Yang Kai flew forward at great speed, the surrounding scenery flashing past him in a blur, looking back from time to time, as if something dangerous was approaching from behind.
And indeed there was danger behind him. A ray of blood light was chasing closely behind him. There were two hidden figures within that blood ray, and no matter how he bobbed and weaved, the blood ray hung on his tail like maggots on rotting bones. He could not get away from them.
A distance of several hundreds of metres might seem quite far, but a Half-Saint or Pseudo-Great Emperor could cross such a gap in a breath. With the passage of time, the distance between them got closer and closer.
Space Principles flared and Yang Kai’s figure flickered before he vanished from the spot in an instant. By the time he reappeared, he had put some distance between them again; even so, he did not manage to exit the range of the blood ray’s pursuit.
A furious cry came out from the blood ray at that moment, “Yang Kai, accept your death! Even the Heavens won’t be able to save you today! This King will definitely catch you, drink your blood, and slice off your flesh piece by piece!”
Only the Half-Saints of the Blood Demon Clan could perform the incredibly fast Blood Escape Technique. Most people would not be able to escape a Blood Demon’s pursuit.
In truth, Yang Kai’s speed was inferior to the Blood Escape Technique of a Blood Demon, but with his mastery over the Dao of Space, whenever the distance between them became dangerously close, he would use Instantaneous Movement to put some distance between them. This situation had occurred many times already, so much so that the Blood Demon chasing him was about to cough up blood in annoyance.
Under normal circumstances, the Blood Demon would not have chased Yang Kai so stubbornly; after all, who did not know that Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space and was capable of coming and going like the wind? Who did not know that he had comprehended some kind of Martial Truth, which was mysterious and difficult to defend against? It would take at least three or four Half-Saints working together to deal with Yang Kai and they would still have to kill him in one decisive blow, lest he finds a chance to escape.
However, this was the Profound Heavens Temple and there were all kinds of restrictions in place. The Blood Demon had seen with his own eyes that Yang Kai could not cross great distances at once even though the latter’s Instantaneous Movement still functioned. That would give him an opportunity to catch up to Yang Kai.
What’s more, Yang Kai was clearly heavily injured. There were countless wounds all over his body and even his aura seemed a little unstable.
The Blood Demon had no idea what had happened to Yang Kai previously, but the latter clearly had not had a peaceful time over the past few days. How could he let such a good opportunity pass him by? If he could kill Yang Kai, he would be able to snatch the World’s Will from Yang Kai’s possession. That would definitely be of great help to him in the upcoming Grand Dao battle.
Since ancient times, men would die for wealth just as birds would die for food. How could the Blood Demon not be tempted with such a huge piece of fat in front of him? Furthermore, he was not alone. He had a companion. There were two figures wrapped inside the blood ray after all.
“Things will be bad if we continue like this. We can’t afford to delay any longer.” The voice of the other Demon Race Half-Saint rang out from within the blood ray.
The Blood Demon next to this person looked gloomy after hearing those words. He knew that his ally was not wrong. Their pursuit had already gone on for half a day; moreover, they had made a huge commotion during that time. It would be bad if a third party swooped in to take advantage of the situation; thus, he said quietly, “The price I have to pay to perform that Secret Technique is not small.”
The second Half-Saint replied, “You can kill him, but I’ll take the credit.”
The Blood Demon’s eyes brightened at those words, “Really!?”
“I swear in the name of Great Demon God!”
The Blood Demon heard this and cackled, “Good, good, good. I feel at ease with your words.”
The person who killed Yang Kai would be able to snatch and obtain the World’s Will. On the other hand, the person who took credit for the deed would be highly valued by the Demon Saints and receive personal guidance from them. This way, both parties would not lose out on anything.
After a brief negotiation, the Blood Demon’s expression turned solemn. He formed a set of hand seals before his scarlet eyes staring fixedly at the fleeing figure ahead. A cold light flashed across his gaze as he bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence. Accordingly, the blood ray that was not slow in the first place suddenly flared with a crimson light that covered the entire sky. The Blood Demon’s speed immediately accelerated and he shot forward like a bolt of lightning to quickly shorten the distance between them.
[It’s probably about time.] Yang Kai, who was fleeing in front, quietly thought to himself. Half a day’s pursuit had shaved off quite a lot of the other party’s energy; moreover, the opponent seemed to be using some sort of sacrificial Secret Technique, so now was the time to end this farce.
The figure rushing forward suddenly stopped in mid-air, the change from extreme movement to complete stop both abrupt yet natural.
“Huh? He stopped!” The second Half-Saint inside the blood ray was shocked to the core. He never imagined that Yang Kai would turn around so suddenly. Did he realise that he won’t be able to escape so he decided to make a last stand instead?
“You court death!” The Blood Demon’s eyes lit up and amidst his maniacal laughter, he opened his arms wide. The blood ray exploded and transformed into a boundless Blood Sea that headed straight for Yang Kai.
A Dragon Roar sounded and the Azure Dragon Spear appeared. The spear slashed out, splitting the Blood Sea in two while Yang Kai lifted the corners of his mouth slightly in a sly smile.
“Not good! It’s a trap!” The Blood Demon turned pale in shock. He instinctively felt that something was wrong and quickly retreated. On the other hand, the companion next to him had already fled to the side when Yang Kai attacked.
All of a sudden, three figures appeared beside Yang Kai, and as if they had discussed it beforehand, one of the figures gave a flick of her wrist. Three bursts of light flew out from her fair wrist, aiming straight for the Blood Demon. Meanwhile, Yang Kai and the other two figures rushed towards the other Half-Saint.
“Despicable!” At that moment, a look of grief and indignation appeared on Blood Demon’s face, as well as a deep sense of humiliation.
It was no secret that Yang Kai was in possession of the Sealed World Bead that could contain living creatures inside. Not to mention, the Blood Demon’s other companion had warned him to be wary of this point while they were pursuing Yang Kai. It was just that Yang Kai had been running away for so long already. Seeing as Yang Kai had not called out any helpers, the two Demon Race Half-Saints naturally assumed that he was all alone. Who could have known that Yang Kai would actually call out helpers at this moment? Moreover, three at once!
Yang Kai had acted weak by fleeing for half a day, which just went to show how vicious he was. He clearly intended to kill the two Half-Saints in this place which was why he had been holding back until the time was right to strike.
In a two against four, there was no way the Half-Saints could defeat their opponents even if they were in peak condition. What’s more, the Blood Demon had just used a Secret Technique that damaged his own Blood Essence.
Regret washed over the Blood Demon’s heart. All he wanted to do right now was run as far as possible. As for his companion, he had no time to care so much about him. A woman had shot out three bursts of fire light that transformed into three large rings of flame that wrapped around him tightly, however. These rings of flame sealed off the world around him and cut off all his hopes of fleeing.
“Yang Yan!” The Blood Demon growled. After so many battles over so many years, both sides basically knew who the Masters on the other side were. In particular, Yang Yan was one of the most powerful among the Pseudo-Great Emperors in the Star Boundary. The Three Blazing Flame Rings were extremely powerful in addition to having a potent restraining effect. There was even a precedent where she killed a Demon Race Half-Saint with them.
Yang Yan smiled like a fox that had stolen a chicken. There was no describing how happy she was, “We’ve really caught quite a lot of fish these days.”
The Blood Demon’s expression turned even uglier at those words. Taking a deep breath, his Demon Qi churned violently. In this situation, he would be in great trouble if he failed to escape before his companion died; therefore, his only option right now was to put up a desperate struggle. Roaring at the top of his lungs, he transformed into a blood ray and rushed towards the flaming barrier.
Yang Yan put away her smile and faced her opponent seriously. According to the plan, she only needed to tie down the Blood Demon and prevent him from fleeing for a while. Even so, the power a Demon Race Half-Saint could bring out in a life-or-death moment was not something she could afford to take lightly. If she wanted to delay her opponent here, she would need to give her all.
On the other side, Yang Kai had teamed up with Bing Yun and Gan Li to confront the second Demon Race Half-Saint. This Half-Saint was a Feather Demon. Regardless of their gender, those from the Feather Demon Clan were born with beautiful looks, and this one was no exception. He was so handsome that it was a little outrageous.
Unfortunately, that handsome face was now filled with savagery under the siege of Yang Kai and his two allies. The Feather Demon Clan was most proficient in archery, so at a distance, they had an incredible advantage. Take Bo Ya, for example, she was a Mid-Rank Demon King but had managed to kill a High-Rank Demon King simply by relying on her inherent talent in archery. Needless to say, a Half-Saint Feather Demon would surely be even more incredible.
During their chase, Yang Kai had been wounded several times by this Feather Demon. It could even be said that most of the injuries he sustained were caused by the latter. He had been acting weak just now, so he could only bear with it despite getting injured. Now, it was finally time for him to get his revenge.
No Demon Race Half-Saint would be able to endure a three-on-one battle, much less a Feather Demon who was not proficient in close combat. After a series of attacks, the Feather Demon was chilled by Bing Yun’s ice, which dulled his movements. Then, he took a blow from Gan Li, which caused him to incessantly cough up blood. During this time, Yang Kai took the opportunity to stab out with his spear. Unable to avoid the attack, the Feather Demon was pierced through the chest. He only just managed to prevent his vital points from being damaged, but the Martial Truth had already entered his body.
With all options sealed, the Feather Demon was both livid and indignant. It was a pity there was nowhere to vent the flames of fury in his heart.
Time passed and his injuries deteriorated as the Martial Truth eroded away at his body. The power he could wield was also becoming weaker and weaker as a result.
A quarter-hour later, the Feather Demon could no longer defend against Bing Yun’s attack. Her sword slashed him clean in half, but there was no blood whatsoever. The cold that penetrated his heart had completely frozen his body in an instant.
“Die!” Yang Kai followed up with his Azure Dragon Spear. His ferocious sweep caused the two halves of the body to shatter into dust. Even so, he did not stop moving. Becoming one with his spear, he rushed towards the other side of the battlefield without pause, his movements smooth, fluid, and dazzling to watch.
Bing Yun and Gan Li hurriedly followed.
Another quarter hour later, Yang Yan reached out her hand in a beckoning motion. The three large rings of fire transformed into three fiery bracelets that returned to her wrist. She looked down at the mummified corpse and exhaled softly, “That was difficult.”
Bing Yun and Gan Li had expressions of agreement on their faces.
Even with their absolute advantage in numbers, killing a Demon Race Half-Saint was still no easy task. The death struggles of the two Half-Saints had left them hesitant to act, lest they sustained injuries.
There was no need to mention the injuries Yang Kai sustained during battle. He had been the lure and stood at the forefront during both fights. Regardless of whether it was the Blood Demon or the Feather Demon, most of their attacks had been aimed at him. If not for the Dragon Clan’s tough physique, he would be in great trouble right now.
Bing Yun, Yang Yan, Gan Li were all injured as well, but even so, their situation was nothing compared to Yang Kai’s. Their injuries were minor and would heal after a short period of recuperation. After checking their bodies to make sure that there was nothing serious, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai searched the battlefield below them for a bit, then he flew back with a gloomy expression.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Yan frowned.
He tossed a Space Ring to her and replied, “Another one has fallen.”
She took the Space Ring and scanned it with her Divine Sense and a trace of sadness crept across her face. This Space Ring was not an item refined in the Demon Realm. It had come from the Star Boundary. Moreover, all the items within it originated from the Star Boundary. It was obviously not something that used to belong to a Demon Race Half-Saint.
If Yang Kai discovered this object on a Half-Saint, that could only mean that the owner of this item was gone. The culprits were undoubtedly the two Demon Race Half-Saints whom the four of them had just killed in a joint effort.
The truth was that this was neither the first Half-Saint they killed nor the first Space Ring they found that belonged to a Pseudo-Great Emperor from the Star Boundary. Since the day Yang Kai had hidden Yang Yan, Bing Yun, and Gan Li in the Small Sealed World, he had been constantly out fishing in the Profound Heavens Temple. They had engaged in a total of three battles over the past ten or so days, and counting the two Demon Race Half-Saints just now, they had managed to kill a total of four Half-Saints. Unfortunately, they had also found the Space Rings of three Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary on the corpses of those four Demon Race Half-Saints.
How could the Pseudo-Great Emperors and the Half-Saints die so easily under normal circumstances? They were invincible existences whenever the Demon Saints and the Great Emperors were not present in the world. They were the tyrants who dominated the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm respectively. It was just that the opening of the Profound Heavens Temple had brought all the tyrants together in one place, so it was inevitable for casualties to occur.
“This aura…” Yang Yan looked pensive as she carefully studied the remaining aura in the Space Ring. A long while later, she slowly let out a sigh, “If I’m not mistaken, this aura probably belongs to Wei Wu Fa of the Fourteenth Army.”
Gan Li’s expression changed upon hearing those words, “He died too?”
She nodded grimly and put away the Space Ring with a sombre air, “Wei Wu Fa still has surviving Disciples. I will return the Space Ring to them when we get back. I hope they will rise again one day.”
“Brother Wei, he… He had an Army Commander Token in his possession. How could he die so easily?” Gan Li looked horrified.
Every Army Commander had an Army Commander Token with a Great Emperor’s attack sealed inside. Yang Kai also had one in his possession, it was just that he had used it up during his battle with the Wind Lord in the Flowing Time Temple. Afterwards, the Great Emperors had gone missing so nobody could refine a new one for him.
Among the many tokens belonging to the Army Commanders, some had been used while others remained unused. Wei Wu Fa’s Army Commander Token was the latter case.
Logically speaking, Wei Wu Fa only needed to activate his Army Commander Token to turn the situation around in the event that he encountered any kind of danger; however, the fact that his Space Ring was in the hands of a Half-Saint said everything that needed to be said.
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai said, “There are various invisible restrictions within the Profound Heavens Temple. The power of a Great Emperor probably does not work here.”
That was the only reasonable explanation.
Gan Li’s expression couldn’t help turning pale. He himself had an Army Commander Token in his possession. He originally thought that he had a trump card in his possession, so he could rest easy; however, Wei Wu Fa’s death had evidently given him a stark wake-up call. If he were really to rely on the Great Emperor’s Divine Ability sealed inside the Army Commander Token, he would have ended up dying without even knowing the reason why.
Moreover, Wei Wu Fa was an old acquaintance of his who was not weak. Gan Li was not confident that he could beat Wei Wu Fa if it came down to a one-on-one fight. Naturally, it was different in a life-or-death situation. Everybody had one or two hidden trump cards after all. There was no telling who would win or who would lose until the battle was over.
Nevertheless, Wei Wu Fa’s death had evidently been a huge shock to Gan Li. He had not run into anybody else since entering the Profound Heavens Temple, much less engaged in battle. That was the case until he accidentally fell prey to the Natural Spirit Array. He was rescued by Yang Kai and later stayed inside the Small Sealed World. Working together with Yang Kai, Bing Yun, and Yang Yan to kill their enemies, he participated in three battles and obtained victory in all three. Furthermore, he only paid a negligible price to kill four Half-Saints. It could be said that his journey had been very smooth so far.
Therefore, he never imagined that Wei Wu Fa would die in such an inexplicable manner. He had even sat down with Wei Wu Fa for a drink and a chat on the night before they entered the Profound Heavens Temple, dreaming about the various opportunities that could be found inside. Gan Li suddenly couldn’t help feeling a slight chill. If he had not been travelling with Yang Kai and the others, he might have been the next Wei Wu Fa.
Now that he knew his friend was gone, the elation Gan Li felt from killing the two Half-Saints previously faded considerably and he couldn’t help feeling sorrowful. The Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints in the Grand Dao battle were no more than the rungs of a ladder, meant for the others to climb to the peak. [Will I be the one climbing those steps? Or, will I be the stepping stone for others?]
“Not many people can withstand the joint attack of a Blood Demon and a Feather Demon alone.” Yang Kai took out something to clean the blood off his body but did not change. The tattered clothes he was wearing made him look extremely terrible.
“Aren’t you going to treat your wounds?” Yang Yan asked.
“I’m afraid there’s no time.” Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I have a feeling that the mysteries of the Profound Heavens Temple will reveal themselves soon. The key to becoming a Great Emperor will gradually become clearer and clearer. At that time, it will surely be a fight to the death. It’s more important to get rid of as many Demon Race Half-Saints as possible before that happens.”
Almost a month had passed since the Profound Heavens Temple opened. Although this short period was nothing to all the Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors, it was agonizingly long for the Star Boundary as a whole. The Profound Heavens Temple was opened because the World’s Will of the Star Boundary had sensed an imminent crisis. It was an instinctual self-defence mechanism. The world was counting on the Profound Heavens Temple to produce a Great Emperor that could save the situation.
Even now, the Demon Essence was constantly devouring the lands of the Star Boundary. If the battle within the Profound Heavens Temple continued for too long, the situation would become irreversible even if a Great Emperor were to be born. For that reason, the Grand Dao battle had to be settled within as short a time as possible, no matter what. As for whether the one having the last laugh would be the Demon Race or the Human Race, it was entirely dependent on their individual abilities.
Yang Yan might have dismissed those words if they came from anybody else; however, Yang Kai had the World’s Will, so it might be possible for him to actually sense something, “Let’s continue then. Hopefully, more fish will take the bait.”
Despite their efforts for the past ten or so days, they only managed to meet three batches of Demon Race Half-Saints. On the other hand, they had not met even a single one of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. The Profound Heavens Temple was simply far too vast.
Yang Kai did not know how many Half-Saints they could kill before the key to becoming a Great Emperor revealed itself. Be that as it may, he could only continue with their current efforts. The death of even one Half-Saint was enough to tip the power balance between the Humans and Demons. It might be the deciding factor during a critical moment.
Placing Yang Yan and the others back inside the Small Sealed World again, he continued on his journey all alone. Although his efforts in the subsequent days were in vain, his injuries from the previous battle gradually improved. Nevertheless, he secretly became anxious. His Divine Sense swept across his surroundings at all times, hoping for a pleasant surprise to appear.
Another five days passed just like that when, all of a sudden, Yang Kai abruptly stopped in the middle of his rush and perceived his surroundings with a frown. He felt as though he could faintly sense something, but he found nothing upon careful observation. It wasn’t his Divine Sense that was picking up on something. It was another kind of perception.
Therefore, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, got rid of all the distracting thoughts in his head, and followed his instincts.
An hour went by just like that.
Inside the Small Sealed World, Yang Yan watched the projection in the sky with a frown on her face. Similarly, Bing Yun and Gan Li, who were standing next to her, looked puzzled. The three of them had been staying inside the Small Sealed World as shock troops. However, they were not completely unaware of what was going on in the outside world. Yang Kai kept up a constant projection of his surroundings in the Small Sealed World so that they could monitor the situation. That was why they were aware of what was going on in the outside world.
“What is he doing?” Bing Yun was confused.
“Maybe he sensed something,” Yang Yan recalled what Yang Kai mentioned a few days ago.
“Is the key of the Grand Dao battle about to reveal itself?” Gan Li’s expression froze. If that truly was the case, then he would have to consider parting ways with Yang Kai and the others. Although it was much safer to work together, it was a risk he had to take for the sake of becoming a Great Emperor.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai abruptly opened his eyes and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as he looked in a certain direction, “This way!”
While speaking, he shifted his body and rushed in that direction.
Inside the Small Sealed World, the expressions of three people turned solemn as they paid full attention to the movements of the outside world.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai charged forward. The further he went, the clearer that vague feeling became; thus, he immediately understood that the feeling he got just now was correct. The key to becoming a Great Emperor was in this direction. It was just that it had yet to fully reveal itself. He was relying on the World’s Will within him to perceive that vague feeling in the shadows.
Just from this point alone, he already held an advantage. If he could locate that key before anybody else reacted to it, he might just be able to end this Grand Dao battle in advance.
After rushing forward for half a day, however, Yang Kai frowned and turned his head to look in a certain direction. He had not encountered a single Half-Saint or Pseudo-Great Emperor over the past few days, but now two powerful auras barged into his range of perception. Judging by the unique characteristics of their auras, they were two Pseudo-Great Emperors.
Upon a closer inspection, Yang Kai raised his brow and muttered, “It’s that guy!”
The aura he recognised belonged to none other than Cang Mo. He did not know who Cang Mo was with at the moment, but the fluctuations of their auras indicated that they were in a dire situation.
A short while later, it became clear that Cang Mo had also noticed Yang Kai’s aura as he had turned around and led his companion straight towards him.
At the same time, several hostile auras followed closely behind.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim as he gritted his teeth, “Is he trying to pass the burden to me? Shameless!”
If Yang Kai could recognise Cang Mo’s aura, then Cang Mo was definitely no stranger to Yang Kai’s aura. Despite knowing that Yang Kai was only a High-Rank Demon King, Cang Mo chose to flee in Yang Kai’s direction while being chased by several Demon Race Half-Saints. It was clear that his intentions were malicious.
Yang Kai was bound to be the focus of all the Demon Race Half-Saints due to the World’s Will in his possession. Seeing as Cang Mo was leading the enemy this way, there was no doubt that he was hoping to use Yang Kai to get rid of his enemy.
If those Demon Race Half-Saints saw Yang Kai, they would surely lose all interest in Cang Mo. They would definitely swarm over all at once to eliminate Yang Kai before all else, making it easy for Cang Mo to calmly escape during this time.
The moment the realisation struck Yang Kai, his expression turned cold. Various issues had occurred between him and Cang Mo. Just before they entered the Profound Heavens Temple, Cang Mo even tried to pick a fight over his cultivation in order to prevent him from joining the Grand Dao battle. In the end, Li Wu Yi even had to step in to overcome all the objections and settle the matter.
The grievances between Yang Kai and Cang Mo were neither large nor small. It was just that they could not stand each other. If they met each other alone in the Profound Heavens Temple, Yang Kai was certain that he could never coexist peacefully with Cang Mo. They were bound to fight each other.
When he sensed that Cang Mo was leading the enemy toward him, he even considered taking the opportunity to feed the other party to the wolves. He might as well use this chance to get rid of Cang Mo once and for all. However, he decided against it when he considered that the number of Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary was inferior to the number of Demon Race Half-Saints in the first place. The bigger picture was more important right now.
The two figures coming this way quickly entered Yang Kai’s field of vision and the distance between them shrank rapidly. Cang Mo seemed rather pale and he looked like he had been injured. On the other hand, the other Pseudo-Great Emperor accompanying Cang Mo was a middle-aged man that Yang Kai recalled was the Second Army’s Army Commander with the surname Feng.
This man surnamed Feng was in worse condition compared to Cang Mo. One of his arms was hanging limply by the side of his body, swinging back and forth as he flew. There was also a huge bloodstain across his chest.
It was obvious that Cang Mo and this man surnamed Feng had fought the Demon Race Half-Saints only to lose badly against their enemies.
Chasing behind these two were four Demon Race Half-Saints with the one in the lead radiating an extremely fierce and imposing aura. His Demon Qi surged violently and everywhere he passed, the vegetation withered away rapidly. That Corpse Demon was none other than the one whom Li Wu Yi had told Yang Kai to be wary of, Jia Long!
During the previous Two Worlds Great War, Li Wu Yi had fought Jia Long thrice but failed to do anything to the other party. It could be seen that Jia Long was very strong. According to Li Wu Yi, Jia Long was most probably the strongest out of all the Half-Saints. He was also the greatest enemy of the Star Boundary in the Grand Dao battle.
Other than Jia Long, the remaining three Demon Race Half-Saints each came from different Races. There was a Bone Demon, a Charm Demon, and a Feather Demon. Each one of them was extraordinarily powerful. Their Demon Qi churned vigorously as they followed Jia Long in pursuit of Cang Mo and this man surnamed Feng.
A few moments later, the man surnamed Feng, who was fleeing desperately together with Cang Mo, suddenly raised his head and a look of shock involuntarily appeared on his face when he saw somebody flying towards them at a high speed. After seeing who it was, he hurriedly shouted, “Brother Yang, hurry up and run!”
Unlike Cang Mo, whose intention was to deliberately push his disaster onto Yang Kai, this man surnamed Feng’s first reaction when he saw Yang Kai was to urge him to escape. He and Cang Mo were already injured, not to mention that there were as many as four pursuers behind them. Even if Yang Kai’s strength was comparable to that of a Half-Saint, there was no hope of turning the situation around. If Yang Kai rashly rushed over to provide support at this time, he would not only fail to rescue them but also end up getting dragged into this mess together.
Upon hearing what the man surnamed Feng shouted, Yang Kai’s originally frosty expression softened considerably and he smiled back at him.
It was hard to say whether Yang Kai would offer to provide support if Cang Mo was the only one being chased. The overall situation might be important in the Profound Heavens Temple, but he couldn’t care less about whether a person who constantly bore malice towards him was to survive or not.
It would be Cang Mo’s good fortune if he survived, but it would also serve him right if he died.
Sadly, Cang Mo was accompanied by another Army Commander and Yang Kai could not ignore the other person, regardless of his reasons.
Honestly, Yang Kai was reluctant to confront Jia Long head-on before the final stage of the Grand Dao battle. He had three helpers hidden inside his Small Sealed World which would instantly give him the advantage in numbers if Cang Mo and the man surnamed Feng were added to the mix; unfortunately, it would not benefit anybody if it really came down to a fight. Therefore, his plan was to meet up with these two, place them in the Small Sealed World, and then escape via Instantaneous Movement.
There were many restrictions within the Profound Heavens Temple. The Great Emperor’s Divine Ability Sealed inside the Army Commander Token could not be activated, Space Beacons could not be used, and even his Instantaneous Movement had been suppressed greatly. Be that as it may, even Jia Long would be helpless against him if he was determined to escape, regardless of how strong Jia Long was.
Under the astonished and confused gaze of the man surnamed Feng, Yang Kai continued to rush forward at a high speed.
“As you Humans say, ‘wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find something by pure chance’!” A thunderous voice rang out. Jia Long, who was chasing after Cang Mo and the man surnamed Feng, suddenly caught sight of Yang Kai and his eyes sparkled brightly with a pleasant surprise. The corners of his mouth split into a sinister smile as he shouted, “Little bastard, this King spent much effort to find you!”
Jia Long was not the only person searching for Yang Kai; in fact, all the Demon Race Half-Saints were desperately trying to locate his whereabouts. It was just that the Profound Heavens Temple was too vast and there was little chance to meet others. Besides, Yang Kai had been going around ‘fishing’ with his three hidden helpers, so even if a Half-Saint encountered him, it could not be considered good luck. Rather, it could only be said that their luck was terrible.
Nevertheless, it truly was a pleasant surprise for Jia Long to encounter Yang Kai in this place. Leaving aside the fact that his own strength was quite tyrannical, he also had three other Demon Race Half-Saints accompanying him. As long as he could hinder Yang Kai’s movements slightly, they would have a high chance of keeping Yang Kai here.
While speaking, Jia Long’s body shuddered all of a sudden. A monstrous wave of Corpse Qi overflowed from his burly body, rising into the sky like dark clouds. His speed increased greatly to the point he actually managed to catch up to the two fleeing Pseudo-Great Emperors in the blink of an eye.
The expressions of both Cang Mo and the man surnamed Feng changed in unison. Only now did they realise that they had underestimated Jia Long’s strength. Throughout their pursuit, it was not that the other party was unable to catch up to them, it was simply that they were unwilling to put in too much effort into the chase. Now that Jia Long had caught sight of Yang Kai, however, it was clear that he decided to end things as soon as possible without regard for consumption.
The Corpse Qi that flowed out had the effect of suppressing the entire world, and when Cang Mo and the man surnamed Feng were hit by it, they involuntarily swayed slightly and lost their balance. Thus, their expressions changed drastically and they both desperately urged their Emperor Qi to resist the invasion of the Corpse Qi.
Without warning, a trace of murderous intent emerged and locked onto the fleeing Cang Mo. There was a whooshing sound as a feather arrow shot through the sky towards him.
Cang Mo’s expression changed greatly! Even though he was running with all his might and did not turn around to look, he knew what was happening. It was obvious that the Feather Demon was attacking him.
This arrow was too rushed and would not kill him, but there was a high chance he would not walk out of this place alive if he was hit by that arrow. At the critical moment when his life was at stake, Cang Mo gritted his teeth and grabbed at something next to him, his hand gripping the shoulder of the man surnamed Feng.
Startled, the man surnamed Feng widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Brother Cang?”
Cang Mo expressionlessly shouted, “I’m sorry!”
Exerting strength in his arm, Cang Mo tossed the man surnamed Feng behind him. Then, he hurriedly continued pushing forward under the stunned gaze of his former companion.
There was a soft swoosh and the man surnamed Feng’s body jerked slightly as he felt all the strength in his body speedily flowing out of him. Lowering his head to look, he saw a feathered arrow sticking out of his chest. The arrow was wrapped in Demon Qi, which was corroding his body and causing the wound to expand rapidly. When he looked up again, he saw that Cang Mo was already several hundreds of metres away.
It would seem that he had failed to realise what was happening until this moment. The expression on his face instantly became extremely colourful. Various expressions flashed across his face until eventually settling on infinite grief and rage. He roared furiously, “Cang Mo, you old dog! I hope you die a terrible death!”
He never imagined that he would be harmed by his own companion in the Grand Dao battle. Moreover, the person who plotted against him was only doing it for the sake of a slim chance at survival.
Even in his weakened state, he could have avoided that arrow if he had attempted.
The Feather Demon’s archery skills might be terrifying, but that arrow had been far too rushed after all. It was not meant to kill, only to hinder the enemy’s movements. Who could have known there would be such an unexpected yet unpleasant surprise?
For a moment, the expressions of the Demon Race members became a little strange.
*Xiu…* Jia Long led the other three Demon Race Half-Saint past the man surnamed Feng. Along the way, he stretched out his hand and twisted. The head of the man surnamed Feng was gone by the time they flew by. The headless body swayed unsteadily, fresh blood spurting high into the sky from his neck.
“Cang Mo!” Yang Kai gnashed his teeth and howled in rage. He had seen everything that happened in that instant, and while he was extremely shocked, a murderous intent also gushed out of him like the tide.
He was already on his way to provide support. In just three more breaths, he would have arrived at that spot and placed both Cang Mo and the man surnamed Feng into the Small Sealed World. After that, it would have been simple for him to escape. No matter how strong Jia Long was, there was nothing Jia Long could do to him as long as the space around him was not sealed.
Three breaths. It was only three breaths, but it was enough for Yang Kai to witness the ugliness of Human nature.
Cang Mo had completely disregarded the life of his companion just to slightly improve his chance at survival. It could even be said that the man surnamed Feng had died at Cang Mo’s hands. After all, the Feather Demon Half-Saint’s arrow did not have the power to take any one of their lives. It was unfortunate that Cang Mo had been so frightened of his pursuers that he used his companion as a shield instead.
“Die!” Yang Kai’s eyes were bloodshot with rage and while shouting, he summoned the Azure Dragon Spear and viciously thrust it at Cang Mo.
Cang Mo knew what was supposed to happen next the moment he grabbed and threw his companion behind him; hence, he did not escape in Yang Kai’s direction and instead turned to flee in another direction.
In any case, the Demon Race Half-Saints had already discovered Yang Kai and comparatively speaking, he was certain that the Demon Race would be more interested in Yang Kai. They would not chase after him so he would be able to rest easy as long as Yang Kai could distract those Demon Race Half-Saints. But, he never expected Yang Kai to react in this manner.
Yang Kai was several hundreds of metres away when he made that thrust. The spear ignored the barriers of space to appear in front of Cang Mo in an instant.
A Dragon Roar rang out and Cang Mo’s expression changed drastically. A huge Azure Dragon appeared in his field of vision, rushing towards him with its mouth wide open as though to swallow him whole. The Dragon Fangs gleamed with a cold light as though they could crush him to bits at will.
It was rumoured that Yang Kai had come across great opportunities during the years he spent in the Demon Realm. It was also said that he was strong enough to rival a Half-Saint even though he was only a High-Rank Demon King after his return. Cang Mo had long since heard those rumours but never truly believed them. In his opinion, it was true that Yang Kai had great talent; however, there was a huge difference in cultivation Realms. How could a person possibly cross that yawning gap between the Emperor and Pseudo-Great Emperor Realms? Therefore, even if Yang Kai had a record of killing Half-Saints, Cang Mo assumed it was all the result of receiving help from others.
It wasn’t until this moment when they exchanged blows that Cang Mo realised that the rumours were true.
[This little bastard really does have strength comparable to a Half-Saint!] When the spear came stabbing at him, Cang Mo felt a mountain-like pressure bearing down on him that made it difficult for him to breathe. In his desperation to respond, he raised a palm and struck out with all the force he could muster.
There was a loud bang and Cang Mo grunted from the impact as his body was violently thrown backwards. On the other hand, Yang Kai merely swayed slightly before he regained his balance. The reason for this disparity was not that he was much stronger than Cang Mo. Rather, it was because the Azure Dragon Spear had given him an advantage. The other reason was that he had acted out of rage while Cang Mo had reacted hastily to parry the attack.
*Shua shua shua…* Following the sounds of something slicing through the air, the four Demon Race Half-Saints arrived in the vicinity under Jia Long’s leadership. Then, they split up as though it had been discussed beforehand to block off the escape routes on all four sides. Enclosing Yang Kai and Cang Mo in the middle, they stared at the centre of the field with a contemptuous look in their eyes. The situation today was not something that could be witnessed casually. Compared with the laborious effort of killing the Pseudo-Great Emperors of the Star Boundary, the Half-Saints undoubtedly preferred watching Humans killing each other.
“Damn you!” Cang Mo roared through gritted teeth, his gaze sweeping left and right. His shock and horror were dyed with a heavy dose of fear. When he looked back at Yang Kai again, his eyes were filled with rage, “What is the meaning of this, Yang Kai!?”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze, allowing his long hair to fall across his forehead, casting a deep shadow across his face as he quietly snarled, “The one who should die today is you! Old dog Cang Mo!”
Cang Mo gnashed his teeth, “This just harms both you and me! What good does this do you!?”
“This Yang cannot stand injustice!” Yang Kai slowly lifted the Azure Dragon Spear, pointed it at Cang Mo, and spoke in a dangerous voice, “This place will become your grave today!”
