not stay for a long time. Fortunately, Yang Kai’s body was tough and his cultivation was superb, so he was naturally not afraid of a little bit of cold. Similarly, Su Yan did not find the cold uncomfortable. Rather, she felt a sense of joy comparable to the feeling of returning home. When she came to this Star, she could feel the power in her body flowing more smoothly. This freezing cold environment did not suppress her strength and instead bolstered it.
She cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art and possessed the Ice Phoenix Source inheritance; therefore, an environment like this was perfect for her. This was like her natural habitat. If she had cultivated in this environment for an extended period of time, then the speed of her cultivation would be beyond the reach of anyone.
Yang Kai summoned his Embodiment to clear the way for them while he led Su Yan all the way down, diving deep into the Star to search for Ice Soul Star’s Source.
The Stone Spirit Clan was good at Earth Escape Techniques as they had the innate ability to swim through rock and soil with ease.
A quarter-hour later, the darkness in front of them brightened suddenly. They had arrived at an underground cave. The surrounding environment was getting colder and colder, which amazed Yang Kai greatly. Although he was not affected by this place, he had a feeling that even a Third-Order Origin King would not last long here unless they cultivated an Ice Attribute Secret Art.
Ice Soul Star was like a dead zone in the Star Field. Unless one exceeded the limit of the Origin King Realm, they could not come here to take a closer look; however, the highest one could reach in the Star Field was the Third-Order Origin King Realm.
Ice-blue flames flickered inside the cave, delivering an extremely cold aura. Just a glance at these flames seemed to make one’s Soul freeze. It was obviously a kind of Spirit Flame; moreover, it was a freezing type of flame, which made one realize just how unpredictable nature and the work of the Heavens was. There was a relatively conspicuous ball of light at the centre of the cave that was twisting, wriggling, and changing constantly, seemingly containing spirituality.
“Is this the Star Source?” Su Yan asked, turning her head to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai looked at it for a while before he grinned, “It’s a fake.”
“A fake?” She was taken aback by those words.
“En, a fake!” He repeated with certainty. Yang Kai had come into contact with thousands of Star Sources; plus, he was now the Star Field’s Master, so it was only natural that he could see through the deception in front of them at a glance. That was a condensation of the ice-cold flames. It was not the Ice Soul Star’s Source but a trap.
*Pa…*
With a snap of his fingers, the cave was filled with light and one by one, lifelike ice sculptures suddenly came into view. These ice sculptures maintained a seated cross-legged posture, scattered around every corner of the cave.
As the light was very dim inside the cave and there was no flow of aura whatsoever, all Su Yan’s attention had been attracted by the ‘Source’, so she failed to notice these things before.
“These are…” She frowned.
“Probably the people who came here in hopes of refining Ice Soul Star’s Source.”
Su Yan looked around carefully and discovered that there were more than just a few dozen or so ice sculptures in the surrounding area. There were hundreds of them! If it was just as Yang Kai had claimed, then all these people had died here trying to refine the Ice Soul Star’s Source. How strong were the people with the qualifications to enter this place and attempt to refine the Source? They were definitely all Third-Order Origin Kings!
They had died very peacefully, with not the slightest sign of pain on their faces. It was as if they had ended their lives while in a deep sleep; in other words, they were completely unaware that death was coming for them when they died!
Never had the Source of any other Cultivation Star been so dangerous before. Ice Soul Star was probably unique in that regard; there was no other Cultivation Star like it in the entire Star Field. To think that it caused so many Third-Order Origin Kings to die without even knowing.
Looking at the clothes they were wearing, Su Yan immediately noticed that their robes exhibited the flow of time. The people who died here were not from the same era. These Third-Order Origin Kings came from vastly different ages, separated by thousands of years, maybe even tens of thousands of years.
She felt a chill running through her body. Although she was now in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, the consequences would have been dire if she had come alone and attempted to refine the so-called ‘Source’.
“The Source is not here!” Yang Kai shook his head.
“Where is it?” Su Yan asked.
He looked around and fixed his gaze on a certain spot. Then, he smiled, “It’s there!”
At that moment, he clearly felt someone spying on them. It was very well concealed, but there was no way it could hide from his perception. Tracing it back to its roots, Yang Kai immediately locked onto its position.
