However, there were not many disciples from Ice Heart Valley, and the battlefields in the Star Boundary were pretty scattered. Hence, the Sand Demon had never met anyone from Ice Heart Valley since then.
Therefore, he was surprised to come across them this time, and there were more than ten of them! He could clearly see that there were a dozen or so others around the beautiful woman he had his eyes on who were clad in the same robes and used the same Secret Techniques.
Although Ji Yao was not among them, he figured he could capture some of the disciples from her Sect first to collect a little interest. At the thought of this, he put on a gleeful smile.
Just then, a whoosh was abruptly heard, which was followed by a descent of bitingly cold aura. Engulfed in murderous intent, the Sand Demon had goosebumps all over his body as he subconsciously shot downward in an attempt to dive into the ground.
Even though he wasn’t certain what had happened, he knew that they had been ambushed. While he was diving, he turned his head to look at the source of the sound to see what was going on, and his expression was transformed by shock.
His colleague, who had been standing beside him and having a chat just now, had been cut into two halves. He still appeared puzzled, as though he hadn’t realised what had happened.
At that instant, the Sand Demon thought that he was lucky to have reacted quickly; otherwise, he would have lost his life as well. However, while he was still immersed in celebration, his pupils contracted. That was because he could feel a pain coming from his chest, and he could not circulate his Demon Qi.
Upon falling to the ground, he didn’t manage to sink into it like he had planned. Looking down, he saw that blood was oozing out of his chest, and following that, his wounds burst and he felt himself flying through the air.
[Was I also injured?] While his upper body was lifted, his lower body was still firmly on the ground. As he felt his vision turning upside down, he saw a figure charging towards the battlefield.
[A High-Rank Demon King?]
The person who had just joined the battle seemed to be a High-Rank Demon King. His Demon Qi was extremely pure, and he appeared to be quite young. His brows were as straight as swords, and his eyes shone like stars. He was holding a sword that seemed to be overly long for his frame as he circled the perimeter of the battlefield.
Wherever he passed, all the Demons would fall to the ground. Surprisingly, the hundreds of Demons appeared to be as frail as paper. Wherever his sword slashed out, Demons would burst into blood mist, leaving not even a single bone behind. The constant popping sounds were similar to that of beans being stir-fried.
With such powerful support, the Human cultivators were pleasantly surprised and roared with renewed enthusiasm as they continued killing their enemies. Their artifacts and Secret Techniques shone brighter because of that.
The Demons were unable to counterattack! In just ten breaths’ time, all the Demons in the outer circle lost their lives.
It wasn’t until this moment that the figure, who was as swift as lightning, stopped in his tracks as he stood in front of the Sand Demon. With the Myriads Sword on his shoulder, he looked down at him.
The Sand Demon wasn’t dead yet. It wasn’t a joke that as long as the Demon Heart remained, a Demon would never die. As a Demon King, the Sand Demon must have cultivated more than one Demon Heart, so even if he was cut into two pieces, he would still be able to survive. Given enough time, he would even be able to restore himself.
Besides him, the Demon King earlier also wasn’t dead. It was just that their foundations had been severely damaged. As their eyes met, the Sand Demon asked in puzzlement, “Why?”
He didn’t understand why this High-Rank Demon King killed his own people without uttering a word. Throughout history, traitors would only emerge from the Humans’ side, never from the Demon’s. What was more inconceivable was that the traitor was a High-Rank Demon King.
Yang Kai grinned at him and slashed his Myriads Sword at him until the latter’s corpse vanished. Following that, he moved on to the other Demon King, who was already on his last breath. The Demon King soon followed his colleague to the Yellow Springs.
After Yang Kai was done with them, he turned around and flashed a smile at the hundreds of Humans, “Are you alright?”
Surprisingly, they didn’t cheer for him or even thank him. Instead, the hundreds of people were looking at him in puzzlement. The Emperor Realm Master leading them appeared vigilant as he silently circulated his Emperor Qi. Sword Intent could be seen undulating around his sword and it seemed that he was preparing for a desperate fight.
Seeing as Yang Kai turned around, the Emperor Realm Master nervously gulped and then muttered, “Demon Heavenly Dao?”
Yang Kai arched his brow and looked past him before staring at the beautiful woman beside him and asking, “Fan Xin?”
They hadn’t met for years, but he could still easily recognize her as she hadn’t changed much.
In the past, Bing Yun had been trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World for three thousand years. During that period of time, she founded Ice Heart Pavilion. Fan Xin was taken in as the Deacon by Bing Yun at the time, and after escaping from that place, Bing Yun invited Fan Xin and Liu Xian Yun to join Ice Heart Valley.
At that time, Fan Xin was a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and even now her cultivation remained the same. Although she hadn’t achieved a breakthrough though, her Source Qi was considerably denser than it was in the past. Yang Kai’s vision was acute, so he could see that she was just one step away from the Emperor Realm. However, she would have to cultivate in seclusion for a time to ascend to the Emperor Realm. Now that the two Great Worlds were at war, she didn’t have the luxury to cultivate in seclusion.
In fact, if Yang Kai hadn’t swooped down like a divine weapon falling from the Heavens to rescue them on this day, she would have lost her life here.
Upon hearing the strange figure call out to her, Fan Xin was startled for a moment. Since he could recognise her, it meant that they should be familiar with one another. Moreover, she found the outline of his figure and voice to be familiar. At that instant, a name sprang into her mind, but she was still somewhat doubtful. In a tentative manner, she said, “You are…”
It was then that Yang Kai recalled that he was currently engulfed in a cloud of Demon Qi, so his form appeared blurred to others. People with weak cultivation were unable to see his true appearance; hence, he immediately dispersed the Demon Qi and revealed his face. With a smile, he said, “It’s me.”
“Senior Brother Yang!” Fan Xin exclaimed as her gaze brightened. Some of the cultivators from Ice Heart Valley also called out in surprise. Apparently, they too recognised Yang Kai.
There was no way they couldn’t recognise him because when he was based in the Northern Territory in the past and would visit Ice Heart Valley from time to time, which was why many of them had seen him before. They also knew that he was married to Su Yan, who was the closed-door disciple of the Ancestral Founder.
Just when the pleasantly surprised Fan Xin wanted to step forward to speak to him, the Emperor Realm Master suddenly lifted his sword to block her way as he bellowed, “Wait!”
Yang Kai took a look at the Emperor Realm Master, but he wasn’t angry with him. Yang Kai understood why the other party was wary of him. Just now, he was surrounded by very ferocious Demon Qi, so he looked just like any other Demon.
It was expected that the other party would put his guard up. If Yang Kai were him, he would have done the same. As their eyes met, Yang Kai flashed a harmless smile at him.
Although the person was only a First-Order Emperor, they could be considered allies since they had fought against the Demons just now. Also, this man didn’t beg for the enemies’ mercy and put his all into protecting his companions. Hence, it was apparent that he was an unyielding man who deserved respect.
“Who is he? Right Defender Fan, do you recognise him?” The Emperor Realm Master stared at Yang Kai while speaking to Fan Xin via Divine Sense.
Just when Fan Xin wanted to tell him the truth, she suddenly recalled that Yang Kai’s identity was somewhat sensitive in the Star Boundary now, so she was lost for words. After all, Yang Kai was hunted down by Iron Blood Great Emperor and Li Wu Yi a few years ago after he betrayed the Star Boundary. It was sensational news at that time, so basically everyone in the Star Boundary was aware of it.
It was because of this, High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory had sealed its gates and did not send any disciples to join the Two Worlds’ Great War.
While she was lost in a dilemma, she suddenly heard Yang Kai speaking to her, “It’s fine. Just tell him what he wants to know. I’ll be going to meet the Great Emperors soon.”
It was only then that Fan Xin heaved a sigh of relief. Since Yang Kai had the courage to meet the Great Emperors, there must be more to his story than the public knew. When word got out that Yang Kai had betrayed the Star Boundary, whatever the opinions of other Sects, all of the disciples from Ice Heart Valley believed that there must be a reason for his actions, and it seemed that was indeed the case; otherwise, he wouldn’t have the gall to come back and meet with the Great Emperors.
Upon getting Yang Kai’s permission, Fan Xin went on to reveal his identity.
The Emperor Realm Master gasped as he stared at Yang Kai with widened eyes. Recalling the power Yang Kai had showcased just now, he thought that the rumours surrounding this man weren’t unfounded. A few years ago, he had heard that this famous Palace Master of High Heaven Palace had gone through demonification, and it seemed to be true. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been engulfed in Demon Qi.
Hence, it was difficult to deal with this issue now. The Emperor Realm Master couldn’t deny that Yang Kai had saved them, but the latter was also a Demon. So, he wasn’t even sure how he should treat him. Nevertheless, he soon reached a conclusion.
Since Yang Kai was able to kill those Demons with ease, if he wanted to harm them, there was no way they could resist, so it was pointless to be wary of him. Since he only killed the Demons without harming the Humans, it went to show that he still had the Star Boundary in his heart.
Understanding this, the Emperor Realm Master cupped his fists and said, “Greetings, Palace Master Yang. This one is Mountain Lord of Hundred Lotus Mountain, Han Zheng Qing. I offer thanks for saving us on all of our behalf.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “A minor matter, there is no need to thank me.”
Han Zheng Qing nodded slightly, “We still have duties to perform, so we cannot stay here any longer. Farewell.”
Upon finishing what he had to say, he wanted to bring the remaining Humans to leave this place. It was an irrefutable fact that Yang Kai had betrayed the Star Boundary and High Heaven Palace had sealed off its entrance because of this. Even though Yang Kai had saved them today, Han Zheng Qing still didn’t want to have anything to do with him, he simply made plans to repay this favour when they came across each other on the battlefield in the future.
Seeing what was happening, Fan Xin parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but Han Zheng Qing immediately shot her a glare. Left with no other choice, she could only keep her mouth shut and look apologetically at Yang Kai. In normal times, she could still stand up for Yang Kai, but they were now on the battlefield, and she had to obey her commander’s order. Han Zheng Qing was the leader of their unit, so no one could disobey him or they would be punished according to military law.
Yang Kai put on a smile and said, “Mountain Lord Han, I’m afraid you can’t leave.”
Han Zheng Qing stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at him, “What’s wrong, Palace Master Yang? Do you have something you need from us? Please don’t beat around the bush. This Han will do whatever he can to assist you as long as it does not harm the Star Boundary’s interests or our fellow cultivators.”
Although Yang Kai had saved them, Han Zheng Qing was determined to uphold the integrity of the Star Boundary. Despite the fact that he was only a First-Order Emperor, he knew what he should and shouldn’t do.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “Mountain Lord Han, you’ve misunderstood me. I don’t mean to ask you to do anything for me. It’s just that two thousand kilometres in that direction, there are about ten thousand Demons lying in wait. If you go over that way now, it’s akin to walking right into the trap.”
“Two thousand kilometres from here?” Upon hearing that, Han Zheng Qing put on an awkward expression as he put his guard up again as he stared at Yang Kai.
He wasn’t sure how powerful Yang Kai truly was, but he had heard that when this Palace Master of High Heaven Palace betrayed the Star Boundary, he was already a Second-Order Emperor. A few years had passed, so he had possibly broken through to the Third-Order Emperor Realm.
No matter how powerful a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master was though, there was no way his Divine Sense was strong enough to detect what was going on in a place that was two thousand kilometres away. Even if he was able to do so, how did he even know that there were ten thousand Demons? How powerful must his Divine Sense be to achieve that? Perhaps only Pseudo-Great Emperors were able to achieve such a feat.
Hence, when Yang Kai told him that there were ten thousand Demons in a place that was two thousand kilometres away, Han Zheng Qing subconsciously thought that this Palace Master was just trying to scare them. In normal times, he would have mocked him; however, they had just been saved by Yang Kai, so despite the fact that he didn’t believe him, he was still unwilling to deride him.
After cupping his fists, he uttered impassively, “Many thanks for your warning, Palace Master Yang. Farewell!”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and left with the hundreds of people.
Whether Yang Kai was trying to frighten them or there really were ten thousand Demons over there, Han Zheng Qing had to move in that direction because their destination was over there.
While he was leaving, he used his Divine Sense to disseminate orders. Hundreds of cultivators soon formed up into an arrangement that allowed them to mutually cover for one another. Even if they came across any enemies now, they would be able to quickly get into formation and fend them off.
However, after marching forward for a while, Han Zheng Qing frowned and turned around. That was because a thousand metres behind their army, Yang Kai was following them leisurely with his hands folded behind his back. Seeing him turn to look, Yang Kai even flashed a smile at him and nodded slightly. His message was clear. They could walk forward together without disturbing each other.
Han Zheng Qing appeared displeased as he thought he had made his stance clear, but he hadn’t expected that Yang Kai would not act with the dignity of a Palace Master and instead tail them like some kind of leech.
Hence, he ordered the others to hasten their pace. Annoyingly, whether they quickened or slowed down their pace, Yang Kai would still follow them from exactly a thousand metres behind.
Since they were unable to get rid of him, they had no other choice but to let him be. The power Yang Kai had showcased was terrifying, so even if there were several hundred of them, they were certainly no match for him. If they went over to question his motives and infuriated him, they would be the ones to suffer.
However, Han Zheng Qing wasn’t aware that Yang Kai also felt helpless as he followed them.
Since he had come across these Human cultivators on his way home, he couldn’t just ignore them. Even if they were all strangers, he would still make sure that they were safe, not to mention that Fan Xin and several other Ice Heart Valley disciples were part of this unit.
Both parties were heading south anyway. These people were apparently heading back to some Human army rallying point. Yang Kai would still reach his destination in the end if he followed them, it would just waste a bit of his time.
Although they couldn’t detect it, Yang Kai was able to sense that these Human soldiers were not the only people within a ten thousand kilometres radius. There were still many Demon troops around. A weak team like the one under Han Zheng Qing would end up in a miserable state should they come across any of these Demons.
After walking for a hundred kilometres, Han Zheng Qing suddenly frowned and turned his head as his gaze appeared solemn. That was because he could feel that Yang Kai had activated his Divine Sense in an attempt to do something. The fluctuation of the Divine Sense was neither conspicuous nor hidden, which was perceptible to him.
Seeing the awkward expression of her commander, Fan Xin, who was just beside him, asked, “Senior Han, what happened?”
Without explaining it to her, Han Zheng Qing shook his head slowly and said in a serious voice, “Have everyone raise their guards.”
He wasn’t sure whether Yang Kai had sent a message to anyone using his Divine Sense just now, so he could only stay vigilant.
Fan Xin nodded and gave the necessary orders.
After travelling for thirty kilometres, Han Zheng Qing abruptly stopped in his tracks and lifted his hand, after which the hundreds of people behind him also stopped moving.
“Prepare for battle!” Han Zheng Qing shouted, causing everyone’s expression to turn solemn as they started summoning their artifacts. The small team began operating in an orderly manner, and soon, a formation was arranged where the auras of all of them were connected. Han Zheng Qing was standing as the Formation Core. Furthermore, this was a living Formation rather than a dead one, which meant that it was flexible and could adapt at any time. With the help of the Formation, Han Zheng Qing no longer appeared frail as he became high-spirited.
A thousand metres away from them, Yang Kai remained on the same spot and stroked his chin as his interest was piqued.
He had been away from the Star Boundary for a few years, and he had only heard about the Two Worlds’ Great War from rumours and hearsay, which was why he wasn’t familiar with the state of affairs in his homeland. Seeing this Formation, he realised that after so many years, the cultivators of the Star Boundary had adapted to the ways of war. Judging from the fact that a team of a few hundred people were able to assume a Formation so quickly, they must be very familiar with it. The same tactic must have been practised countless times, which was why they were so adept at it.
As a breeze whisked across them, murderous intent could be felt filling the atmosphere. The hundreds of people, whose auras had been connected, waited for their enemies to show up before dealing a fatal blow to them.
All of a sudden, Han Zheng Qing murmured in surprise as he yelled in a particular direction, “This is Han Zheng Qing, Third Left Defender of the Thirty-Fifth Army, Ninth Division. Identify yourself!”
After he finished speaking, a figure, who had hidden himself using a Secret Technique in a place ten kilometres away, slowly appeared as an excited voice could be heard saying, “Left Defender Han?”
Apparently, the person knew Han Zheng Qing.
Upon hearing that voice, Han Zheng Qing immediately realised who that person was and called out, “Right Defender Liu?”
“It is this Liu!” A guffaw that was tinged with joy could be heard. Then, that person strode towards Han Zheng Qing, and soon, a burly man came into everyone’s sight. The man was drenched in blood, which belonged to himself as well as his enemies. There were deep cuts on his body where bones could even be seen, but he still appeared calm and collected, giving him an intrepid air.
Since the man was a friend, Han Zheng Qing waved his hand to tell the others to be at ease, but he remained cautious. After extending his hand, he said, “Right Defender Liu, please don’t take offence. We have to follow the rules on the battlefield.”
“Understood.” Right Defender Liu knew what the rules were, so he also reached out and gripped Han Zheng Qing’s hand. The next moment, they circulated their Qi at the same time to examine one another’s bodies.
The examination only lasted for a moment, and upon making sure that there was no Demon Qi in the other party’s body, Han Zheng Qing was finally able to heave a sigh of relief. Withdrawing his hand, he asked, “Where are your men?”
Right Defender Liu stuck out his thumb and pointed behind him, “They’re standing by a hundred kilometres in that direction. I came here to have a look first. I’ll tell them to come over now.”
Upon finishing his words, he fished out a communication artifact and activated his Divine Sense to infuse a message into it.
An elated Han Zheng Qing asked, “How many people are left on your side?”
Upon hearing that, Right Defender Liu became dejected. After looking at the people behind Han Zheng Qing, he replied, “About the same as your team. How many people did you originally have?”
Han Zheng Qing turned his head to take a look and forced a smile, “There were more than five hundred of us when we tried to break the siege. Only these people are left now.”
Admiration was written all over Right Defender Liu’s face when he heard that, “It’s really incredible that you were able to save half of five hundred people. We were not able to achieve that on our side. More than a thousand of us… Haa, let’s not talk about it.”
Han Zheng Qing put on a bitter smile. When they were besieged by the Demons, if Yang Kai hadn’t come to their rescue, all of them would have lost their lives. Despite knowing that the achievement had nothing to do with him, it wasn’t appropriate for him to explain anything at this point.
However, if they were able to converge with the people from Right Defender Liu’s side, they would have more power to defend themselves; after all, they were still a few thousand kilometres away from their destination. The road ahead was paved with thorns, and no one could tell how many of them could stay safe.
Right Defender Liu’s men were still a hundred kilometres away, so it would take them some time to arrive. After a discussion, Han Zheng Qing and Right Defender Liu decided to move to a place where they could easily defend themselves while it was difficult for their enemies to attack them. While they were waiting for their fellow soldiers to come over, they could also restore their strength somewhat.
While they were resting, Right Defender Liu suddenly approached Han Zheng Qing and curiously pointed in a particular direction, “Senior Han, who is that?”
On their way to this place, Right Defender Liu had noticed that a thousand metres behind them there was a person who had been following them. He appeared to be handsome and upright, and despite looking quite young, he gave off an inscrutable feeling.
If he was a friend, why was he keeping a distance from them while tailing them? Nevertheless, he didn’t show any sign of hostility either, so he couldn’t be considered an enemy.
When Right Defender Liu pointed at him, the young man flashed a smile at him in response.
Han Zheng Qing shook his head as it was apparent that he wasn’t willing to talk about that man. Right Defender Liu shrugged and stopped pursuing the matter. He wasn’t as powerful as Han Zheng Qing. Before the war, he had to salute him whenever he met him, and he also wasn’t a match for Han Zheng Qing when it came to their positions within the military. Since Han Zheng Qing wasn’t willing to talk about it, he couldn’t possibly keep asking.
However, the young man appeared to be a friend. When he turned around, he saw Right Defender Fan walking up to the young man and passing him some water. Then, she flashed an apologetic smile at him and said something. On the other hand, the young man just waved his hand.
Upon seeing that, Han Zheng Qing frowned but didn’t say anything.
Just then, he arched his brow and muttered, “A group is approaching.”
Right Defender Liu was startled for a moment and said, “They shouldn’t have arrived so soon. I was told that it would take them one hour to reach here.”
“They’re not your men!” Han Zheng Qing got to his feet and whistled.
The hundreds of people, who were adjusting their breathing on the ground, immediately stood up and formed rank behind Han Zheng Qing. In just twenty breaths’ time, the previous Formation reappeared as murderous intent rose.
Half an hour later, several dozen severely injured people appeared.
They were Humans instead of Demons. Just like the people from Han Zheng Qing and Right Defender Liu’s sides, they were the Human soldiers that had been separated from the main force earlier.
Since they were allies, the issue could be settled easily. These several dozen people, who were the only ones left of their unit, were basically battered, so Han Zheng Qing directly took them into his Third Brigade. While the injured healed their wounds, the exhausted ones adjusted their breathing.
While they were waiting, another group came over. They were the Human soldiers that had been separated during a battle against the Demons. After they too joined the team, including the several dozen people earlier, two hundred to three hundred people had now joined the team in total. Even though there wasn’t a single Emperor Realm Master among them, they would still be able to help fend off more enemies now.
At this moment, Han Zheng Qing finally realised that something was off. It was odd that his team was like the beacon in the dark, attracting the scattered Humans around the area to come over. Furthermore, all of them could accurately locate his team.
There must be a reason behind it. Then, he went over to look for Right Defender Liu, who had sat down with his legs crossed to recuperate, and he asked, “How did you find us?”
Right Defender Liu looked doubtfully at him, “Senior Han, didn’t you send a message to us to tell us your location?”
Han Zheng Qing shook his head.
Right Defender Liu scratched his head, “That’s strange. We were hidden in a mountain valley when our commander received a message which informed him that you were nearby and informed us to rendezvous with you. Our commander wasn’t certain about the authenticity of the message, so he ordered this Liu to scout the situation.”
He paused for a moment, “Was it really not Senior Han who sent us that message?”
Han Zheng Qing fell into his thoughts for a moment before he nodded, “I think I know what happened. Focus on recuperating.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and went over to the two teams that had just joined them. Just like Right Defender Liu’s statement, the two teams shared a similar experience. They were escaping from the Demons’ pursuit when they received a message which informed them about Han Zheng Qing’s location, after which they quickly came over to join his team.
When they were on the way here, the one who sent them the initial message had even given them some directions, which while making them take a more indirect route, allowed them to evade the Demon patrols scattered around.
A moment later, Han Zheng Qing shuffled towards Yang Kai and cupped his fists, “Palace Master Yang!”
Seated with his legs crossed, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked smilingly at him, “Mountain Lord Han, what seems to be the matter?”
“Nothing is wrong. I just want to express my gratitude,” After that, Han Zheng Qing bowed deeply.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “It is simply what I should do. There’s no need for thanks.”
Han Zheng Qing didn’t specify what he thanked him for, and Yang Kai didn’t deny anything. That was because they knew that the reason Right Defender Liu and the two broken teams were able to find Han Zheng Qing was that Yang Kai had secretly guided them over. If not, it would have been all but impossible for such heavily injured people to regroup with friendly forces on this expansive battlefield that stretched thousands of kilometres. If they just blindly searched around, they would be killed by their enemies before finding their friends.
“Palace Master Yang, are more teams coming?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Apart from Right Defender Liu’s team, there’s no more for now. They’ll arrive in half an hour.”
Han Zheng Qing nodded and cupped his fists again, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang. If you detect more…”
Knowing what he wanted to say, Yang Kai interrupted him by saying with a smile, “Rest assured, I’ll tell them to meet up with you.”
Han Zheng Qing examined him for a while before he bowed and said sincerely, “En, many thanks!”
When he returned to the team, he found Fan Xin and said something to her in a low voice, after which she nodded with a smile.
A moment later, Fan Xin elegantly walked over and put on a faint smile, “Senior Brother Yang.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai gazed at her.
Fan Xin shook her head, “Nothing. Senior Han wants me to stay with you.”
Yang Kai smiled and dipped his head, “En.”
He was still regarded as a traitor who had gone through demonification, so Han Zheng Qing thought that it was inappropriate to invite him to join the main team; however, Han Zheng Qing was grateful for what Yang Kai had done for them, so he told Fan Xin to accompany him since she was his friend. It was apparent that even though he was a little old-fashioned, Han Zheng Qing wasn’t pedantic. He could even be said to be pretty flexible.
Yang Kai happened to have many questions to ask Fan Xin, so he made her have a seat and started the inquiry.
He quickly learned that in the past few years, many people had lost their lives on the Star Boundary’s side in the Two Worlds’ Great War and that after he left in the past, High Heaven Palace immediately sealed its gates, so none of its members had joined the war.
Those who didn’t know the truth would think that the people from the Star Boundary became wary of High Heaven Palace because Yang Kai had gone through demonification and betrayed them. Nevertheless, Yang Kai knew that this was the Great Emperors’ way of protecting his Sect, which was agreed upon in the past.
After all, as a Palace Master, he had gone through demonification and become a traitor. If the disciples of High Heaven Palace walked around the Star Boundary, they would certainly be harassed and condemned, and it might cause some unnecessary conflicts.
In that case, the disciples from High Heaven Palace were actually protected using the excuse of closing the Sect.
Everyone thought that since High Heaven Palace didn’t join the Two Worlds’ Great World, they must be living a happy life in seclusion. However, only a small number of people knew that wasn’t the case. Although the disciples of High Heaven Palace were not seen on the battlefield, they had contributed significantly to the logistics of the war effort.
Over the past few years, with the help of the Great Emperors, countless Alchemists and Artifact Refiners from all around the Star Boundary were secretly sent to High Heaven Palace. Inside the expansive Sect, Pill and Artifact Rooms were basically running twenty-four hours a day, producing vital war materials to be sent to the frontline.
High Heaven Palace was now basically responsible for half of all Spirit Pills and artifacts sent to the battlefield.
It could be said that High Heaven Palace was the biggest logistics centre in the Star Boundary; however, only a few hundred people were aware of this fact. Even Fan Xin didn’t know about it. Only two people from Ice Heart Valley were aware of this truth, Bing Yun and Su Yan.
Apart from that, High Heaven Palace was also a base for nurturing Shamans. In the past few years, new candidates would be sent into High Heaven Palace at a constant rate. Then, they would enter the Thousand Illusions Dreamworld to receive training. There were a considerable number of Ancient Shamans that were born and then sent to the frontline. Several epochs had passed, but the light of the Shamanic Spells had once again shone in this world.
In fact, the programme had been in operation before Yang Kai left, and it could independently run now. Presently, there was one Shaman for every hundred Human soldiers in the Star Boundary’s armies. Although ninety percent of them were just Shaman Apprentices, and there were only a small number of Shaman Masters, it was better than nothing.
With the help of the ancient Shamanic Spells like Life Chains and Bloodlust, those from the Star Boundary were able to counter the Demons even though they had fewer people on their side.
Upon learning all this information, Yang Kai felt gratified. He had seen how vast the Demon Realm was and how many Demons there were, so he understood that this war would be filled with bloodshed, which was why he was glad to find out that the Star Boundary was able to resist.
While they were still having a chat, Right Defender Liu’s team finally arrived. Just like what Right Defender Liu had said, there were fewer than three hundred people left in his team, with just one Emperor Realm Master among them.
Now, there were about a thousand people in total gathered here, which significantly increased their overall power. What made Han Zheng Qing feel pleasantly surprised was that there was a Shaman Master and a few Shaman Warriors were present in the latest team. Including the Shamans that were already in his team, they could use Life Chains to cover their entire force at the most critical moment.
Since they had all gathered up, it was time for them to leave quickly to decrease the chance of coming across any enemies. Being swift and decisive was crucial in any army. After preparing, the thousand-man team set off.
Yang Kai remained a thousand metres behind them. Walking alongside him, Fan Xin appeared to be very conspicuous. The newcomers had noticed this already, and upon learning the reason behind it from Han Zheng Qing, they gasped. No one could have expected that the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, who had gone through demonification and sided with the Demon Realm, would come back one day. Furthermore, he had saved Han Zheng Qing and his subordinates from the Demons’ siege and even rallied together the scattered Human forces in the area.
In normal times, they would have walked up to Yang Kai and thanked him; however, now, it wasn’t certain whether he was a friend or a foe, so they wouldn’t dare to approach him and just nodded at him from afar as an acknowledgement.
“By the way, where are you all going? Why were you all scattered around?” Yang Kai asked as he kept walking.
Fan Xin replied with a helpless smile, “We were forced to scatter. One month ago, the Thirty-Fifth Army and a force from the Demon Race fought for more than ten days. At that time, we were accidentally separated from the main unit and then forced to wander around to avoid being wiped out. I guess it was the same case for the others.”
“The Thirty-Fifth Army?” Yang Kai arched his brow. When he heard Han Zheng Qing announcing which army he belonged to to Right Defender Liu, his interest was already piqued. Hence, he had to ask Fan Xin about it now, “Has a rigid military structure been organized in the Star Boundary?”
“Yes, it was four years ago. The Demon armies are meticulously and strictly organized, and they’re adept at the art of war, so we cannot be lacking in our own organisation. Four years ago, the Great Emperors imitated the Demon Race to build armies based around the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch philosophy. Slowly, things expanded and now we have fifty-four armies in total.”
It was then that Yang Kai understood what had happened. He had borrowed five hundred thousand Soaring Snow Ice Guards from Bei Li Mo before and spent roughly a year together, so he understood their structure very well.
“Who is qualified to be an Army Commander?”
Fan Xin replied, “A Pseudo-Great Emperor or a Sect Master from a top Sect.”
“Who is the Army Commander of the Thirty-Fifth Army? Do I know them?”
Fan Xin replied with a smile, “It’s Honoured Master.”
Yang Kai raised his brow in surprise as he hadn’t expected the Army Commander of the Thirty-Fifth Army to be Bing Yun. However, as a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, she was somewhat not qualified to be an Army Commander. It wasn’t that she wasn’t powerful enough, but Yang Kai knew that on the Demons’ side, only a Half-Saint could be an Army Commander.
“By the way, Honoured Master was involved in an intense battle three years ago, and after a desperate struggle, she managed to break through and ascended to a new realm.” Fan Xin beamed with pride.
As long as their Ancestral Founder was formidable, the Sect and its disciples would become powerful as well. Since she had joined Ice Heart Valley, her fate had been intertwined with the Sect.
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai became elated, “I’ll have to congratulate Senior Bing Yun when I see her then.”
Since she had ascended to a new realm, it meant that her power was now that of a Pseudo-Great Emperor, equivalent to that of a Half-Saint.
Just like him, Bing Yun was from Heng Luo Star Field, which was why they had been on friendly terms. Moreover, Su Yan was her Disciple, so the fact that Bing Yun had become a Pseudo-Great Emperor made him feel proud as well.
In fact, Bing Yun had been stuck in the Third-Order Emperor Realm for far too long. She was already a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master before she was trapped in the Solitary Void Sealed World. She was then imprisoned in that world for three thousand years, during which her cultivation hadn’t improved one bit. It was only natural that overcoming such a trial, and having consolidated her strength for so long, she would break through given the right opportunity.
“Are all of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples assigned to the Thirty-Fifth Army?” Yang Kai asked.
“That’s right,” Fan Xin said gently and nodded, then she put on a smile, “Senior Sister Ji Yao is now the Division Chief of the Third Division.”
Yang Kai smiled in embarrassment, “En, very good.”
Fan Xin went on to say, “She’s a Third-Order Emperor now as well.”
Ji Yao’s situation was similar to that of Bing Yun. In the past, after Bing Yun inexplicably went missing, Ji Yao went out to look for her and accidentally intruded into the Ancient Wild Lands in the Eastern Territory. There, she absorbed too much Wild Force and became delirious. She went on to stay in the Ancient Wild Lands for a long time. If it weren’t because Yang Kai chanced upon her and brought her out of that place, she would still have been stuck in a mentally confused state.
She had lost her mind in the Ancient Wild Lands, which also meant she stopped cultivating consciously, causing her realm to stagnate. However, the ancient aura there had continuously tempered her foundation, so after she left the Ancient Lands and regained clarity of mind, she had basically achieved a type of re-birth in both body and Soul, which was why she was able to achieve a breakthrough after some intense battles.
Bing Yun and Ji Yao were not the only people whose cultivation had improved significantly.
Battle was the fastest and most direct method of stimulating one’s potential. Countless people had broken through their bottlenecks and ascended to new realms during life-or-death moments. The war between the two worlds had caused an innumerable number of cultivators in the Star Boundary to be injured and lose their lives. Nevertheless, the war stimulated the long-dormant sense of crisis in many, and in a world where the reality of survival of the fittest had become far more apparent, those with incredible aptitude and fortune had all gained greatly. In fact, the Martial Dao of the Star Boundary had not regressed as a result of the war, and instead had actually prospered.