“Big words! Let’s see if you can back them up!” Cang Mo’s facial muscles twitched as his heart was filled with resentment. It had been an instinctive reaction in order to gain a chance at survival when he abandoned and used his companion as a shield, but given the choice, he would do the same if he had to go through it all over again. It was just that he never imagined Yang Kai’s temperament to be so righteous and unyielding. Despite knowing that there were four Demon Race Half-Saints chasing them, Yang Kai not only did not think of escaping but even went so far as to hinder Cang Mo’s escape as well. [His actions are harming both of us! There are no benefits whatsoever! Doesn’t he know what’s going to happen after being besieged by those Half-Saints!?]
“Rest assured. I will definitely live much longer than you.” Yang Kai’s expression was cold and stern. Without moving his spear, he turned his head to the side and said, “Jia Long, let’s make a deal.”
Jia Long’s eyes were brimming with contempt and amusement as he calmly replied, “Do you think… you have the right to negotiate with this King under the current circumstances?” Pausing for a moment, he threw his head back in laughter, “But fine. As thanks for giving me such a good show, you may spit out your last words quickly. I might just fulfill them if they amuse me.”
His posture seemed to indicate that he had already won the fight against Yang Kai. Nevertheless, he was not being arrogant as he truly had an overwhelmingly obvious advantage right now.
All four Half-Saints had their senses firmly locked onto Yang Kai. If Yang Kai so much as made a strange movement, he would instantly be met with a storm of attacks. It would be hard to say whether he could even manage to perform those strange Space Secret Techniques of his in time.
Yang Kai’s expression did not change, remaining as serene as a long dormant volcano as he declared, “I’m going to kill this piece of trash, so wait until I finish him. You can use whatever means you like against me after I’m done with this bastard. I will face all of you together.”
As soon as that statement came out, Cang Mo’s expression became ashen. On the other hand, the expressions of the four Demon Half-Saints were scornful. Jia Long even rubbed his lower jaw and looked pensive, “Why should we?”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I will be fighting him to the death. No matter who wins or who loses in the end, the remaining person will be an arrow at the end of its flight. Who can stop you if all four of you attack together? There is no harm to you, only benefits. Isn’t that right?”
Cang Mo’s heart sank at those words and he cried out, “Yang Kai, you’re insane!”
Things would bode ill for him today if Jia Long and the others acted according to Yang Kai’s wishes. Regardless of whether he killed Yang Kai or Yang Kai killed him, there was no way for him to leave this place alive. His original plan was now completely useless. For a moment, his mind sank into chaos and his entire body went cold as he secretly scolded Yang Kai for being so vicious. [How can he make such a suggestion just to get rid of me? Jia Long and the others couldn’t refuse even if they wanted to!]
Sure enough, Jia Long pondered for a while and nodded in agreement, “There is some truth in what you said.” Then, he revealed a hideous smile, his expression filled with pure savagery, “But, this King takes whatever he wants with his own hands!”
The instant the words left his mouth, a dense wave of Corpse Qi rolled out. Numerous figures emerged from within the Corpse Qi. It was clearly the Corpse Puppets that he had refined. Most of these Corpse Puppets were High-Rank Demon Kings, but there were also three Demon Race Half-Saints among the ranks. It was clear to see that this was his entire life’s collection.
The moment Jia Long made his move, the Bone Demon Half-Saint also opened his jaw and a mass of emerald-green Ghost Fire spewed out of his mouth, transformed into an emerald-green cloud, and loomed above Yang Kai. Meanwhile, the Feather Demon nocked an arrow and pulled back the bowstring. On the other hand, the Charm Demon smiled seductively, her Spiritual Energy condensing into an invisible and intangible spear.
The battle began without warning. The four Demon Race Half-Saints, each with their respective Divine Abilities, attacked both Yang Kai and Cang Mo. At that moment, the world paled while the World Energy in the Profound Heavens Temple became tempestuous.
A Dragon Roar sounded, accompanied by a Golden Dragon Head that flashed and disappeared in an instant. Yang Kai’s body swelled rapidly and turned into a more than 1,000-metre-long Half-Dragon. In the meantime, he swept out with the Azure Dragon Spear and caused the flood of Corpse Puppets rushing at him to explode into pieces. Even the boundless Corpse Qi was swept away. Nevertheless, his spear did not stop moving. He spun it around to cut down the Feather Demon’s arrow. After that, his large hand reached out to unleash his Rupture Secret Technique, causing the world to collapse and swallow up the emerald-green Ghost Fire whole.
Yang Kai had dealt with the combined attacks of three Half-Saints with his strength alone, but although he managed to parry the first wave of strikes, the vitality in his body churned violently and a sweet taste of blood filled his throat. Even so, he did not hesitate in the slightest. Kicking out lightly, he lunged toward Cang Mo with a roar, “Die!”
The three Demon Race Half-Saints were focused on taking care of Yang Kai. Comparatively speaking, the situation on Cang Mo’s side was much better. Four Half-Saints had attacked, but only the Charm Demon’s Soul attack was aimed at him.
Cang Mo’s eyes went blank for a moment; however, that one brief moment was enough for Yang Kai to arrive in front of him, spear in hand. A sharp murderous intent sent a tingle down his back as Cang Mo angrily yelled, “If you’re going to make things difficult for this King, then don’t even dream that you’ll be any better off than me!”
With a loud bang, a violent wave of Emperor Qi swept out as Cang Mo’s body seemed to swell slightly and strange patterns appeared on his exposed skin. He reached out to grab at something in the void and a longsword appeared in the grip of his hand. Following the downward slash, a powerful sword wave rushed forward.
There was a loud explosion and a burst of energy rampaged through the air, turning the entire world upside down as everything collapsed in all four directions.
Yang Kai’s huge body was pushed backwards by several dozen steps. Similarly, Cang Mo’s entire body was sent flying and tumbling through the air.
In the next moment, Jia Long and the other two Half-Saints attacked again without giving Yang Kai any respite.
It was at that moment that three figures appeared beside Yang Kai.
A wave of Ice Principles spread out and collided with the boundless Corpse Qi. Bing Yun was rapidly forming hand seals while wearing an extremely solemn expression. At the same time, the Three Blazing Flame Rings flew out from Yang Yan’s wrist and turned into three huge fire rings that enveloped the Bone Demon. On the other hand, Gan Li charged towards the Feather Demon and instantly became entangled in a close-quarter melee.
“You…” Cang Mo, who had been sent flying, widened his eyes at the sight of the three figures who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The expression on his face was extremely ugly. He instantly understood how Yang Yan and the two others had appeared. They had clearly been hiding inside Yang Kai’s Small Sealed World.
“With these people…” Cang Mo nearly gnashed his teeth to bits.
He would not have used the man surnamed Feng as a shield earlier if he had known earlier that Yang Kai was secretly hiding three helpers. As long as they could meet up with Yang Kai, they would instantly have the strength of six Pseudo-Great Emperors on their side. No matter how strong Jia Long was, the disadvantage in numbers would have been enough for their enemies to pull back.
It was just that he had only seen Yang Kai alone before. Besides, he was in the midst of fleeing for his life. How could he spare the thought to consider so many things when his life was at stake? He only wanted to use Yang Kai to attract the attention of the Demon Race Half-Saints while he took the opportunity to escape.
He did not know if Yang Yan and the others had seen what he did before, but if they did, he would never have a place in the Star Boundary again in the future. On the contrary, there was nothing to fear if Yang Kai was the only one to have witnessed his actions. In the absence of evidence, he would never admit that he had ever done anything of that sort. Even if the Demons themselves were to reveal anything, their words would only be taken as sowing dissent. Nobody would believe them.
“Deceitful little bastard!” Cang Mo was extremely aggrieved and enraged. He secretly blamed Yang Kai for not revealing everything from the beginning and causing him to make that choice when he couldn’t see any other hope left for himself.
At the moment, Yang Yan and the others were holding the three Demon Race Half-Saints back while the Charm Demon was still busy dealing with Cang Mo. Therefore, Yang Kai was no longer restrained by anybody.
A huge sense of crisis fell over Cang Mo at that moment. The only other time in his life that he had ever felt this feeling was when he was being oppressed by Qiong Qi. It seemed as though it was really going to end badly for him this time…
At that moment, an anomaly suddenly occurred. There was a loud ringing sound and the entire Profound Heavens Temple trembled violently. Everybody who was present in this place, be they Half-Saint or Pseudo-Great Emperor, abruptly lost their balance and staggered unsteadily. At the same time, the rich and dense World Energy in the world quickly converged in a certain direction. A powerful and tempestuous vortex formed in a very short time, causing all the trees on the ground to bend and sway.
Everybody’s expressions changed drastically and they all stopped what they were doing and looked around vigilantly. It was obvious that something major had happened.
The ringing sound continued for a very long time.
“That is…” Cang Mo’s eyes widened so much that his eyeballs were practically popping out of their sockets. Staring up in a certain direction, his expression suddenly became ecstatic as he shouted, “The Illusionary Heavens Furnace!”
A boxy Giant Furnace had appeared out of nowhere in the direction he was staring. The Giant Furnace was engraved with countless mysterious runes and patterns that were flickering with flowing light non-stop. All the patterns seemed to coincide with the Grand Dao, causing everybody who was looking at it to become entranced for a moment.
The Giant Furnace was not tangible. Rather, it was an illusory phantom. Even so, it looked so real and solid. As the World Energy in the Profound Heavens Temple furiously poured into the Giant Furnace, it became bigger and bigger until it seemed as though it was going to fit the entire Profound Heavens Temple inside of it.
The world rumbled, World Energy rioted, the Giant Furnace revealed itself, and the Grand Dao’s aura flowed throughout every corner of the Profound Heavens Temple.
At this moment, every Pseudo-Great Emperor and Half-Saint in the Profound Heavens Temple couldn’t help feeling as though a set of large doors was about to open in front of them. Moreover, the pinnacle of the Martial Dao that they had been pursuing for their entire lives was right behind those doors. That was something worth paying any price for, including their own lives!
Inside the Profound Heavens Temple, silhouette after silhouette emerged. These silhouettes turned into streams of lights in various colours and rushed towards the direction of the Giant Furnace.
“The Illusionary Heavens Furnace!” Gan Li couldn’t help gulping hard. It wasn’t until this moment that he finally confirmed the information that the Star Boundary had to be true. The Profound Heavens Temple really did contain the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. More importantly, the key to becoming a Great Emperor was in the Illusionary Heavens Furnace.
He was very eager and excited. There was a rash impulse in him that urged him to disregard everything else and rush over to investigate the Giant Furnace. However, the Demon Race Half-Saints around him were watching him hungrily and he did not dare to act rashly.
On the other side, Jia Long stared at the Giant Furnace for a moment before looking back at a certain spot not far away. A headless corpse stood there. It belonged to the man surnamed Feng who was betrayed by Cang Mo previously. Although he had only been dead for a few moments, both the severed head and the headless corpse had shrivelled and become mummified.
A hint of contemplation flashed in Jia Long’s dirty-yellow eyes. [Was that the last piece?]
He knew more about the situation in the Profound Heavens Temple compared to all the other Demon Race Half-Saints. The day before the Profound Heavens Temple opened, Xue Li had summoned him to a secret meeting at Star Soul Palace. Nobody knew what Xue Li had told him that night; only the two of them knew the contents of their conversation.
All the other Demon Race Half-Saints knew was that they had to kill as many Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary as possible after entering the Profound Heavens Temple. Nevertheless, there was no need for something like this to be specifically said out loud. Neither the Human Race nor the Demon Race would have turned a blind eye to each other if they had encountered each other outside, much less within the Profound Heavens Temple where the Grand Dao battle took place.
Only Jia Long had been aware that the key to becoming a Great Emperor inside this Source Sealed World was inseparable from death and slaughter. The key would only be revealed when enough blood had been spilled. The death of the man surnamed Feng was undoubtedly the last one necessary.
Now that the Giant Furnace had been revealed, it was time for the final stage of the Grand Dao battle. All forms of forbearance and trickery would become useless from this moment on. The only way to obtain that one and only opportunity was by relying on one’s own ability.
All of a sudden, there was a loud noise. Energy burst out violently and everybody jumped in shock. Turning to look at the source of the commotion, they were greeted by the sight of Yang Kai’s huge body bearing down on Cang Mo. He had a grim expression on his face as he slashed out with the Azure Dragon Spear.
That attack sent Cang Mo flying and a spray of blood spurted out of his mouth in mid-air.
When the Giant Furnace revealed itself just now, everybody became distracted by the sight. Both Cang Mo and Yang Kai were no exception, but Yang Kai returned to his senses a little faster. The attack came so suddenly that Cang Mo failed to defend against it completely. All his internal organs churned violently when that oppressive force slammed into him and he cursed in his heart. [This little bastard sure has a lot of brute strength!]
It was no wonder. With a more than 1,000-metre-long Half-Dragon Body, how weak could Yang Kai be?
What made Cang Mo despair even more was that the impact from Yang Kai’s attack had sent him flying directly in Jia Long’s direction. He desperately pushed his Emperor Qi to stabilize his body as best as he could, but it was a difficult task to achieve.
Sorrow washed over him at that moment. He knew that he was doomed. Yang Kai wanted him dead and Jia Long had no reason to allow him to live either. Cang Mo was currently surrounded by enemies on all sides, so there was little to no chance of him walking out of this place alive.
At this very moment, Yang Kai was stabbing the spear at him. The attack flooded Cang Mo’s entire field of vision with the figure of an enormous Azure Dragon. In response, his eyes filled with despair.
However, a figure suddenly swept past him at that very moment and it was immediately followed by the appearance of a behemoth that suddenly stood in front of him.
The enormous body that appeared in front of him was exuding an extremely offensive Corpse Qi. Moreover, large chunks of rotten flesh were falling from the body to the ground and creating numerous craters below. Who else could this behemoth be but Jia Long?
Jia Long had used some sort of unknown Secret Technique to make his body expand by several tens of metres in an instant. Although he could not compare to Yang Kai’s Half-Dragon Form, it was still an extremely extraordinary sight to behold.
A monstrous aura emanated from Jia Long’s body as he rushed forward to meet Yang Kai’s attack and the situation instantly became a fierce struggle between two evenly matched opponents.
Cang Mo couldn’t help feeling both surprised and delighted to see this situation. He was surprised that Jia Long had not taken the opportunity to get rid of him and instead bypassed him to confront Yang Kai head-on. On the other hand, he was delighted by the fact that nobody had the time to pay attention to him at this moment.
Without stopping, Cang Mo borrowed the momentum of Yang Kai’s earlier attack to quickly make his escape, flying far away into the distance. He could still hear the rumbling sounds coming from behind, as well as Yang Kai’s furious and unwilling roar.
After surviving that calamity, Cang Mo realised that his clothes were soaked in sweat. He really thought that he was going to die just now, but who could have known that a light would shine for him during his darkest hour? Upon further consideration, he realised that Jia Long had let him go too easily. The other party probably did not have any good intentions in doing so; thus, the joy on his face faded and was replaced by a gloomy look.
Nevertheless, it was pointless to worry about something like that right now. His top priority was to go to the place where the Giant Furnace had appeared. A Heavenly Manifestation like that was undoubtedly a kind of guide. Not to mention, all the surviving Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints inside the Profound Heavens Temple were currently gathering in that direction. If he were late to the party, somebody else might beat him to the prize instead. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Cang Mo brushed aside all the distracting thoughts in his head, stuffed a few Spirit Pills into his mouth, and recovered his energy whilst he flew off.
He had not been that badly injured in the fight just now. While Yang Kai’s attack was terrifying, he himself was no easy target either. He might have vomited a few mouthfuls of blood, but it was nothing serious. Those injuries would not affect him in the coming Grand Dao battle.
…..
Both Yang Kai and Jia Long currently had three helpers each, so everyone was currently locked in one-on-one battles.
Yang Kai had been unable to do anything but watch Cang Mo escape just now; hence, the rage in his heart was surging ferociously like an erupting volcano that threatened to burn the entire world down with it. There was no mercy in the attacks that he dished out. Space Techniques, Soul Attacks, Dragon Clan Secret Techniques… He brought out an endless variety of methods to overwhelm Jia Long.
Jia Long was a foe Li Wu Yi had warned Yang Kai to be wary of. He was certainly more powerful than the other Demon Race Half-Saints and had extraordinary defensive abilities.
It didn’t matter what means Yang Kai used, he couldn’t even leave a single injury on the other party.
It was obvious that Jia Long knew just how treacherous and troublesome the Martial Truth was, so there was no way he was going to let Yang Kai land a hit on him. As a result, the fight between the two seemed a bit awkward.
Jia Long’s cultivation was obviously higher than that of Yang Kai’s, but strangely enough, Yang Kai seemed to be dominating the battle. On the other hand, Jia Long was like a sturdy wooden boat that was riding through the choppy waves of a stormy sea. He looked like he was in danger of losing at any moment, but the fact was that everything was under control.
After fighting for a while, Jia Long suddenly burst out laughing, “Let’s stop here. There’s nothing you can do to me, no matter what you do.”
While speaking, he made a feint and left the range of battle.
Yang Kai held his spear in one hand with a cold gaze. Although he wanted to kill this enemy, he knew that the other party’s words were the truth. His cultivation was currently his biggest shortcoming. It was difficult for him to do anything with his current abilities when facing a Demon Race Half-Saint like Jia Long. Continuing this fight was just a waste of time.
However, Jia Long’s attitude seemed to be indicating that he had deliberately rescued Cang Mo just now. Jia Long could have taken the opportunity to seriously injure or even kill Cang Mo, but he chose to let the latter go just like that. He even confronted Yang Kai head-on instead so that Yang Kai could not get away from the battle. Jia Long’s intentions were so obvious that anybody could tell as long as they were not blind.
Cang Mo had probably escaped somewhere far away by now, so there was no need to continue this battle. What’s more, the Illusionary Heavens Furnace had been revealed. Who would have the heart to continue fighting in this place with the rarest of opportunities lying before them? Those were the reasons why Yang Kai did not stop Jia Long from retreating.
The other three battles slowly died down the moment Yang Kai and Jia Long stopped fighting. Thus, the storm subsided in the blink of an eye.
Eight pairs of eyes collided, causing a faint shower of sparks to appear.
Jia Long grinned and spoke in a rumbling voice, “The key to the Grand Dao battle has been revealed, but… this is just the beginning. Yang Kai, this King hopes you have the ability to live to the end. I want to kill you with my own hands.”
“Rest assured, you will only die by my hands,” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Jia Long said, “Then, we’ll be taking our leave. Let us meet again soon!”
The Corpse Qi swirled and wrapped around the other three Half-Saints before it transformed into a yellow-brown streak that rushed in the direction of the Giant Furnace.
“Let’s go too!” Yang Kai’s huge figure quickly became smaller, gradually returning to his original form. Space Principles fluctuated, wrapping around Yang Yan and the others. One Instantaneous Movement later, they all vanished out of sight.
Gan Li was secretly relieved at the sight. At the same time, he laughed at himself self-deprecatingly for being a little overly suspicious and pessimistic.
He had been wondering what he would do if Yang Kai asked them to enter the Small Sealed World again. The reason he had willingly stayed inside the Small Sealed World before was out of consideration for their plans. It was safer to work together after all.
However, it would be equivalent to handing all control over to Yang Kai if he willingly entered the Small Sealed World again now that Illusionary Heavens Furnace has been revealed; after all, he would miss out on the Grand Dao battle if Yang Kai refused to let him out of the Small Sealed World. That was something he was not willing to do, no matter what.
Judging by the current situation, Yang Kai was somebody who conducted himself honourably. It was clear that he had also taken the other’s opinions into consideration, so he did not ask them to enter the Small Sealed World again. Rather, he did not hesitate to consume more energy to bring them along with him.
Looking up, Gan Li felt his chest burning with anticipation. The key to the Grand Dao battle had finally been revealed, but nobody knew what they were supposed to do next. They were even less clear as to what was inside that Giant Furnace.
The Giant Furnace had been madly absorbing the World Energy in the Source Sealed World ever since it first appeared, causing the energy to swirl about in a frenzy that never stopped even for a moment. The furnace itself was also getting bigger and bigger as it absorbed more and more of the World Energy. At this moment, it was already covering the entire sky.
All of a sudden, the Giant Furnace settled down. The complex patterns carved around it shone with a dazzling light, making the Grand Dao aura in the entire Source Sealed World become more and more intense. Both the Demon Race Half-Saints and the Human Race Pseudo-Great Emperors looked pensive at this moment as they unknowingly gained a deeper understanding of the Grand Dao.
With a loud bang, the Giant Furnace burst and shattered into pieces before vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar at the sight. He froze in his tracks and stared ahead blankly, “What’s going on!?”
The Illusionary Heavens Furnace was the key item in the Grand Dao battle that finally appeared after so many days of waiting! Why did it shatter so abruptly? Did that mean that everybody had to return home empty-handed!?
However, he soon calmed down. The reason was that although the Giant Furnace had shattered, the Grand Dao aura in the world had not vanished. Rather, it was becoming more intense. Besides, the Giant Furnace had been nothing more than an illusory phantom, a mere projection of the actual Illusionary Heavens Furnace. Therefore, the shattering of the illusory phantom did not mean that something had happened to the Illusionary Heavens Furnace itself.
For those reasons, Yang Kai only paused in his tracks for a moment before continuing onward.
As time passed, his expression gradually became rather strange. The Grand Dao aura that currently flooded the world was too rich, which gave him the urge to stop and try to perceive it; however, doing that would be sacrificing the future for today. So, he suppressed the impulse despite the desires in his heart.
Be that as it may, the Grand Dao aura running wild could indeed bring great benefits to all the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints. The limitations of the world prevented them from becoming a Great Emperor or a Demon Saint, but as long as they could leave the Profound Heavens Temple alive, they would definitely be able to make great progress after being nourished by the Grand Dao aura in this place.
[What a pity…] Yang Kai suddenly thought of Li Wu Yi. With Li Wu Yi’s ability, the benefits he could obtain here would be unimaginable. He also had a great chance of winning that one and only opportunity to become a Great Emperor. Unfortunately, he voluntarily gave up this opportunity for the sake of the Star Boundary and the livelihood of the common people. His decision in making such a sacrifice could be said to be cutting off his own future. It was both admirable and sad.
[Luckily, I collected a lot of the World Source Liquid. I’ll give him some when I return. It should be able to make up for some of his losses. The astounding aura contained within the World Source Liquid is no worse than the Grand Dao aura in the Profound Heavens Temple after all.]
“Do you smell anything?” Bing Yun asked suddenly, her nose twitching lightly as she spoke.
“I do. There’s a fragrance in the air,” Yang Yan replied immediately. It was obvious that she was aware of it too.
Following their conversation, Gan Li realised that there was indeed a faint aroma wafting about. It was not something that he had ever smelled before. It was vague and hard to describe, but it made him feel warm and refreshed. Even the exhaustion from the previous battles vanished, leaving him feeling energetic again.
Although Yang Kai was in a hurry to arrive at his destination, he could smell the aroma too. It was not very obvious at first, but it became stronger and stronger as he moved forward. It smelled like fruit but also of flowers…
Based on the perception of his Divine Sense, many powerful auras had intruded into his surveillance range. These auras included both the Pseudo-Great Emperors of the Star Boundary and the Demon Race Half-Saints. It was just that everyone was attracted by the Illusionary Heavens Furnace and were rushing over to where it had appeared, so nobody was in the mood to pick a fight.
At this moment, everybody in the entire Profound Heavens Temple was only doing one thing, heading to where the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was!
The Illusionary Heavens Furnace was located inside a Bronze Grand Hall. The Bronze Grand Hall was simple but majestic. Nobody knew when it first appeared, but just by looking at it, they could sense an ancient and desolate aura that seemed to pull them into that extremely far-off era.
Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space; therefore, he arrived relatively early even though he had started quite far away. At a glance, he could see that the Bronze Grand Hall stood on the ground and the surface of the building was mottled with time. Most of all, it was exuding an aura that people couldn’t help but want to bow down to and worship. That aura felt similar to the World’s Will.
For a moment, Yang Kai felt something rising in his body and resonating with the entire Bronze Grand Hall. He understood clearly in his heart that it was the World’s Will in his possession. Before the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was revealed, he had relied on the World’s Will’s guidance to faintly perceive where the key to becoming a Great Emperor was located. It was just that he had encountered Cang Mo, Jia Long, and the others before he had a chance to investigate carefully. The Illusionary Heavens Furnace had revealed itself during their battle, so the slight advantage that he just received became useless as a result.
This was probably the real Profound Heavens Temple! Throughout the ages, everybody had called this Source Sealed World by the name ‘Profound Heavens Temple’. However, the Profound Heavens Temple probably referred to this Bronze Grand Hall.
The Profound Heavens Temple contained the Illusionary Heavens Furnace and the Illusionary Heavens Furnace contained the secret to becoming a Great Emperor!
Step by step, Yang Kai had steadily progressed in his journey along the Martial Dao until today, where the biggest mystery was currently right in front of his eyes. It was just waiting for him to remove that mysterious veil and uncover its secrets. It would be a lie to say that he was not excited. Nevertheless, he was not so hot-blooded that he lost his reasoning. Just as Jia Long had mentioned earlier, the appearance of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was just the beginning. The final result at the end would depend on each person’s abilities.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai quickly said, “Brother Gan, you are free to go or stay as you wish once we enter the Profound Heavens Temple, but please help me until then.”
Gan Li nodded when he heard those words, “Brother Yang, please rest assured, until the very last moment, this Old Master’s only enemy will be the Demon Race.”
At the same time, the last trace of worry in his heart disappeared. He was considering parting ways with Yang Kai and the others when they entered the Profound Heavens Temple. His lifelong pursuit was right in front of him after all. Even if he had to put his life on the line, he had to try. At that time, he would not be on the same side as Yang Kai and the others anymore.
“Good!” Yang Kai laughed loud as Space Principles surged and enveloped the other three, then he rushed forward again.
There was a gate at the front of the hall. It was huge and imposing, nearly 1,000 metres tall, overflowing with an oppressive air. Moreover, it was now open, as if to welcome its guests that came from afar. Who could predict what kind of opportunities and dangers were hidden inside the pitch-black hall?
Yang Kai slipped inside.
In that instant, a violent barrage of attacks came from all directions. There was a short fight before somebody yelled, “Stop! Stop! They are allies!”
When the figures separated from each other, they spread out on both sides.
Bing Yun, Yang Yan, and Gan Li were gathered around Yang Kai closely, watching their surroundings vigilantly. It wasn’t until Yang Kai saw who was attacking him that he burst out laughing.
He had a hunch that somebody had already entered the Profound Heavens Temple before him when he saw that the two bronze doors were already open. If he were in their shoes and had the advantage of being in the lead, he would most likely lay an ambush near the entrance to kill the enemies that came inside. Therefore, he had already prepared himself for an ambush before entering the palace. If it weren’t for that, he would definitely have been disgraced by that round of attacks just now.
“So it is Brother Yang and his companions.” The elderly man leading the group gave an embarrassed smile and bowed to all parties with an apologetic expression, “It happened too quickly and I couldn’t see clearly. Please forgive me.”
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop the other party, “Please don’t mind it, Brother Luo. We did not sustain much damage.”
While speaking, he studied the line-up opposite him. There were not many of them, only three in total. However, none of them were seriously injured and they seemed to be in a good state of mind. The elderly man in the lead was a Pseudo-Great Emperor from the Western Territory and currently served as one of the Army Commanders, Luo Meng.
This was good news for Yang Kai. The more Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary that survived, the more advantages they would have in the upcoming Grand Dao battle.
“When did you arrive, Brother Luo?” he asked.
Luo Meng observed the situation and was secretly surprised. Yang Kai had the lowest cultivation out of the four in his group, but he clearly seemed to be the one leading them; thus, Luo Meng couldn’t help wondering about it. Not to mention, he had sensed an oppressive strength coming from Yang Kai during their brief exchange just now.
It was hard to understand how a High-Rank Demon King could be so powerful without actually fighting against Yang Kai. All everybody knew was that he had a record of killing a Demon Race Half-Saint together with Lan Xun and her companions. Even so, that was only something they heard. There had been no sense of reality to those words until this moment.
[Extraordinary!] Luo Meng secretly gave Yang Kai an evaluation. A High-Rank Demon King was only equivalent to a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. [I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be qualified to hold this boy Yang Kai’s shoes when I was back in the Third-Order Emperor Realm…]
Feeling slightly ashamed in his heart, Luo Meng replied, “I only just arrived. I was hoping to get rid of a few of those bastards here, but I never expected to accidentally hurt all of you instead.”
Yang Kai said, “It was a good idea, Brother Luo. But, are you sure that the Profound Heavens Temple only has one entrance?”
Luo Meng was stunned, “There are other entrances?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “I don’t know. I just flew over to the nearest entrance I could see, so there might be other entrances in other directions.”
Luo Meng’s face twitched at those words. [If that’s the case, then why are we still laying an ambush here? Forget about the fact that we are wasting our time in vain, we might not even get anything out of this! After all, it is hard to say which side will be left behind and killed even if a Demon Race Half-Saint does enter through this entrance.]
“Jia Long and the others should be coming here too,” Yang Kai and Jia Long’s group had come from the same direction. He only arrived ahead of them by relying on his Space Secret Techniques. It would not take long for Jia Long to lead his group of four here.
Based on the strength of Luo Meng and his companions, they would have lost their advantage and ended up losing the battle too if they had ambushed Jia Long here.
Sure enough, the expressions of Luo Meng and others couldn’t help changing at the mention of Jia Long’s name, “Brother Yang, did you meet Jia Long just now?”
“We fought them not long ago.” Yang Kai nodded. Thinking about the person that had died because of Cang Mo, his eyes darkened considerably. [Cang Mo must not be allowed to leave the Profound Heavens Temple alive!]
“How many of them are there?”
“Four!”
Lup Meng instantly felt a chill running up his spine and secretly rejoiced at his luck. It was fortunate that Yang Kai and the others were the ones to enter just now. If they had encountered Jia Long and his group instead, the consequences would have been dire for them. Jia Long was somebody that even Li Wu Yi was helpless against after all. But to escape unscathed from a four-on-four battle against Jia Long… It seemed that he was still underestimating Yang Kai’s strength.
“In your opinion, Brother Yang, what should we do?” Luo Meng asked.
Yang Kai looked at him and said, “Now that the Illusionary Heavens Furnace has appeared, I’m sure it is somewhere inside the Profound Heavens Temple. It is more important to locate the Illusionary Heavens Furnace first. In any case, we will eventually meet each other again. It will not be too late to fight them when we are competing for the opportunity.”
Luo Meng pondered for a while before nodding in agreement, “Brother Yang, your words hold truth in them. In that case, let’s go forward together so that we can take care of each other.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded and turned his head to look into the depths of the hall. He had been ambushed by Luo Meng the moment he entered, so he had not had the time to look around yet. Scanning his surroundings now, he saw that the area ahead was so dark that he could not see anything. Even when he tried to use his Divine Sense to penetrate the darkness, it felt like a rock sinking to the bottom of the sea. There was no feedback whatsoever.
The inside of the entire hall felt like it was shrouded in a thick layer of fog. In addition, the source of that peculiar fragrance was very close at hand and a rich Grand Dao aura flowed around them.
“Brother Luo, have you checked out the situation ahead?” Yang Kai asked while turning to look back.
Luo Meng shook his head, “We have only just arrived. There was no time to investigate anything yet. But, the inside of the Profound Heavens Temple feels very strange. I’m afraid the journey ahead is going to get a little bumpy.”
Yang Kai smiled, “When have we ever had a smooth road to walk on throughout our cultivation journey? Despite encountering many difficulties and adversities, the only way forward is to forge ahead bravely and cut through the thorns that bar our path.”
Luo Meng nodded, “You’re right, Brother Yang.”
“Let’s do it this way.” Yang Kai turned his head and looked around at the crowd, “I will lead the way. Yang Yan and Brother Luo will bring up the rear. The rest will remain in the middle to support us. Please take action if any unusual changes occur.”
Yang Yan frowned and objected, “I should lead the way.”
When it came down to it, the one walking at the forefront was also the one in the most danger. Nobody knew what kind of restrictions were arranged inside the Profound Heavens Temple. Although Yang Kai’s cultivation was a little lower than the others, he had part of the World’s Will in him, which made him one of the strongest contenders in the Grand Dao battle. How could she allow any accidents to befall him? The reason she and Bing Yun participated in this struggle was to ensure his safety. This was something they had discussed with Li Wu Yi in advance and received his approval.
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop her, “There’s not much time, so let’s not argue over this. I am capable of keeping myself alive.”
Seeing his insistence in this matter, there was not much else that Yang Yan could say so she simply nodded, “Fine. Be careful.”
While speaking, she shot a look at Bing Yun. Bing Yun immediately understood the meaning of the look and nodded gently in response.
Following a simple negotiation, the two groups gathered together and moved forward. Yang Kai led the way, followed closely by Bing Yun. Both of them silently circulated their Demon and Emperor Qi, prepared to attack at any time. Meanwhile, the others spread out behind them with Luo Meng and Yang Yan brought up the rear. Everyone maintained a tight formation, only a few steps apart from each other.
They stepped into the pitch-blackness that was so dark they couldn’t see their hands in front of them. Even their Divine Sense had been suppressed to the limit. Fortunately, sounds were not cut off from their senses so they could hear each other’s breathing and light footsteps. At the very least, they did not feel so alone.
Their speed of progress was not fast but not slow either. Their journey through the hall was smooth and unobstructed. They did not encounter the dangers and restrictions that they had imagined. Even so, nobody relaxed their guard, no matter who they were.
Yang Kai was observing the situation around him at all times while also keeping an eye on the movements of the people behind him.
All of a sudden, his expression changed when he checked on the situation of the group. That was because there was nobody behind him at all! Just a moment ago, he could still hear their faint heartbeat and footsteps, but in the next moment, the people who had been following him had disappeared without a trace!
Yang Kai turned around abruptly to look behind him, but there was nobody there. Even Bing Yun, who had been following no more than three steps behind him, was nowhere to be seen!
Cold sweat oozed from his forehead as he hurriedly released his Divine Sense so that he was alert to all the movements in his surroundings. Yang Kai had completely failed to notice when or how the people behind him had disappeared, but with his current Soul cultivation, even a Demon Saint or a Great Emperor could not achieve this level of secrecy around him. The only explanation was that he had activated some sort of restriction in the Profound Heavens Temple, which separated him from the others.
