In the middle of the wilderness, the stench of blood filled the air. A calf-sized Beast corpse lay in a pool of blood. Meanwhile, seven or eight bony Earth Wolves gnawed away at the flesh of their prey and devoured their food greedily. This was a perfect hunt. Under the command of the Alpha Wolf, this small group of Earth Wolves had finally obtained a chance to fill their stomachs after starving for half a month.
The Alpha Wolf, who was much larger than the other Earth Wolves, had already eaten his fill and at this moment, he was lying lazily by the side and licking his front paw that had been injured earlier. All of a sudden, his ears stood up alertly. His golden eyes were fixed on a certain point in the space in front of it. The area in that direction was twisted and distorted. Furthermore, pitch-black lines abruptly appeared in the area like cracks that had been torn open.
An uneasy feeling rose in the Alpha Wolf’s heart and he slowly got to his feet, baring his fangs and growling in that direction. The other Earth Wolves snapping for food looked over in unison and a series of wolf howls rang out one after another in the next moment.
The pitch-black cracks interweaved with each other, moving faster and faster. Then, a strange force suddenly erupted from within and four figures eerily appeared out of nowhere in the vision of the Earth Wolves.
A huge black hole that emitted the chaotic aura of nothingness appeared behind these four people, but under the effects of the local World Principles, the black hole was quickly sealed shut again.
The golden pupils of the Alpha Wolf contracted sharply, becoming the size of needlepoints. He let out a low howl before he turned and fled. At that moment, his beastly instincts allowed him to sense the threat of death. Thus, the Earth Wolves fled swiftly across the wilderness and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai and the three others suddenly emerged, only Yang Kai stood there without much of a reaction. The other three, including Hua Rong, were very pale. Covering their mouths with their hands, they ran to the side and bent over to vomit out everything in their stomachs!
Experiencing teleportation for the first time was not a glorious feeling. The feeling of tearing space, then travelling through the chaotic Void, was akin to the sensation of one’s body being broken down into countless tiny pieces and then recombined once more.
Yang Kai had witnessed this scene in front of him many times, so he was unsurprised by it. Hua Rong and the others were not considered weak in the Divine Armament World, but they were not nearly strong enough to withstand the effects of teleportation. If not for his protection, they would have been sliced to pieces by the Void Turbulence.
Turning to look back at the pitch-black cracks that were rapidly sealing together, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The World Principles here were far stronger than he imagined.
Several years had passed since he first arrived in the Divine Armament World, and his cultivation was now in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. The power of his Dragon Vein had also been greatly stimulated during this period. Aside from strengthening his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai mainly cultivated the Dao of Space over the past year. He was uncertain whether it was due to the limitation of his cultivation, but his progress in the Dao of Space was very unsatisfactory, and many of his Space Secret Techniques could not be used.
Nevertheless, he was titled Void Great Emperor in the Star Boundary thanks to his accomplishments in the Dao of Space, so he was still capable of displaying its brilliance even though he was in the Divine Armament World. At the very least, escaping from Old Man Qi was not an issue.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Profound Pill Sect had planned the incident involving Void Spirit Sword Sect. First, they lured him back to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Then, they arranged for Old Man Qi and two other Spirit Realm Masters to ambush him…
If his guess was correct, then Profound Pill Sect must have figured out that he had nothing to do with his fabricated Master; otherwise, there was no reason for them to do something like this.
Fortunately, Wu Zheng Qi had mentioned that the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect had been relocated and resettled in Profound Pill City approximately half a month ago without any casualties. That being the case, Yang Kai would need to return to Profound Pill Sect regardless of anything else.
[My cultivation in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm is a little lacking. Now that I have one year’s worth of accumulation and precipitation, it’s time to advance into the Spirit Realm.]
“Just now…” Hua Rong walked over with a pale complexion, her face practically colourless as she asked, “What happened? Where are Old Man Qi and the others?”
“We shook them off!” Yang Kai responded casually and looked around his surroundings and did not know where they were. Although he could use Space Principles to an extent in this place, he could not control them with precision. That was why he could not guarantee his landing location or distance traveled. Randomly choosing a direction, he beckoned towards the others, “Let’s go. Let’s find somebody to ask for directions.”
Hua Rong remained confused. She could not understand how they managed to shake off the pursuit of three powerful Spirit Realm Masters. Following Yang Kai, she came to stand beside Yang Huai and reached out to poke him in the waist as she asked quietly, “Hey, big guy! Do you know what happened just now?”
Yang Huai’s expression was cold and he said nothing.
She snapped, “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf!?”
He lowered his head to look at her, his expression becoming more and more troubled.
Hua Rong became puzzled and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I… need to throw up again!” After saying that, he rushed to the side and retched again.
…..
After walking for less than an hour, the group came across a small village. Hua Rong went ahead to ask for information and it didn’t take long before she returned and pointed in a certain direction, “Heavenly Martial City is in that direction!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and looked at her, “Can you fly?”
She pointed at her colourless small face, “Do you think I can fly in this state? I barely have the strength to walk right now!”
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words and nodded, “Then, let’s find a place to stay for the night.”
None of them had any objections, so they quickly found a place to set up camp. Yang Huai hunted a roe dear; and after that, the four of them lit a bonfire and roasted something simple to fill their now mostly empty stomachs.
After resting for a night, they finally recovered their strength.
An hour after sunup, Yang Kai and the three others arrived at Heavenly Martial City and landed directly in front of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Many of the guards at the City Lord’s Mansion immediately reacted as though they were facing a formidable enemy. Heavenly Martial City was quite prosperous, and there were many Heaven Realm Masters in the city; even so, Hua Rong’s unconcealed aura clearly indicated that she was a Spirit Realm Master. The guards couldn’t help being fearful of her as a result. How could they dare to act rashly before figuring out the reason for the arrival of Yang Kai and the others?
The City Lord of Heavenly Martial City, Miao Hong, soon received the news and came forward to check out the situation. As soon as he saw Yang Kai, he was stunned, “Alchemist Yang?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “City Lord Miao, it’s been a long time!”
“It really is you, Alchemist Yang!” Miao Hong laughed loudly, “What a rare guest!”
Waving his hands widely, he scolded the guards around him, “Disperse! Disperse! How can you all have eyes but fail to see!? He is a Heaven-Grade Alchemist from Profound Pill Sect! What do you think you’re doing!?”
When the guards saw this situation, they immediately understood that these people were acquaintances of the City Lord. Thus, they couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief and scattering back to their posts.
Meanwhile, Miao Hong enthusiastically came forward, “Alchemist Yang, it’s been several years, but your noble bearing remains unchanged!”
“You praise me too much, City Lord Miao.” Yang Kai smiled in greeting, “Please forgive me for coming without invitation.”
Miao Hong smilingly replied, “You are my saviour, Alchemist Yang. I’ve yet to thank you properly for what you did for me back then. This Miao is absolutely thrilled by your arrival. How can I be upset with you? Come! Let’s talk inside.”
It might be that he was grateful for the saving grace he received in the past or that he wanted to strengthen their friendly relations, but regardless, Miao Hong was extremely hospitable. He initially wanted to host a huge banquet to welcome Yang Kai, but to his disappointment, the latter was in no mood for pleasantries and politely declined.
Inside a reception room, Yang Kai sternly said, “I came here because I have something to ask of you, City Lord Miao.”
Upon hearing this, Miao Hong patted his chest loudly, “Please feel free to speak, Alchemist Yang. As long as it is within this Miao’s abilities, this Miao will not refuse!”
“I want to borrow some Red Jades from you, City Lord!” Yang Kai declared.
“No problem. How many do you need, Alchemist Yang?” Miao Hong immediately agreed. His answer was very straightforward.
“How many do you have?” Yang Kai countered with another question.
Miao Hong was flabbergasted by the question, but he quickly realised that the amount Yang Kai needed might be enormous.
Then again, Yang Kai was now a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. That was not all; he was an extremely well-known Heaven-Grade Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect. He would not be lacking in funds; therefore, he would not borrow money from Miao Hong if it were a small amount.
After pondering for some time, Miao Hong finally answered, “To be honest, this Miao has never taken an inventory of how many Red Jades there are in Heavenly Martial City. I don’t know if I can satisfy your needs, Alchemist Yang. Why don’t we do this instead? Come with me to the treasure vault. All the resources in Heavenly Martial City are stored there!”
Yang Kai did not refuse. He nodded and said, “En.”
Miao Hong gestured politely and walked ahead to lead the way.
Along the way, Yang Kai asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why I need so many Red Jades, City Lord Miao?”
Miao Hong laughed, “You are famous now, Alchemist Yang. Even this Miao who lives in Heavenly Martial City year-round has heard your name. You’re a walking billboard among the Heaven-Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect! Alchemist Yang, you came to borrow from this Miao because you think highly of this Miao. If it is within this Miao’s abilities, I will surely help you to the best of my abilities! As for what you plan to do, that’s your business.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Rest assured, City Lord Miao. For everything that I borrow from you today, I will surely reward you handsomely!”
Miao Hong chuckled, “We’ll talk about the future when the future comes! We’re here!”
Needless to say, the treasure vault of Heavenly Martial City was very heavily defended. There were several layers of guards protecting the place both overtly and covertly along the way. It was just that City Lord Miao Hong himself was leading the way, so these guards did not dare to stop them.
When Miao Hong opened the gates of the treasure vault, a strong wave of Spirit Qi immediately poured out.
Yang Kai stepped inside and immediately saw several small mountains of Red Jades. There were at least 2 or 3 million pieces in this place.
Thinking about it, it was not that strange. Back then, Miao Hong had readily given Yang Kai 200,000 pieces of Red Jades in order to thank him for his help. How could he afford to be so generous if he did not have the backing of immense wealth?
Aside from the Red Jades, there were also tons of Spirit Flowers, exotic herbs, and strange ores. All the wealth accumulated by Heavenly Martial City over the years was currently stored inside this treasure vault.
“Take a look, Alchemist Yang. Is this enough Red Jade?” Miao Hong asked with a smile.
“It’s enough!” Yang Kai nodded, “I will need to enter retreat for a few days. Please make the necessary arrangements, City Lord.”
Miao Hong nodded, “Good. Go ahead and enter retreat in peace, Alchemist Yang. This Miao guarantees that nobody will come and disturb you during this period.”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai cupped his fist. Immediately after that, he issued some instructions to Hua Rong and Yang Huai.
With a loud rumble, the doors of the treasure vault closed. Hua Rong and Yang Huai stood on both sides of the entrance and even Wan Ying Ying stood nearby, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open and remain vigilant of her surroundings.
Glancing at the closed gates of the treasure vault, Miao Hong smacked his lips and asked Hua Rong, “What is Alchemist Yang’s current cultivation?”
Hua Rong glanced sideways at him, “Why are you asking so many questions?”
The aggressive reply left him unable to catch his breath. Unfortunately, she was a Spirit Realm Master, so while he might be a City Lord, Miao Hong did not dare to make a fool of himself in front of Hua Rong. He could only smile flatteringly in response.
Wan Ying Ying probably couldn’t bear to continue watching. Her Eldest Senior Brother was borrowing the other party’s land and Red Jades after all, which was why she spoke up softly from the side, “Eldest Senior Brother is currently in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm!”
Even though he had guessed as much, Miao Hong couldn’t help gasping at those words.
When they first met, Yang Kai had only been in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm at the time. Only four years or so had passed since then, but Yang Kai was already in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm! That was the same as Miao Hong himself! Even if Heaven-Grade Alchemists did not lack for pills to aid in their cultivation, the speed at which Yang Kai grew was terrifying.
Miao Hong had never heard of anybody who could advance from the Ninth-Step Earth Realm to the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm in such a short time. Seeing as Yang Kai not only came here to borrow Red Jades, but also to enter retreat, it was obvious that he was planning to break through into the Spirit Realm!
[The Spirit Realm… I’ve been yearning for that Realm for so many years!] Miao Hong had been stuck in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm for a long time. His accumulation had reached its peak, so all he lacked was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes immediately brightened. He had helped Yang Kai to advance into the Spirit Realm. If everything went smoothly, Yang Kai would surely become a Spirit Realm Alchemist. Therefore, it would not be too difficult to ask Yang Kai to refine a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for him when the time came!
[The key for me to advance into the Spirit Realm might just lie with him!]
…..
Inside Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with the small mountain of Red Jades piled up beside him and focused his mind. A long while passed before he took out a small jade box.
As soon as he opened the jade box, a longan-sized pill entered his view. This tiny pill had cost him 10,000 contribution points. More importantly, it was the key to advancing into the Spirit Realm! It was a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!
Half a year ago, Yang Kai purchased a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for Hua Rong when she needed to advance into the Spirit Realm. Considering that he would definitely need one in the future, he had also prepared one for himself.
In any case, he did not lack contribution points in Profound Pill Sect. Having contributed various pill recipes and other Alchemy-related knowledge over the past few years. By now, he had accumulated more than 100,000 contribution points in the Contribution Hall.
It would seem that his actions at the time had been a wise choice; otherwise, he would be stuck trying to figure out a way to refine the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill at this moment.
Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. He simultaneously activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and his entire body immediately transformed into a black hole that devoured everything around him. The Spirit Qi contained within the Red Jades piled up inside the vault was pulled by an irresistible force and gathered inside his body.
His flesh squirmed, his meridians swelled, and the Spirit Qi accumulated inside his body became larger and larger as a result. At the same time, crackling sounds rang out incessantly as the Red Jades quickly ran out of energy and turned into dust.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai’s entire body swelled up massively as his clothes and his black hair flapped wildly around him. In the short span of half an hour, he had already consumed as many as 100,000 pieces of Red Jade. Moreover, this was just the beginning!
More and more pieces of Red Jades were drained clean with the passing of time. The meridians below his flesh squirmed like earthworms, looking extremely terrifying.
It felt as though there were invisible shackles in his body, but under the continuous impact of the massive amounts of Spirit Qi, these shackles were constantly showing signs of loosening. A faint blood mist permeated the air, lingering around the sides of his body.
At this time, Yang Kai was very glad that he had spent an extra year strengthening his Dragon Vein after reaching the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. If he had advanced directly into the Spirit Realm without any forethought back then, his body might not have been able to withstand such violent force.
The power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was terrifying beyond imagination. Not to mention, this power would increase with the improvement of one’s cultivation. Without a strong enough body as support, it would be impossible to support the influx of so much power all at once. Even at this moment, Yang Kai could feel various aches and pains all over his body, and there was no need to even look to know how many injuries he had sustained during this breakthrough.
Ignoring everything, Yang Kai continued to circulate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and devoured the energy within the surrounding Red Jades without pause. Following the consumption of many Red Jades, he felt himself coming closer and closer to the barrier.
At a certain moment, a shout came from outside the door. It was followed by several loud crashes mixed with low groans. Immediately after that, the gates of the treasure vault shattered apart and an old man slowly walked inside the treasure vault amidst the flying rubble, his hands behind his back. Snorting, he shouted, “Don’t be so presumptuous!”
When he lifted his gaze and looked forward, his eyes immediately contracted and his expression filled with horror! Even with his experience and knowledge, he had never seen such a bizarre sight before.
Yang Kai was sitting down cross-legged inside the treasure vault with a thick blood mist lingering around his body. Nobody knew what kind of strange Secret Art he was cultivating, but more importantly, there was a frenzy of energy gathered around his body. The energy turmoil was absolutely terrifying, almost as if the oceans themselves were all boiling!
Another person followed closely behind the old man and walked into the room. Similarly, he soon froze in shock.
These two were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi. Yang Kai had disappeared from right in front of them yesterday. A search of their surroundings might have been to no avail, but they did not give up so easily; after all, they had received orders to bring Yang Kai back alive. There was no reasonable explanation for their empty-handed return if they gave up just like that.
After a brief discussion, they sent the other Spirit Realm Master back to report to Profound Pill Sect while the two of them, Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi, continued to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts.
While passing through the vicinity of Heavenly Martial City, the two of them sensed an unusual Spirit Qi fluctuation and immediately came over to investigate the situation only to encounter Hua Rong and the others who were standing guard outside the treasure vault.
Never had they expected to be so lucky as to find Yang Kai’s whereabouts so easily. Even though Hua Rong and the others had tried to stop them, what could a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Master do against Old Man Qi? They were easily knocked aside by the old man with a few casual moves.
When Old Man Qi entered the treasure vault, he was greeted by the scene in front of him.
Wu Zheng Qi was taken aback for a moment, “Old Qi, Alchemist Yang seems to be advancing into the Spirit Realm…”
Old Man Qi nodded almost imperceptibly and said lightly, “Let’s wait.”
Old Man Qi did not attack immediately. The order Baili Yun Sang gave him was to bring Yang Kai back alive, and if he attacked now, Yang Kai’s breakthrough would inevitably be disturbed. Yang Kai would die on the spot if he were distracted at such a critical moment, which was why Old Man Qi did not dare to take such risks.
As Baili Yun Sang’s personal Blood Warrior, Old Man Qi was well aware that Yang Kai’s existence was very important to Profound Pill Sect; furthermore, Yang Kai would only be useful alive. A dead man had no value.
Fortunately, they did not need to wait long. In less than an hour’s time, a powerful aura erupted from within Yang Kai’s body and a shockwave that was visible to the naked eye spread out in all directions. Everything in the treasure vault was thrown into disarray as a result.
Both the expressions of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi sank slightly. They had never seen such a violent and imposing breakthrough before.
The blood mist suddenly dispersed, and Yang Kai abruptly jerked his eyes open. His eyes were scarlet and contained a deep-seated evil, as if they could penetrate space to look into the essence of everything in the world.
“Just what kind of Evil Art did you cultivate!?” Old Man Qi shouted the question with a frown. At this moment, Yang Kai gave him a completely different feeling from usual.
A malevolent aura lingered around Yang Kai, making him seem like a Wild Beast that had finally obtained freedom after being trapped for many years and was hungry to devour its prey. He seemed like a completely different person compared to his usual demeanour.
Yang Kai ignored Old Man Qi, looked down at his hands, and clenched his fists lightly. It felt as though the entire world was in the palm of his hands when he slowly closed his fist.
Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, stop going down the wrong path. Please follow us back to the Sect.”
Yang Kai looked up at Wu Zheng Qi. The corner of his lips lifted slightly, revealing a sinister smile, “The one going down the wrong path is you!”
Wu Zheng Qi frowned, “Alchemist Yang, are you suffering from cultivation dissonance?”
Yang Kai’s current state felt very wrong to him.
“No! I’m perfectly fine! I’ve never been better!” While speaking, Yang Kai slowly stood up and took a deep breath. An enraptured expression appeared on his face, “Power is truly delightful!”
Old Man Qi’s expression darkened, “He is probably suffering from cultivation dissonance. Don’t waste time talking to him! Capture him!”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded lightly and shouted, “Alchemist Yang, please forgive me!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body shot towards Yang Kai like an arrow, unsheathing his blade and slashing down as he approached!
The blade in his hand was a Spirit Armament. As the Vice Hall Master of Profound Pill Sect’s the Divine Flame Hall and a Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master, it was only natural that he qualified to wield a Spirit Armament.
The blade light was blinding as Wu Zheng Qi poured his lifelong cultivation into this slash. Regardless of whether it was the angle of the blade or the timing of his attack, both were impeccable. He was confident he could split a mountain with this single stroke.
At that moment, Old Man Qi’s shout suddenly entered his ears, “Watch out!”
Before Wu Zheng Qi could figure out what was happening, his vision blurred all of a sudden. Yang Kai appeared in front of him without any warning. Immediately after that, an overwhelming and terrifying force came from the front. His figure halted for a moment in mid-air, and then he was violently thrown backwards.
*Hong…*
A loud rumbling crash rang out as Wu Zheng Qi did not know how many walls he smashed through before he stopped skidding backward. A path of destroyed buildings was left in his wake.
Using his blade to push against the ground, he managed to climb to a half-kneeling position with some difficulty. A mouthful of blood surged up from the back of his throat. Opening his mouth, he vomited blood. The Spirit Qi in his body was extremely agitated and the hand with which he held his sword was bloody and trembling uncontrollably. Even the muscles along his arm had burst open.
An inexplicable sense of terror flooded his heart, and his eyes widened as far as they could. It was not until this moment that he realised Yang Kai had seriously injured him in a single move!
That terrifying force that struck him and the unstoppable invasion of Spirit Qi nearly made Wu Zheng Qi think that he was facing a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master rather than a newly-advanced one!
*Hong hong hong…*
A series of explosions sounded, and every single one was accompanied by a violent eruption of Sword Qi. Wu Zheng Qi looked up and saw a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Old Man Qi was a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, but he was clearly being suppressed by Yang Kai in the sky! Every time sword light flashed, fresh blood was drawn!
Wu Zheng Qi wore a horrified expression on his face. The scene in front of him was even harder to accept than the fact that he had been heavily injured by Yang Kai in one move. He had just personally witnessed Yang Kai advancing into the Spirit Realm; in other words, Yang Kai was only in the First-Step Spirit Realm. Be that as it may, the strength displayed by this First-Step Spirit Realm Master was beyond his ability to comprehend.
[Is he even Human!?]
Yang Kai’s figure flitted about erratically, and despite Wu Zheng Qi’s sharp eyesight, he could barely keep track of him. Sword lights flashed continuously, and every blow contained terrifying power. Even Old Man Qi, who was in the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm, had great trouble parrying those attacks.
Wu Zheng Qi had never seen such a novel method of fighting in all his years of cultivation. Moreover… it came from an Alchemist!
In his impression, few Alchemists in the world would study the Martial Dao even if they had impressive cultivation. That was because they spent most of their energy and time on the Alchemic Dao. Besides, their cultivation was basically nurtured through the use of pills; after all, the main reason they improved their cultivation at all was simply to perform better in Alchemy.
In this way, the strength that an Alchemist could generally exert often did not match their cultivation. An Alchemist in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm might not win in battle even if their opponent was several Steps weaker than them. It was precisely because of this consideration that the Blood Warrior Hall existed in Profound Pill Sect and why wandering Alchemists recruited bodyguards to protect themselves.
However, the exact opposite was true when it came to Yang Kai. Every punch and every kick was delivered with unparalleled precision and vicious power. It was impossible to achieve this level of combat sense without being immersed in the way of killing for hundreds of years. That being said, how old was Yang Kai!? He was only 18 years old when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, which meant he was only slightly past 20 this year! Where did he get such extensive fighting experience!?
All of a sudden, Wu Zheng Qi recalled something. When Yang Kai and Wei Cheng formed a feud with each other over an incident in the Divine Flame Cave, both of them agreed to fight on the Martial Methods Stage. In the second round, Yang Kai had personally fought against one of Wei Cheng’s bodyguards who was in the Heaven Realm and the bodyguard had been knocked off the Martial Methods Stage in a single move.
At the time, Wu Zheng Qi simply assumed that Yang Kai had launched a sneak attack and the Heaven Realm bodyguard had been caught off guard. It would now seem that Yang Kai had already revealed his extraordinary talent in fighting back then, and his strength had only been exponentially magnified with the improvement of his cultivation. At this point, he was definitely the strongest Alchemist in the entire Divine Armament World!
A muffled groan brought Wu Zheng Qi’s messy thoughts back to the present, and when he looked up again, the two figures in the sky that were originally engaged in battle had separated, now standing several dozen metres apart from each other.
Old Man Qi’s body was riddled with tiny wounds, making him seem as though he had been fished out of a pool of blood and there was an incredulous expression on his face. During the brief confrontation just now, he had been at a complete disadvantage. He would have been killed by Yang Kai by now if not for his mighty strength.
On the opposite side, Yang Kai held the True Void Sword lightly. His eyes were lowered, and his large hand holding the sword trembled uncontrollably for some reason. The veins in his forehead bulged, squirming and undulating like earthworms under his skin. His eyes had also changed to become completely blood-red. His appearance looked extremely horrifying.
“You should leave now, Old Man Qi. If you don’t leave now, you will probably die here!” Yang Kai’s suppressed voice resembled the growling of a trapped beast.
Old Man Qi stared at Yang Kai with a fleeting look of struggle in his eyes. He seemed to want to continue the battle, but he simply gritted his teeth and came to Wu Zheng Qi’s side in a flash upon recalling what happened just now. Wrapping his Spirit Qi around Wu Zheng Qi, he soared into the sky.
Just like that, a raging dispute ended in such a bizarre turn of events. All that remained was the City Lord’s Mansion that was now in shambles.
Miao Hong walked over from the side with an awkward expression and softly called out, “Alchemist Yang…”
It was not as though he had been unaware of Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi’s arrival, it was just that he arrived too late. By the time he reached this place, Old Man Qi had already barged into the treasure vault. Besides, Miao Hong was only in the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm, so it was impossible for him to stop Old Man Qi regardless.
What shocked him even more was how Yang Kai had fought viciously against the two Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect. Nevertheless, what he witnessed also told him that there was some kind of dispute between Yang Kai and Profound Pill Sect.
He might not understand the reason behind this incident, but it was the truth that Yang Kai’s advancement into the Spirit Realm had been disrupted. Both parties were not people he could afford to offend; hence, Miao Hong was worried that Yang Kai would blame him for this incident.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Kai suddenly turned to look in his direction. The murderous intent in those crimson eyes practically threatened to erupt outward. For an instant, Miao Hong felt as though the entire world was shrouded in blood. Great panic flooded his heart and the feeling of death hit him in the face. He was so scared that he stumbled several steps back unconsciously.
Then, the murderous intent dissipated without warning. Drenched in cold sweat, Miao Hong looked up only to see Yang Kai standing there quietly, gripping his sword tightly. Yang Kai had closed his eyes at some point, but the frightening aura continued to fluctuate around him. It was almost as though that murderous intent would explode with an astounding impact at the slightest stimulation.
[What in the world is going on!?] Miao Hong was completely confused.
Similarly, Hua Rong and Yang Huai did not understand what was going on. Although they had followed Yang Kai for several years now, it was not until today that they realised just how terrifying his strength was. They felt as though they had only gotten to know him today, and their eyes were filled with a mixture of shock and doubt.
…..
In the dark of the night, two figures flew across the sky. They were Old Man Qi and Wu Zheng Qi who escaped from Heavenly Martial City earlier.
Thinking back to what happened just now, the two of them still found the reality extremely difficult to accept despite experiencing it for themselves. A Fifth-Step Spirit Realm Master and a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master had been defeated by a newly-advanced Spirit Realm Master, so much so that they were completely powerless to fight back.
“Old Qi, Alchemist Yang…” Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t stand the uncomfortable silence; thus, he was the first to break it.
“Cultivation dissonance!” Old Man Qi replied solemnly, “That boy is definitely suffering from a dissonance in his cultivation!”
Wu Zheng Qi sighed softly, “As expected…”
He had guessed as much in his heart, but it was a truth that was difficult to accept.
Yang Kai was a rare talent in Profound Pill Sect. Since ancient times, no other Heaven Grade Alchemist among all the Heaven Grade Alchemists providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion had ever achieved a success rate as high as his. It was a pity that a talented individual like him would suffer from cultivation dissonance. How else could a person’s temperament change so much?
“That boy retains a small portion of his consciousness still. Unfortunately, whether or not he can survive this catastrophe will depend entirely on his fortune. This is an urgent matter; we need to report back to the Sect.” Old Man Qi coughed lightly, “And… With this Old Master’s strength alone, he is not his opponent. We have failed this mission.”
Wu Zheng Qi couldn’t help smiling bitterly, “I’m afraid the Sect won’t believe us even if we told them!”
The corners of Old Man Qi’s mouth twitched, “Our duty is to inform them of the truth. Whether they believe us or not is up to them.”
…..
The site where Heavenly Martial City’s treasure vault was originally located had been destroyed. Although the structure of the building was extremely solid, how could the building remain standing after a battle between two Spirit Realm Masters took place here? The remains were now nothing more than rubble and ruins.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood there motionlessly like a statue, his sword still in hand. The sun rose in the distance as the moon set on the opposite horizon. During this time, the aura fluctuating around Yang Kai’s body slowly calmed down and the malevolent aura sweeping out in all directions gradually faded.
Three days later, he abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was undeniably peculiar and the drawbacks were clearly unavoidable. Yang Kai had devoured an immense amount of energy in one go during his breakthrough and almost exceeded the limits of what he could bear as a result. That was what triggered the hidden dangers of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, which in turn caused a great change in his temperament and aroused a wanton killing intent in him.
His battle with Old Man Qi had only added fuel to the fire. If Old Man Qi had continued to fight, Yang Kai wasn’t certain he could have stopped himself. The most likely outcome would have been Old Man Qi dying at his hands, forging an irresolvable blood feud with Profound Pill Sect. That was not the outcome Yang Kai hoped to see.
It was fortunate that Old Man Qi was a veteran who could read the situation. He immediately fled as soon as he discovered that something was wrong, thereby giving Yang Kai a chance to recover.
Unfortunately, the root of the problem had not been eradicated, even though Yang Kai’s situation had been temporarily stabilized. He would need to meditate and recover for a long time to resolve the hidden dangers brought about by his advancement.
[Regrettably…] Yang Kai turned to look in the direction of Profound Pill Sect as he sighed, [I’m running out of time!]
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying shouted timidly with an expression that resembled a frightened rabbit. She clearly wanted to approach him, but did not dare to do so.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at her and nodded lightly, “I’m alright now!”
Upon hearing those words, she burst into tears and plunged into his arms with her head lowered, whimpering through her sobs, “You scared me to death! Eldest Senior Brother, what happened?”
Yang Kai stroked her head lightly, “Something went wrong, but I’m fine now.”
“Sir!” Both Yang Huai and Hua Rong walked over. The former had an expression of reverence on his face while the latter appeared uncharacteristically serious.
Hua Rong had always been casual and unrestrained in front of Yang Kai. That couldn’t be helped as her strength was greater than his. Still, as a bodyguard, she had been dedicated to her duties even if there had barely been any need for her to do anything in recent years. It was not until today that she discovered something shocking, Yang Kai’s actual strength was many times greater than her own… Her presence as a bodyguard was completely unnecessary. Therefore, she was uncertain about how to act around him.
Yang Kai gave them a slight nod before turning to the side, “City Lord Miao, I need your help with something.”
Miao Hong was startled and immediately came forward, “How may I help you, Alchemist Yang?”
“Please help take care of my Little Junior Sister for a few days.” Yang Kai patted Wan Ying Ying’s head.
Miao Hong was stunned for a moment; then, he immediately nodded in response, “No problem. Please rest assured, Alchemist Yang. Young Lady Ying Ying will never suffer any grievances in Heavenly Martial City.” After a pause, he lowered his voice and asked, “Alchemist Yang, are you…”
“I’m going back to Profound Pill Sect!” Yang Kai replied.
The people of Void Spirit Sword Sect were there, and so was the Medicine King Furnace. No matter what, he needed to return to Profound Pill Sect.
Miao Hong seemed to have expected Yang Kai’s answer and nodded his head solemnly, “Please be careful in that case, Alchemist Yang. Profound Pill Sect is one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World after all.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I know the strength of Profound Pill Sect better than you, City Lord Miao. I lived there for several years after all.”
Miao Hong was taken aback slightly before nodding, “That’s true.”
Afterwards, Yang Kai instructed Hua Rong and Yang Huai, “The two of you will stay here to look after Ying Ying.”
Yang Huai cupped his fist and quickly said, “Regardless of the dangers, I would like to follow you to the death, Sir!”
Hua Rong quickly pulled Yang Huai behind her back, “This big guy has always been stupid, don’t listen to him! If you don’t return, I’ll take Ying Ying and run away from here!”
“Good!”
As always, Profound Pill Sect was bustling with noise and excitement. That was especially true in the vicinity of the Seeking Pill Pavilion and the Recruitment Stage. People would gather around these places all year round; after all, there was a never-ending stream of cultivators who wished to make pill requests or attach themselves to an Alchemist.
All of a sudden, a figure descended from the sky and landed directly in front of the Seeking Pill Pavilion. The undeniable aura of a Spirit Realm Master radiated from the figure, startling passers-by with the sudden turn of events.
Everybody hurriedly turned to look at the figure in amazement, secretly marvelling at who would be so bold as to act so presumptuously in front of Profound Pill Sect. It had to be said that Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World, so no matter who came here, they had to walk up from the foot of the mountain; otherwise, their conduct would be considered disrespectful.
On the other hand, the expressions of the guards on duty at the Seeking Pill Pavilion became very sullen. They quickly stepped forward to confront that figure only to become respectful upon recognising the figure. Then, they immediately cupped their fists in greeting, “Alchemist Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and ignored them. Looking up at the Reception Palace located at the top of the mountain, he strode forward without hesitation as a series of exclamations rang out from behind him.
Over the past few years, Yang Kai’s reputation in the Seeking Pill Pavilion had flourished. Countless Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had been refined by him personally, and the lowest quality among them was Mid-Rank. Many cultivators had advanced into the Heaven Realm thanks to those pills and for that reason, eight out of ten cultivators who came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill would seek out Yang Kai for help.
It was just that Yang Kai generally performed Alchemy on Fixed Moon Peak and rarely ever appeared in person at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. That was why only people from Profound Pill Sect could recognise him. No outsiders knew what he looked like, so when they learned that this man who was almost excessively youthful was actually the famous Alchemist Yang, they suddenly had the feeling that knowing somebody by their reputation was not as good as meeting them in person.
When Yang Kai walked past the Recruitment Stage, the melodious tolling of a bell suddenly rang out from the depths of Profound Pill Sect. The bell rang nine times in quick succession.
The expressions of everybody who heard the bell immediately changed drastically. They glanced in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Headquarters in disbelief. For the bell to be tolled nine times meant that something major was happening. There were only a handful of times where the bell had rung nine times throughout the history of Profound Pill Sect, and every single time had spelled an impending disaster that almost destroyed the entire Sect!
The bodyguards of the Seeking Pill Pavilion immediately started dispersing all the people who came to make pill requests and sealing the passage leading up the mountain. It didn’t take long for all the people to be chased out.