Yang Kai was a prime example as he did not achieve much of his cultivation through quiet meditation. Since he began his journey on the Martial Dao, he had fallen into countless perilous situations and was forced to overcome them one by one. Every time he struggled on the edge of life or death, it was akin to being baptised by fire and reborn. Had he simply cultivated in peace and seclusion, he wouldn’t even have reached the Emperor Realm by now.
“How were the armies in the Star Boundary organized? Tell me about it.” Since they had nothing else to do while heading for their destination, Yang Kai thought that he should find out more about what had been going on in the Star Boundary.
Certainly, Fan Xin wouldn’t hide anything from him and began explaining everything she knew. The others were wary of Yang Kai because he had gone through demonification and betrayed the Star Boundary before; however, no disciple from Ice Heart Valley would be distrustful of him.
In the past, the Seeking Passion Sect from the Northern Territory had tried to destroy Ice Heart Valley, and if not for Yang Kai arriving at the critical moment and saving them, their home would have been devastated and they themselves would have suffered death, or fates worse than it.
The formation of the armies in the Star Boundary was basically copied from the Demon Realm, so the structure was roughly the same. There were fifty-four armies in total, and each one was made up of a million or more cultivators. The largest army even had five million cultivators.
Each army had an Army Commander who commanded several Divisions, with every Division having a hundred thousand people. Each Division had a Division Chief, who was usually a Third-Order or Second-Order Emperor Realm Master. Under Divisions were Brigades, which comprised ten thousand people. After a Brigade, it was a Battalion.
Almost all command positions at the Brigade level were Emperors.
That was the case for Han Zheng Qing. The team led by him belonged to the Thirty-Fifth Army’s Ninth Division, Third Brigade. Han Zheng Qing was the Left Defender of the Third Brigade. Since he was a First-Order Emperor Realm Master, he was qualified to be one.
On the other hand, Fan Xin was only in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm, so could at most qualify as the Right Defender, which was equivalent to Han Zheng Qing’s assistant. Her position in the Thirty-Fifth Army was equivalent to that of Right Defender Liu’s.
As for the leaders of the Battalions, they were mostly Dao Source Realm Masters.
“What about Senior Li Wu Yi?” Yang Kai suddenly thought of a familiar figure. He recalled that when he left the Star Boundary in the past, Li Wu Yi had been in charge of the war against the Demons. As the acknowledged strongest Master beneath the Great Emperors and a famous figure from Spirit Beast Island, Li Wu Yi had the strength and prestige to command others.
Fan Xin replied with a smile, “Senior Li is the Army Commander of the First Army, but he also serves as Supreme Commander.”
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement as Li Wu Yi’s position essentially remained the same. He was still in charge of the war affairs in the Star Boundary.
Just then, Yang Kai arched his brow and reached out to grab something. When he spread his palm, there was already a jade slip on it. After he sent his Divine Sense into the item to investigate it, he grinned at Fan Xin and muttered, “Speaking of the devil.”
A jade slip wouldn’t appear in front of him out of thin air. In fact, before it appeared, the Space Beacon, which was on Yang Kai’s wrist, had already shown a reaction. It was Li Wu Yi who passed the jade slip to him through the void.
There was only one sentence in the jade slip, ‘Come see me’.
Li Wu Yi didn’t specify where they should meet up because it was unnecessary. Both of them had exchanged Space Beacons, so as long as both of them were in the Star Boundary, they could reach each other’s sides with just a thought.
However, Li Wu Yi was swamped with work, so he couldn’t leave his post, which was why he told Yang Kai to go see him.
It had only been a short time since Yang Kai returned to the Star Boundary, but Li Wu Yi had already found out about it. Yang Kai gazed at Han Zheng Qing at the front and made some conjectures.
Fan Xin seemed able to read his mind, so she explained, “Every Left Defender has a Space Beacon given to them by Senior Li that can be used to contact Seven Mists Sea. En, Seven Mists Sea is a special place that is the headquarters for the Star Boundary’s armies.”
Yang Kai nodded to show that he understood.
Since Han Zheng Qing had a Space Beacon, he must have contacted Li Wu Yi and told him about Yang Kai. Otherwise, Li Wu Yi wouldn’t have sent a jade slip over with such timing.
“What did Senior Li say?” Fan Xin asked apprehensively. Although all the disciples from Ice Heart Valley believed that Yang Kai was a righteous person, the incident in the past was too sensational. Judging from the way Han Zheng Qing and the others treated Yang Kai, they were apparently still wary of him even though he had saved them. Even Han Zheng Qing wouldn’t put his guard down when facing Yang Kai, let alone other people.
Furthermore, Li Wu Yi had hunted Yang Kai down at that time, which was why Fan Xin was worried that Li Wu Yi intended to capture him even now. However, she wasn’t aware that the incident in the past was all such a show in which Yang Kai willingly destroyed his own reputation to deceive Yu Ru Meng and the other Demons.
“Senior Li told me to meet him in Seven Mists Sea,” Yang Kai replied with a smile, appearing completely relaxed.
Seeing his attitude, Fan Xin was able to set her mind at ease. After giving it a thought, she realised that if Li Wu Yi really wanted to capture Yang Kai, he could have arrived at this place in an instant. Since the advent of Space Beacons, people realized just how easily it was to move across vast distances with their assistance.
Since Li Wu Yi had only sent a jade slip over without coming here in person, he had made his stance clear.
As Yang Kai spoke to Fan Xin, he fished out an empty jade slip and pushed his Divine Sense to infuse a message into it. After that, he flicked it into the Void.
Meanwhile, in a hall that was several million kilometres away, a few hundred men and women, whose cultivation was at best average, were seated on the ground. Before each of these people was a hundred or so Space Beacons. From time to time, weak space fluctuations could be felt, and following that, jade slips would pass through the Void and arrive at this place.
Then, these men and women would catch the jade slips, after which some people would come over with jade plates in their hands and take the jade slips. Following that, they would head to a secret room at the other end of the hall. Some people were already waiting in the secret room. After taking the jade slips, they would decode whatever was recorded inside and transcribe it onto a new jade slip. Subsequently, messages or orders would be sent off.
Just like this, the information that came from all directions would flow to Li Wu Yi’s side.
This hall was basically the command centre for the Star Boundary’s armies, as well as the place where all its intelligence was gathered and analysed from the battlefield. By just staying here, Li Wu Yi was able to find out what was going on in the battlefield between the two Great Worlds and make arrangements so that they could more easily deal with the Demon armies essentially in real-time.
There was a huge Mountains and Rivers Projection in the room that displayed the terrain on the battlefield, which included mountains, rivers, creeks, paths and so on and so forth. All of them had corresponding symbols on the projection.
In front of the projection stood a handsome man and an alluring woman. They were Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng, who were both waiting silently.
As a weak space fluctuation was felt and suddenly a jade slip appeared out of thin air. Before Li Wu Yi even managed to catch it, Jiu Feng already extended her hand and snatched the jade slip.
Li Wu Yi looked helplessly at her. A moment later, Jiu Feng said with a smile, “That brat…”
“What did he say?” Li Wu Yi asked.
“He’s with those from the Thirty-Fifth Army’s Ninth Division, and he’s escorting them back to the base.”
“Ninth Division…” Li Wu Yi gave it a thought and recalled who was responsible for the Ninth Division before he burst into laughter, “What a coincidence. He came across Bing Yun’s people right after he returned.”
Jiu Feng reached out to point at the sand table-like projection and said, “They’re supposed to be here by now.”
Li Wu Yi took a look at the projection and pointed at another spot, “A thousand kilometres in front of them is a force of ten thousand Demons lying in ambush.”
“I can go over to help him.” Jiu Feng offered excitedly.
“Not a chance!” Li Wu Yi snorted, “Just stay right where you are. You’re not allowed to go anywhere unless ordered.”
Jiu Feng asked curiously, “Aren’t you worried that he’ll fall into danger? If anything happens to him, how are you going to explain yourself to Little Princess? Or… do you want to utilize the Martial Beast Guards?”
Li Wu Yi pursed his lips and replied, “What do you think will happen to him? It’s extremely difficult to kill him. As for Martial Beast Guards… All those available have been deployed. In the previous battle, those from Thirty-Fifth Army were scattered quite widely and many required rescue. So, we don’t have anyone left now. Don’t worry. It’s just ten thousand Demons.”
Certainly, Jiu Feng knew that ten thousand Demons wouldn’t pose a threat to Yang Kai. She just felt extremely bored, which was why she wanted to have a walk outside. However, Li Wu Yi didn’t give her that chance.
After all, he had to go out to attend to some emergencies from time to time, so when he wasn’t around, someone had to keep watch on this place. This was the command centre of the Star Boundary. If this place was invaded and damaged, the entire chain of command would be thrown into chaos.
..…
“Martial Beast Guards?” Yang Kai arched his brow. He had just heard from Fan Xin about the various Army Commanders. Besides the three Divine Venerables from the Ancient Wild Lands, Wen Zi Shan, Ma Qing, and Li Jiao had all become Army Commanders as well, but when he heard her mention the Martial Beast Guards, he became curious.
“They’re from Spirit Beast Island, and each one is at least a Second-Order Emperor. There are about thirty of them, and they’re responsible for rescue missions. For example, we’re in need of rescue now, so Senior Li would normally send a Martial Beast Guard to meet us, then he’ll help us fend off the enemy while returning to base.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai gently nodded.
With Space Beacons, the so-called Martial Beast Guards could easily arrive anywhere on the battlefield. A Second or Third-Order Emperor Realm Master would be of great help to a team like this. With such a top Master leading the way, the chances of them getting back to base would increase significantly.
It wasn’t difficult to craft a Space Beacon as long as there were enough high-quality pieces of Space Spirit Jades. Both Yang Kai and Li Wu Yi were able to mass-produce them. Previously, Yang Kai had refined many Space Beacons in the Demon Realm and scattered them around the different continents, which was how he was able to save time when he fled from the Demon Realm and returned to the Star Boundary.
Even though it was convenient to use Space Beacons, there were some inevitable downsides. One of them was that Space Beacons were one-to-one, so a single Space Beacon was useless as it had to be connected to a corresponding one. Hence, there were several hundred people in the headquarters in Seven Mists Sea to collect information from all around the Star Boundary. Many Space Beacons were placed in front of every one of them.
Han Zheng Qing had two Space Beacons with him. One of them was to contact Seven Mists Sea, and the other was connected to the Martial Beast Guards.
The second downside was even more conspicuous, anyone could use them. The user didn’t have to be an expert in the Dao of Space. In fact, he didn’t even have to cultivate Space Principles at all as the beacon could be activated by infusing one’s Qi into it.
Hence, more problems arose. If the Demons happened to obtain these Space Beacons, they were able to use them to transcend the barriers of space and arrive at the headquarters in Seven Mists Sea in an instant. Even if they didn’t do that, they could make use of the beacons to transfer some false information to divert the forces in the Star Boundary. They could also reach any Martial Beast Guard and ambush him instantly.
Over the past few years, quite a number of Space Beacons had been lost. Initially, the Demons had indeed made use of the beacons for sabotage and ambushes and caused the Star Boundary to suffer losses.
However, Li Wu Yi was a Master of the Dao of Space after all. As soon as he realised the downside, he quickly made some changes to the Space Beacons. All the Space Beacons that had been distributed since then were specially made. For example, Han Zheng Qing currently had two Space Beacons with him. The one that was connected to Seven Mists Sea could only be used to transfer jade slips, not Humans. On the other hand, the one that was connected to the Martial Beast Guards couldn’t be used to transfer anything from his side. It was basically a moving beacon for Martial Beast Guards to locate Han Zheng Qing and unilaterally send something over.
Furthermore, with the spread of new encryption and decoding methods, the upheavals that were caused by the Space Beacons slowly subsided.
In recent years, the existence of Space Beacons had become one of the Star Boundary’s sharpest weapons against the Demons as all the information could be transmitted back to Seven Mists Sea in real-time. Martial Beast Guards could also make a move at any moment by going out to rescue stranded or surrounded soldiers, which significantly reduced the losses they would suffer.
Ordinarily, Han Zheng Qing’s team would require a Martial Beast Guard to save them; however, since Yang Kai was around, and Li Wu Yi was unable to send anyone over, the matter was left to Yang Kai to deal with.
Just like what Li Wu Yi had said, ten thousand Demons would not pose a challenge to Yang Kai.
As they headed south and talked to each other, Yang Kai finally gained some understanding of the current affairs in the Star Boundary. He felt somewhat dejected at the number of losses suffered, but at the same time, the war had caused everyone in this Great World to grow.
There were fifty-four armies in total, and each army had a million people at the very least. Every army was led by a Pseudo-Great Emperor or powerful Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, and dozens of Emperor Realm Masters worked under the Army Commander. Yang Kai had never expected that the Star Boundary could have such power.
He had been in the Star Boundary for a long time, and he had been to every part of this world and encountered many forces and people. However, at this moment, he came to the realization that the Star Boundary he knew was just the tip of the iceberg. This kind of heritage was what a Great World like the Star Boundary should have.
It wasn’t difficult to figure out that many of those Emperor Realm Masters must be reclusive cultivators who were less well-known. The tides of war had swept over the entire Star Boundary, so these reclusive cultivators had no choice but to join the Human armies. As more people gathered together, a great force was thus formed.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something and asked, “What’s the Demon Heavenly Dao?”
Fan Xin’s face fell when she heard that, then she put on a disdainful expression, “A group of trash and traitors!”
When Yang Kai appeared before them earlier, Han Zheng Qing stared at him and yelled ‘Demon Heavenly Dao’. At that time, Yang Kai didn’t manage to inquire about it as his identity was somewhat sensitive, so it was pointless for him to ask anything. Now that he recalled it, he had to find out what it was.
Although he had no idea what this Demon Heavenly Dao was, he could guess that it had something to do with the Demons. Judging from Fan Xin’s reaction, he knew that his speculation was right. Fan Xin was a kind-hearted woman, but when he mentioned Demon Heavenly Dao, she immediately called them ‘a group of trash and traitors’ without even thinking, which went to show that the Demon Heavenly Dao must be something despicable.
In fact, the Demon Heavenly Dao was a group of people that had emerged in the Star Boundary in recent years. They were a force that was based around Shadow Killer Palace in the Western Territory.
Before the Two Worlds’ Great War erupted, Shadow Killer Palace had long been preparing to assist the Demons to invade the Star Boundary. They had recruited many people who had hidden in different parts of the Star Boundary. Some of them were even Pseudo-Great Emperors.
In the past, Yao Lin and Li Shi Qing were captured by Masters from the group now called the Demon Heavenly Dao.
After the war erupted, the Demons invaded the Star Boundary, and in just three years, the entire Western Territory had fallen. The Star Boundary had lost a large area of territory, and many people had lost their lives. The Western Territory had practically become the Demons’ paradise.
At that time, the armies of the Star Boundary were still being organized, and the use of Space Beacons was not widespread. With the Great Emperors refraining from making a move, the Demon armies were essentially unstoppable.
However, while external enemies were troubling, traitors from within were even more worrying. The Demon Heavenly Dao rose with the times and snowballed into a great force.
Not everyone was determined to sacrifice themselves for the Star Boundary. During peaceful times, Shadow Killer Palace was already able to recruit many to their side, and as the Demons occupied more and more places, those who were afraid of death quickly sided with the Demon Heavenly Dao and became lackeys for the Demons.
The leader of the Demon Heavenly Dao was none other than the Palace Master of Shadow Killer Palace, Night Shadow Great Emperor!
He had countless top cultivators that worked under him, and there were four Pseudo-Great Emperors who were under his wings. They were collectively called the Four Great Emperor’s Emissaries, whose names were Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. All of them had incredible cultivation.
“Those from Demon Heavenly Dao have been empowered by Demon Qi. While their temperament has changed, their power has also increased. What’s despicable about them is that they usually remain hidden, and they look just like any ordinary person. They also won’t expose themselves during battle. Unless we infuse our Qi into their bodies to investigate, or they proactively expose their Demon Qi, it’s difficult to tell whether they’re from the Demon Heavenly Dao or not.” Fan Xin heaved a sigh, “The war has been ongoing for five years. The people from the Star Boundary have grown in power, but the same is true of the Demons. We’ve suffered immense losses because of the Demon Heavenly Dao.”
It was because of the existence of the Demon Heavenly Dao that Han Zheng Qing and Right Defender Liu shook hands to probe each other when they met up. They had to make sure that neither of them had gone through demonification.
Compared to the Demon invaders, the people from the Star Boundary were actually more resentful of those from the Demon Heavenly Dao. That was because they were well hidden, so they were able to gather information and do things that the Demons were not able to achieve.
Fan Xin couldn’t understand why such people existed in this world, as though they were more than happy to see the world descending into chaos. The situation in the Star Boundary was already terrible; however, instead of defending their own world, these people had sided with the Demons.
It was also because of the Demon Heavenly Dao that Han Zheng Qing became vigilant when Yang Kai showed up with Demon Qi swirling around his body. To him, those from the Demon Heavenly Dao were deplorable, and a traitor couldn’t clear his name by just killing some Demons.
While they were having a chat, Yang Kai lifted his head and took a look in a particular direction before he put on a faint smile. His move wasn’t conspicuous, which was why Fan Xin, who was telling him about the current affairs in the Star Boundary, didn’t notice it.
However, a moment later, she also lifted her head and gazed at the front because Han Zheng Qing suddenly left his team and flew over. When he arrived, he landed on the ground and looked solemnly at Yang Kai.
With a clear gaze, Yang Kai stared frankly at him and put on a faint smile.
Feeling that the atmosphere was awkward, Fan Xin parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but she was stopped by Han Zheng Qing.
“Palace Master Yang, I only have one question for you,” Han Zheng Qing said in a hoarse voice, “Are you friend or foe?”
He had informed the headquarters in Seven Mists Sea that he had come across the traitor Yang Kai. He also reported to them what had happened earlier. However, even after such a long time, he still didn’t get any reply from Seven Mists Sea. Unable to wait any longer, he decided to confront Yang Kai.
Without answering his question, Yang Kai fished out a Space Beacon and said, “This is connected to the one held by Senior Li Wu Yi.”
Yang Kai then took out another one, “This one can contact Army Commander, Yang Yan.”
Through his conversation with Fan Xin, he had learned that Yang Yan was now Army Commander of the Thirteenth Army, making her a famous figure in the Star Boundary. Supposedly, Han Zheng Qing would be familiar with her.
A glint flashed across Han Zheng Qing’s eyes when he heard this; then he extended his hand, “May I have a look?”
Yang Kai tossed the two Space Beacons at him. After taking them, Han Zheng Qing activated both his Divine Sense and Emperor Qi to probe them. Supposedly, given his cultivation, he was unable to find out anything; however, he already had two Space Beacons with him, so he wasn’t unfamiliar with them, and he believed he could discern a thing or two.
Indeed, the Space Beacon that was connected to Li Wu Yi had some aura fluctuations left behind by him. This kind of fluctuation was similar to that of the two Space Beacons Han Zheng Qing had, so he would never be mistaken.
A moment later, he passed the two Space Beacons back to Yang Kai and put on a milder expression. Then, he cupped his fists and said, “This Han has detected some Demon scouts who tried to spy on us just now, so I’m afraid that our whereabouts have been exposed. Soon, Demon armies will come over and besiege us. I hope Palace Master Yang can assist us when the time comes.”
Since Yang Kai had a Space Beacon that was connected to Li Wu Yi, it was clear that there was nothing wrong with his identity. Otherwise, Li Wu Yi would have come over and captured him.
There was no doubt that Li Wu Yi was swamped with work, but he wouldn’t be complacent when the matter had something to do with Yang Kai. Since he had not appeared in this place, it proved that Yang Kai was credible.
Seeing as Li Wu Yi also believed Yang Kai, there was nothing else that Han Zheng Qing could say.
The base was still a few thousand kilometres away from them. Since the Demon scouts had shown up, it meant that they were probably going to face a battle soon. Now, there were only two heavily injured First-Order Emperor Realm Masters in their unit, so how would they defend themselves?
If they wanted to survive, they had to seek help from Yang Kai.
“Left Defender Han, you may proceed forward without fear. I will lend you a hand when I’m required to do so,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Han Zheng Qing cupped his fists again, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
At that instant, he was finally able to be at ease. He had witnessed the power Yang Kai had showcased as the latter was able to kill the previous group of Demons as if they were ants. Even Demon Kings were easily dispatched by him. With such strength, he was probably just as powerful as the strongest Martial Beast Guard. With Yang Kai around, the chances of them returning to base would increase significantly.
After thanking him, Han Zheng Qing turned around and returned to his unit. However, just a moment later, he flew back and cupped his fists, “Palace Master Yang, please join us.”
Yang Kai and Fan Xin had been staying a thousand metres behind the team, so they were very conspicuous. Since the Demon scouts had shown up, a battle between the opposing armies was imminent. Yang Kai was the most powerful ally they had, so his existence shouldn’t be exposed so soon.
Earlier, he didn’t invite Yang Kai to join the team because he wasn’t certain whether the latter was a friend or foe. However, since there was no reaction from Seven Mists Sea, it went to show that Yang Kai was credible. Furthermore, given the power Yang Kai had showcased, if he wanted to harm them, there was no way they could resist.
In that case, Han Zheng Qing thought that he should just let Yang Kai join them.
Since Han Zheng Qing had returned to invite him, Yang Kai decided not to reject. After a nod, he followed Han Zheng Qing back to the team.
Fan Xin was pleased with this arrangement. The other disciples from Ice Heart Valley were also joyful as they came over to greet Yang Kai, who was their Martial Uncle. Compared to other Sects, Ice Heart Valley had very close ties with High Heaven Palace, which was why their disciples were friendly to Yang Kai.
The other people in the team secretly sized Yang Kai up; however, due to the circumstances, they didn’t come over to talk to him.
Only an Emperor Realm Master from Right Defender Liu’s Brigade walked up to Yang Kai, and his only intention was to salute him.
Two thousand injured soldiers were treading across the desert and heading back to their base. No one said anything as they were all apprehensive about the imminent battle.
When night descended upon them, they found a place and took a rest. In normal times, powerful cultivators didn’t need to rest at night as they could continue walking even in the dark. However, the Thirty-Fifth Army’s Ninth Brigade had just gone through a difficult battle, and most of their two thousand surviving members had suffered injuries. Hence, they had to save some energy to face the impending battle.
Although they were a team that had just been formed, they were still highly disciplined. Under Han Zheng Qing’s management, three groups of people took turns to keep watch around the area to prevent the Demons from launching a sneak attack on them in the middle of the night.
Everyone was worried they would have to fight their enemy in short order, but it turned out to be a peaceful night. At the break of dawn, they continued moving forward.
The two Emperor Realm Masters walked up to Yang Kai, after which Han Zheng Qing asked, “Palace Master Yang, have you detected the Demons’ whereabouts?”
The enemies didn’t arrive as they had expected last night, but instead of feeling elated, Han Zheng Qing was extremely worried. Since the enemies didn’t launch an attack at night, it meant that they were getting prepared to make a big move out in the open. Hence, the Human soldiers had to put their guards up even higher.
Without beating around the bush, Yang Kai replied, “They’re five hundred kilometres in front of us.”
Han Zheng Qing traded glances with the other Emperor Realm Master, then he fished out a jade slip and examined the situation. A moment later, his expression changed as he said, “Those damn Demons are really greedy!”
He lifted his head to look at Yang Kai, “There’s a narrow mountain pass five hundred kilometres to the front of us that looks like a bottle gourd. We have to pass through it if we want to return to our lines. I guess they want to ambush and swallow all of us up there.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m afraid their teeth are going to break when they try.”
With a solemn expression, Han Zheng Qing said, “Palace Master Yang, are you confident of defeating them? If not, we can make a detour. We’ll just be held back for a few days.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “There’s no need for that. Even if we make a detour, we can’t escape from the Demons. There are Demon armies stationed on all alternative paths.”
Han Zheng Qing’s expression changed when he heard this, but after a moment of silence, he nodded and said, “Good. We will proceed forward.”
After he gave the order, the atmosphere around the team changed as they all tensed up. A tinge of murderous intent could be felt in the air.
Five hundred kilometres wasn’t that long of a distance, but it took these injured soldiers half a day to reach their destination. On the way there, Demon scouts would show up in the distance from time to time, which added pressure to their shoulders.
There was a vast valley behind the mountain pass with extremely high cliffs. As they went further, the valley became narrower. Although the Demons were nowhere to be seen, everyone could feel that their enemies were just lurking in the dark.
Han Zheng Qing turned his head to look at Yang Kai in an attempt to ask something, but Yang Kai directly shuffled forward and walked to the front of the team. With a smile on his face, his pace remained even as he appeared calm and collected.
After a moment of hesitation, Han Zheng Qing ordered, “Maintain tight formation! Pay attention to the flanks!”
The team of two thousand people immediately broke down into ten smaller units and opened up some distance from one another before they followed closely behind Yang Kai.
After they moved past the mountain pass and entered the valley, Demon Qi suddenly undulated in a radius of ten kilometres around them. The ground beneath their feet seemed to have come to life as it squirmed. In an instant, the solid ground turned into quicksand as all of them started sinking.
Han Zheng Qing’s expression changed as he ordered, “Sand Demon! Fly!”
The one who was able to cause the ground to go through such a sudden change must be Sand Demon. Moreover, they must be a Demon King; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to affect such a wide area with a single Divine Ability.
After years of war, those from the Star Boundary were already familiar with the tactics used by the Demons and had developed tactics to deal with them accordingly.
Right then, Yang Kai suddenly stretched out his hand and summoned the Myriads Sword into his grip. As he strode forward, he jabbed the sword into the ground.
In an instant, the huge sword disappeared, and following that, a muffled groan could be heard coming from below ground. At the same time, the quicksand instantly became solid again.
Just then, a loud boom could be heard from a spot that was roughly a hundred metres in front of them as the Myriads Sword shot out from the ground. The enormous blade had penetrated a Demon’s body and stuck out from his back. Even though the Demon had been severely injured, he hadn’t lost his life yet. Blood was streaming out of his mouth as he appeared to be in pain. Grabbing the blade with both hands, he was trying to pull the sword out of his body.
He was indeed a Sand Demon as well as a Demon King. Although he was just a Low-Rank Demon King, his cultivation was still considered to be powerful.
Right after he shot out of the ground, he stared resentfully at Yang Kai. Although he was underground, he knew who had made a move against him; however, he didn’t understand how Yang Kai managed to locate and injure him so swiftly.
He didn’t have any time to give it a second thought though as Yang Kai grinned at him, revealing a row of gleaming teeth as he clenched his fist and said, “Boom!”
At that instant, the Myriads Sword started to shine with radiant sword light, sending out a storm of sword waves from the Sand Demon’s body. Looking from afar, he seemed to have turned into a hedgehog with gleaming swords all over his body. As the Sand Demon shrieked, he exploded with a deafening boom.
In less than five breaths, a Demon King Sand Demon had been pulverized into blood mist, while at the same time, two thousand Humans had ascended into the sky.
Han Zheng Qing’s intention was to get everyone to escape from the Sand Demon’s Divine Ability, but unexpectedly, the Sand Demon lost his life barely after they had left the ground.
However, before they came to their senses, countless arrows were seen breaking through the air toward them.
While those from the Star Boundary had come up with ways to deal with the Demons, their enemies had also developed their own tactics to fight back. The Sand Demon’s sneak attack was just the beginning, as his intention was to force the Humans into the sky.
While they were mid-air, the innumerable arrows, which looked like locusts, were loosed upon them. The cliffs on both sides of the valley were extremely steep, so there was no way they could effectively evade the arrow barrage.
Everyone’s expression could be seen changing as they felt their entire bodies turning cold. At the same time, their chests tightened as they thought that they were doomed. Some of them swiftly flew downwards while the sluggish ones still remained on the spot. In an instant, the originally neat formation turned chaotic.
At the critical moment, Yang Kai’s Demon Qi surged. As the wind howled, the black Demon Qi solidified and became an impenetrable barrier. As it expanded, it turned into a shield that could ward off the arrows.
All the arrows were blocked by the Demon Qi and then disappeared.
Right then, the Demon Qi shield shot forward and crashed into the sky. Like a mirror that was broken apart, cracks started appearing. As a ripple spread around, countless Demons appeared out of thin air.
The Humans were now standing on the ground with steep cliffs on both their left and right. Just now, the Demons were hiding to attack them while they passed by. It wasn’t certain what technique they had used, but all of them had managed to conceal themselves, and Han Zheng Qing and the others were not even aware of it.
The expressions of the Humans changed again when they saw what was going on. There were definitely at least ten thousand Demons present.
Furthermore, there were a few Demon Kings around, all riding Demon Beasts of varying sizes with ferocious auras.
After their Concealment Technique was dispelled by Yang Kai, all the Demons were surprised. The Demon Kings, who were at the front, stared at Yang Kai in disbelief as they had no idea what was going on.
To them, since Yang Kai was using Demon Qi, he was obviously a member of the Demon Heavenly Dao. In that case, he was supposed to be their lackey, so why was he going against them now?
[What is going on?]
However, the next moment, the Demon Kings set aside their doubts as they had no regard for the Demon Heavenly Dao to begin with. Anyone who dared to go against the Demons must die.
Since they were enemies who had crossed each other on this narrow path, only the strongest would survive.
The Demon King at the front grinned at Yang Kai and lifted his muscular arm before forcefully lowering it. After he gave the order to attack, ten thousand Demons immediately charged forward. The entire valley seemed to be shaking as the rocks came falling down.
Han Zheng Qing and the others tensed up as they quickly returned to their respective formations. At the same time, the Shamans were heard chanting their spells.
Despite the thundering noises, Yang Kai’s voice was still clearly heard as he pointed at the front and said, “Compress!”
Right after he gave the order, the valley seemed to have come to life. The ground started writhing and rolling up like a rug as it soon engulfed the Demon soldiers. The cliffs on both sides started closing up like two gigantic palms that were clapping at the mosquitoes, but the insects this time were the ten thousand Demons!
Under the shocked gazes of Han Zheng Qing and the other Humans, the entire mountain valley seemed to transform into a separate, sealed region, with all the Demons trapped inside it.
Space then quickly compressed as horrifying shrieks were continuously heard from inside. Fan Xin had goosebumps all over her body while the female disciples of Ice Heart Valley had turned pale at the sight.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten thousand Demons disappeared. The cliffs had closed up and the ground that had rolled up formed a sealed space, trapping all the Demons inside it.
By just listening to the sounds that came from that sealed space, the Humans could imagine what the Demons were going through. Perhaps they had been pressed into mashed meat.
It was indeed a violent yet awe-inspiring method!
The Demons must have given it serious consideration before choosing this place to ambush the Humans. After passing the mountain pass, there was only one path ahead. If they appeared out of thin air, they would be able to catch the Humans off guard. With ten thousand Demons facing two thousand Humans, and with an advantageous position in this valley, the Demons thought that they could easily kill all these Humans.
However, they had never expected that this place would turn out to be their grave. They were indeed in a relatively advantageous position, but when the other party was so powerful that they could only look up to him, the advantage turned into disadvantage.
With a loud bang, a bloodied figure broke through the barriers and shot out of the sealed space. In an instant, he turned into a black light and decidedly fled into the distance.
“A High-Rank Demon King!” Han Zheng Qing exclaimed as his pupils contracted as he remained rooted to the spot. He had never expected that there would be a High-Rank Demon King leading the ten thousand Demon army stationed here. That Demon alone was too powerful for them to deal with. It could be expected that if not for Yang Kai, all two thousand of them would have lost their lives today.
It was already extremely difficult to kill the average Demon, not to mention a High-Rank Demon King. After he was compressed by the cliffs and the ground, this Demon King was severely injured, but he still managed to survive somehow. Then, he immediately escaped from the trap with some difficulty.
He must also be aware that, given the power Yang Kai had displayed, he would still die if he hadn’t fled in time. Certainly, his judgement was right, but there was no way he could flee.
Yang Kai extended his hand towards the Demon King and grabbed at the air. When he retracted his hand, he managed to pull out a figure that was covered in Black Qi. As the Demon King’s neck was being clenched, he was unable to struggle out of Yang Kai’s iron grip and a choking sound was heard coming from his throat.
Han Zheng Qing didn’t see how Yang Kai captured the Demon King; from his perspective, Yang Kai simply reached out his hand, his arm seemed to blur, and then the Demon King, who had been a kilometre or so away, appeared in his grip.
[Space Divine Ability! It must be a Space Divine Ability!] Though Han Zheng Qing understood what had happened, he couldn’t comprehend how it did.
It wasn’t until the Demon King was caught that Han Zheng Qing came to the realisation that the other party was a Shadow Demon. It was no wonder that he wasn’t aware of this Master’s existence. Shadow Demons were experts of assassination, so they were also good at concealing their auras.
Yang Kai clenched the Demon’s neck and lifted him off his feet. The Shadow Demon tried his hardest to struggle out of Yang Kai’s grip, but his attempts proved futile.
