Fury Towards The Burning Heaven c1-1252

Yao Ye

Throughout the journey—when night fell, all would make camp. After eating and drinking, the elders—not wanting to play gooseberry[1]—would retreat into their tents to practice. As Jiang Yi picked his teeth and walked boldly into his tent, Mo Yao'er happily followed him.

Jiang Yi laid on his bed cross-legged. With a wave of his hand, Mo Yao'er willingly went over and massaged his thigh. If that group of elders was to see this scene, they would be so shocked.

This is a miserable wretch!

Jiang Yi looked at Mo Yao'er indifferently. She was just smiling and sitting down obediently. It felt so unreal. He remembered vividly the first time he met Mo Yao'er, how high, mighty and arrogant she looked and acted. At that time, he had thought of tearing off her clothes and suspending her in the air for a day. Yet now, the tide had turned. She was now serving him.

“Chief, do you want to eat a white snake fruit?”

After massaging for a while, Mo Yao'er knelt by Jiang Yi's side and asked gently. Jiang Yi tilted his eyes and glanced at Mo Yao'er. He smiled and said, “I want to eat white rabbit fruits.”

Mo Yao'er stared. She asked hesitantly, “What is white rabbit fruit? Why have I not heard of it before? Chief, is this available in the Snow region?”

“Yes!”

Jiang Yi chuckled and looked down towards Mo Yao'er's bosom. Eyes glistening, he said, “Every woman has two of it.”

“Pshaw!”

Mo Yao'er finally understood. She shuddered, and her body went limp and numb. Her face was a deep red.

With both hands turned into fists, she punched Jiang Yi's chest incessantly. Acting in a spoiled manner, she said, “I'm not going to come anymore. Chief is making fun of me again. You're too playful!”

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Yi laughed and replied. “If men are not playful, women would not fall in love with them. I think you women are b******. You women only like the playful boys. No one likes the gentlemen.”

“That's right! I'm cheap!”

Mo Yao'er curled her lips, rolled her eyes, and said, “If I was not cheap, how could I have fallen for a big bad person like you? Why would I serve you? I have not served anyone before. Even if King Father asked me to massage his back, I would not listen to him.”

Jiang Yi turned around, laid down, and opened his blanket. He said, “Ok, I'm about to sleep. Come and warm the bed for me!”

“I would never.”

Mo Yao'er jumped up quickly. She shook her head and said, “Queen Mother said that girls should not be too easy. A girl should only give her body to her husband after marriage. Mo Xing, you should hurry up and reach the peak of the Heaven Monarch Realm! At that time, you could ask King Father for my hand in marriage. King Father will definitely agree! He really dotes on you.”

“I will never ask him that!”

Jiang Yi's eyes widened. “When did I say I wanted to marry you? Let's wait for a period of time. At least until your violent temper has been changed.”

“You…”

Mo Yao'er was about to fly off the handle. However, she managed to calm herself down. Teary-eyed and feeling wronged, she said, “Haven't I been much better behaved recently? Mo Xing, do not be too demanding.”

Jiang Yi looked at Mo Yao'er coldly for a period of time. Seeing that she did not dare to meet his eyes, he said lightly, “It's been passable. Now, listen to me and go to bed. We will reach Tiger Subdue Sect in a few days. We might encounter the Dwarf Race or other races. We should preserve our energy and be ready for battle.”

“Alright!”

Having gotten Jiang Yi's affirmation, Mo Yao'er smiled sweetly. Looking at Jiang Yi affectionately, Mo Yao'er turned and left.

However, Jiang Yi could not sleep. Over this period of time, he had discovered that Mo Yao'er was not as bad as he had imagined. She was just a spoiled little princess.

If she was the enemy, he could kill her without mercy. However, at this moment, he was deceiving her and using her. This weighed on his conscience heavily.

While Mo Yao'er fell deeper and deeper in love with him, he could still stall until the day the Dwarf Race was destroyed. Once that day came and when he had left, he wasn't sure if Mo Yao'er would go crazy or even kill herself.

“Since things are already as there are, there is no point overthinking. I'll cross the bridge when I get to it. Let's see what happens then.”

Jiang Yi muttered to himself, closed his eyes, and slept. As there were elders all around him, he didn't dare to practice. Having been hard at work for eight months, he wanted to have a good rest. This period of time was perfect for him to catch up on sleep.

The journey continued after the sun rose. As they got closer to Tiger Subdue Mountain, the surroundings became much livelier. Jiang Yi encountered three troops on the way. Mo Qi explained that they were envoys from two major races in the Snow Region. They were obviously here to congratulate Sect Patriarch Cao as well.

Cao Peiwan was 150 years old this year. He became famous 80 years ago. Under his leadership these 70 years, the Tiger Subdue Sect had maintained its position as second among the Snow Region Ten Sects.

Cao Peiwan was also the second strongest in the Snow Region. Only the Heaven Hidden Sect's Patriarch was above him. It was rumored that he had mastered an incredibly powerful dao pattern—the eight-star dao pattern, the Shield of the Earth.

Based on the power of this dao pattern, Cao Peiwan's defensive ability was incredible. Besides the Patriarch of the Heaven Hidden Sect—even if the remaining Demigods of the Snow Region combined forces, no one would be able to kill him even if he did not lift a finger.

Furthermore, Cao Peiwan's offensive ability was not weak either. Under the present circumstances—with Heaven Hidden Sect not interested in joining the conflict happening in the Snow Region, Cao Peiwan became the de facto King of the Snow Region. It was to be expected that the near-1000 races in the Snow Region would all send members to congratulate Cao Peiwan.

“Eight-star dao pattern, the Shield of the Earth!”

Jiang Yi listened to Mo Qi's explanation with a face full of bewilderment. His five-star dao pattern could freeze enemies within a 1000-mile radius. Lei Banxian's seven-star dao pattern could reverse the flow of time. Imagine just how strong this eight-star dao pattern could be. Not forgetting the nine-star dao pattern and the legendary ultimate dao pattern, Jiang Yi could not fathom how powerful they could be.

“Chief! We have arrived at Tiger Subdue Mountain. Please try to control your temper. We do not want to offend people from the Tiger Subdue Sect!”

Mo Yao'er's voice rang out, pulling Jiang Yi back to reality: “The young clan head of the Tiger Subdue Sect has been chasing me for many years. Once we are at Tiger Subdue Mountain, let's try not to be too affectionate towards each other. That might cause unnecessary trouble. Don't worry, Chief! I only have you in my heart.”

“Oh?”

Jiang Yi raised his eyebrows and looked more serious. It seemed like this trip to Tiger Subdue Mountain would not be that peaceful after all.

[1] Playing gooseberry means standing chaperon towards a couple.

Chapter 1006 - A Bunch of Fools

This trip to Tiger Subdue Mountain was indeed going to be eventful. Even before reaching the mountain, something happened.

“Report!”

One of the commanders sped toward the group, yelling as he came. “Sacred Lady! Elders! Members of the Dwarf Race are obstructing the way! It's Qiu Bai!”

“Qiu Bai?”

Mo Yao'er, Mo Qi, and company tensed up. They all knew that Qiu Bai was Qiu Ming's younger brother. With Qiu Ming dead, Qiu Bai became the next young clan head. Blocking the way up to Tiger Subdue Mountain, he was definitely up to no good.

Mo Yao'er's whip appeared in her hand. Her brows raised, and she asked coldly, “How many men did Qiu Bai bring? How far away are they?”

The commander replied, “Not that many! Maybe 40 to 50 men, possibly all formidable martial artists. However, many people are watching from the sidelines. The young clan head of the Mammoth Race is also present.”

Mo Qi, afraid that Mo Yao'er would instigate a fight, quickly asked, “Couldn't we go around them?”

“Why should we do that?”

Mo Yao'er waved her hand rudely. “So many people are watching. If we took a detour, how can we still retain our footing in the Snow Region? Does it mean that whenever the Dwarf Race appears, we would have to take another road? Let's go! At most, we will fight them. If Qiu Bai is not afraid of dying, let him go and join his brother.”

Mo Qi and the rest did not have anything to say to that. Mo Yao'er was right. If they took a detour now, would they have to do so every time they saw someone from the Dwarf Race from now on? Mo Qi glanced at Jiang Yi and saw his relaxed and calm face. He relaxed a little, waved his hand, and said, “Let's go and meet Qiu Bai then! Sacred Lady, please don't be too reckless though.”

After Mo Qi cautioned her against recklessness, Mo Yao'er stared. She looked at Jiang Yi and was afraid he would be mad. However, Jiang Yi did not seem to care. He waved a hand and said, “What must be, must be. Let's go!”

Swish!

As if she had received an imperial edict, Mo Yao'er became ecstatic. She guided her Fei Lian Beast to advance swiftly, leaving Mo Qi and company rushing to keep up with her.

After traveling for 100 miles, dozens of people appeared in front of them. Jiang Yi's divine senses had also detected the presence of many others in the surrounding small mountains. A few dozen people from the Mammoth Race and a couple of hundred people from other unique races were present. Although they were not many, they were all powerful martial artists. At this moment, they were looking towards the group excitedly, waiting for the show to begin.

“Hehe. Mo Yao'er, you still dare to show yourself?”

On top of the mountain, a young man surrounded by a group of people from the Dwarf Race started to speak. He wore elegant battle armor and looked pretty decent. However, he had a small physique that made him appear… comical. He said coldly, “For killing my big brother, I—Qiu Bai—swore that your Heaven Devil Race will have to pay for this blood debt.”

Never one to remain silent while being scolded, Mo Yao'er stopped her Fei Lian Beast in mid-air. She retorted. “You dwarf. Your big brother laid a trap to kill me and ended up getting killed by me. You can only blame the ineptness of the Dwarf Race. You want to kill me? Your big brother couldn't, and you can't either!”

Qiu Bai and Qiu Ming actually looked alike. Jiang Yi could also sense that Qiu Bai's powers were decent. He would probably be a match for a Three-or Four-Star martial artist.

The iron hammer that Qiu Bai was holding was also in no way ordinary. From the dark-blue mystical glow it emitted, it was most probably an ancient artifact.

“Hur-Hur!”

Qiu Bai coldly snorted a few times and raised both his iron hammers. He was raring to go. He looked at Mo Yao'er and said, “Mo Yao'er, if you are so strong, do you dare to fight me one on one? If I lose, I will be at your disposal. If you lose, you would have to be my slave for a month. What say you?

Do you have as much balls as your King Father? I forgot—you're a woman; how could you have balls? Hahaha!”

Tsk! Tsk!

Mo Yao'er's whip started to glow. With her face full of rage, she was about to order Fei Lian Beast to fly forward to accept the duel. Mo Qi hurriedly tried to stop Mo Yao'er. He looked at Jiang Yi pleadingly for help.

Cough, cough!

Jiang Yi coughed twice. Mo Yao'er's rage seemed to subside instantly. She looked at Jiang Yi uncertainly. Mo Fu and company also turned their gaze towards Jiang Yi, hoping that he would be able to dissuade Mo Yao'er.

Jiang Yi had no choice. He guided his Fei Lian Beast forward and looked sweepingly at the dwarfs present. He said solemnly, “Indeed, the Sacred Lady does not have balls. I do, however.

I shall entertain you guys. If I fight you one on one though, that would be bullying you. All of you can attack together. Let's fight to the death!”

“Wow!”

There was an uproar. All the martial artists observing the scene were talking animatedly. They looked mockingly at Jiang Yi, thinking that he was a fool. At a mere seventh stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm, he actually dared to challenge 40 to 50 powerful martial artists of the Dwarf Race. If he wasn't mad, what was he?

However—

What made the situation even more incredulous was Qiu Bai actually didn't dare to reply. The other members of the Dwarf Race also kept mum. No one had the courage to respond to Jiang Yi.

Mo Qi and company grinned. Mo Yao'er's eyes brightened and gazed at Jiang Yi with adoration and adulation. For one man to challenge a group of martial arts pros and to be greeted with silence in response, what arrogance was this?

“Mo Xing, I knew it!”

Qiu Bai gritted his teeth and said, “Don't worry. There will come a day when I will make you wish you were dead. Today, I'm here to fight Mo Yao'er. This has nothing to do with you. Scram.”

Without a doubt, Qiu Bai had heard of Jiang Yi before. The name 'Mo Xing' actually was more famous that Mo Yao'er's among the dwarfs. The Dwarf Race had investigated the previous battle thoroughly. Jiang Yi played an indispensable role in slaughtering Qiu Ming and the group of martial arts pros with him. Jiang Yi's Icebound Thousand Miles and his secret six-star dao pattern, Jolting Kill Through Air, were well known to Qiu Bai and his people.

For the duration of this trip, the Dwarf Race was actually ordered by their clan head not to engage Heaven Devil Race in battle. Similarly, Mo Shen had given the same order.

Having just become the young clan head, Qiu Bai was eager to prove himself. He wanted to provoke Mo Yao'er and use the 'Reliance Awls' that the clan head had given him to win Mo Yao'er. Even if Mao Yao'er refused to engage, the Dwarf Race would have won some face. As duels were extremely common—so long as Mo Yao'er assented, even Cao Peiwan would not deign to interfere.

He did not expect Jiang Yi to intervene and, in addition, to ask for a battle to the death. If he agreed—with so many people present—even if he and his men were all killed, the Dwarf Race would find it hard to pursue the matter.

Qiu Bai obviously didn't have the courage to fight Jiang Yi one on one. The other dwarfs also did not dare to instigate any battle. If Qiu Bai died in battle, the clan head of the Dwarf Race would be beside himself.

Jiang Yi heard what Qiu Bai said and laughed mockingly. He turned to look at Mo Yao'er and company. He said, “Sacred Lady, let's go. Don't bother with this group of imbeciles. Go ahead and fly to Tiger Subdue Mountain. If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, this place will be their permanent resting place.”

Jiang Yi understood the situation very clearly. The clan heads on both sides had given orders not to fight. Instead of wasting time arguing, the group should go to Tiger Subdue Mountain to rest instead.

Giggle. “Mo Xing, let's do as you say!”

Mo Yao'er brought the group of elders and ordered her Fei Lian Beast to soar high. She gave the dwarfs a cold smile and said, “Whoever dares to fight, I'll chop them up and feed them to the dogs.”

Jiang Yi lazily followed them. He flew towards and then upwards from the dwarfs. Seeing no one taking any action, he mocked. “A bunch of imbeciles.”

“Ah, Ah!”

Qiu Bai was shaking with rage. He circulated his essence force into his hammers and let out a frightening aura. The patterns on the hammer swirled, too, as he prepared to strike.

The elders of the Dwarf Race frantically tried to restrain him. They only let go after Jiang Yi and company had left. One of them said, “Young Clan Head, please don't be angry. If we fight them head-on, we will definitely be on the losing end. Mo Xing's group offensive dao pattern is too strong!”

“Then what should we do?” Bai Qiu snarled and shouted. “Are we just going to let this matter rest? How about avenging my brother?”

“We will definitely avenge him!”

The elder smiled slightly. “Since we cannot fight them head-on, we can go behind their backs. Rest assured, Young Clan Head, I will not let Mo Xing leave Tiger Subdue Mountain alive.”

Chapter 1007 - We Meet Again

Tiger Subdue Mountain was similar to Heaven Devil Mountain. They were both layered one segment by one segment. However, the members of Tiger Subdue Sect were all normal humans. On the outside, they looked exactly the same as normal people. Their only difference was the plum flower mole on their glabella.

This was the uniqueness of the Tiger Subdue Sect and what made them special. They had powerful soul spirits, and all could use soul spirit attacks. Their soul spirit attacks were much stronger than that of the Heaven Devil Race's. Upon coming of age, their soul spirit attacks could rival that of the peak stage of the Vajra Realm. Those who were slightly stronger could even attain the level of Heaven Monarch.

That Tiger Subdue Sect was able to rank just below Heaven Hidden Sect not just because of Cao Peiwan's battle prowess. The Tiger Subdue Sect had numerous formidable martial artists, and its total fighting strength was exceptional.

Soul spirit attacks were terrifying and could kill without a trace. Everyone would avoid members of the Tiger Subdue Sect when in the wild, for fear of dying.

At this moment, Tiger Subdue Mountain was extremely lively. Besides warriors patrolling the mountain, there were also elders stationed to receive each group of guests from the Snow Region and escort them up the mountain.

“Hahaha, Mistress Yao'er!”

Jiang Yi and company had just come close to Tiger Subdue Mountain when from afar a troop came flying towards them. Leading the troop was a young master around 25 to 26 years old. He was elegantly dressed in a silver long robe, carrying an air of importance. He laughed as he flew closer, the black-colored plum flower shining with a black light on his glabella. It was very striking.

With keen, sparkling eyes, he looked at Mo Yao'er and said, “Mistress Yao'er, for the longest time I have been wishing for you to come. Here you are at last! When I knew you were coming, I couldn't eat or sleep well. Now that you are here, I can finally sleep well.”

“Hehe, Sister Yao'er!”

Next to the young master was a pretty young lady in white. She continued. “Long time, no see Sister Yao'er. If you came any later, my brother would have gone to look for you at Heaven Devil Mountain.”

“It appears that everyone had the plum flower mole.”

Jiang Yi saw the black mole on the young lady, silently astonished. Mo Qi had told him a little about the Tiger Subdue Sect, and he had immediately recognized the two of them. The young master appeared to be the young lord Cao Duantian while the lady was the first lady of Tiger Subdue Sect, Cao Shishui.

“Young Master Tian, Sister Shui.”

Mo Yao'er smiled slightly and said. This proved Jiang Yi's conjecture. She smiled and continued. “Long time, no see. King Father actually didn't let me out this time, but I haven't seen you two for such a long time. I miss you two! How is the Clan Head?”

“The Clan Head is well!”

Cao Shishui smiled mildly. He gazed towards Mo Qi and soon noticed Jiang Yi. She smiled sweetly at Mo Yao'er and chimed, “Sister Yao'er, that is your race's newest prodigy?”

“That is right.”

Mo Yao'er looked at Jiang Yi proudly. She said, “He is Mo Xing, the Deputy Elder of our Battle Hall. Sister Shishui, even you have heard of him?”

“Keke!”

Cao Shishui respectfully bowed towards Jiang Yi. She happily said, “News of that battle half a month ago had long spread throughout the Snow Region. Elder Mo Xing's Icebound Thousand Miles and Jolting Kill Through Air that killed two warriors using the dao pattern are also known to all. How could I not know?”

Cao Shishui seemed to be younger than Mo Yao'er by a year or two, but she was more mature than Mo Yao'er. Her mannerisms and bearing were impressive. Dressed in a slightly breezy white dress, it made her appear slightly delicate. Her hair was slightly curled, which made her look gentle as water, pleasing to people. Her melon-shaped face was slightly thin, giving her a distinct type of beauty.

“Hahaha!”

Cao Duantian laughed loudly. He too paid his respects to Jiang Yi. “Elder Mo Xing, I am Cao Duantian. I have long heard of you. Having seen you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved.”

This Cao Duantian evidently had feelings for Mo Yao'er. No, that's wrong. He should be having designs on Heaven Devil Mountain.

Ever since Jiang Yi mastered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, his senses had become heightened. The way Cao Duantian looked at Mo Yao'er revealed desire and greed. Even though he was smiling at him, he felt a chill down his spine. The smile hid a silver of an intention to kill.

Not wanting to offend Tiger Subdue Sect and having no desire to be overtly courteous to Cao Duantian, Jiang Yi flippantly returned the greeting. He said indifferently, “Young Lord, you are too kind.”

Mo Yao'er saw Cao Duantian's smile stiffen and swiftly intervened. “Young Master Tian, Mo Xing is naturally unsociable; please do not take offense. Let's head up the mountain! Oh, right… have representatives from Heaven Hidden Sect arrived?”

“Elders, please head up the mountain!”

Cao Duantian smiled faintly again as he beckoned towards Mo Qi and company. He then smiled at Mo Yao'er and said, “Nope, they have not. They should arrive tomorrow!

The Heaven Hidden Sect is very sincere this time. They are sending an elder and some first-class disciples. This has given us Tiger Subdue Sect a scare.”

Cao Duantian and Cao Shishui chatted with Mo Yao'er along the way while Jiang Yi and company followed in silence. The group went directly to the 71st level of Tiger Subdue Mountain. Similar to Heaven Devil Mountain, at the top were castles lying around. The only difference was that there was a palace at the peak of Heaven Devil Mountain while there was only a stone house here at Tiger Subdue Mountain.

It seemed like the stone house was only for one person to stay in. Jiang Yi used his divine senses to scan the stone house, but he realized that there were restrictions. He could not detect anything.

“Mo Xing, do not investigate recklessly. Clan Head Cao stays in that house!”

Mo Qi detected Jiang Yi's action and hurriedly called out. Jiang Yi did not dare to continue scanning. Clan Head Cao was the number two person in the entire Snow Region. Jiang Yi offending him would mean the end of his prospects in the Snow Region.

Jiang Yi and company were brought by the elders of Tiger Subdue Sect to a castle to settle down. On the other hand, Mo Yao'er was pestered by Cao Shishui to head to the latter's room to catch up. Cao Duantian had flown down the mountain to receive more guests as well. Mo Yao'er asked Jiang Yi to relax, stay in the castle, and await the day of the banquet.

However, Jiang Yi was not intending to sit still. He had come to Tiger Subdue Mountain for a reason. He wanted to stir up trouble between the Heaven Devil Race and the Dwarf Race once again. If the two were to remain amicable, how was he going to benefit?

At the base of Tiger Subdue Mountain, Qiu Bai blocking the way had created an opportunity for Jiang Yi. Hence, he stepped forward to instigate a fight. Now that Qiu Bai had caved, Jiang Yi could only use his divine senses to investigate while abiding another opportunity.

“I wonder who is coming from Heaven Hidden Sect. Could it be Fifth Eldress?”

Jiang Yi suddenly recalled the conversation between Mo Yao'er and Cao Duantian that seemed to carry some form of expectancy. It was a pity that Mo Yao'er was hanging out with Cao Shishui for the day and had not returned even after it turned dark. Jiang Yi could not find out more at the moment.

Regarding Mo Yao'er's safety, Jiang Yi and Mo Qi and company were not worried in the slightest. With Cao Peiwan around, it would be astonishing for anything bad to happen on Tiger Subdue Mountain.

Today, Jiang Yi had detected numerous unique races on the mountain. The existence of close to a thousand ancient races in the Snow Region was indeed an eye-opener for Jiang Yi, and he grew even more curious about the ancient times. It was indeed an era of epic proportions.

“Hahaha! The arrival of the Heaven Hidden Sect! What an honor for Tiger Subdue Mountain!”

At dawn on the second day, a loud voice resounded from one of the castles. A middle-aged man brought nearly a thousand Tiger Subdue Sect formidable warriors up into the skies. His voice alerted Jiang Yi as well as all the other invited guests.

“Heaven Hidden Sect is here?”

Jiang Yi used his thoughts and sent out his divine senses. Almost immediately, his body shook intensely, with tears streaming down his eyes. He could not control himself.

Below Heaven Devil Mountain—being led by Cao Duantian and two elders, a few ladies with distinct airs flew by. Leading them was none other than Fifth Eldress. Behind her followed four young ladies, one of whom captured Jiang Yi's attention.

Su Ruoxue actually came!

Chapter 1008 - So Near Yet So Far

Eight years ago, Jiang Yi was then still a collateral young master of the Jiang Clan in Skyplume City, who used to be humiliated by everyone. That was when he first met Su Ruoxue. At that time, Su Ruoxue was the mentor of Mount Spirit Beast College. When Jiang Yi nearly got kicked out, it was Su Ruoxue who helped him after that.

From that day onward, he has had an inexplicable affinity with this princess from the Great Xia Kingdom. At the Mount Spirit Beast College, Jiang Yi fell in love for the first time. When Su Ruoxue followed him without question in the Tomb of Heaven Monarch, he swore an oath that he would kill or exterminate any person, clan, or kingdom that dared to bully her.

Jiang Yi did abide by his oath. He held off one million troops outside the Summer Rain City for her. When he appeared outside Summer Rain City, Su Ruoxue smiled at him. That type of beauty and the flirtatious feeling was something that Jiang Yi would never forget.

He then drew three Heaven Paintings, one of which depicted Su Ruoxue at that very moment. He named it 'Passion'.

When Ji Tingyu held Su Ruoxue hostage and abducted her in Hades Abyss, Jiang Yi's heart broke. In a blink of the eye, a few years had passed. Su Ruoxue had appeared in his dreams countless times. While diving into the Desolate East Sea, almost perishing on the Phoenix Cry Continent, when he was being hunted by She Fei, and even when fighting a tough battle in Sin Island, Jiang Yi never once gave in.

No matter how tough and how tired he was, Jiang Yi never gave up. This was because there was always something inside him pushing him to persist and carry on: he had to find Su Ruoxue and save her! He had to protect her for eternity!

Six years. It had been six years since Su Ruoxue was abducted!

More than two thousand nights, he had always been hallucinating about the scene of two of them meeting again. He had also thought that perhaps he would never be able to see this lady he loved deeply ever again. Jiang Yi did not expect to suddenly see her again under such circumstances.

His body was trembling incessantly, with tears streaming down silently. Jiang Yi was not a weak man; he rarely shed a tear. Jiang Yunhai had told him since young that men should have an indomitable spirit. Men could perspire and bleed but could not shed tears.

His divine senses locked on Su Ruoxue; Jiang Yi felt a well of gentleness and guilt building up inside him. Even though it had been six years, Su Ruoxue had not changed much—though she was a little thinner. She appeared colder, with the coldness seeping in her bones. She had a unique aura about her, a coldness of extreme proportions.

Su Ruoxue's looks were superb and in no way inferior to Yin Ruobing. She wore a white dress and carried an elegant yet cold air, instantly attracting the attention of many. Cao Duantian was not far from her, his eyes flickering intentionally or otherwise this way.

Swish! Swish!

From uncountable castles, many young masters and young mistresses flew out of them. Heaven Hidden Sect was the uncrowned king of the Snow Region. The envoy of Heaven Hidden Sect was also not to be treated lightly. Who dared to be disrespectful?

“Mo Xing, follow us out to greet Heaven Hidden Sect's Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies.”

Mo Qi's sent a voice transmission via his divine senses. Jiang Yi recovered himself. He changed into a stream of light and zoomed out of the central hall, flying up above the castle.

Swish! Swish!

Mo Qi and company immediately followed suit. With all the elders slightly bowed, Mo Qi cupped his hands and said, “Greetings to Fifth Eldress, greetings to the four Saint Ladies!”

Everyone bowed and repeated the greeting in unison except for Jiang Yi, who was dazed in midair. He looked at Su Ruoxue without saying a word. Thankfully, he still managed to control himself and did not shed any tears or act recklessly. He just stood there in a daze and stared.

“En?”

Jiang Yi's inactivity stood out like a sore thumb and attracted the attention of many. Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies also looked over. Fifth Eldress looked at Jiang Yi deeply but did not say a word. However, Jiang Yi's disrespect towards Su Ruoxue angered the three other Saint Ladies. One of them coldly called out, “How dare you show disrespect to Saint Lady Xue?”

“Mo Xing! Hurry and apologize to the Saint Lady!”

Mo Qi panicked. To become foes with the Heaven Hidden Sect meant certain death. He tugged at Jiang Yi and tried to persuade him. However, Jiang Yi seemed to be oblivious and continued staring at Su Ruoxue.

“Mo Xing!”

From afar came Cao Shishui and Mo Yao'er. Mo Yao'er was jealous that Jiang Yi was looking at a lady like this. She said coldly, “Do not be rude Mo Xing. Apologize to the Saint Lady immediately.”

“Shut up!”

Jiang Yi suddenly yelled at Mo Yao'er as if crazed. The tone of his voice was frightening; his gaze piercingly cold. Mo Yao'er flinched and took a step back, fearful of Jiang Yi's sudden ferocity.

Jiang Yi withdrew his gaze, cupped his hands, and greeted Fifth Eldress and Su Ruoxue. “Mo Xing pays his respects to Fifth Eldress and Saint Lady Xue! Saint Lady Xue, we met before in Summer Rain City. Do you remember?”

After saying this, Jiang Yi stared incessantly at Su Ruoxue's expression. He was utterly disappointed when Su Ruoxue's icy expression did not even change a little. She did not seem touched at all. She did not even open her mouth; she was cold like an ice mountain.

“Hmph!”

Jiang Yi's reprimand of Mo Yao'er and his staring at Su Ruoxue, together with his seemingly nonsensical words angered Cao Duantian. He snorted coldly, “Mo Xing, your pickup line is a little too cliche. The four Saint Ladies are the esteemed guests of Tiger Subdue Sect. If you dare offend them, you will be making an enemy out of me.”

Cao Duantian was genuinely angered, or else he would not say something like this. Mo Qi and company's expression changed, too. Mo Fu sent a voice transmission: “Mo Xing, stop fooling around, or we would all die.”

“Jiang Yi!”

At the same time, Fifth Eldress' voice transmission rang in Jiang Yi's mind: “Do not act rashly. I was able to bring Su Ruoxue today because you helped us kill Qiu Ming. I intentionally arranged such that you could see her in person. As you can see, Su Ruoxue does not remember what happened. If you continue to behave like this, it will only end badly for you and your friends. I will bring her away immediately, too.”

“Huff, huff…”

Jiang Yi did not even look at Cao Duantian. He took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. He suppressed the urge to take Su Ruoxue away by force.

He knew without a doubt that Fifth Eldress was not lying to him. Su Ruoxue had indeed entered the Soul Cleansing Pool and had her memories sealed. There was no way she could recognize him now. If she could, her gaze would not be so foreign, and she would not be so cold.

The cruelest and heartbreaking thing in the world was not to live without loving. It was actually having the woman a man loved most deeply standing in front of him and not recognizing him at all.

So near yet so far!

Even though Su Ruoxue was only a few meters away, Jiang Yi felt like she was so far away from him.

“Ahh, Ahh, Ahh…”

He looked at the heavens and roared; each roar louder than before. His voice carried a sense of endless agony, sorrow, and loneliness.

He looked at Su Ruoxue deeply and then flew into the distance. He did not dare to stay on Tiger Subdue Mountain. He was afraid he could not control himself and would forcibly take Su Ruoxue away. He was afraid he would go crazy and kill everyone!

“Uh…”

Mo Qi and company looked at one another helplessly. What was happening with Jiang Yi? Why did he suddenly go crazy and leave?

“Mo Xing, come back!”

Mo Yao'er looked at Jiang Yi's sad and lonely figure and ached for him. With tears flowing down, she yelled and chased after Mo Xing. However, Mo Xing had attained the seventh stage of the Heaven Monarch realm. He was definitely faster than Mo Yao'er. After she chased for a distance, she realized that she could no longer even see Jiang Yi in the distance.

“That man!”

Su Ruoxue broke her silence upon hearing the agony in Jiang Yi's voice. She felt something move inside her. She looked in the direction that Jiang Yi left in, waited a while, and asked Fifth Eldress, “Fifth Eldress, who is that man? Why is it that when he roared with agony, my heart aches with pain? Do I know him?”

“You do not. He is just a crazy person!”

Fifth Eldress' eyes flashed momentarily. She quickly recovered herself and said nonchalantly. She changed to a voice that only she could hear and muttered to herself, “Yes indeed. He is just a fool. A fool crazy over love…”

Chapter 1009 - Not Enough

A few thousand miles to the south of Tiger Subdue Mountain, Jiang Yi was cooped up in a cave under the snow plains. He was like a boneless worm, curled up and cradling his head.

He wasn't asleep. He just didn't know where to go or what to do. His mind was in a mess, filled with sorrow, bitterness, and helplessness. Only by curling up in this worm-like position could he feel a tinge of warmth.

He needed time to settle down. As he could not stay on Tiger Subdue Mountain, he found a place at random for him to recover. He was like a lone wolf licking its wounds in a corner.

As Fifth Eldress had said, there was no point in seeing Su Ruoxue. He now realized that it would have been better not to have seen her. If he had not, at least there were still some remnant thoughts that he could hold on to. Now that he had seen her, he actually felt so deeply hurt; and it was abnormally hard to bear.

Hoo-Hoo!

He laid in the cave for a full two hours. Jiang Yi finally took a deep breath and turned over, revealing a sliver of a bitter smile. He was emotionally strong, managing to recover within two hours. If it was someone else, the person could have possibly gone mad.

“At least… everything is well with Su Ruoxue. That is sufficient for me!”

He muttered to himself, turning his bitter smile into a full-heartened one. So long as Su Ruoxue was well, nothing else mattered. Since she had lost her memories, he could find ways to help her regain them.

If she cannot leave the Soul Cleansing Pool, he could help the Heaven Hidden Sect accomplish those two missions. So long as there is a sliver of hope, he would not give up. No matter how tiring or hard, he would persevere. He knew that Su Ruoxue was having a harder time than him.

“Calm down, calm down!”

He kneaded his face roughly and forced himself to calm down. He made the right decision to leave Tiger Subdue Mountain. If he wanted to think of how to take Su Ruoxue away—how to help her recover her memories, that would only harm her.

“From today on, Jiang Yi, you have to forget about Ruoxue until these two missions are completed!”

Jiang Yi secretly made up his mind. So what if he managed to bring Su Ruoxue away by force? Su Ruoxue would still die one year later. The only solution would be to think of a way to flatten Dwarf Mountain, enter the Mystic Divine Palace, and obtain the sacred treasure of the Heaven Hidden Sect.

“There can be no more delays!”

Jiang Yi's made up his mind swiftly. The longer he waited, the more the situation would be disadvantageous for him. This journey to Tiger Subdue Mountain was the best opportunity.

He had to seize it and instigate a battle between the two races. This was the only way to sour relations between the two permanently.

“I need to find a chance to kill Qiu Bai!”

If it was the death of just one young clan head, the Tiger Subdue Sect could still suppress the Dwarf Race. However, could the Dwarf Race tolerate the death of yet another young clan head? If the Dwarf Race continued to tolerate, they would no longer have a standing in the Snow Region, with any clan openly killing members of the Dwarf Race.

He ruminated in the cave for a full day and night. When dawn finally came again, he thought of a plan. He did not leave abruptly but continued to stay in the cave. Today was the birthday banquet for the Tiger Subdue Sect Patriarch. If Jiang Yi went to Tiger Subdue Mountain today, he would probably meet Cao Peiwen. Cao Peiwen was number two in the entire Snow Region. If Cao Peiwen saw through his disguise and knew his real identity, there would be trouble.

Bang!

When night came, Jiang Yi flew out of the cave and sped straight towards Tiger Subdue Mountain.

He was a few thousand miles away from Tiger Subdue Mountain. He did not dare to move too fast in the dark. By his estimates, the banquet would have long ended by the time he got up Tiger Subdue Mountain. He would also not run into Currmudgeon Cao.

His eyes were ice-cold as he moved like the wind. It was rare for it not to snow at night in the Ice Plains. However, the sky looked dark, and it looked like there was some oppression in the air. The astral winds also seemed more concentrated in the night.

If one was unlucky, one could get struck by the astral winds and die. However, Jiang Yi did not have to worry about this. To him, astral winds were just an inexhaustible source of energy.

In the middle of the night, he reached the Tiger Subdue Mountain. After the disciples of Tiger Subdue Sect reported this, Mo Qi and a commander from the Tiger Subdue Sect came personally to receive him.

“Mo Xing, where have you been? Sacred Lady is worried sick.”

Mo Qi saw a Jiang Yi that was unscathed and seemingly relieved of a huge burden. However, the commander from Tiger Subdue Sect looked at Jiang Yi as if viewing a monster. Jiang Yi was too abnormal yesterday, with many people thinking he had gone crazy.

“I am ok. I took a spin nearby. Thank you, Elder and Sacred Lady for your concerns.” Mo Xing coldly cupped his hands.

“Great! Great!”

Mo Qi sighed with relief. Jiang Yi was the future of the Heaven Devil Race. He was very important to Mo Shen. Now that he had returned to his original self, Mo Qi was able to relax. He hurriedly brought Jiang Yi up to the peak of the mountain. While flying, he sent a voice transmission: “Quickly head to the castle.

Sacred Lady is waiting for your return. She didn't even go to attend the banquet.”

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi was slightly stunned. He followed up to the peak of the mountain and into the castle they were staying in. As soon as he entered the gate, a gust of aromatic wind came gushing towards him. Mo Yao'er held on to Jiang Yi's hand and said, “Mo Xing, you have finally returned. What on earth happened?”

“Nothing! This is men's business. You women should not interfere!”

Jiang Yi glared at Mo Yao'er and went straight inside. He ignored the strange looks that some elders were giving him. After Jiang Yi glared at her, Mo Yao'er actually managed to calm down. Jiang Yi appeared the same as before, which meant that there was nothing serious to be concerned about.

“What are you looking at? All of you, leave.”

Mo Yao'er coldly looked at the elders that have gathered and walked to Jiang Yi's room. She activated the room restrictions and saw Jiang Yi sitting silently on the bed. She shouted shyly, “Chief!”

“En!”

Jiang Yi snorted and pointed at both his legs. Mo Yao'er hurriedly knelt on the bed to massage Jiang Yi's legs. After a while, she stole a glance at Jiang Yi and asked carefully. “Chief, do you know Saint Lady Xue?”

“No, I don't!”

Jiang Yi coldly said, “She just looked very similar to a friend I knew. I was mistaken.”

“A friend?”

Mo Yao'er became slightly guarded. She asked, “Where is she now? In the clan?”

“She died…”

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and sighed. “We were a match made in heaven and grew up together. Four years ago, she went on a trip with her father, and all were killed by members of the Dwarf Race. The first time I saw Saint Lady Xue, I thought it was that friend. Hence, I forgot myself.”

“Oh, so that is the case.”

Mo Yao'er finally understood. The suspicions and fears in her left her. She gently looked at Jiang Yi and said, “Mo Xing, don't be sad. A dead person cannot be resurrected. You have also killed so many members of the Dwarf Race. You have avenged them already.”

“Not enough!”

Jiang Yi's eyes suddenly had a vengeful look to them. He gritted his teeth and said, “I was in the vicinity at that time. I watched them get killed with my own eyes. I already know who the killer was. That dwarf is now on Tiger Subdue Mountain. He is one of the commanders under Qiu Bai.”

“Ah?”

Mo Yao'er was frightened by the murderous intent in Jiang Yi's eyes. She tried to persuade him. “Mo Xing, you can't act recklessly. This is Tiger Subdue Mountain. Furthermore, King Father had already ordered not to start any conflict with the Dwarf Race. Anyone who disobeys will be punished by sect rules.”

“Don't worry!”

The corner of Jiang Yi's mouth revealed certain coldness. He uttered, “I will not take action on Tiger Subdue Mountain. I will also not take action first. I will force members of the Dwarf Race to initiate an attack and then kill them all.

Yao'er, do not become part of this. I, Mo Xing, will be responsible for my own actions. Once this matter is settled, I will go back and seek forgiveness from Sect Patriarch.”

“How could I let you?”

Mo Yao'er immediately stopped the massage, stood up straight, and said, “Mo Xing, since you have decided on this course of action, let's detain Qiu Bai and all of his men. So long as we act flawlessly, the Dwarf Race will not have the evidence to pin anything on us. You need to remember that this was my idea. At most, King Father will lock me up for a few months. That's all.”

Chapter 1010 - The Phantom Race

Jiang Yi was exactly waiting to hear this from Mo Yao'er. As the only daughter of Mo Shen, Mo Yao'er was rather unruly. If she wanted to kill Qiu Bai—even if Mo Shen knew, he would at most reprimand her for it.

However, if Jiang Yi was the mastermind, things would definitely be different. Besides the possibility of being executed under clan rules—even if Mo Shen had a sliver of suspicion and once the armies of the Dwarf Race approached and demanded Mo Shen to hand over Jiang Yi, it would be equally bad.

“Mo Xing, you said that we shouldn't act on Tiger Subdue Mountain and that we shouldn't be the initiators? It's a good idea to let them instigate something. It would be best to have a few other races present to be our alibi, so that when we openly kill Qiu Bai and his men, the Dwarf Race would not have anything to say. Majesty Father will surely not punish us as well.”

Mo Yao'er spun around the room excitedly. By nature, she loved to fight and kill. The last time, she was almost captured by Qiu Ming and brought back to be r****. Although Qiu Ming was ultimately killed, she was still angry about that incident.

Jiang Yi silently nodded. At least this Mo Yao'er was not that stupid. The two continued their secret discussions till dawn. Mo Yao'er then left excitedly after the two agreed to start their plan the next day.

Jiang Yi took a short break and got out of bed. With the birthday banquet over, everyone was starting to make their way home. Jiang Yi went out for breakfast but realized that some people were looking at him differently again. It wasn't the look of seeing a monster like last night, but one that brought a tinge of warmness and a sliver of respect.

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi understood why almost immediately. Mo Yao'er had entered his room under the watchful gaze of everyone last night, only leaving at the break of dawn. She also left full of excitement and joy. Mo Qi and company had naturally misunderstood and assumed the two had consummated their love. Thus, they started to see him as Mo Shen's son-in-law.

“Where is the Sacred Lady?”

He did not see Mo Yao'er and asked casually. Mo Qi instantly replied respectfully, “As we are leaving soon, Sacred Lady went to bid farewell to Young Mistress Shishui.”

“Oh, oh!”

Jiang Yi nodded, ate some porridge, and casually asked again, “Will everyone else be leaving today?”

“Pretty much!” Mo Qi nodded and said, “Everyone should be leaving today. However, the representatives from Heaven Hidden Sect left last night.”

“En?”

Jiang Yi's eyes flashed, but he calmed down swiftly. It was good that they had left. I would have one less thing to think about. At present—for both him and Su Ruoxue, it was better to see each other less… to lessen his pain.

Su Ruoxue had completely forgotten about him. There was no point in seeing each other. As long as she was well, it didn't matter if they saw each other or not.

Mo Yao'er came back after an hour. Once she entered, she sent a voice transmission: “Mo Xing, we are going to depart immediately. Qiu Bai just went to bid his farewell to Cao Duantian. They should be leaving pretty soon.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi gladly got up. Mo Qi and company were already prepared to leave. Everyone went outside and interacted cordially with the elders that came to send the group off. Cao Shishui was also present. Jiang Yi was slightly concerned with Cao Duantian's absence, though. Perhaps he had gone to send someone else away.

“Go!”

Everyone got up their Fei Lian Beast and started flying down the mountain. Within a short while, they had descended Tiger Subdue Mountain and started flying west.

“Everyone, stop and change direction towards the Ice Sea!” A mere 100 miles away from Tiger Subdue Mountain, Mo Yao'er suddenly reined in her Fei Lian Beast and shouted.

Mo Qi and company's expressions suddenly changed. Mo Qi anxiously said, “Sacred Lady, we cannot do that. Sect Patriarch had ordered us to immediately return to Heaven Devil Mountain from Tiger Subdue Mountain. The many clans residing in the Ice Sea have many martial arts experts. Furthermore, that is the route that Qiu Bai and his men will definitely pass by to get back to Dwarf Mountain. There might be trouble if we went there as well.”

“That's right!”

Mo Fu agreed with Mo Qi and added, “Sacred Lady, although the previous incident was settled with the intervention of Sect Patriarch Cao, the Dwarf Race must still bear resentment against us. If we went to the Ice Sea, we might be attacked by them. We could possibly all die there.”

“Bullsh*t!”

Mo Yao'er's brows raised, and she angrily said, “We have so many experts among us. Why should we fear a mere Dwarf Race? The ice flowers in the Ice Sea have bloomed. I travel there every year to look at them. Didn't you guys go with me previously, too? This time, we have Mo Xing as well. There is nothing to be afraid of. The Dwarf Race wouldn't send out their clan head either.”

“This…”

Even as Mo Yao'er's words made sense, there was no way that Mo Qi and Mo Fu would dare take the risk. They looked towards Jiang Yi. At this point in time, only Jiang Yi could persuade this demon girl to change her mind.

Jiang Yi was secretly elated. Mo Yao'er had put up a good show. This was precisely what the two had agreed upon yesterday.

He paused for a while and pretended to persuade her. “Sacred Lady, let's head back to Heaven Devil Mountain first. We can go to the Ice Sea at another time. After being humiliated by us last time, Qiu Bai will definitely seek revenge if we went now.”

“Mo Xing, this is where you don't get it.”

Mo Yao'er puffed out her chest, waved her hands, and said, “It is precisely because I am afraid Qiu Bai might ambush us. That's why I want to change our route and head to the Ice Sea. If Qiu Bai and company were to ambush us, they would definitely do it halfway between Tiger Subdue Mountain and Heaven Devil Mountain. They will never expect us to head to the Ice Sea. Furthermore, we will only be making a brief stop at the Ice Sea. Who would know the route we will be taking?”

Jiang Yi nodded and said, “What the Sacred Lady has said makes sense. What do the elders think?”

Mo Qi and company were dumbfounded. Mo Yao'er was not wrong. However, they still thought that it was too risky to go to the Ice Sea. So many clans had come to Tiger Subdue Mountain this time.

Many were going to pass by the Ice Sea on their way back. It would naturally get more chaotic with more people present. If something was to go wrong, they would all die a thousand deaths.

“Hmph! If you guys will not accompany me, I will go on my own.”

Mo Yao'er was tired of waiting. With her black whip appearing in her hand, she directed her Fei Lian Beast to fly towards the southeast. Mo Qi and company wanted to shout a few words but were preempted by Jiang Yi. “Let's go. We all know Sacred Lady's personality. Let's go for a spin and leave.”

“Let's go!”

Mo Qi and company could do nothing but follow up. Fortunately, the Ice Sea was not that far away. It was only a thousand miles away. A short trip there would only delay the journey by two or three days. They did not mind the delay.

“Mo Xing, I'm so smart, right?”

Mo Yao'er turned back and saw Mo Qi and company following them as she smiled at Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi gave her a thumbs-up, which made Mo Yao'er overjoyed. Her smile was on open display and seemingly unable to be contained.

“Apart from being spoiled and having a fiery temper—in other aspects, this girl is actually not bad. What a pity… sigh!”

Jiang Yi saw Mo Yao'er's elated face, and his mind became adrift. The night when he suddenly left, Mo Yao'er was crying and chasing after him while calling his name. She was like a kid who had lost her beloved toy. Because of his absence, Mo Yao'er did not even attend Cao Peiwen's banquet. She could not bear to eat or drink as well. The look of joy that came from her soul when she saw him had deeply impacted Jiang Yi.

This girl had really fallen in love with him, loving him to the core. He thought of the day when the Dwarf Race was destroyed and his subsequent departure. The look of pain and anguish that Mo Yao'er would experience made him uncomfortable.

He could be cold and emotionless while dealing with his foes. However, using this young lady and playing with her feelings were something that was eating at him. Jiang Yi was a sentimentalist. He could not bear to see women hurt or cry. He was the gentlest and most understanding to women. He was feeling a little helpless at the moment as he did not know how to face Mo Yao'er in the future.

“It doesn't matter now. Let's think about it another time.”

He shook his head and suppressed this issue for the moment, sending his divine senses towards the surroundings. If his deduction was not wrong, Qiu Bai's men were following them now. The Dwarf Race was known to be violent, lustful, murderous, and vengeful.

This was well known in the Snow Region. After being humiliated at the base of Tiger Subdue Mountain, Qiu Bai—the new young clan head—would definitely not be able to stomach this affront. Jiang Yi and Mo Yao'er's move to head to the Ice Sea gave Qiu Bai a chance to do so.

As expected by Jiang Yi!

After keeping watch for a day, Jiang Yi found out something peculiar. Someone was following them. However, it was not the Dwarf Race. It was a special race, the Phantom Race.

Chapter 1011 - Surrounded

The Phantom Race was widely known in the Snow Region. They were the best race at tracking people. Synonymous with their name, they were like small phantoms, coming and going undetected. Their bodies were like chameleons.

They could hide themselves at any time and place. Even if someone were to use their divine senses to scan them, no life signs would be detected.

Even Mo Qi and company had not detected anything. However, Jiang Yi— possessing the State of the Union of Heaven and Man—pretended to close his eyes and take a nap on his Fei Lian Beast while scanning the surroundings. He easily found the two phantoms following them.

Besides being able to track other people, the Phantom Race was not known to be fighters. There were also a few experts in the race. An attack by a great race a few hundred years ago wiped out half of the race. As such, the Phantom Race would definitely not have the guts to offend the Heaven Devil Race. It went without saying that based on their current actions, they had certainly been bought by Qiu Bai.

Jiang Yi opened his eyes, yawned, and decided to ignore the two flies behind them. As Mo Yao'er had said, he had his Icebound Thousand Miles. As long as there were no Demigods present, all who came to attack would perish. Hence, he was not the slightest afraid. In fact, he was hoping that Qiu Bai had called for reinforcements to join in the attack.

Mo Yao'er was very excited. She was taking in the sights and sounds. It was a pity that the Snow Region did not have much in terms of beautiful scenery.

Everywhere was white as snow. Jiang Yi had long grown sick of this scenery. Mo Yao'er, on the other hand, seemed to be on her honeymoon. With Jiang Yi by her side, she was constantly filled with joy.

The night came very soon. The group was not far away from the Ice Sea. Erring on the side of caution, Mo Qi sent out eight commanders to guard against any ambush or sneak attack.

Jiang Yi leisurely laid in his tent while Mo Yao'er attended to him. She took a few special Snow Region spirit fruits from her ring and personally peeled them for Jiang Yi to eat.

Although Jiang Yi was rough with his words, he never acted on them once. From the looks of Mo Yao'er—as long as he didn't go all the way and even if he took off all her clothes, Mo Yao'er would not resist too much. However, Jiang Yi's heart was in a knot. Naturally, he wouldn't take advantage of her. Using this young lady's feelings was already making him very conflicted.

The night passed without incident.

After the sun rose, the group continued on with their journey. It would only take half a day before arriving at the Ice Sea. There was a small island in the heart of the Ice Sea. This time of the year, many small and colorful flowers would be blooming on that island. This was something extremely rare in the Snow Region. Many young ladies from the great family clans loved to go and enjoy the flowers there.

The group advanced carefully. While they encountered a few Ice Imps in the Ice Sea, these were easily taken care of by the elders. Jiang Yi didn't need to lift a finger.

Once in the Ice Sea, the number of races they encountered on the way increased as well. The Ice Sea was the base camp for the various ice beasts and ice imps. Every warrior from every race loved to come here to hunt the ice beasts and ice imps. The location of the Ice Sea was also very special.

It was situated in the middle of the ten sacred mountains. It was hard for the place to not be exciting and rowdy.

“Sacred Lady, I'm going to take a short nap. Wake me up when we are at the Ice Island. I didn't sleep well last night.

Jiang Yi told Mo Yao'er this and nodded off on his Fei Lian Beast, pretending to rest. Mo Yao'er nodded in agreement. Mo Qi and company saw this scene unfold, and all revealed a smile that only men would understand. Jiang Yi and Mo Yao'er had tasted the forbidden fruit. Furthermore, they had been cooped up in their tent every night. It was no surprise that Jiang Yi was tired.

“Those two phantoms are still around. When will the Dwarf Race appear?”

Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He reached out with his divine senses and found many martial arts experts around. People were also battling with the ice beasts. Jiang Yi carefully avoided targeting his senses on Mo Qi and company. He did not want them to realize what he was doing, to continue thinking that he was asleep.

“Mo Xing, we have reached the Ice Island.”

Two hours later, Mo Yao'er's voice rang out. Jiang Yi startled awake and looked around groggily. It was white everywhere in the Snow Region. However, the mountain ahead was extremely colorful and also had a strong aroma to it. It would be hard to not get mesmerized by it.

“It is indeed beautiful.”

Jiang Yi silently nodded. Mo Yao'er had already guided her Fei Lian Beast to Ice Island and was laughing all the way. The Ice Island was huge and miles wide. As the Ice Sea was all frozen, it made the island look even more like an ice mountain.

“Mo Xing, come as see quickly. This flower is so beautiful.”

Mo Yao'er was like a dreamy and innocent child, smiling incessantly while beckoning towards Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi had no choice but to head towards Mo Yao'er, accompanying her to see the flowers and listen to her chatter.

Mo Qi gave a sign to a few of the commanders. They immediately scattered in all directions, with some even heading below the ice surface. They had formed a comprehensive warning system. Any unusual movements would be swiftly reported.

Mo Yao'er and Jiang Yi walked very slowly. They were just like two fishermen, waiting for the fish to eat the bait. Based on Jiang Yi's deduction, within two hours, Qiu Bai would definitely show himself. There would also be a huge group of dwarfs encircling them with the intention to kill. Even if Qiu Bai had decided not to battle, he would be able to gain back some face.

Within a mere hour, a commander flew towards them, shouting from afar, “Sacred Lady, elders, we have a situation. From the south, a thousand odd dwarfs are racing towards Ice Island.”

“Report!”

A commander from the north perimeter also shouted, “Qiu Bai is here. He is only ten odd miles out.”

“Report!”

“Report…”

The commanders in the east and the west keeping watch reported at the same time. The dwarfs were coming from all directions. The group was surrounded.

Mo Qi and company's expression changed drastically. Mo Qi said in a low voice, “All to hide beneath the ice layer. Prepare to fight and break through the encirclement!”

“What are you panicking for?”

Mo Yao'er lips revealed a slight mockery. Jiang Yi and her eyes met. With her face revealing excitement, she said, “He just doesn't want to live, does he? Let's not initiate anything.

Wait for the Qiu Bai's men to make the first move. Mo Xing will then release the Icebound Thousand Miles and start killing them!”

“Mo Qi and Mo Fu, stay. The rest, head beneath the ice layer.”

With Jiang Yi present, Mo Yao'er was not the slightest worried, making the command confidently. The I.Q of a young lady in love was nearly zero. However, Jiang Yi did not say much in response. If Mo Yao'er had gone down under the ice layer—without this powder keg, the fight would not happen.

Swish! Swish!

Not too long later, many dwarfs appeared on the distant horizon. They were as many as a swarm of locusts. However, those dwarfs stopped before the Ice Island, surrounding the Ice Island as water-tight as possible. Qiu Bai brought 50 men and headed up the island.

“Good. Many races are watching nearby!”

Jiang Yi realized that from far away, a few strange races and formidable martial artists were checking out the situation on Ice Island. These people could just as well act as alibis. Jiang Yi tracked again and was certain that Qiu Bai had only gathered a few thousand members of the Dwarf Race. Together with the 40 to 50 formidable martial artists attached to Qiu Bai, Jiang Yi was confident of killing them all.

“Qiu Bai, what is the meaning of this? Bringing your troops to surround us, are you trying to pick a fight?”

Qiu Bai dashed forward with his men. Mo Yao'er raised her black whip while Jiang Yi also started preparing secretly, ready to strike at any moment.

However, Qiu Bai unexpectedly stopped three miles away from them. He coldly laughed and said, “You must be joking, Mo Yao'er. Does Ice Island belong to you all? We can't come and play, but you guys can enjoy the flowers?

I have reserved this entire place. Mo Yao'er, bring your men and leave. If not, I will strip you of your clothes and throw them into the Ice Sea to feed the ice beasts.”

“This Qiu Bai is not so stupid after all. He didn't take action immediately. Since he wanted to provoke Mo Yao'er, let's act first.”

Praising silently, Jiang Yi stretched a hand to restrain the fuming Mo Yao'er. He jumped in front of the group and looked towards Qiu Bai and said, “Little dwarf. You're looking for a beating again? With your body that's shorter than that of a monkey, one slap from me will turn you into a pulp. Scram immediately, or I will change you all into dead monkeys. I cannot believe you guys would dare come out and make a scene looking like that.”

Want to compete with words?

Jiang Yi was really not afraid. He was even less afraid of fighting, hence having no second thoughts in his actions.

Chapter 1012 - This is a Set-Up

The Dwarf Race members were short, with the tallest being no more than three feet. This was what they felt most inferior about.

They could only look up at others all the time and were perpetually looked down upon by other races. They detested outsiders talking about their height. Their violent, cruel, lustful, and murderous nature was due to extremely low self-esteem which changed their personalities.

That Jiang Yi had not only made fun of their height publicly but also did so repeatedly infuriated Qiu Bai and his men. They almost started to attack. What astonished Jiang Yi and company was that Qiu Bai ultimately managed to control his rage. After raising his awls that were shining brightly, he then brought them down.

Instead, Qiu Bai smiled and said, “Mo Xing, people who are too lofty often die easily. Who do you think you are? You are just someone who climbed up the ladder riding on Mo Yao'er's coattails. You're undoubtedly good at using your mouth, right?

Did you make Mo Yao'er feel good? Oh… how does Mo Yao'er taste like? When her two butt cheeks move together, that must feel good, right?”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Mo Qi, Mo Fu, and company's expression changed. They were furious. Qiu Bai had gone overboard.

By publicly being disrespectful to Mo Yao'er, that was the greatest humiliation for the Heaven Devil Race. Mo Yao'er was also shaking with anger. The black whip in her hands was glowing with light. She was about to strike.

“Do not attack! The young clan head of Mammoth Race, the Phantom Race, and many other races are nearby. If we attack first, we would have been baited!”

Jiang Yi hurriedly said in a low voice. The Clan Head of the Dwarf Race and Mo Shen had reached an agreement in front of Sect Patriarch Cao. Neither was allowed to instigate any conflict. With so many witnesses present, whoever started the fight would lose the moral high ground. If that came to pass, the Heaven Devil Race could possibly be eliminated by the combined forces of the Dwarf Race, the Mammoth Race, and the Fire Chi Race.

Bang!

“You dare to malign the Sacred Lady. Go and die!”

Jiang Yi had not finished speaking, and yet—at that moment, there was a sudden explosion near Qiu Bai. A commander of the Heaven Devil Race had broken forth and roared with rage. His sharp claws swiped towards a member of the Dwarf Race. That dwarf commander was laughing out loud at the moment and did not have the ability to defend himself. The dwarf commander was easily split into pieces by the Heaven Devil Race commander. The latter immediately tunneled beneath the surface and disappeared.

“How dare you!”

Qiu Bai's face changed as he roared, “Did everyone see that? The Heaven Devil Race made the first move. Dwarf Race! Capture all members of the Heaven Devil Race! I want them to answer to Sect Patriarch Cao!!”

“That's right! I saw it myself. The Heaven Devil Race was being insolent and killed someone!”

At this moment from afar, the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard. Groups of giants were approaching. Leading them was a giant wearing purple battle armor. He coldly said, “Your Heaven Devil Race is too much!

Is the entire Snow Region under Heaven Devil Race's control? Who said you all could kill anyone you wished? We, the Mammoth Race, will not accept that. Qiu Bai, do capture them. We will go and see Sect Patriarch Cao regarding this matter together.”

Swish! Swish!

From the east came a group of martial arts experts wearing red battle armor, nearing swiftly. Mo Yao'er glanced at them, and her eyes grew cold. She cried out, “The Fire Chi Race is here, too. This is a trap.”

“Understood…”

Jiang Yi's face became serious. There were people from different races watching. These people were alibis, too.

This matter could no longer be explained away. However, a thought suddenly entered his mind. He said, “That man wasn't from Heaven Devil Race. The attacker just now wasn't one of our commanders.”

“That's right!”

Mo Qi swiftly realized the truth, too. He said, “No wonder I felt that I have not seen that man before. He was an impostor. This day has been a set-up through and through.”

“Then what should we do?”

Mo Yao'er was panicking. The experts from the three races had appeared. Just based on the few of them, could they kill their way out of the encirclement?

“It doesn't matter!”

Jiang Yi laughed coldly. The murderous intent in his eyes was evident. He shouted, “Everyone, down. Prepare for battle!”

Swish! Swish!

Mo Yao'er was the most obedient while Mo Qi was afraid of Jiang Yi's Icebound Thousand Miles. The three dove underground instantly. Jiang Yi did not release the Icebound Thousand Miles immediately. He sent a voice transmission to Mo Qi: “Pass a message to everyone. After I have attacked, everyone is to find and target the Dwarf Race. We have to capture Qiu Bai. If we can get back to Heaven Devil Mountain alive depends on him.”

After the voice transmission was over, Jiang Yi shouted coldly into the distance. “Qiu Bai, we—the Heaven Devil Race—do not wish to go against the agreement. Stop coming closer, or we would kill anyone that comes close.”

“Hmph!”

There was no way Qiu Bai would let go of such a good opportunity. He himself did not move closer. Around twenty of his men remained with him while the other twenty odd men were leading thousands of dwarfs forward and were fast approaching.

He shouted, “Mo Xing, Mo Yao'er, everyone from the Heaven Devil Race, listen! Stop resisting immediately. We will not hurt anyone. This matter will be decided by Sect Patriarch Cao. Whoever dares to resist, I will have no choice but to take that person by force.”

Tsk! Tsk!

Countless dwarfs, with their bodies puffed out, started a ferocious attack on the surface. The surface melted into something like a wave and was surging. This was the Dwarf Race's special ability that allowed them to fluctuate the spatial zone. Mo Yao'er and company were impeded from leaving now.

“If that is the case, we will have to fight to the death!”

Jiang Yi said angrily and started moving both his hands. The wind and clouds all around started to surge while the essence energy and the Power of Ice and Snow within a thousand miles flowed to him. In a blink of an eye, a cold current spread in all directions. Within the thousand-mile radius, a change visible to the naked eye could be seen. The area had become a world of ice. Everyone had been frozen.

“How dare you attack us! Everyone, let's attack together and capture the people from Heaven Devil Race.”

A cold voice rang from the Fire Chi Race. Subsequently, numerous members of the Fire Chi Race raised both their hands and created streams of red light. They were shooting out flames that immediately raised the temperature of the surroundings; those who were frozen quickly became mobile again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The surface near Qiu Bai started to explode. Twenty odd men burst forth, hands filled with a chilling light. Someone also released a dao pattern attack. Mo Qi was leading the group, obviously targeting Qiu Bai, who had not been completely unfrozen yet.

“Hahaha. You want to take me down? You guys are too naive!”

Qiu Bai's immobile body suddenly moved. The ancient artifact that he held, 'Reliance Awl', shined brightly. The mysterious patterns and runic patterns on it started to swirl. He leaped upwards, both awls withholding fearsome amounts of energy and slammed them on the surface.

Swish! Swish!

At the same time, the men around Qiu Bai also started moving. They all held red pearls, which were glowing with red light and were exceptionally warm. Their souls and bodies had long defrosted. They were waiting for the members of Heaven Devil Race to rush forward.

This is bad! The Dwarf Race came prepared. We fell for their trap.

Jiang Yi's heart sank. The three races joining hands, someone impersonating a member of the Heaven Devil Race, and the presence of the fire pearls. Someone was obviously targeting his Icebound Thousand Miles, finding countermeasures. The person who planned this set-up had thought everything through.

He had once again made a fatal mistake. He had underestimated the enemy. He wanted to trap the Dwarf Race but ended up being tricked by someone else.

“Mo Qi, Mo Yao'er, do not continue this fight. Go beneath the ice surface. Hold out for one hour. Leave everything to me!”

Jiang Yi used his divine senses and sent a voice transmission to Mo Qi and Mo Yao'er. He himself, however, ran maniacally away. Given the situation, he had no choice but to give it his all and kill everyone present. If not, while he could possibly escape, Mo Yao'er and company would definitely be annihilated.

Chapter 1013 - He's Jiang Yi!

Since he was going to give it his all, that would definitely give his identity away. Thus, everyone present today had to die. The main battlefield could not be that close by, or the members of the Heaven Devil Race would detect his tactics. He still needed the help of the Heaven Devil Race to eliminate the Dwarf Race.

Swish! Swish!

He swiftly reached his limit and raced towards the south. He released his Icebound Thousand Miles again while yelling, “Whoever blocks me will die!”

Tsk! Tsk!

A long spear appeared in Jiang Yi's hand as he released his essence force. Tens of thousands of spears suddenly appeared and smashed the frozen members of the Dwarf Race to bits.

Jiang Yi continuously used his Wind Myriad and released his essence force four or five times. The near-thousand dwarfs ahead were quickly destroyed. He had also created an opening in the encirclement. Jiang Yi looked back towards Qiu Bai and company, laughed loudly, and said, “Midget Qiu, you wish to kill me? Just you bunch of midgets will not be sufficient. After I go back to Heaven Devil Mountain, I will report this matter to Sect Patriarch, who will bring his armies to flatten Dwarf Mountain.”

After speaking, Jiang Yi ran crazily southward. Qiu Bai exploded with rage, beckoned with his hand, and said, “Follow him! Qiu Mi, bring your men to kill Mo Xing. Huo Gu, your race can counter his Icebound Thousand Miles so go and kill him, too. We cannot allow this man to escape. If not, there will be trouble ahead.”

Jiang Yi looked young, but he had already mastered a five-star and a six-star dao pattern. It was to be expected that someday, he would break through to the Demigod Realm. If the Heaven Devil Race had two Demigods, they would definitely suppress the other races, even threatening the position of Tiger Subdue Sect and becoming the de facto ruler of the Snow Region. The bad blood between the Dwarf Race and the Heaven Devil Race ran deep. The former would definitely become a target of oppression. There was no way Qiu Bai would let Jiang Yi go.

“Chase!”

The Fire Chi Race numbered nearly a hundred. All of them dashed towards Jiang Yi. The young clan head of the Mammoth Race also gave a signal, and half of his men moved forward to kill Jiang Yi. From the Dwarf Race also went more than half of the martial arts experts and more than two thousand dwarfs.

As for Mo Yao'er—without Jiang Yi around, she and her entourage would not amount to much. It was only a matter of time before the group was destroyed or caught. Qiu Bai was not worried at all.

“Just in time!”

As Jiang Yi ran, he gradually reduced his speed, quietly checking and marking the distance. Mo Yao'er had said her senses could only detect up to a ten-mile radius. He just needed to be at least 20 miles away from the original main battlefield before he started attacking. He needed to kill all that pursued and also find a way to kill the remaining people.

“He! He!”

“Mo Xing, you dog. You will never escape!”

“Mo Xing, just be obedient and wait for your death. We promise to leave your corpse intact!”

Jiang Yi's speed was faster. His core essence force had already reached the seventh stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm, resulting in his increased speed. Even people who possessed the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm would not be able to catch up within this short period of time. Jiang Yi did not need to fly that far away. A few dozen miles distance only amounted to the time needed to take 10 to 20 breaths.

Ten miles, 20 miles… 30 miles!

Jiang Yi was silently calculating his distance. The people chasing him were also getting closer. Some dwarfs have already started using their metal awls to hammer the earth and shake up the spatial zone, slowing Jiang Yi down.

After dashing by another 10 miles, Jiang Yi's speed was constantly being affected. The pursuers were getting closer. The eyes of the dwarfs at the back were shining, and they were constantly attacking. A few experts from the Fire Chi Race also flashed red light from their hands, all ready to start firing.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

When both sides were within 10,000 feet, ten of the dwarfs leaped upwards, raising their hammers and slamming them into the ground. The surface started rising like a wave with the spatial zone rippling at the same time. Jiang Yi became like a small boat riding an enormous wave, unable to control his body that was being pushed forward.

“Alright!”

Ten elders of the Fire Chi Race levitated rapidly and transformed into ten fearsome dragons. They clapped their hands in unison, sending terrifying fire snakes towards Jiang Yi as well.

Once the fire snakes appeared, the temperature started to rise rapidly. The snow beneath melted very quickly. The snowflakes falling from the skies also turned first into snow water and then into water mist, covering the entire sky.

Tsk! Tsk!

The ten fire snakes enveloped Jiang Yi. Everyone stopped their attacks and mockingly looked at Jiang Yi. They were awaiting the demise of this prodigy. The Fire Chi Race was the best in the Snow Region at using fire. The burning flames of ten elders were too terrifying. Ordinary people would be turned into dust when enveloped by such.

“Eh?”

The ten elders were astonished. Even though Jiang Yi was enveloped in the burning flames, he seemed immune to their effects. Everyone thought that while Jiang Yi's defensive powers were extremely strong, it was a matter of time before he succumbed and died.

Instead, Jiang Yi's body touched the ground once and easily broke out of the burning flames. He was advancing towards them. The long spear in his hand had also disappeared; it had become a flexible sword.

Wuu Wuu~Dong Dong!

The flexible sword started to dance, releasing the long-unused Divine Sound Heaven Skill. A terrifying noise rang out. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was even more frightening than the previous time. Jiang Yi had attained a higher realm, and so the strength of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill had increased accordingly.

Everyone was cupping their heads, with their faces filled with pain. Only two martial artists with stronger soul spirits were still able to withstand it.

“Icebound Thousand Miles!”

Jiang Yi's other hand started moving. He gathered the essence energy and Power of Ice and Snow within a thousand miles and released his Icebound Thousand Miles again. Simultaneously, the Divine Sound Heaven Skill continued to play as well.

Under the assault of both the Divine Sound Heaven Skill and the Icebound Thousand Miles, everyone present went nuts. While the Fire Chi Race had the ability to withstand the Icebound Thousand Miles, they were unable to mount a credible defense as their soul spirits were under attack. They also couldn't release their burning flames. As a result, everyone became frozen. “Astral Wind Blades!”

After Jiang Yi released the Icebound Thousand Miles, he did not hesitate and immediately sent out astral winds that turned into astral wind blades. These blades twirled in all directions. With the Divine Sound Heaven Skill still active, no one was able to hide or defend themselves from the astral wind blades, becoming live targets.

“Ah, Ah—!”

Numerous cries of agony rang across. The Astral Wind Blades were brutal. Everyone from the three races could not defend or hide. No one could withstand these blades.

Within the span of two breaths, more than half of those present were dead. These included the ten elders from the Fire Chi Race. Their bodies were turned into blood mist; nothing else of them remained.

“Astral winds. This is the astral winds? And the Divine Sound Heaven Skill? He's not Mo Xing, he's Jiang Yi! Ahh, no…!”

One of the elders from the Dwarf Race finally realized the truth. However, with his body not completely defrosted, he did not have the time to say much. The astral winds butchered him, and he became a puddle of blood.

“Die!”

Jiang Yi's body was shaped like a dragon while his eyes were as cold as a devil from hell. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill sounded like a devil's wail while the astral wind blades resembled the devil's soul harvester; without sound and without breath, killing invisibly.

“Uh…”

Many other races were watching from the surroundings. They all thought that Jiang Yi would definitely perish here. However, the situation changed drastically within the blink of an eye. A few thousand people had been wiped out by Jiang Yi; it was about to turn into a massacre.

“That is the astral winds? The Divine Sound Heaven Skill? Could it be… Jiang Yi?”

A few experts in the crowd became suspicious. Indeed, the Snow Region was located in the far north of the continent. However, the elders from the great races always kept an eye on the happenings of the East Imperial Continent. This was in preparation for any possible troop movements against them from the East Imperial Continent. As for Jiang Yi—while ordinary people would not know, the formidable martial artists and elders from each race would—more or less—have heard of him.

Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi killed everyone from the three races present. He turned around and started to target those spectators in the vicinity. An elder from a special race saw Jiang Yi's blood-red eyes and understood without a doubt. He shouted, “That's not Mo Xing! That's Jiang Yi! He's Jiang Yi from the East Imperial Continent!”

“Die! All who are present here today must die!”

Jiang Yi's flexible sword danced, his ferocious glare and blood-red eyes seeing everyone's soul spirit tremble. He smelled of the aura of death itself.

Chapter 1014 - All to Remain

While Jiang Yi's battle was coming to an end, Mo Yao'er's fight here was still raging on.

Although Mo Yao'er and company did not dare to rush to the surface, the Dwarf Race was impeding their movement speed. There was no way they could flee. The formidable martial artists from all three races were also entering the underground area via the passageways, killing as they went.

The fighting was horrifying. While Mo Qi and company had killed quite a number of people from the three races, half of Mo Yao'er's company had also perished.

“Eh? The people above have been frozen again?”

Mo Qi and company were suffering terribly. While fleeing, they suddenly realized the tremors coming from the surface had stopped. Mo Qi used his divine senses and found that people were being frozen again. It was obvious that Jiang Yi had released his Icebound Thousand Miles again from far away; he had even frozen the people here.

“Shorty Qiu, why are your men so useless? I have not killed enough yet, and everyone is already dead? You guys are imbeciles. Hahaha.”

A short while later, a monstrous sound traveled from the south. That sound was produced from essence force, resounding in a ten-mile radius. It reverberated in the Ice Plains continuously.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Qiu Bai, Huo Gu, and company's faces changed drastically. So many people were sent to kill Jiang Yi. Yet, Jiang Yi had arrogantly sent a message over to them. What did this mean? This meant that not only were those people unable to kill Jiang Yi, but they had also been captured or massacred by him.

“Young Clan Head, what should we do?”

An elder near Qiu Bai shouted frantically in a loud voice. Without killing Jiang Yi—even if they managed to capture Mo Yao'er and company, it would be for naught. The greatest threat came from Jiang Yi. If Jiang Yi escaped and broke through to the Demigod Realm, the Dwarf Race would definitely suffer.

“Huo Gu, Meng Da, let's ignore this group of people and go kill Mo Xing first. Mo Yao'er and company are unable to escape as it is. As long as Mo Xing is dead, all would be over.”

Qiu Bai separately sent voice transmissions to the young clan heads of the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race. Next, he ordered the elder next to him. “Go immediately 100 miles to the west from here to call for reinforcements. Tell them that if they do not help, we would all be dead; and Mo Xing would be able to escape.”

“To the west?”

The elder from the Dwarf Race blinked and said uncertainly, slightly unclear of the instructions. The Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race were both present. Who else could come to their aid? He stood still and asked curiously, “Young Clan Head, what reinforcements are there in the west?”

“Don't ask so much! Once you are there, you will see people. Do as I say!”

Qiu Bai said coldly. He raised both his iron awls and shouted fiercely, “Everyone, listen! Let's go and kill Mo Xing first.”

Swish! Swish!

The men from Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race had left as well, heading south. The reason for the three races' collaboration this time was the emergence of this prodigy from the Heaven Devil Race. Jiang Yi posed an enormous threat to all three races. For some great sects of the Snow Region, they could not tolerate the presence of two Demigods in one sect.

The three races numbered more than two thousand people. They became a black cloud as they dashed towards the south. All the various races watching from the sidelines also started heading in the same direction.

How could they not pay attention to such a ferocious battle? Jiang Yi's survival or death was very important to each race.

“What's happening?”

Mo Qi realized that the attacks were becoming lesser and lesser. The three races had retreated from the underground. It felt a little ridiculous. When they used their divine senses, they realized that the formidable martial artists from the three races had all rushed southward.

“Not good… they are going to kill Mo Xing!”

Mo Yao'er realized that and went pale with shock. She turned and seemed to want to dash to the surface to rescue Jiang Yi. However, Mo Fu was faster than her. He whacked her on the back of the head once and knocked Mo Yao'er unconscious.

“Mo Fu, what are you doing?”

Mo Qi and company were astonished. They didn't understand what had come over Mo Fu. However, Mo Fu said coldly, “The Sacred Lady's safety is paramount. We cannot take any more risks. We must break through the encirclement and head back to Heaven Devil Mountain immediately.”

“How about Mo Xing?”

Mo Qi shouted loudly, “Mo Xing cannot die either. He is the hope of our race. Even if we all die, Mo Xing cannot.”

“Mo Qi, calm down!”

Mo Fu's face was extremely serious as he said, “How much help can the few of us give Mo Xing? It is obvious that someone set this trap to kill him. Someone does not want him to continue growing. The mastermind this time is definitely not the three idiot young clan heads.

There must still be a huge army and formidable martial artists stationed nearby. If we go and save him, we will just be giving our lives away. Mo Xing is extraordinarily strong.

If he cannot escape, our presence will not help and might even hinder him. Now that no one is pursuing after us now, we should break out immediately to have a chance at survival.”

“This…”

Mo Qi and company were wavering. They had also guessed that the set-up this time was not the doing of the three young clan heads. The trio was not yet this capable.

However, if they just left like this, they felt that it was not righteous. If Jiang Yi died in battle, it would be a huge loss to the Heaven Devil Race.

Mo Fu's face darkened, and he said desperately, “If something were to happen to the Sacred Lady, even dying a thousand deaths will not be enough. Let's believe in Mo Xing! He will not die that easily. Let's go!”

As he said this, Mo Fu carried Mo Yao'er and dashed away. Mo Qi gritted his teeth and said helplessly, “Let's go!”

The other elders and commanders could only follow the duo and run towards Heaven Devil Mountain. They had already lost half their men. If they still didn't flee, there was really a possibility that all would perish. No one wanted to die; they could only secretly pray that Jiang Yi would be able to escape safely.

Jiang Yi was still encircled!

He high-kneed on the ground, using his sword to support his body from not collapsing. His body was full of blood, and he was still bleeding. His face was extremely pale. He could sense the army coming from the north; from the corner of his lips came a slight smile.

The blood on him was obviously from his enemies. The paleness on his face was also faked. He high-kneed at that spot precisely to wait for Qiu Bai and company to reach. He kept his eyes closed and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, checking the surroundings.

Ss, ss…

When Qiu Bai and company reached the heart of the battle, all of them took deep cold breaths. The battlefield was littered with broken limbs and internal organs; there was not one complete corpse. Fresh blood soaked the land.

The fresh blood had also been frozen, making the surrounding ice all red, just like the dark red color of the soil. The stench of blood was particularly overpowering to the nose; it felt like hell.

“Mo Xing is injured! Kill him!”

One elder from the Dwarf Race shouted. All eyes turned to Jiang Yi and saw his slightly trembling body. Everyone's eyes brightened. Without hesitation, all of them yelled, “Kill him!”

Swish! Swish!

More than two thousand people surged towards Jiang Yi like a moving tide. The Dwarf Race unleashed snow dragons and used their hammers to pound the surface, trying to trap Jiang Yi and prevent him from escaping. The Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race spread out and tried to encircle Jiang Yi in a fan-like formation to kill him.

Thirty thousand feet, twenty thousand feet… ten thousand feet!

Jiang Yi finally opened his eyes. His blood-red eyes suited his blood-stained face perfectly. He looked exceptionally savage. He smiled and said, “All to remain!”

Wuu Wuu~Dong Dong!

The sound similar to a devil's wail rang forth, followed by the unleashing of the Icebound Thousand Miles. Under this double attack, no one could resist. All the martial artists in the surrounding areas were all frozen.

“Astral Wind Blades! Go!”

Ten Astral Wind Blades transformed into Death God Blades. They swept forward and started another round of massacring.

When Qiu Bai, Huo Gu, and company's soul spirits were unsealed, more than half of those who had come with them were dead. Qiu Bai was terrified. He retreated hurriedly and shouted, “Brother Duantian, if you don't come soon, we are all going to die!”

Chapter 1015 - Annihilation

“Brother Duantian?”

There were probably many people in the Snow Region called Duantian. However, there was only one that Qiu Bai could possibly respect enough to call 'Brother Duantian'. That was the young clan head of the Tiger Subdue Sect.

Jiang Yi's eyes narrowed. However, he didn't have the luxury of time to think too much. Many people had identified him.

He had to kill them all. If not, all the formidable martial artists in the entire Snow Region would be coming after him next.

A spy from the East Imperial Continent entering the Snow Region and killing rampantly was something that would trigger many Demigod formidable martial artists; Mo Shen would be the first to come after him.

“Die—!”

He roared and dashed forward, body shaped like a violent dragon. The flexible sword in his hand started dancing. The horrifying sound rang a few miles out.

Qiu Bai and company had just advanced a few hundred meters before they started hugging their heads and rolling on the ground. The two elders that were helping Qiu Bai flee were immobilized as well.

Tsk! Tsk!

Ten Astral Wind Blades started sweeping forward, killing people like cutting grass. This group of people had no way of mounting a credible defense. In one fell swoop, not even a million people were sufficient for Jiang Yi to kill.

“No. You can't kill me. I'm the young clan head of the Fire Chi Race. If you dare kill me, Majesty Father will definitely raze Heaven Devil Mountain to the ground!”

Huo Gu was originally holding his head and rolling on the ground. As the Astral Wind Blades twirled by and as the elders near him turned into blood mist—at that moment of life and death, he suddenly regained his senses and yelled from the bottom of his heart.

Bang!

The reply he received was a wave of immense pain; his body was brutally ripped into shreds. Jiang Yi did not hear him out at all. Jiang Yi was the type of person that once he had decided to act, he would not hesitate. The talking would be left until after he had pierced the sky.

With Huo Gu dead, Jiang Yi was not planning on showing mercy to the young clan head of the Mammoth Race. His Astral Wind Blades swept forth, pulverizing bodies as they went. The defensive abilities of the Mammoth Race were immense. They exhausted a few of Jiang Yi's Astral Wind Blades. However, the astral winds in his ninth star sphere were too powerful. During nighttime in the Snow Region, the astral winds were also inexhaustible; he was not afraid of running out of astral winds.

“It's over, it's over. Ah…”

Qiu Bai hugged his head and rolled on the ground. The excruciating pain coming from his soul spirit could not compare to the immense fear he was feeling. He saw Jiang Yi's icy cold eyes, and he was filled with utter regret.

If he had known, he would not have taken up the position of young clan head. He should not have come to Tiger Subdue Mountain either. He also should never have offended this devil.

No esteemed position could rival one's life. Anyone would feel afraid at the point of death. Instinctively feeling the urge to survive, it was this moment that he had realized this Mo Xing was not from the Heaven Devil Race.

He was Jiang Yi. The famed killing asteroid of the East Imperial Continent, the devil who killed without blinking.

He did not say anything else and didn't ask for mercy. He had no reason to hope that Jiang Yi would spare his life; Jiang Yi's renown came from his slaughtering and massacring. This was a reputation that was built on countless bodies. To even think that he would be lenient? Fat hope!

“Let death take me, let death take me. To be able to die in the hands of someone like Jiang Yi, that is something after all!” Qiu Bai felt the dwarfs around him turning into blood mist as he closed his eyes devoid of hope.

At this moment, an astonishing roar came from afar, giving Qiu Bai a sliver of hope. “Mo Xing. This is Cao Duantian. Stop this slaughter immediately and give yourself up. If not, you will become the enemy of Tiger Subdue Sect.”

Cao Duantian had finally arrived!

Qiu Bai's small figure gave a slight tremble. He saw a glimmer of hope and cried out, “Brother Duan, save me!”

Tsk! Tsk!

However, just after he spoke, an Astral Wind Blade twirled towards him and cut his body into a few hundred pieces. The last image in his mind was a hint of mockery on Jiang Yi's blood-covered face.

“Icebound Thousand Miles!”

Jiang Yi said in a low voice and released his Icebound Thousand Miles. He kept his flexible sword and stopped releasing the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. He started rushing to the east; he had discovered the presence of a few members of the Phantom Race and two other small races. Now that everyone in the current battlefield was dead, these people cannot be spared either.

“Jolting Kill Through Air!”

He roared this command, which was magnified by his essence force. His voice was immense. Once his voice rang out, those ten-odd people prostrating near the foot of the mountain also turned into blood mist.

The few members of the Phantom Race on the other side were killed, too. He started heading north and killed off the remaining ten-odd people that had turned into ice.

Swish! Swish!

From the horizon in the west, a mass of black dots finally appeared, with many divine senses being sent out. Jiang Yi absorbed the astral winds, closed his eyes, and spread his own divine senses to check the surroundings. He wanted to see if there was anyone else left alive.

He was very satisfied with the results. The three races, as well as all who had surrounded and watched, were all dead. Under the State of the Union of Heaven and Man—if there were really people who could evade his detection, he could do nothing about that anymore.

“Uh…”

Cao Duantian brought nearly a thousand people and rushed forward. Cao Shishui was also within the army. The sight that greeted them was astonishing. Cao Shishui's eyes widened as she bent down and tried to puke incessantly.

“How dare you!”

Cao Duantian's face changed a few times as he called out coldly. “Mo Xing, you devil! You actually killed so many people? Even Qiu Bai, Huo Gu, and Meng Da? You are really crazy. If you are not taken care of, you will definitely bring trouble to the Snow Region. Follow me to see the Sect Patriarch, or I will kill you!”

Buzz! Buzz!

As Cao Duantian finished speaking, the plum flower mole on his forehead started shining. So did that of everyone in his army. They were all waiting for a command from Cao Duantian to release their soul spirit attacks and eliminate Jiang Yi.

“Hahaha!”

Not only was Jiang Yi not afraid in the slightest, but he also let out huge laughter instead. His eyes were no longer blood-red, but his face was still caked in blood. He looked exceptionally savage. He laughed more and coldly said, “Cao Duantian, Qiu Bai and company set a trap and attacked us. Were we supposed to obediently wait for our deaths?

The Heaven Devil Sect had also lost many men; the Sacred Lady is also missing. If anything were to happen to her, I will inform the Sect Patriarch and lead our army to slaughter our way up Dwarf Mountain.

“Besides that… what are you? Are you the head of the entire Snow Region? What have my killings got to do with you? Qiu Bai and his men are dead. Since you're so anxious and angry, could it be that you guys and Qiu Bai and his gang are accomplices?”

“I… what nonsense. How could I be their accomplice?”

Cao Duantian's face changed again, instantly denying Jiang Yi's accusation. Something dawned on him, and he finally calmed down.

That's right. The set-up today was indeed the plan that he and Qiu Bai had come up with. Huo Gu and Meng Da were also mobilized by him.

Cao Duantian had coveted Mo Yao'er for the longest time. Of course, he had coveted not only one person but also the entire Heaven Devil Race. As long as he married Mo Yao'er—once Mo Shen dies, he could use the status of the Tiger Subdue Sect to become the Sect Patriarch of Heaven Devil Race. Furthering that, he would combine the powers of both Heaven Devil Sect and Tiger Subdue Sect to gradually take over the other sects. Lastly, he would become the Ruler of the Snow Region.

The previous time when the Dwarf Race and the Heaven Devil Race battled —where Mo Shen went to Tiger Subdue Mountain and Cao Peiwen came forward to suppress the Dwarf Race, the completion of the ceasefire agreement was the hard work of Cao Duantian.

He did not want Heaven Devil Race to be destroyed by the Dwarf, Fire Chi, and Mammoth races. Deep inside, he always thought that Heaven Devil Race was going to be his sooner or later. Prior to that, Mo Yao'er also seemed to have a good impression of him, with their relationship being quite good.

After Jiang Yi's appearance out of nowhere and subsequently captivating Mo Yao'er's heart, she was no longer as sweet to Cao Duantian. Cao Duantian effectively lost something that was already within his grasp. How could he not be furious?

Jiang Yi was rising so rapidly. If he was allowed to train further, he would break through to the Demigod Realm. Two Demigods in the Heaven Devil Race would most certainly affect Tiger Subdue Sect's position of dominance.

Hence, Jiang Yi had to die, resulting in today's set-up.

It was a pity.

Cao Duantian did not expect that the ending would be like this. So many formidable martial artists from the three races combined could not kill one Mo Xing. Instead, they were all killed by him—totally annihilated.

Chapter 1016 - Indeed I Saw

I need to either capture or kill Mo Xing!

Cao Duantian was thinking furiously and quickly came to a conclusion. No matter what the cost was, he had to take down Mo Xing. If not, he would not be able to answer to the three races. Furthermore, if this man was not dead, Cao Duantian could never get Mo Yao'er and the Heaven Devil Race.

He coldly said, “Mo Xing. I will not talk about what happened between you and Qiu Bai and his men. Heaven Devil Race and the Dwarf Race had agreed, on Tiger Subdue Mountain in front of Sect Patriarch, to not fight each other again. Today, not only did you instigate a battle, but you also cruelly killed a few thousand people—even those who were watching from the side.

We, Tiger Subdue Sect, see the safety and stability of the Snow Region as our utmost responsibility. If we see any injustice, we will definitely lend a hand in aid. If you do not wish to die, give yourself up and let's go to see the Sect Patriarch. If not, we will have to take you by force.”

“Wanting to do immoral things while maintaining a good name? Cao Duantian, this phrase refers exactly to you!”

Jiang Yi slightly smiled—his eyes shifting towards the pale, frail-looking Cao Shishui—and said, “Young Mistress Shishui, I think that you are—by nature—kind, good-natured, and will not lie. Can you tell me this? You guys brought so many men and managed to reach this place so quickly. Were you guys coincidentally taking in the sights nearby? Your Sect Patriarch had just finished celebrating his birthday, and so soon after that, you guys brought so many formidable martial artists out.

How do you explain this? We had just arrived at Ice Island when the armies of Dwarf Race, Fire Chi Race, and Mammoth Race arrived as well. This, too, was not a coincidence—am I right?”

“Uh…”

Cao Shishui's eyes became evasive; she seemed flustered. Although she didn't know the specifics, she had understood much from Jiang Yi's words. She was a little helpless as she looked towards Cao Duantian for help.

“Young Mistress Shishui, answer me!”

Jiang Yi's eyes stared at Cao Shishui as he said in a low voice. Cao Shishui became even more flustered. She stammered and replied, “I, I… do not know anything. Brother, let's go back.”

“Mo Xing!”

Cao Duantian exploded as he said, “Cut the crap. Are you fighting or yielding? Give me a direct answer!”

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Yi laughed out loud as a flexible sword appeared in his hand. He displayed a few sword techniques and coldly said, “Cao Duantian, do you really think I am afraid of you? How much stronger can your thousand men be compared to Qiu Bai and his few thousand? If you want to battle, I will oblige!

I, Mo Xing, have said as much. Once the fighting starts, bear the consequences yourself. I dared to kill Qiu Bai and Huo Gu; I will kill you and your sister, too!”

If a battle with Cao Duantian and company could be avoided, Jiang Yi naturally did not want to fight. Killing Cao Duantian could help him let off some steam. However, that would be detrimental to his plans of wiping out the Dwarf Race. The Tiger Subdue Sect was too powerful. If he dared to kill this group of people, even Mo Shen would not be able to protect him. He would no longer have any standing in the Snow Region and would have to face the Dwarf Race on his own.

Jiang Yi said his last word, and his body was suddenly overwhelmed by an instinct to kill. His eyes started to turn cold while the Heaven and Earth powers around him started gathering in him; he was prepared to release his Icebound Thousand Miles.

“En?”

The members of the Tiger Subdue Sect suddenly tensed. The atmosphere had become almost unbearably pressurizing. Cao Duantian's eyes flashed as he also sensed the immense pressure building up. However, he was resolute. He raised one hand high and was about to give the order.

“Young Clan Head, if it is possible, we should not make an enemy out of this man. I feel that he is very dangerous, and I might not be able to protect you!”

At this moment, a voice transmission rang in Cao Duantian's head. He did not dare to move the hand he had raised high. His eyes turned to an elder with white brows standing next to him. This elder was a five-star martial expert. His soul spirit attack was immensely terrifying. He was only one step away from becoming a Demigod; Cao Duantian did not dare to take this elder's words lightly.

Hoo-Hoo!

Jiang Yi's flexible sword was still dancing. His other hand was also shaking gently, continuing to absorb the essence energy and the Power of Ice and Snow within a thousand miles. The cold winds roared and were blowing hard at Jiang Yi's blood-stained battle robe. His eyes were as cold as the blade of a knife; everyone felt that he was not human but a killer god.

“Kill—”

Alas, Cao Duantian did not change his mind as he shouted the command. He had no other choice. If Mo Xing did not die, all his hard work till this moment would have been for naught.

He would also not be able to answer to the three races. As he gave the signal with his hand, the plum flower mole between everyones' brows shone brightly. They were about to release their soul spirit attacks.

“Icebound Thousand Miles!”

Jiang Yi also didn't hesitate. A cold current surged forth from him in all directions. He swiftly dived underground, waving his flexible sword as he was about to release the Divine Sound Heaven Skill.

Tsk! Tsk!

Nearly a thousand golden streams of light beamed from between the eyebrows of the Tiger Subdue Sect members present. Jiang Yi was astonished that the soul spirit attacks were not in a straight line; they were like movable streams of light that formed arcs in the sky. These arcs were targeting Jiang Yi, who was halfway into the underground area.

These soul spirit attacks can bend and track people?

Jiang Yi's soul trembled while he also stopped moving. Since the soul spirit attacks could follow him, there was no escape for him. It would also be hard to just rely on the soul sword to block the attack. As it was a matter of life and death, his only choice was to use Heaven Evasion and leave first.

Roar!

At that moment, from afar came a dragon's roar. A huge Ice Dragon was roaring as it came, its speed as fast as light. At the same time, an immense pressure enveloped everyone. Jiang Yi felt as if he couldn't stand straight anymore.

He looked towards the north with his eyes widened. He shouted out, “Ice Dragon in the Sky! The Fifth Eldress of the Heaven Hidden Sect!”

Tsk! Tsk!

The Ice Dragon's speed was too fast; it was many times faster than from the previous encounter. Within the blink of an eye, it had reached between Jiang Yi and the Tiger Subdue Sect. The Ice Dragon took the full brunt of the near thousand soul spirit attacks. Similarly, it endured all the cold currents that were gushing from Jiang Yi, dissipating them.

Bang!

The Ice Dragon pounded on the ice layer, causing an immense explosion. The ice layer was destroyed, with large cracks snaking far and wide. A large hole had also been created in the center of the explosion. The water ten thousand feet below the ice layer had also been forced out, generating a thousand layers of waves.

Bang!

The impact of the explosion caused Jiang Yi and everyone from the Tiger Subdue Sect to be blown into the sky. Jiang Yi tumbled tens of rounds before finally coming to a stop on the ice layer. With his flexible sword supporting him, he knelt on the ground, spitting blood from his mouth. He looked with utter astonishment at the five serene figures in the north.

Fifth Eldress' power had reached that of a Demigod?

Did she conceal her true strength before, or was this breakthrough new? Hadn't she returned to Heaven Hidden Sect? Why would she be here at this moment?

“Ruoxue?”

His gaze quickly found Su Ruoxue who was behind Fifth Eldress. It was a pity that Su Ruoxue was not paying any attention to him; she was as cold as an ice mountain.

“Demigod?”

Cao Duantian and company were frightened, too. If that Ice Dragon had pounded on them, they would all have been smashed to pieces. He struggled to get to his feet and hurriedly cupped his hands as he looked at Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies, saying, “Duantian pays his respects to Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies!”

“Greetings to Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies!”

The members of Tiger Subdue Sect hurriedly paid their respects too. Jiang Yi stood up and casually cupped his hands in respect. He looked at Fifth Eldress and then rested his gaze on Su Ruoxue. He smiled slightly and said, “Fifth Eldress, Saint Lady Xue, and the other Saint Ladies, greetings.”

Fifth Eldress briefly nodded but did not speak. Cao Duantian waited for a while, cupped his hands, and asked, “Fifth Eldress. The Heaven Hidden Sect had always stayed out of the fighting in the Snow Region. Why have you stepped in to help this crazed devil this time? As you can see, everyone here was killed by Mo Xing alone. He also wants to have us all killed, too. It seems like the Heaven Devil Race wants to dominate the Snow Region.”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled briefly but didn't offer any rebuttals. The appearance of Fifth Eldress meant that he was safe. She would definitely find a way to put this matter to rest.

As expected!

Fifth Eldress stared at Cao Duantian and said indifferently. “Indeed, I saw. Actually… I was watching this right from the beginning. Young Clan Head Duantian, should I tell you the whole story from the beginning? Shall we also bring this matter to your Sect Patriarch?”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Cao Duantian and a few elders' faces changed. They were pale as snow.

Chapter 1017 - Taking Advantage

of a Troubled Situation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When Cao Duantian devised this set-up, his father and the Sect Patriarch of the Tiger Subdue Sect were not in the know. Cao Duantian thought that Jiang Yi was definitely going to die. Furthermore, the one who acted was not him but Qiu Bai, Huo Gu, and Meng Da. Even if Mo Shen pursued the matter, it would not implicate him.

Taking 10,000 steps back—even if Mo Shen somehow managed to piece the whole incident together and guessed that the mastermind was Cao Duantian, so what? Without proof, would Mo Shen dare to go to Tiger Subdue Mountain to create trouble? Sect Patriarch Cao was not known as the second strongest in the Snow Region for nothing.

What he did not expect was that the formidable martial artists from all three races—combined with the Fire Chi Race that could effectively negate Jiang Yi's Icebound Thousand Miles—were ultimately not able to kill him. Even Mo Yao'er had escaped. Jiang Yi had even annihilated the formidable martial artists from the three races!

All this was actually not that big a concern. The matter at hand now was that a Demigod Eldress from Heaven Hidden Sect was just in the vicinity and had witnessed the entire incident. If word of what happened spread, Cao Duantian would become everyone's target.

Not only the three races, but even Heaven Devil Race would be looking to confront him. He would definitely not be able to remain as young clan head as well. Tiger Subdue Sect could even be attacked by the various races. If Heaven Hidden Sect intervened, Tiger Subdue Sect could even be eliminated.

Plop!

The thought of all this weakened Cao Duantian's legs as he immediately knelt down. He bowed deeply to Fifth Eldress, and fearfully said, “Fifth Eldress, I was momentarily blinded by ambition. Please be magnanimous and forgive Duantian this time.”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled mockingly. He did not know the seriousness of this matter and didn't know the stature of the Heaven Hidden Sect in the Snow Region. He was purely looking at the spineless Cao Duantian with disdain—a Young Master such as him kneeling down.

“There is no use in you kneeling in front of me.”

Fifth Eldress said expressionlessly, “The Heaven Hidden Sect has never intervened in the disputes of the Snow Region. We were here to see the ice flowers and thus, by coincidence, passed by this area. Young Clan Head Duantian, since I had encountered this incident, I naturally wish for a peaceful settlement. I hope there will be no more slaughtering, and that you can put this matter to rest. As long as the various races do not start fighting again, that would be a blessing to mankind, a blessing to the Snow Region. What do you think?”

“Fifth Eldress' teachings are absolutely right. Duantian will strive to fulfill Fifth Eldress' wishes.”

Cao Duantian hurriedly cupped his hands in response and sighed with relief. Fifth Eldress did not seem to have the intention to pursue this matter any further; she was just trying to be a pseudo saint this once. Her intentions were clear: Duantian was to put this matter to rest and to prevent the three races and the Heaven Devil Race from fighting. Then, this matter would be considered over.

Put this matter to rest?

Thinking about this gave him a headache. Three young clan heads and so many martial experts were dead; how could he put this matter to rest? How was he going to give an explanation to the three clan heads? He couldn't possibly say that they were all killed by the ice beasts?

That's right! The Ice Beast King!

Cao Duantian swiftly thought of a good idea. There was an Ice Beast King imprisoned in Tiger Subdue Sect. He could release this Ice Beast King and fabricate the battlefield. Since there were no witnesses nearby, this matter could be covered up as much.

“Mo Xing!”

Cao Duantian gazed towards Mo Xing, his murderous look vanishing in a flash. He silently told himself that when there was a chance in the future, he would definitely kill Jiang Yi to avenge what had happened today.

“Jiang Yi, three others were watching nearby. I had already taken care of them.”

In the meantime, Fifth Eldress and Jiang Yi were trading voice transmissions. She paused for a while and continued her transmission. “You wish to borrow Heaven Devil Race's hand to eliminate the Dwarf Race; this idea is not bad. However, you were too anxious. I have helped you to settle this incident, but you are on your own from now on. The Heaven Hidden Sect cannot intervene too much into the disputes in the Snow Region. This is our Sect rules.

“You should go back to Heaven Devil Race first and cultivate your abilities for a period of time, before continuing to plan your next step. Do not worry about Ruoxue. She possesses a rare Astral Body; the elders in the Sect all love her very much. She would not suffer the slightest in Heaven Hidden Sect.”

“My thanks to Fifth Eldress!”

Jiang Yi cupped his hands in thanks and looked deeply at Su Ruoxue. He ran far away and never looked back once.

Su Ruoxue's gaze was cold as ice; never once had she looked directly at Jiang Yi. At the moment when he was about to leave, she finally looked at his back as he left, her eyes carrying a sliver of confusion.

Fifth Eldress waited for Jiang Yi to leave, then looked towards Cao Duantian, and said, “Young Clan Head Duantian. You should head back too. Do your best to resolve this matter. If the various races start fighting because of this, I will personally make a trip up Tiger Subdue Mountain.”

“Let's go!”

After speaking, Fifth Eldress looked towards the four Saint Ladies. The five of them rose up into the air and floated away like immortals.

“Huff, huff…”

Cao Duantian forcibly suppressed his recklessness and took a few long breaths. He ordered, “All to spread out and put this area on lockdown. Do not let anyone come near. Shishui, you will go back with me. Let's look for Father and Sect Patriarch and ask for forgiveness.”

“Lockdown?”

A few elders were a little confused as they looked at Cao Duantian. The latter sighed helplessly and said, “The only way to settle this matter now is to release the Ice Beast King that we have locked up. If not, we have no explanation to offer the Clan Heads from the three races. You all must remember never to let anyone find out what happened. If not, the Tiger Subdue Sect will be doomed eternally.”

“Ice Beast King?”

The few elders' faces soured. This Ice Beast King caused the Tiger Subdue Sect much grief back then. In order to capture it, the Tiger Subdue Sect sacrificed thousands of lives while the Sect Patriarch also personally joined the fray in the end.

It was originally captured for Cao Duantian to make the final breakthrough; it will definitely be hunted and killed by the three races if it was released. This would be a huge loss to the Tiger Subdue Sect.

“Mo Xing, I swear to kill you!”

It would be a huge loss for Cao Duantian, too. He gritted his teeth as he swore loudly, his face filled with anguish and fury as he ran northward as fast as he could.

“What are the people from Tiger Subdue Sect doing?”

From thousand-odd miles away from the Ice Island to the west, Jiang Yi was sitting cross-legged in the ice layer. He had not gone back to Heaven Devil Race; he also didn't go and look for Mo Yao'er and company. He had already been sitting here for a full two days, using his Divine Perception to investigate.

Fifth Eldress had said that he was too impatient and asked him to go back and cultivate further before planning his next move. However, Jiang Yi could wait no longer. Living like this was extremely arduous for him. As long as the Dwarf Race was not eliminated, he could not eat or sleep.

Since Fifth Eldress had appeared and had evidence against Cao Duantian— in the near future, there was no way Cao Duantian would dare to come and kill Jiang Yi. They would also have thought that he had gone back to Heaven Devil Mountain. He was very safe here.

He had investigated for two days, wanting to know how Cao Duantian would resolve this matter.

The death of three young clan heads and so many formidable martial artists, if made known to all, would rile up the three races involved. If Cao Duantian was not able to come up with a reasonable explanation, the Fifth Eldress would help him to explain. Hence, Jiang Yi wanted to find out what Cao Duantian was up to and if there was any opportunity Jiang Yi could make use of.

Using the Heaven Devil Race to destroy the Dwarf Race was one possibility; for the Dwarf Race, Fire Chi Race, and the Mammoth Race to engage in battle with the Tiger Subdue Sect was another. As long as the Dwarf Race started a battle with other races—depleting its strength, all that was left would be to chase them out of Dwarf Mountain.

For the past two days, the disciples from Tiger Subdue Sect were constantly patrolling a thousand-mile radius around the Ice Island. Any martial artist that came close to the Ice Island was warned and made to leave. Jiang Yi gathered that Cao Duantian was trying to prevent the information from leaking; Jiang Yi was waiting for Cao Duantian's next move.

Comment

Roar!

On the fourth day, Cao Duantian's next move finally showed itself. From the direction of the Ice Island came a ferocious roar. The sound was earth-shaking; Jiang Yi could hear it from a thousand miles away.

“Is this an Ice Beast King or an Ice Imp King? Cao Duantian's plan to push the blame to someone else is admittedly not bad!”

Jiang Yi's eyes widened as he thought furiously. He smiled and said, “Since Cao Duantian wants to muddy the waters, let me help to make the waters muddier. After all, only when the waters are muddy can I take advantage of the situation.”

Chapter 1018 - Mantis Blade Sect

The waters were indeed becoming muddied.

An Ice Beast King had suddenly appeared near the Ice Island, a crazed Ice Beast King as it was. Once it appeared, it started killing indiscriminately. The Dwarf Race, Fire Chi Race, and the Mammoth Race were just in the vicinity; and they were all killed by the Ice Beast King. The other martial artists in the area were also killed. The Tiger Subdue Sect also suffered significant losses while this Ice Beast King was still running amok in the Ice Sea.

The news spread like snowflakes throughout the Snow Region. It was as if an earthquake had happened in the Snow Region. Countless martial experts from the great races, as well as martial artists from the other small races, sped towards the Ice Sea. They were prepared to join hands and kill the Ice Beast King and to take one's share of the loot.

The ice beasts and ice imps were special demonic beasts in the Snow Region. They were goblins formed from ice and snow. Every ice beast and ice imp possessed a pure ice power.

This ice power was as precious as the power of the stars. It was extremely beneficial to the formidable martial artists' cultivation. Hence, all races had sent men to kill ice beasts, using their bodies to exchange for battle credit.

It was even more so for Ice Beast Kings and Ice Imp Kings. The ice power in their bodies was even purer, even more powerful. An Ice Beast King or Ice Beast Imp was more valuable than a hundred ice beasts or ice imps. Once an Ice Beast King or Ice Imp King appeared, there would be a huge battle among the races to fight over it. Every time that happened, there would be a huge loss of life and injuries.

This time round, the losses were unheard of. Three young clan heads from three races had all perished!

When the Dwarf Race's army arrived near Ice Island and saw the corpses littering the area, it was obvious that many bore bite marks from an ice beast. The whole army went berserk and rushed crazily to the north. The Ice Beast King had gone to the north; it was said that the Tiger Subdue Sect had already lost many men to the Ice Beast King.

North of the Ice Sea, an enormous being was indeed killing indiscriminately. There were a few thousand men from Tiger Subdue Sect and four or five other races battling with it. The Clan Heads from those four or five races had come personally, wanting to kill the Ice Beast King firsthand and obtain the ice powers inside it.

Many people were watching from the sidelines. What made them wonder was that the Sect Patriarch of Tiger Subdue Sect had not appeared. This place was closest to Tiger Subdue Sect. If Cao Peiwen had come, this Ice Beast King would long have been killed.

The Ice Beast King's appearance was horrifying. Its body was shaped like a huge lizard while it was as long as 400 to 500 feet. Its snow-white body was filled with numerous, spiky scales. Its iron tail was the most terrifying.

Once hit by the tail, even four-star and five-star martial experts would be smashed into pieces. Its huge mouth was filled with sharp teeth. When it roared, those teeth dazzled with a cold glow, petrifying many.

Its big mouth was also spitting a cold breath. This cold breath was more frightening than Jiang Yi's Icebound Thousand Miles. Once enveloped, one would be immediately frozen to death. Its speed was very fast, and it moved like the wind. Its speed was even slightly faster than Jiang Yi's.

The Ice Beast King's defenses were strong. While formidable martial artists all around were using explosives, all sorts of special mystical abilities, and every type of dao pattern attacks, they had only managed to make it drop a few of its scales.

Even stranger was that it was not afraid of soul spirit attacks. The members of the Tiger Subdue Sect had released their soul spirit attacks… but to no avail. It felt as if their attacks were targeted at rocks; the Ice Beast King did not have any response at all.

“Roar, roar!”

The Ice Beast King was roaring incessantly, its voice frightening. It could literally scare a timid person to death. It was attacking wantonly, its iron tail thrashing around phantom-like. Almost 10,000 people were encircling it, but whenever its iron tail swirled, at least a hundred would die.

Within five minutes, more than two thousand people had died. There were three-, four-, and five-star experts among the dead, too. However, no one present thought of retreating; the Ice Beast King was already hurt. Having sacrificed so much, they could not give up now.

“All of you, scram! This Ice Beast King is the Dwarf Race's!”

“This Ice Beast King killed our young clan head. The Dwarf Race has become mortal enemies with it. All of you, step aside. Or else, you will suffer the consequences.”

“That's right. Only the Dwarf Race can kill this Ice Beast King. We want to avenge our young clan head.”

Shouting and yelling came from the south as the Dwarf Race finally arrived. They were like a swarm of locusts rushing from the south. It seemed that there were seven to eight thousand of them, many of them having a strong presence. A majority of the martial experts from the Dwarf Race must have been activated.

“En?”

The remaining races hurriedly retreated. They had lost so many men. With the Ice Beast King injured, it was a matter of time before it would die. Just like that, the Dwarf Race wanted to come and snatch the victory away?

However, the Demigod of the Dwarf Race had not appeared. It was possible that the Demigod was nearby. Furthermore, with so many martial experts among the Dwarf Race's ranks, none of the other smaller races dared to say anything. They unwillingly retreated to watch from the sidelines.

They were surprised—however—that even though the Tiger Subdue Sect had also lost many men, they did not protest at all. The members of the Tiger Subdue Sect just watched as the Dwarf Race pressed forward and circled the Ice Beast king. It looked as if the Tiger Subdue Sect was going to let the Dwarf Race have their way.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Dwarf Race surrounded the Ice Beast King and started a bloody battle. Streams of snow dragons wailed as they rushed towards the Ice Beast King, slowing down its movements. Many dao patterns also poured forth. The snow dragons were slowing the Ice Beast King while the dao pattern attacks were hurting the Ice Beast King. If this continued, the Ice Beast King would be killed by the Dwarf Race.

“Young Clan Head Duantian, are you guys really going to watch as the Ice Beast King gets taken by the Dwarf Race?” One young clan head, seeing Cao Duantian and his men retreating, asked perplexedly.

Cao Duantian smiled bitterly and said, “Our Sect Patriarch has gone into seclusion for training. The Clan Head of the Dwarf Race must also be nearby. If we go and contest this, we will be on the losing end.”

Many people heard this and were no longer confused. No wonder Cao Peiwen had not shown himself. No wonder the Tiger Subdue Sect was willing to let go of such a prize so easily.

“Keke!”

Cao Duantian's face was full of bitterness and anguish. Cao Peiwen was naturally not in seclusion. Cao Peiwen had personally brought this Ice Beast King into the Ice Sea. This Ice Beast King had belonged to him. Once he reached the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm, this beast was to help him break through to the Demigod Realm. Now, he could only give it up to the Dwarf Race.

Swish! Swish!

At this moment, air-piercing sounds came from the northwest. A white line also appeared on the eastern horizon. The white line soon turned into a white cloud. A 10,000-strong army clothed in white battle armor was rushing to this place.

These people all looked strange. There was a horn on each of their heads that looked like battle sabers, shining white as snow and glistening with a cold light. Their eyes were triangular, and they looked exceptionally fearsome.

“The Mantis Blade Sect is here. There's going to be a good show!”

“Haha. The Mantis Blade Sect is ranked third among the Snow Region Ten Sects. They are known for their battle prowess. Let's see how arrogant this bunch of dwarfs can be this time!”