Under normal circumstances, a Star Source was close to but not a real living being. Despite it being a manifestation of the World’s Will, it was incapable of thinking or moving on its own, but Ice Soul Star’s Source seemed different. It seemed to have true spirituality!
[Interesting. How interesting!] Yang Kai suddenly recalled the Source Strength of Tong Xuan Realm that he once saw back then. When Tong Xuan Realm’s World Energy was exhausted and the world was on the verge of collapse, the Star Source had been unwilling to quietly wait for its death; thus, it transformed into a grey mass that travelled all over the world. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, it encountered Xia Ning Chang, and in the end, it was refined by her and revived from its withered state.
The Star Source of Ice Soul Star was similar to that of Tong Xuan Realm’s.
Tong Xuan Realm had been about to collapse, and aware of the crisis, the Star Source had taken the initiative to seek opportunities for its survival; however, this was not the case for Ice Soul Star.
[Can a Star Source actually give birth to sentience?] Yang Kai was filled with a strong sense of curiosity and had a feeling that Su Yan’s trip was going to be very beneficial.
Following the path created by his Embodiment, he hugged Su Yan and carried her upward to soon arrive on the surface of the Star again.
Unlike the calm from before, the entire Ice Soul Star was currently engulfed in a blizzard, with cold winds and frigid ice cutting through everything like knives. A thick layer of clouds gathered in the sky; lightning flashed and thunder boomed as though the Star was roaring in a fit of rage.
Seeing this, Yang Kai broke into a huge grin, lifted his hands to the sky, and waved his arm as he roared, “Disperse!”
The thunder was extinguished, the lightning stopped, and the blizzard ceased. Subsequently, a bright and clear sky appeared, with not a cloud in sight for ten thousand kilometres.
He might not be the Master of Ice Soul Star, but his status as a Star Field Master was higher than that of a mere Star Master. With a few gestures, he could manipulate even the World Principles here, so controlling the weather of a Star was child’s play to him.
The Star Source hiding in the dark seemed to realize that something was wrong and no longer confronted Yang Kai in an overbearing manner. Instead, an ice bridge that seemed to connect Heaven and the Earth suddenly appeared amidst the ice and snow. It began from where Yang Kai and Su Yan were standing and connected to an unknown destination far off into the distance. The ice bridge was beautifully carved, pure and flawless. Moreover, its sudden appearance nearly shocked Su Yan out of her skin.
Yang Kai laughed heartily, “It seems to be rather hospitable. Let’s go.”
Of course, if not for Yang Kai’s extraordinary display of power, he would never have enjoyed such courtesy. Taking Su Yan’s hand, he stepped onto the ice bridge. There was no need to expend any strength, but even so, they headed towards the end of the ice bridge at a very fast pace.
…..
Atop a certain snow-covered mountain, a cold voice sounded, “There are guests. Prepare to greet them.”
The snow-covered mountain trembled and numerous figures emerged from the ice caves, one after another. These people looked no different from ordinary Humans at first glance; however, one would realize that they were not Humans upon closer look. Each of these figures looked like they were carved from jade, pure and flawless. The men were handsome while the women were gorgeous. They were all dressed in white, and their sharp ears resembled that of beasts. Surprisingly, their sharp ears did not destroy their overall beauty but added a noble temperament to them instead. They were the Spirits of the ice and snow. They were the Ice Spirit Clan that remained unsullied by the outside world.
There were as many as tens of thousands of Ice Spirits on the snow-covered mountain. If others knew of this, they would surely go mad with greed. Just a single Ice Spirit could sell for exorbitant prices in the Star Field, so what more need be said about tens of thousands? Their existence in itself was a huge and unparalleled wealth.
Many Ice Spirits seemed shocked. They looked at each other, seemingly unable to believe what they had just heard. The owner of that cold voice just now was the supreme existence within the Ice Spirit Clan, the foundation of the Ice Spirit Clan’s birth, their Ice Deity.
The Ice Spirits were xenophobic. They had no friends of the other races. Therefore, they were astonished, to say the least, to hear the Ice Deity saying that they had a visitor.
They wondered. [Since when has the Ice Spirit Clan needed to welcome guests?] Even so, it was the command of the Ice Deity, so even if they held doubts in their hearts, they still quickly hurried to make preparations.