[If that’s what happened to me, then how are the others doing? Also, what kind of dangers will this restriction bring?] Yang Kai had no idea. All he could do now was to remain vigilant and continue moving forward…
At the same time, Bing Yun, who had been walking in the hall, suddenly let out a low cry.
“What happened!?” Yang Yan immediately asked.
“Yang Kai is gone!” Bing Yun exclaimed in shock.
Upon hearing those words, everybody was so horrified that all the hairs on their body stood upright. They were all Pseudo-Great Emperors; moreover, they were all basically within arm’s reach of one another. Even if the situation in this place was strange and their Divine Sense was greatly suppressed, they should still be able to monitor the movements of any one of the people around them if they put their minds to it. However, the reality was that none of them had noticed Yang Kai’s disappearance until Bing Yun made a sound. Not even Yang Yan, who had been paying close attention to Yang Kai.
With a whoosh, Yang Yan rushed over from behind and stared forward intently, but there was nobody in front. She asked grimly, “When did he disappear?”
She had clearly heard Yang Kai’s heartbeat and breathing just a moment ago.
“Just now!”
“How did he disappear?”
“I don’t know,” Bing Yun frowned deeply. She had not been distracted by anything else and as she was the closest to Yang Kai, she had been paying close attention to him at all times. Even so, she had not noticed how he had disappeared. It wasn’t until he was gone that she reacted. It was simply unbelievable.
The entire purpose of her and Yang Yan’s presence here was to protect Yang Kai and participate in the final stage of the Grand Dao battle, but they had lost sight of him completely. No matter how strong her heart was, Bing Yun couldn’t help feeling a little emotional at this moment. [If that was the case, then what was the point of Li Wu Yi’s sacrifice!?]
“Watch out, everyone. Brother Yang must have activated some sort of restriction,” Luo Meng shouted.
Yang Yan frowned at those words, “If it were some sort of restriction, then why was he the only one to go missing? Wouldn’t we have been dragged into it as well?”
Although she could not rule out the fact that the restriction might have affected only one person, it was still a little too strange to be true.
At that moment, a small light suddenly bloomed in the dark hall. The light seemed to come from very far away. It was a little hazy, but when it appeared, the darkness that enveloped the entire hall receded considerably. A faintly glowing path about ten metres wide appeared beneath their feet, leading them straight towards the source of the light.
Yang Kai’s sudden disappearance was followed by the appearance of this faintly glowing path. This series of events left everybody extremely bewildered, but they did not sense any danger when standing on this path. On the contrary, they could vaguely sense something calling out to them from the front. It would seem that the goal everybody had been chasing was just right ahead.
After pondering for a moment, Luo Meng said, “Sister Yang Yan, Brother Yang might be missing, but nothing bad will happen to him easily with his abilities. Besides, he will surely head to that final place once he gets himself out of trouble. Why don’t we proceed ahead for now and wait for him to arrive? What do you think?”
Yang Yan fell silent for a while after listening to his suggestion. Then, she nodded gently. She knew that what Luo Meng said was right. She was completely clueless as to how Yang Kai went missing and where he was currently, so even if she tried to search for him, she had no clues to work with. In that case, she might as well head for the final area to wait for him as there was a higher possibility of meeting him there.
Having made their decision, everybody delayed no longer and immediately continued on their way. Nevertheless, they acted more cautiously after learning from their previous experience. To their surprise though, nothing else unexpected happened until they reached the end of the faintly glowing path.
At the end of the path was an empty hall. The ceiling was more than a thousand metres high and it was very spacious inside. More importantly, a quaint-looking Giant Furnace was slowly spinning in the centre of the hall. The patterns around the Giant Furnace were flickering with a faint light and a dense Grand Dao aura radiated from within.
“The Illusionary Heavens Furnace!” Luo Meng exclaimed softly, staring intently at the Giant Furnace that was carved with countless complicated and intricate patterns with a scorching gaze. This Giant Furnace was identical to the Giant Furnace that was projected into the world before. Although it had shrunk in size countless times, it was still several tens of metres tall.
It wasn’t just Luo Meng who had a scorching look in his eyes. The eyes of all six Pseudo-Great Emperors present here were burning brightly at this moment.
Before entering the Profound Heavens Temple, everybody was told that they had to find the Illusionary Heavens Furnace upon entering the Source Sealed World. It was just that nobody knew where the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was located. At this very moment, the key item to becoming a Great Emperor had finally revealed itself before their very eyes. As long as they could figure out the secret behind the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, they could become a Great Emperor!
There was a whooshing sound as a figure passed by Luo Meng’s side to head straight at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. However, he was ruthlessly cut down by his companion beside him.
The Demon Race Half-Saints were the eternal enemies of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary, but even their original companions became their rivals now that the final moment was here.
Luo Meng was startled, but even so, he quickly came back to his senses and rushed forward with a shift of his body.
*Shua shua shua…* Gan Li and another Pseudo-Great Emperor were not far behind. Only Yang Yan and Bing Yun were left standing in their original positions.
The two women looked at each other in surprise. They never expected to arrive at the deepest part of the Profound Heavens Temple so easily, let alone find the Illusionary Heavens Furnace just waiting for them. In this way, the Grand Dao battle had reached the most critical moment. Even if they were unwilling, they were already stuck in this whirlpool. Who would not selfishly think only of themselves in this situation?
They both understood the meaning in each other’s eyes. Yang Yan shouted, “Let’s go!”
Pushing her Emperor Qi, she flew forward together with Bing Yun. Their previous task had been rendered meaningless now that Yang Kai was missing. Regardless of whether he was dead or alive, who could turn a blind eye to the Grand Dao opportunity in front of them?
At that moment, an anomaly occurred.
The energy in the hall suddenly went wild as numerous figures emerged from all directions. Waves of Divine Abilities shot out from everywhere, targeting the person closest to Illusionary Heavens Furnace. That person was a Pseudo-Great Emperor who came here with Yang Yan and the others but was the first to rush forward just now.
Luo Meng’s expression changed greatly at the sight and he shouted, “Watch out, Brother Zhou!”
Similarly, the man surnamed Zhou was shocked. He had thought that he and the others were the first to arrive at this place, so he believed that he could take advantage of their lead to obtain the prize first. Who could have known that that was not the case?
Turning to look around him, he saw that there were passages leading into the hall from every direction. Moreover, numerous figures came flying out of those passages. Both the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary and the Demon Race Half-Saints were included among these people. It was obvious that they had all just arrived in this place. Furthermore, the time of their arrival was all roughly the same. It was just that they had not come via the same shimmering path.
Those who attacked him were the Demon Race Half-Saints. Although the Pseudo-Great Emperors were vying to get the lead on the others, they had not reached the point where they would kill each other yet.
Even so, the man surnamed Zhou felt his scalp go numb with fear. There were at least a dozen Divine Abilities raining down on him. Even though these attacks were rushed, how could he defend against these many attacks all at once? His complexion turned pale as he hurriedly raised his hand, summoning many artifacts at the same time to form a layer of protection around his body.
There was a loud rumbling and energy ran wild, causing the layers upon layers of protection that seemed fairly sturdy to shatter apart like paper in a single blow. It was followed by a muffled groan as a figure was sent flying backwards. That person was completely covered in blood and his aura was weak.
Luo Meng reached out to catch that person, and when he looked down at the person in his arms, his heart sank.
At this moment, the man surnamed Zhou’s Emperor Qi was fluctuating erratically. His complexion was as pale as a sheet and his body was covered in injuries. It was obvious that he was severely injured. That did not come as a surprise, however, as so many Half-Saints had attacked him all at once. Even Li Wu Yi could not have defended against that barrage of attacks, much less this man surnamed Zhou who had been completely focused on the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. In his haste, the ability to deploy those layers of protection had been his limit. Luckily, the layers of protection had not been useless and had ultimately saved his life. Nevertheless, suffering such severe injuries at this stage was equivalent to losing his qualification to compete in the Grand Dao battle.
“Brother Luo…” The man surnamed Zhou opened his mouth and spat out another mouthful of fresh blood, his expression became more worn out than ever. His eyes were filled with remorse and regret. After a lifetime of cultivation, he finally reached this step only to fall short at the last moment. How could he willingly accept something like that? He deeply regretted putting his neck on the line to be first, but who could have imagined that so many people had arrived in this place?
“Brother Luo, please go on ahead. This Zhou will need to treat his injuries first,” He managed to speak with some difficulty and turned his head to look at Illusionary Heavens Furnace.
From the looks of it, another Pseudo-Great Emperor from the Star Boundary was already rushing towards the Illusionary Heavens Furnace with a fired-up expression on his face. He lunged forward at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace with a slight body shift.
However, he was blocked by an invisible force before he could even get close. It was as though there was an invisible barrier around the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. As long as the barrier was not broken, nobody could even think about approaching the furnace.
There was a slight moment of delay, and then a storm of attacks rained down again. That person’s expression changed drastically and he hurriedly dodged out of the way, but was still struck by some of the attacks. Blood immediately stained the sky.
More people rushed at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace only to be blocked by that invisible barrier. There were no exceptions. Meanwhile, the Demon Race Half-Saints attacked fiercely. They were ignoring the huge opportunity contained in the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, choosing to go on the offensive against the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary instead.
One side was scattered and chaotic while the other side had come prepared; therefore, the result was easy to imagine.
It only took an instant for the Star Boundary to suffer a devastating loss. In just 10 breaths, one of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary had already died tragically on the spot.
After several more defeats, the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary stopped approaching the Illusionary Heavens Furnace so rashly. Everybody could understand the situation by now. Although the Illusionary Heavens Furnace had revealed itself, it would seem that it was not time for the final moment yet. Trying to snatch the opportunity at this moment was meaningless, so they might as well take this opportunity to get rid of their competitors instead.
A chaotic melee then broke out. Lights flickered throughout the huge hall as the powers of both Emperor Artifacts and Demon Artifacts were unleashed. The explosions that rang out were deafening and endless.
Screams would ring out from time to time. On this battlefield where only Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints stood, any trace of negligence would become a fatal flaw. Both sides suffered casualties as the battle continued to rage. Body after body fell out of the sky and their vital essence would vanish without a trace before they could even touch the ground, essentially turning them into mummified corpses.
On the other hand, the rotation speed of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace standing in the centre of the hall seemed to have increased slightly. The pure World Energy that filled the inside of the Giant Furnace was also gradually strengthening. It was expanding and contracting rhythmically, as if something was about to break out of the cauldron.
While the Pseudo-Great Emperors and the Half-Saints were engaged in battle inside the hall, Yang Kai was standing in a seemingly infinite void. He had gotten separated from Yang Yan and the others without him noticing only to appear directly in this strange space.
Even so, he did not panic as he did not sense any danger in this place. Rather, he felt a sense of security and tranquillity that was reminiscent of returning home after a long journey. This feeling was rather fascinating and it tempted him to stay forever, just sinking into this comfortable silence.
The moment that thought formed in his head though, he felt a cool sensation washing over his mind that woke him up instantly. That was naturally the work of the Soul Warming Lotus. It was important to note that the Soul Warming Lotus, which was a Supreme Treasure, would only react in that way when his Soul was being influenced by an outside force.
Yang Kai was stunned as he had thought he was already being vigilant enough, so he was shocked to learn that he still nearly became bewitched by something. Not to mention, there was nothing in this strange space whatsoever. Just being in this place gave him such dangerous thoughts.
[What the Hell is this damned place!”]
In his confusion, a loud bell-like voice suddenly sounded in his mind, “What is the World?”
“Who are you?” Yang Kai shouted loudly. Turning to look around him, he found nothing in his vicinity. There was nothing in this place except for him, so how could anybody else be here? He couldn’t help frowning in response, but upon further consideration, he realised that the sound did not seem to have come from the outside, but rather from within his body.
“What is the World?” The voice sounded again.
Wary, Yang Kai quickly asked, “Who is sneaking around!?”
There was no reply. After waiting for a while, the voice came again. It was still the same question as before, “What is the World?”
This attitude that indicated the other party would not give up until they obtained the answers they wanted gave Yang Kai a headache. If it were a tangible enemy, he could have created a huge commotion to see if he could escape his current predicament; however, there was nothing he could do when even the source of that voice was unclear.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai answered loudly, “The World gives birth to everything and nourishes all life. Everything in the World exists in accordance with the World. The World attains spirituality from everything, and everything, in turn, constitutes the World.”
After saying that, Yang Kai looked around attentively. He waited for a long time, but the voice did not sound again so he raised his brow slightly and thought to himself, [Is that a pass?]
That thought had only just flashed through his mind when the voice sounded again. It was still as sonorous as ever and so loud that it shook the eardrums and the mind, “What is the Dao?”
With the experience from before, Yang Kai did not try to engage with that voice and simply answered, “The Dao is the law, the way of things, eternity itself, the source of everything in the World.”
“What is the Dao?” This time around, the voice sounded again without pause.
Yang Kai frowned. [Was that the wrong answer?]
“The Dao is grief, sorrow, and joy. The Dao is birth, old age, sickness, and death. The Dao is fate. The Dao is returning after achieving success. One follows the Earth, Earth follows the Heavens, the Heavens follow the Dao, and the Dao follows nature!”
“What is the Dao?”
“The heart is the Dao!”
“What is the Dao?”
“The Dao is the road under our feet. The beginning and end. Everything from the trees to the grains of sand have their own Dao. This Dao is their destiny, existence, their way!”
“What is the Dao?”
…..
In the beginning, Yang Kai needed to ponder for a while before coming up with an answer; however, his answers flowed out with increasing speed as the voice continued to question him non-stop. It was as though it was not somebody else who was asking him the question but his own heart!
With every sentence that Yang Kai uttered, the feeling that he could finally see the bright moon through a layer of fog began to sprout in his heart. All the thoughts in his heart seemed to become clear all of a sudden and he felt extremely refreshed.
“What is the Dao?”
Yang Kai lowered his heart and grinned to himself, “What is the Dao?”
Pausing for a moment, his relaxed gaze slowly became firm and determined, “Stop asking! If you keep on nagging like this, then I say I am the Dao!”
*Hong…*
It felt as though something inside his body had exploded. The surrounding space shattered like a mirror, peeling off piece by piece. The fog in front of him vanished in an instant, and he suddenly appeared inside a hall. Before he could check out his surroundings, however, he felt numerous gazes locking onto him from all directions.
Turning around to look, Yang Kai broke out into a grin and whistled, “Heh! There’s a lot of people here!”
There were clearly two groups of people in the hall. One side was composed of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary while the other was composed of the Half-Saints from the Demon Realm. There were about ten or so people from each camp, but there were a few more Half-Saints compared to the people from the Star Boundary.
It was just that most of these Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints were injured to some extent at this moment. Yang Kai also saw Jia Long among the Demon Race Half-Saints. Jia Long had a huge and hideous wound on his chest, which illustrated how brutal the struggle he went through just now was.
In addition to these two groups of people, there were also many mummified corpses scattered across the hall. Judging from the clothes of the mummified corpses, both the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary and Half-Saints from the Demon Realm were among the dead. There were as many as 20 or 30 corpses in total.
When the Profound Heavens Temple opened, a total of 70 entered this place. Among those 70, 30 were Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary while the remaining 40 were the Demon Race Half-Saints! Including the Masters who died outside the Profound Heavens Temple, then all those who were still alive and had the power to fight at this moment were gathered in this place.
The Grand Dao battle was finally showing its fangs. It had only been a little more than a month since the Profound Heavens Temple opened, but in this short time, the number of Masters from the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm who died numbered as many as 40 or 50. Something like this would have been unimaginable in the past, but death had become commonplace in the Profound Heavens Temple.
“Yang Kai, are you alright!?” Yang Yan called out. She had felt both surprised and delighted when she first saw Yang Kai. Although she could tell that he was in good shape, she couldn’t help worrying about whether he had encountered any accidents.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine.”
In fact, he wasn’t just fine, he felt surprisingly refreshed after going through that strange experience just now. It felt as though something had relaxed inside his body.
Turning his gaze to the side, he met the concerned gazes of both Yang Yan and Bing Yun. That wasn’t all, he also saw Sheng Yu Zhu among the crowd. When their eyes met, Sheng Yu Zhu gave him a small smile to which he nodded back in return.
His gaze continued to sweep across the crowd, and when he saw a certain person, his expression immediately turned cold and his murderous intent surged, “Old dog Cang Mo! How dare you show yourself here!”
Similarly, Cang Mo’s expression was filled with hatred when he looked at Yang Kai; even so, he remained silent in the face of Yang Kai’s cursing. That was because he knew exactly what he had done. Arguing with Yang Kai at this time would only expose that fact. If that happened, there would be no place left for him in the Star Boundary.
Many Pseudo-Great Emperors frowned upon hearing Yang Kai’s shout. They all knew that Yang Kai had a grudge against Cang Mo, but that was nothing more than a personal grudge. Nobody knew why Yang Kai was suddenly causing a commotion at this time.
Yang Yan sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai at that moment, “We can discuss the matter regarding Cang Mo when we get back. Our priority is to deal with the immediate situation.”
Yang Kai gently nodded at those words. With a flicker of his body, he headed towards the people of the Star Boundary. He really wanted to take this opportunity to kill Cang Mo, but he would only embarrass the entire Star Boundary in front of the Demon Race if he made a move. It might even break this eerie calm that had settled over the hall.
For that reason, Yang Kai could only endure silently even if his mind was flooded with the thoughts of killing Cang Mo. He walked over to Yang Yan and asked in a whisper, “What happened here?”
The tragic situation in front of him undoubtedly indicated that both the Humans and Demons had gone through an unprecedented battle before his arrival. Unfortunately, the root cause of this battle was definitely related to the Grand Dao opportunity.
“The Illusionary Heavens Furnace is here!” Yang Yan gestured at something behind him.
Yang Kai turned around to look, his eyes narrowing at the sight. Behind him stood a quaint-looking Giant Furnace in the very centre of the hall. It was emanating an ancient and desolate aura as though it had just stepped out of the past to emerge from the river of history. There were countless peculiar patterns engraved around the Giant Furnace. At first glance, those patterns did not seem to mean anything; however, one would find that these patterns coincided with the Principles of the Grand Dao upon closer inspection…
Even though Yang Kai had seen the gigantic projection of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace from afar before, he couldn’t help being stunned when he saw the real Illusionary Heavens Furnace for the first time. His mind seemed drawn towards the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, giving him a desperate impulse to delve into the mysteries contained in it.
At this moment, the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was not empty; there was actually a tree inside of it. It was small and not very tall, only about 10 metres or so. It had lush green leaves and a single fruit hanging from one of its branches. The fruit was about the size of a fist and crystal-clear with inexplicably colourful lights that kept changing inside.
A peculiar fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, penetrating directly into his mind. This fragrance was rather familiar. It was the same smell that he had noticed while on his way here. The realisation struck Yang Kai suddenly, this was the source of that fragrance.
“What is that?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow tightly. The information he received from Sheng Yu Zhu was only regarding the existence of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, and yet, at this moment, there was a small tree inside the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, not to mention a fruit hanging on the tree…
He turned to glance at Sheng Yu Zhu, but the latter just shook her head slowly to indicate that she did not know either. Yang Kai did not know if she truly was clueless or if she was only pretending to be. In any case, he had the vague feeling that the key to becoming a Great Emperor was not the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, but this fruit from the small tree inside the Illusionary Heavens Furnace!
Yang Yan stood next to him and explained the situation. It turned out that after they parted with Yang Kai, they came directly to this place. Not long after their arrival, they discovered that everyone had been gathered in this place. There was nothing more to say when everybody encountered each other. A huge battle immediately broke out.
People dropped like flies in that battle. With the increasing number of deaths, the small tree gradually grew inside the Illusionary Heavens Furnace and a fruit gradually grew on the tree. That was what led to the scene they were currently looking at. Too many people had died on both sides, not to mention the rest were gravely injured. Death and pain finally made both sides calm down, leading to a stalemate between both the Humans and the Demons before Yang Kai’s arrival.
“That’s the Heavenly Source Fruit!” Jia Long’s voice came from the opposite side. Yang Kai looked up to see Jia Long obsessively staring at the only fruit on the small tree. While speaking, Jia Long even licked his lips in temptation, “Whoever snatches that Heavenly Source Fruit and successfully refines it will obtain the opportunity for the Grand Dao.” Narrowing his eyes, he glanced sideways at Yang Kai and provocatively asked, “Do you want it?”
“Heavenly Source Fruit?” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, “Did Can Ye tell you about it?”
It had to be said that the Star Boundary was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of information in this Grand Dao battle. Many Great Emperors were currently trapped inside an inexplicable space that they could not escape, while on the other hand, the Demon Race had Can Ye on their side, who could give the Half-Saints some pointers in advance so that they knew what their goal was from the start during this expedition.
“Over the generations, those who entered this Source Sealed World were all Pseudo-Great Emperors. Which of these people was not a person blessed with luck and good fortune by the Heavens?” Jia Long did not answer Yang Kai’s question and instead began monologuing, “It’s not just the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. The same goes for the Half-Saints from the Demon Realm. Who among us is any different?”
Even though they were enemies, Yang Kai could not refute Jia Long’s words. Those who could cultivate until they became Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints were those born with great destinies. Each one of them had lived a wondrous and adventure-filled life. Just take him for example. His cultivation journey had been blessed with countless opportunities. Which among those opportunities would not make ordinary people burn with jealousy? If not for those opportunities, how could he have reached this point in his life?
In this world, there would always be some who were born with great luck. These people would survive after falling off a cliff. Moreover, they would stumble upon a cave mansion only to inherit both the wealth and the Divine Secret Techniques left behind by an ancient Senior, which would allow them to escape their predicament and propel them to greater heights.
Who among all the Pseudo-Great Emperors and the Half-Saints standing here had not experienced such opportunities and good fortune?
“The Heavenly Source Fruit that can be found in the Source Sealed World grows by absorbing the luck and fated fortune we carry as nutrients. Without that luck and fortune, this fruit would not have appeared.” Jia Long looked at Yang Kai calmly, a contemptuous smirk appearing at the corner of his lips.
Yang Kai frowned thoughtfully and said, “So, you are saying that the Source Sealed World took away the luck of those who died to produce this Heavenly Source Fruit.”
“More or less!” Jia Long’s expression became serious, “That is why most of the participants will die in each Grand Dao battle. There is no helping it. It won’t work if there are no deaths. How would this fruit form if no deaths occurred? The Heavenly Source Fruit will only be born when enough people are dead and their luck and good fortune have returned to the world. After all, the total amount of luck and good fortune in the world is limited!”
The reason why only one Heavenly Source Fruit was produced this time was that only one Great Emperor was allowed to be born in this world today. If the World’s Bottle still had more capacity to spare, then the tree would have borne more than one Heavenly Source Fruit by now.
“Putting it that way, it would mean that I am taking away all the luck and good fortune of those who died if I consume this Heavenly Source Fruit.”
Yang Kai was secretly surprised. [It’s no wonder the Heavenly Source Fruit has such a mysterious effect if all the luck and good fortune of so many Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints have been combined into one.]
“Of course,” Jia Long said quickly. “Besides, the Grand Dao battle this time is unlike any other Grand Dao battles in the past. This time, my Demon Race is participating in it!”
Yang Kai looked solemn, “That truly is a lot of luck and good fortune from two Universe Worlds.”
Jia Long spread his arms to the side with a look of madness on his face, “This Heavenly Source Fruit is stronger than all the other Heavenly Source Fruits across history! Whoever can get their hands on it will be able to stand above all the other Great Emperors and Demon Saints in the future!”
Yang Kai took a deep breath, “So, that’s how it is.” Then, he grinned, “It looks like not enough people have died yet.”
Likewise, Jia Long smiled, “En, the fruit has not ripened.”
At this moment, the Heavenly Source Fruit on the small tree was already exuding a tempting fragrance and the lights flowing inside of it looked extremely extraordinary. However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Heavenly Source Fruit was not fully ripe yet. In addition, the invisible barrier around the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was still in place. Nobody could get close enough to snatch the fruit. Still, the fruit had already grown so much that although it had yet to fully ripen, it was clearly going to happen soon.
Jia Long suddenly raised three fingers and quickly declared, “Three. It will only take three more deaths at most for the Heavenly Source Fruit to ripen!”
Yang Kai rubbed his chin and nodded, “That is to say, our work is done as long as we kill another three of you.”
Jia Long grinned, “Where do you get that much confidence? We have the advantage in numbers.”
Yang Kai lifted his chin and looked down at Jia Long, “If you really have such a huge advantage, then why are you still wasting your time talking to me? You are all injured, but I am in peak condition. If it comes down to a fight, it’s hard to say who will win and who will lose.”
Jia Long said, “And, that’s why I have a suggestion.”
“Speak!”
“Three duels. The outcome will be decided by death. Nobody is allowed to intervene in those battles, so the survivor of those battles will lie in the hands of fate. The Heavenly Source Fruit will ripen after three battles, everybody will have to rely on their own abilities after that.”
Yang Kai frowned when he heard those words as his gaze swept over the Demon Race Half-Saints standing behind Jia Long. He had the faint feeling that these Half-Saints’ injuries were more serious than he originally thought. Otherwise, Jia Long would not have come up with that suggestion with such an advantage in numbers.
[But…] Yang Kai then turned his head to look at the people of the Star Boundary. [The situation on our side is no better.]
Jia Long added, “If this chaotic battle continues, nobody can guarantee that it will end. Regardless of which side, the losses for both the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm are already too high. That is why this King wishes to use the smallest price in exchange for the greatest prize. What do you think?”
The people from the Demon Realm were led by Jia Long; therefore, no other Half-Saint would object to his decision.
On the contrary, there was no leader on the Star Boundary’s side. It was only natural that Yang Kai could not rashly make a decision on behalf of the others. Thus, he fell silent for a moment before he said, “We will need to discuss this among ourselves.”
Jia Long gestured for Yang Kai to proceed. Then, he turned to stare hungrily at the Heavenly Source Fruit. There was a look of greed in his eyes that could not be concealed.
It was impossible not to feel covetous. As long as he could get his hands on the Heavenly Source Fruit, he would instantly rise above all the other Demon Saints. It was a supreme glory! As Jia Long mentioned before, this Heavenly Source Fruit was different from all the other Heavenly Source Fruits throughout history. The formation of this fruit brought together the luck and good fortune from two Universe Worlds. Nobody knew what kind of mysterious effects it would have when consumed.
Yang Kai turned around and looked at the many Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. At this point, only 12 survivors remained among the people from the Star Boundary, including himself. It had to be said that there were a total of 30 people when they first entered the Source Sealed World known as the Profound Heavens Temple.
In the short span of one month, 18 Pseudo-Great Emperors had died in this place to become the nutrients for the birth and ripening of the Heavenly Source Fruit. Even Gan Li, who had been travelling with Yang Kai before, was nowhere to be seen. It was most likely that he was already dead.
A touch of sorrow appeared in the depths of Yang Kai’s eyes as he took a deep breath and said, “You must have heard what that guy said just now. What do you think?”
Yang Yan frowned, “Do you believe him?”
Yang Kai considered the question in silence for a bit, “I believe the part about the Heavenly Source Fruit. At this point in time, there is no reason for him to lie. Even if he did, it doesn’t change anything. Besides, I can feel that the fruit is indeed the key to becoming a Great Emperor. As for the rest…” He slowly shook his head.
Bing Yun piped up, “The information about the Heavenly Source Fruit does not seem to be false. There was no fruit tree in the Illusionary Heavens Furnace when we first arrived here, but as more people died, the fruit tree and subsequently the fruit itself gradually appeared.”
Another person said, “If that’s the case, then it’s okay to go along with his suggestion. In any case, it isn’t disadvantageous to us in any way. Rather, they lose more than we do if we agree to this.”
“There are only three battles. We need to carefully consider who will be sent to fight.”
Three matches needed to be fought, so those who didn’t fight would be able to recover their energy during this time. Although they did not know how long they would have to rest, they would at least be exempted from the risk of dying in this place. On the other hand, nothing good would come to the representatives of these battles. Regardless of whether they won or lost their fight, they would most likely miss out on the Grand Dao battle in the end.
This matter was related to their life-long pursuit, so nobody would willingly take the initiative to accept this task at this time. This fight was not just a fight to determine a winner, it was a life or death battle. For the Heavenly Source Fruit to fully ripen, somebody had to die in this place.
Yang Kai swept his gaze over the crowd and opened his mouth, but before he could say a single word, Yang Yan interrupted him, “In that case, let’s agree to their proposal for now. As for who will be chosen for battle… Let’s see how they choose first.”
Everybody nodded in agreement.
Yang Yan gave Yang Kai a fierce look as if warning him not to talk nonsense. Feeling helpless, Yang Kai sniffed slightly in response. Then, he turned around and looked at Jia Long, “We finished our discussion.”
“Well?” Jia Long put his hands behind his back and looked at Yang Kai with a smile. His expression was calm as though he had already known that the Star Boundary would not reject him.
“We will accept your proposal!”
He chuckled, “Good.”
“But, these three battles…” Just as Yang Kai was about to discuss the candidates of the battle, a change suddenly occurred.
A loud rumbling sound suddenly came from beneath the ground, causing Yang Kai’s sentence to trail off abruptly. He warily looked forward only to see that Jia Long was also watching him intently with a grim expression. When their gazes met, they both saw the confusion in each other’s eyes; thus, they realised that it wasn’t the doing of the other party.
In the next moment, the ground shook turbulently and a huge platform suddenly sprung up in the originally empty hall. The platform rose by more than three hundred metres in an instant before it stopped moving. Immediately afterwards, two translucent light barriers descended from the sky to cover both the camps of the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm respectively.
Everything happened so quickly that nobody could react in time. By the time they saw the light barrier coming down over them, it was too late to think about escaping. Countless shouts of anger rang out. Emperor Qi and Demon Qi surged in the hall as both sides tried to use their own means to break free; however, their efforts were unsuccessful with no exceptions. The two hemispherical light barriers separated the Human Race Pseudo-Great Emperors and Demon Race Half-Saints into two opposing sides.
Yang Kai frowned deeply as his body flickered slightly. It felt like he faded for a moment, but he quickly solidified again in the next moment. This sign undoubtedly meant that his Instantaneous Movement could not be used to escape. The light barriers that appeared out of nowhere had the effect of sealing space.
At the moment, both factions were in chaos. Divine Abilities blasted out constantly, slamming into the light barriers, but to their surprise, the toughness of the light barriers was far beyond what anybody could have imagined. The attacks had been launched by Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints, and yet, they were completely ineffective against the light barriers that sealed them inside.
Another rumbling sound came out and the ground covered by the two light barriers rose upwards, only stopping when the ground was higher than the platform in the middle by several dozen metres.
At this moment, the two parties were each standing on elevated platforms covered by light barriers. In the middle of these two elevated platforms was a similar elevated platform. It was just that this central elevated platform was much larger than the other two.
When all the changes finally stopped, all 20 or so Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints present in this place looked at each other in confusion, none of them knowing what was going on.
Yang Kai scowled and glanced at the elevated platform in the centre, but before he could study it thoroughly, he heard a soft swooshing sound coming from beside him. Immediately after that, a figure appeared on the central elevated platform near the edge that was closest to him.
He widened his eyes and called out in surprise, “Brother Lin!”
The figure that suddenly appeared on the central elevated platform was none other than the Forty-Ninth Army’s Army Commander, Lin Ru Song, the noble man who, when Cang Mo had challenged Yang Kai’s right to enter the Profound Heavens Temple, offered to give up his spot in order to quell the turmoil between them. His broad-mindedness was truly admirable.
Yang Kai’s astonishment could not get any greater. Similarly, the other Pseudo-Great Emperors around him cried out in shock. That was because Lin Ru Song had been standing beside them just now. Nobody had seen just how he managed to get to the central elevated platform.
Meanwhile, Lin Ru Song himself seemed extremely shocked too. He suddenly appeared on the elevated platform with a blank expression on his face.
At that moment, a Half-Saint suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the elevated platform. Just like Lin Ru Song, the Half-Saint looked like he had no idea what was going on when he appeared, glancing around in confusion.
A Pseudo-Great Emperor and a Half-Saint had appeared on that lonely elevated platform in a strange manner, standing less than a thousand metres apart. At the same time, the others were trapped inside the light barriers surrounding the elevated platforms on both sides with no way of escape. This situation was truly the best representation of fighting alone.
“The World is alive!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and shouted. Despite looking up at the sky, all he could see inside the hall was darkness. He had only just agreed to Jia Long’s proposal when these changes occurred. It was almost as though there was a Great Will watching them from the shadows. A battlefield for a one-on-one battle was created immediately the moment both sides had agreed to the proposal; in this way, there was no need to worry about the other party secretly meddling in the battles.
Jia Long obviously figured out what was going on too and couldn’t help grinning, “It looks like the World is getting impatient too. Interesting, interesting indeed!”
The Heavenly Source Fruit was on the verge of ripening when both the Humans and the Demons fell into a stalemate earlier. With this opportunity, the World’s Will immediately accelerated the process of the entire Grand Dao battle! It didn’t even give both sides the chance to decide on their representatives and directly selected one representative each from the respective camps.
“Brother Lin, fight!” Yang Kai shouted.
Lin Ru Song was shocked, but he reacted quickly. It didn’t matter why he had appeared on this elevated platform. Seeing as there was a Demon Race Half-Saint standing opposite him, he had to kill his opponent first if he wanted to survive.
The moment Yang Kai’s words rang out, Lin Ru Song was already lifting a hand to summon a sword. The sword was quite short, barely longer than a dagger, but when he poured his Emperor Qi into it, it began releasing a barrage of Sword Shadows towards the opposite side.
A burst of strange cackling laughter sounded at that moment as the Demon Race Half-Saint on the opposite side turned into a blood light and rushed over. He passed through the boundless Sword Shadows unscathed, handling the attack with ease.
Lin Ru Song did not panic. Although he was getting on with age and had lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests before the Demon Race invaded the Star Boundary, his foundation as a Pseudo-Great Emperor was still there. Not to mention, he trained with this short sword artifact for countless years. He had long since become one with this artifact. Seeing his opponent rushing towards him, Lin Ru Song immediately clenched his fist and the short sword transformed into a giant sword that swept out horizontally.