“The Mantis Blade Sect rarely came out in such big numbers. They activated so many of their martial experts this time for the Ice Beast King. Since the Tiger Subdue Sect did not send out their army, it seems like the Ice Beast King belongs to the Mantis Blade Sect this time.”

The entire area lit up with boisterous chatter. Many smaller races were excited. The Dwarf Race was so arrogant just now. They couldn't wait for the Mantis Blade Sect to kill all of them.

Chapter 1019 - Murder Someone

with a Borrowed Knife

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“This Ice Beast King belongs to our Mantis Blade Sect now. All of you, get out of the way; or we will kill without mercy!”

The Mantis Blade Sect looked fierce and was even more brutal when carrying out their actions. They seemed to not pause at all and rushed head-on towards the Ice Beast King. An elder at the front of the group roared loudly. The battle saber-looking horn on his head started to light up. A piercing cold aura surged forward silently, like the unleashing of a sharp, precious sword, wanting to slice through everything it touched.

“The Mantis Blade Sect!”

Many dwarfs' faces changed. The Mantis Blade Sect was situated in the northwestern part of the Snow Region. That was their sphere of influence. They rarely left the northwest while other races also didn't dare to go there. They were a proud and aloof race, rarely getting in touch with other races. The other races also didn't like to deal with the Mantis Blade Sect.

The Mantis Blade Sect was known to be crazy in the Snow Region. While the Dwarf Race was cruel, violent, and murderous, the Mantis Blade Sect was more than crazy. As long as one offended them, they would fight that person to death. Previously, there was a race that used to be one of the great races of the Snow Region. They were exterminated by the Mantis Blade Sect. Not one soul was left. Hence, the various races in the Snow Region didn't dare to offend the Mantis Blade Sect. This included the Tiger Subdue Sect.

The Dwarf Race also didn't want the Mantis Blade Sect as their enemy. However, their young clan head had died in battle; all of them were trying hard to suppress their rage. Furthermore, the Ice Beast King had been gravely wounded by their barrage of explosive attacks and was about to be killed. How could they bear to give up now?

Hence, one of the elders of the Dwarf Race growled, “Mantis Blade Sect, our young clan head was killed by this ice beast. So were 30 of our elders, 20 commanders, and a few thousand of our race. This Ice Beast King is our mortal enemy.

We have to kill it to avenge our young clan head. If you guys retreat, the Dwarf Race will definitely repay you greatly.”

“Hmph!”

The elder from the Mantis Blade Sect that spoke snorted coldly, growled, and said, “Two choices. Either you scram, or you die! Prepare knife formation—!”

Buzz!

Once this elder gave the command, the battle saber horns on all members of the Mantis Blade Sect lit up. A chilling aura enveloped members of the Dwarf Race ahead. The Dwarf Race felt their whole bodies being drenched by ice water; all of their faces changed.

Knife Formation!

This was the Mantis Blade Sect's unique mystical ability. The battle saber horns on their heads could be shot out. These horns were exceptionally terrifying. Martial artists without sufficient defenses—if hit by one such horn—would be mortally wounded or even killed.

More than 10,000 members of the Mantis Blade Sect were present. If they decided to attack together, at least half of the seven to eight thousand members of the Dwarf Race would die. Since so many of the Mantis Blade Sect's martial experts had come, their Clan Head must be nearby. Their Clan Head was only ranked one below Cao Peiwen; his battle prowess was formidable.

50,000 feet, 30,000 feet, 10,000 feet!

The Mantis Blade Sect was advancing closer like a war chariot without a foe. They had reached the optimum distance to release their knife formation. The strongest elders in the Dwarf Race exchanged glances, and they were just prepared to give the order to retreat.

“Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!”

Suddenly, a member of the Dwarf Race shouted loudly twice. He threw both his hammers ferociously at the Mantis Blade Sect. At the same time, he yelled, “The young clan head is dead. So many elders are dead. Now, this bunch of neither human nor ghost Mantis people want to snatch away our Ice Beast King? Brothers, let's fight them to the death!”

This period of time, many members of the Dwarf Race had been in a foul mood, suppressing their rage. Last time, Qiu Ming was killed by Heaven Devil Race. This time, Qiu Bai had died in battle. The Dwarf Race was becoming the laughingstock of the Snow Region.

Now, the Mantis Blade Sect was acting so arrogant, too. They were also violent by nature. Akin to someone lighting a powder keg, around a hundred members of the Dwarf Race spun around with hesitation and released a few dozen snow dragons and attacked the Mantis Blade Sect.

“No, everyone, stop!”

An elder from the Dwarf Race shouted. However, his cry was too late. From afar, one of the Mantis Blade Sect's elder's horn lit up a piercing light. The battle saber left his head and became a white light wailing forward.

Tsk! Tsk!

The elder in charge had attacked, and so all the members of the Mantis Blade Sect did not hesitate. Their battle saber horns flashed, and the horns were launched forward, wailing as they went. At that moment, the sky lit up while cracks also appeared and extended out in the spatial zone. It was like a white cloth being sliced by 10,000 razor-sharp battle sabers.

“Uh!”

From afar, Cao Duantian and company were all seized with terror. All of them were thinking the same thing—how did the Dwarf Race have the balls to battle the Mantis Blade Sect?

“The first one who attacked was the Dwarf Race. Why did he throw his hammers?”

A suspicion suddenly crept into Cao Duantian's mind. The hammers were the Dwarf Race's life. Losing the hammers would result in them losing much of their battle strength. Furthermore, what use was there throwing both hammers? Was he expecting to crush and kill someone?

Cao Duantian's divine senses reached out to find the first attacker. What made him even more suspicious was that that attacker had disappeared. He had disappeared without a trace. Cao Duantian's divine senses scanned the surroundings and instead found a cave!

“That's not right. This person is not from the Dwarf Race. The Dwarf Race does not have the ability to dig caves.”

Cao Duantian's eyes narrowed. The Dwarf Race was known to be violent and courageous. Having dared to attack the Mantis Blade Sect, this dwarf would definitely not run away.

It was obvious the cave was freshly dug. This dwarf intended to flee right from the start.

“But… he is so small and looked exactly like someone from the Dwarf Race. He was also within the dwarf army. If he wasn't a dwarf, what was he? Which other race had the ability to disguise their appearance?”

Cao Duantian could not think of an answer. However, he was brought back to reality by countless screams of agony and pain. Ten thousand battle saber horns had wailed forward, and two thousand dwarfs had been cut in half by that one attack. Many other dwarfs had escaped death, but they were maimed by the attack, thrashing about on the ground crying out incessantly.

Ss, ss…

Many other people present all took a deep cold breath. The Dwarf Race was suffering so badly. Two thousand had died while another two thousand had lost limbs. Only three-thousand-odd of them had avoided the knife formation.

Swish! Swish!

After the horns had attacked, they automatically returned to the members of the Mantis Blade Sect. All the dwarfs who escaped the attack went crazy. They charged madly at the Mantis Blade Sect. Numerous snow dragons and dao pattern attacks whizzed forward. They didn't even bother about killing the Ice Beast King anymore. So many of their race members had died in front of them, turning them berserk.

“Kill!”

The Mantis Blade Sect elder coldly waved his hand and charged forward without fear. A terrifying round of slaughter was about to begin!

“Very well!”

As the battle was raging on the surface, a dwarf was smiling in a cave 10,000 feet under the ice. His divine senses were locked on the battle above. Sensing the intense slaughter that was starting, the dwarf leaned back and clapped both his hands. The stone and clay in front of him became fine powder as he started fleeing into the distance.

Only the Astral Wind Blades could silently and effortlessly turn such hard stone and clay into bits. This dwarf was also something conjured from Jiang Yi's Mirage Divine Ability. He had entered the ranks of the dwarf army in the Ice Sea. He had been biding his time, waiting for the moment such as that just now, to start a fight between the Dwarf Race and other races. As long as the Dwarf Race continued to exhaust their battle strength, the Dwarf Race would ultimately be destroyed.

He made a round in the underground, and his body slowly changed again. This time, he changed into a man. This man wore a white robe and had a cinnabar mole between the brows. This time, he had become someone from the Tiger Subdue Sect. He dashed up to the surface and into the heart of the battle.

He was preparing to use the same trick twice. He wanted to start a battle between the Mantis Blade Sect and the Tiger Subdue Sect. If Cao Duantian was killed in battle, that would be the best he could ask for.

Chapter 1020 - What a Brave

Warrior!

Chapter 1020: What a Brave Warrior!

Jiang Yi did not manage to proceed as planned this time. He hadn't even neared the heart of the battle when he realized that from the south, a strange, terrifying aura was spreading this way. He had experienced this mountain-like aura many times.

Under such an aura, even he would feel pressured, affecting his speed. If it wasn't for the fact that he had a powerful mind, his legs probably would be shaking now.

A Demigod martial expert!

With such a formidable martial artist appearing, Jiang Yi did not dare to get too close. This type of martial expert was too fierce and cruel; every one of them had heaven-defying abilities. If things went wrong, he might not even be able to escape.

“Was it the Demigod from the Dwarf Race?”

Jiang Yi silently muttered. The next moment, a loud voice roared, “Mantis Blade Sect, stop at once. If not, do not blame me for showing no mercy!”

“Clan Head!”

“Clan Head, the Mantis Blade Sect killed many of our men. You have to avenge them!”

“Clan Head, the Mantis Blade Sect is too arrogant. Not only do they want to snatch our Ice Beast King, but they also killed thousands of us.”

Countless sorrowful and angry voices rang out. Jiang Yi immediately understood that this person was the Clan Head of the Dwarf Race. He stealthily headed north to hide among the crowd. There were many members of Tiger Subdue Sect there, as well as people from other races. He would not be exposed or implicated so easily if he hid there.

“Mantis Blade Sect, how dare you guys kill my people? If you do not give an explanation today, all of you will have to remain here!”

The Clan Head of the Dwarf Race's explosive voice rang out again. His aura strengthened and was so pressuring that Jiang Yi had to reduce his speed again. Jiang Yi could see that in front of him, many members from the various Snow Region races were taking a few steps back, their faces full of shock and fear. Although this show was entertaining—if the Clan Head of the Dwarf Race went berserk and killed everyone present, they would really have died a maligned death.

Cao Duantian and company, however, didn't retreat. Even if the Clan Head of the Dwarf Race was bold, he wouldn't dare to touch anyone from Tiger Subdue Sect.

“Hmph!”

At this moment, from the northwest came a heavy, cold snort. That voice felt like sharp swords piercing into everyone's chest. Jiang Yi felt pain in his soul spirit, and his body suddenly fell onto the ground, fresh blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Plop!

Out of those from other Snow Region races who were retreating, more than half fell to the floor. Some even rolled around in pain. The more powerful martial artists looked with shock and fear towards the northwest. Someone shouted with astonishment, “Mantis Blade is here!”

Mantis Blade wasn't a person's name. It was what the Clan Head of Mantis Blade Sect was called.

As the third strongest person in the Snow Region appeared, one cold snort from him made half the people present fall to the ground. Jiang Yi was filled with admiration with regard to this level of power and ability. He did not dare to take a step forward, but he hid at the foot of a small mountain and looked to the northwest.

Swish!

A white figure burst forth from the sky. His speed was so fast that Jiang Yi could not even see clearly. It was like a white light slicing through the sky. With the blink of an eye, the figure had disappeared in front. Jiang Yi only saw an imposing and upright silhouette.

“Qiu Shan, you want to force all my men to stay? Do you want to force me to stay as well.”

A thunderous voice exploded forth. Jiang Yi felt his ears jarred. He sent his divine senses forth and locked onto the two towering figures in mid-air, just seven to eight miles ahead.

Although the Clan Head of the Dwarf Race was a Demigod, he was not more than three feet tall. He wore yellowish-gold battle armor and had big eyes and thick brows. He looked extremely arrogant; it was a pity he was too short, thus looking slightly comical.

10,000 feet away from him, in mid-air, was an imposing and upright man. This man similarly had a battle saber-like silver horn on his head. His eyes were also triangular and shining with silver light. This silver light, together with the cold glow of the silver horn, struck fear in everyone who looked.

The Clan Head of Dwarf Race, Qiu Shan's eyes were filled with rage. Qiu Bai had died in battle while thirty elders, twenty commanders and two thousand more dwarfs had died in Ice Island. Now, another four to five thousand people were dead, many of them martial experts. While the Dwarf Race had many people, they had few martial experts. If the dying carried on, he would soon become a chief without men to command.

In front of so many people, he naturally did not want to appear cowardly. He opened his mouth and said harshly, “Mantis Blade, do you really think I am afraid of you? Your men killed my men indiscriminately. If you do not offer an explanation, I will have to force you to stay today.”

Mantis Blade placed his hands behind his back, and proudly said, “With the likes of you? Not enough!”

“Hahaha. How about after including us?”

From the south came a huge laugh. Following that, two figures burst forth from the sky. One was an elderly man wearing red battle armor, his long hair similarly red. Even his beard was the same fiery color.

The other person was a giant. However, he was taller and bigger than an ordinary member of the Mammoth Race. He looked like a giant mountain. The one who spoke was the red-haired elderly man. He rapidly stood next to Qiu Shan, his eyes full of cheerfulness. He cupped his hands and said, “Mantis Blade, you are indeed strong. However, could you fight all three of us at once?”

“The Clan Heads of Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race have both arrived!”

Jiang Yi had a dilemma. These three races were ranked quite lowly among the Snow Region Ten Sects. Hence, they always maintained an alliance, advancing and retreating together. During the last battle with Heaven Devil Race, the Mammoth Race had deployed several hundreds of thousands of troops to terrorize Heaven Devil Mountain. When they were trying to kill him in Ice Island, the three young clan heads had also appeared together. If Jiang Yi wanted to deal with the Dwarf Race, it meant he had to deal with all three races at once. Perhaps that was what Heaven Hidden Sect was mindful of. Hence, they did not dare to kill Qiu Ming themselves. Instead, they gave the important task to Jiang Yi.

“Hahaha!”

What astonished Jiang Yi, Cao Duantian, and company was that Mantis Blade actually laughed out loud. His eyes lightly rested on the three Clan Heads and coldly said, “Imbeciles and imbeciles. Three of you added together will still just be an imbecile. Since you guys want to play, I will play with you three.

Mantis Blade Sect, listen up, we have to obtain the Ice Beast King. Whoever dares to snatch it, kill without mercy. Qiu Shan and the two of you, come with me.”

Swish!

After saying this, Mantis Blade flew directly towards the southwest. Qiu Shan and the other two Clan Heads exchanged glances. Given the current situation, if the trio were to back down, they would no longer be able to have any standing in the Snow Region. The three races would also never be able to raise their heads again.

Swish! Swish!

The trio became streams of light and pursued after Mantis Blade. In the current vicinity, there were members of the Dwarf Race and the Mantis Blade Sect. Furthermore, the armies of the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race were arriving soon. If the four Demigods were to fight nearby, the residual force from the battle would turn everyone into dust.

“What a brave warrior this Mantis Blade is!”

Jiang Yi, Cao Duantian, and company were all shocked. To fight one to three, it didn't matter whether Mantis Blade won or lost, lived or died. His name would spread throughout the Snow Region. If he managed to emerge victorious, his reputation would definitely not be lesser than that of Tiger Subdue Mountain's Curmudgeon Cao.

“Kill!”

The four had just left when the Mantis Blade Sect immediately started battling again. Their Clan Head had given the order. The Ice Beast King had to be theirs. They had to eliminate this bunch of dwarfs.

As the Mantis Blade Sect acted, the remaining members of the Dwarf Race were suffering speechlessly. From seven to eight thousand, they were left with less than two thousand. However, the Mantis Blade Sect had only lost a few hundred people.

Qiu Shan's battle would definitely not be over that soon. However, they—at most—only could last for five minutes before they were all defeated.

“Kill—”

Not long later, from the southeast and northeast directions came a steady roaring sound. The formidable martial artists from the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race had finally arrived. Seeing that the two races combined had more than 10,000 people, the morale of the Dwarf Race rose suddenly. They started a ferocious battle with the Mantis Blade Sect.

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi and Cao Duantian had detected that the Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race had entered the fray. Both sighed deeply. Today's huge, messy battle originated with Jiang Yi's massacre on Ice Island. Cao Duantian's contributions could not be denied, too. The two of them never imagined that things would develop to such a state.

“Cao Duantian did not have many men around him. Should I kill him and let Tiger Subdue Sect join in this battle? I wonder if Mo Shen would be bringing martial experts as well? If Mo Shen came, things would be even more exciting!”

Jiang Yi's divine senses captured Cao Duantian a few miles away. He silently thought to himself. Since the waters were already muddied, why not make them even muddier?

Chapter 1021 - Stealing Food from

the Tiger's Mouth

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The entry of more than ten thousand people from the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race into the fray turned the battle around. Though the Mantis Blade Sect had initially gotten the upper hand against the Dwarf Race, they were now—more or less—at a stalemate.

Members of the Mammoth Race took big strides and rushed forward to the front of the army of dwarfs. With their strong defensive abilities, it was impossible to kill them using ordinary mantis blades. Furthermore, the Fire Chi Race was the fire expert of the Snow Region. Their burning flames were terrifying. These flames could also be turned into Fire Snakes that danced in the sky. Once intertwined with a Fire Snake, one could either get injured or be burned to ashes.

The Mantis Blade Sect members were all gathered together; it was only when they were gathered together could they continuously release their knife formations with the greatest lethality. Hence, they were easy targets for the Fire Snakes of the Fire Chi Race. The Fire Chi Race just had to casually throw one of their Fire Snakes into the midst of the Mantis Blade Sect army to burn one or two people to death.

The dwarfs hurriedly retreated behind the Mammoth Race and started releasing Snow Dragons and Earth Slamming attacks. Their attacks could reduce the enemies' speed and their defenses, as well as weaken their sense of judgment.

In reality!

The reason why the three races were able to form an alliance was due to the mystical abilities of the three races. When combined, their lethality was greatly raised.

The Mammoth Race was now holding the front, advancing like war chariots. The Dwarf Race was supporting them with Snow Dragons to reduce the enemies' speed and defense while using the Earth Slamming attacks to affect the enemies' speed and keeping them unstable so that they couldn't react in time. The Fire Chi Race was the main attacker. Their burning flames had a terrifying burn effect. Even a five-star martial expert, if burned long enough, would end up dead.

While the Mantis Blade Sect was furious and cruel in attacking, their defenses were normal at best. Hence, after the three races had joined forces, the Mantis Blade Sect became suppressed. Both sides were starting to engage in a war of attrition. The Mantis Blade Sect's knife formation was going past the Mammoth Race to attack the Dwarf Race and the Fire Chi Race. The Mantis Blade Sect army was also constantly moving backward to prevent a close-quarter fight with the Mammoth Race. Even so, the losses that the Mantis Blade Sect was suffering were immense. Both sides were like cannons firing at each other. They were both suffering losses but were waiting to see who would give in first, who would give up first.

Roar! Roar!

In the distance, the Fire Chi Race had left a thousand over men to kill the Ice Beast King. This Ice Beast King was originally already severely injured. Under the brutal burning flame attacks by the Fire Chi Race, it was in a precarious situation. It had wounds all around and was going to die at any time.

Roar! Roar!

Perhaps knowing its impending demise, the Ice Beast King was roaring incessantly. That roar shook the heavens and the earth, filled with pain and anger. The trembling was such that even Jiang Yi and company's eardrums were hurting at such a distance away.

“It seems like the Ice Beast King is about to die!”

Jiang Yi sent his divine senses forth and saw that the Ice Beast King's whole body had turned charcoal black. There was not even a good piece of meat left on its body. There was only a pitch-black bone left on the tip of its tail.

His senses detected Cao Duantian again. Jiang Yi finally decided not to launch a sneak attack to kill Cao Duantian. There were three to four hundred people around Cao Duantian. It was possible these people all knew soul spirit attacks. His soul sword might not be able to withstand those attacks.

The most important thing was Cao Peiwen, that old devil, could be in the vicinity. He was the second strongest person in the Snow Region. If Jiang Yi became his enemy, Jiang Yi would not have any standing in the Snow Region anymore.

“Someone is coming!”

Up ahead, a small group of martial artists from a small race was retreating this way. Jiang Yi sent his divine senses forward but did not detect any martial experts. He also didn't feel like hiding.

He buried himself into the snow. At this moment, he was disguised as a member of the Tiger Subdue Sect. Even if this bunch of people detected him with their divine senses, they would not dare to attack him.

“Sigh… it seems like this Ice Beast King will be falling into the hands of the Fire Chi Race. Man! We attacked it for so long and lost so many brothers. But now, they get to keep the spoils.”

“Exactly. This goddamned Fire Chi Race and Dwarf Race! I hope they are both eliminated by the Mantis Blade Sect!”

“The ice powers in the core of the Ice Beast King are stronger than that of a hundred ice beasts. Now, these idiots get to have it. Commander… should we go and steal the core? There's a cave beneath dug by the Heaven Devil Race.”

“Are you insane? The Fire Chi Race's Fire Snakes have enveloped the Ice Beast King. Whoever dares to go near will be burned into pulp. If you want to die, go ahead and try!”

The reprimanding voice from the soldiers rang out. There were also one or two divine senses that scanned him. However, no one dared to come and disturb; instead, they were running far into the distance.

Jiang Yi waited until they have left before rushing out of the snow. His eyes were raging.

“Ice powers?”

He had heard about this before and had asked Mo Yao'er about it. Thus, he knew a little about the ice powers. However, all the ice beasts' corpses in Heaven Devil Race were given to Mo Shen for him to cultivate. Even Grand Elder had not been authorized to use one during this period of time, much less the rest. Hence, Jiang Yi had never bothered before.

“Steal the core of the Ice Beast King?”

Jiang Yi's mind was formulating a daring plan. This ice power seemed to be similar to the power of the star sphere. It had countless applications. Besides being used for cultivation and its health benefits, if the ice powers could help him to activate the Smelting Divine Furnace, he could then use the furnace to kill Demigods.

However…

Mantis Blade and Qiu Shan and company were engaged in battle nearby. Mantis Blade had stated clearly his desire to get the Ice Beast King. If Jiang Yi went to steal the core and was found out, the four would probably join hands to kill him. Furthermore, who knew if other Demigods were hiding in the vicinity?

Roar! Roar!

The Ice Beast King's roars became weaker and weaker. It was obvious he was getting closer and closer to death. Jiang Yi's eyes flashed a few ties. He finally gritted his teeth, sat up, and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He used his Divine Perception to start investigating.

Without taking long, he had scanned a two-hundred-and-fifty kilometers radius. He managed to confirm that besides the four Demigods fighting a devastating battle one hundred kilometers away, he did not detect any other Demigods. His eyes widened as his body changed into the body of Mo Xing's.

Swish! Swish!

He used the astral winds, his body tunneling 100 feet beneath the surface and rushed towards where the Ice Beast King was. He was determined to snatch the core of the Ice Beast King!

He had enough of this kind of arduous life. He did not want to wait any longer. He wanted to eliminate Dwarf Mountain and then go see the Sect Matriarch of Heaven Hidden Sect. He wanted her to unseal Su Ruoxue's memories.

The Dwarf Race was too strong. It was too difficult to eliminate them using the Heaven Devil Race. The Dwarf Race's alliance with the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race made it impossible for the Heaven Devil Race to eliminate the Dwarf Race.

Instead of begging others, why not do it myself?

If he stole the core of the Ice Beast King and managed to refine the ice powers inside it… if he could activate the Smelting Divine Furnace and release the Nirvana Flames, burning Qiu Shan to death would be too easy.

“Something isn't right…”

After galloping for a period of time, Jiang Yi suddenly thought of something. He was currently looking like someone from the Heaven Devil Race. If someone were to investigate, the Fire Chi Race would definitely be furious. At that time, it was possible the three races would destroy Heaven Devil Race.

“Hehe!”

His body changed again as this time, he turned into someone from Tiger Subdue Sect. The plum flower mole between his brows was exceptionally obvious. Even if someone were to scan him with divine senses, they would definitely assume him to be from the Tiger Subdue Sect. After all, this plum flower mole was the unique marker of the Tiger Subdue Sect.

He moved like the wind and quickly reached the place where the Ice Beast king was. Although it was one thousand feet away, the severe trembling on the surface was still being transmitted underground. The Ice Beast King's sorrowful cries could also be heard clearly by Jiang Yi.

“Almost there!”

Jiang Yi sent out his divine senses, and he rushed up to the surface, his body like that of a sharp sword. The Ice Beast King effectively couldn't move anymore. There was only one iron tail that was still furiously thrashing about.

Its body was charcoal black, with black smoke coming from it. The terrifying burning flames had baked many parts of its body. For it to still be alive at this moment was due to its stubborn will to live.

Perhaps the Ice Beast King was not entirely dead, or perhaps the Fire Chi Race thought that this Ice Beast King was already theirs—they did not rush forward recklessly. They were still attacking from afar, with their burning flames and dao patterns.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The thousand-odd members of the Fire Chi Race once again released a wave of explosive attacks. The Ice Beast King's body became utterly like a lump of barbecued meat. Its tail also finally stopped moving.

Its eyes and mouth slowly closed shut while its breath slowly disappeared. The Ice Beast King was finally dead.

“Ancient One, you guys come with me to dig up the core!”

An old elder started dashing forward. However, another elder next to him yelled loudly, “Oh, no! Someone had stolen food from the tiger's mouth. Someone had snatched the Ice Beast King's core!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The many martial experts in the Fire Chi Race scanned using their divine senses. Their faces changed immediately. They found out that someone had exploded out from underground, directly opened up its lower abdomen, and went straight for the Ice Beast King's core.

Chapter 1022 - Attaining the Core

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

To Jiang Yi, breaking apart the Ice Beast King's belly was a piece of cake. Years ago, he was able to even destroy the protective layer around the top-grade Heaven Fate Ship with just one round of Astral Wind Blades. Defeating this Ice Beast King was nothing to him.

Flames continued to surround the Ice Beast King's body. Yet, Jiang Yi did not even bother about it. The Fire Spirit Pearl was the strongest fire-resistant treasure around. Even the Purgatory Ruin's lava lake was not able to destroy the pearl, much less these ordinary flames.

After he rushed into the Ice Beast King's belly, he closed his eyes and charged forward. Using his divine senses, he located a ball of meat as big as an immortality peach near the beast's heart. He could clearly feel strong and pure energy coming from the ball of meat. That was the Ice Beast King's core.

“Wu wu~”

The Ice Beast King's aura slowly faded away. In its final moments, it realized that someone was inside its body and was heading toward its internal core. Thus, it let out an indignant cry.

However, Jiang Yi was already using his Astral Wind Blades to crush the beast's soul into pieces. He was running out of time. Jiang Yi could not afford to be careless. If the Ice Beast King caused its own core to explode, its entire body would definitely be blown to pieces.

Swish!

At top speed, Jiang Yi grabbed the beast's inner core and put it inside his Ancient Divine Essence Ring. Then, he activated his divine senses to scan the outside.

“Your reaction is so quick!”

Just one scan caused his expression to fall. More than twenty warriors of the Fire Chi Race were headed toward him. They were about a mile away from him now, and each were summoning balls of flames that filled the sky. A couple of frightening dao patterns was headed straight toward him as well.

“Run—”

His expression hardened as he summoned his own astral winds to form a divine shield. Aiming downward, his body shot through an underground tunnel. Thankfully, there were many more passages nearby.

These had probably been dug up by the Heaven Devil Race in the past. This was good —there was no need for him to dig tunnels for himself now.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Since Jiang Yi had already taken the beast's core, those of the Fire Chi Race no longer had any qualms about going after him. They were now activating their most ferocious dao patterns. The Ice Beast King was dead by now, and its defense was at its weakest.

Immediately, it exploded into four or five huge pieces. The flesh seemed to cover the sky momentarily. Then, more dao patterns appeared.

The Fire Snakes' attacks caused the land where the Ice Beast King lay to explode. Immediately, inches of soil from the ground filled the air, forming a pit about three inches deep. The Ice Beast's corpse was now reduced to smithereens.

“He's not dead? How can it be?”

After the explosion, countless divine senses scanned the area. Yet, none of them detected Jiang Yi's corpse. Instead, when they looked underground, they found a black figure heading north.

“Is he from the Tiger Subdue Sect?”

Someone sensed the plum flower mole on Jiang Yi's temple. Jiang Yi was heading north where Cao Duantian and the others were hiding. As more and more people sensed this, they became convinced that Jiang Yi was from the Tiger Subdue Sect.

“These people from Tiger Subdue Sect are bullies!”

One of the people from the Fire Chi Race shouted. If those from the Tiger Subdue Sect could snatch their things in broad daylight, perhaps they would not have said anything. Instead, they spent half a day fighting. Just when they seemed to be winning, this person from the Tiger Subdue Sect dropped a peach out of nowhere. Anyone would be mad at this outcome.

“Ancient One, what should we do?”

The Fire Chi Race's Elder groaned deeply. The rest of them turned to look at the wrinkled elder whose eyes were filled with hatred. Waving his hand, the elder said, “Ten of you, go and chase after him.

The rest of you will come with me to talk this out with Cao Duantian. Their Tiger Subdue Sect might be big and strong, but our Young Clan Head died by this Ice Beast King. More than three hundred people have died in this battle as well. They must not be doing that much better! That Curmudgeon Cao has not shown up until now. He must either be at Tiger Subdue Mountain or in isolation. Otherwise, the Ice Beast King would have been killed much earlier. There's no reason to be afraid!”

“Alright!”

Ten of the four- or five-star formidable martial artists chased after Jiang Yi and formed ten beams of light along the path. They were not of the Heaven Devil Race—they did not know how to dig tunnels. Thus, the entire sect would have had to squeeze through the passageways if they went through the underground passages. It would be much more efficient for them to surround Cao Duantian. Once they did that, there would be nowhere left for the Tiger Subdue Sect's disciple to run.

“Go!”

The other thousand-plus martial artists of the Fire Chi Race no longer were concerned about the three races' battle with the Mantis Blade Sect not far away. Instead, all of them headed north, ready to surround Cao Duantian. Given that Cao Duantian was there and given that the man who stole the Ice Beast's core was a disciple of the Tiger Subdue Sect, the elders of the Fire Chi Race were certain that Cao Duantian was responsible for this entire thing. Otherwise, how would a mere disciple of the Tiger Subdue Sect dare to do such a thing?

“Where are they?”

Then ten formidable martial artists of the Fire Chi Race went underground and activated their divine senses, but no matter how far they tried to look, Jiang Yi was nowhere to be found. They had no choice but to rush toward the north angrily. They decided to try their luck and see if they would be able to catch up to him.

In reality!

Cao Duantian was extremely confused. He had his divine senses locked in on the situation over there. After all, the Ice Beast King belonged to him originally.

He saw Jiang Yi snatch the beast's core away. Immediately, he turned to the elder behind him, but he found that none of them had instructed him to go and snatch the beast's core.

“Could he have been sent by the ancestors?”

A thought flashed across Cao Duantian's mind. He became excited immediately. The more he thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed. A disciple from the Tiger Subdue Sect would not dare to do something like that without having received orders. That man looked like a stranger, but his plum flower mole was unmistakable. Everyone in the Stellarsky Domain knew that the mole was a mark of disciples in Tiger Subdue Sect. There was only one explanation—that man was a spy sent by Cao Peiwen.

“The ancestors favor me indeed.”

Cao Duantian looked unbelievably thankful. The Ice Beast King's core was the key to his breakthrough to become a Demigod. In order to break through to Demigod, one not only needed to realize dao patterns and train their essence force; but one also needed to solidify their spirit. This Ice Beast King's core would aid significantly in the solidification of one's spirit.

Cao Duantian was not even thirty years old, and yet he already had the powers of a Heaven Monarch in the peak stage. He already realized a couple three-star dao patterns. In the Snow Region, he had the highest chance of becoming a Demigod. He was extremely confident in himself. This was a goal that he would definitely be able to achieve in this lifetime.

“Good! Fourteenth Uncle, bring your people to go and receive that disciple. Be careful to bring back that core to the Tiger Subdue Mountain without any damage.”

He rubbed his hands together eagerly. In his heart, he knew that the core was more or less his given that Cao Peiwen had acted. His confidence had just been given a large boost.

His plan to attack Jiang Yi had failed this time. However, one Ice Beast had caused the various races to go into battle and suffer huge losses. What's more, he got to keep the Ice Beast's core in the end. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Swish! Swish!

They heard the sound of something breaking through the silence in the south. The elder beside Cao Duantian suddenly looked very serious. “Young Clan Head, the people from the Fire Chi Race are coming this way now. Things don't look good.”

“Stop them. Buy us some time. Never admit that it was one of ours who stole the core! Hmph, how do these people of the Fire Chi Race dare to come over and wage war against us of the Tiger Subdue Sect?”

Cao Duantian waved his hand aggressively. The hundreds of people behind him charged past him and spread out like a fan. One of the elders rushed forward and prepared himself to buy them more time. Cao Duantian, however, remained behind.

He was unwilling to show his face. It was as if he believed that the people of the Fire Chi Race would really not dare to make any moves.

The Fire Chi Race really did not have the guts to start the fight. When both sides met, the tension ran high. The representatives of both sides sounded angered.

After listening for a while, however, Cao Duantian decided to tune out. Instead, he focused his energy on the 'one of their own' who stole the core. He kept sending people to go out and seek information on his whereabouts.

“The Mantis Blade Sect has withdrawn from the battle. They don't want to be wiped out so they have surrendered.”

At this time, a loud shout came from the south-west region. Three people broke through the silence—they were the three Demigods, Qiu Shan and the others. The three generals of the three races also called out excitedly at the same time. The Mantis Blade Sect had been defeated.

“Uh…”

Cao Duantian wondered if he had been mistaken. On further thought, he realized that this made sense. The three Demigods had combined forces.

The Mantis Blade Sect did not even have the Shield of the Earth, the eight-star dao pattern. How could they not be defeated?

At this exact moment, one of the elders of Fire Chi Race called out, “Everyone, listen: Fight! Take down Cao Duantian and wait for the elder to fall!”

The three Demigods defeating the Mantis Blade Sect gave the Fire Chi Race warriors renewed confidence. They took action immediately.

Chapter 1023 - A Talent from the

Sect

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ss, ss…

Ten thousand miles east of the Heaven Devil Mountain, the air suddenly stirred. A black figure popped out of an opening in the air. The first thing he did was activating his divine senses and looking around to ensure that there was no one following him.

He did not stay in the open for long. Instead, he quickly located a hole in which he could hide.

“Hahaha!”

This person was Jiang Yi, of course. Even after he went underground, he could not relax. He activated his divine senses to look around him once again. Once he sensed the people of the Heaven Devil Race a hundred miles east of him, he broke out into laughter.

This was such a strong sect, and yet so many of them died. He even managed to snatch away the Ice Beast King's core. What's more, he found out that the people of the Fire Chi Race went after Cao Duantian to settle scores just before he left. How could he not be happy?

The three races and the Mantis Blade Sect's feud has been settled. In the future, there would be much more for the three races to worry about. This Ice Beast King's core would also help Jiang Yi activate the Smelting Divine Furnace. One could say that this was a job well done. His only regret was not being able to kill Cao Duantian.

Behind Cao Duantian was Cao Peiwen. Unless Jiang Yi did not want to remain in the Snow Region anymore, he could not afford to mess with Cao Duantian for now.

“Hehe, once I destroy the Dwarf Race and get ready to leave the Snow Region, I will kill you the moment I see an opportunity, Cao Duantian!”

Jiang Yi laughed mirthlessly to himself. He had never been a gentleman. He always believed in tit for tat. This time, he almost died on the Ice Island. If not for Fifth Eldress, he might still be running away from the Demigod in the Snow Region.

“Refine the core!”

His divine senses scanned his ring. Looking at the meat ball as big as an immortal peach, he realized that there was a problem. He had no idea how to refine the core at all. If he messed up, there was a risk that the huge power in the core would ruin his dantian.

“I'll go back to the Heaven Devil Mountain first.”

Very quickly, he had an idea. Mo Yao'er and the others should have been back at the Heaven Devil Mountain by now. Since the Ice Island was dangerous at the moment, Mo Fu, Mo Qi, and the others likely rushed straight back to the Heaven Devil Mountain as quickly as they could. According to Jiang Yi's calculations, they should have arrived by now.

“Go!”

Mo Yao'er was Mo Shen's daughter. There were a lot of secrets that she understood. It would be a thousand times safer for Jiang Yi to refine the core on Heaven Devil Mountain. With that, he decided to turn into Mo Xing and follow the underground passages toward the Heaven Devil Mountain.

After traveling for an entire day, he arrived at the Heaven Devil Mountain in the wee hours of the night. He popped out of the ground, frightening the soldiers who had been patrolling the area.

“Who is it?”

A nervous soldier called out. Jiang Yi felt countless divine senses sweep over him. After realizing the commander standing behind him, the soldier trembled. He immediately said, “Elder Mo Xing is back. Quick, tell the Sacred Lady and the other elders!”

Swish! Swish!

A little subordinate flew toward the Heaven Devil Mountain. A second later, a commander led an entire army of soldiers out. They got to their knees just ten feet from Jiang Yi. With their voices full of warmth and respect, they said, “Greetings, Elder Mo Xing! Welcome back to the Mountain!”

“Welcome back to the mountain, Elder!”

The hundreds of soldiers of the Heaven Devil Race called out in unison. Jiang Yi blinked, not understanding why the soldiers were suddenly being so respectful to him.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi waved his hand to summon them back to their feet. Just as he started to head up Heaven Devil Mountain, more than ten figures rushed down the mountain. Right in front of the group was Mo Yao'er, dressed in a black robe. She had tears in her eyes, and her body was trembling as she wailed from afar, “Mo Xing, is that really you?”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled and scanned the group following behind Mo Yao'er. He saw Mo Fu and Mo Qi looking overwhelmed as well. There was a hint of guilt and shame on their faces—they did not dare to meet his eyes.

Swish!

Mo Yao'er ran into his arms the moment she arrived, locking him in a death grip. Her slender body pressed tightly against his. She could not stop crying as she said, “This is great, this is great. Mo Xing, I thought I would never get to see you again. It's great that you're back!”

Jiang Yi lowered his gaze to look at the beautiful face in front of his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. He realized that Mo Yao'er seemed to have slimmed down quite a bit. The affection that he felt was unconcealable. His gaze became as warm as his heart. The love he felt for this demon lady increased.

His hand, which had been hanging in mid-air, rested gently on Mo Yao'er's back. He stroked the small of her back and smiled. “Keke, I'm Mo Xing. I have nine lives. Who can kill me? Alright, there are so many people watching us. Let's take note of our image. You're not afraid of harming your reputation, but I am—”

“Bah!”

Mo Yao'er broke into a grin and pushed herself away from Jiang Yi. Yet, one of her hands refused to leave his body. She held on to Jiang Yi's arm, refusing to let go. Jiang Yi's eyes turned to focus on Mo Fu and Mo Qi.

Both of them looked at Jiang Yi awkwardly, cupping their hands into fists. “Mo Xing, we…”

Jiang Yi understood what Mo Qi was thinking. Jiang Yi was enduring all the fire attacks on Ice Island. Yet, they dumped him there alone and turned to escape. Mo Fu and Mo Qi must have felt like they had betrayed Jiang Yi —they must have been feeling a lot of shame.

Jiang Yi waved his hand to stop the two of them from saying anything more. Smiling, he said, “Elder Mo Qi and Elder Mo Fu, you did not do anything wrong. It's most important to me that the Sacred Lady is safe! Alright, these things have passed. I'm back safely now, aren't I? Let's never speak of this again.”

On hearing this, Mo Yao'er teared up once again. She turned to glare and Mo Fu and Mo Qi, before transmitting a message to Jiang Yi: “Mo Xing, I was knocked unconscious by Mo Fu earlier. Otherwise, I would have helped you for sure. I'm sorry!”

“It's alright. Let's return first. I'm tired. I want to take a rest!”

In fact, Jiang Yi was eager to refine his core. He was not in the mood to argue with them at all any further. He nodded toward Mo Fu, Mo Qi, and the others before flying up the Heaven Devil Mountain. Mid-way up the mountain, he suddenly frowned and transmitted a message to Mo Yao'er: “Sacred Lady, is the Patriarch up there?”

“No!”

Mo Yao'er shook her head. “An Ice Beast King appeared on the Ice Mountain. Majesty Father rushed over because I begged him to go and save you. Did you not meet Majesty Father on your way back?”

Jiang Yi shook his head. Mo Yao'er seemed to recall something as she lowered her voice. “That's right, Mo Xing. Qiu Shan, Huo Gu, and Meng Da are all dead. I heard that they were killed by the Ice Beast. You were nearby at the time. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is!”

Jiang Yi realized that Mo Fu and the others were listening in curiously as well. He quickly put on a somber expression and said, “There really was an Ice Beast under the Ice Sea. It was also the Ice Beast King. I was lucky to have escaped. Qiu Shan and the others were indeed killed by that beast.”

“Hehe, it's good that they're dead!”

Mo Yao'er clenched her fists by her sides hatefully. “Even if they did not die, I would have gotten Majesty Father to gather an army to kill them. Hehe, how dare they plot to kill us!”

“Alright, Elders, perhaps all of you should return. I've been injured. I would like to rest to recover.”

Once he returned to his own castle, Jiang Yi waved at Mo Qi and the others. Then, he brought Mo Yao'er into his castle. Mo Qi and Mo Fu exchanged a meaningful glance as they smiled bitterly.

Mo Qi shook his head gently and said, “There's a talent in our sect. We're all old now. The future belongs to Mo Xing and the rest.”

“That's right!”

Mo Fu turned to glance at Jiang Yi's castle and then said, “Qiu Shan and the others had obviously been killed by this man. According to what we heard, the Ice Beast appeared a few days after the battle between them. What's more, Cao Peiwen did not take action despite the appearance of this Ice Beast. Obviously, this Ice Beast was among the various beasts that the Tiger Subdue Sect captured years ago.

They had been hiding it for such a long time. Although it's not clear why the Tiger Subdue Sect wanted to hide this, but Qiu Shan, Huo Gu, and the others were definitely killed by this man. This man has too much blood on his hands…”

Mo Qi nodded and replied, “No matter whether this man killed them or not. We have to keep this between us. The person on the Ice Mountain wanted to keep these things under wraps as well. If word gets out, the consequences might be unimaginable.”

Chapter 1024 - God Spirit

Chapter 1024: God Spirit

“You don't know how scary that Ice Beast King was. After escaping, I discovered that many sects had gathered huge armies to go and defeat it. I heard that many huge sects' clan heads went to fight as well. I don't know what was so special about that Ice Beast. Why were so many people going after it?”

Jiang Yi remained within the castle, lying back on his bed like an old master. Mo Yao'er sat beside him, peeling spirit fruits for him and trying to please him by serving him. After hearing Jiang Yi's confusion, Mo Yao'er smiled and explained: “Mo Xing, this Ice Beast is extremely precious.

I told you before that the Ice Beasts all have a core. The core has crazy amounts of ice powers that are comparable to the powers of the stars. They're extremely useful! However, ordinary ice beasts' cores have very little of such powers. Even if you collect many of them, you might not get much in total.

“The Ice Beast King is different!”

Mo Yao'er sat upright and said in a low voice, “The Ice Beast King's core not only contains huge amounts of ice powers—comparable to hundreds of thousands of ice beasts, but the powers in its core are also a full-grade higher than those of ordinary beasts'. That is why so many clan heads appeared the moment the Ice Beast King was spotted. Whoever could capture the Ice Beast King's core and refine it would undoubtedly see a marked improvement in their own skills! According to the stories… the Ice Beast King's ice powers can help Heaven Monarch martial artists solidify their spirits.”

“Spirits? What's a spirit?”

This was the first time Jiang Yi was hearing something like that. He immediately became curious. The secret elder he met at the lake on the north side of the Buddha Mountain had said that once he broke through and became a Demigod, he would tell Jiang Yi many secrets. Jiang Yi wanted so badly to become a Demigod. He wanted to become the strongest being in the world.

“You don't even know about spirits?”

Mo Yao'er rolled her eyes at Jiang Yi. However, thinking of Jiang Yi's past and personality, she seemed to think that it made sense that he did not know these things. She began to explain: “Demigods are different from Heaven Monarchs. If one wants to become a Demigod, he would first have to realize three dao patterns three-star and above. Second, he would have to have formidable essence force.

Lastly, he would have to solidify his spirit. Only upon solidifying one's spirit can a martial artist become a true Demigod. The spirit is a god's soul. Without souls, people are as good as dead. Similarly, Demigods without the proper god spirits are not considered true Demigods.”

“Oh, oh!”

Jiang Yi kept nodding as he sat upright. “Alright, keep going.”

Seeing that she had pleased Jiang Yi, Mo Yao'er grinned widely and continued, “God spirits are the highest level that martial artists' souls can achieve. With a god spirit, your reaction time and your skills would reach frightening levels. A lot of times, before Heaven Monarchs even move, Demigods would be able to sense their movement and defend beforehand.

Attacks from ordinary martial artists are, needless to say, even easier for Demigods to fend against. What's more… strong Demigods can even find ways to attack the souls of their enemies. No matter how many five-star martial artists there are, they would all die in the face of a true god spirit.”

“Of course, it is terribly easy for Demigods to kill Heaven Monarchs as well. Normally, they would not activate their god spirits, too. After all, that is their life. If any damage is caused to their souls, they would be in big trouble.

In any case, god spirits are super important. You would have to get one to understand this. Mo Xing, train hard.

You're still young—you definitely will have an opportunity to become a Demigod.”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly. “What's the point of training hard? I don't have the Ice Beast King's core; neither will I be able to gather a god spirit to become a Demigod.”

“Mo Xing, don't be too anxious!”

Mo Yao'er patted her chest and said, “When you get to the peak stage of Heaven Monarch, I will definitely ask Majesty Father to think of ways for you to get an Ice Beast King or Ice Imp King. What's more, if you're lucky, maybe you would be able to kill one for yourself?”

“That's true!”

Jiang Yi had been waiting for Mo Yao'er to say something like that. In a serious tone, he asked, “Sacred Lady, do you know how to refine cores? If I'm really that lucky to meet an Ice Beast King and kill it, what should I do?”

“Pff!”

Mo Yao'er burst out laughing, but Jiang Yi frowned. His expression hardened. Mo Yao'er immediately stopped laughing and said, “Alright, alright. Don't be angry, Mo Xing. If you really are lucky enough to obtain the core of an Ice Beast King, you should not mess around with it. Its ice power is very aggressive. If you don't refine it correctly, your body might get destroyed by its power. Without a fire-elemental spirit herb to control the system, nobody can dream of refining the Ice Beast King's core! He would die for sure!”

What a close shave!

Jiang Yi let out a huge sigh and celebrated quietly in his heart. Thankfully, he did not rush to refine the Ice Beast King's core. Otherwise, he could have been an ice cube by now, gone to meet Jiang Bieli in the underworld.

“A fire-elemental spirit herb?”

Jiang Yi's eyes brightened. He asked, “Any kind of fire-elemental spirit herbs would work? Do you have any fire-elemental spirit herbs then? Give me one or two to carry around with me in case I really do get to kill an Ice Beast King in the future.”

Giggle!

Mo Yao'er laughed aloud once again. Her shoulders shook with laughter as she clapped her hands together. “Alright, Mister. Stop dreaming! The Ice Beast Kings and Ice Imp Kings are extremely rare creatures. If you're lucky, one would appear every few years.

If you're not, you might find one only after tens of years. You won't find one for sure. Let's not talk about this… even if you do meet one, you would probably not be able to tackle it on your own. An Ice Beast King would likely require thousands of martial artists to fight, or at least someone like Majesty Father.”

“En?”

Jiang Yi frowned once again as his expression darkened. He raised his hand and slapped Mo Yao'er across the arm. Aggressively, he shouted, “Alright, you freaking dare to look down on me? Do you think I couldn't strip you naked and punish you?”

“Ah, ya, ya!”

Mo Yao'er's arm stung as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. Upon hearing Jiang Yi's threat, her face flushed red with shame. This time, however, she did not escape. Instead, she lowered her head and said in a voice loud enough for only mosquitoes to hear, “Chief, I'm in the wrong. As long… As long as you don't ruin my chastity, I will let you do whatever you want.”

“Little hussy!”

Jiang Yi reached out and stroked Mo Yao'er on the hips before grabbing her chin and lifting her face up. In an aggressive voice, he said, “Would you still dare to mock me? I'll ask you again: do you have any fire-elemental spirit herbs? If you don't, I'm going to punish you.”

Mo Yao'er did not give a hoot about what Jiang Yi was saying. She thought that Jiang Yi was just finding an excuse to do whatever he wanted with her. Shyly, she refused and said, “Chief, let your slave go. Majesty Father has these things, but I have no use for them whatsoever. I really don't have them…”

“Slave. If I don't punish you according to the rules, I don't think you will tell the truth.”

Jiang Yi was getting quite into character. He reached out and pulled Mo Yao'er's belt off her robes and then pulled her robe over her shoulders. Her translucent black undergarments were revealed. He continued growling, “I'm going to ask again—do you have them?”

“I don't!” Mo Yao'er said through gritted teeth. She was both excited and nervous. Her panting caused her chest to rise and fall very quickly. Jiang Yi's eyes were nearly crossed from the sight in front of him.

Ss, ss…

Jiang Yi had killed so many people back on Ice Mountain. There was still a lot of anger left inside his body. His eyes turned red. He reached out and ripped Mo Yao'er's undergarment off of her body, exposing her two perky breasts which bounced from the impact.

Gulp! Gulp!

Mo Yao'er jumped back from the shock. She looked at Jiang Yi's beast-like eyes and sensed his arousal from the way he was breathing. She knew that she could not afford to play this game any longer, or Jiang Yi would really snatch her for himself. There would be no way she would be able to salvage her chastity then.

“Ah, ya, ya, Mo Xing, don't do anything funny; or my Majesty Father will punish you!”

Mo Yao'er quickly put her robes back on to cover her body and then ran out of Jiang Yi's castle like a frightened rabbit.

Jiang Yi sat still for a long time. After Mo Yao'er left the castle, he took two deep breaths to calm himself down. Had he not held himself back earlier, Mo Yao'er might really have turned into a grown woman right there and then.

“A fire-elemental spirit herb?”

He sat down to slow his heart rate, but his eyes brightened. He recalled something. He seemed to have gathered several spirit herbs back at the Lava Lake in the Purgatory Ruin. If these spirit herbs were in the Lava Lake, they should be fire-elemental, right?

Chapter 1025 - Dance Between Ice

and Fire

Chapter 1025: Dance Between Ice and Fire

In order to find the Fire-Snake Orchid, Jiang Yi entered the Purgatory Ruin and followed Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing into the Lava Lake. He scared Xie Fei away and snatched the Fire-Snake Orchid along with many more spirit herbs.

Jiang Yi did not have time to inspect the spirit herbs. At first, he wanted to look for the Shadow Emperor's subordinates; but given the war with the North Thearch, he forgot. It was then that he remembered.

Spirit herbs that grew in the water were normally water-elemental. Those that grew in the snow were normally considered ice-elemental. Naturally, the spirit herbs that grew in the Lava Lake were fire-elemental.

Buzz!

Something in Jiang Yi's hand lit up. He opened his fist and saw a Three-Leaf Lotus Flower. This was the last of the spirit herbs that the Lava Lake spat out. Logically, this would be the most valuable. The Three-Leaf Lotus Flowers began to sway around as if it were alive. It showed Jiang Yi all the more that this particular herb was precious and valuable.

“Refine?”

Jiang Yi was beginning to get worried. It was a huge thing to refine the core of the Ice Beast King. If something went wrong, he might not be able to undo his mistake. What's more, he had no idea exactly what kind of spirit herb this Three-Leaf Lotus Flower was. Who knew if it would serve as a curb to the ice powers?

It was just that…

Ever since the second time he met Su Ruoxue, he had been finding it impossible to remain calm. Every day that passed felt like torture. He could not wait to improve his own powers and wipe out the Dwarf Race and then go back to the Mystic Divine Palace to obtain the monster of the Heaven Hidden Sect in order to save Su Ruoxue.

He could not reveal his identity; neither could he let anyone find out that he had the core of the Ice Beast King with him. That was why apart from asking Mo Yao'er, Jiang Yi did not dare to ask Mo Qi and the others too much about the Ice Beast King. From the looks of it, all that Mo Yao'er knew was superficial as well. Jiang Yi was sure that even if he asked any more questions, she would not be able to explain much else to him.

Since Mo Shen had gone to the Ice Sea, Jiang Yi guessed that it would be at least two days until he would return. Now was the best time for Jiang Yi to refine the core of the Ice Beast King. If he waited until Mo Shen came back, Mo Shen might notice such a huge ice power source.

“To refine or not to refine?”

Jiang Yi was extremely conflicted. He closed his eyes to ponder his options for a couple of seconds. At last, he made up his mind to refine the core of the Ice Beast King.

The battle at the Ice Sea!

He killed the young clan heads of the three sects and then caused a battle to break out between the three sects and the Mantis Blade Sect. Then, Mo Shen went out to the Ice Sea. Before Jiang Yi left, he even saw the Fire Chi Race head out to cause trouble for Cao Duantian. There were still many other sects embroiled in conflict and battles. One could say that chaos was breaking out in the Snow Region.

Although Fifth Eldress had helped him and Cao Duantian released an Ice Beast King, there were still too many gaps in the entire thing. In addition, he had taken the core of the Ice Beast King. After losing their young clan heads and so many formidable martial artists and engaging in battle with the Mantis Blade Sect, the three sects were bound to be enraged. Nobody knew how things in the Snow Region would develop from here.

With the mess that was taking place in the Snow Region now, who knew what the next day would hold?

If his identity was exposed, even Mo Shen would not be able to protect Jiang Yi from the wrath of the three sects' warriors. That was why he was deciding to take the risk now and refine the core of the Ice Beast King. If this ice power could activate the Smelting Divine Furnace, he would have the capital for him to begin his journey to becoming a Demigod.

“Listen up—I am going to meditate for ten days in order to recover. I do not wish to see anyone—not even the Sacred Lady.”

Jiang Yi walked out of the palace gates and told the four soldiers who had been standing guard. Ten days would be enough for him to refine the core. The four guards were extremely obedient as well. On hearing his instructions, they immediately shut the palace gates. It was then that Jiang Yi returned to his palace and gingerly retrieved the core.

“How should I refine it?”

Jiang Yi held on to the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower in one hand and the core of the Ice Beast King in the other. He looked absolutely confused since he had no idea whether to begin refining the core or the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower.

“I might as well refine them together.”

The moment he decided, he summoned two balls of essence force to encapsulate the Three-Lead Lotus Flower and the core of the Ice Beast King separately. The ice ball and the fire ball began the refinement process at once. Jiang Yi guessed that his body would not be able to withstand the pressure, and so he decided to refine them both together in order to neutralize the process.

“Uh…”

The moment his balls of essence force met the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower and the core, Jiang Yi's entire body shook violently. Even his soul began to vibrate as a frightening amount of power entered his body from each of his palms.

The power had two extreme sources. One of the sources had a strong Yang character. It was hard and hot, and it felt like molten lava was flowing through his veins. It caused his left hand to burn up. As his hand shook more violently, the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower almost flew out of it.

The other source of energy had a very strong Yin character. It was cold and soft, causing his right hand to feel immediately like it was numb from the cold. As this energy entered the veins in his right arm, he felt the entire right side of his body turn to ice. He could no longer feel anything on that side of his body, much less even move.

“What horror!”

Immediately, Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He tried not to care too much about what was happening to his body. He was afraid that he would not be able to withstand the pressure otherwise and pass out.

“What should I do? Where should I store all of this power?”

Half of his body was burning up while the other half of his body felt frozen. Jiang Yi was beginning to panic. Power continued to flow into his body, causing his left side to burn up even more and his right side to become even colder.

The Three-Leaf Lotus Flower had a strong Yang character, but it was not made out of flames. Instead, it felt like a pure energy source. Even the Fire Spirit Pearl could not protect Jiang Yi from the effects of this spirit herb. Such aggressive power coursed through his veins, so that even his veins threatened to burst apart.

“Channel them all into the dantian and see if the star sphere would be able to take it?”

Jiang Yi quickly had an idea. If one star sphere would be able to absorb the two types of energies, then the two energies would be able to merge together and neutralize inside his star sphere!

This did not seem like a bad idea!

Thus, Jiang Yi employed his Nameless Divine Art to channel both types of power into his dantian. None of his nine star spheres moved. Not one of his nine star spheres absorbed the power.

“I'm finished… does my body really have no way of absorbing these powers?”

Jiang Yi was getting really afraid now. There were too much of both types of power in his body at that moment, and even more power continued to flow into his body from the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower and the core. It was unstoppable. As the power accumulated in his body, Jiang Yi imagined his body exploding into pieces like an overblown balloon.

“It's said… the ice power of the Ice Beast King would help Heaven Monarch martial artists form their god spirits.”

Jiang Yi thought about what Mo Yao'er told him. In a flash, he thought, could it be that the ice power is a type of spiritual power that had to be absorbed by the consciousness of the spirit? Was his primordial spirit responsible for absorbing all this power?

However!

These two types of energy were so extreme. If he channeled them to the consciousness of his spirit, there was a chance that it would be too overwhelmed; and his spirit might explode into smithereens. His soul was precious—he could not allow it to get injured.

“Whatever! I'm going to die anyway.”

Very quickly, Jiang Yi stopped thinking so much. There was too much power in his body—so much that he thought that his veins were going to burst open at any moment. He had no choice but to channel all of this power into his own spiritual consciousness.

“Sh*t…”

Jiang Yi wanted to force the two types of energies into one vein in order to see if they could neutralize one another and become less aggressive on his body! He did not expect that the two types of powers would be so averse to each other that they would not even get close to each other. The moment he got one type of power in the sphere, the other type would escape. It was impossible to get them close, much less to merge them!

“I was too risky—I went in too big this time.”

Jiang Yi sighed. All he could do was watch as the two types of power entered his spiritual consciousness.

Chapter 1026 - Change of the Soul

Sword

Buzz!

The moment the two types of power entered his spiritual consciousness, Jiang Yi's primary soul and the seventy-two soul swords lit up. It was almost like seventy-three wolves were staring at the sheep-like powers that were flowing toward them.

“These really are spiritual powers!”

Jiang Yi heaved a sigh of relief. He controlled his soul swords and caused them to absorb a little bit of each type of powers. After he ensured that they could absorb these powers, it felt like a huge weight had fallen off his chest. He focused on channeling the powers into his primordial spirit. Jing Yi was prepared to gather the so-called god spirit.

However—

Once the primordial spirit touched the ice powers from the core, Jiang Yi's soul felt like it froze up. He felt his soul turn into a block of ice—a block of ice that threatened to break apart anytime.

His soul had been frozen. There was no way he could control the power anymore. The ice powers in the core continued to grip him, causing his primordial spirit to become even more frozen up. Jiang Yi guessed that it would not be long before he fell apart.

Tsk! Tsk!

He was extremely fortunate. A gust of Yang power entered his spiritual consciousness and his primordial spirit. The piercing pain that had crippled him earlier was dissipating.

His spirit was becoming unlocked. The Three-Leaf Lotus Flower's Yang powers entered Jiang Yi's primordial spirit and caused his spirit to feel like it had caught fire. A new kind of pain overwhelmed Jiang Yi and threatened to knock him unconscious.

“Hang in there! If I enter into a coma, I would surely die.”

In that fine line between life and death, Jiang Yi endured intense levels of pain. He made sure to focus on keeping all the power out of his primordial spirit, channeling them into his 72 soul swords instead. He also controlled the 72 soul swords so that they revolved around his primordial spirit. If just one shred of the power went into his primordial spirit, he would be done for.

Ss, ss…

A strange force stirred inside the Fire Spirit Pearl, causing the piercing pain in his primordial spirit to dissipate. Finally, he began to relax. His divine senses locked in on the two types of power that was being absorbed by his soul swords. It felt like there were two devils inside him—it was that scary. Had he allowed himself to pass out earlier, he could forget about ever regaining consciousness again. He was already lucky enough to turn back from the depths of hell.

He decided to get some rest so that the pain in his primordial spirit would reduce to the minimum before he deactivated the soul swords. Then, Jiang Yi closely inspected his body to find that it was taking another huge blow. It turned out that his soul swords had been absorbing power way too quickly. Now, they were beginning to shrink in size!

That's right—they were shrinking, not growing bigger!

When three of his soul swords absorbed the Divine Silkworm and silkworm serum earlier, they shrunk as well. However, they became much stronger and more powerful. Now, the two types of powers were much more powerful. That was why his soul swords were reducing in size at a much faster pace. All 72 of them were a full size smaller in fact.

“Sh*t, the Three-Leaf Lotus flower and the internal core have only been refined by a third. From the looks of it, my soul swords will not be able to take so much power in. When their sizes hit the minimum, maybe they'll even start cracking apart…”

The laws of physics determined that if the soul swords continued to shrink, they might become too solid and explode. Since these soul swords existed inside the spiritual consciousness, their explosion might cause his spirit to be crushed to pieces.

Moreover, if he did not control the pace at which his soul swords absorbed these energies, it could cause a mess in his powers. Then, either his body or his spirit would be utterly destroyed.

“What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?”

Jiang Yi had completely forgotten the pain that he felt in his primordial spirit earlier. Instead, his mind was now filled with images of his soul swords being reduced to a minimum size in the next couple of seconds. Then, he would really meet death.

He forced himself to calm down and face death with a rational mind. His mind moved quickly to think of a solution.

From the looks of it, he had to admit first that there was no way he would be able to control these two powers. He had already lost all feeling in both of his arms. Jiang Yi also dared not hope that he would enter the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. If he did, his body might collapse under pressure. Then, he could really forget about regaining consciousness ever again.

Thus, he had to find a way to store all the power entering his body. However, the star sphere could not absorb these two types of power at all. They were spiritual powers—apart from the primordial spirit, only the soul swords would be able to take it!

The primordial spirit?

After tasting the intense pain earlier, Jiang Yi did not dare to ever try it again. He knew that he would certainly die if he tried to make his primordial spirit absorb the powers.

That left only one path for him to try. He had to find a way to get all the power into the soul swords!

“Soul sword, soul sword… soul sword!”

Jiang Yi's divine senses locked in on his soul swords once again. The seventy-two soul swords were still shrinking. They were now two-thirds of their original size. They threatened to crack apart at any time.

These soul swords appeared inside the Mystic Divine Palace. On the Yellow Springs Path on the second level of the Mystic Divine Palace, countless Soul Devouring Crocodiles had been attacking Jiang Yi. In a bid to defend himself, Jiang Yi swallowed the Soul Devouring Crocodiles. Immediately, he felt his soul split. Then, these soul swords appeared one by one.

Some soul swords got destroyed later. At God's Sob in the God Bestow City, he gained more soul swords again. The 72 soul swords even got upgraded by the Butterfly's Spring which belonged to the Butterfly Lady Race. Three of his soul swords also got upgraded again by the Jewel Divine Silkworm.

Jiang Yi did not understand much about his soul swords. These things seemed weird to him. He had not heard anyone else talk about them before; neither did he know how the soul swords would develop in the future either.

“It's going to explode, it's going to explode!”

Time was passing by. Jiang Yi's swords continued to get smaller and smaller. They were reaching their limits. No matter how hard he tried to think, he could not think of a good enough solution. He really was at a dead end this time!

“Eh, it would be good if these soul swords were several times bigger. Then, it would take longer for them to reach their minimum size.”

A sudden thought flashed across Jiang Yi's mind. He jumped as he realized that there was a solution after all. If he expanded his soul swords, they would not explode!

The soul swords were not absorbing ordinary powers now. They were two extreme types of powers—like those from the Butterfly's Spring and the cocoon. They would not cause his soul swords to expand but shrink instead!

Thus, Jiang Yi pondered hard and came up with only one possible method. The soul swords had to merge together in order to expand in size physically. Then, they would never reach their limits.

If the soul swords could be broken apart, they could definitely merge as well. All he had to do was to merge the seventy-two soul swords into thirty-six, eighteen, and then a big one. For all he knew, it would not explode then!

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Now that he was on the brink of death, Jiang Yi could not afford to give it any further thought. He tried to push the soul swords closer together, forcing them to merge with one another. However, the harder he tried to push the soul swords together, the more he felt like it was impossible to fuse them together.

“I'm going all out…”

Jiang Yi used all of his might to control two soul swords. They danced together, and then Jiang Yi pushed them toward each other with everything he had.

Boom!

Jiang Yi felt his spiritual consciousness shake. The two soul swords were now cracking from the impact. However, something happened to make him jump with excitement—the power in the two soul swords got absorbed by all the others. This caused the other swords to increase in size by just a bit.

“I need to continue knocking them together!”

Jiang Yi went crazy and continued to cause the soul swords to collide into one another again and again. The remaining soul swords would then absorb their powers and increase in size. The fewer soul swords there were, the larger the remaining soul swords became.

There were initially seventy-two. Then, there were sixty… thirty… fifteen… ten…

After a short time, Jiang Yi had only five soul swords left. The soul swords that had almost reached their minimum size earlier had increased by at least three or four times again. However, as they continued to absorb more of the two types of powers, they began to shrink again.

“Continue!”

Jiang Yi checked and found that there was still half the power left in the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower and the core. He had no choice but to cause the soul swords to collide with one another again and again. Whether he could keep his life or not was all up to the heavens now.

Boom! Boom!

Four soul swords collided and caused there to be one remaining, which absorbed all the powers that the four released. His body continued to absorb power from outside. Jiang Yi was out of options now. He could only sit and wait.

The last soul sword was now the size of half of his primordial spirit. Finally, the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower and the core had run out of all powers. The remaining soul sword sat quietly in Jiang Yi's spiritual consciousness, showing no signs of falling apart.

Jiang Yi was elated. He weakly opened his eyes and fell down to the floor, panting.

It had taken him fifteen full minutes to recover from the entire ordeal. His body was back to normal now, but his robe was still plastered to his back with perspiration. There were still beads of perspiration dripping down his forehead.

He sat up and crossed his legs to look inside his soul. When his divine senses swept past his soul sword, his chest tightened. It was radiating the colors of the rainbow, and its shape was becoming mystical.

It was almost like… it was mutating? This could be a sign that it was going to explode!

Chapter 1027 - Rainbow Soul

Spear

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Buzz!

In Jiang Yi's spiritual consciousness, he saw the seven-colored soul sword dancing in the air. Jiang Yi did not have any control over this soul sword. His own spiritual consciousness felt like it was spinning around. What's more, the soul sword continued to mutate. At first, it looked like a Fire Dragon Sword. Now, it looked like… a spear?

“My soul sword is becoming a soul spear?”

Jiang Yi kept breathing in and out, but he did not move his body. The soul sword was beyond his control now. If it went crazy and knocked into his primordial spirit, he would surely go and meet his maker immediately. Even if it did not knock into his primordial spirit—if it exploded, his primordial spirit might still get damaged from the impact.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The soul sword danced faster and faster until even Jiang Yi could not get a clear sight of it. All he could catch was its blurry form. The soul sword was mutating at rapid speed as well. In fact, it no longer looked like a spirit sword. It looked instead like a long spear.

A seven-colored beam swirled around the spear. It radiated a peculiar aura, and it looked like an unbreakable Supreme Spear.

Jiang Yi's heart began to race as the seven-colored soul spear spun quicker and quicker. It flew past his primordial spirit countless times, causing him to be scared out of his wits. Jiang Yi quickly entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man to minimize the movement of his body.

Buzz!

In the second before his soul sword turned into a sword spear completely, the seven colors on the spear darkened. The spear itself faintly rested in his spiritual consciousness. At that moment, Jiang Yi felt extremely connected to the Rainbow Soul Spear. It was almost as if it had become his completely.

“Is everything alright now?”

Jiang Yi let out a small sigh of relief. He slowly took control of the Rainbow Soul Spear to prevent it from moving around inside his body. Indeed, the moment these thoughts surfaced in his mind, the sword moved as well. Inside his heart, he was sure that as long as he could remain in control of the soul spear—no matter what it became, he would not have to fear himself.

After causing the soul spear to turn several rounds in his brain, he could be sure that he had complete control of the soul spear. Jiang Yi opened his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead. It felt like he really did walk all the way back from the gates of hell.

“Why did the soul sword mutate? Moreover, why did it mutate into a Rainbow Soul Spear at that? What does it mean?”

Jiang Yi had no idea how the soul swords came about in the first place, much less how they mutated into a spear. He felt like a monster. Not only had his dantian mutated, but even his soul was mutating now. All these things must have had something to do with the Nameless Divine Art.

“Who was the one who imprinted the Nameless Divine Art into my soul? His mother said it was not her—could it have been Yu Wen? Could it be that elder who was fishing in the Northern Lake of the Buddha Mountain? Who in the world was Yu Wen? Who was that mysterious elder?”

Jiang Yi thought about it for a long while until his head began to hurt. Then, he gave up. Once he broke through and became a Demigod, he would go and look for that mysterious elder again. Then, a lot of his questions would be answered.

Just thinking about becoming a Demigod gave Jiang Yi many more things to think about. This time, he wanted to use the ice powers in the core to activate the Smelting Divine Furnace. He never thought that the ice powers would be absorbed by his own soul swords. There was not even a tiny bit of power left in the core for him to use.

That was it then. If he could upgrade his own spirit into a god spirit, it was a good thing. In any case, he had already escaped the clutches of death. Any additional gift he got was considered a good thing.

“That's not right. The soul swords have merged—all seventy-two into one. They also absorbed so much power from the Three-Leaf Lotus Flower and core. I must be really formidable now, right?”

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat. He felt like he had been powerful enough with the seventy-two soul swords. In the Lava Lake at the Purgatory Ruin, he snuck up on the Heaven Monarchs at peak stage. He even managed to kill each of them with just one move. Even though there had been four or five of them, he managed to kill all of them without employing complicated defensive techniques.

Swish!

His heart skipped yet another beat. He controlled the Rainbow Soul Spear and caused it to shoot out from between his eyebrows. There was a bright light as the soul spear shot out of his head and out of the room, easily piercing through all the barriers. Jiang Yi got a shock. He quickly pulled the soul spear back.

“Why is this Rainbow Soul Spear so fast? I wonder if anyone outside spotted it?”

Jiang Yi was shocked by the pace of the Rainbow Soul Spear. It was at least ten times faster than all of his soul swords. After keeping the Rainbow Soul Spear, he entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. There were four guards still standing guard outside his door. One of them was looking quite confused as he stared at the walls of Jiang Yi's palace. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. The other people did not seem to have noticed anything. After a while, the person rubbed his eyes and shook his head as if trying to shake away any hallucinations.

Tsk! Tsk!

Jiang Yi relaxed. Once again, he caused the Rainbow Soul Spear to fly out from between his eyebrows. The spear flew around and around the main hall. Curiously, he stared at the Rainbow Soul Spear. His heart began to pound quicker.

This Rainbow Soul Spear was tens of times faster than the soul swords from before. Logically, it should be much stronger as well! In other words, the power of the Rainbow Soul Spear was tens of times greater than the soul swords!

“Uh…”

After taking the Rainbow Soul Spear one more round around the main hall, Jiang Yi suddenly felt quite weak. His vision began to blur, and he began to feel dizzy. He quickly retrieved the Rainbow Soul Spear and closed his eyes to rest.

“What is happening?”

After a long time, he finally opened his eyes, confused. With skills like his, his body was quite strong and sturdy. He did not fall sick so easily. Why did he suddenly feel so dizzy just then?

“Could the Rainbow Soul Spear be so powerful that I cannot activate it for such a long period of time?”

Jiang Yi thought that it was highly likely this was the case. To test it once more, he waited for his spirit to recover fully before activating the Rainbow Soul Spear once again. After making it go several rounds around the main hall, his spirit once again felt weakened; and his vision blurred.

As expected!

Jiang Yi's head was hurting now. The Rainbow Soul Spear must be extremely formidable—he could not even control it for extended periods of time. He felt like a child in possession of a real divine armament. The divine armament might be able to deal real damage to other soldiers, but he was too weak as a child. There was no way for him to brandish it around at his whim and fancy.

“I should not activate this Rainbow Soul Spear at random. Otherwise, if my spirit weakens, I won't be able to defend myself.” Jiang Yi made a mental note. In a battle—once a martial artist's spirit weakened, his reaction time would be greatly extended as well. This could cost him his life.

“I have to think of a way to get some treasures that would nourish my soul!”

Jiang Yi felt like he had just gained an entire treasure chest, but he did not have the key to it. He had no access to the treasures inside. There was a fire in his heart. If the Rainbow Soul Spear was really as powerful as he thought it was, it would not be a problem to kill off Demigods. Then, he would be able to charge into the Dwarf Mountain, sneak up on Qiu Shan, and find a way to kill him.

In order to nourish the spirit, one had to use spirit herbs or training. The stronger his body got, the stronger his spirit would become as well. It was like a young child growing up—his power would naturally increase.

In Lava Lake, Jiang Yi gained several spirit herbs. However, he had no idea what those herbs were good for. Just one Three-Leaf Lotus Flower nearly burned his body alive. Jiang Yi was scared to refine those spirit herbs now.

“Whatever. I'll train for one or two months and wait for my cultivation to improve. I think there's too much chaos happening beyond these walls anyway. I should keep an eye on the situation before I decide to do anything huge.”

He made up his mind there and then. All he could do now was to continue training and wait for news from the Ice Mountain. If he took any risks now, he would be courting death.

Chapter 1028 - Act Turning into

Reality

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The situation outside was terribly messy. The Fire Chi Race had waged war against Cao Duantian. Half of Cao Duantian's army had been destroyed. If the Clan Head of the Fire Chi Race had not stopped them, Cao Duantian would have been killed by now.

After the Clan Head of the Fire Chi Race understood what had happened, he became extremely angry. Huo Gu had been his favorite grandchild. It was bad enough that he learned about Huo Gu's death. Now, even the Ice Beast King's core had been stolen.

The fact that the three of them managed to beat the Mantis Blade Sect boosted his confidence. He thought that if the three of them joined forces, even Cao Peiwen would have to try hard to beat them.

Thus, he decided to take action and prepared to defeat Cao Peiwen. However, Cao Peiwen's sudden appearance scared the Clan Head of the Fire Chi Race half to death. Qiu Shan and the Clan Head of the Mammoth Race were equally scared. They cast aside chasing the Mantis Blade Sect down for a while and decided to run away in fear.

The entire Snow Region trembled under Cao Peiwen's wrath. Many races, who had been making their way to the battlefield, stopped short after hearing the news. They did not dare to get any closer to the battlefield. Instead, now that the Ice Beast King had been killed, there was no reason for them to go down there anymore.

While the three sects retreated in anger, they killed every small sect that they met along the way. Those that were unlucky were wiped out. Those that were slightly luckier lost a significant portion of their army. The people of the three sects were still riling from the murder of their Young Clan Heads, the battle with the Mantis Blade Sect, and the loss of the Ice Beast King's internal core.

The Mantis Blade Sect and the Tiger Subdue Sect were equally angry. The Mantis Blade Sect had lost tens of thousands of people that day. At last, less than 3000 people managed to escape the battlefield.

Even Mantis Blade was severely injured. The Tiger Subdue Sect lost many people as well. Most importantly, Cao Peiwen had refused to show his face initially. However, in the end, he had no choice but to come out and offend the three sects.

After a round of investigations, he found out that it was not his own disciple who had obtained the core of the Ice Beast King. In fact, Cao Peiwen and the elders of Tiger Subdue Sect had not asked anyone to do such a thing. The person that had stolen the core had disappeared without a trace just like that.

With fire still burning in his chest, he had to find a way to let it out. This time, the small sects whom the Ice Beast King attracted to the battlefield took the blow. As a result, even those small sects were angered. Thus, the entire Snow Region was caught in a fit of anger. Wars were being started all over the place, and countless people dying every second.

Mo Shen walked one round around the entire region and returned to his mountain on the eighth day. After learning that Jiang Yi was back, he heaved a sigh of relief and did not bother to ask too many questions. All he did was call for Mo Yao'er to be grounded. The other people of the Heaven Devil Mountain were not allowed to leave the mountain as well.

Mo Shen was still angry at the fact that Qiu Bai and the others had tried to attack Mo Yao'er. However, Mo Yao'er and Mo Xing were both back safe and sound while Qiu Bai and the others were already dead. The three sects had suffered huge losses as well. Now, while the three sects were still in fits of rage, Mo Shen decided against leading an army toward them. In addition to the fact that he was still working on a powerful dao pattern these days, there was simply no time for him to get involved in all these businesses.

…

Jiang Yi, who had caused the chaos in the Snow Region, stayed in isolation for a total of one month. The moment he came out, he asked around for the situation on the outside. Out of frustration, he decided to go back into isolation to train. Mo Shen gave orders to keep the entire mountain on lockdown. Nobody was allowed to enter or exit the mountain.

Mo Shen had not emerged as well. If Jiang Yi dared to mess around with her, he would lose even the Heaven Devil Mountain as possible accommodation. Given the chaos outside and the countless number of wars, it was way too dangerous for Jiang Yi to go out and roam on his own as well.

“Cultivate!”

Although Jiang Yi felt extremely anxious and each day he had to wait felt like torture, he was no idiot. He was not about to go out and court death. All he could do was remain behind and force himself to focus on training. All things aside, he had to at least get his essence force to the level of a peak-stage Heaven Monarch.

On the Heaven and Earth powers, the heaven and earth essence force was about 250 times more intense. What's more, Jiang Yi's body had been improved by the Destitute Dragon Grass. Thus, his training was now about 2500 times more productive. Such a good training treasure was hard to come by. This was about 200 times better than on the Heaven Fate Ship belonging to the Tang Clan.

He only had to get his essence force to that of a peak-stage Heaven Monarch, realize dao patterns three-star and above, and gather a God spirit. Then, he would be a Demigod!

Jiang Yi had already realized two three-star dao patterns—the Icebound Thousand Miles and the Fury of Thunder. There was no Heaven and Earth Anomaly when he realized the latter, but Jiang Yi was sure that it was at least a three-star dao pattern because of its power.

The other techniques like the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, the Thunder Fire Divine Shield, the Astral Wind Blades, and the Rainbow Soul Swords were just mystical abilities. Otherwise, they were just moves that were products of dao patterns. They themselves could not be considered dao patterns.

Thus, Jiang Yi was sure that he needed one more three-star dao pattern. Apart from that, he had to raise his essence force to that of a peak-stage Heaven Monarch. The last thing he would have to do is gather a god spirit before he would officially become a Demigod.

After I become a Demigod, would my essence force become divine power? If I have divine power, it should be a breeze for me to trigger the Nirvana Flames in the Smelting Divine Furnace, right? It would be perfect if I can activate the Smelting Divine Demon Flames. The Smelting Divine Demon Flames would be strong enough to even burn eight- or nine-star martial artists!”

Jiang Yi's heart was beating faster and faster. How scary was a flame that could destroy even eight- or nine-star martial artists? Of course, this was all a product of Jiang Yi's imagination. He could not even activate the Nirvana Flames, much less the Smelting Divine Demon Flames.

The Nirvana Flames could burn Demigods who were seven-star and below. The Dwarf Race's Qiu Shan was even below Mo Shen—he definitely was not an eight-star martial artist. Thus, Jiang Yi would be confident about wiping out the Dwarf Race if he could only activate the Nirvana Flames.

“Ai… let's not think too much. Without the ice power, what can I use to activate it? I better improve my essence force first. It's probably more realistic for me to look forward to improving my spirit in order to have better control over the Rainbow Soul Spear.”

As long as he could improve his essence force to that of a peak-stage Heaven Monarch, Jiang Yi was sure that his spirit would improve as well. Now, he could probably keep the Rainbow Soul Spear activated long enough to deal one attack. However, if he did not manage to kill Qiu Shan with that one attack, Jiang Yi would surely die. Thus, he had to keep himself in isolation for some time and break through the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch before he could think of anything else.

“Cultivate!”

Mo Yao'er was locked up, and Mo Shen seemed like he was in lock-up as well. Nobody was around to disturb Jiang Yi. Thus, he could train in peace.

After training for several months, the Heaven Devil Mountain became very peaceful. In a blink of an eye, six months passed.

This time, Mo Shen was really angry. Mo Yao'er had not appeared even once. Jiang Yi had trained for six months before his cultivation level had reached the eighth stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm. There was only half of the essence force left in the sixth star sphere. If there was to be any drastic change, Jiang Yi would probably have to train for another six months.

Swish!

Jiang Yi stopped training. While in the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, he searched around. After confirming that there was no one spying on him, he let the Rainbow Soul Spear out again. It turned into several images that danced around the main hall.

This time, after flying a total of thirty rounds, Jiang Yi finally felt weakened. He retrieved the Rainbow Soul Spear and closed his eyes to take a break. Then, he sighed gently. “My soul spirit has improved by a little bit, but it's still not enough. Thirty-odd rounds would only get me about 3000 meters. If the enemy is further from me than that, I would still be severely weakened after dealing just one blow. Then, I would just be sitting there waiting to die.”

He remained seated for a while and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man once again to check out the situation outside. He eavesdropped on several commanders talking and got the information he was looking for. Mo Yao'er was still in lock-up, and the Heaven Devil Mountain was still shut down.

Nobody was allowed to descend the mountain. It was no use even if Jiang Yi decided to come out of isolation unless he decided to escape the heavens.

“I'll keep training until I reach the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm.”

Jiang Yi closed his eyes to continue training. This time, however, he was interrupted after just four months of training. Mo Yao'er had been let out.

“Mo Xing, I feel like your aura has improved by a significant amount. Are you comparable to a peak-stage Heaven Monarch now? My essence force has reached the eighth-stage of Heaven Monarchy as well.”

After Mo Yao'er entered, her divine senses landed on Jiang Yi; and she grinned. She looked down shyly and said softly, “Mo Xing, you're at the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm now. You can ask Majesty Father for my hand in marriage, and he will agree for sure. When that time comes, we can organize a huge wedding ceremony. He will make you the Young Clan Head for sure…”

“Wedding?”

Jiang Yi's head was hurting now. Did he really have to go through with his act?

Could he marry her? Obviously not!

Chapter 1029 - Love is the Greatest

Poison

Chapter 1029: Love is the Greatest Poison

There was no doubt about it. There was only one woman that Jiang Yi loved —Su Ruoxue. He did not even give a proper title to Feng Luan or Qing Yu. Even if he wanted to, he would only name them his concubines. His formal wife would always be Su Ruoxue.

Mo Yao'er had been performing pretty well in recent times. Jiang Yi no longer hated her, but he still did not like her very much. Therefore, he had no intention whatsoever to marry her.

Jiang Yi promised Su Ruoxue a huge wedding celebration before, but he kept delaying it because he kept thinking that there were more important things at hand. Only after Ji Tingyu brought Su Ruoxue to the East Imperial Continent did Jiang Yi finally get to see her twice again.

He always felt a deep sense of guilt toward Su Ruoxue. He swore that he would rescue her. Once he did, he would return to the Gods Bestow Tribe and throw a huge wedding ceremony.

Thus, when Mo Yao'er mentioned a wedding, Jiang Yi turned silent. He had no idea how to respond. All he could do was to lower his head and act like he had not heard her.

Mo Yao'er waited several seconds. Seeing that Jiang Yi had no intention to reply to her, she looked up suspiciously to study Jiang Yi's serious expression. Her own face changed. “What, do you not want to?”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly as he looked up at her. “It's not that I don't want to. I just think we're moving too quickly. I, Mo Xing, have always been an orphan. I'm used to being alone. Now, you want me to throw a big wedding. I need time to get used to it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Mo Yao'er's expression turned warm again. She grabbed Jiang Yi's arm and said, “Mo Xing, we're not getting any younger. I don't want a huge wedding either.

Why can't you move into the Heaven Devil Palace? Do you know how hard it was for me, not being able to see you over the past few months? This time, after begging Majesty Father for a full six months, he finally agreed to let me out. Mo Xing, I cannot live without you. If I leave you… I will die.”

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi's body trembled. He felt strangely warmed, but the thought of staying in Heaven Devil Palace turned his heart cold again. Under Mo Shen's supervision, he was too uncomfortable to even stand or sit, much less train.

He hardened his heart and said, “Yao'er, give me some more time. There are still two more months to go before I become a Heaven Monarch in the peak stage. Then, I will ask your father for your hand in marriage.”

“Really?”

Mo Yao'er's eyes widened in satisfaction. Her body trembled as she said, “Mo Xing, you're not lying to me, are you? You really will marry me?”

“Hehe, no!”

Jiang Yi's face split into a grin, but his heart sank. Two more months, and he would have to leave. His sixth star sphere would mutate soon. Then, Mo Shen would be alerted for sure, but Jiang Yi would not be able to hold off the mutation of the star sphere. Once Mo Shen's divine senses came over him, he would be exposed. He could not allow his sixth sphere to mutate on Heaven Devil Mountain. He had to leave.

He was 24 years old now. He had already stayed in the East Imperial Continent and in the Snow Region for three years now. Just one and a half more years to go before the Mystic Divine Palace would open. He definitely had to eliminate the Dwarf Race as soon as he could before moving to Mount Mystic Divine.

Where he was was no way too far away from Mount Mystic Divine. He could not evade heaven in the East Imperial Continent either. If anyone discovered him, the North Thearch would surely give chase and seek to kill him. Mount Mystic Divine was near the Mystic Heaven City as well. The Mystic Heaven City was the base camp for many warring sects. Formidable nine-star warring emperors stayed inside there as well. If his identity was exposed, he would not be able to make it as far as Mount Mystic Divine before he would get killed.

So all Jiang Yi could do was evade heaven and go toward the line between the Snow Region and the East Imperial Continent before sneaking onto the Heaven Fate Ship and heading toward Mount Mystic Divine. He guessed that he would be on the Tang Clan's Heaven Fate Ship for at least a year. There was no time to waste.

Mo Yao'er was quite innocent. She did not think too much of what Jiang Yi said. Instead, she smiled sweetly and scanned him from head to toe. Suddenly, she jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. Then, she turned and ran out.

She turned around again at the door, with her face all flushed. “Keep going, Mo Xing. You're the best. Yao'er will wait for the day you become a peak-stage Heaven Monarch and ask my father for my hand in marriage!”

Mo Yao'er left, and Jiang Yi's heart finally calmed down. He kept replaying Mo Yao'er saying 'I will die if I leave you' over and over again in his head. Jiang Yi felt a deep sense of guilt. Love was known for being the greatest poison. He had no idea what would become of Mo Yao'er after he left. Would she ever recover from the pain?

'Keep going, you're the best?'

This reminded Jiang Yi of his maidservant, who always loved to cheer Jiang Yi on ever since he was born. Now, his maidservant was living a lonely life in the Xuanwu Palace in the Endless Deep Sea. He guessed that she was still waiting for him to visit her as well.

Jiang Yi recalled Feng Luan, Qing Yu, Nangong Qiling, as well as Qian Wanguan. He wondered if Zhan Wushuang had started his journey yet. Had he already arrived at the East Imperial Continent and found his people?

At last, Jiang Yi thought about Yi Piaopiao, the mysterious mother. He wondered if the Shadow Emperor had found her yet. Did Yi Piaopiao know about the huge commotion he caused at the East Imperial Continent? Was he sending people to look for her at this moment?

There were so many things on his mind… so many people that he missed. There were just too many loved ones whom Jiang Yi had to protect. He felt a huge weight weigh down on his shoulders. His breathing became labored. He closed his eyes and scratched his head with both of his hands, loneliness and bitterness mixed on his face.

He only rested for one day before Jiang Yi isolated himself again. This time, he was ready to train until he filled up his sixth star sphere. After that, he would descend the mountain and go out to break through.

Training at 2500 times his usual speed made him feel like some sort of fire arrow. He only took one short month to achieve what others would have required 2500 months to achieve. Of course, this was not considering the Young Masters in the East Imperial Continent, who could enter the thousands of the Tang Clan's secret cultivation rooms and consume additional spirit herbs. They would probably be much faster than Jiang Yi still.

Essence force cultivation was not even considered an obstacle for the Young Masters of the major clans. Dao patterns were the most difficult. As long as they could realize those dao patterns, their essence force could follow along easily.

In the one year or so that he had been in isolation, Jiang Yi focused not only on his essence force. Instead, his heart was focused on several things at once while he was in the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He kept thinking about how to realize dao patterns. He needed just one more three-star dao pattern in order to become a Demigod. Once he did, he could then look for the elder at the North Lake on the Buddha Mountain.

However, it was a pity that he did not realize any three-star dao patterns at that time. He was naturally talented. Yet, while he was in the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, he did not even realize one dao pattern.

It was clear that this was not an easy task after all. As long as there was no opportunity or chance, he could forget about realizing any dao patterns no matter how long he sat in isolation.

“Alright, my sixth star sphere is full. It will mutate any time now!”

After a month and 20 days, Jiang Yi finally came out of isolation. He closely inspected his body to confirm that his sixth star sphere was indeed full. Then, he stood up and packed up. Looking at the main door, he sighed and said, “It's time to leave.”

He guessed that his spirit would become much stronger once his sixth star sphere mutated. It would then be easy for him to control the Rainbow Soul Spear. When that time came, he would take the risk and kill Qiu Shan before heading straight for the East Imperial Continent.

Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man once again and checked the status outside. It was nighttime, and the Heaven Devil Mountain was coming out of lockdown. Perhaps Mo Yao'er was waiting for him to break through; she had remained in the Heaven Devil Palace all this time.

“Let's go!”

A fresh wave of determination overcame him, but just before he undid the seal around the palace, he realized something was holding him back. Even if he wanted to leave, he had to first say goodbye to Mo Yao'er, right? “Forget it…”

Saying goodbye to Mo Yao'er would make her cling onto him even more for sure. In any case, Jiang Yi did not want to see her crestfallen expression. He quickly retrieved paper and a brush and then left a few words on the table. With that, he left the palace.

Since the Heaven Devil Mountain had undone their locks, Jiang Yi was free to enter and leave the mountain as he pleased. He exited the mountain at top speed.

The entire journey was smooth. Nobody was there to hold him back or slow him down. Jiang Yi quickly headed toward the south. He had traveled a total of 1500 meters before he finally stopped and prepared to evade heaven.

“Mo Xing, Mo Xing, Mo Xing…”

At that time, he heard a loud wailing coming from the north. The shouting was clearly emitted from someone's essence force. The sound caused heaven and earth to shake. Its tone sounded panicked, afraid, and heartbroken.

There were tears in the wailing. It sounded like a child had just lost his favorite toy. It broke Jiang Yi's heart to hear it. It was Mo Yao'er's voice.

Jiang Yi's heart trembled as he turned to face the north. It was almost as if he could see Mo Yao'er's tear-streaked face, looking for him all around. He gritted his teeth and lowered his voice to mumble something before turning to leave.

“I'm sorry, Mo Yao'er. If you haven't forgotten me in five years and if we meet again, I will not let you down for sure!”

Chapter 1030 - I Swear!

Chapter 1030: I Swear!

“Mo Xing, Mo Xing!”

Twenty miles south of Heaven Devil Mountain, Mo Yao'er held a letter in her hand and was frantically running about in the wilderness. Her face was filled with tears, her eyes filled with shock and fear. She was running as fast as she could, screaming for Mo Xing. Her voice carried her sobs as she used her essence force to amplify it. Her voice rang out tens of miles away.

“Sacred Lady! Sacred Lady!”

Mo Qi and Mo Fu brought a group of people and were following her. They were completely unaware of what had happened. Why was Mo Yao'er so heartbroken and crying?

Why was she running about in the middle of the night? She was shouting for Mo Xing? Although Mo Xing was not in the castle, where could he have gone? Even if he had gone out, it didn't mean he wasn't coming back.

“Sacred Lady, what on earth had happened? Don't panic! Is Mo Xing missing? We can send people to go and find him. You should go back first. It is dangerous out here.”

Mo Fu saw that Mo Yao'er intended to continue running south and hurriedly increased his speed to restrain her. Mo Qi also followed swiftly, nodded, and said, “Sacred Lady, you won't be able to find him like this. Can you tell us what had happened? We will help you find him.”

“Mo Xing has left. Mo Xing doesn't want me anymore.”

Mo Yao'er stilled herself, but her body was still shaking. Her lips were trembling, and she looked out of sorts. She muttered, “You guys cannot find him. You guys cannot find him.”

Mo Yao'er's mannerisms scared Mo Fu, Mo Qi, and company. Mo Fu hurriedly said, “Sacred Lady, Mo Xing's speed is not that fast. We can deploy our troops to seal off a five-hundred-kilometer radius. We will definitely help you find him.”

“Really?”

A little bit of life seemed to return to Mo Yao'er's eyes. She held Mo Fu's hands and anxiously said, “Go and chase! Deploy everyone! You need to find Mo Xing.”

“Okay, okay. Sacred Lady, please go back first!”

Mo Fu nodded. Although this girl was a little devil lady, Mo Fu and company had watched her grow up. They all saw her as their granddaughter. Seeing her like this pained Mo Fu and Mo Qi. Mo Qi added, “Give the order to deploy all our troops. Seal off a five-hundred-kilometer radius. We need to find Mo Xing.”

“There is no need to look!”

At this moment, a cold voice rang out. A figure appeared in mid-air. Mo Fu, Mo Qi, and company saw him and immediately knelt down and said, “Greetings to Sect Patriarch!”

“Majesty Father, Majesty Father!”

Once Mo Yao'er saw her father, tears started streaming down as she yelled and flew towards Mo Shen. She did not pay any attention to the astral winds in the air.

Mo Shen's eyebrows rose and hurriedly swept away the astral winds, holding Mo Yao'er in his arms. He then said indifferently, “Okay, you guys can go back. I will settle this matter.”

Once Mo Fu and company had left, Mo Yao'er immediately handed the letter to Mo Shen, crying, “Majesty Father, Mo Xing has left. He really left. He left a letter saying that he had to do something important and that if I have not forgotten about him in five years from now and if we still can meet, he will not let me down!”

Mo Shen did not read the letter. He said nonchalantly, “I know. I saw him leave.”

“Ah?”

Mo Yao'er's eyes welled with tears. She was puzzled and asked, “Why did Majesty Father not stop him? Majesty Father, can you help me to bring him back? My heart hurts.”

Mo Shen caressed Mo Yao'er's head and sighed. “I can't bring him back. Even if I could, his heart is not here with you; what use is there? Yao'er, forget about him. He deceived you and took advantage of your feelings; I will definitely make him pay. Hmph! No one can bully my daughter.”

“No!”

Mo Yao'er shook her head vigorously. She said adamantly, “Mo Xing really does like me. He probably really has something big to attend to! If he didn't like me, he wouldn't leave this letter. Majesty Father, don't hurt him. If he dies, I don't want to live either.”

“Foolish lass!”

Mo Shen's face changed. “He lied to you. He was lying to you from the beginning. Initially, I thought that there might be a chance he liked you; hence, I didn't expose his identity and didn't kill him. Now that he had left in this manner, it has been proven that he only wanted to use you.”

Mo Yao'er was so confused by what Majesty Father was saying that she forgot to even cry. She asked blankly, “Majesty Father, what are you saying? What identity? What do you mean he was using me?”

“If I haven't guessed wrongly!”

Mo Shen's gaze looked towards the south. He was full of killing intent as he said, “He most probably came from the East Imperial Continent. He is not Mo Xing. He has a special mystical ability that allows him to alter his appearance and soul spirit aura. Although he changed and became exactly like one of the Heaven Devil Race, I could easily see through his disguise. There is no devil's bone in his hand!”

“Ah?”

Mo Yao'er was astonished. Her mouth wide open, she asked, “If he is not Mo Xing, who is he?”

“Jiang Yi!”

Mo Shen spat out a name. He explained: “When he left, I was coincidentally sending out my divine senses. I saw that there was a disturbance in the air. That must have been the Heaven Evasion Divine Skill. When he was killing Qiu Bai and company that time on Ice Island, there was not a living soul left in the vicinity. He must have been afraid that his identity might be exposed. Also, the supposed Jolting Kill Through Air that he used to kill Qiu Ming should be his astral wind mystical ability.

However, his Icebound Thousand Miles dao pattern should have been learned in the Snow Region. Legend has it that Jiang Yi also has a mystical ability that can allow him to change into anyone. To be able to wreak havoc in the Snow Region at such a young age, he could only be Jiang Yi, the unlucky star.”

“Jiang Yi?”

Mo Yao'er was not unfamiliar with this character Jiang Yi. She actually had paid much attention to this young man that was shaking up the East Imperial Continent. In her mind, the two people started to merge into one. She thought for a long time, before saying, “Jiang Yi? Mo Xing? It seems like they are actually the same person. His aura is too unique. Even someone who grew up on Heaven Devil Mountain would not have such an air. I should have long guessed it. Jiang Yi? He's Jiang Yi? Aaaah…”

Mo Yao'er suddenly recalled many things. The first time Jiang Yi and her met, that obstinate and unruly look he had; no ordinary disciple of Heaven Devil Race would dare to look at her like that. Furthermore, when Jiang Yi was killing Qiu Ming, that killer determination and presumptuousness was not something ordinary people possessed.

Most importantly, on Tiger Subdue Mountain, the look of unending love that Jiang Yi had when he saw Su Ruoxue. Followed by his crazed departure, that limitless pain. There was also Jiang Yi's devilish smile, as well as the arrogance he had when he was with her. All this was definitely not something a normal disciple of Heaven Devil Race would have.

Mo Yao'er managed to put all the pieces together. She looked as if she had lost her soul, standing on the spot like an idiot.

Mo Shen was right. Jiang Yi's heart was not here. Even if he was brought back, what use was there?

He had never liked her; he was just playing along —using her. She still remembered two months ago, when she brought up the topic of their wedding… the solemn look he had.

Jiang Yi was very famous. All the great races in the Snow Region had heard of his name and escapades. Mo Yao'er also knew Jiang Yi very well.

She understood at this moment that she could never win this man's heart. He was a divine dragon from above the Nine Heavens while she was just a peacock from the mountains.

The East Imperial Continent had so many elegant young ladies. The likes of Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing were all entangled with Jiang Yi. It was also rumored that in the Gods Bestow Tribe, Jiang Yi was also involved with many ladies. How was it possible that he would be attracted to such an unruly and reckless girl like her?

“Majesty Father!”

She stared into the distance for a long period of time and raised the letter in her hand, with eyes full of hope. She asked, “Majesty Father, he said that if I hadn't forgotten him after five years and if we had a chance to meet, he will not let me down. Is his word true?”

Mo Shen deeply sighed. He did not want to break Mo Yao'er's heart and said indifferently, “Since those were his final words, that should be true. Yao'er, you should forget him. This person has a demonic nature.

He will either fly all the way up to the Nine Heavens, or he will die! There are so many good men in the world. If you choose to wait for him, perhaps… you might be alone and bitter your entire life.”

“No! I will wait!”

Mo Yao'er clenched her fists tightly. She said determinedly, “I will wait for him for five years. I will also work hard and break through the Demigod Realm. If I manage to find him after five years and if he still decides to let me down, I will… kill him myself. I swear.”

Chapter 1031 - Peak of the Heaven

Monarch Realm

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ten-thousand feet under the Ice Sea—in the underground tunnel of the ice layer, one lone man was making his way forward. He had been pressing on for a full day and night. He was heading towards the Ice Island. Many ice beasts and ice imps were there. However, he believed that at this point in time, that was the safest place in the entire Snow Region.

The Ice Sea was in the center of the ten sacred mountains. The place was chaotic, and thus ordinarily, no Demigod martial expert would deign to go there. Even if one were to rush to the Ice Island from one of the sacred mountains, that would require some time. It would be enough for him to escape easily.

The man was naturally Jiang Yi who had used Heaven Evasion to leave Heaven Devil Mountain. However, he did not use Heaven Evasion directly to Ice Island but chose to appear outside the Ice Sea and find a passageway in. There were many martial artists in the Ice Sea, and it was easy to be detected. He also needed one or two days to know if Mo Shen was coming to kill him.

In the Snow Region, only the Heaven Devil Race would walk underground. Jiang Yi had walked in the underground passageway for one full day and one full night. He had not encountered anyone from the Heaven Devil Race or other races while Mo Shen had not come after him, too.

After walking for one more day, he reached the vicinity of the Ice Island close to nighttime. He entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and sent his divine senses out. Following the passageway up to the surface, he scanned his surroundings. He confirmed that there was no sign or aura from any Demigods and then opened his eyes, letting out a gush of air.

The speed of Demigod martial experts was extremely fast. If Mo Shen intended to kill Jiang Yi and was able to track Jiang Yi, Mo Shen probably would have long arrived. Since Mo Shen had not, that meant Jiang Yi was safe.

“Sigh…”

In his mind, Mo Yao'er's heart-wrenching cries rang repeatedly. Jiang Yi felt a sense of guilt well up in him. He was not a cold-blooded creature. Even if it was a dog that he had spent a long time with, feelings would have developed; what more if it was Mo Yao'er, the girl who had loved him so.

“Hope that Mo Yao'er can forget me!”

He thought about what he was about to do, as well as the unknown future, and steeled himself. This innocent girl would never be happy if she followed him; she might even die together with him… because of him. It was preferable that she spent her entire life safe and sound in the Snow Region.

“Scout!”

He stopped thinking about this, sat cross-legged, and released his Divine Perception. He scouted a two-hundred-and-fifty-kilometers radius and was satisfied with the results. There were only two small bands nearby, with not a single four or five-star martial expert; they were not a threat to him.

“Cultivate!”

He didn't care about anything else and started cultivating cross-legged. He had already filled up his sixth star sphere with essence force. If he cultivated more, the star sphere would definitely change; his essence force would also reach the Heaven Monarch Realm.

After the star sphere changed, his soul spirit would—more or less—grow as well. He could also gain some power of the stars. After gaining some power of the stars from mastering the Icebound Thousand Miles—with the additional powers this time, he could perhaps start activating the Smelting Divine Furnace.

Three days later, there was a shift in the wind and the clouds above Ice Island, astonishing all the martial artists in the thousand-mile radius. Above the Nine Heavens came a streak of divine light, heading straight down under the Ice Island. Everyone was incredibly envious.

The Heaven and Earth Anomaly bequeathed the powers of the stars. It was a phenomenon that would only appear when someone had attained a five-star-or-above dao pattern. Hence, everyone near the Ice Island thought that someone was hiding under the Ice Island, cultivating, and had ultimately mastered a strong dao pattern.

“Let's go and see!”

Coincidentally, a Tiger Subdue Sect commander was bringing a troop of martial artists nearby to kill ice beasts. That commander muttered to himself, waved his hand, and entered the underground passageway with his men. He wanted to see who was there. If it was an enemy of Tiger Subdue Sect, he could use this opportunity to kill the enemy while he was cultivating.

Buzz!

The nine star spheres in Jiang Yi's dantian were all glowing brightly; each was shining a different glow. The sixth star sphere was the brightest, its blue light dazzling. Jiang Yi's thoughts were resting in the star sphere and realized that a sliver of the power of the stars was entering his body. It finally entered his sixth star sphere and rested there.

“Power of the stars, this is great stuff!”

Jiang Yi silently exclaimed. He realized that his soul spirit was also slowly growing. He estimated that after this, his Rainbow Soul Spear could fly freely for forty to fifty rounds, and up to twenty-thousand feet away.

Tsk! Tsk!

At this moment, a slight noise rang out from afar. Jiang Yi used his divine senses and smiled coldly. He was just thinking of trying out the power of his Rainbow Soul Spear. The group of people approaching would be the best targets.

“Go!”

Jiang Yi's eyes widened and from his brows, a seven-colored radiance shined. A streak of divine rainbow flew by, penetrating the black dirt and appearing in an instant… in front of the Tiger Subdue Sect commander's head.

“Ah? What is this?”

The Tiger Subdue Sect commander's eyes shrank, and from the depths of his soul spirit, a warning of fatal death surfaced. He did not hesitate and deployed his soul spirit force to block the Rainbow Soul Spear that was about to enter his brain.

Bang!

The Tiger Subdue Sect was known to be skilled at soul spirit attacks; their soul spirit defensive ability was not shabby either. However, it was not a match for the Rainbow Soul Spear. The Rainbow Soul Spear flew by and cracked the commander's soul spirit, flying out from the back of his head. It then flew towards the Tiger Subdue Sect members behind the commander.

Thud! Thud!

The Rainbow Soul Spear flew in a straight line and could not be blocked. Its speed was too fast. The Tiger Subdue Sect disciples did not even manage to see clearly what was happening. All they felt was a streak of multi-colored light piercing them, and they fell dead immediately.

The troop was made up of more than thirty people. Within two breaths, all their soul spirits had been destroyed. They lay on the ground and died.

Tsk! Tsk!

The Rainbow Soul Spear flew back, and Jiang Yi examined it. He found out that there was no damage to it whatsoever. His face was extremely agitated. The power of his Rainbow Soul Spear had indeed grown immensely. While he did not know exactly by how much, he was confident that if he was facing other Heaven Monarch ranked martial expert, he could kill them easily.

“The strength of my soul spirit had indeed increased significantly. En… I should still retreat first. If there were any Demigods nearby, there would be trouble.”

Jiang Yi stood up, and his gaze swept over the bodies. His hand glowed with a red light, as he was preparing to burn the bodies to destroy evidence. His Rainbow Soul Spear was a secret weapon; he could not let anyone find out anything.

“This isn't right!”

The Nine Heavens Dragon Flames in his hand flashed and disappeared. His Ancient Divine Essence Ring lit up, and two awls appeared. Those were awls belonging to the Dwarf Race; Jiang Yi had collected a few last time.

He had even taken the two ancient artifacts that Qiu Bai had—the Reliance Awls. However, these two awls were too conspicuous; Jiang Yi had not dared to take them out, afraid that people would see. The Clan Head of Dwarf Race would definitely come after him to kill him.

Bang, Bang, Bang!

He held an awl from the Dwarf Race and smashed the brains of the Tiger Subdue Sect members, smashing them to bits. With the brains in bits and pieces, no one would be able to guess how they had died.

“Hehe!”

After smashing all the heads and seeing those bloodied corpses, Jiang Yi suddenly had an idea. He thought of an ingenious plan that could completely annihilate the entire Dwarf Race.

Buzz!

His body flashed white as he slowly changed his appearance, into a three-feet tall member of the Dwarf Race. He held both the awls and had a murderous look in his eyes. His aura was strong; from afar, people would associate him as a formidable martial expert from the Dwarf Race.

“Go!”

His short and rough legs moved as he dashed into the distance holding two huge awls. This time, he was prepared to wreak havoc throughout the entire Snow Region.

Chapter 1032 - Turning Heaven

and Earth Upside-Down

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

There was indeed chaos reining in the Snow Region; within ten days, thousands of people were killed.

Out of this number, many of them were from the Tiger Subdue Sect, the Fire Chi Race, the Mammoth Race, and the Mantis Blade Sect. They were all killed by a single blow, with their brains smashed to smithereens. According to accounts made by disciples from other races who were wandering the region, there was a martial expert from the Dwarf Race that had gone crazy. He was killing everyone he saw and was incredibly powerful. He kept muttering about seeking revenge for two of his young clan heads.

Once the news had spread, everyone in the Snow Region felt that they were in danger. All races also hurriedly recalled all their people back home. Out of those who were killed, not a few were four and five-starred martial experts; they were all killed with one lethal blow. The strength of this martial expert from the Dwarf Race had reached epic proportions; he probably had reached the Demigod Realm.

The Tiger Subdue Sect, Fire Chi Race, Mammoth Race, and Mantis Blade Sect were infuriated. At once, they sent men to the Dwarf Mountain to confront the Dwarf Race, asking the latter for an explanation. At the same time, they also sent out martial experts and their armies to kill that crazed Dwarf Race martial expert that was killing indiscriminately.

The Dwarf Race was dumbfounded.

When did such a formidable martial artist appear within their ranks? However, it was true that in the previous battle, many elders and martial experts from the Dwarf Race had died in battle or went missing. Furthermore, no one knew what this dwarf looked like.

Members of other races, like the Phantom Race, found that the dwarfs all appeared the same. They were all short, had eyes like a bull, and looked extremely fierce and menacing.

Hence, the Dwarf Race also didn't know who was killing at will outside. Qiu Shan had personally investigated this matter and ordered the Grand Elder of the Dwarf Race to bring fifty martial experts and search for this person. For a dwarf to have such power, that was a fortuitous thing for the Dwarf Race. They could not let the martial experts from the other races kill him.

What gave Qiu Shan a headache was that this dwarf had seemed to have lost his senses. It was fine that he was seeking revenge for Qiu Ming and Qiu Bai; why did he also kill members of the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race? These were the Dwarf Race's allies. If the alliance was destroyed because of this, there would be many problems to follow.

Qiu Shan immediately sent men to Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race to explain the situation and said that once this person was found, Qiu Shan would personally bring him to Fire Chi Mountain and Mammoth Mountain to receive punishment. As for Tiger Subdue Sect, Qiu Shan sent men to inform that the killer was not a dwarf from the Dwarf Race. With regard to the Mantis Blade Sect, Qiu Shan didn't bother to reply to them at all. Since they had already become enemies, he didn't see the need to respond.

With many armies on the move, everyone was looking everywhere for this Dwarf Race martial expert. What was depressing was that this person had suddenly disappeared. Tens of thousands of people had turned the Snow Region upside-down, but no one could find a trace of this man.

After many days of searching, when the armies were getting ready to retreat, that mysterious Dwarf Race martial expert resurfaced again. He killed a small troop of Tiger Subdue Sect members, each with that same lethal blow; their brains were also smashed to bits. When the martial experts from Tiger Subdue Sect rushed to the scene, he disappeared without a trace once again.

On the third day, there was news from the Fire Chi Race. A patrol force of a few hundred men had been annihilated north of Fire Chi Mountain. The modus operandi was exactly the same; it was the work of that same dwarf.

The Clan Head of Fire Chi Race was furious. He personally searched a five-hundred-kilometer radius but could not find anything. That man appeared to be able to soar into the sky and dive into the ground; even a Demigod could not track him.

On the fifth day, a thousand-strong troop outside Mantis Blade Mountain was killed; he had shown himself again.

On the eighth day, on the outskirts of Mammoth Mountain, eight-hundred men were slaughtered. When the Clan Head of the Mammoth Race went to investigate, he had vanished into thin air again.

On the eleventh day, this mysterious dwarf surfaced one thousand kilometers south of Tiger Subdue Mountain. This time, he was even more ruthless. He murdered a total of one thousand five hundred people, including three elders and five-star martial experts.

The entire Tiger Subdue Mountain was shaken as was the entire Snow Region when word spread.

