Lang Ya Territory was vast and boundless. It was also the Great Territory where Lang Ya Paradise was headquartered. Even Void Land had its own Great Territory, so as one of the 72 Paradises, it was only natural that Lang Ya Paradise owned a Great Territory too.
Aside from the central area in Lang Ya Territory that was off-limits to outsiders, travellers were free to access all the other areas in the Great Territory. This was basically the case with all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The reason was that the large-scale Star Cities under their control relied on travelling cultivators to gain popularity. Who would come and do business with them if the entire Great Territory was sealed off? Take Void Territory for example. Aside from Void Land itself, the other areas could be freely accessed by all cultivators.
The group of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters quietly sneaked into Lang Ya Territory; after that, Yang Kai headed to Lang Ya Star City alone while Yu Xiang Die and the others remained hiding outside. If such a large group of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters entered Lang Ya Star City all of a sudden, they would surely attract Lang Ya Paradise’s attention. It would be inconvenient for them to act freely if that happened.
The current plan was for Yang Kai to infiltrate Lang Ya Paradise, learn the identity and whereabouts of the people corrupted by the Black Ink, follow the trail in search of the pure Black Ink clansman, and notify Yu Xiang Die and the others about his findings as soon as possible. It was an arduous task and much needed to be done in short order!
Yang Kai came to the Star City’s Void Dock and, looking around, saw that it was crowded with people coming and going in an endless stream. Any Star City under the control of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises were First-Class and had high popularity. Cultivators from different Great Territories across the 3,000 Worlds would gather in these Star Cities, bringing incalculable benefits to the Cave Heavens and Paradises every year.
If Void Star City had not attracted interest with the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, it would never have become a First-Class Star City; however, in comparison to Lang Ya Star City, Yang Kai discovered that, although Void Star City could be considered to be in the same tier, it was still quite inferior to Lang Ya Star City in terms of heritage. That was understandable, though, as Lang Ya Paradise had existed for hundreds of thousands of years. It was simply impossible for a newly-emerging great force like Void Land to compete.
There was a Master overseeing the dock, and his aura was completely undisguised, revealing that he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Thus, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling amazed by Lang Ya Paradise’s impressive assets. Even the person in charge of the Void Dock was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It had to be said that the person overseeing Void Land’s Dock was Jin Yuan Lang, who was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai obediently stood at the end of the line, waiting for the Lang Ya Paradise disciples to inspect him. Before it got to his turn, one of the Lang Ya Paradise disciples seemed to receive some instructions and headed straight for him. The Lang Ya Paradise disciple approached him and politely said, “Senior Brother, Martial Uncle Zong invites you into the inner hall.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a little surprised. He did not know why he would be noticed by this ‘Martial Uncle Zong’ when he was simply standing in line quietly. Before he could understand the situation though, the Lang Ya Paradise disciple headed to another person and repeated similar words. There was also a third person who received this treatment.
Yang Kai looked at the other two and discovered that they were just like him, giving off the aura of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven. Only then did he realise something, he had not been targeted specifically. On the contrary, all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Masters entering Lang Ya Star City would receive similar invitations.
It was probably for the stability of Lang Ya Star City. Even if there were Masters overseeing Lang Ya Star City in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, if anybody with nefarious intentions were to infiltrate, it would create a huge loss if anything went wrong.
After understanding this point, Yang Kai calmly walked towards the Inner Hall by the side of the dock. There was also a man and a woman following behind him, but he did not know their origins.
Inside the Inner Hall was a middle-aged man sitting behind a long desk. His aura was extraordinary and, as soon as Yang Kai and the other two walked in, he observed them carefully without any reservations. It was not until the three of them had approached that he finally opened his mouth, “Please take a seat.”
Yang Kai and the other two exchanged a glance with each other before they took their respective seats.
The middle-aged man showed no hospitality. According to his self-introduction, he was called Zong Yu Quan and he was in charge of overseeing the dock at Lang Ya Star City as well as inspecting the cultivators passing through.
There was no particular reason for inviting these three over, he simply wanted to question them about their respective origins and backgrounds. That was part of the protocol at Lang Ya Star City since ancient times. While they could ignore anybody below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, those in the Sixth-Order and above would need to be inspected thoroughly to enter Lang Ya Star City.
The man and the woman reported their respective identities and origins and Zong Yu Quan verified them one by one. After confirming that there were no problems, he gave them each a special token before he released them. Before they departed, he also warned them not to cause any trouble in Lang Ya Star City; otherwise, they would be killed without mercy. Both the man and the woman clearly knew the rules here. It was probably not their first time coming here, so they naturally responded in affirmation.
After the two of them departed, Zong Yu Quan finally turned to look at Yang Kai, “Where did you come from, Your Excellency? Why did you come to Lang Ya Star City?”
Although they were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Zong Yu Quan had always maintained a slightly arrogant attitude when facing Yang Kai and the other two. Having been born in one of the 72 Paradises, his heritage was not something that normal people could achieve; therefore, he was indeed superior compared to other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who did not come from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Yang Kai had been wondering whether he should conceal his identity or tell the truth. It was just that Zong Yu Quan clearly had a method to verify a person’s identity, so concealing his name might be unrealistic. Besides, the main purpose of his visit was to search for the people who had been corrupted by the Black Ink Clan, so it would not be convenient for him to act if he concealed his identity.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not reveal his identity directly. Taking out a token, he smiled and asked, “Senior Brother Zong, do you recognize this item?”
Zong Yu Quan looked up and raised his brow in astonishment, “That is a token belonging to a Lang Ya Paradise Core Disciple. Where did you get it?”
That item was equivalent to a status symbol in Lang Ya Paradise. Only Core Disciples were qualified to possess one. It was impossible for ordinary people to obtain one. Be that as it may, one of these items had appeared in Yang Kai’s hand. It was only natural for Zong Yu Quan to be surprised.
He did not suspect that Yang Kai had obtained this token by killing the owner and stealing the other party’s treasures. If that was truly the case, then Yang Kai would never have had the guts to come here; hence, the only explanation was that he either picked it up from somewhere or it was given to him by one of Lang Ya Paradise’s Core Disciples.
This token was indeed given to Yang Kai by Gu Pan. After returning from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, many of the cultivators who escaped with their lives thanks to Yang Kai’s help had given their respective tokens to him before they went their separate ways. They had invited him to visit them at their respective Sects whenever he had the time.
Gu Pan had given him this token back then.
Yang Kai had thought about visiting Lang Ya Paradise whenever he had the time; after all, Zhang Ruo Xi was staying in Lang Ya Paradise and this token would allow him to visit her easily. It was just that he had been so busy running around for so many years that he only managed to visit Lang Ya Paradise briefly, and upon discovering that Zhang Ruo Xi was in retreat, he swiftly departed. If it was not for the Black Ink Clan, he would not have come here again so soon.
“This is something Gu Pan gave me,” Yang Kai replied honestly.
Zong Yu Quan exclaimed in surprise, “Your Excellency, are you acquainted with Junior Sister Gu?”
“We are friends who faced life and death together,” Yang Kai nodded.
Yang Kai’s answer truly left Zong Yu Quan scratching his head in puzzlement. It stood to reason that he, as a disciple in Lang Ya Paradise, was acquainted with Gu Pan. Although they were not very familiar with each other, they had at least interacted with each other on a few occasions in the Sect.
As one of the few Core Disciples in the Sect, Gu Pan was a rising star who had advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was something Zong Yu Quan could not compare with. Besides, for her to give her token to another person, it could be seen that the relationship between them was not superficial.
He pondered in silence for a moment before he finally asked, “May I ask who this Fellow Brother is?”
“Void Land’s Yang Kai!” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
Zong Yu Quan’s eyes immediately brightened, and he stood up, “Are you the same Yang Kai who is Void Land’s Lord and the Star Boundary’s Great Emperor, within High Heaven Territory?”
[I can’t believe I have such prestige now! That feels really amazing for some reason!] Yang Kai nodded reservedly, “It is this Yang!”
An inexplicable glint flashed across Zong Yu Quan’s eyes, and he instantly became much more welcoming, “Oh, my! I’ve long admired you! I’ve long heard about you, but never had the chance to meet you. Now that I see you today, you definitely live up to your reputation!”
“You are too polite, Senior Brother Zong!” Yang Kai nodded his head with a smile.
Zong Yu Quan did not doubt Yang Kai’s identity. Seeing as the Core Disciple’s token had been brought out, there was no benefit to be gained even if this person was an impersonator. That was why he was confident that the person in front of him was Yang Kai even though he had never met Yang Kai before.
After that, they exchanged pleasantries for a little while longer before Zong Yu Quan finally shouted, “Come in!”
The Lang Ya Paradise disciple who guided Yang Kai to this place earlier stepped into the room and cupped his fist, “Martial Uncle Zong!”
Zong Yu Quan said, “Return to the Sect and inform Elder Gu Pan that a friend of hers has arrived in the Star City. Please ask her to come here!”
The disciple glanced at Yang Kai curiously before he left to carry out his orders.
Zong Yu Quan then asked for tea to be served. His attitude seemed to indicate that he regretted not meeting Yang Kai earlier. Even though Yang Kai was a little taken aback by Zong Yu Quan’s enthusiasm, he had no choice except to make perfunctory conversation with the other party.
Zong Yu Quan clearly had great curiosity towards the Star Boundary’s World Tree and asked many questions regarding it. When he learned that the feedback of the World Tree was only effective for cultivators who had yet to condense their Dao Seals and had no benefit towards those who had condensed their Dao Seals and advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, he sighed with regret.
“I wish I had been born 3,000 years later!” He smiled bitterly, “I’ll be honest with you, Junior Brother Yang. Even though I advanced into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm during my initial breakthrough into the Open Heaven Realm, I actually had the qualification to advance into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. But, just to be on the safe side, I chose to advance into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If I had something like the World Tree back then, this Senior Brother would have advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm with no problem.”
Yang Kai smiled and said, “You are now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm too, Senior Brother.”
Zong Yu Quan said, “That’s different! The limit for the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm is the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but if I advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm back then, my limit would have been the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The difference of one Order is as vast as Heaven and Earth!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm might only have a difference of one Order, but the gap in strength was like day and night. Just like how a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could easily kill a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master killing a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master required little to no effort on their part.
Back in the Shattered Heaven, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Xia Lin Lang didn’t even have the courage to face Bright Sun Divine Monarch. Furthermore, she had been chased to the brink of desperation.
“Now that we have the World Tree in the Star Boundary, even more rising stars will surely emerge in Lang Ya Paradise. This is all thanks to you, Junior Brother Yang.”
“It was just a coincidence,” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively.
When he first planted the World Tree, he had simply wanted to stabilise the Star Boundary. Who would have thought that it would make the Star Boundary so famous? And now, the small and remote Star Boundary had become the centre of attention of the entire 3,000 Worlds. The name ‘Open Heaven Realm Cradle’ was well-deserved indeed.
“Elder Shi Zheng is a long-term resident of the Star Boundary. You can always visit him if you need anything in the future, Junior Brother Yang. Lang Ya Paradise has a long history with you after all, so it’s only natural that we help each other,” Zing Yu Qian said with a smile.
Yang Kai nodded, “I met Elder Shi Zheng just before coming here. He took great care of me.”
Zong Yu Quan asked in concern, “How is Elder Shi doing?”
Yang Kai smiled, “He is doing just fine.”
After conversing for a bit more, Zong Yu Quan seemed to receive some sort of message. He then said apologetically, “This Zong needs to oversee the dock and verify the information of the people who come and go here. I’m afraid I can’t stay and chat any longer, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai tactfully stood up, “Please go ahead, Senior Brother.”
Zong Yu Quan nodded, “Junior Sister Gu will be here soon. Why don’t you take a stroll around Star City? There are many treasures that can be found in Lang Ya Star City. If you find anything you like, feel free to let me know.”
“I will!” Yang Kai responded. When he turned around to leave, a strange idea suddenly came to him. He nodded lightly at Zong Yu Quan and murmured softly, “Black Ink Eternal!”
That was what Shi Zheng mentioned before he died. Yang Kai had not understood what those words meant at the time, but he came to understand their meaning after listening to the explanation from Yu Xiang Die and the others.
Those who had been corrupted by the Black Ink generally looked no different on the surface, but their hearts had already undergone a drastic change and they were only loyal towards the Black Ink Clan. Even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master like Shi Zheng had shouted those words just before his death. It could be seen just how dangerous the Black Ink Clan’s influence was.
The truth was that Shi Zheng probably lost his sense of self a long time ago; furthermore, these words were most likely a belief that they upheld or some kind of mantra they lived by.
It was not as though Yang Kai had noticed anything out of the ordinary when he said these words at this time. He simply wanted to probe the waters and did not expect any response to his statement.
Contrary to expectations, Zong Yu Quan stared at Yang Kai with a stunned expression for a moment before he reached out to touch his chest lightly and whispered, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and turned to leave. Exiting the dock, he turned into a crowded street and quickly blended into the crowd with the help of the stream of people passing by.
A short while later, he came to a halt in front of a shop. Although his expression was normal on the surface, Yang Kai was cursing madly deep down in his heart. [Didn’t they say that the Black Ink Insects were precious, so the Black Ink Clan will only target High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters!? I can’t believe Zong Yu Quan is one of those who were corrupted by the Black Ink!]
This discovery was so shocking that he could barely believe it.
Yu Xiang Die and the others told him that the Black Ink Insects were extremely precious to the Black Ink Clan and converting a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was simply not worth the effort. That was why the Black Ink Clan would only target High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
For so many years, all the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who did not come from any Cave Heaven or Paradise had either been recruited by the Cave Heavens and Paradises or sent to some unknown place instead because the Cave Heavens and Paradises were afraid that these people might be targeted by the Black Ink Clan. At that time, it would only take one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.
However, a casual probe from Yang Kai had confirmed that Zong Yu Quan was corrupted by the Black Ink!
Looking at the situation now, it would seem that Zong Yu Quan had been probing Yang Kai when he either intentionally or unintentionally mentioned Elder Shi Zheng earlier. In that case, he probably knew about the plan in the Star Boundary too. The fact that he responded without the slightest hesitation when Yang Kai said the words, ‘Black Ink Eternal’ clearly indicated that he believed Shi Zheng had succeeded!
The truth was that Yang Kai would not have been able to escape unscathed during his encounter with the Black Ink Insect if he had not coincidentally obtained the World Spring. Hence, in the eyes of a person corrupted by the Black Ink like Zong Yu Quan, Shi Zheng’s success was only to be expected.
[Just how many people have been corrupted by the Black Ink in Lang Ya Paradise!?] It would seem that the situation had taken a turn for the worse, so Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of panic.
He wandered around the Star City aimlessly for some time, but it didn’t take long for a familiar Divine Sense to appear in the surroundings, seemingly searching for something in Star City. It was Gu Pan’s Divine Sense.
Yang Kai quickly responded to her probing. She quickly confirmed his location, and a petite figure descended from the sky a moment later. Many people stopped and looked around on the street, wondering who was so bold as to act so recklessly in Lang Ya Star City. However, they quickly understood upon seeing the clothes she was wearing. Upon seeing that she was from Lang Ya Paradise, they were not surprised by her actions.
“Senior Brother Yang,” Gu Pan landed in front of Yang Kai and nodded in greeting.
“Junior Sister Gu!” Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It’s been a few years since I last saw you, but your noble bearing remains the same!”
The last time he met her was during Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly. In the blink of an eye, nearly 100 years had passed.
She replied, “You seem to have gotten stronger, Senior Brother Yang.”
He chuckled, “I was lucky and came across some opportunities.”
She asked curiously, “Senior Brother Yang, did you come here for something?”
He casually said, “It’s nothing important. I mainly came here to see you.”
Gu Pan studied him seriously for a moment before all of a sudden, she took out a jade slip and turned to face him while speaking calmly, “Senior Brother Yang, please repeat what you said just now.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai asked, somewhat bewildered.
To which Gu Pan frankly stated, “I’m collecting evidence. When Senior Sister Qu comes out from retreat, I’m going to inform her that you were busy picking flowers everywhere while she was in seclusion!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned as black as the bottom of a pot as he protested, “There’s no such thing! Besides, even if I want to mess around, I wouldn’t be interested in your small body!”
Gu Pan giggled, “One may know a person for a long time without understanding his true nature. Who knows what kind of special interests you have, Senior Brother?”
Yang Kai looked a little crestfallen as he mused, “Junior Sister, you’ve changed. You were not like this before. You used to be so innocent, but you’re so suspicious of everything now…”
“Haha…”
“Come, have some dried fish!” Yang Kai suddenly took out a large bag of dried fish from his Space Ring.
Meanwhile, Gu Pan continued to point the jade slip at him and used a Secret Technique to record his current actions as she stated, “Look at this, Senior Sister Qu. Senior Brother Yang is deliberately catering to bribe me so I keep silent about his crimes!”
Yang Kai raised a fist and rapped his knuckles on her head. At the same time, he stuffed a dried fish in his hand into her mouth, “Stop fooling around! I came here for a reason!”
Although Gu Pan’s mouth was stuffed to the brim, she did not forget to add another sentence, “Senior Brother is getting angry out of shame and being unreasonable!”
He glanced sideways at her.
Fortunately, she quickly put the jade slip away and swallowed the dried fish in her mouth, “This is not the place to talk. Follow me, Senior Brother.”
While saying so, she soared into the sky, after which he quickly followed behind her.
They soon left Lang Ya Star City and headed straight for the central area of Lang Ya Territory. That was where Lang Ya Paradise’s headquarters was located.
Yang Kai travelled forward with Gu Pan. The space ahead was empty, but he could sense that there was an enormous array covering the entire area in front. Passerbys could not see the inside of Lang Ya Paradise’ from the outside.
When they arrived in front of the Grand Array, Gu Pan took out a token. After a flash of light, a magnificent scene immediately entered Yang Kai’s eyes. Countless small Spirit Provinces dotted the void like Stars, surrounding three large Spirit Provinces that formed a triangle in the middle. Even though they were separated by a distance, Yang Kai could clearly sense the abundant World Energy and dense World Force coming from those Spirit Provinces.
It was not his first time entering a Cave Heaven or Paradise. In the past, he had also seen the heritage of a top great force with a long history during his time in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. Nevertheless, Yang Kai could not help feeling amazed by the sight of Lang Ya Paradise at this moment. The Cave Heavens and Paradises truly deserved their reputations. Void Land could not compare with them at all. It was not just a matter of the number of Masters and disciples in the Sect, but also the accumulation of time and inheritance.
At present, what Void Land lacked the most was time.
The area after entering the Grand Array could finally be considered the core of Lang Ya Paradise. This place that was covered by the Grand Array was not a place where ordinary people could enter.
They continued forward and soon arrived at a certain Spirit Province. This Spirit Province was not very big, but it had a beautiful environment. That was especially true for the huge lake in the middle. The lake even had large fish swimming about freely. Surprisingly, there was nobody on this Spirit Province.
Gu Pan explained, “This is where I cultivate. Most of the time, other people will not come here.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help gnashing his teeth in envy. A great force is a great force indeed. Even a Core Disciple can monopolise a Spirit Province without anybody’s interference.
“Why did you come here, Senior Brother?” Gu Pan led him to a bamboo building by the lake and poured him a glass of water.
“The thing is… Elder Shi Zheng asked me to give you a message, Junior Sister.” Yang Kai had given some thought to this matter on the way here. His initial plan was to visit Gu Pan as soon as he arrived here. With her identity as a Core Disciple, it would be easier for him to move around unnoticed.
However, thanks to his experience with Zong Yu Quan, he could no longer decide whether even she was safe or not. A mere Zong Yu Quan had been corrupted by the Black Ink, so wouldn’t a Core Disciple like Gu Pan be targeted too? She would definitely be more valuable to the Black Ink Clan than Zong Yu Quan if she was corrupted.
If possible, Yang Kai did not wish to suspect her; unfortunately, this matter was related to the Black Ink Clan. It was better to err on the side of caution. Otherwise, he might set off a turmoil in Lang Ya Paradise if the truth was exposed. Many people would die if that happened.
“Elder Shi has a message for me?” Gu Pan was a little taken aback. Although she was also a Lang Ya Paradise Elder, she had not interacted much with Shi Zheng in the past. That was why she couldn’t help being surprised.
Yang Kai nodded.
Gu Pan sat opposite him and asked curiously, “What did Elder Shi want to tell me?”
Yang Kai stared at her and spoke in a solemn manner, “Elder Shi said… Black Ink Eternal!”
Zong Yu Quan’s reaction had convinced him that these words could help him distinguish between friend and foe. If Gu Pan responded with those words, then there was no doubt that she was also corrupted by the Black Ink. For that reason, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling anxious as soon as the words left his mouth.
On the opposite side, Gu Pan stared at him blankly before she nodded lightly, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Yang Kai’s expression became a little melancholic, and he couldn’t help feeling heartbroken! [Has this petite and adorable little girl also been corrupted by the Black Ink?]
Suddenly, something unexpected occurred. A paintbrush appeared out of nowhere, and with a surge of Sixth-Order World Force, the paintbrush danced in the air and struck Yang Kai a dozen times in a row.
A chain suddenly wrapped around his body, and a powerful restraining force shackled him firmly in place. Immediately after that, Gu Pan grabbed hold of the paintbrush and made several smooth strokes. Another layer of restraint was instantly layered onto his figure.
Everything happened so quickly, and Yang Kai had been distracted due to his distress at the time, so he had been caught completely off guard as a result. By the time he recovered from his shock, it felt as though there was an entire Universe World bearing down on him. The pressure caused him to hunch over and become breathless.
Gu Pan moved extremely fast. After using a Secret Technique to shackle Yang Kai in place, she quickly soared into the sky without the slightest hesitation. Although both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she had witnessed his ability with her own eyes.
During Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly, Zhao Xing of Thousand Birds Paradise had also been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; even so, he had been killed by Yang Kai almost immediately in their confrontation on the Prison Star. Not only was he a Core Disciple of Thousand Birds Paradise, but he had also advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm some decades earlier than them.
Gu Pan was a Core Disciple of Lang Ya Paradise; nevertheless, she had to admit that she was not very different from Zhao Xing in terms of strength even after 100 or so years of accumulation.
Seeing as Yang Kai had already been capable of killing Zhao Xing easily at that time, the current Yang Kai was definitely not somebody she could fight against. That was why she immediately tried to flee after using a Secret Technique to bind and imprison him. If it were anybody else in their generation, she would have taken the opportunity to try to deal a lethal blow; unfortunately, her opponent was Yang Kai, she knew she wasn’t capable enough, so she chose to escape instead.
Suddenly, Gu Pan felt a large hand grab her ankle. When she turned around to look, her expression became shocked. That was because Yang Kai had broken free of the multiple layers of restraint that bound his body in an instant.
He remained seated in his original position, but his outstretched hand gripped her as firmly as iron shackles. She was flooded with despair! Even though she knew that he was much stronger than her, she never expected him to be so powerful.
“Get down!” Yang Kai shouted, and with a yank of his hand, Gu Pan was unceremoniously dragged downward and slammed into the table with a loud bang. The wooden table shattered and dust flew everywhere.
World Force fluctuated, and the paintbrush in Gu Pan’s hand emitted a bright light, but before she could act, Yang Kai had already placed a palm on her forehead and a heavy power fluctuated out like a sharp weapon.
Pursing her lips, she lay quietly in front of him. Her entire body was stiff, and her clear eyes glared at him fixedly.
Yang Kai grinned, “Junior Sister, why did you attack me so suddenly?”
She calmly replied, “Don’t you know why I attacked you?”
“Please enlighten me, Junior Sister!”
Sorrow flashed across Gu Pan’s eyes as she shook her head, “You are no longer the Senior Brother Yang I know.”
“Who am I, if not me?” Yang Kai bent down and stared at her intently with a sharp gaze, looking as though he was going to eat her.
Gu Pan turned her head to the side and declared, “There’s no point talking. Just kill me!”
He laughed, “Kill you? Won’t that be going too easy on you?”
While saying so, he suddenly reached out his hand and took out a wooden box from his Space Ring. He waved his hand, and World Force fluctuated. It was only after he placed a barrier in all directions that he opened the wooden box. The Black Ink Insect immediately rushed out of the wooden box, only to be caught by him.
Gu Pan had been indifferent even when facing death, but her expression immediately twitched at the sight of the Black Ink Insect as she muttered, “I knew it. You’ve been corrupted by the Black Ink after all. To think that you even have something like the Black Ink Insect.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai looked at her in surprise, “You can actually recognise the Black Ink Insect, Junior Sister. In that case, this will be much easier to explain. Junior Sister, why don’t I show you the true path?”
Closing her eyes, Gu Pan she spoke quietly, “I may not be your opponent, but it is not difficult for me to destroy my own Small Universe.”
Yang Kai simply nodded in appreciation, “I couldn’t have known from your appearance! Unlike your stature, it turns out that your courage is not small, Junior Sister! But, it doesn’t matter. I like those with courage, it makes breaking your bones one by one all the more pleasant! You’re not allowed to cry, Junior Sister!”
Widening her eyes, Gu Pan glared at him, “Go ahead and kill me! If you are planning to corrupt me with the Black Ink, I advise you to give up on the idea. I will kill myself immediately if you dare to release the Black Ink Insect!”
Yang Kai stared at her coldly, his murderous intent surging. Nevertheless, she stared straight back at him without any fear. It was only a long while later that he suddenly released her and placed the Black Ink Insect back into the wooden box. Gu Pan immediately leaped up in response and distanced herself from Yang Kai as much as possible, staring at him suspiciously.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood up calmly and cupped his fist, “I’m sorry, Junior Sister Gu, I had no choice but to test you just now. Please forgive my discourtesy!”
Gu Pan stared at him warily and asked, “What are you plotting here? If you don’t kill me, I will expose your identity as somebody who has been corrupted by the Black Ink to the entire Lang Ya Paradise. At that time, you will have nowhere to escape!”
Yang Kai grinned, “If I die, won’t Senior Sister Qu become a widow? Are you really willing to do that?”
“Senior Brother Yang is dead already. You are not him!”
Yang Kai knew that it was useless to explain, as no matter how hard he tried, anybody who had some understanding of the Black Ink Clan would no doubt believe that he had already been corrupted when they saw him holding the Black Ink Insect in his hand. Therefore, he simply pushed his World Force to open the portal to his Small Universe and said, “You will understand the truth if you take a look for yourself, Junior Sister. I will explain everything to you once you have confirmed it for yourself.”
Gu Pan looked at Yang Kai suspiciously. His expression looked very sincere, and he did not look like somebody who had been corrupted by the Black Ink. More importantly, if he had really been corrupted by the Black Ink, then his actions just now did not make sense. He could have released the Black Ink Insect into her Small Universe so that she would also be corrupted as well. However, he had not done that!
Bewildered, she poured her Divine Sense into his Small Universe and carefully examined the situation. To her surprise, she was greeted by the sight of tens of millions of living beings thriving in his Small Universe. She saw the ant-like Small Stone Race, the World Spring, and the billowing Black Ink Smoke that had been suppressed and sealed in a certain corner of his Small Universe…
A long while later, Gu Pan finally withdrew her Divine Sense. The hostility on her face had melted away and she looked at him in surprise, “Senior Brother, you…”
He smiled at her, “You believe me now, right?”
“Senior Brother, your Small Universe has already fully materialized!?”
Yang Kai’s face twitched at those words and he snapped, “Is that all you saw?” [You’re focusing on the wrong thing, Junior Sister!]
Gu Pan then asked, “Those billowing clouds that resemble thick, black ink… Is that the Black Ink Smoke?”
He nodded.
She could not understand, “How did you suppress and seal the Black Ink Smoke? As far as I know, that thing is extremely corrosive. If it invades the Small Universe of a cultivator, it will quickly spread out and contaminate them. Eventually, the owner of the Small Universe becomes corrupted by the Black Ink. The only solution to this problem is to sever the contaminated land in the Small Universe as soon as possible. The slightest hesitation will result in dire consequences.”
Yang Kai simply smiled and asked, “Did you see the spring?”
Gu Pan nodded, and in the next moment, realisation suddenly struck her, “One of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring!?”
She was not ignorant about the World Spring. In truth, as a Core Disciple, she had already heard about some of the secrets in the 3,000 Worlds that other people did not know from her Honoured Master after she advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Among those secrets included the existence of the Black Ink Clan.
When her Honoured Master told her about these matters, he also mentioned the Four Universe Pillars. That was because the Four Universe Pillars could be said to be the nemesis of the Black Ink Clan. It was just that she had only heard of such things before and this was her first time seeing the actual thing in person, so it had taken her a while to react.
After understanding this point, her entire body relaxed and she breathed out in relief. She spoke in a relieved voice, “In other words, you have not been corrupted by the Black Ink, Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai smiled, “How could I lie to you about something like that?”
Gu Pan was bewildered, however, and asked, “If you’re not corrupted by the Black Ink, Senior Brother, then why did you try to test me earlier?”
The smile on his face gradually faded, and he looked at her solemnly, “Junior Sister, the things that I’m going to tell you may be a little hard to accept. Please mentally prepare yourself.”
Those words made her stiffen in surprise for a moment, then she sighed, “Somebody in Lang Ya Paradise has been corrupted by the Black Ink, right?”
He nodded.
“Is it Elder Shi Zheng?” Gu Pan asked.
Yang Kai was surprised, “How did you know, Junior Sister?”
She responded sadly, “After my advancement into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, my Honoured Master told me about the Black Ink Clan. At the time, he also mentioned the Black Ink Insect and the Black Ink Smoke. Honoured Master said that these two things came from the same source. Moreover, the Black Ink Smoke would only appear following the death of somebody who had been corrupted by the Black Ink. Seeing as you have suppressed and sealed the Black Ink Smoke in your Small Universe, that can only mean that you killed somebody who had been corrupted by the Black Ink. In addition, you came all the way to Lang Ya Paradise and deliberately tested me after meeting me. That can only mean that this matter is related to Lang Ya Paradise. At present, the only person in Lang Ya Paradise who is in contact with you, Senior Brother, is Elder Shi Zheng who was stationed at the Star Boundary!”
“Junior Sister is beautiful and intelligent indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “It was indeed Elder Shi Zheng who was corrupted by the Black Ink. If that were all, I would not have tried to test you as soon as I met you, but the truth is…”
All of a sudden, Gu Pan raised a hand to interrupt him, “Senior Brother, before that, please check my Small Universe and verify my identity.”
Yang Kai couldn’t stifle his laughter as he waved his hand, “No need. I’ve seen your reaction just now, Junior Sister. To be honest, I already knew when I saw you trying to run away. The reason why I continued to test you after that was just to be on the safe side. Please forgive me, Junior Sister.”
“Even so, you should check properly. The power of the Black Ink Clan is extremely treacherous. Only by seeing with your own eyes can you be certain that you will be safe!” While saying so, she proactively opened the portal to her Small Universe.
Helpless, he could only probe her Small Universe with his Divine Sense.
She was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but her situation was different from his. Her Small Universe had not transformed from immaterial to corporeal, so there was no actual substance in existence. Nevertheless, the inside was filled with abundant World Force.
A short while later, Yang Kai retrieved his Divine Sense and nodded his head at her, “It’s fine.”
Gu Pan closed the portal to her Small Universe and cleaned up the shattered table before she asked, “Senior Brother, just what is going on?”
Yang Kai sighed and told Gu Pan about how Shi Zheng had invited him for a private meeting previously.
Gu Pan’s expression became increasingly solemn as she listened. She never imagined that a foreign affairs envoy and Inner Elder of her Sect would turn out to be somebody who was corrupted by the Black Ink. In fact, if Shi Zheng had not tried to corrupt Yang Kai with the Black Ink, his identity would not have been exposed.
The World Spring was extremely rare; therefore, Shi Zheng never planned for the possibility that Yang Kai had refined one. That was what prevented the invasion of the Black Ink Insect and caused the attempt to corrupt Yang Kai with the Black Ink to fail. In addition, Yang Kai had already become a Grand Dragon, so there was no way to silence the witness to the crime.
Furthermore, as long as Yang Kai was in High Heaven Territory, he could borrow the might of the Star Boundary to immediately warn the others stationed there. Once the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters arrived at the battlefield, Shi Zheng was cornered. His only option was suicide! Even if he could have stayed and fought to the death, the final outcome would not have changed at all under those circumstances. He might even end up being captured alive. In that case, a swift death was the best option available to him.
“After discovering Shi Zheng’s identity as somebody who had been corrupted by the Black Ink, we guessed that there might be more people who have been corrupted inside Lang Ya Paradise. There might even be a pure Black Ink clansman hiding in this place. The Seniors intended to come straight to Lang Ya Paradise to investigate everyone one by one; however, I believed that we would only alert the enemy by doing so. That is why I volunteered to take the initiative and see if I could infiltrate the ranks of those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink. If I can figure out who is an enemy and who is a friend, then I might be able to uncover the hiding place of the true Black Ink clansman. That would be the ideal outcome.”
“When I was at Lang Ya Star City’s Void Dock earlier, I was summoned by a Senior Brother named Zong Yu Quan. After chatting for a bit, I casually tried testing him just before we parted ways and confirmed that he had been corrupted by the Black Ink!” Yang Kai quickly said.
Gu Pan was shocked, “Senior Brother Zong has been corrupted by the Black Ink!?”
He nodded solemnly, “Black Ink… Eternal! That was what Shi Zheng mentioned before he killed himself. I don’t know what those words meant, but it’s most likely a firm belief held by the people who have been corrupted by Black Ink. Saying those words to Zong Yu Quan was nothing more than a whim at the time. I never imagined that Zong Yu Quan would respond to me in the same manner.”
Gu Pan understood, “Is that why you used the same words to test me?”
“That’s right. I didn’t expect you to be so decisive and imprison me immediately, Junior Sister!”
Gu Pan explained, “Honoured Master told me about the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, so I know about the existence of the Black Ink Clan; however, information on the Black Ink Clan has always been controlled within the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even the non-Core Disciples in the Cave Heavens and Paradises will not know about these matters. On the contrary, you are not a disciple of any Cave Heaven or Paradise. That’s why I misunderstood you when you mentioned the Black Ink out of nowhere.”
“So, that’s how it is!”
“Senior Brother, this matter is very important. We need to report this to the Sect Master!”
