“Let’s go.” After putting the token away, Gao Xue Ting turned around and walked out. When her back was facing Yang Kai, an almost imperceptible smile drew up the corners of her lips.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood in place and sighed for a long while before striding out to catch up to her.
The reason he had admitted to setting up the Space Array so readily was that the other party had already discovered it a long time ago. It was meaningless to continue playing dumb. Besides, he came here to borrow some manpower for High Heaven Palace so it would have been exposed soon anyways. Instead of continuing to cover it up, it might be better to reveal his hand now.
As for whether Gao Xue Ting would go to the Northern Territory to ask him to refine Spirit Pills in the future, it was practically a done deal. In any case, he had Ji Ying so he could just push everything onto him.
Spirit Jade Peak was the place where the Vice Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, Qiu Ran, lived. When Yang Kai and Gao Xue Ting arrived, Qiu Ran was meditating. He walked out of his room after being notified of their presence and met them in the hall.
Yang Kai got up and bowed, “Greetings, Senior Brother Qiu.”
On the other hand, Gao Xue Ting remained sitting. They were one big family and often met each other anyway so there was no need for her to be so reserved.
“What a rare guest. Junior Brother Yang, when did you return?” Qiu Ran looked at Yang Kai expressionlessly. Stretching out a hand to dismiss the formalities, he sat on the main seat in the hall.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I just got back and immediately came to visit you, Senior Brother Qiu. It has been many years since we last met. I’m glad your noble bearing is still the same.” While speaking, he sat down too.
Qiu Ran lifted his brow in response, “I am not worthy of your praise. Junior Brother Yang, you are an extraordinary man, but we don’t see much of you. If you failed to return any longer, I’m afraid this Old Master would have forgotten that you were a part of the Temple in the first place.”
[Those words are practically identical to what Gao Xue Ting said just now.] Yang Kai wanted to roll his eyes. Nevertheless, he maintained a smiling face on the surface, “I apologize, Senior Brother. I am greatly indebted to Azure Sun Temple and have never forgotten the Temple nor my Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”
Qiu Ran did not respond. He simply glanced at Gao Xue Ting, who quietly nodded lightly in response. It seemed as though they were having a secret conversation via Divine Sense Transmission.
Soon, Qiu Ran’s expression brightened. Nodding, he spoke up, “It’s good if you have us in your heart, Junior Brother. You should also pay attention to your safety when going out. Regardless of the circumstances, you are still an Elder of Azure Sun Temple. You represent the Temple, so you must never do anything that can harm the reputation of the Azure Sun Temple.”
“I will remember that.” Yang Kai nodded solemnly.
Qiu Ran said, “Good. If there’s nothing else, you should leave. I still have other things to do.”
[What? Are you kicking me out already? I haven’t even gotten to the main point yet.] Yang Kai looked stunned and quickly looked at Gao Xue Ting, desperately trying to signal her with his eyes. However, Gao Xue Ting looked down and simply sat there doing nothing.
[How heartless! How dare you cast me aside once you no longer need me!? I shouldn’t have given you that token!] Since she refused to help him, he could only rely on himself. Putting his hand on his chest, he bowed and said, “Senior Brother, this Junior Brother has something to report.”
“What is it?” Qiu Ran raised his eyes and looked at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai explained, “When I left, I took a large amount of spirit herbs from the Temple with me. Senior Sister Gao asked me to refine Spirit Pills for the Temple’s use with them and, fortunately, I did not fail my mission.”
“Oh?” Qiu Ran raised his eyebrows at those words, “Does that mean you have refined the Spirit Pills?”
“Yes!”
“Show me.”
Only then did Gao Xue Ting speak up, “It’s all with me.” Removing the Space Ring from her jade finger, she handed it to Qiu Ran.
Qiu Ran took the Space Ring from her and swept his Divine Sense through it. His expression immediately became one of astonishment. [So many!? Moreover, they are all Emperor Grade Spirit Pills and high quality too!]
He had known that Yang Kai was an Emperor Alchemist and had agreed to allow him to take those spirit flowers and exotic herbs back then, but he never expected Yang Kai to bring back such a large amount of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills just ten years later.
[Having our own Emperor Alchemist sure is nice.] Qiu Ran was already calculating whether he should give Yang Kai more spirit herbs. As long as they could be refined into Emperor Grade Spirit Pills, what was waiting for ten more years?
“Hmm. Not bad,” he said indifferently. [I can’t praise him too highly; otherwise, it will be difficult to ask him to refine Spirit Pills again.]
Yang Kai said, “It’s my job to contribute to the Temple.” Pausing for a moment, he rubbed his nose and asked, “Senior Brother, how many Elder Contribution Points can I exchange these for?”
Qiu Ran replied, “I will need to make careful calculations before I can give you an exact number.”
“Then, I ask that you please calculate it for me quickly, Senior Brother.”
He blinked at Yang Kai, “Are you in a hurry?”
“Not really.” Yang Kai made a fist and awkwardly coughed into it, “Of course, it would be wonderful if you can give me an exact number now, Senior Brother.”
Qiu Ran frowned at those words and studied Yang Kai. He did not know what Yang Kai was up to. Nonetheless, he was counting on Yang Kai to continue refining Spirit Pills for them in the future so for that reason, he needed to give Yang Kai some motivation. Thus, he nodded and said, “Fine. I will calculate it for you right now.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai looked elated.
Qiu Ren said nothing to that. Taking out all the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills from the Space Ring, he placed them on the table in front of him. It was naturally impossible to store Emperor Grade Spirit Pills in ordinary bottles. Each Emperor Grade Spirit Pill was stored in a container of appropriate Attribute, which would ensure that their medicinal efficacies were not lost in short order. There were jade boxes, gold boxes, silver boxes, wooden boxes, and so on and so forth, covering a range of different types of Spirit Pills. Soon, the table was filled with containers. They were spread out over several layers and looked to be at least 200 to 300 in total.
Gao Xue Ting also came over, mainly because she had never seen so many Emperor Grade Spirit Pills in one place before. It was a very strange and rare sight. If they wanted to get any Emperor Grade Spirit Pills from the Temple, they had to ask an Alchemy Grandmaster to refine it for them. Not only did they need to collect their own materials, but they also needed to offer up a large sum as a reward. Sometimes, they might even have to wait in line when the Alchemist was busy.
To put it bluntly, the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills that Yang Kai brought out were almost equal to the sum of the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills that the Temple had acquired in the past five hundred years. Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting were both extremely happy and shocked inside but showed no signs of their emotions on their faces.
“There has never been such a precedent before, but Emperor Grade Spirit Pills are rare, so I will now convert them into Elder Contribution Points for you.” While speaking, Qiu Ran opened a wooden box with his hand and studied the Spirit Pill inside carefully. He nodded and said, “This pill can be categorized as Mid-Rank. After deducting the cost of the materials, I will price it at 800 Elder Contribution Points. Is that alright?”
Yang Kai did some swift calculations in his head. He once heard from Gao Xue Ting, You Kun, and the others that Elder Contribution Points were somewhat difficult to obtain at Azure Sun Temple and on average an Elder would acquire about 5,000 to 6,000 points at most. On the other hand, entering the Divine Ascension Mirror World required 2,000 points per entry.
Elder Contribution Points could be redeemed with Source Crystals but could only be redeemed up to 2,000 points per year, which was just enough to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror once. Moreover, the redemption ratio is 1:1,000. In other words, it took 1,000 High-Rank Source Crystals in exchange for 1 Elder Contribution Point. If one wanted more Elder Contribution Points, they could only help Azure Sun Temple out with various tasks. For example, Gao Xue Ting received some Elder Contribution Points when she led the team of disciples to the Four Seasons Realm.
If the 800 Elder Contribution Points were converted into High-Rank Source Crystals, it would be worth 800,000 High-Rank Source Crystals. Furthermore, that was after the deduction of the costs of materials. Since the materials for the Spirit Pills were provided by Azure Sun Temple, it was cheaper than if the materials had been bought from external sources. At any rate, Yang Kai was one of the Elders of Azure Sun Temple so it was a matter of course for it to be slightly below the market price.
Although Yang Kai could reluctantly accept the value given, he brazenly asked, “Could you give me a little more?”
Qiu Ran replied, “As the Vice Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, I am in charge of all matters concerning the Temple’s finances. All I ask for is fairness for all. If you feel that it is too little, you can ask Junior Sister Gao for her opinion.”
There was no need to ask as Yang Kai was well aware of the situation. Nevertheless, he said, “Won’t you make it 1,000 points? Let’s round it up to a whole number.”
“800!” Qiu Ran completely ignored Yang Kai. After saying that, he stuffed the jade box into his Space Ring without another word.
“Serves you right for failing to find a dual cultivation partner,” Yang Kai muttered under his breath in dissatisfaction.
“What did you say?” Qiu Ran looked up at Yang Kai.
“Nothing, nothing. Senior Brother Qiu, please do continue.”
Snorting, he picked up another jade box, opened it, and nodded with a smile, “An Emperor Grade High-Rank Spirit Pill. 1,000 Elder Contribution Points.” He stuffed the jade box into his Space Ring and picked up another one.
He briefly evaluated each jade box and swiftly determined the value in terms of Elder Contribution Points. A High-Rank Spirit Pill was valued at 1,000 Elder Contribution Points, a Mid-Rank Spirit Pill was 800 Elder Contribution Points, and a Low-Rank Spirit Pill was only 500 Elder Contribution Points. The numbers slowly added up. Yang Kai could feel a bubbling feeling of joy in his heart while, occasionally, he would explain the benefits of various Spirit Pills from his perspective as an Alchemy Grandmaster, the difficulties of refining a Spirit Pill, and how time-consuming the process was. It was all done in hopes of convincing Qiu Ran to give a higher valuation.
However, Qiu Ran was strict and impartial. He completely ignored Yang Kai, which made the latter so irritated that his teeth itched.
“Please wait, Senior Brother. Although this Spirit Pill is Mid-Rank, the pill fragrance is strong and the veins are clear. You can tell at a glance that it has almost reached the High Rank. Don’t you think it’s too unfair to only give it 800 points?” Yang Kai suddenly raised his hand.
Qiu Ran asked, “Then how much do you think should be given?”
Yang Kai replied in a serious tone, “Since it is between Mid-Rank and High-Rank, we can give a slight discount and value it at 900 points. This way, it’s a win-win solution for everybody, right?”
Qiu Ran chuckled softly and pushed the jade box in front of him to Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, your words make sense. Why don’t you help me evaluate the goods instead? That way, I can take a break.”
[I wish I could. But, what’s the point of evaluating it? I still need your approval anyway.] Thus, Yang Kai smiled and said, “What are you saying, Senior Brother? I’m just trying to explain the truth as it is. I don’t mean to overstep my boundaries.”
“Hmph!” Qiu Ran’s expression became frosty as he stuffed the jade box away, “700 points!”
“Wait!” Yang Kai was shocked, “Why did it become 700 points!? It was 800 points just now!”
“600!”
Yang Kai immediately stopped talking lest the price get lowered even further. Then, he turned to look at Gao Xue Ting for help, hoping that she would speak up on his behalf; however, this woman was actually looking up at the roof as though there were flowers growing there.
Yang Kai’s face twitched in response, and he secretly gritted his teeth. [You are both so ruthless! I wonder who it was that said ‘all he wanted was fairness’. All a bunch of lies! An abuse of authority!]
An hour later, Qiu Ran finished doing an inventory of the items and concluded, “The total comes to 156,300 Elder Contribution Points. Did I make a mistake in my calculations?”
“No!” Yang Kai lowered his head weakly. That number was identical to the one he had calculated in his head.
Gao Xue Ting expressionlessly murmured, “Congratulations, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai snorted at those words. [I was oppressed and underpaid by this stingy Qiu Ran. What is there to be congratulated about?]
Nevertheless, if these 150,000 over Elder Contribution Points were converted into High-Rank Source Crystals, it would come up to more than 1.5 billion High-Rank Source Crystals. That was an extremely shocking number. There were many Elders in Azure Sun Temple, but nobody had managed to accumulate more than 10,000 Elder Contribution Points at once so far. Compared to those people, Yang Kai could be said to have become rich overnight.
Qiu Ran put all the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills away again. Stroking the beard on his chin, he pondered for a moment before asking, “Junior Brother, how do you intend to spend this vast amount of Elder Contribution Points?”
Having too many Elder Contribution Points was not a good thing. According to the rules, the Elder Contribution Points could be used to redeem anything and everything that could be redeemed in Azure Sun Temple. For example, various cultivation resources or advanced Secret Arts and Secret Techniques. However, Yang Kai had too many Elder Contribution Points, so many it frightened Qiu Ran. If he were to exchange them for materials, the treasure accumulated within the Temple’s storehouse would be greatly reduced all at once.
Naturally, that was not what Azure Sun Temple hoped to see. If Yang Kai were to completely exchange his Elder Contribution Points for supplies, then the other disciples would have to tighten their belts when cultivating for the next while.
Yang Kai had a plan in mind for a long time, so when he heard the question, he immediately replied, “Senior Brother, as you know, I have founded High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. I recently took in some disciples, but unfortunately, the foundation of High Heaven Palace is not broad enough and its heritage is insufficient. Therefore, I would like to ask the Temple to allow me to copy some Secret Arts and Secret Techniques to bring back. I don’t know if that is allowed. Of course, I can use my Elder Contribution Points in exchange for them.”
Qiu Ran said, “You are an Elder. It’s not a problem if you copy some Secret Arts and Secret Techniques. As long as it’s not something especially important, you won’t need to use any Elder Contribution Points.”
[At least there’s something good out of this!] Yang Kai felt happy. [With how stingy Qiu Ran was with me just now, I thought he was intentionally targeting me. It looks like I misunderstood him.]
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, the more Secret Arts and Secret Techniques the better. I would also like to get some of the precious ones.”
Qiu Ran advised, “You can discuss this with Junior Brother Di. He is in charge of the Cultivation Technique Pavilion. He knows best what needs Elder Contribution Points and what doesn’t.”
The ‘Junior Brother Di’ Qiu Ran was referring to was none other than Di Rong. Yang Kai wasn’t as familiar with Di Rong as he was with Gao Xue Ting, but they could be considered friends who had drunk together and suffered punishments together. They were not strangers to each other.
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded.
“Is there anything else?” Qiu Ran looked up at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai said, “In addition, I want to borrow some manpower from the Temple.”
“Borrow some manpower?” Qiu Ran frowned, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai explained, “The disciples I recently took in at High Heaven Palace don’t have very high cultivation, so they need someone to help guide their cultivation and answer questions they might have. Therefore, I would like to borrow some manpower from the Temple to serve as their teachers. Of course, I won’t be asking for free. I can use my Elder Contribution Points to offset their compensation.” This was the main purpose of his visit this time. The one hundred teachers from Fire Dragon Palace had been complaining for many days now, so he had to gather more manpower as soon as possible.
“Although there is no precedent for this, it shouldn’t be a problem. Junior Sister Gao, what do you think?” Qiu Ran turned to look at Gao Xue Ting.
Gao Xue Ting spoke up, “It’s not like it’s impossible. He isn’t an outsider after all; however, how many people do you want to borrow and what cultivation do they need to have, Junior Brother?”
“Two hundred people,” Yang Kai replied.
“En.”
“Dao Source Realm?”
*Puhh…*
Qiu Ran had just taken a sip of tea and spurted it out upon hearing those words. He quickly put down his teacup and patted at the water stain on his chest. Looking at Yang Kai in amazement, he exclaimed, “Junior Brother, you want to borrow two hundred Dao Source Realm cultivators!?”
“You heard correctly, Senior Brother. I would like to borrow two hundred Dao Source Realm instructors.”
Gao Xue Ting was similarly astonished, “Why do you need so many Dao Source Realm disciples?”
These people were going to High Heaven Palace to teach. Since they were teachers, it would definitely be one teacher to a group of students. If one teacher was to teach two hundred people, then two hundred teachers would be teaching forty thousand people. [High Heaven Palace has forty thousand disciples!?]
“Didn’t I tell you just now? I want them to be teachers.”
She frowned, “How many disciples did you recruit at High Heaven Palace?”
Yang Kai sniffed lightly, “More than a hundred thousand…”
Both Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting were completely stunned. They almost thought that they had misheard Yang Kai. Exchanging a glance with each other, Qiu Ran asked Gao Xue Ting using his Divine Sense, “How many did he say just now?”
Gao Xue Ting replied, “I heard him say more than a hundred thousand. What did you hear him say, Senior Brother?”
[So it really was more than a hundred thousand! We weren’t mistaken!] The corners of his brow twitched, “Why did you take in so many disciples!?”
The key point to what Yang Kai had said was that these disciples’ cultivation was not high. The strength of a Sect did not lie in the number of disciples, but whether they had enough powerful Masters.
Azure Sun Temple only had about eight thousand disciples, but it was still one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory. On the other hand, High Heaven Palace had more than one hundred thousand disciples. [It’s more than a hundred thousand people! It’s not like they are a hundred thousand chickens. Can he even feed so many people!? Besides, what’s the point of taking care of a hundred thousand people with low cultivation!? There has never been any Sect with so many disciples before. It’s completely unseen and unheard of!]
“I had no choice,” Yang Kai smiled bitterly. It was inconvenient to explain the situation to others. It was enough if his own people knew about it. If people from Azure Sun Temple learnt that those disciples had been brought over from a Lower Star Field, Azure Sun Temple would surely try to snatch some of them.
[With more than a hundred thousand disciples, two hundred teachers really isn’t much…] Qiu Ran forcefully composed himself and asked, “Junior Brother, do you know how many Dao Source Realm Masters are in Azure Sun Temple?”
“No, I don’t.” Yang Kai shook his head. Although he was qualified to know, no one had told him before, so how could he have known about that?
“352.” Qiu Ran offered an extremely accurate number, “Leaving aside the disciples in the Dao Source Realm who oversee various properties, there are only 289 who remain in the Temple.” The implication behind his words was: ‘What is the Temple going to do if you take away two hundred Dao Source Realm disciples all at once!?’
Yang Kai nodded at those words, “289. The heritage of the Temple is truly not to be taken lightly. It’s perfectly capable of fulfilling my needs. I ask that you carry out my request, Senior Brother.”
Qiu Ran almost failed to stop himself from cursing. He even wondered if Yang Kai was doing this on purpose. Those 289 people in question had duties to perform in the Temple as well. They were not idlers with nothing to do. While deploying some people was not a problem, two hundred was simply too many. Besides, Qiu Ran was certain that Yang Kai was deliberately playing dumb despite being well aware of this point. Taking a deep breath, he stated, “Two hundred Dao Source Realm cultivators is impossible. I can lend you thirty at most.”
Yang Kai opened his eyes wide and said, “Thirty!? What am I going to do with thirty?” [Thirty is nowhere near enough people to fill in the gaps!]
“Take it or leave it.” Qiu Ran turned around and picked up his teacup. Just as he was about to take a sip, he suddenly remembered that he had just spat into his tea mere moments ago. Thus, he put it down again in anguish.
“Please don’t do this, Senior Brother. We are all one family aren’t we? We can talk things out. Is it because you don’t have the authority to decide on this matter? If you can’t make the call on this matter, I can always go and negotiate with the Temple Master instead.”
Qiu Ran shook his head, “It’s useless even if you approach the Temple Master over this matter.”
“Good, I’ll lower the amount I’m asking for. One hundred and eighty people.” Yang Kai took a step back.
Qiu Ran was expressionless, “Forty.”
“One hundred and seventy.”
“Fifty!”
“One hundred and sixty. That should work, right? Senior Brother, please don’t be so unreasonable. I’m only asking them to be teachers and they will be paid for their work. I won’t let them work for nothing.”
“Sixty!” Qiu Ran glanced sideways at Yang Kai, “It looks like High Heaven Palace is quite well off, Junior Brother. Not only can it feed more than a hundred thousand disciples, but it can also afford to pay salaries for two hundred Dao Source Realm teachers. Junior Brother, you truly are a capable man.”
“I am also living on a tight budget to support my Sect. Senior Brother, you are also somebody who is in charge of a Sect so I’m sure you can understand my pain. One hundred fifty. I really can’t go lower than that anymore.”
“It’s precisely because I understand how hard it is that I’m willing to be more considerate of you. Seventy people. I can’t go any higher than that.”
The two of them had a lively back-and-forth conversation, each responding to the other in quick succession. It was similar to haggling at the market, making Gao Xue Ting stare at them speechlessly. [The two of you are talking about tens to hundreds of disciples in the Dao Source Realm. Can you please be a little more serious about it?]
After a battle of wits and courage, Qiu Ran adamantly refused to budge from eighty people. He would not give even a single one more.
Yang Kai slapped the table furiously, “Senior Brother, don’t force my hand!”
Qiu Ran calmly adjusted his sleeves, “Calm down, Junior Brother. Giving you eighty Dao Source Realm disciples as teachers is really the Temple’s limit. How can you say that I am forcing your hand?”
“You really can’t give me more?” Yang Kai showed a fierce look as if he had a deep grudge against Qiu Ran.
Qiu Ran slowly shook his head.
“Fine.” Yang Kai pointed a finger at Qiu Ran, “Since that’s the case, I don’t want any teachers anymore. Not a single one.”
Qiu Ran was surprised by this declaration, but suddenly had an ominous premonition wash over him.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai spread his arms out, “Senior Brother, please convert all of my 150,000 plus Elder Contribution Points into High-Rank Source Crystals. I currently need to feed more than a hundred thousand disciples and we are sorely lacking in cultivation resources so we need to use Source Crystals to make up for that deficit. Please support me, Senior Brother.”
Qiu Ran’s expression instantly turned black and he had to struggle intensely to stop himself from cursing out loud. What he feared the most really came true. While he was calculating Yang Kai’s Elder Contribution Points before, he had felt that there were far too many of them, that was why he wanted Yang Kai to spend some of them. Unfortunately, he did not expect to arrive back at square one after taking such a big detour.
If all those Elder Contribution Points were to be converted into High-Rank Source Crystals, it would amount to over a billion High-Rank Source Crystals. It wasn’t that the Temple couldn’t afford such an expenditure, but what would happen after that? Besides, the Temple still needed to trouble Yang Kai to continue refining Emperor Grade Spirit Pills for them in the future. If he continued being stubborn here, it would only anger Yang Kai further and make things more difficult.
“Cough, cough…” Qiu Ran formed a fist and coughed into it, “Junior Brother, let’s not get agitated. I’m sure we can reach a middle ground. Aren’t we still in the process of negotiating?”
Yang Kai laughed. Leaning back into the chair, he crossed one leg over his knee and said, “One hundred forty teachers in the Dao Source Realm. Senior Brother, it’s up to you.”
Qiu Ran replied with a sour expression, “That’s too many.”
“Is that so? But, I don’t think it’s too many.” Yang Kai secretly thought to himself. [Li Jiao was really quite agreeable. I only needed to ask him to send some Dao Source Realm teachers over, and he arranged for it immediately. On the contrary, Azure Sun Temple is being so fussy about it. They are acting as if I’m trying to kidnap their people or something.]
“Please reduce it by a bit more.”
Yang Kai resolutely declared, “Senior Brother, please help me exchange my Elder Contribution Points for Source Crystals.”
Qui Ren’s expression darkened even more.
Unable to stand this farce any longer, Gao Xue Ting spoke up, “Why don’t we do this instead, Junior Brother Yang. One hundred Dao Source Realm disciples, plus three hundred Origin Kings. Since your disciples’ cultivation is not that high, the Origin Kings should be able to teach some of them too; after all, not everybody needs the guidance of a Dao Source Realm Master.”
Yang Kai glanced at her, knowing that she was right. In any case, a hundred Dao Source Realm instructors were not far off from his original estimations. The reason why he asked for two hundred people was so that Qiu Ran had room to bargain.
Three hundred Origin Kings was quite a large number, and if Yang Kai divided them among all the Spirit Peaks, he would have two to three per Spirit Peak. Although some of those who came from the Star Field were also Origin Kings, they had their hands full with their own cultivation at the moment and did not have the time to guide others. Therefore, the current situation at High Heaven Palace would surely improve with the help of these four hundred additional teachers.
Still, Yang Kai pretended to consider it for a long time before saying, “Since Senior Sister Gao has spoken, then I will back down out of respect for her. However, the number of Origin Kings is a little lacking. Let’s increase it to four hundred instead.” After saying that, he glanced at Qiu Ran.
Qiu Ran gritted his teeth and snarled, “Fine!” [He backs down in respect for her, but not for me? How outrageous!]
Yang Kai immediately broke into a grin and cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Qiu.”
Now that the matter had been finalized, Yang Kai didn’t want to drag things out any longer so he urged, “This matter is urgent. Senior Brother, please choose the suitable candidates for this task as soon as possible.”
Qiu Ran raised his hand and said, “There’s no hurry.”
Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Senior Brother, don’t tell me you are going back on your word?”
Qiu Ran snorted, “How can I go back on my word after making a promise with you? But, I’ve already mentioned this before; there is no precedent to this matter. Let me ask you this. How many Elder Contribution Points should be used each month in exchange for each Dao Source Realm disciple that you want to borrow?”
Yang Kai suddenly became alert, “Senior Brother, don’t you dare try to ask for more than is reasonable!”
Qiu Ran replied, “I can’t decide on this matter alone. I will need to gather the Elders to discuss this matter and come up with a suitable plan. I also need to inform the Temple Master about this.”
[Fair enough.] Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai nodded in agreement, “That makes sense.”
Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting immediately took out their respective communication artifacts and notified the other Elders of Azure Sun Temple. Not long after that, several figures flew in from the outside, all of whom were familiar faces. They were the Elders of Azure Sun Temple, including the newly promoted Elders, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao.
The disciples of Azure Sun Temple were eligible to become an Elder as long as they reached the Emperor Realm. Although it could be said that it was just a title that came with no real authority, an Elder was still an Elder. Their status was completely different from that of a disciple and the treatment they received was different too.
Yang Kai greeted each of them with a bow. Xiao Bai Yi was as cold and aloof as usual, a man of few words. On the other hand, Murong Xiao Xiao smiled brightly and approached Yang Kai to chat.
Yang Kai asked about Xia Sheng and learned that he was still guarding Spirit Lake Palace and rarely returned to Azure Sun Temple.
“Senior Brother Xia mentioned that he is greatly indebted to you for what happened last time. If he has the chance, he wants to invite you to Spirit Lake Palace for a drink.”
“What happened last time…” Yang Kai was lost for a moment but quickly realized that Murong Xiao Xaio was referring to the incident at the Southern Swamp where the Demon Cave was encountered. The Palace Master of Hundred Flowers Palace, Hua Yu Lu, was a friend of Xia Sheng. At the time, Xia Sheng had entrusted Hua Yu Lu to Yang Kai. Fortunately, Yang Kai lived up to Xia Sheng’s expectations, and nothing happened to Hua Yu Lu.
Yang Kai just smiled and waved his hand dismissively, “It’s nothing. He doesn’t need to feel indebted to me.”
At that moment, Qiu Ran stood up. The entire hall fell silent as everybody turned to look at him. He spoke with a helpless expression, “The Temple Master said he couldn’t come, so he left it to us to discuss and resolve this matter.”
Logically speaking, a matter involving hundreds of disciples in the Dao Source Realm was no trivial matter and Wen Zi Shan should have been present for it. Unfortunately, he was an extremely lazy person and generally paid no attention to the affairs of the Sect, leaving everything to Qiu Ran. Therefore, it was no surprise that he was absent today too.
Everybody seemed to have expected this outcome. You Kun even declared forcefully, “Who cares if the Temple Master doesn’t want to come? It won’t make a difference whether he is here or not. We might as well discuss it on our own.”
No Elder of any other Sect would speak of their own Temple Master in such a manner. Azure Sun Temple was the only exception. It was the perfect example of what it meant by the saying ‘the apple didn’t fall far from the tree’.
Everybody else nodded in agreement while Qiu Ran looked heartbroken, secretly cursing in his heart, [This isn’t right!]
Nothing else was said as everybody took their respective seats. On the other hand, Yang Kai looked around and cupped his fists, “Then, I will take my leave.”
Qiu Ran quickly stated, “This matter is about you. There’s no need to leave. Sit down and listen.”
[Ha… I can’t leave,] Yang Kai turned around and sat back down. He was similar to Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao. They were Elders in name and not authority; however, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were actual Elders of Azure Sun Temple while he was just a High-Rank Guest Elder. For that reason, his seat was placed at the back, right next to Murong Xiao Xiao, even though he made significant contributions to the Temple.
Under normal circumstances, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao would not have been qualified to participate in discussions like these yet, mainly because they were still inexperienced. Nevertheless, the reason they were called here today was to listen and prepare themselves for the future; after all, it was only a matter of time before they held great authority within the Temple and decided on matters pertaining to the disciples’ future.
Qiu Ran cleared his throat. First, he talked about how Yang Kai had brought a large number of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills and received a correspondingly large amount of Elder Contribution Points in exchange. It made all the Elders in the hall study Yang Kai in surprise. They also had envious expressions on their faces.
[More than 150,000 Elder Contribution Points…]
That was a number that had never been seen before. Even if they entered the Divine Ascension Mirror World once a year, they would only need to spend 2,000 points a year. His Elder Contribution Points of more than 150,000 were enough to last him for sixty to seventy years.
However, there was no point in feeling envious. Emperor Grade Spirit Pills were not something just anybody could refine. It simply strengthened their belief that Emperor Grade Alchemists were capable of making a fortune. [He obtained 150,000 Elder Contribution Points out of nowhere, just like that. How long will it take for him to spend them all?]
Meanwhile, Yang Kai sat there in an easy-going manner, his expression calm and indifferent. Unbeknownst to them, the truth was that he was having a secret conversation with Murong Xiao Xiao via Divine Sense transmission.
After the amazement wore off, somebody immediately thought of the concerns that Qiu Ran had previously been worried about and questioned how Yang Kai planned to spend his Elder Contribution Points.
In response, Qiu Ran explained Yang Kai’s wish to borrow one hundred Dao Source Realm and four hundred Origin King disciples from the Temple. The results had already been negotiated and decided upon. Seeing that he had finalized the decision, the others had nothing much to say about it either. What they wanted to discuss at present was how many Elder Contribution Points those five hundred people should earn as a salary each month. Luckily, Yang Kai was not an outsider. Everybody maintained a fair and impartial stance when discussing this matter, and they soon came to an agreement in less than an hour.
Yang Kai was required to pay 10 Elder Contribution Points per Dao Source Realm per month and 3 per Origin King per month. A quick calculation showed that he had to pay a total of 2,200 Elder Contribution Points per month or 26,400 Elder Contribution Points per year. With more than 150,000 Elder Contribution Points, he had enough to last for almost six years. This result was within his ability to bear, so he had no objections to it when Qiu Ran asked. In that way, the decision was finalized immediately.
Six years should be more or less enough time for those disciples from the Star Field to become familiar with the Star Boundary. It should also be enough time for some of those in the Origin King Realm to advance into the Dao Source Realm. By having the experienced ones guide the inexperienced ones and imparting their cultivation knowledge to those below them, it would eventually form a virtuous cycle.
What’s more, he could just ask Ji Ying to produce more Emperor Grade Spirit Pills for him to exchange for more Elder Contribution Points if he ran low; therefore, it was nothing to him.
“It’s rare for us to get together like this, so let’s discuss the matter regarding the Southern Territory Martial Gathering that will be held next month.” Qiu Ran took a few sips of tea from his teacup, placed it down, and continued, “The Southern Territory Martial Gathering was originally held every five years. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, certain events occurred several years back. Demon Caves appeared and numerous Demon Spirits were revived, which left everyone living in fear. All this time, our fellow cultivators in the Southern Territory have been hunting down and killing those Demon Spirits who escaped. As a result, the Martial Gathering has been delayed for several years. Now that the dust has finally settled, we cannot be careless about the Martial Gathering that is finally being held again after more than a decade.”
“Martial Gathering? What Martial Gathering?” Yang Kai turned to look at Murong Xiao Xiao and asked via Divine Sense.
Murong Xiao Xiao replied, “It’s a tradition in the Southern Territory that is held every five years. It is jointly organized by Azure Sun Temple, Orthodoxy Temple, and Heavenly Martial Holy Land. These three Sects jointly fund the event and arrange for various valuable prizes. Star Soul Palace will also present some gifts. All the cultivators in the Southern Territory below the Emperor Realm are eligible to participate in the event. It is categorized into three levels, namely the Dao Source Realm, the Origin King Realm, and the Origin Returning Realm, where the younger generation competes for rankings. There are both individual rankings and Sect rankings. The prizes will be handed out according to the rankings. It is also a means for the Sects and Families to test the results of their disciples’ cultivation. In any case, every Sect attaches great importance to this event, especially the top three Sects in the Southern Territory. Nobody is willing to rank poorly; therefore, every Martial Gathering is very lively as many Masters gather around.”
“Wow! There’s something like that?” Yang Kai was surprised.
She pursed her lips and said with a smile, “Senior Brother, you have not been in the Southern Territory for long, so it’s only natural that you have never heard of it. The last Martial Gathering was hosted by Azure Sun Temple. I, Senior Brother Xia, and Senior Brother Xiao all participated in that competition.”
“How were the results?” He asked with interest.
Murong Xiao Xiao answered shyly, “Azure Sun Temple ranked slightly higher than the other two top Sects in the Sect ranking. In the individual rankings, Senior Brother Xia lost to Wu Chang by a slight margin, coming in second. On the other hand, I only made the top ten.”
Yang Kai comforted her, “Victory and defeat are part of life. Don’t mind it, Junior Sister.”
“The three Sects take turns hosting the Martial Gathering. Last time, it was us. This time, it seems like it’s Orthodoxy Temple’s turn.”
“By the way, Senior Brother Qiu mentioned that the Southern Territory has been hunting down Demon Spirits in recent years. What’s the current situation?” Yang Kai was very familiar with the Demon Spirits. He, Hua Yu Lu, and others could be said to be the culprits of the entire incident. During their trip to the Southern Swamp, a Demon Cave had appeared. Gong Yue, the former Patriarch of the Gong Family from the Heavenly River Valley was taken over by a Demon Spirit, succumbed to demonification, snuck into Azure Sun Temple, and opened another Demon Cave, releasing thousands of Demon Spirits.
It was just that Yang Kai had been anxious to find Zhu Qing and went to Frozen Earth in search of her right at the beginning of that incident. He had then gone through an arduous journey just to return not long ago. More than ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and Yang Kai had lost track of how this situation had played out afterwards. Besides, Star Soul Palace was leading the efforts to eradicate the Demons, so there was nothing for him to worry about with them in charge.
When Murong Xiao Xiao heard his question about the Demon Spirits, she couldn’t help turning pale in response as if recalling something extremely horrifying as she whispered, “Many people died.”
Demon Spirits were difficult to guard against. They were invisible and nearly impossible to track. It was something Yang Kai had experienced personally back then. Gong Yue’s cultivation was not weak, but even so, a Demon Spirit managed to invade his body without any warning whatsoever and corrupt his mind. The most frightening thing was that Gong Yue had succumbed to it without realizing anything was wrong. The Demon Spirit had distorted his heart and mind so that he would release thousands of Demon Spirits and bring chaos into the world even if he had to die at the hands of Azure Sun Temple.
Murong Xiao Xiao claimed that a lot of people died, which probably meant that the death count was truly horrendous. It was hard to imagine the situation in the Southern Territory for the past ten years.
At that moment, Qiu Ran announced loudly, “If that’s the case, this matter is settled. I will stay and guard the Temple while this trip will be led by the Temple Master himself. The accompanying Elders are as follows… Luo Chen!”
A fair and baby-faced man stood up in response, cupping his fist and shouting, “Yes!”
Yang Kai murmured in surprise, “The Temple Master himself will be going? Isn’t that honouring Orthodoxy Temple a little too much?”