Although most of the people in Profound Pill Sect were clueless about what was going on, the entire Sect was now shrouded in a sense of turmoil.
One man stood in front of the Reception Palace with a bitter smile, watching as Yang Kai walked up the mountain, his expression a little bewildered. He could not imagine how Yang Kai, who had only been an Earth Grade Alchemist just a few years ago, could cause such a huge commotion in the Sect today.
This person was the one who introduced Yang Kai into Profound Pill Sect, and it was also thanks to his close personal relationship with Yang Kai that he was sent here.
A cool breeze blew past as Yang Kai looked up at the man blocking his path and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Gao!”
Gao Xin Peng looked at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes and returned the greeting, “Junior Brother Yang!”
The two bodyguards behind Gao Xin Peng gripped their swords tightly, their expressions solemn. Like wolves that were about to pounce on their prey, they were ready to attack at any time.
“Why are you here, Senior Brother Gao? Does the Sect Master have instructions for me?” Yang Kai asked.
Gao Xin Peng smiled bitterly, “You caused quite a commotion this time, Junior Brother. The higher-ups want to have a good chat with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That was what I was thinking too; otherwise, I would not have returned to this place.”
Gao Xin Peng breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m glad you think so, Junior Brother Yang. Since you’re of the same mind, please surrender your sword and seal your cultivation. Then, come with me to meet the Sect Master and the Elders!”
“Is that the Sect Master’s will?” Yang Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.
Gao Xin Peng nodded lightly in response.
Yang Kai sighed, “I hold no malicious intentions towards the Sect. Although I have indeed kept some secrets, all I really did was go with the flow.”
Gao Xin Peng said, “I believe you, Junior Brother. It’s just that the current situation requires you to show some sincerity, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai slowly replied, “The fact that I came back here is the greatest sincerity I can show! If the Sect insists on doing this their way, then I will be forced to slaughter a path out of this place! To be honest, I’m reluctant to do something like that, but if I have no other choice, then that’s all I can do.”
Gao Xin Peng’s expression changed, “Junior Brother, please don’t be so impulsive! You’re only one person!”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
“Junior Brother!”
He raised a hand to stop Gao Xin Peng, “You don’t need to say anymore, Senior Brother Gao. Please inform the Sect Master and the Elders that I can only persist an incense stick of time!”
Gao Xin Peng gave Yang Kai a deep look before he sighed heavily, “I will pass the message to them. You’re on your own now, Junior Brother!”
While saying so, he turned around and headed towards a Spirit Peak in the distance with his two bodyguards in tow. His figure vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Following Gao Xin Peng’s departure, 8 figures emerged from their hiding places to surround Yang Kai. Every one of them wielded a Spirit Armament, and they eyed Yang Kai aggressively.
Yang Kai turned to look around and gently nodded, “The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard… A bunch of loyal fools indeed!”
When the last word left his mouth, Yang Kai’s figure abruptly became strangely hazy, and in that moment, he slipped past their encirclement and appeared where Gao Xin Peng had been standing earlier. The True Void Sword was held in his hand as fresh blood slid down the length of its blade.
The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard were shocked. 8 Spirit Realm Masters had surrounded Yang Kai, but none of them saw how he managed to break out of their encirclement, and by the time they reacted, Yang Kai was already walking away.
They immediately acted to stop him, but something peculiar occurred. When they tried to push their Spirit Qi, streams of blood involuntarily spurted out of their bodies. All their strength quickly flowed out through their wounds and with a series of thuds, all 8 of them fell to one knee on the ground.
They were absolutely horrified. Only now did they realise that they had been injured by Yang Kai. Fortunately, while their injuries were severe, they were not lethal. They simply lost their ability to fight and could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai walked forward with a mixture of horror and reluctance to admit their loss. Nevertheless, they understood one thing clearly, with the unfathomable speed that Yang Kai displayed just now, killing them would have been as easy as waving his hand for him. The reason he wounded but did not kill them was definitely an act of mercy.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
A never-ending series of sounds sliced through the air next as countless arrows flew over from all directions, pelting down on Yang Kai’s location in a dense rain, each one containing an extremely terrifying force.
Under such an intensive barrage, even a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master might not come out unscathed. However, the angle and trajectory of these arrows had clearly been calculated with great deliberation with none of them aiming at his vital spots. It was clear that even now, Profound Pill Sect had no intention of taking his life.
Yang Kai did not move a single step, but the sword in his hands danced and formed a barrier of sword lights. Under the urging of his Spirit Qi, a series of rattling and clanging sounds rang out and every single arrow in that dense rain was cut down without a single exception.
Many of the cultivators hiding in ambush turned pale with fright at the sight. In that moment of daze, Yang Kai’s figure vanished from their field of vision. Immediately after that, the first scream resounded through the air. The screams of agony continued endlessly… Subsequently, the cultivators hiding in the vicinity collapsed limply in pools of their own blood.
…..
Inside the Main Hall located several mountains away from the Reception Palace, all the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. With Sect Master Baili Yun Sang in the lead, many Elders, Deacons, and Protectors assembled behind him.
Gao Xin Peng had just finished reporting the results of his negotiation with Yang Kai, after which Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly and gave a wave of his hand to dismiss him.
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua said, “He certainly is a man who values his comrades. He came back despite knowing that he is no match for us. Unfortunately, he is a little arrogant.”
Yu Bo Yang frowned, “Sect Master, that brat has only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. No matter how unusual he is, how strong can he be? Don’t you think we are a little too nervous about this? We’ve deployed all the forces that can be deployed in Profound Pill Sect. If word got out about this incident, we will be the laughing stock of the public!”
Baili Yun Sang replied, “I certainly hope we are just overestimating his strength, but… I don’t dare to take what Old Qi said lightly.”
Yu Bo Yang turned to glance at Old Man Qi and scowled, “Old Qi, are you sure that brat is so strong that even you are not his opponent? Are you sure you’re not mistaken about this?”
Despite listening to Old Man Qi’s reports earlier, almost nobody in the entire Profound Pill Sect believed him. Be that as it may, his words were stated with utter certainty. Wu Zheng Qi also provided a testimony to the fact, so it was difficult for them not to believe the words of those two. Although they had agreed to deploy all the combat forces they could, Profound Pill Sect’s leaders still couldn’t help feeling that they were being overly cautious.
Old Man Qi lowered his eyes and spoke quietly, “This old man might not compare to you in the Alchemic Dao, Third Elder, but this old man has immersed himself in battle for centuries now. That boy is the strongest Master this old man has ever seen in his life! If he wanted to kill me, he could have taken my life within 10 moves!”
Yu Bo Yang blinked and burst out laughing, “Old Qi, why are you being so humble? You’re one of the strongest Masters in the Divine Armament World. Aside from the Armament Masters, there aren’t many people who can kill you, let alone in 10 moves.”
He subconsciously believed that Old Man Qi was exaggerating about Yang Kai’s strength to shirk the responsibility for failing the last mission. It was just that Old Man Qi was a highly trusted and influential individual in Profound Pill Sect thanks to his position as the Sect Master’s personal Blood Warrior, so Yu Bo Yang could not criticize him too much.
Old Man Qi simply chose to remain silent.
“Reporting!” A shout rang out as a cultivator sped through the sky and landed in front of them.
Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “How is the situation over there? Did you capture that brat yet?”
After asking his question, he realised that the messenger looked extremely panicked.
The messenger’s voice trembled, “Alchemist Yang has broken through the first and second lines of defences and is quickly approaching the third!”
“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders also had horrified expressions on their faces. They could barely believe their ears. How much time had passed since Yang Kai arrived!? It had been no more than ten breaths since Gao Xin Peng came to report the situation, so how did Yang Kai break through two lines of defences already!?
It had to be said that the Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard was in charge of the first line of defence, and they were all Spirit Realm Masters. Even if they were not the strongest Masters in the Sect, they highly outnumbered their opponent. Moreover, they were proficient in group tactics, so even if it was Old Man Qi, it was uncertain whether he could achieve victory against them.
Meanwhile, the second line of defence consisted of dozens of cultivators who were adept at archery. Falling into their encirclement would mean severe injuries at the very least, if not death.
[Did… Did he break through the defences just like that!?] Yu Bo Yang had not believed Old Man Qi earlier, but it would now seem that Old Man Qi had not been exaggerating, but what kind of Alchemist has such terrifying combat power!?
Before anybody could digest the shocking news, another person came running in with another shocking report. Yang Kai had already broken through the third line of defence and passed the Reception Palace. Moreover, he was currently heading straight for River Viewing Peak!
Rumbling explosions came from a couple dozen kilometres away, and everybody raised their heads to look in that direction. Although they were blocked by several mountains and could not see the situation over there clearly, they could see the never-ending flashing lights that illuminated half the sky in that direction. The situation beyond the mountains gave off the vague feeling that an Ancient Ominous Beast had escaped and was charging towards them in a bloody frenzy. They could sense the frighteningly vicious and hostile aura coming from that direction despite being so far apart.
A short while later, the commotion died down. River Viewing Peak had been defeated, and the two defence lines set up there had been completely destroyed!
Yu Bo Yang stared forward in a daze, “How is this possible? How is this possible!?”
Likewise, Baili Yun Sang was ashen-faced with disbelief!
What happened today was simply too shocking. Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects. Be that as it may, they failed to stop a single Alchemist who had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm even though they deployed their full strength against him! How could the power of a single person be so terrifying!?
Gao Xin Peng stared into the distance with a complicated gaze. Yang Kai’s words from before echoed in his mind, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”
He had assumed that Yang Kai was merely spouting empty boasts in an effort to boost his morale. Contrary to his beliefs though, it would now seem that Yang Kai was perfectly capable of representing the strength of a thousand men. Of course, an ordinary army of a thousand men could not have broken through the defences of Profound Pill Sect.
A short while later, the two lines of defences on Flying Tooth Peak collapsed. Flying Tooth Peak had been defeated! The only thing that stood between Yang Kai and the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect at this point was Purple Sun Peak!
There was only one line of defence on Purple Sun Peak where a total of thirty Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. Furthermore, their cultivations ranged from the lowest in the Third-Step Spirit Realm to the highest in the Eight-Step Spirit Realm. This was an extremely powerful line-up, enough to wipe out most Sects in the Divine Armament World. It was a line-up that only one of the Ten Great Sects could assemble.
When the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect looked in that direction from where they stood, their superb eyesight allowed them to see the large square on Purple Sun Peak where the thirty Spirit Realm Masters stood at the ready. Each of the thirty Spirit Realm Masters wielded a different Spirit Armament and additionally, they stood facing eight distinct directions, forming the Eight Directional Golden Lock Formation.
A figure stepped out from under the cover of numerous buildings and strolled over to the square. The sword in his hand was chipped in places along the length of the blade. Even an extraordinary Spirit Armament could not withstand the impacts of so many high-intensity battles in such a short period of time.
“He’s injured!” Yu Bo Yang shouted.
From where he stood, he could clearly see that Yang Kai’s clothes were tattered and he was covered in countless wounds with fresh blood trickling out. Everywhere he walked, he left behind an evident trail of bloody footprints.
Wu Feng Hua commented, “After fighting so many elites of Profound Pill Sect alone, injuries are inevitable. It would be weirder for him to remain unscathed. Besides, it looks like he won’t last much longer. Even the Spirit Armament in his hand is on the verge of being destroyed.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly, “Let us hope so!”
Profound Pill Sect’s original intentions no longer mattered. Now that things had come this far, this battle could no longer be easily stopped. Things would only end when one party suffered complete defeat.
It was just that Baili Yun Sang himself never expected Yang Kai’s strength to be so terrifying. [Yang Kai only just broke through to the Spirit Realm. At this rate, won’t he be invincible if he advances to the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm!? No. With the strength he has displayed so far, it can already be said that he is invincible. Who in the Divine Armament World can be his opponent unless the Armament Masters themselves take action?]
During their brief conversation, an intense battle had broken out on Purple Sun Peak! Dozens of silhouettes weaved about, turbulent waves of Spirit Qi collided with each other, and deafening explosions rang out incessantly.
“Such a malevolent aura!” Lan Yin frowned slightly. Even though she was standing here, away from the battle, she could clearly detect the Evil Qi radiating from Yang Kai’s body. His aura was overflowing with brutality and destruction, which made her feel extremely uneasy.
“What kind of Movement Skill is that!?” Wu Feng Hua was staring at the battle in the distance, but despite being in the Spirit Realm himself, he could not follow Yang Kai’s movements at all. As far as he could tell, Yang Kai’s figure moved about in a ghostly and erratic manner, vanishing abruptly from one spot only to appear in a completely different place without any warning in the next instant. There were no traces of his movements whatsoever. Even the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters on Purple Sun Peak could not do anything to him. On the contrary, the many Spirit Realm Masters of Profound Pill Sect were flustered by their first experience against an opponent like Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Old Man Qi squinted at the fight in the distance. He could sense the Evil Qi surrounding Yang Kai becoming stronger, and an intense feeling of unease flooded his heart for some reason. That feeling of unease suddenly climbed to the peak when Yang Kai sliced off part of the neck of a Spirit Realm Master! That attack had nearly taken the life of that Spirit Realm Master.
“Sect Master, I want to investigate the current number of casualties among the cultivators in the Sect!” Old Man Qi hurriedly whispered in Baili Yun Sang’s ear.
Baili Yun Sang was completely focused on the fight in the distance, shocked by Yang Kai’s elusive Movement Skill, so he frowned when he heard those words and asked, “Why do you want to investigate that now?”
All the defence lines set up previously had been destroyed, so it was conceivable that many, if not all those cultivators had suffered tragic ends.
“It is related to the survival of the Sect! Please give me permission, Sect Master!” Old Man Qi looked extremely solemn.
Baili Yun Sang glanced at Old Man Qi and was startled by what he saw. Despite spending so many years with each other, he had never seen Old Man Qi looking so solemn before; thus, he nodded slightly, “Go!”
Old Man Qi nodded, and with a slight shift of his body, he flew directly towards the Reception Palace. As a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master, there was no question that his speed was incredible. It only took him several dozen breaths of time to hurry back. However, his expression was even more solemn than before he departed.
“What did you find?” Baili Yun Sang asked.
Old Man Qi replied, “No one has died! Everyone who participated in the battle was only wounded!”
Everyone was shocked by those words. Yu Bo Yang widened his eyes and asked, “Not a single person died!?”
Old Man Qi nodded slowly, “Not one.”
Everyone looked around at each other. Although several reports had come in earlier, they had only reported that the defences had been broken through. They had not mentioned a single thing about the casualties, and nobody bothered to ask either. That was because casualties were inevitable in a battle like this. That was why they subconsciously believed that Profound Pill Sect would suffer heavy losses today.
They were certain that Profound Pill Sect would take a great hit to its overall strength after this battle! Who could have imagined that not a single person had died? The brows of all the leaders in this place that were originally furrowed gloomily after hearing that the defence lines had been broken immediately relaxed considerably at the news. Regardless of the current circumstances, that was good news.
Baili Yun Sang sighed, “It looks like that boy has not forgotten his kinship with us, and held back enough to not kill anybody in the Sect!”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard, “He might be cautious about acting lest innocents be hurt; after all, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect are in our hands.”
“Regardless of his reasons, this is a good thing for us!” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
Old Man Qi, however, shook his head and said, “You’re wrong, Sect Master. On the contrary, this is not a good thing for us at all.”
Baili Yun Sang looked over in puzzlement, “Why do you say that, Old Qi?”
Old Man Qi glanced at the battlefield in the distance and explained his reasoning, “When this Old Master went to investigate the defence lines earlier, I discovered that Yang Boy had extremely precise control over his strength at the beginning. Although everyone there was disabled, their injuries were not severe and they only need to recuperate for some time to recover fully; however, he seemed to be slowly losing control over his strength as time passed. The injuries he inflicted got progressively more severe as a result. If you look at the current situation, Sect Master…”
Baili Yun Sang looked over after hearing those words, just in time to see Yang Kai stabbing his sword into a cultivator’s chest. When Yang Kai drew his blade out, fresh blood splattered everywhere. The Spirit Realm Master quickly backed away with an absolute look of horror on his face.
Old Man Qi narrowed his eyes slightly, “Just now, he forcibly shifted his trajectory; otherwise, Rong Boy would be dead by now!”
The ‘Rong Boy’ Old Man Qi mentioned was referring to the Spirit Realm Master who had been run through.
Baili Yun Sang instantly understood, “He is suppressing his murderous intent, but he is quickly reaching his limits! That’s why his attacks are getting more and more brutal!”
Old Man Qi nodded solemnly, “That’s right! This Old Master experienced the same situation when I fought him in Heavenly Martial City previously. If this Old Master had continued to engage in battle with him at the time, he would have lost control and killed me!” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Do you remember the message Alchemist Gao brought back earlier, Sect Master?”
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Which message?”
“Yang Kai said that he could only persist for a stick worth of incense!” Old Man Qi sighed, “We all thought he meant that he could fight for at most an incense stick worth of time, but it would now seem that the time limit he was referring to was how long he could retain his sanity. Once this time limit is up, he will most likely lose all sense of reason and massacre us!”
“What is the reason for all this?” Baili Yun Sang looked puzzled.
“This Old Master does not know, but this Old Master believes that it has something to do with the Secret Art he cultivated. That Evil Art has affected his heart! Sect Master, we can’t afford to continue this battle. At the rate things are going, Profound Pill Sect will suffer catastrophic losses even if we manage to kill him!” Seeing the hesitation in Baili Yun Sang’s eyes, Old Man Qi added, “Sect Master, don’t forget that he is also an Alchemist. He still has his Alchemy Flame!”
As soon as those words came out, a sudden thought occurred to Baili Yun Sang and he suddenly recalled the white Alchemy Flame. Even though his mental cultivation was very stable, he could barely resist the urge to curse out loud.
Yang Kai’s strength was so overwhelming that he could practically wipe out the entire Profound Pill Sect with his sword alone, which was why Baili Yun Sang had subconsciously forgotten Yang Kai’s identity as an Alchemist.
Alchemists might not engage in battle often, but that did not mean they could not fight at all. Generally speaking, their Alchemy Flame was their greatest strength when engaged in battle with others!
From the beginning until now, Yang Kai had not used the power of his white Alchemy Flame. It was obvious that he did not wish to increase the number of casualties; otherwise, the people he injured would not be alive right now. Not to mention, that white Alchemy Flame was the most mysterious and most powerful Alchemy Flame in the Divine Armament World! Other people might be unaware of the truth, but how could Baili Yun Sang be so ignorant?
At that thought, Baili Yun Sang did not dare to hesitate any longer and sighed softly, “Order them to retreat!”
Old Man Qi accepted the order and turned around to rush towards the battlefield.
“I’ll go,” Somebody spoke up suddenly and rushed towards the battlefield ahead of Old Man Qi.
Lan Yin immediately gave a startled cry; furthermore, her expression was filled with worry.
The battle was very fierce on Purple Sun Peak, and out of the thirty or so Spirit Realm Masters who made up its defence force, less than half of them were still able to move. All of them looked like they had seen a ghost, and their expressions were filled with abject terror. Although they could just manage to parry and block Yang Kai’s indiscriminate barrage of attacks, they had no solution against his elusive Movement Skill. It was only a matter of time before they were all defeated.
Sword light flashed in all directions, and murderous intent permeated the air. Many of the Spirit Realm Masters who were originally in formation had already been separated and were now each fighting independently. From time to time, somebody would get injured and collapse in a pool of their own blood.
All of a sudden, somebody rushed onto the battlefield and shouted in a thunderous voice, “Unfilial Disciple, stop this madness at once!”
While speaking, he stood directly in front of Yang Kai with his robes flapping wildly around him. The True Void Sword abruptly halted in front of his forehead, and the fluctuating sword wave pierced his skin. Fresh blood flowed down the bridge of his nose.
Their gazes met, with Yang Kai’s crimson red eyes filled with brutal hostility and destruction, causing the other party’s eyes to contract involuntarily. Despite living for so many years, this man had never seen such wild eyes before.
[Old Man Qi is right, this brat is about to reach his limits, a limit where he can no longer maintain his sanity. Once he exceeds his limits, he will instantly transform into a killing machine that slaughters all living things. At that time, he will completely fall into a state of cultivation dissonance. Without his conscious mind, the entire Profound Pill Sect will surely fall along with him.]
The battlefield riddled with endless fighting suddenly fell into an eerie silence at this moment. Only the repressed groans of the fallen continuously rang out from all around them. Meanwhile, the remaining seven or eight Spirit Realm Masters breathed heavily and did not dare to act rashly.
Yang Kai blinked. The thick crimson red in his eyes resembled fresh blood. His gaze shifted downward and landed on that person’s left hand with six fingers. Then, a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes as though he could vaguely remember something.
That person shouted again, “What are you doing, Unfilial Disciple!? Are you planning to rebel!?”
That man’s expression did not change in the slightest even though Yang Kai was holding a Spirit Armament against his forehead. It went to show his courage and boldness was not ordinary.
The cogs in Yang Kai’s head slowly began to spin, the thick crimson red in his eyes faded slightly, and the Spirit Qi surging wildly around his body gradually subsided. He tilted his head to the side and stared at the person in front of him before muttering, “Honoured Master?”
Now that the fighting had stopped, the murderous intent that threatened to overwhelm his mind was beginning to dissipate and he regained the ability to think.
Naturally, Yang Kai had never seen this man in front of him before; however, the unique characteristic of having a six-fingered left hand was too conspicuous. Anybody capable of sight would notice such a unique feature. Besides, the only people who would appear in front of him at this time could only be part of the higher-ups in Profound Pill Sect.
After combining several facts together, that person’s identity quickly became apparent. It was his fabricated Master, Dan Cheng Zi!
During the years that Yang Kai spent in Profound Pill Sect, it was only natural for him to pay attention to any information regarding his so-called Master. Unfortunately, the Heaven Grade Alchemists in his generation did not know much and he was in no position to ask the Elders of the previous generation for more information.
Fortunately, there was Lan Yin. The two of them would occasionally encounter each other in the Restricted Area, and seeing as she had feelings for his fabricated Master, the two had various common topics to discuss. Intentionally or unintentionally, Yang Kai learned quite a lot about his fabricated Master over the years.
Yang Kai’s fabricated Master was named Dan Cheng Zi. Dan Cheng Zi was the most outstanding and talented Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect. What made him so special was that he was talented in both the Martial Dao and the Alchemic Dao. Not only were his Alchemy Skills superb, but his actual strength was also immense. Thanks to his aptitude that surpassed his peers, he became extremely arrogant.
When the Former Sect Master was approaching his predestined time of death, Dan Cheng Zi believed that he would definitely be the one to take over as the Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect. Who could have known that the Former Sect Master would transfer the position to Baili Yun Sang instead? In a fit of rage, he decided to leave Profound Pill Sect. Although the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had been searching for his whereabouts all these years, their efforts proved to be fruitless. Nobody knew where he went.
Needless to say, an incident of this nature could not be publicised. That was why only the Elders of the older generation knew about it while the rest of the disciples were clueless about what happened to Dan Cheng Zi. Most people only knew that there was an extremely talented Spirit Grade Alchemist wandering outside the Sect with no news from him.
This information was what Yang Kai slowly coaxed out of Lan Yin through their continuous interactions over the years.
“It has been more than 10 years since we last met. This Old Master thought you didn’t recognise me anymore. It turns out you didn’t forget about him after all!” Dan Cheng Zi’s expression was cold and calm, but a drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead. Nobody could remain completely nonchalant when there was a Spirit Armament pressed against their head with pure murderous intent radiating from it. Therefore, a clear look of relief flashed through his eyes when he heard Yang Kai calling him ‘Honoured Master’.
The crimson in Yang Kai’s eyes faded bit by bit as he spoke, “Disciple is heavily indebted to your kindness, Honoured Master. How could I dare to forget you?”
With just a few simple words, the tense situation eased in an instant. Both of them understood each other’s intentions.
The so-called Honoured Master and Unfilial Disciple relationship between them was nothing but a fabricated reality. Dan Cheng Zi had never taught Yang Kai, and Yang Kai had never studied under Dan Cheng Zi. This was a fact known to all parties involved.
Be that as it may, the current situation required a breakthrough point in order to be resolved. The reason Dan Cheng Zi volunteered to come here was due to this consideration. Since Yang Kai claimed that Dan Cheng Zi was his Master, then Dan Cheng Zi might as well acknowledge the statement. Now that Dan Cheng Zi had paved the way forward, it was only natural for Yang Kai to go along with the story!
There was no need for any prior discussion. In the face of this difficult situation, both the young and the old quickly formed a tacit understanding between them.
“If you didn’t forget, why aren’t you putting away your weapon? Are you planning to kill me!?” Dan Cheng Zi shouted.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment before he remembered to sheath the True Void Sword, “Please forgive me, Honoured Master! This Disciple had no such intentions!”
Nevertheless, he was puzzled. He had caused a huge commotion in Profound Pill Sect, and even if he did not kill anybody, he had injured many. Moreover, these people were the Masters of the Sect, so if any great enemy were to attack at this time, Profound Pill Sect would be powerless to resist. There was no saying how Profound Pill Sect planned to deal with him after he caused so much trouble.
Still, there was a high likelihood that Profound Pill Sect was willing to reconcile with him since Dan Cheng Zi went so far as to take the initiative to come here; otherwise, there was no need for such measures.
Dan Cheng Zi looked sorrowful, “This Old Master knows that your actions were not intentional. Your aptitude is far too outstanding and as a result, your cultivation improved too quickly. Not knowing restraint and not having a stable enough mental state caused you to suffer from cultivation dissonance, which in turn resulted in a drastic change in your temperament. You nearly caused an irrevocable disaster. Fortunately, the Sect did not give up on you. The Sect used all its power to help you restore order from chaos. Thank goodness their efforts were not in vain!”
Yang Kai stared at Dan Cheng Zi and the admiration he felt for this old fox was almost beyond words. [This old man is undeniably cunning! Not only did he resolve the tense situation in Profound Pill Sect with a few choice words, he also made it seem as though I am now heavily indebted to Profound Pill Sect.]
It was obvious that Yang Kai had come charging into Profound Pill Sect all on his own; however, the story had been changed to one where Profound Pill Sect had pulled out all the stops to help him recover from his state of cultivation dissonance.
Yang Kai was so grateful that he almost felt like crying. He had caused such a large commotion today, and the Sect needed an explanation. This story provided the best outcome for both parties. It would also stabilize the people’s hearts. More importantly, Yang Kai deciphered the hidden meaning in Dan Cheng Zi’s words. Even now, Profound Pill Sect considered him one of their disciples! They had no plans of abandoning him!
Yang Kai did not know whether it was Dan Cheng Zi’s own intention or Profound Pill Sect’s will. Nevertheless, those details no longer mattered. The chance to remain in Profound Pill Sect was exactly what he wished for. He would need to figure out another method to steal the Medicine King Furnace otherwise. At that time, it would be another endless battle.
“Cough…” Dan Cheng Zi lightly coughed into his fist, “Unfilial Disciple, have you not recovered? Why are you staring at me? Is there any untruth in this Old Master’s words?”
Yang Kai quickly shook his head and declared, “What you said is true, Honoured Master. This Disciple has failed and brought shame to you. This disciple will be more diligent in the future, so as to avoid another incident like today!”
Dan Cheng Zi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction, “It’s good that you can think that way. Come with me. We will meet the Sect Master and the Elders.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded respectfully, acting as though he was a meek and obedient Disciple.
In front of everybody’s eyes, Dan Cheng Zi flew over to Baili Yun Sang and the others with Yang Kai in tow as the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect watched those two with complicated expressions.
Dan Cheng Zi and Yang Kai had not suppressed their voices during their conversation earlier. Furthermore, those standing in the vicinity were basically Spirit Realm Masters, so every one of them had heard the entire conversation clearly.
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders were all worldly Masters, so how could they not understand the current situation? It was just that the sudden turn of events was beyond their expectations, so they were uncertain about how to handle a Star of Calamity like Yang Kai.
As such, Dan Cheng Zi was the first to speak, “Sect Master, my Disciple has overcome his cultivation dissonance and regained his true nature.”
Baili Yun Sang subconsciously nodded upon hearing those words, “That’s good. That’s good.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Since you’ve regained your senses, you should return and have a good rest now!”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “This Disciple is grateful for your benevolence, Sect Master. It’s just that this Disciple has caused such a huge commotion in the Sect. This incident will haunt me forever, so I wish to request punishment. Please approve my request, Sect Master!”
Baili Yun Sang frowned and glanced at Dan Cheng Zi in puzzlement.
Dan Cheng Zi shook his head so slightly that his movements were practically imperceptible. His response indicated that he did not know what the brat was planning either.
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “It’s not like you meant to cause such a commotion. You were suffering from cultivation dissonance after all. This Old Master understands your situation. There’s no need for punishment. I hope you will be more careful in the future. That will be a blessing to the Sect!”
Those words came from the bottom of his heart. Following this battle, he had a profound insight into the true meaning behind the word ‘terrifying’. Despite gathering all the elites in Profound Pill Sect, they could not stop a single boy who had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. 80% of Profound Pill Sect’s forces had been heavily injured in this battle, so who could possibly bear the brunt if another battle were to break out once more?
Yang Kai cupped his fist again, “Your magnanimity is boundless, Sect Master. This Junior is undeserving of your kindness. Unfortunately, the incident today started because of me, so if I don’t receive any form of punishment, the disciples in the Sect will surely have trouble accepting this decision. It will eventually lead to unrest within the Sect. For the future of the Sect, this Disciple is willing to receive punishment!”
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t help widening his eyes to stare at Yang Kai and thinking to himself, [What the Hell is this brat up to? Didn’t I say that I won’t pursue this matter any further? Couldn’t he just obediently go back and have a good sleep? Why is he bringing up such nonsense and speaking as though he is so righteous?]
A few of the Elders frowned, but they also knew Yang Kai was not wrong. The commotion today had gotten out of hand, so it would be difficult to appease the people’s hearts without a reasonable explanation.
Dan Cheng Zi frowned and asked, “What do you think is an appropriate punishment for you?”
Yang Kai bowed and quickly said, “This Disciple asks to be confined in the Restricted Area for 10 years to reflect on his mistakes. Honoured Master, Sect Master, please approve my request!”
The talented Heaven Grade Alchemist Yang Kai whose aptitude surpassed all his peers had advanced too quickly in his cultivation and built up an unstable foundation as a result. Consequently, he experienced a dissonance in his cultivation during his advancement into the Spirit Realm and underwent a drastic change in personality. Thankfully, the Sect Master and the Elders did not give up on him. They went to great lengths to save him, and their efforts paid off. They succeeded in turning the situation around! What joyous news!
That was the news that quickly spread throughout Profound Pill Sect in a very short time.
The battle that took place yesterday caused a huge uproar in the Sect, so it was only natural for everyone to be aware of the incident. Nevertheless, not many people actually knew what happened to cause such a commotion. Only those cultivators who participated in the battle understood some of the truth, but even they did not know much either.
In any case, this explanation did not make many people suspicious of the truth when combined with Yang Kai’s violent and murderous aura at the time. Yang Kai’s actions had indeed made him seem as though he was experiencing cultivation dissonance.
After the war subsided, the work of rebuilding was yet another troublesome matter. The explanation given to the public was only to stabilise the hearts and minds of those inside and outside Profound Pill Sect. Besides, the cultivators who were injured by Yang Kai needed time to heal and recuperate.
On the other hand, the most troublesome matter besieging the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect at this moment was Yang Kai’s final request to reflect on his mistakes in the Restricted Area for ten years.
All the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered in the Reception Hall for a meeting. Those in attendance ranged from the Sect Master down to the Elders, Protectors, and Deacons. Even though so many talented people crowded around inside the Main Hall, the atmosphere was absolutely dismal and gloomy.
The topic of discussion for the day was none other than the matter involving Yang Kai’s request for self-reflection for a period of ten years. It would have been fine if he had requested for any other area in the Sect, but the key point was that the Restricted Area was where the Medicine King Furnace was currently placed. Profound Pill Sect had no choice but to handle this matter with great caution.
Before learning the details of his background, they had allowed him to freely access the Restricted Area, come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace, and comprehend the Grand Dao Divine Tone. Now that they knew that he had ulterior motives, how could they dare to let him come into contact with the Medicine King Furnace? Unfortunately, nobody could come up with an acceptable solution on how to handle this matter.
Staring at the silent crowd below, Baili Yun Sang rapped his knuckles on the armrest of his chair, “Stop pretending to be mute. Let’s exchange some ideas about how we should handle this matter. Great Elder, what is your opinion?”
Being called upon by the Sect Master directly, Wu Feng Hua had no choice but to express his opinion. He was silent for a moment before he said, “That boy knows the importance of the Medicine King Furnace to Profound Pill Sect. Seeing as he dares to make such a request with that knowledge in mind, it can be seen that he is definitely scheming something. I’m afraid that he won’t give up unless we agree to his request. What’s more, judging by the strength that he has displayed so far, Profound Pill Sect wouldn’t be able to stop him even if he wanted to barge into the Restricted Area forcefully.”
That was right. In his opinion, Yang Kai’s final request was not a self-inflicted punishment but a request. It was a request for reconciliation with Profound Pill Sect! Agreeing with the request was the only method to gain some possibility of reconciliation between both parties. If they refused to meet his request, there was no doubt that another battle would break out between them. How the situation would turn out after that remained unknown.
In any case, there was no denying that Profound Pill Sect had taken all the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect captive in Profound Pill City. Even if not a single person from Void Spirit Sword Sect had been harmed, Profound Pill Sect was at fault in that sense.
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Great Elder, are you saying that we should agree to his request?”
Wu Feng Hua shook his head, “This Elder has no such intentions. It’s just that… this Elder is of the opinion that Little Junior Brother should not have accepted the fabricated Master-Disciple relationship in the first place. If not for that Master-Disciple relationship, we would not be facing this issue now.”
