After an incense stick of time, Bei Li Mo brought Yang Kai out of the Ice Prison and dropped him directly on the ground.
At the same time, the Emperor Qi that was imprisoned in his body was finally released and began to flow freely. Yang Kai shivered and circulated his energy, forcing the chill out of his body. Looking up at the light in the distance, it felt like he was finally seeing day again.
His days of being locked up in the Ice Prison were smothering.
“For the Territory Gate’s repairs, go to the Holy City yourself and seek Bai Ya. He will coordinate with you!” After saying that, Bei Li Mo flew away, not even bothering to look at Yang Kai.
The Stone Demon who guarded the Frozen Nether Ice Prison walked over from the side and cupped his fists, laughing, “Brother Yang, earlier, this King was merely following orders, so please forgive me if I offended you.” In all his years of guarding the Ice Prison, it was his first time ever seeing a living person walk out. And, this man was actually brought out by the Holy Venerable herself. It was simply astonishing.
If the Holy Venerable did not think highly of this Human, why would she make this trip herself? So, in this Stone Demon’s opinion, this Human was worth associating with.
Yang Kai squinted at him and coldly snorted. Flicking his sleeves, he left with both hands behind his back, leaving an awkward-faced Stone Demon behind him who immediately gnashed his teeth with hatred.
He was but a Human, so what gave him the right to be so arrogant!
Yang Kai did not go directly to Soaring Snow Continent’s Holy City, but first went to look for his own men. The ten thousand people he brought here had been stationed outside the Ice Palace the whole time since he brought them here. He had been thrown into the Ice Prison by Bei Li Mo and had no idea what happened to them. What happened to the others was one thing, but he had to care about what happened to Li Shi Qing.
When he arrived at where they were stationed, Yang Kai finally felt relieved.
The ten thousand soldiers still maintained the same position as if they never moved during the past few days, and not a single one of them was missing.
When they saw Yang Kai appear, Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, Ba Zha, and the other Demon Kings all quickly came over to greet him and asked about him with concern.
The mobilization of the Soaring Snow Ice Guard a few days ago really frightened them. They thought that Yang Kai had angered Bei Li Mo in the Ice Palace and dragged the rest of them to be buried here as well. Only, they didn’t expect that the Soaring Snow Ice Guard would only hold them here for a few days before suddenly withdrawing earlier.
The Soaring Snow Ice Guard had just left and Yang Kai appeared right after.
When they saw each other again, Yang Kai asked them a few simple questions and got to know what they encountered during the past few days, but he didn’t care too much about it. Yang Kai estimated that Bei Li Mo simply mobilized the Soaring Snow Ice Guard so as to prevent He Yin and the others from sending news to Yu Ru Meng. Even though Yu Ru Meng could use Soul Descend on Xiao Wu at a critical moment, who knew what sort of conditions were required for that to happen?
Li Shi Qing also cast a concerned look at Yang Kai from the back. Sweeping a gaze at her, Yang Kai simply nodded lightly before picking Bo Ya and He Yin to head into Soaring Snow Continent’s Holy City together with him to seek out Bai Ya. The rest naturally stayed where they were and awaited further orders.
Li Shi Qing looked eager to follow, but she was stopped by a tug of her sleeve from Xiao Wu.
The Holy City was just a hundred kilometres away and was easy to reach. Bo Ya had been here before, so he naturally wouldn’t get lost.
After entering the Holy City, they inquired about the location of Bai Ya’s mansion from someone and in just a few moments, the trio appeared at his manor. As the servants headed off to inform their master, Yang Kai sat in the reception room, waiting for Bai Ya to appear.
Soon, Bai Ya came out in a hurry. As soon as he saw him, he cupped his fists, “I’ve kept Brother Yang waiting.”
Yang Kai looked up at him and said disgruntledly, “Brother Bai Ya, you weren’t very kind.”
It was only later that he realized certain details. When he was affected by the aphrodisiac at Bei Li Mo’s place, it was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus dispelling the effects that he was able to not make a fool of himself. Bai Ya must also have been affected during that time, or else he wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.
Accompanied by how he acted, Yang Kai dared to ascertain that Bai Ya must have noticed it back then. Even a Half-Saint could not resist the effects of the drug, so its overbearingness could be seen. If Yang Kai did not have the Soul Warming Lotus, then he would probably still be lying atop a woman’s belly to this day.
Bai Ya was taken aback by his words, but then he couldn’t help but laugh, “Please forgive me, Brother Yang. I was also a victim on that day. There was nothing I could do.” He showed his concern, “Holy Venerable didn’t do anything to you, did she? How come I heard that you later angered Holy Venerable and were thrown into the Nether Ice Prison? I heard you were even imprisoned on the 18th floor!”
“Despite being in the Holy City the whole time, Brother Bai Ya seems rather well-informed.” Yang Kai grunted.
Bai Ya’s mouth twitched, “Is Brother Yang blaming me for not pleading for your sake? I must ask Brother Yang to forgive me on this matter. Holy Venerable has her own reasons for doing what she does, so there’s really nothing I can say as her subordinate!”
Of course, inside he was feeling amused in his heart. [We have nothing to do with each other, how can I possibly take the risk of offending Holy Venerable for your sake?]
“Forget it!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I know Brother Bai Ya means well but was powerless to help, and I’m not blaming you either. Fortunately, it was just a bit of a frightening experience and nothing dangerous.”
Bai Ya then asked, “Brother Yang, how did you anger Holy Venerable? That she would actually throw you into the Frozen Nether Ice Prison… That damned place isn’t one that just anyone can come and go from.”
Yang Kai looked smilingly at him, “If Brother Bai Ya is curious to know, then just ask Holy Venerable directly. I’m not at liberty to discuss it here.”
Bai Ya laughed dryly. Naturally, he didn’t have the guts to ask Bei Li Mo about the details. No matter what Yang Kai did, it must be something that made her extremely angry; otherwise, there was no way he would be thrown into the Ice Prison. If Bai Ya were to run over and ask her, then wouldn’t he just be embarrassing the Holy Venerable? Then, the next one to enter the Ice Prison would probably be him.
“Let’s get back to business!” Yang Kai rapped his fingers on the table, “I’ve been in Soaring Snow Continent for quite some time, but having been confined by Holy Venerable all this while, much time was lost. Now that Holy Venerable has released me, it is only natural to turn my focus back to the Territory Gates. Holy Venerable is busy with her own affairs, so she asked me to seek out Brother Bai Ya to learn more about the situation, and also to ask Brother Bai Ya to cooperate with me fully. If there are any delays, then no mercy will be shown.” Naturally, the last few words were added by him casually. In any case, he was just waving a chicken feather as a token of authority. Even if Bai Ya went to ask Bei Li Mo, it wouldn’t matter.
Bai Ya answered readily, “Holy Venerable has already entrusted this matter to me previously, so if there’s anything Brother Yang needs, please just say the word. I will do my best to cooperate with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “First of all, I’ll need information about the lost continents, the lost Territory Gates, and the unstable Territory Gates in the Holy Venerable’s territory.”
Bai Ya pushed a Space Ring in front of him, “I’ve already prepared all of that. All the information is already inside. Please take a look, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai looked at him with a bit of surprise before picking up the Space Ring and scanning it with his Divine Sense. He found a lot of jade slips inside, probably containing the information about the Territory Gates and the lost continents.
After putting the ring away, Yang Kai said, “Now, I must ask Brother Bai Ya to call up 500,000 troops to wait on standby!”
Bai Ya couldn’t help but reveal a doubtful expression, “What does Brother Yang need 500,000 troops for?”
Yang Kai casually responded, “This King needs an absolutely silent environment while repairing the Territory Gates and must not be disturbed. When that time comes, the Territory Gates must be blocked off from both sides, so wouldn’t I need sufficient manpower?”
Bai Ya nodded, “So that’s how it is. That’s not a difficult request.” It was just a trivial 500,000 men. He could put them together in short order. In any case, it was just to seal off a place, so their cultivation didn’t have to be that strong. Having just a few Demon Kings with the rest being ordinary soldiers would be enough. Yang Kai himself had also brought over ten thousand men, so strength wasn’t an issue.
“Then, please make the preparations first, Brother Bai Ya. I will peruse this information and we will start tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
“I’ll be troubling you, Brother Yang!”
Bai Ya’s mansion covered a vast area, so there was naturally space for Yang Kai to stay. Bai Ya personally arranged the best guest room for Yang Kai to relax in and had someone serve him while he went to take care of other matters.
After ordering He Yin and Bo Ya to guard the door, Yang Kai went inside the room and took out the information that Bai Ya gave him, as well as the Demon Realm map he bought and began studying it carefully.
A wordless night passed. The information that Bai Ya gave him was not much, so it didn’t take Yang Kai too long to study it either. Only, Yang Kai had other plans in mind. If he wanted to put those plans into action, then he would have to plan everything out properly, that was why it took a little longer.
And, a night of research also gave him insight into the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory.
In terms of territory size and the number of continents held, Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo were practically the same. A dozen of the continent’s Territory Gates on Yu Ru Meng’s territory had problems, and a total of six continents disappeared during these years. With the Abyssal Returner’s help, Yang Kai found three of them. Then, having Gun-Gun swallow the remnants up, the Small Sealed World’s area expanded enormously, and even the World Principles began to change.
The situation on Bei Li Mo’s side was similar. There were also a dozen continents with faulty Territory Gates. Even the Soaring Snow Continent was so; however, the number of lost continents was a little more at a total of 8.
Of these, five continents were highly likely to be accessible! As for the remaining three, Yang Kai would need to find some excuse to get to them.
But that wasn’t what excited Yang Kai. What really excited him was the fact that one of the continents could be used as a springboard, granting him the opportunity to enter Eternal Sky Continent! Once inside, he would be able to find out whether Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped there or not.
However, it wasn’t going to be so easy. No matter how much of a hurry he was in, he had to take it slow. At the very least, Yang Kai had to numb Bei Li Mo and Bai Ya’s nerves and lower their guard before he could have the chance to infiltrate Eternal Sky Continent.
The next day, Yang Kai opened the door and headed straight to see Bai Ya together with Bo Ya and He Yin, telling him that they could move at any time now that everything was prepared.
Naturally, Bai Ya could want nothing more than for Yang Kai to be done as soon as possible, so in agreement, they immediately set off for the nearest Territory Gate.
There were a total of eight Territory Gates on Soaring Snow Continent that led to eight different continents. One of them had disappeared while problems had arisen in two others. At this rate, Soaring Snow Continent would likely disappear from the Demon Realm’s map within a few thousand years.
This place was Bei Li Mo’s foundation, and also the ancestral land of the Demon Realm’s Snow Demon Clan. It was suitable for the growth and cultivation of the Snow Demon Clan, so they couldn’t lose it. This was also the reason why Bei Li Mo went to look for Yang Kai personally. The survival of a regular continent would not have warranted this level of care from her.
The 500,000 troops that Bai Ya agreed to arrange were ready overnight, and Yang Kai commanded them with no trace of politeness. He divided them into five groups and assigned them targets to march to. Four groups were told to block the two sides of the two unstable Territory Gates, and for the last group, they were told to move ahead to the lost Territory Gate to make preparations.
Bai Ya watched from the sidelines and had no intention of intervening. Bei Li Mo had already entrusted the matter of the Territory Gates to him, so he naturally had to accompany Yang Kai through the whole process, both to monitor so that he doesn’t engage in any mischief with the Territory Gates, and also in case Yang Kai had any other needs to be met, then he would be able to carry them out swiftly.
With a Half-Saint helping him, then work would naturally go smoothly. But if Yang Kai wanted to devour the lost continents on Bei Li Mo’s territory and even enter Eternal Sky Continent, then he first needed to find an opportunity to shake Bai Ya off.
But one must wait for an opportunity to arise. Things had just begun, so Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry.
Half a day later, the group arrived at the first Territory Gate.
The Territory Gate had begun showing signs of instability several hundred years ago, and now the situation was becoming more and more obvious, flickering as if it could collapse at any moment.
The 100,000 men were already scattered in a hundred-kilometre radius, blocking this area and turning back anyone who did not have permission to enter. Then, Yang Kai arranged his own 10,000 men as an inner circle to guard a ten-kilometre radius. Only then did he turn his head to look at Bai Ya, his intentions obvious. He wanted Bai Ya to stand back now.
Only, Yang Kai obviously underestimated how thick Bai Ya’s skin was. Bai Ya had no intention of leaving at all. Instead, he was nonchalantly chatting with Yang Kai and telling him about the history of Soaring Snow Continent and its people.
Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to drive Bai Ya away so easily. Even if he made it clear to him, he would still find an excuse to remain. When that time came, all Bai Ya had to do was say that it was the Holy Venerable’s orders, and Yang Kai would be left with no other options.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of Bai Ya secretly learning something, so for now he just ignored him and flew straight to the Territory Gate. Then, body shaking, Space Principles surged up.
As soon as Yang Kai moved, Bai Ya had already stopped chattering. He watched Yang Kai move without looking away, seemingly wanting to unravel the profound mysteries of what he was doing. When Bai Ya felt the fluctuation of Space Principles, he looked even more excited. Divine Sense surging silently, he tried to peek into the process.
Even though Yang Kai had his back turned to him, how could he not feel Bai Ya’s slight movements? Still, Yang Kai couldn’t help but snicker. If the Dao of Space were that easy to grasp, then what would Bei Li Mo need him for?
It wasn’t his first time repairing an unstable Territory Gate. Yu Ru Meng had a dozen continents under her command that had faulty gates, so after repairing some 30 Territory Gates, Yang Kai could be considered experienced in this work. Even though the situation with this Territory Gate was a little more serious, if Yang Kai put his all into it, it would only take him half a day’s work to restore it back to its original state, then it would not falter for at least a thousand years.
But if he made everything seem easy, then it wouldn’t be able to show his importance.
So, while Yang Kai was happy to dawdle over work, he still put on a look of concentration as if he were doing his best when in fact he was just thinking about Eternal Sky Continent and Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Stopping and resting several times in between, the Territory Gate’s condition improved slowly. Bai Ya was finally sure that Yang Kai really was capable of repairing and maintaining the unstable Territory Gates.
It wasn’t until a few days later when the Territory Gate was completely stabilized that Yang Kai flew back with a tired face. Nodding to Bai Ya, he sat cross-legged in place and adjusted his breathing.
Bai Ya was shaken and quickly went forward to inspect the work.
Even though he wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Space, he could still sense whether the Territory Gate was stable or not. He crossed through the Territory Gate and went to the other continent. An hour later, he flew back the other direction, face full of joy.
Upon his return, Bai Ya sent a message to Bei Li Mo informing her of the situation. Bei Li Mo also seemed quite happy on her side, and ordered Bai Ya to meet all of Yang Kai’s needs as soon as the conditions permitted it so that he could have all the Territory Gates repaired and maintained as soon as possible.
Because word of Yang Kai’s abilities had already reached the ears of the other Demon Saints, many of them were naturally also interested in him. Several of them had already contacted Yu Ru Meng and were willing to pay a high price to invite Yang Kai to their territory to check on the situation. Yu Ru Meng naturally also sent a message to Bei Li Mo, warning her not to mess around with Yang Kai and to send him back as soon as possible.
That a Human, who had not been in the Demon Realm for even a year, would actually become such a hot commodity, even attracting the attention of so many Demon Saints, this was definitely an incredible feat.
Even though Bei Li Mo also wanted to keep Yang Kai in her territory for longer, she had no choice but to consider the wishes of the other Demon Saints as well. If she really tried to monopolize him, she would definitely become the public enemy of all the other Demon Saints!
This was also the reason why Yu Ru Meng did not stop Yang Kai from coming here, because she couldn’t stop him at all. Otherwise, with the grudge between her and Bei Li Mo, how could she have allowed Yang Kai to come here so easily?
After resting for half a day, the group set off again. The 100,000 men on guard a hundred kilometres away had already been sent away to another continent’s Territory Gate by Yang Kai.
In just five days’ time, the maintenance of two of the unstable Territory Gates on Soaring Snow Continent was completed, leaving only one Territory Gate that had been lost.
This Territory Gate took Yang Kai a little more time, and Bai Ya also stayed at the side throughout the whole process.
Even though he was mentally prepared, it was still shocking to see how Yang Kai restored the lost Territory Gate before his eyes and stabilized it. It had to be known that this Territory Gate has already been lost for more than a thousand years. The fact that Yang Kai was able to find its traces and reopen the gate proved how accomplished this Human was in the Dao of Space.
At first, he called Yang Kai Brother Yang under Bei Li Mo’s orders, and because they needed his help, but now, Bai Ya realized that this young man’s future indeed seemed boundless. Bai Ya had heard that there was another guy similarly proficient in the Dao of Space in the Star Boundary, and was known as the strongest Master under the Great Emperors, all relying on his profound Space Divine Abilities.
If Yang Kai was lucky enough to grow to that level, then even he himself may not be a match for him. At that thought, Bai Ya couldn’t help but change his attitude with Yang Kai a little.
In just ten days’ time, the repair of the three Territory Gates of Soaring Snow Continent was completed. As the rest did not need to be maintained, Yang Kai led his 10,000 men directly through a Territory Gate, entering another continent and continuing his work.
Day after day passed. Even though he had the protection of over 10,000 subordinates, Yang Kai still lived a monotonous and boring life; however, the process of repairing the Territory Gates also helped him in his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
After all, the Territory Gates were links between separate worlds. Even though he could arrange Space Arrays, those arrays could only function between points within the same world. Compared to the Territory Gates, Yang Kai’s Space Arrays were less impressive. If he could thoroughly understand the Territory Gates’ secrets though, he may be able to leap across World Barriers someday and take a big step in his attainment of the Dao of Space! When that time came, even Li Wu Yi wouldn’t be able to compete with him.
And it was because of that thought that the maintenance and repair of these Territory Gates was not a trouble for Yang Kai, but a pleasure. He could only wish for there to be more problems with the Territory Gates in the Demon Realm. That way, he would be able to delve deeper into their mysteries.
As time went by, the novelty that Bai Ya felt in the beginning also began to wear off. While Yang Kai was repairing the Territory Gates, he could only sit by the side and watch, not even daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing Yang Kai.
Even though he was a Half-Saint, and the cultivation of his temperament was not bad, having to repeat the same dull process over and over again would also become boring. From monitoring Yang Kai closely in the beginning, Bai Ya was now resting his eyes a short distance away, and would even sit cross-legged occasionally to cultivate.
Just because he was a Half-Saint didn’t mean that he didn’t need to cultivate. The ‘world as a bottle’ theory also applied to the Demon Realm, and the Twelve Demon Saints represented the upper limit. It was impossible for a thirteenth Demon Saint to be born, but the Two Worlds Great War was now in full swing. Even Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors had come out undisguised and bore the risk of losing their lives at any moment. Who could guarantee that the Demon Saints and Great Emperors would not meet each other in battle someday in the future?
When that day came, then a Demon Saint or a Great Emperor may fall, then the vacant position would probably be fought for between the Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors. The more strength they accumulated during this time, the higher their chance of laughing to the end in the battle of the Grand Dao of the future.
Not to mention, there was a Great Emperor trapped in the Demon Realm currently, and the Demon Saints hadn’t attacked him yet because they hadn’t made full preparations. But once the butcher’s knife was raised, it would become a fight of life or death where tens of Half-Saints could be buried with them!
Bai Ya did not wish to become one of the deceased, so he naturally had to maintain peak condition at all times.
Naturally, Yang Kai also noticed these changes, and he was in a good mood because of them. The time to shake off his observer didn’t seem too far off now.
Twenty days later, the group of people passed through another Territory Gate, entering another continent.
After stepping out from the Territory Gate, Bai Ya frowned and looked doubtfully at Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, if I’m not mistaken, there are no problems with the Territory Gates in this continent. Why have you come here?”
Yang Kai said, “Just because it doesn’t seem like there aren’t any problems doesn’t mean that problems won’t crop up in the future. Perhaps you just haven’t noticed it, but since Holy Venerable has entrusted the matter of the Territory Gates to me, I must naturally be responsible for them until the end. Besides, it’s not much effort for me to come and perform a simple check, and it would naturally be for the best if nothing turns out wrong. If there is something wrong, then I can also apply an early remedy.”
Even though Bai Ya thought it was odd, he didn’t feel as if there was anything wrong with this and just nodded, “Brother Yang is truly dedicated to his duties.”
Yang Kai laughed, “I’m just faithful to the task I’ve been entrusted with.”
As he spoke, he flew ahead and found a Territory Gate nearby, investigating it carefully.
The investigation lasted three days.
Bai Ya was getting impatient now and thought that Yang Kai really did find something wrong, so when Yang Kai flew back, he asked, “Did you find anything?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “No. All is well with this Territory Gate.”
Bao Ya was stunned. [Everything was fine and it still took you three days?] Even though three days was barely any time, it was only for a single Territory Gate. If he had to check every single Territory Gate, then how much time would that take?
Very soon, Bai Ya began to feel that Yang Kai was a little too serious with the Territory Gates.
They went through continent after continent, and Yang Kai had to stop to check each Territory Gate thoroughly. In the end, the Territory Gates that were perfectly fine naturally had no problems, but they did waste a lot of time.
This made Bai Ya a little speechless. He tried several times to advise Yang Kai both overtly and covertly but to no avail, so he decided to just keep quiet. If he wanted to waste his time, then just waste time. At most, he just had to accompany him for a few months.
A month later when they entered another continent, Yang Kai suddenly said, “Brother Bai Ya, you seem quite bored these days when you’re running around with me. Why don’t you just wait here for me? I’ll just check and see whether there are any problems with the Territory Gates here. If there are no problems, then we will leave for the next place.”
Bai Ya pondered for a moment, “If you say so. Then, please go and return quickly, Brother Yang.” The main thing was that the Territory Gates on this continent had always been very stable and there haven’t been any problems at all. According to previous experiences, he also knew that Yang Kai would check each and every Territory Gate, and then find nothing in the end.
Yang Kai nodded, and then, calling his 10,000 men, they departed. Only when he left Bai Ya’s perception range far behind did a glint flash in his eyes. He had finally gotten rid of that sticky bastard. At least his efforts weren’t for nought.
The Territory Gates that currently existed on this continent were indeed stable, but the information that Yang Kai received mentioned that one of the Territory Gates had collapsed, and that the continent the Territory Gate connected to had also disappeared.
Bai Ya only knew that he could maintain those unstable territory gates and restore the lost Territory Gates of continents that still existed, but once the continent disappeared, there was no way of repairing the corresponding Territory Gates of that continent anymore. But unbeknownst to Bai Ya, what Yang Kai couldn’t do Ah Wang could.
Without wasting time, Yang Kai led his 10,000 men directly to the long-lost Territory Gate and ordered Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, Ba Zha, and the others to ward off a 10-kilometre radius and forbid anyone from approaching.
The several Demon Kings naturally did not suspect anything. They also did the same thing previously so they had long familiarized themselves with the task. Very soon, the 10,000 troops moved into place.
Only then did Yang Kai head to the lost Territory Gate. After carefully identifying the location and faintly feeling around with his senses, he turned to check his surroundings. After making sure no one was paying attention to him, he quickly released the Abyssal Returner from the Small Sealed World.
Ah Wang shook her head and opened her big mouth directly, biting down on a certain part of the sky, directly biting out a gap in the Void.
After a few bites, the aura from another world faintly spread out.
Yang Kai quickly stored Ah Wang away and pushed his Space Principles to force open the Void Crack.
He couldn’t go in himself because if Bai Ya came here on a whim and didn’t see him, then he was sure to make waves. So, Yang Kai could only let the Embodiment go.
Flicking his wrist, Yang Kai threw the Sealed World Bead straight into the opposite continent, and then waited silently. In order to cover his tracks, Yang Kai even used his Space Principles to stir up the traces of the Void Crack so that even if Bai Ya really did come over at this time, he wouldn’t be able to find anything.
After a full four or five days of work, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed. Space Principles fluctuating, he stretched his hand forward towards the Void.
A short while later, when he closed his grip again, he had already retrieved the Sealed World Bead. Not even bothering to communicate with the Embodiment about what he gained within, Yang Kai threw a few fists at the unstable Void Crack in front of him, making it even more chaotic. Then, he turned around and left.
It wouldn’t take long before the rift here was repaired, and then no one would be able to find anything.
Yang Kai naturally wasn’t in a rush to look for Bai Ya. Instead, he led his men around and continued checking the other Territory Gates. If he had to put on a show, then he naturally had to put on the full show.
On the journey, he communicated with the Embodiment and learned that it made a good harvest this time. Even though they found three lost continents in Yu Ru Meng’s territory already, they only found some Myriad Demon Pills the first time. The Myriad Demon Caves on the two later continents had already been destroyed, so they naturally didn’t find any spoils.
But this time, they managed to obtain a harvest. Just like last time, there were more than a thousand Myriad Demon Pills. Together with the last batch, it was almost enough for the Embodiment to reach the Half-Saint Realm. But even with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, refining so many Myriad Demon Pills would still take some time. After all, the amount of energy stored within those Myriad Demon Pills was quite shocking.
A few days later, the last Territory Gate was checked and the group marched back to Bai Ya’s location, ready to rejoin him and enter the next continent.
Bo Ya suddenly flew to Yang Kai’s side and turned her head to look at him.
Yang Kai glanced at her from the corner of his eye and frowned, “What is it?”
Bo Ya hesitated for a while, but curiosity finally got the better of her, “Are you able to find the lost continents?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
Bo Ya rolled her eyes, appearing quite charming, “I mean what I said. Stop pretending. There was a Territory Gate connected to another continent where you first went, but that continent has already been lost for almost a thousand years. If you weren’t able to locate it, then why would you dawdle there for so long?”
Yang Kai replied bluntly, “I was researching to see whether I can find traces of that continent, which is also what I did in Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s territory. Is there any problem with that?”
Bo Ya didn’t know whether he was telling the truth or not, but she had some doubts. Frowning, she said, “But I clearly saw you take something out of the Void. Don’t forget, I’m a Feather Demon!” As she said that, she pointed at her own eyes, expressing that her vision as a Feather Demon was exceptional. Even if others couldn’t see something, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t.
“You saw wrong,” Yang Kai looked coldly at her.
Bo Ya spat disdainfully, “You’re quite careful, but rest assured. Since I’m telling you this means I won’t be making this public; otherwise, I could have secretly gone off to tell Bai Ya. I was just curious is all.”
“Curiosity can kill a person,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Bo Ya was annoyed, “I know, I know. Seriously annoying, can’t we even chat properly? Who are you acting all mysterious for? Great Aunt’s Soul Puppet is still in your hands, so how can I not wish you well? I just wanted to remind you to be careful.”
Yang Kai had to admit that though he had no idea what she saw, she definitely noticed something. The eyesight of a Feather Demon was incomparable to that of ordinary Masters. But with her Soul Puppet in his hand, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid of Bo Ya acting against him, otherwise, she would also suffer if he fell into misfortune.
Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha, as well as another High-Rank Demon King staying behind to watch over Blue Plains Continent were also the same. These three were even more miserable than Bo Ya since they had Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint planted in their Knowledge Seas, which truly meant their life or death could happen at a thought.
After reuniting with Bai Ya, they passed through a Territory Gate into the next continent.
After this experience, the journey became much easier.
Only when he was restoring and maintaining the Territory Gates would Bai Ya stay at the side to watch. But when he went to check on the stable Territory Gates, Bai Ya was too lazy to even follow.
This naturally made it easier for Yang Kai to sneak around. And, with Bo Ya reminding him last time, Yang Kai also became more cautious. He had his men stationed thirty kilometres away, with only Tu Qia Luo, Ba Zha, and Bo Ya remaining at the inner ten-kilometre radius. Even He Yin was excluded.
This time, even Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha discovered something wrong with the situation. Even though they didn’t understand what Yang Kai was doing, it definitely wasn’t anything good. But since they had received Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint, they didn’t dare to ask even if they were feeling suspicious.
Gradually, Yang Kai found a total of three lost continents in Bei Li Mo’s territory, and the Small Sealed World’s area expanded greatly after devouring them. He also managed to harvest another batch of Myriad Demon Pills.
The continents that were swallowed by the Small Sealed World had been reassembled into one new world within the Small Sealed World with clear features of the Demon Realm still present, complete with the Demon Realm’s World Principles flowing through it.
Yang Kai estimated that even if he were to toss in some Demons, then they would probably be able to live quite well inside.
Two months later on another continent.
In the middle of a wilderness, 10,000 men were scattered thirty kilometres away. There were only four figures present, namely Yang Kai, Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and Ba Zha.
The wind was blowing and their clothes were billowing. Yang Kai’s expression was serious, and even Bo Ya and the other two had uneasy looks on their faces. They had a few guesses from their experiences in the past few days, and they knew it was likely time for them to come clean.
Among the three of them, only Bo Ya knew a little more because of how much she could see. Even though Tu Qia Luo and Ba Zha knew that Yang Kai definitely had something to hide, they didn’t know what it was.
Today, Yang Kai suddenly asked the three of them to stay here alone, so he clearly meant to do something. If they were unlucky, then they might draw fire to themselves.
Yang Kai’s gaze swept over the three people in front of him before finally settling on Bo Ya, “You three are considered this King’s most trusted people. And, together with this King, if one suffers, all suffer, if one prospers, all prosper. So, that is why this King asked you to remain here. If anything happens to this King, then the three of you can not escape death, but if I remain safe, then all three of you can naturally rest easy.”
When they heard how seriously Yang Kai spoke, the three of them couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Tu Qia Luo gritted his teeth and cupped his fists, “If Great King has any needs, please order us and we shall obey to the best of our abilities!”
Ba Zha echoed the sentiment, “Please give us the order, Great King!”
Bo Ya did not speak, and instead had a reluctant expression. Ever since finding out Yang Kai’s little secret, she knew that following him definitely meant nothing good, and now, it seemed to be exactly so! For a moment, she was so regretful that even her stomach was churning. She thought she could borrow Yang Kai’s power to protect herself back then, but she didn’t realize she was actually boarding a pirate’s ship.
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s nothing dangerous so no need to overthink things. This King only needs you all to stay here…”
Then, silently transmitting his voice he passed a short order to the three of them. After hearing it, they all looked at each other, but they still did not ask any questions and obediently nodded.
Tu Qia Luo’s body shook. Blood Qi churning, the world became washed in crimson in an instant. In the blink of an eye, a mist of blood enveloped them all. The blood mist had the effect of isolating Divine Sense, so unless their cultivation was stronger than Tu Qia Luo, it was definitely hard to find out what was going on within.
At the same time, Yang Kai had already used his Space Divine Ability to silently arrive a thousand kilometres away in just a few flashes. Even though Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and Ba Zha’s life or death were under his control and reasonably, there should be no risk at all for anything to be exposed, he still took the necessary precautions. He wasn’t prepared to tell the three of them about his plans to head to Eternal Sky Continent. Leaving them there was just a diversion.
After preparing for so long, Yang Kai was finally going to see the results soon. Yang Kai also couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about whether or not Bright Moon Great Emperor was even in Eternal Sky Continent.
Based on the information Yang Kai had gathered, there was a very high chance that Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent. After all, it was impossible for four Territory Gates to suddenly disappear from a continent all at once, unless some great calamity happened there. The fight between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint was definitely a big enough event to re-shape a continent though.
In less than an hour, Yang Kai arrived at a plateau. Carefully avoiding the continent’s inhabitants along the way, he released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings thoroughly.
There used to be a Territory Gate here that was connected to Eternal Sky Continent, and it was also one of the four lost Territory Gates, but it hadn’t been gone for long. So, if he hadn’t gotten the wrong location, then he should easily be able to find traces.
Things went relatively smoothly. In less than an incense stick of time, Yang Kai was able to pick up on the remnant aura of the Territory Gate. Flying to a height of around 300 metres, and under the surge of his Space Principles, Yang Kai thrust both hands towards the Void, took a deep breath, and tore space apart violently.
Like a piece of cloth being ripped in half, a crack immediately appeared in space that was large enough for one person to enter.
Yang Kai looked around for a bit before slipping inside in a flash.
Before his eyes could get used to the new scenery, Yang Kai had already used his Nihility Secret Technique and concealed his aura as best he could.
But very soon, he realized he was being overly nervous for nothing.