Never once in the past tens of thousands of years had something like this ever happened. A single man facing the armies of a few great races. While he indeed killed many people, what was most crucial was that the few Demigods could not find him at all.

However, it could be ascertained that this man indeed possessed powers of a Demigod; if not, how was it possible that he could have killed so many martial experts? Even five-star martial experts were killed with one single blow. Based on the corpses and the battle scenes, it felt as if those who were killed didn't even have the ability to resist. They were easily killed by one of his awls. This strange methodology scared many formidable martial artists witless.

Furthermore, this man's speed was exceptional. The distance from Tiger Subdue Mountain to Fire Chi Mountain was very far. A five-star martial expert would not have been able to make the journey within two to three days. Only a Demigod could possess such speed.

Moreover… the various Demigods had headed out immediately after each incident but were unable to trace this man. His speed was indeed astonishing.

Dwarf Mountain was also seething with excitement. For one, they were happy for the Dwarf Race for having produced such a strong martial artist. However, this man was a lunatic; and the Dwarf Race could not find him— much less bring him back.

If he continued such wanton killing, the alliance with the other two races was sure to fall apart. The Tiger Subdue Sect and the Mantis Blade Sect would also not let the Dwarf Race off easily.

Qiu Shan could not sit still anymore and gathered all the dwarfs back to Dwarf Mountain. He personally led the efforts to find this martial expert, desiring to bring him back. Qiu Shan was hoping that this man could regain his senses. At that time, the Dwarf Race would have two Half Gods, greatly boosting the Dwarf Race's might. They would then not need to fear the other races anymore.

Cao Peiwen and Mantis Blade were indeed strong, but did they dare to come to Dwarf Mountain?

If they dared to come, Qiu Shan could sit tight and manage things on Dwarf Mountain while that martial expert could go and cleanse Tiger Subdue Mountain and Mantis Blade Mountain. Under this circumstance, both sides would suffer heavy losses. Cao Peiwen and Mantis Blade would definitely choose to act with great caution and be wary of the consequences.

Cao Peiwen, Mantis Blade, and the Clan Heads of Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race also could no longer stay in their mountains. They all personally led the effort in tracking down this man, swearing to kill him. The various Demigods searched high and low throughout the Snow Region. They did not believe that this man really could avoid all their search efforts. Heaven Devil Mountain, Heaven Devil Palace!

Mo Shen heard the reports and smiled bitterly. He looked at the hopeful Mo Yao'er next to him and said, “He really didn't lie to you this time. He had gone to take care of a big matter.

This lad is indeed an unlucky star; wherever he went, things would happen. Not only that, he had to make sure to turn heaven and earth upside-down.”

Mo Yao'er received the report and read it many times. Her face was extremely anxious. She grabbed Mo Shen's arm and said, “Majesty Father! Qiu Shan, Cao Peiwen, and Mantis Blade had all gone out. Mo Xing… Jiang Yi is in danger. You should go and help him, if not he will definitely die.”

“Sigh!”

Mo Shen shook his head, sighed, and said, “Everyone says that a daughter married is like water spilled! This phrase is indeed the truth. He doesn't even like you, and yet you still side with him and want to help him?

Curmudgeon Cao, Mantis Blade, and Qiu Shan are all not to be trifled with. If I were to go up against them, I will also have a slim chance of surviving. It doesn't matter if I die, but if I died, the million people in Heaven Devil Race would be in trouble, too.”

“Majesty Father!”

Mo Yao'er heard this, and her face turned pale. She was full of guilt as tears fell from her face. She bit her lip and lowered her head; she did not know what to say. She was shy and guilty but yet worried. A hundred types of emotions were welling up in her heart.

“Foolish lass.”

Mo Shen gently touched Mo Yao'er's head and said, “Don't worry. That lad is most probably just like a cat; he has nine lives. If Curmudgeon Cao and the rest couldn't kill him before this, they won't be able to kill him now. How many days has it been? Yet, the lad's power had grown immensely once more. He could kill five-star martial experts and one thousand five hundred men in an instant. At that time, he was only one thousand kilometers from Tiger Subdue Mountain. How fast is Curmudgeon Cao?

“To disappear without a trace by the time Curmudgeon Cao arrived, it can be seen that this lad was killing five-star martial experts as easily as pinching an ant to death. He also has the Heaven Evasion ability. As long as he is not too foolish, Curmudgeon Cao and the rest ought not to be able to kill him.”

Mo Yao'er was still uneasy. She desperately said, “But Curmudgeon Cao is an eight-star martial expert. Jiang Yi is still not a Demigod…”

“Keke!”

Mo Shen laughed lightly and said, “Trust Majesty Father. Although Curmudgeon Cao is indeed an eight-star martial expert, the only skills he can use are the eight-star dao pattern and the Shield of the Earth. As for his other techniques, they are only so-so. As long as that lad does not come into contact with them, Curmudgeon Cao will not be able to do much to him.”

After saying this, Mo Shen stood up and walked to the windowsill. He looked far out to the ice plains. His brows furrowed as he muttered seriously to himself, “Why does this lad want to impersonate someone from the Dwarf Race? He is putting the Dwarf Race in a dangerous predicament.

Could it be he was seeking revenge for Yao'er? However, him causing internal conflict in the Snow Region is ultimately bad for the Snow Region. Should I expose this lad's identity? Sigh…”

Chapter 1033 - Indeed, He was not

From the Dwarf Race

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

North of the Snow Region, there was a small mountain that everyone called the Saint Mountain!

To the people in the Snow Region, Saint Mountain was forbidden ground. Every race had their own rules set by their ancestors, forbidding anyone from going to the north of the Snow Region—forbidding anyone from going to Saint Mountain. As to why it was forbidden ground—what was so scary about that mountain, many people did not know.

The Clan Heads of all the great races, however, knew clearly. That was the territory of the de facto king of the Snow Region, the Heaven Hidden Sect. Anyone who wanted to enter Heaven Hidden Sect had to enter via Saint Mountain.

Of course, not anyone could enter Heaven Hidden Sect. Even if Mo Shen wanted to, he had to seek an audience earnestly. If the Sect Matriarch of the Heaven Hidden Sect did not want to see him, Mo Shen also could only head back.

At this time, ten thousand feet beneath Saint Mountain, there was actually someone sitting cross-legged and cultivating. Although a few dozen people were guarding Saint Mountain, none of their divine senses were particularly strong; they could only sense things within a few thousand feet away. They did not realize that person's presence at all. After all, who would dare to make trouble here at Heaven Hidden Sect?

Those guarding Saint Mountain were also not particularly strong. If someone wanted to barge in using force, there should not be too much of a problem. However, even if one managed to force their way in, so what?

More than a dozen Demigods were residing in Saint Mountain; the Sect Matriarch was also someone who rivaled the Nine Thearchs. Anyone who entered would only be throwing his life away.

Hence, the person underneath Saint Mountain now was extremely bold, even to the point of wanting to throw his life away!

As a matter of fact, this person was indeed bold. After all, a person who even dared to make the North Thearch his enemy could not be timid. However, Jiang Yi was really smart this time. If he hid here, even if Cao Peiwen and company turned Snow Region upside down, they would still not be able to find him.

They would also never have guessed that Jiang Yi dared to hide here. It was probably that even Heaven Hidden Sect could not have guessed that Jiang Yi was hiding under the Saint Mountain.

Half a month!

Cao Peiwen and company had searched the entire Snow Region again but could only wring their hands and head back home respectively. They were all Clan Heads of the great races, the pillars of the Snow Region; they could not be seen as blindly running about. They would become the laughingstock for the remaining Demigods. As their status was high, they could not be seen every day outside, facing the elements.

Five days later, Jiang Yi resurfaced again. He made his way furtively underground, and after a significant distance away from Saint Mountain, he immediately used his Heaven Evasion and left. This time, he went to Fire Chi Mountain. He waited outside the mountain for one day and one night.

Using his Divine Perception, he could predict where his enemies were and attack preemptively. He easily found his target. It was another five-hundred-strong small patrol group.

“Kill—”

Even before he appeared, his Rainbow Soul Spear had flown ahead of him. Like the Death God's sickle, it flew through the brains of all the five hundred people present. Many did not have the time to react before their soul spirits were smashed to bits. Their bodies fell as they died, not knowing how and why.

Bang!

As there were a few hundred people present, even for the Rainbow Soul Spear it took time for it to make a complete round. One person had reacted and threw a signal flare up into the sky. The flare flew up into the sky and exploded, lighting up half the sky. However, this person died immediately after releasing the signal flare.

Swish!

Jiang Yi shot out from underground, wielding two awls in his hands. His body moving like the wind, he made a round at everybody present. Five hundred brains were smashed to pieces. Without hesitating, he then tore the spatial zone and fled using his Heaven Evasion.

Swish!

Merely a few breaths after Jiang Yi had left, a fiery-red streak came dashing through the sky. The Clan Head of the Fire Chi Race Huo Yan had come as soon as he could. However, this place was tens of kilometers away from Fire Chi Mountain. He was, after all, not a real god. From the time he received the signal till the time he reacted and came still required a little time.

From the time Jiang Yi attacked till he used his Heaven Evasion, it had only taken not more than ten breaths of time. No matter how fast Huo Yan was, he would not have been able to rush here in such a short period of time.

“This is too overbearing, too overbearing!”

Looking at the ground littered with maimed corpses, Huo Yan was filled with rage as he roared. He became a ray of a rainbow and sped around within a five-hundred-kilometer radius, activating his divine senses to the maximum. However, as before, he could find nothing.

Three days later, Jiang Yi acted again. He killed eight hundred men on Mammoth Mountain.

Six days later, Jiang Yi killed five hundred men on Mantis Blade Mountain. Ten days later, it was Tiger Subdue Sect's turn, losing a thousand men. When Cao Peiwen had rushed to the battlefield, Jiang Yi had long fled.

Boom!

Cao Peiwen searched the vicinity and confirmed that he couldn't find the murderer. He was so filled with rage that he let out a giant palm full of energy. From afar, a small mountain exploded and was razed to the ground. There was trembling within a fifty-kilometers radius.

“Sect Patriarch, please do not be angry!”

A group of elders from the Tiger Subdue Sect hurriedly ran over. Cao Peiwen's snow-white beard was flaying about with rage. His eyes flashed as he said coldly, “Don't just stand there.

Go and search! If you all can't find him, don't come back!”

“Yes, yes!”

The group of elders hurried rose up and was just about to spread out and search when Cao Duantian, who was standing at one corner, waved his hand and said, “Don't bother finding. You guys won't find him.”

“En?”

Cao Peiwen's icy cold eyes looked towards Cao Duantian, waiting for him to explain. Cao Duantian cupped his hands and said, “Sect Patriarch, I have a half-baked idea.”

“Speak!” Cao Peiwen's cold voice rang out. Seeing Cao Duantian looking pointedly at the elders behind him, Cao Peiwen waved his hand; and the elders quickly retreated. Only Cao Shishui was left with them.

Cao Shishui was his sister, and so Cao Duantian did not mind that much. He bowed and said, “Sect Patriarch, I have been thinking about something for a period of time. Why is this person being crazy and killing everyone within sight? Why is he only killing members of the Tiger Subdue Sect, the Fire Chi Race, the Mammoth Race, and the Mantis Blade Sect? Since he is already mad, why isn't he killing people from other races? Why isn't he killing people from Heaven Devil Race or the Dwarf Race?”

Cao Peiwen frowned and was deep in thought. He had been so mad this period of time that even though he had thought about some matters, he had been too fixated on catching Jiang Yi and hadn't thought too deeply about much else.

Cao Shishui's brows raised. She was Cao Peiwen's most favored princess. This was evident from the fact that Cao Peiwen hadn't said anything when she decided to remain.

She thought about it and said, “Could it be he only remembers some things from before he went crazy? For example, he recalls that he's not supposed to kill the Dwarf Race? Perhaps… he only remembers the battle with the Ice Beast King and hence viewed every army present then as his enemy?”

“Keke!”

Cao Duantian laughed mockingly and said, “The Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race are both allies of the Dwarf Race. Even if this person was really crazy, he couldn't have forgotten this, right? Furthermore, every time he attacks, he is extremely careful and meticulous. He never picks big groups, only the smaller ones.

After killing, he would flee instantly. If he was a lunatic, how could he be so rational? Perhaps you might say that his luck is good. No matter how lucky one is, it's not possible that he just manages to escape every single time, right?”

Cao Shishui's eyes widened as she asked with shock, “Brother, do you mean to say that he is not crazy? But… if he is not crazy, why is he killing so wantonly? Why is he also killing people from the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race?”

Cao Peiwen's eyebrows furrowed. He evidently could not make sense of this as well. Cao Duantian gave a slight smile and said, “What if this person is not from the Dwarf Race?”

“What?”

Cao Shishui was in disbelief. She shook her head and said, “That's not possible. So many people have seen him. Furthermore, it is evident from the battle scenes that all who were killed had their heads smashed by awls.”

“Hahaha!”

Cao Duantian laughed for a period of time and said with much confidence, “I believe that this person is neither crazy nor a member of the Dwarf Race. He should be using some sort of mystical ability to change his appearance to look like a dwarf. Those battle remnants are the best evidence! So many people had died, and one and all had their brains smashed. Furthermore, there are no signs of him using other mystical abilities.

Those who had died seemed to not have moved much from their original positions. Think about it: if we saw a person carrying awls killing people, what would we do if we felt that we couldn't win the fight? We would either unleash our attacks or run away, right?

However… why is it that there are no signs of such actions from the battle scenes? These people didn't even try to flee? However fast an awl can be, it takes time to kill people one by one, right?”

“Soul spirit attack!”

Cao Peiwen's eyes flashed as he opened his mouth and said, “This person possesses a powerful soul spirit ability. He used awls to smash people's brains in order to cover up his actual attack! Indeed, he is not from the Dwarf Race.”

Chapter 1034 - Luring the Snake

out of the Cave

Chapter 1034: Luring the Snake out of the Cave

Tiger Subdue Sect was also an expert in soul spirit attacks. They deeply knew how horrifying such attacks could be. Not only was the killing speed fast, but these attacks could also kill a group of people without a trace, without any visible wounds on the enemy.

Cao Shishui also came to the same understanding. If these people were really killed one by one using awls, many of their bodies would also be smashed, with their limbs crushed apart. However, even though so many people had died, all of them had their brains smashed out; there were no other visible wounds on their bodies. Hence, the only explanation was that these people were killed first and then had their brains smashed to bits.

“This person is very smart!”

Cao Shishui's eyes twinkled as she said, “He disguised himself as someone from the Dwarf Race, carried awls, and yelled about wanting to avenge Qiu Bai and Qiu Ming. He intentionally wanted more people to see his appearance so that he could misdirect them.”

“But…”

Cao Shishui thought about it more and became confused again. She asked, “What is his goal? Does he want to make enemies out of all these races? Did he disguise himself so that no one would know his true identity?”

“Wrong!”

Cao Duantian smiled lightly and said, “He does not necessarily have grudges with us, at least not with all of us. He should be bearing a grudge against the Dwarf Race. He wants us to seek revenge from the Dwarf Race and use our hands to kill the Dwarf Race. Actually… I might actually have seen him once.”

Cao Duantian told the story of how someone from the Dwarf Race had thrown an awl at the Mantis Blade Sect during the hunt of the Ice Beast King, which started the huge battle between the two, to Cao Peiwen and Cao Shishui. After that, he secretly smiled and said, “Sect Patriarch, if I hadn't guessed wrongly, this person's true identity has been known to us before.”

“Oh?”

Cao Peiwen asked, “Little Tian, who is he?”

Cao Shishui also asked curiously, “Brother, even I have heard of this person before?”

“Yes!”

Cao Duantian smiled, pointed a finger to the south, and said, “That person should be from the East Imperial Continent. He has a unique mystical ability that allows him to disguise himself as anyone, even mimicking their soul spirit auras. He also possesses many other strange mystical abilities, one of which is exceptionally famous. It is called the Heaven Evasion Divine Skill.”

“En?”

Cao Peiwen's eyes narrowed and flashed a few times. His murderous look became even more crazed as he said coldly, “I see, wreaking havoc in the East Imperial Continent was not enough; this person actually came to the Snow Region to do the same? Does he really think he is unbeatable?”

“Ah?”

Cao Shishui was initially still a little confused. However, she soon understood. She opened her small mouth and said with astonishment, “Brother, are you saying… this person is Jiang Yi? How could it be? What is Jiang Yi doing here in the Snow Region? Even if he really came here, why is he doing this? He is making the entire Snow Region his enemy by acting in this manner.”

“Although I do not know the exact details, there is a high chance this person is Jiang Yi!”

Cao Duantian was very confident. He continued. “To be able to avoid the pursuit of so many Demigods; not even a seven-star martial expert could do that. If it was an eight-star martial expert, even the Matriarch of the Heaven Hidden Sect would not be able to sit this out any longer. The Snow Region is her territory after all! If a martial expert from the East Imperial Continent was killing wantonly, she has no reason not to come out.”

“That's right!”

Cao Shishui blinked her eyes and asked, “Brother, why hadn't Heaven Hidden Sect intervene in this matter? Historically, every time people from the East Imperial Continent came, it was always the Heaven Hidden Sect that came out to block and repel such advances.”

“Hahaha!”

Cao Duantian laughed out loud, attracting Cao Peiwen's attention. Cao Duantian explained, “If I hadn't guessed wrong, this person has another identity. We have seen him before. He is Mo Xing from the Heaven Devil Race!”

“Mo Xing!”

Cao Shishui's eyes widened again. Last time on Tiger Subdue Mountain, Jiang Yi's crazed and loving expression when he saw Su Ruoxue had left a mark on her. After eliminating Qiu Bai, Huo Gu, and Meng Da on Ice Island single-handedly, that hellish scene was also not something Cao Shishui would ever forget.

“That's right, he is Mo Xing!”

Cao Duantian was very certain. He said, “Jiang Yi could change into anyone; it would have been too easy for him to enter Heaven Devil Race. Furthermore, the speed in which Mo Xing rose through the ranks was too fast. A previous nobody suddenly rising up and killing Qiu Bai, Meng Da, Huo Gu, and a few thousand martial experts is unbelievable. If it was really a normal member of the Heaven Devil Race—even if he could kill, he would also have exercised restraint for fear of implicating Heaven Devil Race.”

Cao Peiwen's face grew solemn. He suddenly spoke and said, “Little Tian, your analysis is quite good. Continue!”

Cao Duantian was slightly blushing; Cao Peiwen rarely praised anyone. It was extremely rare for him to say such a thing. Cao Duantian hurriedly said, “Mo Xing is Jiang Yi. When he saw a Saint Lady from Heaven Hidden Sect the day before Sect Patriarch's birthday banquet, his reaction was extremely odd. He also said he had met that Saint Lady before. Shishui was there, too.

She probably could also feel that he had deep feelings for that Saint Lady. After that on Ice Island—after he killed Qiu Bai and company, I had brought my men over. However, Fifth Eldress was coincidentally present and saved Jiang Yi!”

Cao Peiwen was a little confused. He said impatiently, “Simplify matters!”

Cao Duantian nodded and continued. “Based on my conjecture, Jiang Yi had come to the Snow Region to save Saint Lady Xue. On the East Imperial Continent, he had also started a war with the North Thearch over a woman. As Sect Patriarch, you know that once someone enters Heaven Hidden Sect, there is no way out. Hence, I guess that Jiang Yi must have made a deal with Heaven Hidden Sect… for example, extinguishing the Dwarf Race! Him infiltrating Heaven Devil Race, together with everything that has happened, must be all working towards eliminating the Dwarf Race.”

If Jiang Yi was here and heard these words, he would definitely be shocked to his core. Cao Duantian's conjecture was nearly spot-on. The last time, Jiang Yi had also almost died on Ice Island; that was also Cao Duantian's set-up. It could be seen that this young clan head of the Tiger Subdue Sect, the first prince of the Snow Region, was worthy of his titles.

“I still don't understand.”

Cao Shishui stroked her hair and said, “Why does Heaven Hidden Sect want to eliminate the Dwarf Race? If they really wanted to, they could do so themselves simply. Even if Brother had guessed everything right… with Jiang Yi's power—since he managed to kill five Demigods on Stupa Mountain, shouldn't it be easy for him to kill Qiu Shan? Why is he doing all these things?”

“The first point is easy to explain. Sect Patriarch should know.”

Cao Duantian's gaze looked towards Cao Peiwen. The latter nodded in agreement. Cao Duantian then frowned as he wondered out loud, “As for why he doesn't kill Qiu Shan immediately, I do not know the answer either.”

“Alright, alright!”

Cao Peiwen saw that Cao Shishui intended to continue her questioning and waved his hand impatiently. “Many of Little Tian's conjectures make sense. However, these are meaningless. The crux of the matter now is—how do we catch him and kill him? If we allow him to continue killing like this, I will no longer have any face or standing left.”

“Keke!”

A confident smile appeared on Cao Duantian's face. He smiled and said,” Sect Patriarch, do not be anxious. It doesn't matter whether he is Jiang Yi or not; I already have a plan that will kill him easily.”

Cao Peiwen's eyes flashed as he growled and said, “Oh? Speak quickly!”

“Very simple!”

Cao Duantian's eyes looked to the southeast. He stretched his hand, pointed, and said, “It doesn't matter what his identity is. His goal is clear. He wants to use our hand to kill; he wants us to get rid of the Dwarf Race. In that case… let's do as he desires. I would like to ask Sect Patriarch to please deploy our armies and to inform Mantis Blade Sect, Fire Chi Race, and Mammoth Race as well to head to Dwarf Mountain!”

“Ah?”

Cao Shishui's raised a hand to cover her mouth like a frightened small rabbit. Her eyes were filled with fear.

Cao Peiwen's eyes glistened as a smile appeared on his face. He looked at Cao Duantian with approval, and nodded his comprehension. “Little Tian's scheme is not bad. Since we cannot catch him, let's lure the snake out of the cave. Once our armies are on the move, this man will definitely head to Dwarf Mountain as well.”

Chapter 1035 - Knowing that the

Tiger was in the Mountain

Chapter 1035: Knowing that the Tiger was in the

Mountain

The armies were on the move swiftly!

Not only the army from Tiger Subdue Sect, but those from Fire Chi Race, Mammoth Race, and Mantis Blade Sect were also deployed. Each race had gathered three-hundred-thousand-strong armies and was heading towards Dwarf Mountain in massive, streaming columns.

Each three-hundred-thousand strong army extended in a straight line that stretched dozens of kilometers. The military flags were making thudding sounds as they were blown by the strong winds. From afar, the cold glow of the warriors' battle sabers formed a white line; it was a terrifying sight.

Although all four races had rallied their forces at around the same time, their armies moved at differing paces. The Mantis Blade Sect in the northwest moved the fastest while the Fire Chi Race that was closest to Dwarf Mountain moved the slowest. By estimates, all four armies would reach the vicinity of Dwarf Mountain around the same time, ten days later.

Once the news was out, there was pandemonium everywhere.

Numerous great races sent out their scouts. If the four races really attacked Dwarf Mountain, the Dwarf Race would definitely be annihilated. At that point in time, one of the sacred mountains would be vacated. There would then be one great race that would replace the Dwarf Race to be part of the new Snow Region Ten Sects.

There were nearly a thousand races, big and small, in the Snow Region. At least twenty of the great races also had Demigods. After eliminating the Dwarf Race, the four races would not occupy Dwarf Mountain. They did not have the military strength to guard it, and it would be easily taken by the other great races. Hence, once Dwarf Mountain was vacated, there would definitely be another great race that would take its place.

A sacred mountain!

That was one of the best places in the Snow Region, a land filled with high spirit concentration. Whoever possessed a sacred mountain would be able to continuously cultivate martial experts and be prosperous henceforth. Having a sacred mountain as their home would also be a status symbol. When traveling in the region and hunting ice beasts, no one would snatch that race's kill or try to kill someone from that race.

Hence, regardless of whether the four races would destroy the Dwarf Race, many great races were excited and had gathered their forces to head to Dwarf Mountain, too. If there was a chance, they would definitely fight to the death to take this sacred mountain as their own.

In an instant, there was turmoil in the Snow Region. Many great races seemed to have forgotten how formidable that mysterious dwarf was. Even the scouts from lesser races were out and about, reporting back as the situation unfolded.

Heaven Devil Palace!

Mo Yao'er heard the news and suddenly became very excited. She ran to Mo Shen's study, shouting even before she entered. “Majesty Father, the four races have deployed their troops. This time, the Dwarf Race will definitely be eliminated. Hehe. The Dwarf Race had killed so many of our people; they will finally get their just desserts!”

Mo Shen had long received this news. He saw the satisfied look on Mo Yao'er's face, smiled bitterly, and shook his head. “Tiger Subdue Sect has a learned person. The Dwarf Race might not necessarily be eliminated; they have ulterior motives behind this move.”

“What do you mean?” Mo Yao'er's mind was slightly simpler. She blinked a few times and asked, “Majesty Father, the four races have made such a big deal out of this matter this time. Since they have deployed their forces, they would definitely act upon it.”

“Keke!”

Mo Shen raised his teacup and drank a mouthful. His hand was not like that of a normal Heaven Devil Race member; it was exactly the same as that of a normal person. He placed his teacup down, looked at Mo Yao'er, and asked, “What benefit does eliminating the Dwarf Race bring to the four races? There is no benefit at all for the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race right? Quite the opposite, that would actually destroy their alliance. Since that was the case, why are they still sending their armies right to Dwarf Mountain's doorstep?”

Mo Yao'er became even more confused. She tugged at her hair and asked, “Indeed, why is that?”

“It is all for one person.”

Mo Shen gazed towards the southeast and said, “Why did Jiang Yi impersonate someone from the Dwarf Race and started killing indiscriminately? He wanted to infuriate the four races for them to seek vengeance against the Dwarf Race right? Hence, the four races are going along with his plan knowingly, with the ultimate goal of flushing him out. If I hadn't guessed wrongly, Curmudgeon Cao, Huo Yan, Mantis Blade, and company should currently be with their armies, waiting for Jiang Yi to head to Dwarf Mountain!”

“Ah?”

Mo Yao'er's face suddenly became pale. As she thought about the four Demigods secretly lying in wait to attack Jiang Yi, she shivered and hurriedly grabbed Mo Shen's hand, saying, “Majesty Father, please go and save him. If he died, I, I…”

Mo Yao'er did not complete her sentence. However, tears were welling up her eyes. She looked at Mo Shen with pleading eyes.

Mo Shen closed his eyes, waved his hand, and said, “Alright! Even if you didn't say anything, I would definitely go to Dwarf Mountain. With such a grand affair happening that concerns the situation in the Snow Region, how could I not go and observe the battle? However, I naturally wouldn't fight Curmudgeon Cao and others head-on. Whether this lad lives or dies depends on his destiny.” Mo Yao'er stamped her foot and said, “I will go with you, Majesty Father.”

“Such willfulness!”

Mo Shen's face became serious as he reprimanded Mo Yao'er. “You will not be going anywhere. When will you be able to change your character? You will behave yourself and cultivate here at home. If you do not listen to me, I will not bother with that lad anymore.”

After speaking, Mo Shen vanished from the study and appeared outside of Heaven Devil Palace. He channeled his essence force with one hand, and Heaven Devil Palace was lit by a piercing light. He activated the restrictions.

Mo Shen looked at Mo Fu, Mo Qi, and company waiting below and ordered. “I am heading out. Until I am back, Heaven Devil Mountain is to be under complete lockdown and be on alert day and night. No one is to release Sacred Lady from Heaven Devil Palace, or I would kill without mercy.”

“Understood!”

Mo Fu and company knelt with one knee as they received the order. They watched as Mo Shen sped towards the southeast. Mo Qi and Mo Fu exchanged a look; it was a look filled with regret.

A hundred races were gathering on Dwarf Mountain, and yet they had no fate to witness such a sight. What a pity.

“Yet another big troop!”

Around ten thousand feet below the Ice Sea, Jiang Yi had transformed into a member of the Heaven Devil Race and hid himself there. He was relying on his Divine Perception to detect any movement on the surface.

The Ice Sea was located in the middle of the ten sacred mountains. Many great races had to pass by the Ice Sea in order to get to Dwarf Mountain. Jiang Yi had detected many races and many armies over the past few days. There were more than ten such armies, more than a million people.

The armies from the four races and the scouts from all races in the Snow Region were all on the move; there were people everywhere. Jiang Yi was extremely safe disguising himself as a member of the Heaven Devil Race. Two days ago, a Demigod had even scanned Jiang Yi using his divine senses. However, that Demigod had not paid particular attention to him; there were people everywhere. A scout from the Heaven Devil Race could not be any more normal.

“The armies of the four races should be reaching Dwarf Mountain in five days, right?”

Jiang Yi softly murmured to himself. His eyes opened as he walked one full circle in the underground passageway. He finally decided to make his way to Dwarf Mountain.

Cao Duantian was indeed accurate. Jiang Yi had been indiscriminately killing the troops from the four races precisely to instigate them to attack the Dwarf Race. Now that they were on the move, Jiang Yi could not sit still. He wanted to personally see if the Dwarf Race would be exterminated or not.

He was also very clear that Cao Peiwen, Mantis Blade, and company would definitely head to Dwarf Mountain as well. After all, Qiu Shan was a Demigod. If Jiang Yi went close to Dwarf Mountain, there was a chance these Demigods would be able to see through his disguise.

However, whether the Dwarf Race was exterminated or not would determine if Jiang Yi could go and see the Heaven Hidden Sect Matriarch… if she would help Su Ruoxue regain her memories. What if the armies of the four races went to Dwarf Mountain but did not act?

He had to be nearby to monitor the situation. If necessary, he would intervene again to instigate a bloody battle or directly assassinate Qiu Shan! Once Qiu Shan was dead, the Dwarf Race would definitely be annihilated. Even if some survived, the countless other great races would chase the remaining members of the Dwarf Race off Dwarf Mountain. The first task set by Heaven Hidden Sect would then be accomplished.

The Mirage Divine Ability and Heaven Evasion Ability were his greatest assets. There was bound to be people all around Dwarf Mountain. Even if Cao Peiwen and company scanned everyone one by one, they would definitely not be able to discover him. As long as he did not make any reckless moves, who could find him? If he sensed anything amiss, he would immediately use his Heaven Evasion to flee; no one would be able to catch him.

Hence, even though he knew the tiger was in the mountain, he still decided to head towards the tiger mountain!

Chapter 1036 - Troops Arriving at

the Base of the Mountain

Chapter 1036: Troops Arriving at the Base of the

Mountain

Dwarf Mountain was very lively!

Within a five-hundred-kilometer radius around the sacred mountain, the armies camped there numbered more than a million. Even before the armies from the four races had arrived, the armies from the other great races had reached the place first, surrounding the Dwarf Mountain.

Within a five-thousand-kilometer radius of the Dwarf Mountain were scouts from both the greater and lesser races… and from the Dwarf Race itself. Even those lesser races with a few thousand men had sent scouts here. The underground passageways that the Heaven Devil Race had previously dug were now filled with scouts from the respective races.

Inside the snow mountain, under the ice river, inside the caverns—people were everywhere. There was actually no need to hide at all. There were people everywhere; that was the best cover of all.

“Damn! So many people?”

Jiang Yi arrived five-hundred-kilometers from the Dwarf Mountain in the middle of the night. On his way here, he found countless scouts in the passageways. He had no choice but to change his appearance again, this time, resembling someone from the Phantom Race.

On the way here, he did not discover anyone from the Heaven Devil Race. Hence, it would be too conspicuous if suddenly, a single member of the Heaven Devil Race had appeared. On the other hand, it seemed like the Phantom Race had appeared in force; they probably had been bribed by countless great races to spread out and find out what was going on. He discovered nearly a thousand scouts from the Phantom Race. Thus, changing into a member of the Phantom Race would make him fit in easier.

He did not brazenly head near to Dwarf Mountain. Instead, he found an ice river five hundred kilometers north of Dwarf Mountain. This ice river was an underground river that flowed to Dwarf Mountain. He created a hole in the precipice of the ice river and hid inside it. He quietly wanted for the armies from the four races to arrive.

Along this river all the way to the Dwarf Mountain, a few hundred scouts were present. Even if the Demigods came to investigate, they would not find anything. Jiang Yi's current location was also a thousand-foot deep; the earth in the Snow Region could affect the effectiveness of divine senses. No matter how strong any Demigod's divine senses were, they would definitely be weakened once they came close to his position.

Jiang Yi also did not need to find out more information personally. He only needed to track the scouts near to him. They went out every day and came back during the night; if they didn't come back, that would mean the armies of the four races had arrived.

Bang!

There was a stone pillar at the top of Dwarf Mountain. Inside this pillar was a giant stone hall. At this moment, there was an elder from the Dwarf Race furiously smashing precious porcelain in that stone hall.

“Clan Head, please calm down!”

A group of elders from the Dwarf Race anxiously knelt down. They were terrified to the core. The Grand Elder of the Dwarf Race, Qiu Zhe, waited for Qiu Shan to vent his frustration.

Qiu Zhe then straightened himself and said, “Clan Head, you do not have to be so angry. Curmudgeon Cao and company do not dare to attack this mountain. The Dwarf Race has an impressive reputation in the Snow Region, with a huge sphere of influence. If they really destroyed the Dwarf Race, this will cause panic among all the races in the Snow Region.

“The other great races would also not sit and watch Curmudgeon Cao and company act wantonly; they would be fearful of being targeted next. Also, I had already sent men to Heaven Hidden Sect. The Heaven Hidden Sect is the ruler of the Snow Region; they would not sit and watch Snow Region fall into chaos.”

“Bullsh*t!”

Qiu Shan raged and shouted. He said coldly, “The other great races would not sit and watch us get destroyed? I'd say they can't wait to see us get annihilated. Then, they could take our place next.

“Heaven Hidden Sect?”

Qiu Shan laughed mockingly. “That year, Heaven Hidden Sect almost wiped us out. This imbecile Qiu Ming dared to touch a Saint Lady from the Heaven Hidden Sect. If I did not destroy the evidence in time, do you think the Dwarf Race would still be in existence today? To depend on Heaven Hidden Sect, we might as well depend on the Nine Thearchs of the East Imperial Continent.”

“That might not necessarily be the case!”

Another elder cupped his hands and said, “Clan Head. So many years had gone by since that incident. The Heaven Hidden Sect had never made any moves. They must have forgotten about that matter.

Furthermore, they couldn't find any proof. It is possible that they are also suspicious of the other races. They are the rulers of the Snow Region; we are all their subjects.

How would they bear to see us fight among ourselves, to see us plunge into misery and suffering?

“As long as we swear to fight to the death and to fight to the last man, the Heaven Hidden Sect Matriarch would definitely step in. Moreover, if we gave it our all, Curmudgeon Cao and the others would not dare to fight us head-on. After all, a head-on battle would definitely lead to significant losses on their side, too.”

“That's right, that's right. Let's fight to the death!”

“We cannot lose the sacred mountain. Over the years, we have offended many great races. If we abandon this sacred mountain, they would definitely pursue us with a vengeance and eliminate our race.

Instead of suffering that fate, let's fight to the death! We might still have a chance of survival.”

“Ninth elder's words are true. A fight to the death.”

A group of elders echoed their assent, their faces filled with murderous intent. The Dwarf Race was known to be cruel, brutal, and bloodthirsty; they were not cowards who feared death.

“Alright!”

Qiu Shan angrily yelled. He waved a hand and said, “Qiu Zhe, go and send another message. Ask our disciples stationed near Heaven Hidden Sect to seek an audience with Heaven Hidden Sect Matriarch. Tell them to say that if Heaven Hidden Sect helps us to survive this difficult time, from now onward, the Dwarf Race will be obedient to the Heaven Hidden Sect. The rest of you, seal off Dwarf Mountain. Recall all our people back to Dwarf Mountain and prepare for a fight to the death.”

“Understood!”

The elders present roared their reply. They had no choice but to fight, with their backs cornered. If they didn't win the battle, they would die.

There was no other way out. There was only a fight to the death.

Three days later, the armies of the four races arrived. A combined total of one million two hundred thousand warriors. They stationed themselves at all four sides of Dwarf Mountain and were merely fifty kilometers away from Dwarf Mountain.

Even as the armies had arrived, they did not attack immediately. They rested on the spot, with the chief commanders of the other three races converging in Tiger Subdue Sect's encampment. They had come because Cao Peiwen had said that as long as everyone attacked Dwarf Mountain, that mysterious martial expert would definitely appear.

Now that they had reached Dwarf Mountain, the other three races naturally did not make any rash moves. This was especially the case for the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race. If they were not sure that that mysterious martial expert would appear, they would definitely not attack the mountain. After all, the Dwarf Race had been allies with them for many years.

The chief commanders gathered in Tiger Subdue Sect's encampment. However, Cao Peiwen did not show himself. He had not been seen throughout the journey to Dwarf Mountain. No one knew if he had come together with the armies. Cao Duantian was the chief commander of the Tiger Subdue Sect's army and personally came to greet the three men.

Cao Duantian sat inside his tent, wearing white battle armor. He carried a majestic air with him. His eyes looked at the three chief commanders and growled, “Gentlemen. We have rested for two whole days. After the sun sets tomorrow, let's attack the mountain together!”

The elder from Mantis Blade Sect did not say anything and was actually looking suspiciously at the other two elders from the other two races. The elders from the Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race couldn't resist anymore. The elder from the Fire Chi Race rose and said,” Young Master Duantian. Sect Patriarch Cao had said that as long as our armies reached Dwarf Mountain, that mysterious martial expert would appear. Where is he now? Our scouts had started investigating within a five-hundred-kilometer radius since three days ago but have not found anything.”

“That's right!”

The elder from Mammoth Race also chimed in. “We had invited the Phantom Race to conduct secret investigations, but to no avail. Young Master Duantian, are you trying to trick us?”

The physique of the Mammoth Race was immense. If they were faced in battle head-on, they were formidable opponents. However, to ask them to go and investigate was a difficult task.

They were too big and were easily found wherever they went. Even before they had found their enemy, their enemy would have long detected their presence and flee. Hence, they liked asking the Phantom Race to help them to scout for information.

“Keke!”

Cao Duantian smiled lightly. “Our armies have been on the move for so many days. Has that mysterious martial expert appeared once? Has he tried to attack our armies or our people? No, right? Gentlemen, please listen to me. If you guys really do not want to attack tomorrow night, you can feign an attack. As long as you guys start the battle, there is no need for you guys to kill too many people; neither is there a need for you guys to face Qiu Shan in battle. You guys can leave the rest to the Tiger Subdue Sect!”

“So it is like this…”

With the Tiger Subdue Sect offering to take on the bulk of the responsibilities, the chief commanders of the other three races were rather pleased. They were deep in thought.

Cao Duantian smiled again and continued, “However… please inform your Clan Heads that once we start the battle tomorrow, they should start to scan the surroundings secretly. I guarantee that that mysterious martial expert will definitely make an appearance tomorrow night.”

“Alright!”

The three chief commanders rose at the same time. They had come to Dwarf Mountain this time not to eliminate the Dwarf Race. Their target was the mysterious martial expert that had made all four races lose face. If this person was not killed, they would not be able to sleep in peace.

Chapter 1037 - The Start of a

Great Battle

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

When the armies of the four races had arrived at Dwarf Mountain, the other armies outside had also mobilized. However, no one dared to come too close to the mountain. They remained one hundred kilometers away from Dwarf Mountain, waiting for an opportunity to act. The scouts from every race also surrounded the entire Dwarf Mountain. If there were any movements, they would be the first to know and would be able to respond immediately.

Jiang Yi immediately detected that the four armies had arrived; the scouts in the underground river had all been deployed. He, however, did not make any reckless moves. He waited till the second day before he followed the underground river forward, disguised as a member of the Phantom Race.

On the way, Jiang Yi frequently encountered scouts from other races. However, after everyone detected each other's presence, they all kept their distance and took detours.

Bang!

A hundred and fifty kilometers away from Dwarf Mountain, he followed a passageway and resurfaced, all while continuing his advance stealthily. He had observed the mannerisms of the Phantom Race before and managed to mimic them very well. He floated like members of the Phantom Race, occasionally finding spots to hide himself, and also buried himself into the snow at times.

As he got closer to Dwarf Mountain, the number of scouts increased. People were hiding everywhere. If he forced his way forward, he estimated that even after walking dozens of kilometers, he would still be able to step on a scout hiding in the snow.

“The Tiger Subdue Sect army!”

At noontime, Jiang Yi detected the Tiger Subdue Sect army quite a distance away. His divine senses scanned once, and he immediately retreated. He fell back for twenty-five kilometers before finding a small valley and hid underneath a rock. He even used snow to bury himself.

He entered into the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and sent his divine senses out. He found out that more than ten scouts were hiding nearby as well, and he was pleased; these scouts could act as cover for him. Even if a Demigod scanned the area, he would not find anything amiss.

“Divine Perception!”

He released his Divine Perception and expanded the range of his divine senses. Like a gush of wind, his senses headed towards the Tiger Subdue Sect's encampment. Every time he scanned, he immediately retracted his Divine Perception. At this moment, numerous scans were targeting Tiger Subdue Sect; no one would mind. Every half an hour, he would scan once, using the rest of his time to replenish his energy—ready to fight at any moment.

“There's movement!”

After dark, troops of warriors swiftly emerged from the Tiger Subdue Sect's encampment. They gathered outside the camp, with the entire three-hundred-thousand-strong army forming up in fifteen minutes. Cao Duantian gave a signal, growled a single word 'Advance', and the entire army started to rush towards Dwarf Mountain at once.

At almost the same instant, the Mantis Blade Sect, the Fire Chi Race, and the Mammoth Race also activated their armies. The four armies were like four sharp knives heading straight for Dwarf Mountain; they seemed determined to tear Dwarf Mountain apart.

“Wow!”

Once the armies started moving, all the scouts became excited. They rapidly relayed the information to the other great races' armies camped outside at once. These armies also started rushing towards Dwarf Mountain, preparing to wait for the four races to eliminate the Dwarf Race before they fought to claim Dwarf Mountain.

Jiang Yi also started moving. However, he was not too anxious and did not rush towards Dwarf Mountain. Instead, he took his time; he estimated that by the time he reached the vicinity of Dwarf Mountain, the battle would have well gotten way.

The speed of the four races was extremely fast this time. They were only fifty kilometers from Dwarf Mountain, hence reaching the base of the mountain within half an hour. The other three races didn't take action immediately, and neither did Cao Duantian. He rode a Fei Lian Beast and emerged from the crowd. He stood alone in front of Dwarf Mountain and said, “Clan Head Qiu Han, come out and meet me!”

Dwarf Mountain was similar to Heaven Devil Mountain; it was split into different layers. However, the Dwarf Race had made modifications to these layers, with the eighteen layers becoming thirty-six layers. The Dwarf Race was generally small, and there was no need to stay in caves that were too high. Furthermore, as the Dwarf Race had a huge population, the modifications were made to cater to this as well.

At this moment, the outer corridors of the bottom eighteen layers were filled with troops from the dwarf army. They were too many to take in. Those that appeared outside were also all troops from the army. There was no sign of the old and the frail or the pregnant and the young. It was not known if they had been moved into hiding or were on the summit of the Dwarf Mountain.

Swish!

The Grand Elder Qiu Zhe of the Dwarf Race flew out from the ranks of the dwarf army and landed at the base of the mountain. Holding two huge awls and with his face grown dark, he said to Cao Duantian, “Young Master Duantian, why have you guys led your armies to surround Dwarf Mountain? What do you intend to do? We, the Dwarf Race, have no quarrel with the Tiger Subdue Sect. The last time during Sect Patriarch Cao's birthday celebration, we had even sent our young clan head to pay our respects. After that, our young clan head ended up dead on the way back.

“Tens of thousands of years ago, the thousand races in the Snow Region had vowed at the base of Saint Mountain. We were not to battle internally without cause, or all the other races would exterminate the troublemaker. Today, are the Tiger Subdue Sect, Mantis Blade Sect, Fire Chi Race, and Mammoth Race going to go against that vow? Are you guys prepared to face the thousand races of the Snow Region and Heaven Hidden Sect?”

Qiu Zhe's initial words were for Cao Duantian to hear; the second half of his words was amplified using essence force. It was obvious he wanted all four races to hear what he was saying. The other three races were currently surrounding Dwarf Mountain from other directions. Using his essence force here would mean that they would be able to hear him from where they were at.

There were no replies from anyone from the other three sides. They were obviously waiting for Cao Duantian to speak. Cao Duantian naturally took it upon himself and said, “Elder Qiu Zhe, I think you have been mistaken. We are not here to start a battle. We are here to ask you to hand someone over.

There is a formidable martial expert in the Dwarf Race that is killing rampantly in the Snow Region; the four races have suffered heavy losses over this period of time. If you guys hand over this murderer, we would immediately retreat. What say you?”

“Hand him over!”

Qiu Zhe laughed coldly. Even they could not find this person, and even if they did, they would never hand him over. He smiled mockingly and said, “Young Clan Head Duantian, I think you guys are mistaken.

How is it possible that we, the Dwarf Race, have such a strong martial expert? Our Clan Head had personally gone out to search for this person for half a month and was unable to find him. This is something that you all know as well.

“Besides that person's height and his awls that resembles someone from the Dwarf Race, how else is he similar to us? Has he ever released a snow dragon or caused the earth to tremor? No, right? The person you are looking for is not here. Leave immediately, and do not harm the peace! I—Qiu Zhe —swear to the Gods that if I find such a person, I will immediately capture him and hand him over to you guys. How is that?”

“Why should we take your word for it?”

Cao Duantian had become a little impatient. He brazenly waved his hand and said, “I will give you two choices. Either hand over the person or allow us to search the mountain. If we cannot find him, we will immediately retreat.”

“Search the mountain?”

Qiu Zhe's face changed. If a million troops were to head up the mountain and suddenly started killing—even without the need for the dwarf army to fight, the Dwarf Race would be eliminated. Since the four races had come, they were definitely up to no good. The awls in Qiu Zhe's hands were raised high. He growled, “There is no one to hand over to you. If you guys want a battle, we—the Dwarf Race—will give you one. The Dwarf Race will only fight to the death; we will not be humiliated.”

“Fight, fight, fight!”

Countless voices roared forth from Dwarf Mountain. Their cries shook the earth, with their fearsome aura enveloping a five-kilometer radius. Even scouts far away felt a chill down their spines.

“Since that is the case, we can only head up the mountain ourselves to find the killer! Kill!”

Cao Duantian gave a signal as three hundred thousand men started rushing forward. All the glabella of the Tiger Subdue Sect members present started shining. Streaks of black light flashed forth as they released their soul spirit attacks.

“Kill!”

Seeing that the fighting had begun here, the armies at the other three sides of the mountain also raced up Dwarf Mountain. The elder of the Mantis Blade Sect led the way, the battle saber-like horn on his head flashing lightning that tore through the night sky.

Tsk! Tsk!

The three-hundred-thousand-strong Mantis Blade Sect army started to move. The hundred-thousand men leading the way shot out their battle saber-like horns at once. At that moment, the entire night sky was illuminated. The icy cold killing aura enveloped the entire area, striking cold fear into the hearts of the scouts observing the battle.

“Kill!”

Qiu Zhe roared as he led the vanguard forward. Countless dwarfs from the Dwarf Mountain also flew down without fear of death.

The Great Battle had begun.

Chapter 1038 - Big Fish Appears

Chapter 1038: Big Fish Appears

“They're really attacking the mountain!”

The lurking scouts nearby were all stunned. They had not even spoken much before this person took such drastic action. Were the four sects really looking to exterminate the Dwarf Race?

Bang, bang, bang!

It was just one round of attacks, but a significant number of people from the Dwarf Race dropped from the sky. At least ten-thousand people had been attacked by the soul spirits of the Tiger Subdue Sect. The Mantis Blade Sect also killed tens of thousands of dwarfs. It was obvious that these people were not playing around this time.

“The Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race at least have a conscience.”

The scouts on the other two sides came back with some news. Those from the Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race had not taken action to attack the mountain. They've only feigned attacks so far. This caused the scouts on that side to feel at least a bit of gratitude.

The fire snakes from the Fire Chi Race were dancing at the base of the Dwarf Race's mountain. One look down could frighten anyone. However, these Fire Snakes were not the strongest weapons that the Fire Chi Race had. Instead, they were just low-level flames. Flames like that would not even kill the weakest of the dwarfs, much less the strongest of them.

“Kill!”

The Mammoth Race was even worse at feigning attacks. A huge group of giants rushed toward the Dwarf Race's Mountain and began waving their weapons and fists around with gritted teeth. However, they did not kill any dwarfs.

Instead, they just kept attacking the mountain. The first layer of residences on the Dwarf Race's Mountain was now destroyed.

The Fire Chi Race and the Mammoth Race tried to fake their attack, but it made no real difference to the bigger picture. In fact, it was enough that the Tiger Subdue Sect and Mantis Blade Sect were attacking the Dwarf Race with full force. What's more, it was not like the Fire Chi Race and Mammoth Race were letting the dwarfs go completely—they were at least keeping a portion of the Dwarf Race occupied.

An intense battle had ensued between those from the Tiger Subdue Sect and Mantis Blade Sect and those from the Dwarf Race. Both sides were not holding back at all. The death toll kept rising. The battlefield looked terribly gory. The north side and east side of the Dwarf Race's mountain were now dyed red by the blood of the fallen.

The Tiger Subdue Sect wanted the Mantis Blade Sect to just feign attacks in the beginning. However, since the Mantis Blade Sect got attacked by the other three sects while fighting for the Ice Beast King on the Ice Mountain, they lost all but three thousand of their men. These three-thousand men were severely injured at that. This particular race was known for being crazy.

Why would they let an opportunity like that slip away? Thirty-thousand Mantis Blade soldiers went forward and attacked with all their might, with no regard for whether they got injured or killed. They swore to wipe out the Dwarf Race completely.

The Tiger Subdue Sect went all out as well. This was something that caused a lot of the elders from Tiger Subdue Sect to be confused.

Did they not come to lure all the mysterious elders of the Mantis Blade Sect out? They could choose to employ any means to do it. Why did they really have to fight to the death? The dwarfs were charging forward ferociously. They seemed to have gone crazy—they no longer cared whether they died in battle. Even if they did, they wanted to delay their extermination for as long as they could. In these short fifteen minutes, the Tiger Subdue Sect had lost more than ten thousand people.

“Keep attacking! Flatten the entire Dwarf Race's Mountain!”

Cao Duantian waved his hand, his expression remaining cool. He looked at the people in front of him who were falling to the ground. This was hurting his heart as well. However, despite the number of Demigods looking around, they could not find Jiang Yi. What was he to do then? He had no choice but to allow his people to continue attacking.

From the way Jiang Yi was used to doing things, Cao Duantian knew that Jiang Yi was extremely careful. If he did not make the act seem real, Jiang Yi would not be convinced for sure. In any case, wiping out the Dwarf Race was no loss to the Tiger Subdue Sect. Instead, it would increase the latter's reputation. In the future, who would dare to offend the Tiger Subdue Sect?

“Kill, kill, kill!”

The dwarfs were outraged by now. There were many dwarfs, but very few strong ones were among them. All the formidable martial artists that Qiu Ming and Qiu Bai led earlier had all been killed by Jiang Yi. They also lost many formidable martial artists while they were trying to kill the Ice Beast King. Now, there were a pitiful few formidable martial artists left. Thus, the dwarfs could not defend themselves properly against the attacks of the Tiger Subdue Sect and the Mantis Blade Sect. As the latter two sects continued to attack them, more and more of them became flattened to the ground.

As Qiu Zhe had said—if they tried their best, perhaps they would have a chance to live. Perhaps the Heaven Hidden Sect would reach out and lend them a helping hand on seeing their plight. If they gave up protecting the Dwarf Mountain, they would definitely be wiped out by their enemies.

Groups and groups of dwarfs charged out. More than half of them were killed by the attacks of the Tiger Subdue Sect's soul spirits and the Mantis Blade Sect's knife formation. The remaining half of them got through the knife formation just to delay the armies a little longer before they were killed ultimately.

Time ticked by. Four hours later, the Dwarf Race's death toll reached more than a million. The two sects' three-hundred-thousand-strong armies had been reduced to a hundred thousand as well.

The corpses at the base of the Dwarf Mountain were forming another mountain of their own. Fresh blood flooded the region, and the metallic smell of blood traveled at least five kilometers out. The armies from both sides were seeing red now.

They no longer paid any heed to the commands of their commanders. Instead, all they wanted to do was kill one another.

The Dwarf Race had a total of three million people, but excluding the elderly, the women, and the kids, the battle-worthy men numbered 1,500,000. This was including those who were weak.

Now, close to a million warriors of the Dwarf Race had died. They were on the brink of being wiped out. If they continued to fight, the Dwarf Race would surely lose its army. The remaining elderly, women, and children would also be wiped out very soon after.

“Stop!”

An old voice echoed throughout the region as a black figure landed atop the Dwarf Mountain. He was holding a hammer in his hand. He gazed through his wrinkled eyelids at the corpses at the base of the Dwarf Mountain, and his heart hurt. He turned to look far away and said, “Mantis Blade, Curmudgeon Cao, stop hiding around.

Come out and fight. It is me that you want to kill. If you're able to do so, you won't need to kill any more of our dwarfs. I will make sure that they kill themselves.”

“Uh…”

Those of the Tiger Subdue Sect and the Mantis Blade Sect stopped fighting without the commander's orders. They retreated. Qiu Shan had finally appeared. There was no point in fighting anymore.

“Hmph!”

A cool voice was heard. A figure shot down on the east side of the region. The cool night winds immediately stopped when they passed by him. The lone horn on his hand sparkled in the night sky. A strong bloody aura emitted from his body, causing the people around him to be unable to even lift their heads.

“Greetings, Clan Head!”

Everybody from the Mantis Blade Sect retreated and got their knees. They looked up, with immense amounts of respect and warmth in their gazes, at Mantis Blade.

“Shorty Qiu!”

Mantis Blade called out in a cool voice. “The three of you ganged up against me that day. Karma strikes. Now, it is your turn. I will not gang up with them to fight you. Instead, I will send you to your death on my own!”

“Come on!”

Qiu Shan shouted as he charged toward the east. If two Demigods were to start fighting here, the Dwarf Mountain would surely be flattened out. Both sides' armies would be severely injured as well. Thus, just like the last time, the two of them chose to go far away to battle.

“Everyone, listen up! Keep fighting. Help me wipe out the Dwarf Race!”

Mantis Blade laughed mirthlessly as he continued flying toward the east. However, the two of them were not far above the ground. After all, the nightly astral winds were getting strong. Neither of them wanted to get killed by the astral wind patterns.

“Retreat…”

Hundreds of scouts near the east and a mighty commander immediately retreated. They did not want to incur the wrath of two Demigods.

Cao Peiwen and Huo Yan did not show their faces. Qiu Shan was not good at fighting. He was no match for Mantis Blade for sure. Without their help, Qiu Shan would surely die before long.

“Alright, stop fighting. Retreat 2,500 meters and wait for further orders.”

Now that Qiu Shan had appeared, Cao Duantian could finally pull his troops back. Naturally, he did not want to fight any longer. He squinted his eyes and looked toward the east, a smirk appearing on his face. “Qiu Shan is taking action.

The biggest fish has been baited. Would that other big fish appear as well?”

Chapter 1039 - Qiu Shan Will

Surely Die

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Qiu Shan is out?”

Cao Duantian had guessed rightly. The moment Qiu Shan appeared, Jiang Yi made a move. He was nowhere near the huge battle earlier. He had remained more than fifty kilometers away and used his divine senses to keep an eye on the situation here. Now, however, he was activated.

Although his divine senses were not strong enough to detect Cao Peiwen, Mantis Blade, nor Huo Yan, he was sure that all three of them were present as well. They were just hiding their auras to remain under wraps.

Mantis Blade also appeared, just like Jiang Yi had guessed. Although he knew it was dangerous, he could no longer sit still and wait. He began to move stealthily toward where Qiu Shan and Mantis Blade were fighting.

He did not necessarily have to take action. He was just afraid that he would lose sight of Qiu Shan once again.

As long as Qiu Shan was still alive, the Dwarf Race could not be wiped out. Jiang Yi guessed that the other four races did not really dare to wipe out the Dwarf Race as well. Otherwise, they might suffer the wrath of Qiu Shan's crazy quest for revenge. This would be a lose-lose situation for all parties involved.

Jiang Yi had already figured everything out a long time ago. Nearby where Qiu Shan and Mantis Blade were fighting, thousands of scouts and tens of thousands of formidable martial artists were watching. He could hide nearby and not attract any attention to himself.

Swish! Swish!

He flew very quickly through the underground passages. Nearby, Jiang Yi detected several scouts heading toward the battleground. This battle between Qiu Shan and Mantis Blade was a huge one. If Qiu Shan really died, the entire situation in the Snow Region would change.

Qiu Shan and Mantis Blade flew out about twenty-five kilometers before they began fighting. Jiang Yi took a total of fifteen minutes to rush near the battlefield, but he did not dare to come too close either. He remained about five kilometers from the battleground and kept using his divine senses to get a hold on the situation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Since Jiang Yi moved out, Qiu Shan and Mantis Blade had been fighting for a while. Both of them kept the fight low. Mantis Blade stayed on top of Qiu Shan the entire time. Qiu Shan was clearly much weaker than Mantis Blade. Be it in terms of speed, strength, or defense, Mantis Blade was the clear winner.

Jiang Yi kept his divine senses locked on Qiu Shan and discovered that none of his dao patterns were hitting Mantis Blade. Mantis Blade's mystical abilities were sharp, and he was much too fast. In fact, he was so fast that even Jiang Yi could not get a hold on his figure.

No matter what, though, Qiu Shan was a Demigod. Each attack that he attempted caused the skies to stir and the ground to shake. Rocks floated and gathered in mid-air. Those were not just images either—they were actual rocks, each about three meters in diameter. They resembled asteroids as they crashed down toward the ground at a rapid speed.

The soil in the entire Snow Region was hard, but now, they had been shaken loose by this battle. Cracks began to appear in the ground, which was shaking uncontrollably. Jiang Yi and many scouts heard an ear-piercing crash. Their bodies trembled as the rocks fell down toward the ground.

These did not count for anything. Along with the collapse of the huge rocks, everyone felt a formidable pressure that caused them to be injured. They coughed up blood uncontrollably.

“The Earth-Elemental dao pattern. This should be a five-star dao pattern.”

Jiang Yi nodded in the dark. If he attacked Qiu Shan, he would not have been able to avoid the falling rocks. The rocks were falling at top speed, and there were way too many of them. Even if he had the Astral Winds Divine Shield, he would only be able to block off one or two rocks. The moment the Astral Winds Divine Shield broke, his body would be knocked into the soil.

This Meteorite Formation really could buy time and create space. It caused everyone to slow down. Under the prowess of a Demigod, Jiang Yi guessed that even more than ten-thousand five-star formidable martial artists could be wiped out by Qiu Shan.

It was obvious!

Qiu Shan's scary attack was nothing to Mantis Blade, however. The battle swords flew out from Mantis Blade's horn and danced above his head. Any meteorite that fell toward Mantis Blade was cut into two by his swords. He emerged from the attack unscathed.

Even his body turned into some sort of apparition and began dancing around in the sky. He waved both his hands around and caused wind blades to shoot out. Each wind blade cut an opening in the sky.

The wind blades were about 3 meters long each, and they traveled at top speed. It looked almost effortless for them to cut apart Qiu Shan's meteors.

These wind blades could even turn around like the soul spirits of the Tiger Subdue Sect. They were moving so fast then each one could reach Qiu Shan and attack his divine shield.

The battle had already gone on for ten to fifteen minutes. In other words, Qiu Shan had already been attacked by the wind blades for ten to fifteen minutes. The Demigod's essence force was extremely rich and intense, but the one attacking him was also a Demigod—a stronger one at that. It was already commendable that Qiu Shan hung on for such a long time.

“Fire-Elemental dao pattern. This must be at least five-star as well, right?” Jiang Yi's heart thudded as he watched on. If he were the one being attacked by the wind blades, he probably would have been killed in a matter of seconds. From the relaxed look on Mantis Blade's face, Jiang Yi guessed that he was not giving this battle his all. Otherwise, Qiu Shan would be dead by now.

“I should check if Curmudgeon Cao and Huo Yan are hiding nearby.”

Seeing that the battle could end at any moment, Jiang Yi released his divine senses to look around. In the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, his divine senses became much stronger. He had a much clearer picture of his surroundings. If Cao Peiwen and the others were hiding nearby, he had a good chance of locating them.

He looked around very carefully three times, but apart from the scouts and the groups of formidable martial artists, he did not find Cao Peiwen and the other two people. Jiang Yi also looked very closely into each person's eyes. No matter how well one could disguise himself, their eyes would not lie. He looked into the eyes of every single person within a 1500-meter distance, but he still could not find the three targets.

“Did they really not come here? Or are they not hiding that nearby?”

Jiang Yi could not figure it out; neither did he have any more time to keep thinking about it. Mantis Blade was getting impatient. Once again, he waved both of his hands and caused all the wind blades to merge into one. They merged and became a huge wind blade, which cut through the air and broke every single meteor in its way into pieces. At last, this huge wind blade stabbed Qiu Shan's divine shield.

Bang!

Qiu Shan's body flew backward from the impact. His divine shield was still intact, but the impact from the wind blade's collision had caused him serious internal injury. His body landed hard on the floor, causing a pit around him.

Bang!

His body flew out of the pit, and he spat out fresh blood. It was obvious that he was internally injured.

Tsk! Tsk!

Qiu Shan had just flown out when Mantis Blade gathered a second super wind blade, which once again stabbed at Qiu Shan in a flash. Qiu Shan's body once again crashed hard into the ground. His divine shield still remained unbroken, but the armor in front of his chest had exploded. There was a clear dent in his chest. The blood was flowing out of his mouth uncontrollably.

“Qiu Shan is finished!”

Even the blind could see that Qiu Shan was being beaten up pitifully. If Qiu Shan did not run away now, there would only be one outcome for him— death! Mantis Blade was the third strongest man in the Snow Region. He indeed deserved his title.

However, Qiu Shan did not run away. There was nowhere for him to go. He was sure that he would die here today. If the Heaven Hidden Sect's Matriarch did not appear, the dwarfs would be wiped out. There would be no reason for him to live then.

Swish! Swish!

Once again, Qiu Shan flew up and waved both of his hands in the air as if ready to deal the strongest blow yet. However, this time, a voice echoed in his mind: “Qiu Shan, run underground, and your dwarfs might still be saved. Otherwise, you will be wiped out for sure.”

Qiu Shan's entire body stiffened. His eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. The voice was familiar. Without any hesitation, he summoned all his essence force and caused his divine shield to light up.

Tsk! Tsk!

Mantis Blade's super wind blade was coming toward him again. It caused Qiu Shan to be thrown back onto the ground. He looked even more pitiful now.

His flesh was visible through the wound in his chest, and blood continued to pour out of his mouth. This time, however, Qiu Shan did not rush forward. He rushed toward the underground passageway in terror.

“Trying to flee?!”

Mantis Blade's gaze turned cold. He started to give chase, but two figures charged toward him from afar. Before Mantis Blade could reach Qiu Shan, two Fire Snakes appeared. A giant's voice traveled toward him. “Live and let live. Mantis Blade, let Qiu Shan go.”

“En?”

Jiang Yi's expression hardened. It was a good thing he came, or Qiu Shan would have gotten away today.

His divine senses locked in on Qiu Shan, who was headed in this direction with blood still flowing from his mouth. Jiang Yi's face turned murderous. He decided to take the risk and take action.

Qiu Shan had to die.

Chapter 1040 - You've Been

Tricked!

Chapter 1040: You've Been Tricked!

Qiu Shan was seriously injured, but he was still traveling at top speed. He ran in the north-east direction. Although he was not headed straight for Jiang Yi—if Jiang Yi wanted to, he would definitely be able to stop him mid-way.

“Run—”

The countless scouts in the underground passage were scared half to death. If they were found standing in Qiu Shan's way, they would be reduced to dust for sure. All around the underground passages, there were a total of hundreds of scouts. Now, all of them were running in all directions— especially those who were near where Qiu Shan was running. All of them were scared out of their wits.

“Kill!”

Jiang Yi checked the situation above ground for the last time and found that Huo Yan and the Clan Head of Mammoth Race had already stopped Mantis Blade and waged war against him. He stopped hesitating and ran toward the east.

There was not much time left. If he still did not start his journey to Mystic Divine Palace, the restrictions that Ao Lu imposed on Mount Mystic Divine might be torn down. Then, the Mystic Divine Palace would be captured. Qiu Shan had to die—Jiang Yi had no choice but to take the risk.

He did not activate his astral winds to block off the passage immediately. He figured that if he did that, he would be killed even before the astral winds hit Qiu Shan. Thus, he ran toward the east passage. All around him were panicked scouts running in all directions.

Jiang Yi transformed back to one of the Phantom Race. If someone inspected him, they would find that he looked exactly like he belonged to the Phantom Race. His aura reflected that of a second-stage Heaven Monarch. To Qiu Shan, he was nothing but an ant.

Nearby, many passages were intersecting. Jiang Yi could easily make it to the front of the passage which Qiu Shan was heading down. He was fast as lightning, and he had taken off the moment Qiu Shan entered the underground passages. Since Jiang Yi had been five kilometers from the battleground and since Qiu Shan was severely injured and traveling slowly, Jiang Yi made it to the front of the passage without much fuss.

“Move out of the way!”

An angered voice exploded through the passageway. All the scouts jumped in terror and tried to move, but they had no idea where they were to run. They were not of the Heaven Devil Race: they did not know how to dig the underground passages. All they could do was turn into the next nearest passage. There were so many passageways that it was almost impossible to figure out which one Qiu Shan was in. All they could do was try their luck.

It was chaos underground. Many people were so scared that they ran around blindly. Jiang Yi was not trying to get away from Qiu Shan but was trying to get closer instead. Still, nobody paid much attention to him. Who would bother to at a time like this?

Bang!

“Ah…”

A pained scream traveled through the passage. It was obvious what had just happened—Qiu Shan just killed someone who was standing in his way. Jiang Yi followed the group of scouts who were running away in terror and for their lives.

“Er…”

Two passages appeared in front of him. Many scouts jumped in excitement. Although no one knew which passage Qiu Shan was in, they could be sure that they had a 50% chance of surviving.

Swish! Swish!

The ten or more scouts decided to try their luck. The group split into two, each group going down a separate path. Jiang Yi, however, was caught in a dilemma. If Qiu Shan was not in the passage that he picked, he would lose his opportunity to assassinate him.

Then, he would have to come up with a whole new plan to chase after him. The chances of him being exposed then would be much higher for sure.

“I have to try my luck. Bless me, Mystic Thearch.”

He gritted his teeth and walked down the passageway on his left, which fewer scouts took. This passageway was slightly bigger than the one on the right side. While a few people suspected that Qiu Shan would run down the bigger pathway, others thought that Qiu Shan would take the narrower passageway on the right side, which also happened to be straighter.

“He's coming!”

Jiang Yi sprinted and caused his divine senses to lock in on something behind him. He was elated—Qiu Shan had chosen to go through the bigger passageway, and he was running right towards them.

“I am done for!”

One of the scouts from the smaller sects felt a frightening, murderous aura coming from behind him. His legs turned into jelly. Immediately, he collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud.

There was no point in running any further. He sat down and covered his head with his arms.

“Run, everybody!”

Jiang Yi's face was a mask of panic. He shouted and shouted, continuing to sprint through the passageway.

“Ahhh!”

Before long, another pained scream came from behind them. The frightening aura was coming even closer now, and it was surrounding Jiang Yi and the other three people beside him. All of their legs felt like they now weighed a thousand kilograms heavier. They were running much slower than they did before.

“Don't kill me, don't kill me!”

Another man sat down on the floor, hugged his head in his hands, and started crying. The rest of them fell to their knees and begged for mercy as well. None of them dared to keep running.

“Here it is!”

Seeing that the passageway was not that big after all, Jiang Yi fell to his knees and kept his head buried low. There was a flash of light in his eyes, and the Rainbow Soul Spear in his mind appeared in front of his eyes. He made it hide between his legs, ready to attack at any moment.

“Swish!”

Qiu Shan sprinted toward them. The frightening, murderous aura came nearer and nearer. Jiang Yi's divine senses spotted Qiu Shan three kilometers away, charging toward them like a crazed dragon.

There was fresh blood all over his body now, and he could see Qiu Shan's sternum through the wound in his chest. His face was drained of all color, but his eyes were sharp and fierce. He could scare a timid person to death with the way he looked.

Three kilometers, one and a half kilometers, nine-hundred meters… three-hundred meters…

Qiu Shan was very seriously injured, but he was a Half- God after all. He was traveling at top speed. In a blink of an eye, he appeared in front of them. He stopped and looked down at the people bowing down before him, his eyes murderous.

Mantis Blade would catch up with him soon. He had to run as far as he could. There was absolutely no time to waste. He could not afford to take another blow. These scouts were weak, but they could be terribly brave.

Even if they did not kill him or injure him, they could delay him. That would cost Qiu Shan his life. Thus, Qiu Shan ran without any mercy whatsoever for anyone in his way.

He ruthlessly killed anyone who could slow him down. This time was not going to be an exception.

The few scouts looked very weak. The greatest of them was only a third- or fourth-stage Heaven Monarch. Qiu Shan paid no attention to them. He quickly flicked his wrist to create several attacks with his essence force before he got ready to continue running.

Tsk! Tsk!

The Demigod's essence force was not to be belittled. Four finger forces headed straight toward the four scouts rapidly. The three people in front of him could not even withstand the pressure. Their divine shields shattered into pieces, and their brains blew open.

Yet!

When the last finger force went toward Jiang Yi, Jiang Yi's shield exploded as well. However, the finger force disappeared into his head, causing no damage to him at all. Qiu Shan did not stop running. By the time he realized that Jiang Yi did not die, he was already 30 meters in front of him.

“Hehe!”

Jiang Yi looked up aggressively, his lips curled up in an evil and devilish smile!

Tsk! Tsk!

He raised both of his hands and waved them around, causing astral winds to gather. Suddenly, ten Astral Wind Blades charged toward Qiu Shan in a flash. Jiang Yi could only avoid the finger force because he had secretly caused the Astral Winds to protect his head.

“Er… astral winds?”

Qiu Shan was stunned by Jiang Yi's evil smile, but his Demigod's spirit was too strong. He immediately readied himself. It was too late—Jiang Yi's Astral Wind Blades were already formed.

“Hehe, Clan Head Qiu Shan. I am Jiang Yi. I was the one who killed Qiu Ming and Qiu Bai. The Heaven Hidden Sect's Matriarch told me to send you her regards!”

At the same time, Jiang Yi spoke in a low voice. Qiu Shan's heart skipped a beat hearing what Jiang Yi had to say. His words were loaded. The last line in particular caused Qiu Shan's heart to freeze up.

Qiu Shan had already stood there stunned for a couple of seconds. He was still pondering what Jiang Yi had just said to him. It was only a couple of seconds, but don't forget—Jiang Yi was a Heaven Monarch at the peak stage. He moved quickly and closed the gap between the two of them until they were only thirty meters apart.

Tsk! Tsk!

From this distance, Jiang Yi shot his Astral Wind Blades. They hit Qiu Shan's divine shield. Qiu Shan's expression changed. He quickly gathered his essence force to steady his divine shield, trying to defend himself against the Astral Wind Blades.

“Keke, Qiu Shan, you've been tricked!”

Jiang Yi once again smiled devilishly. His real killer move was not his Astral Wind Blades, but the Rainbow Soul Spear that he had already prepared from the beginning. The Rainbow Soul Spear shot out from the ground, entering Qiu Shan's body without a sound, shooting him right in his spiritual consciousness.

Chapter 1041 - Die, Qiu Shan!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

No matter how strong one was—as long as he was a person, he would have his own wants and desires. He would react like any other human would.

The Demigod's reaction time was short, but he could still get shocked, panicked, or confused. He still needed time to think. Jiang Yi was betting on this reaction time. His devilish smile did not have a huge effect on Qiu Shan, but the words he spoke did. Jiang Yi's name was well-known by Qiu Shan. The more important thing, though, was that the Heaven Hidden Sect's Clan Head's name was all the more powerful!

The moment Qiu Shan gave further thought to what Jiang Yi said, he felt fear, worry, and even a little bit out of his mind. A second's hesitation in a battle between formidable martial artists could cost one his life. It was during this lag time that Jiang Yi's Rainbow Soul Spear managed to enter Qiu Shan's body without a sound, injuring his spiritual consciousness.

“Spiritual attack?”

In the beginning, Qiu Shan did not think much about what Jiang Yi just did. Spiritual attacks were not considered a big deal for Demigods. However, once the Rainbow Soul Spear entered his spiritual consciousness, his spirit experienced life-threatening danger. This caused Jiang Yi's soul to almost fly out of his body. He quickly tried to control his soul that was dancing inside his consciousness, trying to avoid the attack of the Rainbow Soul Spear.

Tsk! Tsk!

The problem was that all his focus was now on trying to control his soul. He had no time to think about anything else, and he paid no attention to gathering his essence force to form a divine shield to protect his body. The ten Astral Wind Blades kept striking his divine shield, weakening it significantly. There were now four Astral Wind Blades left. If they continued to strike him, his divine shield was bound to break apart. His body would then be cut into pieces.

“Risk it!”

Qiu Shan gave everything he had at this moment between life and death. He was ready to forsake his soul. He had to depend on his god spirit to fend off any attack by the Rainbow Soul Spear. As long as he could fend off the attacks from the four astral winds, he would be able to destroy Jiang Yi.

“En?”

Jiang Yi's divine senses locked in on Qiu Shan. He immediately deduced that Qiu Shan was trying to gather his essence force to stabilize his divine shield. Immediately, Jiang Yi sent a voice transmission. Qiu Shan heard a loud roar by his ear: “Qiu Shan… I forgot to tell you something.

Qiu Ming's kidnapping of the Saint Lady of the Heaven Hidden Sect has now been made known. The Heaven Hidden Sect was the one who gave orders for the four sects to come and attack you this time!”

Boom!

At the exact same time, Jiang Yi controlled the Rainbow Soul Spear so that it pierced right through Qiu Shan's god spirit. Upon hearing what Jiang Yi had said, Qiu Shan felt his entire mind black. For a split-second, he did not even feel the intense pain of the Rainbow Soul Spear piercing through his god spirit.

Qiu Ming kidnapping the Saint Lady of the Heaven Hidden Sect was strictly confidential. Nobody in the world knew. How did Jiang Yi find out? This made Qiu Shan think about whether the four sects were really sent here by the Heaven Hidden Sect. If they were, Qiu Shan would die even if he did manage to escape. The Dwarf Race would then be completely wiped out.

Qiu Shan was once again distracted. This distraction was fatal. Jiang Yi's Astral Wind Blades kept striking his divine shield, causing it to weaken even further.

In a blink of an eye, Qiu Shan regained consciousness. However… it was too late. His divine shield was now broken.

He felt a gust of cold wind that made all the hairs on his body stand. He could not see that astral winds, but he could smell the stench of death.

“Sigh…”

He sighed deeply. His body was about to turn into dust—a cloud of blood. He was going to die!

The moment came and went quickly.

From the moment Qiu Shan attacked Jiang Yi until his death was only a matter of seconds. What's more, Jiang Yi's Astral Wind Blades acted like soul swords—even divine senses could not detect them. Thus, the scouts nearby just felt Qiu Shan deal an attack and then realized that Jiang Yi did not die. Instead, they only heard Jiang Yi say a couple of sentences before Qiu Shan turned into a cloud of blood.

“Huh!”

Many scouts stared… stunned. The scouts who had been running ahead of them stopped running as well. They turned back in confusion, wondering what had just happened. Was the Phantom Race that unrivaled that they could just say a few words to defeat Qiu Shan?

“Qiu Shan's Ancient Divine Essence Ring!”

After killing the Demigod, Jiang Yi's expression and emotions remained unchanged. This Demigod was not that powerful, and he had been severely injured beforehand as well. Jiang Yi had only killed the Demigod while he was panicking and running for his life—there was certainly nothing worth being proud of.

However, the Ancient Divine Essence Ring that was flying in the air did make him more excited. This was an Ancient Divine Essence Ring belonging to a Demigod. It was also the Ancient Divine Essence Ring belonging to the Sect Head of the Dwarf Race. Jiang Yi was sure that it would contain countless treasures and ancient weapons.

When he killed the five Demigods back on Stupa Mountain, the Nirvana Flames had been too aggressive. They melted even the rings belonging to those Demigods. It caused Jiang Yi to feel nothing but regret.

“Should I take it?”

Jiang Yi's mind kept moving. At last, he decided to take the ring. After all, it would just take him two seconds.

However, this turned out to cause trouble for him!

The moment Qiu Shan died, Mantis Blade, Huo Yan, and Meng Nong—the Clan Head of the Mammoth Race—all straightened up at once. The three of them had been engaged in battle, but they immediately stopped what they were doing and ran straight toward Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi had no idea that the three of them had just been putting on an act. They had planned for Qiu Shan to escape so that Jiang Yi would take action. They had been the ones to transmit a voice in Qiu Shan's ear asking him to run. Actually, this was all a part of Cao Duantian's ploy.

Would Huo Yan and Meng Nong really bother about the friendship and loyalty between the three sects? The Dwarf Race was bound to be wiped out. If Qiu Shan was allowed to run away, it would only bring a lot of trouble to the rest of them. At the very least, the four sects would lose countless people in Qiu Shan's quest for revenge.

“Kill!”

Mantis Blade's eyes lit up. He quickly tunneled into the underground passages, with Huo Yan and Meng Nong following closely behind. Meng Nong looked just like a little hill—he jumped up and used both his fists to crash down into the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

No pit formed in the ground, but cracks began to spread out from the place where his fists landed. The ground began to shake. Jiang Yi, who was still underground, had been preparing to use Heaven Evasion upon grabbing the Ancient Divine Essence Ring. Right now, there was an earthquake. The ground was shaking even more violently now. There was no way he would be able to use it.

“Sh*t…”

Jiang Yi's face changed. He did not think that his own greed would get him in so much trouble. He looked slightly crazed as the ring in his palm lit up, causing the Smelting Divine Furnace to appear.

“Qiu Shan, old bastard, die!”

At that exact moment, a roar came from behind Jiang Yi. He also heard a voice transmission in his ear: “Mo Xing, throw out Qiu Shan's Ancient Divine Essence Ring and run away. I will hold Mantis Blade back for you. Whether you can escape Huo Yan and Meng Nong is all up to you now. Don't use Heaven Evasion as well—Meng Nong can control space.”

“Mo Shen!”

Jiang Yi jumped. Hearing the last sentence made his heart thud. Mo Shen had already seen through his true identity. Yet, he still took the risk of being killed by Mantis Blade in order to help him. It was obvious that he was doing this for Mo Yao'er.

Swish!

Jiang Yi threw Qiu Shan's Ancient Divine Essence Ring in front of him, toward Mantis Blade who had been charging toward him. He summoned his astral winds and caused his body to shoot out from underneath the ground. At the same time, he shouted, “Qiu Shan is already dead.

You can have his divine weapons. I don't want it!”

“Qiu Shan, that old dog, is dead? Hahaha, his divine weapons are all mine now.”

Mo Shen laughed out in excitement. He rushed forward, not caring about Jiang Yi who was already flying up above the ground. Turning toward Mantis Blade who was not far away, Mo Shen roared, “Mantis Blade, the Ancient Ring is mine! Get lost!”

Mantis Blade dealt a huge blow at top speed, but he could not dig underground passageways!

Even if he could use his mystical abilities to dig an underground passage, he would be far too slow. Mo Shen was already standing in front of him, with a black glow around his hands, ready to strike. Even if Mantis Blade wanted to chase after Jiang Yi, there was no way that he could do so.

He heard Jiang Yi and Mo Shen talking. Suspicion flashed across his eyes, but he recovered quickly and reached out for Qiu Shan's Ancient Divine Essence Ring with one hand. At the same time, he shouted, “Mo Shen, if you don't want to die, get out of the way…”

Mantis Blade knew full well that Jiang Yi was headed for the top, but he was not in the least bit worried. Meng Nong was already controlling space anyway, and Huo Yan was catching up. Where could Jiang Yi possibly run to? He would still die in the end, wouldn't he?

Chapter 1042 - Divinity Descending

to the Mortal World

Chapter 1042: Divinity Descending to the Mortal

World

Jiang Yi understood what Mantis Blade knew, but there was no way he could escape. The air was being controlled continuously. With Mantis Blade underground, Jiang Yi had no choice but to break out from underneath.

He could have run in other directions, but that would only cause Mantis Blade to chase after him all the more. Mo Shen had no way to keep acting. He had to either stand back or be determined to wage war against Mantis Blade and the others.

He had to repay the debt in full!

Jiang Yi had always been this way. Mo Shen had risked his life to save him. How could he allow Mo Shen to really be killed? If he did, then the Heaven Devil Race and Mo Yao'er would have a hard time surviving for sure.

Jiang Yi chose not to escape via the underground passageways for another important reason—Huo Yan, Meng Nong, and Mantis Blade were already there. That meant that Cao Peiwen would not remain hidden in his Tiger Subdue Mountain. The moment Qiu Shan went underground, Jiang Yi knew that Curmudgeon Cao would surely follow suit. If Jiang Yi remained underground, he was likely to run into Cao Peiwen.

Thus, he chose the path that most would think led to death. It was only this path that would grant him an opportunity to live!

If he really wanted to escape, he could only use Heaven Evasion. If he wanted to use Heaven Evasion, he had to kill Meng Nong. That was because Meng Nong was controlling the space. If Jiang Yi did not kill him, it would be impossible to use the divine skill.

Bang!

Something exploded from his body. A huge fire snake welcomed him above ground. Its flames were the strongest flames that the Fire Chi Race was capable of releasing. This was the Fire Snake Dance!

The Fire Snake Dance was released by a Demigod. It seemed to carry with it frightening amounts of power. All the ice within a five-kilometer-radius melted, causing the air to be filled with water vapor which dimmed the sun in the sky. Nearby, the scouts in hiding retreated. Their skin was visibly flushed. They had nearly been burnt alive.

“Mm, this flame is comparable to a refined Thunder Fire. It really is aggressive.”

Jiang Yi nodded his head subtly. Flames like that could kill Heaven Monarchs—and large groups of them at that. It was really smart for the Fire Chi Race to be activating their flames in the Snow Region.

However!

What Huo Yan did not know was that Jiang Yi was an expert at playing with fire. In fact, he had played with much scarier flames than these. All things aside—even the Fire Spirit Rock that Jiang Yi dealt with back at the Stellarsky Continent was comparable to these flames.

Jiang Yi had a treasure with him. That treasure had saved his life multiple times. It was also the strongest fire-resistant weapon that Jiang Yi had ever seen! There was none like it!

Buzz!

The Fire Spirit Pearl in his sleeve lit up. A huge power entered his body and caused a transparent defensive shield to form around his body. It not only kept the heat away from his body, but it also absorbed the flames that the Fire Snake was emitting.

“Die!”

The huge Fire Snake swallowed Jian Yi's body whole. Its eyes were icy and fierce. Right now, Jiang Yi looked like one belonging to the Phantom Race. His body was translucent.

They watched as he shot in and out of the fire snake's body. It was almost as if he had turned into a ghost, which the flames had no effect on whatsoever.

“Er…”

Huo Yan's heart skipped a beat. He was in shock. He knew the power of his own flames. Yet, even without a divine shield, Jiang Yi could resist them. He thought for a second that he was seeing things.

“Jolting Kill Through Air!”

Jiang Yi charged toward Huo Yan like a crazed dragon. He summoned his astral winds without a sound, forming an Astral Winds Divine Shield in front of him in a flash. At the same time, he gathered the winds into Astral Wind Blades which shot straight toward Huo Yan.

“This? This is…”

Huo Yan had the skills of a Demigod and naturally had a god spirit as well. How fast would his reaction be? Once his divine senses landed on Jiang Yi and his Astral Winds Divine Shield, he was surprised. Did Jiang Yi use his Astral Winds Divine Shield to fend himself against the Fire Snake Dance?

Shame washed over Huo Yan for a second. He was the clan head of the Fire Chi Race—the first in bending fire within the Snow Region. Yet, he could not even kill off a peak-stage Heaven Monarch? Many people were watching this battle. He felt like he was losing face. He roared in rage, “Hmph, I'm going to see how strong your defense is. I'll let you have a taste of the strongest flames—the Heaven-Devouring Devil Flames!”

Tsk! Tsk!

He cupped the moon with both his hands and turned them around. A black flame appeared between his hands and rapidly grew bigger and bigger. The temperature around the flames rose rapidly as the flame danced around in Huo Yan's hands. It looked like Huo Yan was forming a monster in his hands.

“Go!”

He pushed both of his hands out and caused the ball of black flames to shoot out immediately. The two Astral Wind Blades in the flame's way was reduced to dust.

“This flame is extremely strong! It must be even stronger than the Nine Heaven True Flames, but much weaker than Nirvana Flames.”

By sensing the temperature around the ball of flames, Jiang Yi guessed the grade of these flames. It did not bother him in the least bit. A soft sword and a black long sword appeared in each of his hands.

He was already at this stage—there was no reason to retain any more powers for himself. He had to make sure that he would not be buried here.

“Fury of Thunder, Divine Sound Heaven Skill!”

Jiang Yi roared and caused the two swords to dance in front of him. The winds in the Nine Heavens immediately stirred. A bolt of lightning cut open the night sky, striking Huo Yan squarely in his divine shield. At the same time, a terrifying sound was heard. All around, the scouts wrapped their arms around their heads and rolled around.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Two of the Astral Wind Blades had been reduced to dust, but there were still eight more. Each of them shot aggressively toward Huo Yan's divine shield. Jiang Yi had employed most of the techniques that he knew, but he still did not dare to employ the Rainbow Soul Spear. After all, the flames that Huo Yan released were already flying toward him. The Rainbow Soul Spear would likely not be able to withstand the flames.

“Alright!”

Once the divine lightning struck, Huo Yan's divine shield vibrated from the impact. It had been a long time since Jiang Yi used the Fury of Thunder. Dao patterns were closely linked to the cultivation level of the martial artist. In the past, even though he had low levels of essence force, his Fury of Thunder could kill Heaven Monarchs in the peak stage.

Now that his essence force levels were equivalent to Heaven Monarchs in the peak stage, the Fury of Thunder was much more powerful. It almost destroyed Huo Yan's divine shield.

“Uh…”

The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was obviously much more powerful now as well. Jiang Yi's spirit and essence force levels had increased significantly. It would be hard to imagine that his powers would remain the same. Upon hearing the strange sounds, Huo Yan's spirit shook.

However, he pulled himself together very quickly and realized that his divine shield had been weakened. Now, the Astral Wind Blades were heading straight toward him. With a jolt, he realized that if he took one more second to rest, his divine shield would be destroyed for sure!

“This rascal…”

However, something else shocked him even more. When the strong flames hit Jiang Yi's body, Jiang Yi did not suffer damage at all. Instead, the flames disappeared into his body. Huo Yan blinked and quickly pulled himself together once again. He shouted, “The Divine Sound Heaven Skill, the Fury of Thunder, and your resistance against the strongest of flames. Are you Jiang Yi?”

“It's too late to realize this. I destroyed five Demigods single-handedly on Stupa Mountain. Killing you would be as easy as killing an ant. Die!”

Jiang Yi's body lit up with bolts of electricity as he flew up into the air. With every thirty meters he flew above ground, his aura became even stronger. His roar shook the heavens and the earth.

Each word he spoke was powerful and earth-shaking. The swords in his hands began to dance again as the divine lightning in the Nine Heavens became activated once again. Under Jiang Yi's command, they lit up half the night sky. Jiang Yi looked like a divinity descending onto the mortal world.

“Uh…”

Huo Yan's entire body trembled. He had almost died. His strongest flames did not have the slightest effect on Jiang Yi. His race was the best in bending fire, but the rest of their attacks were only average. Thus, upon hearing Jiang Yi's words, fear began to rise in Huo Yan's chest.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Far away, a figure landed on a hill. He raised both fists up in the air and waved them, causing the layers of air all around to stir. Meng Nong of the Mammoth Race had arrived.

Huo Yan turned around to look at him. At the exact same moment, the lightning struck down on his divine shield, causing it to shake. Panicked, he activated his essence force and focused on stabilizing his divine shield. He did not attack again. Instead, he ran toward Meng Nong.

“This…”

The countless scouts and martial artists were stunned. Huo Yan was one of the patriarchs of the Ten Sects in the Snow Region. He was so afraid of Jiang Yi that he was running away?

Chapter 1043 - Fight Till the Death

Chapter 1043: Fight Till the Death

Jiang Yi's name was widely known. He had killed five Demigods on Stupa Mountain. They were the Demigods of the North Thearch's martial arts family as well. When the North Thearch finally took action, Jiang Yi even escaped unscathed. This caused everyone in the Snow Region to think that Jiang Yi was extremely formidable—comparable to a seven- or eight-star martial artist!

Now, even Huo Yan's strongest and most all-consuming flames did not cause any harm to Jiang Yi. Instead, the latter just absorbed the flames. Of course, Huo Yan would start to fear him. Nobody wanted to die. Even Demigods were only Demigods, not fully a god. It was understandable that Huo Yan would run away so quickly.

Of course, Huo Yan had not really been trying to escape in fear. He only saw Meng Nong appear and decided to hide behind Meng Nong's back. In all the years that the three races had worked together, the other two sects had been used to hiding behind those of the Mammoth Race. The dwarfs would offer some help, but the Fire Chi Race was always in charge of the attacks. The Fire Chi Race was not good at defending themselves. With Meng Nong in front of him, at least Huo Yan would not have to fear being hurt too badly.

“Jiang Yi?”

Meng Nong heard what Huo Yan had to say. He trembled slightly, but rage very quickly took over him. The people of the East Imperial Continent were here to cause trouble? Moreover, they were responsible for the civil war within the Snow Region? This caused Meng Nong to see red.

He was confident in his own defense skills. His body, which was the size of a hill, flew toward Jiang Yi as he raised two fists up in the air. Layers of air stirred, causing ripples throughout the sky.

Jiang Yi's speed was reduced significantly. He could not even escape!

“Kill—”

Jiang Yi did not retreat. If he did not kill Meng Nong, he would die. He quickly drew near to Meng Nong and kept the soft sword. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was too ineffective against Demigods. Since Demigods had god spirits, ordinary spiritual attacks meant nothing to them.

Since spiritual attacks did not work, Jiang Yi could only employ dao patterns!

The black iron sword in Jiang Yi's other hand was put away as well. It had been a long time since he activated the Fire Dragon Sword. The long sword danced around in front of him, causing the divine lightning from the Nine Heavens to strike Meng Nong's body incessantly.

At the same time, Jiang Yi's Fire Dragon Sword lit up. He began to release the Heaven-Devouring Devil Flames that he had just absorbed from Huo Yan earlier. Tens of thousands of fire dragons shot toward Meng Nong like heat waves.

“Astral Wind Blades!”

Jiang Yi's empty hand danced around the air at lightning speed, summoning unstoppable astral winds. The winds pushed forward, gathering into Astral Wind Blades.

He was combining three different attacks!

Jiang Yi was not hoping to kill Meng Nong. He was only trying to get him to retreat and stop controlling the layers of air so that he could use Heaven Evasion.

It was good to dream, but the reality was cruel.

Meng Nong's frowned with focus. He did not look like he had any intention to retreat. Instead, both his hands did not stop controlling the layers of air around him. He had only one strategy to deal with the three different attacks from Jiang Ying—use brute force.

Boom!

The divine lightning was the first to strike. Meng Nong's divine shield vibrated, and the glow around it dimmed slightly. The ten Astral Wind Blades shot it immediately after. The light around the divine shield began to flicker, but it did not break.

These Astral Wind Blades had broken the protective layer around a top-grade Heaven Fate Ship once. It was obvious that Meng Nong's defense was strong. At last, the Heaven-Devouring Devil Flames hit Meng Nong. The latter's skin turned flushed immediately. His divine shield was now as weak as paper, but it still remained functional.

Meng Nong's essence force stirred. The divine shield was getting bright again.

Swish!

Huo Yan flew out from behind Meng Nong and used a single hand to reach out toward the Heaven-Devouring Devil Flames. The devil flames were absorbed into his palm. The three attacks that Jiang Yi dealt had all been overcome. Although there was still divine lightning striking down from the sky, they were no longer strong enough to break through Meng Nong's divine shield.

“You feel good attacking me, don't you? It's my turn now!”

Meng Nong's face split into a grin. He was smiling, but there was so much meat on his face that he looked quite creepy. With his right hand, he made a fist and punched out in front of him. This time, instead of ripples forming in the air, there were golden fist marks instead. The fist marks were not big, and they did not look like much. The only frightening thing about them was they were moving at top speed.

In fact, they were moving at an astonishing speed!

There was no way for Jiang Yi to avoid them at all. The fist marks reached him in just a matter of seconds. The Astral Winds Divine Shield in front of Jiang Yi's body shook, and his entire body got thrown back from the impact. This blow very clearly drew energy away from Jiang Yi's Astral Winds. In fact, his divine shield looked like it would break apart at any moment.

Indeed, a Demigod's attack should not be underestimated.

Jiang Yi's chest tightened. The fist marks were a kind of low-leveled, gold-elemental dao pattern. Jiang Yi guessed that it was about three-stars, but definitely not more than five.

Yet, it felt extremely powerful. Before the fist marks even reached the Astral Winds Divine Shield, Jiang Yi felt his internal organs being damaged from their aura.

“Thunder Fire!”

It was no longer possible for Jiang Yi to activate Astral Winds and form another Astral Winds Divine Shield. He could only depend on his thunder fire and try to quickly form a Thunder Fire Divine Shield.

Burst!

His body flew back a few tens of meters once again as the Astral Winds Divine Shield broke apart. The Thunder Fire Divine Shield formed just in time, but this Thunder Fire Divine Shield would not be able to last that long either. Jiang Yi knew that it would fall apart in no time.

Divine shield.

In between the impacts, Jiang Yi activated his essence force and tried to focus all of it on his own divine shield.

His divine shield finally exploded, to no surprise on the part of Jiang Yi. The good thing was that the power of the fist marks was slowly reducing. Jiang Yi's body was sunken into a small hill. There was an obvious dent on his chest. Four bones were broken, and there was fresh blood flowing out from his mouth uncontrollably.

“Jiang Yi of East Imperial Continent. That's all there is to you. Old Huo, you're too useless. You were so scared of him.”

The flesh on Meng Nong's face trembled as it split into a grin. He was talking, but his hands kept moving. He kept controlling the air to prevent Jiang Yi from using Heaven Evasion.

“Pui! I only came backwards to get ready to attack him.”

Huo Yan's face was now flushed. He was beyond ashamed. He was talking tough, but his eyes revealed the anger he was feeling. He saw clearly for himself—given the speed at which Jiang Yi formed divine shields and reacted, he was no Demigod. He had only been tooting his own horn and trying to scare Huo Yan earlier.

“Die!”

As the shame washed over him, Huo Yan jumped over Meng Nong and flew toward Jiang Yi. Both of his hands danced in the air. This time, he formed a huge fire dragon. It looked like a Ku beast on fire. An aura of destruction overwhelmed Jiang Yi.

Boom!

The Demigod's attack came way too quickly. There was no way Jiang Yi would have been able to avoid it. All he could do was grit his teeth as he summoned another Astral Winds Divine Shield to fend off the attack. This time, however, the impact caused him to be buried further into the hill by at least thirty meters.

In fact, most of the hill had been blown off by the impact. Loose rocks danced around in the air and clouds covered the skies.

This time, Jiang Yi did much better. This dao pattern looked scary, but it was fire-elemental. Its main mode of attack was still through fire. Since Jiang Yi's body was fire-resistant, the Ku beast's explosion only caused impact wounds to Jiang Yi.

Even so, however, Jiang Yi was already injured. This extra impact was added pain for him. What's more, Demigods were way too powerful.

His entire body was now covered in the color of fresh blood. There was still fresh blood flowing out of his mouth. It was painful to even look at him.

“Alright, Old Huo, let's not kill him. We have to ask him properly and find out who was the one who sent him here. Let's go back to the Heaven Hidden Sect and ask the Sacred Highness to be our judge.

The East Imperial Continent has been bullying everyone else. We, the Snow Region, cannot let them get away with it.”

Seeing that Huo Yan was about to deal more attacks, Meng Nong quickly spoke up in a low voice. From the way he saw it, Jiang Yi was only a small character who could be smashed with just one finger. He could do whatever he wanted to Jiang Yi; of course, he saw no reason to kill him off so quickly.

Swish!

Meng Nong rushed toward the hill that Jiang Yi was buried in, and Huo Yan followed closely behind him. Meng Nong was not stupid. He kept stirring the air to prevent Jiang Yi from using Heaven Evasion through it. All Jiang Yi could do was watch as the two of them got closer and closer to him.

Three kilometers, one and a half kilometers, nine-hundred meters… three-hundred meters…

Jiang Yi's body was still stuck among the rocks. He lay there motionless, looking like he was a dead man. However, he peered at the two Demigods through his slit eyes, secretly keeping count of the distance. People who knew him well would know that he was getting ready to fight till death.

Chapter 1044 - Unlucky Star

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Swish!

Meng Nong's body sped up. One of his fists glowed golden and then turned into an eagle's claw. A gold aura surrounded it. In a flash, Meng Nong tore up the air around him with his claw. There was an ear-piercing sound.

“Right now!”

Jiang Yi's narrow eyes burst wide open. A huge stone furnace appeared in his hand. It looked unassuming and weak.

The dao patterns on top of it, however, stirred. To everyone around it, the furnace looked extremely primitive.

“An ancient artifact, retre—”

Everyone in the Snow Region belonged to an ancient sect. They were all familiar with ancient artifacts. Meng Nong himself had one.

The feeling that Jiang Yi's ancient artifact gave Meng Nong was a strange one. In his heart, he knew that his life was in danger. Instinctively, therefore, Meng Nong retreated.

Buzz!

Jiang Yi's essence force and star sphere force had been gathered already. He channeled them all into the Smelting Divine Furnace. The dao patterns on the furnace lit up. Faintly, they saw runic patterns appear. The runic patterns and mysterious images began to flicker. A frightening air covered the area.

“Flee!”

The scouts and martial artists watching the battle flew away in fright. Huo Yan's eyes widened as he shouted, “The Smelting Divine Furnace! This is the Fire God's Smelting Divine Furnace! Quick, run!”

The Fire God has existed since ancient times. Nobody was his match ever since then. Since the Fire Chi Race bent fire, they were familiar with the Fire God. They had even heard of this Smelting Divine Furnace since a long time ago.

Huo Yan was sure that Jiang Yi had already activated the first layer of Nine Heaven True Flames. It was obvious that he was trying to activate the second layer of Nirvana Flames now. Once he did that, everyone within a five-kilometer-radius of the furnace would perish.

“This is?”

Mantis Blade and Mo Shen, who had been battling three kilometers underground suddenly stopped. Mantis Blade had gotten hold of Qiu Shan's Ancient Divine Essence Ring, and Mo Shen was hounding him without any intention of letting him go. Suddenly, both of them felt an aura belonging to an ancient artifact. They immediately stopped fighting and headed further underground. Mantis Blade used his wind blades to break apart the soil while Mo Shen's hands turned into claws with a flash of light. The two of them dug deeper and deeper like Earth Dragons.

Shit… I worked so hard to obtain some star sphere essence force. Now, I've expended it all on this furnace, and it's still not activated?

Everyone was afraid, but Jiang Yi was cursing under his breath. He had already consumed all of his star sphere essence force, but the second level of the Smelting Divine Furnace was still not activated? If he suddenly quieted down now and put on a bluff, Meng Nong and the others would see through him for sure. Even if he would be able to use Heaven Evasion then, he would still emerge empty-handed.

“No way! I must activate the Nirvana Flames!”

His heart was pounding, and the cogs in his mind were turning at rapid sweet. At last, he figured out a so-called solution. Was this Smelting Divine Furnace not a fire-elemental treasure? He could try to push flames in to make it look like the Smelting Divine Furnace had been activated!

Tsk! Tsk!

His Fire Spirit Pearl lit up. There was still some Thunder Fire inside it, as well as Earth fire from the Lava Lake, and the Fire Snake Dance which he had absorbed from Huo Yan earlier. He pushed all of these flames into the Smelting Divine Furnace. At the same time, he used the Heaven-Extinguishing Inferno technique to change his essence force into the Nine Heavens Dragon Flames. Once again, he channeled it all into the Smelting Divine Furnace.

Buzz!

Surprisingly, all this work actually activated the furnace!

Jiang Yi's eyes lit up immediately. He pushed his hands out and caused the Smelting Divine Furnace to fly up into the air. Mid-way up, the dao patterns moved out of the way quickly and the furnace grew significantly until it was several hundred meters big. It looked just like a palace had popped up in mid-air.

As the Smelting Divine Furnace flew up, black flames descended. The black flames turned into a black dragon, which turned one full circle with a radius of about five kilometers. Everything in its path turned to ash.

“Ah—”

There were countless cries of pain. The Nirvana Flames were far too hot. It entered the masses' divine shields, causing their bodies to burn up immediately. Blood spurt out all over the place, and the people's essence force was greatly reduced as well. Many other divine shields fell apart, and bodies caught fire. All the martial artists within a five-kilometer-radius were burned to death.

“No, no!”

Meng Nong ran as far as three kilometers, but this distance proved useless. The moment the Nirvana Flames appeared, his essence force got messed up. He watched as his own divine shield fell apart, and his body caught flames.

“This, this…”

Huo Yan did slightly better because he bent fire himself. He had built some kind of resistance toward these flames. It was a pity that his fire-bending skills were not good enough.

His essence force got quite affected as well. His divine shield managed to hang in there for about three seconds before it burst into flames as well. What surprised Jiang Yi the most was that after Huo Yan's divine shield exploded, his body did not catch flames. Instead, he gritted his teeth and managed to hang on.

Swish!

With Meng Nong dead, killing one more person did not matter that much to Jiang Yi. With a single hand, he re-summoned the Astral Winds and gathered two more Astral Wind Blades. The blades shot toward Huo Yan. This time, Huo Yan could not fend himself against them any longer. His fiery red armor fell apart, and blood flowed out of the wounds on his body.

Tsk tsk~!

The Nirvana Flames were far too aggressive. All the ice within the five-kilometer-radius had melted as well. Billows of water vapor rose up into the air, causing the entire place to look like a foggy region. It was exceptionally spectacular.

Ss, ss…

Several km away, many warriors at the base of the Dwarf Mountain watched on in shock. They were so far away, but they all felt the heat waves from the Nirvana Flames. They looked at all the ice melted on the ground and then looked up at the clouds of water vapor. Their eyes reflected pure terror. Even the Mantis Blade Sect and the dwarfs, who had been engaged in an intense battle, stopped fighting. All of their eyes were locked on the east side.

“What's happening?”

A bad feeling washed over Cao Duantian. He heard a loud crash from where Meng Nong dealt his blow earlier. He knew that Jiang Yi had appeared. The Demigods had taken action.

What he failed to understand was how Jiang Yi could not be killed off despite the fact that several Demigods were working together. Why was there such a big commotion happening over there as well?

“Older Brother, what's happened?”

Cao Shishui was dressed in white robes. She sprinted out of the palace and watched the fog from the distance. Her vision was hindered by the fog; she could almost see an immortal landing on the mortal world from heaven.

Cao Duantian turned to glance at her and forced a smile. “It's nothing. Even if something has happened, it has happened to Jiang Yi. Without a doubt, he will die today.”

“They're all dead? What are those flames? Could Meng Nong not hang on for even two seconds?”

Six kilometers below where Jiang Yi was standing, Mantis Blade sensed what had just happened above ground. His eyes widened. Despite the distance he was from ground level, he felt the impact of the flames. His blood pressure rose, and he felt like his entire body was burning up. His essence force stirred.

He ranked third in terms of fighting prowess in the entire Snow Region. Naturally, his attacks were extremely aggressive, and his speed was frightening. However, he had one weakness. He was not as good at defending himself as Meng Nong was. That was why he knew he would have been burnt alive had he been above ground earlier.

“Flee!”

He turned around without much hesitation. Jiang Yi was from the East Imperial Continent. He came all the way to Snow Region to cause a commotion and even managed to kill three Demigods. This would shake the Heaven Hidden Sect for sure. The Sacred Highness of the Heaven Hidden Sect would come out and do something about this. Even if she did not, there was still the one who always bragged about being the second-best in the entire Snow Region—Curmudgeon Cao.

Tsk! Tsk!

He shot out wind blades toward the soil in front of him, trying his best to get to the Dwarf Mountain as fast as he could.

“Aggressive!”

Mo Shen, who was also in the depths of the ground, understood what just happened as well. This rascal Jiang Yi had killed five Demigods on Stupa Mountain earlier. Now, he has killed three in the Snow Region as well? He really was an unlucky star.

“Why didn't he go up to the Dwarf Mountain directly in the first place? Why did he make things so complicated and take on so much risk?”

Mo Shen did not understand that Jiang Yi lacked the star sphere essence force in the past and had no means at all to activate the Smelting Divine Furnace. That was why he was feeling confused at this moment. However, his confusion quickly turned to shock when he felt the figure underground rush upward like a crazed dragon. His divine senses locked on to Jiang Yi immediately, and he shouted: “Rascal, quick, use Heaven Evasion! Curmudgeon Cao is coming!”

“Run—”

Jiang Yi retracted the Smelting Divine Furnace after hearing Mo Shen's voice transmission. He immediately broke through the air and used Heaven Evasion.

Yet!

A low voice traveled from underground, causing the ground to shake. It was almost like there was a great earthquake appearing. The soil where Jiang Yi had been standing broke apart, and a huge hand cut through the air to drag Jiang Yi out of the opening in the air that he had just entered.

Chapter 1045 - Saint Empress

Chapter 1045: Saint Empress

Jiang Yi had been to the Tiger Subdue Mountain before, but he had never met Cao Peiwen. This time, as he was being dragged out of the opening he had just entered, his eyes locked in on an elderly person standing on the ground. He was sure that it was Cao Peiwen.

The elderly man looked so old that his face looked like it had been carved straight out of the trunk of a tree. His skin was extremely wrinkled, and both of his arms were just skin and bones. His two eyebrows were almost completely gone by now, and the beard on his chin was thin as well.

However, Cao Peiwen's gaze cut right through Jiang Yi. His eyes did not look in the least bit cloudy. Instead, they were extremely clear. They cut through Jiang Yi just like two blades, causing Jiang Yi not to dare to look directly at him.

Is that the Shield of the Earth?

Jiang Yi scanned the divine shield that was covering the elderly body. It did not look strange in any way. The only thing that was different about it was that the divine shield was the color of the soil. It looked like the one that belonged to Big Sister Xing, the maidservant of Yin Ruobing. However, Big Sister Xing's had been a treasure—this was a real divine shield.

After Cao Peiwen broke out of the ground, he did not do anything else. Instead, he looked calmly at Jiang Yi and said, “Keke, Jiang Yi. You messed up the entire Snow Region and killed so many people as well as three Demigods. Did you really think you could just dust off your hands and walk out of here? You really think that there is no one else left in this Snow Region?”

Jiang Yi forgot about running away. With an opponent as strong as the one standing in front of him, there was no way he would be able to run away anymore. He knew that he was not capable enough to kill an eight-star formidable martial artist. His star sphere essence force aside—even if he could activate the Nirvana Flames once again, he was sure that it would not be able to burn Cao Peiwen.

Jiang Yi wiped the blood from his mouth and sucked in two breaths. Then, he said, “Sect Patriarch Cao, I have never looked down on you heroes; neither have I ever thought much about myself. In fact… if I could say so, I never wanted to come to the Snow Region. I did not want to take any lives either.”

“Hahaha!”

Cao Peiwen laughed maniacally as he shook his head. “The problem is you did come, and you did take many lives. Everyone should take responsibility for their own actions, don't you agree?”

Jiang Yi nodded and said, “You're right. Since I've killed people from the Snow Region, it's normal for you to want to kill me. Sect Patriarch Cao, you can call the shots. It is my honor to die at the hands of the second-best in the Snow Region.”

“Not bad, not bad; you're a man.”

He was an enemy, but Cao Peiwen appreciated Jiang Yi's confidence. He held Jiang Yi's gaze. A man's eyes never lied. Jiang Yi was speaking from his heart. He was not playing any games at all.

Cao Peiwen paused. Suddenly, his heart stirred. He was indeed a Demigod, and Demigods did live long. However, Cao Peiwen suffered a serious injury when he was young and never recovered the lost essence force. Thus, he did not have much time left to live.

He suddenly said, “Jiang Yi, why not we make a deal? You join the Tiger Subdue Sect and work for us for fifty years, and I will spare your life. I will do my best to protect you at that. Hand your Soul Seal to Duantian, and I will make him swear to return it your freedom to you in fifty years.”

“Hahahahaha!”

Jiang Yi laughed out loud—almost ridiculously loud. He even used his essence force to amplify his laughter so that it could be heard from kilometers away. His laugh was mirthless. “You're asking me to be Cao Duantian's slave? Coarse Fellow Cao, I always thought you were a good character. I never thought you would be so stupid? Do you think Cao Duantian deserves it?”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi's voice was loud. Cao Duantian and all the elders far away heard what he said, and their expressions changed immediately. It was obvious that Jiang Yi looked down upon them. He was the Young Clan Head of the Tiger Subdue Sect—the best young master in the Snow Region. Yet, Jiang Yi thought nothing of him.

On hearing his words, however, the masses relaxed slightly. Cao Peiwen was going to take action. Jiang Yi would fall in the Snow Region after all.

“En?”

A hint of rage flickered across Cao Peiwen's expression. Jiang Yi was almost at his death bed, and yet he was still so cocky and daring enough to spout nonsense? In a cool tone, he said, “Since you're so foolish, I should send you on your way.”

Buzz!

A white light shone around Jiang Yi's body. He quickly took on his original form. His black hair turned red, and his youthful face turned pale. His eyes finally looked free. Perhaps dying was a sort of freedom.

Looking toward the north, he felt a tinge of regret tug at his heart. How good would it be if he could see Su Ruoxue for the last time before dying?

Swish!

At that exact moment, something cut across the air. Five figures floated over. Their feet floated above ground as their bodies floated through more than thirty meters. Their blur bodies quickly cleared up before Jiang Yi's eyes.

“Ruoxue?”