Before Dan Cheng Zi could speak, Lan Yin glared furiously, “Great Elder, have you even thought about what the consequences would be if Little Junior Brother had not done that?”
Wu Feng Hua said, “Judging by the situation at the time, it would not have been difficult to stop that brat even if Little Junior Brother had not done that. It was proven that he retained a shred of his consciousness from the beginning to the end.”
Lan Yin looked like she was about to argue further, but Dan Cheng Zi raised his hand to stop her from speaking and looked up at Wu Feng Hua, “You’re right. He retained a shred of consciousness from beginning to end. That’s why he did not kill anybody in Profound Pill Sect. That’s also the reason why Profound Pill Sect only recorded countless wounded but not a single casualty in the battle yesterday. With that in mind, how should we have dealt with the incident even if we did manage to stop him? That brat is so strong that nobody in Profound Pill Sect can stop him. Do we just let him go? He has been comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace for several years now. Not to mention that he also turned over many pill recipes and Alchemy techniques. Will you feel at ease if we let him go free just like that, Great Elder?”
Wu Feng Hua considered the question carefully before he slowly shook his head in response.
It was just as Dan Cheng Zi had mentioned. Yang Kai had comprehended so many mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace. Who could allow him to leave so easily?
“We can neither keep him here nor let him leave. In that case, we can only use this Master-Disciple relationship to tie him down. It doesn’t matter whether it is real or fake. As long as he calls me ‘Honoured Master’, even the fake relationship will become real.”
Baili Yun Sang looked pensive, “Little Junior Brother, did you recognise the Master-Disciple relationship yesterday with this consideration in mind?”
Dan Cheng Zi cupped his fist, “Things were too urgent at the time, so I had no time to discuss this matter with you, Sect Master.”
Baili Yun Sang waved his hand dismissively, “You have always been quick-witted. None of us can compare to you in this regard. You did the right thing. With this Master-Disciple relationship to bind him, that boy will be forced to act with more consideration in the future. Regrettably… that does not solve the problem at hand.”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “What the Sect Master and the others are worried about is simply whether he has any other intentions towards Profound Pill Sect or whether he is a spy sent by another Sect to spy on the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace!”
“That’s right,” Baili Yun Sang nodded.
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “In my opinion, these are not problems at all.”
Everybody looked towards him and he continued, “It has not been long since I returned to Profound Pill Sect, and the understanding I have of my ‘Disciple’ is also based only on what you’ve told me. But, it’s precisely for this reason that I can look at the problem from an outside perspective, unfettered by certain constraints. Let me ask you this, Sect Master, has he ever done anything malicious to the Sect in all the years since he entered the Sect?”
“Never.”
“Have you ever seen him in close contact with any other Sects?”
“Aside from Void Spirit Sword Sect, we have never noticed anything of the sort. But, Void Spirit Sword Sect is where he was born, so it is understandable that he has frequent contact with them.
“He has comprehended various pill recipes from the Medicine King Furnace. There have been over a dozen so far. If he had any malicious intentions towards the Sect, he could have selected only a few to contribute to the Sect and kept more of them secret; however, I don’t believe he did that.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly. There had been more than a dozen brand-new pill recipes over the years, which was a huge contribution to the Sect.
“Another point is the battle yesterday. There were no casualties in the Sect, only countless wounded. It can be seen that he cares for the Sect. Besides, if he was a spy sent by another Sect, would they allow him to attack this place all on his own? Wouldn’t they be afraid that an unforeseen accident might occur?”
Baili Yun Sang pondered for a moment and asked, “Junior Brother, are you saying that he was not instructed by a third party to join Profound Pill Sect?”
Dan Cheng Zi shook his head, “He joined Profound Pill Sect completely by accident.”
“What do you mean by that?” Everybody looked at him in curiosity.
He asked in return, “Do you remember how he joined Profound Pill Sect?”
Yu Bo Yang considered the question, “Little Gao encountered him in Heavenly Martial City during a trip there, and they ended up competing with each other in Alchemy. The result was that he refined a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill using our Profound Pill Sect’s recipe. That’s why Little Gao suspected that he obtained the pill recipe from here. After making some inquiries, Little Gao determined that you were the one who taught him in the past, Little Junior Brother. If you had not returned to the Sect without warning the other day, we probably would never have known that it was all a lie.”
Dan Cheng Zi gave a wry smile, “I’ve always considered my talents to be above all others in the Alchemic Dao, with few who are qualified to be my equal; however, after a brief chat with the brat last night, I finally discovered what it means for there to always be mountains beyond mountains.”
Everybody looked at Dan Cheng Zi in astonishment. His arrogance was well-known. If not for that, he would not have left the Sect in anger over the Sect Master’s position back then. Therefore, it was their first time hearing him say something so humbling.
Baili Yun Sang asked, “Little Junior Brother, what did you talk about last night?”
“We talked about how he joined Profound Pill Sect!” Dan Cheng Zi breathed out a long breath, “He is now my Disciple, so it’s only natural for me to show concern for him as his Honoured Master.”
Pausing for a moment, he finally explained himself, “Little Gao was correct. The pill recipe that brat used to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill back then did indeed belong to Profound Pill Sect. I’m sure you all verified that fact yourselves when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, Senior Brothers.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “That’s right. We verified that the pill recipe he used does indeed belong to Profound Pill Sect. It’s precisely because of this that we had no doubts about his origins; after all, there’s no way for him to fake the pill recipe. We were convinced that you took in a Disciple while travelling abroad.”
“There is nothing wrong with the pill recipe. What Little Gao misunderstood was that he learned the pill recipe from me. On the contrary, the pill recipe was taught to him by Little Gao himself.”
The crowd was absolutely dumbfounded by Dan Cheng Zi’s words!
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Little Gao is outside right now. Go ahead and summon him to tell us about what happened back then. I’m sure you’ll understand soon.”
While saying so, Dan Cheng Zi clapped his hands lightly. Gao Xin Peng walked in a short while later and bowed to the people in the room before he stood there obediently with his back straight.
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Little Gao, tell us about the details of your Alchemy competition with Yang Kai back then. Don’t skip over even the smallest of details.
Gao Xin Peng did not understand the reason behind Dan Cheng Zi’s order, but he still answered earnestly. The incident might have taken place several years before, but the memory remained fresh in his mind. Under his narration, the scene at the time seemed to be re-enacted before everyone’s eyes.
During this period, Dan Cheng Zi would also ask some key questions from time to time.
A short while later, Gao Xin Peng left in confusion; meanwhile, the entire Main Hall was so silent that one could have heard the sound of a pin dropping.
After a long time, Yu Bo Yang finally gulped nervously before positing, “Little Gao claimed that Yang Kai was always one step slower than him during their competition, from the first step of organizing the herbs to the final step of condensing the pills. Could it be that… that boy was learning on the spot?”
A series of gasps filled the air and everyone’s eyes contained a light of disbelief.
Alchemy was an extremely sophisticated process. From condensing medicinal liquids to the timing of adding herbs, to the control of the Alchemy Flame, each step required extensive experience and long-term accumulation. Even with a pill recipe, an Alchemist might not be able to successfully refine a pill in such a short time. They would often experience countless failures just to accumulate enough experience before they succeeded. Learning a recipe on the spot was simply impossible, much less succeeding in the refinement!
Dan Cheng Zi said, “I didn’t believe it either, but it is the truth. I deliberately used a pill recipe I created myself to test him last night, and the result was similar to the time when Little Gao competed with him. He would always be one step behind me throughout the entire process, but he succeeded in the refinement nonetheless!”
All of the higher-ups in Profound Pill Sect were shocked to their core!
“What… How can anybody in this world be so talented in the Alchemic Dao!?” Wu Feng Hua was so shocked that he was a little incoherent.
Dan Cheng Zi had used a pill recipe he created himself to test Yang Kai. In other words, the pill recipe was not known to anybody except for Dan Cheng Zi himself, but even so, Yang Kai had managed to replicate the pill recipe in its entirety on the spot. Something like that… was too scary to even imagine.
Dan Cheng Zi sighed, “Without such aptitude, he would never have heard the Grand Dao Divine Tone or comprehended the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace so easily. Don’t even get me started on the pill recipes that he contributed to the Sect over the years.”
Baili Yun Sang was stunned, “If that’s the case, then it was Little Gao who misunderstood the situation back then.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “The brat was in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm at the time, so he was in urgent need of a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill to advance into the Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, his outstanding talents in Alchemy were wasted without a pill recipe. He coincidentally heard that Little Gao would be heading to Heavenly Martial City, so he tried various means to approach Little Gao. On the grounds of competing in Alchemy, he successfully learned the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. You know what happened next. He was young and weak at the time, so when Little Gao asked questions and pushed for answers, he simply went with the flow and things somehow ended with him being recognised as my Disciple through a series of twists and coincidences!”
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders looked at each other with speechless expressions on their faces.
Under those circumstances, who could have imagined that the pill recipe Yang Kai mastered had been learned on the spot? The only reasonable explanation was that a Senior Expert from Profound Pill Sect had secretly taught the pill recipe to him in the past. And, this Senior Expert could only be Dan Cheng Zi, who was wandering outside the Sect at the time.
Baili Yun Sang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “No wonder he claimed that entering the Sect had been an accident. It turned out to be true.”
Yu Bo Yang pondered in silence for a moment, “If that’s the case, then it’s a good thing for the Sect. We were simply worried that he might be a spy sent here by another Sect to gather intelligence on the secrets of the Medicine King Furnace. Judging from the current situation, he is unrelated to any other Sects. On the contrary, his identity as a Profound Pill Sect Disciple can no longer be denied.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “What Third Elder said is correct. Besides, he has never displayed his martial strength in all the years that he joined the Sect. If not for the circumstances forcing his hand, nobody would have known how strong he was. It can be seen that he is equally talented in both the Martial and Alchemic Dao.”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “That’s why the Medicine King Furnace is so attractive to him, and why he made such a request yesterday.” Turning to look at Baili Yun Sang, he cupped his fist, “Sect Master, I think it will be fine to agree with his request. But, he has to promise us something.”
Baili Yun Sang looked up at Dan Cheng Zi, “What are you thinking, Little Junior Brother?”
Dan Cheng Zi said, “Over the years, he has comprehended more than a dozen pill recipes from the Grand Dao Divine Tone of the Medicine King Furnace. If he is willing to continue contributing to the Sect, then it is a good thing for Profound Pill Sect. We can let him stay in the Restricted Area for ten years, but if he learns something new again, he must share all his findings with Profound Pill Sect! Since ancient times, the Divine Armament Tournament has been held once every 100 years, but how many people have actually comprehended the mysteries of the Divine Armaments throughout history? How is this not a huge opportunity for Profound Pill Sect? After all, nobody else has been able to comprehend anything of significance from the Medicine King Furnace aside from him.”
Baili Yun Sang did not answer. He was silent for a long time before he said solemnly, “This is an important matter that needs to be further discussed carefully.”
Dan Cheng Zi did not rush Baili Yun Sang when he heard the other party’s answer. That was because he knew that Profound Pill Sect had no other choice aside from this option, unless they could overcome Yang Kai through force and suppress him.
While the meeting was ongoing, Yang Kai went to visit the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect in Profound Pill City.
Su Chang Fa had not changed in the slightest. He was still in the Third-Step Earth Realm, though after such a long time, he seemed to have gotten older. On the other hand, Hong Xiu and Gu Kang Ning’s cultivation had increased substantially. They were now in the Sixth-Step and Seventh-Step Earth Realm respectively.
They had not known what was going on when Profound Pill Sect brought them to Profound Pill City, but they could vaguely sense that something was wrong. Unfortunately, Profound Pill Sect was much stronger than them, so they were powerless to resist in any way. Now that they met Yang Kai again, it was only natural for them to get to the bottom of the matter.
Yang Kai did not explain in great detail. He simply claimed that he asked the Sect to bring them here. Seeing as Profound Pill City was a city born from Profound Pill Sect, it was naturally a much better environment than the backwater mountains Void Spirit Sword Sect used to occupy.
Su Chang Fa and the others were naturally sceptical of his explanation.
Over the next few days, Yang Kai accompanied Su Chang Fa and the others sightseeing in Profound Pill City. The hustle and bustle of the large city was very dazzling to the group of people who came from the rural countryside, so everything was new and interesting to them.
Five days after the battle inside Profound Pill Sect, Dan Cheng Zi personally came to Yang Kai’s cave mansion on Fixed Moon Peak.
“Disciple greets Honoured Master!” Yang Kai came out to greet Dan Cheng Zi, bowing politely.
Both of them knew that this Master-Disciple relationship was a farce; even so, Yang Kai did not neglect to maintain the necessary etiquette. His actions made Dan Cheng Zi very satisfied. Nodding lightly, Dan Cheng Zi said, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
“This way please, Honoured Master!” Yang Kai gestured with his hand, welcoming Dan Cheng Zi into his secluded home. Then, he instructed Wan Ying Ying to brew a pot of tea.
He had sent a messenger to Heavenly Martial City three days earlier to fetch Hua Rong, Yang Huai, and Wan Ying Ying who had remained behind previously.
Everybody took their seats and savoured the fragrance of the tea. Then, Yang Kai asked, “Honoured Master, did you come because the Sect has decided on that matter?”
Dan Cheng Zi raised his eyes to look at Yang Kai and put his teacup down, “A few days ago, you caused a huge commotion and injured countless Sect members. Although your contributions have been significant, exempting you from punishment will not quell the public outrage. On account of your remorse and your sincerity to ask for punishment after the fact, the Sect has decided to accept your previous suggestion. Your punishment is to reflect on your mistakes in the Restricted Area for the next ten years. Are you satisfied?”
Yang Kai hurriedly poured the tea for Dan Cheng Zi with a chuckle, “I’m very satisfied!” Putting down his teacup, he cupped his fist in the direction of the mountain peak where Baili Yun Sang lived, “The Sect Master is wise indeed!”
The corners of Dan Cheng Zi’s mouth couldn’t help twitching at the sight of Yang Kai’s excitement. [In this world, he is probably the only person to be so happy to be punished to reflect on his mistakes for ten years.]
“Cough…” Dan Cheng Zi lightly coughed, “But, there is one more thing you need to guarantee!”
Yang Kai said, “Honoured Master, please speak.”
“If you learn anything from the Medicine King Furnace, you need to report your findings to the Sect immediately.”
“Of course. This Disciple has always done that,” Yang Kai readily agreed.
Having said that, it was true that one could indeed comprehend some Alchemy-related knowledge from the Medicine King Furnace. However, Yang Kai had no interest in such knowledge. Besides, the findings he turned over to Profound Pill Sect were knowledge that he had already mastered long ago.
During his time in the Restricted Area, Yang Kai would only need to provide a pill recipe or Alchemic Dao teaching that did not exist in this world to the Sect every now and then. That would be enough to keep them happy.
“Good!”
Yang Kai poured tea for Dan Cheng Zi again, “Honoured Master, this Disciple has one other thing that I need your help with.”
Dan Cheng Zi immediately looked at Yang Kai vigilantly, “What is this matter?”
It was not strange for Dan Cheng Zi to be so wary. Even having lived for so many years, he had never met a freak like Yang Kai. How could he possibly resolve a matter that even this Small Monster could not? That was why he asked that question so cautiously.
“It is a trivial matter for the Sect.” Yang Kai smiled, “As you know, I was born in Void Spirit Sword Sect, Honoured Master. It is a small and declining Sect that is not worth mentioning in front of a behemoth like Profound Pill Sect. Due to some misunderstandings previously, the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect were brought to Profound Pill City and have now settled down there.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “I know about this. Do you wish for the Sect to escort them back?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It is such a long journey. Don’t you think that running back and forth is very troublesome? Besides, there’s nothing to miss about those backwater mountains. This Disciple was thinking… Since they are already here, they might as well remain. Profound Pill City is so large, so taking care of the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect should not be a problem. Right?”
Dan Cheng Zi glanced sideways at Yang Kai, a deep sense of vigilance in his eyes.
Yang Kai continued, “Several years have passed since this Disciple joined the Sect. I’ve noticed that there is no unified planning in Profound Pill City. There is no City Lord’s Mansion either, much less somebody to manage its day-to-day affairs. Why don’t you assign Void Spirit Sword Sect to manage the city?”
Dan Cheng Zi immediately fumed angrily, “What a large appetite you have! Aren’t you afraid that you might not be able to digest what you eat!?”
Yang Kai smilingly replied, “One won’t know until they actually try, but regardless, it’s still better than to starve.”
Dan Cheng Zi was about to speak again, but Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt, “A fifty-fifty split. Void Spirit Sword Sect will submit to Profound Pill Sect and help Profound Pill Sect manage Profound Pill City. The profits will be split equally between both parties!”
The words that Dan Cheng Zi wanted to speak were forced back into his mouth. He was silent for a long time before he spoke again, “Profound Pill City is a large city that can generate profits every single day. It is not as if the Sect is unaware of that fact. But, do you know why the Sect never bothered to assign somebody to manage the city?”
“Please enlighten me, Honoured Master.”
Dan Cheng Zi replied, “Profound Pill City started out as a gathering place for the people who came to request pills. Rather than a city, it was more like a temporary camp back then. Over the years, more and more people came to request pills, and with the increasing popularity, the foot of the mountain slowly developed into a village, then a town, then a city. Although Profound Pill Sect could be considered quite well-developed back then as well, it was far from what we have achieved today. Not to mention, most Alchemists are addicted to Alchemy and were consumed by it all day long. How could they have the heart to manage a city? By the time the Sect developed and prospered, the situation in Profound Pill City had already stabilised. It is a huge piece of fat just waiting to be eaten, and for that reason, various great forces from all sides have gathered here. The situation is very messy and not so simple to intervene in.”
After a short pause, he added, “Of course, the main reason is that the Sect is not lacking in wealth. Not only is there no desire to manage the city, but there is no good excuse either.”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “That’s exactly why it is best for Void Spirit Sword Sect to step into this position. Void Spirit Sword Sect has submitted to Profound Pill Sect; moreover, they left their hometown behind. They need the means to make a living. Otherwise, they would starve to death!”
Dan Cheng Zi stared at Yang Kai seriously, and a long while passed before he said, “Thirty-seventy! The Sect will take 70% and Void Spirit Sword Sect will take 30%!”
Yang Kai nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard those words, “What a large appetite, Honoured Master! Didn’t you say that the Sect is not lacking in wealth!? Why must you make things difficult for Void Spirit Sword Sect!?”
Dan Cheng Zi replied angrily, “Void Spirit Sword Sect doesn’t even have a single Spirit Realm Master, how will they manage the situation in the Profound Pill City? The Sect will have to step forward in this aspect. Isn’t it reasonable for us to take 70%? If we actually do this, the Sect will simply be borrowing Void Spirit Sword Sect’s name to take control of Profound Pill City. It can be Void Spirit Sword Sect, but it can also be any random great force! 30% is a lot already. Brat, don’t be too greedy. Don’t forget your place!”
Yang Kai responded solemnly, “This Disciple might be part of Profound Pill Sect, but I am also the Sect Master of Void Spirit Sword Sect. I am responsible for its interests!”
An hour later, Dan Cheng Zi finally left.
A forty-sixty split was the final outcome of their negotiation after a long back-and-forth argument. Yang Kai was very satisfied with the results. Although Void Spirit Sword Sect would only receive 40% of the income, that was still an unimaginable amount of wealth. It was enough to benefit Void Spirit Sword Sect endlessly. In fact, he was originally prepared to accept the thirty-seventy suggestion as a last resort.
Thankfully, Dan Cheng Zi had no wish to disturb the peace that had finally managed to create. That was why he eventually backed down and agreed to the solution of a forty-sixty split after arguing with Yang Kai for a while. With his assurance and facilitation, this plan would most likely be implemented without a hitch. Naturally, Profound Pill Sect would not wish to offend Yang Kai over something like this either.
Not long after that, Yang Kai went down the mountain to where Su Chang Fa and the others were living to inform them about this matter.
When they heard the news, they were absolutely astonished and delighted. They never even dreamt that such a blessing would happen to them in this world. Having gone sightseeing in Profound Pill City for the last few days, how could they not know the prosperity of the city? It just never occurred to them that they would be managing this place one day.
In addition to their happiness, they also felt a certain level of worry about the current strength of Void Spirit Sword Sect. After all, a place like this was simply beyond what a small great force like Void Spirit Sword Sect could manage.
Fortunately, Yang Kai himself had mentioned that they would be relying on Profound Pill Sect to back Void Spirit Sword Sect in this matter. One of the reasons was that they would give Profound Pill Sect a reason to take control of Profound Pill City. The other reason was that Profound Pill Sect themselves did not have the time or the energy to manage this city.
Even so, Su Chang Fa was a worldly man, so how could he not know that the biggest reason for this outcome was thanks to Yang Kai’s mediation? In comparison, submitting to Profound Pill Sect was not that difficult to accept.
For the next half month, the entire Profound Pill City underwent a drastic change. A large number of Heaven Realm Masters and Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect frequently went in and out of the city.
A small Sect called Void Spirit Sword Sect also emerged out of nowhere.
With the cooperation of Profound Pill Sect’s higher-ups, Void Spirit Sword Sect quickly took control over the entire city. Needless to say, there were some obstacles along the way, but these obstacles seemed almost comical in the face of overwhelming power.
Yang Kai did not participate in this endeavour and simply watched from the shadows. Once all the dust had settled, he finally entered the Restricted Area to ‘reflect on his mistakes’.
From that day onward, nobody else saw him again aside from his two personal Blood Warriors and the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect with the qualifications to enter the Restricted Area freely.
During the first two years in the Restricted Area, Yang Kai did absolutely nothing. He simply focused all his strength on removing the drawbacks and hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
His advancement into the Spirit Realm had been too sudden, and he had not been fully prepared at the time. Consequently, the hidden dangers of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law erupted without warning after he devoured a large amount of Red Jade, negatively affecting his mental state. That was why he showed signs of cultivation dissonance during the battle in Profound Pill Sect.
Following the two years of meditative cultivation, his Dragon Vein became increasingly powerful and most of the drawbacks that emerged during his advancement into the Spirit Realm were resolved as a result. Although it had been an extremely dull two years, it was equally rewarding. Yang Kai’s gains were definitely worth the effort he put in.
On the other hand, the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were growing rather anxious. That was because Baili Yun Sang and the Elders would see Yang Kai in the same posture where he just sat there without moving whenever they went to the Restricted Area. For a whole two years, he just sat there without comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace; therefore, Profound Pill Sect gained nothing at all.
Fortunately, the situation improved after two years. Hua Rong and Yang Huai constantly brought in large amounts of cultivation resources into the Restricted Area, and as Yang Kai’s cultivation increased at a steady and safe pace, several extraordinary and powerful pill recipes were also delivered to the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect.
Baili Yun Sang and the Elders were absolutely jubilant. They ecstatically began researching the various pill recipes and Alchemy techniques, thanks to which the level of the Alchemic Dao in Profound Pill Sect soared.
In addition to cultivating, Yang Kai was also refining the Medicine King Furnace. This object was the manifestation of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength, so refining it was extremely difficult. Despite having entered the Spirit Realm now, there was no way for Yang Kai to refine the Medicine King Furnace completely in a short period of time.
Time flew by. A period of ten years was neither too long nor too short. Ten years was just the blink of an eye to the Divine Armament World, while in the eyes of Profound Pill Sect, this past decade was a period of vigorous development for the Sect.
Originally, there were several Sects known for their achievements in the Alchemic Dao in the Divine Armament World that could compete with Profound Pill Sect. During the previous Divine Armament Tournament, Profound Pill Sect had fought against these Sects for the Medicine King Furnace, and even though Profound Pill Sect came out the winner in the end, the advantage they held was not very obvious.
Now, however, the level of the Alchemic Dao in Profound Pill Sect was far more advanced than those Sects.
All the greatest Alchemy Sects had jointly organised an Alchemic Dao conference one year ago; however, Profound Pill Sect came out on top in both the competitions between the Earth-Grade Alchemists and the Heaven-Grade Alchemists. In particular, seven out of the top ten contestants among the Heaven-Grade Alchemists were Profound Pill Sect disciples. Moreover, all top five spots had been monopolised by Profound Pill Sect. Something like this had never happened before.
The whole world was shaken when this news spread out. The other Alchemy Sects were reluctant to admit their loss, but they could only be resigned to their fate. Meanwhile, Profound Pill Sect cheered when this news reached it. Everyone, from the Sect Master to the common workers, every one of them was filled with great pride.
In terms of the Alchemic Dao, this was the era of Profound Pill Sect!
When drinking, one should never forget the one who dug the well and provided the water. Needless to say, Profound Pill Sect did not forget about the biggest contributor behind the scenes.
The Sect Master and the Elders gathered outside the Restricted Area to wait quietly. Likewise, Yang Huai and Hua Rong stood nearby with expectant looks on their faces.
During the past decade, Hua Rong had advanced from the First-Step Spirit Realm to the Fourth Step. Her cultivation was not slow. In fact, it could even be said that she progressed extremely rapidly.
Yang Huai’s progress was even more astonishing. He had gone from the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Spirit Realm in this period. His cultivation speed was even faster than Hua Rong; after all, he was only in the Heaven Realm back when she first advanced into the Spirit Realm.
The extreme compatibility of the Secret Art, his long-standing accumulation, and the endless supply of resources were the main reasons for Yang Huai’s success.
Of course, the primary reason for their success today was all thanks to Yang Kai. Leaving aside everything else, it would have been impossible for them to obtain so many cultivation resources without him.
Void Spirit Sword Sect was presently in charge of Profound Pill City, so they took in a large income every month. Even though they only received 40% of the total, that wealth was enough for a small Sect to grow and develop rapidly. Aware of Hua Rong and Yang Huai’s identities, Void Spirit Sword Sect was generous towards these two and would share whatever good things they came across with them.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had accumulated countless contribution points which Hua Rong and Yang Huai could use to exchange for large amounts of resources from Profound Pill Sect. Not to mention, they also had the pills that Yang Kai personally refined for them!
With such an immense supply of resources, even those with the worst aptitudes in the world could shine. What more Hua Rong and Yang Huai, whose aptitudes were fairly outstanding in the first place?
Everybody waited for over an hour outside the Restricted Area, but there was no noticeable movement from the inside.
“Little Junior Brother, is Martial Nephew aware that his punishment ends today and he is allowed to leave?” Baili Yun Sang turned to glance at Dan Cheng Zi.
Dan Cheng Zi frowned, “I mentioned this to him when I visited him several days ago. Logically speaking, he should be aware of this matter. Judging by the time, he should be emerging soon.”
Yu Bo Yang asked, “Could he be comprehending something again? I seem to hear the Grand Dao Divine Tone, but it is too mysterious for me to understand!”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard, “He might also be performing Alchemy. Didn’t he ask for many precious herbs to be delivered a few days ago?”
Baili Yun Sang nodded, “If that’s the case, then we cannot disturb him. It doesn’t matter. Let us wait here a little longer. Sooner or later, he will…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he abruptly raised his head and stared blankly at the sky above the Restricted Area.
For some reason, an unpredictable and ever-changing seven-coloured light had appeared in the sky. The light had appeared too suddenly; moreover, it was extremely obvious. Seeing as none of them were blind, it was only natural for them to notice it immediately.
Like Baili Yun Sang, the others all stared up into the sky blankly. Nobody knew what that light was.
Lan Yin shouted, “This light is coming from the Restricted Area.”
Everybody was slightly shaken by her words.
Baili Yun Sang hesitated for a short while before he spoke through gritted teeth, “Let’s go in and have a look.”
Originally, he had decided not to disturb Yang Kai out of consideration that the latter might be comprehending the mysteries of the Medicine King Furnace or performing Alchemy; however, he could not help but investigate the situation now that the strange light had emerged from the Restricted Area all of a sudden. The Medicine King Furnace was far too important after all!
As soon as the Sect Master spoke up, the rest no longer hesitated and single-mindedly rushed into the Restricted Area. Upon stepping into the Restricted Area, they looked up only for every one of them to stare forward in complete shock.
The entire Restricted Area was completely enshrouded in that seven-coloured light. The source of the light was none other than the Medicine King Furnace located in the centre of the Restricted Area!
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood in front of the Medicine King Furnace, facing the crowd. The white Alchemy Flame danced inside the Medicine King Furnace as he was throwing extremely precious herbs into the Medicine King Furnace in an orderly manner, causing a faint medicinal fragrance to permeate the air.
“This…” Yu Bo Yang was dumbstruck.
“Is he using the Medicine King Furnace to perform Alchemy!?” Dan Cheng Zi nearly bit off his own tongue in shock.
The Medicine King Furnace was the Divine Armament of the Alchemic Dao. It contained the Truth of the Alchemic Dao and the ultimate mysteries of Alchemy. Since ancient times, regardless of their identity, all the people who obtained the Divine Armament would treat it like a precious treasure and take meticulous care of it, for fear of breaking it by accident.
The same went for Profound Pill Sect. The Medicine King Furnace had been placed inside the Restricted Area to keep it safe after they obtained it. Aside from the Sect Master and several Elders, nobody else was even allowed to approach the Medicine King Furnace. Trespassers would be killed without hesitation!
Such a precious object… How could there come a day when somebody would use this Divine Armament to perform Alchemy!? Everybody was dumbfounded. The sight in front of them was something they never even dared to imagine in their dreams.
There was no denying that the Medicine King Furnace was indeed a furnace, but be that as it may, who would think to ever actually use it for Alchemy!? That was something nobody ever dared to consider, and yet, that very scene was happening right in front of their eyes now!
[That’s… just crazy!]
Dan Cheng Zi was about to stop Yang Kai when a wave of great curiosity stopped him in his tracks. [What will happen… if he performed Alchemy using the Medicine King Furnace? What will the pill he refined be like?]
As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, he couldn’t help looking forward to the results instead.
Everybody else seemed to have had the same idea. After overcoming their initial shock, they simply stood there silently and paid close attention to Yang Kai’s movements and the reaction of the Medicine King Furnace.
A short while later, they revealed awed expressions on their faces. They had always known that Yang Kai’s aptitude in the Alchemic Dao was outstanding and several Elders had even seen him refining pills in the past. Nevertheless, comparing his skills back then and his skills now was like comparing clouds and mud. The difference was simply enormous.
Yang Kai displayed all sorts of peculiar Alchemy Skills and exquisite control over the temperature of the flame. Even the Spirit Grade Alchemists who had immersed themselves in the Alchemic Dao throughout their entire lives had to admit that they could not match up to him. Every single movement seemed to contain the secrets of the Alchemic Dao. It was almost as though the person standing in front of the Medicine King Furnace was personally interpreting the truth of the Alchemic Dao.
Not long afterwards, traces of aura appeared in their minds. Even the Grand Dao Divine Tone that usually sounded extremely vague suddenly became clear at this moment. The mysterious Grand Dao Divine Tone echoed in their heads and cleansed their Souls, causing the ambiguity and the chaos to become clear and recognisable in an instant.
Therefore, they became incredibly excited. All of them were Spirit Grade Alchemists. In other words, they had basically reached their respective peaks in the Alchemic Dao of the Divine Armament World. There was no means for them to progress any further. Be that as it may, their encounter today had given them a glimpse of further possibilities, and they couldn’t wait to return to their secluded homes to enter retreat.
A loud rumbling sound pulled them out of that mysterious state. They returned to their senses. Whilst bemoaning the loss, they suddenly saw something even more shocking. Yang Kai was rhythmically slapping the sides of the Medicine King Furnace with both hands. Every blow caused a ripple that was visible to the naked eye to spread out from the Medicine King Furnace. Following the rhythmic patting, the medicinal fragrance in the Restricted Area became stronger and stronger.
The pills were about to form!
The Spirit Grade Alchemists stared at Yang Kai’s movements without blinking, overflowing with curiosity. Nobody had ever used the Medicine King Furnace to refine pills before, so just what would a pill produced by the Divine Armament be like?
Every single person in the Restricted Area held their breath in anticipation, lest the air they exhaled disturbed Yang Kai’s Alchemy processes. After the last blow was struck, Yang Kai used his Pill Condensing Technique. A string of seven-coloured lights suddenly flew out from within the Medicine King Furnace.
Everybody took a closer look in that direction, and only then did they notice that what flew out of the Medicine King Furnace were not lights but Spirit Grade pills glowing with a seven-coloured light! These Spirit Grade pills had rapidly shot out of the furnace in quick succession to form a straight line, thereby creating the illusion that they were a string of lights.
“Nine pills!” Baili Yun Sang exclaimed, staring blankly at something in mid-air. In his field of vision, there were a total of nine Spirit Grade pills, each one perfectly round, flawless, and overflowing with spirituality.
The Elders were shaken to the core.
Nine was the limit. In theory, each furnace of pills could produce nine pills; therefore, producing nine pills in one furnace was a sign of perfection!
In reality, even the most skilled Alchemist rarely managed to produce nine pills. That was because the process would require an Alchemist to fully utilise every bit of the medical efficacy of the herbs during the Alchemy process. Moreover, not even the slightest mistake could be made throughout the refinement. There was no doubt that these requirements were extremely difficult to achieve and only when one’s luck was extremely good could they occasionally produce such a result.
Ever since Baili Yun Sang started cultivating Alchemy until now, he had only produced two furnaces of nine pills. Not to mention, those were Heaven-Grade pills. As for Spirit-Grade pills, even an experienced Spirit-Grade Alchemist like himself was unable to produce nine pills in one go.
If even he was unable to do that, what more needed to be said about other Spirit Grade Alchemists?
Looking at the pills that Yang Kai had refined just now, it was obvious that they were Spirit Grade. Even so, he managed to produce nine at once! The Medicine King Furnace might have contributed to the situation; nevertheless, the ability to perform to this extent undoubtedly showed that Yang Kai’s Alchemy Skills had surpassed everybody here!