There wasn’t a hint of vitality that he could feel from this place, at the very least, not within the perception range of his Divine Sense. He had originally guessed that if Bright Moon Great Emperor really was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent, then this place must be heavily guarded. How could he have anticipated that this emptiness would be what he would be greeted with instead?
In this case, either his guess was wrong or Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped in an even deeper location, so the Demon Race did not need to fortify their defences here.
But either way, Yang Kai had already arrived on Eternal Sky Continent now, so he had to figure out what was going on.
Looking back at the Void Crack which he had torn open, Yang Kai saw that it was healing up at a very fast pace. It likely wouldn’t be long before it restored itself completely.
Without waiting for it to restore itself completely, Yang Kai found his bearings and cautiously flew off.
He didn’t dare to fly too high in case someone noticed him, nor did he dare to fly too fast lest he draw attention to himself. Yang Kai even had to try his best in restraining his aura, so the speed of his investigation was naturally very slow.
After flying for a full hour, Yang Kai still didn’t find a single living being, which he couldn’t help but feel surprised at. Where had all the Demons from Eternal Sky Continent gone?
But the strange circumstances strengthened his confidence in Bright Moon being here.
Even a mouse would fight back when cornered, much less a Great Emperor. There was not a single safe place in this entire continent, so it was only natural that the Demon Race would evacuate in advance.
Another hour later, Yang Kai finally made a discovery.
Not the discovery of the Demon Race’s traces, but rather the remnants of a battlefield. The ground below was a mess with collapsed mountains, and rivers that flowed backwards. Destructive power could be felt everywhere, and gullies several hundred metres deep and spanning an unknown length intertwined like scars on the world that would never heal. Chaotic Principle Strength was surging restlessly around the various scars. Even without coming close, the frightening aura was still enough to send trepidations to Yang Kai’s heart!
There were also many cracks in the Void that could not heal themselves, like fatal ink stains. Anyone who dared trespass into these would surely die without a burial.
The Void Cracks were not as neat as the ones that Yang Kai tore, but were completely irregular. Some were long while others were round. Some even looked like funnels. But no matter which they were, the area surrounding them was still filled with destructive Principle Strength. These principles were just like toxins on an abscess that prevented the world from repairing itself.
Naturally, this scenery must have arisen from when a Master shattered the local space, and other than a Great Emperor, the only Masters who could produce such an effect would be Demon Saints.
[Bright Moon Great Emperor is here!]
When he saw this scene before him, Yang Kai could finally be sure that his previous guesses were correct.
This Eternal Sky Continent was definitely the battlefield where a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint clashed. Otherwise, there was no way such terrifying changes could have happened to the mountains and rivers of this place. This was most likely where Bright Moon Great Emperor first encountered those Demon Saints!
Yang Kai suddenly looked up, his profound gaze seemingly piercing through space to see into the deepest part of the battlefield.
Without stopping, Yang Kai’s body flashed and he flew out.
The more he advanced, the more wretched the battlefield became. Every so often, holes large enough that they almost seemed to go straight to the bottom of the world would appear below. The entire world seemed to have been turned upside down several times and had truly become barren. The more Yang Kai looked at it, the more shocked he felt. He really had no idea what number of enemies Bright Moon had to face for such a fierce battle to have taken place, and what was his condition right now.
Following the traces of the massive battle, Yang Kai flew for a whole day, but still found no traces of Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Another day later, Yang Kai, who was speeding forward, suddenly stopped his pace before swiftly dropping 30 metres and concealing his aura as he looked up ahead.
There, a hundred kilometres away, Yang Kai vaguely saw a large group of people who were currently traversing across the messy battlefield and making their way forward. Yang Kai couldn’t help but be stunned at the sight. Even though they were a long distance away and he couldn’t see too clearly, wasn’t the number of Demons gathered in front a little too great? In rough estimation, there were at least a million of them, and these were only those within his field of vision. The Demons formed a long line, almost like a long dragon. It was as if they were going on some sort of pilgrimage. The number of Demons outside his vision could only be countless!
Yang Kai thought that the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent had already evacuated due to the battle between the Great Emperor and the Demon Saints, but now that seemed not to be the case.
The Demon Race did not evacuate. Instead, they were converging towards a certain spot.
He couldn’t figure out what was going on here, but Yang Kai concealed his aura a little and approached the other side carefully.
Luckily there didn’t seem to be any powerful Masters among this group. Even though there were some Demon Kings, the cultivation of their Divine Sense wasn’t enough to detect Yang Kai’s presence. After reaching a certain distance from them, Yang Kai could finally get a clear look of the Demon Race’s situation.
The number of Demons gathered there was immense. Previously, he could only see around a million or so. But now, it seemed that this army of Demons did not stop at just a million or even ten million. It was simply impossible to see the end at a glance. There were old and young among the procession. Many Demons seemed to be bringing their families along and migrating to a certain place.
But the expressions of most of these Demons looked very strange. It was sad, yet determined.
With such a large number of Demons moving forward, they strangely made little noise. There was only some loud urging and shouting coming from the supervising Demon Kings.
[What is going on here?] Yang Kai frowned in the shadows, completely puzzled. He had a vague feeling that this should be related to Bright Moon Great Emperor, but he couldn’t figure out what the connection was.
The Demon Race couldn’t be thinking of trying to kill the Great Emperor by overpowering him with numbers, right? If that was really their plan, then the Demons of just Eternal Sky Continent might not be enough to kill him.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out, and he couldn’t be bothered to think about it either. Seeing so many Demons moving forward in a direction, Yang Kai also followed them in that direction.
The further forward he flew, the more terrified Yang Kai felt. The line of Demons seemed to stretch on endlessly, and now it seemed like the entire continent was gathering in one place.
After another day, a small change finally appeared ahead.
There was a crimson red glow in the air, as if fresh blood was poured over it. And, in a certain place, Yang Kai detected a towering malevolent aura and hostility. Even from such a long distance away, Yang Kai could smell the strong smell of blood in the wind.
His expression couldn’t help but change at this.
He was at least three thousand kilometres away from that place, yet he could still smell the blood from such a distance, so how many people must have died there? Even if the dead were all part of the Demon Race, this kind of loss of life was simply shocking. Could it be that the Demon Race really did intend to try and overpower Bright Moon Great Emperor through numbers? That was too naive.
But when he arrived here, Yang Kai didn’t dare to be careless at all. If Bright Moon Great Emperor really was in Eternal Sky Continent. Then that place three thousand kilometres away must be where he was trapped, and there must also be a Demon Saint standing guard nearby!
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was indeed powerful and no one noticed any traces of him on his way here, but wanting to approach Bright Moon Great Emperor under the watchful eye of a Demon Saint was still nothing but an impossible dream.
He had to find a safer plan. While carefully making his way forward, Yang Kai’s mind was racing.
But no matter how he tried to think, he couldn’t come up with a viable solution.
The difference in power was an insurmountable gap. If there really was a Demon Saint standing guard here, then he would be exposed before he could even get near. Then, if they were to ask, how was he going to answer? He couldn’t just say that he was curious and came to take a look, could he?
What’s more, they might just kill him directly without even bothering to ask any questions.
Thoughts turned in his mind, but Yang Kai could only put his attention on the marching Demons. The Demon Race was moving towards the blood-coloured lands, and the best way for him to get near was probably to mix with them and find an opportunity to enter. The only thing he had to worry about was whether there was anything bad waiting for him at the end of the line.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai didn’t delay and slightly disguised himself to look more like a Demon before moving toward the marching Demons.
Looking around for a while, he found a suitable opportunity to teleport directly into the procession.
Heading over using Instantaneous Movement wasn’t going to work. These Demons may all look solemn, stirred, and completely silent, but it would definitely be suspicious if an extra person suddenly appeared in front of them. So, Yang Kai moved instantaneously in a crouching position as he entered before slowly getting up, moving forward while being squeezed between the procession.
With this, even if any Demons nearby thought it was strange, it wouldn’t arouse their suspicion. They would only think that he had just fallen and gotten up again.
As expected, when Yang Kai got up, the Demons behind him looked at him but didn’t ask any questions.
The procession was long and silent. The surrounding Demon Kings were all riding on mighty Demon Beasts, running back and forth and barking orders at the Demons to pick up the pace. Just like the Demons, Yang Kai slightly lowered his head without a word and through the concealment of his bangs, quietly observed his surroundings. The more they moved forward, the stronger the smell of blood became. The air was filled with that sickening smell. Yang Kai could also hear the vague sound of crashing waves, which he couldn’t help but feel suspicious of. Could there be a sea ahead?
A trip of a thousand kilometres was not considered far, but it was not short either. Pushed forward by the line, Yang Kai walked for half a day and had only made it halfway through the journey. Suddenly, Yang Kai’s drifting eyes were drawn to a huge blood-coloured pole.
The pole appeared crimson in colour with extremely complex patterns carved onto its surface. Just looking at it for a moment gave Yang Kai a palpitating feeling as if countless Demons were pouncing at him. With a thickness the width of several dozen people huddled together, its height was not known as it seemed to connect the Heavens and the Earth. Just the part protruding from the ground alone was at least a thousand metres high, not to mention how much of it must still be buried in the ground.
And, the reason why the pole appeared that crimson red colour was because fresh blood flowed over its surface. It was not known where the blood came from, but from the complex pattern on its surface and the way the blood kept flowing downwards as if it would never end gave off a very malevolent feeling.
[Array base!]
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. Though he had no idea what this pole was called, it was definitely part of an Array. In other words, a shockingly large Spirit Array was arranged in this place, and for such a sensationally large array, its base would surely consist of more than this one pole.
Looking up, Yang Kai found that just as he thought, there were poles like this one erected from the ground at hundred-kilometre intervals around this bloody world, like nails hammered down by the Heavens to pin something or someone firmly in place.
The poles that Yang Kai saw alone numbered more than five, and there were most likely even more that had yet to be seen.
For such a shocking array to be used, who else could it be for besides Bright Moon Great Emperor? But the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm seemed to have also invested an enormous amount into this. Just the array base alone had already cost them the wealth of many continents, but now, it was being used to deal with a single person! But if they were truly able to use the power of this array to kill a Great Emperor from the Star Boundary, then any price would be worth it.
[Bright Moon’s situation doesn’t seem good!] Yang Kai’s heart sank slightly. Bright Moon Great Emperor was fighting in foreign territory to begin with, and was also overwhelmingly outnumbered. Now, he was even being trapped by the other side using such a large Spirit Array. It could be seen that the Demon Realm was determined to kill Bright Moon here on Eternal Sky Continent no matter the cost.
And once Bright Moon died, the gap between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm’s top Masters would further widen. The Star Boundary, whose situation was already dangerous, would only become worse. If the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm were to come out in unison when that time came, the Star Boundary would definitely be unable to resist.
Right now, the reason that the Demon Saints had yet to take action was that they wanted to use this war to reduce the population of the Demon Race and also because they were afraid of damaging the Star Boundary too much. They had already considered the Star Boundary as their own property, so how could they allow their future home to be destroyed by intense fighting?
As thoughts continued to turn in his mind, Yang Kai kept on moving forward with the group.
Finally, at one point, he was able to see the blood world’s source.
It was simply a Blood Sea! A boundless sea of red that was surrounded by the huge array base he saw earlier, constantly rolling and tumbling. The sound of crashing waves that he heard previously was no illusion. It was all real.
Countless corpses tumbled around in the Blood Sea. Spirits wailed, and the Evil Qi soared.
Around the Blood Sea were Demons covered in red Blood Qi with serious expressions on their faces. Their eyes were tightly shut and each of them was making different hand seals. The Demon Qi in their bodies was tumbling, but Yang Kai had no idea what sort of Secret Technique they were performing. These Demons were all from the Blood Demon Clan. In the Demon Realm, their ability to control blood was unmatched among the other Demons. There was a distance from several dozen to a thousand metres between each Blood Demon. Though their strength varied, all of them were at least Demon Kings.
Just as Yang Kai was observing them, the Demons that arrived at the edge of the Blood Sea plunged into the boundless Blood Sea without stopping, melting away without making a single sound and integrating as part of the Blood Sea, strengthening its power…
Yang Kai suddenly understood how this huge Blood Sea came to be, and why all those Demons were gathering in one place.
[It’s a blood sacrifice!]
Blood sacrificing all the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent under the Demon King level! Even though Yang Kai had no idea how it worked, from the magnitude of this blood sacrifice, it was clear that it was being used against Bright Moon Great Emperor. Alongside the Spirit Array, which Yang Kai could tell was a terrifying existence at a glance, this blood sacrifice would undoubtedly be able to perform an unimaginable role.
What was Bright Moon’s current situation? Even though he was a Great Emperor, he must be injured after landing here alone and fighting with so many Demon Saints. Now that he was being trapped here by the Demon Race with a blood sacrifice and Spirit Array, his situation was most likely disastrous.
Yang Kai secretly clenched his fists, brows furrowing deeply.
One by one, the Demons jumped into the Blood Sea without a care for their lives. Most of them did not even hesitate. Even though some were reluctant, they didn’t seem to have the guts to resist either way…
An hour later, it was almost Yang Kai’s turn, but he hadn’t figured out a good idea to deal with the situation yet. With his current power, there was no possibility of him saving Bright Moon Great Emperor once his identity was exposed. Even though he did not detect the presence of any Demon Saints, there were quite a few Half-Saints present.
The Demons in front of him had all jumped into the Blood Sea. Standing in front of the Blood Sea, Yang Kai could faintly feel the evil hidden within it. Possibly sensing his hesitation, the nearby Demon Kings all turned their gazes over in unison, each of their faces grim.
Since things had already come to this, he had no other choice. Even though the Blood Sea felt terrifyingly malicious, Yang Kai was confident he could deal with it, at least for a time. So, even if he really did have to jump in, it wouldn’t affect him. He just had to quickly hide after jumping in, then he might have a chance.
Considering all this, he didn’t delay either and jumped straight in before quickly sinking down.
The bloody mass felt sticky and corrosive. Yang Kai didn’t dare to resist too early, and without protection, even his Half-Dragon Body stung under the corrosion of the blood water, feeling as if he were being burned by fire.
After sinking a thousand metres deep, Yang Kai felt that he was far enough down to circulate his Emperor Qi to add on some resistance.
The next moment though, a powerful Divine Sense suddenly swept across his body.
Yang Kai’s expression stiffened, and his face instantly turned ashen! He had already been careful enough, but he didn’t expect to expose himself at the last moment. Even though the Divine Sense was foreign to him, Yang Kai could feel how strong it was. This was definitely the Divine Sense of either a Great Emperor or a Demon Saint.
What should he do? Make a last-ditch struggle? But he was afraid that he didn’t have any power to resist in the face of a Demon Saint. For his plans today, he could only hope that his ability in repairing the Territory Gates would still be of some use; otherwise, he would be killed immediately.
Just as Yang Kai was frantically trying to come up with a solution, a dazzling light suddenly burst out from the deepest part of the Blood Sea. At the same time, a terrifying power surged from it, causing the entire Blood Sea to tumble as if it were boiling.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly tried to stabilize his body, but he still felt like a feeble boat caught in a terrifying storm. There was no sense of security to speak of. In an instant, the corners of his lips were filled with bitterness.
Just as he thought that he was going to die, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted in his ears, “Just in time!”
When those words came out, another terrifying fluctuation of power suddenly emerged above him.
Yang Kai raised his brow, revealing a look of pleasant surprise.
The power fluctuation coming from above was definitely from the Demon Saint on guard here, so the identity of the one who acted from below was self-evident!
He couldn’t see anything around him in the Blood Sea, and he didn’t dare use his Divine Sense to investigate either, so Yang Kai had no idea what was going on outside. He only heard a rumbling sound, as if the world was going to collapse. The violent aftermath of the power fluctuation spread out rapidly, causing the Blood Sea he was in to bubble intensely. A burst of muffled sounds came from all directions, and following that, an untold number of life auras were annihilated.
The aftermath of the fight between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint was too much for even Demon Kings to bear. Countless people were instantly killed or injured in that momentary clash!
Just as Yang Kai was trying his best to readjust his body, he suddenly felt a lightness around him, and the stickiness that was enveloping him the whole time seemed to disappear.
Surprised, Yang Kai opened his eyes and saw that the blood water around his body was being repelled by an invisible force, and a passage just wide enough for one person to cross appeared in front of him, connecting him to the depths of the Blood Sea.
He was slightly stunned, but Yang Kai quickly revealed a look of pleasant surprise. Taking advantage of the unknown Demon Saint’s attention being diverted, he quickly dove in.
As Yang Kai ran, the channel behind him collapsed and was filled up with blood again.
The aftermath of the fight between Masters slowly dissipated, and by the time the Blood Sea regained its calm, Yang Kai had already passed through the channel into an unknown depth.
In the middle of the boundless Blood Sea was a world filled with a soft white light that was less than a radius of 3 metres. And, at the very centre of this world was a man with a ruddy complexion and a countenance that was as warm as jade sat cross-legged. This man looked a little too young, only around 17 or 18, as if he were just a nimble youth.
Behind the young man’s head was a waning moon, and it was the waning moon that emitted the bright light that was resisting the intrusion of the Blood Sea, supporting this pure land in this chaotic world.
[Bright Moon Great Emperor!]
Yang Kai had met him once back when he was granted access to the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda. When he left Star Soul Palace that time, Bright Moon Great Emperor had specifically come out to speak with him. Despite the fact that the Bright Moon Great Emperor did not reveal his identity back then, Yang Kai knew well who he was.
Seeing him again now, Bright Moon Great Emperor did not seem to have changed in the slightest. Only, he was not in the same state as he was in before. His hair was greyed, each strand resembling silk and snow, and there was a huge wound on the lower-left section of his abdomen that was so deep that Yang Kai could even see his organs writhing underneath. At the wound was dark, churning Demon Qi that was eroding his vitality at all times. His white clothes had long been covered in dried blood, appearing as dark mottled red stains.
Next to the boundless Blood Sea, above a blood-coloured pillar, a magnificent figure stood with his hands folded behind his back. The man had an evil charm and appeared both wild yet reserved. His long, fiery red hair billowed in the wind while his scarlet eyes like those of a wild beast gazed into the depths of the Blood Sea. Emitting a peculiar light, these eyes seemed able to see through the Blood Sea’s depths to check on Bright Moon’s situation.
However, despite his injuries and confinement, Bright Moon was not completely without the power to resist. Even someone as powerful as this red-haired man was unable to take a clear look at the situation within. The soft moonlight glow in the Blood Sea blocked his vision and Divine Sense and there was nothing he could do about it.
Sure enough, a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary was no pushover.
The red-haired man was able to gain an upper hand during their confrontation just now, but was unable to do anything decisive. The only thing that puzzled him was why Bright Moon would suddenly strike at him. Was this as the saying went, a cornered beast will undoubtedly fight back?
A Great Emperor would never be so irrational; but then, what was the reason for him to take such an action?
Even after thinking about it for a while, he still came to no conclusions. He couldn’t help but shake his head slowly before raising his eyes again and gazing at the boundless Blood Sea, coldly snorting. Bright Moon was currently wounded, and with the red-haired man watching over him personally and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array fed by the blood sacrifice of all the Demons of the entire Eternal Sky Continent, it was definitely enough to keep the man in the Blood Sea confined here forever. Even if he was a Great Emperor, Bright Moon shouldn’t even think of being able to make any waves.
With this thought, the red-haired man waved his hand and the blood from the bodies of the Demons who died in the vicinity during his confrontation with Bright Moon gushed out and converged like a spiritual snake before splashing into the Blood Sea.
In the bloody flash of light, the man’s figure disappeared without a trace.
…
At the bottom of the Blood Sea, in the pure land enveloped by the soft moonlight, Yang Kai’s eyes were lost in thought as he stared at Bright Moon’s abdomen with a stern gaze.
Though he had long guessed that Bright Moon must be in a bad state and even wounded, Yang Kai never expected the injury to be so serious. Much of the flesh was gone from the large hole on the lower left of his abdomen. Even though no blood was flowing, the horrible Demon Qi was still constantly corroding him. It was a difficult sight to behold.
That would’ve been normal if it were any ordinary person, but Bright Moon was a Great Emperor. From the severity of the injury, one could see how intense the battle had been.
At this moment, there was still a trace of blood left by Bright Moon’s lips that had yet to dry. There was no doubt he had suffered a small loss during that confrontation with the Demon Saint earlier. In terms of strength, both he and the Demon Saint were essentially equal, but the opponent occupied favourable conditions and an advantageous position. What’s more, Bright Moon wasn’t in peak condition, so it was only natural for him to lose.
“Yang Kai?”
Just as Yang Kai was looking over Bright Moon Great Emperor, Bright Moon suddenly asked, a surprised look on his face, seemingly not expecting to actually see someone from the Star Boundary here, much less someone he knew.
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “Azure Sun Temple’s High-Rank Guest Elder Yang Kai greets Great Emperor!”
Bright Moon was the divine protector of the Southern Territory, so Yang Kai naturally greeted him using his identity from the Southern Territory.
Bright Moon nodded lightly and asked curiously, “How come you’re here?”
Yang Kai quickly said, “This Junior was tasked by Senior Heavens Revelations to come to the Demon Realm to find where Senior was.” After a pause, he added, “Many thanks, Senior, for rescuing this Junior just now.”
With things having come to this point, Yang Kai naturally understood what happened just now.
It must have been because he tried to circulate his Emperor Qi after entering the Blood Sea, which alerted Bright Moon. That was why he suddenly made a move to disrupt the Demon Saint’s perception of this place. Then, he opened up a channel in the Blood Sea to lead Yang Kai here.
If not for Bright Moon’s actions, Yang Kai would probably have been discovered by that Demon Saint, and when that happened, it would be difficult to predict his fate.
Bright Moon smiled gently, “Your courage is not small.”
Yang Kai said embarrassedly, “I was just lucky.”
If Bright Moon hadn’t found him first… Yang Kai’s scalp tingled at the thought.
Bright Moon nodded, “So that old man Tian Shu asked you to come… Even though I know he has his reasons for asking you to come, this King is still curious. How did you enter the Demon Realm safely and come all the way here?”
Yang Kai scratched his head, “This Junior defected from the Star Boundary and took refuge in the Demon Realm. Right now, this Junior is considered a criminal in the Star Boundary that is cursed at by all.”
After saying that, he looked up at Bright Moon but rather than anger, all he saw was a look of interest on the other side’s face, so he quickly explained himself in full.
A few moments later, Bright Moon clicked his tongue in awe, “So, that means that Yu Ru Meng infiltrated the Star Boundary back then and came to you, but due to the great loss of her strength, she was unable to force you and had no choice but to bring you over to the Demon Realm using softer tactics. Then, you learned of her intentions, took advantage of the situation, and had that old boor Iron Blood cooperate with you to put on an act? Afterwards, you successfully justified your defection from the Star Boundary and came to the Demon Realm?”
Yang Kai nodded a little embarrassedly, “That is the gist of it.”
Bright Moon couldn’t help but praise, “Astonishing.”
It was indeed a remarkable achievement. It was generally impossible for a Human to come to the Demon Realm, but Yang Kai managed to. And the reason why Heavens Revelations Great Emperor would ask him to come to the Demon Realm was likely because he caught a glimpse of a divine revelation in the invisible threads of fate. Even though he knew not the process very well, he definitely predicted the final result; otherwise, why would he seek out Yang Kai rather than someone else?
“Senior is overpraising. It was just by chance that I succeeded.”
Bright Moon asked, “Are you safe here in the Demon Realm now?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Rest assured, Senior. I’m very safe. Yu Ru Meng does not suspect me in the slightest, and because of my mastery of the Dao of Space, the other Demon Saints are also keenly interested in me. They hope to be able to restore some of the Demon Realm’s Territory Gates with my power.”
“It’s been hard on you…” Bright Moon sighed and pondered for a moment, “But if that Heart Seal Secret Technique was performed by a Demon Saint, it must be extremely powerful. You must be very careful.”
“This Junior naturally understands.” Yang Kai nodded, thinking to himself that the Heart Seal Secret Technique didn’t have any hold on him in the slightest, but he couldn’t say it out loud; after all, to say that he broke the Secret Technique of a Demon Saint was bound to create a sensation.
Turning the conversation around, Yang Kai said, “How is Senior’s condition now? Your injuries… don’t seem light.”
Bright Moon smiled, “It’s not enough to kill me, but it’s the Spirit Array outside that’s going to be a problem.”
Yang Kai frowned, “I saw all the Demons of this continent gathering here on my way. There are also countless Demon King-level Blood Demons presiding over their blood sacrifice. They’ve formed a blood cage with a boundless Blood Sea, and there are also those blood-coloured pillars that connect the Heavens and Earth. Does Senior know what the Demon Realm is trying to do?”
Bright Moon chuckled, “What else could they be planning? They’re thinking of eating this King!”
“Eating?” Yang Kai frowned. He thought to himself, [you’re not food or drink, how are they supposed to digest you?]
Bright Moon looked at him, “Why do you think they haven’t killed me after so long?”
Yang Kai thought about it, “Even rabbits will bite when they’re desperate, let alone a Great Emperor like Senior. They will have to pay a certain price if they truly want to kill you.”
“That is only one of the reasons.” Bright Moon smiled lightly, “Since you have successfully infiltrated into the Demon Realm, and even more so won the regard of a number of Demon Saints, you should also know some information about the Demon Realm.”
“May I know what topic Senior is referring to?”
“The top Masters in the Demon Realm are more numerous than those in the Star Boundary. With twelve Demon Saints in total, if they were to join hands, do you think this King would be able to resist them?”
At his words, Yang Kai pondered for a moment and his expression could not help but become grave as he shook his head, “No.”
It wasn’t that he underestimated Bright Moon, but the difference in numbers was just too great. If the Twelve Demon Saints were to join hands, then Bright Moon would die without a doubt. Considering all this, Yang Kai was suddenly taken aback. If things truly were that simple, then why would the Demon Realm spend so much time and effort to confine Bright Moon here, even going so far as to sacrifice all the Demons of the entire Eternal Sky Continent? Even though Eternal Sky Continent was in ruins after the fight between the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints, even causing the disappearance of several Territory Gates, it wasn’t in a completely abandoned state. So why would they drag all the Demons in the entire continent over to be used in a blood sacrifice?
“Indeed not. Perhaps this King may be able to struggle for a moment and cause some trouble for them, but it would be overly ambitious for this King to even think of dragging one of them down with me. In other words, if they truly wanted to kill me, then this King would long have been dead already.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “The Demon Realm can’t be trying to demonize you, can they?”
Since they didn’t kill him even though they had the power to, then the Demon Realm definitely had bigger plans brewing. If they could demonize Bright Moon, then it would be equivalent to gaining a Demon Saint-level Master out of thin air. Only… was that even possible?
Bright Moon smiled, “How could this King possibly be demonized? This King said so earlier, they don’t want to kill me, they’re trying to eat me! They want to feed me to the Demon Realm.”
Yang Kai looked at him, confused.
Bright Moon explained, “Great Emperors and Demon Saints are all existences recognized by the Great World that they are from. They themselves are one of the representatives of that World. So, if this King falls, the Star Boundary will be in turmoil. Many unexpected phenomena will arise. The reason why that old man Tian Shu can be sure of my survival is because of that very point.”
Yang Kai nodded. This was something he knew.
“Since you’ve arrived at this level of strength, I’m sure you’ve heard the theory of the World as a bottle.” Seeing Yang Kai nod, Bright Moon continued, “This King and the other nine are the largest stones of the Star Boundary’s bottle while the loose stones remaining are innumerable. If this King were to be buried in the Demon Realm, then assimilated and accepted by the Demon Realm, then the Demon Realm’s bottle would expand, making it possible to give birth to a thirteenth Demon Saint!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. If things truly were as Bright Moon said, then the Demon Realm’s target was not Bright Moon’s life. Killing a Great Emperor was sure to cause great changes in the structure of both worlds, but if the world power borne by a Great Emperor could be assimilated, then that would be the best result possible.
So, the reason why Bright Moon survived until now was first that the Demon Saints didn’t want to force the issue too far. Even though the twelve of them could kill Bright Moon without having to fear any of them being buried with him, Bright Moon will definitely have the chance to severely injure one or two in a desperate struggle. That was a price they weren’t willing to pay, and that was why they used the blood sacrifice to set up such a massive Spirit Array. Once their plot succeeded, the bottle of the Demon Realm would also expand, giving birth to a spot for another Demon Saint, while the Star Boundary would permanently lose a spot for a Great Emperor. In other words, a tenth Great Emperor would never appear again.
With that explanation, Yang Kai finally understood what Bright Moon meant by ‘eating’.
Killing him was just a means to an end, the ultimate goal of the Demon Saints was to digest the Star Boundary’s blessing from his body into this world.
“Then what should we do?” Yang Kai frowned. This matter concerned the Great Emperors and Demon Saints, as well as the future of the two Great Worlds. For a moment, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out any ideas and could only count on Bright Moon to lead the way.
But unexpectedly, Bright Moon slowly shook his head, “This King has no idea. Not only is this King now injured, but even if this King were completely unharmed, escaping from the Demon Realm would still likely be extremely difficult.”
Hearing him say so, Yang Kai’s heart sank, “Senior, is it truly impossible to leave here even if you were at full strength?”
Bright Moon pointed out and smiled, “The Demon Saint standing guard here is called Xue Li from the Blood Demon Clan and his strength is profound. Before you arrived here, I already tried many times to break free, but with him watching over this place, this King had no opportunities to take advantage of.”
Xue Li was a Blood Demon, so now with the blood sacrifice of countless Demons piled into this boundless Blood Sea, he was just like a fish in water here. Bright Moon’s repeated attempts to escape from this prison had all ended in failure, so he could only huddle back into a corner to recuperate his strength. If he hadn’t sensed Yang Kai’s aura this time, Bright Moon definitely wouldn’t have wasted his energy fighting.
Yang Kai hesitated before suggesting, “Senior, if I were to take you out…” But before his words could finish, he shook his head again, “No…”
Even though he was proficient in the Dao of Space and could use Instantaneous Movement, hoping to bring Bright Moon Great Emperor out of here under a Demon Saint’s watch was still just a fantasy. As soon as he tried to leave here, Xue Li would immediately give chase. Using the Sealed World Bead would also be impossible. Of course, Yang Kai could put Bright Moon into the Sealed World Bead, but once that happened, Yang Kai alone couldn’t even dream of being a match against Xue Li. When that time came, they would only die quicker.
Bright Moon smiled, “This King appreciates your kindness, but now that this King is at a dead end, you need not waste your efforts either. Being able to meet you one last time is also considered fate between you and I. If one day you are able to return to the Star Boundary, please tell Xun’er this for me. This King is unable to take care of her any longer. Tell her to take care.”
“It’s not the end yet, so why be discouraged, Senior?” Yang Kai looked solemn. Even though he was consoling him, he knew that Bright Moon clearly had some foresight into his future to have said such words. Though, unlike Tian Shu, he had no insight into the movements of the Heavens, having reached such a level of strength would dramatically increase one’s perception, even allowing them to comprehend some of the mysteries of fate.
“Before I came here, Junior Sister Lan Xun and I saw each other once. Junior Sister told me that I must bring you back no matter what. If you were to give up now, then how am I to explain to Junior Sister later?”
Bright Moon laughed, “This King is not giving up yet. Only… Sometimes, my strength is just not enough. If this King was in peak condition, then there might have been a thread of opportunity to escape, but now…” He looked down at the wound at his abdomen before slowly shaking his head.
His injuries were inflicted by a Demon Saint and were so severe that even if he could meditate and recuperate in peace, he might have a chance to recover after many years, but now that he was trapped here and forced to fight against the Blood Sea and the might of the Spirit Array surrounding him, how could Bright Moon have any attention to spare to heal his injuries? Staying here all this while, he could only build up strength and prepare for a final fight to the death.
However, though the speaker didn’t intend so, the listener may have their own thoughts. Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and said excitedly, “If Senior recovers from his injuries, then how big of a chance is there of escaping here and returning to the Star Boundary?”
“Less than 10%.”
Yang Kai was stunned. Was it really so small? 10% was almost equivalent to nothing. But on thinking about it again, it made sense. There was a Blood Sea formed outside, and with the blessing of the Spirit Array, even if Bright Moon managed to fully recover, even fighting one-on-one, he would not be able to defeat Xue Li. As long as Xue Li could delay him for a short time, then the other Demon Saints would surely arrive. Then, with the power of Twelve Demon Saints fighting against Bright Moon alone, how could he possibly escape?