Yang Kai frowned slightly at that suggestion and said, “I’ve thought of doing that, but what if your Sect Master has been corrupted by the Black Ink? All the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink are currently hiding in the dark. There is no way for us to figure out their identities. The only person I can trust right now is you.”
Gu Pan hesitated before saying, “I don’t think that’s likely. If that was truly the case, then I would have been corrupted by the Black Ink a long time ago. You might not know this, Senior Brother, but Lang Ya Paradise’s Sect Master is my Honoured Master. He is also the one who told me about the Black Ink Clan.”
Zong Yu Quan’s talent and future potential were certainly not comparable to Gu Pan’s, who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Nevertheless, even he had been corrupted by the Black Ink, so there was no reason why Gu Pan wouldn’t be targeted if that were possible.
After listening to Gu Pan, Yang Kai also felt that it was unlikely for Lang Ya Paradise’s Sect Master to be related to the Black Ink Clan.
“Zong Yu Quan has probably identified me as one of their own. If there exists communication between the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink, then the news would surely have spread among them by now. If I go and visit the Sect Master at this time…” Still, Yang Kai couldn’t help hesitating.
However, Gu Pan argued, “Lang Ya Paradise has a Dao Temple in the Star Boundary, so it can also be considered as having a cooperative relationship with the Star Boundary. Not to mention, you are a Star Boundary Great Emperor. It’s only natural for you to pay a visit to the Sect Master after coming to Lang Ya Paradise. Even if the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink learn about this matter, it should not be a problem.”
This was true. As a Junior and a Star Boundary Great Emperor, there was no reason for Yang Kai not to pay a visit to the Sect Master after coming to Lang Ya Paradise as that was just basic etiquette.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he nodded, “Then, I shall trouble you to make the arrangements, Junior Sister.”
“Come with me, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai walked out of the bamboo building with Gu Pan. Afterwards, they soared off and headed straight for the middle of the three huge Spirit Provinces. Along the way, they passed by many people from Lang Ya Paradise. Most of them would stop and bow politely from a distance when they saw Gu Pan. It could be seen that a Core Disciple like her enjoyed a very high status.
All of a sudden, Gu Pan stopped and bowed to an elderly man who slowly approached them in the void, “Martial Uncle Yuan!”
The elderly man with the surname Yuan glanced at Gu Pan with a smile and nodded in greeting, “Martial Niece, are you looking for the Sect Master?”
She replied, “Yes, Martial Uncle.”
Nodding lightly, he glanced at Yang Kai and asked curiously, “Martial Niece, who is this? He doesn’t look like a Lang Ya Paradise disciple.”
She explained, “Replying to Martial Uncle, this is Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai. Senior Brother Yang is an old acquaintance of mine who came to visit me while passing through Lang Ya Paradise.”
He was surprised, “Oh? You are Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai?”
“Junior Yang Kai greets Senior Yuan!” Yang Kai bowed in greeting.
The elderly man with the surname Yuan stroked his beard with a smile, “You’re being too polite. This Old Master has heard your name often in recent days. From what I see, it’s true that talented individuals are born every generation!”
“You are praising me too much, Senior. This Junior is inferior to you in every way. It is impossible to compare with your prestige, Senior!”
The elderly man with the surname Yuan immediately looked pleased at being flattered and laughed loudly, “Boy, you have a keen way with words! Your future is promising indeed!” He then smiled at Yang Kai in a friendly manner, “If you’re not in a hurry to leave, you should stop by my residence. I have lots of fine wines. It’s a pity that I have nobody to share them with!”
Yang Kai nodded cheerfully, “If there are fine wines, then I can’t afford to miss this opportunity. I will definitely pay you a visit one day!”
The elderly man with the surname Yuan smiled in response and waved his hand, “Go on then. The Sect Master is free right now. If you go any later, he might enter retreat.”
“In that case, this Junior will take his leave now,” Yang Kai cupped his fist and continued forward with Gu Pan.
A short while later, Gu Pan sent a Divine Sense transmission, “Senior Brother, do you plan to go and sound out Martial Uncle Yuan?”
If that was not the case, he would not have answered so cheerfully.
Yang Kai asked, “Do you think there is a chance that this Senior Yuan might be corrupted by the Black Ink?”
Gu Pan pondered in silence for a moment before she shook her head, “I don’t know. Martial Uncle Yuan Du is one of the three Vice Sect Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. He is usually very kind and treats the disciples very well. His only weakness is that he likes listening to flattery a little too much. I hope he isn’t one of those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink.”
Yang Kai felt a little speechless. No wonder his casual flattery had made Yuan Du so happy just now. It turned out that Yuan Du liked receiving such praise. As for whether he had been corrupted by the Black Ink or not, there was nobody who could say for sure; after all, if Yang Kai had not come here today, Gu Pan would never have believed that Elder Shi Zheng was also one of those who were corrupted by the Black Ink!
The pair continued forward, and a short while later, they landed in front of a grand palace located in the central Spirit Province. Gu Pan walked inside with great familiarity and came directly to an inner hall. When she knocked lightly on the door, a stern voice soon came from within, “Enter!”
The doors opened slowly. Beckoning towards Yang Kai, Gu Pan took the lead to enter. The hall was not that large, and when Yang Kai looked up, he immediately saw a middle-aged man standing in front of an easel. He was holding a paintbrush in his hand and seemed to be wholeheartedly drawing something.
“Honoured Master!” Gu Pan called out softly.
“En!” The middle-aged man responded without lifting his head or pausing the movements of his hands.
Yang Kai took the opportunity to study the Sect Master of Lang Ya Paradise. Along the way here, he had asked many questions about this Senior and learned that he was called Li Yuan Wang.
Li Yuan Wang was at the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, just one step away from advancing into the Eighth-Order. Even among all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the various Cave Heavens and Paradises, he was ranked in the top tier.
Seeing him at this moment, his aura was certainly extraordinary. The paintbrush in his hand seemed almost alive in his hands, drawing a beautiful scenery in a single motion. Moreover, the paper spread out in front of him radiated with a faint World Force. This World Force was not the World Force that he mobilised, but rather it seemed as though the drawing itself had become an independent world.
When Yang Kai met Gu Pan for the first time, he had found it strange that she used a paintbrush as her weapon; such an artifact was very rare after all. Judging from the current situation though, it would seem that this was an influence from her Master, Li Yuan Wang.
Yang Kai waited quietly, observing Li Yuan Wang from time to time. Although Gu Pan could more or less confirm that Li Yuan Wang had not been corrupted by the Black Ink, nobody could say for sure. What if he had been corrupted by the Black Ink?
A long while later, Li Yuan Wang finally stopped painting. He took three steps back to study his work before he nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. Without even lifting his head, he called out, “Kid, come here. Tell me, how is this King’s painting?”
Yang Kai was startled when he heard those words, but he responded quickly, “Yes!”
Gu Pan hurriedly grabbed him by his sleeve and subtly shook her head at him, “Don’t go, Senior Brother!”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai looked at her in puzzlement.
She said nothing and simply shook her head with a troubled expression on her face.
Li Yuan Wang looked up at her and snapped unhappily, “What do you mean by that, little girl? This Master worked hard to produce this painting. What’s wrong with asking your friend to take a look? Hurry up and let go!”
Only then did Gu Pan release her grip on Yang Kai’s sleeve in a helpless manner. She also turned her head to the side, unable to bring herself to watch what would surely happen next.
Li Yuan Wang looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “This little girl has always made such a fuss over nothing. As her Master, I have failed to educate her well. Please do not take her words to heart.”
Yang Kai naturally denied those statements. Walking over to easel, which had been facing away from him the whole time, he finally saw the ‘painting’ and could only draw in a sharp breath of shock.
“How is it?” Li Yuan Wang asked earnestly from the side, “Hasn’t this King’s painting technique simply reached beyond the mundane and ascended to the highest heights?”
Yang Kai looked at the picture scroll in front of him as though it had picked up a dagger and stabbed him in the gut. The ‘masterpiece’ looked like it had a cloud of ink in the east and a drop of ink in the west, all smeared together in what could only be described as a chaotic mess. For a while, he didn’t know what to think and could only say quickly, “Senior, this painting is more. It has not just ascended to the Peak! It exceeds beyond and has reached the extraordinary! It shocks history and dazzles the present! There is a universe within this painting!”
[My conscience… it hurts! It feels like I’m going to suffocate!]
Gu Pan looked at Yang Kai with a shocked expression.
Meanwhile, Li Yuan Wang became absolutely animated, “That’s right! This King has cultivated his painting techniques for thousands of years. In this world, who would dare claim to be the best if this King claims to be second best?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said in a low voice, “I cannot speak about the future, but there are definitely no precedents to Senior’s painting skills!”
“En!” Li Yuan Wang nodded repeatedly while rubbing his chin and staring at his own painting. After a long time, he suddenly asked, “You mentioned that there is a universe in this painting. Tell me more!”
[Tell you what? Even the constantly wriggling Black Ink Smoke that is currently suppressed and sealed in my Small Universe looks better than this painting! No wonder Gu Pan tried to stop me from approaching earlier. She obviously knows her Master well. This painting is truly… an eyesore!]
“Go on! Why aren’t you speaking?” On the contrary, Li Yuan Wang did not seem to have any self-awareness and continued urging Yang Kai to speak.
Yang Kai’s impression of Lang Ya Paradise shattered immediately. [Even the Sect Master has such behaviour. It’s no wonder Yuan Du, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who serves as one of the Vice Sect Masters, likes listening to flattery so much! This is a prime example of the saying ‘If the foundation is crooked, the roof will be too!]
Yang Kai held his thoughts in for a long time, not knowing what to say in response. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at Li Yuan Wang and blurted out, “Senior, Black Ink Eternal!”
Gu Pan’s exquisite ears twitched slightly when she heard those words. She stared at her Honoured Master, watching for any changes in his demeanour while secretly drawing upon her World Force.
Li Yuan Wang stared at Yang Kai blankly. A long time passed before he asked curiously, “What did you say?”
Yang Kai quickly waved his hand dismissively, “It’s nothing! It’s nothing!”
The words had just left his mouth when a majestic World Force swirled and surged. The splattering-like drawing on the picture scroll instantly came alive, and the scattered patterns in the painting wriggled incessantly. With a flash of light, the world itself flipped upside down!
By the time Yang Kai and Gu Pan recovered their senses, they were no longer standing in the hall, but instead in some unknown world!
The light in this world was bizarre and the scenery was distorted. Yang Kai looked around only to see that nothing in this world was normal.
Li Yuan Wang was sitting on something that resembled a throne, not far ahead. He leaned forward slightly with one hand under his chin, staring at Yang Kai calmly, but with great hostility. Around him, terrifying bursts of energy emerged one after another to form sharp swords that hummed uncontrollably. Sword Intent permeated the air with overpowering murderous intent.
[This is the world within that painting!] Yang Kai immediately understood the situation. The painting really turned out to contain a universe inside! It was not until this moment that he realised he had underestimated Lang Ya Paradise’s Sect Master. The painting was not a random scribble. It was just that he didn’t know how to appreciate it.
Gu Pan stood nearby, feeling a little shocked. It was obvious that she had also realised the peculiarity of the world within the painting. She had always thought that her Honoured Master’s painting skills were terrible. Who could have known that he had such strange methods?
“Boy, what did you say just now? Can you repeat what you said? I didn’t hear you clearly,” Li Yuan Wang stared at Yang Kai with a sharp gaze. Naturally, he heard everything clearly and was simply seeking confirmation. Pretending not to know anything earlier was so that he could mislead Yang Kai in order to drag him into the world within the painting while the other party remained unguarded.
Yang Kai turned to look at Gu Pan. At this time, it was useless for him to explain, so it was better for her to speak instead.
Gu Pan understood and blurted out a shocking statement, “Honoured Master, Elder Shi Zheng has been corrupted by the Black Ink!”
Li Yuan Wang’s hostility froze abruptly. He could distrust Yang Kai, but he was willing to believe the words of his own Disciple; thus, he asked with a grim expression, “Where did you receive this information? Can it be trusted?”
She nodded heavily, “Senior Brother Yang witnessed it himself and came here from the Star Boundary for this very reason.”
“Tell me more!” He turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai quickly repeated what he told Gu Pan earlier. Li Yuan Wang’s expression changed, becoming more and more solemn.
It was not until Yang Kai finished explaining that Li Yuan Wang finally asked, “You managed to test Zong Yu Quan with those words, so you tried to test this King too?”
Yang Kai nodded, of course, he would never say that the main reason was that the terrible painting had rendered him speechless, so he randomly blurted out that phrase.
“Words have no proof. Open your Small Universe, this King wants to check for himself,” Li Yuan Wang stood up. He subconsciously believed that Yang Kai was not lying; otherwise, Yang Kai would not have come all this way from the Star Boundary for no apparent reason. However, this matter was related to the Black Ink Clan, so it was better to err on the side of caution.
Yang Kai felt helpless. His Small Universe had been checked too frequently recently. Unfortunately, this was the simplest and most effective method to determine whether the other party had been corrupted by the Black Ink.
Yang Kai opened the portal to his Small Universe and Li Yuan Wang’s Divine Sense immediately poured in. A short while later, he looked at Yang Kai in shock, “You sure are bold. I can’t believe you dared to suppress and seal the Black Ink Smoke in your Small Universe.”
Yang Kai laughed wryly, “If not for the World Spring, this Junior would not have dared to act so rashly.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded lightly, but just as he was about to speak, he heard Yang Kai saying, “Senior, it’s your turn now!”
His mouth fell open, “Huh?”
Yang Kai stared at Li Yuan Wang and said, “Senior, please open your Small Universe and allow this Junior to inspect it.”
Li Yuan Wang was so furious that he laughed, “You want to check my Small Universe?”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “That’s the only way to confirm that you have not been corrupted by the Black Ink, Senior!”
“If this King had been corrupted by the Black Ink, you would be dead by now!”
“That’s not true. Who knows? Maybe you’re just trying to misdirect us!” Yang Kai shook his head.
Li Yuan Wang looked at Gu Pan and pointed a finger at his head, “Is there something wrong with your friend’s head?”
Gu Pan replied, “Honoured Master, I would also like to take a look.”
Li Yuan Wang immediately looked heartbroken, “Xiao Pan’er, why are you being like this? Is it true that girls will always side with outsiders when they grow up? Your Honoured Master raised you up with such difficulty. Do you think it was easy?”
Yang Kai stepped forward and quickly interjected, “Senior, this matter is too important to simply brush aside. If you insist on refusing to allow us to check your Small Universe, then this Junior can only assume that you have been corrupted by the Black Ink and you do not dare to let others inspect you. If that is the case, please don’t blame this Junior for disrespecting you!”
Li Yuan Wang looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “What are you going to do if this King has been corrupted?”
“Those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink consider me their comrade now. If you and I begin fighting, then this matter will remain unresolved. Those corrupted by the Black Ink will surely become vigilant as a result. If you have not been corrupted by the Black Ink, then you will not want something like that to happen. Senior, please cooperate!”
Li Yuan Wang couldn’t help feeling a headache. Nevertheless, he had to admit that Yang Kai was right.
Now that Yang Kai had given Zong Yu Quan the impression that they were comrades, the latter would definitely have passed the message to the others who were corrupted. Therefore, they would alert their enemies and create needless trouble if a fight were to break out between them now.
Yang Kai could ignore these matters because he was not a member of Lang Ya Paradise; however, as Lang Ya Paradise’s Sect Master, Li Yuan Wang could not disregard such concerns. Gritting his teeth, he turned to look at the sky with a despairing expression, “Good! Go on! Look!”
While saying so, he opened the portal to his Small Universe.
Yang Kai and Gu Pan’s Divine Sense immediately poured into the portal.
Li Yuan Wang’s body shuddered as he woefully despaired, “The humiliation… To have my own Disciple inspect my Small Universe. Not to mention, there’s a man looking around inside my body! Ah! This King has been defiled!”
Yang Kai leaned close to Gu Pan and whispered in her ear, “Has your Honoured Master always been so dramatic?”
Gu Pan nodded with a complicated expression.
Yang Kai sighed, “It must have been hard for you while growing up!”
“Brat!” Li Yuan Wang roared in anger, “This King can hear you! I’m not deaf!”
“Hahahahaha!” Yang Kai withdrew his Divine Sense and nodded at Li Yuan Wang, “There are no problems, Senior.”
“Hmph!” Li Yuan Wang looked extremely upset. With a wave of his hand, the distorted scenery in their surroundings vanished, and the three of them returned to the room from before. He then looked at Gu Pan and warned her earnestly with a serious expression, “In the future, you should not interact so much with friends like this one. It is best if you cut off your friendship and never communicate with each other again, so as not to be led down the wrong path!”
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “Senior, I’m not deaf either!”
Li Yuan Wang snorted, “So? Do you want to hit me? Go on then, come and hit me!”
“Honoured Master!” Gu Pan glared at Li Yuan Wang sternly, “Please show some propriety!”
Li Yuan Wang coughed lightly and clasped his hands behind his back with the air of a senior expert. He then spoke in a low voice, “At present, we know that Shi Zheng and Zong Yu Quan have been corrupted by the Black Ink. Shi Zheng is dead, and Zong Yu Quan is overseeing the Star City’s Void Dock. I don’t know how many more of their accomplices are in the Sect… This will be troublesome.”
Yang Kai nodded and said, “There is only one thing that we can be sure of right now, the people who have been corrupted by the Black Ink are unable to sense each other.”
Li Yuan Wang glanced at Yang Kai and nodded in agreement after a moment.
If they could sense each other, then Zong Yu Quan would definitely have sensed that something was wrong with Yang Kai’s identity. In that case, he would not have responded to the probe either. Needless to say, they did not rule out the possibility that he was simply playing along to lull them into a false sense of security, but his reaction had been very natural under those circumstances. He did not look like he was carrying out any nefarious plans.
In this way, it seemed Yang Kai would be able to hide himself and infiltrate the enemy ranks successfully.
Gu Pan looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Senior Brother, do you have a plan?”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment, “The top priority is to invite the rest of the Seniors over. They snuck into Lang Ya Territory with me, but exposing their presence would make things inconvenient, so they remained hidden. If they join us, it will be easier for us to deal with those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded, “I will handle this matter. Give me their location.”
Yang Kai immediately took out a jade slip. With a surge of his Divine Sense, he engraved the location of where Yu Xiang Die and the others were hiding in the jade slip. After that, he handed the jade slip to Li Yuan Wang. With the help of Lang Yan Paradise’s Sect Master, it would be easy for Yu Xiang Die and the others to quietly enter the core of Lang Ya Territory.
“Then, the only thing left to do is to identify those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink.” Yang Kai looked at Li Yuan Wang, “Senior, the Cave Heaven Paradises have some understanding of the Black Ink Clan, so do they not have a method to distinguish between friend and enemy?”
Li Yuan Wang nodded, “There is one!”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “What is it?”
Li Yuan Wang pondered for a short while before he spoke, “The power of the Black Ink Clan is treacherous, but also extremely hidden, so it is very difficult to detect. That is why our Ancestors developed a Spirit Array especially to identify those corrupted by the Black Ink Clan. It is called the Revealing Black Ink Array! All the Cave Heaven Paradises have this inheritance. As long as somebody who was corrupted by the Black Ink stands on the array, their identity will be revealed. That is how we can easily determine who has been infected. But, if we actually do that, we will also need to narrow down our inspection targets. You can’t expect me to summon all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise and ask them to stand on top of the array for inspection.”
Yang Kai nodded. If they did that, it would be no different from inspecting the Small Universes of others. They would definitely alert their enemy to their movements. At the time, the identities of those who have been corrupted by the Black Ink would be exposed and a huge battle would break out among the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. The situation would surely go out of control.
“That is why you will still need to infiltrate the enemy and identify who has been corrupted by the Black Ink!” Li Yuan Wang looked at Yang Kai, “In a sense, Lang Ya Paradise is pretty lucky. You immediately figured out Zong Yu Quan’s identity as soon as you arrived, so perhaps you can go from there!”
Yang Kai nodded “That’s what I think too. Hmmm. I will need you to provide me with a list of names, Senior.”
“What list of names?”
“A list of the names of all the people who were on good terms and had close relationships with Shi Zheng and Zong Yu Quan, including both the Sixth-Order and the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters,” Yang Kai said pensively, “I think we don’t need to inspect the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even if the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are corrupted by the Black Ink, their value isn’t high. I don’t think they will be targeted.”
“Good!” Li Yuan Wang agreed readily, “I’ll prepare a list of names and have it delivered to you soon. Just stay with Xiao Pan’er for now and act as the situation requires!”
“Senior may rest assured, I will handle this matter diligently.”
“I’ll leave everything to you!” He suddenly cupped his fist at Yang Kai with a solemn expression.
Yang Kai responded, “You are too polite, Senior. I might not be part of a Cave Heaven or Paradise, but I understand the dangers of the Black Ink Clan. I may be helping Lang Ya Paradise, but it is also for my own sake.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded. All of a sudden, he turned around and warned Gu Pan, “Xiao Pan’er, take care of yourself. Don’t let any smelly man take advantage of you. If anybody dares to bully you, tell me immediately. I will beat him up on your behalf!”
While saying so, he glared at Yang Kai threateningly.
Gu Pan stomped her feet, “Honoured Master, just stop talking!”
[Having a Master like him is way too embarrassing!]
Yang Kai and Gu Pan returned to her private Spirit Province. An hour later, another person flew over. He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and Gu Pan’s Senior Brother with a brave and heroic figure. Moreover, he had an extraordinary bearing on him.
Gu Pan introduced them to each other, and Yang Kai learned that the other party was called Dong Peng.
“Junior Brother Yang, I’ll leave this to you!” Dong Peng handed a jade slip to Yang Kai and lowered his voice, “Honoured Master asks that you be careful, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Many thanks for your concern, Senior Brother. I will act prudently.”
Dong Peng nodded and patted Gu Pan’s small head before he soared into the sky again.
Yang Kai poured his Divine Sense into the jade slip, but after studying the contents, he couldn’t help scowling deeply.
Gu Pan asked in concern, “What is it?”
“There’s quite a lot of names. Take a look for yourself,” He handed the jade slip to her.
The names inside the jade slip were divided into two separate lists. One listed the people who had a close relationship and frequent contact with Shi Zheng while the other was related to Zong Yu Quan. There were nearly 100 names in total. In addition, all of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. Even those in the Seventh Order numbered as many as eight.
It could be seen from these lists alone just how deep the heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises was. The two lists covered only a portion of the Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, so just how many Masters were there in Lang Ya Paradise?
Written next to each name was not just the information on their respective cultivation, but also the positions that they held in Lang Ya Paradise. Among them, there were more than a dozen who were currently not in Lang Ya Paradise. They were probably out on missions, so there was no need to consider these people for the time being. Even so, there were over 80 people left! Yang Kai alone couldn’t check out all 80 of these people one at a time. Doing so would be stupid.
The phrase ‘Black Ink Eternal’ was a convenient method to sound out those who had been corrupted by the Black Ink. As long as the other party was corrupted by the Black Ink, they would surely respond to those words; however, if he simply went up to somebody and said these words, wouldn’t it be awkward if the other party was not corrupted by the Black Ink?
Therefore, this investigation method could not be used too frequently.
On top of that, according to Li Yuan Wang, all the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises knew about the Black Ink Clan. They would definitely react in some manner if Yang Kai were to speak those words to them, regardless of whether they were corrupted by the Black Ink or not. Just like how Li Yuan Wang had taken him by surprise and detained him inside the world of the painting!
If Yang Kai wanted to discover the identities of those who had been corrupted by the Black Ink, then he would need to come up with a different method!
Zong Yu Quan was indeed a breakthrough point. Nevertheless, Yang Kai felt that he should not be in such a hurry to contact Zong Yu Quan. It would be inappropriate if he seemed too eager.
Besides, from Zong Yu Quan’s point of view, he had already recognised Yang Kai as his companion, so he was bound to contact Yang Kai even if the latter did not contact him first. Yang Kai would be able to obtain more information from him at that time.
After making up his mind, Yang Kai settled down in Gu Pan’s Spirit Province. There was nothing to do over the next few days, so he went around with Gu Pan and enjoyed the wonderful scenery in Lang Ya Paradise. There were countless Spirit Provinces, each one with its own unique features.
Such a scene, where a man and a woman were inseparable from each other, created many rumours. Many people secretly speculated that Core Disciple Gu Pan had some sort of relationship with Yang Kai.
In the beginning, they did not know Yang Kai’s identity; very few people knew about his arrival here after all. It was just that Gu Pan’s status was special, so he received quite a lot of attention for always being by her side.
After making several inquiries, the general public learned that he was actually Void Land’s Lord. In other words, he was the one who won first place during Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Dao Theory Assembly, embarrassing many Cave Heavens and Paradises in the process.
That was too much! Although Gu Pan held a high status in Lang Ya Paradise, due to her short cultivation time as well as her petite figure, she was considered a Little Sister who never grew up in the eyes of her many Senior Brothers and Sisters; therefore, her many Senior Brothers and Sisters took great care of and doted on her.
It would not have been an issue if Yang Kai and Gu Pan were in love with each other; however, the key point was that Yang Kai was a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Son-in-Law! He was bound to marry into Yin-Yang Cave Heaven one day. [Why is he not standing guard for that seductress, Qu Hua Shang, and waiting for her to come out of retreat to complete their marriage ceremony!? Why did he come to Lang Ya Paradise to flirt with Little Junior Sister!?]
What’s more, Gu Pan seemed to be very interested in Yang Kai. She spent all day alone with him, bringing him to this Spirit Province to check out the scenery or that Spirit Province to watch the sunrise and sunset.
For that reason, many Senior Brothers were on the verge of despair. They felt as though the delicate flower that they nurtured and raised with extreme care was about to be devoured by a pig.
By some strange circumstances, while there were no clues regarding those who were corrupted by the Black Ink, the undercurrents began moving beneath the surface of Lang Ya Paradise.
On a certain day, Yang Kai was again following Gu Pan to one of the various Spirit Provinces. He had heard that there was a shopping district for the Inner Disciples of Lang Ya Paradise where many good things could be found.
More importantly, the person overseeing this shopping district was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master whose name was on the list given to Yang Kai by Li Yuan Wang.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a little distressed. He had been waiting around for more than ten days now, but aside from confirming that Zong Yu Quan was one of those who were corrupted by the Black Ink, he did not have any other clues. The main reason for going to the shopping district was to see if there was anything wrong with the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master overseeing the area.
However, halfway through their journey, a stream of light sped towards them from an off-angle and blocked their path. This newcomer gave off the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and had a tough and sturdy build. As soon as he appeared, he rudely looked Yang Kai up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
“Senior Brother Zhong Fan!” Gu Pan glanced at the person who came and gave a bow before she asked, “Can I help you, Senior Brother?”
Zhong Fan was born with a fierce face, so he did not look like a good person from his appearance alone. Be that as it may, he squeezed out a smile at Gu Pan that could make a child cry in his best attempt to appear gentle, “It’s nothing. I heard that you had a guest, Junior Sister, so I came over to have a look.” When he turned to look at Yang Kai, his attitude was no longer courteous. He growled, “Are you Yang Kai?”
“Yang Kai greets Senior Brother Zhong!” Yang Kai bowed, feeling a bit curious. [Why is this guy called Zhong Fan blocking our way? Not to mention, his attitude… does not seem friendly!]
Yang Kai quietly compared the name against the name list and discovered that Zhong Fan’s name was not on it.
Zhong Fan waved his hand and roared angrily, “Who are you calling Senior Brother? Stop trying to get close to me! Boy, eat my hammer!”
Yang Kai was totally confused! [What? Why is he taking out his hammer!?]
He looked up only to see two large sledgehammers appearing in Zhong Fan’s hands all of a sudden. These two sledgehammers resembled ordinary iron tools but under the surging of Zhong Fan’s World Force, the sledgehammers abruptly swelled and became as big as mountains.
Zhong Fan raised one of the sledgehammers high into the air and slammed it down towards Yang Kai in a ruthless move. A furious roar came from his throat, “This King hates unfaithful men the most! If you want to play with Junior Sister Gu’s feelings, then you will have to get through me first!!”
The blow was so heavy that even if there was a mountain in front of them, it would surely shatter into pieces.
Gu Pan’s beautiful face turned pale as she shouted, “Senior Brother Zhong, stop!”
Before the words could leave her mouth though, a gentle force pushed out at her. Yang Kai had stretched out a hand to send her out of harm’s way. Meanwhile, he dodged to the side.
Zhong Fan’s attack subsequently struck nothing. When he turned around to look, he saw that Yang Kai had already appeared at another spot without him noticing.
Yang Kai stared at Zhong Fan helplessly, “Senior Brother Zhong, is there some sort of misunderstanding between us?”
Zhong Fan shook his head and raised his sledgehammer to attack Yang Kai again, “Misunderstanding or not, we’ll talk after I teach you to show proper manners!”
Yang Kai dodged again. The techniques that Zhong Fan cultivated were simple and straightforward. His personality was probably similar in that aspect. The two sledgehammers that were as large as mountains contained great power, but he held them effortlessly in his hands. Even though the power behind his attacks was great, that only mattered if he could hit his target.
If it were ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they might not come out unscathed in the face of Zhou Fan’s vicious barrage, but if Yang Kai, who was a Master of the Dao of Space, could not dodge these attacks, then he would have cultivated all his years in vain.
After missing repeatedly, Zhong Fan was livid, “Brat, you’re as cowardly as a mouse! How could a person like you even think to deceive Little Junior Sister Gu!? Junior Sister, you better open your eyes wide! You should never go after a man with so little courage!”
Gu Pan’s face flushed beet red as she stomped her foot and shouted, “What are you saying, Senior Brother Zhong!?”
“You’re blushing? You ARE blushing!” Zhong Fan’s rage burned even greater at the sight of the red hue on Gu Pan’s cheeks. His aura as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master rose steadily, erupting out of him like a volcano as a roar came out of his mouth, “Ahhhh! I’ll fight you to the death, you bastard!”
“Senior Brother Zhong, the relationship between Junior Sister Gu and I is not what you think!” Yang Kai tried to explain. He had to investigate the Black Ink Clan at the moment, so how could he be in the mood to fight with others? Much less a fight as meaningless as this one.
Not to mention, this place was Lang Ya Paradise. So, what if he won against Zhong Fan? Things would end badly for him if he made an enemy out of all the Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
Zhong Fan was even more enraged, “How dare you eat then refuse to pay!? I’m going to crush you to death with my hammer, you brat!”
The blush on Gu Pan’s face had already spread to her neck, “Senior Brother Zhong, please stop talking!”
His voice was so loud that half of Lang Ya Paradise would have heard him by now. If rumours spread about this, she would never be able to prove her innocence!
Yang Kai sighed. [This isn’t getting anywhere. This guy is so obstinate. How did he manage to cultivate until the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!?]
Seeing as he could not get through the other party with words, Yang Kai decided not to explain with words. One of the sledgehammers was smashing down on him again, so he dodged and came to Gu Pan’s side. Reaching out to grab her by the waist, he manipulated Space Principles and instantly vanished out of sight.
“Where’d he go!?” Zhong Fan looked around wildly, but there were no signs of Yang Kai anywhere. After searching for some time, he confirmed that Yang Kai had escaped and roared at the sky, “You heartless thief! Come quickly and fight me to the death!”
In a remote Spirit Province, the figures of Yang Kai and Gu Pan reappeared.
Gu Pan looked at Yang Kai apologetically, “I apologise, Senior Brother Yang. Senior Brother Zhong has always been like this. I’m afraid he misunderstood after listening to some strange rumour. He does not have any malicious intentions.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I know. If not for that, I would not have held back just now.”
“Eh?” Gu Pan suddenly turned to the side, “Why are you here, Senior Brother Lin?”
Not far away, under a towering tree, a young man dressed in snow-white robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His back was facing them, and his head was slightly raised towards the sky. His posture was suave, but an air of melancholy lingered around him.
They heard him sigh softly, “The trees may prefer the quiet, but the wind refuses to stop!”
Yang Kai and Gu Pan exchanged glances with each other in confusion.
Senior Brother Lin continued, “I had no plans to participate, but since we encountered each other, it would be inappropriate to feign ignorance. In that case… Draw your sword, young man!”
After saying that, he stretched out his arm and a branch fell into his hand. In an instant, Sword Intent soared into the sky and the leaves of the towering ancient tree rustled noisily!
Countless fallen leaves rained down from above, and every leaf transformed into a sharp sword that swirled around the young man. There were at least tens of thousands of them.
Then, the young man raised the branch in his hand and pointed at Yang Kai with a burning fighting spirit!
Yang Kai’s expression naturally darkened.
Zhong Fan, whom he met earlier, had attacked him with a sledgehammer almost on sight, and now, this Senior Brother Lin whom he just met was asking him to draw his sword without any reason…
[Is there something wrong in the head with these Lang Ya Paradise disciples?] Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of Li Yuan Wang’s eccentric personality and sighed in amazement. [If the foundation is crooked, the roof will be too.]
Senior Brother Lin’s Sword Intent burst into flames as he stared at Yang Kai with sharp eyes, “Sword Masters are killers. This Senior Brother’s murderous intent is too strong. That is why I don’t wish to attack you, much less bully the small and weak. For Little Junior Sister’s sake, I will give you a chance to answer my question. If your answer can satisfy me, then I may be willing to show mercy to you.”
Yang Kai asked helplessly, “What do you want to ask, Senior Brother?”
Senior Brother Lin glanced at Yang Kai before glancing at Gu Pan. Then, he questioned, “Can you be faithful to Junior Sister? I advise you to answer with a ‘yes’. If you answer with a ‘no’, then you will suffer some physical pain.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Senior Brother Lin, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. Junior Sister Gu and I are not…”
Senior Brother Lin gave a long sigh, “Sure enough, you are a heartless thief who eats then refuses to pay! Pay with your life!”
The branch in his hand trembled slightly and thousands of fallen leaves transformed into Sword Dragons. His figure followed his sword, thrusting towards Yang Kai. Everywhere he passed, space was sliced open in his wake.
Yang Kai felt his teeth hurting. Immediately manipulating Space Principles, he grabbed Gu Pan and left with a flash.
“Where is he?” Senior Brother Lin’s attack struck nothing but air, and when he looked around, he couldn’t find Yang Kai anywhere. Thus, he frowned and pondered silently for some time before he let out a long sigh, “Who can be my opponent in this world? Life is as lonely as snow!”