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t help feeling old. All of a sudden, he realized something odd. He observed strange patterns on the surface of these pills. Those patterns resembled the meridians in the human body. It was a mysterious sight to see. More so since he had never seen such patterns before.
Under the guidance of his Spirit Qi, the nine Spirit Grade pills were collected by Yang Kai. Even though he had clearly refined a furnace of extraordinary Spirit Grade pills, he scowled fiercely and stood there lost in thought.
Nobody dared to recklessly disturb him, so they simply waited there quietly.
Ten years was not a short time for Yang Kai. He had spent the first two years resolving the hidden dangers of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Afterwards, he spent the remaining eight years cultivating while refining the Medicine King Furnace. At present, he was in the Eighth-Step Spirit Realm! That was not the most important thing though. The critical point was that he had nearly finished refining the Medicine King Furnace. All that was left were the finishing touches!
It was not due to a lack of time that he hadn’t finished, however, nor was it due to some difficulties in refining the Divine Armament. Rather, Yang Kai was certain that he could finish refining the Medicine King Furnace in the next moment if he so wished, it was just that he had a vague feeling that he would immediately be rejected by this world as soon as he took that step. At that time, he would be forced to leave this place.
Thinking about it, that was only to be expected. The reason he came to the Divine Armament World was to refine part of the Source Strength of this world. Once he achieved his goal, he would no longer be allowed to remain here. That was also part of the rules in this world.
However, Yang Kai was not willing to leave just like this. It could even be said that he never imagined that such a situation would occur in the first place.
When he first entered the Divine Armament World, he had assumed that he would need to wait 100 years until the next Divine Armament Tournament to snatch the Divine Armaments. It could now be seen that his assumption had been wrong. Joining Profound Pill Sect and coming into contact with the Medicine King Furnace had given him the chance to refine it in advance.
It was not easy for Yang Kai to enter this Small Source World though, so how could he return without getting as many benefits as possible?
A vague plan suddenly formed in his mind. It was just that he would need careful planning to determine how he could implement it. Gathering his thoughts, Yang Kai suddenly noticed that everybody was staring at him eagerly, so he gently nodded and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, and Elders!”
Baili Yun Sang couldn’t care for pleasantries, so with a mixture of agitation and anxiety, he asked, “Martial Nephew, what kind of Spirit Grade pills did you refine earlier? Can you let me see them?”
“They are Spirit Yuan Pills, which have the effect of aiding Spirit Realm Masters in their cultivation. Didn’t I already hand the pill recipe to the Sect?” While speaking, Yang Kai took out one of the Spirit Yuan Pills and handed it to Baili Yun Sang.
Everybody immediately crowded around Baili Yun Sang as they couldn’t wait to lay their eyes on the pill to take a good look.
Dan Cheng Zi observed and emulated for a while before he frowned and said, “We are familiar with the pill recipe of the Spirit Yuan Pill, but why does your refining process seem a little different?”
Yang Kai explained, “It’s an Alchemy Technique that I created myself. I will prepare a copy for the Contribution Hall later!”
Dan Cheng Zi was satisfied, “Good Disciple!”
Baili Yun Sang held the Spirit Yuan Pill between his fingers and looked at Yang Kai in puzzlement, “Martial Nephew, what are these patterns on the pill? Why do I get the feeling that these patterns contain something extremely mysterious?”
“These are Pill Veins!” Yang Kai took the Spirit Grade pill from Baili Yun Sang’s hands and tossed the pill into his mouth. Crunching noisily on the pill, he finally swallowed and added, “With these Pill Veins, the medicinal efficacies of this Spirit Yuan Pill is double that of a normal Spirit Yuan Pill.”
“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.
“Double!?” Even Wu Feng Hua was shocked.
Baili Yun Sang was heartbroken, “How can you… How can you eat such a precious thing!?”
Looking at his expression, Baili Yun Sang seemed like he was tempted to rush over to Yang Kai and dig it out from his mouth with his bare hands.
Yang Kai laughed, “Pills are meant to be eaten. But, only I can eat these. Nobody else can eat them. This is the reason…”
While speaking, a humming sound suddenly came from within his body. Immediately after that, Yang Kai’s entire body abruptly swelled. Following the expansion of his body, it seemed to transform into a bottomless pit. An enormous wave of World Energy rushed towards his body, kicking up a gust of wind along the way. Even the Red Jades piled beside the Medicine King Furnace turned into dust in an instant.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following several consecutive rumblings, Yang Kai’s body expanded and contracted several times before he suddenly went back to normal.
Everybody was dumbfounded by the sight!
Baili Yun Sang stared at something by the side with a lifeless gaze. In just ten breaths of time, at least 300,000 Red Jades had been drained of energy and turned into dust. Those Red Jades had been consumed and devoured by Yang Kai in that time! That speed was simply appalling!
But, in this way, the Elders finally understood why Yang Kai claimed that only he could eat these pills. Ever since Yang Kai contributed the pill recipe for the Spirit Yuan Pills, Profound Pill Sect had refined many of these pills for the Spirit Realm Masters in the Sect to consume as an auxiliary to their cultivation. The effects were remarkable and all those who ate these pills claimed that the effects were amazing.
A normal Spirit Yuan Pill already had such powerful effects. On the other hand, a Spirit Yuan Pill with Pill Veins had double the effects. It was certainly not something normal Spirit Realm Masters could bear.
“These Pill Veins… How do you refine them?” Dan Cheng Zi stared at Yang Kai excitedly, his eyes gleaming brightly.
Although it was his first time hearing about Pill Veins, he had witnessed their terrifying strength with his own eyes. If this knowledge could be promoted in Profound Pill Sect, then no other Alchemy Sects would have a future in the world!
“It is not easy to form Pill Veins. It is one part talent and one part effort. Of course, the most important factor is… luck!” Yang Kai pondered for a moment and continued, “En. I’m sure everybody is tired today. Why don’t you all come to Fixed Moon Peak tomorrow? I will teach you about Pill Veins in detail then.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded lightly, “Good!”
Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai eagerly, “Martial Nephew, can I have another Spirit Yuan Pill? This Old Master wishes to go back and study it.”
“I want one too!” Wu Feng Hua immediately chimed in.
“Cough… This Old Master would like one too,” Yu Bo Yang stepped forward.
Seeing that the other Elders were about to speak, Yang Kai hurriedly raised his hand to stop them, “I don’t have many in the first place. Why don’t you all go to the Sect Master’s place to discuss and research the pill together?”
They exchanged glances with each other. Then, Baili Yun Sang nodded, “Good.”
Yang Kai immediately handed another Spirit Yuan Pill to Baili Yun Sang.
Baili Yun Sang took the pill as though he was accepting a great treasure. Taking out a jade bottle, he stored the pill carefully. After obtaining the Spirit Yuan Pill, he eagerly said, “Martial Nephew, your ten-year retreat ends today. You should go back and get some rest!”
After saying that, he hurried away while the rest of the Elders followed closely behind him.
Yang Kai called out to Dan Cheng Zi, “Please wait, Honoured Master! This Disciple has a question!”
Dan Cheng Zi glanced in the direction where the others were leaving and said impatiently, “What is it? Hurry up.”
Yang Kai secretly stuffed a jade bottle into Dan Cheng Zi’s hand and smilingly replied, “It’s nothing important. Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Honoured Master, I missed you very much!”
Dan Cheng Zi lowered his head to look at the object in his hands and smiled, “It’s good that you are filial!” He looked up again. Glancing at the Medicine King Furnace, he asked, “You used the Medicine King Furnace for Alchemy… Will there be any issues?”
Yang Kai laughed, “The Medicine King Furnace is a Divine Armament, how can there be any issues? Besides, it was born for the sake of Alchemy. It is only because the Medicine King Furnace is too precious that nobody dared to do something like this before.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “That’s good then. You should go back and rest now. You still have much to do tomorrow.”
“I will see you off, Honoured Master!” Yang Kai said.
The sky was slowly brightening on the horizon. Dan Cheng Zi’s sleeves fluttered as he landed halfway up the mountain of Fixed Moon Peak and looked in the direction of Yang Kai’s cave mansion with a strange expression. He had been so shocked by Yang Kai’s Alchemy Skills yesterday that he failed to notice an issue based on seniority.
The brat was one whole generation lower than the Elders, so how could he be so arrogant as to invite everybody over to his secluded home to listen to him preach the Dao about these new Pill Veins!? Logically speaking, he should have reported this matter to the Elders instead! Although it was said that the one who discovered the truth of the Grand Dao first was supreme, proper etiquette should not have been neglected.
For that reason, Dan Cheng Zi had rushed over early in the morning. He wanted to advise Yang Kai to head towards the Spirit Peak where the Sect Master was staying instead. Going by Yang Kai’s behaviour yesterday, he seemed to recognise the Master-Disciple relationship between them. Since he considered Dan Cheng Zi as his Honoured Master, then Dan Cheng Zi was the best person to step forward and speak to him about this breach of etiquette.
Outside the cave mansion, Yang Huai and Hua Rong stood on both sides of the door and cupped their fists in greeting when they saw Dan Cheng Zi approaching them.
Dan Cheng Zi looked lightly at them before walking into the cave mansion under Hua Rong’s guidance. When he looked up though, he couldn’t help being terrified for a moment.
It turned out that Baili Yun Sang and the others had arrived before him. Not only were all the Elders of the Sect gathered in this place, but they were also sitting upright with thin cushions beneath them.
Dan Cheng Zi’s face twitched slightly. The scene in front of him looked very familiar… Upon a closer look, he couldn’t help recalling a scene from when he was still a young boy. It was a scene from the past where he had listened to the teachings of his Honoured Master with many of his Fellow Brothers! So many years had passed that this old memory had almost been forgotten; however, thoughts of those times came surging back today.
The young men from back then had now become world-famous Spirit-Grade Alchemists; even so, the scene in front of him was almost identical to that memory from the past. The only difference was that those handsome young men were now old men with grey beards.
He couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
“You’re here, Little Junior Brother?” Baili Yun Sang turned back and nodded at Dan Cheng Zi in greeting.
Dan Cheng Zi was taken aback, “Sect Master, why is your appearance so haggard!?”
At this moment, Baili Yun Sang’s eyes were completely bloodshot. He looked like he had not rested for weeks on end. Even his hair, which was usually kept neat and tidy, was completely dishevelled, as though he had run his hands through it countless times.
“Why are you all… so haggard!?” Dan Cheng Zi swept his gaze over the others only to discover that the condition of every single person in the room was no different from Baili Yun Sang.
It was just that their bloodshot eyes were shining with excitement even though they looked a little tired. That was the natural reaction they got after seeing something that was extremely stimulating to them.
Baili Yun Sang gave a wry smile, “The Pill Veins that Martial Nephew showed us yesterday are truly profound and mysterious. We couldn’t learn anything at all after studying the pill for the entire night. Since you’re here, Little Junior Brother, you should hurry up and take a seat. Martial Nephew will probably wake up soon.”
Dan Cheng Zi no longer knew how to bring up what he wanted to say earlier. The initial reason he arrived so early was to advise Yang Kai to head to the Spirit Peak where the Sect Master lived so as to prevent any discourtesy. Who could have known that the Sect Master himself was already here? Judging from how everybody else was also waiting in this place, there seemed to be no complaint at all.
In this world, who could make so many Spirit-Grade Alchemists wait with such patience? In terms of status, there was nobody in the Divine Armament World who had this qualification. Only their yearning for the Alchemic Dao could make these arrogant Spirit Grade Alchemists put aside their dignity.
Therefore, Dan Cheng Zi said nothing else and sat down cross-legged with the rest of them.
Approximately an incense stick later, Yang Kai walked out from the inner room and bowed in greeting, “Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, Elders!”
To his surprise, everybody stood up and returned the bow. Taken aback for a moment, Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “You are all my Seniors. Please take a seat!”
After ordering somebody to serve tea, Yang Kai wasted no time and immediately began explaining Pill Veins. The Alchemic Dao that he mastered far exceeded the scope of what the Alchemists in the Divine Armament World could understand, so he only taught them about certain aspects that they could accept and comprehend.
The higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect listened fascinatedly. From time to time, somebody would ask a question and Yang Kai would answer them one by one. The lecture went on for three whole days.
The group of old men sitting below were not young anymore, and although they had strong cultivation, it was very exhausting for them to remain in such an excited state over such a long period. That was especially true when Yang Kai noticed that their spirits were incredibly high even though they were obviously very tired. He was worried that something bad might happen to them, so he ended the lesson abruptly.
Naturally, none of these eager Alchemists was willing to let this opportunity end, but they knew that what they learned over the past three days was enough for them to take another step further in the Alchemic Dao.
Before leaving, Baili Yun Sang suddenly asked, “Martial Nephew, do the Pill Clouds you mentioned at the end really exist?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, they exist. Pill Clouds are another level above Pill Veins. It’s just that Pill Veins can be forged through hard work and effort, but Pill Clouds can only occur serendipitously.”
Baili Yun Sang frowned, “Even with your talents, Martial Nephew, do you have no confidence in refining the Pill Clouds?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response.
Baili Yun Sang sighed softly, “I really want to see how a pill with Pill Clouds looks! If I could see that, I would be able to die without regrets.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I’m sure you’ll get the chance. Who knows? Maybe you or the Elders will be favoured by the Heavens one day and successfully refine the Pill Clouds as a result.”
Baili Yun Sang waved his hand dismissively, “This Old Master knows the abilities of himself and these old fogeys well. We may not even be able to fully comprehend the mysteries of Pill Veins, let alone Pill Clouds. On the other hand, your Alchemy Skills are superb, Martial Nephew. If you manage to refine a pill that forms Pill Clouds one day, you must show it to this Old Master.”
“Of course, Sect Master!” Yang Kai nodded respectfully.
“In addition, you are now a Spirit-Grade Alchemist. Not only do your Alchemy Skills far exceed old folks like us, but you also contributed greatly to Profound Pill Sect. You are more than qualified to become one of the Elders in Profound Pill Sect. What do you think, Martial Nephew?”
Yang Kai was stunned. He never imagined that Baili Yun Sang would propose something like that. It didn’t matter to him whether he became an Elder or not, so he simply nodded, “I will leave the arrangements to you, Sect Master!”
“Good. After so many years, Profound Pill Sect will finally have another Elder among our ranks! The whole world will celebrate with us!” Smiling, Baili Yun Sang stroked his beard and left.
Dan Cheng Zi looked in the direction that Baili Yun Sang left and patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “It looks like the Sect Master has high hopes for you. He probably plans to let you take over as the next Sect Master.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “Does Sect Master have such intentions?”
Dan Cheng Zi smiled, “Why else would he be so anxious for you to become an Elder? We are old and might not have many years left to live. Be it in Alchemy or the Martial Dao, your aptitude is the highest in Profound Pill Sect. Handing the Sect over to you is the best choice.”
Yang Kai didn’t know what to say. Ten years ago, he had caused a huge commotion in Profound Pill Sect and nearly burned all his bridges with them. It was difficult to imagine that he was now being trained as its successor.
…..
When Baili Yun Sang said ‘The whole world will celebrate with us’, Yang Kai thought that he had only said those words out of happiness. In reality, news of his Elder Promotion Ceremony was actually spread across the world.
Profound Pill Sect widely distributed invitations, inviting all the Sects in the Divine Armament World to witness the ceremony. As one of the Ten Great Sects, and a great force overseen by Alchemists, it was only natural for everybody to show their respect to Profound Pill Sect.
Two months later, the entire Profound Pill Sect was overflowing with festivities. They had countless guests in attendance, and almost all the Sects in the Divine Armament World with some influence had sent representatives. Profound Pill City was overcrowded at one point, so much so that even the outskirts of the city were not spared.
Throughout history, this was the first time an Elder Promotion Ceremony had ever become a grand event that practically involved the entire Divine Armament World!
Representatives of the various great forces became aware of how remarkable the new Elder of Profound Pill Sect was at this time. If Profound Pill Sect did not cherish this Elder, they would not have held such a grand event; therefore, Yang Kai’s name became known across the world in a single night!
Countless people were filled with curiosity about Yang Kai. Unfortunately, not much information could be inquired about him since he had been in retreat for the past ten years.
The rumours spreading among the people claimed that this new Elder was the reason for Profound Pill Sect’s rapid development over the years. Moreover, this Elder could arouse the resonance of the Medicine King Furnace and comprehend the mysteries of the Grand Dao Divine Tone. He alone had contributed dozens of pill recipes that never existed before to Profound Pill Sect. His contributions had elevated the Alchemic Dao of the entire Profound Pill Sect by a large margin.
Even the Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect, Baili Yun Sang, sighed at his incompetence when it came to his own attainments in the Alchemic Dao. Yang Kai was worthy of being known as the greatest Alchemist in the Divine Armament World!
Needless to say, the other Alchemy Sects refused to recognise this title. During the Elder Promotion Ceremony, they even went so far as to send out several Spirit Grade Alchemists to compete against Yang Kai in Alchemy on the grounds of ‘learning’. Nobody knew the outcome of the competition, but the Spirit Grade Alchemists of those great forces immediately entered retreat after returning to their respective Sects and there was no further news from them afterwards.
The biggest advantage of becoming an Elder of Profound Pill Sect was that Yang Kai could become the Master of a Spirit Peak, owning one all to himself.
He used to live on Fixed Moon Peak, but several other Heaven Grade Alchemists also lived on Fixed Moon Peak. Gao Xin Peng was one of them. Now that he was an Elder of Profound Pill Sect, Yang Kai moved to live on Limitless Peak instead.
After the ceremony, Limitless Peak remained very lively. Several storehouses on Limitless Peak were filled to the brim with gifts from countless Sects. There were so many precious treasures that the very sight would dazzle a person. It took Yang Huai and Hua Rong many days to organise and categorise the gifts with a group of servants.
Inside a quiet room, Yang Kai played with a stone the size of a melon. Both his Spirit Qi and the Space Principles surged as he refined the object in his hand.
Everything in the Divine Armament World was wonderful; however, the greatest inconvenience Yang Kai faced was that there were no storage tools like Universe Bags or Space Rings.
Whenever he cultivated nowadays, he would consume an extremely large number of resources, and it was very troublesome to move these resources around without something like a Space Ring. More importantly, he could not bring much with him if he were to travel outside. He could only carry some pills with him at most.
He had been searching for an opportunity to refine a Space Ring the entire time he had been here; unfortunately, even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice. There were no Space Spirit Crystals in this world, so he was unable to refine a Space Ring. Unexpectedly, he found a strange ore among the gifts sent by one of the great forces. This strange ore had some similar properties to Space Spirit Crystal, which might allow him to use it to refine a Space Ring.
The white Alchemy Flame danced. Since this Alchemy Flame could be used for Alchemy, it was only natural that it could also be used for Artifact Refining. It was just that Yang Kai did not know much about Artifact Refining. That was why refining this object was very challenging. Fortunately, his attainments in the Dao of Space were quite profound, so refining a simple Space Ring should not be a problem.
Several days later, Yang Kai looked at the hideous ring in his hand and sighed softly. There was no helping it given that he didn’t know much about the Dao of Artifact Refining. Although he originally planned to refine a Space Ring, what he actually produced after all that effort was a black and crude ring with no sense of aesthetics at all.
Fortunately, the practicality of the item was not bad even though the appearance was rather ugly. He had used Space Principles to open up a small space inside of the ore, taking advantage of its natural properties, which was enough to hold quite a number of things.
Afterward, he went to the storehouse. When he found some resources that might be useful to him, he stuffed them all into the Space Ring.
Dan Cheng Zi was right. Baili Yun Sang really intended to train Yang Kai to become the next Sect Master of Profound Pill Sect; after all, ten years of dull and lonely retreat combined with Yang Kai’s enormous contribution to the Sect was enough to prove his loyalty to Profound Pill Sect.
Following the Elder Promotion Ceremony, Profound Pill Sect secretly built up the momentum and fervently boosted his reputation. A 30 year old Spirit Grade Alchemist, the youngest Elder, the future hope of Profound Pill Sect… All kinds of praises were added to Yang Kai’s name. For a time, he was in the spotlight of the entire Divine Armament World and the entire Profound Pill Sect was incredibly proud of him!
…
Vanishing Sword Mountain was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World.
The so-called Ten Great Sects were not fixed, but changed with the Divine Armament Tournament that was held every 100 years. Only the Sects that managed to obtain a Divine Armament were eligible to be part of the Ten Great Sects. The title was an honorary title. It was also a symbol of strength to some extent, but that was not always the case.
There was one such Sect among the existing Ten Great Sects. The Sect’s overall strength was not particularly superior. It was only because they had a Heaven-defying person among their ranks who managed to obtain one of the Divine Armaments in the last Divine Armament Tournament that the Sect was also promoted to become one of the Ten Great Sects.
Having survived for over 1,000 years, Vanishing Sword Mountain had a long history. Moreover, they managed to obtain the Divine Armament True Void Sword on numerous occasions throughout the past 1,000 years. Accordingly, the Sect was also periodically listed as part of Ten Great Sects. It could be said that Vanishing Sword Mountain was one of the undisputed leading Sects in the Divine Armament World.
Even without the protection of a Divine Armament, nobody dared to underestimate the strength of this Sect. What more when the Divine Armament True Void Sword was currently in Vanishing Sword Mountain?
In the dark of the night, the full moon hung high in the sky and cold moonlight illuminated the world. A ghostly figure silently appeared out of nowhere on top of a tall building.
Yang Kai stood on the highest point of Vanishing Sword Mountain, looking down on the large Sect that boasted an inheritance lasting over 1,000 years. The True Void Sword around his waist was currently humming like crazy.
Looking down, he raised an eyebrow. The True Void Sword around his waist was something that the Ancestral Founder of Void Spirit Sword Sect spent a lot of resources to forge in the past. It was an imitation of the genuine Divine Armament, but the sword itself was just a Spirit Armament.
Regardless of the circumstances, there would always be a subtle connection between the replica and the genuine object. If not for that, Yang Kai would not have deliberately carried the True Void Sword with him. He could have just stored the sword in the Space Ring.
At this point, Yang Kai had almost finished refining the Medicine King Furnace. He was only one step away from completion. Once he took that last step, he would definitely obtain a portion of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength. At the same time, this world would also produce a strong rejection force to expel him out of the Divine Armament World. At that time, he would be forced to leave even if he didn’t want to.
It was not easy for him to come here, so it was only natural for Yang Kai to want to acquire more benefits.
The Divine Armament World’s Source had been divided into ten pieces, and the Ten Great Divine Armaments were the physical embodiments of these pieces. If Yang Kai wanted to acquire more benefits, then he would need to refine more of the Divine Armaments!
For that reason, Vanishing Sword Mountain was his first target. That was because the Divine Armament True Void Sword was here!
Yang Kai was very curious as to what would happen if he refined all of the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Would he be able to devour the entire World Force of the Divine Armament World and expand his Small Universe enormously as a result? If that were the case, he figured he would immediately advance into the Seventh-Step Open Heaven Realm!
As for whether he would be discovered, Yang Kai was not worried. His strength had reached a point where he was now unrivalled in the Divine Armament World. There was no need for him to continue living if he was discovered despite moving about so sneakily. What’s more, the Divine Armament was not owned by anybody. Even if he stole the True Void Sword, Vanishing Sword Mountain would have no way of determining the culprit.
The fact that the Divine Armaments had no owners was something he deliberately inquired about from Dan Cheng Zi. That was because he had found the situation very strange when he previously refined the Medicine King Furnace.
Logically speaking, the Medicine King Furnace should have an owner when it was already in Profound Pill Sect. In reality though, Yang Kai had not felt anybody’s aura in the Medicine King Furnace.
Lan Yin also mentioned in the past that there was nobody in Profound Pill Sect who could refine the Medicine King Furnace. If that was the case for the Medicine King Furnace, then it would surely be the same for the rest of the Divine Armaments!
The so-called Armament Masters were simply people who had obtained the Divine Armaments; however, the Divine Armaments were nothing more than weapons that were slightly sharper than Spirit Armaments in their hands. They were completely incapable of bringing out the true power of the Divine Armaments.
Throughout the ages, many heroes had tried to become the true Masters of the Divine Armaments; unfortunately, nobody had ever succeeded. There was even a precedent of being killed by the backlash from trying to refine a Divine Armament.
From the standpoint of an outsider, the Divine Armaments were the manifestations of this world’s Source Strength. If people in this world wanted to refine the Source Strength, they would need to have the vision and the strength to escape the shackles of this world; otherwise, their attempts would only lead to their destruction.
It was just that each Divine Armament also represented various Grand Dao’s of this World, so the benefits that these Divine Armaments could bring were immeasurable even if they were just placed in a hall and studied. Take the Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword for example. If a person could comprehend the mysteries of the True Void Sword, they could significantly improve their attainments in the Sword Dao.
Everybody in Vanishing Sword Mountain was trained in the sword. Not to mention, they had obtained the True Void Sword multiple times over the past 1,000 or so years. That was why there were countless Sword Masters in Vanishing Sword Mountain.
The True Void Sword on Yang Kai’s waist continued to hum. The sound was soft, but the hearing of the Masters in Vanishing Sword Mountain was sharp and keen. Nobody noticed his arrival, but they definitely noticed his presence now.
A shout rang out from the shadows, “Who is sneaking around!?”
Numerous sword waves blasted out towards Yang Kai from all directions as soon as those words rang out. In an instant, the place where he had been standing was covered in an inescapable barrage of attacks. When the sword lights subsided, more than a dozen silhouettes had already leapt onto the building’s roof. They searched the surrounding area, but there was nothing there.
“Where is he?” One of them was puzzled and bewildered.
“Could it be that we were mistaken?”
“Impossible. I saw it clearly. There was definitely somebody standing here just now.”
“A person who can escape from beneath our noses must be a High-Rank Spirit Realm Master. Who knows why he is sneaking around. Hurry up and inform the Mountain Lord about this.”
With a few simple words, somebody quickly rushed off to make a report. The remaining people summoned more of their comrades to search their surroundings for anything suspicious.
The entire Vanishing Sword Mountain was thrown into turmoil in a short time. Figures weaved about in the dark of the night and each one surged with Spirit Qi. This display highlighted the immense heritage of this Sect.
At the same time, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in a quiet place.
The True Void Sword at his waist had already been stuffed into his Space Ring. The momentary connection formed from the resonance between the replica and the genuine object was enough for him to confirm the location of the actual Divine Armament, so at this point, leaving his True Void Sword out in the open would only invite more trouble.
Yang Kai stood at the entrance to a certain mountain valley. He turned to look around and saw a stone monument by the side of the stone valley. The characters ‘Sword Pedestal’ were carved on the stone monument.
He raised his brow slightly at the sight. The Sword Pedestal of Vanishing Sword Mountain was famous all over the world. It was also the Restricted Area located in the deepest parts of Vanishing Sword Mountain. It was reasonable for the True Void Sword to be placed here.
Yang Kai stepped inside, his figure flitting about with no fixed pattern. Under the night sky, he looked like a ghost. Muffled groans and the thudding sounds of something heavy dropping to the ground would come from the shadows from time to time. These were the sounds of the secret guards stationed outside the Restricted Area being knocked unconscious.
It didn’t take long before Yang Kai arrived in the deepest part of the Restricted Area.
There was a sword inserted straight into the middle of a stone cistern on top of a round platform. In terms of shape and appearance, the sword was identical to Void Spirit Sword Sect’s True Void Sword, and under the moonlight, the blade of the sword reflected the moonlight with a cold brilliance.
Yang Kai stared at the sword calmly, seeming to hear a vague and mysterious voice in his ear. However, the voice was indistinct and incomprehensible.
The Medicine King Furnace had a Grand Dao Divine Tone. Naturally, so did the True Void Sword. While the Medicine King Furnace contained the Truth of the Alchemic Dao, the True Void Sword contained the Truth of the Sword Dao! If one could comprehend the Grand Dao Divine Tone in this place, one would surely reach the greatest heights of the Sword Dao possible in the Divine Armament World.
There were four men with white hair and white beards sitting at four points around the round platform where the True Void Sword was located. The four of them looked extremely old. The beard of the one with the longest beard was so long that it actually dragged on the ground. One of them wore green robes, another red, another yellow, and the last one wore white. Their respective colours were very distinct.
Yang Kai might have travelled soundlessly when he walked in from the outside, but his movements had not escaped the eyes and ears of these four people. That was why all four of them opened their eyes at the same time and stared at him fixedly as soon as he arrived here.
It was just that Yang Kai had surged his Space Principles, so the space surrounding him fluctuated constantly. Even though the strength of these four old men was horrifying, they were unable to discern his true appearance. All they could see was a humanoid shadow which they couldn’t even tell was male or female.
The four Elders had neither seen nor heard of such strange methods before, so their expressions instantly became solemn.
The green-robed old man asked, “Who are you?”
Yang Kai shifted his gaze from the True Void Sword and swept a glance over them. Then, he gently nodded and said, “I’ve long heard that Vanishing Sword Mountain had four Elders of the Four Seasons. Each one has strength that has reached the peak of the World. Now that I see you today, you truly are worthy of your reputation!”
Although none of them had made a move, Yang Kai could feel the mighty aura of the Spirit Qi coming from the bodies of these four old men. Their Spirit Qi was practically at the limits of this world.
The red-robed Summer Elder quickly said, “We old men have not involved ourselves in the world for a long time, so we were unaware that people like you exist in this world. It seems that great talents are born in every generation!”
The yellow-robed Autumn Elder asked, “Why did you come here?”
Yang Kai grinned, “I came to borrow the True Void Sword!”
The four Elders exchanged glances with each other, but there was no anger in their eyes. The white-robed Winter Elder said, “We have been instructed to guard this place and watch over the True Void Sword. If you wish to take the True Void Sword, you will have to kill us first; otherwise, you will never take the True Void Sword away.”
Yang Kai smiled slightly, “Respecting the elderly and cherishing the young are the virtues of my generation. You are not young anymore, so you really shouldn’t be acting so violent. I will leave after taking the True Void Sword.”
While saying so, he boldly strode forward.
The expressions of the four Elders changed drastically. Although they did not seem to have moved, a sword suddenly appeared in each of their hands; then, flashing sword lights attacked Yang Kai from all directions.
None of them had used any fancy moves when attacking him. On the contrary, each move they made was only the simplest of forms. It was just that the terrifying Spirit Qi in their bodies was controlled so that every attack contained immense power.
All four of them were among the strongest Masters of this world, so it could be said that their combined strength was invincible; however, a scene that shocked them to the core appeared before them today. The hazy figure was completely unaffected by their attacks. Step by step, he slowly approached the True Void Sword. The space around him became distorted and warped. At the same time, all the attacks aimed at him were inexplicably extinguished.
An incense stick later, a burly figure rushed towards the depths of the Sword Pedestal. This person was the Mountain Lord of Vanishing Sword Mountain, Ye Cheng!
Somebody had quietly infiltrated Vanishing Sword Mountain, but a search of the surroundings came up empty. That was when Ye Cheng abruptly thought about the Restricted Area and hurried over to investigate the situation.
As he passed along the path, the secret guards who should have been standing watch over the area from the shadows remained silent. His heart involuntarily sank. When he arrived at the Restricted Area, he raised his head to look in that direction and his expression changed drastically. The True Void Sword was gone!
The Four Seasons Elders stood surrounding the round platform, each facing a different direction and motionlessly maintaining a stance with their swords drawn as though somebody had placed a Binding Secret Technique on them. The expressions on their faces were a mixture of shock and rage.
Traces of a battle remained fluctuating wildly around them.
Ye Cheng’s arrival seemed to have triggered some sort of hidden switch. Following a series of rustling sounds from all directions, each of the four Elders spewed out a stream of fresh blood and fell to their knees on the ground in unison!
Shocked, Ye Cheng quickly stepped forward, “Elders, what happened here!? Where is the True Void Sword!?”
An unusual red flush crept up the Spring Elder’s face. He forcefully suppressed his churning vitality and answered the question with a look of shame, “We have failed you, Mountain Lord. The True Void Sword… was stolen by someone.”
Ye Cheng was horrified, “Who would have the ability to steal the True Void Sword from under the noses of the Four Elders!?”
One could not fault him for feeling so horrified. The strength of the four old men standing in front of him had reached the peak. Any one of them could be considered an invincible existence in the world, let alone the combined forces of these four.
Summer Elder shook his head, “We don’t know. The infiltrator’s appearance was unclear. Judging from the voice, he was probably a man; however, his methods are unpredictable and strange. We… are not his opponent.”
Ye Cheng felt all the hairs on his body stand up in horror when he heard those words. According to the Summer Elder, the infiltrator had injured them and then stolen the True Void Sword. Not only that, but they couldn’t even get a clear glimpse of their enemy’s true appearance. If not for his trust in the four old men, Ye Cheng would have wondered whether they carried out the robbery themselves.
“That person who stole the True Void Sword should not have gone far. Mountain Lord, please dispatch the troops to pursue him immediately! Be sure to find out the whereabouts of the True Void Sword! The Divine Armament… cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of outsiders! We will take some time to adjust our breathing and catch up with the rest of you soon!”
Winter Elder waved his hand impatiently, “Hurry up and go!”
Ye Cheng nodded heavily, “Yes!”
Then, he turned around and strode away in large strides.
At the same time, 1,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai flew through the air with the True Void Sword in his hand, quietly circulating his Spirit Qi to refine it.
Thinking back to the battle earlier, he couldn’t help feeling a sense of admiration towards the Four Seasons Elders. Those Four Elders had reached the limits of this world and there was nobody who could stand up against their combined strength. Even with the help his Space Principles, Yang Kai had nearly been injured by those four, forcing him to fight back.
Fortunately, the True Void Sword was now in his possession. He had originally planned to store the sword in his Space Ring, but who could have known that the Space Ring was unable to accommodate this object? Thinking about it again though, it made sense. This sword was the manifestation of 10% of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength after all. How could a mere Space Ring possibly contain something like that? In the end, Yang Kai could only carry the sword around in his hand.