Ice Spirits were extremely pure, not just physically, but mentally too. With a kind of innocence born of that purity, they did not dare to disrespect the Ice Deity’s words.
Soon after, an ice bridge stretched from a distant place and connected to the side of the snow-covered mountain.
A man and a woman travelled side by side on the ice bridge and quickly arrived at the end of the ice bridge.
After landing on the ground, Yang Kai immediately looked around in surprise. It was his first time seeing the fabled Ice Spirits, and with the perception of his Divine Sense, he saw that the bodies of these Ice Spirits seemed to be made from ice crystals. Their entire being exuded freezing cold aura, one that was quite strong and penetrating. Moreover, cultivation seemed to be meaningless to them. Classifications such as the Origin King Realm or the Origin Returning Realm could not sum up their strength, nevertheless, he could tell that many among the Ice Spirits were not inferior to Origin Kings.
[What a powerful force!] Yang Kai secretly felt shocked. It was difficult to believe that there was such a group of powerful Masters in the Star Field.
[If Netherworld Sect attacked Ice Soul Star when it invaded the Star Field, it would have been wiped out. There would have been no need for me to take action.]
Fortunately, the Ice Spirit Clan rarely appeared in the outside world, only being active on Ice Soul Star. Otherwise, they were fully capable of ruling over the entire Star Field.
A handsome male Ice Spirit stepped forward and asked curiously, “Are you the guests of the Ice Deity?”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “If nobody else came, then we probably are.”
[The Ice Deity… I wonder if that is a self-proclaimed title or one given by the Ice Spirit Clan to show their respect for it. In any case, it is quite an appropriate title; after all, it is the very Source of this Star, making it akin to a God on this Cultivation Star.]
The male Ice Spirit carefully looked Yang Kai up and down for a while. Then, he slowly shook his head, “You are not!”
He then pointed to Su Yan, “But, she is!”
“We came here together.” Yang Kai smiled, “You saw that too. It was the Ice Deity who brought us here.”
The male Ice Spirit stubbornly shook his head, “You are dirty. She is pure, so she must be the guest.”
The corner of Yang Kai’s eyes twitched at those words, “You brat, the last man who dared to speak to me in such a manner has grass growing on his grave by now.”
[I am the Star Field Master. Everything in this Star Field is under my control. How dare this guy point at me and claim that I am dirty!?]
The male Ice Spirit frowned and looked at Yang Kai with a look of disgust. He could not understand why the Ice Deity brought such a person here. Yang Kai’s very existence was enough to tarnish the purity of this place.
Su Yan patted Yang Kai’s hand. Then, she looked at the male Ice Spirit and said, “Please bring me to the Ice Deity.”
She knew that the Ice Deity was the key to whether or not she could refine Ice Soul Star’s Source, so she did not plan to continue wasting time.
The male Ice Spirit nodded but did not lead the way. Instead, he reached out his hand to remove an ice pouch from his waist and handed it to Su Yan, “Drink this!”
The ice pouch was shaped like a bottle, and she could not tell what it contained. All she could hear when she shook it was the sound of liquid sloshing around.
Taking it from him, she asked, “Can I meet the Ice Deity after drinking this?”
“You will be regarded as a guest if you drink this!”
It would seem that meeting the Ice Deity wasn’t so simple. There were some trials Su Yan needed to pass beforehand.
“Good.” She opened the seal on the ice pouch while she was speaking and a sweet scent immediately filled the air.
Yang Kai was taken aback by the scent as he initially thought that the ice pouch was filled with some kind of wine, but it would seem that it was something different. It was probably a local product of the Ice Spirit Clan. He might not know what it was, but one thing was certain, the contents of the ice pouch were not something ordinary people could withstand.
Meanwhile, Su Yan lifted the ice pouch to her mouth and gulped down the liquid inside in a rare heroic manner.
At first, the Ice Spirits crowding around seemed to be waiting to see a good show; however, their expressions gradually changed over time. In particular, the male Ice Spirit, who handed her the ice pouch, slowly widened his eyes as though he was very shocked and exclaimed in distress, “Stop! That’s enough!”
Su Yan put down the ice pouch, lifted her hand to gently wipe the corners of her lips with her sleeve, then asked, “Does this mean I pass?”
He took the ice pouch back from her, shook it slightly, and turned away with a painful expression, “Please come this way!”
