The cultivators sitting at the next table quietly discussed the situation between Yun Xing Hua and Shocking Swan Territory for a while before they changed the subject. There was no other valuable information after that.
Yang Kai raised his glass and took his time to enjoy his drink, shaking his head slowly. From the conversation between those two, Yun Xing Hua seemed to be the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, the great force that Guo Zi Yan’s daughter was in.
Yun Xing Hua originally had a pretty good aptitude and was expected to make his initial breakthrough to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, he was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm due to Shocking Swan Pavilion’s suppression at the time. Afterwards, he took another 50 years to accumulate his strength and spent another 10 or so years in retreat. When he came out of retreat, he had broken through to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although he was several decades late, he still reached the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the end. It was just that the difference in the starting point of a cultivator would affect that cultivator’s room for future growth. If he had directly advanced to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at the beginning, his future limit would have been the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now, his limit was only the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It might only be a single Order, but this one Order often made all the difference. When Yue He was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she had been completely powerless to fight back against the Proprietress, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Lu Xue would probably last no longer than ten breaths against her.
People under the eaves had no choice but to bow their heads. It was a pity but Yun Xing Hua had simply been born at the wrong time and place.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think about his own situation again. The Proprietress once told him that there would be many obstacles in his way if he wanted to directly break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. It was impossible for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to sit back and watch without doing anything. They would surely oppress him. Otherwise, his future growth would be absolutely terrifying if he successfully advanced into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly.
Since ancient times, the only ones in the 3,000 Worlds allowed to advance into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly were the disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises who were carefully nurtured since they were young. These people had unique advantages and were extremely loyal to their respective Sects, so there was no need for the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to worry about these disciples overthrowing their dominance.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was different. He had nothing to do with any of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, so he naturally had no protection from them either. Now, it would seem that this matter of suppressing others was not an uncommon occurrence in the Outer Universe. If a mere Shocking Swan Territory had someone like Yun Xing Hua, then what about the other Great Territories?
In any case, it was no secret that Yang Kai was condensing Seventh-Order Open Heaven Element Powers. He had revealed his Divine Manifestation many times in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and befriended several disciples from various Cave-Heavens or Paradises. After the closure of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, those people had all returned to their respective Sects. Their Elders and Masters would surely ask about various things that happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Those people might want to conceal the truth for him out of their gratitude for saving their lives in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but they probably would not be able to conceal it for long even if they wanted to.
Therefore, Yang Kai had the feeling that he was already being watched by some of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. A form of suppression similar to what Yun Xing Hua faced would come at some point.
For that reason, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency, as if time was running out. It was a pity that materials of the Seventh Order and above were simply too scarce. He still lacked Yin, Yang, and Metal Elements, but he was completely clueless as to where to search for them. [I hope the Proprietress can point me in the right direction.]
Yue He seemed to have seen through his gloomy mood; thus, she silently poured wine for him without saying a word.
After waiting for six or seven days in the Star City, Yang Kai began to feel that something was wrong when Guo Zi Yan failed to return even after so long. He had checked the Universe Chart earlier and knew Blood Swan Continent was not that far from the Star City. With Guo Zi Yan’s current speed, it would only take three or four days for a round trip, so how could he possibly delay for so long? Moreover, Guo Zi Yan knew that Yang Kai was waiting for him, so if something had really caused him to be delayed, he would have sent somebody to inform the latter.
[There has been no news from him and he is nowhere to be seen. Could it be that something has happened to him?] When that thought crossed Yang Kai’s mind, he stopped waiting and returned to the Falling Lotus with Yue He instead. The Falling Lotus soon headed in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
They had only flown for half a day when Yue He, who was standing next to Yang Kai, suddenly turned her head to stare in a certain direction with a look of surprise in her eyes.
Yang Kai followed her gaze only to see a Spirit Province in the distance. It was just that the Spirit Province did not seem to contain any traces of being covered by a Spirit Array. It was probably an ownerless Spirit Province.
There were many such Spirit Provinces scattered across the void in the 3,000 Worlds, normally because such places had such weak heritages that stronger great forces looked down on them. On the contrary, those Open Heaven Realm Masters that were not so strong liked to occupy these Spirit Provinces to found new Sects and slowly develop their strength. If managed well, these Spirit Provinces might just become the Headquarters of a Third-Class or Second-Class great force after many years of work.
“Young Master, there are people fighting over there.” Yue He watched carefully for a moment before speaking all of a sudden.
In this vast universe, countless fights broke out between the people every single day. Likewise, countless people died in battle. Such battles were very common; however, Yang Kai involuntarily frowned upon encountering a fight in this direction. He couldn’t help thinking about Guo Zi Yan, who had yet to return after so long. Turning to look at Lang Qing Shan, he said, “Contact Commander Guo and see if he can be reached.”
Lang Qing Shan received the command and immediately took out the communication bead he used to keep contact with Guo Zi Yan. Pouring his Divine Sense into the communication bead, he raised his head after some time and reported, “Sir, Commander Guo is being besieged right now. He is currently in a terrible situation.”
Yang Kai was furious when he heard those words, “Who dares!?”
There was no longer any doubt. Guo Zi Yan was definitely one of the parties in that fight in that Spirit Province!
Without needing further command from Yang Kai, Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately steered the Falling Lotus towards the direction of the Spirit Province. At the same time, they continuously made contact with Guo Zi Yan through the communication beads. It was just that they did not receive another response. Guo Zi Yan’s situation must have been very bad indeed; otherwise, there was no way he would not even have the time to respond to them.
The Spirit Province might have looked far off, but the Falling Lotus was extremely fast. It took less than an incense stick’s worth of time for them to reach the periphery of the Spirit Province where Yang Kai and Yue He leapt out of the Falling Lotus. As they looked ahead, their expressions sank.
On that Spirit Province, Guo Zi Yan was protecting a young girl as they retreated continuously. He was dripping with fresh blood and his aura was fluctuating erratically. It was apparent that he had been seriously injured. The clothes on his chest were tattered and there was a bloody wound across his abdomen. His flesh was rolled up and his squirming organs were faintly visible. He was defending and retreating the whole way, leaving a trail of blood everywhere he passed.
The young girl he guarded behind him was only in the Emperor Realm and her appearance was somewhat similar to his. Although she was not a country-destroying beauty, she had a tall and slim figure. The two trails of tear stains that had yet to dry on her cheeks made her look very pitiable. Her beautiful eyes were filled with panic and worry. She might have the willingness to help, but her strength was too low. There was nothing she could do to help in a battle like this; rather, she would only drag him down with her if she tried to act.
There were four people besieging the pair while there were another two corpses lying on the ground. The four people were covered in injuries, but their injuries were minor. One of them was exuding the aura of a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while the other 3 were in the Second-Order.
In a one-against-six battle, Guo Zi Yan had managed to kill two. He had clearly gone all out, but he was an arrow at the end of its flight by this point. The World Force radiating from his body fluctuated erratically, causing the power he exerted to be strong at times and weak at others. He was clearly no longer at his peak.
On the other hand, the four who were attacking were behaving in a despicable manner and the methods they used were absolutely shameless. Even with a decisive numerical advantage, they still aimed most of their attacks at the young girl. Their actions forced Guo Zi Yan to devote most of his energy to protecting her, causing him to become overwhelmed.
When Yang Kai and Yue He appeared, they happened to witness the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking advantage of an opening in Guo Zi Yan’s guard to smash a hammer into the latter’s shoulder. There was a loud crack before Guo Zi Yan’s left arm immediately drooped. It seemed that his shoulder bones had been smashed to pieces.
“Bastard!” Yang Kai shouted angrily. When the Golden Crow let out a loud cry, a brightly shining golden sun leapt out from behind him. The scorching heat ran rampant, and the Golden Crow Casts the Sun reappeared in the world.
With a mighty Dragon Roar, the Azure Dragon Spear appeared in Yang Kai’s grasp as he stepped forward and thrust out at the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Golden Crow’s True Fire enveloped the spear and seemed capable of burning everything in existence.
At the same time as he made his move, Yue He took out a long whip and lashed through the air. World Force erupted as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master enveloped the entire area.
How could the four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters besieging Guo Zi Yan expect such a sudden turn of events? When they sensed the majesty of Yue He’s Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura, their expressions changed drastically. An inexplicable horror descended upon them and they felt the power in their bodies becoming obstructed, as though they were stuck in a quagmire.
*Pa pa pa…*
Soft popping sounds rang out everywhere the whip passed as the 3 Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t even have time to grunt in pain before they exploded into blood mist and vanished from existence.
Another muffled groan sounded as Yang Kai stabbed the remaining Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the chest with his spear. The spear penetrated the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s back and came out through his chest. When Yang Kai withdrew his spear, blood splattered everywhere. A large hole appeared in that person’s chest, penetrating from the front all the way to the back.
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stiffened and his eyes widened in shock. He staggered forward a few steps and tried to look back; however, he collapsed to the ground without a shred of vitality before he could turn around completely.
Four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were as insignificant as an ant in front of Yue He, a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai would not have been able to kill the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master so easily if her aura had not been suppressing the latter.
*Pu…*
Guo Zi Yan coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and half-knelt on the ground while panting heavily. His breathing sounded like a set of old bellows as he was clearly having difficulty.
Seeing his condition, Yang Kai quickly walked over to Guo Zi Yan.
The young girl that Guo Zi Yan had been protecting behind him suddenly leaped forward. She was holding a longsword in her hand and although her complexion was pale, she firmly stood in front of him. Gritting her teeth, she asked in a trembling voice, “Who are you people?”
She was extremely frightened after seeing Yang Kai and Yue He murdering the others emotionlessly.
Guo Zi Yan gasped for breath, “Miao’er, don’t be rude. This is the person I was telling you about before.”
The young girl was stunned for a moment, but immediately after, she put away her longsword and fell to her knees in front of Yang Kai with an audible thud. She wept and begged, “Sir, please save my Father.”
Yang Kai lifted a hand and helped her up as he comfortingly said, “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I promise that your Father will not die!”
He then shot a look at Yue He who immediately stepped forward to examine Guo Zi Yan’s injuries. A short while later, she took out a Spirit Pill and fed it to him and said, “Although Commander Guo’s injuries are severe, he will not die from them. It’s just that he lost too much blood and exhausted too much of his World Force. He will be fine after recuperating for a while.”
While Yue He was speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground.
“Father!” The young girl called Miao’er shouted, her beautiful face turning pale at the sight.
Yue He said, “Don’t worry. He just fainted.”
Guo Zi Yan had been besieged and could have lost his life at any moment. Now that he was rescued by Yang Kai and Yue He, his tense nerves finally relaxed. Combined with his excessive consumption during his battle earlier, he could no longer remain conscious.
Even though Miao’er knew that Yue He would not deceive her, she still examined her father’s wounds herself. She finally let out a breath of relief when she confirmed that he was simply passed out. Rubbing away the tears at the corner of her eyes, she respectfully bowed, “Many thanks for your saving grace, Sir and Madame.”
Yang Kai simply replied, “Commander Guo is a member of Void Land and has served by my side for many years. I will definitely help him if he is in trouble. There is no need for you to thank me; after all, this was caused by my negligence.”
Guo Zi Yan had only gone to visit his daughter, so how could Yang Kai have known that his life would be in danger? If Yang Kai had known that this would happen, he would have followed along no matter what. Something like this would not have happened if Yue He was around.
“What is your name?” Yang Kai turned to ask the young girl.
The young girl sniffed and answered softly, “This one is called Guo Miao.”
Yang Kai nodded, then summoned Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others to carry the unconscious Guo Zi Yan back to the Falling Lotus where he could receive proper treatment. Meanwhile, Yue He held Guo Miao’s small hand and comforted the young girl.
A short while later, Yue He stood inside the Falling Lotus and asked in a gentle voice, “What happened? Who were the people attacking you? Didn’t Commander Guo head to Blood Swan Continent to pick you up?”
Guo Miao knew about the existence of Yang Kai and Yue He. It was most likely that Guo Zi Yan had told her about them; therefore, her emotions slowly calmed down with Yue He’s comforting words. Upon hearing those questions, she replied, “Those people were Deacons and Elders of Blood Swan Continent. The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was Gu Zhi Xin.”
Yang Kai was incredibly surprised, “Gu Zhi Xin?”
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Isn’t that your Honoured Master?”
A few days ago, Guo Zi Yan had mentioned this person. He claimed that he and Gu Zhi Xin were old friends and that was why he entrusted his daughter to Gu Zhi Xin’s care.
Guo Miao gnashed her teeth at those words, her eyes gleaming with a vengeful light as she snarled, “I don’t have such an insidious and despicable Honoured Master! That man nearly killed my Father!”
Yang Kai frowned, “What happened?”
Gu Miao exhaled softly and began narrating the entire story. After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai finally understood the cause of this incident.
Guo Miao was only sent to Blood Swan Continent to become a disciple of Gu Zhi Xin a few years ago. The first reason was that Guo Zi Yan was in a difficult situation at the time with the three great forces all fighting one another both openly and secretly in the Star City. They were constantly trying to overthrow each other, so the future in that place was uncertain. Guo Zi Yan sent his daughter away in order to protect her. The second reason was that he himself was only in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm and could not be considered powerful. Blood Swan Continent might not be anything special, being only a Third-Class great force, but Gu Zhi Xin was a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Gu Zhi Xin was stronger than him, so Guo Miao would receive a better education if he sent her there.
Furthermore, Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad. She had been cultivating diligently over the years at Blood Swan Continent. With the assistance of her Sect and the cultivation resources that Guo Zi Yan constantly sent to her, Guo Miao gradually reached the Emperor Realm.
Before the Star City was devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she was preparing to condense her own Dao Seal. Once she successfully condensed her Dao Seal, the next step would be to refine her Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, split Heaven and Earth apart in her body, and break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan’s own starting point was not high, only the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, he went to great lengths for his daughter. Risking his life working for Scarlet Star, he more or less exchanged all the gains he received for various cultivation resources. These cultivation resources were then sent to Blood Swan Continent for Guo Miao to use.
She was about to condense her Dao Seal, so it was only natural that Guo Zi Yan made preparations in advance for that eventuality. He spent his entire life’s savings to buy two Fourth-Order materials a long time ago and handed them over to her. Once she condensed her Dao Seal, she could refine those two resources.
If the Star City where Scarlet Star was located had not been devoured by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, what happened next would never have occurred at all.
More than ten years ago, the Star City in which Scarlet Star was located vanished all of a sudden. Even the three great forces, Scarlet Star, Thunder Light, and Sword Pavilion, that had been established in that Star City for thousands of years disappeared without a trace. Overnight, over a million people from the Star City went missing.
This incident caused a huge uproar among several of the other nearby Great Territories. Many people went to investigate the situation only to return empty-handed. Guo Miao had also gone to take a look at the situation under Gu Zhi Xin’s leadership, but she could not find the slightest clue either.
Several years went by without news from Guo Zi Yan, so everybody assumed that he was dead.
At the beginning, Gu Zhi Xin continued to respect the wishes of his old friend. It could not be said that he was partial towards Guo Miao, but he at least dealt with her justly; however, on one particular day several years later, Gu Zhi Xin called Guo Miao over to talk. He constantly brought up the two Fourth-Order materials that Guo Zi Yan had sent to Guo Miao in the past and his meaning was clear; he wanted her to give them to him.
At this point, Yang Kai was puzzled, “Gu Zhi Xin is in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. What would he need Fourth-Order materials for? Aren’t they useless to him?”
Yue He explained, “He likely wanted to use them to exchange for Third-Order materials. He would then be able to refine and absorb them to strengthen his Small Universe and increase his strength.”
Yang Kai then asked curiously, “Can an Open Heaven Realm Master continue to refine materials?”
She explained further, “Young Master, you have yet to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, so you are unaware. It is not that a cultivator no longer needs Open Heaven materials after they advance to the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, the demand for resources only increases. As you know, Young Master, an Open Heaven Realm Master can increase their strength by increasing the heritage of their Small Universe. Once their heritage accumulates to a certain extent, they can advance to the next Order.”
He nodded, “Yes, I know this.”
Lu Xue had explained this to him previously. The most common and safest way for an Open Heaven Realm Master to do this was to consume Open Heaven Pills, but there were other methods as well.
For example, Old Ancestor Mo Yu had targeted the Demon Realm because he wanted to devour and refine its Principles and World Force. It was just that this method had some advantages and disadvantages compared to consuming Open Heaven Pills.
The advantage was that this method worked very fast. Consuming Open Heaven Pills was a long process of accumulating many grains of sand to eventually build a tower. Every breakthrough to the next Order would take years and years of accumulation. If one could devour and refine the Principles and World Force of a Universe World that matched their Small Universe, that person would be able to obtain huge gains in a very short time.
The disadvantage was that there would still be some incompatibility no matter how well-matched the Universe World was to one’s own Small Universe. Hence, there were hidden dangers to this method of cultivation. One would need to spend a lot of energy and effort to slowly remove what were essentially impurities from their Small Universe after performing such an act.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of devouring the Principles and World Force of a Universe World was many times higher than merely consuming Open Heaven Pills.
Aside from these two methods, there was another rather common method of cultivation, and that was to refine Open Heaven materials of various Orders. The reason a cultivator could split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies was that they had accumulated enough Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers. After advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, they could continue to refine and endlessly enhance their own heritage; hence, it was not that a cultivator would no longer have need for various cultivation materials after advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. On the contrary, their needs only increased.
After listening to Yue He’s explanation, Yang Kai finally understood. It wasn’t that he was ignorant and uninformed, it was just that his strength was still lacking, so he had yet to come across such matters.
When Guo Zi Yan was still around, Gu Zhi Xin did not dare to covet the two Fourth-Order materials in Guo Miao’s possession. Guo Zi Yan had the support of Scarlet Star after all, and while he was not afraid of Guo Zi Yan, Scarlet Star was not an entity he could afford to provoke.
However, Guo Zi Yan’s whereabouts were now unknown and it was most likely that he was dead. Therefore, Gu Zhi Xin had nothing to worry about anymore. In addition, Guo Miao had two Fourth-Order materials in her possession even though she was only in the Emperor Realm. It was like a child holding onto an expensive treasure, so it was not surprising that Gu Zhi Xin began to covet them.
“That old dog sure is hateful, disrespecting Commander Guo so thoroughly.” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Guo Miao echoed his words, “That old dog wanted the two Fourth-Order materials, but it wasn’t for his own use. Sect Master was in retreat at the time to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and urgently needed a large number of resources. The reason that old dog tried to rob me was to display his loyalty in hopes that Sect Master would value him more in the future.”
Hearing what she said, Yang Kai suddenly recalled the information he overheard at the inn a day ago. It was rumoured that the Leader of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua, had successfully come out of retreat after advancing to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Judging by the situation, it was probably thanks to Guo Maio’s two Fourth-Order materials.
“What happened afterwards?” Yue He asked gently.
Guo Miao sadly replied, “That old dog asked for those resources, but my Father risked his life to obtain these resources for me, so how could I agree to his demands!? At first, I wanted to quickly condense my Dao Seal and refine those two cultivation materials so that he would have nothing to covet anymore, but who could have known that he would force me to refine a Second-Order Wood Element material as soon as I finished condensing my Dao Seal!?”
While speaking, she bit her lip so hard that it began to bleed, her eyes filled with tears.
Any building must start with a foundation. For a cultivator, their foundation was the most important building block. The lowest Order material they condensed would define the Order of the Open Heaven Realm they could break through to in the future.
Guo Miao was forced to refine a Second-Order material; therefore, she could only become a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future.
Cutting off a person’s Martial Dao was an offence no different from murdering one’s parents. Nevertheless, the milk had already been spilt. Moreover, Guo Miao was placed under somebody else’s care, so how could a weak young girl like herself protect the two Fourth-Order materials in her possession? In the end, those Fourth-Order materials were forcefully taken away by Gu Zhi Xin and handed over to Yun Xing Hua. That was why Yun Xing Hua recently managed to advance to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In the beginning, Guo Miao had resigned herself to her fate. She was an orphan with no support now, so what could she do even if she was unwilling? To her surprise though, Guo Zi Yan, who had been missing for the past decade, suddenly appeared in Blood Swan Continent several days ago.
The father-daughter reunion should have been a joyous occasion; however, when Guo Zi Yan noticed that his daughter had condensed a Second-Order Element he couldn’t help feeling shocked and furious! He had prepared two Fourth-Order materials for her before he had been sucked into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Furthermore, she had enough aptitude to refine them. So, how did things turn out this way? Despite his questioning, Guo Miao remained tight-lipped and did not dare to tell him the truth.
Guo Zi Yan could tell that something was wrong, so he did not question her any further. On the contrary, he pretended not to notice anything and chatted with Gu Zhi Xin like normal.
That night, Guo Zi Yan took Guo Miao and fled while Blood Swan Continent was unprepared. He learned about the truth of the incident during their escape, and upon hearing that his daughter had been oppressed so terribly in Blood Swan Continent, he was furious and swore to take revenge so that he could obtain justice for her.
Unfortunately, he also knew that he was not strong enough. That was why he planned to return to Yang Kai as quickly as possible. It was a pity that Gu Zhi Xin and his men caught up to them before they could reach the Star City.
If it had only been a case of robbery of the Fourth-Order materials, there might have been a way for this grudge to be resolved. In the worst case, Blood Swan Continent could have provided some compensation for the lost property. Now that Yun Xing Hua had advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, the need for cultivation materials would have decreased sharply and while Blood Swan Continent might only be a Third-Class great force, they should still have enough financial resources to compensate for two Fourth-Order materials.
However, of all the things that should never have been done, Gu Zhi Xin had forced Guo Miao to refine a Second-Order material and gather the Second-Order Element Power, essentially cutting off her Martial Dao! How could such a deep hatred be resolved so simply?
Blood Swan Continent probably understood this point too, which was why they immediately sent people to chase after Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao when they discovered that the two of them had fled. They wanted to cut the weeds and pull out the roots so as to avoid future troubles!
Although Guo Zi Yan had advanced into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm after refining a Low-Rank World Fruit, the pursuit team dispatched had six Open Heaven Realm Masters in it, so how could he stand a chance against them? Moreover, he had to protect Guo Miao from danger while trying to flee.
Being thoroughly outnumbered in a fierce battle, Guo Zi Yan suffered severe injuries. He knew that they were in critical danger and the only way out was to risk everything he had and fight for his life. Therefore, he fought hard and managed to kill two Second-Order Open Heaven Realm enemies. Even so, he could not escape. It was at the critical moment that Yang Kai and the others arrived on the scene. There was no need to explain what happened after that.
“Blood Swan Continent? Very good!” Yang Kai sneered. He had felt a little sympathetic towards Yun Xing Hua when he heard that the other party had been suppressed and forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm at the inn back in the Star City. Thinking about his own possible future encounters, Yang Kai even felt a small amount of comradery as they seemed to share a similar fate.
But, it would seem that the bastard did not deserve any sympathy at all. Even if Yun Xing Hua had been oblivious to the fact that Gu Zhi Xin had forcibly seized Guo Miao’s two Fourth-Order materials, how could he still claim to not know anything when Gu Zhi Xin brought men to hunt down Guo Zi Yan and Guo Miao?
Yue He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Young Master, what do you plan to do?”
It wasn’t just her. Lang Qing Shan, the shaved-headed man, and the others also turned to look at him. They had been with Guo Zi Yan for a lot longer than they had served under Yang Kai. Back when they were still with Scarlet Star, these people had been Guo Zi Yan’s direct subordinates. Guo Zi Yan usually took good care of them and even saved them from danger numerous times. At this moment, he had nearly been killed while his daughter had also been horribly mistreated. It was only natural that they shared the same hatred. Their eyes were practically blazing with the flames of rage.
“We shall never forgive those who dared to touch our people. Turn around. We head for Blood Swan Continent. This King will seek justice from this Yun Xing Hua himself. I want to see if he really has three heads and six arms to have such courage!”
The expressions of Lang Qing Shan and the others immediately turned serious and they quickly went off to carry out their orders.
Guo Miao was stunned for a moment, but feeling both grateful and anxious she tried to intercede, “Sir, Blood Swan Continent is not weak. We only have so few people…”
Yang Kai smiled, “The woman next to you is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. What does a trivial Blood Swan Continent count for in front of her?”
Guo Miao turned to Yue He, so shocked that she raised her hand to cover her small mouth. She could tell that Yue He was in the Open Heaven Realm. Furthermore, the other party had to have been in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm to kill those people from Blood Swan Continent so effortlessly. Even so, she never imagined that Yue He would be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Falling Lotus cut through the void and sped in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
At the same time, the grand bell tolled in Blood Swan Continent loudly. The noise resounded through the sky, alarming countless disciples who quickly looked up to the Main Hall located at its very centre.
One of Blood Swan Continent’s disciples counted how many times the bells tolled with a solemn expression. When the bell stopped ringing, he exclaimed with a pale expression, “The bell tolled nine times! That is the death knell indicating that an Elder has passed away! Which Elder is it?”
A disciple next to him responded, “There are four Elders in Blood Swan Continent and none of them are approaching their predestined time of death. Did something unexpected happen to them?”
A third person spoke up, “I saw Elder Gu leaving with a group of people just now. I don’t know what they were doing, but they were extremely aggressive and brimming with murderous intent. Could it be that Elder Gu was killed?”
While the disciples were conversing among each other, numerous figures flew out from all over Blood Swan Continent and rushed towards the Main Hall. These were the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent. There were not many of them, but they were not that few either. There were a total of more than twenty people. Among these twenty or so people, three were in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm while the others were either in the First or Second-Order. They served a variety of positions within Blood Swan Continent but upon hearing the tolling of the bell, they immediately converged.
The figures quickly flew into the Main Hall where a middle-aged man with a handsome appearance sat in the head seat. This man had black hair, but there were streaks of grey at his temples that made him seem weathered but experienced in the vicissitudes of life. This middle-aged man was none other than the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, Yun Xing Hua.
A burly Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with heavy-set arms and a thick waist strode in and looked around. Seeing everybody looking extremely gloomy, he frowned and cupped his fists, “Sect Master, whose death knell was it?”
Yun Xing Hua replied solemnly, “Elder Gu Zhi Xin!”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stared at Yun Xing Hua in shock and exclaimed, “How can that be!? Just yesterday, I was having a drink with Elder Gu! He was perfectly fine at the time. Besides, didn’t he just receive that Scarlet Star Great Commander as a guest? Could it be that his death is related to Guo Zi Yan?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded heavily, “I believe so.”
The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was furious, “That bastard surnamed Guo sure is brave! How dare he murder Elder Gu in Blood Swan Continent!? Where is he right now!? I will immediately go and wring his neck!”
A weak-looking man dressed like a scholar standing next to him commented, “Guo Zi Yan quietly fled last night. He is no longer in Blood Swan Continent.”
The burly man frowned, “Fled? What do you mean?”
Yun Xing Hua said, “This incident is ultimately this King’s fault. Haa… Elder Gu also died because of me. This King has wronged him.”
The burly man was puzzled, “Sect Master, what happened exactly?”
This burly man was not the only one who was puzzled. Many others in the Man Hall were completely lost too.
Yun Xing Hua explained, “Do you remember that this King was in retreat for my breakthrough recently? I consumed a lot of Blood Swan Continent’s cultivation resources during that time. Blood Swan Continent had a shallow heritage in the first place, so it could not withstand such a heavy consumption. Moreover, I miscalculated the resources that I required, and at a critical juncture during my retreat, I discovered that the resources I had were not enough. Therefore, I sent a message to Elder Gu to ask him to help me. If I could not receive the necessary supply of resources in time, it was very likely that my previous efforts would be forfeited.”
Most of the 20 or so people in the Main Hall looked surprised upon hearing this. That was because they were oblivious to this fact. Nevertheless, Yun Xing Hua was the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, so if he could advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would greatly improve the entire Blood Swan Continent’s situation; therefore, nobody felt that anything was out of place even though it was their first time learning about this.
“And, then?” The burly man asked.
Yun Xing Hua continued his explanation, “Elder Gu lived up to my expectations, soon sending over two Fourth-Order materials. It was by relying on these two resources that this King was able to successfully achieve my breakthrough.”
The burly man frowned. Although he was rambunctious, his mind was fairly sharp. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong and hesitated, “Sect Master, is there something wrong with the two Fourth-Order materials?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “Indeed, Elder Guan. The problem lies in the two Fourth-Order materials. At the time, I was curious as to how Elder Gu managed to obtain two Fourth-Order materials so quickly, but I did not ask him much about it since my cultivation was at a critical juncture. I simply had him exchange them for appropriate resources at the Star City which I then absorbed wholeheartedly. Afterwards, I successfully advanced into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and came out of retreat. It can be said that it’s all thanks to Elder Gu’s meritorious deeds that this King was able to advance into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
“After I came out of retreat, I asked Elder Gu about the materials again, and he reported that he accidentally came across them a long time ago. I was extremely grateful towards him and prepared to compensate him well in the future. To my surprise though, I learned that things were not quite so simple when Guo Zi Yan appeared on our doorstep two days ago. The two Fourth-Order materials did not actually belong to Elder Gu. Rather, it belonged to one of his Low-Rank Disciples, Guo Miao. Guo Miao’s aptitude was not bad and originally had hopes of achieving the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, so Guo Zi Yan prepared the two Fourth-Order materials for her in advance. This was something Elder Gu had known about for a long time. When he received this King’s message, he borrowed the two Fourth-Order materials from her, and thereby, planted the root of this disaster.”
After listening to his explanation, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the Main Hall revealed strange expressions. They were not fools. After being acquainted with Gu Zhi Xin for so many years, they had a clear understanding of his character. Unfortunately, Gu Zhi Xin probably used forceful methods to obtain the two Fourth-Order materials from Guo Miao. It was definitely not something as simple as ‘borrowing’. It could even be said that it was unclear whether the Sect Master himself was aware of what actually happened at the time.
“When Guo Zi Yan came looking for his daughter, Blood Swan Continent played the part of a good host. So, I have no idea why he decided to flee in the middle of the night. Elder Gu was worried that Guo Zi Yan might have some sort of misunderstanding, so he chased after them in order to explain himself. But… a disciple reported to me just now that Elder Gu’s Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden!” Yun Xing Hua’s expression was full of grief, as if he was sorrowful beyond words, “It was not only Elder Gu. The Soul Lamps of Deacon Xiong, Hall Master Ran, and three others that all went out one after the other.”
“What!?” There was an uproar in the Main Hall when this news broke. Everyone craned their necks to look around, and sure enough, they did not see the people whose names Yun Xing Hua just mentioned. Counting Gu Zhi Xin, Blood Swan Continent had lost six Open Heaven Realm Masters all at once. While this kind of loss might not be crippling for Blood Swan Continent, it was still severely damaging.
“Moreover…” Yun Xing Hua had an extremely grave expression as he looked around the hall and continued slowly, “The Soul Lamps of Elder Gu and Deacon Xiong and two others were extinguished at essentially the same moment!”
A series of gasps rang out through the hall. Many Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly turned as pale as a sheet. If the deaths of Gu Zhi Xin and the other five people had shocked them, then the fact that multiple Soul Lamps had gone out at the same moment positively terrified them. The Soul Lamps going out at the same time meant that these people had likely been killed with a single blow. They could not help but make certain assumptions with this kind of information.
Gu Zhi Xin was in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. On the other hand, the others were all in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. The destructive power they could exert when working together could not be considered weak. Just what kind of existence could slaughter them all in an instant? A Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be able to pull off something like that. The only ones who could do this were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm or a Master above the Fifth-Order!
“Could it be that Zhao Bai Chuan made a move personally!?” The burly man surnamed Guan had an extremely solemn expression on his face.
It was only natural that he made such an assumption. Guo Zi Yan was a part of Scarlet Star while Zhao Bai Chuan was the Head Manager of Scarlet Star. It would make sense if Zhao Bai Chuan helped Guo Zi Yan.
Yun Xing Hua stood up slowly, “It doesn’t matter who slaughtered Elder Gu and the others. Everyone, Blood Swan Continent will soon face a huge catastrophe. The slightest carelessness will lead to a disastrous situation. I hope that all of you will stand with this King to face this possible crisis together.”
Somebody stepped forward, “Sect Master, are you saying that the person who killed Elder Gu and the others will come to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent?”
Yun Xing Hua nodded, “I cannot rule out this possibility.”