A short while later, Yang Kai slowly shook his head. He was currently in the Eighth-Step Spirit Realm, so his cultivation was no longer the same as back then. Even so, the process of refining the True Void Sword remained extremely slow. His brief attempt just now had given him the vague feeling that he would need to spend several years in order to completely refine the sword.
Returning to Profound Pill Sect on that same night, he quietly returned to Limitless Peak and entered a secret room to focus on refining the True Void Sword.
Even though Vanishing Sword Mountain immediately suppressed the information, news of the Divine Armament True Void Sword being stolen spread across the Divine Armament World in an extremely short time.
Everybody who heard the news could barely believe their ears. Vanishing Sword Mountain had a long and powerful inheritance. Not to mention, there were as many Masters in the Sect as there were clouds in the sky. It was also said that the True Void Sword was guarded by the Four Seasons Elders who had not shown themselves to the world in a very long time. The strength of each Elder was absolutely staggering. How could anybody in the world manage to steal the True Void Sword from such a force?
Be that as it may, paper could not contain fire forever. Vanishing Sword Mountain refuted the rumours as usual, but disciples of the Sect were constantly dispatched to search the surrounding areas over the next few months. Their actions revealed clues to the people who were interested in the matter.
Nevertheless, it took half a year after the news first came out before the public finally confirmed the truth. The True Void Sword had really been stolen! The entire world flew into an uproar!
Everybody was shocked that a single person could slip through the defences of a top-tier great force like Vanishing Sword Mountain and steal the True Void Sword. At the same time, they were also extremely curious about the identity of the thief. Just who had the ability and the courage to pull this off? It was a pity that the thief never revealed himself, so nobody could figure out anything.
…..
Dan Cheng Zi and Yang Kai sat opposite each other on Limitless Peak located in Profound Pill Sect. There was a tea set placed between them, emitting a delicate fragrance. The purpose of Dan Cheng Zi’s visit today was to learn some Alchemy Techniques from Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was now one of the Elders in Profound Pill Sect, so although he was one step lower than Dan Cheng Zi in terms of seniority, they were on equal footing in regard to their respective statuses. Even so, the older generation of Spirit Grade Alchemists in the Sect hungered for the Alchemic Dao. They were not bothered by matters related to pride or reputation, so they would visit him to ask questions from time to time; likewise, Yang Kai taught them attentively.
Wan Ying Ying knelt by the side, pouring tea for the two of them.
More than ten years had passed, and the Little Junior Sister of Void Spirit Sword Sect was now a Heaven Realm Master herself. In addition, her progress in the Alchemic Dao had improved by leaps and bounds under Yang Kai’s personal tutelage. She had thus become an accomplish Heaven Grade Alchemist.
On the other hand, the other two Junior Brothers who followed Yang Kai to Profound Pill Sect were not quite as successful; even so, they were both Earth Grade Alchemists.
“So, you’re saying that this Master has understood the Hidden Dragon Art wrong.” After listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, Dan Cheng Zi revealed a look of understanding.
Yang Kai smiled, “It’s not a complete misunderstanding. It’s just a slight deviation. You only need to make some slight adjustments, Honoured Master. You will surely have twice the result with half the effort when you condense pills after making these changes.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “En, I understand now.” Pausing for a moment, he put down his tea cup and nonchalantly asked, “You’ve been secluding yourself in Limitless Peak recently. Have you heard about the huge incident that occurred outside?”
Yang Kai looked up at Dan Cheng Zi, “What are you referring to, Honoured Master?”
Dan Cheng Zi stared back with a burning gaze, “Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword has been stolen!”
“What!?” Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Is that true!?”
“I heard the sword thief has mysterious methods and that even the combined strength of the Four Seasons Elders could not stop him!”
“That’s unbelievable! The True Void Sword was stolen! I’m sure Vanishing Sword Mountain won’t rest until they find the culprit.”
Dan Cheng Zi nodded, “That’s right. There is a huge uproar over this incident. At the beginning, Vanishing Sword Mountain refused to admit the truth and remained very secretive about it. It’s just that nothing can be kept secret forever. They have now begun to search for the whereabouts of the True Void Sword with great fanfare.”
Yang Kai smiled, “The sword thief is so strong that even the Four Seasons Elders are not his opponent. What can Vanishing Sword Mountain do even if they found the thief? Don’t tell me they plan to snatch the sword back from him?”
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “The strength of the sword thief is frightening indeed, but what about his friends and family? Since he is alive in this world, it is impossible for him to be all alone. Vanishing Sword Mountain might not be able to defeat him directly, but they can target him from other aspects.”
“En, that’s true!” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Dan Cheng Zi said sternly, “Vanishing Sword Mountain is extremely powerful. They obtained the Divine Armament multiple times over the past 1,000 years. If they discover the sword thief, a huge battle will be inevitable. Many people will die if that happens.”
Yang Kai nodded seriously, indicating his agreement.
The corners of Dan Cheng Zi’s brow twitched, “Brat, do you have anything you want to tell this Master?”
Yang Kai blinked innocently, “Is there something you don’t understand, Honoured Master?”
Dan Cheng Zi slammed his palms against the table in a rage, causing Wan Ying Ying to jump in fright.
Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Why are you so angry, Honoured Master?”
Taking a deep breath, Dan Cheng Zi glanced at Yang Kai impatiently, “Seeing as the Medicine King Furnace has the Grand Dao Divine Tone, it is only natural for the same to hold true for the True Void Sword. Anybody within a certain level of ability and in close enough proximity to the Divine Armament can hear the Grand Dao Divine Tone if they have the opportunity, just like how you heard the Medicine King Furnace’s Grand Dao Divine Tone even though you lived on Fixed Moon Peak at the time. Several Vanishing Sword Mountain disciples are currently in Profound Pill City. One of them is Vanishing Sword Mountain’s most outstanding Sword Child of this generation. He heard the True Void Sword’s Grand Dao Divine Tone countless times when the True Void Sword was still at Vanishing Sword Mountain. If he is in close proximity with the True Void Sword, he will surely be able to sense the presence of the sword!”
Yang Kai looked amazed, “That Sword Child’s aptitude is amazing indeed! With him in action, the True Void Sword will surely be found soon!”
Dan Cheng Zi observed Yang Kai deeply with a suspicious expression on his face. After some time, he finally nodded and said, “It doesn’t matter whether you really don’t know or are just feigning ignorance. This Master will not say anymore. Figure it out yourself.”
After saying that, he stood up.
Yang Kai stood up to see Dan Cheng Zi off, “Have a safe journey, Honoured Master.”
Dan Cheng Zi waved his hand dismissively. Walking out of Limitless Peak, he soared into the sky.
…..
Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders were waiting on Purple Sun Peak and quickly focused on Dan Cheng Zi as soon as he returned.
Baili Yun Sang asked anxiously, “How is it? Is it him?”
Dan Cheng Zi slowly shook his head, “I can’t be certain.”
Then, he gave a brief recount of his probing conversation with Yang Kai earlier.
Wu Feng Hua was solemn, “According to the information from Vanishing Sword Mountain, the strength of the sword thief is absolutely terrifying. Moreover, the sword thief has peculiar and ghostly Movement Skills. It sounds exactly like what that brat did back then. Aside from him, I can’t think of anybody else in this world who could win against the Four Seasons Elders.”
Likewise, Yu Bo Yang nodded, “That’s right. Although he had only just advanced into the Spirit Realm at the time, he still managed to turn the entire Profound Pill Sect upside down, leaving us virtually powerless against him. Now that more than ten years have passed, his strength has only become even more terrifying. It makes sense for the Four Seasons Elders to be defeated.”
Lan Yin frowned, “But, what can we do if he won’t admit to the crime? We can only pray that the sword thief is not him; otherwise, a huge war will surely break out between Profound Pill Sect and Vanishing Sword Mountain. As one of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders, everything he does represents the entire Sect.”
The entire group of people was gloomy, and they sighed heavily.
Dan Cheng Zi pondered quietly, “I don’t think we need to worry too much. That brat is a man who knows what is important. Naturally, it will be great if this is not his doing, but if it is him, he probably has a plan. After all, he dared to attack Profound Pill Sect alone for the sake of the people of Void Spirit Sword Sect. It can be seen that he values relationships deeply. I’m sure he won’t fool around with the lives of his friends and family.”
“It would be the best if that’s the case! I’m just worried that the Sword Child might hear the sword’s voice. There will be no good explanation for that!”
What the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were concerned about did not happen. The Sword Child of Vanishing Sword Mountain only stayed in Profound Pill City for two or three days before leaving.
When the news was relayed back, the Elders who had been extremely nervous all this while finally breathed a sigh of relief. They vaguely wondered if they had misunderstood Yang Kai. It seemed that the thief who stole the True Void Sword was not him. Nevertheless, who else in this world could achieve such a feat right under the noses of the Four Seasons Elders if it was not him?
Vanishing Sword Mountain went all out and pursued this matter for six whole years. They practically searched the entire Divine Armament World, but there was no sight of the True Void Sword. In the end, they could only give up on this endeavour. They withdrew most of their troops and left only a small group of people to continue the search. Be that as it may, they knew that too much time had passed since the initial disappearance. It was probably impossible to locate the True Void Sword after so long.
Therefore, theft of the True Void Sword became an unsolved mystery.
This incident supported the livelihoods of many storytellers in the teahouses and inns. A mysterious man had infiltrated Vanishing Sword Mountain during the night, challenged the Four Seasons Elders alone, and stole the True Void Sword. This story was retold countless times, the descriptions so detailed that it was almost as if they witnessed the incident with their own eyes.
Less than two years after the incident with Vanishing Sword Mountain finally subsided, another shocking news spread out across the world once more. The Azure Dragon Saber of the Tyrant Saber Sect had been stolen!
It was an eerily familiar tale; one of the Ten Great Sects was attacked and one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments stolen. Eight years later, theft of the Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber was practically identical to theft of Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword.
Similarly, a mysterious person suddenly infiltrated the Tyrant Saber Sect Headquarters. His figure was ghostly and his methods were unpredictable. Ten of the Tyrant Saber Sect’s top Masters had joined forces to stop him, but they failed and the mysterious thief disappeared without a trace. In front of everybody’s eyes, both man and saber simply vanished out of sight!
The entire world was in an uproar again!
Due to the precedent of the True Void Sword being stolen, the Tyrant Saber Sect did not conceal any information about the incident. They immediately released the news about theft of the Azure Dragon Saber several days after it occurred, and at the same time, they asked the other Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World to help in the search.
The incident this time caused a bigger commotion than the last. The theft of the True Void Sword could be explained away by claiming that the mysterious man had deliberately retaliated against Vanishing Sword Mountain due to personal grievances; however, the Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber had also been stolen now. That was enough to arouse the vigilance of the other Ten Great Sects.
This sneaky thief seemed to be targeting the Divine Armaments. Thanks to precious experience, the other Ten Great Sects did not dare to take this matter lightly; after all, there was no saying whether the next one to suffer might be themselves.
For a time, the entire Divine Armament World became turbulent. Almost everybody was searching the whereabouts of the thief. Even Profound Pill Sect was no different.
Baili Yun Sang summoned the Elders for a secret meeting and strengthened the protection around the Medicine King Furnace. Intentionally or not, many of the Elders would repeatedly glance towards Yang Kai throughout their discussion, their actions annoying him greatly.
Despite several years of turmoil, the Azure Dragon Saber remained missing. Hence, the Tyrant Saber Sect had no choice but to give up on their search. Such a large-scale search required extreme amounts of manpower and resources that even the Tyrant Saber Sect could not afford forever. In the end, they had no choice but to accept the loss of the Azure Dragon Saber. It was the same decision that Vanishing Sword Mountain made last time.
A few years later, the Ru Yi Parasol of Flower Rain Palace was stolen…
After another nine years, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear of Cloud Moon Island was stolen…
Following another eight years, the Thunderbolt Staff of Azure Sea Pavilion was stolen…
For the entire Divine Armament World, these were turbulent and tumultuous times. The name ‘Divine Armament Bandit’ spread across the world. There was nobody who did not know the name. Moreover, the horrors associated with the name were so frightening that they were enough to make children cry at night.
According to the rumours, this person was ten metres tall. Not only was he a brutal and vicious man who employed extremely cruel methods, but his strength was also absolutely horrifying. Moreover, he only stole Divine Armaments. He came and went without a trace. No matter how many Masters were there or where the Divine Armaments were hidden, he would be able to locate the items and effortlessly steal them.
Vanishing Sword Mountain’s True Void Sword was the first to be pilfered. The Tyrant Saber Sect’s Azure Dragon Saber was the second. After those incidents, the other eight Sects with Divine Armaments became on guard.
When the Thunderbolt Staff of Azure Sea Pavilion was stolen, almost all the Spirit Realm Masters in Azure Sea Pavilion had gathered in their Restricted Area. It could be said they could not stop the Divine Armament Bandit despite giving their best efforts. In front of everybody’s eyes, the Thunderbolt Staff was stolen just like that. Not to mention, many people had been injured in the battle. The incident was regarded as a great humiliation for Azure Sea Pavilion.
Before the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was stolen, Cloud Moon Island had forged replicas of the Divine Armament. They spent enormous resources to forge three Spirit Armaments that were placed in three different Restricted Areas on Cloud Moon Island. Meanwhile, the Divine Armament Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was secretly stored in a safe area and guarded by the three strongest Masters of the Sect.
However, the end result was that the three fake Spirit Armaments had been ignored. On the other hand, the genuine Divine Armament was stolen without anyone being wiser.
In a short span of several decades, five out of ten Divine Armaments had gone missing. The five Great Sects with the remaining five Divine Armaments were now in great danger. Seeing as nobody knew who the Divine Armament Bandit was going to target next, each of the five Great Sects couldn’t help feeling anxious.
Be that as it may, there was something that anybody with a discerning eye would have noticed over the years. The Divine Armament Bandit might have extraordinary means, but he had never killed before. All the Masters guarding the Divine Armaments had only been injured at most. Based on this alone, it could be seen that the Divine Armament Bandit was not as cruel as the rumours claimed.
In addition, there was a fixed pattern to the timing of this person’s appearance. He would appear once every seven to nine years, and the intervals never stretched for more than ten years. Nobody knew the reason behind this peculiarity. Nevertheless, this pattern could be confirmed by looking at the timing when the five Divine Armaments were previously stolen.
At present, seven years have passed since the Thunderbolt Staff was stolen. A quick calculation indicated that it was almost time for the Divine Armament Bandit to appear again; thus, the five Great Sects still in possession of their Divine Armaments immediately entered a state of anxiety.
Even the five Great Sects that had their Divine Armaments stolen also dispatched their elites. Their troops were divided and sent to the other five Sects. The first reason was that they were asked by the five Sects to help protect the Divine Armaments. The other reason was that they wanted to use this chance to capture the elusive bastard who had stolen from them.
Be that as it may, those who had seen the strength of the thief knew that his means were far too mysterious. It was basically impossible for them to capture him. Their only wish was to figure out his identity. At the very least, they wanted to catch a glimpse of his true appearance.
…..
Inside the secret room on Profound Pill Sect’s Limitless Peak, Yang Kai sat down cross-legged with his palms facing upward. He was holding a long staff with intricate patterns that was as tall as a person in his hands. The staff would flash with lightning from time to time. This was one of the Ten Great Divine Armaments, the Thunderbolt Staff, which he obtained from Azure Sea Pavilion seven years ago.
It had taken many years, but he finally refined the Thunderbolt Staff. There was only one step left to completion. Breathing out lightly, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked around him.
This was a secret room that he created himself. There were more than a dozen layers of barriers and seals inside. Moreover, he was the only person allowed to enter this place. Even Yang Huai and Hua Rong who had served him for so many years or his Little Junior Sister Wan Ying Ying had no idea what was inside the secret room. If any outsider were to enter this place, they would surely scream in shock.
That was because the five Divine Armaments that had been missing from the Divine Armament World for many years were stored in this room. They were the True Void Sword, the Azure Dragon Saber, the Ru Yi Parasol, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear, and the Thunderbolt Staff!
Each of the five Divine Armaments was wrapped in layers of barriers. There was no helping it. The Divine Armament naturally radiated the Grand Dao Divine Tone. Anybody with the opportunity could hear and comprehend the mysteries of the Grand Dao from these Divine Armaments if they were close enough and had the appropriate aptitude.
Over the years, countless Masters from other Sects visited both Profound Pill City and Profound Pill Sect. Somebody would have noticed something a long time ago if Yang Kai had not taken any precautions. A good example would be the Sword Child who wandered around in Profound Pill City.
With the protection of so many barriers, even if Yang Kai could not isolate the Grand Dao Divine Tone completely, he could dampen it significantly. There would be no problems as long as nobody came too close to the Divine Armaments.
Yang Kai was not afraid of these so-called Masters as his current strength had already exceeded the limits of this world. With the power of his Dragon Vein and his comprehension of the Dao of Space, he could come and go freely even if he was facing the strongest enemies in the world.
It was just that Profound Pill Sect would surely be in trouble if news were to spread. Even Void Spirit Sword Sect that was under Profound Pill Sect would be unable to survive safely.
For the sake of Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect, certain precautions had to be taken.
More than fifty years had passed since Yang Kai first arrived in the Divine Armament World. During this period, he refined six different Divine Armaments, but he never completed the final step to finish the refinement. He originally planned to gather all Ten Great Divine Armaments. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to give up on his plan after refining the Thunderbolt Staff.
That was because he could clearly sense the rejection force of the world during the process of refining the Divine Armaments over the years. As the number of Divine Armaments that he refined increased, the rejection force grew stronger in turn. At this moment, he was about to hit the limit.
If he went out to search for another Divine Armament to refine, the rejection force would immediately repel him out of the Divine Armament World. That was why he could no longer refine another Divine Armament. It could even be said that he could no longer guarantee whether he could finish refining the six Divine Armaments he already had at this rate.
After spending so many years, it was time for him to harvest his gains and depart this world. At the time, how many benefits he could gain would depend solely on luck.
At that thought, Yang Kai immediately stood up and left the secret room. Summoning Hua Rong over, he asked her about Profound Pill Sect’s current situation.
Hua Rong spoke truthfully.
The deadline for the Divine Armament Bandit’s appearance was quickly approaching, so the five Sects that lost their Divine Armaments previously had dispatched their elite members to help guard the Divine Armaments of the remaining five Sects.
Not only were the Spirit Realm Masters of Profound Pill Sect inside the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect, but the people from Vanishing Sword Mountain, Tyrant Saber Sect, and several others were also present. It could be said that both inside and outside the Restricted Area were guarded so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through!
Yang Kai pondered quietly for a moment. Under the current circumstances, it was practically impossible to enter the Restricted Area without being noticed. After thinking for some time though, he waved his hand to dismiss Hua Rong. At the same time, he asked her to summon Yang Huai over.
A short while later, Yang Huai stood in front of Yang Kai, cupped his fist, and spoke in a rumbling voice, “Sir!”
Yang Kai looked Yang Huai up and down, “Big guy, how long have you served me?”
Yang Huai quickly said, “It has been fifty-two years since you took me out of the Blood Warrior Hall, Sir.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Fifty-two years… You’re already reached the Ninth-Step Spirit Realm in that time.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sir.”
“I have a task for you. It might be dangerous, but it shouldn’t be too difficult as long as you are careful.”
Just like fifty-two years ago when Yang Kai took Yang Huai out of the Blood Warrior Hall, Yang Huai cupped his fist and shouted, “I’m willing to die for you, Sir!”
Having obtained the Divine Armament Sun Chasing Bow in the Divine Armament Tournament several decades ago, Grand Heavens Religion became one of the Ten Great Sects. The Sect had many talents and as many Masters as there were clouds in the sky; however, there were Spirit Realm Masters from the Sect and helpers from the other five Great Sects stationed both inside and outside the Restricted Area of Grand Heavens Religion at this moment. The defences were so tight that nothing could get past them.
Seven years had passed since the theft of the Thunderbolt Staff. A quick count of the years indicated that it would not be long before the elusive Divine Armament Bandit struck again. That was why none of the Spirit Realm Masters guarding the Restricted Area dared to slack off in the slightest. Every one of them had their vigilance raised to the maximum. In addition, they kept their eyes open wide to monitor the surroundings for any suspicious movement.
In the deepest part of the Restricted Area, the Religion Master of Grand Heavens Religion, Cao Kong, patrolled the area with the Left and Right Protectors. His gaze would land on the Divine Armament Sun Chasing Bow placed here from time to time. There was a faint anxiety burning away deep in his heart, as if he could sense that something big was about to occur.
*Xiu…*
The sharp sound of something slicing through the air suddenly came from the periphery of the Restricted Area. Cao Kong abruptly turned and looked in that direction. When he recognised the sound as a warning arrow released by the Masters in the Sect, his expression couldn’t help changing, “What is happening outside!?”
“I’ll go and take a look!” The Left Protector shouted before speeding off in that direction with a flicker of his body. A short while later, he reported back with a mixture of horror and excitement, “Religion Master, that person has appeared!”
Cao Kong’s eyes narrowed at those words, “The Divine Armament Bandit?”
“Yes!” Left Protector nodded heavily.
“He came after all!” Cao Kong drew in a sharp breath. Although he had expected this outcome, he couldn’t help feeling resentful. [There are five Sects that still have their Divine Armaments, why did the Divine Armament Bandit have to target Grand Heavens Religion? Does he think Grand Heavens Religion is easy prey!?] Pushing aside the distracting thoughts in his head, he anxiously asked, “How is the situation?”
The Left Protector revealed a hint of fear in his expression, “This person is very strong. His reputation is well deserved. Our Sect members are currently joining forces with the Masters from the other Sects to besiege him, but he has already incapacitated many of them.”
Cao Kong gasped. The only ones who could be stationed outside the Restricted Area were Spirit Realm Masters. The forces sent by the other five Sects were also outstanding Masters. Despite facing such a powerful line-up, the Divine Armament Bandit had taken out many of them in such a short time. It would seem that the strength of the Divine Armament Bandit was truly unfathomable.
The Left Protector added, “Sect Master, I’m afraid the forces outside will not be able to stop this person. He will slip past them sooner or later. Should we provide assistance?”
Cao Kong pondered for a while before he muttered to himself a little suspiciously, “It is rumoured that this person has ghostly Movement Skills. He can come and go without a trace. When he stole the Divine Armaments in the past, he never fought an extensive battle with the others. He basically left as soon as he obtained the Divine Armament. Why is he engaging in a big fight this time?”
In the middle of his monologue to himself, the realization hit him all of a sudden and he shouted, “A trap to lure the tiger from the mountain! He is trying to lure us away from this place to steal the Divine Armament! Relay the order! Nobody is allowed to move recklessly inside the Restricted Area! Guard the place strictly! Don’t even let a fly in!”
The Left Protector cupped his fists, “Yes!”
“Right Protector!” Cao Kong glanced at another person.
“This subordinate is here!”
“Hurry up and inform the other Sects! Inform them of the situation here and tell them that this is their only chance to capture the Divine Armament Bandit. If they fail to grasp this chance, it will be difficult for them to get another.”
The Right Protector immediately understood the Religion Master’s intentions and quickly replied, “This subordinate obeys!”
Turning around, he pushed his Spirit Qi and soared into the air.
Profound Pill Sect was not far from Grand Heavens Religion, only about an hour away if a Spirit Realm Master flew at full speed.
When the Grand Heavens Religion’s Right Protector personally entered Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area to report on the situation, the expressions of the Masters from the five Great Sects guarding the Medicine King Furnace stiffened in shock at the news.
Sect Master Ba Dao’s gaze burned brightly, “That thief has appeared at Grand Heavens Religion!?”
The Right Protector nodded, “Yes. The elites of each Sect are besieging him right now. The Religion Master ordered me to come and inform you of the situation.”
Sect Master Ba Dao shouted through gritted teeth, “Good! Very good! This Old Master has finally caught you by the tail!” Turning around, he shouted at the top of his voice, “Tyrant Saber Sect, hear my command! Come with me to aid Grand Heavens Religion! We’re going to capture that little thief who stole our Divine Armament!”
The other four Sects also rolled up their sleeves, wishing they could fly over to Grand Heavens Religion to teach that elusive bastard a lesson right this very moment.
The higher-ups at Profound Pill Sect glanced at each other before Baili Yun Sang declared, “Profound Pill Sect is also willing to help.”
Sect Master Ba Dao raised a hand to interrupt, “It’s best if Profound Pill Sect’s forces remain here. That thief has strange Movement Skills, so he might wheel around and come here when he sees that the situation at Grand Heavens Religion is disadvantageous for him. It’s best for this place to remain on guard. Fortunately, Grand Heavens Religion is not far from here. If anything happens, we will bring reinforcements as soon as possible.”
Baili Yun Sang nodded when he heard those words, “That’s true. In that case, I wish you all success and victory!”
Sect Master Ba Dao shouted, “We can’t afford to delay. We set off immediately!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a large group of people soared into the sky and vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.
Hua Rong stood on top of Limitless Peak and gazed in the direction where a large group of people was currently leaving. After they departed, she turned around and entered the hall. Bowing, she reported, “They left, Sir.”
Yang Kai was sitting in the main seat, and when he heard those words, he gently nodded and stood up, “Got it!”
As he strolled out of the hall, he turned to look in the direction of Profound Pill City.
Void Spirit Sword Sect had been developing steadily under the protection of Profound Pill Sect over the past few decades. Not only were there many Spirit Realm Masters in the Sect, but the Sect could also be considered a fairly powerful one in the Divine Armament World nowadays.
He had already made preparations for Void Spirit Sword Sect’s future before he sent Yang Huai into action. Void Spirit Sword Sect would continue to survive in this world even without his presence. With nothing to worry about, he moved swiftly.
“Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying was waiting outside. For some reason, she had the feeling that she would never meet Yang Kai again after today. Although he was clearly so close at hand, he felt so distant for some reason.
Yang Kai raised a hand to rub her head and smiled, “Cultivate well, and take good care of Honoured Master and the others.”
She opened her mouth, “Are you going somewhere, Eldest Senior Brother?”
He nodded, “I’m going on a long journey.”
“When will you return, Eldest Senior Brother?”
“I haven’t decided!” He shook his head and continued with a smile, “Perhaps, you’ll see me again as soon as you wake up.”
“Wake…” Before she could finish her sentence, her vision went dark and she limply fell unconscious.
Yang Kai handed her over to Hua Rong, “Take good care of her.”
Hua Rong took Wan Ying Ying and turned around to enter the hall.
The wind howled, causing Yang Kai’s clothes to flap around him. He looked in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area and sighed softly to himself, “It’s time to end this!”
He pushed his Spirit Qi, and a humming sound suddenly came from somewhere on Limitless Peak. Immediately after that, five streams of light swept through the air and came to float behind him. These five objects that came in different shapes and sizes were a sword, a knife, an umbrella, a spear, and a staff. The Divine Armaments were crude and simple in terms of appearance. Their brilliance was not obvious. Without knowing the truth, nobody would have believed that these five plain objects were Divine Armaments.
There were only a total of ten Great Divine Armaments in the Divine Armament World. Any Sect that could obtain one of them would receive great blessings from the Heavens; however, there were five Divine Armaments gathered around one person at this moment. Such a sight was bound to cause anybody’s eyes to pop out of their sockets in shock if they witnessed it.
That was also the case in reality.
When Yang Kai activated his Space Principles and appeared in the Restricted Area of Profound Pill Sect, Baili Yun Sang and the Elders guarding the depths of the Restricted Area were dumbstruck by the sight. Every one of them was staring fixedly at Yang Kai and the five Divine Armaments behind him in shock. They couldn’t help feeling as though they were inside a dream.
“Greetings, Sect Master, Honoured Master, Elders!” Yang Kai cupped his fist in greeting.
Baili Yun Sang murmured in shock, “Martial Nephew, these objects behind you…”
On the other hand, Dan Cheng Zi jumped to his feet and scolded through gritted teeth, “I knew it was you, you damned brat! How dare you feign ignorance all these years!?”
Yang Kai apologised, “I’m sorry, Honoured Master. It was an important matter, and I couldn’t tell you.”
Wu Feng Hua’s gaze slowly became horrified, and he swallowed nervously, “Elder Yang, are those objects behind you the Divine Armaments that went missing several years ago?”
“Why ask when you have guessed the truth, Great Elder?”
The colour immediately drained from his face at those words.
Meanwhile, Yu Bo Yang slumped to the ground, “Disaster! This is a complete disaster!”
After hiding for decades, the Divine Armament Bandit who stirred up the entire Divine Armament World turned out to be one of their Sect’s Elders. The consequences would be horrifying if this information was spread to the public. The entire Divine Armament World would rally together to retaliate against them. Even Profound Pill Sect’s status as the top Alchemy Sect would not save them from destruction. This was truly a catastrophe!
Baili Yun Sang suddenly frowned and asked, “That can’t be. If the Divine Armaments are here with you, then the person at Grand Heavens Religion…”
“It’s Yang Huai!” Yang Kai replied.
“Yang Huai…” The group of people were dumbfounded once more.
Dan Cheng Zi was horrified, “Yang Huai is that powerful!?”
When the Right Protector of Grand Heavens Religion came to explain the situation, they had all been listening attentively. The ‘Divine Armament Bandit’ at Grand Heavens Religion had appeared and fought off countless Spirit Realm Masters alone. Not only did he not succumb to a disadvantageous situation, but he also injured many people in the confrontation; otherwise, Grand Heavens Religion would not have come to ask for support. With such strength, everybody immediately assumed that he was the real Divine Armament Bandit. Who could have known that it was just Yang Huai?
“What are you trying to do?” Baili Yun Sang looked at Yang Kai suspiciously.
“You will know what I’m trying to do soon.” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
While speaking, he flashed over to stand in front of the Medicine King Furnace. None of them managed to see how he moved, and by the time they recovered from their shock, he was already standing there.
Six Divine Armaments had been gathered in one place; an unprecedented sight never seen before in history. Even though they were filled with doubts and questions, the scene in front of them had rendered them speechless with shock.
Yang Kai took a light breath. Pushing his Spirit Qi to the maximum, he reached out to grab the Medicine King Furnace with his hands and quickly poured his Spirit Qi into it.
The Medicine King Furnace was the first Divine Armament Yang Kai refined in the Divine Armament World; moreover, it was a Divine Armament that was related to the Alchemic Dao. It was just that he did not dare to take the last step to fully refine the Medicine King Furnace during his ten-year retreat back then. After so many decades, it was no time to finish what he started.
Following the influx of his Spirit Qi, the Medicine King Furnace began to hum and flash with inexplicable brilliance.
It only took a moment before the Medicine King Furnace was completely refined. An inexplicable and indescribable connection suddenly flooded Yang Kai’s mind, giving him the illusion that he was resonating with the world itself. Under this perception, it felt as though the entire world was laid out in front of him and his perception expanded infinitely in an instant.
The Medicine King Furnace was part of the Divine Armament World’s Source Strength, so it was only natural for such bizarre reactions to occur now that it had been refined.
The Medicine King Furnace was completely refined!
Before Yang Kai could even begin to rejoice, a powerful rejection force suddenly came at him from all directions. The force was so strong that the space around him rumbled loudly. At the same time, his figure abruptly became hazy and indistinct. It was almost as though his very existence was now incompatible with the world.
This situation was within Yang Kai’s expectations, however, as he had noticed this phenomenon back when he first reached the final stages of refining the Medicine King Furnace. If not for that, he would not have stopped at such a critical moment to target the other Divine Armaments instead. Now that he had stolen the world’s Source Strength, the world could no longer accommodate his existence.
If this were to happen to a living creature of this world, they would definitely be punished by the world. They would either be extinguished on the spot or survive the catastrophe and escape this world; however, Yang Kai was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The Divine Armament World could not do anything to him except kick him out of this world using its World Principles.
The higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect were stunned by the sight before them. Although nobody knew what Yang Kai had done, as what they saw had long exceeded the scope of their understanding, they could vaguely feel an enormous and overpowering Will descending and staring down on this small Restricted Area. The phenomenon left them trembling in fear, incapable of speech.
A shout reverberated across the room. Yang Kai desperately drew upon his Spirit Qi. His flesh wriggled when the power of his Dragon Vein was activated.
Over the years, his Dragon Vein had been stimulated greatly. It was mainly used to remove the drawbacks brought by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Activating the Dragon Transformation Secret Art might not transform him into a 4,500 metres long behemoth now, but the Dragon Pressure permeated the air and lingered around his body to resist the rejection force of the world at this moment.
His slightly ethereal figure became more solid immediately after. Not daring to delay, Yang Kai hurriedly grabbed the True Void Sword and continued the refining process. In the blink of an eye, the True Void Sword was also completely refined by him.
Now that two Divine Armaments had been refined, the rejection force increased by several times. The force caused the skin all over his body to crack open. Drenched in blood, Yang Kai looked extremely terrifying. His figure that had solidified considerably became hazy once more, a sign that he was about to be kicked out of the world.
[I’m running out of time!] Gritting his teeth, Yang Kai grabbed the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear and repeated the process! The World’s Will seemed to be enraged by his insatiable greed and lightning appeared out of nowhere, striking his body without warning.
A series of explosions rang out as Yang Kai’s skin split open and his flesh was torn apart. Soon, a strong smell of burnt flesh filled the air. When these strange occurrences took place, the higher-ups of Profound Pill Sect perceived that the situation was not looking good; thus, they quickly left the Restricted Area and monitored the situation with apprehensive concern.
Lightning flashed and thunder boomed inside the Restricted Area. The rage of the world made millions of living creatures frightened and uneasy. The situation in the sky was constantly changing as heavy dark clouds filled the air like a thick quilt, making the people feel suffocated.
The Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was completely refined!
When Yang Kai tried to reach out and grab another Divine Armament however, his hand came up empty. His palm had become ethereal and disordered, almost as though he had no substance. The rejection force coming from all sides was so strong that he could no longer resist!