As Demon Qi undulated, the Shadow Demon’s figure started expanding. In the blink of an eye, he had become as round as a balloon.
With a loud pop, he directly exploded as his flesh splattered around the place. The unsuspecting Han Zheng Qing and the others had the blood splashed at them. On the other hand, Yang Kai had expected this to happen and protected himself with Demon Qi, so he remained spotless.
Just then, a cracking sound was heard as the compressed cliffs began separating and the ground receded.
Following that, the Humans immediately caught a whiff of a repulsive metallic tang, and then a sight that resembled that of Hell itself came into view.
No Demons could be seen in front of them. Besides the Shadow Demon that had fled from the sealed space and then been captured and killed by Yang Kai, all ten thousand or so Demons had been pressed into piles of mashed meat. Most of them already didn’t look like their original figures as all their flesh had been mangled together. The ground was practically dyed red as the disfigured Demons lay on it.
Some weak moaning was still heard as some of the Demon Kings were not dead yet.
All two thousand Humans looked dazedly at the front as they fell silent. Some of them had opened their mouths so wide that eggs would fit inside. As they darted their eyes between Yang Kai and the horrible sight, they still found it to be unbelievable.
Han Zheng Qing appeared embarrassed because all of them had basically done nothing to contribute to the deaths of all ten thousand Demons. From start to finish, Yang Kai was the only one who made any move.
After wiping the blood off his face, Han Zheng Qing walked over and wielded his sword to put a still-breathing Demon out of his misery.
His move prompted the others to come to their senses as they quickly marched forward to purge any Demons feigning death. At the same time, they also started looting stuff from the Demons.
In just an incense stick’s worth of time, the battlefield had been cleaned, after which they continued with their journey.
The valley was about three hundred kilometres long. It was already nighttime when they left the valley. When they finally saw the view outside, they were clearly energised. That was because the base of the Thirty-Fifth Army was just three thousand kilometres in front of them.
This distance of three thousand kilometres was relatively safe because rarely would any Demons wander around this region, unless they were unlucky enough to come across Demon Kings that were able to conceal themselves.
Stopping in his tracks, Yang Kai stared at Han Zheng Qing and said, “This is where we part ways. There are no more Demons in front of you, so you should be able to reach your destination safely.”
Han Zheng Qing bowed and replied, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
After waving his hand, Yang Kai turned to look at Fan Xin and the others, “Be careful and protect yourselves.”
On the battlefield, life or death could be determined in the blink of an eye. There were precedents of Pseudo-Great Emperor and Half-Saints being killed, to say nothing of the fact that Fan Xin and her Sister were just ordinary cultivators. The Two Worlds’ Great War had devastated countless lies and forced many families to be separated. Only by taking good care of themselves could they stand a chance of surviving.
Fan Xin and the other female disciples from Ice Heart Valley nodded repeatedly to his words.
Yang Kai turned around and took a step forward. All of a sudden, his figure turned blurred and then disappeared.
After he was gone, Han Zheng Qing gave the order for all two thousand of them to head towards the base. Since Yang Kai had said that there were no more Demons in front of them, the journey ahead must be safe. In that case, they shouldn’t waste any time taking a rest and should instead immediately return.
…..
Yang Kai communicated with the Space Beacon held by Li Wu Yi, after which he appeared by the latter’s side.
As his figure abruptly appeared inside a spacious hall, he saw Li Wu Yi, who was just beside him. Just when he smiled and wanted to greet him, he suddenly felt something as he lifted his head with a solemn expression.
Four people, one woman and three men, were seated on both sides. Their auras were all profound and powerful. Just like four mountains, their horrifying auras pressed against Yang Kai, causing him to have difficulty in breathing. Besides the discomfort in his chest, he could also feel his bones cracking.
Apart from that, he also felt that the aura in his body was somewhat resonating with those of the four people, which made him realise that they were truly powerful and that he was no match for them.
Not daring to appear disrespectful, Yang Kai immediately bowed and cupped his fists, “Junior Yang Kai greets the Great Emperors.”
On his left, there was the burly Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen, and the elusive Flower Shadow Great Emperor, Hua Ling Long. On his right, there was the inscrutable Serene Soul Great Emperor, Yao Jun, and the bold Martial Beast Great Emperor, Mo Huang.
Besides the missing Bustling World Great Emperor, the deceased Bright Moon Great Emperor, and the traitor Night Shadow Great Emperor, four of the seven Great Emperors in the Star Boundary had gathered together here.
Judging from their expressions, they seemed to be waiting for Yang Kai. At that instant, Yang Kai felt his blood boiling not because of the pressure, but because he finally felt at home after years of staying in a foreign land. He was so agitated that even his voice trembled slightly.
In the past, he didn’t have any special feelings when meeting these Great Emperors; however, upon reunion, he found them to be extremely amiable, as though they were his family members.
Then, recalling that his own aura resonated with those of the other Great Emperors, he immediately knew that it was because of the Great Emperor’s Opportunity. In order to become a Great Emperor, one had to obtain acknowledgement from the Star Boundary. Bright Moon’s acknowledgement had been transferred to Yang Kai, which was why he found the other Great Emperors to be affable.
He thought that the other Great Emperors would feel the same way too, but he hadn’t expected that after he finished speaking, he didn’t get any reply from them. A long time later, Yang Kai began to feel somewhat doubtful. He wanted to have a look at them, but he knew that it would be inappropriate to do so. Nevertheless, he could clearly feel that the Great Emperors’ gazes appeared sharp when they were staring at him.
Then, he stole a glance at Li Wu Yi, only to see that the latter had folded his arms lightly and remained on the same spot with a calm expression. With his eyes half-closed, he seemed to be in need of some sleep.
[What’s going on?] Yang Kai was puzzled.
Right then, someone was heard yelling, “Yang Kai, do you know what crime you’ve committed?”
It was Iron Blood Great Emperor who yelled at him, which caused him to feel dizzy and his ears to start buzzing, almost dropping him to the ground. He was able to kill Demon Kings like they were ants, and he had the power to fight with Half-Saints; however, when he was confronted by a Great Emperor, he was as frail as a child.
Fortunately, his cultivation was good enough to allow him to support his own weight. Just when he stared at Iron Blood and wanted to refute him, he gulped down what he was about to say and hung his head low, “I do.”
Hua Ling Long batted her eyes while Yao Jun grinned in silence. On the other hand, Mo Huang rolled his eyes and scratched his face.
Zhan Wu Hen was startled as well because he didn’t expect that Yang Kai would react in this way. He thought that Yang Kai would try to refute him, so it hadn’t crossed his mind that the young man would admit his guilt straight away. Hence, he was unable to go on with the speech he had prepared.
After a moment of silence, Iron Blood said, “What is your crime?”
Yang Kai replied in a hushed voice, “Senior Bright Moon died by my hand.”
Despite his small voice, everyone could hear that he was utterly sorrowful when he spoke and could see his balled-up fists turning pale from the strain.
“It seems you are not unaware.” Zhan Wu Hen snorted and then shouted again, “Bright Moon was one of the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary. In the past, in order to save many of us here, he remained behind in the Demon Realm and was captured. Do you remember why we sent you to infiltrate the Demon Realm?”
“To save Senior Bright Moon!”
“What did you promise us?”
“That I would definitely bring Senior Bright Moon back to the Star Boundary!”
“What happened, then?”
Yang Kai was lost for words. His mission was to rescue Bright Moon; however, instead of saving him, he had actually killed him. Even though it wasn’t his intention to do so, after such a long time, he still felt extremely heartbroken whenever he thought about that scene in the past.
“Since you know what crime you’ve committed, how did you still have the nerve to return to the Star Boundary?” Zhan Wu Hen appeared overbearing, and he had no qualms about embarrassing the young man.
Yang Kai hung his head low and replied, “This Junior obtained the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, and had to return in order to fulfil the last will of Senior Bright Moon.”
“You had to return?” Zhan Wu Hen snorted, “Do you think we won’t punish you?”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “Junior is willingly to accept any punishment.”
“What if we demand your life as punishment?” Zhan Wu Hen’s gaze was as sharp as a blade, and he was engulfed in murderous intent.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai looked him into Iron Blood’s eyes and said firmly, “Whatever the circumstances, it is an irrefutable fact that I killed Senior Bright Moon. That sin will never disappear. If Senior wishes to take back the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, I am willing to return it; however, if you demand my life, I will resist despite the fact that I am no match for you!”
To the side, Li Wu Yi turned to look at Yang Kai in astonishment. He thought that if he were Yang Kai, he wouldn’t have the guts to speak like him in this kind of situation.
Zhan Wu Hen scoffed, “You will resist? Do you think you’ll be able to do that?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “I will try my best. I’m not willing to simply offer up my life. I cannot die.”
Many of his friends and family were waiting for him in High Heaven Palace, so he was determined to stay alive.
Just when Zhan Wu Hen wanted to say something, he was cut off by Hua Ling Long. Flower Shadow Great Emperor had a pleasant voice, and spoke in a very different tone than the ferocious Zhan Wu Hen, “Tell us about your experiences in the Demon Realm, especially what happened to Bright Moon.”
Yang Kai composed himself and replied, “At the time when Yu Ru Meng and I were being hunted down by Senior Li, we agreed to flee to the Demon Realm and safely reached it soon after…”
It had only been a few years since he ventured into the Demon Realm, so it wasn’t difficult for Yang Kai to recall his experiences.
The Great Emperors were aware that there were many continents and Territory Gates in the Demon Realm; after all, some of the Great Emperors had ventured into the Demon Realm before. Even though they didn’t know the full extent of the situation, they knew a thing or two. As for other things about the Demon Realm, they were essentially clueless.
What Yang Kai knew was exactly the information they needed.
When the four Great Emperors heard that there were a few hundred continents and twelve Demon Saints, their expressions turned solemn. Even if they ignored the fact that there were probably an innumerable number of people living on those continents, twelve Demon Saints alone was indeed an unbelievable number.
There were only ten Great Emperors in the Star Boundary. Excluding the missing Bustling World Great Emperor, the deceased Bright Moon Great Emperor, and the traitor Night Shadow Great Emperor, there were currently only seven of them left.
When it came to the most powerful Masters in both Great Worlds, there were far fewer on the Star Boundary’s side, almost half. If the Great Emperors fought an all-out war with the Demon Saints, they were bound to suffer a loss.
Then, when they were told that Yu Ru Meng was one of the twelve Demon Saints, they were shocked.
In the past, Yu Ru Meng had always followed Yang Kai around. When she appeared in front of the Great Emperors, she had even pretended to be Li Shi Qing and spoke with Flower Shadow Great Emperor. However, whether it was Zhan Wu Hen or Hua Ling Long, neither realized she was a Demon, nor could they detect any Demon Qi from her.
Looking back, they found it to be inconceivable. However, upon learning that Yu Ru Meng was a Charm Demon, they finally realised the reason behind it.
Charm Demons had exceptionally strong Souls, and they were adept at enchanting people and illusions, so it was no wonder that Yu Ru Meng was able to deceive them. When it came to Soul cultivation, even Serene Soul Great Emperor was no match for her.
Upon learning about the existence of Myriad Demon Caves and Myriad Demon Pills, the Great Emperors scowled. The war had been ongoing for several years, and they had realised that there were far more Demon Kings than should be possible. In the past, they didn’t understand the reason behind it, but now they got the answer.
There were many Demon Kings because there was a large number of Demons in the first place. With a few hundred continents, they were naturally able to produce at least a hundred thousand Demon Kings, which was a horrifying number.
Secondly, it must have something to do with the Myriad Demon Pills, which were unique to the Demon Realm. Although Myriad Demon Caves were formed by absorbing the life force of all Demons living on a continent, the benefits far outweighed the costs.
When the Great Emperors also learned that Yang Kai had swallowed up many continents in the Demon Realm, they were dumbstruck. They were able to shatter continents, but they could never devour them. Yang Kai’s strength was much weaker compared to a Great Emperor’s, but his abilities and methods were enough to shock even them.
Then, Yang Kai narrated the story of the battle on Eternal Sky Continent. He spoke about the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array and about how at the time, Bright Moon was unable to escape from the enemy siege. Left with no other choice, Bright Moon used a powerful Illusion Technique on Yang Kai and fooled the latter into killing him.
At that instant, everyone in the hall fell silent as the atmosphere became solemn.
The Great Emperors had been friends for tens of thousand years, so they were more than just used to each other’s company, yet all of a sudden, one of them had perished. Even though the Great Emperors were always calm and collected, they still felt dejected at this moment. Through Yang Kai’s vivid narration, they seemed able to experience how Bright Moon valiantly fought against the Twelve Demon Saints. It was as though they were able to personally see how intense the battle was and how Bright Moon fought against so many powerful enemies despite grievous injuries.
They were all inspired, and they hated the fact that they hadn’t had a chance to fight alongside him.
Eventually, Yang Kai took a deep breath and said, “That is what happened.”
Hua Ling Long nodded, “You’ve endured much hardship.”
During the battle on Eternal Sky Continent, there were not only twelve Demon Saints, but also more than a hundred Half-Saints. Surrounded by so many top Masters, Yang Kai was still able to obtain the Great Emperor’s Opportunity from Bright Moon, a miraculous feat to pull off.
“What happened next?” Mo Huang questioned, “How did you escape from the Demons after you obtained Bright Moon’s Opportunity?”
Although Yang Kai hadn’t told them what had happened to him in the aftermath of Bright Moon’s death, anyone could imagine that he must be in a desperate state at that time. In fact, obtaining the Great Emperor’s Opportunity was just the beginning of a calamity for Yang Kai as there was no way the Demons would let him bring it away.
“It was thanks to Yu Ru Meng!” Yang Kai replied seriously, “She helped me hold up some of the Demon Saints, and with my proficiency in the Dao of Space, I somehow managed to escape.”
He didn’t elaborate on this issue because, compared to Bright Moon’s selfless sacrifice, him fleeing wasn’t even worth mentioning.
Yao Jun said, “If that’s the case, there’s no way the Demons would have simply let you off. How did you manage to return to the Star Boundary? Has something else happened?”
“Indeed.” Yang Kai nodded, “Junior was severely injured after escaping from Eternal Sky Continent; however, due to the Great Emperor’s Opportunity, my aura became unstable and was suddenly forced to undergo a breakthrough. I had intended to directly return to the Star Boundary, but Can Ye had returned to guard the Two Worlds’ Passage before I could arrive. If I had gone there, it would have been akin to stepping into the enemy’s trap. Considering the fact that I was about to achieve a breakthrough, I decided to take the risk and headed to Cloud Shadow Continent.”
With the help of the Embodiment, they were able to burrow deep underground and conceal his presence. It was during his breakthrough though that a strange phenomenon happened, which attracted Bei Li Mo over. He had intended to make use of Xuan Bing’s Profound Darkness Needle to stall Bei Li Mo so that he could flee once more, but he was taken advantage of by Xuan Bing instead, which then caused something unexpected to happen.
“Wait a moment!” When Mo Huang heard this, he looked at Yang Kai with an awkward expression, “You mean you’ve planted a Soul Imprint inside a Demon Saint’s Knowledge Sea?”
Besides him, the other Great Emperors had also widened their eyes and were staring at the young man before them in disbelief. They were well aware of what would happen after a Soul Imprint was planted, which was why they were thoroughly stunned.
Li Wu Yi was dumbfounded too as he made some comparisons in his mind. A Demon Saint was equivalent to a Great Emperor. Since Yang Kai had managed to plant a Soul Imprint in a Demon Saint’s Knowledge Sea, it was akin to doing the same thing to a Great Emperor. In other words, Yang Kai had full control over the Demon Saint’s life or death. He had basically taken a Demon Saint as his subordinate.
The young man here was only a Third-Order Emperor, not even a Pseudo-Great Emperor!
Even though Li Wu Yi was normally unphased by the world around him, at this moment, he had the urge to curse.
“En,” Yang Kai bowed his head. “In truth, this Junior wasn’t capable of such a feat. It was only thanks to the wicked plan Xuan Bing came up with that harmed both her enemy and herself that made such a thing possible. I simply played along with it and achieved such a result in the end.”
The four Great Emperors traded glances as they activated their Divine Sense. Apparently, they were having a discussion.
A moment later, Hua Ling Long said with a frown, “Although you’re fairly strong now, you’re still just a Third-Order Emperor. Even though you’ve planted a Soul Imprint inside a Demon Saint’s Knowledge Sea, you should still not be able to determine her life or death.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, “Senior Flower Shadow’s words make sense. I am still significantly less powerful than Bei Li Mo, so I’m unable to determine her life or death. It can be said that if she focuses on breaking the seal, Bei Li Mo can eventually purge the Soul Imprint’s chains and regain her freedom.”
He paused for a moment, “However, she won’t have that chance now.”
“What do you mean?” Zhan Wu Hen arched his brow.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “Please forgive my disrespect.”
Saying so, Yang Kai released his Spiritual Energy without limit for a moment before quickly retracting it.
Nevertheless, the short moment was enough to cause the Great Emperors’ gazes to brighten. On the side, Li Wu Yi was rooted to the spot.
Excluding Yang Kai, there were four Great Emperors and one Pseudo-Great Emperor at the scene, so they all had incredible perceptions. Even though Yang Kai had only released his Spiritual Energy for a short moment, the others were still able to feel how powerful it was.
The power of Yang Kai’s Soul was second only to that of the Great Emperors, and he was more powerful than any Pseudo-Great Emperor in this regard.
Normally, only a top Pseudo-Great Emperor would possess this kind of Divine Sense, and he would also have to be an expert in Soul cultivation. However, at this moment, the person who was able to use such powerful Divine Sense was just a Third-Order Emperor who had recently reached his current realm.
Li Wu Yi was shaken to the core. Compared to the fact that Yang Kai had planted a Soul Imprint in a Demon Saint’s Knowledge Sea, he was more astounded by the Divine Sense the young man had just showcased.
Even though Yang Kai had taken in a Demon Saint as his subordinate, that was still dependent on the Demon Saint being willing to submit to him. After all, while a powerful external helper, Bei Li Mo could change her heart at any moment, and given a chance, she might kill Yang Kai one day. However, Soul cultivation was a part of Yang Kai’s own strength, a power that he could make use of. If Li Wu Yi were given a choice, he would rather choose the latter.
All the Great Emperors understood what Yang Kai meant now. The strength of the Soul Imprint was correlated to the user’s Soul cultivation. The more powerful his Soul cultivation was, the more solidified the Soul Imprint became.
Although Yang Kai’s Soul cultivation was astounding, he was still no match for the Demon Saints and the Great Emperors. Nevertheless, it was good enough to control Bei Li Mo. Given enough time, perhaps she would still be able to break free from the Soul Imprint; however, Yang Kai wasn’t dead, so why would he give her the chance to do so?
That was the reason he said Bei Li Mo didn’t have a chance.
A puzzled Hua Ling Long asked, “Why do you have such a powerful Soul?”
In fact, it wasn’t difficult to find people whose Soul was stronger than their peers in their own realm in the Star Boundary. The most typical example was those from Azure Sun Temple. Thanks to the Divine Ascension Mirror, the top cultivators from the temple normally had stronger Soul cultivation than average; however, there was still a limit to it, and no one could be like Yang Kai, whose Soul cultivation was horrendously more powerful than his realm would suggest.
It was just beyond anyone’s imagination. Unless he had come across any opportunity to increase the power of his Soul, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve such a thing.
Hua Ling Long wasn’t supposed to ask this question. Whatever opportunity Yang Kai had obtained, it had nothing to do with her; however, she was curious about the reason behind it, and she wanted to find out whether it had something to do with the deceased Bright Moon.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai appeared embarrassed upon hearing that question.
The considerate Flower Shadow Great Emperor put on a smile, “You don’t have to answer if it’s not convenient for you.”
“There’s nothing inconvenient…” Yang Kai scratched his nose, “Yu Ru Meng and I… have become true partners, so I obtained her several ten thousand years’ worth of Primordial Yin. She’s a Charm Demon, so she’s a Master in Soul cultivation. That’s how my Soul cultivation surged.”
“What!?” A shocked Hua Ling Long looked dazedly at Yang Kai, “Yu Ru Meng… She…”
She wanted to ask why Yu Ru Meng, as one of the twelve Demon Saints, was willing to lose her innocence to Yang Kai. Besides the stark differences between their powers, they were from different Races as one of them was a Human while the other was a Demon. Moreover, the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm were currently at war.
However, she was too embarrassed to ask this question, and her face was now blushing bright red.
While Hua Ling Long was too bashful to ask, Yao Jun wasn’t so reserved. All of them had lived for countless years, so he didn’t find it embarrassing to talk about the basic biological directives of Human nature. Therefore, he directly asked, “Is it because of the Heart Seal Secret Technique?”
Previously, Yang Kai had told them that Yu Ru Meng had used a Heart Seal Secret Technique on him, which was why Yao Jun had this speculation.
“That’s part of the reason,” Yang Kai nodded, “However, when I told her to unseal the Secret Technique, she chose not to.”
Upon hearing that, Yao Jun gave a nod. Since Yu Ru Meng chose not to do so, it proved that her feelings for Yang Kai were genuine. Otherwise, a Demon Saint wouldn’t have acted in such a way.
On the side, Li Wu Yi was no longer able to keep a calm expression on his face. As he turned his head to stare at Yang Kai, his eyes almost popped out.
Not only had Yang Kai planted a Soul Imprint in a Demon Saint’s Knowledge Sea, but he had also bedded another Demon Saint! As a result, his Soul cultivation increased significantly.
Over the years, Li Wu Yi had always worried that Yang Kai might come across danger in the Demon Realm. Now, it seemed that there was no doubt he had fallen into perilous situations before, but he had also enjoyed a very exciting life in the process.
Yang Kai had basically achieved many miracles. Anyone would be considered extremely lucky if they could pull off any of those feats.
“So, that means you have two Demon Saints on your side now?” Mo Huang gazed at Yang Kai with an excited expression.
Just now, they were still worried about the fact that there were twelve Demon Saints, which were a lot more than the number of Great Emperors in the Star Boundary. However, he hadn’t expected that they would see a silver lining so soon. One of the Demon Saints had been planted with a Soul Imprint, while the other was now Yang Kai’s woman. So, the two Demon Saints were on the same boat with Yang Kai, which essentially meant that they had weakened the power in the Demon Realm.
“Not two, but three!” Yang Kai looked seriously at him.
Zhan Wu Hen arched his brow, “Besides Bei Li Mo and Yu Ru Meng, who is the other Demon Saint?”
With an awkward expression, Mo Huang asked, “Is it that Feather Demon Fu Yu?”
Based on what he had heard from Yang Kai, he knew that of the twelve Demon Saints, only three of them were female. Bei Li Mo had been controlled while Yu Ru Meng had fallen in love with Yang Kai, so it wouldn’t be surprising even if Fu Yu had also sided with him. Yang Kai seemed to have a way with women. Recalling that his own precious daughter was also fond of Yang Kai, Mo Huang immediately had a headache.
Previously, although Yang Kai had many women, most of them didn’t have a prestigious background. Only Zhu Qing from the Dragon Race could be considered of significant status. She was a Ninth-Order Dragon, so she was at least on par with a Great Emperor’s Daughter. With Mo Huang behind his daughter, he wasn’t worried that she would be put at a disadvantage even if things developed in the direction he most wanted them not to. Now that Yang Kai had even got together with a Demon Saint though, who was equivalent to a Great Emperor, Mo Huang was unable to guarantee his daughter’s position anymore.
If he knew this would be the outcome, he wouldn’t have allowed Yang Kai to go to the Demon Realm.
“It’s not Fu Yu.” Yang Kai shook his head, “He isn’t even one of the twelve Demon Saints, but he’s as powerful as any of them.”
A perplexed Hua Ling Long asked, “Who?”
“His name is Chang Tian. He’s a member of the Dragon Clan of the Demon Realm!” Yang Kai explained, “To put things into perspective, his status in the Demon Realm is like that of the Great Elder and Second Elder of Dragon Island.”
Upon hearing that, the Great Emperors finally understood what he meant. Although Great Elder Zhu Yan and Second Elder Fu Zhun from Dragon Island were not Great Emperors, they were Tenth-Order Dragons, heads of the Divine Spirits. Their bloodlines were extremely pure, and they were just as powerful as the Great Emperors.
Since there were Divine Spirits in the Star Boundary, it only made sense there were some in the Demon Realm as well. There were Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun in the Star Boundary, while there was Chang Tian in the Demon Realm.
“How is Chang Tian related to you? Why would he side with you?” Zhan Wu Hen asked solemnly.
“Chang Tian is a Demon Dragon in the Demon Realm, but he has always been at odds with the Demon Saints. It’s said that he spent much of his life contending and fighting with the Demon Saints. He eventually secured Hundred Spirits Continent for himself and his followers and has been staying there ever since. However, his life essence is running out, so he’s worried that after he passes away, those on his continent will be enslaved by the Demon Saints. I happen to possess a Dragon bloodline, which is why he became fond of me at first glance. He put great trust in me and even wanted me to become his adopted son. That’s how our relationship formed.” Yang Kai paused for a moment, “I’ve used my Sealed World Bead to devour Hundred Spirits Continent, so there’s no turning back for him. Apart from that, I’ve also devoured all the territories under Yu Ru Meng and Bei Li Mo. Before I came back, I also sealed off the thirteen Territory Gates that connected the continent where the Two Worlds’ Passage is located to the rest of the Demon Realm, so the connection between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm has been temporarily cut off.”
“You’ve cut off the connection between the Demon Realm and the Star Boundary?” Hua Ling Long widened her eyes.
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Wonderful!” Mo Huang shouted with an excited expression.
On the other hand, a glint flashed across the gazes of Yao Jun and Zhan Wu Hen.
Recalling several recent reports he had received, Li Wu Yi nodded and added, “It’s no wonder that the Demon armies have been pulling back recently.” He had always been in the headquarters of Seven Mists Sea to manage the overall situation of the battlefield, so he was the most familiar individual when it came to the enemy’s movements.
He had noticed this strange trend a few days ago. The Demons were always aggressive and ferocious, but they suddenly started withdrawing. Initially, he didn’t understand what the Demons were up to, so he sent some people to gather some information to find out whether the Demons were preparing some kind of plot, but upon hearing what Yang Kai had said, he finally understood.
The war between the two Great Worlds had been ongoing for a few years, and both sides had suffered losses. Although there were more Demons that had lost their lives, the Humans were the ones at a disadvantage. The reason behind it was that the Demons seemed able to infinitely replenish their soldiers, as though there was no way to kill them all.
Now that the connection between the two Great Worlds had been cut off though, it meant that the Demon Realm couldn’t bring in reinforcements to replace the soldiers that had been killed. Given enough time, Li Wu Yi was confident of killing all the remaining Demons in the Star Boundary.
He had even started considering a grand mobilization of the Star Boundary’s armies to annihilate the Demons as this was the perfect chance for them to launch a decisive attack. If the Demons managed to re-group and put up proper defences, it would only mean more casualties on the Star Boundary’s side.
Zhan Wu Hen tapped the table and said calmly, “You’ve swallowed up the territories of the three Demon Saints and cut off the connection between the two Great Worlds, which essentially means that there’s no turning back for them. Does it mean that, whether or not they’re willing to do so, they’ll be loyal to you till the end?”
“I believe so.” Yang Kai nodded his head, “By the way, all three of them have arrived at the Star Boundary. If Seniors are fine with it, I’ll bring them to meet you.”
Upon hearing that, Mo Huang chuckled while Hua Ling Long picked up a cup of flower tea and took a sip, her eyes appearing to be smiling.
A doubtful Yang Kai thought that the Great Emperors reacted quite strangely to this news, but he suddenly had a thought and asked, “Have Seniors already met them?”
Zhan Wu Hen snorted, “Three Demon Saints suddenly arrived in the Star Boundary. If we weren’t able to sense that, we should probably quit being Great Emperors!”
When Yang Kai brought Yu Ru Meng and the others to the Star Boundary, the Great Emperors had already noticed it. Iron Blood Great Emperor, Serene Soul Great Emperor, and Martial Beast Great Emperor immediately went over to have a look.
At that time, Yang Kai was still recuperating in the Small Sealed World.
However, since Chang Tian and the others didn’t seem to be up to anything in particular, the Great Emperors decided not to show up as they observed them from afar.
The Great Emperors and the Demon Saints were equal when it came to their strength; however, in the Star Boundary, the Great Emperors, who had obtained the acknowledgement from it, had a more advantageous position. With assistance from the world itself, they were able to conceal their auras. Even the Master of the Soul, Yu Ru Meng, didn’t notice them.
Before they could understand what the Demon Saints were up to, Yang Kai suddenly appeared from Small Sealed World, which shocked the Great Emperors. After that, Yang Kai left behind a lot of strong Demon cultivators and bade the Demon Saints farewell. Once he was far enough away, the Great Emperors went over to confront the Demon Saints.
The atmosphere wasn’t intense per se, but it wasn’t peaceful either. At that time, only Yu Ru Meng spoke to them, so the Great Emperors were not aware that Chang Tian wasn’t one of the twelve Demon Saints.
Yu Ru Meng then told the Great Emperors why they had followed Yang Kai to the Star Boundary and also stated what their conditions for cooperation were. However, the Great Emperors didn’t readily believe her one-sided story.
That was why the Great Emperors decided to interrogate Yang Kai first.
The Great Emperors didn’t tell Yang Kai about it in advance because they wanted to find out whether he would tell the truth; after all, he had stayed in the Demon Realm for a few years, so anything could happen. If he was brainwashed by the Demons and came back to harm the Star Boundary, it would be a pain for the Great Emperors. Now that there were no discrepancies between the statements of Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng, the Great Emperors were finally at ease.
However, when they met up with the Demon Saints some time ago, they didn’t know that the Two Worlds’ Passage had been cut off. Yu Ru Meng wasn’t a fool. The Great Emperors hadn’t made their stance clear, so there was no way she would tell them such vital information. They had just learned about this incident from Yang Kai a moment ago.
“Yu Ru Meng has said that they would take control of the Demons in the Star Boundary, and they’ve promised that they will not act against us. What do you think?” Zhan Wu Hen took a seat and asked.
Yang Kai replied, “Just as this Junior has said, the three of them have followed me to the Star Boundary, and whether or not they’re doing this out of their own willingness, they have to listen to my commands. So, I think you can believe them.”
Zhan Wu Hen said, “The Two Worlds’ Great War has been ongoing for a few years, and the Demons have killed countless of our people. It’s the best chance to destroy all of them, but are you telling me that you want to save them?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “We can only save the Humans by making peace with the Demons. Although the Two Worlds’ Passage has been cut off, there are still many Demons in the Star Boundary. Despite the fact that we have a chance to annihilate all of them, we’ll have to pay a hefty price to do so; therefore, I think that it’ll be the best outcome if we take a step back at this point.”
Zhan Wu Hen lowered his gaze and fell silent while the other Great Emperors didn’t voice their opinions.
Yang Kai went on to speak, “There are two reasons behind the Demons’ invasion of the Star Boundary. First, they’re indeed an innately warlike Race, but secondly, they’re left with no other choice. The future for the Demon Realm is bleak. Over thousands of years, more and more territories and continents have been falling apart and disappearing, which is why they’ve targeted the neighbouring Star Boundary. This war occurred because they want to occupy the Star Boundary, but the clash of both worlds will only result in one of two outcomes. Either one side perishes, or both sides are devastated. Whatever the outcome, it’ll still be disastrous for the Star Boundary.”
Mo Huang said grimly, “In that case, we shouldn’t let off those Demons who still remain in the Star Boundary. Although you’ve sealed off the connection between the worlds, you can’t guarantee that it’ll last forever. Once the seal is broken one day, the Demon armies will strike again. Who can guarantee that the Demons you’ve let off today will not go against us tomorrow?”
“I’m not certain how powerful the Demon Saints are. Maybe it’ll take them months or even years to break through the seal,” Yang Kai explained, “However, since we’ve figured out the reasons behind their invasion, we’ll be able to come up with a solution.”
“What do you mean by that?” Hua Ling Long asked.
The discussion was heading in the direction Yang Kai had wanted. It was then he revealed his intention, “Since the Demons invaded the Star Boundary for their own survival, this Junior can simply give them a new place to live. It’s thanks to this reason that I’ve managed to persuade Chang Tian to side with me.”
“Do you mean your Sealed World Bead?” Hua Ling Long arched her delicate brow.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “The Sealed World Bead has devoured more than a hundred complete continents, which have been integrated seamlessly. If we can let the Sealed World Bead devour the entire Demon Realm, it will be able to produce a new one. By then, the Demons will have a new place to live, and they’ll stop thinking about battling against us.”
“Is your Sealed World Bead really so amazing?” Mo Huang was shocked.
Yang Kai grinned, “If Senior wants, you can have a look inside.”
After giving it a thought, Mo Huang nodded his head, “Alright.”