Although the Southern Territory Martial Gathering was not small in scale, it only involved those below the Emperor Realm. Yang Kai initially thought that only a few Elders would lead the delegation, so who could have known that even Wen Zi Shan himself would attend?
Murong Xiao Xiao smiled and replied, “Star Soul Palace will send someone over every time the Martial Gathering is held, so the Temple Master is simply going for the sake of formality.”
“I see.” Yang Kai nodded lightly. [It’s not out of respect for Orthodoxy Temple, but for Star Soul Palace. That explains everything; after all, even the people from Star Soul Palace are attending. It will be outrageous if Wen Zi Shan doesn’t attend. It’s just a formality anyway. It’s no big deal.]
Qiu Ran called out again, “Gao Xue Ting!”
“Yes!” Gao Xue Ting stood up and bowed with her hand on her chest.
“Xiao Bai Yi!”
“Yes!”
“Murong Xiao Xiao!”
“Here!”
“Yang Kai!” Qiu Ran looked at Yang Kai, along with the various gazes of other people, stunning him as he pointed at himself and asked, “I’m going too?”
Qiu Ran was sour-faced as he asked, “Were you not listening during our discussion just now?”
How could Yang Kai have heard anything? He had been chatting away with Murong Xiao Xiao. Azure Sun Temple probably sent Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to give them some experience. Although they had participated in the Martial Gathering before, they had participated as disciples. Now that they were Elders, the situation was no longer the same. Sending them out would allow them to gain more experience and get to mingle with those from other Sects. That way, they would not be caught unprepared should a situation arise where they needed to lead a team in the future.
[But, why do I have to go along with them?] Including Yang Kai, Qiu Ran had named a total of five people. [It’s an event for those below the Emperor Realm. Is there a need for five Elders in the Emperor Realm to lead the delegation? Aren’t they making a big deal out of nothing?]
High Heaven Palace was still facing many issues at the moment, and the disciples had yet to be completely settled in. Hence, Yang Kai was reluctant to join the Southern Territory Martial Gathering. He pondered for a moment and said, “Senior Brother, please forgive me. Unfortunately, I have something else…”
Gao Xue Ting cut in, “Don’t forget that you are also an Elder of Azure Sun Temple. It’s bad enough that you didn’t bother showing your face around here for so many years. You should go on this trip if you can make it; otherwise, people might forget that an Elder like you even exists in Azure Sun Temple.”
Emperor Realm Masters were the cornerstones of a Sect. They were a stabilizing force and a measure of influence. Thus, the number of Emperor Realm Masters in a Sect was directly related to the Sect’s standing in the world. One more or one less would make a huge difference.
Gao Xue Ting obviously meant that he should make an appearance more frequently to remind others about the existence of an Emperor Realm Master like him in Azure Sun Temple.
Having this pointed out, Yang Kai could only nod in agreement, “Alright then. I will go on this trip.”
You Kun laughed loudly, “Junior Brother, don’t look so displeased. You should know that the Martial Gathering is where many Emperor Realm Masters from many Sects will gather. There will be various meetings and auctions held in private. You might even stumble across a cheap and rare find if you go. Why else do you think the Temple sends so many Elders there?”
Although that was certainly an aspect to be considered, Yang Kai was a relatively wealthy person who could afford to feed more than a hundred thousand disciples, so why would he need to stumble across a cheap and rare find? Nevertheless, he smiled and nodded, “Good, it is as Senior Brother says.”
“Then, this matter is settled. You may leave to start your preparations early. We will set off in one month.”
After finalizing several matters, everybody began to disperse.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stopped Di Rong to inform him that he wanted to visit the Cultivation Technique Pavilion to copy some Secret Arts and Secret Techniques. Di Rong naturally agreed to the request and personally led Yang Kai there.
After working hard for the entire day and forking out some Elder Contribution Points, Yang Kai left the Cultivation Technique Pavilion feeling satisfied. He was in no hurry to leave though and instead called on several Elders that he was more familiar with and hosted a banquet on Spirit Sword Peak.
He did not dare to invite Gao Xue Ting over of course. It wasn’t that he was disrespecting her, but after the drunken debacle last time, Yang Kai had been left traumatised. That woman was usually pretty upright and magnanimous, but she became a different person when she was drunk. It was an unbearable sight to behold.
After what happened last time, Qiu Ran even punished all the Elders involved by deducting a large sum of Elder Contribution Points. Only Yang Kai had gotten away scot-free since it was his first offence. How could he dare to invite her again after that? Yet for some reason, Gao Xue Ting showed up and sat down at the table. Everybody looked at each other and kept all the wine away in tacit agreement; thus, that meal was a rather bland affair.
Yang Kai remained in Azure Sun Temple for two more days, and on the third day, one hundred Dao Source Realm and four hundred Origin King Realm disciples gathered on Spirit Sword Peak to report for duty. When Yang Kai appeared before them, a loud mixture of voices greeted him as the disciples bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Elder Yang.”
He swept his Divine Sense over them and clasped his hands behind his back, nodding in satisfaction. All five hundred of them were lively and spirited. In terms of cultivation, the Temple had done a thorough job selecting them. Whether they were men or women, each one of them was an elite. Rather, it should be said that the aptitude of the cultivators taken in by Azure Sun Temple was excellent to begin with.
Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting stood to the side, and after Yang Kai gave his greetings, he turned to the five hundred disciples and said, “I’m sure you’ve heard from the Vice Temple Master about this matter. I am inviting you to High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory to become teachers. I hope you will do your best in your task and know that I will not allow your services to go unrewarded.”
“Yes, sir!” Everyone promised.
Yang Kai turned his head to the side, “Do Senior Brother Qiu or Senior Sister Gao have anything to say?”
Qiu Ran stepped forward, “No matter what you are about to see later, you will take it with you to your graves. You are not even allowed to tell your fellow Sect members. If you are caught leaking information to others, you will not be forgiven.”
“Yes!” The group of disciples couldn’t help feeling suspicious. Why would Qiu Ran give them a warning like that?
On the other hand, Yang Kai knew that it must have something to do with the Cross-Territory Space Array. It seemed that the Temple valued this Cross-Territory Space Array more than he thought and were trying to keep it a secret. Yang Kai, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about the matter as it had already been exposed after all. In any case, it would not work unless he activated it himself or they had one of his Transmission Tokens. Otherwise, nobody could even think about activating it.
“Let’s go!” Qiu Ran waved his hand, leading the way. The rest followed behind him and it didn’t take long for them to arrive at the cave at the back of the mountain. Yang Kai made all five hundred disciples enter the cave in groups of ten and stand atop the Space Array. There was no other choice as the space within the cave was too small, and the scale of the Space Array he arranged was not large enough. Teleporting ten people at a time was the limit.
Qiu Ran and Gao Xue Ting watched eagerly from the side. It was clear that they wanted to get a good look at how the Space Array worked. Yang Kai found it amusing and did not try to hide anything from them. Instead, he asked Gao Xue Ting to take out the token he gave her and actively taught her how to activate the Space Array.
Five hundred was neither many nor few, so it took just less than an hour to teleport all of them. When Yang Kai appeared in High Heaven Palace with the last group of people, the great hall was already full of people. Gao Xue Ting had also followed along. Not everyone could get the chance to teleport from the Southern Territory to the Northern Territory in an instant. Besides, she was very curious about the High Heaven Palace that Yang Kai had established. She wanted to come and take a look at the place in person.
Upon receiving the news, Hua Qing Si hurried over to greet Gao Xue Ting with Bian Yu Qing in tow. The two parties got together and talked for a moment before Hua Qing Si led the five hundred teachers away with her. They would soon be assigned to Spirit Peaks to alleviate the pressure on those teachers from Fire Dragon Palace.
Meanwhile, Gao Xue Ting did not leave immediately. Since she was already here, she decided to have a tour of the place. Yang Kai personally accompanied her and led her around High Heaven Palace. Although she seemed calm on the surface, she was shocked to the core inside. There were two main reasons. Firstly, the number of disciples in High Heaven Palace was exactly as Yang Kai had described, more than a hundred thousand in total. People were bustling about on every single Spirit Peak. It was hard to imagine where he managed to recruit so many people.
Secondly, she was shocked by the number of Masters inside High Heaven Palace. She could distinctly sense the aura of many Emperors, two or three among them were even in the Third Order. It was just that their auras were different from ordinary Humans. Their Monster Qi was extremely dense, clearly indicating they were Monster Kings.
She knew that Yang Kai had Monster Kings working under him as back when he brought Ying Fei to the Southern Territory, it had caused quite a commotion. She was just surprised to see that he had more than one Monster King working under him. Aside from those Monster Kings, the Head Manager and Second Manager that she met previously were both Emperors. Moreover, there were some other Emperor Realm Masters concealed on other Spirit Peaks too.
High Heaven Palace’s heritage was clearly not something a newly established Sect should have. If it truly managed to train and raise all its disciples, who else but the Great Emperor Sects could compare to them?
Moreover, there were many natural Spirit Arrays in this place. She might not be proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, but she was at least capable of identifying them. The Spirit Arrays covering the Spirit Peaks were extremely exquisite and were clearly arranged by a Grandmaster.
Curious, she questioned Yang Kai about it only to learn that he had an Emperor Array Master working under him! She was so shocked that her jaw unconsciously dropped. It would be interesting to see her reaction when she learnt that there was also an Emperor Artifact Refiner and an Emperor Alchemist working in this place as well. In particular, that Emperor Alchemist was a Legacy Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.
Gao Xue Ting stayed in High Heaven Palace for two days before leaving. She had to admit that what she saw during her stay here had shocked her greatly. She initially thought that it was a ridiculous notion and waste of time for Yang Kai to establish his own Sect; thus, she had persuaded him to give up on his Sect and remain in the Temple instead. But now it seemed that she had been ignorant back then. High Heaven Palace was in no way inferior to Azure Sun Temple. Furthermore, being an Elder at Azure Sun Temple could not compare to the status of being the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace.
When Yang Kai saw her to the Space Array, Gao Xue Ting suddenly turned around and told him, “Junior Brother, I’ve thought about it. Since High Heaven Palace and Azure Sun Temple are connected by a Space Array, it’s convenient to travel back and forth between both places. Why don’t we exchange goods and supplies? If you can send the specialties of the Northern Territory to the Southern Territory, and vice versa, I’m sure we can profit by a large margin.”
Yang Kai sneered in his heart. [I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t need you to advise me.]
Nevertheless, cooperating with Azure Sun Temple wouldn’t hurt since the existence of his Space Array had been exposed. Although Violet Source Chamber of Commerce was good, the Azure Sun Temple was not weak either. The ability of Azure Sun Temple to collect materials would not be too inferior.
Thus, he nodded, “I was planning to discuss this matter with Senior Brother Qiu. When you get back, you can briefly inform him about it and, if the Temple is interested, I’d be happy to cooperate.”
“Senior Brother Qiu will definitely agree to a cooperation.” Gao Xue Ting said, knowing Qiu Ran had no reason to refuse a win-win situation, “You should return to the Temple as soon as possible once you finish settling matters here. Then, you can discuss it with Senior Brother yourself.”
“I got it.”
She then warned, “You better not be late. Don’t forget about the Martial Gathering.”
“I know. I know.”
She glared at him before activating the Space Array and leaving. After watching Gao Xue Ting leave, Yang Kai turned around to leave, but to his surprise, the Space Array behind him rippled and when he glanced behind him, he saw a new figure standing there.
“Brother Li.” Yang Kai grinned. The person standing there was none other than Li Jiao who had probably come through the Space Array in Fire Dragon Palace. The two Sects were not that far apart, so there were no side-effects from the teleportation and Li Jiao was able to respond immediately upon hearing Yang Kai’s voice, “Brother Yang.”
“How did it go?” Yang Kai asked.
Li Jiao sighed in response, “I have done as you asked, but Mi Qi was unwilling to accept your suggestion.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, “Unwilling? That’s good. Very good!”
Li Jiao smiled bitterly. How could he not understand what Yang Kai meant? He had tried to persuade Mi Qi before so as not to give Yang Kai an excuse to make an example out of the latter. Unfortunately, persuasion was completely useless when it came to something like that. If Li Jiao had said any more, the situation would have turned hostile immediately so he just sighed again.
[Things are going to get very rough for Mi Qi soon. I hope Yang Kai doesn’t go overboard.]
“Brother Li, you must be tired from the long journey. Why don’t you go back to Fire Dragon Palace to rest? I will take care of the rest.”
Li Jiao felt a little grateful to hear those words. He knew that Yang Kai was not planning on bringing him to Full Sky Sect out of consideration for his friendship with Mi Qi; otherwise, he could not justify standing by the sidelines and watching Yang Kai attack Mi Qi. Nevertheless, Li Jiao cupped his fists and spoke up after considering it carefully, “Many thanks for your concern, Brother Yang, but although I may not be of much help, I would still like to accompany you.”
His friendship with Mi Qi wasn’t that deep to begin with, and after their last encounter, it had completely fallen apart. In the future, Fire Dragon Palace would need to depend on High Heaven Palace if it wanted to strengthen its position in the Northern Territory; therefore, it was best if Li Jiao took a firm stance now. Besides, how could his life and death relationship with Yang Kai compare with his casual friendship with Mi Qi? It was easy to distinguish which one was more important and more meaningful.
Yang Kai glanced at Li Jiao and smiled, “It would be impolite for me to refuse your kind intentions, Brother Li. Wait a moment, I will gather some people. Please join me when I leave for Full Sky Sect later.”
“Good,” Li Jiao nodded.
Then, Yang Kai left.
Standing on the spot and pondering for a while, Li Jiao said something to Bian Yu Qing, who was standing to the side, then turned around, stepped onto the Space Array again, and disappeared.
A short while later, several figures rushed over speedily and landed in the hall. Yang Kai glanced around and did not see Li Jiao anywhere. Surprised, he asked, “Where did he go?”
Bian Yu Qing replied, “Palace Master Li said that he is going back to Fire Dragon Palace to gather some more people to cheer you on, Palace Master.”
“How thoughtful of him,” Yang Kai smiled and glanced back at the three figures behind him. They were none other than the three Monster Kings.
Although the number of disciples in High Heaven Palace exceeded a hundred thousand now, and there were many Emperor Real Masters among them, the only ones that could actually fight were the three Monster Kings.
Hua Qing Si, the Head Manager, was not suitable for fighting and killing as it would be a disaster if something unexpected happened to her. Bian Yu Qing was the Second Manager and was currently guarding the Space Array and could not leave her post either. The rest included Ji Ying, Nanmen Da Jun, and Hou Yu, who while being Emperor Realm Masters, were not good at combat. They were only capable of producing excellent results in their respective craftsmanship fields. It was not suitable to bring them out with him on this occasion. Ye Hen might have broken through to the First-Order Emperor Realm, but it would not matter much whether he came along or not when it came to something like this. Thus, Yang Kai decided against bringing Ye Hen with him. It was enough to have the three Monster Kings follow him.
He was just about to set off with Ying Fei and the others when he heard the sound of clothes fluttering behind him and the sound of something speeding through the air so quickly that it cut through the wind. Turning back, he saw Liu Yan standing at the door of the hall, pouting as she glared at him angrily.
[How could I have forgotten about her?] He slapped his head and beckoned to her, indicating for her to come over. Only then did she break out into a smile. She picked up her skirt with one hand, skipped over to him, and held one of his large hands.
Subsequently, the five of them stepped onto the Space Array and disappeared in a flash of light.
In the meantime, Li Jiao was working efficiently inside Fire Dragon Palace. Under his command, eight Emperor Realm Masters and two hundred Dao Source Realm disciples had gathered together, standing just outside the Space Array and waiting.
Chang Sheng, the Vice Palace Master, was in a dishevelled state. His clothes were in disarray, and his hair was a mess. He looked like he had just crawled out of bed. He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, so he did not need any sleep; however, it was easy to guess what he had been doing just by looking at the distinct ‘marks’ on his face. While straightening his clothes, he asked puzzledly, “Palace Master, where are we going?”
[Why have we gathered in front of this Space Array? And, a Space Array connecting directly to High Heaven Palace at that. We can’t be attacking High Heaven Palace, right?] Many people were frightened by the speculation in their hearts.
High Heaven Palace was not to be trifled with. Who in the Northern Territory did not know about the three Monster Kings in High Heaven Palace? Furthermore, there was a Sect Defending Array arranged by the Emperor Array Master, Nanmen Da Jun. With just these few people from Fire Dragon Palace, they would definitely not come out victorious. Seeking Passion Sect was a lesson to be learnt from. Fire Dragon Palace was no better than Seeking Passion Sect in any way.
“Why are you asking so many questions? You’ll know when the time is right,” Li Jiao snorted coldly. He deliberately refused to give them a clear explanation because many of the Emperor Realm Masters in the Northern Territory had connections with each other. The Elders of his Sect, who were in the Emperor Realm, that had gathered here were friendly with many of the Elders from Full Sky Sect, so Li Jiao was worried that information might leak to the enemy as a result if he explained the situation to them at this time.
Chang Sheng looked sheepish after being rebuked and did not dare to say anything more.
A brilliant light flashed suddenly, and five figures appeared on top of the Space Array. Before they could identify who these newcomers were, a terrifying wave of Monster Qi spread out across the surroundings. It horrified the people of Fire Dragon Palace and caused their expressions to change drastically. Upon a closer look, they realized that it was Yang Kai; thus, their expressions turned serious and they secretly let out a sigh of relief. [It looks like the Palace Master isn’t going to attack High Heaven Palace. That’s good, that’s good]
Looking at the three figures standing next to Yang Kai, the Fire Dragon Palace members couldn’t help feeling surprised. Although they had never met these people before, they could guess from the Monster Qi that these three were none other than the famous Monster Kings.
However, there was also a seven-or-eight-year-old little girl that looked like she was a statue carved out of the finest jade accompanying this group. Her presence and identity confused them greatly. [Could this little girl be Yang Kai’s daughter? But, we’ve never heard of him having a daughter with anybody. No way; is she his illegitimate daughter?]
Many glanced at each other with strange expressions.
“Brother Yang!” Li Jiao cupped his fists.
Everybody else followed suit and greeted, “Greetings, Palace Master Yang.”
Yang Kai swept his gaze over them and immediately felt his spirits lifting, “An impressive army!”
Excluding Li Jiao, there were eight other Emperors and two hundred Dao Source Realm Masters. Going by the situation back at Azure Sun Temple, Li Jiao had most likely deployed all the cultivators in Fire Dragon Palace that were in the Dao Source Realm and above.
Li Jiao smiled, “Brother Yang, I can gather more people if you think that this is not enough. But, their strength…”
“No need,” Yang Kai had not planned to bring many people with him in the first place. The fact that Li Jiao could mobilize so many Masters under his command to help out was already a pleasant surprise in itself. Gathering more would only be superfluous. Why would he want people who were weak?
“En… Shall we set off then?” Li Jiao asked.
Yang Kai nodded in response.
“Move out!” Li Jiao shouted and flew into the air, the others following behind him.
The flight speed between an Emperor Realm Master and a Dao Source Realm Master was vastly different, with the former undoubtedly being much faster. In consideration of those Dao Source Realm cultivators, the Emperors swiftly summoned their flight type artifacts and allowed the others to board and ride along together with them.
In an instant, all kinds of flight type artifacts, such as flying boats, flying swords, flying shuttles, and flying chariots, turned into streams of light that flashed across the sky like a meteor shower. Similarly, Yang Kai summoned his Flowing Clouds Shuttle and led the three Monster Kings and Liu Yan inside. Then, he followed behind Li Jiao and headed in the direction of Full Sky Sect.
Full Sky Sect was quite far from Fire Dragon Palace, so despite flying non-stop for two whole days, Yang Kai’s group had yet to reach their destination. Nevertheless, the Emperor Realm Masters of Fire Dragon Palace seemed to have noticed some clues by now. No matter how they thought about it, their flight route seemed to be heading for Full Sky Sect. Many of them had been to Full Sky Sect before, so they could not be mistaken about the direction. After communicating with each other via Divine Sense, they felt extremely apprehensive and pushed Chang Sheng to raise the question.
Chang Sheng did not refuse this duty. He was the Vice Palace Master of Fire Dragon Palace, so it was only natural that such responsibilities would fall on his shoulders. As such, he flew over and landed on Li Jiao’s flying artifact. Cupping his fists, he bowed and asked, “Palace Master, are we going to Full Sky Sect?”
“Yes.”
He was astonished, “Palace Master, may I know why we are heading there?”
Li Jiao replied, “To help Palace Master Yang subdue Full Sky Sect.” At this time, there was no point trying to hide it anymore. He would need their strength later after all so he did not want them falling into confusion when the moment arrived.
“Ah!” Chang Sheng panicked and exclaimed anxiously, “Palace Master, please rethink your decision. We can’t do this!”
“Why not?” Li Jiao looked at Chang Sheng expressionlessly.
Chang Sheng explained, “High Heaven Palace rose to power very quickly. A few years ago, its reputation spread far and wide because it destroyed the Seeking Passion Sect. Their prestige might have gone down a bit since they have been silent for the past few years, but if we assist High Heaven Palace in conquering Full Sky Sect, High Heaven Palace will become the number one Sect in the Northern Territory!”
“And? What of it?” Li Jiao thought to himself. [Even if High Heaven Palace doesn’t subdue Full Sky Sect, its current heritage is still unrivalled by the other Sects.]
Chang Sheng looked solemn, “Palace Master, may I ask how Fire Dragon Palace compares to High Heaven Palace?”
“We are inferior!” Li Jiao spoke the truth. He had seen Yang Kai’s ability with his own eyes. He even suspected that Yang Kai alone could wipe out Fire Dragon Palace. Needless to say, Fire Dragon Palace was greatly inferior. Besides, there were also the three Monster Kings.
“Indeed, we are inferior. Fire Dragon Palace is already no match for High Heaven Palace, so what would happen to Fire Dragon Palace’s standing in the Northern Territory if High Heaven Palace were to subdue Full Sky Sect? Seeing as we are so dependent on them, Fire Dragon Palace will not be safe any longer.”
Li Jiao looked at Chang Sheng and asked seriously, “In your opinion, what should we do instead?”
Chang Sheng solemnly answered, “We should cooperate with Full Sky Sect to resist High Heaven Palace. If two top Sects join forces, I’m sure even we can match High Heaven Palace in strength. At least, we can prevent one Sect from dominating the entire Northern Territory.”
Li Jiao simply looked at Chang Sheng without saying anything.
Chang Sheng was a little baffled by Li Jiao’s response, “Did I say something wrong?”
Li Jiao patted Chang Sheng on the shoulder and sighed, “I don’t blame you for having that mindset. It’s Human nature after all. It’s just… there are many things you don’t understand.”
Putting aside the fact that Yang Kai had saved him on multiple occasions, Li Jiao was personally not willing to make an enemy of Yang Kai. [Who says we can win against High Heaven Palace if we join hands with Full Sky Sect? That’s impossible. Yang Kai has the backing of the Dragon Clan. Who would dare provoke him if they knew? It might be different if it was just a casual association, but Yang Kai is married to a Ninth-Order Dragon!]
“Palace Master…”
“Haa… You never spoke a word about this, and I did not hear anything either. Go back and tell them to stuff their hearts into their stomachs. I don’t need you to do any fighting either; I only need you to cheer loudly when we get there.”
Chang Sheng’s expression twitched at those words, “Palace Master, do you mean to say that Palace Master Yang can wipe out Full Sky Sect with just those few people?”
“Are you saying they can’t?”
He shook his head, “It’s not that I am underestimating Palace Master Yang and the others. The cultivation of the three Monster Kings is obvious and no one in Full Sky Sect can be their opponent in a one-on-one fight. However, laying siege to a city is different. Leaving aside the fact that there are many Masters in Full Sky Sect, the Sect Defending Array alone cannot be broken that easily. Once the array is activated, even the three Monster Kings will be helpless against it for a time. Isn’t that right?”
“Helpless?” Li Jiao couldn’t stop himself from chuckling as he waved his hand, “Well, just wait and see.”
Chang Sheng was stunned. He could not understand why Li Jiao had such confidence in Yang Kai. It was Full Sky Sect they were talking about, one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Its Sect Defending Array would not be broken so easily. Nevertheless, there was nothing else he could say if Li Jiao was so adamant about it. In any case, Li Jiao had already said that they were only there to cheer Yang Kai on, not to get into a fight, so they wouldn’t face any danger. Thus, Chang Sheng bowed and left to convey Li Jiao’s message to the rest. Upon hearing these orders though, the other Emperor Realm Masters looked at each other in confusion.
The sounds of singing and dancing rose and fell inside the great hall of Full Sky Sect, accompanied by the sounds of rustling silk. A group of dancers was dancing nimbly below in clothes that exposed much of their skin. Meanwhile, a group of Emperor Realm Masters were seated in two rows on the left and the right. Everybody had a table arranged in front of them. Lastly, the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, Mi Qi, sat next to a white-haired old man at the head of the hall and enthusiastically entertained the latter.
That old man was getting on in years and was not dressed very luxuriously, so he would not stand out from a crowd. The only conspicuous point about him was that he had several bags hanging from his waist. Nobody knew what was stuffed into them, but they were bulging. Nevertheless, it was such an old man who made Mi Qi and the others attend to him personally. Moreover, he was seated on the same level as Mi Qi, which went to show just how highly Mi Qi regarded this person.
Below them, the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect constantly raised their glasses to toast the old man, who in turn did not refuse. The rare nectar slid down his snow-white beard as he drank, causing the Elders to feel great pain at the sight. It had cost them a lot of effort and Source Crystals just to brew these spirit wines and even though they couldn’t bring themselves to drink them on normal occasions, they brought all of it out for this guest only to see him being so painfully careless with it. Unfortunately, the old man was not somebody they could afford to offend. They could only lament in their hearts while smiling on the surface.
While the old man was drinking, he leered lecherously at the slender and charming dancers below. At the same time, he also grabbed a handful of grape-like berries and stuffed them into his mouth, one by one. Those berries looked extremely delicious. They were bright blue and sparkled in the light like gemstones; however, those who were familiar with this fruit would know that while it might be exquisite, their taste was anything but.
The Blue Jade Fruit was a kind of spirit fruit that could be used to refine certain Spirit Pills, but those pills weren’t very valuable or useful. If these fruits were consumed raw though, one would find them incredibly sour and difficult to swallow. In addition, they were difficult to cultivate; thus, they were extremely rare across the entire Star Boundary. After all, it did not have much use, did not taste good, and was difficult to produce. It was only natural that people couldn’t be bothered to waste their time and energy on growing them.
However, Full Sky Sect had invested heavily into a Blue Jade Fruit orchard, producing a large number of Blue Jade Fruits every year. The reason behind this endeavour was simple. This old man known as Old Tao loved the taste of Blue Jade Fruit. Everybody had their own unique likes and dislikes, so while most found Blue Jade Fruit hard to consume, it was the most scrumptious delicacy in the world to this old man. Nobody had any idea why his preference was so unique.
Old Tao came from an extraordinary background, and it was by pure chance that Mi Qi had gotten to know him. It was then he happened to notice that Old Tao had a love for Blue Jade Fruits when he invited him to Full Sky Sect. Pandering to the old man’s desires, Mi Qi spent a fortune to create a Blue Jade Fruit orchard in the Sect’s medicine garden and meticulously maintained it every year.
Mi Qi would invite Old Tao over for a taste whenever it was time for the Blue Jade Fruits to be harvested and wrap up all the remaining Blue Jade Fruits for this old man to take when he left. Over the years, Old Tao developed a habit of staying at Full Sky Sect for a few days every year to relieve his cravings, and they eventually became familiar with each other.
The day Li Jiao left after delivering Yang Kai’s message, Mi Qi immediately invited Old Tao over by saying that the Blue Jade Fruits had ripened. Old Tao rushed over without hesitation upon receiving the message, and Full Sky Sect immediately served up good wine and good food for him.
Mi Qi was aware that Full Sky Sect was no match for High Heaven Palace as three Monster Kings were not to be underestimated. He had been harbouring a grudge since he and Li Jiao were both deceived by Yang Kai into taking that Alchemy bet, so he didn’t care about what it might cost him if he could use Old Tao’s strength to break free from High Heaven Palace’s control. The three Monster Kings were strong, but they were not enough to stand in front of Old Tao.
Therefore, Mi Qi enthusiastically offered drinks to Old Tao while smirking in his heart. [I can’t wait for Yang Kai to come knocking on my door. I’m going to show him that Full Sky Sect isn’t some pushover he can bully!]
At that moment, somebody suddenly entered from the outside and secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Mi Qi. Mi Qi’s expression immediately changed upon receiving the message and he hurriedly put his wine glass down while intentionally showing a disturbed look on his face as he spoke, “Old Tao, please excuse me for a moment. I will be back soon.”
Old Tao listened to those words and looked up at Mi Qi curiously, “What’s the matter?”
Mi Qi forced a smile, “It’s just a trivial matter. I shouldn’t bother you with it, Old Tao. I will take care of it myself.”
Old Tao tossed a Blue Jade Fruit into his mouth and grinned meaningfully while chewing, revealing a set of blue-stained teeth, “Brother Mi, why are you treating this Old Master like an outsider?”
“How could I dare?” Mi Qi waved his hand quickly, “Old Tao, your presence at Full Sky Sect as a guest has allowed the Sect to flourish. How can I treat you as an outsider?”
Old Tao replied, “If it’s related to Full Sky Sect’s secrets, then you don’t need to talk about it, Brother Mi. But, you shouldn’t hide it from me if you are in trouble. I might not have much strength, but I can still speak a few words. Who knows? I might be able to help you solve your problems, Brother Mi.”
He could tell that something was wrong just by looking at Mi Qi’s expression.
Mi Qi hesitated for a while, seemingly struggling over something, but eventually he sighed and spoke, “Since you don’t treat me as an outsider, Old Tao, then it doesn’t matter if I tell you about the Sect’s shameful dispute.” While speaking, he picked up his wine glass and drained it down in one gulp, as though he was trying to drown his sorrows.
“Shameful dispute? What happened?” Old Tao became curious.
Mi Qi sighed, “It’s that damned High Heaven Palace again.”
Old Tao was stunned, his expression turning slightly strange as he asked, “You mean that High Heaven Palace that emerged not long ago? I remember you saying that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace cheated you out of a lot of Source Crystals.”
Mi Qi had told Old Tao about this matter many years ago. At the time, he had wanted Old Tao to go to the High Heaven Palace to speak on his behalf and make Yang Kai write off those gambling debts; however, how could Old Tao easily involve himself in other people’s disputes? Although he came to Full Sky Sect to enjoy some Blue Jade Fruit every year and Mi Qi had always been very hospitable towards him, that was just a small favour in the end, not something worth upsetting one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory over.
Old Tao might come from an extraordinary background, but that did not mean he went around inviting trouble to himself. Besides, it was a gambling debt, so it wasn’t as if Yang Kai had stolen it from Mi Qi.
“I am ashamed. Very ashamed!” Mi Qi looked like he couldn’t bear to think about the past.
“What did the people of High Heaven Palace come here for?” Old Tao’s expression twitched, “Don’t tell me they are here to ask for the Source Crystals you owe? If that’s the case, I recommend you pay them back to keep the peace.”
Mi Qi secretly cursed in his heart. [You’ve eaten from my table for so many years, yet you ask me to use money to solve my issues the moment you hear that it’s High Heaven Palace!? You truly are unreliable at critical moments! Whatever; I will be borrowing your name as a shield since you are already here. Why else would I invite you over so enthusiastically if not for this? It was all for the moment when Yang Kai came knocking on the door. Up until now, everything has been going according to plan.]
While he cursed to himself, Mi Qi lamented with a sorrowful expression on his face, “You are right, Old Tao. I am not a man who goes against my word. It is only natural that I accept my loss since I was willing to gamble in the first place. Full Sky Sect has tightened its belt over the years to send over a large number of Source Crystals to High Heaven Palace. But, that bastard surnamed Yang seems to be unsatisfied. Just a few days ago, he sent somebody over to deliver a message, asking Full Sky Sect to surrender to High Heaven Palace; or else, he would wipe out Full Sky Sect.”
Although Li Jiao had said words to the effect of surrendering, Mi Qi had no qualms about embellishing the part about being wiped out.
Old Tao’s expression darkened when he heard those words, “This High Heaven Palace is being far too arrogant.”
“Isn’t it? I may be untalented, but I am still a Sect Master. I have several thousand disciples under me, so how can I sell out my Sect and submit myself to another? Therefore, I immediately refused on the spot, only asking for them to show mercy and leave Full Sky Sect alone.”
“And?” Old Tao asked.
Mi Qi replied with a sullen expression, “My disciple just reported that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, has led a dozen Emperor Realm Masters to Full Sky Sect with him. Moreover, there are more than two hundred Dao Source Realm cultivators following them. From the looks of it, they are here to attack Full Sky Sect.”
The corners of Old Tao’s face visibly twitched, “That can’t be…”
He was no longer in the mood to continue eating the Blue Jade Fruit in his hand as he had the vague feeling that he had been set up. He might be old, but he was not a fool. [Mi Qi went out of his way to invite me over, and High Heaven Palace just so happened to arrive with a large group of people to invade this place? It’s as clear as day that Mi Qi planned this out! Damn it! He wants to borrow my power to settle this dispute!]
Old Tao couldn’t help feeling resentful, [I only come here to eat some fruits every year. Do you really need to set me up like this!?]
Be that as it may, Old Tao maintained his composure as he asked, “Could you be overthinking things, Sect Master Mi? This might be nothing more than a misunderstanding.”
Mi Qi sternly refuted, “That bastard surnamed Yang has already deployed his men here. How is it a misunderstanding?”
Old Tao tossed the Blue Jade Fruit up and down in his hand, suddenly feeling like it was a ball of flames rather than a sour fruit. Coughing dryly, Old Tao continued, “Brother Mi, you haven’t even met them face-to-face yet. How can you be so sure that it’s not a misunderstanding? Who knows? It might be resolved with a few words.”
[Resolved!? You damn cheat!] How could Mi Qi not know that Old Tao was being evasive? Nevertheless, he could not force Old Tao either. It wasn’t like he could say, ‘You eat so many of my Blue Jade Fruits every year. Shouldn’t you help out now that I’m in trouble!?’
Old Tao continued, “Besides, the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect is nothing to sneeze at. There’s nothing to worry about even if that Palace Master Yang tries to attack. Whether or not they can enter the array is a whole other matter.”
Mi Qi forced a smile on his face and nodded in agreement, “Your words make sense, Old Tao. In that case, I will go and check out the situation. Let’s hope it is, as you say, a misunderstanding.”
Old Tao immediately replied, “Brother Mi, please come back soon.”
The corners of Mi Qi’s mouth twitched in response. Seeing how Old Tao was not willing to go with him drove home the point that the relationship between them was nothing. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of grief and rage. Even so, he couldn’t lose his temper here and could only say, “Good. Please excuse me for a moment, Old Tao. I’ll go out and have a look at the situation.”
While he was speaking, he spun around and headed outside. At the same time, he signalled the seated Elders and Protectors with his eyes. All of them immediately got up from their seats and followed behind him.
A moment later, Old Tao was the only one left in the great hall. He glanced at the young girls who continued dancing below, then glanced at the Blue Jade Fruit in front of him. All of a sudden, he had lost interest in them.
Just outside the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect, Yang Kai leisurely stood in the air with his hands behind his back. Li Jiao stood beside him, and the three Monster Kings stood behind them, their Monster Qi surging overwhelmingly while their gazes were fierce.
Further behind them were the Emperor Realm Masters and Dao Source Realm cultivators of Fire Dragon Palace, their expressions rather complicated. They never expected to actually come and cause trouble for Full Sky Sect.
[What does Palace Master Yang want to do? Our Palace Master is acting strangely too. Why is he cooperating with Palace Master Yang?]