Jiang Yi called out meekly. He thought that he was hallucinating just before he died. Jiang Yi rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not seeing things. Immediately, his face split into a grin. He had been ready to die, but now, he was very awake and excited. He quickly released his divine senses and said,”Ruoxue, Fifth Eldress, don't come over!”

He had killed so many people. In Tiger Subdue Sect alone, he must have killed about ten thousand people. He even killed off three Demigods that day.

Cao Peiwen would not let him off for sure. Even with Fifth Eldress around, Cao Peiwen would likely not spare his life. Otherwise, he could forget about taking any charge in the Snow Region.

Thus, if they came any closer—not only would they fail to save him, they might even anger Cao Peiwen. Even if he had to perish, Jiang Yi did not want Su Ruoxue to witness it.

Swish!

Fifth Eldress did not seem to have heard Jiang Yi speaking. She brought Su Ruoxue and the others even closer, landing on a hill a few hundred meters away. Fifth Eldress did not even spare Jiang Yi a glance. Instead, she turned to Cao Peiwen and said, “Greetings, Sect Patriarch Cao.”

Cao Peiwen nodded slightly, his face devoid of expression. “Fifth Eldress, why did you bring your people here?”

Fifth Eldress smiled gently and reached out. “I did not come here for anything else but Jiang Yi. I hope that Sect Patriarch Cao would let Jiang Yi live for my sake. I promise that he will stop treating the Tiger Subdue Sect as his enemy from now on.”

“Hahaha!”

Cao Peiwen laughed out loud as if he had just heard the biggest joke in the world. In a mocking tone, he said, “Fifth Eldress, are you out of your mind? You're trying to protect a man like that?

He has killed more than ten thousand men from my Tiger Subdue Sect, turned the entire Snow Region upside down, and even killed Huo Yan and Meng Nong. Do you think I will let him off on your word alone? Why don't you ask the rest of the sects in the Snow Region and see if they're willing? Do you really think you're that important?”

“Little Fifth is not that important? Is the Highness important enough then?”

A gentle female's voice cut across the air. Her voice was clear and crisp and sounded like it was coming from all directions. It traveled far and wide so that even Cao Duantian and the other elders could hear it.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless people trembled, and their expressions changed. Even Cao Peiwen's expression changed. The expressions of a few of the elders from the bigger clans, Mantis Blade, and even Mo Shen changed as well.

On seeing the shock and anger on Cao Duantian's face as well as the faces of the other elders of Tiger Subdue Sect, Cao Shishui asked in a confused tone, “Older Brother, who is she?”

Cao Duantian's eyes carried a mixture of anger and devastation. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “The Saint Empress!”

“Ah?”

Cao Shishui's youthful face fell at once. Many questions surfaced in her little brain.

The Saint Empress was the Sect Master of the Heaven Hidden Sect, and the uncrowned queen of the Snow Region!

As the owner of the Snow Region, the Heaven Hidden Sect has always had the duty of protecting the entire Snow Region. Historically, a lot of invaders were chased out because of the armies led by the Heaven Hidden Sect. Many people in the Snow Region thus looked up to the people from the Heaven Hidden Sect.

Mostly, the Heaven Hidden Sect stayed out of the conflicts within the Snow Region. As long as nobody caused trouble for them, the Saint Empress would not bother much about their business. Now, the Heaven Hidden Sect was going back on this unspoken code. What's more, the Saint Empress herself was stepping in to interfere and protect an enemy who had just turned the entire Snow Region upside down. How could everyone not feel shocked and upset?

Who exactly is Jiang Yi?

A brave thought surfaced in Cao Shishui's mind. Could Jiang Yi be the illegitimate son of the Saint Empress? Why else would the Saint Empress risk angering the ancestors and people of the Snow Region in order to protect him?

Chapter 1046 - The Demon-Killing

Seal

Chapter 1046: The Demon-Killing Seal

Of course, Jiang Yi could not have been the Saint Empress' illegitimate child. If one wanted to calculate, the Saint Empress was not that young. She was at least 80 years old—old enough to be Jiang Yi's grandmother.

Cao Shishui could not figure it out, and neither could Cao Peiwen and Mantis Blade. Jiang Yi all the more could not figure it out either!

Before he came to the Snow Region, he did not even know the Heaven Hidden Sect. He only found out about it from the mysterious elder he met at the North Lake on the Buddha Mountain. He had never met any of the disciples from Heaven Hidden Sect either. The only people he knew were Fifth Eldress and the three Saint Ladies.

When he went up the Saint Mountain earlier, he tried to meet the Sect Matriarch of the Heaven Hidden Sect. In the end, however, no matter how much trouble he went to, he did not get to meet the Sect Matriarch. It was obvious then that she was not eager to meet him. Rather, she did not even care about him.

Now, after he made a mess out of the entire Snow Region and killed so many people within it, the Saint Empress was showing her face? Moreover, she was speaking up for him at that?

This… was illogical!

“Hehe.”

Cao Peiwen's giggle pulled Jiang Yi back to reality. Curmudgeon Cao raised a hand up to the air and said, “Cao Peiwen greets the Saint Empress. Of course, you are important enough. I would not dare to disregard you, but… if Saint Empress would not give me a reason, I would not be contented.”

Cao Peiwen's final words were amplified using his essence force, so that his voice traveled for hundreds of miles beyond where they were standing. Naturally, everyone nearby heard his words loud and clear. Although their faces showed no expression, it was obvious that they felt the same discontentment inside.

The Saint Empress was really not making sense. Perhaps everyone would have felt slightly more content if they knew that Jiang Yi was actually one of them.

Countless eyes turned toward the void as if they could see the Saint Empress hiding within. Jiang Yi looked up as well. Even with his divine senses, he could not tell where she was.

“You won't be contented?”

The Saint Empress spoke up, and her voice was still as gentle as ever. She was already 80 years old, and yet her voice did not sound old at all. What she said next everyone shut up. “So what if you would not be content? I am going to take him away today. If you're not content, you can take action!”

“Wow!”

There was a stir throughout the entire region. The scene was exactly what a crowded market would look like if someone threw a bomb inside it. Mantis Blade and Mo Shen jumped. Even Jiang Yi thought he had misheard her. Only the Fifth Eldress and the few Saint Ladies remained unmoved. The corner of Fifth Eldress' lips twitched as if she was holding back a smirk.

“Pfff…”

You've reached the end of the book.

Cao Peiwen spat out blood. He had never felt so insulted in all of his life. Nobody had ever dared to offend him like that. As the second-best in all the Snow Region, who would not show him the respect that he deserved? He had always been the one to insult others; since when did he ever feel this humiliation?

“Little Fifth, bring him away!”

The Saint Empress' emotionless voice traveled toward them. The Fifth Elderess immediately flew up. With one hand, she lifted Jiang Yi by the shoulder and flew away. Cao Peiwen's eyes turned red. He was panting so hard from anger that his beard was flying back and forth.

“Hold it!”

Cao Peiwen's lips were trembling. He gritted his teeth and let out a low growl, but Fifth Eldress did not even spare him a glance. She kept flying with Jiang Yi in tow. Cao Peiwen's expression was twisted now, and he looked almost crazed. Both his hands lit up, and one of his hands shot out rapidly, intending to stop Fifth Eldress and Jiang Yi.

“Hmph!”

The Saint Empress tutted. The skies changed immediately as a huge handprint formed. The handprint looked about nine hundred meters big. It was multi-colored and bright.

Everybody's heart seemed to stop on seeing the handprint. Countless low-level martial artists fell to the floor from the pressure that the handprint took with it.

“Nine-star dao pattern—the Demon-Killing Seal. Holy ancestors!”

Cao Duantian shouted, his face a mask of terror. His entire body was trembling as the color drained out from the faces of the other elders of Tiger Subdue Sect. Many other people were trembling, not knowing what to say for fear of dying.

Tsk! Tsk!

The nine-colored huge handprint came down with a loud noise, slapping Cao Peiwen's hands down immediately. The huge handprint stopped for just a second before a formidable suppressive force came down on the entire region. Everyone within hundreds of meters from the place fell to their knees from the pressure. A lot of them suffered internal injuries and coughed up blood.

Boom!

The huge handprint did not even pause. Instead, it fell down to the ground with a loud crash. A huge pit appeared where Cao Peiwen had been standing.

Cracks formed around the pit and spread outward until they reached hundreds of meters away. Everybody nearby spat out fresh blood once again. Mantis Blade and Mo Shen were no exception.

Ss, ss…

Mantis Blade and Mo Shen sucked in a deep breath at the exact same time. Mantis Blade especially was extremely troubled. He had thought that his power was comparable to the Saint Empress'. Now, he knew that he was far off.

The nine-star dao pattern was too horrifying. It was obvious that the Saint Empress was holding back as well; otherwise, the damage would have been far greater.

The Saint Empress finally ceased her attack because the Shield of the Earth —the eight-star dao pattern that Cao Peiwen had taken so much pride in— was finally broken. At the exact same moment that the Shield of the Earth broke apart, the handprint disappeared as well. Otherwise, Cao Peiwen would have been smashed to smithereens by now.

Even so, Cao Peiwen's bones had already been broken. He looked like a spineless worm, smashed into the ground. His body was covered in fresh blood, and his face was covered in defeat and embarrassment.

This is the power of a nine-star formidable martial artist?

Jiang Yi had not felt any pressure at all. Nothing untoward happened to him, Fifth Eldress, or Su Ruoxue and the others standing with him. However, when the handprint slapped the ground, Jiang Yi felt his entire soul shake.

He met nine-star formidable martial artists before. Ao Lu was one of them. However, he had never seen a nine-star martial artist attack. Now, seeing the bottomless pit in front of him, and the cracks that stretched far beyond his eyes could see, he started to tremble. His breathing seemed to have stopped altogether as his mind filled with the image of the giant handprint slapping down into the ground. It was an unmatched power.

Who could have fended themselves against this blow?

This question surfaced in Cao Peiwen's mind as he lay there like a boneless bug, all his bones broken beyond repair. He did not have to think that hard —apart from another nine-star martial artist, nobody would have been able to.

The North Thearch Wu Shang is also a nine-star martial artist. I wonder how scary his blows would be.

Jiang Yi let out a soft sigh. If he wanted to take revenge on behalf of Jiang Bieli, he still had a long way to go. Was it even possible to kill a nine-star martial artist?

“For the past 700,000 years, how much has the Heaven Hidden Sect given up for the Snow Region? How many invaders has the sect gotten rid of for the region? Without the Heaven Hidden Sect, would the Snow Region still be standing today?”

The Saint Empress' emotionless voice filled the entire region. Everybody within thousands of miles of the area heard her voice and stared. Once again, they looked up into the void. The Saint Empress continued speaking. “Our Heaven Hidden Sect never interferes with the conflict between the various sects in the Snow Region. That has always been our policy, but it is not because you have forbidden us from interfering.

“I naturally have a reason for whatever I am doing. I can choose to give you an explanation, and I can choose not to as well! The Heaven Hidden Sect will not take a challenge from anyone. You, Cao Peiwen, are no exception! I will give you an explanation for this in the future, but… I will not right now!”

Chapter 1047 - I Can Give You

Everything

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The incident on Dwarf Mountain was settled by a single blow of the Saint Empress' Demon-Killing Seal. The four races also didn't dare to continue with their attacks. The other races who had designs on Dwarf Mountain also did not dare to act anymore and retreated as well.

Of course, with Qiu Shan being killed by Jiang Yi and the Dwarf Race army being almost wiped out, there was no way Dwarf Mountain could still be secured. If the Dwarf Race decided to protect Dwarf Mountain to the death, their race would definitely be annihilated. A man's wealth was his own ruin by causing others' greed; a sacred mountain was too tempting for anyone. There would definitely be great races who would not be able to resist the temptation to takeover Dwarf Mountain.

Cao Peiwen was carried back by his people. Although the injuries he had were nothing much for a Demigod—he would be able to recover after recuperating for half a month, the emotional trauma the Saint Empress had inflicted on Curmudgeon Cao was something that he could never recover from in this lifetime.

The Saint Empress of this generation had always kept a low profile; she rarely appeared in front of people from the Snow Region races. Even though Cao Peiwen and company had seen her a few times, they had never struck up an extended conversation. In the hearts of Cao Peiwen and company, the current Saint Empress was a gentle person who wasn't hard to interact with.

However, this single blow of her Demon-Killing Seal had changed the impression that every Clan Head and martial expert present had of her; the power that the Saint Empress possessed as well as her domineering nature were etched into the memories of those there that day.

Many people were also jolted awake; they had always been underestimating the Heaven Hidden Sect. Heaven Hidden Sect's low profile had resulted in many people forgetting how strong it actually was. As the Saint Empress had said: to not interfere in the struggles within the Snow Region was a sect rule. It wasn't a case of them not being able to intervene because an external party had disallowed them from doing so.

Everyone understood clearly that the ruler of Snow Region would forever be the Heaven Hidden Sect. The sect was like a lion sound asleep. Once disturbed and with its eyes open, anyone that dared to challenge it would be torn into pieces.

Similarly, countless questions surfaced in the hearts of the people of the Snow Region. Any action anyone takes must have a reason behind it. Naturally, the Saint Empress would have one as well for intervening. She said that she would give everyone an explanation in the future; this confused people even more. What was so special about Jiang Yi that the Saint Empress was willing to risk the good impression and affection the masses had for her to intervene and save him?

While this matter was perplexing to the people of the Snow Region, it was similarly so for Jiang Yi.

He had been brought by Fifth Eldress and the four Saint Ladies to Saint Mountain and then transported to a mystical place of refuge and serenity. Finally, he was settled inside a courtyard. Fifth Eldress instructed him to wait there; Saint Empress would call for him later.

Through the window, he could see that there was a peach blossom forest outside. Seeing the azure-blue skies far away, he was even more confused. Was this place not in the Snow Region? How was the sky azure-blue?

There was not a tinge of coldness in the air. He had also seen numerous trees and red flowers; this was not a possible scene in the Snow Region.

“Could it be that this place is the same as the Purgatory Ruin that has its own spatial zone? A mystic realm perhaps?”

Jiang Yi stood up and grabbed the carved railings beneath the window. He was spellbound by the sight of the flowers blooming outside. While he still could not understand many things, the most important question he had was… since the Saint Empress no longer cared about what the people of the Snow Region thought, why did Heaven Hidden Sect not directly destroy the Dwarf Race? Why did he have to go through so much trouble?

Jiang Yi felt that he had been fooled. The Heaven Hidden Sect evidently could easily annihilate the Dwarf Race; yet, it went one full circle, making him—a mere Heaven Monarch—to think of ways to destroy a great race and to kill a Demigod. At the end of the day, Heaven Hidden Sect still had to intervene directly. They had actually made things worse for themselves.

The gains could certainly not make up for the losses they faced this time. Why did they choose this course of action? Were they amused to see him bouncing up and down? Even at this moment… Jiang Yi had doubts when Fifth Eldress said she would help Su Ruoxue regain her memories.

To absolve any dependency on the Soul Cleansing Pool required a huge amount of sacrifice; the Saint Empress even had to give up all her cultivations. All this was fake!

However, why?

Why did the Heaven Hidden Sect want to lie to themselves? What good would that do for them?

There were too many inexplicable things. Jiang Yi felt his head imploding. He gave up trying to make sense of things and decided to wait for the Saint Empress to call upon him and ask her directly then.

The Saint Empress did not summon him immediately. Fifth Eldress had also not appeared. Su Ruoxue too had disappeared after returning to Heaven Hidden Sect. On the way, even though Jiang Yi had wanted to speak to her, Su Ruoxue had remained cold, refusing to say a single word.

“I'll rest and recuperate first!”

After waiting for a while, the sky had turned dark. Jiang Yi could only sit cross-legged, took two recuperation pills, and sat there trying to heal. After being on the road for a few days, his wounds had slightly recovered; but he was not completely healed yet.

After recuperating for a night, he woke up at dawn. He stretched his body and felt much better; at least he would no longer open his wounds while walking.

Shh-shh-shh!

Footsteps could be heard from the outside. Following that, two ladies in white walked in. They were holding a white robe and bowed with respect. One of them said, “Young Master, please take a bath and get dressed. In a while more, the Sect Matriarch will see you.”

The two ladies were quite young and pretty. Even the airs they carried were unique. It seemed like the air of every girl that entered this place had changed naturally. They carried with them the airs of an immortal, and they were otherworldly.

After speaking, the two ladies entered one of the rooms at the side and drew the water for Jiang Yi. Once Jiang Yi entered, the two left the room with their faces blushed. At the entrance of the room, both shot a glance at Jiang Yi; and their faces became even redder.

“Have you girls not seen a guy before? What is there to fuss about…?”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose and then broke out laughing. Indeed, men were rare creatures here. The disciples of Heaven Hidden Sect were not allowed to marry their entire lives.

It seemed like even if they left Heaven Hidden Sect on errands, they were not allowed to interact with men. It was natural that they were curious about men.

After bathing and putting on new clothes, Jiang Yi ate some sweets as Fifth Eldress entered the room. She looked at Jiang Yi and said, “Not bad, you look a lot better. Let's go, the Saint Empress has summoned you.”

Following Fifth Eldress out of the courtyard, Jiang Yi—who was previously preoccupied with his thoughts—did not have the heart to admire the scenery in Heaven Hidden Sect back then. This time, he took a good look around and suddenly felt like he was without a care in the world.

Heaven Hidden Sect was built on the top of a mountain. The attic was completely made of wood while there was a huge river below the mountain, surrounding the huge mountain. As it was in the morning, waves of mist were surfacing from the river; the entire mountain looked so dazzling and a thing of dreams. It was like paradise.

“That is the Soul Cleansing Pool!”

Fifth Eldress pointed to the huge pool in the plaza in front of her. Jiang Yi's eyes narrowed as he noticed that the pool was actually not that big. There was spring water gushing forth from the middle of the pool. The spring water was blue in color. There was air circulating the spring water; it was evident that this spring water was special.

Fifth Elder murmured in the corner, “Ahh. Do you want to take a dip in it? I guarantee that your body and soul spirit would be greatly boosted. Although we—the Heaven Hidden Sect—had never accepted male disciples, you… would definitely be an exception.”

“No, there is no need.”

Jiang Yi hurriedly decline. Although the spring water was immensely beneficial to the soul spirit and the body, there was poison in it. Once the spring water touched one's body or soul, that person would never be allowed to leave. He did not want to become a disciple of Heaven Hidden Sect, having to be cooped up here all his life like a monk and a nun.

“Then let's go.”

Fifth Eldress secretly smiled as she walked towards a larger building in front of the plaza. There were two disciples of Heaven Hidden Sect guarding the entrance of the building. They were looking curiously at Jiang Yi as if seeing a monster.

After entering the building, Fifth Eldress brought Jiang Yi towards a corridor inside. The two ladies at the entrance of the corridor also looked at Jiang Yi as if they were seeing a monster. Jiang Yi uncomfortably continued his way forward; he felt that he was in an emperor's imperial inner palace, with a bunch of concubines who had not had their desires fulfilled.

After a series of turns, they finally walked out of this building and into a flower garden at the back. Jiang Yi's eyes shined. There was a pavilion in the flower garden, and a lady was drinking tea in it. It was hard to tell her age. There were also two ladies waiting on that lady.

“Greetings to the Saint Empress!”

Fifth Eldress bowed deeply as she greeted. Jiang Yi hurriedly mimicked her. The Saint Empress continued to drink her tea, staring blankly at the small lake near the pavilion. She did not directly look at Jiang Yi, but she gave a wave of her hand.

Fifth Eldress and the two servants bowed and left. Jiang Yi did not even dare to look around; he stood there motionless, without speaking a word.

The Saint Empress drank little sips of tea for almost five minutes, then turned, and looked at Jiang Yi. She said, “Jiang Yi, I know you have many questions. However… I will not tell you anything. As long as you help us take back our sect's Glazed Pagoda, whatever you wish to know—whatever you want, I can give you everything.”

Chapter 1048 - Departure

Chapter 1048: Departure

The Glazed Pagoda was the Heaven Hidden Sect's sacred treasure that Fifth Eldress had mentioned to Jiang Yi previously. It was taken by the Mystic Thearch and was probably in Mystic Divine Palace now.

Although the Saint Empress was clear that she would not tell Jiang Yi anything, Jiang Yi still had to ask: “Saint Empress, why do you guys think that I am able to help retrieve the Glazed Pagoda? The Nine Thearchs have all gone to Mystic Divine Mountain; no one could enter the Mystic Divine Palace.”

“No one else but you can!”

With regard to this question, the Saint Empress actually was willing to answer. She smiled mildly and said, “Ao Lu is the guardian of Mystic Divine Palace. If you can befriend him, the chances of the Mystic Divine Palace ending up in your hands are very high.”

“Haha! Saint Empress has way too high expectations of Jiang Yi.”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly, raised his head, and looked at Saint Empress. If it's just based on appearances, he could not tell that the Saint Empress was more than eighty-years-old. She looked like a lady of around thirty years with snow-white and lustrous skin. She was tall and wore a beautiful white dress with silver linings. If he hadn't known her age and based on her looks, many men would be palpitating with excitement just by looking at her.

The Saint Empress's nose bridge was slightly high, creating a dignified air to her. She was like an esteemed empress. Her eyes were beautiful, with a clear distinction between the white and the black. The pureness was like that of a child, leaving a deep impression on anyone.

After looking once, Jiang Yi did not dare to continue looking. He lowered his head and said weakly, “Saint Empress should know some things regarding Jiang Yi. I have a deep enmity with the North Thearch Wu Clan. If I dare to step into the East Imperial Continent again—if the North Thearch knew, he would definitely kill me personally. I am afraid that even if I am able to obtain the Glazed Pagoda, I might not have any way to send it back to you.”

“It doesn't matter!”

The Saint Empress tugged her sleeve and said, “We can only do one's best and leave the rest to God's will. If you do not try, how would you know you can't do it?”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi nodded in assent. “If I die on the East Imperial Continent, I would like to ask Saint Empress to help me take care of Ruoxue.”

Saint Empress said expressionlessly, “No matter whether you live or die— as long as Su Ruoxue is a disciple of Heaven Hidden Sect, I will definitely take good care of her.”

“Hu-hu!”

Jiang Yi exhaled twice, gritted his teeth, and said, “Saint Empress, if I am able to bring the Glazed Pagoda back, will you definitely return Su Ruoxue whole to me? What I mean is the recovery of her memories, a Su Ruoxue who would never need to depend on the Soul Cleansing Pool ever again.”

“That's right!”

Saint Empress said, “As long as you bring back the Glazed Pagoda, I will definitely return you a Su Ruoxue as good as new.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi cupped his hands and said in a low voice, “In that case, could Saint Empress have someone send me out of Heaven Hidden Sect. 1 will leave for the East Imperial Continent immediately and enter the Mystic Divine Palace.”

“So fast?”

The Saint Empress' face changed a little. She was not aware that Ao Lu had tampered with Mystic Divine Mountain. She paused for a moment and asked again, “You do not wish to see Su Ruoxue first?”

“There is no such need!”

Jiang Yi's eyes revealed a sliver of pain and bitterness. He closed his eyes and said, “Since she has completely forgotten about me, what is the point of meeting her? If I am not able to return, having forgotten the past would actually be a good thing for her. Saint Empress, I will now take my leave!”

Jiang Yi closed both eyes and bowed with hands folded in front, resolutely turned, and left. Fifth Eldress was just waiting outside. She signaled for two Heaven Hidden Sect disciples to bring Jiang Yi to the Teleportation Formation.

After seeing Jiang Yi leave and head for the Teleportation Formation in the distance, Fifth Eldress' face revealed a tinge of reluctance. She hurried went into the backyard, walked to the pavilion, and cupped her hands, saying, “Saint Empress, Jiang Yi has left.”

“Oh.”

The Saint Empress nodded her head lightly and continued to sip her tea, head lowered. There didn't seem to be any visible change in her expression. Fifth Eldress waited for a while, gritted her teeth, and asked, “Saint Empress, with the way that you're forcing Jiang Yi—if he really died in the East Imperial Continent, what would we do next? Mystic Divine Mountain is in the center of the East Imperial Continent; the Battle Thearch lives just at the foot of that mountain.

“If Jiang Yi dared to head up Mystic Divine Mountain, there was a chance that the Battle Thearch would be alerted. There is also the matter of the North Thearch. Jiang Yi had annihilated five Demigods from the Wu Clan, utterly embarrassing the Wu Clan. As long as Jiang Yi's identity is exposed, he would definitely not even have the chance of fleeing…”

“You are wrong!”

The Saint Empress put down her teacup, turned, and looked at Fifth Eldress. “It is not I who is forcing him; the day he walked out of Stellarsky Continent, his future was already preordained. He had chosen this path himself; he needs to walk to the end of it. He will either succeed or fail; this is his destiny.”

“But…”

Fifth Eldress became anxious and was about to say something else. However, the Saint Empress stopped her abruptly with a wave of her hand. “Enough. Stop talking. You guys will stay out of matters regarding Jiang Yi. If he can't even overcome minor obstacles and impediments such as this, what right does he have to rise above the clouds?”

“Sigh…”

Fifth Eldress sighed deeply but didn't dare to say more. She knew perfectly well that once the Saint Empress had made up her mind, no one would be able to change it. Furthermore, Jiang Yi had already left. He might already be using his Heaven Evasion to head to the East Imperial Continent. Even if she wanted to intervene, it was already too late.

Fifth Eldress left the building and walked towards the outer regions. She wanted to confirm if Jiang Yi had been teleported away. She moved quickly and soon reached the vicinity of the Teleportation Formation, but she saw a surprising sight in front of her.

“Ruoxue, what are you doing?”

The guilt in her eyes came and left in a flash. She looked at the dazed Su Ruoxue that was standing under a small tree south of the Teleportation Formation. Her face became strict as she said, “Why aren't you cultivating?”

“Fifth Eldress, that man has left.”

Su Ruoxue's pale face revealed some inexplicable emotions. She pointed towards the Teleportation Formation and said, “I saw the man that was just teleported away. Fifth Eldress, who exactly is he? Does he know me? Why is it I cannot remember him at all? Why does he always look at me with that expression? Why is it that when he leaves, I will feel… so terrible?”

“Silly child.”

Fifth Eldress' fierce face relaxed, with her eyes filled with pity and empathy. She went over to hold Su Ruoxue's hand and said, “Do not feel terrible. Listen to me. Go and cultivate earnestly. In at most three years—if he is able to return, you will know who he is by then.”

“Oh!”

Su Ruoxue softly answered and obediently went into a building far away. Her steps were light, but from her back, it felt as if she carried loneliness that could not be hidden.

“Teleported to the Saint Mountain? Furthermore, the teleportation time was not long. It seemed like the Heaven Hidden Sect had created a mystic realm that was a strange space similar to that of the Purgatory Ruin.”

After Jiang Yi was teleported out, he silently nodded as he saw Saint Mountain. His conjecture was right. The space that Heaven Hidden Sect was situated in was created using a strong mystical ability. Furthermore, it was located north of Saint Mountain. However, if he wasn't teleported in, he might probably never find the Heaven Hidden Sect in his lifetime.

“Go!”

He looked at the Heaven Hidden Sect disciples on Saint Mountain, nodded, turned, and flew southward. Since matters in the Snow Region had come to an end, it was time to return to the East Imperial Continent. By the time he managed to reach Mystic Divine Mountain, the restrictions that Ao Lu had left behind ought to have been loosened.

He did not immediately use his Heaven Evasion. After all, there were outsiders present. He flew to a spot around ten kilometers to the south, used his divine senses to scan the surroundings, and prepared to use Heaven Evasion to leave.

“Mo Xing!”

All of a sudden—from a thousand feet east from him, the snow on the surface exploded; and a shadow shot out. A familiar voice also rang out in the surroundings.

Jiang Yi's body trembled as his gaze looked towards the east. He saw a face full of tears. It was a young lady wearing a tight black dress. Her eyes were staring idiotically at him, her graceful body slightly trembling.

“Mo Yao'er?”

Jiang Yi shouted and bitterly closed his eyes. White light shot out from both his hands as he directly pierced the spatial zone and dived into it. At the instant that he was going to use Heaven Evasion to leave, he looked back once again at Mo Yao'er. His lips quivered as he sent a voice transmission: “Mo Yao'er, I—Jiang Yi—rarely make promises. However, once I make a promise, I will definitely live by it. Five years later, if you still cannot forget me and if I am still alive, I will not let you down!”

Swish!

Jiang Yi disappeared within the crevice. The fissures in the spatial zone also gradually vanished. All that was left was goose-feather-like snow that was dancing in the sky and a lonely figure standing on the icy ground.

Chapter 1049 - Yin Ruobing's

Engagement

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The spatial zone in the Snow Region was very stable, reducing the distance Jiang Yi had to use his Heaven Evasion. He took four days before he managed to use his Heaven Evasion and reached the area south of the Snow Region. He neared the Wu Clan's four regions.

He did not dare to use Heaven Evasion and head further south. The Heaven Evasion Divine Skill was his unique ability that at least no one else in the Stellarsky Continent had mastered. The only flaw of Heaven Evasion was that one would not know where one would appear. There were people everywhere in the East Imperial Continent. Once he was discovered—by the next day, probably the entire East Imperial Continent would know.

The mysterious fishing elder had instructed him not to enter the East Imperial Continent without breaking through the Demigod Realm, or he would definitely be discovered and killed by the North Thearch. It wasn't that Jiang Yi did not want to listen to the elder; he had no choice. Ao Lu wanted him to gain the Mystic Divine Palace while the Saint Empress had also asked him to head there to retrieve the Glazed Pagoda. He could only take the risk and head back to the East Imperial Continent.

Thankfully, Jiang Yi had the Mirage Divine Ability. As long as he didn't come face-to-face with a formidable Demigod, no one would be able to recognize him. He had long thought through his plan. He would take the Tang Clan's Heaven Fate Ship to Mystic Divine Mountain. Although this would be the slower way, it was safer.

“Go!”

He rested for a while and used his Heaven Evasion again. However, he did not dare to head south but instead headed west. He intended to enter the Yi Clan's four regions, head to a medium-sized city to take the Heaven Fate Ship.

As this place was near the edge of the East Imperial Continent, the spatial zone was not that stable. Jiang Yi used his Heaven Evasion for three consecutive days and reached the northern part of the Yi Clan's Buddha Light Region.

“Almost there, let's go!”

His body shined with white light as he was transformed into a cold and cruel middle-aged strongman. He wore battle armor and had an aura that of about the sixth level of the Heaven Monarch Realm. This appearance would neither attract attention nor bring trouble as no one would dare to mess with him.

Swish!

He sprinted the entire way, not resting day or night. During the night, he would fly high up into the sky and absorb the astral winds. He had used up much astral winds in the Snow Region. However, as the astral winds were inexhaustible, he was not particularly concerned.

Four days later, he reached the northern side of a small city. He used his Divine Perception to sweep the area, confirmed that there were no formidable martial artists in the city, and walked in boldly.

He found an inn, summoned the waiter, and took out a few pieces of gold leaves from his ring. The waiter immediately shot up. Jiang Yi coldly asked, “You will answer every question I have. If you answer well, these will all be yours.”

“Many thanks, my lord.” The waiter hurried knelt down and kowtowed. His eyes were fixated on the gold leaves.

“What eventful things have happened in the East Imperial Continent recently?” Jiang Yi slowly and leisurely raised his teacup and took a sip. “I have been in seclusion for two years and have not been kept abreast.”

“Eventful things?”

The waiter started thinking, stretched out his hand, and counted. “Two years ago, a spy called Jiang Yi was sent from Sin Island. He created havoc in the Wu Clan's four regions. He killed…”

Jiang Yi waved his hand and said, “I heard about this before I went into seclusion. Talk about things that happened after that.”

“Okay.” The waiter thought for a moment and continued. “For the subsequent half of that year, the She Clan's Great Young Master broke through to the Demigod Realm, riling up the whole continent.

“The Great Young Master of the She Clan? Which one? She Fei?”

Jiang Yi's brows were raised as he saw the waiter nod. He suddenly was shaken to his core, his eyes fearful as if having seen a ghost.

If someone told him that someone like Wu Ni or Yi Chan had broken through to the Demigod Realm, perhaps Jiang Yi would not be so shocked. However, She Fei's legs had been broken by Jiang Yi's astral winds; his body was naturally broken as well. She Fei was akin to being crippled; how could he have broken through to the Demigod Realm?

He grabbed the front of the waiter's shirt as his face revealed his rage. He coldly smiled and said, “Wasn't She Fei's legs broken? You dare to trick me?”

“I dare not, I dare not!”

Jiang Yi's killing aura was incredibly strong. The waiter almost fainted with fear. He hurried said, “My lord, how could I dare lie to you? It was said that Evil Thearch himself went to a mystic realm and helped Young Master She Fei retrieve the Destitute Dragon Grass. After Young Master Fei recovered, he cultivated incessantly for one good year and broke through to the Demigod Realm…”

“Damn!”

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes. Being born in the Nine Thearch Clans was indeed different. Even broken legs could be mended, with the Destitute Dragon Grass being easy to obtain for them.

This She Fei was no doubt a prodigy of the Nine Thearch Clans. After suffering setbacks every time, he did not give up but instead became even stronger than before. She Fei had become stronger after Jiang Yi's assassination attempt on him failed. Now, after Jiang Yi had broken his legs, She Fei had leaped even higher, breaking through to the Demigod Realm.

Demigod!

That was the utmost level of existence in this world. Although the continent had billions of martial artists and hundreds of millions of martial experts of the Heaven Monarch Realm, there were just a handful of Demigods. Even the Evil Thearch's She Clan had no more than fifty Demigods. There were probably only less than a thousand Demigods in the entire Stellarsky Domain. The difficulty in reaching the Demigod Realm was evident. She Fei had indeed overcome an insurmountable obstacle. As long as he didn't die, he would definitely become the new Evil Thearch.

“Carry on.”

Recovering himself, Jiang Yi relaxed his grip on the waiter and tossed a gold leaf to him. The waiter suddenly started smiling again and continued. “Something else happened after that. After She Fei became a Demigod, he came to the Buddha Thearch's region and asked for Lady Yi Chan's hand in marriage. It was said that… the Yi Clan's elders and seniors were very pleased. The Buddha Thearch also gave his consent. However, Lady Yi Chan did not agree in the end; she demanded Young Master She Fei become an eight-star martial expert within five years before asking for her hand in marriage again.”

“Hehe.”

Jiang Yi was not happy with what the waiter had said initially. However, he smiled after hearing the second half of the story. Yi Chan was still the same as usual, looking down on all the men of the world. Even if She Fei had become a Demigod, she too didn't think highly of him. Her demand was obviously a delaying tactic.

The waiter paused for a while and said, “Sometime after that, yet another big event occurred. That was two months ago. The first young master of the Zhan Clan, Zhan Tianlei, came out of seclusion. At the age of thirty, he broke through the Demigod Realm, stunning the entire continent.”

“What?”

Jiang Yi's body shook. He almost grabbed the waiter's shirt again. Was this Demigod Realm so easy to attain nowadays that anyone could reach it? What more, at the age of thirty?

The waiter did not notice Jiang Yi's expression and continued. His next words sent Jiang Yi jumping. “After Zhan Tianlei came out of seclusion, he immediately went with the Battle Emperor to the Yin Thearch City to ask for Yin Ruobing's hand in marriage. The Yin Emperor agreed, and the marriage was set that day… with the wedding to take place a year later. From now, that would be nine months later.”

Boom!

Jiang Yi's brain seemed to have exploded, with all kinds of emotions hitting him.

In his brain surfaced a clever and intelligent girl and a lot of different images. He had deep memories of Yin Ruobing, especially when Yin Ruobing had blocked his way outside the Purgatory Ruin. The image of her willing to die together with him made him even more agitated.

With regard to Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing who were both absolute beauties, Jiang Yi had always been very conflicted. He would be lying if he said he didn't like them; he wasn't a cold-blooded man but was a normal person. The two were so beautiful that any guy would be moved by them; what more him who always had a complicated relationship with the two.

However, Jiang Yi had always suppressed his feelings. As he had entered the Gods Bestow Tribe and was on good terms with Ao Lu, he was destined to be enemies with the Nine Thearch Clans. There would be no future with either of the two ladies. He had always been avoiding, not even daring to think about this matter.

He had come to the East Imperial Continent to save Su Ruoxue and to find Yi Piaopiao. He did not have the time to fool around. Hence, when Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing went to find him on Buddha Mountain—wanting to get close to him, he had been like a hedgehog, sealing his gentle nature away and only revealing a self of thorns.

However, at this moment—hearing that Yin Ruobing was going to marry someone else, he did not feel good. There was a sour thought to it. Maybe this was the common failing of men: one could decide not to like and could decide not to want, but he could not tolerate others to come close.

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi laughed at himself for being such a sentimentalist and for being unsatisfied with what he had. Things have already progressed so far along; there was no time to think about such things. Furthermore, there was no way to stop such things from happening; he couldn't have it all.

I'm not going to think anymore. Tomorrow, I will head to Mystic Divine Mountain.

Jiang Yi shook his head and got rid of all the stray thoughts inside him. He dismissed the waiter and sat cross-legged on his bed. He was thinking about what would happen this time when he went to Mystic Divine Mountain. Could he safely enter Mystic Divine Palace and retrieve the Glazed Pagoda?

Chapter 1050 - : You Finally

Appeared!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The next day, Jiang Yi went to a nearby medium city. Before entering, he changed his appearance into that of a lesser clan's young master and found another inn where he gathered more information again.

The waiter at the previous inn had not lied to him. She Fei had indeed broken through to the Demigod Realm. That extremely discreet great young master from the Zhan Clan had also become a Demigod and was engaged to Yin Ruobing.

However, it appeared that the wedding taking place a year later was at the suggestion of Yin Ruobing; it was evident she had her reservations. However, due to her clan's pressures, she could only resort to delaying the inevitable by a year.

Any wedding for anyone born in a big clan was not a personal affair; these were marriage alliances. Yin Ruobing was from the Fragrant Lady Race. This was something that all the young masters from the big clans knew about. Everyone wanted to get this unrivaled beauty; it just depended on whom the Yin Clan wanted to get close to.

The Zhan Clan was a very powerful family; the Battle Emperor was also a nine-star expert. The most important factor was that Zhan Tianlei had actually broken through to the Demigod Realm. He would be on the same level as She Fei next time, being the next Battle Thearc, Battle Emperor. To create a marriage alliance with the future head of the Zhan Clan suited the Yin Clan's interests.

Yi Chan was also under a lot of pressure. However, she was lucky as she had a grandfather who cultivated zen, specifically the heart of zen. This cultivation emphasized one following one's heart, acting as one desired. If not, she would have been put in the same position as Yin Ruobing, not being able to get her way at all.

Besides these few matters, the East Imperial Continent was rather peaceful. The North Thearch's clan had been very quiet while Wu Ni had also vanished without a trace; he had not been seen once in the past two years.

Something worth mentioning was that Jian Wuying had broken through again, mastering a five-star dao pattern and attaining the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm. The young Jian Wuying's cultivating speed was too fast. If Jiang Yi had returned two years later, he probably would have heard the news that Jian Wuying had broken through to the Demigod Realm.

“Forget it. Since our paths are different, there is little chance we can work together. There is no point in thinking further.”

Jiang Yi shook his head and got rid of all the vexing thoughts in his heart. A light flashed in his hand, and a green pearl appeared. He wanted to contact someone associated with the Shadow Emperor. However, he waited bitterly for two hours, but there was no response. The Shadow Emperor did not have spies in this area.

“Let's go.”

Jiang Yi rose and headed straight for a branch hall of the Tang Clan. He did not take out the various command tokens that the Tang Clan had given to him. Instead, he handed over the celestial stone at the normal price. The command tokens had symbols of the Tang Clan and will expose his identity. Although he had always been on good ties with the Tang Clan, they were pure businessmen; there was no saying if they would betray him.

He also did not book a direct ticket to Mystic Heaven City, but he made one for Heaven State Region. He wanted to go there and see the Butterfly Lady Race and the two children. That way, he could also hide his tracks. After all, to head directly to Mystic Heaven City from where he was would cost him heavily in celestial stones. The Tang Clan would also definitely take note of such a matter and start investigating his identity; it was too easy for him to be exposed.

There was an even more important reason. At the foot of Stupa Mountain, Qi Tianyu and company had all died in battle. He had always felt very guilty towards the Qi Clan. He wanted to go and report his offense to Qi Tianchen.

The Buddha Light Region wasn't that far from Heaven State Region. The people here also frequently came in contact with people from the Heaven State Region. The journey would take slightly more than a month and would not raise any red flags.

Actually, while handing over the deposit, Jiang Yi felt a little hesitant. He really wanted to make a trip to the lake north of Buddha Mountain, but he did not dare to go after recalling what the mysterious elder had said to him. The elder was very clear: if Jiang Yi hadn't become a Demigod—even if Jiang Yi went there, the elder would not come and meet him. Jiang Yi had to forget about this thought for the time being.

Five days later, the Heaven Fate Ship arrived. Jiang Yi boarded the ship disguised as a small clan young master. The journey was very peaceful. Jiang Yi's Divine Perception was constantly scanning the surroundings, but he did not find anything suspicious.

After spending two days in the hold of the boat, Jiang Yi entered the one-hundred-fold secret cultivation room on the Heaven Fate Ship. Jiang Yi's sixth star sphere had transformed, and his essence force had reached the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm. If it was an ordinary person—as long as he had not reached the Demigod Realm, he would not go and cultivate his essence force, and would not be able to cultivate essence force either.

However, Jiang Yi was different. His dantian had transformed; the ninth star sphere had appeared. During the last breakthrough, Jiang Yi had cultivated once; and the seventh star sphere was able to release essence force. However, the required essence force the seventh star sphere needed was immense, threefold more than before.

In other words, if Jiang Yi wanted his seventh star sphere to transform, he needed to cultivate in this type of one-hundred-fold secret cultivation room for at least twenty years.

Beyond the seventh star sphere was the eighth star sphere. By his calculation, the eighth star sphere should also require an essence force that was two or three times that of what the seventh star sphere needed. This meant that the time needed for the eighth star sphere would be even longer.

Using the one-hundred-fold secret cultivation room and adding to it the ten-fold cultivation speed that his body possessed due to the Destitute Dragon Grass, that would still take more than fifty years. If the required essence force for the ninth star sphere continued to double or triple, that would be impossible to imagine.

“Something isn't right though!”

Jiang Yi blinked his eyes, slightly muddled. Inside his ninth star sphere was all the energy of astral winds. Since that was the case, could the ninth star sphere still store essence force? When that happened, would the astral winds and the essence force repel each other?

“Hehe, I'm thinking too far off!”

Jiang Yi swiftly came back to reality. It would be countless more years before he transformed his sixth and seventh star spheres; he might already be dead by that point in time. It was pointless thinking about such things at the moment.

“Cultivate!”

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and started cultivating, at the same time entering the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and realizing sorcery and dao patterns alike. The Demon-Killing Seal skill that Saint Empress had used had impacted him greatly; nine-star experts were incredibly strong. He still had a very long way to go.

Time passed by as Jiang Yi cultivated; the journey was also very smooth. Jiang Yi stopped cultivating on time, one and a half months later. The ship was about to reach the Stellar City of the Heaven State Region. This city was not far from Black Flag City; it would only take a few days to reach.

Jiang Yi sat inside the ship cabin and used his Divine Perception to scan the surroundings and relaxed. Although the North Thearch was a nine-star martial expert, he wasn't a True God. He did not have the ability to predict the future or be able to see so far into the distance. The North Thearch did not know that Jiang Yi had sneaked back into the East Imperial Continent. As long as Jiang Yi did not act recklessly, did not use any of the abilities that he was known to possess, and did not create a ruckus, no one should be able to see through his disguise.

After disembarking from the Heaven Fate Ship, Jiang Yi entered Stellar City. He did not immediately contact the people manning Heaven Fate Ship but entered an inn to gather information from a waiter.

Although he wanted to head to Black Flag City, Jiang Yi was not going to go in blind. If by any chance Qi Tianchen had been exposed and was being controlled, Jiang Yi would be walking right into a trap.

Fortunately, the news that he received was that the Black Flag City had been peaceful these two years; there were no notable events that had taken place. To play safe, he switched to another inn and continued to ask for more information. After he had confirmed multiple times, Jiang Yi went back to the first inn and retrieved the green pearl.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

There was a response this time. Within five minutes, a knock rang out from the outside. A voice transmission came to him. “Are you Young Master Xue Yi?”

“Come in!”

Not many people knew this name. Jiang Yi used his divine senses and scanned the vicinity; besides an old man outside, there was no one else.

Creak!

The elder pushed the door and entered, meeting Jiang Yi's gaze. He then knelt on the floor emotionally, kowtowed, and said, “Young Master, you have finally appeared. We have been looking for you for two years. The Clan Head and Madam are very anxious. I have sent a message to Clan Head; he will arrive shortly!”

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi was slightly shaken. He did not expect the elder's response to be such. He also didn't expect that Qi Tianchen would be so anxious to see him.

Jiang Yi reflected on what had happened and felt very uncomfortable. After his slaughter at the foot of Stupa Mountain, he had received the mysterious elder's voice transmission and had immediately headed to the Snow Region. He had forgotten to leave a message for Qi Tianchen and company. It was probable that they had all assumed him to be dead or taken by the North Thearch.

“Not good!”

Having thought of this, Jiang Yi's expression changed. If Qi Tianchen was already so anxious, what about Feng Luan and Qian Wanguan? If Jiang Xiaonu also knew that he had disappeared, what if she had done something foolish and was making trouble in the East Imperial Continent? She was a crazy girl that was even more obstinate than him.

Chapter 1051 - Reliance Awls

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Within an hour, Qi Tianchen arrived.

Even though it had been two years, Qi Tianchen still looked the same. However, when he saw Jiang Yi after entering the inn, he almost cried. Qi Tianchen dismissed his men, grabbed Jiang Yi's hand, and said, “Young Master, do you know that we have been looking for you so desperately over the past two years that we have almost gone crazy? If you weren't going to show yourself anytime soon, we would all be dismembered alive by Young Mistress Qianqian…”

“Hehe!”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose as he was slightly embarrassed. He said apologetically, “Brother Qi, this is all my fault. Ah, since Qianqian knows, does Xiaonu know that I had gone missing? Did she do anything foolish? Do the people of Sin Island know, too?”

“Xiaonu?”

Qi Tianchen's eyes blinked. He looked confused as he said, “Who is Xiaonu? The people from Sin Island all know. They have their own sources of information and had been sending people to look for you all over.

Your brother Qian Wanguan almost ran here, to the East Imperial Continent, to look for you. If Situ Ao did not give a death order and sent men to watch Qian Wanguan, who knows what trouble he could have caused?”

“Oh, oh!”

Jiang Yi was relieved. If Jiang Xiaonu had come to the East Imperial Continent, the Shadow Emperor would have sent Qi Tianchen to go and protect her. Since Qi Tianchen did not know, it seemed that Ao Lu and the Shadow Emperor had managed to cover things up.

“Hehe.”

Hearing news of Wanguan, Jiang Yi felt a little warmth in his heart. This lad had already gotten married, but it seemed like his temper had not changed a bit.

Thinking of Qian Wanguan, Jiang Yi then thought of Zhan Wushuang. When he left, he had made a deal with Zhan Wushuang: the day that Jiang Yi's identity was exposed would be the day that Zhan Wushuang would come to the East Imperial Continent. Based on that, Zhan Wushuang should have come to the East Imperial Continent. Jiang Yi hurriedly asked, “Brother Qi, do you know where Zhan Wushuang is? She could have come to the East Imperial Continent.”

“Zhan Wushuang?”

Qi Tianchen's face became confused again. He shook his head and said, “I do not know. I have not received any news regarding this person. Over these few years, I have never heard of someone in the East Imperial Continent with that name.”

“Oh!”

Jiang Yi's face darkened. Qi Tianchen was responsible for collecting information. If he had not heard of Zhan Wushuang, there were two possibilities: one was that Zhan Wushuang had died, and another was that Zhan Wushuang had changed her name and had sneaked into the East Imperial Continent with Qian Wanguan's help. Thus, no one knew of his existence.

Jiang Yi thought for a moment and said, “Please immediately send a message to Sin Island to let Wanguan and the rest know that I'm safe. At the same time, ask about Xiaonu, and Zhan Wushuang, and the current situation on Sin Island.”

“Alright!”

Qi Tianchen took out a message token and relayed the instruction. He then looked at Jiang Yi and said, “My brother, where have you been the past two years? Why have you not contacted me?”

“It's a long story…”

Jiang Yi sighed slightly, thought of Qi Tianyu, and said guiltily, “Brother Qi, I have failed you guys. Qi Tianyu and the rest had died in battle. This is all my fault.”

Buzz!

The Ancient Divine Essence Ring in Jiang Yi's hands lit up, and two iron awls appeared. From one look it was obvious that these awls were no common objects. There were mysterious patterns on them, and they were emanating an ancient and almighty aura.

He handed the two awls to Qi Tianchen and said, “This is an ancient artifact. Its power is considerable. Of course, this object cannot bring back Qi Tianyu and the rest. I just want to give you something to make amends…”

“This?”

Qi Tianchen's face darkened and stared at Jiang Yi. “Jiang Yi, what are you doing? It is true that Qi Tianyu and the rest had died in battle. However, they did not die in vain. Didn't you kill five Demigods from the Wu Clan? The Qi Clan is in your debt because of what had happened in Endless Deep Sea. If it wasn't for you, the Qi Clan would long have perished. Not just Tianyu and the rest—even if the entire Qi Clan had to perish, that would not be a big matter.

Please keep these awls. Knowing that you mean well, Tianyu and others can also die in peace.”

“Please take it, Brother Qi. This is something that I got from the Snow Region. It is the weapon of a Demigod. I cannot use it well; there is no point in me holding onto it.”

Jiang Yi gave the Reliance Awls to Qi Tianchen. These awls were the weapon of choice for the generations of Clan Heads from the Dwarf Race; their power was definitely significant. Since Jiang Yi had the Smelting Divine Furnace, he was naturally ill-suited for close combat. He had no use for them.

“The Snow Region? A Demigod?” Qi Tianchen's eyes flashed as he asked, astonished. “Could this be the weapon of the Dwarf Race Clan Head?”

“Oh? You know this, too?” Jiang Yi asked in surprise.

“How could I not know? The Dwarf Race is one of the Snow Region Ten Sects! Many great family clans of the East Imperial Continent have been collecting information about them.”

Qi Tianchen examined the Reliance Awls over and over again. He saw three small words at the handle of the Reliance Awls. He was slightly emotional as he said, “These are indeed the Reliance Awls. Brother, this gift is too precious. I do not dare to keep it. How did you get your hands on it?”

“By killing someone of course,” Jiang Yi answered casually. He then became serious as he said, “What is so precious about it? Brother Qi, if you reject this gift again, I will not look for your help ever again.”

“By killing someone?”

Qi Tianchen's body shook as he exclaimed with shock. “You killed the Dwarf Race Clan Head?”

“En.”

Qiu Shan had indeed died in his hands. Jiang Yi also didn't want to explain that much. He casually said, “These two years, I made a trip to the Snow Region. Ruoxue had been taken by the Heaven Hidden Sect. 1 created a ruckus in the Snow Region and killed some people as well as a few Demigods. I have not managed to save Ruoxue but have returned to the East Imperial Continent first.”

“Uh…”

Qi Tianchen's eyes narrowed. This young master was indeed an unlucky star; there was trouble wherever he went. He had killed a few Demigods in the Snow Region, and yet, he still managed to return alive? Historically, there have been few who had dared cause trouble in the Snow Region and lived to tell the tale.

More than a hundred thousand years ago, the North Thearch's Wu Clan had even thought of subjugating the Snow Region. The Wu Clan had sent more than ten Demigods and a million-strong army. In the end, the million-strong army did not return; out of the Demigods that went, only two came back. The North Thearch of that time was infuriated and personally went to the Snow Region. However, he too came back dejectedly. Ever since then, there was no more mention of this matter and no more sending of troops.

Qi Tianchen was very clear that all in the Snow Region were ancient races from ancient times. The races there have lived there for entire generations and were exceptionally anti-outsiders. Whoever dared to cause trouble in the Snow Region would be dealt with by the combined might of the entire region. Even so many Demigods and the huge army from the North Thearch's clans were not able to accomplish much; yet, Jiang Yi had gone alone and not only caused trouble there but had also returned safely.

If not for the fact that Qi Tianchen knew that Jiang Yi was not boastful and would not lie, he would never have believed Jiang Yi. Even so, Qi Tianchen was shocked to the core and took a long while before he recovered himself.

Jiang Yi did not want to talk much about what had happened in the Snow Region. The mention of the Snow Region would make him think of Su Ruoxue, and his heart would ache. Hence, Jiang Yi changed the subject and asked, “Brother Qi, is your place safe? I want to pay a visit to Danni and the two children. Are they well?”

“Oh, yes, it's safe!”

Qi Tianchen came to his senses and hurriedly said. “The bodies of Tianyu and company had all been burned. Even if the North Thearch's Wu Clan pursued the matter, they would not be able to find any traces. We were not exposed.

Madam and the two children are very good. Let's go back to Black Flag City first.”

Qi Tianchen brought Jiang Yi out of the city and took out a huge Heaven Fate Ship, and they flew straight to Black Flag City. This Heaven Fate Ship's speed was not bad; they reached Black Flag City within three days.

To be safe, Jiang Yi disembarked from the Heaven Fate Ship outside the city. He then sneaked into the backyard of the Qi Clan. Qi Tianchen had already brought Danni and the two children out, and they were waiting for him.

“Young master!”

Jiang Yi had changed his appearance, but Hu Danni still recognized him instantly. She flew into Jiang Yi's arms and started crying incessantly. Jiang Yi looked at Qi Tianchen, slightly embarrassed.

The latter revealed a knowing gaze that only men knew and silently coaxed the two children away. Before he left, he sent a voice transmission and said: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Take things easy.

I have prepared a welcome banquet tonight. You'd better be able to get up…”

Chapter 1052 - Sonar Thearch

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Absence really made the heart grow fonder. Hu Danni was very clear that Jiang Yi was not going to stay for long and treasured every moment she had with him. She also wanted to repay Jiang Yi for what he had done; if not for Jiang Yi, she and the children would have long died.

They would also not be having such a peaceful and comfortable life. Hence, she attended to Jiang Yi with all her heart and with all her strength. Huo Danni used every trick up her sleeve, even giving Jiang Yi the Butterfly's Spring that she had accumulated for the past two years.

The Butterfly Lady Race valued their Butterfly's Spring the most. Jiang Yi's Rainbow Soul Spear received the condensation from the Butterfly's Spring, and its power was boosted.

Those few days, Jiang Yi enjoyed himself immensely; he almost couldn't even walk. Huo Danni's Dance of the Butterfly was too formidable. If it was not because Jiang Yi's constitution was strong, he would definitely not have been able to last.

After staying in Black Flag City for five days, Jiang Yi prepared to depart. The journey to Mystic Divine Mountain was far; it took a year by the Tang Clan's Heaven Fate Ship. If he stayed any longer, he would not make it for the day that the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain were relaxed.

“Brother, you are heading to Mystic Divine Mountain?”

Inside the study in the city, Qi Tianchen had made arrangements for Jiang Yi to take the Heaven Fate Ship and knew that Jiang Yi was headed to Mystic Divine Mountain. Jiang Yi trusted Qi Tianchen very much and did not hide anything from him. Jiang Yi nodded and said, “I am heading to Mystic Divine Palace to retrieve a treasure.”

“This…”

Qi Tianchen lowered his head as he became troubled and said, “Brother, the Nine Thearchs have all gone to Mystic Divine Mountain. However, no one has been able to head up the mountain. You have a way up?”

“Hehe.”

Jiang Yi smiled lightly and did not explain further. He said, “I will try my best; I will only know if I try.”

“Brother, since you have already decided, I will not say more.” Qi Tianchen's face grew serious as he advised Jiang Yi. “Brother, it is best if you kept a low profile this time. You cannot cause any more trouble. If the North Thearch found out about you, he will personally come and kill you. Also, along the way, you can disembark and head to Divine Sonar Valley to see the Sonar Thearch. He will give you a lot of help.”

“Sonar Thearch?”

Jiang Yi looked at Qi Tianchen in surprise. This is his first time hearing this name. By right, only top-notch martial experts would dare call themselves a Thearch. If any ordinary person was to claim that title, the Nine Thearchs would definitely slaughter that person. Since this person dared to call himself a Thearch, he was definitely a famous martial expert on the continent. Why had he not heard of Sonar Thearch before?

“You have not heard of Sonar Thearch?”

Qi Tianchen saw the confused look on Jiang Yi's face and understood in an instant. He explained, “Oh? I forgot that you do not know the situation on the East Imperial Continent that well. Sonar Thearch had always been in seclusion, cultivating the past ten-odd years. It is normal that ordinary people have not heard about him.

Jiang Yi… I have told you before that on the East Imperial Continent, three people knew about your identity. This Sonar Thearch is one of them.”

Jiang Yi grew very surprised. He then exclaimed. “Oh? This Sonar Thearch is also working for the Shadow Emperor?”

“Yes, and no.”

Qi Tianchen hid a smile and continued. “Sonar Thearch was being hunted one year and ended up in the Sin Sea. However, he did not enter the Gods Bestow Tribe but fled to the Endless Deep Sea. Inside the Deep Sea, he was almost killed by a great demon; it was the Shadow Emperor that saved him and brought him to a mystic realm. The Shadow Emperor taught Sonar Thearch an exceptionally strong Divine Sound Heaven Skill.

“This Sonar Thearch was a prodigy. After heading back to the East Imperial Continent and cultivating in seclusion for thirty years, he managed to rank up three times the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. His power was greatly boosted and he single-handedly destroyed the three great family clans that were hunting him. He dominated a huge region and called himself the Soar Thearch.”

“There was such a happening? The Divine Sound Heaven Skill can be ranked up?”

Jiang Yi was palpitating with excitement; he himself also had the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. This was an extremely useful skill; once it hit someone, that person would be killed in an instant. Jiang Yi suddenly became very happy and asked, “What happened after that?”

Qi Tianchen explained, “You also know that there have always been Nine Thearchs in the East Imperial Continent. These Nine Thearchs were personally bestowed their titles by the Mystic Thearch himself. If anyone else wanted to have that title, the Nine Thearchs would definitely be furious. Because the Divine Sonar Region was close to the Yin Clan's territory, the Yin Thearch personally went to face the Sonar Thearch. No one knew what happened during that battle. However, the Yin Thearch returned and said that the Sonar Thearch had what it took to be recognized as a Thearch. The latter was able to cultivate the Divine Sound Heaven Skill to an incredibly high level, and thus was worthy of such a title.”

“Is the Yin Thearch an eight-star?”

Jiang Yi was curious and asked. Seeing Qi Tianchen nod his head in agreement, Jiang Yi stood up agitatedly. That this Sonar Thearch could convince the Yin Thearch wholeheartedly meant that the former was at least as strong as an eight-star martial expert; he might even be a nine-star one. If Jiang Yi had such a formidable person aiding him, things would be much easier.

“Brother, you should not be happy too early.”

Qi Tianchen saw that Jiang Yi's face was full of happiness and said bitterly. “The Sonar Thearch's temper is extremely weird. Although he owes a huge debt to the Shadow Emperor, it does not necessarily mean he will help you. Even if he really helps, he will not come out in person to help you slay your enemies.

In any case… head to Divine Sonar Valley. It depends on your luck how much aid you will receive from him. I will also send a message informing him of your impending arrival.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi nodded and prepared to leave. Qi Tianchen personally sent him off. At the door, Qi Tianchen paused and said, “Brother, although some words are not pleasing to the ears, I still have to remind you. You should not get tangled up with Lady Yin from the Yin Clan; there will not be a happy ending for both of you. Furthermore, if you anger both the Zhan Clan and the Yin Clan… that would be very troublesome…”

“Hehe.”

Jiang Yi laughed bitterly, nodded his head, and continued walking. Qi Tianchen walked him to the door, saw Jiang Yi disappear into the distance, and shook his head, saying, “Who can guess what sort of trouble this lad will cause on his trip to Mystic Divine Mountain? Jiang Yi, Jiang Yi, your life experiences are very similar to that of the Mystic Thearch. You both came from smaller continents, and both caused havoc in the East Imperial Continent when you arrived while also messing around with countless beauties. It remains to be seen if you will soar as the Mystic Thearch had or perish like the prodigies of the past?”

…

Jiang Yi left the Qi Clan from the back door and found an inn where he changed his appearance. He then went outside the city and boarded one of the Tang Clan's Heaven Fate Ship. This Heaven Fate Ship was headed to Yin Thearch City. Jiang Yi could directly head to the Divine Sonar Region situated north of the Yin Clan's four regions and then depart from the Divine Sonar Region to Mystic Thearch City.

This was the route that Qi Tianchen had arranged for him. The Divine Sonar Region was just nice in the middle and along the way to Mystic Thearch City. Jiang Yi had also decided to make a trip to Divine Sonar Valley and meet the Sonar Thearch.

Since the Shadow Emperor had only informed three people of Jiang Yi's identity, that meant that the Shadow Emperor had the utmost trust in these three people. Even if the Sonar Thearch deigned to help him, he would at the very least not harm him.

It wasn't just a case of convenience that Jiang Yi decided to see the Sonar Thearch. Jiang Yi actually wanted to go and learn from him. If Jiang Yi could rank up his Divine Sound Heaven Skill two ranks—even if a Demigod was hunting him, Jiang Yi could use the Divine Sound Heaven Skill to flee easily.

The Heaven Fate Ship sped swiftly southwards. Jiang Yi sat on the ship for a few hours and used his Divine Perception to scan the surroundings. After confirming that there was no one suspicious around and that there was no one following him, Jiang Yi finally relaxed.

Jiang Yi walked out of the cabin and headed to the secret cultivation room. The journey to the Divine Sonar Region would take half a year. He was not going to waste a single moment; if his strength could increase even by slightly a little, that would be good.

“My Lords, please forgive us two sisters, please stop hitting.”

Wu-Wu—

As Jiang Yi was about to enter the secret cultivation room, he suddenly heard two familiar voices from one of the cabins at the stern of the ship. Those were the voices of two young ladies, crying and begging. Jiang Yi's eyebrows were raised as he vaguely remembered where he had heard these voices before. However, at the moment, he was unable to recall.

“My Lords, please kill the two of us. To ask us to go and serve Old Fiend Li, we sisters would rather die…”

“Yes, my lords. Please fulfill our wish. You can ask us to serve other men; we sisters will die before we agree to be married to Old Fiend Li.”

The crying and pleading continued to travel out of that cabin. Jiang Yi's body suddenly shook. He finally remembered who the two were. They were the pair of twins that the Consecrator Tang Sheng from the Tang Clan had wanted to offer to Jiang Yi—Tang Xue and Tang Yan.

Chapter 1053 - Heart of Zen

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Yi had a deep impression of this pair of twins. If it was a world-class beauty, Jiang Yi would not have bothered that much. After all, he had seen many beautiful women. However, this pair of twins was identical. That time, he could have easily gotten them as long as he had agreed to it. Hence, Jiang Yi definitely still remembered them.

He had rejected the offer at that time. He had so many things to attend to and did not have time to fool around. Jiang Yi also did not want to harm the two girls.

At this moment, he was hesitant, too. He knew that he was a sentimentalist and had a soft spot towards women.

What a femme fatale; beautiful women were also the easiest at causing trouble. Everyone wanted beautiful women; hence, it was easy for conflict to occur over them.

I'm not going to care so much!

Jiang Yi steeled his heart and turned to enter the secret cultivation room. He had so many things on his plate and could die at any moment. There were so many unjust things happening in the world; how was he able to tackle all of them? Saving the two ladies would definitely bring trouble for him.

“Wu-wu, my lords please stop hitting!”

“My lords, please directly kill us instead. The Tang Clan had saved the two of us that year. Even if you guys kill us now, we will never bear a grudge against the Tang Clan!”

Jiang Yi had just entered the secret cultivation room when Tang Xue and Tang Yan's cries for mercy and help rang out again. Jiang Yi slowed down as his face darkened. The housekeeper of the secret cultivation room was good at reading facial expressions.

He hurriedly instructed one of the guards. “Hurry and tell Housekeeper He to seal that cabin. We do not want our guests to be disturbed. Also, tell him that I have said that if the two girls would not comply, start punishing them heavily.”

“En?”

Jiang Yi's hearing was very sharp. He had heard every word the housekeeper had said. He waved a hand at the housekeeper, and the latter immediately came forth smiling. The housekeeper cupped his hands and said, “My Lord, please instruct.”

Jiang Yi currently looked like a well-dressed young master, and his aura was not ordinary. Although from appearances, it seemed like he was only at the sixth level of the Heaven Monarch Realm, the housekeeper was very sharp and was extremely courteous.

Jiang Yi's hand held a fan as he pointed towards that cabin. His brows frowned as he asked, 'What is going on with those two girls?”

The housekeeper replied, “My apologies, my lord. Those two girls do not know what's good for them and have disturbed you. I have sent men to settle this matter.”

“That is not what I mean.”

Jiang Yi's eyes flashed coldly. With his voice suddenly carrying weight, he said, “I mean what is going on with them?”

“Oh, okay.”

The housekeeper was taken aback by Jiang Yi's aura. He said honestly. “My lord, these are two maidservants of the Tang Clan. Not long ago, the third elder of the Li Clan from the Crippled Heaven Region took a fancy to the two. That time, he came in a hurry and thus did not ask for the two of them immediately. After that came someone that sought out one of the Tang Clan elders to ask for the two.

The two girls had heard rumors and refused to comply. Housekeeper He is now disciplining the two. I had just come from there. However, Housekeeper He had forgotten to activate the restrictions, hence the disturbances you hear. It is my fault, my lord.”

“The Crippled Heaven Region?”

Jiang Yi did not know much about the East Imperial Continent. He did not know where the Crippled Heaven Region was; neither had he heard of the Li Clan. He asked, “Where is the Crippled Heaven Region? Is the Li Clan very famous? What rumors were there?”

“…”

The housekeeper was a little lost for words. However, he patiently explained: “The Crippled Heaven Region is east of the Yin Clan's four regions. The Li Clan rules the Crippled Heaven Region. However, their Clan Head is not very strong; he is only a five-star martial artist.

The third elder of the Li Clan is also only a three-star martial artist. Nonetheless, their clan is considerably well-known on the East Imperial Continent.

“That is because the Crippled Heaven Region has a special treasure called the Crippled Heaven Bamboo. It is a spirit herb that nourishes one's soul spirit. This herb can only be found in the Crippled Heaven Region. Furthermore, the current Yin Emperor's wife, the mother of Yin Ruobing, is a disciple of the Li Clan. Hence, the Tang Clan also wants to show the third elder of the Li Clan some face.”

“As for the rumors, I will not hide it from Your Lordship. The third elder of the Li Clan is a known old sex fiend. More than ten years ago, an incident reverberated throughout the continent. A great clan had eliminated one of the smaller clans.

All the women from this small clan, a total of more than three hundred people, were tied on the city gate and were raped. After that, they were all killed. There was even a thirteen-year-old girl. All this… was the work of the third elder.”

“What?”

Jiang Yi's face changed. His eyes were filled with a murderous look. Such an inhumane old fart was still alive and kicking? However, considering that Yin Ruobing's mother was from the Li Clan, Jiang Yi understood. With such a strong family connection, who would dare to rifle the Li Clan?”

Huff-huff…

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and exhaled deeply a few times. There was an internal struggle going on inside him. If he did not know Tang Xue and Tang Yan and had not met them before, he would definitely not intervene. If the two had agreed to be married to the third elder, he would also not care anymore.

The problem was that he was here presently, and the two were resisting bitterly. If he did not intervene, could he live with himself? Would he have nightmares when he slept?

If he were to intervene, what could he do? If he angered the third elder of the Li Clan, what would happen then? The Li Clan had the backing of the Yin Clan; just a few hours ago, Qi Tianchen had just reminded Jiang Yi not to anger the Zhan Clan or the Yin Clan.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes and stood inside his cabin for a whole five minutes. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked outside. He had made up his mind. He was going to find a way to save the two poor ladies.

The Buddha Thearch's cultivation of the heart of zen focused on following one's heart and acting as one willed.

Since Jiang Yi had also cultivated the heart of zen, he had always acted based on his instincts. He did not want himself to have any regrets. There were also not that many things that one could hesitate about in life. If one did not follow his heart, what meaning was there to life?

“My lord, my lord, what are you doing?”

The housekeeper saw that Jiang Yi was heading to the other cabins and hurriedly came over to inquire. Jiang Yi steeled himself and released the aura of the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm. Jiang Yi said coldly to the housekeeper, “I want to seek an audience with the Consecrator. I have something to discuss with them.”

“The peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm?”

The housekeeper was stunned. Jiang Yi aura was extremely strong. He also looked quite young.

To be able to attain the peak stage of the Heaven Monarch Realm and hide his aura? Could he be a disciple of a great family clan? Furthermore, Jiang Yi's airs were not ordinary.

This was not something that could be faked. The housekeeper considered Jiang Yi's request, cupped his hands, and said, “My lord, this way please.”

Jiang Yi nodded and continued walking forward. He walked past the cabin that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were being held in. He stopped and said, “Ask the men inside to stop torturing the two ladies.”

After Jiang Yi spoke, he headed straight to the first cabin, looking as if he knew the place like the back of his hand. The housekeeper summoned a guard and gave him instructions before hurrying to keep up with Jiang Yi. The housekeeper walked to the first cabin and knocked to relay the message.

Creak-creak!

The big door of the cabin was swiftly opened. The housekeeper smiled and stretched out a hand. “My lord, Consecrator Tang Ming awaits your arrival.”

Jiang Yi walked in boldly, taking big steps as he entered. An elderly man was wearing a splendid-looking robe and sitting in the main seat. Next to him were two housekeepers waiting on him. Jiang Yi glanced around, cupped his hands, and said, “Yi San greets Consecrator Tang Ming.”

“Oh? It's Young Master Yi.”

Consecrator Tang Ming and the housekeeper exchanged glances. Their smiles became slightly stressed. Jiang Yi had not said that he was paying his respects and had not called Tang Ming a lord. Jiang Yi's mannerisms were very audacious.

All these actually showed that Jiang Yi's background was not to be taken lightly. He was not afraid to offend a consecrator from the Tang Clan. The most important thing was that his family name was Yi. Tang Ming naturally did not dare to be sloppy.

“All of you, leave me!”

A maidservant served some tea and snacks, and with a wave of Tang Ming's hand, the three housekeepers and the maidservant took their leave. Tang Ming asked Jiang Yi to take a seat before asking, “What does Young Master Yi like to discuss with me? Please speak your mind. The Tang Clan loves to befriend martial experts from all around.”

Jiang Yi did not stand on formality. He openly pointed at the cabin that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were in, saying, “To be frank, I have come for those two ladies. I have taken a liking to the two of them. I would like to ask Consecrator Tang to offer a price. Everything can be discussed. Do not worry if the Li Clan comes to make trouble, it will be on my head.”

“Keke!”

Elder Tang Ming smiled lightly, shook his head, and said firmly. “Young Master Li, you want Tang Xue and Tang Yan? If this was half a year ago, this would not be an issue. Now… it cannot be done! Even if you are willing to pay an exorbitant price, it would still be a no. My apologies.”

Chapter 1054 - Something Foolish!

Chapter 1054: Something Foolish!

“No matter how much I pay?”

Jiang Yi exchanged a glance with Tang Ming and felt that things were going downhill. Tang Ming was very resolute. Jiang Yi raised his teacup and drank a sip. He repeated, “Even if I offer one hundred billion celestial stones?”

“Pfff…”

Seeing Jiang Yi drinking his tea, Tang Ming also did the same. Hearing what Jiang Yi had said, Tang Ming choked and coughed a few times. He looked at Jiang Yi apologetically and said, “My apologies Young Master Yi. I have embarrassed myself.

It is not that I have not seen celestial stones before; it is my first time hearing someone offer so much for two ladies though. No matter what, I am incredibly impressed by your bearings. We are definitely friends now.”

As a Tang Clan Consecrator, Tang Ming had seen many things; a hundred billion celestial stones was also not that uncommon to him. However, it was precisely because he had experienced much and had done numerous big deals that made Tang Ming so shocked this time. It was true that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were absolute beauties. However, they were just two orphans that the Tang Clan had raised up as maidservants to gift to others. Ten billion celestial stones could buy one pseudo-divine artifact, and yet these two ladies were now worth ten pseudo-divine artifacts?

Jiang Yi frowned. While Tang Ming had said a whole bunch of words, it did not seem as if he was softening his stance. Jiang Yi looked at Tang Ming and asked, “Too little?”

“No, Young Master Yi, you are mistaken.”

Tang Ming hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “That was not what I meant. Actually… based on your actions and bearing, I would have given Tang Xue and Tang Yan to you free of charge if I could. To be honest with you, the Li Clan's Third Elder wants these two girls. The Tang Clan has traversed the world and made friends and deals with heroes all around—all based on trust. Since we have already agreed with the Li Clan's Third Elder —even if you offered a trillion or ten trillion celestial stones, we would not sell them to you. The reputation of the Tang Clan supersedes all else. Hence, I can only apologize to you.”

Since Tang Ming had said all this, there was nothing else left to talk about.

Jiang Yi became quiet. This matter was becoming sticky. If the Tang Clan remained adamant, the only option left was for him to kill those in his way and snatch the two ladies.

However, that would definitely start a war with the Li Clan. As the Li Clan reportedly didn't have any Demigods, Jiang Yi wasn't that afraid. He was afraid, though, that the Yin Clan would hunt him down. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Jiang Yi didn't want to become enemies with the Yin Clan. After all, Yin Ruobing had helped him before in the past.

“The Tang Clan's reputation supersedes all else?”

Jiang Yi murmured to himself, and his eyes suddenly brightened. He said, “Even if my family name is Yi, you guys will not make an exception?”

Jiang Yi's sentence was very contradictory and was layered with meaning. He wanted to test Tang Ming's reaction. Tang Ming's eyes narrowed. However, he still smiled slightly, shook his head, and said, “Even if young master's family name is Yi, there is no way we can make an exception. Even if Young Master Yi Zhen or Young Mistress Yi Chan came, it would be the same. The Tang Clan has our rules: the Tang Clan's reputation supersedes all else.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi growled, and the ring on his finger lit up. A platinum command token appeared. He tapped it on the table and said, “Even with this platinum command token?”

“Uh…”

Tang Ming stared at the platinum command token on the table, and his eyes lit up. He looked at the platinum command token again and then at Jiang Yi. Suddenly, he stood up and sent forth his essence force from both his hands into the wall in front of him.

Buzz!

The wall glowed and shimmered. The restrictions were activated. Tang Ming closed his eyes and activated his divine senses to scan the surroundings a few times. After that, he finally cupped his hands towards Jiang Yi and said, “Young Master Jiang. It is you? I have been disrespectful.”

Jiang Yi did not look surprised at all. Since he took out the command token, it also meant that his identity was going to be exposed. The Tang Clan was extremely powerful; how could they not be able to guess who he was? He was also very satisfied with the change in Tang Ming's attitude and mannerisms. No matter what—from the looks of it, the Tang Clan would not sell him out.

Jiang Yi smiled lightly and said, “Consecrator Tang Ming, I have also admired the Tang Clan. I had a pleasant meeting with Brother Tang Sheng the last time. I do wish to continue to be friends with the Tang Clan.”

“Many thanks to Young Master Jiang for your support.”

Tang Ming's face glowed red as he cupped his hands again and said, “To reveal your identity to me, that shows your trust in the Tang Clan. Rest assured that your identity is a top secret of the Tang Clan. No word will spread regarding this encounter as well. Not even to the Nine Thearch Clans.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi said in a low voice and rose. “The Tang Clan has not disappointed me. Please tell the Clan Head that if I ever make it big in the future, the Tang Clan will always be my friend.”

Tang Ming shook his head and said, “Young Master has already made it big. To be honest with you, the Tang Clan Head admires you very much. He said that, Young Master, you could probably be the next Mystic Thearch. Hence, to the Tang Clan, you are our esteemed guest.”

“Uh—”

Jiang Yi did not expect to be so highly regarded by the Tang Clan. He finally managed to untie a knot in his heart. It appeared as if the Tang Clan would never reveal his identity to outsiders. The Tang Clan had foresight when doing business. If Jiang Yi really became the second Mystic Thearch, that would be the greatest blessing from heaven for the Tang Clan.

Jiang Yi nodded. There was no more need for formalities. He continued, “I do not wish to hide from you as well. Brother Tang Sheng had intended to gift Tang Xue and Tang Yan to me the last time. However, I had rejected him then.

Now that I have encountered them again, this is considered fate. I do not have an overpowering sense of righteousness; it is just that I pity the two ladies. You also know what time of person the Li Clan Third Elder is. If I do not lend a hand this time, my conscious will not let me go. I am a person who does things from the heart; if I do not do as such, it will affect my cultivation as well.”

“Like this…”

Tang Ming heard this and felt slightly ashamed. His face reddened as he said, “Young Master means well. When you offered a hundred billion just now, I should have guessed it was you. Who else in this world would be so magnanimous? Allow me to think about this matter more.”

Jiang Yi raised his teacup in silence. In actual fact, he was actually being quite silly regarding this matter. If the Tang Clan decided to betray him— long before the North Thearch would be able to find him and kill him. Jiang Yi would not be able to escape.

However, he had no regrets. If he had decided on something, he would never change his mind again. He was not afraid of death; he was only afraid of losing his daringness and losing his conscience. If one did not occasionally be reckless, did not have anything to pursue, did not have guts, one would be no different from a salted fish.

Bang!

Elder Tang Ming thought for a full five minutes and suddenly slammed the table and said, “Alright! Since Young Master Jiang is so righteous, I cannot be a coward either. Take the two ladies and leave. I will bear the consequences myself. Even if I have to die… I will not divulge anything regarding Young Master.”

Jiang Yi looked at Tang Ming eyes intently and sighed internally. One person's eyes did not lie. With Jiang Yi's keen sense of observation—if Tang Ming really managed to hide something from him, it also could not be helped.

It was obvious that Tang Ming wanted to help him, but he also did not want to spoil the reputation of the Tang Clan. Hence, Tang Ming had decided to take responsibility for the whole thing himself. Most probably, after Jiang Yi took the two girls away, Tang Ming would head to the Li Clan personally to seek forgiveness, allowing them to punish him as they saw fit. Tang Ming would also seek forgiveness from the Tang Clan and bear the entire matter himself.

How could Jiang Yi push all the blame to Tang Ming? If that was the case, would Jiang Yi still be Jiang Yi?

Jiang Yi did not hesitate at all and said, “Brother Ming. You have really underestimated me. Nothing more needs to be said regarding this matter. I will take responsibility for this matter; it will have nothing to do with you. I do require you to act in concert with me, though, to put up a good show.

As you know, my identity cannot be made known. As for offending the Li Clan and the Yin Clan? I, Jiang Yi, have more than enough enemies. I do not mind having two more. Even the Wu Clan cannot kill me, what more them!”

Chapter 1055 - Young Master's

Great Kindness

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The journey from there to the Divine Sonar Region was going to take half a year. The Divine Sonar Region was also north of the Yin Clan's four regions. On the other hand, the Crippled Heaven Region was east of the Yin Clan's four regions. The distance was not that great.

Hence, it would also take half a year to reach the Crippled Heaven Region. Jiang Yi was actually not so much in a hurry. After discussions with Tang Ming, Jiang Yi decided to seclude himself and cultivate for a period of time first. When they got closer, they could talk about their plans again.

It had been decided what the plan to save Tang Xue and Tang Yan was. The Tang Clan prized its reputation; hence, the two ladies could not disappear while still in the custody of the Tang Clan. Jiang Yi could only snatch the two when they were in the hands of the Li Clan. With Tang Ming's cooperation, this matter became easier. As the Li Clan did not have any Demigods, there wasn't too much stress on Jiang Yi regarding this plan.

The only problem was that this plan could not attract too much attention. Furthermore, Jiang Yi had to intervene with a legitimate enough reason and capacity. After all, the Li Clan's status was unique; no ordinary person would dare to provoke the almighty.

If not handled properly, this matter might attract the attention of outsiders. If the Yin Clan started to investigate, it was highly likely they would be able to guess Jiang Yi's true identity. The Nine Thearch Clans were too powerful; if they were to investigate quietly, Jiang Yi would never be able to discover that. Hence, Jiang Yi had to act carefully, like treading on thin ice, to guarantee complete success.

Tang Ming heard Jiang Yi's plan and knew that the latter's mind was set. Tang Ming did not say much, only mentioning that he would continue thinking about this over the next six months. Tang Ming wanted to see if there was a better way that would avoid the need for bloodshed.

After the plan was thrashed out, Tang Ming personally brought Jiang Yi to the second ship cabin. Upon entering, Jiang Yi saw the two absolute beauties, with their faces swollen with tears.

Over the past two-odd years, Tang Xue and Tang Yan had become even more beautiful. Previously, they were like flowers that were still budding; now, they have blossomed. They were perfectly proportioned and looked very good.

The two were wearing white dresses and looked exactly the same. No one could tell who was who.

Tang Ming looked at the two sisters and growled, “The two of you, listen. This period of time, you will serve Young Master Yi!”

“Uh?”

A middle-aged housekeeper in the cabin was stunned. Tang Xue and Tang Yan were also astonished as they looked up at Jiang Yi. They were perplexed, with their bodies shuddering at the same time. Their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Since the two had already been given to the Li Clan Third Elder, why is Tang Ming asking them to serve this Young Master? Could it be that the Tang Clan had changed its mind? Were they not going to be given to that old sex fiend?

Housekeeper He became anxious. The Li Clan's Third Elder had specified that he wanted virgins. To have Tang Xue and Tang Yan serve Jiang Yi for a period of time? If Tang Xue and Tang Yan lost their virginities, the Tang Clan's reputation would be ruined. Hence, he gritted his teeth and said, “Consecrator, this is not ideal…”

“What is there to fuss about?”

Tang Ming waved his hand and said resolutely, 'This is an order. Also, this matter cannot be divulged to any outsider. Anyone who disobeys will be killed! The two of you, hurry up and thank Young Master Yi!”

Tang Xue and Tang Yan came to their senses, hurriedly kowtowed to Jiang Yi, and conveyed their thanks. “Many thanks to Young Master for your great kindness.”

“Consecrator Tang, I will go and cultivate now. I will find you again later!”

Jiang Yi nodded satisfactorily and brought Tang Xue and Tang Yan to his cabin. The two frail ladies had suffered much over the past few days. Although their looks were unvarnished, their bodies were full of internal wounds. Hence, they could only support each other as they walked.

After they entered the ship cabin, the two ladies looked as if they were dreaming and looked shyly at Jiang Yi. They didn't know if they should stand or sit. Jiang Yi leisurely sat in the host's seat and poured himself a cup of tea. He then took out two pills of recuperation medicine from his Ancient Divine Essence Ring and passed it to the two. Jiang Yi said, “Eat these first. I do not want you two to have any internal injuries.

This is the highest-grade of recuperation medicine. The wounds on your bodies will heal in two days.”

“Many thanks to Young Master!”

The two were terrified and were just about to kneel down when Jiang Yi stopped them with a gesture. “Alright, listen to me. I do not have many rules. Do not kneel down for no reason. You two can live here peacefully. With me here… you two will definitely be safe from now on.”

The two ladies exchanged glances, and one of them asked shyly, “So… from now on, we can follow Young Master forever?”

“No!”

Jiang Yi said lightly. The two young ladies' faces suddenly became pale. However, the next sentence Jiang Yi said made the two overjoyed. “From today onward, you two will no longer have any relationship with the Tang Clan. However, you two cannot follow me everywhere. I have many things to attend to. I will arrange for the two of you to go somewhere; from then on, you two will be free to do whatever you want. If you meet a compatible guy, you can even choose to marry that person.”

Plop!

The two sisters paused and then knelt heavily. One of the two looked at Jiang Yi with tears in her eyes, saying, “Young Master's great kindness and great heart, the two of us can never repay. We will be slaves to Young Master in life and Young Master's ghosts in death. Young Master does not need to mention the topic of marrying someone else anymore.”

“To be my ghosts?”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose, embarrassed. Why was it so uncomfortable listening to what they had said? He waved his hand and said, “Alright! I have just told you two to not kneel at every small thing.

It is fate that I managed to meet the two of you. You two can stay here peacefully. You do not need to do anything.”

The two sisters stood up and looked at Jiang Yi with gratitude. One of them wiped her tears and said, “Young Master is really nice. You must really be Bodhisattva incarnate.”

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Yi laughed out loud. His both hands were stained with fresh blood; countless men had died at his hand. Yet, there was someone who thought he was Bodhisattva incarnate? He stared at the two and looked at them intently.

He was slightly curious and asked, “The two of you look exactly alike. How do I know who is Tang Yan and who is Tang Xue? Do the two of you have anything unique to each of you?”

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi's question made the two sisters blush. The two of them exchanged glances as one of them, with her face flushed, said, “To answer Young Master, there is no way to tell us apart from our appearances. However, on my tummy, there is a slightly faint birthmark. I am the older sister Tang Xue while she is my younger sister Tang Yan. My sister's breasts are slightly bigger; besides that, there are no other differences.”

Jiang Yi was dazed for a second and recovered himself as his face too turned red. However, his eyes moved instinctively to look at the chests of the two sisters. Indeed, there was a slight difference there; Tang Yan's breasts were slightly bigger.

Jiang Yi noticed that Tang Xue was looking at him furtively, hurriedly averted his gaze, and pretended to drink tea. However, he drank too hurriedly and choked, coughing a few times instead.

The two sisters also lowered their heads, embarrassed and with their bodies burning hot. After a while, Jiang Yi recovered from his coughing fit and had a slight headache. The two sisters really looked identical.

How was he going to tell them apart next time? He couldn't possibly stare at their chests every time he wanted to distinguish between the two, could he?

“Oh, right!”

Jiang Yi slapped his thigh and said, 'Tang Xue, Tang Yan, both of you should wear different hairpins next time! That way, I will be able to tell who is who.”

Buzz!

Jiang Yi used his divine senses to scan his Ancient Divine Essence Ring. He had killed many people and had obtained numerous treasures. He had not bothered to sort out the treasures one by one, and many a time just dumped them inside his ring. His divine senses scanned a few times and found some hair accessories in the ring.

He took out two different hairpins and gave one each to the two sisters. “Tang Xue, you will wear this plum flower hairpin from now on. Tang Yan, you will wear this pear flower hairpin. I will then be able to tell you two apart.”

“Heehee. Many thanks to Young Master. Young Master is really nice.” Tang Xue smiled sweetly while Tang Yan smiled slightly bashfully. Jiang Yi then realized something else. Tang Xue was livelier while Tang Yan was slightly shyer.

“Alright. I am going to cultivate. Stay here and rest.”

After settling the two, Jiang Yi did not want to waste any time. He was about to enter the secret cultivation room. However, before he had even stepped out of the room, the two ladies panicked. Tang Xue asked, “Young Master…”

Jiang Yi was curious and stopped walking. “What is it? Is there something else?”

Tang Xue bit her lip and said, “We want to follow Young Master. If you are not around, we are afraid the Tang Clan would catch us again and give us away to the Li Old Fiend.”

“Alright. I will put you two into a spatial divine item. You two will definitely be safe there.”

Jiang Yi thought for a moment and gave the two an Ancient Divine Essence Ring. There were food supplies, water, energy elixirs, and everyday supplies in it. He then took out the Thearch Palace and placed the two in it. Although from the looks of it, the Tang Clan would not betray him, it was better to play it safe. Furthermore, if anything happened unexpectedly, he could escape immediately with the two safe in the Thearch Palace.

“Before reaching Crippled Heaven Region, we will be passing by the Divine Sonar Region. If the Sonar Thearch was willing to help, then there would be no need to snatch the girls by force. I wonder what type of person the Sonar Thearch is. Will he be willing to help?”

Jiang Yi sighed, turned, walked into the secret cultivation room, and restarted his dull cultivation again.

Chapter 1056 - This Feeling is so

Good!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“This dao pattern is too hard to comprehend. It has been five months, but not one lead at all.”

In the secret cultivation room, Jiang Yi opened his eyes, feeling a little headache. These five months in seclusion, he had been trying to comprehend some dao patterns. However, he could not even understand a low-tier dao pattern of the lowest grade. As his natural endowments were not insignificant—if he was not able to understand, that could only mean that the dao pattern was really too hard to crack.

What gave him a little bit of comfort was that the Tang Clan was proving to be reliable. The first half-month, Jiang Yi had been using his State of the Union of Heaven and Man to track Tang Ming and the martial artists on the Heaven Fate Ship. However, he had not discovered anything strange. It had been five months; if the Tang Clan had betrayed him—by this time, the North Thearch would have long come to kill him.

“Other merchant association might deal in businesses; our merchant association deals with people!”

Jiang Yi recalled what Tang Sheng had said to him, and his admiration for the Tang Clan grew. It was no wonder that the Tang Clan was the number one clan just below the Nine Thearch Clans. Even the Nine Thearch Clans had to be wary of the Tang Clan. The Tang Clan was indeed different.

The Tang Clan was extremely far-sighted. They did not bother with the current and the present, the gain and loss of a city or a town.

At the end of the day, the world was under the control of a minority of formidable martial artists. Whoever could climb to the top of the pyramid could dominate a certain place or region. The Tang Clan was on good terms with numerous martial experts. If the latter wanted to conduct business, why would they then turn to other merchant associations?

Following this, all the biggest businesses in the world were conducted by the Tang Clan. They not only had an unlimited source of immense profits, but they also had the backing of countless formidable martial artists in the world. Messing with the Tang Clan would naturally cause a domino effect; who would dare find trouble with the Tang Clan?

Take Jiang Yi for example. If—someday—he managed to have the ability to fight the North Thearch's Wu Clan, create a foothold for himself in the East Imperial Continent, and become a ruler of a region and if the Tang Clan came knocking on Jiang Yi's door wanting to do business in his territory, would Jiang Yi say no? Would Jiang Yi not give his blessings?

“It's been five months. We should be reaching the Divine Sonar Region, right?”

Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and tried to find out the situation outside. There were no problems whatsoever. He then used his divine senses to scan the Thearch Palace. He realized that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were obediently staying inside. Jiang Yi rested for a while, then decided to continue his seclusion for one more month, and wait till they reached the Divine Sonar Region. In the past five months, he had not thought of any better idea; he could only go to the Divine Sonar Valley first and see how things were.

After less than twenty days, Jiang Yi was interrupted. The restrictions in the secret cultivation room were flashing. Someone had touched the restrictions from the outside.

“En?”

Jiang Yi immediately used his Union of Heaven and Man to check what was going on. Seeing that it was one of the housekeepers, he relaxed. Jiang Yi lifted the restrictions and sent a voice transmission, asking: “What is the matter?”

“Young Master Yi, the Consecrator would like you to go and see him. He says he has important matters to discuss with you.” The housekeeper's voice traveled in, carrying with it a sense of urgency.

Jiang Yi frowned, but he did not immediately get up. He continued his voice transmission, asking: “How many days left till we reach the Divine Sonar Region?”

“Six days!”

The housekeeper was very sure of his reply. Jiang Yi nodded and got up, walking out of the room. After he left the secret cultivation room, he released Tang Xue and Tang Yan from the Thearch Palace. He instructed the two of them. “You two have been cooped inside for months.

Go and move about outside. Housekeeper He, please send them some hot food.”

“Thank you, Young Master!”

The two sisters were indeed bored to death. They were so happy to be let out. Jiang Yi smiled slightly as he headed straight for the first ship cabin. The door was open. Tang Ming saw Jiang Yi and immediately beckoned him inside. “Come in quickly.”

After Jiang Yi entered, Tang Ming activated the room's restrictions. Jiang Yi saw that Tang Ming's face was serious, and so he asked, “What has happened?”

“The Third Elder of the Li Clan is coming,” Tang Ming said in a low voice. “This old fiend had already reached Divine Sonar City. He sent a message for me to send the two sisters straight to Divine Sonar City.”

Jiang Yi's expression became cold. The Divine Sonar City was the main city in the Divine Sonar Region. If the exchange took place in Divine Sonar City, how could Jiang Yi act then? There were a few issues at hand. First would be that his actions would definitely be noticeable. Second, would the Sonar Thearch himself appear?

If he appeared and did not kill Jiang Yi, would that raise suspicion? At that point in time, the Yin Clan and the Li Clan would start to investigate. Even if it was not to the extent of being able to track him—if they could manage to confirm his identity, there would be big trouble for Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi intended to head to Mystic Divine Mountain where a nine-star martial expert was living at the foot of the mountain. Once people knew of his return to the East Imperial Continent, not only would the North Thearch come after him to kill him, Jiang Yi might also not be able to head up Mystic Divine Mountain anymore. Furthermore, if the Battle Thearch heard the news and laid in wait at the foot of Mystic Divine Mountain, Jiang Yi would be walking right into a trap.

Jiang Yi thought for a while but still could not come up with any solutions. He raised his head and asked, “Why is Old Fiend Li coming to Divine Sonar City?”

Tang Ming explained. “Ten days later would be the wedding day of the Sonar Thearch's only grandson. All the disciples from the great family clans in the vicinity are all here. Someone from the Yin Clan is here too it seems. Oh, yes, the grandson of the Sonar Thearch is marrying a young mistress from the Yin Clan.”

“…”

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes. Why was it that everything seemed to be connected to the Yin Clan? The complicated relationships were causing him to have a headache. He sat down and forced himself to remain calm as he tried to think of a way.

“If not, let me take the blame for this.”

Tang Ming saw that Jiang Yi was troubled and gritted his teeth as he said, “I will say that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were not willing to listen, and I killed them in a rage. I will then find another two ladies and send them to Old Fiend Li. He would not make too big of a fuss out of this. As for the Tang Clan, I will naturally give them an explanation. If the Clan Head knew that it was you, he would definitely not blame me. Rest assured that I will only raise this matter with the Clan Head himself directly; this matter will not be divulged to anyone else.”

“There is no need to hurry…”

Jiang Yi waved his hand and thought again. He asked, “Will you be attending the Sonar Thearch's grandson's wedding?”

“Of course!”

Tang Ming nodded and said, “Since I am here, I definitely have to attend. Even if I wasn't here by coincidence, the Tang Clan would definitely send someone else, too. The Sonar Thearch is an unbeatable martial expert, and the first person that was bestowed the title Thearch besides the Nine Thearchs.”

“Alright then!”

Jiang Yi rose and said, “Please try and delay by a few days. You can say that Tang Xue and Tang Yan had been afflicted by a strange disease and that you will send them over in a couple of days. We will wait and see what happens after we reach the Divine Sonar Valley.”

“Young Master Jiang will be heading to the Divine Sonar Valley, too?” Tang Ming asked curiously. “You know the Sonar Thearch?”

Jiang Yi smiled lightly and replied, “I think it is best if you stayed out of this matter. I will disguise myself as one of your underlings and head to the Divine Sonar Valley together. After the wedding banquet is over, I will naturally present a good plan to you. Additionally, don't send anyone else to Old Fiend Li. Sending anyone to this old sex fiend would ruin that lady forever. That would be a sin.”

“Sigh…”

Tang Ming heard Jiang Yi's words and sighed. Tang Ming also didn't wish for things to be as they were. However, there wasn't a choice. Being in a position like his, there are many times Tang Ming had to do things that went against his conscience, things that were dirty and ugly.

Jiang Yi and Tang Ming exchanged a few more words before Jiang Yi headed back to his own cabin. This time, the two ladies did not stand about being clueless; they had naturally taken on the role of maidservants. One of them served Jiang Yi tea while the other gave him a massage. It was obvious that they had gone through special training; the massage was particularly good.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes as he thought about what would happen when he went to the Divine Sonar Valley, not paying much attention to the two. After sitting a while, he opened his eyes and looked at the two identical faces in front of him. He said, “Tang Xue and Tang Yan, this time, I might ask someone to send you two quietly to some place. You two will be in a lot of danger following me. You two will be safe and without worry there, and you'll be able to live the rest of your lives there. Do you two assent?”

“No!”

Tang Xue gently shook her head. “We want to follow Young Master, we are not afraid of death. We have died once when we were little. Although we haven't met Young Master many times, we can feel that Young Master is a kind and gentle person. Young Master is a very good person. To be able to follow Young Master is the utmost blessing to the two of us.”

Tang Yan seriously nodded in agreement and said, “Sister is right. When we are following Young Master, we will feel an unexpected sense of peace and assurance. This feeling… is so good.”

Chapter 1057 - : Hidden Astral

Body

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Six days passed way too fast. A majestic giant city appeared in Jiang Yi's vision, far ahead. He was standing on a deck. He had thrown both Tang Xue and Tang Yan into the Thearch Palace. Jiang Yi himself was not comfortable with remaining on the ship. What if Old Demon Li forced his way onto the boat to capture them?

Jiang Yi stopped wearing his long robe. Instead, he put on blue full-body armor so that he could pose as a general from the Tang Clan. Now, he was standing on the deck to carry out his duties.

Buzz!

The Heaven Fate Ship slowly came to a stop. The protective layer opened slightly to allow the family members on board to descend from the ship. Since Tang Ming wanted to attend Sonar Thearch's grandson's wedding, the Heaven Fate Ship had to be parked there for at least half a month. Many passengers got off the ship to take a walk around Divine Sonar City.

After most of the passengers had gotten off the ship, Tang Ming led a small group of people out. He waved at Jiang Yi and said, “Yi San, come along with us.”

The guards walking by had weird expressions on their faces, but none of them dared to ask questions or even observe the exchange. The Tang Clan had very strict rules. If they were not meant to be listening to a particular conversation, nobody would dare to eavesdrop.

Tang Ming brought Jiang Yi and four other peak-stage Heaven Monarch generals to fly off the ship. Before they even entered the city, a group of people came to welcome them. Leading the group was an elderly person whose hair was pure white.

From afar, he waved. “I am Chen Ke, the Third Elder of the Chen Clan. I have heard of Elder Tang Ming's great name a long time ago. It is truly an honor to meet you today.”

Sonar Thearch's surname was not Yin Mandarin for Sonar]. Instead, his name was Chen Pengfei. Outsiders called him Sonar Thearch, but he was from the Chen Clan. Jiang Yi had heard of this story before, so he was not in the least bit surprised. After smiling and making small talk with Chen Ke for a long time, Tang Ming finally led Jiang Yi and the others up a prestigious chariot. Together, they headed straight for the courtyard of Chen Clan's residence.

The Divine Sonar City was the capital city of the Divine Sonar Region. Sonar Thearch's son's race lived within the Divine Sonar City. Sonar Thearch himself lived in the Divine Sonar Valley, which was about five kilometers east of the city.

The Divine Sonar Valley hardly received visitors. People who dared to trespass into the valley would be killed without question. This time, Jiang Yi was lucky to get the opportunity to see the Divine Sonar Valley on the pretext that he was attending a wedding. The wedding was to be held in the Divine Sonar Valley.

The Divine Sonar City was huge and very prosperous. With a man like Sonar Thearch living here, it was difficult to imagine that it would be anything other than prosperous. Jiang Yi and the others had been sitting on the prestigious chariot for an hour before they entered a beautiful residence.

Tang Ming remained in front of the group the entire time. Jiang Yi played the cool guard. He stayed behind Tang Ming and ironically remained in safety. After they entered the Chen Clan's courtyard, many elders of the Chen Clan came out to greet them. Even the Family Head was going to show his face—it was a testament to how important the Tang Clan was in this place.

When the Family Head of the Chen Clan emerged, Jiang Yi snuck several peeks at him. This was Sonar Thearch's son. In other words, he was family. However, there had been far too many guests at his home recently. After exchanging a couple of pleasantries, the Family Head of the Chen Clan went back into his own residence.

Shh-shh-shh!

The Family Head of the Chen Clan had just left when they heard eager footsteps. An elderly man in Chinese robes hurried in. On seeing Tang Ming, his eyes brightened for a second. In a low voice, he said, “Elder Tang, greetings. Li Hong wishes you well.”

Li Hong?

Jiang Yi's eyes widened slightly. Third Elder Li's name was Li Hong. Jiang Yi looked over at Li Hong. He looked awful.

This Li Hong looked about fifty years old and was quite handsome. He had a squarish face and huge ears. His mannerisms showed that he was no ordinary man either.

However, he had a slightly hooked nose, and his lips formed a straight line. It made him look slightly evil. What's more, from time to time, his eyes would reflect a sense of evil. One look at him, and Jiang Yi knew that he was no good man. In fact, he was probably an extremely toxic man to be around.

“Alright, alright. Go and busy yourself with your own matters, Third Elder. Older Brother Tang Ming and I are talking about some private matters—we will look for you for some drinks later on.”

After exchanging a couple of sentences, Li Hong suddenly turned to the Third Elder of the Chen Clan and said this. The Third Elder smiled and excused himself. It was then that Li Hong grinned and looked at Tang Ming. “Older Brother Tang Ming, where are my two beauties?

My clan wanted to send other people here at first, but I could not wait any longer so I decided to come here personally. For the sake of my two beauties, I am willing to give your Tang Clan one hundred stalks of supreme-grade Crippled Heaven Bamboo. Aren't I good?”

Once again, Jiang Yi's expression hardened. He hardly hated people. Ji Tingyu was one of the few people he hated. Although Wu Ni and She Fei were his enemies, he did not exactly hate them. This Li Hong was making Jiang Yi hate him—hate him to the core, at that.

Tang Ming glanced at Jiang Yi as if hinting to him to calm down. Tang Ming himself was beginning to hate Li Hong, but one still could not show his true emotions in this city. He raised both his hands guiltily and said, “I apologize, Elder Li. It's not that I don't want to hand them over to you. However, half a month ago, we passed by Yin Feng City. A guest boarded our ship.

“That man had a very rare disease that he transmitted to many people on board the ship. The two girls got infected. Now, their condition is under control, but they still have to remain in bed to recuperate. Don't worry, Elder Li, I am going to stay here in Divine Sonar City for half a month. Just before I leave, I will hand them over to you.”

“A disease?”

The smile on Li Hong's face disappeared at once. His eyes widened as he turned to exchange a meaningful look with another formidable martial artist from the Li Clan. He shrugged and said, “That's alright. We have good doctors in the Li Clan, and so do the Chen Clan. You can hand the girls over to me. Those girls are mine now. We should not bother Older Brother Tang Ming any further.”

“Keke!”

Tang Ming was unfazed. With a pained smile on his face, he said, “Elder Li, you're still so eager despite your age. Can the two girls still run away?

Since when have the people from my Tang Clan ever gone back on our word? I already put those girls in isolation. I dare not let them out before they fully recovered. If they infect everybody in the Divine Sonar City as well, who would be willing to take responsibility for such a thing? The Young Master has to get married…”

Since Tang Ming had put it that way, it was no longer appropriate for Li Hong to object any further. He nodded and got to his feet, saying, “Then, I'll trouble Older Brother to take care of those two girls for me then. Once they are ready, please send them over. I will pay you generously for them…”

“Pui! What the hell?”

After Li Hong left, a general next to Jiang Yi spat on the ground. The other people did not look too happy either. Only Tang Ming remained expressionless.

Jiang Yi's eyes darted around as the cogs in his brain began to turn. A deeply suspicious thought surfaced in his mind. This pervert was in such a high position—he must have played with multiple women over the years. He must have also played the twins.

Why was he so anxious this time then? Could Tang Xue and Tang Yan be special?

Could it be some sort of Astral Body?

Another thought surfaced in Jiang Yi's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. The Tang Clan had spent so many years nurturing them. If they had special astral bodies, the Tang Clan would have found out for sure. Since they did not have astral bodies, why was that pervert so eager to meet them then?

Jiang Yi turned to look at Tang Ming. Both of them exchanged a meaningful glance as if understanding what the other person was thinking. Tang Ming sent a voice transmission over to Jiang Yi: “Something isn't right. I heard that that old man's palace contains over 3000 beauties who can satisfy him.

Why is he so desperate to meet these two girls this time? Young Master Jiang, can you tell what is so special about those two girls? Oh… I don't mean anything else.

Even if those two girls belong to the Goddess Lady Race, they now belong to you. I am just slightly confused.”

Jiang Yi shook his head and sent a voice transmission in response: “I'm confused as well. I did not find anything special about them.”

“That's strange then!”

Tang Ming pondered about this for a moment and then suddenly waved his hand. “Go to one of Tang Clan's branch halls in the Divine Sonar City. Get a copy of Li Hong's particulars.”

The Tang Clan had a branch hall in all the major cities. They gathered particulars on the major clans and sects around them and stored them all there. The chief hurriedly left and returned with a copy of Li Hong's particulars an hour later.

Tang Ming looked through the report closely. Suddenly, his eyes brightened. He turned to Jiang Yi and sent another voice transmission: “Brother, I think you've picked up a treasure this time.

Li Hong has trained a special mystical ability. He has a pair of noxious eyes. At least 200 women among the 3000 in his inner palace are of a special race or have special astral bodies. I bet that those two girls are hiding astral bodies…”

Chapter 1058 - Divine Sonar Valley

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Yi did not rescue Tang Yan and Tang Xue because he wanted to own them. Still, after discovering that they probably had astral bodies, he was quite surprised.

Instead of saying that he was being kindhearted, it was more accurate to say that he was having a great internal struggle.

In all these years, his hands had become covered with blood. He had killed many people. Although he never once killed a civilian, some killings he committed were unnecessary.

He felt like he had become quite numb to the entire process. Now, he was not even sure he still knew who he was. He wanted to look inside himself and try to find some sense of humanity.

After gifting a rose, the hand would have lingering fragrance!

Helping people made him happy. Seeing the two girls happy, he felt like he did something good for once. There was an unspeakable joy that filled him from within.

This world was way too cruel and ruthless. Take Tang Ming for example: he did not want to hand those two girls over to that disgusting pervert to be mistreated either. However, for the sake of his own clan, he hardened his own heart.

Society was a huge dye vat. It could bury one's innate goodness. When they were children, all of them lived in some sort of fairy tale.

They thought that the world was perfect, and everyone was friendly. However, as they grew up, they began to see for themselves how cruel the world could really be. If they continued to be kind to others and act like they were in a fairy tale, there would be no way they would be able to survive. All they could do was adapt and become cruel themselves.

This was exactly what happened to Jiang Yi!

He had never liked killing others. He did not even like conflict to begin with. Much less did he care for becoming the second Mystic Thearch. All he wanted was to live peacefully together with the woman he loved. The cruel world forced him into this.

In order to protect the people he loved, he had to pick up the sword and keep fighting. He was most afraid of turning into a killing machine—the kind of people that he hated the most.

So he made up his mind on the Heaven Fate Ship. He had to help Tang Yan and Tang Xue. Not only would he be helping them, but he would also be helping himself to discover his original self. He wanted to awaken his conscience and the humanity inside him.

…

They were four days away from the wedding of the Great Young Master of the Chen Clan. Tang Ming, Jiang Yi, and the others were put up at a resident wing. Tang Ming had a reputation of his own outside of his own Tang Clan. Many people came forward to visit and greet him. Jiang Yi tried not to bother about all these little things.

He stayed in his own room, locking himself away from everything that was happening beyond his four walls. He had to prepare himself to follow Tang Ming to the Divine Sonar Valley on the day of the wedding.

He set up some restrictions around the room and allowed Tang Xue and Tang Yan to come out. He scanned the hairpins on their heads and then subconsciously took note of their heights. He faced the older sister, Tang Xue, and asked, “Tang Xue, do you have some kind of special astral bodies? Why is that Old Fiend Li so eager to bring the both of you over?”

“Ah?”

On hearing the three words 'Old Fiend Li', the color drained from the two girls' faces. Tang Yan began to tremble slightly. She looked pitifully at Jiang Yi and said, “Sir, you're not going to hand us over to him, are you? I beg you—I'd rather you kill us right now.”

Jiang Yi's expression darkened. Tang Xue quickly chided her, “Little Sister, don't spout nonsense. This gentleman is not like that. Quick, apologize to the good sir.”

Tang Yan looked slightly indignant as her eyes began to well up. Still, she turned to bow to Jiang Yi. “Sir, Yan'er has wronged you. Please punish me as you please.”

Looking at Tang Yan, the anger that Jiang Yi initially felt dissipated. His expression remained cool as he said, “Smack your own behind a hundred times! Hmph, how dare you insult my character?”

“Ah?”

Tang Yan jumped, her face turning red immediately. This teenage bashfulness could make a man's heart sway. She bit her red lips and actually began to smack her own behind.

“Alright, alright. Little Sister, the good sir was just teasing you.” Tang Xue giggled. She turned to Jiang Yi and said, “Why not you smack her yourself?”

“If I smack anyone, it'll be you.”

Jiang Yi stared at her and then waved his hand. He took on a serious expression as he said, “How about what I asked you earlier?”

The older sister Tang Xue was much livelier than Tang Yan. She was more playful as well—she was not in the least bit afraid of Jiang Yi. She stuck out her tongue and then said, “We don't know either, but our mother is of the Civet Race. My father spent about ten million celestial stones to buy her over. When we were ten years old, our clan was wiped out by enemies. Everybody was killed—even our parents died. That was when we were sold to become slaves.”

“The Civet Race?”

Jiang Yi blinked. This was the first time he was hearing of such a race. However, if someone would pay ten million celestial stones for someone from the Civet Race, they must be pretty special. He pondered for a long while but soon became lazy. He allowed the two girls to go and entertain themselves while he sat cross-legged on his bed.

He decided to try and realize more dao patterns and comprehend more sorcery. Without a proper training room, his progress was extremely slow. A while later, he gave up even training.

…

The closer they got to the wedding day of the Great Young Master of Chen Clan, the noisier the Divine Sonar City became. The Nine Thearch Clans aside, even the various leaders in the surrounding cities and clans sent people to come and deliver their congratulations.

Jiang Yi remained in his room the entire time. After all, he was pretending to be a commander in the Tang Clan. No one minded him. Whatever happened, Tang Ming was there to handle it.

Four days later, the day of the wedding finally arrived. Jiang Yi had stopped training a long time ago. He sent the two girls into the Thearch Palace before putting on his blue full-body armor. Looking like a dashing soldier, he finally emerged from his room.

“Let's go. We have to go outside to gather first. We'll only go and observe the ceremony at the Divine Sonar Valley later on.”

Tang Ming had woken up early as well. Once Jiang Yi arrived, he led the group of five outside. There, an elder of the Chen Clan led the entire group to the city plaza. They mounted another chariot and headed toward the Divine Sonar Valley.

There are so many people!