That person followed up, “Even if it was Zhao Bai Chuan who attacked us, he is only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It is true that there is nobody in Blood Swan Continent who could be his opponent, but if he wanted to attack this place… It won’t be so easy.”
Yun Xing Hua replied, “If it were only Zhao Bai Chuan alone, then there is nothing for Blood Swan Continent to fear. We can rely on the Defensive Grand Array to protect ourselves. What can he do to Blood Swan Continent even if he is in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm? But if you believe that is all we have to worry about, then you underestimate the situation in Scarlet Star. They have several Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens in the Low-Rank. I don’t know where they have been hiding for the past decade, but their strength is no trivial matter now that they have returned.”
The weak-looking scholar from before said, “If that’s the case, Blood Swan Continent will not be able to fight back against them. Sect Master, I suggest we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help! Shocking Swan Territory is Shocking Swan Pavilion’s territory and Blood Swan Continent is affiliated with them. It is not Scarlet Star’s place to run wild!”
Yun Xing Hua revealed a complicated look in his eyes as he slowly shook his head, “I’m afraid it’s too late. If anyone really wants to cause trouble for Blood Swan Continent, they will appear in at most a day or two. Even if we ask Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they won’t be able to make it in time. Besides, Shocking Swan Pavilion… might not be willing to lend us a hand.”
Upon hearing that, everybody’s expression became gloomy.
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past. He was forced to advance to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm when he could have broken through to the Fourth-Order. Now that he worked hard to cultivate for tens of years and finally regained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be pleased with this turn of events. If they really asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, they did not know what kind of price they would need to pay. Shocking Swan Pavilion might even take the chance to put forward some harsh conditions to suppress them further.
“Don’t mention asking for help again. I hope all of you will remain vigilant during this period. If there are any strange movements from the outside, report them immediately!”
“Yes!” Everybody responded loudly before scattering in all directions.
Once everybody had left, Yun Xing Hua finally gashed his teeth and viciously slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair, gritting his teeth as he cursed, “Gu Zhi Xin, you incompetent bastard!”
Yun Xing Hua had been suppressed and forced to advance into the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, and now that he obtained the strength of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he finally saw hopes towards the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With his aptitude, it would not be difficult for him to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm within 200 years if he had enough resources.
That would also be around the time the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion died. Aside from the old ghost of Shocking Swan Pavilion, Yun Xing Hua thought little of the others. When he obtained the strength of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there would be nobody else in the entire Shocking Swan Territory who could be his opponent. Dominating the entire Shocking Swan Territory and using Shocking Swan Territory to lord over Shocking Swan Pavilion would not be a difficult task. Only then could he take revenge for his grudge of being suppressed back then!
His beautiful dream had only just begun, and yet, he was faced with such a turn of events. That unknown powerful enemy could slaughter four Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in an instant. Yun Xing Hua had to admit that he was not this enemy’s opponent. Even if they relied on Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, they might not be able to stop the enemy. He couldn’t help feeling a little lost as to what he should do in the future!
Despite pondering gloomily for a while, Yun Xing Hua came up with no countermeasure whatsoever. He could only hope that the enemy was not that powerful and would retreat in the face of difficulties.
Unfortunately, his hopes were crushed to pieces in just one day.
Following a loud sound, the entire Blood Swan Continent seemed to shake as a violent force impacted it. Blood Swan Continent was struck by a disaster. The slightly weaker disciples began bleeding from their seven orifices from the impact of the shock and chaos soon spread. Some even passed out, unable to take the impact.
Yun Xing Hua came out of the place where he had been cultivating and lifting his gaze, he immediately saw an enormous lotus outside of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The lotus rotated slowly and every flower petal was exquisitely crafted, like the most beautiful work of art. Even so, he could sense an amazing power from it.
This was definitely an artifact that only a Second-Class great force could produce. Moreover, it would need to be a Second-Class great force with quite a strong heritage. Shocking Swan Pavilion had a similar artifact called Shocking Swan Platform, which cost countless resources to create.
Yun Xing Hua’s mouth was instantly filled with bitterness at the sight.
At this moment, the Defensive Grand Array of Blood Swan Continent had been activated and a transparent light barrier enveloped the entire Spirit Province. However, there was a deep indentation at one spot of the light barrier that was slowly restoring itself. Yun Xing Hua’s face twitched slightly at the sight when he realised that the indentation was caused by the lotus ramming into the Grand Array.
[Just who is inside that lotus!? I can’t believe they used an artifact like that to forcefully try to break Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array! Are they insane!?]
It had to be said that while this kind of artifact might be powerful, it was also extremely expensive to produce. Repairing such an artifact was no easy feat once it was damaged; therefore, artifacts like this would generally be loved and cherished greatly no matter the great force that owned it. They would not allow the artifact to be damaged easily. On the contrary, this person was using the lotus artifact to smash into the Grand Array directly.
[What violent and ruthless methods.] Just as that thought crossed Yun Xing Hua’s mind, he saw the lotus backing up by several dozen kilometres. Then, it turned into a stream of light and charged towards Blood Swan Continent again.
Yun Xing Hua felt as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. A chill surged up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head in an instant and without any hesitation whatsoever, he summoned the Array Jade and desperately poured his power into it, urgently mobilising the strength of the Defensive Grand Array.
The World Energy of Blood Swan Continent instantly felt like it had been siphoned away. Everything was directed into the Grand Array to enhance its strength. The transparent light barrier quickly became more solid, as though several layers had been added to it.
The process had only just been completed when the lotus collided directly with the light barrier, which caved inward so deeply that the changes were visible to the naked eye. The enormous lotus was like a Divine sword falling from the Heavens, stabbing into Blood Swan Continent’s vitals, giving off the impression that it wanted to smash Blood Swan Continent to pieces.
There was a loud booming explosion and Blood Swan Continent experienced another earthquake. The illusory phantom of a Small Universe appeared behind Yun Xing Hua’s back for a moment before vanishing and his World Force fluctuated.
The power of the Grand Array did not disappoint as the thick light barrier was like a rubber ball that caused the lotus to bounce backwards. However, it took a very long time for the dented portion of the light barrier to recover.
Yun Xing Hua groaned and staggered backwards. Blood was trickling out of his mouth and nose and his complexion was slightly pale. As the person controlling Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, his mind was connected to it; hence, he was also affected by the backlash when Blood Swan Continent was struck by the impact.
“Sect Master!” Numerous figures rushed over and stood next to him, looking outward with expressions of shock and horror.
Yun Xing Hua suppressed the churning vitality in his body and shouted across the Grand Array, “These friends! Please stop! I have something to say!”
He originally placed his hopes in the Defensive Grand Array, but it would now seem that his hopes were in vain. Although the Defensive Grand Array remained strong and did not break, he could not withstand much more himself. The lotus would only need to slam into the Grand Array another 3 to 5 times before he would be severely injured. At that time, without someone to control it, the Grand Array would collapse on its own.
There was no response from the enormous lotus; instead, it pulled back once more to create a distance of over a hundred kilometres before turning into a stream of light and shooting towards Blood Swan Continent again.
*Hong…*
The collision shook the sky. Countless Blood Swan Continent disciples passed out on the spot and even those in the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm seemed unable to withstand the impact of the collision. They staggered slightly, their expressions turning grim.
Meanwhile, Yun Xing Hua spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and his aura withered all of a sudden. He was the one in charge of the Defensive Grand Array after all, so he received the most direct impact.
Nevertheless, Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array held even after the 3 ramming blows. That was the strength of the Spirit Array. Even if Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, it could rely on the power of its Grand Array to defend against an invading enemy that was stronger than itself.
On the other hand, the glow of the enormous lotus faded slightly after the 3 impacts. It would seem that it had been damaged as a result.
A delicate woman’s voice came from inside the lotus, “Xiao Guo Miao, the Young Master has helped you vent your anger. If you have not had enough, we can continue ramming them. We will break this tortoise shell and trample flat Blood Swan Continent.”
Inside Blood Swan Continent, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters nearly spat blood at those words. [Such a violent and crazy approach was just to help Guo Miao vent her anger!? Just what kind of lunatic is hidden inside that lotus!?]
While they were trembling in fear, they heard a young girl’s voice, “Many thanks, Senior. This disciple only wishes for my father to be safe and sound. I don’t care about anything else.”
Elder Guan stood next to Yun Xing Hua and whispered, “That’s Guo Miao’s voice.”
Guo Miao had lived in Blood Swan Continent for many years. Since Elder Guan knew about her identity, it was only natural that he could also recognise her voice.
Yun Xing Hua nodded solemnly. He had long guessed the murderer who killed Gu Zhi Xin and the others would not leave things be. It was just that he never imagined they would appear outside Blood Swan Continent so quickly. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the rage in his heart and cupped his fists, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua offers his greetings. May I know to whom I am speaking? Will you show yourselves?”
The lotus floating in the sky spun slowly. Then, an opening appeared in the gaps between two flower petals and two people emerged from within that opening. One was a brave and heroic young man. He stood with his hands behind his back with an indifferent expression on his face while the other one was a beautiful and charming woman.
Yun Xing Hua’s eyes contracted at the sight. That was because, among the two people who appeared, he could sense a terrifying aura coming from the woman. That aura was something he only felt from the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion before.
“Sixth-Order!” Elder Guan exclaimed, his expression instantly becoming extremely ugly.
The other Open Heaven Realm Masters also felt their hearts sinking in their chest. Their expressions were gloomy and their nervous gulping was faintly audible. [A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!? Blood Swan Continent has kicked an iron plate this time! We’re doomed!]
No wonder Gu Zhi Xin, as well as the other Deacons and Hall Masters, were killed in an instant! It turned out that the other party was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! How could any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master fight back against such mighty strength?
Nevertheless, despite guessing that Gu Zhi Xin and the others had died at the hands of this beautiful woman, the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent did not dare to hold the slightest resentment or vengeful feelings against her.
There was only one Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the entire Shocking Swan Territory, and that was the Old Pavilion Master of Shocking Swan Pavilion. He had oppressed Shocking Swan Territory for thousands of years and reigned supreme in this place, dominating Shocking Swan Territory under him. Nobody dared to disobey him. That showed just how tyrannical the strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was.
Even if Blood Swan Continent had asked Shocking Swan Pavilion for help, Shocking Swan Pavilion would probably refuse to interfere in this chaos. How could the Old Pavilion Master, who was approaching his predestined time of death, dare to offend another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for Blood Swan Continent?
Yun Xing Hua looked at the young man standing in front of the woman with a bitter expression. That young man’s aura was obscure, but it was obvious he was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to underestimate the other party. Rather, his expression became even more solemn than before.
This couldn’t be helped. That was because the young man’s position was actually one step ahead of that woman in the Sixth Order! What did that mean? That undoubtedly meant that the young man’s status was higher than hers. It could even be said that the woman in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was nothing more than his subordinate!
Yun Xing Hua felt cold sweat oozing out of his forehead. He had the vague feeling that he had accidentally provoked an extraordinary existence. Suppressing the fear in his heart, he politely cupped his fists and quickly said, “Blood Swan Continent Yun Xing Hua greets two guests. May I know how I should address you?”
Yang Kai was expressionless and said nothing while on the other hand, Yue He smilingly replied, “The Young Master is the Master of Void Land, Void True Monarch.”
A trivial nobody in the Emperor Realm was clearly not qualified to call himself ‘True Monarch’, but nobody found those words strange given the circumstances.
Yun Xing Hua frowned slightly and his heart was filled with doubts. He could tell that Void Land was a Second-Class great force, but he had never heard of this name before. Still, he adjusted quickly, “So it is Sir True Monarch. I did not know that you were coming to visit Blood Swan Continent. Please forgive us for our lack of hospitality. It’s just… is there some kind of misunderstanding? Why did you attack Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array, True Monarch? Has Blood Swan Continent done something to offend you?”
There had never been a time when he had to speak so respectfully towards an Emperor Realm Junior, but there was no helping it; his strength could not compare to the other party, so he could only lower his head.
Yue He was still smiling, but her smile seemed extremely terrifying in the eyes of the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blood Swan Continent.
“Don’t you know what Blood Swan Continent has done? Why ask when you already know the answer?”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression became tortured but he forced a smile onto his face and said, “Madame, please enlighten me. This Yun has been in retreat and has only come out recently, so I am not too aware of the events in the outside world.”
“Are you sure?” Yue He looked at him meaningfully, but her tone was leisurely.
Under her gaze, Yun Xing Hua felt as though he was being watched by an ancient Ominous Beast and could die at any moment. Thus, the cold sweat on his forehead kept sliding down his cheeks. The pressure was as heavy as a mountain as the wheels in his head spun at a dizzying speed, trying to think of a way to resolve the current crisis.
At this moment, the weak-looking scholar stepped forward and spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, “Sect Master, I’m afraid this incident might be related to Elder Gu.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Xing Hua pretended not to know anything, glancing at the scholar suspiciously.
The scholar replied, “I seem to have heard Guo Miao’s voice coming from inside the lotus just now. Guo Miao is one of the Disciples under Elder Gu and the daughter of one of Scarlet Star’s Great Commanders, Guo Zi Yan. In the past, Commander Guo sent Guo Miao to Blood Swan Continent to take Elder Gu as her Master and cultivate under him. The day before yesterday, Commander Guo came to Blood Swan Continent to take Guo Miao away. Naturally, Elder Gu had no objections. The two of them had a long conversation with each other over drinks, but I have no idea what happened after their talk. Since Guo Miao is here, then this incident must have something to do with that event.”
“Something like this happened?” Yun Xing Hua frowned and looked around. He shouted, “Where is Elder Gu? Come forward and explain this situation.”
The scholar replied, “Sect Master, Elder Gu is dead. His Soul Lamp went out all of a sudden. I was just about to report this matter to you, but I didn’t get the chance to do so.”
“What!?” Yun Xing Hua was shocked, “Elder Gu is dead!?”
“Elder Gu is not the only one. The Soul Lamps of several other Deacons and Hall Masters were also extinguished at the same time.”
Yun Xing Hua’s expression went pale all of a sudden as he spoke in a distressed voice, “How can this be?”
Seeming to mourn their deaths for a moment, he raised his head again to look at Yue He and Yang Kai, “May I know if Your Excellency’s arrival at Blood Swan Continent is related to Gu Zhi Xin? If that’s the case, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Elder Gu was killed by an unknown party and even his Soul Lamp has been extinguished.”
“No need to wonder, I killed him!” Yue He said lightly.
Yun Xing Hua widened his eyes and stared at her in disbelief, “Madame, why did you kill one of Blood Swan Continent’s Elders? What did Elder Gu do to offend you?”
Yue He just stared at him deeply and only after a long while passed did she slowly shake her head and look at Yang Kai, “Young Master.”
Yang Kai clapped his hands slowly, “I heard that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent was suppressed by Shocking Swan Pavilion in the past, but he endured the disgrace and the humiliation while working to build himself back up. Therefore, I originally thought that the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent would be a resilient and flexible man who could achieve great things given time. But, it seems now that he is nothing more than a clown!”
Yun Xing Hua snapped angrily, “Why do you say that, True Monarch?”
Yang Kai looked at Yun Xing Hua indifferently, “Sect Master, don’t you think that your acting is too clumsy? Who could you deceive with such a shoddy performance? For your next act, do you expect me to tell you that Gu Zhi Xin not only stole the two Fourth-Order materials that Commander Guo gave to his daughter but also forced her to refine a Second-Order Element in order to cut off her future Martial Dao? Then, to prevent any future trouble, he teamed up with several other Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent to hunt down Commander Guo and his daughter? Are you going to tell me that you were completely oblivious to everything that was going on? Was it all done by Gu Zhi Xin alone?”
“Two Fourth-Order materials?” Yun Xing Hua was stunned by what he heard, “Elder Gu did give me two Fourth-Order materials to help me in my cultivation while I was in retreat. Could it be that those two materials belonged to Guo Miao?”
After saying that, he seemed extremely annoyed, “Foolish! How foolish! As one of the Elders of Blood Swan Continent Elder, how could Elder Gu actually steal the resources of his Disciples!? Such practices are against the ethics a Master should abide by!”
Yang Kai nodded in praise, “Sect Master, your acting skills are superb indeed. This King is impressed!”
Yun Xing Hua spoke with a stern expression, “True Monarch, you are misunderstanding me. I really had no clue about this matter. If I had known earlier…”
Before Yun Xing Hua could finish speaking, Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt the other party. He leaned forward slightly and looked down at Yun Xing Hua condescendingly, “Did you think this King came here to argue with you? Regardless of whether you knew anything about this matter or not, it doesn’t change the fact that somebody from Blood Swan Continent stole from one of my people then attempted to kill them to cover up the crime. Commander Guo was also injured by the people from Blood Swan Continent. If not for this King’s timely rescue, he and his daughter would not be alive today. Commander Guo is a member of Void Land. The people of Void Land are not people that mere bastards like you lot can bully.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yue He let out a tender shout as she gave a flick of her wrist and summoned a long whip into her hand. The whip flew through the air and lashed against the light barrier of Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array. The light barrier caved inward deeply and successfully blocked this terrifying blow, but Yue He simply flicked her wrist again and lash her whip once more.
At the same time, the huge lotus suddenly split apart. The lotus flower petals flew out, slicing at the Grand Array from every direction like sharp blades. That was not all. Yang Kai also raised his hand and summoned the Yuan Magnetic Divine Bottle Gourd, opened its lid, and unleashed the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light towards the Defensive Grand Array.
The rumbling sounds were incessant and the entire Blood Swan Continent shook violently as its World Energy became chaotic. Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters went pale at the sight and all of them turned to look at Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua had re-summoned the Array Jade and focused the power of the Defensive Grand Array the moment Yang Kai and the others started attacking. Still, he perceived that the Grand Array was collapsing extremely quickly. His heart couldn’t help sinking to the bottom of the abyss.
Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force, so even though it had a Defensive Grand Array, its power was still relatively weak. They might have been able to resist if they had a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on their side, but unfortunately, they did not.
Yue He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could Blood Swan Continent’s Grand Array possibly stop her? Not to mention, Lang Qing Shan and the others were harnessing the power of the Falling Lotus while Yang Kai was controlling the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light to support from the sides!
With such a violent attack, it would take less than an hour before the Grand Array collapsed completely. When that happened, nobody in Blood Swan Continent would be able to stop the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from slaughtering them, regardless of their advantage in numbers.
“True Monarch, please stop! This really is a misunderstanding!” Yun Xing Hua shouted in a frenzy, his face dripping with cold sweat.
Yang Kai was unmoved by those words and on the contrary, his attacks became fiercer. He urged the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light more savagely than before. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Light could unleash a Sixth-Order Element Power, which was extremely powerful; however, it was still just one Element. Its destructive power was incomparable to that of a genuine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He. After all, what an Open Heaven Realm Master mobilised was World Force which blended Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. Even so, the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light was much more powerful compared to his own strength as an Emperor Realm Cultivator.
When Yun Xing Hua saw Yang Kai ignoring him, he shouted again, “Blood Swan Continent is willing to compensate you for your losses, True Monarch! Please show mercy!”
Yang Kai sneered, “You want to bargain now? Too late!”
If Yun Xing Hua had dispelled the Defensive Grand Array at the start and apologised properly, Yang Kai might not have decided to be so cruel; after all, it was not right for him to continue attacking if the other party was not fighting back. Besides, the culprit, Gu Zhi Xin, was already dead. Even if Yun Xing Hua knew about the incident beforehand, he was not the mastermind. However, Yun Xing Hua mistakenly believed that he could worm his way out of any blame by feigning ignorance. How could Yang Kai tolerate his actions?
Seeing that Yang Kai was so determined, Yun Xing Hua despaired. He could only desperately mobilise the power of the Grand Array to resist, but he knew that he was simply drinking poison to quench his thirst. There was no way to stop the impending disaster in front of him just by relying on Blood Swan Continent’s Defensive Grand Array. But, what was he to do if he did not resist? Was he supposed to allow himself to be slaughtered?
Turning his head and looking around, he saw that the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters looked as sorrowful as grieving widows and their complexions were grey with fear. Many of the disciples were also shivering and panicking. Yun Xing Hua sighed in his heart, knowing that Blood Swan Continent was doomed. At that moment, he wished with all his heart that he could drag the dead Gu Zhi Xin back from the Yellow Springs and give Gu Zhi Xin a brutal whipping.
*Kacha…*
The sound of something shattering rang out. In less than a stick of incense’s worth of time, numerous spider web-like cracks appeared in the Defensive Grand Array surrounding the entire Blood Swan Continent under the constant bombardment of Yue He, Yang Kai, and the Falling Lotus.
Yun Xing Hua might have been desperately drawing upon his power to reinforce the Grand Array, but it was nothing more than a struggle in vain.
Soon, the Grand Array collapsed, accompanied by a violent burst of energy fluctuations. As if struck by lightning, Yun Xing Hua spat out fresh blood and his complexion turned pale.
An invisible pressure spread out in an instant, enveloping the entire Blood Swan Continent. The weight of the pressure felt as though a thousand Universe Worlds were pressing down on everybody’s heads. It made them unable to breathe and caused despair to grow in their hearts. That was the majesty of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Every single Open Heaven Realm Master in Blood Swan Continent trembled like a quail without a nest in the middle of winter. They stared at the beautiful and charming woman in the sky with a mixture of shock and horror. None of them could muster the slightest resistance, much less the courage to fight her.
Yang Kai appeared in front of Yun Xing Hua in a flash. He kicked him to the ground and stepped on the latter’s chest before pressing the Azure Dragon Spear against the latter’s forehead and asking coldly, “Tell me; how do you want to die?”
Yun Xing Hua raised his gaze to stare at Yang Kai, his mouth filled with the taste of blood and humiliation. With his strength as a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would not be difficult for him to kill this Emperor Realm brat in front of him if he lashed out violently; however, he did not dare to act rashly. That was because the woman’s Divine Sense was firmly locked onto him and her beautiful eyes were gleaming with a cold light. If he so much as twitched suspiciously, a storm of attacks would rain down upon him and he would die on the spot before he could make a move.
Despite the stifling feeling in his heart, Yun Xing Hua did not dare to make any strange moves. He suppressed his unwillingness and backed down, “Please have mercy, True Monarch! Blood Swan Continent is willing to provide compensation and apologise!”
“What’s the point of compensation and an apology?” Yang Kai’s expression was frosty, “This King came here today to seek justice for my people. I will let the 3,000 Worlds know that nobody can oppress the people of Void Land! Hurry up and choose the way you wish to die! This King might just let you keep a whole corpse!”
Yun Xing Hua felt his heart sinking into the abyss. He never imagined that Yang Kai would be so resolute, refusing to give face whatsoever.
At this moment, Yue He’s expression changed as she informed, “Young Master, Commander Guo has awoken.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his head to look in the direction of the Falling Lotus. His Divine Sense spread out and sure enough, he could sense that Guo Zi Yan had woken up.
At this moment, Guo Zi Yan walked out of the Falling Lotus with Guo Miao’s help. When he looked around, he was shocked to discover that Yun Xing Hua was being trampled underfoot by Yang Kai and could not move. Many of Blood Swan Continent’s Open Heaven Realm Masters were frozen in place with panicked looks on their faces, as though a Binding Technique had been used on them. In addition, there were countless Blood Swan Continent disciples lying unconscious on the ground in the surroundings.
He immediately understood what was going on. Yang Kai had attacked Blood Swan Continent!
[What a domineering approach!] Looking at the current situation, it would seem that Blood Swan Continent was completely incapable of fighting back. That was no surprise though as how could a Third-Class great force stop a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yue He?
“Commander Guo, your injuries have yet to heal. You should be recuperating right now. Why did you come out?” Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan.
Guo Zi Yan exhaled lightly, “Many thanks, Sir, for your concern. This subordinate’s injuries are not an issue and will recover fully with a few days’ rest. It’s my daughter… She has something to ask of you, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked at Guo Miao with a light expression and gently nodded, “Your Father serves under me, and although it has not been long, he is very loyal to this King and has made many worthy contributions. You are his only offspring and the most valuable existence in his life. A person he is willing to give up his life to protect. Go ahead and tell me what you want. As long as it is within this King’s abilities, I will not refuse you!”
Guo Miao hurriedly bowed when she heard those words, “This disciple would like to thank you in advance, Sir. This disciple… This disciple has no other wish. I just hope that Sir can show mercy. Please spare the Sect Master and Elders. Please spare Blood Swan Continent.”
As soon as her statement came out, not only did Yang Kai look surprised, even the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent looked astonished. The eyes of Yun Xing Hua, who did not dare to move under Yang Kai’s foot, glimmered with a sliver of hope.
Guo Zi Yan seemed to have anticipated what his daughter would say, so he was not surprised and simply let out a sigh.
“Are you certain?” Yang Kai stared directly into Guo Miao’s eyes, as though he was trying to stare into the depths of her Soul, “Gu Zhi Xin stole your resources and forced you to refine a Second-Order Element to cut off your future. Earlier, he also hunted you and your Father down with a group of men. You and your Father nearly lost your lives in the void. If not for this King’s timely arrival, you two would not be alive right now. As the Sect Master of Blood Swan Continent, it is bad enough that Yun Xing Hua failed to shelter and take care of a disciple like you, but he even condoned the crimes of Gu Zhi Xin. When this King came here to question him about the incident, he feigned ignorance about the matter. Such a villain, such a filthy place; are you sure you want me to be merciful?”
Guo Miao lowered her head, “Honoured… Gu Zhi Xin stole my resources and cut off my future. I hate him for that. His death is not worth pitying. I won’t lie to you, Sir. I used to dream countless times about taking revenge one day. I wanted him to die the most painful death. But, now that this day is here, this Disciple only feels sadness and for some reason, I am very unhappy.”
While speaking, her eyes reddened slightly and tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes. Guo Zi Yan lightly patted her on the shoulder and pulled her into his embrace.
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed as he could vaguely understand the contradiction in her heart; after all, she was practically raised by Gu Zhi Xin. Guo Zi Yan had sent her to Blood Swan Continent when she was very young, so having lost her Mother at a young age and parted with her real Father, she had struggled to survive as a child. In her eyes, Gu Zhi Xin was the closest person to her besides her Father. However, the closest person to her had harmed her during the most important juncture of her life. He forced her to condense a Second-Order Element despite her aptitude to help another reach the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Therefore, she hated him and cursed him with all her heart. Even so, her great hatred could not entirely erase the gratitude she had towards him for raising and teaching her.
Her gratitude and her hatred were in conflict, causing her emotions to become turbulent. It was only natural for her to feel sad. Rather, nobody with the slightest conscience in them would be able to bear watching Blood Swan Continent be wiped out.
Guo Miao rubbed at the corner of her eyes and said, “The culprit is dead and my Father and I are safe and sound, so this Disciple asks Sir to show mercy. Please let this matter end here.”
Blood Swan Continent was ultimately the place she grew up in and it could be considered her second family. Despite all the sorrowful happenings, the Fellow Brothers and Sisters that grew up with her and lived with her for many years were here in this place. If Yang Kai slaughtered all the Open Heaven Realm Masters, where would her Fellow Brothers and Sisters go?
After listening to her words, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent all looked ashamed. On the other hand, Yun Xing Hua looked inexplicably grateful. He thought he was going to die, but who could have known that there would be a turning point in this scenario and he still had a chance to survive?
Yang Kai looked at Guo Zi Yan, “Commander Guo, is that also your intention?”
Guo Zi Yan replied, “This subordinate has no other wishes now that he has been reunited with his daughter.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai responded. He lowered his head to look at Yun Xing Hua only to see the other party looking at him beggingly.
When their gazes met, Yun Xing Hua looked like he was trying to force out a smile, but his facial muscles were so stiff that his smile was uglier than his crying face.
“Forget it!” Yang Kai spat disdainfully, “I’ve lost my murderous intent after listening to what the two of you have said. I’ll spare their lives today.”
A burst of relieved exhalation sounded. The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent felt as though a mountain had been lifted from their hearts. They immediately relaxed considerably. Looking at each other, they found that each other’s faces were covered in sweat; thus, they couldn’t help smiling ruefully. The feeling of lurking in front of the Gates of Death was horrible indeed.
*Ceng…*
The Azure Dragon Spear slid past Yun Xing Hua’s cheek and stabbed into the ground beside his ear. Yang Kai leaned down and spoke in a sinister voice, “You better be thankful that you took in such a kind-hearted disciple.”
“Yes! Of course!” Yun Xing Hua nodded repeatedly, “Blood Swan Continent will never forget the mercy Guo Miao showed us today!”
Yang Kai continued, “While death may be exempted, punishment may not.” He took out the Loyalty List and flipped to the third page, “Force out your Blood Essence, then record your name and aura here.”
The Loyalty List had a total of nine pages. The first page contained Chen Tian Fei’s name. The second page had Hei He’s name. There used to be a name written on the third page, a subordinate of Old Ancestor Mo Yu. Yang Kai previously used that person to lead Mo Yu into a trap. Unfortunately, that person had a short life. Mo Yu killed him immediately after noticing that something was wrong. Consequently, the name that used to exist on the third page faded away and disappeared.
Guo Miao’s gratitude allowed her to forgive the people of Blood Swan Continent, but Yang Kai was not willing to let them off so easily.
At the moment, Void Land was desperately short of manpower. In particular, there were too few Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. It made handling various matters rather difficult. If he could absorb the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent, then he would have enough people to manage Void Territory’s Star City.
He once planned for Lang Qing Shan and the others to take care of the Star City once they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but that would take a few more years at least. On the other hand, this group of Open Heaven Realm Masters of Blood Swan Continent would undoubtedly meet his immediate needs. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm so he was reluctantly strong enough to manage and maintain the order of the Star City.
Yun Xing Hua might not know the secret behind the Loyalty List, but he instinctively knew that it was not a good thing. Unfortunately, he was a person under the eaves. Yue He’s aura was also firmly locked into him, so how could he resist?
Fortunately for him, he was a rather flexible individual. Having been suppressed by Shocking Swan Territory in the past, Yun Xing Hua cultivated a character capable of enduring disgrace and humiliation. He knew when to bend and stretch. Hence, he readily forced out his Blood Essence to leave his name and aura on the Loyalty List.
A blood light shone brightly. Then, the name ‘Yun Xing Hua’ appeared on the third page of the Loyalty List.
Yang Kai grinned at Yun Xing Hua, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances. You did well.”
Only then did he remove his foot from Yun Xing Hua’s chest.
Yun Xing Hua observed himself quietly for a while, seeming to vaguely understand the mysteries of the Loyalty List. Regardless of how turbulent his emotions were inside, he did not reveal the slightest hint of dissatisfaction on the surface and instead smiled brightly, “Yun Xing Hua greets Sir. If you have any instructions in the future, this subordinate will not refuse your orders, come Hell or high water.”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He naturally did not trust the latter. Nevertheless, he was not worried about what troubles Yun Xing Hua could cause as long as he had the Loyalty List in his possession.
“Is this all the wealth that Blood Swan Continent possesses?” Inside the Main Hall, Yang Kai sat in the head seat while Yue He stood behind him. At this moment, he was holding a Space Ring in his hand and staring speechlessly at Yun Xing Hua, who was standing in front of him.
Yun Xing Hua had left his name on the Loyalty List, so no matter what kind of character he had, he was now part of Void Land. Blood Swan Continent was located in Shocking Swan Territory, which was where Shocking Swan Pavilion reigned supreme. Even if Yang Kai wanted to bring the entire Blood Swan Continent under his command as a Subordinate Sect of Void Land, he was strong in will but weak in strength.
If anybody were to do something like that in the Void Territory, Yang Kai would not be able to accept it either. If he really did do this, then Shocking Swan Pavilion would definitely interfere.
Therefore, he could only give up on Blood Swan Continent’s Spirit Province despite his reluctance. Although Yang Kai could give up on the land, the people had to come with him.
Starting from Yun Xing Hua, the twenty or so Open Heaven Realm Masters and the numerous elite disciples of Blood Swan Continent would need to migrate to the Star City of Void Territory. From now onwards, they would live in and manage the Star City on behalf of Void Land.
Yang Kai believed that with a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in charge, in addition to the cooperation of several Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Star City would be managed properly.
Be that as it may, it was a given that all of Blood Swan Continent’s wealth would be taken along before they left this place. Yang Kai had expected Blood Swan Continent to be very poor; otherwise, Gu Zhi Xin would not have targeted his own Disciple to steal a mere two Fourth-Order materials. Nevertheless, he never imagined that a Third-Class great force could be so poor!
Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house contained no more than 100,000 Open Heaven Pills while all the other cultivation resources combined were probably only worth around 200,000 to 300,000 Open Heaven Pills. In other words, all the assets in Blood Swan Continent’s treasure house were worth no more than 400,000 Open Heaven Pills!
For somebody who literally spent billions at a time like Yang Kai, this paltry sum was not even worth looking at. After further consideration though, he realised that it was not Blood Swan Continent’s fault for being so poor. The reason he had so much wealth was that he made a fortune in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. In the 3,000 Worlds, most Third-Class great forces would not have much savings in reserve. That was because its members would always require various resources for their cultivation.
Take Blood Swan Continent for example. There were 20 to 30 Open Heaven Realm Masters under Yun Xing Hua, who served as the Elders, Deacons, Hall Masters, and various other important positions in Blood Swan Continent. These people would need a certain amount of remuneration every month, ranging from several hundred to several thousand Open Heaven Pills. In one month, their expenditures would cost several tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills, and this was not counting the disciples below the Open Heaven Realm.
This was the case for Blood Swan Continent, and most other Third-Class great forces were in similar situations.
Back then, it had been a massive haemorrhaging for Great Moon Province to give Yang Kai 100,000 Open Heaven Pills in order to express its apology. Those who had accumulated hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills like Yang Kai were few and far between.
Yun Xing Hua responded in a panic, “Sir, this subordinate was in retreat for my breakthrough recently, which consumed a lot of resources. That… Uh…”
He thought that Yang Kai was not satisfied with the amount; thus, he kept shooting furtive looks at the other Open Heaven Realm Masters while speaking, as if to ask them to pool some resources together to calm Yang Kai’s anger. Although many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely reluctant, they did not dare to disobey and began taking action.
“Stop,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively and threw the Space Ring in his hand back to Yun Xing Hua.
Yun Xing Hua was puzzled, “Sir?”
Yang Kai picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip of the tea. Then, he slowly said, “That belongs to Blood Swan Continent. Take good care of it. This King is not interested in your possessions.”
Yun Xing Hua looked ashamed, “Sir, your benevolence puts this subordinate to shame.”
Yang Kai added sternly, “Right now, this King has a heavy responsibility to entrust to you!”
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly said, “Sir, please do tell!”
“Bring out your Universe Chart!” Yang Kai gestured.
Yun Xing Hua quickly took out his Universe Chart and gave it to Yang Kai. Yang Kai took the Universe Chart, poured some power into it, and then tossed it back to Yun Xing Hua a short while later, “I have marked the location of Void Land on your Universe Chart. Choose 1,000 people from Blood Swan Continent and head to Void Land to find someone named Lu Xue. Tell her that I sent you there.”
Yun Xing Hua replied respectfully, “Yes, Sir!” Pausing for a moment, he tried to probe for more information, “Sir, what should this subordinate do after meeting Lu Xue?”
Yang Kai glanced at Yun Xing Hua, “You will help this King manage the Star City in Void Territory!”
*Shua shua shua…*
The gazes of more than 20 Open Heaven Realm Masters below all turned in this direction at the same time.
Likewise, Yun Xing Hua was also stunned by those words. He stared at Yang Kai in great astonishment and asked, “Sir, you want me to manage the Star City?”
He could not believe his ears.
For any great force that was in control of a Great Territory, the existence of the Star City could almost be said to be one of the greatest sources of income. They could collect taxes and rent from the people living and working in the Star City, allowing them a steady stream of Open Heaven Pills with only minimal work and risk.
There was also a Star City in Shocking Swan Territory, but it was naturally under the management of Shocking Swan Pavilion. Blood Swan Continent had no chance to get involved in that matter whatsoever; after all, the existence of the Star City was extremely important to any great force. Only those who were the most loyal to the Sect were allowed to manage the Star City, so as to ensure the continuity of the great force.
And yet, Yang Kai was actually allowing Blood Swan Continent to manage Void Territory’s the Star City under Yun Xing Hua’s leadership!
“What’s wrong? Do you not want to?” Yang Kai’s expression sank.
Yun Xing Hua hurriedly shook his head, “No, no. This subordinate will carry out Sir’s orders even if he must cross a sea of swords and flame. It’s just that a Star City… It is so important. I am afraid of disappointing, Sir.”
Yun Xing Hua was extremely suspicious, [Could he be setting me up? But, he doesn’t have to go that far. He can determine my life or death with a single thought, so there’s no reason for him to use this method even if he wants to get rid of me.]
Yang Kai’s expression remained sullen as he explained, “Void Land is newly established and this King does not have enough Open Heaven Realm Masters or the necessary manpower to manage the Star City currently. If not for that, do you think you would obtain such a chance?”
Although these words held no trace of politeness to them, they sounded like music to Yun Xing Hua, [So that’s how it is! It’s because of insufficient manpower!]
He was jumping for joy on the inside, but he remained calm on the surface, “I see. This subordinate understands. Sir, please rest assured, this subordinate will take good care of the Star City and will not disappoint Sir’s trust.”
He was very good at hiding his emotions as neither his joy nor anger showed on his face. On the other hand, the other Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not have such prudence and many of them showed pleased expressions as they rejoiced in their hearts.
They originally thought that with Blood Swan Continent compromised, their days would become bitter. Even the Sect Master was being so respectful to the other party; therefore, they expected the road ahead to be extremely difficult. Many of them were already considering whether to find an opportunity to escape. They were Open Heaven Realm Masters after all, so they would be accepted anywhere no matter which great force they defected to. Even if they became lonely rogue cultivators, it would still be better than having to suffer another person’s whims.
Who could have expected that they would have the opportunity to manage a Star City? That was a lucrative job! Although all kinds of trouble could pop up in a Star City, it was also the place where transactions frequently took place and every transaction would involve large amounts of Open Heaven Pills changing hands.
Even among the great forces that were qualified to control a Star City, the candidates to manage it would have to go through extremely severe assessments and much competition before the final selection could be determined. On the contrary, the opportunity that countless people fought over was being placed right in front of them.
Sure enough, as the saying went, ‘One would surely experience great fortune after surviving a huge catastrophe’. They had been worrying about their lives not long ago, but they were now being handed such a great fortune. Every one of them could almost see huge amounts of Open Heaven Pills pouring into their pockets in the near future, so how could they not be excited?
Even Yun Xing Hua couldn’t help but smile. If he had known earlier that he would be helping Yang Kai manage a Star City, he would not have fought back at all earlier. He would have immediately opened the Grand Array and respectfully welcomed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gave Yun Xing Hua a meaningful look, “If you work hard and show this King your sincerity, your cultivation journey in the future will not be as difficult as it is now. Over time, it will not be difficult for you to enhance your Order.”
Yun Xing Hua quickly replied, “Many thanks, Sir. Rest assured, this subordinate will live up to your trust.”
“Take this jade slip. When you arrive at Void Land and meet with Lu Xue, hand it to her. She will make further arrangements for you.”
“Yes!”
“I will give you five days to settle all the affairs of Blood Swan Continent. It’s up to you who to bring with you and what to do with the rest. I only want 1,000 people entering the Star City!” While speaking, Yang Kai stood up, “This King still has other important matters to attend to. When this King returns to Void Land, I hope to see the results of your efforts!”
Yun Xing Hua bowed, “Please look forward to the results! Have a safe trip, Sir!”
The Open Heaven Realm Masters also echoed in unison, “Safe travels, Sir!”
Under their gazes, Yang Kai led Yue He into the Falling Lotus. Afterward, the lotus quickly turned into a stream of light and flew off into the distance.
When the stream of light disappeared from view, Yun Xing Hua exhaled heavily as he felt this was all a blessing in disguise!
After pondering for some time, he turned around and issued order after order. The entire Blood Swan Continent immediately became bustling.
There were not many disciples in Blood Swan Continent, but they were not few either. There were about 7,000 people in total. Unfortunately, Yang Kai only wanted 1,000. The remaining disciples could not be brought along with them. Moreover, Yun Xing Hua would be permanently based in the Star City. In other words, he might never return to Blood Swan Continent again.
Naturally, he wanted to bring the 1,000 disciples with the best aptitudes. As for the rest, they would have to figure out a way out for themselves. They might defect to another Third-Class great force, join Shocking Swan Pavilion, or even end up homeless; however, Blood Swan Continent was bound to be merged into Shocking Swan Pavilion at this point anyways.
At the same time, inside the Falling Lotus. Yang Kai looked at the father-and-daughter pair in front of him with a big smile on his face, “Congratulations on your reunion with your daughter, Commander Guo.”
Guo Zi Yan bowed, “It’s all thanks to you, Sir. If not for your timely rescue, the two of us would be dead right now.”
Guo Miao also said, “It’s all thanks to your life-saving grace, Sir.”
Yang Kai raised his hand to stop Guo Miao, “Your Father is part of Void Land, which makes you a part of Void Land. If my disciple is in trouble, I will not sit idly by and watch.”
He then turned to look at Guo Zi Yan, “This King mentioned before that he will provide your daughter with the best cultivation resources within the range of her ability to refine. What Order Power can your Dao Seal withstand, Guo Miao?
Guo Miao’s expression darkened, “This disciple believes that Fourth Order should not be a problem while Fifth Order will be a little difficult. But, now…”
Guo Zi Yan also looked sad. Whenever he recalled that his daughter’s future had been ruined by Gu Zhi Xin, he couldn’t help feeling extremely distressed.
“If you can withstand Fourth-Order Element Powers, then you should refine Fourth-Order materials in the future and achieve the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Guo Zi Yan said, “Miao’er currently has a Second-Order foundation. It won’t make a difference even if she refines Fourth-Order materials afterward. In the future, she will only be able to break through to the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Sir, there are many things to be done in Void Land. There is no need to waste resources. I will take care of Miao’er’s cultivation in the future.”
“Who said that it will be a waste?” Yang Kai laughed, “Have you forgotten about Meng Hong?”
“Young Master Meng Hong?” Guo Zi Yan was stunned by those words. It was a given that he knew Meng Hong as they had lived together in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for more than 10 years. Therefore, he recalled what happened during this period with great clarity, “Sir, do you mean…”
Yang Kai solemnly replied, “Senior Brother Meng originally condensed Third-Order Elements; however, he wiped clean those Powers from his Dao Seal and is now condensing Fifth-Order Elements! If he successfully advances into the Open Heaven Realm, he will be in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm! His starting point is two Orders higher than at the beginning.”
“This subordinate is aware of this matter. But, Young Master Meng Hong only received this chance because he obtained some Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Something like the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water is simply too rare. It’s impossib… Sir, what is that?” While speaking, Guo Zi Yan suddenly widened his eyes and stared at the small jade bottle in Yang Kai’s hands.
Yang Kai shook the bottle, and the sound of liquid sloshing about inside could be heard as he smiled, “It’s Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water.”
Despite having some guesses, Guo Zi Yan involuntarily gave a sharp hiss of surprise when he heard Yang Kai confirming his conjecture. Even Yue He looked over in astonishment.
Open Heaven Realm Masters were not able to enter the Primordial Land; therefore, they were completely clueless as to what good things Yang Kai had obtained inside. Other people might not be able to obtain Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but Yang Kai had a lot in his possession. This Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water was one of the treasures that he obtained from the Primordial Land.
“With this Divine Water, we can cleanse the Power in Guo Miao’s Dao Seal. Fortunately, she has only condensed one Element so far, so it won’t be difficult to wash it away. The only question is whether you have the courage to do so, Guo Miao. Can you persevere through the process?”
Guo Miao was excited as she asked, “Based on what Sir has said, this Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water can give this Disciple a chance to start over again, right?”
She had never heard of Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water before as she had been cultivating in Blood Swan Continent all this while and did not have much contact with the outside world, so she was a little ignorant and uninformed. Nevertheless, that did not stop her from inferring the effects of this item from Yang Kai and Guo Zi Yan’s conversation.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “Although I have never used the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water myself, one of my friends has. This item can give you the chance to rebuild your foundation, but the risks involved are high. It involves your Dao Seal after all. If you are not careful, you might destroy your foundation and cripple your future. Furthermore, I’m afraid you will suffer great pain during the process of cleansing your Dao Seal.”
Guo Miao asked tentatively, “May I know what happened to your friend in the end, Sir?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Although the process was extremely torturous, he managed to succeed.”
A look of determination flashed through the young girl’s eyes as she declared her intent, “In that case, please grant me the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, Sir. This Disciple is willing to try.”
“Are you sure?” Yang Kai asked in a low voice.
“This Disciple is sure. This Disciple originally had the aptitude to reach the Fourth-Order, but was forced to condense a Second-Order Element. While I might be able to safely advance into the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm, I will never be reconciled with my fate. Instead of feeling dissatisfied for the rest of my life, I would rather take a gamble. This Disciple will not have any regrets even if I fail!”
Guo Zi Yan stood by the side, looking as if he was hesitating to speak. It seemed as though he wanted to stop her; however, he kept swallowing the words that appeared on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he heaved a long sigh and gave up on the idea of stopping her.
Yang Kai handed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water to Guo Miao with a small smile, “You have an ambitious heart. This King will fulfil your wish, but you don’t need to worry too much. At the time, my friend passed the entire ordeal with his will alone even after he refined three Elements. Your situation is far better than his. I will have Yue He stand guard for you.”
“Many thanks!” Guo Miao accepted the jade bottle and held it tightly in her hands. She gripped the bottle as though she was not holding Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water, but her very future. She turned to glance at her father while Guo Zi Yan returned her look with an encouraging expression.
Without hesitating, she immediately went into retreat to consume the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. Yang Kai naturally had no objections and instructed Yue He to take good care of her.
There were many secret rooms inside the Falling Lotus so the two ladies chose one, entered, and opened all the barriers to isolate themselves from the outside world. Guo Zi Yan stood outside the door like an iron tower, pacing back and forth with a worried and anxious expression on his face.
The days passed by as the Falling Lotus travelled from Great Territory to Great Territory. Twenty days later, they finally arrived at the Great Territory where First Inn was located.
When Yang Kai first arrived in this place, he did not know much about the Great Territory. Only now did he learn from the Universe Chart that this Great Territory was called Thousand Birds Territory. In addition, there was a Second-Class great force here known as the Thousand Birds Sect.
Be that as it may, the Star City in this place was not managed by Thousand Birds Sect, but this could not be helped. Thousand Birds Sect might be a Second-Class great force with a deep heritage, but it was the Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven. Great Battle Heaven was the real Master of the Star City as it was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens.
In the 3,000 Worlds, there were countless First-Class, Second-Class, and Third-Class great forces. Most of them had subordinate relationships with each other.
Take Void Territory for example. Void Land dominated the Great Territory; hence, all other Third-Class great forces living in Void Territory belonged to Void Land. As such, when Void Land was re-building, those Third-Class great forces had sent many people over to help.
This was the case for Void Land and most other Second-Class great forces had similar situations. Another example was Shocking Swan Pavilion and Blood Swan Continent. Blood Swan Continent was also in a subordinate relationship with Shocking Swan Pavilion.
A Second-Class great force could control a Great Territory, so what needed to be said about a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise? Every Cave-Heaven and Paradise controlled multiple Great Territories, with the number ranging from as few as five to more than ten. Everything in these Great Territories was part of the foundation of those Cave-Heavens or Paradises.
Thousand Birds Territory was one of the Great Territories under Great Battle Heaven’s direct control. As a Subordinate Sect of Great Battle Heaven, Thousand Birds Sect had no way to resist if Great Battle Heaven issued it a command, unless it no longer wished to exist in Thousand Birds Territory. After all, supporting the rise of a Second-Class great force to replace the current existing great force was a simple matter for any Cave-Heaven or Paradise.
Yang Kai secretly rejoiced that Void Territory was not within the jurisdiction of any Cave-Heaven or Paradise; otherwise, Void Territory would need to bow its head to one of them and act according to their wishes. He would not have the freedom he currently enjoyed.
On the second day that they arrived in Thousand Birds Territory, the door to the secret room that had been closed tightly all this while suddenly opened. Guo Zi Yan had waited outside all this time, and when he saw the door open, he anxiously asked, “How did it go!?”
Yue He smiled, “Why don’t you go in and have a look?”
After saying that, she moved aside and Guo Zi Yan immediately rushed into the secret room like a gust of wind. A short while later, Yang Kai heard a peal of cheerful laughter coming from Guo Zi Yan.
“You’ve worked hard,” Yang Kai gently nodded to Yue He.
Yue He shook her head, “From beginning to end, I didn’t do anything. Guo Miao passed through this trial by herself. She has great potential.”
Guo Miao had a greater advantage compared to the time when Meng Hong consumed the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water. The first reason was that she condensed only one Second-Order Element, which was an Order lower than the Third-Order Elements Meng Hong condensed. Hence, the effects of the Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water were greater and faster. The second reason was that she only condensed the Second-Order Element a short time ago, so it was easier to wipe away. The final reason was that she only condensed one type of Second-Order Power. In contrast, Meng Hong had already condensed several Third-Order Powers.
If even Meng Hong could persevere through the process, then there was no reason why she would fail.
Guo Miao was in good condition and only needed to recuperate for a short while before she could begin creating a new foundation for her advancement into the Open Heaven Realm.
Guo Zi Yan soon led Guo Miao out of the room. Guo Miao thanked Yang Kai profusely, while on the other hand, Yang Kai immediately brought out several Fourth-Order materials and gave them to her, for which she was infinitely grateful.
Another two days passed by and the Falling Lotus finally arrived at the Void Dock of Thousand Birds Star City. Yang Kai put away the Falling Lotus, paid some entry fees, and then led Yue He and the others into the Star City in a grand manner.
Looking at the vaguely familiar streets and the shops that had barely changed, he couldn’t help feeling slightly emotional. Yang Kai owed a large amount of money the last time he came to this particular Star City with the Proprietress. In the end, he had to rely on the Proprietress to pay off all his debts. Back then, he was all alone and had nobody to turn to for help.
Although only slightly more than a dozen years had passed, he was now the Master of Void Land. Not only did he have several Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yue He and Guo Zi Yan as subordinates, but he also had future elites like Lang Qing Shan and the shaved-headed man just waiting to break through. So many things had changed during those ten or so years.
If it was said that the Star City in Void Territory was a medium-scale one, then the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory was a large-scale Star City. There were crowds coming and going at all times, and all kinds of goods flowed through the city. Compared to this place, the Star City in Void Territory seemed rather cold and desolate.
Yang Kai was not unfamiliar with this place as, while helping the Proprietress collect debts, he had practically visited every corner of the Star City. More than ten years had passed, but not much had changed in the Star City; thus, he naturally would not get lost. Leading the group of people behind him, Yang Kai headed towards First Inn with practised ease.
It was Guo Miao’s first time coming to a place like this Star City; therefore, she was filled with curiosity about the bustling city. Everything was new to her, so she bought a bunch of items in a short span of time.
Guo Zi Yan followed behind her with a smile. He bought everything that his daughter liked, no matter what it was. His doting affection was beyond words. It was almost as though he was trying to make up for all the regrets and the guilt he felt over the years.
They had only passed through two streets when Yue He, who was walking beside Yang Kai, suddenly frowned. She gave a flick of her hand and a gentle power swept out. Her beautiful eyes glanced towards the side with a cold look of vigilance.
Yang Kai had yet to realise what was going on and it wasn’t until he sensed some movement that he turned to look in that direction. A burly and somewhat thuggish man stood motionless not far away, staring at Yue He in shock. This person looked fierce and wicked, and at first glance clearly did not look like anything good. Combined with his stunned expression, he looked extremely amusing at the moment.
His hand was slightly lifted in the air as though he was about to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder, but unexpectedly, Yue He reacted quickly and immediately stopped him. Furthermore, this man felt Yue He’s tyrannical strength during that brief moment of confrontation and could not help feeling surprised.
Yang Kai glanced at the bear-like guy and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei?”
This person was none other than Pei Bu Wan of Hundred Refining’s Hall!
Yang Kai did not expect that the first acquaintance he met upon returning to the Star City in Thousand Birds Territory would be Pei Bu Wan.
More than ten years ago, he interacted with this gruff man when he went to Hundred Refining’s Hall to collect debt payment on behalf of the Proprietress. In the end, he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena and fighting a match. By relying on that fight, Pei Bu Wan earned a huge fortune. Not only did he overcome the deficit in the finances of Hundred Refining’s Hall and passed the inspection from his superiors, but he also paid his arrears in full as promised.
For that reason, Yang Kai had a deep impression of this bear-like guy.
“It really is you, Little Brother Yang!” Pei Bu Wan also had an expression of pleasant surprise on his face. He seemed very enthusiastic, almost as if he had been reunited with a long-lost relative. While speaking, he even took two steps forward in his excitement.
Yue He stood in front of Yang Kai and stared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
He involuntarily froze in his tracks and the muscles in his face twitched slightly. He glanced at Yue He fearfully and smiled awkwardly. Just as Yang Kai had surmised, he had noticed Yang Kai’s familiar back from among the crowd and wanted to pat him on the shoulder to confirm his guess. To his surprise, he was stopped by Yue He before he could do anything.
Although Yue He’s movements looked calm and relaxed, it had to be said that Pei Bu Wan was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he was not weak. Even so, she managed to stop him so effortlessly. It was obvious that her strength was far greater than his.
[This woman is definitely in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, or even the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! Who is she!?] Pei Bu Wan was puzzled.
“Young Master, this is…” Yue He asked softly.
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei of Hundred Refining’s Hall. I have had some dealings with Shopkeeper Pei before.”
She studied Pei Bu Wan and exclaimed in surprise, “How can such a vicious-looking man be a shopkeeper? Does Hundred Refining’s Hall make any money? Won’t all the guests be frightened away?”
Pei Bu Wan almost spat out a mouthful of blood at those words. Her remarks might have been unintentional, but they stabbed right into his emotional wounds. The reason why he tricked Yang Kai into entering the Asura Arena back then was precisely because Hundred Refining’s Hall had experienced a huge deficit under his management. Therefore, he had been in desperate need of a large amount of Open Heaven Pills to make up for the debts. If Yang Kai had not won in that battle, he would not have been able to continue working as a shopkeeper. He would have been called back by the great force behind Hundred Refining’s Hall for punishment instead.
Still, he coughed lightly and responded to her words, “Sister, my appearance was given to me by my parents. This Pei Bu Wan might be born ugly, but I am very kind at heart.”
Yue He naturally did not express her opinion. Seeing as he was Yang Kai’s acquaintance, this was just a misunderstanding. Besides, nobody dared to make a scene in this Star City managed by Great Battle Heaven, so she immediately retreated to stand behind Yang Kai and watched coldly from the sidelines.
Yang Kai looked at Pei Bu Wan with a smile, “How may I help you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan grinned meaningfully, “It’s nothing. It’s just that I have not seen Little Brother for more than 10 years, Little Brother Yang. I missed you quite a lot. This shopkeeper went to First Inn to inquire about you from Madam Lan in the past, but she would only tell me that you left on business and said nothing else, so I didn’t even know where to find you.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “Why were you looking for me, Shopkeeper Pei?” He suddenly became extremely wary, “You can’t be thinking of asking me to go and fight in the Asura Arena again, right?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately denied the accusation, “How can that be? Gambling at the Asura Arena is only good if done occasionally. How can this Old Pei regard it as a long-term business? If that were the case, I would lose more than just Hundred Refining’s Hall! It’s just that you helped me out greatly back then, Little Brother Yang. This Old Pei has not thanked you properly for your help, so I’ve always felt ashamed in my heart.”
Yang Kai looked at him suspiciously and replied lightly, “We were only helping each other. You don’t need to worry about it, Shopkeeper Pei.”
Pei Bu Wan chuckled, “Little Brother Yang, you are a man of noble character and unquestionable integrity indeed. Uh… Are you on your way back to First Inn?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. I’m on my way to First Inn right now.”
“Oh!” Pei Bu Wan showed a look of surprise, “In that case, I won’t hold you up any longer, Little Brother Yang. Please convey my greetings to Madam Lan later. If you have the time, you should come and visit Hundred Refining’s Hall as a guest. This Old Pei will welcome you warmly.”
“Sure. Sure,” Yang Kai cupped his fists.
They chatted a bit more before Yang Kai left; even so, he could not shake the feeling that Pei Bu Wan’s attitude towards him was a little too enthusiastic. He could not understand the reason but could not be bothered to wonder about it either. Thus, he tossed this matter to the back of his head and walked towards First Inn with anticipation.
After passing through a few more streets, Yang Kai finally came to the familiar storefront. He looked up and saw the characters ‘First Inn’ shining brightly while people were coming and going through the lobby full of guests.
[Regardless of the time or location, First Inn will always be lively.] Yang Kai composed himself. Then, he quickly walked into First Inn and came to the counter.
The accountant was fiddling on his abacus, making click-clackety sounds as he worked. When he noticed somebody approaching, he spoke without even looking up, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately. Would you like to eat or stay for the night?”
Yang Kai grinned and raised a hand to rap sharply on the table.
Only then did the accountant look up. He tilted his head to the side and stared at Yang Kai with a pair of dead fish eyes. Then, he quickly lowered his head again and continued with his work as he repeated himself, “300 for a night’s stay. Food and drinks are charged separately.”
The veins in Yang Kai’s temples throbbed as he slapped the abacus with his hand and spoke through gritted teeth, “It’s me!”
The accountant sighed and glanced sideways at Yang Kai, “I know it’s you. That’s why I’m asking you whether you are here to eat or stay.”
Yang Kai was speechless and turned his head to look around, “Where is Old Bai and Proprietress?”
“Old Bai is working in the kitchen. Proprietress is discussing a business transaction.” The accountant lifted Yang Kai’s hand and placed it on the counter. After that, he stared straight at Yang Kai with his dead fish eyes.
Yang Kai was tempted to poke out those eyes as he snapped, “I’ll eat!”
“Please head inside,” The accountant gestured lightly.
Yang Kai strode inside, followed by more than 30 people. They found a few empty tables and sat down and soon a woman walked over elegantly. When she reached Yang Kai’s side, she suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed, “Big Brother Yang!?”
Yang Kai looked up and smiled, “Junior Sister Luo?”
This woman was none other than Luo Hai Yi. She was also a person with a difficult life. She used to work as a guide in the Star City, showing people around to earn a living. Yang Kai had not been familiar with the Star City when he first started collecting debt payments, so he hired her to assist him. In the end, she began working at First Inn after he recommended her to the Proprietress.
Looking at her now, she seemed to be doing pretty well. Her complexion was much brighter compared to the first time he met her and it seemed that her beautiful eyes were filled with delight and astonishment from seeing him.
“You’ve returned, Big Brother Yang!?” She still seemed to be in disbelief.
“En, I’m back.” Yang Kai smiled widely at her. Looking at her clothes, he asked, “Did Proprietress arrange for you to work as a waitress here?”
“Yes.” She nodded, and then she seemed to remember something, “Please wait, Big Brother Yang. I will go inform Big Brother Bai and the others.”
After saying that, she ran towards the kitchen.
A short while later, Old Bai and the cook hurriedly came running out. Old Bai was dressed as a waiter as usual. His aura was completely withdrawn, so nobody could have imagined that he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! On the other hand, the cook was wearing an apron wrapped around his waist, yet his fat body was indescribably agile. He came over to Yang Kai while holding a butcher knife in his hand. Glancing Yang Kai up and down, he grinned meaningfully, “Wait for a bit. I’ll whip up something delicious for you.”
Meanwhile, Bai Qi sat down next to Yang Kai. He tossed the white cloth in his hand down on the table and smiled, “You brat, why did you come running back here? Don’t you need to worry about Void Land anymore?”
Yang Kai said, “The Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array has been completed, so I don’t have to worry about Void Land for the moment. I came to ask Proprietress about something.”
Bai Qi grunted, “In that case, you’ll have to wait for a short while. Proprietress is currently in the middle of a business deal, but she should be done soon.”
“How have you been?” Yang Kai asked.
“How else could I have been? We’re the same as usual here.” Bai Qi laughed heartlessly.
They did not exchange more than a few words between them when somebody nearby slapped their table and shouted, “Waiter, why hasn’t this old man’s food and drinks been served yet!?”
Bai Qi got up quickly and said, “Please continue. I’ll come find you later. I need to attend to the guests first.”
After saying that, he slipped away to continue with his work.
The eyes of Guo Zi Yan and the others were larger than a goose’s eggs. They never imagined that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be so willing to serve as a mere waiter. It had to be said that even the Head Manager of Scarlet Star, Zhao Bai Chuan, was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm himself. [Would the guest clamouring for his food just now piss his pants in fright if he knew that the waiter he shouted at was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm?]
They did not wait for long before Luo Hai Yi and Old Bai brought out an endless stream of the very best food and wine. Everybody had travelled a long way to come here, so they had worked up an appetite and immediately began wolfing down the meal.
Another short while later, a woman walked out of the inner hall with a happy smile. She was followed by several young girls dressed as maidservants. This woman had clearly come to First Inn to buy information, and judging by her expression, she probably received the answer she wanted.
Not long after that woman departed, another lady walked out of the inner hall. The moment this lady appeared, it felt as though all the colour in the world dimmed for a moment. Countless pairs of eyes in the hall were drawn towards her direction and the sound of gulping echoed through the air.
The woman who just departed after inquiring about the information she wanted had been rather beautiful. She had an enchanting figure and a charming face, turning the heads of many men in her direction; however, they finally understood the meaning of ‘a peerless beauty’ when the Proprietress appeared. Comparing the two, the woman from before paled miserably. The Proprietress might not be born as the most beautiful woman, but she was definitely the most attractive to a man.
When she appeared, she gently pushed her hair behind her ear and her eyes swept across the hall and landed on Yang Kai. Be that as it may, she quickly shifted her gaze away and made her way through the hall with a smile. She would occasionally stop to talk to some of the guests, making herself seem extremely hospitable. After walking around the hall, she finally arrived at Yang Kai’s table.
Yue He hurriedly got up and bowed elegantly, “Elder Sister!”
The Proprietress smiled sweetly, “You must have had a hard time.”
While speaking, she did not pause at their table. She brushed past Yang Kai’s side and reached out a hand to rap her knuckles on the back of his head. It was neither light nor heavy. Then, she left.
Yang Kai was speechless! He did not know what the Proprietress’ actions meant. Asking Yue He and the others to remain at the table, he got up on his own and followed her into the inner hall.
A short while later, he gently knocked on the door of the Proprietress’ room and a lazy voice came from inside, “Enter.”
Yang Kai grinned. Pushing the door open, he entered the room and glanced back furtively before closing the door. He groaned and almost had a nosebleed at the sight he was greeted with when he turned around. The Proprietress was currently reclining on top of a sofa. She had one hand supporting her cheek and her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping. Her other hand was gently fanning herself with a hand fan. Her exquisite and graceful curves imprinted themselves upon his eyes and her fair thighs under her skirt left him feeling dizzy as her jade feet looked like the most perfect porcelain in the world. She seemed to shine with a charming lustre just laying there.
“How improper!” Yang Kai quickly stepped forward and took a blanket from the side to cover the Proprietress’ legs.
The Proprietress looked at him but did not stop him. She smilingly asked, “Why do you have the time to come running here to me now? How is Void Land?”
“It’s doing well!” He walked over to a table by the side and sat down. Taking out a teapot and a teacup, he poured himself a cup before continuing, “The Defensive Grand Array has been completed and it’s all thanks to the excellent Spirit Array Grandmaster that you recommended to me, Proprietress.”
“Didn’t you keep Grandmaster Wu Liang by your side?” She asked.
To which he shook his head, “The Grandmaster refused. Moreover, he claimed that his breakthrough was imminent so he immediately left to find a place to enter retreat after the Grand Array was completed.”
The Proprietress nodded at his words, “Grandmaster Wu Liang has very high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, but he is used to living a carefree life. It will not be an easy feat for you to win him over, but that is not an urgent matter. You will have more chances in the future. It will benefit you greatly if you can persuade Grandmaster Wu Liang to remain in Void Land.”
Yang Kai took a sip of tea and sighed, “I fear he isn’t interested in such a small Sect.”
Proprietress laughed at his words, “Void Land might be on the weaker side right now, but it will definitely expand greatly over time.”
“That’s for the future. Let’s not talk about this. I came here today to ask you about something.”
“Speak!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “I used to be all alone. There was no need to worry about feeding my family, but now there are many people in Void Land. How can I achieve long-term stability and obtain the various resources needed for the disciples’ cultivation needs? I can’t just do nothing and squander away my fortune. If I continue at this rate, I will exhaust all my resources one day soon.”