Inside the array, a group of Full Sky Sect’s disciples, whose cultivation could not be considered high, shivered in fear and gathered together for warmth as if that would make them feel safer. Both sides watched each other from across the array. Whenever they met the terrifying gaze of the three Monster Kings, these disciples couldn’t help feeling petrified, breaking out into cold sweats.
Yang Kai and the group behind him gave off the impression that they were aggressive and ill-intentioned. Although Full Sky Sect’s disciples did not know what Yang Kai and the rest were here for, they had eyes and common sense so it was only natural for them to feel apprehensive.
Yang Kai glanced sideways and said coldly, “This King and Sect Master Mi are old acquaintances. I travelled so far to visit him to discuss urgent matters. Why are you keeping me outside? Hurry up and open the array. Can you bear the responsibility if this delay causes relations between Sect Master Mi and this King to deteriorate?”
Naturally, the disciples of Full Sky Sect did not believe his nonsense. They were well aware of the relationship between Full Sky Sect and High Heaven Palace. The huge reduction in discretionary Source Crystals over the past few years was entirely caused by High Heaven Palace. Therefore, they had long held a deep hatred toward both High Heaven Palace and Yang Kai. Despite not being enemies, Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace were no different from their enemies. How could a person like that specially pay a visit to the Sect Master? It was clear that he did not hold any good intentions. What’s more; the Sect Master had already issued an order. The array was not to be released without his permission. Hence, they were not frightened by Yang Kai’s words.
The leading Dao Source Realm Master cupped his fists and stated, “Palace Master Yang, please calm your anger. Sect Master is on his way. I’m sure he will arrive soon. Please wait for a little longer, Palace Master Yang. If you have any business with the Sect, please wait until Sect Master arrives. You can talk to him yourself, Palace Master Yang.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “It is said that lackeys are even more difficult to deal with than the boss. It seems that is really the case. What is your name?”
The Dao Source Realm Master’s expression twitched. [What is this? Is he trying to pick a fight with me?] He hesitated for a while but decided that he did not dare to conceal anything from Yang Kai. Thus, he reported his name.
Yang Kai nodded and pointed at the Dao Source Realm Master, “I’ll make you sorry later!”
That person was desperate to cry but could not shed any tears, “Palace Master Yang, I am only doing as I was told. Why must you make things difficult for me?”
Yang Kai said, “If you don’t want me to make things difficult for you, then hurry up and release the array. Stop wasting my time with nonsense.”
That Dao Source Realm Master felt like a noose was tightening around his neck. [How could I dare to release the array!?] He was extremely restless, anxious, and beside himself with panic.
At that moment, a voice rang out from behind him, “I was wondering who it was that was being so arrogant. It turns out to be you, Palace Master Yang. I was negligent in welcoming you, please forgive my discourtesy.”
“Sect Master!” The group of disciples turned back to look, and their expressions lit up with joy. The leading Dao Source Realm Master was ecstatic, feeling as though he had been exonerated. More than ten Emperor Realm Masters flew over. The Elders and Protectors landed with the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect in the lead.
Now that the Sect Master was here, the leading Dao Source Realm Master couldn’t help feeling that this matter had nothing to do with him anymore. Thus, he hurriedly took several steps back and stood behind the group of Emperor Realm Masters
“Sect Master Mi!” Yang Kai looked at Mi Qi with a smile on his face, “I haven’t seen you for so many years, I trust you’ve been well.”
Mi Qi put his hand on his chest, “Palace Master Yang, your bearing is as noble as before. Your prestige has not diminished one bit.” Although they were words of praise, they sounded mocking instead. It was difficult not to notice the sarcasm.
Yang Kai frowned. [Why does that bastard look so confident?]
Yang Kai glanced at the Emperor Realm Masters behind Mi Qi, then turned to look at the army behind him. [Our fighting power is completely on different levels. Where does he get his confidence to speak to me in such a manner? Could it be due to the Sect Defending Array in front of me?]
Mi Qi continued, “Palace Master Yang, why aren’t you living in comfort back at High Heaven Palace? How are you so free to visit this little backwater place of mine?”
Yang Kai laughed loudly, “I was just passing by the area while running some errands. I missed you since we haven’t seen each other for so many years, so I decided to drop by for a visit.”
“Is that so…” Mi Qi cupped his fists again. Thank you for your kind thoughts, Palace Master Yang. Everything has been going fine here.”
Yang Kai asked “Sect Master Mi, are you going to talk to me like this? Aren’t you going to invite me in? Speaking of which, it’s my first time in Full Sky Sect. I wonder how it compares to High Heaven Palace.”
Mi Qi shook his head in response, “High Heaven Palace is a beautiful place. Full Sky Sect is far inferior in comparison.” [I’d be crazy to invite you in!]
Changing the subject, Mi Qi added, “Unfortunately, you came at a bad time. I am hosting an honoured guest, so it’s not convenient for me to entertain you today. You can come back on another day if you want to, and I will accompany you personally, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze and looked at Mi Qi, “I came from afar to visit. Sect Master Mi, isn’t your hospitality unreasonably lacking?”
Mi Qi smiled slightly, “Forgive me, Palace Master Yang. It’s really… Not a convenient time. It won’t be good if I am rude to the honoured guest.”
“Who is this honoured guest? Why don’t you let me meet him?”
He shook his head again, “That person doesn’t like strangers. Palace Master Yang, I am really sorry, but please go back for today.”
Yang Kai calmly asked, “And, if I insist on going inside to have a look?”
Mi Qi narrowed his eyes, “Palace Master Yang, please watch your behaviour. This place is Full Sky Sect, not High Heaven Palace. You don’t have any say here. If you want to act all high and mighty, please go back to High Heaven Palace!”
When the disciples of Full Sky Sect heard those words, they couldn’t help feeling extremely excited. They felt that their Sect Master sounded very domineering. It was very satisfying to hear. [High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master is begging for it. Why is he chattering away and humiliating himself?]
Yang Kai looked at Mi Qi meaningfully, “It seems that you have something to rely on, Sect Master Mi. That’s why you’re not afraid that I might destroy Full Sky Sect in a fit of rage.”
Mi Qi arrogantly replied, “Heaven sees everything, and justice lives in the hearts of man.”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively at those words, “Justice doesn’t live in the hearts of man. It is in my hands!”
[I can’t be bothered to waste my time talking to him. Let’s get down to business.]
“Mi Qi, I came here in person to present you with two choices!”
Mi Qi smiled widely, “I’m curious to hear just what these two choices may be. I hope you will state them in all seriousness, Palace Master Yang. Don’t turn yourself into the butt of jokes.”
Yang Kai was expressionless, “Submit to High Heaven Palace and offer up 70% of your annual income to me in the future, or… I will turn Full Sky Sect into High Heaven Palace’s branch operative!”
Meanwhile, Mi Qi stared at Yang Kai expressionlessly. He seemed to be waiting for Yang Kai to continue. After a while, he asked, “Is that all?”
Yang Kai clasped his hands behind his back, “The choice is up to you.”
Mi Qi chuckled and turned to look around him, “Palace Master Yang just told a joke; shouldn’t you guys show him some support?”
The group of Elders and Protectors standing around began laughing heartily in response. Some of the disciples also joined in. It was an indescribably weird situation.
On the other hand, Yang Kai watched coldly. The three Monster Kings also had solemn expressions on their faces.
The moment Mi Qi lifted a hand, the laughter stopped abruptly. He coldly stared at Yang Kai and said, “Though peace reigns over the land, the people create trouble for themselves. Palace Master Yang, it is not too late for you to retreat now. You can still preserve your pride. Otherwise, it will be humiliating for you when you are put on the spot later.” He acted as though he was trying to dissuade Yang Kai with good intentions. However, he couldn’t wait for Yang Kai to embarrass himself. He decided that he would settle everything with Yang Kai today so that he did not need to send a large amount of Source Crystals to High Heaven Palace every year in the future.
“Sect Master Mi, you sure speak with confidence today.” Yang Kai nodded slightly, “I hope you won’t come to regret it.”
Mi Qi yelled, “I have done nothing wrong! I have nothing to regret!”
“Good!” Yang Kai exploded, “You refused the easy way out and chose the difficult path instead. Don’t blame this Palace Master for disregarding the friendship we used to have and destroying Full Sky Sect!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, three figures rushed out from behind him. They arrived in front of the Sect Defending Array in the blink of an eye. Everything happened so fast that nobody could see what happened clearly. All they felt was a violent shockwave spreading out, followed by a loud explosion and an earthquake. The Sect Defending Array shuddered strongly and a layer of ripples spread out across the surface.
The three Monster Kings’ fierce attack packed terrifying power. Moreover, their Monster Qi flared so strongly that it was extremely overwhelming. It frightened many people, and they hurriedly summoned their artifacts and drew out their strength as if they were facing a great enemy.
On the contrary, Mi Qi remained calm and unruffled. He simply looked straight ahead with a smile, “Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array may not be the best, but won’t break so easily. Palace Master Yang, don’t waste your strength.”
After saying that, an Array Board suddenly appeared in his hand. The swaying array immediately stabilized with a light wave of the banner in his hand. Even the ripples disappeared. There was no reaction at all no matter how the three Monster Kings attacked.
It wasn’t that there was no response. It was simply that the attacking power was dispersed and moved elsewhere. That was the power of the Sect Defending Array. As long as the Spirit Array was activated, even the three Monster Kings, who were extremely powerful, could not destroy the Array within a short time. Had those people in the Seeking Passion Sect remained hiding behind their Sect Defending Array back then, Yang Kai would not have had the ability to wipe them out. Their greatest mistake was leaving their stronghold to attack Ice Heart Valley, which gave Yang Kai a chance to take them down instead.
The three Monster Kings did not spare any effort. After a volley of powerful attacks, they were running out of steam. Thus, they returned to Yang Kai’s side looking ashamed of themselves and feeling as though they had let Yang Kai down.
Meanwhile, the people of Full Sky Sect were laughing loudly. Their laughter was filled with mockery and derision.
Mi Qi said, “Palace Master Yang, are you not going to give up? It will be even more embarrassing to continue.”
He had been worried that the three Monster Kings might destroy the Sect Defending Array. But, now that the Array was safe and sound, he immediately calmed down. [It looks like I won’t need Old Tao to step up. High Heaven Palace can’t do anything to me. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have sent those Source Crystals. It would have been better to keep them for our own use.]
Yang Kai glanced at Mi Qi and said, “If that’s what you were relying on, then I’m very disappointed.”
Mi Qi coldly snorted, “Stop your shameless boasting!”
“This trivial Spirit Array is hardly a challenge. Watch me break it down.” Yang Kai stretched out his arms to both sides. The people behind him immediately backed away, putting a distance of a kilometre between them.
Mi Qi frowned. He did not know what Yang Kai was up to. He had to admit that Yang Kai wasn’t weak. Nevertheless, Yang Kai had only advanced into the Emperor Realm not too long ago. How could he accomplish something that even the three Monster Kings couldn’t do?
While he was entertaining his doubts, he saw Yang Kai putting one hand into the void and grabbing something. Then, a silly-looking Stone Man suddenly appeared. Everybody widened their eyes in surprise. Nobody could tell how or where that Stone Man had appeared from. All they saw was Yang Kai grabbing at something in the void as if it had been hiding there all along.
The Stone Man was about half a person tall, with sharp edges and corners all over its body. It looked a little dopey, but its eyes were bright as could be.
As soon as the Stone Man appeared, it turned to face the Sect Defending Array of Full Sky Sect and immediately let out a beast-like roar while beating his chest with both fists.
The people watching this scene were dumbfounded. [What the Hell is going on!? That guy might not look weak, but what is the point of beating his chest?]
However, their astonishment soon turned into horror. Their gazes slowly shifted upward, and they slowly lifted their heads accordingly. Amidst the shaking ground, the Stone Man, who was only half a person tall at the beginning, was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
3 metres, 15 metres, 30 metres, 60 metres, 100 metres… It wasn’t until it was approximately 130 metres to 160 metres tall that it stopped growing. It was as large as a mountain, standing in front of Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array.
An unimaginable pressure assaulted their senses as it felt as though the Monster that was the size of a small mountain was not standing in front of them but pressing down on their chests instead, making it difficult for them to breathe. What terrified them even more were the sharp stone pillars protruding from the Stone Man’s body, which had emerged at some point in time like a layer of spikes. Moreover, his entire body was covered in flames that seemed quite malevolent.
“Shi Huo!” The pupils of Mi Qi’s eyes abruptly contracted. He had great vision and extensive knowledge, so he was able to recognize traces of the aura emanating from the Embodiment. But, why would Shi Huo appear here!?
He had long heard of the Divine Spirit Shi Huo that existed in the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory, which had destroyed Black Tortoise Sect many millennia ago. He did not know whether that Divine Spirit was this thing in front of him; however, what baffled Mi Qi the most was its size. [Since when was Shi Huo capable of becoming this big!?]
Some information on Divine Spirits was available, and as long as one had the will, it was not hard to gather that information. Therefore, Mi Qi was not totally unfamiliar with Shi Huo. It was just that he had never seen it for himself. As far as he knew, even if Shi Huo had some sort of Secret Technique to change his body size, it was still impossible for him to become so huge.
Unbeknownst to Mi Qi, the Shi Huo standing in front of him was a Stone Spirit that had once devoured an entire floating continent. Despite using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to refine all the impurities, the Embodiment could still become even bigger if he wanted to. What was a mere 400 to 500 meters of height? Even Yang Kai’s 200-metre-long Dragon Body was nothing in front of him.
The roaring sound stopped abruptly as the Embodiment opened his eyes wide, glaring with a fierce and evil look as it gazed down from above. A fist larger than a palace clenched tightly in the next moment as he bent his arm back before punching downwards.
Before the attack even landed, an ear-splitting sound cut through the air.
Mi Qi’s expression changed drastically and he was no longer as calm as before. It was true that Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array was extraordinary, and with him personally presiding over it, the array would be enough to withstand the attacks of the three Monster Kings without any damage. Be that as it may, he did not have the slightest confidence that it could withstand the onslaught of such a behemoth; after all, most Spirit Arrays in this world could be destroyed when hit with enough brute force. If they could not be destroyed this way, it simply meant that the attacking party didn’t have enough strength.
Mi Qi could not imagine just how much power this ridiculously large Shi Huo packed, and he didn’t even dare to speculate. In a panic, he rapidly formed a series of seals while injecting his Emperor Qi into the Array Jade. Bursts of light flew out and landed on the surface of the Spirit Array. In response, the surface of the Spirit Array glowed, becoming much more dazzling than before.
*Hong…*
The Embodiment’s fist smashed down on the Sect Defending Array, and the entire Full Sky Sect shook from the impact. Countless buildings collapsed in that instant and amidst the settling dust, many figures flew up into the sky and looked around blankly. When they saw the humongous figure in the distance, though, they were all transfixed by the sight.
Full Sky Sect was guarded by their powerful Sect Defending Array, and nobody could force their way into the Sect as long as the Spirit Array was intact. However, the Embodiment’s attack was a manifestation of pure brute force, so even this Sect Defending Array could not dispel it completely. Instead, the force of the attack surged across the array and spread out to all parts of the Full Sky Sect. Whether far or near, the entire Full Sky Sect instantly became a mess.
Meanwhile, the place where Mi Qi and the others were located was in even worse shape. When that fist smashed down, all of them couldn’t help feeling as though the sky was crashing down on them. The Heaven-splitting force turned into a powerful series of vibrations that sent dust and stone flying across a large area of the land, even obscuring the sun from view.
*Pu pu pu…*
A series of muffled noises rang out as flesh and blood splattered everywhere. Some of Full Sky Sect’s disciples with lower cultivation had exploded into blood mists after being hit by the invisible vibrations. Only the cultivators in the Dao Source Realm and above kept their lives. Nevertheless, their complexions were pale and their eyes were filled with horror.
Mi Qi was thoroughly shocked. He couldn’t care less about the life and death of some disciples with low cultivation at the moment as his gaze was locked on a certain spot on the Sect Defending Array. It was none other than the spot where the Embodiment’s fist had made contact. There, countless small cracks had appeared on the sturdy and solid surface of the Spirit Array and had spread out into the surrounding area. Those cracks stretched out for several thousands of metres in the blink of an eye.
Mi Qi was taken aback. He had known that the power behind that monster’s punch was not to be underestimated, but even so, he never expected it to be so overwhelming. [Is this really the strength of a Shi Huo!? Shi Huo’s main forte doesn’t lie in its brute strength, right?]
Upon seeing the monster raising its fist again, Mi Qi didn’t dare to hold back. Pushing his Emperor Qi madly into the Array Jade, more lights streamed out from it and the unsteady Spirit Array gradually stabilized. Similarly, the cracks that had appeared slowly disappeared with his efforts.
Before Mi Qi had time to catch his breath though, a second fist came crashing down.
This punch felt as though it wasn’t landing on the Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array, but directly on Mi Qi’s heart instead. It horrified him, and he couldn’t help feeling a sense of death washing over him.
The same situation as before reappeared once more. The entire Full Sky Sect shook fiercely again, and more buildings collapsed. Fortunately, the Emperor Realm Masters behind Mi Qi began casting defensive techniques the moment they sensed that things were going badly. They managed to defend against the invisible fluctuations of the sky-splitting force and prevented more of the weaker disciples from suffering any harm.
*Kacha…*
A cracking sound rang out as large fissures appeared again in the Sect Defending Array that had just been repaired. The number of the cracks were higher and denser than before, and they spread out further as well. Mi Qi was so scared that he felt as if his Soul had left his body and he once again began furiously forming hand seals as he tried to stabilize the Array.
A sense of despair washed over Mi Qi when he saw the Embodiment raising its fist again. The Sect Defending Array he was so proud of was not capable of protecting Full Sky Sect from danger. Rather, it could be said that more than 90% of the Sect Defending Arrays in the world could not withstand this kind of indiscriminate barrage of attacks, so he shouted. “Elders, help me!”
The moment Mi Qi’s voice sounded, the Emperor Realm Masters came back to their senses like they were waking up from a dream and each of them hurriedly took out their respective Array Jades. These Array Jades were used to control the Sect Defending Array as well, but they were only sub-controllers while the Master Array Jade was held by Mi Qi.
The expressions on their faces were filled with a never-seen-before solemnity as they sent their Emperor Qi into their Array Jades, hurriedly trying to repair the cracked Sect Defending Array.
The Embodiment shook his head. The fact that his previous two punches had failed to destroy the Spirit Array seemed to annoy him, so he suddenly clasped both hands together, lifted them above his head, and smashed his clenched fists down.
[We can’t stop him! It’s absolutely unstoppable!]
That thought surfaced in the minds of Mi Qi, as well as the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect, even though the attack had yet to land. It was a feeling derived from pure instinct.
In reality, it turned out to be the truth. When the Embodiment’s third attack landed, the unstable surface of the barrier flashed for a moment before dense cracks began spreading out from the point where the attack landed as its centre. Under the horrified gaze of the people inside Full Sky Sect, the Sect Defending Array shattered!
Thousands of metres away, the figures of the three Monster Kings blasted forward like lightning. They rushed directly into the midst of the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect in the blink of an eye. Ying Fei was faster, so he took the lead. Meanwhile, Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei followed closely behind.
As claw strikes rained down from the sky, the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect, who had yet to accept that their Sect Defending Array had been destroyed, could barely defend themselves and were unable to counterattack.
The gap in their cultivation showed instantly. The only Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in Full Sky Sect was Mi Qi, and even he might not be able to match Ying Fei in a one-on-one fight, so there was no chance the other Elders and Protectors could resist.
Xi Lei’s body sparkled with cyan lightning as he recklessly rushed over to Mi Qi and grinned savagely, “Since you refuse a toast, you must drink a loss! Die!” A big fan-like palm swiped at Mi Qi’s head.
Mi Qi threw aside the Array Jade in his hand and swiftly summoned a steel ring-like artifact. Tangled in an all-out fight against Xi Lei, the grief and panic in his heart were beyond words.
On the other hand, Xie Wu We followed closely behind and slipped past Xi Lei. A huge scorpion phantom appeared behind him, shaking its head and wagging its tail. The scorpion stinger was gleaming with a green and eerie light, which looked extremely venomous. The scorpion flickered for a moment, and a viridescent mist exploded out that swiftly enveloped 4 or 5 Emperor Realm Masters. Those Emperor Realm Masters vanished from view in the blink of an eye, and only their exclamations could be heard from the outside. Nobody knew what was happening to them inside the poison fog.
As soon as the three Monster Kings attacked, they took down all the powerful Masters in Full Sky Sect.
Li Jiao raised his arms and shouted, “Charge!”
Although he initially planned to only cheer Yang Kai on from behind, he couldn’t stand on the sidelines at this point. As the saying went, ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’. The best thing for him to do right now was to help Yang Kai take down Full Sky Sect.
In the meantime, the Elders of Fire Dragon Palace remained in a daze. It was mainly because the scene right in front of them was extremely difficult to accept. Both Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace were top Sects of the Northern Territory. They had each remained standing in the Northern Territory for more than ten thousand years, so how did Yang Kai breach Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array so easily? They always thought that Yang Kai had only managed to destroy Seeking Passion Sect due to luck; after all, Seeking Passion Sect had courted death by leaving their Sect to attack Ice Heart Valley.
Unfortunately, that now seemed to have been nothing but wishful thinking. Full Sky Sect’s Sect Defending Array had been broken just like that. If Fire Dragon Palace and High Heaven Palace were to become enemies, they might not end up any better. They originally felt that Li Jiao had caused their prestige to fall by submitting to Yang Kai, but now it was apparent that this was no incompetence on Li Jiao’s part, but keen foresight.
When they heard Li Jiao’s shout, they snapped back to the present and hurriedly rushed after their Palace Master. They might not have been willing to confront Full Sky Sect head-on, but rubbing salt into their wounds would be just fine.
Meanwhile, the members of Full Sky Sect instantly felt as though their suffering doubled. The three Monster Kings had already suppressed them all, and now, Li Jiao was leading a group of Emperor Realm Masters no fewer than them into the battle. How could they overcome such a disadvantage? The Emperor Realm Masters were suppressed on all sides in an instant and were beaten so badly that they were coughing up fresh blood and collapsing to the ground, unable to get back up again.
Mi Qi shouted in grief and indignation. “Li Jiao, you and I are irreconcilable!”
It was one thing if Yang Kai turned against him; after all, reprehensible behaviour from a greedy and wicked person was expected. However, for Li Jiao to intervene in the matter was very difficult for him to accept.
Li Jiao slammed his palm into one of the Elders of Full Sky Sect as he coldly snorted, “Mi Qi, a wise man will submit to the circumstances. It is not too late to submit to Palace Master Yang. Otherwise, I am afraid all you will be left with is regret.”
“In your dreams!” Mi Qi gritted his teeth and snarled. He was surprisingly courageous, but the main reason was that he still had a hidden trump card. Seeing Xi Lei striking at him with an arc of lightning, Mi Qi used the impact to withdraw while at the same time shouting, “Old Tao, save me!”
On a mountain not far away, Old Tao was speechless. He only came here to eat some fruits and drink some wine, so why did he end up in this terrible situation?
Seeing the situation before him, Old Tao would have lived his life in vain if he still couldn’t guess Mi Qi’s intentions. As the saying went, ‘one was partial to those whom they accepted gifts from’. Mi Qi had been rather hospitable to him for all these years, inviting him over whenever the Blue Jade Fruits ripened. It was hard to justify standing by the sidelines in this situation. Besides, Mi Qi had already shouted so it was too much for him to continue feigning ignorance. Letting out a long sigh, he stepped forward and flew towards Mi Qi.
Old Tao might not look like much, but he still gave off an impressive sage-like aura while flying over. Moreover, he was exuding the aura of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
Ying Fei glanced sideways at Old Tao and smirked. Lashing out as swiftly as lightning, he subdued the last of Full Sky Sect’s Elders, slapping a palm on the Elder to seal the latter’s cultivation before he shot out to meet Old Tao.
Among the thirty-two Monster Kings in the Ancient Wild Lands he might not be ranked among the top three in terms of strength, but his speed was unrivalled. In that aspect, even the three Divine Spirits had to concede their defeat. He came within a thousand metres of Old Tao in the blink of an eye; moreover, he was still approaching rapidly.
Nevertheless, Old Tao remained calm and unruffled. Grabbing one of the cloth bags hanging at his waist, he tossed it in Ying Fei’s direction. The cloth bag faced the wind, expanded its mouth, and aimed directly at Ying Fei. A powerful suction force came from within, accompanied by a whirring sound, creating strong gusts of wind.
Ying Fei did not act carelessly when faced with that cloth bag. He did not know what artifact that cloth bag was, but the power of a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was nothing to sneeze at. He quickly shifted his body to avoid being in the direction of that cloth bag’s opening, but unexpectedly, the cloth bag suddenly swelled until it became bigger than a house. Moreover, a large green hand emerged from the insides of the cloth bag and grabbed towards him.
Startled, Ying Fei instinctively tried to dodge the hand; however, he discovered that the Monster Qi in his body was roiling unstably. It felt as though his Monster Qi was being disrupted by something, and in that moment when he was caught off guard, he was captured by the hand and a pained expression showed on his face.
As soon as the large green hand captured him, it immediately began to retreat back into the cloth bag and disappeared in an instant. Similarly, Ying Fei disappeared along with the large green hand. Old Tao then lifted his hand and retrieved the cloth bag.
“Old Ying!” Xi Lei’s expression changed drastically as he yelled out in horror and stared at the cloth bag fearfully. As a Monster King himself, he knew just how hard it was to deal with Ying Fei. In spite of that, a Monster King known for his speed had been defeated by a cloth bag without the strength to even fight back. If he had not seen it for himself, he would never have believed it. He knew that it wasn’t the ability of the old man with white hair though, it was the power of that Cloth Bag Artifact, but he didn’t know what this Artifact was or how it could possibly have such a mysterious effect.
On the other side, the venomous fog released by Xie Wu Wei churned violently, indicating that his emotions had also been greatly shaken.
Meanwhile, Mi Qi, who had been sent flying by Xi Lei, laughed loudly, “Many thanks, Old Tao!” His calculated actions had paid off, and he couldn’t help admiring his foresight at this moment.
If it had been any other Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, Old Tao might not have dealt with them so easily; however, he just so happened to be up against a Monster King, and dealing with the Monster Race was what Old Tao specialized in.
Taking advantage of Xi Lei’s distraction, Mi Qi swiftly retreated and removed himself from the former’s range of attacks. He then stood beside Old Tao and said, “Old Tao, this group of thieves are simply too much! Please help me suppress them.”
Old Tao nodded expressionlessly, “A simple task.”
Now that things had come this far, he had decided to go all in. Besides, the sudden appearance of three Monster Kings in this place surprised Old Tao greatly. He could complete his own mission after defeating these three Monster Kings, so he would have done so even without Mi Qi’s request.
“Old Dog, die!” Xi Lei was wrapped in lightning as an illusory phantom of a beast flashed behind him, clearly illustrating his anger. He originally assumed that it would be easy to crush Full Sky Sect when he first followed Yang Kai here. Who could have expected that Ying Fei would be defeated the moment this old man showed up? Ying Fei being defeated was an embarrassment to the Ancient Wild Lands, so how could Xi Lei let that slide?
Old Tao’s expression didn’t change even in the face of Xi Lei’s rage. Moreover, his response could not get any more straightforward. He simply tossed the same cloth bag out again,
Xi Lei, who was rushing in that direction, halted abruptly. Raising his head to look, he saw that the cloth bag had opened above his head. A strong suction was coming from within the bag, but that wasn’t all; he was perfectly capable of resisting such suction force with his strength, but the crucial point was that the large green hand had appeared again.
The moment the hand appeared, Xi Lei felt the circulation of his Monster Qi becoming disturbed, which scared the life out of him. At the same time, he immediately understood what happened to Ying Fei back then.
Before Xi Lei could react, the green hand grabbed him and dragged him back into the cloth bag. However, Old Tao didn’t take back the cloth bag this time, instead forming a set of seals with his hands and directing the cloth bag towards the bank of venomous fog.
The venomous fog was created by Xie Wu Wei, where he had dragged a few of Full Sky Sect’s Emperor Realm Masters into battle. Nobody could see the what was going on inside, but it was easy to tell that Xie Wu Wei held the upper hand just by listening to the screams of the Full Sky Sect’s Elders
The large green hand reached out again. Surprisingly, it seemed dimmer than before. It was almost as though the green hand was a consumable that would disappear after several uses. Nonetheless, Xie Wu Wei did not dare to take it lightly after what happened to Ying Fei and Xi Lei. The venomous fog churned violently before his figure suddenly rushed out as he hurriedly fled towards Yang Kai. Unfortunately, that green hand was like maggots on rotting bones and he could not escape its pursuit. Furthermore, its speed was incredibly fast so he did not manage to get very far before he was captured and dragged backward.
It wasn’t until Xie Wu Wei was put into the cloth bag that Old Tao used some Secret Technique to seal the opening of the cloth bag tightly and recalled it to himself. Catching it with his hand, he subsequently hung it on his waist again.
Those events transpired in a flash, leaving everybody in shock and disbelief. The three Monster Kings had been giving off an aggressive and menacing air just now, and nobody in Full Sky Sect could stand up to them, but they were defeated by a white-haired old man with a strange cloth bag in an instant. This situation left everybody feeling stunned.
Li Jiao and the Emperor Realm Masters of Fire Dragon Palace did not dare to rush forward again. They were just about to launch an attack, but immediately backed away in horror instead. Even the three Monster Kings were no match for that white-haired old man; so how could they possibly stand a chance?
Mi Qi obviously didn’t expect things to be so easy, and only after a moment of amazement did he burst into wild and brazen laughter. Standing next to Old Tao, he pointed at Yang Kai, whose expression was twitching slightly, “Little Thief, how dare you attack Full Sky Sect!? Today will be the day you die!”
Old Tao held up a bottle gourd of wine and poured some into his mouth. Upon hearing those words, he glanced sideways at Mi Qi and knew that the latter was taking advantage of his strength, but he didn’t say anything. In any case, he had a great harvest on this trip so it wouldn’t hurt to let Mi Qi borrow his reputation a little.
On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t seem to hear anything. He was staring hard at the nondescript white-haired man. [I came here to establish my prestige by making an example out of Full Sky Sect, but before I could do anything, my three Monster Kings were defeated. What the Hell!?]
It wasn’t that he left the Monster Kings to die on purpose, it was just that everything had happened so quickly that he couldn’t react in time when Ying Fei and Xi Lei were caught. When he saw Xie Wu Wei fleeing to his side, he had wanted to help but was stopped by Liu Yan for some reason, so in the end, he could only watch as Xie Wu Wei was taken away.
[It shouldn’t have been difficult to save Xie Wu Wei with my Space Divine Ability, but what is the background of this old man, and what kind of artifact is that cloth bag!?] While Yang Kai was mulling over his suspicions, Liu Yan suddenly walked past him and headed in that direction.
Composing himself, Yang Kai looked down at her and warned, “Be careful.”
Although she was not weak, the Cloth Bag Artifact was extremely strange and he did not know whether she could handle it.
Meanwhile, Liu Yan remained calm, and her steady steps did not falter.
Old Tao, who was holding up a bottle gourd of wine to his mouth couldn’t help glancing over at the approaching little girl and suddenly his eyes widened. The wine in the bottle gourd flowed down the corners of his mouth, wetting his robes and bringing him back to his senses. Thus, he hurriedly patted at his clothes before studying Liu Yan carefully again, his face twitching slightly as he wondered, [W-Why… Does she look so much like ‘that’ person?]
His thoughts drifted for a while, going back to more than ten years into the past. When he went back to the island to report to a certain person a decade or so ago, he had seen a figure sitting by the side of a certain crater while chatting with a certain other person. Despite the distance between them, Old Tao could tell that that figure belonged to a little girl. Moreover, it was a seven-or-eight-year-old little girl who was dressed similarly to the one he was facing right now. At the time, he had asked that person about the little girl’s identity out of curiosity, and that person had merely responded with an inscrutable smile, so he didn’t dare to ask any more questions.
It might have been more than ten years ago and Old Tao had not gotten a clear glimpse at that time, but the impression he got from seeing that little girl was too strong. He couldn’t stop his thoughts from going in that direction now that he saw this little girl standing in front of him. Looking at her again, he became certain, [She looks very similar! Too similar!]
“Little Thief, do you not have any other subordinates? Why send out a little girl?” Mi Qi was the perfect example of a vile character intoxicated with power. He remained close to Old Tao and shouted boldly. After seeing Old Tao’s power, he became more and more confident and fearless; even so, he didn’t dare to stray too far from Old Tao, lest Yang Kai take advantage of the gap to launch a sneak attack.
“Shut up!” Old Tao shouted.
Mi Qi was dumbfounded and glanced at Old Tao in amazement, only to see the latter was staring at the little girl walking towards them with a solemn expression. Moreover, Old Tao was breaking out in a cold sweat. This discovery frightened Mi Qi greatly. [Could it be that this little girl is somebody we cannot afford to offend? Otherwise, why would Old Tao react in such a manner?]
Feeling suspicious, he looked carefully and saw that the little girl walking toward them had a calm expression that was as tranquil as an ancient well. Her black eyes were very distinct and clean. She looked like a budding beautiful woman at first glance. With such grace as a child, she would surely be amazing once she grew up.
Seeing that the distance between both parties was getting smaller but the little girl seemingly had no intention of stopping, Mi Qi became rather nervous and secretly circulated his Emperor Qi so that he was ready to attack at any time.
Liu Yan stopped just a hundred metres away from the pair, and upon closer inspection, Old Tao became more and more certain that he had not guessed wrong. This little girl was the same one he had seen on the island more than ten years ago.
For a moment, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he never expected to encounter her in such a place. It truly was a conflict between two parties on the same side.
Although he was almost 100% certain, there were questions he still needed to ask, so after a moment of hesitation, Old Tao secretly sent out a Divine Sense transmission.
Liu Yan pushed her Divine Sense and sent a reply back.
The situation suddenly became strange. Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace were facing off against each other, prepared for war, but a little girl and a white-haired old man were communicating with each other in the middle of the battlefield.
Not long after, Old Tao nodded lightly. Following that, Liu Yan turned around and walked away, returning to Yang Kai’s side in a few steps.
“Do you know that old guy?” Yang Kai looked at Liu Yan suspiciously.
She replied, “I don’t know him. But, it seems he has seen me before.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s from Spirit Beast Island.”
“Senior Martial Beast’s Spirit Beast Island?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
Liu Yan lived on Spirit Beast Island for a while, so if she said so, then that must be true.
Yang Kai never expected this white-haired old man to have such a prestigious background. He had interacted with several people from Spirit Beast Island before and even met Martial Beast Great Emperor before when they caused a huge ruckus on Dragon Island together. Needless to say, Yang Kai understood just how great Spirit Beast Island’s heritage was. Although there were not many people on Spirit Beast Island, each one of them should never be underestimated. Whether it was Li Wu Yi or Jiu Feng, who among them was not a famous figure across the entire Star Boundary?
In the past, Yang Kai had never fought against them and only regarded them as ordinary Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters; however, after his meeting with Yang Yan, he had some guesses that Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng were among those stuck in between the Emperor Realm and Great Emperor Realm. It was only because of the limited capacity of the world that they could not become Great Emperors.
Nevertheless, those were simply his conjectures and he could not confirm if they were true. On the other hand, the fact that that white-haired old man was from Spirit Beast Island could not be wrong.
After asking a few more questions, Yang Kai finally understood the situation. That white-haired old man seemed to have seen Liu Yan once from afar a decade or so ago. However, Liu Yan had been comprehending the mystery of the Fire Phoenix Source at the time and did not interact at all with him. That was why she said that the other party knew her but she did not know him.
