The Dao Theory Assembly officially commenced a few days later.
As a loud bell tolled, the cultivators, who had been cultivating on their respective Spirit Peaks, stepped out of their residences.
On Intertwining Fate Peak, as soon as Yang Kai left his room, he saw many people looking at him with fearful eyes. Although a few days had passed, the sight of Kong Tian Yu’s head being blown up by Yang Kai’s spear attack remained vivid in their minds. Kong Tian Yu was the strongest Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among them, but he was unable to survive a single move from Yang Kai. Certainly, as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai stood out among them.
They were previously worried that Yang Kai would kill all of them on Intertwining Fate Peak so that he would have fewer opponents; however, after he dealt with Kong Tian Yu, he went on to cultivate in seclusion and didn’t bother anyone else, allowing the others to have some peaceful days to live.
Honestly speaking, if it weren’t because they couldn’t back down halfway, everyone on Intertwining Fate Peak would have fled already. None of them would be a match for a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the Dao Theory Assembly, so rather than staying there and getting humiliated, they could save themselves some time and embarrassment by backing down.
However, the Dao Theory Assembly was held by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, and no one had the guts to leave halfway. The consequences would be dreadful if their backing down was taken as a sign of disrespect towards Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Just then, Lu Jing approached Yang Kai in a friendly manner.
Yang Kai nodded gently at him and looked up. There was a slim woman clad in revealing clothes who was hovering in mid-air. Her short skirt could barely cover her alluring bottom, and as the wind whisked through her skirt, one could almost catch a glimpse of the spring scenery hidden below.
The woman was weak as she was only in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, her skin was delicate, and her eyes were extremely enchanting.
“Since all of you are ready, please come with me,” the woman stated in a sweet voice. As she turned around and flew forward, the men were aroused when they saw her bare back.
None of them moved a muscle as they gazed at Yang Kai.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai flew up that the others followed him.
More than a dozen people left the Spirit Peak and they soon reached the endless void. They had no idea where the woman was leading them to, but they could only follow her as it wasn’t appropriate to ask her about it.
One hour later, they finally saw a huge Universe World in the distance. The Universe World was much larger than average, and looking from afar, they could see that the terrain was pretty complex with the environment quite hostile. There was also a layer of grey mist around the Universe World, seemingly shielding it from complete view.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but study the Universe World in puzzlement. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was one of the 36 Cave Heavens, so why was there such a strange Universe World in their territory? Given their strength, it wasn’t hard for them to change the environment of this Universe World, so there must be a reason for them to keep it as it was.
Outside the Universe World, there was a gigantic palace hovering in the void, in front of which was a square that was filled with many people.
The Third-Order woman from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven led the group from Intertwining Fate Peak to land on the square. After stabilising herself, she performed a salute in a particular direction, “Greetings, Elder Xu. The participants from Intertwining Fate Peak are all here.”
Xu Ling Gong was seated on a chair in that direction while Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue were standing behind him.
Seeing Yang Kai, Qing Kui nodded at him.
Xu Ling Gong swept a glance over them as his gaze eventually fell on Yang Kai. He seemed to be in a jovial mood as he said amicably, “Good, you may leave now.”
“Yes.” The Third-Order Open Heaven Realm woman bowed and departed, leaving Yang Kai and the others where they stood.
Yang Kai scanned his surroundings and realised that many cultivators had gathered together in groups in the square. There were somewhere between 300 to 400 of them in total. It seemed that they were also participants in the Dao Theory Assembly. The weakest ones were in the Fourth Order while there were many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Just like those from Intertwining Fate Peak, these cultivators were supposed to be staying on their respective Spirit Peaks previously, but they were now all brought to this place.
Soon, Yang Kai fell into a dazed state as he stared fixedly in a particular direction, a hint of shock on his face.
That was because a petite woman was standing over there. Many of the participants around her were also examining her in shock.
The existence of such a woman among a large group of men was like the bright moon in the dark night sky. It was expected that their attention was drawn to her.
After all, the Dao Theory Assembly was meant to help Qu Hua Shang select a Husband. Although those from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven hadn’t set any strict rules, the participants were basically all men.
Why would a woman take part in such an assembly? However, there really was a woman standing right on the square. Moreover, Yang Kai actually knew her. She was none other than Gu Pan from Lang Ya Paradise.
Yang Kai could barely suppress his laughter. It wasn’t surprising that Gu Pan was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven because she and Qu Hua Shang were close friends. Since this matter was about Qu Hua Shang’s future happiness, it was only to be expected that she had tagged along with her Master to this place. Nevertheless, it was quite awkward for her to appear in this square.
When Yang Kai came across Gu Pan and Qu Hua Shang in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary in the past, they were also Emperor Realm cultivators just like himself. After such a long time though, everyone from back then had ascended to the Open Heaven Realm.
[Qu Hua Shang and Gu Pan both ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In that case…]
Yang Kai kept darting his gaze around and soon found two other familiar faces. One of them was Lin Feng from True Martial Cave Heaven, and the other was Ning Dao Ran from Free and Unfettered Paradise.
Of the friends he got to know in Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, only little fatty Xu Zhen wasn’t around. It wasn’t certain whether he didn’t come or he hadn’t ascended to the Open Heaven Realm yet.
When their eyes met, Lin Feng snorted as he seemed to be displeased with Yang Kai. On the other hand, Ning Dao Ran just nodded at Yang Kai as a polite gesture.
There were also some other unfriendly gazes that were examining Yang Kai.
As Yang Kai swept a glance over them and soon saw Pei Wen Xuan from Myriad Demons Heaven and Yin Xin Zhao from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven. These two guys had formed grudges against Yang Kai in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. At that time, Yin Xin Zhao relentlessly tried to kill Yang Kai. Fortunately, Qu Hua Shang never gave up on Yang Kai as she carried him on her back and eventually escaped from danger.
There were some other people that Yang Kai didn’t know, but he had a feeling that they were also Core Disciples from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises just like Qu Hua Shang.
There seemed to be a lot of powerful opponents in this Dao Theory Assembly.
The disciples of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven continuously led more participants to this place from various Spirit Peaks where they formed into different groups and waited patiently.
On a platform overlooking the square, Xu Ling Gong sat in the centre seat among the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, all of whom sported dark expressions.
This couldn’t be helped, as Xu Ling Gong had suddenly changed the content of the Dao Theory Assembly.
According to the original plan, the participants would just have to go on stage and fight against one another until the final winner emerged. It was a brutal but simple way as the stronger cultivators would be at an advantage.
Nevertheless, Xu Ling Gong informed them at the last moment that the rules had been changed, which infuriated the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from more than a dozen Cave Heavens and Paradises. They didn’t mind changing the content of the assembly, but Xu Ling Gong had crossed the line by changing it at the last possible moment, leaving them unprepared.
Presently, Zhuo Bu Qun from Myriad Demons Heaven was seated to the left of Xu Ling Gong. He turned to look at him and asked impassively, “Brother Xu, what are you trying to do?”
“What do you mean?” Xu Ling Gong glanced over at him.
Zhuo Bu Qun asked, “Have you changed the rules at the last moment for a particular person?”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Xu Ling Gong appeared innocent, “If you think there’s something wrong with the assembly, you can leave now. I don’t mind.”
Zhuo Bu Qun snorted, “Is it really so easy, Brother Xu? Since we’ve joined the assembly, why would we leave halfway? If news spread, Myriad Demons Heaven would become a laughing stock.”
“Stop spouting nonsense if you’re not going to leave then. I’m in charge of the Dao Theory Assembly, and I can do whatever I want!” Xu Ling Gong seemed ready to fight it out if need be.
Seeing that both of them were incensed, the people beside them hurriedly calmed them down.
Xu Ling Gong looked smilingly at the square, but he secretly felt bitter in his heart. If Qu Hua Shang hadn’t pestered him, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to change the rules of the Dao Theory Assembly.
If they carried out the original plan and let the participants simply go on stage to fight, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would have a distinct advantage. The winner would be one of those disciples from the aforementioned great forces, not Yang Kai.
Although Yang Kai was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it had only been two years since his ascension. Be it his heritage or foundation, he wasn’t comparable to the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Only when the rules were changed would he stand a chance to become the winner.
Xu Ling Gong knew that Qu Hua Shang was trying to help Yang Kai, but despite that, the young man would have to rely on his own power if he wanted to win first place. Now, they could only hope that this brat wouldn’t disappoint them.
As time passed, all the participants of the assembly were brought to this place.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that there were about 500 or 600 people who were taking part in the assembly; however, he reckoned that there were originally more who were now buried on the various Spirit Peaks, just like what had happened to Kong Tian Yu.
Therefore, there were probably about 1,000 people who had registered to join the assembly.
It had to be noted that all 1,000 of these people were in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. None of them were minor characters.
There was no doubt that the Dao Theory Assembly was a major event in the 3,000 Worlds. It seemed that Lu Jing was right to say that many of the people who joined the assembly didn’t intend to become the winner as they had to be fully aware that they were not powerful enough to win. The reason they still participated in the event was to give themselves some training.
Certainly, if they were lucky enough to be the winner, it would be life-changing for them.
Previously, more than a dozen Cave Heavens and Paradises had cordoned off the Territory Gates around Yin-Yang Territory and chased off all the foreign Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, which allowed the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to have some hope.
However, following the participation of more than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters now, their hope was thoroughly crushed.
Many well-informed people had some complaints about Yang Kai at this moment. If it was not for his sudden participation, the Dao Theory Assembly would not have had any Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in attendance. In the current situation, they no longer expected to obtain any of the top positions, they simply hoped that they would not be ranked so lowly that they besmirched the names of their Sects.
After a while, nobody else was guided to this place. It would seem that all of the participants had gathered here.
Qing Kui leaned over and muttered something in Xu Ling Gong’s ear, after which he nodded lightly and said, “Since everybody is gathered here, let us begin.”
Behind him, Su Ying Xue immediately took one step forward and raised an arm upon hearing those words. Hundreds of streams of light burst out all of a sudden and swept across the huge square.
A short while later, all the participating cultivators were surprised to find a pale gold wristband floating in front of each of them. The wristbands were made from some kind of unknown material that exuded a faint pulsing aura.
Su Ying Xue’s expression was cold and indifferent as she explained, “All participants, please wear these wristbands. These wristbands are very important. They are the key items that will determine your ranking in the Dao Theory Assembly, so do not lose them or destroy them. Do not remove them without authorisation either or you will be disqualified.”
Everybody curiously looked at the pale gold wristbands after hearing those words. Despite studying the wristbands from all angles, they could not figure out anything about them. Nevertheless, they could only obey since these arrangements were something Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had prepared for them.
It didn’t take long before everybody was wearing the wristbands. What was surprising was that the wristbands transformed into a circular brand that imprinted itself on their wrists when worn.
Yang Kai quietly scanned the wristband for a moment but did not detect anything unusual. He could not even sense the slightest hint of something wrong. As for what these wristbands were meant for, he remained clueless and turned to look at Lu Jing curiously.
Unfortunately, Lu Jing shook his head to indicate that he did not know anything either.
Yang Kai could only give up. In any case, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would eventually give an appropriate explanation for the situation.
Once everybody was wearing the wristbands, Xu Ling Gong slowly got to his feet. The majestic aura of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master unfolded and with a dignified expression, he spoke, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven has been established in the 3,000 Worlds for countless years. Our inheritance is steeped with history. Today, I will be choosing a Husband for my youngest Disciple. It is comforting for this Monarch to see so many handsome young men standing here. I hope you will perform well and achieve satisfactory results.”
His voice was not loud, but everybody could hear him clearly with the help of his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm aura. It sounded almost as though he was standing next to each person while speaking.
“The location of the Dao Theory Assembly this time lies within the Universe World behind you.”
The expressions of many people changed to reveal knowing looks. The truth was that many of the cultivators had already made some guesses when they saw this Universe World. If that was not the location where the Dao Theory Assembly was going to be held, then why guide people to this place?
Yang Kai noticed that Lu Jing, who was standing next to him, had turned slightly pale. Lu Jing seemed apprehensive about something, almost as though this particular Universe World contained some kind of deadly threat.
“The Universe World before you is known as Prison Star. It is the place where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven exiles certain dangerous criminals. The people in that Universe World consist of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples who committed grave crimes, as well as vicious and atrocious villains who were captured and brought back from the outside world. It can be said that every single existence within that place is a criminal. You can kill them at your discretion!”
“I knew it! It really is the Prison Star!” Lu Jing murmured softly.
Yang Kai turned to look at Lu Jing. [He knows something about this Prison Star. Unfortunately, it’s not convenient for me to ask him about this matter under the current circumstances. I can only figure things out once Xu Ling Gong finishes his speech.]
“This Prison Star is a training ground for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples. What you need to do now is enter the Prison Star and slaughter those who can be killed. The wristband will record your achievements. In the end, the person with the highest score recorded in their wristbands will be the winner!”
As soon as those words left Xu Ling Gong’s mouth, a commotion broke out among the cultivators in the silent square and many of the cultivators couldn’t help revealing joyous looks.
That was particularly true for many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. They originally thought that they would only be accompanying their charges on a study trip to the Dao Theory Assembly; after all, they did not have the slightest chance of winning against the ten or so Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in a straight-up fight.
On the other hand, if the Dao Theory Assembly was carried out in this manner, then they could avoid fighting with the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters entirely There was even a chance of winning first place if they could obtain a good enough result on the Prison Star.
Xu Ling Gong coldly observed the commotion below only to break into a grin after a long while, “You will know how the wristband records your achievements later, but there is something else this Monarch needs to inform you about first. All the criminals on Prison Star have been notified of this event, and have been told that if they kill enough participants, they will be able to obtain their freedom. That’s why… it’s not just you hunting them, they will also spare no effort to hunt you down; after all, it has been many years since they last tasted freedom.”
The commotion throughout the square died down abruptly.
One of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters frowned at those words, “Brother Xu, why was I not informed about this?”
If that were the case, then every single person who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly would be in mortal danger. There were many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on Prison Star, and if anybody were to encounter those people, even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises might not escape alive.
Similarly, the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters turned to look at Xu Ling Gong in unison. It was clear that it was also the first time they had heard about this.
Xu Ling Gong slapped his head lightly, “Oh? Did I not tell you? No worries! It’s not too late for you to find out now!”
“Brother Xu, is this your own idea? Or, is this Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s idea?” A High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master questioned.
Xu Ling Gong glanced sideways at that person and simply stated, “I am in charge of the Dao Theory Assembly. Whatever I say goes. If you are worried about your Disciples, you can withdraw right now. This Xu will not stop anybody.”
[Withdraw!? We’re already here! Who would have the nerve to quit now!? If we did that, won’t other people look down on our Sects!?] They originally assumed that the Dao Theory Assembly was an explanation given by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as a result of the joint pressure exerted by the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises for Qu Hua Shang’s actions. It would now seem though that everybody had been fooled by Xu Ling Gong.
If they had known that the Dao Theory Assembly would be so dangerous, they wouldn’t have allowed their most treasured Disciples to participate. Those whom they brought here were newly promoted Sixth Open Heaven Realm Masters. How could they compare with the old ghosts on Prison Star?
“Martial Uncle Xu, how will the achievements be calculated if two people worked together to kill a criminal?” Yin Xin Zhao of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven suddenly cupped his fist and asked.
Xu Ling Gong grinned, “Rest assured, as long as you are nearby when the criminal dies, you will share a certain amount of the achievements. You can figure out the secrets behind this mechanism yourselves.”
Yin Xin Zhao nodded lightly and asked again, “What if we were to… accidentally kill another participant?”
Xu Ling Gong said, “Of course, there will also be achievements for that. Moreover, all the results previously obtained by that person will be passed on to you.”
Yin Xin Zhao licked his lips and smiled, “I see. This Disciple understands now.”
The expressions of many participating cultivators were rather ugly. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly was now a chaotic free-for-all. There was no doubt that Xu Ling Gong set this up to promote killings. It didn’t matter whether it was the criminals on Prison Star or the participating cultivators, as long as they killed another, they would receive achievements for their deeds!
Lu Jing turned deathly pale as he gulped nervously and looked at Yang Kai pitifully, “Senior Brother Yang…”
The rules of the Dao Theory Assembly had suddenly become so brutal that he was not sure if Yang Kai was still willing to fulfil their previous agreement.
Yang Kai, however, just said, “Rest assured. Just follow me later.”
Lu Jing was overjoyed, “Many thanks for your care, Brother Yang.”
He was incredibly grateful that he made such a timely move back on Intertwining Fate Peak. How else could he have had the chance to follow a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now? He was just a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If he had entered Prison Star with his current strength alone, it would not be long before he ended up as somebody else’s meal.
“Are there any other questions?” Xu Ling Gong scanned the audience.
Nobody answered.
Thus, he nodded in satisfaction, “In that case… Let the Dao Theory Assembly begin!”
After saying that, he sat back down again.
Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue stepped forward at the same time and walked out from behind Xu Ling Gong. They each used a set of hand seals before pushing their palms out towards Prison Star. In the next moment, a wide, multi-coloured road appeared out of nowhere, connecting Prison Star and the palace square like a rainbow.
Su Ying Xue shouted, “All participants, please enter. The event will last for one year, during which Prison Star’s Grand Array will remain closed. Nobody will be allowed to enter or leave without authorization. Once the one-year period is up, we will guide you back here!”
Everybody glanced at the rainbow bridge for a moment and not long after that, somebody moved and landed atop it. A distorted light flashed by and that person vanished out of sight in an instant, probably transferred somewhere on Prison Star.
The rest of the cultivators quickly stepped onto the rainbow bridge, either alone or in small groups of three to five.
Yang Kai was in no hurry to move and simply stood there waiting.
“Junior Brother Yang!” A coquettish voice suddenly rang out. Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and saw a figure flying out from the depths of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. It was Qu Hua Shang.
On the stage, Xu Ling Gong was taken aback by the sight and asked Su Ying Xue, “What is that girl doing here?”
Su Ying Xue slowly shook her head.
His facial muscles twitched slightly in annoyance. Regardless of the circumstances, the purpose of the Dao Theory Assembly was to choose a Husband for Qu Hua Shang; hence, it was truly inappropriate for her to make a public appearance at a time like this. Be that as it may, she was already here so it was already too late to stop her.
The cultivators who had yet to enter Prison Star looked up upon hearing her voice and many people recognised her identity and looked enamoured at the mere sight of her.
Leaving aside the fact that she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Qu Hua Shang’s figure and looks alone were first-class throughout the 3,000 Worlds. If they could take the winning spot in the Dao Theory Assembly, they would be able to win the hand of such a gorgeous beauty. If that had happened, then their lives would not have been in vain.
In front of everybody’s eyes though, Qu Hua Shang landed lightly in front of Yang Kai.
“Senior Sister Qu, what are you doing here?” Yang Kai asked.
He had not seen her since the last time the two of them had been caught in bed by Xu Ling Gong; therefore, he never expected for her to come here at this time.
“I came to see you.” She looked at him with a smile. All of a sudden, she took two steps forward and threw her soft body into his arms, “Come back soon, Junior Brother. I will be waiting for you!”
Yang Kai immediately froze in place. The two of them had been in the throes of passion and nearly sealed the deal in her bedroom last time, but that incident had simply been a trap devised by Xu Ling Gong so it could not be counted. But now, she was the one who took the initiative to hug him. Furthermore, she did it in front of so many people that he was completely caught off guard. When Yang Kai looked around, he saw that the expressions of many participating cultivators were as black as the bottom of a pot!
The Dao Theory Assembly was held in order to choose a Husband for Qu Hua Shang; therefore, all the cultivators who came to participate in this event carried at least a glimmer of hope in their hearts. They dreamed of winning first place and bringing home a beautiful bride. It was for that reason that they rolled up their sleeves and prepared to put their lives on the line.
To their greatest dismay though, Qu Hua Shang took the initiative to embrace one of the participants with a look that seemed to indicate that she was secretly in love with that man right in front of all of them…
That atmosphere instantly became tense. For a time, many people glared at Yang Kai with hatred and rage in their eyes. Even more people decided that what the eyes did not see, the heart did not grieve. They turned around and rushed onto the rainbow bridge and were transported into Prison Star.
“Junior Brother, please be careful!” Qu Hua Shang did not show too much intimacy in her actions and quickly let go. Then, she took two steps backwards and winked at him.
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Turning around, he strode towards the Rainbow Bridge.
“Senior Brother Yang, please wait for me!” Lu Jing finally came back to his senses and quickly caught up with Yang Kai’s pace. At the same time, he drew upon his World Force and covered both of them in it.
Yang Kai noticed and did not resist.
When the two of them stepped onto the rainbow bridge together, they felt a swirling sensation washing over them and their vision blurred for a moment. In the next instant, they were in another world.
Overwhelming pressure pressed down on them from above, and Yang Kai involuntarily slumped slightly. It felt as though his Small Universe was being covered by something and his power could not flow properly.
“Please forgive me, Senior Brother Yang. The transfer to the Prison Star is set to a random location. If I had not done that, you and I would have been separated and it would have been difficult to meet up again.” Lu Jing explained his actions just now.
Yang Kai looked surprised, “This place… is a little strange!”
Lu Jing said, “Senior Brother, don’t panic. The Prison Star…”
He was about to explain something when he suddenly heard a piercing scream coming from not far away. Turning to look in that direction, he saw a strong and burly man riding on top of a woman in a bush nearby.
The man was grinning and laughing. His hands were busy ripping apart the clothes on the woman’s body without care, quickly exposing her snow-white skin to the air. It didn’t take long before all she had left were her undergarments that concealed her most private parts. The woman kicked and punched desperately, crying and screaming at the same time; however, her actions only seemed to fuel the man’s excitement, causing him to become more and more aggressive.
“Stop! How dare you do such a despicable thing in broad daylight!?” Lu Jing felt the blood rushing to his head at the sight and roared in their direction. He never imagined that he would be greeted by such an ugly sight the moment he and Yang Kai entered the Prison Star.
Lu Jing’s voice startled the burly man who was about to finish what he started. That man turned to look in this direction, his eyes sweeping over Lu Jing. Then, he grinned savagely, “Where did this baby come from? How dare you ruin my fun? Scram if you don’t want to die!”
Lu Jing snapped angrily, “The people of the Prison Star are heinous indeed! Now that I’ve run into you, I can’t forgive your deeds!”
While speaking, he reached out and summoned a longsword into his hand before pointing it at the man.
The power of Lu Jing’s Small Universe fluctuated, making that burly man’s expression change slightly, “Fourth Order?”
His expression couldn’t help becoming solemn in response. He was only in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, on the other hand, this brat who popped out of nowhere turned out to be in the Fourth-Order. How could he dare to be negligent? He couldn’t care less about the woman pressed underneath him anymore and hastily drew upon his own World Force to confront Lu Jing.
Yang Kai glanced in their direction once then stopped paying attention to them.
One was in the Third Order while the other was in the Fourth Order, so there was no doubt about the outcome. Although Lu Jing was nothing compared to Yang Kai in terms of strength, it did not change the fact that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was in the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm. Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters generally commanded a certain level of respect in the 3,000 Worlds.
Instead, Yang Kai lowered his head to look at the jade slip in his hand, immersing his mind into it as he carefully inspected the contents.
This jade slip was something Qu Hua Shang had secretly stuffed into his hand under the guise of hugging him earlier. He did not know what information was recorded within the jade slip, but even so, it had to be important seeing as she did not hesitate to destroy her own reputation by making an appearance at the Dao Theory Assembly just to hand it to him.
On the other side, Lu Jing was caught in a fierce battle with that burly man, but thanks to the difference in their Orders, he still held the absolute advantage.
It didn’t take more than ten breaths of time before the burly man was suppressed to the point where he could not fight back. Sword wave after sword wave flashed out, slicing across the man’s torso, blood flowed freely from those wounds, and in a panic, the man hurriedly begged for mercy.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Lu Jing’s eyes, but he quickly responded firmly, “The death of scum who oppress others and forcefully seize women aren’t worth pitying!”
With a flick of his longsword, Lu Jing created a rain of sword waves that crashed down on the burly man. When the light died down, he gave a soft snort and flicked off the blood staining his blade.
Meanwhile, the burly man remained standing there motionlessly until a soft breeze blew past his body and shattered it like a wooden block that had been sliced apart. Blood flowed out like a river.
Inadvertently or otherwise, Lu Jing glanced at Yang Kai as though to say that he was not completely useless; unfortunately, he turned around only to see Yang Kai looking down at a jade slip. He couldn’t help feeling disappointed as a result.
Following the death of that burly man, a black light escaped from one of the pieces of his corpse and split into two. One part rushed into the golden wristband around Lu Jing’s wrist while the other part rushed towards Yang Kai, who was standing not too far away, and slipped into his golden wristband.
“Oh?” Lu Jing exclaimed in surprise, “Is that how our achievements are recorded?”
They had heard about this from Xu Ling Gong previously. As long as the participants were nearby when the criminals were killed, they would all share a certain amount of achievement. They had not understood how the mechanism of sharing worked at the beginning, but how could he not understand after witnessing the situation just now?
Lu Jing lowered his head to examine his golden wristband and discovered something. The golden wristband that was initially blank had been dyed black at a certain spot. It seemed to be part of a pattern, but the pattern was not fully revealed because the achievements he accrued were too few.
There was no time to think too deeply about this matter though. Putting his longsword away, Lu Jing walked towards the woman and gently asked, “Are you alright?”
The woman’s body and all her womanly charms were on full display. There were only a few torn pieces of cloth left covering her body and her suet-white-jade-like skin shone with a porcelain-like lustre. She was shivering violently and curled up in place. When she saw Lu Jing approaching her, her eyes filled with fear and panic as she kept shaking her head and pleading, “No! No! No, please…”
Her weak and vulnerable appearance made one subconsciously pity her.
His heart moved, Lu Jing tried to comfort her, “Miss, please don’t be scared. I don’t have any ill intentions.”
Walking over to her, he removed his shirt and draped it over her body to cover up her womanly charms.
Her body continued to shiver violently, and it was obvious that she had been scared witless by what had happened to her. The sight made Lu Jing feel helpless, but just as he was about to reassure her once more, an inexplicable sense of danger flooded his heart and chills spread across his entire body.
Before he could understand what was happening, he noticed that Yang Kai, who had been standing a few paces away earlier, had suddenly appeared before him at some point in time. Yang Kai was squeezing the woman’s neck and the expression on the woman’s face had become even more terrified than before.
“Senior Brother Yang, you…” Lu Jing looked at Yang Kai in puzzlement.
*Kacha…*
Yang Kai exerted some force into his hand and the woman’s head fell forward limply, the vitality in her eyes dissipating quickly. A black light escaped from her wrist and just like before, the light divided into two pieces and disappeared into their wristbands.
Lu Jing was shocked! Be that as it may, he was no fool, so after a moment of hesitation, he lifted the shirt he had draped over the woman’s body and instantly broke out in cold sweat at what he saw.
A dagger glowing with a faint blue light had appeared in the woman’s hands at some point. Moreover, the dagger was clearly aimed at his chest. Just a little further and it would have pierced into his body. Only then did he understand where the sense of crisis had come from just now.
The person he initially thought to be a powerless woman being assaulted turned out to be a poisonous snake that was hiding her fangs! If Yang Kai had not acted decisively, he would either be dead or heavily wounded by now!
“It turns out that everyone in the Prison Star is an extremely vicious person after all! They are all people who deserve to be killed!” Lu Jing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and cupped his fists, “Many thanks for saving my life, Brother Yang.”
Even a woman they met while she was being assaulted turned out to be so dangerous. It could be perceived what kind of people were locked up in this damned place from this experience alone.
Yang Kai smilingly said, “Brother Lu, don’t forget that indulging in lust is equivalent to hanging a knife above your head. Take care to avoid such mistakes in the future!”
Lu Jing blushed furiously, “It’s not what you think! I… I just… Haa…”
There was no way to explain away his mistake. That was because he had truly been fascinated by that woman’s beauty and charm for a time; otherwise, he would not have dropped his guard so easily. What Yang Kai said was not far from the truth.
“This Prison Star is odd indeed,” Yang Kai muttered to himself.
Lu Jing explained, “Brother Yang, you might not know this, but the Prison Star is a place used by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples as a life-and-death training area, so the entire Prison Star is shrouded and suppressed by a powerful Grand Array. All cultivators, regardless of their cultivation, will experience a huge decrease in strength here. Not to mention that the stronger they are, the more intensely they will be suppressed. I’m sure you saw my fight against that man just now.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I noticed.”
He had noticed this phenomenon as soon as he entered the Prison Star. There was some sort of suppressive force that existed everywhere, making him feel as though a mountain was pressing down on him.
Lu Jing was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm while that burly man was in the Third-Order. Even so, their fight had not demonstrated the majesty that a Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master should have. That was clearly due to the suppression of the Grand Array covering the Prison Star.
Logically speaking, it should have been as simple as lifting a finger for a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to eliminate one in the Third-Order. Nevertheless, it had taken Lu Jing a whole ten breaths of time to finish his opponent. While Lu Jing’s strength was indeed much greater than the burly man’s, the suppression he faced was also much stronger. Thus, the wide gap in their respective strengths was narrowed greatly.
“Because of the Grand Array, all the people on the Prison Star are unable to exert their real strength. Since you are in the Sixth Order, Senior Brother Yang, you will also face the greatest suppression among us. That is why you have to be careful when you encounter an enemy. Even a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might have the power to fight you on equal terms in this place.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Looking down at his golden wristband, he murmured thoughtfully, “The way the Dao Theory Assembly records our achievements is quite interesting as well.”
The golden wristband was originally just a blank golden brand; however, a small black mark appeared on one part of the golden wristband after they killed that man and that woman. He examined the golden wristband carefully and said, “It appears to be a pattern of a star.”
Similarly, Lu Jing looked at his wrist and compared the pattern on Yang Kai’s wrist with his own. Their situation at the moment was completely identical, “You’re right, Senior Brother Yang. This is most likely a star.”
It was just that the pattern of the star was not completely stained black yet. At most, only 10% of the star had turned black.
Recalling their encounter just now, Lu Jing commented, “Those two were probably in the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. Moreover, you and I shared our achievements equally. Only 10% of this star was stained black. In other words, we have to kill 10 Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on our own in order to get one star’s worth of achievements! What if it were Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters or Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters…”
“We just need to test it out on somebody to know,” Yang Kai replied casually.
“That’s true!” Lu Jing nodded. Following behind a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai gave him a great sense of security. Even if they really were to encounter a powerful foe, he had nothing to worry about. He only needed to protect himself well and leave everything else for Yang Kai to solve.
Thus, he secretly decided that he would keep some distance the next time Yang Kai killed somebody. It would be bad if he stole more of Yang Kai’s achievements; after all, he only wished to return home safely from this trip. As for his final placing, Lu Jing wasn’t too bothered either way.
“But, before that, we have to figure out where we are located on the Prison Star,” Yang Kai rose into the sky while speaking.
He initially wanted to observe his surroundings from above, but to his surprise, he had only just taken flight when he suddenly felt the pressure on his head increasing sharply. Furthermore, the pressure became more and more horrifying the further up he went. When he reached a height of 1,000 metres, he became completely powerless to ascend further.
Yang Kai was speechless. The Prison Star’s Grand Array was truly amazing. It was able to make a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him unable to resist. Thinking about it again though, it made sense. This place was where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven locked up all the most heinous criminals, many of which were in the Sixth Order. If it were so easy to break free of the Grand Array’s suppression, then all the criminals within would have escaped a long time ago.
With his current strength, Yang Kai was only able to fly 1,000 metres up into the air. Any other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would probably fare worse in his shoes. In this way, escaping from the Prison Star was nothing more than a dream.
Standing 1,000 metres above ground, Yang Kai studied his surrounding environment whilst comparing the topography with the information contained within the jade slip in his hand.
This jade slip was something Qu Hua Shang had handed to him at the last moment. Recorded within the jade slip was various information related to the Prison Star, including a complete map and details on the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm prisoners.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had been managing the Prison Star for countless years, so they knew everything about it and its inhabitants. It would not have been difficult for Qu Hua Shang to obtain this information. Nevertheless, her actions could be construed as favouritism if they were known she only did this because she was worried that accidents might happen if Yang Kai ran into an enemy that was too strong for him.
Unfortunately, the information he obtained from his current investigation was too little for Yang Kai to confirm their current location; therefore, he could only continue to proceed forward.