Upon hearing what he mentioned, she replied, “The predecessor of Void Land, Seven Wonders Land, has unique geographical conditions. You can just plant all seven kinds of spirit fruits in the seven areas and use them to refine Open Heaven Pills.”
“I was thinking so too.” Yang Kai nodded and continued, “But, Proprietress, you know what kind of situation I am in. Void Land only has the Alchemy ingredients but not the pill recipe for Open Heaven Pills. Do you happen to have it?”
“Of course I have a pill recipe. In fact, I have more than one.” She looked at him with a smile, “Forget it. I’ll sort them out and hand them to you later. There might be countless pill recipes for Open Heaven Pills in the 3,000 Worlds, but most of them are pretty similar. You can bring them back and research for yourself to see which recipe is most suitable for your use.”
Yang Kai was immediately overjoyed, “Many thanks, Proprietress!” [I knew the Proprietress would have the pill recipe. I’m glad this trip was not in vain.]
“Aside from refining Open Heaven Pills, I suggest that you take control of the Star City as soon as possible. The existence of the Star City is extremely important to any great force. You can even say that it is their foundation. Only by taking control of the Star City can you obtain a steady stream of resources and income.”
“I’m already working on taking control of the Star City. I believe that I will have Void Territory’s Star City at my disposal after I return from this trip.”
She smiled, “You sure work fast. With both of these ventures in hand, you can basically guarantee the cultivation resources for all of Void Land’s disciples. Why are you still so worried?”
Yang Kai muttered awkwardly, “There are many people in Void Land. I’m afraid just these two businesses alone won’t be enough.”
She became curious, “Many? How many is ‘many’?”
The number that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth left her stunned for a moment. She had never heard of any Second-Class force with so many people before. Thus, she frowned slightly, “You might have a lot of people, but they won’t consume many resources as long as they do not condense their Dao Seals. What is there to worry about?”
Yang Kai simply laughed, “I have to plan ahead, right?”
She pondered for a moment before asking, “Void Land must have taken control over several Universe Worlds, yes?”
“That’s right,” Yang Kai nodded. These Universe Worlds were previously controlled by Seven Wonders Land, so now that Void Land had replaced Seven Wonders Land, it was only natural for Void Land to take over their management as well.
The Proprietress thus proposed, “You also came out of a Universe World, so you should not be unfamiliar with them. But, even if you’ve broken free of your Universe World, you should not underestimate them. Each Universe World might contain cultivation resources of various Orders… It’s not a maybe. It’s a certainty. It’s just a matter of the quantity and how high the Order of these cultivation resources is. Controlling these Universe Worlds is equivalent to controlling all sorts of cultivation resources. It can even be said that Mid-Rank and High-Rank materials are obtained from these Universe Worlds. Do you remember the Nine Nether Continent you once visited? I’ve found many Fifth-Order materials and even Sixth-Order materials there over the years.
“I tend to hear similar news from time to time after being in the Outer Universe for such a long time. For example, somebody would obtain a High-Order material from an unowned Universe World. That would attract countless people to investigate those Universe Worlds.”
Yang Kai’s heart pounded at those words and he couldn’t help thinking about the Immortal Tree. Strictly speaking, the Immortal Tree was something he obtained from one of the Sealed Worlds in one of the Lower Star Fields. Even a mere Lower Star Field could produce such a High-Order treasure, what more an entire Universe World?
Then, he couldn’t help thinking about the Star Boundary. The Star Boundary had produced many cultivation resources needed by Open Heaven Realm Masters, it was just that no Open Heaven Realm Master had ever come from the Star Boundary before, so nobody knew the worth of those items even if they existed.
At present, Void Territory controlled more than a dozen Universe Worlds, each one equivalent to the Star Boundary. As long as he could develop them properly, there was no need to fear not having enough cultivation resources.
Yang Kai suddenly felt as though he had been enlightened!
“Although there are many people in Void Land, the cultivation resources that they need are not that many yet. As long as you take control of the Star City, refine your own Open Heaven Pills, and carefully harvest resources from those Universe Worlds, you should have enough to develop steadily.” The Proprietress taught him earnestly, “You can also plant some spirit flowers and unique plants in Void Land. You can even develop some of the land in those Universe Worlds for farming. In doing so, it will be an income whether you refine them into Spirit Pills or sell them as raw materials.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded solemnly. Since he brought 600,000 people to Void Land, he had constantly been thinking about the future. In particular, the matter regarding cultivation resources had been weighing down on him like a huge mountain. It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt a sense of relief.
He then changed the topic of conversation abruptly, “There is one more thing I wanted to ask you, Proprietress.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Yang Kai laughed softly, “Proprietress, you know about my current situation. I have condensed four Element Powers, but I still lack Yin, Yang, and Metal. It’s just that High-Rank materials are not easy to find. What I want to ask is, do you have any information about where I can find High-Rank materials for these three Elements?”
The Proprietress opened her eyes wide at those words and stared at him fixedly. A long time passed before she asked, “Are you still planning to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “The going is the toughest towards the end of a journey, but I’ve already come so far so I don’t intend to give up halfway.”
“No matter how much resistance you might face in the future?”
“We’ll talk about the future when the future comes.”
She sighed softly, “Since you have already made up your mind, I won’t stop you. I just hope you will not regret your decision in the future. Be that as it may, High-Rank materials are truly hard to find. Even if these materials appear occasionally, they tend to attract a lot of attention and thus have countless Masters competing for them. With your current strength, there’s no way for you to even enter such a struggle.”
“I am well aware of this point,” Yang Kai nodded sincerely. When the Golden Crow Divine Palace appeared, it attracted several High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters and dozens of Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to First Inn. One could only imagine how tempting these High-Rank materials were to those Masters.
At first, Yang Kai had not understood the reason why they were competing for these materials. If it was for the sake of their Disciples, then wasn’t it strange for so many Masters to have Disciples that could directly refine Seventh-Order materials?
He later learned that these Masters were vying for the Golden Crow carcass for their own sake. They could absorb and refine the Fire Element Power from the Golden Crow carcass to enhance the heritage of their Small Universes, thereby improving their own strength.
Still, Yang Kai grinned, “But, what First Inn does best is to collect information. I’m sure you know about secrets that other people don’t know, like… where I could possibly find High-Rank materials for these three Elements.”
The Proprietress gave him a glare that was a mix of anger and amusement as she quipped, “What do you think High-Rank materials are? Cabbages that can be found everywhere? I don’t mind telling you. I do know where you can find the High-Rank Yin and Yang materials, but you definitely don’t have the ability to obtain them.”
“Where is that?” Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly blazed with excitement.
She glared at him even more harshly before she took out her Universe Chart, tapped it with her finger, and tossed it to him, “Take a look yourself.”
Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into the Universe Chart and couldn’t help feeling stunned, “What is the situation with these Great Territories?”
He discovered that the Great Territories she marked were different from other Great Territories. They were completely empty. Normally, one could clearly see the great forces or Universe Worlds that existed in a particular Great Territory, but these few Great Territories were completely devoid of anything at all.
The Proprietress explained leisurely, “Tens and hundreds of thousands of years ago, these Great Territories indeed contained many great forces and Universe Worlds. But, they are all gone now.”
“Who could possibly do that?” He felt his scalp tingling from fear. All the great forces and Universe Worlds in several Great Territories had been completely wiped from existence. What kind of violent force could accomplish that?
“Sun’s Burning Light, Moon’s Serene Glimmer!” The Proprietress replied casually.
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words. Then, he immediately took a deep breath and asked in a trembling voice, “Do those two Divine Beasts really exist?”
According to legend, at the beginning of the universe, two strands of Chaotic Qi transformed into Yin and Yang, these two wisps evolved into the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer in the most primordial of ages. These two were the oldest Divine Spirits in existence. It was from them that all Divine Spirits like the Dragons and Phoenixes came to be. It could be said that the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were the progenitors of all Divine Spirits, their one set of common ancestors.
Yang Kai once read the Divine Spirit Record, in which all the known Divine Spirits in the 3,000 Worlds were listed. The Divine Spirit Record listed the Dragon and Phoenix Clans at the top of the list. However, it started with an introduction to the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. It was just that the author of this Record who wrote about the Divine Spirits, believed that these two Divine Beings no longer existed.
Who would have guessed that he would learn about these two horrifying existences from the Proprietress!? They were Divine Beasts that stood above the Dragons and Phoenixes, symbols of invincibility! If there were any beings in the universe that could compete against the Giant Spirit God Clan, then the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer would definitely be among them. It could even be said that they were stronger than the Giant Spirit Gods.
Tai Yang Zhuo Zhao and Tai Yin You Ying, but it sorta seems ridiculous…
“The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were born diametrically opposed to one another and can never get along; thus, they have been fighting each other endlessly for countless eons. Those Great Territories were destroyed by the fallout of their battle,” the Proprietress explained slowly, “There originally existed many great forces and Universe Worlds in those Great Territories, but they are all gone now.”
Yang Kai drew a breath of cold air. [How violent must the battle be for it to destroy several Great Territories!? But, it’s possible for the two ancestors of the Divine Spirits to have such abilities.]
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly as he said, “Proprietress, the Yin and Yang Element materials that you mentioned earlier… You can’t be talking about these two, right?”
She nodded, “I am. Their bodies are formed from the purest Chaos Powers that transformed into the original Yin and Yang Elements. The Order of the Power contained in their bodies is extremely high, possibly even at the peak of the Ninth Order, so they fully meet your requirements.”
Yang Kai naturally angrily retorted, “I don’t want to die yet!” [Is she crazy!? The fallout of the battle between those two can destroy everything in several Great Territories! If a mere Emperor Realm cultivator like me dares to go there, not even ash will be left!]
She giggled softly, “At least you’re a little self-aware!” Pausing for a moment, she added, “But then again, I don’t actually know whether the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer exist. These are only things I have heard from others. Nevertheless, these Great Territories are completely devoid of life and it doesn’t matter if you are in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. No matter how high your cultivation, you will die the moment you dare to even set foot into those Great Territories.”
Yang Kai felt extremely uneasy and memorized the locations of those Great Territories, secretly deciding to never step into them no matter what. Still, he asked without giving up, “Are there no other ways?”
She pondered in silence for a long while before she answered, “Wait for half a year. An opportunity might present itself then, but it is only a possibility.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words, “What kind of opportunity?”
She shook her head gently, “It is still uncertain for the time being. I will let you know once the news has been confirmed. It’s useless to tell you now since the situation is still uncertain.”
Yang Kai could not force her if she did not wish to speak about this matter, so he could only suppress the suspicions in his heart. In any case, he had nothing else to do in the near future so he immediately nodded and agreed.
At this moment, a sweet yet stern shout rang out from the outside, “Where is Yang Kai!? Show yourself!”
Yang Kai was startled upon hearing that voice as it clearly belonged to a woman, but he found it to be extremely unfamiliar. It was obviously somebody he was not acquainted with. Why would somebody he did not know come looking for him? He was filled with doubts.
The Proprietress tilted her head to the side and looked at him with a teasing look, “Smelly brat, did you break a heart somewhere?”
“Proprietress, rice may be eaten at will, but words should not be spoken indiscriminately.” He shook his head in all seriousness, “I’ve always kept myself clean. How could I possibly break a random heart?”
“Is that so?” The expression on her face was full of distrust as she swept her Divine Sense out and revealed a look of surprise, “Why is she here?”
“Who?” He asked.
“You will know once you take a look for yourself. Messing with her… You’re in for a lot of trouble.” The Proprietress looked like she was enjoying his misfortune. Closing her beautiful eyes slowly, she gently fanned herself and acted as though everything had nothing to do with her.
Feeling extremely annoyed, Yang Kai could only push open the door and walk out. He heard the woman’s voice again before he even arrived at the hall, “Yang Kai! Hurry up and get out here!”
Inside the hall, many cultivators who came here to eat were watching this woman with great interest.
On the other hand, Guo Zi Yan and the others were glaring at the woman furiously. This woman had a tall figure, but her cultivation was only in the Emperor Realm. Even so, she was not afraid despite facing so many Open Heaven Realm Masters. She even dared to make such a ruckus in a place like First Inn, completely thinking nothing of everybody else inside. They had to admit that she was very bold.
Yang Kai strode out from the inner hall.
As soon as he appeared, the young woman’s beautiful eyes immediately fixed on him like the sharp gaze of a falcon. Her entire body was exuding a boundless fighting spirit and her aura climbed steadily, causing her black hair to dance like snakes even though there was no wind.
“I waited for you for more than ten years. You finally appeared!” She gritted her teeth lightly. The look in her eyes was complicated, seemingly filled with accusations of blood and tears.
Countless pairs of eyes turned towards Yang Kai in unison. Judging by this woman’s words, there seemed to be a hidden backstory.
Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at her.
She then continued, “Did you think you could shame me then just walk away after everything you did!?”
The moment those words came out, countless people immediately cast contemptuous looks at Yang Kai. Some of them had already concocted a scenario where Yang Kai and this woman were deeply in love with one another, but in the end, the scumbag of a man must have abandoned her after taking her innocence.
Yue He covered her red lips with her hand, “Young Master, this young lady…”
“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Yang Kai felt rather speechless. Calmly looking at the woman, he frowned and said, “Though I feel a little apologetic, I’m afraid I have to ask. Just… who are you?”
Those contemptuous looks instantly turned into complete disdain!
The woman also seemed taken aback by his words. Her momentum that had climbed to the limit suddenly withered as though crushed by a huge mountain. A cold murderous intent appeared on her beautiful face as she asked, “Have you forgotten who I am?”
Yang Kai looked embarrassed as he continued, “You look familiar, but… I can’t recall who you are. Can you give me a hint?”
The woman clenched her tender fists tightly and grit her teeth so hard that the grinding sound could be heard. She placed great emphasis on each word she spoke, “Asura Arena, Yu Luo Sha!”
There was a huge uproar in the hall immediately as somebody yelled out in excitement, “What!? She is Yu Luo Sha? The one ranked first in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings!?”
“That’s right! That’s right! She really is Yu Luo Sha! I saw her fighting in the Asura Arena before! It’s just that I was too far away and her movements were too fast. She defeated her opponent in just two or three moves. I couldn’t see clearly.”
“I heard she is one of the most outstanding disciples of Asura Heaven, a Core Disciple who is expected to advance straight to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. She is only one step away from advancing already!”
“Who is this brat? How can he have such an ambiguous relationship with Yu Luo Sha? He can’t have done something to her, right?”
“There’s going to be a good show…”
Everybody in the hall was fervently discussing this issue among themselves. Meanwhile, the realization finally seemed to hit Yang Kai as he pointed at Yu Luo Sha and remarked, “Oh! It’s you!”
Back when he was tricked by Pei Bu Wan into entering the Asura Arena, he naturally fought against somebody. The opponent of that battle was none other than Yu Luo Sha. It had not been long since Yang Kai arrived in the 3,000 Worlds and his strength at the time was far inferior compared to what it currently was, but he still stood out amongst cultivators in the same Realm. Be that as it may, it had been a difficult battle to win. Arena Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens, and as one of Asura Heaven’s Core Disciples, it stood to reason that Yu Luo Sha was not an easy opponent.
The Asura Arena was directly managed by Asura Heaven, and almost every large-scale Star City had an Asura Arena where cultivators could battle each other to the death. The first reason was that Asura Heaven could earn a lot of resources through operating such a venue, while the other reason was that it allowed the disciples of Asura Heaven to enter the Asura Arenas to gain experience. Every one of Asura Heaven’s disciples had slaughtered their way out of the Asura Arena, so all of them were extremely warlike and could kill without emotion.
The Asura Arena was divided into three different rankings, namely Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. They corresponded to the Open Heaven Realm, Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, and those below the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. When Yang Kai fought Yu Luo Sha, she ranked fourth in the Mortal Rankings. In comparison, she was now apparently ranked first in the Earth Rankings. That went to show just how much she had achieved and how much she had grown in the past 10 years!
Yang Kai had not thought much about the battle that took place that day. It was just one unimportant obstacle he had to overcome in his life. Thus, it was not worth remembering. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would come looking for him after more than 10 years had passed.
“Did Shopkeeper Pei tell you that I’m back?” he asked.
[No wonder Pei Bu Wan seemed so eager when I ran into him earlier.] It was Pei Bu Wan who brought Yang Kai to the Asura Arena back then. During the years that Yang Kai was away from the Star City, it was most likely that Yu Luo Sha had constantly questioned Pei Bu Wan about Yang Kai’s whereabouts. Otherwise, she would not have come looking for Yang Kai as soon as he returned to the Star City.
“So what?” Yu Luo Sha looked at Yang Kai coldly.
Yang Kai frowned, “Junior Sister Yu, why are you looking for me?”
“I must challenge you!” She shouted decisively.
As soon as her statement rang out, there was another uproar in the hall.
Who was Yu Luo Sha? She was the rank 1 in the Earth Rankings of the Asura Arena. It could be said that she was an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm in the Star City. She could only be challenged by others, so why was she taking the initiative to challenge some unknown boy?
On the other hand, who on Earth was this man to deserve such treatment from Yu Luo Sha? Everybody could almost predict that Yang Kai’s name would surely become known throughout the Star City once news of this incident was to spread.
“Challenge me?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why?”
Yu Luo Sha replied matter-of-factly, “I was defeated by you back then. I must redeem myself!”
“That’s all?”
“Indeed!” After saying that, she suddenly tossed out a jade slip and looked at him seriously, “Three days hence, in the afternoon. I will be waiting for you in the Asura Arena.”
Glaring at him coldly, she turned around and left.
Yang Kai barely caught the jade slip before she had vanished out of sight, not even giving him the chance to speak a single word or react whatsoever.
“What a swift and decisive woman!” Yang Kai sighed and swept his Divine Sense over the jade slip. It really turned out to be a challenge letter.
Bai Qi, who just came out with a tray of dishes, clicked his tongue as he placed the dishes on the table and joked, “You brat, how charming you must be to make a woman wait for you for more than 10 years.”
“Stop talking nonsense.” Yang Kai curled his lips and turned his head to look outside before snorting, “Shopkeeper Pei, why don’t you come inside? You’re already here anyway. Why sneak around like that?”
Outside the door, Pei Bu Wan stuck his head inside with an embarrassed laugh. He did not seem ashamed even after Yang Kai saw through him. Striding over to the table, he took a seat and said, “Congratulations, Little Brother Yang.”
“What is there to congratulate?” Yang Kai gave Pei Bu Wan a sideways glance.
Pei Bu Wan spoke sternly, “You can have a match with Yu Luo Sha. Moreover, she was the one who took the initiative to challenge you. No matter who wins or who loses, your name will soon be known throughout the Star City, famous to all. What is that if not an auspicious event?”
Yang Kai responded in a tone that neither denied nor affirmed those words, “Is that so? Doesn’t that mean I should thank you, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan’s expression became bitter and pitiful, “Little Brother Yang, please don’t blame me. I was forced to do it. There really was no other way.” While speaking, he couldn’t help shedding bitter tears, “You suddenly vanished without a trace, so you don’t know just how annoying Yu Luo Sha is…”
The battles in the Asura Arena were extremely fierce and dangerous. There were unlucky cultivators who tragically lost their lives in those battles every day. The fact that Yu Luo Sha could make a name for herself and even rank first in the current Earth Rankings indicated that she was not an ordinary person.
It was not that she could not afford to lose or that she had never lost a battle. On the contrary, she had not been a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven from the beginning. She started out as only an ordinary disciple. When she first entered the Asura Arena, she lost more battles than she won. There were also times when she was beaten to the verge of death and nearly lost her life.
It was just that this woman had one unique characteristic. She would get back on her feet no matter what! She would challenge anybody who defeated her. If one time was not enough, then she would challenge them a second time. If two times were not enough, then she would challenge them for the third time. She was extremely tenacious, persevering again and again.
Over the years she spent in the Asura Arena, she won against one formidable opponent after another and her cultivation improved steadily. She had grown from the most common disciple in Asura Heaven to become one of its Core Disciples. At present, she had condensed Sixth-Order Elements and was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
In all these years, she had won against all the opponents who defeated her in the past and trampled all those once mighty enemies under her foot. Amidst those bloody battles, she continued to thrive and grow. She rose from fourth place in the Mortal Rankings to first place in the Mortal Rankings. Then, she advanced into the Earth Rankings and fought her way to the top.
There was only one exception. And, that was none other than Yang Kai!
Back then, she fought Yang Kai in the Asura Arena and suffered a tragic defeat. When she finished undergoing intense training and returned to challenge Yang Kai once more, he was no longer in the Star City. He had already been thrown into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by then.
Unable to locate Yang Kai, she could only go to Pei Bu Wan, but how would he know about Yang Kai’s whereabouts? She also asked the Proprietress about Yang Kai’s whereabouts on several occasions, but she did not know where Yang Kai was either.
Yu Luo Sha had always been a woman with a strong personality. She also gave off the vibe of being extremely stubborn and single-minded, so it was a given that she would not give up so easily.
Inside the hall, Pei Bu Wan was close to tears as he rubbed at the corner of his eyes, “Little Brother Yang, please have mercy. Please save me! I’m about to go crazy because of that girl. She practically comes and questions me every three days. In these ten years, she has not let up even once before. Can you imagine how I lived my life all these years!?”
It was bad enough during ordinary times, but there were also several occasions where Yu Luo Sha kicked the door down when he was spending the night at the red-light district… The tragic experience he went through for the past ten years was simply inhumane.
“Is that the reason why you sold me out?” Yang Kai glared at Pei Bu Wan coldly.
Pei Bu Wan smiled ingratiatingly, “How can you consider that as selling you out? Little Brother Yang, even if I didn’t say anything, the girl would also learn about your return to the Star City. I only informed her in advance.” His expression became serious and his voice became solemn, “Fight her once. You only need to fight her once. It’s enough so long as you fulfil the wishes of that girl. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.”
“I’m not interested,” Yang Kai casually crushed the jade slip into powder.
He was only in the Emperor Realm and had only condensed four Element Powers at the moment. Strictly speaking, he was not even in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm so he did not have the qualifications to enter the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings. Nevertheless, he could neither muster the slightest interest nor fighting spirit to face another Emperor Realm cultivator. Countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives at his hands already, so regardless of how outstanding one’s aptitude, how could a mere Emperor be his opponent now?
Pei Bu Wan panicked, “Little Brother Yang, what are you doing!? Don’t tell me you don’t plan to accept her challenge!?”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Did I ever agree to accept her challenge?”
Yu Luo Sha had left after giving him a challenge letter. She had basically been saying whatever she wanted while he had never agreed to her challenge. It was completely up to his mood whether or not he showed up in three days.
Pei Bu Wan’s expression darkened, “Don’t do that, Little Brother Yang. If you don’t accept her challenge, that girl will never give up. I’m sure you don’t wish to have somebody following you around and watching you all the time in the future, right?”
Yang Kai asked, “Will she really do that?”
Pei Bu Wan nodded sternly, “As far as my understanding of her goes, she will definitely do that. The previous person who ranked first in the Mortal Rankings was stalked by her for half a year. In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and agreed to accept her challenge. Only then did she stop.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help frowning. If Yu Luo Sha was so difficult to handle, then it would be rather troublesome. Being followed was not a big deal and he had nothing to hide either; even so, it would still be extremely uncomfortable. After pondering in silence for a bit, he finally nodded in agreement, “In that case, I will meet her in three days.”
Pei Bu Wan was overjoyed to hear those words, “Little Brother Yang, you are a righteous man! This Big Brother will be awaiting your arrival at the Asura Arena in three days!”
It wasn’t until Pei Bu Wan departed that Yue He finally asked, “Young Master, are you really going to accept the challenge in three days?”
Yang Kai replied, “Shopkeeper Pei said it too. Yu Luo Sha is stubborn and single-minded. If I refuse her this time, she will definitely come again and again. Rather than dragging things out, I might as well deal with this mess in one go.”
“I see. Then, you’ll have to be careful, Young Master,” She covered her mouth and giggled.
He was surprised, “What do I need to be careful about? Do you think she can do anything to me?”
Yue He shook her head and replied, “I’m worried you might accidentally kill her. It is said that one is responsible for one’s own life and death in the Asura Arena, so nobody could take revenge even if death occurs; however, Yu Luo Sha is a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven. It will probably cause a lot of trouble if you really killed her.”
To which Yang Kai responded righteously, “Of course! I’ve always been one to cherish women!” Turning towards Lang Qing Shan and the others, he added, “We might need to stay here for a while, so if you have nothing else to do, you can train yourselves in the Asura Arena. Life-or-death battles are always the best catalyst for growth. It is useless to have great power without knowing how to wield it.”
Lang Qing Shan and the others hurriedly agreed. Some of them even revealed eager expressions. Every one of them had experienced tremendous growth after serving under Yang Kai for more than ten years, especially Lang Qing Shan. Back then, he was a mere Emperor Realm cultivator who had just condensed his Dao Seal. But now, he had condensed several kinds of Fifth-Order materials and his strength had risen sharply.
It was just that there were few chances to battle another person in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for them. That was because Yang Kai dealt with practically everything single-handedly, so they had no chance to display their skills. Therefore, the Asura Arena was the best training place for them now.
After everybody finished eating, they got rooms to rest. What made Yang Kai indignant was that the accountant settled the accounts methodically without giving any discounts. Every room was 300 Open Heaven Pills a night. Of course, now that Yang Kai was wealthy, he wasn’t really bothered by the expense and rented ten rooms in one go.
News of the top ranker in the Asura Arena’s Earth Rankings challenging Yang Kai spread like wildfire and soon reached every corner of the entire Star City, causing a huge uproar.
Yu Luo Sha was famous now, so it was only natural that many people paid attention to her. She was the strongest cultivator below the Open Heaven Realm; hence, this battle drew many people’s attention before it even started.
Many people inquired about Yang Kai’s origins, and when they learned that he won against Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago, they couldn’t help feeling shocked. Be that as it may, Yu Luo Sha’s battle record had many defeats and many people were not optimistic about Yang Kai’s prospects for that reason, even though they were surprised. After all, Yu Luo Sha’s growth during these past ten years was obvious to all. It could even be said that she improved by leaps and bounds.
All those who defeated her in the past could only look up to her now; thus, they believed that Yang Kai was probably no different. Furthermore, it was said that he went missing for more than ten years and only reappeared again recently. It didn’t matter what kind of opportunities he had during the past ten years; it was still impossible for him to be her opponent. He would only end up suffering a horrible defeat.
The Asura Arena was one of Asura Heaven’s highest-earning businesses so they spared no effort to advertise this battle and opened up a betting pool with extremely high odds right from the beginning, attracting many cultivators to frantically place wagers.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Asura Arena was extremely lively and crowded. Countless cultivators flooded the place, just to get a glimpse of Yu Luo Sha’s noble bearing. Ever since she won first place in the Earth Rankings three years ago, she rarely fought. That was because there was nobody below the Open Heaven Realm who could last for longer than an incense stick against her. Therefore, there was none who lacked awareness and dared to challenge her. Now that she was finally going to fight, it would naturally attract people to flock over in droves.
Outside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai leisurely walked over with Yue He. Pei Bu Wan had been waiting here for a long time. He strode over and enthusiastically greeted Yang Kai with a hearty laugh, “Little Brother Yang, you’re finally here.”
It wasn’t until this moment that he finally felt relief washing over him. Before seeing Yang Kai, he had been worried that the latter would not show up. If that were the case, then not only would the Asura Arena’s vigorous promotion over the past few days have gone to waste, but he would have been troubled too.
Yang Kai gently nodded at Pei Bu Wan in greeting.
“Is he Yang Kai?”
“Yeah, it’s probably him. He doesn’t look like much.”
“Look at the two followers behind him. He seems to be a debauched Young Lord of some family. How much strength would a person like that have?”
A wave of discussion suddenly sounded from the side. Yang Kai glanced over and saw that both sides of the streets were lined with cultivators. They were looking at him and many of them had curious expressions, so he frowned slightly at the sight, “These people are…”
Pei Bu Wan replied, “These people are Yu Luo Sha’s fans. You don’t need to care about them.”
Yang Kai was amazed. He never imagined that Yu Luo Sha would be so popular in the Star City. Upon further consideration though, he realised that it was not surprising. She was beautiful and cut a heroic figure. Which man would not be charmed by her? The main point was that her perseverance in the pursuit of victory could resonate with many low-levelled cultivators, making even more people admire her as a result.
“Hey, brat surnamed Yang! You better last at least a few hits from Senior Sister Yu later. Don’t lose too badly!” Somebody jeered loudly, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
“You’re a man. You have to survive ten breaths, at least. Don’t embarrass us men!”
“Just admit defeat if you don’t want to die! It’s not shameful!”
“Hahahaha!”
The cultivators in the surrounding chattered away loudly. It sounded like they were cheering for Yang Kai, but their words were filled with sarcasm and mockery. It was obvious they did not think well of him.
Yue He swept a cold glance towards them as the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master filled the air. The noisy chatter fell silent in an instant as even the air seemed to freeze and turn solid. The outside of the Asura Arena immediately became so silent that even the sound of a needle falling to the ground could be heard.
Pei Bu Wan’s forehead oozed with a cold sweat as he hurriedly said, “Young Lady, please calm down. Please calm down.”
Likewise, Yang Kai smiled and said, “Don’t stoop to their level.”
Only then did Yue He withdraw her aura with a cold snort.
Yang Kai ignored the looks and comments of the outsiders and entered the Asura Arena. He was immediately greeted by the sight of the Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Rankings, each of which contained 100 names.
He casually swept a glance over the rankings and sure enough, he saw Yu Luo Sha’s name right at the top of the Earth Rankings. It was shining golden and looked very dazzling. The list was constantly changing. From time to time, one of the names would slide down the rankings while others would vanish altogether. Those names that slid down the rankings belonged to the people who were defeated in the Asura Arena while those names that vanished from the rankings belonged to the people who died in battle.
Yang Kai suddenly glanced towards the bottom of the Mortal Rankings and smiled, “That brat, Qing Shan, is doing pretty well.”
In the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings was Lang Qing Shan’s name. Three days ago, Yang Kai asked Lang Qing Shan and the others to enter the Asura Arena for training. They immediately rolled up their sleeves and came over the very next day. Over the past few days, they didn’t even return to First Inn. They were practically regarding the Asura Arena as their home.
In just three days, Lang Qing Shan had made his way into the 95th position of the Mortal Rankings. It went to show just how diligently he had been fighting. During their conversation, Lang Qing Shan’s name suddenly jumped up the rankings and abruptly landed on the 89th spot. The name of the person who used to rank 89th slid down and stopped just below his name. At the same time, Yang Kai faintly heard an Earth-shaking roar of cheers coming from a corner of the Asura Arena.
“Are you Yang Kai?” A person’s voice sounded from the side.
Yang Kai looked up and saw a few young men dressed as Young Lords walking over from not far away. They were followed by several Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. It would seem that they came from a rather extraordinary background. There were three people in total and they were all dressed differently. One was dressed in black; one was dressed in white; and the other was dressed in green.
The person who spoke just now was the Young Lord in green. He was holding a folding fan in his hand and pretending to be suave. While he was speaking, he couldn’t help stealing a few glances at Yue He with gleaming eyes.
On the other hand, Yue He’s gaze was as sharp as knives. She gave him a vicious look, causing him to smile in embarrassment and reluctantly withdraw his gaze.
“That’s right, and you are?” Yang Kai politely cupped his fist.
The Young Lord dressed in white announced, “You don’t need to know who we are. All you need to know is that our interests are closely related to your victory or loss today.”
Yang Kai suddenly understood the situation. These people must have placed bets. A betting pool would be opened for every battle in the Asura Arena and these wagers would have different odds to attract the cultivators watching to gamble. It stood to reason that he knew about this; after all, this was the reason why Pei Bu Wan suddenly earned such a large sum of money last time. His battle with Yu Luo Sha today would surely have a similar aspect.
[But, why did these people come to find me?] Yang Kai had a sudden thought and looked at them in astonishment, “Could it be that the three of you placed a bet on my victory?”
The Young Lord in white responded without a trace of politeness, “In your dreams. We might come from wealthy families and spend money like water, but we are not stupid enough to just throw money away. Why would we bet on your victory?”
Yang Kai became annoyed, “If you favour Yu Luo Sha, then why did you come to me?” [Are these three people sick in the head?]