Even though the rest of the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints watching the battle were not facing the attack directly, they could feel the power behind it. Even if a mountain was in front of that sword, it would be cut in two in the next moment. Sure enough, the Blood Demon Half-Saint was a little overwhelmed by the attack and was sent flying by the impact.
A burst of cheers rang out on the Star Boundary’s end.
However, a loud explosion sounded out without warning at that moment. The Blood Demon that had been cut down immediately burst apart and turned into a Blood Sea. Bypassing the giant sword on both sides, he rapidly engulfed Lin Ru Song.
Lin Ru Song’s expression changed as he hurriedly formed a set of hand seals, drawing his sword back to defend himself. A barrage of Sword Shadows appeared once more and slammed into the Blood Sea. Large portions of blood were swept away with his efforts, but the Blood Sea seemed to be endless and he could not reduce the blood in the slightest.
Lin Ru Song retreated again and again, but there was nowhere to escape. There was an invisible barrier around the elevated platform, so he could not leave its range.
In his desperation, he bit the tip of his tongue and spewed out a mouthful of Blood Essence. The short sword shone brightly in response and instantly penetrated the obstruction of the Blood Sea and returned to his side. The sword immediately wound itself around him and began spinning to form a solid layer of protection. This artifact was clearly top-notch in terms of both offence and defence.
The strange cackling continued to ring out incessantly as the Blood Sea crashed down on Lin Ru Song with the force of a tsunami, wrapping him up within it so that he vanished out of sight.
The battle between these two had lasted for only a few breaths, and it was unclear whether the outcome was for the better or worse. Nevertheless, many Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary looked concerned when Lin Ru Song disappeared from their field of vision.
Explosions rang out from the middle of the elevated platform, but unfortunately, nobody could see what was going on inside due to the obstruction of the Blood Sea. Judging by the commotion, it would seem that Lin Ru Song and the Blood Demon were holding nothing back in their fight to the death.
“How were Brother Lin’s injuries?” Yang Kai asked grimly as he watched the situation over there with a solemn expression.
Bing Yun shook her head sadly, “He was quite badly wounded. He sustained internal injuries in the melee before so he can at most exert about 70% of his peak strength.”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened when he heard the words.
Lin Ru Song was in an extremely dangerous situation as although his opponent was also injured, the exchange of blows just now indicated that the Blood Demon’s injuries were not as severe as the former’s. In addition, a large part of Lin Ru Song’s strength came from his short sword artifact. Unfortunately, a Blood Demon’s Blood Sea had a strong corrosive effect, so if Lin Ru Song could not finish the battle in a short time, he would lose his biggest support once his artifact was damaged by Blood Sea. If that were to happen, the situation would only worsen further.
The feeling of knowing that a companion’s life was in great danger yet being powerless to do anything was horrible. Yang Kai repeatedly tried to use Instantaneous Movement to teleport himself to the elevated platform, but all his efforts proved to be fruitless. The light barrier surrounding the elevated platform he was on had completely sealed off this space. Gloomily looking in the direction of the central elevated platform, Yang Kai could only clench his fists in frustration.
Although Yang Kai barely interacted with Lin Ru Song in the past, the latter’s willingness to give up his place to enter the Profound Heavens Temple was still fresh in Yang Kai’s memory. Such selfless and righteous people did not deserve to die in a place like this.
On the contrary, somebody like Cang Mo, who betrayed his own companion, was still standing safe and sound on this elevated platform. Yang Kai turned around to look at Cang Mo coldly, vaguely realising the cruelty of the Heavenly Way.
“I hope the Heavens show favour to a good man like Brother Lin.” Yang Yan sighed. Even so, she knew that it was just a form of self-consolation. The only thing Lin Ru Song could rely on while fighting a one-on-one battle in that kind of isolated environment was his own strength.
On the opposite side, Jia Long looked over with a smile on his face. When he met Yang Kai’s gaze, he slid his hand across the front of his neck in a slitting gesture.
The fierce battle continued, but due to the Blood Sea, nobody could tell what was going on inside. Only a constant sound of explosions could be heard coming from inside the Blood Sea while at the same time, Demon Qi and Emperor Qi fiercely collided against each other.
Yang Kai’s heart soon sank to the bottom of the abyss as he realized that the fight had dragged on for too long…
Half an hour passed by before the commotion on the elevated platform gradually subsided. Everybody watched as the Blood Sea retreated with a crashing sound and the scene that appeared from the inside was imprinted upon their eyes.
Despite being mentally prepared, the expressions of many Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary could not help but darken at the sight of the scene laid out on the elevated platform at that moment.
At this moment, Lin Ru Song was lying at a corner of the elevated platform. His originally old body had already been reduced to nothing but skin and bones. Moreover, his shrivelled body was covered in countless wounds and fresh blood. It was a terrible sight to behold. His short sword artifact had also fallen to the ground beside him. The sword that used to be full of brilliance was now dim and dull, just like his turbid eyes. In addition, the blade of the sword was scarred by various traces of corrosion.
His shrivelled body and his artifact that had lost a great deal of spirituality all served to show just how fierce the battle had been.
On the other hand, Lin Ru Song’s opponent, the Blood Demon Half-Saint, was half-kneeling not far away and breathing heavily. His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he glared coldly at Lin Ru Song who was lying less than three hundred metres away from him. Judging by the state he was in, the battle had not been easy even though he won.
Under normal circumstances, the result of a Pseudo-Great Emperor and a Half-Saint fighting in a one-on-one battle would be a lose-lose situation unless one side had an obvious advantage in strength.
Staggering slightly, the Blood Demon stood up with a smirk and strange laughter came out of his mouth as he slowly walked towards Lin Ru Song.
“Old Lin!” Somebody shouted.
Lin Ru Song was currently in a wretched state, but his chest was still moving up and down slightly. It was clear that he was still alive. Both parties were arrows at the end of their flight. Even though the Blood Demon seemed to be in better condition, he might still be able to turn the situation around if he could launch a powerful final attack. Unfortunately, Lin Ru Song showed no response even when the Blood Demon stopped right in front of him.
The Blood Demon raised his hand and a crimson red blood mist appeared on the surface of his body. Pointing his hand at Lin Ru Song, the thick blood mist turned into countless Blood Snakes that entered Lin Ru Song through all seven orifices. Lin Ru Song suddenly opened his eyes wide with an expression of extreme pain. He looked towards the many Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary and reached out his hand towards them as though trying to grab at his last chance of life.
Looking into those turbid yet hopeful eyes, the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary all felt a deep sense of powerlessness. It felt as though a volcano that might erupt at any time was brewing in their chests. No matter who it was, they couldn’t help feeling a sense of sorrow as they watched a veteran Pseudo-Great Emperor creep closer and closer to his demise with their own eyes. In addition to their grief, they were secretly worried that the next person to participate in a life-or-death battle on the elevated platform would be themselves. They also wondered if they would be the next person to follow in the footsteps of Lin Ru Song.
What infuriated the Pseudo-Great Emperors even more was when the Blood Demon Half-Saint turned his head at this moment to grin at them with savage triumphant as if to demonstrate his might.
Yang Kai glared back at the Blood Demon, the coldness in his eyes like eternal ice that would never melt.
Meeting Yang Kai’s eyes directly, the Blood Demon grinned and his mouth moved silently. Judging by the shape of his mouth, he seemed to be mouthing, “Kill me if you can!”
Lin Ru Song failed to turn his defeat around in the end. The injuries he suffered before were fairly severe. Combined with the Blood Demon’s Secret Technique, he became incapable of resisting whatsoever.
10 breaths later, what little vitality remained in him disappeared. His already shrivelled body instantly turned into a mummified corpse at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. On the other hand, the Heavenly Source Fruit inside the Illusionary Heavens Furnace became more complete and the tantalising fragrance it exuded also became more intense.
Upon seeing that scene, everybody understood that what Jia Long said before was the truth. It was true that three more people needed to die in this place for the Heavenly Source Fruit to ripen completely. When that happened, the final stage of the Grand Dao battle would kick off.
*Shua…*
The figure of the Blood Demon who obtained victory vanished from the elevated platform and returned to the Demon Race camp in an instant. It was not that he had returned voluntarily but instead similar to how he had appeared on that platform before, completely ignoring his own will.
Jia Long turned to look at the Blood Demon and nodded slightly in acknowledgement, “Good job.”
The Blood Demon smiled to himself. Then, he sat down cross-legged to meditate. He closed his eyes and focused on recovering from his injuries. He had been severely wounded from his fight with Lin Ru Song and if he did not recover quickly, he would be unable to participate in the upcoming final battle.
At this moment, an uneasy thought popped up in the minds of both the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary and the Half-Saints of the Demon Realm. [Who will be the next person to step onto that elevated platform? If I get chosen, then who will my opponent be?]
Before they could even finish the thought though, there was a slight movement beside them. Nobody panicked this time since they had already experienced this once. Instead, they immediately glanced towards the platform. Everybody in the Star Boundary exclaimed in surprise at the sight. Meanwhile, Yang Yan and Bing Yun’s pretty faces darkened instantly. The candidate from the Star Boundary for the second life-or-death battle was none other than Yang Kai!
Looking around, they confirmed that Yang Kai, who had been standing right next to them just now, was gone.
Yang Yan suddenly looked anxious and she simply could not understand the current situation. [Why did the World’s Will choose Yang Kai to participate in this battle!? Doesn’t he hold part of the World’s Will in him!? Logically speaking, the world should be partial to him!]
At this time, he should not be allowed to participate in the battle regardless of the reason. Whether he won or lost, it would not benefit him in any way. Even if he won, he would have consumed a lot of his energy. If he lost, then it would only lead to a tragic ending.
At this moment, Yang Yan even had the urge to start cursing out loud, [Damn Heavens! Are you blind!?]
On the other side, Jia Long’s eyes suddenly gleamed brightly. He stared at Yang Kai intently with an eager and impatient look on his face. He was the strongest Master below the Demon Saints from the Demon Realm, as well as the strongest Half-Saint in existence. If not for Yang Kai’s Space Secret Techniques, he had full confidence that he could kill the latter.
It was just that, be it in the outside world or the Source Sealed World, Jia Long knew he could not kill Yang Kai even if he could win against the latter. That was because Yang Kai would immediately escape as soon as he noticed that the situation was not in his favour. Instantaneous Movement was something nobody other than the Demon Saints could handle.
However, that platform where the life-or-death battles took place was different. It was only a thousand metres in diameter. More importantly, there was an invisible barrier that sealed off space. Yang Kai would not be able to escape!
[As long as the world chooses me as the next participant in battle, I am confident I can end his life here!] Unfortunately, the look of anticipation in Jia Long’s eyes quickly turned into disappointment. There was a whooshing sound next to him and the figure of a Demon Race Half-Saint appeared on the platform closer to their side.
When Jia Long glanced over, his expression instantly became as black as the bottom of a pot. On the other hand, the worried and anxious expressions on Yang Yan and Bing Yun’s faces became a little strange.
Bing Yun soon laughingly said, “He certainly is favoured by the World. Even at a time like this, he can still obtain such a great bargain.”
Similarly, Yang Yan also breathed a sigh of relief, “En, there’s no need to worry anymore.”
For a moment, Yang Kai simply stood on the elevated platform in a daze; however, he quickly realised that he was standing on the life-or-death stage. Like Yang Yan, he was slightly surprised and wondered why the World’s Will chose him to participate in the battle.
Even so, there was no time for him to ponder that question. Seeing as he had been chosen, then all he could do was finish off his enemy at the lowest cost possible. As for whether or not he had the ability to do so… He was extremely confident in himself.
The rest of the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints in this place had already gone through a huge battle by the time he arrived at this place, so all of them had been injured in one way or another and none could exert their full strength.
On the contrary, he had entered a strange space where he was asked about what the Dao meant to him. Not only was he completely unscathed, but he also attained a deeper understanding of the Heavenly Way, enhancing his cultivation. There was no reason for him to lose against a wounded enemy when he was at full strength.
[The Star Boundary lost the first match and Lin Ru Song lost his life in the process. I need to win this second match no matter what!] Before Yang Kai could finish his thought though, a figure appeared opposite him. He immediately looked over, and after seeing who his opponent was, Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning in response.
A few hundred metres away stood a pale-faced Blood Demon covered in blood. He looked around in a panic, unable to understand why he was standing on this platform again when he had just stepped off of it a moment ago. [There are 14 other Half-Saints on our side, so why did I get chosen twice!? What are the odds of this!?]
Meanwhile, Jia Long looked gloomy and muttered, “Favoured by the World, was it…”
If the opponent was anybody else but Yang Kai, he would have believed that it was simply a matter of bad luck; however, things were not as simple as that since Yang Kai was the one chosen as a representative from the Star Boundary.
In the past, everybody had been wondering what kind of help Yang Kai would receive from the World’s Will in his body during the Grand Dao battle, it was just that nobody could give a clear answer. There was no such precedent throughout history after all. It had always been that a person would only receive the World’s Will after obtaining the Grand Dao opportunity and becoming a Great Emperor, but the entire process was reversed when it came to Yang Kai. Since this situation was unprecedented, there were no examples to draw reference from.
It wasn’t until this moment that both the people from the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm came to deeply realise the benefits brought by the invisible and intangible World’s Will.
This Blood Demon was the one who fought Lin Ru Song for half an hour earlier. Although he won the battle, he was an arrow at the end of its flight. At this moment, even an ordinary High-Rank Demon King could have killed him, so what more need be said about Yang Kai whose strength was comparable to that of a Half-Saint?
This match was decided in the Star Boundary’s favour before it even began, there was no doubt about it. It was also precisely because of this reason that Yang Yan and Bing Yun relaxed completely even though Yang Kai was standing on the life-or-death stage.
Standing among the crowd, Cang Mo’s expression became gloomy. Likewise, his eyes that were full of anticipation filled with disappointment instead…
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood on the platform and looked at the Blood Demon standing about a thousand metres away from him with an indifferent expression. He did not choose to make the first move.
Unexpectedly, this silent oppression made the Blood Demon panic instead and he turned to look at Jia Long for help. That was just like what Lin Ru Song had done before his death… At this moment, the Blood Demon experienced the same despair his opponent had felt during the last battle. The light of hope in front of him was now completely shrouded in darkness.
*Ta ta ta…*
Yang Kai strode forward calmly.
On the other hand, the Blood Demon couldn’t help but retreat, but where could he run? He was already standing at the edge of the field. Besides, the invisible barrier surrounding the platform sealed off space and did not allow him to withdraw any further than that.
The Blood Demon glanced over in horror. Yang Kai’s head was lowered and his hair fell over his forehead to cover half of his face. Be that as it may, the Blood Demon could vaguely catch a glimpse of the murderous light coming from his opponent’s eyes…
There was a mummified corpse lying on the platform still. It was Lin Ru Song. Yang Kai walked over to the mummified corpse, crouched down, stretched out a hand, and placed the mummified corpse into the Small Sealed World. When he stood back up, he lifted his gaze to look at the Blood Demon who was cowering at the very edge of the platform and watching him warily. He slowly raised a hand and spat out a single word, “Die!”
A strong wind blew and Yang Kai’s figure seemed to remain in place, but another him appeared at the edge of the stage at the same time, gripping his spear in one hand as a figure dangled from its tip.
The Azure Dragon Spear penetrated the chest of the Blood Demon Half-Saint and fresh blood slid down the shaft of the spear.
The Blood Demon widened his eyes in surprise, clutching at the spear with a death grip. His expression was filled with utter shock. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but only a mouthful of blood spurted out instead.
The crowd was in an uproar… After seeing who the two opponents that would be facing each other were, they knew that this battle would surely end in Yang Kai’s victory; even so, it was still a shockingly powerful visual impact to see him impaling the Blood Demon Half-Saint so easily and effortlessly.
The heavily injured Blood Demon was completely powerless to resist the enraged Yang Kai. Squirming and struggling, he made a gurgling sound in his throat. The Blood Qi in his body churned violently and he held it in for a long time before he shouted furiously, “I refuse to accept this!”
If he were given the chance to have a fair one-on-one battle with Yang Kai, he was certain that he would not have ended up in such a miserable state. Unfortunately, he had already fought Lin Ru Song to the death previously and could barely use 20% of his full strength at the moment. Hence, he didn’t even stand a chance to evade Yang Kai’s lightning-fast attack.
He was well aware of the horror of the Martial Truth and there was already a strange force destroying both his body and mind after he took this spear; thus, his grief and rage finally turned into a fearsome roar.
Meanwhile, the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary were watching this scene in delight. They were thinking about how this Blood Demon had silently provoked Yang Kai while torturing Lin Ru Song to death earlier. They did not expect to see him suffer the consequence of his actions so quickly.
“Even if this King dies, he won’t let you feel any better!” The Blood Demon Half-Saint let out another furious roar as the vitality in his body suddenly began to give off a dangerous aura. His hands swiftly formed a seal and his body rapidly began to swell.
“Yang Kai, watch out!” Bing Yun screamed in horror. Looking at that posture, the Blood Demon seemed to be planning to self-destruct. Even if he was an arrow at the end of its flight, the power of a Half-Saint’s self-destruction would not be insignificant. The slightest carelessness could lead to horrible consequences.
“The final struggles of a dead man!” Yang Kai coldly snorted as the Azure Dragon Spear trembled slightly and a violent force spread out from it. There was a loud blast and the body of the Blood Demon who was impaled on the tip of the spear exploded from the impact and pieces of his corpse scattered all over the place. Before the pieces of the corpse could touch the ground, they had already lost all essence in them and turned into pieces of dried flesh.
No more than 10 breaths had passed since Yang Kai stepped onto the platform. The Blood Demon Half-Saint didn’t even manage to launch a single attack. Even if he was to face a real Demon Saint, he might not have been as powerless as this. He was definitely the fastest Half-Saint to die throughout history.
Yang Kai retrieved his spear and stood straight, he then glanced at the Demon Race Camp coldly and pointed his spear at them, “Who wants to die next!?”
As soon as those words rang out, Yang Yan frowned deeply. She worriedly asked, “He can’t be thinking of using the World’s Will in him to influence the candidate for the next match, right?”
Bing Yun’s expression changed slightly as she nodded, “It’s possible!”
There were no specific rules as to how the two candidates were chosen; therefore, the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints in this place could only accept the outcome passively. However, if it was Yang Kai, then what Yang Yan mentioned was plausible. He might actually be able to influence the battle with the World’s Will in his body.
In the second match, the World’s blessing had given him a huge advantage after all. It had practically dropped pie into his lap. If any other Half-Saint had appeared on the battlefield, he would not have had such an effortless victory.
However, Yang Kai’s figure vanished from the life-or-death platform in the next moment and by the time the crowd came back to their senses, he was already standing on the elevated platform of the Star Boundary camp once more.
Yang Kai frowned and let out a sigh. It was just as Yang Yan had guessed. He wanted to use the World’s Will in his body to exert some influence to see if he could remain on the life-or-death platform for the third death match. It was a pity that the results left him feeling disappointed…
His gaze swept across the crowd as he wondered, [Since I’m back, who will be the one to participate in the final battle?]
Everywhere he looked, he saw the Pseudo-Great Emperors wearing solemn expressions.
Out of the corner of his eye, Yang Kai saw a figure disappearing out of sight. He was startled and immediately turned to glance at the life-or-death platform before his pupils instantly shrank.
Next to him, Yang Yan also reached up to cover her red lips in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with worry.
A pure white figure stood alone at the edge of the life-or-death platform that was closer to the Star Boundary. The only trace of colour on this figure was the blood staining her clothes.
Bing Yun turned her head to look around and smiled softly, “Is it me this time?”
She looked up and glanced forward at the side opposite her. Similarly, a burly figure had appeared there, and when she recognised who it was, a trace of bitterness appeared in her eyes.
“Jia Long!” Yang Kai shouted through gritted teeth, suddenly feeling the impulsive rage to curse out loud.
It was bad enough that Bing Yun was the Star Boundary’s candidate for the third match, but the Demon Race’s candidate just had to be Jia Long! Bing Yun was in great danger!
Jia Long was the strongest among the Demon Race Half-Saints and even Yang Kai had to admit that he would have a hard time if he encountered the former in a fight. The practically infinite Corpse Puppet Army Jia Long commanded was simply beyond annoying, while Jia Long himself was also extremely powerful.
It would not have been so bad if it was just a match to determine a winner as there was always a chance of survival even if there was no way to win. Unfortunately, this was a life-or-death battle that would only end when one party died. According to Yang Kai’s estimation, Bing Yun had less than a 30% chance of winning this fight. There was a high possibility that she was going to die on the life-or-death platform today.
The two of them both came from Heng Luo Star Field, and ever since Yang Kai met Bing Yun in the Solitary Void Sealed World, she had taken very good care of him. Later, she even took Su Yan in as her final Disciple and taught the latter diligently.
[If something happens to Bing Yun in this place… How am I going to explain it to Su Yan and Ji Yao when I return? Am I supposed to tell them that I watched as Jia Long killed her, powerless to interfere!?] Thinking about what might happen to Bing Yun, Yang Kai felt his scalp tingling in fear.
“What do we do!?” Similarly, Yang Yan was panicking. This was a situation she had never foreseen.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and clenched his fists before suddenly, he ferociously lashed out with his spear. A violent burst of energy swirled, but the barrier of the elevated platform was completely unharmed. His actions only served to startle the others.
At this moment, a battle was taking place on the life-or-death platform, and just as Yang Kai had not given the Blood Demon Half-Saint any chance of reprieve, Jia Long clearly had no intention of giving Bing Yun time to breathe. He immediately unleashed his boundless Corpse Qi the moment he appeared on the platform and flooded the entire life-or-death platform with it.
Bing Yun’s long sword slashed out as Sword Light after Sword Light swept out across her surroundings. An icy aura permeated the air, blocking the spread of the Corpse Qi.
Jia Long grinned and lifted his hand, after which numerous figures emerged from within the Corpse Qi, each one of them emitting a powerful aura.
Bing Yun’s expression turned grim at the sight. Reaching out, she slid her hand down the length of her longsword. Fresh blood flowed and her sword hummed. Then, a whip-like sword wave slashed out. Many Corpse Puppets were cut into two, but they quickly healed under the nourishment of the Corpse Qi, stood back up, and rushed at her without pausing whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Jia Long concealed himself within the Corpse Qi cloud. His figure drifted about erratically as powerful Secret Techniques would fly out at Bing Yun from time to time.
Ice Principles permeated the air and snowflakes fell from the sky. When the snowflakes landed in the Corpse Puppets, they immediately transformed into ice crystals that swiftly spread out to freeze their targets into ice sculptures.
However, there were two Corpse Puppets that were not affected by her attack. These two Corpse Puppets were refined from the corpses of Half-Saints and they were the strongest Corpse Puppets under Jia Long’s control. Each of them seemed to have retained a good deal of their power from when they were still alive and they flanked her from both left and right, providing support for Jia Long and overwhelming her as a result.
Comparatively speaking, Bing Yun had only been a Pseudo-Great Emperor for several years while Jia Long was a veteran Half-Saint from the Demon Realm. He was also the strongest after the Demon Saints, so there was a big gap in their strength from the outset. With the support from his Corpse Puppets, it became a three-against-one battle. How could Bing Yun be a match for him?
No more than a dozen breaths had passed since their battle began and Bing Yun was already panting heavily. In a moment of carelessness, she was struck by Jia Long’s attack and her shoulder immediately rang out with a cracking sound as she was thrown backwards.
Bing Yun and Jia Long were currently stuck in a deathmatch on the life-or-death platform; meanwhile, on the Star Boundary’s viewing platform, Yang Kai was bringing out everything in his arsenal to bombard the barrier. In the beginning, he was the only one, but Yang Yan soon joined him. A short while later, Sheng Yu Zhu stepped in to assist as well. Unfortunately, even the combined strength of these three could do nothing to shake the barrier in any way.
A person standing nearby gave a sigh, “Please stop, you three. This barrier is not something we can destroy. We already tried doing that just now. I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave until somebody dies in this battle.”
Yang Kai ignored those words as his rage was blazing inside his chest and his attacks became increasingly fierce. The rampaging power made many of the Pseudo-Great Emperors involuntarily turn pale.
Bing Yun’s scream rang out again on the life-or-death platform. She had been hit by Jia Long’s Divine Ability again and a hint of green light appeared on her originally pale face. It was obvious that the Corpse Qi had invaded her body.
Yang Kai turned to look only to see Bing Yun fleeing desperately and struggling to persevere. He immediately felt as if his eyes were going to pop. Judging from the situation, Bing Yun would be in mortal danger in less than half a cup of tea’s time. When that time came, all he would be able to do was to collect her corpse.
In his desperation, the wheels in Yang Kai’s head spun swiftly as his thoughts raced. What could he do to save Bing Yun from this crisis?
Leaving aside the fact that the barrier around the viewing platform was so strong that none of them could break it, what could they do even if they did manage to break it? There was another barrier surrounding the life-or-death platform. He could not help Bing Yun turn the situation around unless he could resolve this issue within half a cup of tea’s time.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai seemed to remember something and turned to look at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace.
The Heavenly Source Fruit hanging from the small tree in the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was beating gently like the heart of a living creature. A dazzling brilliance was flowing within, as if it was going to ripen soon.
Back then, the Heavenly Source Fruit experienced a small change when Lin Ru Song died. Further changes occurred to the Heavenly Source Fruit when the Blood Demon Half-Saint died, and at this rate, the Heavenly Source Fruit would ripen as long as one more person died in this place!
[As long as one more person dies… But, that person… does not necessarily have to be Bing Yun!] The moment that thought occurred to Yang Kai, his spirits suddenly lifted. He secretly sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Yan and the Demon Qi in his body simultaneously surged fiercely.
Yang Yan, who was casting Secret Techniques to attack the barrier, froze for a brief moment when she heard his transmission and her beautiful eyes immediately lit up as she nodded almost imperceptibly. In the next instant, she spun around abruptly and the three bracelets around her wrist turned into three flaming rings that enveloped a certain person in an instant as she shouted, “Cang Mo sacrificed Feng Wu Liang in order to flee from battle! His actions are beyond despicable and shameless and prove he lacks righteousness! The Heavenly Way will not tolerate it!”
Likewise, Yang Kai turned around sharply as soon as Yang Yan made her move. His Spiritual Energy rolled out like a tsunami as a golden slit of light appeared in his left eye when he met Cang Mo’s gaze. Then, he fiercely thrust out with the Azure Dragon Spear. A small black spot the size of a fist appeared at the tip of the spear, emitting an aura that threatened to devour everything in the world.
The changes happened so quickly that nobody could react in time. Even Cang Mo himself was still coldly watching Yang Kai and Yang Yan attacking the light barrier with the mentality of watching a good show. Who could have thought that those two would point their weapons at him in the next moment?
Caught unprepared, he was affected by Yang Kai’s Soul attack and his mind went blank for a moment. Nevertheless, he had an impressive heritage and soon recovered his senses. Roaring furiously, he punched out, his fists forming a barrage of shadows that covered the sky in front of him.
Loud explosions rang out as Yang Yan’s Three Blazing Flame Rings were sent flying, their light flashing wildly as a result. Similarly, Yang Kai’s figure was also pushed backwards and he staggered several steps. The black spot on the Azure Dragon Spear flashed and disappeared, causing a huge piece of space to collapse.
Meanwhile, Cang Mo took advantage of the explosions to fly backwards, his complexion as pale as a sheet.
Yang Kai was surprised and secretly thought to himself. [This old dog’s strength is pretty impressive, but he hastily took on two powerful Divine Abilities that Yang Yan and I shot out. I don’t think he got out unscathed either.]
Before Yang Kai could make another move, however, he heard a low voice entering his ears, “Ephemeral Allure!”
A viridescent figure flashed by at that moment, and by the time Sheng Yu Zhu appeared again, she was standing behind Cang Mo, blood dripping from the twin sabres in her hands.
Cang Mo felt as if he was struck by lightning and looking down at himself, he saw two huge wounds on his chest and waist respectively. He abruptly turned his head around and cursed angrily, “Bitch!”
He had no grudges or bad blood with Sheng Yu Zhu; in fact, he had never even met her before, hence, he could not understand why this woman was attacking him. Not to mention, she had chosen such a critical moment to make her move that he didn’t even have the chance to avoid or defend himself.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai shouted. During his exhale, he suddenly retracted his spear and stabbed out once more like a Flood Dragon going out to sea.
*Shua shua shua…* The sounds of three objects speeding through the air rang out as Yang Yan also cast a Secret Technique with a solemn expression. The Three Blazing Flame Rings flew out and transformed into three shackles that closed in on Cang Mo.
Unable to dodge, Cang Mo was bound tightly by those shackles and his expression changed drastically. Scorching heat was coming from the Three Blazing Flame Rings, restricting his freedom and disrupting the flow of the Emperor Qi in his body. He watched helplessly as Yang Kai stabbed him mercilessly and he roared furiously, “How dare you, Yang Kai! I am part of the Star Boundary! How dare you kill me when the enemy is right before us!? You will be condemned for this!”
Yang Kai was unmoved and declared in a cold tone, “Why didn’t you think about how you are part of the Star Boundary when you betrayed Brother Feng? Don’t you think it’s ridiculous to bring up such excuses now?”
The moment his words sounded, the Azure Dragon Spear penetrated Cang Mo’s chest and caused a large amount of fresh blood to gush out.
Cang Mo’s body stiffened and he glared at Yang Kai furiously, his eyes feeling like they were about to explode from rage.
Mere metres away, Yang Kai unflinchingly returned Cang Mo’s glare, his eyes cold and ruthless.
Silence filled the viewing platform as all the other Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary were staring at this scene in shock and horror. They were having trouble comprehending what just happened in front of them.
Less than 3 breaths had passed since the start of Yang Kai’s outburst until now. It simply happened too quickly for anybody to react. They had been watching the battle on the life-or-death platform with complete focus, secretly worrying for Bing Yun’s safety, so who could have imagined that Cang Mo, who was standing beside them, would be brutally murdered before Bing Yun died?
It was not that Cang Mo was weak. For him to become a Pseudo-Great Emperor meant that he had his own series of opportunities and attainments. It was just that three people had attacked him on the viewing platform in quick succession. Furthermore, those attacks had caught him completely off guard. He was blindsided by the attacks, so how could he defend himself in time? Not to mention, his freedom had been restrained by Yang Yan’s Three Blazing Flame Rings.
Not only was the viewing platform on the Star Boundary’s side quiet, but even the viewing platform on the Demon Realm’s side was quiet. Many Demon Race Half-Saints were staring at them wide-eyed with confused expressions.
*Dida dida…*
Fresh blood dripped onto the ground and splashed in all directions. Blood trickled out of the corners of Cang Mo’s mouth. Reaching out, he grabbed at the Azure Dragon Spear as if he was holding on to the last bit of his vitality. His eyes were full of hatred and regret as he muttered, “If I had known earlier… If I had only known… this King would have killed you in that Lower Star Field!”
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at Cang Mo, “This King can refine a pill for regret, do you want to buy some?”
*Pu…* Cang Mo spewed blood.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I don’t have much time left. For the sake of the Star Boundary; for the sake of the common people, please… die!”
His hand trembled and his Demon Qi flared wildly, rampaging through Cang Mo’s meridians and obliterating his vitality.
There was a look of unwillingness in Cang Mo’s eyes, but the light behind them quickly dissipated. Only then did Yang Kai pull out his spear and sweep a glance around.
Ten or so Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary were frowning and watching him warily. Even though they had gotten some clues from what Yang Kai and Yang Yan said just now, nobody could say whether they were speaking the truth. In any case, Cang Mo was dead and nobody wanted to stand up against Yang Kai and Yang Yan for a dead man. Be that as it may, they remained a little vigilant towards those two!
Yang Kai knew that his actions would most likely make the surviving Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary alienate him; even so, he couldn’t care less. Bing Yun’s survival was on the line. In the worst case, he could just explain himself to these people once he returned to the Star Boundary. He believed that the truth would be revealed quickly with Yang Yan’s testimony.
He then glanced at Sheng Yu Zhu again and nodded slightly at her. Sheng Yu Zhu had not said anything nor asked any questions, she simply extended a helping hand when she saw Yang Kai making a move. It was most likely because she had been rescued by him and owed him a life debt from that incident. He and Yang Yan would not have been able to resolve the battle so quickly if not for her. Under those circumstances, the longer things dragged out, the more detrimental the situation would become for both him, Yang Yan, and Bing Yun.
Noticing his gaze, Sheng Yu Zhu smiled slightly and pointed a finger to the side, silently sending a Divine Sense transmission to him, “Get ready.”
His expression turned solemn and the Demon Qi in his body secretly began to surge again.
On the viewing platform, Cang Mo collapsed to the ground and his corpse quickly turned into a mummified corpse.
Following that, the patterns on the surface of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, which had been rotating slowly all this time, suddenly burst forth with a dazzlingly brilliant light. Grand Dao aura flowed freely while at the same time, the Heavenly Source Fruit hanging from the small tree inside the furnace lit up with an assortment of colours. It was flashing through an infinite cycle of seven-coloured light that illuminated the whole hall.
*Kacha…*
With the sound of something breaking, the light barriers that had been shrouding the viewing platforms on both sides suddenly shattered and disappeared.
At this moment, the eyes of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary and the Demon Race Half-Saints blazed with extreme heat.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Numerous figures sped through the air and rushed towards the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, their target the ripe Heavenly Source Fruit.
When the light barrier was broken, Yang Kai felt a sense of relief washing over him. He could finally confirm that what Jia Long said before was right. Only three more lives were needed for the Heavenly Source Fruit to ripen completely; therefore, his plan to rescue Bing Yun was successful.
He was just about to join the competition for the Heavenly Source Fruit when his gaze involuntarily shifted towards the life-or-death platform, and what he saw at that moment made him scowl deeply.
Bing Yun was never Jia Long’s opponent so she had been deflecting or dodging his attacks the entire time they were on the life-or-death platform. However, she actually took the initiative to attack when all the barriers fell apart and the Heavenly Source Fruit ripened. A dazzling brilliance shot out from her longsword, turning into a Sword Circle that surrounded Jia Long. Judging from her actions, she seemed to be trying to tie him down.