After that, he went back to stand under the towering tree with his hands clasped behind his back and his head raised slightly to look up at the sky.
A fiery-red figure sped over from a distance and landed beside Senior Brother Lin a moment later. This person was a woman with a curvaceous figure and a stunning appearance. It was just that she was enveloped in a malevolent aura right now, and her entire body gave off the feeling that she could not be approached. It was a feeling that made others shudder in fright.
She landed nearby and looked around, her beautiful brow furrowing tightly. Turning to look at the only other person present, she shouted, “Lin Xuan!”
Lin Xuan turned around, but his eyes remained slightly raised towards the sky. He looked down his nose at the woman, “Oh, it’s you, Senior Sister Zhou. Can I help you?”
Senior Sister Zhou quickly said, “I heard that some bastard abandoned Little Junior Sister Gu after thoughtlessly sleeping with her. Who is it?”
Lin Xuan replied, “I think it was a guy called Yang Kai. He was here just a moment ago, but he ran away after getting beaten by me. He couldn’t even take a single blow.”
Senior Sister Zhou roared in fury, “Somebody actually did that to Junior Sister Gu!? Damn it! Where did he go!?”
Lin Xuan casually pointed in a certain direction, “I think he went that way!”
She nodded and soared into the sky, clearly intending to give pursuit; however, she soon turned around and came back. Standing in front of Lin Xuan, she studied him with a suspicious gaze.
He was confused, “Do you need something else, Senior Sister Zhou?”
“Why won’t you look at me directly? Are you looking down on me?” she asked coldly.
His head remained slightly raised, looking up at the sky, as he explained, “Of course not. It’s just that I made some mistakes while cultivating, so my meridians are blocked and I cannot lower my head.”
“So, that’s how it is!” She immediately understood. After staring at him for a short while, she suddenly reached out her hands. She placed one hand on his head and the other hand gripped his lower jaw.
Lin Xuan did not understand and thus asked, “Senior Sister Zhou, what… Gah!”
A strong force came out. Following a loud crack, his head turned half a circle. His head which was originally lifted slightly to the left was now lifted slightly to the right.
Senior Sister Zhou took three steps back and stared at him for a short while before she nodded in satisfaction, “This is much better! I’m going to teach that heartless thief a lesson!”
After declaring so, she took to the sky.
Meanwhile, Lin Xuan remained standing there. His appearance was dishevelled, and he was in so much pain that tears threatened to leak out of his eyes.
“There’s something wrong!” As Yang Kai and Gu Pan rushed through the void, numerous auras seemed to appear and disappear in their surroundings, giving Yang Kai the illusion that he was caught in enemy territory and powerful foes were lying in ambush all around him.
Gu Pan looked apologetic as she whispered, “Senior Brother Yang, I apologise. My Senior Brothers seem to have misunderstood something. It’ll be fine once I explain the situation to them later.”
Yang Kai just shook his head lightly, “There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I know I am innocent. Besides, those two Senior Brothers of yours are merely concerned about you. It’s not a problem. Huh?”
While speaking, he suddenly came to a halt. Two figures were coming towards them. It was a man and a woman, travelling side by side. The man was handsome and arrogant while the woman was beautiful and refined. Both of their movements were perfectly in sync, almost as if they came from the same mould. Even their breathing was the same.
What surprised Yang Kai even more was that these two seemed rather similar in appearance. They were most likely a pair of twins.
Those two approached Yang Kai and Gu Pan with a smile, showing no intention of stopping at all. It didn’t take long for them to arrive in front of Yang Kai, but before he could speak, the two newcomers abruptly began weaving around each other in a circular manner at lightning speed. They soon became a blur of figures that surrounded Yang Kai and Gu Pan.
Gu Pan exclaimed in astonishment, “Senior Brother Ri Hua, Senior Sister Yue Hua, what are you doing!?”
The pair did not answer, but giggling sounds soon entered Yang Kai and Gu Pan’s ears from their surroundings. The laughter that filled their ears sounded both enchanting and demonic and had the effect of disrupting their consciousness.
For a time, Yang Kai felt dizzy and groggy. Using all his strength to shake his head, he managed to suppress and dispel the effects of the noise, but when he looked up again, he saw that the pair of twins had already disappeared into the distance at a high speed. Their voices came from afar, “Hehe… Haha…”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he muttered, “What is with those two?”
There was no answer though. Surprised, he took a careful look around, but Gu Pan was nowhere to be seen. She had clearly been kidnapped by the man and woman pair at some point!
Watching the man and woman taking Gu Pan away, Yang Kai stood on the spot and rubbed his chin in contemplation. [Something strange is clearly going on. Are they worried that they might accidentally injure Gu Pan in a fight? Is that why they tried to take her away? Now that she is gone, will there be a mad torrent of attacks raining down on me soon?]
Yang Kai felt a terrible headache. His main purpose in coming to Lang Ya Paradise was to investigate the Black Ink Clan, so he was supposed to maintain a low profile. Why would he want to have any conflict with the Lang Ya Paradise disciples? It was just that the current situation was very troublesome indeed.
Not daring to remain in one place for too long, Yang Kai turned and sped in a certain direction. This matter had to be resolved with Li Yuan Wang’s help.
Unfortunately, before he could get far, the sturdy figure of a man appeared in front of him.
That man stood there quietly with a long sword in his hands, surrounded by an extraordinary bearing and majestic aura. More importantly, he seemed to be waiting for Yang Kai. When he sensed Yang Kai’s arrival, he opened his eyes and a flash of light seemed to cross their depths. He grinned at Yang Kai and declared, “I’m lucky indeed!”
Yang Kai frowned slightly and cupped his fist, “Void Land Yang Kai greets this Senior Brother! How should I address you, Senior Brother?”
The man answered dismissively, “Wang Gao Yang!”
“So it is Senior Brother Wang Gao Yang!” Yang Kai nodded and asked curiously, “Senior Brother Wang, how did you know I would be coming here? Why are you waiting for me here on purpose?”
Wang Gao Yang shook his head, “I didn’t, but if you ran in another direction, you would find Senior Brother Liu, Senior Brother Zhang, and Senior Brother Zhao waiting for you. That’s why I said that my luck is good indeed!”
“So, that’s how it is!” Yang Kai immediately understood. He had been surrounded on all sides like a dumpling. There were people stationed in all directions, so he was bound to encounter one of them no matter where he ran. He then frowned and said, “Senior Brother Wang, I’m afraid that there’s a misunderstanding. There is nothing going on between Junior Sister Gu and I!”
“I know!” Wang Gao Yang nodded lightly.
Yang Kai was overjoyed, “So you knew, Senior Brother Wang!”
[I finally met a normal person!] Yang Kai was filled with a sense of gratitude. [All the Lang Ya Paradise disciples are completely influenced by Li Yuan Wang. None of them can communicate properly. I’m so glad this Wang Gao Yang seems to be quite reasonable.]
“Since you know the truth, Senior Brother Wang, then…”
“It doesn’t matter whether or not it is a misunderstanding,” Wang Gao Yang interjected before Yang Kai could finish speaking. Raising his sword, he pointed at Yang Kai and said, “I heard that you’re strong! Zhao Xing of Thousand Birds Paradise died at your hands.”
Yang Kai replied grimly, “That was also a misunderstanding!”
The main reason for that incident was that Yang Kai had used too much strength and killed Zhao Xing by accident.
Wang Gao Yang grinned, “I like guys who can fight! Enough nonsense! Fight me!”
After saying that, he swung his sword downward. World Force surged, and a Sword Light sliced through the void towards Yang Kai like a whip.
Yang Kai pursed his lips with a speechless expression. He originally thought that he had encountered a normal person who could be reasoned with, but in the end, this person was still looking for a fight.
Space Principles fluctuated, but Yang Kai quickly noticed that something was wrong. Thus, he swiftly moved to dodge the Sword Light.
Wang Gao Yang moved forward with his sword, and with every step he took, he slashed out wildly. His fighting spirit burned brightly, and he roared with laughter, “How can we be unprepared when we know you are proficient in the Dao of Space? We only allowed you to escape earlier to get you to lower your guard. This whole region has been sealed with a Grand Array. Let’s see where you can run now!”
[Are all Lang Ya Paradise disciples insane!? Just to force me into taking action, they even went so far as to seal this space with a Grand Array?!]
While avoiding Wang Gao Yang’s attacks, Yang Kai earnestly tried to persuade the other party, “Senior Brother Wang, weapons have no eyes. You and I have no bad blood between us. Why must we fight such a meaningless battle?”
Wang Gao Yang turned a deaf ear. However, the Sword Light became more and more violent. In the end, his attacks turned into a raging storm that rained down on Yang Kai as he finally said, “The likes of Zhao Xing would not have survived more than ten attacks at the hands of this Wang. More than 2,000 years have passed since this Wang advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and I am only one step away from the Seventh-Order. The strength of my heritage is incomparable to that of Zhao Xing. Junior Brother Yang, if you dare to look down on me, then you will be the only one who suffers instead.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched at those words. This was his first time meeting a person who praised themselves during a battle. Be that as it may, what Wang Gao Yang said was true; it was impossible for Zhao Xing to be his opponent. Zhao Xing had only advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm one or two hundred years ago, so he could only be considered a newly-advanced Sixth-Order Master. On the other hand, Wang Gao Yang was a veteran Sixth-Order Master. He was not inferior to Mao Zhe and the others. In fact, he might even be superior to them.
Yang Kai sighed, “Senior Brother Wang, let’s stop here. I don’t wish to hurt you!”
The movement of Wang Gao Yang’s hands froze. Immediately after that, he roared with fury, “How dare you humiliate me!? I only planned to punish you lightly on account of your relationship with Junior Sister Gu, but since you have the gall to say that, I’ll deal with you properly!”
While speaking, Wang Gao Yang charged towards Yang Kai as the World Force of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master fluctuated violently.
Yang Kai let out a long sigh. Judging by the current circumstances, it was impossible to avoid this fight. The Lang Ya Paradise disciples even went so far as to use a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array. If he continued to avoid the situation, he would only become more and more passive. Compared to that outcome, he might as well go wild and reveal his true strength. That might make them back down instead.
He took a deep breath and reached his hand out. The Azure Dragon Spear appeared in the palm of his hand, and he quickly said, “Senior Brother Wang, if you insist on fighting, then please excuse my discourtesy!”
When the words left his mouth, the spear stabbed forward.
Wang Gao Yang’s eyes lit up, “Good!”
Sword Light surged and covered the entire sky; however, the excitement in Wang Gao Yang’s eyes quickly turned solemn before it was replaced by shock. That was because the Sword Light that filled the sky abruptly disappeared into nothing when it stabbed towards his opponent.
On the other hand, an extremely majestic World Force came from the front. This force caused him to feel an involuntary sense of suffocation.
*Hong hong hong…*
Following the sound of explosions, a violent force erupted and a brilliant light spread out. Wang Gao Yang’s figure was steadily pushed back.
[I’m not his opponent at all!] There was an incredulous expression on Wang Gao Yang’s face. He was at the peak of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, he was only one step away from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It was not as though there were no other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were stronger than him in Lang Ya Paradise, but there were definitely not many of them. He originally believed that he could defeat Yang Kai easily. Who could have expected this outcome instead?
[Is this really the strength that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master can exert!?]
Every single collision shook his Small Universe to the core; moreover, the next wave of attacks slammed into him before he even had the time to catch his breath.
When Yang Kai first advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven, even an existence like Mao Zhe was no match for him. Since then, how much stronger had he become compared to the past?
It was true that Wang Gao Yang was strong. Unfortunately, his strength could only be said to be on par with Mao Zhe, so how could he be Yang Kai’s opponent?
Beneath the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai could be said to be invincible. He even stood a fighting chance against a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master if he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form. Otherwise, he could not have lasted for so long during his battle with Shi Zheng.
Thanks to the protection of the World Spring in his Small Universe, there was no need for him to worry about it being shaken by the impacts from opponents in the same Order.
In contrast, Wang Gao Yang soon began to falter under the brutal collision of powers. His Small Universe became unstable, and the flow of his World Force became obstructed. Consequently, the power that he could exert was affected too.
Therefore, he looked extremely vexed. He had never encountered an opponent like Yang Kai before.
Under the never-ending attacks, he retreated steadily and hurriedly shouted, “Wait…”
“Get down!” Yang Kai ignored Wang Gao Yang and the Azure Dragon Spear slammed down wildly with the force of a falling mountain.
Wang Gao Yang raised his sword in defence. There was a loud explosion, then his entire figure plummeted like a falling meteor as he crashed downward.
As Wang Gao Yang was blown away, he didn’t forget to shout at the top of his lungs, “Yang Kai! How dare you abandon Junior Sister Gu after thoughtlessly sleeping with her!? I will never forgive you even if I die!”
The thunderous voice resounded across the void as Yang Kai’s expression instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
[This guy… Even after losing the battle, he does not forget to disgust me one last time!] He felt a slight twinge of regret. [I held back too much. I should have beat him up so badly that he can never speak another word again.]
“Bastard, I’ve finally found you!” A coquettish shout rang out at that moment, accompanied by a fiery-red figure who charged straight at Yang Kai. Without giving Yang Kai any time to react, a pair of tender fists smashed down on his head with an incomparably violent force.
This person was none other than Senior Sister Zhou, who met up with Lin Xuan earlier!
Rushing over from Lin Xuan’s place, she arrived just in time to see Yang Kai defeating Wang Gao Yang. She initially wanted to question Yang Kai thoroughly about the situation; after all, it would have been a happy and beautiful matter if Yang Kai and Gu Pan were in love with each other.
However, thanks to Wang Gao Yang’s remark, she immediately believed that Yang Kai had done something indecent, so how could she be in the mood for careful questioning? They could talk after she beat him up first!
Hence, a vicious wave of Fist Qi swept towards Yang Kai. He immediately held his spear horizontally across his chest in defence.
Following two consecutive explosions, he was sent flying backwards. An indescribably terrifying force ran rampant inside his body, causing the vitality in his chest to churn fiercely.
Meanwhile, Senior Sister Zhou was unforgiving. She stuck so close to him that it was almost as though she was his shadow. Her fists transformed into fist shadows that covered the entire sky, bombarding him indiscriminately with a series of attacks.
For a time, he was beaten so badly that he could barely react out of shock!
This woman who came out of nowhere was much stronger than Wang Gao Yang. Furthermore, her fighting style was simple but brutal. Her punches were not only fast, but each one was also packed with an intense Intent and the World Force of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Any ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be defeated quickly against this kind of opponent.
Having lost the initiative, Yang Kai could only defend desperately. Hundreds of punches struck his body in the short span of a few breaths, and he suffered so much pain that he grimaced.
Fortunately, her attacks did not seem to carry any killing intent. It would seem that she came with the intention of punishing him.
A short while later, Senior Sister Zhou stopped attacking and stood there looking at Yang Kai as she said coldly, “Follow me to go and meet Junior Sister Gu. You will obediently apologise to her and reflect on your mistakes, then you will write a letter to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to cancel your marriage with Qu Hua Shang. If you do that, then this incident will end here!”
Yang Kai shook his head hard, causing a series of cracking sounds to come from his entire body. Looking up at her, he grinned widely, “You are the first woman to ever punch me like this!”
The corners of her mouth lifted, “If you refuse to comply, then I’ll punch you even harder!”
“In that case, I’ll be looking forward to your performance!” A sense of aggression surged in Yang Kai’s heart.
Senior Sister Zhou’s expression became colder upon hearing those words as she asked, “Is Qu Hua Shang that great? You would rather take a beating than dissolve your marriage to her?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response and declared, “There is nothing going on between Junior Sister Gu and I. You are the ones who have misunderstood something!”
She gritted her teeth, “It might have been a misunderstanding if only one person had this misconception, but are you saying that so many people have misunderstood you? You really are a heartless thief after all!! Little Junior Sister is too naïve! Why did she fall for somebody like you!? Good! I’m going to beat you half to death! Let’s see if you will reflect on your mistakes when you’re lying bloody on the ground!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she charged towards him once more. Contrary to her expectations though, Yang Kai did not avoid her charge. He even put away the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands and raised his fists to meet her attacks.
In an instant, the two became locked in a brutal melee, their respective World Forces exploding out wantonly.
…..
“They’ve begun fighting!” In front of a Grand Hall, Li Yuan Wang stood with his hands behind his back as he looked out into the distance. His gaze seemed capable of breaking the barriers of space to clearly see what was happening far away. Next to him stood Gao Ting, one of the three Vice Sect Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
Gao Ting was also looking in the direction of the battlefield, and upon hearing those words, she turned to look at Li Yuan Wang and asked, “Is this really okay? Yang Kai killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the past. The children in the Sect won’t be his opponents.”
Li Yuan Wang chuckled, “Of course they’re not his opponents!”
Gao Ting frowned, “Be careful, or you might break their confidence!”
“I want to break their confidence a little, lest they mistakenly believe that they are amazing just because they come from one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The 3,000 Worlds has been at peace for so long that the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises are lacking in real training. They all believe that they stand above the others, refusing to look at those who did not come from a Cave Heaven or a Paradise. If turmoil breaks out one day, they are bound to suffer badly at this rate.”
Gao Ting’s scowl grew deeper, “Is the situation that serious?”
Li Yuan Wang shook his head, “It’s hard to say. Everything is murky right now, but it’s always better to prepare just in case.”
Gao Ting fell silent for some time and did not say anything else. She had initially wanted to stop this whole farce, but there was no reason to stop them if Li Yuan Wang, who was the Sect Master himself, planned to use Yang Kai for training purposes. Besides, facing some setbacks while growing up might not be a bad thing.
“How did the Ancestor respond?” Li Yuan Wang suddenly asked via Divine Sense.
Gao Ting replied, “The Ancestor said that you should go ahead with your plans. He will bear the responsibility!”
Li Yuan Wang nodded lightly, but his gaze was filled with pain, “Who knows how many people will die in Lang Ya Paradise? I hope not too many must be killed.”
…..
In the void, the battle was in full swing! All of a sudden, the two intertwined figures broke apart.
An unusual flush spread across Senior Sister Zhou’s face. She gritted her teeth and glared at Yang Kai, “I’m a woman! How dare you hit me!? I’ll kill you!”
Then, she lunged at Yang Kai with even greater ferocity; however, it didn’t take more than a few breaths for her to be sent flying through the void.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood alone with the air of a person who could hold himself against thousands of men with his strength alone and coldly snorted, “Next!”
A figure flew over and grabbed Senior Sister Zhou by the waist. He looked at her with a warm gaze and asked, “Are you okay?”
She turned away, refusing to let this person see the black eye she was sporting. In fact, she seemed rather bashful as she muttered, “I can’t beat him. This bastard might have a lousy character, but he is indeed very strong.”
The person who came exclaimed, “I’m going to take care of him!
“Be careful, Senior Brother Zhao!” She reminded him.
Senior Brother Zhao nodded and released his grip around her. With every step he took, the World Force aura around him became thicker as his momentum rose higher and higher.
Yang Kai turned to look at this person with a solemn expression.
Senior Brother Zhao stood ten paces in front of Yang Kai. His majestic World Force surging madly, pressing down on Yang Kai as though trying to put pressure on him.
Yang Kai remained motionless, simply standing there quietly as he stared at Senior Brother Zhao in return.
A short while later, Senior Brother Zhao frowned, “Why did you hit a woman?”
He initially wanted to use his rich World Force to intimidate Yang Kai, but who could have known that the other party would be so resilient in the face of his strength? It was only then that he realised his opponent was not an easy target. It made sense when he thought about it. If Yang Kai was such an easy target, Junior Sister Zhou would not have been defeated.
“Sorry…” Yang Kai suddenly muttered with resignation in his voice.
Senior Brother Zhao nodded in satisfaction, “It’s good that you can reflect on your mistakes! But, you shouldn’t be saying these words to me. You should say them to Junior Sister Zhou and Junior Sister Gu instead.”
Yang Kai said, “I’m saying it to you.”
Senior Brother Zhao was surprised, “Why?”
Yang Kai suddenly stretched out a hand. Mid-motion, his hand turned into a fist and he punched it out lightly as he shouted, “Cow Punch!”
Senior Brother Zhao instantly widened his eyes, reacting as though he had been struck by lightning. Opening his mouth, he spurted out a mouthful of blood and at the same time, his body staggered backwards.
Yang Kai sighed in a sorrowful manner, “Activating your World Force so recklessly will only reveal all your flaws to me! I couldn’t help myself. Sorry, Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai could only use his Cow Punch if he could trace back his opponent’s aura to its source. In other words, he had to track the other party’s World Force to their Small Universe in order to attack the latter directly.
In the midst of a fierce battle where World Force was moulded into attacks that were swiftly thrown at each other, it might have taken Yang Kai some effort to prepare; however, Senior Brother Zhao had recklessly and unscrupulously mobilised his World Force in front of Yang Kai. That was equivalent to pointing Yang Kai in the direction of the answer without the slightest concealment.
With one punch, Senior Brother Zhao was defeated!
All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters watching this battle from the shadows were horrified.
They had witnessed Yang Kai’s battles against Wang Gao Yang and Senior Sister Zhou just now; hence, there was no denying Yang Kai’s strength. Even veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Wang Gao Yang and Senior Sister Zhou were not his opponents. Nevertheless, the strength Yang Kai displayed had still been within the range of their cognition.
On the contrary, this most recent scene was simply too unbelievable. Senior Brother Zhao, who was significantly stronger than Wang Gao Yang and Senior Sister Zhou, was defeated by a single punch from the enemy and suffered severe injuries on the spot!
[Is he really in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!? Isn’t he a Seventh-Order Master hiding his cultivation?!] Be that as it may, the energy fluctuations coming from Yang Kai’s body clearly indicated that he was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Bystanders might not know why Senior Brother Zhao became injured all of a sudden, but Senior Brother Zhao himself understood clearly. Although that punch seemed almost powerless, a ferocious force had exploded within his Small Universe in that moment. It caused his Small Universe to shake and tumble, leading his World Force to almost go berserk as a result.
“Next!” In the void, Yang Kai looked around with a majestic and imposing air.
Many of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were eager to make a move earlier, had gone quiet now. Wang Gao Yang, Senior Sister Zhou, and Senior Brother Zhao had all been defeated; therefore, Yang Kai’s strength caused them to feel despair.
How could a cultivator who was not from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises be so powerful? As far as they knew, the Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always been stronger than ordinary cultivators. That was because their heritage was different. Within the same Order, unless there was a huge gap in accumulation, the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would always be stronger.
Therefore, all the onlookers felt extremely vexed inside their hearts.
Not only had Yang Kai toyed with the feelings of their adorable Little Junior Sister Gu Pan, but after thoughtlessly sleeping with her, he had the gall to abandon her! What’s more, he was unscrupulously and defiantly flaunting his strength in front of them now!
Even though they wanted to help seek justice for Gu Pan, they could not defeat Yang Kai. Going up against him would only bring more humiliation upon themselves. It was to the point where they had already disgraced Lang Ya Paradise completely at this point.
A figure stood on one of the Spirit Provinces, watching the scene from afar. He could not help frowning slightly at the sight. A short while later, he gave a small sigh. Taking a step forward, his figure instantly blurred in place. His movements were neither hurried nor slow, but his speed was extremely fast. By the time he took his second step, he was already standing in the void. On his third step, he had already arrived in front of Yang Kai. His black hair was dishevelled from the wind, but his figure was stalwart and upright. More importantly, his World Force surged fiercely around him.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at this person and grinned, “The heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises is indeed extraordinary!”
The people who came to challenge him were each stronger than the last. It started off with Wang Gao Yang, followed by Senior Sister Zhou, and then Senior Brother Zhao. And now, this person’s aura was even more powerful than the previous three.
“Senior Brother Le Mang! It’s Senior Brother Le Mang!” Somebody exclaimed from the shadows.
“Senior Brother Le Mang finally showed up! That bastard is going to get his just desserts!” Another person exclaimed in delight.
“How dare he bully the people of Lang Ya Paradise? That brat is too arrogant! He must be beaten so badly that he vomits three litres of blood!”
“Can Senior Brother Le Mang win against him? I just hope he doesn’t lose. That will really cause Lang Ya Paradise to lose all face….”
“Bah! Sect Master once said that Senior Brother Le Mang is the strongest person beneath the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in Lang Ya Paradise! How could he possibly fail to defeat that brat!? Not to mention, Senior Brother Le Mang effortlessly took first place in the Sect’s Martial Arts Meeting 300 years ago.”
“True! Don’t hold back against him, Senior Brother Le Mang! Beat him up until his face is black and blue!”
When this Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Le Mang appeared, many Divine Senses surged and interweaved in the surrounding void as the others chatted passionately with each other.
Yang Kai glanced at Le Mang, “Looks like you’re quite popular in Lang Ya Paradise!”
Le Mang chuckled, “As the Eldest Senior Brother, I have to act like the Eldest Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai suddenly recalled the memory of his training in the Divine Armament World and nodded lightly, “I was also an Eldest Senior Brother for a time.”
Le Mang’s eyes brightened slightly, “I’m sure we will have many common topics to talk about.”
“For example?” Yang Kai looked at Le Mang with a smile.
Le Mang replied, “For example, enmity should be resolved rather than settled. In my opinion, this dispute is unnecessary. Why don’t you just apologise to Junior Sister Gu or something, Junior Brother? Then, we can exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk instead. What do you think?”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “I had no intention of starting a fight in Lang Ya Paradise. It’s just that your Fellow Brothers refuse to listen to my explanation.”
Le Mang said, “But, you have to admit to your mistakes if you made a mistake. In this world, it is normal for a man and a woman to love each other. If you can remain faithful to Junior Sister Gu, the Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters will not make things difficult for you. Junior Sister Gu is young and it has not been long since she started cultivating. In the eyes of us Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, she is no more than a little girl. Nobody is willing to let her suffer any grievances. If anybody were to wrong her, then that person will be our enem… gah!” Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly raised a hand to clutch at his eyes. He stared at Yang Kai incredulously, “Junior Brother, why did you hit me? I was still speaking!”
Yang Kai raised his fist, which was as large as a pot, and pondered in silence for a moment, “I apologise, I couldn’t hold back. Please continue.”
Le Mang glanced at Yang Kai suspiciously before he continued, “I’ve heard about you and Qu Hua Shang, but it doesn’t matter. You have not completed your marriage ceremony yet, so you can just write a letter to Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to call off this marriage. The reputation of the Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples is not very good. How can Qu Hua Shang compare to Little Junior Sister… guh… why did you hit me again!?” He clutched at his other eye and complained a little unhappily, “Are you planning to hear me out?”
Yang Kai was already lunging forward like a tiger rushing down the mountain as he grinned, “You can continue speaking, I’ll just start attacking…”
Le Mang was furious, “Won’t I suffer a huge loss then!?”
While speaking, he charged forward to meet Yang Kai’s attack. Their World Forces collided with each other, and their figures became entangled like spinning tops. For a time, they soared up, down, left, and right, their battle spreading out in all directions across the void.
The rumbling sounds of their battle rang out incessantly, and terrifying energy fluctuations swept out across the world. The two figures moved so fast that most people could not see how the battle was going. There was no telling who was winning and who was losing.
In just a few dozen breaths of time though, the two figures suddenly separated. One person stood proudly while the other collapsed in a miserable state.
The spectators anxiously turned to look in that direction, but the sight that entered their eyes made their blood run cold. The person standing tall in the void was none other than Yang Kai. On the other hand, the person who had been knocked down was the strongest Master beneath the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm in Lang Ya Paradise, Le Mang.
Le Mang’s pitiful voice came from afar, “I might not be able to win against you, but my words are logical and reasonable. Will you admit your mistakes!?”
Yang Kai ignored Le Mang and looked around his surroundings like an eagle staring at a pack of wolves as he asked in a grim voice, “Who else?”
Silence reigned as not a single Open Heaven Realm Master hiding in the shadows answered.
Even Senior Brother Le Mang was no match for Yang Kai, so who else among the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise could defeat him? Thinking about it again, during the battle between Yang Kai and Senior Brother Le Mang earlier, the winner was decided in no more than a few dozen breaths of time! In other words, the gap between their strength was immense. It would have been impossible for the battle to end so quickly otherwise.
It was difficult to believe that an outsider could be so arrogant in their home; unfortunately, Yang Kai was outrageously strong. The Lang Ya Paradise disciples were filled with rage, grief, and indignation. In the battle today, Lang Ya Paradise had been thoroughly disgraced.
“Hmph! Is there no one who dares to fight amongst you?!” Yang Kai declared arrogantly.
All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise hiding in the shadows felt their faces twitch upon hearing those words. They were already filled with rage and indignation in the first place, but they had no choice but to admit that the opponent was truly powerful; after all, he openly won against the person who was deemed the strongest Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the Sect. That was why they could only hold back their rage no matter how humiliated they felt.
Nevertheless, on the Martial Dao, one generally grew braver after suffering humiliation! Not to mention, this brat just had to add fuel to the fire. He was being far too disrespectful towards Lang Ya Paradise. How could they bear such humiliation!?
“Everybody, attack together! Kill!” A furious roar came from the void and a figure emerged and charged straight towards Yang Kai. His expression was filled with a malevolent aura!
Immediately after that, the second figure emerged, followed by the third and then a fourth…
Yang Kai looked up and saw countless Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters charging towards him. There were people coming from all directions, and they surrounded him tightly in the blink of an eye.
He immediately broke out in cold sweat at the sight. Everywhere he looked, there were Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding him with savage expressions. Some were threateningly pounding their fists against their palm with loud thudding sounds. Others were grinning at him ferociously while sliding their fingers across their necks in an extremely vivid and threatening gesture.
Forcing himself to calm down, Yang Kai shouted righteously, “Ganging up against me when you can’t win alone… Have you no shame!?”
Despite their anger, they were still Lang Ya Paradise disciples after all, so when Yang Kai questioned them in that manner, many of them looked embarrassed. That was indeed the case. Since they could not defeat him alone, then they could only use numbers. It would be bad for their reputation if word got out about this incident.
“He is a person who has no care for dignity and abandons a woman after thoughtlessly defiling her! He is worthy of public punishment!” Somebody roared furiously.
“Right! That’s right! All have the right to punish such an evildoer!” Somebody else quickly nodded in agreement.
“Don’t waste time talking nonsense with him! Attack together!”
As soon as those words rang out, countless Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters charged forward at the same time and buried Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
A chaotic mess of World Forces fluctuated as the sound of punches and kicks rang out incessantly. Although many people were sent flying backwards, the openings this created were quickly filled by others.
Somebody who could not squeeze their way in from the outside became so anxious that they hopped from side to side. Whilst trying to squeeze their way in, they even shouted, “Senior Brothers, please move aside! Let me punch him once or twice to vent my anger!”
Yang Kai, who was being kicked and punched by the mob surrounding him, felt as though his lungs were about to burst from fury when he heard that statement.
If this were a life-or-death fight, he might have suffered a disastrous ending after being surrounded by so many people; however, he also might have been able to kill his way out of this encirclement. Regardless of the outcome, he would surely end up heavily injured while Lang Ya Paradise suffered countless casualties.
Unfortunately, this was not a real life-or-death fight. The Lang Ya Paradise disciples might be using a dishonourable method, but they held back in terms of their strength. One should not be fooled by how eager they seemed at the thought of slashing Yang Kai to a million pieces in order to relieve the hatred in their hearts. When they actually made a move against him, none of them dealt a serious or fatal blow. The force behind those punches and kicks could only cause him to suffer some flesh wounds at the most. Nevertheless, it was enough to teach him a lesson.
The kicking and punching continued, and there was no saying how many blows Yang Kai suffered with each passing moment. Fortunately, it did not matter too much since he had his Dragon Scale Armour to protect himself. These clothes were the manifestation of his Dragon Scales, so their defensive properties were extraordinary.
It was just that he could not protect his face. Some of the less scrupulous ones would specifically aim for this obvious opening, and the punches that struck him there left stars spinning around in his eyes.
“Hou…”
When a Dragon Roar rang out, a violent coercive force that was nearly tangible swept out in all directions. Numerous figures were sent flying, revealing Yang Kai who stood in the centre of the crowd that was besieging him.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s face was bruised, and his eyes were so swollen that they were no more than slits on his face. His entire appearance was a dishevelled mess. Glaring at the people around him angrily, he shouted through gritted teeth, “You’re all too much! Do you take this Yang as somebody who is weak and easy to bully!? If anybody else dares to take a step forward, then don’t blame this Yang for retaliating mercilessly!”
The countless Open Heaven Realm Masters who were pushed back earlier stared at him for a moment. Then… all of them charged forward again without saying a single word.
“Shameless!” Yang Kai cursed. His figure dropped downward all of a sudden. When he had fallen by several thousand metres, he abruptly turned around and fled in a certain direction to break out of their encirclement.
Numerous streams of lights followed closely behind him, sticking to him like shadows. Various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques blasted in his direction as somebody even yelled, “Don’t let that bastard escape!”
He dodged their attacks desperately. It felt as though he had fallen into a sea of Lang Ya Paradise disciples, and there was no way for him to outrun the people chasing behind him.
After suffering the defeat earlier, Yang Kai no longer dared to remain in one place for long. He would only be mobbed by the crowd again if he was surrounded once more. No matter how powerful he was, he could not fight against so many of Lang Ya Paradise’s elite disciples. More importantly, there was no life-or-death hatred between them, so the methods he could use were severely restricted.
Lang Ya Paradise boasted an inheritance that lasted for countless years and had been listed as one of the 72 Paradises since ancient times. Be that as it may, there had never been a day when it was as lively as today in recent history.
On one of the Spirit Provinces, a group of weaker Lang Ya Paradise disciples were listening to the teachings of an Open Heaven Realm Master. These disciples were in the Emperor Realm and below. Although their cultivation was low, they were the future of Lang Ya Paradise. The Martial Uncle instructing them was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. His teachings were generally explained using simple terms so that the disciples could benefit from his lecture.
Just as he reached an interesting point in the story he was teaching, a stream of light rushed past above their heads at the speed of lightning. All the students looked up in confusion, but the one teaching shouted sternly, “The greatest obstacle in the path of cultivation is being distracted. You should remain focused at all times!”
“Yes!” The disciples replied respectfully and quickly returned to their seats to listen intently.