As he spoke, he rose from the chair. He was still in his seat when he moved, but when he stood up completely, he was already standing in front of Yang Kai.
Besides him, Zhan Wu Hen, Yao Jun, and Hua Ling Long also suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai.
As Great Emperors, they had seen countless rare treasures, so other than a few legendary ones, hardly any artifact or item in the world could catch their attention. Nevertheless, they were very interested in the Sealed World Bead, which could devour and integrate worlds.
Before learning about it from Yang Kai, they had never expected that such an amazing item existed.
“Please do not resist,” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai activated his Demon Qi and engulfed all four of them in it. As a thought flashed across his mind, he sent them inside the Small Sealed World.
Just when he was about to enter it as well, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Li Wu Yi said with a grin, “Don’t ignore me. I’m still around! I want to have a look as well.”
“Sorry, sorry!” Yang Kai smirked and sent him inside the Small Sealed World as well.
When Yang Kai appeared, Mo Huang and the others looked amazed as they scanned their surroundings. With a frown, Zhan Wu Hen asked, “Where’s Flower Shadow?”
He didn’t understand why Hua Ling Long wasn’t around, and he wondered what Yang Kai was up to.
“I’ve sent Senior Hua to another place.” Yang Kai waved his hand. As a ripple spread around, space seemed to have turned into a mirror as it showed the image of a far-off place. In that image, the alluring Hua Ling Long was seen standing outside a small cabin. There was a young woman who had knelt in front of Hua Ling Long with her head pressed against the ground. When she lifted her head, her eyes were seen to be drenched in tears.
The Great Emperors immediately recognised that the young woman was Hua Ling Long’s Legacy Disciple, Li Shi Qing.
“Shi Qing is here?” Mo Huang arched his brow.
Yang Kai nodded, “I found her not long after I arrived in the Demon Realm. In the past, Yu Ru Meng sent Li Shi Qing to her own territory and then pretended to be her to approach me.”
Mo Huang gave a nod, “I’m glad that she’s safe!”
Li Shi Qing had been missing for many years. Although Hua Ling Long was a Great Emperor, she had only taken in a single Disciple, Li Shi Qing; hence, she treated the latter like her own daughter. Since her Disciple had gone missing, she was definitely worried; however, as a Great Emperor, Hua Ling Long had to remain calm and collected, which was why others couldn’t tell how anxious she was.
Nonetheless, Mo Huang and the others knew that she was worried. Now that Yang Kai had finally brought Li Shi Qing back, Hua Ling Long could set her mind at ease.
Yang Kai waved his hand as the projection faded away. Now that there were no more doubts, he knew that they should give the ladies some privacy.
Just then, whooshing sounds were heard as Zhan Wu Hen thumped his fists against the air. With a frown, he said with displeasure, “Trash!”
He directly gave a rude remark. Then, he placed his hands behind his back and looked around, clearly disdainful of this place.
He was not referring to anyone when he said ‘trash’, he was talking about the world they were in. Right after the Great Emperors arrived, they realised that the World Principles in this world were weak. In fact, it was much weaker than that of the Star Boundary, which made them feel that they had been restricted by invisible chains. This kind of restriction made them feel uncomfortable.
The restriction in this world made sure that the Demon Kings couldn’t fully use their cultivation; however, it couldn’t really restrict the Great Emperors. If Zhan Wu Hen and the others decided to go all out, the shackles here would fall apart, and the entire Small Sealed World would break apart.
“Indeed, but it was far worse in the past.” Instead of getting annoyed, Yang Kai even agreed with Zhan Wu Hen’s remark.
Zhan Wu Hen turned to look at him, “You mean the World Principles here can be perfected?
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “If not for that being the case, this Junior wouldn’t have the guts to promise the Demons to give them a second Demon Realm. Both the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm are fairly similar. At the very least, the World Principles in both Great Worlds are about on par, which is why there are Great Emperors in the Star Boundary and Demon Saints in the Demon Realm. If I want the Demons to migrate to this place, I have to give them a proper Demon Realm.”
“How can this place be improved?” Zhan Wu Hen’s interest was piqued. In his eyes, the world in front of him was garbage; however, if it could grow enough, its future would be bright.
“It can be upgraded by devouring and integrating more continents,” Yang Kai explained briefly, “I’ve said that if I can swallow up the entire Demon Realm and integrate the Principles on all those continents, I will be able to make a second Demon Realm. Unfortunately, the Demon Saints rule over their own territories. If we don’t deal with the Demon Saints first, I’ll be unable to devour their territories.”
Zhan Wu Hen scoffed, “So we still have to fight with them at the end of the day.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “We do not need to fight with them necessarily, we just need to strike a deal with their leaders.”
Zhan Wu Hen fell silent as he knew that what Yang Kai had said was true. If there were no unexpected events, both sides would surely suffer greatly or even perish in this Great War. Whoever turned out to be the winner, they would have to pay a hefty price. If Yang Kai’s idea was feasible, both Humans and Demons could have an opportunity to survive.
Just like what Yang Kai had said, by letting the Demons off, they were also saving the Humans!
“What do you think?” Mo Huang turned to look at Li Wu Yi.
Here, besides Yang Kai, only Li Wu Yi was proficient in the Dao of Space, so it was apt to ask him about it.
“Unbelievable!” Appearing to be amazed, Li Wu Yi fished out something and held it in his palm.
Upon closer inspection, Yang Kai realised that it was a petite mountain that was just the size of a palm. It was shaped like a Dragon with a wavy outline. It was lush and verdant on the mountain as he caught a whiff of the aroma of flowers. He could even hear the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects.
Yang Kai straightened his face and looked carefully, after which his gaze brightened with a gleam.
It wasn’t a toy mountain that Li Wu Yi was holding, it was a real mountain! The trees and flowers had been significantly shrunk. Some beasts and birds were seen wandering around the forests. They all looked as small as dust. If Yang Kai hadn’t looked intently, he wouldn’t have been able to see it clearly.
“Senior, what is this?” Yang Kai licked his lips as he was excited to see this wonderful treasure.
Li Wu Yi replied with a smile, “Floating Mountain! It was originally situated in the northern part of the Eastern Territory. It’s about two kilometres high and three thousand kilometres long, with about three hundred peaks of different sizes. After ascending to be a Pseudo-Great Emperor, I then spent twenty years refining it until it became like this.” Then, he lifted his head to look at Yang Kai, “Do you want to go in to have a look?”
“Of course!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly. Certainly, he had to explore this wonderful treasure.
Without any further delay, Li Wu Yi pointed at Yang Kai. As Space Principles undulated, Yang Kai felt the world around him spinning as his figure turned upside down, after which he appeared atop a mountain.
Just then, a tiger was heard roaring. Upon catching a whiff of a strange aura, a white tiger came pouncing on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lifted his hand and gently placed a palm on the tiger’s head, after which the white tiger no longer appeared to be ferocious. With a terrified look, the tiger took a few steps back and whimpered before whirling around to run away.
This white tiger wasn’t a Monster Beast, just a wild animal. Nevertheless, it instinctively realised that Yang Kai wasn’t to be messed with, which was why it stopped being aggressive and ran for its life.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that he was surrounded by very tall trees. Colourful vipers could be seen crawling on the rocks, the flow of water could be heard coming from a nearby mountain spring, and the air was just as refreshing as a spring day.
Looking up, he realised that some gigantic figures that looked like deities were staring at him. They were Mo Huang, Yao Jung, Zhan Wu Hen, and the others. Li Wu Yi’s face had covered half of the sky as he looked smilingly at Yang Kai.
It wasn’t that they had grown bigger, but rather that Yang Kai’s figure had shrunk.
The two kilometres high and three thousand kilometres long Floating Mountain had been turned into a palm-sized artifact by Li Wu Yi. When Yang Kai was sent in, he was affected by the Space Principles of this space and appeared smaller to outside observers, though his actual size had not really changed. At this moment, he must be as tiny as a speck of dust in Li Wu Yi’s eyes.
The Floating Mountain and his Sealed World Bead worked in the same way, to the point that it could even be said to be identical. Both of them were Sealed Worlds, but the Sealed World Bead had been completely sealed off, so no one could see what was going on in the world from outside while people in that world couldn’t see what was happening outside unless Yang Kai allowed it.
On the other hand, even though Floating Mountain was a Sealed World as well, it was closely connected to the Star Boundary; therefore, it wasn’t as independent as the Small Sealed World.
After Yang Kai reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm in the past, he realised that, given his mastery of Space Principles, he was also able to create a storage artifact that resembled the Sealed World Bead; however, he didn’t have the time to run an experiment as he had been held up by many different affairs.
However, he had never expected that Li Wu Yi had the same idea, and the latter had actually carried it out. This Floating Mountain was the manifestation and result of his mastery of Space Principles. At that instant, Yang Kai could confirm that his idea was feasible.
He could barely contain his excitement as he had the urge to create something like the Sealed World Bead or the Floating Mountain. After he was done with having a look at the mountain, he waved his hand at Li Wu Yi, who got his hint and pointed at him again. The next moment, Yang Kai appeared in the Small Sealed World again.
Before Yang Kai could compliment him, Li Wu Yi appeared to be puzzled as he asked, “How did you come up with the idea of consuming the continents in the Demon Realm using your Sealed World Bead? How do you achieve it?”
He didn’t understand it exactly because he had created Floating Mountain. Theoretically, Floating Mountain and the Sealed World Bead were similar treasures. Whatever the Sealed World Bead could do, Floating Mountain should be able to achieve as well. Likewise, whatever Floating Mountain couldn’t do, the Sealed World Bead was supposedly unable to also.
However, the truth was that Sealed World Bead had achieved something that Floating Mountain couldn’t, which was devouring and integrating outside continents. The idea had never even crossed Li Wu Yi’s mind before.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “In the past, I got into a conflict with someone in a Lower Star Field. That guy wanted to annex my Star Field, so I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. As for how I did it…” He fell silent for a moment, then put on a serious expression, “It’s because of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!”
The three Great Emperors turned to look at him in unison.
Mo Huang said grimly, “Brat, are you telling me that you’ve really cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
A few years ago, Iron Blood Great Emperor crusaded against Yang Kai in Tiger Roar City using the excuse of him cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. He put on a show to force Yang Kai to go through ‘demonification’ and flee from the Star Boundary; however, at that time, the Embodiment was the one accused by Zhan Wu Hen for cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It would be a very different case if Yang Kai had actually cultivated the Secret Art.
Yang Kai shook his head and explained, “The Heaven Devouring Battle Law is able to devour Heaven and Earth, and its power is inscrutable. This Junior would never have the courage to cultivate such a wicked Secret Art. The one who has cultivated this Secret Art is my Embodiment. His physique is unique as he’s a Stone Spirit, so this Secret Art is compatible with him. Since he’s mastered the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, it means that I’ve also grasped it. With the Sealed World Bead as the medium, I used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and then it became able to devour and integrate external pieces of land.”
Yang Kai had explained himself, and everyone understood him. However, no one could really grasp the crux of the matter besides himself.
Why was the Heaven Devouring Battle Law compatible with Sealed World Bead? Perhaps even Wu Kuang, who had created the Secret Art, couldn’t give an explanation.
Li Wu Yi shook his head and broke into laughter, “In that case, my Floating Mountain will never be able to do that.”
He had wanted to recreate the Floating Mountain if the idea was feasible; however, since the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was the reason behind the Sealed World Bead’s devouring ability, he could only give up that idea. No matter how bold he was, he would never dare to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was staring at the Floating Mountain with gleaming eyes. His behaviour was that of a gourmand who had come across rare delicacies, or a lecher who had bumped into a beautiful woman.
“How big is this territory?” Zhan Wu Hen asked.
“As large as the continents that have been devoured,” Yang Kai replied respectfully.
Zhan Wu Hen fell silent for a moment before asking, “If all the Demons migrate to this place, will you be able to restrict them?”
Yang Kai grinned, “I’m the ruler of this place, and I can determine everyone’s life or death…”
He paused for a moment, “En, those who aren’t Demon Saints,” he added.
Judging from the World Principles in this expanded territory in the Small Sealed World, that was indeed the case; however, after he gobbled up the entire Demon Realm and perfected its Principles, the circumstances might change.
…..
One hour later, all of them left the Small Sealed World. Yang Kai had also released Flower Shadow Great Emperor and Li Shi Qing together. What was worth mentioning was that Li Shi Qing had thanked Yang Kai, but her expression looked somewhat conflicted.
At that time, she tried to assassinate Yang Kai when she had no idea what had really transpired. Although she eventually found out the truth, it was an undeniable fact that Yang Kai had killed Bright Moon; hence, she didn’t know how she should face him. On one hand, they were the only Humans in the Demon Realm at that time, so they had to rely on each other. On the other hand, she was a Human from the Star Boundary, so she couldn’t forgive Yang Kai for killing Bright Moon.
Just now, she had a long chat with her Honoured Master and was able to untie the knot in her heart somehow. It wasn’t until now she realised that after Bright Moon Great Emperor was trapped in the Demon Realm, the Great Emperors had already expected that he would lose his life. The reason Yang Kai headed to the Demon Realm was to make a last attempt to rescue Bright Moon. Even if he couldn’t achieve it, he had to at least meet up with him. Bright Moon would certainly understand the plan of his fellow Great Emperors, and in the end, the worst really happened. Before Bright Moon passed away though, he transferred the Star Boundary’s Will to Yang Kai, thus giving him the Great Emperor’s Opportunity.
As for what situation Yang Kai would fall into after obtaining the opportunity, Bright Moon was no longer able to worry about it. It could be said that before his death, he felt guilty for what Yang Kai would have to go through.
Despite knowing that Yang Kai might get killed alongside him, Bright Moon had no other choice but to act so. At that time, there was no one else apart from Yang Kai to whom he could entrust the opportunity to.
“Seniors, that’s how things are currently. Have you made a decision?” Yang Kai stared at the Great Emperors and asked.
Zhan Wu Hen replied, “You don’t have to worry about Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian. We’ll personally have a discussion with them.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was elated, “Many thanks, Senior.”
Zhan Wu Hen didn’t make himself clear, but since there was going to be a discussion, it meant that they had basically agreed to the Demon Saints’ proposal. The Demon Saints would try their best to subdue the remaining Demons in the Star Boundary, and they would not oppose the Humans. After all the problems in the Star Boundary were settled, they would launch an attack on the Demon Realm, and these Demons might even become a force they could make use of.
That realization didn’t only dawn upon Yang Kai, but also the Great Emperors. The fates of the Demon Saints had been intertwined with that of Yang Kai. As all their continents had been devoured, there was no turning back for them. Besides cooperating with Yang Kai, they had no other choice.
Mo Huang said, “You have to sort out your own issues first.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded, “Junior is willing to accept his punishment.”
Mo Huang shook his head, “I haven’t even explained what I mean yet. Why do you assume you will be punished?”
Yang Kai asked, “Are you not talking about what happened to Senior Bright Moon?”
Mo Huang shook his head and extended his hand, after which Yang Kai immediately felt an irresistible force that dragged him towards Mo Huang. The Demon Qi in his body instinctively undulated, but he soon put his guard down. That was because when confronted by a Great Emperor, it was pointless for him to resist; moreover, he believed that Mo Huang wouldn’t harm him.
The next moment, Mo Huang clapped his hand on Yang Kai’s shoulder. At the same time, Zhan Wu Hen clenched Yang Kai’s other shoulder. The two Great Emperors traded glances, after which they pushed their Emperor Qi.
Yang Kai immediately felt that two majestic, yet gentle forces penetrate his body from both sides. The two forces wandered around his body for a short moment before withdrawing.
Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang frowned as they were puzzled.
It was then Yang Kai realised what they intended. It was about the fact that he had gone through demonification. Apparently, the two Great Emperors had used their Emperor Qi to thoroughly inspect his body.
Upon that realization, he quickly said, “Seniors, please allow me to explain…”
He never intended to hide the fact from the Great Emperors; otherwise, he wouldn’t have activated his Demon Qi in front of them previously.
“Stop talking!” Zhan Wu Hen shot him a glare.
In response, Yang Kai obediently kept his mouth shut.
At the same time, Mo Huang suddenly shouted. Upon hearing that, Yang Kai felt as though countless beasts had roared at him, which caused him to feel dizzy. While he was in a dazed state, two streams of Divine Sense penetrated his Knowledge Sea together.
In just a short moment, they left Yang Kai’s mind.
When Yang Kai managed to pull himself together, Mo Huang and Zhan Wu Hen had retracted their Divine Senses as they gaped at Yang Kai as though he was a monster.
Yang Kai put on a hollow laugh, “Seniors, just like what you’ve seen, even though I have Demon Qi, and that I seem to have become a Demon, I’m actually fine.”
Certainly, Mo Huang and Zhan Wu Hen had seen that Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar was protected by the Soul Warming Lotus.
The look on the faces of Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang shocked Flower Shadow and Serene Soul Great Emperor. As Great Emperors themselves, they knew that Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang must have seen something inconceivable; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sported this kind of expression.
Furthermore, Hua Ling Long and Yao Jun had detected the fluctuations of Divine Sense from the other two Great Emperors, so they realised that something must be wrong with Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea. However, what was so strange that it was enough to shock the two Great Emperors?
Although Hua Ling Long was curious, she didn’t ask about it. On the other hand, Yao Jun directly questioned, “What did you see?”
His title was Serene Soul, so just like Yu Ru Meng, he was an expert regarding Soul cultivation. Since something was wrong with Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, naturally, he was concerned.
Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang didn’t reply to him. It was fine that they had seen the Soul Warming Lotus; however, if Yao Jun found out about it, he would want to conduct a more thorough examination. Given the fact that he was a Great Emperor, he wouldn’t try to snatch it from Yang Kai. Nevertheless, if he wanted to borrow it for some time, Yang Kai would be put in a tight spot.
Hence, Zhan Wu Hen and Mo Huang tacitly kept it a secret. Mo Huang had even spoken to Yang Kai sneakily via Divine Sense, “Don’t let Yao Jun see what you possess. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble.”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly and decided that he would never spend time with Yao Jun alone.
At this point, Yang Kai had explained everything about the Demon Realm, and he had also brought back a glimmer of hope to end the Two Worlds’ Great War, which helped subside the sorrow of Bright Moon’s death slightly.
Zhan Wu Hen said, “Since the connection between the two worlds has been cut off, and the Demon Saints will take the remaining Demons in the Star Boundary under their wings, it seems that we’ll finally have some peace. However, when the seal is broken, the final battle between the two worlds will undoubtedly commence. Yang Kai, you’ll be the one who will devour and integrate the continents in the Demon Realm, so during this period of time, you have to take a proper rest. It would be best if you can achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation, but even if you can’t, you still have to increase your strength as much as possible so that you can protect yourself!”
“Junior understands.” Yang Kai nodded, “I happen to have some matters to attend to.”
Upon finishing his words, he fished out a Space Beacon and placed it on both palms, “Please keep this.”
Zhan Wu Hen shot him a look before taking the Space Beacon without saying a word.
All of a sudden, two gentle claps were heard. It was Hua Ling Long who did it. After that, a person entered the hall from outside.
Yang Kai turned around and realised that the person was the Great Elder from Star Soul Palace, Lei Hong. It wasn’t certain how long he had been waiting outside as he only came in after he was summoned.
As their eyes met, Lei Hong nodded at Yang Kai and walked up to him. Then, he saluted the Great Emperors before turning to look at Yang Kai.
Everyone in the hall fell silent. Despite that, Yang Kai understood the reason Lei Hong was here.
After a gentle sigh, lifted both hands and made his palms face up. As a thought flashed across his mind, Bright Moon Great Emperor’s corpse appeared in his arms.
After Bright Moon’s death, Yang Kai had placed his body inside the medicine garden. Yang Kai had concealed the injury on Bright Moon’s chest and helped him change into new clothes. With the nourishment from the precious flowers in the medicine garden, Bright Moon still appeared serene, as though he had only fallen asleep.
The Great Emperors turned to look at the corpse with sorrowful expressions. With his eyes turning bloodshot, Lei Hong trembled uncontrollably and said in a shaking voice, “Welcome back, Great Emperor!”
As he spoke, he fell to his knees, lowered his head, and extended his arms.
He didn’t kneel to Yang Kai but to Bright Moon’s corpse, so Yang Kai couldn’t salute him back. After solemnly placing Bright Moon into Lei Hong’s arms, Yang Kai said in a hoarse voice, “I’m sorry!”
Lei Hong shook his head and got to his feet with the Great Emperor in his arms.
Yang Kai went on to speak, “I’ve not touched the Great Emperor’s belongings. Elder Lei, after you go back, please carefully go through them with the other Elders.”
After a nod, Lei Hong replied, “Many thanks, Palace Master Yang.”
An embarrassed Yang Kai shook his head with a helpless smile, then he asked, “How is… her Royal Highness?”
“She’s in a terrible state,” Lei Hong put on a bitter smile. After the fall of the Great Emperor, a phenomenon had manifested across the Star Boundary’s sky, as if the entire world had been engulfed in sorrow. As the Great Emperor’s daughter, Lan Xun immediately realised what had happened, after which she passed out on the spot.
Emperor Realm Masters would normally never fall sick, but after the incident, Lan Xun became ill. Despite the fact that there were countless elixirs in Star Soul Palace, she still couldn’t recover even after consuming them. At this moment, she was still recuperating in her palace.
However, Lei Hong wasn’t in any place to reveal too much information to Yang Kai, so he only said, “Palace Master Yang, please visit Star Soul Palace when you’re free. Maybe you’ll be able to cheer her up.”
Certainly, Yang Kai was too embarrassed to face Lan Xun. When they were in Heaven’s Spying Valley in the past, even though he didn’t promise her anything, he was her only hope. Now that he had failed in his attempt to save Bright Moon, he felt extremely guilty.
Regardless of how embarrassed or how guilty he felt though, he still had to visit Star Soul Palace. Even if Lei Hong never told him to do so, he would still go over; thus, he nodded, “En. I’ll visit her sometime later.”
“I’ll take my leave now,” Lei Hong appeared grateful. After saluting the Great Emperors, he left the place with Bright Moon’s corpse.
After he was left, Zhan Wu Hen waved his hand. There was a tired look on his face, “You can leave as well.”
Yang Kai lifted his head to look at him, “Are you not going to punish this Junior anymore?”
Zhan Wu Hen said impassively, “If you’re so eager to get punished, I can grant your wish.”
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai shook his head and cupped his fists at the Great Emperors. Then, he attempted to leave.
To his surprise though, he couldn’t immediately withdraw as a barrier around the hall seemed to have sealed off this space, rendering his Space Secret Technique useless.
Looking up, he realised that Hua Ling Long was grinning at him. Since he couldn’t use Instantaneous Movement, he had no other choice but to leave the normal way, by walking. Fine with this, he turned around, only to hear someone calling out to him, “Senior Brother Yang…”
Yang Kai whirled around and flashed a smile at Li Shi Qing, “What’s wrong, Junior Sister?”
It was the first time Li Shi Qing called him ‘Senior Brother’. In a small voice, she said, “Please do not make things difficult for those living on the peaks…”
Without knowing any context, the Great Emperors couldn’t understand her. Nevertheless, Yang Kai certainly knew what she was talking about. She didn’t want him to make things difficult for Huo Lun and Mo Sheng, who were still living on the peaks that were arrayed like a triangle. During this period of time, she had been in frequent contact with those Demon Kings, and she had been on good terms with them. Now that she was released from the Small Sealed World by Yang Kai, only Huo Lun and Mo Sheng were left inside, and their life or death was determined by Yang Kai. Certainly, she wanted them to be safe.
Since it was no big deal, Yang Kai gave a nod, “Junior Sister need not worry.”
Then, he turned around and shuffled out of the hall, after which the door behind him slowly closed. It seemed that the Great Emperors still had other issues to discuss. Yang Kai let out a breath and looked up at the sky, only to see that the sky was filled with seven coloured light. It was a natural phenomenon rather than the result of any artificial array. There seemed to be something else behind the seven-coloured lights.
Yang Kai immediately realised that he was in Seven Mists Sea, which Fan Xin had mentioned before. This was the headquarters of all fifty-four army groups that comprised the forces from all four territories of the Star Boundary.
He wasn’t really surprised by this realization, but he was intrigued by the seven-coloured lights.
Just when he was examining the sky, he suddenly felt something as he turned his head to the side, only to see a young figure flashing a sweet smile at him in the corner. She had tied her hair into more than ten ponytails, so she looked rather quirky.
When their eyes met, she even waved her hand at him.
Yang Kai put on a gentle smile and shuffled towards the young girl. Pleasantly surprised, he asked, “Did you come here with your Master?”
The person standing in front of him was none other than Lin Yun’er, whom he hadn’t met for a long time. Some years ago, the two had reunited in the Western Territory after separating on Shadowed Star. At that time, Yang Kai had wanted to send her to High Heaven Palace, but during the transfer process, she mysteriously went missing. After looking into the matter, Yang Kai realised that a top Master must have destroyed the Space Array in the Western Territory that he had spent a lot of effort building, which stopped Lin Yun’er from being transferred.
He speculated that it was Iron Blood Great Emperor’s doing, and he was proven right later. As a Great Emperor, he was indeed a little shameless for doing such a thing in secret.
Twenty years had passed since then. The young girl still looked as lively as she was back then. However, the speed at which her cultivation had grown shocked Yang Kai.
Lin Yun’er was already in the Third-Order Emperor Realm! Furthermore, it appeared that she had reached this realm some time ago as cultivation was completely consolidated.
At that instant, Yang Kai was astounded as he thought that it was truly a blessing to have a good Honoured Master. When Yang Yan brought Lin Yun’er away from Heng Luo Star Field in the past, the young girl’s cultivation was still quite weak. Now, the speed at which she improved was quicker than that of Yang Kai.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Lin Yun’er leaned close to him and took a sniff of him.
Yang Kai burst into laughter and knocked on her forehead, “Are you a puppy? Why are you sniffing me?”
Covering her head with her hands, Lin Yun’er pouted, “Uncle, your body smells of another woman’s fragrance.”
The way she addressed him was amiable, but what she had said was pretty embarrassing for Yang Kai. He had parted with Yu Ru Meng for a few days, so her fragrance should have faded. How was Lin Yun’er able to catch a whiff of it?
With a gentle smile, he said, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“It’s not nonsense.” Lin Yun’er snorted, “My Master always says that I have the nose of a dog, so I can detect even the faintest scent.”
Upon finishing her words, she inched closer and sniffed him again with her eyes closed.
Not daring to let her keep doing this, Yang Kai poked her forehead with one finger to push her away, then he said after a sigh, “Did you look for me just to take a whiff of the scent on my body?”
Lin Yun’er was startled for a moment before she recalled something. Then, she chuckled and wrapped her arms around Yang Kai’s before dragging him in a particular direction.
An embarrassed Yang Kai warned, “Use your words Yun’er, what you’re doing right now is highly improper.”
The young girl had already grown into a young woman, so the peaks and valleys of her figure were all well defined. With her clinging so close, Yang Kai could feel an amazing elasticity on his arm.
That would be fine if that was all it was; however, he could clearly feel that a murderous Divine Sense had locked onto him.
Without even the need to think about it, he knew that it must be Zhan Wu Hen’s. What he didn’t understand was that, as a Great Emperor, why would Zhan Wu Hen be so distrustful of him as though he was a thief? In the past, he had even destroyed the Space Array so that Lin Yun’er couldn’t follow Yang Kai back to High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. Now that he was having a discussion with the other Great Emperors, he still made sure that Yang Kai knew he was keeping a close eye on him.
Although Yang Kai’s Soul was powerful, he was still no match for the Great Emperors. Given Zhan Wu Hen’s capability, it was a piece of cake for him to watch over Yang Kai without letting the latter know; however, he intentionally released a bit of his aura for Yang Kai to detect it. His message was clear, ‘Boy, I’m watching you!’
He wasn’t willing to restrict what his treasured Disciple did, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t give Yang Kai a warning.
While Yang Kai was being dragged forward by Lin Yun’er, he felt as though a sharp object was hovering behind his back.
On the way to their destination, they came across many people who were in a hurry. Apparently, they were the cultivators that had been stationed in Seven Mists Sea. Whoever they were, they would always salute Lin Yun’er with a smile. It seemed that they all knew who she was.
It wasn’t until they reached a hall that Lin Yun’er released him, and then she pointed at the hall with a smile.
It seemed that they had reached their destination. Yang Kai wasn’t sure why she had brought him to this place, but before he got in, he could already catch a whiff of the aroma of meat. The scent was inexplicably pleasant. He was already an Emperor Realm Master, so he didn’t need to eat anything, but he still drooled over the aroma that was coming from that place.
The aroma spread around the area as the people around the place looked curiously at the hall. They licked their lips as they appeared to be hungry.
Then, Lin Yun’er pushed the door open and pulled Yang Kai into it.
It was basically empty inside the hall as there wasn’t much decoration. In the middle of the hall, a huge black wok-shaped pot had been set up. It wasn’t certain what was inside the pot, but bubbles kept forming on it as vapour could be seen billowing out. The firewood beneath the pot was burning and crackling.
Beside the black pot, an alluring woman, who was clad in all red clothes, was scooping some soup out of the pot with a spoon before slurping it up. The soup appeared to be scalding hot, but the beautiful woman didn’t mind as she took a few sips before putting down the spoon. Then, she flashed a smile at Yang Kai, who had followed Lin Yun’er into the hall, and she parted her lips that looked like rubies, “You’re in for a treat! You Little Brat!”
Yang Kai walked up to her and saluted her, “Greetings, Senior Jiu Feng!”
The person sitting beside the black pot was none other than Jiu Feng of Spirit Beast Island. She was much older than Yang Kai, and she was from the same generation as Li Wu Yi, so Mo Xiao Qi had to call her ‘Aunty Feng’. Moreover, Liu Yan had received her guidance, so she could be considered her Disciple in a way. That was why Yang Kai had always treated her like his own Senior.
Jiu Feng was an extremely charming lady, but at this moment, she stopped caring whether she’d look elegant as she sat down with her legs crossed beside a black pot. It wasn’t certain what kind of meat was being boiled. As soon as Yang Kai entered the hall, he saw the stark contrast between a beautiful woman in red clothes and a black pot.
The firewood and the fire itself were ordinary, but the pot was extraordinary. The name of the pot was Unlimited Return, which was a treasure that Iron Blood Great Emperor had obtained in the past. It was famous across the Star Boundary. Although it wasn’t as ancient as the Mountains and Rivers Bell, its power was comparable to that of the latter. Both treasures had their own merits.
Lin Yun’er was Zhan Wu Hen’s only Disciple, so he would share all his treasures with her. Unlimited Return was given to her by Zhan Wu Hen to protect herself, but the young girl had always treated it as a pot for cooking rice or meat. Yang Kai already had a taste of its raft more than twenty years ago.
Lin Yun’er’s status was extraordinary as she was a Great Emperor’s Disciple. There were only a small number of such Disciples in the entire the Star Boundary. With Zhan Wu Hen behind her, it could be said that she could walk sideways around the entire Star Boundary, and no one would dare to offend her.
The young girl was very hardworking though, and her Tyrant Strength Body was compatible with the Great Emperor’s Iron Blood Record, which was why she was able to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm in just several dozen years, even quicker than Yang Kai.
It was because of this Secret Art that her appetite had become truly astounding as well. Fortunately, Lin Yun’er could just throw anything she could find into the pot, and without any seasonings, she was able to cook a pot of delicacies.
At this moment, some kind of meat was being boiled in Unlimited Return as bubbles were constantly formed. The soup appeared to be thick, and the aroma of meat permeated the place.
While Yang Kai politely saluted Jiu Feng, Lin Yun’er had already rushed over to the pot and looked into it. As she smacked her lips, she said, “Is it ready?”
As she spoke, she even sucked her saliva back in. Instead of behaving like a Great Emperor’s Disciple, she looked more like someone who hadn’t eaten anything for several dozen years.
“I’ll check,” Jiu Feng replied as she took out a big piece of meat with her hand and then devoured it in a short moment.
Lin Yun’er stared at her as expectation was written all over her face. Jiu Feng went on to take out more pieces of meat from the pot while Lin Yun’er kept gulping.
After a sigh, Yang Kai said, “Yun’er, if you don’t dig in, all the meat will be gone soon.”
Lin Yun’er’s expression changed when she heard that. Hesitating no more, she directly snuck her hands into the pot and fished out a huge thigh before taking a bite. Then, she suddenly stopped what she was doing, and suppressing her hunger, she passed the thigh to Yang Kai.
Waving his hand, Yang Kai walked over and rolled up his sleeves, “I can serve myself.”
Following that, the trio sat around the black pot, devouring their food.
More than twenty years ago, Yang Kai had already had a taste of the food that was cooked using Unlimited Return. He felt that the food was supposed to belong to the Heavens, and nothing else in the world was comparable to it. After having a taste again on this day, he still felt the same way.