Su Yan glanced at Yang Kai and gave him a wink to indicate that he should remain calm. After that, she leisurely walked upward along the winding road. She walked no more than a thousand metres when a female Ice Spirit jumped out and blocked her way. The female Ice Spirit was holding a plate sculpted from ice. There were several snow-white things similar to silkworm chrysalis on the plate. She tilted her head with a smile, looking directly at Su Yan, “Would you like to try this?”
Su Yan used two fingers to pick up one of the delicacies from the plate and placed it inside her mouth. A burst of cold exploded when she did and it was accompanied by a sour taste that was very difficult to describe. A short while later, Su Yan finished off the entire plate and walked on, leaving the female Ice Spirit staring at the empty tray blankly.
Halfway up the mountain, Yang Kai stood waiting in place. He might be the Star Field’s Master, but the purpose of this trip was for Su Yan to refine Ice Soul Star’s Source. That was something that she had to achieve by relying on her own abilities; only by doing so could she obtain the Star Source’s acknowledgement and assistance for her future growth. It went without saying that Yang Kai was fully capable of forcing Ice Soul Star’s Source to submit to him with his current strength, but doing so would make this endeavour pointless.
It shouldn’t be too much of a problem since this was just a test. Besides, the Ice Deity, which was Ice Soul Star’s Source, probably never imagined that the so-called tests would not be a problem for Su Yan since she had already reached the Second-Order Dao Source Realm.
Feeling bored, Yang Kai fixed his gaze on that male Ice Spirit’s ice pouch and said, “Let me try too.”
The male Ice Spirit immediately shook his head so hard that it rattled, “No!”
He was still feeling the pain after Su Yan drank so much just now.
“How stingy!” Yang Kai pouted in response.
The male Ice Spirit simply declared, “You will die if you drink it.”
Yang Kai sneered, “It’s not that easy to kill me off. Hurry up and give me a taste.”
“You really will die,” the male Ice Spirit replied seriously, “You might not be a guest of the Ice Deity, but I cannot endanger you since you came here with the guest from before.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Give it to me.” Yang Kai stretched out his hand, snatched the ice pouch, tipped his head back, and drank from it in big gulps. A sweet taste immediately filled his mouth, followed by an extremely cold aura. It nearly made his entire mouth go numb and his entire brain froze over for a moment.
Needless to say, Yang Kai was shocked as he wondered how these Ice Spirits brewed this drink.
He could taste more than a hundred types of spirit fruits in the drink; moreover, each of these fruits were of the Ice Attribute. If a Third-Order Origin King were to drink this fruit wine, they would surely suffer. It could even cost them their lives if they drank too much of it.
[No wonder this Ice Spirit told me that I would die from this. Drinking it may have endangered my life if not for my cultivation that goes beyond the limits of the Star Field.]
The reason Su Yan was unaffected despite drinking so much of this fruit wine was undoubtedly thanks to her Ice Crystal Jade Body.
On the other hand, the male Ice Spirit was shocked by Yang Kai’s recklessness. Yang Kai might not be the Ice Deity’s guest, but he was still the companion of that guest, so things would not end well if he died here.
The male Ice Spirit felt extremely anxious, but in the midst of his panic, he suddenly noticed Yang Kai’s body shuddering slightly.
A moment later, Yang Kai laughed as the frost covering his face disappeared and he shouted, “Refreshing!”
He tipped his head back further and poured the fruit wine down his throat again, drinking even faster than Su Yan had just now. All the Ice Spirits surrounding him were dumbfounded by the sight and instantly felt a sense of admiration towards him.
The ice pouch might not be big, but the space inside it was not so small. It contained several dozen litres of the fruit wine, at the very least. Even so, Yang Kai drank it all in one go. It wasn’t until not a single drop was left that he stopped.
Letting out a loud belch, Yang Kai savoured the lingering sweetness on his tongue. He also felt a slight sense of drunkenness.
[How strange. This fruit wine doesn’t have any alcohol in it, so how is it making me drunk?]
Waving his hand at the Ice Spirits, he said, “Bring out all the delicious things you have.”
Meanwhile, the male Ice Spirit looked at Yang Kai like he was a monster. He shook the empty ice pouch slightly and seemed lost for a long while before he beckoned to the others with his hand.