Lu Jing followed behind Yang Kai with a relaxed expression.
Both of them experienced a sharp decrease in travel speed thanks to the suppression of the Prison Star’s Grand Array. Yang Kai originally thought that the one-year period of the Dao Theory Assembly was far too long; after all, the cultivators participating in the event were all in the Fourth Order and above. The Prison Star might be large, but it could not withstand the damage caused by hundreds of Open Heaven Masters battling each other. It would not take more than ten to fifteen days for the entire Prison Star to be turned upside down.
Now, however, it would seem that their travel speed and strength had dropped significantly due to the various suppression effects of the Prison Star’s Grand Array. One year might not even be enough time for a person to tour the entire Prison Star.
Yang Kai would stop and study the topography of his surroundings from time to time, and after half a day, he finally confirmed his location. He carefully went through the information recorded in the jade slip once more before he turned to look in a certain direction.
[You’re first!]
While leading Lu Jing forward, the pair occasionally came across wandering criminals, some alone, some in small groups.
Xu Ling Gong had spoken the truth. All the criminals locked up in the Prison Star had been informed in advance about a large number of cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly who would pour into the Prison Star. If they killed enough of the participants and obtained the necessary achievements, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven agreed to set them free.
Tempted by this offer, the criminals on the Prison Star were actively searching around. Many of them had been imprisoned in this place for hundreds or even thousands of years. Some might even have been here for longer than that. As long as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven did not agree, they had no way of escaping this place. This opportunity was so difficult to come by, so they had to make good use of this opportunity.
If they were lucky enough, they might even receive a new chance at life!
Although there were many criminals imprisoned on the Prison Star, most of them were not particularly strong. Along the way, Yang Kai and Lu Jing only encountered those who were in the Third Order and below. Yang Kai had not bothered to attack, but Lu Jing enthusiastically killed them all.
After multiple attempts and experimentation, the two of them finally gained some understanding of how things worked. As long as the distance between them exceeded 300 metres, then the credit for the kill would not be shared. On the other hand, the black light escaping from the wrists of the criminals would split into two as long as they were within 300 metres of each other.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven probably designed this system in this manner after taking into account that some people might travel together. This profit-sharing method would make dividing their achievements more convenient. Naturally, there was an issue regarding who contributed more and who contributed less; however, that could be solved through negotiation among those travelling together.
Three days later, the two of them entered a dense jungle. The dense jungle was covered in a thick fog that reduced their visibility to just ten metres at most. The surrounding area also had a faint suppressive force that dampened the perception of their Divine Senses. It was obvious that some sort of Spirit Array had been arranged here.
The presence of a Spirit Array could only mean that there were people living here, and judging by the traces and strength of the Spirit Array, the person living here was not weak.
Lu Jing nervously followed closely behind Yang Kai, peering into his surroundings from time to time. He did not know why Yang Kai wanted to come here, but Yang Kai seemed to have had a very clear goal throughout their travels.
*Kacha…*
A soft sound rang out, causing all the hairs on Lu Jing’s body to stand in fear, but looking down he saw that he had simply stepped on a dried branch. Laughing in relief, he felt that he might have been a little too nervous.
The thought had only just crossed his mind when a black shadow suddenly loomed over him. Immediately following that, Lu Jing felt an extremely sticky feeling wrapping around him while his nostrils were filled with a nasty and pungent stench. It felt as though he had accidentally fallen into a smelly swamp. Shocked, he hurriedly activated his Small Universe. World Force surged and spilled forth as he punched forward ferociously.
Lu Jing’s vision abruptly returned to him while his entire body felt wet and sticky; he was covered from head to toe in a turbid yellow liquid. Turning to look behind him in shock and terror, Lu Jing saw a huge flower with a gaping hole that had been blasted open by something. The flower was oozing with a liquid that was identical to the liquid covering his entire body.
Lu Jing’s expression darkened. Only then did he realise that he had been swallowed by this strange flower just now. He had seen many of these enormous flowers along the way, but he never imagined that they were capable of eating people.
“Oh?” Yang Kai looked at the flower with interest.
*Ci ci ci…*
An odd swaying sound rang out around them as a dozen or so of these gigantic flowers in their surroundings suddenly burst open to reveal rows and rows of jagged fangs. The tendrils of the flowering plants stretched out like poisonous snakes towards them. Then, these flowering plants bit down on the two of them.
“How dare mere Monsters act so brazenly!?” Lu Jing yelled with a stomach full of grievances. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his longsword. Sword light flashed out, slashing at the attackers and tearing them to pieces one after another. These flowers might be strange, but it was not strong enough to actually harm a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him.
*Shua shua shua…*
The sound of something slicing through the air rang out. The branches of the ancient trees in their surroundings seemed to come alive and began whipping towards them. Moreover, each attack contained an extremely heavy force behind it.
Before Lu Jing could recover from his shock, the branches lashed all over his body. He was so badly beaten that he became flustered and quickly shouted for help, “Brother Yang!”
“What an impressive Spirit Array!” Yang Kai commented casually before pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire suddenly erupted from his body and spread outward, instantly burning the branches that stretched out towards them to a crisp.
Terrified faces appeared on the ancient trees in the surroundings. There was a series of rustling sounds as many of the ancient trees pulled their roots out from the ground and fled as though they had encountered their natural enemy!
The surroundings around Lu Jing and Yang Kai suddenly became empty.
“Let’s go and meet the Master of this place!” Yang Kai grinned.
Lu Jing was covered in wet and sticky goo, but he could only dejectedly follow behind Yang Kai as he murmured, “Brother Yang, I don’t feel so good.”
“You’ll be fine. We’ll borrow the bath from the Master of this place to wash up later.”
Lu Jing sighed, “I guess that’s all we can do.”
The slime all over his body contained some corrosive properties, but his cultivation as a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master allowed Lu Jing to withstand them. Doing so would only consume some of his World Force, so it wasn’t too difficult. What was annoying was the foul stench that made him want to vomit.
The pair moved forward smoothly. After what happened just now, the flowers and strange gigantic trees had vanished out of sight, but the Array in this place also seemed to have bewildering abilities. Yang Kai and Lu Jing wandered around for a while but could not leave, much less discover where the Master of this place was located.
Yang Kai impatiently stopped in his tracks and shouted loudly, “Are you here, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch!? Come out and face me!”
According to the information given by Qu Hua Shang, the person who lived here was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name Hui Gu.
When Hui Gu arrived at one of the Universe Worlds under the jurisdiction of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he brought catastrophe to it and caused all life to be annihilated. His actions provoked the anger of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and he was eventually captured by one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Elders who was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Hui Gu was then thrown into the Prison Star where he had been imprisoned for more than 800 years.
This dense forest was basically an existence akin to a Restricted Area for all the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples who entered the Prison Star for training. After all, the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples who came for training would not be too strong. Who among them could survive a direct confrontation against an established Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like the Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch?
Only people on the level of Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue would be an opponent for Hui Gu. It was just that their identity and status did not allow them to enter the Prison Star without sufficient reason. The only exception being that they received a special mission from the Sect. When they were promoted to become Outer Elders, they were each sent into the Prison Star to kill a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as a kind of test.
“Where did this thing with no eyes come from!? How dare you run wild in this Monarch’s territory!? Hurry up and scram if you don’t want to die; otherwise, don’t blame this Monarch for being ruthless!” A sharp voice rang out, and listening to this ear-piercing voice felt very uncomfortable. Furthermore, the voice seemed to come from all directions. It was difficult for anybody to pinpoint where it was coming from.
“Are you sure you want to speak to me in such a manner?” Yang Kai glanced sideways in a certain direction.
A strange cackling laughter rang out, “Brat, you sure are arrogant! This Monarch is in a good mood today, so I will overlook your transgression. Hurry up and scram before I reconsider!”
Yang Kai gently nodded, “I hope your bones are as hard as your mouth is stubborn!”
When those words left his mouth, the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire burst out and filled the surroundings, turning everything around Yang Kai into a sea of flames!
Yang Kai did not know much about the Dao of Spirit Arrays; but there was clearly a Bewildering Array set up in this place. Neither he nor Lu Jing could find their way around as a result. In order to destroy the Spirit Array, he could either locate the Array Core or shatter its structure with brute force. Given that it was simpler, he chose the latter option.
The pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire filled the air, burning everything that it came into contact with and forcing its way outwards. The sharp voice initially taunted him unceasingly, but the other party quickly realised that something was wrong with the current situation. The whole array was on the verge of falling apart under the engulfment of the Golden Crow’s True Fire.
The voice suddenly became incredibly furious. That person controlled the Array from the shadows and triggered all sorts of changes that turned into an endless variety of attacks. These attacks then shot towards Yang Kai and Lu Jing from all directions, each one containing great power.
Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged, however. While casually blocking each and every one of those attacks, the Golden Crow’s True Fire continued to spread outwards.
Lu Jing hid beside Yang Kai, looking pale and not daring to move a single muscle. As a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would have been killed on the spot if he had fallen into this array on his own. The only reason he remained safe and sound was thanks to Yang Kai’s protection.
The attacks that came from all directions were not only dense but also never-ending. Not to mention, every single attack contained power equivalent to the full-strength blow of a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
An incense stick later, Yang Kau suddenly turned to look in a certain direction and grinned savagely, “Found you!”
The power in his body surged and wrapped around Lu Jing. Following that, he charged forward in that direction and rammed straight through the Bewildering Array before he plunged headfirst into an enormous tree cave.
A violent force spread out, accompanied by a series of muffled groans and screams of agony. The huge tree swayed, leaves and branches falling. Three breaths later, everything became calm again.
Inside the tree cave, Yang Kai held a midget by the neck. This fellow was half the height of an ordinary Human with a long and sharp chin that jutted out. Yang Kai held the midget up in front of him and gave a gentle shake. The midget remained motionless, swaying back and forth like a limp noodle. Even the aura around his body was completely obliterated.
“Is he dead?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow tightly. All of a sudden, he licked his lips and added, “Well, if he is, I shouldn’t let him go to waste.”
Under Lu Jing’s stunned watch, Yang Kai opened his jaw wide and lifted the midget to stuff him into his mouth. His actions made it seem like he was going to eat him alive. Lu Jing’s eyes twitched violently at the sight.
Just then, the midget that had been motionless and pretending to be dead suddenly began to struggle and scream frantically, “Mercy! Have mercy, Sir!”
Yang Kai looked at the midget with a playful expression, and as their gazes met, how could the midget not know that Yang Kai had simply been messing around with him? His little trick of playing dead had been seen through from the start.
Yang Kai casually tossed him to the ground and said lightly, “Don’t even think about running. You won’t get away.”
While speaking, he walked over to a bench and sat down grandly with a swish of his robes.
The midget trembled violently and crawled on the ground. How could he dare to run? He had only exchanged a couple of moves with Yang Kai before he was captured alive. With his meagre strength, he wasn’t even worthy of carrying Yang Kai’s shoes. In addition, his plan to play dead had failed miserably. How could he have any other thoughts at the moment?
Glancing around, Yang Kai noticed that the furnishings inside the tree cave were very simple. It could be seen that the master of this place was not a materialistic person. After confirming that there was nothing worth taking notice of, in the room, he finally lowered his head to look at the midget in front of him and asked disappointedly, “Are you Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch?”
Contrary to the information that Qu Hua Shang had given to him, the midget in front of him was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, a far cry from a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The midget hurriedly explained, “Sir, please understand. This little one is only a servant of Sir Hui Gu!”
“So, you are not Hui Gu?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words.
The midget looked up and squeezed out an ingratiating smile, “This one is called Bai Mo!”
While speaking, he raised his hand and stroked the cluster of white hair on his head.
(TL Note: Bai Mo = White Hair, literally)
“Pfft!” Lu Jing couldn’t help bursting into laughter from where he stood nearby. Even he could sense that the midget was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm after observing the fight between Yang Kai and the midget earlier.
The midget might have held a leadership position among slightly weaker Second-Class great forces, but he was nothing more than a servant here on the Prison Star. Moreover, he had been given such a random name. This was clearly not his real name, but there was no need to inquire further into this matter.
“Where is Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow tightly together, feeling a little disgruntled. He had come all the way here, thinking that he could go on a killing spree and earn some achievements, but who could have known that he would only find a weakling in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm here? This trip was a waste of his time and energy.
Bai Mo replied respectfully, “Thanks to a grand event on the Prison Star recently, Master has gone to visit Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch to discuss countermeasures.”
“Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai’s expression changed upon hearing those words. He thought back on the contents recorded within the jade slip given to him by Qu Hua Shang and there was indeed somebody by the name of Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch, who was also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It was said that he had the bloodline of a Great Monster, so his strength was not to be underestimated.
“Sir, you came here to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly hosted by Yin-Yang Heaven, right?” Bai Mo asked, carefully observing Yang Kai’s expression.
“So what if I did?” Yang Kai studied Bai Mo seriously. Yang Kai was staring so hard that Bai Mo felt all the hairs on his body standing upright. Whenever he recalled the time when Yang Kai had tried to eat him up in one bite, he couldn’t help shuddering.
Hastily squeezing out some tears, Bai Mo prostrated himself on the ground, “Sir, please have mercy! This one’s cultivation is low. I did not commit any heinous crimes either. Back then, I simply had eyes but failed to see and made fun of a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple! For just that, I was actually thrown into the Prison Star. Sir, please have mercy! I’m really not a criminal!”
Upon confirming that Yang Kai and Lu Jing were here to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, how could Bai Mo not know that his very life was just a trophy in their eyes? He was no match for them in terms of strength, so he could only beg for his life.
Yang Kai kicked Bai Mo to the ground, “Stop snivelling if you want to live!”
Bai Mo immediately fell silent and stared at Yang Kai pitifully with traces of tears still in his eyes.
Sitting on the chair, Yang Kai mulled over the issue for a while. After pondering in silence, he got to his feet and picked Bai Mo up from the ground, “Do you know where Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch is?”
Bai Mo quickly nodded, “I do! I do! Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch is on good terms with Master, so they keep in contact with each other. Master once brought me to Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s Palace!”
“Guide me!” Yang Kai released Bai Mo and instructed.
Ba Mo looked at Yang Kai incredulously for a moment, then he immediately became overjoyed, “Sir, please come with me!”
At the same time, a middle-aged and fair-faced man along with another burly and stocky man sat opposite each other inside an enormous palace that was located approximately 100,000 kilometres away. There was nothing about the fair-faced man that made him seem particularly special. On the other hand, the stocky man was one head taller than most people. His muscles stacked high upon each other, giving off the feeling of explosive power.
These two were none other than Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch and Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
Bai Mo had not lied. As soon as it was announced that a large number of cultivators would enter the Prison Star to participate in some kind of Dao Theory Assembly and their targets were all the criminals on the Prison Star, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch had immediately departed for Giant Clam Palace to discuss countermeasures with Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
The two of them might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but they did not dare to underestimate the elite disciples of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Besides, the Dao Theory Assembly was an opportunity for them. If they could kill enough of the participating cultivators, they could regain their freedom.
In any case, they were not worried about whether or not Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would play fair. Seeing as they were notified of this matter, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was bound to fulfil their promises no matter what. That was why both Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch and Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch took this matter very seriously.
Contrary to their expectations, however, the two of them were in the middle of their discussion when Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch suddenly sensed an anomaly back at his secluded home. He performed a Secret Technique and immediately found out about the situation.
At this moment, a transparent light screen appeared and floated between the two Masters. The light barrier was projecting the current situation within Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s secluded home. Naturally, the conversation between Yang Kai and Bai Mo entered their ears clearly without any deviation whatsoever.
Dispelling the Secret Technique, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch looked up at Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch, “What do you think, Brother Ju Xian?”
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch replied grimly, “Not surprising. That brat must be from one of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises; otherwise, where would he find the confidence to come charging straight at us both at once?”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch nodded, “It’s a given that he comes from one of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, but which one is uncertain.”
“Who cares where he comes from? It’s one thing if he does not provoke this Monarch, but if he dares to run wild in this Monarch’s territory, then he will not walk out of this place alive.” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch waved his hand boldly, his voice filled with great self-confidence.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch said, “Don’t get careless, Brother Ju Xian. This brat knows that we are together in the same place. Even so, he dares to come charging straight at us. It’s clear that he has something to support his confidence.”
“Hui Gu, you are too cautious. What is there to fear if you and I join forces? No matter how powerful he is, he is no different from us. We are all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. Moreover, according to the information we received, all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in this Dao Theory Assembly are newly advanced with less than a hundred years’ accumulation. How strong can this boy’s heritage be? Don’t forget; a battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters is nothing more than a competition between the strength of their respective Small Universes’ heritage.”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch mulled over the issue and nodded, “Your words make sense, Brother Ju Xian, but it is still better to err on the side of caution.”
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch chuckled, “Rest assured, this Monarch is no fool. If that brat really does come here, I will send somebody else to test him first to learn more about his foundation and origins. Brother Hui Gu, I’ve always told you that you should have gathered more subordinates under you. You just had to ignore my advice and keep only Bai Mo. He is just a trivial Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. What can he do?”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch laughed, “I’ve always liked my peace and quiet.”
“In any case, that doesn’t matter anymore. If you and I seize this opportunity during the Dao Theory Assembly, then we can escape from this place. When that time comes, we can go anywhere we want.” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch licked his lips, “How many achievement points will someone in the Sixth Order give us?”
“I don’t know, but it’s obvious that it won’t be too few.”
The two of them exchanged a glance with each other and were very eager to make a move. Since they knew that Yang Kai was heading straight for this place, it was only natural that they made certain arrangements to ensure that the brat did not walk out of this place alive.
…
“Brother Yang, what is the cultivation of Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch?” Along the way, Lu Jian suddenly asked this question.
Yang Kai did not respond. On the other hand, Bai Mo proudly said, “Master is in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! He is also one of the supreme existences on the Prison Star!”
Lu Jing’s expression couldn’t help becoming solemn. He even felt a sense of lingering fear creeping into his heart. Although a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master could also call themselves a Heavenly Monarch, the gap in strength between one Order and the next was extremely wide. As a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Lu Jing also had the right to address himself as ‘Heavenly Monarch’; however, the weight and power of his title as a Heavenly Monarch were as different as night and day compared to Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch.
“Is this Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s Palace?” Yang Kai looked up at the huge palace built into the towering mountain above them, one that was constructed almost completely out of odd-shaped boulders, giving it a simple but crude air.
Under Bai Mo’s guidance, the three of them travelled 100,000 kilometres and finally arrived at this place. Before they even went up the mountain though, Yang Kai could already perceive the malicious gazes that seemed to come from the above clearly. Those gazes seemed to be looking in this direction.
It was conceivable that this place was different from Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s home in that there were a number of subordinates around, instead of just one. The palace was clearly teeming with Masters, not just Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch alone.
Nevertheless, this was exactly what Yang Kai was hoping for. The more people there were, the greater the benefits he would reap once he succeeded in his endeavour. It would also save him the effort and time of going around searching for prey.
“Brother Yang, are we going up the mountain just like this?” Lu Jing’s complexion was turning paler and paler by the moment. Although his cultivation could not compare to Yang Kai’s, his perception of danger was extremely sharp. The hidden but powerful auras coming from the mountain were far too oppressive for him.
“Do you want to wait here for me?” Yang Kai glanced at Lu Jing.
Lu Jing hesitated for a moment before he shook his head, “I’m going with you, Brother Yang.”
There were many dangers in the lion’s den, but staying outside alone might not be as safe as staying beside Yang Kai. At the very least, staying with Yang Kai meant that they could take care of each other even if they ran into any powerful enemies.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai took a step forward. When he first advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had single-handedly destroyed Profound Yang Mountain and defeated the three Mountain Lords. His current strength was much higher than back then, so no matter how impressive this palace might be, it was nothing compared to Profound Yang Mountain back then. Hence, there was nothing to fear.
Their path forward was unobstructed, with not a single person in sight; however, Lu Jing could distinctly sense the hidden and suppressed murderous intent around him that was poised to attack at any time.
It didn’t take long before the trio arrived at the top of the mountain. Many people were standing on a smooth and flat square located at the mountain peak. A rough estimate indicated that there were a dozen people gathered in this place, and their eyes immediately lit up at the sight of Yang Kai.
The cultivation of these dozen or so people was uneven, ranging from the Third Order to the Fifth Order. Furthermore, there were two figures standing quietly behind this group, looking on with interest.
Yang Kai immediately focused on these two people, but that couldn’t be helped as the aura around them was obviously much stronger than the others. While it was impossible to determine their exact cultivation, if his guess was correct, then these two were most likely Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch and Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
“Master!” Bai Mo looked up at Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch pitifully. In addition, his eyes were filled with tears and untold grief.
The Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch nodded lightly, “I know what happened. It’s not your fault. Come here!”
Bai Mo glanced at Yang Kai with some trepidation and did not dare to move away.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch said lightly, “Rest assured. Nobody can hurt you in front of this Monarch.”
“Yes!” Bai Mo hurriedly replied before his figure shifted as he moved away from Yang Kai, rushing towards Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch.
Yang Kai did not move, almost as if he didn’t notice Bai Mo running away from him. He simply counted to himself, and after a while, he nodded and said, “13 people. It’s a little lacking, but such is life.”
Everybody was taken aback by his words. Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch frowned, “Little friend, which Cave-Heaven or Paradise do you belong to? Identify yourself!”
“Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai squinted in that direction and asked another question instead of answering the previous question.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch nodded in response, “It is this Monarch.”
“So, you must be Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai then turned to look at the burly man.
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch coldly snorted, “Indeed. Brat, I don’t care which Cave-Heaven or Paradise you come from, since you dare to barge into my palace, don’t even think about leaving this place alive!”
Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “You sure are hospitable, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch!”
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch coldly snorted again, “I can’t believe you still have the mood for wisecracks. Let me show you just how this Monarch treats unwelcome guests!” With a wave of his large hand, he shouted, “Kill!”
In an instant, all 13 Open Heaven Realm Masters standing in front of Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch drew upon the power of their Small Universes in unison. The might of their Secret Techniques and artifacts burst forth, blasting towards Yang Kai.
Lu Jing paled visibly. Without even thinking about it, he pulled away and quickly retreated! In the face of such an overwhelming barrage, he had no way to defend himself. The only thing he could do was withdraw!
He had only just steadied himself when he heard a series of explosions coming from in front of him. The aftermath of violent energy spread out in all directions.
Before the dust had even settled though, flashes of spear light erupted, and a mix of muffled groans and screams of agony rang out. Fresh blood splattered in all directions as wave after wave of sharp energy burst out like ripples spreading outward in all directions.
The fallout from these clashes caused Lu Jing’s vitality to roil and his Small Universe to quiver. For a time, he felt dizziness washing over him and horror flooded his heart. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly circulated his strength to stabilize his Small Universe.
It took a full ten breaths of time before Lu Jing finally recovered, and at the same time, the vibrations from in front of him subsided without warning. When he looked up, he couldn’t help letting out a soft cry of surprise, his mouth gaping open so wide that he could have stuffed a fist into his mouth.
1,000 metres ahead, Yang Kai stood motionless, hefting a spear over his shoulder. The wind blew, causing his black hair to flutter and his robes to flap noisily. Blood flowed around his feet while pieces of meat and severed limbs were scattered all around him. It was a bone-chilling scene that looked like purgatory itself.
Every one of the 13 Open Heaven Realm Masters who had attacked him just now was dead, with not many even retaining complete corpses. Most of their bodies were torn to pieces as though they had been hit by a storm of brutal attacks.
Lu Jing was stunned. Likewise, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch and Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch were frozen in shock. Meanwhile, Bai Mo was so terrified that he nearly fell backwards to the ground. Just thinking about the fact that he had been travelling with somebody so powerful that he could have been casually crushed to death filled him with a sense of overwhelming dread.
Numerous black lights flew out from the corpses and plunged into the golden wristband on Yang Kai’s wrist, instantly causing three stars to light up at once.
“You…” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s eyes bulged in disbelief.
He never expected his subordinates to actually kill Yang Kai. According to his joint speculation with Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, this person was most likely in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; after all, the other party had dared to come charging directly into this place despite knowing two Sixth-Order Heavenly Monarchs had gathered
Therefore, he initially planned to use his subordinates to test Yang Kai’s abilities before he made further plans. His plan would also make it more convenient for him and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch to launch a targeted assault on their opponent. Who could have known that 13 of his subordinates would be killed in such a swift and brutal manner?
Although the strength of those 13 subordinates had varied quite a lot, there were still 2 Fifth Orders among them. Even so, none of them could defend against the opponent’s spear!
“How dare you do this!?”
Yang Kai licked his lips as though he had just eaten a full meal, “You are hospitable indeed, Heavenly Monarch!”
“I’ll kill you!” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was infuriated. He might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but it was not easy for him to recruit so many subordinates under him on the Prison Star; after all, he was not the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in this place.
Besides, the cultivators on the Prison Star were ruthless and vicious people, so most of them were unwilling to be subservient to others. Compared to serving under someone, these outlaws preferred to be free so that they could act without restraint.
The main reason Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch only had Bai Mo as his subordinate was that he personally preferred having peace and quiet. The second reason was that he had not been able to find other suitable candidates.
The dozen or so subordinates under Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch were people whom he had spent a lot of effort to subdue. Their strength might not compare to his, but he could leave various matters to their discretion. It had saved him a lot of time and effort in the past; hence, it was only natural that he was filled with boundless rage when they were slaughtered by Yang Kai’s spear.
In his rage, the muscles on his body bulged and his entire being swelled in size by a considerable margin. He grabbed at something in the void and two round war hammers appeared in his hands. His huge and stalwart figure was indescribably imposing. It only took him a single step forward for him to appear above Yang Kai’s head. The war hammers came swinging downward.
“Impressive attack!” Yang Kai commented, his desire for battle stimulated. He had exchanged blows with various Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on multiple occasions, but he had not had a proper fight against another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master since his return from Shadowless Cave Heaven. For that reason, he wanted to know just how much he had grown since the time he had initially broken through.
Yang Kai’s spear stabbed forward like a leaping dragon. There was nothing fancy about his movements, but there was a kind of indescribable beauty in their simplicity. There was no fixed style of form to his movements as his spear seemed to flow freely and without restraint.
*Hong…*
Turbulent World Forces collided with each other and Yang Kai’s figure swayed slightly. He clearly felt his Small Universe World shake from the impact.
On the other hand, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was sent flying backwards like a sack, his eyes filled with pure astonishment.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch initially planned to follow up after Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch to attack Yang Kai, but when he saw this scene, his pupils contracted abruptly. He simultaneously suppressed the World Force that was gathering in the palm of his hand as quickly as possible.
As a fellow Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he clearly knew the extent of Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s heritage. Their strength was basically on par, with neither having any kind of discernable advantage over the other.
Just now though, Ju Xian had been forcefully sent flying after a single clash with this unknown enemy, which went to show how powerful this boy’s heritage was!
With such a mighty enemy, things wouldn’t end well for them even if they joined forces. How was it possible for someone in the Sixth Order to exert so much power? Just which Cave Heaven or Paradise did he belong to?
On the other side, Ju Xian crashed to the ground in a mess, both his eyes still widened in shock. He could scarcely dare to believe that he could be so vulnerable. Although the attack just now had not injured him, the Small Universe in his body was shaking restlessly.
Shaking his head vigorously, Ju Xian hurriedly suppressed the shaking in his Small Universe. Only then did he feel a little better.
“Weak. You’re too weak!” Yang Kai shook his head slowly. Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s strength could not even compare to Mao Zhe’s, so it was only natural that the other party was no match for him.
Back then, Yang Kai had enough strength to fight Mao Zhe even though he had only just advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so what more was there to say about his current strength? He had devoured a massive amount of World Force from the Wind Spirits in the Astral Wind Source; hence, his current strength was significantly higher than after he just rose to the Sixth Order.
“Junior, how dare you humiliate me!?” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was livid. Raising his twin war hammers above his head, he charged forward again without regard for anything else. He drew upon all the power in his Small Universe and poured his World Force into his twin weapons. Then, he ferociously smashed them down on Yang Kai in a barrage of attacks. Every hammer that came crashing down tore space apart and caused the surrounding world to collapse.
Yang Kai’s spear swept out as he met each blow head-on.
It might not have been long since he advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but Yang Kai already had countless experiences fighting other Open Heaven Realm Masters, giving him a firm understanding of such conflicts. A battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters was simply a competition between the heritage of their respective Small Universes. The stronger their heritage, the greater their strength, and vice versa.
Yang Kai might not have advanced into the Open Heaven Realm long ago, but he had fully integrated his Sealed World Bead into his Small Universe during his advancement. The Small Sealed World had always contained a huge heritage, among which included some of the Blood Monster Divine Monarch’s legacy. It was only natural that ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not compare with him.
After exiting Shadowless Cave Heaven, he also refined many Wind Spirits and obtained the World Force contained within their bodies, saving him at least 100 years of cultivation.
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch might be strong, but he couldn’t even compare with Mao Zhe, so how could he be a match for Yang Kai? There was a loud explosion and his burly figure was sent flying backwards once more. He slammed straight into the mountain and a violent force struck his body, causing him to bleed profusely.
*Hong…*
A huge hole appeared along the stretch halfway up the mountain as Ju Xian smashed right into the mountain and vanished out of sight. The mountain peak swayed unsteadily for a while, as though it was about to collapse as gravel and loose rock tumbled down its sides.
Yang Kai casually flicked his spear and turned to look at Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, who had been watching the battle, “It’s your turn now.”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s expression was solemn. In all the years since he advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had fought countless Masters of varying Orders, but even so, he had never met anyone who was as strong as Yang Kai. If Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was no match for this young man, then he would naturally be no match for this person either.
When he saw Yang Kai looking in his direction with malicious intentions, he sullenly said, “Ju Xian will not be so easy to defeat. It’s not too late for such big talk after you beat him!”
“Hmm?” Yang Kai suddenly turned his head to look at the hole that had been smashed open in the mountain. A surging but hidden power seemed to be reviving in that direction. An extremely terrifying power spread outward, interlaced with an extremely pure…
“Monster Qi?” Yang Kai raised his brow.
He suddenly remembered something. According to the information recorded in the jade slip that Qu Hua Shang had given to him, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch seemed to carry a Monster Race bloodline. Although he had not noticed this factor when exchanging blows with the other party just now, it would now seem that the information Qu Hua Shang had given to him was accurate. Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch did indeed carry a Monster bloodline. Moreover, a powerful one at that.
“The reason why ants will always be ants is that they will never experience the power of a Master! Brat, you’ve angered me now! The consequences of angering this Monarch are dreadful!” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s majestic voice rang out from within the walls of the mountain. Following the sound of his voice, the entire mountain peak swayed and dense cracks appeared along the entire side of the mountain.
*Dong dong dong…*
A steady heartbeat that sounded like the beating of a drum reverberated through the air, influencing the flow of vitality in everybody. Bai Mo and Lu Jing immediately flushed red, looking like they were in great pain.
A rumbling sound came from the walls of the mountain, as though some sort of behemoth was walking out from inside it.
*Kacha…*
Two gigantic hands suddenly protruded from the mountain wall. The sturdy rocks were crushed into dust by these gigantic hands, almost as if they were as fragile as tofu. Just by looking at these gigantic hands, it was easy to imagine how enormous their owner was.
“Moo!” The sound of a bull’s mooing shook the entire sky.
The two gigantic hands violently wrenched apart the mountain walls, creating a large split that extended across its entire length. Then, a bull’s head with two curved horns emerged from within, one that carried a slight resemblance to Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s original appearance. The ‘giant’ then opened his mouth and roared, “Junior, today will show you what true power…”
The roar coming from the bull’s head suddenly caught in his throat. He suddenly felt a large shadow blocking out the light from his eyes and the Monster bloodline in his body couldn’t help shuddering in fear. When he looked up, he saw a gargantuan Dragon Head looking down at him with great interest.
The Dragon Head had twin horns, Dragon Scales covered its entire body, and the Dragon Beard below its maw flapped in the air magnificently. Moreover, the two Golden Dragon Eyes, like two huge suns staring at him, emitted a dazzling light.
*Gudong…*
The bull’s head swallowed audibly at the sight, while Bai Mo and Lu Jing shivered in fear. Meanwhile, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch shouted with an extremely solemn expression, “Dragon Clan!”