He even suspected that this treasure was actually created to cook meat; otherwise, why would everything that came out of this pot be so delicious when no seasonings or technique were used at all in its preparation? The person who made this pot must be an excellent foodie like Lin Yun’er.
“Boy, delicious food is to be savoured, not stuffed down, and you should show some respect for your Elders.” Jiu Feng shot him a look and lectured him while her lips were covered in grease from all the eating.
Without lifting his head, Yang Kai spoke in a muffled voice as he was still chewing his food, “Although I call you Senior, you’re not old at all. Instead, you’re still in your prime. Senior, please don’t belittle yourself by saying such things.”
The food that came out of Unlimited Return was truly remarkable. The meat was tender while not being greasy. It seemed to melt in his mouth as soon as it came into contact with his tongue. More importantly, all the essence in the meat was released upon chewing. Rather than just being meat, it was a very nourishing tonic that was useful for the eater’s cultivation.
“You’re as smooth-talking as ever,” Jiu Feng snorted and waved her hand, after which a jar of wine suddenly appeared and shot towards Yang Kai.
After taking it, Yang Kai opened the lid with his thumb. Upon taking a whiff of the wine, he became energised as he knew that it must be very valuable, and difficult to find.
Then, he took a gulp of it and went on to eat some meat, feeling content.
An envious Lin Yun’er could be seen with her eyes gleaming, then she said to Jiu Feng, “Aunty Feng, I want to drink as well!”
Without lifting her head, Jiu Feng waved her hand, “A child shouldn’t drink wine. Get some soup instead!”
Lin Yun’er pouted with an aggrieved expression.
Just then, a burly Dao Source Realm Master entered the place without invitation. His aura was ferocious, his figure towering, and his face scar ridden. It was apparent that he must have gone through countless life-or-death battles.
However, at this moment, this towering man bowed and appeared obsequious. With a bowl in his hands, he walked up to them and licked his lips, “Seniors, we happened to notice you were eating meat, so we were hoping you would bless us with a little soup.”
Lin Yun’er and Jiu Feng seemed to have gotten used to this kind of display, so while Lin Yun’er didn’t even bother to lift her hand as she was focused on devouring the meat in the pot, Jiu Feng waved her hand and said, “Help yourself.”
“Many thanks, Senior Jiu Feng! May your life be long and your cultivation soar to untold heights!” He awkwardly flattered Jiu Feng before he turned around.
“Come in boys! Senior Jiu Feng has allowed us to drink some soup!” He yelled.
Right then, more than a hundred people shuffled into the hall with big bowls in their hands. Upon entering the place, they all appeared subservient as they fawned over the ladies, which caused Yang Kai to be dumbfounded.
Although there were many people, they were well organised into a single-file line. After every one of them filled up their bowl with some soup, they would compliment the ladies and then joyfully walk out of the hall to enjoy their meal.
The Unlimited Return in front of them appeared just slightly larger than an ordinary pot. Theoretically, it couldn’t possibly contain so much soup. However, the reality was that the three of them had actually devoured more than fifty ordinary people’s worth of food. After one hundred people filled up the bowls with the soup, it barely looked like anything had even been taken out.
Hence, it was apparent that the space inside the pot was far larger than it appeared.
Both the meat and the soup contained immense power, so those without high enough cultivation couldn’t possibly enjoy such the richest of delicacies, which was why those cultivators only asked for the soup, not the meat. It wasn’t that Jiu Feng and Lin Yun’er were stingy, but rather that these people weren’t strong enough to stomach it.
They went on to spend half a day eating the food. Lin Yun’er was the first one who couldn’t take it anymore as she suddenly rolled her eyes and fell backwards.
Just when the shocked Yang Kai wanted to check on her, Jiu Feng said, “Ignore her. This little girl really doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, always eating beyond her limits, which is why she ends up like this. She never learns her lesson.”
“Will she be alright?” Yang Kai was worried as he could see that Lin Yun’er’s belly was bulging, and sounds that resembled thunder could be heard coming from her stomach. It wasn’t that she was suffering from food poison; rather, it seemed her Secret Art was circulating on its own and refining the food.
“You think anything can happen to her here?” Jiu Feng pressed her lips together.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that she was right. Zhan Wu Hen was in the Seven Mists Sea now. Although he had stopped locking his Divine Sense onto Yang Kai, he must still be paying attention to what was going on in this place. Given how much he treasured Lin Yun’er, if anything really happened to her, he would have immediately appeared.
Since Zhan Wu Hen didn’t show up, it meant that she must be safe. After setting his mind at ease, Yang Kai continued devouring the food.
One day later, Lin Yun’er regained consciousness and immediately began to gobble up more food.
On the other hand, an amazed Jiu Feng sized Yang Kai up. Both Lin Yun’er and Yang Kai were Third-Order Emperors, with Lin Yun’er having a Special Constitution. Comparatively, Yang Kai had just reached this realm, but he still seemed fine after a long, non-stop feast. Nevertheless, Lin Yun’er had to take a break earlier.
Hence, it was apparent that even though Lin Yun’er’s cultivation increased quicker than that of Yang Kai, she was still no match for him when it came to background.
However, Jiu Feng soon understood the reason behind it was that Yang Kai had cultivated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art. With this Secret Art, he was able to transform into a three-hundred-metre-long Dragon, so he was able to eat a lot more than a little girl. Although Yang Kai hadn’t used the Secret Art, he was fundamentally a Half-Dragon.
A long time later, all three of them lay on the cold floor in the hall as they stroked their own bellies with contented expressions on their faces. The black pot was empty, with not even a single drop of soup remaining.
Jiu Feng suddenly said, “Brat, the Great Emperors had already expected you to bring back Senior Bright Moon’s corpse when they told you to go to the Demon Realm. Senior Heavens Revelations had also predicted that Senior Bright Moon would lose his life in the Demon Realm, so you don’t have to blame yourself. He’s already dead, and you’ve inherited his will, so you should hold your head high and push forward. Only by doing so will you not disappoint his sacrifice.”
“Junior will take Senior’s teachings to heart.”
Jiu Feng laughed and rebuked, “What teachings? It’s up to you whether you’ll get over his death. Since you’ve obtained the opportunity, you mustn’t waste it; otherwise, you’re only letting yourself down.”
Yang Kai nodded gently and asked, “How is Junior Sister Xiao Qi now?’
Jiu Feng replied, “The world has descended into chaos, and Senior Martial Beast doesn’t want her to wander around, so he’s told her to cultivate in seclusion on Spirit Beast Island. Her aptitude is pretty remarkable, but she just can’t sit still and always wants to run around and play. If she’s able to finish this secluded retreat though, her power will increase significantly. You have to work harder. Otherwise, Xiao Qi might even surpass you.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I will.”
Upon finishing his words, he got to his feet and stretched his back as his bones cracked. His eyes appeared to be bright.
Lin Yun’er stood up as well and batted her eyes as she stared at Yang Kai, who patted her head and said, “Thanks, Yun’er.”
His terrible mood became better after all the eating. The fog before his eyes seemed to have dispersed, and the road ahead of him became clearer.
Lin Yun’er shook her head as she had done nothing apart from treating him to a meal.
“Take care of yourself,” Yang Kai said to her, then he turned to Jiu Feng. “Senior, thanks for your consolation. I’ll take my leave now.”
Jiu Feng had her eyes half-closed. She didn’t move a muscle, as though she ignored him.
Yang Kai turned around and shuffled towards the door. After opening it, he realised that someone was waiting for him outside.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly cupped his fists, “Senior.”
Li Wu Yi flashed a smile at him and took his wrist before stuffing something into his hand.
Upon seeing that, Yang Kai raised his brow, “Senior, this…”
“It’s not for you. It’s the first treasure I’ve spent twenty years refining, so I will never give it away. I’ll lend it to you for a while, so remember to return it to me when you’re done with it. Moreover, you already have the Sealed World Bead, so you probably have no interest in this thing.” Li Wu Yi put on a smile, “I’ve erased all the barriers, so you just have to refine it a little to use it.”
The thing given by Li Wu Yi was Floating Mountain. If it were something else, Yang Kai wouldn’t have paid attention to it, but he was really interested in this tiny mountain range. Without being overly polite, he took it and thanked him.
Li Wu Yi nodded and then gave Yang Kai a jade slip. Before Yang Kai could say anything, he waved his hand and said, “I’m busy with work, so I cannot keep chatting with you. You’ve just returned to the Star Boundary, so I’m sure you have many things to attend to. Go on and attend to your own matters.”
Upon finishing his words, he took a step forward and disappeared.
Yang Kai gripped the jade slip and probed it with his Divine Sense. Then, he appeared elated as this was something he really needed right now. Li Wu Yi must have seen through his mind; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come all the way here to pass him these two items.
After carefully storing the jade slip and Floating Mountain, Yang Kai grinned in silence. Then, as he looked up at the magnificence of the seven-coloured lights, filled with happiness as he thought that the Star Boundary was truly a wonderful place!
In this world, there were his beloved friends and amiable Seniors. There were also his family members and Sect members who missed him.
At the thought of his family, Yang Kai couldn’t wait to return to High Heaven Palace. At that instant, he activated his Space Secret Technique and connected it to the Space Beacon closest to Su Yan.
However, he realised that he couldn’t do this as the connection had been cut off.
Jiu Feng got to her feet and languidly leaned against the door frame before staring at him with a dismissive look on her face, “Are you a fool or what? High Heaven Palace has been sealed off for years, and they have opened their array to isolate the space around the Sect. How would a Space Beacon be useful at all?”
An embarrassed Yang Kai finally understood the reason his attempt just now failed. With the Sect Defending Array to seal off space, he couldn’t go home using a Space Beacon. Thus, he cupped his fists and said, “Senior, can you tell me where the nearest Space Array is?”
“There’s one in Seven Mists Sea. It’s over there.” Upon finishing her words, Jiu Feng pointed in a direction and then tossed something to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took it and realised that it was a dark token with the character ‘You’ on it. Although he had no idea what the character represented, he could guess that it must be a proof of identity; after all, Space Arrays were normally heavily guarded. Without this proof of identity, he couldn’t even go near it.
After storing the token, he followed the direction Jiu Feng pointed and flew over.
At that moment, he couldn’t wait to go home any longer. He had only spent a few years in the Demon Realm, so it was considered a short time. In the past, he had even left home for more than a few decades on several occasions, but he had never felt as eager to return home as this time.
That was because it was peaceful in the Star Boundary in the past, but now, the two Great Worlds were at war.
Despite knowing that High Heaven Palace had sealed off its gates for a long time, and that they had never participated in the Two Worlds’ Great War, Yang Kai was still worried. Finally, he was able to go home!
Seven Mists Sea was expansive, but Yang Kai’s speed was incredible. After scanning the area with his Divine Sense, he soon located the Space Array. As expected, it was heavily guarded. There were more than ten Emperor Realm Masters, and Yang Kai could sense that there was a Pseudo-Great Emperor nearby.
As soon as he reached a spot that was a thousand metres away from the Space Array, several dozen auras targeted him.
Nevertheless, with the token given by Jiu Feng, no one made things difficult for him. Standing in front of the array, Yang Kai passed the token to someone to have his identity verified, then he was allowed to go.
As a glint flashed across the Space Array, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot. A flash of light later, Yang Kai could feel a very familiar aura and scent. Inside High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory, he abruptly appeared.
Seeing that, the Disciples, who were meditating around the area, quickly moved forward. Just when they wanted to ask who the visitor was, they saw Yang Kai’s face and fell into a dazed state.
A woman among them even exclaimed, “Palace Master?”
Yang Kai turned his head to grin at her and revealed his white teeth, “Oh, it’s Little Ye.”
The woman was Ye Jing Han, daughter of Ye Hen, the former Sect Master of Thousand Leaves Sect in the Southern Territory. After Thousand Leaves Sect merged with High Heaven Palace, their hundreds of disciples had also joined the latter. Ye Jing Han was familiar with Yang Kai, so she could immediately recognise him.
At that instant, the hall broke into a commotion as the disciples became agitated and surrounded him. Then, they cupped their fists and bowed, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
Although they were saluting him, they were staring at him with gazes that were filled with pleasant surprise. That was because he had returned abruptly, so no one could have expected that.
As Yang Kai scanned the young faces that he might or might not be familiar with, he put on a heartfelt smile and lifted his hand, “We’re all one family, so you don’t have to be overly polite to me.”
All of them straightened up, but the next moment, Ye Jing Han, whose face had reddened because she was agitated, had her expression change as she turned around and said to the other disciples, “The fact that Palace Master has returned is a top secret. If anyone dares to reveal this, he will be considered a traitor to High Heaven Palace. I do not dare to speak on behalf of the others, but I’ll never let the traitor off, no matter where he may flee.”
Yang Kai was still considered a renegade, a traitor to the Star Boundary. A few years ago, he had sided with the Demon Realm after an intense battle with Iron Blood Great Emperor in Tiger Roar City. Fortunately, he managed to escape from death’s door. Then, he was hunted down by Li Wu Yi until ultimately he fled to the Demon Realm. If word got out that he had returned to the palace, countless cultivators would come over to kill him.
Understanding the severity of the matter, the disciples nodded solemnly and swore to her by saying, “We shall take this secret to our graves.”
“It’s nothing so serious,” Yang Kai burst into laughter before he took a deep breath and shouted. “I am back!”
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it was able to reach every corner of High Heaven Palace, like he was speaking directly into everyone’s ears.
A myriad of expressions came over Ye Jing Han as she almost teared up, “Palace Master, there are outsiders in the palace!”
It would be fine if there were only their own disciples in the palace. Ninety-nine percent of the disciples of High Heaven Palace were brought over from the Lower Star Field by Yang Kai. There were also disciples from Thousand Leaves Sect and the Qin and Zhang Families of Maplewood City. They were closely related to Yang Kai, so despite the fact that he had gone through demonification, they would never betray him, or do anything to harm High Heaven Palace.
However, High Heaven Palace was now the logistics centre for the entire Star Boundary. Every single day, there were a large number of pills and artifacts produced here and then sent to the frontline. Many Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and assistants from all four territories had gathered together here.
Presently, there were more than twenty-thousand outsiders at the very least.
After Yang Kai shouted, there was no way the fact that he had returned could be concealed. Soon, everyone would find out about it, and he would be in trouble.
While Ye Jing Han was flustered, Yang Kai remained calm and collected. Tilting his head, he said with a smile, “Listen.”
[Listen? To what?] She couldn’t hear anything.
In fact, there were still some noises in High Heaven Palace earlier, but after Yang Kai shouted, the entire palace fell into silence. The next moment, everyone in the palace became agitated.
In a secret room on High Heaven Peak, a woman, who was clad in all-white clothes, opened her alluring eyes that were filled with excitement. Jumping up, she flung open the doors to her room. Before the door even completely opened, she shot out of the room.
Right after she left High Heaven Peak, she bumped into a woman with a curvy figure and fiery red hair. The two ladies stopped in mid-air and traded glances before Zhu Qing asked, “Was that… his voice?”
Her own voice was slightly shaking, as though she couldn’t believe it.
Su Yan nodded gently and flashed a smile at her. She was a lady that was as cold as ice, but at this moment, her smile seemed to have made all the colours of the world fade, leaving only the smile on her face to remain bright, “He’s back.”
Unlike how uncertain Zhu Qing was, Su Yan and Yang Kai had their hearts connected by the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art, so as long as they were in close proximity, they could sense one another.
“He’s really back?” A dazed Zhu Qing turned to look at the location of the Space Array. Then, she moved a little in an attempt to rush over, but she suppressed her urge and turned to look at Su Yan, “How do I look?”
Su Yan replied with a smile, “You look lovely.”
Zhu Qing wouldn’t have believed it if the person who said it was Shan Qing Luo; however, since it was Su Yan who told her this, then everything should be fine. After years of getting along with one another, she was now familiar with Su Yan’s temperament. Su Yan was cold on the outside, but passionate on the inside. She was also kind-hearted and trustworthy.
On the other hand, that imp Shan Qing Luo always found fault with Zhu Qing. She still hadn’t learned her lesson after being put in her place several times.
The ladies were on bad terms not because they wanted to fight for the same man. It was just that Shan Qing Luo instinctively felt angered by Zhu Qing. Besides Zhu Qing, she was also displeased with all the other members of the Dragon Clan. It couldn’t be helped as she was the Beguiling Demon Queen, who possessed a Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Source. The Heavenly Moon Demon Spider was also a member of the Ancient Divine Spirits, but since the Dragon Clan claimed to be the leaders of all Divine Spirits, it felt like they were basically trying to lord over her.
That was why Shan Qing Luo couldn’t bring herself to be friendly with Zhu Qing. However, there was a huge gap between their strength, so Shan Qing Luo suffered from several setbacks.
Upon getting an affirmative answer from Su Yan, Zhu Qing let out a breath.
Just then, Xue Yue shot out from another Spirit Peak and approached them. Just when she was about to ask, Su Yan gently nodded at her. Xue Yue covered her lips with her hand as her eyes trembled.
Medicine Pill Peak was a Spirit Peak that was the base of the Alchemists in High Heaven Palace, as well as the territory of Ji Ying, Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. Now, all the brightest Alchemists in the Star Boundary had gathered in this place, so it could be said to be the paradise for all Alchemists.
On Medicine Pill Peak, there were more than a thousand Pill Rooms of different sizes. Every single day, countless pills were produced in this place. Presently, the entire peak had been engulfed in the unique aromas of pills. Anyone who went near a radius of ten kilometres around the peak would be able to take a whiff of the scents of the pills.
There was a huge Pill Room at the bottom of Medicine Pill Peak. At this moment, beside a bubbling Alchemy Furnace, the veiled Xia Ning Chang, whose forehead was drenched in sweat, was constantly forming new hand seals. On the other side of the furnace that was ten metres in front of her, Ji Ying sported a solemn expression as he continuously formed hand seals as well. His movements were in sync with those of Xia Ning Chang.
More than a dozen people of different ages and genders were watching from afar. All of them were clad in white clothes with the patterns of flowers and leaves embroidered on the chest area of their clothes. Most of them were Dao Source Grade Alchemists, while there were two Emperor Alchemists.
They were all famous Alchemists who were currently watching as Xia Ning Chang and Ji Ying practised Alchemy. Sometimes they would fall into their own thoughts, and sometimes they would nod gently as though they suddenly realised something. It seemed that they all had learned something from this session.
All of these Alchemists were outstanding and revered in their respective Sects; however, at this moment, the people who were practising Alchemy were the Disciples of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. It was a well-known fact that Ji Ying was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, so he was like a legendary being in the eyes of other Alchemists.
On the other hand, Xia Ning Chang hadn’t been taken in as a Disciple officially, but that was because when Wondrous Pill Great Emperor accepted Ji Ying, he had said that the latter was his last closed-door disciple. The Great Emperor was a man of his word, so he couldn’t simply go back on a declaration he had made. That was why when Ji Ying brought Xia Ning Chang to Medicine Pill Valley in the past, the Great Emperor didn’t take her in as a Disciple even though he treasured a talented person like her. Nevertheless, it was difficult to find such a precious hidden gem, so despite the fact that he didn’t accept her, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t teach her.
Although Xia Ning Chang and Wondrous Pill Great Emperor were not Master and Disciple in name, that was exactly their relationship in reality.
Furthermore, Xia Ning Chang had a Special Constitution. Her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was basically born for Alchemy. Wondrous Pill Great Emperor had even regarded her as more important than his other Disciples. Over the years, he had hidden nothing from her as he taught her everything he knew.
The Alchemists, who came from different Sects and even different Territories, were eager to observe and emulate the way these two performed Alchemy. They were so enthralled they had the urge to throw their own eyes into the furnace to have a proper look. While they were focused on what was going on in front of them though, they suddenly heard someone’s voice in their ears.
The expressions of these fascinated Alchemists changed as they became displeased. It was the biggest taboo to bother an Alchemist when he was performing Alchemy. A Pill Room was important, so it was normally protected by a strong barrier, which also ensured that no unnecessary noises would reach this place unless someone used a Divine Ability to bypass the barrier. The person who could do such a thing was clearly very powerful.
However, someone with such power must be able to see the big picture, so why would he make such a loud noise and bother the Alchemists on Medicine Pill Peak?
Moreover, they had never heard that voice before. Whoever it was, he would be punished later. It would be fine if he had only bothered the ordinary Alchemists; however, the ones who were practising Alchemy here today were the Great Emperor’s Disciples.
Upon hearing this familiar voice, however, Xia Ning Chang’s expression changed as she appeared pleasantly surprised. The emotions in her heart undulated, and the hand seals she performed were no longer as smooth as before. With the lag in her movements, cracking sounds could be heard coming from inside the originally steady Alchemy Furnace.
On the other hand, Ji Ying’s expression changed drastically. In an instant, he lifted his head to look at Xia Ning Chang, and he seemed to be pleading with her with his expression. The pills they were making on this day were no ordinary pills. He had spent the past month getting the ingredients prepared. Furthermore, he had even asked Xia Ning Chang to help him with the refinement. It would take just another hour before the pills were finished, but he had never expected that he would hear ‘that’ person’s voice at this point.
At that instant, he had a premonition in his heart. Xia Ning Chang lifted her eyes and stared at Ji Ying, appearing apologetic.
Ji Ying immediately shouted, “We’ve reached the most critical moment! Little Junior Sister, you mustn’t get distracted. Pull yourself together!”
His yell shocked the more than ten Alchemists around him. It wasn’t the first time they observed Ji Ying perform Alchemy, but whatever pills he made, he would always remain calm and collected no matter what. They had never seen him so anxious before.
The cracking sounds became more intense as the energy fluctuated inside the originally quiet Alchemy Furnace. With each impact, the huge furnace shrunk and expanded repeatedly.
Things were looking terrible as the Alchemists around them gasped. They had practised Alchemy for years, so they had developed keen visions. Certainly, they knew that the furnace was on the verge of exploding.
Only novice Alchemists would cause their furnace to blow up. Any Alchemist who had practised Alchemy for a long time wouldn’t make this kind of basic mistake. It could be said that making the furnace explode was a sign of inexperience.
*Hong long long!*
The Alchemy Furnace shrunk and expanded more and more violently. Ji Ying’s hands flew about the air like butterflies as he was trying to stabilize the furnace. At the same time, he yelled, “Little Junior Sister, calm down! Since he’s back, you’ll see him sooner or later, there’s no need to rush! Love is a marathon, not a sprint!”
So desperate was he to persuade her to keep calm, he almost wanted to fall on his knees and kowtow to her.
However, he only got two words in response. Appearing to be guilty, Xia Ning Chang said, “I’m sorry!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Ying’s face turned ashen. Following that, the huge Alchemy Furnace exploded with a loud boom as the broken pieces and the pill liquid splattered everywhere. Smoke billowed and soon filled the entire Pill Room, turning the place into a smelly mess!
As energy waves fluctuated, all the Alchemists used their Secret Arts to protect themselves. After the crackling sounds and the commotion lasted for a moment, the room slowly fell silent.
A while later, the smoke dispersed as the dozen or so Alchemy Grandmasters looked rather embarrassed. That was because they were all covered in dust. Their originally white clothes had been dyed green by the pill liquid.
These people, who were observing from afar, already looked so terrible, so one could imagine what Ji Ying was like.
In fact, given his Emperor Realm cultivation, he could have protected himself; however, when the furnace blew up, he was so shocked that he fell into a dazed state. At this moment, he was probably the most embarrassed one on the scene. His entire figure had been dyed green as pill liquid streamed down from his face to his chin and then dripped onto the floor.
Ji Ying seemed oblivious to the situation he was in as he remained in a posture of his last hand seal. He was rooted to the spot as though someone had used a Binding Secret Technique on him. His eyes looked hollow, and the corners of his brow kept twitching.
Anyone would feel their chest tightening when they saw the sight. Ji Ying must be utterly devastated. Besides the fact that he had spent a lot of time and effort getting prepared for today’s refinement, it was extremely embarrassing for him to have caused the furnace to explode right in front of so many Alchemists.
No Alchemist would be able to accept it if such an incident happened to them. Moreover, Ji Ying represented Medicine Pill Valley, and he had embarrassed Wondrous Pill Great Emperor.
“Bastard!” An old man took out a broken piece of the furnace from his hair and hurled it to the ground. He appeared to be incensed and displeased, “Who was the one who had the guts to disturb Grandmaster Ji and Grandmaster Xia when they were performing Alchemy? The Impudence!”
He paused for a moment, then he coughed and spoke in a gentler voice, “Grandmaster Ji, you don’t have to mind it. It’s not the fault of the two of you. It’s the fault of the person who shout… Where’s Grandmaster Xia?”
It wasn’t until this moment that they realised that Xia Ning Chang had already disappeared from the place. Turning around, they saw that the door of the Pill Room had opened. It seemed that Xia Ning Chang had already run away from this place.
“Who is that impudent man? We have to find out who he is!”
“En. We’ve been diligently producing pills here to be sent to the frontline to save our fellow Humans; however, not only does that person not help us, but he’s also shouted to disturb us at the most critical moment, causing the Grandmasters to fail in their attempt to make the pills. He deserves death!”
The old man, who spoke earlier, asked, “I don’t recognise that person’s voice. Does anyone know who he is?”
All of them shook their heads.
Just then, Ji Ying said through clenched teeth, “Yang Kai! You bastard! I’ll never let you off!” Then, he roared as his fury seemed to have shot into the sky.
While Medicine Pill Peak was in a mess, Spirit Instrument Peak wasn’t in any better state.
Inside an artifact refining workshop, the Chief Artifact Refiner of High Heaven Palace, Hou Yu, was lying asleep on a couch, oblivious to the people who were moving around her. Even the loud clanging sounds were not able to wake her from her alcohol-induced stupor.
But when that voice entered her ears, she immediately opened her eyes and leapt off the couch before yelling, “Quickly now! No one may slack off! Anyone not working will face Great Aunt’s wrath!”
No one responded to her, as though they hadn’t even heard her. While they were busy with their work, a young man in green clothes came over and said with an anxious expression, “Great Aunt, could you go somewhere else if you want to drink? Please stop bothering us when we’re trying to refine artifacts here!”
The originally well-organised High Heaven Palace became a mess because of Yang Kai’s shout. As lights of different colours emerged from the Spirit Peaks, they all headed to Yang Kai’s location.
In front of the hall where the Space Array was located, Yang Kai was grinning from ear to ear. Ye Jing Han was extremely worried when she was standing beside him, but as she observed his expression, the worry in her heart diminished and she slowly unknitted her brows.
In her heart, she wondered why the Palace Master could laugh in such a jolly way. Furthermore, his laugh seemed to be infectious as she also couldn’t help but start chuckling.
The first person who arrived at this place was the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si. She was accompanied by the Second Manager, Bian Yu Qing.
They were the first to arrive not because their flying speed was the fastest, as they were only First-Order Emperors. In High Heaven Palace, there were people who were in higher realms. The reason behind it was that they were just patrolling nearby earlier.
When Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing saw the familiar figure from afar, they were elated. Upon landing on the ground, they cupped their fists and said, “Greetings, Palace Master!”
With a joyful expression, Yang Kai lifted his hand and replied gently, “Many thanks for helping me to manage the palace when I wasn’t around.”
Hua Qing Si put on an elegant smile, “It is our duty.”
Bian Yu Qing said, “Indeed.”
She stared at Yang Kai with a conflicted gaze and recalled that when they first met, he and Liu Xian Yun had just come to the Star Boundary from a Lower Star Field. They were captured by her subordinate, Kou Wu, and brought back to Blue Feather Sect. Who could have expected that several dozen years later, this man would become the Palace Master of the top Sect in the Northern Territory and become one of the most powerful cultivators in the world?
In the past, she was able to determine his life or death, but now, she had to be protected under his wings. It could even be said that the reason she could reach the Emperor Realm was thanks to him.
As she walked down memory lane, she couldn’t help but recall Kou Wu, who sacrificed himself to protect her. It was outside Spirit Lake Palace in Maplewood City that Kou Wu was killed for shielding her, even having his corpse destroyed, which was a depressing sight.
Following Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing, a five-coloured light was coming from afar. After the light arrived and disappeared, five figures were revealed.
Yang Kai arched his brow and cupped his fists, “Seniors, congratulations on reaching the Emperor Realm!”
The five people were none other than Gui Zu, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, Gu Cang Yun, and Chai Hu. Other than Chai Hu, the other four people came to the Star Boundary with Yang Kai from Heng Luo Star Field. However, after the Starlight Corridor collapsed, they were separated from each other. They only came across one another at a later time.
At that time, there was also Wu Dao, who was the strongest Origin King Master in Heng Luo Star Field. Unfortunately, life was full of uncertainties. When Wu Dao was attempting to break through to the Dao Source Realm, he couldn’t pass the World Energy Baptism and lost his life. After the other four arrived in the Star Boundary, they found it difficult to adapt. Fortunately, they came across Chai Hu, and with his help, they were able to gain a footing in this new world. Later, the four of them decided to become sworn siblings with Chai Hu. Now, there was a Five Saints Peak in High Heaven Palace where they cultivated.
The last time Yang Kai met them, they were still all Dao Source Realm cultivators. But now, they were all in the Emperor Realm, which was wonderful news.
Although it was partly due to the abundant World Energy in the Star Boundary, the main reason was that these five people had outstanding aptitudes to begin with. Gui Zu and the others were undoubtedly the best there was since they were able to leave a small place like a Lower Star Field. Although Chai Hu’s aptitude was weaker, it was still quite remarkable. There were enough resources in High Heaven Palace for them to cultivate. Due to the fact that High Heaven Palace had been sealed off, all of them had to cultivate in seclusion. All five of them were hardworking people, so it wasn’t surprising that they were able to break through into a new Great Realm.
Furthermore, Yang Kai realised that they must have cultivated some kind of incredible Divine Ability together. The five-coloured light earlier was the most conspicuous clue. Presently, although they were only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, their auras were closely connected, as though they had become one.
Any Second-Order Emperor Realm Master wouldn’t be able to deal with them when confronted by them together.
Gui Zu laughed in a somewhat sinister manner and said, “Palace Master, you’re finally back. Are we finally going to get out there and start killing? I’m so bored!”
It had been a difficult time for him as he was a rather hot-blooded man. In fact, in the past, Yang Kai was almost killed by him. When Gui Zu was in the Lower Star Field, with his Origin King Realm cultivation, he could basically walk sideways and have no regard for anyone at all.
After he arrived in the Star Boundary though, he realised that his power was at the bottom of the hierarchy. Forget walking sideways, he had to struggle hard just to earn enough to eat. Only after reuniting with Yang Kai and settling down in High Heaven Palace was he able to live a peaceful life and cultivate in seclusion. Now that he had finally reached the Emperor Realm though, he couldn’t wait to get into a fight and kill.
Chi Yue shot Gui Zu a glare, “What do you mean that you want to start killing? Big Brother, don’t say that!”
She then turned to look at Yang Kai, “Is it alright for you to come back?”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. Just when he wanted to explain it to her, he saw more people coming over. Those people were not outsiders as they were his Seniors from High Heaven Sect on Shadowed Star. Their relationship could be traced back to High Heaven Pavilion in the Great Han Dynasty.
Grand Master Ling Tai Xu, Meng Wu Ya, Martial Ancestor Chu Ling Xiao, several other Martial Uncles and Aunts, Old Demon, Qiu Yi Meng… All of them had arrived.
Yang Kai immediately went over and saluted them. It couldn’t be helped. Even though he was the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, the people in front of him were his Seniors. Hence, he had to show proper respect.
After he was done with the greetings, he was bombarded with all sorts of questions.
These people were the brightest ones with outstanding aptitudes in their own worlds; however, it had only been a short time since they arrived at the Star Boundary, which was why their achievements were not comparable to those of Gui Zu and the others. With that said, most of them were either in the Second-Order or Third-Order Dao Source Realm.
Seeing as Yang Kai kept looking around, Meng Wu Ya gave him a knowing look and asked, “Who are you looking for?”
Yang Kai hurriedly replied, “No one. It’s just that I miss everything here since I’ve left for a long time.”
Meng Wu Ya snorted, “You’re looking for your wives, right? You little brat. It’s not that I want to butt in on your affairs, but you should start exercising some restraint! Look how many women you’ve flirted with and how many wives you’ve wed. You already had four wives when you were in Heng Luo Star Field, and after coming to the Star Boundary, you’ve even married one more. However, you can’t take care of them as you’re always running around outside, leaving them all alone. They’re constantly worried about your safety and fear that you might perish out there. Don’t you feel guilty at all?”
Appearing truly guilty, Yang Kai hung his head low as he was lectured, “Senior, you’re right.”
“Then you should change!” Meng Wu Ya appeared genuinely concerned, “Stop flirting with other women!”
Yang Kai felt diffident and wouldn’t know how to reply to him. Fortunately, his Grand Master came to his rescue at this time. Ling Tai Xu said with a smile, “We came across them on our way here. They went to fetch your parents.”