Jia Long was furious. The greatest opportunity in the world was right in front of him, so how could he be in the mood to fight with Bing Yun? It was only natural that his priority was to join the competition as soon as possible. Nevertheless, she was still a Pseudo-Great Emperor so it was not easy to break free from her harassment if she really wanted to stop him.
In a fit of rage, Jia Long opened his mouth to inhale sharply. His chest and abdomen bulged from the air he was inhaling, then he exhaled sharply in her direction. A turbid Corpse Qi rushed at her like a Flood Dragon going out to sea. At the same time, he roared, “Get lost!”
The Ice Principles surged around Bing Yun’s body, but even that could not stop the intrusion of the Corpse Qi. She was thrown backwards by the blast and spat out blood mid.
On the other hand, Jia Long ignored her and rushed towards the Heavenly Source Fruit at lightning speed.
Seeing that Bing Yun was about to fall to the ground, a figure suddenly appeared behind her and supported her with one hand, a worried voice calling out, “Senior, are you okay?”
Bing Yun looked up and met Yang Kai’s eyes and she couldn’t help getting impatient with him, “Don’t mind me! Go!”
She had desperately attacked Jia Long in hopes of slowing him down for a moment. It was all just to give the Star Boundary a little bit more of an advantage. Who could have known that Yang Kai would come to her instead? What was the point of her previous efforts then?
After saying that, her face paled even more than before and her complexion became almost bloodless.
Yang Kai was also aware that time was running out. Seeing that Bing Yun’s life was in no danger, he immediately drew upon his Divine Sense to place her in the Small Sealed World, leaving her in the care of the two Wood Spirits. He did not dare to delay for another moment then and his body flickered, immediately vanishing from the spot.
“Get out here!” Jia Long’s roar came out and Yang Kai, who was travelling through the Void, suddenly felt a huge force slamming into him in mid-air. His figure was revealed involuntarily, still some distance away from the Illusionary Heavens Furnace.
The Illusionary Heavens Furnace was currently surrounded by numerous silhouettes scrambling to rush forward like cats chasing after a single fish. Everyone was going all out to compete for the biggest opportunity in the world.
At this point, both the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints were mostly fighting for themselves, even though they might still have the intention of siding with their factions. Everybody around them was a competitor.
A chaotic melee broke out again next to the Illusionary Heavens Furnace as countless Divine Abilities and various artifact attacks blasted out in an extremely intense battle.
Now that the Grand Dao battle had reached the final climax, everybody was being extremely careful. Nobody wanted to be injured at a time like this, so nobody was attacking with their full power, focusing on protecting themselves while advancing forward.
The entire scene might seem extremely explosive, but the brutality of the fight was far less than the initial battle. Everybody was holding back to a certain extent in preparation to snatch the Heavenly Source Fruit. Unfortunately, nobody could approach within a hundred metres of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace since everyone was obstructing each other. Anybody with the opportunity to get any closer would instantly be blocked by an enemy.
The Demon Realm held an absolute advantage in terms of numbers among the people who entered the Profound Heavens Temple. Although the advantage was not as big as it was before, there were still four more Half-Saints from the Demon Realm than Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. Even so, these four were enough to become the key to determining the outcome of this battle.
As time passed, the Demon Race Half-Saints gradually gained the upper hand. Working with each other, they formed a defensive line to approach the Illusionary Heavens Furnace little by little while preventing the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary from moving forward.
For a time, everybody was in a panic.
Every time Yang Kai tried to use Instantaneous Movement to approach the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, Jia Long would use a Secret Technique to interfere with him; therefore, his expression was as ugly as could be.
Jia Long might not be proficient in the Dao of Space, but the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was right there. If Yang Kai wanted to snatch the Heavenly Source Fruit, he would need to approach the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. Hence, Jia Long only needed to disrupt the space surrounding it through brute force.
The Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary were unable to break through the defensive circle of the Half-Saints and could not get close to the Heavenly Source Fruit as a result. At the final moment, the extra few on the Demon Race’s side turned out to be the key to success.
The battle continued without pause with the Pseudo-Great Emperors burning with anxiety as they watched the Half-Saints getting closer and closer to the Illusionary Heavens Furnace while being unable to do anything about it.
When the Illusionary Heavens Furnace was within arm’s reach, Jia Long shouted, “Stop them!”
After saying that, he turned and reached towards the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, opening his large hand and grabbing at the Heavenly Source Fruit. His eyes were blazing with a fiery light. As long as he could get his hands on the Heavenly Source Fruit, he would obtain the final victory. Not only would the Star Boundary lose everything, but the Demon Race would also gain an additional Demon Saint. At that time, the Star Boundary would be powerless to resist.
At that moment, somebody’s low voice suddenly rang out slowly, “Heaven Severing… Slash!”
A fearsome Spiritual Energy wave suddenly burst out. That invisible and intangible Soul attack transformed into a sword that was visible to the naked eye, which then shot straight at Jia Long’s head.
Yang Kai widened his eyes abruptly and turned to look in the direction of the person who spoke just now. What he saw was a middle-aged man smiling at him with cunning eyes. He recognised the middle-aged man; however, they were not on familiar terms. It was Fire Lord, one of the Four Great Lords of Demon Heavenly Dao.
Yang Kai had paid special attention to this man when he first entered the Profound Heavens Temple. This man was the only Human in the Demon Race camp after all. That fact alone made him stand out like a crane amongst chickens. It was harder not to notice him.
It was just that Yang Kai had neither met with nor dealt with this person in the Source Sealed World known as the Profound Heavens Temple. Although he had exchanged several blows with the other party during the chaotic battle just now, he could not determine the other party’s true strength since everybody was holding back at the time. Who could have expected that Fire Lord would suddenly unleash such an attack at this time? Moreover, the target of his attack was none other than Jia Long!
His actions were too shocking. It was almost similar to that time when Yang Kai attacked Cang Mo without warning. The Demon Race had not expected Fire Lord of Demon Heavenly Dao to have the courage to betray the strongest Demon Race Half-Saint.
Only Yang Kai’s eyes brightened in pleasant surprise. If Fire Lord had remained silent, he might not have understood the situation and would simply have assumed that Fire Lord had nefarious intentions from the start and wanted to snatch the Heavenly Source Fruit for himself. However, the moment the words ‘Heaven Severing Slash’ rang out, Yang Kai immediately thought of something.
This Soul Secret Technique was something he could also use, and the one who taught him this Secret Technique was a man he once met in the Azure Sun Temple’s Divine Ascension Mirror, Tian Yan.
Tian Yan was born and raised in the Divine Ascension Mirror, and because of that, he did not have a physical body. As a result, his attainments in Soul cultivation were extremely terrifying. The Divine Ascension Mirror was an independent world that had its own World Principles, which allowed Tian Yan to rise to the level of a Great Emperor when it came to attainments in Soul cultivation.
Yang Kai later obtained the Flesh Incarnation Fruit by chance and refined the Flesh Incarnation Pill to help Tian Yan obtain a physical body and break free of the shackles of the Divine Ascension Mirror and venture into a wider world.
It was just that Tian Yan had been very weak when he first obtained a physical body; therefore, he later stayed at the Azure Sun Temple for some time to cultivate before leaving to wander the world after he became a little stronger.
There had been no news from Tian Yan after that. Yang Kai had tried to inquire news about Tian Yan’s current whereabouts, but the invasion of the Demon Race and the great mayhem in the Star Boundary left him with no energy for anything else. He could never have imagined that the Senior who had been missing for so many years had been right in front of him all this time. Not only did Tian Yan become one of the Four Great Lords of Demon Heavenly Dao, but he also infiltrated the Profound Heavens Temple only to switch sides at the last moment.
Yang Kai did not know what Tian Yan had gone through all these years that could allow the latter to cultivate until he became a Pseudo-Great Emperor after starting over from scratch. Be that as it may, it was not that surprising either. Tian Yan originally had the heritage of a Great Emperor, it was just that he did not have a physical body. Despite receiving Yang Kai’s help in creating a physical body and needing to start all over from the beginning, all the insights regarding the Martial Dao and Heavenly Way remained with Tian Yan. He only needed to cultivate steadily for his strength to improve rapidly. In addition, he would not be limited by various bottlenecks like other cultivators.
As for why his appearance had changed, it was probably due to some sort of Secret Technique.
In the first place, Tian Yan’s Soul cultivation was on par with a Great Emperor’s, so even if he was bound by all kinds of restrictions and could not exert his full strength, his attack just now was still not to be underestimated.
Jia Long was completely unprepared when the Soul Sword pierced into his head from behind. His burly body stiffened and for a moment, he was completely frozen in place, unable to move. His large hand that was stretching out towards the Heavenly Source Fruit was less than a forearm’s length away from the seven-coloured Divine Fruit.
The situation was not over yet, however. After Tian Yan finished launching his first attack, he didn’t even bother to look at Jia Long and instead clapped his palms together before immediately pushing them out to the sides with great force. A large ring of fire that was centred around him spread out all of a sudden. The ring of fire contained a scorching heat that caught many Demon Race Half-Saints off guard, causing their stances to falter as a result, opening a hole in their defensive formation.
“What are you still standing there for!?” Tian Yan chuckled as he stared at Yang Kai, who had a confused and astonished expression on his face.
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai hurriedly said before he rushed through the gap that Tian Yan had forcefully created and arrived in front of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace in the blink of an eye.
“Bastard!” It wasn’t until that moment that Jia Long returned to his senses. Suppressing the pain that was drilling into his head, he formed a fist with the hand he had stretched out earlier and struck at Yang Kai’s waist.
Yang Kai ignored the attack, his eyes completely fixed on the Heavenly Source Fruit. The moment Jia Long’s fist came into contact with his body, he used Nihility to exile himself into the Void. The punch that contained a highly destructive force passed right through Yang Kai’s body. Although he was not hit by the full power of the blow, the force that reverberated through the Void was enough to make him grunt in pain.
Jia Long’s expression changed drastically as he realized it was already too late to stop Yang Kai. By the time he turned around, Yang Kai had already appeared beside the small tree.
Grabbing the Heavenly Source Fruit with one hand, Yang Kai gently plucked it from the branch and placed it into his pocket.
Jia Long fell into complete madness and charged at Yang Kai with a furious roar.
On the other hand, Yang Kai faced Jia Long calmly. He knew that it was time for them to fight to the death. Everybody had held back previously in order to compete for the Heavenly Source Fruit; however, he was in possession of the Heavenly Source Fruit right now, so how could the Half-Saints of the Demon Realm accept such an outcome? Even if they had to fight with their lives on the line, they refused to let Yang Kai bring this fruit out with him; therefore, a storm of attacks rained down on him from all directions. The cooperation of more than 10 Half-Saints made even Yang Kai’s expression extremely grim.
At that moment, a transparent light barrier appeared around the periphery of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. With a loud rumble, all the attacks were blocked by the light barrier before they could land on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was stunned, as was Jia Long. Even the rest of the Half-Saints and the Pseudo-Great Emperors were frozen in shock. Silence filled the entire hall as countless eyes were fixed on Yang Kai, who was still standing next to the small tree in the Illusionary Heavens Furnace. The emotions behind those looks varied greatly.
“Hahahahahaha!” Yang Kai couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of him. His tense nerves relaxed completely at this moment. He never imagined that the Profound Heavens Temple would protect him with a barrier after he obtained the Heavenly Source Fruit. His elation was also mixed with a tinge of lingering fear. [Thank goodness Senior Tian Yan took action in time. If Jia Long had gotten his hands on the Heavenly Source Fruit, the one anxiously standing outside would be me instead!]
His laughter continued to echo inside the hall. The Half-Saints from the Demon Realm had extremely ugly expressions on their faces. On the other hand, the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary looked a little disgruntled. Nevertheless, this result was still within the acceptable range. In the end, the greatest reason they entered this place was to prevent the Demon Race from obtaining this opportunity. Although they were not the ones having the last laugh, at least Yang Kai was still part of the Star Boundary.
Yang Yan breathed a long sigh of relief. Recalling what Li Wu Yi had asked of her before her departure, she felt as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Li Wu Yi’s sacrifice and the deaths of nearly 20 Pseudo-Great Emperors had not been in vain. In the end, it was Yang Kai, a High-Rank Demon King, who ultimately achieved the lifelong dream of the people in this generation.
Feeling relieved, she turned to look at Sheng Yu Zhu. She noticed that Sheng Yu Zhu seemed to hesitate for a moment before seemingly letting go of something and revealing a hint of a smile.
A short while later, the laughter died down. Yang Kai coldly glared at Jia Long who was standing only metres away from him, then playing with the Heavenly Source Fruit, he gave a warning in a dangerous voice, “This King will kill every single one of you the moment he finishes refining this fruit!”
Jia Long glared so fiercely that his eyes felt like they were going to explode. The veins in his temples twitched in anger. Looking at Yang Kai who looked to be within arm’s reach, he suddenly understood what the saying ‘So close yet so far’ meant. As long as the barrier existed, there was nothing he could do to Yang Kai no matter how hard he tried. Furthermore, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of danger when he heard Yang Kai’s threat.
[The strength of this little bastard was not to be underestimated in the first place. How much stronger will he grow once he completely refines the Heavenly Source Fruit? Will the Half-Saints be able to match him in terms of power when that happens?]
After Yang Kai made his declaration, he opened his mouth, stuffed the Heavenly Source Fruit into it, and chewed aggressively. His gaze was fixed on Jia Long the entire time, looking as though he was immediately going to leap out and fight him to the death.
Jia Long’s expression fluctuated. At this moment, it didn’t matter how unwilling he was anymore, it would not change a thing. Yang Kai had already eaten the Heavenly Source Fruit, so was he supposed to make Yang Kai spit it out? Besides, Yang Kai might finish refining the Heavenly Source Fruit if he procrastinated in this place for too long. At that time, it would be difficult for him to escape even if he wanted to. The moment that thought flashed through his mind, he decided to withdraw and shouted, “Let’s go!”
After saying that, he led the 10 or so remaining Half-Saints and retreated slowly.
There was a hint of hesitation on the faces of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary, but they did not stop the enemy from retreating in the end. Now that the dust had settled and their numbers were more or less even, it would not benefit anybody to continue fighting. They might as well wait until Yang Kai finished refining the Heavenly Source Fruit and received a huge boost in strength. It would not be too late to get rid of the enemy at that time.
On the other hand, the Heavenly Source Fruit transformed into a sweet nectar the moment it entered Yang Kai’s mouth. The nectar immediately flowed down his throat and into his abdomen where a feeling of warmth spread out in an instant. It made his tense nerves relax immediately, so much so that he even felt drowsy as a result. At the same time, all sorts of insights flashed through his Knowledge Sea, allowing him to comprehend many mysteries that had once eluded him.
“The Profound Heavens Temple is going to close soon.” Forcing himself to endure and stay awake, Yang Kai turned to the people in front of him. He did not know how he knew that fact, he just did somehow. The entire situation within the Profound Heavens Temple now seemed to be at his fingertips.
Everybody was shocked by the news, but they quickly calmed down. The Heavenly Source Fruit had been consumed by Yang Kai, so the Profound Heavens Temple no longer had a reason to remain open. It stood to reason that it would close soon.
“There is no need to panic. When the Source Sealed World closes, you will all be transported back safely. As for me, I might need to stay here for a while. I will be leaving everything in the outside world to you,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
Everybody else returned the gesture and Yang Yan said, “Just focus on refining the Heavenly Source Fruit. Don’t worry about what’s going on outside.”
Yang Kai nodded. There was no point in him worrying about what was happening outside. The World had given them a chance of survival, and now that he had gotten hold of it, what he needed to do was to refine the Heavenly Source Fruit with all his strength so as not to let the entire World down.
“This person is Senior Tian Yan. He is one of us. Temple Master Wen of Azure Sun Temple knows his origins.” He then pointed at Tian Yan.
Yang Yan turned and smiled at Tian Yan.
Although Tian Yan previously played the role of Demon Heavenly Dao’s Fire Lord, his actions at the last moment had proven his stance. Under those circumstances, he could have rushed into the Illusionary Heavens Furnace himself to grab the Heavenly Source Fruit; however, he did not do that and instead launched a sneak attack on Jia Long and the rest of the Demon Race Half-Saints to open a path for Yang Kai, giving the Star Boundary a final shot at victory.
That was why the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary were not being hostile to him. In fact, they were not even very vigilant towards him.
“Senior, I will not forget what you have done for me here today. Please allow me to thank you properly once I come out of retreat,” Yang Kai faced Tian Yan and cupped his fists once more as a sign of respect.
Tian Yan simply smiled, “There’s no need for that. The Divine Fruit might be amazing, but it is of very little use to me. Being able to give you this opportunity is proof that it was not a waste of time for this Old Master to live incognito for so many years.”
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly realised that Tian Yan had a Great Emperor’s heritage in the first place. Other people might covet the Heavenly Source Fruit, but it might truly be of little use to Tian Yan.
He was about to say something when he suddenly furrowed his brow together, “It’s time. Goodbye and stay safe. I hope we can share a drink together in the future!”
When the words left his lips, a rumbling noise filled the entire hall. Following that, everybody felt a force of rejection pressing in from all directions. That repulsive force was something none of them could resist and they all vanished at the same time within a short three-breath span.
Afterwards, Yang Kai looked at the empty hall and felt his drowsiness growing stronger. Thus, he dropped into a cross-legged sitting position, closed his eyes, and completely immersed himself in his mind.
…..
High above the skies of the Star Boundary was a simple yet majestic palace. Regardless of who it was, all the living creatures in the Star Boundary only needed to raise their heads and look at the sky to see the distinct outline of that palace.
A month had gone by since the start of the Grand Dao battle. During this month, the situation in the Star Boundary had become more and more precarious.
The Demon Race had activated a Heaven Shaking Grand Array, which caused the Demon Lands to expand and spread out into the surroundings with the 108 Demon Strongholds acting as nodes. A large part of the Star Boundary’s land was lost as a consequence, devoured by the Demon Essence with every passing moment. Worse yet, this speed only became faster and faster with the passing of time.
The space in which the Human Race could move about freely within the Star Boundary was continuously being reduced. The armies had retreated over and over again until there was no place left for them to retreat. There was no pure land left in the entire Western Territory; it had completely been devoured. Likewise, the situations in the Eastern, Southern, and Northern Territories were not much better. At this moment, there was less than one-tenth of the original land that could be used by the Human Race. The Star Boundary would collapse completely in another 10 days to half a month. At that time, the Star Boundary would no longer exist. There would be nothing else they could do to turn the situation around and the entire Human Race would eventually be reduced to becoming Demons.
The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan had attempted to counterattack on numerous occasions, but the effects were negligible. Even if Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun had become much stronger and could now suppress the three Demon Saints if they joined hands, they were unable to stop the expansion of the Demon Lands.
The grey hairs on Li Wu Yi’s head had increased significantly. As the Supreme Commander of the Star Boundary army, he was under more pressure than anybody else in the world. Before the Grand Dao battle, he had asked the Pseudo-Great Emperors who were participating in the Grand Dao battle to leave their respective Life Lamps with him. The Life Lamps would remain lit as long as they were alive. On the other hand, if any of them lost their lives, then their respective Life Lamps would be extinguished.
Over the past couple of days, he watched helplessly as, one by one, the 30 Life Lamps in his possession gradually went out and fell silent. It was difficult to imagine how heartbroken, worried, and anxious he felt. At the moment, only 11 Life Lamps in his possession remained lit. In order words, out of all the people who entered the Profound Heavens Temple, only 11 remained alive! He had heard that the Grand Dao battle was extremely cruel and that, over the generations, only one-third of the people who entered the Profound Heavens Temple would return alive. It would seem now that that statement was true.
The only thing that he rejoiced over was that Yang Kai’s Life Lamp remained lit, as did the Life Lamps of Yang Yan and Bing Yun… As long as the three of them were still alive, a small ray of hope would remain.
Spirit Beast Island in the Eastern Territory used to be the home of Martial Beast Great Emperor, but at this moment, it was occupied by numerous Star Boundary armies and the entire island was crowded with Human soldiers.
All the Army Commanders were gathered together in the main hall. Li Wu Yi sat at the head, sweeping his gaze over the people before him and saw that everybody looked extremely solemn. The atmosphere around them was incredibly gloomy.
They were gathered here today to discuss matters regarding their evacuation. The Western Territory had completely fallen. The Eastern Territory, the Southern Territory, and the Northern Territory would soon suffer the same fate. It was only a matter of time. Even so, the Star Boundary had to make a final effort to survive.
Li Wu Yi was silent for some time before finally speaking up, “We won’t be able to remain in the Eastern Territory for long. According to the reports from various areas, it won’t take more than 10 days before the Eastern Territory follows in the footsteps of the Western Territory. Even Spirit Beast Island will not be spared from that fate. How is the situation in the Southern Territory?”
While speaking, he turned to look at Wen Zi Shan.
Wen Zi Shan stood up, cupped his fists, and responded solemnly, “The situation there is worse than in the Eastern Territory. The time remaining is even shorter. It can only last for another 5 days, at most.”
Upon hearing this, Li Wu Yi frowned and glanced at another person, “What about the Northern Territory?”
Pan Geng Nian, the Army Commander of the Nineteenth Army, stood up, “The Northern Territory is in slightly better condition, but it won’t last very long either. However…”
“But what?” Li Wu Yi raised an eyebrow.
“Most parts of the Northern Territory are essentially lost, only the area around High Heaven Palace is still in fairly good condition. The expansion of the Demon Land dropped sharply and became very slow when it came within a thousand kilometres of High Heaven Palace. Based on this Old Master’s estimation, High Heaven Palace can hold out for at least a month or so!”
“High Heaven Palace!” Li Wu Yi seemed pensive, “The World’s last sanctuary…”
There was no reason why High Heaven Palace would be any different from other places, so the only reasonable explanation was that it had something to do with Yang Kai. High Heaven Palace was established by Yang Kai himself and the large Sect was the result of his painstaking efforts. More importantly, Yang Kai retained part of the World’s Will in him; hence, it made sense to say that High Heaven Palace was where the World was concentrating the last of its strength.
“In that case, is our only option to evacuate to High Heaven Palace?” Ma Qing stroked his goatee.
“That’s just drinking poison to quench one’s thirst. What can we do in a month’s time? Are we supposed to wait in High Heaven Palace until our deaths come!?” The person who spoke lifted his head to look at Li Wu Yi and asked, “Supreme Commander, how is the situation at Dragon Island? If we evacuate to Dragon Island…”
Dragon Island was a Sealed World; moreover, its lands were vast enough to accommodate a lot of people. Based on the current situation of the Star Boundary army, there was more than enough space even if all of them evacuated to Dragon Island. As for all the other Humans in the world that were not part of the Star Boundary army… They would have to fend for themselves.
Li Wu Yi shook his head slowly, “The expansion of the Demon Lands is caused by the erosion of the Demon Realm’s Demon Essence. Dragon Island might be a Sealed World, but it is still attached to the Star Boundary. If the Great World succumbs to the corrosion, the Sealed World will not escape unscathed either. Hiding in Dragon Island is not a wise decision, it will only make things easier for the Demon Race to catch us all in one place. We will only be stuck in an even more passive situation than before.”
Li Wu Yi pondered for a moment before steeling his resolve and shouted, “Inform the entire army. In three days, we will evacuate to High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. I command…”
All of a sudden, the entire world rumbled and shook, cutting off his speech mid-sentence as a result.
Immediately afterwards, a mysterious aura surged and swept across every corner of the Star Boundary. All the Masters who could sense this aura looked pensive for a moment, almost as if they gained something from the aura.
Li Wu Yi was stunned as well before soon realising something. His figure flashed as he hurriedly rushed out of the hall. The others hastily followed after him. When they arrived outside the hall, they saw that Li Wu Yi was looking up into the sky. They followed his gaze and their eyes immediately widened in astonishment.
In the sky, the Profound Heavens Temple that had been silent all this while was becoming distorted and seemed to be changing to something else. It soon transformed into the appearance of an ancient Giant Furnace. The Giant Furnace was shining brightly; moreover, there were many strange and peculiar patterns carved into its surroundings. The patterns seemed to bob up and down on the surface, forming name after name that flashed and disappeared one after another.
From among those names, they saw some familiar and some unfamiliar names. Those names included Yellow Sovereign, Black Sovereign, Golden Cicada, Devouring Ghost, Flowing Time, Heaven Devourer, Soaring Sky, Iron Blood, Bustling World, Azure Sea, Cyan Lotus, Ice Feather, Wondrous Pill, Heavens Revelations, Martial Beast…
“The Grand Dao Record!” Li Wu Yi shouted with a burning gaze.
The titles of the Great Emperors were neither chosen by themselves nor spread by the world, they were given directly by the Heavenly Way. Every Great Emperor would receive a title that coincided with their Grand Dao. Naturally, it was a Grand Dao recognised by the world. Only those who could inscribe their names in the Grand Dao of the world could become Great Emperors admired and respected by all.
Those familiar and unfamiliar names were undoubtedly the titles that belonged to the countless Great Emperors throughout history. The titles of the 10 Great Emperors in the current generation were among those names. There were no omissions; even Can Ye’s ‘Night Shadow’ was clearly indicated.
The font colours of the characters that flashed across the Giant Furnace seemed to vary slightly. They were all written in a golden-yellow shade; however, the further back in the past they existed, the darker the shade of golden-yellow they became. In comparison, the titles of the 10 Great Emperors in the current generation shone the brightest.
“Huh? Is it… over?” Li Wu Yi’s lips suddenly felt dry. He stared unblinking at the Giant Furnace, trying to find a new title from amongst the names.
The Profound Heavens Temple had remained unchanged ever since it appeared. Now that it suddenly transformed into a Giant Furnace and even kept displaying the titles of all the past Great Emperors, it could only mean that new progress had been made in the Grand Dao battle. It was also highly likely that it was over.
What was the situation on the Star Boundary’s side? Whose hands did the Grand Dao opportunity fall into in the end? These were the questions that concerned Li Wu Yi the most. If the Star Boundary managed to obtain the opportunity, then the current critical situation in the Star Boundary might change for the better. But, if the Demon Race had succeeded instead, then the Star Boundary was truly in great danger.
轩辕 – Yellow Sovereign (Xuan Yuan)
真武 – Black Sovereign (Zhen Wu)
罗刹 – Devouring Ghost (Raksasa)
These are actual figures in mythology.
Xuan Yuan is known as the Yellow Emperor
Zhen Wu is known as the Black Emperor. (He wears all black.)
Raksasa is a demon that likes to eat.
Li Wu Yi’s gaze hovered across the Giant Furnace, but to his disappointment, he could not find a new title amongst the names.
[Did we… fail?] Even though he generally had a calm nature and could stare a Demon Saint in the face without the slightest change in his expression, he couldn’t help staggering slightly at this moment as his complexion went pale.
Many of the Army Commanders were also whispering around him. Worry for their gains and losses flowed through the crowd…
*Weng…*
A soft sound suddenly rang out and a jade slip appeared out of thin air in front of Li Wu Yi. His expression froze for a moment, then he grabbed the jade slip and immersed his mind into it. The message left him feeling dazed for a moment, but immediately after that, a smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. The smile was not very obvious at first, but it soon spread across his face and the sound of his laughter reverberated across the entire sky.
Countless pairs of eyes turned to stare at Li Wu Yi and the jade slip in his hand which they could feel Yang Yan’s aura coming from. In other words, the jade slip was sent by Yang Yan. Yang Yan was one of the candidates who participated in the Grand Dao battle, so for a message to be sent at this time undoubtedly meant that the Grand Dao battle was over. Judging from the cheerful look on Li Wu Yi’s face and that joyful laughter…
Everybody felt their mood lifting and the anxiety in their hearts was replaced by a sense of pleasant surprise. Although they had some speculations in their hearts, they did not dare to be too sure until Li Yu Yi gave them some form of confirmation, just in case the truth was not what they were hoping for. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment after all.
“Supreme Commander, did the Star Boundary obtain the opportunity for the Grand Dao?” An old man with a beard trembled uncontrollably, unable to restrain his excitement. His weathered face which looked like tree bark was flushed with an unnatural shade of red.
“Supreme Commander, just what is the situation right now? It’s not too late to laugh after you’ve told us.”
However, Li Wu Yi simply could not stop laughing. He was laughing so hard that tears were flowing out of his eyes. It left the people watching him feel quite speechless. In all the time that they had known him, nobody had ever seen him lose his composure so badly before.
It couldn’t be helped though as he was just under too much pressure recently. Li Wu Yi did not dare to say that he was responsible for the survival of the Star Boundary, but as the Supreme Commander of the Star Boundary, every decision he made affected the future of billions of people, as well as the continuation of an entire race. All that he could do was buy as much time as possible while preserving as much of the Star Boundary’s power as he could for the slight chance that might appear in the future.
To this end, Li Wu Yi had not hesitated to give up on the opportunity to enter the Profound Heavens Temple and participate in the Grand Dao battle, the goal he had been pursuing his entire life.
Now that a ray of hope had finally appeared, his tensed nerves suddenly relaxed considerably as a result.
It took quite a long while before Li Wu Yi managed to regain his composure. His gaze swept over the faces of the Pseudo-Great Emperors in front of him and he quickly said, “The Grand Dao opportunity belongs to the Star Boundary!”
As soon as those words rang out, everybody felt their breath quickening. Although they had their guesses, nobody dared to believe that it was true until Li Wu Yi confirmed the truth.
“Who!?” The old man asked in a trembling voice; this was related to the birth of a Great Emperor after all. The person who obtained the Grand Dao opportunity would become one of the Star Boundary’s Great Emperors in the future. How could they not wish to find out more about it?
“Yang Kai!” Li Wu Yi replied with a smile.
There was a burst of exclamations as those present couldn’t help exchanging glances with each other. Although Yang Kai’s performance had been amazing since his return from the Demon Realm, nobody expected the candidate would turn out to be him. His cultivation was an indisputable fact after all.
When Li Wu Yi first announced that he was going to give his spot in the Grand Dao battle to Yang Kai, many people were extremely uncomfortable with the idea. How far one had travelled on the Martial Dao might not be based on seniority, but there were two reasons for their discomfort. For one, Yang Kai’s cultivation had been too low. As for the other, his foundation and experience were lacking. Even if Li Wu Yi wanted to give up his spot in the Grand Dao battle, Yang Kai should have been the last person to receive the qualifications to enter the Profound Heavens Temple.
Before this incident, everybody believed that it was a complete waste of resources for Yang Kai to enter the Profound Heavens Temple. He was not even a Pseudo-Great Emperor, so what could he do even if he did enter the Profound Heavens Temple? Was he just supposed to make up the numbers?
That was why everybody was surprised to hear the name ‘Yang Kai’ coming from Li Wu Yi’s lips. Nobody could have imagined that the final result of the Grand Dao battle would be a situation where the person who came out on top was somebody who was not even a Pseudo-Great Emperor! For a moment, they couldn’t help feeling slightly dazed. Thinking back to Li Wu Yi’s decision at the time, they felt as though the Supreme Commander really could see further as he stood higher than them.
On the other hand, Li Wu Yi’s expression was filled with pride and glory. He had gone against everybody’s opinions and allowed Yang Kai to occupy a precious spot to enter the Profound Heavens Temple. As such, he had endured a lot of pressure due to his decision. If he were not the Supreme Commander who had proven himself in war for the past two decades and whose orders were carried out without fail, he would have long since been questioned for his decision. Fortunately, Yang Kai had lived up to his expectations.
“Is it really Yang Kai?” Somebody asked in disbelief.
“What are the specific circumstances?”
“What about the number of casualties for the Star Boundary?”
Numerous questions were asked, one after another. Everybody looked at Li Wu Yi eagerly.
Before Li Wu Yi could answer, he heard several swishing sounds and figure after figure began to appear beside him all of a sudden. When everybody looked at those figures, their pupils contracted at the sight. These figures that appeared out of nowhere were the candidates who entered the Profound Heavens Temple previously; however, all of them were injured. None of them came out of the Profound Heavens Temple unscathed. The auras of the heavily injured were extremely weak and their bodies were covered in blood. More importantly, only around 10 people appeared in this place!
Yang Yan stood in the lead, and when she appeared, she felt many pairs of eyes staring at her with burning gazes. Thus, she immediately understood the situation and smiled. She turned to Li Wu Yi and smiled, “Fortunately I have not disappointed your trust!”
The moment she came out of the Profound Heavens Temple, she immediately reported the results of the Grand Dao battle to Li Wu Yi. Only then did she activate her Space Beacon to come here. That was the entire flow of events up until now.
Li Wu Yi nodded, “You’ve worked hard!”
Then, he turned to look at the people standing behind her and a look of sorrow flashed across his face. He cupped his fists and said, “You’ve all worked hard!”
Everybody returned the gesture.
Li Wu Yi then turned back to Yang Yan to ask, “Are you all that’s left?”
He was in possession of everybody’s Life Lamps, so he could tell how many people had lost their lives in the Profound Heavens Temple just from the number that had gone out; even so, he had to ask. How else was he supposed to accept this harsh reality?
Yang Yan nodded sadly, “There’s also Bing Yun. She is currently inside Yang Kai’s Small Sealed World, so she will come out with him.”
Li Wu Yi sighed melancholically, “Only 3 out of 10 survived the Grand Dao battle. Haha… The Heavenly Way truly is ruthless!”
Similarly, the Pseudo-Great Emperors who stayed behind in the Star Boundary went pale. Only 10 of their compatriots had returned after the Grand Dao battle ended. Even if they included Yang Kai and Bing Yun in the numbers, only slightly more than 10 were still alive. It had to be said that as many as 30 people from their side had entered the Profound Heavens Temple at the beginning.
The Star Boundary suffered such heavy casualties in the short span of one month. Even the battle between the two worlds that had gone on for so many years had not caused such heavy losses among the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. Moreover, there was one person who was extremely concerned among these 10 people who returned.
Li Wu Yi stared at Tian Yan for a while, seeming slightly surprised, “Fire Lord?”