The moment they entered the city plaza, Jiang Yi got shocked by the crowd gathered there. There was a straight line of prestigious chariots lined up along the city plaza. Jiang Yi guessed that there were at least ten thousand chariots.

In other words, there were at least ten thousand people in the city plaza witnessing the wedding ceremony. Nearby, there were tens of thousands more people observing the ceremony.

Tang Ming, Jiang Yi, and the others were led to a certain chariot. After waiting for a couple of minutes, many chariots flew up into the sky and headed toward the east of the city. From his own chariot, Jiang Yi saw the other chariots ascending into the sky.

The sight was one to behold. He secretly thanked the heavens that the Great Clans of the East Imperial Continent were big enough. Wanguan's wedding ceremony was nothing compared to this.

Once I get to the Glazed Pagoda and bring Ruoxue back to the Gods Bestow Island, I will surely throw a huge wedding ceremony for her as well.

Thinking about Su Ruoxue perked Jiang Yi up. His mind filled with images of that beautiful young lady's body. By the time he came back to reality, the chariots in front of his own were already landing. He suddenly realized that they had arrived at their destination—the Divine Sonar Valley.

“Eh?”

The empty land suddenly shone brightly. A huge valley appeared in front of them. There were also three green mountains surrounding it. It was obvious that there was some kind of illusion zone below.

There were mountains, rivers, reservoirs, trees, flowers, and the like!

Jiang Yi nodded subtly. This Divine Sonar Valley was a good place for one to live quietly. It was no wonder that the Sonar Thearch did not live in the city. It would be much better for him to remain in seclusion here to train.

The chariots stopped on a piece of flat land in front of a building. There were red carpets on that flat land, and on them were several golden tables. Delicacies were already laid out nicely on those golden tables. Standing all around, there were at least five thousand female servants. There were so many people that Jiang Yi was already getting dizzy trying to process them all.

The Sonar Thearch has not appeared yet, right?

Jiang Yi used his divine senses to scan the area and found that there was no aura belonging to a Demigod. All he could do was follow Tang Ming to one of the golden tables to wait for his arrival.

Woo…

At that moment, they heard the cry of a dragon coming from the south. A huge golden dragon cut through the air and flew toward them. It was about three hundred meters long, and its body was glowing in the sun.

It had ten claws. The formidable aura caused all the female servants to hold their breaths. This was the Demon Sovereign.

“A Ten-Claw Divine Dragon? That's someone from the Zhan Clan!”

Someone suddenly shouted. Tang Ming looked up at the dragon suspiciously. “Zhan Tianlei? Don't the disciples of the Zhan Clan rarely come out of their Mystic Thearch City? Even they are here to observe the ceremony this time?”

“I know why.”

Jiang Yi, who was behind Tang Ming, suddenly spoke up. He had a bitter look on his face as he stared at the handsome man riding the back of the golden dragon. Beside him stood a beautiful woman.

The woman was dressed in a white dress. Her features were extremely beautiful. She looked just like one of the spirits of the forest. The most eye-catching thing about her was her valuable jade legs.

It had already been two years. Jiang Yi was obviously shocked to see Yin Ruobing again.

Chapter 1059 - The Hero and the

Beauty

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Nine Thearch Clans had bullied the East Imperial Continent for tens of thousands of years. All the civilians in the continent were familiar with the nine clans. Countless stories were passed down among the people. It was obvious that everyone knew them extremely well.

All except one clan!

The Zhan Clan was the most mysterious among the nine clans. They were so lowkey that people often forgot about them. The remaining eight clans fought for the four regions, but the Zhan Clan did not participate in this fight. For the past seventy thousand years, the Zhan Clan lived in a lone city —the Mystic Thearch City!

The Zhan Clan never bullied others, and the disciples of the clan rarely emerged from their city. The Buddha Clan rarely interfered in others' disputes, but the Zhan Clan was rarely even seen by the other clans. Even when someone stole treasures from the Mystic Divine Palace on the Pegasus Continent and from the Purgatory Ruin later on, the Zhan Clan's disciples were nowhere to be seen.

They did not even turn up when two generals from two major regions battled until the skies darkened, and the earth shook outside the Mystic Thearch City. This was despite the number of deaths that the battle alone had caused. As long as nobody caused any trouble within the Mystic Thearch City or on the Mystic Divine Mountain, the Zhan Clan would not bother.

The Sonar Thearch was quite a character. He was probably the best apart from the Nine Thearchs. However, no matter how good he was, he was still beneath the Nine Thearchs. Even when the Buddha Thearch celebrated his birthday the year before, the Zhan Clan did not send anyone to attend the celebration. Thus, the fact that they had appeared at this wedding caused many people to rub their eyes in disbelief.

When people saw Yin Ruobing—however, they quickly understood what was going on.

It was natural for heroes to fall in love with beauties. No matter how strong and manly a hero was, he would still be willing to do the stupidest and most ridiculous things for the woman he loved. Yin Ruobing was, without a doubt, an unparalleled beauty. It was understandable—therefore, that Zhan Tianlei would turn up at this wedding for her sake.

Great Young Master Chen was marrying a lady from the Yin Clan after all. It was said that the lady was Yin Ruobing's cousin, too. Although the people of the Yin Clan had arrived a long time ago, it was still expected that Yin Ruobing would turn up to witness her own cousin's wedding. In order to please Yin Ruobing, Zhan Tianlei was here at the valley as well.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei's arrival caused a huge stir among the crowd. The Family Head of the Chen Clan, as well as a few others, flew up into the sky to welcome the guests. Many other disciples from the major clans stood up to welcome them as well.

Zhan Tianlei was a Young Master of the Zhan Clan. He was thirty years old this year. Not long ago, he broke through the Demigod Realm, causing the entire continent to be shocked. Later, when Emperor Zhan went to the Yin Thearch City to propose a marriage between his son and Yin Ruobing, he managed to bring the latter home to his son. This caused many other men in the continent to look on with jealousy.

No matter how jealous they were, however, they had to admit that Zhan Tianlei was beyond talented. Now that his family was linked to the Yin's in marriage, he was set to become the next Emperor Zhan. Now was a good chance to form good relations with him. Naturally, the crowd did not want to miss it for anything.

Hoo-hoo!

Jiang Yi looked at the crowd forming around Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing, his expression one of loneliness. This was the same expression that was on the face of many other young men present. They looked both lonely and jealous. This meant that Jiang Yi did not stand out from the crowd.

Tang Ming walked forward to welcome them, but Jiang Yi remained behind with the other commanders. He was not even qualified enough to walk forward and bootlick Zhan Tianlei. All he could do was to bitterly stay where he was.

He had not seen Yin Ruobing in more than two years; she had become even more beautiful. In fact, she looked just like Tang Yan and Tang Xue. She was much more mature now like a flower in full bloom, emitting an attractive fragrance. Just as before, the smile on her face drew countless men in, but her insides remained cool and unapproachable. It was almost as if her heart had been frozen—nobody was allowed to enter it.

It was also because of this icy-coldness that she was even more attractive to Jiang Yi. If one could win her over, her heart would be completely opened to that man. She would smile genuinely. Just this prize alone was worth men dying for, right?

“The man is handsome, and the woman is beautiful—how compatible!”

Jiang Yi scanned Zhan Tianlei with jealousy filling his chest, but he had last contentedly. Zhan Tianlei's aura was stable. He had a handsome face and a strong build.

Even his manners and the way he governed the country were top-notch. Even as he was being surrounded by a crowd, he looked relaxed. His stance exuded a kind of natural confidence, so that nobody dared to belittle him.

After staring at Zhan Tianlei for a longer time, Jiang Yi felt even more jealous. He turned away from him, determined to stop the jealousy from breeding. Instead, he prepared to sneak away to meet the Sonar Thearch for a little while.

In any case, the wedding did not look like it was going to begin soon. By the time the commotion that Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing caused settled, Jiang Yi guessed that there would still be at least another hour to wait.

“I'm going to the washroom. I probably ate something wrong yesterday.”

He turned and muttered to the commander beside him. The man did not pay him much attention. Jiang Yi's identity was too mysterious. The commander was still unsure who he was. All he knew was Tang Ming had instructed them not to reveal too many details about him and to make sure that they never defied his orders.

Jiang Yi was dressed in blue full-body armor, and he looked quite strong, too. With his cool expression, he looked every bit like a strong, young guard. There were way too many guests today.

Nobody even bothered about him as he strolled toward the buildings on the east side. With a female servant's directions, he entered a toilet.

“The Sonar Thearch should be at the courtyard on the east-most side, right?”

Jiang Yi used his divine senses to scan the area and locked in on a huge courtyard by a reservoir on the east side. There were restrictions put up there so that he could not search past them any further while the other places were open for him to look around. Without a doubt, that was where the Sonar Thearch resided.

He turned one round in the toilet, waiting for the female servant to leave. Then, he rushed toward that huge courtyard. Along the way, he met several female servants, but none of them said anything to him. Instead, they continued on their way after bowing to him respectfully. Today, the Valley was probably open to guests who were allowed to roam around as they pleased.

Jiang Yi arrived at the courtyard without much difficulty. Outside the courtyard stood several guards on duty. The prohibition sign on the gate glowed. Jiang Yi walked over, waved, and whispered, “Is this where the honorable Sonar Thearch lives?”

The two guards were quite polite to him. One of them raised his hand in a greeting and said, “This is indeed where my Clan Head lives. However, I offer my apologies, Sir. Our Clan Head will not see guests individually today.”

Jiang Yi smiled gently. “I am Yi San of the Tang Clan. Please let me through, I have something to report to the Sonar Thearch.”

“I'm sorry!”

The guard shook his head and said, “Sir, it's not that I don't respect you. I am just following my Clan Head's orders.”

Jiang Yi paused. Suddenly, he sent a voice transmission: “Hehe, you should go and send the report. I am no ordinary person. Go and tell your Clan Head that Yi San wishes to see him.

He will see me for sure, and he will not blame you. Trust me—I would not dare to cause a scene in the Divine Sonar Valley.”

The guard pondered for a moment. Then, he gritted his teeth, undid the restrictions, and walked through. Just as Jiang Yi said, this was the Divine Sonar Valley. Only someone out of his mind would dare to cause trouble here.

“What kind of person is the Sonar Thearch? Qi Tianchen said that he was a strange fellow. Would he help me?”

Jiang Yi stood outside the gates anxiously. The Sonar Thearch was such a character, and the Chen Clan was so huge. If he was willing to help Jiang Yi at all costs, Jiang Yi would have a very easy time finishing what he wanted to do. Take the matter regarding Tang Yan and Tang Xue for example—if the Sonar Thearch would speak up, the problem would be resolved immediately. Of course, Jiang Yi was not hoping that the Sonar Thearch would help him to trick the Nine Thearchs. It would be more than sufficient if the Sonar Thearch would help to spread some news to the various clans.

Shh-shh-shh!

The sound of feet shuffling came from inside the courtyard. The guard came back out and said in a low voice, “Sir, our Clan Head said that today is the day that the Great Young Master will get married. He will not see any guests. Please come back in three days.”

“Uh—”

Jiang Yi looked crestfallen. He had still been wondering if the weird Sonar Thearch would help him or not. He did not think that the Sonar Thearch would not even want to see him. Qi Tianchen should have sent news over a long time ago. That was probably why the Sonar Thearch did not even want to meet Yi San.

Sigh!

Jiang Yi's expression darkened. It was obvious that the Sonar Thearch would not help him. It looked like he had to find a way to resolve Tang Yan and Tang Xue's problem on his own.

Chapter 1060 - Huge Opportunity

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Yi returned to the wedding celebration disappointed. Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei had already been led to a seat. The two of them were led to be seated behind a huge golden stage. Yin Ruobing did not look too unhappy.

Instead, she looked every part the dutiful wife. This made Jiang Yi feel even more awful inside.

He initially came to the Divine Sonar Valley feeling motivated and excited. He kept imagining meeting the Sonar Thearch and thinking about how to get Tang Yan and Tang Xue out of their predicament. Now, not only did he fail to meet the Sonar Thearch, but he also had to witness a very unsettling scene.

This made him feel like he was sitting on needles throughout the entire ceremony. He could not wait for the entire celebration to end.

The elders of the Chen Clan and other clans kept coming forward to offer drinks to Tang Ming. However, Jiang Yi sat behind Tang Ming like a wooden block, not bothering to even get to his feet. On seeing that Jiang Yi was in a bad mood, Tang Ming did not blame him. Instead, he told the other commanders of the Tang Clan not to stand up and not to drink alcohol either, so that Jiang Yi would not stand out.

“What's the matter, Yi San?”

Once he got the opportunity, Tang Ming sent a voice transmission to Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head as he responded, “It's nothing. Older Brother Ming, you don't have to bother about me.”

From afar, Tang Ming glanced at Yin Ruobing. He seemed to have guessed something as he patted Jiang Yi on the shoulder and sent another comforting voice transmission: “Brother, let it go. The Nine Thearch Clans have very strict rules. You will not have a happy ending. It's better to rip the plaster off now than to let the wound fester. There is an entire forest for you out there anyway.”

Jiang Yi, Yi Chan, and Yin Ruobing were stuck in such a mess that their story was spread throughout the continent. It was no surprise that Tang Ming knew what Jiang Yi was upset about. The fact that Emperor Yin accepted Zhan Tianlei's marriage proposal showed that he did not want Yin Ruobing to hang on to Jiang Yi either.

“I understand.”

Jiang Yi nodded. His expression turned cold again. He did not want to think about things anymore. He kept silent for the rest of the time, waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin.

The scene felt much livelier because of the arrival of Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing. Elders from countless clans went up to them to offer toasts of congratulations. Many of them also approached Tang Ming to try and build good relations. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the air. In the big space in the center, there were music and dance performances.

The weather was nice that day as well: there was a light breeze. It was turning out to be quite a pleasant ceremony.

One hour later, the bride and groom finally appeared. The Great Young Master of the Chen Clan knew that Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing were here. He felt especially proud of himself, and it showed on his flushed face and vibrant aura.

The bride was a lady from the Yin Clan. Naturally, she carried herself well. In terms of poise—however, she was not better than Yin Ruobing. Things like poise could not be nurtured in just one or two days. It was a natural thing. Otherwise, it would still take one year to build up.

The celebration was peaking. The Great Young Master of the Chen Clan had quite good relations. He was quite talented as well. At just twenty-eight years old, he was a peak-stage Heaven Monarch. Although he was only three-star in terms of skill, Jiang Y heard that he had good musical and dance talents.

Yin Thearch himself also imparted his skills to the Great Young Master so that he had realized the second stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Jiang Yi guessed that even a four- or five-star martial artist would not be able to fight this skill. The Great Young Master was well on his way to becoming the second Yin Thearch.

Jiang Yi's impression of the Great Young Master Chen Chen of the Chen Clan was pretty good. Perhaps it was because this man had been studying music and dance for many years—there was a certain gentle quality about him. He was extremely polite to everyone he spoke to, and he was well-mannered as well. It made people feel very comfortable around him. However, because of how the Sonar Thearch treated him, Jiang Yi felt no motivation to make friends with the Great Young Master. Since the Sonar Thearch refused to help him, Jiang Yi saw little meaning in forging good relations with the Chen Clan.

The wedding was about to begin. The Family Head of the Chen Clan and another authoritative elder stood up to host the ceremony. They completed one round of the formalities. Then, it was time for the guests to present their gifts one by one.

Each clan prepared lavish gifts. Even if they were not interested in showing their respect for the Sonar Thearch, they knew that they had to show their respect for the Yin Clan. Their gifts thoroughly impressed Jiang Yi. Even the lousiest gift was a pseudo-divine artifact. There were several spirit-connected cardinal treasures and several other strange gadgets, herbs, and the like.

The Tang Clan's gift was prepared a long time ago. It was a token made of platinum and Rainbow-Colored Armor. The platinum command token was the best token that would allow anyone who had it a free ride on the Heaven Fate Ship. It would also allow anyone who has it to enter the Tang Clan's secret cultivation rooms in any of the major cities for half the price. This platinum command token alone was worth several billion celestial stones.

“Fifth Sister, I wish you a blissful marriage.”

Yin Ruobing finally spoke. Many people turned to look at her. The entire place quieted down as they tried to see what Yin Ruobing's gift was.

Yin Ruobing retrieved a jade bottle and handed it to a female servant beside her. “Fifth Sister, Ruobing has nothing valuable to offer you as a gift for your wedding. I shall give you this Ambrosia that I just obtained not long ago.”

“Ambrosia?”

Many people sucked in a deep breath. This thing was a priceless treasure. Just one drop of it was worth billions of celestial stones.

The price of such Ambrosia was sky-high in black markets. There was just not enough supply to meet the endless demand. This was because the Ambrosia was one of the five main treasures for maintaining one's good looks.

The ladies in every clan yearned for such a wine. It was said that just one drop of it could maintain one's youth for at least thirty years. How much was this entire bottle of Ambrosia that Yin Ruobing was giving to her cousin?

“Thank you, Ninth Sister. This is the best present that I've received so far.”

The bride immediately broke into a huge grin. She was a lady of the Yin Clan, but she was still much further off in status compared to Yin Ruobing. Normally, she would not have the right to obtain a drink like this.

“Haha!”

Zhan Tianlei, who was seated beside Yin Ruobing, suddenly stood up and laughed. “Ruobing is giving you such an exquisite gift. Of course, Tianlei cannot be too pitiful. Brother Chen, a year ago, I made a trip to Pan Thearch's ancient ruins.

I found an ancient artifact among the ruins. I'm not used to it either so I'll give it to Brother Chen instead.”

Buzz!

The ring in Zhan Tianlei's hand lit up. An ancient and almighty zither appeared in his hands. This ancient zither had mysterious patterns atop it. Its aura felt formidable. With one look, people could tell that this was no ordinary artifact.

Chen Chen smiled uncontrollably. He could not take his eyes off the zither. When he saw the word 'Pan' written on the ancient zither, his entire body stiffened.

With a shock, he said, “This is the ancient zither that Pan Thearch used? Brother Tianlei, this gift is way too expensive. Chen Chen cannot accept it.”

“Pan Thearch's ancient zither?”

Many people tried to steal a glance at the zither. Pan Thearch was an ancient formidable artist who was just as famous as the Fire God. Although the Pan Thearch's famous technique was not the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, an ancient zither belonging to him would undoubtedly be a mighty artifact.

“Hahaha.”

Zhan Tianlei waved his hand casually and caused the ancient zither to fly toward Chen Chen. Smiling, he said, “Precious swords belong to their rightful heroes. I am no good at music or dance. Pan Thearch's ancient zither would be useless in my household; it will only be used to collect dust. I heard that Brother Chen is very good at both music and dance.

If you think that this gift is too expensive, then return something to me. Play a song for me using that ancient zither now. How about that?”

“Alright!”

Many people clapped and cheered on witnessing Zhan Tianlei's generosity. He did not even hesitate to give a gift this valuable. Zhan Tianlei was really showing the Sonar Thearch a lot of respect this time. Even if he did not bring a gift, everyone was sure that the Chen Clan would still be grateful for his presence. The fact that he was willing to give such a valuable gift to Chen Chen showed how big this man's heart really was.

“The disciples of the Zhan Clan are extraordinary indeed. I will play a song for you then.”

An elderly voice sounded among the crowd. That voice seemed to have some sort of mysterious power. Upon hearing it, everybody's souls stilled and calmed down significantly.

“Sonar Thearch!”

Jiang Yi's eyes brightened. Many people stood up and headed toward the east to greet him respectfully. Most of them looked extremely excited.

The Sonar Thearch would play a song for them? This was a god-given opportunity for most of them. If they could realize a thing or two, that would mean that would be a huge benefit to them.

The Sonar Thearch spoke once again, causing many people to be so excited that they shivered, “I have been keeping myself in isolation for the past tens of years just to focus my mind on studying music and dance. I wrote a song at that time. This song is not divine, but it is a product of my years of research. Together with my Divine Sound Heaven Skill, you might be able to realize a thing or two. If that happens, consider it that we have a good fate. In the future, you would be invited to come in and out of my Divine Sonar Valley freely.”

Chapter 1061 - Blowing a Leaf

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was a kind of mystical ability, not a dao pattern.

There was no way one could search dao patterns out. Neither could people impart dao patterns. The only way that people would be able to realize them was if a heaven-defying expert created a mystic realm for other descendants to enter and realize the dao patterns themselves.

This was the quickest way one could realize dao patterns, but there were costs and benefits. The benefit was that more people could make use of it. The cost was that those people's thinking would become less flexible. They would develop a certain reliance they would never be able to grow out of. They would lose all hopes of becoming a heaven-defying expert.

However, this was not the case with the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Since it was a mystical ability, anyone who could find a way to realize it. This would help one to improve their offensive skills, which would obviously be helpful in battle. It could help one kill without any form.

Thus, after the Sonar Thearch made a name for himself, countless people tried to learn the Divine Sound Heaven Skill from him. However, the Sonar Thearch only accepted one disciple in all these years. Now, that disciple was an elder in the Chen Clan. He was the second-best in the entire clan, in fact. His skills were comparable to that of a seven-star martial artist.

The Sonar Thearch refused to see guests for a long time as well, much less display the Divine Sound Heaven Skill by playing any sort of music for them. The crowd did not expect such a gift either. This was a huge ground-shaking opportunity.

The Sonar Thearch had made it clear—anyone who could realize a thing or two from his playing would be free to enter and leave the Divine Sonar Valley as they pleased. In other words, they would be able to learn from the Sonar Thearch and treat him as their master.

Many people sat on the ground cross-legged. They tried to get rid of every distracting thought from their minds as they focused on getting their bodies in the optimum state to realize the skill. They prepared to focus on the sounds they were about to hear and realize the true skills behind them.

The entire place quieted down at once. Even the female servants knelt down and tried not to make any sounds in order not to interrupt the music. Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei sat down and closed their eyes in meditation. Nobody was so stupid as to let this opportunity go by.

Ding-dong~

There was a clear and crisp sound. This was the sound of the zither. It was soft, and they were not sure where it was coming from.

Nevertheless, it sounded clearly in everybody's ears. After they heard this sound, everybody's eyes fogged over, including the Demigod Zhan Tianlei and the Clan Head of the Chen Clan. Even Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi could not help their eyes from clouding over. Only the Elder, who was seated beside the Clan Head of the Chen Clan, remained clear-eyed.

If Jiang Yi came back to reality at this moment, he would be beyond shocked. However, the sounds were causing everyone to partially lose their consciousness. If the Sonar Thearch wanted to kill any of them right now, even the strongest of the martial artists present would fall within seconds!

Cong-cong~

The sound continued to fill the air. At times, it sounded smooth and warm. At other times, it sounded rushed and choppy.

There were times when it sounded clear and crisp, but there were also other times when it sounded low and muffled. Everyone was obviously drunk on the music. While many of them wanted to realize a thing or two from the song, all of them failed to even think of anything the moment the Sonar Thearch began playing.

They forgot where they were, they forgot that they wanted to realize something… they forgot everything.

The sound of the zither filled the area for several minutes. Apart from that elder from the Chen Clan, nobody was conscious. Even the elder had his eyes half-closed as he enjoyed the music.

Dong~

The zither finally stopped, but everyone remained unconscious. They were still in the world that they entered when the zither started playing. The elder opened his eyes wide and scanned the entire crowd. Finally, his gaze landed on Jiang Yi.

This was because… Jiang Yi was the first to open his eyes.

Although Jiang Yi's eyes were opened, his expression still looked complicated. He looked extremely lonely and sad. He said nothing but continued sitting still.

The Family Head of the Chen Clan was the second to regain consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked over to the elder. Seeing that the elder was looking at someone else, the Family Head turned to follow the direction of his gaze. On seeing that Jiang Yi's eyes were opened, a strange expression flickered across his face.

Chen Chen was the third to regain consciousness, but he did not look at anyone. Instead, he picked up the ancient zither in his hand and remained silent.

“Alright!”

Zhan Tianlei was the fourth to regain consciousness. The moment he did, he stood up and bowed toward his right. By doing so, he caused Yin Ruobing and several other people to regain consciousness as well. They all looked slightly strange. To show their appreciation for what the Sonar Thearch had just done, they all stood up and bowed toward the right as well.

“Keke, did anyone manage to realize a thing or two?”

The elder suddenly opened his mouth and stroked his beard. “If anyone realized anything, please feel free to sing something or perform a piece. If the Supreme Teacher is satisfied, you will be allowed to enter and leave the Divine Sonar Valley as and when you please. You will also become the most valuable guest of the Divine Sonar Region.”

Zhan Tianlei and the others looked slightly regretful. Although they had just heard the best song of their entire lives, none of them realized anything. All they knew was that they had been thrown into a mysterious realm upon hearing the song.

The song caused them to feel drunk and out of this world. It was almost like they had tasted the best wine on earth.

“I was touched, but I only realized a little thing.”

A clear and gentle voice sounded from the crowd, causing everyone to look over to her. Zhan Tianlei and a few others' eyes brightened when they saw that it was Yin Ruobing who had spoken. The elder of the Chen Clan smiled slightly and said, “Please tell us, Lady Yin. Otherwise, you can also choose to perform a piece. You can use any instrument that you want.”

Yin Ruobing bitterly smiled and shook her head. “I don't need to perform. Ruobing is not musically-inclined. I do not want to make a joke out of myself. I will just explain what I realized on hearing the song: Love kills…”

“That's it?”

Many people were prepared to listen to a long speech, but that was all that Yin Ruobing had to say. Everyone looked confused. Even Zhan Tianlei fell silent.

The elder and the Family Head of the Chen Clan exchanged a meaningful glance. Both of them smiled meekly and said, “Lady Ruobing, you are naturally talented. You've already understood the meaning behind this piece. I will make the decision for the Supreme Teacher—Lady Ruobing will be allowed to enter and leave the Divine Sonar Valley freely from now on.”

“Wow!”

Everyone was shocked to hear this announcement. Yin Ruobing had casually said something and actually managed to obtain this huge opportunity. If they had known this would happen, they would surely have said something.

Of course, everybody present at such an occasion had a reputation. It was fine if they really had realized something. However, since they did not, they knew it was not nice to act like they did either. Thus, everyone fell silent once again.

The elder of the Chen Clan scanned the crowd. Suddenly, his gaze fell on Jiang Yi, who had been staring into thin air the entire time. He smiled and said, “This guest has been silent for a long time. Have you realized something?”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Many people turned to look at him. Upon seeing that he was just a commander behind Tang Ming, they became astonished. The elder had spoken, but Jiang Yi kept staring into thin air as if he had not heard anything. This shocked the crowd all the more.

The elder of the Chen Clan was a seven-star martial artist. Even Zhan Tianlei and Yin Ruobing had to speak respectfully to him. On seeing that Jiang Yi was not responding to the elder, Tang Ming stepped in. He leaned over and whispered, “Yi San, the elder is speaking to you.”

Jiang Yi's eyes became clear for a second, but loneliness filled them. Jiang Yi closed his eyes and sighed, falling silent once again.

“Uh…”

People were shuffling all around. This commander was acting quite disrespectfully. Even Tang Ming would not have dared to act this way, would he?

Just as everybody was exchanging glances and wondering what was wrong with him, Jiang Yi made a sudden move. He plucked a leaf off of a spirit fruit on the golden table in front of him. With his eyes still closed, he sighed, “Love kills… that was very well-said. Love really can kill…”

Jiang Yi was speaking at a moderate volume, but just like the first note that the Sonar Thearch played, it carried with it a strange power that caused everyone to keep quiet. He held the leaf with both of his hands. Then, he lifted it up to his lips and blew it gently. Everyone heard a gentle sound.

Buzz!

The moment they heard this sound, the eyes of the elder of the Chen Clan brightened a thousand-fold. Chen Chen, who had kept his head bowed down toward the ancient zither this entire time, trembled slightly. His head snapped up as he looked in shock at Jiang Yi.

Di—

Jiang Yi did not care at all that everyone was looking at him. He kept holding on to the leaf and blowing at it. The corners of his both were curled up in a charming smile. It was almost as if he was playing the song for the love of his life.

Chapter 1062 - A Musical Genius

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The sound of Jiang Yi blowing the leaf was not particularly moving. In fact, it was nowhere near as beautiful as the song the Sonar Thearch played on the zither. To people who loved music, the song that Jiang Yi was playing was really not worth creating a scene over. It belonged instead to the kind of music that peasants listened to.

Jiang Yi was not musically-inclined. When he was little, he did not qualify to study such an upper-class hobby. Instead, he played with grass and leaves just like the other poor children did. That explained his poor choice of musical instrument.

Today, this low-class musical performance was taking place in the Divine Sonar Valley belonging to the Sonar Thearch. Moreover, the people listening were the most important ones in the surrounding regions, the ladies from the Yin Clan and a gentleman from the Zhan Clan. What's more, many elders and great young masters from the Chen Clan were well-versed in music. If word about this performance got out, nobody would have believed it. This was like performing low-level dao patterns in front of the Nine Thearchs or displaying sword skills in front of the teachers of Sword Dao clans. It was that laughable.

The problem was… nobody was laughing!

Instead, everybody was beginning to look slightly confused. A small proportion of people fell silent as their eyes clouded over, albeit not as much as they did when the Sonar Thearch had been playing. The elder of the Chen Clan widened his eyes and looked over at Jiang Yi. He listened quietly to his song.

The Great Young Master of the Chen Clan closed his eyes and gently caressed his zither. He looked like he was enjoying the music.

The tune was simple. It sounded like a children's song. The techniques that Jiang Yi used were relatively easy as well. Nobody was surprised by any of these things.

The song was not moving overall and was even a little boring. Even so, many people seemed to lose their focus. Some ladies began to tear up.

“Uh…”

Yin Ruobing felt an inexplicable urge to cry as well. She closed her eyes and forced herself not to lose control. Still, the song that she was hearing moved her deeply.

She had said earlier that love could kill. Now, this song that she was hearing carried with it love—a deep love—that seeped into the listeners' hearts, causing them to feel a strange sadness. It reminded her of her family and the love of her life. The song also awakened her deepest and darkest memories, causing her mind to wander back to times that she did not ever want to recall.

Even after the song ended, they continued to pay attention.

The moment Jiang Yi stopped playing, Yin Ruobing opened her eyes and looked over at him. She caught him just in time to see him put the leaf in his hand down. His eyes were still closed, and his lips were still curled up slightly in a gentle smile. He was absolutely charming.

Jiang Yi looked like a cool man, but the smile on his face softened his entire demeanor. It caused Yin Ruobing's heart to be moved. She suddenly realized that the man she was looking it might not be as cool as he made himself out to be. Instead, he was a graceful gentleman—an extraordinary one that she would never forget for the rest of her life.

The two of their faces were beginning to match up. Yin Ruobing looked even closer at Jiang Yi, refusing to look away as if determined to find something out.

“Alright!”

It was a pity that the elder of the Chen Clan interrupted everybody's thoughts. The smile on Jiang Yi's face disappeared. His expression hardened once again, and he looked foreign. He both looked and felt far too different from the man in Yin Ruobing's mind.

“He's a musical genius!”

The elder exclaimed as he got to his feet and walked over to Jiang Yi. He nodded slightly before turning to Tang Ming. In a serious tone, he asked, “Elder Tang, what is this man's name? Is he from your Tang Clan?”

Tang Ming stiffened and then got to his feet. “Elder… this is a commander of the Tang Clan. His name is Yi San.”

“En!”

The elder nodded once again and grinned. “Would Elder Tang be willing to let him go then? The Supreme Teacher gave instructions for us to accept him into the clan as a disciple. If the Tang Clan is willing to let him go, we will definitely pay a satisfactory price for him.”

“Wow!”

Everybody present broke out of their silence immediately. It had been a full thirty years. Was the Sonar Thearch really intending to take another disciple?

This man of the Tang Clan was really lucky. If he could remain under the Sonar Thearch's wing for just a couple of years, he would be able to advance to the Demigod Realm soon.

Tang Ming and the commanders of the Tang Clan looked astonished. Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei also looked slightly puzzled. Only Jiang Yi remained expressionless. Nobody could guess what was on his mind.

Tang Ming secretly rejoiced. He acted like he was being put on the spot as he gritted his teeth and said, “As long as Yi San is alright with it, I can agree to this arrangement on behalf of the Tang Clan. Being selected by the Sonar Thearch is Yi San's privilege.”

The elder nodded and turned to face Jiang Yi: “Junior Brother Yi, are you willing to join our Divine Sonar Sect and become one of your disciples?”

Jiang Yi looked blankly at him as he felt a thousand gazes land on him. He paid special attention to Yin Ruobing's beautiful eyes locked on him. He was in a predicament. He had intended to go to the Mystic Divine Mountain quietly. Now, he was unwittingly put on the pedestal once again.

He wanted to learn the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, but this would mean remaining in the Divine Sonar Valley for at least a couple of years. How would he go to the Mystic Divine Mountain then? Thus, he stuttered, “I… have to think about it.”

“Pff!”

Many people who had been drinking tea or alcohol spat a mouthful of their drinks out. Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei's expressions twisted. A commander of the Tang Clan aside, even Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei themselves would not hesitate to take up an opportunity to learn from the Sonar Thearch. Even if this man were to accept a place in the Divine Sonar Sect, it was not like he would not become a slave of the Chen Clan. Why did he have to think about it?

The elder was evidently shocked, but he recovered quickly. Smiling gently, he said, “Alright, if you decide within these three days, you are welcome into the sect at any time.”

Tang Ming threw a sideways glance at Jiang Yi and whispered, “Yi San, why are you still considering? I will explain it to our clan for you. If the Clan Head finds out about this, he will surely allow you to take the Sonar Thearch as your teacher anyway. This would be an honor to our clan as well.”

It was obvious that Tang Ming was only saying this for the sake of the audience. He had no power to sway Jiang Yi's decision at all. Of course, in his heart, he felt anxious for Jiang Yi as well. Why would he give up such a good opportunity?

The elder turned back to return to his own seat and then glanced at both Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing. Once again, he grinned. “Since Lady Yin and Young Master Yi have realized the deeper meaning behind the Sonar Thearch's song, you are both welcome to enter and leave the Divine Sonar Valley as you please from today onward. You would be treated as distinguished guests of the valley.

“That's right… since you are distinguished guests, I should decide on behalf of the Supreme Teacher. You will be allowed to enter the divine spring mystic realm once. It would be up to you to realize anything that you can from inside there. This divine spring mystic realm was where the Supreme Teacher realized his skills.

It is an extremely precious place. Even the disciples of the Chen Clan themselves are only allowed to enter three times in their entire lives.”

“Wow!”

On hearing about this mystic realm, many people exclaimed. Yin Ruobing's eyes brightened immediately. She got to her feet and bowed toward the elder respectfully. “Thank you for your favor, Elder. Ruobing is extremely grateful for this opportunity.”

Jang Yi had not yet decided whether to become a disciple of the Sonar Thearch, but he was not stupid enough to let this opportunity pass him by. He quickly cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Elder!”

“Hahaha!”

The Family Head of the Chen Clan turned to the Young Master of the Chen Clan and said, “Little Chen, bring these two distinguished guests to the divine spring mystic realm. After you two enter, please treasure whatever time you have inside there. You would only be allowed to stay a maximum of six hours each time you enter.”

Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing exchanged a meaningful glance. Both of them were obviously feeling awkward. Zhan Tianlei's expression hardened.

It was obvious that he was feeling uneasy about Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi staying in the mystic realm for such a long time. However, he controlled his expression quite well. He seemed to become calm again after just a split-second. The Sonar Thearch was here, and Yin Ruobing was very skilled herself.

Since Jiang Yi was still acting as a general of the Tang Clan, he likely would not dare to pull any tricks.

“This way, please!”

The Young Master of the Chen Clan reached out to show the two guests the way. Yin Ruobing was the first to follow him. Instinctively, Jiang Yi wanted to touch his nose.

However, on realizing that Yin Ruobing probably would recognize him if he did that, he stopped himself. Keeping his expression cool, he followed Chen Chen toward the Chen Courtyard.

Yin Ruobing turned back after walking a couple of steps. She looked at Jiang Yi curiously. The corners of her lips curled up slightly as if she seemed to be smiling slyly at Jiang Yi. She looked so much like a fox demon in disguise.

Chapter 1063 - Young Master Jiang

Yi

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Tang Yi, send a message to our clan. Tell them to create an identity for Yi San!”

Tang Ming watched as Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi followed Chen Chen, his expression hardening. Jiang Yi was taking a huge risk this time. After today, the name 'Yi San' would become famous throughout the regions. Although it would not create too much of a stir, people would definitely start to take note of him. Zhan Tianlei for one was already taking note of this man.

Tang Ming had said earlier that Yi San was a commander of the Tang Clan. Such a person must then exist for sure. Otherwise, if the truth came to light that he did not actually exist, a lot of people would grow suspicious. Naturally, they would think of Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi came from Sin Island. He had a close connection to the Endless Deep Sea. Although these things meant nothing to the Tang Clan, Jiang Yi had a name for being a spy from the Spy Island. If word got out that the Tang Clan had connections with spies from the Sin Island, people would form a horrible impression of the Tang Clan.

Gold will shine wherever it is!

Tang Ming recalled the song that Jiang Yi had played earlier. After listening to the Sonar Thearch's song just once, he could imitate the tune and emotion behind it. This Jiang Yi was no ordinary man indeed. It would be beneficial for the Tang Clan to make friends with such a person as well.

In reality…!

Jiang Yi could not believe that he had played a song like that either. All he knew was that he became overwhelmed with emotion on hearing the song the Sonar Thearch played earlier. The sound of the zither captured his heart and made him think about many things. He thought about Jiang Yunhai and Jiang Bieli, Yi Piaopiao, Jiang Xiaonu, Feng Luan and Qing Yu, as well as his childhood at Skyplume City.

That was what made him pick up the leaf and start blowing it. When he was playing, he did not pay much attention to his technique. He was not too bothered by what other people were thinking as well. All he wanted to do was reminisce about the old times and think about people from his past. He wanted to let all of these emotions out somehow.

Of course, he did realize some things about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. At that moment, he understood one principle: every art is the same in that one needed to pour their emotions into it. This would move the audience's souls and cause them to react. This was what made a great performance.

It was just like the three Heaven Paintings that he did: 'Yearning', 'Sorrow', and 'Passion'. They also moved the viewers and caused them to feel things in the deepest recesses of their hearts.

Low-level arts focused on technique, but top-grade arts focused on emotions!

One could say that Jiang Yi only knew the most basics of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill before. He relied on the terrifying sounds to jolt people's souls. This type of Divine Sound Heaven Skill was violent, but its effects were quite weak.

Now, Jiang Yi had progressed to the second stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. He could pour his emotions in his song and cause his audience to resonate with them. The listeners thus became so absorbed in the song without even realizing it, forgetting everything around them for those few minutes. Once Jiang Yi mastered this skill, he would be able to use it to kill others without form.

That was how the Sonar Thearch killed hundreds of thousands of martial artists with a Heartbreak Song as well. He did not even use any violence. All he did was to play a single song that caused everyone to turn their weapons on themselves. This skill could be extremely terrifying indeed.

…

“Alright, Lady Ruobing, Young Master Yi San, you can enter now. You will only have to sit down quietly while you are inside there. Please do not break anything you find inside the realm.

One hour later, the divine spring will play a magnificent sound. You just have to listen to it and try to realize things from it. The realm will transport you out automatically after six hours.”

Jiang Yi had been deep in thought. When Chen Chen spoke, he got jolted back to reality. In front of him, he saw a transportation array inside a pavilion.

“Thank you, Young Master,” Yin Ruobing responded, nodding her head politely. She moved her long, exquisite legs and walked toward the transportation array. Jiang Yi cupped his hands to thank Chen Chen and followed Yin Ruobing silently.

The two of them stepped into the transportation array. Chen Chen activated a burst of essence force and caused the transportation array to light up. Both of them disappeared into thin air.

“What a good place!”

There was a white flash, and then Jiang Yi opened his eyes once again. Yin Ruobing looked like she was in a daze. Both of them looked around the beautiful surroundings, their eyes twinkling as they soaked in the view.

They had been sent into a valley. All around the valley, there were restrictions put up where the divine senses could not go beyond. These restrictions gently reflected the sunlight.

The alley was filled with yellow flowers that stretched even into the wilderness. In the middle of the mountain in the north flowed a sprint. The sprint stretched into a narrow, winding river that led to a small waterfall. At the bottom of the waterfall was a clear pond. The two of them were standing on the field right next to the water body.

“This is beautiful.”

Yin Ruobing wandered around next to the water body but did not dare to do anything else because of what Chen Chen had warned them. She did not dare to even dip her toes into the water body. Instead, she strolled along the pond, her face glowing with a beautiful smile.

Jiang Yi looked around for a while but dared not look any longer. It was not that the surroundings were not beautiful, but it was that Yin Ruobing was too charming. This unparalleled beauty resembled a peony in bloom. From time to time, she would release a fragrance that would cause everyone around her to be drawn into her, willing to do anything for her.

Jiang Yi sat down on the ground cross-legged. Chen Chen said that a magnificent song would come from the sprint in about an hour. Jiang Yi guessed that this would have something to do with the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Jiang Yi had hit a roadblock earlier in his realization of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. He wanted to sit down and see if he could push his realization a bit further and gain more progress with this skill.

“How good would it be if we could find a great place like this and live there for the rest of our lives, unbothered by all the conflicts and troubles around?”

Jiang Yi heard Yin Ruobing talking to herself from afar. His heart jumped. If he could rescue Su Ruoxue and find Yi Piaopiao, Jiang Xiaonu, Feng Luan and the others, then settle down on an island where there were no other people to disturb them, he would really be living the dream.

“En?”

While he was deep in thought, he felt a sudden movement. Yin Ruobing was staring at him with her beautiful eyes. The warmth on his face dissipated at once. His expression darkened, and he recovered his cool demeanor from earlier.

“Pfff!”

Yin Ruobing smiled. Immediately, Jiang Yi smelt the fragrance again. It smelt too good. It made him want to fall over. It caused his heart to race.

“Not good!”

Jiang Yi quickly stopped breathing. This was the fragrance that Yin Ruobing had put on herself—the smell of unparalleled beauties. Although he had no idea why Yin Ruobing was suddenly releasing this smell, he knew that she was up to no good.

“Hehe.”

The smell dissipated quickly. Yin Ruobing giggled and sauntered toward Jiang Yi. Then, she bent over and pouted, staring at Jiang Yi with her unblinking, big eyes.

“Uh—”

Jiang Yi had just been able to hold himself together. However, after a while, he broke. He opened his eyes and looked at her face, sly as a fox. A bad feeling welled up inside his chest. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Lady Yin, please take care of your image. I… I don't…”

“You don't like girls, do you?”

Yin Ruobing finished her sentence and stared at Jiang Yi mockingly. She rolled her eyes and said. “I say… change your excuse. That's old-school!”

I am done for!

Jiang Yi's heart sank. He did not know how this woman recognized him, but he stiffened and kept his jaw tight. “Lady Yin, I don't understand what you are saying. But… please respect yourself. You don't want your reputation to be ruined.”

“Hoho…”

Yin Ruobing stepped backward. Her laugh rang clearly in Jiang Yi's ears, and she turned away from him. Instead, she looked at the river in front of her and said, “I have a good friend called Yi Chan. She has a mysterious mystical ability.

She can recognize those who can change their physical form and spiritual aura. She gave me some tips before. Now, I have the same ability.

Any illusion will fail before my eyes. So you… can drop your act, Young Master Jiang Yi!”

Chapter 1064 - Dirty Rascal

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Huh!”

When Yin Ruobing had uttered the name 'Jiang Yi', Jiang Yi's eyes flashed coldly. He stiffened as he unleashed his aura, staring murderously at Yin Ruobing. He growled, “You not only saw through my disguise but also dare to say my name out loud? Aren't you scared I will kill you?”

Previously when the two were in the Purgatory Ruin on Buddha Mountain, Yin Ruobing didn't know his identity. Now that she knew, the two had naturally become enemies. Jiang Yi was a member of Sin Island; this was a fact that couldn't change. Whoever was from Sin Island would automatically become a mortal enemy of the Nine Thearch Clans.

Now that Yin Ruobing had managed to identify Jiang Yi, she had become a huge threat to him. At this moment in the mystic realm, there was no one else around. It would be extremely easy for Jiang Yi to kill Yin Ruobing there.

A smile broke out on Yin Ruobing's icy face. She turned and smiled sweetly at Jiang Yi, saying, “Would you kill me? Jiang Yi, if you can bear to kill me, I will definitely not resist.”

Sigh…

Jiang Yi's aura dissipated. He helplessly sighed and said, “Yin Ruobing, we are now enemies. Can you be more serious?

Now that my identity has been exposed, I could be killed at any moment. Should I not kill you to silence you?”

Yin Ruobing was still smiling like a fox. She folded her arms and pretended to look shocked. “You want to kill me? I am so scared. Don't come closer. If you do, I will scream.”

“Damn!”

Jiang Yi was utterly lost for words. He could find no way in dealing with this lady. Even if she allowed him to kill her, he could not bear to do so. He sat down and said, “Forget it, forget it. If you want to expose me, I give up. It is my bad luck that I encountered you.”

Giggle!

Yin Ruobing looked like a general that had won a battle, smiling broadly. She walked over and looked at Jiang Yi curiously. “Jiang Yi, where have you been these two years? Big Sister Chan and I had both thought that you had been captured or killed by the North Thearch.”

Jiang Yi smiled coldly and said, “I have so many abilities and tricks up my sleeves; who can kill me? Even the North Thearch is still slightly lacking in the ability to capture and kill me. If it wasn't because I had something urgent to attend to, I would definitely kill the North Thearch, too.”

“Look at you, bragging to no end.”

Yin Ruobing looked at the sky and giggled. She said, “Since you are so powerful, why the need to disguise at Yi San? Why did you not kill your way to North Thearch City? Use these sweet words to go and fool other young ladies. I am smart and am not like those silly ladies.”

“You are smart? Forget about it. If you were smart, you would have recognized me on Buddha Mountain.” Jiang Yi looked at Yin Ruobing and asked curiously. “That's right, Yin Ruobing, how did you realize it was me this time?”

Giggle!

Yin Ruobing mysteriously smiled and said, “Guess.”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose and was embarrassed. He was speechless and said, “You're guessing that I cannot guess it?”

“Hmph, in that case, I will not tell you.” Yin Ruobing's nose crinkled as she turned and started to ignore Jiang Yi.

“Oh, right!”

Jiang Yi thought about the fragrant aroma he had smelled just now. He slapped his thigh and said, “I know! It was the fragrance. The fragrance that I released just now.”

“I guess you're at least a little smart.”

Yin Ruobing cunningly said, “Next time, don't even try to disguise yourself in front of me. You can change your appearance, your aura, and your airs; you cannot change your body smell. I am gifted and can easily sense your body smell.”

“Next time?”

Jiang Yi blinked. He suddenly laughed and said, “Lady Yin, are you not intending to expose me?”

“What do you mean by not intending to? Since when did I say I was going to expose you?” Yin Ruobing looked coldly sideways at Jiang Yi and said. She then became serious as she continued, “Jiang Yi, I could not expose you. I can pretend not to know you if I see you in the future. However, you have to promise me one thing.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi's hand waved, and he said, “Besides asking me to give myself to you, anything else is negotiable.”

“Bah, rascal!”

Yin Ruobing breethd out gently. Her face was flushed with embarrassment as she said, “I want you to promise me that you will not become enemies with the Yin Clan. You will not provoke disciples from the Yin Clan. In return, the Yin Clan will definitely not mess with you either.”

“This I can do.”

Jiang Yi nodded in agreement and said, “I never liked to kill. I am not a deranged man. If I am not provoked, why would I become enemies with the Yin Clan? En… I will give you face. Even if the Yin Clan provokes me, I will endure and not do anything. Of course, the Yin Clan cannot go too overboard either.”

“That will not happen.”

Yin Ruobing was very sure of her reply. “Actually, the younger generation of the Yin Clan all admires you. My older and younger brothers all say that if they can imitate you, then this life would be considered well-lived. Our clan is familiar with what you have done.

Of course, we cannot support you openly. After all, the Nine Thearch Clans are birds of the same feather.”

“You are too kind, you are too kind.”

Jiang Yi unabashedly cupped his hands and said, “Actually, I am not as good as you guys have imagined me to be. I still have some flaws…”

“Bah!”

Yin Ruobing couldn't resist and breethd out gently again. However, she quickly smiled again and said, “Why is it that you cannot behave properly? Big Sister Chan also says that you are a weird person; she will inexplicably become happy when she's with you.”

“Exactly, that is another flaw of mine!” Jiang Yi pretended to look troubled and gave a long sigh. “I have also realized that, inexplicably, women would like me. This is very troubling for me.”

“Haha. You shameless person.”

Yin Ruobing chided Jiang Yi while smiling beautifully. Jiang Yi also smiled as he looked at the puddle of water in the distance. He sighed and said, “In one's life, there is too much bitterness, too many tiresome things.

There is no meaning in being too prim and proper. Wouldn't it be better to relax a little and be happy? Why is there a need to be so bitter and hard on oneself? If this life can be full of happiness and good health, who would willingly want to be poor and destitute?”

As Jiang Yi looked at the puddle of water—dazed and without speaking a word, the smile on Yin Ruobing's face also became tighter. She squatted next to Jiang Yi and also looked at that puddle of water in the distance. She sighed and said, “Jiang Yi, if only you hadn't gone to Sin Island. Then we could be friends aboveboard.”

“If I hadn't gone to Sin Island, I would long be dead.”

Jiang Yi laughed mockingly and said, “It is a matter of the heart, making friends with another. It doesn't matter one's status in life or their physical distance. A bosom friend afar brings a distant land nearer. If I can have a bosom friend—even if I never see that person again, so what?”

“En. You are right. I was mistaken.”

Yin Ruobing nodded and said, “Jiang Yi, if you cultivate zen, you can definitely become a master of great learning. Big Sister Chan had said the same thing before, too. You both are very learned.”

“I am learned, my ass.”

Jiang Yi swore and smiled bitterly. “If two had loved for a long time, why would it matter if one cannot see each other daily? This sentence is actually really sad. If two can see each other daily, why would they wish to be separated? Wouldn't it be happier to sleep together every day, hugging each other?”

“Pft. I take back what I said just now.”

Yin Ruobing blushed deeply. No one had dared speak to her like this before in her entire life. Everyone had always been extremely courteous to her. They were all afraid of saying something wrong. Only this weirdo Jiang Yi would swear in front of her and speak using uncouth language.

The two didn't speak anymore. Both were deep in thought. However, this little valley was too small, and the two were sitting too closely. A faint aroma could be smelled from Yin Ruobing while Jiang Yi also had a strong manly aura to him. The two of them both felt a little awkward and uncomfortable. The atmosphere was also becoming more romantic and charming.

Chapter 1065 - Old Bastard

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Regarding Yin Ruobing, Jiang Yi was very conflicted. He would be lying if he said he didn't like her. Every male would want such an astonishing beauty like her and would want to melt the ice within her heart, making her show her most radiant smile and her ecstasy-like feelings.

Yin Ruobing had feelings for Jiang Yi, was loyal to him, and had helped him before as well. It was a joy talking and spending time with her, too. While smelling the aroma she had, Jiang Yi could not help himself but have some fluttering thoughts. However, he suppressed such thoughts and forced himself not to think too much. This matter was very conflicting and painful.

Actually, Yin Ruobing had good feelings for Jiang Yi, too.

For ladies like herself born into rich and prestigious families, they have met many young masters from many famous clans since young. They have met many people who appeared upright, warm, kind and refreshing, but they were actually scheming and devious on the inside. These people were unscrupulous in attaining their objectives. Hence, ladies like herself naturally started to ostracize young masters like these and would ignore them.

Of course, these young masters would try to find all sorts of ways to get close to them, just like flies. These young masters would do things to get the ladies' attention, which had the opposite effect as the ladies would lose interest in these men. People rarely treasured what they could have easily but always preferred what they could not get.

Many women were very despicable!

Having tasted the best delicacies there were, they actually preferred wild vegetables instead. Without a doubt, Jiang Yi was a very precious wild vegetable.

Young, secretive, single-handedly killing, and making a name for himself… three Heaven Paintings had added to his stature and allure. He did not fear the strong and powerful and dared to declare war on the North Thearch's Wu Clan on his own. He eliminated five Demigods at the foot of Stupa Mountain, and in the Divine Sonar Valley just now, he even managed to get the Sonar Thearch to want to accept him as a disciple, just by blowing a leaf.

All of this just made Jiang Yi seemed like a poppy flower attracting Yin Ruobing. Once a woman was interested in a man, she would try to find out everything about him and subsequently continue to be mesmerized by him, be fully occupied by him.

Thankfully…

Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi had the same dilemma. The two were suppressing their fluttering thoughts forcefully. The two knew deep down that there was no future for the two of them; this was their fate!

It didn't matter if Yin Ruobing married Zhan Tianlei, and it didn't matter if Jiang Yi had or hadn't entered Sin Island. Just based on everything that Jiang Yi had done, the two could never end up together.

After the battle at Stupa Mountain, Jiang Yi had become the mortal enemy of the North Thearch's Wu Clan. The Nine Thearch Clans were united as one; if Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing got together, the Yin Clan had no choice but to be enemies with the North Thearch, as well as the She Clan, the Jian Clan, and many other clans as well. Would the Yin Clan put itself in jeopardy for one Jiang Yi?

Obviously not.

Hence, Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing were both silent. It was becoming more and more awkward with the atmosphere becoming more romantic.

After five minutes, Jiang Yi became impatient. The awkwardness was making him uncomfortable. His eyes flashed as he thought of an idea. He turned and looked at Yin Ruobing, asking, “Lady Yin, can you help me with something?”

“Ah?”

Yin Ruobing was still caught up in the charming moment just now, and her face was slightly flushed. She saw Jiang Yi and immediately changed her expression. She said, “Please ask. If it's not too much, I will help.”

“It's a serious matter.”

Jiang Yi said seriously, “Do you know Li Hong? It seems like he is a relative of your family?”

Yin Ruobing regained her composure and asked suspiciously, “Yes, he is the elder cousin of my mother. I do call him Third Uncle. Has he ruffled your feathers?”

“Not exactly.”

Jiang Yi thought for a while and said strangely, “Have you heard about his character? Why does your clan allow a person like him to get his way doing whatever he likes? Will this not affect the clan's reputation?”

“En, he is indeed an old bastard.”

Yin Ruobing was very direct. She laughed bitterly and said, “My mother's father died when she was very young. Hence, she was given to her father's cousin to be his daughter. That cousin was Li Hong's father. Li Hong became something like a brother to her. When she was young, he took care of her. That's why no matter how many harmful and devious things Li Hong does—when things go wrong, he will come and beg my mother. My mother's heart will soften, and so Majesty Father would not say much either.”

“I see.”

Jiang Yi finally understood. He was a little embarrassed as he asked, “The situation is like this. The Tang Clan has two ladies that I was acquainted with before.

This time, I met them while onboard a Heaven Fate Ship. Li Hong had taken a fancy to both of them and had used a hundred Crippled Heaven Bamboo to exchange for the two. The two ladies got wind of this and refused to obey. They were then beaten by the housekeepers of the Tang Clan.

“If I hadn't encountered this matter, I would not have intervened. Since I had… I can't possibly stand by idle and watch the two get sent to their deaths. Initially, I wanted to snatch them and rescue them.

However, since you have come today, could you help me think of any other solutions? If I offend the Li Clan, it would be akin to becoming enemies with the Yin Clan.”

“Two ladies?”

Yin Ruobing's expression became slightly unnatural. She turned coy and asked, “The two must be very pretty, right?”

“…”

Jiang Yi had nothing to say. Women were indeed amazing creatures. He had explained so much to her, but she had not asked anything about the situation. Instead, she cared if the two ladies were pretty?

Couldn't Jiang Yi just purely do a good thing for once? Must he only act when the person was pretty?

“So-so. Not as pretty as you!”

Seeing Yin Ruobing looking at him, Jiang Yi casually added, “So are you going to help? If you don't help, I have no choice but to abduct them. If—at that point in time—Li Hong crosses me, I might just kill him; and you can't blame me.”

“Don't.”

After hearing the words 'not as pretty as you', Yin Ruobing's eyes lit up. She waved her hand without care and said, “I will. It's only two people, right? Once we return, I'll ask for them and then give them to you. Li Hong will not dare to go against me. You need to remember not to kill him; if not, my mother will be upset. If that happens, we will have no choice but to send troops after you.”

“Okay. Many thanks to Lady Yin.”

Jiang Yi breethd out heavily. Now that this matter was settled, he was much more at ease. Jiang Yi paused for a while and said, “Ask your mother to rein in this old sex fiend; if not, even if I don't kill him—sooner or later, someone will. He is already so old; he can still function sexually?”

“Bah!”

Yin Ruobing's face became dark as she turned and ignored Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi's uncouth words were becoming even more disrespectful. After all, Yin Ruobing was a lady of one of the most esteemed and respectable clans. She was also still an unmarried virgin; Jiang Yi's words were too much.

Cough, cough.

Jiang Yi had noticed as well. His face turned red as he scratched his nose. “I have misspoken. Please do not be angry, old one.”

“Who is old? You are older and more stupid!”

Yin Ruobing angrily looked at Jiang Yi. That fierce look resembled a lioness with sharp teeth and claws.

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly and hurriedly said, “Alright, alright. I'm the old one; I'm fifty years old. I'm an old man. You are sixteen, in your prime, still budding, as beautiful as a fairy… a sacred lady descending onto this earth. Does that satisfy you?”

“Pfff…”

Yin Ruobing was extremely pleased with Jiang Yi's flattery. However, she thought about it for a while and then felt a sense of distaste again. She raised her small fists and punched Jiang Yi, saying angrily, “You are taking advantage of me. If you're fifty, and I'm sixteen; what should I call you?” Her small fists hit Jiang Yi, and both of their bodies shivered. They were both dazed.

Jiang Yi was captivated by Yin Ruobing's shyness while Yin Ruobing was startled as well. Her mannerisms just now, on some level, resembled that of the flirting between couples.

Chapter 1066 - Flower Fairy

Chapter 1066: Flower Fairy

After having such an intimate exchange, Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing fell silent again. This time, it was even more awkward.

The two were like two small birds with broken wings; they wanted to break free and fly into the sky. However, they were afraid to leave the cage. They knew that once they left, they would fall and be smashed into bits.

Fortunately, one hour passed very fast. Not far away—from the middle of the mountain, the spring water sudden fluctuated its speed, falling down fast and then slowly. It was as if the spring water was burping.

As the spring water flowing out was a gush and then a trickle—fast then slow, the small river at the midpoint of the mountain also became extremely turbulent like waves rolling about. Finally, the puddle of water formed by droplets of river water also started to have its own rhythm.

“Hua la, hua la la…”

As the river water hit the water surface, a noise was formed. However, at this moment, that noise suddenly became like music. It was as if there was a tune silently being played, a beautiful type of music.

“Uh…”

Jiang Yi's eyes glistened and became hazy. He quickly sat cross-legged and used his whole heart to experience this wonderful 'music'. He was passive and calm as if an old monk that had started to meditate.

He is indeed a music genius.

Yin Ruobing listened for a long time. While she was able to sense a sliver of a special charm from that strange melody, that charm was not visible to her; and she could not grasp it. She looked at Jiang Yi who was in a daze. This man was always so incredible, so mysterious. He was so young, and yet his battle strength was astonishing; he had also become the Art Thearch. Now, he even had a seemingly perverse affinity with tonality.

No matter how great and strong a woman was, she was still a woman. She would still feel hurt and sorrow and was sentimental. She would, without reasons, think about some strange things. Take this instance for example.

Yin Ruobing was staring dazed at Jiang Yi and had completely forgotten to go and try to figure out the dao pattern presence in the spring water. If outsiders found out, they would definitely be in a fit. How rare an opportunity it was to enter the divine spring mystic realm, and yet this lady was wasting it away.

“Uh…”

One hour later, Yin Ruobing came to her senses. She hurriedly averted her gaze and used both her hands to shield her face. Her ears were all red. She forced herself not to look at Jiang Yi but sat down cross-legged to try and fathom the dao pattern presence in the spring water.

Unfortunately…

She had been at it for one hour but could not understand anything. She opened her eyes sulkily and looked at Jiang Yi once again. As she looked longer, her eyes became hazy again.

With her heart not able to settle down, how was she going to fathom the dao pattern presence in the spring water? This cycle had continued a few times, and the two had been in there for six hours.

When it was five minutes to the six-hour mark, Jiang Yi—who had been meditating without moving—suddenly opened his eyes, scaring Yin Ruobing who was stealing glances at him. Jiang Yi said agonizingly, “My dear Lady Yin. Why are you not trying to decipher the Divine Spring but looking at me constantly? Have you not seen a handsome man before?”

Jiang Yi had entered the meditative state right from the start, using his whole heart to try and figure out the melody inside the Divine Spring. He had indeed made some progress. While he was listening to Sonar Thearch play just now, he had somehow rather managed to absorb something; now, he was starting to see the light.

After more than two hours, he had decided to enter the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, thinking that this would aid him in discovering more; perhaps this would help him rank up his Divine Sound Heaven Skill as well.

However, he was wrong!

Indeed, entering the State of the Union of Heaven and Man had made his senses sharper, and he could hear the sound of the spring water clearer. However, being in this State of the Union of Heaven and Man meant that he could sense things in the surroundings as well; this included every move that Yin Ruobing was making.

If say, an absolute beauty was constantly staring at someone, occasionally blushing and with eyes filled with tender affection, could that person quiet down his heart? Even a saint wouldn't be able to, right?

In the last two hours, Jiang Yi had been the same as Yin Ruobing, trying to force his heart to quiet down for a moment and then starting to think about other stuff the next moment. In this state, time had continued to flow. Now that there were only five minutes left before being transported out, Jiang Yi had utterly given up.

“I… I wasn't looking at you!”

Yin Ruobing was akin to a thief who was caught on the spot: shocked, afraid, and shy—as she coyly turned her head away. Her face was as red as a monkey's buttocks. However, she remained adamant and said stubbornly, “I… was trying to see what you have managed to discover and try to mimic you. Right… that was all.”

Sigh!

Jiang Yi looked at the small river that was flowing like tide after tide and secretly felt that it was a pity. If Yin Ruobing had not disturbed, his Divine Sound Heaven Skill could have probably entered the second stage. However, he had already had a good grasp of the basics; an exponential growth of his Divine Sound Heaven Skill was only a matter of time.

Forget it, forget it. One cannot forcefully wish for good fortune; wasn't this opportunity unexpected as well?

Jiang Yi thought things through quickly. A smile also appeared on his face. He looked at Yin Ruobing teasingly and said, “Little Yin, don't stare at guys like this next time, alright?

Girls need to maintain a certain sense of propriety, too. Furthermore, it's not as if I'm looking very good now, right?”

“Bah!”

Yin Ruobing was so embarrassed that she did not even dare to look Jiang Yi in the eye. Her look of anxiety and anger made Jiang Yi laugh out loud. To be able to tease one of the two greatest beauties on the continent, Jiang Yi was very pleased. Even Zhan Tianlei did not have the good fortune to see Yin Ruobing like this, right?

They were running out of time. Jiang Yi became serious and said, “Right, Yin Ruobing. After we get out, you should pretend not to know me. If you act suspiciously, my identity would definitely be exposed. At that point in time, the North Thearch would come and hunt me down. I will have no choice but to flee from the East Imperial Continent…”

“Hur-hur!”

Yin Ruobing seized the opportunity to get back at Jiang Yi. She snorted twice and looked at Jiang Yi with hatred. “Why should I help you? You, a rascal who dared to make fun of me? If I went out and shouted that Yi San was Jiang Yi, I figure everyone would gang up and attack you, right? As for those two ladies, you can go and think of a solution on your own. I… will not intervene anymore.”

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Yi looked at the angry Yin Ruobing, and he was not only not angry but was actually very happy as well. He laughed and said, “Alright, Ruobing. Don't fool about anymore. Let's talk seriously. However, you do look mesmerizing when you're angry.”

Upon hearing that she looked mesmerizing, Yin Ruobing's anger subsided by half. She crinkled her nose and said, “No. You have to compensate me. Give me a few of your treasures. For example, eight or ten of the ancient artifacts you have gained from the Purgatory Ruin. Then, I will forgive you.”

“Eight or ten items?”

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes, stood up straight, and said, “Why not I give myself to you?”

“I could care less about owning you.”

Yin Ruobing suddenly became excited. She said, “Jiang Yi, aren't you the Art Thearch? Why not draw a Heaven Painting and give it to me? Your Heaven Paintings are priceless on the continent.”

“Heaven Paintings?”

Jiang Yi saw the look of desire in Yin Ruobing's eyes and couldn't bear to reject her. He nodded and withdrew ink, paper, and brush from his ring. He laid the paper flat on the ground while Yin Ruobing started to prepare the ink for him.

Jiang Yi calmed himself and suddenly closed his eyes. A red glow shone from his hand as his brush moved rapidly and started to draw.

Yin Ruobing saw that a mere few strokes of the brush had created a figure on the paper and was secretly impressed with Jiang Yi's skills. However, as she looked closer at the painting, the figures became clearer. She suddenly shook and was embarrassed and happily surprised at the same time.

Brush stopping, ink drying!

The Heaven Painting had taken shape. The background of the painting was a small courtyard. There were many fresh flowers in the yard, and in the meadow, a young lady was dancing. The young lady was wearing a white dress and looked as beautiful as a Sky Immortal. She was barefoot, with her smile being able to mesmerize any man.

This was exactly how Jiang Yi had met Yin Ruobing for the first time. It was clear that there were many dao pattern presences in the painting. It was an incredible Heaven Painting.

Jiang Yi opened his eyes, took a few looks, and was very pleased. He paused for a while to think, and dabbed the ink once again, writing three words 'Yi Piaopiao' in one of the corners. He then named this painting 'Flower Fairy'.

Six hours was about to end. Jiang Yi waited for the ink to dry, rolled the painting, and gave it to Yin Ruobing. He then said seriously, 'Yin Ruobing, after parting ways this time, I do not know when we will meet again. Please take care of yourself. I hope that the next time we meet, we will still be friends!”

“En!”

Yin Ruobing received the painting, bit her lip, and suddenly looked at Jiang Yi, saying, “Jiang Yi, I have known you for so long, but I have never seen how you really look like. Can you show your real self to me?”

Buzz!

Jiang Yi's body transformed with a white flash, his body muscles shifting and his skin tone changing. He finally changed into his original self.

Yin Ruobing looked at Jiang Yi deeply, wanting to remember how he looked like forever. Before long, time was up. The two bathed in white light as they were about to be teleported out.

Jiang Yi hurriedly changed back into his disguise while Yin Ruobing also closed her eyes. Tears were falling silently from the corner of her eyes. Her face revealed a sense of loneliness as her lips moved such that only she could hear herself whisper. “Jiang Yi, if I had known you before you entered Sin Island, how good that would have been…”

Chapter 1067 - Little Master Uncle

Chapter 1067: Little Master Uncle

“Ruobing, three days later, I will ask the Tang Clan to handover the two ladies to Li Hong in the Divine Sonar City. I will have to trouble you to hand them over to me instead. En… actually, you don't have to do that; let the two ladies be your maidservants for the time being. I still have an important task to attend to. I leave this matter in your hands.”

Once they were teleported out, Jiang Yi saw that there was no one in the pavilion and hurriedly sent a voice transmission to Yin Ruobing. He didn't have any ulterior motives with regard to the two ladies; it was really just the case of encountering them and having known them before that he had decided to help. As long as the two ladies were safe and sound, Jiang Yi didn't care about anything else.

Originally, he had wanted to ask the Sonar Thearch to send the two ladies to the Gods Bestow Tribe. However, having them follow Yin Ruobing would not be a bad idea either. Jiang Yi trusted that Yin Ruobing would treat the two ladies well.

“Alright!”

Yin Ruobing sent a voice transmission back. Once they were teleported back, she did not look at Jiang Yi again. Yin Ruobing had also regained her composure and was acting as if Jiang Yi was a stranger.

“Lady Yin, please!”

Jiang Yi had also regained his cold and cool composure. He invited Yin Ruobing to head out first, and she nodded and walked out.

“Greetings to both.”

Chen Chen was actually waiting outside. He looked at the two and asked curiously, “Did the two of you manage to discover anything inside?”

Yin Ruobing's face revealed a look of disappointment as she shook her head. Jiang Yi paused for a while and replied. “I actually managed to comprehend a little. Yes, Young Master Chen, I have thought it through; and I would like to make the Sonar Thearch my master. Kindly set up an audience.”

Now that the matter with Tang Xue and Tang Yan had been settled, Jiang Yi became relaxed. There was no issue with making the Sonar Thearch his master either; after all, he could just leave whenever he wanted to. The Sonar Thearch would give the Shadow Emperor face and not make things difficult for Jiang Yi even if he could not help Jiang Yi.

“Ah?”

Chen Chen stared and then revealed a joyous smile. He cupped his hands and said, “That's great! Chen Chen pays his respects to Little Master Uncle. You over there, come. Bring Little Master Uncle to see Granddad.”

“Little Master Uncle?”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose slightly embarrassed. He was a little uncomfortable. Jiang Yi was not even twenty-five while this Chen Chen was already twenty-eight. Yet, Chen Chen was calling him Master Uncle.

“Young Master Yi, please.”

An elder from the Chen Clan appeared and said respectfully. Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing nodded at each other and followed the elder to the backyard.

Yin Ruobing turned to look at Jiang Yi and silently walked towards the city plaza outside. The banquet there was still going on; it was very boisterous, and the atmosphere was amazing.

The return of Chen Chen and Yin Ruobing turned up the volume even more. Furthermore, once the crowd knew that Jiang Yi had agreed to make the Sonar Thearch his master and was heading to see him now, many people revealed looks of envy. Countless people and Tang Ming raised their glasses to congratulate Jiang Yi. From their point of view, a disciple of the Tang Clan making the Sonar Thearch his master was mutually beneficial to the Tang Clan and the Chen Clan. With Jiang Yi as a link, an alliance between the two clans was a matter of time.

…

“Young Master Yi, please enter. We are not allowed to enter unless summoned.”

Outside the courtyard, the Chen Clan elder halted. He lifted the door's restrictions and gestured for Jiang Yi to enter. Jiang Yi did not stand on ceremony and entered. After stepping past the huge door, he felt a sudden white flash as the scenery in front of him changed.

There was yet another small valley inside, with the scenery not any worse than that of the divine spring mystic realm. There was also a puddle of water inside, next to which was a small wooden hut. An elder was sitting cross-legged, with his eyes shut, under a huge tree outside that wooden hut.

The elder was stroking a guqin. The guqin was brown in color and was around three feet long. There were mysterious patterns on it, and it exuded an unknown aura. This should be yet another ancient artifact.

There was only one person in the valley. This person was probably the Sonar Thearch. Jiang Yi took a few steps forward and bowed respectfully, saying, “Yi San pays his respects to Sonar Thearch Senior.”

The elder was expressionless. His hair, beard, and brows were all snow-white; however, he did not have too many wrinkles on his face. His cheeks were flushed, and he had white hair and a ruddy complexion. His both hands were laid on the guqin and took his time before saying, “Jiang Yi, do you know why I didn't see you just now?”

Jiang Yi thought about it and cupped his hands again, saying, “I do not know.”

“You were too rash.”

The Sonar Thearch lifted his head slightly, but he still did not open his eyes. He softly sighed and said, “There were so many martial experts here today, with countless divine senses locked on the exterior of my yard. As a member of the Tang Clan, if I met you then, what would outsiders think?”

“Er…” Jiang Yi slightly felt awkward as he scratched his head. He said, “Indeed, I was too rash.”

Gong!

The Sonar Thearch played a single note on the guqin, and a soothing sound rang out, lingering in the air. The Sonar Thearch also lifted his head and looked towards the west, sighed, and said, “That year, I owed a debt to someone at the Endless Deep Sea. I knew that sooner or later, I had to repay this debt. Speak. What is it you require assistance with? So long as it doesn't affect the Chen Clan, I can even give you my life.”

“Ah?”

Jiang Yi did not expect the Sonar Thearch to be so direct and to be so serious about it. Jiang Yi hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “Sonar Thearch Senior is too serious. I originally wanted your help, senior, with some small matter. However, there is no need anymore. How could I dare bother Senior to personally help with my affairs?”

“Hmph!”

The Sonar Thearch suddenly became furious, with both his hands heavily pressed on his guqin. A terrifying aura came out of his body as he angrily asked Jiang Yi, “What is the matter? Are you underestimating me? Although I am not top-notch, I have no fears even if my opponent is the North Thearch. If you want me to fight, even if I have to give my life, I will help you to severely ruin the North Thearch and destroy the North Thearch City.”

Jiang Yi was startled. It wasn't because of the Sonar Thearch's strong aura but more because of his words. Jiang Yi hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “Senior, please do not be mistaken. Junior did not mean that.

Junior does not doubt Senior's battle prowess. However, this matter is Junior's personal matter. The North Thearch Wu Clan caused my father's death; I would like to settle this blood feud on my own.”

“En.”

Sonar Thearch's anger subsided slightly after hearing all these. His aura also started to dissipate. Oddly, he was still keeping his eyes closed. Even when he flew into a rage just now, they were still kept shut. The Sonar Thearch thought for a moment and said, “Jiang Yi, I have been frank and forthright my entire life; I will not go back on my word. The Shadow Emperor had sent a message saying that the debt I owe him can be paid by returning the favor to you.”

“I understand.”

Jiang Yi nodded as he admired the Sonar Thearch's nature. A man's promise weighed more than one thousand gold bars. The Sonar Thearch was willing to give up his life to repay the debt owed back then, but he still —at the same time—did not want to implicate the Chen Clan. It didn't matter who it was; one could give up one's life to repay a debt. However, to involve everyone in the clan of tens of thousands of people…

“How about this?”

The Sonar Thearch thought about it and continued in a deep voice, “Since the Shadow Emperor had given this debt of gratitude to you, I will help you accomplish two things. The conditions remain the same however. The two things shall not implicate the Chen Clan. Anything else is negotiable. If you haven't thought of anything yet, you can also come back to look for me in the future at any time.”

“Many thanks, Senior.” Jiang Yi did not hesitate anymore. The person ranked just one below the Nine Emperors had offered to help him do two things; he would be a fool to reject such an offer.

“Alright, you can go.”

The Sonar Thearch waved his hand and said, “There is no need to make me your master anymore. I just wanted to use the pretext of making you my disciple to serve as a cover for our meeting. Your Divine Sound Heaven Skill has entered the second stage.

As for whether you can make it to the third stage or not, no one can help you. You have to figure it out yourself. You are naturally gifted; if you continued to study intensively, there's a possibility that you could even surpass me and reach the fourth stage. At that point, even the North Thearch would not be able to kill you.”

Chapter 1068 - : Gouging One's

Own Eyes

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“I have reached the second stage? When I reach the fourth stage even the North Thearch wouldn't be able to kill me?”

Jiang Yi became excited instantly. He actually didn't know much about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, but he had always tried his luck to understand it.

Since the Sonar Thearch had mentioned this, Jiang Yi was not going to give up this opportunity to ask. Jiang Yi cupped his hands and asked, “Sonar Thearch Senior, how does one differentiate among the first three stages of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill? I do not know much about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill; could you offer some pointers?”

The Sonar Thearch frowned while his hand swiped across the thirteen strings on the guqin. A sound like flowing water rang out from the guqin. He patiently explained. “Strictly speaking, the Divine Sound Heaven Skill ought to be a type of soul spirit attack. However, as this Divine Sound Heaven Skill is more overbearing, it became its own type; and the seniors had differentiated it as such.”

Jiang Yi agreed to this point. His Divine Sound Heaven Skill used a terrifying sound to assault the souls of his enemies, making them feel extremely unbearable, affecting both their judgment and reaction time. This was indeed a type of soul spirit attack.

“As you should know, soul spirit attacks are split into two types. The first type destroys the enemy's soul while the second affects the enemy's soul. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill is the second type!”

The Sonar Thearch continued speaking freely and frankly. He said, “Once martial experts reach a certain level, their soul spirits would naturally become stronger. When they become Demigods, they would even be able to possess god spirits.

Ordinary soul spirit attacks would be useless against one who possesses a god spirit. No matter how strong the soul spirit attack is—once it enters the soul spirit conscience of a Demigod, the Demigod would be able to easily use his god spirit to suppress such an attack. Hence, the first type of soul spirit attacks—when used against a Demigod—would be completely ineffective.”

“The second type is, however, different!”

The face of the Sonar Thearch glowed with pride even as his eyes remained closed. He said confidently, “The second type of soul spirit attack has a very unique attack methodology. It can affect the enemy's soul spirit, preventing the enemy from formulating a credible defense or offense, hence allowing one to kill the enemy easily.

No matter how strong a martial expert, he is after all but human. Every human would have thoughts and have seven emotions and six sensory pleasures. Every human would have emotions, have the ability to think, be angry, be scared, be in despair, etcetera Hence, as long as we can influence one's train of thought, to make the person lose his calm and rationality—even if he was a nine-star martial expert, it would be easy to kill him.”

“Right, right!”

Jiang Yi was filled with excitement. He had thought about related things in the past but had not pieced everything together before. Hearing the words of the Sonar Thearch made so much sense to him, and he suddenly saw the light.

“The Divine Sound Heaven Skill is the most overbearing of all soul spirit attacks; there is no other!”

The Sonar Thearch became slightly fanatical, and his face was full of radiance. He continued, “Humans have six senses. They can see, smell, touch, taste, think, and listen. Some such as seeing, tasting, touching, and smelling are not easy senses to attack. However, sound has a unique presence.

Even if you completely shut off your hearing senses, a powerful sound could still ring in one's soul. Sound is without color or taste, without sound or breath; and it can kill without form!

“The lowest-grade Divine Sound Heaven Skill hurts the soul. This is the first stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. You were previously at this stage. However, your Divine Sound Heaven Skill must have combined with other elements; or else, it should not be so powerful. This stage uses terrifying, piercing, and awful sound to agitate the soul spirit of the enemy, damaging the enemy's soul spirit, and render him unable to retaliate.

“The second stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill is what I call the soul abductor. The simplest way is to use a musical instrument. This makes the enemy's soul spirit fall into a special state where it forgets everything. Thus, it is easy to kill someone in this state.

“Tonality is a useful thing. A joyful tone can make people happy; an overcast tone can make people sad and hurt. A burning hot tone can make people's blood pump while a calm tone can make people feel at peace. A mourning and hurting tone can make one feel despair…

“The crux of the second stage is to manipulate one's emotions, to trigger sympathy, and to surface the memories that one is most unwilling to recall. They would involuntarily enter into that state. Once they are in, their lives will be in your hands; you will then decide their fate!”

After such a voluminous explanation, Jiang Yi's blood was pumped. He had also learned so much. It was no wonder that the Sonar Thearch was the top expert regarding the Divine Sound Heaven Skill; he had managed to understand it to such a level.

Jiang Yi thought in a daze for a long time. He remembered every single word that the Sonar Thearch had said. He then bowed with both hands in front of him, saying, “Senior's words mean more than ten years of studying books.

I have gained and learned much. Senior is indeed the all-time top expert on tonality. You indeed live up to your reputation. I am sure that in the future, Senior will be able to shatter the void and transcend using the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, and becoming the Sonar God!”

“Hahaha!”

The Sonar Thearch laughed out loud, and he poked fun at Jiang Yi. “You should stop overestimating me. I know my limits very well. I do not have any more opportunities to improve in this lifetime. Sigh, if I hadn't made a huge mistake back then, perhaps I might still have a chance at fathoming the fourth stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Now… that is no longer possible.”

“Huge mistake?” Jiang Yi's eyebrows rose, and he grew a little confused.

“Keke!”

The Sonar Thearch laughed mockingly at himself as he suddenly opened his eyes. Jiang Yi looked and his whole body shook, his face changing as well. The Sonar Thearch did not have eyeballs. He was actually blind?

“Do you know how I became blind?”

The Sonar Thearch smiled bitterly, paused for a while and said, “My eyeballs were gouged out by myself fifteen years ago!”

“What?”

Jiang Yi was startled, his face filled with disbelief. Why would someone dig one's eyeballs out? Was the Sonar Thearch crazy?

“My entire life, I have been most conceited!”

The Sonar Thearch sighed and said, “A few decades ago, I had mastered the Divine Sound Heaven Skill and came back and destroyed three regions, becoming the chief of the Divine Sonar Region. After that, during the battle with the Yin Thearch, we had fought to a draw. Hence, I actually thought I had the chance to become the second Mystic Thearch. I entered the Divine Sonar Valley to cultivate and wanted to enter the fourth stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. However, even after being in seclusion for ten years, there were no results.

“Subsequently, I resolutely dug out my eyeballs. I wanted to blind myself so that I would rely completely on my ears to hear, to try and comprehend. Being blind meant that one's hearing was the most sensitive, not being able to see anything, and thus being more attuned to sounds. However, I was wrong. Do you know where I went wrong?”

Jiang Yi was still deeply shaken by the fact that the Sonar Thearch had gouged out his own eyeballs and did not yet have the ability to think of anything else. He shook his head and did not even dare to breathe out loud. He continued to listen.

“The earth is so vast, and all things have souls; humans are the masters of all these souls. When heaven and earth made things, heaven and earth had its reasons. Heaven and earth's laws, profound meaning, and maxim are everywhere.

Since heaven and earth had given humans two hands, two legs, and two eyes, then it naturally had its logic. However, I forcibly tried to destroy this logic. It is already not bad that I have not suffered heaven's wrath; how could I still be able to comprehend more?”

The Sonar Thearch closed his eyes and said with bitter and anguish. He then turned and faced Jiang Yi, saying, “Lad, if you want to fathom the fourth stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, you must never ever go against heaven. Your body cannot be lacking any parts, and you cannot have any mutations.

The human body is the perfect formation. Once this is ruined, you will never be able to reach the summit.”

“Uh—”

Jiang Yi was stunned. He more or less understood what the Sonar Thearch was saying. However, his body had already gone through mutations.

Nine star spheres had appeared in his dantian while in his mind there was also a Rainbow Soul Spear. Based on the Sonar Thearch's description, his body was already not the most perfect formation; did that mean he would never have the chance to become a Demigod?

Chapter 1069 - Three Thousand

Great Daos

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

That's not right either. Wasn't my body changed by the Destitute Dragon Grass? By right, my body formation should be the most perfect. If not, I would not have a ten-fold cultivation speed.

Jiang Yi thought about it and felt that something was not right. However, the Sonar Thearch's words also made sense. He was confused and gave up trying to figure it out; there was no point in thinking so much about this.

If there was no way for him to become a Demigod in this lifetime, that was his fate. There was no point in going against it.

He sighed deeply for a moment and asked again. “Senior, what are the third and fourth stages of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill?”

Although the Sonar Thearch had said that Jiang Yi had to figure this out himself, there ought to at least be a direction for him to take, right? At least then Jiang Yi would not be on the wrong path; the Divine Sound Heaven Skill was not like a dao pattern.

The Sonar Thearch did not hide anything and was very generous. He said, “The third stage is where I am now. I call it the destruction of souls. Of course, this is the path that I had chosen for myself. I created a piece called the Heartbreak Melody, that uses tonality to make the enemy feel like there is no love in his life.

His heart will die, and then his soul spirit will become lonely and collapse till death. I said just now that the second stage uses various methods to stir up the enemy's emotions and get them trapped in it, right?

“There are many ways to stir up one's feelings. You can make your enemy happy, hot-blooded, or sad, etcetera You have to remember… if you want to enter the third stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, you cannot be too greedy. You have to focus on one specific emotion and hone it till its highest form.

Only then will your power be the greatest as you are focused on one specialized aspect. You will then have the chance to reach the third stage.”

Although Jiang Yi did not really understand, he remembered every word that was said and formally bowed as a disciple would. “Thank you, Senior. I have learned much!”

“As for the fourth stage!”

The Sonar Thearch's face had a glorious glow again as if he was a religious fanatic. He was slightly agitated as he said, “Based on my conjecture, the fourth stage should be the peak stage of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Once the divine sound is released, all would sink into damnation. If the peak stage for this skill is reached, that would mean one would have understood heaven and earth's maxim and would be able to shatter the void and transcend. That would be equivalent to reaching the stage the Mystic Thearch was at back then.

“No matter whether it is the martial dao, the evil dao, the Buddhist dao, or any other daos—as long as you can reach the peak stage of each Great Dao, you will be able to shatter the void and transcend. Three Thousand Great Daos there are, but all will lead to the same destination. Ultimately, all would have to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth and its maxim. Only when one understands this, will heaven and earth open that great door and allow you to soar and become a True God. Immortal and indestructible…”

“Uh!”

Jiang Yi became excited again, his mind going wild. If he could soar, could he really become an immortal that would live forever and be indestructible? What would the world of the immortals look like?

“Alright, I am tired. You are dismissed. If you need anything in the future, use the green pearl that the Shadow Emperor had given you to summon my people. However… if it is something major, you better ask for me personally. Since I have promised to do two things for you, I will live up to that promise.”

The Sonar Thearch waved his hand and lowered his head, looking slightly tired. He continued to gently play his guqin. Jiang Yi did not dare to ask anymore. He bowed deeply to the Sonar Thearch. Although the Sonar Thearch was eccentric, he was really worthy of respect. This was the fanatic believer that gouged his own eyes out in order to better understand the Divine Sound Heaven Skill.

Jiang Yi continued to take steps back and walked into a teleportation formation. It automatically activated, and Jiang Yi disappeared from the valley.

Sigh!

Once Jiang Yi had left, the Sonar Thearch raised his head and gave a deep sigh. He slowly raised his head and looked at the direction where Jiang Yi had departed from. He paused for a long time and sighed again. “This lad is pretty gifted.

However, he is a little too reckless and doesn't know the importance of forbearance. If he was given a few decades, he could probably actually reach the fourth stage. Unfortunately… I am not sure if the North Thearch would give him so much time.”

When Jiang Yi reappeared after his meeting with the Sonar Thearch, he became sought after by everyone. Being a disciple of the Sonar Thearch had elevated his status immediately. His status was even significantly higher than Tang Ming's.

The martial artists of clans from the ten-odd nearby regions especially—all personally came over to drink with Jiang Yi as a form of respect. The people from the Chen Clan were even more polite and courteous to him. Even Zhan Tianlei also started to look at him differently.

The Sonar Thearch's eccentric temper was well-known. Back in the days, the Yin Thearch had wanted to send one of his daughters to train under the Sonar Thearch. That daughter was Yin Ruobing's little sister, Yin Mengwan. Yin Mengwan was naturally gifted and loved musical instruments when she was young. She was very obedient and cute, and the Yin Thearch was very fond of her. However, the Sonar Thearch had met her once and said in front of all that was present that Yin Mengwan did not have a gift for music, and that he would never accept her as a disciple. He was not even the slightest diplomatic about it.

Over many years, countless people had come to Divine Sonar Valley to ask to be the Sonar Thearch's disciple. However, except for the Chen Clan's Grand Elder, the Sonar Thearch had never accepted another disciple. According to him, if one was not exceedingly gifted, he would not waste his time instructing. However, if the person was indeed exceedingly gifted, the Sonar Thearch would even kneel down to ask that person to be his disciple.

It was very evident!

Yi San from the Tang Clan was gifted! He had already displayed his mystical abilities just now in front of everyone. Now that he had become the Sonar Thearch's disciple, his prospects were unlimited. He would at least be able to have six- or seven-star battle abilities easily. If he went even further, he could even become another Sonar Thearch.

Soul spirit attacks were too terrifying. If the Sonar Thearch went to any city and played a piece, everyone in the city would definitely perish. Hence, with regard to someone who could possibly become another Sonar Thearch, who would not want to be on his good side? Even if they could not be good friends, at the very least no one would want to offend him.

After a whole day of excitement—when the sun had set, the guests all started to leave the venue. Of course, many important guests were invited to Divine Sonar City; they had come a long way. It was only right that the hosts looked after them for the night.

Jiang Yi, Tang Ming, and company returned to Divine Sonar City as well. Yin Ruobing, Zhan Tianlei, Li Hong, and company also made their way back. As the Divine Sonar Valley was too small, not many people could stay there. The majority of the Chen Clan also stayed in Divine Sonar City. As the night passed, Jiang Yi and Tang Ming sent off another group of guests that had come to offer their congratulations and closed the door to the yard to prevent them from being further disturbed. Jiang Yi immediately turned towards Tang Ming and sent a voice transmission, asking: “Brother Tang, will today's events bring trouble to the Tang Clan?”

“Hahah, what trouble could there be? I have already arranged everything.”

Tang Ming waved his hand. He had already sent a message to the Tang Clan. Within the day, the Tang Clan would probably be able to create a person such as Yi San. Tang Ming explained to Jiang Yi and then raised a thumb at Jiang Yi. He sent a voice transmission: “Brother, you are really impressive. You actually managed to become Sonar Thearch's disciple. Did the Sonar Thearch see through your disguise?”

“I think not.”

Jiang Yi scratched his nose. It was for the best if he did not elaborate much about this. The connection between the Sonar Thearch and the Shadow Emperor must also remain a secret. If not, the Sonar Thearch would also become a mortal enemy of the Nine Thearch Clans.

“That's good!”

Tang Ming sent a voice transmission excitedly: “With this connection to Sonar Thearch, the matter with the two ladies should be easy to settle. You can go and talk to the clan head of the Chen Clan and ask him to come up with a solution. Li Hong would definitely not dare to offend the Chen Clan.”

“There is no need for the extra hassle.”

Jiang Yi smiled and transmitted a response: “I have asked Yin Ruobing for help. Three days later, you can hand the two ladies over. Before you do so, send someone to inform Yin Ruobing. She will come personally to take the two ladies.”

“Eh?”

Tang Ming was slightly confused and then immediately understood. He smiled and said, “Brother, I did not think that you would have something going on with that devil from the Yin Clan. Her beauty is really unrivaled. Wait… isn't Yin Ruobing engaged to Zhan Tianlei? Brother, you are playing with fire. You should not underestimate the Zhan Clan. Although their clan only occupies one city, the Tang Clan Head had said that he would rather mess around with any other of the eight clans than trifle with the Zhan Clan!”

Chapter 1070 - Cuckold

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Zhan Clan is that powerful?

Jiang Yi's eyes narrowed. He had heard Ao Lu mentioned that if one were to come to the East Imperial Continent, there were three people never to mess with. One was the Buddha Thearch, another was the North Thearch, and the third was the Battle Thearch. This was because these three people were publicly known as nine-star marital experts!

Be that as it may, Jiang Yi had never been particularly afraid of the Zhan Clan. One of the reasons was that they were too low-profile. Members of their clan rarely left Mystic Martial City; the Zhan Clan had also not done anything outstanding or memorable in the past hundreds of thousands of years. The Zhan Clan gave off the feeling of a huge dragon in slumber, not posing any threat whatsoever.

Another reason was that the Zhan Clan's territory was too small. They only had one city; they didn't even have a regional capital. This naturally made people underestimate them.

Since their territory was not vast, they could not recruit many martial experts. If one wanted to recruit martial experts, one would need to give people resources, power, or status, right?

Take the North Thearch's Wu Clan for example. They had given many big cities to other clans, and have gained the backing and support of numerous big clans, even forming an alliance. This meant that whoever dared to go against the Wu Clan would essentially be going against the several tens of thousands of clans supporting it.

As the Zhan Clan did not possess such land and territory, there would definitely be no clans that would willingly be under their wing. If there was no benefit to be reaped, who would side with a person? Hence, Jiang Yi had always felt that the Zhan Clan's total battle strength was the lowest among the Nine Emperor Clans.

Alas… Tang Ming actually said that the Zhan Clan was the strongest.

“Ah, Brother Jiang. There are some things that you are not very clear about.” Tang Ming stroked his beard and explained. “Do you know who the number one warrior under the Mystic Thearch was back then?”

Jiang Yi frowned and answered, “Could it be the ancestor of the Zhan Clan?”

“That's right!”

Tang Ming nodded and said, “The person who was the strongest martial expert under the Mystic Thearch and the one he trusted the most was the ancestor of the Zhan Clan, Zhan Wudi. Do you know why the Zhan Clan does not go around taking over other people's territory? That is because the Zhan Clan possesses the Mystic Thearch City and the Mystic Divine Mountain. These two actually beats having ten big cities! What sort of place is Mystic Thearch City? That was where the Mystic Thearch lived back then. Inside this city is a huge spirit concentration array, allowing the heaven and earth essence energy in the city to be a thousand-fold that of the outside.

“Hence, the Zhan Clan possessing the Mystic Thearch City meant that they were sitting on a one-and-only treasure trove. All the disciples of their clan are able to cultivate to the peak stage of Heaven Monarch. They have more Demigods than any other clans while on Mystic Divine Mountain, there are a few mystic realms, too. Those were left behind by the Mystic Thearch himself!”

“Oh, oh!”

Jiang Yi was shocked and surprised. Under the influence of a thousand-fold increase in cultivation speed, it was too easy to cultivate one's essence force. The disciples of the Zhan Clan should also be more or less gifted.

Adding to that would be the mystic realms that the Mystic Thearch had left behind—that was even rarer. Having the Mystic Thearch City indeed was better than having four regions.

“When the Mystic Thearch ascended back then, whether it was giving out rewards or bestowing the titles of Thearchs while the other eight Thearchs were each assigned to guard the eight sides of the East Imperial Continent, the Zhan Clan was given the center of the continent, where Mystic Thearch City was. This showed how much the Mystic Thearch loved Zhan Wudi. This arrangement also insinuated that the eight Thearchs had to respect the Battle Thearch as their head…”

Tang Ming murmured understandingly and said, “Do you know why the Zhan Clan is so low-key? That is because they know that envy assails the noblest, the winds howl around the highest peak. The fact that the Zhan Clan was given Mystic Thearch City had already made the other eight clans extremely jealous. If the Zhan Clan still dared to keep a high-profile and stir up trouble which leads to the other eight clans ganging up to attack it, that would cause the destruction of the clan.”

“I see.”

Jiang Yi helplessly exclaimed. If it was not for Tang Ming, he would definitely still be in the dark about this matter. It seemed that indeed, the heroes of the world could not be belittled. Especially the Nine Thearch Clans and the ancient races. The fact that they had managed to survive so many years, without being swallowed and fading away with history, was proof of their different strengths and capabilities.

Tang Ming naggingly tried to persuade Jiang Yi again: “Hence, my brother, you should not get involved with Yin Ruobing. Although it might feel good letting Zhan Tianlei become a cuckold—if you really anger the Zhan Clan, there would be big trouble!”

“A cuckold…”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, “Brother Tang, you are overthinking. I had only asked Yin Ruobing to help with this matter. I know what you are trying to say, thank you for your reminder.”

“En-En!”

Tang Ming nodded satisfactorily. He said, “That's good. I will go and arrange this matter. If Yin Ruobing was to show up, Li Hong would also not dare to make noise. Brother, after this is settled, will you be staying in Divine Sonar Valley or heading elsewhere?”

“I will probably head off with you guys!” Jiang Yi's gaze looked to the south. “I want to head to Mystic Divine Mountain.”

“You want to get the Mystic Divine Palace?” As the consecrator for the Tang Clan, Tang Ming was naturally intelligent and quick to understand. He advised, “Brother, I think you should stay here obediently and learn the Divine Sound Heaven Skill from the Sonar Thearch. No one can head up Mystic Divine Mountain, not even you. If you can't even head up Mystic Divine Mountain, how can you obtain the Mystic Divine Palace?”

There were things that Jiang Yi could not divulge. He could only vaguely answer, “I want to go and try my luck. If I am unable to head up the mountain, I will then return.”

“Alright then!”

Tang Ming did not press further. He rose and said, “I will go and make arrangements. You should rest, too.”

…

“What? Young Master wants us to follow Lady Yin? Do you not want us anymore?” After Tang Ming had left, Jiang Yi returned to his room and released Tang Xue and Tang Yan. He then told them about the exchange three days from then.

The two of them suddenly became anxious. They have heard of Yin Ruobing before. She was the first mistress of the Yin Clan. The thought of following Yin Ruobing back to the Yin Clan made the two afraid. The bigger a clan, the more dirty and messy things could be. Furthermore, Li Hong was Yin Ruobing's third uncle. Who knew what would happen in the future?

“Young Master, we want to follow you; we are willing to even die.” Tang Xue stubbornly gritted her teeth and said. Tang Yan was slightly shyer and did not dare to say anything. However, her eyes were fixated on Jiang Yi, pleading him.

“Don't worry.”

Jiang Yi raised his hands and patted both ladies' heads, saying, “Yin Ruobing is a very good friend of mine. You two will definitely be safe with her. She will treat the two of you well.”

“No!”

Tang Xue gritted her teeth and said, “Young Master. Why not you put the two of us in the Thearch Palace? Even if you never let us out, we will be willing as well.”

“Foolish lass!”

Jiang Yi sighed slightly and said, “Trust me. Nothing will go wrong if you two follow Yin Ruobing. How about this… I guarantee that once I have settled my affairs, I will go to Yin Ruobing and ask for the two of you back. Is that okay?”

“Very well then.”

Since Jiang Yi was resolute, Tang Xue and Tang Yan did not dare to say more. The two of them looked at Jiang Yi coyly, looking pitiful and slightly angry.

Sigh…

Looking at the two pitiful ladies made Jiang Yi recall Jiang Xiaonu who was faraway in the Endless Deep Sea. It had been a few years since he had last seen her. What had she become? Was she well?

Thinking of Jiang Xiaonu made Jiang Yi a lot gloomier. He turned and walked towards the bed, not intending to cultivate tonight. He closed his eyes and laid on the bed, in a daze.

Tang Xue and Tang Yan saw that Jiang Yi was unhappy and thought that it was because he was sad that they were going to be separated. The two of them blushed and exchanged a glance. Tang Xue looked both shy and resolute. She gave Tang Yan a look, and the two started to take off their clothes.

Shh-shh-shh!

The sound of clothes fluttering startled Jiang Yi. He opened his eyes and looked, and his eyes immediately grew wide.

Tang Xue and Tang Yan had already taken off their dress. They were both wearing a long translucent inner garment. Their white thighs dazzled Jiang Yi for a moment, especially because the duo's faces were identical. The visual impact was powerful.

Jiang Yi was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly turned his head and shouted, “What are you two doing? Put your clothes on!”

“Young master!”

Tang Yan was shy and lowered her head without saying anything. Tang Xue, however, gritted her teeth and said, “Young Master's kindness is something that the two of us can never repay. We can only give ourselves to you. Young Master, we are both virgins and are willing to serve you. En. My younger sister had long been hoping that you would take a fancy to her!”

“Aiya! Sister, what are you saying?”

Tang Yan shuddered, and she was so shy that she wished there was a hole where she could disappear into on the spot. She also gritted her teeth and shot back, “Sister, when we were taking a shower yesterday, didn't you also say that you wanted to be with Young Master? You also said that Young Master was very muscular…”

Chapter 1071 - You Dare to Try?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

If you cannot give the lady a future, please keep it in your pants!

In the Skyplume City, there was once a rough and uncouth saying that Jiang Yi finally managed to understand at this moment. Two absolutely stunning, identical beauties had taken off their dresses and were only wearing their inner garments. At this moment, they were also saying stuff that would make any man excited. If it was any other man, he would have long yelled out loud and pressed forward.

Jiang Yi had experienced way too many things. At this moment, he no longer had any lustful intentions. If not, that time in the Snow Region, he would have definitely bedded Mo Yao'er. He was a normal man with normal desires for beautiful women; in this world, it was also normal for men to have wives and concubines. In fact, having more beauties was proof of how powerful one was, increasing one's attractiveness!

However, Jiang Yi could not give them a future. Feng Luan and Qing Yu had followed him and could now only wait in the Gods Bestow Tribe idly for him, pining for him and hoping for his return. If Jiang Yi died in the East Imperial Continent, the two would effectively be widows.

Jiang Yi wanted to go to the Mystic Divine Palace. No one knew if his identity would be exposed; if so, that would incur the pursuit and killing intentions of the North Thearch and the Battle Thearch.

He was not a cat; he did not have nine lives.

Hence, Jiang Yi had to strongly suppress the emotions he was feeling, closed his eyes, and stood up quietly. He picked up the dresses at the feet of the two ladies and helped them to wear them again. He helped them to put on their belts as well and then finally let out a long breath. He opened his eyes and looked at the two ladies, “Tang Xue and Tang Yan, if things go well for me this time, I will go to the Yin Clan to fetch the two of you. If you two are still willing to follow me, I will have the two of you. If I encounter any misfortunes this time, you two should forget about me and go and find your own happiness.”

“That will not happen, that will not happen. Such a good guy as Young Master will definitely live to a long age.”

Jiang Yi's words were very honest and sincere, and Tang Xue could sense that as well. With tears streaming down her head, she kept on shaking her head. “Young Master, we will listen to you. We will wait for you to return. Even if you never return, we will still continue to wait for you.”

The two had been on their own and lived bitter lives since young. They had personally witnessed the massacre of their entire clan and were subsequently sold in the slave market, enduring all sorts of torture and hardships. Though the two had some good days in the Tang Clan, they knew fully well that their fates had already been decided for them. They were to be sold from the Tang Clan to someone of importance, to be that someone's toy.

When they knew that they were going to be sold to Old Fiend Li, the two were devastated and had lost all hope. Although the two knew that even if they weren't given to Old Fiend Li, there was a possibility that they would also suffer if they were given to someone else, nonetheless, they were still terrified by what they had heard about Li Hong. They had been so fearful daily… until unexpectedly, Jiang Yi had rescued them.

For so many years, the two had seen many men. Everyone looked at them with the same look of lust and desire as if they couldn't wait to swallow the two of them whole. Only Jiang Yi did not have any ulterior motives and even treated the two with respect, loving, and caring for them as if they were his sisters. The two had suddenly been transported from hell to heaven and had resolutely accepted Jiang Yi, that he would be their master and man for life.

Three days passed by in a flash. The Sonar Thearch had told the members of the Chen Clan not to disturb Jiang Yi, and as Jiang Yi's status was now exceptionally unique, all the maidservants and the rest bowed to him respectfully as if seeing their clan head. The Chen Clan Head had personally given the order that seeing Jiang Yi was akin to seeing him.

Jiang Yi handed Tang Xue and Tang Yan over to Tang Ming. The two reluctantly went with Tang Ming. Jiang Yi did not accompany them, but he remained in his courtyard. However, he immediately entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and released his divine perception to scan the surroundings, to ensure that the two ladies would definitely be brought away by Yin Ruobing.

Tang Ming brought the two ladies back to his courtyard. Not long after that, Li Hong brought two men and came by hurriedly. When he saw Tang Xue and Tang Yan, his eerily pierced eyes lit up scarily. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he was just like a ruffian who had lived on a mountain for a few years and was seeing a village girl for the first time in many years. It was the same with the two men he had brought with him. The two were looking at the ladies as if they couldn't wait to swallow them.

“Elder Li, I have brought the ladies you have requested.”

Although Tang Ming was feeling disgusted, he could only smile as he said, “Could you verify and if there are no problems, give your signature and take the girls away.”

Li Hong's eyes scanned the ladies up and down multiple times, making the two ladies shiver from his gaze. They both shuddered with fear. He smiled and said, “There's no problem. They are virgins. Many thanks to Elder Tang. If you ever pass by the Crippled Heaven Region, you must let me know so that I can be a good host.”

“Okay, deal!”

Tang Ming gestured, and one of his men brought pen and paper, making a contract. Li Hong swiftly scanned the document without paying much attention and signed his name. He couldn't wait to bring the two ladies and leave. Seeing his anxious look, it seemed as if he was going to go back to his room and start having fun immediately.

Tang Xue and Tang Yan were so afraid that their faces had turned pale. However, Jiang Yi and Tang Ming had instructed them not to act rashly. They could only shyly walk outside and follow Li Hong. Their footsteps were very slow while their thighs were shaking as they walked.

“Bring them.”

Li Hong became a little impatient. He gestured at the two men he had brought, and they immediately lecherously reached their hands to grab the two ladies and brought them outside.

Once they were out of the yard, Tang Yan followed Jiang Yi's instructions and yelled loudly, “What are the two of you doing? Let go of us. We have legs we can walk on our own. You… are hurting me.”

Tang Xue was also hurt and had tears streaming down her eyes. She shouted, “Let us go, let us go!”

Jiang Yi had taught the two to start resisting once they were out of the courtyard. By doing so, Yin Ruobing would have a legitimate reason to step in. As this matter affected their future, the two were naturally giving it their all.

“Shut up!”

Li Hong saw that a few guards and maidservants from the Chen Clan were looking over and flew into a rage. He stared at the two of them and said harshly, “Do the two of you want to die? What are you yelling for? I had used a hundred crippled heaven bamboos to buy the two of you. From now on, you two will be my slaves. If you do not listen to me, I will make you regret it.”

“Pft, you old sex fiend, we sisters will die before we become your slaves.” Tang Xue shouted. Even one look at this old sex fiend made the two disgusted.

Smash!

A slap from Li Hong came and almost knocked out Tang Yan's teeth. He looked murderously at Tang Xue and said, “Once you are in my hands— even if you want to die, that would be hard. Knock the two of them unconscious and bring them back. Do not let them commit suicide.”

“Save us—”

Tang Yan yelled out with fear. This time, her voice was very loud. Li Hong's henchmen became furious and were just about to knock the two ladies unconscious.

At this moment, from afar, a group of people came over. Yin Ruobing was leading the group. She shouted, “Stop!”

Li Hong saw Yin Ruobing, and his face changed. His two men looked over, and their hands that have paused momentarily once again were aimed at the two ladies' neck. Yin Ruobing had come. If the two ladies created a ruckus —at the very least, the Li Clan could become the laughingstock of everyone.

“You dare to try?”

An ice-cold voice rang out, followed by an immense aura that enveloped the area. The two men's hands were already nearing the necks of Tang Xue and Tang Yan, but they did not dare to move a sliver. That aura was extremely strong; it was a Demigod! Zhan Tianlei, who had followed Yin Ruobing over, had made his move.

Chapter 1072 - Fairy Lady Race

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhan Tianlei actually wasn't sure why Yin Ruobing had suddenly gotten up from her seat in the courtyard and headed out. However, since Yin Ruobing had shouted for the two men to stop and since the two were still prepared to knock the ladies unconscious—as a gentleman escort, he naturally had to act. When else was he going to get such a good opportunity than now?

Li Hong was internally secretly crying out bitterly. He wouldn't have minded if it was any other disciple of the Yin Clan; the one he didn't want to see the most was Yin Ruobing. While she might look calm and harmonious on the surface, she was actually very cold and arrogant. It wasn't easy talking to her, and if someone made her angry, she would not show that person any face.

He put down his hand and smiled as he walked to welcome Yin Ruobing. He cupped his hands and said, “Ruobing, Young Master Tianlei, I had actually gone to pay my respects yesterday; but your servants said that you two were taking in the sights in the Divine Sonar Lake.”

“En.”

Yin Ruobing nodded her head slightly. Actually, she had been out sightseeing the past three days precisely because she did not want to see Li Hong. She would subconsciously feel uncomfortable when she saw him. She detested this infamous third uncle of hers.

Hence, she did not want to waste any time on formalities anymore. She pointed at Tang Xue and Tang Yan and said, “What is going on here? Li Hong, are you forcibly taking civilian girls again?”

“Uh—”

Li Hong's face flushed as he became very awkward. Yin Ruobing had encountered him once before taking girls away by force; he knew that Yin Ruobing did not like him at all. She was even calling him by his full name now, evident of how she felt about him now.

He could only smile bitterly and explained. “Ruobing, what are you talking about? Is your third uncle such a person? These two lasses are maidservants of the Tang Clan. Your cousin had taken a fancy to them when he saw them previously, and so I spent one hundred Crippled Heaven Bamboos to buy them. If you don't believe me, you can ask the people from the Tang Clan.”

“Cousin?”

A look of contempt appeared in Yin Ruobing's eyes. Li Hong was actually intending to blame his own son to cover up his own dirty deeds? She turned cold and did not want to beat around the bush anymore. She said, “I have a use for these two lasses. Give them to me as maidservants.”

“This…”

Li Hong's mouth twisted. He hurriedly cupped his hands and said, “Ruobing, if it was any other maidservants, you only have to say the word; and I won't have any reason to say no to you. However, your cousin likes these two ladies and intends to make them his wives. They will be your sisters-in-law in the future. It would be inappropriate for them to be your maidservants, right?”

Yin Ruobing coldly snorted and said, “Will you give them or not?”

Zhan Tianlei had not spoken since he arrived. He took a look at Tang Xue and Tang Yan and felt that there was something strange going on. Why was Yin Ruobing going head-on with Li Hong? Yin Ruobing had so many maidservants; was it out of the goodwill of her heart? However, she was doing so while publicly not giving face to her uncle. That was not good, right?

He paused for a while and decided that regardless of circumstance, he was going to help Yin Ruobing. He said, “Elder Li, since Yin Ruobing wants them, you should give them up. For someone like your son, are you really afraid he won't be able to find a wife?”

Zhan Tianlei's status was very special. Even the Chen Clan Head spoke to him courteously and with much respect. Since he had spoken, Li Hong became even more conflicted and was at his wit's end.

His eyes scanned Tang Xue and Tang Yan again, and his expression changed many times. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “I'm sorry, Ruobing and Young Master Tianlei. It is not that I do not wish to give you face; these two ladies are really very important. I will not give them up.”

“En?”

Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei simultaneously revealed an expression of curiosity. They looked at Tang Xue and Tang Yan, wanting to see what was so special about the two. If they were ordinary ladies, Li Hong would definitely not dare to go against the two.

“I will not hide from you two anymore.”

Li Hong smiled bitterly and said in a low voice. “These two are from the Fairy Lady Race, one of the top ten divine furnaces and are twins, too. This is very hard to come by. If your cousin manages to get these two ladies, his power will definitely increase by leaps and bounds before long. Hence, I have no choice but to say no to you two.

If you want maidservants, when I am back, I will send you five, no, ten! Okay?”

“Fairy Lady Race?”

Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei were stunned at the same time. The guards that were with them also perked up and looked at Tang Xue and Tang Yan with much earnest. Even Zhan Tianlei looked to the two, his eyes revealing a sliver of greed.

The Fairy Lady Race ranked fourth among the top ten divine furnaces, only below the Goddess Lady Race, the Fragrant Lady Race, and the Wolf Lady Race. This race possessed the world's number-one famed artifact, the Nine Bending Cloister. During lovemaking, their cherries would occasionally be bone-chilling and occasionally fiery hot. Furthermore, the inside was just like a Nine Bending Cloister. Regular men would never be able to last longer than two and a half minutes. Women from this race were the most sought-after bed partners, and they were also great furnaces for twin cultivation. Moreover, they could increase one's cultivation speed five or six folds!