A short while later, an ice table was placed on the platform and Yang Kai boldly sat at it like a King. The table was filled with various specialties of Ice Soul Star, including more of the fruit wine he had drunk before. There was also food that he had never seen. Every plate was exquisite, pure, and clean. Although none of the dishes contained meat, the tableful of delicacies was still very tempting and appetizing.
A group of Ice Spirits gathered around him, watching him in a daze as he ate and drank his fill without hesitation. Several female Ice Spirits kept pouring him wine as though they were trying to knock him out on the spot.
Yang Kai refused nothing, finishing everything he was served without the slightest hesitation. Watching this display opened the eyes of the Ice Spirits, who had never seen much of the world before, to what the meaning of the word ‘bold’ was. As time passed, more and more Ice Spirits gathered around and the fruit and wine on the table were constantly refilled, plate after plate, cup after cup. It was to the point where Yang Kai was slightly drunk and his speech was no longer comprehensible.
Even so, he fought on.
Three whole days later, Su Yan’s figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai squinted at her for a moment before circulating his Emperor Qi slightly, instantly sobering up as he asked, “How did it go?”
*Zheng…*
A cold light flashed by as she pulled her sword out of its sheath, “It’s done.”
“Profound Frost?” Yang Kai raised his brow at her. She brought Profound Frost with her when she left Ice Heart Valley on Scarlet Wave Star decades ago. It was a sword left behind by Ice Heart Valley’s Ancestral Founder, Bing Yun, and all these years, Su Yan had kept it as her sword.
However, right now, it was just a sword that could no longer keep up with her cultivation after she had entered the Dao Source Realm.
Yang Kai had considered asking Hou Yu to refine a sword for Su Yan when they returned to High Heaven Palace, but it now seemed to be an unnecessary worry. Profound Frost had undergone tremendous transformation. The entire sword was as thin as a cicada’s wings, and even when Su Yan was not pouring her Source Qi into it, it exuded a cold aura and showed faint signs of becoming a Dao Source Grade Artifact.
Additionally, there were two words carved into the hilt, ‘Ice Soul!
He wondered, “Did you refine it into an Artifact Spirit?”
She shook her head in response, “It chose this itself.”
Inside the ice palace, Su Yan and Ice Soul Star’s Source’s manifestation had fought for three days straight. It wasn’t a fight with their lives on the line, but rather a competition over their mastery of Ice Principles. When Su Yan received its approval, it voluntarily entered Profound Frost and transformed into an Artifact Spirit.
This Artifact Spirit was unique in the sense that it was the Star Source of the entire Ice Soul Star.
No one had ever used a Star Source as an Artifact Spirit before, so for that reason, even Yang Kai could not say whether Su Yan’s move was good or bad. Nevertheless, one thing was certain. Su Yan had become the Master of Ice Soul Star. She and Ice Soul Star were closely linked and could no longer be separated from each other.
“What happened to them?” Su Yan asked curiously. When she arrived just now, she was greeted by the sight of a group of Ice Spirits with sad expressions. They looked as though somebody had sliced several kilograms of flesh off their backs.
“Uh…” Yang Kai hiccupped, “They are feeling petty because I ate some of their food.”
She glanced at the ice table and immediately understood the situation. She smiled in amusement, “You ate at least several thousand years’ worth of accumulated treasure.”
“Did I? Haha. Then, it looks like they were very gracious hosts, weren’t they?” He patted his stomach. Although he was in his Human form right now, Yang Kai had a 250-metre-long Half-Dragon Form, so forget about several thousand years’ worth, he could even finish off a hundred thousand years’ worth of accumulated food.
“Ice Deity!” The surrounding Ice Spirits suddenly focused their attention on the sword that was previously Profound Frost but was now the Ice Soul Sword. The expressions on their faces were rather complicated.
All of a sudden, a brilliant light flashed as a pure and peerless woman appeared from the Ice Soul Sword, causing Yang Kai’s eyes to widen to the size of saucers. Although he had long known that Ice Soul Star’s Source had gained sentience, he had never expected it to actually have a Human form. The Source’s current state was similar to that of Liu Yan’s, though their attributes were the complete opposites.
Liu Yan was a Fire Attribute Spirit, while the Ice Soul was Ice Attribute.
[I wonder if they will fight when they meet?]