*Shua shua shua…* Countless streams of light flew overhead after, during which someone could be heard shouted, “Quick! Hurry up! Senior Brother is restraining that brat up ahead! The bastard dared to toy with Little Junior Sister Gu’s feelings and refuses to pay after eating!”
“What!?” The Martial Uncle instructing the disciples below became livid upon hearing those words. He stood up and yelled, “How dare somebody toy with Junior Sister Gu’s feelings!? Which shameless man dares to do that!?”
After saying that, he too rushed into the sky.
The disciples sitting below looked at each other. What happened to the words he said earlier about how the largest obstacle in the path of cultivation was distraction and that they should remain focused at all times?
The Martial Uncle instructing the disciples abruptly turned back and looked at the group of disciples, “This is the end of today’s lesson. Go back and cultivate on your own. This Martial Uncle has something important to do right now. I will resume the lecture tomorrow!”
He left again after saying that.
The disciples immediately exploded in discussion with someone saying, “Did you hear that? One of the Martial Uncles claimed that somebody toyed with Martial Aunt Gu’s feelings! Who is this Martial Aunt Gu?”
“I know!” A female disciple said, “It’s that Martial Aunt who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and is expected to become an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future! She has a very high status in the Sect!”
“Just who is so daring as to do something like that?”,
“I’m afraid that person will suffer a disastrous end!”
“Hmph! If I meet that guy, I will definitely teach him a lesson! I hate heartless thieves who abandon a woman after thoughtless sex the most! If I can get a lover, I will definitely cherish her for the rest of my life!”
“Who abandoned whom after thoughtless sex!? Tell me! Who abandoned whom!?” A voice suddenly rang out from behind the disciples.
The crowd looked over in surprise only to see a young man standing behind them. His face was so bruised and swollen that his eyes were no more than slits on his face; still, it was clear he was currently glaring furiously at the person who spoke just now.
“You are…” That person who spoke earlier looked suspicious. [I’ve never met this person before. Who is he?]
In the midst of his confusion, the swollen-faced newcomer raised a palm and slapped the one who spoke. A powerful force descended from the skies, and the person who spoke earlier was slammed to the ground with his limbs spread out around him.
“An Open Heaven Realm Master!” The disciples were horrified.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I hate people like you who chatter away so confidently when you know nothing! Junior Sister Gu and I are innocent! What do you mean by abandoning her after thoughtlessly sleeping with her!?”
[This is the person all those Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts are chasing! Why is he here? Then, who is the person they were chasing?]
One of the female disciples swiftly used a Secret Technique and screamed loudly without the slightest hesitation, “Martial Uncles, save us! That heartless thief is here!”
Although she was not particularly powerful, she was still in the Emperor Realm, so how could the Open Heaven Realm Masters nearby fail to hear her shout? The crowd had been chasing Yang Kai when they suddenly lost sight of him, so they were currently searching for his whereabouts. Upon hearing that scream, they immediately came rushing over. Countless streams of light instantly entered Yang Kai’s field of vision once more.
Yang Kai felt his entire body ache at the sight. Glaring at the female disciple, he was astonished to see that the other party actually returned the glare without showing any weaknesses.
“Good, good, very good! You are all too excellent for words!” He gritted his teeth and quickly turned to flee. Needless to say, he did not cause trouble for the disciples in the Emperor Realm and the Dao Source Realm. That would be too unreasonable.
Seeing as he was proficient in the Dao of Sace, Yang Kai could easily escape his pursuers with his Instantaneous Movements once he fled out of the area covered by the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array; however, it didn’t take long for them to discover his whereabouts again.
It was not that Yang Kai’s ability was poor, but rather that he was at an extreme disadvantage due to the overwhelming number of enemies. No matter where he escaped, he would soon be found once more. Then, it would only take a shout for the many hunting Open Heaven Realm Masters to come rushing after him again.
[This is a mess…] Yang Kai was feeling a little speechless. He only came to Lang Ya Paradise to investigate the presence of those corrupted by the Black Ink Clan. Not only did he have no clues regarding those corrupted though, but now he was running around like a rat in the streets with all of Lang Ya Paradise trying to hunt him down.
The attention on him was too great at the moment, so he had to lay low for a few days. It would not be too late to reveal himself again once the commotion had died down.
Needless to say, Yang Kai could not return to Gu Pan’s place. She would surely have many Open Heaven Realm Masters monitoring her, so if he showed up, he would simply be forced to run again. It would only lead to an endless cycle.
[But… the most dangerous place is also often the safest place.] After thinking for some time, Yang Kai quickly came up with a brilliant idea.
A short while later, Yang Kai sank to the bottom of the enormous lake in the Spirit Province where Gu Pan resided. He concealed his aura and pretended to be one of the rocks.
[Nobody will find me if I hide here, right?]
Thinking back on everything that happened today, Yang Kai felt extremely vexed. He came here for the safety of Lang Ya Paradise only to be hunted to the ends of the Earth by them instead. Not to mention, he was beaten up by a large group of Open Heaven Realm Masters. His face was still bruised and swollen from the encounter. [I will definitely have a talk with Li Yuan Wang about this matter. I’m going to make him compensate me dearly for my losses!]
From time to time, Yang Kai would sense the movements of several Open Heaven Realm Masters passing by overheard. It was obvious that the Masters of Lang Ya Paradise were searching for his whereabouts.
In the beginning, the frequency of the Open Heaven Realm Masters passing by overhead was very high; however, with the passage of time, the frequency slowly reduced. It could be seen that the Open Heaven Realm Masters were slowly calming down, so they stopped trying so hard to find him.
After a few days, Yang Kai finally stopped detecting the traces of Open Heaven Realm Masters passing by overhead. Thus, his worries were gradually laid to rest.
Senior Sister Zhou landed on top of a certain Spirit Province. There were several people waiting for her below who cupped their fists in greeting as soon as they saw her, “Senior Sister Zhou.”
“How is it? Did you find any clues?” She asked.
They shook their heads in response, “We can’t find him. That brat is too good at hiding. We can’t detect his aura at all.”
She gnashed her teeth at those words, “I heard from Junior Sister Gu that he is very skilled at the Dao of Space, and excelled at escaping. It would now seem that those words were true!”
“Senior Sister Zhou, let’s just forget it. He is a guest after all. Besides, it’s a fact that we can’t defeat him. Having so many Fellow Brothers bullying him together is simply unreasonable!”
She glared at the person who spoke, “Bully him? Just who bullied whom? That bastard doesn’t even put Lang Ya Paradise in his eyes. Did you forget who claimed that he was invincible in Lang Ya Paradise?”
The others lowered their heads at those words. It had truly been a humiliating experience whenever they recalled that scene. They had to acknowledge Yang Kai’s strength, but it was too much for him to claim that there was not a single person who could fight him in Lang Ya Paradise. If that was not the case, they would not have ganged up on him in the first place.
“But, even if we find him, there is no guarantee that we can do anything to him with our strengths,” somebody said, “We each have our own respective duties to complete. Despite searching for the past several days, our efforts have been futile and we only managed to accumulate a bunch of unfinished tasks as a result. That’s the reason why many of us have already given up the search.”
Senior Sister Zhou’s brow furrowed tightly. What was said was true. She had fought Yang Kai herself, so she knew just how strong he was. With their current numbers alone, they might not be his opponent at all, but she simply couldn’t bear this rage and indignity!
At that moment, the Disciple Token hanging at her waist suddenly flashed a burst of light. It was not just her, the same was also true for the other disciples. She was stunned as she muttered, “An announcement from the Master Sect…”
The Disciple Token was not just a symbol of their identity; it could also be used to pass messages and information between each other. If only her token had reacted, then it might have been somebody sending her a private message. However, everybody’s tokens reacted at the same time, which could only mean that it was an announcement from Lang Ya Paradise.
Holding up their tokens, they all poured their Divine Senses into them. A short while later, their expressions became strange.
Senior Sister Zhou couldn’t help bursting into laughter, “That bastard surnamed Yang, let’s see if you don’t die now!”
The others also looked excited, “It looks like his actions have enraged the Sect Master. That’s why the Sect Master is mobilising all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise to deal with him!
“Won’t that be bad?” Somebody hesitated.
“It is the Sect Master’s orders. What’s so bad about it? What’s more, if we can capture him, then we will have the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World for training! Don’t you want to go?”
“Of course, I do! How can I not want that? The last time Senior Brother Zhao entered the Five Lights World for training, his cultivation rose significantly! It’s a pity that too many people are waiting in line. Even if I could join the line now, it would be hundreds of years before my turn.”
“If you want that opportunity, then don’t hesitate! Let’s form a team. The Sect Master said that there is no limit to the means or the number of people who can act. As long as those who work together succeed at capturing Yang Kai, then they will all be given priority to enter the Five Lights World for training!” Senior Sister Zhou clenched her tender fists with a cracking sound.
“We will follow Senior Sister Zhou!” Several people quickly nodded in agreement.
Inside the Grand Hall, Li Yuan Wang held a steaming cup of tea in his hands. Blowing on his tea, he took a sip and swallowed with a gulp. It was a blissful feeling!
One of the three Vice Sect Masters, Gao Ting, glanced sideways at Li Yuan Wang, “Sect Master, doing this… Aren’t you going overboard!?”
Li Yuan Wang had sent a message to all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Gao Ting herself had also received the message, in which the contents were written as clear as day, “Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai, displayed extremely defiant and arrogant behaviour recently. Not only did he come to Lang Ya Paradise and cause trouble, but his actions also greatly disgraced the Main Sect. Therefore, I order all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise to capture him quickly. There are no limits on the means or number of people involved. Moreover, anybody who has a hand in capturing Yang Kai will be rewarded with an opportunity to train in the Five Lights World!”
Gao Ting had been stunned upon seeing this message.
This entire farce started out as a small misunderstanding between the disciples. In addition, Yang Kai had remained hidden somewhere to avoid the limelight over the past few days. The Open Heaven Realm Masters pursuing him earlier were beginning to return to their positions and resume their duties, so it seemed that this farce was about to come to an end.
Who could have known that Li Yuan Wang would make a move at such a critical moment? How could the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise ignore the Sect Master’s orders? What’s more, the prize at the end was the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World!
At this rate, all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise would participate. Even the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might get involved…
“How is it going overboard? It’s perfect!” Li Yuan Wang continued drinking his tea without even raising his head.
Gao Ting sighed, “Sect Master, the situation is getting out of hand. I’m afraid it won’t end well.”
“It will be fine!” Li Yuan Wang smiled and waved his hand dismissively, “In fact, it would be best if things got out of hand. We can take advantage of the ruckus to catch a bigger fish…”
Upon hearing this, Gao Ting looked pensive and nodded after a moment, “I understand your intentions now, Sect Master.” Pausing slightly, he continued with a question, “But, Sect Master, are you sure you are not using official matters to exact your personal revenge? You should know that the rumours are just a misunderstanding, right?”
Li Yuan Wang chuckled, “Of course, I know. Don’t you think I understand what kind of person Pan’er is?”
Gao Ting looked at Li Yuan Wang speechlessly, [If you didn’t grit your teeth and look like you were about to tear someone apart when you were saying those words, I might have believed you! You’re clearly using this opportunity to get your revenge!]
It was true that the Sect Master knew that the rumours were just a misunderstanding; nevertheless, such rumours were damaging to Gu Pan’s reputation. It was only natural that he wanted to teach that brat a lesson.
Li Yuan Wang suddenly became serious, “I did this for two reasons. The first reason is that I want to muddy the waters further so that boy can work easily. The second reason is that I want the Lang Ya Paradise disciples to know what it means to always have somebody better than them out there.”
Gao Ting spoke against his conscience, “Sect Master is indeed wise. In that case, let us wait for good news.”
Beneath the huge lake, Yang Kai calmly lurked in his hiding place. He could no longer sense the auras of the Open Heaven Realm Masters passing overhead recently, so the storm was probably over; even so, he did not reveal himself so quickly just to be on the safe side. He planned to remain in hiding for a few more days.
However, all of a sudden, a large group of people radiating tyrannical energy fluctuations suddenly passed by overhead. Their Divine Senses were spread out into the surroundings, searching every corner of the area.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed at the sight as these people were clearly searching for him. [Why are they so persistent? This is so annoying…]
He was secretly glad that he did not reveal himself so rashly, or he would have faced another round of trouble; hence, he continued to wait in hiding.
Yang Kai soon realised that something was wrong though. Logically speaking, he had remained in hiding for so many days now that the Lang Ya Paradise disciples should have given up on their efforts by now. There were no life-or-death grudges between them after all. Even if he beat up a few people, they had returned just as many hits; therefore, they could be considered even.
Those who could cultivate to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were not petty and small-minded people who would go around recklessly forming blood feuds. In fact, there was a chance that they might become friends after exchanging blows.
Who could have known that Lang Ya Paradise would be so persistent? That was not all. The storm that had gradually subsided suddenly took a turn for the worse, and even more people began to search for traces of his whereabouts.
Above the lake, various powerful auras would pass by from time to time. Moreover, they travelled in groups ranging from two to five people. Most importantly, every single one of them was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
[What is going on?] Yang Kai was absolutely confused. After giving some thought to the situation, he took out a Communication Bead to ask Gu Pan about the current situation. He had the means to communicate with Gu Pan thanks to their interactions over the past few days, so his Divine Sense surged, and he sent the message out.
Inside the bamboo building, Gu Pan looked at the siblings, Gongsun Ri Hua and Gongsun Yue Hua, and begged, “Senior Brother Ri Hua, Senior Sister Yue Hua, please let me go.”
Gongsun Ri Hua and Gongsun Yue Hua shook their heads in unison. Gongsun Yue Hua said, “We can’t, Junior Sister. Our duty is to watch over you carefully and stop you from meeting that brat, lest you suffer losses again.”
Ever since Gu Pan was kidnapped by these siblings, the two of them had remained beside her without taking a single step away all this time. At present, she couldn’t even take a step out of this bamboo building, much less inquire about Yang Kai’s news.
Therefore, she was completely clueless as to what was happening to Yang Kai these days. It was just that there had been powerful energy fluctuations recently, but these energy fluctuations soon disappeared. After that, large groups of Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters had formed teams to search the area. In particular, the area around her Spirit Province was carefully searched. Many Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters would come to investigate from time to time.
Hearing Gongsun Yue Hua say this, Gu Pan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Senior Sister Yue Hua, there really is nothing going on between Senior Brother Yang and I. Won’t you just trust me this once?”
Gongsun Yue Hua replied, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but that boy has provoked public outrage and humiliated our Fellow Brothers and Sister. We need to find him and take revenge to regain our honour. Besides, the Sect Master…”
Gongsun Ri Hua suddenly coughed lightly, and Gongsun Yue Hua hurriedly fell silent.
Gu Pan looked from one to the other and suddenly felt an ominous feeling, “What happened with Honoured Master?”
“It’s nothing. Aha… haha… Junior Sister, don’t worry.” Gongsun Ri Hua waved his hand hastily.
At that moment, Gu Pan’s expression changed, “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I want to take a bath. Why don’t you stand down for a bit?”
The siblings exchanged a glance with each other before Gongsun Yue Hua said, “Then, we’ll be outside. If you behave well, I’ll make something delicious for you later.”
If Gu Pan wanted to take a bath, then there was no reason for them to stay in the same room.
Gu Pan nodded. When the siblings departed though, she closed the room door and set up a barrier. Only then did she take out a Communication Bead. Unfortunately for her, before she could immerse her Divine Sense to investigate the message, a slender, jade-white hand suddenly reached out from the side to snatch the Communication Bead from her.
Startled, she looked up only to see Gongsun Yue Hua smiling at her.
Gongsun Yue Hua reached out a hand and rapped her knuckles on Gu Pan’s head, “Junior Sister Gu, I can’t believe you’ve learned to lie to this Senior Sister now!”
Gu Pan was stunned, “Senior Sister, didn’t you leave the room?”
Gongsun Yue Hua smiled and held up the Communication Bead, “Is this the Communication Bead to contact Yang Kai?”
“No, Senior Sister! Please return it to me!”
Gongsun Yue Hua shook her head, “If it’s a Communication Bead to contact him, then I can’t return it to you. I’m sorry, Junior Sister Gu!”
While they were speaking, Gongsun Ri Hua entered the room. The siblings seemed to be connected in mind. She tossed the Communication Bead to her Big Brother and stopped Gu Pan from acting out.
Then, Gongsun Ri Hua sat down and poured his Divine Sense into the Communication Bead to probe the message contained inside. A short while later, he raised his head and said, “It’s him!”
Gongsun Yue Hua asked, “What did he say?”
He replied, “He is asking Junior Sister Gu about the situation in Lang Ya Paradise. It seems that he is hiding very deeply, so he doesn’t know what has been happening outside recently.”
“Ask him where he is.”
He nodded lightly. With a surge of his Divine Sense, he sent out a message.
Beneath the lake, Yang Kai waited quietly for a moment. When he sensed a return message from Gu Pan, he quickly checked it; however, his expression immediately became strange. After pondering in silence for a bit, he replied to the message with one of his own.
Inside the bamboo building, the Communication Bead fluctuated slightly. Gongsun Ri Hua hurriedly checked the message, but he soon scratched his head in confusion, “What is he saying?”
“What’s wrong?” Gongsun Yue Hua looked over suspiciously. Gu Pan also looked nervous. She was worried that Yang Kai might expose his whereabouts because he was unaware of the situation.
With an affectionate look on his face, Gongsun Ri Hua slowly recited, “The mountains are picturesque, but they cannot compare to the small mole between your brow. It doesn’t matter even if the world is overturned, after all, it’s nothing but transient prosperity compared to you.”
Gongsun Yue Hua snapped with a dark expression, “I am your Little Sister! Who do you think you are talking to!?”
He quickly explained, “That’s what he said!”
Gu Pan was extremely surprised, “Senior Brother Yang said that?”
“That’s right!” Gongsun Ri nodded repeatedly.
Gongsun Yue Hua glanced teasingly at Gu Pan, “And, you said that there’s nothing between the two of you when he is spewing such cringe-worthy words? Although this brat’s character isn’t anything good, it seems he has a sweet tongue. Junior Sister, you’re too naïve. No wonder you were deceived by him.”
Gu Pan only wore an odd look on her face as she asked, “Senior Brother Ri Hua, what did you say to Yang Kai earlier?”
Gongsun Ri Hua replied casually, “Nothing much. I just asked how he was doing. I didn’t dare to ask where he was, for fear of alerting him.”
“What were your exact words?” Gu Pan demanded.
He scratched his face apologetically, “That’s the gist of what I meant.”
“The exact words!” Gongsun Yue Hua also pressed for an answer with a curious look.
Gongsun Ri Hua cleared his throat, “Are you okay, Senior Brother Yang? Did you get hurt?”
Gu Pan breathed a sigh of relief. Gongsun Yue Hua nodded and said, “That’s nothing.”
Gongsun Ri Hua continued, “…Xiao Pan’er, who deeply misses you!”
Gu Pan’s face instantly turned beet-red, and she stomped her feet angrily, “Senior Brother Ri Hua, I’m going to ignore you in the future!”
“What did I do wrong?” Gongsun Ri Hua didn’t seem to understand.
Gongsun Yue Hua pondered for a moment and shook her head, “There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
“Oh? There’s another message!” Gongsun Ri Hua exclaimed and hurriedly checked the message.
“What did he say this time?” Gongsun Yue Hua asked quickly.
“He said, ‘Enter my heart (Xiang Si Sect) to understand the bitterness of my lovesickness (Xiang Si). In the long term, my lovesickness (Xiang Si) is forever. In the short term, my lovesickness (Xiang Si) is infinite!’ Huh? Which Sect is this Xiang Si Sect?” Gongsun Ri Hua looked confused.
“Moron!” Gongsun Yue Hua smacked her Big Brother mercilessly, “Those are flirtatious words. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This brat’s mouth is as sweet as honey. Junior Sister Gu, be careful of men like him. Men with honeyed words cannot be trusted!”
Gu Pan sat on the edge of the bed, too exhausted and exasperated to explain anything. Nevertheless, she felt a little at ease. Seeing as Senior Brother Yang was answering in such a manner, then he must have noticed something was off; otherwise, he would never be so frivolous.
“How should we reply to him?” Gongsun Ri Hua asked.
“I’ll do it!” Gongsun Yue Hua volunteered and took the Communication Bead from the hands of her Big Brother. After pondering in silence for a while, she sent out a message with a surge of her Divine Sense.
Deep beneath the lake, Yang Kai held the Communication Bead between his fingers. He raised his brow at the message and murmured softly to himself, “Compared to a night of lovesickness… even the ends of the world are not vast enough to convey this loneliness! Who is this!?”
He could be certain that Gu Pan’s Communication Bead was no longer in her possession; otherwise, she would never have spoken in such a manner. Nevertheless, he was not worried for her safety. She was a Lang Ya Paradise Core Disciple. Even if she had been kidnapped by a pair of twins previously, Lang Ya Paradise’s main purpose was to separate him from her. They had no intention of harming her.
[To think they even tried to contact me by imitating Gu Pan.] Whilst he was feeling speechless, the Communication Bead received another message, “Senior Brother, where are you? I’ll come and find you!”
Yang Kai smacked his lips. [I guess they couldn’t resist asking about my whereabouts.]
After briefly considering his answer, he replied to the message.
Inside the bamboo building, Gongsun Yue Hua announced excitedly, “Found him!”
Gongsun Ri Hua quickly asked, “Where is he?”
She shook her head, “He doesn’t know his exact location either. There are countless Spirit Provinces in Lang Ya Paradise, so he does not know the name of the one where he is hiding. Even so, he gave us some clues.”
Gongsun Ri Hua grinned, “It’ll be easy with clues! Pass the information to our Fellow Brothers and Sisters and ask them to split up to search for him. I’m sure we’ll find him soon!”
Nodding in agreement, Gongsun Yue Hua quickly passed the message on to the others.
Inside Lang Ya Paradise, the Open Heaven Realm Masters who formed teams to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts suddenly received a communication from the Gongsun siblings. They immediately became overjoyed after reading this message. Although the clues provided were not comprehensive, it was still better than how they were forced to wander around like headless flies right now. As long as they focused their search around the clues, they would eventually discover Yang Kai’s hiding place.
Many Open Heaven Realm Masters instantly began searching with all their might.
In just half a day, they found a Spirit Province that was very similar to what was described in the clues. The first team to discover the place was led by Senior Brother Zhao, who was previously severely injured by a single Cow Punch from Yang Kai. Senior Brother Zhao stared at the Spirit Province in front of him with some hesitation, “It can’t be, right? Is he hiding here?”
Another Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on the team spoke through gritted teeth, “That brat is treacherous indeed. I can’t believe he was hiding here. It’s no wonder we failed to find him even after all this time!”
At this time, several other teams also arrived here in their search. It was obvious that they had been following the clues. Everybody looked at each other with slightly speechless expressions.
That couldn’t be helped. The Spirit Province in front of them belonged to the Sect Master. The Sect Master had an extremely hectic schedule, so he spent most of his time at the Main Conference Hall located on the central Spirit Province. Although he rarely returned to his residence, there was no doubt that this Spirit Province belonged to him. Under normal circumstances, nobody would dare to come here for no reason.
“Should we inform the Sect Master?” Somebody asked tentatively.
“That brat is as cunning as a fox. I’m sure he noticed the commotion when we rushed over. If we take the time to inform the Sect Master, he will surely escape. Let’s take action first and talk later. Once we capture the thief, the Sect Master will not blame us!”
“That’s true!”
“In that case, let’s begin!” Senior Brother Zhao shouted and took the lead to charge towards the Spirit Province. Everybody else quickly followed closely. More than a dozen Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters swarmed into the Spirit Province in an instant as their Divine Senses spread out unscrupulously, searching for traces of anything suspicious.
A short while later, even more Open Heaven Realm Masters who received the information rushed over. It was not just the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but also the Fifth-Order and even Fourth-Order Masters who had joined in. Even though Li Yuan Wang only sent the message to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, this matter was a raging topic in Lang Ya Paradise, so it was only natural for the news to spread quickly.
Upon learning that capturing Yang Kai would give them the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World for training, even the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wanted to try their luck. They could not dismiss the chance that they might be lucky enough to obtain that opportunity despite knowing that it was impossible for them to compete against Yang Kai. It was the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World for training! Normally, only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had the qualifications to obtain the rights to entry.
In less than an hour, over 1,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in the Spirit Province.
Li Yuan Wang’s Spirit Province was not considered a Restricted Area in Lang Ya Paradise, but few people generally came here; therefore, it was an unprecedented sight for over 1,000 people to gather in this place. Not to mention that every one of them was in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above.
In the beginning, they could be considered restrained and only used their Divine Senses to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts; however, their methods became increasingly forceful after some time, so much so that they practically dug up the entire Spirit Province.
When Sect Master Li Yuan Wang received the news and rushed over, he saw that the once prosperous and picturesque Spirit Province had become a complete mess. The entire Spirit Province was broken and ruined. Looking down at the scenery below, his brow twitched violently.
When they noticed the arrival of the Sect Master, all the Open Heaven Realm Masters hurriedly bowed in greeting, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
“What are you all doing?” Li Yuan Wang asked grimly.
Senior Brother Zhao stepped forward and cupped his fist, “Reporting to Sect Master, we are searching for Yang Kai!”
Li Yuan Wang felt his chest tighten as he asked in a slightly higher-pitched tone, “If you are searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts, then why are you searching my residence?”
Senior Brother Zhao replied, “We received solid information saying that Yang Kai is hiding here!”
“Huh?” Li Yuan Wang was surprised, “Where did you get this information?”
“It was sent by Junior Brother Gongsun Ri Hua and Junior Sister Gongsun Yue Hua. They seemed to have discovered the information from the communication between Junior Sister Gu Pan and Yang Kai.”
Li Yuan Wang mulled over this news and vaguely understood how the entire situation came about. He then asked with a stern expression, “Then… have you found him?”
Senior Brother Zhao shook his head, “Not yet!”
“Idiots, the lot of you!” Li Yuan Wang roared furious, “How can you not realise that you’re being led by the nose by the enemy!? How did my Lang Ya Paradise raise such fools!?”
Senior Brother Zhao was extremely stunned, “Sect Master, do you mean to say that Yang Kai is not hiding here?”
Li Yuan Wang was absolutely devastated as he shouted, “If he was hiding here, how could he possibly escape this King’s perception!? Even this King does not detect him anywhere, so how are you expecting to find him here!?”
Senior Brother Zhao bowed his head in contemplation. After a while, he suddenly seemed to come to a realisation, “Disciple understands now!”
Li Yuan Wang looked at Senior Brother Zhao, “What do you understand?”
“The siblings, Gongsun Ri Hua and Gongsun Yue Hua, have defected to the other side. In order to act as decorative thugs, they have deliberately spread fake news to confuse us!” Senior Brother Zhao quickly and enthusiastically declared.
Li Yuan Wang felt something hot and sweet rising up in his throat and nearly coughed up blood as a result. He then looked at Senior Brother Zhao in despair and earnestly gave a warning, “In the future, don’t lower your head when you walk!”
Senior Brother Zhao was confused, “This Disciple does not understand. Please enlighten me, Sect Master!”
Li Yuan Wang sighed, “This King is worried that the water in your head will accidentally spill out!” Turning his head to the side, he waved his hand dismissively, “Scram, scram! All of you get lost!”
When the disciples saw that the Sect Master was in a terrible mood, they quickly ran away in fear. However, Senior Brother Zhao continued to mull over the Sect Master’s words. Whilst walking, he shook his head and turned to the Junior Brother beside him with a puzzled look, “Do I have water in my head?”
The Junior Brother glanced at Senior Brother Zhao and answered cautiously, “Everybody has water in their head, right?”
“Oh!” Understanding seemed to strike Senior Brother Zhao; thus, he hurriedly raised his head so that his nose pointed towards the sky.
A figure suddenly appeared beside Li Yuan Wang. Observing the messy ground below, he smiled lightly, “Sect Master, about that stone you dropped before, does your foot hurt?”
Li Yuan Wang sighed, “That’s quite enough gloating! This is that brat’s first time here, so he couldn’t have known that this Spirit Province belonged to this King. Xiao Pan’er probably just told him about it when she took him on a tour around Lang Ya Paradise.”
Gao Ting nodded, “Now that he is being chased and surrounded by countless Lang Ya Paradise disciples, he is undoubtedly annoyed that you, the Sect Master, are not stopping their movements. That’s why he deliberately invited them here to annoy you.”
“I swear I’m going to get even with him!” Li Yuan Wang was livid.
Gao Ting revealed a look of admiration, “That boy sure is stubborn. Despite being in quite a bind, he refuses to come to you. Honestly, he could have talked to you about the situation and asked you to step forward to put an end to everything.”
Li Yuan Wang coldly snorted, “It’s not like he knows about the order this King issued!”
Gao Ting nodded lightly, “That’s true!”
Meanwhile, many streams of light raced through the sky above the Spirit Province where Gu Pan lived. A very large group of Open Heaven Realm Masters then landed in front of the bamboo building.
Noticing the commotion, Gongsun Ri Hua and Gongsun Yue Hua quickly walked out to investigate the situation, but both of them were taken aback by the sight that greeted them.
“Senior Brother Zhao, have you caught the thief?” Gongsun Ri Hua asked.
Senior Brother Zhao turned his nose up and squinted at Gongsun Ri Hua, “Traitor!”
Gongsun Ri Hua was stunned… [Huh? Why did I suddenly become a traitor?]
Before Gongsun Ri Hua could make sense of the situation, Senior Brother Zhao gestured with his large hand, “Beat him up!”
A large number of Open Heaven Realm Masters sprang out from behind and buried Gongsun Ri Hua under them in the blink of an eye. The sound of kicking and punching came out, mixed with the sound of Gongsun Ri Hua’s cries of agony!
Gongsun Yue Hua watched helplessly as her Big Brother was surrounded and beaten by so many people. She couldn’t help shuddering at the sight. Although she did not understand the situation, she didn’t dare to stop them either!
After a while, the crowd finally dispersed. Gongsun Ri Hua was beaten black and blue and left lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
“Let’s go!” Senior Brother Zhao waved his large hand and flew away arrogantly with a group of people following behind him.
“Just what is going on!?” Gongsun Ri Hua shouted furiously from where he lay on the ground with a badly swollen face. His Fellow Brothers suddenly came to beat him up and left just as abruptly as they came. These actions left him completely confused. [What happened to Yang Kai? Did they manage to capture him?]
Gongsun Yue Hua watched from the side in trepidation. It was fortunate that she was a woman, which made it difficult for their Fellow Brothers to hit her; otherwise, there would have been one more person lying on the ground right now.
Gu Pan hid behind Gongsun Yue Hua, looking apologetic. She had a vague guess about the situation, but she was in no position to explain; therefore, she could only silently apologise in her heart.
Above the lake, a team of three people suddenly turned back after leaving earlier. One of those three people was Senior Brother Zhao.
Senior Brother Zhao held his head high and glanced at the lake below him out of the corner of his eye. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he asked, “Has anybody checked the bottom of this lake?”
The two Junior Brothers beside him shook their heads in unison. The one that looked slightly younger answered, “Although nobody checked the bottom of the lake, many Fellow Brothers have passed by from above over the past few days. Their Divine Sense perception did not detect any abnormalities.”
Senior Brother Zhao shook his head and said, “We can’t be careless. Yang Kai is a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Not to mention, he is extremely strong. I’m certain he has some Secret Techniques to conceal his aura so that he can escape Divine Sense perception. It might not mean that he is not hiding here. Don’t people always say that the most dangerous place is the safest one to hide in? Junior Sister Gu is being placed under heavy watch here. For all we know, maybe that brat likes taking risks!”
The Junior Brother nodded repeatedly, “Your words make sense, Senior Brother Zhao! I’ll go down and take a look!”
“You can’t!” Senior Brother Zhao raised a hand to stop his Junior Brother, “You might be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but you are definitely not his opponent. If he really is hiding underwater, then you will suffer a tragic fate if you go alone.”
Beneath the lake, Yang Kai held his breath and concentrated with a frown. The auras of the three Open Heaven Realm Masters above him were like bright lights in the dark night, so how could he not perceive them?
[Have my whereabouts been exposed? That shouldn’t be. I have not revealed any flaws. These three are probably hanging around for some other reason.]
Under the current circumstances, he did not dare to move about rashly. He was unfamiliar with the land and the people in Lang Ya Paradise, so finding a new hiding place would not be easy. If he was discovered here, then he would need to continue escaping.
A World Force that seemed rather familiar suddenly surged violently from above. Immediately after that, Yang Kai was astonished to discover that the water in the lake was seething fiercely. The water ascended all at once, as though there was an invisible force pulling it upward. In the blink of an eye, all the water in the lake became suspended in mid-air and the scenery at the depths became unobstructed.
High up in the sky, Senior Brother Zhao’s World Force fluctuated vigorously. He was holding his hands above his head in a lofty manner. It was obvious that the anomaly in the lake was caused by a Secret Technique that he used. The lake might be large, but such a feat was not difficult for a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him.
The two Junior Brothers by the side praised Senior Brother Zhao greatly, “Senior Brother Zhao, you are amazing!”
“Your skills are truly strong and powerful, Senior Brother Zhao! This Junior Brother is impressed!”
Senior Brother Zhao stood with his nose in the air as usual but humbly replied, “It’s nothing. These are just some paltry tricks… Huh?”
Before he could finish speaking, he glanced at the bottom of the lake out of the corner of his eye and noticed something. There was a familiar figure standing there, silently gawking at him.
The other two Junior Brothers also noticed Yang Kai at this moment. They were both surprised and delighted as they shouted, “Your genius truly knows no bounds, Senior Brother Zhao! That bastard really was hiding here!”
At the bottom of the lake, Yang Kai was feeling speechless. [How did you find me when I hid myself so thoroughly? They are not giving me the chance to have a peaceful and quiet life at all! I only came to Lang Ya Paradise for the Black Ink Clan and the people corrupted by the Black Ink. Just what sin did I commit for this calamity to befall me!?]
Looking at the instigator known as Senior Brother Zhao, Yang Kai was filled with resentment!
Senior Brother Zhao suddenly had an ominous feeling, but before he could react, he saw Yang Kai slowly throwing a punch in his general direction.
“Cow Punch!”
*Pu…*
His Small Universe was shaken by the impact. Consequently, fresh blood spurted out of his mouth and his aura slumped instantly. The whole scenario seemed strangely familiar…
“Senior Brother Zhao!” The two Junior Brothers nearby were shocked by the sight.