[I’m at my limit!] Yang Kai sighed in his heart. It had taken so many years for him to steal the five Divine Armaments and slowly refine them. Including the Medicine King Furnace, there were a total of six Divine Armaments. He never imagined that he could only refine three of them in the end, powerless to refine the other three.
In this way, he had wasted some 20 to 30 years’ worth of effort. Nevertheless, this was not a big deal. The flow of time in the Small Source World was different from the outside world. For his actual body, the time he wasted was not much.
He turned around to look at the world one last time, then his vision went hazy. The dizzying feeling of the world turning upside down washed over him and a series of unpredictable lights flashed across his vision. His consciousness was pulled out of the Small Source World at that moment.
By the time he recovered, Yang Kai found himself standing in the void with a strange vortex spinning slowly in front of him. He couldn’t help shaking his head. The memories of living in the Divine Armament World for several decades surged in his head, giving him a wonderful sense of reincarnation. At the same time, the memories of the past slowly emerged.
After some time, he finally recalled that this place was a Restricted Area in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven while the vortex in front of him was the entrance to the Divine Armament World. Back then, he had entered the Divine Armament World through this portal.
There was no time for Yang Kai to think about anything else as his expression suddenly became serious and he quickly sat down cross-legged. A powerful force poured into his Small Universe, one that enriched its heritage and foundation, allowing his Small Universe to expand and improve upon itself.
This force had no source and was seemingly born out of nothing. Nevertheless, Yang Kai knew that the force came from the Divine Armament World. He had refined three Divine Armaments, which was equivalent to obtaining 30% of the Divine Armament World’s Source. In other words, up to 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force had been injected into his Small Universe.
As this was a training experience, it was as if Yang Kai had obtained this force through diligent cultivation. There were no dangers or discomfort, and the force could perfectly integrate with his own Small Universe. The influx of the mighty force made his Small Universe tremble uncontrollably and even his Soul was shaken as a result.
A short while later, the situation gradually stabilised. An examination of his body revealed that his cultivation in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had increased by a large margin. Although he had yet to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, the improvement was more than what he would obtain through many years of intense cultivation.
Xu Ling Gong once mentioned that there were several shortcuts when cultivating in the Open Heaven Realm. Undergoing a training experience in a Small Source World was one of them. It would now seem that those claims were true. Entering the Divine Armament World had given Yang Kai such rewarding results. If he could enter several more times, it would be easy for him to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
[Becoming a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-In-Law sure is beneficial!] Yang Kai joyfully opened his eyes only to see a topless old man covered in scars standing in front of him, staring fixedly at him. Yang Kai did not know whether it was his imagination, but he sensed that the old man seemed to be slightly displeased with him and his expression was rather gloomy.
“Greetings, Ancestor!” He quickly bowed.
The person in front of him was an Eight-Order Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Master and the Ancestor who watched over the entrance of the Divine Armament World. Even Xu Ling Gong had to behave respectfully in front of this man. Yang Kai was no more than a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so naturally he did not dare to act arrogantly in front of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“Quite a big harvest you got, brat!” The Supreme Elder spoke without emotion.
Not understanding the reason for the old man’s displeasure, Yang Kai simply answered truthfully, “It’s all thanks to you and Martial Uncle Xu, Ancestor.”
During their conversation, a stream of light rushed over from not far away and arrived nearby in the blink of an eye. It turned out to be Xu Ling Gong, who probably received a message from the Ancestor.
“You’re out?” Xu Ling Gong observed Yang Kai with a measuring gaze, “How was your harvest?”
“Many thanks for your concern, Martial Uncle Xu. My harvest was not bad,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
The Supreme Elder coldly snorted, “It’s far better than ‘not bad’. The Divine Armament World lost 30% of its World Force in one go! I’ve never seen something like this before!”
Xu Ling Gong was absolutely shocked by the news, “30%!? Are you mistaken, Ancestor!?”
The Supreme Elder’s expression was so dark that he was practically dripping with gloom, “This Old Master has managed and watched over the Divine Armament World for millennia. How can I be mistaken about something like this? If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself!”
Cold sweat oozed out of Xu Ling Gong’s forehead, and he gave a flattering smile, “Please calm yourself, Ancestor. This Junior simply spoke without thinking. There is no way you can be mistaken.”
Then, he turned to glare at Yang Kai, “Smelly brat, did you refine three Divine Armaments!?”
Yang Kai immediately became guilty, “Uh… maybe?”
Although he did not understand the situation, he could sense that stealing 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force had displeased the Supreme Elder to a certain extent.
Xu Ling Gong slapped his forehead, “What… How bold and reckless! Are you not worried that your stomach might explode!?”
Yang Kai sniffed, “I’ve already refined them. You didn’t say I couldn’t refine three of them, Martial Uncle Xu.”
He did not dare to mention that he initially planned to refine six of the Divine Armaments as he was afraid that he would be killed on the spot!
Xu Ling Gong was a little speechless, “I never imagined that you would refine three of them! Most people would be sent back after refining one of the Divine Armaments. How did you do it?”
Yang Kai replied, “I obtained one of the Divine Armaments and refined it until only the very last step. Then, I collected a few more Divine Armaments and repeated the process. Lastly, I refined them all at the same time.”
“That’s possible?” Xu Ling Gong was dumbfounded.
The Supreme Elder snorted softly, “Not just anybody can do something like that. Do you know how strong the rejection force of the world is? Even if your method works, you won’t be able to refine many if you fail to resist the rejection force. To be able to refine three Divine Armaments is a testimony to your capabilities.”
“Many thanks for your praise, Ancestor!” Yang Kai humbly responded.
Xu Ling Gong asked with a frown, “Ancestor, does that mean that nobody can enter the Divine Armament World in the near future?”
The Supreme Elder shook his head, “I’m afraid not. Losing 30% of the World Force in one go is unprecedented. The Divine Armament World has suffered a heavy blow, so it will take at least 100 years for it to recover.”
Xu Ling Gong’s expression was stern, “100 years in the outside world is the same as 10,000 years inside the Divine Armament World.” He smacked his hand against the back of Yang Kai’s head, nearly sending him flying as he angrily scolded, “Look at the good deed you’ve done, brat!”
Yang Kai was silent, but he thought to himself, [How is it my fault? I didn’t know anything about the Divine Armament World before I entered. Only after entering the Divine Armament World did I slowly figure out what to do.]
In any case, it was true that he had enjoyed a huge harvest, so he could not refute anything, lest Xu Ling Gong became angry out of shame.
“Ancestor, this Disciple has a question!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Although the Supreme Elder was sullen, he knew that it was not Yang Kai’s fault; after all, nobody told Yang Kai that he could not refine several Divine Armaments. Upon hearing those words though, the Supreme Elder asked back, “Are you curious about what is happening inside the Divine Armament World after your departure?”
Yang Kai was astonished, “How did you know, Ancestor?”
The Supreme Elder snorted, “Every single person asks this question when they come out. It’s only natural to form some attachment to the world after living there for decades and even centuries. It is Human nature!” Pausing for a moment, he finally continued, “Instead of hearing it from this Old Master, you should witness the situation yourself.”
While saying so, he waved his arm lightly and the vortex in front of him suddenly displayed an image.
Yang Kai looked closely and saw that the image was of the scene of Profound Pill Sect’s Restricted Area. A figure was sitting down cross-legged inside the Restricted Area with a solemn expression. Upon a closer look, Yang Kai became shocked and exclaimed, “Isn’t… Isn’t that me!?”
The person in the Restricted Area was identical to him in terms of body shape, appearance, and temperament. There was no difference whatsoever.
“Why am I still there?” Yang Kai was filled with doubts.
Xu Ling Gong explained, “That’s because he is someone that existed in that world in the first place!”
“Existed in that world in the first place?” Frowning slightly, Yang Kai vaguely understood Xu Ling Gong’s meaning.
When he first entered the Divine Armament World, he had become the Eldest Senior Brother of Void Spirit Sword Sect in the blink of an eye. He was around 17 or 18 years old at that point. It was naturally impossible for someone like him to come out of nowhere. He must have truly existed.
After all, the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect had memories relating to him.
“But even so, why does that man resemble me completely in appearance and name?” Yang Kai was a bit confused.
Xu Ling Gong explained, “He may have had a different name and appearance before this, but since you have entered the Divine Armament World for training, the Divine Armament World naturally adjusted itself to you and prepared all kinds of information belonging to you. It is a fundamental adjustment so that anyone who knew him would not find you unusual.”
Yang Kai pondered, “In that case, does that mean that I have been inside of this person’s body all these years in the Divine Armament World?”
Xu Ling Gong nodded, “That is one way to see it, but it is not exactly like that. In any case, Small Source Worlds are strange and unique places. You will get used to it when you come to train a few more times.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, then he turned his gaze to the scene in the vortex.
The Yang Kai over there was a pre-existing being, so he would naturally stay behind once he left. Thanks to him worrying over how Void Spirit Sword Sect would fare once he left the Divine Armament World, Yang Kai had prepared many fallback plans.
But now, it seems like his worries had all been unnecessary.
Time flowed differently in the Divine Armament World than in the outside world, and the difference was huge. Yang Kai had only been thinking for a moment, but much had happened in that time.
Profound Pill Sect’s higher-ups had poured into the Restricted Area, but there was no sign of any Divine Armaments. Not only the five Divine Armaments that Yang Kai brought in disappeared, but even the Medicine King Furnace that was originally placed there was gone.
Naturally, everyone was shocked.
But soon, the Grand Heavens Religion and several other Sects that possessed Divine Armaments sent news that the Divine Armaments in their control had all disappeared at almost the same time.
Half a day later, a Heavenly phenomenon appeared. Ten streams of light fell across the world, each one emitting the aura of a Divine Armament.
It was then that the inhabitants of the Divine Armament World realized that a new Divine Armament Tournament was about to begin.
This was something that had never happened before. The Divine Armament Tournament occurred once every hundred years, and it had only been around fifty years since the last one.
Despite not understanding why such changes would come about, every Divine Armament Tournament was a sweeping event that affected the course of the entire world. Every Sect that was strong enough to join the fight would come out to fight for the blessings of their Sect’s next 100 years of progression.
Naturally, the same was true for Profound Pill Sect. Yang Kai saw the group of Spirit Grade Alchemists and Spirit Realm Masters from Profound Pill Sect that he led fly out in the swirling image to compete with the other great Alchemy Sects. Uniting their power, they fought against the other great Sects and eventually took back the Medicine King Furnace!
After that, they fought to snatch up the Divine Armament Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear without even a pause in between.
They were not targeting this particular Divine Armament for any particular reason; rather, it was just in close proximity to them.
This move seemed to have stirred up the hornet’s nest. Profound Pill Sect had always been a Sect that was focused on Alchemy, so even if they fought in the Divine Armament Tournament, they were only there to compete for the Medicine King Furnace; after all, it contained the secrets of the Alchemic Dao, so it was not very useful for the other Sects even if they got their hands on it.
However, this time, Profound Pill Sect’s accomplishments in the Alchemic Dao had greatly improved, so the result of the fight for the Medicine King Furnace was decided early, leaving it with enough time to participate in the other ongoing battles.
The many other great forces who were fighting for the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear could not tolerate such behaviour, so practically all of them joined hands to attack Profound Pill Sect in an effort to get them to back off.
However, Profound Pill Sect’s achievements in the Alchemic Dao were not all that had improved markedly under Yang Kai’s guidance. Their overall strength had risen by several levels, too.
Especially the two guards who had been by Yang Kai’s side all these years. Yang Huai and Hua Rong, who had strength on par with a hundred Masters all on their own, not to mention the fact that there was also ‘Yang Kai’ there to show his face personally.
A fierce battle went on until the sky turned murky and the earth turned dark, and until both the sun and moon had lost their light.
Finally, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear was seized by Profound Pill Sect!
Naturally, Profound Pill Sect were the greatest winners of this tournament. Not only did they regain the Medicine King Furnace, they were also able to take home the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear. Throughout history, this was the first time that a single great force was able to make away with two different Divine Armaments.
The power of Profound Pill Sect shocked the world, even more so the powers of Yang Kai and his two subordinates.
They never imagined that a Sect that was supposedly only known for their Alchemy would be so strong, and Yang Kai himself was revered as the strongest under the Heavens!
“Just like leaving a Soul Clone behind in the Divine Armament World, it can exert as much power as you have cultivated in the Divine Armament World,” Xu Ling Gong explained while pointing to Yang Kai’s figure that was reflected in the vortex.
Yang Kai grinned, “In that case, I can rest assured.”
He did notice this fact when he was watching the fight earlier, as it was just like watching his Soul Clone exert the same powers he had cultivated in the Divine Armament World. Otherwise, it would be impossible for ‘him’ to be so invincible.
“The lifespan of the beings in the Divine Armament World is not great, and even the most outstanding ones live only a few hundred years. Naturally, as a native of the Divine Armament World, your Soul Clone is also not free from these shackles. In a few hundred years, no matter his cultivation, he will eventually die.” Xu Ling Gong sighed, seemingly filled with some emotion.
“Several hundred is enough.” Yang Kai nodded his head. If he could protect Void Spirit Sword Sect and Profound Pill Sect for several centuries, then his efforts would not have been in vain. There were no Sects that remained prosperous forever, and there was no need for him to think about how Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect would fare in a few hundred or thousand years.
“Let’s go,” Xu Ling Gong called out to him, “you will eventually come upon the opportunity to enter another Small Source World, so you can take this as a learning experience.”
After bidding the Supreme Elder goodbye, the pair sped off on their way.
Yang Kai followed by Xu Ling Gong’s side and asked, “Martial Uncle Xu, didn’t you say before that there were three Small Source Worlds in Yin-Yang Heaven…”
“Don’t even think about it!” Xu Ling Gong glared at him, “You took away 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force after entering it once, are those benefits still not enough for you!? Do you want to ruin the other two as well!?”
Yang Kai scratched his nose embarrassedly, “I was just asking. Martial Uncle Xu need not be so angry.”
Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted and remembered that Yang Kai was still Yin-Yang Heaven’s Son-in-law and the future husband of his treasured Disciple, so he could not help but say, “It is not that this King does not wish to let you enter the other two Small Source Worlds, but they are not as high-level as the Divine Armament World. Small Source Worlds are also separated into different ranks. You can get a lot of benefits by entering and training in the Divine Armament World, but the other Small Source Worlds won’t give you much no matter how hard you train; instead, you will be taking up the places of other Yin-Yang Heaven disciples. For Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, the losses are not worth the gains.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “Are the Small Source World also separated into High, Mid, and Low ranks, just like World Fruits?”
“Yes, you can say that, so you better know how to be grateful.” Xu Ling Gong nodded.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “No matter what, I must give my thanks to Martial Uncle Xu for granting me this opportunity.”
If not for Xu Ling Gong, then he might not have been able to enter the Divine Armament World and gain such great benefits. He was also a little apologetic to have severely damaged the foundation of the Divine Armament World.
“You are Qu’er’s future Husband, so it is only natural that I would treat you well; otherwise, Qu’er will become condemned to the life of a widow if you were to be killed off outside.” Xu Ling Gong waved his hand generously.
“How is Senior Sister Qu doing now?”
Xu Ling Gong coldly snorted, “She has only been confined so that she may cultivate in a quiet environment, so what do you think? It is for her benefit too. Her foundation is not stable since she has just advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even if she were not punished in this way, she would still need time to stabilize her foundation. In any case, it is only 100 years. For Open Heaven Realm cultivators like us, it is no more than the snap of one’s fingers, so don’t worry about it. What’s more, her Senior Brother Qing and Senior Sister Su will take good care of her.”
“Then I can rest assured.” Yang Kai nodded, “Now that this is over, I should also be returning. I will come again to visit Senior Sister in a century.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Xu Ling Gong stopped him, “Have you forgotten what mess you caused on the Prison Star? You will surely die if you leave like this.”
Yang Kai blinked. Even though it had only been just a short month in the outside world, he had spent many decades training in the Divine Armament World. Many of the memories he had were just like those of a past life. Pondering for a moment, Yang Kai finally recalled, “Thousand Cranes Paradise?”
Xu Ling Gong grunted, “Do you really think that Thousand Cranes Paradise will let you go after you beat Zhao Xing to death on the Prison Star?”
Yang Kai sighed, “Naturally I do not. But it is a blessing, not a curse, and even if it were a curse, it cannot be avoided.”
“It is for the best that you understand that; after all, Zhao Xing was a Core Disciple of Thousand Cranes Paradise. He was expected to advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future, and he had only broken through to the Sixth-Order less than 100 years before dying at your hands. One could say that Thousand Cranes Paradise has become incensed after this situation. You must know that anyone who can advance into the Sixth-Order directly is a rare talent, even for the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Only one appears maybe every 1,000 years or so.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“If it were any ordinary Disciple, then it would not have mattered for them. The rules of my Yin-Yang Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly were public knowledge, and Thousand Cranes Paradise is more or less still concerned about their face. Right now, the reason that Thousand Cranes Paradise is enduring this grudge is because they do not wish to sour relations with my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven; however, if you leave by yourself, Thousand Cranes Paradise will definitely make a move. With their abilities, it will not be a difficult matter for them to get rid of you without anyone knowing. When that happens, there is nothing our Yin-Yang Cave Heaven can say, either.”
“But this Junior cannot hide in Yin-Yang Heaven forever.”
“Wait a few days. I will arrange for someone to send you out.”
Yang Kai pondered about it but did not refuse his good intentions and just cupped his fist, “Then I shall trouble you, Martial Uncle Xu.”
After Yang Kai returned to his temporary residence, Hui Gu immediately came up to greet him, “Sir!”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback. Only then did he remember how he had subordinated Hui Gu using the Loyalty List during the Dao Theory Assembly on the Prison Star, and also used his power to kill many prisoners.
The several dozen years of training that he went through in the Divine Armament World felt as though he had lived another lifetime, leaving him disoriented about events that took place only days ago in the outside world. So much had happened that everything now seemed a bit surreal.
Qing Kui had specially come to congratulate him when he learned of Yang Kai’s return from the Divine Armament World, and even brought a lot of good wine with him.
The two of them chatted up a storm over drinks, having a good time.
Qing Kui was envious that Yang Kai was able to refine 30% of the Divine Armament World’s World Force. He had also entered the Divine Armament World a long time ago, so he naturally knew about the situation inside the Small Source World. However, like all the other Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples over the ages, he was only able to refine 10% of its Source Strength.
It was not that he did not wish to refine 30% of its power, but rather, he could not.
The Ten Great Divine Armaments were manifestations of the World’s Source. Once refined, one would be repelled from the world, and forcibly staying was a difficult task.
“While you were in the Divine Armament World, Honoured Master personally visited Thousand Cranes Paradise to talk about Zhao Xing’s matter. However, Thousand Cranes Paradise kept an ambiguous attitude, and it seems like they will not be letting the matter go so simply. You should be wary in the future,” Qing Kui warned Yang Kai lightly while draining the wine in his cup.
“I know. Martial Uncle Xu has already told me about this.”
Qing Kui sighed, “In fact, you shouldn’t be blamed for this matter. It was Zhao Xing who first picked a fight with you on the Prison Star. He intended to kill you for glory, so as far as I’m concerned, he inflicted this misfortune upon himself. Regardless, he’s dead, and Thousand Cranes Paradise will surely argue for an explanation. Fortunately, my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven is no pushover, so Thousand Cranes Paradise won’t be able to take any overt actions. Remember though, a spear in the light is easily avoided, but an arrow in the dark may not be so. Nothing so far has indicated they won’t use hidden means to attack you. These old foxes have lived for countless years, after all, so none of them are easy to deal with.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother Qing, for worrying about me. I will definitely be careful in the future.” Yang Kai nodded.
A few days later, a great ship slowly sailed out from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Two flags flew high, carrying the characters Yin and Yang, the signboard of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
Other than the cultivators atop the great ship, there were Yang Kai and Hui Gu, the Master and Servant duo.
At the bow of the ship, Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Martial Uncle Xu, I will be off now.”
Xu Ling Gong stood with his hands behind his back and nodded lightly, “Go. Cultivate well when you return to the Void Land, avoid going out without reason and do your best to advance into the Seventh-Order as soon as possible. If you encounter any troubles, then you can get someone to send a message over, and this Monarch will help you.”
“Many thanks, Martial Uncle Xu!”
Yang Kai also turned to Qing Kui and Su Ying Yue, “Senior Brother Qing, Senior Brother Su, I leave Senior Sister Qu under your care.”
Qing Kui grinned, “Rest assured, we will not let Qu’er suffer any grievances.”
“The green mountains will remain…”
“Hurry up and shut up. Shoo shoo!” Xu Ling Gong waved his hands impatiently.
Yang Kai coughed, “Farewell!”
The great ship set out slowly, but in a moment, it sped up, sailing as swiftly as the wind. It was so quick that in just several hours, they had already arrived at Yin-Yang Territory’s Territory Gate.
A dazzling layer of light enveloped the great ship, resisting the shock and vibrations from the warping of space as they passed through the gate. When Yang Kai regained his senses, the great ship had already left the Yin-Yang Territory.
Of course, there were other cultivators on the ship to operate it, so Yang Kai did not need to worry about anything. He just stood on the deck, silently cultivating. Entering his consciousness, he checked on the benefits he gained from the Divine Armament World.
In the Small Universe that existed within each Open Heaven Realm Master was one’s Dao Essence that had been accumulated throughout their lives. In the process of advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, a cultivator’s Dao Seal would disintegrate and dissolve into their Small Universe, and the Dao Seal was the condensed existence of a cultivator’s own Grand Dao.
It could be said that a cultivator’s Grand Dao had completely merged into their Small Universe through this process.
The most fundamental part of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was the Dao of Space. Other than that, there was the Alchemic Dao, Spear Dao, Sword Dao, and so on.
Right now, he was very conscious of the fact that something extra had appeared in his Small Universe. The Dao Essence of the Alchemic Dao and the Spear Dao was much more condensed, but the most significant change was to his Sword Dao Essence.
This was obviously a result he gained from his time in the Divine Armament World. He was able to refine the Medicine King Furnace, the Ten Facets Demonic Shadow Spear, and the True Void Sword, three great Divine Armaments which represented separate Grand Dao had naturally been integrated into his Small Universe.
Not only had the heritage of his Small Universe been strengthened, but even his Dao Essence had been condensed.
If there were living beings existing within his Small Universe, then they would have the opportunity to explore the mysteries of the Grand Dao through the perception and study of these Dao Essences, which would allow them to gain speedy developments in the Alchemic Dao, Sword Dao, and Spear Dao.
However, though Yang Kai’s Small Universe had been brought from ethereal to corporeal, no different from a true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master’s, he did not intend to place any living beings inside. Even though his cultivation was not bad, there were still differences between him and a true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. If he encountered a strong enemy, his Small Universe could be shaken.
If disturbed to a certain extent, the beings living inside of that Small Universe would definitely be affected as well, and in that situation, it would be no less than a natural disaster for them.
And it was because of this consideration that even true High-Rank Open Heaven Realm cultivators seldom placed living beings in their Small Universes, even though they knew that the existence of such living beings inside of their Small Universe would help to strengthen its heritage and enhance the World Force.
Only those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who had great confidence in their own strength, or those who do not care about the lives of ordinary beings, would recklessly choose to raise beings in their Small Universes.
While investigating, Yang Kai suddenly frowned and raised his eyes in a certain direction.
What he saw was a ship floating silently in the void. On the deck were two figures, one behind the other, looking in his direction with sharp, piercing gazes.
Even from a great distance, Yang Kai could feel the deep-seated hatred engraved in their eyes!
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank slightly.
“Sir!” Hui Gu had also noticed the unusual situation and quickly moved over, “We have no idea who they are, but they seem to be very hostile towards us.”
Yang Kai was indifferent, “That man is an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, Zuo Quan Hui!”
Hui Gu was shocked, “An Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise!?”
Any Inner Elder from a Paradise or Cave Heaven was a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. Coming to his senses, Hui Gu asked, “Sir, is this the same man who brought Zhao Xing, the one whom Sir killed on the Prison Star?”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded.
Because of Yang Kai’s interference, each Cave Heaven and Paradise was forced to send their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm disciples into the Dao Theory Assembly, and Zhao Xing was the representative from Thousand Cranes Paradise. In the end, he was killed on the Prison Star by Yang Kai.
Zuo Quan Hui was Zhao Xing’s Honoured Master, so how could he rest easy knowing that his Disciple died a miserable death at the hands of another? Once the Dao Theory Assembly ended, he wanted to attack Yang Kai to take revenge for his Disciple’s death but was stopped by Xu Ling Gong. Helpless, he had no choice but simply to leave with Zhao Xing’s corpse.
According to Qing Kui, Xu Ling Gong had specially taken a trip to Thousand Cranes Paradise for that matter, but Thousand Cranes Paradise showed an ambiguous stance.
However, Yang Kai did not expect Zuo Quan Hui to actually be waiting here!
As a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, Zuo Quan Hui was not an opponent Yang Kai could defeat, though escaping should be no problem. As such, he did not panic even after seeing Zuo Quan Hui.
What’s more, this great ship flew Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s banner, so if Zuo Quan Hui dared to attack him, it would be the same as smashing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard, which would trigger Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s people to try to settle accounts with him.
Obviously, as an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, this point was still clear to him.
Facts proved that Zuo Quan Hui was not a reckless man. Though he had been waiting here, even after seeing Yang Kai, he showed no intention to attack. Only, the murderous look in his eyes was exceptionally intense. He was staring so intently at Yang Kai that he almost seemed to want to stare him to death.
A few moments later, they each disappeared from each other’s view.
Hui Gu heaved a sigh of relief.
On Thousand Cranes Paradise’s ship, Zuo Quan Hui shut his eyes, and his face twisted into a somewhat grim look.
“Honoured Master, are we just letting him go?” The woman who had been standing behind him this whole time asked. This woman did not show up at the Dao Theory Assembly, but her aura, which she had unconsciously been releasing, indicated she was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
“If I do not let him go, do you expect me to force him to stay?” Zuo Quan Hui took a deep breath and barked through gritted teeth, “Xu Ling Gong, that old fart is too much! He must have suspected that this Monarch would be waiting here for that brat, so he sent him off on a damn Yin-Yang Cave Heaven ship. If I make a move here, then I will be waging war against Yin-Yang Cave Heaven!”
“Does that mean that we can never get vengeance for Junior Brother Zhao?” The woman was reluctant to accept this result.
Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, “This grudge is absolutely irreconcilable, so there is no way I will let it be just like that. Xu Ling Gong can protect him now, but he will not be able to do so forever. Come, let us return to the Sect.”
Turning around, he walked into the cabin.
The woman stood on the deck, looking in the direction where Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship left with hatred in her eyes. Only after a long time did she finally stomp away.
After ordering Hui Gu to stay and keep watch on deck, Yang Kai returned to his cabin to cultivate and refine some Open Heaven Pills.
Despite knowing that Zuo Quan Hui would not be so reckless as to dare make a move against Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship, Yang Kai couldn’t afford to be careless. Who knew whether that old man would become overwhelmed with hatred and do something rash?
Fortunately, as a Thousand Cranes Paradise Inner Elder, Zuo Quan Hui was also bound by all sorts of rules and would not take the risk to provoke an existence as great as Yin-Yang Cave Heaven alone. So, he did not take any action at all, and had long disappeared out of sight.
Cultivation in the Open Heaven Realm was a matter of perseverance. Even though Yang Kai had gained huge benefits in the Divine Armament World and increased his strength greatly, he did not simply rest on his laurels and continued to refine many Open Heaven Pills on the journey back.
After a short period of time, he finally returned to Void Territory.
When they received news of his return, everyone in Void Territory came to greet him.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s ship did not linger for long, leaving as soon as it sent Yang Kai safely back to Void Land. Even though Yang Kai tried to get them to stay, they were under orders from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to not remain a moment longer than necessary.
Yang Kai had no choice but to prepare some gifts for them and then see them off.
Half a day later, in the Main Conference Hall, everyone was gathered.
Yang Kai sat boldly and uninhibitedly in the head position, looking out at the masses before him with a gratified look on his face.
When he thought back to the time when he first took over Void Land, there were only a handful of Open Heaven Realm Masters around him, but now, just Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were plentiful.
The Proprietress Lan You Ruo, Yue He, Mo Mei, the three Mountain Lords from Profound Yang Mountain that he recruited from Shadowless Cave Heaven, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya. There were also the two Island Masters who submitted to him on Twin Spirit Island, the couple Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, and now, there was the new Hui Gu.
There were a total of 9! And that was without counting Yang Kai himself. If he were counted among them, then there would be 10 of them!
There were some 20 cultivators in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm as well. Lu Xue, Pang Duo, Gong Yang Xi, Mu Qian Xuan, Jin Yuan Lang, Fan Wu Xin, as well as others who came from Abundance City and the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
The ones in the Fourth-Order were even more difficult to count.
Right now, the Void Land could be said to be full of talents!
Compared to other great forces, the ratio of Open Heaven Realm Masters present in each Order was quite abnormal.
A heritage of 10 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was not considered weak even considering the entire 3,000 Worlds. In fact, excluding the Cave Heavens and Paradises, Void Land could be said to be a top great force now.
However, if a great force had 9 Sixth-Order Masters, then there would generally be at least 100 Fifth-Order Masters, or even more; however, Void Land only had around 20 or 30.
The root of all this is that all of the Open Heaven Realm members had entered Void Land halfway through and were not cultivated by Void Land itself, which threw the ratio out of balance.
However, this was not a big deal. The cultivators who could sit here, regardless of their origins and previous state of cultivation, were loyal to Void Land.
News of Yang Kai’s travel to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to participate in the Dao Theory Assembly and subsequently becoming its champion had long spread to the 3,000 Worlds, so Void Land had naturally heard about it, too.
At the moment, Yang Kai had no idea whether to laugh or cry as he was surrounded by congratulations from all directions.
Before going to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, he never expected things to come to this either; however, what happened happened, and no matter what, he was now a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven son-in-law.
Yang Kai also introduced Hui Gu to everyone, and they all welcomed him warmly.
Hui Gu felt a little flattered as to be honest, he never thought that Void Land would have such a strong heritage before he arrived here. He was especially surprised by the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like him.
Without even mentioning the many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sitting in the Main Hall, Hui Gu could vaguely feel an aura coming from somewhere deep in Void Land that made his heart clench tight.
The aura was certainly hidden and obscure, but its occasional fluctuation made it impossible to ignore.
This Void Land had to be much more than what he could perceive! There may be more powerful forces hidden inside. However, now was not the time to be asking questions. Since he had already come to Void Land with Yang Kai, he could slowly figure it out in the future.
He suddenly felt as if he had found an amazing boss…
“This time, I won the Dao Theory Assembly, but I also got into a bit of trouble.” Yang Kai looked at the crowd below, “During the Dao Theory Assembly, I beat one of Thousand Cranes Paradise’s disciples to death.”
Everyone was shocked to hear that.
They had already known that Yang Kai was able to win the competition, but they did not learn much else besides that. It was only now that they realized what explosive things had happened during the events of the Dao Theory Assembly.
The corner of Old Bai’s eye twitched as he asked, “What Order was that man’s cultivation, and what was his position in Thousand Cranes Paradise?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and scratched his nose awkwardly, “Sixth-Order Open Heaven. In terms of position… similar to Qu Hua Shang from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Old Bai sucked in a breath of cold air.
Yue He also frowned, “That sounds like big trouble.”
Suddenly thinking of something, she looked up at Yang Kai, “Is it because of this reason that Yin-Yang Cave Heaven escorted Young Master home?”
Yang Kai nodded sincerely, “During my return, we bumped into a Thousand Cranes Paradise Elder. If not for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard, then I’m afraid he would have made his move right then and there.”
Yue He was thoughtful, “Since that man is an Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, then he would not dare to take the risk of offending Yin-Yang Cave Heaven openly, which was why he held back. However, according to this situation, that man will surely not give up there.”
Mo Mei chimed in, “Did Yin-Yang Cave Heaven not say anything? The Dao Theory Assembly was held by them after all. They would be held responsible if anything were to happen.”
“Senior Sister Qu’s Honoured Master, Xu Ling Gong, personally went to Thousand Cranes Paradise to negotiate, but the latter did not give their clear opinion on the matter.”
“In any case, it would be best if Thousand Cranes Paradise is willing to let the matter go; otherwise, there are troops for the enemy, and earth for floods!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I’m merely telling you this so that you may all be more careful in the future. Don’t be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous people!”
With the current power of Void Land, there was little need for them to worry. They had two mature Divine Spirits to watch over them, and they were also protected by the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array. Unless Thousand Cranes Paradise was willing to mobilize several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, it would be impossible for them to do anything to Void Land directly. Heavenly Sword Union that led the Hundred Sects Alliance was proof of that.
Everyone cupped their fists, “Yes!”
Yang Kai then turned his head to Old Bai, “How is Proprietress doing now? Have you heard anything?”
Old Bai shook his head, “She is still in retreat. Advancing to the Seventh-Order cannot be achieved overnight.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Pay close attention to any changes in her situation. If there is news, contact me immediately.”
Old Bai grinned, “Will do.”
“Good, everyone disperse. Go and attend to your own matters. Second Manager, arrange Hui Gu’s accommodations.”
Bian Yu Qing immediately stood up and answered, “Yes!”
Void Land was not small now, but Yang Kai still had little to manage as Bian Yu Qing was taking care of everything. However, this delayed her cultivation efforts a lot. Among those who came here from the Star Boundary, many of the peak Emperor Realm Masters had already condensed their Dao Seals and begun refining resources of the various Orders to make preparations for advancing to the Open Heaven Realm. However, Bian Yu Qing had not even been able to condense her Dao Seal yet.
She had sacrificed a lot for the sake of Void Land.
However, Yang Kai had his own arrangements for her, and he would naturally not neglect her. With the Divine Dao Water, ensuring her future of advancing directly into the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm would be no problem.