But it was better than having no chance at all, so after a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai gritted his teeth and declared, “I might be able to help Senior recover.”
Bright Moon was stunned at his words and frowned, “It’s not that this King is unwilling to trust you, but do you know how severe this King’s injuries are?” His wound wasn’t something that could be solved through ordinary means. No pill in this world could solve an injury of this degree. If he wanted to recover, then he could only rely on himself. And yet Yang Kai suddenly told him that he had a way to help him recover. How could Bright Moon dare to believe it? He subconsciously thought that Yang Kai was a little too young and frivolous.
But all young people had such faults, and such blemishes cannot obscure a jade’s true lustre.
Yang Kai shook his head, “This Junior has no idea how severe Senior’s injuries are, but as long as Senior still has a single breath left in him, this Junior has a method to help you recover.”
Though his words were a little pompous, Bright Moon still began to believe him a little bit more; after all, someone who could successfully infiltrate the Demon Realm without being suspected by the Demon Saints definitely wasn’t a madman or braggart. For Yang Kai to dare say such a thing, he must have some certainty in himself.
“Then, this King would like to see how you are able to help him recover.”
“Please wait a moment, Senior!”
After Yang Kai’s words, he disappeared in a flash, and a bead suddenly fell on the ground.
Bright Moon raised a brow and reached out to pick up the Sealed World Bead into his hand. After scanning it, his face revealed a look of surprise. Even though he was not proficient in the Dao of Space, he could see some clues about this bead and couldn’t help but feel a little moved.
He was certain that this bead was one of Yang Kai’s most guarded treasures, but now it was so easily exposed before his eyes without even the slightest intention to conceal it. It was clear how much trust he was showing.
In the medicine garden inside the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai stood in front of a half-human-high, crystal-like, little tree that was emitting a jade-green light. Gazing at the only three remaining leaves on the small tree, Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help but show a sense of sadness.
It had been a number of years since he obtained the Immortal Tree and it didn’t have many leaves to begin with. With him picking a piece from time to time to save himself and others, he was now left with only these three leaves.
The reason why Yang Kai dared to make such a promise in front of Bright Moon Great Emperor was that he had the Immortal Tree.
Mu Zhu and Mu Na, the two Wood Spirits were floating on either side of the Immortal Tree like little two fairies. Only, they were currently looking at Yang Kai with nervous and cautious expressions on their faces. Yang Kai suddenly appeared in the medicine garden and came directly to the Immortal Tree, so they already guessed what his intention was.
For the two Wood Spirits, the Immortal Tree was a true sacred object of the world. Nothing else could compare with it. After entering Yang Kai’s service, they had been taking great care of the medicine garden and the Immortal Tree, so how could they not be wary when Yang Kai was looking over with such a dangerous look in his eyes?
A moment later, Yang Kai sighed. Looking at Mu Na, he smiled bitterly, “I need to save someone.”
[Just as expected!] Mu Na and Mu Zhu both had troubled looks on their faces. For the first time, they had the idea of throwing Yang Kai out. Only, how could two little Wood Spirits achieve that? What’s more, the Immortal Tree belonged to Yang Kai to begin with, so it wasn’t up to them to decide what Yang Kai did with it.
“Do you have to use it?” Mu Na bit her lip and asked pitifully, as if Yang Kai were threatening her with some heinous act of violence.
Yang Kai nodded his head, “It has to be this!”
Mu Na’s face turned ashen in an instant even if she knew that the situation Yang Kai was facing must be severe for him to need to use the Immortal Tree.
Exchanging glances with Mu Zhu, Mu Na raised a finger, “Will one leaf do?”
Naturally, she knew that what Yang Kai wanted was the leaves of the Immortal Tree, and it was impossible for him to actually bring out the Immortal Tree; however, there were only three leaves left, if he took one away, then only two would be left.
Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai shook his head, “I need all three of them!”
He wasn’t underestimating the healing power of the Immortal Tree. According to Yang Kai’s estimate, one leaf would basically be enough to help Bright Moon recover to his peak, while two would be an absolute guarantee! But even if Bright Moon were to restore himself to his peak condition, he would still have to face a vicious battle, and it would be inevitable for him to get hurt again. Giving Bright Moon an extra leaf from the Immortal Tree to keep might just be able to save his life at a critical moment, increasing the odds of him being able to escape from the Demon Realm and return to the Star Boundary.
So, this was no time to be saving on resources.
Mu Zhu couldn’t help but look at Yang Kai with some curiosity, “What woman is worth you doing this much?”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “What sort of man am I in your eyes? How did a woman get dragged into this?”
This was a rather big misunderstanding.
Mu Zhu snorted, “If it’s not a woman, then how could you be so willing?”
Yang Kai sighed, “It’s Bright Moon Great Emperor. Right now, I’ve arrived in the Demon Realm. The Great Emperor has been trapped and is wounded, so only the Immortal Tree’s leaves are capable of saving him. It has nothing to do with any woman.”
“Bright Moon Great Emperor!” Mu Zhu and Mu Na both straightened their expressions.
“The details are quite complicated, and I don’t have time to explain too much to you right now. When you’re free, you can ask Embodiment.”
Mu Zhu nodded, “In that case, take them.”
While speaking, she moved aside with Mu Na.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How was this hiring two assistants to cultivate his Spirit Medicines? It was more like he had gained two little Ancestors! Even though he wanted to use his own things, he still had to get permission from them!
Reaching out and picking the three leaves, Yang Kai took out a jade box and placed them inside before nodding to the two Wood Spirits. Only then did Yang Kai leave the Small Sealed World with a flash.
When he arrived back at Bright Moon’s side, the latter returned the Sealed World Bead to him and smiled, “I was still wondering how I was going to send you out of here safely, but since you have this, everything will be much simpler.”
Yang Kai was stunned but quickly understood the meaning behind Bright Moon’s words. But now wasn’t the time to be discussing such things. Yang Kai accepted the Sealed World Bead and handed the jade box he was holding over, “Senior, this should allow you to recover within a short amount of time.”
Bright Moon looked at him with interest. Even a man as knowledgeable as him could not understand how Yang Kai could be so confident. He accepted the box and was just about to open it when Yang Kai suddenly said, “Senior, I think it would be best if you erected another barrier to isolate this place lest the aura leaks; after all, there’s still a Demon Saint standing guard outside.”
Originally, this place had already been isolated by Bright Moon both inside and out; otherwise, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to be conversing with him safely, he would’ve been discovered by Xue Li long ago. But for Yang Kai to make such a proposal now meant that the object within the jade box must be no small matter. It was likely to make a great impact once the jade box was opened.
Bright Moon stared deeply at Yang Kai for a moment before nodding lightly, he made seals with one hand and an even more dazzling light was suddenly released from the waning moon behind his back, illuminating this small place as bright as day.
Only then did Bright Moon open the box gently.
A ray of green light immediately appeared before his eyes while an amazing amount of vitality poured out. Even Bright Moon Great Emperor, who had vast experiences through thousands and thousands of years, could not help but feel slightly startled. He really couldn’t imagine what this object was to actually contain such great vitality.
Looking down, he saw three verdant green leaves inside the jade box. Each leaf was less than a palm length long and appeared like a precious gemstone with clear lines on its surface. Each leaf was emitting a faint fragrance that made one feel comfortable just by breathing it in.
Bright Moon’s pupils shrank slightly and comparing the object in his hands and the various information he had, he exclaimed after a short while, “So it’s this!”
He obviously recognized what these leaves were. He was a Great Emperor after all. Even if there was anything in this world that he had not seen before, he would surely have read about it in some ancient book at least. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize what these leaves were.
Yang Kai said, “Can this help Senior recover?”
“Indeed!” Bright Moon closed the jade box and looked at Yang Kai with a burning gaze, “No wonder Tian Shu sent you to the Demon Realm. For you to have such good fortune, it is indeed true that ordinary people cannot compare to you.”
After the events at the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda, Bright Moon had investigated Yang Kai a bit and learned his background. A young man who came from a lower Star Field and was able to stir up the wind and clouds within just a few dozen years, showing his potential and proving himself a dragon among men. And now, it seemed that the fortunes of this young man before him really weren’t ordinary, even allowing him to obtain something as precious as the Immortal Tree.
The three tender leaves had clearly just been collected. If Yang Kai did not possess the Immortal Tree itself, how could he have harvested these?
When he heard Bright Moon say so, Yang Kai smiled happily and urged, “In that case, then please use them quickly, Senior. I will stand guard for you.”
Bright Moon shook his head and laughed, “There’s no need to hurry. Even with these, I won’t be able to recover so quickly. It will take at least a year.”
“A year…” Yang Kai’s face stiffened. He originally thought that Bright Moon would be able to recover back to peak condition very quickly with the Immortal Tree’s leaves, then he could get out of here with him and return to the Star Boundary, consider his task complete, and saving him the hassle of feigning friendship and cooperation with the Demons here in the Demon Realm. But now that Yang Kai heard that it would actually take a year, he knew that he was being too hasty.
Not to mention a year, he couldn’t even wait a month. If he really disappeared for that long, then Bai Ya would definitely become suspicious. Then, if he followed the trail and chased him here, he would only ruin Bright Moon’s last opportunity.
Bright Moon smiled, “I’m not in a hurry, so what are you worried about?”
Yang Kai smiled embarrassedly, not sure how to answer.
Bright Moon’s face suddenly turned serious and he raised the jade box in his hands, “This matter will not leave my lips.”
The meaning of his words was obviously to tell Yang Kai that he definitely would not spread the fact of his possessing the Immortal Tree; after all, this news was simply too explosive. If it were to get out, there was no saying what sort of troubles it would bring to Yang Kai. Rumour had it that by refining the Immortal Tree, one could achieve an immortal and indestructible body, a feat aspired to even by Great Emperors. How could Bright Moon repay Yang Kai’s kindness with enmity when he could take out the leaves of the Immortal Tree at such a time to heal him?
“If I couldn’t trust Senior, then I wouldn’t have done so in the first place. Senior’s safety is very important to the Star Boundary, so I hope Senior can recover as early as possible and escape from here, returning to the Star Boundary to help preside over the larger situation. Then this Junior can also retire in success.”
Bright Moon was still smiling, but he did not comment. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Please pay attention to the news here in one year. If any changes arise, remember to rush here as soon as possible. This King still has something to tell you.”
Yang Kai looked steadily at him and suddenly had an uneasy feeling in his heart, as if Bright Moon was going to tell him his last words, certain that he would be unable to leave the Demon Realm.
Yang Kai opened his mouth, but he had no idea what to say. It was foolish to try and console a Great Emperor, so he might as well not say anything at a time like this, only hoping that Bright Moon’s luck would prevail.
“You should go now,” Bright Moon suddenly said.
Yang Kai was silent for a moment, but he soon nodded, “Take care, Senior!”
Bright Moon smiled, “You too. You must be careful in the Demon Realm, especially with that Yu Ru Meng. Don’t trust her too much. She likely has a method to escape the restrictions of that Secret Technique!”
Bright Moon was already the second person to say this to Yang Kai. First, it was Bei Li Mo, but she could just be sowing discord and harboring evil intentions. On the other hand, Bright Moon saying the same thing with only good intentions meant there was a great likelihood that Yu Ru Meng could really do such a thing. Only, it wasn’t the right time yet.
But that didn’t mean anything to Yang Kai since he had already dealt with the matter by himself long ago. He just had to keep up the necessary precautions.
“Junior will remember,” Yang Kai nodded and looked deeply at Bright Moon Great Emperor again before slipping back into the Small Sealed World.
What Bright Moon told him earlier was enough for him to understand how Bright Moon would send him safely away from here, so there was no need to say anything more.
Bright Moon caught the Sealed World Bead before it could fall and with a flick of his sleeves, a brilliant light emerged from his eyes. The waning moon which had been hanging behind his back suddenly became full and round, spreading its soft white light in all directions.
A violent power surged out and the Blood Sea which had not been calm for long suddenly began to boil once more, forming great waves from the impact.
All around the Blood Sea, many of the Blood Demon Clan Demon Kings paled and madly circulated their Demon Qi to protect themselves, but how could the wrath of a Great Emperor be something easy to resist? As the waves of the Blood Sea slammed down on them, several dozen Demon Kings were instantly killed.
Fortunately for them, several Half-Saints nearby reacted quickly and moved to suppress the situation, which helped things from turning much worse; however, the power of these people alone was simply unable to suppress a Great Emperor, even if he was wounded.
In just a short three breaths of time, the Half-Saints all revealed troubled expressions as fear and anxiety took them.
It was at that moment that a blood-coloured figure reappeared. Xue Li, with his red hair flying in the air, raised his hand and slammed it down violently.
As if a huge invisible mountain had descended from the Heavens, the bubbling Blood Sea calmed in an instant without so much as a ripple. Only then did the Half-Saints and Demon Kings breathe sighs of relief, as if they had narrowly escaped death.
Atop the blood-coloured pillar, Xue Li’s scarlet eyes glowed with suspicion, brows furrowing as he looked into the depths of the Blood Sea.
For this man to act twice in one day was quite unusual. Bright Moon was no fool, so putting up this kind of resistance would only be a complete waste of power. Not only would it have no effect, it would even put him in an even more difficult situation.
[What is the reason for all this? Bright Moon can’t be thinking of giving up and making one final struggle, can he?]
Just as he was thinking so, Xue Li’s eyes suddenly darkened, because hundreds of bright light beams shot out from below the surface of the Blood Sea which had just calmed down. The thick Blood Sea was unable to block the light assault, and wherever the beams passed, the bloody water was being purified, revealing long and thick channels.
What’s more, the Demons in the way of where the light beams passed all died with a single touch, unable to put up the slightest resistance. The white light shot into the distance in all directions, spreading tens of thousands of kilometres, piercing through the world before gradually disappearing out of sight.
Counting the ones from before, over a hundred Demon Kings were lost to these events, as well as countless other Demons, all of them cut down as easily as one would slice melons and chop vegetables.
Xue Li bellowed furiously, “Bright Moon, you court death!” With a wave of both arms, countless Blood Beasts were instantly formed within the Blood Sea, each one shaped oddly but incredibly lifelike. Each one of them emitted a fierce aura as they charged into the Blood Sea, lunging towards the pure land at its centre to suppress its scope.
Bright Moon swiftly executed another move as he called out in a mocking tone, “Xue Li, if you have the ability to kill this King, then come down here and do it! What’s stopping you?”
Xue Li coldly snorted. Not to mention that he didn’t really have the ability to kill Bright Moon with his power alone, even if he did, it was impossible for him to do such a thing. The goal of the Demon Saints was to have Bright Moon digested by the Demon Realm, so how could he kill him off so simply?
Only, Bright Moon’s provocations today that killed off so many Demon Kings undoubtedly angered Xue Li, so he did not hold back this time either. Though Bright Moon wasn’t an easy man to kill, it was definitely no problem to add to his injuries. As long as he was completely beaten down, such a situation like today would not happen again.
For a while, the battle of a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint across the boundless Blood Sea shook the World. Inside the Blood Sea, the pure land of light was constantly expanding and shrinking, warping repeatedly.
With Xue Li personally making a move, he was finally able to stabilize the array base and more Blood Demon Clan Demon Kings filled in the missing positions, spurring on the blood sacrifice, helping Xue Li fuel the array.
The battle did not last long, only half a day before Bright Moon finally took the initiative to back down.
Xue Li did not intend to pursue him either; after all, he wasn’t actually planning to bury Bright Moon here. Even though he had no idea what Bright Moon’s current condition was, Xue Li was sure he was in a terrible state. The most intuitive proof of that being that the pure white land in the Blood Sea had been reduced to half its size compared to half a day ago.
And, from the looks of it, the Blood Sea’s area had also been reduced by nearly a tenth of its original size.
One-tenth was an amount gained through the blood sacrifice of billions of Demons though. In other words, this short half-day fight alone caused several billions of Demons to die in vain.
Xue Li’s face sank and he coldly snorted, “You’re just seeking trouble!” In order to prevent Bright Moon from pulling any more tricks, he did not withdraw again and instead remained atop the blood-coloured pillar for several days, only leaving when he was certain that Bright Moon had truly settled down.
At the bottom of the boundless Blood Sea, in the small pure white land, Bright Moon’s face was pale. Bleeding from his seven orifices, he looked to be in a terrible state.
The half-day fight with Xue Li overwhelmed his already injured body even more. If not for what Yang Kai gave him before, then he would never have done such a thing; after all, he had been purposely saving up his power for so long just so he could make a final stand. Using up his strength in advance would just be a waste of his efforts.
Fortunately, Yang Kai brought him new hope. Opening the jade box, he took one of the Immortal Tree’s leaves, lightly twisting it several times before placing it into his mouth. Holding the leaf under his tongue, he circulated his Healing Art silently.
A short while later, a bright green glow was released from the countless pores on Bright Moon’s skin while surging vitality flowed through his body and meridians, repairing the body’s inner wounds. The flesh around the gaping hole at his abdomen also began to writhe as dark Demon Qi was gradually pushed out, allowing it to slowly close up.
When he felt the powerful restoration abilities of the Immortal Tree’s leaf, even Bright Moon could not help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise.
While he had been locked in an intense battle with Xue Li, somewhere several thousand kilometres away, Yang Kai suddenly appeared with a grave expression.
He had been hiding inside of the Sealed World Bead, which had been shot out with the help of Bright Moon’s power. They more or less took some risks with this attempt. If Xue Li had detected the Sealed World Bead’s existence, then Yang Kai was sure to have been exposed.
But at a time like that, it was impossible even for Xue Li to keep track of everything in his surroundings. And, having caught Xue Li off guard, Bright Moon was able to find a suitable opportunity to send out the Sealed World Bead.
It was simply impossible to avoid the perception of a Demon Saint’s Divine Sense with only a distance of several thousand kilometres, so after emerging from the Sealed World Bead, Yang Kai looked around him, only to see the wind and clouds being stirred in that direction while rumbling sounds poured out incessantly. He knew that Bright Moon was diverting Xue Li’s attention, so he didn’t hesitate to turn around and speed off in the direction whence he came.
Having made no twists or turns along the way, Yang Kai had returned to Bei Li Mo’s territory in just two days and rejoined Tu Qia Luo and the others.
The rest of the day went smoothly.
Yang Kai’s goal of infiltrating Eternal Sky Continent in order to seek out Bright Moon had been accomplished, and now that he knew what his condition was, all Yang Kai needed to do was wait a year before keeping his ears open for news about Eternal Sky Continent, then find the right opportunity to make his move. So, he couldn’t be bothered to trouble himself over anything else anymore. Naturally, Yang Kai was quite cooperative with the matter of dealing with the Territory Gates in Bei Li Mo’s territory. He restored the gates that needed restoring and maintained the ones that needed maintaining. Of course, if the opportunity arose for him to seek out the lost continents and allow the Sealed World Bead to devour them, Yang Kai wouldn’t waste the opportunity either.
This state of affairs continued for two months before all the continents on Bei Li Mo’s territory had been settled. Then, the group finally travelled back to Soaring Snow Continent.
Yang Kai didn’t really want to meet with Bei Li Mo, but he couldn’t refuse Bai Ya’s forceful invitation. What’s more, he was in someone else’s territory, so he should indeed say goodbye to the owner before leaving.
After hurrying back to Soaring Snow Continent, Yang Kai was once again brought into Soaring Snow Ice Palace under Bai Ya’s lead. After waiting for a long while inside, Bai Ya came back with an awkward expression.
Yang Kai looked at him, a little confused.
Bai Ya said, “Brother Yang, Holy Venerable has some important matters to deal with, so I’m afraid she won’t have the time to see you today.”
Yang Kai snickered in his heart. What important matter could so occupy Bei Li Mo’s time that she wouldn’t even have the time to see him? She clearly just didn’t want to see him, which was fine since he couldn’t be bothered to see her either; everyone was in agreement. At once, Yang Kai cupped his fists, “In that case, this King will excuse himself first. Farewell, Brother Bai Ya!”
In any case, since he had already offered his courtesy, there was no excuse that Bei Li Mo could use to blame him in the future.
“Please wait, Brother Yang!” Bai Ya quickly stopped him.
“Is anything else the matter?” Yang Kai asked.
Bai Ya said seriously, “I’m afraid Brother Yang won’t be able to return.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?” Bei Li Mo wouldn’t be thinking of keeping him here forever, right? That would be too naive of her. If she really were to do so, then Yu Ru Meng definitely wouldn’t agree.
When Bai Ya saw his expression, he knew that he’d misunderstood, but there was no helping it; after all, Bei Li Mo had a previous offence on record. She even tossed Yang Kai into the Frozen Nether Ice Prison and kept him confined there for a good many days.
Bai Ya quickly explained, “It’s like this. Since Brother Yang has the ability to restore the Territory Gates, the other Holy Venerables also require your assistance. So, Brother Yang has to take a trip to Holy Venerable Chi Yan’s territory.”
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched at his words. Even though he had long known that he would not have peace for a long time to come, he didn’t expect these Demon Saints of the Demon Realm to not even offer him the time to rest. How much of a hurry were these people in? And he had no idea what they were rushing for either. Those Territory Gates weren’t going to just disappear tomorrow.
After pondering for a moment, he answered, “Then I must still return to Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s side to inform her of the situation here.”
Bai Ya smiled, “This is also the thoughts of Holy Venerable Ru Meng. That is to say, Holy Venerable Ru Meng does not need Brother Yang to return. You can do so after taking care of the Territory Gates in each Demon Saint’s territory first.”
Yang Kai was a little speechless at his words and tried to confirm, “Did Ru Meng really say such a thing?”
Bai Ya nodded, “Holy Venerable Ru Meng and Holy Venerable Li Mo have already contacted each other regarding this.”
He estimated that Bei Li Mo wouldn’t lie to him about such a thing. Since she already said so, then it must be true. Yang Kai felt annoyed to have been sold out by Yu Ru Meng unknowingly. It seemed like his weight in her heart was not as heavy as he thought. Perhaps she really did have a method to break free from the Heart Seal Secret Technique’s restrictions. In that case, he really would have to be careful of her in the future.
With a gloomy face, he nodded, “Since it is an order from the Holy Venerable, this King shall obey.”
Bai Ya extended a hand, “Let me send you, Brother Yang.” Seemingly afraid of being rejected by Yang Kai, he added, “Brother Yang’s safety cannot be compromised. Someone from Holy Venerable Chi Yan’s side will come for the handover with me, so I have to at least show my face.”
Since he had already said so, Yang Kai could only agree, thinking to himself how they’d made him look just like a prisoner under confinement, even performing a handover…
After leaving Soaring Snow Continent, they made their way towards Chi Yan’s territory.
Chi Yan was from the Flame Demon Clan and his territory bordered that of Bei Li Mo’s. His relationship with Bei Li Mo was just like that of Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng. They were both neighbours, so it didn’t take him much time to arrive.
A Half-Saint was mobilized from the other side, who also seemed to be a Flame Demon. Even his skin was dark red.
However, this unknown Half-Saint was different from Bai Ya. He seemed like a reserved and serious character, so after the handover and confirmation of Yang Kai’s identity, he simply threw him a Space Ring before turning around and leaving.
Yang Kai was bewildered, having no idea what this guy meant by this. Wasn’t he invited here to restore the Territory Gates? Why did it seem as if they were treating him as a beggar? Yang Kai wanted to make things clear, but the man had already disappeared from sight. As expected of the Flame Demon Clan, their temperaments were hot and decisive, choosing to act rather than speak.
Helpless, Yang Kai could only check the Space Ring and found several jade slips inside. Taking them out and looking at them, the lost and unstable Territory Gates, as well as the lost continents in Chi Yan’s domain were recorded inside.
Yang Kai guessed that they had made preparations here after they caught wind of information that leaked from Bei Li Mo’s side, which also saved Yang Kai a lot of effort.
Other than the jade slips with the recorded information, there was a token that was neither jade nor stone inside the ring. There were no words on it, only a burning flame, but Yang Kai had no idea what it symbolized.
Yang Kai guessed that this was most likely that Half-Saint’s token, which made sense. He was given the token in order to facilitate his travel in the continents so that he would not be interrogated or harassed.
[Interesting,] Yang Kai looked pleased. He was originally dissatisfied with the Flame Demon’s arrogant attitude, but now it seemed it was just what he wished for. Instead, it was Bai Ya’s type who was smiling all day yet constantly guarded against him that he found most annoying.
This was good. No one would interfere with him in Chi Yan’s territory, so he could do whatever he wanted and free his hands and legs completely.
After ordering his ten thousand subordinates to stop and rest, Yang Kai took out the jade slips and began studying them one by one. The number of Territory Gates that needed restoring and maintaining was not the main point, but rather the number of lost continents in Chi Yan’s territory.
In Yu Ru Meng’s territory, the Sealed World Bead devoured three continents, while there were three more that Yang Kai couldn’t find. On the other hand, the Sealed World Bead devoured four continents in Bei Li Mo’s continent.
There were a total of six continents that disappeared from Chi Yan’s territory, and if no one was there to interfere, then Yang Kai could seek out all six of these continents and devour them.
After studying for more than an hour and planning his route, Yang Kai ordered his troops to set off.
His days in Chi Yan’s domain were smooth sailing as expected. Even if some of the Demons on the various continents found his behaviour strange and came forward to interrogate him, he just had to show the token to make them leave.
In less than two months, Yang Kai had completely settled everything here.
Up to this point, Yang Kai still did not see any sign of that Flame Demon Half-Saint who had shown up on the first day.
Since his token was still in his possession, Yang Kai couldn’t just leave with it though. Helpless, he went to the continent where the Holy City was located, firstly to return the token, and secondly to ask where he should go next.
He had a feeling that Chi Yan’s place wasn’t his final destination, and that he would have to go on to the next Demon Saint’s territory immediately after.
And fact proved itself so. After finding that Half-Saint he met previously at the Holy City and returning the token to him, Yang Kai was asked to follow the man without any other words and was led all the way to a nearby Territory Gate.
After passing through several continents, they arrived at another Demon Saint’s territory. There was already a Half-Saint waiting for them there. After the handover, the Flame Demon Half-Saint turned around and left.
This new Half-Saint that Yang Kai just met had a rather good attitude and chatted a few words with him, seemingly wanting them to get to know each other a little.
He also passed Yang Kai a lot of information.
Since he didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving, Yang Kai grumbled in his heart, thinking that he couldn’t possibly have bumped into another Bai Ya, could he?
But since the man was insistent on following him, then he had no way around it either; after all, this was his territory.
After studying the information, Yang Kai planned his route and set off.
The Half-Saint did follow Yang Kai around for a few days, so Yang Kai had originally intended to deal with him the same way he dealt with Bai Ya. Unexpectedly though, this Half-Saint actually took the initiative to excuse himself and leave a few days later, even leaving his token for Yang Kai before departing, telling him to visit the Holy City once he was done to return the token to him. It turned out he had originally followed him around just for the sake of novelty, and once the novelty wore off, he simply left.
Day after day, Yang Kai led his ten thousand men around each continent like an on-call repairman, restoring the Territory Gates on the Demon Realm. The Demon Saints were all very enthusiastic about this matter, so practically everywhere he went, there were Half-Saints there to arrange everything for him. All he had to do was draw up his plan according to routine, and then head over to each continent to repair the Territory Gates.
After going through the territories of several Demon Saints, the Small Sealed World had already swallowed up nearly twenty lost continents, and the realm had now been expanded to an unimaginable degree. Even the Myriad Demon Pills that Yang Kai harvested had now reached several thousand in total. They were definitely enough for the Embodiment to advance to the Half-Saint realm. The only thing he needed now was some time.
On a certain day, while Yang Kai and his ten thousand subordinates were on the move, he suddenly stopped and looked ahead.
The people behind him also quickly stopped and looked over curiously.
Tu Qia Luo looked around but found nothing unusual in their surroundings, so he couldn’t help but ask in perplexity, “Great King, what happened?”
Yang Kai did not answer him. He just frowned at a certain spot in the air, deeply gazing as if trying to see through the void.
“Oh? You’re actually able to sense me?” As a voice sounded and a figure appeared out of thin air some three kilometres away. The stranger was a man, but he was a little different from all the other Demons that Yang Kai met before. There was actually a horn growing on the man’s forehead that was the length of a finger, and two fingers thick. It curved upwards, just like the horn of a rhinoceros. The man was also unusually strong and burly looking.
His appearance did surprise Yang Kai a little. Though there were so many clans in the Demon Realm, each one of them having different appearances and characteristics, it was his first time seeing a guy with a horn growing out of his forehead.
Where did this guy come from?
But no matter the identity of the other man, his strength was not to be underestimated. Yang Kai had only noticed some discordance ahead and did not actually sense any trace of this man. If he had not taken the initiative to reveal himself, then Yang Kai may have had to come closer before he could see through this concealment.
[He’s definitely a Half-Saint!]
Yang Kai was bewildered, but Tu Qia Luo, He Yin, and the others all began circulating their Demon Qi as if they were facing a great enemy, looking vigilantly at him. Bo Ya also began to draw her bow, Divine Sense surging while a meter-long arrow was locked onto the Half-Saint ahead.
Yang Kai glanced around and thought it even more strange. What was wrong with everyone today? They had come across so many half-Saints these past days, yet they’d never been this nervous before. Could this man before them have some sort of special background?
Just as he was thinking so, Bo Ya silently transmitted her voice over, “Be careful, that guy’s from Hundred Spirits Continent.”
[Hundred Spirits Continent?] Yang Kai frowned at her words, but after thinking for a moment, he quickly recalled that he had indeed seen the existence of this continent on his map before and nodded lightly, “Which Demon Saint’s territory does Hundred Spirits Continent belong to?”
Hundred Spirits Continent was still some distance away from here, and they would have to pass through at least five Territory Gates in order to reach it. For a Half-Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent to intercept him here all of a sudden, Yang Kai’s thoughts couldn’t help but turn in a different direction. He thought to himself, [Isn’t that Demon Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent too eager? I have to go there sooner or later to repair the Territory Gates, so there’s no need for this, right?]
Bo Ya glanced speechlessly at Yang Kai and replied, “Hundred Spirits Continent is not part of any Demon Saint’s territory.”
Yang Kai was surprised to hear that answer and turned to look curiously at her, “What do you mean?”
Bo Ya answered with a serious expression, “Your Star Boundary has Divine Spirits, and so does the Demon Realm. These Divine Spirits have long inheritances, and some have existed since the birth of the Demon Realm itself. All of them have powerful abilities that do not fall behind any others. Even though the Holy Venerables have divided 99% of the entire Demon Realm, there is one remaining continent that is occupied by these Divine Spirits and is not under the jurisdiction of any Holy Venerable, and that is Hundred Spirits Continent. As for the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, he is an existence no weaker than the Twelve Holy Venerables!”
Yang Kai was amazed to hear this. It turned out there was actually another Master comparable to the Twelve Demon Saints in the Demon Realm? But on second thought, it wasn’t so strange at all. There was still Dragon Island in the Star Boundary where Great Elder and Second Elder were both comparable to Great Emperors. The growth of a Divine Spirit was not bound by the bottle of the World because they had their own bloodline inheritance, and did not require the approval of the world’s power to continue growing stronger.
“This guy should be a Divine Spirit, and he’s probably here for you. The Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent have also begun showing problems.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Then, I’m guessing the relationship between this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent and the Holy Venerables is not very good.” If they were on good terms, then there would be no need to send someone here to intercept him. They just had to talk to the other Demon Saints, and Yang Kai would naturally head over by himself.
Bo Ya couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “You’re still in the mood for such bad jokes?”
“Would you rather I cry and weep instead?” Yang Kai snickered.
It was just a Half-Saint. Even though this man was undoubtedly strong, it wasn’t enough to make Yang Kai fear him. Right now, there was still a short way to go before the Embodiment could ascend to the Half-Saint realm, but if they worked together, then even if they couldn’t beat their opponent with all their strength, they wouldn’t be completely defenceless.
Yang Kai’s fight with Cang Mo back in the Star Boundary was the best example. That Cang Mo was also a Half-Saint level Master, though in the Star Boundary, he was known as a Pseudo-Great Emperor.