The Young Lord in black raised a hand to pat Yang Kai on the shoulder and gave a sigh, “Junior Brother Yang, the three of us actually quite admire your courage. We can’t believe you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge. It’s rare to see a young man as bold as you nowadays. I heard you defeated Yu Luo Sha more than ten years ago. Is that true?”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
The Young Lord in black heaved another heavy sigh, “It is said that one can make great progress in three days, much less after more than ten years. It is best not to think of her in the same way. You might have won against Yu Luo Sha in the past, but now…” He gazed at Yang Kai with a pitying look and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “Work hard to survive. You will only have hope for the future if you survive!”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not know how to respond.
The Young Lord in green closed his folding fan, “That’s not the main point. The main point is that you must survive for some time against Yu Luo Sha! The three of us are betting that you can hold out against that crazy woman for an incense stick at least!”
The Young Lord in white said, “Since you have the guts to accept Yu Luo Sha, I’m sure you have some confidence in your abilities. An incense stick should be fine, right?”
Yang Kai was curious, “You can even make a bet like that?”
The Young Lord in black replied, “Why not? The Asura Arena opened an extensive betting pool, and although the odds are lower, we can still earn a lot if we bet a lot.”
Yang Kai looked at the three of them and exclaimed in surprise, “Did all of you bet that I could hold out for an incense stick?”
The Young Lord in black looked apologetic, “Not all of us. I bet that you won’t last for more than half an incense.” Seeing Yang Kai glaring at him resentfully, he continued, “There are even worse out there. Xu Tang Tang bet 3 million Open Heaven Pills that you will be defeated in ten moves. That guy is nuts! So, Junior Brother Yang, you have to do your best! You must hold out for more than ten moves…” he added in a low voice, “and lose to Yu Luo Sha within half an incense! I will treat you to a meal later!”
Yang Kai was so furious that steam came out of his nostrils, “Did Yu Luo Sha send the three of you here to humiliate me!?”
The three Young Lords smiled in embarrassment and quickly replied, “Of course not.”
Yang Kai snapped, “Didn’t anybody bet that I would win!?”
The three Young Lords exchanged glances with each other before shaking their heads in unison. They looked at Yang Kai like he was a lunatic.
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, but his smile did not reach his eyes, “Good, good. I will do my best not to disappoint the three of you then!”
The Young Lord in black brightened at those words and cupped his fists, “Many thanks, Junior Brother Yang! If you survive the battle today, the three of us will definitely become your friends!”
“Sure. Sure.” Yang Kai smiled and nodded. Afterward, he parted ways with these three. Under the guidance of one of the people from the Asura Arena, he walked into a room to wait for the Asura Arena to prepare the battlefield. Then, he abruptly turned towards Pei Bu Wan, “How much did you bet, Shopkeeper Pei?”
Pei Bu Wan made an incoherent noise as his gaze wandered nervously for a bit before he raised a finger.
Yang Kai smiled brightly, “How long did you bet that I would last?”
Pei Bu Wan looked guilty. He hesitated for a long while, then he gave a flattering smile, “An hour.”
“Wow! Shopkeeper Pei, you sure think quite highly of me. Should I thank you?”
Pei Bu Wan immediately said, “Little Brother Yang, it’s not that this Big Brother is favouring an outsider over you. It’s just that Yu Luo Sha’s growth over the past ten years is extremely terrifying! She is much stronger today than she was back then. But, I know that you are no ordinary guy either, Little Brother Yang. I’m sure you grew tremendously over the past ten years, so you can definitely hold out for an hour.”
“Three to one!” He considered for a moment, “Little Brother Yang, do you want to bet a little? There is still time. It’s no big deal even if you lose a battle. It’s more important to earn some Open Heaven Pills. Besides, now is the time when you need lots of cultivation resources for your cultivation. You won’t get another chance like this if you let this chance slip by.”
“Three to one. Those are some really stacked odds.” Yang Kai secretly gritted his teeth. The Asura Arena was obviously looking down on him by offering such odds. It could even be said that nobody who knew about this battle was optimistic about his chances at all, “If the odds are so high just for me to hold out for an hour, then the odds of my victory against Yu Luo Sha should be even higher, right?”
“Ten to one!” Pei Bu Wan answered solemnly, “These are the highest odds that the Asura Arena has ever offered in its history. There has not been any precedent of a higher offer.”
Yang Kai turned to look at Yue He, “How many Open Heaven Pills do we have left?”
Yue He immediately replied, “We still have more than 360 million. Young Master, are we going to place a bet?”
“Bet everything!” He waved his hand grandly, “I’m going to force Asura Arena to compensate me with the clothes on their back, down to their underpants!”
Yue He accepted the order and took her leave.
Pei Bu Wan’s mouth gaped open in shock. At first, he was shocked that a trivial Emperor Realm cultivator like Yang Kai had several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills in hand. It had to be said that even as the shopkeeper of the Hundred Refining’s Hall, the funds that passed through his hands were no more than tens of millions at most.
[Did he rob a Cave-Heaven or a Paradise over the past few years!? How did he accumulate so many Open Heaven Pills!?]
A moment later, he was shocked at how decisively Yang Kai decided to bet all those Open Heaven Pills in one go.
It wasn’t until Yue He departed that he finally came back to his senses and hurriedly said, “Little Brother Yang, what are you betting on!? You can’t just randomly make such a bet!”
[That’s several hundreds of millions of Open Heaven Pills! What if he loses!?] Just thinking about the possibility distressed Pei Bu Wan.
“None of your damn business!” Yang Kai snapped angrily.
Pei Bu Wan was in the wrong here, so he did not dare to say another word.
A short while later, Yue He returned and reported with some dissatisfaction, “Young Master, the Asura Arena only accepts a maximum bet of 100 million. I can’t bet any more than that. I have asked Guo Zi Yan and the others to rush over immediately.”
Yang Kai nodded gently.
While they were conversing with each other, the door opened and an elderly man walked into the room. He swept a glance across the room and asked, “Which one of you is Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai stood up, “Me!”
“Please come with this Old Master. The battle is going to begin soon,” After saying that, the elderly man turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai had no choice but to follow the elderly man through corridor after corridor and soon came to a set of tightly closed doors. The doors were several metres high and at this moment, they were slowly opening. With the opening of those doors, an Earth-shaking cheer that made one’s blood boil with excitement came from within the Asura Arena.
“Please enter!” The elderly man gestured forward.
Yang Kai strode forward and entered the Asura Arena. It was not his first time here; however, it had been more than ten years since he last came. The reason his battle with Yu Luo Sha this time attracted so much attention was also thanks to the diligent efforts of the Asura Arena.
The entire battlefield was so vast that it was impossible to see the end at a glance. He turned out to be standing on a platform and a thousand metres opposite him, Yu Luo Sha stood on another platform in tight-fitted clothes that revealed her graceful curves. She was looking in this direction with a burning fighting spirit.
The doors behind both of them slowly closed and at the same time, numerous barriers were activated inside the Asura Arena. A transparent light barrier covered the entire battleground in order to prevent fallout from the battle from spreading outside the arena.
Following the activation of the barrier, the environment of the entire battlefield changed rapidly as towering ancient trees rose from the ground. It was a strange sight to see. The environment in the Asura Arena would change randomly, which was something Yang Kai had known for more than ten years. The last time he fought Yu Luo Sha, their battle had taken place in a desert. This time around, it seemed to be a forest.
Soon after, a booming voice sounded throughout the Asura Arena, explaining the rules. The voice was neither fast nor slow, but it was very penetrative. It clearly resounded in one’s ears despite the clamouring noises of the countless cultivators in the stands.
Under the watch and cheering of countless people, Yang Kai stood on the platform and smiled brightly at Yu Luo Sha, who stood opposite him before lightly asking, “Junior Sister Yu, can I admit defeat?”
Yu Luo Sha’s beautiful eyes narrowed at those words, “Are you mocking me?”
Her pretty face was filled with rage and her tender fists were tightly clenched. She had waited for more than ten years for this moment, all so she could have a proper fight with him. Now that he had finally returned to the Star City, how could she possibly accept a result like that?
“I guess it won’t work after all.” Yang Kai gave a leisurely sigh, “My original intention was to admit defeat immediately. After further consideration, I came to the conclusion that a woman with as much pride as you would not give up even if I admit defeat. You will definitely continue to pester me in the future. In that case, I figured I might as well fight you and create a chance for you to land the winning blow. That way, I can resolve this troublesome matter.”
“Create a chance for me to land the winning blow!?” She gritted her teeth, uttering those words with great emphasis as though she had suffered great humiliation. Her chest heaved erratically.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai remained calm.
“Judging by your words, you seem certain that I am not your opponent,” she said coldly.
“There is no one beneath the Open Heaven Realm who is my opponent!” He looked at her nonchalantly.
Even if she had a calm temperament and her mind was as tranquil as an ancient well, she still could not help becoming angry at his words, “Senior Brother, are you not worried that these nonsensical words of yours will come back to slap you in the face later? I was certainly no match for you more than ten years ago, but I am different from before. I’m afraid it won’t be so easy for you to defeat me like you did back then.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I know that you have grown tremendously over the past few years, Junior Sister Yu. However, this Senior Brother has not been idle either. It’s just that this Senior Brother is very kind to women. Junior Sister, you have such a pretty face. It would be bad if your beautiful face was injured in the fight. Why don’t we do this instead? Junior Sister, why don’t you take the initiative to admit defeat?”
The conversation between these two might be taking place within the Asura Arena, but every single word that was spoken was transmitted clearly through the barriers and into the ears of the cultivators in the audience. Everybody heard it loud and clear.
The originally noisy audience abruptly fell silent. Everybody stared at Yang Kai in dumbfounded amazement. In the next moment, an uproar louder than the noisy chattering just now erupted from the audience. Countless people mocked Yang Kai for boasting shamelessly. Some even clamoured for Yu Luo Sha to beat Yang Kai black and blue. The commotion in the audience was extremely loud for a while, drowning out even the voice that was reading out the rules.
Yang Kai turned to look at the audience and shouted furiously, “Shut the hell up, you bunch of trash! You’ll soon be compensating me with all your bets!”
Yu Luo Sha tilted her head to look at him and faintly said, “If it’s about how glib one’s tongue is, then I admit I am not your match, Senior Brother. We don’t need to compete in that regard. I will admit defeat.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Looks like we still need to fight in the end. Haa… I never wanted to let this situation develop this far. However, you are wholeheartedly pursuing the peak of the Martial Dao. For an opponent like you, this Senior Brother can only show my respect for you by going all out!”
After saying that, his expression abruptly changed. His originally faint and nondescript aura suddenly erupted outward like a tsunami. The sudden change was so great that Yu Luo Sha couldn’t help narrowing her eyes. She instinctively surged the power in her body as a crimson blood mist instantly permeated the air around her!
At the same time, the voice that had been explaining the rules in Asura Arena also finished and shouted in a low voice, “Life and death shall be decided in battle, let the match begin!”
*Hong…*
The platform beneath Yang Kai’s feet exploded without warning and turned into countless pieces of gravel that shot out in all directions. His entire body turned into a stream of light as he charged towards Yu Luo Sha and appeared just ten metres away from her in an instant.
Yu Luo Sha’s expression changed greatly as a chill spread from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. In her vision, what charged towards her was not an Emperor Realm cultivator who had yet to even reach the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm but an ancient ominous beast that crossed through time and came from prehistoric times. The violent aura wrapped around her, causing her to become unable to breathe. It felt like her entire body was being pressed under a mountain and she didn’t even have the strength to move a single finger.
Meanwhile, the ferocious beast stretched out a claw while charging towards her and reached for her face, tearing through space and causing the world to collapse wherever it passed.
Yu Luo Sha was shocked! She had made a name for herself in the Asura Arena. Ever since she advanced into the Emperor Realm, she had fought in the Asura Arena and experienced at least 1,000 battles over the years. During this time, she met both strong and weak opponents. The most difficult opponent she had ever fought was during the battle where she took first place in the Earth Rankings.
In order to reach the top of the Earth Rankings, she first had to defeat the previous top ranker.
Her opponent had been on par with her in terms of strength and they were both in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, only one step away from advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Her opponent had also condensed six types of Sixth-Order Elements and was a Core Disciple of another Cave-Heaven. Their battle lasted for half a day before they could determine the winner between them.
However, even the previous top ranker in the Earth Rankings had been extremely cautious when challenging her. They had taken their time to figure out each other’s strength before they went all out towards the end of the battle. Who would charge in so violently and savagely from the start?
What scared Yu Luo Sha even more was the sense of oppression that Yang Kai gave her. Countless people had looked down on Yang Kai and believed that he was not her opponent, but she had never once thought that way. How could the person who defeated her ten years ago be weak?
As he mentioned just now, she had shown tremendous growth during these past ten years. But likewise, he could not have been idling away either! That was why she never underestimated him. On the contrary, she had always regarded him as an opponent who could put up a hard fight against her. Nevertheless, she immediately realized she had underestimated him when he actually made his move. Compared to his shocking imposing aura, she felt like a firefly in front of the bright moon, absolutely insignificant! At that moment, she felt as though the person before her was an invincible existence.
Be that as it may, she was a Core Disciple of Asura Heaven and had experienced hundreds of battles before, so she quickly composed herself. Her aura surged as the strength inside her body exploded outward.
Kicking off the platform lightly, Yu Luo Sha gave a wave of her hand. Flower petals shot out and rained down on Yang Kai, each one dancing through the air and formed from the purest power she could condense in an ever-changing and unpredictable storm.
She had condensed Sixth-Order Elements, so the strength she wielded displayed as such! The golden flower petals were like indestructible swords, representing the Metal Element. The red flower petals were like blazing flames, representing the Fire Element. Meanwhile, yellow represented the Earth Element; green the Wood Element; white the Water Element; and black the Yin Element!
Thousands of flower petals danced to form an imposing Array that could shred everything to pieces and covered Yang Kai in an instant. Even so, Yu Luo Sha did not feel the slightest sense of triumph. On the contrary, her heart pounded as though an inexplicable sense of crisis was looming over her. Then, she saw a large hand in the shape of an eagle’s claws stretching out of the flower storm. Countless petals destroyed the man’s clothes, but they were blocked by a dirt-yellow light barrier. Sparks flew from the contact between the flower petals and that light barrier, while no harm befell his body at all.
“How can that be!?” She practically exclaimed in shock, her heart sinking to the bottom of the abyss. The Myriad Flowers Array was basically her trump card. She generally did not use this move because it consumed too much strength, and ever since she climbed to the top of the Earth Rankings three years ago, few people have been able to force her to use this move again. The only ones who could force her to use this move were opponents in the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm. These people had all condensed the Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Elements and were also the elite disciples of various Cave-Heaven or Paradises.
Faced with Yang Kai’s head-on charge that resembled a ferocious Ominous Beast, she immediately brought out her trump card. She originally thought that it would stop him for a moment, maybe even cause him to fall into a precarious situation, but who could have imagined this result instead?
*Hong…*
Before she could understand what was going on, Yang Kai’s figure burst out of the Myriad Flowers Array. Countless flower petals shattered with a loud explosion, turning into bits of light that shot out in all directions like a meteor shower.
Yu Luo Sha stared blankly forward, only to see that Yang Kai’s expression was still as tranquil as an ancient well. His eyes were as cold and cruel as ice. Roaring to inspire herself, her tender body tensed and a boundless blood mist gushed out of her, turning into a sea of blood that drowned both of them inside.
The audience was completely silent as countless people stared blankly at the sea of blood in the Asura Arena, unable to comprehend what had just happened. It wasn’t until three breaths later that somebody murmured, “Did that Yang Kai just destroy Yu Luo Sha’s Myriad Flowers Array?”
Nobody answered the question. The Myriad Flowers Array had indeed been destroyed and Yang Kai had emerged from it without being bothered in the slightest. The main question was, how did he do it? Nobody had seen clearly.
Before anybody could figure out the answer, the sea of blood in the Asura Arena began squirming madly as though struck by a powerful impact.
The sea of blood shattered and the figures of two people swiftly fell out of the sky. Under everybody’s gaze, those figures suddenly vanished. Even though it had only been for a moment, almost everybody saw Yang Kai grabbing Yu Luo Sha by the face with a large hand and viciously smashing her towards the ground.
Yu Luo Sha was not willing to just give up and admit defeat. Both her slender jade hands and long legs; every part of her body had been transformed into a weapon that bombarded Yang Kai indiscriminately.
On the other hand, Yang Kai remained as stubborn and unchanging as a mountain. Motionless, he ignored whatever attacks she unleashed against him.
*Hong…*
The entire Asura Arena shuddered and countless cultivators in the audience also felt the ground shaking beneath them. A cloud of dust rose up at the spot where the two fighters landed. Numerous ancient towering trees crashed to the ground, forming a straight line that stretched out for several hundreds of metres. The scene was chaotic and the figures of both Yang Kai and Yu Luo Sha could no longer be seen amidst the dust.
Everybody hurriedly lifted their heads and looked up at the sky where a huge projected image of the battle between those two under the effects of the Spirit Arrays in the Asura Arena stood. What entered their eyes made them draw a deep breath of cold air in surprise.
Inside that enormous light barrier, Yang Kai was kneeling with one knee on the ground. He had one large hand pressing against the ground, his black hair and clothes flapping from the impact.
As for Yu Luo Sha, she was smashed into the ground with her face still in the grip of his hand. The long stretch of empty space behind them resembled a large mouth, mocking soundlessly.
The entire arena was silent! Everybody looked up stupidly at the projection in the sky. They couldn’t help feeling a sense of absurdity, almost as though they were stuck in a dream.
Yu Luo Sha had been utterly defeated! The top ranker in the Earth Rankings! The woman who was only one step away from advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! The woman who was said to be an existence that was invincible among those beneath the Open Heaven Realm! She had been defeated in an instant!
Moreover, the person who defeated her was a little-known man by the name of Yang Kai! How could this be!? How could there be something so ridiculous in the world!?
Countless people frantically rubbed their eyes and pinched their thighs, hoping that everything was just an illusion. Unfortunately, the reality of the image burned into their eyes was extremely clear. It could not be more real.
Yu Luo Sha had been defeated by Yang Kai. She seemed powerless to fight back against the violent attacks of the other party. Furthermore, no more than ten breaths had passed since the beginning of the battle.
…..
Inside a certain private room, three Young Lords dressed in black, green, and white respectively were staring fixedly at the Asura Arena in shock. They were the three Young Lords who spoke to Yang Kai previously. Their mouths were gaping so wide that they could practically stuff their own fists into them.
After a while, the Young Lord in black suddenly let out a cry of surprise. He turned around and shouted furiously, “Why did you pinch me!?”
The Young Lord in white looked extremely depressed, “I wanted to see if I was dreaming!”
The Young Lord in green wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead, “I can’t believe that Senior Brother… turned out to be so strong!”
Thinking back to the various ‘advice’ they gave Yang Kai just now and how they asked him to hold out for longer, they couldn’t help shuddering all of a sudden.
…..
Inside another private room, Pei Bu Wan slumped limply into the chair. His entire being looked like a balloon that had run out of air. His complexion had also gone white as a sheet as he was murmuring to himself, “It’s over. It’s over… It’s all gone! My 10 million Open Heaven Pills!”
After saying that, he clutched at his chest as though he was so heartbroken that he could not breathe.
Yue He coldly snorted, “Serves you right!”
She had no goodwill towards this shopkeeper of Hundred Refining’s Hall who bet 10 million Open Heaven Pills on Yang Kai’s defeat.
…..
Inside the Asura Arena, Yang Kai slowly stood up and reached up to brush the hair out of his face. Lowering his head to take a good look at Yu Luo Sha, who was lying unconscious on the ground, he smiled in satisfaction, “I didn’t injure her pretty face. As expected, I’m somebody who cherishes women indeed.”
His words were transmitted throughout the Asura Arena via the Spirit Arrays, so everybody heard him clearly. His tone might be warm and kind, but his words sent a chill down the backs of countless people.
Before this battle, the entire Star City believed that Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody could be her opponent as long as the Open Heaven Realm Masters did not step forth. However, Yang Kai had knocked out the future rising star of Asura Heaven in less than ten breaths.
If Yu Luo Sha was the strongest Master below the Open Heaven Realm, then what did that make Yang Kai?
Besides, his offensive had been so violent and ferocious. He gave off the vibe that he was going to skin her alive right from the start. Those were not the actions of a person who ‘cherished women’, right? Just how shameless could he be to utter such words?
“Sneak attack! How dare you perform a sneak attack!? How shameless!” A furious yell suddenly rang out in the Asura Arena. That shout was particularly jarring in the silent arena.
In the next moment, the others joined in. Countless people accused Yang Kai of being shameless and despicable. They claimed that he must have maliciously launched a sneak attack; otherwise, Yu Luo Sha would not have been defeated in one blow.
Yang Kai swept a cold gaze over the audience and scolded, “You bunch of trash! If you’re willing to gamble, you must be willing to lose! You’re all just bitter because you lost everything down to your underwear, right!? Hahahaha!”
He burst into maniacal laughter, inciting the anger of all the people in the arena, tempting them to rip his corpse into ten thousand pieces. Nevertheless, his words were the truth. Countless people went bankrupt because of this battle; after all, everybody had looked down on Yang Kai before the battle began and almost everybody placed a bet on Yu Luo Sha as a result. The odds might be lower, but it was just as the Young Lord mentioned before, if they bet more, then they would win more.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai smashed their beautiful dreams to pieces with brute force in less than ten breaths. It was no wonder that they were accusing him of being despicable and launching a sneak attack.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai had not launched a sneak attack. He only made his move after hearing the voice saying ‘Let the battle begin!’. There were no doubts regarding whether or not he had launched a sneak attack. It was just that some of those people were not happy about losing. That was why they threw those accusations at him.
It wasn’t until this moment that the voice explaining all the rules earlier rang out again. This time, it sounded extremely dry, “Winner, Yang Kai!”
In the next moment, a man slipped into the arena and stopped in front of Yu Luo Sha. He reached out three fingers to check whether she was still breathing. When he confirmed that she had just passed out and was in no danger, he seemed slightly relieved. He then bent down and picked her up. Then, he raised his head and glared at Yang Kai furiously before leaving in a hurry.
Yang Kai scratched his nose, knowing that he made himself stand out too much. The person who carried Yu Luo Sha away was most likely one of Asura Heaven’s disciples. Yu Luo Sha could be considered one of the Asura Arena’s golden signboards, so now that he smashed that signboard to pieces, it would be strange if he did not attract some grudges.
Yang Kai had not wanted to stand out, it was just that Yu Luo Sha was just too bull-headed. She would not have given up and would simply continue to pester him in the future unless he gave her a taste of despair.
Fortunately, Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heaven and the Asura Arena was its primary business. Even if Asura Heaven was upset with him, it would not stoop so low as to secretly get rid of him. Besides, it was not that there was no precedent of Asura Heaven disciples dying in the Asura Arena. Asura Heaven had never held a grudge against others because of something like that. As far as the Cave-Heaven was concerned, death was deserved if one was lacking in talent.
Seeing as the countless cultivators in the audience were still cursing endlessly, Yang Kai decided to ignore them and leisurely walked towards the exit instead. At the exit, he saw the elderly man who led him into the arena previously looking at him as though looking at a ghost. The attitude of the elderly man at this moment was much more polite than the nonchalant attitude from before.
Upon returning to the waiting room, Yang Kai immediately saw Pei Bu Wan sitting there wallowing in depression and laughed, “Shopkeeper Pei, why are you acting like that? It’s only 1 million Open Heaven Pills. Just think of it as a monetary loss that allowed you to avoid disaster instead.”
Pei Bu Wan gritted his teeth, “What do you mean by 1 million!? It was 10 million! 10 million!”
“How bold, Shopkeeper Pei!” Yang Kai teased. When he questioned Pei Bu Wan earlier, Pei Bu Wan had only raised a single finger in response and did not provide an exact answer; hence, he mistakenly thought that Pei Bu Wan had bet just 1 million against him. Who could have known that Pei Bu Wan had bet 10 million instead?
“Little Brother Yang, you’ve ruined me!” Pei Bu Wan’s facial features were scrunched up together as he was literally on the verge of tears, “If you had such ability, why didn’t you let this Big Brother know in advance!? If I had known, I would have bet on you!”
Yang Kai was amazed, “I sent Yue He to place an enormous bet on myself, didn’t I? Shopkeeper Pei, you were the one who did not believe in me. How can you blame me?”
Pei Bu Wan was rendered speechless when he thought back on it. Yang Kai had dared to bet on his own victory with such confidence, so how could he be uncertain about his chances of winning? It was just that Yu Luo Sha’s invincible image was so deeply rooted in Pei Bu Wan’s heart that he did not dare to believe in Yang Kai.
Such a great opportunity to make a fortune had been placed right in front of him, but he had failed to grasp the opportunity… It had to be said that the odds against Yang Kai were ten to one!
Pei Bu Wan lifted a hand and slapped himself hard in the face. His chest was hurting as though somebody was squeezing his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
While they were speaking, one of the people in charge of the Asura Arena walked in. That person glanced at Yang Kai before glancing at Pei Bu Wan, who was grieving as though he had lost his parents. That person nodded in acknowledgement, “Junior, you are here too.”
Pei Bu Wan suppressed the sorrow in his heart and hurriedly got to his feet, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou said, “You lost your bet? How could you lose if you are together with Nephew Yang?”
Pei Bu Wan reacted as if he was struck by lightning but said nothing, feeling as though somebody had rubbed salt into his wounds…
Old Zhou ignored Pei Bu Wan and cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “Nephew Yang!”
Although Yang Kai did not recognise this person, he echoed Pei Bu Wan’s words and cupped his fist, “Old Zhou!”
Old Zhou smiled, “Today’s battle has really opened this Old Master’s eyes, Nephew Yang!”
Yang Kai politely responded, “Old Zhou, you are too polite. I was just lucky!”
Old Zhou stared at Yang Kai meaningfully, “Defeating Yu Luo Sha in ten breaths cannot be considered ‘luck’. The disciples of Asura Heaven are not that easy to defeat. If just any random person could defeat the disciples of Asura Heaven, then Asura Heaven would have lost the right to call itself one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens a long time ago.”
Yang Kai asked, “Why did you come here, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou handed over a Space Ring, “Before the battle started, you bet a 100 million Open Heaven Pills on your victory, right? This contains your bet and your winnings.”
Yang Kai immediately took the Space Ring in high spirits. Sweeping his Divine Sense to check the contents, he exclaimed in surprise, “This number seems a bit higher than it should.”
Combined with his original bet of 100 million, the Asura Arena should only need to hand over 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills to him. Such a large sum of Open Heaven Pills was not something just any great force could bring out so easily. Only a place like the Asura Arena where countless Open Heaven Pills flowed through every single day could do something like that.
But, what surprised Yang Kai was that the Space Ring seemed to contain more than 1.1 billion Open Heaven Pills.
“1.2 billion!” Old Zhou confirmed.
Yang Kai was puzzled, “Where did the extra 100 million come from?”
Old Zhou smiled, “Nephew Yang, your strength is extraordinary. In the future, your name will surely spread across the 3,000 Worlds, so this Old Master will not play games with you. That extra 100 million is a form of compensation from Asura Arena.”
“Compensation for what?”
“Nephew Yang, please do not set foot in any of the Asura Arenas of any the Star Cities ever again!” Old Zhou replied bluntly.
Yang Kai could not help blinking in surprise; however, he soon understood what Old Zhou meant. He had displayed a terrifying power that was strong enough to crush any opponent under the Open Heaven Realm in his battle today. It was a given that nobody could be his opponent if he were to set foot in another Asura Arena again, and if everybody bet on his victory, then how would the Asura Arena make money?
The Asura Arena was one of the most important foundations of Asura Heaven, which delivered large amounts of Open Heaven Pills to it every day. If the Asura Arena kept suffering losses, then Asura Heaven would be in trouble too. It was only natural for Old Zhou to consider the future. Be that as it may, he took out 100 million Open Heaven Pills to offer as compensation without even batting an eyelid! It could be seen just how wealthy and powerful the Asura Arena was!
Pei Bu Wan was dumbfounded. As far as his memories went, this was the first time the Asura Arena had ever offered such generous conditions to a cultivator. Asura Heaven was one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens after all. Aside from the other Cave-Heavens in the Outer Universe, there was no need for Asura Heaven to give face to any other great force; after all, Asura Heaven had that kind of power.
Yang Kai smiled at Old Zhou, “What if I refused?”
Old Zhou calmly said, “You have no reason to refuse, Nephew. Fighting life-or-death battles in the Asura Arena might be able to help a person grow extremely fast, but there is no point in participating if you are simply going to one-sidedly crush your opponents. Even Yu Luo Sha could not last for more than ten breaths against you. There are few below the Open Heaven Realm in this vast universe who have the qualifications to stand before you. You won’t be able to meet a suitable opponent even if you enter the Asura Arena again. In that case, why would you waste your time by returning to the Asura Arena?
“Besides, even if you do enter the Asura Arena again, the Asura Arena can adjust the odds so while we won’t make money, we can minimize our losses. That is why I believe that you have no reason to refuse. What do you say, Nephew Yang?”
Yang Kai considered those words for a moment and nodded, “What you say does make sense, Old Zhou.”
Old Zhou grinned lightly at Yang Kai, “So, do we have a deal?”
Yang Kai laughed, “It’s not like I can’t agree to never set foot in the Asura Arena again. But, I have to ask that you restrain Junior Sister Yu, Old Zhou. I’m worried that she might not be convinced even after the battle today…”
Old Zhou replied, “Please don’t worry about this, Nephew. Xiao Yu’er might be stubborn, but she is not a fool. I’m certain that she will not challenge you again when she knows that she cannot defeat you and that her actions will only humiliate herself once more. Nevertheless, this Old Master will restrain her!”
“And, about the compensation…”
He raised an eyebrow at Yang Kai’s words, “Nephew Yang, do you think that it is too little?”
Yang Kai rubbed his fingers together and said slyly, “How can there ever be such a thing as too many Open Heaven Pills?”
Old Zhou pondered for a moment and came to a decision, “This Old Master can give you another 50 million. What do you think, Nephew?”
Yang Kai’s expression became stern, “50 million doesn’t sound that nice. Why don’t you round it up to a whole number instead?”
Old Zhou’s expression became stiff, “Nephew Yang, you should show some propriety. Don’t be too greedy. This is already the limit that this Old Master can provide under his authority. If you ask for more, this Old Master will have to pay you out of my own pocket. If you agree to this deal, you will not only receive a large amount of Open Heaven Pills but also the friendship of Asura Heaven. This is a very good deal for you.”
After saying that, his eyes flashed for a moment and he looked at Yang Kai seriously before adding, “Coincidentally, this Old Master heard of a name recently. That name is exactly the same as yours, Nephew Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The 3,000 Worlds is extensive. There are trillions upon trillions of living creatures scattered across the vast universe. I’m sure there are people out there with the same name as me.”
Old Zhou gently nodded, “Indeed. It’s not strange for a few people to have the exact same name and surname. What’s strange is that this person’s cultivation is also similar to yours. Don’t you find that rather strange, Nephew Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai’s expression changed and his eyes flashed, “What else did you hear about, Old Zhou?”
Old Zhou said slowly, “I also heard that this ‘Yang Kai’ was involved in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary incident. He made a huge fortune there and even condensed several High-Rank Open Heaven Elements. It seems he is very ambitious and intends to break through to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. Say, Nephew Yang Kai, don’t you agree that this person has no fear of the Heavens?”
Yang Kai quickly replied, “Cultivators all seek to reach the peak of the Material Dao. How is that having no fear of the Heavens?”
“It is difficult for a rogue cultivator to directly achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. This Old Master believes that this person will suffer a catastrophe in the future since he does not have any background nor support to rely upon. If he does not survive the catastrophe, then things would simply end with his death.”
“What if he survives the catastrophe?” Yang Kai looked at Old Zhou.
Old Zhou studied Yang Kai for a moment and gave a soft chuckle, “If he can survive the catastrophe, then this Old Master will cut off his head for him to kick around like a ball.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but coldly snort in response, “Don’t get too high and mighty with your words, Old Zhou. Like water that has been spilled, the words you speak can never be taken back again.”
Old Zhou shook his head, “That is fate. If this Old Master says that he won’t be able to survive the catastrophe, then he won’t. Forcefully pushing forward will only cause his Soul to be extinguished. This Old Master hopes that he can change his mind as soon as possible. If he only takes a step back, then all will end well; otherwise, it will be too late for regrets by the time the catastrophe strikes.