He had personally witnessed the small young man suddenly swelling and transforming into this behemoth in front of him in less than a breath of time. The 1,500 metres long body in front of him was something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
“Oh?” Yang Kai snickered, “What were you saying just now? I’ll allow you to finish your sentence!”
The bull’s head remained silent, but his expression was as gloomy as could be.
Yang Kai shook his head slightly, “The Prison Star’s Grand Array is truly amazing. I can’t believe it managed to suppress me so much.”
When he was fighting earlier, Yang Kai had already noticed this phenomenon. Under the suppression of the Grand Array, he could only exert approximately 30% of his full strength. Needless to say, the same held true for everybody here.
It was just that he was astonished to discover that the Prison Star’s Grand Array could even suppress his Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. Under normal circumstances, his figure would have reached at least 4,500 metres in length; however, he was barely 1,500 meters now.
Their four eyes suddenly met, and the bull’s head slowly retracted back into the mountain.
Yang Kai stretched out his Dragon Claw, reached into the mountain without the slightest hindrance, and dragged out Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch who had activated his Monster bloodline.
At this moment, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s image was completely different from before. His body was several dozen metres tall and every single muscle stacked on top of each other indicated great underlying strength. Unfortunately for him, his figure, which would have been terrifying in front of an ordinary person, now looked as ridiculous as a child’s toy in front of Yang Kai.
“A Kui Niu descendant?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Kui Niu was an Ancient Divine Spirit, and although it was not ranked very highly, it was still a Divine Spirit. Any mature Divine Spirit would have the strength of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was clearly a descendant of Kui Niu, but his bloodline was obviously not very pure. The only reason he obtained that kind of physique was by activating his bloodline with the heritage of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If not for the suppression of the Prison Star’s Grand Array, his body would have been much larger. Unfortunately, regardless of how much larger he would have been, the difference between him and the current Yang Kai wouldn’t change.
“Die!” Knowing that he was standing on the juncture of life and death, Ju Xian opened his mouth and let out a roar after being captured by Yang Kai. Dense World Force transformed into a pure plume of smoke under the influence of a Monster Race Secret Technique and shot towards Yang Kai. This plume of smoke looked almost ethereal and non-existent. Nevertheless, it was a blow that contained the full power of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai clenched his hand hard while at the same time, he opened his ferocious mouth and took a deep breath, causing his abdomen to abruptly swell up as a result.
“Fire Dragon’s… Flaming Breath!” Pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire spewed out from Yang Kai’s Dragon Maw, colliding with the white column of smoke.
The intense forces collided with each other, causing an enormous shockwave to spread out in all directions. The impact pushed Yang Kai’s body backwards slightly. Taking this opportunity, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch launched a fierce storm of attacks on Yang Kai’s claw that was grabbing him.
The pain nearly made Yang Kai loosen his grip and throw Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch away. Fortunately, he collected himself in time. Before Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch could break free of his grip completely, Yang Kai tightened his grasp around the other party’s legs and immediately after that, he raised his arm and smashed Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch into the ground.
*Hong…*
An earthquake shook the ground and the surface cracked open.
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch felt a wave of dizziness washing over him, but before he could recover from his shock, Yang Kai lifted him up and swung him down to the opposite side to smash him into the ground once more. Ju Xian fought back desperately, but any form of resistance was futile in the face of such overwhelming strength.
*Hong hong hong…*
Lu Jing stood frozen on the spot. With every explosion that rang out, his body bounced upward involuntarily due to the shockwaves travelling along the ground. He stared blankly at Yang Kai who was toying with a behemoth that was several tens dozen metres tall as though throwing a ball of dough from side to side…
“The end has come…” On the other side, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s eyes widened in horror. He wanted to escape, but he could clearly sense that Yang Kai had separated out a thread of aura that locked onto him from a distance while he dealt with Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
If he did not escape, then this aura would simply remain idle, but the moment he ran, Yang Kai would move to stop him. He had no confidence that he could escape from this monster.
[Is Yin-Yang Cave Heaven planning to purge us all this time?] The Prison Star had existed for over a hundred thousand years and had always been an important training ground for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples. Although there were countless criminals locked up in this place, there was no denying that they had greatly contributed to the growth of many Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples. [Why did Yin-Yang Cave Heaven let such a monster into the Prison Star? Could it be that they no longer feel the need for the Prison Star to exist and want to wipe out everyone within?]
Looking at Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch who was completely helpless to fight back and could only allow himself to be slaughtered like a cow, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch couldn’t help feeling a sense of sorrow and sympathy because he knew he would be next.
*Hong hong hong…*
The loud explosions continued. Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch had activated his Monster bloodline, which strengthened his physique and made him far more resistant to physical punishment, but even so, he could not withstand being tossed around by Yang Kai in this manner.
A short while later, Yang Kai stopped. He held the several dozen metres tall Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch upside down and gave him a little shake. Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s body swayed like a limp noodle. Blood flowed profusely, dripping downward like a trickling river. Even the bull horns on his head were broken.
“Is he dead? How boring!” Yang Kai’s voice rumbled loudly as he lifted Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch to his eye level.
The motionless Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch abruptly jerked his eyes open. The rage and humiliation burned brightly in his eyes, like rampant flames that threatened to burn everything to ashes.
“Die together with me, you bastard!” Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch roared furiously. All of a sudden, his originally burly figure swelled in size and his World Force became extremely disordered.
Yang Kai gingerly picked up the toothpick-like Azure Dragon Spear from the ground and thrust it at Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
The Azure Dragon Spear grew rapidly and soon became 1,500 metres long. The spear stabbed straight into Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s chest, pinning him firmly against what was left of the mountain wall.
Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s eyes widened. He glared hatefully in Yang Kai’s direction but could not break free of the Azure Dragon Spear’s suppression no matter how much strength he drew out. A terrifying force surged up from the spear and poured into his body, destroying his innards wantonly. Even his Small Universe was shattered and began to collapse.
“I can’t believe that I, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch, will die like this!” The light in his eyes slowly dimmed. Even though his face was filled with resentment and unwillingness, his vitality eventually dissipated.
“En, he should be dead this time,” Yang Kai muttered to himself; however, he did not see any black light rushing towards him despite waiting for a little while. He pondered in silence for a moment before the realisation struck him. They were probably too far apart. According to the hypothesis that he and Lu Jing came up with earlier, they had to be within 300 metres in order to obtain the achievements from killing their enemy.
Grabbing the Azure Dragon Spear with one hand, he dragged Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s corpse that was speared onto its tip closer to him. The moment he did so, a dense black like flew out from Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch’s right hand and plunged into his wristband.
Slightly more than three stars had been illuminated on his golden wristband before, but when the black light from Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch poured in, five more stars lit up all at once.
“I can get five stars from killing someone in the Sixth Order?” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at the sight. He was starting to get a vague understanding of how the achievements in the Dao Theory Assembly were calculated.
Along the way here, Lu Jing had killed several insignificant parties. Combined with the achievements that Yang Kai obtained from slaughtering the 13 Open Heaven Realm Masters from earlier, the correlation between the Order and the number of achievement points became clear.
The achievements in the Dao Theory Assembly were most likely calculated with Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as the base; in other words, killing a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would fully light up one star on the golden wristband. Accordingly, it would take ten Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters or five Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to fully light up one star on the golden wristband.
Meanwhile, killing a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would give five times the achievement accrued from killing someone in the Fifth-Order. It would seem that killing a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would provide the highest gains. Be that as it may, how could someone in the Sixth Order be so easy to kill?
Apart from Yang Kai, all the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the Dao Theory Assembly were young rising stars, each of them having broken through less than 100 years prior. Even if their starting points were extraordinary, they could not compare with the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Prison Star who had undergone millennia of cultivation to strengthen their foundations. Therefore, they could only manage to kill a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master if two or three of them worked together!
There weren’t many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the entire Prison Star, but there were still about 20 of them. If Yang Kai could kill all of them, then he was bound to firmly occupy first place in the Dao Theory Assembly. Unfortunately, it was far too troublesome to search for them one by one. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were scattered across the Prison Star and the area covered by the Prison Star was vast. Under the premise of being suppressed by the Grand Array, he might not find many of them even if he searched non-stop for the next year!
Yang Kai gathered his thoughts and turned to look to the side. Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, who had been standing there and watching the fight, had disappeared at some point. Even Bai Mo was gone. It was obvious that they had fled hastily when he sank into contemplation.
“Senior Brother Yang, they escaped in that direction!” Lu Jing loudly called out to Yang Kai while pointing in a certain direction.
“They won’t be able to escape,” Yang Kai broke out into a savage grin. His enormous figure shrank rapidly and returned to his original appearance. Manipulating Space Principles, he then vanished from the spot.
Trying to escape from a person who was proficient in the Dao of Space was nothing more than a fool’s dream. It didn’t matter how capable Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch was, as long as the slightest traces remained, he would never escape from Yang Kai’s pursuit. In this regard, Yang Kai had absolute confidence.
10,000 kilometres away, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch brought along his one and only subordinate Bai Mo as he escaped as swiftly as the wind. There was a layer of blood mist around his body and it was obvious that he had activated some sort of Secret Technique that had a heavy consumption rate. It seemed he was burning his own Blood Essence to flee with all his strength.
The sight of Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch being killed had frightened him out of his wits. Before today, he could never have imagined that Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch would be so vulnerable. [No. It’s not that Ju Xian is incompetent. The strength of that guy from the Dragon Clan is just too tyrannical and outrageous.]
Despite both parties being in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was killed effortlessly, completely incapable of fighting back against Yang Kai.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch was on par with Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch in terms of strength, so seeing as Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch was no match for Yang Kai, neither was he. That was why he decided to run away when Yang Kai was distracted; after all, that man was an existence akin to a living nightmare. If he did not flee, then all that awaited him would be death.
*Shua…*
All of a sudden, his figure that had been speeding forward came to an abrupt stop. Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s expression was extremely solemn as he stared forward, a drop of cold sweat sliding from his forehead to his cheek.
“Master?” Bai Mo looked at Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch hesitantly.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch did not respond. He simply continued to stare hard into the space straight ahead. This place was shrouded in a fog so dense that he could barely see ten metres in front of him, and even his Divine Sense was suppressed to the limit. Nevertheless, he could clearly sense that there was an extremely ferocious gaze upon him from up ahead. It felt like an evil Dragon was hiding there!
[How… How can he be so fast!?] Hui Gu was filled with disbelief. He had fled with all his might, so how could that monster have gotten ahead of him?
Realisation seemed to hit Bai Mo at that moment. Although he could not see anything ahead, it did not stop him from inferring something from the expression on Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s face. A hint of panic filled his expression, but that panic soon turned into determination. His power surged with a loud roar, “Master, go! I’ll stop him for you! You have to remember to avenge me, Master!”
After shouting those words, he charged straight ahead.
Two bright crimson rays of light shone from within the fog, like two red lanterns in the dark night.
*Pa…*
A thud was accompanied by a miserable scream. Bai Mo was mid-charge when he was slapped to the ground by a palm that seemingly stretched out of nowhere, his life or death uncertain.
“Foolish loyalty!” The two crimson rays of light swayed and slowly loomed closer. Then, the figure of that Dragon Clan member gradually entered Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s vision.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch glanced towards Bai Mo and discovered that the latter had simply been smacked to the ground and he was in no life-threatening danger. Only then did Hui Gu look back at Yang Kai, who was approaching him one step at a time, and solemnly asked, “Are you going to kill me?”
Yang Kai stopped and stood 30 metres away from Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. Tilting his head to the side, he said lightly, “That will depend on whether you wish to live or die.”
“What if I choose to live?” Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch asked. Who would willingly choose to die if the option to live existed? Unfortunately, he did not have the confidence to defeat such a terrifying opponent. If it came down to a fight, the fate that awaited him would be no different from what happened to Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch.
*Pa…* An ancient book was thrown at his feet.
“Use your Blood Essence to write down your name. Then, you can live!”
“This is…” Hui Gu frowned deeply and picked up the ancient book. Flipping through it, he saw that each page contained the name of a different person written in blood. There were six people whose names were written in total, while the book itself had nine pages in all. Seeing as there were six people’s names written in the book so far, there were only three pages left blank.
The first three names were nothing special, so Hui Gu was not too bothered by them; however, the dried bloodstains that made up the last three names clearly revealed the residual aura of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, the last three people who wrote down their names were also in the Sixth Order like himself!
“May I ask a question? The six people whose names are written in this book… Are they still alive?” He looked up at Yang Kai.
“They’re alive and well. It’s just that the moment you write your name down in that book, your life or death will be under my control!”
“So, it is the Loyalty List!” A look of understanding flashed through Hui Gu’s eyes. He had a slight guess when he first saw this item and his conjecture had just been confirmed.
“Oh? You know about the Loyalty List?” Yang Kai looked at Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch in surprise.
“It is rumoured that an ancient Master known as Loyalty Demon refined the skin, flesh, and bones of Xie Zhi to produce this item. I have only heard of it and have never seen it for myself. So, this is what it looks like.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Since you already know about it, then that saves me the effort of explaining how it works. Choose. Do you submit or meet your death!?”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch sighed, “The winner is the King and the loser is the villain. Do I really have a choice?”
While saying so, he decisively turned to the seventh page. He then bit the tip of his tongue and forced out his Blood Essence before leaving his name on the page.
Yang Kai immediately felt a vague connection forming between himself and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch; thus, he immediately broke out into a big smile, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances. A talented person chooses his Master. Hui Gu, you will not regret the decision you made today.”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch remained silent. Although he had been captured and thrown into the Prison Star, he was still free to a certain extent. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there was nobody who could force him to submit in this place. At most, there were some who were slightly stronger than him. Now though, his life lay in the hands of another. This feeling was very difficult to accept in such a short time.
Bai Mo, who had been smacked to the ground earlier, crawled up and ran over to Yang Kai, speaking with a flattering smile, “Sir, this one is also willing to write his name down in the book. I will serve you faithfully from now on!”
His Master had been subdued by the other party, so he didn’t really have much of a choice.
Yang Kai glanced at Bai Mo coldly and put the Loyalty List away, “You are not qualified.”
There were only nine pages in the Loyalty List and he had used up seven of them. The pages contained the names of Chen Tian Fei, Hei He, Yun Xing Hua, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, and the newly subdued Hui Gu. Hence, there were only two pages left. There was no way Yang Kai was going to waste one of the pages on someone only in the Fourth Order.
Bai Mo’s face paled and he quickly began to beg for his life, “Sir, have mercy! Please have mercy, Sir!”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch spoke up from the side, “Sir, Bai Mo is loyal to me. His cultivation might be on the weaker side, but it is better than nothing. I hope you will show him some mercy.”
The fundamental essence of the Dao Theory Assembly was to hunt. It did not matter whether it was the criminals on the Prison Star or the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly, both parties considered the other’s existence to be worth a certain amount of stars. Therefore, Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch was worried that Yang Kai might kill Bai Mo for those points.
Yang Kai replied lightly, “Since you’ve said as much, then he can continue working by your side.”
Bai Mo was overjoyed and quickly said, “Many thanks, Sir!”
He hurriedly ran to stand beside Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, gazing at Yang Kai with awe. He had watched Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch being killed with his own eyes. For a man who could effortlessly kill such a powerful figure, a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself was probably no different from an ant.
“Wait here for me,” Yang Kai said before he vanished from the spot with a flash.
“This is…” Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s expression suddenly became focused. He carefully perceived his surroundings and exclaimed in understanding, “A Space Secret Technique! So, that’s how it is!”
No wonder he was overtaken by the other party, it turned out this extraordinary young man was proficient in the Dao of Space! His loss was truly not undeserved.
Yang Kai returned a short while later with Lu Jing, whom he left behind at Ju Xian’s Palace earlier.
Lu Jing couldn’t help feeling shocked to see Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch standing there. When he heard how Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch addressed Yang Kai, his shock grew even greater. He simply could not understand what had happened during the short time he separated from Yang Kai that could make a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master submit to another one so easily.
On the other hand, Bai Mo cheerfully walked over to greet Lu Jing. He probably wanted to create a good relationship with the latter.
“Sir, where are we going now?” Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch asked.
Yang Kai replied, “We’ll return to your tree cave.”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s expression scrunched in confusion as he asked, “Return to my tree cave?”
Yang Kai asked, “You’ve been on the Prison Star for a long time, right? How many of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here do you know?”
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch answered, “I know seven or eight of them. The rest live too far away, so I don’t have much contact with them.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Send a message to them saying that you and Ju Xian are discussing countermeasures for the Dao Theory Assembly. Invite them to come over and join you.”
“Sir, are you planning to lure them into a trap?” Hui Gu’s expression changed when he realised what Yang Kai planned to do.
In the beginning, he had not understood why Yang Kai had let him go free or why Yang Kai had specially used the Loyalty List to subdue him. It had to be said that the power Yang Kai displayed was such that no Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on the Prison Star could be his opponent. Furthermore, Hui Gu’s very existence undoubtedly represented a sizable chunk of achievement in his eyes.
It was only at this moment that Hui Gu understood the reason why Yang Kai had subdued him. Yang Kai wanted to use his connections.
“It’s too much trouble to go searching for them one by one. There’s nothing more enjoyable than for them to walk to their deaths on their own accord!” Yang Kai grinned.
“I understand.” Hui Gu lowered his head, “But, Sir, the ones that I am acquainted with don’t always live in the same place. Some of them like to wander around while some of them are even more secretive about their whereabouts. I might not be able to get in touch with all of them.”
“Just do your best!” Yang Kai said.
If not for this, he would have no reason to subdue Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was worth five stars to him after all. It was just that the information in the jade slip given to him by Qu Hua Shang had mentioned the same thing, most of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Prison Star did not have fixed residences and were extremely difficult to find as a result. Hence, he subdued Hui Gu as part of his plan to use him to lure the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters into his trap.
Hui Gu immediately began making arrangements. It was not easy to communicate with the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Although many of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters occasionally interacted with each other on the Prison Star, only a few of them could be considered friends. He sent Bai Mo along with his Faith Token to some of the places he knew in order to pass the message to those Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, inviting them to his secluded home to discuss countermeasures for the Dao Theory Assembly.
Bai Mo’s loyalty to Hui Gu was unquestionable. He even had the guts to stand up against Yang Kai so that he could create an opportunity for Hui Gu to escape. For that reason, there was no need to worry about their secrets leaking out if he was the one to handle the communications.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai took Lu Jing with him and returned to the forest tree cave with Hui Gu in tow.
The forest had been badly burned by the Golden Crow’s True Fire; therefore, Hui Gu needed to fix up the Spirit Array, lest the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters noticed that something was wrong.
On the other hand, Yang Kai cultivated in retreat inside the tree cave while refining Open Heaven Pills.
After waiting for a few days, the criminals on the Prison Star began to enter the dense forest in a steady stream, though the ones who came were not just the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. There were also Third-Order, Fourth-Order, and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who either came alone or in small groups of three to five. It was thanks to Bai Mo, who loudly announced that his Master had joined forces with Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch to resist the participants of the Dao Theory Assembly whenever he came across others while on his way to deliver the original messages.
Many of the criminals on the Prison Star were currently operating without proper leadership, so learning that many foreign Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were going to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly had filled them with apprehension. Hence, they quickly came to join the undertaking upon hearing that two Sixth-Order Heavenly Monarchs were willing to lead the fight against the invaders from the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Unfortunately, their trip here was akin to a journey to the Yellow Springs!
Yang Kai didn’t even need to lift a finger as Hui Gu did all the work for him. Anybody who entered the forest was captured and brought to him alive before they were killed on the spot. It didn’t take more than a few days for more stars to appear on Yang Kai’s wristband. Moreover, the number of criminals who came to the forest increased as time passed and his gains increased accordingly.
Lu Jing couldn’t help feeling envious at the sight.
Right now, Yang Kai simply needed to sit on his hands and do nothing for the criminals to voluntarily arrive here and become part of his achievements. It was easy and convenient.
Even so, Lu Jing knew that there was nothing to be envious of. The only reason Yang Kai could harvest such gains so easily was thanks to his overwhelming strength. Without that strength backing him up, everything was just empty talk.
Half a month later, as many as 15 stars had lit up on the golden wristband. Excluding the five stars contributed by Ju Xian, the rest were obtained by killing criminals below the Sixth Order.
It had only been less than a month since the Dao Theory Assembly began, but Yang Kai had already obtained such astounding results. Lu Jing simply could not imagine who else could compete with Yang Kai at this rate. Even if the other participants sought out and killed criminals without pause, they still would not be as fast as Yang Kai.
This was all thanks to the huge effect of subduing Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. Compared to killing him directly, it was undoubtedly more beneficial to make use of his connections and reputation.
On this day, Yang Kai was refining Open Heaven Pills inside the tree cave while Lu Jing quietly sat to the side. All of a sudden, they heard a loud roar coming from the outside, “Hui Gu, Ju Xian! This Monarch is here! Why haven’t you come out to greet me!?”
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, his eyes glinting with anticipation. [A big fish finally took the bait!]
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch’s figure appeared inside the tree cave and cupped his fist, “Sir!”
“I know,” Yang Kai stood up slowly, “Who is here? How strong is he?”
Hui Gu replied, “The one who came is Shen Luo, also known as Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch. In terms of cultivation, he is a little weaker than me and Ju Xian, but not by much. Of course, he could never compare with you, Sir.”
Those words were not flattery. Having seen Yang Kai’s true strength, Hui Gu truly believed that nobody in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm could match up to Yang Kai. Only those in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm could suppress his monstrous strength.
“But, Shen Luo did not come alone. He brought many subordinates with him.”
There was a Spirit Array set up in this forest, which allowed him to observe the situation as long as another person entered its range.
“That’s perfect!” Yang Kai licked his lips and got to his feet, “I’ll leave the small fries to you. Shen Luo is mine.”
“Yes!” Hui Gu replied grimly.
Inside the Grand Array, the tall and bulky Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch shouted impatiently, “Hui Gu, Ju Xian, are you all deaf!? This Monarch came here on your invitation to discuss important matters! Why are you avoiding me!? What’s the meaning of this!?”
A Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master beside Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch furrowed his eyebrows deeply before whispering softly with a vigilant look on his face, “Sir, be careful. Something seems to be wrong here!”
Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch frowned at those words. He had not paid much attention earlier; after all, Hui Gu and Ju Xian were gathered here. Who would dare to be so blind as to cause trouble with two Sixth-Order Masters watching? Nevertheless, he immediately noticed that something was indeed wrong after being warned by his subordinate. This place seemed to be a little too quiet.
It wouldn’t have been strange if it was just Hui Gu as he didn’t have many subordinates in the first place. His only aid was Bai Mo, who was out delivering the messages; however, Ju Xian had quite a few subordinates under him.
[Why is there nobody around?] Just as that thought crossed Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch’s mind, two figures suddenly appeared in front of him with a whooshing sound.
He looked up and frowned before interrogating, “Hui Gu, what the Hell are you doing? Who is this guy? Where is Ju Xian?”
The unfamiliar young man looked down at him condescendingly. Those eyes contained an intriguing look that revealed a strong sense of aggression, which made Shen Luo feel very uncomfortable.
Hui Gu only said lightly, “Sorry!”
“What?” Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch was puzzled.
Yang Kai grinned at Shen Luo and answered, “Ju Xian is dead, but don’t worry, I’ll send you to meet him soon!”
Saying so, he suddenly appeared in front of Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch. They were so close that he was practically touching the Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch’s face.
Shocked, Shen Luo punched out on instinct. All the strength in his body was condensed in his fist and the World Force of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master erupted out!
Yang Kai also punched out in defence.
There was a loud explosion. Following the shockwaves of World Force, Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch felt as though a storm had blasted through his Small Universe, causing it to rock and tumble uncontrollably while his entire being was violently thrown out.
“Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!?” His expression changed drastically, “Are you from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises!?”
There were only 20 or so Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Prison Star, and all of them at least knew each other even if there was no friendship between them. However, Shen Luo had never seen this young man in front of him before.
There was only one explanation for the current situation. This young man was not one of the criminals from the Prison Star but one of the participants from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises!
“Hui Gu, how dare you collude with the Cave-Heavens and Paradises to destroy us!?” Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch roared furiously.
Hui Gu lowered his eyes, “I had no choice. Shen Luo, it’s every man for himself.”
Yang Kai laughed, “Forget that nonsense! Eat my fist!”
Another punch blasted out, causing Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch to stagger backwards. After exchanging just two blows, he had gotten a rough estimate of Yang Kai’s heritage. The World Force of the other party’s Small Universe was much stronger than his own.
[Didn’t they say that all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the Dao Theory Assembly are newly advanced with less than 100 years of experience!? How can a newly-advanced brat have such overwhelming strength!? Just where did this shitty piece of information come from!?] While those thoughts ran through his mind, a barrage of fist shadows entered his vision. Shen Luo did not dare to underestimate these attacks and could only defend himself desperately.
*Hong hong hong…*
Explosions burst out one after another and his figure was steadily forced backwards. He was suppressed so badly that he could only defend himself without any ability to counterattack. When he turned to look at the side, he saw that the subordinates he brought with him were being indiscriminately bombarded with attacks from Hui Gu.
Although some of his subordinates were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it was impossible for them to resist against an established Sixth-Order Master. It was only a matter of time before they lost the battle and died.
[I can’t continue staying in this treacherous place! Once Hui Gu frees up his hands, he will surely join together with this young man. I might not escape alive if it turns into a two-on-one battle!] Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch frantically punched out as soon as that thought crossed his mind. Ignoring the lives of his subordinates, he forced Yang Kai back before turning to flee.
“Trying to run?” Yang Kai shouted and Space Principles fluctuated madly, turning the surrounding space viscous. At the same time, he activated Near Distant Horizon and the space around Shen Luo stretched out infinitely.
They were both Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch would not be completely suppressed by Yang Kai’s Space Techniques, but even so, his speed was greatly affected.
An overwhelming sense of crisis loomed over Shen Luo from behind, and with no other choice, he could only turn around to defend himself.
A series of explosions rang out again as Shen Luo felt a heavy blow striking his Small Universe World with every clash. The impact made all the vitality in his body roil violently and he felt dizzy as a result.
When another punch was thrown at him, he pulled back and hurriedly retreated. He looked down and saw that all the bones in his fists were showing in a bloody mess. Moreover, he could not suppress the uncontrollable trembling in his arms.
On the opposite side, the young man looked at Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch calmly. His leisurely manner seemed to indicate that he had not even used his full strength yet.
Spirit Collector Heavenly Monarch felt his heart sinking at the sight! He had a vague feeling in his heart that things would end badly for him today!
“If that’s all the strength you have, then… please die!” While Yang Kai was speaking, he reached out and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear into his grip. Lifting his spear, he thrust it out wildly.
By the time Hui Gu finished dealing with the subordinates that Shen Luo brought and looked up, he saw that the latter was in critical danger. Spear shadows filled the sky and transformed into a violent storm that enveloped Shen Luo from above; moreover, his body was covered in wounds of all shapes and sizes that were bleeding profusely
Hui Gu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Even though he had already seen Yang Kai killing another Sixth-Order Heavenly Monarch before, witnessing the same scene all over again still gave him a huge shock.
It had to be said that Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were only one step away from entering the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm. They were considered extremely powerful existences across the entire 3,000 Worlds. They could even serve as Outer Elders in the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Even so, such Masters seemed completely helpless in front of Yang Kai.
Shen Luo was not weak, only slightly weaker than Ju Xian; however, even Ju Xian was not Yang Kai’s opponent, so how could Shen Luo possibly defeat Yang Kai?
Knowing that it was time to show his value, Hui Gu did not hesitate. He joined the battle with a flash of his figure and cooperated with Yang Kai to besiege Shen Luo.
Shen Luo’s complexion immediately turned ashen. He was already in a life-threatening predicament just facing Yang Kai, and it was only a matter of time before he lost the battle and subsequently his life. Now that Hui Gu had joined in, his situation was becoming worse and worse.
“Damn you, Hui Gu!”
The entire process only took about a quarter-hour in total. Following Yang Kai’s furious roar, the Azure Dragon Spear stabbed into Shen Luo’s head and caused it to explode. Fresh blood and brains splattered everywhere and a new headless corpse twitched violently before falling straight down.
A black light rushed out from Shen Luo’s wrist and plunged into Yang Kai’s golden wristband. Five new stars lit up instantly as Yang Kai looked down at his achievements and nodded in satisfaction.
Standing in front of Shen Luo’s corpse, Hui Gu stared at it silently with extremely complicated feelings. At this moment, he felt a little shaken. He was starting to doubt his own years of perseverance and cultivation.
The subordinates that Shen Luo brought had not been killed as Hui Gu had simply captured them alive and imprisoned them nearby. Yang Kai walked over and killed each person with a stab of his spear, gaining more achievements as a result. In this way, as many as 24 stars lit up the golden wristband.
“Clean up. I’m going back into retreat!” Yang Kai instructed as he put his spear away and returned to the tree cave.
Hui Gu silently cleaned up the battlefield. All traces of the battle here had to be removed completely, lest the next group of victims notice any clues that something was wrong. There was also the Spirit Array in the forest that needed to be repaired.
Lu Jing ran over to help. Fighting was not his forte, but something as trivial as this was well within his means.
Over the next two months, Yang Kai continued to linger in the tree cave. He refined Open Heaven Pills to enhance the heritage of his Small Universe while waiting for more fish to take the bait.
During this time, another three big fish were lured into the trap. These groups were all led by Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and every one of them gave Yang Kai a bountiful harvest. In addition, there were many small fish that came too. At this point, Hui Gu’s forest home had become a bottomless pit where not the slightest trickle would leak out despite how many people were devoured.
At this point though, fewer and fewer people appeared in the forest. It was hard to say whether the strangeness in this place had finally been detected and people were becoming wary or whether Bai Mo failed to contact more criminals to lure in.
In any case, Yang Kai was feeling pretty good about his situation. The Dao Theory Assembly was said to be held over a one-year period, and while only three months had passed so far, he had already obtained nearly 60 stars. Among these 60 stars, 5 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had contributed a total of 25. The rest of the stars were obtained from slaughtering those below the Sixth Order.
Even Lu Jing had managed to mooch off some of the achievements, filling up two stars on his golden wristband.
There were no more than 20 or so Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters throughout the entire Prison Star, but Yang Kai alone had annihilated 5 of them. It was an absolutely horrifying number. With such achievements, he was certain that nobody else could defeat him. It had to be said that 60 stars were equivalent to the lives of 60 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters or 12 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Regardless of how hard the others tried, it was practically impossible for them to obtain greater achievements than him.
Be that as it may, one should always take precautions against all possibilities. Yang Kai had made such a bold declaration in front of Xu Ling Gong, so he could not afford to lose the Dao Theory Assembly. He secretly decided to wait in this place for another two months, and if no more big fish fell for the bait, then he would take the initiative to attack instead.
As time passed, the criminals who came to the dense forest steadily dwindled in numbers.
On a certain day, Yang Kai and the two others were cultivating in retreat inside the secluded home when Hui Gu suddenly opened his eyes. He seemed to have sensed something and cast a Secret Technique to investigate the situation. Then, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Sir, somebody is here!”
“Somebody finally came.” Yang Kai opened his eyes and cracked his neck to the side. Over the past half month, not even small fish had shown up. He was so bored that he was about to start growing mushrooms; therefore, he immediately became spirited when he heard that somebody had arrived. He turned to the side and asked, “How many people are there?”
“There’s only one person!” Hui Gu’s expression was a little strange, “Moreover…”
“Moreover, what?”
“Sir, are women allowed to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly? Wasn’t the Dao Theory Assembly for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to choose a Husband for one of its Core Female Disciples?”
“A woman?” Yang Kai was astonished, but he immediately recalled something. Standing up, he strode out of the tree cave and it didn’t take long before he appeared in front of that person. With a big laugh, he called out, “Junior Sister Gu? What are you doing here?”
Not far away, a petite figure holding a paintbrush in her hand was studying her surroundings vigilantly. When Gu Pan turned to look at him, she immediately looked stunned, “Senior Brother Yang? Why are you here?”
Then, she glanced at Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch standing beside him and her expression became even more confused than before.
“It’s a long story. Why don’t you come inside first?” Yang Kai beckoned to her. He had a vague guess when he heard Hui Gu saying that their visitor was a woman; after all, Gu Pan was the only woman who joined the Dao Theory Assembly. Sure enough, it turned out to be her when Yang Kai came out to check on the situation.