Rather, what she recognized was the Cloth Bag Artifact used by the white-haired old man. She had seen that kind of artifact in Jiu Feng’s possession before. The people from Spirit Beast Island call it the Spirit Beast Bag and it was a very peculiar artifact that was extremely effective at suppressing Monster Beasts but did not have much effect against any other Races.
The Spirit Beast Bag contained a Taming Beast Seal, which was created by Martial Beast Great Emperor personally. The moment the Spirit Beast Bag was used, any existence with the slightest drop of Monster Race or Monster Beast blood would be unable to escape the shackles of the Spirit Beast Bag.
That was also the fundamental reason why the three Monster Kings were defeated so easily. That white-haired old man might not be a match for any one of the three Monster Kings if it came down to a straight-up fight, but he could defeat them effortlessly with the help of the Spirit Beast Bag.
“Spirit Beast Island is in the Eastern Territory. What is this old guy doing in the Northern Territory?” Yang Kai looked puzzled. His pride had been badly bruised today, which made him a little displeased. If not for the white-haired old man who was from Spirit Beast Island, his plans would have gone smoothly.
Now that the situation had developed in this manner, there was probably no way he could continue with this fight anymore. Even so, he was still a little curious about the reason why the white-haired old man was here.
Liu Yan explained, “Spirit Beast Island collects exotic beasts from all over the world. Needless to say, those exotic beasts are forcefully captured and brought back. There are people who specialize in that on the island, and he is one of them. He probably came to the Northern Territory in his search for exotic beasts.”
“I see,” Yang Kai gently nodded.
While those two were communicating among themselves, Mi Qi became unsettled. He might not know how the situation was developing at the moment, but he had seen Liu Yan and Old Tao secretly communicating with each other and an uneasy feeling surged in his heart. Not daring to hesitate, he cupped his fists and said, “Old Tao, I will be eternally grateful to you if you can help me again. I will offer you a hefty reward after this incident.”
Right now, he could only count on Old Tao’s strength; otherwise, there was no way Full Sky Sect could match up against Yang Kai.
Old Tao sighed, raised his hand, and patted Mi Qi on the shoulder, “Forget it. Just give them whatever they want.”
Mi Qi’s eyes widened to the size of saucers as he never imagined that Old Tao would say something like that.
Little did Mi Qi know that Old Tao was utterly helpless too. He might be somebody from Spirit Beast Island who was ordered to come to the Northern Territory to search for exotic beasts, but when it came down to it, his status on Spirit Beast Island was not that high. Senior Martial Beast was naturally the most respected on Spirit Beast Island, followed by Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng, and this little girl seemed to have a close relationship with Jiu Feng. So, how could Old Tao dare to offend her?
While Mi Qi blanked out from the shock, Old Tao took the cloth bag from his waist and opened it.
Three figures immediately emerged right after. It was none other than Ying Fei and the others.
All three Monster Kings had haunted expressions on their faces and instantly looked around the moment they reappeared. Upon seeing both Old Tao and Mi Qi when they turned around, the three exchanged a glance with each other before they lunged forward to kill Old Tao with zero hesitation.
They had just suffered a huge loss at the hands of the Spirit Beast Bag, but all three of them were experienced and decisive characters. They instantly figured out the shortcomings of the Spirit Beast Bag at a glance. The artifact was powerful indeed, but it would seem that it could only deal with one person at a time. If all three of them acted together, they could kill Old Tao before the Spirit Beast Bag took effect.
In an instant, Monster Qi surged to the sky as three distinct murderous intents enveloped Old Tao, terrifying him so badly that all the hairs on his body stood upright. Even Mi Qi staggered back in fright and almost fell to the ground.
“Stop!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted.
Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei both stopped mid-air while Ying Fei’s figure suddenly disappeared. It was an afterimage. His real body was already standing in front of Old Tao, an eagle’s talon stopped just a finger’s length away from the latter’s face with a sharp aura radiating from it.
Old Tao’s back was dripping with cold sweat, having come close to dying. He lifted his eyes to look at Ying Fei, who was standing right in front of him and secretly rejoiced at the fact that this was the first Monster King he dealt with earlier; otherwise, this Monster King might have won against him just by relying on speed alone.
“Monster Kings, don’t be rude!” Yang Kai’s voice came from behind again. Since this old man was from Spirit Beast Island, then he was not an enemy. Besides, Old Tao had taken the initiative to release the three Monster Kings, so how could Yang Kai just sit around and watch him die?
Ying Fei was surprisingly obedient and retracted his eagle’s talon without delay before he withdrew as if some invisible force was pulling at him. In an instant, he stood side by side with Xi Lei and Xie Wu Wei, the three of them were watching Old Tao vigilantly, maintaining a high degree of vigilance.
They had lost at the hands of this old man, which hurt their pride. If that happened again, they would be too humiliated to remain by Yang Kai’s side anymore.
The moment Ying Fei retreated, Mi Qi returned to his senses too. Although he did not know why Old Tao switched sides all of a sudden and even released the three Monster Kings that had been captured, he knew that there was nothing he could do to change the situation. Hence, he no longer hesitated and ran straight back into Full Sky Sect.
“Please wait here for a moment, Old Sir. I’ll be right back to speak with you later!” Yang Kai smiled at Old Tao. After that, his figure flickered and he vanished in an instant.
“Space Divine Ability!” Old Tao’s eyes shrank at the sight. As somebody from Spirit Beast Island, there was no way he did not know about Space Divine Abilities; after all, that was Li Wu Yi’s field of expertise. Old Tao had seen Li Wu Yi displaying his Dao of Space abilities to come and go freely on multiple occasions.
However, he never imagined that he would see that same Divine Ability being used by another person.
Looking at the young man’s level of skill, it would seem that Yang Kai was not inferior to Li Wu Yi. Old Tao instantly felt a chill in his heart, knowing that the only reason Yang Kai had held back just now was thanks to the little girl; otherwise, he would have died without even knowing the reason why.
Those proficient in the Dao of Space were not to be trifled with. Even though they were both Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, Li Wu Yi enjoyed the title of being the strongest Master below the Great Emperors, and the primary reason was his mastery over the Dao of Space.
On the other side, Mi Qi felt his vision blurring slightly while he was desperately trying to escape, and when his vision cleared, Yang Kai was already blocking his path with a cold expression, shouting, “Where are you trying to run off to!?”
Mi Qi gritted his teeth, looking desperate. A long spear appeared in his hand, shining with a cold light. Then, his spear thrust out like a Dragon going to sea. The swooshing sounds of his spear rang out endlessly and seemed to cover a wide area.
When it came down to it, he was still a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master so it was only natural for him to have some life-saving cards up his sleeves, and this attack revealed his strong and powerful foundation. The sky was filled with the murderous intent coming from his spear attacks, and the power behind each thrust was incredible, so much so that they made the Emperor Realm Masters of Fire Dragon Palace widen their eyes in surprise. They knew that they could not have survived a barrage of attacks of that calibre.
Even so, Yang Kai simply stood there boldly without any intention to dodge. The people of Fire Dragon Palace turned to look at their Palace Master and saw that Li Jiao was as calm as could be, not showing the slightest worry.
Out of everybody here, he knew Yang Kai’s abilities best. Yang Kai dared to take on the entire Dragon Clan, so what was Mi Qi in comparison? For that reason, there was nothing to worry about.
Facing that desperate barrage of attacks, Yang Kai’s expression became somewhat strange. It was his first time fighting against another person since becoming a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master; moreover, his opponent was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, so even though Mi Qi’s attacks were not weak, they didn’t look very imposing or dangerous to him.
Yang Kai leisurely reached out his hand into the field of spear shadows and grabbed at something.
The spear shadows all dissipated in that instant, and Mi Qi’s movements abruptly froze, his eyes widened as large as saucers as though he had just seen a ghost. That was because Yang Kai’s casual movement had accurately grabbed the head of his spear among the countless afterimages.
[How am I supposed to use my ultimate killing move if my spear has been seized!?] Mi Qi’s expression changed drastically but he still reacted incredibly swiftly. The spear trembled for a moment as a rotating force transmitted along its shaft while Mi Qi roared, “Let go!”
He was hoping that this move would shake Yang Kai off. There was nothing he was basing his hopes on when performing this move, he was simply relying on the fact that his cultivation was one Minor Realm higher than Yang Kai’s.
That rotating force was transmitted to Yang Kai’s palm in an instant, and unsurprisingly, his wrist turned slightly from the force. Mi Qi was just about to continue with his efforts when he saw hostility appearing on Yang Kai’s face. The rotated wrist turned back again abruptly, accompanied by a force that seemed to ‘set things right’.
Subsequently, a rotating force spinning in the complete opposite direction of the original was returned along the spear, and before Mi Qi even knew what was happening, his entire person was helplessly spinning round and round due to the might of that rotating force.
He pushed his Emperor Qi to forcefully stabilize his body in the air, but the spear he had been holding had already been snatched away by Yang Kai. Despite feeling extremely dizzy, what Mi Qi felt most distinctly right now was terror. [What great strength! His aura is clearly only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm! How is this possible!? How does he have this much power!? Just now, that was nothing but pure brute force!]
He was completely unaware of Yang Kai’s current physical condition. The Half-Dragon Form was not something he could fight against. If it had been Li Jiao, he would never have tried to compete against him in raw strength as that was purely asking for trouble.
Mi Qi didn’t even have the time to stabilize himself when he heard a whistling sound coming from above his head. He was so scared that it felt like his Soul had left his body for a moment. Yang Kai was still holding the head of Mi Qi’s spear; however, he was using the artifact spear as a club and brought it smashing down on Mi Qi.
Mi Qi lifted his arms and crossed them above his head. Two bracers appeared on his arms out of thin air.
*Hong…*
The butt of the spear smashed down against his arm guards, causing them to flash wildly before they quickly dimmed. That Emperor Artifact lost its spirituality after taking a hit from this brutal attack. Meanwhile, Mi Qi was struck by an overwhelming force, which caused him to crash down like a meteor. As a result, he smashed into a nearby mountain, opening a huge crater in its side.
The Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect lying on the ground were completely stunned. Their eyes portrayed how lost they felt as they were struck by a sense of utter disbelief. [Our Sect Master couldn’t even withstand a single move?]
Similarly, the people of Fire Dragon Palace were also stunned. Deep down in their hearts, they couldn’t help thinking that it was absolutely ridiculous. [Mi Qi is a Third-Order Emperor Realm, how could he be so pathetic?]
The three Monster Kings also exchanged glances with each other. They were a little shocked too. They could tell that Yang Kai seemed to be much stronger than before. On the other hand, Old Tao swallowed nervously. He lifted his bottle gourd of wine and poured some into his mouth. He needed the alcohol to take off some of the edge off the shock in his palpitating heart.
Meanwhile, Mi Qi had been smashed into the mountain and levelled it as a result. He felt extremely dizzy and the vitality in his body churned. It took some effort for him to finally suppress this discomfort, and when he looked up, he saw Yang Kai floating down to land in front of him.
Yang Kai stood before Mi Qi and looked down from above while playing with the spear in his hands. With a spin and a shake, the spear pierced toward Mi Qi with a spray of sparks.
“Have mercy!” Mi Qi shouted, “Palace Master Yang, please spare my life!”
At this point, survival came first. He couldn’t care less about his pride and reputation anymore. What was the use of his pride if he lost his life? The tip of the spear brushed past his cheeks and cut off several strands of his black hair, causing his eyes to widen to the size of saucers, and him to nearly wet his pants in fear.
“Tsk.” Yang Kai spat disdainfully. Lifting the spear in his hand slightly, he stabbed into the ground at his feet. Turning around, he asked, “Who else refuses to surrender?”
Who would dare to go against him now? All the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect had been defeated by the Monster Kings earlier. They were currently sprawled across the ground, endlessly wailing in pain. As for the Emperor Realm Masters who fought against Ying Fei, they were covered in claw marks and fresh blood. They were helpless since Ying Fei had sealed their cultivation. They couldn’t even heal their injuries. On the other hand, the Emperor Realm Masters who fought against Xie Wu Wei were enveloped in a green light. Large and shiny blisters formed on their exposed skin. Their complexion was green and pale. It was clear that they had been badly poisoned. It could be said that all the higher-ups of Full Sky Sect in the Emperor Realm had been completely wiped out. Moreover, the entire battle, from the beginning to the end, had not taken more than a quarter of an hour!
“Palace Master Yang, please spare our lives!” Those disciples in the Dao Source Realm and below knelt down, one after the other, looking as grief-stricken as though they had just lost their parents.
Mi Qi’s eyes were dim. He looked at the person with his back facing him, then glanced at the spear artifact stuck in the ground in front of him. However, he couldn’t even muster the courage to launch a sneak attack. Even though Yang Kai was unscrupulously exposing his back to Mi Qi and seemed to be full of flaws, it only scared Mi Qi even more. How could he dare to act rashly?
Yang Kai swept his gaze over the place coldly and snorted softly, “Whether you can survive or not depends on what your Sect Master chooses.”
Mi Qi staggered up with his hand holding his chest. Turning to look at his subordinates, he saw familiar faces looking at him with eyes full of the desire to survive. What else was there to say at this point? He was not as powerful as his opponent.
[Let’s just surrender.]
Although everybody ended up in a terrible state, it was fortunate that nobody was killed in this incident. It could be seen that the people on Yang Kai’s side had been rather measured in their approach, causing Mi Qi to sigh once again in his heart. At the same time, he bowed his head and cupped his fists, “Full Sky Sect is willing to submit to Palace Master Yang. Please have mercy, Palace Master Yang, and spare our lives.”
Yang Kai turned his head to glance at Mi Qi sideways and expressionlessly stated, “This is a big deal, Sect Master Mi. Why don’t you think it over carefully before giving me your answer? I am in no hurry. I can give you some time. It is good if you are being sincere. There’s no need to force yourself if you are unwilling, lest word gets out that I use force to bully others.”
[My life is in your hands! What else do I need to consider?] Mi Qi cursed in his heart. [How can I not be decisive at this point? If I have any other thoughts, I will suffer a tragic ending! Besides, quite a few of my Sect’s Elders have been poisoned. They don’t look like they can hold on for much longer. Their lives will be in danger if they don’t get the antidote soon. I have already surrendered to you; what more do you want!?]
Despite the complaints in his heart, Mi Qi did not dare to reveal his thoughts on his face and quickly stated, “Palace Master Yang, your power is unparalleled. Full Sky Sect was too blind to see that before. Please forgive us for how disrespectful we were. From now on, Full Sky Sect will surrender in good faith.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched slightly, “Sect Master Mi, you are the Sect Master. You are a man of your word. Of course, I will believe the words you say. Since you are being so sincere, Sect Master Mi, this King will accept your goodwill.”
The corners of Mi Qi’s mouth couldn’t help twitching endlessly. He finally realized how shameless this man could be. [Bringing so many Masters over with him; wasn’t his intention to subdue Full Sky Sect!? He even sent Li Jiao over to deliver a message before and launched an attack on us. How can he still be so shameless as to say such things!? Making it seem as though I willingly surrendered of my own volition while he is forced to accept it reluctantly… Just how shameless can he get!?]
There was only one thing he could not figure out. [Although Full Sky Sect isn’t shabby, it doesn’t explain why Yang Kai is so fixated on it. I might owe him a huge debt, but I pay him back every year without any deficit. Why does he have to subdue Full Sky Sect? Could it be to demonstrate how powerful High Heaven Palace is?]
Despite his doubts, Mi Qi forced a smile on his face and stated, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
[What in the world is this!? The Emperor Realm Masters under me were badly beaten up, my pride was crushed, the Sect Defending Array was destroyed, and I was forced to surrender. Now, I even have to thank him!?] Mi Qi’s heart was filled with grief and anger. Unfortunately, he could only blame himself for being weaker than his opponent. Or else, he would have made Yang Kai suffer greatly in return.
Yang Kai replied, “Words are worthless. Please show me your sincerity, Sect Master Mi.”
Mi Qi was taken aback by those words. He cautiously asked, “What kind of sincerity do you want, Palace Master Yang?”
[I have already humbled myself so much, why is he still being so aggressive?] He secretly vowed to himself. [If he asks for something outrageous, I will… still have to consider it…]
Yang Kai quickly said, “Sect Master Mi, I hope you can issue an edict to inform all the cities, clans, and subordinate Sects under Full Sky Sect that it will be under the control of High Heaven Palace from today onward.”
“Ah!” Upon hearing those words, Mi Qi lifted his head abruptly with a shocked expression. Today’s events were humiliating, but it had only been limited to the people of Full Sky Sect. Even if word got out about this incident, it would be nothing but conjecture as long as Full Sky Sect remained silent on the matter; however, it was completely different if he were to issue an edict to actively inform the world about this.
There were many cities, clans and subordinate Sects under Full Sky Sect’s wing. It was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory after all. As the saying went, ‘good deeds often went unnoticed, but bad news travelled fast’. At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before everybody in the Northern Territory would know of this matter.
[Is he trying to humiliate Full Sky Sect across the entire Northern Territory!? One of the top Sects in the Northern Territory has fallen so low that it is now a subordinate! How am I supposed to accept this!?]
“Hmm?” Yang Kai’s expression became cold, “You seem rather reluctant, Sect Master Mi. Don’t tell me those words you uttered just now were empty words?”
“No, of course not.” Mi Qi hurriedly waved his hands in denial, “It’s just…”
Before Mi Qi could finish talking, Yang Kai suddenly looked up at the sky and indifferently muttered, “Sect Master Mi is such an indecisive man. He doesn’t seem suited to lead the Sect. Perhaps he should abdicate and let somebody else take over.”
[What is the meaning of that!? Is he forcing me to relinquish my position as Sect Master!?] If it had been anybody else who said that, Mi Qi would not have taken them seriously; however, it was different when Yang Kai was the one who said those words. [My life is in his hands. He is perfectly capable of killing me and choosing another person from among the Elders to manage Full Sky Sect. I’m sure someone will be willing to cooperate with him.]
A chill ran through his spine. He did not dare to negotiate anymore. Gritting his teeth, he declared, “I’ll do it! I’ll write it!”
Yang Kai stated, “I’m not forcing you. It’s meaningless if I force you.”
Mi Qi replied sternly, “I am very sincere. Palace Master Yang, please understand.”
“If that’s the case… Why don’t you write the letter and let me have a look?” Yang Kai rubbed his chin.
Mi Qi immediately took out a jade slip and poured his Divine Sense into it to write the edict.
Yang Kai raised his chin, motioning to the wounded, “Treat them.”
Ying Fei’s figure flickered and he appeared before several Full Sky Sect’s Elders and slapped his palm against them to remove the seal he placed. Meanwhile, Xie Wu Wei opened his mouth and drew the green aura out from the poisoned Emperor Realm Masters.
Once the seal was lifted and the poison was removed, those Emperor Realm Masters took out their Recovery Spirit Pills and stuffed them into their mouths with complicated expressions.
Not long after that, Mi Qi finished writing and handed the jade slip to Yang Kai, “Palace Master Yang, please take a look.”
Yang Kai took the jade slip and glanced through it. Then, he frowned and tossed the jade slip back at Mi Qi, “Full Sky Sect is one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Can you not write like you’re so lowly? It makes people look down on you.”
Mi Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. [My life and the lives of my people are in your hands. How can I not be humble? Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do but rewrite it since he isn’t satisfied. I am the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, but not only am I forced to write this shameful announcement, I am also subjected to his nit-picking… Where is the justice in this!?]
A short while later, he finished writing another edict. Yang Kai checked it and nodded lightly, “This is more like it. Copy that edict and make…” He lifted his head and glanced at the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect who were treating their wounds. He counted their numbers and continued, “Eight copies.”
Mi Qi didn’t dare to resist, so he obediently wrote eight more copies of the same edict.
Yang Kai added, “Let each of the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect hold a copy of the edict. They will travel to various places in eight separate directions, entering all forces under your jurisdiction to announce the edict in crowded areas. They will spread word of Full Sky Sect’s surrender to the entire Northern Territory.”
Upon hearing those words, the Elders of Full Sky Sect widened their eyes and stared in Yang Kai’s direction blankly. Similarly, a myriad of expressions flashed across Mi Qi’s face. There was grief, humiliation, and even a trace of hostility. He initially thought that even if he wrote this edict, it would take some time for word to spread. He did not expect Yang Kai to be so ruthless as to force the Elders of Full Sky Sect to personally bring the edict to the cities and Sects in the Northern Territory and announce it to the public.
[This will completely crush Full Sky Sect’s reputation and pride! How am I, the Sect Master of Full Sky Sect, supposed to maintain my standing in the Northern Territory in the future? How am I supposed to answer to those Elders in the Emperor Realm who have to announce the edicts? How will the entire Northern Territory view Full Sky Sect after this!?]
As the saying goes, ‘a warrior would prefer death over humiliation’. At that moment, Mi Qi had the impulsive urge to fight Yang Kai to the death. He believed that Yang Kai was deliberately humiliating him; however, he couldn’t help shuddering in fear as soon as he met Yang Kai’s frosty gaze. That gaze looked at him as though it was looking at a dead man. Thus, Mi Qi had no doubt that Yang Kai would not have mercy on him if he were to make another move. He clenched his fists tightly, but in the end, he didn’t dare to make his move, so he took a few moments to convince himself. [It’s better to be alive than to be dead. It’s just a bit of humiliation. What’s the big deal?]
Mi Qi slowly loosened his clenched fist and answered, “Yes!”
“This is an urgent matter. You should move out immediately.” Yang Kai muttered to the side, not letting up for a single moment.
Mi Qi was helpless. He tossed the edicts to the Elders with a wave of his hand and ordered, “You heard what Palace Master Yang said. Go on…”
Waving his hand, he looked like there was nothing else to live for in his life.
Those Elders, whose injuries had yet to recover, looked at each other blankly. They were unable to conceal the sorrow and rage in their eyes; nevertheless, there was nothing they could do despite the grievances in their hearts. They were no match for their opponent. Even their Sect Master had to lower his head; thus, they could only carry out the order.
The Elders immediately split up and headed in different directions, turning into streams of light as they left. Although they were still injured, it was nothing serious and they could slowly recuperate during their journey. It was at this moment that they understood why those two Monster Kings had only injured them but not killed them. It was for this moment; they were kept alive to run errands.
This entire incident was premeditated. If all the Emperor Realm Masters of Full Sky Sect were dead, who would announce Mi Qi’s surrender to the world? It was not convincing to have that edict read by someone else. Only if the Elders and Protectors of Full Sky Sect were the messengers would it drive home the point and make it feel real.
It was not hard to imagine that news of Full Sky Sect surrendering to High Heaven Palace would soon spread like wildfire, so Mi Qi sighed inwardly. His entire being seemed to have wilted considerably, like he had aged a lot all of a sudden.
“Get up, all of you. Stop kneeling. We’re all one big family from now on.” Yang Kai glanced at the Full Sky Sect’s disciples around him, who were still kneeling on the ground, and beckoned them to stand with his hand.
All of them looked at Mi Qi and did not dare to move. Then, Mi Qi shouted, “Are you all deaf!? Didn’t you hear what Palace Master Yang said? If you want to continue kneeling, you can kneel until the day you die! Don’t bother getting up anymore!”
[A bunch of good-for-nothings! How did Full Sky Sect raise such a cowardly group of people!? Their cultivation might not be a match for their opponent, but there’s no need to kneel from fear just because of a few words, right!?]
Following Mi Qi’s biting words, how could they dare to remain kneeling? Thus, they stood up with embarrassed expressions.
Mi Qi coldly snorted, “From today onward, you may disobey my orders as your Sect Master, but you have to obey everything Palace Master Yang says. Do you understand?”
“Yes!” His words were met with a faint response. They seemed weak and helpless; after all, even they felt disgraced when their Sect Master uttered such words.
Mi Qi squeezed out a smile, “Palace Master Yang, do you have anything else to say?”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively to indicate that he had nothing to say to the rest of them. It was enough if he dealt with Mi Qi alone. After that, he turned to glance at Old Tao, “Old Sir, if you don’t mind, how about you come inside for some tea?”
Mi Qi had the urge to roll his eyes behind Yang Kai’s back. [This is Full Sky Sect, not High Heaven Palace. It’s clear as day that he regards this place as his own territory now…]
Nonetheless, even if Mi Qi held such thoughts, he did not dare to say anything. He had chosen to surrender, so Full Sky Sect truly was part of Yang Kai’s territory now.
Old Tao pondered for a moment and nodded, “Many thanks for your thoughtfulness. In that case, please excuse this Old Master’s intrusion.” He also wanted to understand the relationship between Liu Yan and Jiu Feng.
“Please!” Yang Kai stretched out his hand to indicate for Old Tao to enter. Old Tao refused politely, and after some back and forth, they entered side by side. The three Monster Kings followed closely behind. Meanwhile, Mi Qi deliberately lagged behind to walk beside Li Jiao.
The two of them could be considered old acquaintances and previously, Li Jiao even came over to try to persuade Mi Qi to surrender. It was unfortunate that Mi Qi did not heed Li Jiao’s advice. He believed that he could sit back and relax if he invited Old Tao over, but who could have known that Old Tao would be incapable of rescuing him from his troubles? That was why Mi Qi ended up in this sorry state. Li Jiao couldn’t help but sigh and reached out to pat Mi Qi on the shoulder, not knowing what to say to comfort him at this point.
Mi Qi sent a Divine Sense transmission at that moment, “Brother Li, you and I have known each other for many years and our relationship is not something normal friendships can be compared to. Tell me the truth, why is Palace Master Yang deliberately humiliating Full Sky Sect? I am certain I have never offended him before. Besides, I pay back the debts I owe him every year without fail. Why does he have to do this? He completely disregarded the pride of Full Sky Sect.” [Moreover, he didn’t give us any breathing space either. He made the Elders in the Emperor Realm set off immediately. I originally wanted to drag things out for a bit to see if I can come up with another solution and turn the situation around. But now… There’s no chance for that anymore…]
In response, Li Jio lifted his head and looked ahead. [What’s the point of cosying up to me now? I was kicked out the last time I came to visit you!]
Even with such thoughts, Li Jiao had no intention to continue taunting Mi Qi as the latter was pitiful enough as it was, so he simply smiled bitterly and replied, “Brother Mi, do you think Palace Master Yang is deliberately humiliating you?”
“Isn’t he?” Mi Qi glared. [If it’s not to deliberately humiliate me, then why did he force me to write the edict and make my Sect’s Elders announce it publicly far and wide!?]
“He isn’t,” Li Jiao shook his head.
Mi Qi asked, “Then, why!?’
“To establish his prestige!” Li Jiao uttered those words.
Mi Qi was taken aback by those words, “To establish his prestige? Why?”
Although High Heaven Palace had only just emerged, it could already be considered one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, a fact recognized by all. [High Heaven Palace is already one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Its standing is clear for all to see. What else does it need to establish? And, to who?]
Li Jiao pondered in silence for a while before responding, “Palace Master Yang wants to unify the Northern Territory.”
This matter would not remain a secret for long, and Li Jiao was certain that Yang Kai would take the next step soon; therefore, it didn’t matter even if he mentioned it now and let Mi Qi know in advance.
Mi Qi was shocked to the core upon hearing those words, and his jaw fell open in astonishment. It took him a long time to recover from the shock before he exclaimed, “Unify the entire Northern Territory!?” [What insatiable ambition!]
Unlike the other three Territories, there was no Great Emperor Sect assuming command in the Northern Territory. Although the Medicine Pill Valley had Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, Medicine Pill Valley did not intervene in the affairs of the Northern Territory; hence, the Northern Territory could be considered leaderless, unlike the Southern Territory which was headed by Star Soul Palace, the Western Territory which centred around Shadow Killer Palace, and the Eastern Territory, which was led by Serene Soul Palace.
Mi Qi could never have imagined that Yang Kai would be so ambitious or be so daring to actually act on his ambitions. He said with a lost expression, “Isn’t he afraid of arousing public outrage and inciting the entire Northern Territory to join forces against him?”
Li Jiao replied, “That’s why he has to establish his prestige.”
Mi Qi was no fool. He might be a little cowardly, but he was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master in the end. It required being sharp-witted to reach his current position. He had not understood what ‘establishing his prestige’ meant before, but he now understood it completely after listening to Li Jiao’s explanation.
It was simply to say, ‘Full Sky Sect is also one of the top Sects in Northern Territory, but so what? They were defeated by High Heaven Palace and had no power to fight back. They had no choice but to surrender in order to protect themselves. If this is what happens to Full Sky Sect, then what choice do the other Sects and Clans have?’
Once word of this incident spread, nobody would dare to resist High Heaven Palace when it pointed its claws at some other place in the future.
All of a sudden, Mi Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Just for that!? That’s the reason why Full Sky Sect was unfairly victimized!?”
Li Jiao patted Mi Qi on the shoulder again and sighed, “Stay positive. At least you are still alive.”
When it came down to it, Full Sky Sect was simply unlucky. Among the top four Sects in the Northern Territory, Ice Heart Valley and Yang Kai had a very close relationship. Meanwhile, Li Jiao and Yang Kai had built up a good rapport with each other after running around outside for so many years; therefore, Yang Kai only had one choice if he wanted to establish his prestige; and that was Full Sky Sect. It could be said that Mi Qi simply had bad luck.
After all, Full Sky Sect was one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory. Its words and actions held a lot of weight. The effect would not have been as good if it had been a smaller, less-known Sect.
Mi Qi let out a long sigh. At this point, it was useless to say anything else. Nevertheless, he felt a little better after learning that Yang Kai planned to unify the entire Northern Territory. That was because Yang Kai was not deliberately humiliating him or Full Sky Sect, it was just that it was a part of his grand plan.
Soon, the group walked into the previous hall. As the host of this place, Mi Qi immediately began making preparations. He ordered people to clean up the previous banquet and replace it with new dishes. Then, he asked the musician and the dancers to perform. The hall was once again filled with singing and dancing. It was just that Yang Kai was now sitting upright in the main seat. Moreover, there were no other Emperor Realm Masters from Full Sky Sect aside from Mi Qi present. Instead, those Emperor Realm Masters were replaced by the three Monster Kings and the Masters from Fire Dragon Palace.
Yang Kai raised his glass in a toast, and everybody joined in. It wasn’t until after several rounds of drinks that Yang Kai finally started talking to Old Tao. They chatted for a bit and got to know each other’s names; however, the main reason he hosted this banquet to keep Old Tao here was to ask him about Dragon Island.
Yang Kai departed from the Dragon Palace to return to the Lower Star Fields after causing a huge ruckus on Dragon Island back then; therefore, he had no clue what happened afterwards. He did not know if the Martial Beast Great Emperor managed to take Fu Xuan away or whether Zhu Qing received some form of punishment from Dragon Island.
It was a pity that Old Tao did not know much either. He had been staying in the Northern Territory to search for exotic beasts for Spirit Beast Island and more than ten years had passed since he last returned to Spirit Beast Island. He didn’t even know that the Martial Beast Great Emperor had brought his strongest forces along with him to invade Dragon Island.
Since Old Tao did not know anything, Yang Kai did not elaborate on the matter either. It was just that the way he tried to be mysterious made Old Tao a little suspicious.
Regardless of whether the Martial Beast Great Emperor managed to take Fu Xuan away, Zhu Qing was probably forgiven for the ruckus she caused; after all, she was currently a Ninth-Order Dragon. Just going by the purity of her bloodline, she met the requirements to become an Elder of Dragon Island. It stood to reason that they would not punish her for the uproar he caused before.
Her situation was somewhat similar to that of Fu Xuan’s as they had both pledged themselves to a Human. If Dragon Island really wanted to punish them, then Fu Xuan would not be spared either. In that case though, the Martial Beast Great Emperor would not stand idly by. And Dragon Island would not punish Zhu Qing if they weren’t going to punish Fu Xuan. Otherwise, it would be highly improper.
On the other hand, Old Tao was curious about Liu Yan. He beat around the bush, trying to figure out the relationship between Liu Yan and Jiu Feng, but finally stopped asking after Yang Kai evaded his questions for some time. In the end, both parties did not receive the information they wanted, resulting in a fruitless conversation.
In the evening, Old Tao took his leave after the banquet ended, with Yang Kai asking Liu Yan to see him off. On the other hand, Yang Kai was accompanied by Mi Qi as he chose a suitable place in Full Sky Sect to arrange a Space Array.
At first, Mi Qi did not know what Yang Kai was doing, and it wasn’t until he communicated with Li Jiao via transmission that he learned the truth and cried out bitterly in his heart, [It looks like there is no way for Full Sky Sect to break free from High Heaven Palace’s control now that this Space Array connects both Sects.]
The next day, Yang Kai led a group of people back to High Heaven Palace. He was also accompanied by Mi Qi. The first thing he did upon his return was to summon everybody for a meeting. The participants were all cultivators above the Dao Source Realm; hence, there were not many people. Li Jiao and Mi Qi were included among them too. Many who did not know the situation glanced at each other in confusion. They were not bothered by Li Jiao’s presence since everybody knew that he was on good terms with Yang Kai, but who was this guy called Mi Qi?
Even Hua Qing Si was puzzled. She glanced at Mi Qi from time to time only to see him smiling at her in an ingratiating manner, confusing her even more.
Once everybody had arrived, Yang Kai went straight into the heart of the matter, “Sect Master Mi has decided that his Sect will surrender to High Heaven Palace. From now on, Full Sky Sect will become a Subordinate Sect of High Heaven Palace.”
Everybody was shocked to hear this announcement and many doubted their ears. Only the three Monster Kings looked calm.
Spirit Beast Island is kinda like that kid that always sits at the back of the class that doesn’t really interact with others and just sleeps.
Many pairs of eyes were staring at Mi Qi inside the hall. Taking the hint, Mi Qi immediately took the initiative to step forward and bowed with his hand on his chest, “Palace Master Yang’s strength and methods are unparalleled. He has the world in mind, and I have been awed by his greatness. Full Sky Sect is willing to submit to Palace Master Yang and will obey High Heaven Palace in good faith from this day forward.”
Regardless of whether it was true or false, that speech of his was eloquent; thus, it gave everybody at High Heaven Palace a good impression of him.
The corners of Li Jiao’s mouth twitched as he could not believe how much of a smooth-talker Mi Qi was. In all the years they had known each other, he had never discovered this side of Mi Qi before. Mi Qi had fought back several times when Yang Kai asked him to surrender before, but now, he was acting as though he had gladly accepted his fate, like it was a great task granted to him by the Heavens. Moreover, he was able to align his position and attitude very well. While it made Li Jiao admire Mi Qi’s flexibility, he couldn’t help feeling a little forlorn at the same time.
Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect were similar in strength and Li Jiao was certain that if he had not gone through various life-and-death situations with Yang Kai on numerous occasions, what happened to Full Sky Sect would have been what Fire Dragon Palace would have faced. It was only because he had some friendly relations with Yang Kai that he did not make a move against Fire Dragon Palace. But then again, Fire Dragon Palace was not much different from Full Sky Sect as it was already something of a Subordinate Sect, although not formally.
“You have all heard what Sect Master Mi said. Let’s get to know each other.” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Hua Qing Si smiled and took a step forward and elegantly introduced herself, “Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si, greets Sect Master Mi.”
“You are too polite, Head Manager,” Mi Qi replied, feeling rather curious. [What kind of a position is a ‘Head Manager’? I’ve never heard of something like that before, but she is standing in front of everyone and introduced herself first. Even the three Monster Kings seem to be in a lower position compared to her. It looks like she is quite important to Yang Kai. I better not offend her in the future. I need to butter her up instead; otherwise, I don’t know when she might make things difficult for me.]
There was even a small suspicion in his heart as he wondered to himself. [Could she have an intimate relationship with Yang Kai? Otherwise, why would a First-Order Emperor like her hold such a high position?]
Hu Qing Si had no clue about the thoughts going through Mi Qi’s head, for if she did, she would have fought him to the death. Smiling elegantly, she pointed to a person next to her and introduced, “This is Monster King Xi Lei. I’m sure you’ve met, Sect Master Mi.”