After hearing Yang Kai’s voice, Su Yan and the others were eager to meet him; however, they still went over to the Spirit Peak where Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu resided in an attempt to bring his parents over as well.
Although the cultivation of Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu had also improved since they arrived at the Star Boundary, they were still lagging behind the young talents. Now, they were only in the Origin King Realm, so their flight speed was pretty slow by comparison. Taking that into consideration, Su Yan and the others decided to personally fetch them.
As they spoke, a few figures were already flying over at full speed.
Yang Kai looked up, then his eyes widened. He was surprised rather than elated. Su Yan, Xue Yue, Shan Qing Luo, Xia Ning Chang, as well as Zhu Qing, had arrived.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Zhu Qing was also here. When he was on Dragon Island in the past, he had prepared to bring Zhu Qing back to High Heaven Palace to meet his parents and to familiarise her with his other wives so that they wouldn’t feel so embarrassed when they came into contact with each other in the future.
However, there was a worry in Zhu Qing’s heart at that time, so she didn’t follow him back to High Heaven Palace. He couldn’t have expected that when he returned this time, he would see Zhu Qing and his other wives coming over together. Furthermore, it appeared that they had been getting along well.
He didn’t have the time to think about it as his parents soon landed on the ground though. He immediately went over to greet them.
Before he could speak, however, Dong Su Zhu had already started tearing up as she grabbed his arms and said anxiously, “You rotten brat, why are you back? Even though you decided to come back, you shouldn’t have shouted and informed everyone! Don’t you know that your action might cause you to be killed? Why have I given birth to a fool like you?”
Without giving him a chance to explain himself, she kept scolding him, but he wouldn’t dare to refute her. Just as it was expected for rain to fall from the clouds, a mother would scold her son as she pleased, so there was no reason for him to get mad. Even if Yang Kai became a Great Emperor one day, he would still be reprimanded by his mother, to say nothing of the fact that he was just a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master now.
Yang Ying Feng was standing behind her with a cold expression, and it seemed that he was still angry with what his son had done.
When Yang Kai left the Star Boundary a few years ago, he had already given Su Yan and the others some hints. After word got out that Yang Kai had gone through demonification and betrayed the Star Boundary, High Heaven Palace had to be sealed off immediately. Dong Su Zhu passed out on the spot while Yang Ying Feng had fallen ill because of that. Su Yan and the others kept consoling them and pointed out that this might be a show that Yang Kai had put on; however, without confirmation from the Great Emperors, Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng couldn’t simply believe them.
Over the past few years, they had prayed to the Heavens every single day. They wouldn’t even dare to hope that Yang Kai could clear his name. They just wanted him to stay safe and healthy forever. Dong Su Zhu, who had always looked young, started having some grey hair on her head, which went to show how worried she was.
However, she couldn’t have expected that not only had Yang Kai returned, but he had also shouted out to everyone to announce his presence. She was so exasperated that she almost spat blood.
“Leave now before word gets out. Go!” Dong Su Zhu spoke as he dragged Yang Kai towards the Space Array.
While she was doing that, she still stared fixedly at his face. It was as though by taking one more look at him, she could remember his face forever and imprint it in the deepest part of her mind.
Seeing her in such a state, Yang Kai felt a lump in his throat as he consoled her by saying, “Mother… it’s fine.”
“What do you mean it’s fine? You’re in big trouble!” Dong Su Zhu stomped her foot on the ground. Given her cultivation, she wasn’t able to make Yang Kai move if he was reluctant. After several failed attempts, she became flustered, “You rascal! Are you leaving or not?”
“It’s really fine!” Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter.
Dong Su Zhu’s expression turned cold in an instant as she bellowed, “You’re not leaving, right? If you’re not…” She turned to look at Yang Ying Feng and pointed her slender finger at him, “If you’re not leaving, your father will die right in front of you!”
Yang Ying Feng was startled for a moment before he nodded solemnly. It was as though he was determined to end his life if Yang Kai wouldn’t heed their word and leave this instant.
“I’ve already met the Great Emperors,” Yang Kai gently patted Dong Su Zhu’s shoulders.
Dong Su Zhu was startled for a moment before she became anxious and asked apprehensively, “Which Great Emperors have you met?”
Yang Kai started counting with his fingers, “Senior Iron Blood, Senior Martial Beast, Senior Flower Shadow, and Senior Serene Soul.”
Dong Su Zhu batted her eyes, “Are you lying? Have you really met the four Great Emperors?”
With a helpless smile, Yang Kai replied, “I would never dare to lie to you. I’ve just returned from Seven Mists Sea. If you don’t believe me, I can send you to Seven Mists Sea now so that you can ask them about it. Even if you don’t believe me, you should believe them.”
It was then Dong Su Zhu finally set herself at ease and shot him a glare, “They’re all very busy, so how can we bother them as we please? You’re still so reckless.”
Despite her age, her demeanour was still that of a young girl. Nevertheless, her behaviour didn’t look out of place at all.
Upon finishing her words, she stopped responding to Yang Kai. Then, she placed her hands behind her back and turned around. When she moved past Yang Ying Feng, she took his arm and said, “We’re leaving now. What are you waiting for?”
Yang Ying Feng couldn’t refuse his wife and just let himself be dragged away. He hadn’t even had a chance to speak to his son; however, unlike how worried and flustered they were when they came here, they now looked calm and relaxed.
Since Yang Kai had met the four Great Emperors and safely returned from Seven Mists Sea, it meant that the incident in the past had been resolved. It just showed what Su Yan and the others had been telling them over the years was true, but it wasn’t until this moment that they finally completely believed them.
Besides Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu, that realization had also dawned upon the others present. At that instant, they appeared elated and felt that the dark clouds that had been hovering above their heads finally began to clear. The entire High Heaven Palace seemed to be brighter now.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected that his parents would leave as quickly as they had come as he still had a lot to tell them. However, he soon understood why they did that.
They were trying to leave some personal space for Su Yan and the others; after all, if they were still around, Yang Kai would be too embarrassed to get close to his wives.
After Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng were gone, the others wouldn’t have the nerve to disturb the reunion of Yang Kai and his women. Hence, they came up with all sorts of bad excuses and left the place. They came over because they heard Yang Kai’s voice, and now that they had seen him and learned that he had met the Great Emperors, they knew that they could catch up with him at any point in the future.
In the blink of an eye, all of them were gone as only Su Yan and the others were still standing there, staring at the man with loving gazes.
A few kilometres away, Yang Ying Feng and Dong Su Zhu were flying alongside each other at a slow speed. With a scowl, Yang Ying Feng couldn’t suppress his curiosity anymore as he asked in a small voice, “If that rotten brat didn’t leave just now, would you really want me to end my life to threaten him?”
Dong Su Zhu gave him a look, then wrapped her arm around his and asked with a smile, “Would you?”
“I would,” Yang Ying Feng nodded without hesitation. If Yang Kai hadn’t met the Great Emperors, he would have done it.
Dong Su Zhu rested her head on his shoulder, “I wouldn’t have the heart to see you die.”
Yang Ying Feng slightly twisted his shoulder and coughed, “Ahem, we’ve been married for a long time… We should act with more propriety when outside.”
“En…” As Dong Su Zhu spoke, she suddenly saw a group of people flying over. Then, she immediately let go of her husband and carried herself in an elegant manner.
When those people approached, she flashed a smile at them and called out, “Grandmaster Ji.”
The person was Ji Ying, and he was followed by more than a dozen people of different ages and genders. She could recognise that they were the Grandmaster Alchemists from different Sects in the Star Boundary.
“Madam Dong, Sir Yang!” Jing Ying replied to them with a neutral expression. Although his cultivation and status were much higher than those of the couple, they were still Yang Kai’s parents; hence, despite the fact that he was a Great Emperor’s Disciple, he wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful of them.
Dong Su Zhu asked curiously, “Grandmaster Ji, what are you doing here?”
She could see that Ji Ying appeared displeased, and the people behind him were incensed, as though they were going to find fault with someone. Judging from the direction they were heading, it seemed that they were looking for Yang Kai, which was why she felt her chest tightening.
“It’s nothing. I simply heard that Palace Master has returned, so this Ji felt he should see him personally.” Although Ji Ying was mad at Yang Kai, he didn’t think it was appropriate to tell his parents that he was going to settle a score with their son. Furthermore, he wouldn’t want to say something wrong at this point. Upon bidding them farewell, he led the other Alchemists to keep moving forward.
Dong Su Zhu turned around and frowned, but she soon stopped worrying. She knew that Yang Kai must have offended Ji Ying in some way, but the latter wouldn’t harm her son, he would only reprimand him at most.
As expected, she soon heard Ji Ying yelling in exasperation, “Palace Master, we haven’t met for ages, this Ji is so… so happy you have returned!”
Yang Kai was speechless at that as everyone else had just left. Just when he wanted to have a chat with his wives and find out why Zhu Qing was here, Ji Ying came storming over.
It wouldn’t matter if he had come alone, but he had actually brought more than a dozen others with him. Furthermore, Ji Ying was grinding his teeth when he spoke, as though he was eager to skin Yang Kai and drink his blood. It was a total lie that he was ‘happy’.
An apologetic Xia Ning Chang quickly pleaded, “Senior Brother Ji, please don’t get mad at him. It was Junior Sister’s fault, not my Husband’s.”
Ji Ying raised his hand to stop her, “Little Junior Sister, you don’t have to speak up for him. I’ll only settle accounts with him!”
After he finished speaking, another person leapt forward and pointed at Yang Kai as he bellowed, “How dare a Demon like you show your face here?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai didn’t react in any way, but Zhu Qing and the other women shot this person a glare. With a cold gaze, Zhu Qing released her Dragon Pressure, causing the man to instantly turn pale.
The person who spoke was a somewhat famous Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist, but he was only a Third-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, so there was no way he could bear the Ninth-Order Dragon’s Pressure. Of course, Zhu Qing hadn’t fully used her strength; otherwise, this man would have passed out on the spot.
As for Ji Ying, he immediately frowned. Although he was mad at Yang Kai for interrupting his Alchemy session, it wasn’t the first time the latter had done such a thing. It was just that it had more serious implications this time. He was the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, so unlike most, he knew that Yang Kai actually had a mission when he went through demonification and defected to the Demon Realm. The Great Emperors had spread rumours and misled everyone to act as a cover, and Ji Ying wasn’t certain the circumstances had changed yet, so when this Dao Source Grade Alchemist spoke, Ji Ying couldn’t explain anything on Yang Kai’s behalf.
Xia Ning Chang turned to look at the person who spoke earlier and declared, “Grandmaster Zhou, that is a misunderstanding. My Husband isn’t a Demon.”
Grandmaster Zhou appeared to be bitter and hateful as he persisted, “He went against the Great Emperors in Tiger Roar City, and it was apparent that he had been demonified as he gave off pure Demon Qi. He then betrayed the Star Boundary and ran away to the Demon Realm. What is he if he’s not a Demon? Grandmaster Xia, you mustn’t be fooled by him. Demons are all insidious and ruthless, it is best if you come back now. Although this Zhou is not powerful, he is willing to sacrifice his life to protect you.”
Upon hearing that, Xia Ning Chang was flustered, “Grandmaster Zhou, please mind your words.”
Su Yan and the others stared at Grandmaster Zhou with even colder gazes while Zhu Qing intensified her Dragon Pressure, causing the Grandmaster, who vowed to protect Xia Ning Chang with his life, to feel all his bones start cracking. With his lips pressed together, he couldn’t say one more word.
Yang Kai batted his eyes at Grandmaster Zhou with a smile, then he turned to look at Ji Ying, “Brother Ji, what happened? Why are you so mad?”
At the mention of this, Ji Ying felt the fury rising up within himself again. Pointing at Yang Kai’s nose, he bellowed, “How do you still have the gall to mention this? Just now, Little Junior Sister and I were refining a furnace of Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills. Everything was going well, and it would take just another hour for the refining to be complete. With Little Junior Sister’s assistance, I was expecting to get at least seven pills, but then… you…” He was unable to keep speaking as he pressed his hand against his chest with a reddened face, appearing both heartbroken and enraged.
A shocked Yang Kai quickly tried to comfort him “Brother Ji, please calm yourself. You mustn’t become too agitated.”
It would be terrible if Ji Ying had an accident because of this. As he spoke, he moved forward in an attempt to help him stabilize his aura.
Certainly, Ji Ying wouldn’t want his help as he slapped his hand away.
Yang Kai smiled awkwardly and turned to look at Xia Ning Chang, “Did it fail?”
Xia Ning Chang hung her head low, “The furnace exploded.”
Hearing this, Ji Ying’s expression turned darker. Yang Kai was an Emperor Alchemist himself, so he understood what it meant for one’s furnace to explode. It was indeed a tragedy, but when he imagined the scene where Ji Ying made the furnace explode, he found it hilarious and had to work hard not to burst out laughing.
It was no wonder why Ji Ying would come all the way here to berate him, he had a good reason to. Since it was indeed his fault, Yang Kai quickly straightened his face and sincerely apologised to him.
Ji Ying lethargically waved his hand as he felt extremely unlucky to have come across someone like Yang Kai, who was also a Grandmaster Alchemist, but he didn’t seem to respect Alchemy at all. Didn’t he know that it was a taboo to disturb Alchemists when they were practising Alchemy? How could he spread his voice even to Medicine Pill Peak?
“This is the last time. If it happens again, this Ji will pack up and return to Medicine Pill Valley!” Ji Ying gritted his teeth and stared at him.
A solemn Yang Kai replied, “This Yang swears to never do it again.”
It was then Ji Ying nodded as he had significantly vented out his anger. The furnace had exploded, and all his efforts had gone to waste. He just wanted to come over here to reprimand Yang Kai to get the fury off his chest.
Certainly, the other Alchemists had to follow him to lend him some moral support; however, no one could have expected that Grandmaster Zhou would rebuke Yang Kai in such a way.
In order to not cause anymore trouble, Ji Ying waved his hand as he was prepared to bring these Alchemists back to Medicine Pill Peak.
Since they were leaving, Zhu Qing and the others wouldn’t make them stay. However, as soon as she retracted her Dragon Pressure, Grandmaster Zhou spoke again. He had learned his lesson after suffering a setback, so he stopped being rude. Instead, he looked solemnly at Yang Kai and said, “Palace Master Yang, although you’ve gone through demonification, you’re fundamentally a Human. Grandmaster Xia is the treasure of the Star Boundary. If you still have any conscience left, please let her go! This Zhou will offer his thanks on behalf of all the people of the Star Boundary!”
Yang Kai blinked a few times before grinning and asking, “Who are you?”
It was ridiculous that someone suddenly walked up to him to make accusations against him and tell him to leave Xia Ning Chang.
Grandmaster Zhou straightened up. Despite his pale face, his back remained straight as he said arrogantly, “This one is Zhou Cheng. Unlike how famous Palace Master Yang is, I am just a small character.”
A Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist couldn’t be said to be a nobody, but it really depended on which person he was compared to. He was indeed less famous when compared to the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, who had ‘betrayed’ the Star Boundary and become a Demon.
Yang Kai snorted, “Since you’re just a small character, how dare you make this kind of accusation against this King?”
Zhou Cheng said grimly, “I wouldn’t dare to. I’m just trying to persuade you.”
Appearing earnest and well-meaning, he continued, “Palace Master Yang, I’m sure you’re aware of the situation you’re in. Since you’ve sided with the Demon Realm, why bother coming back? When you were not around, Grandmaster Xia was calm and collected as she focused on Alchemy. The pills she has refined here have saved countless lives in the Star Boundary; however, the moment you returned, you agitated her heart and caused the destruction of a furnace of Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills. Do you know how many precious herbs are required to make such pills? Palace Master Yang, since you’re unable to provide her with a future and happiness, why don’t you just let her go?”
Yang Kai put on a faint smile, “If I can’t give her a future and happiness, who else can?”
Zhou Cheng took a look at Xia Ning Chang and parted his lips as though he wanted to say something, but he didn’t say a word in the end. Then, he tried to shift the focus by saying, “Palace Master Yang, why insist on making her remain by your side? You can’t even protect yourself now, so why must you drag her down with you as well? Do you want her to follow you around, homeless and abandoned by the world? Even if you don’t take your future into consideration, you should set her free for her sake. Why must you be so selfish?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Xia Ning Chang, “Little Senior Sister, are you willing to follow me?”
Xia Ning Chang nodded without hesitation, her gaze extremely bright, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
“What about the rest of you?” Yang Kai shifted his attention to Su Yan and the others.
Shan Qing Luo put on an alluring smile, “Husband, what nonsense are you talking about? Since we married you, we’ll follow you forever. Don’t even think about getting rid of us.”
Although Su Yan and the others didn’t say a word, they all looked smilingly at him. Even if he had really sided with the Demon Realm, they still wouldn’t hesitate to stand beside him, to say nothing of the fact that they already knew the truth.
Zhou Cheng’s expression darkened when he heard that, but just as he wanted to say something, Yang Kai’s face fell as he shot him a look and waved his hand, “Enough. This King has just returned, so he won’t waste time on someone as insignificant as you. If you dare spout more nonsense, I’ll kill you!”
He grinned wickedly, “Just like what you’ve said, Demons are all vicious and ruthless, it means nothing to me if a small character like you dies.”
Zhou Cheng felt a chill running down his spine as he was confronted by Yang Kai, but unexpectedly, he didn’t back down. Instead, he took a step forward and said, “If my death can make Grandmaster Xia realise who you really are and escape from your claws, this Zhou doesn’t mind losing his life.”
Ji Ying said with a frown, “Zhou Cheng, stop making a fuss here!”
Although he wasn’t fond of Zhou Cheng, he couldn’t ignore the fact that the latter was a Dao Source Grade High-Rank Alchemist. A lot of pills were needed to support the war effort, so one more Alchemist would mean more pills that could be produced, which could potentially save many lives at the most critical moment.
Zhou Cheng slowly shook his head, “Grandmaster Ji, stop persuading me. I’ve made up my mind.”
He then gazed at Xia Ning Chang, “Grandmaster Xia, I hope that you’ll be set free, and my death will be worth something.”
Xia Ning Chang frowned as she was completely surprised. In the past, Zhou Cheng had frequently asked her about Alchemy-related topics, but she didn’t read too much into it as she just thought that it was just the usual interaction between two Alchemists. It wasn’t until this moment that she realised that something was off. This man seemed to carry other intentions for her.
“If you’re so eager to die, this Old Master can grant your wish.” A snort was suddenly heard. It was Meng Wu Ya who spoke from a nearby spot.
Earlier, everyone had been leaving the square, but when they saw Ji Ying and more than ten Alchemists coming over with fierce expressions on their faces, many had stopped nearby to observe. At this point, Meng Wu Ya could tell what was going on. He had raised Xia Ning Chang from young and regarded her as his own daughter. He was joyful when she eventually got married to Yang Kai as she had been happier that day than he had ever seen her. Now that someone was making a scene here though, there was no way he could hold back his anger.
He was also a Dao Source Realm cultivator now, technically on par with Zhou Cheng; however, Zhou Cheng was an Alchemist, so fighting wasn’t his speciality. If they got into a battle, Meng Wu Ya had the confidence of killing him.
Zhou Cheng shook his head and ignored him as he stared fixedly at Yang Kai.
Just then, Yang Kai knitted his brows together. It wasn’t because of Zhou Cheng, but because he had sensed something unusual. Then, he turned to look in a particular direction and spoke to Su Yan, “Some people are attacking the Sect Defending Array. Who has such courage?”
He could feel some weak energy fluctuations coming from outside, which went to show that the Sect Defending Array had been triggered. He scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense and realised that a few hundred people had gathered outside High Heaven Palace. More than ten of them were using their Secret Techniques to attack the array with the artifacts in their hands.
Su Yan replied, “It happens from time to time. Just ignore them.”
“It’s not the first time?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Zhu Qing explained, “Every once in a while, some fools come to make a fuss…” Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood what had been going on. Because of him, the Great Emperors had ordered High Heaven Palace sealed off and forbidden its disciples from leaving. They had made such a decision because they wanted to protect High Heaven Palace, but outsiders didn’t know the truth, so they thought there really was something wrong with the Sect. Over the past few years, High Heaven Palace’s reputation had taken a severe hit.
It wouldn’t matter if that was all that had happened, but some people had started making a scene using High Heaven Palace as an excuse. Although it had only been a short time since High Heaven Palace was founded, they had destroyed the Seeking Passion Sect and then joined forces with Ice Heart Valley, Fire Dragon Palace, and Full Sky Sect to consolidate and subdue the Sects in the Northern Territory, thus becoming the top Sects in said territory. There were also countless top cultivators in the Sect.
Normally, most Sects could only look up at High Heaven Palace and wouldn’t dare to offend them; however, since High Heaven Palace was sealed off and its defensive array activated, it had given some people a chance to make a move.
After the Two Worlds’ Passage opened, Humans and Demons were thrown into a terrible war that shook the Star Boundary itself and even stirred up its natural World Principles and Energy. Over the past few years, more and more Emperor Realm Masters had been born in the Star Boundary. These newly inaugurated Emperor Realm Masters had the right to found Sects, but they were unable to recruit any disciples as they were not famous. Hence, some decided to launch an attack on High Heaven Palace to earn a name for themselves.
They would either join forces with their fellow cultivators or bring their own disciples to High Heaven Palace. In the name of slaying the Demons, they would act outrageously by cursing and raising Hell. By doing so, they would gain some fame. Whenever such a topic was brought up, they could say that they had gone to High Heaven Palace to kill the Demons, but they had sealed themselves off behind their walls and wouldn’t dare to fight with them head-on.
It wasn’t true that High Heaven Palace wouldn’t dare to confront them, it was just that Yang Kai was in the Demon Realm, and he was still regarded as a traitor, so none wanted to cause any trouble to let others have a chance to slander Yang Kai. Whenever such an incident happened, the Head Manager and Second Manager would issue orders to just ignore them. Such people wouldn’t be able to break the Sect Defending Array no matter how hard they tried, so after making a scene for a while they would simply leave.
Over the past few years, such incidents had happened more than ten times. It just so happened that Yang Kai came across such an incident not long after he returned to the palace.
Upon hearing what Zhu Qing had said, Yang Kai said with a dark expression, “The two Great Worlds are at war, so why are these people making a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace instead of making real contributions in the Western Territory?”
Xue Yue said after a sigh, “There are always some people in this world who shamelessly seek gains for themselves.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Let’s go over and have a look.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and shot towards the Sect’s Main Gate. The ladies traded glances and quickly before racing after him. Meng Wu Ya, Hua Qing Si and the others who were just nearby hurriedly followed them.
Seeing that, Zhou Cheng bellowed, “Palace Master Yang, where are you going? You haven’t made a decision regarding Grandmaster Xia!”
Ji Ying said after a sigh, “Zhou Cheng, stop. Just forget what has happened today. It’s not what you think. Palace Master Yang…”
Zhou Cheng shook his head and cut him off by saying, “Grandmaster Ji, I know you are well-meaning, but please cease your efforts to persuade me. I respect Grandmaster Xia, so I want her to have a good husband. However, Palace Master Yang isn’t the right person for her to stay by his side forever. I cannot bear to see her suffer. Whatever the case, I must make him see reason.”
When he saw that Yang Kai appeared ruthless but didn’t do anything in the end, he became overly confident in himself, so after he finished speaking, he also ran after them.
Ji Ying knitted his brows together as he appeared helpless and frustrated.
An old man ran his fingers through his beard and said, “Grandmaster Ji, are you in a dilemma over something? I believe what Zhou Cheng has said isn’t complete nonsense. Disregarding his ulterior motives, Grandmaster Xia is indeed a treasure of the Star Boundary. Palace Master Yang can’t even protect himself now, so it would be a good thing if she could break relations with him so that she isn’t dragged into this mess.”
Ji Ying shook his head with a helpless smile. There was simply no way for him to explain.
The Main Gate of High Heaven Palace was meticulously arranged by Nanmen Da Jun in the past; after all, they were one of the top Sects in the Star Boundary, so their entrance had to be magnificent to showcase their heritage.
In front of the huge gate hung an inscribed board on which the characters ‘High Heaven Palace’ shone brightly under the sun. Three hundred metres away from the entrance was where the Sect Defending Array stood. Looking from outside the array, one couldn’t see into High Heaven Palace as all there was was a thick, swirling fog.
Nevertheless, people inside the array could clearly see what was going on outside.
When Yang Kai reached the entrance, he saw that a fair-skinned and unbearded middle-aged man was attacking the array with a sword in his hand. The sword was apparently an Emperor Artifact. As he wielded the sword, lightning could be seen flashing across it and the sounds of thunder were continuously heard, so he looked rather imposing.
The beams of lightning struck the array and caused the fog to welter, but the array wasn’t damaged one bit. As an array that had been personally arranged by Nanmen Da Jun, it wouldn’t be able to be damaged by a mere First-Order Emperor Realm Master even if he exhausted himself trying.
There were more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators around the middle-aged man who assisted him; however, there was no coordination between them as they used whatever Secret Techniques and artifacts they had, though their moves were dizzying to the beholder.
After taking just one look, Yang Kai realized that while these people seemed to be going all out, there was no real force or substance behind their attacks. Be it the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master or the more than ten Dao Source cultivators, their moves were flashy, but not powerful at all.
While these moves appeared useless to Yang Kai’s eyes, the hundreds of people in the audience outside were fascinated as their gazes appeared bright.
Not only were the onlookers fascinated, but they were also cheering for those who were striking the Sect Defending Array.
Three hundred metres behind the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master and the more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters, some young people were holding a red flag as it swayed with the wind. On the flag, the name ‘Kai Shan’ had been written in black ink. It wasn’t certain who wrote it, but the person was obviously an expert in calligraphy. The characters were wavy as they looked as imposing as flying Dragons and dancing Phoenixes. The contrast between red and black also made the words look grand and overbearing.
At this moment, as the Sect Master and the Seniors were making a move, the young people, who were holding the flag, cheered for them by shouting, “Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched beneath the Heavens!”
The hundreds of people behind them shouted in unison with fervent expressions on their faces. They seemed determined to make sure that everyone could hear them.
After the Emperor Realm Master brandished his sword for a while more, the people who were holding the flag yelled, “Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out and face death!”
The sword lights became brighter as the Emperor Realm Master wielded his artifact in an increasingly ferocious manner. As the sword waves intertwined with one another, his figure became hardly visible. The Emperor Qi around him surged and turned into violent energy waves.
The people holding the flag yelled, “Kai Shan will be the first to slay the Demons!”
The sword lights converged and became one as the Emperor Realm Master appeared extremely imposing. With a solemn expression, he pointed his sword at the array and bellowed, “Go!”
The sword light shot into the array and disappeared.
The people behind him started cheering again, “Kai Shan! Kai Shan! The third most powerful in the Star Boundary!” At the very least, they knew their place as they didn’t claim to be the best or the second best.
Standing inside the array, Yang Kai was several dozen metres away from them as he looked at the front with an awkward expression.
[What a mess!] The sight before his eyes could only be described as a farce. Then, he turned to look at Hua Qing Si and asked, “Are the people who have asked for trouble over the years always as weak as them?”
The Head Manager coughed and replied, “En, most of them were weak. However, there were some that were actually powerful.”
Although Hua Qing Si was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, she originated from Star Soul Palace after all, which was one of the most powerful and established Sects in the world. The training she had received was much better than these ‘rising stars’.
With the surge of the Star Boundary’s World Energy, a lot of new Emperor Realm Masters had emerged; however, there were always some bad apples among them. The people who intended to make a name for themselves through disparaging High Heaven Palace were normally very weak, so Hua Qing Si wouldn’t waste any time on them.
“You’ve all been very tolerant,” Yang Kai sneered. Despite what he had said, he knew that it wasn’t that those from High Heaven Palace were really tolerant. It was just that they had been in an awkward situation over the past few years. The Great Emperors had ordered them to seal off High Heaven Palace. Since Yang Kai wasn’t around, no one dared to turn off the Sect Defending Array as they pleased. Furthermore, they were worried that Yang Kai’s reputation would be damaged further if they acted ruthlessly, so they just let those people make a fuss.
Outside the array, the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master was in high spirits. He had cultivated for many years, but had been stuck at the peak of the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for some time now, and there didn’t seem to be any hope for him to achieve a breakthrough. Seeing as he didn’t have many years left to live, he thought that this was all that he could achieve, and he would never stand a chance to comprehend the abstrusity of the Emperor Realm. Feeling dejected, he stopped caring about everything and engaged in a life of excess and debauchery.
However, he couldn’t have expected that after the Two Worlds’ Great War broke out, a new phenomenon took place in the Star Boundary. Perhaps the Great World sensed it was in danger, which led to it trying to save itself by increasing the density of World Energy. It also allowed the cultivators to cultivate quicker and more easily.
One day, when the middle-aged man was wandering around a flower garden, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind as he started meditating. When he awakened, he realised that he had reached the Emperor Realm seemingly without any reason. At that instant, he was both elated and pleasantly surprised.
He couldn’t believe that he was lucky enough to get such a windfall. Ascending to a new realm was like a rebirth. Upon pulling himself together, he found a serene place and cultivated in seclusion for three years to consolidate his foundation.
When he ventured into the outside world again, he founded his own Sect and named it after himself, Mountain Quarrying Sect!
However, the Great Worlds were at war presently. The Great Emperors had called upon everyone from all four territories in the Star Boundary to join the effort. Therefore, countless fervent cultivators had stepped into the Space Arrays nearest to them and headed to the battlefield in the Western Territory to engage in life-or-death battles with the Demons.
It was good news for the Star Boundary, but it was terrible news for the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master. It couldn’t be helped. Since he had founded a Sect, he wanted to take in as many disciples as possible. In normal times, after an Emperor founded a Sect, even if he was just a First-Order Emperor, an innumerable number of people would apply to be his disciples, and a medium-sized force could be formed in no time.
However, all the powerful cultivators had headed to the Western Territory now, so it was difficult for him to recruit people. Those that were left for him to take in were mostly weaklings. That was the biggest frustration the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master had now.
For this, he had even paid a visit to one of his old friends. His friend was in a similar situation as he was. He had also been stuck in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm for a long time, and he had only achieved a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm recently. Nevertheless, after he founded a Sect, he easily took in thousands of disciples. Since then, he had become a Sect Master who could enjoy his life to the fullest. The female disciples he had were all curvy and alluring, which caused others to be envious of him.
After an inquiry, the middle-aged man learned that his old friend had brought his people to condemn High Heaven Palace before. The Sect Defending Array was incredible, so his old friend wasn’t able to harm the palace one bit. Nevertheless, after word got out, countless people came to his Sect to apply to be his disciples.
Despite getting some guidance from his old friend, the middle-aged man was in a dilemma. He was aware of the situation High Heaven Palace was in. If he was confronted by such a humongous Sect, could he really retreat safely?
After some internal struggle, he still couldn’t resist the temptation to get more disciples; hence, he led the hundreds of disciples he had to make a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace.
Then, he realised that just like what his old friend had said, those from High Heaven Palace wouldn’t respond to him, and the Sect Defending Array remained shut. As he listened to the cheering of his disciples from behind, he became high-spirited and thought that High Heaven Palace didn’t live up to its reputation. Following that, he guffawed and leapt into the air. With his hands tightly gripping his sword, he pushed his Emperor Qi as his terrific sword wave slashed at the array. At the same time, he bellowed in an overbearing manner, “Break!”
The sword wave penetrated the array and caused the fog to swirl as it had every other time he had used such methods; however, just then, a rumbling sound was heard as the fog separated to the sides, revealing a path that led into the palace.
The middle-aged man, who just landed on the ground, was astounded as he stared at the path with widened eyes. There was a doubt in his heart. [Why is it broken? How could that be?]
His old friend had told him that the Sect Defending Array of High Heaven Palace was personally arranged by Nanmen Da Jun. It was based on the Spirit Array of Seeking Passion Sect, then Nanmen Da Jun modified it from there.
Nanmen Da Jun was the best Emperor Array Master in the Northern Territory. The only person publicly known to be comparable in terms of arranging Spirit Arrays was Gong Zhen, who was from the Gong Family of Heavenly River Valley in the Southern Territory. Even a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master couldn’t damage this array one bit, let alone a First-Order Emperor Realm Master.
However, the sight in front of him was clear. The array had been broken by his sword wave. He had only yelled earlier to make himself appear more imposing, but he had never expected to really break the array!
The middle-aged man knew full well that he wasn’t capable of achieving this. After a moment of anxiety and bewilderment, he soon understood what was going on. It wasn’t that he had smashed the Sect Defending Array, but that it had opened from the inside! At that instant, his face turned ashen as his forehead was beaded with cold sweat.