A short while later, both host and guest were seated. Hui Gu served them some tea before taking a seat behind Yang Kai and next to Lu Jing, his demeanour completely subservient.
Yang Kai then briefly explained Hui Gu’s identity.
Gu Pan nodded, “You made a wise move, Heavenly Monarch. If Senior Brother Yang can take the top spot in the assembly, he might be able to make a request to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and bring you out of the Prison Star.”
Hui Gu became excited when he heard those words, “Really!?”
He had originally been forced to sign the Loyalty List; thus, he surrendered himself to Yang Kai without thinking too much into the matter. Nevertheless, a great hope suddenly blazed in his heart upon hearing what Gu Pan just said. If he could leave the Prison Star, this miserable and barren land, then it would indeed be a wise move to submit to Yang Kai.
“I’ll do my best! I cannot say whether Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will agree to my request.” Yang Kai nodded lightly. [Hui Gu is restricted by the Loyalty List, so there is no need to worry about being betrayed by him. It should not be a problem if I discuss this matter with Xu Ling Gong when the time comes.]
“Many thanks, Sir! It’s enough as long as you have the intent!” Hui Gu said excitedly.
Gu Pan said, “Senior Brother Yang, your current achievements should be enough to put you way ahead of everybody else. As long as you can keep up your current rate of progress, it will not be difficult for you to win.”
The densely packed stars on Yang Kai’s golden wristband were visible at a glance; hence, she had noticed it as soon as she arrived.
“Junior Sister, your harvest isn’t bad either.” Yang Kai glanced at her fair wrist and smiled slightly.
Needless to say, her achievements could not compare to his, but even so, Gu Pan had obtained about a dozen stars of her own. These stars probably came from slaughtering criminals below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Based on her situation, the others were probably in a similar situation.
“Why did you come here, Junior Sister?” Yang Kai asked, changing the subject.
Gu Pan replied, “I overheard some of the criminals saying that something was strange about this place. Many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had entered this forest only to disappear without a trace. So, I came to investigate the situation. I didn’t expect you to be here, Senior Brother Yang.”
It would now seem that all the Sixth-Order criminals who entered this place and vanished without a trace had been reduced to the stars on his wrist.
“Oh? Has the news spread out that far?” Yang Kai raised his brow upon hearing this. It was no wonder nobody came here recently. His actions must have been too glaring, which caused the criminals outside to become wary of this place. Thinking so, Yang Kai realized he couldn’t just sit around here anymore. The fish had been alerted to what’s going on, so there would be no more harvest. If he wanted more stars, he had to stop being passive and start attacking.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai asked Gu Pan about Zhang Ruo Xi. He had not seen her ever since the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven.
He learned from Gu Pan that the Elders of Lang Ya Paradise had taken their disciples back to the Sect after the collapse of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. In addition, Zhang Ruo Xi was accepted by one of the Outer Elders as a Disciple and she was currently training hard to prepare for her future breakthrough to the Open Heaven Realm.
Upon learning that Zhang Ruo Xi was doing well, Yang Kai felt very relieved.
She would not suffer any grievances with Gu Pan taking care of her in Lang Ya Paradise; furthermore, Lang Ya Paradise was one of the 72 Paradises with a strong heritage. The fact that Zhang Ruo Xi’s ancestor was a Lang Ya Paradise disciple also gave her a sense of belonging there, so staying was not a bad choice for her.
Yang Kai then chatted with Gu Pan for a little longer before she left.
The reason Gu Pan participated in the Dao Theory Assembly was not to win a bride, but rather because she was the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that Lang Ya Paradise brought along on this trip. With no other choice, she participated as a way to train herself.
Yang Kai did not stop her from leaving. Since she was here for training, then it would be better for her to travel alone. Besides, she was a Lang Ya Paradise disciple, so her methods and cultivation were both extraordinary. Even if she encountered an enemy in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm on the Prison Star, she would have no trouble escaping even if she couldn’t defeat her opponent. Her life would be in no danger in this place.
When he saw her off outside the dense forest, she suddenly looked back and said, “Good luck, Senior Brother!”
He nodded, “Be careful.”
She nodded, “You too, Senior Brother. The criminals on the Prison Star… are heinous people. Every one of them has blood on their hands. Don’t trust them too much.”
He knew that she was warning him to be careful of Hui Gu. Unfortunately, it was inconvenient for him to explain, so he just smiled in response, “I know.”
“Also, I’ve heard rumours that the criminals on the Prison Star have recently established a force called Prison League. Most of the criminals have joined Prison League to hunt and kill the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly. Many people have already died at their hands, so don’t be careless if you meet them, Senior Brother. There are many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League and they are not people who newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like us can resist.”
“Prison League?” Yang Kai raised his brow, the news immediately piquing his interest.
After seeing Gu Pan off, Yang Kai turned to Hui Gu, looking him over so meticulously that the latter couldn’t help feeling spooked.
“What is it, Sir?” Hui Gu hurriedly asked.
“Did nobody invite you to join Prison League?” Yang Kai asked.
Startled, Hui Gu hurriedly explained, “This one has already submitted to you, Sir. I will always follow you, Sir! I will never join an evil force like Prison League willingly!”
“Relax!” Yang Kai patted Hui Gu on the shoulder and cheerfully said, “I know how loyal you are to me, but joining Prison League is not in conflict with your loyalty to me.”
“Sir, do you mean…” Hui Gu seemed to have caught on to Yang Kai’s intentions.
Yang Kai affirmed, “There are no more fish to catch here. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I’m sure you will obtain quite a high position if you join Prison League. At that time, we should work together from both inside and out…”
Hui Gu immediately understood, “A good idea, Sir!” He pondered in silence for a moment before he added, “Logically speaking, somebody should have invited this one to join when Prison League was established. Since I didn’t receive an invitation, it’s quite possible that the invitation bearer was killed by you, Sir!”
“Uh…” Yang Kai stiffened in surprise and nodded lightly, “That’s certainly possible.”
During the time he spent waiting in the tree cave, he had caught three large fish and many other small fries. There was a high possibility that the people sent by Prison League to deliver an invitation to Hui Gu had died at his hands.
“But, it’s not a problem. If I take the initiative to join Prison League, I believe those old farts won’t turn me away.” Hui Gu volunteered.
“Go, but be careful!” Yang Kai nodded.
They exchanged means to communicate with each other; then, Hui Gu immediately set off to search for the location of Prison League.
With the Loyalty List in his hand, Yang Kai had no need to fear that Hui Gu might betray him. As long as Hui Gu could join Prison League without issues, he could act as a spy for Yang Kai. In that way, Yang Kai would be the first to obtain news about Prison League’s movements.
One day after Hui Gu departed, Yang Kai set off with Lu Jing.
Four or five months had passed since the Dao Theory Assembly kicked off and the situation on the Prison Star that started off as a chaotic mess had gradually settled. The weak had chosen to huddle together to stay warm, desperately seeking shelter and protection from other Masters as a result. That was how Prison League was born.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Prison Star were powerful existences with a deep heritage from the long years of accumulation since their advancement. In a one-on-one battle, the participants from the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises would be no match for them; however, the strength of the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would become lacking if it turned into a two-on-one battle.
Of course, while the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises knew how to work together, so did the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison Star.
Since Prison League came into being, it had madly absorbed all the criminals on the Prison Star and became an enormous behemoth in a very short time frame. Throughout the existence of the Prison Star, this was the first time the criminals had ever been so united.
The process on Hui Gu’s side went very smoothly. He was one of the Masters that Prison League had wanted to invite from the start, so now that he took the initiative to join them, it was only natural that he was taken in quickly and given the role of a Protector.
Prison League’s Headquarters was located on a piece of barren land called the Yellow Spring Cave. It was originally the secluded home of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Huang Quan, also known as Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, but this place had been transformed into the Headquarters of Prison League out of necessity.
With Huang Quan’s strength, he could be considered a first-class existence on the Prison Star. Even the jade slip that Qu Hua Shang gave to Yang Kai had specially flagged this person along with a handful of other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to warn Yang Kai to be careful if he encountered them.
That was because these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were existences on the verge of advancing into the Seventh-Order. It could be said that they had reached the peak of the Sixth Order. As a result, they were existences on the same level as Yang Kai’s subordinate, Mao Zhe. Even after being imprisoned on the Prison Star for so many years, their strength would not have decreased by much.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch had established Prison League and proclaimed himself as Prison League’s Master. There were two Vice League Masters and six Protectors serving under him, all of whom were in the Sixth Order.
It could be said that Prison League had nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as their strongest combat force. Now that Hui Gu had joined them, that number reached an incredible ten Sixth-Order Masters.
Besides the five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters killed by Yang Kai, Prison League had gathered almost all of the remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under its banner. Even if some were missing, there were not many of them.
This was only taking into account the Sixth-Order Masters. There were countless more with cultivations below the Sixth Order.
This information was what Hui Gu secretly passed to Yang Kai after he joined Prison League.
The criminals had huddled together to keep warm, resulting in the establishment of a powerful great force like Prison League. In turn, the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly began bemoaning their misfortune.
In the previous months, they were able to hunt down some of the criminals and reap some achievements. Although many of them also died as a result, in general, there was a balance of losses and gains.
However, it became extremely difficult to find and kill any lone criminals since Prison League was established. The criminals of Prison League would move about in groups whenever they travelled anywhere; moreover, these groups were always led by Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the very least.
Five made up a Small Team; ten formed a Medium Team; and twenty or more formed a Large Team. If the lone cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly ran into these groups, their strength would not be enough for them to resist. The only fate waiting for them was death. As such, the number of fatalities among the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly increased sharply.
The establishment of Prison League also forced the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly to form their own groups. It was just that there was no rallying call for unification. Not to mention, they were scattered all over the Prison Star. Their groups simply consisted of good friends or general acquaintances temporarily travelling together, which did not improve their safety by much.
With the help of Hui Gu acting as a spy, Yang Kai gained a lot of benefits. Hui Gu was one of the seven Protectors of Prison League, so it was only natural that he had access to inside information, which he quietly passed on to Yang Kai, allowing the latter to enjoy success again and again.
Yang Kai and Lu Jing both sat down cross-legged in an extremely dry and hot cave located in the belly of a barren mountain about 150 kilometres away from Yellow Spring Cave.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s expression changed. He took out and examined the communication bead, then he slowly got to his feet.
Sensing movement, Lu Jing quickly opened his eyes “Senior Brother, are you going out?”
Yang Kai nodded, “This trip might be a little dangerous. Wait here for me!”
Lu Jing was aware that his strength was lacking. The last few times Yang Kai had made a move, he could only watch from afar with no means of participating in the battle at all. Thus, he nodded at those words, “Take care, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai smiled and strode out, his figure rapidly becoming a blur on the horizon.
An hour later, Yang Kai quietly laid in ambush on top of a barren mountain while concealing his aura. According to the information from Hui Gu, Prison League had arranged a large deployment this time. If everything went well, he would be able to reap a great harvest.
It didn’t take long before numerous figures approached quickly from a distance. There were many people, as many as a dozen or so. In addition, they were led by three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Such a line-up could be considered a very powerful Medium Team. Most cultivators would be powerless against them. Be that as it may, this group of people was nothing more than an abundant harvest to Yang Kai!
These people landed on the barren mountain, seemingly with a clear goal in mind. They immediately began searching the area with a fine-toothed comb. Their Divine Senses surged turbulently as they probed their surroundings. Although it was vague, they seemed to have formed a simple Formation between them that connected their auras with one another. The amplification might not be large, but it was enough to enhance their respective auras slightly.
Yang Kai remained hidden in the shadows, concealing his aura. With his cultivation in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was not afraid of being discovered by this group.
After waiting for a short while, Yang Kai abruptly summoned the Azure Dragon Spear when the enemy group entered a suitable range and swept out with his weapon.
Caught off guard, the dozen or so people were thrown off their feet, with a number of them exploding into blood mist on the spot. Black light burst forth and plunged into Yang Kai’s golden wristband shortly after.
Horrified screams rang out as those who were lucky enough to survive did not hesitate to act. They quickly used their respective Secret Techniques and artifacts to bombard Yang Kai indiscriminately.
Yang Kai’s spear danced. Drawing upon his strength as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he defended against this barrage of attacks before carrying forward his momentum to thrust out his spear again.
At this moment, five people suddenly emerged in a ghostly manner, each one of them possessing a powerful aura. The two people standing in the lead were both in the Sixth Order. One of them was a fair-faced man. It was none other than Hui Gu. The other person was a tall and dignified middle-aged man with greying hair.
As soon as they appeared, they activated their power at the same time to cover Yang Kai from above. It was obvious that they were prepared in advance. The middle-aged man shouted, “We’ve been waiting a long time for you!”
Yang Kai ‘paled in shock’ and raised his spear to block.
*Hong…*
His body was shaken badly and Golden Blood spurted out of his mouth. His expression immediately fell and he staggered backwards by a significant distance. Barely able to steady his figure, he raised his head to look at them with an uncertain and fearful expression, “Who are you!?”
Hui Gu’s brow twitched at the sight. He took a careful look at the blood trickling out of Yang Kai’s mouth and thought to himself, [Sir sure has great acting skills. If I had not known the truth, I would have been fooled by his performance.]
Still, stepping forward, he announced lightly, “This Monarch is Hui Gu!”
The middle-aged man held a pale blue longsword in his hand, one that flashed slightly as he coldly snorted, “This Monarch is Void Mind Heavenly Monarch, Wu Nian!”
“Two Heavenly Monarchs!?” Yang Kai wiped at the blood at the corners of his mouth, his expression becoming extremely solemn. Coldly observing the many Open Heaven Realm Masters that were forming an encirclement around him, he snorted softly to himself, “Prison League sure is giving me great respect. I can’t believe they dispatched two Heavenly Monarchs to ambush this King!”
Wu Nian ground his teeth, “You’ve ambushed and killed 36 members from Prison League. Did you really think we would be so easily bullied!? I don’t care which Cave-Heaven or Paradise you come from. This place will be your burial ground today!”
With the help of the information provided by Hui Gu, Yang Kai had attacked Prison League three times recently and killed many of its members, including a number in the Fifth Order. As a result, he naturally caught the attention of Prison League’s leaders.
After investigating the three battlefields, Prison League determined that it was the work of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; moreover, this Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was acting alone. They could not remain indifferent to the culprit behind these attacks; hence, Hui Gu suggested a plan to lure out the culprit.
Sure enough, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who secretly attacked from the shadows had made his move again, but this time, two of Prison League’s Protectors were hidden nearby to finally put an end to this menace.
“Huh?” Wu Nian suddenly noticed the dense stars covering the golden wristband on Yang Kai’s wrist and couldn’t help feeling shocked. [Just how many people did this guy kill in the short span of six months? How did he accumulate such horrifying achievements!?]
In addition to the shock Wu Nian felt, his expression was filled with greed, [If I succeed in killing this brat, then all the stars on his wrist will be transferred to me! Even if I have to divide the spoils of war with Hui Gu, it will still be quite a considerable gain.]
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven announced a long time ago that anybody from the Prison Star who obtained great achievements in the Dao Theory Assembly would be set free. As one of the 36 Cave-Heavens, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s promise was extremely credible.
Although Wu Nian did not know how many stars were needed to buy his freedom, he was certain it could not be too many. In other words, both he and Hui Gu would regain their freedom as long as they could kill the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of them.
“Attack!” He shouted and swung his longsword, lunging straight towards Yang Kai.
At the same time, the many Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding Yang Kai quickly launched their respective Secret Techniques in unison.
*Hong hong hong…*
The surrounding space around Yang Kai was filled with chaotic energy and his World Force became turbulent. Standing there, he resembled a lone wooden canoe in the middle of a storm. He swayed unsteadily and his figure instantly became drenched in blood.
After trying to defend against the attacks for some time, he turned around and fled.
“Where are you trying to run!?” Wu Nian roared. Such a good opportunity was right in front of him. If he did not seize this opportunity, then he might be trapped on the Prison Star for the rest of his life. While speaking, he raised his sword and stabbed at Yang Kai’s back with eyes filled with great excitement.
At that moment though, a sudden pain erupted from his back. It felt as though an entire world had slammed right into him. The Small Universe in his body became turbulent as a burst of stars danced in his vision and blood mist sprayed out of his mouth. He hastily turned back to look and saw Hui Gu, who had been following close behind him all this while, slowly retracting a palm with a cold and indifferent expression.
“You…” His eyes were filled with disbelief. He never imagined that Hui Gu would attack him from behind. [Why!? Could it be that he wants to devour all of that guy’s achievements himself!? But, can he guarantee that he can defeat this guy alone!? Besides, this guy has accumulated so many achievements! There’s more than enough to divide among ourselves! Why does he need to hog everything for himself!?]
Before Wu Nian could sort through his muddled thoughts, Yang Kai abruptly turned around even though he had been fleeing just now and thrust his spear out. The panicked expression from before had vanished without a trace and was replaced with a savage grin.
A sudden possibility struck Wu Nian. Looking horrified, he shouted, “Hui Gu, how dare you collude with outsiders!?”
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “What do you mean by colluding!? Hui Gu has been working for me all along!”
Wu Nian’s complexion instantly turned ashen! In the next moment, he was caught in a pincer between Hui Gu and Yang Kai. Not to mention, he was already severely injured from Hui Gu’s sneak attack earlier. How could he be an opponent in a two-against-one battle? It only took three breaths before he was beaten so badly that he was on the verge of death. Blood splattered wildly and his injuries became increasingly severe.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters who were surrounding Yang Kai earlier were dumbfounded at this sight. It was supposed to be a trap set up by Prison League to lure out their prey. Everything had been going well, so how did the situation turn around so quickly? It was very difficult for anybody to understand just what had happened.
The words that came out of Yang Kai’s mouth made their expressions change drastically though.
Void Mind Heavenly Monarch was currently stuck in a precarious situation. Seeing that he could lose his life at any moment, they did not dare to remain idle. They hurriedly scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.
“Stand right there! Whoever runs will die!” Yang Kai raised his spear to bombard Wu Nian indiscriminately with a barrage of attacks. At the same time, he gave a loud roar and surged his Space Principles.
Nobody heeded Yang Kai’s words of course. If they did not escape now, they would simply be waiting to die; however, the space around them thickened and made them feel as though they were stuck in a quagmire. It was now difficult to take even a single step forward!
“Go!” Yang Kai ordered Hui Gu.
Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch immediately nodded, and with a shift of his body, he charged towards the fleeing Open Heaven Realm Masters. He was well-aware of Yang Kai’s abilities, so forget about the heavily injured Wu Nian, even if the latter had been in peak condition, he would still be no match for Yang Kai. There was nothing to be worried about. Besides, his cooperation with Yang Kai could not be exposed; otherwise, they would not have another chance to perform something like this again.
By the time Hui Gu captured all of the fleeing Open Heaven Realm Masters and sealed their cultivations, Yang Kai had stabbed more than ten gaping holes in Wu Nian’s body. Fresh blood and innards flowed out all over the ground. In addition, the pitch-black Golden Crow’s True Fire burned all over those wounds.
Wu Nian was doomed!
Hui Gu knew in his heart that it was impossible for anybody to recover from such injuries, even if an Open Heaven Realm Masters had great vitality. Logically speaking, it was impossible for a winner to be decided so quickly in a battle between Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even if one party was no match for the other, the other party might be helpless if the former was determined to flee.
There were two reasons for this situation to occur. The first reason was that Wu Nian had been severely injured by Hui Gu in a sneak attack. The second reason was that Yang Kai’s strength was beyond the limits of those in the same Order. Wu Nian had no hope of escaping at all.
“Cough. Cough. Cough. Cough…” Wu Nian coughed violently and fell to one knee on the ground. Gripping the longsword in his hand, he forcefully propped himself up to prevent himself from falling down. He raised his eyes and glared at Hui Gu furiously, “Back-stabbing bastard! I will be waiting for you on the road to Hell!”
He sincerely believed that he would not have had such a tragic ending if Hui Gu had not attacked him from behind.
Hui Gu just stared back at Wu Nian indifferently and said nothing.
“Things are over here. You can head back first,” Yang Kai waved a hand at Hui Gu to dismiss the latter.
Wu Nian no longer had any strength left to resist. His vitality was slowly dispersing and he would die soon even if Yang Kai left him alone. On the other hand, the remaining Open Heaven Realm Masters had been imprisoned nearby by Hui Gu. They could not move a single muscle, so it was time to reap the harvest.
“I’m afraid I can’t go back like this,” Hui Gu said.
Yang Kai was taken aback by those words, but he understood immediately, “I was negligent.”
Yang Kai raised a hand and struck his palm towards Hui Gu. Hui Gu did not resist and just stood there to take the attack. His figure staggered unsteadily and blood spurted out of his mouth. After stabilising himself, he spoke with a pale complexion, “Sir, I’ll be leaving first!”
Yang Kai nodded and Hui Gu immediately soared into the sky and fled towards the place where he came from.
Wu Nian watched coldly, his expression forlorn. He simply could not understand why a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Hui Gu would be so respectful towards a participant of the Dao Theory Assembly from the outside!
“Now… I’ll send you all to Hell!” Yang Kai grinned. Lifting his spear, he was about to land the killing blow when he suddenly turned to look in a certain direction and shouted, “Who goes there!?”
Ripples spread out through the surrounding space in that direction and four figures slowly emerged.
Yang Kai looked up, and his expression turned grim at the sight. That couldn’t be helped as he recognised two among these four people. Moreover, these two people held deep grudges towards him. They were Yin Xin Zhao from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and Pei Wen Xuan from Myriad Demons Heaven!
[I can’t believe that they’re here!] Yang Kai was furious. He had been so focused on his fight with Wu Nian just now that he failed to notice anybody approaching this place, and it was too late by the time he did. [I wonder how long they’ve been here…]
These two had teamed up somehow, most likely due to the pressure from Prison League. Acting alone at this point was not safe, so they decided to cooperate with each other.
Aside from the two familiar faces, there were another two that Yang Kai didn’t recognize. One of them was covered in rich Demon Qi, so it was easy to see that he was a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple at a glance. The other person showed no noticeable characteristics, but was probably a disciple from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Before Yang Kai revealed himself, only Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were supposed to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, so both Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven or Myriad Demons Heaven had each registered a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciple for the Dao Theory Assembly.
However, the sudden appearance of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai had muddied the waters. Only after his presence was revealed did the Cave-Heavens and Paradises adjust their strategies and register the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciples they brought along for the Dao Theory Assembly at the last moment.
Judging from the current situation, the other two were probably in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. They were most likely the original candidates chosen by Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven and Myriad Demons Heaven to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly!
The Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple was unfamiliar to Yang Kai, so Yang Kai had probably never met him before.
On the other hand, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Myriad Demons Heaven seemed slightly familiar to Yang Kai. He had the vague feeling that he had met this person somewhere before. His memory was very good, so it only took him a moment of thought for him to recall where he had seen this person.
This Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had followed Ti Zheng to Shattered Heaven back then. Many Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises had joined forces to fight Zhu Jiu Yin outside Shadowless Cave Heaven, and this guy was one of them.
[Didn’t they say that Ti Zheng died in an unexpected accident? Why is this guy still alive?] Yang Kai was a little puzzled. Even so, he did not think too much about it. His current strength was so extraordinary that a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not worth his attention.
On the contrary, that person smiled at Yang Kai, causing him to frown slightly at the sight.
“Oh, it’s you two.” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “How can I help you?”
He was secretly calculating what kind of consequences he would face if he went on a massacre in this place. With his current strength, it was not difficult for him to kill these four. Be it Yin Xin Zhao or Pei Wen Xuan, both of them had only advanced into the Open Heaven Realm recently, so they had probably only just stabilised their cultivations. As a result, they could not be considered strong amongst Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Unfortunately, it would probably be extremely hard to deal with the aftermath if he killed them. These two were Core Disciples of two Cave-Heavens after all.
Xu Ling Gong had claimed that the Dao Theory Assembly did not shy away from killing, so there should be no resentment even if disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises died in this place.
That being said, the Cave-Heavens and Paradises would not leave the matter alone if the disciples belonging to them were to die. They might not do anything during the Dao Theory Assembly out of respect for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but they would definitely settle their grievances after it ended.
[What’s more, there’s no saying what kind of secret trump cards these two have on them. I might not get another chance if I fail to kill them in one attack.] As these thoughts flitted through Yang Kai’s mind, he gave up on the idea of killing them. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help feeling inwardly resentful. His actions were often hampered and obstructed without the backing of a powerful great force.
“I only planned to come over and watch the excitement when I heard the commotion, but I didn’t expect to enjoy such a good show!” Yin Xin Zhao clapped his hands softly with a meaningful expression on his face.
“A good show?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Yin Xin Zhao chuckled, “Are you still trying to hide the truth at this point?”
Yang Kai was indifferent to those words, but he knew that Hui Gu’s identity had been exposed. These four had probably been here for a while now, so they witnessed everything that happened just now. An aggressive light involuntarily flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes as he felt the urge to silence the witnesses to his crime slowly rising.
“Cooperate with us and we’ll let you live!” Yin Xin Zhao’s expression suddenly sank. He looked at Yang Kai coldly and continued, “You should know that you won’t survive in your current state if I join forces with Senior Brother Pei. But, we are willing to let you live for the time being since you’re useful.”
“Cooperate? How do we cooperate?” Yang Kai asked.
Yin Xin Zhao glanced at the golden wristband on Yang Kai’s wrist with a gloomy expression, “You sure have a lot of stars!”
When Yang Kai left the dense forest tree cave with Hui Gu, he had nearly 60 stars. Furthermore, he carried out ambushes three times in a row and killed more than 30 members of Prison League recently. Having obtained even more achievements, there were close to 70 stars now. The densely-packed stars twinkled at a glance.
On the contrary, there was not a single star on the golden wristband around Yin Xin Zhao’s wrist.
Yang Kai had failed to notice this fact at the beginning and couldn’t help feeling taken aback at the sight. Then, he looked over and realised that the same held true for Pei Wen Xuan.
This clearly did not make sense. Both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so it was impossible for them to have zero achievements after entering the Prison Star for so long. Nevertheless, he immediately understood the situation when he looked at the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Fifth-Order Master of Myriad Demons Heaven only had a few stars on his wristband, which was hardly note-worthy.
On the other hand, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven standing behind Yin Xin Zhao had nearly 30 stars!
Judging from the situation, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven had been tasked with dealing the killing blow for all the enemies that these four had defeated to absorb the achievements. In this way, they might succeed in pushing this person into the top position and ultimately win the Dao Theory Assembly.
When killing the criminals, the others would not receive a share of the achievements as long as they stood outside a 300 metres range. It was obvious that Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan had continuously captured and imprisoned the criminals they encountered, then let the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple deal the killing blow. That was how the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven disciple obtained so many stars.
As for how the two had secretly reached this agreement where Myriad Demons Heaven represented by Pei Wen Xuan willingly gave up their qualification in the Dao Theory Assembly, it was not something Yang Kai could guess.
In this way, even if the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven won the Dao Theory Assembly, he could enter Yin-Yang Cave Heaven without any worries. All Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven would lose was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which was their original plan.
They originally thought that this achievement was enough for them to stand out from the crowd, and it was not until they met Yang Kai that they realised how great the difference was. It was almost two times the difference. Moreover, it had to be said that the four of them had been working together while Yang Kai was working alone.
Combining everything they had witnessed earlier, Yin Xin Zhao couldn’t help admiring Yang Kai’s intelligence. It was clearly much more convenient to have somebody on the inside of Prison League. Although he did not know why a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was acting in complicity with Yang Kai, it was only natural that he made good use of the weakness that he discovered; otherwise, it would be a huge waste of such a great opportunity.
“You have quite a lot yourselves,” Yang Kai said lightly with a pointed glance at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
“Stop wasting time on nonsense. Right now, you only have two options to choose from,” Yin Xin Zhao looked confident that he had Yang Kai in the palm of his hand, so he simply declared, “First, I join forces with Brother Pei and kill you.”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “Where do you get your confidence from?”
Yin Xin Zhao chuckled, “It has not been long since we all advanced into the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody is stronger than the other by much. How long do you think you can hold out if Brother Pei and I work together to take you down? If we kill you, all the stars that you possess will become ours.”
The two of them were confident that they could kill Yang Kai if it really came down to a fight, but they would have to pay quite a heavy price to do so. He might even severely injure one of them during the process. The risk was too great.
Besides, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not an easy opponent to contend with in a life-and-death battle. They could not guarantee that the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven could obtain all of the achievements on Yang Kai’s wrist alone.
The most likely outcome was that he and Pei Wen Xuan would be forced to deal a killing blow, leading to Yang Kai’s death. If that was the case, the achievements on Yang Kai’s wrist would be evenly split between them. It would not benefit the overall situation; after all, they had to make sure that the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven came out on top.
Yang Kai’s expression was solemn and his eyes were filled with rage and resentment. A fierce energy lingered around his body, as though he was going to attack at any time.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao stepped forward together. One of them was sneering while murderous intent surged in the other’s eyes. Both of their auras were locked firmly on Yang Kai.
There seemed to be an invisible collision of the World Force which shook the surrounding space, causing the Void around them to ripple unstably.
A long time passed before Yang Kai suddenly turned pale. Clutching at his chest, he staggered backwards and coldly snorted, “What’s the second option?”
Yin Xin Zhao slowly shook his head, “Since you refused a toast, you must drink a loss. Why do this? The second option is obviously to cooperate with us. We will carry out a massacre with the help of your spy in Prison League!”
Yang Kai’s expression became ugly, “It looks like I don’t really have a choice.”
Yin Xin Zhao smiled and nodded, “A wise man submits to his circumstances!”
“I can cooperate with you, but I will need compensation,” Yang Kai said.
“Compensation? You want compensation?” Yin Xin Zhao frowned deeply and looked at Yang Kai strangely.
“You want to make use of my spy and take all the merits from me. Why shouldn’t I get some compensation?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “If you won’t agree, then we might as well fight to the death here. We will see who has the last laugh.”
Yin Xin Zhao looked a little taken aback, “What do you want as compensation?”
He secretly decided that he would immediately kill Yang Kai if his demands went overboard. In any case, with their current achievements, there was probably nobody else who could surpass them. It would be easy for them to obtain the top position as long as they killed Yang Kai.
“Anything!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Yin Xin Zhao was startled for a moment. Only then did he understand something. [Yang Kai is giving himself a way out! Why else will he say something like that? We are Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters after all. Who would want to be embarrassed in public?]
Failing to stifle his laughter, Yin Xin Zhao casually fiddled around with his Space Ring before tossing a spare ring towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai caught the Space Ring and stuffed the ring into his pocket without even looking at the contents.
“It’s okay now, right?” Yin Xin Zhao asked impatiently.
Yang Kai remained silent and did not reply.
Yin Xin Zhao turned and shot a look at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master beside him, “Zhuang Wei, do it!”
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Zhuang Wei immediately nodded in response, “Yes, Senior Brother!”
Striding forward, he walked until he came to stand in front of Yang Kai and stretched out his hand, “Please move aside!”
Yang Kai glanced at Zhuang Wei. How could he not know what Zhuang Wei wanted to do? Annoyed, he coldly snorted and moved a thousand metres away with a flash of his body.
Zhuang Wei came to stand in front of Wu Nian and stared at the other party greedily. He had been under the protection of two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters all this while, so he was practically invincible in this place. Even so, he had never killed a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before. It was a stroke of luck that he gained this opportunity for free today, so he had to fully enjoy the feeling of killing a stronger opponent with such ease.
Wu Nian had one last dying breath left in him. Glaring fiercely at Zhuang Wei, he suddenly flicked the longsword in his hand to stab at him.
Zhuang Wei jumped in fright and hurriedly backed away only to realise that the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him barely had any strength left. Even this last attack turned out to be very weak and feeble. Becoming angry out of shame, Zhuang Wei stepped forward and slapped a palm out.
Wu Nian didn’t even make a sound as his head was pounded straight into his chest cavity.
A black light flew out and plunged into the golden wristband around Zhuang Wei’s wrist, instantly lighting up five stars. Zhuang Wei was overjoyed. Afterwards, he walked towards the many Prison League members nearby who had been subdued and imprisoned by Hui Gu earlier.