To which, Mi Qi smiled and cupped his fists in greeting. [How could I not have met him before!? I was battling him at Full Sky Sect! I can clearly tell that I am not his opponent.]
Xi Lei grinned at him, showing a mouthful of fangs, inducing a slight bout of panic.
Hua Qing Si continued, “This is Monster King Ying Fei.”
Ying Fei nodded lightly.
“This is…”
Mi Qi maintained the smile on his face as he was introduced to everybody, one by one. It didn’t matter whether their cultivations were high or low, he still felt as though he was inferior to them, but that couldn’t be helped. Full Sky Sect had surrendered to High Heaven Palace after all; thus, Mi Qi didn’t dare to act out in front of these people who seemed to be the cornerstones of High Heaven Palace.
There were many Emperor Realm Masters present, including Xie Wu Wei, Ye Hen, Nanmen Da Jun, and Hou Yu. Meanwhile, Qin Zhao Yang, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, Gui Zu, Gu Cang Yun, Ruan Bi Ting, and the others were all in the Dao Source Realm… In the process of getting to know them one by one, it turned out that there were quite a lot of them.
Mi Qi knew of Nanmen Da Jun, but it was his first time hearing that this famous Emperor Array Master was working under High Heaven Palace. He couldn’t help feeling surprised; after all, Nanmen Da Jun was well-known in the Northern Territory. Although he could not compare with the disciples of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, he was still an Emperor Array Master! They were existences that were coveted everywhere. Mi Qi had thoughts of soliciting Nanmen Da Jun back then, but the latter had completely ignored him.
If it was any ordinary First-Order Emperor Realm Master, Mi Qi would have taught them a lesson for treating him in such a manner; however, Nanmen Da Jun’s status as an Emperor Array Master made him cautious, lest he draw unwanted trouble. Mi Qi didn’t dare to act rashly, for if he had harmed Nanmen Da Jun, all the Masters in the Northern Territory would never forgive him. Full Sky Sect could not afford to provoke such public outrage.
When he heard that Hou Yu was an Emperor Artifact Refiner, Mi Qi’s eyeballs nearly burst out of their sockets from the shock. [What is with the situation in High Heaven Palace!? As if it’s not enough that Nanmen Da Jun is here. There’s also an Emperor Artifact Refiner!? That’s an Emperor Artifact Refiner! How many Emperor Artifact Refiners are there in the entire Star Boundary!? Moreover, this Emperor Artifact Refiner is a woman! I really don’t know where Yang Kai found all these freaks!]
Three Monster Kings, an Emperor Array Master, and an Emperor Artifact Refiner…. Any one of them possessed a status that was amazing. No matter where in the Star Boundary they were placed, they would be highly sought after; thus, for them to gather in one place was even more unbelievable.
Mi Qi suddenly felt that surrendering was not necessarily a bad thing. The heritage of High Heaven Palace was far superior to Full Sky Sect, so it was not a heavy loss to become subordinate to them. In the future, there might even be an opportunity to rely on Nanmen Da Jun or Hou Yu. The only drawback would be the huge blow to his pride.
Hua Qing Si’s next sentence stunned him on the spot, “We also have an Emperor Alchemist. Unfortunately, he is currently in the process of refining Spirit Pills, so it is difficult for him to come out at the moment. Please forgive our discourtesy, Sect Master Mi.”
“An E-Emperor Alchemist!?” He nearly bit his tongue off in his shock, dumbfounded.
To which Hua Qing Si smiled lightly, “Speaking of which, you should know of our Emperor Alchemist, Sect Master Mi.”
“I do?” He was surprised, but then a thought flashed in his mind, one he instinctively refused to believe.
Unfortunately, Hua Qing Si nodded, “Indeed. I’m certain Sect Master Mi is very familiar with Grandmaster Ji Ying.”
Mi Qi couldn’t help but gulp nervously. His first reaction was to look at Hua Qing Si with a questioning look on his face. It was as though he wanted to know whether those words were true or false.
[Ji Ying!? The Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor!? He’s joined High Heaven Palace too!?] Mi Qi suddenly recalled a scene from back when he came to this place with Li Jiao and watched Ji Ying and Yang Kai compete in Alchemy. [At the time, Li Jiao and I weren’t the only ones to make a bet with Yang Kai. I recall that Grandmaster Ji also made a certain bet.]
Mi Qi later wondered about it, as although Ji Ying might have lost, the latter was still the disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to do anything to him even if Ji Ying refused to acknowledge his defeat. Besides, it seemed impossible for him to remain at High Heaven Palace at the time; however, it would seem as though he had really stayed behind.
[Doesn’t Medicine Pill Valley have any objections to this? Didn’t the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor object to it?] Mi Qi felt as though his head was spinning as his eyes swept across each and every person in the hall. [A single Sect actually managed to gather an Emperor Array Master, an Emperor Artifact Refiner, and an Emperor Alchemist, each one a top Grandmaster! Furthermore, three Monster Kings are protecting this place. Just what is wrong with this Sect!? Even a Great Emperor Sect might not be comparable in some aspects!]
Mi Qi suddenly felt that his loss wasn’t undeserved or even a bad thing. In his dazed state, he suddenly heard Yang Kai speaking from a raised platform, “High Heaven Palace has many disciples currently, and although there are some reserves in the storehouse, we can’t just sit on our laurels and eat away at those stocks. We need a long-term income to maintain the Sect. The Head Manager has already taken control of the cities that used to be under Seeking Passion Sect’s jurisdiction, so we will receive some contributions from them each year. We can also do some business ourselves, but that’s still just a drop in the bucket compared to our needs. The disciples of High Heaven Palace are twenty to thirty times more numerous than what Seeking Passion Sect used to have, so we require twenty times more territory than they used to have to maintain the Sect in the long run. I called you all here today for one reason. I have decided to unify the Northern Territory. All the major cities and Sects in the Northern Territory will pay tribute to High Heaven Palace every year. That way, it will prevent High Heaven Palace from having insufficient resources. What do you think?”
Yang Kai turned his head and looked around. The three Monster Kings had indifferent expressions. They were simply the muscle on his side, attacking wherever he wanted them to. They were not afraid of causing a huge ruckus as, in the worst case, they could just return to the Ancient Wild Lands and hide.
On the other hand, Hua Qing Si and the others were surprised to hear Yang Kai’s announcement. Even Hua Qing Si had not heard him mention this before, so she couldn’t help being stunned. [Just when did Yang Kai start harbouring these thoughts?]
High Heaven Palace was presently at the peak of its growth stage, so it could not afford to make enemies carelessly. Rather, they would surely dominate the entire Northern Territory with their numbers as long as they worked hard for the next hundred years.
However, she could tell from the way Yang Kai looked that he had already made his decision. Persuasion would be useless at this point, but she couldn’t help worrying. If they did this, they would surely arouse the resistance of the billions of cultivators in the Northern Territory; after all, who would willingly give up their own benefits?
Furthermore, where would they find the manpower in High Heave Palace to carry out such an endeavour? The newly-arrived disciples were still in the process of adapting to the Star Boundary itself and their cultivations weren’t high either. They wouldn’t be of much use even if they were to be sent out to battle.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai didn’t seem to share her worries and looked like he was going to act decisively in this extremely complicated situation. Sweeping his gaze around, he stated, “If nobody has any objections, I will assume that you are all in support of it. Good.”
The corners of everyone’s face twitched in response. [What’s the point of having any objections? You call all the shots in High Heaven Palace!]
He usually played the role of an arm-flinging shopkeeper; however, his word was still law whenever he took charge of something.
Yang Kai then continued, “I know what you are worried about. It is nothing more than a problem of manpower, but don’t worry about this. Brother Li and Sect Master Mi will assist out High Heaven Palace. With the three of us joining hands, who would dare stop us in the Northern Territory?”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi both bowed at the same time, “We will obey your orders, Palace Master Yang.”
Li Jiao had been mentally prepared for this, so he didn’t think much of it. On the other hand, Mi Qi was lamenting in his heart. [Full Sky Sect has joined a gang of thieves!]
Yang Kai wanted to unify the Northern Territory so that he could force those cities and Sects to offer their resources up to him every year. Be that as it may, High Heaven Palace could not allocate the necessary manpower for this grand undertaking. When it came down to it, it would be the people of Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace leading the charge instead.
Those who would bear a grudge would surely bear a grudge against the people from these two Sects. Conversely, High Heaven Palace would be safely hiding at the back, away from all the dangers. [Enjoying all the benefits without suffering the hard part. How vicious!]
In other words, High Heaven Palace didn’t even need to put in any effort at all. They would only need to send some people along to supervise.
Yang Kai observed Mi Qi’s reaction, so how could he not know what the latter was thinking? Unfortunately, he couldn’t be bothered explaining. It’s not like he was planning to claim everything for himself, and since Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect were involved, he would definitely reward them for their efforts. Yang Kai wouldn’t let them work for nothing, but as for how many benefits he would share… that would depend on his mood at the time.
Hua Qing Si considered it for a moment before inquiring, “Palace Master, do I need to inform Ice Heart Valley about this?”
Out of the top four Sects in the Northern Territory, three had joined forces, leaving only Ice Heart Valley unaware of the situation, which was unreasonable. It wouldn’t have mattered much if Yang Kai was not close to Ice Heart Valley, but the relationship they shared with each other was actually incredibly close. It was unkind not to let Ice Heart Valley participate when there were benefits to be had.
Yang Kai’s expression twitched slightly at those words, “I’ve considered Ice Heart Valley too, but I don’t know what their thoughts on this would be.”
The women of Ice Heart Valley all cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, which generally made them disdain dealing with worldly affairs; therefore, it was difficult for him to bring up a matter that would cause public outrage with them. It would be worse if Bing Yun started scolding him. In any case, he still planned to divide some of the benefits he acquired in the future with Ice Heart Valley. Su Yan was cultivating there, so Yang Kai could simply think of it as a sincere gesture towards Ice Heart Valley.
Hua Qing Si smiled slightly, “Palace Master, you worry too much. Ice Heart Valley will not refuse such a good opportunity.”
Yang Kai wondered, “What do you mean?”
Hua Qing Si explained, “Ice Heart Valley was suppressed by the Seeking Passion Sect for many years due to the disappearance of Senior Bing Yun; therefore, it does not have many outside industries left and there are currently very few cities, possibly just two or three, under its jurisdiction. Most of its income comes from the spirit flowers and spirit herbs they plant inside the valley; moreover, Ice Heart Valley received a lot of disciples in recent years so I’m afraid times are difficult for them. Why would they refuse the benefits that land in their laps?”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and pondered for a while, “In that case, we could have always included them in the plan.”
He did not know as much about Ice Heart Valley as Hua Qing Si did, so if she said so much, then that must be the case. If he could pull Heart Valley into his plan, then the top four Sects of the Northern Territory would be joining forces in this undertaking. Who would dare to stop them then?
A few moments later, he made his decision, “Let’s include them.”
Hua Qing Si smiled, “Since this matter is urgent, I will invite someone over now.”
Yang Kai nodded, and Hua Qing Si immediately flew off. Within an hour, Hua Qing Si came back into the hall, accompanied by a woman with an icy temperament.
Yang Kai’s expression instantly went black as he glanced at Hua Qing Si a little resentfully; after all, the woman she brought with her was none other than Ji Yao. After the last two secret encounters he had with Ji Yao, he had now become somewhat afraid to meet her.
On one hand, the secrecy of their encounters was very thrilling. On the other hand, Yang Kai felt like he was betraying Su Yan and the others; therefore, he had been quite conflicted about it. The most important point was that, up until now, he still could not figure out Ji Yao’s intentions.
From beginning to end, Ji Yao had never discussed anything about it with him. It seemed like she didn’t mind letting him do as he pleased, but at the same time, she did not allow him to go past a certain point. It made him feel as though he was being held by his weakness; therefore, it was not difficult to imagine his current mood when Hua Qing Si brought Ji Yao over, out of all the other candidates she could have chosen.
Hua Qing Si had a questioning look on her face, seemingly having noticed something off about Yang Kai’s complexion, but she couldn’t care less at the moment. Cupping her fists, she bowed, “Palace Master, Elder Ji is here.”
Yang Kai squeezed out a smile, “Junior Sister Yao.”
With so many eyes on them, Ji Yao did not reveal any abnormalities in her behaviour either. She simply greeted him in an aloof manner, “Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai coughed lightly, “Junior Sister Yao, I invited you over to discuss something important and I believe Head Manager has already informed Senior Bing Yun, but I don’t know what Senior thinks of the proposal.” If he wanted to drag Ice Heart Valley into this, then Bing Yun’s attitude was key.
Ji Yao promptly replied lightly, “Honoured Master has declared that Ice Heart Valley was saved back then thanks to Senior Brother Yang’s assistance, so now that you are in need of help, Ice Heart Valley will spare no effort to assist you. If you have any instructions for us, Ice Heart Valley will not refuse.”
A light flashed across Yang Kai’s eyes at those words and he smiled, “Good, then I shall trouble you with this matter.” Surveying his surroundings, he continued, “Since everybody is here, let us discuss and come up with a plan. This matter must be resolved as soon as possible.”
Having decided to do this, there was no need to delay matters any further. In any case, the top four Sects of the Northern Territory had joined forces, so there was nobody in the Northern Territory that could contend with them. There was no need for conspiracy or trickery now. They could simply push forward boldly.
The plan was formed rather quickly. All four Sects would move at the same time. With High Heaven Palace as the centre, they would fan out and announce its supremacy to the Northern Territory. Every major Sect and city in the Northern Territory would then have to offer up some cultivation resources to High Heaven Palace every year.
After the discussion was completed, Ji Yao, Li Jiao, and Mi Qi immediately returned to their respective Sects to mobilize their forces.
The next day, numerous groups of people gathered in front of High Heaven Palace’s Sect Defending Array. There was a group of cold but alluring women on the left, each of them extraordinarily beautiful. Just looking at them dazzled the eyes. This group of people were none other than the disciples of Ice Heart Valley.
On the right were the people from Fire Dragon Palace, and at the back were the disciples of Full Sky Sect. Each Sect sent out over a thousand members in total, so there were more than three thousand people gathered here now. That was not a large number, but the ratio of Masters among them was terrifying. Emperor Realm Masters and Dao Source Realm Masters were everywhere, and the weakest among them were still Origin Kings.
Those of High Heaven Palace stood in the middle, led by the three Monster Kings. Ye Hen and a number of Dao Source Realm Masters had been deployed too; however, those that stood behind them were nothing special as most were just Origin Kings, incomparable in number compared to the other three Sects.
Unfortunately, the disciples that came from the Star Field were not up to par yet. They were the reason why the divide between the disciples in High Heaven Palace was so extreme. The strong were incredibly strong while the weak were so weak that it was laughable.
Hua Qing Si summoned Li Jiao, Mi Qi, and Ji Yao. Then, she spread out a map. The map had been marked with numerous red dots, and every red dot represented a city or Sect or Clan of varying size.
After a brief discussion, the thousands of people were divided into groups of eight and scattered in all directions. These eight people consisted of two disciples from each Sect, and every team was headed by a Master in the Dao Source Realm or higher. Needless to say, their goal was the locations marked on the map. The only purpose of this deployment was to make these cities, Sects, and clans recognize the supremacy of High Heaven Palace so that they would pay tribute every year.
Yang Kai had already put the word out, so it would be great if the other parties knew what was best for them and cooperated. If some refused to accept reality, the eight representatives were to defeat them if they could. If they couldn’t defeat the other party, then they were to return and report the matter. A Master would then be sent out to deal with the rebels instead; after all, the Emperor Realm Masters of the top four Sects were not just for show.
Be that as it may, the teams led by the Dao Source Realm Masters were assigned to locations that were easy to deal with. More troublesome places would be dealt with by teams headed by Emperor Realm Masters. As it stood, not many would dare to rebel with the combined power of the top four Sects looming over their heads.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai himself also led a team and headed straight towards the headquarters of the other strong forces in the Northern Territory.
Five days later, the Sect Master of Myriad Founders Sect, Hua Yu, stood in front of the main hall of Myriad Founders Sect’s headquarters. He bowed with cupped fists as he watched Yang Kai and his group depart into the distance. It wasn’t until the figures of those eight people disappeared from sight that he finally let the stiff smile on his face slide off his face and sighed deeply, a vexed expression appearing on his face.
Cheng Da Hai, the Vice Sect Master, walked over and said angrily, “Sect Master, are we really going to send 30% of our income to High Heaven Palace each year!?”
“That’s right! Why should we give away 30% of our resources to High Heaven Palace with just a few words from that brat!? How will other people view the Myriad Founders Sect if they learn of this!?” An Elder shouted through gritted teeth,
Hua Yu murmured sadly, “Then, what do you suggest we do instead?”
“Sect Master, if you want me to, I can bring some men with me to intercept that brat right now and bring the jade slip back with us. Dead men tell no tales, and nobody will know that it was the doing of Myriad Founders Sect.”
“That’s right! That little bastard has already drawn public outrage by doing this, so there are countless people in the Northern Territory who want to kill him right now! Who will know that we are the ones behind it?”
“You?” Turning his head, Hua Yu glanced at the Elders and Protectors standing behind him, shook his head, and sighed, “None of you are his opponent.”
The Elder who spoke up previously added, “We haven’t even tried yet! How do you know that I am not his opponent!? He is merely a Second-Order Emperor. If we all attacked together…”
“There’s no need for you to try as I have already tried,” Hua Yu had an extremely sorrowful expression on his face.
“You’ve already tried?” The Elders and Protectors glanced at each other and finally understood why Hua Yu had taken Yang Kai to a secluded chamber just now. It was to test Yang Kai’s strength. Or rather… Hua Yu wanted to see if there was a chance for him to defeat Yang Kai; after all, nobody was willing to give away their profits to another person for free.
“What was the result?” Everyone looked at Hua Yu expectantly.
“I am completely not his opponent.” Hua Yu smiled bitterly.
The Elder who spoke first asked, “Sect Master, why must you diminish your own light just to increase another person’s prestige? You are also a Second-Order Emperor so the difference between the two of you shouldn’t be that great, right?”
Hua Yu replied, “It’s precisely because our cultivations are the same that I agreed to his demands so readily. He allowed me to attack him ten times while he stood still and did not fight back, but in the end, I never even touched the clothes on his body.”
“What!?” Everybody was shocked by those words. Some even wondered if they had misheard him.
[They are both in the Second-Order Emperor Realm! Yang Kai just stood there motionlessly to receive ten attacks from Sect Master, yet Sect Master couldn’t even land a single hit!? How is that possible!? In other words, Yang Kai stopped the Sect Master’s attack with his Emperor Qi alone!?]
“On the other hand, he defeated me with a single casual attack.” Hua Yu threw another shocking revelation at them, which sent them reeling from the shock as he sighed, “What does Myriad Founders Sect have to fight against such power? If we fail to meet his demands today, Myriad Founders Sect’s ten thousand years of history will surely be destroyed tomorrow.”
“He dares?!” Cheng Da Hai shouted loudly.
Hua Yu glanced at Cheng Da Hai, “I’m certain he would. The top four Sects have joined forces, so what can we do against them if they really wanted to wipe out Myriad Founders Sect? I heard that Full Sky Sect surrendered to High Heaven Palace a few days ago. I initially thought that it was false information, but now, it seems to be the truth.”
Everybody fell silent at those words and looked miserable. Offering up 30% of their annual profits meant that they would lose 30% of their total resources. Nobody would be happy with such an arrangement.
Things were going unexpectedly well. Yang Kai led a team and travelled across the lands of the Northern Territory. With the reputation of having subdued the Full Sky Sect preceding him, there was no need for Yang Kai to do anything much. He easily retrieved jade slips from each Sect or Clan declaring that they would pay a tribute of 30% of their income every year, regardless of where he went. Nobody dared to resist. At most, they would try to test their skills against Yang Kai, like Myriad Founders Sect, before quietly finding an excuse to step down from the fight.
Yang Kai did not just focus on obtaining these jade slips, though, he also arranged Space Arrays whenever he came across a suitable place, connecting that location to High Heaven Palace directly. This way, High Heaven Palace could teach those who failed to keep their word a lesson at any time it chose.
Across the entire Northern Territory, every city, Sect, or clan had to offer up a tribute consisting 30% of their income every year. 30% from one or two forces might not seem like much, but 30% from the entire Northern Territory totalled up to an alarming amount.
It meant that High Heaven Palace would receive 30% of the profits of the Northern Territory, even if they did nothing else. Moreover, Yang Kai could collect even more of the Northern Territory’s specialties through his connection to these subordinate forces. That way, he could increase the variety of things High Heaven Palace traded with the Southern Territory. He could also bring in items from the Southern Territory and sell them across the Northern Territory more easily now. The profits from the sale of these goods were nothing to sneeze at.
After hurrying about for more than twenty days, Yang Kai headed back to High Heaven Palace via a Space Array. He had dealt with all the difficulties that may arise in the Northern Territory. The reason things were going so smoothly was that news of the Full Sky Sect’s surrender had already spread far and wide. Even Full Sky Sect had surrendered, so what choice did others have? Another reason was that the four top Sects had joined hands in this joint endeavour, and their power was so great that nobody dared to resist.
The matters in the Northern Territory had more or less been settled at this point. Although there were still some details to work out, these were not matters that Yang Kai needed to worry about personally. There was Hua Qing Si presiding over the operation now and with the cooperation of the other three top Sects, it would not take much time to solve these issues.
Seeing that it was almost time, Yang Kai informed Hua Qing Si of his departure before bringing Bian Yu Qing to Azure Sun Temple with him through the Space Array. He did not return to Spirit Sword Peak but flew directly to Spirit Jade Peak where Qiu Ran was located instead.
It was Bian Yu Qing’s first time coming to Azure Sun Temple so she couldn’t help glancing about with burning curiosity. Secretly comparing Azure Sun Temple with High Heaven Palace, though, she discovered that the environment at Azure Sun Temple seemed to be inferior, giving her a sense of pride.
She was born in the Southern Territory and Blue Feather Sect, where she used to live, had been nothing more than a small and weak force. It didn’t even have a single Emperor Realm Master. On the other hand, Azure Sun Temple was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, innumerable times stronger than Blue Feather Sect. Thus, she had always admired Azure Sun Temple.
If she had still been a Protector of Blue Feather Sect, she would never have had the qualifications to set foot into Azure Sun Temple; however, her current identity as the Second Manager of High Heaven Palace gave her those qualifications. Looking at Azure Sun Temple from another angle naturally gave her a different kind of feeling.
Staring at the back of the brave and heroic figure speeding along in front of her, Bian Yu Qing secretly rejoiced at having met such a noble man. If she had not met Yang Kai, she would never have had the chance to break through to the Emperor Realm. She would have been killed outside of Spirit Lake Palace instead. However, she now wielded great authority, second only to Yang Kai and Hua Qing Si in the entire High Heaven Palace.
[There’s a guest on Spirit Sword Peak.] Qiu Ran woke up from his meditation and met with Yang Kai and Bian Yu Qing in the hall.
After being introduced, Bian Yu Qing bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Greetings, Vice Temple Master Qiu.”
She had heard of Qiu Ran before as he was the Vice Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, making it natural for him to stand above others in the Southern Territory. Bian Yu Qing had felt very nervous before coming here as the man in front of her was practically somebody who was impossible to meet for ordinary cultivators, and she had over-thought things as a result. It wasn’t until she met the actual person that she realized that he was nothing special. That was also when she suddenly realized that she was no longer the same small woman she had been in the past. She often met with the three Monster Kings now that she lived in High Heaven Palace, so a Second-Order Emperor was no longer capable of giving her much pressure.
“Second Manager,” Qiu Ran cupped his fists, greeting her with due respect.
Yang Kai said, “You can discuss the details regarding the cooperation with Second Manager Bian, Senior Brother Qiu. I will be taking my leave now.”
The main reason he brought Bian Yu Qing over was to formally establish cooperation between High Heaven Palace and Azure Sun Temple. Gao Xue Ting had mentioned this matter before, so Yang Kai had to take it seriously lest she catch hold of his weakness and nag at him non-stop again. Hua Qing Si was coordinating affairs of the Northern Territory at the moment; therefore, the task of negotiating with Azure Sun Temple naturally fell on Bian Yu Qing’s shoulders.
Qiu Ran was stunned, “This is a huge matter, don’t you need to decide on things yourself, Junior Brother Yang?”
The meaning behind his words was clearly ‘can the Second Manager you sent speak on your behalf and represent your will?’ This matter involved a massive amount of benefits, so what if Yang Kai refused to accept the results of the negotiation once they finished working out the details? That would be awkward; after all, Qiu Ran had seen how miserly and petty Yang Kai could be.
Yang Kai, however, just laughed heartily, “Please rest assured, Senior Brother Qiu. I have no opinion on the matter as long as the negotiations are carried out smoothly.”
How could Qiu Ran know about his recent activities in the Northern Territory? Although cooperating with Azure Sun Temple to bring in goods and supplies would bring in considerable profit, it was not something Yang Kai cared much about anymore. Besides, he was also cooperating with Violet Source Chamber of Commerce which was a commercial force that had more wide-ranging connections and understanding of business in the Southern Territory. A trade agreement with Azure Sun Temple was just a bonus for Yang Kai and if not for his position as a High-Rank Guest Elder, he would never have allowed his profits to flow their way.
Turning to leave, Yang Kai advised, “Second Manager, please make some concessions where appropriate. I am an Elder of Azure Sun Temple after all.”
“Yes!” Bian Yu Qing replied respectfully.
Qiu Ran had a pleased expression on his face when he heard this as the words Yang Kai had uttered in front of him had undoubtedly caused a sense of goodwill to sprout in his heart. In the end, it was always better to work with one of your own.
Immediately after that, Qiu Ran began negotiations with Bian Yu Qing.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai went straight to Purple Bamboo Peak where Gao Xue Ting lived. Meeting with Gao Xue Ting, he asked about the Southern Territory Martial Gathering and learnt that there were three more days before they had to depart. There was plenty of time, so he went to visit Murong Xiao Xiao and Xiao Bai Yi to reminisce about the past. The last time he was here, he had been in too much of a rush and didn’t have time to have a proper chat with them.
Murong Xiao Xiao was a relatively friendly person with a warm and welcoming personality. Yang Kai got to know her when they were both in the Dao Source Realm; thus, they chatted away happily about their experiences becoming Elders of Azure Sun Temple.
On the other hand, Xiao Bai Yi was far less sociable. The expression on his face was even colder than Ji Yao’s. Moreover, he always looked as though Yang Kai owed him a great sum of money and tried to chase him away after a few words.
Yang Kai was almost tempted to beat Xiao Bai Yi up as a result; unfortunately, there was nothing he could do if the host refused to be hospitable to the guest, thus he left the place in a huff.
Yang Kai spent the rest of his time making some adjustments to his Spirit Sword Peak, and three days passed in a flash. When early morning came, the sun shone brightly and the world seemed to overflow with vigour. Several dozen figures stood atop a certain Spirit Peak, and the leader stood out conspicuously in a purple robe.
Yang Kai flew over and landed soon after, and when he saw the purple-robed man, he was stunned for a moment before cupping his fists, “Greetings, Temple Master.”
The purple-robed man was none other than the Temple Master of Azure Sun Temple, Wen Zi Shan. He had a gentle smile on his face and stood with his hands behind his back. He had a rather suave air around him and upon hearing Yang Kai’s voice, he turned to look in the latter’s direction with a smile and nodded in greeting, “You’ve worked hard, Elder Yang.”
“Sharing the burdens of the Temple is something I should do,” Yang Kai replied with a serious expression. It couldn’t be helped. He might be the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, but he was simply a High-Rank Guest Elder here so he still had to maintain the necessary etiquette.
“Please wait for a moment longer. Little Xue Ting isn’t here yet. Haaa… Women are just so troublesome. They take so long just to get out of the door.”
The moment those words left Wen Zi Shan’s mouth, many people glared at him furiously. Even Murong Xiao Xiao, who had arrived a long time ago, frowned. It was no surprise that she was upset after being criticized for no apparent reason. Wen Zi Shan seemed to realize this too and, lifting his hand, he stroked his beard and looked up at the sky with an expression filled with the vicissitudes of life, “The wind today is so noisy.”
“Elder Luo, Elder Xiao, and Elder Murong.” Yang Kai greeted the other Emperors present. There was nothing more to be said about Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao. On the other hand, Luo Chen was a middle-aged man with a cold and indifferent expression.
Yang Kai was not very familiar with Luo Chen because the latter had a relatively cold personality. It was also rare for Yang Kai to be around, so he was lacking interaction with the other Elders of Azure Sun Temple. As such, Yang Kai only knew this person by name but had never really had a conversation with him before.
The three Elders naturally returned his greetings.
“Are these the disciples who are going to participate in the Martial Gathering this time?” Yang Kai lifted his head and looked at the several dozen disciples standing neatly in formation behind them.
Those disciples cupped their fists, “Greetings, Elder Yang.”
These several dozen disciples had varying cultivations. Some were in the Dao Source Realm, while others were Origin Kings, there were even some in the Origin Returning Realm. The Southern Territory Martial Gathering had several categories after all. The Dao Source Realm disciples would compete with other Dao Source Realm disciples; the Origin Kings against Origin Kings; and the Origin Returning Realm Juniors against other Origin Returning Realm Juniors. As expected, the Temple had chosen the best cultivators among each Realm to participate in the Martial Gathering. The dozen or so people standing at the forefront were in the Dao Source Realm, followed by those in the Origin King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm.
Yang Kai smiled and nodded at them. He discovered many familiar faces among these disciples. They had probably participated in the Four Seasons Realm with him back then; unfortunately, they had not interacted much with each other and were simply familiar faces among a crowd of strangers. They had been in the Dao Source Realm back then, and they were still in the Dao Source Realm now. Breaking through to the Emperor Realm was not that easy after all. Most would get stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for the entirety of their lives.
Xia Sheng, Xiao Bai Yi, and Murong Xiao Xiao could break through to the Emperor Realm due to their excellent aptitude and comprehension abilities. It might also be related to the benefits they received in the Four Seasons Realm and the Shattered Star Sea.
While looking around, Yang Kai’s roving gaze suddenly stopped at a certain point. His gaze had paused on the face of a young man simply because this was somebody he was actually acquainted with. Moreover, he even knew the other party’s name! It was Xue Yi!
Yang Kai first came to Azure Sun Temple with Qin Zhao Yang with the Bustling World Token in his possession to ask for an entry quota to the Four Seasons Realm. The moment the Bustling World Token was brought out, the Temple couldn’t refuse his request and gave him a spot. Unfortunately, the quotas for entering the Four Seasons Realm had already been allocated. Since the Temple gave one spot away, that would mean that they had one spot less in return. The person taken off the list of names at the time was none other than Xue Yi. When the news came out, Xue Yi refused to accept the decision and even picked a fight with Yang Kai, but he turned out to be no match for Yang Kai.
It was something that had happened many years ago, and Yang Kai would not have recalled the incident if he had not met this person again. When their gazes met, Xue Yi’s expression became a little embarrassed. He seemed to experience a momentary sense of shame before collecting himself again. Back then, they had both been in the Dao Source Realm, but now, Yang Kai was already an Emperor Realm Master while he was still stuck in the Dao Source Realm. It was not surprising for him to feel rather complicated about it.
On the other hand, Yang Kai just smiled faintly. It could be seen that Xue Yi had not wasted his time all these years. Although he used to be in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, he was now a Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Furthermore, he stood far in front of the rest and was clearly one of the candidates that the Temple had high hopes for.
Thinking of some things from the past brought about a slight sense of nostalgia. The two of them retracted their gazes soon after and Xue Yi secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that Yang Kai might want to get back at him for what he did before. Their current statuses were very different so there was nothing he could do against Yang Kai if the latter wanted to make things difficult for him.
At that moment, a stream of light rushed over from Purple Bamboo Peak and appeared in front of everyone in an instant.
Wen Zi Shan’s eyes gleamed as he shouted, “Little Xue Ting, you are dressed so beautifully today! Are you planning to get married? It’s really gratifying! En, very gratifying indeed!”
“Shut your damn mouth!” Gao Xue Ting glared at Wen Zi Shan and snapped coldly, not giving him the slightest respect at all.
In response, Wen Zi Shan wore a pained expression and waxed, “Oh, my! Why are you being so fierce? You must be careful Little Xue Ting or no one will dare to marry you in the future. If you don’t get married soon, you’ll turn into a lonely old lady!”
The gaze in Gao Xue Ting’s eyes turned even icier and the impulse to stab this shameless man to death with her sword struck her, but instead she just coldly snorted, “It’s none of your damn business.”
Such a beautiful and elegant woman was so irritated that she even let out a string of curse words. Her mood could not be worse.
The disciples all lowered their eyes with wooden expressions, pretending not to hear the conversation between those two. Similarly, Luo Chen lowered his head to look at the ground, Xiao Bai Yi looked up at the sky, and Murong Xiao Xiao studied her fingers carefully as though wondering if she should tend to her nails. As for Yang Kai, he leaned over and casually complimented her, “Junior Sister, you have such beautiful fingers.”
Murong Xiao Xiao blushed furiously at those words and didn’t know what to do with her hand for a moment. Everybody turned to look at Yang Kai, and he seemed to realize that he had misspoken; thus, his expression twitched a little.
Fortunately, Gao Xue Ting suddenly spoke up, “Is everybody here?”
Xiao Bai Yi nodded in response, “Everyone has assembled.”
“In that case, let’s set off.” After saying that, Gao Xue Ting took the lead and the rest followed after her.
Wen Zi Shan was stunned for a moment as he stood there alone, still rubbing his chin as he murmured, “I’m pretty sure… I’m the Temple Master…”
Along the way, Yang Kai finally learnt an unknown side of Wen Zi Shan. Wen Zi Shan was a chatterbox! He chattered on and on without stopping. Although Yang Kai used to think that Wen Zi Shan was rather unreliable, they had never interacted with each other for long; therefore, he did not know what kind of personality Wen Zi Shan had. It wasn’t until now that he finally experienced it for himself.
Wen Zi Shan initially pestered Gao Xue Ting for a bit, but his enthusiasm naturally received a cold reaction. In the whole of Azure Sun Temple, only Gao Xue Ting dared to be so openly disrespectful to him.
After being rebuffed by Gao Xue Ting’s attitude, Wen Zi Shan slowed down to keep pace with Yang Kai and the others instead. He began talking about the past and the present with a burst of joy. Luo Chen and Xiao Bai Yi had relatively cold and aloof personalities and were men of few words, so they responded tersely out of respect since Wen Zi Shan was still technically their Temple Master. However, they closed their eyes after a few words as if to meditate and rest. Thus, Yang Kai and Murong Xiao Xiao got the worst of it instead.
Fortunately, Wen Zi Shan did not pester those two for long. Half a day later, he fell behind to join the others at the back, smoothly inserting himself into the group of Dao Source, Origin King, and Origin Returning Realm Juniors, allowing Murong Xiao Xiao to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the group of disciples at the back were rather polite and respectful. Wen Zi Shan was so approachable even though he was the Temple Master, so how could his disciples not get along with him? Especially those disciples that were patted on the shoulder and loudly praised by Wen Zi Shan as he declared, “You are the future of the Temple! The Temple’s prosperity will depend on you from now on!” They were practically glowing with pride and feeling emotional beyond words, seemingly on the verge of digging out their hearts for him to see how loyal they were to the Temple.
Yang Kai looked back at Wen Zi Shan from time to time, and the expressions on his face were very colourful. [I have to admit that I am pretty unreliable as the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, but compared to Wen Zi Shan, aren’t I like a rock for everyone to lean on?]
The group travelled non-stop, passing by several cities along the way and even using a few Space Arrays to cover vast distances more quickly. When evening rolled around, the group arrived at Orthodoxy Temple. The undulating mountains here were extremely majestic and looked like a large Dragon crawling on the ground. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was pleasant.