The two were from the Fairy Lady Race and were even twins. This was more than enough to make all the men in the world go crazy. From this moment, the desire in Zhan Tianlei was stark. Although his betrothed was just standing next to him, who was also from the Fragrant Lady Race—one of the top ten divine furnaces, he still could not hide his inner feelings. This spoke to how attractive the Fairy Lady Race was to men.

Yin Ruobing, being from the Fragrant Lady Race herself, was very clear that many of those from the top ten divine furnaces could not be identified from their appearances. However, she knew that Li Hong had mastered an evil art and had a pair of poisonous eyes; it seemed like he could not be wrong about this.

Jiang Yi, this philandering carrot…

Yin Ruobing suddenly felt a sense of jealousy and then grew so shy that she turned red. At that moment, she did not know what to say. After all, the two ladies were two precious; if she took them by force, she would not be able to explain herself.

Li Hong had a very good excuse, saying that he wanted the two to be his son's wives. She couldn't possibly take them and make them her maidservants now, could she? These two sisters-in-law were so precious, and there were so many guards and maidservants from the Chen Clan around watching.

Men are really always up to no good.

Yin Ruobing had noticed the looks that Zhan Tianlei was giving Tang Xue and Tang Yan. She coldly snorted, and Zhan Tianlei came to his senses. He hurriedly said seriously, “Ruobing, since the two ladies are from the top ten divine furnaces, perhaps they should become your sisters-in-law. Should we… just forget about it?”

By saying this, Zhan Tianlei wanted to give Yin Ruobing and himself a way out and also wanted to prove his loyalty to Yin Ruobing… and that he wasn't having greedy thoughts.

Li Hong heard this and suddenly became excited. He pleaded and said, “My great lady, please give your third uncle some face. There are so many outsiders present. When we're back, I will head to Yin Thearch City and offer my apologies to you and your mother.”

“You want to use my mother to pressure me?”

Yin Ruobing's eyes became cold again. She remembered that she had promised Jiang Yi, and if this matter went south, how was she going to explain this to him? She became anxious, gritted her teeth, and said, “No, the two will stay.”

Li Hong also became frantic. He stared at Yin Ruobing and said, “Then you will have to kill me. Since you obviously look down on me, I have no reason to live either.”

“Uh…”

Zhan Tianlei and company exchanged stares, at a loss at what was to be done. They did not expect things to come to this stage and did not know how to persuade the two at this moment. After all, this was another clan's internal affairs. It was not convenient for Zhan Tianlei to intervene, though if it was someone else, he would have struck them down right on the spot.

Yin Ruobing became very red, as she too was at a loss with what to do with this Li Hong that was ready to risk it all. The stalemate continued, with the guards and maidservants in the vicinity—as well as Tang Xue and Tang Yan —waiting with bated breath to see what was going to happen, not daring to even breath.

Chapter 1073 - Kill Yi San

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Sigh!

Jiang Yi had been using his Divine Perception to keep tabs on the situation. Although his Divine Perception was not as strong as his divine senses and that he could not hear what everyone was saying, he knew that Yin Ruobing had encountered some trouble and could find no way out.

Zhan Tianlei was a Demigod, with his soul spirit transformed into a god spirit. Jiang Yi did not dare to recklessly send any voice transmissions. If Zhan Tianlei managed to detect it, he would be exposed easily.

He turned and walked outside, reaching the scene soon. He pretended that he had walked by coincidentally and went by slowly. He exchanged glances with Yin Ruobing, and together with what he had sensed just now, he more or less understood what had happened.

His mind turned, and he smiled lightly. “Ahh, everyone is here. Why is everyone standing here? Lady Yin, Young Master Zhan, do you two want to come and drink tea with me?”

Jiang Yi's words were very clear. He meant for Yin Ruobing to give up and that he would think of something himself. Yin Ruobing became slightly confused as she looked guiltily at Jiang Yi. She said, “Since Young Master Yi had invited, how could Ruobing dare to reject?”

“En?”

Zhan Tianlei looked suspiciously at Yin Ruobing and then at Jiang Yi, having a feeling that something was not right. The look Yin Ruobing had given Jiang Yi just now was too strange. Furthermore, she had only met this Yi San only two or three times, but she actually decided to go and drink tea with him?

Disguised as Yi San, Jiang Yi was previously a servant in the Tang Clan. Although he was very gifted in tonality and had become a disciple of Sonar Thearch, his status was still comparatively far lower than Yin Ruobing and Zhan Tianlei's. For Yin Ruobing to entertain him was giving him so much face, and yet she even wanted to go and have tea with him?

Being able to cultivate till Demigod, Zhan Tianlei was naturally smart. He instinctively felt that the relationship between Yin Ruobing and Yi San was not ordinary. Perhaps… the unusual confrontation today between Yin Ruobing and Li Hong today could be related to Yi San as well. After all, the timing of Yi San's appearance was too coincidental. Any ordinary person that managed to sense this situation would want to avoid it as well as they could; who would dare to come and get involved?

There is a problem with this Yi San!

Zhan Tianlei gave a cold look, but he did not say much as Yin Ruobing had already started walking towards him. On the other hand, Li Hong hurriedly brought his men and fled.

“I remembered! I still have some things to attend to. I will find you another time, Young Master Yi!”

After they walked to the exterior of Jiang Yi's courtyard, Yin Ruobing finally came to her senses. If she entered and sat, it would make things more awkward; Zhan Tianlei might even be able to see that something was amiss. At that time, it would become a huge mess for Jiang Yi. She and Jiang Yi exchanged glances and understood each other silently. She turned and left.

“Young Master Yi, if you have time, do come to Battle Thearch City and visit.”

Zhan Tianlei remained calm, cupped his hands, followed Yin Ruobing, and left. Jiang Yi also didn't have time to chat idly with Yin Ruobing and company. Now that the situation with Tang Xue and Tang Yan had gone wrong, he had to respond immediately. If not, the two lasses would be ruined by Li Hong.

He went back to his place, and his divine senses immediately sought out Tang Ming in the neighboring courtyard. Tang Ming had also been surveying the situation just now. He had wanted to find out more about the situation and then see what the best way to respond was.

Tang Ming had really been surveying the situation all the time. His voice transmission made Jiang Yi's heart sink. The fact that Tang Xue and Tang Yan were from the Fairy Lady Race had shocked him. He thought silently for a while and then immediately sent a voice transmission: “Brother Tang, can you send men to keep an eye on Li Hong? I guess he will be bringing the two ladies back to Crippled Heaven Region immediately. Can you see if he is teleporting, or is he using a Heaven Fate Ship?”

“Brother, are you prepared to attack?”

Tang Ming sent a voice transmission over, his voice filled with worry. Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and replied: “The two ladies are from the Fairy Lady Race; this matters more to Old Fiend Li than even his life. Hence, even if it was the Chen Clan Head, Li Hong would not listen.

Unless the Sonar Thearch appears, but I can't ask him. I can only kill!”

As a matter of fact, Jiang Yi could ask for the Sonar Thearch's help. However, he did not want to waste one of his favors on such a small matter. During the silent exchange he had with Yin Ruobing, her thoughts were clear: Jiang Yi could attack, but he should try not to kill Li Hong.

“Alright then!”

Tang Ming represented the Tang Clan and hence could not act recklessly. Jiang Yi thought about it and felt that it was best if Tang Ming only sent people to monitor Li Hong.

As expected by Jiang Yi, Li Hong was fearful that Yin Ruobing might cause trouble again and had sent someone to bid farewell to the Chen Clan. He immediately brought the two ladies out of the city. As he had brought quite a few men this time, he probably couldn't bear to use so many celestial stones, and so they headed towards the south gate to board a Heaven Fate Ship to leave.

The Divine Sonar Region and the Crippled Heaven Region were very near to each other, while Li Hong also had a big-sized Heaven Fate Ship. It would only take him at most half a month to fly to the Crippled Heaven Region. Hence, it was not strange that he did not choose to use a Teleportation Formation to head back.

Once Jiang Yi received the information, he did not hesitate. He summoned a maidservant and asked her to inform the Chen Clan Head that he had some matters to attend to and would be heading out. At the same time, he sent a voice transmission to Tang Ming to tell him the same. Jiang Yi hurriedly left and headed straight for the east gate.

Li Hong was an old sex fiend and had been dreaming about the two ladies for long. Jiang Yi was afraid that once the group had boarded the Heaven Fate Ship and had ascertained their safety, Li Hong would immediately play with the two ladies. Hence, Jiang Yi had to rescue the two ladies as soon as possible and then leave immediately.

As he did not need to explain much to the Sonar Thearch, it was also easy for Jiang Yi to leave. Jiang Yi prepared to leave via the east gate, use his Divine Perception to scan, track Li Hong's Heaven Fate Ship, and then use Heaven Evasion to appear in front of the ship and start killing.

…

“Yi San has left the city?”

What Jiang Yi was not aware was that when he was just about to leave the city, Zhan Tianlei had received the news. Zhan Tianlei had asked his men to keep an eye on Jiang Yi as he wanted to confirm his suspicion. Now that he knew the answer, he was not very happy.

“Yi San left from the east gate? Hehe, he wants to cover his tracks?”

Li Hong had just left, and Jiang Yi had immediately left the city. What did this signify? This meant that Jiang Yi was probably going to kill Li Hong and abduct the two ladies from the Fairy Lady Race. If that was true, then when Yin Ruobing wanted to take the two ladies by force just now, that was because Jiang Yi had enlisted her help.

Yin Ruobing was the girl that he loved the most and was also his betrothed. Any man that realized the woman he loves had a secret with another man would naturally not feel good. At that moment, the cup that Zhan Tianlei was holding suddenly disintegrated into smithereens. It also proved this point.

“Someone, come! Immediately follow Li Hong's Heaven Fate Ship. If Yi San really heads to kill Li Hong, report back without delay.” Zhan Tianlei shouted. A shadow behind him flashed and rushed out of the courtyard.

Zhan Tianlei was so angry that he stood up, gritted his teeth, and said, “Yi San, you'd better not go to kill Li Hong. If not, I will definitely make you wish you were dead.”

The feeling of being cuckolded was not good, what more for a person such as Zhan Tianlei. Although Yin Ruobing was not at that stage—anyone who had anything funny going on with her, Zhan Tianlei was not going to let him live. Even if Jiang Yi was the Sonar Thearch's disciple, he would still kill Jiang Yi without mercy.

“Have you gotten information on Yi San?”

Zhan Tianlei paced in the hall and looked towards the corner of the room. A black-robed martial artist came out from the shadows, cupped his hands, and said, “I have checked and there doesn't seem to be anything amiss. He is indeed a warrior of the Tang Clan, and his clan has been serving the Tang Clan for generations.”

“That is strange. Why would Ruobing have anything to do with someone like him?”

Zhan Tianlei frowned and could not understand. He was also wondering if he was being too paranoid. Yin Ruobing wanting the two lasses had nothing to do with Yi San? It was just a coincidence?

Buzz!

One hour later, the command token that Zhan Tianlei was wearing lit up. He gave it a look and his expression suddenly changed.

His murderous aura was thick as he struck the table near him with much force. The table immediately was reduced to dust. He scanned and looked into the corner again. He yelled, “Send men to kill Yi San. If he is not dead, you guys have no need to come back either!”

The scouts following Li Hong had sent a message back: Jiang Yi had appeared and had already started killing Li Hong and company.

Chapter 1074 - Old Eunuch

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Yi did, in fact, appear. His divine senses were not limited in the East Imperial Continent. He could clearly search out everything within a fifteen-billion-meter radius. That was why it was so easy for him to lock in on Li Hong. After he located the Heaven Fate Ship, he used Heaven Evasion and went to a mountain range in front of Li Hong. He no longer bothered to change his physical form He was going to do what he had to do using Yi San's identity.

Yi San was a disciple of the Sonar Thearch. He had relations with the Sonar Thearch and the protection of Yin Ruobing. The Li Clan and the Yin Clan would not dare to do anything to him. If he appeared as another mysterious formidable martial artist, he might cause the Yin Clan to conduct further checks on him. This might expose his true identity. Then, the North Thearch would come for his life before he even made it to the Mystic Divine Mountain.

No matter what, Jiang Yi had to take action this day. Even if there was a chance he might expose himself, he could not afford to think too much anymore. He had already taken a risk by using Heaven Evasion earlier, and his luck seemed to be quite good.

There were not too many people around. Otherwise, he would have been exposed by now.

“There are still two scouts nearby? They're quite high-level scouts at that!”

When he arrived within five kilometers of the Heaven Fate Ship, Jiang Yi withheld his attacks. Instead, he used his divine senses to check around. Indeed, there were two high-level scouts following Li Hong's Heaven Fate Ship. Jiang Yi relaxed.

Apart from Li Hong, everybody else had to die today. This would be the only way he could keep himself from being exposed. He had no idea which clan the scouts were from, but he was sure they were not from either the Tang Clan or the Chen Clan. There was nothing else holding him back.

Tsk! Tsk!

The Heaven Fate Ship cut through the sky quickly. Jiang Yi was underneath it, keeping his aura hidden. He secretly released ten Astral Wind Blades. Once the Heaven Fate Ship traveled more than three kilometers away, he shot the blades toward the ship at top speed.

“Enemy assault!”

The Heaven Fate Ship's alarms had just sounded when the ten Astral Wind Blades hit the protective layer around the ship extremely hard. The Heaven Fate Ship lit up with a blinding white light, just like a blazing sun. As the protective layer fell apart, the Heaven Fate Ship broke into two as well.

This Heaven Fate Ship was a huge one, but it was nothing compared to the Heaven Fate Ship belonging to the Tang Clan. It was no surprise that it fell apart upon being hit by ten high-speed Astral Wind Blades. After all, Jiang Yi had destroyed Wu Ni's top-grade Heaven Fate Ship in the same way as well.

Swish! Swish!

As the Heaven Fate Ship fell apart, hundreds of formidable martial artists flew out of it. Li Hong was among those martial artists. Apart from a pair of underpants, he had nothing on. There was one girl in each of his arms, and both of their clothes were in disarray. The rest of the ship was breaking apart as well. It was obvious that Li Hong could not wait to fool around with the girls immediately upon leaving the Divine Sonar City.

It was a good thing that Jiang Yi had arrived in time and dealt his blows quickly as well. If he had been just a couple of minutes later, Tang Xue and Tang Yan might have already been violated.

“Die—”

Jiang Yi saw the red, swollen marks on Tang Xue's and Tang Yan's faces and that they were about to pass out at any moment. It was obvious that Li Hong had hit them until they reached this state. Immediately, rage filled Jiang Yi's chest up. He activated the Rainbow Soul Spear, used one hand to control the Astral Wind Blades, and the other hand to control his soft sword. They began to hear scary sounds.

Wu~ Wu~

The force that accompanied Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill was much greater now. He made use of what he realized back in the Divine Sonar Valley. The sounds were no longer just ear-piercing. Instead, the notes carried with them overwhelming murderous auras.

It was almost like there was a frightening beast crying out in the sky. It caused the enemies to fear for their lives.

“Uh…”

There were hundreds of people on the ship. Most of them were formidable martial artists. There were more than ten peak-stage Heaven Monarchs. However, there were only two five-star formidable martial artists.

Li Hong was only the Third Elder of the Li Clan. What's more, they had come to the Divine Sonar City, which was near the Crippled Heaven Region after all. It was normal for them not to bring too many formidable fighters along.

The first people Jiang Yi wanted to kill were those two five-star formidable martial artists!

Swish! Swish!

The Rainbow Soul Spear was going at top speed. This thing was what killed countless five-star formidable martial artists back at the Snow Region. Now, these two five-star formidable martial artists were no exception either. What's more, Jiang Yi had also activated his Divine Sound Heaven Skill and his Astral Wind Blades.

Pong-Pong!

The two five-star formidable martial artists obviously had not seen the attacks coming. They were already reeling from the shock of the Heaven Fate Ship falling apart. The moment Jiang Yi appeared, they heard the terrifying sounds of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Then, the Rainbow Soul Spear appeared in the air. One person's soul was attacked by the spear, and the other was knocked down by the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. The ending was expected: before they could comprehend what was happening, their souls were in pieces; and the Astral Wind Blades caused their bodies to turn into clouds of blood.

Once Jiang Yi got rid of the two of them, it was easy to deal with the remaining fighters. Under the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, none of them could even move. Some of them looked terrified, in fact. The Rainbow Soul Spear shot through all of their spirits just like a black-colored spirit would. In seconds, all their souls crumbled; and all of them lost their lives.

Swish!

Jiang Yi flew over like a crazed dragon. The soft sword in his hand turned into a poisonous snake, which latched on to Li Hong's tummy and caused his dantian to become useless. Then, he forced the soft sword downward even more and caused the area between his legs to become a blur of flesh and blood. Li Hong was now an old eunuch.

Buzz!

He retrieved the Thearch Palace and put both Tang Xue and Tang Yan inside of it. He paid no mind to Li Hong, who had just been castrated. Instead, he turned toward the north and rushed toward the two scouts who were still in hiding. He had to kill them both.

“Run—”

Jiang Yi ceased the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, and the two scouts of the Zhan family regained consciousness. They each flew in opposite directions —one toward the north-east and the other toward the south-west. They flew as fast as they could, wanting to ensure that this piece of news reached Zhan Tianlei.

Ming-ming! Dong-dong!

It was a pity that they had each only gotten as far as three kilometers when Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill sounded once again. They two of them were the highest-level scouts, and they had been traveling at frightening speeds. However, they were not good enough at fighting. With the activation of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, both of them hugged their heads and spun in circles in the sky.

Swish! Swish!

The Rainbow Soul Spear flew across and shattered both of their souls.

“Ah, Ah—”

Jiang Yi kept his soft sword and heard a scream that sounded just like a pig being slaughtered. He turned around and scanned the surroundings. Then, he spotted Li Hong on the ground. One hand was on his belly and the other was on where his crotch used to be. He kept screaming.

Swish!

Jiang Yi flew over as quickly as a killer god. The way he looked was already cool and hard. Now, the added murderous aura made him look even more like a Demonic Divinity. Li Hong felt the murderous aura and looked up. In a fit of rage, he shouted, “Yi San, you piece of trash! How dare you kill the people of the Li Clan, and cripple me, Li Hong? You're finished. Your entire family is finished. Even the Sonar Thearch and the Tang Clan will not be able to save you now!”

Swish!

Jiang Yi reached Li Hong in an instant. He smashed his leg down onto Li Hong's chest, causing his body to sink into the ground. His cool gaze chilled Li Hong to the bone. In a low voice, Jiang Yi said, “It's a miracle that a perverted, evil, and sadistic old dog like you can still be living in this world! Don't worry—I won't kill you, but from now onward, you will become a retard.”

Swish!

Jiang Yi caused his Rainbow Soul Spear to appear once again and enter Li Hong's spiritual consciousness. He did not destroy Li Hong's soul immediately. Instead, he knocked it several times, causing several cracks to appear on Li Hong's soul.

“Ahhh!”

Li Hong cried out in pain. His eyes slowly lost their light and fogged over. The soul was a person's foundation. Now that Jiang Yi had ruined a portion of Li Hong's soul, Li Hong had become a retard.

Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi had communicated in secret. Yin Ruobing warned him not to kill Li Hong if he could help it. However, Jiang Yi had already made his move today. If Li Hong did not die, he would face a lifetime of troubles. All Jiang Yi could do was make him lose his mind.

“Hmph!”

He checked Li Hong's soul thoroughly and then threw a recuperation pill into his mouth. After ensuring that Li Hong would not die, he sat down on the ground cross-legged and released his divine senses to check the surroundings.

“Good, there's no one around. Go!”

A moment later, he opened his eyes and flew southward. He no longer cared whether his identity would be exposed. He knew he would not be able to stay in the Divine Sonar City much longer. What's more, he had to make his way to the Mystic Divine Palace soon. There was not much time left at all.

Chapter 1075 - You Must Die

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Swish! Swish!

An hour after Jiang Yi left, a group of people cut through the sky from the north. Among them, there were at least five five-star formidable martial artists. This group of people was instigated to come by Zhan Tianlei. On seeing the Heaven Fate Ship break apart and the mountain of corpses on the ground, their expressions changed immediately.

“Reporting to Sixteenth Elder—everybody's souls have been torn apart. Apart from Li Hong and two other people, everybody else's bodies have been left completely unharmed. All of them died from the impact on their souls!

Li Hong's dantian has been crippled, and he has been castrated, but… he's not dead! Zhan Fu and the others have been killed as well.”

The group of people spread out to look around and quickly came back with a report. A man with a head full of white hair tutted and gave orders, “Zhan Hu, Zhan Xiong, send Li Hong back to the Chen Clan in the Divine Sonar City. Don't say anything. Just say that you came across him and decided to lend a hand. Take Zhan Fu and the other corpses back here as well. Tell Young Master about what happened here and ask him how he wants to settle things.

“The rest of you, spread out and go after Yi San. Yi San killed Zhan Fu and the others. He must have blood on his hands. Try and sense this.

Once you find him, don't do anything to him. This man is a strong spiritual martial artist. One or two of you will not be his match for sure.”

“Understood!”

Apart from two of them who went back to Divine Sonar City, the rest of the two hundred of them spread out to search for Yi San.

Another hour passed before Zhan Hu and Zhan Xiong arrived back at Divine Sonar City. They spread the news about what happened to Li Hong. Soon, all of Divine Sonar City had heard the news.

Many people hated this disgusting, old pervert. Some of them who heard the news clapped in celebration, but more other people looked worried. Li Hong was the biological younger brother of the Li Clan's Family Head and the uncle of the Yin Emperor. This man was attacked just a few miles away from Divine Sonar City. If the Chen Clan did not offer an adequate explanation, many other clans would face the wrath of the Li Clan and the Yin Clan.

When the Chen Clan received news of what had happened, everybody was shocked. The Chen Clan's Family Head gave orders for everyone from the clan and who was within the city to come back for a meeting. Yet another hour later, all the formidable martial artists in the city were sent out to look for the perpetrator. All the towns in the city were on lockdown. Not only was the army gathered and activated, but even the civilians in the city were sent out to search.

Yin Ruobing and the people from the Yin Clan who came to offer their congratulations were still around. Once they received news, they gathered their subordinates and sent them out to chase after the perpetrator as well. Everyone in the Divine Sonar Region was on their toes.

…

“Keke!”

From a subsidiary wing in the Chen Clan's courtyard, a chilling laugh was heard. Zhan Tianlei heard that the Chen Clan had sent countless formidable martial artists out to search for Yi San. He could not keep from laughing at this.

The Divine Sonar Region was the Chen Clan's territory. Would they not know who did this? Li Hong had just left when Yi San left the city as well. Did the Chen Clan really not know this?

Yi San had just become a disciple of the Sonar Thearch before something like this happened just outside the city. Did the Chen Clan really have nothing to do with this? From the moment he received news and the time he sent his strong army, a full hour had passed. The Chen Clan was quite efficient, wasn't it?

“Uncle Gui, can Li Hong's brain be healed?”

Zhan Tianlei asked after pondering for a long while. A dark figure dressed in black robes appeared in the corner. He shook his head and said, “It would be extremely difficult.

I checked him myself. His brain has sustained a serious injury, and his soul has been damaged. Unless we are willing to pay a huge price for it or if the Yin Emperor personally does something for him, Li Hong would probably not be able to recover from this.

“Li Hong has done so many evil things in his life and has attracted so much trouble to himself. I guess that the Li Clan has been ready for something like this to happen for a long time. Even the Yin Emperor would probably not bother doing anything.”

“This rascal Yi San is really ruthless.”

Zhan Tianlei's expression hardened. He said in a low voice, “How can this rascal be so strong? How did he destroy everybody's souls in just a split-second? This spiritual attack was so formidable that even if it only attacked half of your mind, you would still be left dead.”

Zhan Tianlei did not link Yi San and Jiang Yi together, however. After all, Jiang Yi had already been missing for more than two years. There were even rumors going around that he had been killed by the North Thearch. Upon seeing Jiang Yi, the Sonar Thearch also did not show any strange expressions. It seemed like there had been nothing wrong with Jiang Yi's identity. Zhan Tianlei also did not know that the Sonar Thearch was connected to the Shadow Emperor. Li Hong's people had also been killed by a spiritual attack, which Jiang Yi was not known for making use of.

“Young Master!”

The man in the black robe suddenly said, “Should we spread the news that Yi San was the one who attacked Li Hong? This way, the Chen Clan would not dare to hold back their efforts to chase him, and the Yin Clan would not be able to ignore this.”

“We can't…”

Zhan Tianlei shrugged and said, “We have Li Hong who has now become a retard. There's no more value to him. Li Hong's reputation is too awful. The Yin Clan would surely not lift even a finger for his sake. They might even be secretly rejoicing over his death.

If we blow this matter up, the Sonar Thearch would surely step out to protect him. Yi San will get away scot-free. When that time comes, even we won't be able to go after him.

Now, we can still go after him on the pretext of seeking revenge on behalf of Ruobing. Even if we kill Yi San on that ground, the Sonar Thearch would not be able to say anything.”

The man in the black robe realized that there was a logic behind what Zhan Tianlei was saying. Once again, he cupped his hands and said, “The problem is that Yi San is so strong. Even if the Sixteenth Elder and the others made use of the Blood Debt Technique to chase after him, you would have to take action in order to kill him. Otherwise, asking the clan to gather the formidable martial artists would be the next best option.”

“No way!”

Zhan Tianlei shook his head resolutely. “You know the clan rules as well as I do. Yi San has not done anything to offend us. If we gather the formidable martial artists of our clan and if Grandfather finds out about this, I can forget about becoming the Great Young Master. Why not… Uncle Gui, you make a trip down yourself. Ask the clans in the surrounding regions that are on good terms with ours. Ask them to gather their formidable martial artists to kill Yi San. Tell them it is a favor from me personally, so that they would not make a scene out of it. Also… if we kill Yi san, remember to take the two girls from the Fairy Lady Race back as well.”

“Alright!”

The man in the black robe cupped his hands and disappeared without another sound. Zhan Tianlei muttered to himself with a murderous glare. “Yi San, I don't care if you're the Tang Clan's slave or the Sonar Thearch's favorite disciple. If you dare to offend Ruobing, I will kill you!”

“Ruobing…”

Just thinking about that fairy-like woman made Zhan Tianlei feel a mixture of love and hate. Ever since he saw Yin Ruobing for the first time five years ago, Zhan Tianlei has been head-over-heels in love with her. Despite wooing her for several years, Yin Ruobing continued to alternate between hot and cold toward him. Sometimes, she would feel close by. Other times, she would feel distant.

After he became a Demigod a couple of months ago, his reputation increased wildly. The first request he made to his father was to allow him to ask for Yin Ruobing's hand in marriage. To his absolute delight, the Yin Emperor agreed to give him her hand in marriage. Thereafter, the both of them got engaged.

However—

After they got engaged, Zhan Tianlei realized that Yin Ruobing was still treating him the same way. To his face, she was polite and casual. However, she was still icy cold inside. She never opened her heart to him. Even though he accompanied her millions of miles all the way here to the Divine Sonar Region, Yin Ruobing still did not feel even a bit of love toward Zhan Tianlei.

This made Zhan Tianlei feel extremely hurt. Even though he obtained her person, he could not earn her heart. What was the meaning of it all then?

He thought at first that Yin Ruobing was naturally this guarded and that she would never be moved by anyone. However, he found out a huge secret of hers today—she had an extraordinary relationship with another man before. How could he not feel angry? How could he not go crazy?

After Li Hong got into trouble, Yin Ruobing sent formidable martial artists from her clan out to look for the killer. However, Zhan Tianlei knew very well that Yin Ruobing had not even been in the least bit angry. In fact, it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. What's more, she did not pressure the Chen Clan to find the killer at all. In fact, she did not say a single word before she returned to her own residence.

What did this show? It showed that she already knew that Yi San was going to kill Li Hong. Li Hong did not die only because Yi San was showing respect to Yin Ruobing!

This was the full story.

Everything showed that Yin Ruobing and that Yi San had an extraordinary relationship. The woman that Zhan Tianlei loved—his very own wife—was in love with another man. Anyone would be enraged by this situation.

Bang!

The more Zhan Tianlei thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed his hands down on the table, causing it to be reduced to dust. He gritted his teeth and growled, “Yi San, you must die. You must die!”

Chapter 1076 - Being Chased

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Ai, this city is closed as well!”

More than five thousand kilometers south of the Divine Sonar City— outside a small city, a strong, burly man carrying a battle sword shook his head at the closed city gates and heaved a loud sigh.

This was the tenth city that Jiang Yi had tried to enter. After severely injuring Li Hong, Jiang Yi immediately escaped far away. At the same time, he changed his physical form once again. Now, he was a burly middle-aged man with the skills of a seventh-stage Heaven Monarch. Initially, he wanted to look for a small city to get on board a Heaven Fate Ship and leave the Divine Sonar Region as soon as he could. Now, he discovered he could not even enter any other city.

“If I had known earlier, I would have arranged with Tang Ming to meet somewhere so that I can get on board his ship!” Jiang Yi scratched his head. If he could not enter a city, he would not be able to board any Heaven Fate Ship. Unless he used Heaven Evasion, all he could do was fly all the way back.

“Forget it, forget it. I will fly out of the Divine Sonar Region then. If I fly day and night, I might not waste too much time.”

At last, Jiang Yi still did not dare to use Heaven Evasion. If he used it badly and appeared in a city, his identity would be exposed. For all he knew, he would have to kill whole cities just to keep his identity under wraps.

The good thing was that the Divine Sonar City was in the south of the Divine Sonar Region. If he did not stop flying, he would only need about ten days or so before he would be out of the Divine Sonar Region for good. In the south was the Yin Clan's region. He could find a small city within that region and get on board a Heaven Fate Ship to travel the rest of the way.

Swish!

He quickly went on his way, but his speed was only equivalent to a seventh-stage Heaven Monarch's. If he was a peak-stage Heaven Monarch, people would notice him.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

He flew for about an hour or so before a Heaven Fate Ship appeared in front of him. He slowed down immediately and changed his aura to that of a fifth-stage Heaven Monarch. Discreetly, Jiang Yi moved out of the way of the Heaven Fate Ship. His expression remained calm, not displaying a hint of worry.

Buzz!

The protective cover of the Heaven Fate Ship opened, and a group of formidable martial artists emerged. All of them were dressed in battle armor and had murderous auras about them. The peak-stage Heaven Monarch right in front of the group shouted, “Stay still!”

Jiang Yi stopped where he was. The group of more than ten people flew toward him. Jiang Yi cupped his hands and asked, “Sirs, what can I do for you?”

The peak-stage Heaven Monarch scanned Jiang Yi from head to toe and asked, “Did you see the person who tried to kill Li Hong?”

In his heart, Jiang Yi celebrated. However, his expression remained unchanged as he responded, “Sir, I did not.”

“Oh!”

The peak-stage Heaven Monarch nodded. “If you see anyone suspicious, come back to the city and report the person immediately. My Clan's Family Head will reward you handsomely.”

Jiang Yi quickly cupped his hands again and said, “Indeed, indeed!”

“This man's skill is too weak. He cannot be the culprit. Let's keep looking.”

The peak-stage Heaven Monarch waved his hand, and the entire group boarded their Heaven Fate Ship once again. With a flash of light, the Heaven Fate Ship flew past Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi kept his eyes on the ship until it was out of sight. Then, he shook his head and laughed bitterly.

He had met at least ten armies from the Chen Clan ever since he started his journey. He guessed that there were many more inside the Divine Sonar Region who were looking for him right this moment.

It was obvious that the Chen Clan was only doing this for the Li Clan and the Yin Clan to watch. Otherwise, someone like Jiang Yi would have been caught and thrown into prison by now.

The Chen Clan must have guessed that he was the one who tried to kill Li Hong. After all, he did leave the city shortly after Li Hong. There also could not have been many people who would dare to kill Li Hong within the Divine Sonar Region. Tang Xue and Tang Yan were brought out of his own courtyard by Tang Ming. Many guards and subordinates of the Chen Clan had seen it with their own eyes. It was not difficult to link Yi San to the murder. Jiang Yi had allowed the Chen Clan to realize all of these things on purpose.

The Sonar Thearch was considered family and so was the Chen Clan. Jiang Yi was not too worried about them. He also understood that all of these things were what the Chen Clan had to do. After all, Li Hong was attacked after celebrating Chen Chen's wedding. What's more, Li Hong was an uncle of the Yin Emperor as well.

Jiang Yi continued his journey southward. Half a day had already passed, and the sky was darkening. He found a secluded spot and sat down cross-legged, entering the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He released his divine senses to look around.

Although the Chen Clan was only doing this for show, the Yin Clan and the Li Clan would surely try their best to look for the perpetrator. Naturally, Jiang Yi did not dare to let his guard down. One could not be too careful.

He searched the huge area around him and discovered many people. Most of them were scouts from the Chen Clan and the other major clans in the Divine Sonar Region. However, they were obviously not into the search at all. Once the sun set, they settled down into their respective camps and began to cook dinner. All of them looked equally relaxed.

“En?”

He looked closely at two suspicious characters. Both of them were dressed exactly like the two scouts whom Jiang Yi spotted when he attacked Li Hong. Both were dressed in black robes and refused to rest even long after the sunset. They continued speedily on their way and were heading toward where Jiang Yi was settling down.

Which clan do these scouts belong to? Can they catch me? How can that be?

Jiang Yi opened his eyes, his face a mask of shock. He used the Mirage Divine Ability to change his physical looks as well as his spiritual aura. Even Tang Ming would not recognize him if he saw him now. How could these two scouts follow him?

Jiang Yi thought he was mistaken. Once again, he closed his eyes and used his divine senses to look around. That was when he discovered that the two scouts were really rushing toward the place where he was sitting.

They were traveling at top speed and looked to be eighth-stage Heaven Monarchs. These two scouts seemed to also be able to hide their tracks. It looked like their skills were not poor at all. These were top-grade scouts. The scouts were a couple hundred kilometers away from Jiang Yi now. Jiang Yi estimated that they would reach him in about an hour.

Take the two of them down!

Jiang Yi decided that if he did not find out which clan these scouts were from and how they chased after him, he would not be able to sleep at night. These high-level scouts could only belong to aristocratic families. When he attacked Li Hong earlier, he killed two such scouts. Killing two more would not make much of a difference to him at all.

Jiang Yi burrowed three hundred meters underground and released his divine senses to seek out the two scouts once again. Then, he waited in silence. Just as he expected, an hour later, the two scouts arrived. However, they did not dare to come too near to where Jiang Yi was. They stopped about five kilometers from Jiang Yi and stayed hidden in a valley.

Kill—

Jiang Yi waited for a while. Then, without hesitating, he drew his soft sword and broke apart the soil in the ground, digging a passage that would lead him straight to the two scouts. His divine senses were already locked in on them.

Swish!

The moment he started moving, the scouts moved, too. They retreated and split up to escape. Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and felt their own divine senses locked in on himself. The two of them were extremely skilled. If Jiang Yi had not entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, he would not have realized that their divine senses were on him.

Since he already made his move, how could Jiang Yi let the two of them go just like that? The Wind Shadow Cloak appeared on his back as he began to fly as fast as he could.

It was extremely dangerous to fly so late at night. If one was not careful, they would probably activate the astral winds. Of course, to Jiang Yi, this was not a problem. His essence force had already reached the level of a peak-stage Heaven Monarch in the Snow Region. With the Wind Shadow Cloak's assistance, he could travel even faster than he normally could. In a couple of minutes, he caught one scout.

Tsk! Tsk!

He summoned astral winds without a sound and caused the legs of the scout in front of him to be broken. There was a loud, pained cry as his body rolled on the ground. Jiang Yi rushed toward the man, intending to silence him forever.

Yet!

By the time he reached the other scout, the man's body was not moving. There was black blood flowing out of the man's mouth. He had killed himself.

“How troublesome…”

Jiang Yi's expression darkened. The scout was akin to a suicide guard? Ordinary clans could not train guards like this. Jiang Yi guessed that only the top clans in major regions would have men like these.

The Chen Clan knows that I did it. The Divine Sonar Region's major clans would not send out their top men then, would they? Could they be from the Yin Clan?

Jiang Yi and Zhan Tianlei had no feud. Of course, Jiang Yi would not have thought about the Zhan Clan. Instead, he guessed that the scouts were from the Yin Clan. However, thinking about Yin Ruobing made him feel like even this was unlikely. After all, Yin Ruobing had a special place in the Yin Clan. The subordinates would listen to her orders for sure. There was no way that she would put in so much effort into catching him either.

Forget it. I'll chase the other scout.

Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and released his divine senses to locate the other scout. Like a grim reaper, he flew toward the north and hunted that scout down.

Chapter 1077 - Blood Debt Seal

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

It was easy to chase after that other scout. After all, the scout was only an eighth-stage Heaven Monarch—far weaker than Jiang Yi. He had only taken a couple of minutes to catch up with him. In the end, he found that the result was the same. Before Jiang Yi could do a thing, the scout killed himself.

Jiang Yi searched the Ancient Divine Essence Ring on this scout's body and found that apart from a message token and some celestial stones, there was nothing else that could prove the man's identity. He had no more leads left.

Bang!

With one slap of his palm, the scout's corpse was reduced to dust. After searching the surroundings and finding nothing out of the ordinary, Jiang Yi had no other choice but to continue on his way.

This time, he did not make use of the underground passages. That would only slow him down. What's more, he was not afraid of generating astral winds.

Thus, he could fearlessly rush above ground. As he did so, he kept his divine senses on the surroundings. Each time he detected someone in the distance, he would make a detour and go around him.

Over the past two years, his spirit had strengthened significantly. His divine senses could now reach more than fifty kilometers away. Normally, a peak-stage Heaven Monarch could not achieve the same distance unless their spirits had additional boosts.

The rest of the night was rather uneventful. Jiang Yi only stopped to rest when the sun began to rise again. After a while, he checked his surroundings again and resumed his journey.

On the way, he met several scouts and armies. However, they were just like the ones Jiang Yi saw the day before. The armies and martial artists from the Chen Clan were just putting on a show. They did not cause any trouble whatsoever for Jiang Yi.

“They're back again!”

Three days later, Jiang Yi discovered two more scouts in black. They were dressed just like the two scouts he had met that very first time. What's more, their skill levels and speed were about the same. They followed him from afar. In the day, Jiang Yi did not dare to go too fast in the daylight so it was a breeze for the scouts to stalk him.

“Kill!”

It was not a good feeling to be followed and under the control of these people behind him. Jiang Yi waited until the scouts got closer than fifty kilometers before he turned right around to chase them down.

There were scouts from the Divine Sonar Region around. Jiang Yi did not dare to make use of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Thus, when he reached the scouts, both of them had already killed themselves. However, Jiang Yi was sure that even if he had made use of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill to capture the two scouts, he would not have gotten any new clues. People who were not even afraid of death surely could not be scared into talking.

After getting rid of these two scouts, Jiang Yi continued on his way. He changed his physical form and spiritual aura once again. He was now an old man. Three days later, there were more scouts on his tail.

“How freaky… ”

Jiang Yi was in a dilemma now. He almost immediately used Heaven Evasion. So many days had passed, and the North Thearch still had not caught up with him. Jiang Yi guessed that his true identity had not yet been exposed. These scouts must have some kind of mystic ability that could lock in on him.

At last, Jiang Yi did not use Heaven Evasion. He wanted to find out who exactly was chasing him down. Logically, whatever major clan this was had been chasing him down for so long now. Whoever was behind it should be showing his face anytime now, right?

He turned around and easily got rid of the scouts before he continued on his way again. On the ninth day, he arrived at the boundary between the Divine Sonar Region and the Yin Clan's huge territory. The scouts behind him finally revealed themselves.

There are more than three thousand people and three hundred peak-stage Heaven Monarchs among them. I guess there are about ten or so five-star martial artists? What a strong army!

Jiang Yi used his divine senses to scan the thousands of people who were running toward him. All of their divine senses seemed to lock in on him. There were thousands of people now trying to take his life. A few of them had obviously been trained in wind-elemental dao patterns. Some of them even tried to go around him and attack him from behind so that he had nowhere left to run.

There were so many formidable martial artists who were traveling much faster than him. Jiang Yi only had two options: First, use Heaven Evasion to get out of here. Second, kill them all.

He chose the second option. If he did not find out how these scouts followed him, he would not be able to eat or rest properly.

Jiang Yi sat quietly on the peak of a hill, without too much concern about the countless martial artists running toward him. Instead, he closed his eyes and released his divine perception. If he wanted to kill this many people— among who were about ten five-star formidable martial artists at that—he would have to use all of his powers. If there was anyone nearby observing all of this, his identity might be exposed.

“Very well!”

Jiang Yi checked the surroundings within a hundred kilometers of himself. He was surprised to find that apart from the three thousand people running toward him, there was no one else. After thinking for a while, he made up his mind. These three thousand people must have been hiding here for a long while.

They must have gotten rid of all the bandits who had been in hiding before. They were just waiting for him to walk right into their trap. Jiang Yi guessed that they did not want to expose who they were either.

Swish! Swish!

The three thousand people quickly formed a circle and surrounded Jiang Yi. They closed in on him, but Jiang Yi did not make a single move. He did not even open his eyes. Instead, he entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and locked his divine senses in on them.

“Eh? Why does this man not look like the man in the picture? Could we have made a mistake?”

“That's right. The man in the picture is young. This is an elderly man who is only a fifth-stage Heaven Monarch. Didn't Sixteenth Elder say the man we're looking for is a peak-stage Heaven Monarch?”

“It is a little strange. Let's ask Lord Zhan.”

“…”

As the army came within twenty kilometers of Jiang Yi, they caught the side of his face and became astonished. They began to discuss among themselves. Jiang Yi overheard these discussions, and both of his eyebrows raised slightly. His body stiffened.

Lord Zhan?

These three thousand or so people were clearly from different clans. Jiang Yi could easily separate them into four different groups. These must be the formidable martial artists from aristocratic families in the surrounding region. A Lord Zhan, who was able to activate these clans… that could only be someone from the Zhan Clan, which was among the Nine Thearch Clans!

Zhan Tianlei!

Jiang Yi sniggered, and yet he did not understand. Why was Zhan Tianlei coming after him? Why was he plotting to kill him? Could Zhan Tianlei have found out about his relationship with Yin Ruobing?

“There's no need to think about it any longer. This man is Yi San. The disciples of our Zhan Clan are trained in the Blood Debt Seal. Whoever has killed someone from the Zhan Clan would have blood debt on their hands and body. We could sense him from hundreds of kilometers away. He must be trained in some kind of disguising technique.”

Someone with a cool, hard voice spoke up among the crowd. Jiang Yi locked in on one particular elder in black robes. Finally, the mystery that had been plaguing him over the past few days was resolved. Jiang Yi hardened his heart and quickly changed his aura once again so that he became Yi San. Secretly, he was shocked that the Zhan Clan was so strong. They were actually trained in such a magnificent skill, so that whoever dared to kill one of their own would perish.

“Kill—”

The thousands of people hesitated no more. One by one, they flew toward Jiang Yi like divine rainbows. Countless divine senses once again scanned his body. By the time the crowd was two or three kilometers from Jiang Yi, Jiang Yi realized that a significant person's divine senses were trying to enter his spiritual consciousness. He also heard the man in the black robe laugh mirthlessly: “That's right. This is Yi San. His spiritual aura is exactly the same as his. I searched him before back at the Divine Sonar Valley.”

This sped the thousands of martial artists back up again. Their hands began to light up as they prepared to attack him. The man in the black robe spoke again. “Be careful when you attack him. Don't cause any damage to the spatial realm.

See if you can catch him alive. This rascal has two girls hidden in a spatial divine item. Those are the people that Young Master wants alive.

Be careful, everyone. This man's spiritual attacks are extremely formidable.”

“Hehe!”

Jiang Yi celebrated in his heart. These people wanted him alive? A colony of bees was now flying toward him—that made it so much easier for him to kill them all. However, the thought that Zhan Tianlei wanted Tang Xue and Tang Yan caused Jiang Yi's heart to sink. If there was a chance, he would want to kill Zhan Tianlei no matter how strong the Zhan Clan was.

If people leave me alone, I would not cause them trouble either. If they want to come after me, then I go after them at all costs!

This was the principle that Jiang Yi lived by. No matter what kind of amazing background people had, he would make sure that anyone who tried to harm him perished.

“Icebound Thousand Miles!”

As the thousands of people got even closer to him, Jiang Yi opened his eyes. Both his hands danced around his body as he released the strongest group-attacking dao pattern that he knew. He wanted to make sure that all of them would die here.

Chapter 1078 - Nobody Can Live!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The moment he activated the Icebound Thousand Miles, the power of ice and snow and the essence energy of heaven and earth gathered inside Jiang Yi's body. Jiang Yi's body emanated cold winds that rushed outward in all directions at a frightening speed.

Every living thing that the cold winds blew past froze up immediately: the river next to them froze up, and the living things on the fields became a patch of white. The surrounding temperature dropped, and everything within a five-hundred-kilometer radius turned to ice as well.

“Uh…”

Everybody was beyond shocked. Their eyes widened into huge circles. Everything within sight was no longer moving. Even their essence force and blood in their veins felt like they had been frozen.

“Five-star dao pattern—the Icebound Thousand Miles!”

Any martial artist who knew their stuff knew this dao pattern. A few of the formidable martial artists from the Zhan Clan even began to suspect Jiang Yi's true identity. The number of people who had realized such a pattern was too few.

If he was just a general from the Tang Clan, he would have become famous a long time ago. He could not have remained under Tang Ming for such a long time.

There was too little snow in the East Imperial Continent for ordinary martial artists to realize snow- and ice-type dao patterns. If anyone could realize such a dao pattern, they would be well-known across the continent. The Tang Clan would have made good use of such a fighter as well.

Since snow was rare in the continent, the tens of five-star martial artists had poor resistance to snow- and ice-type attacks. They did not know how to react to them either. At the moment, nobody knew what to do.

Dong dong, wu wu~

Very quickly, there was no longer any need to guess Jiang Yi's true identity. A soft sword appeared in Jiang Yi's hand as he released the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. At the same time, the Rainbow Soul Spear appeared in front of them, and he summoned the astral winds with his other hand. He was making use of every mystical ability that he knew. His goal was obvious— he wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible and kill everyone.

The massacre began. The Icebound Thousand Miles and Divine Sound Heaven Skill made a terrifying pair. Together with the Astral Wind Blades' and the Rainbow Soul Spear's attacks, everything happened way too quickly.

In a blink of an eye, all the ten Astral Wind Blades flew across the region, cutting up hundreds of people. The Rainbow Soul Spear also went through the brains of about two hundred people. The group was too dense—each strike by Jiang Yi killed hundreds of people.

“Jiang Yi!”

Finally, someone figured it out and called out. At that moment, he felt a piercing pain through his mind. The essence force in his hands stirred as he prepared to activate a formidable dao pattern. However, Jiang Yi was one step ahead of him in releasing the Icebound Thousand Miles.

There was no mistaking such attacks—Jiang Yi had already proven back at the Snow Region that killing a couple of Heaven Monarchs was easy for him. He locked in on the five-star martial artists and slaughtered them first. Then, it became even easier to get rid of everyone else. They were like fish on a chopping board, ready for Jiang Yi to slice them up.

Just like that, Jiang Yi killed more than three thousand people. If there had been observers present, they would have been stunned by Jiang Yi's ruthlessness. He did not even flinch as he killed these people. After all these years, he was used to doing this heartlessly.

Swish! Swish!

Many rings flew up in the sky. Jiang Yi made one round and collected all of them. He turned to scan the mountain of corpses coolly. There was not a hint of emotion on his face.

“Nine Heavens Dragon Flames!”

He raised both his open palms and burned the entire mountain of corpses. At the same time, the heat from the flames caused the ice all around to melt. Then, he sped toward the south once again.

Jiang Yi still did not use Heaven Evasion. Before he could be sure that his identity was not exposed, it was best that he did not take unnecessary risks. As for… the Zhan Clan's Blood Debt Seal, he could think about how to deal with it later.

Crash.

The Nine Heavens Dragon Flames spread all around and the ice melted. Slowly, the river far away turned to water again. Jiang Yi heard the sound of the coursing river.

The water in it was no longer clear but was dyed red instead. The entire region was covered in the metallic smell of human blood.

Jiang Yi's battle ended very quickly, but when he released the Icebound Thousand Miles, many people in the region were shocked. Yet, no one dared to come near to him. Even the aristocratic families' scouts dared not come any nearer. Instead, they transmitted messages back to their clans immediately. This reaction was natural in the face of such a formidable skill.

An hour later, one of the Chen Clan's armies who had been in a nearby city approached the scene. When they processed the sight in front of them, all of them were shocked. The Nine Heavens Dragon Flames had burned the corpses, but it could not burn their bones.

After all, bodies of Heaven Monarchs were strong, and their bones were extremely hard. The group surveyed the burnt land, the charred bones, the broken battle armors, and the smell of blood.

“They're all dead? Tell Young Master immediately!”

Two men in black robes ran over from the south and surveyed the scene as well. The color drained from their faces. One of them continued to look around as the other one picked up his command token to send a message back to his clan.

…

“What?”

Zhan Tianlei had been tasting tea together with Yin Ruobing when the command token hanging from his belt vibrated. He picked it up, and his expression changed at once. The hand holding the teacup trembled, causing the cup to fall onto the ground.

“What's going on? Young Master Tianlei?” On seeing his expression change, Yin Ruobing became curious.

“It's nothing!”

Zhan Tianlei forced a smile and sank deep in thought. He bid farewell to Yin Ruobing and excused himself to the courtyard.

“They're all dead? Even Sixteenth Elder is dead?”

When the man in the black robe standing in the corner heard Zhan Tianlei's message, his wrinkled face fell. He had thought that killing Yi San would be an easy feat. Now, it was hard to think of this entire problem as a small matter.

The Zhan Clan had always been low-key. All they did was to guard their Mystic Heaven City. However, it was not true that they had no collaborations with other clans. It was just their collaborations were all in secret. In the few regions nearby were four clans who were in collaboration with the Zhan Clan. They had gathered all the formidable martial artists from these clans to go after Yi San. Now, the entire army had been killed.

Even the Zhan Clan's elder and more than two hundred Heaven Monarchs were dead. Could they just ignore it?

Zhan Tianlei knew that there would be trouble ahead. There was no way that they would be able to hide this matter, given that so many people's lives had been lost. The Zhan Clan had strict rules. Zhan Tianlei would be punished for sure once he returned to the clan.

Being punished was one thing, but this would definitely jeopardize his place as the next Zhan Emperor. He had not even become the Young Clan Head, and he had many brothers and cousins whose talents were equally impressive. Whether he could still become the Young Clan Head was uncertain now.

Zhan Tianlei paced around the huge hall. Moments later, he gritted his teeth. “No way, I must kill Yi San! Uncle Gui, send people to chase after Yi San. Once they find him, I will go after him myself. There is no way we will be able to keep this under wraps.

If I don't kill Yi San, Grandfather will think less of me after I get back. Then, I will lose the position of Young Clan Head for sure. You know my brothers and cousins well, and that freaking bastard…”

“No way!”

The elder in the black robe shouted resolutely. “Young Master, you just became a Demigod. Your skills have not stabilized. You cannot take this risk! If the Clan Head and Family Head find out that you risked your life for a puny Yi San, they will be even angrier for sure.

You know the Clan Head's temper very well. The Family Head warned you about this before.”

“This…”

Zhan Tianlei was speechless for a second. He turned to the black-robed elder anxiously. “Uncle Gui, what should I do then?”

The elder in the black robe lowered his voice and said, “Go back to Zhan Thearch City. Tell the Family Head everything that has happened and admit your faults! Young Master and Lady Yin are going to get married in a couple of months. The Family Head will not punish you too severely. As long as the wedding goes well, you will become connected to the Yin Clan. Then, the title of Young Clan Head will go to you for sure.

“What about Yi San?”

Zhan Tianlei's eyes were red as he asked, “Are we supposed to just let this go?”

“He can't run.”

Uncle Gui gave Zhan Tianlei a chilling smile. “We will use a teleportation formation to return immediately. Once you tell the Family Head everything, he will send more than half of our Demigods out to chase after him. The Blood Debt Seal will last for half a month. Anyone who kills people from our Zhan Clan will perish!”

Chapter 1079 - New Saint

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

At last, Zhan Tianlei took his Uncle Gui's advice. Just as Uncle Gui said— as long as he married Yin Ruobing smoothly, he would be connected to the Yin Clan. Then, it was only a matter of time before he became the Young Clan Head. The Zhan Clan had many more talents in his generation than the other clans did. Zhan Tianlei felt like he was treading on ice.

The Nine Thearchs were like the emperors of the continents. The role came with a huge load of power and glory. All the disciples of the Nine Thearch Clans would have their eyes set on this position from a very young age.

They would even fight with one another for a position like that. There was no length that they would not go to in order to achieve the position.

Within the Nine Thearch Clans, it was alright to commit mistakes. The Nine Thearch Clans could deal with anything. There was nothing that they would not forgive their own clan members for. Thus, all the major characters in the various clans put more emphasis on people's behavior after they commit a wrong rather than the wrong itself.

It was just like what happened to Wu Ni in the past. After he made the mistake, he returned to the proper path. Instead of losing his sanity or causing more trouble, he maintained his resolve. This made the elders of his clan appreciate and like him even more than they already did.

Since he had already made the decision to leave, Zhan Tianlei quickly took Uncle Gui and headed out toward Yin Ruobing's courtyard. He was not one to drag his feet.

“Young Master Tianlei?”

Yin Ruobing was still sipping her tea. This tea was quite special. It was made from fresh flowers.

That was why the entire courtyard smelt very strongly of flowers. That made her even more special. The moment she saw Zhan Tianlei walk into her room, she stood up and smiled, causing the room to brighten up immediately.

“Ruobing!”

On seeing her smile, Zhan Tianlei smiled once again more bitterly. Yin Ruobing was still the same. She was smiling on the surface, but he felt that she was icy cold on the inside.

She was pushing him far, far away. This hurt Zhan Tianlei to the core.

Still forcing a smile on his face, he cupped his hands and said, “Ruobing, I have an urgent matter to attend to, and I have to rush back to the Mystic Thearch City. Do you want to come with me to the Mystic Thearch City for fun, or do you want me to send you back to the Yin Thearch City?”

“An urgent matter?”

Yin Ruobing's eyelashes shook, and she lowered her gaze. With a gentle smile, she asked, “It has to do with the Mystic Divine Mountain, right?”

“Ah?” Zhan Tianlei stiffened. He looked astonished as he asked, “What happened to the Mystic Divine Mountain?”

“You didn't know? Then why are you returning so urgently?” Yin Ruobing scanned Zhan Tianlei from head to toe, but her expression remained unchanging. It was obvious that she was getting angry.

Buzz!

Zhan Tianlei's message token vibrated once again. He glanced at it, smiled bitterly once more, and explained, “It really is as Ruobing said. Majesty Father wants me to return to the city now. There have been some strange movements on the Mystic Divine Mountain! It's very likely that the restrictions have been shaken. Ruobing, you knew about this earlier than I did.”

“Hehe.”

Yin Ruobing kept smiling, but she did not offer any explanation whatsoever. Instead, after a while, she raised her head once more. “Let's go. I'll go with you to Mystic Thearch City. I guess that Big Sister Chan and Little Sister Shiya would arrive there soon as well. We haven't seen each other for a long time. It's about time for a good catch-up.”

“Alright, let's go back and meet the Family Head of the Chen Clan to bid farewell.”

Zhan Tianlei nodded and led Yin Ruobing to the Family Head of the Chen Clan to bid their goodbyes. The Family Head of the Chen Clan tried to ask them to stay for a while longer before leading them toward the Teleportation Formation at the plaza. After both of them left in the Teleportation Formation, he rushed back to the courtyard of the Chen Clan and into a study.

He immediately called out in a low voice, “Men! Send a message out to locate Yi San. Tell him that Zhan Tianlei has returned, and the Demigods of the Zhan Clan will come after him in a few days. Tell him to be extremely careful. If he's not confident of fighting them off, he can hide at the Divine Sonar Valley. Explain to him also about the Blood Debt Seal.”

“Understood!”

A cool voice spoke up in the study. A figure flashed past the Family Head and disappeared. A while later, an elder of the Chen Clan walked into the room looking worried. “Family Head, Jiang Yi is taking a huge risk this time.

The North Thearch is still chasing after him, and he still stirred trouble with the Zhan Clan. This rascal is really ruthless. He did not even let a single man out of the three thousand live. Instead, he burned every last one of them.”

“The Blood Debt Seal will only stay on him for half a month. If this rascal can hide from the Zhan Clan for six months, he would have nothing to fear!”

The Family Head of the Chen Clan sighed gently. A moment later, he sounded grateful. “This rascal's skills are getting scarier and scarier. He disappeared for two whole years and came back to kill Heaven Monarchs as easily as he could kill ants. If we give him another eight to ten years, he might even find killing Demigods easy.”

“Ah, I hope that the people of the Zhan Clan would not recognize him; otherwise, this boy would die a horrible death for sure!” The elder of the Chen Clan sighed as well. He turned to look in the east and said, “I have something to report to the Supreme Teacher now. He instructed us not to interfere excessively in this matter. If that boy sends a message to us asking for help, then we will decide how to settle it. Otherwise, we would just have to watch and see if he survives or dies.”

Shh-shh-shh!

While the two of them were still deep in conversation, they heard hurried footsteps shuffling toward them. An elderly man barged into the room and said, “Family Head, Grand Elder, we just got a message from the Mystic Divine Mountain. There have been some weird movements on the mountain. The restrictions look like they have been loosened. The various high-profile families have received this piece of news as well. I think they will all be gathering at the Mystic Thearch City soon.”

“The Mystic Divine Mountain?”

The Family Head and Grand Elder of the Chen Clan turned to each other and exchanged a meaningful look. Both of their eyes brightened. The Mystic Divine Mountain was a sacred mountain to the citizens of the East Imperial Continent. The Mystic Divine Palace located at the peak of that mountain was considered all the more valuable.

If any one of the Nine Thearch Clans managed to take over the Mystic Divine Palace, they would essentially have command over everything under the sky. If the other clans took control of the Mystic Divine Palace, they would become the tenth clan to be on equal standing as the Nine Thearch Clans. That was truly the dream for most clans.

The Family Head of the Chen Clan called out, “Do we have any more information? Did anyone ascend the Mystic Divine Mountain?”

“Not yet.”

The old man who had brought the message shook his head. “It is said that the moment the restrictions were loosened, the Zhan Thearch took action personally. At last, his efforts turned out to be in vain. A few prodigies in the Zhan Clan ascended the mountain as well, but none of them achieved anything. Since the restrictions have been loosened, it's only a matter of time before they fall apart. Family Head, you should make the necessary preparations as soon as you can.”

The Family Head of the Chen Clan nodded. “Father, what do you think?”

The elder shook his head and said, “The Clan Head has not said anything. You can make the decision.”

“Alright, you may leave. Send a message to our clan's disciples in the Mystic Thearch City. Tell them to keep a close eye on the situation. Send a report back every single day to update us on the situation.”

The Mystic Divine Palace was a palace that every clan wanted to take control of after all. Whether they could indeed take control of it or not was a whole other matter.

The Family Head of the Chen Clan stayed silent for a while. At last, he turned to the Grand Elder of the Chen Clan and said, “I will trouble you to make a trip down yourself. Tell Chen'er and the greatest disciples of our clan to go down to the Mystic Thearch City to try their luck as well. You can go and have a try yourself. If you can't do it, don't force yourself to. Judging by the way the Mystic Thearch does things, I'm guessing that only youths would be able to inherit the Mystic Divine Palace. I just don't know who would be lucky enough to achieve it.”

“En.”

The Grand Elder of the Chen Clan nodded. The fact that the Sonar Thearch did not react to this showed that even he thought the older generation would have no hope of obtaining the Mystic Divine Palace. Otherwise, Mystic Thearch would have handed the palace over to any person. Then, there would not be this much trouble.

The Family Head's expression suddenly changed—he looked worried. He looked out of the window and let out a long sigh. “The sacred treasure is going to become available soon. From experience, this means that there will be chaos soon. Demons will come out of hiding. We just don't know how many casualties and deaths there will be.”

“That's right!”

The Grand Elder got to his feet and looked out of the window as well. He said heavily, “More than seven hundred thousand years ago, during the Great Demon Dominion, the human race was almost completely wiped out. If not for the Mystic Thearch, we would have become extinct for sure. I wonder what kind of trouble would befall us this time.”

“Hehe, we don't have to worry too much, I think.”

The Grand Elder grinned as well and said, “The Mystic Thearch ruminated over the secrets he knew. He probably already predicted this would happen. Since he caused the Mystic Divine Palace to be let out to the world now, I think he also knew that a new sage would be born to help save mankind!”

The Family Head's eyes twinkled with curiosity. He whispered, “Who could the new sage be? Who has what it takes to become the second Mystic Thearch—the new great thearch!”

Chapter 1080 - I Hardly Read—

Don't Lie to Me!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The news that there was movement on the Mystic Divine Mountain soon spread to everyone within five days. News like that just could not be kept under wraps. There had been scouts from the great family clans hiding near the Mystic Divine Mountain all this time. Whenever something happens, the scouts would immediately update the rest of the continent.

The Mystic Divine Palace appeared on the Mystic Divine Mountain several years ago. In all these years, countless people have tried to climb the mountain. However, for some reason, they have always gotten stopped by the mountain itself.

Even the Nine Thearchs themselves had tried in vain. Of course, it was not that the Nine Thearchs did not have their own methods to ascend the mountain. Instead, the restrictions near the mountain were just too huge. If they tried to ascend the mountain by force, both the Mystic Divine Palace and the Mystic Divine Mountain would be blown to pieces.

The Mystic Divine Mountain was known as a sacred mountain. There were many mystic realms at the top. The Mystic Divine Palace was one of the most treasured places in the world as well. Thus, the Nine Thearchs all dared not force their way up. Whoever tried would also be blown to pieces by the Battle Thearch.

As news spread, the great family clans began to make the necessary preparations. The strange thing, however, was that the old fellows in the Nine Thearch Clans and the other great family clans made no moves. A few Demigods were sent out. In their place, the younger generation went through transportation arrays and rushed over to the Mystic Thearch City as fast as they could.

The reason for this was understood by the old fellows of the Nine Thearch Clans the moment the Mystic Divine Palace appeared on the Mystic Divine Mountain. Only the younger generation could inherit this thing. There was no chance that the older generation would be able to enter the Mystic Divine Palace.

Years back, when they tried to ascend the mountain, they discovered that the older martial artists had to expend more effort in order to get higher. This made them think about the character and the temper of the Mystic Thearch. The older fellows of the Nine Thearch Clans, such as the Sonar Thearch, soon gave up on the thought of ever ascending the mountain. The Mystic Thearch himself was a young talent. He was not even forty years old when he became the Mystic Thearch. There was no way that he would leave this valuable palace to a man older than he was.

Yi Chan came out of isolation, and She Fei got moving as well. Ling Qijian and Ling Shiya were already halfway to the mountain. Jian Wuying, under the lead of an elder from his clan, got to the mountain the soonest. The Wu Clan had sent their people, but Wu Ni was nowhere to be seen. He was probably still locked up, unable to get out. Countless young men and ladies from the various clans got here as fast as they could and gathered at the Mystic Thearch City.

…

Jiang Yi did not know about this movement on the Mystic Divine Mountain. Even if he did, he would scoff and pay no attention to it. As the guardian of the Mystic Divine Palace, Ao Lu could not be wrong. Even if the Mystic Divine Mountain did indeed have movements, none of these people would be able to ascend the mountain.

At this point, Jiang Yi was still in the Divine Sonar Region. In fact, he was hundreds of thousands of meters away from the place where he caused chaos back then, at the base of a huge mountain range. This mountain range was incredibly big, and a lot of demonic beasts were inside. There were even a couple of demon kings.

Jiang Yi hid within hundreds of meters underneath the mountain range and dug a pit for himself. Then, he retrieved the Thearch Palace and entered it.

He had killed so many people from the Zhan Clan. He was sure that the Zhan Clan would activate their Demigods to chase after him. Thus, if he did not want to use Heaven Evasion, he had to hide inside the Thearch Palace for half a month. That was when the Blood Debt Seal would dissipate.

The most dangerous place to hide was, in fact, the safest!

He was hundreds of thousands of miles away from the battlefield. Before this, he had been walking toward the south. All the enemies would probably head south to look for him.

The Thearch Palace that he had was a mystical place. In this space, even astrologers would not be able to lock in on his position. Jiang Yi believed that the Zhan Clan would have no way of using the Blood Debt Seal to track him down.

After Jiang Yi entered the Thearch Palace, he released his divine senses and sorcery every two hours to check everywhere within a fifteen-billion-meter radius. If Demigods were coming after him, he was prepared to use Heaven Evasion immediately.

“This is the Blood Debt Seal. The Zhan Clan's Blood Debt Seal is indeed powerful. If I did not know of its existence, I would never have discovered that it was on me.”

Jiang Yi rubbed the back of his head as he leaned back in the Thearch Palace. He looked absolutely exhausted. Aura intent was present right behind him, but it was almost invisible. If one did not search thoroughly, they would not have discovered that it was there.

“Get some rest, Young Master!”

On either side of him sat two beauties—Tang Xue and Tang Yan. On seeing that Jiang Yi had his eyes open, one of them quickly leaned over to him and helped him to rub his temples. The other one brought over a cup of tea and fed him. Jiang Yi felt like he had become a distinguished old chief.

“Neither of you has to serve me like this. You're not my slaves.” Jiang Yi laughed bitterly. He kept his divine senses activated, and this was draining him of his energy. He was beginning to feel better as Tang Xue kept rubbing his temples.

Tang Yan set the cup of tea down and smiled. Without saying a word, she bent down and helped massage Jiang Yi's legs. Tang Xue gently pulled Jiang Yi's upper body backward until he was lying down on her thighs. Then, she giggled. “Chief Yi, Tang Xue and Tang Yan are your slaves. We sisters will serve you for the rest of our lives.”

“Chief Yi…”

Jiang Yi felt slightly uncomfortable. He still looked like Yi San at this moment. After pondering for a brief second, he transformed into his original form with a flash of light, causing Tang Xue and Tang Yan to jump in fright.

“Don't panic. I was making use of the Appearance Alteration Technique to change the way I look.”

Jiang Yi's lips curled up slightly as he turned to face Tang Xue. At that exact moment, he saw two high peaks. He quickly turned away. “Sorry, I had to lie to you because I had no choice. My name is not Yi San—it is Jiang Yi. This is the way I really look.”

“Ah?”

The two sisters' bodies trembled once again. Tang Xue was so shocked that her chest was rising and falling rapidly. They both looked at Jiang Yi, dumbfounded.

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi was getting even more uncomfortable now. He quickly sat up and faced the two of them. “Actually, I met you two before. When Tang Sheng first brought the two of you as a gift to me. At that time, my name was Hei Yi! I had urgent matters to tend to by then so I did not accept the both of you.”

“Uh?”

The two sisters were even more confused now. Tang Xue paused for a long while before she stuttered, “Young Master, you are famous across the entire continent. You're the Chief Jiang who killed five Demigods of the Wu Clan at the base of Stupa Mountain?”

Jiang Yi confirmed, “That's absolutely right!”

Plop!

The sisters exchanged a meaningful glance. Their eyes welled up, and tears streamed down their cheeks. Suddenly, they fell to their knees.

Tang Xue looked extremely grateful as she said, “Your slave had been thinking that a man who would kill so many people from the Li Clan just to save the pair of us must be no simple man indeed. I did not think that you were Chief Jiang. We sisters had been saved by a famous and reputable legend. We… we can die without any regrets.”

“Am I that famous?” Jiang Yi tapped his nose, feeling embarrassed.

“Hehe!”

Tang Yan wiped the tears from her face and grinned. “Chief Jiang, you may not know this, but you are the most famous legend in the continent right now. If you had not come to Sin Island, the youths of the continent might all be looking up to you as their role models. The ladies think that you're their dream man.

Of course… even though you did end up going to Sin Island, many ladies from various clans still desire you and miss you. The Tang Clan itself has several ladies who admire you. Your story has even been written about by the poet Yin You.”

“I hardly read—don't lie to me!” Jiang Yi rubbed his nose. He was half-suspicious of what they were telling him. “Do many ladies really admire me?”

“Pfff…”

Tang Xue laughed. “That's right, my Chief Jiang! Just go to any great family clan and sneak into any lady's room in the middle of the night. Then, tell them your name. My guess is that lady would not scream for help. Instead, she might even… make you happy?”

“What nonsense is this! Do you really think Chief Jiang is such a loose person?”

Jiang Yi's expression changed immediately, and he looked angered. He glanced at Tang Xue and asked, “Would it really be that good?”

Chapter 1081 - You Must Come

Back For Us

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

For some reason—maybe the movement at the Mystic Divine Mountain, Jiang Yi's hiding place proved to be quite good. Half a month flew by quickly, and Jiang Yi did not locate even one Demigod anywhere close to him.

Half a month later, Jiang Yi discovered that the aura at the back of his head was nearly gone. However, he did not dare to be too careless. He remained inside the Thearch Palace. Every two hours, he still released his divine senses to look around.

For this period of time, he really enjoyed life. The two girls really acted as though they were Jiang Yi's servants, no matter how hard Jiang Yi tried to convince them otherwise. They kept thinking of different ways to please him and make him feel more comfortable. Jiang Yi guessed that they would even remove their robes and use their bodies to please him if he had just given them the word.

Of course, Jiang Yi had no time for such things. He did not dare to let his guard down each day. He did not even relax during the night.

Instead, he kept searching the surroundings so that even his spirit was close to breaking down. What's more, he did not dare to take the two girls in. It would already be dangerous enough for him to try to ascend the Mystic Divine Mountain. Now that he has angered the Zhan Clan as well, Jiang Yi was worried that he might not even be able to try ascending the Mystic Divine Mountain at all.

Jiang Yi decided that after three days—if he had still not been discovered, he would continue on his journey. He already wasted so much time hanging around. If he continued to delay the journey any longer, the restrictions around the Mystic Divine Mountain would be completely gone. By that time, there would be no point in him going down at all.

He turned to address Tang Xue and Tang Yan, saying, “We will go out of this palace later on. I'll ask the people of the Chen Clan to take you in. Then, they will send you back to Sin Island. It's safest over there. Go there and wait for me to come and get you. It'll be dangerous if you follow me.”

“No! We will not leave!”

Tang Xue and Tang Yan panicked on hearing Jiang Yi's instructions. Tang Xue gritted her teeth and said, “Chief Jiang, our lives are worth nothing. We're used to living in fear, not knowing when the end might come. We feel the safest when we are with you.

Even if we die… we want to die with you. That's why we don't want to go anywhere else. If Chief Jiang insists on sending us away, we'd rather die.”

“No way!”

Jiang Yi's tone was extremely firm. His expression darkened as he said, “There will be no discussion about this. If you still want to follow me in the future, you must listen to me! How about this… don't go back to Sin Island. Go to the Divine Sonar Valley and live there for a while. The Sonar Thearch will treat you well. Wait for me to finish what I have to, then I will come back for you.”

Jiang Yi was very close to losing his temper. The two girls' eyes were welling up once again, but they did not dare to go against his word any longer. Jiang Yi retrieved a green pearl after exiting the Thearch Palace and focused his essence force on it. There, in the pit, he waited.

Two hours later, a black figure ran over, holding a string of green pearls in his hand. Jiang Yi activated his divine senses to scan the man and then shouted in a low voice, “Come down and talk!”

Tsk! Tsk!

The man descended immediately. Jiang Yi searched the surroundings before keeping the Thearch Palace. At the same time, he transported Tang Xue and Tang Yan out of it. With a flash, Jiang Yi turned into Yi San once again.

Bang!

There was an explosion above the pit. The black figure landed in front of them and got down on one knee. “Young Master Yi, we have finally found you.”

“What's the situation outside?” Jiang Yi wasted no time and cut right to the chase. “Did the people from the Zhan Clan come searching for me?”

“Yes!”

The man in the black robe nodded. “The Zhan Clan sent two Demigods here. They spent thirty days searching the north part of Yin Long Region, but they left when they realized that you were not here. Young Master, you are very skilled indeed. You managed to escape being found despite the Blood Debt Seal they had on you. We did not even think that you would be hiding somewhere nearby.”

Jiang Yi nodded. “Please bring these two girls back to the Divine Sonar Valley secretly. You must take good care of them. After a while, I will come back and fetch them. Also, tell your Family Head that I have something to attend to and must go. If anything comes up, I will contact you. That's right… tell your Family Head also that I am going to the Mystic Thearch City.”

“Alright!”

The man in the black robe was quite highly skilled. His ring flashed white, and then two black robes appeared in his hands. He handed one each to Tang Xue and Tang Yan. “Ladies, please cover yourselves. Once we arrive at the nearest city, I will get a disguising elixir for you.”

Jiang Yi nodded satisfactorily. Tang Xue and Tang Yan put on their black robes immediately before turning to Jiang Yi with tears in their eyes once again. “Chief, you must come back and fetch us.”

“I will!”

Jiang Yi waved at both of them. The man in the black robe reached out and grabbed both of their arms before flying out of the pit. Jiang Yi did not follow them out. Instead, he sat down cross-legged on the ground and released his divine senses to look around. It was not until the man arrived at the nearest city with Tang Xue and Tang Yan that Jiang Yi heaved a sigh of relief.

“Go!”

He had already been outside for over two hours. If the Zhan Clan still had people on his trail, the Demigods would have arrived by now. Jiang Yi changed his physical appearance, and his spiritual aura before getting out of the ground and heading south.

He was at the boundary between the Divine Sonar Region and the Yin Long Region. It had only been half a day, but Jiang Yi already arrived at a small city in the northern part of the Yin Long Region. He walked in proudly, easily making arrangements for a Heaven Fate Ship. By the afternoon, he was already on a Heaven Fate Ship going toward a big city nearby.

A day passed while he was on the Heaven Fate Ship without much drama. Jiang Yi finally arrived in the big city. He looked for one of the Chen Clan's branch halls in the city and arranged for another Heaven Fate Ship out of the region. After another day, he boarded the Chen Clan's Heaven Fate Ship. It was only then that he finally relaxed.

The Zhan Clan was the number one clan in the East Imperial Continent, but the Zhan Clan's disciples were in no way miracle workers. Now that the Blood Debt Seal was gone, it was almost impossible for even the Demigods of the Zhan Clan to recognize Jiang Yi as he was now. There was only a chance that his identity would be revealed if the Zhan Thearch himself came after Jiang Yi.

After traveling for three days on the Heaven Fate Ship, Jiang Yi finally stopped searching his surroundings. Instead, he entered a training room and began to train. He did not retrieve the platinum command token from the Tang Clan. The Tang Clan was reliable in general as were Tang Sheng and Tang Ming. However, not every single person within the Tang Clan could be trusted.

There was still at least half a year to go before he would arrive at the Mystic Thearch City. Jiang Yi was prepared to train up his essence force during that time and try to realize more dao patterns if he could as well. He had already realized and merged at least two dao patterns that were three-star and above. He only needed one more before he could become a Demigod. Of course, he still had to form a god spirit as well.

“I forgot to ask the Sonar Thearch how to form a god spirit…”

Jiang Yi felt a pang of regret when he thought about the god spirit. However, he was already on the Chen Clan's Heaven Fate Ship. There was no way he could return to the Divine Sonar Region. He could only hope that he would get the opportunity to ask about it in the future.

“Mm, I can think harder about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill in these six months and stabilize the second stage of the soul abductor. If I can achieve the third stage of the destruction of souls, that would be ideal. I guess that the destruction of souls alone can kill ordinary Demigods?”

Jiang Yi focused on his training. Of course, the main goal was to become a Demigod. Once he became a Demigod, his essence force would become divine power. If he had divine power, he would be able to easily activate the Nirvana Flames. That would help him easily annihilate other Demigods!

Just thinking about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill caused his heart to skip a beat. The restrictions around the secret cultivation room were extremely strong. He did not have to be worried that the sounds would travel outside the room. From inside his Ancient Divine Essence Ring, he retrieved a leaf and began to blow it. At the same time, he tried to realize more about the Divine Sound Heaven Skill from his music.

He played a song from his childhood. As he played, his eyes began to cloud over. His mind filled with images of his childhood, playing at Skyplume City. When the song ended, he felt devastated to the core.

“No way!”

Jiang Yi roared. He quickly rejected this way of blowing the leaf. He could not be using both hands to play music when he was battling with others. If he stopped playing, the enemies would snap out of their daydreams immediately. If at least one person remained unaffected by his music, he would not even have the chance to defend against any attacks.

“If you have a sword in your heart, any grass or branch can act as your sword. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill is all about sincerity and true emotions. As long as one has that, it does not matter what instrument he is using. I should try to make use of the soft sword to create sound and see if I can make music with it.”

Jiang Yi retrieved the sacred artifact, his soft sword, and began twisting it around like a poisonous snake. The sound of the sword cutting through the air soon filled the room.

“This isn't right. It shouldn't be this way. The rhythm and melody was wrong.”

Jiang Yi put all distractions aside and focused solely on the sound that the soft sword was making. He tried to use the soft sword to create a unique song so that all his enemies would fall into a daze upon listening to it.

Chapter 1082 - The Road to

Heaven

Chapter 1082: The Road to Heaven

The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was a mysterious mystical ability. Strictly speaking, any musical ability could be counted as the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, but the attacking power would vary. Many types of music could remain etched in their audience's memories, causing them to forget about everything else in the meantime. Their eyes would be filled with tears, their blood would pulse through their veins, and their spirits would be moved. This was where the power of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill lay.

In the beginning, when Jiang Yi looked further into the Divine Sound Heaven Skill, he felt like he had opened a window and entered a whole other magical realm. He would forget to eat or drink, where he was, and the danger that he was in with the Zhan Clan. Every bit of attention and energy he had gone into practicing the Divine Sound Heaven Skill.

This realization took him a whole three months. When Jiang Yi snapped back to reality, he thought that only a few days had passed. Later on, he realized that he had been waving the soft sword around for three whole months to create such amazing music. Combining the sounds of the sword cutting through the air proved to be a unique way of creating music.

The tune was simple, but it caused him to gain a deeper understanding of the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Although the key was low and the sound of the sword cutting through air was hardly the most moving sound—it was not even pleasing to the ears for a fact, the sounds caused one to feel frustration in their hearts. The audience would surely grow increasingly frustrated upon hearing the tunes. They would feel an impulse for violence.

This was a new type of Divine Sound Heaven Skill that Jiang Yi created, building upon his initial skills, and the tune that he came up with using the leaf. Three months had passed before he got this song together. Jiang Yi was not too pleased, but this song would surely have greater attacking power than the ones he used before.

“I just feel like something is missing…”

Jiang Yi frowned. This new Divine Sound Heaven Skill was more powerful for sure, but it did not achieve the effect that he had been hoping for. He had hoped that the moment he started playing a song, everybody would lose their sanity upon listening to it. They would go crazy and absolutely lose their cool. This would make it even easier for him to annihilate all of them.

“That's right—the Massacre Intent!”

An idea popped up in Jiang Yi's mind. In the past, he incorporated the Massacre Intent into his Divine Sound Heaven Skill. This time, he did not do the same. This Massacre Intent was a powerful thing. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill would become much more powerful if he could incorporate it in.

His eyes started to turn blood red as the killing intent around his body surged. He moved the soft sword according to the pattern he had just finalized. Suddenly, the sound of wailing filled the air.

This sound was much scarier than it was before. Even ordinary Heaven Monarchs would go crazy listening to it.

“I can't incorporate it in?”

Jiang Yi had been dancing for a long time before he realized something strange. This Divine Sound Heaven Skill could not incorporate the Massacre Intent. The intent and the song just did not go well together. There was no way that he could combine them.

“That's strange!”

Jiang Yi snapped back to reality once again. A second later, his eyes clouded over. Like a lunatic, he kept dancing and dancing.

Sometimes, he kept employing the Divine Sound Heaven Skill and intermittently tried to force Massacre Intent into the skill. Again and again, he tried, completely forgetting to replenish his essence force and realize other dao patterns.

He spent countless celestial stones to enter this one-hundred-fold secret cultivation room, but he did not train even for a single day. Instead, he spent all the time looking into the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. At this moment, he was entering the dreamy state again. Perhaps he would not come back to reality until he arrived at the Mystic Thearch City. If other people knew about this, they would call him a wastrel for sure.

…

“I understand now. I finally understand now. This song frustrates people, but the Massacre Intent is filled with killer aura and carries with it blood-suckers and mad demons.

The song goes totally against it—how can they be combined? It looks like I will have to change the song so that it becomes much more violent and explosive. This would allow it to incorporate the Massacre Intent and cause the enemies to become like blood-suckers and mad demons. Then, they will completely lose their sanity! Hahaha!”

About two months later, Jiang Yi suddenly laughed maniacally. He had finally resolved the problem that had been bugging him for over two months. He suddenly became extremely excited.

Once he came up with a new song and incorporated the Massacre Intent into it, his attack power would definitely be much greater. Heaven Monarchs aside, even ordinary Demigods would be affected by it.

Of course, these things were just his guesses. Whether the power would indeed be that great or not would be subject to testing. What's more, it would take him time to come up with a new song anyway. His eyes cleared up, and he looked around in confusion. He did not know how long had passed, but he decided not to care too much about it either. Once again, he danced around with the soft sword in his hand, trying to create a new song that would be compatible with the Massacre Intent.

Buzz!

Five days later, the restrictions around the walls lit up. Jiang Yi was jolted awake. He looked around in confusion and surprise. He had already paid six months' worth of celestial stones. If there was no emergency, people would not be knocking on his door to disturb him.

He undid the restrictions around the walls and activated his divine senses. In a low voice, he called out, “What's the matter?”

“Sir, we are going to arrive at Mystic Thearch City. We will be alighting from the ship at night.”

One of the housekeepers of the Tang Clan replied. Jiang Yi blinked several times and rubbed his eyes, trying to comprehend what was happening around him. He thought that only two or three months had passed at most. He did not think that six months had already gone by.

“Time really passes too fast. I did not even do anything. I haven't even combined the Divine Sound Heaven Skill with the Massacre Intent. Yet, six months have passed?”

Jiang Yi sighed gently. One really could not keep track of time while training. It was no wonder it was said that ten years would pass in a blink of an eye while one is on the mountain peak!

While he was training, he totally forgot to keep track of the time. With the energy elixirs, he did not even feel a tinge of hunger. That was why he felt like time had passed exceptionally quickly.

He got to his feet and touched his chin to feel how long his beard was. Then, he nodded subtly. It looked like six months had really passed.

His beard was already so long. He walked out of his cabin and took a bath and then changed into black robes. He should not bother to shave. This way, he would look a bit like a middle-aged martial artist.

It was still afternoon. They would only arrive at the Mystic Thearch City at night. Jiang Yi was not in a hurry to go out. Instead, he took a four-hour nap to replenish his energy. He only woke up again as the sun was setting. At once, he activated his divine senses to scan outside the room.

His divine senses swept past the corridor easily, toward the south. Many images filled Jiang Yi's mind. A couple of seconds later, he jumped. He saw a huge city that he had never seen before. There was also a sacred mountain that was even bigger and more majestic than the sacred mountain in the Snow Region.

A few thousand kilometers away was a huge plain that looked almost boundless. On the plane stood a big city that looked much bigger than the Buddha Thearch City. The city walls were at least nine hundred meters tall. All of them were formed using green bricks which emanated an ancient aura. It was almost as if this city had been in existence since ancient times.

Tens of kilometers east of the city sat a mountain that reached into the clouds. This mountain looked more precipitous than the sacred mountain. From afar, it looked like it was a pillar that was holding up the entire sky. Jiang Yi could not see the peak of that mountain—it was covered by the clouds.

The special thing about this mountain was the pathway that led to its peak. The entire pathway went around and around the entire mountain in one long, unbroken path. It was obvious it was dug into the mountain itself, and a flat platform paved the way up the mountain.

The clouds that were blocking the mountain peak also blocked a portion of this pathway. Jiang Yi thought that it resembled the road to heaven. He imagined that if he followed this path all the way to the end, he would end up in an immortal realm.

“What miraculous work!”

The more Jiang Yi saw, the faster his heart raced and his blood ran through his veins. His entire mind became filled with the Mystic Thearch's journey to the top of the mountain. In the past, everyone in the city below him gathered at a plain field and bowed down to him as the Mystic Thearch ascended the mountain. That was such a strong and mighty period in history. Only someone like the Mystic Thearch would have managed to conquer the majestic city and mountain.

“There are so many people. I'm guessing there are at least a million people down there.”

Jiang Yi's heart sank. There were Heaven Fate Canopies all over the plain below the Mystic Divine Mountain. It was almost as if a billion-strong army was waiting there. The canopies were all densely packed, and there was no way that Jiang Yi could see where they ended. There were still many lower-grade and poor martial artists who did not have Heaven Fate Canopies.

They were just seated along the plains, not moving as if they were deep in meditation.

“Mm… I sense a few Demigods' auras. In fact, there are many of them!”

Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and surveyed the crowd. In this state, he was very sensitive to all the different powers. Some Demigods there did not even have an aura about them.

Jiang Yi felt his heart sink further. There were so many people and so many Demigods. Could he make it to the top of the Mystic Divine Mountain and into the Mystic Divine Palace?

Chapter 1083 - Yin Baiyi

Chapter 1083: Yin Baiyi

While it was easier to conceal oneself now that there were many people around, that also meant that the competition was stronger. It was also uncertain who could enter the Mystic Divine Palace. The Mystic Divine Palace was neither very big nor very small, but the Mystic Thearch would definitely not allow a million people to enter his own palace and make a mess out of it. Hence, there would definitely be only very few people that could enter.

The multitudes of people gathered at the foot of the mountain meant that the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain were not yet completely lifted; Jiang Yi still had a chance. He thought furiously of a way to get close to the entrance of the path leading up the mountain. Only if he was close to that entrance could he have a chance to immediately head up the mountain and have a greater shot at entering the Mystic Divine Palace.

“Sigh…”

However, what he found out made him have a headache. The path up to Mystic Divine Mountain was being occupied by the Nine Thearch Clans just like that year with the Purgatory Ruin. Ordinary disciples from the other clans were not qualified to get close. Those from lesser clans even had to be situated more than five kilometers away from the pathway.

Not being of any special status, Jiang Yi would definitely attract a lot of attention if he suddenly went close to the entrance of the mountain, as well as be targeted by the Demigods present. If the Battle Thearch was among the crowd, the outcome would be disastrous.

As he sighed deeply, they were nearing the Mystic Thearch City; and many people had gathered on the deck to admire the aura of this ancient city. A Tang Clan housekeeper also sent a voice transmission, asking Jiang Yi to prepare to disembark.

“A change of clothes.”

Jiang Yi thought about it. He quickly took out a normal martial artist's robe and changed into it. Many young masters and young mistresses had come this time with many of their men in tow. If Jiang Yi changed into one of the accompanying soldiers, that would be too normal. If he changed into a young master, it could also backfire due to his lack of followers around him.

He walked out of the deck and into the crowd, facing the still-yet blurry image of Mystic Thearch City while enjoying the sunset. It was entirely different using one's divine senses and using one's own eyes to see; visual images gave a larger impact.

This ancient city that was at the heart of the East Imperial Continent was too grand; when compared to a Heaven Fate Ship, it was akin to comparing a dragon with an ant, not to mention in comparison with Jiang Yi and company standing on the deck. Looking down on such a huge city, Jiang Yi felt as if he was facing the limitless vastness of the sky; he was that small, that powerless.

Emanating a historical aura, on the city walls that had withstood the ravages of time stood a sea of soldiers in white armor. Those soldiers were one and all Heaven Monarchs. Their auras were incredible while they were awe-inspiring, revealing the might of the first clan of the continent.

The Heaven Fate Ship stopped two and a half kilometers away from Mystic Thearch City. Many people on the deck flew down, either heading to the city or directly to Mystic Divine Mountain. Jiang Yi saw many well-dressed young masters and young mistresses flying towards Mystic Divine Mountain. These people were probably here to climb the mountain, to try their luck and see if they could get the Mystic Divine Palace, or maybe even get some treasures from it.

“Enter the city!'

Jiang Yi looked at the gigantic mountain to the east and decided to be extra careful. Since the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain have not been completely lifted yet, that meant that Ao Lu's timing was perfect. Based on his calculations, there was still half a month to go before the restrictions were lifted; he did not need to rush.

Once he entered Mystic Thearch City, Jiang Yi lost his way. The city was too big. Jiang Yi took one full hour and still couldn't walk out from the northern city district. He decided to just find an inn instead to look for a waiter to gather more information.

The waiter exaggerated about the situation, but Jiang Yi managed to receive some useful information. First, the Battle Thearch was within the city; and this time, the most powerful members of each of the great family clans had not been activated. They had sent a Demigod and some men each to Mystic Divine Mountain. Second, Zhan Tianlei, Yin Ruobing, and company were all waiting at the foot of Mystic Divine Mountain, at the mouth of the passageway. They have already been there for a full half-year.

During this half a year, the Mystic Divine Mountain had had four strange activities. While the restrictions were seemingly loosening with time, no one knew whether the next loosening would be sufficient for someone to ascend. Hence, this group of people had been biding their time at the foot of the mountain.

There was some gossip as well: Jian Wuying had reached the peak-stage of the Heaven Monarch with his total battle strength attaining that of a four-star martial expert; She Fei was trying all tricks to gain Yi Chan's affection, sending her different gifts; Zhan Tianlei was hosting banquets every other day, inviting the young masters and young mistresses from all the great family clans to attend, but he was actually desiring to please and get closer to Yin Ruobing; Also, Ye Ying was courting Ling Qijian's younger sister Ling Shiya with a certain degree of success.

Jiang Yi sighed with relief when he heard that the Battle Thearch was not at the foot of Mystic Divine Mountain. The person that he did not want to see the most and was most afraid to see was the Battle Thearch. Ao Lu had said that nine-star martial experts could probably see past his Mirage Divine Ability. If Jiang Yi met the Battle Thearch, Jiang Yi would probably not be able to escape.

As there were only a group of young people at the foot of Mystic Divine Mountain and with the Battle Thearch not going to show himself—if Jiang Yi really managed to ascend the mountain, at least no one would be able to see past his disguise before he went up.

Of course, two people were exceptions. One was Yi Chan while the other was Yin Ruobing. The former had a special mystical ability while the latter was from the Fragrant Lady Race and was the most sensitive to every human body's aura.

“Yin Ruobing?”

Thinking of Yin Ruobing, Jiang Yi suddenly had an extremely bold idea. That was to enter Yin Ruobing's Heaven Fate Canopy. That way, not only could he hide from others, he could also be the first to climb the mountain when the time came.

The fact that strange activity was observed on Mystic Divine Mountain had alarmed everyone on the East Imperial Continent. This had nullified Jiang Yi's initial advantage. Originally, he had thought that the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain would disappear immediately. That way, Jiang Yi would be able to head up the mountain secretly. Entering the Mystic Divine Palace alone would give him the best chance at getting the Mystic Divine Palace.

Now that the Mystic Divine Mountain had started showing strange activity earlier than expected and shook everyone in the continent, a million people had assembled at the foot of the mountain. Once the restrictions were loosened half a month from now, a million people would probably all dash up the mountain. If Jiang Yi did not have a reasonable status to climb the mountain first, there was a possibility that he might not even have the chance to enter the Mystic Divine Palace.

Furthermore!

Even if he managed to enter, was he so sure that he was a match for the top-notch martial artists of the East Imperial Continent? Jiang Yi was not that confident as at the very least, Zhan Tianlei and She Fei were more gifted than him and had already broken through to the Demigod Realm. Jian Wuying was even far more gifted than Jiang Yi; Jiang Yi was not that crazy and did not underestimate the heroes of the world.

Hence, if Jiang Yi wanted to enter the Mystic Divine Palace—wanted to obtain the Glazed Pagoda sacred treasure of the Heaven Hidden Sect or the Mystic Divine Palace, he had to be among the first batch to head up the mountain.

The first batch of people could only be from the Nine Thearch Clans. Hence, Jiang Yi could only ask for help from Yin Ruobing.

“Alright, this is settled then!”

Jiang Yi resolutely made his decision as he flew out of the city and headed towards Mystic Divine Mountain. The sky had already turned dark, but in the vicinity, it was still very lively. Jiang Yi's crazed dash through the skies did not result in any extra attention being paid to him.

After fifty kilometers, he had traversed the sky to his location within ten minutes. He did not approach Yin Ruobing's tent brazenly. He learned from a group of lesser martial artists and sat cross-legged, sending his divine senses to scan the area around the entrance to the mountain.

There were a million people gathered, with divine senses being used to investigate all the time. Many divine senses were also locked onto the passageway, wanting to ride on the coattails of the Nine Thearch Clans. Jiang Yi's actions were not out of place.

It was a pity.

All the Heaven Fate Canopies had restrictions. Jiang Yi could not find out which Heaven Fate Canopy Yin Ruobing was staying in. He could only continue to search and wait bitterly.

One hour later, light shined from many Heaven Fate Canopies. One by one, people were heading out. Jiang Yi was relaxed as he had only detected Ling Qijian, Ye Ying, She Fei, and others. They were all headed to one Heaven Fate Canopy as if they were about to join some banquet.

“Yin Ruobing has arrived!”

Jiang Yi City's soul spirit shook. His divine senses swept the surroundings to make sure that there were no Demigods nearby of Yin Ruobing and hurriedly sent a voice transmission: “My lady, I am your servant Bai Yi. I have come from Yin Thearch City. I would like to see you about a matter.”

“Uh…”

Yin Ruobing's cold self shivered. Following that, a slight redness could be seen on her face. Her eyes were as bright as pearls, and a faint arc appeared on her mouth, revealing her beautiful smile. It was so beautiful that many young masters who had turned to look this way were mesmerized by her.

Chapter 1084 - : Yi Chan Causing

Trouble

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Yin Ruobing was the clearest when it came to the rules of the Yin Clan; no servant would dare to send her a voice transmission directly like this. Furthermore, Yin… Baiyi; the two words 'Bai Yi' were too obvious. Yin Ruobing guessed who it was immediately.

Yin Ruobing recovered her composure swiftly and didn't release her divine senses to lock onto Jiang Yi to send him a message. She just said a few words to an elder next to her and continued walking towards the Heaven Fate Canopy in front of her. She quickly vanished inside that Heaven Fate Canopy.

Swish! Swish!

Meanwhile, the Heaven Monarch elder next to her had walked towards the outskirts. Jiang Yi used his divine senses to lock onto this elder and secretly praised Yin Ruobing's quick-wittedness. As her status was too special, she could not make any sudden movements. She could only send one of her men to come and find Jiang Yi. That way, it would not attract any attention.

Jiang Yi's divine senses were locked on to the elder, and the elder had sensed this as well. The elder scanned using his divine senses and said: “Is that Yin Baiyi? Lady Yin had asked me to come and find you.”

“It's me!”

Jiang Yi replied with a voice transmission. However, that elder did not even give Jiang Yi a glance and headed straight towards the city. The elder sent another voice transmission, saying: “Go to the Yue Lai Inn in the east city and find me at the Third Heaven room.”

The people of the Yin Clan are indeed cautious.

Jiang Yi silently nodded and waited for that elder to leave before he also headed into the city. Jiang Yi even purposely entered from the south gate. It was surprisingly lively in the Mystic Thearch City at night; due to what was going on with the Mystic Divine Palace, there was no curfew; and there was heavy traffic in and out of the city. It was just like a busy shopping area.

Jiang Yi did his best to navigate through the confusing city and took almost one hour before finally reaching the Yue Lai Inn. Jiang Yi booked a room and then found the Third Heaven room where an elder was long waiting inside.

After Jiang Yi entered, the elder looked at Jiang Yi suspiciously before kneeling on one knee. He said to Jiang Yi, “Yin Zhian pays his respects to Your Lordship. Lady Yin had instructed that anything Your Lordship requires, all you have to do is ask.”

“En!”

Jiang Yi did not expect Yin Ruobing to look so highly of him. Jiang Yi scanned the elder and from the looks of it, the elder had Yin Ruobing's absolute trust. Jiang Yi did not waste any more of his breath and said in a low voice, “I want to secretly get close to Yin Ruobing and enter Mystic Divine Mountain together with her. Can I impersonate one of the Yin Clan's warriors?”

“No!”

The elder thought about it and shook his head. “We have already been staying here for half a year. The other clans have gotten familiar with the Yin Clan's warriors. If a new warrior was to appear suddenly, that could cause suspicion. If Your Lordship was a lady, that could actually work as you could pretend to be one of Lady Yin's sisters or friends.”

Cough, cough.

Jiang Yi actually could turn into a woman. However, for a man such as him to change into a woman? He could not do something like that. Jiang Yi thought for a second and said, “How about I disguise myself as one of the Young Masters of the Yin Clan? If you give me a painting, I guarantee that I would look exactly the same. No one would be able to tell.”

“A Young Master of our clan?”

The elder shook his head again and said. “Young Master Tianlei is very familiar with the young masters of the Yin Clan. Furthermore, two of our Young Masters are currently here. If another one was sent here, that would be hard to explain… I know! Your Lordship can dress up as one of Lady Yin's cousins, for example—the sixth Young Master of the Li Clan, Li Tian!

“Young Master Li Tian had long started his journey here to Mystic Divine Mountain, but he encountered some problems on the way and will only be able to arrive two months later at the earliest. Lady Yin does not have good feelings towards the Li Clan, but she is on good terms with this cousin. Li Tian had also stayed in the Yin Clan Castle for a couple of years when he was young.”

“Li Tian?”

Jiang Yi felt a little uncomfortable. Li Hong had made Jiang Yi have little good feelings towards the entire Li Clan. Jiang Yi thought for a while and asked, “Will the two Young Masters recognize Li Tian? Will the cat be out of the bag?”

“No!” The elder shook his head and said, “The two are cousins of Lady Yin and have no affection for the Li Clan at all. They probably wouldn't even take a second look at you.”

“Very well then.”

Jiang Yi thought about it and decided to impersonate this Li Tian. Just as well, by the time Li Tian reached two months later, Jiang Yi would have long entered—and even exited—the Mystic Divine Palace. As Li Tian was now on the way—even if someone went to Crippled Heaven Region to verify Jiang Yi's identity, they would also not be able to find out anything. The Mystic Divine Palace was going to be open half a month later. Jiang Yi was only focused on entering for now.

He made up his mind and spoke to the elder, saying, “Give me a painting and some information regarding Li Tian. Also, help me to gather two warriors that will be attached to me. I do not want there to be any careless slips.”

“Alright. Rest assured, your lordship. Lady Yin had instructed that your command was akin to her command.”

The elder nodded and left. Jiang Yi immediately sat cross-legged and released his Divine Perception, locking onto the elder. After seeing that the elder had entered a secluded courtyard nearby and was not headed to the Zhan Clan's courtyard, Jiang Yi relaxed.

One hour later, the elder came back with information regarding Li Tian. Via the Yin Clan's secret branch, the elder had also made the necessary arrangements. Jiang Yi read Li Tian's information in detail and made a trip back to his own room. When Jiang Yi returned, the elder's eyes were straight.

“You look alike, too alike!”

The elder sized up Jiang Yi and quickly gave him some pointers. “Your Lordship, Li Tian has a scholarly air to him. You cannot be so ostentatious and need to suppress yourself. En… Young Master Li Tian loves music. Your Lordship better bring a jade flute and a fan wherever you go to complete the look.”

“A jade flute?”

Jiang Yi was in a dilemma. He was not very good at blowing the flute. However, he figured that after he entered Yin Ruobing's Heaven Fate Canopy. If he kept a low profile, no one would pay much attention to him. He could just carry a jade flute to complete the look.

Jiang Yi asked the elder to get him a jade flute and a fan while he continued to familiarize himself with Li Tian. Li Tian was the sixth son of the Li Clan Head. Li Hong was his third uncle. Li Tian was twenty-eight years old and was quite gifted. He was probably the first Young Master of the Li Clan, having already attained three-star martial prowess.

He liked to read about history and poems and enjoyed music. He was a cultured and handsome young master of a great family.

The jade flute was brought to Jiang Yi quickly. It was a small green jade flute. Jiang Yi hung it on his waist while he held a fan in his hand. As Li Tian was quite handsome, Jiang Yi was soon transformed into a suave Young Master.

“En. This is even more like Li Tian. I think even Lady Yin might not be able to tell you two apart.”

The elder looked at Jiang Yi closely and then nodded. He pointed outside the door and said, “Your Lordship, I have arranged for two guards. Tomorrow morning, bring them and directly look for Lady Yin. I will go back first to report to her.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi breethd out slightly. It was nice to have someone helping him. Jiang Yi could quietly make his way closer to the mouth of the passageway up the mountain.

If one was an ordinary person, it would be impossible to even get near that passageway. The Nine Thearch Clans would expel anyone who went close. It was probable that Zhan Tianlei had deployed many troops to prevent anyone from getting close.

On the second day late in the morning, Jiang Yi brought the two guards and flew boldly towards Mystic Divine Mountain. He paused as he saw Mystic Divine Mountain and flew straight for Yin Ruobing's Heaven Fate Canopy.

“Hold it right there!”

When he was a thousand feet from Yin Ruobing and company's Heaven Fate Canopy, a troop of soldiers wearing white armor from the Zhan Clan flew up from a few Heaven Fate Canopies below, stopping Jiang Yi from moving nearer.

“I am Li Tian from the Li Clan. I am here to look for my cousin Yin Ruobing, please give way.” Jiang Yi calmed himself as he fanned his fan slowly. He was polite in his speech, putting on the airs of a young master from a great clan.

Swish!

The elder from yesterday was already waiting for Jiang Yi. The elder hurriedly came over and personally brought Jiang Yi in. When they were a few thousand feet near the entrance of the mountain passageway, Jiang Yi felt numerous divine senses sweeping across him. There were at least a dozen divine senses of Demigods in the mix.

“Cousin?”

A voice filled with surprise and happiness rang out. Yin Ruobing flew out from the Heaven Fate Canopy, her face full of affection as she called out. Those divine senses swiftly retreated while from afar came Zhan Tianlei, his face full of warmth and affection, too.

“Sister Ruobing!”

At this time, the drape of a Heaven Fate Canopy near Yin Ruobing suddenly pulled open too. A lady with a ghost king's face mask and purple hair walked over. She looked at Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi and opened her mouth. “Sister, this is the person you have always been talking about, the unparalleled and incomparable cousin Li Tian?”

“Not good!”

Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing's hearts both sank at the same time. Why was Yi Chan causing trouble? Now that she had opened her mouth, it was hard for Jiang Yi to not draw attention to himself anymore.

Chapter 1085 - I Do Not Have any

Other Choice!

Chapter 1085: I Do Not Have any Other Choice!

Revenge, this is definitely revenge!

Jiang Yi and Yi Chan exchanged glances and he immediately understood her intentions. Her appearance publicly and praising him in front of so many people, together with her greeting him, were all moves intended to give him trouble.

What status was Yi Chan? What was Li Tian compared to that? Even if Li Tian and Yin Ruobing were on good terms, it wasn't worth Yi Chan lowering herself to come and meet Jiang Yi proactively. Yi Chan was extremely lofty-minded and looked down on all the men of the world; she didn't even take to heart that She Fei had broken through to become a Demigod. How could she look up to a mere young master of the Li Clan?

Jiang Yi figured that Yi Chan should have guessed his identity already. The previous time at the Purgatory Ruin—though the two had only exchanged a single glance, Yi Chan was already instinctively suspicious of him. After that, she had even directly exposed him on the Painting Cliffs. Although at that time she did not know that Bai Yi was Jiang Yi—after Jiang Yi killed Wu Ni, his true identity was made known to the world. Yi Chan must have figured everything out then.

Yin Ruobing had also said that Yi Chan had some special mystical ability that could see illusions; even if she could not see through his Mirage Divine Ability, she could more or less feel something about it. Yi Chan also knew Jiang Yi too well. It was not surprising that she could see through him so quickly.

Previously, Jiang Yi had promised Yi Chan that he would give her an answer after the Buddha Thearch's birthday banquet. However, he left without a word and had also hidden the fact that he was Jiang Yi from her. Yi Chan had once saved his life in the Desolate East Sea. Although he had no choice but to hide his identity from her, it was indeed wrong of Jiang Yi to do so. It was normal that Yi Chan was angry with him. However, Jiang Yi did not expect her to publicly seek revenge like this.

Swish! Swish!

The restrictions on many of the Heaven Fate Canopies were lifted, as She Fei, Ling Qijian, Tu Long, Ye Ying, Jian Wuying, and company all came out. They looked at Jiang Yi curiously. There was even a hint of murderous intent in She Fei's eyes. It was obvious that She Fei was feeling murderous due to Yi Chan's attitude towards Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi saw so many of his 'old friends' but did not display any emotions. His mind churned as he quickly flipped open his fan and smiled lightly. He said, “To what do I owe this pleasure, that Lady Yi Chan would praise me such? I am neither good at studying nor martial arts.

I am still far from good. I did not know that Lady Yi Chan also liked books? It is indeed an honor to meet you.”

Facing a group of top-notch young masters and young mistresses from the continent, Jiang Yi was neither supercilious nor obsequious. Furthermore, his eyes were clear and bright, without a sliver of affection or greed. Jiang Yi gave the impression that he was a soft-spoken man that focused on his books. He wanted to purposely misdirect people into thinking that Yi Chan had admired Li Tian because of his love for reading.

As he was gentle and refined when he spoke, this actually generated a certain amount of affection among this group of young masters and young mistresses who only knew how to fight and kill, who were pursuing the martial arts with their hearts their entire lives. The misgivings they had about Jiang Yi also dissipated by a huge amount.

Yin Ruobing hurriedly smiled widely and mediated the situation. She said, “Haha, Cousin. You shouldn't be so humble. Big Sister Chan had read your essays before. She also admires your understanding and thoughts on zen dao.”

Yin Ruobing's words were like a timely rain, completely dispelling any suspicion in the hearts of everyone present. However, the look of animosity in She Fei's eyes still remained; his wedding proposal being rejected had made him even more resolute in marrying Yi Chan, and that was also the only way he could get back some of his face. He could then successfully become the young clan head and—subsequently—the next She Emperor.

This Young Master from the Li Clan had suddenly appeared and could write a good essay? He also knew the zen dao? Although these things meant nothing to She Fei as might was right for him—as long as Yi Chan had some affection for Li Tian, Li Tian was his enemy.

“Keke!”

Yi Chan smiled lightly and did not continue making trouble. She looked deeply at Jiang Yi and said, “If there is an opportunity, I would like to discuss zen with Young Master Li. I will take my leave now.”

Yi Chan entered her own Heaven Fate Canopy while Tu Long, Ling Qijian, and company all nodded at Jiang Yi before returning to their own as well. She Fei glared fiercely at Jiang Yi, giving him a warning look before heading back as well.

Only Zhan Tianlei walked up, cupped his hands, smiled, and said, “I have long heard that Ruobing had a cousin who was a universal genius. I have finally managed to meet you today. I am Zhan Tianlei, greetings to Brother Li.”

Greetings to be damned!

Jiang Yi scolded inside his heart. If it wasn't for the battle south of the Divine Sonar Region—where the Zhan Clan had thought they could easily kill him and reveal their identity, Jiang Yi would not have known how cruel and devious this Zhan Tianlei was. For Zhan Tianlei, there was no difference in killing a person and pinching to death an ant.

Of course, Jiang Yi still respectfully bowed and said, “I see, you are Young Master Tianlei. Nice to meet you.”

“Cousin, let's go in and talk.”

Yin Ruobing smiled sweetly and gave a look to Zhan Tianlei. The latter got the hint, cupped his hands, and left. Jiang Yi followed Yin Ruobing into her Heaven Fate Canopy.

This was the highest grade Heaven Fate Canopy that had a spatial zone inside and an elegant courtyard.

There were three stories in the courtyard, with many rooms in it. On the first floor were a few maidservants and two elders. One of them had a very strong aura; he was obviously a Demigod. The Demigod looked suspiciously at Jiang Yi, but after Yin Ruobing gave him a cold look, the elder withdrew his gaze and sat down with his eyes closed.

“Cousin, let's talk on the second floor.”

Yin Ruobing brought Jiang Yi up to the second floor. Jiang Yi curiously took a quick measure of the Heaven Fate Canopy; he realized that it was no different from a spatial divine item. Furthermore, it was possible to send one's divine senses out from here and clearly know what was happening outside.

There was a big hall on the second floor, with a few guest rooms. There was also a corridor at the side that led to the third floor. Once Yin Ruobing entered the second floor, she immediately activated the restrictions and used her divine senses to scan the surroundings before saying with a little trepidation, “Jiang Yi, you are too bold.

You actually impersonated my cousin. Luckily, the Battle Thearch isn't around. If not, he could easily see through your disguise; and you would die here.”

“I have always been this bold. I don't have a choice actually. I must go into the Mystic Divine Palace to retrieve a treasure.” Jiang Yi smiled bitterly and said. He took the cup of tea that Yin Ruobing had poured for him and drank it all in one go.

“Enter the Mystic Divine Palace?”

Yin Ruobing shook her head and laughed lightly. “We have been waiting here for half a year. There still aren't signs that the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain are loosening. We do not know how much longer we have to wait. If we had to wait for a few years or tens of years…”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled with much confidence and said, “It will not be that long. Half a month would be sufficient. You'd better be prepared. At that time, we will go in together.”

“Ah?”

Yin Ruobing's face was filled with surprise and happiness. She understood quickly. “Ao Lu told you this?”

Jiang Yi waved open his fan and mimicked a learned scholar, softly fanning himself. He then closed his eyes and said, “Heaven's secrets must not be divulged.”

“Pfff…”

Yin Ruobing shot Jiang Yi a look, saying, “You're addicted to your new persona now? Aiya, you should transform back into your original self. This is so uncomfortable to look at.”

Jiang Yi's body flashed with white light, and he changed back to his original self. Yin Ruobing then smiled sweetly and said, “This is so much better. If there is no one else around, you should be like this.

For now, you can stay on the second floor, and then you can head to the Mystic Divine Palace half a month later. However… after you enter, there's a high chance that your identity will be exposed. If it comes to that, it could be the Battle Thearch or the North Thearch waiting for you when you exit. Have you thought this through?”

“I do not have any other choice!”