After returning to Void Land, Yang Kai had been living a comfortable and peaceful life. Besides refining Open Heaven Pills and some other cultivation resources each day, he would either play chess with Bi Xi or walk around the Star City.
Void Territory’s Star City was now famous all over the 3,000 Worlds, and the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was always in high demand. After all, this pill could raise the success rate of a cultivator advancing into the Open Heaven Realm. Any cultivator with a bit of wealth would want to acquire such a pill; however, the only ones who could refine the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill in this world was Void Land.
The other great forces could not refine this pill even if they got the pill recipe, but this couldn’t be helped as its primary ingredient, World Source Liquid, was too rare. This was something that was created only at the birth of a new world, and in the 3,000 Worlds, which Universe World was newly formed?
The Star City brought great wealth to Void Land, which was enough to supply the cultivation needs of its many disciples. The only problem faced by Void Land was the difficulty in finding Yin and Yang Element treasures for advancing into the Sixth-Order.
These two items were rare resources even for the major Cave Heavens and Paradises, so finding them was extremely difficult. Even though Void Land was not short of money, it had not been able to buy many of these resources over the years.
However, the Great Emperors who came from the Star Boundary, as well as Yang Kai’s Wives, all needed these Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures in order to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Without these, they could not advance.
Currently, the Star City’s top priority was to acquire these Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures in order to ensure a smooth advancement for the Great Emperors.
While Yang Kai was having a headache over this matter, thinking about where he was going to find these resources, he received a piece of good news.
Gathering Yuan Union’s Lu Jing had come to visit!
According to their deal, Lu Jing followed Yang Kai during the Dao Theory Assembly for protection, which allowed him to return safely from the Prison Star. Otherwise, with Lu Jing’s Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, it was uncertain whether or not he would have survived in that harsh environment.
Before entering the Prison Star, Lu Jing had agreed to pay Yang Kai with a Sixth-Order Yang Element treasure as a reward for keeping him safe.
After the Dao Theory Assembly, Lu Jing returned alongside his Elders to Gathering Yuan Union’s Great Territory, and after much time had passed, he received no news from him. Yang Kai even thought that this guy was going to go back on his word.
Yang Kai never expected Lu Jing to visit in person on this day. It seemed like even though this guy’s cultivation was not very high, he was still a man of integrity.
But upon further thought, Yang Kai realized that this was not strange. Gathering Yuan Union was a mercantile alliance, with merchant ships that did business with many forces across the 3,000 Worlds. As merchants, trust was their greatest commodity, so they would never renege on their debts.
Lu Jing was flattered that Yang Kai received him personally.
In the reception hall, Lu Jing handed over a jade box, “Senior Brother Yang, here is the Purple Yang Jade, a Sixth-Order Yang Elements treasure. Please accept it as this Little Brother’s thanks to Senior Brother for the care he received on the Prison Star.”
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony and reached out to accept it with a smile, “Brother Lu is too polite. What I did on the Prison Star was just a simple thing.”
Lu Jing responded, “To Senior Brother Yang it may just be a small effort, but to me, it is a life-saving grace. The Masters on the Prison Star were as plentiful as the clouds. A petty Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like me would hardly have survived without Senior Brother Yang’s care!”
Yang Kai laughed, “Brother Lu does not have to be so modest. Even though the Prison Star was dangerous, it was not so perilous that a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not survive. Brother Lu is so generous, so obviously, Brother Lu has a high status in Gathering Yuan Union, right?”
Lu Jing smiled proudly, “Currently, the Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union is my Father!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I had guessed as much, but why has Brother Lu only achieved a trivial Fourth-Order with such a background?”
Lu Jing laughed bitterly, “Financial power is not everything. My aptitude was not high, so even reaching the Fourth-Order now has taken my Father a lot of energy and resources. Otherwise, with my aptitude, we would be thanking the Heavens even if I could reach the Third-Order.”
With some thought, it did seem to be so. The most important part that decided one’s initial Order in the Open Heaven Realm was aptitude. Without a strong enough Dao Seal, it was simply impossible for one to bear too strong of an impact, and with that, there was naturally no way of achieving a higher Order.
However, Lu Jing’s status was also not low. His Father was the Union Master of Gathering Yuan Union, which made him the Young Union Master, which was not far from what Yang Kai had guessed before.
“Brother Lu, I have a business deal I want to propose to Gathering Yuan Union; I wonder whether Gathering Yuan Union is interested?” Yang Kai looked eagerly at him with a smile.
Lu Jing laughed in response, “Our Gathering Yuan Union’s doors are always open to new opportunities. As long as there is business to do, we are naturally interested.”
“Young Union Master!” The two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had been standing by Lu Jing’s side all this while suddenly called out to him before going down to a whisper, “Union Master has asked you to return immediately after delivering the item. He says he wishes to make arrangements for your betrothal.”
Lu Jing’s face turned dark, “I have my own plans for marriage, what is he concerned about?”
The man responded, “That is what the Union Master ordered. Young Union Master, please do not make things difficult for this humble one.”
Lu Jing now had an awkward look on his face.
Yang Kai glanced at the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was speaking with interest. There was no way that he would not know that he was merely speaking like this because Gathering Yuan Union was unwilling to have too many entanglements with Void Land.
Since Gathering Yuan Union mainly focused on trade, they were indeed open to all in terms of business; however, Yang Kai had killed Zhao Xing in the Dao Theory Assembly, which was an insult to Thousand Cranes Paradise. Thus, Gathering Yuan Union was not willing to draw heat onto itself.
When Lu Jing came here, it was likely that his Father had warned him about this beforehand; otherwise, it was unlikely for these Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm guards to overstep their boundaries.
“There is no place for you to interfere when I’m speaking to Senior Brother Yang. Get out!” Lu Jing scolded.
Yang Kai raised his hand, “Since Brother Lu’s Father is thinking of arranging Brother Lu’s betrothal, then I will not keep you here; however, I will be troubling Brother Lu to pass on a message to your Father when you return.”
Lu Jing responded earnestly, “Please speak, Senior Brother Yang.”
“Please report to your Father that my Void Land would like to make developments in the dealing of our Heavenly Yuan Stabilizing Pill. If he is willing, then I will allow the Gathering Yuan Union to represent us in auctioning them!”
Lu Jing could not help but feel moved by the offer and even the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm guard who spoke earlier had a surprised look on his face.
The Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill was famous across the 3,000 Worlds. There was no one who had not heard of it. Many people had their eyes on this Spirit Pill, but Void Land was the only producer of it. Others were simply unable to refine it.
Void Land’s Star City was able to reach such a scale solely because of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pill. It can be said that this Spirit Pill was practically the foundation of Void Land’s development.
If they were able to get a share in this business, then that would be a big deal for Gathering Yuan Union. They may be able to rise to even greater heights with help from this arrangement.
If Void Land was willing to be generous, then what they want must not be small either, Lu Jing understood that, so he asked, “May I know what Senior Brother Yang wishes to gain from my Gathering Yuan Union?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Gathering Yuan Union’s merchant ships are spread across the 3,000 Worlds. With such a wide range of trade routes and so many eyes and ears available, finding Sixth-Order Yin and Yang Element treasures should be no problem, right?”
Lu Jing laughed bitterly at that, “Senior Brother Yang has given me a difficult task. Such resources are very scarce, and that is true no matter where you look.” After a pause, he added, “How many is Senior Brother Yang looking for?”
Yang Kai answered, “Naturally, as many as you can find.”
Lu Jing laughed and pondered for a moment, “This is a big deal, so I am unable to make the decision. Indeed, this matter has to be referred to my Father. So as to not delay matters, I will take my leave now so that I may return to Senior Brother Yang with news as soon as possible.”
Yang Kai did not keep him any longer and stood up, “Let me see you off.”
The two left the hall side by side, and having suddenly thought of something, Lu Jing suddenly went into a whisper, “Has Senior Brother Yang heard something recently?”
Yang Kai glanced at him, “What does Brother Lu mean?”
“About Thousand Cranes Paradise!”
“Thousand Cranes Paradise?” Yang Kai raised a brow and shook his head, “Nothing. What do you know, Brother Lu?”
Lu Jing told him, “Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Elder, Zuo Quan Hui, has rebelled from the Sect alongside those from his lineage!”
Yang Kai stopped in his tracks and stared straight at him.
Lu Jing shrugged, “I’m not joking. When it happened, one of Gathering Yuan Union’s Vice Union Masters just happened to be doing some work at Thousand Cranes Paradise. That is when he came upon that situation. When he returned and reported the matter to my Father, I happened to hear a thing or two.”
“When did this happen?” Yang Kai frowned.
Lu Jing responded, “Counting back, it should have happened around two or three months ago.”
Two or three months, that was around the same time as when he returned to Void Land.
“Why was there no news in the outside world about such a huge event?” Yang Kai was confused.
“There is no way that Thousand Cranes Paradise would want to make a loud announcement of such an embarrassing situation. Zuo Quan Hui is a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise. If he rebels from his Sect, then it would mean the loss of face for Thousand Cranes Paradise. However, such a matter obviously cannot be hidden for long. Just watch, everyone will know about it within half a year.”
While chatting, they had already arrived at where Gathering Yuan Union’s ship was docked.
Lu Jing cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Yang, please wait. I will report to my Father about your proposal, and I will come again if there is any news.”
“Many thanks, Brother Lu.” Yang Kai nodded.
After watching Gathering Yuan Union’s ship depart, Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled as he could vaguely sense an impending storm.
Zuo Quan Hui was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and an Inner Elder of Thousand Cranes Paradise, so how could he have turned against his Sect so simply? He was not the only Seventh-Order Master in Thousand Cranes Paradise, and as one of the 72 Paradises, they would surely have some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters keeping watch.
If Zuo Quan Hui really did turn against his Sect, then he would have been apprehended almost immediately.
From that fact alone, Yang Kai could guess that Zuo Quan Hui’s rebellion was just a show they had put on for the outside world.
Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly was presided over by Xu Ling Gong, who said before it began that this was not a children’s game. It was a competition to choose a suitor for Qu Hua Shang, and no reprisals were to be pursued regardless of the lives lost during its course.
Even though these words were spoken by Xu Ling Gong, he was representing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven! If someone really did try and get revenge afterwards, that would be slapping Xu Ling Gong in the face and smashing Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s signboard. Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would not let the matter rest after such an insult, and even without anyone else to stand up to the matter, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven themselves would put an end to it.
Thousand Cranes Paradise did not wish to make the situation too stiff either and provoke Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s reputation for the sake of a lost disciple. However, Zhao Xing was still a Core Disciple, and he could not die in vain. Thousand Cranes Paradise’s reputation was still important to them.
Zuo Quan Hui’s rebellion from Thousand Cranes Paradise meant he had cut off his relationship with them, and as the deceased’s Honoured Master, he could rightfully avenge his dead Disciple. This matter would have nothing to do with Thousand Cranes Paradise in that case. If Yin-Yang Cave Heaven wished to blame anyone, then the only one they could blame was the rebel, Zuo Quan Hui.
Furthermore, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven may not necessarily come out to say anything about the matter. One was a Cave Heaven and the other was a Paradise. Surpassing Thousand Cranes Paradise to the point where they made such a choice was already Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s limit, and Thousand Cranes Paradise had already taken a step back on the matter. Naturally, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven would take a step back as well.
And this step was most likely their refusal to interfere in the feud between Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui.
After some thought, Yang Kai quickly worked out the relationships in this matter, and he could not help but sneer. Zuo Quan Hui was blinded by hatred, and he was most likely not going to be letting him go.
Yang Kai was just about to contact Bian Yu Qing when he saw two streams of light coming from the distance as soon as he looked up, and one of them happened to be her.
“Sect Master!” Bian Yu Qing saluted after landing, a troubled look on her face.
However, the person next to her fell to their knees and wailed, “Heavenly Monarch, please do something!”
Yang Kai frowned at them, quickly recognizing their identity, “You are Three Brilliances World’s World Lord, Pang Shao Yuan?”
Void Land was not the only great force in Void Territory. There existed seven Third Class great forces, and a dozen or so Universe Worlds, all of them with history’s far longer than Yang Kai’s reign in this place.
Back then, when Yang Kai established Void Land, these Third Class great forces and Universe Worlds sent their representatives over to congratulate him and even helped a lot to rebuild Void Land.
So, the seven Third Class great forces can all be considered subordinate forces of Void Land, and they were considered allies. The dozen Universe Worlds were essentially considered subjects of Void Land who were able to send over some talents to join Void Land once in a while.
Among the dozen or so Universe Worlds, one of them was Three Brilliances World, and the strongest Master of that world was the man in front of Yang Kai now, Pang Shao Yuan. However, even though this man aspired to achieve the Fourth-Order, or even Fifth-Order, Open Heaven Realm, he was still merely in the Emperor Realm right now.
“Please, Heavenly Monarch, save the people of my Three Brilliances World!” Pang Shao Yuan kowtowed to him, bashing his forehead to the ground in loud thuds.
“Stand up and speak!” Yang Kai reached out to pick him up, confused, “What happened?”
Bian Yu Qing hurriedly explained, “Someone stormed into Three Brilliances World and began slaughtering people indiscriminately. Three Brilliances World has sustained heavy damage. When he realized that things were beyond his ability to handle, World Lord Peng decided to come and seek help.”
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank. Just earlier, Lu Jing had just warned him that Zuo Quan Hui had rebelled from Thousand Cranes Paradise, and now, Three Brilliances World had fallen into danger. He could not help but think of something.
“Luring a snake out of its hole!” Yang Kai’s face turned grim.
Void Land was guarded by two mature Divine Spirits, which was a well-known fact. There was also the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array. To break through such defensive power, several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would have to join hands.
Even if Zuo Quan Hui wanted to avenge his Disciple, he would not be foolish enough to come directly to Void Land. He would have to lure Yang Kai out instead.
Three Brilliances World was just caught in the crossfire!
Otherwise, how could Pang Shao Yuan, a trivial Emperor Realm Master, be able to escape? Since Zuo Quan Hui wished to lure the snake out of the hole, it was only natural that he needed someone to pass on the news.
However, Zuo Quan Hui was still a man from a Paradise, and also a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could he be so merciless as to lay his hands on a Universe World? It had to be known that Universe Worlds were the foundation of the entire 3,000 Worlds. Was he not afraid of damaging his reputation with such rash actions?
Bian Yu Qing had no idea what Yang Kai meant by that assessment, but she could vaguely tell that something was not right. Void Land possessed extraordinary strength these days, and Three Brilliances World was a subject of Void Land. How could anyone be so brave as to cause trouble under Void Land’s eyes? They were clearly doing this on purpose.
“Heavenly Monarch, we must hurry. Lives are at stake. If we delay any further, then it will be too late. These vile people are strong, and I have no idea what Order of the Open Heaven Realm they are in, but even a single move can cause devastating damage. I’m afraid it would not take too long for them to tear apart the entire Three Brilliances World!” Pang Shao Yan begged anxiously.
Yang Kai nodded, “I know. I will go immediately.”
With that said, he rushed to the sky while urgently telling Bian Yu Qing to pass on his orders.
After watching Yang Kai disappear into the distance, Pang Shao Yuan fell powerlessly to the ground.
Bian Yu Qing reassured him, “World Lord Peng need not worry. Sect Master will naturally deal with the enemy. You should go and rest. I still have things to attend to, so I will not be accompanying you.”
After calling over a Void Land disciple to bring Pang Shao Yuan to a guest room, Bian Yu Qing took out her Communication Bead and sent out a series of messages.
In the blink of an eye, the Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters scattered all over gathered together.
Three Brilliances World was an azure Universe World, which was slightly larger than the Star Boundary. Whether it be in World Energy or World Principles, it was slightly better than the Star Boundary, so cultivating in Three Brilliances World was much easier.
Yang Kai transformed into a ray of light and kept on pushing his Space Principles as he closed in on his destination in merely a cup of tea’s time.
When he looked down from the void, Yang Kai felt so furious that his eyes could pop. The Universe World which used to be azure was now covered in pits and wounds. Even from the void, he could see the large cracks that spanned across the land. Black smoke was rising in the air and hot magma was erupting. Even the seawater was rolling black. Clearly, the world’s vitality had been damaged greatly!
Back then, a single Mo Sheng could stir up a huge mess in the Star Boundary, which almost led to the extinction of all life, so there was no need to mention what an even stronger Open Heaven Realm Master could do if they ran amok in the Three Brilliances World.
For the one behind this, all the living that exist within the Three Brilliances World were merely ants to them, easily slaughtering them without any resistance, which showed how heartless this person was.
Somewhere in Three Brilliances World, a violent energy fluctuation emerged. Yang Kai looked over in that direction. Across a distance of several tens of thousands of kilometers, his gaze pierced through the Void and could vaguely see a person wielding their power recklessly, leaving a reign of terror wherever they passed. A city, inhabited by tens of thousands, was flipped over in just a single blow, annihilating everyone in a mere instant.
“Courting death!” Yang Kai was seeing red and his murderous intent surged. Grabbing the air, the Azure Dragon Spear entered his hand. With a thrust of his spear, Space Principles warped, and he disappeared.
Above the rubble was a figure hovering with fluttering sleeves. There seemed to be wronged spirits lingering about his ears, but the man smiled as if he was enjoying the pleasure of his wanton slaughter. Under his Divine Sense’s perception, there was another city just 1,000 kilometres away where many living beings were gathered.
As he was about to make for the city, a powerful aura suddenly rushed over in his direction that sent a shiver up his spine.
Turning his head back, he saw a lightning flash in the clouds, then came a raging murderous intent, erupting out for all to feel!
Feeling the terror of the incoming blow, the man dared not be careless. With a great roar, soundwaves visible to the naked eye rippled towards Yang Kai through the air.
At the same time, the figure backed away speedily.
Yang Kai continued to give chase with his spear, his strikes flowing in an unrestrained manner, covering the sky in a flurry of spear shadows that rained down on his enemy.
That man, who was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, was obviously very confident in his own strength, and at first, he was able to block Yang Kai’s attacks, but as he continued to clash, both his body and Soul were repeatedly shocked. Eventually, he was forced to cry out for help, “Divine Monarch, save me!”
“Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch?” Yang Kai also finally had a look at this guy’s face. He originally thought that it was someone from Thousand Cranes Paradise who was attacking this place, and there was even the possibility that he might see Zuo Quan Hui himself. Unexpectedly, the one slaughtering the inhabitants of Three Brilliances World actually turned out to be Prison League’s League Master, Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch!
It was too late to wonder why Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch was here though as after he shouted, powerful auras hidden in all directions quickly emerged, one of which made Yang Kai’s heart jump.
Turning around, he saw Zuo Quan Hui appear with a grim look on his face, and the sword in his hand was pointed his way, quickly approaching. His thrust may have seemed simple, but it was able to break through Yang Kai’s spear shadow blockade perfectly and head straight for the spot between his brow.
A feeling of imminent death washed over Yang Kai as he drew in a breath of cold air and manipulated Space Principles, executing his Near Distant Horizon Secret Technique, infinitely stretching the space between him and Zuo Quan Hui.
“Break!” Zuo Quan Hui shouted, shattering the stretched space. Then, the cold glint of his sword tip quickly enlarged before Yang Kai’s eyes.
[Near Distant Horizon was broken!]
Yang Kai’s heart was shaken. Sure enough, the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was truly extraordinary, even being capable of breaking through his Space Secret Technique with ease, which was something that had never happened before.
Yang Kai was caught off guard and could only block the blow with his spear.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following a loud series of explosions, a tidal wave of energy spread out in all directions, instantly turning the destroyed city below to ashes, leaving no trace of it behind. Even the ground was cracked open with lines like that of a canyon appearing out of nowhere. Between those cracks, magma gushed out in a spectacular display.
In an instant, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of Golden Blood and could not stop himself from flying backwards. He crashed headlong into a mountain 100 kilometres away and disappeared from sight.
“Hm?” Zuo Quan Hui frowned, looking surprised.
He was stunned that he was unable to execute Yang Kai instantly despite personally making a move. Judging by the blows they exchanged just now, the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was extremely powerful, not inferior to a Master at the very peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
After a brief pause, Zuo Quan Hui came back to his senses, “Is this the might of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Small Source World? Even so, you will die here today!”
He did not hesitate to break away from Thousand Cranes Paradise and even took in someone like Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, instructing him to cause carnage in Three Brilliances World, all so he could lure Yang Kai out. Now that Yang Kai was here, if he did not win this fight, then he might not have such a good opportunity again in the future.
With a flick of his sword, Zuo Quan Hui’s entire figure was wrapped in the sword light before he shot off like a flash of lightning!
But before Zuo Quan Hui could arrive, the mountain suddenly split apart and Yang Kai’s figure rose to the sky and headed straight for the void.
Even though he was now in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and his strength had improved greatly thanks to the many opportunities he encountered, the difference between the High-Rank and Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realms was like the difference between the Heavens and Earth. If it were any ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then they would probably have been killed by Zuo Quan Hui in the first exchange of blows.
Yang Kai was able to escape from death thanks to all the hard work he put in back in the Small Source World. If not for his previous gains in the Divine Armament World, his situation now would be even worse.
Even so, Yang Kai was in a dizzy state at this moment, and his Small Universe was in turmoil.
Before coming here, he had a hunch that Zuo Quan Hui would be waiting in ambush. Just as Pang Shao Yuan said, however, saving lives was like putting out a fire. If Three Brilliances World was in danger, then he did not dare to delay things, so he had no choice but to come over and stop the carnage immediately.
But now, after their exchange, Yang Kai was certain that he was no match for Zuo Quan Hui, so how could he stay here any longer? What was more, if he continued to fight in this place, then Three Brilliances World would really be done for.
After all, there were still countless living beings inhabiting this place, and if Three Brilliances World was shattered from their fight, all the living beings in this world would die without a burial.
“Where are you trying to run!” A figure rushed over from the side; a woman in imperial robes. The woman’s face was scrunched up with murderous intent and her aura flared madly. She was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and with a wave of her hand, a colourful belt stretched out across the void, releasing an endless river of stars.
Crashing straight into this river, it was as if Yang Kai had entered a starry sky. In an instant, north, south, east, and west had become indistinguishable.
He knew that this artifact had a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking effect, almost like a Self-Contained World. If he did not break out of this trap quickly, then things will not be good once Zuo Quan Hui caught up to him.
Not daring to hesitate, Yang Kai let out a fierce roar, “Golden Crow Casts the Sun!”
A loud and clear caw broke through the air and a Great Sun rose up. Within the Great Sun, a three-legged exotic bird could be seen frolicking about.
Yang Kai raised his spear to the Great Sun before, stabbing fiercely towards the void.
The Great Sun exploded, and in an instant, the starry sky around him grew dim.
Terrifying Golden Crow’s True Fire swept out in all directions as Yang Kai’s body flew up. When he recovered, he found himself outside of the endless river of stars and not far ahead was a woman’s figure.
With her artifact broken, the woman’s face was slightly pale, and there was a trail of blood trickling down the corner of her mouth.
With fierce determination, Yang Kai raised his spear, preparing to impale the woman with its tip, but it was then that a heavy murderous intent emerged from behind him. Zuo Quan Hui had caught up, forcing him to have to fight back.
World Force collided as Yang Kai’s figure tumbled through the air and endless Sword Qi cut his clothes into pieces. No matter how strong his body was, it was instantly covered in blood from fresh wounds. The terrifying Sword Intent even lingered in his wounds like maggots, burrowing into his flesh and his meridians.
With a shout, Yang Kai forcefully suppressed his wounds, but when he saw Zuo Quan Hui approaching again, he had no choice but to borrow the force of the recoil, turning around and running away!
“Even if you escape to the ends of the Universe, you will surely still die today!” Zuo Quan Hui’s voice came from behind him as he continued to give chase.
Yang Kai wanted to escape using Space Principles, but the might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was so great that each time he had that thought, the strange Sword Qi haunting his wounds would suddenly erupt, causing him unbearable pain and making it difficult for him to concentrate, which made it even more impossible for him to escape successfully.
Zuo Quan Hui was obviously on guard against his mastery over the Dao of Space. He knew that if he did not contain this ability of Yang Kai’s, then he would not be able to kill him.
“Honoured Master, he’s fleeing towards Void Land!” The woman followed closely behind Zuo Quan Hui, looking in the direction in which Yang Kai was running.
Zuo Quan Hui coldly snorted, “I knew this would happen, but he won’t be able to escape.”
As he spoke, three figures suddenly appeared before Yang Kai. From a distance, one of the men shouted, “You shall not pass!”
Then, the three of them combined their strength to deliver an attack in his direction.
Squinting his eyes, only two of the three men were recognizable to Yang Kai. One of them was Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch, another was Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch, as for the last one, he was someone Yang Kai had never met before, so he had no idea who he was or where he came from.
All the same, Yang Kai cursed in his heart. He knew that these two guys would be here.
In fact, Yang Kai had been on alert for them ever since he saw Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch founded Prison League on the Prison Star, and Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch were his Vice League Masters. During the Dao Theory Assembly, Prison League captured Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan. Later, they also captured a Core Disciple from Azure Nether Paradise as a bargaining chip to negotiate with Yin-Yang Cave Heaven after everything ended.
The end result of that was that the three leaders of Prison League were freed, and they let Yin Xin Zhao and Pei Wen Xuan go while Yin Xin Zhao and the great force behind him had to pay Yin-Yang Cave Heaven a large sum of money.
Now, it seemed like the three from Prison League who were freed were Huang Quan, Jin Gang, and Cang Yan.
It was only natural for that to be so as the three of them occupied the three highest spots in Prison League. If they could obtain freedom, then they would not leave this opportunity for anyone else.
Only, Yang Kai could not understand how the three of them got mixed up with Zuo Quan Hui.
Whether it be Huang Quan, Jin Gang, or Cang Yan, all three men were veterans in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, no worse than Mao Zhe. In a one-on-one fight, they would definitely be no match for Yang Kai, even if it was two against one, Yang Kai might still come out on top. However, there were currently three Masters joining hands now. What’s more, Yang Kai had already been hurt from the fight with Zuo Quan Hui earlier, so he could only dodge when it came to a fight against a combined force like this.
However, this delay only allowed Zuo Quan Hui to close the gap between them.
With a wolf in front and tiger behind, Yang Kai was in a precarious situation!
“Yang Kai, when you killed my Junior Brother, did you ever expect to face this day?” The man standing between Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch gritted his teeth and snarled at him.
From what he said, it was obvious this man was Zhao Xing’s Senior Brother.
Lu Jing had previously told Yang Kai that Zuo Quan Hui had rebelled from Thousand Cranes Paradise along with his lineage, which meant Zuo Quan Hui was not alone. He had brought all his subordinates and Disciples he could use with him, and this man was one of them. The unfamiliar faces he saw earlier must be the same, including the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman.
“You bastard, you will die here today!” The woman’s voice also sounded from behind.
Looking down, Yang Kai sneered, “You wish to kill me? That will depend on whether you have that ability or not!”
A huge lotus-like ship was rapidly approaching from the void, and before it even arrived, a dense stream of lights shot out from the ship.
The woman’s alarmed voice sounded through the air, “Senior Brother Zhou Ti, watch out!”
Zhou Ti, Jin Gang, and Cang Yan, who were obstructing Yang Kai’s way, had also realized that danger was approaching, and when they turned around, their vision was filled with a brilliant light. One by one, terrifying attacks rained down on them.
The three of them were so shocked that they did not even have time to think how many Masters there were. They just turned tail and fled like frightened birds and beasts.
The moment they made their move, Yang Kai also stabbed at Zhou Ti with his spear, ignoring the barriers of space, reaching the latter’s face as soon as he lifted his hand. A Dragon Roar erupted from the Azure Dragon Spear as if it had truly transformed into a giant Dragon brandishing its claws and baring its fangs, seemingly about to devour Zhou Ti up in one gulp.
Sensing imminent danger, Zhou Ti tried hard to circulate the strength of his Small Universe and formed hand seals to protect his front.
*Chi…*
Blood spluttered out as Yang Kai and Zhou Ti passed each other. When their eyes met, Zhou Ti’s eyes were filled with great terror, while Yang Kai’s only showed mockery. Flipping the Azure Dragon Spear back around, he thrust out at Zhou Ti’s heart with an unstoppable momentum.
As the aura of death enveloped him, Zhou Ti’s face became ashen, but at the critical moment, Yang Kai frowned and pulled his spear back.
*Dang…*
A sword stopped the Azure Dragon Spear, colliding with it with a terrifying World Force. Grunting, blood spilled from Yang Kai’s nose and mouth. Behind the longsword, Zuo Quan Hui faced him with a grim expression. With a shake of his sword, a wave of Sword Qi formed and flew straight in his direction.
Yang Kai was forced backwards while fresh blood constantly spilled from all over his body. Dense cuts covered his skin in a horrifying display.
“Young Master!” Yue He shouted and dashed over to him together with Profound Yang Mountain’s Three Mountain Lords, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and Zhou Ya.
When it came to loyalty, none could trump the three of them. The three Mountain Lords were also powerful, all of them being established Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Back in the Shadowless Cave Heaven, they had been forced to write their names down on the Loyalty List and submit to Yang Kai; however, since they had already put down their names, whether they earnestly wished to submit to Yang Kai or were simply forced to, all three of now rushed forward when they saw Yang Kai teeter around the edge of life or death.
If Yang Kai died here, then they would be buried with him, so as soon as they saw him in danger, they all rushed over as soon as possible.
With the combined power of these five, they were finally able to block Zuo Quan Hui’s strike.
Seeing that he would not be able to kill Yang Kai in a short amount of time, Zuo Quan Hui wisely chose to step back. He pressed forward earlier mainly to save Zhou Ti, but now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need for him to pursue Yang Kai further. The most important thing for him to do now was assess the current situation.
The fight that spanned hundreds of kilometres in the void suddenly subsided, but everyone knew that this peace was just an illusion, the calm before the storm.
“Young Master, are you all right?” Yue He looked nervously at Yang Kai, feeling heartbroken to see him in such a state.
Yang Kai looked miserable. His clothes were in rags and there were numerous wounds littered over his body, both big and small. It was rare for him to show such a vulnerable side.
“I’m fine!” Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking in the distance with a defiant face, he sneered, “Zuo Quan Hui, you want to lure the snake from his cave? Aren’t you worried you’ll lure a Dragon out instead?”
Hundreds of kilometres away, Zuo Quan Hui’s face was still grim. Eyes sweeping over the people by Yang Kai’s side, he spat, “This Monarch has underestimated your Void Land!”
He knew that Void Land’s heritage was not bad, and that they had two Divine Spirits watching over them. Even a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm like him did not dare to act recklessly, which was why he devised a scheme to lure Yang Kai out.
He thought that it would be easy to kill him as long as he was able to lure Yang Kai out, but Yang Kai was much stronger than he initially thought. It was surprising that he was not able to kill him off instantly, but knowing Void Land’s heritage was even more surprising!
They had 9 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and more than 20 in the Fifth-Order!
This lineup was not in line with the information he had received previously. From the intelligence he gathered, Void Land only had 2 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most.
Compared to Void Land, his own side only had Zhou Ti, Huang Quan, Jin Gang, Cang Yan, and his female Disciple. There were only a total of 5 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in his service, but Zuo Quan Hui himself was in the Seventh-Order, so he more than made up for the gap in power.
Even so, Void Land was growing at a rate that shocked Zuo Quan Hui. How strong were they when Heavenly Sword Union formed the Hundred Sects Alliance to attack them? It had barely been 10 years since then, and they had already collected so many Masters! If they let this continue on, then Void Land will definitely become a big problem in the future!
“But how can you stop this Monarch with just the few of you? Boy, this Monarch must kill you today!” Zuo Quan Hui shouted as he raised his sword.
Yang Kai grinned, “What a coincidence, that was what I was thinking, too.”
He shouted, “Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, join me in this fight! I’ve never killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before, so today, we will have a taste! The rest of you, corner the rest of our opponents. Don’t let a single one of them escape!”
All of them answered in unison, “Yes!”
Yang Kai raised his spear and pointed it at Zuo Quan Hui, bellowing, “Kill!”
A distance of hundreds of kilometres was merely a step away for Open Heaven Realm Masters, but in a step, in a shout, Yang Kai had already taken the lead and rushed forward.
Earlier, Yang Kai had practically nowhere to escape to as he was chased up and down by Zuo Quan Hui. Now, the elites of Void Land had all come out to face the enemy in battle. As Yang Kai said before, Zuo Quan Hui may have been trying to lure the snake out of its hole, but he had unwittingly lured out a Dragon instead.
Even if Zuo Quan Hui was not killed in this battle, his side would still be wounded, which should teach him that Void Territory was not a place for him to come and go as he pleased!
A battle even fiercer than the one before broke out instantly. Six or seven battlefields formed in the expansive void. World Forces collided with each other endlessly in a heated contest.
Mo Mei confronted Zhou Ti, who was instantly pinned down and only able to struggle passively. Under normal circumstances, Mo Mei would not be Zhou Ti’s opponent; after all, she had only advanced into the Sixth-Order a short while ago. Even if Void Land was there to support her with resources, she still needed time to build up her Small Universe’s heritage.
Zhou Ti had undoubtedly reached the Sixth-Order much earlier than Mo Mei, so his Small Universe’s heritage should be more powerful.
However, Zhou Ti was severely injured by Yang Kai’s spear when he tried to block his path just now. In fact, if not for Zuo Quan Hui rescuing him at the last moment, Zhou Ti might already be dead.
With his injuries, Zhou Ti was unable to exert his full strength to begin with, so it was only natural that he would be overpowered by Mo Mei.
Yue He, on the other hand, chose to fight the Sixth-Order woman. Both sides were on equal footing, so neither was able to do anything to their opponent.
Zhou Ya was slightly weaker when compared to Cang Yan, but her heritage as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was still there, so killing her would still be as difficult as ascending to the Heavens, unless Zhou Ya herself courted death.
Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan, the couple, had always advanced and retreated together, so with their combined skills, they were able to beat Jin Gang into a bitter state.