Orthodoxy Temple was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory; therefore, it was only natural that it occupied a Cultivation Paradise. The environment here was no worse than Azure Sun Temple. In addition, it had a beautiful landscape. Looking out into the distance, the clouds and mist rolled off the mountains everywhere the eye could see; moreover, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the world in a golden light.
There was a crowd of people in front of the main gate of Orthodoxy Temple, making for a lively scene. Since the Martial Gathering was right around the corner, many people had arrived to participate in the event. It was no surprise; the Martial Gathering was a grand event for the entire Southern Territory after all.
Putting aside the generous rewards that made one green with envy, one could also gain the attention of their respective Elders if they performed well during the competition. Moreover, there were many cultivators from humble backgrounds who wanted to create a path for their future in the Martial Gathering. It wasn’t as though there was no precedent. The cultivators from humble backgrounds might not be able to join the group events, but if they could deliver a stellar performance in the individual competitions, most of them would be able to successfully join a major Sect or force.
On the other hand, the major Sects were striving for rankings and reputation. The generous rewards came second. Meanwhile, those rewards were very tempting to some of the smaller Sects and clans. It was also a chance to achieve unlimited success. Who would be willing to miss out on this opportunity? Hence, each and every Martial Gathering was extremely popular, and the participants entering the competition were too many to count.
Tomorrow was the day the Martial Gathering officially began, so it appeared Azure Sun Temple had arrived just in the nick of time. It was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory after all so it was only natural to show off a little. Although Wen Zi Shan was not very reliable, he still understood the importance of such things.
Orthodoxy Temple’s Sect Defending Array had been deactivated today and many people were standing outside to welcome the guests.
As soon as the group from Azure Sun Temple landed, an elderly man dressed in black and an elegant looking young man immediately came forward to greet them. Both of these men were in the Emperor Realm with the elderly one being a Second-Order Emperor while the young man was a First-Order.
“Welcome, Temple Master Wen. It is an honour for Orthodoxy Temple to have you here. Do forgive us for any discourtesy in our hospitality.” The elderly man stepped forward and greeted them with a smile.
Wen Zi Shan also put on the appearance of a dignified Temple Master, acting as though that chatterbox during the journey had not been him as he smiled faintly, “Elder Feng, you are too polite. Are you here to greet the guests today?”
The elderly man was none other than Feng Ming, an Elder of Orthodoxy Temple. Yang Kai had met him several times before, so they were not strangers to each other. Besides, Feng Ming had worked together with Gao Xue Ting on many occasions and had also been present at various events, including the Four Seasons Realm, the Demon Qi eruption outside Maplewood City, and the Demon Spirits’ revival at the Southern Swamp. It was just that he and Yang Kai did not belong in the same generation, so they rarely interacted with each other. On the other hand, Yang Kai was on rather friendly terms with the young man behind him.
It was clear that the young man had noticed Yang Kai and his eyes lit up as he cupped his fists, “Brother Yang, you came too.”
Yang Kai replied, “Brother Zhuang.”
This young man was the rising star of Orthodoxy Temple, Zhuang Bu Fan. He had been present at both the Four Seasons Realm and the Shattered Star Sea as he was from the same generation as Yang Kai, Xiao Bai Yi, and Murong Xiao Xiao; therefore, they were not strangers to each other. Now that they had gathered in the same place, it was only expected that they wanted to have a chat together.
As a result, Luo Chen was pushed to the side and forgotten. Fortunately, he had an aloof personality by nature and did not feel embarrassed by the situation. He simply stood there quietly without saying a word.
While they were chatting away, they suddenly heard a sniggering sound coming from afar. Everybody turned to look in the direction and saw a giant longsword rushing in their direction at a high speed from the horizon. The terrifying Sword Intent felt as though it could cause injuries despite the distance between them so no one dared to underestimate it.
Feng Ming smiled, “Holy Master Ma has arrived.”
Wen Zi Shan spat disdainfully, already feeling fed up, “He sure knows how to time his arrival.”
He seemed to have felt like he had suffered a loss just by arriving a little earlier.
It was well known that Star Soul Palace would send their people over to watch the Southern Territory Martial Gathering, so even Wen Zi Shan had to personally lead his team as a sign of respect. Therefore, it was only to be expected that Heavenly Martial Holy Land, which was also one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, would not be any less respectful. Holy Master Ma Qing also personally led his Sect’s team this time.
Since they were old acquaintances, Wen Zi Shan immediately knew that Ma Qing was here the moment he saw the sword light. The sword light approached from afar and soon arrived, dissipating to reveal several dozen people with the one leading them being a ruddy-faced white-haired old man. His figure was thin but his gaze was as sharp as a sword and he held himself tall and straight, giving off a piercing aura.
[He’s Ma Qing?] Yang Kai couldn’t help glancing at the man curiously. It was his first time meeting the Holy Master of Heavenly Martial Holy Land so he was surprised to learn that it was an old man. In comparison, Wen Zi Shan was more pleasing to the eye.
Feng Ming apologized and took his leave to give his greetings to Ma Qing.
Ma Qing and the others cupped their fists and returned Feng Ming’s greetings. The number of people who came from Heavenly Martial Holy Land was similar to Azure Sun Temple. There were four Emperors, each leading a team of several dozen disciples of various cultivation Realms. They were clearly the elites of the elites.
“Brother Wen,” Ma Qing held one hand behind his back and stroked his beard with the other, nodding slightly at Wen Zi Shan.
Wen Zi Shan spoke in a pointed voice, “Brother Ma, you’re as punctual as ever.” He seemed to be teasing Ma Qing for arriving just in time.
Ma Qing replied calmly, “My disciples were a little absent-minded, so there were some delays on the road.”
Wen Zi Shan laughed, “If you knew that they were going to be a little absent-minded, then you should have departed earlier. It’s rude of you to make Brother Lei wait.”
“You seem to have just arrived yourself, Brother Wen.”
“Tsk.” He curled his lips into a sneer, “We arrived a long time ago. I was simply chatting with Elder Feng until now.”
The two seemed to have some grievances between them so they went at each other’s throats the moment they met. It wasn’t just the respective Temple Master and Holy Master who were acting in this manner, the disciples under them were also behaving in a similar fashion. The disciples of Azure Sun Temple were glaring daggers at the disciples of Heavenly Martial Holy Land while the latter was not backing down from the challenge and glared right back. Both parties got along as well as oil and water.
Yang Kai was amazed by the sight. He might be a High-Rank Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple, but he didn’t know much about Azure Sun Temple’s actual situation. He did not know what kind of grudge they had against Heavenly Martial Holy Land for the disciples to get into a silent confrontation with the other party as soon as they met.
The Temple Master and Holy Master standing at the top were not to be trifled with, and the disciples under them were no pushovers either. The same held true for the Emperor Realm Elders of the two forces.
Yang Kai turned his head to see that Murong Xiao Xiao and the others were also glaring at the four Emperor Realm Masters of Heavenly Martial Holy Land, sparks almost flying in the air between them.
[What is with this situation!?] Yang Kai was utterly confused.
Then, a young man walked out from among the four Elders of Heavenly Martial Holy Land. The young man had a wild and rebellious air around him, and the look in his eyes was sharp and cold. He looked like he had a beast that could jump out to attack others at any time lying dormant inside him. That wasn’t all; his eyes were very strange too. The left pupil was red and the right was faint blue. The skin and hair of the left side were fiery red, but the right side of the body was snowy white. It was an extremely unsettling sight.
[Wu Chang! He sure lives up to his name!] There was a rising star in every generation among the top Sects of the Southern Territory. The rising star of Azure Sun Temple was Xia Sheng, Orthodoxy Temple had Zhuang Bu Fan, and Heavenly Martial Holy Land had Wu Chang.
Yang Kai had exchanged blows with Wu Chang before in the Four Seasons Realm, so he knew just how difficult an opponent this boy was. Wu Chang seemed to have some sort of Special Constitution which greatly enhanced his combat ability. During the last Southern Territory Martial Gathering, Xia Sheng had apparently been defeated by Wu Chang and placed second in the individual rankings as a result. Although Azure Sun Temple regained its pride by ranking at the top in the group competition, the first person people thought of when talking about the number one among the younger generation in the Southern Territory was Wu Chang, not Xia Sheng.
Not to forget, Lan Xun of Star Soul Palace, who was also an extraordinary talent. Unfortunately, Star Soul Palace did not send any of its disciples to participate in the Martial Gathering, so Lan Xun was not included among the rankings.
Yang Kai secretly made a conjecture in his heart. [Could this animosity between the two Sects be related to the last Southern Territory Martial Gathering?]
Xia Sheng had been overwhelmed by Wu Chang in the individual rankings, which upset Azure Sun Temple. Meanwhile, Heavenly Martial Holy Land had suffered a terrible defeat to Azure Sun Temple in the group rankings, which definitely upset Heavenly Martial Holy Land in return.
Wu Chang swept his gaze over the crowd with his heterochromatic eyes before turning to look at Yang Kai, “Xia Sheng didn’t come?” He seemed slightly disappointed.
Yang Kai replied, “Senior Brother Xia is stationed at Spirit Lake Palace and is unable to leave his post.”
“Coward!” Wu Chang coldly snorted.
Xiao Bai Yi’s lowered eyes lifted abruptly as he glared at Wu Chang with a gaze as sharp as a sword. Likewise, Murong Xiao Xiao also glared at Wu Chang angrily. Wu Chang had insulted one of them the moment they met; moreover, the person he had insulted was none other than Xia Sheng.
Xia Sheng was a leading figure who represented Azure Sun Temple, so how could Azure Sun Temple take this insult lying down?
Feng Ming glanced over in this direction, whether intentionally or unintentionally; however, he did not seem inclined to stop them and just continued chatting and laughing away with Wen Zi Shan.
Wen Zi Shan was also acting as though he had not heard a thing. As the Temple Master, it was not appropriate for him to intervene in the fights between those below him. The same went for Ma Qing.
The top three Sects in the Southern Territory might cooperate on many occasions, but the competition between them was very fierce too. Every one of them wanted to dominate the others. Unfortunately, nobody dared to confront each other openly with Star Soul Palace watching over them from the top. Hence, it did not hurt to let those below them make a little commotion here and there…
“Why do you feel the need to insult him?” Yang Kai looked at Wu Chang calmly.
Wu Chang sneered, “He doesn’t even have the courage to face me, how is he not a coward?”
Murong Xiao Xiao angrily snapped, “Senior Brother Xia has responsibilities he must attend to! It’s not because he doesn’t dare to meet you!”
Wu Chang put his hands behind his back, “Anybody can make excuses. He is probably scared of the embarrassment he will face if he loses to me again.”
“That’s not true!” She wanted to continue arguing with Wu Chang, but Yang Kai raised his hand to stop her and spoke ambiguously, “I’ve heard about the last Martial Gathering. Momentary gains and losses are truly nothing special. Before coming here, Senior Brother Xia told me Brother Wu Chang was an enthusiastic and active man, so he asked me to keep you company.”
Yang Kai had not even seen Xia Sheng’s face recently, so his words were naturally a lie; however, he was now representing Azure Sun Temple so how could he willingly let somebody else humiliate them? It was only expected that Yang Kai would retaliate when attacked. Yang Kai first had to balance out the aggression before they could talk about anything else.
“You?” Wu Chang swept his eyes over Yang Kai and nodded lightly, “You just barely qualify, I guess. I hope I won’t be too disappointed.”
“Who knows? You might be in for a pleasant surprise!” Yang Kai raised his brow in response. [You rabid dog! You better not end up in my hands, or I’ll make you regret it!]
“Shameless boasting!” Wu Chang sneered.
Then, Chen Wen Hao turned around and shouted, “Wu Chang, enough! This is Orthodoxy Temple, stop acting so presumptuously!”
Gao Xue Ting also spoke up, “That’s enough, both of you.”
Wu Chang looked sullen but he could not refute his Elder in front of outsiders, lest he embarrass his Sect. With a flick of his sleeves, Wu Chang turned away and looked elsewhere. Yang Kai and the others couldn’t be bothered to continue pestering him either; hence, the commotion passed without incident. They all knew that nobody could make a move under these circumstances, so if they continued arguing with each other, they would only embarrass themselves instead.
Wen Zi Shan laughed, “The younger generation are truly vigorous. Good! Good!”
Feng Ming did not comment on that statement, instead just cupping his fists and commenting, “Most of our fellow cultivators from the Southern Territory have arrived, and the Temple Master is entertaining them right now. Gentlemen, please come this way.” Turning to look at Zhuang Bu Fan, he instructed, “Xiao Fan, bring these two Seniors to the guest hall.”
“Yes!” Zhuang Bu Fan replied. Stretching out his hand, he beckoned, “This way, please.”
Feng Ming followed up, “Temple Master Wen, Holy Master Ma, please forgive me as I still have a duty to carry out and cannot accompany you further.”
“Don’t worry about it, Elder Feng. Let’s talk again later.” Wen Zi Shan smiled lightly and followed after Zhuang Bu Fan with his hands behind his back, heading towards the top of a nearby mountain.
Similarly, Ma Qing nodded at Feng Ming in acknowledgement before leading the people from Heavenly Martial Holy Land and following closely behind the rest. Surprisingly, they didn’t quarrel over who took priority.
As the group of people slowly drifted into the distance, Feng Ming suddenly looked back, fixed his gaze on Yang Kai, and slightly furrowed his brow. When there was nobody else around him, he took out a communication artifact, poured his Divine Sense into it, and delivered a message to an unknown person.
Halfway up the mountain, the group came across a three-way fork in the road. There were Orthodoxy Temple’s disciples waiting both on the left and right paths of the fork who bowed when the group approached and stretched out their hands in a welcoming gesture.
Zhuang Bu Fan turned around and said, “Seniors, please arrange for the disciples participating in the Martial Gathering to go either left or right.”
Only Emperor Realm Masters were qualified to ascend to the top of the mountain, so the disciples behind them could not follow along. That was something everybody had known since the beginning.
Wen Zi Shan turned around and motioned to the rest, after which Gao Xue Ting immediately arranged for the disciples of Azure Sun Temple to follow a servant along the path to the right. On the other hand, Heavenly Martial Holy Land naturally chose the path to the left. The disciples of both Sects did not get along, so if they were housed in the same living quarters, they would probably start fighting each other before the Martial Gathering even began tomorrow. It should also be noted that there would not be an Emperor Realm Master around to suppress their fights.
After that, the remaining group of people followed Zhuang Bu Fan and continued onward. Whilst climbing up the stairs, the people of both Sects were cleanly split into two groups on the left and right sides respectively.
They soon arrived at the summit of the mountain where a magnificent palace entered their vision. It had an extraordinary aura about it and maidservants were already waiting for them outside.
Zhuang Bu Fan led the group of people into the palace and entered a hall, at which point a loud noise came from within, causing Yang Kai, Murong Xiao Xiao, and the others to look at each other in surprise. They had not expected it to be so lively already. Glancing around, they couldn’t help feeling shocked. There were no less than five hundred or six hundred people inside this hall; moreover, most of them were Emperor Realm Masters while the rest were servants who navigated freely among them. The hall was filled with tables, and the tables were covered with various delicacies and fine wine.
The hall was full of guests, and the atmosphere within was extremely lively. People came and went from time to time, lifting their glasses in toast. A group of more than forty young girls were also dancing in the middle of the hall. They were not dressed scantily, but they were all quite beautiful, with slim waists and ample curves. Dancing gracefully, they attracted some people to watch them with enchanting smiles.
Although these dancers had been arranged by Orthodoxy Temple to add to the excitement, the Sect’s reputation was on the line; therefore, they did not create any kind of obscene scene. People might look down on them if these girls were dressed scantily, so the current arrangement was much more suitable to show off the impression Orthodoxy Temple wanted to display.
However, most of the attention was not on the dancers as this was the place where many of the Emperor Realm Masters of the Southern Territory were assembled. The Sect Masters of each Sect and the Patriarchs of various clans had gathered in the same place, so it was a prime time to make connections and form relations. Who would still have the time to pay attention to those dancers under these circumstances? It was not easy for so many Emperor Realm Masters to convene in one place after all.
The moment Wen Zi Shan and Ma Qing walked into the hall with the rest following behind them, somebody immediately put down their wine glass and stood up to greet them, “Temple Master Wen, Holy Master Ma.”
As soon as the voice sounded, the noisy hall went silent. Everyone turned to look at them, and the greetings poured out endlessly. Wen Zi Shan smiled and returned the greetings in all directions while walking all the way to the front of the hall under Zhuang Bu Fan’s guidance. Meanwhile, Ma Qing didn’t even glance to the side, his expression remaining cold and aloof. Fortunately, those who knew him well were aware that he was always like this and that he wasn’t disrespecting them.
A sturdy man in black attire sat at the head of the hall and glanced over with a smile, tilting his head towards an elegantly dressed middle-aged man sitting on his right as he said, “I told you, right? They will surely arrive within a quarter-hour and look; they’re here!”
The elegantly dressed man smiled in response, “You are truly astute, Brother Lei.”
The only person who could sit in the main seat in this place was the Temple Master of Orthodoxy Temple, Lei Gu. No one else had this qualification. It went without saying that the elegantly dressed man was the Sect Master of one of the Sects in the Southern Territory, a Second-Order Emperor. Moreover, his seat was placed quite far to the front.
“Brother Lei!”
Wen Zi Shan and Ma Qing stepped forward and cupped their fists.
Lei Gu stood up, “Many thanks for coming all this way. Please, have a seat.”
Although there were many tables in this hall and every seat was occupied, four tables located on the left and right of the main table remained empty. Nobody dared to occupy these seats as these four tables were clearly reserved for the people from Azure Sun Temple and Heavenly Martial Holy Land.
Wen Zi Shan and Ma Qing separated and moved in two different directions, each sitting with their Elders at the left and right tables. Wen Zi Shan and Ma Qing each occupied a table with the Elders from their Sects. Azure Sun Temple had one more person than Heavenly Martial Holy Land, so the seats at their table were just enough to accommodate all of them and a servant immediately came forward to serve wine for everyone.
Afterward, Lei Gu got up slowly, held up a wine glass in his hand, and spoke in a loud voice, “The time has once again come for the Southern Territory Martial Gathering! This is a momentous event and I offer my thanks to all the support from the Southern Territory’s Masters. This Lei will be hosting the Martial Gathering at Orthodoxy Temple, and both the Sect and I shall do our best to create a fair environment for everybody in the Southern Territory to compete. I wish your disciples great success and prosperity! May you lead the future hope of the Southern Territory! I offer this toast as a sign of my respect. Cheers!”
“Many thanks, Temple Master Lei!” Everybody in the hall replied in unison, lifting their wine glasses and drinking together. It was an extremely lively scene.
Raising a toast was part of the etiquette Lei Gu had to follow as the host of the Southern Territory Martial Gathering. Following that, everybody was free to do as they pleased. Tomorrow was the day the Martial Gathering began, so it was inevitable for their disciples to suffer injuries and losses once the event began. At the time, they would not be as harmonious anymore.
Many people came to Azure Sun Temple’s table to offer a toast, but most went straight to Gao Xue Ting. Luo Chen rarely interacted with others, so he did not have this honour. On the other hand, Yang Kai, Xiao Bai Yi, and Murong Xiao Xiao were only there to gain some experience and did not know many Emperor Realm Masters. It went without saying that they were ignored, but they were happy to have time to themselves.
Yang Kai took the time to inquire with Murong Xiao Xiao and finally learned why their relationship with Heavenly Martial Holy Land was so tense. It turned out as he expected. It was indeed because of the competition for first place in the individual rankings and group rankings during the last Martial Gathering. Neither Sect was willing to admit defeat, so it was only natural for there to be some friction between them.
One hour later, Lei Gu, Wen Zi Shan, and Ma Qing left the venue early. They had to gather together to discuss matters regarding tomorrow’s Martial Gathering, the arrangement of the name lists, and the planning of the venue. Although everything would be taken care of by Orthodoxy Temple in the end, Wen Zi Shan and Ma Qing had to check just in case Orthodoxy Temple sabotaged anything.
After these three people left, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became more energetic. It could be seen that the presence of these three people still stressed the others out to a certain extent.
Yang Kai looked around while eating and drinking, looking rather bored. He had been a little interested in the Martial Gathering at the beginning; however, after coming to this place, he realized that it was nothing special. If this matter had not been pushed onto him, he would have gone home by now.
Although nothing major would happen to High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, the dust had yet to settle from recent events and it was a little worrying not to be there in person. It was also because his cultivation was higher now. Yang Kai was a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master; hence, the competition between those in the Dao Source Realm, the Origin King Realm, and the Origin Returning Realm no longer raised his interest. He had already killed off numerous Emperor Realm Masters so these little fights no longer excited him. Even so, Azure Sun Temple had assigned this matter to him, so he had no choice but to follow along.
He suddenly recalled something and turned to look at Gao Xue Ting as he asked, “Senior Sister Gao, what did that Wu Chang mean when he said that Senior Brother Xia is afraid of losing to him again? Does this Martial Gathering have a competition between Emperors?”
Gao Xue Ting replied, “No, not during the Martial Gathering, but there will be an exchange of pointers after the Martial Gathering; however, it is entirely voluntary. It doesn’t have any prizes either. It’s purely for improving relations between each other.”
Yang Kai grumbled in a non-committal manner and secretly decided that if Wu Chang came to provoke him again, he would definitely teach the latter a harsh lesson. [Who cares what kind of Special Constitution he has? He can’t be stronger than a Third-Order Emperor, right?]
Yang Kai was certain that he would have no problem dealing with a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master with his current strength, and if he used all his trump cards, a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master could only retreat before him.
[I wonder if Wu Chang will give me the opportunity to go all out.]
Lifting his wine glass to his lips, Yang Kai glanced sideways and saw Wu Chang heading in his direction. Wu Chang’s one blue and one red eye was rather strange. Yang Kai snickered with a scornful expression, which nearly made Wu Chang mad with rage.
The banquet ended in the middle of the night and the people of Azure Sun Temple were led to their accommodation by a maidservant soon after, arriving on a mountain peak with rich World Energy and beautiful scenery, covered in soft moonlight that spilled across the ground and illuminated the land.
There was a palace on top of the peak where the people of the Azure Sun Temple were staying. The disciples had long arrived to rest and the maidservant respectfully took her leave after leading them here, while local staff led them to their respective guest rooms.
It didn’t take long before everyone was settled in, and after tidying up a little, Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly. Taking out a communication artifact and studying it for a bit he frowned slightly and opened his door to walk out. Turning a corner, he came to another room and knocked gently on the door.
“Come in.” Gao Xue Ting’s voice came from inside.
Yang Kai pushed the door open and entered the room only to see Wen Zi Shan, Luo Chen, Xiao Bai Yi, and Murong Xiao Xiao inside the room, so he couldn’t help but curiously ask, “What’s going on?”
Wen Zi Shan held up a jade slip and waved it slightly, “You have work to do.” Saying so, he threw the jade slip over.
Yang Kai reached out his hand to catch it. Closing the door behind him, he swept his Divine Sense over the jade slip and murmured, wondering, “What is this?”
The jade slip contained a series of name lists, and each name had a corresponding number associated with it. Reading this list Yang Kai felt utterly bewildered as he saw his name appear more than once.
Gao Xue Ting explained, “The reason we brought so many Elders here is not only to encourage the disciples to do their best in the competition but also to act as referees.”
“Referees?” Yang Kai was stunned.
“That’s right.” She continued explaining, “The Martial Gathering is divided into three categories, namely the Dao Source Realm, Origin King Realm, and Origin Returning Realm. Putting aside the Origin King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm for the time being, the fights between the disciples in the Dao Source Realm should not be underestimated. An Emperor Realm Master is needed to act as a Referee. The first reason is to ensure that the competition is fair while the second reason is to ensure that there are no accidental deaths during the competition.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai understood the situation a little. The Martial Gathering was supposed to be a friendly competition, but many things could go wrong during a fight. The probability of unnecessary injury or even death occurring was very high, so a stronger Master was needed in order to prevent such occurrences from happening. However, only an Emperor Realm Master could stop or provide emergency assistance in the competition between cultivators in the Dao Source Realm; after all, it would look very bad for all involved if hundreds of people died in the Martial Gathering.
Upon learning this, Yang Kai studied the jade slip carefully again and then asked, “In other words, I am in charge of the Eighth Arena for a total of five days?”
Gao Xue Ting nodded, “Yes. The Martial Gathering will be held for a month. Junior Brother Yang, you only need to be in charge of the Eighth Arena during the individual rankings. Don’t forget the time slots. The rest will be taken care of by the others in turn.”
Yang Kai nodded, indicating that he had memorized the information. Many of the Emperor Realm Masters in the Southern Territory were here this time around, and for that reason, he only needed to participate for five days rather than for thirty days all by himself.
Mulling over it, he asked, “Doesn’t that give some people the opportunity to cheat for personal gain? If the disciples from my Sect are on the stage, I will inevitably be more biased towards them.”
Wen Zi Shan chuckled, “Everybody has their pride, so even if they have this opportunity, nobody would be too obvious in their actions. They will try to ensure fairness as much as possible. Besides, there will be many others watching the arena aside from the Referees in charge, so I’m afraid it won’t be that easy to cheat.”
Gao Xue Ting added, “In any case, there is only one thing you need to keep in mind. There must be no deaths. Other than that, you can use your own judgement.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I will do my best.” He did not take this duty too seriously. Although he was being a Referee the first time in his life, protecting and preventing two Dao Source Realm Masters from killing each other was no big deal with his current strength.
Aside from Yang Kai, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao were also given the same task and they all had to act as Referees for approximately five days each. Wen Zi Shan talked about a few other things before everyone dispersed. Following that, Gao Xue Ting took out a communication artifact, summoned the disciples participating in the competition, and gave another round of explanation.
At the same time, in a secret room on another Spirit Peak, a burly man sat on the ground. His body was wrapped in black Qi that filled the entire room, constantly twisting and writhing like a snake. It was a terrifying sight.
A knock sounded on the door, and the burly man suddenly opened his eyes that were swirling with red and black light. There were no whites in his eyes whatsoever and a less courageous person would have been frightened to death by the sight.
As soon as he opened his eyes, the black Qi wandering aimlessly in the secret room swiftly retracted into his body as if it was being summoned by something. The red and black colours in his eyes gradually returned to their original colours, and the black Qi disappeared. He now looked no different from an ordinary Human.
“Come in!” An imposing voice rang out and the door was opened, after which an elderly man walked in.
The burly man looked up at the elderly man and asked, “Why is that boy here?”
The elderly man frowned and replied, “I was extremely surprised too. I have not heard from him for more than ten years and it was said he was no longer in the Southern Territory. I don’t know why he appeared here at this point in time.”
The burly man cursed, “Damn it, is this Wen Zi Shan doing? He couldn’t have called that boy over just for the Martial Gathering, right?”
“Maybe it’s all just a coincidence?”
The burly man coldly snorted, “Coincidence or not, this person cannot remain. He will become a huge obstacle to my plans.”
The elderly man frowned, “Sir, do you mean…”
“We need to prevent trouble before it happens. Think of a way to get rid of him.”
The elderly man was silent for a while before he frowned deeply, “He won’t be easy to dispatch.”
“If he were easy to remove, would I call you here? The Martial Gathering will last for a month, so find a safe way to do it within that time, and be sure to leave no traces.”
“Yes!” The elderly man bowed, and seeing as there were no other instructions, he took his leave. He came out of the secret room and let out a long sigh. It would not have mattered if it were just an ordinary Emperor Realm Master. If that was the case, all he needed to do was gather enough manpower and it would all work out somehow. However, that person had a particularly annoying ability, he was proficient in the Dao of Space. Even if he couldn’t win a fight, he was good at escaping, and if he were to escape and spread the news of their existence, their plans would be endangered.
[This is going to be difficult!] After mulling over it for a long time, the elderly man made up his mind. [It looks like I can only ask the people over there to take action. Besides, only those people can stealthily sneak up on him and strike a fatal blow.]
After making up his mind, he left in a hurry.
The sky was clear for tens of thousands of kilometres as though it was washed clean. Banners were being displayed and people were crowded around in a huge valley surrounded by mountains. This was the place where the Southern Territory Martial Gathering was being held. Tens of thousands of cultivators from across the entire Southern Territory had gathered in Orthodoxy Temple, and apart from this valley, there was no other place that could accommodate so many people participating in the competition together.
There were hundreds of arenas scattered around the inside of the valley like chess pieces, all of which were carefully crafted and protected by Spirit Arrays. There were enough to ensure several hundred pairs of cultivators could fight to their heart’s content at the same time.
On the eastern side of the mountain, there was a row of stairs lined with newly built pavilions that were set up with tables. Sitting in this spot gave one a full view of everything in the mountain valley. The Emperor Realm Masters of each major Sect in the Southern Territory came here in twos and threes. They took their seats after some polite talk. Naturally, the people of the top three Sects sat at the top of the stands.
The Sect Masters of all three top forces made an appearance on the first day of the Martial Gathering, whether they wanted to or not. That was because people even more important than them would be arriving on the scene, and they could not afford to be impolite.
In the mountain valley, tens of thousands of cultivators who were about to participate in Martial Gathering held their breaths in silence as a tense atmosphere spread across the area. Many looked up at the mountainside with a look of reverence, secretly fantasizing about sitting there one day. The Martial Gathering was the best stage for them to achieve great success overnight. As long as their performance stood out in the Martial Gathering, those that already had good backgrounds would receive better resources for cultivation while those from humble backgrounds might obtain the chance to join a more powerful force.
Unfortunately, the Emperor Realm Masters in the stands seemed oblivious to this mood and continued to talk and laugh happily among themselves.
All of a sudden, a stream of light came from the distance and headed straight to the stands.
“They’re here,” Lei Gu smiled and got up first. Everybody else hurriedly stood up too. At first, some people secretly wondered who it was that dared to fly into Orthodoxy Temple so arrogantly; however, they could make a guess after seeing how Lei Gu was acting and did not dare to be disrespectful either.
The light landed in front of the crowd to reveal several figures. The leader looked magnificent and heroic. He was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master with an imposing aura. The people behind him were well-groomed and had extraordinary temperaments, regardless of their cultivation. The people from Star Soul Palace had arrived. Moreover, their leader was none other than Xiao Yu Yang.
“Greetings, Brother Xiao.” Lei Gu and the others bowed in unison.
Xiao Yu Yang smiled and responded politely, “Please rise, it was this Xiao who was tardy. I apologize for being late.”
Every time the Southern Territory Martial Gathering was held, Star Soul Palace would surely send a representative as this was a huge event. As the patron saint of the Southern Territory, Star Soul Palace would definitely participate in it as the hegemon Sect. Be that as it may, they did not send their disciples to participate in the event but took on a supervisory role instead.
“Not at all, not at all, Brother Xiao is right on time.” Lei Gu chuckled. Although their cultivations were technically the same, Xiao Yu Yang came as a representative of Star Soul Palace, so how could he be disrespectful?
Lei Gu showed Xiao Yu Yang to his seat and made casual small talk along the way. Then, Xiao Yu Yang declared, “It’s almost time. Let’s begin.”
Nodding in response, Lei Gu signalled Feng Ming with a look. Feng Ming immediately stepped forward, took out a scroll, unfurled it with both hands, and read out loud from it, “Today, tens of thousands of young handsome men and women from the Southern Territory have gathered together for the Martial Gathering. Orthodoxy Temple is honoured beyond words. Led by Star Soul Palace, several rules for this competition have been drawn up and all participants are expected to abide by them. If these rules are violated, severe punishment will be given…”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it spread throughout the mountain valley under the use of his Emperor Qi and allowed everyone to hear clearly.
There were not many rules of course, as that would be meaningless, but some restrictions were still necessary. For instance, attacking a person who had already given up was not allowed; and the use of Spirit Pills during the competition was not allowed, especially those items that stimulated one’s potential to increase their strength temporarily. If the consumption of Spirit Pills was detected, not only would the participant be punished severely, but the Sect they belonged to would be in trouble too.
These rules were the same for each Martial Gathering so before coming here, the Elders of their respective Sects would have repeatedly told their disciples about them. As such, the tens of thousands of participants had already memorized these rules. Nevertheless, certain procedures were still necessary and had to be carried out.
For a time, Feng Ming’s voice was the only sound echoing in the mountain valley. Once all the rules were read out, the rewards would be announced, which was the real highlight of the day. Most only joined the competition to fight for these benefits; thus, the tens of thousands of disciples in the mountain valley were all looking forward to this announcement.
The rewards for every Martial Gathering were extremely generous; after all, if the rewards were not good enough, then they would not motivate the people to try their hardest in the competition. Under normal circumstances, the rewards were jointly prepared by the top three Sects while Star Soul Palace would also contribute. The prizes usually included pills, Secret Arts, and Secret Techniques that were highly coveted.
What excited the tens of thousands of participating cultivators further was that the first place in the individual and group rankings would not only receive generous rewards, but they would also obtain the rights to enter the Restricted Areas of the top three Sects to cultivate for a time limit of one month each.
Each of the top three Sects in the Southern Territory had their own special cultivation zones. Azure Sun Temple had the Divine Ascension Mirror World, Heavenly Martial Holy Land had the Martial Intent Temple, and Orthodoxy Temple had the Outer Astral Wind, each with its own advantages. There was no need to explain much about the Divine Ascension Mirror World as it was naturally a place for cultivating the Soul. On the other hand, the Martial Intent Temple was a Restricted Area to perceive various Daos while the Outer Astral Wind of Orthodoxy Temple was an excellent place for Body Tempering.
These areas of the three top forces covered the cultivation necessities of a cultivator. If one could visit each of these three places then their future would be boundless. Who wouldn’t be moved by rewards like these? Things like cultivation resources were auxiliaries, while one’s own strength was their foundation. In addition, the first-place winners would also have the right to choose to join any one of the top three Sects and be nurtured as one of the Core Disciples within that Sect.
As soon as the rewards were announced, all the cultivators in the mountain valley became short of breath and beside themselves with excitement.
Having said that, the first-place winners of the past Martial Gatherings had always belonged to the three top forces. Moreover, they were all Core Disciples of their respective Sects, so while these rewards might be hugely attractive to 99% of the participants, to the disciples of the three top forces, they were nothing more than an extra flower in a bouquet.
The reason for putting out such a reward was so that the cultivators, other than ones in the three top forces, would be motivated to go all out and strive to obtain the best ranking they could get. In all the years that the Martial Gathering was held, upsets had certainly been seen. Moreover, they had happened more than once. Those existences that had originally been unknown had emerged victorious in the Martial Gathering and were taken in by the three great forces as a result. In the end, they would eventually achieve extraordinary results.
The rewards for second place were slightly inferior in comparison. They could still choose to join any one of the three top forces as a Core Disciple; however, the reward of entering all three Restricted Areas was reduced down to only two. The rewards for third place dwindled once again as they could only choose to join any one of the three top forces and enter any one of their three secret areas.
Further down, the cultivators would only receive material rewards. They could no longer choose to join the top three Sects nor received the chance to cultivate in the Restricted Areas.
With the announcements finished, the tens of thousands of cultivators in the mountain valley rolled up their sleeves and secretly vowed to themselves to perform well in the competition; after all, this was their chance to achieve great things.
When Feng Ming finished reading out the rules and the rewards, he turned back to glance behind him. Xiao Yu Yang smiled at Feng Ming slightly, indicating that he had nothing to say. Only then did Feng Ming raise his hand and shout, “Let the competition begin!”
*Guang…*
The deafening sound of gongs and drums resounded throughout the valley from somewhere. Following that, figures flew out from halfway up the mountain. Each figure was a different colour stream of light, which made it look as though a meteor shower was falling out of the sky. One after another, they landed on the stages that were scattered across the mountain valley like chess pieces.