Jiang Yi's gazed towards the east as his divine senses locked on to the Mystic Divine Mountain that was high in the clouds. He said resolutely, “There are things that men do and do not do. There are just some things that one has to do even if it costs one's life.”

Yin Ruobing looked at Jiang Yi's battle-hardened face that was turned and saw the resoluteness in his expression. Her heart fluttered as a sliver of a discoloration entered her eyes. She then recalled Jiang Yi's status and her own marriage engagement, and a bitter smile surfaced on her mouth.

Chapter 1086 - Hard to Part With

Chapter 1086: Hard to Part With

As it turned out, the appearance of 'Li Tian' did not particularly draw Zhan Tianlei's attention. He had a complete set of information on Yin Ruobing and knew that besides her biological brother that she was closer to, there was only this cousin of hers that she was on better terms with. Li Tian had stayed with the Yin Clan for a few years when he was young and had grown up together with Yin Ruobing; it was normal that they had a good relationship.

Of course, since her 'cousin' had arrived, Zhan Tianlei could not just do nothing. He personally came over to Yin Ruobing's Heaven Fate Canopy that afternoon, stating that he was going to host a banquet for Li Tian to welcome him.

Yin Ruobing naturally rejected, saying that Li Tian had come a long way and was very tired and that he should rest well for a few days. She also indicated that Li Tian had a quieter nature and did not like to party like the rest of the young masters. She asked for Zhan Tianlei to not come and disturb that often.

Zhan Tianlei walked away embarrassed, a stomach full of fire. However, he had also grown used to Yin Ruobing's temperament and did not dare to defy her. However, two hours after Zhan Tianlei had left, Yi Chan came to pay a visit. Yin Ruobing heard the news and smiled bitterly. She said, “Jiang Yi, I can help you to push away Zhan Tianlei, but as for Big Sister Chan, that will be up to you.”

Yin Ruobing personally went and welcomed Yi Chan. Jiang Yi turned back into Li Tian's looks and helplessly sat in the hall on the second floor, drinking his tea depressively. He was not sure how to face Yi Chan.

Yi Chan was his life savior; Jiang Yi would rather face Yin Ruobing than face Yi Chan. However, since Yi Chan had come knocking, Jiang Yi did not have any reason not to see her.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

Footsteps could soon be heard on the steps. Jiang Yi rose up in welcome as Yin Ruobing brought Yi Chan up the stairs. Jiang Yi exchanged a look with Yi Chan and immediately revealed a bitter smile. Yi Chan's expression was too profound; she saw through him immediately, and he could hide nothing from her.

“Greetings to Lady Yi.”

Jiang Yi cupped his hands and bowed with hands folded in front. However, Yi Chan ignored that, found a seat, and sat down immediately. She did not wait for Yin Ruobing to pour her tea but did it herself. Yi Chan did not say anything.

“Hehe. The two of you can talk first. I will go and take a nap.”

Yin Ruobing gave Yi Chan a look, smiled slightly, and walked gracefully up to the third floor. She also activated the restrictions on the second floor for the two of them.

Yi Chan kept quiet and continued drinking her tea. Her red lips under her mask looked exceptionally fresh. She lowered her head and did not say a single word.

Jiang Yi did not know whether to stand or to sit; he stared for a second, then gritted his teeth, and sat down. He looked at Yi Chan and said, “Lady Yi, I…”

“I? What I?!”

Yi Chan lifted her head and stared slightly angrily at Jiang Yi, saying, “Young Master Jiang, you are indeed good. You had me twirled around your finger. Did you think it was amusing? That day at the Desolate East Sea, you said that you would definitely repay my kindness one day; is this how people from the Stellarsky Continent repay people?”

“Hehe!”

Yi Chan was indeed still angry about this. Conversely, Jiang Yi did not feel awkward. He bitterly smiled and said, 'Lady Yi, it was indeed my bad regarding this matter.

I apologize to you! However, you should know the difficulties that I was facing. I had entered Sin Island before; if my identity was to be exposed, the whole East Imperial Continent would be wanting my head. Could I have revealed my identity to you? Of course, no matter what, it was indeed my fault. If you want to hit me or punish me, please do so. I will definitely not bear any grudges.”

Yi Chan looked at Jiang Yi and continued talking indignantly, “In your heart, am I such a lousy person? Did you think that I would sell you out? Expose you? This time round, you'd rather trust Yin Ruobing over me and ask her for help instead? Right… what is your relationship with Ruobing? She is now betrothed to someone else; if you continue to be entangled with her, are you not afraid that Zhan Tianlei would destroy you?”

Not good!

Jiang Yi silently said to himself, feeling that things were heading south. He could hear a sour tone in Yi Chan's voice. It was possible that Yi Chan was now so angry partly because he had looked for Yin Ruobing for help instead of her. Could it be that this heavenly prodigious lady had fallen for him? He was already entangled with one Ruobing; if he were to have something messy going on with Yi Chan as well, his troubles would only multiply.

However, it was undeniable that Jiang Yi secretly felt a little happy; to be able to make Yi Chan jealous. Was this not something that any man in the world would be secretly elated about? He looked straight at Yi Chan, and she seemed to have regained her senses, knowing that her tone was a tad too sour. She hurriedly lowered her eyes and looked slightly flustered.

Yi Chan had a relatively strong temperament and managed to calm herself down with a few breaths. She lifted her head again and looked at Jiang Yi, her eyes burning. This made Jiang Yi slightly uncomfortable as he hurriedly lowered his head and sipped his tea.

He said, “Lady Yi, you are my life savior. I still owe you two favors. Although I am not someone of importance, I am a righteous man and will not go against my word. I will definitely not dare to forget about these two favors.

I looked for Yin Ruobing's help… actually because I had met her in the Divine Sonar Valley, and she had recognized me.

“And what else? Oh, yes. Lady Yin and I are just friends. Lady Yin is a heavenly prodigious lady while I am a spy sent from Sin Island, a street rat that everyone is clamoring to beat. How could I have any feelings for her?”

Speaking of Sin Island, Yi Chan's eyes dimmed visibly. She lowered her head and pretended to drink her tea to hide her uneasiness. She took a long time before she sighed and said, “Jiang Yi, not bringing you back to the Yi Clan that day was the greatest mistake I have ever made. Since things have come to past, there is no point in raising it again.

“You should head back to Sin Island. It is too dangerous here on the East Imperial Continent. Even if you managed to obtain the Mystic Divine Palace, you would also be killed by the Battle Thearch and the North Thearch. When you have gone back to Sin Island, you should never come back here again…”

Jiang Yi's heart moved. From these few sentences, he could feel that there were many emotions deep inside of Yi Chan.

Indeed, she admired Jiang Yi and even had some affection for him. If not, she would also not have said that it was her greatest mistake not bringing him back to the Yi Clan. However, she was a very principled person. Since Jiang Yi had gone to Sin Island and was on good terms with Ao Lu, these were things that Yi Chan could not accept.

She was very conflicted internally. Hence, she wanted Jiang Yi to leave. Only if he left and if she never saw him again, could she forget Jiang Yi with the passage of time… could she stop feeling so conflicted and painful.

To be able to hear the sincerest farewell from this lofty-minded lady, Jiang Yi was very satisfied and grateful. He deeply bowed with hands folded in front and said, “No matter where Jiang Yi came from, one thing will never change. I will never be enemies with the Yi Clan. Also, if Lady Yi has any tasks for me, I will not shy from them.

“My apologies, Lady Yi, I cannot leave this time. I have to enter the Mystic Divine Palace to obtain a treasure. Once I have gotten this treasure, I think I will head back to Sin Island. Perhaps… I will never return in this lifetime! Of course, I have a blood feud with the North Thearch Clan; if I managed to attain the prowess of a nine-star martial expert, I will definitely return here to seek revenge!”

“En, in that case, I wish you all the best.”

Yi Chan suddenly did not have the mood to continue talking. She slowly stood up and walked down to the first floor, looking nerve-wracked.

At the top of the staircase, she suddenly paused and remained silent for a long while, before turning and looking at Jiang Yi. She asked very seriously, “Jiang Yi, if I ask you to completely cut ties with Sin Island and not have anything to do with Ao Lu—! If I ask you to forget everything in the past, part with the past, and enter the Yi Clan. Would you be willing?”

“Everything?”

Jiang Yi became silent. He was quite clear of what Yi Chan meant. She wanted him to give up his past and enter the Yi Clan using a new identity. After that, she would ask the Buddha Thearch to mediate between him and the North Thearch, to completely become a member of the Yi Clan, and become… her husband!

If it was any other person, that person would probably have agreed on the spot. After all, becoming a son-in-law of the Yi Clan and marrying a heavenly prodigious lady like Yi Chan was the dream of countless men.

However, would Jiang Yi be willing? Could he abandon Jiang Xiaonu, Qian Wanguan, Zhan Wushuang, Situ Yixiao, Huangfu Taotian, Feng Luan, Qing Yu, and Nangong Qi Ling? If he did that, would he still be Jiang Yi?

“I understand!”

Yi Chan saw that Jiang Yi remained mum, slightly shook her head, closed her eyes, and headed down the stairs. All she left behind was a slight sigh.

…

Chapter 1087 - A Joke

Chapter 1087: A Joke

After Yi Chan left, she never came back again. The two young masters of the Yin Clan also never came once. Only Zhan Tianlei came twice, insisting on hosting a welcome banquet for Li Tian; both times Yin Ruobing had declined on Jiang Yi's behalf.

Jiang Yi was staying very peacefully in Yin Ruobing's Heaven Fate Canopy. If he could continue staying like this until half a month later when the restrictions on Mystic Divine Mountain were loosened, that would be perfect. It was a pity that on the eighth day of Jiang Yi's stay, he had no choice but to go out.

A young master of the Yin Clan was celebrating his thirtieth birthday. This was a big event that Yin Ruobing had to attend. As Jiang Yi was impersonating Li Tian, he could also find no way to not attend. Jiang Yi was very troubled upon receiving this piece of news. He could only pray that the banquet would go by peacefully.

Yin Ruobing was dressed very elegantly this day. She wore a black pleated dress and was barefooted as usual. Contrasting with the black skirt, her two feet were mesmerizing. If there were men with foot fetishes, they could probably play with this pair of feet for a couple of years.

“It will be fine. If you keep a low profile, there ought not to be any trouble.”

Yin Ruobing saw that Jiang Yi looked slightly troubled, smiled, and tried to reassure him. She then continued, “The one hosting today's banquet is my second brother Yin Feihuang. You can call him Second Brother, too. He is not very familiar with my cousin. You can casually strike up a conversation with him, and that would be sufficient. Let's go, I'll take care of everything.”

“Alright then!”

Hearing the last sentence, Jiang Yi had a feeling that he was being a freeloader. He scratched his nose, slightly embarrassed, and followed Yin Ruobing outside.

After walking out of the Teleportation Formation in a flash of light, they appeared outside. Zhan Tianlei was already waiting there. He saw Yin Ruobing's black dress that made her look so incredibly pretty. His eyes lit up as he praised her. “Ruobing, you look good in anything. This dress has added a special touch to you. It's so beautiful.”

Jiang Yi heard this at the side and goosebumps appeared on his skin. Yin Ruobing was also very embarrassed. She smiled slightly and said, “Let's go.”

The three did not bring any guards and walked towards one of the Heaven Fate Canopies. They were just making their way there when Yi Chan's Heaven Fate Canopy lit up. Yi Chan appeared outside, and Yin Ruobing immediately went to welcome her. Jiang Yi looked over and secretly nodded: a beauty was indeed a beauty. With a pure heart, a girl would look nice wearing anything.

Yi Chan also wore a silky black dress today and also had a face mask on. Her purple hair was so beautiful, making her look like a succubus in the night. Standing together with Yin Ruobing made the two look like two flowers fighting for supremacy, captivating the attention of all the guards present.

Yi Chan gave a slight look at Jiang Yi and Zhan Tianlei and headed straight into the Heaven Fate Canopy where the banquet was going to be held. It looked as if she wasn't in a good mood. The group entered the Heaven Fate Canopy, and—with a flash of light—arrived into a grand central hall.

Yin Feihuang's Heaven Fate Canopy was very stylish and grand. A red carpet was laid all the way outside the central hall where more than a dozen maidservants knelt as they welcomed the guests. There was an old housekeeper that was also offering greetings with a huge smile on his face.

Yin Feihuang was Yin Ruobing's elder male cousin and was the most gifted disciple among the younger generation in the Yin Clan. He was thirty this year and had attained the prowess of a five-star martial expert. He was much stronger than Yin Ruobing's two younger brothers. If he could break through to be a Demigod, it was highly likely he could become the young clan head.

“Hahaha!”

The group had just entered the courtyard when a refreshing voice rang out from inside the central hall. A tall and big youngster walked out. He was handsome and had a special air to him that made him stand out. He swept a glance at the group present, cupped his hands, and greeted Zhan Tianlei first. “Young Master Tianlei, you have to drink throughout the night with me today.”

“Definitely, definitely!” Whenever Yin Ruobing was around, Zhan Tianlei always was rather low profile. He just cupped his hands and didn't say much.

Yin Feihuang then paid his respects to Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing and finally looked at Jiang Yi. He said, “Li Tian, I had long heard that you have arrived. It has been a busy few days, and I haven't had the chance to welcome you properly. Please drink more today.”

Jiang Yi waved his fan, nodded, and said, “Second Brother is too kind.”

Yin Feihuang personally brought the group inside. The central hall here was much bigger than Yin Ruobing's. However, Yin Ruobing didn't like having too many people around, preferring tranquility and peace. If the hall was too big, it conversely made the place feel too empty.

The entire central hall was filled with golden tables. From a quick glance, it seemed like there were at least a hundred tables. It was literally packed with people.

Ling Qijian, Tu Long, Jian Wuying, and company were all present. There were also countless young masters and young mistresses from the various clans present. Jiang Yi had a headache just looking at them.

The arrival of Yi Chan, Yin Ruobing, and Zhan Tianlei had caused a huge commotion. On the flip side, not many knew Li Tian and thus not many paid any attention to him. Numerous young masters and young mistresses came over to chat idly; Jiang Yi was even pushed to a side.

He smiled helplessly and—under the guidance of the old housekeeper— found a golden table and sat down. He hated these banquets the most in the past; at present, he felt like he was sitting on pincushions. He couldn't wait to leave immediately.

Yin Ruobing, Yi Chan, and company all had their specially allocated seats. Yin Ruobing looked at Jiang Yi, nodded, and walked to her seat, sitting quietly as she waited for the banquet to start.

She Fei, Ye Ying, and company arrived soon after. Ye Ying was indeed courting Ling Shiya. When he arrived, his eyes locked on to her, and he almost fell over himself and ran over to her. She Fei's arrogant and wild gaze fell sharply on Yi Chan.

Jiang Yi looked at She Fei and silently nodded. The first young master of the She Clan was indeed extraordinary. He seemed stronger than before and had a very special air. He had an ambitious potential in him.

As almost everyone had arrived, the banquet also started. Countless maidservants emerged just like a flowing river, bearing all types of delicacies. As Jiang Yi's seating position was quite low in rank—combined with his low profile nature, he only nodded to acknowledge a young master and mistress near him, did not say anything, and ate in silence.

In the middle of the central hall were dancers performing while in the corner, musicians were playing their music. The banquet was roaring along with all the young masters raising their glasses and making conversation with the young mistresses sitting next to them. Only Jiang Yi felt out of place.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere became even livelier. Zhan Tianlei, Ye Ying, She Fei, and company were talking with fervor about dao patterns and different types of mystical abilities, about the Mystic Divine Mountain to the Mystic Divine Palace, and also from the matters of the world to regional conflicts, from the East Imperial Continent to Sin Island. Everyone spoke boldly and loftily as if each one of them had the ability to wipe out the thirteen clans of Sin Island on their own.

Jiang Yi listened, was secretly bored, and was slightly annoyed. However, the banquet had just started; if he left like this, that would attract the attention of many people. Furthermore, if Yin Ruobing wasn't going to head back, it was also not convenient for him to return to the Heaven Fate Canopy. He had no choice but to continue sitting in silence and listen to this group of young masters talk rubbish.

As the conversation continued, someone suddenly talked about zen. She Fei's eyes flashed as he wanted to impress Yi Chan. He stood up and said, “I have been bitterly studying zen and have gained some insights into it. I would like to share these thoughts with everyone and hope that everyone can point out my inadequacies.”

Yi Chan, who had been lowering her head and not speaking, slightly raised her head. It appeared as if she was a little interested.

She Fei became even more excited. He waved a hand and dismissed the dancers in the center of the central hall and walked straight to the middle himself. He said, “I think that the zen dao of this world revolves around the heart.

Cultivating zen means the cultivation of one's heart. Everything should follow nature's course; we should follow our own hearts. This is the highest realm of zen.

“Just like the Buddha Thearch, he has never allowed anyone or anything to restrain him. He follows his temperament and acts accordingly. This is the highest form of enlightenment. To be leisurely and carefree beats everything else. Our generation has been trapped by the matters of this world, fighting for fame, craving for alcohol and women; we are so far away from where the Buddha Thearch is currently at. I wonder when our generation would be able to stop pursuing the material things of this world and reach the realm of desiring and wanting for nothing…”

“Young Master She is absolutely right!”

“Young Master Fei has indeed understood zen dao. I agree with you!”

“…”

After She Fei had finished speaking, countless young masters and young mistresses chimed in their praise and agreement with what he had said. She Fei hurriedly cupped his hands in thanks and was subtlety looking towards Yi Chan. He appeared as if he wanted to see if she had been moved by his speech about zen dao that he had meticulously prepared.

“Pfff!”

Jiang Yi was drinking his tea at the moment and—after hearing the nonsense that She Fei was spewing and his expression—couldn't resist but spat the tea out.

Was She Fei joking? In order to please Yi Chan, he even made a fool of himself in front of Yi Chan who had spent her life since elementary school learning about zen. Wouldn't this make Yi Chan hate him even more? Guys and girls in love indeed had zero E.Q.

However, Jiang Yi's spitting of the tea had caused trouble. Many eyes suddenly looked at him. Jiang Yi realized that Yi Chan, Yin Ruobing, Ling Shiya, Zhan Tianlei, and company were all looking at him. She Fei also had a murderous aura; Jiang Yi felt that things were about to go south.

Chapter 1088 - Talking about Zen

Chapter 1088: Talking about Zen

Jiang Yi had planned not to say a single word today. He wanted to just do whatever he needed and leave. However, he did not expect to be so amused by She Fei's joke. Now, he found himself the center of attention again.

He quickly looked down and retrieved a handkerchief to cover his face so as to avoid getting himself into trouble.

He wanted to act low-key, but She Fei did not let him get away with it. His cold, hard gaze turned to Jiang Yi. In a low voice, he said, “What? Brother Li doesn't agree with me? Let's hear what Brother Li's respected opinion then.”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless eyes turned to Jiang Yi. It was normal for gentlemen to get involved in quarrels to vie for attention. The ladies liked to watch such quarrels as well—they were exciting after all. Even Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan turned to look at Jiang Yi. All the beauties gave him their attention. They were all eager to hear what he had to say.

Yet, what zen dao did Jiang Yi know? He did not even want to argue with She Fei. He stood up and cupped his hands. “Young Master She, you are mistaken. I just choked. I apologize for being disrespectful. Er… I don't have any opinions to offer. Young Master She, please carry on.”

Shh…

Jiang Yi refused to be engaged in a debate, causing many young masters and ladies to scoff. If he did not have anything to show for it, he should not have acted like an expert. The way they saw it, She Fei was being very logical. It was clear that Jiang Yi had just been trying to stir trouble.

Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing's expressions darkened as well. Both of them liked Jiang Yi. Naturally, they wanted to see him crush She Fei and argue until the latter had nothing to say in response. They were looking forward to She Fei being humbled. Naturally, they were disappointed by his refusal to argue.

There were so many people watching him, and yet he was not afraid to set down his pride. Even though they understood that Jiang Yi wanted to protect his identity and avoid trouble, Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing could not help but feel disappointed.

She Fei lit up immediately as if he was a victorious general who had just finished fighting a war. Once again, he smiled. “Actually, we all have some kind of zen in our lives. I think that zen is one type of heavenly dao. Realizing zen would improve one's dao.

If one manages to fully understand everything about zen dao, shattering the void and transcending would not remain a mere dream. I think that the Clan Head Buddha Thearch's zen dao has already reached the peak. If anyone would be able to shatter the void in these hundred years, it would surely be the Clan Head.”

Jiang Yi nearly spat out his mouthful of tea once again. She Fei spoke a whole bunch of nonsense just to turn around and bootlick the Buddha Thearch and suck up to Yi Chan. He was quite a smart man. He knew that Yi Chan respected the Buddha Thearch. As long as he kept talking up the Buddha Thearch, he would be able to make Yi Chan feel happy.

She Fei's bootlicking caused Zhan Tianlei and the others to feel unhappy. Even the young master from the Wu Clan raised one eyebrow.

If you, She Fei, want to bootlick someone else, then go ahead. Why must you bring others down just to talk up the Buddha Thearch?

However, the crowd did not understand zen dao. What's more, it was the day of the banquet. Surely, it would not be nice to offend She Fei.

Zhan Tianlei glanced at Jiang Yi just in time to discover that he was looking at She Fei with contempt. Turning to face Jiang Yi, Zhan Tianlei cupped his hands. “Brother Li, you don't seem to be taking Young Master She Fei's words very seriously? I heard from Ruobing that you've loved reading since you were a young boy, and you love taking part in zen at that? Why not you explain these things to us today? It's alright—Brother Li can say what he wants to say. Everybody is just here to discuss these things. Young Master She will not take it personally.”

Zhan Tianlei's words pushed Jiang Yi into the spotlight once again. Jiang Yi felt many people turn to look at him and knew that they were cussing him under their breaths. Once again, She Fei's expression hardened. He cupped his hands and said, “She Fei is waiting to hear Brother Li's respected opinion.”

Jiang Yi felt like a square peg being forced into a round hole!

If Jiang Yi continued to back away, he really would be looked down upon by Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan. He paused for a while, got to his feet, and slowly walked over. His footsteps were slow, and he looked extremely calm. He was almost akin to a boat sailing gently in the sea.

“Young Master She, you were right in a lot of different areas, but your interest is wrong.”

He stopped right in front of She Fei and smiled. “You're not talking about realizing zen because you genuinely believe in it. You are talking about it because of Yi Chan. Earlier, you said that we are trapped in worldly pursuits, the chase for fame, and wanton desires. This is true. However… if you are trapped by all of these things, how can you realize zen? How can a frog that's trapped in a well talk about how beautiful and huge the outside world is? This is a paradox. Don't you see that?”

Jiang Yi was turning She Fei's weapon against himself!

Jiang Yi did not know anything about zen, but he was quite nimble in thought. He easily found the loophole in whatever She Fei had been saying. Checkmate.

All the young ladies and men present knew nothing about zen either. They were instead just interested in following the crowd. While She Fei tried to suck up to Yi Chan, they all tried to suck up to She Fei. Nobody even understood what She Fei was saying. Now that Jiang Yi pointed it out, many people began to giggle. All of them could understand the condition of She Fei's worldly heart.

Zhan Tianlei and the others began nodding. It was satisfying seeing She Fei at a loss for words. Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing exchanged a meaningful glance. Both of them seemed to be mocking She Fei as well.

She Fei's face flushed a deep red. For a moment, he did not know how to answer Jiang Yi. Given his reputation and status, few people dared to speak up to him for fear of him. Each time he spoke in public, everybody would rush to agree with him. Yet, Jiang Yi was not bothering to save even a bit of respect for him before immediately tearing him apart?

All the highs and lows that She Fei had gone through over the past years had caused She Fei to mature. He cupped his hands and said, “Please tell us about true zen, Brother Li. Allow us to see more into your world. If you can convince us, I will drink three bottles of wine as a form of respect!”

“Alright. If Brother Li can convince us, I will do the same!” Zhan Tianlei shouted.

Yin Ruobing looked over at Jiang Yi worriedly. Yi Chan's eyes twinkled with hope. She was excited to hear what Jiang Yi had realized about zen.

Jiang Yi scanned the crowd and briefly made eye contact with Yi Chan. He did not have the heart to disappoint her.

So he decided to give it all he had. He closed his eyes and began to stroll inside the central hall. His mind filled with images of the Buddha Thearch that he saw in the Painting Cliffs. Those Heaven Paintings all carried with them a bit of zen aura. Then, he thought about the elder fishing at the Northern Lake on the Buddha Mountain. For some reason, he felt his heart settle.

Everybody's eyes were locked on Jiang Yi. Seeing his calm expression and his slowing footsteps—as well as his relaxed posture, they began to feel inner peace as well. The sound of chattering slowly dissipated. The central hall was filled with silence.

“Listen!”

Jiang Yi suddenly cupped his hand around his ear and gestured for everyone to listen. He kept his eyes closed to focus on the sounds. “This is zen. Zen is all about silence. Peace. Nature.

“The peace of zen is not just the absence of sound. It focuses on the calmness of one's aura, mind, and heart. If all of these things are calm, then the person will naturally become peaceful. If one's mind is at peace, they will be pure. If one's heart is at peace, they will gain realization.

Where there is peace and quiet, there will be a deeper understanding. Where there is deep understanding, there is action.”

As Jiang Yi spoke, the crowd seemed to hear a deeper implication to what he was saying. Everyone present became quiet and at peace. Jiang Yi continued, “The zen dao is a dao of the heart. Clouds belong in the sky and water belongs in a bottle. If all of these things are where they are, they will form the features of nature—like the features on our faces.

There is nothing special about it. All you have to do is understand how everything in nature looks like and realize your own true face. Then, you will understand this dao.

“The water in the bottle is just like one's heart. If you keep it pure and uncontaminated, your heart will be as pure as the water in the bottle. No matter what kind of bottle you put the water in, the water will follow its shape.

It has a big capacity to adapt. It can become hard, and it can become soft. It can grow bigger and can reduce in size. It's just like the clouds in the sky—free and easy. It is not easily intimidated by huge movements or sounds. Instead, it watches as the flowers under it bloom and fade, not taking anything too seriously. The clouds roll in the sky, then loosen up…”

As Jiang Yi said the last word, he felt his soul shake. For some reason, it felt like he had grabbed onto something. He quickly sat down on the ground, cross-legged.

He wanted to focus and make sure that he did not lose grip on whatever it was. By that time, he had completely forgotten where he was and what was happening around him. All he could think about was to grab a hold of that murky presence.

Everyone present kept their eyes locked on Jiang Yi. They saw him sit down on the ground, cross-legged like a monk. They looked at his peaceful expression and felt their hearts jump all of a sudden. It was almost as if Jiang Yi had transformed into a learned monk right in front of their eyes. A glow gathered around his body, and he began to emanate zen aura.

Dida!

Yi Chan's eyes lit up. She kept staring at Jiang Yi as tears began to flow down from her eyes. The teardrops landed in the wine barrel on the golden table, giving off a clear sound of droplets falling. At the same time, She Fei became so angry that the killing intent inside him grew like a crazed horse being let out of the stable.

Chapter 1089 - Won Over

Chapter 1089: Won Over

Jiang Yi did not know anything about zen. This time, he was forced to talk about it by the people around him. There was no way he could escape saying whatever came to his mind.

He had just been spouting nonsense, but he had gone through a lot after all. He had started out as a collateral disciple of a small clan. Then, he rose up to the peak of the Stellarsky Continent. From there, he traveled a long way to the East Imperial Continent. Throughout all the highs and lows, he saw the glory and the depths of hell.

He laughed and he cried. He was trampled upon like a dog by others. He cried his heart out from loneliness, conquered a million-strong army, drank the strongest of wines, played with the Butterfly Lady Race from the top ten divine furnaces… went to the Snow Region on his own and turned it upside down.

He had gone through what others might not even go through in ten lifetimes. Even he felt like he was getting old. This was all because his heart was thoroughly exhausted.

He had a unique aura about him. This was because he had seen and experienced so much. It was natural for him to look like he was floating. He was no longer shocked by anything. Instead, he faced everything calmly.

He smiled as he saw flowers bloom and fade, and he sat down as he watched the clouds roll up and loosen.

This was why he recalled the Heaven Paintings in the Painting Cliffs and the mysterious elder fishing. These memories caused him to realize something. He was spouting nonsense, but he ended up realizing true zen.

Yet!

What he did not know was that this realization of zen would be so moving for Yi Chan.

Yi Chan's name had the word 'zen' in it[1]. Ever since she was young, she followed the Buddha Thearch around to learn about zen. She was so attractive precisely because she had an aura of zen about her. Her dharmic dao came naturally to her. Her heart had no desires. Instead, she floated around the earth like a divinity.

She looked down on everything under the heavens. Those people who learned zen were all somewhat related to her already. She always thought that all the men under heaven were commoners. To her, there was no such thing as a unique man who rose above the mortal world.

Yi Chan had deep realizations about zen. What She Fei said was absolute nonsense to her. In fact, she thought that it was an insult to what zen really was about. However, what Jiang Yi said cut right through to her heart.

It came from his inner being and moved her greatly. What he said coincided with what she realized about zen as well. In fact, it seemed like there was… even more!

One could only imagine!

A self-sufficient woman who looked down on everything under the heavens and who thought that she knew everything there was to know about this dao… was outdone by a man. This man was also the only man she had ever taken a liking to. Of course, she would feel shaken to the core.

This was just like Feng Luan in the past. Feng Luan had always liked painting when she was young. She practiced her painting day and night and throughout the seasons.

For decades, she trained hard. At last, Jiang Yi still came and outdid her. He even became the Art Thearch. To Feng Luan, this was a huge blow. She felt like she had been completely won over.

That was exactly how Yi Chan felt at that moment!

If Jiang Yi had outdone Yi Chan in other areas, perhaps she would not think too much of it. However, zen was the one area that Yi Chan was confident in. Jiang Yi had never learned about zen from anyone. He just stood up and came up with things as he went along, and yet he managed to realize more than she did over twenty years.

Every girl was soft inside. No matter how strong they were on the outside— in the deepest recesses of their hearts, they wanted a unique man who could completely win them over.

Finding this man brought Yi Chan to tears!

She was crying for herself, for Jiang Yi, and for their lives. A man who was worthy of Yi Chan had finally arrived, but it was impossible for them to ever be together. This was the most sorrowful story in the world. Yi Chan felt like her heart had been completely broken.

The moment Yi Chan began crying, She Fei became angry. The entire central hall broke into a flurry of movement once again.

None of them understood what Jiang Yi had said, but even Yi Chan was crying. This meant that Jiang Yi truly had a deep understanding of zen. Why else would there be streaks of tears flowing down the cheeks of the proudest woman in the world?

What's more, all of them felt inner peace as they were listening to Jiang Yi. It felt like everything was right in the world. It was extremely rare for all of them to feel this immortal aura. Only a highly-skilled monk would have such extraordinary powers.

Just like that, everybody's impression of Jiang Yi changed. They all looked at him with newfound respect. Even Zhan Tianlei, Ling Qijian, and the others looked at him in awe. She Fei was the only one whose gaze hardened. He glanced at Yi Chan and then turned back to look at Jiang Yi who was still sitting cross-legged. The color of his face alternated between green and white.

“Well said. Bring the wine over. I will keep my word and drink three bottles!”

She Fei suddenly burst, causing everybody's ears to hurt. Jiang Yi who was still realizing zen, Yi Chan who had been crying, and Yin Ruobing who had been silent, were all jolted back to reality by him.

She Fei grabbed the wine from the golden table and lifted it high with one hand. He drank straight from the bottle. His movements were elegant, and he looked graceful even as he drank wine from the bottle.

Bottle by bottle, She Fei downed the wine. It seemed like he did not even need to pause to take a breather before he finished three bottles of wine and opened his eyes to scan the crowd.

What surprised him was…

These people were not cheering for him. In fact, none of them looked in the least bit respectful or in awe as they normally did. Instead, they looked like they were mocking him. Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing's eyes contained unmistakable hatred.

Sigh…

Zhan Tianlei and Ling Qijian exchanged a meaningful glance. Both of them sighed softly. She Fei had made himself look extremely bad this time.

He was giving off the impression that he was afraid to lose out to Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi had been sitting cross-legged, deep in meditation. It was obvious that he had been realizing something. Yet, She Fei so shamelessly interrupted him. That Yi Chan would hate him was only natural…

As expected!

Yi Chan suddenly got to her feet and cupped her hands toward Yin Feihuang. Without saying another word, she left, leaving behind a lonely figure.

“Cousin, let's return as well.”

Yin Ruobing obviously thought less of She Fei as well. She slowly got to her feet and cupped her hands toward Yin Feihuang before walking toward Jiang Yi. Zhan Tianlei quickly got up, but Yin Ruobing did not turn back. Instead, she said, “Young Master Tianlei, carry on drinking your wine. Ruobing is tired. I am going back to take a rest.”

Goddammit!

Anger welled up in Jiang Yi's chest. He had faintly felt the presence of a dao pattern earlier, and he sat down cross-legged immediately in the hopes of grasping it. Yet, She Fei chased it away by force.

It was extremely hard for one to realize dao patterns. The stronger one got, the harder it became. Jiang Yi could feel that it was getting more and more difficult for him to realize dao patterns now. In the six months he took to travel from the Black Flag City to the Divine Sonar City, he did not even realize one low-grade dao pattern.

After so much effort, he was finally about to realize another dao pattern. If he had just a little bit more time, he was sure that he would have been able to realize the dao pattern. At least he would have been able to get started on it. In the future, he would be able to build upon that foundation and improve the realization.

What was most important was that he faintly felt that the dao pattern presence was a huge one. It was at least a three-star dao pattern. Yet, the chance slipped out of his hands just like that.

He opened his eyes and got to his feet. He glared at She Fei, but She Fei was snarling back at him. Yi Chan was already gone by then. Naturally, there was no need for She Fei to act like a saint anymore.

“Forget it, Cousin. Let's go!”

Yin Ruobing reached out and grabbed Jiang Yi's hand. Jiang Yi's heart jumped. Yin Ruobing's hand felt like warm jade—it was way too comfortable. He calmed down immediately.

There was no point in saying anything more now. All he could do was make a mental note of what happened today. He would settle the score in the future.

If I have the chance in the future, I will kill She Fei. He won't even have the chance to turn the tables!

Jiang Yi made up his mind. He turned and grabbed Yin Ruobing's hand before walking out. Zhan Tianlei felt uncomfortable upon seeing this.

However, Jiang Yi was Yin Ruobing's cousin now. He had no reason to feel jealous. He only felt uncomfortable because he had not even gotten the chance to hold that little hand, and yet some other man was doing so before him.

“Rascal, you better stay away from Yi Chan. Some women are not meant for rubbish like you.”

Just before Jiang Yi walked out of the central hall, he heard a cool voice in his ears. It was a voice transmission from She Fei. Jiang Yi paused and grinned. He turned around and made eye contact with She Fei, who was at the opposite end of the central hall. He shouted, “Young Master She Fei, before you mentioned it, I had no intention to chase Yi Chan. Now that you did, I've decided to go to her pavilion to discuss zen with her…”

[1] Chan is Mandarin for zen.

Chapter 1090 - I Want To Back

Out of the Wedding!

Chapter 1090: I Want To Back Out of the

Wedding!

“You must be tired of living!”

She Fei had used the voice transmission, but Jiang Yi responded by shouting. Jiang Yi's words were ringing in everyone's ears. This caused She Fei to not know where to hide his face. The Demigod aura in his body surged with wrath. He shouted, “Rascal, do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you!”

“Idiot!”

Jiang Yi laughed. Before he could say anything, Yin Ruobing's eyes widened. She looked like a lioness whose tail had just been trampled upon. “She Fei, Great Young Master She, you're really daring! Do you think you can kill anyone you want now that you're a Demigod? Why don't you kill Ruobing as well?”

Now that Yin Ruobing had stepped up, Yin Feihuang had no choice but to get to his feet. His expression was dark as he said, “She Fei, play only if you can afford to lose. If you can't, then don't play next time!”

Jiang Yi was Li Tian on the surface. Today was Yin Feihuang's birthday banquet. Jiang Yi had not done anything wrong.

It was She Fei who had lost a bet and who threatened to use violence against others. The Yin Clan was not one to be bullied. Of course, they would not let She Fei trample all over them.

“Alright, alright.”

Zhan Tianlei tried to play the mediator. “She Fei, you've had a lot to drink. Go back to your room and rest. If you continue to kick up a fuss, Lady Chan would be angry for sure…”

“Hmph!”

She Fei tutted. Naturally, he did not dare to continue making a fuss. If he did, not only would he be angering the Yin Clan, but he would also be causing Yi Chan to hate him even more than she probably already did. Then, he would really have no way to turn back. Yi Chan was not like Yin Ruobing. The Buddha Thearch loved this granddaughter a lot. If Yi Chan did not give the nod, nobody would be able to marry her.

“Let's go!”

Yin Ruobing glared mockingly at She Fei and then led Jiang Yi out of the hall and into her own Heaven Fate canopy. The moment they entered the second level, Yin Ruobing jeered, “With this kind of personality, She Fei intends to marry Big Sister Chan. He can dream on.”

Jiang Yi did not bother about anything else around him. He sat down and rubbed his own temples. His head was hurting.

Something had really happened at this stupid banquet. She Fei must hate him to the core. If he gave She Fei the chance to get on the Mystic Divine Mountain, the latter would kill him for sure.

She Fei was no longer the same as he was before. Ever since he became a Demigod, his powers increased tenfold. Jiang Yi did not have the power of the star sphere and had no way of activating the Smelting Divine Furnace. He was not a Demigod's match for sure.

However, given She Fei's personality, he probably already hated Jiang Yi from the moment they met.

Jiang Yi closed his eyes to take a rest. He did not want to think anymore. He only had seven days left to come up with a new song that could incorporate the Massacre Intent. If he managed to do it, he would not have to be afraid of failing thoroughly if She Fei really did come after him.

Jiang Yi opened his eyes and saw Yin Ruobing sitting across from him, staring at him. He quickly averted his gaze. This young lady's incomparable beauty was causing his heart to race.

“Jiang Yi, why are you so amazing?”

Yin Ruobing paused and raised her eyebrows. Her eyelashes were trembling and she looked extremely curious. “Your talent is out of this world. It's one thing to have extraordinary fighting powers.

You know how to draw, play music, and now, you even know zen. What do you not know?”

“I don't know a lot of things.”

Jiang Yi replied bashfully. “You saw it yourself. I only have two eyes and one nose. I'm a very ordinary person. You would not believe it even if I told you.

Before I turned sixteen, other people from my clan thought that I was trash. I grew up being bullied every single day. In those days, I would often ask myself why I was so useless, and why I did not know how to do anything.”

“Uh…”

Yin Ruobing blinked suspiciously. Confused, she said, “That's not true. You're so powerful. How could you be trash when you were young?

You may have come from a small continent, but you must be the cream of the crop over there. Jiang Yi, would you tell me about your continent?”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled bitterly. Yin Ruobing's words caused him to reminisce about his past. He could not bear to let Yin Ruobing down so he pondered for a long while before saying, “I was born in a continent called the Stellarsky Continent. My father was the top martial artist in the continent, but I did not know of his existence before I turned sixteen.

My mother was called Yi Piaopiao. Today, I don't know where she is or whether she's even alive. From a young age, my dantian had been sealed. I only had one sister to depend on…”

Jiang Yi's memory box was unlocked by Yin Ruobing's question. He felt like Yin Ruobing already knew him inside out and like he could trust her completely. There was no need to try and hide anything from her.

He told her about everything from Skyplume City. Of course, he left out the parts about Su Ruoxue. It was not wise to tell a woman about another woman. However, he did not try to hide stories involving people like the Demon Empress and Xiao Fei.

Jiang Yi's story was long. He spent about two hours just talking about the Stellarsky Continent alone. When he reached the part where he left the Stellarsky Continent and barged into the Desolate East Sea, he paused. Shaking his head and smiling bitterly, he said, “I think you know everything that happened after that. I broke into the Desolate East Sea, cut across the Phoenix Cry Continent, and arrived at the Pegasus Continent. I entered the Mystic Divine Palace…”

“En-En!”

Yin Ruobing nodded. She was still staring at Jiang Yi intently. “Jiang Yi, you're really pitiful. You've suffered so much from such a young age. Compared to you, I feel like a bee that's spent its entire life in the hive.

I have been living a blessed life, but I never knew it. Of course… compared to your life, mine is boring and uninteresting. From a young age, I was an obedient girl. My clan fed me with many philosophies, rules, and etiquette.

Wherever I went, I had people following me. We were like little birds stuck in a cage. I was never allowed to fly freely in the sky. This is a kind of blessing, but it is also quite sad!”

“You are wrong!”

Jiang Yi interrupted Ruobing on seeing the twinkle in her eyes dampening. He said, “Only you have the right to control yourself! If you want freedom, there's no cage that can contain you.

Your heart is being held captive by yourself. You don't dare to break out of your cage and soar. You don't dare to go against your clan's wishes. That's why you're being held captive!”

“Is it so?”

Yin Ruobing thought about this for a while and lowered her head. Her beautiful eyebrows scrunched up together. It caused Jiang Yi's heart to hurt, watching her this way. She remained silent for a few minutes.

Suddenly, she plucked up the courage and looked up at Jiang Yi. “Jiang Yi, you're right; but if I want to break out of this cage, many people will get hurt. I will hurt the people who are closest to me. I've thought about escaping this cage countless times, but I don't have the heart to do that to them…”

“So you have no choice but to hurt yourself.”

Jiang Yi laughed bitterly and looked into his own teacup. In a low voice, he said, “Life is like this. You either hurt others, or you hurt yourself!

It's all up to what you want to achieve. Do you want to live for yourself or for others? Do you want to carry on this way for the rest of your life? Or do you want to fight for your own freedom and happiness?

Ai… let's not talk about this anymore. I haven't figured these things out for myself either. There are too many burdens we have to carry in life. We can't cut them off, or we will create even more trouble for ourselves.

Perhaps even divinities have no hope of living a life of no burdens and complete freedom.”

“Do I want to live for myself or for others?”

On hearing this, Yin Ruobing suddenly jumped. She did not hear anything that Jiang Yi was saying after that. Her eyes lit up. It was filled with conflict.

Ten full minutes passed before she gritted her teeth and turned to Jiang Yi once again. “Jiang Yi, I've made up my mind! I want to live for myself. I want to break out of this cage. I don't want to marry Zhan Tianlei. I want to… back out of the wedding!”

Chapter 1091 - You Want A Date?

Chapter 1091: You Want A Date?

“Back out… what? You want to back out of the wedding?”

Jiang Yi had been talking casually. In fact, he had mostly been talking to himself. He did not think deeper into the implications of what he was saying to Yin Ruobing, much less did he intend to convince her to back out of the wedding. He did not expect that she would have such a big reaction upon hearing his stories. She wanted to back out of the wedding?

He remained stunned for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, Jiang Yi smiled bitterly. “Little Missy, that's enough. You cannot back out of this wedding. Stop playing around! Go back and wash up and go to sleep. I still have to train.”

The Zhan Emperor had personally proposed the marriage, and the Yin Emperor personally accepted it. This was known throughout the world!

This wedding was already fixed. Nobody could change that fact. Even the Yin Thearch himself could not change it at will. If he did, the Yin Clan's reputation would be destroyed. Yin Ruobing herself could not change anything either unless she did not want to stay in the East Imperial Continent any longer. Otherwise, even if they had to tie her up, the Yin Clan would do it to make sure that she was there at the wedding.

This was why Jiang Yi thought that Yin Ruobing was saying these things on the spur of the moment. Even if she wanted to, she had no power to change the way things were going to be. With pressure from parents, siblings, and friends, not even a man could change things around—much less a lady.

Yin Ruobing smiled. She said nothing. All she did was reach out her arms to stretch her body and then puffed up her chest. Jiang Yi stared, dumbfounded. Yin Ruobing laughed and said, “What? Have you never seen a beauty before?”

“Eh?”

Jiang Yi looked at Yin Ruobing's expression. Something was amiss. He scanned her face for a long while before hitting his own head. “Yin Ruobing, why do I feel like you're different now? Suddenly… I feel like you're much more beautiful than you were before.”

“Pfff!”

Yin Ruobing giggled and batted her eyelashes at Jiang Yi. “Young Master Jiang, since when did you become such a sweet-talker? This is so unlike you.”

“No, it's true!”

Jiang Yi said in a serious tone. “I'm not talking about your appearance. I'm talking about the way you carry yourself! In the past, you might have been smiling, but you felt very cold.

Now, I feel like I'm looking at the real you. The you without a mask on. This makes me feel… much more comfortable around you.”

“A mask?”

Yin Ruobing laughed mockingly. “You're right. I've always had a mask on. Do you know why Big Sister Chan has always had the ghost king's mask on? It's because she doesn't want people to figure out what she's really thinking. We would lead really tiring lives if we don't put masks on. Now, I realize, however… it is more tiring to have a mask on. If I keep going on this way, I'm afraid I would not even recognize myself at the end of the day.”

Jiang Yi looked at Yin Ruobing who seemed exhausted down to her very bones. For some reason, his heart hurt just looking at her. From the outside, it looked glorious to grow up in a great family clan. However, Jiang Yi could see now that it was a tiring business.

Even one's own siblings could attempt to stab oneself from the back. Growing up meant learning to disguise oneself and learn to be hypocritical. In other words, one had to learn how to become like the people they hate the most. A life like this must be tiring indeed.

Jiang Yi walked over subconsciously and reached out to touch Yin Ruobing's face like he did to Jiang Xiaonu in the past. There was not one fluttering thought in his mind. “If you're tired, go and rest. When you wake up, tomorrow will be a better day.”

“En!”

Yin Ruobing closed her eyes like a cat being caressed. She stood up, got on her toes, and planted a kiss on Jiang Yi's cheek. Then, like a frightened rabbit, she flew up to the third level of the canopy. She called out just one sentence: “Jiang Yi, rest well. See you tomorrow!”

She had already disappeared upstairs, but Jiang Yi could still smell her fragrance on his cheek. He tensed up as if he had been electrocuted. There were shock and confusion in his eyes.

Since when did Yin Ruobing become so unreserved? Since when did she become so open? Why did she kiss him? Was she innocently grateful, or was there a deeper meaning to the kiss?

Was she sending him some sort of special signal? Did she want to date him?

“No way, Jiang Yi. This is dangerous. You really are going to make a cuckold out of Zhan Tianlei! Pui… Yin Ruobing was not even married to Zhan Tianlei; how could he be made a cuckold?”

Jiang Yi started to mutter to himself. He stood where he was for a full hour before he smacked himself in the head. “Stop thinking so much. I have limited time. I'm going to ascend the Mystic Divine Mountain soon. If I don't come up with a new Divine Sound Heaven Skill now, I'm going to be cut up into pieces.”

He quickly put a stop to all the messy thoughts in his head. Even if he was going to make Zhan Tianlei a cuckold, he needed to survive to do that, didn't he? He undid the restrictions around the second floor and retrieved his soft sword. Then, he began to dance around to a beat.

His Divine Sound Heaven Skill was already in the second stage. Logically, he could attack ordinary Demigods by now. If he could create a new song that would be able to incorporate the Massacre Intent, the attack power of his song would be much greater. If that happened—even if he would not be able to kill She Fei, he would at least be able to protect himself. After all, She Fei had only just become a Demigod. His battle skills were at most six-star.

…

The time that followed was calm. Yi Chan did not come to look for Jian Yi again. The other people wanted to visit Jiang Yi, but Yin Ruobing turned all of them down. She herself did not go downstairs again.

She waited inside the Heaven Fate canopy, smiling more brightly than she ever did before. She felt like she was fifteen or sixteen years old again. The beauty she exuded made Jiang Yi's heart race from time to time.

In these few days—apart from eating and chatting with Yin Ruobing, Jiang Yi worked on his Divine Sound Heaven Skill every single day. He was making some progress in terms of writing the song, but he definitely needed more time in order to complete it.

What was surprising was that in these few days, Yin Ruobing never hid her fragrance. The fragrance of the Fragrant Lady Race spread out throughout the entire Heaven Fate canopy. Jiang Yi and others made a lot of progress in terms of their spirits. Although they were not improving rapidly—as long as he stayed with her, he was certain the impact would be positive.

It was a pity that seven days passed just like that. It was time for his appointment with Ao Lu.

“Ruobing, get ready! Also… Get someone to tell Yi Chan. Tell her to get ready as well.”

Jiang Yi stopped working on his Divine Sound Heaven Skill for a moment. He prepared to ascend the mountain at any time. Yin Ruobing was all dressed for the occasion as well. On hearing Jiang Yi's instructions, she called out for a subordinate. The subordinate quickly sent the message. A while later, Yi Chan entered the Heaven Fate canopy.

“Big Sister Chan!”

Yin Ruobing smiled excitedly to receive Yi Chan. Her smile was genuine and warm. It would make anyone feel comforted. Yin Ruobing was glowing, and she looked to have a sunny aura that surrounded her entire being.

Yi Chan took one glance at her and raised her eyebrows. She turned to Jiang Yi, shocked, and said, “You guys…”

Jiang Yi looked confused. Yin Ruobing smiled shyly. “It's not like what Big Sister Chan is thinking. Ruobing has just figured some things out, that's all.”

Yin Ruobing blinked several times, confused. She turned to face Yin Ruobing, shock still clear on her face. She sent a voice transmission that expressed her feelings: “Little Sister Ruobing, you've really made up your mind?”

Yin Ruobing's eyes brightened. She sent a firm voice transmission back: “That's right. We only have one life to live. If I don't become the master of my own life, will I ever be happy?”

Sigh…

Yi Chan's expression suddenly darkened. She shook her head and smiled bitterly. She responded, “Ever since I was little, I've been training in zen. In the end, even my little sister seems to know more than me. I still can't let go of what my heart is holding onto. Little Sister, if you can let those things go, I can only wish you the best in life.”

As the two of them sent voice transmissions to each other, they glanced at Jiang Yi every once in a while. Jiang Yi felt even more confused than he did at first, but very quickly, he shifted his attention to something else. HiIs eyes brightened a thousand times as he suddenly shouted, “The restrictions have been loosened. Let's go, we're going up the mountain.”

Swish!

The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Yi rushed out of the Heaven Fate canopy and toward the Mystic Divine Mountain. Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan snapped back to reality. They followed him closely. Together, the three of them arrived at the Mystic Divine Mountain. The three of them resembled flashes of lightning as they sprinted up the road to heaven.

Chapter 1092 - Road of Azure

Clouds

Chapter 1092: Road of Azure Clouds

Buzz!

The moment Jiang Yi left the Heaven Fate canopy, the entire Mystic Divine Mountain vibrated. The winding road that seemed to lead to heaven lit up. The pathway suddenly lit up with the seven colors of the rainbow. It was like the road really would lead to heaven.

Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi and his two companions ascended the mountain slowly. Many Heaven Fate canopies lit up as they did. She Fei, Zhan Tianlei, Tu Long, and others emerged from their own canopies and sprinted toward the road as well. They had not reacted that quickly at first. However, the fact that Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing were there too made them even more excited. Their movements stirred the rest of the crowd as well.

“Wow!”

The changes in the Mystic Divine Mountain and the multicolored pathway attracted the attention of everyone at the base of the mountain. The changes this time were much more significant than the ones before. Could the Mystic Divine Mountain really be open now? Could they really go straight up to the peak?

Swish! Swish! Swish!

More and more people were rushing over. They resembled a group of frightened birds. From amidst the Heaven Fate canopies emerged countless people.

However, they did not rush up the mountain. Instead, they rushed toward the base of the pathway.

The restrictions on the Mystic Divine Mountain were very strange. Anyone who wanted to get to the peak had to physically walk up. Anyone who wanted to take a shortcut and fly up would be stopped. Even the Nine Thearchs would not be able to do such a thing.

Jiang Yi was the first to step on the path to heaven. Immediately, he discovered a problem. With one step, he felt like he was on the Bridge of Helplessness in the Mystic Divine Palace. His body suddenly felt like it weighed a ton, and his entire body seemed to sink down. When he took a second step, the weight of his body seemed to increase. He guessed that the further he got, the scarier this would become.

“Go!”

Since he already decided to ascend the mountain, Jiang Yi was not about to back down from the challenge. He had arranged to meet Ao Lu today. What's more, there were sudden changes to the restrictions on the Mystic Divine Mountain. All of these showed him that he could definitely enter the Mystic Divine Palace. Whether one could enter the palace itself was down to one's capabilities and fate.

“He! He!”

Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan followed closely behind Jiang Yi. Both of them were nearly as powerful as him. All of them were peak-stage Heaven Monarchs. Although it was unclear exactly how many stars they each had, they all had at least three. The two of them paused upon stepping onto the path as well. However, neither of them panicked. Instead, their eyes reflected excitement.

They followed Jiang Yi and kept their eyes on the peak, charging forward crazily. In just a few minutes, the three of them had reached hundreds of steps.

Swish!

She Fei and Zhan Tianlei were right behind the three of them. The two of them were Demigods, but their pace was nearly the same as the three people in front of them. They were about a hundred steps or so behind them.

Behind them were Ye Ying, Ling Qijian, Yin Feihuang, Tu Long, and others. This group was visibly slower than She Fei and Zhan Tianlei. Their bodies weighed down on their feet, and they looked quite unstable as they walked. Slowly but surely, however, they ascended the steps.

“Hahaha!”

They heard a crazed laugh behind Ling Qijian and Yin Feihuang. Then, they saw a young man dressed in yellow robes, who was holding onto a white jade flute. He had his mouth wide open, exposing his set of white teeth. Like a flying sword, he overtook Ling Qijian and the others.

He was much faster than the others were. In fact, he was even a bit faster than She Fei and Zhan Tianlei.

“This…”

“Why is Jian Wuying moving so quickly? Doesn't he also have four- or five-star skills?”

“Precisely. Aren't Yin Feihuang and Tu Long four- or five-star martial artists as well? She Fei and Zhan Tianlei are Demigods, and yet Jian Wuying is moving faster than them?”

There was a stir at the base of the mountain. The consecrators from the various great family clans had not even begun to ascend the mountains. They were letting their young masters and young mistresses ascend the mountain first. Now, seeing Jian Wuying caused them to start discussing among themselves.

“Road of Azure Clouds, Trias of Wind, and a Golden Millet Dream! The Mystic Divine Palace is finally open…”

Just as the crowd was looking shocked, they heard a crystal clear voice from the west. It sounded like it was coming from the nine heavens, and it carried with it a sort of suppressive force which caused the people to feel reverence. Countless disciples of the Zhan Clan heard the voice and fell down onto their knees immediately. “Greetings, Battle Thearch!”

“The Battle Thearch?”

The millions of people at the base of the Mystic Divine Mountain stiffened. Many people who had been sprinting toward the mountain stopped mid-way as well. They quickly fell to their knees in fear. Nobody dared to offend someone like the Battle Thearch. What's more, there was nothing they would be able to do if the Battle Thearch wanted to ascend the mountain as well.

“Stand up, everyone. If you want to ascend the mountain, then go ahead; but those who are already over forty years old can save the trouble. You won't even be able to cross the Road of Azure Clouds. The older you are, the harder it will be for you to advance on that road.”

The Battle Thearch did not show himself, but what he said answered the question that many people had in their minds. There was a pause before he spoke once again. “The Mystic Thearch left behind some valuable instructions when he left. When the Mystic Divine Mountain reveals the Road of Azure Clouds, Trials of Wind, and a Golden Millet Dream, that means that the Mystic Divine Palace is about to open. The Mystic Divine Palace's second owner will also appear. All of you can go and try and fight for the place. Whoever can conquer that palace will become the descendant of the Mystic Thearch. He will be the friend of the Zhan Clan forever!”

“Wow…”

Suddenly, everyone at the base of the Mystic Divine Mountain stirred again. Countless people flew toward the stone path like flies to a lamp, but the people over forty years old remained where they were. Someone like the Battle Thearch would not tell lies.

The elders of the Nine Thearch Clans themselves did not move. Although they all wanted to try, they knew that it would all be in vain. Moreover, if they angered the Battle Thearch, they feared that they might lose their lives.

In the time that the Battle Thearch addressed the crowd, Jiang Yi, Yi Chan, and Yin Ruobing had already climbed thousands of steps. She Fe and Zhan Tianlei were still behind them by about a hundred steps. Ling Qijian, Ye Ying, Tu Long, and Yin Feihuang were a little further behind—they were about seven hundred steps behind.

Jian Wuying himself had already cleared more than eight hundred steps. He was about to catch up to She Fei and Zhan Tianlei. Behind him was a huge group of people—about twenty thousand or so people. However, they were all much slower than Tu Long and the others. Ling Shiya was evidently weaker, at only four hundred or so steps.

Jiang Yi and his two other companions were beginning to perspire. In fact, Yi Chan and Yi Ruobing's robes were drenched with perspiration. Their robes clung to their slender bodies, causing the people below them to suffer. All of them could have done without the distractions.

“Ruobing, Yi Chan, are the two of you alright? Why don't I make the journey for you?”

Jiang Yi did not turn back. He only sent a voice transmission to each of them separately. Yin Ruobing forced a smile and responded: “Jiang Yi, focus on your own journey. Don't worry about me. Don't belittle me.”

Yi Chan sighed softly. Without saying another word, she continued to move steadily upward. Jiang Yi activated his divine senses to check behind him. Without saying more, he focused on his own journey as well.

They did not know how many more steps they had to take, but Jiang Yi knew there were at least ten thousand steps in total. If there were more steps behind the white clouds that were covering half the mountain, then he really did not know how long they could go on for.

…

“Clan Head! The man right at the front of the group seems quite strange.”

On top of the city wall east of the Mystic Thearch City, countless elderly men were standing and observing the Mystic Divine Mountain. The one in the middle wore white armor. His face had no hair and was sharp as a knife. His features were slightly red. This elderly man was one of the three strongest people in the entire continent—the Battle Thearch.

On hearing the consecrator's exclamation, the Battle Thearch showed no sign of emotion on his face. He said nothing. Instead, he turned to the other Demigod beside him and said, “He is a little strange. This rascal was probably the first to find out that there were changes on the Mystic Divine Mountain. Otherwise, he would not be at the front of the group.

“Look, he's maintaining his position so effortlessly. He must be under twenty-five years old. Yet, he has five-star skills. If he did not, he would not be having such an easy time.

Whose clan does he belong to? How come I've never heard of this person? Why not we send someone to check his identity?”

“There's no need for that.”

The Battle Thearch laughed mirthlessly. “His identity is fake. I'm sure all of you are familiar with his true identity!”

“Fake?”

Many Demigods of the Zhan Clan looked astonished. They released their divine senses to scan him. One of the Demigods seemed to have guessed something. Surprised, he exclaimed, “Could that be… Jiang Yi?!”

“What?”

All the Demigods looked stunned. One particular old man—whose head was full of white hair—exclaimed furiously, “Clan Head, How about I go and kill him right now? The Mystic Divine Palace cannot lend in the hands of this criminal from Sin Island.”

“There is no need!”

The Battle Thearch continued to look in front, expressionless. He waved his hand and said, “The Mystic Thearch already left instructions. Any human would be allowed to take part in the competition for the Mystic Divine Palace. Criminals from Sin Island are humans as well. What's more, we would not need to do anything to take him down. I'm guessing that that old Wu Shang would turn up even before all the valuables of the Mystic Divine Palace have been looted…”

Chapter 1093 - Bastard Dog

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Road of Azure Clouds, Trials of Wind and Fire, A Golden Millet Dream. Does this mean that in order to enter the Mystic Divine Palace, there were three stages to be passed? This Mystic Thearch is really too much; why did he make things so troublesome? Wouldn't it be easier if he just asked Ao Lu to choose a successor?”

After climbing a thousand and five hundred steps, Jiang Yi was already huffing and puffing. However, gravity did not affect him that much. Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing that were behind him were still persevering.

Yin Ruobing was three to four years younger than Jiang Yi while Yi Chan was one or two years younger than him as well. Although Jiang Yi did not know both of their fighting power, Yi Chan was definitely not much weaker than him. Yin Ruobing was also born with an Astral Body and thus could keep up with him.

The one behind the three of them was not Zhan Tianlei or She Fei, but Jian Wuying. Jian Wuying was the youngest among them; he was only fifteen or sixteen years old, but he had already attained a four- or five-star battle prowess. Hence, his journey was the most relaxed, with a mischievous smile on his face. He occasionally called out to Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing, saying, “My two sisters, do you want me to help you two?”

Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan ignored Jian Wuying. This person was a little sex fiend. He had stripped a few maidservants in the Jian Clan of their clothes at the age of seven, biting every one of them. The Sword Thearch had even seen this personally and had hung Jian Wuying up to beat him.

Behind Jian Wuying were She Fei and Zhan Tianlei. The duo had the strongest battle strength, but they were both thirty and above; She Fei was already thirty-three. The Battle Thearch had said that the Road of Azure Clouds was harder for those who were older; the distance between the two and Jiang Yi, Yin Ruobing, and Yi Chan had already reached more than a hundred stone steps.

Tu Long, Ling Qijian, and company were even slower. The crowd of people behind them had been stretched into a long line; they were competing based on their age and actual strength. Some were climbing easily while some had only climbed tens of steps before feeling extremely uncomfortable; even more had immediately given up.

A few forty-plus-year-old middle-aged martial artists did not listen to the Battle Thearch and wanted to try their luck; they only managed ten steps before they vomited blood and tumbled down. The Grand Elder from the Chen Clan had arrived as well with Chen Chen. The Grand Elder stepped on the first step and gave up while Chen Chen brought a few disciples of the Chen Clan and headed up. Chen Chen's speed was passable; he had already passed more than six hundred stone steps.

Gradually!

Jian Wuying overtook Jiang Yi and the two ladies, running to the front. Furthermore, his speed was exceptional, his steps light. Everyone from the Jian Clan below became very excited, thinking that the Mystic Divine Palace was definitely going to belong to the Jian Clan.

One hour later, Jian Wuying was far ahead of the pack and had already reached the five-thousandth step; Jiang Yi and the two ladies were closely behind him, around the four-thousandth step. Zhan Tianlei and She Fei formed the third group at the three-thousand-and-five-hundredth step. Behind them were Ye Ying, Tu Long, Ling Qijian, Yin Feihuang, and the top-notch disciples from the great family clans at around the two-thousandth step. Even further behind them was a long line that stretched all the way to the foot of the mountain.

It seemed that all the talented disciples in the entire East Imperial Continent had gathered this time. From the speed they were climbing the mountain, a comparison could be made with regards to their gifts and abilities. Jiang Yi had also finally attracted the attention of many people below.

After all, Jiang Yi was not a well-known person. How could it be that after so long, he was still in front?

Li Tian!

This was a very unfamiliar name and was not very famous. Many people have never even heard of this name before. However, after knowing that this person was Li Hong's nephew, many people suddenly started to have some sort of impression of him. After all, Li Hong was an infamous old sex fiend.

Although Li Tian's identity was now known, many people still did not dare to believe what they were seeing. According to the information they had, Li Tian was twenty-eight years old and only had powers equivalent to a three-star martial expert. Based on his age and strength, it was impossible that he could be so fast. Zhan Tianlei was thirty, only two years older than Li Tian; but Zhan Tianlei was a Demigod.

There is something wrong with this person!

Not only were the people at the base of the mountain starting to get suspicious, but Zhan Tianlei was also getting surprised and suspicious, too. He had read Li Tian's information in detail, and by right, Li Tian should be behind Zhan Tianlei. How could it be that Li Tian was running even further and further away from him?

Could it be that Li Tian was disguising his real strength?

Zhan Tianlei's eyes flashed but soon gave up thinking so much. This was only the Road of Azure Clouds; there was still the 'Trials of Wind and Fire' and 'A Golden Millet Dream'. He was confident that even if Jian Wuying, Yi Chan, Jiang Yi, and company managed to head up the Road of Azure Clouds first, they might not be able to go on to the next stage. The Mystic Divine Palace could only belong to him.

Bastard, you'd better move faster. If I catch you, I will slaughter you!

She Fei was also thinking about Jiang Yi. A sliver of coldness flashed in his eyes. The She Clan's information regarding the Mystic Divine Mountain was very comprehensive. While he could not take action on the Road of Azure Clouds—when it came to the 'Trials of Wind and Fire' and 'A Golden Millet Dream', these stages were free for anyone to take action against others. So long as Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan were separated from Jiang Yi, he would not hesitate and kill Jiang Yi.

…

Another hour had passed.

Jian Wuying had already rushed up to the eight-thousandth stone step and was about to dash up above the clouds and disappear. Jiang Yi and the two ladies had reached the seven-thousandth step. The trio felt their legs being unusually heavy, with each lifting of their legs being extremely difficult.

They could no longer stand straight. Yin Ruobing's face was also very pale, with her body shaking and her legs staggering, as if she was going to tumble down at any time.

In actual fact, many people climbing below had tumbled downwards as they could not stand steady, all their efforts becoming naught. Jiang Yi used his divine senses, scanned Yin Ruobing, and sent a voice transmission, slightly worried: “Ruobing, can you still continue?”

The Road of Azure Clouds had one point in particular that was bizarre. Unlike the Mystic Divine Palace's Bridge of Helplessness, this road could not be climbed. If not, Jiang Yi would have long started to crawl; one would be an idiot to still care about one's mannerisms instead of preserving body strength at this point in time.

Jiang Yi had previously tried crawling, but once both hands touched the ground, it felt as if gravity had doubled. Yin Ruobing had also sent a voice transmission over to tell him that the Road of Azure Clouds could not be crawled; it would be more tiring than walking.

Hoo-Hoo!

Yin Ruobing took a few long breaths and stabilized herself. A grudging smile appeared on her face as she sent a voice transmission: “Jiang Yi, do not mind me. You'd better hurry up. If you can obtain the Mystic Divine Palace, that would be a very good thing for you. As for me… that would be a very good thing, too.”

“What yours or mine?”

Jiang Yi was extremely confused by what he heard. His divine senses detected that Yin Ruobing's body was swaying again, and he gritted his teeth and stopped. He started to retreat slowly and, under Yi Chan's confused gaze, retreated to Yin Ruobing's side. He grabbed her small hand and sent a voice transmission: “Let's go! I'll bring you up!”

On the other side, Yi Chan's eyes revealed her complicated emotions. She suddenly sent a voice transmission: “Jiang Yi, you cannot be so biased. If you want to bring, you have to bring both of us.”

“Uh—”

Jiang Yi twitched his lips, embarrassed. It was obvious that Yi Chan was having a much easier time than Yin Ruobing. Although Yi Chan's body was also shaking, it was clear that she still had residual energy. Wasn't she just trying to create trouble?

However, as Yi Chan had already opened her mouth, Jiang Yi couldn't bear to reject her. He used his other hand and grabbed Yi Chan's small hand. He closed his eyes and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. Under this state, the physical pain his body was feeling would not affect his soul spirit.

His body could then also bear the maximum load it could possibly endure. It would be more efficient to continue this way.

Swish!

He moved as if his steps had wind as his speed suddenly increased. The two ladies felt the energy being passed from Jiang Yi's big hands and managed to relax quite a bit. They also increased their pace and hurriedly dashed upwards.

“Wow!”

The hundreds of thousands of people at the foot of the mountain were all focused on the people climbing. At this moment, seeing Jiang Yi's crazed movements, the crowd became very excited. There were actually people who would have a tender heart for the fairer sex in this situation?

Furthermore, by assisting Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan up, it meant he was going to have two more competitors. Even if he wanted to chase after girls —surely this wasn't the way to do it, right?

Of course, many were feeling sour as well; these two ladies were the absolute beauties of the continent. To hold one of their hands could drive many men crazy. What's more, this guy was holding both of their hands at the same time. This amazing good fortune was enough to make many people go on a rampage.

“Ah, bastard, bastard dog, he's really a bastard!”

She Fei heard the commotion from below and sent his divine senses up to investigate. His body shook, and he almost slipped and tumbled down.

Jiang Yi being able to hold Yi Chan's hand was not what infuriated him the most. He was most angry at the fact that the lofty-minded Yi Chan was actually willing to let a man hold her hand!

Chapter 1094 - Trials of Wind and

Fire

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Based on calculations, there ought to be ten-thousand stone steps below the layer of clouds. One hour after the Mystic Divine Mountain had transformed, Jian Wuying had already led the pack and dashed up into the cloud layer; he had completely disappeared from the line of sight.

The second group that came up comprised Jiang Yi and the two ladies at the eight-thousandth-step mark. Jiang Yi's face did not reveal any expression. He appeared as if he was bringing two beauties on a casual stroll in the garden.

Only Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing knew that Jiang Yi's body was enduring immense pressure. Not one muscle on him was not shaking, and his bones were creaking. However, his steps did not once falter.

“Jiang Yi, stop. We can walk on our own!”

Yin Ruobing repeatedly sent a voice transmission to Jiang Yi, her face pleading with Jiang Yi. However, Jiang Yi turned a deaf ear to her. Yi Chan's eyes also constantly looked over at Jiang Yi. However, she did not say anything but accelerated her pace instead, so that Jiang Yi did not need to exert too much energy to bring her along.

The nine-thousandth stone step!

Jiang Yi's mouth and nose were starting to bleed. The interiors of his eyes and nose were also starting to show signs of fresh blood. It was obvious that his body was almost at its limit. His steps also started to slow down, just like that time when he was crawling on the Bridge of Helplessness.

“Jiang Yi, Jiang Yi. Can you stop? I can walk on my own!”

Yin Ruobing's voice transmission carried her sobs and cries. However, she was also under immense pressure; if not for Jiang Yi bringing her along, she would definitely still be around the seven- or eight-thousandth stone step.

“Shut up!”

Jiang Yi finally sent a voice transmission back: “Whether I can endure or not, I know it best. Be obedient and follow along; don't distract me.”

The harsh voice transmission made Yin Ruobing stop and cease her voice transmissions. She was not angry at all. Instead, she was like a small girl looking at Jiang Yi, her eyes filled with gentleness and guilt.

Sigh…

Yi Chan saw Yin Ruobing's facial expression through her peripheral vision, and her body slightly shivered. Her mouth revealed a sliver of bitterness and anguish. She suddenly gritted her teeth and quickened her pace, no longer allowing Jiang Yi to bring her along.

Instead, she actually wanted to drag Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing forward. However, Jiang Yi's reaction was very fast. He also sent a voice transmission to Yi Chan, saying: “Yi Chan, do not underestimate me. This little bit of work is nothing to me. You should know best.”

Yi Chan turned her eyes and slowed down her pace. She looked at Jiang Yi and his body that was already half-soaked in fresh blood, lowered her head, and fell silent. Jiang Yi had Jiang Yi's perseverance; she knew Jiang Yi was trying to repay her kindness as well. She chose to respect Jiang Yi!

She Fei and Zhan Tianlei's speeds were not bad. They had already reached the eight-thousandth stone step. Zhan Tianlei closed his eyes, and his expression was grave. On the other hand, She Fei's eyes were glistening, filled with rage and murderous intent.

“Brother She, if you continue like this, not only would you not be able to kill who you want to, but you might not even be able to enter the Mystic Divine Palace!” Zhan Tianlei suddenly sent a voice transmission over to She Fei, astonishing the latter. He was stunned as he looked at Zhan Tianlei, who was silently climbing, and quickly came to his senses.

Although Li Tian was Yin Ruobing's cousin—since he could actually climb so fast, that meant that he was a strong competitor of Zhan Tianlei's. Zhan Tianlei probably also wanted to kill Li Tian; he just didn't say it out loud.

Hoo-Hoo!

She Fei took two long breaths and calmed himself down. Zhan Tianlei was right. The Road of Azure Clouds, the Trials of Wind and Fire, and A Golden Millet Dream were three extremely difficult stages to pass. If he didn't calm down and ultimately couldn't even enter the Mystic Divine Palace, how was he going to be able to kill Li Tian?

Behind She Fei and Zhan Tianlei was the fourth group. However, at this moment it was not Tu Long, Ye Ying, and company. Instead, it was a trio that—to the people at the foot of the mountain—had unfamiliar faces.

Nevertheless, someone still managed to identify them. The people at the base of the mountain also started to talk about the three.

“The grandson of the Sonar Thearch is indeed extraordinary. I heard that Chen Chen was a three-star martial artist; it seems like he has already surpassed that!”

“The person in the middle should be a disciple of the Ye Clan? I think his name is Ye Jiuhan? This person is very young; I think he is not even twenty yet, right? He had all along been hiding his real strength, not revealing himself to others. If it is not for this time, no one would have known that the Ye Clan had such gifted disciples.”

“The Mo Clan's Mo Di is not bad as well, becoming a four-star martial artist at the age of twenty-three. His future is unlimited.”

Tu Long, Ling Qijian, Yin Feihuang, Ye Ying, and company had been overtaken by these three men because of their relatively advanced age. However, the former group had already reached the six-thousandth stone step.

This time on the Road of Azure Clouds, the masses had also realized the many hidden talents on the continent. Following behind Tu Long and company were at least ten thousand other people. Many teenagers aged thirteen to fourteen years old were among them. These teenagers' speed was very fast; Tu Long and company knew that and were sweating.

Of course, this was only the Road of Azure Clouds!

If one wanted to enter the Mystic Divine Palace, there was still the 'Trials of Wind and Fire' and 'A Golden Millet Dream' to pass. Furthermore, did it mean that once one entered the Mystic Divine Palace, he would definitely obtain the Mystic Divine Palace? Tu Long and company did not think of it that way. It was definitely going to be even more dangerous inside the Mystic Divine Palace. At the end of the day, it depended on one real strength and luck; the proportion of luck was to make up a big part of the equation.

…

“Pfff…”

After another hour, Jiang Yi and the two ladies had reached the nine-thousand-and-eight-hundredth step. They could see the clouds clearly above them. Jiang Yi finally couldn't resist and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, halting his steps as well.

“Ruobing, Yi Chan, the remaining journey will have to depend on you two.”

Jiang Yi helplessly opened his eyes and stood on the spot to use his skills to regulate his breathing. Yin Ruobing's face was filled with tears as she kept on nodding. Yi Chan also smiled with agony, saying, “Jiang Yi, if you did not bring us along—at this point in time, you would have walked past the Road of Azure Clouds; why did you bring us? Don't you really want to obtain the Mystic Divine Palace?”

Jiang Yi wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth and sent a voice transmission saying, “How can a man not give his all after receiving the kindness and being in debt to a beautiful woman? If the Mystic Divine Palace is supposed to be mine, it won't run away; if not, then even if I was faster that would be useless.”

Yi Chan looked at Jiang Yi and knew that Jiang Yi was trying to be charming, but she could see that Jiang Yi's body was almost going to tumble down. The three of them gritted their teeth and walked one step at a time upwards. It took them fifteen minutes, and they finally ascended the ten-thousandth step.

The moment the three entered the cloud layer, a white light flashed in front of them. The gravity that they felt suddenly dissipated; the sight that greeted them had also changed.

“This is the Trials of Wind and Fire?”

Jiang Yi wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth and looked in front, to a stone bridge. His face was full of astonishment. This was just a tilted stone bridge that was bent upwards; beneath the bridge was a bottomless pit. One could also not see the end of the bridge. It was very narrow, and only one person could pass through at a time. However… no danger could be sensed on the bridge.

“Keke!”

Yi Chan smiled slightly and expelled a little of her essence force, evaporating the sweat covering her body. She said, “Do not underestimate this Trials of Wind and Fire. When you are on the bridge—at any time, there could be a possibility that strong astral winds would buffet you while sky flames could also land on you. If you drop off the bridge, you would be trapped inside for ten years and then be teleported outside!”

Yin Ruobing nodded and suddenly thought of something. Her eyes lit up excitedly as she said, “Hehe, Jiang Yi, you are not afraid of astral winds, right? No, wait! You are also not afraid of fire?”

“Hahaha!”

Jiang Yi actually wanted to clean the part of his robe around his chest area. However, it was already dyed red with blood. He decided to rip apart his robe, revealing his chiseled muscles.

He smiled and said, “You two are certain this Trials of Wind and Fire only consist of astral winds and sky flames? If that's the case, I can bring you two across in an instant.”

Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan did not reply. The both of them were blushing and had turned their heads away. Yin Ruobing furiously said, “Jiang Yi, you rascal. Hurry up and wear your clothes.”

“Hehe!”

The Ancient Divine Essence Ring in Jiang Yi's hand lit up as Jiang Yi wanted to retrieve a new robe to change into. However, what was strange was that even though the ring glowed, nothing appeared. It seemed as if the Ancient Divine Essence Ring could not be used here.

He then tried with his Fire Spirit Pearl but had the same result. He helplessly shrugged his shoulders and said, “It can't be helped. I can't change my clothes here. I guess I can only let you two take advantage of me!”

“Bah!”

Chapter 1095 - Young Lady

Assassin

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Yi Chan and Yin Ruobing both tried but realized that they too couldn't retrieve any of their items and gave up. However, the two still didn't dare to look at Jiang Yi. They were both prestigious young ladies. Normally even when young masters were before them, they would make sure that their clothing was prim and proper. They were not like this rascal Jiang Yi, who had directly exposed his chest and nipples, making the two ladies so shy that they wished they could hide in the Road of Azure Clouds.

“Alright, you two can stop acting so shy and awkward. It is not as if I do not have my pants on. I am now being taken advantage of, but you don't see me complaining; why are the two of you still like this? Sooner or later, you would have to look at a man's body…”

Jiang Yi saw that the two ladies still refused to walk and murmured to himself. However, he saw Yi Chan's murderous look and hurriedly stopped talking. Instead, he scratched his nose, embarrassed, and walked forward. As he walked, he mumbled, “Alright, follow behind me. Let's get past the Trials of Wind and Fire as fast as we can. If you two do not move, Zhan Tianlei and She Fei will be catching up with us fast.”

Hearing the last sentence, both ladies' faces changed. They hurriedly followed Jiang Yi. Yin Ruobing walked in front of Yi Chan and saw Jiang Yi's exposed back. Seeing how many lines there were on his back from knives and swords scars, her face reddened again.

She kept her eyes fixated on her feet but—at times—couldn't resist and stole another glance at his back. That young lady-like charming self could move many men.

Yi Chan had it slightly better, being behind Yin Ruobing. However, her eyes too occasionally swept towards Jiang Yi's back. Her eyes carried a tinge of shyness. It was undeniable that Jiang Yi had a good body. His shoulders were broad, and his waist narrow; his figure was perfect. His skin was white and had not lost its healthy glow while masculine energy emitted from his body. If he entered any emperor's inner palace, he would definitely be forcibly bedded by a group of concubines. A body modified from the effects of Destitute Dragon Grass was the most perfect; it was hard to not attract people.

Jiang Yi noticed that the two ladies were acting slightly strangely, helplessly stopped, and turned to look at the two of them. He said, “My two dear ladies. Can you two stop being absent-minded? This place is very dangerous. If you two want to see—when we are out, I can take off everything for the two of you!”

“Bah!”

The two bit their lips and turned their heads away. Jiang Yi laughed out loud as he raced forward. This time, he closed his eyes and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He did not dare to fly; since there was only a stone bridge here, that meant that flying could be more dangerous. After the two ladies had stopped being embarrassed and angry, the two calmed themselves and quickened their pace to follow Jiang Yi.

Tsk! Tsk!

Not a hundred feet later, a light, air piercing sound could be heard from the front. Its sound was extremely soft and had been masked by the sound of the trio's footsteps. However, the sound could not escape Jiang Yi's attention. He had clearly detected that on the left in front of him, there were two waves of astral winds blowing their way here. The astral winds were very thick; at least as thick as the level of a hundred feet up in the high skies at night.

“Ha!”

Jiang Yi used his Nameless Divine Art, and both his hands started to dance. The astral winds pro-actively headed towards his two hands and were easily absorbed by him, without any being left out. Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan both watched with eyes bright and glimmering. The two sighed with emotion. Jiang Yi could even absorb astral winds; it seemed as if the Mystic Thearch Palace was going to be his. After all, in the past seven hundred thousand years—besides the Mystic Thearch, Jiang Yi was the second person who could absorb astral winds.

Pressing forward for merely another thirty feet—in the sky in front of them, intense space fluctuations appeared. A fire dragon came whooshing by. The fire dragon was formed by countless black burning flames, and its appearance immediately raised the surrounding temperatures sky-high. Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan's dresses appeared as if they were going to be immolated. The black burning flames had appeared too suddenly and too quickly.

“Be careful!”

Jiang Yi yelled, and his body swiftly retreated and hurriedly hugged Yin Ruobing and then charged towards Yi Chan. However, Yi Chan's body seemed to be shining like a lightning bolt. The bolts quickly dissipated away from her body, forming a shield made of lightning bolts. She shouted, “Do not worry about me—go!”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi did not try to argue with her. He carried Yin Ruobing and started running frantically forward. The Fire Spirit Pearl at his waist had already started to light up; a completely transparent shield appeared, enveloping his entire body. As Yin Ruobing was being carried by Jiang Yi, she naturally was also within the shield and did not feel any high temperature at all.

“Ay…!”

Yin Ruobing shouted out in shock. Her face grew so red that it could boil. However, not only did she not resist, but she held on to Jiang Yi's neck with both her hands. Her hand was also buried in his chest.

Smelling the masculine yang aura emanating from Jiang Yi's body, her whole body became soft. She was so shy she didn't think she could see anyone at that moment.

“Break!”

From behind them, they could hear Yi Chan's voice. A few lightning bolts surrounding her body flew out and became hundreds of lightning dragons that soared up into the sky and attacked the fire-black dragon. The black dragon quickly exploded into shreds, falling down into the black fog that covered both sides of the stone bridge, into the bottomless pit.

“Alright, it's safe!”

Jiang Yi waited for a while and placed Yin Ruobing down. However, as Yin Ruobing's legs were wobbly, she evidently could not walk. It took a long time before she recovered. She also did not say anything, but she nodded her head in acknowledgment.

“Sister Ruobing, let's go!”

Yi Chan saw that Yin Ruobing was not moving and urged her forward. She sent a mocking voice transmission to Ruobing, saying: “You little girl, it is not as if you hadn't seen a man before. Why are you so reserved? You should be more generous. Do not lose the name of the first young lady of the Yin Clan.”

“Big Sister Chan, I do not want to move anymore if, even you keep are making fun of me…”

Yin Ruobing stomped her foot and replied shyly through a voice transmission. That small lady-like expression did not look like the first young lady of the Yin Clan at all. However, Yi Chan's words had settled Yin Ruobing quite a bit. Yin Ruobing fastened her pace and followed behind Jiang Yi.

“Sigh!”

Yi Chan sighed slightly, shook her head, and laughed lightly. She used a voice only she could hear and murmured, “Jiang Yi, Exactly what is good about you? That the first lady of the Yin Clan would be willing to give up her status, her clan, everything. Has she… fallen for you?

“Could it be the Devil's Smile? That might be right. Grandfather's Devil's Smile back in the days had mesmerized all the ladies in the world!” Yi Chan thought back to that time in the Painting Cliffs where Jiang Yi had smiled charmingly and hinted that her grandfather's mystical ability was essentially a lady assassin. Could it be that it was because too many girls liked her grandfather, that he was afraid of leaving too many love debts and hence decided to become a monk?

Tsk! Tsk!

From the front rang out yet another gust of astral winds. Yi Chan hurriedly gathered her scattered thoughts and follow behind the rest. With Jiang Yi handling the front, the walking had indeed proceeded at a fast pace. Although the astral winds this time were slightly thicker, they were easily absorbed by Jiang Yi; the two ladies did not need to lift a finger.

After the astral winds came the sky flames. This time, the sky flames were more murderous and deadly. Jiang Yi carried Yin Ruobing once again while Yi Chan continued to use her lightning bolts to shield her body, and thus, there was nothing to worry about. The lightning bolts were a thunder dao pattern that she had understood from a powerful Yi Clan mystical ability; it was a six-star dao pattern that could be used both to defend and attack and was exceptionally deadly.

“This lady obviously has the ability to guard against fire, and yet she is acting like a helpless young lady. A woman in love really makes her turn into an idiot. She doesn't even know how to be a little more reserved…”

Seeing Yin Ruobing curled up like a small cat in Jiang Yi's embrace, Yi Chan felt very conflicted. She also felt a certain sour taste. She gently sighed and realized that she had become a light bulb; it was quite awkward.

Jiang Yi waited until after the fire dragon had been extinguished before putting Yin Ruobing down. He then thought about it and said, “Forget it. Ruobing, I'd better carry you and walk. This is too slow.”

Yin Ruobing gently angled her head and used her peripheral vision to look at Yi Chan. She bit her lip and said, “This… is not appropriate, right? I can walk on my own.”

“Pfff…”

Yi Chan sniggered and smiled, shaking her head and smiling bitterly. She said, “Little Sister Ruobing, you can pretend that I am not around. I'll act as if I cannot see anything.”

Chapter 1096 - You can Come

Down Now

Chapter 1096: You can Come Down Now

Yin Ruobing ultimately still chose to let Jiang Yi carry her. That was because the astral winds and the sky flames had become stronger and stronger as they proceeded, much and much deadlier. After the trio had run for ten kilometers, the concentration of the astral winds was comparable to that of three kilometers up in the high skies. If it wasn't for Jiang Yi, it would have been very difficult for Yi Chan to dash through.

This Trials of Wind and Fire would probably eliminate the majority of people, right? If one was not a three- or four-star martial expert or did not know any special techniques or possessed any treasures, it would be impossible to pass through!

Jiang Yi silently sighed. The sky flames were also becoming deadlier. They appeared every time with little warning, with their temperature also becoming higher and higher. Of course, this was not an issue for Jiang Yi. However, Yi Chan's speed had decreased slightly.

After heading forward another thousand feet, he stopped. He looked at Yi Chan who was a hundred feet behind him and saw that her neck was dripping wet while her robe was soaked and that she was puffing like a cow. His brows narrowed as he asked, “Lady Yi, do you want me to help you along?”

“There is no need!”

Yi Chan gritted her teeth and replied, “I can walk. You can proceed.”

Jiang Yi looked at her once and didn't say anything anymore. However, Yin Ruobing sent a voice transmission to Yi Chan: “Big Sister Chan, you should preserve some of your energy. The stage of A Golden Millet Dream would be even more dangerous. If something went wrong, you could be trapped inside.”

Yi Chan still shook her head. Yin Ruobing couldn't do anything and stopped persuading. Yi Chan's temper had always been like this.

She looked down on all the men of the world; how could she let a man help her? Even if… the man was Jiang Yi!

Fortunately, after moving for another thousand feet, a few thousand feet ahead was the end of the bridge. The Trials of Wind and Fire was about to be over.

Carrying an absolute beauty and feeling the touch of her body—with his back occasionally coming into contact with her bosom, Jiang Yi actually didn't have many fluttering thoughts inside him. Or perhaps, he didn't dare to have too many fluttering thoughts!

Although Yin Ruobing had said she was going to reject the marriage proposal, Jiang Yi had not really thought much about it. It was not that easy to withdraw from this marriage. Even if that became possible, so what? Would Yin Ruobing abandon her clan, her parents, and her people to follow him? If that happened, the Yin Thearch would definitely kill him. Even if somehow Yin Ruobing really dared to do so, if Jiang Yi dared to accept the huge amount of affection from Yin Ruobing was another matter altogether.

Some debts were easy to repay; love debts were the hardest to bear.

Hence, Jiang Yi did not dare to have too many fluttering thoughts. He was only trying to repay her kindness and help Yin Ruobing. That was all.

Swish!

While he continued walking as he was deep in thought, the astral winds came again. This time, the astral winds were even thicker and had formed into something like astral wind blades; their speed had multiplied. Jiang Yi waved both his hands and used his Nameless Divine Art, absorbing the astral winds. His ninth star sphere could contain an unlimited amount of astral winds; he could even continue absorbing for another ten-odd years.

The way these astral winds fuse and the way I fuse are different.

Jiang Yi activated the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and gently investigated these astral winds. He found that the way they fused was even more perfect than the way he did. Jiang Yi's method of fusing involved forcing the astral winds to come together; the astral winds here combined and twisted together—extremely tightly woven.

En. I can actually learn from this. If I can fuse my astral winds like this, the strength of my astral wind blades would probably be even stronger!

Jiang Yi thought about it as he slowed his pace. The speed that he was absorbing the astral winds also decreased. He forgot everything and was entirely focused on trying to grasp the way the astral winds here fused. This time, three gusts of fused astral winds came by. After Jiang Yi absorbed all of them, he found that the astral winds entered his body as tightly woven as before. These were perfectly fused astral winds.

Tsk! Tsk!

From the front, the sky had suddenly split; and three black fire dragons came roaring down. This time, the fire dragons were different from before. Each of the three dragons was actually morphed from two dragons.

Jiang Yi was shaken again. The morphed fire dragons were similar to the fused astral winds; they were combined perfectly, so intricately woven that their power had more than doubled. The temperature had certainly increased by much more, too.

“Yi Chan!”

Jiang Yi suddenly thought of something. His divine senses furiously scanned behind him. He realized that the lightning bolts on Yi Chan's body had doubled, and she could more or less withstand the current wave of attacks. It appeared that Yi Chan's strength was impressive; she could continue holding. He also did not want to think too much. He continued to lock on the three fire dragons in the sky, trying to understand the technique behind its fusion.

How is this fusion being done? How can I fuse so perfectly?

Jiang Yi's head was full of questions; he could not think of any answers. He could only reduce his pace even more and use his heart to try and realize anything. Previously, he had felt that this journey was rather long; however, at this point in time, he wished that it could be ten times longer. That way, he would have more time to observe the astral winds and the fire dragons here and discover the rationale behind the fusion technique.

Both Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan had said that one could not retreat while facing the Trials of Wind and Fire and could only proceed forward. As to why that was the case, the two had not said; and Jiang Yi had not bothered to ask. Hence, after walking past this stone bridge, Jiang Yi did not know if there would be any more astral winds and sky flames ahead of them.

“Jiang Yi, hurry up. I can still manage, but if you walk so slowly, I might not be able to anymore!”

Jiang Yi was deep in thought and was jolted awake by a voice transmission. His divine senses scanned behind him and realized that Yi Chan's body seemed to be totally drenched. Her dress was stuck to her body, revealing her figure. Her neck and arms were extremely red; the high temperature was making her feel unbearable.

“Very well then.”

Jiang Yi could only increase his pace again, all the while using his mind and focusing on the astral winds and the fire dragons.

Three thousand feet, one thousand feet… three hundred feet!

Right in front of them was the end of the Trials of Wind and Fire. A sense of helplessness welled up in Jiang Yi. He still had not managed to decipher the trick behind the fusion of the astral winds and the fire dragons; he could only revisit this matter in the future.

“Go!”

They did not see Jian Wuying in front of them. That meant that he had long entered inside A Golden Millet Dream. Jiang Yi did not dare to delay any longer and increased his pace. As his body was about to pass by the stone bridge, there was huge turbulence in the sky. A huge astral winds wind dragon and another huge black fire dragon appeared in mid-air. The astral winds had obviously fused thrice while this fire dragon was made up of at least three small fire dragons.

“Not good!”

Jiang Yi was shaken and furiously used his divine senses to scan the back. He saw that Yi Chan's eyes were filled with shock and fear, and she took a few steps back. However, once she retreated, the spatial zone behind her roiled again; and two similar wind and black fire dragons appeared there also.

“Remove your lightning bolt shield!”

Jiang Yi yelled at her as his body flew towards Yi Chan. Yi Chan regained her sense as she withdrew her lightning bolts and was carried by one of Jiang Yi's hands. Jiang Yi's other hand was waving, rapidly running towards the end of the stone bridge.

“Uh…”

Yi Chan's clothing was soaking wet while Jiang Yi's shirt was also torn. Hence, it felt as if the duo's naked bodies were touching each other. Yi Chan's body shuddered as she lifted her head and saw that Yin Ruobing was looking at her teasingly.

“Big Sister Chan, you can pretend I am not around, that I cannot see anything.”

Yin Ruobing's lips moved as she smiled and sent a voice transmission to Yi Chan. Yi Chan became even more embarrassed, wishing there was a hole for her to hide herself in. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wanting to calm herself down and hoping that Jiang Yi would not notice anything. However, Jiang Yi's voice swiftly rang out, “Lady Yi, you… can come down now.”

“Ah?”

Yi Chan opened her eyes and saw that they had reached the end of the stone bridge. There was a stone door that was shimmering with light in front of them. Jiang Yi was already standing outside the door and had let go of her. However, her two hands were still holding on to his body tightly.

Chapter 1097 - A Golden Millet

Dream

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Why is it that the Trials of Wind and Fire was so difficult? Could normal people pass it?” After Yi Chan jumped down from Jiang Yi's body, Jiang Yi asked this question to try and reduce the awkwardness.

The last two astral winds dragon and the fire dragon were incredibly strong. Jiang Yi believed that besides a minority, ordinary people should not be able to overcome them. The Mystic Thearch having devised such a hard ordeal; did he still expect the masses to come and compete against each other?

Or could this be something that Ao Lu had created? However, how could it be that five years ago Ao Lu knew that Jiang Yi could absorb astral winds?

“It should be because the three of us were walking together!'

Yin Ruobing had also jumped down from Jiang Yi's back. She was actually not that embarrassed. She thought about it and said, “The Road of Azure Clouds, Trials of Wind and Fire, and A Golden Millet Dream were all stages that the Mystic Thearch had activated once. All the Nine Thearch Clans have records of this. That time, the Mystic Thearch had said that whoever could surpass these three stages and ascend the eighteen floors of the Mystic Divine Palace… could become his disciple! This caused a huge uproar in the continent.

“At the end of the day, only more than a hundred people managed to go through all the three stages; however, no one could reach the eighteenth floor of the Mystic Divine Palace. Those who were older couldn't walk the Road of Azure Clouds while those who were not strong enough could not survive the Trials of Wind and Fire. As for A Golden Millet Dream, that tested one's temperament and soul spirit. Hence, the Trials of Wind and Fire should not be that difficult. It was most probably because the three of us were together thus the difficulty was increased.”

“One's temperament and soul spirit?”

Jiang Yi did not bother about the Trials of Wind and Fire anymore. He thought about A Golden Millet Dream, and that gave him a headache. His soul spirit was not considered that strong; he was far behind the disciples from the Nine Thearch Clans at that. This stage was going to be hard.

After this period of time, Yi Chan had recovered herself. She used her essence force and evaporated the water vapor on her body. She then looked at Jiang Yi and said, “My grandfather told me before I came that in order to pass through this stage, you had to remember one word—illusion.

Alright, I will proceed ahead. Jiang Yi, I will wait for you inside the Mystic Divine Palace. Good luck to you and to you as well, Ruobing!”

“Good luck to Big Sister Chan!” Yin Ruobing nodded towards Yi Chan. Yi Chan dashed into the stone door, became a white light, and disappeared.

Yin Ruobing withdrew her glance, looked at Jiang Yi, smiled, and said, “Jiang Yi, there should not be any danger inside A Golden Millet Dream. Even if you are trapped in an illusion zone—after this is all over, you will be teleported down the mountain. However, we have to work hard; the Mystic Divine Palace has to be ours. Good luck!”

“Good luck!”

Jiang Yi nodded, but he did not move his body. Yin Ruobing did not move either. Jiang Yi waited a while, frowned, and said, “You should go first.”

“I'll wait for you to go first.”

Yin Ruobing smiled sweetly, and the gentleness in her eyes made Jiang Yi's heart sway. He had seen this look from Feng Luan, Qing Yu, and company. He was not an idiot. However, at such a critical time, he did not dare to think too much. He looked at Yin Ruobing deeply and entered the stone door.

Buzz!

Jiang Yi disappeared in a flash of white light. Yin Ruobing then put her hands together and prayed, “May the gods protect Jiang Yi and let him get the Mystic Divine Palace. Only if he obtains the Mystic Divine Palace and becomes the successor to the Mystic Thearch could we… have a future.”

Swish! Swish!

An air piercing sound came from behind. An excited loud laugh rang out swiftly. “Haha. Ruobing!”

Yin Ruobing turned and looked. She saw Zhan Tianlei looking majestically and dashing towards her from afar. His body was dazzling with white light, and both his arms were waving, calling upon the winds and clouds.

He had actually managed to repel the astral winds and the sky flames. If it was the Ruobing of the past, she would definitely had stopped and praised him. However, this time, her expression was cold as she dashed into the stone door, became a white light, and vanished.

“Ruobing, wait for me!”

Zhan Tianlei's face changed. From Yin Ruobing's expression, he felt that something was not right. Before this, Yin Ruobing always smiled at everyone even though she was cold inside. Now… she did not even deign to put up an act? Had she completely started to treat him as a stranger?

“What happened?”

Zhan Tianlei dashed past the stone bridge, looking dazed and dejected at the stone door. His eyes flashed as he did not know what he had done wrong. Why was Yin Ruobing treating him such?

“Bastard. Where is that bastard? I am going to kill him!”

From afar came She Fei's voice. A huge skull was circling She Fei, blocking the astral winds and the sky flames. He was almost as quick as the speed of light and soon dashed past the stone bridge, too. His eyes were glistening as he looked in all directions, but he could not find Jiang Yi.

“They had all gone in. Brother She, we can't kill anyone inside A Golden Millet Dream. Let's talk about this again when we have entered the Mystic Divine Palace.” Zhan Tianlei shook his head and sighed. He laughed helplessly and dashed into the stone door. She Fei could only sulk and follow him.

Ten minutes later, many more people followed them. Of course, some could not withstand the astral winds and the sky flames and had fallen into the bottomless pit; they would not die there but be imprisoned for ten years. If they tried to resist, they would probably be killed.

The Sonar Thearch's grandson Chen Chen, the Ye Clan disciple Ye Jiuhan, and one of the ancient clans, Mo Clan's, first young master Mo Di had all rushed past the stone bridge. Yin Feihuang, Tu Long, Ling Qijian, one of the disciples of the Wu Clan Wu Lie, a Zhan Clan disciple Zhan Zhenwu— Zhan Tianlei's cousin—all dashed into A Golden Millet Dream.

Behind them came a long line of people, all trying to cross the bridge. Although it was hard to estimate, certainly some of them would be able to cross it and dash into A Golden Millet Dream. As for how many could enter the Mystic Divine Palace, that was hard to tell.

…

“This is A Golden Millet Dream?”

Jiang Yi felt that he had arrived in a strange space. This place was deserted with only a faint flow coming from the skies. The visibility was extremely low. The place was strange as one's divine senses could not be used. Hence, no one could know what was in the surroundings, where the exit was.

Jiang Yi could only walk aimlessly in front, activating his Astral Winds Divine Shield and holding a flexible sword in his hand, to be ready to defend against any sudden attacks. Although Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan had said this place was just an illusion zone and that this stage mainly tested one's temperament and soul spirit, Jiang Yi still wanted to be careful. What if he bumped into She Fei here?

“Union of Heaven and Man!”

After walking for a while, Jiang Yi decided to enter the State of the Union of Heaven and Man and continued walking and waving his flexible sword. He did not know how long he was going to be here. However, since there was no danger around him, he might as well continue to decipher the Divine Sound Heaven Skill while finding an exit.

Clang-clang!

His flexible sword was moving like a poisonous snake, releasing sounds that were occasionally low—at times dull, at times piercing… at times agitated. The sounds from his sword rang out incessantly, forming a very special tune. If anyone nearby was to hear it, they would definitely go crazy.

Two hours, four hours… six hours!

Jiang Yi felt as if he had walked for six hours, but the surroundings were still the same. Except for the black-stained ground, there was nothing else— no danger.

He decided not to think so much and continued dashing in front. As he went, he continued to create his music piece. Since he needed some time to perfect this piece, if it was meant for him to stay here for a while, he had no other choice as well.

One day, three days… ten days!

Jiang Yi utterly did not think about where he was walking anymore. He dashed about like a zombie while the flexible sword in his hand never stopped dancing. The soft cutting noises his sword was making were forming a tune that started to sound more complete. There was a certain magical power in the tune, that could make anyone's blood boil and go crazy and go on a rampage.

“Almost there, let's see if I can combine it with Massacre Intent.”

Jiang Yi stopped in his steps and prepared to release his Massacre Intent. At this moment, a transformation appeared—

“Howl-Howl…”

A glow appeared in front of him, followed by a stone door. However, from the stone door appeared many extremely terrifying monsters. These monsters drove fear into people. Also, their speed was insane and they were rushing forward in a split-second. A stench like that of zombies came with them, almost overpowering Jiang Yi and making him faint.

Chapter 1098 - If I'm not a Crazy

Fiend, I would not Live

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

This was a group of bat-like monsters. However, they were huge and almost the size of dragons and elephants. Their auras were like that of the lowest-grade Demon Sovereign, extremely terrifying.

The terrorizing aura that emanated from them could scare to death the weak-hearted. Their red eyes were like two cycles of the moon, menacing and sinister just like ferocious ghosts.

“These are illusionary beasts or real monsters?”

Jiang Yi's heart skipped a beat, but he still managed to retreat furiously. At the same time, he used one hand to release the astral winds, forming ten astral wind blades that chopped forward towards the monsters.

Tsk! Tsk!

The near-hundred bat-like monsters that were flying to him attacked simultaneously. From their mouths shot out black small arrows. The attack was like a shower of rain, with the speed too fast for Jiang Yi to try and hide.

Bang, bang, bang!

The astral wind blades roared forth as one by one the bat-like monsters' bodies exploded, becoming blood mist floating in the air. The monsters' cries rang out in all directions, with the echo unrelenting. One of the monsters had its wings sliced and had crashed heavily onto the ground, triggering a tremor.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Many black small arrows fell on Jiang Yi's Astral Winds Divine Shield, releasing crisp sounds as they landed. Jiang Yi's body was sent flying. He felt that the energy of his Astral Winds Divine Shield was dissipating quickly; the black small arrows' power was actually as strong as a three-star martial expert's attack.

“They are real demonic beasts.”

Jiang Yi's face became very serious. If they were illusions, he could ignore them and head straight for the stone door. However, if they were real, things would become troublesome. At this time, the stone door was still spewing more of the bat-like monsters; there seemed to be no end to them.

Only close to a hundred demonic beasts had attacked him just now. If it were a thousand demonic beasts, his Astral Winds Divine Shield would definitely not be able to hold. His body would also be pierced like a hornet's nest.

What made Jiang Yi relax a little was that now that he had retreated a few thousand feet, the demonic beasts that flew out did not pursue him. They were just circling the stone door as if prepared to die defending the entrance. If Jiang Yi dashed into the entrance, he would definitely be torn into pieces.

Tsk! Tsk!

There were thirty-odd bat-like monsters that were pursuing him. Jiang Yi could only retreat as he killed them. He looked at the ground filled with carcasses and stained with black blood. He could smell the stench in the air as he looked at the mass of monsters in front of him. Jiang Yi's face grew darker and darker.

That should be the entrance. However, it was obvious that at least tens of thousands of demonic beasts were in front of him. If he tried to force his way in, he would not be able to survive. However, if he didn't try that, he would not be able to enter the Mystic Divine Palace at all. If so, Jiang Yi wouldn't be able to retrieve the sacred treasure of the Heaven Hidden Sect, the Glazed Pagoda—much less obtain the Mystic Divine Palace.

“Let's try and see if they could be lured over and killed slowly!”

Jiang Yi hesitated for a second and then decided to give it a try. He slowly neared the entrance, watching the sky that was covered by the monsters, silently panic-stricken. He also slowed down his footsteps. When he neared a few thousand feet, two hundred over bat-like demonic beasts were lured by him. They became black streaks of lightning and shot towards him.

“That's good!”

Jiang Yi was overjoyed. So long as the rest of the demonic beasts did not come altogether, he could divide and conquer, killing them slowly. No matter how many there were, he could kill all of them, right?

The ten astral wind blades that he had already prepared flew by as two hundred over black, sharp arrows were shot towards him. Many sharp arrows were locked on to Jiang Yi; their speed was so fast that he didn't even have the time to hide.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ya-guu!

The black and sharp arrows rang out as they hit Jiang Yi's Astral Winds Divine Shield the same time the monsters started to cry out in pain. Though these monsters' attacks were deadly, their defenses were only normal. As the ten astral wind blades flew by, they easily wiped the monsters out. Jiang Yi's body was also knocked back a few hundred feet while his Astral Winds Divine Shield's energy had been reduced by half.

“Kill—”

Jiang Yi acted as if he had seen the light. His body once again bolted forward as he continued to attract the bat-like monsters to come and kill him.

Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times!

Jiang Yi attacked incessantly as if not knowing what tiredness was. His surroundings were soon littered with the carcasses of the bat-like monsters while their black blood had dyed tens of thousands of feet of ground a dark red. The stench enveloped the surroundings and made one want to puke. The sky lit the place up in an eerie manner; if the current scene was witnessed by any ordinary civilians, they would definitely be scared to death.

One day, two days… three days!

Jiang Yi killed for consecutively five days; he didn't even remember how many bat-like monsters he had killed. Both his body and his soul spirit were extremely tired. However, as he saw that the number of bat-like monsters had decreased, that gave him some motivation. As long as he entered the entrance, he would be in the Mystic Divine Palace.

“He! He!”

After killing yet another batch of bat-like monsters, Jiang Yi stopped to rest. He was huffing and puffing, looking at the monsters that were circling the entrance. He cracked open a smile. There were no more than two thousand monsters left; he should be able to finish them off in half a day.

“Go!”

After Jiang Yi had rested for five minutes, he once again dashed forward. However, after merely a thousand feet, he quickly stopped. His eyes were filled with astonishment and fear as he retreated rapidly as fast as he could. He shouted, “Bastard, can one really pass A Golden Millet Dream?”

The entrance had flashed again, and countless bats flew out; it seemed as if there was no end to them. There were at least tens of thousands of them. That was not the main point. The point was that—within the mass of bats, there were three who were huge. They were bat princes with terrifying auras.

The auras of the three bat princes made Jiang Yi feel that they were at least as strong as the Black Deity; in other words, the three were as strong as seven- or eight-star Demigod martial experts.

However many bats there were, there would be a day when they could all be killed. However, facing bat princes that rivaled seven-star—eight-star Demigod martial experts were not something that Jiang Yi could do. He could not kill them as he knew that as soon as he got close, he would instantly be killed.

“Damn, damn, damn!”

Jiang Yi retreated tens of thousands of feet, made sure that there were no bats following him, waved both his hands, and shouted out loud three times. A Golden Millet Dream was too perverse. No one could go past this stage. Even if She Fei and Zhan Tianlei were here, they could only stare and do nothing, right?

“If I wasn't a human, could I pass through? Wait that's not right—”

Jiang Yi suddenly whacked his head and felt that something was not right. If humans could not pass by A Golden Millet Dream, why did Yin Ruobing say that the last time, more than a hundred people had passed this third stage?

“A Golden Millet Dream should not be dangerous. Even if one was trapped in an illusion zone, that person would be teleported down the mountain once things were over!”

Thinking about what Yin Ruobing had said, Jiang Yi suddenly thought of something. Could it be that everything he was seeing was fake? This was actually an illusion zone? However… the bat-like demonic beasts were so realistic while their attacks could also knock him backward. Even the stench coming from the dark red bloodstains on the ground were still wafting by. How could all these be fake?

“For this stage, you must remember one word. Then, your chances of passing this stage will be very high. That word is—illusion!”

Yi Chan's words resounded in Jiang Yi's mind. Those words were from the Buddha Thearch himself. Jiang Yi ruminated on this for a second and finally gritted his teeth and decided to risk it all. The Nine Thearch Clans would not have false records, and Yin Ruobing and Yi Chan wouldn't lie to him!

“Risk it!”

Jiang Yi's body rushed forward like a sharp sword while he withdrew his Astral Winds Divine Shield. He did not care about anything as he closed his eyes and ran straight for the entrance. Even if he was killed by these bat-like monsters, he was resigned to his fate.

If he didn't clear this A Golden Millet Dream stage, he would not be able to enter the Mystic Divine Palace. He would not be able to obtain the Glazed Pagoda, much less the Mystic Divine Palace. Jiang Yi was never a person who feared death. Once he had set his mind on something, he would not think of the consequences. He was going to risk it this time.

If I'm not a crazy fiend, I would not live!

Chapter 1099 - Give In to Him?

Chapter 1099: Give In to Him?

“Ah, Ah—”

Jiang Yi was within a few hundred meters of the entrance. Countless bat demonic beasts were alerted of his presence. They hurled toward Jiang Yi like blades through the sky.

At that moment, Jiang Yi felt like his body was being cut up into millions of small pieces. The pain was simply unbearable.

At that moment between life and death, his instinct was to escape and preserve himself. He wanted to use Heaven Evasion and leave immediately. He thought about using the Astral Winds Divine Shield to retreat. At the same time, the intense pain was reminding him that this was no illusion. If he continued to charge forward, he would really die.

“A Golden Millet Dream. Everything is nothing but a Golden Millet Dream. Whether I live or die is only a part of the Golden Millet Dream as well. Once I wake up, everything will be over. Go, go, go!”

At last, he chose to persevere against his better judgment. He cast all his worries aside and focused on charging forward. He did not care that his body was being cut up into a million pieces.

At that moment, even his consciousness was a blur. Life and death were but a dream. Did Zhuang Joe dream of the butterfly or did the butterfly dream that it was Zhuang Joe? Jiang Yi did not know anymore. All he wanted to do was charge toward the entrance. He knew that as long as he was strong enough in heart, even the Death God could not defeat him.

“Ah, Ah!”

He kept screaming out in pain. Faintly, he could see his body falling apart into smaller pieces. His spirit had become just a small translucent person floating in the air. He caught glimpses of his spirit dissipating slowly. He was about to disappear from the face of the earth forever!

Everything went black. Jiang Yi felt like he was in an endless sea of darkness. There was no more pain. It felt like he was in the seconds just before death—there was only a small portion of his consciousness left. “Congratulations, Jiang Yi, you have made it through the Golden Millet Dream…”

In the darkness, Jiang Yi heard a familiar voice by his ear. Then, he heard another familiar female voice. “Jiang Yi, I knew you could do it.”

Jiang Yi forced his eyes open and saw that he was already in the Mystic Divine Palace. He was standing in a city plaza. There were three transportation arrays around him. This was the white jade city plaza that led to the three different challenges of the Mystic Divine Palace.

“It really was an illusion. That illusion felt way too real. The Mystic Thearch's standards are way too frightening.”

Jiang Yi was panting. He reached out and hit his own thigh. Then, he reached out and grabbed Yin Ruobing's little hand. Once he was sure that he was no longer dreaming, he heaved a huge sigh of relief.

“Hehe!”