Before their voices could even carry far, all the lake water that was being suspended in mid-air by Senior Brother Zhao’s Secret Technique came crashing down. This was the result of his Small Universe being bombarded by Yang Kai’s Cow Punch. His Small Universe had been shaken so badly that his World Force could not flow properly.
When the huge amount of lake water came crashing down, the entire Spirit Province seemed to tremble from the impact.
Yang Kai’s figure penetrated the falling lake water and charged towards Senior Brother Zhao with an air of cold hostility.
Senior Brother Zhao’s expression changed drastically as he shouted, “Watch out!”
He struggled to mobilise his World Force and swung his fist at Yang Kai. Unfortunately, due to the severe shock to his Small Universe, he couldn’t even muster up enough strength to rival a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s power with this blow.
Yang Kai raised his hand and parried the attack easily. At the same time, he punched out and hit Senior Brother Zhao directly in the face.
A violent force erupted and stars burst out in Senior Brother Zhao’s vision as he plummeted to the ground like a meteorite falling out of the sky.
The reaction of the two Junior Brothers in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were not slow. When Senior Brother Zhao took the hit, they simultaneously attacked from both sides, using the best Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities they could in that short time, throwing everything they had at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai abruptly turned his head to look at the person on his left and grinned savagely. Under the disbelieving stare of the other party, he took the attack head-on just to close in on him.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was instantly shocked to the core! There were no life-or-death grudges between them, so he had held back in his attack; nevertheless, even if he held back his strength, he was still a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. No ordinary Master could have taken his attacks so lightly.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai had taken the attack head-on without flinching. The expression on his face barely even changed.
Therefore, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wondered whether he had held back too much. The power of his Secret Technique might have failed to come through as a result. Before the thought could finish forming in his head though, a fist slammed into his lower abdomen. An indescribably terrifying force burst out, and he immediately doubled over in pain, his complexion going pale.
“Get down!” Yang Kai flipped around and kicked his victim to the ground. That man crashed down beside the unconscious Senior Brother Zhao.
Having witnessed his two Senior Brothers suffering such a brutal fate, how could the remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master remain ignorant of Yang Kai’s strength? In his desperation, he didn’t even dare to hold back his strength and fiercely urged the power of his Small Universe. His palms transformed into palm shadows that covered the entire sky, looming down on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai ignored the attacks and lunged towards the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Charging straight at the man, he easily countered the attack under the other party’s horrified gaze.
The two of them became entangled in battle, and their World Forces collided viciously. As soon as they exchanged blows with each other though, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master immediately felt an ominous sensation. The heritage of his Small Universe was significantly weaker than the other party’s. Such a reckless fight would definitely end in a loss for him. Unfortunately, he was stuck riding a tiger and could not get down. It was impossible for him to get away from Yang Kai now.
Three moves later, his complexion turned deathly pale and his figure became unsteady. Five moves later, he was seeing stars. His Small Universe was shaking uncontrollably like an ancient building that had just experienced an earthquake. Accordingly, his fighting ability decreased steadily.
“You get down too!” Yang Kai shouted and his palm came smashing down.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master screamed in agony and dropped straight to the ground. His fall created a large crater. Lying in the middle of the depression, he couldn’t find the strength to move at all.
Looking up at the young man descending from the sky, all three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise lying side-by-side on the ground experienced a mixture of extremely complicated emotions.
They were all Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but the other party had defeated all three of them on his own in such a short span of time. Not to mention, it was an overwhelmingly one-sided victory. All parties had held back since they were not fighting a life-or-death battle, but even if it had been a real battle, these three were certain that they would not have fared any better.
[Is he really a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? Is there such a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? How is this possible?!]
Yang Kai landed in front of those three and clasped his hands behind his back. Looking down at them from above, he smacked his lips and asked, “Why did you have to do this, Senior Brothers? Would it kill you to leave me hiding safely below? Why did you have to force me to reveal myself?”
Two of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters looked ashamed, but Senior Brother Zhao remained resolute. Even though he was lying on the ground, his head remained raised slightly. He didn’t even look straight at Yang Kai and only glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes.
Yang Kai noticed Senior Brother Zhao’s posture and wondered, [Is he really that stubborn?]
Thinking about it again, this person had fought Yang Kai twice. On both occasions, he had been injured by the Cow Punch Secret Technique before he could even do anything. It was only natural that he felt resentful inside. After all, it was understandable for disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises to be somewhat prideful of their respective strengths.
At this moment, the Disciple Tokens hanging around the trio’s waists suddenly fluctuated with a weak pulse of energy in unison. They quickly checked the message, and a few moments later, Senior Brother Zhao sighed and said, “It’s our defeat, so we will withdraw now. In the future, we won’t cause any more trouble for you.”
“Quit what?” Yang Kai scowled deeply.
Senior Brother Zhao replied, “The Sect Master issued an order…”
“Senior Brother Zhao!” One of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nearby quickly interrupted.
The people who successfully captured Yang Kai would obtain the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World for training. That was the order issued directly by the Sect Master himself; however, it would seem that Yang Kai was ignorant of the situation. Since he did not know, then it would be better to continue keeping him in the dark; after all, if the news were to spread that all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had mobilised against a single person in their own territory, Lang Ya Paradise would undoubtedly lose a lot of face.
Yang Kai glanced at the one who spoke earlier before he turned to look at Senior Brother Zhao pensively, “Are you hiding something from me?”
The person who spoke earlier quickly denied, “No! No! It’s nothing! Junior Brother Yang, you’ve misunderstood me!”
“Is that so?” Yang Kai grinned savagely. Then, he formed a fist with one hand and an open palm with the other. Palming his fist, the thudding sound of flesh against flesh echoed as he approached them slowly.
“We’ve already lost. What else are you going to do to us?” All three of them turned pale with fright.
A short while later, Yang Kai stood in front of the three people whose faces were swollen and bruised and snarled through gritted teeth, “Li Yuan Wang, I’ll get you back for this!”
He never imagined that Li Yuan Wang would use him as a sharpening stone to train the Lang Ya Paradise disciples. Li Yuan Wang had even gone so far as to issue an order saying that the person who managed to capture Yang Kai would obtain the right to enter the Five Lights World for training as a reward.
This was something that had been puzzling Yang Kai recently. After hiding for a few days, it seemed like this incident was going to blow over and things were about to end peacefully. Contrary to his expectations, however, the storm suddenly kicked up again for some reason. The number of people searching for him increased dramatically. Moreover, they were much more enthusiastic than before.
It turned out Li Yuan Wang was pulling the strings all along!
The chance to train inside a Small Source World was an extremely precious opportunity even in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. How could the Open Heaven Realm Masters not go all out with such a reward being offered?
However, there was one thing Yang Kai could not understand.
[Li Yuan Wang knows the real reason I came to Lang Ya Paradise. Since he knows, why is he doing this? Isn’t it better to investigate quietly? Unless… He is trying to muddy the waters? It’ll be easier to blind the fish and catch them all in one fell swoop that way!]
All of a sudden, Yang Kai understood Li Yuan Wang’s ideas and intentions. [Even so, would it kill you to inform me beforehand!? You issued the order without even telling me anything! If not for my strength, the person lying on the ground with a swollen and bruised face would have been me instead!]
Li Yuan Wang’s order could not be concealed. Yang Kai was bound to learn the truth sooner or later. It was only out of this consideration that Senior Brother Zhao and the two others had revealed this matter to Yang Kai lest they suffer at his hands again.
Be that as it may, Li Yuan Wang had issued another order just now. Those who were defeated by Yang Kai would have to withdraw and could no longer participate in this training. There was no doubt that this order was beneficial to Yang Kai. He could not kill the Lang Ya Paradise disciples after all, so even if he defeated them, they could simply recover and make a comeback. If that were the case, it would only form an endless cycle.
[Is he planning to make me fight all of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise!?] There was no saying whether Yang Kai might be able to discover something in the process of fighting, but that was undoubtedly what Li Yuan Wang was aiming for!
It was not to say that this was not a valid method, but… Yang Kai could not help feeling very displeased. For some reason, he felt as though he had been used. Anybody else in his shoes would not have been comfortable with the idea either.
Fixing his gaze upon Senior Brother Zhao and the other two, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something and grinned.
The three of them had been beaten so badly by Yang Kai that they were now traumatised. Thus, they subconsciously shuddered in fear under his seemingly predatory gaze. Senior Brother Zhao, as the group’s leader, plucked up his courage and asked warily, “What do you want?”
Yang Kai responded with a straight face, “Don’t be nervous. You’re Senior Brother Zhao, right? Your Space Ring looks very exquisite. I like it very much! Can I have a look?”
Senior Brother Zhao couldn’t help widening his eyes at those words. [Isn’t this daylight robbery!?]
Most of his wealth was contained inside his Space Ring. If he were robbed of everything, then how was he supposed to survive in the future? Therefore, he immediately clutched at his Space Ring and yelled, “Don’t even think about it!”
[Since Li Yuan Wang wants to muddy the waters, then I am going to do exactly what he wants! However, I refuse to be used for nothing. Seeing as he made the first move, then he can only blame himself if I retaliate in kind!]
Nevertheless, robbing the Open Heaven Realm Masters of their Space Rings was a little too much. Even Yang Kai could not bring himself to do something like that. He only said that just to frighten Senior Brother Zhao and the others so that he could advance by retreating.
A short while later, Yang Kai came to an agreement with those three.
Senior Brother Zhao glared at Yang Kai furiously and snarled, “You’re deranged!”
Yang Kai snapped impatiently, “Stop complaining. Everybody, hand over a set of Sixth-Order materials or items of the same value! If you refuse, then I will hang you up like an offering to the Heavens on that Spirit Province over there!”
While speaking, he took out a bare tree trunk from somewhere and held it in front of him as though he was holding a flagpole. Moreover, the Spirit Province he was talking about was none other than the place where all the weaker Lang Ya Paradise disciples lived.
Senior Brother Zhao and the others couldn’t help feeling a bitter aftertaste in their mouths, almost as though they had bitten into a sour gourd. Unfortunately, they were helpless to fight back when faced with such an invincible enemy. If they were tied to the tree trunk on the Spirit Province in the distance, they would be seen by countless lower Lang Ya Paradise disciples. How could they hold their heads high in the future?
A set of Sixth-Order materials was certainly worth a lot. If these materials were converted into Open Heaven Pills, they would be worth at least 100 million Open Heaven Pills each. Be that as it may, this price was something that the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Lang Ya Paradise could afford to pay.
Comparing one’s dignity to one’s wealth, there was no doubt that the former was much more important.
What’s more, Yang Kai had previously planned to rob them of their Space Rings entirely. If he were to do that, then their losses would only become greater; hence, his price was not unacceptable to these three even though it was undeniably high.
Looking at each other, the three of them each took out some materials to hand to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grinned from ear to ear, “Senior Brothers, you are so magnanimous. This Junior Brother is overwhelmed by your favour!”
All three of them had cold expressions on their faces. None of them said a word as they sat down cross-legged to recover from their injuries.
Yang Kai took several steps forward before seeming to recall something. Digging around in his Space Ring for a while, he suddenly tossed a Spirit Pill to each of them, “This is a healing pill refined by Void Land. The effects are pretty good. You should give it a try, Senior Brothers!”
“Will this cost us money?” One of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters asked warily, clearly still traumatized by the banditry he had just experienced.
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment, “I can name a price if you’d like.”
That Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s expression darkened, and he looked like he wanted to slap himself on the mouth.
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “I was joking. Senior Brothers, please rest assured. This Yang is also reasonable. Since I have received proper payment already, I won’t trouble you any further.”
After saying that, he manipulated Space Principles and his figure vanished out of sight.
Once they confirmed that Yang Kai was gone, Senior Brother Zhao and the other two finally breathed a sigh of relief in unison. All three of them could not understand how the situation ended up like this. It was the Sect Master’s orders to use Yang Kai as the goal of their training exercise, but in the end, not only were they completely defeated, but they also had a set of Sixth-Order materials stolen from them in a twisted manner. It was absolutely heartbreaking!
The trio looked at the healing pill in their hands as though they were looking at a piece of stale chicken. Lang Ya Paradise had their own Alchemists, and the quality of the Spirit Pills refined by these Alchemists was naturally quite impressive. For that reason, they had no interest in the products of outsiders. Nevertheless, there was no denying that this Spirit Pill was something they obtained at a huge cost. Just throwing it away seemed like a massive waste.
Senior Brother Zhao hesitated for a while, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and tossed the Spirit Pill into his mouth. A moment later, he exclaimed in surprise, “The quality of this Spirit Pill… is surprisingly good!”
The two other Junior Brothers were a little surprised to hear his observation; therefore, they quickly ate the Spirit Pill only to discover that it was just as Senior Brother Zhao said. The effects of this Spirit Pill were certainly no inferior to the Spirit Pills refined by Lang Ya Paradise.
Senior Brother Zhao looked thoughtful, “It seems that Void Land has Alchemists with impressive skills!”
Unbeknownst to him, the Alchemy Skills of both the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor and Xia Ning Chang had improved by leaps and bounds after they advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The two of them had condensed their Dao Seals through the Alchemic Dao in the first place, so they naturally had a unique advantage in Alchemy.
Yang Kai suddenly appeared in front of a certain bamboo building. He had no other intentions in coming here. His main reason was only to inform Gu Pan that he was safe. There had been no communication between them since she was kidnapped by the twins a few days ago. Even the messages in the Communication Bead had been clearly sent by somebody who was impersonating her.
Inside the bamboo building, Gongsun Ri Hua sat there with his swollen and bruised face. Gongsun Yue Hua was helping him to apply medicine, but every touch made him yelp in pain. He screamed and cursed, “Those bastards are too hateful! I kindly sent them the information, so why did they come and beat me up!?”
That group of people had come without saying anything or asking any questions and left immediately after beating him up. After suffering this grievance for nothing, his lungs were about to explode from rage.
Likewise, Gongsun Yue Hua was angry, “Next time, we’ll teach them a lesson one by one!”
Meanwhile, Gu Pan sat quietly by the side. Although she had a vague understanding of the situation, she was not in the position to speak up.
At that moment, a familiar aura suddenly appeared outside the bamboo building. She immediately stood up, pushed open the door, and asked in concern, “Senior Brother Yang, are you alright?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine. Junior Sister, don’t worry!”
Upon hearing his voice, Gongsun Ri Hua rushed out from behind Gu Pan and glared at Yang Kai furiously, “Boy, how dare you show up here?”
Yang Kai glanced at Gongsun Ri Hua’s swollen and bruised appearance. Blinking in surprise, he suddenly took out a Spirit Pill and held it between his fingers. He waved the Spirit Pill about and asked, “Senior Brother, I have some good healing pills with me. I guarantee that they will cure all your ailments. Would you like one?”
Gongsun Ri Hua was taken aback for a moment. Unable to understand the reason behind Yang Kai’s actions, he shook his head in confusion, “No!”
“No, no, no! You do need it, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai insisted.
“I told you I don’t need it!” Gongsun Ri Hua replied impatiently. In the next moment, his expression changed drastically, “W-What… What are you doing!?”
*Hong hong hong…*
Following a loud commotion, Gongsun Ri Hua found himself lying on the ground, his condition was even worse than before.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was still holding the healing pill between his fingers. Crouching down, he looked at Gongsun Ri Hua and said with a sincere and happy smile, “Senior Brother, I’ll only ask once. Do you want this healing pill? Or, do you want this healing pill?”
Gongsun Ri Hua was on the verge of tears! It all started when a group of his Fellow Brothers came over and indiscriminately beat him up. He had only just applied some medicine and the swelling on his face had not even subsided, yet Yang Kai had suddenly come over and beat him up again!
[I’m a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! I can’t believe I was beaten up twice in the short span of less than an hour! There is no justice left in this world!] At this moment, he felt as though he was the most pitiful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the world.
“Yes yes!” He nodded repeatedly, for fear that his situation would turn bleaker if he dared to say the word ‘no’ again. It made no sense. Why would somebody in this world forcibly give him a healing pill? Just what kind of mentality was that?
Yang Kai’s smile widened even further as he stretched out his hand, “Please pay with a set of Sixth-Order materials or items of equal value!”
Gongsun Ri Hua turned pale from the shock, “This is robbery!”
Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment, and then he nodded in agreement, “You’re right. This is robbery!”
[He admitted it! I can’t believe he admitted it!] Gongsun Ri Hua was immediately overwhelmed by Yang Kai’s audacity.
Even Gongsun Yue Hua couldn’t help covering her red lips with her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.
“Hurry up! Don’t dawdle!” Yang Kai urged.
Gongsun Ri Hua hesitated for a while, then he recalled the horrifying and overwhelming strength that Yang Kai had displayed just now. He had to admit that even with his Little Sister’s cooperation, the two of them would be no match for Yang Kai.
It was bad enough that he had been beaten up so badly; however, if his Little Sister was also beaten in the same manner, she would not be able to lift her head high in public again. She was a woman after all.
Sighing heavily, he admitted defeat, “It’s my loss. Brat, don’t get too arrogant. There are so many talented people in Lang Ya Paradise. Somebody will definitely defeat you one day!”
Yang Kai grinned at Gongsun Ri Hua, “I’ll be waiting!”
Gongsun Ri Hua coldly snorted. Taking out a bunch of materials from his Space Ring, he handed them over to Yang Kai.
In response, Yang Kai tossed the healing pill directly into Gongsun Ri Hua’s mouth. He stood up and turned to look at Gongsun Yue Hua, who was standing behind Gu Pan all this time. He grinned and revealed a set of pearly-white fangs that flashed with a cold light.
Gongsun Yue Hua turned pale, “Junior Brother, do you still have more healing pills? I’d like to buy one too!”
Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “I like how you are so reasonable and easy to communicate with, Senior Sister. I have more than enough healing pills, so I’m sure I can satisfy your needs. How many do you need, Senior Sister?”
“Haha…” She forced a laugh, “One is enough.”
A short while later, both goods and money exchanged hands.
Yang Kai smiled happily and made his last sales pitch, “Senior Sister, if you need more healing pills in the future, please come to me!”
“Of course, of course!” She quickly responded.
Then, he turned to look at Gu Pan, “Junior Sister Gu, I’ll come and visit you when I have finished my business here.”
Gu Pan replied earnestly, “Senior Brother, please take care.”
Gongsun Ri Hua and Gongsun Yue Hua looked at Gu Pan speechlessly. [At this time, the one you should be worried about is not that bastard surnamed Yang! You should be more concerned about your Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, right? Can you not be so obvious about siding with the outsiders!? Who knows how many other Fellow Brothers will suffer losses after this?]
Although they could send out a message to inform the others about the situation, according to Li Yuan Wang’s previous orders, the two of them had already been eliminated from this training exercise. Besides, they would only be suspected of cheating if they sent out a message at this time.
Even though they were extremely unhappy with what Yang Kai had done, they had their pride as Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise; therefore, be it Senior Brother Zhao and his two followers, or the Gongsun siblings, they quietly accepted the reality that they had been eliminated from the game and did not interfere further.
Yang Kai lurked quietly on top of a triangular-shaped Spirit Province.
This entire Lang Ya Paradise training had unfolded without his knowledge. As the ultimate goal of this training, he had to face all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise with his power alone. He might possess extraordinary strength, but he did not dare to claim that he would have the last laugh in this incident. Nevertheless, it was possible for him to obtain some benefits in the meantime.
At present, he controlled two large-scale Star Cities in Void Territory and High Heaven Territory, as well as several Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens in the Shattered Heaven. In addition, he also had the support of the resources in the New Great Territory. Be that as it may, nobody would ever complain about having too many resources.
A set of Sixth-Order materials each, with there being hundreds of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise! If every one of them ‘bought’ a healing pill from him, the benefits he would receive were bound to be rather considerable.
More importantly, the Good Fortune Divine Furnace required large amounts of materials. It was a bottomless pit that would never be filled no matter how many resources were thrown into it. That was why Yang Kai was bursting with motivation at this moment!
After a short wait, several figures passed by overhead. Their Divine Senses surged as they searched for any suspicious traces.
Yang Kai frowned slightly, [Why are there Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters mixed among this team? Aren’t they looking down on me a little too much? How can I tolerate this!?]
Thus, he rose straight into the sky and sped towards the group of four!
Among those four people, two were Sixth-Order and two were Fifth-Order. They were spread out in an awl formation to search their surroundings.
All of a sudden, a violent aura swept towards them from below like a tsunami and they immediately turned pale from shock.
Before they could get a clear grasp of the situation, Yang Kai had already charged straight into their ranks like an arrow released from the string. An overwhelming World Force swept outward at the same time.
The two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were instantly slammed by the impact. Their figures swayed and staggered unsteadily like small boats caught in the middle of a storm. When they hastily stabilised their figures and looked over, they saw that one of their Senior Brothers in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had been punched in the chest. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master immediately coughed up fresh blood, and his complexion turned pale.
[Isn’t that… too harsh?] Although they could tell that this punch would not endanger the life of their Senior Brother, injuries were inevitable.
The Senior Brother who was punched in the chest tried to fight back, but the attacker punched him again and again. After that, he dropped out of the sky like a broken paper kite. The World Force lingering around his body also became incredibly chaotic. That was a clear sign that his Small Universe had been shaken violently.
A powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master instantaneously lost all combat capability. It could be seen that the attacker’s strength was horrifying indeed!
The reaction of the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not slow. He quickly blasted various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at the enemy, but he was not in time to change the fate of his comrade. Watching his Fellow Brother collapsing to the ground immediately flooded him with a mixture of fear and rage. Hence, he did not dare to hold back his strength whatsoever.
Be that as it may, his efforts were in vain. In less than ten breaths, he too screamed in agony and followed in the footsteps of his comrade.
Standing in the void alone, Yang Kai looked absolutely dominant. All of a sudden, he turned around to look at the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Both of these two immediately turned pale as they felt like the abyss itself was staring at them!
“Run!” One of them shouted. Then, they immediately split up to the left and the right as if they had discussed it in advance. Even their two Senior Brothers in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were not Yang Kai’s opponents, so how could two Fifth-Order Masters like them possibly resist? At this point, their only option was to escape. Nevertheless, how could they manage that?
Yang Kai raised a hand and slapped his palm towards the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters as though he was swatting at mosquitoes.
A short while later, Yang Kai happily stood in front of the four battered people and said with deep concern, “Your injuries are terrible!”
The four of them were speechless. [Why are you mentioning the obvious? Besides, who gave us these injuries? I can’t believe he is shedding crocodile tears and pretending to be concerned! What a jerk!]
Even though their hearts were filled with grief and resentment, their strength was certainly incomparable to the other party; therefore, there was nothing they could say in return. They never imagined that a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could have such terrifying strength. It could be said that today they witnessed an eye-opening sight indeed.
One of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who seemed to be the group’s leader, coughed lightly and spoke, “Junior Brother Yang, your skills are amazing and your heritage is extraordinary, we admit defeat!”
Admitting defeat meant that they would be eliminated from this training event, and the chance to enter the Five Lights World for training would have nothing to do with them anymore. Although it was a pity, there was no helping it since they were weak.
As Lang Ya Paradise disciples, they had their own pride; therefore, they admired Masters like Yang Kai to a certain extent.
“My respects!” Yang Kai cupped his fist. Then, with a flip of his palm, a jade bottle suddenly appeared in his hand and he smiled and said, “This Yang has some good healing pills. Please give them a try!”
While speaking, he gave a flick of his wrist and four Spirit Pills flew out, stopping in front of these four.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who spoke earlier nodded lightly, “Many thanks!”
He thought that Yang Kai took out these healing pills due to a sense of guilt for hurting them, so he did not think too much about the other party’s intentions. They each stuffed one Spirit Pill into their mouths without a second thought.
“Hmm? This healing pill is pretty good!” He raised his brow in surprise.
One of the other Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters added, “The taste is also quite nice…”
Yang Kai suddenly reached out his hand, “That will be one set of Sixth-Order materials or items of equal value!”
“W-Wha…?” The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was taken aback.
Yang Kai’s expression became grim, “What’s wrong? Are you refusing to pay after buying something from me? Senior Brother, are you planning to rob me? This Yang might be alone, but I am not easy to bully!”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was confused, “What did I buy from you?”
[Besides, who bullied who? It’s obvious that the four of us were bullied by you!]
The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked at Yang Kai with a strange expression and asked hesitantly, “Junior Brother Yang, you can’t be referring to the healing pill, right?”
“What else could it be?” Yang Kai responded matter-of-factly.
The group of four were rendered speechless for a time, but in the end the first Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master eventually asked, “Junior Brother, were these healing pills not a gift?”
Yang Kai glanced sideways at the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, “When did I ever say I’m giving them to you? This item is extremely valuable. I was planning to sell it from the start!”
[A single healing pill is extremely valuable? There should be a limit to acting shameless!]
“Hurry up now! Even Senior Brother Zhao and the others bought this healing pill at this price, so you are no exception. This Yang has always been reasonable and fair when doing business!”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was stunned, “Even Senior Brother Zhao bought this Spirit Pill?”
Yang Kai nodded, “En! The Gongsun siblings also bought a healing pill each from this Yang. If you don’t believe me, you can contact them and ask. I’m sure you have each other’s contact information, right?”
Judging by his expression, he did not seem to be lying. The two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters questioned in their hearts. [Could it be that Senior Brother Zhao, Senior Brother Gongsun, and Senior Sister Gongsun really bought these healing pills? How can the Senior Brothers and Senior Sister tolerate something like that?]
“Ahem, wait a moment please!” The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who started speaking first took out a Communication Bead. His Divine Sense surged as he tried to contact the other party.
“Senior Brother Zhao, this Junior Brother has a question!”
“Oh? Junior Brother Yu? What is it?”
Yang Kai claimed that you bought a healing pill from him. Is that true?”
There was no reply from Senior Brother Zhao.
“Senior Brother Zhao? Senior Brother Zhao, are you still there?”
“I’m here!”
“Is this true?”
“Uhh… That’s the gist of it!”
[What does he mean by ‘That’s by the gist of it’?] Junior Brother Yu could not understand the meaning behind Senior Brother Zhao’s words. Just as he was about to ask more questions, Senior Brother Zhao sent another message, “You should just buy the healing pill, Junior Brother Yu. Exchanging money to avoid disaster is better than being hung on a tree and put on display for all the Junior disciples to see. You can earn more wealth if it is lost, but you can never pick up your face if you lose it.”
[Hung on a tree?] In the midst of his confusion, he saw that Yang Kai had taken out a bare tree trunk that was a couple dozen metres tall at some point in time. Moreover, Yang Kai would occasionally glance over at them while fiddling with some rope, as though trying to figure out the most convenient way to hang them from the tree.
He couldn’t help shuddering in fear and quickly replied to the message, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Zhao! Please recuperate well, Senior Brother Zhao. This Junior Brother will visit you later!”
“You should recover from your injuries first!”
Putting the Communication Bead away, Junior Brother Yu looked at Yang Kai speechlessly. Then, he smiled bitterly and said, “Junior Brother Yang, you sure are good at doing business!”
Yang Kai looked proud, “Of course! How else could I have provided for my family if I was not? Have you understood the situation, Senior Brother?”
Junior Brother Yu nodded. Even Senior Brother Zhao had admitted defeat, so what else could he do? Helpless, he could only bring out resources that were worth a set of Sixth-Order materials and give them to Yang Kai.
Seeing this, the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could only do the same.
Yang Kai happily received the resources, then he turned around to look at the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Those two nearly burst into tears!
One of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that looked older said, “Senior Brother Yang, even if I gather all of my wealth, I don’t have that much! I haven’t swallowed the Spirit Pill. Why don’t I return it to you!?”
After saying so, he spat out the Spirit Pill onto his palm and tremblingly handed it back to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened, “It’s all covered in your spit now. Who would want this? This Yang does not have a policy of accepting returns for goods I have sold!”
The Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wailed, “But, Senior Brother Yang, I really don’t have that much wealth! This healing pill of yours… I simply can’t afford it!”
Ordinary Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would be considered extremely wealthy if they had resources worth a few tens of millions of Open Heaven Pills in reserve; after all, they needed to cultivate constantly, so it was hard to retain any balance after buying cultivation resources.
Although a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from a Cave Heaven or Paradise would be in better condition and have more wealth than average, it was still impossible for them to have over 100 million Open Heaven Pills worth of resources just lying around. That was the wealth that belonged only to Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and above.
“That’s right, Senior Brother Yang! We are not trying to deceive you!” The other Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master joined in.
Yang Kai sighed, “I know you are not lying to me, and I also believe that you don’t have that much wealth. But, if you don’t have enough yourself, I’m sure you can borrow some…”
While speaking, he shot a sharp glance to the two people standing beside the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
All four of them were shocked! [Can you really do that!? Isn’t that a little too much!?]
“I don’t have much time. If you’re not willing to pay up, then I won’t force you either; however, I can’t say what kind of consequences you will face as a result!” Yang Kai quickly said when he saw that those two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were hesitating.
The younger Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master asked weakly, “Dare I ask, Senior Brother Yang, what are the consequences?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Have a guess!”
Although Yang Kai did not say anything specific, both of them had an extremely ominous feeling. If they did not buy this healing pill, something very bad would be waiting for them.
The older Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master said, “Senior Brother Yang, our cultivation is not as high as our Senior Brothers. We are only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Can you… lower the price of this healing pill?”
“You get what you pay for, no? What does this have to do with your cultivation!?” Yang Kai glared.
[Don’t you feel embarrassed saying ‘you get what you pay for’!? Where in this world would you find such an expensive healing pill!?] Despite the retorts in their hearts, they did not dare to say a word. The two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters glanced towards the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters hesitantly, “Senior Brothers, these Junior Brothers are in trouble. Please help us, Senior Brothers!”
The two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were having a headache. Unfortunately, things had already reached this point. In order to settle this matter, they could only provide a loan to their Junior Brothers. They could not watch without doing anything as Yang Kai hung their two Junior Brothers up on the tree like an offering to the Heavens, right?
“Many thanks for the generosity!” Yang Kai kept his things and smiled brilliantly, “Please focus on your recovery. I won’t disturb you any longer.”
After saying that, he turned and left!
Not long after Yang Kai departed, Senior Sister Zhou, who was dressed in fiery-red robes, rushed over with a group of people. She was shocked to see the four of them with bruised and swollen faces. Not to mention, they looked as depressed as grieving widows, “What happened to you?”
The older Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wept bitterly, “Senior Sister Zhou, why did you only come now…”
“What happened?” She asked with a frown.
Junior Brother Yu sighed, “Yang Kai wounded us, then forcibly sold us a healing pill each!”
Senior Sister Zhou was livid, “How dare he do something like that!?”
However, thinking about it again, it seemed plausible. When she went to cause trouble for him previously, he had not held back either. If that was the case for a woman like her, it only went to show Yang Kai’s brutal nature.
Senior Sister Zhou glanced at Junior Brother Yu again, “Did you say that Yang Kai sold you some healing pills?”
Junior Brother Yu nodded.
She was puzzled, “Why would he sell you healing pills? Is he that kind-hearted?”
Junior Brother Yu replied in a distressed tone, “It’s not out of kindness! Senior Sister Zhou, you don’t understand. That healing pill of his cost each of us a set of Sixth-Order materials!”
“What!?” She was absolutely taken aback. [What kind of healing pill is worth a set of Sixth-Order materials!? That’s over a 100 million Open Heaven Pills per pill!]
Only then did she understand the situation, “He’s selling by compulsion!?”
“That’s right! That’s right!” Junior Brother Yu and the others nodded repeatedly, “It’s not just us. Even Senior Brother Zhao and Senior Brother and Sister Gongsun have been forced to buy those healing pills.”
“Damn!” Senior Sister Zhou gnashed her teeth furiously, “It’s bad enough that he came to Lang Ya Paradise and bullied our disciples. I can’t believe he even uses such a despicable method to make money! Does he think that there is nobody in Lang Ya Paradise that can defeat him!?”
The older Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master added, “Senior Sister Zhou, please take revenge for us!”
She snorted, “Rest assured, he better not let me find him. If I meet him, I will definitely beat him up so badly that even Junior Sister Gu cannot recognise him! At that time, you should sell some healing pills to him!”
He was overjoyed to hear those words, “We’ll be relying on you, Senior Sister Zhou!”
She glanced at them and waved her hand dismissively, “Since you have been defeated by Yang Kai, you should focus on your recovery. Don’t interfere in this exercise anymore.”
“Yes!” They responded politely.
Afterwards, Senior Sister Zhou led her team into the sky and soon vanished out of sight.
A young man in her team spoke up all of a sudden, “Senior Sister Zhou, is Yang Kai really that strong? There were two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Junior Brother Yu’s team. How could they fail to be his opponent when they are fighting two against one?”
Senior Sister Zhou frowned in contemplation for a moment before she answered, “That guy is definitely the strongest Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that I’ve ever met in my life. Even Senior Brother Le Mang is not his opponent. Don’t you dare let down your guard.”
Everybody was shocked by what they heard. Although they heard the rumours that Senior Brother Le Mang had been defeated by Yang Kai, they had not witnessed the situation with their own eyes and were not aware of what transpired at the time. They even assumed that the rumours were exaggerated and misrepresented. They knew Senior Brother Le Mang’s strength after all. How could he be defeated by somebody in the same Order? It was not until they received confirmation from Senior Sister Zhou that they realised the rumours were true.
The person who spoke earlier said, “If that’s the case, then even if we encountered Yang Kai, we might not be able to defeat him!”
They had three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in their team. Nevertheless, based on Yang Kai’s previous performances, they would suffer a miserable fate even if they ran into him with such a force Kai.
Senior Sister Zhou replied, “It doesn’t matter. If we encounter him, then we only need to delay him. I’m sure our Fellow Brothers and Sisters will quickly come to our aid. At that time, he will have nowhere to escape!”
They nodded at her words.
“Where should we go now, Senior Sister Zhou?”
She said, “Yang Kai is proficient in the Dao of Space and excels at escaping. He just defeated Junior Brother Yu and the others not long ago, so he definitely escaped towards the other side of Lang Ya Paradise. Let’s go and search for him there!”
“Senior Sister Zhou, your plan is brilliant! I’m sure we’ll be able to locate Yang Kai now!”
…..