Looking at the situation, Fire Lord of Demon Heavenly Dao did not seem to have been brought here as a captive. For some reason, he had appeared together with the rest of the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary. They also seemed to be coexisting peacefully with each other. It would seem that something astonishing had happened inside the Profound Heavens Temple.
Yang Yan explained, “This is Sir Tian Yan. It was all thanks to his great efforts that the Demon Race was defeated at the final stage of the Grand Dao battle and Yang Kai was given the chance to snatch the opportunity. He is one of our own.”
Li Wu Yi’s expression changed slightly, but he did not inquire about the details; instead, he asked, “What about the casualties on the Demon Race’s side?”
Yang Yan smiled bitterly, “They lost as many as we did. Less than 15 of them survived.”
There was the sound of cold air being inhaled sharply. The Demon Race Half-Saints had started off with 40 people at the beginning, but only about 15 survivors remained at the end. The casualty rate was not that different from the Star Boundary’s. Looking at the situation in that way, the losses the Star Boundary suffered were not unacceptable.
Everybody then began talking all at once to ask various questions; therefore, Yang Yan and the others briefly recounted their experiences in the Profound Heavens Temple. The mysteries within the Source Sealed World made everybody yearn for the opportunity to experience it. Be that as it may, there were dangers brewing everywhere inside and the deathmatch that took place at the end was also extremely terrifying.
Many couldn’t help wondering whether they would be amongst those who survived if they had entered the Profound Heavens Temple.
When they learned that Tian Yan had betrayed Jia Long at the last moment and caused the latter to fall short of victory, everyone looked at him with a much gentler expression than before. Wen Zi Shan also stepped forward to verify Tian Yan’s origins at this point, drawing much admiration for the latter.
It had to be said that Demon Heavenly Dao was a powerful force that Can Ye had personally created back then. Not only did Tian Yan successfully infiltrate the enemy camp, but he also became one of the Four Great Lords without ever being discovered. He even managed to endure until the Grand Dao battle before landing a fatal blow on the Demon Race. He had truly made a monumental contribution after years of strenuous effort.
Even if Li Wu Yi had been in that position, he had to admit that he could not have succeeded to this extent.
“Yang Kai swallowed the Heavenly Source Fruit and said he might have to remain in Profound Heavens Temple for a while,” Yang Yan added.
Li Wu Yi nodded in response, “A Divine Fruit that was formed from the condensation of all the luck and fortune belonging to dozens of Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints… It will not be an easy task to refine.”
He pondered quietly for a moment and said, “All of you should get some rest. There might be another tough battle waiting for us if a fight breaks out before Yang Kai comes out of retreat.”
Yang Yan and the others nodded and soon left. After participating in the Grand Dao battle, they had gained a lot of benefits. Nevertheless, they really needed a good rest now.
Li Wu Yi’s voice sounded magnificently, “Send out the order; all armies will prepare to march while bringing their supplies with them. We will evacuate Spirit Beast Island and head towards High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory!
That was the last piece of pure land left in the Star Boundary! If High Heaven Palace fell, then the Star Boundary’s death would not be that far off either.
The Army Commanders left with their orders. Once the command was conveyed, the soldiers gathered on Spirit Beast Island quickly got ready to leave. The Space Array was in constant operation and flashes of light flickered erratically.
After three days of hard work, only two people remained on the island. Mo Xiao Qi’s eyes were red and swollen as she reluctantly stared at the home where she had lived since she was a child and choked out a few words, “Uncle Li, will we come back here again?”
He patted her head, “We will definitely return here one day!”
A flash of light appeared and disappeared before the figures of Li Wu Yi and Mo Xiao Qi vanished from atop the Space Array. A short while later, the Space Array cracked and turned into a pile of dust.
Two days later, the Southern Territory fell. The entire Southern Territory was eroded by the Demon Land. The flowers and trees withered in the places covered by the Demon Land and a dead silence fell across the land, as if even the vitality of this world had been taken away.
Another four days later, the Eastern Territory fell.
The day the Eastern Territory fell, Yang Xiao was ordered to quietly return to Dragon Island to observe the changes in the Sealed World where Dragon Island was located. He soon reported that the Sealed World where Dragon Island was located was not spared. The Demon Essence had invaded Dragon Island through the Void Corridor and the originally beautiful scenery instantly fell into dead silence as a result.
At the moment, the only place left in the vast Star Boundary that was not eroded by the Demon Lands was the area stretching out a thousand kilometres around High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory. The entire Star Boundary army was gathered in this place. In addition, the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan were personally standing guard. This place would be the final battlefield in the war between the Demon Race and the Human Race.
Victory would mean a slim chance of reprieve. On the other hand, defeat would mean eternal doom!
Since the beginning of the Two Worlds’ Great War, billions of living creatures in the Star Boundary had lost both their lives and homes. Nine houses out of ten were deserted. It was a scene of desolation across the entire land. Humans who had been reduced to become Demons could be seen wandering all over the Western Territory. Having been devoured by the Demon Essence, they lost their consciousness and were driven only by their instinct to kill.
High Heaven Palace might be big, but it could not accommodate so many. Now that the entire Star Boundary army had gathered in this place, it was practically bursting at the seams. For that reason, many soldiers had no choice but to remain inside the World Beads all the time. Many of the World Beads that Yang Kai had refined were stuffed to the brim as a result.
It might be that High Heaven Palace was the last sanctuary of the Star Boundary. The invincible Demon Essence had eroded all of the Eastern Territory, the Southern Territory, the Western Territory, as well as most of the land in the Northern Territory. However, its progress was finally obstructed along the periphery of a 1,000-kilometre radius around High Heaven Palace. The speed of the erosion became extremely slow until it finally stopped completely, unable to advance any further. There was some kind of force around High Heaven Palace that seemed to block the erosion of the Demon Essence, protecting the last bit of pure land for the Star Boundary’s Human Race to inhabit.
Now that the entire Star Boundary had more or less fallen into the hands of the Demon Race, neither the Demon Saints nor the Half-Saints below them could stand to tolerate the special existence that was High Heaven Palace; after all, the Demon Race’s plan could only come to completion when High Heaven Palace was fully eroded.
Perhaps, they could feel a sense of crisis looming over them after losing the Grand Dao battle, so the Demon Race army attacked ten days after it ended, three days after the fall of the Eastern Territory.
The Demon Race army that came out in full force formed a large uncountable mass of darkness due to their overwhelming numbers. Pouring out from all the Primary Demon Strongholds, they rushed over to surround High Heaven Palace and launched a full offensive without any warning whatsoever.
The first to attack High Heaven Palace was not the Demon Race army, however, but rather the Humans who were corrupted by Demon Essence and became Demons as a result. The number of these Demons was 10 times or 100 times larger than the entire Demon Race population in the Primary Demon Strongholds. They could be found almost everywhere across the lands of the Four Territories in the Star Boundary. The Demon Race army only needed to gather and herd them around to form an enormous force.
These Demons lacked a clear consciousness and were consumed by their instinct to kill. Driven by the Demon Race army, they rushed towards High Heaven Palace without fear of death. These Demons were generally not very strong and any random soldier from the Star Boundary army could kill a large number of them at once. Nevertheless, there were simply too many of them.
A tragic and fierce battle commenced outside High Heaven Palace.
Despite facing former fellow countrymen, Li Wu Yi had no choice but to harden his heart and issue the order to annihilate the enemy. In just three days, the number of Demons who died outside High Heaven Palace exceeded tens of millions. Rivers of blood flowed and corpses piled high across the land that stretched on for thousands of kilometres. With the death of those Demons, the Demon Qi that leaked out of their body finally infected the land that was originally being protected by the World, allowing the Demon Land around the periphery of High Heaven Palace to begin creeping forward again. The speed of advancement might be slow, but at this rate, there would come a day when even High Heaven Palace could no longer persist.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun were furious and rushed out of High Heaven Palace in a rage, heading straight toward the Demon Race army. Although they gave an overwhelming display of power, they were immediately blocked by Xue Li, Fu Yu, and Huo Bo. There was a huge battle and many in the Demon race army lost their lives simply from the fallout, but unfortunately, it changed nothing in the overall situation.
The greying hairs on Li Yu Yi’s head increased by the day. He would look up at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace in the sky countless times a day, watching the names flashing across the Giant Furnace and secretly praying that Yang Kai could return as soon as possible.
Ten days after the final battle started, the Demon Land had advanced as far as 500 kilometres into the land surrounding High Heaven Palace. Another five days later, the Demon Land progressed another 300… Now only 200 kilometres of land remained untouched by the Demon Land outside of High Heaven Palace.
As time went on, the Demon Race’s offensive became more and more violent. In contrast, the Star Boundary seemed exhausted from resisting. Despair spread out among the armies and the wills of many were on the verge of collapsing under the heavy pressure and all sorts of troubles unfolded within High Heaven Palace. Racked by both external and internal troubles, many Masters were completely overwhelmed by the situation.
…..
At the height of the battle, Yang Kai seemed to be slumbering under the Divine Tree inside the Illusionary Heavens Furnace that was inside the Profound Heavens Temple. After swallowing the Heavenly Source Fruit, he began feeling drowsy and eventually succumbed to it. He only managed to say a few sentences to Yang Yan and the others before he immersed himself in his mind completely.
His mind was in an ethereal state and he could not sense anything in his surroundings. It felt as though he had returned to his mother’s womb. He was enveloped by the sense of security and tranquillity of a new life being born.
All of a sudden, he jerked awake for a short moment. He couldn’t help wondering about his own Grand Dao. If he had not gone through the previous experience where he was asked about his True Dao, he might not have known what he wanted. But, after that peculiar experience, he knew exactly what he should do at this moment. He had to find his own Dao that would be recognised by the world! And, his Dao was… the Dao of Space!
Bits and pieces of the past lingered in his mind. Some of his insights into the Dao of Space emerged in his mind and he recalled the time when he first caught a glimpse of the door to the Dao of Space. After advancing to the minor accomplishment stage, he properly stepped onto the Dao of Space. Afterward, he became increasingly familiar with Space Principles and suddenly penetrated the depths of this Great Dao…
After taking the first step, he was becoming clearer about his own Dao. The surrounding space shuddered and small cracks appeared on it, like Spirit Snakes that wandered around aimlessly. All his power, including the Demon Qi in his body and his Spiritual Energy, was rapidly shrinking towards a certain spot in his body. There were faint signs that they were forming into a mysterious mark.
A Dao Seal!
Although nobody had ever told him about this, Yang Kai quickly understood what was going on in his body as he experienced the entire process first-hand. Gathering all the Essence in his body and the lifelong insights he had obtained, he condensed them into his very own Dao Seal! This was the only way he could walk his own Dao and create his own Dao.
This was both an extremely dangerous process and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; therefore, Yang Kai did not dare to be careless. He poured his experiences and insights into the embryonic Dao Seal, little by little, gradually tempering and perfecting it.
He did not know how much time had passed or what the situation was like in the world outside. All of his attention was focused on the Dao Seal. A concrete outline slowly began to form around that vague Dao Seal. Following his efforts, the outline became increasingly distinct and clear.
Even so, he was not satisfied. The speed of his progress was far too slow. Although he had forgotten about the crisis that the Star Boundary was currently facing, his subconscious mind was telling him that he had to form his Dao Seal as quickly as possible; otherwise, something that he would regret for the rest of his life was going to happen.
Almost instinctively, Yang Kai took out the World Source Liquid from the Small Sealed World and took a gulp. The feeling of the World when it was first created burst out in him, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Chaos flourished and Principle Strength emerged extremely strong. Therefore, one mouthful of World Source Liquid seemed to pull him back to the ancient era when the World first formed. He stood in the middle of all the chaos as the various invisible forces swirling around him in all directions transformed into the capital and strength that formed his Dao Seal.
Yang Kai devoured this power greedily and the speed at which the Dao Seal in his body condensed suddenly accelerated. The brightly shining Dao Seal erupted with dazzling brilliance, and upon integrating the essence contained within his Dragon Bloodline, the Dao Seal caused his entire body to emit a faint golden light.
…..
Outside High Heaven Palace, the Sect Defending Array flashed wildly. Countless Demons threw themselves forward while at the same time, numerous attacks blasted out from within High Heaven Palace to reap the lives of these Demons as though harvesting straw.
Mountains of corpses and rivers of blood painted the scenery. It was a time of turmoil, it was a time of slaughter, and it was a baptism of fresh blood. The lives of the weak were in the hands of fate, and even the Masters were in danger of losing their lives at any moment. The Heavenly Way was cruel and it was impossible to predict the future of the World!
Li Wu Yi’s once black hair turned completely silver in a span of ten short days. Standing at the top of High Heaven Peak, he looked out at the situation beyond the Grand Array with a solemn expression.
Similarly, the expressions of the people behind him were also extremely gloomy. They had been on edge all this while. Their only fear was losing High Heaven Palace, the last barrier and fortress that stood strong in the Star Boundary; however, when it really came down to this moment, a powerful wave of fighting spirit surged up in all of them, regardless of who they were. If they could perish along with their World, fighting for the home where they were born and raised… Their life would not have been lived in vain.
A figure rushed forward suddenly. Ying Fei appeared, wiping the blood from his face, “Reporting! The Grand Array in the northwest is in critical danger. It can only last for another quarter to half hour at most. Sir Fu Ren Jie requests for reinforcements!”
Li Wu Yi looked back at Ying Fei. [What reinforcements? There are no reinforcements…]
In the face of the various emergency situations that arose, all of the armies had already been deployed. At the moment, High Heaven Palace was being attacked from all directions. All the people behind Li Wu Yi were his personal guards and they were only in charge of sending out commands to the soldiers in the field. There were no other soldiers under his command that he could send.
Turning back once more, he coldly said, “Relay my order. If the Grand Array in the northwest cannot be protected, then Fu Ren Jie is to bring as many Demon Race Half-Saints down with him as he can!”
Ying Fei’s lips moved and he cupped his fists, “Yes!”
After that, he turned and flew back out.
Li Wu Yi narrowed his eyes slightly and looked up at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace before letting out a long sigh, [In the end, are we still powerless to escape this fate?]
Nevertheless, he soon withdrew his gaze and Space Principles fluctuated around him. With a chilling expression on his face, he asked calmly, “Are you afraid?”
The soldiers following behind him loudly replied to his question, “No!”
Li Wu Yi grinned, “It is terrifying to stand before the gates of death. Even I am scared. Are you really not afraid?”
Several of his personal guards looked apologetic and one of them said, “We have no regrets as long as we can follow you, Sir, not even if we die in battle as a result!”
The rest of them also cupped their fists and shouted in unison, “May we live and die with you, Sir!”
Li Wu Yi burst into laughter as his spirits soared, “Good! That is the right mindset to have!” With a wave of his arm, he continued, “You will follow me into battle! Let us slaughter our enemies!”
An overwhelming murderous intent violently poured out of him.
“S-Sir!” One of the personal guards suddenly shouted in a trembling voice.
Li Wu Yi chuckled, “What is it? Have you gotten cold feet? It’s normal to be scared.”
“It’s not that, Sir! Look, up there!” The soldier raised his finger to point at the sky.
Li Wu Yi looked in that direction and the pupils of his eyes involuntarily contracted at the sight. He was looking at the Illusionary Heavens Furnace that had been floating in the sky all this while. The patterns on the surface of the Illusionary Heavens Furnace were flickering even more than before and the clear and distinct titles that flashed across its surface were changing at a dazzling speed. Soon, a new set of characters began to take shape.
The Illusionary Heavens Furnace had remained in the same state for so many days, never experiencing any changes before; thus, nobody could have expected it to change at this time.
“This is…” Li Wu Yi suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Illusionary Heavens Furnace without blinking. That was because the flickering lines had a tendency to form certain characters. It was just that the lights were flashing too quickly, so it was very hard to get a clear glimpse.
After waiting for a while though, the vague characters finally became clear. The characters suddenly froze in place with a loud bang. At that moment, a dazzling light filled the entire Star Boundary. At that moment, it seemed as though the Demon Qi covering the Star Boundary had been torn apart and at long-last light had returned once more.
Li Wu Yi’s eyes narrowed as he stared blankly at the golden characters illuminating the entire world, feeling both extremely shocked and pleased as he muttered under his breath, “Void!”
“Void!”
It was only one word, but that word attracted the attention of all the sentient creatures in the Star Boundary. At this moment, countless gazes were involuntarily being drawn upward into the sky. Whether they were Human or Demon, a strange and inexplicable light was reflected in their eyes.
It was especially so for the natives of the Star Boundary. When that word appeared on the Illusionary Heavens Furnace, a sudden thought came to mind almost instinctively, a new Great Emperor was about to rise! This idea came out of nowhere. Nobody knew why they suddenly had such a thought, but everybody was convinced that it was the truth; after all, it was the will of the Heavenly Way…
It was an honour and a joyful occasion to witness the birth of a Great Emperor in one’s life. As such, the morale of the soldiers that had been lagging suddenly soared at this moment!
Xue Li, who had been hiding among the Demon Race army, felt his brow twitching at the sight as he gritted his teeth, “He actually… succeeded…”
He had learned from Jia Long that the Heavenly Source Fruit had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands. Even so, Xue Li had held on to the slight delusional hope that Yang Kai would not succeed. Yang Kai’s cultivation was not high enough, so it might take some time for him to become a Great Emperor even though he was the one who obtained the Heavenly Source Fruit. Or perhaps it might improve his strength tremendously, but he would still be no match for the Demon Saints.
Judging from the current situation, however, the benefits of the Heavenly Source Fruit were limitless indeed. It actually managed to make a High-Rank Demon King advance directly to become a Great Emperor!
The thought only flashed through Xue Li’s mind for a breath before he quickly shouted through gritted teeth, “Relay the order! Take down High Heaven Palace in the shortest possible time at all costs!”
Not only did Yang Kai become a Great Emperor, but he also received the title ‘Void’. Therefore, nobody knew what kind of strength he would have upon his reappearance, let alone when he would show up. What the Demon Race needed to do at this moment was to capture High Heaven Palace as soon as possible and contaminate the last pure land in the Star Boundary. That was the only way for all their plans to come to fruition. At that time, it would be useless even if Yang Kai returned with the strength of a Great Emperor.
After that order was issued, the fierce offensive became even more reckless. High Heaven Palace’s Sect Defending Array flashed wildly as a result. The Grand Array looked as though it was going to collapse at any time. Seeming to be aware of this point, Li Wu Yi quickly issued a command to all the surviving soldiers of the Star Boundary army to hold the line no matter the cost.
From a bird’s eye point of view, the boundless Demon Race army looked like a black tidal wave that crashed against High Heaven Palace over and over again from all directions. Meanwhile, the Star Boundary army stood firm within High Heaven Palace. Countless Secret Techniques and artifacts flashed with brilliant light as they repelled the black tide again and again.
Both sides were so busy fighting to the death that nobody noticed the Illusionary Heavens Furnace in the sky shattering and quickly disappearing into nothing after the ‘Void’ character appeared.
In the southeast corner of High Heaven Palace, the Sixty-First Army worked with five other armies to maintain a defensive perimeter. Yao Si was in charge of the army, commanding and dispatching the troops with a dignified expression. Command after command came out of his mouth and those commands were relayed to the soldiers by his personal guards. He had been fighting for so many consecutive days without any chance to rest at all. His mind was spinning at an extremely fast speed, trying to come up with a plan to defeat their enemies. Unfortunately, all he could do in the face of the Demon Race army’s onslaught was maintain a passive defence with the troops under his command.
“Sir Adjutant, the Grand Array won’t be able to last any longer.” A Monster General from the Flying Hawk Division flew over and informed Yao Si. Excessive exhaustion left him unable to even stand up straight. He was so tired that he nearly collapsed head first to the ground while talking to Yao Si.
The moment those words left his mouth, an ominous creaking sound came from the Grand Array. It was instantly followed by an endless series of cracking sounds.
Yao Si looked up and his expression changed drastically. Cracks were appearing, one after another, rapidly spreading across the barrier in the southeast corner of High Heaven Palace.
He turned his head and looked around, only to see Hua Qing Si hovering in mid-air. She was holding the Sect Master’s Command Token to control the power of the Earth Veins below High Heaven Palace to replenish and stabilise the Grand Array. However, her complexion was as pale as a sheet and she was clearly on the verge of collapse.
High Heaven Palace’s Sect Defending Array was powerful, but even such an impressive Grand Array could not withstand the continuous assault of the Demon Race army for such a long time. The only reason it had lasted for so long was thanks to the desperate support of the Star Boundary army. Be that as it may, the Grand Array finally gave in.
*Kacha…*
There was a crashing sound and the Grand Array in the southeast corner shattered. The Demon Race army poured in through that gap like a flood with a resounding roar that shook the Heavens and caused the world to go pale.
Yao Si surged his Emperor Qi and roared in response, “All who defile the Star Boundary will be killed without mercy!!
“Kill!” A roar reverberated through the sky in response. Despite facing the massive Demon Race army surging towards them, none of the soldiers from the Star Boundary backed down. That was because they knew that High Heaven Palace was the last remaining sanctuary for the Human Race. Losing High Heaven Palace was equivalent to losing the entire Star Boundary. There was no place left for them to retreat anymore.
Instead of being corrupted by the Demon Qi and becoming mindless Demons, it was better to die in battle while taking as many enemies with them as possible.
A solemn and stirring Shamanic Chants rang out throughout the Star Boundary army. Following that, numerous Shamanic Spells shone brightly to cover a large swath of the army. It was as if two torrents of steel were rushing at each other and they soon collided.
Blood splattered and severed limbs flew all over the place. During that moment of confrontation, thousands died. The vast battlefield in the southeast corner was like a huge meat grinder that turned both Humans and Demons into nothing but ground flesh and blood.
Nevertheless, that was only just the beginning. Less than 10 breaths after the Grand Array in the southeast corner collapsed, the Grand Array surrounding the entire High Heaven Palace let out a loud and painful cry accompanied by cracking noises. Immediately after that, the Grand Array began to shatter bit by bit.
An all-out war broke out. The Demon Race army flooded into High Heaven Palace from all directions, stepping onto the Human Race’s last remaining pure land, bringing Demon Qi and Demon Essence with them.
The battles were fought at close quarters and the scene was immensely bloody and cruel. Accordingly, the headquarters of High Heaven Palace, which used to be extremely beautiful in the past, was blackened and defiled.
Many Pseudo-Great Emperors quickly took action to engage the Demon Race Half-Saints in battle, fighting a fierce battle in the sky. Even the two Dragon Clan Elders could not remain silent any longer. They transformed into two 1,000-metre-long Dragons and charged out of High Heaven Peak. Xue Li, Fu Yu, and Huo Bo hastily went forward to meet their charge. They fought a difficult battle against each other even higher up in the sky. The loud rumbling noises of their battle spread far across the Star Boundary.
The ground was the battlefield of those below the Pseudo-Great Emperors and Half-Saints. The High-Rank Demon Kings and Third-Order Emperors were either fighting in groups of three to five or one-on-one. No matter the case, it was a battle where one side was bound to die.
A huge palace was rampaging somewhere on the battlefield. Yang Xiao and Yang Xue, the two Masters of the Flowing Time Temple, stood on the steps of the palace as they joined forces to activate the power of the Infinite Hourglass. The ten-thousand and eight grains of Flowing Time Divine Sand turned into dust that scattered across the sky. Everywhere they went, Time Principles would cover the area and deprive the Demon Race of their perception and vitality.
Elsewhere, Lan Xun held the World Pagoda in her hands as her Emperor Qi surged violently. Every time the World Pagoda flew out, it would capture and trap a large number of the Demons inside of itself. That was not all, however, as a huge prison composed of vines was formed with her as the centre. It enveloped all the Demons that stood within a thousand metres around her. The vines danced agilely inside the cage, transforming into sharp blades that plunged deep into the bodies of the Demons. The vines devoured their Spiritual Essence, which swiftly turned them into mummified skeletons.
Inside the forests, nine Stone Spirits rampaged under the leadership of the Elder. They relied on their intrepid physiques to slam their bodies around, smashing countless Demons to pieces. The Wood Spirit Clan followed beside the Stone Spirits, sticking closely to them with solemn expressions on their small faces.
Among the mountain peaks, four women, Su Yan, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, and Shan Qing Luo, formed a profound Formation that was similar to a sharp blade. They were travelling across the bloody and corpse-filled battlefield, leaving behind a trail of Demon corpses in their wake. The four women were all in the Emperor Realm, and nobody below the Half-Saint Realm could stop their charge when they joined hands. Even a High-Rank Demon King could not last for more than 10 breaths against them. Their performance quickly attracted attention and an ethereal figure made his way across the battlefield, staring at the four of them with ruthless eyes. The corners of his mouth curled into a cruel smile as he approached them silently.
All the Human Race cultivators within 30 metres of him collapsed dead to the ground before they even understood what was going on. It didn’t take long before this figure arrived not far away from the four women and without losing his momentum, he aimed a sneak attack directly at Xia Ning Chang’s neck.
“Hm?” Su Yan frowned, instinctively feeling that something was wrong. She was the strongest among the four women, so her perception was also the most sensitive. The moment she sensed that something was wrong, she lifted the longsword in her hand and turned to face Xia Ning Chang, pointing her sword at her and shouting, “Ning Chang, watch out!”
The Formation of these four women was under Su Yan’s control; thus, Xue Yue and the others couldn’t help but follow suit when she suddenly made a move. There was a sound of metal clashing against metal and a figure seemed to flash and disappear into thin air. Then, several pained cries rang out amidst the rain of sparks. The Formation was broken in an instant and the four women were thrown back into the surrounding area.
They couldn’t even parry one attack from their opponent despite combining their strength through a Formation. Su Yan was suspended in mid-air at the moment, her beautiful eyes looking solemnly in Xia Ning Chang’s direction. Her heart sank when she finally caught sight of the blurred figure behind the sneak attack.
“A Shadow Demon Half-Saint!” Shocked, she urgently yelled, “Ning Chang, dodge!”
Similarly, Xia Ning Chang finally saw what her attacker looked like at this moment. He was a middle-aged man with a sullen face and a hooked nose. His Demon Qi was wrapped all over his body. She had been completely unaware of his presence until he appeared in front of her.
How could she not understand what kind of situation she was in at the moment after hearing Su Yan’s shout? It was just that fighting was not her forte. She had spent most of her time performing Alchemy inside Pill Rooms from the day she started cultivating. Since she had the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, she practised Alchemy as her cultivation. That was why she had little real combat experience even though her Emperor Qi was extremely pure.
It was the first time in her life that she encountered such danger, but she found that her mind was surprisingly calm. The Shadow Demon Half-Saint standing opposite her was giving her a cruel grin. On the other hand, she raised her hand and flicked out a World Bead.
This was one of the World Beads that Yang Kai initially refined in the Lower Star Field during his experimental phase. It did not have the function of carrying people, but nevertheless, it was something he refined with a lot of hard work. There was no need for her to activate her Emperor Qi, she only needed to throw it out for it to exert an extremely powerful force.
The Shadow Demon Half-Saint facing her coldly snorted and lightly used the dagger in his hand to block the attack. Contrary to his expectations, however, a huge force that almost sent him flying backwards slammed into him from the front.
This wasn’t strange though. Yang Kai had produced the World Beads by refining large asteroids or even Dead Stars after all. Xia Ning Chang and the others might be able to control these beads without any problems, but the weight of these beads could not be ignored.
It was only natural that the Shadow Demon Half-Saint would suffer slightly because he underestimated this bead. Nevertheless, that was all the effect that it had on him. His figure paused slightly for a moment, and then the dagger in his hand came slashing down at Xia Ning Chang’s head as he let out a cruel laugh, “Die!”
“No!” Su Yan shouted at the top of her lungs
Xia Ning Chang’s vision seemed to freeze at that moment, everything in her surroundings suddenly seemed to be moving at an incredibly slow speed. She could clearly see Su Yan struggling to rush over in time, as well as the Ancestral Ice Phoenix phantom which manifested behind her back, craning its neck upwards as it let out a piercing cry. She saw the horrified and helpless looks on the faces of Xue Yue and Shan Qing Luo, who were knocked to the ground just now. She also saw the cold glint on the blade of the dagger…
An aura of death washed over her and a sharp Qi pierced her neck, causing a sting of pain. In her mind, her entire life seemed to flash before her eyes at a very high speed. Then…
She suddenly saw a stalwart figure appearing in front of her. It was just like what happened in the Great Han Dynasty back then when she went to the unnamed mountain valley with him to collect the Nine Yin Yuan Condensing Dew. That night, that kiss, their chaotic emotions, all of these soon formed into a lifetime of inseparability.
That stalwart figure was like a huge mountain that stood in front of her to protect her from the wind and rain. In that moment, Xia Ning Chang smiled. Despite being surrounded by thousands of enemies, standing in a sea of blood and amidst a mountain of corpses, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of security and warmth when she saw that broad back.
*Dang…*
The sound of metal clashing rang out and sparks flew everywhere. The expression on the Shadow Demon Half-Saint’s face changed slightly and he hurriedly retreated.
Yang Kai held the Azure Dragon Spear in his hand, showing no intention of chasing down the enemy. Instead, he simply watched the other party coldly, the chill in his eyes making the other party go cold with fear.
When their eyes met, the Shadow Demon Half-Saint frowned. He could not gauge how great Yang Kai’s strength was as there was absolutely no aura fluctuation coming from the man standing in front of him right now. It was almost as if he was an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before. This scene greatly confused him; after all, this person could not possibly be an ordinary man. Just moments ago, the Giant Furnace in the sky had flashed with the character ‘Void’. Therefore, this person was most likely an existence on the level of a Great Emperor.
“Little Senior Sister, are you hurt?” Yang Kai turned back to look at Xia Ning Chang only to see a huge smile blooming on her face. She slowly shook her head with a gentle look in her eyes; however, crimson blood flowed out of a bloody cut on her fair and slender neck.
Yang Kai stared at that wound, feeling a trace of lingering fear that made his blood run cold. He had immediately rushed over without any delay the moment he came out of the Profound Heavens Temple and, luckily, he arrived just in time. If he had been a moment later, he would not have been able to see his Little Senior Sister’s sweet smile ever again.
More than fear though, what Yang Kai felt at this moment was anger. He turned back once more to glare at the Shadow Demon Half-Saint with a terribly cold look in his eyes, his murderous intent surging wildly.
The Shadow Demon Half-Saint coldly snorted and did not try to fight Yang Kai. Instead, his figure faded away swiftly, vanishing out of sight as though he had not been there in the first place.
“Naive!” Yang Kai snarled coldly. He didn’t make any movements, but his figure suddenly appeared in front of Xue Yue as he stabbed forward with his spear.
There was a splatting sound, like something being pierced, and immediately after that, a spurt of blood shot out of nowhere before a vague figure quickly became solid. It was the Shadow Demon Half-Saint that vanished out of sight just now. At this moment, he was staring at Yang Kai in shock. Grabbing at the Azure Dragon Spear that was sticking out of his chest, he muttered incredulously, “You…”
He could not believe what was happening. As a Shadow Demon Half-Saint, he was born with the inherent gift for stealth and assassination; therefore, he never imagined that he would be found by the other party so easily, much less receive such a severe injury.
It was precisely because he could not gauge Yang Kai’s strength that he dared to try and attack Xue Yue. He would have a bargaining chip to threaten Yang Kai as long as he succeeded, whether by killing her or capturing her. Unfortunately, that simple spear thrust had shattered all his delusional hopes. He couldn’t even see how the spear came at him before he was impaled by it.
A mysterious force flowed into his body, wreaking havoc and destroying his meridians and causing his heart to sink. How could he not know that it was the effects of that peculiar Martial Truth? Gritting his teeth, the Shadow Demon exerted great strength into his arm while pushing his body backwards at the same time. He forcefully pulled himself off of the Azure Dragon Spear, causing a large amount of blood to gush out in the process.
Not daring to remain in this place for even a moment longer, his figure flashed to escape into the distance. That attack that came out of nowhere had completely broken his fighting spirit; however, before he could do anything, he saw the enormous spear shadow looming over him from above. He paled in shock and hastily used the daggers in his hands to parry the attack.
There was a series of clanging sounds and two figures flitted back and forth within a radius of 100 metres, exchanging blows with each other.
Three breaths later, the fierce battle came to an end.
Su Yan and the others watched the battle with a strange light in their eyes, one that conveyed a mixture of joy and astonishment.
In the meantime, the Azure Dragon Spear pierced through the Shadow Demon’s head. It went in through his forehead and out the back of his skull. His eyes widened in surprise as shock and horror filled his face.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s expression was calm and indifferent. There was neither joy nor sorrow on his face. With a flick of his spear, the Shadow Demon exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
“Protect yourselves well!” Yang Kai hurriedly shouted to his four wives before his figure flew straight up into the sky. It wasn’t until he was several thousand metres in the air that he stopped abruptly. Placing the Azure Dragon Spear beside him, he swept his gaze over the battlefield below. Sweeping out one hand, he spoke in a soft voice, “I am Void…”
His voice was not loud, but it reverberated across the entire world, his solemn and dignified incantation filling every corner of the Star Boundary. The hand that he held out slowly pressed down as his voice rang out once more, the sound penetrating straight into the hearts of all, “My Dao is the Dao of Space…”
His hand pressed down firmly all of a sudden, “Annihilation!”
Space shuddered and the world rumbled. Countless tiny Void Cracks appeared out of thin air, covering a massive area. The Void Cracks moved about like Spirit Snakes, slithering across the bodies of innumerable Demon Race members.
In the next moment, the Humans who were fighting the Demon Race in a battle to the death were astonished to see their opponents showing looks of extreme shock. Then, the bodies of these Demons exploded with a bang. Pieces of meat and blood splattered everywhere, showering countless people with a rain of blood.
With that one strike, Yang Kai had wiped out millions of soldiers in the Demon Race army, clearing a large swath of the battlefield in an instant. The most shocking thing, however, was that all the Humans standing on that same battlefield were completely unscathed.
The war was far from over, but nevertheless, the never-ending commotion on the battlefield fell into a strange silence at that moment. Everybody was staring at the rain of blood and flesh in front of them, feeling as though they were caught in a dream. They were still desperately fighting their enemies just a moment ago, but that enemy was suddenly destroyed in the blink of an eye…
Standing in the sky, Yang Kai did not stop after the first palm strike. He aimed at another spot and struck again… Millions of Demons died with every palm he released.