Bo Ya continued, “The special situation of Hundred Spirits Continent is hard to explain in just a few words, but you’re right. The Lord of that continent is not in a good relationship with the Holy Venerables, but it’s not bad to the point where there’s an open confrontation. You are Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s man, so he may not dare to do anything to you.”
Yang Kai shot her a faint glance before cursing in his heart at his unfortunate position. To think he would actually be reduced to a little white face that had to depend on a woman here in the Demon Realm, having to borrow Yu Ru Meng’s prestige everywhere he went.
While he communicated with Bo Ya, the single-horned Divine Spirit on the opposite side did not interrupt them either. It wasn’t until their Divine Sense fluctuations subsided that he asked in a cheerful manner, “So, you’re the Human?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “If there are no other Humans in the Demon Realm, then I am him.”
“Very good. Come with me,” The single-horned Divine Spirit nodded, speaking in a tone that accepted no refusals.
Yang Kai’s face turned disgruntled in an instant. If this man could have spoken to him properly, then it wouldn’t have been impossible for him to go. In any case, he had been running through so many continents during this period already, what would it matter to add one more Hundred Spirits Continent? But to be shown such an attitude by this man repulsed Yang Kai a little.
[Helping you restore the Territory Gates is a favour, not an obligation. Why must I follow you? Really, without common ground, even half a sentence would be a waste of breath.] So, Yang Kai shook his head, “This King is subordinate to Holy Saint Ru Meng. If Your Excellency wishes to invite this King, then you will need to inform Holy Venerable Ru Meng beforehand. Only with the Holy Venerable’s word can this King move. Otherwise, this King is powerless.” He couldn’t be bothered to say more to this man, so Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “If there is nothing else, please give way. This King still has matters to attend to and cannot be delayed for too long.”
Naturally, the single-horned Divine Spirit didn’t move and just grinned at him, “I advise you to come with me obediently. Less resistance means less pain, don’t you think so?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Does Your Excellency mean to start a fight with this King? I just wonder whether Your Excellency can withstand the wrath of Holy Venerable Ru Meng?”
The single-horned Divine Spirit scoffed, “The mighty name of a Holy Venerable may frighten others, but not those of our Hundred Spirits Continent!”
[Oh? He wants to go against them? No wonder the relationship between the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent and the Demon Saints is not good. For such a disobedient group as them, there’s probably no Demon Saint who would be fond of them.]
[So why don’t the Demon Saints join hands to destroy the continent? They even managed to drive Bright Moon Great Emperor into a corner. If the Demon Saints really joined forces, then they must have been able to destroy Hundred Spirits Continent ages ago.]
But on second thought, Yang Kai understood how Hundred Spirits Continent could survive between the cracks.
Not to mention the fact that the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent himself was an existence not inferior to the Demon Saints, the Twelve Demon Saints would really have to join forces completely to deal with such a big piece of meat. Hundred Spirits Continent would undoubtedly fight back if pushed to a corner, so just one or two Demon Saints wouldn’t be sufficient. What’s more, loose alliances and shifting allies would only serve to complicate matters.
But of course, there were way too many factors involved here. For a moment, this was the only reason that Yang Kai could think of, but regardless of the truth, if Hundred Spirits Continent could survive in the Demon Realm, there must be a good reason!
The single-horned Divine Spirit didn’t seem to have much patience and shouted soon after, “I’ll give you ten breaths of time. Think about your answer carefully and don’t disappoint me!”
Yang Kai rolled his eyes to the sky and faced him with his nostrils.
This action caused the mouth of the single-horned Divine Spirit to twitch…
But he kept his word. Ten breaths meant ten breaths. Once time was up, dense Demon Qi poured out of his body and he scoffed, “Since you won’t cooperate, then I’ll have to use force!”
As he spoke, he stretched a hand toward Yang Kai. Following his movements, World Energy surged and a black hand coalesced from Black Demon Qi grabbed at Yang Kai.
The faces of Bo Ya and the others changed dramatically, and all of them made a move. Even Li Shi Qing gritted her teeth and sent out a rain of flower petals, each petal containing terrifying cutting force.
However, despite their numbers and their strength, they were still no match for a Half-Saint. So, as their attacks fell on top of the large hand of Demon Qi, it only caused a ripple before disappearing without a trace.
Yang Kai had no intention of defending though and instead just kept a cold smile on his lips as he stepped forward, as if preparing himself for death.
The single-horned Divine Spirit was stunned by this and had no idea what Yang Kai was up to. Even though he did not intend to take Yang Kai’s life with this attack, it still contained a considerable amount of power. If it really landed on Yang Kai’s body, then with a cultivation equivalent to a Mid-Rank Demon King, he wouldn’t be able to survive it.
His goal in this trip was to bring Yang Kai back to Hundred Spirits Continent, not to kill him. If he really did kill Yang Kai, then it was sure to anger most of the Demon Saints, which was not a responsibility he could bear.
Thoughts flashing, he hastily withdrew some of his power.
But Yang Kai still showed no intention of resisting. Instead, he opened his arms as if to welcome the arrival of death.
[Is this guy sick in the head!?] The single-horned Divine Spirit was dumbfounded, but right now, it was too late to stop the attack. Seeing that the Human in front of him was about to be hit, a shocking aura suddenly spread out. Then, a slender figure instantly stood in front of Yang Kai, raising her fair palm and gently thrusting it forward.
In an instant, the large palm made of black Demon Qi dissipated.
Seeing Xiao Wu standing in front of him, Yang Kai smiled.
If he joined forces with the Embodiment, Yang Kai was sure to be able to put up a fight against this single-horned Divine Spirit, but he definitely wouldn’t be able to take any advantages either. So, Yang Kai figured he may as well take care of him by having Yu Ru Meng appear by Soul Descend. It saved time and effort.
When they saw Xiao Wu teleporting in front of Yang Kai to block the blow, Bo Ya and the others all let out a long sigh of relief. With the Holy Venerable making another appearance through Soul Descend, even if they were facing a Half-Saint, the other party would still have to back down.
But who knew that not only would the single-horned Divine Spirit not retreat, he even looked as if he had expected this result and gritted his teeth, “I knew it…”
At those words, a fist pounded forward, bringing forth an Earth-shattering power.
“Courting death!” Yu Ru Meng’s eyes were cold as she thrust her palm three consecutive times, sending a terrifyingly vast and irresistible force forward that completely neutralized the single-horned Divine Spirit’s attack. Not only that, but the aftershocks of it even left a sizable dent on his chest.
Fresh blood sprayed out from the single-horned Divine Spirit’s mouth.
Even if it were just a wisp of her Soul, the power of a Demon Saint was still not something that this man could withstand.
A look of astonishment flashed past the single-horned Divine Spirit’s eyes before he quickly retreated.
Yu Ru Meng would not allow him to act recklessly in front of her. If it was the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent in person, then she might have some reservations, but this man was a mere Half-Saint. She could just kill him directly. It wasn’t as if the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent could try to seek her out to settle the account; after all, they were the ones being rude to begin with.
So, body shifting, Yu Ru Meng directly gave chase and let out a scream that shook the Divine Spirit’s mind as he madly tried to withdraw, almost causing him to fall from the sky. This was obviously a Soul attack, and its might was no trifling matter.
The single-horned Divine Spirit was instantly bleeding from his seven orifices and looked miserable, but he still grinned and broke out in laughter, “You’ve fallen for my trick!”
Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed and seemingly realizing something, she quickly turned her head around to look, only to see two figures emerging from left and right, pincering Yang Kai who was just watching the show. Without even giving him the opportunity to resist, they grabbed an arm each and ran off, disappearing hundreds of kilometres away in the blink of an eye.
Yu Ru Meng was furious as she turned around and chased after them, but the single-horned Divine Spirit quickly pressed a hand to the void. At the same time, the glow of a Spirit Array lit up underneath Yu Ru Meng’s feet, caging her inside and obscuring her figure.
A violent power fluctuation emerged from the Spirit Array. In just three breaths, Yu Ru Meng had already escaped from the entrapment. Cold and beautiful eyes glanced left and right, but how could she still see those Hundred Spirits Continent Half-Saints? In the short amount of time that she was trapped in the Spirit Array, they had already disappeared without a trace.
Bo Ya, Tu Qia Luo, and the others had only reacted to the situation at this time, and were all looking fearfully at Yu Ru Meng, knowing that the Holy Venerable must be furious at this moment. To think that despite her personally appearing via Soul Descent, someone would still snatch Yang Kai away right under her nose. No one dared to speak up at this moment lest they draw her ire towards themselves.
Yu Ru Meng was indeed furious, and her murderous intent was erupting, but since things had already come to this point, there was nothing more she could do. Through Soul Descend, there was no way for her to use all of her power, so it was simply impossible for her to stall three Half-Saints at once.
Fortunately, she also knew that they wouldn’t do anything to Yang Kai. They were definitely doing this for the restoration of the Territory Gates, but with this, she would have to personally make a trip to Hundred Spirits Continent.
Secretly gritting her teeth, Yu Ru Meng turned around and looked at Tu Qia Luo and the others before ordering, “Return to Cloud Shadow Continent!”
Tu Qia Luo and the others did not dare to defy her. They couldn’t interfere in this matter regardless, and without Yang Kai, there was no meaning in them staying here any longer either. They could only first go back to Cloud Shadow and wait for further news.
Xiao Wu’s body then went limp and collapsed as soon as Yu Ru Meng finished speaking.
Xiao Wu wasn’t too strong after all, so each time she had to endure Yu Ru Meng’s Soul Descend, she had to sleep for many days to recover.
…..
As Yang Kai was dragged along, he was struck speechless. Looking left and right, he saw the same face. He would never have thought that Hundred Spirits Continent would actually mobilize three Half-Saints just to bring him over.
He originally felt emboldened, thinking that he could join hands with the Embodiment and with Yu Ru Meng appearing via Soul Descent, a trivial single-horned Divine Spirit wouldn’t be able to do anything to him. But now, he was held left and right and unable to move. Even if he let out his Embodiment now, they wouldn’t be able to beat these two Half-Saints. Since there was no helping it, Yang Kai decided to just settle down. It wasn’t as if his life was in any danger anyway.
But to Yang Kai’s surprise, the ones who kidnapped him were actually a pair of twins. He had no idea what Divine Spirits they were, but Yang Kai couldn’t see any difference between the two of them at all. They were very beautiful and their appearance was even a little exotic, with a tall and shapely nose, bright eyes, long eyelashes, full lips, and white skin even fairer than snow…
But then again, all those who had reached such a level of power were naturally quite beautiful. He couldn’t see their full figures for now, but their chests seemed quite grand.
“If you dare look again, I’ll dig your eyes out!” The woman on the right suddenly glared coldly at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai immediately moved his eyes to the front.
Instead, the woman on the left giggled, “Don’t be afraid, we don’t mean you any harm. We’re just inviting you for a walk.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “You call this an invitation? Thankfully, my courage isn’t small. If it were any smaller, then I would’ve been scared to death by you people.”
The girl on the left laughed, “Your courage is indeed not small. You can still keep a normal expression under such a situation.”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [I was like this when I was facing Bei Li Mo too, so what fart are two Half-Saints even worth?] But of course, he only dared to think that way in his heart. If he really said it out loud, then there would surely be no good results. Instead, Yang Kai said self-deprecatingly, “I’m afraid, actually. But there’s nothing I can do but act calm.”
After a pause, he added, “Um, may I ask how I can address the two of you?”
No one answered.
Met with awkward silence, Yang Kai could only ask again, “You two are twins, right? Which one is the Elder Sister, and which one is the Younger Sister?”
The girl on the right frowned, “You talk too much. Do you believe I won’t pull your tongue out?”
Yang Kai was speechless. [Is she some violent maniac? We’ve only just met and she’s already threatened to dig out my eyes and pull my tongue out. Did I offend you? You’re the one who insisted on kidnapping me. It’s not like I was the one who wanted to follow you.]
With a disgruntled look on his face, he didn’t speak anymore. This woman was possibly only speaking casually, but she may also be serious. How could Yang Kai dare to act rashly while he wasn’t certain?
But who knew that the woman on the left would suddenly jab him with her arm once he stopped talking.
Yang Kai turned to look at her, an inquiring look on his face.
The other party asked with interest, “I heard that you’re Yu Ru Meng’s man?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes. Truly, good things never make it out the door, but bad things always spread over a thousand kilometres. Even the people from Hundred Spirits Continent had now found out about this. There was probably not a single person in the Demon Realm who did not know that he was a little white face who lived by relying on a woman.
But this woman was also quite the gossip, to actually ask so many of these types of questions. Yang Kai actually wished she’d be as aloof as the one on the left.
He was unwilling to explain more on such topics, but who knew that the girl would not relent and instead pestered him endlessly.
Helpless, Yang Kai could only point to his own lips, then at the girl on his left, meaning to say, [She already told me to shut my mouth, I don’t dare to speak…]
The girl on the right smiled and said, “I’m the Elder Sister, so she listens to me. Don’t worry.”
Finally, Yang Kai’s previous question received an answer. Yang Kai turned to look at the Younger Sister, only to see her looking steadily forward with an indifferent look on her face. It seemed she really did listen to her Elder Sister’s words, but Yang Kai still gave a tentative cough.
The Younger Sister immediately rolled her eyes at him, a look of disgust and contempt on her face.
“So tell me, the rumours that a Human managed to snag Yu Ru Meng, are they true or false?” It wasn’t that she really liked to gossip, but rather that the news was simply too shocking. Yu Ru Meng, one of the Twelve Demon Saints, actually hooked up with a Human man. It was really unbelievable.
“I guess so,” Yang Kai shrugged.
“What do you mean you guess so?” The Elder Sister was clearly dissatisfied with this answer.
Yang Kai replied, “I can’t explain it. Anyway, it’s exactly as you heard.”
“Hey, aren’t you being too perfunctory?”
“What do you expect me to tell you?” Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The Elder Sister spat disdainfully before suddenly asking, “Then, have you two…” While saying so, she also showed a meaningful smile, wiggling her slender brows in a “you-know-what” sign.
Yang Kai nearly spat out a curse. [Aren’t you embarrassed asking a question like that? Do you know no shame?] Immediately, he said with a dark expression, “Am I that close with you?”
Even though it was obviously the first time they met, and he was even kidnapped by them, why was this woman acting so familiar with him?
But as soon as he said that, the Elder Sister hadn’t yet responded when the face of the Younger Sister to his right dimmed, “Watch your mouth or I’ll sew it shut!”
[You just have a problem with my face, don’t you? If it’s not my eyes, then it’s my tongue, or my mouth…Might as well take my ears and my nose too!] Yang Kai’s lungs were on the brink of exploding from anger.
Right at that moment, a stream of light approached from the right.
Yang Kai was overjoyed to see this, thinking that it was Yu Ru Meng who had come to save him, but how when he sensed the aura of the newcomer, it actually turned out to be that single-horned Divine Spirit from before.
When the other party arrived, Yang Kai confirmed that it really was him, but quite clearly, this guy wasn’t in good shape. His face was pale, and there was still blood leaking from his seven orifices that had yet to dry. Very clearly, he had eaten a great loss at Yu Ru Meng’s hand.
Yang Kai was disappointed, but since things had reached this point, he no longer had any wiggle room. He would have to make this trip to Hundred Spirits Continent whether he wanted to or not.
Once both sides converged, they passed through several Territory Gates, during which time Yang Kai proposed to have the two sisters put him down and promised them that he would follow without resistance, but unexpectedly, they just ignored him.
Yang Kai estimated that it was because they knew about his proficiency in the Dao of Space. If they really did let him go, then they might lose him in just one Instantaneous Movement.
A few days later, the four of them arrived before a certain Territory Gate.
There was actually a Half-Saint standing guard in front of the Territory Gate, and from his appearance, he seemed to be a Divine Spirit of the Hundred Spirits Continent as well. He was probably standing guard here as a precaution, but from this, it could be seen that the relationship between Hundred Spirits Continent and the Demon Saints was indeed not good; otherwise, would there be any need for a Half-Saint to guard a Territory Gate year-round?
It had been quite a while since he arrived in the Demon Realm, but even after passing through so many Territory Gates, Yang Kai had never seen anyone guarding any of them unless they were sealing off a continent. But the Territory Gate towards Hundred Spirits Continent was actually manned by a Half-Saint, so it was obvious that there was a problem here.
As soon as they saw each other, the Half-Saint watching the Territory Gate gently nodded. Sweeping a glance at Yang Kai, he let them pass easily.
After passing through the Territory Gate, the four of them arrived at Hundred Spirits Continent without incident.
Yang Kai wasn’t familiar with this continent, and he had no idea what special characteristics in the Demon Realm it had; however, he had seen its existence on his map and knew that its area was very vast.
Cloud Shadow Continent was already quite large, and was considered in the upper-middle ranks in the entire the Demon Realm; however, the area of Hundred Spirits Continent spanned almost five times that of Cloud Shadow, so it was safe to say it was one of the largest continents in the Demon Realm.
But this wasn’t so surprising since it was occupied by the Demon Realm’s Divine Spirits, after all. It wouldn’t be proper if the size was too small.
The group did not stop and continued flying forward.
Bored, Yang Kai looked around at his surroundings, and a novel sight caught his eyes very soon.
He found many Demon Beasts running around and howling in the spiritual mountains and rivers below. Even in the air, there were odd-looking Demon Beasts that he couldn’t name shuttling back and forth across the sky.
Their numbers were countless.
It wasn’t that he had never seen a Demon Beast before in other parts of the Demon Realm. Many Demon Kings liked to find powerful and imposing Demon Beasts to act as their mounts, but never in any continent had Yang Kai ever come across such a dense population of Demon Beasts.
As they flew forward, Yang Kai found traces of Demon Beasts residing in almost every part of the continent.
This Hundred Spirits Continent might be more aptly-named if it changed its name to Hundred Beasts Continent. And even more surprisingly, many of these Demon Beasts were exuding a powerful aura that was no lesser than the Demon Kings he’d met.
“There’s a lot of them, right?” The Elder Sister on the right suddenly asked.
Yang Kai didn’t process what she was referring to for a moment, but he quickly understood and nodded, “Yes, there’s a lot of them.”
The Little Sister on the left sneered, “There were even more in the past.”
Yang Kai frowned. He had no idea what she meant by that, but the Elder Sister explained just as he was wondering, “Our Hundred Spirits Continent is not under the control of any Demon Saint, and it seems like a free and easy place on the surface, but in reality, we’re just trying to eke out a living in the cracks. This continent is very suitable for the survival of Demon Beasts, and with so many of the Demon Beasts here having Divine Spirit bloodlines, it’s also very attractive to those guys outside. If they could get their hands on one of these Demon Beasts and train them into a mount, then it would also help to improve their strength. On the battlefield, their ability to charge and break through enemy lines is also just like painting wings on a tiger. So, our Hundred Spirits Continent is forced to send out a large batch of Demon Beasts to the outside once every hundred years.”
Listening quietly, Yang Kai gained some understanding as to how Hundred Spirits Continent managed to survive thus far. Without a doubt, the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent was strong, enough to put fear into the Demon Saints hearts and make them think twice before making a move, but using this place as a breeding ground for Demon Beasts was the biggest reason why the Demon Saints tolerated the existence of Hundred Spirits Continent.
They pressured them for countless years, extorting them, leading to those living in Hundred Spirits Continent becoming hostile towards the outside. This was also the reason why the single-horned Divine Spirit showed no respect towards Yu Ru Meng while facing her, and even daring to confront her head-on.
The Elder Sister gritted her teeth, “There are some shameless guys who sneak into our Hundred Spirits Continent as well, slaughtering and trapping the Demon Beasts here like they own them! But of course, once discovered, those men wouldn’t be let off easy either.”
In the past, when the Territory Gates were unguarded, such events happened quite often. Some Demon Kings would form groups and sneak into Hundred Spirits Continent, leaving immediately after they got what they wanted.
And it was for that very reason that Half-Saints were posted at the Territory Gates to Hundred Spirits Continent, not allowing a single outsider into their domain.
Yang Kai frowned, “Why are you telling me about this?” Strictly speaking, he was just a prisoner now. Hundred Spirits Continent didn’t need to explain anything to him, right?
The Elder Sister smiled, “I just thought that you should know how pitiful the beings of our Hundred Spirits Continent are. And that you have the power to change all of that.”
“What power do I have?” Yang Kai was speechless. His biggest role in the eyes of the Demon Race was the ability to repair and maintain Territory Gates. This was also the root of why so many Demon Saints favoured him, “Speaking of which, didn’t you capture me here so I could repair the Territory Gates?”
The Elder Sister showed a profound smile, “You’ll know when the time comes.”
Yang Kai suddenly had a bad feeling about this. This trip definitely wasn’t as simple as he thought!
They spent a wordless journey through the mountains and rivers. Then, as a huge castle appeared ahead, the twin sisters and the single-horned Divine Spirit revealed enthusiastic expressions.
The castle covered a vast area and was located in a wide mountain range. Between the lofty mountain ridges, there were exotic beasts running about, and also strangely-shaped Demon Beasts climbing on the walls outside of the castle, each one of them exuding a powerful aura.
The castle was built in an extremely rugged fashion, like a giant beast from the ancient past that was crawling over the earth. Even the aura of the castle was quite ancient.
Even though it was Yang Kai’s first time here, he could guess that this must be where the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent lived. So, he couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive. Yang Kai wouldn’t be nervous when meeting with the other Demon Saints because he knew he was useful to them, so he wouldn’t be harmed in any way, but as for this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, things were different.
Ghosts know what sort of plans this man had in mind, but if Yang Kai displeased him and the latter decided to get rid of him, then who should he complain to?
In front of the castle, Yang Kai was greeted by a fierce aura before he even entered the building. In the dark shadows, something huge gradually revealed its figure, their each and every step causing the ground beneath them to tremble.
A few moments later, Yang Kai finally had a clear look at what was approaching him.
It was a huge Demon Beast like a lion, about 50 meters tall with a golden mane growing out of its chest that was as soft and lustrous as silk. Hot air was blowing out from its huge nostrils. Its appearance was simply majestic.
The huge lion looked down at Yang Kai and the others, golden pupils glowing with scrutiny.
The single-horned Divine Spirit and the twin sisters cupped their fists, “Sir Xiong Shi!”
Yang Kai blinked his eyes. He was caught by the two sisters on each side, but his cultivation was not sealed, so he could clearly feel the power of this gigantic lion. It was most definitely that of a Half-Saint level Master.
But though they were similarly Half-Saints, the single-horned Divine Spirit and the twin sisters still had to refer to this lion as Sir, so it could be seen that Xiong Shi’s strength must be beyond the three of them. Otherwise, it was his status that ranked higher among the Divine Spirits.
But whatever it was, this Xiong Shi guy must be beyond his ability to resist.
Xiong Shi nodded lightly and spoke their language, “You’ve returned?”
The Elder Sister who was holding Yang Kai said, “Fortunately, we did not fail our mission.”
Xiong Shi then turned to the single-horned Divine Spirit, asking in a cold voice, “Who did it?”
The single-horned Divine Spirit let out a bitter laugh, “Yu Ru Meng used Soul Descent!”
“We’ll teach her a lesson sooner or later!” As Xiong Shi coldly snorted before he shot a vicious glare at Yang Kai like he wanted him to be the one settling this account, which made Yang Kai a bit speechless.
But from this, it seemed that Hundred Spirits Continent showed a lot of resentment towards the Demon Race, especially towards the Demon Saints. At any other place, the Demon Race wouldn’t dare to even call the Holy Venerables by name, let alone talk about “teaching them a lesson”.
“Sir is inside. You can go in,” Xiong Shi said, stepping aside.
The two sisters nodded. Grabbing Yang Kai on each side, they led him inside. On the other hand, the single-horned Divine Spirit did not follow them in, and instead turned around and left, most likely to find a place to heal his injuries.
After passing through a long passage, they entered a cold and dark hall. The two sisters stopped at the edge of the hall and waited quietly.
At this point, they finally let go of Yang Kai. They probably figured that even with his mastery of the Dao of Space, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to escape from here.
Looking over, Yang Kai could vaguely see a strong figure sitting cross-legged at the centre of the hall, unmoving. However, the entire hall was filled with dark Demon Qi, covering the ground densely like a layer of mist. Following the exhalation of the figure, the Demon Qi in the hall also tumbled.
Yang Kai frowned. He stared blankly at the Black Demon Qi tumbling beneath his feet. Unable to hold his curiosity back for a moment, he lifted a foot and poked at it.
In the next moment, the tumbling Demon Qi suddenly converged towards the centre and was all sucked into the strong figure’s body.
Yang Kai’s face turned dark. Only then did he realize that the Demon Qi came as an effect of the figure circulating his Secret Art.
“What are you doing?!” A shocked cry came from the little sister behind him. Even the beautiful face of the Elder Sister paled. She never would have thought that Yang Kai would actually be so reckless as to dare disturb their Sir while he was cultivating.
From the centre of the cold, dark hall, two bolts of light like lightning suddenly crossed in an arc, arriving in front of Yang Kai in an instant.
It was only then that Yang Kai saw clearly that they were actually the divine glow of a pair of eyes. This gaze seemed able to take away a person’s Soul, and he couldn’t help but shudder at it.
Feeling stunned for a short while, Yang Kai immediately lowered his head, causing his bangs to fall and hiding his expression under its shade.
“Greetings, Sir!” The twin sisters quickly saluted.
“He’s the one?” A thick voice rang out, echoing through the hall.
The Elder Sister answered, “Replying to Sir, he’s the one.”
“Very good. Raise your head!” Naturally, his latter sentence was addressed to Yang Kai.
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, but he had no choice but to lift his head. Without even looking into the man’s eyes, he lightly cupped his hands, “Greetings, Sir!”
“This King is called Chang Tian!”
Only then did Yang Kai find out what this Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent was called.
“I heard you’re proficient in the Dao of Space and have the ability to repair and maintain Territory Gates?” Chang Tian asked.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded honestly. There was no point in him denying it.
Chang Tian smiled, “They say the Dao of Space is mysterious and esoteric, and I’ve never had the chance to witness its use with my own eyes. Why don’t you show it to this King?”
Yang Kai frowned. He raised his head and looked directly into the man’s eyes, speaking with slight displeasure, “Sir must be joking. Space Abilities are no sideshow. If Sir truly wishes to learn about them, then you can watch me later when I repair the Territory Gates.”
It was only now that Yang Kai was able to get a good look at the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent. Even though Yang Kai assumed Chang Tian would be a big and muscular man; unexpectedly, this man’s features were quite delicate. He was just a little tall, and the black hair resting scattered and unrestrained on his shoulders was just like his heart that longed for freedom.
When he heard Yang Kai’s response, the corner of Chang Tian’s lips curled up slightly as he glanced to the side.
The next moment, Yang Kai was suddenly alerted by a surge of power coming in from that side. Caught off guard, he simply couldn’t respond in time and had no choice but to activate his Nihility Secret Technique, exiling his body into the Void.
A slender palm passed through where Yang Kai was, striking the air instead. The attacker was left with her brow raised in surprise.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai took advantage of this opportunity to instantaneously move a thousand metres away, and looked back at her with a dark expression.
He didn’t try to escape using Instantaneous Movement as doing so in front of a Master comparable to a Demon Saint would only be humiliating for himself, but the fact that he was attacked without a word made him feel annoyed inside.
The attacker was the younger of the twin sisters. She seemed to have received a hint from Chang Tian to force him to reveal his Space Divine Abilities.
“Interesting.” Chang Tian stood with both hands behind his back as he turned around to look towards Yang Kai’s position. With his level of vision, he was naturally able to see through the profound principles in what Yang Kai demonstrated just now, so he smiled, “But Space Divine Abilities aren’t only used for defence, are they? Do you have any offensive techniques?”
Whether it be the Nihility Secret Technique or Instantaneous Movement, both were excellent methods, but their primary use was for self-protection, which obviously did not satisfy Chang Tian’s curiosity.
Yang Kai’s face couldn’t help but darken at his words. He, a Second-Order Emperor Realm Master, was actually secretly attacked by a Half-Saint. What else could he do but defend himself? But from how Chang Tian spoke, Yang Kai knew that he wouldn’t be given the chance to rest if he didn’t satisfy this man.
Sure enough, the little sister made a move once more after Chang Tian finished speaking. With a light raise of her fair hand, she pointed her finger at Yang Kai from far away. Even though they were clearly separated by a thousand metres, this tap still felt to Yang Kai like he was being crushed under a heavy mountain. His vitality was churning in his chest and it was difficult to even breathe, giving rise to a feeling of inferiority, like he was a mere ant.
And from the Younger Sister’s relaxed demeanour, she didn’t seem to have used her full strength.
The bones in Yang Kai’s body were creaking, so gritting his teeth, he flicked his fingers several times, shooting out several black Moon Blades that cut through the air and whistled towards the Younger Sister, arriving in a flash. These Moon Blades not only shattered her attack, but also reversed their positions and handed Yang Kai the initiative. This caused the pupils of her beautiful eyes to shrink, revealing a look of surprise.
An arm cannot be thicker than a thigh, so since Chang Tian wanted to witness Space Divine Abilities, then Yang Kai could only fulfil his wishes.
When the Elder Sister on the other side saw this, her small mouth gaped slightly, forming a circle. The black Moon Blade contained a terrifying power that could never have been demonstrated by a mere Mid-Rank Demon King. From this, it was clear that Space Abilities were not only unique in their abilities of defence and life preservation, but even their offensive power was phenomenal; otherwise, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to have cut through a Half-Saint’s attack.
In a moment of carelessness, the Younger Sister allowed the Moon Blades to cut in front of her. Her face couldn’t help but become ugly as her finger changed into a palm and thrust out fiercely.
The Moon Blades were instantly hit by an invisible wall of pressure and shattered all at once. But she wasn’t done yet. Suddenly shifting her body, she crossed the thousand metres gap in just a moment, arriving right in front of Yang Kai. Her arm was soft, as if it were boneless, as it shot out, planting a palm against his chest. This palm seemed light and without much force, but it caused Yang Kai’s face to change dramatically as he sensed a deadly threat from it.
He cursed in his heart, [This woman must be crazy! Chang Tian just wants to see some Space Techniques, and I’ve already done what he wanted, yet you actually want to kill me!?] Despite knowing that it was impossible for her to actually target his life, the power contained in her palm did not feel fake. Who knows how much force she would retract at the last moment? In any case, if there were any mistakes in her estimations, then he might be seriously injured by her.
Being bullied by a Half-Saint, Yang Kai could be described as falling into a desperate situation, and yet, he was unprecedentedly calm. Space Principles faring around him, he blasted a punch at her.
The speed of his punch was not fast, but it was powerful.
In front of the fist, a black vortex appeared out of nowhere, like an invisible beast opening its giant mouth, wanting to devour the world whole.
[Exile!]
Since he couldn’t dodge, Yang Kai had no choice but to counterattack rather than defend. But with this, all the Space Divine Abilities that he mastered would be exposed.
The Younger Sister, who thought that victory was already in her grasp, revealed a look of surprise. Even as a Half-Saint, she could still feel the devouring power coming from within the black hole and knew that if she were swallowed into that thing, she would likely be lost in the Void Crack forever, unable to find a way out, eventually dying alone.
Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately gave up on her original attack and quickly drew back. Only, before she retreated, she blasted out a wave of Demon Qi from her palm, hitting Yang Kai right in the chest.
A moment later, the Younger Sister had already returned to her original position as if she’d never moved at all. Only, a gap the size of a bowl had appeared on the stomach region of her clothes from being caught by the black hole accidentally just now, exposing her snow-white skin. It felt a little breezy, but fortunately, she wasn’t injured; otherwise, she would have lost a lot of face today.
Even so, it was still an unbelievable situation. It had to be mentioned that her opponent was merely equivalent to the Mid-Rank Demon King. If it were any other Mid-Rank Demon King, then even without using her full strength, it would’ve been impossible for them to even touch one of her hairs, much less damage her clothes.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was thrown back by the impact. It took him a lot of effort to stabilize himself, and he struggled for a long time, but still failed to hold back from spitting out a mouthful of blood. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the Younger Sister on the other side with a resentful face.
The last-moment Demon Qi blast from her may not have actually been any threat to him, but it did injure him a little. Sure enough, the might of a Half-Saint was not to be underestimated.