Ignoring the begging cries for mercy from those people, he killed them all with a palm strike for each person. It was an easy harvest. Following that, the number of stars on his golden wristband soared by more than 10, causing him to smile happily.
He had more than 30 stars in the first place, so now that the number had gone up by more than ten, Zhuang Wei had a total of 40 stars on his wristband. Aside from Yang Kai, nobody else on the Prison Star could possibly have an achievement higher than his.
At present, the Dao Theory Assembly was only halfway through the one-year period. With the help of Yang Kai and the spy inside Prison League, it was only a matter of time before he took the top spot in the competition. His heart immediately burned with excitement when he imagined that he would have a wife like Qu Hua Shang in the future.
There was no denying that he was an outstanding talent in Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven; even so, he was a far cry from a Core Disciple like Yin Xin Zhao. Zhuang Wei would not have been dispatched to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly otherwise; after all, the Sects were fully prepared to part with the disciples dispatched to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly. To put it in more realistic terms, these people were dispensable existences to the great forces behind them.
The Young Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven… That position was much higher than Zhuang Wei’s current status; however, not everybody was qualified to become the Young Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Only the Husbands of the top Core Disciples in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven had this qualification.
…..
Hui Gu fled back to Prison League Headquarters at Yellow Spring Cave. He was drenched in blood and his aura was very weak.
The Vice League Master, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch Jin Gang. was on duty at the time. Upon hearing the news, he was shocked and hurriedly came forward to investigate the situation. He examined Hui Gu’s injuries inside the secret room and asked solemnly, “What the Hell happened, Brother Hui Gu!? Where is Brother Wu Nian?”
Hui Gu immediately looked depressed, “I’m afraid Brother Wu Nian is gone… Vice League Master, we were ambushed! Not a single Brother survived. I’m the only one who managed to escape!”
“Ambushed?” Jin Gang’s eyes widened at those words, “Who did it?”
Hui Gu shook his head, “I don’t know which Cave-Heaven or Paradise they belonged to.”
Jin Gang said, “You and Wu Nian are both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; moreover, you brought so many others with you. To think they managed to defeat all of you… What’s more, even Wu Nian lost his life in this battle. Just how many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were there?”
“At least three, maybe more,” Hui Gu made up nonsense on the spot. Both he and Wu Nian were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. It would not make sense if there were too few enemies.
Jin Gang’s expression became slightly more solemn than before, “This is a very important matter. You will come with me to meet the League Master and report this matter to him personally.”
Hui Gu couldn’t help feeling guilty, “Meet the League Master…”
“We can’t afford to delay any longer! Let’s go now!” Jin Gang did not allow Hui Gu to make any objections. Grabbing Hui Gu by the arm, he quickly departed.
A short while later, they met with Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. Hui Gu repeated his prepared speech once more and lowered his head, “League Master, this Hui Gu failed his duties and caused Prison League to suffer severe losses. I ask that you punish me.”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch was a famous figure and also the strongest Master on the Prison Star. If that was not the case, he could not have taken the position of League Master. He glanced at Hui Gu lightly and said, “I know what you and Wu Nian are capable of. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly had only advanced recently. Even if they had the advantage in numbers, how did you lose so badly?”
Hui Gu lowered his head in response, “We were too careless.”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch Huang Quan, looked at Hui Gu quietly with a gaze that was very deep. Hui Gu was stared at so intently that he became scared. [Could it be that he noticed something? If my identity is exposed here, then I’m a goner.]
He might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he was weaker than both Huang Quan and Jin Gang. Not to mention, this was Prison League’s Headquarters. There were eight other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered in this place, aside from him. If his identity was exposed, then only death would await him.
“Where were you ambushed? Bring me there.” Just as Hui Gu was worrying about his gains and losses, Huang Quan suddenly spoke up.
Hui Gu knew that he could not refuse, so he could only bite the bullet and agree.
A short while later, three figures rose into the sky and headed in a certain direction.
While leading the League Master and one of the Vice League Masters to investigate the remaining traces of the battlefield, Hui Gu tried to send a message to Yang Kai on multiple occasions but failed to make contact with him. He did not know whether Huang Quan could detect anything from the remaining traces of the battlefield. Nevertheless, he had the vague feeling that he was going to be in great trouble soon. He secretly decided to flee as soon as things turned south. That way, he might still have a chance of survival.
Half a day later, the three of them arrived at the previous battlefield and landed amidst the corpses. There was a patch of blood that had yet to dry staining the ground. The traces of a battle between Open Heaven Realm Masters remained in the surroundings; moreover, the corpses that had long lost their vitality were strewn everywhere.
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch Jin Gang stepped forward and came to stand in front of a corpse. After a careful investigation, his expression became solemn, “Brother Wu Nian…”
This person was obviously the late Void Mind Heavenly Monarch. It was just that his head had been smashed into his chest cavity.
Meanwhile, Huang Quan did not say anything. He simply swept his gaze over the entire battlefield before he gently closed his eyes and quietly perceived his surroundings.
Hui Gu stood behind Huang Quan, his eyes shifting nervously. He secretly thought to himself, [If I attack Huang Quan right now, can I kill him on the spot…]
If he could kill Huang Quan, then only the Jin Gang would be left. Although he was no match for Jin Gang, he was confident that he could escape. Not all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were as sickeningly powerful as Yang Kai. [But, if I fail to kill him in one move, then I will be stuck in between two top Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. In my current state, death is the most likely outcome!]
Just as Hui Gu was being indecisive, Huang Quan suddenly jerked open his eyes and spoke with a frown, “Three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left traces of their aura here!”
[Three?] Hui Gu couldn’t help being stunned. [What does he mean by three? Aside from Prison League, only Yang Kai was here earlier. Could it be that two others came by later? This is really helpful!]
Feeling considerably relieved, Hui Gu quickly followed Huang Quan’s lead and said, “At the time, one person held me back while the other two joined forces against Brother Wu Nan. In the end…”
A cold light flashed through Huang Quan’s eyes, “These people from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises are too presumptuous! How dare they bully us like this!? Do they think Prison League will take this lying down!?” He turned to look at Wu Nian’s corpse and quickly added, “Rest assured, Brother Wu Nian. Prison League will definitely avenge you!”
He instructed Jin Gang to carefully retrieve Wu Nian’s corpse. Afterwards, the three of them returned the way they came.
…..
Inside their hiding place, Lu Jing glanced curiously at the four people who entered together with Yang Kai. He might not recognise these people, but that did not prevent him from sensing their overwhelming strength. None of them were people he could afford to provoke, especially the two who were filled with abundant Demon Qi. He could tell that they were Myriad Demons Heaven disciples at a glance.
“Find a place to stay yourselves. I’ll notify you once I receive further news,” Yang Kai said before he headed towards his own room.
Yin Xin Zhao threatened darkly from behind, “Don’t make us wait for too long. We don’t have much patience.”
Yang Kai coldly snorted and ignored Yin Xin Zhao. Behind him came Yin Xin Zhao’s low laughter filled with pure delight.
“Mo Sheng, tidy up that area.” Pei Wen Xuan instructed.
“Yes, Senior Brother Pei!” The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had been following closely behind Pei Wen Xuan all this while responded respectfully. He walked over to the side of the cave and wrapped his hands with Demon Qi. It didn’t take long before he built a simple cave mansion by the side.
On the other side, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with a shocked and suspicious expression on his face. [The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who has been following behind Pei Wen Xuan is called Mo Sheng!? Did I mishear? Or, is it just a similar-sounding name?]
Great Demon God was also called Mo Sheng. It was just that Yang Kai and the other Great Emperors from the star Boundary had joined forces to kill him. In the end, Wu Kuang had used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to devour Mo Sheng’s body and seized control of it. It could also be considered another method of possession. He later left the Star Boundary and there had been no news from him since then.
Wu Kuang was a man of great aptitude and talent. If not, he could not have single-handedly created a Heaven-defying Secret Art like the Heaven Devouring Battle Law all by himself. Back in the Star Boundary, he had been publicly acknowledged as the strongest Master in the Star Boundary’s history. Many Great Emperors had died at his hands during the Great Emperor War in the Shattered Star Sea.
Yang Kai naturally did not have a good impression of Wu Kuang as he was both cruel and brutal in both his temperament and methods. Wu Kuang was definitely not a compassionate man; hence, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief when he left the Star Boundary for the Outer Universe to seek a higher Martial Dao. The truth was that he would not have felt at ease if Wu Kuang had remained in the Star Boundary.
After leaving the Star Boundary, Yang Kai didn’t even bother to search for news about Wu Kuang. There wasn’t any friendship between them, so he did not care whether the other party was dead or alive.
[I can’t believe I ran into a guy called Mo Sheng in this place! Out of all the coincidences, he also turned out to be from Myriad Demons Heaven! But, his appearance is completely different from either Mo Sheng or Wu Kuang… Is he another person called Mo Sheng? Or, is he Wu Kuang in disguise?] Yang Kai suddenly recalled something else. [This guy went to Shattered Heaven with Ti Zheng. Ti Zheng died back then, so how did he survive?]
Yang Kai was unable to understand the situation, but he was in no position to recklessly investigate anything either. As such, he could only wallow in his questions.
Besides, he was currently stuck in an uncomfortable situation. Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan had learned the secret about his cooperation with Hui Gu, but he could not silence the witnesses to his crime. Since it was not convenient for him to take action, he could only try to murder them with a borrowed knife! There were many on the Prison Star who were capable of killing these two after all.
[I will need to borrow the strength of Prison League.] Immersing his mind into his thoughts, Yang Kai began to form a vague plan. If everything went well, then Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan would both die on the Prison Star before long.
As time passed, Yang Kai led Yin Xin Zhao, Pei Wen Xuan and the other two out to hunt several times according to the information that continued to come from Hui Gu. Needless to say, they obtained great benefits every time.
The stars on the golden wristband of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Zhuang Wei increased steadily and soon reached a point where he was about to surpass Yang Kai. The smooth progress delighted him greatly. The four of them had spent a lot of effort over the past six months searching everywhere and eventually accumulating around 30 stars. However, ever since they met Yang Kai, he had gained the same amount of achievement from before in less than a month’s time. It was only recently that he understood how Yang Kai had obtained all those stars.
He secretly thought to himself, [If Senior Brother Yin and Senior Brother Pei kill that Yang Kai, then it’s a given that I will obtain the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly.]
With the great hope of winning the Dao Theory Assembly in his heart, Zhuang Wei was always the most enthusiastic of them all whenever they moved out.
While Zhuang Wei was making great progress, Yang Kai’s plan was slowly moving forward. There were less than five months left before the Dao Theory Assembly ended, but that was ample time. He had nothing to worry about yet.
On the other hand, Yang Kai tried numerous times to probe into the identity of the guy called Mo Sheng. Unfortunately, his efforts were fruitless. He could not figure out the other party’s identity and after multiple failed attempts, he decided to ignore Mo Sheng instead so as not to reveal anything.
On a certain day, Yang Kai received another message from Hui Gu. He had only just finished checking the message when Zhuang Wei’s figure appeared at the entrance of the cave and asked excitedly, “Did you receive new information again?”
“That’s right. A patrol will be dispatched from Prison League tomorrow. The team will be led by two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and there will be twelve people in total!”
“That’s great!” Zhuang Wei grinned. Glancing at Yang Kai, he added in admiration, “You’re amazing too. Don’t worry. I will speak to Senior Brother Yin and Senior Brother Pei on your behalf when the Dao Theory Assembly ends. Disputes should be resolved rather than settled!”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Zhuang Wei nodded. When he turned around, a hint of coldness flashed through his eyes. He knew very well that Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan were simply making use of Yang Kai’s inside connection for the time being. Those two were waiting until the Dao Theory Assembly was about to end to kill Yang Kai; after all, Yang Kai’s spy would no longer be useful at that time. Not to mention, killing him meant that they would also obtain the considerable achievements that he accumulated.
Zhuang Wei’s words just now were only to appease Yang Kai. How could he possibly upset Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan for the sake of an outsider?
The next day, the four of them walked out of their hiding spot and headed in a certain direction under Yang Kai’s guidance.
Hui Gu was currently serving as one of the Protectors of the Prison League. It was a high-level position that came with great authority; hence, it was easy for him to investigate and even influence the route of Prison League’s patrols.
It was only possible for Yang Kai and the others to kill all those Prison League members previously thanks to the information that Hui Gu provided. The Prison Star was so vast after all, so Yang Kai would have no idea where to find these people otherwise.
Yang Kai landed in a mountain valley surrounded on all sides a short time later.
“Is it here?” Zhuang Wei asked.
“The patrol will pass this place in an hour. Get ready.” Yang Kai did not bother to explain further.
Having experienced this situation countless times by now, they were naturally familiar with this situation. They each used their respective Secret Techniques to conceal their auras and hid in the shadows to quietly lie in wait.
…..
In Prison League’s Headquarters, Hui Gu was on duty when he suddenly heard the gloomy tolling of a bell resounding throughout the Yellow Spring Cave.
The tolling of this bell meant that the League Master had issued a summoning order. More importantly, the bell would not be rung unless it was an urgent matter. This was the first time Hui Gu heard the bells ever since he joined the Prison League.
Instructing his subordinate to take over his duties, Hui Gu rushed towards the Main Conference Hall. He glanced around upon reaching the hall and saw that many people were gathered here. There were as many as four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who arrived and League Master Huang Quan sat in the main seat. To the left and right sides below him sat the two Vice League Masters, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, Cang Yan.
Hui Gu bowed to the League Master and the Vice League Masters before he went to his seat and sat down. For some reason, he felt extremely uneasy, as if something very bad was about to happen.
A short while later, five more Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters arrived one after another to sit on both sides of the hall.
There were a total of ten Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League. After Wu Nian was killed, only nine were left. It could be said that all the strongest Masters in Prison League were gathered here at this moment.
Hui Gu couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. It was his first time seeing such a large-scale force ever since he first joined Prison League. There had never been a time when all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League gathered together before.
There was only one thing that could make Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch summon all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. It was obvious that Prison League was planning something very big.
Thus, Hui Gu sat in his seat and observed the situation. He soon discovered that most of the people present did not know why the League Master had summoned them. Divine Senses continuously fluctuated across the Grand Hall as everybody quietly communicated with each other. All of a sudden, somebody stood up and cupped his fist, “League Master, why did you summon us?”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch nodded at that person lightly and said, “Don’t be impatient. You will find out soon. Since everybody is here, then follow me.”
He stood up while speaking and walked down from his seat. The rest did not dare to neglect and quickly followed suit. When they came outside, they saw a huge group of Prison League members gathered, numbering at least 100. Moreover, every one of these people was a Fourth-Order Master or above. Everyone was waiting quietly in formation.
“Greetings, League Master!” As soon as Huang Quan appeared, they shouted at the top of their voices, seemingly shaking the sky as they roared.
Huang Quan nodded lightly and waved his large hand, “Let’s go!”
After a few moments, countless streams of light rose from Yellow Spring Cave and rushed towards a certain direction.
At this moment, almost all of the Prison League’s forces had been mobilised. Although some people remained behind, they were all below the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Their nest was practically empty. If any Masters were to raid them at this moment, Yellow Spring Cave would be razed to the ground in the blink of an eye.
Hui Gu was becoming more and more nervous with every passing moment. That was because the Prison League was heading towards the place where Yang Kai was lying in ambush! Unless something unexpected happened, they would encounter each other in a matter of moments.
Yang Kai might be powerful, but all the elites of the Prison League had been mobilised this time. From the League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, to the many Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters below him, it was impossible for Yang Kai to stop this raging torrent no matter how powerful he was.
It was foreseeable that Yang Kai would suffer a tragic ending once both parties encountered each other. At present, Hui Gu’s life was tied to Yang Kai’s, so if something were to happen to the latter, he would also have a hard time protecting himself.
[I need to get a message out!] The thought flashed through Hui Gu’s mind, but just as he was about to send a warning to Yang Kai, he noticed two people approaching him from left and right. He turned to the side only to see the two Prison League Vice League Masters. Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch drew close to him from both sides.
When their gazes met, Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch smiled at Hui Gu. On the other hand, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch lightly commented, “Brother Hui Gu, you seem rather nervous.”
Hui Gu forced a smile, “You must be joking, Vice League Master. I’m just worried about Yellow Spring Cave. What is League Master planning to do? All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters have been mobilised. If any strong enemies were to invade the Headquarters, the remaining members would be powerless to resist.”
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch shook his head, “League Master knows what he is doing. Since he won’t explain, then it is not our place to ask. We only need to obey his orders.”
Hui Gu was astonished, “Even the Vice League Masters don’t know what League Master is planning?”
Jin Gang said, “Why don’t you go and ask, Brother Hui Gu?”
Hui Gu glanced at Huang Quan leading at the forefront and shook his head, “Forget it. Since League Master has a plan, it’s useless to ask.”
Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch chuckled and patted Hui Gu on the shoulders, “Relax. Yellow Spring Cave might be our Headquarters, but it’s nothing special. It doesn’t matter even if it were destroyed. Besides, the Prison Star is vast. As long as we remain, we can rebuild again anywhere.”
“You’re right, Vice League Master,” Hui Gu nodded.
They did not continue the conversation. Whilst travelling with Huang Quan in the lead, Hui Gu tried multiple times to escape Jin Gang and Cang Ya; however, his efforts were in vain. Those two stuck to his sides like glue and he felt his heart sinking into the abyss while the ominous feelings he had only grew stronger and stronger.
..…
In the mountain valley where the ambush was set up, Yang Kai and the others waited for approximately an hour. Sure enough, a Prison League patrol consisting of a team of twelve passed through the mountain valley right on schedule. It was perfectly in line with the information that Yang Kai received.
Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao were well-prepared, so as soon as the twelve-man team stepped into the ambush range, they were struck by a sneak attack. The leader of this patrol was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so how could they stand up against two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?
Yang Kai didn’t even need to do anything as the twelve men were quickly captured.
Zhuang Wei excitedly rushed forward with a longsword in his hand. Ignoring the bitter pleading and vicious cursing of those twelve people, he killed each one of them with a stab of his sword. Numerous black lights flew out from the wrists of those Prison League members to plunge into the golden wristband around his wrist, lighting up four stars in an instant.
“Hahaha!” He roared with laughter as the number of stars on his wrist had almost caught up with Yang Kai’s before this ambush. Now, he surpassed him!
He turned around to cup his fist and bow to Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan, “Many thanks, Senior Brothers!”
Yin Xin Zhao smiled and nodded. Then, he patted Zhuang Wei on the shoulder, “Don’t forget this Senior Brother when you marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in the future!”
Zhuang Wei sincerely said, “This Junior Brother will never forget the kindness you showed me today, Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai was watching coldly from the side when all of a sudden, he turned his head to look in a certain direction. An exclamation of surprise escaped his lips.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Wen Xuan followed Yang Kai’s gaze, then his expression changed drastically, “This is bad! Let’s go!”
Along the horizon, a dense stream of lights was charging at them in an aggressive manner.
The strongest great force on the Prison Star was undoubtedly Prison League! Furthermore, the only organisation that could mobilise so many people at once was also the Prison League!
Yang Kai felt a twinge of fear in his heart. He had long planned to kill Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan with a borrowed knife, and to that end, he had been trying to figure out an opportunity to expose their whereabouts so that Prison League members could get rid of these two on his behalf. Contrary to his expectations though, Prison League took action before he could even implement his plan.
[How did Prison League learn of our whereabouts? Unless… Hui Gu spilled the secret? But Hui Gu is restricted by the Loyalty List, he wouldn’t do something that would dig himself into the grave like this unless he was prepared to lose his life. In that case, there is only one possibility! Hui Gu’s identity has been exposed! Prison League turned the tables on us!]
Yang Kai secretly sighed in amazement. Although this was somewhat different from what he originally planned, the end results weren’t too dissimilar. Be that as it may, Prison League’s League Master, Huang Quan, sure was cold and ruthless to use the lives of twelve people in a patrol as bait to lure them out.
All sorts of thoughts rolled around in Yang Kai’s head in an instant; then, he turned around and fled. To his surprise though, four figures suddenly appeared ahead of him, each one a Sixth-Order Master.
The person in the lead was dressed in a python robe, which gave him a menacing appearance. He lightly slapped his palm down over the crowd, saying, “Since you’re already here, you should stay!”
The overwhelming power of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master flooded out as the other three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked in unison.
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan’s expressions changed drastically!
The four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who appeared behind them displayed an extremely powerful and pure World Force, so it was obvious that many years had passed since these four broke through to their current realm. Newly-advanced cultivators like them were utterly incomparable.
Having advanced directly into the Sixth Order, their starting point was generally higher than others, but even so, that advantage was not enough to make up for the difference formed from the accumulation of thousands of years. Hence, they were no match for any one of these four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in a one-on-one battle, much less if these four joined forces against them.
The two of them desperately used their Divine Abilities to break out of the encirclement, but unsurprisingly, they were blocked by the people who came.
*Shua shua shua…*
One after another, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. They had missed the only chance they had to escape. Numerous figures landed in all directions, surrounding Yang Kai and the others tightly!
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan both looked furious while Zhuang Wei shivered in fear. On the other hand, Mo Sheng looked contemplative as he quietly watched from the side.
Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan swept their Divine Senses out before they felt their hearts sinking into the abyss.
The people surrounding them were displaying their respective strengths without the slightest reservation, so it was easy to tell that there were nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Prison League gathered in this place. In addition, there were more than a hundred cultivators below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm but above the Fourth-Order. Such a line-up could be said to be inescapable!
“Yang Kai, how dare you betray us!?” Yin Xin Zhao turned to glare at Yang Kai. In such a short time, countless possibilities had crossed his mind and the most likely one was that Yang Kai had betrayed them.
Yang Kai glared at Yin Xin Zhao coldly, “Idiot!”
While it was true that he had this plan in mind and had been making some quiet moves to accomplish it, the current situation was completely unrelated to him. The Prison League had dispatched so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, which went to show their determination. Even he was powerless against such a force. If he wanted to survive, then his only option was to escape.
It was just that he could not confirm whether Hui Gu’s identity had been compromised or not; otherwise, he would have escaped before this encirclement was formed. There were as many Prison League Masters as there were clouds in the sky at the moment, and Yang Kai was certainly not their opponent, but even the Prison League could not hope to stop him if he wanted to flee.
Yang Kai glanced surreptitiously at Hui Gu and immediately furrowed his brow at the sight. With his eyesight, how could he not realise that Hui Gu was being closely guarded by two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? Hui Gu didn’t have the slightest freedom at all!
[No wonder Hui Gu didn’t even send a single message even though the Prison League was carrying out such a large-scale operation. It was not that he didn’t want to but that he couldn’t. It looks like my guess is correct. Hui Gu’s identity has been exposed. The current situation is all part of Prison League’s retaliation.]
“Prison League’s Huang Quan greets little friends!” The man in the phyton robe blocking the path from behind gave a slight nod in greeting.
“So it is Brother Huang Quan, I have long admired you!” Yin Xin Zhao forced himself to remain calm on the surface even though his heart was pounding. [This guy is the Prison League’s League Master!]
Huang Quan smiled, “My reputation is nothing more than floating clouds. You are too polite, little friend.”
“You have certainly come from afar, Heavenly Monarch. How can I help you?” Yin Xin Zhao asked with a frown. They were currently stuck in a precarious situation where the slightest mishap could lead to their deaths. The criminals on the Prison Star were heinous and cruel after all, so they would not bat an eye at killing others. Yin Xin Zhao might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and boast great strength, but a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Master could barely make a ripple under the current circumstances.
“Little friends, you’ve killed so many people from my Prison League. As League Master, it’s only natural that I give the people under me a suitable explanation.” Huang Quan was cheerful and amicable, but the friendlier he appeared, the more terrifying he seemed.
Yin Xin Zhao quickly asked, “What explanation are you looking for, Heavenly Monarch?”
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Huang Quan, smiled without saying anything.
*Pu…*
A soft sound rang out suddenly, mixed with a muffled grunt. Hui Gu spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground weakly without warning. A huge gaping hole appeared in his abdomen. Standing in front of him, one could clearly see the scenery on the other side through the hole in his body.
In the sky, Jin Gang slowly retracted his bloody fist.
“You…” Hui Gu lifted his head to look at Jin Gang with horror in his eyes.
Many of the Prison League’s Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were in an uproar and turned to look at Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch in confusion. They did not understand why the Vice League Master attacked one of their own out of the blue, much less severely injuring Hui Gu in a single attack.
“This is the consequence of colluding with the enemy and bringing harm to our comrades!” Jin Gang coldly snorted, “Hui Gu, you’re doomed. Nobody can save you today.”
Hui Gu clutched at his chest and tried to circulate his strength to stabilize his wounds. His complexion was pale and he said nothing.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector who generally had a good relationship with Hui Gu asked in a deep voice, “Vice League Master, what is the meaning of this?”
The sudden attack on Hui Gu made him very uneasy; after all, he too was one of the Prison League’s Protectors. If he did not get to the bottom of this matter, something like this might even befall him in the future.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch smiled and answered the question, “Don’t panic. His actions are in line with this Monarch’s intentions. Hui Gu is a despicable and cunning man. He is a secret chess piece that these participants inserted into the Prison League!”
A blanket of silence fell over the scene. All the Protectors looked at Hui Gu in disbelief. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector who spoke up earlier also looked absolutely shocked.
Hui Gu gritted his teeth, “What do you mean, League Master? This Hui does not understand.” [I cannot admit to anything here, or else I will really be killed.]
Huang Quan smiled, “At first, this Monarch was only slightly suspicious and could not be certain; after all, there were traces of your interference every time a patrol was dispatched. You might have concealed your tracks well, but there are no walls that are truly airtight. If this Monarch failed to notice something as simple as this, then this Monarch would not be worthy of being Prison League’s League Master.
“Nevertheless, it was not until Wu Nian died and you escaped alone that this Monarch truly became suspicious. In order to verify my conjecture, this Monarch tested you again and again.” At this point of his speech, his expression fell. He pointed at the severed limbs and scattered corpses around him, “Apart from this Monarch and the two Vice League Masters, you were the only other person who knew the whereabouts of the patrol that was dispatched today. Even so, they were intercepted at this spot within an hour of being sent out. If you weren’t the one to tip off the enemy, then who else could it be!?”
Hui Gu shook his head, “League Master, please understand! I have no knowledge of this matter!”
Jin Gang smiled deviously, “If it was not you, then are you implying that it was me or Cang Yan? Hui Gu, oh, Hui Gu… You truly disappoint me. What benefits did these participants promise you to make you turn your back on your old friends of countless years?”
Nearby, Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan exchanged a glance with each other. They initially thought that Yang Kai had sold them out, but based on the current situation, it would seem that the people from the Prison League had figured out Hui Gu’s identity and used their plan against them. Be that as it may, the current situation was very worrying. They couldn’t help being racked by anxiety.
Hui Gu looked sorrowful as he slowly sneered, “One never lacks a reason to make false accusations!”
“How dare you quibble with me!?” Huang Quan’s expression turned frosty, “I initially thought that this would be a chance for you to redeem yourself for your crimes, but it would now seem that you’re determined to make enemies of the Prison League! In that case, I will let you die with full understanding!” He shouted with a wave of his hand, “Bring him!”
Somebody immediately walked out from the side with a bloody figure in his grip. When Hui Gu looked in that direction, his eyes immediately widened in shock and he blurted out, “Bai Mo!”
The bloody figure turned out to be his one and only subordinate whom he sent out on errands previously, Bai Mo.
At this moment, it was difficult to tell whether or not Bai Mo was even still alive. He was dishevelled and filthy and it was easy to see that he had been greatly tormented. Strange tendrils of energy weaved in and out of his body like Spirit Snakes and his vitality was extremely dim.
Ever since the day Bai Mo was sent on that initial errand, three other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had received the message and brought their subordinates with them to the dense forest tree cave and became Yang Kai’s achievement.
Afterwards, the Prison League was formed and Yang Kai finally came out of hiding when he ran out of fish to bait.
During this time, Hui Gu had tried to ask around for information on Bai Mo, but his efforts had been fruitless. Only now did he learn that Bai Mo had fallen into the Huang Quan’s hands at some point.
Seeming to hear Hui Gu’s voice, the dying Bai Mo flinched. He raised his lowered head, revealing a face that was so swollen that he looked like he had been soaked in water for several years. It was a mess of rotten meat and turbid blood. A small gap suddenly opened in his swollen eyelids. Carefully looking in Hui Gu’s direction for a while, he cried out in a miserable voice, “Master, Bai Mo is sorry!”
“What else do you have to say for yourself?” Huang Quan stared at Hui Gu coldly.
Hui Gu’s complexion was ashen. He knew that it was useless to try and talk his way out of this. Bai Mo was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. It was a pity that he fell into the hands of somebody like Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. It was only natural that Huang Quan had ways to make him divulge the truth no matter how loyal he was.
“It looks like you have nothing more to say,” Huang Quan coldly snorted and exerted some strength into his hand. Bai Mo exploded into a cloud of blood mist, leaving nothing behind!
The reason why Huang Quan went to so much trouble to prove that Hui Gu was colluding with the enemy was to pacify and reassure the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protectors; otherwise, a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Protector could not be killed so easily.
Hui Gu’s eyes immediately widened at the sight.
After dealing with Hui Gu, Huang Quan finally turned to look at Yin Xin Zhao and the others, “Little friends, where are you from?”
Yin Xin Zhao gloomily said, “Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven!”
“And, you must be a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple.” Huang Quan turned to look at Pei Wen Xuan with a smile.
The people from Myriad Demons Heaven were the easiest to recognise; after all, the unique characteristics of Demon Qi were too obvious to miss. It was like walking around with a glaring billboard wherever they went.
“What about you?” He looked towards Yang Kai.
“Void Land!” Yang Kai replied flippantly; however, his mind was focused on Hui Gu’s situation as he seemed to be in an abnormal state after Bai Mo was killed right in front of him.
Huang Quan frowned, “Perhaps I’ve become a bit ignorant and uninformed after all the years. I’m afraid I didn’t know about the existence of a Void Paradise.”
“It’s Void Land!” Yang Kai reiterated.
Huang Quan seemed to understand something and nodded lightly, “So, that’s how it is.”
He was secretly confused. [Didn’t they say that the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the Dao Theory Assembly are all newly advanced Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave-Heavens and Paradises? Why is this person from Void Land here?]
Too lazy to think too much into this matter, he gave a light wave of his hand and spat out a single but extremely chilling word, “Kill!”
Hui Gu, who had reached some kind of critical limit, suddenly attacked at the same time. Charging directly at the Huang Quan, he let out a ferocious roar, “Huang Quan, suffer death!”
Huang Quan looked over coldly but did not move.
Jin Gang and Cang Ya attacked Hui Gu from both sides and sent him flying backward with just a single move. Hui Gu coughed up a mouthful of blood and stumbled weakly. He had been heavily injured by the Jin Gang earlier, so he was no match for the two Vice League Masters at the moment.
In the meantime, the World Force in the surroundings fluctuated chaotically as the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts loomed over Yang Kai and the others.
Yang Kai, Yin Xin Zhao, and Pei Wen Xuan roared furiously. They knew that they were in an extremely precarious situation; thus, they did not dare to hesitate and quickly used various means to defend against the barrage of attacks.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following a series of explosions, the three of them were shaken badly and their respective Small Universes were in turmoil. The difference in numbers was simply too great, so the outcome of this battle was determined before it even began.
[This place is too dangerous. I can’t stay here for long.] Yang Kai made a feint and retreated backwards, leaving Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan to fight against the many Open Heaven Realm Masters from Prison League on their own, with a flicker, he rushed towards Hui Gu.
He was fast, but surprisingly somebody else was even faster than him.
Mo Sheng, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had been following behind Pei Wen Xuan all this time, had already arrived next to Hui Gu at some point, grabbed his arm, and dragged the latter towards Yang Kai with all speed. The attacks from Jin Gang and Cang Ya that came from behind him caused him to cough up blood and his Demon Qi to churn violently.
“Go!” Mo Sheng roared at Yang Kai who was rushing towards him.
Yang Kai was dumbstruck, but still surged his Space Principles to wrap up Mo Sheng and Hui Gu, preparing to escape this place.
Jin Gang was following closely behind and his expression turned grim at the sight, “Hm? A Space Secret Technique? Don’t even think about escaping!”
Taking a deep breath, he let out a deep roar. An invisible sound wave spread out into the surroundings, causing the local space to shatter like a broken mirror.