Yang Kai looked livid.
Then, Old Zhou abruptly changed the subject, “There’s no point in speaking about such irrelevant matters. Nephew Yang, have you considered the offer this Old Master has given you?”
Yang Kai stretched out his hand, “Hand it over.”
Old Zhou smilingly took out another Space Ring and handed it to Yang Kai. That Space Ring contained an impressive 50 million Open Heaven Pills. He said meaningfully, “Nephew, this Old Master has a word of advice for you. Those who understand how to be flexible will rise higher!”
Yang Kai muttered, “Many thanks for your advice, Old Zhou. I will keep your words in my heart.”
Old Zhou gave Yang Kai a measuring look and seemed to see the determination in his eyes; thus, he sighed and shook his head before taking his leave.
Next to them, Pei Bu Wan bowed and sent Old Zhou off. It wasn’t until Old Zhou was gone that he looked at the two Space Rings in Yang Kai’s hands with an envious look. Those Space Rings contained a whopping sum of 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills. It was an amount he would never earn even if he worked all his life. A moment later, he suddenly jumped in fright, “Little Brother Yang, why is your expression so terrible?”
Yang Kai randomly came up with an excuse, “I was wounded by Yu Luo Sha.”
Pei Bu Wan was surprised for a moment, then a wave of understanding washed over him. [I guess the battle just now was not as easy as it seemed on the surface. Yang Kai probably paid a heavy price to defeat Yu Luo Sha within ten breaths, it’s just that it doesn’t show on the surface.]
“Shopkeeper Pei, until we meet again.” Yang Kai cupped his fists and led Yue He away, his expression still as gloomy as before.
He knew that he could not hide his identity after what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, or the fact that he had condensed a High-Rank Elements and was intending to reach the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. So many people had witnessed what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary after all. It was a given that the news would spread out. It was only a matter of time.
Calculating the time, nearly two years had passed since he came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. If Asura Heaven could learn about the events inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then it would not be surprising for them to know about him.
Looking for a person in this vast universe was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack. Unfortunately, Old Zhou had noticed something during this battle in the Asura Arena and ascertained that Yang Kai was the same person mentioned in those rumours. Yu Luo Sha had condensed the Sixth-Order Element Powers after all. She could be considered an invincible existence among those below the Open Heaven Realm. As such, one needed to have a greater heritage than hers in order to defeat her within ten breaths.
If Asura Heaven was already aware of this fact, then that was probably the case for all the other Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai had always known from the Proprietress that his journey towards the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm was not going to be easy and he was very likely going to be suppressed by the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. It was just that he had never revealed himself in the eyes of the world before. He had simply taken over Void Land and quietly strengthened himself. It could be considered a fairly stable lifestyle. On the contrary, he had been completely exposed after the battle today.
In any case, it was not something that could be helped. Even without today’s battle, it was simply a matter of time before his whereabouts were discovered by those who were interested in him. Unless he hid himself in Void Land forever and never showed his face anywhere, it was impossible to remain anonymous.
Be that as it may, there was no need to worry about being suppressed for the time being. He had only just condensed four Elements after all. There was still a long way before he could advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Even if the Cave-Heavens and Paradises planned to suppress him, they would not make their move so quickly. They had reputations to worry about, so they had to be mindful of how they took action.
A cultivator’s road to advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was long; in addition, there were many variables that could affect the final outcome. Just like the wooden boards that make up a wooden barrel, how much water a barrel could hold depended entirely on the shortest board. They only needed to ensure that his water barrel had a single wooden board that was below the High-Rank to get the results they wanted.
Upon considering all of this, Yang Kai felt a little more at ease. Old Zhou’s words today might seem like nothing more than kind advice, but they were actually a kind of warning, one that came from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. He did not dare to say that it was the will of all the Cave-Heavens and Paradises, but their opinions would likely be quite consistent when it came to this matter.
After passing through a long and dark corridor, the bright light ahead seemed to welcome him. Yang Kai tightly clenched his fists and looked up into the sky with a smirk on his lips. [Forget a trivial warning. Even if I have to make the entire world my enemy, my determination to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm will not be shaken!]
“Brat, why are you smiling so exaggeratedly?” Bai Qi’s face suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai with an infinitely curious expression.
Yang Kai was astonished, “What are you doing here?”
Old Bai chuckled and waved the Space Ring in his hand slightly.
Yang Kai blinked and quickly caught on to the meaning, “Did the Proprietress ask you to place a bet?”
Old Bai delightedly replied, “It’s a good opportunity to make a fortune. Who would willingly miss out on such an opportunity? The Proprietress prepared this long ago.”
Those who did not know Yang Kai might not have been optimistic about his prospects, but the Proprietress knew him very well. How could she not know how strong he was? She started preparing for Bai Qi to place a bet the moment Yang Kai decided to accept Yu Luo Sha’s challenge.
“It’s a pity. The Proprietress did not have many Open Heaven Pills on hand, so we could only place a 30 million wager.” Bai Qi complained with some dissatisfaction.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck. The Proprietress had placed a bet of 30 million with ten to one odds; in other words, she had won 300 million Open Heaven Pills. Combined with the 1.25 billion Open Heaven Pills that he received, the Asura Arena must have lost basically its entire betting pool this time. There was no saying how long it would take for them to recover from these losses.
“We’ll have enough money for the auction now. Heh heh heh…” Bai Qi chuckled softly.
“Auction?” Yang Kai immediately became interested when he heard those words, “Where is the auction? Wind and Cloud Auction House?”
Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City had an auction house by the name of the Wind and Cloud Auction House. It was a place Yang Kai was familiar with as it was an industry owned by Wind and Cloud Paradise.
Back when Yang Kai and Old Bai went there to collect debt payments, Wind and Cloud Auction House had made all sorts of excuses to avoid paying them. The two had been so annoyed that they snuck into the auction and made multiple malicious bids, which resulted in the auction being ruined. The person in charge of the Wind and Cloud Auction House at the time was a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Yun Zhen Hua.
Due to the malicious bids that Yang Kai and Bai Qi made during the auction, most of the auction items had basically fallen into their hands; however, they refused to settle the bill with Open Heaven Pills. It stood to reason that Yun Zhen Hua would not let this matter slide, so he imprisoned them inside Wind and Cloud Auction House. This provoked the Proprietress who subsequently flew into a rage and attacked Wind and Cloud Auction House as a result. Thus, a grudge was formed between them because of this incident.
Later, Yun Zhen Hua teamed up with Yue He, Qin Ji, and Ling Chun Qiu to ambush the Proprietress. Yun Zhen Hua was ultimately killed on the spot and his Soul was extinguished inside the Sealing Yang Domain of Golden Rainbow Province when Yang Kai used his last Mie Meng Golden Feather.
When Yang Kai heard Bai Qi mention the word ‘auction’, Wind and Cloud Auction House immediately came to mind.
Bai Qi sneered, “First Inn and Wind and Cloud Auction House are at odds with each other, how could we possibly participate in any of their auctions? This time, we are participating in an auction held by Red Clouds Auction House.”
Knowing that Yang Kai was not very familiar with the Star City, he went on to explain, “Red Clouds Auction House is owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. Their heritage is far greater than Wind and Cloud Auction House and they have branches in many Star Cities. Furthermore, they tend to hold a large-scale auction in a random Star City every five years or so. The large-scale auction this time will be held in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City.”
“Red Clouds Auction House?” Yang Kai gently nodded, “When will this auction take place?”
“Half a month at the earliest to one month at the latest.” Bai Qi winked at Yang Kai, “Rest assured, the Proprietress knows that you will be interested in something like this, so she will surely bring you along with her. But, it won’t be easy for you to find any High-Rank materials there. High-Rank materials generally do not appear even at an auction of this scale. As far as I can remember, High-Rank materials have only appeared in an auction twice over the last hundred years. Both times, people went crazy in an attempt to compete for those resources.”
Yang Kai said, “I am aware of that.”
Even if there were no High-Rank materials, it would be great if there were Sixth-Order materials. The Great Emperors were currently cultivating in retreat back in Void Land, so their consumption of Sixth-Order materials was great. Leaving aside the Great Emperors, even Yue He needed Sixth-Order materials for her cultivation now.
During his journey, Yang Kai passed through several Star Cities but only managed to purchase one Sixth-Order material. It would be best if he could obtain some in the auction. He currently had more than 1.5 billion Open Heaven Pills, so even for Sixth-Order materials, he had enough to purchase up to several dozen! Unfortunately, a competition of this level would surely be extremely fierce and it would cost him a lot of unnecessary money.
Returning to First Inn, Yang Kai went to the Proprietress to inquire about the auction before entering retreat in peace when he learned that it would not be held until half a month later.
At present, his cultivation was stuck in an awkward position. He was unable to proceed without suitable resources; however, it was not a problem for him to comprehend the various Powers in his body and consume Dragon Blood Pills to further enhance his Dragon Clan bloodline.
He consumed Dragon Blood Pill after Dragon Blood Pill, and though he could not sense any obvious changes in his body, he was certain that his Dragon Vein was continuously being purified. The Golden Divine Dragon’s Source was also subtly affected by these changes. What left him feeling speechless was that he had been comprehending the Wood, Earth, and Water Element Powers in his body for so long, but even so, he had failed to gain insight into another Divine Manifestation like the Golden Crow Casts the Sun.
The power of a Divine Manifestation was boundless and it had always been a power that only those in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm possessed, but Yang Kai had comprehended a Divine Manifestation as an Emperor Realm cultivator. He did not dare to claim that there was no precedent before him or that there would not be similar occurrences in the future, but it was still an astonishing feat. It could already be considered a lucky coincidence for him to have comprehended the Golden Crow Casts the Sun; therefore, it was undoubtedly extremely difficult for him to repeat it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was not discouraged. He would immerse his mind in comprehension whenever he had the time. Even if there were no benefits, it could still be regarded as a kind of accumulation. He believed that these accumulated experiences would lead to qualitative changes eventually.
Time passed while Yang Kai was cultivating in retreat and in the blink of an eye, a month passed. Yue He knocked on the door and entered to inform Yang Kai that the auction was starting. Only then did he stop cultivating, adjusted his clothes, and strode out of the room.
The Proprietress was waiting for him in the hall and when she saw him, she nodded lightly and called out, “Let’s go.”
Then, she led the way ahead.
There were a total of four people on this trip. The Proprietress was the leader, followed by Yue He, Yang Kai, and Bai Qi. Although their numbers were few, except for Yang Kai who was in the Emperor Realm, the other three were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. It could be said to be a very powerful lineup.
Along the way, they passed through numerous bustling streets and came to the entrance of a shop within an incense stick of time. There was a plaque above the entrance of the shop with the characters ‘Red Clouds Auction House’ written on it in shining gold.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that the characters seemed to contain a mysterious power, constantly twisting and changing in his eyes. It was very mysterious. A chill gripped his heart as he realised that this plaque must have been written by an extremely powerful Open Heaven Realm Master. These words most likely contained the Martial Truth of that Master. It was not harmful, but it gave off a profound feeling. There was no doubt that this was one of the ways for Red Clouds Auction House to demonstrate its strength and heritage.
Beneath the plaque, numerous cultivators of Red Clouds Auction House hurried back and forth to guide the people participating in the auction into the auction house with bright smiles on their faces.
Before the four of them could arrive at the door of Red Clouds Auction House, somebody greeted the Proprietress. Yang Kai glanced in that direction and discovered that the person was a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. As for what Order that person was in, he could not infer from the situation. The Proprietress seemed to be very friendly with the other party so she smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai looked around and was secretly surprised. In such a short time, he saw many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters entering the auction house with their followers or their Juniors. Some did not have obvious auras while others displayed wanton arrogance. There was no shortage of Masters in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. This discovery both shocked and delighted him.
Yang Kai was shocked that the auction had attracted so many Masters to this place and these people were only the ones that he saw; there were probably more that he did not see. On the other hand, what delighted him was the presence of so many Masters. It could only mean that a lot of good things would be offered during the auction. Why else would these Masters travel for billions upon billions of kilometres from various Great Territories to come here?
The Proprietress was very well-connected and she immediately greeted several Masters in a very short time. They lingered around the entrance for a full incense stick before the Proprietress led their group inside. Under the guidance of a young maid working in the auction house, they stepped into a private room.
The private room was not that big, but it was more than enough to accommodate four people. Under Yang Kai’s perception, he found that many barriers had been placed inside the room to prevent outsiders from spying into it. The private room faced one side of the auction hall, with a transparent crystal partition to block out prying eyes and noise from the outside. Everything in the hall could be seen through the transparent crystal partition; however, nothing inside the room could be seen if a person were to glance at the room from inside the hall.
The Proprietress was the shopkeeper of First Inn; moreover, her cultivation was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It was only natural that she was qualified to enter a room like this. Yang Kai glanced around his surroundings and discovered that there were dozens of similar rooms. In other words, at least several dozen Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were participating in this auction. Such a large-scale auction could only be described as a grand occasion. It was much grander than the auction he participated in back at Wind and Cloud Auction House.
After the four of them took their seats, the maidservant immediately served several platters of fruit. The spirit fruits on the platters were crystal-clear and very fragrant. Yang Kai randomly grabbed one and tasted it, only to have his mouth filled with sweetness in an instant. Thus, he quickly grabbed another and tossed it to Yue He. Yue He caught the fruit with a small smile and began to eat in dainty bites.
Yang Kai had only eaten two when he saw Bai Qi storing these spirit fruits into his Space Ring. His actions made the maidservant in the room snicker softly while the Proprietress glared at him fiercely. However, Bai Qi was very thick-skinned and did not seem to care. He even winked conspiratorially at Yang Kai.
The hall was soon bursting at the seams with people, and a short while later, the sound of gongs and instruments played. The lights in the auction hall dimmed, leaving only a single beam of light that shone in the centre of the stage. The light was emitted from a strange stone on the roof. At that moment, be it in the hall or the various private rooms, everybody’s eyes were drawn to the stage.
At some point, a thin and stiff-faced old man had appeared in the middle of that beam of light. He bowed in a circle and said, “Many thanks to all our Honoured Guests for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in the auction held by Red Clouds Auction House. Many of you have worked tirelessly to travel here from great distances. If nothing else, this Old Master guarantees that this auction will not disappoint you! Without further ado, let the auction officially begin!”
The old man was probably from Red Clouds Auction House and was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm at least. When he finished speaking, the light in the hall brightened considerably. A tall maidservant walked out from backstage, carrying a tray with a sweet smile on her face.
The maidservant walked over to the old man’s side where he raised his hand and removed the red cloth covering the tray, “The first item on auction is a Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand. There are a total of 999 grains of sand. If those beneath the Open Heaven Realm were to refine and absorb them, they would have a chance to obtain the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm Divine Ability. The effects of this Divine Ability are extremely powerful and cover an extensive area. It is capable of taking a person’s life without any trace. The reserve price for this item is 10 million Open Heaven Pills and each subsequent bid cannot be less than 500,000. Those who are interested may place their bids now!”
The hall flew into an uproar while the sound of many people inhaling sharply came from the various private rooms.
A cultivator required seven Elements to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. They were Yin, Yang, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Among these seven, the Yin and Yang Elements were much rarer. As such, compared to the other Five Elements, they were also more expensive.
Yang Kai himself had a lot of experience in this matter. Regardless of whether it was the wealth he obtained from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary or the purchases he made at all the Star Cities he passed through along his journey, Yin and Yang Element treasures were far more difficult to find than those of the Five Elements. As a consequence, the price for them became much more exorbitant despite being in the same Order.
Red Clouds Auction House was definitely worthy of its reputation as a direct industry of a Cave-Heaven. Their first item was already a material of the Yin Element. Moreover, it was a Sixth-Order material!
It was understandable that Red Clouds Auction House wanted to use the first auction item to create enthusiasm; in doing so, they would draw out the excitement and anticipation of the people participating in the auction. Most auctions would carry out similar practices. It was just that bringing out a Sixth-Order Yin Element material right from the start was beyond most people’s expectations. Sixth-Order materials were hard to find after all. Even the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in this auction would not have the chance to obtain such materials under normal circumstances.
As soon as the remarks of the old man handling the auction rang out, the atmosphere felt like a handful of salt was thrown into a pot of boiling oil and the sounds of bidding rang out incessantly.
In the span of ten breaths, the base price of 10 million rose to 15 million. Not to mention, the price was not final yet.
16 million, 17 million, 18 million…
The price soon passed through the 20 million mark! 21 million, 22 million…
It was not until the price reached 23 million that the bidding gradually died down until only two parties were fighting over the material left.
This price had far exceeded the value of a typical Sixth-Order material. Even if it was a Yin Element material, the actual value should not be over 20 million. It had to be said that Yang Kai only spent 17 million to purchase a Sixth-Order material in one of the Star Cities on his way here. The price of this Yin Element treasure was much higher. Not to mention, the price was also driven up by the bidding. Nevertheless, 23 million had far exceeded the limits of what most people could accept.
Not everybody became rich overnight like Yang Kai or had several billion Open Heaven Pills in their possession that could be spent without a care in the world at will.
In the 3,000 Worlds, any Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who could gather several hundreds of thousands of Open Heaven Pills could already be considered wealthy. Only Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the qualifications to accumulate several million Open Heaven Pills. On the other hand, High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were the only ones that could possess tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills.
Be that as it may, that was only relevant towards the financial resources possessed by individuals. How much money one would have when backed by a great force was a whole other matter altogether.
The stronger a person was, the more wealth they could accumulate. At the same time, their consumption was also greater. Take Yue He for example. If she were to cultivate without regard for anything else, she would consume at least tens of thousands of Open Heaven Pills a day. That was why it was extremely difficult for any Open Heaven Realm Master to accumulate wealth.
Money did not simply rain down from the Heavens; therefore, 23 million was truly a huge sum. Unless one was in urgent need of this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, they would not stubbornly bid for it. A Sixth-Order material was very different from a Seventh-Order material. Although they were scarce, it was not as though they could not be found.
The two people who were still bidding among themselves were undoubtedly eager to purchase the Scarlet Yin Sand. It might be for their own use or it might be in preparation for their Juniors or disciples.
Yang Kai turned to look at the Proprietress, “Proprietress, are you not going to bid?”
The Proprietress was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was just right for her to refine this Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand.
Yet the Proprietress lazily replied, “These things are useless to me for the time being.”
Yang Kai was taken aback by her words, but he immediately understood what she meant. She had most likely reached a bottleneck in her cultivation. She advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm a long time ago, so she was probably already at its peak. It stood to reason that she did not need the Scarlet Yin Sand to enhance the heritage of her Small Universe. If she went one step further, she would be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
It was just that… she once made a Heart Demon Oath to crush the Headquarters of several great forces. As long as she did not fulfil the requirements of this oath, she would never break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm! She had flattened Yue He’s Small Orchid Palace, but Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar were still thriving.
Golden Rainbow Province might have the word ‘Province’ in their name, but it was a genuine Second-Class great force. Needless to say, Boundless Altar was also a Second-Class great force. Moreover, Qin Ji and Ling Chun Qiu were both in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
When Yang Kai led Yue He to attack Blood Swan Continent previously, it had taken him quite a bit of effort to succeed, and Blood Swan Continent was only a Third-Class great force.
With the Proprietress’ current strength, it was a hopeless wish to trample flat the Headquarters of a Second-Class great force alone. It wouldn’t work even with Yue He and Bai Qi’s cooperation. The Defensive Grand Array of a Second-Class great force could not be regarded in the same category as the Defensive Grand Array of a Third-Class great force. It was impossible unless one could find a chance to slowly kill off the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of these two great forces, one by one. This was a matter that needed further consideration.
Since the Proprietress had no need for the Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, Yang Kai could make his move without scruples.
The price of the Scarlet Yin Sand had been raised to 24 million Open Heaven Pills. It was just that the two Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting over this material had to consider their choices carefully before they made a new bid at this point. After all, the price increased by 500,000 every time they bid, which was not a small sum.
At this juncture, Yang Kai’s voice resounded throughout the audience, “25 million!”
On the auction stage, the old man with the stiff expression who looked like all the people in the world owed him money immediately looked over in this direction. His voice became a little excited, “The guest from Room A3 has bid 25 million Open Heaven Pills. Are there any higher bids?”
*Shua shua shua…*
Many people in the hall also turned to look at First Inn’s private room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person who placed a bid at the last moment. Unfortunately, they were obstructed by the Array and could not look into the private room.
The old man from Red Clouds Auction House gave two more consecutive calls. Then, one of the people who made a bid previously quickly shouted out, “25.5 million!”
Without waiting for the other person to finish speaking, Yang Kai immediately followed up, “26 million!”
His tone was brisk but not stressed, revealing his confidence in his wealth and his determination to win. Sure enough, nobody else made a bid after that. The old man banged the gavel three times to sound the final offer and Yang Kai won the bid for the Scarlet Yin Sand.
The first auction item had gotten things off to a good start. It was sold for an astoundingly high price that was nearly 20% higher than market value. Thus, the lively atmosphere in the auction hall instantly became burning with anticipation.
The second auction item was only a Fourth-Order material, but it still sold for a price that exceeded market value by 10%.
Fourth-Order materials were easy to find and could be found in any Star City; however, it had to be said that each material had its own characteristics. A cultivator might be able to realise various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques by refining these materials. For that reason, the price and level of competition for materials might differ slightly even though the materials were of the same Element or in the same Order.
Take the Scarlet Yin Sand for example. If a cultivator beneath the Open Heaven Realm refined and absorbed this material, they might be able to realise a Divine Ability like the Scarlet Yin Sandstorm. Another example would be the Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone. The Yuan Magnetic Divine Stone could allow cultivators to comprehend the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light Divine Ability.
Take the various Water Element treasures as another type of example. Despite being classified as Water Element treasures, one might be the crystallization of the drizzling rain that snuck in with the spring wind during the night to moisten the Earth in silence, another might be a drop of water so heavy that it weighed ten thousand kilograms. There might even be a liquid poison that corrodes everything it touches.
If a certain material in the same Order and the same Element could allow a cultivator to realise a more powerful and effective Divine Ability, then its price would naturally be higher than average. That was why cultivators would usually put great thought into choosing the materials they condensed for their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, unless they had no choice. Given a choice, they would combine the unique characteristics of their physique and consider the various differences of each Divine Ability to select the most appropriate option.
Yang Kai had never encountered this problem before. That was because he never had a choice. High-Rank materials were already extremely hard to find and it was already a great fortune just to come across any one of them. How could he afford to be picky about his choices under those circumstances? But then again, the four powers that he had condensed so far were all extremely impressive existences even among High-Rank materials; therefore, there was nothing for him to regret.
All the auction items chosen by Red Clouds Auction House today were the rarest and most precious materials in their respective Orders. They could allow a cultivator to realise various extraordinary Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, so they naturally attracted many people to compete for them.
A lot of items were presented and none of them went unsold. Moreover, every auction item was sold for a high price. Yang Kai himself placed many bids and bought a considerable number of Fourth-Order materials of the Yin and Yang Elements, filling the gaps in his shopping spree from before.
As for the Fifth-Order materials, he still showed no intention of buying them at all. There would be a steady stream of Fifth-Order materials with the gourd vine living in Void Land, so there was no need to purchase them from external sources. Moreover, the gourd vine in itself was a whole entity that could produce all seven types of Powers. Yang Kai was curious to see if a cultivator would experience any special changes if they completely refined all their Yin, Yang, and Five Element Powers from the gourd vine.
Cultivation materials of various Orders were not the only things sold at the auction. There were also many pills, herbs, Secret Arts, Secret Techniques, and artifacts. Seeing these items really opened Yang Kai’s eyes to the world.
Four hours later, the auction was halfway through. Another maidservant walked onto the auction stage with a tray in hand. The old man from Red Clouds Auction House lifted the red cloth and everybody looked in that direction only to see a jade bottle. There was a jade slip placed next to the jade bottle; thus, everybody immediately understood that this auction item was most likely some sort of Spirit Pill. It was just that nobody understood the reason for the jade slip.
Just as everybody was whispering among themselves, the old man picked up the jade bottle and gave an explanation, “Ladies and gentlemen, the next auction item is this bottle of Spirit Pills in this Old Master’s hand. I will be honest with you, there is only one Spirit Pill in this bottle. This item is useless to those in the Open Heaven Realm and above; however, it will be of great benefit to those beneath the Open Heaven Realm, especially for those who are about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm.”
After hearing those words, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms instantly lost interest in the item. On the other hand, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately paid closer attention. The cultivators in the hall were generally weaker and most of them were below the Open Heaven Realm. Since this Spirit Pill was useful for those below the Open Heaven Realm, it stood to reason that this item would catch their interest.
“A Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, which also comes with the pill recipe for this Spirit Pill. The starting price is 2 million Open Heaven Pills! Honoured Guests, please place your bids!”
Unlike the previous chorus of voices calling out their respective bids, the entire auction hall fell silent after the old man finished speaking. Thousands of cultivators in the hall stared at the stage blankly, seemingly having trouble believing their ears. Just moments ago, the old man had announced that the Spirit Pill was only useful for those beneath the Open Heaven Realm after all. That was why they mistakenly believed that the price would not be too high. Who could have known that the reserve price would be 2 million Open Heaven Pills!
For a moment, they thought that they had heard wrongly. On second thought, how could the person presiding over this grand auction make such a mistake? But, if it was not a mistake, then which person below the Open Heaven Realm could afford the price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills? More importantly, just what was this so-called Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill?
Just as everybody in the hall was mired in confusion, a somewhat uncertain voice came from one of the private rooms in B Block, “Is this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill some kind of Spirit Pill that can increase the success rate of a cultivator advancing into the Open Heaven Realm?”
The old man on the stage nodded, “Indeed!”
After a brief silence, an uproar broke out in the hall. Countless cultivators stared at the jade bottle with a burning look in their eyes, almost as though the jade bottle contained some sort of substance that drew their eyes to the bottle like a magnet.
Not everybody could succeed when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Despite going through all sorts of hardships in addition to spending a great deal of time, energy, and resources to condense their Yin, Yang, and Five Elements, there was still a huge risk when trying to actually break through to the Open Heaven Realm.
If one could not withstand the Yin, Yang, and Five Elements or the impact of Heaven and Earth splitting apart in one’s body, then it would undoubtedly end with one’s Soul being extinguished. There was no other possibility. That was why cultivators, no matter who they might be, would only choose to do what they could within the limits of the strength that they could withstand. If a person’s limit was the Third Order, their life might not be endangered if they were to forcibly condense Fourth-Order Elements; however, they would surely face a disaster when advancing into the Open Heaven Realm.
Many Bearers who left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary would eventually face this problem. They had been forced by the Divine Spirits to condense Powers that exceeded their limits, so their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm would become a life-or-death catastrophe.
Take Ding Yi for example. His inherent aptitude was not bad, but it was not enough for him to withstand a Seventh-Order Power. Unfortunately, he was forced by Bi Fang to condense a Seventh-Order Fire Element. It placed a huge burden on his body every time he exerted this Power, so the dangers surrounding his advancement would be even greater.
Be that as it may, even a cultivator who had chosen to work within their limits faced the risk of failing during their advancement into the Open Heaven Realm. Splitting Heaven and Earth in one’s own body required one to harmonize Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements to mutually enhance and suppress each other. Furthermore, the process of forming a Small Universe in itself was an extremely difficult task. This aspect had nothing to do with the Order of the Open Heaven Realm that one was trying to achieve.
Many people could die on the spot even if they were only advancing into the First-Order or Second-Order Open Heaven Realm. Of course, it was less likely for a person to fail when trying to advance into a lower Order of the Open Heaven Realm under the same conditions. That was an indisputable fact.
There was no method or auxiliary aid to improve this situation in the entire 3,000 Worlds, much less a Spirit Pill that could help to improve the success rate of a cultivator in advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. There might have been such knowledge in the past, but as time went on, this knowledge was lost or eliminated for various reasons. It was no wonder that the audience was in an uproar when this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill appeared at auction in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. That was something that had been lost with the ages after all.
On the stage, the old man said, “Although I cannot say that this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill is able to guarantee absolute success in one’s advancement, it can increase the success rate by 50%.”
There was another commotion in the hall. Increasing the success rate by 50% was a terrifying figure. It could almost be said that as long as a cultivator was fully prepared, success in the advancement into the Open Heaven Realm was guaranteed.
Many tyrannical Divine Senses extended outward from the various private rooms, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
If this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was a genuine product, then the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills was definitely not expensive. If one were to consider that this deal also came with the pill recipe, it could even be said to be an extremely cheap transaction! After all, who did not have several Juniors or Disciples with excellent aptitude? Used in the right place, this Spirit Pill could create a very powerful Master! How could the worth of such a Master be measured by a mere 2 million Open Heaven Pills? Even a price of 20 million would be worth it!
It was just that… What could their spying tell them? It didn’t take long for these Divine Senses to be retracted in disappointment.
The person who spoke just now asked, “This King would like to go onstage to inspect the item. Can you accommodate my request?”
Red Clouds Auction House seemed to have anticipated this situation, so the man’s request had only just rung out when the old man on the stage nodded in response, “Of course.”
The door to a B Block private room opened and a middle-aged man with a brave and heroic figure walked out. He came to the stage in a few steps and cupped his fist to the old man before he carefully picked up the jade bottle. Opening the bottle cap, he studied the contents carefully and took a sniff of its fragrance. His eyebrows would wrinkle slightly before relaxing again from time to time. Having only heard of the existence of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he himself had never seen it before; therefore, he could not determine whether this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the real deal either.
A short while later, he put the jade bottle down and picked the jade slip up. Closing his eyes, he perceived the contents of the jade slip for a moment. Then, he slowly shook his head. He placed the jade slip down and turned around to return to the private room.
Although the jade slip contained the pill recipe for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, there were many seals placed on the jade slip. There was no way to catch a glimpse of the full pill recipe without breaking these seals. That person’s examination would only allow him to observe what Red Clouds Auction House allowed, such as the main ingredients needed to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
The old man on the stage said, “Are there any others who would like to come and inspect the items? You are free to come and have a look for yourself.”
There were indeed many people who wanted to check the items, and so for the next quarter hour, many Open Heaven Realm Masters filed out of the private rooms and approached the stage to investigate the Spirit Pill and its recipe. Even the Proprietress could not contain her curiosity and went to take a look.
When she returned, Bai Qi asked, “Proprietress, is that a genuine product?”
To which she replied, “Red Clouds Auction House is directly owned by Red Clouds Cave Heaven. With their reputation at stake, they will not make fraudulent claims regarding auction items. The item itself should be real, but…”
“But what?”
“But, even if that item is genuine, don’t think that you can refine another Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill with that pill recipe. One of the main ingredients has long since gone extinct. Do you think they would have offered up the pill recipe if there was a way to refine the Spirit Pill themselves?”
The realisation struck Bai Qi, “The pill recipe is useless, but they offered the pill recipe together with the Spirit Pill. That will give people the illusion of having received a great bargain, so the price will naturally go up.”
Yang Kai asked curiously, “What is the main ingredient that has gone extinct?”
Before the Proprietress could answer, he heard somebody inside one of the private rooms exclaim loudly, “World Source Liquid is a treasure that can only be formed when new Worlds are born! Where will we find something like that!? This pill recipe is useless! Useless!”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words, “World Source Liquid?”
The Proprietress nodded, “That’s right. The main ingredient that has long gone extinct is World Source Liquid. Unless you can find a newly formed world… Why do you have such unnatural expressions?”
She looked up only to see Yang Kai and Old Bai staring at each other with extremely strange looks.
Old Bai blinked and pointed at Yang Kai, “He has World Source Liquid.”
Bai Qi was disturbed by Qin Ji, Ling Chun Qiu, and Yue He during his advancement into the Open Heaven Realm back in the Sealing Yang Domain and nearly lost his life as a result. In the end, Yang Kai had given him World Source Liquid with the mentality that giving a dead horse medicine couldn’t harm it. That was what pulled him back from the brink of failure. He would not be alive today if not for Yang Kai.
Consuming World Source Liquid was a wonderful experience. It felt as though his entire being had been transported back to the time when the World was first created, allowing him to witness the beginning of Heaven and Earth splitting apart. Even now, he could still recall the experience vividly.
Both the Proprietress and Yue He turned to stare at Yang Kai with their beautiful eyes, unable to hide their surprise.