“That should be enough, right?” Yang Kai wiped the corner of his mouth and turned to look at Chang Tian. For a Second-Order Emperor to do this much was already the limit. If Chang Tian still wanted to make things difficult for him, he really didn’t know what he was going to do.
It was the first time Yang Kai really missed Yu Ru Meng. That woman should be on her way to Hundred Spirits Continent right now, but he had no idea when she would be able to arrive.
But when he glanced at the man himself, Yang Kai couldn’t help but frown. That was because Chang Tian was actually staring closely at him at the moment, as if he’d seen something surprising. Both his eyes were shining and the smile on his lips was clear to see.
Four eyes intersecting, Yang Kai felt apprehensive as he thought to himself, [This Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent doesn’t have some sort of… special fetish, does he? If that’s the case, then things are going to get troublesome.]
Even the twins could sense that something was wrong. It had been a long time since they’d seen their Sir wearing such an excited look on his face. That’s right, it was excitement…
[What in this world could make him this excited? It’s not that Human’s Space Techniques, is it?]
But while everyone was wondering, they saw Chang Tian wave his hand out, and a flash of golden light shot forth from Yang Kai’s side, flying into Chang Tian’s palm.
The two sisters focused their gaze and discovered that what Chang Tian summoned over was no object, but rather the fresh blood that Yang Kai had just spat out.
The blood was golden in colour, but what concerned the two sisters was the fact that they actually felt a touch of familiarity from that blood…
But before they could figure it out, Chang Tian’s expression turned even more excited. He broke out in laughter that echoed throughout the cold and empty hall incessantly.
With a casual toss, the drop of Golden Blood flew out. Then, looking at Yang Kai with a burning gaze, Chang Tian lifted his feet and strode toward him.
As soon as the first step came down, the entire hall was filled with a rumble as the Heavens and Earth began to shake and a terrifying pressure swept out in all directions. The faces of both twin sisters changed, and they had no choice but to circulate their Demon Qi to resist it.
When the second step fell, both the twin sisters and Yang Kai could feel their hearts clenching abruptly, as if those feet were not stepping on the earth, but rather on their own hearts.
Chang Tian walked forward step by step with an aura of majesty bursting forth in all directions. His pace was not quick, but it gave one an indescribably sense of oppression. His eyes were on Yang Kai from beginning to end, revealing a look of anticipation.
After his initial shock and anxiety, Yang Kai gradually stabilized his mind and very soon, he was also looking at Chang Tian with astonishment. Gradually, he had a realization. Though this man’s aura was indeed terrifying, it gave him a familiar feeling.
[This is… Dragon Pressure!]
The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent actually turned out to be from the Dragon Clan! Only, this was not the Dragon Clan that he knew, but rather the Dragon Clan from the Demon Realm.
But on second thought, it wasn’t so surprising. The Hundred Spirits Continent was home to many Divine Spirits, and Divine Spirits have always revered the Dragons and Phoenixes. So, if there was anyone qualified to become the leader of the Divine Spirits, then there could be no other possibility but Dragons and Phoenixes.
Yang Kai understood that this man must have noticed when he spat out Dragon Blood from the injury earlier, and that was why he would take the initiative to test him this way; otherwise, why would he, the mighty Chang Tian, have to bully the weak? Even while he was trying to observe and emulate his Space Abilities, he had instructed others to do the work for him.
While Yang Kai was lost in thought, Chang Tian had already moved several dozen metres. The Dragon Pressure that he exerted almost felt material, complemented by his shockingly powerful cultivation. Even the Half-Saint twins were finding it hard to bear as both of them revealed troubled expressions.
On the contrary, Yang Kai’s face was peaceful. Even though he could feel his opponent’s power, the impact on him was not too serious, so he can still barely support himself.
This made the two sisters who were watching this scene show looks of disbelief. They almost thought that they were dreaming. How could Yang Kai bear the pressure that even they could not withstand?
Seeing this, the smile on Chang Tian’s face deepened and his body shook as he increased his Dragon Pressure abruptly.
Both sisters let out a grunt and fell to one knee, their faces turning pale.
Yang Kai also felt that he couldn’t hold on any longer. His Golden Divine Dragon Source Strength was the real deal, but he had yet to fuse with it completely, so he could not bring out its full power yet. So naturally, he couldn’t resist Chang Tian’s majestic pressure.
His body was writhing and his bones were creaking, his face flushing red as both his eyes were open wide.
At his limit, Yang Kai roared through clenched teeth, “Dragon Transformation!”
As a crackling sound broke out, a huge being suddenly swelled in the cold and dark hall. Chang Tian who had been approaching unhurriedly finally stopped, and his line of sight was constantly rising along with his head while he let out a chuckle from his lips.
The two sisters who were kneeling on the ground were also looking up with dazed expressions on their faces.
On Dragon Island, Yang Kai had faced the might of two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan once, but during that time, it was in the Dragon Palace, and he had received the blessing of many Ancestral Dragon Souls, so it couldn’t be confused with the current situation he was facing.
Chang Tian’s strength was estimated to be at the level of the top two Elders of the Dragon Clan. Without the blessings from the Dragon Palace, even if he used all his strength, it was impossible for Yang Kai to be Chang Tian’s opponent; after all, the other party was equivalent to a Demon Saint. Without relying on his Bloodline Power, just his cultivation alone was enough to suppress Yang Kai.
The reason he used his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique was also just so he could withstand the Dragon Pressure! And, this seemed to be the goal that Chang Tian was pushing for step by step.
Dragon Horns extended from both sides of Yang Kai’s forehead. His body was covered in Dragon Scales and shone a golden light, and both his hands transformed into Dragon Claws. The tips of his Dragon Claws shone with a cold glint. Even the sturdiest defensive artifacts in the world could not stand against these Dragon Claws. A Dragon Tail swung behind his body, and his more than 300-meter-tall body extended into the sky. Fortunately, the construction of this room was high enough. Otherwise, it simply won’t be able to accommodate Yang Kai’s current size.
Hot air spouted from his nostrils, sweeping up a breeze in the hall. Looking down, he suddenly met Chang Tian’s gaze and could see that the latter’s eyes were filled with amusement as he gently nodded, “As I expected!”
Yang Kai let out a soft grunt before opening his mouth and letting out a dragon roar that shook the sky, causing the entire hall to shake.
Outside the castle, many exotic beasts that were resting all raised their heads in an instant as they looked towards the castle in shock. They were all taken aback by the loud and magnificent roar, and they had no idea what was going on inside the castle.
Inside the hall, Dragon Aura filled the air. Chang Tian, the first to bear the brunt of it, remained unmoved. For him, this roar was just like wind passing through his ears. On the other hand, the twin sisters looked up in a daze. The Elder Sister’s red lips moved. She did not make a sound, but from the shape of her lips, she seemed to be saying ‘Divine Spirit’.
She never would have expected that the Human that they kidnapped would actually turn out to be a Divine Spirit! At the very least, he had the bloodline of a Divine Spirit, the same bloodline as Senior Chang Tian!
The younger sister, who had always been cold as ice towards Yang Kai, and threatening to cut out his tongue and gouge out his eyes for the littlest things, also could not help but change her countenance.
The echo of the dragon roar gradually subsided as Yang Kai stared alertly at Chang Tian who was standing in front of him, “Is that enough yet?”
Chang Tian did not answer his question and only smiled, “Your Source is very strong! It’s even stronger than this King’s.”
[What? A Human actually possesses a stronger Source than Senior Chang Tian?] Both sisters were stunned. If they heard these words from anyone else, they would definitely think that they were just spouting nonsense. There were many Divine Spirits living on Hundred Spirits Continent, and the two sisters were among them; however, there were still rankings among the Divine Spirits. Throughout Hundred Spirits Continent, and even across the entire Demon Realm, it was impossible to find anyone with a stronger Source than Senior Chang Tian. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent.
But now, such words actually came from Chang Tian’s own mouth.
[Doesn’t that mean that one day, this Human will be able to grow to Senior Chang Tian’s level? Possibly even… surpass him!]
This future could be a thousand years, or ten thousand years from now, but the opportunity would always be there. Compared to the other Divine Spirits who would never reach Chang Tian’s level for the rest of their lives, this was undoubtedly a great expectation and compliment.
[But wasn’t he just a Human who is proficient in the Dao of Space and able to repair the Territory Gates? How did he suddenly rise to the level of being qualified to stand evenly with Senior Chang Tian?]
“So, it turns out that the Dragon Clan exists even in the Demon Realm? What a surprise.” Since the other party was keeping a good attitude, Yang Kai couldn’t just show him a sour face either; after all, his opponent had the larger fist here. Yang Kai was just unsatisfied with how he had been kidnapped here without consent by this man and even pressured in such a way, but now it seemed as if this man had no ill will towards him… Of course, that was only after Chang Tian realized that he possessed the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
Chang Tian chuckled, “Every Great World has its own beings born in conformity with its Source. The Demon Realm is also a Great World and also possesses a Source, so why can’t the Dragon Clan exist here? Since you come from the Star Boundary, then obviously the Star Boundary should have members of the Dragon Clan too, correct?”
“Indeed. There is a place in the Star Boundary called Dragon Island!” Yang Kai responded casually.
“Dragon Island?” Chang Tian’s eyes glowed with interest, “Where the Dragon Clan lives?”
“Exactly so!” Yang Kai nodded. He noticed that the man seemed to be quite interested in Dragon Island.
Sure enough, Chang Tian quickly asked, “How many members of the Dragon Clan live on Dragon Island?”
Yang Kai answered, “Those who live on Dragon Island probably number around 20 or so.”
“Are they all pure-blooded Dragon Clan members?”
“Of course!”
“So many…” Chang Tian seemed lost in thought, but then he said with an eager expression, “What attributes are they of? And what of their cultivation?”
“…” Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little speechless. If it was anyone else asking him this, then he could understand; after all, Dragon Island was a very mysterious existence in the Star Boundary. If not for his connection with Zhu Qing, then even to this day, it would be impossible for Yang Kai to have had any contact with Dragon Island. However, Chang Tian was the Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, and his cultivation was also on par with that of a Demon Saint. How could his curiosity be so intense?
Thinking so, Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Aren’t there many Dragon Clan members in this Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Chang Tian answered, “If we count only the pure-blood Dragon Clan members, then this King is the sole one. However, the number of those who possess thin Dragon Clan bloodline is not small in number.”
[Only a single pure-blood Dragon!] It was no wonder why Chang Tian seemed so surprised to hear that there were up to 20 pure-blood Dragon Clan members on Dragon Island. Clearly, pure-blood Dragon Clan members were a very rare existence to him. This had nothing to do with his powerful cultivation, it was just the environment here in the Demon Realm that gave him such thoughts.
After a pause, Chang Tian waved a hand at Yang Kai, “Could you return to your Human form? This King does not like to speak with others looking up.”
Yang Kai was speechless, thinking to himself, [You were the one who forced me to transform. How long has it been and you already want me to transform back? Is toying with people so fun?]
The twin sisters at the side were also speechless. They had never seen Senior Chang Tian so friendly with an outsider before, which really opened their eyes.
Though Yang Kai complained in his heart, he still released his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique and returned to his original appearance. He also felt a little embarrassed to have a Demon Saint-level Master constantly speaking up at him.
“Sit down and talk,” Chang Tian gestured with his hand. After saying so, he sat down directly on the cold hard floor. Even though this hall was very spacious, its inside was actually very empty without any furnishings. Not to mention tables, there wasn’t even a single chair inside.
Since Chang Tian was sitting on the floor, how could Yang Kai be picky? He could only sit opposite him.
Then, the twin sisters witnessed an amazing sight. The Lord of Hundred Spirits Continent, the existence that gave all the Demon Saints such a headache, was actually sitting opposite a Human while they spoke freely with each other. But what amazed them even more was the fact that Yang Kai could actually remain unmoved in front of an existence such as Chang Tian. He could talk with him without any hint of nervousness or trouble.
Chang Tian was very interested in the situation at Dragon Island, so all his questions were about the Dragon Clan and Dragon Island. On the other hand, Yang Kai didn’t want to speak too much about Dragon Island. According to the Great Emperors’ plans, the Dragon Clan would be the secret force that they could use against the Demon Race. If they came forward at the critical moment, then it was very likely for them to be able to change the situation of the entire war, possibly even capture a Demon Saint or two.
But in front of Chang Tian, Yang Kai didn’t dare to lie or conceal anything. It was true that the other party meant no harm to him, but who knows if he would change his attitude if he provoked him?
Most importantly, Chang Tian was clearly not close with the Demon Saints, so even if Yang Kai did tell him a bit about Dragon Island, he estimated that the news would not pass to the ears of those Demon Saints.
So, that was why Yang Kai hid nothing from Chang Tian and detailed his experience on Dragon Island to him, which Chang Tian listened to with fascination, “I really wish I could visit Dragon Island to take a look, and also meet others of my clan!”
Yang Kai glanced at him from the corner of his eye, thinking to himself, [If you ran over there with your Demon Qi flaring like that, Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun would definitely join hands and kill you immediately to clean up their house. Even though the Dragon Clan of the Demon Realm is still part of the Dragon Clan, they were also considered Demon Dragons. How could Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun allow such clansmen to exist…]
However, Yang Kai could hear a faint sense of loneliness and desolation in Chang Tian’s words.
Just as the pure-blood Dragon Clan members on Dragon island did not treat the Dragonborn as their own kind, with Chang Tian standing at the very peak, it was unlikely for him to take the Half-Dragons here in the Demon Realm as his own kind as well, and that was why he became so amiable with Yang Kai after discovering the purity of his bloodline.
[So he’s treating me as a fellow clansman!]
“Yang Kai, even though you’re a Human, since you’ve obtained such a pure Dragon Source, then you and I can be considered family. This King will not beat around the bush, then. Are you willing to join my Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Me? Even I can join the Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Chang Tian smiled, “Why not? Have you not gotten used to your Divine Spirit body yet?”
[How am I a Divine Spirit?] Yang Kai disagreed with his opinion, but he was still caught off guard by this offer that Chang Tian extended to him. For a moment, he had no idea how to answer. If he were to refuse him head-on, then he wondered whether Chang Tian would overthink the reason. But if he were to agree, then his insincerity would surely be noticed by the other, so he might as well just not agree.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai said, “It is this Junior’s honour to receive Sir’s regard, but Sir should also know that I am one of Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s people, and without Holy Venerable Ru Meng’s agreement…”
Chang Tian raised his hand to stop him, “This King will discuss the matter with Yu Ru Meng’s side personally. This King trusts that as long as he is willing to lower himself, then she wouldn’t be unwilling to let you go. Now, it depends on your own willingness. If you are willing, then this King will accept you as his adopted son, and rule of Hundred Spirits Continent will be passed to you in the future.”
At those words, Yang Kai was utterly stunned.
The twin sisters on the side were equally shocked.
The three of them were wondering whether they heard him wrong.
If Chang Tian was merely promising Yang Kai some other benefits in order to win him over to his side, then that could be accepted; after all, Yang Kai could barely be considered as a half clansman, and he also had good potential. As long as he was given enough time to grow, then there was no saying that a second Chang Tian would not appear in Hundred Spirits Continent. When that time came, they would also gain another source of strength when dealing with the Demon Saints.
But to accept him as an adopted son was completely unbelievable. If he truly did this, then Yang Kai and Chang Tian will be tied together in both honour and disgrace, and Chang Tian would have to nurture and care for Yang Kai with great dedication as the inheritor of Hundred Spirits Continent. As long as Yang Kai agreed, then he would become an existence under one man, but above ten thousand in Hundred Spirits Continent. He would have wealth and glory at his fingertips, and all Divine Spirits would have to obey him!
Chang Tian’s words were so shocking that Yang Kai truly had no idea how he should respond at that moment.
Personally, he was unwilling to agree. He had his own mission here in the Demon Realm, and he must one day return to the Star Boundary. No matter how sour the relationship between Chang Tian and the other Demon Saints was, he was still from the Demon Realm. The two of them would stand on opposing sides one day and become enemies, so how could he agree to such a proposal?
So, his first thought was whether or not Chang Tian had gone crazy, or if he had ulterior motives. Otherwise, how could he say such a thing? But on second thought, there was no need for Chang Tian to do so. With his current cultivation and status, Chang Tian had no need for such tactics.
So, the only possibility was that Chang Tian was serious, and Yang Kai could also feel the sincerity in his words.
Just because he was half a clansman to him, did it really warrant such high regard? Wasn’t this being a little too hasty? They were just meeting each other for the first time, and neither side truly knew much about each other, so was it really a good idea for Chang Tian to open up to him in this way?
Clearly, the twin sisters at the side were also making the same considerations. Only, due to Chang Tian’s long-standing authority, neither of them dared to speak up carelessly.
Just as these thoughts were churning in Yang Kai’s head, Chang Tian suddenly said, “You don’t have to be in such a hurry to answer. You can think about it for a bit longer before you give me your response. You can walk around and get to know this place yourself. Hundred Spirits Continent is the home of all Divine Spirits, and in the end, you are still a member of them. So, regardless of whether you agree or not, Hundred Spirits Continent will not become your enemy. However, if your identity as a Divine Spirit were to be exposed, then I’m not sure what the other Demon Saints will think of that.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by his words. Only then did Yang Kai realize what a special group these Divine Spirits were in the Demon Realm, unlike in the Star Boundary. It was because of the existence of Hundred Spirits Continent and Chang Tian that the average Demon and the Divine Spirits had a sour relationship.
But if his Dragon Clan bloodline were really exposed, then it would surely lead to bad things.
What’s more… Yu Ru Meng was aware of his Dragon Clan bloodline; after all, he had used the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique in front of her before.
“Many thanks, Senior…” No matter what, Chang Tian had no intention of forcing an answer out of him now, allowing Yang Kai to breathe a sigh of relief.
Chang Tian let out a chuckle and beckoned lightly.
The twin sisters who had been standing at the side rushed over in a flash and bowed in unison, “Sir, what are your orders?”
Chang Tian looked at Yang Kai, “These Lotus Sisters will accompany you. Just tell them if you need anything.”
When the two sisters heard this, both of them had strange expressions on their faces, seemingly not expecting Chang Tian to assign the two of them to take care of Yang Kai. That proved that he really did value him quite a lot; otherwise, how could he possibly do such a thing? To have assigned two Half-Saint level Masters to such a task, it could be seen that their Sir truly did want to take this Human as his future successor. So, not daring to delay, they both agreed in unison.
“Go on, then.” Chang Tian waved his hand after speaking and closed his eyes.
Yang Kai was filled with doubts inside, but he couldn’t ask too many questions here. He could only settle the confusion inside him and got up, bowing to Chang Tian before exiting the cold, dark hall.
Outside the passage, he saw the huge lion again. It looked down at Yang Kai with its imposing eyes and as they passed each other, its majestic voice emerged, “Do not disappoint Sir, boy.”
It seemed like this lion had already found out what happened inside; otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such words.
Yang Kai’s footsteps paused for a moment before he turned around and cupped his fists. Without making any further statements, he then flew out with the Lotus Sisters.
Outside the castle were undulating mountains, jagged rocks, and cascading waterfalls.
Atop a certain mountain peak a hundred kilometres away was a palace, which was where the Lotus Sisters lived. Chang Tian assigned the two sisters to take care of Yang Kai without making any specific arrangements, so naturally, the sisters had to bring Yang Kai home with them.
It was only on the way there that Yang Kai learned what the names of the two sisters were. The Elder Sister was called Hei Lian, and the Younger Sister was called Bai Lian, which were simple names to remember. Their names were sure to be related to their identities as Divine Spirits. Only, Yang Kai could not figure out what sort of Divine Spirits they matched with.
Though he had his questions, he did not voice them. After settling him down, the Lotus Sisters disappeared soon after, with Yang Kai having no idea what they had gone to do.
After walking around his courtyard for a while, Yang Kai was still a bit confused at what he encountered today. Though the residence of the Lotus Sisters was not small, there seemed to be no servants around. On the other hand, there was a large array of beasts and flying animals that were either playing or lounging nearby.
Yang Kai quietly opened the window and looked out, but saw no one. However, there was a horse-like beast in the courtyard. It had a single horn growing out of its head, and it was a black colour throughout.
This was an extraordinary steed.
Yang Kai had no idea where it came from, but at the very least, he did not see it when he arrived.
Seemingly having heard Yang Kai open the window, this guy actually looked up at once and stood up, nickering.
Yang Kai quickly put a finger to his lips and shushed it, fearing that it would make too much noise and draw the Lotus Sisters over, but he had to admit that this guy looked even more majestic after he stood up. This horse was ten metres tall and its four hooves were ringed with golden light, appearing as if it were stepping on a golden flame. There was a white crescent right below the horn on its forehead. After getting up, a fierce aura spread out from it.
Yang Kai was astonished. Only then did he realize that this black horse-like beast actually possessed terrifying strength. With this level of cultivation, even if it could not take human form, it should still have a high level of sentience. When it saw Yang Kai make that gesture, it really did stop making noise and only looked at him with its head tilted.
Yang Kai looked around, and seeing that no one was around, he flipped out of the window deftly before walking out in light steps.
Even though Chang Tian may have made everything sound pleasant, and though the Lotus Sisters did not have any intention to monitor him either after bringing him back, whether that was truly the case or not was yet to be proven, so he wanted to test it.
When he arrived at the courtyard, Yang Kai walked forward step by step under the watchful eyes of the black horse; however, the way he snuck around like a thief filled the black horse’s eyes with suspicion.
Since the Lotus Sisters didn’t suddenly appear, Yang Kai quickened his pace considerably.
But very soon, there was a pulling force from behind that caused him to stagger, with even his clothes being ripped.
Yang Kai’s face darkened. Turning around, he saw that the black horse had actually bit down on his collar and was innocently staring at him with its pair of big eyes. Yang Kai looked up at it, then looked down at his torn clothes, and couldn’t help but feel the impulse to curse.
Clearly, the black horse knew that it had done something wrong and quickly let go of his clothes. It turned its head to the side and neighed constantly as if it was not at fault.
“Shh!” Alarmed, Yang Kai quickly shushed it while waving his hands down on both sides to calm it down.
Unexpectedly, not only did this bastard ignore him, it made even more noise instead. Who knew whether it was just playing the fool or not!
[Damn it, you’re going to get me in trouble!]
Sure enough, after all the noise they made, Yang Kai heard a *xiu* before sensing two familiar auras behind him. Needless to say, it was definitely the Lotus Sisters.
“Huh? Why are you here, Zhui Feng?” The Elder Sister Hei Lian’s voice emerged.
“What did you do to Zhui Feng?” The Younger Sister Bai Lian immediately questioned Yang Kai.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes, not bothering to pay her any attention. But from her tone, this bastard seemed to be quite important; otherwise, there was no need for Bai Lian to be so nervous.
When it saw the Lotus Sisters appear, the black horse called Zhui Feng stopped neighing and quickly moved in front of them, lowering its head to nuzzle the two of them. Hei Lian reached out to stroke its soft mane before smiling, “I know, it’s not your fault.”
He had no idea what she knew, but Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
In the next moment, Hei Lian turned her head around and looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “Do you want to go out?”
Yang Kai lightly coughed, “Senior told me to look around earlier, so I was planning to enjoy the scenery of Hundred Spirits Continent.” It was Chang Tian who said it first, so he might as well just push the blame on him.
“That’s a good idea.” Hei Lian smiled meaningfully, as if she could see through Yang Kai’s heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, which annoyed him, “I can’t guarantee anything else, but the scenery of Hundred Spirits Continent is definitely unmatched. I’m sure once you’ve lived here for some time, you’ll definitely fall in love with it.”
[As if anyone would fall in love with this place!] Yang Kai coldly snorted in his heart, but he said, “Would you two like to join me?”
“If you don’t mind,” Hei Lian smiled sweetly.
[I mind, I mind it very much!]
Zhui Feng suddenly whinnied again, causing the Lotus Sisters to both look at him with a stunned expression. Hei Lian even asked strangely, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Zhui Feng turned and trotted towards Yang Kai, arriving by his side in just a few steps before nudging him with its head.
It had to be said that this guy was really quite strong. With just a small nudge, Yang Kai felt as if he had been hit by a boulder and almost had internal injuries. He quickly avoided it and looked at Hei Lian, “What does that mean?”
All this felt a little inexplicable. Logically, with Zhui Feng’s strength, it would have been able to take human form long ago, but from its appearance, it seemed to have been born with some congenital defects. Even though it could understand human language, it was unable to speak it.
This kind of situation wasn’t uncommon though as whether it be in the Star Boundary or in the Demon Realm, many beasts were the same way, only able to maintain a beast form throughout their entire life.
Hei Lian’s expression seemed a little odd as she responded, “Zhui Feng wants you to ride him. He can bring you around Hundred Spirits to enjoy the sights.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Zhui Feng, then back at Hei Lian, wanting to ask whether this was a joke or not. But from Hei Lian’s serious expression, he instantly knew that this was no joke.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Yang Kai asked, “There’s no need for that, is there?”
He was still a Second-Order Emperor after all, so flying was no problem for him. Why would he need to ride a mount… though it would look very impressive riding this guy.
“Little brat, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Bai Lian suddenly shouted coldly at him.
Yang Kai subconsciously shrank his neck back; however, remembering Chang Tian’s previous order, he suddenly found his courage again and glared at Bai Lian, “What are you shouting at me for? Do I owe you money or something? You’ve been snapping at me since we met. Oh? You even dare to glare at me? I’m talking to you! Glare at me again and see if I won’t dare to gouge your eyes out!”
Bai Lian was fuming at his words, and the pupils of her beautiful eyes constricted. Just as she was about to say something to him, Hei Lian suddenly pulled her back, instantly causing Bai Lian to swallow her anger back down, gritting her teeth and keeping quiet instead as she turned her head to the side.
Chang Tian’s words worked! Yang Kai felt secretly pleased. Just as he said, Bai Lian’s attitude towards him had been bad since they met. She would threaten him with this and that at the slightest provocation, which forced him to bottle up a lot of anger.
Now that he could give her a taste of defeat, of course, he would use Chang Tian’s tiger skin as a banner, which also counted as a type of victory for him.
But Yang Kai obviously had no intention of letting her off so easily. Faced with her defiant look, he demanded, “Apologize!”
Bai Lian suddenly turned her head around to look at him, narrowing her eyes as a dangerous cold glint flashed across them. Pursing her lips, she asked gloomily, “What did you say?”
Yang Kai tilted his head up slightly and pointed his chin at her, “I told you to apologize!”
“Do you want to die?” The cold glint in Bai Lian’s eyes turned even brighter.
“Fine. You’re the one who said it,” Yang Kai nodded. With his hands behind his back, he stepped out.
Hei Lian quickly shifted over and stopped him, frowning, “What are you going to do?”
Yang Kai glanced at her, “Nothing. I’m just going to look for Senior Chang Tian. You’re not going to stop me, are you?”
Hei Lian was speechless, “What are you looking for Sir for?”
Yang Kai grunted, “This King can’t guarantee his safety in Hundred Spirits Continent since someone is constantly threatening to kill me. I can’t stay here any longer, so of course, I have to say my farewells to Senior so I can hurry back to my Cloud Shadow Continent.”
Naturally, Hei Lian could tell what he meant with his words and sighed, “Little Sister spoke out of turn just now. Don’t be angry with her.”
A smile curved up Yang Kai’s lips, “Me? Angry with her? Where did you see that?”
[I can see that even with my eyes closed, alright?!] But she couldn’t just ignore it after the matter had been turned into such a mess, and could only say meekly, “Little Sister’s temper has been like this since birth. She often offends people, and if you want an apology, I’ll apologize to you on her behalf, alright? Just be magnanimous and leave the matter be.”
Yang Kai sneered, “It’s not like you’re the one who wants me dead, so what are you apologizing for? The one who offends should be the one to apologize.” While saying that, he squinted at Bai Lian. It wasn’t as if he had to make things difficult for her; indeed, he had the heart to teach her a lesson, but this was also to verify how far Chang Tian’s words would go. If Bai Lian really apologized to him, then things would become interesting.
“Hey, don’t push things too far!” Hei Lian was also a little angry. Yang Kai appeared very stingy with his unwillingness to forgive her sister, which drew some of her scorn. Even if Bai Lian was in the wrong, strength was what spoke in this world. If he was not as strong as others, then what right did he have to make them lower themselves?
Yang Kai glared at her, “Move away. I can’t stay here any longer.” With these words, he walked straight into Hei Lian.
Even though she was much stronger than Yang Kai, Hei Lian still subconsciously turned her body to her side. If she were to bump into Yang Kai, then she would also just be taken advantage of by him, which she was naturally unwilling.
“Sorry!”
A sound as quiet as a mosquito suddenly sounded behind him.
Yang Kai stopped in place and turned his head back, only to see Bai Lian glaring at him with a furious look on her face. Blood was even oozing from the lip that she had bitten through. Her fists were clenched and her tender body was shaking slightly.
[She really apologized!] Yang Kai was amazed.
But before he could regain his senses, Bai Lian had already turned into a white light and rushed into the mountains, disappearing from his sight. Obviously, she would not have the face to remain here after being forced to apologize to Yang Kai as a Half-Saint.
Hei Lian reached out her arm, seemingly in an attempt to catch her, but she didn’t manage to do so. She just heaved a sigh and glared at Yang Kai, “Are you satisfied now?” They were still sisters, after all, so she wasn’t too happy about her sister being forced away.
“Hm, not bad!” Yang Kai laughed. But with this, he gained more confidence in what Chang Tian told him previously. With his hands behind his back, he turned a circle before looking at her, “Then, take me out to look around.”
Hei Lian said with a cold expression, “What about Zhui Feng?”
“What would I need him for!” Yang Kai never thought of riding this guy from the start. This black horse didn’t seem to be anything good. He hadn’t even asked it to repay him for his torn clothes yet.
As soon as those words came out, Yang Kai felt a pull on his clothes again. Turning his head around, sure enough, it was Zhui Feng’s mischievous antics. While biting on his clothes, he was dragging him closer, as if asking him to ride him.
This guy was so strong that Yang Kai’s clothes were ripped to pieces in mere moments.
“Enough, you!” Yang Kai bellowed, “Do you think I won’t beat you up?!”
Seeing him angry, Zhui Feng was also taken aback and quickly let go of his torn clothes, lowered his head, and moved a few steps back. He seemed a little gloomy, and his eyes looked as if it had suffered a grievance.
Seeing his appearance, Yang Kai couldn’t bear to get angry at it; after all, this guy was just a beast. Even if it had sentience, it was clear his intelligence was far from perfect.
Next to him, Hei Lian suddenly giggled, “You may be fine in Hundred Spirits continent if you beat up us sisters, but if you dare hit Zhui Feng, then I guarantee you won’t live to see the sun the next day.”
That was an unexpected amount of information she revealed, so Yang Kai couldn’t help but turn to look at her and ask, “What do you mean by that? Is this guy’s status so high in Hundred Spirits Continent?” After a pause, he suddenly had a realization, “He couldn’t be Senior Chang Tian’s…”
But that didn’t seem right. He did not perceive any of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline in Zhui Feng. If this guy was truly related to Chang Tian, then surely he would have traces of the Dragon Clan’s bloodline.
Hei Lian came forward and stroked Zhui Feng’s mane, a look of reminiscence appearing on her face, “It’s not what you think. Zhui Feng was Sir’s mount and it has been together with him for a very long time. The two conquered north and south for thousands of years, sharing life or death countless times. In his early years, when Sir had yet to achieve his current strength, he had been saved many times by Zhui Feng. So, it can be said that without Zhui Feng, Sir would not exist today. During that time, my little sister and I were still mere Demon Great Generals.” Turning her head around to look at Yang Kai, she smiled, “So tell me, how high do you think Zhui Feng’s status is in Hundred Spirits Continent?”
Upon hearing this, Yang Kai looked at Zhui Feng with astonishment.
This guy actually turned out to be Chang Tian’s former mount? He really couldn’t tell at all, but after observing it closely, Yang Kai discovered the big and small scars over Zhui Feng’s body, quite obviously the marks of honour left behind from going through countless life or death battles. But with that, it meant that Zhui Feng’s status was indeed very high in Hundred Spirits Continent. It had conquered north and south with Chang Tian and also saved the latter’s life many times. Even though he was now idle, as long as he was still alive, then no one in Hundred Spirits Continent would dare provoke him. Otherwise, they would surely suffer Chang Tian’s thunderous wrath.