Yang Kai was among them. As a Referee, it was only natural that he was the first to appear on the stage. Speaking of which, it was quite funny that he was acting as a Referee for the first time in his life. Nevertheless, he was rather calm about it since he had the knowledge and life experience to adapt.
Standing on the Eighth Arena, he took out a jade slip and used his Divine Sense to check the contents. The jade slip contained a series of numbers, and each number represented a cultivator. The order of appearance and their respective opponents had been pre-arranged, so all he needed to do was call out the numbers of both parties, monitor the match, and make a fair ruling at the end. Lifting his gaze to look around, he loudly announced, “Round 1. No. 3018 against No. 15611!”
As soon as his voice sounded, a petite figure flew out from below the stage and landed firmly on the arena. That person bowed at him and greeted him crisply, “Greetings, Senior.”
[I became their Senior just like that?] Yang Kai sniffed a little. [I seriously wonder whether I am older than this girl.]
However, with his current strength, not many people across the entire Star Boundary could still stand on equal footing with him, much less claim to be his Senior.
As such, Yang Kai nodded and smiled at that person, only then studying her carefully. It turned out to be a petite woman with two delicate ponytails at the back of her head. Her black hair swayed in the wind, and her modest dress set off her exquisite and curvy figure. She certainly did not look very old as the aura of youth had yet to fade from her face. Additionally, her cultivation was fairly good. She was in the Second-Order Dao Source Realm, but he could not tell which Sect she came from.
While Yang Kai was still studying her, another person appeared on the other side of the arena. It was a brave and heroic-looking young man dressed in black attire that flapped wildly in the wind. He had an assertive aura, and his eyes were filled with a fierce light, making him appear extremely dangerous.
[A Third-Order Dao Source Realm!] Yang Kai glanced at the man and secretly thought to himself. [This is going to be difficult for No. 3018.]
Not everyone was capable of fighting above their realm or killing opponents that were supposedly stronger than themselves like Yang Kai could. Most of the time, the difference of one Minor Realm was enough to create a huge disparity in strength. If not for that, why else would everybody do their best to cultivate in hopes of a breakthrough? It went without saying that these kinds of things could not be generalized of course and in a life-or-death situation, mental state, grasp of the situation in the battle, and ability to adapt to changes were the keys to determining victory or defeat. That was why there were so many examples of the weak defeating the strong.
No. 3018 bowed upon seeing her opponent enter the stage and politely greeted, “Yu Zhuo of Luo Sha Sect!”
Regardless of how the battle progressed later, the necessary etiquette should still be maintained. Besides, the Referee was still watching from the side.
On the contrary, the young man in black attire did not seem to share the same sentiment. He simply lifted his hand, pointed at this Yu Zhuo from Luo Sha Sect, and expressionlessly demanded, “Scram. You are no match for me.”
His tone was not arrogant but simply matter-of-fact. It sounded as though he was just stating the truth, and he was certainly qualified to speak in such a manner. His cultivation was higher than his opponent by a whole Minor Realm after all.
When Yu Zhuo heard those words, a flash of anger flitted across her face and she bit her red lips lightly and rebuked, “We haven’t even fought yet! How can you be sure that I am no match for you!?”
The man in black attire replied, “Do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”
Yu Zhuo was livid, but nevertheless, she abruptly took a deep breath and calmed the rage in her heart. Turning to look at Yang Kai, who was standing there calmly, she asked, “Senior, may we start?”
She was already standing here, so how could she be chased away with just a few words from her opponent? Even so, the other party’s belittling attitude had truly incensed her. If not for her good upbringing, she might have already attacked without even caring to check with Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lowered his gaze and folded his arms in front of his chest in a calm and easy-going manner and nodded, “Of course.”
The truth was that those two could have started fighting the moment both of them stepped onto the arena, but Yu Zhuo’s respectful attitude had gained her some favorability.
As soon as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, the man in black attire lunged toward Yu Zhuo like a whirlwind. A sword as tall as a man appeared in his hands and flashed with lightning. He appeared in front of her in an instant and brought his sword slashing down on her head. There was no holding back just because she was a woman and from his posture, it seemed like he wouldn’t be satisfied unless he cut her in half.
Yu Zhuo was shocked as she had not expected her opponent to attack without any warning. Moreover, his attack came so abruptly and there had been no prior indication at all. In a flurry, she hastily summoned a soft whip that she used to immediately protect her vitals.
A series of clashing sounds rang out and sparks flew everywhere. Two figures moved across the arena swiftly, with one falling back while the other pressed forward. The young man in black attire was pursuing his opponent closely and the power behind his sword was extremely heavy, each swing he made wide and sweeping. His posture was completely focused on attacking and he did not put any effort into defending whatsoever. His attacks pushed Yu Zhuo so hard that she could barely keep up with them.
His cultivation was one Minor Realm higher than hers; furthermore, he had momentum on his side as he had launched the first attack, so it was only natural that he had the upper hand in the fight. Be that as it may, Yu Zhuo wasn’t bad either. The soft whip in her hand was like an extension of her arm and despite losing the initiative in the fight, she had instantly defended herself against her opponent’s sudden onslaught of attacks. Although she was a little out of breath and even showed some signs of being defeated, she displayed neither weakness nor vulnerability.
Yang Kai watched the scene before him with a slightly raised brow and began observing seriously. He had no choice but to be serious here as he was the Referee of the Eighth Arena, and it was his job to prevent unnecessary death or injury. In other words, he had to stop the fight as soon as he noticed that one side’s defeat was clear and before unnecessary harm was done. It was only the first battle on the first day of the Martial Gathering, so he didn’t want anything to go wrong either.
If he had to be honest with himself, he was biased towards Yu Zhuo from a personal standpoint. It had nothing to do with gender, it was just that Yu Zhuo had been polite to him while on the contrary, that man in black attire’s arrogant attitude annoyed him. [I am the Referee of the Eighth Arena. It’s bad enough that you didn’t greet me as ‘Senior’. But, what do you mean by not even looking my way even when you come up to the stage?]
However, Referees could not be partial to any one party, so Yang Kai could only watch the situation and sigh inwardly at the same time. [This Yu Zhuo is at a great disadvantage. Not only is her cultivation lower than her opponent’s, but she also lost the initiative in the fight. If nothing changes, the victor will be decided soon.]
The two continued their high-speed chase in the arena and reached the edge of the ring in the blink of an eye.
Yu Zhuo had been forced to retreat all the way here, so she didn’t have the time to pay attention to the situation at her feet at all. By the time she lost her footing and noticed that something was wrong, it was too late. She would lose the moment she fell out of the ring whether she could still fight or not. The sudden change made her panic and she let out a cry of surprise as her body fell backwards unstably.
Conversely, this was exactly what the young man in black had been waiting for. He had been in pursuit all this time, so he saw from a different perspective and noticed something Yu Zhuo couldn’t; thus, he smiled savagely as he shouted, “Fall!”
While speaking, he slashed his sword down at her body.
Yang Kai nearly couldn’t stop himself from making a move, but at that critical moment, Yu Zhuo’s body bent at an incredible angle. She had one foot holding onto the edge of the arena as her body bent backwards just enough to avoid the blow from the man in black. Immediately following that, she flicked her soft whip and wrapped it around her opponent’s sword and used it as leverage to twist herself up and landed softly behind him.
Their positions were reversed in an instant.
Many cultivators watching from the audience were stunned while a certain group of cultivators cheered wildly. They were, without a doubt, Yu Zhuo’s fellow Sect members that were cheering for her.
Even Yang Kai was stunned as he had not expected Yu Zhuo to find a way out of that desperate situation under those circumstances. He could tell that she had not planned for this to happen as her reactions and the panic on her face when she lost her footing just now had not been faked. She simply overcame the crisis and prevented herself from falling out of the ring entirely by relying on her ability to adapt and react to the situation.
Yu Zhuo didn’t stop to take a breather even after escaping her crisis. She flicked the soft whip in her hand, sending it striking like a snake out of its pit. The soft whip struck out at the man in black’s back like a gale of wind that could not be stopped.
The man in black slashed backwards as he spun around blindly, having already noticed that things were dire when he lost his target.
*Guang…*
A clashing sound rang out as the man swayed for a moment before catching his balance. On the contrary, Yu Zhuo was sent flying by a powerful shockwave from his counterattack, coughing up a mouthful of blood mid-air before landing on the ground unsteadily.
Yang Kai secretly thought to himself. [What a pity. If Yu Zhuo had the same cultivation as her opponent, she would have won with that attack just now.]
Unfortunately, she was one Minor Realm weaker than her opponent, so with her hasty attack, she failed to make use of this great opportunity. Instead, she even suffered some minor injuries from being countered by her opponent.
In the middle of all that tension, the two of them had narrowly escaped defeat. It was truly a dazzling and mind-blowing fight.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but cheer up somewhat. He couldn’t believe that he managed to encounter these two people in the very first round on the very first day of the competition. He could tell that both of them, be it Yu Zhuo or the man in black, were extremely impressive in terms of strength in the Dao Source Realm. People like them would have been prioritized and nurtured carefully even within the top three Sects.
Yang Kai suddenly discovered that he had underestimated all the smaller Sects. There was a reason why a Sect could establish its heritage for thousands of years. It wasn’t just the top Sects that could produce outstanding talents.
He suddenly thought of Luo Yuan from Eight Paths Sect. Back then, the Four Seasons Realm had raised the reputation of two people. One had been Yang Kai as he had successfully refined a batch of Extraordinary Treasure Pills, which were known as a Heaven-defying item, with only a Dao Source Realm cultivation. With such an achievement, it would have been hard not to take notice of him. On the other hand, Luo Yuan from Eight Paths Sect was the other rising star.
Eight Paths Sect was a small Sect in the Southern Territory, one that couldn’t even compare to Blue Feather Sect at the time. However, Luo Yuan, who originated from Eight Paths Sect, was a fearless rising star. He was not even afraid of Wu Chang and fought against him in an almost even manner. His strength was evident.
Speaking of Luo Yuan, Yang Kai suddenly recalled seeing somebody who slightly resembled Luo Yuan yesterday. Unfortunately, they had been too far apart and he had not paid much attention, so he couldn’t be sure if it truly was Luo Yuan. [It might actually have been that guy. Eight Paths Sect is also from the Southern Territory after all so it doesn’t make sense for them not to participate in the Martial Gathering.]
While Yang Kai was caught up in his thoughts, Yu Zhuo and the man in black began exchanging blows again. Their figures clashed in the arena as sword met whip, releasing loud clanking noises.
One was aggressive while the other was flexible, but they were fighting on equal terms. Both parties were unable to determine a winner. It was not a one-sided situation. Thus, the unusual situation attracted many other cultivators to come and watch this fight. It didn’t take long before the Eighth Arena was surrounded by spectators. They all had solemn expressions as they watched the fight in the arena, secretly analysing how they could win if they encountered either of these two as opponents.
Yang Kai was watching with great enthusiasm too, and if it wasn’t for High Heaven Palace no longer accepting new disciples, he would have asked Hua Qing Si to hold a similar competition. A competition like this might be tedious to organize and run, but it was indeed the best way to select outstanding talents. Unfortunately, it could not guarantee the personality and character of these talents.
A quarter-hour later, the man in black became more and more hostile. It was no surprise. His opponent’s cultivation was lower than his, and he believed that he should have been able to finish her off easily. Conversely, the woman who was running around endlessly turned out to be the most difficult opponent he had ever faced. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated, and his attacks became fiercer as a result.
Yu Zhuo was constantly meeting his attacks by relying on her rapid reaction and flexible Movement Skills. However, the gap in their cultivation was her biggest shortcoming. Fighting up until now had not been easy, and while winning the fight would not be impossible, it was certainly a difficult prospect. With her hair a mess and many wounds on her body, she appeared quite dishevelled and her breathing was ragged as her chest heaved heavily. Fine beads of sweat were sliding down her face, but nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and refused to admit defeat.
Even so, Yang Kai could see that Yu Zhuo’s hand holding the long whip was trembling. She had been constantly clashing with her opponent’s sword, so how could she bear the violent force transmitted through the whip to her arm for so long?
The man in black was aware of this too and was utilising his strong point to attack her weakness without giving her any space to catch her breath. Instead, he kept forcing her to keep up with him.
Finally, the sound of something breaking rang out when that sword came into contact with the soft whip again. That soft whip was cut into two by the sword, and the front end flew out.
The man in black was overjoyed by the situation. He had enough of his opponent’s whip and now that he had destroyed this artifact, his opponent would have no power to fight back. He looked up with a cold and stern gaze to see a flash of panic flitting across Yu Zhuo’s face as she hurriedly tried to back away. But, how could he allow her to retreat so easily?
“Die!” He roared as his sword came slashing down and a triumphant expression appeared on his face, as though victory was already in his grasp.
[I won! It sure wasn’t eas…!] Before he could finish his thought though, he suddenly saw the panic on her face disappearing and a hint of cunning flashed across her eyes as she executed some kind of Secret Technique. It was accompanied by the sound of something slicing through the air behind him,
[This is bad!] His expression changed drastically. He might not know what trick she was trying to pull, but it was clear he had fallen into her trap. Unfortunately for him, it was too late to pull back at this point so a vicious glint flashed across his eyes as he pushed his sword even harder to bring it down faster than before.
Yu Zhuo hurriedly guarded herself with the half of her whip that remained in her hands, but the other party’s blow at full strength was too great and she could not stop his attack. Consequently, the sword slashed down from her shoulder all the way to her abdomen. It almost cut her into two. Blood spurted out of her mouth when the powerful force hit her like a tidal wave and she flew backwards like a sack. While she was flying through the air though, the Secret Technique she cast just before took effect.
The man in black felt something tightening around his body and finally knew what she had been planning all along. The half of the soft whip that had flown away after being cut by him had flown back while he was not paying attention and wrapped itself around him while he was caught off guard. Then, an inexplicable force emerged from the soft whip and suppressed his cultivation, making him unable to circulate his Source Qi smoothly.
Raising his head, a look of despair appeared on his face as he saw Yu Zhuo hurl the half of her soft whip in her hands at him. The whip segment was flying straight towards his forehead and he knew that if this attack landed, he would undoubtedly die in his current suppressed state.
“I surrender!” He hurriedly yelled.
The whip froze mid-motion, just a finger’s length from his forehead. Just a little bit more and it would have bored a hole through his head. Even the energy from the tip of this whip was pressing against his forehead painfully like an awl, frightening him so badly that he broke out in a cold sweat.
The reason the whip had stopped in front of the man in black was not Yu Zhuo’s doing, of course, but rather it was because Yang Kai had made a move. When that man in black surrendered, Yang Kai reached out and grabbed at something in the air, catching the soft whip mid-flight and protecting that young man from death. He simultaneously lifted his other hand and caught Yu Zhuo’s body that had been thrown backwards by freezing her in mid-air.
The man in black glanced in Yu Zhuo’s direction in shock, then his expression turned incredibly ugly. That was because her body was floating right at the edge of the arena. It was only a little bit more before she left the range of the arena. [Damn it! I almost had it! If I was slightly slower in admitting defeat, she would definitely have lost this match!]
However, it was a matter of life and death so how could he dare to hesitate? It was useless to be upset now.
Yang Kai released his grip, and the soft whip that had stopped in front of the man in black’s forehead fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Yang Kai slightly retracted his other hand and Yu Zhuo, who was lifted by an invisible force before she slowly floated over to Yang Kai and landed in front of him. Lowering his gaze, he studied this girl at his feet and frowned.
The first match was rather brutal. The man in black might not have suffered heavy injuries, but he had narrowly escaped death. After suffering a loss, he would never underestimate a person with weaker cultivation than himself ever again. On the other hand, Yu Zhuo was in a far worse condition. She had faced a huge disadvantage in this confrontation and at this moment, both her arms were shaking uncontrollably. There was also a bloody wound stretching from her shoulder to her waist. Moreover, blood was spurting out of the wound without stopping. It looked extremely terrible. This was a serious injury that while not life-threatening, would definitely preclude her from competing in the next battle if not treated properly.
Yang Kai sighed softly and crouched down, pressed one hand on Yu Zhuo’s shoulder, and used his Emperor Qi to stabilize her injury before he subtly took out a healing pill and stuffed it into her mouth.
Yu Zhuo’s gaze was a little dazed as it was obvious that she had been beaten up pretty badly and had yet to recover from the impact. When she saw that Yang Kai was healing her, she couldn’t help looking a little apologetic. Nevertheless, she asked in a trembling voice, “Did I… win?”
Yang Kai looked at her expressionlessly and announced in a loud voice, “The winner, No. 3018!”
Upon hearing those words, her eyes sparkled with a look of surprise and she laughed happily. She had yet to exit the arena when that man in black had surrendered, so she had won. However, she soon couldn’t bring herself to laugh anymore as there was a debilitating pain radiating from her wound. Bracing herself mentally, she lifted her head to examine her condition and immediately blushed beet red.
Her clothes where the man in black had slashed her were torn open and exposed her delicate belly as a result. The people in the audience might not be able to see anything due to the angle, but the Referee was crouching down right in front of her could, so it was impossible for him to not see her exposed skin. Yu Zhuo instantly had the urge to pass out from shame.
Yang Kai had not noticed this and only sensed that this girl was too stiff. When he noticed something strange about her complexion though and he followed her gaze, his expression twitched slightly in response before he took out a set of clothing from his Space Ring and covered her wound with it. After that, he lifted his gaze, turned to the audience, and shouted, “Who here is from her Sect?”
Two beautiful women immediately rushed forward and cupped their fists, “Senior.”
“Bring her away for treatment,” He waved his hand dismissively.
The two women thanked him, stored Yu Zhuo’s artifact away, supported her on both sides, and helped her off the stage.
There was silence in the audience. When Yu Zhuo walked off, everybody involuntarily moved to the side and opened a path for her, their expressions full of respect.
On the stage, the defeated man in black stood there for a while before he shook his head silently and bowed to Yang Kai before flying off the stage. He had lost in the first match, but it was not without gain for him. He still had more chances to return, so he was not too worried.
As for Yang Kai, he stood on the stage and fulfilled his job as Referee. With a meticulous expression, he took out a jade slip and shouted, “No. 6051 against No. 8036.”
Perhaps it was because the match between Yu Zhuo and that young man in black had started off so well that the next batch of cultivators who entered the arena went all out to showcase their abilities. All sorts of profound methods were used and the fights were extremely exciting, even drawing a nod from Yang Kai in acknowledgement. Of course, some fights were boring and lacklustre where nothing really stood out about them. Yang Kai would have dozed off if not for his job as the Referee.
A day passed just like that, and when evening rolled around, the sounds of fighting coming from all the arenas in the mountain valley stopped. Tens of thousands of cultivators rested at different spots, waiting for the fights to continue tomorrow.
Yang Kai returned to the Spirit Peak that was Azure Sun Temple’s temporary living quarters. The entire day had worn him out. In reality, he only stood in the arena and watched the fights, rarely having to take action, but maintaining focus for the whole day was still mentally taxing.
He had just rested for an hour when Gao Xue Ting sent a message and told him to follow her somewhere. With no other choice, he pushed open the door and stepped out. Several Elders of Azure Sun Temper were standing outside the palace, and as soon as Yang Kai appeared, Wen Zi Shan grinned, “Let’s go.”
“Go? Where?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
“You’ll know when you get there.” Wen Zi Shan had an enigmatic expression on his face as he led everybody to fly in a certain direction.
After asking Gao Xue Ting during the journey, Yang Kai learned that they were going to participate in an exchange meeting.
The Southern Territory Martial Gathering was a grand event where tens of thousands of elite disciples and hundreds of Emperor Realm Masters gathered together, making it a rare opportunity.
During the day, the Emperor Realm Masters were responsible for being Referees and maintaining order around the Martial Gathering. They were unable to extract themselves from their duties; therefore, they would only get together at night to communicate with each other. That was the standard practice at every Martial Gathering.
With so many Emperor Realm Masters present, every one of them would have something valuable in their possession. These items might not be cost-effective to sell, but they could be exchanged with others for the treasures they needed. Needless to say, Orthodoxy Temple, as the host of the Martial Gathering, would collect many treasures especially to get the ball rolling during the exchange meeting.
The exchange meeting was also not just a one-time thing and would be held on the first night, then every five days going forward. Hence, a total of six meetings would be held to ensure that all the Emperor Realm Masters present would have a chance to obtain things they wanted.
Upon hearing about the exchange meeting, Yang Kai became a bit more interested. When they arrived at the meeting place, he saw hundreds of Emperor Realm Masters gathered inside a hall. Although there were many people inside, it was not noisy as only surging waves of Spiritual Energy, indicating that these people were silently communicating with each other via Divine Sense, could be felt.
Once the people from Orthodoxy Temple arrived, they gave a simple opening speech and the exchange meeting officially started. As the host of the Martial Gathering, Orthodoxy Temple took the lead in bringing out several valuable treasures to get everyone excited. Following that, a constant stream of people came up on stage to exchange the things they didn’t want with others for things they did.
The exchange meeting was just a platform. As for how the exchanges went down so that both parties were not at a loss would require both sides to discuss the details carefully in private.
For the time being, the people from Azure Sun Temple were not making any moves. Yang Kai did not know what the others were thinking, but in his case, it was just that he had not seen anything that he was interested in. His current experience and knowledge were no longer comparable to the past. Ordinary treasures hardly tempted him anymore so he mainly came here just to join in on the fun.
On the contrary, Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao seemed to be fascinated by many things; however, they only became Emperor Realm Masters not long ago so their assets were not abundant. They had nothing to bring out that could be exchanged for these treasures, so they could only sigh at their own helplessness.
Just after the first half of the night, the exchange meeting ended and everybody dispersed back to their own quarters. It wasn’t until the next day when the Martial Gathering started again that the mountain valley which had been quiet for a night became lively again.
Yang Kai did not join in on the fun again and simply sat inside his guest room meditating and resting. There was no need for him to act as a Referee today, so he had some free time on his hands. Seeing as he had nothing better to do, he decided to enter the Small Sealed World and check out the situation inside. He had been very busy recently and failed to pay much attention to the situation of the Small Sealed World as a result; hence, it was only natural that he wanted to take a look now that he had some free time.
As soon as he entered the Small Sealed World, he felt something in the world similar to an invisible Will observing him for a moment. It felt as though a sleeping Dragon had opened its eyes and glanced at him before closing its eyes again. Knowing that it was Gun-Gun, he wasn’t bothered by it.
While he was in the Star Field, Yang Kai had used the Small Sealed World as a medium to display the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to devour a number of Cultivation Stars. His actions inadvertently gave birth to a sentient Will in the Small Sealed World, which was Gun-Gun. It could be said to be a significant harvest. It was just that Gun-Gun did not have much self-awareness. Its existence itself was very peculiar and, even now, Yang Kai did not know how it came to be. Even if he was given another chance to repeat his actions, he wasn’t sure if he could produce a second Gun-Gun.
At present, the Small Sealed World was vast and its vitality was flourishing. Gun-Gun had devoured several Cultivation Stars in Grand Desolation Star Field, and not only did it merge the territories of those Cultivation Stars with its own, but it also brought all the creatures that were living on those Cultivation Stars into the Small Sealed World. They were now living inside this place, introducing a cycle of life and death, as well as creation and destruction, which allowed the world to take its first step in acquiring a cycle of reincarnation.
It was hard to explain in words; however, Yang Kai could sense that the current Small Sealed World was different from how it had been before. It felt as though this was now a real world. With just a thought, he felt an invisible and magnificent power pouring into his body, giving him a sense that he was the world itself.
[World Force!] Only by comprehending World Force could a person qualify to become a Great Emperor.
Yang Kai was pleasantly surprised by this power that he could distinctly feel now. Although he could control the Small Sealed World in the past, he never felt the World Force as clearly as he did now. It would seem that Gun-Gun’s actions of devouring those few Cultivation Stars and introducing countless living creatures had brought about various changes to the Small Sealed World.
Yang Kai was only a Second-Order Emperor right now, but he wasn’t going to stop at the Emperor Realm. He was destined to climb higher, even if his future was full of thorns.
Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Yang Kai released his Divine Sense into the surroundings and concentrated on obtaining enlightenment. It was a wondrous feeling that made his whole body feel warm and indescribably comfortable. It was as though his entire being had melted and integrated into the world. At the same time, it felt like he was lying in his mother’s arms. Without any interference from the outside world, he allowed his body and mind to drift endlessly.
There was no need to deliberately try to feel anything as the world itself had turned into a warm bed that tempted a person to fall asleep in it and never wake up again just so that they could remain in this intoxicating state forever. Invisible and intangible power converged from all directions, surrounding Yang Kai in layers like a silkworm’s cocoon.
The entire world was silent as Yang Kai closed his eyes to maintain this amazing state. All of a sudden, a coolness suddenly entered his mind and all of the comfortable warmth disappeared without warning. An indescribable sense of crisis washed over him, causing him to open his eyes abruptly. His vision blurred and all he could sense was that the Divine Sense he had released into his surroundings was showing signs of fully merging with the world. This horrified him so much that his expression changed greatly and he pushed his Spiritual Energy hard to force himself awake.
His Divine Sense that had been spreading outward like a tide rushed back into him all at once with a loud explosive sound. Both his ears went deaf and his vision went dark. Spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, Yang Kai stiffly collapsed to the ground and he did not know how long passed before his dazed eyes gradually focused again. An unimaginable pain came from all over his body as though he had been stabbed thousands of times over. In particular, his head felt like it was being torn apart. His fingers twitched slightly as his consciousness slowly came back and it was only with great difficulty that he finally managed to sit up cross-legged and meditated to adjust his breathing.
At this very moment, his entire body was covered in sweat as though he had just been fished out of the sea, and his expression was filled with a lingering sense of fear. Yang Kai did not know exactly what had happened just now as he simply wanted to use the Small Sealed World to comprehend World Force, but that act alone had caused his Soul to show signs of disintegration instead. If it wasn’t for the Soul Warming Lotus coming into play at the critical moment, it would have ended badly for him.
[What happened!? It was just a small insight, yet I nearly failed at such an easy task.] Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; nevertheless, he had a vague feeling that the so-called World Force was not something he could handle with his current strength. It was precisely because he was unprepared yet still touched on the existence of World Force that he could not withstand it.
The Emperor Qi in his body was rather chaotic and he wanted to investigate the situation but found that he could not gather his Spiritual Energy; thus, he had no choice but to give up for now.
After a long rest, Yang Kai slowly regained his strength. His thoughts flashed, and he instantly appeared in the medicine garden. The entire Small Sealed World had undergone tremendous changes, yet the medicine garden had not changed at all. This was the core area of the Small Sealed World and also a Forbidden Zone.
Yang Kai had long concealed the medicine garden through various means, obscuring it from the outside world. It was impossible for anyone to even see what was going on inside. Even an Emperor Realm Master would not be able to intrude on the area without his permission.
Upon entering the medicine garden, however, Yang Kai discovered that there were many people gathered around this area. Those people were all Origin Kings and were clearly cultivators from the various Cultivation Stars that Gun-Gun had devoured. They probably discovered the strangeness of the medicine garden and were trying to get a glimpse of what was inside. Unfortunately, they were helpless due to their lack of strength. None of them could enter, so they gathered in twos and threes to discuss ways to enter the medicine garden.
That scene amused Yang Kai as he never imagined that his medicine garden would be so attractive to these people. He had placed billions upon billions of living creatures in the Small Sealed World for two reasons. One, Gun-Gun had not been picky about what it took in when it devoured those Cultivation Stars, swallowing people along with rocks and trees equally. Although Yang Kai had the means to eliminate them all, it would be very time consuming; thus, he decided to leave them be. The second reason was that he wanted to see what kind of changes the Small Sealed World would experience after billions of these living creatures moved in.
Reality had proven that the Small Sealed World did undergo various changes. If the previous Small Sealed World could be described as just an empty shell, then the current Small Sealed World had been significantly enriched. It was as though a walking corpse had gained vitality. The Small Sealed World had successfully become a complete world which was clear from just the changes in its World Force.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai would not allow these cultivators to have any ideas about his medicine garden so he lifted his hand gently and an invisible force spread to the surroundings. In the next instant, the many cultivators gathered around the medicine garden looked horrified as they were pushed backwards by something beyond their control. It was almost as if a large, invisible hand was dragging them backwards. It didn’t matter whether they were a Second-Order Origin King or a Third-Order Origin King, no one was capable of resisting this force, causing all of them to acutely feel their own insignificance.
“If anyone dares to approach this place again, they will be killed without mercy!” A majestic voice resounded throughout the world like rumbling thunder at that moment. The expressions of all the cultivators standing firm just now changed drastically as they could tell that the voice belonged to the so-called ‘Master of the World’. How could they dare to remain in place? Thus, they quickly fled.
When two small, delicate beings noticed the situation on this side, they flew over from the medicine garden like dancing butterflies, arrived before Yang Kai, and bowed, “Sir.”
They were none other than Mu Zhu and Mu Lu, whom Yang Kai had brought over from the Ancient Wild Lands.
Mu Zhu gave Yang Kai a once-over and stretched out her hands to cover her red lips, “Sir, are you hurt?” Yang Kai was in a miserable state, so it was hard not to notice how bad he looked.
Yang Kai waved at them weakly and continued to adjust his breathing.
The two Wood Spirits glanced at each other and nodded at the same time. They suddenly shifted so that one stood in the air in front of him while the other flew to stand behind him. They simultaneously formed a set of seals with their hands to activate some kind of Secret Technique. An emerald curtain of light appeared out of nowhere and enveloped Yang Kai next. Wisps of light that resembled fireflies flew out of the emerald curtain and filled his surroundings. Then, these bits of light entered his body with every breath he took.
Yang Kai was aware of their movements but showed no intention of stopping them. He had long heard that the Wood Spirit Clan was exceptional at healing injuries, so how could he not understand what they were trying to do at this moment? As he breathed in the green light, he felt the pain in his body fading away and being replaced by a feeling of comfort. His body gradually restored its strength, and even his Soul quickly recovered.
Investigating his condition, Yang Kai was a little surprised to find that his body was filled with emerald light now. Moreover, that light was brimming with vitality as it repaired his damaged body. The emerald light was obviously the doing of the two Wood Spirits.
Cracking his eyes open slightly, Yang Kai peeked at his surroundings. The small figure floating in front of him had a solemn expression on her face while sweat slowly slid down the tip of her nose. It would seem that providing this kind of treatment was a burden on them too. Yang Kai honestly could not tell these two Wood Spirits apart, but based on their demeanours, the one in front of him was probably Mu Zhu because Mu Lu was shy and became embarrassed easily.
Seeming to sense his peeping gaze, Mu Zhu smiled at him and he calmly closed his eyes again.
With these two Wood Spirits assisting him in healing his injuries, Yang Kai’s entire body relaxed.
The entire process took no more than an hour, and by the time he opened his eyes again, he was fully recovered. Mu Zhu and Mu Lu seemed aware of the changes too and stopped in unison, causing the emerald curtain of light enveloping him to disappear without a trace. Even the emerald wisps of light faded away.
“Thank you.” Yang Kai said.
Mu Zhu pursed her lips, “You are being too polite, Sir.”
Yang Kai stood up, swept his Divine Sense over the medicine garden, and couldn’t help raising his brow. He had planted all sorts of spirit flowers, spirit medicines, and exotic herbs in this medicine garden over the years, but he had never taken care of them properly before. That was because the Immortal Tree was planted here. The Immortal Tree had limitless vitality, so combined with the nutrient-rich soil and the many Earth Vein Crystals in the medicine garden, nothing would wilt even if he just randomly planted anything he wanted here. But, looking at it now, the huge medicine garden had been tidied up and organized. The spirit grasses and exotic herbs were neatly arranged at different plots with some of the shorter plants having already born fruit. There were blue fruits, green fruits, and red fruits all over the place, making it look very pleasing to look at.
Yang Kai was certain that everything was thanks to the work of the two Wood Spirits because he had only planted everything at random before. There had never been such careful planning and structuring before. He also saw many plants that he had never seen before that seemed like they had just sprouted not too long ago.
The Immortal Tree that was only as tall as a person and the Firmament Tree were particularly conspicuous. They were located at the centre of the medicine garden and as he looked over at the Immortal Tree, Yang Kai saw that two of its leaves were rolled up like tiny beds. Then, he looked at the Firmament Tree and saw a similar scenario. He chuckled, “Do you usually sleep on those leaves?”
Mu Zhu and Mu Lu glanced at each other briefly before the former asked, “Is that bad? If it’s no good, we…”
Yang Kai waved his hand casually, “You are the experts here. You can do whatever you want.”
“Many thanks, Sir!”
Yang Kai simply smiled, “What are you thanking me for? I should be thanking you instead.”
The Wood Spirit Clan specialized in taking care of plants since ancient times. If one had a Wood Spirit in their medicine garden, the output of the medicine garden would increase by at least 30%. He had not expected Mu Na to force two of her clansmen onto him, but that showed just how attractive rare plants were to the Wood Spirit Clan.
In the beginning, Mu Zhu and Mu Lu had not been willing to separate from their clansmen; however, they understood why their Matriarch had assigned them this duty after they arrived in this medicine garden. The unparalleled Immortal Tree that only existed in legends and the incomparably mysterious Firmament Tree were both existences that could only be read about in ancient books. These two had never expected to find them both here in this small medicine garden.
The two Wood Spirits were stunned the moment they entered the medicine garden the other day and it wasn’t until then that they understood the Matriarch’s intent. Only the Wood Spirit Clan was capable of caring for these two precious treasures properly. Besides, Mu Zhu and Mu Lu would also receive huge returns by taking care of them. That was related to the special cultivation method of the Wood Spirit Clan, which was not known to outsiders.
Mu Zhu bit her red lip lightly and nervously reported, “Sir, we also planted some things here without your permission.”
“I noticed,” He had long discovered that there were many seedlings that had just sprouted in this medicine garden, and although he did not know what they were, he was certain that they were rare spirit medicines since the two Wood Spirits were the ones to plant them. Of course, he was not going to stop Mu Zhu and Mu Lu from planting these things if they wanted to; after all, he would be the one to profit from this when the plants matured.
Upon seeing that Yang Kai had no objections, Mu Zhu couldn’t help feeling relieved. Every Wood Spirit collected a lot of rare seeds so what they had planted in this medicine garden were the seeds she and Mu Lu had collected. If Yang Kai had objected to their actions, they would have been very reluctant to get rid of those plants. Fortunately, Yang Kai seemed to have no intentions of doing so.
“You can plant whatever you want. You don’t need to inform me. I have handed the care of the medicine garden to you, so you can call the shots here.”
“Many thanks, Sir!” Mu Zhu broke out into a smile. Then, she hesitated as though she had something to say.
“If you have something to ask, you can go ahead and say it. No need to hesitate.”
Mu Zhu glanced at Mu Lu, then she nudged at the latter. Mu Lu blushed and shyly said, “Sir, can you expand the medicine garden? Right now, the place is a little… small.”
The medicine garden was of course not small. Many of the herbs he had collected over the years were all planted here, so how could it be small? Nevertheless, it was small to a Wood Spirit. A medicine garden of this size could easily be handled by Mu Lu or Mu Zhu alone; therefore, they felt as though there was not enough for them to do.
“Of course I can expand it. How much do you want me to expand it by?” He looked at Mu Lu with a smile.
Mu Lu considered it for a moment and said, “About double the current size?”
“Good, is there anything else you want?”
She lowered her head shyly and whispered, “It would be nice if Sir could bring more seeds for us from the outside.”
“En, no problem,” Now that High Heaven Palace was a powerful force that literally dominated one of the four Territories, searching for some seeds was not a problem at all.
Those were all the requests the two Wood Spirits had at the moment, and they looked extremely satisfied after making them. Afterwards, the two enthusiastically invited Yang Kai to tour the newly organized medicine garden. It wasn’t to take credit for their work, they simply wanted to show him the results of their labour.