For the first time since the beginning of the war between the two worlds until now, both the Human Race and the Demon Race were finally seeing what kind of devastating destruction a Great Emperor could bring to the battlefield.
No Great Emperor or Demon Saint had ever done something like this due to various restraints and unavoidable reasons. Hence, the army’s opponent had always been another army. Even if the war had grown incredibly intense, the top Masters did not allow their battles to affect their respective armies. For that reason, be it the Human Race or the Demon Race, it wasn’t until today that they witnessed the horrifying power of a Great Emperor recognised by the Heavenly Way with their own eyes.
Xue Li stood in the sky, glaring so hard that his eyes felt like they were going to burst. Even though he was engaged in battle with the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan, he could still perceive the movements of the battlefield below him clearly. Thus, he noticed Yang Kai’s presence the moment the latter appeared. The last bit of hope in his heart disappeared without a trace when Yang Kai killed a Shadow Demon Half-Saint within three breaths.
The little brat that he used to scorn, the one who could only cower or flee before him in the past… At this moment, that little brat had obtained the strength of a Great Emperor and now stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him! After all, only a Great Emperor could kill a Shadow Demon Half-Saint so quickly and effortlessly!
The next action Yang Kai took left Xue Li fuming in even greater rage. In just ten breaths, tens of millions of the Demon Race army had been obliterated! Such a huge loss was not something he could accept. The plan that was only one step away from completion ended up being derailed due to the appearance of this bastard boy. An immense rage lingered in Xue Li’s head, making him go berserk.
“You want to go save those Demons of yours? You’ll have to ask this Old Master’s permission first!” Zhu Yan gave a furious roar as a massive Dragon Tail came sweeping over. Even Xue Li did not dare to take such an attack head-on, so he had no choice but to dodge aside.
Zhu Yan, who had been despairing previously, suddenly had the urge to throw back his head and laugh out loud; after all, anybody who finally found a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation would not be able to suppress the relief in their hearts.
The three Demon Saints were being tied down by Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun, and judging by Yang Kai’s performance just now, he was an invincible existence as long as these three did not make a move. It would take no more than an hour before he wiped out all the entire Demon Race army below. At that time, who would be the one to cry and who would be the one to laugh?
Xue Li gnashed his teeth, “Did you think that he can do whatever he wants just because he became a Great Emperor!? Old dog, have you gone senile!?”
There was a hidden truth behind those words and Zhu Yan was temporarily stunned when he heard them. However, he abruptly sensed the presence of another Great Emperor’s aura appearing out of thin air before he could figure out the meaning behind those words. Turning pale from shock, he hurriedly turned towards Yang Kai’s direction and shouted, “Watch out!”
“I’ve been waiting for you!” On the contrary, Yang Kai was not surprised; rather, it would seem that he had already anticipated this turn of events. Lifting the Azure Dragon Spear, he swept it out horizontally.
A violent force swept through the air as it felt like this attack was powered by the World’s Will itself. A figure was forcibly revealed as a result, one that glared at Yang Kai with a solemn expression.
Yang Kai held his spear in one hand, using it to point in a certain direction. He was staring deeply at the person who just arrived, his eyes flashing with indescribable hatred and disgust as he roared dangerously, “Can Ye!”
The figure standing in front of him was wrapped in black Qi and even with Yang Kai’s Divine Sense, he could not make out the other party’s true appearance. Nevertheless, that figure was exuding the unique aura of a Great Emperor, so who else could it be but Night Shadow Great Emperor, Can Ye?
When the Profound Heavens Temple opened back then, many of the Demon Race Half-Saints had gotten a lot of information about the Grand Dao battle from Can Ye. That undoubtedly meant that Can Ye was somewhere in Star Boundary. It was just that nobody knew where he was hiding to treat his wounds.
How could Yang Kai not take precautions against Can Ye when he was aware of this?
Can Ye had used himself as a bridge to connect the two worlds and forcibly open the two worlds’ passage. During that incident, Can Ye was badly injured by the Iron Blood Great Emperor, Zhan Wu Hen. He disappeared off the grid afterward, seeming to have gone into retreat to recuperate from his injuries.
Now that the war between the two worlds had reached the most critical moment, it was impossible for him to remain by the sidelines, regardless of his intentions. Sure enough; the Night Shadow Great Emperor, who had been hiding in the shadows all this while, finally showed himself once Yang Kai returned from the Profound Heavens Temple with the might of a Great Emperor.
The black fog covered Can Ye’s face so his true appearance could not be seen. Even so, Yang Kai could clearly perceive a pair of eyes examining him intently from within the black fog.
“Hmm? You are not a Great Emperor yet,” A sonorous voice came from the opposite side. It sounded like gold and iron rubbing against each other, causing extreme discomfort to the people listening to that voice.
“The Heavenly Way recognised me. That makes me a Great Emperor!” Yang Kai replied calmly.
Can Ye shook his head slowly, “This world is on its dying breath; don’t rely on it too much. You are not yet a Great Emperor.”
Yang Kai grinned. “So what? I’ve always liked the challenge of fighting with people stronger than me. Most of the time, things end badly for my enemies. Besides… how much strength can you bring out?”
Although their confrontation had only lasted a moment, he managed to get a keen grasp on Can Ye’s current condition. Can Ye had yet to recover from his injuries! His injuries were caused by Zhan Wu Hen after all. At their level of strength, it would take them more than three or five years to completely heal from any injury that they received. Although he had been in retreat for the past few years to concentrate on healing, the time was still too short for him to completely recover from his injuries. If Yang Kai had not shown up, he would most likely not have rushed out either. It was only because of Yang Kai’s appearance that he was forced to step forward to stop Yang Kai.
“Useless dying struggles!” Can Ye looked down at the battlefield below. “The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan won’t be able to extricate themselves from their battles. Even if you received the recognition of the Heavenly Way, you will inevitably be too busy and distracted to do anything if I were to get in your way. Without your help, High Heaven Palace will surely fall within an hour. There will be no place left for you in this vast world once that happens!”
Yang Kai lowered his head slightly. “It looks like I have to kill you within an hour!”
“You can try!” The moment the last word rang out, Can Ye suddenly lifted his hand. A 3-metre-long curved sword appeared in his hand and slashed forward.
On the other hand, Yang Kai moved in a bizarre manner. The Azure Dragon Spear came stabbing straight at Can Ye. There was a large black ball on the tip on the spear, which exuded an aura that could destroy the world.
The curved sword slashed down on the black ball, causing the black ball to collapse in on itself and vanish without a trace. However, Can Ye felt a shock going through his body and was involuntarily sent flying backwards as a result. This blow even caused the black fog that had been covering his face to scatter, revealing a pair of extremely surprised eyes.
In their second confrontation, he actually turned out to be slightly disadvantaged!
Even though he was severely wounded and unable to use his full strength at the moment, Yang Kai’s strength still shocked him. His perception indicated that Yang Kai was nowhere near the Realm of a Great Emperor. It was only because this world was on its last legs that Yang Kai was awarded the title of a Great Emperor and given some of the abilities of a Great Emperor. Who could have known that he could actually bring out the power that a Great Emperor should have?
The scattered black fog immediately condensed back together again to cover Can Ye’s strange expression. At the same time, his figure quickly faded from sight.
Yang Kai reached out and swept a hand at Can Ye. He shouted, “In the name of Void, I command you to seal the world! Seal!”
*Clang. Clang. Clang…* A series of peculiar noises rang out from within the Void. At this moment, the invisible and intangible power of the Void could be seen with the naked eye. It was as though transparent chains were spreading around the surroundings with Yang Kai as the centre.
In the blink of an eye, those transparent chains completely sealed off the world within a ten-thousand-kilometre radius and transformed the area into an enormous cage.
Can Ye’s figure slowly emerged from a corner of the cage. Like a Ghost, he hovered quietly in mid-air without saying a word.
Yang Kai pointed his spear forward and shouted, “Can Ye! Today, only one person will be left standing!”
When those words left his mouth, numerous Void Cracks appeared inside this enormous cage. The entire space inside the cage collapsed, leaving only the space surrounding Can Ye untouched.
Can Ye became furious and roared, “Are you crazy!?”
He could sense determination coming from Yang Kai’s tone. In other words, Yang Kai was not trying to scare him. The latter really intended to fight him to the death, here and now!
That was simply unreasonable. At their level of strength, trying to decide on a winner in a one-on-one death match was extremely difficult. More so since Can Ye himself was also one of the Great Emperors who had received the world’s recognition. In any case, even if this world was completely eroded by the Demon Qi, Yang Kai would most likely be safe with his current strength. Therefore, Can Ye could not understand why Yang Kai was doing this.
“I won’t survive if I’m not a little reckless!” Yang Kai looked at Can Ye coldly. “Enough nonsense. Just die.”
Stretching his hand toward Can Ye, he tightened his fist fiercely. The countless Void Cracks in the cage suddenly shot toward Can Ye like a bunch of snakes darting out of their hiding holes.
Can Ye slashed down with his curved sword. The attack brimming with the world’s might seemed ordinary, but it worked in extremely mysterious ways. His body seemed to become motionless, like one of the reefs in the sea. Then, the Void Cracks just slid past him and left him completely unscathed.
Simultaneously, Yang Kai gripped his spear and charged forward. He sprayed the Azure Dragon Spear with a mouthful of his Blood Essence before he arrived in front of Can Ye. Following that, two high-pitched dragon roars sounded at almost the same time. A brilliantly dazzling Golden Divine Dragon Source flashed and disappeared. The Azure Dragon Spear also turned into a huge Azure Dragon, which swung its claws and bared its fangs at Can Ye.
The ancient aura seemed to pull Can Ye into a very distant era, causing a shock to his mind. His expression changed slightly. Then, he split into countless figures with a gentle sway of his body. Each figure was identical to himself. Even the aura emitting from them was flawless. Following that, an uncountable number of Can Ye replicas swung the curved swords in their hands, shouting, “Shadow Flash Strike!”
Countless Blade Lights flashed through the air. A Big Dragon roared; the Azure Dragon illusory phantom shattered and reformed into the Azure Dragon Spear to cut down Blade Light after Blade Light.
An incessant noise of metal against metal rang out. The Void collapsed and the world turned upside-down. If not for the cage laid out by Yang Kai in the beginning, the confrontation between the two Great Emperors would have caused great destruction to the world for hundreds of thousands of kilometres.
Yang Kai was also the only person who could set up a sealed cage like this. His Dao was the Dao of Space, so he had a unique advantage in this area. It was impossible for any other Great Emperor to pull off something of this scale.
The aftermath of their confrontation went unchecked inside the sealed cage. Thus, the world inside the cage was completely broken and filled with chaos.
Meanwhile, the two opposing armies below had stopped fighting and looked up to watch this battle instead. Similarly, many Half-Saints and Pseudo-Great Emperors distanced themselves from each other to observe quietly. Everybody knew that the battle between Yang Kai and Can Ye would affect the survival of Star Boundary.
Although the battle between the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan, Xue Li, and the others was also of great importance, those five had clashed against each other on many occasions. More importantly, they were always evenly matched. Neither side could do anything to the other; it was probably the same case this time as well.
Therefore, only Yang Kai’s battle could give them a ray of hope.
Be that as it may, nobody could figure out the situation on the battlefield despite paying close attention to the battle. All they could see inside the World Cage were violent bursts of power raging across the battlefield, chaotic aura permeating the entire space, and occasionally, two figures appearing and disappearing in a flash. They couldn’t even get a clear glimpse of the figures; how could they tell who was winning and who was losing?
“Supreme Commander, how is the situation?” One of the Army Commanders quietly sneaked over to Li Wu Yi’s side and asked in a quiet voice.
If there was anybody among the Pseudo-Great Emperors in Star Boundary who could get a clear handle on the situation of the battle, then it could only be Li Wu Yi. Nobody else had the qualifications.
Unexpectedly, Li Wu Yi smiled wryly and shook his head. “I can’t tell…”
The Army Commander was dumbfounded. [If even Li Wu Yi can’t tell, then doesn’t that mean that Yang Kai has really reached the Realm of a Great Emperor? It is impossible for a Pseudo-Great Emperor to speculate on a battle between Great Emperors after all.]
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he felt refreshed all of a sudden.
*Boom.* An explosion rang out from within the enormous cage. The two figures that had been fiercely entangled in battle all this time finally separated within the chaotic world.
A burst of exclamations came from all over the world. Many Pseudo-Great Emperors could see that Yang Kai’s complexion was pale and a trace of blood was trickling from the corners of his mouth. It would seem that he had been injured.
Even so, Yang Kai was laughing. His calm voice rang out across the world. “The Night Shadow Great Emperor is nothing special after all!”
Everybody in Star Boundary was shocked by those words. They turned to look at Can Ye and couldn’t help gaping in surprise. That was because the black fog that had been covering Can Ye’s face had disappeared to reveal an extremely ordinary face. It was a face with no unusual features or characteristics. If he was thrown into the middle of a crowd, nobody would even look twice at him. It was the face of a man in his forties.
[Is that the true appearance of the Night Shadow Great Emperor?] Nobody had ever seen what the Night Shadow Great Emperor looked like. Even the other Great Emperors had never seen his face before. They didn’t even know whether he was a man or a woman. It wasn’t until this moment, under the gazes of the entire Star Boundary army, that his appearance became known to the world.
*Chi…* A sound rang out, making Can Ye look down. His eyes narrowed slightly at the sight. There was a 30-centimetre-long wound stretching across his waist and abdomen. A peculiar force was flourishing in the wound, like maggots on rotting bones. It made him feel very uneasy.
The result of the brief and desperate confrontation between them was a lose-lose situation for both parties.
Can Ye coldly snorted. Mobilising the power in his body, he suppressed and sealed the Martial Truth that was eroding away at his body. The Martial Truth was extremely troublesome. Moreover, it was difficult to remove even for a Great Emperor like him. How could he have the time to resolve this issue calmly when Yang Kai was breathing down his neck? All he could do at the moment was suppress the wound to prevent it from worsening.
After Can Ye finished doing that, Yang Kai solemnly said, “This is the end of my warm-up session. Can Ye, this day next year will be the anniversary of your death!”
“What a crazy Junior!” A hint of rage appeared on Can Ye’s face. He was obviously annoyed by Yang Kai’s shameless boasting.
“You’ll know whether I’m crazy or not after you take a hit from my spear!” Yang Kai shouted. He moved forward and his spear shot out like a Dragon, ignoring the barriers of space.
Seeing that Yang Kai was injured, many Masters from the Star Boundary and even the countless soldiers below couldn’t help feeling as though their hearts were caught in their throats. Nevertheless, what happened next made their eyes shine with a strange light!
When Yang Kai’s spear blasted forward, Can Ye’s expression changed again. He instinctively felt the World’s Will pressing down on him. Even with the power of a Great Emperor, it made him feel a little breathless. He hastily parried the attack. Even so, the overwhelming force that came from the front sent his body flying backwards involuntarily.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai followed closely like a shadow, attacking again and again without stopping. His expression was as tranquil as an ancient well, but his actions were merciless and ruthless.
*Boom. Boom. Boom…* The fierce and unending onslaught made Can Ye a little tired of parrying. His figure was constantly fleeing around in the enormous cage, but he was unable to get away from Yang Kai.
In front of everybody’s eyes, the Night Shadow Great Emperor was being suppressed and forced into a completely disadvantageous position in the battle. Everybody was in an uproar… This scenario was something that nobody could have imagined even though they knew that Yang Kai had the power of a Great Emperor. It was just that Can Ye had made a name for himself for such a long time now. Even if Yang Kai had gained the power to fight, it was hard to say who would end up winning and who would end up losing the battle. However, the current situation seemed to indicate that Yang Kai was holding the upper hand.
“Can Ye must be heavily injured…” A pensive look flashed through Li Wu Yi’s eyes.
The Army Commander who had snuck over to Li Wu Yi previously spoke upon hearing those words, “Is that to say… it’s not that Can Ye is weaker than Yang… Senior Void, but because his injuries have yet to heal?”
Li Wu Yi nodded, “That’s probably the case. It might also be a matter of their motivation…”
Yang Kai wanted to rescue the Star Boundary. For that, he had to finish the battle within an hour. It was a given that he was not holding back at all. On the other hand, Can Ye was different. All he needed to do was drag things out. There was no need for him to fight a deathmatch against Yang Kai. After all, Yang Kai would be powerless to do anything once High Heaven Palace was completely eroded by the Demon Qi, regardless of how strong he was.
One side was giving their all while the other side was holding back. Combined with Can Ye’s previous injuries, it was not surprising for this situation to occur.
“Crazy Junior!” Can Ye’s suppressed roar came from within the cage. He seemed furious, “Don’t go overboard with your antics!”
Yang Kai did not answer. However, his boundless fighting spirit continued to burn strongly and his intense murderous intent was firmly locked on Can Ye.
“Fine! If that’s the case, have it your way!” Can Ye yelled furiously. At the same time, his empty hand reached out to grab at something in the Void. Another curved sword appeared in his hand without warning. With a sword in each hand, the aura around his body changed abruptly. The World’s Will gathered around his body without anybody noticing. Then, he crossed his swords in front of him.
*Boom…* A loud explosion sounded. Can Ye had been forced backwards and seemed to be at a disadvantage all this time, but he stood firmly in place at this moment. Yang Kai gripped his spear and pushed down. The Azure Dragon Spear and the twin swords clashed against each other with an ear-splitting screech and a dazzling shower of sparks.
They stood no more than ten metres away from each other and glared at each other. One was ballistic with rage while the other was as calm as an abyss. The world around them shattered and fell apart.
“I am also one of the Great Emperors recognised by the Star Boundary! You are not the only one who can control World Force!” Can Ye roared.
The reason Great Emperors were known as Great Emperors was that they were recognised by the world. They contained a part of the World’s Will in their bodies, which allowed them to draw upon the World Force. That was the biggest difference between a Great Emperor and an ordinary Emperor Realm Master.
Yang Kai grinned, “So what?”
While speaking, he exerted great strength in his hand. The newly condensed Dao Seal above the spine of the dragon bone shone brightly and a boundless mighty force gathered around his body.
The stalemate was instantly broken and Can Ye staggered backwards by several steps. His expression changed drastically at the sudden turn of events. He yelled, “How can this be!?”
In that moment, he felt his connection with the world weakened slightly. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s World Force increased sharply in contrast. If not for that, the balance would not have been broken so easily.
Yang Kai looked at Can Ye pityingly, “What’s so impossible about that? You abandoned this world. Did you think the world would just let you do whatever you want?”
The force in Yang Kai’s hand increased further and a circle of vibration spread out all of a sudden. Can Ye was blown away like a shooting star, spitting out a mouthful of blood while in mid-air.
Standing in the sky, Yang Kai spoke in a cool tone, “The World is alive, Can Ye. Don’t you understand that?”
If the World were not alive, it would not have opened the Profound Heavens Temple at the last moment of the Star Boundary’s survival. If the World were not alive, the Source Sealed World would not have protected Yang Kai after the competition for the Heavenly Source Fruit ended. The World was always watching over the millions of living creatures at all times; the invisible and intangible Heavenly Way would always guide a person to the clearest path at critical moments.
Can Ye stabilised his body, wiped away the blood at the corners of his mouth, and coldly responded, “If the World is sentient, then why did it allow me to become a Great Emperor? Stop speaking nonsense.”
Yang Kai threw his head back and laughed, “Whether or not my words are nonsense, don’t you know best? Since you decided to abandon and betray the Grand Dao of this world, then please return everything you received from this world.”
While he was speaking, a huge gap suddenly opened in the Void behind him. The shape of the gap was very peculiar. It almost looked like an eye that was staring at Can Ye indifferently.
Can Ye widened his eyes in astonishment, staring at the huge eye in the sky in horror. Under that gaze, he felt his connection with the world fading away rapidly.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai spread open his arms. An odd look appeared on his face. The invisible and intangible World Force gathered around his body and the Azure Dragon Spear in his hand roared several times.
“Can Ye!” All of a sudden, he let out a roar. His expression was hideous, “The blood of the Demon Race might flow through your veins, but you were born and raised in the Star Boundary! This world gave you the glory you have right now; this world gave you the status and respect you have right now! It’s bad enough that you don’t appreciate it, but you went so far as to betray the world, abandon the people, and allow foreign enemies to invade us! Your death is one not worth pitying! Today, I will deliver justice on behalf of the Heavens!”
He stuck the Azure Dragon Spear into the void and cast a Secret Technique with one hand. A mysterious and peerless mark suddenly appeared behind him.
“Dao Seal!?” Can Ye’s eyes widened further. He stared at Yang Kai in horror, “What are you doing!?”
As a Great Emperor himself, it was a given that he understood what a Dao Seal was. It was the crystallisation of a Great Emperor’s strength accumulated over a lifetime. It was equivalent to the Monster Core of a Monster Beast.
Monster Beasts would spit out their Monster Cores in desperate situations to attack powerful enemies. It was something only a cornered beast would do. If their luck was good enough, they would be able to turn the situation around and survive. If their luck was poor, their very soul would be destroyed. It could be said that this approach taken by the Monster Beasts was a double-edged sword. It would backfire on them with the slightest mistake.
In all the years since Can Ye became a Great Emperor, he had never seen anybody bring out their Dao Seal. Then again, there had never been a battle between the Great Emperors in the Star Boundary for all these years. They would occasionally exchange a few blows in private at most, but nobody would bring out their Dao Seal so easily during a sparring match. That was why it was also his first time seeing somebody performing an attack like this.
A halo of light flowed through the Dao Seal, flashing and flickering erratically. Just like the Space Principles that Yang Kai had mastered, that light was unpredictable, strange, and inexplicable. Moreover, an extremely horrifying aura was fluctuating from the Dao Seal.
Every single person who saw the Dao Seal couldn’t help feeling a chill running down their spine. There was no doubt that if something like that were to crash into the Star Boundary, it would most likely wipe out an entire territory.
The World Force poured madly into the Dao Seal, making the Void around the Dao Seal shine brighter and brighter. In the blink of an eye, it was as though there was a small sun in the sky. Everybody could not help but close their eyes.
“There’s not much time, so this attack will determine everything!” Yang Kai’s expression was calm. It was almost as though the Dao Seal in front of him was not the most important thing to him, but an artifact that he could just casually toss out.
If possible, Yang Kai would not have wanted to take this risk. He had only just received this opportunity and glimpsed into the secrets of the Martial Dao peak. It was only natural that he wanted to cherish his own wings.
Unfortunately, time waited for no one. He had the confidence to win against Can Ye if he continued his fight against Can Ye, but it was not something that could be resolved within a short time.
[This is the only way! Only by taking this risk can I end this as soon as possible!] Once he made his decision, he stopped hesitating. Even if doing this would damage his Grand Dao foundation, he had to press forward at all costs.
“Go!” While shouting, Yang Kai pointed forward. The Dao Seal that was radiating with a dazzling light leisurely floated towards Can Ye. The speed was fairly slow. It looked like any ordinary person could dodge the attack.
However, in Can Ye’s eyes, it felt like the entire Star Boundary was pressing down on him. [I can’t escape!]
That was an attack fuelled by the power of the vast Great World. Moreover, it was unleashed by the Dao Seal. There was nobody in this world who could avoid that attack.
[I can only defend like my life depends on it!] A loud roar rang out. Can Ye gritted his teeth and reached out his hand to point forward. A mark also appeared at the tip of his finger. That mark was quite similar to Yang Kai’s Dao Seal. It was mysterious and unique, but it was black in colour. Not to mention, the entire Dao Seal gave off a vibe that was both sharp and hidden… That was Can Ye’s Dao. It was a Dao of assassination and concealment.
Under the watch of countless eyes, these two Dao Seals gradually approached each other. They collided with each other silently. At that moment, black and white light illuminated the entire sky to form two huge semi-circles of different colours that rivalled each other. Both Yang Kai and Can Ye coughed up blood at the same time. Their hearts and bodies were shocked by the impact.
Under everybody’s nervous gaze, the white Domain expanded abruptly to engulf the black Domain. It only took a blink of an eye. The black was rapidly melted and filled entirely with white. Like how the victory was determined between the two opposing armies, the black army collapsed and fell apart.
Can Ye’s reluctant and furious roar rang out across the world.
When the incandescent white light that filled the world slowly faded, everybody felt their vision returning to normal. Then, they anxiously looked up.
Two figures stood apart in the sky. The cage that Yang Kai set up earlier was nowhere to be seen. Even though he formed that cage by borrowing the world’s might, it was still not enough to withstand the impact of two Great Emperors’ Dao Seals clashing against each other. It had long since dissipated into nothing. A huge black hole had appeared in the Void, as though the world was missing a chunk. It was all thanks to the protection of the cage. Otherwise, the missing piece in the world would not have been that small.
At this moment, both figures in the sky were in a miserable state. Yang Kai was pale and bleeding from his seven orifices. On the other hand, Can Ye’s hair was completely dishevelled and he looked like he was going to collapse at any moment.
Everybody was shocked. They thought that it would be the greatest battle in the world. They thought that it would be a fierce struggle between two evenly matched opponents. Who could have expected that the winner would be decided in less than ten seconds after Yang Kai’s Dao Seal was unleashed? This kind of speed was simply appalling. This was a battle between Great Emperors. How could it end in such a short period of time!?
There was no way of knowing who held the upper hand in the battle at first glance.
A gasping sound rang out as Yang Kai’s chest heaved violently. He reached out to grab the Azure Dragon Spear next to him with a look of reminiscence and nostalgia on his face, his voice echoing solemnly as he shouted, “This spear is for the World that birthed and raised us!”
While speaking, his body flickered slightly and instantly appeared in front of Can Ye, his spear thrusting out.
Can Ye raised his weapon to parry; however, he seemed to have lost all strength and before he could even lift his twin swords completely, he felt his body stiffen. The Azure Dragon Spear had pierced into his lower abdomen and came out through the back of his body. A violent force exploded from behind, ripping his clothes to pieces and causing a large bloody hole to appear in his back.
He widened his eyes in surprise and stared hard at Yang Kai, who was standing in front of him, his teeth rattling audibly as he muttered, “This King is Night Shadow Great Emperor…”
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to those words as he pulled out his spear, causing a large amount of blood to spill out. Then, he thrust his spear out again, his voice cold as ice, “This spear is for all the trillions of lives who died in the Star Boundary!”
With a loud splatter, the Azure Dragon Spear pierced into Can Ye’s heart.
Can Ye’s body jerked once more. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth and a gurgling sound came from his throat, “This King has stood in the Star Boundary for tens of thousands of years…”
The spear was pulled out again, but this time around, Yang Kai’s indifferent voice became slightly more high-pitched, mixed with a combination of blood and tears he roared, “This spear is for Senior Bright Moon!”
His grief-filled voice resonated throughout the entire Star Boundary. There was a crack of thunder and lightning flashed, followed by torrential rain that fell from the sky without warning.
Accompanied by the sound of lightning and thunder, the spear struck Can Ye’s head, exploding it the moment the attack landed. At the same time, something both white and red splattered in all directions
*Kacha…*
The thunder and lightning flashed even more fiercely and rain came pouring down more and more torrentially, washing away the filth in the world. There seemed to be a faint sigh coming from the world and the huge crack in the sky behind Yang Kai that looked like an eye slowly closed at this moment.
There was no announcement or communication in any way, but even so, every single living creature in the Star Boundary had a moment of enlightenment in their hearts: A Great Emperor had fallen!
Yang Kai retrieved his spear, stood tall and took a deep breath. An unprecedented joy in his heart made him unable to resist throwing his head back and roaring into the sky. His roars were thunderous, matching the sound of thunder and lightning in a deafening cacophony.
He was not elated by the death of a Great Emperor at his hands; rather, it was because he had finally collected the blood debt of Bright Moon!
Bright Moon had died on Eternal Sky Continent, and although many Demon Saints had worked together to besiege him, the real fatal blow was actually delivered by Can Ye.
Yang Kai had watched the battle from afar, so he distinctly saw what happened at the time. If not for Can Ye who appeared out of nowhere at the last moment and ambushed Bright Moon Great Emperor, the latter might still have had a chance at survival. Bright Moon had been wary of all the Demon Saints, but it was a pity that the only thing he had not guarded against was Can Ye appearing on Eternal Sky Continent.
It was also in that battle that Yang Kai received Bright Moon’s legacy and the blessing of the world. In the end, that was what allowed him to reach the end of the Grand Dao battle and obtain the Heavenly Source Fruit. It could be said that everything he achieved today was all thanks to Bright Moon Great Emperor’s sacrifice.
Since Yang Kai received such favour from Bright Moon Great Emperor, it was only natural that he should take revenge for his benefactor! It was a pity that he was too weak before and even if he wanted to, he did not have the strength to do so. Thus, how could he possibly pass up such a good opportunity today?
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai felt the burden that had been pressing down on his heart all this time finally ease up.
Amidst Yang Kai’s roars, the Demon Race army trembled like quails without a nest in the cold winter. Likewise, the expressions of the Half-Saints watching this battle changed greatly. The fear on their faces was beyond description.
Inside High Heaven Palace, Lan Xun stood among a mountain full of dead bodies and stared at the headless corpse in the sky with tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell to her knees with a thud, crying loudly, “Father, Can Ye is dead. Please rest in peace now.”
Not far behind her, Xiao Chen stood covered in blood with his longsword gripped tightly in his hand. He was staring forward blankly, his heart full of bitterness as he mused, [The gap between us has grown so large… At this rate, I will never catch up to him for the rest of my life.]
Furious roars came from the clouds above, occasionally mixed with a high-pitched Dragon Roar. Five figures were entangled with each other somewhere high up in the sky. Moreover, the sounds of battle were gradually getting farther and farther away.
Can Ye’s death had struck a chord of fear in Xue Li and the others. How could they dare to remain in this place after what they just witnessed? Needless to say, they immediately wanted to flee; otherwise, they would not be able to leave even if they wanted to once Yang Kai composed himself.
They were evenly matched with the two Elders of the Dragon Clan, so they would definitely be at a disadvantage if Yang Kai was added to the mix. Besides, they had been frightened by Yang Kai’s near suicidal tactics just now. Although the three of them fought against the two Elders of the Dragon Clan, they had never dared to release their Dao Seals for the sake of killing the enemy.
On the contrary, Yang Kai dared to make such bold moves despite having only just been promoted to become a Great Emperor. His actions were completely unpredictable using common sense!
As soon as the three Demon Saints retreated from this place, the Demon Race army scattered across the entire battlefield immediately lost all morale. The Half-Saints quickly followed after the Demon Saints and the Demon Race army on the ground was obliterated as a result.
After being oppressed by the Demon Race for so many years and forced to evacuate countless times, the Star Boundary army had long since built up a great well of resentment and anger. Not to mention, the last pure land remaining in the Star Boundary had nearly been invaded mere moments ago. How could they let the Demon Race off so easily at this time? The surviving Star Boundary armies immediately swarmed out of High Heaven Palace. They chased down their enemies in all directions, leaving millions of corpses in their wake.
The only thing that made the Demon Race feel a little relieved was that Yang Kai simply stood there motionlessly after killing Can Ye. Not only did he not extend a helping hand to the two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan, but he also ignored the retreating Demon Race army.
It wasn’t his intention to ignore everything around him of course. If possible, he wanted to bury the entire Demon Race army in this place and was perfectly capable of doing that with his current strength. Although Can Ye was there to stop him before, Can Ye was dead now. Who else was there in this world that could stop him now?
It was just that… he might have killed a strong enemy in his battle against Can Ye, but the price he had to pay was not small. The hidden dangers caused by the clash of Dao Seals were extremely severe. Right now, Yang Kai’s Dao Seal had gone dim and dull, even though it used to emit a dazzlingly bright light.
Can Ye was a Great Emperor after all. Although he was abandoned by the World at the last moment and could longer mobilise its World Force to assist him, his strength was still a fact. In his last desperate struggle, Can Ye caused great harm to Yang Kai.
Immediately after that, Yang Kai had also unleashed three consecutive attacks. Those three attacks might have seemed bland and ordinary, but how could three attacks that could kill a Great Emperor be so simple? A large portion of his strength had been infused into every single thrust.
That was why he was currently unable to move a single muscle. If Xue Li and the others had been a little more courageous; if they had broken free from Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun to target him, he would not have had any strength to fight back at all.
Yang Kai observed his internal condition only to discover that his Dao Seal had not only gone dim but was also showing signs of collapsing. He was so frightened by this that his Soul nearly left his body.
[If my Dao Seal collapses just like that, then I will be the shortest-lived Great Emperor in all of history! I’ve only just taken my first step out of the Profound Heavens Temple and my Dao Seal is about to fall apart in less than half a day…]
How could he dare to hesitate? Yang Kai immediately began trying his best to stabilise his Dao Seal.
In front of Yang Kai stood Can Ye’s headless corpse which for some eerie reason did not fall to the ground but instead slowly melted away like snowflakes under the sun. It didn’t take long for the entire corpse to dissipate into nothingness. The luck and good fortune that he once captured from the Profound Heavens Temple was returned to the Star Boundary at this moment.
Those with low strength did not notice anything; however, the Pseudo-Great Emperors and those above their level could feel that something invisible had been added to the world. It was extremely mysterious and if they had the chance to study the phenomenon, they were certain they would receive a lot of benefits.
By the time Yang Kai opened his eyes again, it was already half a day later. Night had fallen and the world was covered in darkness. Demon Essence was still raging across the World and even the scenery was hazy as a result. Neither the sun, moon, nor stars could be seen.
Yang Kai immediately noticed a large group of people standing in front of him, led by Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun.
“How is it?” Fu Zhun asked nervously. Although both she and Zhu Yan had been engaged in battle with the three Demon Saints at the time, they remained keenly aware of Yang Kai’s movements. It was obvious that they knew how Yang Kai had eventually killed Can Ye; therefore, they were both extremely worried that something might have gone wrong with Yang Kai’s Dao Seal.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly and smiled, “I’m fine. I’m sorry for worrying you, Second Elder.”
His Dao Seal was still a little dim at the moment, but at least there was no risk of collapse anymore. As long as he slowly recuperated in the future, he would be able to recover completely. Be that as it may… he did not dare to use a similar fighting style again. He had been forced by the circumstances at the time and there was also a bit of fearlessness that came from ignorance. Now that Yang Kai had learned about the dangers that came with his actions, he could not help shivering slightly thinking back on them.