While Hei Lian was talking about these things, Zhui Feng, who had lowered his head in grievance from Yang Kai’s disdainful attitude, couldn’t help but raise his head suddenly and neigh. Its gold-rimmed hooves were pawing the ground restlessly as his eyes lit up, an awe-inspiring aura spreading out from his strong body. Hei Lian’s retellings seemed to have brought him back to the days when he accompanied Chang Tian on his glorious campaigns, to the days when they lived a precarious but hot-blooded life.
This gave Yang Kai the illusion that if he were to ride Zhui Feng, then he would be able to charge through even a million-man army.
“In all these years, I’ve never seen Zhui Feng this close with anyone other than Sir.” Hei Lian looked at Yang Kai with some disbelief, “You’re the first.”
Yang Kai muttered thoughtfully, “Is it because of my bloodline?”
“It could be.”
Chang Tian was a Demon Dragon, while Yang Kai possessed the Golden Divine Dragon Source. Both of them had Dragon Clan bloodlines, so it would make sense if Zhui Feng felt closer to Yang Kai. If not, it would make no sense for him to pester Yang Kai like this.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai asked, “What kind of Divine Spirit is Zhui Feng?”
Hei Lian shook her head, “I’m not too sure about that. Long ago, I heard Sir say that Zhui Feng’s bloodline was very mixed and does not come from just a single type of Divine Spirit. It is for that reason that though Zhui Feng is strong, he has no hope of taking human form in his life. But that doesn’t matter. To Sir, Zhui Feng was just like his child, and also his only friend…”
And it was because he could not take human shape that he could become Chang Tian’s friend…
Yang Kai nodded. Flipping over onto the horse’s back, he patted Zhui Feng’s neck, “Since you’ve chosen me, then let me trouble you to take me on a ride!”
Suddenly feeling the weight on his body, Zhui Feng raised his head at once, looking incomparably excited as it whinnied at the sky.
Hei Lian watched this scene with immersion. The figure atop the tall horse seemed to overlap vaguely with the invincible figure that galloped through every direction back then, obtaining victory after victory. Memories came flooding back to her, and the sound of war seemed to echo in her ears…
With a whoosh, Zhui Feng darted out like a bolt of lightning, four hooves burning with golden flame, leaving behind a trail of bright golden light in the air as he cut through the sky.
Yang Kai, who was sitting on the back of the horse, was almost thrown off and had to quickly use a technique to protect himself from the oncoming winds. His eyes were wide in surprise as his expression turned to one of disbelief.
[Fast, very fast, extremely fast!]
Zhui Feng’s speed was beyond his imagination, faster than anything he had ever experienced to this day. No Demon King or Emperor Realm Masters could compare at all. Even a Half-Saint going all out would not be able to catch up with Zhui Feng.
Looking back and focusing his eyesight, Yang Kai could only see a small black dot in the distance chasing after them. It was obviously Hei Lian, but she was getting further and further away. He guessed that he would probably lose sight of her in a short while.
Yang Kai finally understood how Zhui Feng was able to save Chang Tian’s life several times in the past. With such a terrifying speed, even Half-Saint level Masters wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. It practically guaranteed a perfect escape.
Yang Kai’s Space Techniques were also excellent life-preserving methods, but if someone were to disturb the space around him, then he would not be able to use Instantaneous Movement, unlike Zhui Feng whose speed was just that, speed. In certain ways, Zhui Feng had advantages over Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement, though there were naturally disadvantages too.
However, this wasn’t Zhui Feng’s fastest speed yet. When it rushed out with Yang Kai, it was already performing with utmost enthusiasm, but as time went on, he kept on speeding up. Even though Yang Kai’s cultivation was in the Emperor Realm, it was still almost impossible for him to look at the surrounding scenery, he could only see the world constantly passing him by from the corner of his eye.
Like rolling thunder and surging lightning bolts, the scenery passed them by along the way. The mountains and rivers beneath them quickly receded and the oncoming wind blew strongly in their faces. This was a speed that was simply unheard of and never before seen for Yang Kai.
At a certain moment, when Zhui Feng’s speed had reached an extreme, it suddenly raised its head and whinnied grandly towards the Heavens, excitement clear in his voice.
Hundred Spirits Continent was very large, at least, it seemed so on the map; however, in the face of Zhui Feng’s immense speed, the continent didn’t seem so big anymore.
After circling the area for half a day, Zhui Feng’s speed gradually decreased before they settled at a certain mountain valley. Half a day of running did not make him the least bit tired though; rather, it seemed like Zhui Feng had only just warmed up and was still in high spirits.
The mountain valley was lush and green with exotic flowers and grasses competing in beauty and fragrance. A layer of hazy light enveloped the lands, making the mountain valley appear just like a beautiful immortal realm.
Hei Lian was already waiting here, as if knowing that Zhui Feng would come to this place. Four eyes suddenly met, and she revealed a look of helplessness. Since she couldn’t catch up, she could only wait for them here.
Yang Kai jumped off the horse’s back and patted Zhui Feng, who cocked his head to the side and nuzzled him a little.
“How was it?” Hei Lian came over and asked with a grin.
Yang Kai gently nodded, “He certainly lives up to his reputation!” He thought to himself, if only he could just abduct this guy, Zhui Feng. It seems like it really would be very good to have this guy as a mount, and he was so fast that whether in travel or battle, he would still be a considerable help.
But this was only an idea Yang Kai kept in his mind. Even though Zhui Feng was friendly with him due to his Dragon Clan bloodline, Yang Kai estimated that it would be impossible for him to abduct him. At the very least, he wouldn’t be able to pass Chang Tian’s hurdle.
Looking around his surroundings, Yang Kai asked, “Where is this place?”
In fact, he wondered how Hei Lian knew to come here in advance to wait.
Hei Lian answered, “This is Zhui Feng’s territory.”
[So that’s how it is.]
While she was speaking, Zhui Feng suddenly whinnied. In the next moment, a herd of Demon Flame Horses ran over from all directions. Each one of them had delicate features and soft, shiny manes; however, they were all generally smaller in size than Zhui Feng. After approaching, they gathered around Zhui Feng, nuzzling him with intimacy.
Taking a closer look, Yang Kai discovered that all of the Demon Flame Horses turned out to be Zhui Feng’s mates, so he couldn’t help but laugh a little. It seemed like this guy was living a rather blessed life.
After teasing Zhui Feng a little, Yang Kai and Hei Lian flew out again under the horse’s watch, but there was no helping it. He wasn’t able to see anything earlier on Zhui Feng’s back, so Yang Kai could only have Hei Lian lead him around for another tour.
There were four Territory Gates on Hundred Spirits Continent. Yang Kai thought that Chang Tian had brought him here so that he could make use of his Space Techniques to repair these Territory Gates; however, after some investigation, Yang Kai realized that all four Territory Gates were perfectly fine, and could even be said to be extremely stable. This confused him a little. Since the Territory Gates were fine, why would Chang Tian send out three Half-Saints to kidnap and bring him here?
But through probing, he figured out that Hei Lian had no intention of stopping him from leaving Hundred Spirits Continent. When they approached a Territory Gate, it became completely possible for him to take the opportunity to escape. Once he left through the Territory Gate, he would be randomly transported to a spot in the neighbouring continent, so even if Hei Lian chased right after him, she couldn’t even dream of catching him again.
This showed that it was indeed true that Hundred Spirits Continent bore no ill will towards him. Perhaps they did at first, but with the exposure to Yang Kai’s Dragon Source, it was clear Chang Tian had changed his mind.
“What does Senior Chang Tian actually want me to do?” Yang Kai asked on the way back.
Hei Lian smiled, “Since Sir has not told you, there’s not much we can say, either. If you really do want to know, why don’t you ask him directly? If Sir is willing, he will naturally tell you the reason.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
Once they went back to the mountain peak where the Lotus Sisters lived, Bai Lian was waiting in front of the palace. Upon seeing her Elder Sister and Yang Kai appear, she announced, “Yu Ru Meng is here!”
Hei Lian turned to look at Yang Kai and smirked, “Looks like she values you quite a lot.”
It had only been a few days since they abducted Yang Kai, but Yu Ru Meng had already rushed all the way over. This proved that Yu Ru Meng had already left Enchantment Continent when they were on their way back; otherwise, it would be impossible for her to rush to Hundred Spirits Continent so quickly. The importance that Yang Kai held in that Demon Saint’s eyes was evident from this in itself.
“Where is she?” Yang Kai asked Bai Lian.
“She’s talking to Sir, but Sir said to inform him as soon as you returned.”
Yang Kai nodded, indicating that he had no comment. So, Bai Lian activated a technique to contact him at once.
Soon after, a dazzling light could be seen approaching from afar. When it came close enough to reveal the figure within, who else could it be if not Yu Ru Meng?
She had a nervous look on her face at the moment. Landing directly next to Yang Kai, she swept her eyes over him before asking, “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Yang Kai smiled. He couldn’t help but feel a complicated feeling well up inside him. The words of Bei Li Mo and the Bright Moon Great Emperor still echoed in his ears. He might be able to ignore Bei Li Mo’s words, but he couldn’t help but pay attention to those of Bright Moon Great Emperor.
Yu Ru Meng’s anxiety and concern were not fake since the restraints of the Heart Seal Secret Technique linked them together. For her, he was the most important person in her life, and anyone who tried to hurt him was her enemy.
Could a woman like her really be hiding something from him? Could she really be capable of undoing the bindings of the Heart Seal Secret Technique at the critical moment? Yang Kai had no idea. Perhaps the truth would only reveal itself when that moment came.
Right now, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for the Soul Warming Lotus’s might. If it weren’t for this Supreme Treasure, he would never have been able to escape the Heart Seal Secret Technique’s influence, and he may have made an irreparable mistake long ago.
“It’s good that you’re fine,” Yu Ru Meng let out a soft sigh before she turned her cold eyes over to the two Lotus Sisters, causing their hearts to jump in surprise.
If Yu Ru Meng were really to attack them here, then they would never be able to resist; after all, they were also involved with Yang Kai’s kidnapping back then, so it made sense if Yu Ru Meng wanted to make them pay for their actions now.
Fortunately, Yu Ru Meng didn’t seem to have any intention of attacking them, possibly because she was concerned about agitating Chang Tian.
Right at that moment, Chang Tian’s figure also appeared, landing nearby.
The Lotus Sisters finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Chang Tian here, even if Yu Ru Meng were upset, it was impossible for her to make a move, which meant they were able to avoid disaster this time.
“I told you I didn’t do anything to him, but you just wouldn’t believe me.” Chang Tian stood with his hands behind his back, smiling faintly at her.
Yu Ru Meng turned to him and quickly said, “What are you up to? If you wanted your Territory Gates restored, all you had to do was talk to me. Would I have disallowed that?” This was also the part that she couldn’t understand. Word of Yang Kai’s abilities had spread throughout the Demon Realm, and all the Demon Saints wanted to borrow his power. Yu Ru Meng didn’t really stop any of them either, and Yang Kai had already run over to the territories of several Demon Saints, but who would have thought that Hundred Spirits Continent’s people would suddenly kidnap him?
Even though the relationship between Hundred Spirits Continent and the rest of the Demon Realm was not good, some superficial level of respect was still maintained. What’s more, if anything truly did happen to the Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent, then even if Chang Tian himself didn’t request for them to be repaired, the other Demon Saints would still have Yang Kai do it; after all, with Hundred Spirits Continent gone, where would the Demon Realm find so many powerful mounts with good bloodlines in the future?
Chang Tian, however, just smiled and replied, “The Territory Gates are only a trivial matter. I’m more interested in this boy himself.”
“Let me warn you now. Don’t get any funny ideas about him, or don’t blame me for being impolite,” Yu Ru Meng shot a warning glare at Chang Tian.
Laughing, Chang Tian shook his head, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not planning to do anything to him. I only brought him here because I heard about his Dragon Clan bloodline, and I wanted to take him in as my godson. You can ask him yourself if I have restricted his freedom at all during these past few days.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he heard this. Even though there was no big problem with what Chang Tian said, the order of cause and effect were clearly reversed. Chang Tian clearly found out about his Dragon Clan bloodline after his arrival, rather than beforehand. In that case, he must have had another purpose in the first place, but for the moment, Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what his original goal was.
“Godson?” On the other hand, Yu Ru Meng’s face had turned completely black.
She was a Demon Saint, and even though Chang Tian was not counted among the Twelve Demon Saints, he was still equal in position to Yu Ru Meng whether it be status or cultivation. In other words, they were two who stood on a single stage, and Yang Kai was her man. If Chang Tian truly took Yang Kai in as his adopted son, then Yu Ru Meng would suddenly become his Junior for no reason.
Livid, she shrieked, “In your dreams!”
She then turned to look at Yang Kai and asked, “You didn’t agree, did you?”
Yang Kai shook his head and responded in a soft voice, “How could I possibly agree without asking you beforehand?”
He was feeling secretly pleased inside. He had been thinking about how he was going to refuse Chang Tian’s offer, but now he found the best excuse to do so. Yu Ru Meng wouldn’t agree to it! This was simply an impeccable reason. He estimated that whether it be a godson or whatever, Chang Tian wouldn’t bring this matter up again in the future.
After a pause though, Yang Kai added, “But it is true that Senior bore no ill will towards me, nor did he restrict my freedom during the past few days.”
Hearing him say so, Yu Ru Meng’s expression cleared up a little and she gently nodded, “That’s for the best.”
Turning back to Chang Tian, she said, “If you want your Territory Gates restored, then don’t waste time. Just get it over with now. After it’s done, I will take him away from here.”
She couldn’t rest easy as long as Yang Kai was here, and since she had made the trip personally, naturally, it was better to take Yang Kai along with her.
“That matter is not important for now.” Chang Tian smiled, “But I do have another matter to discuss with you.”
Yu Ru Meng frowned, “What is it?”
Chang Tian looked straight at her and did not say anything directly, instead, his Divine Sense surged silently.
Yu Ru Meng looked cautious at first, then stunned, before revealing a shocked expression. She quickly began communicating with Chang Tian using her Divine Sense.
After a while, the two finally stopped their discussion and Yu Ru Meng stood there, unmoving, deep in thought.
Yang Kai and the Lotus Sisters were confused at this sight. They had no idea what these two had been talking about; however, Yang Kai had a vague guess that he was related somehow.
“Very well. If it’s as you say, then it wouldn’t matter if I agreed,” A moment later, Yu Ru Meng seemed to have made up her mind and looked at Chang Tian, “But you’d better not try anything funny.”
Chang Tian smiled, “How could this King be careless when the future of this continent is at stake?” Cocking his head to the side, he looked at Yu Ru Meng, “So, is that a deal?”
Yu Ru Meng snorted softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but Chang Tian knew that she had already agreed to his proposal; after all, she had nothing to lose and much to gain.
Walking over to Yang Kai, Yu Ru Meng took his hand and said softly, “Walk with me.”
Obeying, Yang Kai walked side by side with her, not flying out either and just strolling through the forest, listening to the sounds of birds and insects around them.
The Lotus Sisters behind them clicked their tongues in amazement at this pair. Even though they’d known that Yu Ru Meng regarded Yang Kai highly, they never expected their relationship to be this close. Leaving aside their status and cultivation, this man and woman were clearly the life partners.
[Can a Demon Saint also have eyes for a Human? Even though this Human has a Divine Spirit bloodline…]
The forest was dense with foliage and each tree was so thick it would take several people to embrace it. The ground crunched beneath them as they walked. With no outsiders around, Yu Ru Meng had also foregone her airs as a Holy Venerable, resting her head on Yang Kai’s shoulder like a little woman with a peaceful expression. She wasn’t in a hurry to speak, and Yang Kai didn’t ask her anything either, allowing them the rare enjoyment of a moment of tranquillity.
“How nice,” Fingers interlocked, a smile curved up Yu Ru Meng’s lips.
“Hm?” Yang Kai looked down at her, his lips brushing the soft strands of her hair which exuded a pleasant fragrance.
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “It’s nice this way. If only we could stay like this forever.”
Yang Kai pinched the tip of her delicate nose, “If you want, we can leave everything behind and find a place to live in seclusion.”
Yu Ru Meng laughed, “We’ve already failed once and you want to try again?”
The last time didn’t count. Yang Kai felt a little guilty and was about to say something else when Yu Ru Meng suddenly put a finger to his lips, murmuring, “If I were to do you wrong one day, would you come to hate me?”
[Is that moment coming?] Yang Kai was secretly surprised as he thought back to Bei Li Mo’s provocation and Bright Moon’s warning, but he kept a smile on his face and asked, “Such as?”
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “There’s no such as. I’m just saying, if ever that day does come…”
Yang Kai stopped in his tracks, so Yu Ru Meng also had no choice but to stop as she looked at him in confusion.
Grabbing Yu Ru Meng’s shoulders with both hands, Yang Kai looked directly into those beautiful eyes that seemed able to suck out one’s soul and enunciated each word, “No matter what you do, I won’t blame you, much less hate you.”
Yu Ru Meng’s pupils contracted abruptly, as if something had struck down heavily on her heart. Her beautiful eyes glistened, and pursing her lips, she went onto the tips of her toes and cupped Yang Kai’s cheeks, taking the initiative to approach him.
The soft touch instantly gave Yang Kai the feeling of being trapped in a mire, unable to extricate himself…
After a long time, Yu Ru Meng caught Yang Kai’s hand that was moving all the way up from her belly abruptly, pushing him on the chest and glaring at him, “You’re messing around again!”
A red glow decorated her cheeks in an appearance that was irresistibly charming. The Demon Saint, who was already a Charm Demon to begin with, revealed an indescribably sense of charm at this moment. Yang Kai’s throat felt dry, and he even worried he was going to lose his senses at any moment.
He had to bite down on his own tongue to snap himself out of this trance.
Stroking his chest, Yu Ru Meng panted heavily a few times before gradually calming down as well; however, the blush on her cheeks did not dissipate as she whispered, “Wait a little longer. I’m not ready yet.”
This was the bad thing about being inferior to her in terms of strength. He couldn’t seize the initiative at all. Even if he could throw her off her bearings with his sweet-talking, it was still a lost cause when it came down to it in the end.
Faced with Yang Kai’s dejected expression, Yu Ru Meng swiftly changed the subject, “There’s something that I need your help with.”
“If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”
Yu Ru Meng pursed her lips into a smile, “What if I ask you for something difficult?”
Yang Kai shrugged, “You know it’s impossible for me to refuse you.”
Undoubtedly, these words pleased her, so standing on her tiptoes, she gave Yang Kai a light peck on the cheek like a dragonfly kissing the surface of a pond.
[Is that it for my reward?] Yang Kai was naturally not satisfied.
“Chang Tian wants you to stay here for a time, and I’ve also agreed to it.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Aren’t you worried he’ll do something bad to me?”
Yu Ru Meng slowly shook her head, “If he really meant you any harm, he would’ve done so before I even arrived here. There’s no need for him to drag things out this long. What’s more, you said it yourself, he has no ill will towards you.”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded, “When I went out with Hei Lian to investigate, I came near several Territory Gates, so if I’d wanted to leave then, she would not have been able to stop me.”
“That’s right.” Changing the conversation around, Yu Ru Meng began using her Divine Sense to communicate, “Chang Tian does not have much longer to live.”
Yang Kai was surprised at her words and asked in astonishment, “How do you know that?”
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “This is not a secret among the Demon Saints. Everyone knows his life is at an end. Actually, just based on his origins and his current cultivation, this should not have been the case, but in his early years, he engaged in many fierce battles and suffered many deep injuries, which damaged his vitality. So, we all guess he has at most two or three thousand years more to live.”
For an ordinary person, two or three thousand years was several dozen lifetimes added together. Even for an accomplished cultivator, it wasn’t a short time; however, for a Demon Saint-level Master, two or three thousand years… was truly too short.
“What does this have anything to do with me staying in Hundred Spirits Continent?” Yang Kai frowned.
Yu Ru Meng explained, “Didn’t you hear that he wanted to take you in as an adopted son? Because of Chang Tian, Hundred Spirits Continent has a poor relationship with us Demon Saints. Once he falls, Hundred Spirits Continent is sure to be divided up between the Twelve Demon Saints. The future of all the inhabitants of this continent will be in danger. Those whose cultivation is not high may still have a ray of hope, but any of those who are at the level of Demon King and above will either have their cultivation crippled, be executed, or be branded with a Soul Imprint and reduced to a slave. Divine Spirits are all incredibly proud, so how could they possibly be willing to submit to someone else? The most likely scenario here is that if Chang Tian dies, then it would surely lead to a bloodbath in Hundred Spirits Continent. When that time comes, how many Divine Spirits could survive? Chang Tian has been fighting all his life for Hundred Spirits Continent, and it was with much effort that he managed to carve out this piece of land from the territories ruled by the Demon Saints, opening a space for the Divine Spirits to live in, so how could he stand to see all his efforts go up in smoke while all the Divine Spirits that he tried so desperately to protect stain the earth with their blood?”
“So that’s why he wanted to take me as his godson and train me to become his successor?”
“Exactly so! Right now, Hundred Spirits Continent is lacking a suitable successor. You have a Dragon Clan bloodline though, so naturally, you can gain Chang Tian’s favour. Two or three thousand years might just be enough time for you to grow to a sufficient height, though it might not be as well. However, you represent hope.”
“Did he tell you all this himself?” Yang Kai frowned slightly. Chang Tian was still one of the Demon Realm’s top Masters, so how could he open up so easily to Yu Ru Meng?
Yu Ru Meng smiled, “I know what you’re thinking, but indeed, he told me this himself. Of course, there are some things that I knew myself already, so there’s no need to doubt his intentions. For him, you and I are one entity, sharing honour and shame. If he wants to try anything with you, then he needs to first consider me; however, if he can convince me not to interfere, it will also be beneficial to him. What he wants is the stability of Hundred Spirits Continent and the safety of the Divine Spirits. If you really assume control of Hundred Spirits Continent within that two to three thousand year period, then you’ll have fulfilled his wish. When that time comes, with me supporting you from behind, the other Demon Saints are sure to not give you too much trouble.”
Yang Kai nodded at her words and also understood why Yu Ru Meng had shown some enthusiasm towards the matter. This was certainly Chang Tian’s wish, but it also brought great benefits to Yu Ru Meng. If Yang Kai took over Hundred Spirits Continent, then she would naturally have a share of the continent too.
It was a great plan to gain control of Hundred Spirits Continent without bloodshed, which was something the Twelve Demon Saints have been wanting to do for years but have never been able to.
“So… What does he want me to do?” Yang Kai asked.
Yu Ru Meng told him, “First of all, when he kidnapped you, he had the intention of having you seal off all the Territory Gates.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Sealing the Territory Gates?”
“That’s right.” Yu Ru Meng brushed her hair behind her ear, “Since you’re able to repair the Territory Gates, then you should obviously be able to seal them as well.”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before nodding, “It shouldn’t be difficult.” Even though he had never done it before, he didn’t believe it would be an issue to seal the Territory Gates.
“Once the Territory Gates of Hundred Spirits Continent are sealed, this continent will lose contact with the rest of the Demon Realm, and the continent will become a haven for all Divine Spirits. So, even if Chang Tian passes away, there would be nothing we Demon Saints can do about it.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Yang Kai shook his head, “The Territory Gates here show no problems, and though I should be able to seal them, if they encounter too great of a force, that seal may break and the Territory Gates will be revealed once more. If Chang Tian really insists on this plan, he may end up lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.”
Ordinary people may not be capable of breaking the seal, but a Demon Saint’s attack was powerful enough to do so. Yang Kai had no confidence that a seal he formed would be able to withstand the attack of a Demon Saint.
“Is that so?” Yu Ru Meng cocked her head to the side and looked at him.
“It’s highly possible, but then again, I’ve not tried it yet. Of course, there’s also the possibility that the Territory Gates may be shattered alongside the seal…” While talking, Yang Kai was suddenly taken aback. If Chang Tian’s original plan had been for him to seal the Territory Gates to begin with, then after he did so, it would definitely leave him with no way out. At the very least, he wouldn’t be able to leave Hundred Spirits Continent.
Chang Tian would never allow someone who was proficient in the Dao of Space to remain outside.
Yang Kai secretly cheered in his heart. Fortunately, he had a Dragon Clan bloodline in his body; otherwise, this trip might actually have been considerably troublesome.
Yu Ru Meng did not stay long in Hundred Spirits Continent. After confirming that Yang Kai was not harmed or in danger, she left in a hurry as if she had important business to attend to.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think of Bright Moon Great Emperor. If anything can keep a Demon Saint’s mind occupied, then it was highly likely to have something to do with a Great Emperor. Yang Kai even had the idea that the reason why she sent him to Cloud Shadow Continent was one, as she said, to help repair the Territory Gates, but secondly, to separate him from her. Even though in Yu Ru Meng’s eyes, he was already a defector from the Star Boundary, that was his birthplace after all. She might have worried that he would not be able to leave all his attachments to his homeland behind.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai had never thought of sending news of the situation here back to the Star Boundary so that the Great Emperors could think of a way to save Bright Moon, but the two worlds’ passage was being guarded by numerous powerful Demons. It was simply impossible for him to return to the Star Boundary unnoticed.
Thinking about his one-year agreement with Bright Moon, Yang Kai felt heavy in his heart. The only one who would be able to help the Great Emperor then would be him, but would Yang Kai be able to bring Bright Moon out of the Demon Realm under the watchful eyes of the Twelve Demon Saints? Yang Kai wasn’t even sure whether he could actually help at all.
A fight between Great Emperors and Demon Saints was at too high a level. With his current Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, Yang Kai was simply powerless to intervene.
The next day after Yu Ru Meng left, Chang Tian called Yang Kai over and had a frank and open talk with him.
Just as Yu Ru Meng said, his original intention had been to borrow Yang Kai’s abilities to seal off all the Territory Gates in Hundred Spirits Continent, creating the illusion that the entire continent had separated from the Demon Realm. But of course, this separation was different from the continents that disappeared before.
If the entire Demon Realm was a giant plant, then the continents that Yang Kai encountered before were just like the withered parts. The disappearance of the Territory Gates gradually caused the collapse of those continents, while Territory Gates sealed by Yang Kai’s Space Principles would only conceal Hundred Spirits Continent. Hundred Spirits Continent would not be at risk of collapse, and the beings of this place would no longer be affected by the rest of the Demon Realm’s continents.
But once he discovered Yang Kai’s Dragon Clan bloodline, Chang Tian changed his plans.
The reason Chang Tian wanted to seal off Hundred Spirits Continent was that he couldn’t see any hope. Though there were many Half-Saint level existences in Hundred Spirits Continent, none of them would be able to overturn the current situation. At least, it was impossible for someone to advance far enough in two to three thousand years to hold back the Demon Saints. Once Chang Tian passed away, there would be no one left to carry the burden of protecting Hundred Spirits Continent.
But things were different now. A little light in the darkness gave Chang Tian newfound hope. He couldn’t even care less about the close-knit relationship between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng. If he could entrust everything in Hundred Spirits Continent to Yang Kai, then that would be his greatest hope. It could even be said that the close relationship between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng gave Chang Tian even more confidence to entrust matters to him.
When the time came, even if Yang Kai’s abilities had not grown to his satisfaction, with Yu Ru Meng there to help, the other Demon Saints obviously wouldn’t draw her ire without pause.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s words also strengthened Chang Tian’s resolve in this regard. The Territory Gates could be sealed, but there was no guarantee that that would make Hundred Spirits Continent disappear completely, which completely dispelled his initial plans.
But even so, some Territory Gates had to be sealed.
There were a total of four Territory Gates in Hundred Spirits Continent. Chang Tian needed Yang Kai to seal three of them, leaving only a single one open.
With that, only one Half-Saint needed to guard the Territory Gate, unlike now when four were required at all times.
Naturally, Yang Kai had no reason to refuse. Instead, he was even looking forward to it.
If not for Chang Tian’s prompt, Yang Kai would not have even thought of this idea. He was already familiar with restoring and maintaining Territory Gates; however, he had never sealed one before. The darkest place is always right under a candlestick, especially in terms of one’s own thoughts. Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to be reckless in another Demon Saint’s territory either, and if he was seen sealing a Territory Gate, it would definitely lead to trouble.
However, since the Hundred Spirits Continent had such a need, this might give him new insight into the Dao of Space.
At that thought, Yang Kai left the dark and empty hall eagerly to the nearest Territory Gate under the guidance of the Lotus Sisters. Zhui Feng had also found his own way over to him and was running around randomly at the side. It was only after Yang Kai reprimanded him severely that he settled down finally.
The Lotus Sisters looked on at this sight in terror. Though Zhui Feng had shown an affectionate attitude towards Yang Kai, and was even willing to let him ride him, everyone in Hundred Spirits Continent knew that Zhui Feng’s arrogance was no less than any Half-Saint’s. Long ago, during Hundred Spirits Continent’s unification, a newly advanced Half-Saint had such an inflated ego that he ended up provoking Zhui Feng. As a result of that, this guy hunted him for three whole years and knocked his cultivation down from the Half-Saint level. Even to this day, that guy was unable to restore himself.
The incident back then had been just a trivial matter, so small that the Lotus Sisters couldn’t remember exactly what the cause was; however, such a small matter led to the downfall of a Half-Saint, and yet now, someone actually dared to reprimand Zhui Feng, and even took advantage of him!
But Zhui Feng actually didn’t show too much of a reaction if at all…
[Truly unbelievable. So someone with a similar bloodline to Sir can receive treatment like this?]
Without Zhui Feng’s interference, Yang Kai was finally able to concentrate on his research.
Even though he didn’t think it was too difficult to seal a Territory Gate before, the actual implementation was very different from the usual restoration and maintenance. It couldn’t be done as simply as reversing the process, and rather involved many things he had never even thought of before.
Sealing the Territory Gates really brought Yang Kai great inspiration regarding the Dao of Space.
It took almost a whole month before Yang Kai finally found some clues.
One day, Space Principles suddenly fluctuated. The Lotus Sisters who could no longer stand the boredom and were cultivating on a mountain not far away opened their eyes at once and looked towards the sky. In the next moment, both sisters showed looks of amazement.
There, in front of the Territory Gate, they saw Yang Kai extend his hand out with an open palm towards the large Territory Gate. From that palm, an invisible Principle Strength was released. Like a stone falling into a calm lake, a layer of ripples that was visible to the naked eye spread outward, gradually covering the entire Territory Gate.
Where the ripples passed, the Territory Gate suddenly grew indistinct, as if it was covered with a veil that made it hard to see.
Even though the Lotus Sisters were unfamiliar with the Dao of Space, they could tell that Yang Kai had a breakthrough regarding sealing the Territory Gates just from this scene alone. Perhaps they could even witness the miraculous scene with their own eyes.
As expected, the ripples were constantly undulating. The Territory Gate became more and more hazy, just like a painting on a piece of paper that had grown blurry in the weather.
After a full three days, the space where the Territory Gate resided in the past was now empty. Whether it be in visual observation or Divine Sense perception, they could no longer find any traces of the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai still maintained the same posture while his Space Principles surged incessantly.
Just because the Lotus Sisters couldn’t see the traces didn’t mean he couldn’t see them. The state of the Territory Gate in front of him was similar to it being hidden. Without a similar level of insight, no one should even think of passing through this Territory Gate; however, if it were to be attacked with a strong enough force, it was possible to make the Territory Gate reappear.
Since he was doing this, Yang Kai naturally wanted to be as thorough as possible.
Another half a day later, Yang Kai finally breathed out a long sigh and slowly lowered his hand. The rippling Space Principles dissipated at the same time.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, Yang Kai flew straight downward and found a place to sit cross-legged. Throwing a few Spirit Pills into his mouth, he meditated and adjusted his breathing.
During the past few days, he had been constantly using Space Principles. For him, this was quite a burden, and this time that he was using to recover was just right for him to consolidate what he learned.
Seeing this, the Lotus Sisters quickly flew close and stood guard to his left and right. Though it was unlikely for some guy with no eyes to come here and cause trouble, precautions still had to be taken.
An hour later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and the thoughtful look on his face faded away before he nodded to the Lotus Sisters.