Although the reputation of High Heaven Palace had been tarnished in recent years, everyone knew that it was the top Sect in the Northern Territory. They had destroyed Seeking Passion Sect and joined forces with the other three Top Sects to unify the Northern Territory. As long as they gave the order, no one would dare to disobey them. There were countless Emperor Realm Masters within the Sect, so a newly promoted Emperor like him had no right to make a scene here. He was confident that they wouldn’t respond to him, but now that they had opened up the Spirit Array, he wouldn’t even dare to think about how he would end up.
The emotions in his heart undulated as he knew that he was in big trouble; however, the disciples behind him and the more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators were unaware of the situation they were in. They just knew that after the Sect Master vowed to break the Spirit Array, it really split open.
The more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters turned to look at the middle-aged Emperor Realm Master as they appeared pleasantly surprised. They had just joined Mountain Quarrying Sect, so they were not certain about how powerful the middle-aged man truly was. Now, it seemed that his power was inscrutable. Besides them, the hundreds of disciples behind them shared the same thought.
The young people, who were holding the flag, fell into a dazed state for a moment before they shouted, “Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched beneath the Heavens! Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out now and face death! Ancestral Founder Kai Shan! Unmatched! Demons from High Heaven Palace, come out and die!”
They were shouting at the top of their lungs to boost the morale for their Ancestral Founder. Their cheering, which was music to the ears earlier, now sounded ear-piercing. The middle-aged man had the urge to turn around and stitch up the lips of these fools.
The fog stopped swirling and revealed a several-dozen-metre-long path that led to the entrance of High Heaven Palace soon after. It wasn’t until this moment that the middle-aged man had the chance to have a look at the magnificent gateway. The inscribed ‘High Heaven Palace’ looked so dazzling under the sun that he almost couldn’t open his eyes.
However, he forced himself to widen his eyes as a group of people were standing before him.
At the front, there was a dignified and handsome young man who sported a faint smile on his face as he stared at the middle-aged man with a dispassionate gaze. He wasn’t very tall, but the middle-aged man had the illusion that he was looking down at him from above like a god observing an ant.
At that instant, the middle-aged man couldn’t help but hunch his back. There were some alluring and curvy women standing on the sides of the young man. Despite their different temperaments, they were all rarely seen first-class beauties. However, at this moment, so many of them had gathered in this place as they surrounded the young man like the stars cupping themselves around the moon.
Other than this lead group, there was also a large number of people standing behind them with unfriendly expressions. Some of them exuded the aura of Emperor Realm Masters, and although most of them were just First-Order, which was the same realm as the middle-aged man, their auras were much thicker than that of the latter.
This went to show that they were more powerful than the middle-aged man. At that instant, he realised that he had accidentally poked a hornet’s nest as he felt his heart freeze over.
All their cheering stopped as the disciples from Mountain Quarrying Sect were shocked to see so many people emerging from the array. As the thunderous noises stopped abruptly, it was hard getting used to the sudden silence.
As the hundreds of disciples looked at the front, they were soon attracted by Su Yan and the others. These people who had joined Mountain Quarrying Sect were mostly young and weak, so they had never seen so many beautiful women before. At that instant, all of them were dumbstruck. Some of them had even widened their mouths and fallen into a dazed state. Just then, the Beguiling Demon Queen flashed a charming smile at them, causing them to grunt as their noses started bleeding, all of them cheering in their hearts, [She’s smiling at me!]
Right then, Zhou Cheng arrived at the place and took a look at the disciples from Mountain Quarrying Sect outside the array as he frowned. Ignoring them, he turned to look at Yang Kai and said, “Palace Master Yang, we haven’t come to any conclusion yet. Please tell me your decision.”
“Palace Master Yang?” The middle-aged man was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his skin.
Since he had come to make a fuss in front of High Heaven Palace, he certainly knew who the Palace Master was. In the past, this man had gone against a Great Emperor in Tiger Roar City and escaped alive. After that, he was hunted down by Li Wu Yi. His name was Yang Kai!
The young man had just been addressed as ‘Palace Master Yang’, and his appearance matched that of the descriptions in stories about him. There was no doubt that he was that brave and heroic-looking young man.
At this moment, the middle-aged man still couldn’t believe that the young man before his eyes was the real Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai.
[Hasn’t he gone through demonification and betrayed the Star Boundary? He’s supposed to be in the Demon Realm, so why is he here? Has he returned from the Demon Realm? Wait a moment, after what had happened in the past, how did he have the gall to come back here?]
Right then, one of the young people, who was holding the flag and clearly not thinking straight, bellowed in a righteous manner, “Demon! Go to Hell!”
Not only did he shout, but he also pointed at Yang Kai and the others. At that instant, the hundreds of people started yelling again.
The middle-aged man turned ashen as he trembled uncontrollably. He had the urge to kill all of his disciples. Instead of boosting his morale, they were actually pushing him closer to death.
Despite his uneasiness, he still pretended to be calm as all his disciples were watching him, so he could not embarrass himself. He had arrived at this place to make a name for Mountain Quarrying Sect. If this matter wasn’t handled properly, not only would it become impossible for him to take in any more disciples, but his Sect might also be at risk of falling apart.
“Demon?” Yang Kai shot a look at the hundreds of people and put on a faint smile.
It wasn’t the first time someone called him a Demon today. Just now, the first thing Zhou Cheng said to him was to call him a Demon; however, he hadn’t expected to hear the same thing again from a stranger so soon. It seemed that his reputation in the Star Boundary was truly terrible at the moment.
Nevertheless, he didn’t offer any complaints. When he agreed to the Great Emperors’ request to enter the Demon Realm, he had already expected this outcome; hence, he would never take any accusations against him seriously.
However, the flag among the crowd was too conspicuous. It was a blood-coloured flag with golden black words written on it, so it was difficult to not take note of it.
Although Yang Kai was a thousand metres away from the flag, he still made a grabbing gesture. When he retracted his hand, the flag was already in his hand.
Upon seeing this, the disciples, who were holding the flag, were startled as they thought that the flag in Yang Kai’s hand looked very similar to their own. Then, they lifted their heads and saw that their flag was gone. It was then they realised that their flag had been snatched away.
“Mountain Quarrying Sect?” Yang Kai stared at the middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man felt that his throat was burning and his mouth was extremely dry. Nevertheless, he still placed his sword behind his back and performed a hand seal with his other hand. His demeanour was that of a senior martial arts expert, “That’s right. My name is Li Kai Shan, and my Sect is Mountain Quarrying Sect. Are you the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace?”
“Good.” Yang Kai nodded gently, “Sect Master Li, have you come all the way here to give me a lesson or something?”
Certainly, Li Kai Shan wouldn’t dare to. At this moment, he just wanted to get as far away from this Sect as possible. Although Yang Kai appeared to be amiable, he still felt a chill running down his spine just standing before him. It was as though there was a sword hanging above his head that would fall upon him at any moment.
After pulling himself together, Li Kai Shan said, “I’ve heard that Palace Master Yang has suffered from cultivation dissonance and become a Demon. High Heaven Palace has also been regarded as an evil Sect, so you’ve become the centre of criticism. That’s why this Li brought his disciples here to slay the Demons and restore peace to the Star Boundary. However, it seems that you still appear to be a righteous Human, so I’m sure there must be a misunderstanding behind the rumours. This Li has acted rashly without first confirming the truth, so I hope that Palace Master Yang will forgive me.”
Yang Kai, however, replied with a smile, “You’re not mistaken, and there’s no misunderstanding. I’ve indeed suffered from cultivation dissonance and have become a Demon.”
Upon hearing that, Li Kai Shan, Su Yan, and the others were startled. The expressions of Meng Wu Ya and the others were transformed by shock as they turned to stare at Yang Kai. After all, Yang Kai looked perfectly normal, and there were no signs that he had suffered from cultivation dissonance.
Those who were struck with cultivation dissonance would normally become mentally confused, unable to recognise friends and family. In the worst case, their cultivations would be destroyed and they would lose their lives. However, Yang Kai looked totally fine, so they thought that he was just spouting nonsense.
Li Kai Shan forced a wry smile, “Palace Master Yang must be joking.”
Yang Kai lowered his head as his hair hung loose on his forehead. Then, he said impassively, “Do I look like I’m joking?”
After he finished speaking, Demon Qi exploded out of his body. In an instant, he was engulfed in a shroud of black Qi as his eyes reflected a horrifying glint. The evil black Qi around his body gave off a nerve-wracking feeling, so it was apparent that it was Demon Qi.
Su Yan and the others were slightly shocked, but they soon set themselves at ease. To them, whether or not Yang Kai had become a Demon made no difference.
On the other hand, Meng Wu Ya and the others appeared worried as they traded glances. Three words sprang into their minds. [Demon Heavenly Dao!]
Meanwhile, Li Kai Shan was shaken to the core as he took a few steps back. With a horrified look, he stared at Yang Kai, who was engulfed in Demon Qi, in disbelief. In his heart, he realized that the rumours were true. Yang Kai had really become a Demon.
People who had gone through demonification could not be reasoned with. He had provoked Yang Kai in the first place, so there was no way he would be forgiven. Hence, when he saw the swirling Demon Qi, he immediately thought about fleeing from this place. However, he was unable to do that as the space around him had suddenly become viscous, as though he had fallen into a mire. The more he struggled, the more restricted he became. He found it hard even to move a finger.
However, the hundreds of disciples perceived the sight before their eyes differently. They thought that their Sect Master remained calm and collected when confronted by a heinous Demon, so they all became energised.
Yang Kai stared at him with his head tilted. Amidst the black Demon Qi, his bloodshot eyes seemed to be flickering like a fire. In a grim voice, he questioned, “You just said that you want to slay the Demons to restore peace to the Star Boundary, right?”
Li Kai Shan’s mouth remained shut. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to reply, but rather that he was unable to do so. The vitality in his chest undulated, and he was worried that he would spray out a mouthful of blood as soon as he opened his mouth.
“If you had such noble determination, you should have gone to the Western Territory, why are you making a scene in front of my Sect?” Yang Kai sneered, “There are countless Demons over there for you to kill. Sect Master Li, it seems that you’ve come to the wrong place.”
After a pause, he went on to say, “This Palace Master has been away for a few years, and with the Great Emperors’ order, High Heaven Palace was sealed off not for fear of outsiders invading, but because we had an important mission to carry out. Have the Great Emperors ever once condemned High Heaven Palace as an evil Sect? On the other hand, trash like you all come to make a fuss in the name of slaying the Demons quite frequently it seems. You’ve slandered High Heaven Palace’s name and reputation. All of you deserve death, and since you’re sick of living, this King will grant your wish!”
After he finished speaking, he suddenly gripped the flag. As a howling sound was heard, the flag turned into a beam of light and shot towards Li Kai Shan.
All of them broke into a commotion as Meng Wu Ya and Chu Ling Xiao called out to Yang Kai to stop.
It was inevitable that the outsiders would misunderstand High Heaven Palace because of Yang Kai’s actions. Although these people, who tried to make a name for themselves by disparaging High Heaven Palace, were despicable, their crime was not severe enough for them to deserve death. If Yang Kai killed him here, he would truly be regarded as a Demon. Once his reputation was ruined, he wouldn’t be able to gain a footing in the Star Boundary anymore.
Nevertheless, Meng Wu Ya, Chu Ling Xiao and the others were only Dao Source Realm Masters, so they were not capable of stopping him. The only person who could stop him on the scene was Zhu Qing, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.
Watching as the beam of light came at him, Li Kai Shan widened his eyes in disbelief. He had never expected that Yang Kai would directly deal a fatal blow to him, which went to show that the Demons were truly unreasonable. At the most critical moment, he bit his tongue hard and spurted a mouthful of Blood Essence, attempting to retreat.
However, he realised that he was unable to do so. As soon as his Blood Essence spurted out, he felt an immense power coming at him and penetrating his chest. In an instant, he became like a pierced rubber ball, all the energy leaving him through his chest.
Lowering his head, he realised that there was a massive hole in his chest, through which all his organs could be seen clearly. Lifting his head, he parted his lips as he stuttered, “You…”
Right after he said only one word, he fell on his back as his vitality left him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was covered in black Qi as his bloodshot eyes appeared ferocious. Since his Emperor Qi turned into Demon Qi, there had been a subtle influence over his heart and mind. Although his rationality and original personality were protected by the Soul Warming Lotus, ensuring he did not become completely demonified, his temperament had still been affected.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have forced himself upon Yu Ru Meng in the past.
It was the same case on this day. Since the Two Worlds’ Great World broke out, countless cultivators had gone to the Western Territory to defend their world, but instead of contributing their strength, some people had decided to scheme against and disparage their own people. Since Li Kai Shan wasn’t willing to go to the Western Territory, it was pointless for him, as an Emperor Realm Master, to remain alive.
Furthermore, Yang Kai was displeased with Zhou Cheng’s appearance and remarks just now. However, Zhou Cheng was just a weak Alchemist, so he thought that as a Master so much stronger than him, he shouldn’t lower himself to deal with him. Nevertheless, Li Kai Shan’s appearance provided Yang Kai a chance to vent his anger. Since Li Kai Shan had come all the way to this place, he should simply remain here forever. By killing him, Yang Kai could prevent any reckless people from coming to High Heaven Palace to ‘slay the Demon’ and slander his Sect.
To Yang Kai, it didn’t matter if he killed Li Kai Shan as he felt extremely refreshed after ending the latter’s life.
Right after Li Kai Shan lost his life, a grating laugh was suddenly heard as Gui Zu made a move. Earlier, he had asked Yang Kai when they would have a chance to venture out and start killing. At this moment, the chance was right before his eyes.
Then, a banner flew over and coiled around the more than ten Dao Source Realm cultivators, after which all of them disappeared.
The banner seemed to have turned into a living creature as it writhed about in the air. After spitting out more than ten withered corpses, it returned to Gui Zu.
In just a short moment, all the Dao Source Realm Masters had their Souls taken away by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and all the essence in their bodies had been sucked dry. Gui Zu’s moves were more horrifying and shocking to the eyes than those of Yang Kai.
In the blink of an eye, the Sect Master and the more than ten Dao Source Realm Masters from Mountain Quarrying Sect had all been killed.
At that instant, the hundreds of remaining disciples felt every part of their bodies turning cold as they stared ahead with a horrified look. They were all very weak, and before they even understood what was going on, their Sect Master and Seniors had become corpses. It was then they realised that the reason Li Kai Shan was able to stand tall before those from High Heaven Palace without responding to their threats was that he simply couldn’t move. Once the other party made a move, their Ancestral Founder was killed as easily as a mosquito. Faced with such a tragedy, some of the female disciples were so shocked that they started tearing up. Since the Ancestral Founder had lost his life, there was no way they could survive.
“Why are you not running away? Do all of you want to die here too?” Ling Tai Xu bellowed at those people.
It was then they came to their senses. After someone shrieked and turned around to leave, others followed him as hundreds of people scurried for their lives. Some of them were so terrified that their legs had turned to jelly as they fell to the ground. However, they soon got to their feet and kept running forward in embarrassment.
In just over ten breaths’ time, everyone was gone. Ling Tai Xu and Chu Ling Xiao traded glances and heaved a sigh of relief.
They were worried that Yang Kai would be ruthless and force all the disciples of Mountain Quarrying Sect to stay behind forever. If that happened, they wouldn’t have known what to do. It didn’t matter that Li Kai Shan and the Dao Source Realm Masters, who were attacking the Sect Defending Array in High Heaven Palace, were killed; after all, the Sect Defending Array of any Sect shouldn’t be attacked in the first place. By doing so, it was like provoking the entire Sect, so such presumptuous people only had themselves to blame for getting killed.
However, the hundreds of others were still young and inexperienced. They had just followed orders to come to this place with their Sect Master. Perhaps they didn’t even know what consequences their actions would bring.
Seeing as Yang Kai didn’t stop the rest from fleeing, they were finally able to be at ease.
Then, Yang Kai withdrew his Demon Qi. By just looking at his calm expression now, it was hard to imagine how wicked he looked earlier.
“As of this moment, High Heaven Palace’s gates will reopen,” Yang Kai ordered dispassionately.
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing Si and Bian Yu Qing turned solemn before replying in an excited manner, “Yes, Palace Master!”
They couldn’t help but be excited because over the years, their bad reputation as an evil Sect and the Great Emperors’ orders to seal off High Heaven Palace had pressed down on them like two huge mountains, making it difficult for them to even breathe. The disciples might not have any profound feelings on the matter as most of them came from the Star Field, so they were currently quite weak and most were focused on cultivating in seclusion. However, the managers of High Heaven Palace worried every day. They couldn’t be at ease since the Sect’s reputation was at stake.
By reopening the Sect, they were finally able to clear away the fog and go out into the world to prove to everyone that they were innocent.
“Sister Hua,” Yang Kai called out.
Hua Qing Si quickly stepped forward, “Yes.”
“Over the years, what other Sects insulted us like what the Mountain Quarrying Sect just did? Do you remember?” Yang Kai turned to look at her.
Hua Qing Si took a look at him and put on a helpless expression as she knew what he was up to. Nevertheless, she still nodded and replied, “I remember all of them.”
She knew Yang Kai fairly well, which was why she had memorised all the Sects that had come over to make a scene over the years so that she could give Yang Kai a list when he asked about it.
Yang Kai grinned, “That’s great. Sister Hua, please take a group of people to those Sects and send all the cultivators who are in the Origin King Realm and above to the battlefield in the Western Territory. I’m worried that a major event will happen on the battleground soon, so we need more people there.”
Hua Qing Si nodded her head, “En.”
Meng Wu Ya pressed his lips together as he felt somewhat troubled. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Palace Master, will there be any problem if we do that?”
It was justifiable to kill those who had provoked them earlier, but it was unreasonable to force those people to get involved in the battle in the Western Territory. Over the years, the Great Emperors had only enlisted people who were willing to join the war voluntarily. They had never forced anyone to participate in the Two Worlds’ Great War. Hence, Yang Kai’s action was somewhat overbearing.
“What problem will there be?” Yang Kai chuckled, “If they want to make a name for their Sects, the best way to do so is by making contributions on the battlefield. I’m just trying to grant their wish by sending them over.”
All of them were speechless at his reply. The battlefield was indeed a good place to make contributions and make a name for themselves, but the prerequisite was that they had to survive. In the past few years, even some of the Half-Saints from the Demon Realm and Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary had lost their lives, so no one could guarantee that they could remain safe in this war.
However, those people, who had been doing nothing but living a lavish lifestyle, were not worth any pity either.
Just then, Yang Kai grunted in surprise and turned to look at High Heaven Palace. The others had no idea what had happened, so they also followed his gaze.
A moment later, a beam of light shot out from the Sect and landed on the ground, which then revealed an arrogant-looking young man with a dispassionate expression. After he revealed himself, he ignored the others and only set his sights on Yang Kai.
At that instant, all of them stared vigilantly at the young man as though they were facing a formidable enemy. It couldn’t be helped, as this young man showed very clear hostility towards Yang Kai. It was as though he had come across someone he was extremely resentful of.
The young man was only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm, but his aura was even stronger than that of an ordinary Third-Order Emperor, which caused the others to wonder where this rising star was from as the way he carried himself was truly unordinary.
“Brother Yao.” Ji Ying of course could recognise him at first glance.
The young man was extremely haughty as he lifted his head and looked down at the others; however, he was still respectful of Ji Ying as he cupped his fists and replied, “Grandmaster Ji.”
“Brother Yao, why are you here?” Ji Ying asked curiously.
“I’m looking for him!” The young man pointed at Yang Kai as his expression turned cold again.
Yang Kai put on a smile and asked, “What’s wrong, Brother Yao?”
Although the others had never met this young man before, judging from what Ji Ying and Yang Kai had said, they could figure out his identity; after all, the surname Yao was indeed very rare. Perhaps there was only one Yao Family in the entire Star Boundary worthy of fame.
This young man was none other than the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor, Yao Si! Yao Jun had one son and one daughter, so he had the highest number of children among the Great Emperors. The other Great Emperors either had no children or only had one. Moreover, all their children were women, and only Yao Jun had a son.
At that moment, they finally understood why this young man had such an impressive air. That was because he was the son of a Great Emperor.
Yang Kai wasn’t close to Yao Si as they had only met a few times before. They met each other for the first time in the Shattered Star Sea, after which they didn’t come into contact with one another more than a handful of times.
Though, in a sense, it could be said that Yang Kai was closer to Yao Si’s sister, Yao Lin. Her attitude was that of a typical spoiled Young Lady, and she had suffered some setbacks when dealing with Yang Kai before. Previously, when she, Lan Xun, and Gao Zhan were captured, it was Yang Kai who had gone out to save them. It was during the same incident that Yu Ru Meng pretended to be Li Shi Qing and planted her Heart Seal in Yang Kai, which signalled the beginning of the Two Worlds’ Great War.
Since they were not close to each other, Yang Kai had no idea why Yao Si was looking for him. Nevertheless, he didn’t feel pressured at all. One of his women was a Demon Saint, so he didn’t think the mere son of a Great Emperor was worthy of note.
“I am here to deliver the Great Emperors’ order. Yang Kai, prepare to accept it now!” Yao Si suddenly lifted his hand and a jade plate appeared in his grip which shone brightly under the sun, exuding the Great Emperors’ aura, which caused everyone to be unable to look at it directly.
All present had their expressions change. Yang Kai had just killed an Emperor Realm Master who had come over to make a fuss and revealed his Demon Qi. He had also ordered the reopening of High Heaven Palace; however, the Great Emperors had sent orders so soon, which caused them to become anxious. They wondered if word had gotten out, which was why the Great Emperors had decided to deal with Yang Kai.
The other matters weren’t of much consequence. The main problem was that it was hard for Yang Kai to explain the Demon Qi within his body. The sight of his figure engulfed in Demon Qi was too similar to that of those from the Demon Heavenly Dao, who were a vile group of people everyone in the Star Boundary hated to the bones.
The only person who seemed to be taking pleasure in Yang Kai’s misfortune was Zhou Cheng, whose face was originally pale. Earlier, when Yang Kai reprimanded him but didn’t do anything to him in the end, he thought that Yang Kai actually felt diffident, which was why he had raced after him to press the issue of Xia Ning Chang. Seeing Yang Kai release his Demon Qi and directly kill an Emperor Realm Master, however, he then realised that Yang Kai was a ruthless character, not nearly as laid-back as he had presumed. When Li Kai Shan was killed, Zhou Cheng was astounded and thought that he had just escaped from death’s door without knowing it.
Yang Kai was stone-hearted enough to kill someone who was there to simply make a scene, so what needed to be said about Zhou Cheng who was clearly coveting his woman?
Initially, Zhou Cheng decided to stop pursuing this matter. He would apologise to Yang Kai at a later time and resolve the grudges between them; however, he didn’t expect that things would have taken a new turn as the Great Emperors’ order had arrived.
It was said that what goes around comes around, and it was now time for Yang Kai to repent for his misdeeds. At that instant, Zhou Cheng was elated as he thought that Yang Kai was doomed.
No matter how powerful Yang Kai was, his life wouldn’t be spared if the Great Emperors wanted to deal with him.
With the jade plate in Yao Si’s hand, all bowed their heads low and waited for the order to be announced, including Yang Kai.
Yao Si curved his lips into a sneer. Initially, he wasn’t the one who was responsible for making this announcement; after all, anyone could have done it, so a Great Emperor’s son didn’t have to personally come. However, he had decided to take on the task because he wanted to see Yang Kai showing respect to him. Although Yang Kai’s respect was directed at the Great Emperors, not him, he still hung his head.
When all of them were prepared, Yao Si said, “This is the Great Emperors’ order. The Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, has ventured into the Demon Realm to obtain vital information on the enemy at great risk to his own life and reputation, rendering the highest of services to the Star Boundary. From today onwards, High Heaven Palace will no longer be sealed and its members no longer subjected to restriction.”
Yao Si’s voice wasn’t loud, but he had infused it with his Emperor Qi to make sure that everyone in High Heaven Palace could hear him.
After a moment of silence, everyone in High Heaven Palace broke into a commotion.
The people around Yang Kai were pleasantly surprised.
When Yang Kai said that he had met the Great Emperors, they didn’t doubt him. Since he was able to return safely after meeting the Great Emperors, it meant that he had cleared his name, and he was no longer regarded as a traitor.
However, no one could have expected that the Great Emperors would issue an order to clear things up for Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace.
Certainly, those from High Heaven Palace wouldn’t doubt what Yang Kai had said, but outsiders might not believe him. After all, Yang Kai couldn’t provide any evidence. Nevertheless, since the Great Emperors had issued a proclamation, his name has finally been cleared.
Instead of being a traitor of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai had actually made a huge contribution by venturing into the Demon Realm to gather information on the enemy!
Since the Great Emperors had said so, no one would dare to doubt anything. The Palace Master had turned from a traitor to an undercover agent who had made significant contributions to the Star Boundary, and the Sect could finally get rid of the accusation that it was an evil Sect. The change took place so quickly that all the disciples of High Heaven Place felt the emotions in their hearts undulating. All of them were cheering as they were proud to have a Palace Master like him, and their years of forbearance finally paid off.
However, there was more to come.
Yao Si went on to say, “The Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, Yang Kai, will be appointed to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He is charged with recruiting soldiers for the Sixty-First Army and preparing all necessary resources on his own. If there are any objections, he can head to Seven Mists Sea and report them to Supreme Commander Li!”
Yang Kai stared at Yao Si and blinked, thinking that he had heard wrong. Besides him, the others were also dumbfounded as they gasped and held their breaths.
There were presently fifty four armies in the Star Boundary that were named in accordance with the Heavenly Stem and Earth Branch philosophy. The new Sixty-First Army was supposed to be the Fifty-Fifth army. When Yang Kai was escorting Fan Xin and the others some time ago, he had asked her about it, so he knew what had been going on with these armies.
As far as he knew, there were fifty four armies in the Star Boundary, with the last one being the Fifty-Fourth Army, so the next one was supposed to be the Fifty-Fifth Army, followed by Fifty-Sixth Army, Fifty-Seventh Army, Fifty-Eighth Army, Fifty-Ninth Army, Sixtieth Army, and then Sixty-First Army.
Certainly, it was alright that the Great Emperors wanted Yang Kai to build a new army, but they had skipped six groups and appointed him to be the commander of the Sixty-First Army, which was no ordinary number.
Of all the fifty four armies, those that bore the title ‘First’ were all led by Pseudo-Great Emperors. That was because the ‘First’ was the beginning of the Earthly Branch. All the Army Commanders of such groups worked directly under Li Wu Yi, and they had to supervise the other groups that fell under the Heavenly Stem.
In other words, the Army Commanders whose groups bore the number ‘First’ were the supervisors of those Army Commanders whose groups fell under the Heavenly Stem. Therefore, if there were Sixty-Second Army, Sixty-Third Army, Sixty-Fourth Army and so on, Yang Kai could supervise those Army Commanders. As long as the interests of the Star Boundary were not harmed, the Army Commanders of those groups had to unconditionally obey Yang Kai.
Hence, all the groups with the ‘First’ title were led by powerful Pseudo-Great Emperors, because Third-Order Emperors did not have the necessary prestige to make others of equal strength obey them.
Of all the fifty four armies in the Star Boundary presently, there were only five groups with the ‘First’ title. These five Army Commanders were the strongest Pseudo-Great Emperors, including Li Wu Yi and Yang Yan.
That was the reason Yang Kai and the others were shocked.
The Great Emperors had given compensation to Yang Kai by issuing an order to clear the name for his Sect and him, but this appointment went to show how much they valued him.
While Yang Kai was stunned, he also wondered why the Great Emperors wanted him to build an army. When he was in Seven Mists Sea, he had told them that he was going to attend to some matters, so he basically had no time to build an army. Furthermore, Yu Ru Meng, Bei Li Mo, and Chang Tian were already in the Star Boundary, and they had countless top cultivators who worked for them. The Two Worlds’ Passage had been sealed off by Yang Kai, which cut off support for the Demons, while the armies in the Star Boundary were ready to strike. Considering all that, it was just a matter of time before the Demons were subdued, so what was the point of creating another army?
Nevertheless, the Great Emperors must have a reason for making this decision. Although Yang Kai didn’t understand it, he could only suppress his doubt for the time being. When he was free, he would visit Li Wu Yi and ask him about it. He could also have a talk with Zhan Wu Hen as they had matching Space Beacons, so they could communicate with each other easily.
“Yang Kai, why are you not accepting the order yet?” Yao Si bellowed with a disdainful expression. He was pleased that Yang Kai was showing respect to him, but he hated the fact that the latter had obtained such benefits.
“High Heaven Palace’s Yang Kai, accepts the Great Emperor’s order!” Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only shout and respectfully walk over to take the jade plate. Following that, the jade plate shone and contorted before it turned into an imposing-looking Command Token, on which ‘Sixty-First’ was engraved.
This was supposed to be the token of an Army Commander. Not only was it a symbol of status, but it also contained a sealed Divine Ability of a Great Emperor. It wasn’t certain how powerful this ability was, but there was no doubt that no Half-Saints or Pseudo-Great Emperors would be able to counter it. It could be said that this was a safety charm that could save the owner’s life at a critical moment.
All the Army Commanders were important figures. If one of them lost their life on the battlefield, their army would fall apart. Hence, the Great Emperors had personally forged these tokens and infused different Divine Abilities into them.
The Great Emperors and the Demon Saints had come to an agreement that they wouldn’t appear on the battlefield, but this kind of thing wasn’t part of the agreement.
“Palace Master, congratulations on becoming the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. From now on, all Demons will tremble wherever the Sixty-First Army goes,” Hua Qing Si said with a smile.
After that, everyone around them started congratulating him as well. At that moment, Zhou Cheng’s face turned pale as there was no punishment or inquisition against Yang Kai as he had anticipated.
Not only had the Great Emperors ordered the reopening of High Heaven Palace and cleared Yang Kai and his Sect’s name, they had also appointed him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He had basically earned the highest honour.
The Ancestral Founder of Ice Heart Valley in the Northern Territory, Bing Yun, was a Pseudo-Great Emperor, but she was only the Army Commander of the Thirty-Fifth Army. Although both of them were Army Commanders, the Thirty-Fifth Army’s status was undoubtedly lower than that of the Sixty-First Army.
At this moment, Zhou Cheng was so anxious and embarrassed that he couldn’t wait to dig a hole in the ground and bury himself in it. The corpses of Li Kai Shan and the Dao Source Realm Masters were still lying nearby, and Zhou Cheng couldn’t help worrying that he would be joining them soon.
Taking a glance over at Yang Kai, however, he secretly heaved a sigh of relief. That was because Yang Kai wasn’t paying him any attention at all. He was speaking to someone beside him with a smile. Zhou Cheng realised that his ears were buzzing and his head was heavy. Despite the close distance, he couldn’t clearly hear what Yang Kai was saying.
“Palace Master, why don’t we just enlist the people from those Sects into the Sixty-First Army? If they become your subordinates, you can educate and discipline them however you want.” Hua Qing Si suggested with a smile.
Just now, Yang Kai had told her to bring some people to storm into the Sects of those who had provoked High Heaven Palace before and send all those at or above the Origin King Realm to the Western Territory. However, she hadn’t expected to hear such an announcement. If they wanted to build the Sixty-First Army, they needed a lot of manpower. Regardless of the temperament of those people, there were still Dao Source Realm Masters and even had Emperor Realm Masters among them; thus, it would be beneficial to take them into the Sixty-First Army.
Yang Kai lifted his hand and replied, “I’m just giving them a second chance by sending them to the Western Territory, what is this talk of education and discipling? The population of the Star Boundary is much smaller than that of the Demon Realm. Since the two Great Worlds are at war, anyone who can go to the battlefield is valuable.” He paused for a moment, “However, if they work under me, I can try to protect them so that they won’t lose their lives so soon on the battlefield. En, just tell them to join the Sixty-First Army.”
Hua Qing Si nodded gently, “Yes!”
She curved her lips into a smile and tried to suppress her laughter.
Then, Yang Kai turned to look at Yao Si and said with a smile, “Brother Yao, many thanks for coming all this way. Since you’re here, why don’t you come in and have a chat with me?”
A dispassionate Yao Si looked up at the sky and replied calmly, “There’s no need for that. Besides announcing the Great Emperors’ order, I have a request for you.”
In a good mood, Yang Kai nodded with a laugh, “Brother Yao, please speak freely. I won’t reject you if I’m able to do it.”
He didn’t really mean what he said of course. Although Yao Si was a Great Emperor’s Son, they couldn’t even be regarded as friends, so certainly Yang Kai wouldn’t really fulfil his request. Moreover, Yao Si was a haughty man, so his request would undoubtedly be an awkward one.
Without beating around the bush, Yao Si lowered his gaze and said, “Fight with me!”
“Huh?” Yang Kai was startled for a moment. Although he had speculated that Yao Si’s request would be difficult, he hadn’t expected that this was what the latter wanted. He couldn’t help but size him up and thought that the latter must be out of his mind, as there were no grudges between them.