“Good!” Zhu Yan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his anxiety easing. This young man was not just a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, he was also the Dragon God of the Dragon Clan. This matter was related to the survival of the Dragon Clan and Star Boundary, so how could Zhu Yan not be nervous?
“Li Wu Yi and fellow companions greet Senior Void!” Li Wu Yi, dressed in white clothes that were stained with blood, stepped forward from behind Zhu Yan and saluted.
Behind him, a group of the Star Boundary Pseudo-Great Emperors and Demon Race Half-Saints, who had defected to the Star Boundary, echoed in unison, “Greetings, Senior Void!”
“Senior, you…” Caught off guard, Yang Kai quickly helped Li Wu Yi up. For him to become a Great Emperor, half of the credit went to Bright Moon Great Emperor while the other half went to Li Wu Yi.
If Li Wu Yi had also participated in the Grand Dao battle, Yang Kai was certain that he would most likely have seized the position of Great Emperor instead. In that case, the title ‘Void’ would not be his right now. How could he receive such respect from Li Wu Yi when he was so greatly indebted to the latter?
Li Wu Yi smiled, “In the Martial Dao, strength speaks the loudest. You are now a respected Great Emperor, please do not mention the word ‘Senior’ again. This Li cannot bear it.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly as his eyes swept across the people behind Li Wu Yi. All he saw were many scorching gazes staring back at him. It did not matter how old he was or whether he was formerly their Junior. Now that he was a Great Emperor recognised by the World, the entire Star Boundary stood behind him. His very existence gave the people the confidence and hope to walk out of the darkness.
As such, all he could do is cup his fists with a solemn expression and declare, “Everyone, you have worked hard!”
All those present responded humbly.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai turned his gaze to the people standing further behind him. Many familiar faces stood among the crowd and they were all looking at him with respect. Among those faces, the expressions of Zhu Qing, Su Yan, Xue Yue, Shan Qing Luo, Xia Ning Chang, and Ji Yao were glowing with pride. This man was their husband, the future hope of the Star Boundary!
From the back of the crowd, a red-eyed Lan Xun walked over and gave an elegant bow, “Many thanks, Senior Void, for avenging my Father. Star Soul Palace is extremely grateful for your deeds.”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly again, “You give me too much credit, Junior Sister Lan. My achievements today are thanks to the grace I received from Senior Bright Moon. How could I dare to not do my best?”
Lan Xun nearly burst into tears once more when she heard him calling her ‘Junior Sister Lan’ as before, “Senior Brother, if you ever need help in the future, Star Soul Palace will never refuse your requests.”
A trace of sorrow and helplessness flashed through the eyes of Xiao Chen, who was following closely behind her.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai took a deep breath, “We can talk about the future when the future comes. For now, we need to survive the crisis before us.”
While he was speaking, his thoughts flashed. All who were present in this place felt their vision blurring for a moment but before they could figure out what was going on, they found themselves on a mountain peak all of a sudden. Looking around, they realised that this was High Heaven Peak.
They couldn’t help feeling stunned. Just moments ago, they had been standing on the battlefield several hundred kilometres away from High Heaven Palace. For them to turn up in this place without warning was undoubtedly Yang Kai’s doing; however, when they thought back to the fact that he was now a Great Emperor, they felt a sense of relief. Only a Great Emperor could have pulled off a feat like this.
As far as the eye could see, the entire High Heaven Palace was in a state of dilapidation and disarray. The Sect Defending Array of High Heaven Palace had been broken under the fierce attack of the Demon Race. As a result, the Demon Race army had poured in from all directions. The soldiers of the Star Boundary had fought to the death on this last remaining piece of pure land; thus, both sides had suffered heavy casualties.
At this moment, there were countless corpses belonging to both the Demon Race and Human Race piling up high all over High Heaven Palace. What used to be a beautiful place with magnificent scenery was now a scene from Hell instead.
The Demon Land had already expanded to just beyond the borders of High Heaven Palace. In addition, High Heaven Palace was also filled with Demon Qi at the moment. If it was just left alone like that, then it would not take long before the last remaining piece of pure land disappeared from the face of the world. If that happened, there would be no place left for the Human Race in the Star Boundary.
Under everybody’s gaze, Yang Kai slowly floated into the air with a solemn expression. An invisible Dao aura flowed out, causing many people to experience the sudden urge to worship him. Countless people couldn’t help losing focus for a moment.
*Hong…*
A silent shock rang out from deep within Yang Kai’s heart. His hands seemed to dance in a flurry of movements as he formed seal after seal. The seals were so peculiar that nobody could understand what they were for, but with the changing of the seals, Qi waves that were visible to the naked eye began to spread outward like ripples centred around Yang Kai.
Everybody else couldn’t help widening their eyes and glancing around their surroundings in astonishment. Wherever those ripples passed, the Demon Qi scattered within High Heaven Palace was repelled and pushed out.
In the beginning, the frequency and speed of the ripples were not high; however, as time went by, the ripples continued to expand. They soon spread out to the entire High Heaven Palace before continuing to expand outwards.
A low and solemn voice resounded throughout the world, “In the name of Void, let the world be bright and peaceful again! Retreat!”
*Hong…*
The Qi waves exploded and a circle of incomparably condensed light surged from under Yang Kai’s feet, expanding in all directions. Everywhere the light covered, the Demon Essence disappeared and the Demon Land vanished to reveal the original appearance of the world. Even the haze that shrouded High Heaven Palace all this while was unable to withstand the baptism of this World Strength.
Following that, a huge hole appeared in the sky and dazzling sunlight that shone in through the gap gave off the illusion of arriving in another world altogether. As the hole in the sky rapidly expanded outward, the Demon Land on the ground continuously shrank backwards…
*Hong hong hong…* Wave after wave of the light constantly burst forth with a unique frequency.
Li Wu Yi’s expression froze for a moment, seemingly as though an idea had struck him. With a flash of his figure, he vanished from the spot in an instant, returning only a short while later with a look of excitement on his face.
“Supreme Commander, what did you find?” Bing Yun asked quietly.
He responded excitedly, “The area of the pure land is expanding!”
“Really!?” Zhu Yan asked in surprise.
“I saw it with my own eyes!”
As soon as those words rang out, the crowd became excited. They had guessed as much after watching Yang Kai’s actions in addition to the changes that were taking place in High Heaven Palace. Even so, it wasn’t until Li Wu Yi personally verified the truth that they became certain.
The range of the pure land was expanding, which meant that the range of motion of the Star Boundary army would increase. In the future, there was no need to remain stuck inside High Heaven Palace anymore. They would no longer be in such a passive situation! After years of oppression, was it finally time for them to start counterattacking!?
The Demon Race had set up a Grand Array to erode the Star Boundary with boundless Demon Essence. They also trapped many Great Emperors of the Star Boundary so that nobody could contend against them. While the two Elders of the Dragon Clan had power that could rival the Great Emperors, they were not true Great Emperors. The husband and wife might be able to fend off the three Demon Saints by working together, but there was nothing they could do against the Demon Essence eroding away at the World.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was different. Not only did he have the World’s Will, but he was also recognized by the world. He was currently the only Great Emperor in the entire Star Boundary. In other words, he was the only representative of the World present at this moment. It was only natural that he could borrow the World Strength to safeguard the interests of this World. That was something only a Great Emperor could do. It did not matter how strong the Dragon Clan Elders were as even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice.
The waves of light continued to spread outward, and everywhere the light passed, the Demon Essence disappeared to become pure land again!
Li Wu Yi frowned slightly though and continued, “But… after being eroded, the world seems a little different from before.”
Although Yang Kai was currently using World Strength to force the Demon Essence back and expand the pure land, Li Wu Yi keenly discovered that something was different about the places that were once corrupted by Demon Land.
“What kind of difference?” Everybody asked.
Li Wu Yi shook his head, “I can’t put my finger on it.”
It wasn’t as simple as a loss of vitality. It seemed to be more serious than that.
“The Auspicious Spirit Essence has been lost. It’s only natural that there will be differences.” Yang Kai kept his hands moving, but he sighed softly and explained. When Mo Sheng told him about the Auspicious Spirit Essence, he had not quite understood what it was. But, at this moment, how could he not understand?
If the World was alive, then its Auspicious Spirit Essence was the Spiritual Essence of the World! The expansion of the Demon Essence was not just about turning the lands of the Star Boundary into a Demon Land, it was also to devour the Auspicious Spirit Essence of this world.
Although he could now use World Strength to expel the Demon Essence and reduce the range of Demon land, Yang Kai could not bring back what was already lost.
The range of the pure land expanded to a thousand kilometres, ten thousand kilometres, a hundred thousand kilometres, a million kilometres… It did not take more than a quarter hour for the Demon Essence in a radius of over a million kilometres from High Heaven Palace to be cleared away!
A sudden rumbling sound rang out across the world at that moment. Immediately after that, an ethereal aura suddenly rose from the east. The aura was not particularly strong, but it made everybody’s heart skip a beat with an overwhelming sense of unease.
“It’s about time…” Yang Kai took a deep breath, looked east, and suddenly burst into a shout, “Mo Sheng, scram out of the Star Boundary! Otherwise, this King will bury you in this place forever!”
As soon as the name ‘Mo Sheng’ came out, the expressions of Li Wu Yi and the two Dragon Clan Elders changed greatly. They hurriedly followed Yang Kai’s gaze and looked in that direction. Having heard the name from Yang Kai before, they were aware of what it meant.
It was the Great Demon God of the Demon Realm. The reason why the Demon Realm became the Demon Realm was also related to this person. When Yang Kai returned from the Demon Realm previously, he told them about his encounter with Mo Sheng’s Soul Clone so that they could take precautions against him.
It was just that the war between the two worlds had gone on for so long, but they had seen neither hide nor hair of the so-called Great Demon God. Only the disappearance of the Great Emperors seemed related to this matter; therefore, nobody could have imagined that this person would reveal himself at the most critical moment when the Star Boundary was finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
On second thought, however, it was not that strange either. According to the information Yang Kai brought back last time, Mo Sheng had been trying to devour the Star Boundary’s Auspicious Spirit Essence in order to recover from his wounds; however, things had fallen short right at the very last moment. Even the Demon Essence and the Demon Land that had been eroding away at the Star Boundary were about to be purged by Yang Kai, so how could Mo Sheng bear to hold himself back at this moment? Whether he was willing to or not, he had no choice but to reveal himself now.
Be that as it may… That person was a terrifying existence that once killed Flowing Time Great Emperor. He was also a mysterious Master who came from the Outer Universe. Even if he had yet to recover from his injuries, he was not somebody they dared to underestimate.
Aside from Li Wu Yi and the two Elders of the Dragon Clan, the others did not know the connotation behind the name ‘Mo Sheng’ that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth, but they soon came to understand…
All the Demon Qi in the Star Boundary were converging towards the east. Then, a gigantic figure slowly emerged from that land at a rate that was visible to the naked eye. That figure towered up into the sky, even though his feet were on the ground. Demon Qi around his body churned and rolled. Furthermore, the strange aura from before was clearly coming from this figure. It was unlike the weak aura at the beginning. The aura was quickly becoming extremely terrifying. As the Demon Qi from the whole of the Star Boundary poured into him, an overwhelming power seemed to descend from the sky.
Even though the huge figure was still very far away, he gave off a sense that his strength was absolutely unparalleled. It could even be said that it was impossible to even think about being hostile towards him.
Everybody turned pale in horror. The two Great Elders of the Dragon Clan also had extremely solemn expressions on their faces. They were horrified to discover that just from aura alone, the huge black figure was stronger and more terrifying than any Great Emperor in existence.
The huge figure let out a loud roar and thunder boomed in response. Afterwards, a huge face emerged from where the head of the figure should be. Other people might not be able to recognise this face, but how could Yang Kai not recognise it? It was the same appearance as the Mo Sheng that he had met previously. It was just that this figure before him was the true body of Great Demon God. The one he killed on the ancient battlefield in the Small Sealed World back then had been nothing but a Soul Clone.
“We meet again,” The mouth on that huge face wriggled with movement. It was followed by a deafening voice. While speaking, the expression on that face even formed into a sort of half-smile.
“Get out of the Star Boundary!” Yang Kai glared at the huge pair of pupils coldly, a burning sensation in his eyes. There was no denying that the Demon Eye of Annihilation and the Purgatory Black Eye he obtained from Great Demon God were being affected due to the appearance of Great Demon God’s true body.
“You are powerful indeed. I can’t believe you reached such heights in such a short time. Even this King has not seen many people with your level of aptitude. How is it? Isn’t the scenery here wonderful?” Mo Sheng responded as if talking to himself, seeming to take no notice of Yang Kai’s hostility towards him.
“It doesn’t matter what the scenery is like in this place. It has nothing to do with you. If you leave the Star Boundary quietly, this King will not blame you for what happened in the past, but, if you continue being unrepentant, then don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
“Hahahaha…” Mo Sheng laughed, his giant face full of joy, as though he had just heard an extremely pleasant joke. At the same time, the sound of his laughter brought about changes within the Star Boundary.
When Mo Sheng’s laughter stopped, the Demon Qi that filled the sky condensed abruptly in response. It made the huge figure seem considerably more solid than before, “This King has truly never met anyone who dared to speak such arrogant words in front of me before.”
Yang Kai coldly replied, “It’s not too late for you to meet one now.”
Mo Sheng chuckled softly. His huge eyes looked Yang Kai up and down from thousands of kilometres away. Then, he gently nodded, “Not bad. Yang Kai, I advise you to stop opposing this King if you want to live; otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
“Shameless boasting!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I would be no match for you if you were at your peak, but… How much power can you even bring out right now?”
Mo Sheng seemed a little exasperated as he earnestly said, “Do not be so stubborn!”
“Enough nonsense! If you refuse to leave, then you can stay here forever!” When Yang Kai let out a furious roar, he shoved his hands out in front of him as if he was pushing an invisible door open.
Following his actions, the pure land that had already expanded across several million kilometres suddenly expanded outward with a burst of speed. The pure land more than doubled in an instant. Moreover, it happened so quickly that the entire Star Boundary seemed like it would be restored to normal in one go.
“Foolishness!” Mo Sheng shook his head slowly, a hint of anger appearing on his huge face. He simultaneously lost interest in communicating with Yang Kai. Raising his two enormous palms, he gently pressed them together.
The expansion of the pure land came to an abrupt halt and even Yang Kai couldn’t help groaning. He gritted his teeth and desperately urged the World Strength to advance. As the one and only Great Emperor present in this world, he could clearly sense that his actions were being suppressed instantly by Mo Sheng’s casual move. The newly expanded pure land was even showing signs of being pushed back again.
Yang Kai was horrified, [Is this the power of the Great Demon God!?]
The huge figure in front of him was nothing more than the agglomeration of Demon Qi, not the true body of the Great Demon God at all. In other words, it was unable to exert the full strength of the Great Demon God.
[If a transient figure formed from a mass of Demon Qi is already capable of so much, then how overwhelming was Great Demon God at his peak!? What about Flowing Time Great Emperor who managed to destroy Great Demon God’s physical body!? How unfathomable was he!? Not to mention, there was also the person who injured Great Demon God in the first place…]
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Yang Kai’s mind as he grit his teeth and shouted, “Open!”
A current gushed out, formed from Yang Kai’s own Dao, supported by the World’s Will. The only remaining Great Emperor in the Star Boundary and Great Demon God clashed against each other with the world as their battlefield.
Nobody could make out the details of this battle; however, as time passed, numerous large Void Cracks began to appear in the sky. The whole world seemed to be overwhelmed by the battle and was teetering on the brink of collapse.
Everyone turned pale at the sight… A battle on this level had already surpassed the desperate struggle between Yang Kai and Can Ye previously. It had reached a level that the others simply could not comprehend what was happening. Although the fight between Yang Kai and Can Ye earlier had been very fierce, they at least could tell what was going on and understand the overall situation.
On the other hand, this battle was a fierce struggle between two evenly matched opponents on a level beyond their ability to comprehend. Nobody knew what was going on, so it was only natural that nobody could tell who was the stronger of the two. Nevertheless, they could tell from the expression on Yang Kai’s face that he was definitely under unimaginable pressure.
With the passage of time, more and more cracks appeared in the Void like strips of pitch-black giant pythons that roamed the world. It was a sight that caused great fear and unease among the people.
The Demon Land began to make a comeback, causing all of Yang Kai’s previous efforts to come to nothing.
An hour later, everybody watched as the Demon Qi that had dissipated earlier gathered together again and pressed towards High Heaven Palace little by little.
Yang Kai’s body trembled violently. From time to time, an explosion could be heard from his body and a cloud of blood mist would erupt at the same time. His complexion was also as pale as a sheet.
Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun glanced at each and saw the intent in the other’s eyes. The husband and wife did not have to speak to understand one another as their hearts were connected together; thus, they soared into the sky, turned into two giant Dragons, and rushed towards the east.
They did not know if they would return from this battle, but there was no time for them to worry about such things. Yang Kai might have the power of a Great Emperor, but he had only just become one. In addition, his battle against Can Ye earlier had used up a lot of his strength. Fighting the Great Demon God on his own now would surely put him at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, his strength was lacking, and the only people who could help him at this time were Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun. Even though it was against all common sense in the world, the two Elders took the initiative to attack with the resolve that they might not return alive!
Two Dragons roared and an Azure and White Dragon wrapped around each other, their spirits in perfect harmony with each other. A huge force rushed out as their strength was mutually enhanced. However, three figures came up to them before they could approach the Great Demon God’s body of Demon Qi. It was Xue Li and the other Demon Saints who had retreated earlier.
Both sides had been rivals for so long, so there was no exchange of words when they met, they simply immediately broke out in violence. This battle was different from all their battles in the past, however. Zhu Yan and Fu Zhun knew that they were in an extremely time-critical situation so they had no time to be held up by Xue Li and the others, that was why they immediately fought as if their lives depended on it.
Shocked by their aggression, Xue Li and the others instantly fell into a disadvantageous position. Even so, the efforts of the husband and wife were in vain; they were unable to get past the blockade formed by Xue Li and the others.
“The Star Boundary’s fate will be decided today! Brothers, Sisters, we must fight! With me!” Li Wu Yi shouted and rushed into the distance.
The two Elders of the Dragon Clan were being restrained, so the only ones who could lend a hand in battle were the Pseudo-Great Emperors. Even if they were nothing more than ants trying to shake a tree, they were determined to rip off a piece of their enemy’s flesh before they died. The tragic atmosphere was filled with a sense of unity and solidarity. At this moment, all the powerhouses in the Star Boundary were tied together by a single purpose in the face of this crisis.
Following closely behind Li Wu Yi, all the Pseudo-Great Emperors who still had the power to fight set off together. None of them stayed behind. Even Yang Xiao and Yang Xue followed at their heels with the Flowing Time Temple.
Naturally, what greeted them was the many Demon Race Half-Saints!
Thus, the war resumed. Less than half a day had passed since their last desperate battle and now small groups confronted each other fiercely above the sky as everyone was occupied by their respective battles.
“It seems you’re not so great after all!” Yang Kai stared at Mo Sheng deeply, the corners of his mouth raising slightly into a grin.
If Mo Sheng had strength to spare, he would not have commanded the Demon Race Masters to take part in the battle. He was perfectly capable of killing the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary on the spot with his strength. Nevertheless, the reality was that the Half-Saints were the ones to face the Pseudo-Great Emperors from the Star Boundary who were rushing in this direction. That undoubtedly indicated that Mo Sheng did not have any spare capacity to take care of them himself.
Naturally, that could also be related to his injuries. The reason the Demon Race invaded the Star Boundary was so that Mo Sheng could devour the Star Boundary’s Auspicious Spirit Essence and heal himself after all. On that note, his injuries were most likely not healed yet since the Star Boundary was still safe. What’s more, the current him only had a body that was formed from the agglomeration of Demon Qi. It was not a true flesh and blood body at all!
“It’s more than enough to deal with you…” Mo Sheng smiled indifferently, unmoved by Yang Kai’s taunt.
*Kacha…*
The world continued to hum and shudder endlessly. Every corner of the Star Boundary felt like it was going to shatter and the boundaries of the pure land were constantly being suppressed while the Demon Land steadily advanced.
Yang Kai grit his teeth as blood leaked out from the corners of his lips. Although he was forcing himself to remain standing in the sky, he was actually on the verge of collapse.
[I’m no match for him!] Yang Kai alone was unable to match Mo Sheng’s power. If this situation were to continue, he would be defeated in less than an hour. The Star Boundary would cease to exist if that were to happen. Despite becoming a Great Emperor, Yang Kai couldn’t help drowning in a sense of helplessness.
At that moment, a change occurred. An unfamiliar consciousness suddenly awakened, and with the awakening of this consciousness, an indifferent voice came from somewhere in the east, “Who dares disturb this Queen’s slumber!?”
The voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in everyone’s ears. All those who were fighting immediately looked eastward in surprise, the expressions on their faces changing in response.
Yang Kai also glanced over in that direction, feeling extremely shocked. It might only have been one sentence that barely displayed any flow of power, but he could feel a great and majestic force coming from the voice. It felt like a pair of eyes beyond the horizon had opened and was looking down at all the living creatures in the world from above with cold indifference. It was impossible to guess just how powerful the owner of these eyes was.
[But, how can that be? Apart from me, there should only be the two Elders with the power to rival a Great Emperor! When did such a terrifying existence appear in the Star Boundary!? How is it that even I failed to notice it up until now!]
It had to be noted that Yang Kai was now a Great Emperor with the World’s Will in his body. It only took a single thought and nothing in this world could be hidden from his perception. Be that as it may, he had been completely oblivious to this existence until the voice sounded. Even if he had wholeheartedly been focused on his battle with Great Demon God, it was still difficult to believe. What shocked Yang Kai even more was that the voice belonged to a woman. It was indifferent, ethereal, but at the same time a little familiar… He vaguely felt as though he had heard this voice before, but he could not recall anything about it.
At the same time, the huge body of Great Demon God suddenly began to tremble and a hint of rage was revealed in his expression that had always been smiling up until now. He roared, “This aura… It’s you!”
His deafening roar resounded throughout the entire world. A wave of boundless fury swept out from the huge body, making all the living creatures in the world feel as if they were standing at the mouth of a volcano. Moreover, the volcano was about to erupt into hot flames at any time.
“Why are you here!?” Mo Sheng questioned. However, he soon frowned, “No. It’s not you. You are…”
A pensive look appeared on his face, and then he immediately understood the situation, “So that’s how it is! Hahahaha! It turns out that you fared no better than this King! Good, good! Very good!”
Following his hearty laughter, a pair of giant eyes suddenly opened in the eastern sky. The owner of those giant eyes glanced at Great Demon God indifferently across a distance of millions of kilometres. In the next instant, that ethereal voice sounded again, “Mo Sheng!”
Those eyes were enormous, but their pupils were crystal clear. It could be seen at a glance that these eyes belonged to a woman. A woman with such beautiful eyes was bound to be a great and astounding beauty. More importantly, this woman recognised Mo Sheng. Judging from what Mo Sheng said before, he was obviously no stranger to this woman either.
Great Demon God roared, “This King’s name is not for the likes of you to call! Only your ancestor is worthy to speak this King’s name!”
“How are you still alive!?”
“Show yourself!” Mo Sheng shouted angrily as he raised his hand and punched at the pair of giant eyes in the sky. Those giant eyes instantly shattered under the violent force of the Demon Qi.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai simply stood there blankly, his face full of shock and disbelief.
When Yang Kai first heard that voice, he couldn’t help thinking that it was rather familiar; however, he simply could not remember where he had heard it before. It wasn’t until that pair of eyes appeared in the sky that he immediately recalled the memory. He had seen that pair of eyes countless times before. It was just that those eyes had been bashful and timid at the time. After so many years though, these beautiful eyes were now full of confidence and strength.
“Ruo Xi!” He murmured.
[That’s right! I can’t be mistaken. That voice, those eyes… They are all so familiar. Who else could it be but Zhang Ruo Xi? Isn’t she currently inside the Blood Gate in the Eastern Territory though? Is she finally coming out of retreat?]
He glanced towards the east with a scorching gaze.
Several dozen years had passed since Zhang Ruo Xi first entered the Blood Gate, which had remained silent for that entire time. It wasn’t until several years ago, right before he last departed for the Demon Realm, that the Blood Gate finally showed some slight changes. Yang Kai originally wanted to stay there until the Blood Gate opened once more, but who could have known that his plans would change at the last moment, forcing him to set off for the Demon Realm?
Once Yang Kai returned from the Demon Realm, he had been involved in several consecutive wars. After that, he participated in the Grand Dao battle. He was so busy that he had no time for anything else. There was no chance for him to investigate the situation at the Blood Gate.
Before he left for the Demon Realm, Yang Kai had told Li Wu Yi that the Blood Gate might open again soon and asked him to keep an eye on the situation there.
It wasn’t until today that Zhang Ruo Xi’s voice was transmitted across the world!
Yang Kai did not know the exact details of Zhang Ruo Xi’s current situation. He also did not know whether the Blood Gate had been reopened. Judging from what she had mentioned previously, however, it would seem that she had been awakened by the fight between him and Mo Sheng.
It was no wonder. The Star Boundary’s survival was hanging on the outcome of this battle; therefore, it had shaken the very foundation of this world. Although the Blood Gate was Heavens Order’s palace, a Sealed World of its own, it was no different from all the other Sealed Worlds, still dependent on the Great World, the Star Boundary. Hence, the Blood Gate would surely be affected now that the whole of the Star Boundary was in turmoil. Zhang Ruo Xi had been inside the Blood Gate all this time, so she was also bound to experience some disturbances. It was not surprising that she woke up due to the commotion.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Zhang Ruo Xi had recognised Mo Sheng, even calling out his name just now. In addition, Mo Sheng’s words had been very concerning too. He seemed to know her ancestor, who was the Master known as Heavens Order.
The reason Zhang Ruo Xi could recognise Mo Sheng was most likely related to the Heaven’s Order inheritance that she received. She had acquired the bloodline inheritances and memories of her ancestors. On the contrary, how did Mo Sheng and Heavens Order meet? Could it be that these two Masters were from the same era? Or, were they both from the Outer Universe?
All of a sudden, Yang Kai recalled the story that Mo Sheng’s Soul Clone had told him on the ancient battlefield. According to the story, Mo Sheng had been severely injured on two occasions. The second time was related to Flowing Time Great Emperor. In that battle, Flowing Time Great Emperor had lost his life. It was a tragic ending.
On the other hand, Mo Sheng’s physical body had been destroyed, so he had no choice but to enter hibernation for recuperation. It was because of the second injury he received that he started to hatch a plot to obtain the Star Boundary’s Auspicious Spirit Essence.
Mo Sheng had not said much about the person who originally wounded him, only mentioning that it was a woman. Now, it would seem that the woman might have been Heaven’s Order.
Yang Kai shuddered at the thought. If that was truly the case, then he had greatly underestimated the strength of Heaven’s Order. She turned out to be a peerless Master who managed to severely injure the Great Demon God at his peak. Although she was also severely injured as a result, she was somebody who stood in the same realm as Mo Sheng.
If things really happened the way Yang Kai suspected, then… Mo Sheng went to the Peerless World to heal after his battle with Heaven’s Order. Meanwhile, Heaven’s Order came to the Star Boundary. She left behind a great prestige and her Bloodline Power that had been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years.
The more Yang Kai considered it, the more plausible it seemed. Among the memories contained in the Sources of many Divine Spirits, Heaven’s Order had appeared out of nowhere. There were no records of this Master’s growth. It was just that she suddenly appeared one day, intimidated the entire World in that extremely distant era, and became eternally famous. It would all make sense if it turned out that she actually came from the Outer Universe.
“Hahaha!” Mo Sheng laughed. His laughter was thunderous, “Good. Very good. This King can’t believe he got to meet the descendent of an old friend here! What luck! Little girl, just wait right there! Once this King finishes cleaning up here, he will go over and see if you are anything like your ancestor!”
While speaking, his huge body shook violently and Yang Kai felt an overwhelming pressure pressing down on him from all directions, leaving him powerless to fight back.
Letting out a grunt, Yang Kai suddenly heard a voice in his ear, “Sir, can you hold on for a while longer?”
“Ruo Xi?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
“En, if Sir can hold on for another half an hour, Ruo Xi will immediately come to help you.”
“Take your time. It’s never too late to dress up beautifully!” Yang Kai laughed out loud, feeling extremely relieved.
It was not only because he finally got to hear Zhang Ruo Xi’s voice again after so many years, but it was also that his previous worries did not come true. Zhang Ruo Xi did not seem to have changed much even after receiving Heavens Order’s inheritance. The familiar way she addressed him as ‘Sir’ reminded him of the timid little girl who used to follow him around all the time.
While he was speaking, he simultaneously mobilised the World’s might again to fight against the boundless Demon Qi.
Zhang Ruo Xi giggled, “Ruo Xi feels at ease to see how energetic you are, Sir.”
After that, there was no further communication from her. She seemed to be busy with something and could not afford to be distracted.
“Half an hour…” Yang Kai let out a long sigh. Although he was assisted by the two Elders from the Dragon Clan and many Pseudo-Great Emperors, he felt as though he was fighting alone. It felt very lonely to stand on this battlefield of the World. But now, he had Zhang Ruo Xi on his side! He did not know how much power she could exert once she came out of retreat, but judging from that pair of beautiful eyes that appeared in the sky just now, her strength should not be inferior to his in any way.
[As expected of the bloodline inheritance of a Master that could severely injure the Great Demon God at his peak! In such a short period of time, the little girl who used to be so ignorant of the world back then has undergone such a huge change… It’s only half an hour. I have to persevere even if I have to put my life on the line!]
Yang Kai felt a sudden increase in the pressure around him the moment that thought flashed through his head. While resisting desperately, he couldn’t help sneering, “Mo Sheng, why are you in such a hurry…”
From the pressure coming from all directions, Yang Kai could feel Mo Sheng’s urgency. Mo Sheng seemed to be impatient to devour the last remaining pure land of the Star Boundary and swallow up the last bit of its Auspicious Spirit Essence. This unexpected discovery delighted Yang Kai instead as it undoubtedly indicated that Mo Sheng was quite fearful of Zhang Ruo Xi. Mo Sheng would not have behaved in this manner otherwise.
Mo Sheng coldly snorted and did not answer, but he was clearly no longer as calm as he was before. It only served to confirm the conjecture in Yang Kai’s heart, Zhang Ruo Xi was powerful enough to threaten Mo Sheng! At the very least, her power was comparable to Yang Kai’s current self!
Unfortunately, there was nothing Yang Kai could do with this piece of knowledge. All he could do right now was persevere. He had to hold out until Zhang Ruo Xi came out of retreat. If the two of them worked together, they might be able to defeat Mo Sheng!
At this moment, Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically. The defence he worked so hard to maintain was showing signs of collapse, which shocked him greatly. After a slight perception of its condition, his expression immediately became grave.
He was the only Great Emperor in the Star Boundary at the moment who could mobilise the world’s might; however, in that short moment just now, he noticed that his control over the World had become much weaker. It was almost as if there was another force sharing the control over the World with him. It was also at that moment that he faintly sensed the auras of the other seven missing Great Emperors…
Yang Kai had once sensed the auras of these seven Great Emperors, so he knew that they were trapped in an inexplicable space and could not escape. It was just that he had not sensed them again after that incident, much less figured out where they were being held. However, that feeling became incredibly clear for a moment just now, so much so that he even obtained some clues as to where they were.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai might have been able to locate the Great Emperors with a bit of time, but in the current situation, where would he find the time to investigate their whereabouts? The consequence of his weakening control over the World was that his resistance against the Great Demon God was also getting weaker and weaker.
On the other hand, Mo Sheng seemed to have somehow borrowed the power of the world to suppress him enormously.
“What did you do!?” Yang Kai shouted through gritted teeth.
Mo Sheng grinned, “Why don’t you take a guess?”
“Bastard!” Yang Kai cursed. Although he did not know what means Mo Sheng had used, he was certain that this change in the world’s might was related to the other seven Great Emperors. Mo Sheng seemed to have the ability to take over their control of the World and use it against him instead.
…..
While those two were talking to each other, Zhan Wu Hen sat cross-legged inside an inexplicable space and glared at Huang Wu Ji furiously.
Huang Wu Ji was sitting opposite him with less than a metre between them, a mummified palm sticking out of his chest. That mummified palm was emitting an extremely terrifying aura and although it was a dead object, Zhan Wu Hen couldn’t help feeling a sense of fear from it. It was very difficult to imagine just how powerful the owner of this hand had been when he was still alive.
It wasn’t Zhan Wu Hen who stabbed the hand into Huang Wu Ji’s chest, however, but Huang Wu Ji himself. The fresh blood that flowed out was absorbed by the hand and at the same time, Huang Wu Ji’s aura climbed steadily until it reached a level that made even Zhan Wu Hen feel humbled.
Then, the First Demon Saint of the Demon Realm formed a seal with his hand and pointed a finger at Zhan Wu Hen. Zhan Wu Hen did not know what kind of strange Secret Technique Huang Wu Ji was using, but he could clearly feel a mysterious power in his body being siphoned away. That power was the World’s Will that he received from the Star Boundary. Using this World’s Will, he was blessed with luck and good fortune. More importantly, he could mobilise the Star Boundary’s World Force for his own use.
At this moment, he asked the same question as Yang Kai, “What did you do!?”
Huang Wu Ji’s expression twisted and his body trembled violently as though he was in great pain, “Don’t worry. Lord Demon God will end this soon.”
“The Great Demon God!?” Zhan Wu Hen asked through gritted teeth.
The two of them had been trapped in this space together for several years now, so it was only natural for them to converse during that time. It was also from Huang Wu Ji’s mouth that Zhan Wu Hen learned about the existence of the Great Demon God and some of the Demon Realm’s plans.
“That’s right! Lord Demon God will be resurrected soon! And, all of you will become Lord Demon God’s sacrifices!” A morbid and frenzied expression appeared on Huang Wu Ji’s face. It was as though he was willing to devote everything he had to this so-called Great Demon God.