Hei Lian asked, “Is it done?”
Yang Kai gestured with his hand, “You can give it a try.”
Hei Lian glanced at him, and sure enough, she did try. And as a result, she was surprised to find that there were no traces left of the Territory Gate that had always existed here at all. After going back and forth, she also proved that the Territory Gate was in fact sealed.
This news would surely please Sir once it gets back.
Bai Lian asked, “Did you get rid of the Territory Gate completely or can it still be restored?”
Yang Kai shot her a somewhat surprised look. He didn’t expect that this woman who always gazed at him as if he owed her a huge sum of money actually had a mind sharp enough to think of this point. At the very least, the Elder Sister, Hei Lian, didn’t have such an idea.
“Since it’s a seal, it’s theoretically possible to restore it, but whether it’s truly possible or not, I will still need to try to know.”
In fact, even without her asking, Yang Kai had a mind to restore the Territory Gate now. Not to show off, but to confirm his hypothesis. If it wasn’t possible to restore it, then he would have to ask Chang Tian whether he should seal the other Territory Gates or not. It would be bad if got rid of the Territory Gates and couldn’t get them back again, upsetting Chang Tian in the process. After all, this Territory Gate was different from the other lost Territory Gates. It disappeared by his own initiative.
Without delay, Yang Kai flew back to the previous location and reached his hand out towards the front like before. Space Principles surged and ripples spread out again just like before.
The outlines of the lost Territory Gate were gradually revealed.
In less than a quarter of an hour of work, the Territory Gate reappeared again in the eyes of the three. Staring wide-eyed from the side, Zhui Feng seemed surprised and would fly around and around the Territory Gate, as if he was hoping to see a flower pop out from somewhere.
Sealing the Territory Gate for the first time took several days of time, yet restoring it took only a quarter of an hour. It wasn’t about practice, but rather that restoring it was just much easier than sealing it. It was even easier than restoring the lost Territory Gates.
“I’ll go and report the news to Sir.” After saying that, Bai Lian turned into a stream of light and sped towards the castle.
With the experience of sealing the first one, the rest went much easier. In less than ten days, three of the four Territory Gates were sealed by Yang Kai, leaving only a single passage to go to and from the Hundred Spirits Continent.
In this way, as long as that exit was secured, then no one would be able to sneak into the Hundred Spirits Continent to commit violence.
Yang Kai had no idea whether it was possible for a Demon Saint level Master to break his seal, but at the very least, it was impossible for a Half-Saint. The Lotus Sisters had already confirmed this by taking turns to attempt it themselves. Yang Kai estimated that even if his seal could not defend against a strong Demon Saint attack, it should still be able to last some time.
If he could shorten the time it took to seal a gate, then this trick might come in handy for him…
So, for a long time following that, Yang Kai stayed in front of one of Hundred Spirits Continent’s Territory Gates, constantly sealing and unsealing it, sealing and unsealing it, and so on…
The Lotus Sisters were watching quietly from the side, oblivious as to what he was doing. The task that Senior Chang Tian had given him was already completed, so they could’ve returned back long ago. Yet, this brat just had to find work out of nothing, forcing them to have to accompany him as well to protect him. Naturally, they were a little unhappy with the state of affairs.
Hei Lian asked Yang Kai about what he was doing, and the answer she got was that he was trying to cultivate the Dao of Space through this method.
She had no idea how one cultivated the Dao of Space, so she just went along with whatever he said.
But Yang Kai was indeed improving at a visible rate. In the beginning, he needed three whole days to seal a single Territory Gate, but the time it took him to accomplish it became shorter and shorter. A few months later, he needed only ten breaths of time to seal a Territory Gate, and with just a wave of his hand, he could make the Territory Gate reappear.
The Lotus Sisters found this quite incredible. How the Territory Gates were formed was a mystery that perhaps only the Demon Saints knew a thing or two about. After so many years, no one has ever been able to play around with the Territory Gates like a toy in the palm of their hands.
On this day, while Yang Kai was trying to master his techniques of sealing the Territory Gates, his brow suddenly twitched and his hands stopped before he swiftly immersed his consciousness into the Small Sealed World.
Immediately, the Embodiment’s voice emerged in his ears, “I’m making a breakthrough!”
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment before becoming overjoyed.
The Embodiment’s cultivation had been stagnant for a long time since devouring Shi Huo’s Source. After awakening, he had gained a cultivation on par with a peak Emperor Realm. After cultivating endlessly with the help of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law for such a long time, his strength naturally increased by a good amount, and now after devouring so many Myriad Demon Pills recently, he had obtained enough power for a breakthrough. It could be said that Yang Kai had constantly been waiting for him to grow to the level of a Half-Saint.
The number of Myriad Demon Pills they found in the lost continents was not small. Right now, after consuming around seventy to eighty percent of them, the Embodiment was primed for a breakthrough.
Only, Yang Kai never expected this breakthrough to come so late. In his predictions, Embodiment should have broken through a long time ago.
“Want me to bring you out?” Yang Kai asked. Even though the World Principles in the Small Sealed World were now considered complete, and breaking through to the Emperor Realm shouldn’t be a problem inside, the Embodiment probably was unable to break through the final layer inside the Small Sealed World if he had contacted him like this.
Yang Kai thought that he needed to break through in the outside world.
“No, it’s useless. I think I have to head back to Cloud Shadow Continent!”
Yang Kai was a little puzzled by this answer, but thinking back to the fact that the Embodiment was now the Master of Cloud Shadow Continent, he understood. This must concern something he had no knowledge of, and if the Embodiment was to break through these shackles, then he would likely have to rely on some factors from Cloud Shadow Continent.
With this in mind, Yang Kai immediately said, “Wait for a moment!”
With that, he restored the sealed Territory Gate, turned around, and got on Zhui Feng’s back before saying to the Lotus Sisters, “I have some business that I must see Senior Chang Tian about, so I’ll be going first.” Squeezing the horse’s sides with his legs, Zhui Feng neighed and turned into a bolt of light. The two Lotus Sisters behind them looked at each other, not knowing what on earth he was doing, but they had no choice but to rush over to follow him.
Since Chang Tian had entrusted Yang Kai’s safety to them, they had to stick close to him.
Moving as quick as lightning, it didn’t take long before they returned to the castle. Jumping off the horse’s back, Yang Kai hurriedly went inside.
The giant lion named Xiong Shi suddenly appeared to stop him. Looking down at Yang Kai from above, its rumbling voice asked, “What do you need, boy?”
Perhaps because of Chang Tian, Xiong Shi displayed a rather friendly attitude towards Yang Kai, no longer scorning him like when they had just met.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I want to see Senior.”
Cocking his head to the side, Xiong Shi listened attentively for a while and gently nodded, “Go in. Sir is inside.” After saying that, he moved aside.
In the same dark, cold, and empty hall, Chang Tian sat cross-legged in the centre. Dark Demon Qi filled the interior like flowing clouds of mist. When Yang Kai entered, the Demon Qi was sucked back into Chang Tian’s body like a whale inhaling water, leaving not a single drop behind.
The darkness was lit up by two bright rays of light, just like two small suns.
Without dallying, Yang Kai cupped his fist and said, “Senior, I have to take a trip back to Cloud Shadow Continent, so I’ve come to bid farewell to you.”
Chang Tian nodded at his words, “Go ahead. Take care.”
[Isn’t he even going to ask what I’m going to do there?] Yang Kai was taken aback by how easily he agreed, but this was also the result he hoped for. He had no idea what he was going to do if Chang Tian refused to let him go.
“Many thanks, Senior,” Yang kai turned around and left.
Since he was here in Hundred Spirits Continent, Yang Kai had to tell Chang Tian if he wanted to return to Cloud Shadow; otherwise, he wouldn’t have wasted time coming here.
“Let Zhui Feng accompany you,” Chang Tian’s voice came from behind him, “It’s not too convenient for the Lotus Sisters to show their faces outside, but Zhui Feng is different. With him accompanying you, I’m sure no one would dare to try anything with you.”
Yang Kai halted his steps. Turning around, he nodded slightly at Chang Tian before speeding up and leaving the hall.
When he left, he met Xiong Shi again, who looked at him with a look of surprise, “Done talking already?” It seemed as if he had gone in for just a few breaths of time.
Yang Kai smiled, “Sir is quite easy to talk to.”
[He’s only easy to talk to for you!] Xiong Shi looked thoughtfully at his back.
When the Lotus Sisters rushed over, they were just in time to see Yang Kai climb onto Zhui Feng’s back. Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared again, leaving both of them speechless, but soon, Chang Tian’s Divine Sense transmitted a message to their ears. Once they understood the reason, both sisters breathed sighs of relief.
They had nothing to do while accompanying Yang Kai for the past few months, which really felt stifling for them.
In the sky, Zhui Feng was in high spirits. Especially after passing Hundred Spirits Continent’s Territory Gate into another continent, the change was especially obvious. It felt like it had entered a sea large enough for fish to leap and a sky high enough for birds to fly through.
Though Hundred Spirits Continent was big, it was still a cage for Zhui Feng. Only the entirety of the Demon Realm combined was a suitable place for it to run free.
As the ground retreated beneath their feet, the violent incoming winds forced Yang Kai to protect himself with his Emperor Qi, but for Zhui Feng, this feeling almost tasted as sweet as candy, and he only ran faster and faster.
Under Yang Kai’s guidance, the pair passed through Territory Gate after Territory Gate, traversing continent after continent. In less than half a day, man and mount had already made it back to Cloud Shadow Continent from Hundred Spirits Continent, a terrifyingly small amount of time.
As soon as they arrived at Cloud Shadow Continent, Yang Kai got off and patted Zhui Feng’s neck. Then, tapping on the void, he opened a gap to the Sealed World Bead.
In the next moment, the Embodiment’s huge figure emerged from the gap, which gave Zhui Feng a terrible fright. It quickly jumped away and eyed the Embodiment warily.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to calm him down either, because the fluctuating aura around the Embodiment’s body proved that he was indeed at the edge of a breakthrough. Only, he was unable to resonate with Cloud Shadow Continent while he was inside the Small Sealed World, and couldn’t cross through that final barrier.
After he emerged from the Small Sealed World, the undulating aura around the Embodiment became more and more obvious.
The Embodiment fell rapidly from high in the sky and turned into a small black dot in the blink of an eye.
But the moment he hit the ground, he simply and silently sunk into it and disappeared.
With a look of amazement, Zhui Feng went after him, digging at the place where the Embodiment disappeared with all four hooves. As dirt was kicked into the air, a hole quickly formed in the ground…
Yang Kai stood solemnly in mid-air, gazing at a certain point in the earth. Even though he could not see the Embodiment presently, he could sense where he was.
For all living beings, whether they be Human or Spirit, or perhaps even Demon, every breakthrough to a new Great Realm was a test of life or death. Yang Kai had no idea whether the breakthrough of a Half-Saint was considered a Great Realm’s breakthrough, nor did he know what sort of dangers the Embodiment would face during this experience, but there was nothing he could do to help. The Embodiment could only rely on himself.
Fortunately, though the Embodiment cultivated an evil art such as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he was able to avoid its drawbacks to a great extent due to his body being that of a Stone Spirit; otherwise, swallowing up so much raw energy would surely make one suffer unimaginably during a breakthrough.
From this point of view alone, Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, who was able to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to such a peak, was indeed a genius among geniuses. Yang Kai still had no idea how Wu Kuang was able to resolve the issues caused by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Yang Kai thought that an anomaly was sure to appear during the Embodiment’s breakthrough this time, possibly even resulting in extensive damage; after all, he and Cloud Shadow Continent had already formed a close link.
But to his surprise, the Embodiment went silent after sinking into the earth. Not to mention a Heavenly Manifestation, not even a single sound was heard. It was as if the Embodiment had fallen into a deep sleep after sinking into the ground.
Yang Kai couldn’t even get much information through his senses. The inseparable connection that he shared with the Embodiment all this while had also become blurry, as if he had entered a different world.
Hearing a neigh Yang Kai was woken up from his worries. Looking over, he saw Zhui Feng covered in mud from head to toe, baring his teeth next to him and neighing constantly. This guy seemed to have searched for half a day, but was still unable to find the Embodiment. On the other hand, it did excavate a large hole in the ground. From the looks of it, he had come to Yang Kai to complain.
But how could Yang Kai have the time to pay him any attention? He just pushed his head aside.
The Embodiment sank into the ground for several hours, but Yang Kai still felt no movement from it, which caused him to frown in worry.
The Embodiment was clearly showing signs of having a breakthrough earlier, so why hadn’t he received any news from him yet? The haziness in his perception made it impossible for Yang Kai to accurately ascertain the Embodiment’s current condition, which made him anxious.
Suddenly, the ground shook, and a vague rumble burst out and spread in all directions.
Surprised, Yang Kai looked around. He could keenly sense a subtle change in the ambient World Energy. If the world could be described as standing still earlier, then something had begun slowly flowing, as if there was an invisible hand that was gently stirring the air.
*Dong…*
A dull and heavy noise erupted from the depths of the earth, just like a strong heartbeat, as if someone had struck a great war drum tens of thousands of metres below.
Following that noise, the energy flow accelerated abruptly, and the air began to change.
The whistling of the strong gale filled Yang Kai’s ears as tides of energy converged from all directions, gathering towards a certain place in the ground.
*Dong dong dong…*
The dull noise sounded over and over again, sounding more and more like a heartbeat. It gave one the illusion that the entire world was coming to life. Even the mountains in the distance resembling the coiled body of a dragon were undulating, just like the earth was breathing.
More and more World Energy was converging and becoming denser and denser before disappearing into the ground. It was as if a black hole existed underneath the surface that could devour everything, swallowing it all no matter how great the amount.
In the violent wind, Zhui Feng neighed in unrest, but Yang Kai was still as a mountain. He stared through the void, penetrating through the earth.
Within the depths of the earth, a powerful aura was gradually getting stronger, just like a Dragon awakening from its slumber.
Such a shocking phenomenon naturally alerted the Demons nearby, who all came over to investigate the situation; however, they weren’t able to approach within a thousand kilometres due to being obstructed by an invisible force. The Embodiment was the Master of the Cloud Shadow Continent, so it wasn’t hard for him to achieve this.
The Embodiment’s aura was growing stronger and stronger. Even without specifically sensing it, Yang Kai could feel it clearly. At a certain point, the strengthening suddenly stopped as if it had reached a limit. Rather than increasing, it was now decreasing.
Yang Kai’s face, who had been monitoring the Embodiment’s movements, sank at this revelation.
He knew that the Embodiment must have encountered a problem. Naturally, breaking through to the Half-Saint realm was not simple. Even with the Myriad Demon Pills in the Demon Realm, there still weren’t many Half-Saint level Masters in existence. Not because of any problems in accumulating power, but rather the shackles of their own perception. Without breaking through this layer, they’d never be able to reach a higher level.
But fortunately, the weakening force grew stronger again after a while and climbed to its highest peak. Only, this time the situation was almost exactly the same as before. Once it reached a peak, it could no longer go further and quickly dropped again.
Yang Kai’s face grew even darker.
As the saying went, the beating of the first drum rouses the spirit, the second weakens it, while the third exhausts it. Many grains of sand would eventually build a tower, but the longer a breakthrough stalled for, the less hope there was for success.
What’s more… the Embodiment’s breakthrough this time was slightly strange. Yang Kai did not see the familiar World Energy Baptism, and he had no idea whether it was because they were currently in the Demon Realm, and the World Principles here were different from the Star Boundary, or if it were due to other reasons.
But he could be sure that the Embodiment was in fact in the process of a breakthrough.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel worried again. He had already been in the Second-Order Emperor Realm for a long time, so he might break through to the Third-Order at any moment. When that time came, what if he encountered a problem due to the differences in World Principles between the two Great Worlds? What if he did not encounter a World Energy Baptism then?
But it was too early to worry about this right now. Perhaps the Embodiment’s advancement might offer him some insight.
Over the next few days, the Embodiment remained in the same state as before. His aura from underground was stuck in a loop of strengthening and weakening. Yang Kai really couldn’t understand this strange situation. Logically, the Embodiment should have failed if he had not been able to make a breakthrough even after such a long time, and the price of failure was that his cultivation would fall, or he would die. There were no other possibilities than these.
But according to Yang Kai’s perception, not only was the Embodiment not in any danger, but he even had the feeling that it had merged with Cloud Shadow Continent and was in a kind of deep sleep. And, the strengthening and weakening of his aura was just like him breathing.
Naturally, such a long-lasting abnormality alerted many of Cloud Shadow’s Demon Kings.
He Yin, Lao Ke, Ke Sen, and the others all came to investigate, but were all stopped a thousand kilometres away. Fortunately, Yang Kai noticed their arrival and took the initiative to contact them. Only then could they feel a little more at ease.
After all, they were extremely worried when they saw such an abnormal situation arise on Cloud Shadow, and they had no idea what was happening. Now that they had confirmed that it was related to Yang Kai, they immediately relaxed.
Compared to this, Yang Kai’s sudden and safe return surprised them even more. Previously, the Divine Spirits of Hundred Spirits Continent had appeared to abduct him. No one knew what was going to happen to Yang Kai after that and they had no news whatsoever for the past few months. They could only confirm through Tu Qia Luo and the others’ statuses that Yang Kai was still alive. The three Demon Kings from Blue Plains Continent had Yang Kai’s Soul Imprint in their Knowledge Seas, so if anything happened to Yang Kai, they would surely accompany him to the next life. There was no way they could be spared.
Since he had nothing to do here either, Yang Kai decided to move a thousand kilometres away to meet up with them. Asking about the situation, he learned that nothing special had happened in Cloud Shadow Continent recently. On the other hand, many people were worried about him when he had been abducted, especially Li Shi Qing, who was constantly trying to persuade He Yin and the others to gather Cloud Shadow’s strength to save him from the Hundred Spirits Continent.
Of course, it was impossible for He Yin and the others to agree to such a thing. As members of the Demon Race, they knew the terrifying heritage of the Hundred Spirits Continent. It was not something that a mere Cloud Shadow Continent could challenge by themselves. A single Half-Saint from Hundred Spirits Continent would be enough to destroy the entire Cloud Shadow Continent. This wasn’t about loyalty, it was about ability.
Since she was unable to persuade He Yin, Li Shi Qing had tried to make her way towards Enchantment Continent to ask for Yu Ru Meng’s assistance. Fortunately, Bo Ya stopped her.
This surprised Yang Kai; after all, he had never treated her well, and even slapped her when they first met.
But remembering that they were the only two Humans here in the Demon Realm, Yang Kai reasoned that Li Shi Qing more or less must have felt a connection with him, so it wasn’t that difficult to understand why she would have made such a decision. If something happened to him, then she would truly become isolated in the Demon Realm. No matter how bad his attitude was towards her, they were still of the same race…
While He Yin and the others talked, Zhui Feng was flying up and down at the side, drawing the attention of many Demons. Only, these Demons did not recognize Zhui Feng and simply thought that this mount was quite good.
Their Great King actually took a mount from the Hundred Spirits Continent? This surprised He Yin and the others. It seemed now that their Great King did not suffer any harsh treatment.
Ttwo months went by in the blink of an eye.
Even though he had never seen other Half-Saints make a breakthrough before, Yang Kai was sure that absolutely no one would take such a long time in order to achieve this process. Yang Kai estimated that the Embodiment was probably a first.
Every day remained unchanged, repeating the same situation over and over again, giving one the illusion that time was repeating itself.
On a certain day two whole months later, when the Embodiment’s aura reached its peak, it no longer dropped like before; instead, it seemed like it was going to continue climbing.
Yang Kai didn’t notice the difference at first; after all, he had been following this situation for two months without noticing any changes. Who could have guessed that a change would suddenly happen at such a time? It wasn’t until the Embodiment’s aura broke through its previous limit and reached new heights that Yang Kai woke with a start and showed a look of surprise.
He Yin and the others had clearly sensed the change as well, and they all looked at him questioningly.
The Embodiment’s growing aura didn’t seem like it was going to fall back on itself; instead, it continued to rise, climbing higher, higher, and higher again.
Finally, at a certain moment, a loud noise sounded, as if something had been shattered. Then, the rising aura reached a peak. At once, World Energy converged like a tsunami towards the ground before being swallowed up.
“Half-Saint!” Lao Ke muttered under his breath with excitement on his face.
After two months of waiting and observing, even without Yang Kai’s explanation, they could tell that someone was making a breakthrough to the next Great Realm, and the one who was breaking through must have a close relationship with Yang Kai. Right now, this aura undoubtedly meant that the person who was breaking through had succeeded.
In other words, Cloud Shadow Continent had their own Half-Saint from now on! No longer did they have to play to the tune of others anymore.
If Cloud Shadow had a Half-Saint back then, they would not have been bullied by Yue Sang.
But… Who was this person, and when did they refine Cloud Shadow’s Source?
Faced with the curious glances from the side, Yang Kai had no intention of explaining. Currently, Yu Ru Meng was the only one in the Demon Realm who knew about the Embodiment’s existence. Now that he had broken through to the Half-Saint realm and was suitable to be used as a secret weapon, it would naturally be best for Yang Kai to keep his existence a secret for as long as he could.
Yang Kai still remembered that Yue Sang was eyeing him. Even though he had been sent to the Two Worlds battlefield, who knew whether Yue Sang would come back in the future?
Only, now that he had the Embodiment, Yang Kai was no longer worried about that guy.
The aura of the newly advanced Half-Saint gradually disappeared, to the disappointment of Lao Ke and the others. They were hoping to be able to meet the new Half-Saint, but from this, they could tell that the other party had no intention of showing themselves, so they had no choice but to give up. Fortunately, they could be sure that this newly advanced Half-Saint had a good relationship with their Great King, so there may be a chance to meet them in the future.
After telling Lao Ke and the others to wait in place, Yang Kai flew a thousand kilometres away to look for the Embodiment that was burrowing out of the ground.
Four eyes met and Yang Kai revealed a look of surprise. That was because the Embodiment seemed to have grown smaller. Even though the Embodiment could freely alter his size, he usually maintained his most comfortable state. Due to him refining Shi Huo’s Source, his body had shrunk to about ten metres in height during normal times, but now he seemed to be only the size of an average person.
Although Embodiment had gotten smaller, that did not mean his strength had gotten weaker. On the contrary, it was a symbol of his strength becoming more condensed than before. The characteristics of a Shi Huo that used to be obvious had also undergone some drastic changes. The stone spikes protruding from the surface of his body were gone, lumps of rock piled up high against each other to form well-defined muscles that were filled with explosive strength, an Evil Fire could vaguely be seen between the cracks of his stone body, and the Demon Qi wrapped around him was extremely dense.
Perhaps it was because Embodiment had just advanced into the next Realm, but he could not wield his power as he pleased yet.
Yang Kai could clearly feel the Half-Saint aura coming from Embodiment. It was a strength that far surpassed a Demon King or an Emperor Realm Master. Unfortunately, he had nothing to compare it with. He couldn’t discern whether there were any gaps in strength between Embodiment and those older Master Half-Saints.
With a surge of his Divine Sense, Yang Kai placed Embodiment back into the Small Sealed World to allow him to stabilize his cultivation. Then, he returned to meet with He Yin and the others.
He was in no hurry. Riding Zhui Feng, he led a group of Demon Race members and advanced toward Cloud Shadow City with great vigour. The end of the one-year period agreement between him and Bright Moon was fast approaching. Besides, the dust had settled regarding Embodiment’s affairs. It was time for him to visit Enchantment Continent and look for Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng would be the first to know if anything had happened to Bright Moon. If he stayed beside her, he could receive news about the situation on Eternal Sky Continent in advance and come up with a plan sooner.
While Yang Kai was mulling over those thoughts, he saw a member of the Demon Race racing toward him from a distance. When the Demon came closer, he revealed himself and seemed faintly startled to see Yang Kai in the lead. Still, he cupped his fists politely, “Greetings, Great King. Greetings, Sirs.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked down at him arrogantly, “What’s the matter?”
That member of the Demon Race was just a Demon Great General. From the looks of things, he had flown over from Cloud Shadow City. He bowed and replied, “Great King, according to the reports from our spies, all continents in the Demon Realm are urgently dispatching troops. The Half-Saints are also being deployed, one after the other. There seems to be something going on, but we don’t know the reason behind it.”
In order to locate Bright Moon’s whereabouts, Yang Kai had assembled a lot of manpower from Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent and scattered them across all the continents of the Demon Realm to gather information. Despite already knowing Bright Moon’s location, he never ordered his spies to withdraw; instead, they continued to send various reports from other parts of the Demon Realm back to Cloud Shadow City.
When they recently discovered the anomalies occurring across the other continents as though something major was about to happen, it was only natural for them to report the findings immediately.
Lao Ke frowned upon hearing this and asked, “Did something happen on the two worlds’ battlefield?”
All the continents were dispatching their troops and many Half-Saints were being sent out, one after another. It was obvious that something big was happening. Aside from changes in the war, there shouldn’t be anything else that could cause such a huge commotion in the Demon Realm.
The Demon Great General shook his head, “I don’t know, but…”
“But what?”
“But, the Half-Saints seem to be heading toward the Eternal Sky Continent and not the two worlds’ battlefield.”
“Eternal Sky Continent!?” Yang Kai’s expression changed. Lowering his body slightly, he stared at the Demon Great General in front of him, “Are you sure they are heading to the Eternal Sky Continent?”
The Demon Great General faltered slightly under that unrelenting stare. Swallowing nervously, he answered, “That is what the spies reported. I heard that millions of troops from several continents have already amassed outside the Territory Gates of the Eternal Sky Continent.”
That undoubtedly meant that something had occurred in the Eternal Sky Continent. The first thing that Yang Kai thought of was Bright Moon. [It really is… Argh… Whatever I worry about will always come true…. I was just planning to head to the Enchantment Continent to visit Yu Ru Meng too…]
Bright Moon had been heavily wounded and was trapped on Eternal Sky Continent as a result. Not only was there a magnificent Spirit Array arranged there, but there was also a Demon Saint personally guarding that location. The Demon Race did not hesitate to sacrifice all the living creatures across the entire Eternal Sky Continent in an effort to increase the power of the Spirit Array to keep Bright Moon in the Demon Realm forever; however, nobody could have imagined that Yang Kai would secretly sneak in and leave Bright Moon with three leaves from the Immortal Tree. Hence, Bright Moon had recovered completely within a year with the help of those leaves.
Even if Bright Moon was still on his own, he was no longer the same weak lamb waiting to be slaughtered. A Great Emperor at his peak and a severely wounded Great Emperor were two different existences altogether. On this point, the Demon Saints had miscalculated, and they were going to pay a heavy price for this miscalculation.
The deployment of troops from all the continents and the dispatching of so many Half-Saints were the best indication! Those signs clearly indicated that a battle had broken out on Eternal Sky Continent, and the Demon Saints had clearly discovered that the situation was vastly different from what they had expected. Why else would they need to mobilize so many people as reinforcement?
Based on Bright Moon’s previous condition, he would only have gotten weaker and weaker with time. The power of Xue Li and the Spirit Array alone would have been enough to doom Bright Moon for all eternity.
“Pay attention to the news in this place one year from now. Don’t forget to rush over if any changes occur here as I still have something to tell you.” Bright Moon’s words echoed in Yang Kai’s ears. A moment later, Yang Kai nudged Zhui Feng with his knees, turned around, and galloped toward the nearest Territory Gate.
“Great King, where are you going?” Lao Ke exclaimed.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those words. Riding Zhui Feng, he had already disappeared out of sight. He Yin and Lao Ke, who were left behind, looked at each other. They didn’t know what was wrong with Yang Kai.
Before they could figure out the situation though, Yang Kai, who had just disappeared into the distance, returned with a dreadfully solemn expression on his face. His arrival was accompanied by a command, “Quickly summon all the combat power in Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent and follow me to battle at Eternal Sky Continent!”
Arriving at Eternal Sky Continent alone was a bit too conspicuous; on the other hand, bringing some people along with him would give him an excuse to explain himself if anybody questioned him. In any case, everybody was converging at Eternal Sky Continent, so Cloud Shadow Continent was simply following their lead.
“Are we going to the Eternal Sky Continent too?” Lao Ke looked surprised.
He Yin looked up at Yang Kai and asked, “Great King, what is happening at Eternal Sky Continent?”
[Why did he become so impatient when he heard this odd piece of news?]
Yang Kai waved his hand impatiently, “Why are you asking so many questions!? Hurry up and gather the forces!”
Ke Sen hesitated, “But, Great King, we didn’t receive any orders to…”
“Are you refusing to obey this King’s orders?” Yang Kai looked at Ke Sen coldly. In response, Ke Sen immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence.
A short while later, many of the Demon Race split up and headed in all directions to spread word of Yang Kai’s orders. Meanwhile, Yang Kai was feeling extremely impatient. He couldn’t wait to fly over to Eternal Sky Continent to see how Bright Moon was doing; unfortunately, all he could do was wait patiently.
In any case, the battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint would not be decided in such a short time, so it was pointless for Yang Kai to rush there. There was no way for him to interfere in a battle of that level with his current strength. If Bright Moon wanted to get himself out of trouble, then he could only rely on himself.
More importantly, Yang Kai had no idea how Bright Moon was going to get in touch with him. There were so many eyes around and under the watch of so many Demon Saints, not even the slightest disturbance would escape their gaze.
It was not long before both Cloud Shadow Continent and Blue Plains Continent were in an uproar. Many Demon Race Masters were being mobilized, heading towards a certain Territory Gate that was set as the marshalling point.
Three days later, a million troops from Cloud Shadow Continent had gathered. The dismal turnout was due to the need for expediency. If they had enough time, they could have gathered a few times more than this; after all, the population of an entire continent was quite large.
The million troops passed through the Territory Gate in great procession, the long line of soldiers stretching out into the distance with no end in sight. By the time they stepped across the boundary of Blue Plains Continent and marched toward the location of the next Territory Gate, Tu Qia Luo, Ba Zha and the others had already arrived with another million troops and were waiting there quietly.
When both parties converged, the army under Yang Kai’s command numbered over two million in total. Yang Kai had less than 50,000 people at his back when he defended Tiger Roar City initially. There was a multiple times difference in numbers between then and now. The army looked rather messy with so many people. Fortunately, with many Demon Kings assisting, none of the weaker soldiers dared step out of line, so it was not a hassle to manage the situation.
The army marched forward, but needless to say, it was not as fast as travelling alone. Yang Kai estimated that it would take at least half a month before he arrived at Eternal Sky Continent with these two million people in tow.
[I hope Bright Moon will be fine!]
Passing through one Territory Gate after another, the army continuously marched towards Eternal Sky Continent. At the same time, Yang Kai calmed down as the days went by and his initial impatience and anxiety were no longer present.
He had made up his mind. When the time came for him to reveal his true intentions, he decided to use Zhui Feng’s speed to escape with Bright Moon. As for whether they could actually get away, that would be up to the Heavens to decide. Besides, he wasn’t sure if Zhui Feng would cooperate with him. Although they now shared a close relationship, this guy was sentient and might not be willing to leave the Demon Realm with him.
…
The Blood Sea churned in Eternal Sky Continent. Twelve blood-coloured pillars that looked like spikes the Heavens had nailed to the ground turned the vast area into an unbreakable cage.
Outside the Blood Sea cage, the Demon Qi of many Blood Demons surged, increasing the power of the red ocean. In addition, countless members of the Demon Race were stationed outside the cage to prevent any unexpected mishaps. Among them, there were more than ten Half-Saints alone.
However, the current situation was a little different from what Yang Kai had seen when he was last here. The biggest difference was that the Demons who had continuously thrown themselves into the Blood Sea were gone. All the living creatures across the entire Eternal Sky Continent had been sacrificed. Consequently, the power of the Blood Sea had been elevated to the extreme, causing it to look like it was boiling. It churned endlessly and continuously emitted huge bubbles. Inside the Blood Sea, countless Souls wandered around while letting out bursts of cries and howls.
It was extremely disquieting.
The roaring and rushing power of the Blood Sea suddenly came pouring out, followed by an invisible jarring force that dispersed in all directions.
At the same time that a muffled noise sounded, the Blood Demons gathered around the Blood Sea exploded into a blood mist without a word. There was not even a bone left of their body. When the members of the Demon Race creating a blockade in the surroundings saw this, their expressions revealed fear and panic.