“Ice Deity!” Many Ice Spirits knelt to the ground and shouted loudly, but the peerless woman simply swept her beautiful eyes over them and spoke in a cold voice that resounded throughout the world, “I will be leaving this place.”
The expressions of many Ice Spirits became more sorrowful and unwilling upon hearing those words.
After making her announcement, she turned to Yang Kai and requested, “Please give them your protection before we leave this place.”
“A simple matter.” Yang Kai nodded.
Even if she had not mentioned it, he would have done so anyway. This Cultivation Star was linked to Su Yan, so Yang Kai could not be careless about this matter. He immediately communicated with the Star Field Source and guided its power to conceal all traces of Ice Soul Star’s existence.
Amidst the towering ancient trees that rose up into the sky, lightning and thunder flashed down from above. Something strange was occurring and the space shattered as if someone had torn it open. A dangerous aura leaked out of that gap into the Void, giving off a feeling like the end of the world was coming.
A Monster Commander with two horns on his head hid under a tree tremblingly as he looked up at the strange sight.
*Hong…*
Thunder roared deafeningly and the Monster Commander was so scared that he fell back onto the ground, his complexion deathly pale.
Then, the storm cleared up all of a sudden. The sky became clear and blue again in a flash. There was not a single cloud in sight for tens of thousands of kilometres.
The Monster Commander glanced in the direction the storm had first appeared again and was surprised to see that a Human figure had appeared in the sky at some point in time.
This place was the Monster Race’s territory and few Humans dared to wander this deep because those that did, died. Besides, he was certain that there was nobody there just now, so he was curious as to how this person appeared out of nowhere. Stranger still, upon a closer look, he had the vague feeling that this person looked familiar, like he had seen him somewhere before.
Before the Monster Commander could sort out his thoughts, the newcomer’s expression suddenly changed. That person closed his eyes and spread his arms wide. Following that, the World Energy churned and gathered towards him.
*Hong…*
An invisible force suddenly exploded without warning, transforming into a pressure wave that was visible to the naked eye. The impact swept out for hundreds of kilometres in an instant, shaking the trees so hard that they were nearly uprooted from the ground.
The Monster Commander’s eyes widened in shock as it was easy to tell from the aura of this person that they were not to be trifled.
Thus, the Monster Commander quickly concealed his aura and hid his presence while quietly retreating.
He was only a Monster Commander, which was equivalent to a Human Dao Source Realm cultivator; on the other hand, the Human that appeared out of nowhere was clearly an Emperor Realm Master. Moreover, it would seem as though they had just undergone a breakthrough.
The Monster Commander did not know if this person was a Second-Order or a Third-Order Emperor, but in any case, this was not an opponent he could face.
[This matter has to be reported to Sir as soon as possible! Sir can decide on what to do next.]
There was just one thing that the Monster Commander couldn’t understand no matter how he thought about it. [Why would this person come to this place for his breakthrough? Does he have a death wish? Although a Human Emperor Realm Master is not weak, there are many powerful Masters here who are much stronger than him. Any one of them can easily take his life at any time.]
In the sky, Yang Kai felt extremely refreshed. Feeling his long-sealed power, which gave him the ability to move mountains and split seas with ease, flooding into his body, he couldn’t hold back the excitement in his heart and let out a long celebratory shout.
Returning to the Star Field for more than ten years had been extremely suffocating. At the start, he had to seal his cultivation meticulously in order to avoid rejection from the Heavenly Way. Although he later became the Star Field Master, he still didn’t dare to throw his power around carelessly for fear of causing damage to the Star Field. It wasn’t until now that these shackles were finally removed that he tasted freedom again.
Furthermore, it was just as he expected. The experiences he accumulated in the First-Order Emperor Realm were incredibly rich; hence, it was a matter of course for him to break through to the Second-Order Emperor Realm as soon as he returned to Star Boundary. Increasing his cultivation by a Minor Realm had given his power a sharp boost, which made him feel as though he could do anything at this moment.
As the movement around him gradually calmed, Yang Kai swept his Divine Sense around to survey his surroundings. Although he was certain that he had returned to Star Boundary, he first had to figure out where he was!
After returning from Ice Soul Star with Su Yan, he stayed on Shadowed Star for another half a year until everything was prepared. Then, he moved everybody into the Small Sealed World, tore space, and returned to the Star Boundary.