“You really have World Source Liquid?”
Yang Kai nodded woodenly.
“Where did you find World Source Liquid!?” The Proprietress was extremely shocked.
He explained, “The Universe World I came from had a Sealed World that still retained the primordial atmosphere from when the world was just formed. I entered that place once before and obtained the World Source Liquid by chance.”
While Yang Kai was speaking, another person in the auction hall spoke up, “May I ask where you obtained this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe?”
The old man on the stage replied, “To tell you the truth, this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe were both obtained from a Universe Cave Heaven. The Universe Cave Heaven was quite ancient, dating back at least a few hundreds of thousands of years. As for the specific details regarding the great Senior who left behind this Universe Cave Heaven, please forgive this Old Master for having no comment.”
“En, understandable!” That person responded and stopped asking questions.
Inside the private room, Yang Kai frowned slightly and asked, “What is a Universe Cave Heaven? Is it a Universe World?”
The Proprietress shook her head slowly, “No. A Universe World is a Universe World. Likewise, a Universe Cave Heaven is a Universe Cave Heaven. There are also Universe Paradises. A Universe Cave Heaven is the legacy left behind by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after their death. On the other hand, the legacy left behind by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is known as a Universe Paradise.”
Yang Kai was only more confused by her explanation and asked in puzzlement, “What do you mean?”
So she tried to explain, “How should I put it? You know that Open Heaven Realm Masters have to split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to form a Small Universe, right? Possessing a Small Universe is what defines the Open Heaven Realm. For an Open Heaven Realm Master to strengthen themselves, they need to increase the heritage of their Small Universe. The greater their heritage, the greater their strength. Nevertheless, there is still a difference between a Universe World and a Small Universe, regardless of how powerful that Small Universe is.”
Yang Kai still did not quite understand her explanation.
Still, she continued, “But, if a cultivator advances into the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm and reaches the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, their Small Universe will transform into an actual Universe World, which is almost indistinguishable from a real Universe World.”
His entire body shuddered at those words, “Almost indistinguishable?”
“The Small Universe of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters can even accommodate living creatures or allow countless people to settle down peacefully in it. It can be said that they themselves are walking Universe Worlds. In fact, most High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters will bring living creatures, sometimes even Humans, into their Small Universes once they reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If these living creatures and Humans live and flourish within their Small Universe, then the Small Universe will be filled with life and will experience further development. Since doing so strengthens the Small Universe, it correspondingly strengthens the cultivator as well.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as it was his first time hearing such information. But then again, he had not been in the Outer Universe for long and had next to no interactions with High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so it was only natural that he was unfamiliar with such things. If he had not participated in the auction today, he might not have had access to such information for a very long time.
“As for what is the difference between a Small Universe and an actual Universe World,” the Proprietress continued her explanation, “When a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master is about to die, he can choose to seal off his Small Universe. In that case, his Small Universe will not collapse and disappear with his death. Instead, it will be preserved as a peculiar existence that transforms into a Universe Paradise or a Universe Cave Heaven. These Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens contain all the wealth of these High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. You will enjoy great benefits if you ever manage to enter any one of them.”
Yang Kai immediately understood, “In other words, Red Clouds Auction House obtained the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its recipe by entering a Universe Cave Heaven left behind by a dead ancient Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Is that right?”
“That’s probably the case.” She gently nodded, “Throughout the ages, the 3,000 Worlds have given birth to countless High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, so even if only a small part of them chose to seal off their Small Universes at their moment of death, there are still countless Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises out there. It is just that not many people know where these Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises are located.”
Bai Qi smiled widely, “Just because something is very rare doesn’t mean that there are none out there though. There are always people with Heaven-defying luck who will receive the opportunity to obtain the legacy of such Seniors. Their cultivation will generally soar as a result.”
During their conversation, the bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had already started in the auction hall. Everybody knew that the main ingredient for refining the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was long extinct. Even so, the Spirit Pill was a genuine product; thus, the bidding scene was extremely lively.
In less than ten breaths, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill had climbed from the starting price of 2 million Open Heaven Pills to 10 million Open Heaven Pills. Moreover, it was still rising at an extremely fast rate.
Leaving aside the powerful effects of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill that might even save the life of an important disciple or Junior and rescue the future hope of a great force at a critical moment in the future, just the pill recipe alone had research value. It might be possible to find substitute ingredients from existing materials. It did not matter even if the authentic Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill could not be refined. As long as a similar imitation product could be refined, it would bring in a steady stream of income for any great force.
Among the many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms, which one of them was not a Sect Master or Elder who held real authority in their respective great forces? It was only natural that nobody was willing to give up on something that could benefit their entire Sect. If they succeeded in their attempt, they could even make a huge contribution to their great force. The people who claimed that the pill recipe was useless earlier were either too biased or wanted to mislead the others and reduce their competition.
It was a pity that all the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were all intelligent people. How could they change their minds just because of somebody’s casual remarks?
Many of the cultivators in the hall secretly felt helpless. They originally thought that since the starting price for this Spirit Pill was only 2 million Open Heaven Pills, the final price would not be too high. Who could have thought that so many of the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would be so determined to bid for this item from the very beginning?
Therefore, many of the cultivators in the hall immediately gave up hope. This item was not something weaker cultivators like them could even dream about having. Only those backed by a powerful great force had the qualifications to participate in the competition.
After thirty breaths, the price had risen to a whopping 15 million Open Heaven Pills. In another ten breaths, the price became 19 million Open Heaven Pills.
The entire hall was in an uproar. Up until now, the Scarlet Yin Sand that Yang Kai acquired at a price of 26 million was the highest-priced item sold at the auction. Since then, no other auction item has sold for more than 5 million. And now, the price of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in addition to its recipe had quickly broken through 20 million and might even surpass the price of the Scarlet Yin Sand.
It was just that a price like this had more or less reached the upper limits of the price range. There was only one Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill after all. The pill recipe might be valuable, but it was not guaranteed that one could obtain any results from researching it even after purchasing the item. If one could not figure out a replacement for the main ingredient, which was the famed World Source Liquid, then all the previous efforts would be in vain.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters present were not fools. Even with the backing of their respective great forces, 20 million was not a small sum. It was not an amount that could be waved around casually; hence, only three private rooms continued to bid for the auction item after the price exceeded 20 million.
A short while later, another party bowed out of the bidding. Only Room A5 and Room B2 continued to compete against each other fiercely. The moment one party made an offer, the other party would immediately follow suit. It would seem that they were extremely interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
When the price exceeded 25 million, the Open Heaven Realm Master in Room B2 suddenly let out a gloomy sigh and spoke up loudly, “Brother Teng Wang, this auction item is very useful for this Ye. Can you concede to me this once? This Ye will be very grateful and will owe you a favour, which will surely be repaid in the future!”
The moment this person’s voice rang out, the Proprietress looked pensive and soon muttered, “It’s those two?”
Yang Kai became curious, “Proprietress, do you know those two?”
She replied, “If I’m not wrong, then the person in Room B2 is Ye Jian of Thunderclap Hall while the other person Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. No wonder they are willing to go to such lengths to bid for this item.”
Sure enough, the person in Room A5 responded, “Brother Ye Jian, are you saying that this item is useless to me just because it is very useful for you? I am going to win this auction.”
Ye Jian sighed, “Why do you have to do this? Competing between ourselves will only benefit others. Why don’t we do it this way instead, Brother Teng Wang? This Ye only wants the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. If you are willing to back down, this Ye will share the pill recipe with you. What do you think?”
Teng Wang laughed, “What a coincidence. I was just about to suggest the same thing. Brother Ye Jian, if you are willing to back down, then I can also share the pill recipe with you.”
Inside Room B2, Ye Jian fell silent for a moment before he revealed his dissatisfaction, “So, you plan to compete with this Ye to the end, Brother Teng Wang?”
“Brother Ye, feel free to quit early if you don’t think you can win. That way, both sides won’t have to suffer so much.”
“Hmph! You sure are arrogant, Brother Teng Wang. It’s not like this Ye does not know exactly how much Clear Heart Palace can afford to spend here. Since you stubbornly insist, Brother Teng Wang, then let’s compete to the end. We’ll see who has the last laugh!”
The conversation between those two ended there but nobody spoke another word and the auction hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Inside Room A3, Old Bai curiously wondered, “Proprietress, these two guys are only interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Although they are doing this for their Juniors, isn’t the price a little too high?”
The Proprietress explained, “You don’t understand. They have their reasons to compete so desperately. Let’s talk about Teng Wang of Clear Heart Palace. He received a Legacy Disciple several hundred years ago. That disciple has extremely outstanding aptitude and was expected to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. However, rumour has it that he damaged his Dao Seal during a battle; therefore, he has not dared to advance into the Open Heaven Realm even though hundreds of years had passed since then. He has been holding off on condensing his final Element Power. If Teng Wang could obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, then his disciple could try breaking through. It is very possible that it will lead to the birth of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Clear Heart Palace.”
“So that’s how it is!” Yang Kai understood.
“What about Ye Jian of the Thunderclap Hall?” Old Bai asked.
The Proprietress continued her explanation, “Their situations are similar. It is just that, in the case of the Thunderclap Hall, it is one of Ye Jian’s sons who forcefully condensed Sixth-Order Elements despite not having the necessary aptitude. There was nothing to worry about at the beginning, but as the Powers condensed in his Dao Seal began to increase, the dangers subsequently became greater. Without some external aid to stabilize his breakthrough, I’m afraid Ye Jian’s son will never reach the Open Heaven Realm. He will die the moment he tries to advance. However, this dilemma will be solved with the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Compared to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, 20 million Open Heaven Pills is definitely a worthwhile investment. If they can obtain a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then their heritage will increase like a rising tide that lifts all boats. Why would they worry about a trifling 20 or so million Open Heaven Pills?”
She nodded, “That is the case. Why else do you think these two parties are competing so fiercely?”
“I understand now.” Yang Kai nodded again and placed a bid without warning, “25 million!”
The Proprietress just glanced lightly at him, not feeling surprised. Since he had World Source Liquid in his possession, there was no reason for him to ignore this auction. If she were in his shoes, she would also participate in the bidding.
The reason Yang Kai kept quiet earlier was just that he could not be bothered to waste his energy. He currently had several billion Open Heaven Pills in hand so it could be said that he was very wealthy. Only by placing his bid at the last moment to finalise the offer could he display his overwhelming confidence. It also served as a method to screen out other bidders to a certain extent.
Almost everybody in the hall looked towards Room A3 the moment Yang Kai’s bid rang out. Ye Jian and Teng Wang’s last bid was only slightly over 20 million after all. Yang Kai had added almost 4 million Open Heaven Pills to the bid in one go. It truly was as the saying went, ‘It never rains but pours’. It was absolutely shocking the moment he made his move.
Nevertheless, they immediately understood when they realised that it was the private room belonging to the person who bought the Scarlet Yin Sand earlier. Yang Kai was a person who spent 26 million to purchase one portion of Scarlet Yin Sand. It stood to reason that he would not care to spend another 25 million to purchase the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe.
“26 million!” Teng Wang’s voice came out from Room A5.
Yang Kai was stunned upon hearing that. Teng Wang and Ye Jian had clearly reached a point in their bidding where they could no longer afford to bear the cost. That was why the price increase was not large with each bid they made. If not for that, he would not have increased the price to 25 million in one go. It was to make Teng Wang and Ye Jian back down in the face of difficulties.
[Teng Wang had reached his limits, so why did he suddenly add another million to his bid this time?] Before Yang Kai could understand the situation, Ye Jian’s voice rang out from Room B2, “27 million!”
[Could it be that those two were just acting just now?] Yang Kai was a little confused. Nevertheless, he could not be bothered to think too much about it. Unlike these two who were interested in the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he was only interested in the pill recipe. More so since he had World Source Liquid in his possession. The pill recipe might be useless to others, but it had the potential to play a huge role in his hands.
Naturally, he needed to obtain the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill as well. If he could study the finished Spirit Pill, then he could understand the pill recipe much faster. Otherwise, it would take a lot of time and effort to refine a Spirit Pill just by referring to the pill recipe alone.
Yang Kai immediately followed up after Ye Jian, “30 million!”
The sound of people inhaling sharply could be heard throughout the hall. Even the old man presiding over the auction looked surprised. It would seem that he never expected this item to reach such a high price.
The auction house would assess the value of each item and estimate a price before the bidding even began. Red Clouds Auction House had estimated the value of this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe to be around 20 million or so. But now, it has exceeded their estimation by 50%. Moreover, it seemed that this was not the end yet. This was a huge pleasant surprise for the auction house. Be that as it may, the auction house would surely hope that the price would go as high as it possibly could; after all, who would dislike earning more money than expected?
“31 million!” Teng Wang’s voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth. It was no longer as calm and relaxed as before.
“32 million!” Similarly, Ye Jian’s voice was anxious and annoyed.
Yang Kai couldn’t help scratching his head and murmuring under his breath, “What is up with these two?”
He initially thought that 25 million Open Heaven Pills would be the final price for this item. Who could have expected Teng Wang and Ye Jian to continue even though he went so far as to raise the price to 30 million?
On the other hand, the Proprietress was as intelligent as she was beautiful and solved the mystery with a single sentence, “They are probably cooperating with others.”
“Cooperating?” Yang Kai glanced over suspiciously.
She replied, “Both Teng Wang and Ye Jian mentioned previously that they only wanted the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. That was why they both refused to back down earlier; however, there are so many great forces present here. Not everybody desires the Spirit Pill. On the contrary, more people will be interested in the pill recipe. It is probably that one or more great forces have approached Teng Wang and Ye Jian with a proposal to share the pill recipe if they win the auction. In that case, those great forces will only need to contribute a few million Open Heaven Pills each. If they pooled their contributions together, they would gain the chance to obtain a rare pill recipe. Even if the pill recipe proves useless afterward, the losses for them will not be too large.”
After listening to her explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. It was the truth that the previous price of over 20 million had reached the limits of what Teng Wang and Ye Jian could bear. Being so cautious when increasing their bid had not been an act. Rather, the reason they could be so bold at this point was that they received financial aid from others.
“If you wish to continue bidding, then you only need to bid once more.” She smiled slightly, “Even if they received funding from others, the amount would not be too large. Slightly over 30 million should be their limit. They won’t follow up again unless they are insane.”
As such, Yang Kai did not hesitate, “35 million!”
Inside Room A5, Teng Wang was furious and roared, “Who is this fellow who is playing jokes with this King!? Announce your name!”
Ye Jian also said, “Friend, you are being excessive.”
The Proprietress sneered and spoke for the first time, “Why are you making so much noise just because this Great Aunt is bidding for something? Go ahead and increase the price if you have the money. If not, then shut up. Don’t embarrass yourselves here!”
“M-M-Madam Lan?” Teng Wang’s voice coming from Room A5 rose by an octave.
“It is this Queen. Do you have something you wish to say?”
“N-No, of course not. So it is Madam Lan… haha. Since you have interest in this item, Madam Lan… This Wang will respectfully withdraw.” His voice sounded a little bitter and reluctant.
Although his Disciple required the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, the price of 35 million Open Heaven Pills was simply too expensive for him. Even if he had somebody helping him from the shadows, they had reached the limit they could afford. He was powerless to continue pushing forward. Rather than offending Lan You Ruo, it was better to take this opportunity to earn her favour.
Besides, there was no guarantee that his Disciple could successfully advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm even if he did manage to win the bid on the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Any investment was bound to come with certain risks. If his Disciple were to fail in the advancement process, the loss of several millions was enough to shake Clear Heart Palace’s foundation.
Now that the price for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe had been raised to 35 million in one go, Teng Wang had no choice but to withdraw from the bidding. Even Ye Jian from Room B2 fell silent.
On the stage, the old man from Red Clouds Auction House waited for a short moment before asking, “The gentleman from Room A3 has placed a bid of 35 million Open Heaven Pills. Are there any higher offers?”
The entire venue was silent.
The old man probably knew that the price of this item had reached its limit. The auction house’s original valuation of this item was only 20 million Open Heaven Pills while the current price had nearly doubled that estimation. Thus, he no longer hesitated and shouted, “35 million, going once! 35 million, going twice!”
Inside Room A3, Yang Kai was silently making plans. Once he obtained the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe, he could immediately begin his research to see if he could fully understand its recipe and refine it.
If he succeeded, then there was no need to worry about the Void Land’s finances again in the future. A Spirit Pill that could increase the chances of success of a cultivator breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm was an all but non-existent commodity, even in the 3,000 Worlds. Void Land’s wealth would soar in a short period of time just by selling a few such Spirit Pills for several million Open Heaven Pills each. Besides, he had quite a lot of World Source Liquid that was required to refine this Spirit Pill.
“This Ye has something to say. Please temporarily halt the auction!” Just as the old man was about to call out the final confirmation, Ye Jian’s voice rang out from within Room B2.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and couldn’t help glancing in the direction of Room B2.
[What is Ye Jian up to?] He instinctively sensed that the bidding for this auction item would not go smoothly. Fortunately, he currently had more than 1 billion Open Heaven Pills in his possession. It could be said that he was very rich, so he was not worried even if Ye Jian managed to borrow some money or find somebody to help provide funds.
The old man on the stage said, “Hall Master Ye, please speak if you have something to say.”
The door to room B2 opened all of a sudden. A fair and beardless middle-aged man walked out of the room with a solemn expression. Yang Kai guessed that that man was Ye Jian.
Ye Jian arrived on the stage in a few steps. He cupped his fist at the old man and handed over a Space Ring. His lips wriggled slightly as though he was silently whispering something to the old man.
The old man looked suspicious at first, but his expression stiffened when he heard what Ye Jian said to him and soon revealed an expression of great astonishment instead. Immediately after that, he checked the contents of the Space Ring and looked up at Ye Jian again, “Hall Master Ye, are you certain? This item is extraordinarily valuable!”
Ye Jian gently nodded with a look of determination.
The old man continued, “If you insist, Hall Master Ye, this Old Master will not persuade you otherwise. Please wait a moment.”
After saying that, his Divine Sense surged as though he was communicating with somebody else. A long while later, he nodded and said, “Red Clouds Auction House has agreed to your request, Hall Master Ye. Please return to your seat for now.”
“Many thanks!” Ye Jian cupped his fists with a serious expression. Turning around, he bowed in the direction of Room A3, “Madam Lan, this Ye would like to apologise in advance. Please don’t take offence at my following actions.”
The Proprietress stared at the stage calmly before she suddenly whispered, “Brat, you’ve met a real challenger. You’d best prepare for some heavy bleeding.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai had yet to understand what was going on.
At that moment, Ye Jian returned to Room B2 and immediately shouted, “40 million!”
After hearing that shout, Yang Kai finally understood what the Proprietress meant.
Ye Jian had increased the price by 5 million Open Heaven Pills in one go. This not only required great courage but also immense wealth. Moreover, he had never increased the price by such a large margin before when he placed his bids previously. It was almost as though he was a different person altogether.
Hence, Yang Kai felt his teeth hurting.
The old man on the stage lifted the Space Ring in his hand up high, “For your information, Hall Master Ye has just pledged an item to the auction house. Please forgive this Old Master for not disclosing the value of this item. However, Hall Master Ye has the ability to bid and provide payment.”
He provided an explanation because he was worried that other people might misunderstand. The price of the auction item was terrifyingly high after all, so he might be suspected of deliberately driving the price up otherwise.
Yang Kai slowly let out a breath and gazed towards Room B2 pensively. [The Space Ring in that old man’s hands contains the item that Ye Jian pledged just now. Just what did he pledge for him to have the courage to raise the price by 5 million in one go? More importantly, where is his bottom line?]
He might have over a billion Open Heaven Pills in his possession, but he did not wish to waste his money for no reason. [If only I knew Ye Jian’s bottom line, then I can minimise my losses to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, I don’t even know what item he pledged. How can I figure out his bottom line?]
“Hall Master Ye placed a bid of 40 million! Are there any others with a higher bid?” The old man shouted.
Yang Kai considered for a moment and cautiously threw out a bid, “41 million!”
“45 million!” Ye Jian followed up without hesitation.
Yang Kai was stunned.
The Proprietress commented, “There is a difference between a Disciple and a Son after all. It looks like Ye Jian is determined to compete with you.”
Teng Wang’s Disciple required the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, as did Ye Jian’s Son. It was just that Teng Wang pulled out of the competition when the price reached 35 million. On the other hand, Ye Jian was still stubbornly trying to win. It was obvious that he loved and cherished his Son deeply. Also, he believed that his Son would definitely advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm as long as he had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Why else would he be so fixated upon this item, even if they were Father-and-Son?
“Why don’t you discuss with him to each pay half? You take the pill recipe while he takes the Spirit Pill. I’m sure he won’t reject your offer.” The Proprietress suggested.
Yang Kai considered for a moment before shaking his head, “The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill has never appeared before. In order to refine this Spirit Pill, the results will be different if I can study a finished product first. Once the Spirit Pill falls into his hands, it will be difficult for me to research the Spirit Pill again.”
“There is no other way then.”
With the Spirit Pill in hand, the hopes of refining a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would increase significantly. Although it would cost him a lot of Open Heaven Pills, this investment was undoubtedly worth the money.
“46 million!” Yang Kai raised the bid once more.
“50 million!” Ye Jian’s voice trembled slightly. Even if he could afford to pay this amount, the terrifyingly high price was still heartbreaking. After placing his bid, he added, “Madam Lan, my Son is young and foolish. He made a huge mistake and desperately needs this Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Only then will he have the hope of progressing forward. Madam Lan, please listen to my request!”
The Proprietress pretended not to hear and said nothing in response; after all, she was not the one who was participating in the auction, it was Yang Kai. Although she used her identity to scold Teng Wang earlier, it was only her way of helping Yang Kai. How could she say anything under these circumstances?
Seeing that there was no response from Room A3, Ye Jian felt his heart sinking to the bottom of the abyss. Sure enough, a voice soon came from that direction to place a higher bid. The price was increased by just half a million.
Inside Room B2, Ye Jian’s expression crumbled, looking like he had aged several dozen years. Beside him, a young man with large eyes and thick brows smiled bitterly, “Father, let’s forget it. This price… is far too high.”
Ye Jian clenched his fists tightly, “No! I have not lost! I can still continue!”
The young man said, “It’s enough, Father. Even if the item we pledged far exceeds 50 million in value, that is a treasure that belongs to the Sect. If the losses we suffer are too high, it will be difficult for us to provide a sufficient explanation when we return. Father, let’s stop here!”
Ye Jian muttered painfully, “I am aware of that. How can I not be? But, you…”
The young man smiled bitterly, “Don’t worry, Father. In the worst case, I will simply never advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Who knows? Things might change in the future. There is no need to waste so much money at this juncture, especially since everyone else in the Sect also requires a lot of resources for cultivation. You don’t need to worry too much about me.”
Ye Jian opened his mouth to speak but finally let out a heavy sigh.
The old man on the stage called out the countdown. Finally, the bidding for the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe came to an end. The auction item was sold at a terrifyingly high price of 50.5 million Open Heaven Pills.
The old man presiding over the auction had maintained a stiff expression on his face throughout, but his complexion was quite ruddy at the moment. He felt as though he had gotten the greatest bargain in the world.
This round of bidding also caused countless people to become hooked to the excitement. Be it the regular cultivators in the hall or the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the private rooms, they had never witnessed such a brutal and unexpectedly complex bidding war before.
When the price first hit 20 million Open Heaven Pills, everybody thought that it would be the limit. Who could have known that Teng Wang and Ye Jian would secretly receive funding from others? Thus, the price rose to 30 million. By the time the price exceeded 30 million, everybody thought that it was the end. Who could have expected somebody to appear out of nowhere and forcibly compete with Ye Jian for the auction item? The price was raised to 50 million as a result.
Throughout the history of all the auctions in the 3,000 Worlds, the only other time an auction could beat this round of bidding in terms of price was when High-Rank resources appeared in the world.
This was only halfway through the auction as well. The second half of the auction had yet to take place, so who could say what other good things might appear?
It might have been that the auction had reached a climax, so the auction house decided to take a short break. During the break, Red Clouds Auction House delivered the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe over. Yang Kai paid the 50.5 million Open Heaven Pills and received his items.
Nobody had ever seen the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill before, so they were very interested in the item. The jade bottle was passed around between the Proprietress, Old Bai, and Yue He. On the other hand, Yang Kai carefully studied the pill recipe.
After some investigating, he was secretly speechless. It was apparently not difficult to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. He was confident he could refine the Spirit Pills with his abilities. It was just that many ingredients were required. There were a total of 9 main ingredients. Leaving aside the World Source Liquid, there were 8 others. In addition, there were a total of 72 kinds of adjuvants and many were herbs he had never even heard of before.
Yang Kai handed the pill recipe to the Proprietress for a look, and after a while commented, “The 72 auxiliary ingredients are quite common. Aside from the World Source Liquid, the remaining eight main ingredients are all pretty rare, but they can be found if you are determined to find them. It’s just the price… won’t be cheap.”
Yang Kai asked, “Proprietress, how much do you think it will cost to refine this Spirit Pill?”
She pondered for a moment, “At least a 100,000.”
The production cost of a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was 100,000. That was not inclusive of the failures during the refining process. If the costs of the failures during the refining process were included, then it would double the price at the very least. So, it would be 200,000.
Naturally, that was just the cost of the other materials excluding the World Source Liquid. If the cost of the World Source Liquid was included… World Source Liquid had practically gone extinct as it could only be formed when new Worlds were first created. Therefore, the value of something like that could not be measured.
In any case, the cost was extremely high. One could not be fooled by Yang Kai’s current spending where he could move several tens of millions at a time. For most cultivators, accumulating Open Heaven Pills was an extremely difficult task. Even Third-Class great forces could not accumulate more than several tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills with the strength of their entire Sect.
However, if he could successfully refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, then the price of a single Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill would not be measured in just 1 or 2 million Open Heaven Pills. Just like how Teng Wang was willing to increase the price to 30 million for a Spirit Pill, not to mention Ye Jian who was willing to quote a terrifying price of 50 million Open Heaven Pills.
Needless to say, this price was only feasible because this was an auction. Moreover, the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was the only one in existence. The price would not be as high if the Spirit Pill was mass-produced for sales. Be that as it may, selling the Spirit Pill for several million was not an issue. Which great force would not have several highly valued disciples? Just by spending several million on a Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, they could ensure that their disciple had a smooth advancement, which would result in the enhancement of the Sect’s future hope and strength.
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, as though he could see the Grand Dao of Fortune right in front of him. In addition, if the refinement of this Spirit Pill were successful, it would be highly beneficial to Void Land in the future!
Instructing Yue He to bid at her discretion during the subsequent auctions, Yang Kai picked up the jade bottle and took out the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. Then, he carefully scraped off a layer of Pill Powder and began to examine it carefully.
As time passed, the auction started up again.
Yang Kai completely immersed himself in the research of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, constantly deducing the refinement process in his mind. He paid no attention to anything else, unable to extricate himself from his research.
He did not know how long had passed when he suddenly heard a gasp of exclamation coming from beside him. Unable to help himself, he pulled his mind back to the present and looked to the side. Old Bai was staring at the stage with an expression of shock, almost as though an amazing item had appeared on the stage. Even Yue He and the Proprietress looked solemn.
Yang Kai frowned, not knowing what was going on. Just as he was wondering about the situation, he heard the old man on the stage say something, “Ladies and gentlemen, you have not misheard. This Old Master is holding a map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. Although it is not complete, it should cover at least 20% of the entire Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s territory. It might be even more. The auction house has made a total of 100 copies of this map. They will be sold in batches of ten during the auction. The starting price is 500,000 Open Heaven Pills. Please place your bids!”
The moment the old man finished speaking, numerous voices calling out various bids rang out incessantly from the private rooms. Even the Proprietress joined in.
Yang Kai was confused, “Old Bai, is the Blood Monster Cave Heaven part of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens?”
It had not been long since he first arrived in the Outer Universe, but it had not been a short time either. There were countless great forces in the 3,000 Worlds, so he might not be familiar with most of them, but he had at least heard of each of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises. Upon further consideration, he had never heard of the name ‘Blood Monster Cave Heaven’ before.
Old Bai licked his lips and said, “The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is not one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens. It is a Universe Cave Heaven!”
Yang Kai was stunned; then, he immediately exclaimed in a loud voice, “A Universe Cave Heaven!?”
He had just heard the Proprietress mentioning the existence of the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises. She claimed that a Universe Cave Heaven was the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master while a Universe Paradise was the Small Universe left behind after the death of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. There was a high possibility that they contained the wealth of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master accumulated over their lifetime. Anybody who could encounter one was bound to experience leaps and bounds in their growth.
Yang Kai had taken a great interest in this topic when listening to the Proprietress’ previous explanation, but he never expected that such a lucky coincidence would fall into his lap. Red Clouds Auction House was auctioning off the map of a Universe Cave Heaven! This shocked him very much!
[If Red Clouds Auction House can produce such a map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, doesn’t that mean that they’ve already entered it before?]
Old Bai’s gaze was burning intensely, “You don’t understand. The Blood Monster Cave Heaven is an extremely special Universe Cave Heaven in the 3,000 Worlds. It is the legacy left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Blood Monster Divine Monarch. Unlike other Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises that are concealed from outsiders, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is a Sealed World known across the 3,000 Worlds. Moreover, it opens once every 200 years. Any cultivator under the Open Heaven Realm can enter the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If you are lucky, you can obtain all sorts of precious resources. You might even obtain the inheritance of Blood Monster Divine Monarch!”
Yang Kai jumped in surprise, “The inheritance of Blood Monster Divine Monarch!?”
The Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would contain his entire lifetime’s worth of assets and his true inheritance. It was only natural that it would attract countless people’s attention.
Even if he was currently rich enough to buy a country, Yang Kai couldn’t help coveting those riches. He was tempted to rush into the Blood Monster Cave Heaven right now to explore the place thoroughly!
“Although the Blood Monster Cave Heaven has opened countless times since the death of Blood Monster Divine Monarch and many of the resources have been taken by others before us, there are many who obtained great benefits each time the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opened. It generally resulted in their strength soaring. Calculating the years, the Blood Monster Cave Heaven is indeed about to open again. Red Clouds Auction House planned this all out!”
The Blood Monster Cave Heaven was about to open and Red Clouds Auction House suddenly brought out a map for this auction. It was obvious that they were planning to use this opportunity to earn a huge fortune!
Yang Kai licked his dry lips, “How long before the Blood Monster Cave Heaven opens?”
Old Bai said, “Around half a year or so.”
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something when he heard those words. Glancing at the Proprietress, he asked her a question, “Proprietress, you previously asked me to wait for half a year for an opportunity. Could it be related to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven?”
When he asked her to help him keep an eye out for High-Rank resources, she had returned a less than optimistic answer. She only told him that he had to wait for half a year for a possible opportunity. Judging by the situation, it was most likely related to the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
Sure enough, the Proprietress nodded, “Somebody once found a Seventh-Order material inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. That place might have what you need.”
Yang Kai’s eyes couldn’t help blazing with excitement.
Thinking about it again, it was not surprising. That was the Small Universe left behind after the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after all. It contained all the wealth accumulated by Blood Monster Divine Monarch during his lifetime, what were Seventh-Order materials in comparison? There might even be Eighth-Order materials inside!
While they were conversing with each other, the first round of bidding for the map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven ended. The cultivators in 10 of the private rooms had won the maps, though everybody was very restrained in their bidding. The starting price was 500,000 and the final price was only 700,000. Red Clouds Auction House had brought out a hundred copies after all, so there was no need to compete too hard.
After several rounds of auction, all 100 copies of the map had been sold. The entire process had only taken an hour or so. They were basically sold at prices ranging from 7 to 8 hundred thousand Open Heaven Pills each.
Yang Kai silently made some calculations. Just from the map alone, Red Clouds Auction House obtained a profit of close to 70 million Open Heaven Pills. Thus, he couldn’t help feeling extremely envious. If Void Land could have such skills one day, then he had nothing to worry about anymore.
Right after the map was sold, the old man on the stage took out a piece of jade that was one part of two halves, “This is the next item for auction. It might be an Array Jade; it might also be a key. This jade came from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven!”
As soon as those words rang out, the audience was shocked. The auction house had first sold off 100 copies of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven’s map. Then, they brought out this jade from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to auction. Anybody could tell that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven was probably about to open.