The figures of Yang Kai and the others that had been fading away abruptly solidified once more. His Instantaneous Movement had been interrupted.
Cang Ya and Huang Quan quickly swooped in from both sides when they saw this complication. The World Forces of the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, like two separate Worlds, were barrelling in this direction.
“Break!” Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. As soon as the spear thrust out, a Golden Dragon Head flashed behind him and a Dragon Roar shook the skies. The Azure Dragon Spear in his hands suddenly transformed into a 1,500-metre-long Great Dragon that shook its head and flicked its tail as it charged forward recklessly.
A gap suddenly appeared in the oppressive auras of the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Yang Kai activated Space Principles once more and fled through the gap with a flash as the sounds of explosions and attacks rang out endlessly from behind him. In addition, the rampaging World Force threatened to shatter the Void once more.
By the time Jin Gang broke through the explosions and rushed over, Yang Kai along with Hui Gu and Mo Sheng were nowhere to be seen.
“Space Secret Techniques!” Huang Quan scowled deeply and spread out his Divine Sense into the surroundings; however, Yang Kai was long gone without a trace.
“He sure escaped quickly!” Likewise, Jin Gang looked furious. He had interrupted Yang Kai’s Space Secret Technique as soon as he noticed that something was not right, but unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. It was said that people who were proficient in the Dao of Space were unparalleled when it came to escaping, and judging from the current situation, those rumours were not unfounded.
“We were too careless!” Cang Ya sighed. If they had known that there was somebody proficient in the Dao of Space, they would have created a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array or Formation at the beginning so that the other party could not escape.
“It’s fine.” Huang Quan slowly shook his head, “It’s not like we don’t have any gains.”
He looked back at the battlefield where three disciples from two Cave-Heavens were trapped. Although two of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were both newly promoted, so their heritage was a far cry compared to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Prison League. Moreover, there was a huge disparity in numbers, so it was only a matter of time before those three died.
On the battlefield, both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan were red with rage. Their figures swayed unsteadily, seeming to be at risk of dying at any moment. As Core Disciples of Cave-Heavens, they had various items in their possession to protect themselves; nevertheless, the continuous use of these items was merely a futile dying struggle that delayed the time of their deaths.
[Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!] Yin Xin Zhao roared inwardly. He originally wanted to make use of Yang Kai’s spy in the Prison League to easily obtain the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly. Who could have known that he would be besieged by the enemy in this place instead? It would seem that he was doomed to die today.
*Chi…*
A soft sound suddenly came from behind him. He quickly turned to look back before a look of extreme panic appeared on his face.
Not far away, the Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Huang Quan, was holding a sharp longsword in his hand. The longsword had pierced right through Zhuang Wei’s heart. Following a violent burst of World Force, the impact turned Zhuang Wei’s body into a bloody mess with all his internal organs destroyed.
“Senior Brother Yin… Sa… Save me!” Zhuang Wei stuttered, spewing fragments of his organs out of his mouth as his vitality swiftly dissipated.
Huang Quan withdrew his sword and with the flash of a sword light, Zhuang Wei’s head flew into the sky and blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain.
Dazzling golden light flew out of the golden wristband around Zhuang Wei’s wrist and plunged into Huang Quan’s wrist. The black band around Huang Quan’s wrist was originally empty, but now dozens of stars instantly lit up after the golden light poured into his wrist. All of Zhuang Wei’s achievements during this period had been transferred over to him.
Flicking off the blood on his long sword, Huang Quan smiled lightly and asked, “How would you like to die, little friends?”
Both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan felt chills running down their bodies upon hearing those words.
…..
*Pu…*
Yang Kai coughed up fresh blood and stumbled to the ground weakly. Although he had managed to break through the Void and escape at the last moment, the attacks from numerous Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had followed him across space. Even if his flesh and skin were tough, he was still hit so badly that he coughed up blood continuously.
Similarly, Mo Sheng collapsed headfirst to the ground next to him, his aura fluctuating unsteadily. Hui Gu, whom he had been carrying this while, rolled out of his arms and lay to the side motionlessly.
Hui Gu’s aura might be weak, but he was not dead. He was the most severely wounded among them all; however, the vitality of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was so strong that he would not die so quickly.
“Wu Kuang!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and looked at the guy named Mo Sheng in front of him.
“Who?” Mo Sheng grinned and sat cross-legged on the ground, surging his strength to heal his wounds.
“You still want to pretend!?” Yang Kai gnashed his teeth.
He would not have dared to confirm that this person in front of him was Wu Kuang if the other party’s actions had not exposed him at the last moment. Be it in terms of appearance or even aura, this person was completely different from the Wu Kuang in his memories. Nevertheless, only people who were very familiar with Yang Kai would have known that his mastery over the Dao of Space was their only hope of escape in that dire situation.
Without question or hesitation, this Mo Sheng immediately dragged Hui Gu over to Yang Kai, so it was obvious that he wanted Yang Kai to bring him along. He would never have done that if he were an actual Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator from Myriad Demons Heaven; after all, the only person a real Myriad Demons Heaven disciple could rely on at that time would have been Pei Wen Xuan.
“Do you dare to deny it?” Yang Kai pointed his spear at the other party, “Do you believe I won’t stab you to death with my spear!”
Mo Sheng calmly stared at Yang Kai for a while before he reached out, pushed the Azure Dragon Spear away, and chuckled lightly, “If you’re so sure, then why do you keep trying to sound me out with your words?”
Yang Kai was stunned, “So, it really is you.”
Although he was quite sure that the person in front of him was Wu Kuang, he still couldn’t help feeling incredulous when the other party personally confirmed the fact; after all, the perception of his Divine Sense indicated that this person did not contain the slightest bit of Wu Kuang’s aura.
“I guess it’s true that good people don’t live long while a scourge lasts a thousand years!” Yang Kai clicked his tongue.
“It takes one to know one. You’re not much better yourself,” Wu Kuang sneered softly.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before they broke out into laughter, only for Wu Kuang to suddenly stop laughing and comment, “Alright enough. If you laugh any longer, this guy is going to die.”
Yang Kai slapped his forehead lightly in response. Hurrying over to Hui Gu, he examined the latter’s wounds and furrowed his brow tightly. Hui Gu was badly injured. He might not be in danger of dying at the moment, but he would die tragically if his injuries were left untreated much longer.
Yang Kai quickly took out some healing pills and stuffed them into Hui Gu’s mouth. Afterwards, he summoned his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation. An ancient tree immediately appeared behind his back, its branches hanging low as wisps of green light filled with vitality flitted about its leaves.
After advancing into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai’s control over this Wood Element Divine Manifestation became more and more effortless. The ancient tree behind him was not that large, only big enough to cover the three of them, making it more convenient for them to heal from their wounds.
Wu Kuang opened his eyes and took a look, but didn’t pay any more attention to the phenomenon a moment later.
However, Yang Kai soon noticed something strange. Judging by the power leaking out from Wu Kuang’s body, he was not a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but a Sixth-Order one!
Yang Kai was absolutely dumbfounded!
It was not Wu Kuang’s advancement into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm that was shocking to him of course as Wu Kuang was supremely talented and many years had passed since he left the Star Boundary. Furthermore, Wu Kuang entered one of the top great forces like Myriad Demons Heaven. What was shocking was how he managed to conceal his cultivation!
Prior to this, Yang Kai had clearly sensed that the fluctuations from Wu Kuang’s attacks were only in the Fifth Order. Not to mention that Myriad Demons Heaven had allowed him to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, which could only mean that he was nothing more than a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the eyes of the Myriad Demons Heaven Elders. Hence, he was a dispensable pawn!
[Wu Kuang must have an extremely top-notch method or artifact; otherwise, he would have been exposed a long time ago.]
An incense stick later, Yang Kai stood up after helping to stabilize Hui Gu’s injuries, “Help me watch him. I’m going to get Lu Jing.”
Hui Gu’s identity had been exposed, so their previous hiding place was no longer safe. If the Prison League headed towards their hiding place, Lu Jing would be in danger. A Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure was at stake, so Yang Kai could not simply ignore Lu Jing.
Wu Kuang opened his eyes to look at Yang Kai but did not speak. Seeing as he did not say a word, that could only mean he had no objections.
Yang Kai left in a flash, taking less than an hour to arrive at their previous hiding place. After confirming that there were no ambushes nearby, he carefully brought Lu Jing out and returned to their new hiding place.
Lu Jing was startled to see Hui Gu with such a weak aura and covered in blood.
On the other hand, Wu Kuang was nowhere to be seen. All he left behind was a single jade slip.
Yang Kai picked up the jade slip and checked the contents. The contents immediately set his teeth itching with hatred! He initially hoped to inquire about the mystery behind Wu Kuang’s hidden cultivation after he brought Lu Jing over, but how could he have known that Wu Kuang would flee in advance?
He had the vague feeling that Wu Kuang did not want to expose the relationship between them in front of others. With no other choice, he could only give up on his intentions. In any case, he now knew that Wu Kuang was in Myriad Demons Heaven, so it would not be too late to search for another opportunity to contact him in the future.
…..
A couple hundred thousand kilometres away, a black cloud churned violently and landed among a small group of six to reveal Wu Kuang’s figure.
The six-man team consisted of two Fifth-Order and four Fourth-Order Masters. They couldn’t help feeling shocked when they noticed somebody blocking their path. Then, they took a good look at the other party. The person blocking their path was drenched in blood and had a very pale complexion. It was obvious to see that he was badly injured; therefore, they simply looked at each other in confusion.
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the lead cupped his fist in greeting, “So it is a Senior Brother from Myriad Demons Heaven. Dare I ask how we may help you, Senior Brother?”
Judging from the energy fluctuations coming from the Demon Qi Cloud earlier, this person was most likely in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was why this team of participants were not too apprehensive despite recognising Wu Kuang as a member of Myriad Demons Heaven. They had two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side after all.
Wu Kuang greedily swept his gaze over the six people and chuckled softly, “I’ve been restrained for so long. I’m finally free now.”
“What did you say, Senior Brother?” The leading Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master scowled deeply. The stare Wu Kuang gave him made him feel extremely uncomfortable, it was like being stared at by a starving beast which had found a mouth-watering meal.
“The end of life is just the beginning of reincarnation, and death is not the only ending.”
“Senior Brother?” The leading Fifth-Order Open Heaven frowned even more, shooting a warning look at his companions as he spoke.
“Instead of struggling and suffering in the midst of all living beings, it is better to die and be liberated.”
All six people were speechless and gazed at Wu Kuang strangely, [Is this guy insane? What is he muttering to himself?]
“You are very lucky to have met this King. Now, become one with me! I will grant you immortality!” Wu Kuang opened his arms and the Demon Cloud behind his back transformed into a black screen that covered the sky.
The World fell silent.
A short while later, the Demon Cloud began to converge again to reveal Wu Kuang’s figure while the six people from before were gone. He licked his lips, a hint of colour appearing in his pale complexion. Turning around, he looked in another direction before his body transformed into a black cloud once more and vanished into the distance.
…..
Inside the new hiding place, Hui Gu slowly woke up. He couldn’t help coughing slightly. As his chaotic thoughts slowly cleared up, he recalled everything that transpired earlier. He looked up to see Yang Kai sitting beside him and looking at him in concern.
“Sir!” He struggled to get out of bed.
Yang Kai pressed him down again, “Your injuries are very serious. Focus on recovering. Don’t move about recklessly for the time being.”
“Many thanks, Sir.” Hui Gu coughed a few more times before he continued with a look of regret, “Sir, please forgive me. I failed to carry out my duties properly.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch is not a simple man. This is not your fault. It’s a pity about what happened to Bai Mo!”
“Bai Mo…” Hui Gu’s expression was heavy. He spoke through gritted teeth, “I will personally avenge Bai Mo’s death one day.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s good if you can think that way. This place is relatively safe for the time being, so you can rest and recuperate here. I need to go out for a bit.” After saying that, he stood up and patted Lu Jing on the shoulder, “Help me take care of Hui Gu. I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Jing nodded. He knew that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him had no role to play on the Prison Star; thus, he would only become a burden if he followed Yang Kai around. At present, his only wish was to leave the Prison Star alive.
A few hours later, Yang Kai returned to the mountain valley where he had been ambushed before. Several days might have passed, but the traces of the battle in this place remained clearly visible.
There was a lot of blood on the ground, but not a single corpse. Judging by the situation from before where they were surrounded on all sides, it would have been impossible for Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan to escape death. Even Yang Kai could only hope to escape under those circumstances, so what need be said about others?
Yang Kai was overjoyed!
Both Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan held deep grudges against him, so his greatest wish in this place was for them to die at the hands of the Prison League. The process might have been a little different from what he initially planned, but the results were the same. It could be said that he had successfully carried out a murder with a borrowed knife!
In addition, Zhuang Wei, who had obtained more stars than himself earlier, was dead. With his current achievement, it was obvious that none of the Dao Theory Assembly participants could compare with him. As long as he could hold on to his achievements, it should not be a problem for him to win first place.
Inside the palace outside the Prison Star was an enormous sand table which displayed the landscape of the entire Universe World. Moreover, there were many golden and black lights moving about. Each golden light represented one of the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly while each black light represented one of the criminals on the Prison Star.
Furthermore, the brightness of these golden and black lights varied slightly depending on their respective cultivation. The brightest lights among the golden and black lights were undoubtedly the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on both sides. There were not many of them, only 20 to 30 in total.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Elders of the various Cave-Heavens and Paradises who brought their disciples here did not remain idle. They took turns to stay around the sand table to monitor the progress of the assembly.
Half a year had gone by and the Dao Theory Assembly was moving along smoothly. They occasionally observed numerous golden and black lights vanishing from the sand table, which represented the deaths of the participating cultivators or criminals.
However, what interested most of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was one of the golden lights. Judging by the brightness of the light, that person was undoubtedly in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He had joined up with one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals on the Prison Star from the beginning of the Dao Theory Assembly and had been almost inseparable since, killing countless people together.
It was not until the establishment of the Prison League that these two finally went their separate ways. The black light that represented the criminal had joined the Prison League; meanwhile, the golden light did not settle down for long before he joined another group of four participants. Nobody knew the exact identity of those four, but it was certain that these four were disciples of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. That was because two of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although there was no way to see what was actually happening on the Prison Star, all of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters monitoring the sand table were experienced veterans, so how could they not have some guesses after seeing the current situation?
The biggest possibility was that one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals on the Prison Star had been incited to defect and became an agent for one of the participants. With the help of this spy, that participant repeatedly attacked and successfully killed a number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminals to obtain an amazing number of achievements.
While the Elders looked approving, they also couldn’t help being curious as to which Cave-Heaven or Paradise this person belonged to. Such methods and skills would really make his Sect proud. It had to be said that it was not an easy feat to incite a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm criminal to defect. What kind of benefits were promised to make an enemy turn into an ally?
During their discussion, some of them even went to ask Xu Ling Gong about this matter. The sand table was created by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven after all, so just because the others did not know who the lights represented did not mean that Xu Ling Gong did not. Unexpectedly, the old ghost claimed that he did not know the situation on the Prison Star either. Everybody had no choice but to wait patiently; after all, everything would eventually become clear when the Dao Theory Assembly ended.
On this day, however, the Elders gathered around the sand table were arguing fiercely in front of Xu Ling Gong.
This couldn’t be helped as the little ones working together had accidentally fallen into Prison League’s trap. As a result, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had been killed on the spot. Although two had managed to escape, the remaining two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters seemed to have been captured alive. There was a high possibility that they would die if they were not rescued soon.
The Prison League had deployed nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in this ambush, so the little ones were practically powerless to resist.
More importantly, none of the Elders knew which Sect those two captured Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters belonged to. What if they belonged to their own Sect?
Disciples who directly broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were geniuses that only appeared once every thousand years even for a Cave Heaven or Paradise and would eventually become future pillars of their respective great forces. They could not be allowed to die during this Dao Theory Assembly. For that reason, the Elders of the dozen or so Cave-Heavens and Paradises joined together to pressure Xu Ling Gong to open the Prison Star Grand Array so that they could rescue their Disciples.
When Xu Ling Gong completely ignored their demands, the scene became a huge chaotic mess as a huge battle threatened to break out among them.
“Xu Ling Gong, are you going to open the Prison Star Grand Array or not?” Duan Rui Shan of Clear Mind Heaven glared at Xu Ling Gong with a vicious expression.
“The Dao Theory Assembly lasts for one year. Nobody can intervene until it ends.” Xu Ling Gong looked at Duan Rui Shan coldly.
“Brother Xu, we understand that you are in a difficult position, but there has been such a huge change in the Dao Theory Assembly. You have to be accommodating. All the most elite Core Disciples of our Sects are inside. What if something goes wrong…” Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise tried to be understanding.
“That is their fate!” Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted, “Before the Dao Theory Assembly began, this Monarch warned that this assembly was a matter of life and death. The participants had to bear the consequences themselves. Since they chose to participate in this event, then they should have prepared themselves for the possibility of death!”
“Brother Xu, the Prison Star Grand Array might be excellent, but it cannot stop so many of us,” Zhuo Bu Qun of Asura Heaven looked at Xu Ling Gong.
Xu Ling Gong turned to look in his direction and coldly snorted, “Are you trying to threaten me? This Old Master fears no man! If you plan to marry this Xu Ling Gong’s Disciple, then you have to bring out the best of your abilities! If they die during the Dao Theory Assembly, then that means they are not qualified enough! Let’s see who dares to break through the Prison Star Grand Array! If any of you dare to interfere in the Dao Theory Assembly, then don’t blame this Old Master for opposing you!”
“Brother Xu, are you really going to be so unaccommodating!?”
“I dare you to come!” He snarled back, “Send a message to the Ancestor! Tell him that our ‘guests’ are looking to cause trouble in the Dao Theory Assembly. This Old Master alone is not their opponent, so he must beseech the Ancestor to come forward and preside over the situation! Also, activate the Prison Star Grand Array’s defences to their limit and place disciples to stand guard outside it! Anybody who dares to invade is to be killed without mercy!”
“This Disciple obeys!” Behind him, Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui cupped their fists before they turned around and rushed into the depths of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
All the Elders of the major Cave-Heavens and Paradises went pale…
Ancestors and Supreme Elders of Cave-Heavens were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. There were more than a dozen Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters present, but they might not be an Ancestor’s opponent even if they all worked together.
“Old Xu, why disturb the Ancestor over such a trivial matter?” Somebody stood forward to try and smooth things over.
Xu Ling Gong stubbornly refused to back down, “You forced my hand!”
That person sighed and shook his head, “You won’t have any friends if you act like this.”
“Friends!?” Xu Ling Gong sneered coldly and swept his gaze over the crowd, “If you thought of this Old Master as a friend, then you wouldn’t have tried so hard to marry those incompetent wastes of yours to this Old Master’s Disciple! Aren’t you the ones who didn’t give this Old Master any face at all!?”
He smashed his fist into the sand table while speaking. There was a loud crash, then the sand table cracked into pieces, “Get out! Their lives are in the hands of fate! Regardless of whose disciples die inside, you will simply have to accept the losses! The Dao Theory Assembly is for this Old Master to choose a Husband for his Disciple, not for your incompetent disciples to play house!”
…..
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui headed into the depths of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven while Qing Kui scratched his head and asked, “Are we really going to inform the Ancestor?”
“Are you stupid?” Su Ying Xue rolled her eyes at him, “Honoured Master didn’t mean those words. Did you really take them for the truth?”
“Then, what are we…”
She explained, “We don’t need to inform the Ancestor, but we do need to drag out the disciples remaining in the Sect to put on a show. Otherwise, it would be very embarrassing for Honoured Master after everything he said.”
Qing Kui showed a look of understanding.
A short while later, many Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples flew over and surrounded the Prison Star.
The Elders felt their facial muscles twitching at the sight, but nobody clamoured to enter the Prison Star to check on the situation again. None of them knew whether one of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Supreme Elders was watching from the shadows, so they were afraid of causing big trouble if they forced their way into the Prison Star.
…..
Inside the Prison Star, Yang Kai was refining Open Heaven Pills in his new hiding place leisurely while Hui Gu was still recovering from his injuries.
The Dao Theory Assembly now only had three or four months left until it ended, and Yang Kai had accumulated more than enough achievements by now, so he was no longer eager to act.
Besides, he was not too worried that somebody might overtake his achievements. With the establishment of Prison League, all the criminals on the Prison Star were now huddling together to keep warm. The others would have a hard time killing many criminals even if they wanted to. It could be said that it was very unlikely for anybody to surpass his achievements.
The days slipped by just like that, and regardless of the situation outside, the place where Yang Kai and the two others were hiding was very peaceful.
On this day, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something and abruptly opened his eyes; then, his figure instantly vanished from the spot.
300 kilometres away, Yang Kai reappeared in the middle of the sky where a stream of light was rushing straight at him. The stream of light seemed startled to see someone blocking their way all of a sudden. Following that, the wooden sword in the other party’s hand danced lightly to form a mysterious pattern in the air before slashing down at him. The pattern contained a peculiar energy that was as gentle as the wind, belying its shockingly destructive force it contained.
Yang Kai dodged the attack lightly and shouted, “As expected, it’s Senior Brother Ning! For a moment, I thought I perceived wrongly.”
The stream of light charging towards Yang Kai paused for a moment before the brightness dissipated to reveal a figure. It was Ning Dao Ran of Free and Unfettered Paradise!
“Junior Brother Yang?” Ning Dao Ran looked astonished. He spun the wooden sword in his hand to hold his sword behind his back before he exhaled deeply in relief, “I thought the people from the Prison League caught up to me.”
“Are you injured, Senior Brother Ning?” Yang Kai glanced at Ning Dao Ran’s chest where there was a patch of blood that was still wet.
Ning Dao Ran’s expression changed drastically, “Junior Brother Yang, we need to go! I have pursuers behind me!”
“Come!” Yang Kai rushed over to grab Ning Dao Ran. Manipulating Space Principles, he returned to his hiding place with a flicker of his figure. At the same time, his Divine Sense surged to isolate the auras inside.
A short while later, the sound of people flying through the air passed over their heads and disappeared into the distance.
Inside the hiding place, Ning Dao Ran breathed a sigh of relief and glanced suspiciously at Hui Gu, who was sitting nearby, “This is…”
“This is Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. The Heavenly Monarch has repented for his mistakes and turned over a new leaf. He has helped me greatly during this time.”
Ning Dao Ran nodded, “Every man has his faults, but the ability to repent for one’s mistakes is admirable! Ning Dao Ran of Free and Unfettered Paradise greets you, Senior Brother Hui Gu!”
Hui Gu returned the greeting, “You are too polite, Junior Brother Ning.”
Lu Jing also came over to introduce himself. He might be the Young League Master of the Gathering Yuan Union, but there was a huge gap between his status and the status of somebody like Ning Dao Ran; hence, he wanted to use this opportunity to become acquainted. Who could say whether this connection might come in handy in the future?
“Senior Brother Ning, who injured you?” Yang Kai asked in concern.
Ning Dao Ran gave a bitter laugh, “Have you heard of the Prison League?”
Yang Kai and Hui Gu exchanged a wry glance with each other as Prison League could not be more familiar to them.
Ning Dao Ran explained, “There is a man known as Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch on the Prison Star, who established the Prison League and recruited all the surviving criminals under his banner. He presently has seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command, which gives him an advantage in numbers. They are currently actively eliminating the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly. I accidentally exposed my whereabouts, so…”
Yang Kai understood the situation.
All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly this time around had broken through to that realm within the last 100 years. It had only been a few years since Ning Dao Ran himself advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, so how could he be a match for the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League? Injuries were inevitable if he were to encounter them.
“The Prison League has become very powerful under the leadership of its League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch. He has seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command and hundreds of criminals moving in unity. There is no place for participating cultivators like us wherever we go.” Ning Dao Ran shook his head with a sigh. Before participating in the Dao Theory Assembly, nobody could have expected a situation like this to take place on the Prison Star.
With eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and hundreds of criminals moving as one in Prison League, the participating cultivators stood no chance at all. Death was the only fate waiting for the participating cultivators following an encounter with the Prison League.
“Prison League is acting so overbearing?” Yang Kai was secretly shocked by Huang Quan’s boldness.
When the Prison League was first established, they had fortified themselves in Yellow Spring Cave in an effort to huddle together to stay warm, but now they had decided to come out with a bang. How could the participating cultivators resist them under these circumstances? It would not take long before the participating cultivators were wiped out completely.
Ning Dao Ran had accidentally exposed his whereabouts and was pursued by several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as a result; thankfully, he was one of the Core Disciples of Free and Unfettered Paradise, so he had many artifacts to protect himself and help him escape. Otherwise, he could not have survived long enough for him to meet Yang Kai.
“Now that the Prison Star criminals have rallied together, the participating cultivators have also done the same. If we don’t join forces, we will be completely powerless to resist and survive for the remaining three months of the Dao Theory Assembly.” Ning Dao Ran smiled wryly and continued, “I have received news that Lin Feng and several other Fellow Brothers have gathered together and are preparing to deal with the Prison League. Junior Brother Yang, why don’t you come with me? The greater our numbers, the greater our strength.”
Yang Kai frowned slightly. After pondering for a while, he slowly shook his head, “No. I…”
Before he could finish his sentence though, a violent force suddenly came from above. There was a series of rumblings as the ground cracked open and their hiding place collapsed around them. A cold sneer rang out, “Let’s see how much longer you can continue hiding!”
*Shua Shua Shua…*
Amidst the falling dirt, several figures rose into the sky. Yang Kai carried Lu Jing while Hui Gu and Ning Dao Ran stood beside him. Looking around, his expression changed slightly. Unbeknownst to him, the people of the Prison League had surrounded this place at some point. There were eight figures around them, forming a tight encirclement.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim as it was only at this moment that he realised that Ning Dao Ran’s whereabouts had long been exposed. Flying past their head earlier was only to buy some time and numb Ning Dao Ran’s sense of danger.
Judging by the current situation, it was just as Ning Dao Ran had mentioned earlier. The Prison League was moving in unity; otherwise, it was impossible for eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League to appear in this place all at once.
“It’s you!” Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch’s eyes widened.
On the other hand, Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, Cang Yan, shouted, “This is bad! Quickly form a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Formation!”
They never imagined that Yang Kai would appear here. They assumed that Ning Dao Ran had been alone, but it was too late to set up a Formation by the time they realised their mistake.
Before they could complete the Formation, Yang Kai had already urged his Space Principles to wrap around Ning Dao Ran, Hui Gu, and Lu Jing and vanish out of sight.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch reached out and grabbed at them only to come up empty-handed, causing him to gnash his teeth furiously, “Damn that brat!”
If not for Yang Kai, Ning Dao Ran would never have escaped.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch formed a set of hand seals before turning to look in a certain direction and shouting, “Give chase!”
His figure shifted and he took the lead, with the seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters quickly following behind.
Several hundred kilometres away, four figures emerged from the Void and Yang Kai began examining Ning Dao Ran carefully, puzzling the latter.
“Senior Brother Ning, check your body carefully to see if there is anything unusual!” Yang Kai reminded the other party. He believed that his concealment earlier had been perfect, so there was no reason for their whereabouts to be discovered so easily.
Ning Dao Ran’s expression changed. How could he not know what Yang Kai meant? Thus, he quickly surged his Divine Sense to carefully examine every part of his body. A short while later, his expression changed slightly, “There’s a strange Mark on my body. When…”
If not for Yang Kai, he would not have made such a careful search of his body, nor would he have found this Mark on his body.
“Can you remove it?” Yang Kai asked.
“I’ll try!” Ning Dao Ran nodded solemnly and focused on controlling his power in an attempt to disperse the Mark.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai continued to wrap his power around the other three and escaped into the distance.
The eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters hurriedly gave chase, but not long after, Huang Quan, who had been leading them, stopped in his tracks with a furious expression. The seven people behind him looked in his direction.
Huang Quan grunted, “The Soul Tracing Mark is gone. They must have found it.”
“What a pity! All our efforts were all in vain!” Jin Gang sighed as he couldn’t help cursing the little brat who was proficient in the Dao of Space under his breath. That boy had ruined Prison League’s plans twice now.
“It’s fine. We might have failed this time, but we will have other opportunities in the future!” Surprisingly, Huang Quan was rather optimistic about the situation. He gently gave a flick of his sleeves and turned around to head back.
10,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai, Ning Dao Ran, and the others flew forward as swiftly as the wind.
Ning Dao Ran said, “It’s best if you can rethink your decision, Junior Brother. Many changes have taken place on the Prison Star recently. I’m afraid the Elders never expected this to occur during the Dao Theory Assembly. All we can do is work together and support each other until this is all over so that we can escape this place safely.”
After experiencing the incident just now, Yang Kai decided to follow Ning Dao Ran to find Lin Feng and others. Just as Ning Dao Ran mentioned, the Prison League was so powerful that nobody could fight back against them alone. The participating cultivators had to follow their example and huddle together to stay warm.
Yang Kai had his Space Secret Techniques, so he could escape even if he could not win; however, he also had to take care of Lu Jing. He was not sure if he could protect the latter if they fell into critical danger.
They travelled for two whole days before Ning Dao Ran landed on a barren mountain. He checked the surrounding topography and confirmed his position before he took out an incense and lit it.
After a short while, a figure suddenly flew over from not far away and landed directly in front of them. He glanced around at Yang Kai and the others only frowning slightly before he turned to Ning Dao Ran and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior Brother Ning!”
Ning Dao Ran nodded, “Did Brother Lin send you here?”
“That’s right. Senior Brother asked me to pick you up.”
“Lead the way,” Ning Dao Ran nodded lightly.
That person glanced at Yang Kai and the others again. Although he found their presence strange, he did not say anything and led the way without hesitation.
It didn’t take long before they entered a cave in the belly of a mountain. The cave was extremely dry and there was no strange smell in the air. Moreover, the surrounding cave walls were decorated with strange stones that emitted fluorescent light and illuminated the passage of the cave.
They followed the man as he took several twists and turns inside the cave. There was no saying how many kilometres they walked before their vision suddenly brightened in front of them and a large karst cave came into view.
At least a hundred people were gathered in this place. In addition, there was a group of nine people standing side-by-side at the forefront. They were clearly waiting for Ning Dao Ran’s arrival. The leader of the group was Lin Feng.
“Senior Brothers, Senior Brother Ning is here,” said the cultivator who led the way earlier.
Lin Feng’s gaze shifted to look behind Ning Dao Ran, then he exclaimed in surprise, “Yang Kai?”
Ning Dao Ran said, “I met Junior Brother Yang on the way and invited him to come here with me.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Your reaction seems to say that I’m not very welcome here, Brother Lin.”
Lin Feng coldly snorted, “You’re already here. Are you going to leave even if I don’t welcome you?’
Yang Kai smiled, “Since I’m already here, of course I won’t leave.”
Gu Pan nodded at him lightly from beside Lin Feng. On the other hand, the others were unfamiliar faces to Yang Kai. He did not know which Cave-Heaven or Paradise they belonged to, but that was no surprise since he had never encountered them before.
The others were also looking at him curiously. Many of them appeared unhappy, but this couldn’t be helped. The reason for their participation in the Dao Theory Assembly was that Yang Kai had muddied the waters in the first place. They only followed their respective Masters on this trip to see the world and increase their experience. They were only forced to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly when a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai suddenly appeared.
As a result, things turned sour for them. At this point of the Dao Theory Assembly, the Prison League was running rampant and forcing all of them into hiding. It was a miserable situation, but fortunately, they had gathered a large force now. There were seven or eight Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them, though it would still be difficult for them to compete with the veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Prison League.
It would be more strange for them to look friendly upon seeing the main culprit behind the entire situation at this moment.
Inside the dim cave, the densely-packed stars on Yang Kai’s wrist twinkled brightly, making them very eye-catching. A group of people stared at his wrist with a mixture of shock and astonishment.
The best among them only had 30 or 40 stars at most, which was only half of what Yang Kai had accumulated. Unfortunately, it was difficult to hunt another lone criminal under the current circumstances. In other words, the total achievements that they accumulated so far would basically determine their final rankings in the Dao Theory Assembly.
Several people looked at each other with a shocked look in their eyes.
One of the slender youths seemed to mull over something for a while before he stepped forward and asked, “Brother Lin, are you acquainted with Brother Yang?”