The process had been fairly simple and it was not difficult for him to locate a channel that connected to the Star Boundary with his ability as a Star Field Master. He even left the channel intact to allow anyone from Heng Luo Star Field who was strong enough to travel to the Star Boundary. This approach was tantamount to reconnecting Heng Luo Star Field with Star Boundary. In the future, peak level Masters from Heng Luo Star Field would no longer need to worry about wasting their life away despite having a strong enough cultivation to break through to the next realm.
Yang Kai sensed an ancient and somewhat desolate aura from the towering trees around him. These trees were enormous, wide enough that a dozen people could not wrap themselves around their trunks. These trees looked vaguely familiar as well, and the surrounding environment also exuded an air of wildness.
Yang Kai couldn’t help lifting a brow as he muttered, “Can it be that much of a coincidence? Am I once again here?”
He had no way of pinpointing his destination when departing from Heng Luo Star Field to the Star Boundary. The Starlight Corridor, which he used great means to reopen, could only connect to a rough location.
A kilometre away, Yang Kai sensed a Monster Commander that was sneaking away.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered and blocked that Monster Commander’s path. In response, the Monster Commander with two horns on his head stopped mid-stride with a startled look as he stared at Yang Kai vigilantly.
“Is this the Ancient Wild Lands?” Yang Kai asked, looking at the Monster Commander.
The Monster Commander could not figure out Yang Kai’s origin nor purpose. He only knew that he was no match for this person, so he was more cooperative, “Yes!”
[How strange, why doesn’t this guy know that this is the Ancient Wild Lands even though he is already here? Humans sure have worryingly low intelligence.]
“That’s great!” Yang Kai grinned, “Which Divine Venerable’s subordinate are you?”
The Monster Commander was stunned once more, “Do you know the Divine Venerables, Sir?”
“Stop wasting my time. Am I asking the questions, or are you?” Yang Kai glared at the Monster Commander.
The Monster Commander paled instantly. He had not seen when or how Yang Kai moved to appear in front of him. In other words, if this Human wanted to take his life, it would be as easy as picking up a bug and crushing it. Standing in front of the gates of death, the Monster Commander felt a chill running down his spine, so he became even more docile than before, “I am a subordinate of Monster King Ying Fei under the West Divine Venerable.”
“Oh! So this is Ying Fei’s place!” Yang Kai couldn’t help smiling.
The Monster Commander found this situation even stranger, “Are you acquainted with Sir Monster King?”
For a moment just now, this Human’s expression became significantly more amiable; moreover, he addressed the Monster King directly by the name. It could only mean that they were acquainted with each other.
“Ying Fei is working as my subordinate, so you tell me; am I acquainted with him?”
“Huh?” The Monster Commander was taken aback by those words. His first reaction was to think that this person was bluffing. Monster King Ying Fei is one of the eight Monster Kings under the West Divine Venerable, Cang Gou. How can a Human be fortunate enough to know him much less dare to shamelessly boast about Sir Monster King being his subordinates!
All of a sudden, though, the Monster King seemed to recall something and his eyes bulged wide as he stuttered and pointed, “Y-You…”
He finally understood why the Human in front of him seemed so familiar. More than 10 years ago, a group of Humans had once barged into the Ancient Wild Lands and were caught up in the strange phenomenon surrounding the Blood Gate.
The North Divine Venerable, Shi Huo, lost his life after a great battle with them, and from then on, the Four Great Divine Venerables became the Three Great Divine Venerables. It was rumoured that a descendent of Heaven’s Order had entered the Blood Gate at that time and furthermore, there was a Human male that had a close relationship with that descendent. Even the Three Great Divine Venerables had to be polite to him because of this and they had even allowed that man to bring three Monster Kings away with him when he departed from the Ancient Wild Lands. Monster King Ying Fei was one of those three.
The Monster Commander had watched the battle from a distance, and although he did not see what happened very clearly, he vaguely remembered Yang Kai’s physical characteristics. Now, with Yang Kai’s reminder, that dusty memory at a corner of his mind surfaced again.
[What was that Human called… Oh, right…] The two-horned Monster Commander cupped his fists excitedly and greeted Yang Kai, “Senior Yang!”