At the place where Junior Brother Yu and the others were recovering, the four of them sat down cross-legged and meditated on the spot. Yang Kai’s attacks earlier were quite heavy. Although they still retained some mobility, it was not easy for them to move around at the moment; therefore, they planned to recuperate for a while before heading back to their respective homes.
Not long after Senior Sister Zhou departed though, two others passed by in the sky overhead. They quickly landed after seeing the four people below. When they saw the miserable condition of Junior Brother Yu and the others, both of them were completely shocked.
One of them asked, “Junior Brother Yu, what happened to you?”
Junior Brother Yu opened his eyes with a sheepish expression on his face, “Senior Brother Wang, Senior Brother Ye, my apologies for showing you such an embarrassing sight.”
Senior Brother Wang looked pensive, “Don’t tell me; did you Junior Brothers encounter Yang Kai?”
If not for that case, there was no other explanation for the situation in front of them. The two of them quietly observed the situation and were shocked. It turned out that Yang Kai had attacked quite ruthlessly!
Junior Brother Yu nodded in embarrassment, but just as he was about to describe what happened, he suddenly looked behind the two newcomers with an expression of fear and terror. They also noticed that something was wrong at the same time and hastily surged the power of their Small Universes to defend themselves.
However, they felt a violent force coming towards them from behind before they could even turn around and were instantly swept up by it. Despite fighting back desperately, they were no match for this force and their Small Universes were instantly shaken, causing them to see stars spinning around in their vision.
A short while later, Yang Kai crouched down in front of his two latest clients, took out a jade bottle, and said, “Senior Brothers, these are the healing pills that Void Land produces. Would you like to try them?”
“What do you mean?” Senior Brother Ye did not understand.
Junior Brother Yu gave an awkward cough from the side and explained the situation clearly.
Both Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Ye were completely taken aback. [Can you even do that!?]
Even Junior Brother Yu was stunned. He never imagined that Yang Kai had been hanging around in the vicinity instead of leaving. Yang Kai had not revealed himself when Senior Sister Zhou and the others came by earlier. It was not until Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Ye arrived that he suddenly revealed himself and caused trouble for them.
Senior Brother Wang was actually rather carefree about the whole situation. Spitting out some blood, he laughed and said, “Junior Brother Yang, your strength is extraordinary indeed! This Wang is inferior, so there’s nothing much to say. The healing pills… I’ll take one of them!”
Yang Kai turned to look at Senior Brother Ye, “What about you, Senior Brother?”
Senior Brother Ye felt as though he was suffering from a toothache, but he still said, “Give me one too.”
“Senior Brothers, you are too generous!” Yang Kai was absolutely delighted.
Yang Kai received a large number of materials and gave out two healing pills in return. Only then did he say, “You should stay here and focus on recovering. I’ll be taking my leave now!”
After saying that, he stepped forward and vanished out of sight.
Junior Brother Yu looked around suspiciously. Yang Kai had done the same thing previously, but it turned out that he had not left far. There was no saying whether he was hiding nearby again; therefore, Junior Brother Yu had a sneaking suspicion that the same situation was repeating itself.
Soon after, several streams of light rushed over from a distance and quickly arrived above their heads. The person leading this group was a large-bodied man. He looked down in puzzlement and asked, “Senior Brothers, why are you gathered here? Was there a fight here just now? This Junior Brother detected some energy fluctuations coming from here!”
Junior Brother Yu and the others looked up and desperately tried to signal to their comrades to leave as quickly as possible. Having been eliminated from the training, they were not in a position to aid others, so they could only hope that the Junior Brothers who came here would understand their kind intentions.
The person who came blinked his eyes before flying down and landing in front of them, “Senior Brothers, do you have something to say to me?”
Junior Brother Yu and the others slapped their palms against their faces before closing their eyes, unable to bring themselves to watch.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s aura emerged again, seemingly out of nowhere. A violent burst of energy swept out, accompanied by a series of agitated screams. Shockingly, everything became calm again in the short span of several breaths!
Yang Kai stood in front of the Lang Ya Paradise disciples collapsed on the ground with a huge smile on his face, “Senior Brothers, you sure are enthusiastic. This Yang is ashamed.”
Junior Brother Yu looked up at the sky and gave a long sigh. [Which Senior Brother or Senior Sister in Lang Ya Paradise can come and teach this guy a lesson? If this continues on, it won’t be long before Lang Ya Paradise loses all face.]
The new group that just arrived were dazed. There were six of them, with two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and even two Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Be that as it may, they had been completely defeated in a short span of time. It was simply unimaginable.
“Come, come, come. Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, it’s time for some medicine.” Yang Kai enthusiastically took out some healing pills.
…
“Everyone, please recuperate here with peace of mind. This Yang will be leaving first!” After receiving another batch of materials, Yang Kai cupped his fist with a smile and stepped into the Void.
Junior Brother Yu glared at Yang Kai resentfully. [You’ve said those words three times now!]
The six people, who were forced to buy the healing pills a moment ago, remained in a daze. In particular, the two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and two Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were feeling indescribably heartbroken.
Losing a set of Sixth-Order materials was a heavy blow for any Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in Lang Ya Paradise, but such a loss was still within the acceptable range if they remained strong-hearted.
In contrast, this kind of loss was practically a lethal blow to the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Not to mention, they could not even take out so much wealth at once and were forced to borrow from others to make up for what they lacked.
Junior Brother Yu suddenly stood up, “We cannot stay here any longer. This guy is obviously using us as bait to lure in the fish!”
His words immediately awakened everybody to the situation. Senior Brother Wang and Senior Brother Ye nodded in agreement, “You’re right. If we are gathered in this place, our Fellow Brothers will surely stop to investigate the situation if they pass by. At that time, they will also be implicated in this mess.”
The large-bodied Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked at them with an aggrieved look. That was how his team had been lured down previously. He asked sorrowfully, “Why didn’t you leave earlier, Senior Brothers!?”
If they had left earlier, then he would not have come over to investigate out of curiosity. He even specially flew over for this purpose. In the end, he had been struck by Yang Kai who had been hiding in the dark.
Junior Brother Yu replied awkwardly, “I only just understood this myself.”
Senior Brother Wang glanced at the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters crying desolately over their losses. Then, he made a suggestion, “Send out a message to inform the others that those below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm should not participate in this training.”
Although the Sect Master did not disallow the participation of those below the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, only those in the Sixth-Order were informed of it. The only reason there were Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in this training was that they were hoping to reap some benefits. In the end, they not only failed to gain any benefits, but suffered great losses instead. They would not be able to recover from such a blow for the next few hundred years.
Junior Brother Yu hesitated, “We have already been eliminated, so this training no longer has anything to do with us. I don’t think it is appropriate for us to send out a message.”
Senior Brother Wang shook his head, “I’m not saying we should inform our Fellow Brothers about his whereabouts. It’s enough if we tell them about the healing pills. The Junior Brothers in the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm will understand. This doesn’t count as interference.”
The words had just left his mouth when Yang Kai’s figure appeared out of nowhere. Yang Kai stared at Senior Brother Wang blankly and asked, “Senior Brother, your injuries don’t seem to have gotten better. I still have over 100 hundred healing pills with me. Would you like some?”
Senior Brother Wang shuddered at the thought. The corners of his mouth twitched as he replied, “No need, no need. I’m grateful for your kindness, Junior Brother Yang. My injuries will heal just fine if I go back and rest for a short while. Well, goodbye!”
After saying that, he soared into the sky.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai turned to look at the others. They didn’t even bother to be courteous and escaped out of sight in the blink of an eye. Looking at their vanishing backs, Yang Kai clicked his tongue in annoyance, [There goes my bait.]
Needless to say, he was not going to allow them to ruin his chances of making a fortune. If the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wanted to participate in this training, then they should be prepared to be injured by him and forced to buy a healing pill.
However, he knew that it was meaningless to stop them from warning the others. The news was bound to spread soon enough. Accordingly, the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would automatically withdraw from the training. If that happened, then his sources of income would be greatly reduced!
[I can’t remain passive! I have to take the initiative to attack! That’s the only way I can rob… er, recoup my losses to the greatest extent!]
Many years had passed since the last time Lang Ya Territory was so lively. The figures of countless Open Heaven Realm Masters patrolling above each of the Spirit Provinces could be seen. These Open Heaven Realm Masters moved about in teams, spreading their Divine Senses into their surroundings as though they were searching for something. Even though they were patrolling, they remained vigilant at all times. Their World Force lingered around their bodies, always on guard against sneak attacks.
The weaker disciples who did not know what was happening looked up in curiosity.
“What are the Martial Uncles and Aunts doing? Has there been an enemy invasion in Lang Ya Territory?” Somebody asked.
A well-informed person sighed and explained, “It’s not an enemy invasion. We simply have a special guest.”
“A guest? What kind of guest could make so many Open Heaven Realm Masters be dispatched together? I even saw Martial Aunt Zhou and Martial Uncle Le Mang flying around earlier. They were rushing about with very serious expressions.”
“Void Land’s Lord, Yang Kai. Have you heard of him?”
“Sounds familiar. I think I’ve heard of him before.”
“Of course, he sounds familiar. He comes from the Star Boundary, which currently has the World Tree. Didn’t Lang Ya Paradise select a group of disciples with low cultivation and high aptitude to send to nurture in the Star Boundary several years ago?”
“So it’s him!”
“This guest is not simple. He seems to have defeated many of our Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts in the Open Heaven Realm. The Sect Master issued a command to mobilise all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise for a training exercise, with this person as the target. Anybody who can capture him will be rewarded!”
“Isn’t that to say that Yang Kai will have to face all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise by himself!?”
“That’s right!”
“In that case, he must have suffered a disastrous fate by now.”
“That’s why I said this person isn’t simple. The training has gone on for more than ten days now, but Void Land’s Lord continues to roam about freely. On the contrary, no less than 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise have been defeated by him!”
“Wow… Are you serious!?”
“I wish it were fake, but it’s the truth. Ah… It’s Martial Aunt Gu!” The disciple who was speaking earlier suddenly looked up into the sky and stared at the leading figure flying overhead with an obsessive gaze. He shouted at the top of his voice, “Martial Aunt Gu!”
Many other disciples shouted along, immediately setting off a deafening chorus of the name ‘Martial Aunt Gu’.
Above them, a beautiful woman leading several Open Heaven Realm Masters behind her happened to be passing by swiftly. When she heard the voices, she looked down and smiled warmly.
The disciples below instantly went crazy, “Martial Aunt Gu smiled at me! Hahahaha! Martial Aunt Gu smiled at me! I’ll have no regrets even if I died today!”
“Bullshit! Martial Aunt Gu was smiling at me!”
“Junior Brother, you must be blind!”
“You’re the blind one, Senior Brother!”
The disciples were burning with passion. It could be seen that this ‘Martial Aunt Gu’ was very popular in Lang Ya Paradise. It was not surprising; after all, this Martial Aunt by the name of Gu Ling’er was not only extremely beautiful, but also incredibly gentle and helpful to others. Many of the weaker disciples also received her support before.
Therefore, her popularity was high among both the weaker disciples and the Open Heaven Realm Masters. Countless Fellow Brothers secretly had feelings for her, but did not dare to express them, lest they offended her.
While the weaker disciples were going crazy, the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were also going crazy!
Five days ago, Yang Kai suddenly changed his behaviour. He no longer remained in hiding and instead took the initiative to attack. Following that, the number of Open Heaven Realm Masters who were eliminated from this training soared.
Nobody could figure out what he was thinking, but at present, almost the entire Lang Ya Territory had become his hunting grounds. Their status as the hunter and the prey constantly switched back and forth between Yang Kai and Sixth-Order Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
There were traces of battle everywhere one went.
After eliminating more than a dozen Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai’s various actions finally spread to the public. Everybody learned that he would forcibly sell a healing pill produced by Void Land to his victims after he defeated them. Moreover, the price of each healing pill was a set of Sixth-Order materials!
What’s more, nothing good would come from refusing to buy the healing pill.
There was once a Junior Brother in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm who refused to buy the healing pill. In the end, he was hung up on a tree trunk like an offering to the Heavens and placed on the Spirit Province where the lower disciples lived to be publicly witnessed by all. It was said that the incident terribly traumatised him, and he was too ashamed to show his face in public again.
That was why Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang issued an order. Anybody who was defeated by Yang Kai should choose to exchange money to avoid disaster rather than to humiliate themselves just to save on a set of cultivation resources. After all, the face that they lost could never be recovered.
In this way, all the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who originally participated in this training hoping to pick up some benefits quickly withdrew in horror. There was no helping it. A set of Sixth-Order materials was simply too expensive for them. Even if they came from Lang Ya Paradise, they could not afford such a price.
Not to mention, judging by the experiences of their comrades who encountered Yang Kai previously, it would seem that Yang Kai would not look the other way even if they were Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Out of all the Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were defeated by him before, who had not bought a Spirit Pill from him?
Yang Kai’s behaviour roused the rage and indignation of all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. Not only did he abandon Junior Sister Gu Pan after thoughtlessly deflowering her, but he was also earning a fortune from this training! It was simply intolerable!
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that he was extremely strong. Even if two or three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joined forces together, things would not end well for them if they encountered him.
As the Eldest Senior Brother, Le Mang immediately shouldered the responsibility of coordinating the troops!
At this moment, the identity tokens of many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise would occasionally flash. Numerous Divine Senses poured into their respective identity tokens, and communications flowed endlessly between them.
“Senior Brother Ning’s team has been defeated. They were located in the Purple Clouds Spirit Province. Judging by the traces of the battle, it probably lasted for no more than a quarter-hour. I repeat; Senior Brother Ning’s team has been defeated. They were located in the Purple Clouds Spirit Province. All the Fellow Brothers in the vicinity should increase their vigilance!”
“There were four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Senior Brother Ning’s team! I can’t believe they were eliminated! How are the injuries of those Senior Brothers?”
“They did not suffer any life-threatening wounds, but their injuries are not light either. It will take ten to fifteen days for them to recover. The complexions of Senior Brother Ning and his team aren’t very good. Senior Brother asked us to work hard to avenge them.”
“Isn’t that bastard being a bit too ruthless!? He seriously injures all the Fellow Brothers who encounter him just so he can sell that healing pill of his. Hateful!”
“You should be careful too, Senior Brother Li. That bastard surnamed Yang likes to turn around and attack the same spot. Several teams have already suffered losses from his tactics.”
“We located Yang Kai at Tiger Roar Spirit Province! Requesting reinforcements! Requesting reinforcements! Ahh!”
“Junior Brother Zhou! Junior Brother Zhou!”
There was no reply.
After a short pause, somebody spoke up, “I’m afraid Junior Brother Zhou’s team may have already encountered misfortune. Don’t panic, Fellow Brothers. Be sure to persevere until the end. We have the advantage in numbers. Victory belongs to us!”
After a moment of silence, someone said, “Junior Brother Zhou’s team may have already encountered misfortune. Don’t panic, fellow brothers, be sure to hold on, we are numerous and powerful, and victory will surely belong to us.”
“That bastard is too elusive! Purple Clouds Spirit Province is in the northeast while Tiger Roar Spirit Province is in the southwest. How did he get there so quickly?”
“The Dao of Space is truly unparalleled and mysterious. Amazing!”
All of a sudden, a Divine Sense fluctuated in all of their identity tokens. They investigated the phenomenon and discovered that it was a message from Senior Brother Le Mang, “All teams are to merge together with others in the vicinity. Make sure that there are no less than five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in each team. Every team will be responsible for the areas in their vicinity, and they are not allowed to leave their designated areas without authorisation. Those who discover Yang Kai’s whereabouts must report their findings immediately, and the teams nearby are to provide support!”
“We will obey your orders, Eldest Senior Brother!” Everyone responded quickly.
Over the past ten days or so, many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise came to deeply understand Yang Kai’s strength. Two or three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters working together were not enough to match him in battle at all. Four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were barely enough to fight back, so only five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had enough combat force to face him.
It was precisely because of this consideration that Le Mang made this adjustment to their formation.
Every team had five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters working together, and each team was in charge of an area. In this way, it was enough to prevent Yang Kai from moving around undetected. As soon as he revealed his whereabouts, Lang Ya Paradise would be able to take the initiative in the battle.
All the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had been mobilised. If they were still unable to defeat Yang Kai, they would not have any face left to show.
…..
In front of the Grand Hall on the Main Spirit Province, Li Yuan Wang’s expression was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Gao Ting stood by the side and glanced at him from time to time.
“If you have something to say, then spit it out! Why are you holding back!?” Li Yuan Wang’s brow twitched.
Gao Ting smacked his lips, “That Brat has caused such a huge commotion. How are we supposed to end things now?”
The truth was that there was nothing wrong with Li Yuan Wang’s decision. Using this training to muddy the waters would certainly make things more convenient for Yang Kai to act. In fact, they might even make some unexpected discoveries along the way; however, the current situation had vastly exceeded the expectations of both Li Yuan Wang and Gao Ting.
Yang Kai had eliminated over 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters in the span of ten days. Be that as it may, he remained high-spirited and full of energy. That was not all; he was also making a killing by selling his healing pills by compulsion. He had obtained a large number of cultivation resources from the Lang Ya Paradise disciples already.
Li Yuan Wang had known about Yang Kai’s strength; after all, Yang Kai had killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before. How could the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise be his opponents? Nevertheless, even if one or two people were not his opponents, eight or ten of them should have no trouble defeating him, right? Li Yuan Wang believed that Yang Kai would eventually be captured by the Lang Ya Paradise disciples during the training, which would have provided a satisfactory ending to this debacle. Unfortunately, the current situation seemed to be going horribly wrong.
Leaving aside everything else, just the loss of the cultivation resources by the Lang Ya Paradise disciples was enough to break Li Yuan Wang’s heart! He couldn’t help cursing to himself. [Did you come to Lang Ya Paradise to search for the Black Ink Clan or carry out robbery!?]
Gao Ting had previously ridiculed him for lifting a stone only to smash his own foot with it, and looking at the current circumstances, it would seem to be true!
The changes occurring throughout Lang Ya Paradise were also felt by Yang Kai. The teams he encountered before only had three or four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most. With his current strength, it was not difficult for him to cope with such numbers. Now, however, every team had at least five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Some teams even had seven or eight!
He couldn’t help feeling troubled. There were so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that it was tough for him to eliminate them all at once without transforming into his Grand Dragon Form! If he did not eliminate all of them together, then he could not sell his wares with peace of mind.
Of course, the current situation was within his expectations.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise might be a little crooked because of Li Yuan Wang’s unrighteousness, but they were still Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, not fools who had never seen the world or cultivated before. After suffering so many losses, even they had learned their lesson.
That was why Yang Kai believed that it was time for him to change his strategy. If there was no way to defeat an entire team in one go, then he simply needed to attack them twice or thrice instead!
[In the worst case, I can put them on credit! I’ll just go door-to-door to collect my debts from them after the training ends. Yes! What a great idea!] Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling proud of his wit.
The thought had only just crossed Yang Kai’s mind when he suddenly detected a stream of light speeding by over where he was hiding. The aura coming from the stream of light belonged to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
His eyes immediately lit up at the sight. [That’s another set of Sixth-Order materials!]
With a flicker of his figure, Yang Kai immediately blocked the path of the other party.
Startled, the passing Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master quickly came to a halt and turned pale with shock when he caught a clear glimpse of Yang Kai’s face, “S-Senior Brother Yang!”
Before he could even finish his sentence, the sight of a fist rapidly growing larger filled his entire vision. He hastily pushed his World Force to retaliate, but it was already too late. Even though they were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, meeting Yang Kai alone was no different from a fish lying on a chopping block.
In just three breaths, the passing Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was knocked to the ground by Yang Kai and crashed hard into a forest below.
Yang Kai quickly descended and looked at the other party with a smile, “Junior Brother, your courage isn’t small!”
When he first saw that this person was acting alone, he thought that Lang Ya Paradise was using him as bait to lure him into a trap. However, there were no traces of any other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Lang Ya Paradise up until now. It could be certain that this person was indeed acting alone; therefore, Yang Kai couldn’t help praising him. In this situation where all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were in danger, which one of them did not move about in a large team? There was no denying that this person was bold indeed.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai frowned, “Junior Brother, why do you look so familiar? Moreover, your injuries…”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked like he was about to cry as he said, “Senior Brother Yang, we met each other just three days ago! You gave me these injuries!”
“Huh?” Yang Kai’s expression became strange, “Is that to say that you’ve been eliminated?”
“That’s right!” The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master nodded aggrievedly. Just why was his luck so terrible? He had already been eliminated from the training three days ago. Today, he was simply heading towards another Spirit Province for an errand. He was not participating in the training, so who could have expected that he would be captured by Yang Kai again? How did this make sense!?
Likewise, Yang Kai was a little speechless.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master cautiously said, “Senior Brother Yang, if there’s nothing else, then this Junior Brother will be leaving first.”
“Wait!” Yang Kai suddenly raised a hand to stop the other party.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master felt his heart clench at those words, and an ominous feeling suddenly flooded him, “How may I help you, Senior Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai observed the other party seriously, “I’m sorry, Junior Brother. It seems that my attack was a little heavy-handed. The main reason is that I’m fighting alone, so I have to act a bit forceful in order to persist.”
“It’s okay. They are only flesh wounds; it’s nothing serious. I’ll be fine after recuperating for a few days.”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded. Changing the subject abruptly, he asked with ‘concern’, “Would you like another healing pill?”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master clutched at his Space Ring in panic, “Senior Brother Yang, I already bought one earlier…”
Yang Kai considered for a moment and generously replied, “I’ll make it half-price for the second pill.”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was rendered speechless.
A short while later, Yang Kai patted the shoulder of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him and earnestly advised the other party, “It’s not safe outside these days, so don’t run around for no reason. You should stay at home and focus on your recovery.”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked absolutely depressed and answered weakly, “Many thanks for your concern, Senior Brother Yang. I’ll be leaving now…”
The wealth that he accumulated with great difficulty over the years had all been lost after encountering Yang Kai twice in just three days. Thus, he vowed that he would not reveal himself again until the training was over! If he met Yang Kai again, he wouldn’t be able to afford another healing pill even if it was at half-price!
He rushed into the sky after saying goodbye to Yang Kai, his tears scattering in the wind!
An hour later, in the sky above Menacing Earth Spirit Province, a group of six people swept past at a high speed while on patrol. All six of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. The person leading the team was Gu Ling’er, who held high popularity among all Lang Ya Paradise disciples.
Her team originally consisted of three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but they merged with a nearby team after receiving Senior Brother Le Mang’s order. That was why they currently had a total of six Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The six of them were in charge of monitoring Menacing Earth Spirit Province and the void surrounding it. They hardly made any stops, their powerful Divine Senses spreading across every bit of ground. The slightest rustling of the wind could not escape their perception.
All of a sudden, the six of them turned to look in a certain direction at the same time. In that direction, a layer of ripples spread out in space, as though a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake. Immediately after that, a figure appeared out of nowhere.
Somebody in the team exclaimed in shock, “It’s Yang Kai! Yang Kai has appeared!”
“Hurry up and notify the others!”
“We found Yang Kai at Menacing Earth Spirit Province! Fellow Brothers in the vicinity, please send aid as soon as possible!”
The message was sent out instantly; then, under Gu Ling’er’s leadership, the six of them swiftly charged towards Yang Kai. Their World Force surged violently, giving him no chance to escape!
They initially thought that Yang Kai would flee, but who could have known that Yang Kai was only taken aback for a moment but chose to stand his ground? In fact, he even charged towards them with a look of joy, as though he was meeting a friend he had not seen in years. Therefore, they were rather stunned by the situation!
There were less than three kilometres between them, and their various Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities had long been prepared. As long as Yang Kai closed the distance a little more, then they could show him what a one-way trip with no return meant!
Yang Kai suddenly raised a hand, and his deep voice reverberated in the Void, “Near Distant Horizon!”
The distance between them suddenly stretched out infinitely!
At the same time, Gu Ling’er noticed that something was wrong and shouted, “Attack!”
Numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques burst out with blinding light, accompanied by a horrifying power that blasted towards Yang Kai. But in the next instant, they all witnessed an incomprehensible scene. The Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques they blasted outward became as slow as a turtle’s movements, pressing forward little by little as though the void had solidified at this moment.
It would not have been shocking if that were all though. What astonished them, even more, was that Junior Brother Liu, who stood to the right of Gu Ling’er, suddenly appeared in front of Yang Kai for some reason.
On the other hand, the others got further and further away from Yang Kai! Space had suddenly become chaotic, and they could not distinguish the difference between each other as a result.
Nevertheless, this disorder only lasted for a short moment before it was destroyed by the Divine Abilities they exploded together. The Void soon returned to normal, but when they looked up again, Yang Kai was already nowhere to be seen. He had appeared without warning and disappeared just as suddenly, like an elusive ghost.
“Junior Brother Liu is gone!” Somebody noticed an anomaly and exclaimed in shock.
Their team initially consisted of six people, but there were only five left now. Moreover, they saw Junior Brother Liu appearing in front of Yang Kai for some inexplicable reason only to be punched in the gut by the latter.
Their expressions were ugly, “Junior Brother Liu must have been kidnapped!”
In the Spirit Province where Gu Pan lived, the figures of Yang Kai and Junior Brother Liu emerged. Gongsun Ri Hua, who had been recuperating from his wounds, came out to investigate the situation when he sensed the commotion, but upon recognising the people who just arrived, he immediately turned around and closed the door behind him with a resolute bang. He avoided Yang Kai as though he was avoiding a great disaster!
Junior Brother Liu screamed, “Senior Brother Gongsun, save me!”
Yang Kai looked at Junior Brother Liu quietly, “Senior Brother Gongsun was eliminated a long time ago. I’m afraid he can’t save you!”
Junior Brother Liu had a look of despair on his face and reluctantly said, “Give me a healing pill.”
Yang Kai patted Junior Brother Liu on the shoulder, “A wise man will submit to the circumstances!”
The two teams in the vicinity of Menacing Earth Spirit Province hurriedly rushed over to provide support when they received the message, but by the time they arrived, they saw that Yang Kai had vanished out of sight. Junior Brother Liu had also vanished along with him. There was no need to wonder what was happening. The bastard surnamed Yang was undoubtedly hiding somewhere and coercing Junior Brother Liu into buying a healing pill at this moment. Hence, they all paid silent tribute to Junior Brother Liu!
A message of distress suddenly came from their Identity Tokens again. It was full of panic, “He’s here! He’s here at Wu’an Spirit Province! We have engaged in battle with him. Fellow Brothers in the vicinity, please come and provide aid as soon as possible! Ah! Senior Brother Hua is gone!”
Once again, they paid silent tribute to Senior Brother Hua!
Junior Brother Liu was still reeling from the shock of suffering such a huge loss when a figure abruptly appeared beside him. This was followed by Yang Kai’s reappearance.
Senior Brother Hua, who had been kidnapped and brought to this place, resisted and struggled violently. Catching sight of Junior Brother Liu nearby, he became overjoyed and shouted, “Junior Brother Liu, please help me capture this thief!”
Junior Brother Liu looked extremely awkward as he said, “Senior Brother Hua, I’ve already been eliminated!”
Senior Brother Hua’s mouth fell open in shock, and he stood there blankly. Looking around, he saw that not a single teammate was around him.
Yang Kai cracked his fists and walked towards Senior Brother Hua with a savage grin, “Senior Brother Hua, is it? Who did you just say you wanted to capture?”
Senior Brother Hua quickly dispelled the World Force around him and did his best to squeeze out a harmless-looking smile, “Junior Brother Yang, you must have misheard. I have no intention to capture anybody. Rather, I’ve always wanted to obtain a healing pill from Void Land…”
Inside the building, the Gongsun siblings rolled their eyes in unison. Meanwhile, Gu Pan stifled her laughter.
When Senior Brother Hua finished buying the healing pill, Yang Kai vanished once more. Senior Brother Hua and Junior Brother Liu looked at each other and choked on their tears.
Back at Menacing Earth Spirit Province, the two teams that came to provide support soon left. They had their own sites to monitor, so they could not remain for long. However, Gu Ling’er’s team sent out another distress signal as soon as the reinforcements left. By the time they arrived at the scene again, there was already one less person on Gu Ling’er’s team.
For the next half day, the entire Lang Ya Paradise was thrown into chaos. Yang Kai’s figure was extremely elusive, and somebody would suffer a tragic fate every time he appeared.
The plan that Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang came up with previously could not be said to be wrong. Since Yang Kai was so strong that three or four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joining forces could not be his opponents, it was only natural that they had to merge their teams together. The truth was this plan had already shown some effect. At the very least, Yang Kai was not as bold as before. Furthermore, the teams that encountered him were no longer completely wiped out all at once.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai simply became more cunning. He did not confront them directly and turned extremely elusive instead. It was almost as though he had countless Soul Clones. One moment he was there, the next moment he was somewhere else. What’s more, every time he appeared, he would not leave empty-handed.
One after another, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were captured. When the news spread, all the teams were filled with a sense of terror. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise never imagined that a single person could toy with them so easily. They had always heard about the mysteriousness and unpredictability of the Dao of Space, but it was not until today that they witnessed it for themselves. Therefore, they couldn’t help but admire Yang Kai’s ability to utilize Space Principles so freely.
Gu Ling’er led the remaining two people in her team and hurriedly escaped in the direction of the nearest Spirit Province.
When Yang Kai reappeared at Menacing Earth Spirit Province just before, he had captured another of their team members. With only the three of them left, how could they be Yang Kai’s opponents?
The morale in the team was low. Gu Ling’er and her two comrades rushed towards the nearest Spirit Province as fast as they could. Only three people remained in her team, so it was impossible for them to be Yang Kai’s opponents. It was urgent that they sought protection from another team.
She had already sent a message to the Senior Brother who was leading the team at the nearby Spirit Province. That Senior Brother was also leading his team here in a hurry to meet up with them, lest Gu Ling’er and her comrades suffered a tragic accident before they arrived.
“Why is that bastard targeting us so persistently!?” A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the team with the surname Sun looked distraught.
Ever since Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang issued the order to change their strategy, their team was the first to encounter Yang Kai and lose their members. In less than half a day, the members of their team had gone missing one by one.
The rest of the teams had also lost some members, but the situation of those teams was by no means as serious as their situation. Yang Kai had targeted them over and over again, causing their original team of six to dwindle down to three. The situation was becoming increasingly terrible. There was a high possibility that they would be the first team to be wiped out completely since they changed their strategy!
“Did we offend him in some manner?” The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly raised the question.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Sun wailed, “I didn’t offend him! Did you offend him!?”
“I didn’t either!”
Both of them turned to look at Gu Ling’er at the same time. If nobody had offended Yang Kai, then the biggest possible reason could only be Junior Sister Gu Ling’er. That bastard surnamed Yang was a notorious sexual predator after all! It was bad enough that he abandoned Junior Sister Gu Pan after thoughtless sleeping with her, but could it be that he was now interested in Junior Sister Gu Ling’er as well?
As soon as that thought crossed their minds, both Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were filled with infinite anger!
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Sun quickly said, “Junior Sister Gu, if that Bastard appears again, you must escape quickly. Junior Brother Qian and I will do our best to hold him back! You must not fall into his evil clutches!”
Junior Sister Gu Ling’er was such a kind and gentle woman. They did not dare to imagine the consequences if she were to fall into that deviant’s hands.
Gu Ling’er’s voice was gentle as she shook her head, “How can I let my two Senior Brothers take such a risk? We are a team, so we should advance and retreat together!”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Sun was extremely touched, and the corners of his eyes became moist. Just as he was about to speak, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Qian suddenly shouted, “He’s here!”
Ripples spread across the void once more. That was the sign of Space Principles being manipulated. Besides, Yang Kai’s previous appearances had always been accompanied by these movements.
Sure enough, Yang Kai abruptly appeared a moment later and blocked their path. Looking at the three people in front of him, he grinned from ear to ear.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Sun gritted his teeth. Taking a sudden step forward, he stood in front of Gu Ling’er protectively and shouted, “Run, Junior Sister Gu!”
At the same time, he charged towards Yang Kai boldly and without hesitation or looking back. Then… there was nothing else…
Looking at the spot where Yang Kai and the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Sun had vanished together, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Qian anxiously said, “Junior Sister Gu, let’s go quickly! We can’t let Senior Brother Sun’s sacrifice be in vain!”
Knowing that she had no way to avenge Senior Brother Sun, Gu Ling’er could only nod in agreement, “Good!”
However, Yang Kai reappeared less than ten breaths later and took Senior Brother Qian away with him.
At this point, Gu Ling’er was the only survivor of her team. She gritted her teeth. Shouldering the hope and future of her fallen teammates, she rushed towards the nearest Spirit Province with all the speed she could muster.
In the distance, many streams of light entered her field of vision. It was the Senior Brothers from the nearby Spirit Province who had rushed over to meet her; thus, she couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief at the sight.
The Senior Brother in the lead who was coming from the front had clearly noticed her and enthusiastically called out, “Junior Sister Gu, come quickly!”
Gu Ling’er nodded.
At that moment though, a sudden anomaly occurred. The Void in front of her suddenly collapsed, and a pitch-black hole formed out of nowhere. The black hole was connected to an unknown location and the insides were filled with nihility, causing one to feel dread at the sight.
Gu Ling’er’s expression immediately changed. She rapidly came to a halt and just barely managed to stop before the anomaly. Unfortunately, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a large hand emerged from the black hole and dragged her into it. All that was left behind was her startled scream!
“Junior Sister Gu!” Senior Brother Dui, who came to meet Gu Ling’er, roared with grief and indignation. He rushed forward in a few steps, but she was no longer anywhere to be found. Even the black hole that appeared out of nowhere had disappeared.
All those who remained felt a little lost seeing this result! On the other hand, Senior Brother Dui’s expression was extremely ugly.
After he received the message from Gu Ling’er, he immediately rushed out to meet her. He never imagined that Yang Kai’s efficiency would be so high as to defeat the remaining three people in Gu Ling’er’s team in such a short time. At the end, he even watched as Gu Ling’er was captured right in front of his eyes.
“Send a message…” Senior Brother Dui looked extremely solemn, “The team led by Junior Sister Gu has been completely wiped out! Menacing Earth Spirit Province has fallen!”
Somebody in the team quickly sent out the message.
The identity tokens that had been flashing incessantly suddenly fell silent. A short while later, the energy in the identity tokens carried by all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fluctuated violently and urgently as messages streamed into the identity tokens quickly.