Lin Feng responded with a look of disgust, “We’ve met before.”
That person nodded, “So that’s how it is.” Then, he turned to look at Hui Gu who was standing behind Yang Kai, “And, what is with him? If my guess is correct, he is one of the Prison Star’s criminals, right? Why is he here?”
The black ring around Hui Gu’s wrist was completely different from the golden one the other cultivators wore.
Ning Dao Ran explained, “This is Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch. He has pledged his loyalty to Junior Brother Yang. There’s no need to concern yourselves over him.”
That person frowned, “That being said, there’s always a chance… Every single criminal on the Prison Star is heinous and sly. We must always be on our guard!”
“Brother Zhao is right. This is our hiding place. It would not benefit anybody if the news leaks out and attracts the Prison League. You are welcome to join us, Brother Ning, but Brother Yang and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch…” Another person slowly shook his head. The meaning behind his words was as clear as could be.
Hui Gu lowered his eyes and said, “Huang Quan killed my only loyal subordinate. This Monarch cannot live under the same sky as him! Also, this Monarch previously snuck into the Prison League under Sir Yang’s orders, but my actions were later exposed, so this Monarch is nothing but a traitor in the eyes of the Prison League.”
Zhao Xing shook his head slowly, “Are we supposed to take your word for it? Brother Lin, the stakes are very high. It’s better not to accept these two into our midst lest they cause trouble for us. It will be too late for regrets by then.”
Ning Dao Ran’s expression darkened and he stepped forward and said, “Aren’t you making too much out of a small matter? I believe in Brother Yang’s character. If not for Brother Yang’s help, this Ning would have died at the hands of the Prison League! I would not be alive to stand here today!”
Zhao Xing shook his head, “Brother Ning, it’s not that I’m trying to make trouble. It’s just better to be safe than sorry. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. What do you think, Brother Lin?”
Zhao Xing turned to look at Lin Feng, clearly trying to force Lin Feng into taking a side; after all, Lin Feng was a huge factor behind the reason why everybody was gathered in this place. He had the most say in the organisation formed against the Prison League.
Lin Feng quietly said, “Yang Kai and I share a life-and-death friendship.”
Zhao Xing and the others were stunned by Lin Feng’s answer. After seeing the uncongenial interaction between Lin Feng and Yang Kai earlier, they mistakenly assumed that there was some animosity between those two. Who could have expected this answer from Lin Feng?
Although it was not a direct answer, Lin Feng’s meaning was obvious enough. He trusted Yang Kai. Unable to imagine what kind of experience those two had gone through together, their expressions were rather ugly.
“Alright then. Let’s vote on whether Brother Yang and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch should remain. There are hundreds of our comrades standing behind me after all. This is related to everybody’s safety. This is no small matter, so they should also have the right to express their opinions,” Zhao Xing suggested.
“No need.” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “I only came here to escort Brother Ning to this place. Since I’ve brought him here, I’ll be taking my leave now!”
Cupping his fist slightly, he turned around and walked out. Since the people here did not welcome him, then there was no point in staying. The Prison League might be powerful, but he had nothing to worry about thanks to his Space Secret Techniques.
Hui Gu and Lu Jing naturally immediately followed.
Ning Dao Ran sighed, “Why do so many people in the world only care about profits and try to cheat each other?” After saying that, he cupped his fist at Lin Feng and turned around to leave.
Before Zhao Xing and the others had time to reveal their shock, a petite figure slipped past them. It turned out that Gu Pan had run forward. She didn’t take many steps before she turned back to look at Lin Feng, “What about you, Senior Brother Lin?”
“You go first!” Lin Feng nodded lightly.
Gu Pan understood and rushed out without another word.
“Are you satisfied now?” Lin Feng looked at Zhao Xing and the others coldly.
“What do you mean?” The expressions of Zhao Xing and the others were extremely ugly. They only wanted to chase Yang Kai and Hui Gu away, how could they have known that Ning Dao Ran and Gu Pan would leave with Yang Kai?
[Do those two have such a good relationship with Yang Kai?]
Lin Feng coldly snorted, “You’re on your own. This Lin is leaving too!”
After saying that, he strode out with his hands behind his back.
Zhao Xing inquired, “Brother Lin, where are you going?”
However, there was no response.
Yang Kai led Hui Gu and Lu Jing back the way they came and it only took a short while for them to arrive on the surface.
Yang Kai was just getting his bearings when he heard Ning Dao Ran shouting from behind him, “Brother Yang, wait for me!”
He turned to look behind him in surprise, “Brother Ning, you…”
Ning Dao Ran smiled, “The values of those short-sighted people are not in line with my own.” He looked behind him and added, “I’m not the only one.”
Gu Pan came out from behind and nodded lightly at the two of them.
Yang Kai couldn’t help chuckling, but before he could say a word to her, he saw Lin Feng appearing behind her.
“What’s with that look?” Lin Feng glared at Yang Kai scornfully, “Did you think this Lin is an ungrateful person?”
Yang Kai restrained the look of surprise in his eyes and laughed softly, “This is great. Other than Senior Sister Qu and Brother Xu, we’ve all gathered together again.”
Lin Feng replied lightly, “In any case, we’re leaving it all to you for the next three months. If we encounter anybody from the Prison League, you’re responsible for our escape!”
The others might not know about Yang Kai’s methods, but they knew his abilities very well. Back in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he had escaped the pursuit of dozens of Divine Spirits even though he was only in the Emperor Realm at the time. Now that he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would be impossible for something as trivial as the Prison League to capture him.
Yang Kai roared with laughter, “Rest assured! I will guarantee your safety!”
“Let’s go. We need to find a new hiding place so that we can wait out the last three months in peace.” Lin Feng suggested.
Gu Pan chimed in, “I know a place that is very well hidden. We can head there.”
“Then, we shall trouble you to lead the way, Junior Sister,” Ning Dao Ran stretched out his hand in a polite gesture.
…..
There was a huge uproar back inside the karst cave. In particular, those below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were at a loss for what to do. When they started huddling together, a total of nine Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered. It had not been long since these Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but their numbers were not few. It was just enough to defend against the Prison League so that they stood a fighting chance even if they encountered the enemy.
Unfortunately, things had taken a sharp turn. Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had left all at once, leaving only seven behind. Even Lin Feng, one of the people responsible for organizing this group, had left. It was only natural that the people were unsettled.
Most people did not know what happened just now. All they knew was that a group of outsiders had arrived. Following that, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters seemed to have disagreed about something and caused this situation.
Whispered discussions and countless Divine Sense conversations spread out throughout the cave.
“Why are you all chattering away!? Shut up!” Zhao Xing shouted furiously, his complexion red with rage.
He never imagined that things would end up in this situation either. His original intention was only to force Yang Kai and Hui Gu to leave. Who could have known that Lin Feng and Gu Pan would leave too? It was humiliating that his actions had caused the strength of his faction to weaken considerably.
The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all looking at him, some of them clearly having a measure of blame in their eyes, which only made his anger flare higher. He looked up and coldly snorted, “Don’t think I don’t know what kind of ideas were going through your heads. You were planning to force Yang Kai to leave and then find an opportunity to kill him to obtain the achievements that he had accumulated! Now that things have gone sour, you’re turning around to blame me instead. How is that reasonable!?”
All the people who spoke up to reject Yang Kai earlier looked embarrassed when he exposed their initial plans. They might not have communicated with each other, but it was undeniable that some of them were eager to act after seeing the abundant number of stars on Yang Kai’s wrist.
If Yang Kai hailed from one of the Cave-Heavens or Paradises, they would never have had such thoughts; however, Yang Kai was from Void Land, so what consequences would befall them even if they actually killed him?
“Brother Zhao, there’s no point talking about this now. We should think about what to do in the future. Now that Brother Lin and Junior Sister Gu have left, we no longer have enough strength to completely resist the Prison League. Don’t forget; the Prison League has eight veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!” Somebody said.
“That’s right! Why don’t we ask Brother Lin and Junior Sister Gu to come back? As for Yang Kai and Grey Bones Heavenly Monarch, there isn’t a big problem with them joining,” Somebody proposed.
If they allowed Yang Kai and Hui Gu to join them, then they would have twelve Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their side, including Ning Dao Ran. They would have strength comparable to the Prison League even if they encountered their enemies.
A dark light flashed through Zhao Xing’s eyes as he coldly said, “So what if you invite them back? It’s not like you didn’t see the achievements that Yang Kai has accumulated so far. If my guess is correct, he will definitely win the Dao Theory Assembly. If that happens, what would happen to the pride of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises?”
“Brother Zhao, do you mean…”
He grimaced for a moment before he ruthlessly said, “In for a copper, in for a gold…”
All of them were astonished. They never imagined that Zhao Xing would be so ruthless; however, thinking about it again, there didn’t seem to be a better solution to their problems. If they could get rid of Yang Kai, then the winner of the Dao Theory Assembly would definitely be one of them. If that was the case, it was acceptable no matter who won the Dao Theory Assembly.
“But, in this case, we will have to confront Brother Lin and the others,” somebody said worriedly.
“This matter is related to the pride of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises. Brother Lin and the others will understand! We cannot afford to delay in this matter. We have to move now, or else it will be too late. After we succeed in this matter, we will find a place to hide. The Prison League might be powerful, but the Prison Star is vast. Moreover, the Dao Theory Assembly will end in three months. We only need to hole up until then!”
Even the people who hesitated earlier were tempted by his words. The seven of them quickly came to an agreement. Following that, they hurriedly set off together.
Outside the cave, Zhao Xing quietly studied the traces left behind in the surroundings before turning to look in a certain direction. After that, he took to the sky, “This way!”
The other six quickly followed him.
An hour later, Yang Kai was following Gu Pan to her hiding place when he suddenly frowned. He looked back and saw numerous figures wrapped in light chasing after them from behind.
Likewise, Lin Feng and Ning Dao Ran soon noticed and turned to look back, surprised by what they saw.
“What do they want?” Lin Feng frowned. Although they were still quite far apart, he was very familiar with those figures. It was obvious that they were his former comrades. They were the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave-Heavens and Paradises.
“Brother Lin, please wait! Everything just now was a misunderstanding! Please listen to our explanation,” Zhao Xing, who was in the lead, shouted loudly.
Lin Feng did not doubt Zhao Xing; thus, he stopped and turned to look back.
When he stood there motionless, Yang Kai and the others had no choice but to stop as well.
Behind them, Zhao Xing and the others were overjoyed at the sight. They exchanged glances with each other and put more effort into rushing over. As the distance between both parties closed, their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm auras climbed steadily.
Ning Dao Ran furrowed his eyebrows slightly, “Something’s wrong…”
Even Lin Feng had noticed that something was strange. It felt like these people came chasing after them for a fight, not to make peace. Before he could ask them anything though, he heard a shout from the leader, Zhao Xing, “Attack!”
In an instant, those seven people turned into seven separate streams of lights. They acted in accordance with the strategy they discussed before, rushing towards Yang Kai and the others. Before they even arrived, the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts blasted out in front of them.
*Hong hong hong…*
Figures shuttled about and the power of their Small Universes collided with each other. A moment later, the violent forces died down abruptly, almost as though everything earlier was nothing but an illusion. However, the chaotic situation immediately became apparent. The twelve Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the two sides had been separated into five different battlefields.
Lin Feng, Gu Pan, and Ning Dao Ran were each held up by one person in a face-to-face confrontation. On the other hand, two people blocked Hui Gu from left and right.
Similarly, there were two people standing in front of Yang Kai. One was Zhao Xing and the other was a young man with a jade-like complexion.
Although everybody remained motionless as the auras of their respective Small Universes flared. Their auras silently collided and suppressed each other, causing the surrounding space to become slightly distorted.
As for Lu Jing, he was thrown 1,000 kilometres away by Yang Kai and was now watching the battle from afar, shivering in fear.
“What is the meaning of this!?” Lin Feng looked around with an ugly expression.
“Senior Brother Lin, please stay out of this!” The young man confronting him quickly said, “Otherwise, this Junior Brother will be very troubled.”
Like Lin Feng, he was a Core Disciple from one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As an existence who also advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, his strength was on par with Lin Feng’s; hence, they would be evenly matched if it came down to a fight. Neither could defeat the other. Moreover, their actions would simply harm the peace between them.
It was not just Lin Feng. Ning Dao Ran and Gu Pan were in similar situations. Only Yang Kai and Hui Gu were each facing two newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on their own.
Upon seeing this situation, how could Lin Feng not know what Zhao Xing and the others were planning?
Hui Gu was a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The cultivators who came to intercept them knew that they were not his opponents on their own; therefore, they assigned two people to stop him
On the other hand, there were also two people surrounding Yang Kai…
It would seem that the real target of Zhao Xing and the others was Yang Kai. They were all newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with less than 100 years of experience, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to come out on top in a two-on-one battle. As long as they eliminated Yang Kai, Zhao Xing and the other guy would be free to assist in getting rid of Hui Gu. Even Hui Gu would be in danger if he had to face four enemies at once.
As for Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran, and Gu Pan… Lin Feng was not worried. With their forces behind them, Zhao Xing and the others would never kill them unless they wanted to start a war between their respective Sects.
But… were two trivial newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters enough to defeat Yang Kai?
Zhao Xing turned to look at Lin Feng, “Brother Lin, please don’t be impatient. Just wait by the side for a bit. This Zhao will apologise to you after finishing up here!”
“You don’t understand anything.” Lin Feng slowly shook his head, “Stop doing something pointless. Let’s end this incident here.”
Yang Kai was a master of the Dao of Space, so such obstructions were simply child’s play to him. The truth was that he was perfectly capable of escaping at any time. Unfortunately, Zhao Xing and the others were completely oblivious to that fact and foolishly believed that victory was within their grasp.
Zhao Xing replied, “Brother Lin, please have some self-respect! Don’t harm the relationship between us fellow brothers!” After saying that, he turned to look at Yang Kai and smiled, “Thousand Cranes Paradise Zhao Xing!”
The other young man with a jade-like appearance also bowed his head and introduced himself, “Huang An Yi of Pure Yang Cave Heaven!”
Yang Kai looked at them with an indifferent and expressionless look on his face.
Zhao Xing continued smiling as he asked, “Are you going to kill yourself, or do you want Senior Brother Huang and I to kill you instead? If you choose to kill yourself, you can choose a comfortable way to die. You will get to keep a whole corpse and I guarantee that your body will be brought back and delivered to Void Land for burial. But, if Senior Brother Huang and I take action, I cannot guarantee how much of your corpse will be left.”
Huang An Yi followed up, “I do not wish to attack you either, not unless there is no other choice. We might all be Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but we are from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It will be bad for our reputation if word spreads that we killed you in a two-on-one fight. It’s a pity…”
He glanced at the stars on Yang Kai’s wrist and slowly shook his head, “The tree which rises too far above the forest is bound to be destroyed by the wind!”
“Hah!” Yang Kai looked up at the sky and let out a soft sigh. His expression seemed rather annoyed, “How irritating!”
Zhao Xing and Huang An Yi were stunned to hear those words. Zhao Xing laughed, “You’re right. There are certainly many troublesome matters in the world. Grievances, fame, and fortune entangle people’s hearts. Only death will liberate you from them. Since you’ve already understood this point, then why do you still hesitate? Do you want to force Senior Brother Huang and I to take action?”
“You are seriously annoying!” Yang Kai lowered his head and furrowed his brow deeply, looking bitter and resentful.
Zhao Xing’s expression darkened slightly, “Yang Kai, don’t refuse our kindness and force our hand. We are being considerate of your identity as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which is why we don’t want to make things too difficult for you. Don’t sully the magnanimity that Senior Brother Huang and I are showing you. Kill yourself quickly; otherwise, Senior Brother Huang and I will be taking action.”
“You’re all so damn annoying!” Yang Kai let out a low growl. Abruptly stepping forward, he suddenly lifted his lowered head and a horrifying light burst out of his eyes, almost as blinding as two suns. He looked very aggressive and at the same time, an indescribable hostility mixed with murderous intent poured out of him, “I never wanted to make things difficult for you people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. So why must you force me?”
Zhao Xing’s expression changed slightly as he shouted through gritted teeth, “Stubborn fool! Attack!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, he took the lead and charged towards Yang Kai. Huang An Yi did not hesitate either and quickly followed Zhao Xing’s example. They might come from different Sects, but their cultivations were both equally profound. At this moment, they cooperated flawlessly. Their figures were like two spinning tops as they crossed and flowed around each other. One person slammed a palm out while the other blasted out with a punch. The World Force of two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters surged from their attacks and loomed down upon Yang Kai.
Their attacks were merciless, showing their ruthless intent to kill. The truth was that they could not afford to hold back either. It had not been long since their advancement, so they were not too familiar with controlling their strength; as a result, whenever they attacked, they could only attack with all their strength.
Yang Kai let out a low roar and the power of his Small Universe erupted. Both his hands turned into a barrage of fist shadows that flew into the sky to meet their attacks.
*Hong hong hong…*
World Force collided and exploded into turmoil. Even with the suppression of the Prison Star Grand Array, the surrounding space shattered like a broken mirror. One could only imagine how much more violent the situation would be without the suppression of the Grand Array.
Immediately after that, two figures were sent flying backwards like paper kites while simultaneously coughing up blood in mid-air.
All but one present was shocked by the sight! Staring blankly at the two people who had been sent flying, they wondered if there was something wrong with their eyes. They originally thought that the cooperation between Zhao Xing and Huang An Yi was bound to defeat Yang Kai.
After all, everybody had only just advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Nobody should be much stronger than the other. If two people joined forces, then it was impossible for a lone person to be their opponent. However, reality turned out to be very difficult for them to accept. The ones who were sent flying and spitting up blood turned out to be Zhao Xing and Huang An Yi instead!
Lin Feng’s eyes bulged while Gu Pan and Ning Dao Ran stared in shock!
Only Hui Gu, who was stuck between two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, seemed to have expected this outcome and slowly shook his head, “The young and ignorant are truly fearless!”
He had personally witnessed how Yang Kai killed Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch. Even a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Giant Clam Heavenly Monarch had failed to last more than a few breaths against Yang Kai before dying miserably; therefore, he simply could not understand where these young and newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises got their confidence to attack this freak. Were they just sick of living?
It was precisely because Hui Gu had already anticipated this outcome that he had not been worried seeing Yang Kai being besieged by two newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
“How… is this possible!?” Zhao Xing looked absolutely shocked. Blood spurted out of his mouth and the Small Universe in his body shook violently. Just now, he had exchanged hundreds of blows with Yang Kai, and he had suffered a loss every single time. Moreover, his Small Universe had suffered a heavy shock with every single blow.
There was only one possibility for such an outcome to occur, the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was vastly superior to his own. That was the only reason for such a one-sided outcome.
A veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch might have been able to achieve an effect to this level, but Yang Kai… he had only advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm recently. Moreover, Yang Kai’s time since his advancement should be shorter than his own since Zhao Xing had at least ten years since he broke through.
Before the thought finished forming in Zhao Xing’s head, he felt his vision going hazy for a moment. Then, he looked up and felt his soul nearly leap out from his body. Yang Kai had appeared right in front of him at some point. They were so close that their faces were practically touching.
“Why… must you force me!?” Scorching hot air blew out of Yang Kai’s nostrils.
“You…” Zhao Xing’s pupils contracted to the size of a needle. Without the slightest hesitation, he threw a punch in Yang Kai’s direction with all his strength. Unfortunately, the exchange just now had thrown his Small Universe into turmoil. Not only was he completely powerless to attack at this moment, but he could barely even draw out any World Force from his Small Universe.
*Pa…*
Yang Kai grabbed Zhao Xing by the fist. Standing in front of Zhao Xing, he shouted fiercely, “Are you going to continue forcing me!?”
While speaking, he punched forward and hit Zhao Xing squarely in the chest.
*Kacha…*
The sound of Zhao Xing’s ribs breaking echoed through the air. The clothes on his back exploded apart and a portion of his back bulged outward. The flow of blood coming out of his mouth became increasingly heavy as stars danced in his vision. It felt as though an extremely brutal force had slammed right into his Small Universe and nearly shaken it apart.
[I’m not his opponent! I’m not his opponent at all!] Zhao Xing started to panic. The heritage of the other party’s Small Universe was countless times stronger than his own, and if things continue at this rate, he would surely die!
Raising his hand, he beckoned at something behind Yang Kai.
“I guess you won’t regret your actions unless you see your coffin. If that’s the case, I will show you what true terror means! I will show you what real strength is!” Yang Kai’s fists transformed into a flurry of fist shadows that slammed into Zhao Xing’s chest.
Zhao Xing’s hand remained held high in the air as he shouted at Huang An Yi, who stood dumbfounded behind Yang Kai, “Save… Save me!”
“Brother Yang, show mercy!” Lin Feng shouted, his expression changing drastically.
Ning Dao Ran also came back to his senses and hurriedly yelled, “Brother Yang, don’t be impulsive!”
Everything had happened too quickly. They initially thought that Yang Kai would have no choice but to flee with Zhao Xing and Huang An Yi teaming up against him. Who could have known that he would simply crush them in a head on clash? With just a few kicks and punches, Yang Kai had already completely destroyed his two opponents’ ability to resist, which was why it took them some time to recover from their shock.
Seeing that the situation was turning dire, they quickly began shouting to stop Yang Kai.
Zhao Xing was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise, so his status was equal to their own. There would be huge trouble if Yang Kai killed him here; after all, the murder of a Paradise’s Core Disciple would surely cause huge consequences and great upheaval.
Yang Kai stopped, his scalding fists raised before him. His expression was fierce and brutal. When he looked behind him, he saw Huang An Yi looking pale with shock. Then, he glanced at Zhao Xing’s raised arm and quietly asked, “You were asking for help? You should have said so sooner, I thought you were still trying to fight back!”
*Pu…*
Zhao Xing vomited up blood and his aura weakened abruptly.
“Pathetic weakling!” Yang Kai cast a sideways glance at Zhao Xing and slowly drifted backwards before lowering his head to look at his fists with a sorrowful expression, “This is all so annoying!”
[I’ve created another grudge with somebody else again.] Back then, Yang Kai had been forced into a corner and had no choice but to break through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm in front of the four High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. His actions finally allowed him to escape the eyes of the Cave Heavens and Paradises that had been targeting him. But now, he had thrashed a Core Disciple from Thousand Cranes Paradise, which would probably generate a new grudge.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling deeply distressed. He hadn’t wanted to make a move against anybody, but there was always somebody forcing his hand.
The newly advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who flew over to kill Yang Kai were all frozen in shock. They made a foolproof plan before they departed. Three people were assigned to stop Lin Feng Gu Pan, Ning Dao Ran, and Gu Pan, while two others were assigned to suppress Hui Gu.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xing and Huang An Yi were tasked with dealing with Yang Kai. Once they killed Yang Kai, they would then kill Hui Gu. Once they were done, they would successfully complete their mission. Afterwards, they planned to find a hiding place to conceal themselves for the next three months until the Dao Theory Assembly ended.
It was just that the situation in front of them right now was completely different from what they had imagined and they were at a loss for what to do.
“Move!” Lin Feng shoved the sluggish young man blocking his way aside and rushed over to Zhao Xing. He helped Zhao Xing up and reached out to examine his aura quickly before his expression changed drastically.
Ning Dao Ran also came over hurriedly and asked nervously, “How is he?”
Lin Feng’s expression was grim as he swiftly took out a bottle of Spirit Pills. He opened the bottle and pried Zhao Xing’s mouth open before pouring the entire bottle into his mouth. Be that as it may, blood continued to gush out of Zhao Xing’s mouth. He couldn’t even swallow the Spirit Pills. Lin Feng tried multiple times, but his attempts were all unsuccessful.
All of a sudden, Zhao Xing’s turbid eyes shone with a horrifying light. He grabbed Lin Feng by the arm and sputtered, “Avenge… me!”
After saying that, something seemed to escape his body rapidly. His body might not have changed much, but the scene resembled a balloon that had been popped.
A dense World Force swept throughout their surroundings! All the rest of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises turned pale at the sight.
“His Small Universe collapsed…” Not far away, Huang An Yi murmured in a daze.
They might not have witnessed something like this before, but that did not stop them from recognising the phenomenon. The Small Universe in Zhao Xing’s body had collapsed. That was the only reason for this phenomenon where the World Force had dissipated so violently to occur. Since the root of an Open Heaven Realm Master lay in their Small Universe, the only ending following its collapse… was death!
The escaping World Force slowly calmed down. When they looked over again, Zhao Xing was completely devoid of life. His two eyes were glaring forward furiously. Embers of hatred remained burning in his pale orbs, seemingly not yet extinguished.
Zhao Xing had died! A Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise, Zhao Xing, was dead! In a direct clash with Yang Kai, it had taken less than a dozen breaths for him to be beaten so badly that his Small Universe collapsed and he died!
Lin Feng and Ning Dao Ran looked at each other and saw the deep worry in each other’s eyes.
Even Yang Kai was stunned. He never imagined that the other party would be so weak as to succumb to a few punches. It was not like he had planned to kill anybody, but it seemed he used a little too much strength…
In reality, since his advancement into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm until now, Yang Kai had fought many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but all of them had been veterans like Mao Zhe and Ju Xian, so their Small Universes were far more robust. They might be no match for him, but they could still exchange a few hundred blows with him at least.
[Are all newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters… so weak?] Upon further consideration, Yang Kai realised that the Small Universes in the bodies of these newly-advanced Open Heaven Realm Master weren’t even stable yet, so it was certainly easy for them to collapse under a violent bombardment.
This was all a big accident, but now that things had reached this point… Yang Kai’s gaze turned solemn as he shot a look at Hui Gu.
Hui Gu immediately felt his heart clench at the sight as he understood Yang Kai’s intentions. He wanted to silence all the witnesses!
Lin Feng immediately noticed the spike in Yang Kai’s murderous intent. Seeing the look on Yang Kai’s, his expression changed drastically and he shouted to the crowd, “Why are you still standing there!?”
Ning Dao Ran also quickly reacted. Still in a state of shock, he stood in front of Yang Kai and blocked his sight while shouting, “Brother Yang, please calm yourself!”
“Move!” Yang Kai glared at Ning Dao Ran aggressively.
A faint sheen of sweat oozed out of Ning Dao Ran’s forehead, but he did not budge as he earnestly said, “Brother Yang, don’t be impulsive. If you really do this, then everything will be over!”
The newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around them were still in a state of shock after witnessing Zhao Xing’s death. None of them could recover so quickly.
Lin Feng was both furious and anxious as he yelled, “Do you all want to die!? Why are you still standing there!?” While speaking, he tossed Zhao Xing’s Corpse at Huang An Yi and urged them desperately, “Scram!”
Huang An Yi hurriedly caught Zhao Xing’s corpse and finally returned to his senses as he felt Yang Kai’s murderous intent locked firmly onto him. It was difficult not to notice; hence, his expression changed immediately. Carrying Zhao Xing’s corpse in his arms, he hurriedly escaped.
Only then did the rest of the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters snap back to the present, each of them transforming into a stream of light that swiftly escaped.
Lin Feng stood up and walked over to Yang Kai. Stopping next to Ning Dao Ran, he stared straight into Yang Kai’s eyes and declared, “Brother Yang, if you really wish to silence the witnesses, then please start with Brother Ning and I. Rest assured, we will not resist. Since we left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, we have both owed you our lives. We will just be repaying our life debt to you.”
Yang Kai glared at Lin Feng coldly as the latter returned his stare without revealing any weaknesses.
After a while, Yang Kai closed his eyes and took a deep breath. By the time he opened his eyes again, the sharp light in them had faded and only a sea of warmth remained. Smiling, he shook his head and spoke, “What nonsense are you two thinking?”
Lin Feng breathed out a sigh of relief, “I’m glad you reconsidered.”
While Lin Feng looked calm, he could still feel cold sweat dripping down his back. Judging from the way Yang Kai killed Zhao Xing just now, both he and Ning Dao Ran would definitely not be able to stop Yang Kai even if they worked together.
Lin Feng sighed once more before speaking earnestly, “Please don’t blame us. We were only acting in your best interests. Killing Zhao Xing might not be a trivial matter, but there could still be room for manoeuvre if he is the only one. On the other hand, there will be no going back if you actually slaughtered the rest.”
“I know,” Yang Kai nodded lightly. Xu Ling Gong had announced that deaths would not be questioned during the Dao Theory Assembly and that there was to be no resentment no matter who died on the Prison Star. Be that as it may, those words were mere words. If any of the Cave Heavens and Paradises Core Disciples were to die, the great forces behind them would never let the matter go.
Zhao Xing was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise and a genius who advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Given enough time, he could have become one of the pillars of Thousand Cranes Paradise; however, he died at Yang Kai’s hands. The grudge that formed between them was bound to run deep.
This was an accident as Yang Kai never intended to kill Zhao Xing, but what was done was done.
Yang Kai looked down at his wrist and saw nearly 80 stars. He originally had close to 70 stars while Zhao Xing had approximately 30. Following Zhao Xing’s death, his achievements had been transferred to the others who were close by. Yang Kai was not the only person standing next to Zhao Xing earlier, so both Lin Feng and Ning Dao Ran gained an equal share.
Such great achievements would basically guarantee Yang Kai the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly; hence, there was nothing else he needed to do now. All that was left was to sit back and wait.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai composed his emotions and gathered the others.
Killing Zhao Xing might have been an accident, but he was destined to have a feud with Thousand Cranes Paradise now. He could not imagine how powerful the heritage of a Paradise would be; however, it was a little crazy to think that he could stop them with his current cultivation as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
[Strength! I need even greater strength!] Unfortunately, what Yang Kai needed at his level of cultivation in order to get stronger was time. Refining Open Heaven Pills and resources of various Orders all required great amounts of time. He couldn’t accomplish much overnight.
The hidden place Gu Pan mentioned was located in the middle of a mountain range. There was a hidden cave at the foot of a certain mountain, one that was almost impossible to notice unless one was searching carefully.
After entering the cave and walking for several kilometres, they arrived at a kind of utopia. The scenery in this place was extremely beautiful and peaceful; therefore, they settled in and quietly waited for the Dao Theory Assembly to end.
As time passed, Yang Kai and the others would occasionally gather together to drink tea or discuss the Dao or exchange various Secret Techniques. Regardless of the changes in the outside world, they lived in peace.
They were all newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so it was only natural that they had many common topics to discuss. Besides, exchanging their respective cultivation experiences allowed everybody to gain something from each other.
Hui Gu was a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and the amount of time he spent in this Realm was several times longer than the rest of them combined, so he naturally had far more say when it came to matters of cultivation in this Realm. His occasional guidance would also give Yang Kai and the others flashes of inspiration.
Although Yang Kai was much stronger than Lin Feng and the others, they came from various Cave Heavens and Paradises; hence, they had come into contact with many things that he had never heard of before. Yang Kai learned many interesting things over the months of their interaction.
On a certain day, the people chatting away happily suddenly stiffened in surprise and looked down at their golden wristbands. A distinct wave of Spiritual Energy was now pulsing from these wristbands.
They lowered their heads to perceive the phenomenon and immediately realized they had received a Divine Sense message.
“The Dao Theory Assembly is finally ending.” Lin Feng slowly got to his feet, “There’s another half a month’s time before the exit opens, but we should start making preparations.”
Needless to say, nobody had any objections. As there was nothing to pack, they simply prepared to set off on their journey a short while later.
Hui Gu sent them off as he had no way to follow them on this trip since he was still considered a Prison Star criminal. Nevertheless, he had written his name down on the Loyalty List so he believed that Yang Kai would not ignore him.
“Wait here for a while. I will talk to the people of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven later to negotiate your freedom,” Yang Kai instructed.
“I will obey your orders, Sir!” Hui Gu responded with a bow.
Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran, and Gu Pan watched quietly from the side. If they had not witnessed Yang Kai’s strength for themselves, it would have been difficult for them to understand why a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be so obedient towards him.
At first, they believed that Hui Gu had struck up a deal with Yang Kai to cooperate with each other in exchange for something. It was not until later that they realised the truth. These two had a Master-Servant relationship between them.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai called out. Wrapping his energy around Lu Jing before he rose into the sky.
Su Ying Xue mentioned that the Prison Star Grand Array’s exit would open once more when the one-year period was up. Moreover, the location of the exit was specified in the Divine Sense Message from earlier. For that reason, what they needed to do was to rush to the location and arrive within the time limit.