Finally, Hui Gu rushed up to Huang Quan at the first chance he got with overwhelming killing intent. He was practically fighting with his life on the line without any concern about whether or not he would be injured. His reckless ferocity caused Huang Quan to jump in fright.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch should have been slightly stronger than Hui Gu; otherwise, Huang Quan would not have been able to serve as Prison League’s Master. However, he was forced into a disadvantageous position by Hui Gu in this confrontation.
The reason that Hui Gu was like this was because of his deceased attendant, Bai Mo.
On the Prison Star, he and Bai Mo have been in each other’s company for hundreds of years. The Master and Servant had gone through many ups and downs together, and though Bai Mo’s cultivation was not high, only Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was extremely loyal to Hui Gu and was even willing to offer his life for him.
It was just a pity that Bai Mo ended up in Prison League’s hands and was crushed before Hui Gu’s eyes by Huang Quan!
After the Dao Theory Assembly, Yang Kai got Hui Gu out of the Prison Star, and from then on, Hui Gu made a vow to kill Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch in order to avenge Bai Mo’s death.
The only issue was, Huang Quan had also escaped from the Prison Star and disappeared.
Who would have thought that Hui Gu would be able to find Huang Quan here? Naturally, he was seeing red when he saw his hated enemy. Despite knowing that he was not his opponent, Hui Gu still decided to confront Huang Quan.
This fight between the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters raged forth like an inferno, each side having both advantages and disadvantages. On the other hand, the fight between the Fifth-Order Masters was completely one-sided.
Among Zuo Quan Hui’s people, there were 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. They had also appeared in Three Brilliances World, and had followed Zuo Quan Hui as his loyal Disciples.
None of them could have imagined that this would be their burial place!
The 20 plus Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land all descended on them at once, and the overwhelming gap in numbers was enough to form a lop-sided siege that suppressed them in a very short amount of time.
One by one, Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were released as World Force flared. Even though the 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fought back desperately, they were still facing a miserable end.
In just several dozen breaths of time, Zuo Quan Hui’s 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm followers fell into a dangerous position.
Naturally, this fact did not escape Zhou Ti and the Sixth-Order woman’s attention. Their Disciples and Juniors were being suppressed and sent into a life-threatening situation, so it was only natural that they would want to rescue them; however, how could Mo Mei and Yue He allow them to do so? In fact, their distraction allowed Mo Mei and Yue He to gain further advantage over them in their battles.
A few moments later, amidst a number of screams. The 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all killed. Their Small Universes shattered, and World Force poured out all at once.
When Zhou Ti and the Sixth-Order woman saw this, they were both heartbroken, but helpless.
After the many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters finished off their opponents, they flew towards the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm battlefield under Old Bai’s lead without even a pause. Splitting up into four different groups, they offered support to Yue He, Mo Mei, and the others.
Within the Open Heaven Realm, the gap between each Order was immense, and the higher the Order, the more obvious the gap became.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could easily deal with the forces of 10 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters combined, and they even had the strength to fight back. Under normal circumstances, what Void Land’s 20 or so Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could do was quite limited.
However, at this moment, their existence had become the key to victory or defeat.
In the battle of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Zhou Ya was outmatched against Cang Yan, Yue He was evenly matched with the Sixth-Order woman, and even Hui Gu was able to suppress Huang Quan for a short amount of time.
Zhou Ti and Jin Gang were both at an absolute disadvantage.
The addition of the many Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters added pressure to the enemy. They may not be able to face any one of these Sixth-order Open Heaven Realm Masters by themselves, but they could take to the sidelines and launch sneak attacks at the right moments. In a life-or-death fight, the pesky Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were extremely troubling and even deadly for the enemy.
Old Bai even had time to check on Yang Kai’s situation.
He knew that the key to winning or losing today’s battle would depend on Yang Kai’s side. If Yang Kai could stand up to Zuo Quan Hui, then this would be Void Land’s win; otherwise, any advantage on their side would be meaningless.
Loud roars filled the void as spear shadows erupted repeatedly. World Force was constantly reverberating as Yang Kai felt like he was constantly treading the line between life and death.
This was not his first time fighting someone in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Back then, when he returned from Shadowless Cave Heaven, he led his men to destroy the headquarters of Boundless Altar and Golden Rainbow Province in order to relieve the Proprietress of her heart demon oath.
They did not encounter much resistance at Boundless Altar with their Old Ancestor making the wise choice of giving up their headquarters to save his disciples, leaving the Spirit Province for Yang Kai to do with as he pleased.
However, Yang Kai had to face off against the Old Ancestor of Golden Rainbow Province, Li Luo Shui, who was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. The two of them fought, and Yang Kai forced his enemy back, finally razing Golden Rainbow Province to the ground and successfully relieving the Proprietress of her heart demon oath so that she could enter retreat in the following days in order to break through to the Seventh-Order.
Luo Li Shui had hastily broken through at the time, and her foundation was not stable, so it was hard to say how much strength she was actually able to exert during that fight.
In comparison, Zuo Quan Hui was one of Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Inner Elders who had advanced into the Seventh-Order who knows how long ago. He had deep roots in that realm and possessed a sturdy foundation, so the power that he could bring forth was far greater than that of Li Luo Shui.
At the very least, Yang Kai had grown tremendously recently. His experience in the Divine Armament World had also greatly enhanced the heritage of his Small Universe, so he was definitely much stronger than he was before. If he were to bump into Li Luo Shui again, then Yang Kai might be able to deal with her without suffering nearly as much.
However, the one he was facing right now was Zuo Quan Hui. An indelible sense of crisis was enveloping him at all times like a sharp blade hanging over his head, about to fall on him at any moment.
Each time he clashed with Zuo Quan Hui, Yang Kai could feel his organs turning inside out and his Soul shaking. The World Force within a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe was so powerful that Yang Kai felt as if he was clashing against the entire world each time their blows met.
Even with Mao Zhe and Geng Qing to share in the pressure from the sidelines, Yang Kai still suffered greatly during this fight. Even with the combined strength of the 3 of them, they could not gain any advantage at all.
The fight had only lasted a half cup of tea’s time, but Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were already bloody and showing expressions of fear.
If it were not for the deaths of the 4 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters acting as a short distraction, then Yang Kai would not even have had the chance to catch his breath.
The only thing that Yang Kai could be thankful for was the fact that Zuo Quan Hui did not possess a Divine Manifestation! Even though his moves were all extremely powerful, as were his Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, he had not shown any signs of having a Divine Manifestation.
[If he still has not cast it, that means he isn’t hiding it. He must be unable to use it!]
It seemed that this Zuo Quan Hui was still slightly worse than Ti Zheng of Myriad Demons Heaven. At least, Ti Zheng was able to use a Divine Manifestation.
The rain of swords fell on them like a waterfall with each sword light containing the might of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Yang Kai, Mao Zhe, and Geng Qing combined their efforts to resist, but the sounds of flesh being penetrated still rang out. Both Mao Zhe and Geng Qing spat blood and were forced back with faces filled with terror.
They had never fought with an established Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before, so it was only now that they realized how great the disparity between the Sixth and Seventh-Order truly was.
On the surface, it seemed like the three of them were joining forces to fight Zuo Quan Hui, but Mao Zhe and Geng Qing knew full well that Yang Kai alone had already blocked 80% of Zuo Quan Hui’s assault. The rest of the attacks that they each withstood represented only 10%.
Even this 10%, however, was extremely difficult for them to withstand, and they felt as if they could die at any moment.
They were shocked by just how strong a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm could be, but were even more shocked at Yang Kai’s terrifying heritage, though they were no strangers to Yang Kai’s strength. Back then, at Shadowless Cave Heaven’s Profound Yang Mountain, they were able to experience it deeply, but they did not expect Yang Kai to be this powerful!
Though also being in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Mao Zhe had already reached the peak of this realm and with enough resources and opportunity, he could definitely try to make a breakthrough to the Seventh-Order.
However, his so-called peak seemed ridiculous when compared to Yang Kai.
How long had Yang Kai been in the Sixth-Order? If he were given time to reach the peak of the Sixth-Order, could it be possible that even an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be no match for him?
[How can there be such a monster in this world?!]
Zuo Quan Hui was also shocked that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to last in a fight with him for so long without dying. If he had not seen it for himself, then he would never have believed that it was possible.
Any time that he thought he could kill off Yang Kai, the brat would always find a ray of hope during the critical moment to escape from death. This young boy’s battle sense was simply beyond words, and the heritage of his Small Universe was also abnormally powerful.
Even at the Peak Sixth-Order, it should be impossible for anyone to hold off against the bombardment of a Seventh-Order Master for such a long time, but Yang Kai was able to do just that. Not only was he able to hold him back, he could even occasionally strike back at him.
In shock, Zuo Quan Hui attacked with even more ferocity. Yang Kai, Mao Zhe, and Geng Qing could immediately feel the intensity of the attacks being vented out on them becoming even more violent than before.
In just a short 10 breaths of time, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were both sent flying with blood covering their bodies.
After knocking back these two, Zuo Quan Hui did not try to take advantage of the momentum he gained to kill them. For him, Yang Kai was his only target, the rest were just extras. As long as he could kill Yang Kai, then it was simply impossible for the others to hold back against his attacks. All of them would eventually face death at his hands.
A myriad of sword lights suddenly gathered into a beam that was being launched straight in Yang Kai’s direction!
In the huge void, the only thing left behind was the light of his sword!
Yang Kai’s pupils shrank to a needlepoint. The crisis that he was facing now was even more intense than any he faced before. He stood in the space between life and death, but rather than retreat, he advanced with spear in hand.
Without a bang, the light exploded into a halo that practically encased half of the void.
From the light’s midst, Yang Kai’s figure emerged. A bloody hole was pierced through his abdomen, but he seemed oblivious of it. There was no sadness or joy on his face as he stabbed his spear out.
Zuo Quan Hui’s face was extremely grim. Gritting his teeth, he bellowed, “A foolish struggle! How futile!”
Blade turning, his sword buzzed. Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm World Force poured into the blade as he pointed it lightly in Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai grinned, “Your Disciple is going to die!”
When he said this, a scream arose from the side. Zuo Quan Hui quickly turned his head towards the sound, only to see Zhou Ti stumble back while holding the stub of his right arm, which had disappeared. Fresh blood was gushing out of the wound like a fountain.
In front of Zhou Ti, Mo Mei’s hands were constantly changing into different seals. One by one, Divine Abilities blasted his way. Behind Zhou Ti, Old Bai also led the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to cast their Secret Techniques to disorient him.
Zhou Ti was in critical danger!
He was seriously injured to begin with, so he was not Mo Mei’s opponent from the start. Then, the addition of Old Bai and the others into their battle further added to his woes. Among all those fighting on this battlefield, Zhou Ti was in the worst situation. He was barely able to resist for a while before one of his arms had been blown away.
Obviously, Mo Mei was not going to allow him even a moment of respite. World Force pouring out, Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques blossomed ceaselessly.
Zhou Ti shouted miserably, “Honoured Master, save me!”
This cry came at just the right moment as Zuo Quan Hui happened to be looking his way. When he saw that Zhou Ti was in danger, Zou Quan Hui could only grit his teeth and head in his direction.
In order to avenge his Disciple, Zhao Xing, Zuo Quan Hui had left Thousand Cranes Paradise without hesitation, bringing along his followers in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, even offering a handsome reward to Huang Quan, Cang Yan, and Jin Gang for their loyalty, but he never would have expected that not only would he fail to kill Yang Kai, his own Fifth-Order Disciples would be the first to die.
Even though those Disciples were not in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had still been teaching them for many years, and it broke his heart to see them die such a miserable death.
However, if he could kill Yang Kai and destroy Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, then he could avenge their deaths and bring some justification to their misery.
However, if Zhou Ti died, then no amount of deaths here would be able to make up for the loss.
This was all about avenging the death of one Sixth-Order Disciple, so he could not lose another in the process or everything would be in vain.
So, when he heard Zhou Ti’s plea for help, Zou Quan Hui did not hesitate to turn around and rush to his aid.
It was at that moment that a Golden Crow cried out as a powerful force fluctuated behind Zou Quan Hui. A Great Sun rose up, lighting up the darkness of the void.
Cold moonlight also set in all of a sudden, complementing the glory of the Great Sun.
When Zuo Quan Hui turned back around to see what was happening, his eyes bulged.
He saw a bizarre scene.
In the void between the Heavens and the Earth, Yang Kai stood with his body covered in blood, hand forming into seals whilst a dazzling Great Sun and Cold Moon hung behind his back.
Both Sun and Moon were shining together!
Even with Zuo Quan Hui’s knowledge and experience, he could not tell what the root of this mysterious power was, but he could feel his mind and thoughts being affected by it even now.
[What Divine Ability is this!?] Zuo Quan Hui was dumbfounded.
He knew that Yang Kai was able to perform the Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation, which was the Great Sun hanging behind his back, but what was that Cold Moon? It did not look like a Divine Manifestation, just the projection of a Divine Ability. Still, under the combined light of both Sun and Moon, a mysterious power surged in the dark. This power was as mighty as it was incomprehensible, so much so that even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him could not underestimate it.
Sun and Moon intersected as Yang Kai activated his ability. Space and Time Principles surged as he pushed his palm forward.
The Great Sun and the full Moon entwined and began to spin. As the Sun and Moon cycled, thousands of years seemed to pass in a single instant, complementing the Space Principles. Thus, a mysterious Space-Time Strength was born.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!
A sense of crisis abruptly weighed down on Zuo Quan Hui. How could he even think of saving Zhou Ti at this moment? Yang Kai’s Divine Ability was beyond the scope of what a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could exert. Even for Masters in the Seventh Order, such a method was practically unheard of.
No matter how exquisite the moves that Yang Kai made before or how amazing his Divine Abilities were, Zuo Quan Hui did not put any of them in his eyes; after all, the power of Yang Kai’s Divine Abilities could not make up for the disparity between their Orders. Even if Zuo Quan Hui knew about Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun, he was only a little vigilant about it.
It was true that he did not have a Divine Manifestation, but the Divine Manifestation exhibited by a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master should not be able to do anything to him. If Yang Kai really did use Golden Crow Casts the Sun, then he had ways to deal with it.
However, the Divine Ability that Yang Kai unleashed at this moment posed a real threat to him.
A cold sword light filled the void, and the illusory phantom of a Small Universe emerged behind Zuo Quan Hui’s back. Like a prosperous world, World Force surged madly. In an instant, Zuo Quan Hui’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven aura reached its peak.
The sword tip was raised to the sky, then swung down! All of Zuo Quan Hui’s cultivation was poured into that one cut, with nothing held back.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel arrived in the next instant, and the dazzling light devoured Zuo Quan Hui almost instantly.
A terrifying energy burst out, and a circle of light spread out in the void, stretching for thousands of kilometres, as if the end of the world had arrived.
When the shockwave spread out, everyone felt as if they were standing on a rocky boat in a wild storm that could possibly capsize at any moment.
Behind Yang Kai, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were both staring blankly ahead, and could not help but recall the scene back in the Shadowless Cave Heaven where they were defeated by this exact move.
Seeing this Divine Ability again, even after such a short amount of time, it seemed to be stronger than on that day.
Calm returned to the battlefield once the aftershocks subsided. Earlier, everyone was trying to protect themselves from the fallout of this clash, so nobody could afford to fight with others.
All eyes were locked on Yang Kai and Zuo Quan Hui. The victor of this confrontation would soon be revealed, so all of them could not help but feel nervous.
In the void, Yang Kai’s face was pale as a sheet of paper, and fresh blood was continuously flowing out from the gaping hole at his abdomen. From his shaky stance, it was clear that he was a lamp running out of oil.
On the contrary, Zuo Quan Hui’s body was intact and without injuries, though his face was extremely pale. He remained in a sword-brandishing pose, but he was unmoving.
Huang Quan and the others were overjoyed at this sight, because it undoubtedly meant that Zuo Quan Hui was able to block Yang Kai’s Divine Ability. In the end, he was a Seventh-Order Master, so this was no surprise!
Exchanging glances, Huang Quan shouted enthusiastically, “Kill!”
In a flash, he broke free from Hui Gu’s side and rushed straight in Yang Kai’s direction with Cang Yan and Jin Gang following closely behind. The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters did not lag behind either.
The only one who remained unmoving was Zhou Ti. It was a critical moment for him just now, and Zuo Quan Hui was interrupted by Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel before he was able to save him. With Mo Mei, Old Bai, and the others joining forces to bombard him with Divine Abilities, Zhou Ti was in a miserable state, and it was unknown whether he survived their attacks or not!
4 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters attacked from left and right, but Yang Kai just stood in place, seemingly lacking the strength to even defend himself. It was at the critical moment that Mao Zhe and Geng Qing exchanged glances and rushed over.
“You court death!” Yue He also shouted. Together with the Hua Yong and Shu Mu Dan couple, as well as Hui Gu, they rushed over to rescue Yang Kai.
Another fight broke out, with Void Land holding a slight advantage thanks to their greater numbers. As a result, they were able to repel Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch and his group.
However, the one they were most wary of was Zuo Quan Hui. This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was still here, so everyone’s hearts were drumming. They did not dare to tangle too much with the enemy and only focused on helping Yang Kai retreat to the side.
To everyone’s surprise, Zuo Quan Hui did not move from beginning to end. He just stayed in the same pose, as if he had turned into a statue.
At this point, anyone with eyes could see that something was not right. Zuo Quan Hui definitely did not stop Yang Kai’s Divine Ability unscathed; otherwise, it was impossible for him to miss such a ripe opportunity to kill off his target.
It was not until everyone led Yang Kai back to safety that Zuo Quan Hui finally staggered. A strange wave of power burst out from his figure as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Honoured Master!” The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman was horrified.
When she looked up, she was shocked to see a piece of flesh the size of a fingernail fall off from Zuo Quan Hui’s face, and there were many small cracks all over his cheek, making it look like dried earth or cracked porcelain.
Not only his skin, but his entire body was also covered in such cracks. Looking past the peeling flesh, they could clearly see a bizarre energy surging within the wounds.
[Honoured Master was actually injured!] The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman was thoroughly shocked and simply could not believe her eyes.
A veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was actually injured by a newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Junior… This was simply unprecedented!
Huang Quan and the others were also stunned in place.
Zuo Quan Hui raised a hand to stop the woman from speaking. With cold eyes, he looked in Yang Kai’s direction and asked, “What Divine Ability was that?”
Yang Kai coughed violently and finally spat out a mouthful of blood before grinning, “Why do you care what Divine Ability that was? If it can hurt you, then it’s a good Divine Ability!”
Zuo Quan Hui gently nodded, “This Monarch has underestimated you. From ancient times until this day, the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who could exert such tremendous power is likely you!”
Previously, Yang Kai had already displayed power beyond Zuo Quan Hui’s imagination, and he thought that Yang Kai had already been forced to his limits then. Who knew that he would be hiding such a trump card still?
“Is there any point in talking about this now?” Yang Kai looked coldly at him.
Zuo Quan Hui was unperturbed, “Hand Zhou Ti over to me and this Monarch will leave immediately.”
Looking over to the side, Yang Kai saw Zhou Ti coughing up blood and looking exceptionally weak, but this guy was really quite tenacious. Even after receiving the Divine Abilities from Mo Mei, Old Bai, and several others, he actually managed to survive, though he was only barely hanging on.
“What, you want to exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk with my Void Land?” Yang Kai sneered at Zuo Quan Hui.
Zuo Quan Hui shook his head, “The debt of you killing my Disciple is absolutely irreconcilable. This Monarch will make you pay for it.”
Yang Kai frowned strangely at him, “You must be sick in the head. You refuse to end the hostilities with my Void Land, yet you still have the face to ask me to return your Disciple to you?”
Zuo Quan Hui responded, “If you let him live today, then this Monarch will leave Void Territory immediately, and this Monarch will not attack Void Territory’s other Universe Worlds in the future. Our debt will be settled at another date. If you refuse to let him go, then this Monarch might just stay a while longer in Void Territory!”
Yang Kai’s face was grim, “Are you threatening me?”
“If you say I am, then I am!” Zuo Quan Hui looked on, unperturbed, “This Monarch is a Seventh-Order Master. If I truly had any intention of doing something in Void Territory, then you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
Yang Kai glanced at him, “Is this how despicable the people from Thousand Cranes Paradise are?”
Zuo Quan Hui shook his head, “This Monarch is no longer a member of Thousand Cranes Paradise. Nothing I do has any relation to them!”
“Whether you are or not, you yourself know!” Yang Kai coldly snorted.
Zuo Quan Hui grumbled, “This Monarch will not quibble with you about this. I will only give you 30 breaths of time to consider. It’s up to you to make the right choice!”
Everyone from Void Land was angered with Zuo Quan Hui’s shameless attitude, but they all knew that if a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were truly to act recklessly in Void Territory, then there was nothing they could do to stop him. The Great Territory was vast, so if they could visit Three Brilliances World today to eradicate its inhabitants, then they could very well go to Golden Sun Continent tomorrow!
Yang Kai glared at Zuo Quan Hui, but the latter seemed unconcerned.
After a while, Yang Kai grabbed Zhou Ti.
Zhou Ti was currently looking even more miserable than Yang Kai. His arm had been blown off, and his body was covered in blood. It was also not known how many bones he had broken during Zhou Ti’s battle earlier, or how many of his organs had been affected. However, a cultivator in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had strong vitality, so he would not die even with such injuries.
Zhou Ti grinned meaningfully as Yang Kai grabbed him, “So what if you’ve captured me. In the end, you still have to let me go obediently, do you not? Do you have the guts to kill me?”
Yang Kai glanced at him indifferently, “Pitiful weakling, you’re not even worthy of my attention!”
Zhou Ti coldly snorted, “The winner is the King, and the loser is the villain. You can say whatever you want!”
Zuo Quan Hui interjected, “Time’s up. What is your choice?”
Yang Kai looked up at him, “Do you hear the voices of the lost souls in the Three Brilliances World? How many people have lost their family and loved ones on this day? If you want me to let him go, then first ask Huang Quan to ask the innocent souls to see if they agree!”
Zuo Quan Hui’s face changed and the Sixth-Order woman behind him also looked horrified.
*Hu…*
Golden Crow’s True Fire suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s hand and instantly enveloped Zhou Ti.
There was a scream, and the calmness on Zhou Ti’s face was replaced by huge shock. He would not stop struggling or screaming.
Yang Kai squeezed his neck with a decent amount of force. Without moving, he turned coldly to Zuo Quan Hui, “This is just the beginning. If I do not kill every last one of you today, then the resentful spirits who died today on Three Brilliances World will haunt me for life and keep me restless forever!”
Zuo Quan Hui’s face twitched.
Yellow Spring Heavenly Monarch, Firm Gold Heavenly Monarch, and Blue Flame Heavenly Monarch all looked shocked.
If it were an ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saying such a thing, then there was no need for them to pay too much attention to it. However, Yang Kai had already shown how strong he truly was, even being able to hurt a Master in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If they were to meet him in battle alone, then they would surely die.
There was an unending scream as tears had already welled up around the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm woman’s eyes, “Honoured Master, please save Senior Brother Zhou Ti!”
However, Zuo Quan Hui did not move. He just stared straight at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned, “Do you think he doesn’t want to save him? Can he even do it? Do you think you can do whatever you want in my Void Territory just because you’re in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm? My Divine Ability is not so easy to bear!”
“Well, tell me, does it hurt? Are you in despair? This is what those innocent people in Three Brilliances World were feeling just half a day ago, now, it’s your turn to experience it!”
Golden Crow’s True Fire burned intensely. Even Zhou Ti could hardly resist the power of the flames, and the harsh screams had not stopped since they began. Despite his struggles, he could not free himself from Yang Kai’s grip.
Zuo Quan Hui’s face twitched violently, and World Force was quietly surging in the dark. Another piece of flesh fell from his cracked face at that moment, and with some hesitation, the surge of World Force finally slowed to a halt.
As Yang Kai said, it was not that Zuo Quan Hui did not want to save Zhou Ti, but that he could not! An extremely corrosive power was contained within Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, and it was still wreaking havoc within his body and even his Small Universe, causing him much pain and throwing his Small Universe into disarray.
That Divine Ability had actually immensely affected his Small Universe!
Zuo Quan Hui had to focus most of his attention on it to suppress its erosion; otherwise, his Small Universe would constantly be in chaos. At this moment, the strength he could exert was less than 30% of his peak!
He was not sure that he could snatch Zhou Ti back under everyone’s watch and return safely, and even if he could, he may only make his injuries worse.
“Honoured Master… Save me!” Zhou Ti’s miserable cries reverberated in Zuo Quan Hui’s ears. The Sixth-Order woman’s eyes were already filled with tears, and the pain she was feeling in her heart as she watched her Senior Brother suffer such inhumane torture in front of her was indescribable.
Everyone watched as Zhou Ti’s vitality rapidly dissipated and his body gradually burned to a crisp. The Sixth-Order woman could no longer hold back, and with a jerk of her body, she was about to rush over to save Zhou Ti back regardless of the consequences.
A sword light blocked her path though, and the Sixth-Order woman turned around to look at Zuo Quan Hui and asked, “Honoured Master?”
Zuo Quan Hui slowly shook his head.
The last vestiges of hope in Zhou Ti’s eyes quickly dimmed down. He could vaguely understand what was going on and a bitter smile appeared on his face as he no longer tried to plead for help.
A moment later, a surge of World Force burst out and disappeared into the void. Zhou Ti had finally died, and his Small Universe had collapsed.
Yang Kai extinguished his Golden Crow’s True Fire and with a shake of his hand shattered Zhou Ti’s corpse, which had been burned to ashes. Only then did he turn a cold gaze at Zuo Quan Hui, “In order to avenge your Disciple, you are even willing to slaughter the innocent. Did you not think that you might lose another Disciple? But that matters little. One by one, I will send you all to Hell so that you can be reunited there!”
His eyes swept over the five people in front of him, as if to memorize their faces and auras in the depths of his Soul!
Huang Quan and the other two were pale-faced. They thought that they could make a good living if they joined Zuo Quan Hui, but none of them would have expected to encounter such a cruel and ruthless man. If they had known this would be the situation, then why would they even choose to interfere in these muddy waters? Once they were freed from the Prison Star, with their Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm strength, it was completely possible for them to found a Sect somewhere and rule over it freely.
“You have killed two of this Monarch’s Disciples now. This Old Master will not be a man if he does not kill you!” Zuo Quan Hui bellowed through clenched teeth.
Yang Kai sneered, “You speak big words, but if you think yourself capable, then why don’t you try and fight me now? Let’s see whether it will be me who dies or you!”
Zuo Quan Hui fell silent, only glaring coldly at Yang Kai. Flying up, he carried the Sixth-Order woman and quickly retreated. Seeing this, Huang Quan and his two companions also rushed to follow.
Very quickly, they disappeared without a trace!
“Sir, do we give chase?” Hui Gu looked a little reluctant to see them leave without paying any further consequence. Huang Quan was right before his eyes, so he only hoped that he could avenge Bai Mo right here and now. Naturally, he did not wish to see the enemy leave just like that.
“We can’t chase them!” Yang Kai shook his head, “Zuo Quan Hui still has some fight in him; after all, he’s a Seventh-Order Master, he just cherishes himself too much and dares not start another battle now. If we pursue them, then it would only end in great losses for both sides.”
If Zuo Quan Hui had acted recklessly just now, he could have saved Zhou Ti. However, that would only worsen his situation further. At that point, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel’s after-effects may have damaged the foundation of his Small Universe, causing his strength to decline.
For his own safety, Zuo Quan Hui was even able to abandon his precious Disciple’s life. To put it nicely, Zuo Quan Hui was not someone who was afraid to make sacrifices, but realistically, he was just afraid of death.
Yue He was worried, “But, Young Master… What if they keep lurking around Void Territory?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That’s not likely. They will not stay in Void Territory after their plan failed this time. They will need to find a place to rest and recuperate. Though, while they may not linger here for long, it’s still better to prepare for the worst and act cautiously… Let’s return to Void Land!”
After the battle, Yang Kai, too, was a lamp running out of oil. If Zuo Quan Hui really intended to continue the fight, then he would have little power to resist. Fortunately, there was the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel to deter Zuo Quan Hui and make him retreat this time.
Soon, the group returned to Void land and each went off to rest and recuperate.
On Dragon Sons’ Peak, Yue He helped Yang Kai over to make a visit to Bi Xi. When Old Man Bi Xi saw Yang Kai’s miserable appearance, he jumped in shock, “What happened to you? You look terrible! Hm? These injuries… This is the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Did you fight against one?”
Yang Kai put on an embarrassed grin, “Senior has a keen eye!”
Bi Xi quickly beckoned him over, “Sit down!”
Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei, the two little ones, were also looking nervously in Yang Kai’s direction. When they heard Bi Xi’s words, they rushed over to help Yang Kai to a seat.
After catching his breath, Yang Kai explained, “I must ask for Senior’s help to heal my injuries this time. The Sword Intent of that Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is extremely difficult to dispel, and I don’t know how long it will take if I have to resolve it on my own.”
On the way back, Yang Kai tried to disperse the Sword Intent which invaded his body, but his efforts only produced minimal effects. The Sword Intent was latching onto him like maggots on rotting bones, and the more he tried to dispel it, the more troublesome it became. So, he went straight to Bi Xi as soon as he returned.
In all of Void Land, the only one who could help him, other than Zhu Jiu Yin, was Bi Xi, and the latter was much, much easier to talk to.
Bi Xi nodded, “Naturally, this is no problem. Tend to your injuries, I will help you from the side.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai nodded his head in thanks and shut his eyes to activate his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation.
A green light instantly spread out in all directions, and a Divine Tree, shrunken countless times, emerged behind Yang Kai. Its branches hung down, exuding seemingly endless vitality.
Old Man Bi Xi raised his brow at the sight. Even with his knowledge and experience, he had never seen such rich vitality before, causing him to marvel in his mind. The Wood Element that Yang Kai had condensed was definitely something amazing.
With the help of this Divine Manifestation, his injuries could recover in the blink of an eye. As long as the Sword Intent was dispelled, Yang Kai would be back to his old self in no time.
Putting his thoughts away, Bi Xi formed hand seals with both hands and suddenly slapped a palm on Yang Kai’s body. His palm looked soft and weak, but when it hit Yang Kai’s body, it sent a shocking force through it.
*Chi…*
Upon the emergence of a piercing sound, a Sword Qi that was visible to the naked eye came out of Yang Kai’s wound and came straight for Bi Xi’s face.
Bi Xi opened his mouth and caught the Sword Qi between his teeth like a sewing needle.
The needle-like Sword Qi was still twitching restlessly, but with some force, it cracked with a click.
As palm after palm continued to slap down, Sword Qi was constantly forced out of the dense cuts littered all over Yang Kai’s body.
Only after half a day’s work did Bi Xi let out a long sigh and slowly withdraw his power.
Without the Sword Qi to bother Yang Kai, recovering from his injuries was hardly a problem. Even the hole through his abdomen could be restored in short order under the power of his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation and Dragon Vein.
Another half a day later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and thanked Bi Xi with a tired voice, “Many thanks, Senior!”
Bi Xi waved his hand, “It was nothing. You, on the other hand… How did you end up fighting a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?”
Yang Kai laughed bitterly and explained the events that transpired.
When Bi Xi heard everything and frowned, “These Cave Heaven and Paradise people are far too unscrupulous. How could they lure you out by ravaging the lives of a lower Universe’s beings? That’s simply despicable! However, though the Sixth Order and the Seventh Order are merely one Order apart, the true difference in strength is vast.”
Yang Kai sighed, “Indeed! The might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is truly hard to resist. This Junior almost did not make it out.” Eyes turning in thought, he continued, “Senior, though Zuo Quan Hui was forced to retreat, he will not leave peacefully. Sooner or later, he will be back. Even though Void Land’s strength is not low, and we have as many Masters as there are clouds in the sky, we have no High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Nobody can take on Zuo Quan Hui. This time, I was able to injure him by surprise, but it will not be as easy when he comes prepared next time. What should we do if he comes back?”
Bi Xi pointed a finger at him, “Don’t you dare have any funny thoughts about me! Even though I wish to help you with this, I have no good ideas either. My true body is too large and right now, your Void Land still rests on my back, which only makes it more difficult to move around. I can only move freely by returning to my true body and taking on Human Form. Doing that, however, will destroy your Void land entirely.”
Thinking about it that way, it made sense. The entire Void Land sat atop Bi Xi’s body, so it was really inconvenient for him to act.
Bi Xi said, “Rather than seek out his Old Man’s help, you might as well look for someone else.”
Saying so, he silently nudged his chin in a certain direction and whispered, “If she is willing to help, then taking down a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be as simple as waving a hand, would it not?”
Yang Kai felt a headache coming on from these words, “I’m afraid I’m not able to persuade her…” [If she was so easy to talk to, then I would not have come to you in the first place.]
Bi Xi commented, “If you don’t try, how will you know?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and nodded, “Senior is right.”
Saying so, Yang Kai stood up and nodded, “I will take my leave now. I will come back to visit again when I’m free.”
Together with Yue He, Yang Kai left Dragon Sons’ Peak. Yue He then asked with concern, “How are your injuries now, Young Master?”
“Not too serious. Senior helped force out the Sword Qi inside my body, so the rest are just flesh wounds which won’t take long to heal. You also consumed a lot of energy in that fight, so you should hurry back to recuperate. The future is still uncertain, so we must all maintain our peak state at all times.”
Earlier, during the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm battle, Yue He and the Sixth-Order woman faced each other. The two of them were equally matched, so there were no injuries; even so, Yue He had used up a lot of her strength in the fight.
Yue He nodded, “Then, be careful, Young Master. That one is difficult to speak to.”
Yang Kai smiled, “What’s she going to do, eat me? Relax.”
Only then did Yue He leave.
A moment later, Yang Kai stood in front of Heavenly Moon Palace with a glum look.