“This jade might come from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but nobody knows what it is used for. That is why this Old Master mentioned that it might be an Array Jade or even a key. We don’t even know what kind of benefits one will obtain after this jade plays its role. Nothing might come from it. It might be a complete waste of money. But… what if it turns out to be the key to Blood Monster Divine Monarch treasure house?”
Upon hearing that sentence, many people secretly scolded the old man for being a treacherous old dog. He obviously knew that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven contained the wealth accumulated by Blood Monster Divine Monarch throughout his life. The value of his treasure house could only be imagined. It would be amazing if this jade turned out to be the key to the Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s treasure house.
“One unknown piece of jade. The starting price is 1 million! Ladies and gentlemen, please place your bids!”
The old man had only just finished speaking when Yang Kai immediately shouted, “10 million!”
Inside the private room, the Proprietress and the others turned around in unison to stare at him as though they were looking at a fool.
“What’s wrong?” He scratched his nose awkwardly.
The Proprietress sighed and explained, “Since Red Clouds Auction House is willing to auction off this jade, then they must have sent their own Disciples to test its uses before. It is only after confirming that the jade cannot be used for anything that they are willing to bring it out. How can you start off bidding 10 million…”
Yang Kai couldn’t help looking blank.
She teasingly continued, “It doesn’t matter. You have a lot of money, so you can act as you please.”
Yang Kai did not understand, “What do you mean?”
She gave him an amused look, “You can be willful because you are rich.”
He was rendered speechless. As if to verify her words, nobody else in the auction house placed a bid, aside from him.
The old man waited for ten breaths and quickly said, “Room A3 has placed a bid of 10 million Open Heaven Pills! Are there any higher offers? 10 million going once! 10 million going twice! Congratulations to the gentleman in Room A3!”
The transaction was finalised!
Yang Kai nearly spat blood. Only then did he understand that he had been overly eager. Leaving aside whether or not the jade would be useful, even if it turned out to be useful, there was no guarantee what kind of benefit it would bring. It could be said that this was an extremely risky investment. Aside from someone extremely rich like him, who would purchase this jade at such a high price?
If the price was only 1 million Open Heaven Pills, the other great forces might have been willing to take a gamble; however, he had directly offered 10 million from the beginning. Who would be willing to follow up his offer?
The corners of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched but he soon comforted himself in his heart, [Who knows? I might be able to obtain something great from this. Even if I don’t… Well, it’s not… that expensive.]
The jade was the final item. The old man on the stage gave a polite speech on the stage, thanking everybody who participated in the once more. Only then did he announce the successful conclusion of the auction.
Many of the cultivators in the hall stood up and left.
However, the Proprietress remained motionless. She simply sat there calmly, as if waiting for something.
Yang Kai was puzzled but did not ask any questions; instead, he began to take stock of what he had obtained from this auction. He had bid for quite a few things. Aside from the Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, he purchased many Fourth-Order materials. He also, of course, won the auction for the jade at the end of the auction.
While he was researching the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill, Yue He had made a move several times to bid for several Sixth-Order resources. The auction house had delivered those items a long time ago.
All in all, he had spent around 150 million Open Heaven Pills. These expenses were not a small sum to other people, but it was within an acceptable range for Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, no High-Rank resources had appeared even in such a high-end auction, so he couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of disappointment. Even the Sixth-Order materials were not many. It could be seen that his hopes of finding the High-Rank resources he needed in places like various auction houses were not very realistic.
Yang Kai soon finished taking stock of his newly-acquired items and then returned to working on the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. He had already finished studying the pill recipe. Be it in terms of the materials or the refining process, the technique was not very difficult for him. There should be no problem as long as he practised diligently and overcame a few failures to accumulate experience.
At present, he was studying the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill itself. In the eyes of others, a Spirit Pill was nothing more than a Spirit Pill that could be consumed and used for different purposes depending on the medicinal efficacies it contained. However, for an Alchemist, a finished Spirit Pill contained an extensive amount of information. An accomplished Alchemist could even deduce the pill recipe for refining a particular Spirit Pill just from studying a finished Spirit Pill. They might not be able to decipher everything, but it was not difficult to deduce an almost complete pill recipe.
Although Yang Kai was devoted to the Martial Dao, he also had deep attainments in the Alchemic Dao. Now that he had the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill and its pill recipe in hand, he could learn many things from these two items.
He placed the bit of Pill Powder that he scraped off from the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill earlier into his mouth and savoured the taste carefully. His expression changed continuously. From time to time, he would suddenly frown or show a look of epiphany. His mind was racing like crazy, creating sparks from the collision of his thoughts.
An hour later, he finally pulled his mind back to the present with much greater confidence in his ability to refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill.
At this moment, the door opened all of a sudden. The old man with a stiff expression who presided over the auction just now pushed open the door but did not enter the room. He simply stood at the entrance of the room while stretching his hand out in a polite gesture, “Madam Lan, please come this way.”
The Proprietress was not surprised and simply nodded lightly before standing up.
Afterwards, the old man turned around and led the way.
Yang Kai followed behind the Proprietress and asked curiously, “Where are we going?”
The Proprietress didn’t even turn around as she sent a Divine Sense transmission to him, “Didn’t you want to find some High-Rank materials? We’re going to try our luck. But, I can’t guarantee whether any High-Rank materials will appear or whether you can obtain them even if they do.”
He was stunned, “What do you mean?”
She said, “So many Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters came today. Did you really think they came here just for that auction?”
Upon hearing those words, Yang Kai immediately realised that the situation earlier was strange indeed.
Some good stuff had appeared in the auction, enough that they could even cause the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to compete for those resources. Even so, most of the people in the private rooms had not made any bids from beginning to the end. Aside from the second to last round when they bid for the map of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they mostly remained as nothing more than spectators throughout the entire auction.
Most of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in those private rooms came from various far-flung Great Territories with some being trillions of kilometres away. There was no need for them to put so much effort into coming here just to end up as a spectator, right?
“If they’re not here for the auction, then what are they here for?” He wondered.
The Proprietress replied, “They only joined the auction to take part in the excitement since they were already here. They are actually here for the exchange meeting after the auction!”
“An exchange meeting!” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, gaining a vague understanding of the situation.
“There are many who obtain treasures but do not have a use for them, nor do they wish to put them up for auction. Even if they obtained Open Heaven Pills, they would still need to go out and search for the items that they really need after all. As such, they prefer to exchange items with each other in private. For example, if I need a Sixth-Order Earth Element treasure but only have a Sixth-Order Fire Element treasure, I can trade with somebody else during this exchange meeting. Since both items are Sixth-Order materials, their prices are pretty similar. In this way, the exchange can be carried out and everybody is happy with the exchange.”
“I got it.” Yang Kai nodded.
“But, you should not get your hopes up. High-Rank materials are hard to find. Even if they appear, you might not get your hands on them.”
Yang Kai grinned, “The only thing I fear is that they won’t appear. If they do appear, then I will get my hands on them even if I have to use money to beat them into submission.”
The theoretical price of a Seventh-Order material was around a 150 million Open Heaven Pills. Naturally, that was just in theory. If one were to include a premium for its rarity, it was acceptable for its price to range from 170 to 180 million. Would those people refuse to sell if Yang Kai threw out 200 or 300 million Open Heaven Pills at them?
In any case, those were Open Heaven Pills he won through gambling. It was not heartbreaking to spend them. Thus, Yang Kai was secretly looking forward to the exchange meeting.
Under the old man’s guidance, the group of four passed through several corridors and came to a secret room. There were quite a few people already waiting inside and they were clearly the Open Heaven Realm Masters who sat in the private rooms during the auction earlier.
When those people saw the Proprietress, many of them nodded at her lightly.
Inside the secret room, everybody was randomly seated. There was a large table in front of them and several platters of Spirit Fruits were placed there to enjoy. The seating arrangements formed a circle with a one-metre-high platform placed right in the middle. The platform was made entirely of flawless white jade.
“Madam Lan, please make yourself comfortable!” The old man spoke briefly before turning around to leave. He was probably going to invite others to this place.
The Proprietress led Yang Kai and the others over to an empty spot and sat down before taking a look around. There were already quite a few Open Heaven Realm Masters inside the secret room. Some of them were alone while some of them arrived with several people in tow, just like the Proprietress. Yang Kai also saw many Emperor Realm cultivators like himself, looking around curiously just like him. These Emperor Realm cultivators were probably the Juniors or Disciples of the Open Heaven Realm Masters. They were probably using this opportunity to learn more about the outside world.
While he was looking around his surroundings, Yang Kai saw two familiar figures. It was a man and a woman, one young and one old. They were none other than Old Zhou and Yu Luo Sha of Asura Heaven. Thinking about it again, it was not strange. Red Clouds Auction House and Asura Arena both had establishments in Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City. It was only natural that they were invited to participate in an auction here.
In Thousand Birds Territory’s Star City, these two were not the only businesses belonging to First-Class great forces. Wind and Cloud Auction House was an industry of Wind and Cloud Paradise, Gathering Virtue Emporium was an asset of Nine Stars Paradise, and even Hundred Refining’s Hall was supported by one of the Paradises. At this moment, the representatives of these First-Class great forces gathered inside this secret room.
Old Zhou of the Asura Arena smiled and nodded at Yang Kai. Yang Kai returned the greeting with a bow. Yu Luo Sha was looking at Yang Kai with a complicated expression, but she also nodded in greeting. There was no hostility in her demeanour; rather, her fighting spirit was burning.
Thus, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a sense of respect for this woman. He believed that she would definitely achieve great things in the future. The previous battle had not affected her Martial Heart negatively in any way; instead, it became the driving force for her to strive to become even stronger.
There was no sign of Pei Bu Wan anywhere as he probably lost everything the other day, so he did not have the money to participate in this exchange meeting.
During this waiting period, countless people kept entering the secret room, found seats, and sat down.
All of a sudden, a middle-aged man with a golden crown on his head appeared at the entrance. He was dressed in luxurious robes and the aura around him was extremely powerful. A tall girl with picturesque features followed behind him. Her cultivation was not high. Like Yang Kai, she was only in the Emperor Realm. Her intelligent eyes studied her surroundings with great curiosity, giving her an ethereal feeling.
Many young Juniors couldn’t help glancing in her direction with a look of admiration and adoration on their faces. Likewise, Yang Kai glanced over in that direction just in time to see the middle-aged man leading the tall and slender girl in their direction. The middle-aged man arrived not far from him within a few steps.
The Proprietress stood up and gave an elegant bow, “Senior Brother Guo!”
Old Bai also respectfully greeted the middle-aged man, “Greetings, Senior Guo!”
Surprised, Yang Kai and Yue He hurriedly got to their feet. Judging from the tone of the Proprietress and Bai Qi’s voices, they seemed to be familiar with this middle-aged man surnamed Guo. Their relationship also seemed to be rather intertwined; otherwise, the Proprietress would never address the man with the title ‘Senior Brother’. It had to be said that most Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were the ones to greet the Proprietress first when they encountered her. After all, the order of etiquette also served to represent the level of their respective statuses.
In other words, this man surnamed Guo was more powerful than the Proprietress. Yang Kai was secretly speechless. Judging by the way the Proprietress addressed this man, could it be that they had a Senior Brother-Junior Sister relationship with each other?
Senior Brother Guo smiled slightly, “Junior Sister Lan, there is no need to be so polite. Please take a seat.”
After saying that, he took the lead and sat down. Only then did the Proprietress return to her seat.
He then said, “It has been several dozen years since we last saw each other. You have a noble bearing as usual, Junior Sister Lan. It is truly gratifying.”
She replied with a slight smile, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Guo. You are as handsome as usual.”
He laughed, “I’ve gotten old. I can’t compare with the younger generation anymore.” Suddenly, he turned to look at Yang Kai with a measuring gaze. Then, he narrowed his eyes and asked, “Isn’t this the boy who defeated Yu Luo Sha in the Asura Arena?”
Yang Kai suddenly had the illusion that he was being stared at by the ancient Ominous Beast under that measuring gaze. For a moment, he felt as though he was being crushed under the pressure of a dozen mountains and could barely breathe as a result.
Fortunately, that terrifying pressure soon dissipated into nothing, almost as if the feeling just now had been nothing more than an illusion. Yang Kai bowed, “Greetings, Senior Guo!”
“Yes, it’s very similar!” Senior Brother Guo nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai was taken aback. He didn’t quite understand what those words meant at first, but he soon understood. Senior Brother Guo was referring to his appearance. It was the reason why the Proprietress had taken such good care of him in the past, as well as why Yue He addressed him as ‘Young Master’. Apparently, his appearance was very similar to that of the Proprietress’ younger brother, Lan Ting Yu.
One’s appearance was determined by the Heavens, so he was unable to change anything about his appearance. Besides, there were trillions upon trillions of living creatures in the 3,000 Worlds. It was not surprising that some people would look similar to each other. Yang Kai did not feel that his appearance had caused him any trouble; rather, it could even be said that it had brought him great luck. If not for that, how could a humble person like himself become acquainted with somebody like the Proprietress in this vast universe?
“They might look alike, but they are two different people.” The Proprietress smiled softly, “I was very shocked when I first met this brat.”
Senior Brother Guo gently nodded, “Once this matter is over, let me bring this boy back to meet the Old Man. His aptitude is not bad. If he is personally taught by the Old Man, he will surely have great accomplishments in the future.”
“The Old Man?” The Proprietress’ expression changed slightly, “Is that what he wants?”
Senior Brother Guo shook his head in response, “The Old Man has not heard about this yet. I only just learned about it myself when I arrived here.”
Her expression became gloomy and uncertain as she glanced at Yang Kai worriedly and shook her head, “Senior Brother Guo, this boy does not belong to First Inn. If you wish to bring him back to meet the Old Man, you will have to ask him for his opinion.”
“Not part of First Inn?” He seemed a little surprised by those words.
Yang Kai was a little confused by the flow of the conversation. He did not know who this ‘Old Man’ they were talking about was, but a person who could be addressed so formally by two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not be a trivial person.
Senior Brother Guo laughed, “Since he does not belong to First Inn, then there’s no need to ask you.” He turned to look at Yang Kai and continued, “Kid, do you have any interest in joining Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?”
“Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Each of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens and Seventy-Two Paradises were extremely famous. They had more than one Great Territory under their command; were known as First-Class great forces in the 3,000 Worlds; and every one of them was led by High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Out of all of them, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was ranked in the top ten even among the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens.
Yang Kai had long since guessed that this person by the name of ‘Senior Brother Guo’ came from a very powerful background. There was a high possibility that Senior Brother Guo came from one of the Thirty-Six Cave-Heavens or the Seventy-Two Paradises. It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai learned that he belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Did that mean that Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven was the great force behind First Inn? Why else would the Proprietress and Senior Brother Guo address each other as ‘Senior Brother’ and ‘Junior Sister’?
Senior Brother Guo said, “The aptitude of Yu Luo Sha from Asura Heaven is pretty amazing. The fact that you can defeat her in one move must mean that your aptitude is even more impressive. An aptitude like that is enough for you to join Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. What do you think? If you are interested, you can follow me back to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven once this matter is over.”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded. If a Cave-Heaven had tried to recruit him when he first arrived in the 3,000 Worlds, he might have joined them eagerly without a second thought; that way he could enjoy the cool shade under a big tree after all. Backed by such a powerful force like Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, his future would be very promising. He wouldn’t even need to worry about his cultivation resources. He would only need to ask his Elders for what he needed and somebody would immediately satisfy his needs.
Unfortunately, the current Yang Kai was no longer the same person who just arrived at the Outer Universe. He was now in charge of Void Land and had more than 600,000 people under him. What would happen to Void Land if he left? Besides, his path to becoming a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would most likely be cut off halfway if he joined Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
The Proprietress once mentioned that only those disciples with excellent aptitudes who were born into and grew up in the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises had the qualifications to achieve the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm directly. That was because the Cave Heavens and Paradises had no need to worry about their loyalty!
However, who would dare to allow the birth of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master if they were an outsider? What if that person cultivated to the level of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? Who could suppress them then? Especially somebody like Yang Kai who only joined as a disciple halfway through. Nobody could guarantee his loyalty towards the Sect.
After considering all this, Yang Kai vaguely realised something. He had exposed his identity in the Asura Arena, so many people probably had their eyes on him now. Senior Brother Guo was just one of those people. It was only because he was an old acquaintance of the Proprietress that he took the lead to try and win Yang Kai over.
[If I agree to join Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, I will only be allowed to achieve the Sixth-Order Heaven Realm at most! I will never be allowed to achieve the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!] Yang Kai turned to look to the side and sure enough, the Proprietress was staring at him in anxiety and worry. He made up his mind seeing that and carefully said, “Many thanks for your praise, Senior Guo. Unfortunately, this Junior has too many obligations to fulfil and must regretfully refuse your kindness.”
Senior Brother Guo became livid upon hearing those words. His stern and majestic eyes suddenly transformed to become a bottomless abyss, almost as though he wanted to drag Yang Kai’s Soul into them!
[I can’t believe this Senior Guo immediately turned hostile the moment we disagreed. He truly is subject to shifting moods.] Yang Kai trembled for a moment, feeling his Dao Seal vibrating uncontrollably. Sparks danced in his vision as he grit his teeth and shouted, “Senior Guo, are you trying to silence the witness to your crime?”
He originally hoped to cause a scene large enough to attract the attention of the people around him so that this Senior Guo would be more mindful about taking action. This was Red Clouds Auction House’s territory after all so he would not be allowed to do whatever he wanted. To Yang Kai’s surprise though, his voice never came out. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish stranded on land, making him look extremely funny.
“Senior Brother Guo!” The Proprietress let out a sharp cry.
All of a sudden, the terrifying pressure disappeared. The power that was tugging at Yang Kai’s Soul and Dao Seal also vanished without a trace. He came back to his senses and saw Senior Brother Guo looking at him with a smile, almost as though what he experienced earlier was all an illusion. But, cold sweat drenched his entire body and he knew that what he felt just now was not a figment of his imagination.
“Your appearance is similar, as is your attitude. I just hope that the path you walk won’t be that similar.” Senior Brother Guo uttered that sentence meaningfully, “Otherwise, the ending that will befall you won’t differ much either. Junior Sister Lan, you don’t wish to see history repeating itself, right?”
The Proprietress’ expression was extremely dark as she snapped, “Senior Brother Guo, please mind your own business. I will take care of this boy myself.”
“That would be for the best.” He nodded, “It took a lot of effort for the Old Man to settle that matter for you in the past. You wouldn’t want to cause trouble for him again, right?”
Rubbing his chin, he abruptly changed the subject, “Speaking of the Old Man, I suddenly remembered something. When the Old Man brought the Golden Crow’s carcass back, he was muttering about how most of the essence from its body was missing for some reason. It’s obvious now that it was the doing of this brat.”
Only then did Yang Kai finally realise who the Old Man Senior Brother Guo kept mentioning was. The Golden Crow’s carcass had fallen into the hands of the owner behind First Inn, an old man known as Si Tu Kong.
Before handing the Golden Crow carcass over, Yang Kai had absorbed most of the Golden Crow’s True Fire and to condense his Fire Element Power. He originally thought that he had been very secretive about what he did, but who could have known that his actions had been noticed so quickly?
Judging by the current situation, Si Tu Kong belonged to Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and First Inn was indeed backed by the powerful force.
The Proprietress spoke firmly, “Please don’t speak nonsense, Senior Brother Guo.”
Senior Brother Guo sneered, “I was just speculating. What are you so nervous about, Junior Sister Lan? Even if it is true, the Old Man failed to notice the issue on the spot, so you don’t expect him to come after this brat after so long, right? What would come of the Old Man’s pride? At his age, what he cares about the most is face. He would not do something that would slap himself so terribly.”
His expression turned cold and his voice became solemn, “There is no evidence regarding this matter, but is your intention to take down the Golden Rainbow Province and the Boundless Altar, or is this also this Senior Brother talking nonsense?”
She replied calmly, “What are you talking about, Senior Brother Guo? This Junior Sister does not understand.”
He turned to look at her, “Don’t give me that nonsense! These two great forces held a grudge against you in the first place! It was only because the Old Man and the other great forces intervened in the past that this matter was settled calmly. Not too long ago, you caused another huge ruckus. Did you think you could hide the truth!? Do you think you can still stand here alive if the Old Man had not intervened again when you killed Yun Zhen Hua of Wind and Cloud Paradise!?”
She looked at him leisurely, “What do you know, Senior Brother?”
He said, “Even if Yun Zhen Hua provoked you first, you should not have killed him. He belonged to Wind and Cloud Paradise after all. In the end, the Old Man had to clean up your mess again when you killed him.”
She became angry, “Are you saying they are the only ones who can attack me and I can’t defend myself? What kind of logic is that!”
He retorted, “With your strength as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, running away would be a piece of cake for you!”
“Why should I run? They dared to provoke this Great Aunt. In that case, this Great Aunt will dare to slice off their necks. I will cut down every single person they send after me. I’ll see just who in the 3,000 Worlds would dare to provoke me again!” She said furiously.
He slowly shook his head, “Stop causing so much trouble and manage First Inn properly.”
She stared at him fixedly, “Is that what the Old Man wants?”
He replied, “It’s what I want.”
“What the Hell do you count for?” She threw a contemptuous look at him.
He sighed, “The Old Man is getting on in age. How long more do you think he can continue to shelter you? What will you do when all your enemies come at you simultaneously following his death? Forget your enemies. Many people don’t like you even within the Cave-Heaven.”
“Let them come! I’ll take the opportunity to settle my grudges against them!” She gnashed her teeth together, “Damn it! The Old Man has lived for so long, why isn’t he dead yet!?”
His mouth fell open in shock and he looked speechless. After a long time, he angrily muttered, “Brainless woman!”
Then, he turned to the tall girl next to him and said, “Remember this Martial Aunt Lan of yours. Don’t be like her in the future; otherwise, you will never get married! Look at her; even now, nobody is interested in her. That’s the reason.”
The young girl pursed her lips and smiled. On the other hand, the Proprietress glared fiercely.
Senior Brother Guo ignored the Proprietress and pointed at Yang Kai. “Don’t forget this person’s face either. Don’t ever become his enemy. You should ask him to rescue you if you are ever in danger.”
The young girl nodded obediently. Her beautiful eyes stared at Yang Kai seriously for a moment before she replied softly, “I’ve memorised it.”
Yang Kai was stunned by those words. He did not understand the meaning behind Senior Brother Guo’s words. This young girl looked like one of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven’s elite disciples at a glance. Also, what kind of danger would she face that he would need to rescue her from?
Senior Brother Guo stopped talking and simply sat there in inexplicable silence. The Proprietress also fell silent. Thus, the atmosphere sunk into an awkward silence.
Although Senior Brother Guo and the Proprietress had not said much to each other, they had, intentionally or unintentionally, revealed a lot of information.
The first piece of information was that Yang Kai’s identity had been completely exposed. It was most likely that many of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises were monitoring him. While it would not pose a problem in the short-term, nobody could say for sure what kind of attitude they would take against him after observing him in the long run. They might decide to suppress him or try to win him over. The only thing that could be certain was that nobody would want him to advance directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Another piece of information was that the Proprietress truly intended to take down Golden Rainbow Province and Boundless Altar. It was just that these two Second Class great forces were not pushovers. She would definitely fail with her current strength if she really were to make a move against them.
Yang Kai would not simply sit back and watch if it came to that. But, what help could he provide with his current strength? Even if he brought all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land over to support her, his efforts would not play a decisive role. Not unless Zhu Jiu Yin was willing to help.
Unfortunately, this woman was not dependable. She might have agreed to become his Protector for 1,000 years, but it was only under the premise that his life was in real danger. She was not a fool, so how could she willingly follow him into such muddy waters?
Therefore, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency and crisis. [Time is not going to wait for me!]
Just as his thoughts were swirling around in his head, he heard a familiar voice entering his ears, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to participate in Red Clouds Auction House’s exchange meeting. Many of you are old acquaintances, but some of you are new faces. Nevertheless, this Old Master won’t go into details regarding the rules. I’m sure everybody has participated in similar exchange meetings before, so let’s not waste time. The exchange meeting will begin now.”
Many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters chuckled at those words.
Yang Kai looked up and the old man who presided over the auction earlier was standing on the round platform in the centre and bowing in all directions. Knowing that the exchange meeting had officially started, Yang Kai put aside all other thoughts and focused on the present.
Everybody here was in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm, so those in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were everywhere. They would surely have some good stuff in their possession. It was possible that they had the High-Rank materials he needed; however, how he was going to obtain those High-Rank materials from them would depend completely on his own abilities.
He secretly said a prayer in his heart and rolled up his sleeves eagerly.
“Then, this Old Master will start things off.” After the old man on the round platform finished speaking, he took out an item. It was a forearm-length piece of bamboo. The bamboo might have been harvested, but it was still brimming with vitality. The bamboo leaves on the stems were dense. More surprisingly, the bamboo was enveloped in slivers of electricity that constantly flashed between the branches and leaves while making a crackling sound.
“A Sixth-Order Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo. It is a Wood Element treasure, but it also carries a Thunder Attribute. If one can refine this, they will have the power to produce such thunder with impressive destructive power,” the old man said slowly.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up! [Amazing! This certainly is deserving of being a high-end exchange meeting.]
It was a complete night and day difference from the auction earlier. Sixth-Order materials like this one would have been auctioned as finale items during the regular auction. On the contrary, it was the first item to appear in this exchange meeting. Although this was also a means for Red Clouds Auction House to elevate the level of this exchange meeting, taking out a Sixth-Order material right from the start was enough to set the atmosphere.
“This Old Master has no special requirements. This item can be exchanged as long as the value is reasonable. Even Open Heaven Pills are accepted.” After the old man finished speaking, he did not say anything else. He simply stood quietly on the round platform and waited.
Yang Kai looked around and saw that many Masters around the platform were hurriedly taking out Space Rings and fiddling with them. Even Senior Brother Guo next to him was doing so.
The Proprietress sent a voice transmission to him to explain, “Place the item or items you want to exchange in a Space Ring and hand it over to the other party. The other party will check the item and filter out the choices. If he thinks that your price is suitable, he will exchange the item with you. If he thinks that the price is not suitable or does not satisfy his requirements, he will return it to you.”
Yang Kai immediately understood. Without any hesitation, he immediately took out a Space Ring and placed 20 million Open Heaven Pills inside. He had the goal of acquiring all kinds of cultivation resources, so it was impossible for him to use his own materials to trade for another. On the contrary, he had an abundance of Open Heaven Pills. Besides, the other party had also mentioned that Open Heaven Pills were also accepted as an exchange. 20 million Open Heaven Pills should be satisfactory.
Yang Kai handed the ring over and waited silently.
A short while later, all the cultivators who were interested in trading with the old man were ready. There were as many as more than 50 Space Rings in the old man’s hands. His requirements were not high, so everybody was willing to give it a try. There was no loss even if they were not selected after all.
The old man checked the rings one by one. After a while, he chose one of the rings and said, “Brother Xu of Divine Fire Union has offered the highest bid. This Old Master will exchange this Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo with him.”
After saying that, he flung his hand out. Each Space Ring returned to their respective owners, leaving only the Space Ring belonging to that cultivator surnamed Xu from Divine Fire Union in his hand. The Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo also flew to the other party’s side under the guidance of a gentle force.
The cultivator surnamed Xu received the Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo with a look of joy. He cupped his fists and thanked the old man.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was a little stunned as he gripped his Space Ring in his hands. He had spent 26 million to buy a Sixth-Order Scarlet Yin Sand, but that was because it was a Yin Element material. Yin Element materials were much rarer, so their prices tended to be on the higher side.
Most Sixth-Order resources were worth around 17 or 18 million. Thus, he originally believed that he had a promising chance of obtaining the Echoing Thunder Purple Bamboo. Who could have known that the old man of Red Clouds Auction House would not choose him? It would seem that it was not a pricing issue. Rather, the Divine Fire Union probably offered something that the old man was more interested in.
The first transaction had gone smoothly and the old man stepped down from the platform after a few polite words.
A figure immediately flew up and stood on the platform. It was a petite woman. She bowed with a bright smile and lightly parted her red lips to speak, “The value of what this Mistress wants to exchange is not that great. Please excuse me, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters.”
While saying so, she took out her item. Yang Kai looked up and his eyes immediately brightened. What she had taken out was a bug-like thing with a fiery-red body that was slightly more than a palm length long and as thick as an arm. When his Divine Sense swept over this item, Yang Kai could even sense the vitality coming from it. This worm was a living creature.
“A 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm. If fed properly, it will produce a 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm Chrysalis every 10 years. The Order of the Fire Silkworm Chrysalis is uncertain. It might be Third-Order, Fourth-Order, or Fifth-Order. There is even a possibility it will be Sixth-Order. It all depends on your luck.”
The woman looked down with a smile. She was smiling so brightly that her eyes were crescent-shaped, “This Mistress would like to exchange this item for a few Fifth-Order resources. The attributes are not limited and the number is… Naturally, the more the better.” She stuck her tongue out playfully.
The people below immediately showed interest in this item. The 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm was extremely rare. If one could get their hands on it, then they could harvest an Open Heaven material every ten years in the future. Although the Order was uncertain and completely based on luck, the winning factor lay in the fact that it was continuous. There would always come a time when it would produce Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials.
In the short term, this would definitely be a huge loss. But, in the long run, it would be a money-making business. It was just that this kind of item was not suitable for individuals; after all, the investment was bound to be big and the break-even cycle was very long. On the other hand, it was very suitable to become part of the heritage of a great force.
Yang Kai was also rather interested in this item. Void Land might have a Divine Medicine like the gourd vine that could continuously produce Fifth-Order materials, but there was no means of producing Third-Order, Fourth-Order, or Sixth-Order resources. If he could bring this 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm back with him, then it would help offset this deficiency.
“Junior Sister, what does the Fire Silkworm eat?” Someone asked.
She turned to look in that direction and smiled, “Naturally, it eats items of the Fire Attribute. It eats anything in the Fire Attribute and is not a picky eater.”
“Does it mean that the more valuable the food we feed it, the higher the Order of the Silkworm Chrysalis produced?”
“Theoretically, that should be the case, but it also produced a Fifth-Order Silkworm Chrysalis when I previously fed it with some broken Fire Crystals and Fire Jades. On the other hand, it only produced a Third-Order Silkworm Chrysalis when I occasionally fed it with some First-Order or Second-Order Fire Element materials. This Fire Silkworm is very naughty.”
“Many thanks, Junior Sister, for clearing up the confusion.” The speaker cupped his fists.
A few other people also asked some questions and she answered all of them, one by one. There were some questions that she herself had never encountered before, so she could not provide any answers.
A short while later, everybody made their bids. Yang Kai also handed over the Space Ring that contained the twenty million Open Heaven Pills from the previous round of bidding after consulting the Proprietress’ opinion.
Quite a few people were interested in this Fire Silkworm so the woman received more than a dozen Space Rings in total. After checking through the rings, she kept only one of them and returned the rest.
What left Yang Kai feeling speechless was that he had not been chosen either this time around. The price of 20 million Open Heaven Pills was definitely not a low price. Since the other party did not select his Space Ring, then it could only mean that she was more interested in the other bids.
Judging from this situation, it would seem that Open Heaven Pills were not omnipotent. It was true that Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters also needed Open Heaven Pills, but in comparison, they seemed to value various cultivation resources even more.
This discovery left Yang Kai feeling speechless. He originally hoped to throw a huge sum of Open Heaven Pills to bid for the High-Rank materials he needed if they appeared here. Who could have expected this situation? It stood to reason that he would definitely succeed if he was willing to harden his heart and throw out 100 million Open Heaven Pills in the transaction; however, he was not a fool. How could he possibly make such a money-losing move?
He secretly felt that this method of transaction was hugely advantageous for the person standing on the platform. That was because the bidders had no idea what the bottom line was like for the others. There was no way to tell what kind of item the others were offering in exchange, so there was no way for the bidders to up their offer. On the contrary, it would maximise the interests of the person standing on the round platform. Even if the bids offered were unsatisfactory, that person could simply choose not to trade with the others. There would be no loss for either party.
The woman’s 10,000 Year Fire Silkworm was successfully traded. After she stepped off the platform, many others consecutively stepped onto the platform. They would first display the items that they wanted to trade, then put forward their own requirements before waiting for the others to bid for their item. Most of them managed to trade their items for other items that they wanted. There were also some whose requirements were too high or too niche, which naturally led to the failure of their request.