Yao Si went on to say, “I only have one sister, and I treasure her.”
Despite his brief explanation, Yang Kai understood what he meant.
It seemed that Yao Si was determined to take revenge for his little sister. When Yang Kai and Yao Lin came across each other for the first time outside the Ancient Wild Lands, she had suffered a big setback. At that time, Yang Kai almost killed her, and if it wasn’t because Serene Soul Great Emperor had used Soul Descend, she would have lost her life.
Although he didn’t manage to kill her, Yang Kai had indeed directed murderous intent at her.
Looking at it from a different perspective, if someone had directed murderous intent against Yang Xue, whether or not that person had taken action, Yang Kai would never let him off. After all, Yang Kai had only one little sister, one who was still quite young.
Hence, he could understand what was on Yao Si’s mind. After a nod, he said, “You don’t have to thank me. I just happened to save your sister, it was the least I could do.”
Yao Si stared coldly at him as the muscles on his face twitched,
A smiling Yang Kai asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Stop feigning ignorance!” Yao Si was born aloof, and he wasn’t good at expressing himself. Furthermore, what Yang Kai had said was an irrefutable truth. In that case, he decided to directly make a move. After he finished speaking, he leaped into the air and did a somersault. As he fell, he attempted to land a fist on Yang Kai.
The power of his fist seemed able to make the world turn pale; after all, he was a Great Emperor’s son, so although his cultivation wasn’t that high, his strength was far above average for his realm. Most of the people at the scene grunted as though the fist was directed at themselves instead of Yang Kai. They secretly asked themselves whether they would be able to parry the attack if it was aimed at them.
Most of them wouldn’t be able to counter it, and all they could do was wait for death.
An unfazed Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and looked up at Yao Si.
Right then, Zhu Qing’s red hair flapped in the air as she shot forward and countered him with a fist.
The sound of something breaking through the air was heard as Yao Si, who was still ten metres away, grunted and flew backwards until he disappeared.
Yang Kai pressed his hand against the pillar of a pergola and looked into the distance. Feeling sorry for Yao Si, he said, “Why did he even bother to challenge me?”
Zhu Qing was a Ninth-Order Dragon who was born with immense power, so even a Half-Saint might not be a match for her, let alone Yao Si, who was only in the Second-Order Emperor Realm. She didn’t use her full strength just now of course as she had only sent him flying backwards. After all, he was a Great Emperor’s son, so if he was injured or even killed, they would have a hard time explaining themselves to Serene Soul Great Emperor.
Soon, Yao Si was seen coming back at full speed. With a dark expression, he bellowed, “You are the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace who is famous across the Star Boundary, so how could you allow a woman to protect you? Do you not have the courage to fight me? If that’s the case, I am deeply disappointed in you.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You’re no match for me, so what’s the point of bullying you?”
Yao Si refuted, “How are you so sure I’m no match for you when we have never fought? Don’t think you’re more powerful than I am just because you’re a Minor Realm above me. I am Yao Si, I am different from those nobodies you’ve come across.”
Yang Kai shot him a look with a weird expression, “Are you really that eager to fight? In that case, you should go to the Western Territory, you can fight there however much you want.”
Yao Si snorted, “Since the Two Worlds’ Great War broke out, I have been on the front lines battling against our enemies, and more than five High-Rank Demon Kings have been killed by me.” He put on an arrogant expression. A High-Rank Demon King was equivalent to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. Since he was able to kill a High-Rank Demon King, logically he would be able to do the same to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master.
After that, he yelled, “I’ll ask you one more time. Will you fight with me?”
Yang Kai replied after a sigh, “What’s the point of fighting when there are no benefits?”
“You want benefits?” A glint flashed across Yao Si’s eyes as he sneered, “Alright, I’ll give you a benefit. If I lose today, my life will belong to you.”
Yang Kai stared flatly and replied, “What would I need your life for?”
Ignoring him, Yao Si went on to say, “If you lose, I don’t want your life, but you have to give up the position of the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army!” Upon finishing his words, he grinned meaningfully.
Yang Kai’s expression appeared awkward, “You want to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army? Fine, I’ll just tell the Great Emperors about it and ask them to change their order.”
Although the Great Emperors valued him and wanted to compensate for his losses by appointing him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, Yang Kai really wasn’t interested. He still had a lot of matters to attend to, so he didn’t have the time to build an army. Even if he managed to do so, he had to lead the army to destroy the enemy and invade their territories, which would be difficult tasks for him.
He would rather work under other more powerful people and just follow orders than be responsible for the lives of millions of soldiers. The position of Army Commander might sound glorious, but every order he gave would affect the life or death of countless people.
Yao Si snorted, “If I want anything, I’ll earn it for myself. I don’t need you to speak on my behalf.”
Yang Kai replied with a frown, “So what if you’re able to defeat me? Are you sure you can persuade the Great Emperors to let you take on this position?” It would be ridiculous if the Great Emperors’ order could be changed so easily.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Yao Si said dispassionately.
Yang Kai scowled and recalled what Yao Si had said earlier, then he realised that this was the latter’s true intention for coming to High Heaven Palace.
It was indeed the truth. Yao Si took up this task and came all the way to High Heaven Palace for two reasons. Firstly, he really did want to take revenge for his sister, Yao Lin. Secondly, he wanted the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army for himself.
It wasn’t that he was blinded by greed, but due to his origins, he wanted to fight for a chance to become the Army Commander of this particular army.
Most of the ten Great Emperors in the Star Boundary didn’t have children, and for those who did, they all had daughters. Only Serene Soul Great Emperor Yao Jun had a son and a daughter. In other words, Yao Si could be said to be the leader among the younger generation of the Star Boundary.
As a Great Emperor’s son, he had been doing quite well. Although he hadn’t cultivated for a long time, he had already reached the Second-Order Emperor Realm, and given enough time, even if he couldn’t reach the same heights as Serene Soul Great Emperor, he could become a Pseudo-Great Emperor. If the opportunity fell upon him, he might even be able to comprehend the Heavenly Way and become a Great Emperor.
So far, all the Army Commanders of the fifty-four armies were Third-Order Emperors from the older generation. The younger generation didn’t have the chance to hold any of these high positions yet. Firstly, their cultivation wasn’t good enough. Secondly, they were less experienced. The position of Army Commander was important, so no one would comfortably entrust a young person with this position.
Yao Si wanted to be the first, and he must be the first not for himself but for Serene Soul Palace and his father, Serene Soul Great Emperor!
He had been battling against the Demons on the battlefield to train himself and accumulate contributions. As a result, he had been promoted several times, and he was now a Deputy Army Commander, which was just one step away from his goal.
He didn’t even need another year to achieve his objective. It would just take him half a year before he would have the right to become an Army Commander. By then, he would have a chance to prove his worth to everyone in the Star Boundary. He would show them that his power did not come from his background, but rather from his own hard work.
However, he hadn’t expected that just when his wish was about to come true, Yang Kai would return and become an Army Commander before he could.
It wouldn’t matter if Yang Kai was going to become any other Army Commander, the crux of the matter was that he was going to lead the Sixty-First Army, which was the beginning of the Earthly Branch.
It wasn’t easy to build an army. First of all, one had to recruit enough people. Although there were still many cultivators that hadn’t been enlisted, it was hard for them to create more armies. Even if Yao Si was able to become the Army Commander of the next new group, which was the Fifty-Fifth Army, he would still be less influential than the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army.
There was no room for negotiation unless he could snatch that position from Yang Kai. That was why he had come all the way here to challenge Yang Kai to fight with him, but before he could, he was sent flying by Zhu Qing. That was the reason he was incensed.
After a nod, Yang Kai said, “Does that mean that if you defeat me, the Sixty-First Army will go to you?”
“Enough nonsense! Are you going to fight with me or not?”
“Good good!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly with an elated expression. Remaining on the same spot, he beckoned to Yao Si, “If you insist, this King will grant your wish. Make your move!”
He had decided that as soon as Yao Si made a move, he would quickly admit defeat. To him, the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army wasn’t as important. Moreover, he didn’t have the time to manage an army. If he could pass this burden to Yao Si, he would be more than willing to do so.
Although Yao Si was indeed one realm lower than him, there was no doubt that he was powerful. He had grown up in Serene Soul Palace, and he had been involved in the war for several years, so he was familiar with the situation on the battlefield. Hence, he was more suited to being an Army Commander.
Yao Si narrowed his eyes and realised that Yang Kai intended to give in. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t mind it if he could win the battle without doing anything. It was Yang Kai’s choice not to resist. To Yao Si, he just wanted to defeat Yang Kai, the process wasn’t important. That was because he firmly believed that even if Yang Kai used his full strength, the latter still wouldn’t be a match for him. He was confident in himself because he was Yao Si, the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor.
With that said, he still took a look at Zhu Qing, who was standing beside Yang Kai. He had no regard for other people, but he was wary of this grumpy Fire Dragon.
A smiling Yang Kai said, “Qing’er, please stand aside.”
Zhu Qing shot a glare at Yao Si before backing down without saying a word.
With no more hindrance in front of him, Yao Si hesitated no more and shot forward. As his Emperor Qi undulated, he prepared his Divine Ability. However Yang Kai would deal with him, Yao Si had decided that he would go all out from the start!
Right then, he suddenly sensed someone using their Divine Sense to speak to Yang Kai. He made an effort to take a look over and saw a woman he recognised as the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si.
It wasn’t certain what she had told Yang Kai, but after being startled for a moment, his gaze brightened.
Then, a very dangerous aura enveloped Yao Si. The next moment, a figure abruptly appeared before his eyes, their faces almost coming into contact with one another.
An astounded Yao Si realised that Yang Kai had used a Space Secret Technique and quickly responded with the Divine Ability that he had prepared.
As the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor, he had learned much from his Father since young, and he was an expert in Spiritual Energy. His most powerful methods were actually Soul Secret Techniques. As his Divine Sense rose up like a tidal wave, his very pure Spiritual Energy transformed into nine hundred and ninety-nine miniature swords before they broke through the defence of Yang Kai’s Divine Sense and penetrated his Knowledge Sea.
Anyone else wouldn’t have dared to use such a move in such a situation. That was because this violent move could potentially kill the other party. There was no blood feud between Yang Kai and him, so there was no reason for him to do so; however, since he had decided to use this move, Yao Si was confident about his control. Even though the nine hundred and ninety-nine mini swords had penetrated Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, he could still control them and make sure that the latter’s life wouldn’t be at risk.
Then, he put on a sneer. He knew that Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space, so it would be troublesome if Yang Kai decided to evade his attacks. However, Yang Kai just recklessly appeared right in front of him, so it could be said that he was far too presumptuous.
After the nine hundred and ninety-nine miniature swords entered Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, however, the expression on Yao Si’s face changed drastically. That was because, at that instant, he realised that he had lost contact with his Divine Sense swords. He was so shocked that he fell into a dazed state, and just then, a white lotus suddenly started blooming in front of his eyes.
The world seemed to be filled with this lotus. He had fallen into the stamen of the flower and was unable to escape from it. The petals slowly folded and sealed him inside it. He realised that he wasn’t able to flee no matter how hard he tried. There was nothing he could do as he watched the lotus trapping him.
The world around him was pitch-black now as he couldn’t see anything. Even his senses had been blocked as he was engulfed in a sense of isolation. It seemed that he would be trapped in this sealed world for tens of thousands of years, possibly even forever.
Right then, he felt his eyelids close and his consciousness blur and despite his great strength, he was unable to resist the urge to sleep.
A flabbergasted Yao Si realised that he had fallen into a trap. Both shocked and exasperated, he bit his tongue in an attempt to restore his consciousness by experiencing a sharp pain. Despite the pain he felt though, there was no taste of blood in his mouth. At that instant, he was dumbfounded.
Since he couldn’t taste any blood, it meant that he was not currently a physical being.
[Am I a Soul Avatar now?]
If he hadn’t bitten his tongue, he wouldn’t have realised it.
The son of Serene Soul wasn’t even aware that a Soul Secret Technique had been used on him. When that thought flashed across his mind, he completely lost his composure.
When the Soul Warming Lotus evolved in the past, Yang Kai was suddenly enlightened and obtained a Secret Technique. This Secret Technique was strange and inscrutable, making it difficult for any enemy to guard against it. Paired with Yang Kai’s powerful Soul cultivation, he could easily catch the enemy off guard and gain the upper hand. He called this technique ‘Blossoming Lotus’.
When he used Blossoming Lotus, the budding white flower would penetrate the enemy’s Knowledge Sea and devour their Spiritual Energy, using it to further bloom. Many years had passed, but Yang Kai still used this Soul Secret Techniques frequently. Other than this and the Heaven Severing Slash, Yang Kai did not cultivate many other Soul Secret Techniques.
After all, he wouldn’t want to be the jack of all trades and Master of none. He just needed a few Soul Secret Techniques.
However, after he slept with Yu Ru Meng and saw his Soul cultivation surging, he realised that there had been a transformation in his Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. A new Soul Secret Technique has been developed! The Sealed Lotus!
It was unlike Blossoming Lotus, and it could even be said to be an entirely different Soul Secret Technique.
When he used Blossoming Lotus, the enemy’s vision would be filled with a budding flower. When the flower bloomed, it meant that the enemy’s Spiritual Energy was leaving his body quickly.
However, when Yang Kai used Sealed Lotus, the fully bloomed pure white flower would wrap the enemy’s Soul inside of itself. After the flower petals closed, the enemy’s Soul would be sealed off within the lotus, and its connection with the body would be cut off.
If anybody wanted to survive, move around, or even talk, his Soul and body had to be united. However, Sealed Lotus was able to separate Soul and body. When the connection was cut off, the body was just a living corpse without the ability to think or act. No matter how powerful a person was, he wouldn’t be able to use any strength in such a situation.
It was exactly the situation Yao Si was in currently.
The space around him had been sealed off, and he couldn’t see any light at all. Besides that, he also lost all his senses. Before he nodded off, an idea sprang into his mind, which made him furious. [Deceitful bastard! I actually fell for his trap!]
He couldn’t be blamed for having this kind of thought. When he was about to make a move just now, Yang Kai appeared ready to admit defeat as soon as he pounced on him. Yang Kai also hinted that he was willing to give up the position of Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. However, when Yao Si really made a move, Yang Kai revealed his true colours and played a dirty trick on him.
At that instant, he was completely resentful of Yang Kai.
Before coming to High Heaven Palace, he had looked for his Father, Serene Soul Great Emperor, and asked him about Yang Kai’s appointment as Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. He also asked the Great Emperor whether Yang Kai or he was the stronger one.
The Great Emperor didn’t even spare him a look and replied that he was no match.
The unresigned Yao Si took the Great Emperors’ order and headed to High Heaven Palace to challenge Yang Kai to a fight. However, he had never expected that he would end up in such a miserable state.
At this moment, he became even more unwilling. If he had a fair fight with Yang Kai, it was hard to tell who would emerge as the winner; however, he hated the fact that Yang Kai won the battle by using dirty tricks. Despite his resentment though, he had no choice but to fall asleep.
The battle was paved with danger for Yao Si, but it was just a short moment for the onlookers.
When Yao Si shot forward earlier, Yang Kai directly confronted him. After they were about to come to blows, both of them suddenly stood still, silently staring at each other. Since Yao Si was facing the crowd, they could see that the light in his eyes slowly faded away and then became hollow as he was rooted to the spot.
On the other hand, Yang Kai slowly turned around and heaved a sigh before clapping the other person’s shoulder. It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai’s afterimage, which was on his previous spot, faded.
All of them stared at Yang Kai with awkward expressions, Ling Tai Xu asking with a frown, “Is he alright?”
Yao Si’s overbearing demeanour gave the others an unfavourable impression; however, there were no grudges between High Heaven Palace and Yao Si, and he was a Great Emperor’s son, so they really didn’t want to harm him.
“He’s fine. He’s just asleep,” Yang Kai replied.
[He’s asleep?] Everyone traded glances and saw the shock behind each other’s gazes.
Although the battle between Yang Kai and Yao Si lasted only a moment, the fluctuations of Divine Sense that burst out from them could be clearly felt. Thinking back, they realised that it was a battle between their Souls.
In the end, one of them was fine while the other had fallen asleep. The one who was fine was Yang Kai, and Yao Si was the one who had slumbered off.
These people wouldn’t be too surprised if such an incident befell any other Second-Order Emperor Realm Master; however, this person was the son of Serene Soul Great Emperor. Yao Si had received the Great Emperor’s training since birth; he was also the leader among the younger generation!
How powerful must Yang Kai have been to be able to achieve such a feat so quickly and silently? They couldn’t wrap their heads around it, and they wouldn’t even dare to think about it.
Whatever the case, most people at the scene shared the same thought as Yao Si. Earlier, Yang Kai showed the intention of giving up, so why would he flare up at the last moment? They were certain that it had something to do with Hua Qing Si’s secret message to Yang Kai just now; after all, he only became combative after hearing whatever Hua Qing Si said.
They would only find out by asking Hua Qing Si about it at a later time.
“He’ll wake up after a stick of incense. Sister Hua, please take care of him for the time being. When he awakens, please help him realise the situation he’s in. Haha. This is getting interesting,” As Yang Kai spoke, he chuckled and shook his head as though he could barely contain his excitement.
Hua Qing Si pressed her lips together and smiled, “Don’t worry, Palace Master. I’ll make sure he understands everything.”
Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fists at the people around him, “I’ve left for many years, so I have many things to attend to now. I’ll take my leave. Seniors, I’ll visit you at a later date.”
Before the others could say a word, Yang Kai spread his arms like great wings and pulled Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Shan Qing Luo, Xue Yue, and Zhu Qing towards himself. After that, he led them towards High Heaven Palace as though he was herding sheep.
It was apparent that he wasn’t going to attend to work. He was just going to ‘catch up’ with his wives.
Upon seeing this, the Seniors smiled helplessly and shook their heads. Only Meng Wu Ya sported a face so long it was as if someone owed him a few million Source Crystals.
The turn of events happened so quickly that Su Yan and the others were still in a dazed state. When they came to their senses, they immediately realised Yang Kai’s intentions. However, they were now under broad daylight and there were many Seniors around, so all of their faces had reddened. They were slightly reluctant when they were pushed forward by Yang Kai.
After taking a few steps forward, Yang Kai suddenly recalled something as he whirled around and stared at Ji Ying and the others, “Grandmaster Zhou, you wanted me to make a decision just now, right? What kind of decision do you want me to make?”
Zhou Cheng was hiding behind Ji Ying, but it seemed that Yang Kai had no intention of letting him off so easily. Upon hearing that, Zhou Cheng staggered and almost passed out. Fortunately, Ji Ying secretly circulated his Emperor Qi and supported his weight so that he didn’t completely embarrass himself in front of so many people.
Since Yang Kai had directly called out to him, it would be inappropriate if he didn’t respond, so with his head lowered, Zhou Cheng replied anxiously, “This Zhou made impertinent comments. Please forgive me, Palace Master Yang!”
When he saw Yang Kai transform into a ‘Demon’ and kill Li Kai Shan just now, he realised that Yang Kai was no ordinary Emperor Realm Master. He really had the guts to kill, and he wouldn’t care about repercussions.
After that, the Great Emperors issued an order to clear Yang Kai and High Heaven Palace’s name. They had also appointed him to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army; hence, Zhou Cheng wouldn’t dare to make a fuss again.
The reason he could make a scene earlier was that Yang Kai was a ‘Demon’. Now that Yang Kai was a hero, his previous accusations were laughable.
Yang Kai shot him a look, and upon seeing that the latter appeared terrified, he said nothing. Then, he pushed his Demon Qi and engulfed his wives before flying towards High Heaven Peak. Inside the black cloud, Xia Ning Chang could be heard exclaiming.
After he left, the crowd slowly began dispersing. Before Meng Wu Ya left though, he snorted at Zhou Cheng and swung his sleeve.
Ji Ying frowned and remained silent for a long time before he sighed, “Zhou Cheng, you should go to Seven Mists Sea. We have enough people in High Heaven Palace at the moment. I’ve heard that Supreme Commander Li needs more manpower.”
Zhou Cheng stared at him and parted his lips in an attempt to say something. Apparently, he was reluctant to go.
He couldn’t be blamed. Although it was considered safe in Seven Mists Sea, it was nowhere near as secure as High Heaven Palace, which was the logistics centre for the entire Star Boundary. He had heard that sometimes the Alchemists in Seven Mists Sea had to follow the armies to the battlefield. In that case, they were at risk of losing their lives.
Before he could say anything, Ji Ying said, “Yang Kai is a petty man who would seek revenge for the slightest grievance he has suffered. Since you’ve offended him, there’s no way he’ll let you off. Now that he’s the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, you’ll only end up being drafted if you remain here. Do you want to follow the Sixty-First Army to battle against the enemy? If you’re willing to do so, you are free to remain.”
Zhou Cheng’s expression changed as he cupped his fists, “This Zhou will heed Grandmaster Ji’s advice.”
It was then Ji Ying bowed his head, “Don’t worry. It’s pretty safe in Seven Mists Sea as well.” After he finished speaking, he led the other Alchemists back towards Medicine Pill Peak. At the same time, a tinge of glee flashed across his eyes. Yang Kai had ruined his Heaven and Earth Revolutions Pills, but he couldn’t do anything to him; however, he was free to slander Yang Kai by saying that he was a petty man who would seek revenge for the slightest grievance.
Nevertheless, after the incident on this day, Zhou Cheng really couldn’t stay in High Heaven Palace any longer. Should he remain here, even if Yang Kai didn’t settle accounts with him, Meng Wu Ya wouldn’t let him off. Meng Wu Ya’s attitude before he left said it all.
In just a short moment, only Yao Si, whose Soul and body had been separated by the Sealed Lotus Technique, and the Head Manager and Second Manager of High Heaven Palace were left outside the Main Gate.
Bian Yu Qing couldn’t bear to see the mess outside the mountain, so after she gathered all the corpses together in one place, she brought them to a faraway place and tossed them away.
When she returned, she took a look at Yao Si and asked, “Hasn’t he awakened?”
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “Since the Palace Master has said it’ll take an incense stick for him to awaken, it must be true. He should wake up soon.”
After a nod, Bian Yu Qing looked up at the sky and narrowed her eyes, “The weather is lovely today.”
Hua Qing Si replied, “You’re right. It really is lovely.”
Yang Kai’s return to the palace, the Great Emperors’ order, the reopening of High Heaven Palace, the appointment as Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army… The series of events on this day overwhelmed all of them, but all of it was extremely good news.
It wasn’t just double happiness for them on this day. In fact, it was triple happiness. If they included Yao Si, then it was quadruple happiness. That was why Hua Qing Si was over the moon.
“Sister Hua, what did you tell Palace Master just now?” Bian Yu Qing asked curiously. She wasn’t the only one who was curious about it. Everyone else wanted to find out, but she was the first to ask this question.
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “Two things.”
“Two things?” Bian Yu Qing knitted her brows together.
Hua Qing Si put on a faint smile, “First of all, no matter who will be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, at least twenty thousand disciples from High Heaven Palace will join it. Since that is the case, Palace Master should have full control over the army rather than entrusting the lives of the disciples to someone else. The disciples will be more willing to follow Palace Master to destroy the enemy than any other person.”
Upon hearing that, Bian Yu Qing nodded in agreement. The Great Emperors had ordered Yang Kai to be the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army. However, he had to recruit people and prepare supplies on his own. The supplies were not an issue as they had accumulated unfathomable amounts of wealth and supplies in High Heaven Palace over the years. Nevertheless, they would have to let twenty thousand disciples join the army to make sure that there were sufficient people.
Rather than letting twenty thousand disciples obey the orders of someone else, Yang Kai should take matters into his own hands. When they went to war with the Demons on the battlefield in the future, Yang Kai would be in a position where he could take special care of the disciples from High Heaven Palace, though he should be impartial.
It could be said that the first point Hua Qing Si had told Yang Kai was enough to make him take the position of Army Commander seriously. He wasn’t interested in the position, and he didn’t want to accept the order; however, despite his disinterest, he had to adapt to the current circumstances.
Furthermore, Hua Qing Si had another reason to persuade him.
“What about the second reason?” Bian Yu Qing asked.
“The second reason was that, if Yao Si was defeated by Palace Master, according to his own words, his life would belong to Palace Master. As a Great Emperor’s son, he wouldn’t go back on his word. Since Palace Master would have ownership of his life now, he could simply order Yao Si to manage the Sixty-First Army on his behalf.”
It was then that Bian Yu Qing understood what had happened, and she knew that Hua Qing Si was right. Yao Si had made a bet right in front of everyone, so he would never go back on his word. Since Yang Kai owned his life now, he had the right to order him to do anything.
It was alright that Yang Kai wasn’t willing to take on the position of Army Commander as he could just order Yao Si to do the job on his behalf, and the latter would handle all the operations within the army. Yang Kai could just stay behind the scenes and do his own things. This way, his time wouldn’t be wasted and his life wouldn’t be disturbed.
It was because Hua Qing Si had told him these two points that Yang Kai suddenly became enthusiastic. He thought that she was right as he should have full control over the Sixty-First Army. If he could also get a competent adjutant to work for him, it would be hugely beneficial.
Bian Yu Qing pressed her lips together and giggled, “Yao Si basically came to steal a chicken but lost his rice.”
Hua Qing Si replied, “It’s just that he underestimated our Palace Master.”
It wasn’t certain how Yao Si would feel if he had heard her remark; after all, from the start, he did not dare to underestimate Yang Kai. He was a Great Emperor’s son, and he was indeed a haughty and confident man. That was because he had the power to match his ego. However, since all the Great Emperors agreed to Yang Kai’s appointment as the Army Commander of the Sixty-First Army, it went to show that he was capable of holding that position.
Hence, Yao Si had never underestimated Yang Kai. Before coming to High Heaven Palace, he had even tried to evaluate Yang Kai’s power and considered that the latter could be more powerful than his own estimation.
However, it only took one move before he was defeated. It could even be said that they had just rubbed shoulders before he was knocked out. At that time, Yao Si was on full alert and had gathered all his strength, so he had never expected that he would be defeated without even the chance to fight back.
Hua Qing Si went on to say with a smile, “In fact, there are more benefits to be gained by defeating Yao Si; however, I didn’t have the time to tell Palace Master about it in detail.”
Bian Yu Qing asked curiously, “What are the other benefits?”
Hua Qing Si’s lips curved into a smile, “Think about it. If Yao Si joins the Sixty-First Army, whether or not he is willing, he will have to manage the army well. Given his status as a Great Emperor’s son, he has a unique advantage when it comes to recruiting people and collecting supplies. I’ve heard that even though the armies are united against the Demons, they’ll frequently argue over the distribution of rewards and manpower. Although Palace Master is strong and has some reputation, he’s still a member of the younger generation, and he’s closely related to many of the Army Commanders. When the time comes, it will be too embarrassing for Palace Master to argue with those Seniors. Nevertheless, it’s a different case for Yao Si. Although he’s a Junior as well, he comes from the noblest of backgrounds. Whenever we come across such thorny issues, we can just tell him to settle them. I’m sure he won’t let the Sixty-First Army be put at a disadvantage.”
She was right to say that many Army Commanders were closely related to Yang Kai. Those who were not close to Yang Kai didn’t matter; however, people like Bing Yun and Wen Zi Shan were on very good terms with him.
During the distribution of rewards, if Wen Zi Shan came over and said that he wanted seventy percent and Yang Kai would get thirty percent, Yang Kai would be put in a tight spot. What’s more, Wen Zi Shan would totally do such a thing as he was used to acting shamelessly.
When that really happened, Yang Kai would probably suffer a headache. Nevertheless, if they told Yao Si to deal with Wen Zi Shan, they would get their fair share.
Bian Yu Qing’s gaze brightened when she heard that, “Sister Hua, you’re really intelligent to have thought through these issues so deeply.”
Hua Qing Si put on a smile, “I work for Palace Master, so I have to help him solve his problems. It wouldn’t cost a thing to think a little more… hmm? He’s waking up.”
While the ladies were having a chat, Yao Si, who had been rooted to the spot, finally regained consciousness. His eyes regained their light, and the muscles on his face started twitching. He awakened exactly one incense stick worth of time after he was put to sleep.
The speed at which Yao Si awakened was quick. As soon as Hua Qing Si finished speaking, he completely came to his senses, and without any hesitation, he pushed his Emperor Qi wildly, forming a protective barrier around himself. At the same time, a mirror suddenly appeared and continuously swirled around him. The mirror was only palm-sized, but it was apparently a first-class defensive Emperor Artifact.
He still seemed to be immersed in the moment when he was having an intense battle with Yang Kai, so as soon as he awakened, he used his full strength to defend himself.
Looking around, he realised that there was no one else besides the two ladies who were smiling at him from nearby. He frowned and recalled what had happened before he was knocked out, and in an instant, his expression turned extremely dark as his back was drenched in cold sweat.
His expression was bitter because he realised that he had completely lost the battle. He was drenched in a cold sweat because he knew that in his previous state, Yang Kai could have easily killed him no matter how many lives he had.
Although he was certain that Yang Kai wouldn’t kill him, he still felt as though he had escaped from death’s door. After coming to his senses, he withdrew his Emperor Qi and stored his defensive mirror. Then he shot a glare at Hua Qing Si and asked, “Where is he?”
He didn’t care about the others as his target was only Yang Kai.
Hua Qing Si took a few steps forward and saluted him, “High Heaven Palace Head Manager Hua Qing Si greets Adjutant Yao!”
“Adjutant Yao? What are you talking about?” Despite facing an alluring lady like Hua Qing Si, Yao Si remained cold and indifferent, as he had no regard for her at all.
Hua Qing Si maintained a gentle smile as she explained, “Adjutant Yao, have you forgotten that before challenging our Palace Master you made a certain bet?”
Yao Si froze as the corner of his mouth twitched, “En, I indeed made a bet with that deceitful man. If I lost, my life would belong to him. He can end my life if he wants to!” He still thought that Yang Kai had been pretending to give in to get him to lower his guard before suddenly using a Divine Ability on him. This kind of man could only be described as deceitful.
However, he could not deny the fact that Yang Kai’s Soul cultivation was indeed beyond his imagination.
Hua Qing Si kept a faint smile on her face as she continued, “Our Palace Master has said that he will not end your life; however, since you’ve made a bet, you can’t go back on your word; otherwise, if word gets out, the reputation of Serene Soul Palace will be tarnished. On the other hand, if we just agree to forget this matter, it will appear as if we are disdaining Adjutant Yao. This is such a thorny issue.” Upon finishing her words, she shook her head as her hair flapped in the air. It was as though she really found the issue difficult to deal with.
Yao Si snorted, “He doesn’t want my life, but wants me to keep my promise. Stop beating around the bush. What benefits does he want?”
Hua Qing Si said, “What benefits could we possibly want? Although High Heaven Palace isn’t comparable to a Great Emperor’s Sect, our heritage is still quite profound. We’re able to obtain almost anything in this world that we desire, so Palace Master has never thought of reaping material gains from Adjutant Yao.”
“I’ll give you ten breaths’ time to make yourself clear; otherwise, I’ll leave.” Yao Si had no time to listen to her droning on. It was Yang Kai who didn’t want the reward, not that he didn’t want to keep his word; hence, he wouldn’t feel any pressure if he walked away.
Hua Qing Si quickly nodded, “Palace Master has said that he wants you to manage the Sixty-First Army on his behalf, and that plenary power will be given to you to make most decisions.”
When Yao Si heard this, his narrowed eyes suddenly widened as he said in a grim voice, “Is that why you’ve been calling me Adjutant Yao?”
Hua Qing Si flashed a smile at him, “Since you will be managing the army on Palace Master’s behalf, naturally, you deserve the title of Adjutant.”
“He wants me to work under him?” Yao Si’s voice sounded furious.
“Beneath one, above ten million!” Hua Qing Si looked sincerely at him as she was trying to coax him into agreeing.
“In your dreams!” Yao Si was enraged. It was already embarrassing enough for him to have lost the battle, but Yang Kai even wanted him to be his subordinate, which was intolerable. Currently, he was a Deputy Army Commander, so he was also working under an Army Commander; however, it was an appointment ordered by Li Wu Yi, so he couldn’t refuse. Nevertheless, he would rather die than become Yang Kai’s subordinate.
Upon hearing this, Hua Qing Si remained perfectly calm, the same smile never leaving her face, “Since that’s the case, we’ll just forget the whole matter. Palace Master has said that he will not force you to do anything you hate. Sir Yao, you can go back now.”
The reply surprised Yao Si as he fell into a dazed state and stared at Hua Qing Si for a long time. Upon making sure that she wasn’t just spouting nonsense, he snorted and turned around before flying towards the Space Array.
He was swift as he soon disappeared from their sight.
Bian Yu Qing parted her lips, but before she could say a word, Hua Qing Si quickly raised her hand.
Seeing this, Bian Yu Qing immediately kept her mouth shut.