“You recognize me?” Yang Kai asked with great interest. There were countless Monster Commanders in the Ancient Wild Lands, but he never expected to meet one that could recognize him. When did he become so famous in the Ancient Wild Lands?
“Yes. I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of Senior Yang’s noble bearing in the past.” The two-horned Monster Commander was incredibly excited, and his expression became more and more ingratiating.
[How can I not know you!?]
‘Enter the Blood Gate, undergo rebirth by stimulating one’s ancestral bloodline, and transform into a Divine Spirit!’ This was the rumour that had been passed down through the generations and circulated in the Ancient Wild Lands since ancient times. Every member of the Monster Race was familiar with that saying.
Now that the Blood Gate was closed and the descendent of Heavens Order, who was in charge of managing thousands of Divine Spirit Sources, was gone, a new rumour sprang up in the Ancient Wild Lands that a Human called Yang Kai was the key if one wanted to revive the glory of their ancestors and become a Divine Spirit.
If not for that, how could the three Monster Kings, Xi Lei, Ying Fei, and Xie Wu Wei, willingly let themselves be ordered around by a mere Human!? They even left the Ancient Wild Lands, where they lived for thousands of years, to follow him back to work as his subordinate. Was that not in hopes of vying for the most advantageous position next to Yang Kai so that they could benefit from him in the future?
Among the 32 Monster Kings of the Ancient Wild Lands, only these three were lucky enough to receive such a blessing. Thus, the remaining 29 Monster Kings were extremely envious of them. If it were not for the strict suppression of the three Divine Venerables, the remaining 29 Kings might have all left the Ancient Wild Lands to follow Yang Kai too.
The two-horned Monster Commander did not expect an opportunity even the 29 Monster Kings could not obtain would suddenly fall into his lap. Standing in front of him was not an ordinary Human, it was a shortcut to becoming a Divine Spirit, becoming the strongest!
The impassioned, almost ravenous expression on the Monster Commander’s face disgusted Yang Kai greatly, causing him to back off slightly and say, “Since you can recognize me, then this will be simple. I have something I want you to do for me. Do you have time?”
“Of course! Of course!’ The two-horned Monster Commander replied eagerly. [Are you kidding me!? I managed to run into the God of Fortune! Of course, I have to grab hold of the opportunity! I will squeeze out some time for him even if it’s impossible!]
“What do you need, Senior?”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched and he couldn’t help feeling that this Monster Commander was looking at him a little strangely. Thus, he didn’t want to waste time talking any longer and simply instructed, “Go tell Luan Feng that Yang Kai is back, and ask her to prepare herself for when I collect the debt she owes me.”
“A debt? What debt?” The two-horned Monster Commander looked confused.
“Why are you asking so many questions? Hurry up and go.” Yang Kai lifted his foot and kicked the two-horned Monster Commander.
“Yes, yes, yes,” the two-horned Monster Commander turned around to leave. He only took several steps though before realizing something.
[No! If I leave now, won’t I lose the chance to approach this Human!?]
He hurriedly turned back to look, but there was nobody behind him. Yang Kai had left this place a long time ago. Feeling frustrated, the Monster Commander slapped himself on the thigh and cursed himself for being a fool. Even so, he did not dare to go against Yang Kai’s orders after openly agreeing to them. He could only hope that he would have another opportunity to meet with Yang Kai again and perform some distinguished service. Thus, he set off toward Luan Feng’s palace.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he flew up above the towering treetops, heading in a certain direction by relying on his memories.
An hour later, he landed softly. The air was fragrant and all the living creatures here were bursting with life. Although this place was still within the Ancient Wild Lands, there were none of the killings or hidden dangers that were pervasive throughout the rest of this land. Instead, it was a peaceful sanctuary that had a completely different atmosphere from the other places.
Birds were resting on the treetops and beasts were peacefully grazing on the ground. Sights that were rare in any other place within the Ancient Wild Lands were common here. It was as though there was an invisible force protecting this land stretching out for tens of thousands of kilometres from being ravaged.
The wind blew lightly and the trees rustled and swayed in response, as if whispers were being passed around among them. All of a sudden, tiny figures the size of a palm flew out from behind the trees, each one of them exquisitely beautiful and exuding a pure Wood Attribute aura from their bodies.
They were Wood Spirits!