They set off half a month in advance, so there was no urgency in terms of time. As they soared across the sky, the small group saw some of the cultivators participating in the Dao Theory Assembly flying out from their hiding places to follow behind them.
These participating cultivators had remained in hiding all this while, probably to avoid Prison League’s hunt. It was only natural for them to quickly follow along when they noticed several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters leading the way forward. Joining this powerful group would give them a sense of security; otherwise, they basically had no power to resist if they encountered the Prison League along the way.
Yang Kai and the others ignored these people since they were only following at a distance and did not dare to approach too closely.
More than ten days later, Yang Kai’s group finally arrived at the specified location. There was a large rock that had been cut smooth to form something similar to a platform there and it seemed the exit would appear above it.
It was just that there was not a single person around at a glance. However, it was revealed that many people were hiding nearby when they scanned the area. It was obvious that many people had arrived in advance, but they did not dare to reveal themselves easily, choosing to remain in hiding.
Yang Kai and the others landed directly on the platform. Then, they each found a spot and sat down cross-legged. Their arrival could be considered early; after all, there were still three days left until the return passage opened.
As time passed, more and more cultivators arrived, most of them in small groups that simply decided to wait nearby. Meanwhile, the cultivators who came early and concealed their presences gradually revealed themselves.
At first, Yang Kai was vigilant as to whether the Prison League would make a move, but in the end and to his surprise, they did not show up. Even Huang An Yi and the rest were nowhere to be seen. There was no saying where they were hiding.
Three days later, the entire Prison Star rumbled noticeably. Everybody looked up to see a rainbow bridge swiftly spreading out across the sky. One end of the rainbow bridge connected to the depths of the void while the other end extended above the platform.
Yang Kai, Lin Feng, and the others glanced at each other and nodded lightly.
“It’s finally over,” Yang Kai stood up and, bringing Lu Jing with him, he was the first to step onto the rainbow bridge. Just like when he was first transported into the Prison Star, he immediately felt the world spinning around him. His vision distorted and changed rapidly, and by the time he recovered, he had already appeared in the palace square where he first departed from.
There were a dozen or so chairs lined up on the stage above the palace square. Moreover, there was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises sitting in each chair. The one sitting in the centre was none other than Xu Ling Gong.
“Oh?” Xu Ling Gong couldn’t help looking surprised to see that the first person to return was Yang Kai. Although being the first to return did not represent anything, being the first to step on the rainbow bridge, under those circumstances, was undoubtedly a symbol of strength.
[This brat’s performance… seems to be rather unexpected!] Xu Ling Gong nodded lightly. Speaking of which, he might have forced Yang Kai to enter the Dao Theory Assembly, but he had not expected much from him. He simply did not want to wrong his own Disciple. Qu Hua Shang was a Core Disciple who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. Even if she married somewhere else, she had to marry a young handsome man whose aptitude was equal to hers. How could those old men whose lifetime limit was the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm dare to covet her?
The purpose of making special arrangements for Yang Kai was to disrupt the plans of the other Cave Heavens and Paradises. Xu Ling Gong wanted to force them into a position where they had to dispatch their Core Disciples to participate in the event, and his plan had worked perfectly. After those rising stars participated in the event, the level and quality of the Dao Theory Assembly immediately increased by a large margin. At the same time, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s pride was also protected.
The only thing that remained uncertain was who would win the top spot in this event!
Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran, and Gu Pan emerged closely behind Yang Kai. Afterwards, numerous figures appeared. They were all cultivators who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly. Soon, the square was filled with people.
Divine Senses surged as the Elders of the great forces quietly questioned their Juniors about the results of this event and whether or not their Juniors sustained any injuries…
On the other hand, the Elders whose Juniors and disciples did not appear couldn’t help feeling anxious and worried. The Prison Star was not a forgiving place, and every single criminal locked up inside was heinous and evil. If anything were to happen in that place, the outcome would most likely be death.
For the next hour, more than 100 people gathered in the square. At this point, the number of cultivators returning from the Prison Star had obviously reduced to an infrequent trickle. There was even a long period where not a single person came back.
Many Elders who led their disciples here became increasingly solemn. If their Juniors failed to appear after so long, then it could only mean that they were dead. The manner in which the Dao Theory Assembly was conducted had been completely out of their expectations. If they had known that the Dao Theory Assembly would be held on the Prison Star, they would never have brought their Juniors here. It was a pity that Xu Ling Gong’s last-moment changes to the Dao Theory Assembly were something that nobody could have predicted.
Not only were many of the Elders of the Second-Class great forces who led their teams here looking grim, but even the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters sitting in the dozen or so chairs above the square were starting to look solemn. This couldn’t be helped though as out of more than dozen or so Core Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, only three had come out so far. The others were nowhere to be seen.
[This doesn’t make any sense!] Xu Ling Gong maintained a smile on the surface, but his heart was pounding like a beating drum inside.
He had mentioned that the Dao Theory Assembly was not a game and that the participants would be responsible for their own lives. Nevertheless, he would be held partially responsible for this incident due to his position as the organiser of the Dao Theory Assembly if so many Core Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had lost their lives on the Prison Star.
Just as he was hesitating over whether to send Su Ying Xue to question Yang Kai about the situation in the Prison Star, the rainbow bridge connecting to the Prison Star suddenly fluctuated again.
Xu Ling Gong was stunned by the sight! This phenomenon could only mean that somebody was returning from the Prison Star. In addition, there were quite a number of them.
In the next moment, numerous figures appeared in the square, as many as 100 of them in total.
Most of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters were filled with a slight sense of relief and their nerves finally relaxed when they saw their Core Disciples.
On the contrary, one of them stood up abruptly. His eyes widened as he looked down with an expression of disbelief. Then, he rushed into the crowd with a shift of his figure. The aura of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master spread out unchecked and the participating cultivators who just returned were immediately pushed off-balance by the impact. Those who were slightly weaker went pale and blood leaked out of the corner of their mouths.
“Martial Uncle Zuo…” Huang An Yi called out sorrowfully. The elderly man in front of him was somebody he recognised as an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, as well as Zhao Xing’s Honoured Master.
Zuo Quan Hui stared blankly at the corpse in Huang An Yi’s arms, and after reaching out to check for Zhao Xing’s aura, his body trembled slightly and his slightly short figure seemed to droop considerably.
“Who did this?” Although he asked lightly, Huang An Yi could sense the suppressed rage in Zuo Quan Hui’s voice. It felt like a volcano that was about to erupt was hidden in his chest.
“Void Land’s Yang Kai!” Huang An Yi pointed out Yang Kai in the crowd.
Zuo Quan Hui abruptly turned around, his eyes crimson. Like a wild beast that was about to devour its prey, his gaze crossed over the crowd to fix fiercely upon Yang Kai’s body. His gaze was so sharp that he could almost slice through space all by itself.
“Die!” Without any hesitation, he reached out his hand towards Yang Kai and roared.
Following a violent surge of the World Force, Huang An Yi, who had been standing beside Zuo Quan Hui, went pale with fright and was sent flying from the fallout.
Faced with the furious assault of a veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai simply stood there indifferently and did not bother to move a single muscle.
In contrast, Lin Feng, Ning Dao Ran, and Gu Pan swiftly came to stand in front of Yang Kai, surging their respective strength as they pushed their palms forward.
Lin Feng shouted, “Senior, please calm down!”
“Get out of my way, Juniors!” Zuo Quan Hui roared furiously. World Force flared and at the same time, he slammed his palm at Lin Feng and the others once each. His actions were as quick as lightning, but fortunately he was not completely blinded by his rage. His attacks might be overpowering but they were not meant to kill Lin Feng and the others.
*Hong hong hong…*
Lin Feng and the others quickly retreated backwards, their complexions deathly pale.
After repelling Lin Feng and the others, Zuo Quan Hui’s moves became much more violent. He reached out his large hand, like a claw that covered the entire sky.
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai.
“This is Yin-Yang Cave Heaven…” Xu Ling Gong stood there like a mountain, his clothes flapping wildly as his hair that was tied behind his head flew about. He lightly clenched one fist and slowly pushed it out, “Why are you acting so presumptuously?”
*Hong…*
There was a loud explosion and Xu Ling Gong’s figure slumped slightly. On the other hand, Zuo Quan Hui was forced several metres back through the air. Both were Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had advanced many years ago, so the difference in their strength was not very apparent. This exchange of blows had ended in a draw.
Zuo Quan Hui felt his rage surging. His most precious and prized Legacy Disciple had been killed; hence, his eyes were dyed red with rage. Even though Xu Ling Gong blocked his charge, he continued forward recklessly only to be stopped by Xu Ling Gong once more.
On the other hand, the Elders of Lin Feng and the other two received Divine Sense Messages from their Juniors. Although they were not certain about the exact situation inside the Prison Star, they could tell that these three were connected to Zhao Xing’s death. What’s more, the fact that Lin Feng and the others had stood up to stop Zuo Quan Hui made it difficult for them to remain on the sidelines.
Three Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters leaped forward and worked together with Xu Ling Gong to stop Zuo Quan Hui. One of them said, “Brother Zuo, calm down. Don’t embarrass yourself in front of the Juniors.”
“That’s right. Brother Zuo, stop for a moment. It’s not too late to act after getting the full story!”
Zuo Quan Hui was in a four-against-one situation, so how could he win? His several attempts were fruitless, so he was so furious that he roared. All of a sudden, his hostile gaze swept over Xu Ling Gong and the other three, “Are you all really going to stop me?”
Xu Ling Gong quickly said, “It is not that this Old Master wants to stop you, but rather that you are acting too outrageously! Don’t forget, this is Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, not Thousand Cranes Paradise!”
Zuo Quan Hui pointed at Yang Kai standing at the back, “That little bastard killed my Disciple!”
Xu Ling Gong snorted, “One is responsible for their own life during the Dao Theory Assembly! You should have been mentally prepared for Zhao Xing to be killed when you let him join!”
“Stop being a hypocrite! If your Disciple had been killed instead, you would not be spouting such nonsense!”
Xu Ling Gong replied,” My Disciple would not be such a waste!”
“You…” Zuo Quan Hui felt his rage ready to explode. The blood in his chest churned and a sweetness filled his throat, nearly causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood, “Xu Ling Gong, hand that brat to me and this Zuo will owe you a favour!”
Xu Ling Gong glanced back at Yang Kai, while Yang Kai just grinned back at him, looking so calm that it made his stomach sick. [Damn it! Isn’t this brat too good at causing trouble!? How could he dare to kill a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise!? Who gave him the courage!? If you’re going to kill him, then you should have made sure it couldn’t be traced back to you! Don’t let somebody catch hold of your weakness! This matter just had to be exposed here…]
For a time, Xu Ling Gong was not sure whether arranging for Yang Kai to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly had been worth it now. Still, he turned back and declared, “He came to participate in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly. His actions are within the rules of the Dao Theory Assembly, so Yin-Yang Cave Heaven will bear responsibility for the consequences!”
“You want to protect him, still?” Zuo Quan Hui shouted.
Xu Ling Gong glared at Zuo Quan Hui coldly, “You can’t touch him!”
Four eyes met as vague sparks filled the air.
After a long while, Zuo Quan Hui finally nodded, “Good. Let’s see how long you can protect him for then! I will remember this, boy. Sooner or later, this Monarch will twist your head off!”
While speaking, he came to Huang An Yi’s side and took Zhao Xing’s corpse with trembling hands. Following that, he soared into the sky and left. It was obvious that he did not wish to stay here for another moment longer.
Zuo Quan Hui’s Legacy Disciple had been killed, he had completely fallen out with Xu Ling Gong just now, and he was unable to kill his enemy who was right in front of him. It was no surprise that he was in no mood to stay.
Xu Ling Gong did not stop Zuo Quan Hui and simply watched until his figure disappeared out of sight before he coldly snorted, “Continue!”
With a leap of his figure, he returned to his seat. Likewise, the Elders of Lin Feng and the others also returned to their seats upon seeing that the situation had calmed down.
On the other hand, many participating cultivators in the palace square were looking at Yang Kai in horror. They might not have known what happened before, but how could they remain ignorant now? It turned out that Zhao Xing of Thousand Cranes Paradise had been killed.
Void Land’s Yang Kai… How could he be so bold?
Even the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters sitting on the stage were looking at Yang Kai with displeasure. Zhao Xing might be a member of Thousand Cranes Paradise, but throughout history, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always been staunch allies. If Yang Kai dared to kill Zhao Xing, then it meant that he dared to kill anyone. It was only natural that they found a person like that displeasing.
Ignoring all the strange looks from the crowd, Yang Kai continued to stand there motionlessly.
Lin Feng and the other two approached him once more while Ning Dao Ran sent him a Divine Sense Message, “Brother Yang, you must be careful in the future. Zuo Quan Hui is Zhao Xing’s Honoured Master and he will never let this matter go.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I know.”
It was precisely because of this that he wanted to silence the witnesses to his crime back then, but judging from the current situation, he might not have been able to kill every single one of them even if he attacked them at the time. These Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters all had their respective methods to protect themselves, so they were not that easy to kill and news would have leaked out eventually. Acting rashly would only have caused feuds with even more of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Following the return of those 100 or so people, the rainbow bridge became quiet once more.
Nobody else returned after that.
As a result, Elder Zhuo Bu Qun of Myriad Demons Heaven, Elder Yu Huan of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, and Elder Lu Zhen Yang of Azure Nether Paradise looked very solemn.
This couldn’t be helped as more than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had participated in the Dao Theory Assembly. Excluding Zhao Xing who was killed, all the others had basically returned except for the disciples of these three Sects.
The situation with Myriad Demons Heaven was not too bad as the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciple known as Mo Sheng had returned from the Prison Star and was currently standing quietly among the crowd.
Zhuo Bu Qun secretly sent a transmission and questioned Mo Sheng about the situation. Then, his expression became even more gloomy. He learned from Mo Sheng that Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao had been ambushed by many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison League and their fate was uncertain. Meanwhile, Mo Sheng was lucky enough to escape alive.
After waiting for another half an hour, Zhuo Bu Qun and the others could no longer sit still when they saw that nobody else was returning. The three of them pressured Xu Ling Gong to allow them to enter the Prison Star in person so that they could search for traces of Pei Wen Xuan, Yin Xin Zhao, and the others.
Xu Ling Gong reassured them repeatedly, all while murmuring to himself in his heart, [Those bastards on the Prison Star better not have been ignorant enough to dare to kill the Core Disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises!]
An unexpected incident had already occurred earlier, but only Zhao Xing had died in that incident. If Pei Wen Xuan and the others had died on the Prison Star as well, then the Dao Theory Assembly would turn into a huge disaster.
Xu Ling Gong could withstand the pressure from Thousand Cranes Paradise if it was alone, but if three more Sects were added things would become untenable. He would probably be punished by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as a result.
He secretly regretted his actions as it seemed he had overplayed his hand in this Dao Theory Assembly!
In order to appease Zhuo Bu Qun and the other Elders, he quickly sent Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui to the Prison Star to inquire about the situation. Those two rushed into the rainbow bridge and returned together not long afterwards.
Su Ying Xue whispered something in Xu Ling Gong’s ear which caused him to nod lightly. With his expression relaxed considerably, Xu Ling Gong turned around and said something to Zhuo Bu Qun and the others. Only then did Zhuo Bu Qun and the others calm down.
“Good. The Dao Theory Assembly ends here. You’ve all worked hard for the past year, so it is now time to examine the results. Let’s see who obtained the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly!” Xu Ling Gong sat upright in his chair and after his speech, he gave a slight wave of his hand.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples who had been prepared in advance flew down immediately and landed in the square. They each cast Secret Techniques to remove the golden wristbands around the participants’ wrists and record their achievements.
Compared with their original number, the surviving participants had been reduced by more than half, with those missing almost certainly having died on the Prison Star.
The Elders who brought their Juniors to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly couldn’t help looking sad and gloomy. Most of the Second-Class great forces had originally hoped to ride on the coattails of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and soar straight to success. That was why they had brought the most elite cultivators from their respective Sects to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly.
With the number of people who died on the Prison Star though, it could be said that their losses were heavy. But, who could have known that Xu Ling Gong would play such tricks during the Dao Theory Assembly that was only held to choose a Husband for Qu Hua Shang? It was too late for regrets now.
An incense stick later, all the scores had been counted with the golden wristbands having been retrieved and placed on a table in front of many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The dozen or so High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters swept a glance over the golden wristbands and quickly noticed the one with the most stars. The main reason was that the number of stars on this golden wristband was so high that the others couldn’t even compare. There was no need to search carefully at all.
“It looks like the top spot belongs to this person!” Xu Ling Gong chuckled, turning to look around him, “I wonder which Sect this Junior belongs to!”
Many of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters smiled reservedly as one of them said, “We’ll know once we check.”
In their opinion, it was impossible for their disciples to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven even if they took the top spot. They were forced to send their Core Disciples to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly, but it was simply to preserve everybody’s face.
Core Disciples who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were potential Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Who would willingly let go of such talents? As for how things would end if one of their Core Disciples obtained the top spot, it was bound to be an argument with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. In any case, they all had long lives, so bickering for several hundred or even thousands of years was not a problem. They could even use this kind of argument to relieve their boredom.
Xu Ling Gong smiled faintly. How could he not know what these people were thinking? Be that as it may, these Core Disciples had participated in the Dao Theory Assembly and would be named a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law if they won the top spot. How could he allow any objections or resistance? Even if he had to use force, he would make sure that the person remained here.
As such, he grabbed the golden wristband and looked inside it. Two large characters printed on the golden wristband entered his vision and the smile on his face abruptly stiffened.
[How… how can it be him?] Xu Ling Gong was absolutely stunned.
When the golden wristbands were being recovered, the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples in charge of recovering them were tasked with engraving the names of the participants onto them. Each golden wristband corresponded to only one person, so there could be no mistakes. In other words, the name and score recorded on this golden wristband was completely accurate.
“Brother Xu seems to have been met with quite a pleasant surprise.” The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master who spoke up earlier couldn’t help making a joke when he saw the strange expression on Xu Ling Gong’s face. At the same time, he glanced at the golden wristband in Xu Ling Gong’s hand and immediately looked stunned at the result. The two large characters on the golden wristband shone so brightly with a golden light that he nearly couldn’t open his eyes.
“Who is it? Who took the top spot?” Somebody else looked over curiously.
Everybody who saw the results couldn’t help falling silent and wrinkling their brow.
The reason why they sent their Core Disciples to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly was to prevent this exact situation, but contrary to their expectations, their efforts proved fruitless even though more than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had participated.
Su Ying Xue and Qing Kui, who had been standing behind Xu Ling Gong all this time, saw the two large characters on the golden wristband from the beginning.
[Yang Kai!?] They couldn’t help feeling absolutely shocked!
Moreover, the number of stars on this golden wristband was almost twice that of the second place, so there was no comparison. This result was simply overwhelming!
[He took the top spot?] They exchanged a glance with each other, feeling a little incredulous.
Yang Kai might also be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but his background was nothing special. He did not have any Elders teaching him or providing him with resources, artifacts, or powerful techniques. Therefore, there should be a huge gap between him and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Now, however, it seemed it was the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises who were very far behind him…
When they allowed Yang Kai to enter the Dao Theory Assembly, neither Xu Ling Gong, Su Ying Xue, nor Qing Kui held many expectations for him. Xu Ling Gong’s original intention was only to muddy the waters of the Dao Theory Assembly with the help of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai. They never imagined that they would stumble upon such fortune!
Su Ying Xue came back to her senses and immediately sent a message to Qu Hua Shang, who was waiting for news. When she told Qu Hua Shang about the results, she could only imagine how happy her Junior Sister would be.
It was just that the current atmosphere was a little strange.
Many participants standing below, including the Elders of the great forces who led their teams here were eagerly waiting for Xu Ling Gong to announce the results. However, Xu Ling Gong and the dozen or so High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters fell into an eerie silence.
Nevertheless, Xu Ling Gong quickly came back to his senses. It might be unexpected, but the result that came out was not something he could not accept.
Holding up the golden wristband in his hand and revealing the two large characters to the crowd, he raised his voice and announced, “The winner of the Dao Theory Assembly is Void Land’s Yang Kai!”
As soon as that statement came out, everybody turned to look at Yang Kai, again.
Lin Feng cupped his fist, “Congratulations.”
Likewise, Ning Dao Ran and Gu Pan also congratulated Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was not sure how to respond. Although he knew that he would obtain the top spot with no issues, winning first place in the Dao Theory Assembly meant that he would become a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law. In other words, he would have to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
[But, I don’t want to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven! Besides, how am I supposed to explain this to Su Yan and the others?] For a time, Yang Kai suffered a headache and gastric pains.
“Many thanks for coming from afar to participate in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly. This event has ended on a successful note. In three days, this Monarch will hold a banquet. Please be sure to show up!” Xu Ling Gong announced.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Second-Class great forces quickly responded to his invitation while one of the Elders from the Cave Heavens and Paradises stood up, “Brother Xu, there is something I need to attend to back in the Sect. I’m afraid I won’t be able to participate in the banquet. Let’s meet again in the future.”
After saying that, he summoned his disciples and soared into the sky.
Xu Ling Gong did not stop them.
Similarly, the other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters slowly got up one after another to leave with their respective disciples. It did not take long before only the Elders of Myriad Demons Heaven, Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, and Azure Nether Paradise remained. They wanted to leave, but their disciples were still on the Prison Star, so they couldn’t depart even if they wanted to.
They glanced at each other with helpless expressions on their faces. The result of the Dao Theory Assembly could be said to have embarrassed all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Outsiders would not think too much once the results of this event got out. All they would know was that Void Land’s Yang Kai had suppressed more than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises to come out on top and win the Dao Theory Assembly.
“Junior Brother Yang, please rest here for now. I need to help Honoured Master handle the rest of the Dao Theory Assembly, then I’ll come and speak with you.” After Qing Kui led Yang Kai to the reception hall on a certain Spirit Peak, he patted Yang Kai on the shoulder. His attitude was undoubtedly more affectionate compared to before.
Yang Kai had taken the top spot and could now be considered a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law. With this status set in stone, it was not strange that Qing Kui’s attitude would change with a connection like that. Qing Kui might not have imagined such an outcome at first, but it was what Qu Hua Shang had been hoping for, so as her Senior Brother, he was happy for her.
“Please go ahead, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai cupped his fist lightly.
Qing Kui winked at Yang Kai, “Don’t you dare mess around!”
“What?” Yang Kai was flabbergasted.
However, Qing Kui had already turned around and left.
Watching Qing Kui’s figure disappearing out of sight, Yang Kai finally shook his head before he turned around and walked towards the palace. There were maidservants elegantly bowing to him on both sides who all gave a crisp greeting, “Greetings, Young Master.”
These Yin-Yang Cave Heaven maidservants were all in the Emperor Realm; moreover, their figures and appearances were far above average. Their slim waists and ample peaks were very eye-catching.
Yang Kai gave a non-committal response, but just as he was about to enter the palace, his gaze suddenly landed on a certain maidservant and he failed to stifle his laughter, “Senior Sister Qu, what are you doing here?”
The ‘maidservant’ had her head lowered so that her hair covered her face, but even though she was trying hard to disguise herself, how could she hide from his keen eyes?
Qu Hua Shang looked up and smiled at him when he saw through her ruse and quipped, “Have I been discovered?”
While speaking, she walked over and reached out to hold his arm. Her ample bosom pressed against his arm without hesitation as she murmured sweetly, “You’ve worked hard, Junior Brother.”
He smiled, “It’s nothing.”
There was really nothing difficult about the Dao Theory Assembly for Yang Kai, as with his current strength, there was basically nothing on the Prison Star that could endanger him as long as he was not besieged by the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison League.
Qu Hua Sheng then instructed the rest of the maidservants, “My fiancé has worked hard for a whole year. Prepare the scented bath!”
“Yes!” The maidservants around them quickly responded.
A short while later, a huge bath was filled with warm water. Colourful flower petals floated on the surface while little waves made the water sparkle and steam permeated the air.
Yang Kai leaned against the wall of the bath and soaked his body in the water. This scented bath was probably filled with all sorts of expensive Spirit Herbs that had the effect of relieving fatigue and relaxing the spirit. There might not have been any danger on the Prison Star, but it was quite tiring after spending a year there; hence, his fatigue was greatly relieved at this moment.
Yang Kai was generally not one to enjoy such luxuries; however, he simply went with the flow since Qu Hua Shang had made these arrangements for him.
Suddenly, the sound of fine footsteps rang out. Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and saw several slender figures slowly walking towards him through the hazy steam filling the air.
Waving his hand dismissively, Yang Kai declared, “Stop. I don’t need your service!”
Those people ignored his instructions, however, and continued walking over. When they drew closer, Yang Kai discovered that these maidservants were only dressed in gauze that was as thin as a cicada’s wings. Their most precious places gleamed in and out of sight amidst the steam. They lowered their heads and entered the water lightly with slightly blushing faces. Disregarding whether he approved or not, they pressed against him from both sides and carefully helped to wash his body for him.
The situation left Yang Kai absolutely uncomfortable, and just as he was about to leap out, he suddenly heard a peal of giggling and charming laughter, “Junior Brother, are you feeling shy?”
The voice came from behind him, and leaning his head back, he looked up and saw Qu Hua Shang crouching in front of him, smiling down at him. The beautiful womanly scenery under her skirt was faintly discernible, so he could only withdraw his gaze speechlessly and mutter, “Senior Sister, what are you doing?”
Qu Hua Shang reached out her hand and made a light sliding movement. Slowly stroking her fingers over his firm chest, she murmured softly, “I heard you speak so eloquently about the Yin-Yang Union Cultivation in the past, so I thought you were a veteran of such matters. It turns out that you were just talking big.”
“Senior Sister, be careful when playing with fire, you might accidentally burn yourself. Most people won’t be able to withstand my passion once this Junior Brother gets started.” Yang Kai closed his eyes slightly and suddenly understood why Qing Kui told him not to mess around before leaving.
Qu Hua Shang giggled softly, “Go ahead and burn with passion. These girls can help you put out that fire if you’re willing.”
The maidservants helping him wash his body on both sides flushed even redder.
Meanwhile, Qu Hua Shang leaned down lightly and exhaled an orchid scent next to his ear, “Junior Brother, can you really hold yourself back? After this, I’m going to be cultivating in retreat for 100 years. You can devour every single person here if you want, including me.”
Yang Kai grabbed her small hands that were wandering across his chest and declared, “Senior Sister, stop fooling around.”
In response, she pouted, “How boring.”
Releasing her hand, he asked one question in concern, “Senior Sister, do you really have to cultivate in retreat for 100 years?”
She nodded, “That’s right. This is supposed to be one of the methods for the Sect to protect me. Since it has been announced to the public, we cannot fake it. But, it doesn’t matter. It will only be for 100 years. I’ve only just advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm anyway, so this is actually perfect for me to carefully consolidate my cultivation.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I’m glad you think so, Senior Sister.”
He couldn’t help feeling slightly relieved. These 100 years could be considered a buffering period. Although he had won the top spot in the Dao Theory Assembly and was now a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law in name, many things could change in a century. Qu Hua Shang might have different ideas by the time she comes out of her seclusion.
After Yang Kai was bathed and dressed by the maidservants, he thoroughly learned how passionate a woman from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven could be. Throughout the entire process, Qu Hua Shang not only showed no intention to shy away but watched everything with great interest.
However, Qu Hua Shang did not stay for long because Su Ying Xue soon rushed over to take her away. Before they left, Su Ying Xue even threw a fierce and dirty glare at Yang Kai that made him feel like he was wronged.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Three days later, Xu Ling Gong hosted a banquet for all the representatives of the great forces who participated in the Dao Theory Assembly. The banquet was held on the open-air platform of a wondrous Spirit Peak, making for a grand and lively scene.
Yang Kai had been magnificently dressed up by Yin-Yang Cave Heaven in festive red robes, to the point that those who didn’t know better would have thought that he was getting married today.
In addition, he was seated in the first spot to the left and below Xu Ling Gong’s seat.
Young girls sang and danced in the square, showing off their beauty to the fullest. Plate after plate of delicacies were presented to the table while precious vintage wine emitted a charming fragrance. The atmosphere of the banquet was lively as Masters from various Great Territories weaved about the crowd and exchanged drinks with each other.
Such a large-scale gathering was rare across the whole 3,000 Worlds. Although many of their disciples suffered disastrous defeat and even death in the process, this was still an opportunity for these people to build relationships with other great forces and open up new opportunities for their own Sects. Therefore, except for the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who left early, everybody else was basically in attendance.
Yang Kai looked at Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao sitting opposite him, feeling absolutely speechless!
After being ambushed by the Prison League, Yang Kai had used his Space Principles to escape along with Hui Gu, Lu Jing, and Wu Kuang, leaving Pei Wen Xuan and Yin Xin Zhao behind.
Yang Kai thought that those two would definitely end up dead, but who could have known that they would survive?
[What is wrong with the Prison League? Why didn’t they kill them!?] Yang Kai frowned slightly and quietly sent a transmission to Qing Kui to ask about the situation. Only then did he learn the entire story.
The truth was that the Prison League had not killed Yin Xin Zhao or Pei Wen Xuan. Additionally, they even caught another Core Disciple from Azure Nether Paradise later.
Even Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch knew that the Core Disciples from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises could not be killed at will as doing so would surely invite the wrath of the Cave Heavens and Paradises!
If that were to happen, they might not enjoy a peaceful life even if they hid away on the Prison Star. It was a better choice to capture those people alive to use them as bargaining chips to negotiate with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
The final result of the negotiations was that the Prison League would return the three Core Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. In return, three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Prison League would be freed. This was similar to what Xu Ling Gong promised from the very beginning where the Prison Star criminals could earn their freedom as long as they killed enough participants.
Needless to say, a negotiation between two parties required leverage. Prison League had used the three Core Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises as their bargaining chips. This situation distressed Zhuo Bu Qun and the other Elders so much that they nearly spat blood.
Although Zhuo Bu Qun, Yu Huan, and Lu Zhen Yang joined forces to pressure Xu Ling Gong into agreeing to the Prison League’s demands, how could somebody like Xu Ling Gong accept such demands so casually?
Moreover, the three people caught by the Prison League were not Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples, so their lives had nothing to do with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. However, it was still true that their lives hung on a single thought from Xu Ling Gong.
In the end, the three Cave Heavens and Paradises were forced to pay a huge price and only then did Xu Ling Gong relent and pardon the crimes of three Prison League Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. By doing so, they finally got Yin Xin Zhao and the others back in exchange.
As for what price the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to pay, even Qing Kui did not know. That was the result of a secret discussion between Xu Ling Gong, Zhuo Bu Qun, and the other High-Rank Elders.
A total of four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a dozen others below the Sixth-Order from the Prison League had received their freedom. Aside from the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who received special pardons from Xu Ling Gong, the rest had accumulated enough stars to obtain their freedom themselves. Among them included the Prison League’s League Master, Huang Quan!
Huang Quan had personally killed Zhuang Wei of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, earning him an astonishing 67 stars in an instant. Such achievements were enough for him to escape the Prison Star.
After knowing the truth of the matter, Yang Kai could barely stifle his laughter. There was nothing he could say about the transaction that Xu Ling Gong made as it was practically a free deal. No wonder Zhuo Bu Qun and the others had such ugly expressions during the banquet. It was obvious that they were hurting from being bled dry.
[It’s just a pity… I originally wanted to murder with a borrowed knife. In the end, my plans failed thanks to the Prison League’s petty greed.]
There was no doubt that the protagonist of today’s banquet was Yang Kai. As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law, countless people should have come to offer him a toast on their own initiative. This was not out of consideration for him, but rather to honour the prestige of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven and Xu Ling Gong!
However, the truth was that he simply sat there unnoticed.
It was not that the participating Open Heaven Realm Masters were being disdainful, it was just that they were afraid of Thousand Cranes Paradise. Zhao Xing had been killed by Yang Kai, so even though Xu Ling Gong had relied on his advantage as host in this place to forcefully suppress Zuo Quan Hui who led the team from Thousand Cranes Paradise, everybody knew that Thousand Cranes Paradise would never let this matter rest. They might be targeted by Thousand Cranes Paradise if they went up to congratulate Yang Kai at a time like this, so who would dare to be so bold?