The vacant spots were quickly filled by other Blood Demons as they continued to maintain the power of Blood Sea; unfortunately, this method could not be kept up for long. The Blood Demons that could participate in this task had to be at least Demon Great Generals. The Blood Demon Clan might be a huge clan with a large population spread across the entire Demon Realm, but even they could not withstand such depletion of manpower. If things continued in this manner, the middle- to upper-level Blood Demons would all fall. In the worst case, it would cause the entire Clan to weaken as a result.
Ten breaths later, another tumultuous burst of power came surging out of the depths of the Blood Sea. It was just that it was not an invisible jarring force that came this time, but rather a burst of dazzling white light instead.
Several tunnels of nothingness formed in the Blood Sea everywhere the white light passed. Everything along its path was erased and the blood waters all vaporized. The members of the Demon Race that were touched by the white lights died on the spot without even a sound.
Xue Li had a cold expression as he stood on top of one of the blood-coloured pillars. His long, blood-coloured hair flapped behind him and his scarlet eyes were filled with a fury that threatened to burst out in flames. Gritting his teeth, he bellowed, “Bright Moon, you court death!”
Bright Moon should have been severely wounded. Offering up all the living beings in Eternal Sky Continent as blood sacrifices should have consumed the rest of his remaining energy. After such a long time, he should have gotten increasingly weaker to the point where he collapsed dead to the ground with no strength left to fight back and then been devoured by the World Principles of the Demon Realm. So, why was he still capable of resisting!? Furthermore, judging by the fallout of his attack, his aura was more stable and more powerful than before he had been trapped in this place. He even gave off a slight impression that he had been restored to his peak!
[What happened!? Where did it go wrong!?] Xue Li’s expression was cold and stern. He simply couldn’t figure it out.
Bright Moon’s injuries were known to all. Before he had been trapped in this place, he had been wounded by several Demon Saints working together. In fact, the injury in his abdomen had been personally inflicted by Xue Li.
To that end, Xue Li even went so far as to use a Secret Technique that wounded the enemy greatly while inflicting serious damage to himself. He was certain that nobody else in the world could treat that level of injury aside from him. [As one of the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary, Bright Moon would certainly not lack elixirs for healing purposes. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of my Secret Technique is not something that can be thwarted by mere Spirit Pills!]
Xue Li was tempted to plunge into the depths of the Blood Sea to check on Bright Moon’s current condition with his own eyes; however, there was a circle of pure land filled with a gentle light that blocked out the power of the Spirit Array at the bottom of the Blood Sea, in which Bright Moon could act as he pleased. This prevented Xue Li from seeing what was going on inside.
Since he couldn’t see inside, he could only take action to verify the situation for himself. He would definitely be made into a huge laughingstock if word got out that he allowed countless Blood Demons to be slaughtered by the opponent despite personally guarding this place.
While shouting, Xue Li raised both hands and his long, slender body shuddered slightly. A majestic wave of Demon Qi rushed out. The boiling and churning Blood Sea instantly experienced an eerie moment of calm, as though a large, invisible hand had suppressed all its movements. In the next moment, the Blood Sea suddenly began whirling clockwise, creating a whirlpool of enormous force. A huge Blood Vortex appeared in the middle of those twelve blood-coloured pillars in the blink of an eye.
That Blood Vortex was crimson all over and could clearly be seen even from thousands of kilometres away. It was as though the full moon in the sky had been dyed red and came falling down to the ground. At the same time, it gave off a feeling of unspeakable horror, as though the world was about to end.
Traces of a faint white light flickered in the centre of the Blood Vortex. It was the only pure land that Bright Moon had formed by pushing out the Blood Sea with his supreme cultivation. It was a pity that the area covered by this pure land was almost imperceptible compared to the size of the entire Blood Vortex.
Blood shadows the size of a palm formed inside the Blood Sea. Upon a closer look, one would discover that the blood shadows were actually blood-coloured bats. Those blood-coloured bats rushed towards the pure white land like an avalanche that blotted out the sky under Xue Li’s control. Unfortunately, they turned to dust and disappeared the moment they came into contact with that gentle moonlight. There was an overwhelming number of blood-coloured bats that were being formed and destroyed at a constant rate. Be that as it may, they couldn’t weaken the light of that pure land in any way whatsoever regardless of how many there were.
Xue Li’s expression darkened even more. There was no need to try again. He could already tell that Bright Moon’s condition had improved greatly, and even if he hadn’t fully healed, the difference wouldn’t be much.
[As expected, a Great Emperor cannot be underestimated.]
It was originally believed that the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array combined with the Blood Sea formed from all the living creatures of Eternal Sky Continent would be enough to make Bright Moon disappear forever, but it seemed the Heavens had other plans. It was shocking that Bright Moon still had the strength to fight back.
[The original plan is no longer feasible. We can only make adjustments to the plan as we go.] At that thought, Xue Li’s scarlet eyes flashed with determination. Casting Secret Techniques with both hands, the Demon Qi around his body surged powerfully and the Blood Vortex simultaneously began spinning faster. The indescribably high speed of rotation created a tornado. Looking down from above, the world below looked like a spinning top that threatened to rotate the entire Eternal Sky Continent along with it.
The Blood Demons surrounding the Spirit Array drew back quickly, lest they were dragged in and became collateral damage
Under Xue Li’s control, various Blood Creatures were formed from the Blood Sea in endless waves. These creatures rushed towards the pure land, only to dissipate into nothingness when they came in contact with the white light.
The Blood Sea had strong corrosive properties, but the gentle light had an unparalleled purifying effect. It was a battle between corrosion and purification. Bright Moon and Xue Li were natural enemies. When their respective Grand Daos collided with each other, a brilliant flare of light that eclipsed all others in the world flashed.
As time passed, the volume of the Blood Vortex gradually grew smaller. On the other hand, there were no changes to the pure land. There were no signs of it being reduced in any way. Many Half-Saints and members of the Demon Race watched the battle from afar, feeling incredibly pained. That Blood Vortex was the accumulation of all the living creatures of Eternal Sky Continent that had been offered up as blood sacrifices. In other words, Xue Li was using the energy formed from all the living of Eternal Sky Continent to clash with Bright Moon. Each reduction in volume represented the sacrifice made by millions of the Demon Race. Unfortunately, it was still unknown whether the outcome was worth the price they were paying.
On the other hand, Xue Li’s expression did not change whatsoever even after he launched his attack. The shrinking Blood Vortex did not affect him in any way. In his opinion, it didn’t matter if the Blood Vortex in front of him disappeared. Even if he had to sacrifice the living creatures of two or three more continents, it would still be worth it if he could weaken and suppress Bright Moon again.
There were hundreds of continents in the Demon Realm, but only twelve Demon Saints. If he could use all the living creatures of the two or three continents to gain another Demon Saint position for the Demon Realm, then it was not a bad deal. In any case, he was only sacrificing the living creatures on the continent and not the continent itself. Those low-rank members of the Demon Race were nothing to the Demon Saints. The Demon Realm might not have much, but its population was enormous. Xue Li would simply need to migrate some of the Demons from the other continents to those continents that were involved in the sacrifice and give them enough time to restore themselves to their former glory.
The air was filled with an endless sizzling sound that even drowned out the sounds made by the rotation of the Blood Vortex. It was naturally the sound of the blood waters being purified by the light Bright Moon created.
The light that used to glow faintly was growing stronger and stronger inside the crimson Blood Vortex, seemingly as though the pure land was expanding as the volume of the Blood Vortex was decreasing.
Xue Li’s scarlet eyes finally flashed with a hint of surprise. He had been certain that Bright Moon had recovered somewhat, but now he could be sure that Bright Moon was either back in peak condition or had used some sort of Secret Technique to forcefully stabilize his injuries; otherwise, it was impossible for Bright Moon to display such might.
[I can’t let this situation be dragged out any longer. Judging from the current situation, things would only get worse the longer this went on. As the person responsible for guarding this place, I will surely be disgraced if Bright Moon escapes from here.] Xue Li suddenly raised his foot and stomped abruptly on the blood-coloured pillar under his feet. Following that, an invisible force spread along the blood-coloured pillar and extended to the other eleven in a flash.
The tall pillars that acted as the base of the Spirit Array and had always been somewhat unremarkable suddenly shone with a strange light. At the same time, the complicated patterns engraved on the pillars gradually began to move. Then, eleven streams of blood water split off from the centre of the Blood Vortex and were absorbed by the blood-coloured pillars. The blood water flowed along the pillars, spreading from the bottom all the way to the top and condensing into blood-coloured figures at the top.
Eleven blood-coloured pillars and eleven blood-coloured figures. There was exactly one blood-coloured figure standing on top of each of the blood-coloured pillars, and including Xue Li, this formed the strongest array in the entire Demon Realm; the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array!
These blood-coloured figures were highly varied; some were tall, and some were short; some were male and some were female. Their bodies were constructed from the blood waters, and they had distinct features with bright eyes. In addition, each of the blood-coloured figures was emitting a different aura and each aura was that of a Demon Saint!
These twelve figures atop the pillars represented the twelve most powerful existences in the Demon Realm! It was just that, aside from Xue Li, the other eleven Saints were Manifestations based around Soul wisps. All the Demon Saints had sealed a part of their Soul into the base that made up the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array. It was so that the person in control of the Spirit Array could use a Secret Technique to awaken the Soul Wisps to enhance the power of the Spirit Array during emergencies. For example… now.
Among those figures, both Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo stood out impressively.
“Xue Li, what is going on?” One of the tall figures glanced around. Then, he turned to look at Xue Li and asked the question.
“Can’t you tell from the current situation!? That bastard Bright Moon played all of us! Damn it!” A hoarse voice mixed with anger rang out from another direction.
Even if these figures were only Manifestations, the Demon Saints were no fools. They instantly understood the situation at a glance. Bright Moon had the strength to fight back against the Blood Vortex conjured by Xue Li. That was clearly not the final struggles of a dying man that they had expected. Rather, it was a person looking for a chance to break free.
“Xue Li, you were too careless! You can’t even watch over a guy rendered half-dead!? What a useless waste!” A short figure gave off a weird laugh. This person was very conspicuous among the Twelve Demon Saints because of his short stature that was only about the height of a five or six-year-old child. In contrast, his body shape was very round. The combination made him look very strange. Nevertheless, his aura felt the most dangerous among all Twelve Demon Saints. He was like a volcano that could erupt at any time.
As soon as those words left his mouth, many Demon Saints furrowed their brows in response. It was undeniable that Xue Li held some responsibility for this situation. If he had noticed Bright Moon’s condition a little earlier, they might have been able to avoid the current situation; however, it was not entirely Xue Li’s fault either. If a Star Boundary Great Emperor was that easy to kill, then they would not have spent so much energy laying out such a complex trap in the first place. Rather, if anybody else had been guarding this place instead, they might have fared even worse than Xue Li; after all, Xue Li was part of the Blood Demon Clan. Only the Blood Demons could draw out the full power that came from sacrificing all the living creatures of an entire continent.
Unfortunately, somebody had to take the blame in this situation…
When the short little man’s words rang out, Xue Li turned to look at him and grinned savagely, “Huo Bo, who gave you the courage to talk to this King in that tone? Have you forgotten the pain from the beating this King gave you ten thousand years ago? Do you want another taste? If so, this King doesn’t mind teaching you another lesson!”
The Demon Saint called Huo Bo jumped up like a cat that had its tail stepped on. His already round body seemed to expand further, and the dangerous aura around him became even more dangerous. “How dare you mention what happened ten thousand years ago!? If you didn’t cheat back then, this King would not have been humiliated in such a manner!”
Xue Li sneered, “It was your own naivete and stupidity. How can you blame me for that? A brain is certainly a good thing to have. It’s a pity not everybody has one.”
Despite being Demon Saints, they still had their respective strengths and weaknesses. It wasn’t just the case for the Demon Saints of the Demon Realm. The same went for the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary. For example, Heavens Revelations Great Emperor and Wondrous Pill Great Emperor would certainly be no match for the other Great Emperors if it came down to a fight. Those two had never been known for their combat abilities. Among the Ten Great Emperors, the one with the highest combat capabilities was probably Iron Blood Great Emperor, which was apparent just from the title of ‘Iron Blood’ that he held.
The dispute between Xue Li and Huo Bo dated back to ten thousand years ago. Although the exact situation was unclear, it was easy to figure out from their conversation that this Demon Saint by the name of ‘Huo Bo’ had suffered a great humiliation at the hands of Xue Li ten thousand years ago. Otherwise, why would the two of them still remember the incident so clearly even though so many years had passed?
“Arghhh…” That simple exchange between them instantly made Huo Bo jump with rage. He flipped out on top of that blood-coloured pillar, gritting his teeth and shouting, “Xue Li! I’m going to kill you!”
Xue Li coldly snorted, “You’re just a trivial Soul Manifestation in this place. Do you think I don’t dare to destroy you?”
Huo Bo fell into a fuming silence. The feud between him and Xue Li was a known fact. He had wanted to take advantage of this incident to ridicule the other party, but the other Demon Saints would not stand up for him even if his Soul Manifestation was destroyed in this place. Furthermore, he could not avoid taking some damage if his Soul Manifestation was damaged. Be that as it may, he felt extremely upset to remain quiet after being threatened by Xue Li.
Fortunately, somebody stepped up at this moment to smooth things over for all of them, “That’s enough. Stop quarrelling. You can settle your grievances with each other in private. What’s important right now is Bright Moon.”
The Demon who spoke had a pair of wings behind her back. She seemed to be from the same Clan as Bo Ya and was most likely a Demon Saint from the Feather Demon Clan. Turning her head, she looked around while enunciating each word clearly and coldly, “Do we kill? Or not?”
It wasn’t as though the Demon Saints were incapable of killing Bright Moon here and now. They had the perfect opportunity to kill him when he was heavily injured previously; however, their plan at the time had been to let the Demon Realm consume Bright Moon. Not only would that allow the Demon Realm to gain a new spot for a Demon Saint, it would also forever reduce the number of Great Emperors the Star Boundary could produce. That was the reason why they had set up this Grand Spirit Array and offered up billions of living beings as blood sacrifices. Unfortunately, their plans had backfired on them. Now that Bright Moon had the strength to break free of their cage, their original plans were no longer feasible. They had no choice but to come up with another course of action.
Nobody could provide an answer to the question raised by the Demon Saint of the Feather Demon Clan. If they killed Bright Moon, then all their previous efforts would be in vain. All the Demons of Eternal Sky Continent would have died for nothing. On the other hand, only the Heavens knew how much damage the struggles of a Great Emperor forced into a corner would cause if they did not kill him quickly. It was a huge dilemma even for the Demon Saints.
Silence fell over them. The only sound among them was the endless sizzling that was created as the pure white light purified the blood waters without pause. A short while later, many of them cast their gazes at a tall figure. It was as though this Demon Saint held great prestige among them all and his words could convince everybody. Under their gazes, that Demon Saint spoke, “Let’s try one more time. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll have to go with our backup plan!”
The Demon Saint of the Shadow Demon Clan replied, “There is certainly a chance of success with the backup plan, but as we discussed before, our Demon Race’s clansmen might not receive the recognition of the World this way. It’s not just that they will die if we fail to receive approval from the World, but the most important thing is that… if we actually go with this plan, many of the Half-Saints under our command will suffer and possibly even die. It’s impossible to expect them to kill a Great Emperor without paying a heavy price for it.”
The Demon Saint of the Sand Demon Clan added, “This is a rare opportunity. We should fight for it. Whether our subordinates can obtain the recognition of the World or not will depend on their luck. As for whether they survive or not… I’m sure they are more than willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of their futures; after all, if we were in their place, we would have made the same choice.”
Many of the Demon Saints nodded firmly. Even Xue Li and Huo Bo, who disliked each other, agreed on this point. Faced with this situation, the tall Demon Saint who spoke up earlier declared, “Since there are no objections, then it is settled! Begin!”
After completing their discussion, the Twelve Demon Saints began activating Secret Techniques in unison. The twelve blood-coloured pillars instantly shone with a blood-red light that flooded the entire world. At the same time, a horrifying aura suddenly burst out from the Blood Vortex, which had been constantly shrinking, suddenly became reinvigorated with the blessing of the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array.
In response, the clean white light was continuously compressed and weakened. In the end, the light disappeared out of sight. The entire process didn’t take more than an hour. Even Bright Moon’s aura could no longer be detected anymore.
Many of the Demon Saints couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief at the sight. They previously thought that Bright Moon had somehow recovered completely, but now, it would seem that it was nothing but a false alarm.
Bright Moon had probably used some sort of sacrificial Secret Technique to stabilize his injuries and put up a last struggle. It was a pity that he had underestimated the power of the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array. If it really had been just Xue Li alone here, then he might have succeeded. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the Spirit Array could summon the Soul Manifestations of the other Demon Saints at any time to provide a power boost. It could only be said that his attempt to escape had ended in failure and he was destined to die in the Demon Realm.
At this rate, they could fall back on the original plan again. Bright Moon would gradually weaken and be absorbed by the Demon Realm, but as many of them relaxed their guard, Xue Li’s expression abruptly changed and he roared, “Watch out!”
Unlike all the rest of the Demon Saints who were only here as Soul Manifestations, he was actually present. Therefore, his perception and senses were naturally sharper than the others. Combined with his identity as a Blood Demon, he had the greatest insight on the changes occurring inside the Blood Vortex and could detect even the slightest changes it underwent.
At that moment, Bright Moon’s aura, which had been extinguished previously, suddenly erupted back to life. Moreover, his aura expanded at a speed that even caught Xue Li off guard. The weakness Bright Moon displayed before had been nothing more than a ruse to make his enemies lower their defences.
At that moment, Xue Li’s mind was clearer than ever before. A look of realisation flashed in his eyes, [So this is what he was planning! No wonder he stayed quiet even though he clearly had the strength to escape! He was putting pressure on me on purpose! He wanted me to summon the others! He intends to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!]
Strong as the Demon Saints might be, they would still suffer quite a bit if their Soul Manifestations were destroyed. It would take them many years before they could recover from the effects, and that period when they were recuperating would be the best time for Bright Moon to escape. When that happened, the only one with enough strength to stop him would be Xue Li. The rest of the Demon Saints would inevitably be restrained by the injuries to their Souls.
Although they were enemies standing on opposite sides, Xue Li couldn’t help feeling a sense of respect for Bright Moon at this moment. The actual physical bodies of the other Demon Saints were already on the way here, and it wouldn’t take more than a few days for them to gather at Eternal Sky Continent. If everything went according to plan, Bright Moon would not have been able to even dream of escaping the Demon Realm even if he had overwhelming power that surpassed the Heavens. However, with what he was about to do, the other Demon Saints might not have the strength to stop him even if they rushed here in time!
Inside the crimson Blood Vortex, a small light suddenly lit up like a lamp in the night. That brightness increased at an alarming speed and in a short time, it appeared as though the sun itself was sealed within the Blood Vortex. The Blood Vortex shone brightly with a strange white incandescence. As the light grew increasingly stronger, a terrifying force poured out of the Blood Vortex.
Aside from Xue Li, the faces of the other eleven Demon Saints were filled with shock and fury.
The dazzling incandescence broke through the seals of the Blood Vortex and spread outward in all directions. Everywhere that the white light passed, the blood waters evaporated away and the enormous Blood Vortex only held out for three breaths before it dissipated into nothingness. The clean white light contained a Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering murderous intent as its remaining power swept towards the place where the Demon Saints stood without diminishing in the slightest.
The speed of the light was unimaginably fast, so fast that even the Soul Manifestations of the Demon Saints failed to notice it until it was right in front of them. The first Soul Manifestation to be shrouded by that white light only had time to let out a shrill scream before exploding and disappearing. At the same time, a figure in a certain continent somewhere that was rushing towards Eternal Sky Continent groaned and fell out of the sky. Fortunately, the Half-Saints around him reacted quickly and supported him with their Demon Qi; otherwise, he would definitely become the butt of all jokes…
Immediately following that, a second scream rang out…
Then, a third…
“In your dreams!” Xue Li roared. He had already come up with a countermeasure in that short interval. As he shouted, he bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed out a mist of blood to his left. The blood mist spread out swiftly, came to the nearest blood-coloured pillar in the blink of an eye, and enveloped the Soul Manifestation standing there. Immediately following that, the white light struck. Fortunately, the white light was offset by the blood mist that enveloped that Soul Manifestation, allowing it to escape unscathed.
As the white light gradually faded, its terrifying power slowly subsided. The figure of a young man was eventually revealed to be standing in the spot where the enormous Blood Vortex was originally located. That person’s complexion was jade-like, brave, and heroic. He was dressed in white clothes that were spotlessly clean. Stepping out of his prison, he looked at Xue Li quietly with a calm smile on his face.
Xue Li’s gaze landed on Bright Moon’s abdomen for a moment before his pupils abruptly shrank… [The wound is gone! He’s fully recovered!]
After that, he turned to look to the side and saw Huo Bo, the only remaining survivor and his facial muscles twitched in response. When Bright Moon attacked just now, Xue Li could only protect one other person. It was impossible for him to stop Bright Moon from escaping with his strength alone and he didn’t think about anything else at that moment. Only now did Xue Li realize that the person he protected was none other than Huo Bo… [Just looking at that oafs’ expression makes me want to spit up blood!]
Nevertheless, now was not the time to care about such details, [The Blood Sacrifice Technique has been broken and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array has become a hollow joke due to a moment of carelessness. Right now, the only ones that can stop Bright Moon are Huo Bo and I!]
“Get here quickly!” Xue Li growled at Huo Bo. Then, he turned his head and focused all his attention on Bright Moon, who was slowly approaching. He might not be afraid of a Great Emperor, even one in peak condition, but he could not delay Bright Moon for long either if the latter was intent on escaping. It had taken several Demon Saints working together at that time just to injure and trap Bright Moon here. If Huo Bo took too long to arrive, everything would be over!
Needless to say, Huo Bo understood this too. He turned and glared at Bright Moon hatefully before his figure dissolved into a pool of blood that vanished into the blood-coloured pillar. Meanwhile, somewhere in the distance, the actual Huo Bo was rushing toward Eternal Sky Continent with all his might…
The mountains and rivers shuddered, space collapsed, the continent was broken into pieces, and incomparably huge cracks lay across the Void like scars that would never heal. Blood-red light and moonlight clashed with each other above the sky. The Half-Saints and other members of the Demon Race watched in awe from below.
They could not tell how the battle was going as the fiercely colliding Grand Dao had blanketed all traces and blinded their eyes. There was only a continuous flashing of lights in their vision, an endless rumbling in their ears, and the ceaseless quaking of the World Energy around them. The aftershocks of the confrontation rippled wildly across the entire continent. As strong as the Half-Saints were, they suddenly felt extremely insignificant in the face of such power. This was a true battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint!
Eternal Sky Continent was still in tatters from the last battle, and now that it was going through another similar experience, this continent was basically doomed to destruction. Even with the World Principles of the Demon Realm doing their best to repair things, it was unlikely for it to recover again on its own. Rather, it was easy to imagine that it would be like all the other continents that had disappeared. It would slowly disconnect itself from the Demon Realm in the next millennia and become completely obliterated in the endless Void.
Even if the Half-Saints couldn’t catch the specifics of the battle, they could tell that the Great Emperor from the Star Boundary was still trying to find a way to escape just by relying on their combat instincts; however, his attempts were being blocked by Xue Li. It was impossible for the Human to get away for the time being, but that was an extremely normal occurrence. When two people of similar strength fought, there would always be some struggle between the escapee and the captor. Unfortunately, it was undeniable that the former had an advantage over the latter. The captor would have to pay a higher price to achieve their goals.
High up in the sky, there was a round moon behind Bright Moon’s back that shone with a brilliant, white light. That gentle halo of light illuminated the entire world. Meanwhile, the aura around his body pulsed vibrantly, causing every gesture he made to carry the power to destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth.
Sometimes, Xue Li took his Human form to perform various Secret Techniques to display his strength. Other times, he would turn into a blood mist that made his whereabouts very difficult to track. There was no need for him to confront Bright Moon in a life-or-death fight, he only needed to delay the other party’s progress and wait for Huo Bo to arrive. It would then become two against one, giving them a decisive advantage.
It was obvious that Bright Moon understood that too. His offensive attacks became fiercer and fiercer, almost to the point of recklessness. What really bothered him was not Xue Li, who was fighting him. Rather, it was a throbbing feeling in his heart. It felt as though a pair of eyes were watching him quietly from the darkness; one that could strike a fatal blow at any time.
If not for his scruples over that, Bright Moon would have gone all out in his struggle with Xue Li a long time ago. He tried many times to lure the enemy hiding in the dark to reveal themselves, but his efforts had failed. He didn’t know whether it was simply his imagination or whether the enemy was simply concealing themselves extremely well, but the longer he was delayed, the more detrimental it was to him. He could no longer afford to continue delaying as his best chance of survival was to flee as soon as possible.
When the thought crossed his mind, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes. Forming a set of profound hand seals, the round moon behind Bright Moon suddenly burst with dazzling light, transforming his whole being into a beam of brilliant radiance. With the resolve of facing death in order to carve out a chance to live, he charged toward Xue Li.
The blood mist in front condensed to reveal Xue Li’s figure as a trace of hesitation and struggle flashed in his eyes. Finally, he grit his teeth and the vitality around his body surged. A bright red light illuminated the sky as he stepped forward to meet Bright Moon boldly.
[If you want to fight with your life on the line, then I will accept your challenge!] His first thought was that it was one of Bright Moon’s tricks and he was simply trying to use this method to force him into retreat. This was the Demon Realm after all, and if Bright Moon was injured once more, he would not be able to escape again.
For that reason, Xue Li could not afford to retreat in this place. If he did, Bright Moon’s plan would succeed. Since he couldn’t retreat, he could only fight!
However, Xue Li’s expression soon filled with shock. That was because as he approached, he discovered that Bright Moon had no intention of backing down. Instead, Bright Moon’s aura became stronger while at the same time his attack became even more determined.
[This bastard really wants to clash with me!]
Xue Li soon rejoiced as he couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “Bright Moon, you truly court death!”
After saying that, he increased his power too.
Above the sky, white and red rays of light quickly approached each other before colliding. There was no explosion. At that moment, the entire world fell into a strange silence. It was as chaotic as the dawn of time; however, all those Demons who were watching this scene could clearly hear their hearts thumping in their chests. It felt as though they were caught by a giant invisible hand that left them feeling breathless…
The two rays of red and white light were stuck in a stalemate in the sky for a moment. Then, they crashed, exploded, and the impact seemed to swallow the entire world. All the Demons below couldn’t help squinting at this moment. Shockwaves visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions centred around the collision point as a gust of wind howled past, flattening and shattering many mountains…
The two figures were thrown in opposite directions at a speed faster than when they rushed at each other as the entire continent resounded with Xue Li’s angry roar, “You can’t escape, Bright Moon!”
Somewhere in the distance, a figure floated up unsteadily. It was none other than Bright Moon Great Emperor who had suffered defeat at Xue Li’s hands twice. At the moment, his complexion was deathly pale and his hair was dishevelled. His white clothes were stained with large patches of red. Nobody could tell whether the blood belonged to him or Xue Li. Ignoring his enemy’s words though, Bright Moon circulated his Emperor Qi and flew towards the nearest Territory Gate.
At the same time, he reached out his hand, summoned forth an emerald green leaf, put it in his mouth, and held it under his tongue. If it weren’t for having this leaf of the Immortal Tree, he would not have dared to use such a method that would injure both parties to escape from Xue Li’s entanglement. It was precisely because he could fall back on this that Bright Moon could act so resolutely.
Yang Kai had given him three leaves of the Immortal Tree back then, two of which he had used to heal his wounds. Bright Moon had been reluctant to use the last one, saving it just for today in case anything unexpected happened. Now, it would seem that this was a wise decision. He could stabilize his injuries with the leaf of the Immortal Tree, allowing him to take advantage of the fact that the other Demon Saints had not arrived. It was a great chance for him to escape from the Demon Realm during this period.
There were two remaining Territory Gates in Eternal Sky Continent, each of which was heavily guarded. Nevertheless, as long as there were no Demon Saints blocking his path, the other members of the Demon Race were nothing to him. If he could only pass through the Territory Gate, he would have won half the battle.
It was just that the feeling of being stared at by somebody was still there. It was definitely not just his imagination. There really was an extremely powerful enemy hiding somewhere in the darkness like a hunter watching the movements of their prey.
What surprised Bright Moon though was that the enemy hiding in the dark did not seem intent on stopping him even when the Territory Gate appeared in his vision. He did not let his guard down just because of that though as it was well-known that the better the hunter, the higher the possibility of them landing a fatal blow at the critical moment…
Bright Moon was only a few hundred metres from the Territory Gate, and with his cultivation, he could cover such a distance in the time it took to blink, but all of a sudden, a powerful aura suddenly appeared from the side and approached him at an incredible speed. It was a Demon Saint’s aura! Moreover, it was an extremely unfamiliar aura.
Bright Moon’s expression sank. He turned his head to look, only to see a figure with a short and round body that looked like a melon. His entire body seemed to be covered in flames, and he was screaming loudly. Moreover, he made a flurry of odd gestures on the way here. It made him look extremely comical.
[Is that… a Red Demon?] Bright Moon had spent quite a long time in the Demon Realm, and although he had been imprisoned for the vast majority of it, that did not mean he was clueless about the Demon Realm. Back then, Yang Kai had explained the various customs and culture of the Demons to the people of the Star Boundary, focusing on the characteristics and abilities of numerous Clans in the Demon Realm.
The memory of the Red Demons and Green Demons self-destructing was vivid in Yang Kai’s mind. Those two clans had been very active in the wars between the two worlds, and many from the Star Boundary had died at their hands.
These two Demon Clans held extremely low status across the entire Demon Realm. It could be said that they were the lowest existences of them all. They acted as cannon fodder in every war due to their powerful self-destruction ability.
Correspondingly, these Demons who were essentially cannon fodder had extremely low intelligence and never seemed to have produced any high-level members of the Demon Race. Be that as it may, Bright Moon was currently looking at a Red Demon, who was a Demon Saint! It was no mistake. The person rushing toward him, flailing and yelling at the same time, was exuding the aura of a Demon Saint!
[Can a Red Demon really cultivate to become a Demon Saint?] Despite his impressive mental faculties, Bright Moon couldn’t help feeling shocked.
Meanwhile, the Red Demon Saint rushing in this direction seemed to have no intention of defending at all. On the contrary, he looked as though he was determined to die together with Bright Moon.
[What does he plan to do?] Bright Moon frowned. [This guy can’t be like those normal Red Demons and Green Demons, right? He can’t be throwing himself at me to self-destruct, right? He is a Demon Saint after all. He can’t be attacking with such inferior means!]
Unfortunately, he soon discovered that he was wrong. This Demon really intended to self-destruct! That was because the aura around his body was becoming more and more dangerous as he approached. It felt like a volcano that could erupt at any time!
Bright Moon’s complexion changed. He turned and glanced at the Territory Gate that was so close at hand. Gritting his teeth, he retreated quickly.
The self-destruction of the most common Red Demons could produce great damage. Bright Moon simply could not imagine what would happen if a Red Demon, on par with the Demon Saint, were to self-destruct. [Perhaps, even the entire continent will be destroyed from the blast!]
To his surprise, the figure of the Red Demon in front of him became distorted as he backed away. The other party suddenly appeared a thousand metres in front of him in an instant. At such close distance, Bright Moon could clearly see the other party’s ugly face, bloated figure, and eyes that looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. It was as if he himself could barely bear the great pressure in his body. The aura that was already dangerous in the first place had become even more horrifying at this moment.
Without any hesitation, Bright Moon gestured with both hands to lay down several layers of defence in front of him. He even went so far as to summon the defensive Emperor Artifact that he had never used before!
A small red light appeared suddenly. Immediately after that, a loud noise that left the entire world buzzing in its wake rang out. The place where the Red Demon Saint was located was instantly shrouded in a dazzling red light. Then, the red light spread out violently in all directions. Everything it touched turned to dust.
The layers of defence in front of Bright Moon shattered like paper. Meanwhile, the defensive Emperor Artifact was wildly flashing, only enduring for a breath before shattering.