Yang Kai did not refuse their offer. Hence, he took a stroll around the medicine garden with them. The two Wood Spirits accompanied him, one on each side. They would explain some things to him from time to time, which gave him a little more insight into such matters. He had to admit that the Wood Spirit Clan’s understanding of plants was truly unparalleled. They were familiar with the characteristics, growth environment, maturity cycle, and harvesting methods of every spirit medicine here.
Half a day later, Yang Kai left after doubling the area of the medicine garden as Mu Zhu and Mu Lu had requested. The newly added parts of the medicine garden were completely empty, and he left it as it was for them to deal with themselves.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai spent most of his time meditating in his room. While he was meditating, he thought back on the insight he had gained back in the Small Sealed World. Although his attempt had failed miserably, it was not without gain. At the very least, he had a better understanding of World Force now.
A few more days later, he had to serve as a Referee for a day again. That night, Yang Kai called up Xiao Bai Yi and Murong Xiao Xiao to join the exchange meeting.
The last time he came, he had only been there to join in on the fun; however, he came prepared this time as he had something he wanted to exchange. It was rare for so many Emperor Realm Masters to gather together in one place; therefore, Yang Kai was confident he could obtain some strange and peculiar seeds from them to fulfil the requests of the two Wood Spirits.
As for the items he could use for the exchange, he had many Monster Beast Cores of various grades in his possession that would surely cause a stir if he brought them out. He also had all kinds of artifacts and elixirs. In the end, he chose to bring out some Emperor Grade Spirit Pills as well, and as expected, taking out two bottles of Emperor Grade Spirit Pills aroused the interest of many people. In the end, he managed to exchange for some seeds as he wished, and when he returned to his room, he handed them to Mu Zhu and Mu Lu.
The two Wood Spirits were naturally delighted to see that Yang Kai had obtained seeds so quickly. Although they had their own collections, the seeds they had on hand were not enough now that the medicine garden had been expanded. The seeds Yang Kai obtained at the exchange came just in time to solve their urgent need, so they kept asking him to bring more and naturally he agreed to their requests.
However, there were probably no more seeds to be exchanged for at the exchange meeting. Even if these Masters had some seeds, they had simply been something they collected by chance. It was impossible for them to treat those seeds like treasures the way Wood Spirits did, so they wouldn’t be bothered to bring many with them.
Therefore, Yang Kai could only wait for the Martial Gathering to finish and figure out a solution once he returned to the Northern Territory. He believed that collecting some seeds would be easy with the power of the entire Northern Territory.
On this day, Yang Kai was meditating in his room when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Opening his eyes, he raised his hand and the door opened. A woman dressed as a maid stood outside and bowed politely, “Elder Yang, there is someone here requesting to meet with you.”
The maid was a disciple Orthodoxy Temple had sent to serve them, but since Emperor Realm Masters did not need much in the way of service, most of the time this maid just helped run some minor errands for them.
“Who is it?” Yang Kai felt a little curious. [Since they are asking to meet me, that can only mean that they hold a status lower than mine. I can’t think of anybody who would ask to meet me at this time though.]
“A young woman. She claims that she is here to thank you for saving her life. She seems to be called… Yu Zhuo.”
Yang Kai was stunned. [If I remember correctly, she’s the girl who fought in the first match in the Eighth Arena on the first day of the Martial Gathering.]
Smiling lightly, his first reaction was to refuse her. He was the Referee that day; hence, it was his job to help her when she was sent flying. He did not expect repayment for what he did. However, he thought about it again. [She is already here, so refusing will make me seem a little unapproachable and unkind.]
The words were on the tip of his tongue when he changed what he wanted to say, “Show her in.”
“Yes!” The maid responded before retreating.
Outside the hall, Yu Zhuo stood there respectfully with both hands held flat in front of her. She was holding a set of clean clothing that she had washed previously with a nervous expression. She had no idea whether the person known as ‘Elder Yang’ would be willing to meet with her. After being rescued by Yang Kai the other day, she rested for a day and recovered fully. She initially wanted to thank him immediately, but unfortunately, she did not know who he was or which Sect he belonged to. She had been asking around for the past few days and finally obtained some information today.
The Referee who rescued her and even fed her a Spirit Pill turned out to be the famous High-Rank Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple. Yang Kai’s name was familiar to most of the people in the Southern Territory. Refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill in the Four Seasons Realm, being instated as a High-Rank Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple, and clashing with the Elder of Star Soul Palace during the canonization ceremony. News about him had long since spread across the lands. It was just that he had been keeping a relatively low profile for the past ten years, so he had gradually been forgotten as a result.
Yu Zhuo never imagined that she would be so fortunate as to cross paths with such a person; thus, she couldn’t help feeling surprised, and upon learning his identity, she immediately rushed over.
Many disciples of Azure Sun Temple came and went while she was waiting there, almost all of them glancing at her strangely. Some even came over to ask the reason she was here, but when they learnt that she was here to meet Yang Kai, they didn’t bother her anymore.
Just as she was battling with her uncertainties, the maid came back. Yu Zhuo’s expression froze as she stared at the maid nervously, but luckily, the maid smiled and said, “Elder Yang invites you inside.”
“Many thanks,” Yu Zhuo nodded politely.
The maid didn’t say anything else, turning around to lead the way. Yu Zhuo composed herself and followed behind the maid, soon arriving in front of a certain room. The maid stretched out her hand to gesture for her to enter. Yu Zhuo breathed in lightly and stepped into the room.
There was only one person in the room, standing by the window with his hands behind his back, staring out at the distant scenery. He turned around when he heard a sound and when their eyes met, Yu Zhuo immediately recognized this man as the Referee of the Eighth Arena.
“Luo Sha Sect disciple Yu Zhuo, greets Senior!” She quickly stepped forward and gave a half bow.
Yang Kai looked her up and down, then he fixed his gaze on the clothes she was holding in her hands, immediately having an idea of what was going on. Smiling, he asked, “How can I help you?”
Yu Zhuo lifted her head and stared at him with big, bright eyes that held no fear while respectfully replying, “Senior rescued me the other day and even gave me a precious Spirit Pill to aid with my recovery. That’s why I came here today to express my gratitude.”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “I was just doing my job. You are being too polite.”
To which Yu Zhuo smiled, “It might have been Senior’s job to save me, but giving me a Spirit Pill was a kind deed. Although my consciousness was hazy at the time, it’s not like I completely lost consciousness. If not for the Spirit Pill Senior gave me, I would not have been able to continue the competition the next day.”
Those words were the truth. She might not know what grade Spirit Pill he had secretly given her was, but if not for that Spirit Pill, she would not have been able to go all out in the following competitions. She even suspected that it was an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill because only such a pill could have such powerful restorative effects, allowing her to recover completely by the very next day.
Yang Kai smiled slightly, neither affirming nor denying her words. It stood to reason that he, a Referee, shouldn’t have given any Spirit Pills to a contestant; however, he had done it without anybody noticing so he believed that nobody else was the wiser and Yu Zhuo would not speak about it. Besides, it was taken after the fight, so even if someone did notice, who would really care?
Yu Zhuo took a step forward and held up the clothes she was holding in her hands next, “Senior, I washed your clothes and came to return them.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You can put them down over there.” He didn’t reach out to take them either.
It was just an ordinary set of clothes, one he took out to cover her wounds without much thought and had no intention of taking them back. Nevertheless, her actions gave him a good impression of her.
Yu Zhuo obediently placed those clothes down to the side then, turning around, she studied the environment in the room curiously. She didn’t show any timidity, rather, she seemed rather forward instead.
Seeing this, Yang Kai rubbed his nose and asked, “Is there anything else?”
The door was left open to avoid unsavoury rumours, but it wasn’t good for a lone man and woman to be seen in the same room alone. Moreover, he was still a Referee, so how would it be perceived if he were seen privately contacting a contestant participating in the Martial Gathering? If word got out about this, he could not guarantee that they would not be slandered. Therefore, his words were politely asking his guests to leave.
Yu Zhuo was not a fool and she could perceive the meaning behind his words; thus, she hurriedly took out a beautiful shirt from her Space Ring and apologetically said, “Yu Zhuo will forever remember Senior’s kindness that day. I didn’t know what to give you as thanks, but it so happened that I saw a good shirt while at the shopping district nearby and I bought it. If Senior doesn’t mind… Please accept it.”
Her voice became softer and softer as she obviously realized that it was inappropriate for a woman to give a man she barely knew clothes. It was just that she really had no idea what to give him as thanks.
Yang Kai’s cultivation was no secret; furthermore, the fact that he could bring out an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill to treat her wounds indicated that he came from an affluent background. With her financial resources, even the things she could afford to buy only by going bankrupt would probably be of no value to him. Rather than wasting her money like that, she figured buying him a new set of clothes would be more appropriate; after all, she had dirtied his with her blood. It could be considered an act of reciprocation. It didn’t matter how expensive it was, it was the thought that counted.
Glancing at that shirt, Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was the first time anyone had gifted him clothes. In addition, it was somebody he barely interacted with before. The funniest point was that it was a gift from a woman. If somebody were to witness this particular moment, it would be hard not to misunderstand the situation.
Staring at Yu Zhuo thoughtfully, Yang Kai calmly stated, “As a Referee in the Martial Gathering, it is only natural that I be impartial in the arena. Rescuing you was simply part of my job. Giving you that Spirit Pill was the least I could do since the fight was over. If it had been anybody else, I would have done the same.”
The implied meaning behind his words was that she shouldn’t overthink things. Yang Kai was a little suspicious as to whether this woman had any special reasons for approaching him, but if she did, wouldn’t she be a little too scheming?
Upon hearing those words, Yu Zhuo nodded, “It is as you say, Senior.”
Yang Kai stared at her unblinkingly.
Although she wasn’t looking at him, she seemed to sense something out of the corner of her eyes and suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Lowering her head, she said, “If it is not to Senior’s liking, I will take it back.”
She couldn’t help feeling a little sad. Even so, she bowed elegantly, “I won’t intrude any further, Senior. I will be taking my leave.”
[Aahh… It’s just clothes. Why did I shamelessly take them out?] Thinking about it now, she couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed.
But to her surprise, Yang Kai suddenly added, “It’s a thank you gift, so there’s no reason for you to take it back.”
She glanced up at him with a stunned expression.
Before she could respond, Yang Kai took the shirt from her but did not try it on. The main reason was that the clothes were a little too flashy and he would definitely look extremely gaudy in them, so how could he dare wear them?
Seeing him accept her gift, Yu Zhuo suddenly broke out into a smile. She had two small dimples in her cheeks, and her gaze only contained pure happiness.
[It seems that I worried too much.] Yang Kai judged after seeing her reaction.
“Please get some rest, Senior. I will take my leave now.” Yu Zhuo paid her respects again, feeling happy both physically and mentally.
“Wait a moment.” Yang Kai raised his hand.
“Is there something else, Senior?” She half-turned to look at him curiously.
“You mentioned the shopping district just now. Is there a shopping district nearby?”
Yu Zhuo nodded, “En. There is a big shopping district in Orthodoxy Temple that sells everything and anything. Have you never been there before, Senior?”
Yang Kai shook his head as he really had not known about it and asked, “Where is it?”
“It’s just below the valley, not far from here. If Senior wishes to visit it, I can bring you there,” She voluntarily offered.
“Just point me in the direction. I’ll go by myself.”
She smilingly replied, “It’s quite alright. Besides, I’ve finished my match for today, so I have nothing better to do.”
Yang Kai had no idea what she was thinking. [Doesn’t she understand I’m trying to avoid scandals?]
When she heard that he wanted to visit the shopping district, Yu Zhuo became very enthusiastic and even added, “What do you want to buy, Senior? I’m quite familiar with the shopping district and can show you around.”
Yang Kai felt awkward turning down such enthusiastic kindness, so after pondering in silence for a moment, he decided to just go with the flow and nodded, “Good. Then, I’ll be troubling you.”
She hurriedly waved her hands dismissively, “Senior is being too polite.”
After deciding on the matter, they immediately walked out together. Yang Kai pushed his Emperor Qi and wrapped her up with it before flying in the direction of the shopping district that she pointed out.
He casually asked about the situation of her battles over the past few days and learnt that she had passed all of them without suffering a single defeat, making him feel some admiration for her. Truthfully, he had noticed from day one that her performance would surely have caught the interest of many people, regardless of the final results of the Martial Gathering.
As long as Luo Sha Sect was willing to let her go, he had the feeling that the top three Sects of the Southern Territory would not object to taking her in. The question was whether Luo Sha Sect would be willing to let her go. No, they would surely refuse as it wasn’t easy for them to produce a disciple like her. How could they let her go so easily? Besides, it was unclear whether she herself was willing to leave Luo Sha Sect.
They chatted away throughout the entire journey, and Yang Kai got a better understanding of her personality. She was a lively and cheerful character, not a calculative or manipulative person. Yang Kai was not repulsed by people like her. Not to mention that she was rather good looking and her voice was very pleasant to the ears, so it wasn’t a bad feeling being around her.
“The Martial Gathering has always been a place to change one’s fate overnight. If somebody invites you to join a better Sect on the day the Martial Gathering ends, how will you choose?” Yang Kai casually asked.
Yu Zhuo’s expression turned solemn at those words as she declared, “I am greatly indebted to the Master Sect, and my Honoured Master is no different from my biological mother. I will not leave Luo Sha Sect for any reason.” After a pause, she looked at him and asked, “Senior, are you asking me to join Azure Sun Temple?”
She looked troubled and didn’t seem to know how to respond.
Yang Kai waved his hand casually, “I was just asking curiously, I didn’t have such intentions.”
“Oh,” Yu Zhuo nodded. Then, she suddenly pointed downward, “We’re here. That’s the shopping district.”
Almost the entire mountain valley of more than a dozen kilometres long was the site of this shopping district with the ground on both sides of the canyon and even caves on the cliffside lined with shops. Countless cultivators came and went, and the endless shouting was deafening. This was the shopping district of Orthodoxy Temple, so all the shops were the property of Orthodoxy Temple, and some were businesses run by the disciples themselves. Anything and everything was sold here, but although it was generally a lively place, it was never as bustling as this.
The main reason for the activity was the recent opening of the Martial Gathering. Tens of thousands of cultivators from all around the Southern Territory had gathered here so it was only natural for some of them to come here for a stroll. Before Yang Kai landed, he saw that the cultivators walking about underneath were all dressed differently, with disciples of the same Sect wearing similar uniforms walking about in groups of threes or fives.
Every major Sect would have a shopping district like this one. Azure Sun Temple had a shopping district too, but Yang Kai had never been there before. Be that as it may, it would not be any inferior to this one.
They were not stopped by anybody when they landed in front of the shopping district, so Yang Kai and Yu Zhuo entered the shopping district without any trouble. Women were born with an inherent interest in places like these, and Yu Zhuo was already a lively and cheerful girl, so she was all smiles after arriving here. Walking backwards with her hands behind her back as she faced Yang Kai, she looked at him and asked, “What is Senior interested in buying here?”
Despite walking backwards, it was as though she had eyes on the back of her head, and from time to time, she would shift her shoulders slightly to avoid the crowd.
“I want to buy some seeds,” Yang Kai looked around.
He decided to come here out of the blue to buy some seeds. The main reason was that Mu Zhu and Mu Lu had a high demand for seeds recently. Although he managed to exchange for some rare seeds during the last exchange meeting, they were not enough for the two Wood Spirits’ use. When he sent the seeds over to them, the two Wood Spirits only kept pestering him to bring over more as soon as possible. Yang Kai didn’t know there was a shopping district here before, but now that he did, he figured he might as well come and check it out.
“Seeds?” Yu Zhuo was a little taken aback by this request as she had not expected him to come here for something so simple, but after thinking about it for a moment, she said, “I know where to find them. Follow me, Senior.”
While speaking, she turned around and wormed her way into the crowd like a fish swimming in water. She was very nimble and her pace was neither fast nor slow, so he did not fall behind too much.
Not long after, the two of them came to a certain shop, one that sold herbs. These shops would generally carry some seeds for sale, but there wouldn’t be much in terms of quantity. That turned out to be the case here too as following Yu Zhuo’s inquiry, the shopkeeper only took out a few types of seeds.
Yang Kai quickly checked through them without turning his nose up at them. He immediately wanted to pay for them and leave, but to his surprise, Yu Zhuo began haggling with the shopkeeper over the price. She was very witty and eloquent, forcing the price down by a fifth of the original price. It was very amusing for Yang Kai to watch. Yu Zhuo also tried to snatch the bill, but how could he allow her to pay? It was only natural that he did not agree.
After leaving that shop, Yu Zhuo led Yang Kai to the next one. She seemed rather familiar with this area, so who knows how many times she had been here before? Approximately half a day later, the pair finished walking the shopping district that spanned more than a dozen kilometres and Yang Kai had gotten quite a good haul. Although the seeds he bought were not priceless treasures, the two Wood Spirits had not specified much in their request so he figured he would let them try planting these seeds and see how it went.
“Do you still have anything you want to buy, Senior?” She blinked at him.
“Not for the time being,” He smiled slightly and looked at her. “You still have a match tomorrow, so you should go back early to rest. Many thanks for accompanying me today.”
Yu Zhuo smiled so widely that her eyes curved into crescent-like shapes as she replied, “It was my pleasure. Senior, please don’t hesitate to ask me if you have any other requests.”
Pausing for a moment, she added, “I’ll take my leave now. Senior, you should also go back and rest soon.”
Yang Kai nodded and only then did Yu Zhuo fly up into the sky. Halfway up, she turned around to look at him again and waved at him energetically. Watching her leave, he weighed the bag in his hand that was filled with seeds before casually stuffing it into the Sealed World Bead. He simply placed the bag in front of the medicine garden as he was certain that Mu Zhu and Mu Lu would be able to find it. Afterwards, Yang Kai turned around and flew towards the Spirit Peak that was the temporary accommodation for the people from Azure Sun Temple.
News about Yu Zhuo of Luo Sha Sect coming to find Yang Kai spread like wildfire among all the people of Azure Sun Temple, and Murong Xiao Xiao even dropped by just to ask about it, wondering if Yang Kai and Yu Zhuo had some sort of secret relationship between them. It left Yang Kai feeling rather speechless. Even Gao Xue Ting looked at him strangely when this matter came up. Needless to say, Xiao Bai Yi’s expression of contempt made Yang Kai’s blood boil.
The following days passed by calmly without anything remarkable happening. In a few more days, Yang Kai would need to come out of retreat, go to the mountain valley, and serve as a Referee for a day. As time went on, more and more cultivators were eliminated from the competition and those that could continue to stand in the arena were more or less famous talents.
During this period, Yu Zhuo stood on the Eighth Arena again. Her opponent was, once again, another person in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. This battle was even more difficult than the one she faced on the first day, but even so, she resolved the fight due and taking advantage of her flexible tactics and keen battle sense, she used everything she had to knock her opponent out of the ring.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai could tell that it would be impossible for her to make it to the top ten even though her abilities were outstanding because her cultivation was a huge shortcoming. If she was also in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, she would surely make it into the top five in this Martial Gathering.
Yang Kai did not go to the exchange meeting between the Emperor Realm Masters again as there was nothing to be gained from it now. However, Gao Xue Ting came back to deliver a message to him. Many of the Emperor Realm Masters wanted to exchange for the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills in his possession again, even saying he could set his price. His only response was to ignore them all.
Taking out the Emperor Grade Spirit Pills to exchange them for rare seeds was something he did as a one-time thing. How could he possibly bring out even more Emperor Grade Spirit Pills that everybody was coveting?
On the 20th day of the Martial Gathering, the results of the individual rankings came out. The first-place winner was not a disciple from Azure Sun Temple nor even the disciples of any of the three top forces. Instead, it was somebody from Eight Paths Sect.
Moreover, it was somebody Yang Kai knew. That person was the daughter of the previous Sect Master of Eight Paths Sect, Su Zi.
The fact that the competition was won by a small and unknown Sect was a huge blow to the pride of the three top Sects.
Yang Kai and Su Zi had not interacted much with each other of course, all he knew was that she had feelings for Luo Yuan. Back when he refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pills in the Four Seasons Realm, she had asked to exchange for one of them from him, originally planning to gift the pill to Luo Yuan to aid him in becoming an Emperor Realm Master as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Luo Yuan had not appreciated her sentiment and stuffed the Extraordinary Treasure Pill into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it instead.
After so many years, Su Zi’s cultivation finally reached the peak of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm and it would not be hard for her to become an Emperor Realm Master with the Extraordinary Treasure Pill from back then as her foundation. Nevertheless, she completely overwhelmed tens of thousands of young talented individuals in the Southern Territory and brought glory to Eight Paths Sect by winning the individual competition. For that reason, a little-known Sect like the Eight Paths Sect once again caught the attention of many Masters.
The truth was that ever since the day Luo Yuan became an Emperor Realm Master, Eight Paths Sect was no longer the same small Sect it had been back in the past. It had expanded its influence greatly, while Luo Yuan had assumed the position of Sect Master.
It was easy to imagine how much honour and glory Su Zi’s victory in the individual rankings of the Martial Gathering had brought to Eight Paths Sect. The current Eight Paths Sect was just slightly poorer in heritage with Luo Yuan being the only Emperor Realm Master overseeing the Sect. But, in time, when both he and Su Zi had fully spread their wings, they were bound to lead Eight Paths Sect to prosperity.
It should not be forgotten that the reward for obtaining first place in the Martial Gathering was permission to enter the secret cultivation areas of the three top Sects. Combining that with the supplementary effects of the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, Su Zi would surely advance into the Emperor Realm in short order. It truly made one green with envy just thinking about it.
The second-place winner was actually Xue Yi from Azure Sun Temple. This result did not disappoint, and at the very least, he had overpowered the participating disciples of Orthodoxy Temple and Heavenly Martial Holy Land.
The third-place winner belonged to the Orthodoxy Temple while Heavenly Martial Holy Land missed out on the top three spots this time around, causing the Elder leading their team to look extremely vexed. He was probably troubled by how he was going to assume responsibility for the disgrace. As the results continued further down the rankings, most of the disciples from the major Sects were ranked in front, highlighting the heritage of these forces.
Now that the individual rankings were over, the remaining ten days would be used for group battles. The competition venue was still the same mountain valley, but hundreds of Emperor Realm Masters spent a whole day removing all small arenas and reorganizing the valley into ten large ones. Each arena could fit up to about a hundred people fighting at once.
In the individual rankings, only one Referee was needed for each battle, but that would not work for the group rankings. Every arena needed five Referees to ensure that there were no casualties in each battle. It went without saying that Yang Kai was also recruited. Just as before, everyone took turns to act as a Referee, rotating once every three days this time.
In order to compete for the group rankings, the disciples fought with everything they had and the battles were very flashy and intense. Every method and every trick came into play during these battles and it was quite the spectacle. It was also very difficult to imagine that they were doing all this just to obtain the first place in the rankings. Still, it was no wonder seeing as the rankings would determine the reputation of their Sects. Who would dare to be sloppy about it?
The disciples Azure Sun Temple sent out were all elites, and regardless of their individual rankings, they were invincible in the group rankings. Their opponents couldn’t even lay a finger on them in the first few matches and it wasn’t until they met the disciples of the other two top Sects that they had more difficult battles.
On this day, Yang Kai was meditating as usual when the maid came to report that Yu Zhuo was asking to meet him again. Ever since the first time she came here, she would visit every few days; however, she always had legitimate reasons. It was mainly to send some seeds to him. When she saw that he had been very interested in those seeds back at the shopping district, she went back and asked her Sect members to help collect more, and every few days, she would come to deliver them.
This was the third time she had done so already, and although these seeds were not expensive, Yang Kai had a vague feeling that something was not right. This young woman’s gaze was gradually becoming more and more attached over time. Yang Kai was not inexperienced in these matters, so how could he not know her intentions? Perhaps, he had planted a seed in her when he saved her back then and that seed was slowly showing signs of taking root in her due to their constant contact these days.
Of course, Yu Zhuo was very careful to conceal her feelings, but Yang Kai was not blind so it was impossible for him not to notice after so much time. As such, he felt that it was necessary to have a serious talk with her. He really did not want to get entangled with any more women right now, besides, he still had yet to figure out what was going on with Ji Yao; hence, he asked the maid to show her in.
Soon, a head popped out from behind the door and Yu Zhuo smilingly said, “I hope I’m not bothering you, Senior.”
After meeting several times, she realized that Yang Kai did not put up any pretences; thus, she had gotten very familiar with him.
“You are already here, so what does it matter if you did bother me?” Yang Kai looked at her, rolling his eyes. After meeting several times, they had naturally become much more familiar with one another.
Yu Zhuo stuck out her tongue, slipped into the room, took out an animal skin bag like it was a priceless treasure, and handed it to Yang Kai, “I found some more seeds for you. Have a look.”
Yang Kai reached out to accept them before he quietly murmured., “You don’t need to keep searching anymore. I have enough now.”
Yu Zhuo was taken aback by those words for a moment before she grunted noncommittally in reply. Her expression seemed a little disappointed, but she quickly cheered up again and asked, “Senior, what are you collecting these seeds for?”
He smiled, “My wife asked me to, so how can I be careless about it?”
“Your wife?” She was obviously startled, “Senior, you have a wife!?”
[Why didn’t I hear about this before!? I’ve been asking around about him a lot over the past few days, but I didn’t hear about this at all!]
Yang Kai nodded, picking up his teacup as he took a sip and calmly replied, “I have a few.”
[A few…] Yu Zhuo couldn’t help feeling a little out of sorts and immediately sank into a state of desolation. She was no longer as lively and cheerful as before. She clearly seemed rather absent-minded upon learning that Yang Kai was married, moreover, to several women at that. Then, after making small talk for a bit, she took the initiative to leave.
Yang Kai saw Yu Zhuo off at the door, and watching her slightly hunched back as she left, he slowly shook his head. He had no choice but to reveal some of his personal information to her in hopes of ending this mess quickly.
The group ranking battles continued on in full swing, and as the battles progressed, the ones remaining were all elites so the fights became more intense as a result. The heritage of many Sects across the Southern Territory was showcased in these battles. The longer they remained in the competition, the stronger the influence of the Sect behind them. Needless to say, none of the top three Sects were eliminated from the competition.
Unsurprisingly, the last three groups competing against each other belonged to the top three Sects. The group from Azure Sun Temple finally lived up to expectations and won first place in the competition in the Dao Source Realm category by an overwhelming margin. Although they lost in the Origin King Realm and the Origin Returning Realm categories, those losses were not a big deal.
The final results of the rankings were out. Hundreds of Emperor Realm Masters, as well as tens of thousands of participating disciples, gathered in the mountain valley once again. Following that, Xiao Yu Yang announced the top ten winners for each category of the competition and the rewards they were to receive. The cultivators and Sects whose names were called out received great honour. On the other hand, those who lost secretly vowed to themselves to wash this shame clean in the next Martial Gathering.
The Southern Territory Martial Gathering was now over, but nobody left. According to tradition, Orthodoxy Temple, as the host of the Martial Gathering, would throw a huge banquet on the final night of the Martial Gathering. It didn’t matter whether it was the Emperor Realm Masters who came to provide support or the tens of thousands of disciples who participated in the competition, all were invited to the banquet.
The banquet would be held in the evening, and since there was still some time until then, Yang Kai returned to his living quarters to wait. Not long after, the maid came to report that Yu Zhuo was asking to meet him again and he couldn’t help feeling a headache coming on. Pondering in silence for a moment, he ordered, “Tell her I’m not here.”
Although he had not made himself entirely clear the last time, the meaning behind his words had been obvious enough. He did not know what Yu Zhuo was thinking, but he really did not wish to continue with this ambiguous relationship.
The maid glanced at him curiously and could not understand why he refused to even meet with Yu Zhuo when he had been very kind towards her previously. Nevertheless, it was not her place to interfere and she could only retreat obediently.
Outside the hall, the maid returned, turned to Yu Zhuo, and said, “Elder Yang is not in.”
Yu Zhuo exclaimed, “But, I saw him return!”
The maid smiled, “Perhaps, he went out again.”
Yu Zhuo clearly did not believe those words as she had seen Yang Kai return to this place with her own eyes and there had been no trace of him going out again, so how could he not be in? Just as she was about to ask the maid to check again, she suddenly seemed to realize something and forced out a smile before bowing, “Many thanks.”
The maid shook her head, “It was nothing.”
Yu Zhuo turned around and her eyes abruptly reddened. She sullenly flew off in the direction of her living quarters but halfway there, she stopped and turned around to stare at the place where Yang Kai was living. She energetically waved her hand in that direction before hurriedly rushing away.
Yang Kai stood by the window, and upon seeing her actions, he sighed. He could only wish for her happiness in his heart now that things had come to this, hoping that she could put this behind her as soon as possible.
That night, the mountain valley was extremely lively as tens of thousands of people were gathered together. Countless tables were set up all across the entire mountain valley, and many maidservants made their way among them. Even the disciples of Orthodoxy Temple were busy as they constantly served up food and wine. The banquet spread out in all directions. It was rare to see such a grand occasion and drinks flowed freely, making the atmosphere extremely festive.
At the place where everybody from Azure Sun Temple was gathered, Yang Kai looked around and asked curiously, “Where is Senior Sister Gao?”
He did not see Gao Xue Ting anywhere all evening.
Murong Xiao Xiao replied, “Senior Sister mentioned that she was feeling under the weather, so she didn’t come.”
“Is she okay?” He looked concerned.
Murong Xiao Xiao blushed a little and quietly replied, “It’s nothing. She’ll be fine with some rest.”
Looking at her expression, Yang Kai wisely did not inquire further into the matter.
People kept coming over to propose a toast, so the people from Azure Sun Temple couldn’t just sit around relaxing. Wen Zi Shan gave an order, and several Emperor Realm Masters had no choice but to bring their wine glasses with them to offer toasts to others. On the way back, Yang Kai’s expression changed suddenly as he turned his head to the side and saw a figure flashing by, rushing into the darkness and disappearing out of sight.
“What was that?” He frowned. Putting down the wine glass in his hand, he chased after the figure and a moment later, he saw a person waiting for him approximately several hundreds of metres ahead. He walked over and cupped his fists, “Senior Brother Luo.”
Luo Chen turned to look at Yang Kai and quietly said, “Come with me.”
“Where?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow. It had been Luo Chen who quietly sent a Divine Sense transmission to him just now, asking him to come over. Speaking of which, there had not been much interaction between them although the two of them both belonged to Azure Sun Temple.
This person was even less talkative than Xiao Bai Yi. At the very least, Xiao Bai Yi would offer a comment once in a while. On the other hand, Luo Chen was practically no different from a mute. He wouldn’t make a sound even if he was hit with a stick. He seemed to be an outlier even in Azure Sun Temple and according to Murong Xiao Xiao, none of the many Elders in the temple had a particularly close relationship with him.
Yang Kai did not have much interaction with Luo Chen either and hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with him before, thus there was no friendship between them at all. Hence, Yang Kai seriously had no idea why Luo Chen called him out in the middle of the night.
“Senior Sister Gao wishes to meet you,” Luo Chen responded as he led the way.
“Senior Sister Gao…” Yang Kai was stunned. At the same time, he couldn’t help criticizing in his heart. [Why are they acting so secretively? If Gao Xue Ting is looking for me, she could have come to me directly, why send Luo Chen to deliver the message?]
Suppressing the doubts in his heart, he followed behind Luo Chen, but after a while, he frowned, “Senior Brother Luo, this is not the way back.”
Judging by the direction they were going, they seemed to be flying out of Orthodoxy Temple and it was making Yang Kai feel more and more suspicious. However, Luo Chen, who was leading the way, refused to give him any explanation whatsoever. Yang Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off and his figure came to a sudden stop as he stared at Luo Chen’s back. In response, Luo Chen stopped and looked back at him.
“Senior Brother Luo, what is going on?” He frowned at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen repeated, “Senior Sister Gao wishes to meet you.”
Yang Kai asked, “Why does Senior Sister want to meet me?”
Luo Chen said, “I am only responsible for delivering the message. I don’t know anything about the specifics.”
Yang Kai stared at Luo Chen for a long time before he took out a communication artifact, poured some Divine Sense into it, and contacted Gao Xue Ting himself. Luo Chen’s behaviour was making him feel very suspicious; therefore, he couldn’t afford to care about offending the person in front of him anymore. [Let’s contact Gao Xue Ting and figure out what’s going on for now.]
Yang Kai quickly received a response from the communication artifact, and upon reading the message, he looked stunned. It turned out that Gao Xue Ting really wanted to meet him, but she didn’t mention the reason. She only said that he would know once he arrived.
Putting away the communication artifact, he bowed to Luo Chen with a slight sense of shame. What he did just now showed that he did not trust Luo Chen, but facts had shown him that he was simply overthinking things.
Luo Chen seemed unaffected and continued to lead the way without saying a word.
After a while, the two left Orthodoxy Temple and nobody stopped them. Yang Kai followed Luo Chen and sped into the distance. About an hour later, Luo Chen stretched out a finger and pointed at a tall mountain in the distance, “Senior Sister Gao is waiting for you over there.”
Yang Kai tilted his head to look at Luo Chen, “Are you not going?”
Luo Chen shook his head, turned around, and left.
Yang Kai was speechless. [Serves you right for not having any friends. Nobody can handle such an attitude! I wonder how Gao Xue Ting managed to make him move.]
Glancing in the direction Luo Chen had pointed, Yang Kai saw a peak not that far away; thus, he continued heading in that direction.
Landing at the top of the mountain peak, he glanced about his surroundings but there was nobody around. He used his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings, but there were no signs of life around.
“Senior Sister Gao!” He shouted, but there was no response.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling that the events of tonight were getting stranger and stranger by the moment. First, Gao Xue Ting entrusted Luo Chen with a message for him, but he didn’t see her anywhere now that he had arrived at their supposed meeting place. Could it be that she hadn’t arrived yet?
Feeling suspicious, he took out his communication artifact and poured his Divine Sense into it again. He wanted to ask Gao Xue Ting about the situation; however, there was no response from her this time around.
Just as Yang Kai was focused on fiddling with the communication artifact, a shadow silently appeared from the darkness behind him. The shadow had appeared like a wisp of black smoke, without any warning nor the slightest indication whatsoever. What was even stranger was that Yang Kai didn’t seem to notice it at all even though it was so close at hand.
The black shadow slowly condensed into a blurry figure that looked like it could be blown away by the wind. The figure lifted a hand, and a black dagger appeared in its grip. Then, it stabbed the dagger towards Yang Kai’s back slowly.
The moon was hidden by the clouds and the wind was strong. The world was quiet, with only the sounds of the birds and insects coming from all directions.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was still fiddling with the communication artifact, scowling deeply, unaware of the crisis coming from behind him.
At that moment, the sounds of the birds and insects disappeared abruptly, as though they had been frightened by something. All the sounds of the night vanished in that instant and at the same time, the dagger that had slowly been moving towards Yang Kai suddenly burst forward at an unimaginable speed, stabbing violently into his back.
A sharp pain burst out, and the Emperor Qi in Yang Kai’s body exploded outward. The communication artifact in his hand turned into a cloud of dust as his body tensed, becoming as tough as metal. The forearm length dagger didn’t manage to stab any further than a finger length into Yang Kai, so despite being aimed at his heart, it instead became trapped in place by his muscles.
The black shadow holding the dagger swayed erratically for a moment. The position where its eyes were located shone with a light of surprise. It seemed that it had not expected its certain-kill attack would be blocked like this. Although it had managed to stab its dagger into Yang Kai, its actions had not achieved the desired effect. Considering the situation briefly, it immediately understood the crux of the problem. There was something wrong with this man’s body, making it incomparable to an ordinary cultivator’s.
Without giving that black shadow any time to react, Yang Kai turned around with a furious glare and punched out.