“Avenge Junior Sister Gu!”
“If we fail to capture Yang Kai, this Wu will never call himself Human again!”
“He is crazy! How can he bring himself to harm somebody as gentle as Junior Sister Gu!? That bastard surnamed Yang isn’t Human!”
“Has anybody seen him!? I’m going to fight him to the death!”
…..
Gu Ling’er was not only popular among the lower disciples, but also the Open Heaven Realm Masters. In fact, her popularity among the Open Heaven Realm Masters might even be higher; after all, the lower disciples rarely had the chance to meet her due to the difference in status. In comparison, the Open Heaven Realm Masters were different. As long as she was not in retreat for cultivation, she would often interact with them.
The Spirit Province where she lived regularly had Fellow Brothers hanging around eagerly just to catch a glimpse of her face. Some would also pretend to pass by and greet her along the way. They were satisfied just to see her smiling back at them.
Sect Master Li Yuan Wang once tried to find a Dao Partner for her within the Sect, but his efforts failed to come to fruition. There was a rumour that she wanted to focus on her cultivation and ascend to the peak of the Martial Dao, so she had not given much consideration to her future partner. That rumour gave many Fellow Brothers in the Sect great despair and hope all at once.
And now, this woman, who was regarded by many Senior Brothers as somebody to protect with their lives, had been taken away by an outsider like Yang Kai. Not to mention, it was the same Bastard who had previously abandoned Junior Sister Gu Pan after thoughtlessly deflowering her. How could they feel at ease with such a disaster looming over them?
Many of the Fellow Brothers were about to go crazy. They anxiously searched for Yang Kai’s whereabouts, lest an unwanted accident occur when Yang Kai and Gu Ling’er were alone together. However, Yang Kai’s location was a mystery. He was so elusive that there were no clues no matter how hard they searched.
On top of a small Spirit Province, Yang Kai quietly stood in front of Gu Ling’er, who had a wary expression on her face. Meanwhile, his brow was furrowed tightly together with a very troubled look.
Gu Ling’er was also observing him at this moment. Although the entire Lang Ya Paradise had been thrown into chaos thanks to the trouble Yang Kai caused, it was actually her first time meeting him in person.
At first glance, there was nothing special about him. His appearance was extraordinary and his aura was impressive; nevertheless, there was no lack of Open Heaven Realm Masters with similar appearances and auras. There was nothing about him that made him stand out of the crowd. He did not look like somebody who could defeat so many Fellow Brothers so easily.
Unlike the descriptions provided by her Fellow Brothers, Yang Kai looked conflicted. It seemed as though he was making a difficult decision. Despite observing her for some time, he said nothing. In the end, Gu Ling’er spoke first, “I’m older than you, and I’ve cultivated for longer than you. Can I call you Junior Brother?”
Her voice was as soft and gentle as water, which greatly aroused the protective instincts of a man.
“En! That’s no problem!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively. Strictly speaking, all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. The only exception was the newly-advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Gu Pan.
“What are you planning to do to me, Junior Brother?” She tilted her head to the side, looking pure and innocent. When she smiled, her eyes formed crescents on her face. She did not look scared in the slightest. On the contrary, she smiled and asked, “Are you going to sell your healing pill to me? I heard that all the Fellow Brothers who were defeated by you had to buy a healing pill from you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “The healing pill will definitely be sold…”
“Then, I’ll buy one.” She blinked her large eyes at him, “It costs one set of Sixth-Order materials, right?”
He laughed, “You sure know the market well.”
She pursed her lips and replied, “So many Fellow Brothers have bought healing pills already, it’s only natural that the news has spread. If you don’t want people to know about something, then you have to do it yourself. Isn’t that right, Junior Brother Yang?”
His eyebrows furrowed together slightly, “Are you trying to hint at something, Senior Sister?”
She shook her head, “Nope, I was just saying.” After a pause, she continued, “Junior Brother, I’ll buy a healing pill from you. I’m no match for you anyway, so I might as well withdraw from the training.”
Who could have imagined that Yang Kai would shake his head?
She was puzzled, “What do you mean, Junior Brother?”
[Is he planning to let me off easy?] That was not impossible. She knew what kind of impression she had on men; therefore, it made sense if he turned a blind eye to her for that reason.
Just as she was about to thank him, she heard him speak, “You are not injured, Senior Sister, so you don’t need a healing pill.”
[He plans to let me off after all…] She smiled brightly. Although she knew that her charm was not always a useful or even wanted trait, it could be considered a good thing if she could save on a set of Sixth-Order materials because of it.
However, Yang Kai clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles cracked, “Why don’t I hit you first, Senior Sister, then you will need a healing pill!”
Gu Ling’er was absolutely speechless. [Are you still Human!? You’re a Demon, aren’t you!?]
“Are you joking, Junior Brother?” The smile on her face stiffened.
Yang Kai shook his head and approached her with a serious expression, “This Junior Brother has always been fair in business. Come, come! Bear with me, Senior Sister. I promise not to hit your face!”
Her complexion immediately turned deathly pale, and she staggered backwards weakly.
All of a sudden, he froze and looked extremely conflicted, “But, it’s not good to hit a woman… Haih! I’m such a kind-hearted man who is afraid of harming the innocent after all!”
He raised his head to the sky and sighed with a sorrowful expression.
Gu Ling’er breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Junior Brother, there’s no need to blame yourself. I’ll just buy the healing pill.”
He suddenly looked at her, “Senior Sister, why don’t you do it yourself? I fear that I might use too much strength if I raise my hand against you. It would be bad if I failed to control my strength properly and accidentally injure you seriously.”
Gu Ling’er weakly asked, “Junior Brother, are you serious?”
Her appearance was so pitiful that any man who saw her would surely feel compassion for her; however, this matter was related to a set of Sixth-Order materials, so how could Yang Kai back down?
“Senior Sister, I don’t have much time. Somebody might come and investigate this place at any moment. If somebody were to come, then please don’t blame me for being forceful with you, Senior Sister!”
She stared at him with her pretty eyes, thinking that the man in front of her was quite unreasonable. [I’ve already said that I’ll buy a healing pill from him, so why does he still want to injure me!?]
“Haih!” Yang Kai sighed, “It looks like you’re somebody who cherishes your honour. If that’s the case, then please don’t blame this Yang for being cruel!”
Without wasting any more time, he surged the World Force and reached out a hand towards her.
His palm rapidly grew larger and larger in the field of her vision, instantly covering the entire sky. Although she instinctively struggled to resist, she was horrified to discover that her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation was ridiculously weak in the face of Yang Kai’s strength. His palm that came slamming down towards her contained the aura of death, and she couldn’t help wondering whether he actually planned to kill her.
“Junior Brother, I’m one of your own!” She suddenly shouted at the top of her voice.
His hand stopped right above her head, and he stared at her with a deep scowl, “What do you mean?”
Not only was she drenched in cold sweat, but her complexion was also extremely pale. She took some time to calm her emotions before she finally looked at him and lowered her voice to a whisper, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly at those words, and he asked, “Senior Brother Zong Yu Quan?”
She nodded, “Senior Brother Zong sent me a message earlier to inform me about this matter.”
“So, that’s how it is!” Yang Kai quickly understood the situation, and then the power in his hand surged slightly and landed on the top of her head.
Her delicate body flew backwards like a paper kite as a result. She slumped to the ground and looked at him in disbelief, blood trickling out the corners of her mouth, “Why!?”
[I’ve already mentioned that I’m one of his own, so why did he hit me!?]
He slowly walked over and said in a low voice, “Senior Sister, please don’t be mad. Everybody has been injured by me so far, and there are no exceptions. If you were to come out unscathed, then you might arouse suspicions! It works out well now! Here is a healing pill, Senior Sister!”
Gu Ling’er stared at him speechlessly. [Is there something wrong with this guy!? I’m a woman! So what if you make an exception!?]
In any case, he had not attacked her ruthlessly. His strike only gave her some light wounds that she would recover completely from after recuperating for a few days. Taking the healing pill from him, she swallowed the healing pill without another word. She couldn’t be bothered to say anything more to him.
“Senior Sister, you forgot something!” Yang Kai reached out his hand towards her. The meaning behind his gesture was glaringly obvious.
Gu Ling’er was tempted to stab him to death with her sword…
Resources worth a set of Sixth-Order materials were not hard for her to bring out though; therefore, she quickly gathered the necessary resources and handed them to him.
Yang Kai wore a big grin on his face, “Nobody will suspect anything now. By the way, Senior Sister, who else is on our side in Lang Ya Paradise?”
She glared at him, flames of fury erupting from her beautiful eyes!
“Hahaha!” He gave a dry laugh, “I won’t disturb you while you’re recovering from your wounds, Senior Sister!”
After saying that, he turned around and left.
Inside the Void, Yang Kai’s expression turned solemn.
This training, in which he was the ultimate goal, involved all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. It was something that Li Yuan Wang organised seemingly on a whim. Although he had not interacted with Li Yuan Wang much, Yang Kai could roughly guess his intentions.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai never imagined that he would receive such an unexpected harvest!
He originally thought that Zong Yu Quan was an exception; after all, corrupting the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with the Black Ink was not very worthwhile for the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Insects were so rare and precious that it was a given they would choose to corrupt the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters if possible.
The capability and role that people like Shi Zheng could play was much greater than that of Zong Yu Quan or Gu Ling’er. Be that as it may, it turned out that Zong Yu Quan was not the only one in Lang Ya Paradise. There was also Gu Ling’er, and maybe even more…
Just now, Gu Ling’er had been annoyed by Yang Kai’s actions and refused to answer his questions; however, her refusal to respond was already a response in and of itself. It meant that Zong Yu Quan and Gu Ling’er were not the only ones corrupted by the Black Ink among the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise! There were more of them out there!
Yang Kai secretly rejoiced that he had been ruthless against the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters participating in the training to conserve time and strength.
Consequently, he was now known for his brutality. Gu Ling’er would not have automatically revealed herself otherwise. She had assumed that revealing her identity would make him more merciful towards her. Unbeknownst to her, he had another important task at hand and she overplayed her hand as a result.
Yang Kai had been wondering whether he should hold back against the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, but it would not seem that he actually needed to do the opposite now!
Following the annihilation of the six-man team led by Gu Ling’er at Menacing Earth Spirit Province, everybody in Lang Ya Paradise felt a sense of danger. Yang Kai’s elusive movements left them feeling helpless while his immense strength left them in despair.
In the past, they used to hold great pride in the fact that they came from Lang Ya Paradise. They believed that all the other Open Heaven Realm Masters outside of Lang Ya Paradise were nothing special. Even the Sect Masters of the Second-Class great forces, who were also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, were not put in their eyes.
However, Yang Kai’s arrival taught them that there were people beyond people. Looking back at their pride and arrogance, they couldn’t help feeling ridiculous. They had been frogs at the bottom of the well, staring up at the narrow sky and thinking how vast it was while knowing nothing.
Half a day later, another seven-man team was wiped out. What happened to them was similar to what happened to Gu Ling’er’s team. Yang Kai would grab one person and leave immediately every time he showed up. By the time they reacted, he had already disappeared; therefore, great hatred and grievances grew in their hearts!
To this day, out of all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise who participated in the training, almost 200 of them had been defeated by Yang Kai. The remaining people were filled with apprehension and terror. Their Divine Senses swept out across their surroundings at all times, out of fear that Yang Kai would appear out of nowhere to abduct them.
They knew that Yang Kai relied on the mysteriousness of the Dao of Space, so as long as they could limit this ability, it would be easy to overpower him with so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
As the Eldest Senior Brother, Le Mang shouldered the heavy responsibility of avenging his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters who were eliminated from the training and redeeming Lang Ya Paradise’s reputation.
He was the one who had been presiding over the coordination of the teams previously; thus, he had always paid attention to the changes that took place during the training. For some reason, he had been silent for the past few days though. Nobody but his teammates knew what he was doing.
One day, everybody suddenly received a message from Le Mang, “Everybody, please head towards Void Flower Spirit Province. I worked with many Junior Brothers to set up a Grand Array there. If Yang Kai dares to show up, we can form a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking cage and he will not be able to leave unscathed!”
“Senior Brother Le Mang is amazing!”
“This is great! We can finally teach that Bastard a lesson!”
“Quick! Quick! Let’s gather at Void Flower Spirit Province! Don’t linger outside for too long, lest you give him a chance to attack!”
Before this training began, many Fellow Brothers had tried to pick a fight with Yang Kai. At that time, they also used Heaven Sealing Earth Locking methods to stop his movements, but those Arrays or Secret Technique had been activated in a hurry, so the seal was not strong and the barrier was easily destroyed by Yang Kai as a result.
Having learned from that experience, Le Mang specifically gathered several Junior Brothers who were proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays to jointly arrange a Grand Array. The Spirit Array that was completed recently was enough to turn Yang Kai into a turtle that was hiding in its shell.
He did not know how long the Grand Array could trap Yang Kai once activated, but even so, just three breaths would be enough. A three-breath delay was enough for all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise to surround Yang Kai.
If everybody gathered at Void Flower Spirit Province, then Yang Kai was certain to head there despite knowing that it was a trap. This was the simplest method to carry out an offence by defending!
Needless to say, Le Mang had already considered the possibility that Yang Kai would not appear. The main goal of this training was to capture Yang Kai, so if he did not show up, then there would be no game to play. Unfortunately, the current situation was so dire that Le Mang had no other option but to put his hope in this gamble.
In an instant, the Open Heaven Realm Masters wandering in the sky above the many Spirit Provinces throughout Lang Ya Paradise began rushing towards Void Flower Spirit Province. They summoned their comrades along the way, so it was a very lively scene.
Yang Kai, who was hiding in the dark, could not help frowning at this scene. He could vaguely sense that some sort of conspiracy was waiting for him.
Over the past few days, he had eliminated another 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters from Lang Ya Paradise. A rough count indicated that nearly 300 Open Heaven Realm Masters had been eliminated during this training already. Aside from the several dozen Fifth-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the beginning, the rest were Sixth-Order!
The strength of Lang Ya Paradise’s heritage was evident from this fact alone.
Void Land could also be considered to have a mighty army with the finest arms, with not many Second-Class great forces capable of comparing to them in the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Nevertheless, the difference was practically night and day when compared to Lang Ya Paradise! Just in terms of the number of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters alone, Lang Ya Paradise had over 10 times more than Void Land!
That was not hard to understand though as Open Heaven Realm Masters were generally long-lived. As long as they could advance directly into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they could slowly take their time to grow until they reached the Sixth-Order.
Lang Ya Paradise had an extremely long inheritance, so after so many generations of disciples, it was only natural to have countless Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Be that as it may, that was only a narrow glimpse of the overall situation. If this was the case for Lang Ya Paradise, then how could the other Cave Heavens and Paradises be inferior? It was not until this moment that Yang Kai fully understood the horrifying heritage of these behemoths.
After the incident with Gu Ling’er, Yang Kai became more and more ruthless in his attacks against the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters whom he captured. Almost everybody was beaten up so badly that they coughed up blood; hence, the number of complaints grew proportionally.
Yang Kai was secretly glad that nobody said the words ‘Black Ink Eternal’ to him again, aside from Gu Ling’er. Although he could not completely rule out that there were more people corrupted by the Black Ink hidden among those who were eliminated from the training, the possibility was not high.
It was certain that the people in Lang Ya Paradise who were corrupted by the Black Ink were in contact with each other. Seeing as Zong Yu Quan had sent a message to Gu Ling’er, he was bound to have sent the same message to the others corrupted by the Black Ink. That was why there was no doubt that those corrupted by the Black Ink already considered Yang Kai to be one of their companions.
Under the threat of being severely injured, if they were truly corrupted by the Black Ink, they would definitely reveal their identities in hopes of escaping their fate.
At this moment, however, when Yang Kai saw so many people gathering in a certain direction, he couldn’t shake off an ominous feeling. If so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise gathered together, he might not get the chance to attack.
[I have to find out what they’re doing.] As soon as that thought crossed Yang Kai’s mind, he resolutely made a move to intercept a team of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master nearby.
Upon noticing movement nearby, the team of five turned to look in his direction and were shocked, “Yang Kai!”
Despite their surprise, they did not wait around for their defeat. They reacted almost simultaneously and hurriedly drew out the power of their Small Universe. Countless Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities immediately blasted towards Yang Kai.
This team of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters originally had seven people. It was just that Yang Kai had kidnapped two of them previously, so there were only five of them left. The leader was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name Deng Chi. His cultivation was extraordinary and the heritage of his Small Universe was impressive.
When the five of them blasted out with their various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, they quickly retreated at the same time, in hopes of escaping Yang Kai’s pursuit.
However, Yang Kai’s figure merely shifted from side to side before he swiftly escaped the barrage enveloping him. In the next moment, he charged towards them.
They immediately turned pale with shock.
Deng Chi gritted his teeth and roared, “Junior Brothers, go quickly! I will stop him!”
After saying that, boldly and without hesitation or looking back, he charged at Yang Kai.
He knew that he could not stop Yang Kai with his strength; after all, so many other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who were stronger than him had been defeated by Yang Kai, how could he be an exception? Therefore, he did not hope to actually stop or defeat Yang Kai. He simply wanted to buy some time for the four people in his team. Only then would they have hope of fleeing this situation and preventing a complete annihilation of their team.
Deng Chi’s determination and resolve touched the others. One of them shouted in grief and indignation, “Senior Brother Deng!”
“Go!” Deng Chi yelled, “Don’t let my sacrifice go to waste!”
The person who spoke earlier had originally intended to turn around to help Deng Chi, but, when he heard what his Senior Brother said, he had no choice but to turn around and flee into the distance with the other three.
Meanwhile, Deng Chi stood proudly. He reached out to grab at something, summoning a long spear into his hand. Staring solemnly at Yang Kai who was approaching him quickly, he grinned savagely, “I split this mountain and chopped this tree, if you want to… Wait! I’m not done speaking! Take this!”
*Hong hong hong…*
Deng Chi felt his vitality churning violently every time their World Forces collided, and his Small Universe shuddered unsteadily.
He had been immersed in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm for many years, so the heritage of his Small Universe was by no means weak. There were not many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise who could surpass him in terms of strength.
Prior to this, he had heard the messages from his identity token. Many of his Fellow Brothers had been captured, defeated, and eliminated by Yang Kai. In front of this person named Yang Kai, many of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise resembled nothing more than lambs waiting to be slaughtered. They were completely powerless to resist.
Therefore, he had been wondering whether Yang Kai was actually that strong. They were both Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters after all. No matter how powerful Yang Kai was, there had to be a limit, right?
He also considered what he should do if he ran into Yang Kai. It was impossible for him to flee as the other party was proficient in the Dao of Space. How could he escape when the other party could ignore the barriers of space? This was something that had been proven through the defeat and the blood of his countless Fellow Brothers who were eliminated previously.
Since he could not run, then he could only choose to fight! He might not be Yang Kai’s opponent, but it should be possible for him to cause a little trouble for Yang Kai if he went all out. At least, that was what he previously thought…
It was not until he actually encountered Yang Kai himself that Deng Chi realised one thing, he had been far too naive. The terrifying power of his opponent gave him the illusion that he was facing a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master instead of one in the Sixth-Order! Nevertheless, the energy fluctuations coming from the other party undoubtedly belonged to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
[How can a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be this strong!?] Even after being struck to the ground by Yang Kai, Deng Chi could not understand what had just happened. He even began to doubt whether something had gone wrong during his cultivation in the past. [No wonder so many other Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters who were stronger than me were defeated by him! No wonder even Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang is not his opponent! What Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could be this monster’s opponent!?]
“Senior Brother…” Yang Kai crouched in front of Deng Chi, “Can I ask you something?”
Deng Chi coughed up blood while looking at Yang Kai, “What is it?”
The two of them had just been fighting fiercely against each other, but they were now talking to each other calmly. Not to mention that Deng Chi was still coughing up blood. No matter how one looked at this situation, there was no denying that it was strange.
It had to be said that the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had straightforward and righteous personalities. Despite being injured and defeated by Yang Kai, none of them held any real resentment against him. Most of them simply admired his strength.
Their strength was inferior to their enemy, so there was no point in being resentful. Although their journey of growth was a little crooked, their temperament was impressive. The defeat they suffered today would only fuel their motivation to get stronger so they could one day get back at him.
“I noticed many Senior Brothers and Sisters heading in a certain direction. What are they doing?” Yang Kai asked while handing a healing pill to Deng Chi.
Deng Chi glanced at the healing pill and stuffed it into his mouth. Chewing with a loud crunch, he swallowed and shook his head, “I can’t say!”
He had been defeated by Yang Kai and eliminated from the training. Nonetheless, he was not willing to reveal Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang’s plans. He, too, wanted to see Yang Kai being surrounded and captured by his Fellow Brothers. Then, they would drive Yang Kai to the depths of despair! Only then could he avenge this defeat!
While speaking, Deng Chi took out some items that were worth a set of Sixth-Order materials and handed them to Yang Kai.
From the start to the end, neither of them mentioned the healing pill or the materials. It was their first meeting, but their actions seemed to indicate a tacit agreement to keep silent about that matter.
Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang had already passed the word around. If they were defeated by Yang Kai, they should exchange money to avoid disaster. There was no need to struggle because their efforts would be pointless.
Yang Kai asked in a friendly manner, “Senior Brother, if you tell me, I will give you a 20% discount. What do you say?”
Deng Chi’s expression twisted, “This Deng is not such a materialistic person. Don’t even think of trying to bribe information out of me.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Brother, your character is noble indeed! This Junior Brother admires you!”
Deng Chi grinned and wanted to laugh, but the movements pulled at his wound. Thus, he just smiled with great difficulty, “I’m a Lang Ya Paradise disciple after all!”
While laughing, he suddenly burst into tears. He looked behind Yang Kai and lost his cool, “Why did you return!? Ahhh! Just why did you have to come back!?”
The four people in his team who escaped earlier had turned back and returned!
All four of them had expressions of helplessness on their faces.
The Junior Brother who wanted to turn back to help Deng Chi earlier answered sadly, “We didn’t want to come back either. It’s just that the Sect Master issued an order saying that we are already ganging up on Yang Kai by forming teams. If all of us were to gather together and even set up a Grand Array in advance, it would be a total disgrace even if we won. After such a shameless action, he would be too embarrassed to show his face again. That was why he issued the order for us to return to our positions and stop using such underhanded methods. He wants us to defeat Junior Brother Yang with our own strength!”
Deng Chi was stunned, “The Sect Master issued such an order?”
He quickly checked his identity token. While he was speaking to Yang Kai earlier, a message had indeed entered his identity token, it was just that he had no time to check it. When he glanced at the contents, what his Junior Brother said turned out to be true!
Thus, he raised his head speechlessly to stare at Yang Kai. [Is Lang Ya Paradise’s Sect Master your Father or something!? Why does he favour you so much!?]
It was not easy for Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang to arrange that Grand Array and even come up with such an infallible solution. Unfortunately, just as the light of victory was about to shine on them, an order from the Sect Master instantly obscured it with a dense fog!
[Defeat Yang Kai with our own strength… If we had the strength to do that, Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang would not have done this in the first place!]
Regardless, Deng Chi had to admit that the Sect Master was not wrong. So many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had been eliminated by Yang Kai, so if the remaining people could not turn this situation around through fair means, then there was no meaning to this training. Relying on the remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to lie in wait to defeat a single person was certainly a meaningless victory.
“Your intentions are sinister indeed!” Yang Kai suddenly spoke up from the side.
He had not known the reason why so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were gathering in one place. Although he had a vague guess, he had not dared to confirm his speculations. After listening to the conversation between Deng Chi and the others though, how could he remain ignorant?
It was obvious that somebody had set up a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array somewhere and gathered all the remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise there. If Yang Kai wanted to gain any benefits, then he would have to walk into the trap himself. At that time, he would no longer have the support of the Dao of Space. No matter how powerful he was, what could he do against them?
Deng Chi laughed in embarrassment, “We had no choice…”
“Thank goodness Senior Li is righteous!” Yang Kai cupped his fist in the direction of the Main Spirit Province and bowed in a gratifying manner.
Deng Chi took the opportunity to signal his four companions!
In the next moment, World Force surged. The four of them took action and summoned their respective artifacts. Using the light of their Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities as a cover, they charged towards Yang Kai!
Now that they had met their greatest enemy, their only option was to fight to the end!
When the light subsided and the energy fluctuations died down, they looked over only to see that the spot where Yang Kai originally stood was empty. He had vanished at some point in time without their realising.
“Junior Brother Ding has been captured!” Somebody exclaimed in shock.
The other two looked around and saw that Junior Brother Ding was indeed nowhere to be found. They originally had four members left, but only three remained at this moment.
Deng Chi sighed, “Junior Brother Ding has been eliminated!”
Nothing good would come from being captured by Yang Kai. It simply meant that they would be beaten up, forced to buy a healing pill, and disqualified from participating in the training. Everybody suffered the same fate. Even the delicate Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters were no exception.
When Deng Chi and the others heard that even Junior Sister Gu Ling’er had been injured by Yang Kai, they could barely believe their ears. How could Yang Kai call himself a man!? How could he hit somebody like Junior Sister Gu Ling’er!? Did he not have the slightest sense of chivalry towards women!?
On the other hand, the Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters had maintained a fairly enthusiastic mentality before the incident where Gu Ling’er was injured by Yang Kai. They believed that they would have an advantage as women. Even if they fell into Yang Kai’s clutches, they would not suffer too badly. In the worst case, they could simply exchange money to avoid disaster.
It was not until the incident with Gu Ling’er that they began to lose confidence. How could they bear to hold their heads high in society again if their beautiful faces were beaten black and blue by Yang Kai? What consoled them was that Yang Kai never aimed for the face whenever he fought against a woman, even though he regarded both men and women as equals and did not hold back in his attacks. Thanks to that, none of them lost their beauty despite being beaten up. It was a stroke of fortune among all the misfortune.
However, at this moment, there was something that confused and puzzled Deng Chi and the others.
Out of the three people who had yet to be eliminated, the slightly older one asked, “Didn’t they say Yang Kai can easily fight against three or four enemies on his own? If that’s the case, then why did he run?”
The four of them attacked with such determination earlier because Yang Kai had a record of fighting in a one-against-four battle and completely annihilating the other party in the process. Logically speaking, he could have gone all out and disqualified all of them from the training just now. However, he had not done that. All he did was flee after capturing Junior Brother Ding!
One person’s eyes lit up, “Could it be that he is running out of strength!?”
Another person nodded in agreement after hearing those words, “There is such a possibility!”
Many days had gone by since the training began. So much time had passed, and Yang Kai had been constantly fighting alone. Even if he was very powerful and the heritage of his Small Universe heritage was incredibly impressive, it was only natural for his abilities to decline after enduring such a long period of consumption. It might be that he no longer had the ability to fight against four enemies at once!
“We must spread this information to the others!” The first person who spoke earlier looked excited.
All this time, they had felt extremely hopeless during this training. Although the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had an advantage in numbers, Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, which allowed him to excel at both ambushing and escaping. Therefore, he would periodically strike out of nowhere and flee immediately as soon as he captured somebody. They were having a hard time guarding against his attacks as a result.
However, there was finally a glimmer of hope in their desperate situation. It turned out that he was not invincible! Even Yang Kai could not maintain his terrifying combat strength forever!
Everything was thanks to the Fellow Brothers who had been eliminated previously. This outcome was obtained in exchange for countless resources and their own blood. Fortunately, their sacrifice would not be in vain. Victory would eventually belong to Lang Ya Paradise!
This information was soon spread to every single surviving Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, all of whom instantly became motivated!
There was nothing wrong with their conjecture per-say.
For an average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to endure such an extended and high-intensity battle, even if they were facing a group of enemies who were significantly weaker than themselves, they were bound to expend great amounts of energy. As such, they would eventually be defeated after exhausting all their strength. It was true that they could recover some strength by refining Open Heaven Pills during this time, but how much could they truly recover? Besides, how could the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise give Yang Kai any time to recover from his fatigue?
However, Yang Kai was not ordinary and he was now fully realising the benefits of rearing living beings in his Small Universe.
The living beings that he relocated from Pear Flower Cave Heaven numbered in the tens of millions now and constantly provided him with a large amount of World Force that enhanced the heritage of his Small Universe.
Furthermore, there was a large number of the Small Stone Race in his Small Universe. The population of the Small Stone Race had multiplied rapidly. Under the premise of equal numbers, the benefits brought to Yang Kai by the Small Stone Race were ten times that of ordinary Humans!
The flow of time in his Small Universe was also different from the outside world. There was almost twice the difference between them. Although Yang Kai had been unable to find any time to rest during this past month or so, he did not show the slightest sign of fatigue even though he had been fighting tirelessly this whole time. On the contrary, he remained lively and high-spirited.
The rate of his consumption was simply incomparable to the growth of his Small Universe. At this rate, he could continue fighting in such a high-intensity battle until the end of time!
Of course, there was a reason why Yang Kai did not challenge all four opponents to annihilate Deng Chi’s team in one go and instead chose to capture them one by one. The reason was consideration for those corrupted by the Black Ink. Even if there was anybody corrupted by the Black Ink among the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, they would not reveal anything to him with so many eyes watching.
Similar to the case of Gu Ling’er, it was only possible for him to discover some clues or uncover the identities of those who had been corrupted by the Black Ink if he remained alone with them.
In the following stick of incense’s worth of time, Deng Chi, who had been meditating on the spot to heal his wounds, watched helplessly as Yang Kai continuously went back and forth to capture his Junior Brothers one after another!
The Junior Brothers were on the verge of going crazy. If not for Li Yuan Wang’s orders, they could have fled to another Spirit Province to seek refuge. But, for some reason, the Sect Master had issued the order for them to return to their respective positions. No matter how they escaped, they could only escape within the confines of their respective Spirit Provinces.
They couldn’t even ask for reinforcements from the other teams like before. That was because those teams could not defy their orders and leave their Spirit Provinces to provide aid.
The Sect Master was clearly giving Yang Kai the opportunity to take them down one by one! Nobody knew the reason behind his actions. All they could guess was that the Sect Master was unhappy with their failure. Despite so many people being in a team, they could not defeat Yang Kai. It would be an even greater shame if they went so far as to request aid from the other teams.
With just one order from Li Yuan Wang, the situation had turned in favour of Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, as the only person who understood Li Yuan Wang’s intentions, Yang Kai was working hard to cooperate.
The flames of battle spread across the Spirit Provinces in Lang Ya Paradise. Everywhere Yang Kai went, the team of Open Heaven Realm Masters guarding that particular Spirit Province were obliterated. Every single person kidnapped by Yang Kai was beaten up badly, but not a single Open Heaven Realm Master in Lang Ya Paradise conceded defeat.
After Deng Chi’s team spread the message to the others, their resistance became more intense. Every single person, who was eliminated from the training, fought Yang Kai with all their strength to the point of exhaustion. Needless to say, these people suffered a harsher beating compared to those who were eliminated before.
Nevertheless, they were happy. That was because their elimination was not meaningless. Only by shaving off Yang Kai’s strength could they help their remaining Fellow Brothers obtain a greater chance for success.
They were looking forward to the time when somebody could eventually stand up and defeat Yang Kai and victory would then belong to Lang Ya Paradise! Be that as it may, with the passage of time, this anticipation slowly turned into despair once more.
Although the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were eliminated could no longer communicate any information to the Fellow Brothers who were still participating in the training, they were allowed to continue communicating with each other in general.
At this moment, many of the Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been eliminated were chatting endlessly through their identity tokens.
“We received exact information! Senior Sister Zhou’s team was targeted by that Bastard an hour ago!”
“How is the situation?”
“Four people have been eliminated so far! Only Senior Sister Zhou and Junior Brother Jia are left in the team!”
“I hope Senior Sister Zhou and Junior Brother Jia achieve success! Kill that bastard surnamed Yang!”
“Ahem… I’ve also been eliminated… Greetings, Senior Brothers!” Junior Brother Jia informed via message.
Everybody fell silent. A short while later, somebody responded with another message, “Senior Sister Zhou is in trouble!”
Senior Sister Zhou had been defeated by Yang Kai once before. That incident had taken place before the training began, so everybody knew that she was no match for him. Now that he had so many wins under his belt, Yang Kai was at the peak of his momentum, so how could she be his opponent?
As soon as that message came out, another message was delivered from another source, “Senior Sister Zhou has also been eliminated!”
“How fast! What is wrong with that Bastard!? Why does it feel as though his strength is inexhaustible!? Could it be that our Fellow Brothers lied to us!?”
“Senior Sister Zhou? Are you there, Senior Sister Zhou?”
“Get lost! Don’t bother me! I don’t want to talk!”
“Okay, okay. Please focus on your recovery, Senior Sister Zhou. This Junior Brother apologises for disturbing you.”
…..
At the same time, on the Spirit Province that Senior Sister Zhou’s team was overseeing, Yang Kai stood next to the dispirited Senior Sister Zhou and stared into the distance.
There were traces of fresh blood at the corners of Senior Sister Zhou’s mouth. She coughed lightly and studied the man next to her with a complicated gaze.
Compared to the last time she was defeated, there was not much difference in his strength. Nonetheless, she could clearly feel that there was an additional aura lingering around him. It was the aura of invincibility. Even though it could neither be seen nor touched, she could feel it clearly. This aura was something he gradually accumulated after winning against hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise. It was as brilliant as the Great Sun and as dazzling as the Stars. Moreover, she couldn’t shake off the illusion that he could even win against a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in his current condition.
There were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, so there was no lack of talent. That was especially true for the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who ranked at the top. Who among them was not a dazzling genius in the outside world? However, they instantly became bleak and dull when compared to the man in front of her.
[I’ve never met such a man before…]
“There aren’t many left, right?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
Nevertheless, Senior Sister Zhou understood his question. She pondered in silence for a moment before she responded, “Only Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang’s team is left. If you can defeat them, then this training will end.”
He nodded lightly, “Le Mang is pretty good.”
Having exchanged blows with Le Mang before, Yang Kai knew that the strength of this person known as the Eldest Senior Brother among the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise was quite extraordinary.
Senior Sister Zhou couldn’t help rolling her eyes at his reply. Only someone like Yang Kai could comment on Senior Brother Le Mang’s strength so casually, but there was nothing she could refute either.
“Can you fight seriously for once? Stop using such nefarious means!” She snapped in annoyance.
Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Your teams range from five to eight people. With so many people in the same Order gathering together in one place, how am I supposed to fight them all at once? Besides, I am using my abilities to capture those people. How can you claim that I am using nefarious means?”
Senior Sister Zhou flushed slightly in embarrassment because there was nothing she could refute in his statement. To a certain extent, it could be said that he obtained every victory through serious means. There was no trickery or underhanded means to his actions. That was something she herself had experienced before.
Nonetheless, she was reluctant to accept her loss because she had been defeated before she could even bring out her full strength! Failure to bring out her full strength in time was equivalent to having no chance to exert her strength at all. The battle had ended too quickly! In other words, the gap in their strengths was too vast. She had no choice but to admit the truth even if she was not willing to accept her defeat.
“Good! It’s time for this training to end! Senior Sister, please focus on your recovery! I’ll be leaving now!” After saying that, Yang Kai stepped forward and his figure rapidly faded out of sight.
Senior Sister Zhou turned to look in the direction of Void Flower Spirit Province where Senior Brother Le Mang’s team was stationed. Nobody could say for certain whether this battle would allow Lang Ya Paradise to narrowly retain its pride or whether Yang Kai would have the last laugh.
Messages began to fly rapidly between the identity tokens of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
“Quick! Quick! Yang Kai is heading towards Void Flower Spirit Province! This is the last battle! Let’s go and watch! We have to cheer for Eldest Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother Le Mang will win! Lang Ya Paradise will win!”
…..
Following the fluctuations of the World Force, numerous streams of light took to the skies and sped towards Void Flower Spirit Province in unison. Many had been and still were recuperating from their injuries, but seeing as this was the last battle, they could not bring themselves to miss out on the show and quickly began moving.
By the time Yang Kai arrived at Void Flower Spirit Province, hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters had already gathered above it. Most of these Open Heaven Realm Masters were wounded. The bloody bruises on their faces had yet to subside, causing them to look extremely menacing.
Yang Kai travelled through the void and arrived calmly. Hundreds of gazes immediately turned towards him. Everywhere he passed, the crowd automatically split apart and opened a path for him. These bruised Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise might look like a mess, but they still gazed at him with admiration.
Throughout this training, Yang Kai acted alone. He fought all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise by himself. It didn’t matter what methods he used or whether the Sect Master’s orders had favoured him. For him to reach this point was enough to garner the respect of all those gathered here.
Yang Kai nodded lightly at the people around him. Passing through the crowd, he arrived directly at Void Flower Spirit Province.
Le Mang stood at the front with a solemn expression, giving off an air of dignity. Behind him stood four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters lined up.
His team could not be considered large. Including him, there were only five. Nevertheless, each one of them stood at the top of all the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. They had been immersed in this Realm for many years, and for that reason, despite their small numbers, they could be considered the team with the highest combat capabilities in Lang Ya Paradise below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
The four Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters watched Yang Kai intently. So much time had passed since the training began, but this was their first time seeing Yang Kai in person; hence, they could not help being extremely curious towards the young man who caused such a ruckus in Lang Ya Paradise.
When their eyes met, Le Mang lowered his head slightly, “My apologies, Junior Brother Yang!”
If possible, he did not wish to join forces with his Junior Brothers to face a lone opponent, but he knew that he was no match for Yang Kai by himself. This battle was related to Lang Ya Paradise’s face, so even if he was unwilling to use such methods, he had no choice.
“It’s fine!” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Start the Array!” Le Mang gestured with his hand.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the four people behind him swiftly used various hand seals at the same time. Numerous bursts of lights scattered in all directions. Following that, the entire Void Flower Spirit Province rumbled and shook as though the World itself was shaking.
In an instant, the space around the entire Spirit Province was sealed off. This place had been transformed into a cage!
From the outside, there were no obvious changes to Void Flower Spirit Province; not even the entry and exit to this place had been affected. Nonetheless, countless invisible barriers had undoubtedly been imposed upon the Void. As long as Yang Kai was within Void Flower Spirit Province, he could not perform his Instantaneous Movement.
There was no doubt that this battle would decide the outcome of this entire event.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise in the surroundings watched with great excitement, and their Divine Senses interweaved madly as they communicated with each other!
“Senior Brothers, what are the prospects for this battle? Do you think Senior Brother Le Mang and the others have any chances to win?”
“That Brat surnamed Yang might be immensely powerful, but his greatest support is his Space Secret Techniques. Now that Void Flower Spirit Province has been sealed off by the Grand Array, his wings have been clipped. Without the ability to move about freely, it will be difficult for him to fight against five opponents!”
“You’re right, Senior Brother! Lang Ya Paradise is sure to win this battle!”
“Haih… That’s nothing to be proud of. Even if we win this battle, we only did so by overwhelming our opponent with superior numbers. It’s not an honourable victory. This training has really taught me that there are always Heavens beyond the Heavens. After this, I will have to go back and cultivate hard in retreat.”
…..
There was no doubt that the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were not optimistic about Yang Kai’s prospects. His biggest reliance had been limited by the Grand Array. In spite of that, he had to face five opponents alone in battle. Not to mention, the five people led by Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang were veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with profound experience and cultivation. If they lost despite such a line-up, then it would be far too unreasonable.
While the others were conversing wildly among themselves, Yang Kai took a shallow breath and focused his gaze on Le Mang and the others, “Are you ready, Senior Brothers? If you’re ready, then I… will begin!”
His figure, which was enveloped in an indescribably terrifying aura slammed directly towards Le Mang and the others even before he finished his sentence. When he pushed his immense World Force, even the people watching from afar could sense the suffocating aura blowing towards them.
On the other hand, the expressions of the ones actually involved in the situation changed greatly. Le Mang and the others simultaneously scattered in all directions without hesitation! Yang Kai’s momentum, which came from winning hundreds of battles without suffering a single loss, was simply too horrifying. Faced with this pressure, even someone as strong as Le Mang couldn’t help feeling intimidated.
There was a thunderous rumble that sounded as though the world was about to collapse, and Void Flower Spirit Province shook violently. When the dust finally settled, the sounds of World Forces colliding with each other could be heard. Everybody scanned the scene anxiously with widened eyes.
In the midst of the thick dust cloud, figures could be seen weaving back and forth like fish swimming in the sea. A short while later, two figures soared into the sky. Everybody looked in that direction and immediately gasped in surprise.
Yang Kai had summoned a spear at some point in time and was raining down strikes like a waterfall, his World Force surging rampantly. Standing opposite Yang Kai was one of their Senior Brothers. This Senior Brother was pale-faced and retreating in a fluster. At the same time, he constantly defended against the thrust of the spear with the artifact in his hand. Every collision between their weapons was a confrontation between the power of their Small Universes.
Yang Kai’s murderous intent had practically materialized. Moreover, his attacks were so frenzied that everyone couldn’t help wondering whether he planned to kill their Senior Brother with his spear!
Under this wanton offensive, the Senior Brother did not dare to waver in the slightest. He was forced to retreat continuously by Yang Kai; thus, the figures of those two sliced through the sky like two streams of light.
Shocked and enraged, Le Mang and the others hurriedly gave chase. Their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques bombarded Yang Kai’s back before they even drew near.
However, Yang Kai turned a blind eye to their attacks.
In the next moment, countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques accurately struck Yang Kai, causing Le Mang and the others to break out in cold sweat at the sight. This was not a life-or-death battle after all. They had always held back to a certain extent and prevented themselves from using their full strength as things would not end well if they accidentally killed Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, with the four of them working together, the power of their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques was not to be underestimated. If Yang Kai took those attacks head-on, he would most likely suffer a tragic fate.
[Why didn’t he dodge!? With his skills and abilities, he is perfectly capable of avoiding those attacks!] Nobody could understand his actions.
What happened next shocked all the onlookers to the core. Despite being hit by so many Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, Yang Kai seemed totally unaffected. He ignored all the movements coming from behind him and simply focused on attacking the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was constantly being forced backwards.
The clothes Yang Kai was wearing were his transformed Grand Dragon Scales, and the defensive properties of a Grand Dragon’s Dragon Scales were extraordinary. To a certain extent, his Dragon Scales were capable of blocking the attacks of even Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
During his previous battle against Shi Zheng, Yang Kai had used his Dragon Scale Armour to block some of Shi Zheng’s Divine Abilities. If he could even block the Divine Ability of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then what need be said about the attacks of a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were holding back? Yang Kai might not be able to withstand such a bombardment over a longer period, but it was not a problem for a short time.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of Yang Kai was on the verge of tears. He did not know how he had provoked Yang Kai, but the other party had persistently targeted him from the beginning. Yang Kai’s ruthless posture left him reeling in discomfort. In the face of Yang Kai’s frenzied offensive, he only had the strength to parry while being steadily forced backwards!
Le Mang’s expression suddenly changed drastically and he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Junior Brother Feng, you can’t retreat any further!”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Junior Brother Feng stiffened at those words, but before he could understand the situation, he saw Yang Kai grinning at him all of a sudden. Yang Kai’s large hand reached out towards him immediately after that, and under the fluctuations of Space Principles, the entire world spun dizzily!
Le Mang and the three others hurried over, but Yang Kai and Junior Brother Feng were no longer anywhere to be found. Only a slight fluctuation of Space Principles remained in place.
Le Mang was furious! Similarly, the Open Heaven Realm Masters watching in the surroundings were in an uproar!
Yang Kai’s sudden attack just now and his ruthless behaviour, as though he wanted to kill Junior Brother Feng, had left them extremely anxious. They were afraid that an accident might occur in this training; therefore, nobody noticed that the battlefield had been guided to the outside of Void Flower Spirit Province when Junior Brother Feng was forced to retreat by Yang Kai!
The Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array only covered Void Flower Spirit Province, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to perform Instantaneous Movement within its boundaries. However, those restrictions no longer took effect outside the Spirit Province. From the very beginning, Yang Kai’s plan was to control the battlefield on which they fought. That was the only method for him to defeat them one by one!
“What is he doing?” Somebody was puzzled.
Judging by Yang Kai’s fierce momentum and the strength he displayed just now, he stood a fighting chance in a five-against-one battle even if he did not escape. Although nobody could guess the outcome of the battle, it would be an unmistakably exciting and thrilling battle!
Be that as it may, he had fled. Just like he had done with the previous teams, he quickly escaped as soon as he captured Junior Brother Feng.
All the people who had been looking forward to the battle were absolutely devastated by the sight, feeling as though they were left hanging, half-satiated by the meal before them.
“That guy… Could it be that he is planning to coerce Junior Brother Feng into buying a healing pill and acted in that manner because it was inconvenient if other people were to disturb him?” Somebody guessed.
Many people had the same conjecture. That was because recently, Yang Kai had done the same even when only two people were left in a team. In any case, it was just a conjecture and they could not verify the truth, but the scene playing out in front of them made things clear that Yang Kai was planning exactly that.
“Just how greedy is that guy…” The Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were speechless. [This is the last battle! Can’t he fight properly for once so that we feel better even if we lose? Why does he have to be so miserly?]
Having said that, a set of Sixth-Order materials was indeed valuable, so Yang Kai’s actions were understandable. If they had such an opportunity, it was possible that they would have made the same choice.
Le Mang remained frozen in place, his expression extremely ugly. Less than ten breaths later, a series of ripples appeared in the Void. It was not until that moment that he reacted as though waking up from a dream. His expression changed drastically and he yelled, “Fall back! Quickly!”
Having given chase earlier, they had unknowingly followed Yang Kai out of Void Flower Spirit Province. They only realised what a dangerous situation they were in at this moment. Unfortunately, it was too late. Yang Kai’s figure appeared out of nowhere. He glanced around and immediately became delighted, “Senior Brothers, were you waiting for me?”
While speaking, he waved his hand and Space Principles surged as his Near Distant Horizon Secret Technique spread out into the surroundings. All of a sudden, space seemed to stretch out infinitely.
Everybody felt as though they experienced a momentary illusion. Even though they clearly saw their four Senior Brothers led by Le Mang struggling to escape towards Void Flower Spirit Province, they seemed to freeze in place for some strange reason.
Yang Kai took a step forward and came to stand beside one of them. Grabbing that person, he quickly turned around and left!
Le Mang howled miserably, “Junior Brother Yun!”
Junior Brother Yun had also been captured!
It was not until the figures of Yang Kai and Junior Brother Yun vanished out of sight that the Space Principles calmed down again. Accordingly, Le Mang and the others regained their freedom. Those three did not dare to remain outside for a moment longer and quickly fled back into Void Flower Spirit Province with humiliated and disgraced expressions.
In the short span of time taken to boil a cup of tea, two out of the five-man team had been captured. Only three of them remained!
Such a situation was something they never expected. They believed that preparing the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array in advance would prevent Yang Kai from using his Instantaneous Movement Secret Technique, thereby allowing them to attack him together. It was supposed to be the final blow that determined their victory! Who could have known that Yang Kai would retaliate so fiercely!?
Le Mang said solemnly, “Junior Brothers, Yang Kai is bound to return. We only have three people left, but we still stand a fighting chance. If he appears again, don’t leave Void Flower Spirit Province no matter what!”
Both of them nodded heavily, “Rest assured, Eldest Senior Brother!”
They had only just finished responding when they detected the fluctuations of Space Principles. Sure enough, Yang Kai had appeared again!
Yang Kai approached Le Mang and the two others in a few quick steps.
Le Mang quickly asked, “How are Junior Brother Feng and Junior Brother Yun?”
Yang Kai smiled, “They are fine, but shouldn’t you be worrying about yourselves?”
Taking a deep breath, Le Mang summoned a longsword into his hand and pointed at Yang Kai, “No matter what happens, I will never let you succeed again!”
“That… will depend on whether or not you have the ability!”
When Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, his figure launched towards the three of them like an arrow that was released from its string. At the same time, his World Force burst out like a tsunami and caused a pressure wave that was visible to the naked eye to spread out into the surroundings.
Le Mang and his two Junior Brothers roared in defiance. Activating the power of their Small Universes, they struggled desperately to block their enemy’s advance; however, their efforts were in vain!
Three figures were sent flying in three separate directions following the initial clash!
Le Mang finally stabilised his body with some difficulty. Looking over, he immediately felt as though his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.
Yang Kai had set his sights on one of his two Junior Brothers and was indiscriminately bombarding him with attacks! Accordingly, this Junior Brother was steadily being forced back. It was the exact situation that Junior Brother Feng had experienced earlier!
Le Mang shouted, “Hold on, Junior Brother Peng!”
His figure shifted as he hurriedly pursued Yang Kai.
At this moment, Junior Brother Peng was filled with a deep sense of bitterness. When he previously saw Yang Kai forcing Junior Brother Feng out of Void Flower Spirit Province with ease, he believed that Junior Brother Feng had been too careless. It was not until he actually faced Yang Kai that he understood. Junior Brother Feng was not being careless. The gap between their strength was simply too large!
Yang Kai bore down on him from the front with crushing momentum, and no matter how he tried to resist, he could not fight back. He felt as though his Small Universe was about to collapse with every single collision of their World Forces.
Under this violent offensive, he had no choice but to retreat even if he was unwilling!
He distinctly saw Senior Brother Le Mang’s figure transforming into a stream of light and chasing after him. Nevertheless, it was obvious that it was too late. Under the tremendous pressure from Yang Kai, he was quickly forced out of Void Flower Spirit Province like a duckweed caught in the rapids.
[It’s over!] His heart thumped hard in his chest. Staring helplessly at Yang Kai’s large hand stretching out to fill his vision, he was unable to resist at all. His previous confrontation with Yang Kai had caused his Small Universe to be greatly shaken, so his power could not flow smoothly!
In the next moment, everybody watched as Yang Kai grabbed Junior Brother Peng by the neck and dragged the latter away like he was picking up a common chicken to be slaughtered.
Le Mang and the other Junior Brother stood at the edge of Void Flower Spirit Province, watching everything unfolding before them but being helpless to do anything. Their expressions were filled with despair.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise who had been communicating unceasingly via their Divine Senses all this while suddenly sank into silence at this moment.
They initially thought that the outcome of this battle would be difficult to predict, but judging by the current circumstances, things were not looking optimistic for Lang Ya Paradise. Be that as it may, this outcome was very difficult for them to accept. Yang Kai had defeated all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise with his strength alone.
“Junior Brother Dai!” Le Mang took a deep breath, “There’s only the two of us left, but we still have a chance! Yang Kai will definitely come again! Don’t let your guard down!”
Junior Brother Dai was sorrowful, “Eldest Senior Brother, that’s what you said earlier.”
[Then, Junior Brother Peng was kidnapped… Even when we had three people, we were not his opponents. What can we do now that there are only the two of us left!?] It was not that his mental strength was lacking, it was just that he could not muster the strength when faced with an opponent like Yang Kai!
Le Mang shouted, “Junior Brother Dai, the honour or disgrace of Lang Ya Paradise lies in our hands. You need to get yourself together!”
Realisation suddenly struck Junior Brother Dai. His eyes instantly filled with fighting spirit, and he nodded repeatedly, “Got it, Eldest Senior Brother!”
Half an incense stick’s time later… Le Mang stared into the Void with a blank gaze.
There was nobody next to him. Junior Brother Feng, Junior Brother Yun, Junior Brother Peng, and even Junior Brother Dai had all been captured…
Such desolate loneliness! But, so what if that was the case? Even if he had to fight alone, he would never be discouraged! With so many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters watching him, as the Eldest Senior Brother, Le Mang had to set a good example for the others.
Reaching this enlightenment, Le Mang’s aura abruptly began to swell. The wind and the clouds in Void Flower Spirit Province swirled and all the World Energy in the Spirit Province became agitated and flooded towards him.
The illusory phantom of a Universe World suddenly appeared behind him, but the Universe World was extremely distorted and ever-changing. Following the rise of his aura, the ethereal Universe World showed signs of becoming solid.
“That is…” Somebody among the crowd suddenly exclaimed, “What is happening to Eldest Senior Brother?”
“Eldest Senior Brother is advancing into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm! Look at his Small Universe! It’s showing signs of materialising!”
“Hahahaha! That Bastard is dead meat now! No matter how powerful he is, how can he be the opponent of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!?”
“Advancing into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm is not that simple. Eldest Senior Brother probably just grasped the opportunity for a breakthrough and is showing signs of advancement. He needs to enter retreat immediately. Only when his Small Universe fully materializes can he be considered to have truly advanced into the next Order!” An Open Heaven Realm Master of Lang Ya Paradise who had some understanding of how to advance from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm explained.
“Even so, Eldest Senior Brother will now possess some heritage of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. The power he can wield is definitely above that of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if Yang Kai is powerful, he might not be Eldest Senior Brother’s opponent.”
“That’s right! It will now depend on how much strength Eldest Senior Brother can exert.”
“Sect Master has arrived!” Somebody shouted all of a sudden.
The advancement of a disciple from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was not a trivial matter, especially for somebody like Le Mang. Furthermore, Li Yuan Wang had always been monitoring this training, so he knew about everything that was taking place here.
Following the emergence of Li Yuan Wang’s figure, the hundreds of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters bowed in unison, “Greetings, Sect Master, Vice Sect Master!”
Li Yuan Wang did not come alone. He was accompanied by Gao Ting. Nodding lightly in acknowledgement, he gestured for them to be at ease. Only then did he turn to look at Le Mang below.
Upon sensing Li Yuan Wang’s gaze, Le Mang looked up and cupped his fist, “Disciple greets Sect Master, Vice Sect Master!”
Li Yuan Wang asked in concern, “How confident are you?”
Comprehending the opportunity to advance into the next Order did not mean that one could successfully complete the breakthrough. There was no saying whether an unexpected accident might occur during the process.
The transformation of one’s Small Universe from immaterial to material was no different from stepping over the threshold. Only by overcoming this threshold could a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Unfortunately, many Open Heaven Realm Masters failed to cross this chasm.
Le Mang replied, “Disciple is confident!”
“Good!” Li Yuan Wang nodded, “But, before that, you should end this training.”
Le Mang nodded and quickly said, “I will not disappoint you, Sect Master!” Turning his head to look at somebody among the crowd, he pointed with his longsword, “Junior Brother Yang, this Senior Brother is in a hurry to enter retreat. Let’s get this over with quickly.”
Unbeknownst to the others, Yang Kai had appeared in that direction at some point in time.
Most of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the surroundings had been focused on Le Mang, so they had failed to notice Yang Kai’s presence and it was not until this moment that they saw him.
On the other hand, Le Mang had comprehended the opportunity for advancement. At this moment, his strength could no longer be judged simply by the standards of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. His strength was already beyond the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, though still below the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
His words and attitude conveyed great self-confidence. His confidence infected the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise, causing them to become extremely excited.
Yang Kai abruptly turned to look at Li Yuan Wang, “Sect Master Li, with Senior Brother Le Mang’s current condition, will there be any aftereffects if he were injured?”
Li Yuan Wang pondered in silence for a moment, “Go easy on him!”
Many of the disciples turned pale. [Why do the Sect Master’s words sound so much like he is favouring the outsider instead?]
Before they could understand the situation, Yang Kai broke out into a grin, “Since you are in a hurry, Senior Brother, I will do as you request!”
He shifted his body and charged towards Le Mang.
Immediately after that, all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise witnessed an incredible scene.
Le Mang, who now wielded strength beyond the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, suffered a fate no different from the rest of his comrades. He was overwhelmed and suppressed by the storm of attacks from Yang Kai, which gave him no time to catch his breath. In fact, he didn’t even have the strength to fight back.
Even Le Mang himself looked like he had seen a ghost!
He knew about the gap in strength between him and Yang Kai; after all, he had been defeated once in the past already. It was just that he was different from before. He had already comprehended the opportunity to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so his strength was much greater than before.
[I can’t believe nothing has changed!] It was not until this moment that he realised something. He had always underestimated Yang Kai. Yang Kai’s strength as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was not something that could be judged using common sense. As the saying went, ‘There are always people beyond people out there’!
In front of everybody’s eyes, Yang Kai continuously advanced while Le Mang steadily fell back. The moment the two of them left Void Flower Spirit Province, they disappeared out of sight together.
In the void where many Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise gathered, a blanket of dead silence filled the air! Such an outcome was very difficult to accept.
An energy fluctuation from the collision of World Forces seemed to come from afar before it was quickly extinguished.
A short while later, Le Mang flew over from that direction with a bruised and swollen face. He cupped his fist and said, “Sect Master, Disciple will enter retreat now.”
Li Yuan Wang nodded, “Go on, but don’t be impatient. You only need to allow nature to take its course.”
“Yes!” Le Mang nodded.
Meanwhile, the Open Heaven Realm Masters of Lang Ya Paradise were so stunned that they were in a daze. At this point, the situation was clear. Senior Brother Le Mang had lost, and Void Land’s Lord Yang Kai had single-handedly defeated all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise.
Hence, their faces burned with shame!
They looked towards Li Yuan Wang only to see that his expression was calm and collected. He didn’t seem to care that his disciples had failed so miserably, which only made them feel even more ashamed.
It was just… This training was over, so why was the Sect Master not announcing the results? Based on his appearance and demeanour, he seemed to be waiting for something.
The same seemed to be true even for Vice Sect Master Gao Ting who was standing by the side.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise were confused and puzzled. However, as long as the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master said nothing, they did not dare to say anything either. As such, they could only stand there quietly.
In front of a lake in a certain Spirit Province, Gu Pan rested her cheeks on her hands. There was a fishing rod in front of her, and the fish bait had been thrown into the water. Nevertheless, she didn’t even notice when the fish got caught on the hook. Her eyes were fixed blankly on the surface of the water, and she was clearly absent-minded.
When Yang Kai came to Lang Ya Paradise, he brought news of people corrupted by the Black Ink. She could not deny being extremely shocked at the time. There was no saying how many Fellow Brothers corrupted by the Black Ink were lurking in Lang Ya Paradise. Furthermore, there would likely be people whom she was familiar with among them. Once these people were identified, they were bound to suffer a tragic fate. She did not wish to see such a scene, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Suddenly, a strange aura appeared behind her. Although the aura only appeared briefly before disappearing in a flash, it gave her an extreme feeling of disgust. A sense of vigilance bloomed in her heart. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she spun around and slammed her palm out. The World Force of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surged violently.
However, she immediately showed a look of astonishment and quickly retracted most of her strength. Nevertheless, her palm still landed lightly upon Yang Kai, who had appeared behind her without warning. As if struck by lightning, his figure was blown backwards. He coughed up fresh blood in mid-air and crashed to the ground weakly.
Gu Pan turned pale in shock, “Senior Brother Yang!”
Having withdrawn most of her strength when she recognised him, the power of that attack should not have been capable of threatening him. That was why she couldn’t quite understand how she managed to injure him. Also… what was that repulsive aura earlier?
Yang Kai climbed to his feet and clutched at his chest with an agonised expression. He quickly said, “Junior Sister, you’re amazing indeed! This Senior Brother admits defeat!”
Gu Pan stiffened in surprise but quickly came back to her senses. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as she protested, “Senior Brother, there’s no need for that!”
[Senior Brother Yang is clearly giving me an opportunity!]
In this training, the person who could defeat him would receive the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World. Yang Kai had deliberately made a trip here, allowed her to strike him, and admitted defeat so readily. The motive behind his actions could not be more evident.
Moreover, he looked as though he had been severely injured. It was obvious that he had forced himself to cough up blood. Gu Pan was certain that her palm strike could not have actually harmed him in any way. With his abilities, he could have resolved her attacks with ease.
“Junior Sister, you have great skills! This Senior Brother is impressed!” Yang Kai continued to spout nonsense without batting an eyelid.
Seeing how insistent he was acting, Gu Pan could only play along with him. Thus, she elegantly bowed, “You have my respects, Senior Brother!”
He nodded lightly.
In this training, Lang Ya Paradise had to win! This was something Yang Kai understood clearly. If he won in the end, Lang Ya Paradise would lose all face. He came here for the people corrupted by the Black Ink Clan, not to turn the entire place upside down. What’s more, he had gained quite a lot from this training, so he was quite satisfied.
Seeing as the person who defeated him could enter the Five Lights World for training, it would not be bad to give Gu Pan this opportunity.
“It’s about time for the training to end. Junior Sister, come with me to meet Sect Master Li,” Yang Kai said.
“Good!” Gu Pan nodded and continued seriously, “Senior Brother Yang, thank you!”
A few years after she advanced into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she received the opportunity to enter Lang Ya Paradise’s Small Source World for training. Unfortunately, even if she was a Core Disciple who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, she could not enter the Small Source World twice in such a short time. There were so many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise who were waiting for their turn after all. The Elders of the Sect could not favour her too much.
If she could enter the Small Source World again for training now, it would be greatly beneficial for her growth.
…
In the sky above Void Flower Spirit Province, everybody continued to wait quietly for something.
A short while later, two streams of light sped over from afar. Upon noticing the movement, the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise turned to look in that direction.
“That Bastard is back!”
“The person beside him… It’s Junior Sister Gu!”
“Huh? Why does the Bastard look so pale? Moreover, his aura is so weak. He looks like he has been heavily injured. Was he beaten up by Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang?”
Le Mang had returned covered in bruises earlier, so it was obvious that he had been defeated by Yang Kai. Be that as it may, Yang Kai could not have gotten away unscathed after fighting with their Eldest Senior Brother. It would be understandable if he had suffered injuries against Le Mang.
Somebody’s eyes lit up, “Could it be that the Bastard was heavily injured after a tough battle against Eldest Senior Brother Le Mang, and then Junior Sister Gu took advantage of the circumstances to defeat him?”
Upon hearing those words, all their expressions became very animated. For a time, the image of Junior Sister Gu Pan teaching this heartless thief a painful lesson out of hatred born from love came to the minds of many people. They all felt that she had done a good job! Looking at Yang Kai’s pale complexion made their hearts feel so much better.
“Yang Kai greets Seniors!” Coming to stand in front of Li Yuan Wang and Gao Ting, Yang Kai bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Honoured Master! Greetings, Martial Uncle Gao!” Gu Pan bowed.
Gao Ting looked at Gu Pan warmly.
Li Yuan Wang asked, “Who won and who lost?”
Yang Kai grinned and laughed, “This Junior lost to Junior Sister Gu!”
Li Yuan Wang lifted his hand and stroked his beard, looking at Yang Kai as though he was looking at a promising young man. Although he had already understood everything, Yang Kai’s actions made him very satisfied nevertheless.
Yang Kai had been causing so many troubles in Lang Ya Paradise during this period that many complaints had been flooding in as a result. If not because of his status, Li Yuan Wang would have been tempted to teach Yang Kai a lesson himself. Luckily, Yang Kai had enough tact to leave Lang Ya Paradise with a fig leaf. Their pride had not been ruined completely thanks to that.
After pondering in silence for some time, Li Yuan Wang announced loudly, “Lang Ya Paradise disciple Gu Pan has gone through many hardships and defeated Yang Kai. Therefore, I will reward her with the opportunity to enter the Five Lights World. The rest of the disciples should guard against arrogance and impatience. Work hard in your cultivation. When you enter the 3,000 Worlds in the future, you should remain proud but humble. Don’t disgrace the name Lang Ya Paradise.”
The Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise shouted in unison, “We will obey your orders, Sect Master!”
Gu Pan blushed slightly. [What hardships? I can’t believe Honoured Master! All I did was randomly strike out with my palm and Senior Brother Yang spat up blood all on his own! I’m sure Honoured Master knows this fact. I can’t believe he is lying through his teeth!]
“Good! This training ends here. Gu Pan, come with me!”
“Yes!” Gu Pan responded.
Li Yuan Wang and Gao Ting turned and left, but Li Yuan Wang suddenly gestured with his large hand before departing. Following the swirl of the wind and the clouds, an invisible light barrier covered the entire Void Flower Spirit Province like an upside-down bowl.
The light barrier flashed. It was obvious that it was a Sealing Type Array. Seeing as he was the Lang Ya Paradise Sect Master, it was only natural that Li Yuan Wang had the authority to activate all kinds of Arrays in the Sect.
Yang Kai’s expression immediately darkened as he shouted, “Senior, what is the meaning of this!?”
Li Yuan Wang pretended to have heard nothing. Walking out of Void Flower Spirit Province in a few quick steps, he transformed into a stream of light and left quickly.
In the beginning, the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise didn’t understand why the Sect Master had suddenly activated the Sealing Array on Void Flower Spirit Province; however, they quickly understood and turned to look at Yang Kai in unison.
Standing alone, in the middle of the crowd, Yang Kai felt cold sweat dripping from his forehead in droves.
Numerous figures slowly approached Yang Kai from all directions and soon surrounded him so tightly that not a single drop of water could slip through. All of those gazes contained malice, and there were as many as several hundreds of them! Some even cracked their knuckles eagerly.
His face twitching violently, Yang Kai glanced at his surroundings with bright eyes and forced out a dry laugh, “Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, victory and defeat is a common thing in life. Revenge will only breed revenge, when will there ever be an end!?”
The current Void Flower Spirit Province had truly turned into a cage. Without destroying the Sealing Array, it was impossible for Yang Kai to even think of escaping. His Instantaneous Movement was completely useless under the power of the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array
Faced with the aggressive looks of hundreds of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai panicked!
Senior Sister Zhou glared at him and gritted her teeth, “You Bastard, I bet you never imagined that you’d experience such a day! You were so happy to beat us up earlier! Now you’ll know what it feels like when the tables turn on you!”
Yang Kai protested with an ashen face, “Senior Sister, you must have misunderstood me. It was only because of the training before that this Junior Brother had no choice but to act so ruthlessly. It was not my intention!”
“Was selling your healing pills by force also something you had no control over!?” Somebody questioned.
“Uh… Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, it’s okay if you want to understand it in that way!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
“Don’t waste time talking nonsense with him! We can talk after we give him a beating!” Somebody shouted furiously.
During this period of time, the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Lang Ya Paradise had been nursing a grudge in their hearts. So many Fellow Brothers and Fellow Sisters had suffered at the hands of Yang Kai after all. However, he was as slippery as an eel and nobody could do anything to him. Thanks to the Sect Master’s help though, he was now trapped like a turtle hiding in his shell. What else was there to hesitate about?
“Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers, Senior Sisters, and Junior Sisters! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!” Somebody roared.
Immediately after that, a large number of people instantly swarmed towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai struggled to retaliate only to realise that his efforts were useless. Thus, he could only cover his head, “Not the face!”
Curling up his body, he silently endured the storm of attacks raining down on him.
“Move aside! Move aside! Let me kick him too!”
“This punch is for Junior Sister Gu Ling’er! How can you be willing to attack a person as gentle as Junior Sister Gu Ling’er!? This is driving me crazy!”
“Which Bastard just touched my butt!? You even dared to touch a man like me!?”
“Ah! Senior Brother, I apologise! I touched the wrong person!”
“Huh? Who were you planning to touch!?”
“…I wasn’t trying to touch anybody!”
“There’s another Senior Brother here who is trying to take advantage of the situation to get handsy! Senior Sisters, Junior Sisters, beat him up too!”
“Don’t hit my face! My face is important!”
…..
It was a sea of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Yang Kai himself didn’t know how many punches and kicks he suffered. It just felt as though his entire being was about to fall apart.
When the people in the inner ring got tired, they would be replaced by people from the outer ring. It was truly a scramble as an endless stream of people fought for their turn. For a time, the scene was extremely tragic!
After a whole incense stick’s worth of time, Senior Sister Zhou finally gave a commanding shout, “Enough! That’s enough! Stop hitting him! He’ll break if we hit him anymore! That will only break Junior Sister Gu Pan’s heart!”
She was quite a prestigious figure in the Sect; therefore, the chaotic scene finally became contained once she spoke up.
Yang Kai’s clothes were in tatters, and his entire body was covered in footprints. There was no describing just how dishevelled he looked. It was fortunate that he had protected his face in time, so he was not too embarrassed to meet others.
At this moment, he lay spread-eagle on the ground with an expression that looked like he was lucky to have survived.
Senior Sister Zhou came to stand in front of him and looked down at him from above. She snorted softly, “Luckily, you have enough conscience in you to hand the opportunity to Junior Sister Gu at the end!”
They were not fools. In the end, Yang Kai defeated Le Mang only to be defeated by Gu Pan. It was easy to figure out the real situation as long as anybody had some brains. It was obvious that he had given the opportunity to train in the Five Lights World to Gu Pan…