Yin Ruobing's beautiful eyes were twinkling. She raised her eyebrows so that they formed beautiful curves, and she said, “Actually, Jiang Yi, your spirit isn't that strong. If you were stronger, you would probably have been able to tell that it was all an illusion. In fact, what you saw and felt inside were just illusions. All you had to do was keep your focus on what was ahead and barge your way here.”

“Mm, I still have the two of you to thank for your advice. Otherwise, I would never have just charged forward.” Jiang Yi cupped his hands toward the two of them. Then, he looked around curiously. “Why is it just the two of you here? Where's Jian Wuying?”

Yin Ruobing turned to glance at Yi Chan. She giggled, “He advanced into the next level a long time ago. Zhan Tianlei and She Fei have already gone in as well. The winner of this entire race gets the Mystic Divine Palace. Big Sister Chan insisted on waiting for you before advancing to the challenge.” Yi Chan turned around and stole a sideways glance at Jiang Yi. In a cool voice, she said, “All the best, Jiang Yi. Whether you can obtain the Mystic Divine Palace is all up to your capabilities now!”

Swish!

With that, Yi Chan entered the middle transportation array. Yin Ruobing stayed where she was. Jiang Yi also kept his gaze fixed on the few sentences above the transportation arrays.

The reward for passing the three challenges was right there in the white jade city plaza. The winner of the entire race would win the Mystic Divine Palace.

“Glazed Pagoda. The second place gets the Glazed Pagoda!”

Jiang Yi's eyes were fixed on the second line. He began to get more and more excited. Compared to the Mystic Divine Palace, Jiang Yi wanted the Glazed Pagoda much more.

As long as he could get the Glazed Pagoda, he would be able to bring Su Ruoxue safely back for sure. He was no longer interested in the treasures that the other people would get. He turned to look at the hellish-grade challenge.

Yin Ruobing straightened up and said, “Jiang Yi, you're not thinking about going to the hellish-grade challenge, are you? She Fei and Zhan Tianlei entered that same transportation array. You will likely meet them inside!”

“All of them chose this one as well?” Jiang Yi's eyes brightened. He said resolutely, “Then all the more I must enter this transportation array. This is the only one that will give me what I want. I'm going in. Take care of yourself.”

“No!”

Yin Ruobing gritted her teeth and said, “I'm coming with you.”

“You?”

Jiang Yi was slightly astonished. Yin Ruobing was pretty capable, but compared to him, she was weaker in terms of fighting skills. If he brought her along, he would have to take care of her for sure. After all, he could not sit back and watch her suffer, could he?

“Jiang Yi, don't worry. I won't be a burden to you!” Yin Ruobing's jaw was set. “Even if something really does happen to me, you can go on ahead. You don't have to worry about me.”

“That's not what I mean.”

Jiang Yi stared into Yin Ruobing's hopeful eyes. He could not bear to turn her down so he nodded and said, “Let's go then. We have to pass this challenge as fast as we can so that we can overtake She Fei and the rest.”

“That's right!”

Just before they entered the transportation array, Jiang Yi suddenly thought about something. He asked, “How long has it been since She Fei and the rest entered?”

“A day!” Yin Ruobing explained. “Actually, even time in the Golden Millet Dream is an illusion. Jian Wuying was only inside for a day at most. He must have entered the terrible-grade challenge. People who are not Demigods likely would not dare to enter the hellish-grade challenge. Big Sister Chan and I came in and waited less than a day before She Fei and Zhan Tianlei arrived as well!”

“Oh, oh. That's alright then. They must not be too far.”

Jiang Yi nodded and charged toward the hellish-grade level. In a flash, his body disappeared. Yin Ruobing was following closely behind him.

“The Bridge of Helplessness!”

Jiang Yi was very grateful to be rushing through the stages once again. He looked in front, to the iron chain bridge and looked down to see molten lava. He recalled when he was trying to advance through similar levels a few years ago. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Big Sister Chan is moving really quickly!” Yin Ruobing looked to the center of the iron chain bridge and exclaimed. Yi Chan looked like she was flying through the bridge. She was already half-way across it, and there was no indication that she was slowing down. Her purple hair was flying behind her, and she looked like a beautiful fairy.

“Keke, let's overtake her.”

Jiang Yi smirked and grabbed Yin Ruobing's waist. He jumped up, both of his legs leaving the ground. Very quickly, they flew down toward the lava lake.

“Ah?”

Yin Ruobing was so afraid that her face drained of all color. Her eyes widened, and she gripped onto Jiang Yi's body with all her might. She looked just like a kitten hanging from Jiang Yi's body. This made Jiang Yi laugh out loud. “Don't be afraid, I am the Fire God. No flame can hurt me.”

Boom!

The two of them dropped into the lava lake with a loud splash, causing Yi Chan to jump in shock. She stopped running and frowned. The envy was clear in her eyes.

Bang!

Jiang Yi created a wave in the lava, and then it caused his and Yin Ruobing's bodies to ride above it. With his bare two legs, Jiang Yi walked on the waves and held Yin Ruobing tightly against his side. The two of them floated above the lava lake, riding the lava waves; and yet the flames did nothing to hurt them at all. They looked like an immortal couple. Jiang Yi was moving way too quickly.

In several blinks of the eyes, they arrived at the other side of the lava lake. They flew upward toward the stone gate at the end of the Bridge of Helplessness.

Hoo-Hoo!

Yin Ruobing was still in shock. She maintained her tight grip on Jiang Yi, her expression a mask of fear. Jiang Yi turned around and gazed at Yi Chan deeply. He nodded slightly and then led Yin Ruobing into the stone gate, disappearing before Yi Chan's very eyes.

“That childish young man from the Stellarsky Continent has advanced to this stage. Ah… Yi Chan, you can only blame yourself for misjudging this entire situation!” With a flick of a finger, Yi Chan had passed the first stage. She ran with all her might across the bridge, which was in the terrible-grade challenge at that. Yet, she only made it half-way across the bridge. Yi Chan could not help but sigh deeply.

“This lass is going with Jiang Yi?”

Yi Chan suddenly thought about Yin Ruobing. She blinked several times and mumbled in a shocked tone, “Could it be… this lass wants to give in to him?”

[1] He is a famous Chinese philosopher.

[2] This is a reference to Zhuang Zhou's story of sleeping and dreaming of a butterfly. Zhuang Zhou woke up and questioned whether he had dreamed he was a butterfly or whether a butterfly had dreamed that it was him.

Chapter 1100 - I'll Bring You to the

Netherworld

Chapter 1100: I'll Bring You to the Netherworld

The second stage was the Yellow Springs Path. To Jiang Yi, this was as easy as the previous stage. The only difference was there were far more Soul Devouring Crocodiles here!

With the Rainbow Soul Spear, Jiang Yi managed to kill the Soul Devouring Crocodiles as they came. These crocodiles were all just spiritual forces, which could strengthen one's soul. However, the Rainbow Soul Spear no longer became stronger even as Jiang Yi killed the Soul Devouring Crocodiles. Instead, his primordial spirit was the one that was becoming stronger. What was even stranger was that his primordial spirit was becoming bigger, and it was no longer cracking apart.

Tsk! Tsk!

On the pitch-dark Yellow Springs Path, countless black figures charged toward Jiang Yi crazily. Jiang Yi neither ran away nor dodged. Instead, he allowed the black figures to rush through his own spirit, causing Yin Ruobing to jump back in shock.

Jiang Yi, on the other hand, acted like nothing was wrong. He turned back and grinned at Yin Ruobing who was looking at Jiang Yi like he was a monster.

Buzz!

Yin Ruobing pondered for a moment and—at last—decided that she could not let the matter rest. Her body lit up, and a captivating fragrance emanated from it. It caused Jiang Yi's soul to increase slightly. Jiang Yi stole a sideways glance at Yin Ruobing but did not turn down her help.

His primordial spirit was not that strong. As he killed the Soul Devouring Crocodiles, his primordial spirit kept getting strengthened. With the Fragrant Lady Race's help, his spirit was improving at a much faster pace than before.

Jiang Yi was neither fast nor slow as he moved through the path. Each time he triggered hundreds of Soul Devouring Crocodile, the Soul Devouring Crocodile would shoot through Jiang Yi's soul and be killed by his Rainbow Soul Spear. Then, their energies would be absorbed by Jiang Yi's primordial spirit.

“It looks like this Yellow Springs Path is only as hard as the martial artist's capability. Could She Fei and Zhan Tianlei have met with even more difficult obstacles? Had they passed the second stage yet?”

Just as Jiang Yi was thinking about this, his mind filled with images of the sky splitting open. Buddha beads that were glowing red dropped from the sky and stopped in mid-air. It then disappeared into the crack in the sky. Then, the image in Jiang Yi's head disappeared.

“Someone passed?”

Jiang Yi's eyes brightened. He turned to Yin Ruobing and said, “Ruobing, which treasure is this?”

“The Red Zen Beads!”

Yin Ruobing cried out, “This is the sixth treasure. It looks like someone has gotten six points. It's very likely that either She Fei or Zhan Tianlei has made it through the second level. Either that, or Jian Wuying has passed the third level of the terrible-grade challenge.”

“The sixth treasure?”

Jiang Yi's expression darkened. The two of them had only just entered not long ago, and the treasures in the first few places have already been taken. If he had arrived several days later, perhaps even the Mystic Divine Palace would have been taken by someone. His eyes twinkled as he shouted, “Quick, we have to hurry! Stay close!”

Jiang Yi wanted to absorb more spiritual energy so that his spirit could advance to the third tier. Yin Ruobing and the others' spirits were probably all already at tier three. However, Jiang Yi was one tier behind them. Of course, if his soul had not split, perhaps he would have advanced by now as well.

Swish! Swish!

He was traveling at top speed, running through the winding paths as fast as he could. The moment he sped up, everything around them swirled. The Soul Devouring Crocodile flew toward them at a frightening speed as well, like a cluster of locusts.

“Jiang Yi, be careful.” Yin Ruobing became increasingly nervous as she watched the scene in front of her. Even she was finding it difficult to fend off these Soul Devouring Crocodiles. With a weaker soul than hers, could Jiang Yi really handle them on his own?

Jiang Yi did not respond to her. Every Soul Devouring Crocodile that entered his body and spirit came out looking like a pile of soil. Without causing too much of a commotion around this, Yin Ruobing focused on sticking close to Jiang Yi. After being attacked, it would be a while before the Soul Devouring Crocodiles appeared again. She was safe sticking behind Jiang Yi.

The Yellow Springs Path was long. The last time Jiang Yi was here, he took half a month before he reached the end. This time, however, he only took one day.

He could see the stone gate in front of him now. Of course, the last time he did this, he was extremely slow. He even paused for a while intermittently.

This time, he was sprinting at top speed. It was only natural that he did not take as much time as he did before.

“We didn't see She Fei or Zhan Tianlei. It looks like they've advanced to the third level!” Jiang Yi observed after scanning the surroundings for the two men. It was very likely that either one of them had obtained the red beads. Jiang Yi guessed that they were now at Fengdu City.

Before charging through the stone gates, he stopped and looked into his own soul. He could not help but feel a tinge of regret. If he had gone slower, he definitely would have improved by a lot more. This time, his primordial spirit grew about a hundred times in size. He could only guess how much longer it would take before he could advance to the next tier.

Buzz!

At this very moment, another image appeared in Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing's minds. The sky split open once again. A box and a long sword dropped from the sky. After the image disappeared, Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing exchanged a knowing look. They were both astonished.

The fifth treasure and the fourth treasure were taken by the same person at the same time. What was for sure was that Zhan Tianlei and She Fei were both at Fengdu City. These two treasures were taken by someone who was doing the terrible-grade challenge. Jiang Yi knew this because each level in the hellish-grade challenge had only three points. If She Fei and the others had already entered Fengdu City, they would have nine points in total. This meant that they had enough to claim the fifth, fourth, and third treasures.

“Was it Jian Wuying or Yi Chan?”

These two people were the first two to enter the terrible-grade challenge. They were both extremely strong, and only both of them were capable enough to pass the levels so quickly. Jiang Yi rested for a second and headed toward the stone gate. The few incredible geniuses were moving through the challenges way too quickly. If he did not try to chase up to them, the Glazed Pagoda might end up in someone else's hands.

Buzz!

There was a flash of white light. Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing once again came to a deserted red land. Fengdu City still looked like it did before.

The sky was dark, and everything around them was cold. The place reeked of death. It made whoever entered it feel uncomfortable.

Jiang Yi felt Yin Ruobing tremble. He turned and saw that she was frowning and that her face had drained of all color. He reached out and grabbed her little hand, offering some comfort. He smiled and asked, “Are you afraid?”

“I'm not!”

Yin Ruobing held onto Jiang Yi's hand as she smiled sweetly. “With you around, there's no need to be afraid wherever I am.”

“Huh!”

Jiang Yi stiffened. Was what she said normally only reserved for couples? What's wrong with Yin Ruobing these days? Why was she flirting with him? She was so affectionate toward him—could it be that she was ready to risk it all and follow him for the rest of her life?

A woman like her could make any man fall head over heels for her. He enjoyed the way she was treating him so he did not bother to break this paper-thin facade. He smiled faintly and said, “I'll bring you into the Netherworld!”

“En!”

Yin Ruobing nodded firmly. The affection in her eyes deepened a hundred thousand times as she looked at Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi pulled Yin Ruobing along and started sprinting at top speed once again. The two of them hurried on, but this time, they only traveled about fifty kilometers before they had no choice but to stop.

“What has happened to Fengdu City? Why are there corpses all over on the outside?”

Jiang Yi's divine senses locked in on a dense army of zombie soldiers heading toward them. His expression hardened immediately. There were no zombie soldiers in Fengdu City the last time.

The soldiers were only within the city. This time, there were countless zombie soldiers outside the city.

“Would this stage also differ according to the skill level of the martial artist? Mm… there did seem to be more Soul Devouring Crocodiles on the Yellow Springs Path earlier.”

Jiang Yi readied his Rainbow Soul Spear and shot it out. He managed to find the door of life to pass through this level the last time he was here. To him, this Fengdu City did not pose a challenge. Even if more zombie soldiers came toward him, he was confident that he could wipe them all out. With strong murderous intent in his eyes, he shouted, “Ruobing, take care of yourself. Don't allow the zombie's aura to get to you. Kill!”

“Kill!”

Looking at Jiang Yi running toward the army of soldiers like a crazed dragon, Yin Ruobing could not help but smile sweetly. There was nothing but affection in her eyes. A red jade bow appeared in her hand, and she ran toward the army soldiers with her legs. She was ready to tackle them together with Jiang Yi.

Chapter 1101 - Wind Soul-Chaser

Chapter 1101: Wind Soul-Chaser

The battle ended as quickly as it began, but it was not bloody at all.

Jiang Yi had a hold on the zombie soldiers' door of life—their souls. The Rainbow Soul Spear danced around and shot through each of the soldiers' heads, causing their souls to turn to dust. Then, the soldiers could not help but fall over. All this effort was nothing to Jiang Yi.

“Uh—”

Yin Ruobing was stunned, watching Jiang Yi fight. Her beautiful eyes locked in on the dancing spear. She was clearly astonished. She watched as the zombie soldiers fell over one by one. Then, she gulped and asked, “Jiang Yi, what kind of incredible genius are you? How are you killing these zombie soldiers so quickly?”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi turned around slightly and smiled. “This is a sort of spiritual attack. It's just slightly more unique, that's all. The door of life to these zombie soldiers is their souls. Once I destroy their souls, they would be nothing but corpses.”

“That's not right, Jiang Yi. Isn't your spirit weaker compared to mine? Why is your spiritual attack so strong?” Yin Ruobing's eyes widened as she asked, half to herself.

“That's quite hard to explain.”

Jiang Yi touched his nose. He could not tell Yin Ruobing about the anomalies of his soul, could he? He paused for a long while before he asked curiously, “How did you all kill the zombie soldiers the last time?”

Yin Ruobing thought for a while and said, “We could only cause their heads to explode by force. That takes so much more effort. Those zombie soldiers have really tough bodies. Your method of killing them is way less tedious.”

“Haha, let's go!”

Jiang Yi did not say anything more. He controlled his Rainbow Soul Spear and swept the area, clearing a path for them to head toward Fengdu City.

If someone had been watching them from atop at this moment, they would have seen a majestic sight. Countless zombie soldiers were rushing toward them from all directions. Their bodies emanated a black aura, their eyes were bloodshot, and their bodies reeked of old blood.

Many zombies were missing limbs and holding weird weapons in their hands. They walked with their mouths wide open and their limbs at weird angles. The zombies screamed and wailed, and the cold wind made the scene that much creepier. It looked like a scene right out of Netherworld.

Yet, among the zombie crowd, a young man was advancing rapidly. Beside him, a Rainbow Soul Spear made rounds around his body. As quickly as lightning, the Rainbow Soul Spear shot through the heads of the zombies in the immediate surroundings of the young man, causing them to fall to the ground.

Behind the man was an exquisite beauty flying about two inches above the ground. This whole scene would make anyone feel astonished.

They had no idea where the zombie soldiers were coming from as well. Jiang Yi released his divine senses to scan everything within a fifty-kilometer-radius of themselves. There was no end to the zombie army. The good thing was that these zombie soldiers seemed just as skillful as the ones Jiang Yi met before. This meant that they were of no hindrance to Jiang Yi at all.

However…

They traveled thousands of kilometers. Jiang Yi had no idea how many zombies he had killed in total, but he finally was beginning to feel spiritually exhausted. After all, he had to use his mind to control the Rainbow Soul Sphere so that it pierced through each zombie's soul. This was tiring work.

“Let me take over.”

Yin Ruobing said after noticing that Jiang Yi was getting exhausted. Jiang Yi turned to glance at her. “Would it be tiring for you?”

“Hmph! Watch me!”

Yin Ruobing stuck her chin out and then flew ahead of Jiang Yi. The red bow in her hands kept glowing. Scary beams of red light shot out from the bow, turning into hundreds of red arrows that split up and hit the zombies' heads.

Pong, pong, pong~

Hundreds of zombie heads burst open. The scene was extremely gory. Jiang Yi quickly activated his divine shield to avoid getting zombie goo all over himself. He glanced at the red bow and then nodded. “Not bad. Is that an ancient weapon?”

Yin Ruobing lifted her chin proudly. She turned and said, “That's right. This is the God Shooter Bow. It was famous in ancient times. It matches one of the four- or five-star dao patterns that I've realized. It's quite powerful, isn't it?”

Jiang Yi smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Then, he kept his Rainbow Soul Spear with relief. On receiving Jiang Yi's praise, Yin Ruobing beamed until her eyes became two crescent moons. She excitedly charged forward, using her red bow to keep shooting down zombies.

Hundreds of beams red light kept shooting out from the bow, and hundreds of zombies' heads kept exploding. Their bodies flew backward from the impact. Although she required more effort than Jiang Yi, the results were still good.

“Is this a wind-elemental upper-tier dao pattern?”

Jiang Yi curiously asked. He watched the red arrows and realized they resembled blasts of wind. They could even chase after the zombies' heads on their own. Yin Ruobing turned around and smiled again. “That's right. It's the elemental upper-tier dao pattern, the Wind Soul-Chaser. I realized this on my own! I didn't use the mystic realms belonging to my clan.”

“Nice job!”

Jiang Yi gave her a thumbs-up once again, causing Yin Ruobing to beam back at him like a little child gaining the praise of an elder. Her innocent smile, beautiful body, exquisite features, and slender legs taken together made her look like a fairy that had escaped from the forest where she belonged. There was also an attractive fragrance emanating from her body, dissipating the stench of the zombies. This made Jiang Yi wonder for a second whether he really was in Fengdu City. He felt like he was traveling around the world with Yin Ruobing.

The two of them took turns to fight the zombie soldiers and made good progress toward the end. As they worked together, they did not feel tired. Instead, they energized each other and only took half a day to reach Fengdu City. They looked at the tall, back walls and blood-red city gate. Jiang Yi's expression hardened.

If there were zombie soldiers outside the city, then it would only be more dangerous inside. What was most important was that She Fei and Zhan Tianlei were probably inside as well. Jiang Yi did not know yet if Zhan Tianlei had figured out who Jiang Yi really was. If he had not, that was a good thing. If he did, then there was trouble awaiting.

Buzz!

Jiang Yi's Ancient Divine Essence Ring lit up, and a soft sword appeared. To fight Demigods, he had no choice but to make use of his Divine Sound Heaven Skill. If he used the Rainbow Soul Spear, he might do some damage; but Demigods had very short reaction times. There was no way that he would get close enough to their heads with the spear.

“Don't worry, Jiang Yi.”

Yin Ruobing could tell that he was worried. She smiled and reassured him, “Even if we do meet She Fei, I might not be able to force him to retreat, but I can knock him out for a while. There are many intersections in Fengdu City. He won't catch up to us.”

“Uh?”

Jiang Yi gave Yin Ruobing a weird look. This lass could fight Demigods as well? He figured it out really quickly. His eyes twinkled as he asked, “This is the special power of the Fragrant Lady Race?”

“Mm!” Yin Ruobing blushed. She did not dare to make eye contact with Jiang Yi.

“Keke, don't be rash. She Fei might not kill me!” Jiang Yi raised his soft sword and charged toward Fengdu City.

Creak-creak!

As the two of them got within a hundred meters of the city gate, the red gates opened up. It looked like the mouth of a gigantic beast, which was ready to swallow them up.

Jiang Yi grabbed Yin Ruobing's small hand and headed into the city. Immediately, the city gates closed. The zombie soldiers outside the gates retreated at once, leaving behind the corpses all around.

The strange thing was that after a second, the corpses lit up and disappeared. Even the black blood that had been splattered everywhere disappeared. The scene outside turned into a desert.

Upon entering Fengdu City, Jiang Yi no longer heard the ghostly cries that he heard before. The Ghost King was created by Ao Lu. Now, Ao Lu was at the Endless Deep Sea. Naturally, the sounds were gone as well.

“Trouble!”

The two of them looked in front and saw a dense army of zombie soldiers heading toward them once again. These zombies were different from the ones outside. They had double the speed and sphere of influence. What's more, about three kilometers away from the two of them stood a huge zombie beast.

They guessed that these zombies were several times stronger and bigger than the ones outside. As for the zombie beast, they had no idea what to expect.

Chapter 1102 - Running Crazily

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Whatever their strength was, the zombie army was headed straight toward the two of them. Jiang Yi had no choice but to face them head-on. This time, he was more careful. He summoned his Astral Wind Blades and got his Astral Wind Blades ready. The Rainbow Soul Spear flew out of his mind like a divine rainbow, straight toward the army.

Boom!

The zombie soldiers' souls still got smashed with just one blow from the spear, but it was obvious that the blow was not as impactful to them as it was to the zombies outside. Regardless, Jiang Yi controlled the Rainbow Soul Spear to attack the soldiers. He turned around and shouted to Yin Ruobing, “Ruobing, be careful. The zombies here are much stronger. I'm guessing that the zombie beast over there is even more so. Protect yourself. Also… don't get too close to me. I have the astral winds guarding my body. It'll hurt you.”

“Alright!”

Yin Ruobing did not dare to let her guard down. The divine shield around her body lit up, and full-body green armor appeared. It was obvious that her armor was a spirit-connected cardinal treasure.

Runic patterns were glowing on the armor. The Nine Thearch Clans had strong foundations. It was normal for the first mistress of the Yin Clan to possess a spirit-connected cardinal treasure for her armor.

Jiang Yi took one glance at it and felt more relieved. He focused on attacking the army in front of him, opening a path of blood for them to search for the exit.

Roar! Roar!

The zombie beast about three kilometers away from them had been awakened. It roared, its roar echoing throughout the streets. It shocked both Jian Yi and Yin Ruobing and caused their ears to hurt. The zombie beast was surrounded by a black gas.

It had six long and thick legs, and it stood extremely tall. Whenever it opened its huge, red mouth, it revealed sharp and frightening teeth. Anyone looking at it would surely tremble.

The beast stared Yin Ruobing down with its red eyes, which were as big as coins.

“Die!”

Jiang Yi sent all ten of his Astral Wind Blades toward the sixty-meter tall beast. One of the Astral Wind Blades went right into the beast's mouth as well.

Roar!

The zombie beast spat out a ball of black gas, which swirled in front of it and condensed into a black arrow. The black arrow charged toward Jiang Yi.

Bang, bang, bang!

The ten Astral Wind Blades stabbed the zombie beast harshly around its body. There was a series of what sounded like gold hitting gold. The zombie beast flew backward from the impact.

However, what was most shocking to Jiang Yi was that the ten Astral Wind Blades—which could break down the protective layer around a top-grade Heaven Fate Ship— only managed to cause ten slice wounds in the zombie beast's body. Even the bones in the zombie beast's body remained unbroken. The Astral Wind Blade that went into its mouth only sliced off some rotten meat. It did not even manage to cause the entire zombie beast to be ripped to pieces.

Tsk! Tsk!

The black arrow condensed from the beast's black gas was coming right toward Jiang Yi. It was flying at top speed, and it looked like its area of attack would be pretty huge. If Jiang Yi had moved out of the way immediately, he might have been able to dodge the arrow. However, Yin Ruobing was standing behind him. How could he dodge?

Bang!

There was a loud explosion. Jiang Yi was thrown backward. A huge amount of energy was shaved off his Astral Winds Divine Shield. The good thing was that even after he landed, the divine shield remained unbroken.

The suppressive force that the black arrow carried with it caused Jiang Yi to be shocked to his very core. All his veins and internal organs were obviously injured.

“This stupid thing is pretty strong!”

Jiang Yi wiped the blood from his mouth and stood back up. He flew upward and shouted to Yin Ruobing, “Ruobing, get rid of the zombie soldiers for me. I'm going to get rid of this beast first.”

“Be careful.”

Yin Ruobing nodded, her red bow at the ready. Hundreds of red beams of light shot out from it. This time, they did not seem as formidable as they were before. Still, they managed to blow the zombies' minds to pieces. Jiang Yi did not have to worry that Yin Ruobing would not be able to handle the zombie soldiers.

“Ha!”

While in mid-air, Jiang Yi stabilized his divine shield and re-summoned his Astral Wind Blades. His Rainbow Soul Spear was no longer focused on attacking the zombie soldiers below. Instead, it followed the ten Astral Wind Blades and flew toward the huge zombie beast.

Pong-pong-pong-pong!

This time, Jiang Yi did not allow the ten Astral Wind Blades to land at different places. Instead, he focused all his attacks on one of the beast's legs. He wanted to cripple the zombie beast so that it would not be able to jump up again. Then, all it would be able to do is sit there and wait to die. His Rainbow Soul Spear made one round around the zombie beast, locked in on its soul, and began attacking it.

Tsk! Tsk!

The zombie beast spat out another ball of black gas. The black gas condensed into another black arrow that flew toward Jiang Yi once again. This was the zombie beast's weakness—its attacks were all plain and simple.

After all, a dead animal was a dead animal. No matter how strong it was, it would not beat what it was like when it was living.

“No way!”

Once the Rainbow Soul Spear entered the zombie beast's spiritual consciousness, Jiang Yi knew something was amiss. The black gas in the beast's spiritual consciousness was way too thick. If he did not plan his attack properly, there was a risk that his Rainbow Soul Spear would be corroded. Jiang Yi did not dare to take the risk. He quickly pulled his Rainbow Soul Spear back.

Boom!

Jiang Yi had been too near to the zombie beast. The impact came as no surprise. He had no time at all to retreat. Once again, his body got thrown back by the black arrow made out of the beast's black gas. He flew through the air and landed hard on the pavement next to a stone house and caused the stone house's restrictions to flicker.

“I'll try it again!”

Before he flew backward, Jiang Yi saw that the beast's leg was already half broken. His eyes brightened a million times. His ninth star sphere contained much more astral winds.

He did not have to fear that he would run out. Since he could not kill the zombie beast with the blades, he could only bank on making it a beast without any legs.

Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi flew up into the air again and again. Each time he did, he aimed all ten Astral Wind Blades at one spot. The first and second legs on the zombie beast's left side broke very quickly, but with one last leg on its left side, the beast was still holding strong. In this way, the beast continued to attack Jiang Yi crazily.

Boom!

The tenth time Jiang Yi flew up, all three legs on the left side of the zombie beat were broken. Although the three legs on its right side were good, there was no way for the zombie beast to balance without any legs on the left side. It kept struggling to stand up, but once it did, it would sway and fall over once again. Now that it could not even stand straight, there was no hope of it attacking Jiang Yi anymore.

“Go!”

Jiang Yi wiped the blood from his mouth once again and released his Rainbow Soul Spear. He grabbed Yin Ruobing and charged forward. Now that the zombie beast was not there to stop them, the zombie soldiers alone were not enough to hold them back. The two of them opened a path through the zombie army by slaughtering them. As fast as they could, they headed for the street up ahead.

Buzz!

They had just run about five kilometers when another image filled Jiang Yi's mind. The sky split open and a pair of Vajra shoes descended. The crack disappeared, and so did the image.

“The third treasure has been taken!”

Jiang Yi's eyes opened wide as he exchanged a meaningful look with Yin Ruobing. He looked terrible. The third treasure was obtained so quickly. It proved that either She Fei or Zhan Tianlei had already completed the third stage. Of course, it could also have been Yi Chan or Jian Wuying completing the fifth stage.

No matter who or what it was, Jiang Yi knew that it was not good. The second treasure was the Glazed Pagoda. If either She Fei, Zhan Tianlei, Jiang Wuying, or anyone else won it, he would be in huge trouble. Once they left the Mystic Divine Palace, they would all have Demigods around them, protecting them. How would Jiang Yi steal the Glazed Pagoda from them then?

“Rush! Rush! Rush!”

Jiang Yi roared. The Rainbow Soul Spear moved even faster than before. Jiang Yi could not care less about his energy being consumed anymore. He wanted to get to the end goal as quickly as he could to search for the exit from Fengdu City.

“Jiang Yi!”

Yin Ruobing looked worriedly at Jiang Yi. If he carried on this way, he would not be able to last much longer. What if there was an even bigger zombie beast awaiting them? Yet, Jiang Yi was already running crazily.

All she could do was speed up in order to catch up with him. The red bow in her hands glowed. She was ready to carry the both of their weight any time, in case Jiang Yi collapsed.

How-how! Wu-wu! Hu-hu!

The zombie soldiers kept reviving and charging toward Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing. Behind the two of them was a trail of corpses. As the cold winds whipped at them from all directions, the lamps around them flickered. Fengdu City seemed to have really become hell.

Chapter 1103 - Jiang Yi, We Meet

Again!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Three days. A full three days had passed since Jiang Yi began fighting relentlessly. He did not even rest for a second. In three days, he killed countless zombie soldiers and fought countless zombie beasts. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had already searched through eight hundred streets, but he still had not found the exit.

This Fengdu City had more than twenty thousand streets. The two of them were traveling very quickly through the streets, but there were far too many zombie soldiers and zombie beasts around them. It was already good enough that they were clearing more than two hundred streets each day.

Hoo-Hoo!

Jiang Yi finally felt on the brink of collapsing. He stopped to rest for a while. Yin Ruobing was quite exhausted as well. In fact, exhaustion was written all over her face. Jiang Yi forced himself to cool down. If he carried on this way, not only would he not be able to find the exit, but he would also probably cause Yin Ruobing to be exhausted to the point of death.

“Ruobing, take a break.”

Jiang Yi scanned his surroundings and found an empty stone house beside them. He led Yin Ruobing into the house and allowed her to take a break inside it. He sat with his back against the door, and his Rainbow Soul Spear at the ready to kill any zombie soldiers that dared to approach them.

However…

These zombie soldiers were not like the ones outside the city. They were activated despite there being nobody close to them. From afar, countless zombie soldiers charged toward them. Jiang Yi could hardly see where the group ended.

“Block the door!”

Jiang Yi thought of a brilliant idea: He needed to find something to block the stone gate before the two of them could finally rest peacefully inside the stone house. However, he realized that there was nothing around to block the door. The things around him were either too small or not strong enough to block the door.

If he summoned the Thearch Palace and Smelting Divine Furnace, they would be too big to even block the door. It was a pity that he could not use spatial divine items where they were. Otherwise, the two of them could probably have hidden inside the Thearch Palace. Given the strength of the Thearch Palace's defense, he was confident that it would hold them for at least two hours.

“Jiang Yi, I have a plan.”

Yin Ruobing guessed what Jiang Yi was thinking. She pulled out her red Ancient Divine Essence Ring. It lit up and a small shield appeared. It was obvious that this small shield was a pseudo-divine artifact.

Yin Ruobing focused her essence force and caused the shield to fly outward. When it reached the door, Yin Ruobing shouted, “Change!”

The shield stopped right at the door. With a flash of light, it grew several times in size and completely blocked the stone gate. There was not even a sliver of light that could pass through between the shield and the gate.

Jiang Yi looked at it for several moments before he exclaimed, “What a good item. What kind of treasure is this?!”

Yin Ruobing smiled faintly and explained the divine shield, “This is the Willing Heart Shield. It can change into millions of different things. It can even change into battle armor or swords. However, the strength of its defense is not as great as the bejeweled armor on my body.”

“You have many treasures indeed.”

Jiang Yi was obviously impressed. He sat on the ground and leaned back against the wall to get some shut-eye. Yin Ruobing did not say much else.

From inside her Ancient Divine Essence Ring, she retrieved two green wooden chairs and a square table. Then, she retrieved some spirit fruits. She giggled and said, “Jiang Yi, have some red fruit. These fruits can replenish your body strength and recover your energy.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi did not stand on ceremony. He climbed onto a chair and picked up a spirit fruit. He took a huge bite out of it, not bothering to maintain his etiquette. Yin Ruobing sat opposite to him and nibbled at her fruit.

She sat upright. The ladies of the great family clans took note of their posture and etiquette at all times. She watched Jiang Yi wolf down fruit after fruit and smiled. “Jiang Yi, don't rush.

I have many more red fruits here. They would last you for about two years, too.”

“I have to make full use of my time, or the Glazed Pagoda would be taken by someone else,” Jiang Yi blurted while chewing his fruit.

“The Glazed Pagoda?”

Yin Ruobing straightened up, looking confused. “What do you want the Glazed Pagoda for? I thought you were going after the Mystic Divine Palace?”

“The Mystic Divine Palace belongs to the old Mystic Thearch. He will give it to whoever he wants to give it to. There will be no point even if I fight for it!” Jiang Yi shook his head and continued, “The Glazed Pagoda can be earned. What's more… compared to the Mystic Divine Palace, I want the Glazed Pagoda much more. This thing is very important to me!”

“Oh, okay.”

Seeing that Jiang Yi was quite unwilling to explain himself, Yin Ruobing decided not to question him any further. She sat quietly watching Jiang Yi eat. The corners of her lips tilted up slightly. If Zhan Tianlei had seen the way that she was looking at Jiang Yi right now, he would probably explode in rage and go all out to kill Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi, however, had no energy to bother about Yin Ruobing. After gulping down more than ten spirit fruits, he felt like his energy and strength were almost fully recovered. He leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes to take a nap. He had to make full use of whatever time he had left. Three days had already passed, and they still had not found the exit. If She Fei or Zhan Tianlei had really passed the third stage, they would just need to pass one more stage in order to earn the Glazed Pagoda.

How-how! Wu-wu! Bang-bang!

The zombie soldiers outside cried non-stop. Some zombie soldiers could smell life inside the stone house. They kept attacking the divine shield while the black winds kept whipping around their bodies.

It caused the room to feel cold and eerie. Still, Jiang Yi slept soundly. Yin Ruobing sat beside him, leaning her head on her hands to look at him. At that time, she forgot everything happening outside.

On the Yellow Springs Path, Jiang Yi reverted to his true self. He only did so on Yin Ruobing's incessant requests. Yin Ruobing stared at his face, thinking that he looked more and more attractive.

Jiang Yi's features were quite flat, but after the Destitute Dragon Grass changed him, his skin became much better. His features also looked slightly different. He became much more manly and good-looking.

As she stared at him, Yin Ruobing slowly fell asleep as well. She leaned back on the chair and slept with a peaceful smile on her face. It was almost as if she was taking a nap back in her bedroom—she was that contented.

After resting for six hours, Jiang Yi's eyes burst open. He wanted to wake Yin Ruobing up so that they could continue their journey, but he realized that she was in deep sleep. He simply could not bring himself to wake her up. After four more hours, the two of them finally resumed their journey. They continued to kill zombie soldiers and fight zombie beasts in order to locate the exit.

“This is so strange. Why haven't we seen Zhan Tianlei and She Fei fighting zombie soldiers and zombie beasts?”

Throughout their entire journey, Jiang Yi felt slightly curious after passing by a street and realizing there weren't any zombie soldiers or zombie beasts there. When he discovered that all the corpses were gone from another street and that new zombie soldiers were appearing, he had a sudden realization.

It looked like the dead zombie soldiers were being teleported out, and new zombie soldiers were being teleported in. This was how the Soul Devouring Crocodiles operated on the Yellow Springs Path as well. Otherwise, if the same zombie soldiers remained in the place, they should all be dead after all these years.

One day, two days… three days!

Another three days passed. Jiang Yi had already walked through all eight hundred streets. His luck was still quite bad—he still could not find the exit.

All he could do was find another place to rest with Yin Ruobing once again. Yin Ruobing's Willing Heart Shield was very useful. It allowed the two of them to rest peacefully.

After half a day of resting, they decided to get back on the way. Six days had passed, and yet nobody had found the second treasure. The stages were getting more and more difficult.

The skill level required to get through them was increasing. Even Zhan Tianlei and She Fei were probably having difficulty getting through the stages, weren't they?

“Exit!”

On the eighth day, on a random street, Yin Ruobing suddenly called out. Jiang Yi had been fighting another zombie beast, and he was not paying attention to his surroundings. When Yin Ruobing shouted at him, he turned immediately. His eyes brightened up like two stars.

A few kilometers away from them—at the end of a dark street, they saw a lit-up stone gate. Fengdu City's street lamps were all relatively dim. It was not possible that they would look as bright as this gate did. That should be the exit—there was no mistake about it!

“This really is the exit, but… you can't go in.”

At that exact moment, a cold voice sounded behind them. Along the dark street—in a cold stone house, a black figure shot out as quickly as a flying blade. A bloody skull was revolving around him as he flew, emanating a bloody red light.

His eyes were filled with hatred as he stared Jiang Yi down. He sniggered, “I've waited two days for you. I wanted to get rid of a love rival, but I did not expect to come across an even bigger fish. Jiang Yi, we meet again!”

Chapter 1104 - Blood Thearch

Armor

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

She Fei had indeed been waiting for two days!

Zhan Tianlei had already advanced to the fourth stage six days ago. She Fei's luck was terrible. He had spent a few days looking for the exit, but he did not advance to the fourth stage. Instead, he decided to stay and wait.

This was because She Fei discovered that Zhan Tianlei was on par with him in terms of skills. What's more, he had an extremely powerful ancient weapon on his hands. It was one of the top ten ancient weapons in the East Imperial Continent at that. This was She Fei's thinking: since Zhan Tianlei had already been inside the exit for so many days, it would be difficult for She Fei to catch up with him. There was no way he could compete with Zhan Tianlei.

What's more, he had the same thinking as Jiang Yi. What kind of person was the Mystic Thearch? Would he so easily give his things away to others? Even if he made it through the fifth stage and collected fifteen points, he definitely would not have been able to obtain the Mystic Divine Palace. That was why She Fei was not in the least bit anxious. So what if he lost the Glazed Pagoda or whatever to Zhan Tianlei?

He decided to wait there for several days to see if Li Tian took the hellish-grade challenge. Li Tian and Yi Chan had something going on between them. This caused She Fei to be extremely furious. If he did not kill Li Tian, he would not feel at peace.

Little did he know that he would really have met him. Much less did he expect that Li Tian was actually Jiang Yi!

The fact that Li Tian was Jiang Yi finally cleared up all the questions in She Fei's head. Yi Chan and Jiang Yi already had some sort of relationship between them. Given Yi Chan's pride, why would she have allowed just any man to pull her along on the Road of Azure Clouds? If it had been Jiang Yi, everything made much more sense.

“She Fei!”

Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing jumped back in shock at the same time. Jiang Yi did not retreat. The Smelting Divine Furnace appeared in his hands, and he focused all his essence force in it. Suddenly, the furnace lit up, and the runic patterns floated away.

A frightening aura spread out throughout the surroundings. Jiang Yi laughed, “She Fei, you did not want to take the road that led to heaven. Instead, you chose to barge into hell despite the absence of any entryways. I could kill five Demigods on Stupa Mountain; killing you today would be as easy as smashing an ant.”

“Uh…”

Yin Ruobing's eyes twinkled. She turned to Jiang Yi passionately. Jiang Yi had indeed burned five Demigods to death at the base of Stupa Mountain. He also caused everything within a five hundred kilometer radius to be burnt. Could it all be thanks to this furnace? This furnace seemed extremely hot and powerful. It was very likely that this was the ancient weapon that Jiang Yi had obtained from the Purgatory Ruin.

“Ruobing, move back. Wait until I've burned She Fei alive!”

Jiang Yi shouted out. He channeled all his essence force into the furnace so that it became even more frightening than it was before. Yin Ruobing moved back obediently, but her eyes revealed her mixed emotions.

After all, She Fei was a disciple of one of the Nine Thearch Clans. The Nine Thearch Clans had many connections with one another. If Jiang Yi killed She Fei today, people outside might not find out. However, she would inevitably feel uneasy.

“Hahaha!”

She Fei burst into laughter. He did not look in the least bit scared. Instead, he responded in a mocking tone. “The Smelting Divine Furnace? This was the weapon that belonged to the famous Fire God back in the day.

I've already looked this weapon up. You're not thinking of burning me alive, are you? Go right ahead. I would hand it to you if you really manage to! Can you still summon the Nirvana Flames? Do you have that much star sphere power? Even if it were the Nine Heaven True Flames, I would still be unafraid of you!”

“Uh—”

Yin Ruobing's footsteps halted, and she looked shocked. She turned sharply to Jiang Yi, but she saw that he had a smirk on his face. He was not panicking at all. In a cool voice, he said, “Then why aren't you attacking me? Come at me if you dare.”

“Ruobing, run!”

Jiang Yi sent a voice transmission over to Yin Ruobing. His voice was firm and sharp. That was when Yin Ruobing realized that She Fei was speaking the truth. Jiang Yi really had no way of activating the Smelting Divine Furnace. Otherwise, he would not have been spouting so much nonsense. Neither would he have been so worried about bumping into She Fei or Zhan Tianlei on the way.

Not only did Yin Ruobing stop retreating upon hearing his command, but she also flew up to join Jiang Yi. She Fei was stunned for a moment, but he figured it out soon enough.

Jiang Yi was his arch-nemesis. If Jiang Yi had wanted to kill him, he would have done so by now. Jiang Yi was never one to waste time talking nonsense. She Fei asked the Evil Thearch about this before. The Evil Thearch said that Jiang Yi would not be able to activate the Smelting Divine Furnace again until he became a Demigod. She Fei chose to believe the Evil Thearch.

Hoo-Hoo!

Just to be safe, She Fei decided not to move any closer to Jiang Yi. There was still about three kilometers between the two of them. The huge bloody skull beside him cried out. This bloody skull had been refined by the Evil Thearch personally after She Fei became a Demigod. It now had the strength of an ancient artifact. As it flew, it summoned gusts of black wind.

The sound of its cries could break through gold and stone. Its aura was simply frightening.

Clang-clang~

The soft sword appeared in Jiang Yi's other hand. It started dancing around wildly, making sounds that sounded like whistling. Jiang Yi kept the Smelting Divine Furnace and activated the astral winds at the same time.

The killing intent around his body was released now. His eyes turned blood-red. He turned back and hollered at Yin Ruobing, “Yin Ruobing, move back!”

“Jiang Yi, we will go together if we must!”

Yin Ruobing disobeyed Jiang Yi's instruction. Instead, she turned to She Fei and shouted, “She Fei, if you want to kill Jiang Yi, you must kill me—Yin Ruobing—first!”

“Hahaha!”

She Fei was completely relieved by now. He charged toward them, his gaze not leaving Yin Ruobing as he shouted, “You slut, how dare you have connections with this criminal from the Sin Island? Are you not afraid of disgracing the Yin Clan? There are so many dignified men in the East Imperial Continent. In what way is Brother Tianlei worse off than this piece of trash? Why are you all falling for a pile of rubbish like him? Yin Ruobing, Chief Ye will r*pe you before killing you, so that you will not be able to disgrace the Nine Thearch Clans any further!”

Bang, bang, bang!

Ten Astral Wind Blades crashed hard into the bloody skull. The skull lit up and flew backward, but there was no damage done to it whatsoever. Its defensive power was truly frightening. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill cut through the skull as well, and She Fei showed a hint of pain in his expression. He resisted the urge to spit out blood and managed to stay right where he was. It was obvious that even the Divine Sound Heaven Skill could not affect him much.

Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill was already at the second level, and he came up with a song that could incorporate the Massacre Intent. Yet, he had underestimated the souls of Demigods. He forgot as well that She Fei was a disciple of the She Clan. The Nine Thearch Clans had countless spirit herbs. She Fei's soul was already extremely strong now. It was already good enough that Jiang Yi made She Fei feel something when he released the Divine Sound Heaven Skill.

“Pshaw!”

Under Jiang Yi's control, the Divine Sound Heaven Skill did not affect Yin Ruobing in the slightest. She heard She Fei's derogatory remarks, and her face turned an awful green. In a cool voice, she shouted, “You think that you're dignified men?

Apart from wearing the outfits belonging to the Nine Thearch Clans, what else do you have? In what way are you comparable to Jiang Yi? With a personality like that, you want to chase Big Sister Chan? Dream on!”

Buzz!

There was a white flash around Yin Ruobing's body. A strong fragrance emanated from her body. It condensed into stalks of fresh flowers. They were mere holograms, but they shot toward She Fei one by one. Yin Ruobing sent a voice transmission to Jiang Yi: “Jiang Yi, run! I'm going to delay She Fei!”

Would Jiang Yi run? If he ran, would he still be called Jiang Yi?

There was a crazed look in his eyes. He summoned his Astral Winds Divine Shield and caused the soft sword in his hand to dance around wildly. Once again, he summoned his ten Astral Wind Blades and secretly sent his Rainbow Soul Spear underground, ready to attack She Fei's brain. Jiang Yi could not use Heaven Evasion here. There was no way he could activate the Fury of Thunder. The only thing he could do was rely on the Rainbow Soul Spear to injure She Fei's soul. This would be their only chance to escape.

“Hahaha! The Fragrant Lady Race's Million Flower bewitchment art?”

She Fei laughed out loud. The Demigod suppressive force around his body pressed down on Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing, so that they both began to experience difficulty in breathing. A blood-red armor appeared around his body. On it were mysterious patterns that looked ancient and almighty.

The aura it emanated was simply frightening. The armor wrapped around his head and his body. He kept charging toward the two of them, unafraid.

He shouted, “Yin Ruobing, with the Blood Thearch Armor, your low-grade mystical abilities cannot hurt me!”

“The Blood Thearch Armor? The Evil Thearch passed this ancient artifact down to you?”

Yin Ruobing's face drained of all color. The Blood Thearch Armor was the fifth best treasure in the East Imperial Continent. It could protect one's soul and defend one's body. It was well-known throughout the entire continent. The Blood Thearch War Chariot that was being sold in God Bestow City belonged to the same owner as this Blood Thearch Armor. These were the battle equipment that the Blood Thearch himself used back in the day.

“Hehe!”

She Fei looked very satisfied with himself. He descended from the sky, with the bloody skull still making rounds around his body. He looked just like a killing god.

As he descended, he shouted, “Give up, Jiang Yi! I'll let you have a taste of my six-star dao pattern—the Heaven Wheel of Ruin! Once you're dead, Chief will take good care of Yin Ruobing for you. I'll make sure that she'll live like a divinity…”

Chapter 1105 - : Divine Fragrance

Illusion Formation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Tsk! Tsk!

She Fei's arms danced around. All around him, the air seemed like it was shaking. The essence force in the air gathered crazily toward him, congealing into a black wheel.

The black wheel looked like a bunch of curved blades that were joined together to form a full circle. It turned at rapid speed, cutting the air around it constantly. It was extraordinarily terrifying. She Fei hollered, “Trash, die!”

“Jiang Yi, be careful!”

Upon seeing the black wheel, Yin Ruobing screamed out. She had heard about this six-star dao pattern before. It was said that it was extremely powerful.

Even the Evil Thearch praised its power. It looked even worse in real life.

Jiang Yi retreated as fast as he could in a winding manner. Yet, no matter how quickly he tried to retreat, the black wheel kept getting closer to him. The wheel was traveling way too quickly. A terrible suppressive force pressed down on him, slowing him down.

He thought about Yin Ruobing who was just behind him. Gritting his teeth, he held still. Since he could no longer retreat, he could only fight. Whether he survived or died would be up to fate now.

Tsk! Tsk!

The back wheel turned into a black beam of light that shot straight toward Jiang Yi. Accompanying it with an ear-piercing, high-pitched sound that caused Jiang Yi's ears to be deaf to everything else. The black beam of light filled his vision. His Astral Wind Divine Shield was already at the ready, but he was not confident that he could fend off this attack.

In the past, near the Buddha Mountain, he used the Astral Wind Divine Shield to fend off Wu Ni's six-star dao pattern, the Judgment Wind Blades. However, Wu Ni had been peak-stage Heaven Monarch at that time. She Fei, on the other hand, was a Demigod. Their powers were completely different.

“Come on!”

His eyes widened as he shouted at the top of his lungs. His robes were already whipping against his body. The astral winds kept congealing into the Astral Wind Blades in his hands. He tried as best as he could to reduce the power of the wheel coming at him.

Tsk! Tsk!

The black wheel kept charging at him relentlessly, destroying Jiang Yi's Astral Wind Blades like they were nothing but rotten wood. The black wheel threatened to crash hard into his Astral Winds Divine Shield.

“Go!”

Yin Ruobing screamed. A white jade shield flew in front of Jiang Yi. It was not the Willing Heart Shield from before. Instead, this was a different shield. Runic patterns on this one were glowing. It was a spirited-connected cardinal treasure!

Bang!

There was an explosive sound. The shield broke into four or five pieces, some of them even being reduced to dust. The black wheel continued toward Jiang Yi, crashing hard into his Astral Winds Divine Shield, bringing with it a destructive aura.

“Pfff…”

Yin Ruobing spat out a mouthful of blood. The spirited-connected cardinal treasure was connected to its owner's spirit. Since the white jade shield had been destroyed, Yin Ruobing's soul was obviously damaged.

Pop!

Like a bubble being popped, Jiang Yi felt the energy from the Astral Winds Divine Shield being wiped out completely. It did not even hold up against the impact for more than a second. This Heaven Wheel of Ruin easily tore apart his Astral Wind Blades, turned Yin Ruobing's spirit-connected cardinal treasure to dust, and now, even destroyed his own Astral Winds Divine Shield?

At that moment between life and death, the cogs in Jiang Yi's mind turned rapidly. His will to live refused to back down and allow him to die just like that. In a flash, tens of ideas came up in his mind.

His eyes twinkled as the ring in his hand lit up. A huge stone furnace appeared in front of his chest. He was placing his last hope in this Smelting Divine Furnace. If this furnace did not hold up, his bones would be reduced to dust for sure.

Bang!

There was a loud crash. Jiang Yi's Smelting Divine Furnace was thrown back, but it did not disappoint Jiang Yi in the least. It was so terrifyingly solid that it managed to withstand the blow from the Heaven Wheel of Ruin. Of course, this was only because a large amount of energy had already been shaved off from the Heaven Wheel of Ruin. Otherwise, it not only would have crushed the Smelting Divine Furnace, but it would also have cut Jiang Yi into pieces.

“Pfff…”

Nevertheless, Jiang Yi's body was thrown back about several hundred meters. He rolled several rounds on the ground before climbing to his feet and spitting out a mouthful of blood. The Heaven Wheel of Ruin's huge force shocked his internal organs and severely injured him internally.

Ss, ss…

Jiang Yi sucked in a couple of deep breaths. He felt so powerless. There was a huge gap between peak-stage Heaven Monarchs and Demigods—a gap that he had no idea how to leap across. Since he was unable to activate the Smelting Divine Furnace, he was no match at all for a Demigod. All he could do was sit back and wait to be smashed.

“Ruobing, run away quickly!”

His gaze shot toward Yin Ruobing. With one single hand, he slapped the ground and charged forward. Even if he had to die, he had to drag She Fei down along with him so that Yin Ruobing would be able to escape.

“I can't run away. She Fei is too fast. Even if we run, he will catch up to us easily.” Yin Ruobing turned back to glance at She Fei and laughed bitterly.

She looked at Jiang Yi, his face filled with anxiousness as he charged crazily toward She Fei. Suddenly, a look of determination crossed her face. She raised both hands and started waving them around, forming a strange hand seal.

“Hahaha!”

She Fei's power was insurmountable. His long hair danced around his face, and the bloody skull kept crying out as it revolved around his body. He was like a cat, playing a game of catch with a couple of rats. It was pure torture.

In a cool voice, he shouted, “Yin Ruobing, you are pretty smart. Jiang Yi, do you know why ants cannot shake heaven? Because ants will always be ants. They will always be useless insects!”

Tsk! Tsk!

Once again, She Fei congealed the Heaven Wheel of Ruin. This time, Yin Ruobing did not have the spirit-connected cardinal treasure to help them. She Fei was eager to see how Jiang Yi planned to get out of this one. He could easily activate this dao pattern hundreds of times, just to see how Jiang Yi would keep struggling.

“Finished…”

Although Jiang Yi had been charging forward, there was a sense of hopelessness in his eyes. He turned back guiltily to Yin Ruobing. He had never been afraid of death, but he felt extremely bad for dragging Yin Ruobing down with him.

“Keke!”

All of a sudden, Yin Ruobing smiled faintly. She looked up into the sky at She Fei, who was still grinning at them mockingly. She said, “She Fei, ants will never be able to shake heaven indeed, but we are not ants.

Neither are you the heavens. Do you really think that you alone can kill us both? Dream on!”

Buzz!

Blinding white light surrounded Yin Ruobing's body. Her robes were whipping against her body, and her scarf was flying around in the wind. In the white light, she looked like a fairy descending from heaven.

Along with the white light was a strong fragrance that emanated from her body. This fragrance was taking a solid form and turning into pink smoke. In a blink of an eye, the pink smoke filled the entire surroundings. Everything around them began to disappear.

“My Fragrant Lady Race is considered second among the top ten divine furnaces. She Fei, do you really think all I have is the Million Flower bewitchment art? You belittle me!”

With a mirthless laugh, Yin Ruobing sent the pink smoke swirling toward She Fei. At that moment, She Fei felt like a blind man. He could not use his divine senses at all over here; thus, he lost sight of Yin Ruobing and Jiang Yi's bodies.

He was stunned for a while, but a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. He cried out in rage, “The legendary Divine Fragrance Illusion Formation really exists? Yin Ruobing, you despicable woman! You really want to let Jiang Yi—this bastard—have it so easy? Ah, ah, ah!”

She Fei kept sending the Heaven Wheel of Ruin forward through the smoke. At the same time, the bloody skull began to cry out loudly in all directions. However, with pink smoke everywhere, there was no way that She Fei could lock in on his targets.

What's more, he seemed to have lost all sense of direction now. He felt like he would never make it out of this illusion formation.

“Huh!”

As Jiang Yi flew forward, he realized that a thick cloud of pink smoke was forming in front of him. Yin Ruobing and She Fei's bodies were gone now. His eyes widened as he screamed, “Ruobing! Ruobing! Ruobing!”

Swish!

From within the pink smoke, a tiny figure emerged. Yin Ruobing's face was drained of all color, and she was swaying as she walked. She smiled bitterly as she muttered, “Jiang Yi, quick, get me out of here.”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi shouted out in excitement. He rushed toward her as quickly as he could, catching her just as she was falling to the ground. Then, they ran as far as they could away from there. The Rainbow Soul Spear appeared to kill all the zombie soldiers around them.

After they had traveled for several kilometers, Yin Ruobing's closed eyes suddenly opened. In a weak voice, she said, “Don't run too far. Find a clean room. I can't… take it any longer.”

Jiang Yi stiffened. He looked down at Yin Ruobing and said, “Ruobing, you must hang on! If you die, then I… don't want to live anymore either.”

Chapter 1106 - I'm Afraid of Pain

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Yin Ruobing looked up at Jiang Yi listlessly. Very faintly, she said, “I won't die. Just listen to me and find a clean house!”

“Okay, okay, okay!”

Jiang Yi nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. He turned a few corners around the nearby street and found an empty house. He quickly flew toward it and used his Rainbow Soul Spear to kill the zombie soldiers outside. The ancient ring on Yin Ruobing's hand lit up and the Willing Heart Shield shot toward the door, blocking it off.

Jiang Yi looked at the door, surprised. He said, “We're not far away from She Fei. Ruobing. Should we run a bit further? If he comes after us, ah… I'm to blame for being so useless.”

“No matter how far we run, he would still be able to find us.”

Yin Ruobing retrieved a recuperation medicine and swallowed it. She shook her head bitterly. “I activated the Divine Fragrance Illusion Formation, so my body will keep releasing the same fragrance. She Fei would be able to find me as long as he followed his sense of smell. Let's not waste any more time. The Divine Fragrance Illusion Formation would only hold him off for about two hours.”

Buzz!

The ring on Yin Ruobing's hand lit up once again, and a pink blanket flew out of it. Yin Ruobing's pale cheeks blushed red for a moment as she whispered, “Jiang Yi, lay out the blanket.”

“What is this blanket for?”

Jiang Yi was confused, but he did Yin Ruobing's bidding nonetheless. He laid out the thick blanket on the floor and then carried Yin Ruobing over to it. With a concerned tone, he asked, “Ruobing, are you going to use your skills to heal your wounds? Do you need my help?”

Yin Ruobing lay down on the blanket and closed her eyes. Her eyelashes seemed to be trembling as her face flushed a deeper red. Yin Ruobing kept the green armor that she was wearing.

After a long while, she finally said, “I do need your help. Jiang Yi, take off… my dress.”

“What?”

Jiang Yi blinked, confused. He thought he had misheard her. He trembled, not believing what he just heard. “Ruobing, what did you just say?”

“Take off my dress!”

Yin Ruobing plucked up the courage to open her eyes, but there was still bashfulness in her eyes. “Jiang Yi, you did not mishear me. Just… take me!”

Boom!

Jiang Yi felt like clouds were blocking his mind. For a long time, he did not know how to react. Was Yin Ruobing crazy? The two of them had just spent so much effort trying to escape. She Fei could come after them at any time. She wanted him to take her now? Since when did she become so thirsty? What's more, it just did not seem right for him to do something like that at a time like this.

Huff-huff…

Yin Ruobing was breathing harder now, and her face was completely red. She was so shy that she did not dare to even make eye contact with Jiang Yi. She waited a long while as Jiang Yi stared blankly at her. Then, she bit her lip and said, “Jiang Yi, listen to me. There is nothing wrong with Ruobing's head, and I have not gone crazy. I know full well what I am doing. I used one of the special mystical abilities of the Fragrant Lady Race to trap She Fei for two hours.

“Once I activate this ability, I need a man to… please me. Otherwise, I will die in two hours. What's more, She Fei will come after us by then. We can't escape. Now, the only thing that you can do to help me is taking my body. Absorb my essence and take the special charm of the Fragrant Lady Race. You must then find a way to breakthrough your powers.

If you can't defeat She Fei in two hours, we will die. Do you understand?”

“Ah?”

Jiang Yi finally understood now, but he could not bring himself to accept it. Yin Ruobing had given so much for him. How could he take her when she was the most vulnerable? He stuttered, “Ruobing, I… I…”

“Jiang Yi, since when did you become so wishy-washy?”

Yin Ruobing was getting angry now. She sucked in a deep breath to recover some of her essence force. Then, she looked at Jiang Yi very seriously. “Jiang Yi, Ruobing is… very willing.

Ever since you were Bai Yi, I already took a liking toward you. I was just not sure at the time. Still, I could never forget that charming smile of yours on the Painting Cliffs. You disappeared for two years, and I dreamt of you very often during that time.

“You gave me the 'Flower Fairy' painting in the Divine Sonar Valley. It was then that I finally understood—I was in love with you. But we were just way too different. What you said at the base of the Mystic Divine Mountain finally woke me up. I wanted to live for myself.

Although it would be selfish, I have already made up my mind. I don't want to regret this for the rest of my life. I want to follow you around to the ends of the earth. I want to follow you for the rest of my life, unless… you don't want me, Jiang Yi. Would you take me?”

As Yin Ruobing spoke, two streams of tears fell from her eyes. Her face was no longer red. Instead, it had turned pale once again. It made Jiang Yi's heart ache to look at her like this.

Jiang Yi listened as Yin Ruobing bore her heart out to him. He was so moved that he could not think straight. He forced himself not to cry. Instead, he continued gazing into Yin Ruobing's eyes. Then, he nodded furiously. “Yes, yes, yes! Ruobing, I want you.

I will marry you. I will take care of you, protect you, and love you for the rest of my life!”

A woman, a prestigious young lady, an incomparable beauty, an amazing lady!

She was willing to set down her status, her pride, her clan, and everybody close to her for his sake. She gave up her reputation and was willing to be cursed for the rest of her life, with no regard for the danger that awaited her. She set her heart on following him to the ends of the earth, wandering with no real home to call their own—even to the point of death. If she could give up so much for him and if Jiang Yi still hesitated, he would not be fit to be called a human being.

He tightened his grip on Yin Ruobing's hand and sucked in a deep breath. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Ruobing, I—Jiang Yi—swear today that I will never let you down for the rest of our lives. I will work hard forever to make the Yin Clan accept us. The Yin Clan will one day be proud of your decision!”

“This is the man I love!”

Yin Ruobing forced a smile. She seemed to have recalled something as she closed her eyes and blushed once again. Very gently, she said, “Jiang Yi, make full use of the time. I've tried my best. Whether we can survive or not is all dependent on you now. Of course, even if we die together, I will have no regrets. Jiang Yi, make Ruobing your woman…”

Boom!

On hearing her last sentence, something in Jiang Yi's brain snapped. He used his hands to undo Yin Ruobing's belt and unbuckle her dress. Very gently, he pulled it downward. The moment he took off her dress, Jiang Yi felt his heart thud.

Yin Ruobing's breathing was becoming more labored. Her hand—smooth as a jade—gripped tight on the blanket, almost ripping it.

Jiang Yi held his breath. With his trembling hand, he pulled off her undergarment—the last piece of clothing shielding her body. He exposed her naked body to the room. Yin Ruobing's body trembled as two streaks of tears flowed down her cheeks.

“You're so perfect. You're heaven's masterpiece…”

Jiang Yi was dumbfounded. As he took in her naked body, he could no longer breathe. Yin Ruobing's body was way too perfect. Her skin was white and flawless, like rouge made only in heaven. What's more, every inch of her skin emanated a gentle fragrance, which activated Jiang Yi's innate lust and desire.

“Ruobing, I… I'm coming…”

Jiang Yi stuttered. He quickly took his robe off and swallowed his saliva. He was quite sexually experienced, but at that moment, he felt so nervous that one would think he was a virgin. He suddenly forgot what to do and forgot where to begin.

Yin Ruobing's breathing quickened. Her blood coursed through her veins, and she bit her lip until it started bleeding. In a voice loud enough for only mosquitos to hear, she whispered, “Jiang Lang, be gentle with me. I'm very weak now, and… I'm afraid of pain!”

Chapter 1107 - Death God's

Summons

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jiang Yi was very gentle. He was so gentle that Ruobing did not feel much pain. Facing such an adorable and enchanting beauty, Jiang Yi could only cherish and love her. Yin Ruobing was too weak now, and Jiang Yi was very afraid that she would be hurt even the slightest.

“Uh…”

Yin Ruobing also felt Jiang Yi's gentleness. Her brows slowly extended, with her eyes still closed and her face extremely flushed. However, after waiting for a long while, she realized that Jiang Yi was still so gentle. She couldn't resist and gently said, “Jiang Yi, I am not so precious. You, you do not have to cherish me such. You can… be more active!”

Boom!

Jiang Yi's head boomed as if it had split. What else could stimulate a man more than to hear a chaste and saint-like lady say such licentious things? The high and mighty Great Lady Yin of the Yin Clan—the dream goddess of countless Young Masters on the East Imperial Continent—was saying such things now about her own self; there could be no sex-enhancing drugs that would work better than this.

Roar!

From Jiang Yi's throat came a cry of a wild beast. He had completely forgotten about everything, only focused on the most primal activity of the human race.

Someone had said that love was the exchange of glances, the friction between bodies, and the exchange of fluids. However, this was not supposed to be a dirty thing; in fact, this was the most sacred matter. This allowed the human race to continue and also fused the love between a boy and a girl, that both could enjoy happiness, letting their soul spirits sublime.

In reality…!

At this point in time, Jiang Yi's soul spirit was really starting to sublime; his essence force had also started to rise. Furthermore, Yin Ruobing's body was dissipating an unidentifiable romantic charm, entering Jiang Yi's brain. It was like the profound meaning of the laws of heaven and earth; the vast amounts of Sanskrit of heaven and earth. It was a pity that Jiang Yi was so intoxicated that he did not bother about this; he focused only on using his heart, feelings, and energy to love the woman under him.

Yin Ruobing was intoxicated, too. Her eyes were blurry while the bedsheets had been utterly torn apart. She was originally very weak, but at this moment, her essence force was swiftly recovering with her internal injuries mending as well. She suddenly thought about something as her lips moved, and she whispered in Jiang Yi's ears. “Jiang Lang, the essence yin from the Fragrant Lady Race can increase our romantic partner's essence force and soul spirit. There is also the purest form of romantic charm on heaven and earth in our bodies; you have to realize this romantic charm in detail. Who knows, your strength might improve immensely…”

“Romantic charm!”

Jiang Yi finally regained his senses. He used his heart to try and capture the romantic charm in his mind. She Fei would soon be able to break out of the Divine Fragrance Illusion Formation, and that would be the duo's death sentence. Yin Ruobing had said that she had used up all her energy; whether they could survive or not depended on him.

Jiang Yi's mind became clearer as he thought about this. He saw the beautiful lady under him, closed his eyes, and used his whole heart to try and realize the romantic charm. For the sake of Yin Ruobing, he had to make a breakthrough. He had to defeat She Fei or, at the very least, find something that would make him on par with She Fei.

“Is this a dao pattern presence? It doesn't seem like!”

Jiang Yi entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. Jiang Yi continued to please Yin Ruobing as he used his heart to decipher the romantic charm that was repeatedly entering his brain. Jiang Yi was surprised and confused as the romantic charm was very similar to a dao pattern presence. However, it was also unlike a dao pattern presence. It was just like the winds and rain within a dense fog; they could make one feel both refreshed and blurred, ultimately making it hard to grasp!

The road outside was filled with zombie soldiers. The chilly winds were blowing as a sound like wailing ghosts and howling wolves rang out. Countless zombie soldiers were crazily attacking the Willing Heart Shield. The stench from the zombies was filling the entire road. The lanterns on both sides of the street were one lit and one dimmed respectively; the place was no different from hell.

A completely different scene was inside the room. A man and a woman were doing embarrassing things, with the man huffing like an ox and the woman was moaning faintly. That was mixed with the invigorating aroma that was filling the whole room.

The bedsheets were long messed up, with two sides torn. There was a hint of red in the middle as well. The situation inside and outside the room, when compared was so uncanny and so not in sync.

Time continued to pass, and very soon, an hour had gone by. The two had not stopped. Yin Ruobing had almost fainted with joy a few times, her eyes filled with sweet tears and her mouth carrying a light smile. Her skin that was like rouge was filled with small beads of water and sweat.

Jiang Yi still had not stopped. He closed his eyes with his face full of gentleness; his movements were—however—wild and rough. He had been realizing for one hour, but he did not gain anything still. He did not understand the romantic charm at all and did not know what time of dao pattern presence it was, what profound meaning there was inside it.

Yet another hour passed by. Jiang Yi finally cried out and stopped while Yin Ruobing's body shuddered as well as her eyes opened wide. The aroma on her body had completely disappeared, becoming a stream of sweet spring water spewing out. It finally changed into strange energy and gushed into Jiang Yi's body.

Jiang Yi hugged on to Yin Ruobing tightly, not moving at all. Yin Ruobing also hugged Jiang Yi back, taking deep breaths. There were no tears in her eyes, just bliss without any regrets. From a young lady becoming a woman —although it was under such circumstances and in these conditions, she did not feel wronged at all.

Once a woman had locked onto a man, she would not be calculative no matter what happened. She would be adorably silly and so innocent it would make people's heart ache.

Yin Ruobing also didn't move but quietly hugged Jiang Yi, taking in the masculine aura emanating from Jiang Yi's body. The two hours were almost up; within fifteen minutes, She Fei was probably going to find them. If Jiang Yi still hadn't realized anything and did not have any breakthroughs, the two would be turned into corpses, forever buried in Mystic Divine Palace.

“Jiang Lang, Jiang Lang, Jiang Lang!”

Yin Ruobing used a voice that only she could hear to summon Jiang Yi over and over again, but she did not let him hear her voice. She just wanted to call his name out a few times. Deep inside, she actually did not think that Jiang Yi could have a breakthrough; even if he did, it would be difficult for him to fight She Fei to a draw. After all, the Heaven Monarch and Demigod were entirely different realms. She Fei had also realized a six-star dao pattern and possessed the Blood Thearch's armor.

However, she was not flustered the slightest. She was very content being able to die with Jiang Yi. She had never felt so peaceful before in her life. This was what loving someone felt like: so beautiful and so fruitful, such that even if heaven and earth were destroyed—so long as the man that loved her was at her side, nothing else mattered.

Love was so unfathomable; women were such special creatures.

“Romantic charm, dao pattern presence? Wrong, wrong, this is not a dao pattern presence; this is not a dao pattern. This is intent; this is a type of intent!”

The romantic charm in Jiang Yi's brain was already very complete. At this moment, he had finally found out that this was not a dao pattern presence but was the existence of a type of intent; it was similar to the Massacre Intent. However, his realization was a little late as there were only ten minutes left before the two hours they had were up. Furthermore, an intent would not be able to raise his battle strength by much.

However!

Jiang Yi did not give up. He concentrated fully on it; no matter what, he was going to fight to the end. He was not going to give up until the last second.

The ten minutes passed very fast. Yin Ruobing saw that Jiang Yi had not awoken, and a tinge of hopelessness flashed in her eyes. She was too demanding; how could someone realize the romantic charm in such a short while? Even if one had, how could one's strength increase that much in such a short while to rival a Demigod?

She gently left Jiang Yi at a side and started to wear her clothes and do her hair; if she were to die here, she wanted to die with dignity. She helped Jiang Yi to put on his clothes, slightly embarrassed. She held a short sword in her hand as she was prepared to end both their lives.

“Ah. Bitch, bastard! Bitch, bastard—”

From afar, angry expletives rang out; She Fei was chasing after them after all. Accompanying the many zombies sent flying, She Fei's curses grew closer and closer. Yin Ruobing also felt as if she could hear the summons of the Death God.

…

Chapter 1108 - Overpowering

Sonar Wave

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Bang!

She Fei came dashing from afar as he locked on to the Willing Heart Shield at the entrance of the room that Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing were in. He formed his Heaven Wheel of Ruin and harshly launched it at the Willing Heart Shield. A loud explosion rang out. The Willing Heart Shield was instantly reduced to smithereens while the restrictions to the room were also flickering incessantly. The massive impact shook Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing's garments and forced the two back five feet closer to the wall.

“Bitch, Yin Ruobing, you bitch. You actually gave yourself to this bastard Jiang Yi and in such a place? The Yin Clan's face has all been lost by you. Don't even think about committing suicide; even if you killed yourself, I will r*pe your corpse!”

She Fei swore with rage. He was angry at Yin Ruobing's lack of self-love, furious that an absolutely stunning beauty had lost her chastity, and regretful of his actions two hours ago. If he had killed Jiang Yi sooner and captured Yin Ruobing, the Fragrant Lady Race's essence yin would be his. Such a perfect body would also be his to enjoy.

“Keke!”

Yin Ruobing was not the slightest angry. With her face mocking She Fei, she walked out of the room calmly and stood on top of the ground full of corpses. Her hair was no longer worn like that of a young lady but was now in a bun that was raised high. It was the hairstyle of a woman.

She looked at She Fei with disdain and said, “She Fei, look at yourself. Once you discard your shiny and sleek appearance and status, you will know how dirty and disgusting your inner self is. If you were born the same as Jiang Yi, who knows where you might be now, being a slave for which family? How can you compare to Jiang Yi? Without the status of the She Clan, you are even less than a dog. Such an inferior person like you wants to woo Big Sister Chan? You are out of your league and punching above your weight! I feel sorry for you…”

“Pfff…”

Yin Ruobing's heartless verbal barrage hurt She Fei. He was so angry that he spat out fresh blood. His aura was like that of a dragon as he madly formed the Heaven Wheel of Ruin again. He yelled, “Yin Ruobing, you bitch. Die, die!”

“Haha, I do not need you to lift a finger. Your hands are too dirty. How can I—Yin Ruobing—die by your hand?”

Yin Ruobing was extremely at peace. She did not even look at She Fei and also ignored the Heaven Wheel of Ruin that was near formation. She turned and looked at Jiang Yi, seated comfortably in the room. She revealed a sweet smile and softly murmured, “To the man I love the most, farewell forever.”

Buzz!

At this moment, Jiang Yi's eyes suddenly opened wide, filled with brilliant radiance. The moment he opened them, a lightning bolt seemed to flash by. His mouth also had a nefarious charming arc as he looked at Yin Ruobing with gentleness in his eyes. He said, “Ruobing, I do not want to bid farewell to you. I want to grow old with you and have a bunch of kids!”

Swish!

Jiang Yi slapped the floor with one of his hands, and his body shot up. At the same time, he brought Yin Ruobing into the room. A flexible sword appeared in his hand, and it started to dance crazily. He looked at She Fei calmly and said, “She Fei, you are not yet qualified to kill my woman. That time in the Purgatory Ruin, I could break your leg; today, I can kill you easily, too!”

Clang-clang!

Before speaking, Jiang Yi's eyes had turned blood red. His black hair had also turned red, flaying about. He had released his Massacre Intent and a killing aura that was a few times more menacing than before also emanated forward.

That killing aura had been actualized, and so was the sounds the flexible sword was making. The sound had become streams of sonar waves. Like the ripples on the surface of a lake, the Massacre Intent had fused with the sonar waves, surging forward like a tide.

How fast could sound travel?

She Fei's Heaven Wheel of Ruin had formed and had even flown out a few hundred feet. However, when the sonar wave surged forth, the Heaven Wheel of Ruin actually disintegrated in mid-air.

“Ah?”

Peeping out from the room, Yin Ruobing saw the scene unfold and was stunned. She then saw that She Fei was actually hugging his head and screaming out weirdly; she could not believe what she was seeing.

It was obvious!

She Fei had fallen into the trap. His soul spirit was being assaulted and was so messed up that he couldn't control his Heaven Wheel of Ruin. Hence, the wheel had collapsed. Any type of dao pattern attack had to be controlled with one's thoughts, or it would not be sustainable. What Yin Ruobing could not understand was that as a Demigod, She Fei had a god spirit; his soul spirit was also definitely stronger than a low-grade Demigod. How did Jiang Yi do this? How did he manage to affect She Fei's soul spirit?

“Die—”

Jiang Yi roared as his body rushed forward. From his other hand came an unending gush of astral winds that formed astral wind blades, furiously chopping towards She Fei. The flexible sword in his left hand never stopped dancing; streams of sonar waves were gushing like a tide, wave after wave and assaulting She Fei's soul spirit!

The sonar wave was so strong that one would be knocked down to the ground.

“Ah! Ah!”

She Fei's weird shouts as he hugged his head also didn't stop. His body was also twisting in mid-air, his face full of shock and fear. His eyes were already turning blood-red. She Fei was like a weak young lady who had seen a ghost or an ordinary person who was facing an ancient beast; that expression was very exaggerated, the extreme level of fear.

In reality…!

Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill had that very effect at this moment; his Massacre Intent had leveled up.

The Massacre Intent was a very terrifying thing. Jiang Yi had used it on the Stellarsky Continent to kill a bunch of martial experts. Under the oppression of the Massacre Intent, normal martial artists had no way to resist it; they could only wait and die.

It was a pity.

The Massacre Intent only had five stages. Towards the end, Jiang Yi could not use it anymore; it was not effective against martial experts. Hence, he had attempted to fuse the Massacre Intent into the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. On the way to Mystic Thearch City, he had been finding a way to create a piece that would perfectly bind the Massacre Intent and the Divine Sound Heaven Skill!

Yin Ruobing's body contained a type of romantic charm. However, it wasn't a dao pattern presence and also wasn't a dao pattern. It was the presence of a type of intent.

As time was running out, Jiang Yi did not manage to completely understand this romantic charm. He also didn't know how to use its power. At last, he thought of the simplest and most effective way: adding the Massacre Intent to the romantic charm.

As long as his Massacre Intent could increase a tier, the power of his Divine Sound Heaven Skill would be amplified immensely. He would then have the ability to spar with She Fei.

Evidently, Jiang Yi had succeeded!

She Fei had fallen into the trap. While his Blood Thearch Armor could defend his physical body and soul spirit, it could not block the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Indeed, She Fei's soul spirit was very strong; and he also had a god spirit. However, he had only just broken through to become a Demigod; his soul spirit had not stabilized yet.

Jiang Yi's Massacre Intent had been amplified by the romantic charm; its power had doubled. Furthermore, its power had increased ten-fold after being perfectly infused into the Divine Sound Heaven Skill. Its power was mortifying.

Before his Massacre Intent had grown by another tier, Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill could already affect She Fei. That it could utterly suppress She Fei now was also not that surprising.

Bang, bang, bang!

The astral wind blades fiercely chopped at She Fei's body. The ten astral wind blades worked in concert, heavily smashing She Fei's body onto the ground, carrying with them a group of zombie soldiers. They finally struck a wall and rebounded.

However, the Blood Thearch Armor was too powerful; even under such a ferocious attack, the Blood Thearch Armor did not even have a single tear. She Fei had only spat out some fresh blood due to the violent shaking and rocking.

Clang-clang!

The ferocious and deadly sonar waves continued to reverberate, once again suppressing She Fei who had just woken up. Jiang Yi flew towards She Fei like a wild dragon, his astral wind blades continuing to slash at She Fei. He coldly shouted, “She Fei, I would like to see how many attacks you can resist. You will die here today!”

…

Chapter 1109 - Old Joke!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The astral wind blades' attacks were relentless; She Fei was sent flying time after time. The sonar waves also didn't stop, suppressing She Fei and constantly assaulting his soul spirit.

Swish! Swish!

Jiang Yi also activated his Rainbow Soul Spear, transforming it into a streak of rainbow aimed straight at She Fei. It was a pity that the Blood Thearch Armor glowed and actually blocked the Rainbow Soul Spear. Jiang Yi had no choice but to retrieve the Rainbow Soul Spear and continue sending out his astral winds. Even if it was by shaking, he wanted to shake She Fei to death.

“Pfff!”

She Fei was continuously sent flying while the blood under his helmet flowed freely. Every time he was hit, he would actually regain consciousness because of the immense pain. This time, he awoke and was petrified by the feeling of his organs disintegrating; if this carried on, he would be shaken to death.

He had previously attempted to flee many times; Jiang Yi's Divine Sound Heaven Skill had not stopped even for a second, preventing She Fei from escaping. She Fei was very clear that he could no longer escape and resorted to yelling at Jiang Yi. “Jiang Yi, stop your attacks. You cannot kill me; I have been ordained as the young clan head of the She Clan. I have the young clan head command token.

If you kill me, my granddad will know immediately. He would then personally come and hunt you and kill you. You will never be able to escape that…”

Clang-clang!

She Fei's words were forcibly interrupted. Jiang Yi's expression had not changed the slightest. The astral wind blades continued to surge forth, once again sending She Fei flying a few hundred feet.

Jiang Yi did not bother with idle chatter anymore; his expression was hard, his face like ice, and his methods clean and crisp. He did not show even a sliver of mercy.

“Jiang Yi, as long as you don't kill me, I can give the Blood Thearch Armor to you. I can give you three ancient artifacts… no, five of them! I can swear to the Mystic Thearch that I would never be your enemy.”

Bang, bang, bang!

The response to She Fei was ten astral wind blades that mercilessly slashed at him. She Fei tumbled on the ground while the zombie soldiers around him were sliced into pieces by the astral wind blades; chopped flesh and black blood splattered all over She Fei.

“Jiang Yi, stop attacking. You have already offended the North Thearch Wu Clan. Your abduction of Yin Ruobing would also piss off the Zhan and Yin Clans. If you killed me, you would then become enemies with the She Clan. At that time, even if you tried to flee to the ends of the earth, you would not be able to escape. When the Nine Thearchs join hands, even Sin Island would not be able to resist! Even if you are not afraid to die, you should also think of Yin Ruobing!”

“Think your goddamn ass!”

Jiang Yi finally replied. He shouted with rage, saying, “Since I had already offended so many of the great clans, why would one more She Clan matter? Think of Ruobing? If you didn't offend Ruobing today, I could still spare your life. However, that is no longer an option. You have to die!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Every attack sent She Fei flying as he continued to plead incessantly, wielding both the carrot and the stick. However, Jiang Yi's heart was as hard as iron; he was not to be persuaded. As he had said, offending one of the Nine Thearch Clans was no different from offending three. Even if after he obtained the Mystic Divine Palace, the Evil Thearch was waiting for him at the foot of the mountain, Jiang Yi would not hesitate to kill at all!

Jiang Yi wasn't spineless and certainly wasn't one to hesitate. If he had to think of the consequences for every action he took, he wouldn't have been able to take action against anyone. This was because it seemed that behind all his enemies were powerful forces and factions. If he couldn't kill anyone at all, he could only wait for others to kill him or be hunted like a dog. If that was the case, he might as well just return to Sin Island and eke out a simple living there.

“Yin Ruobing, please take into account that we are all disciples from the Nine Thearch Clans and ask Jiang Yi to let me live and release me just like releasing a dog. I promise I would never come after you two. I can swear to the Mystic Thearch. Yin Ruobing, you should know that a young clan head is very important to a clan; once a young clan head is killed, my granddad will definitely personally see to this matter. You two will instantly be killed when you leave Mystic Divine Palace. Please persuade Jiang Yi. I am nearing the end…”

She Fei once again was assaulted awake, and his eyes turned to Yin Ruobing who followed behind Jiang Yi. He was sure now that Jiang Yi was not going to change his mind; his only hope was to plead with Yin Ruobing. As long as Yin Ruobing tried to persuade Jiang Yi, it was highly likely that Jiang Yi would show her face.

“Uh—”

Yin Ruobing frowned. She Fei was speaking the truth. If it was a disciple of the She Clan that was killed, the Evil Thearch would not come personally. However, if She Fei had been made the young clan head, then the situation would be different!

The young clan head was the future Evil Emperor, Evil Thearch. Once the young clan head was killed, the face of the She Clan would be utterly lost. The Evil Thearch would definitely teleport here and kill Jiang Yi immediately once Jiang Yi came out of the Mystic Divine Palace. The token that She Fei mentioned was a real thing. Once he died, the Evil Thearch would know.

Jiang Yi still did not change his expression. He just looked nonchalantly at Yin Ruobing. If Yin Ruobing pleaded for She Fei, he might actually really consider not killing She Fei; after all, he owed Yin Ruobing too much.

However, Yin Ruobing saw Jiang Yi's expression and smiled slightly. She said, “Jiang Lang, I'll leave these matters into your hands. I will follow you through a mountain of blades or a sea of flames!”

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi nodded as strong emotions welled up inside him again. His flexible sword continued to dance as the astral wind blades flew forward, hitting She Fei one after another and making him puke blood.

Slowly, She Fei's voice became smaller and smaller; his internal organs were all completely destroyed. He could no longer speak and could smell the aura of death.

Boom!

After another attack, She Fei's body finally couldn't take it. His Blood Thearch Armor also automatically left his body and floated in mid-air. She Fei's Ancient Divine Essence Ring also left him on its own accord, flying into the sky. She Fei's whole body was covered with blood; he had already stopped breathing, though it wasn't sure if he had really died.

Swish!

Suddenly—

A white jade token on She Fei's body shot up mid-air and ferociously exploded. Yin Ruobing saw and her face changed as she dashed into the nearby room.

Buzz!

The jade token had split the spatial zone, which was going through immense turbulence. All the essence energy was concentrated in that spatial zone and quickly coagulated into a huge face!

That was the face of an Elder with a thin face, high nose bridge, and eyes like eagles'; everything about him revealed that he was a martial expert. Although there was no aura coming out from his shadow, he made one's heart palpitate.

“Jiang Yi, this is a phantom image conjured by the Evil Thearch's god spirit! When the token that the Evil Thearch had given She Fei had broken, the Evil Thearch could also sense it millions of kilometers away. You… should deal with this carefully!”

Yin Ruobing's voice transmission rang out in Jiang Yi's mind. The Evil Thearch's phantom image had emerged. She naturally could not let the Evil Thearch see her; after all, she was a disciple of the Yin Clan. If she had killed She Fei together with Jiang Yi, the Evil Thearch would definitely find trouble with the Yin Clan as well.

Once the Evil Thearch's phantom image had appeared, the zombie soldiers in the vicinity were petrified by his aura and didn't dare to come near. The Evil Thearch took a look at She Fei that was lying on the ground and then turned his gaze towards Jiang Yi, asking, “You are Jiang Yi?”

Jiang Yi's face did not change a bit. He said indifferently, “I am Jiang Yi. You are the Evil Thearch?”

“You dare to kill my grandson?”

The Evil Thearch's voice was very cold, possessing an unfathomable pressure in it. It seemed to make people not dare to question or go against his words. He was like a high and mighty Thearch Monarch, having unlimited power and making everyone want to worship him.

Jiang Yi still did not display any feelings. He nonchalantly said, “Your grandson wants to kill me; of course, I want to kill him in return!”

“You dare?”

The eyes of Evil Thearch's phantom image revealed a cold light, and the pressure that was coming from the image became even more overpowering. However… he had not completed his sentence when Jiang Yi raised his hand and released a streak of essence force, reducing the phantom image to dust.

At the same time, he gathered his astral wind blades and sent them forth, turning She Fei's body into blood mist. He then said mockingly, “Old Joke, trying to scare me with a phantom image? Did he think I was scared growing up…?”

She Fei, dead!

Chapter 1110 - Gathering of

Martial Experts

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Boom!

In Evil Thearch City, a huge explosion could be heard inside the She Castle. It was followed by the rupture of a castle, the masonry from its four walls flying everywhere. The entire castle had collapsed and generated a wave of dirt and dust, alarming everyone in the Evil Thearch Castle.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless martial experts from the She Clan flew out from the castle, their faces changed as if about to face a formidable enemy. The castle that had collapsed was the biggest one in the backyard and was the one the Evil Thearch was residing in. The Evil Thearch was inside; who dared to attack that castle? Could it be that a world-class martial expert had come killing?

What astounded the Evil Emperor and countless She Clan Demigod was— their divine senses had scanned the surroundings and did not find any enemies; they could only detect the Evil Thearch's presence in the ruins. He was being buried alive in the castle, but he had activated his divine shield. He was sitting down inside, his sinister eyes filled with rage.

“Please calm down, Clan Head. We are at fault.”

Many people quickly understood that they were not under attack; the Evil Thearch had destroyed his own castle in a fit of rage. Seeing the Evil Thearch so angry, everyone in the Evil Thearch Castle was flustered. In recent times, the Evil Thearch had rarely been so mad.

“Hmph!”

The Evil Thearch heavily snorted as he flew out from the ruins. The masonry near him was reduced to a fine powder. He stood proudly in mid-air, his ash-white hair dancing about as his elegant black robe with gold linings also shimmered.

His gaze looked towards the east and roared, “Jiang Yi. I swear to kill you! I swear to kill you!”

“Jiang Yi?”

The Evil Emperor and many of the great consecrators and elders were confused. Jiang Yi had vanished for almost three years. How had this person offended the Evil Thearch? Could something have happened?

“Father, what had happened?” No one else dared to ask much; the Evil Emperor paused a while before asking.

The Evil Thearch did not reply to the Evil Emperor but growled and said, “Someone, come! Send word to Wu Shang. Tell him that Jiang Yi is inside the Mystic Divine Palace, and if Wu Shang wants revenge, he should head over immediately.”

“Jiang Yi had appeared inside the Mystic Divine Palace?”

Many people were dazed for a moment. Why did Jiang Yi's presence in the Mystic Divine Palace enrage the Evil Thearch? The Evil Emperor paused again and suddenly thought of something. He cried out in alarm and asked, “Father, has something happened to Fei'er?”

“Fei'er is dead!”

The Evil Thearch closed his eyes as he sighed with anguish. Although this grandson of his had many flaws, he had something very special; he never gave up and got stronger with each setback. Every time after facing a setback, he would not be discouraged or dispirited but would have some sort of breakthrough time after time instead.

This was something similar to the Evil Thearch's character back in the days. Although the Evil Thearch did not say it out loud, he actually loved this grandson the most.

“Fei'er!”

The Evil Emperor had always looked very young like a forty-odd-year-old person, just in his prime. At this moment, he actually felt dizzy and faint. She Fei was a son that he loved dearly.

The most important thing was that She Fei had just been made the young clan head; the entire clan had just received the news. Now that he had suddenly died, this was a heavy blow to the She Clan.

He shuddered and almost couldn't stand properly and forgot himself. However, as the Family Head of the She Clan, he could not fall down. He could only hide his sorrow and anger in his heart as he took a deep breath, cupped his hands, and said, “Father, please permit me to bring men to Mystic Divine Mountain. If I do not kill Jiang Yi, I will never come back.”

“No!”

The Evil Thearch dismissed that suggestion with a wave of his hand. He coldly said, “You will hold the fort here. Old Six and ten others will follow me to Mystic Divine Mountain. I have not left this place for so many years. Many outsiders seem to have forgotten how powerful I am. The Bloodied Hands Butcher; no blood, no retreat!”

“No blood, no retreat!”

An elder waved his hand, and countless She Clan martial experts repeated the slogan. Ten powerful Demigods transformed into rays of rainbows and flew to the Evil Thearch's back, full of murderous energy. These were men who had killed their way alongside the Evil Thearch back in the days. The Evil Thearch also indeed had the name Bloodied Hands Butcher. Every time he took action, blood would definitely be spilled. The number of martial experts and clans in the East Imperial Continent that have been killed by the Evil Thearch was also uncountable; many from the older generation that heard the Evil Thearch's name would shudder with fear.

“Report!”

A consecrator flew towards the group, genuflected, cupped his hands, and said, “The Wu Clan had sent a message. The North Thearch is already on his way. I have also received news that the Sword Thearch, Beast Thearch, Yin Thearch, Xuan Thearch, Sonar Thearch, and company were all rushing towards Mystic Divine Mountain now.”

“So many old friends are all going? Then I really must go and take a look.”

The Evil Thearch nodded as he flew to the city plaza in the city. He waved his hand and said, “Old Six, let's go and meet our old friends. As well as that young raved lad that dared to destroy my phantom image.”

Swish! Swish!

The ten old formidable consecrators transformed into shadows and followed the Evil Thearch. Their auras combined were like a dark cloud floating by. That amount of pressure made the citizens of the Evil Thearch City feel as if heaven was about to come crashing down.

Buzz!

A huge Teleportation Formation lit up as the Evil Thearch and company vanished within it. Many people in the city plaza had not even been able to react in time. After they realized it was the Evil Thearch and his men, everyone was so afraid that they knelt down, their hearts filled with shock and confusion.

The Evil Thearch that had remained inside his castle for so many years had emerged once again, bringing with him ten formidable Demigods. It seemed like something big was about to happen; the East Imperial Continent was about to be bathed in blood again.

…

“The North Thearch, Sword Thearch, Beast Thearch, Yin Thearch, Xuan Thearch, and Sonar Thearch are all here? Even the Evil Thearch is on his way?”

The Battle Thearch still stood on the wall of the Mystic Thearch City. What was strange was that the surrounding guards as well as people in the city all pretended not to be able to see the Battle Thearch and the Demigods accompanying him; no one was looking this way. The Battle Thearch had just heard the report and had asked his question, his brows narrowed.

“To reply to the Clan Head, yes, they are already here. The Yin Thearch should be here very soon, too.”

An old consecrator nodded his head and suddenly thought of something and said, “According to our sources, the Buddha Thearch had not taken action; the Night Empress is also not here. Who knows if they are hiding themselves and have already arrived?”

“Do not need to bother with that old thing Buddha Thearch.”

The Battle Thearch waved his hand dismissively as his gaze looked towards the south and said, “The Night… this b***h actually is not here to join in the fun? Didn't she love to show off on occasions like this? Her absence is rather strange.”

Among the eight Thearchs, one Empress and a pseudo-Thearch—besides the Buddha Thearch and the Night Clan Head, everyone else had come!

The Battle Thearch was not in the slightest surprised. As the Mystic Divine Palace had resurfaced again, it would be strange if they didn't come. Although many were in seclusion, it was highly probable that a disciple from the Nine Thearch Clans would obtain the Mystic Divine Palace. However, everyone was coveting the Mystic Divine Palace. If it wasn't taken by one of their own disciples, each of them would definitely fight over it if the opportunity arose. If it was obtained by their own disciple, then they were naturally here to protect it from being stolen.

Taking ten thousand steps back—if an outsider had taken it, all of them would vie over the Mystic Divine Palace. It was something that only the Nine Thearch Clans could receive; whoever else managed to get it must die!

The Mystic Divine Palace was the number one treasure in the world. Whichever clan managed to obtain it, that clan's power would definitely grow by leaps and bounds; taking the lead and commanding the entire continent would not be a problem. There were many mystic realms in the Mystic Divine Palace that could incessantly grow the strength of the clan's disciples; after tens or hundreds of years, how unbelievably strong would the clan that had obtained the Mystic Divine Palace be? No one could even dare fathom.

Furthermore, there were also two cardinal treasures in the Mystic Divine Palace that made the Nine Thearch palpitate with excitement. Although the Battle Thearch had said—whoever could get the Mystic Divine Palace would forever be a friend of the Zhan Clan, he was actually trying to retreat for the sake of advancing; whether he actually had desire on the two cardinal treasures or not, only he would know.

Buzz!

An immense glow lit up inside the city. There was also a commotion going on in the city plaza. The Battle Thearch turned his face as he smiled lightly and said, “A friend is here. Let's go and meet him. It has been a long time since the Mystic Thearch City was so lively; it would soon become even more so.”

Chapter 1111 - Evil Spirit Ridge

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Dead?”

In the Fengdu City of the Mystic Thearch Palace, Yin Ruobing looked at the blood mist that was what's left of She Fei and was conflicted internally. As one of the best disciples of the Nine Thearch Clans, She Fei was highly likely to have become the next Evil Thearch—one of the protectors of the East Imperial Continent. He was the young clan head of the She Clan, one of the most exceptional young masters on the East Imperial Continent; he had now perished in Fengdu City, to be a companion to these zombie soldiers forever.

Yin Ruobing felt that it was a little unreal; the young clan head of the She Clan had actually died in front of her. She would never have been able to fathom something like this happening. Furthermore, Jiang Yi had destroyed the Evil Thearch's phantom image; he was setting himself up against the entire She Clan.

As the first lady of the Yin Clan, she had seen and heard from young how powerful the Nine Thearch Clans were. She was also clear of the Thearch Monarch-like influence the Nine Thearch Clans had. The dignity of the Nine Thearch Clans was not easily trifled with. Whoever went against the Nine Thearch Clans would ultimately perish; there was no exception.

This was a fact that had been confirmed over and over again over the past seven hundred thousand years—by countless formidable martial artists who had paid with their lives. This was what history informed people today.

Jiang Yi, a young man from a humble background, was trying to break this iron rule with his fists. He wanted to be like those formidable martial artists of times past, going against the Nine Thearch Clans. Would he perish like them, or would he succeed in overthrowing the Nine Thearch Clans and making history?

Yin Ruobing did not know!

At this moment, her heart was palpitating for some reason, looking at Jiang Yi's straight figure from the back. She felt her soul spirit tremble. However, she quickly thought things through.

Hadn't she always been trying to find an unrivaled man? If Jiang Yi had decided to give in just now and chose not to kill She Fei, how different would Jiang Yi be from the men of the continent?

To think what ordinary people wouldn't dare to think, to do what ordinary people wouldn't dare to do; that was the mark of a true man. That was an unrivaled man.

Yin Ruobing's face revealed a smile as she dismissed the uneasiness and distracting thoughts in her mind. No matter what, she had already chosen this man and had already given herself to him. A woman should stand by her man no matter what; at most death would await. As long as one lived a dynamic and spectacular life for even one day, that would beat living an ordinary life for a lifetime.

Jiang Yi, on the other hand, did not think too much.

Perhaps he was born with a rebellious bone in him. On the Stellarsky Continent, he had already wanted to betray his country, even thinking at the start to go to war with his father—Jiang Bieli. Jiang Yi had never shied away from battle. He dared to kill Wu Ni, and he had already had a resolve to kill She Fei long ago once the opportunity arose. Now, the chance had come. Regardless of whether it was a phantom image of the She Fei or him coming in person—if Jiang Yi could kill, he would not hesitate.

“Blood Thearch Armor? Good stuff!”

Jiang Yi's eyes were glistening as he flew over in an instant, one hand grabbing the Blood Thearch Armor. This was the treasured armor that a nine-star expert had made years ago. Jiang Yi had already witnessed its defensive power; the astral wind blades had attacked for so long, and yet the Blood Thearch Armor did not show even a sliver of damage. This was indeed an unrivaled cardinal treasure.

His Fire Cloud Armor had been destroyed back in the days, and Jiang Yi was just lacking a defensive piece of armor. The Blood Thearch Armor was very prestigious and domineering; he liked it very much. Hence, he was not going to stand on ceremony now, wanting to use his essence force to refine it.

However, as this was an ancient artifact, it wasn't that easy to refine it. Jiang Yi refined for some time but realized that it was not possible to complete the process in a short while and had to keep it aside first. He then grabbed hold of She Fei's Ancient Divine Essence Ring and flew to retrieve the skull weapon that She Fei was using. Jiang Yi then finally flew next to Yin Ruobing and said, “Ruobing, you are fine?”

“I'm fine!” Yin Ruobing smiled sweetly, her eyes full of gentleness, saying, “Jiang Lang, have you really broken through? You are now able to even kill a Demigod.”

“This is all thanks to you.”

Jiang Yi held on to Yin Ruobing's hand and said dotingly, “Ruobing, you have suffered. Is your body okay? Do you need time to recover?”

“I'm fine.”

Yin Ruobing's face revealed a tinge of embarrassment. She lowered her head and said, “Jiang Lang, what should we do now?”

“It doesn't matter!”

Jiang Yi waved his hand and said, “We will continue and proceed forward. No one has gotten the Glazed Pagoda yet; I must have it. Separately, I have to think of all possible ways to get the Mystic Divine Palace. Only then will I have a chance against the Nine Thearchs. I have said that I want you to go back to the Yin Clan glamorously.”

“Alright!”

Yin Ruobing smiled beautifully. Now that she had become a woman, she was even more beautiful. She had lost a little childishness and gained a tinge of maturity. Her airs now would make the divine soul of any man sway.

Swish!

Jiang Yi held on to Yin Ruobing and dashed towards the exit. His Rainbow Soul Spear was dancing as one by one, the zombie soldiers were struck and fell down. The exit was not that far away and was within sight within breaths. Jiang Yi did not hesitate and dashed straight into the stone door.

…

“Eh?”

The two of them disappeared in a flash of white light and came to a patch of wilderness. This was the fourth stage of the Mystic Divine Palace, the Evil Spirit Ridge.

Jiang Yi did not go past this stage the last time while Yin Ruobing and company had gone to complete this stage from the terrible-grade rank side. When Jiang Yi had entered the Wild Spirit Village in the Evil Spirit Ridge the last time, he had found that he could not go into the stone door there. Ao Lu had cheated and helped Jiang Yi to skip that, allowing Jiang Yi to obtain the three treasures, ending the treasure hunting.

“Jiang Yi, be careful. The Evil Spirit Ridge has a total of 108 mountains. Each mountain is so large that it has no borders. The last time we went through this stage, each mountain had countless horrific demonic beasts and had a Demon Thearch guarding it. This time, our strength is different while this is also the hellish-grade rank; the demonic beasts are definitely going to be stronger. In order to pass this stage, we have to travel across forty-nine mountains to reach the Wild Spirit Village which was located in the center. Then, we will be able to enter the fifth stage.

Yin Ruobing explained this stage to Jiang Yi in detail. Jiang Yi's eyes lit up. He was the least afraid of demonic beasts. Living creatures were, after all, easier to manage than dead creatures; living things had soul spirits. As his Massacre Intent had rank-upped, he could now affect soul spirits.

“Go!”

Clearing the fourth stage would grant one twelve points, enough to gain the second treasure: the Glazed Pagoda. Since at this moment Zhan Tianlei had not gotten that treasure, it meant he was still stuck in here. Hence, Jiang Yi was very motivated and decided to give it his all and clear the fourth stage before Zhan Tianlei did.

Swish!

The two of them flew towards the first mountain like sharp swords. That mountain was full of black huge trees, had towering peaks, and a seemingly bottomless ravine; who knew how many demonic beasts were in there?

“Jiang Lang, do not fly too high. That would draw the attention of the demonic beasts. You cannot use your divine senses here. Also, lightning bolts are whizzing down from the high skies.”

Yin Ruobing saw that Jiang Yi was flying higher and higher and hurriedly cautioned him. Her Bejeweled Armor also surfaced over her body as she wielded her God Shooter Bow; she was like an unbeatable lady battle goddess, possessing a different air.

“En!”

Jiang Yi had already realized that he couldn't use his divine senses. He flew downwards for a while, sticking close to the mountain ridges. He was no longer holding Yin Ruobing, activating his Astral Winds Divine Shield instead and wielding his flexible sword. Ten astral wind blades followed him as his Rainbow Soul Spear was also at the ready, prepared for battle.

“Roar!” “Loo-Loo!” “Roar!”

As the two flew into the mountain, the demonic beasts inside were immediately awakened. An avian—as long as a hundred feet—flew up from the ravine, with icy-cold eyes and a beak that had a cold steely glow to it. One look at it would petrify anyone.

From the depths of one of the mountain peaks came a black shadow. That was a Kui beast1, with blue eyes and two long tusks jutting out from its mouth. It dashed forward as two peaks were knocked down by its tusks, becoming smithereens. It was exceptionally horrifying.

From underground came a silver centipede. It was too long and had god knew how many legs. Each leg was as sharp as blades as if made from molten iron castings, shining bright.

It moved like the wind, reducing all the trees and wood it touched into a fine powder while rocks and stone cracked as dust flew everywhere. Its deadly aura enveloped a few-dozen-kilometer radius.

“Three peak-stage Demon Thearchs?”

Jiang Yi's expression became serious. It wasn't because of the presence of the three Demon Thearchs in front of him. It was more because if peak-stage Demon Thearchs had already appeared at the start of the Evil Spirit Ridge stage, that meant that Demon Sovereigns were definitely out and about; no one knew what tier those Demon Sovereigns would be.

“Ruobing, be careful!”

Jiang Yi growled as he waved his flexible sword and charged at the three beasts, without any sign of fear.

Chapter 1112 - : Ruobing, Wait for

Me!

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A peak-stage Demon Thearch was comparable to a peak-stage Heaven Monarch; its power was incredible. Some peak-stage Demon Thearchs also had powerful demonic arts and were exceptionally deadly.

However, Jiang Yi was not afraid of these Demon Thearchs. After all, he had slaughtered peak-stage Heaven Monarchs as if killing pigs or dogs. Demon Thearchs were—after all—demons; their battle techniques were not as adaptable as humans. They also seemed to not know dao pattern attacks. Besides the fact that their demonic arts were more lethal—in other aspects, they were still slightly inferior to peak-stage Heaven Monarchs.

The human peak-stage Heaven Monarchs were also split into different ranks and tiers. Normal peak-stage Heaven Monarchs were at most three-star martial experts; peak-stage Heaven Monarchs who had realized powerful dao patterns could have powers that reached that of a five-star martial expert. As the Demon Thearchs did not know how to use dao pattern attacks, their power was naturally not as strong.

Clang-clang!

Jiang Yi's flexible sword waved as streams of terrifying sonar waves were sent out. They were like tide after tide of ferocious waves. In a split-second, the three peak-stage Demon Thearchs were enveloped by the sonar waves. The powerful divine sonar rushed and attacked the soul spirits of the three Demon Thearchs while Jiang Yi's Massacre Intent also surged forward and suppressed the trio.

Boom! Boom!

The avian in the sky fell down and flattened a patch of forest, smashing a few stone peaks into pieces, with rocks crashing down and pebbles falling down into the ravine. A huge echo could be heard.

Bang, bang, bang!

The Kui demonic beast and the silver centipede also started thrashing about in pain, creating a huge mess, and generating dust and smoke that covered the entire sky.

Tsk! Tsk!

Jiang Yi's astral wind blades soared downwards, locking on to the three demonic beasts and attacking them furiously. The Demon Thearchs' defenses were very strong but still not as strong as the protective barrier on the Heaven Fate Ships. However, when the astral wind blades slashed their bodies, the sound of metal grinding metal still rang out with sparks flickering as well. Accompanying the beasts' agonizing cries were the three Demon Thearchs being cut into pieces, with fresh blood flying everywhere and muscles spattering about. A stench of blood also arose, making one want to puke.

“Eh… why don't these Demon Thearchs have demon cores?”

Though he killed the three Demon Thearchs with ease, Jiang Yi did not feel that proud of himself. Instead, he looked suspiciously at the three dead corpses in front of him. Demonic beasts all had demon cores; these demon cores were valuable objects and could be used to produce elixirs and refine weapons; they could fetch a good price.

“The demonic beasts here all do not have demon cores.”

Yin Ruobing flew over and explained. “The last time we were very surprised by this, too. It is probable that these demonic beasts were made by the Mystic Thearch. They can never transform while their intellect was also inferior to demonic beasts outside. Of course, their battle strength was still not bad.”

“Oh, oh. Let's go then!”

Jiang Yi nodded and led the way in front. There was no shortcut in the Evil Spirit Ridge; one could only kill his way out and, after conquering forty-nine mountains, reach the Wild Spirit Village. If it was simpler, Zhan Tianlei would have long broken through.

“Hu-hu! Chi-chi!”

A mere five kilometers of flying later, they encountered a huge python coming from the woods afar. This python was stained black and looked like a long steel whip. It did not have scales and also had many spikes on the back of its head.

It was also a peak-stage Demon Thearch. Besides the python, there was also a deformed monster that was like a ball; its stomach, however, had a few dozen eyes. No one knew what creature it was.

“Kill—”

If a human blocked him, he would kill a human; if Buddha blocked him, he would kill Buddha… if a demon blocked him, he would kill a demon!

Jiang Yi brazenly attacked, using his Massacre Intent and Divine Sound Heaven Skill to suppress while using his astral wind blades and Rainbow Soul Spear to attack, killing his way forward.

On the other hand, Yin Ruobing wielded her God Shooter Bow and kept a lookout nervously. As she could not use her divine senses, she could only use her naked eyes. Though her eyesight was good, one's eyes could only see that far. If a Demon Sovereign was to appear and launch a sneak attack, the consequences would be dire.

…

There were indeed Demon Sovereigns in this hellish-grade rank Evil Spirit Ridge. At this moment—on the other side of the Evil Spirit Ridge, one person was engaging in a furious battle with a Demon Sovereign!

This was an impressive-looking young man, wielding a long and narrow battle saber and wearing silver armor. His eyes were like lightning while his face was sharp like a knife. Every attack that he made caused a disturbance in the spatial zone and caused crevices to appear on the ground; rocks would crack and trees would fall. On the handle of his long and narrow battle saber were mysterious dragon patterns while the edge of his saber glowed faintly, sending forth saber aura waves. The battle saber's aura was frightening, like that of a god!

Facing him in battle was a black panther. This panther was not physically big, but its speed was very fast; it was almost so fast that a normal Heaven Monarch would not even be able to see its shadow. The panther's sharp claws were very long; every time it waved its claws, there would be splits in the spatial zone.

Its body also emitted a ferocious and terrifying aura. If Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing were in the vicinity, they would definitely be frightened beyond comparison.

This was because this aura was that of a Demon Sovereign—not even an ordinary Demon Sovereign at that!

“Ha, ha! Die, bastard!”

Zhan Tianlei furiously attacked dozen-odd times consecutively, his saber shadows filling the sky. The surrounding spatial zone had all been sliced by him. However, the panther's speed was too fast; not even one of his attacks had hit it. This made him impatient and frustrated as even though he wielded such power, it wasn't effective at all in this instant.

Zhan Tianlei had entered the Evil Spirit Ridge many days ago. He had also conquered forty-five mountain peaks in this place, killing an uncountable number of demonic beasts. He had thought that he could reach the Wild Spirit Village very quickly; he did not expect himself to have been dueling this panther for one day and one night. He had still not killed this Demon Sovereign and was now fighting a bitter battle.

“This cannot do. I have to pass this stage. I have to obtain the Mystic Divine Palace! Only once I obtain it will Ruobing look at me differently, will she marry me willingly… will she utterly submit to me!”

Zhan Tianlei roared out loudly, his mind filled with Yin Ruobing's picturesque face. Before commencing to clear the stages, he had actually thought of asking Yin Ruobing to come along with him. However, Yin Ruobing had chosen to reject him and was rather cold to him with her words.

Zhan Tianlei had a premonition; thus, he had resolutely chosen the hellish-grade rank. He wanted to prove himself to her—that only Zhan Tianlei was suited to be with Yin Ruobing.

“Ruobing, wait for me—wait for me to marry you! I will definitely make you the happiest bride in the entire Stellarsky Domain!”

Zhan Tianlei shouted again as his battle saber glowed brightly. A horrifying aura emanated from the battle saber, and his body started to gyrate, with the battle saber turning with him. He gathered the essence force in a five-kilometer radius and transformed the heaven and earth and the winds and clouds, stirring up a huge gale. The spatial zone around him had been split into a round crevice while the Demon Sovereign that was just about to leap at him started to show a sliver of fear and started to retreat swiftly.

“Wind-Cloud Ghost Slayer! Die, you panther!”

Zhan Tianlei roared again as he stopped turning all of a sudden; a huge saber aura wave surged forth from his battle saber. The strong winds were brought along by the saber and crazily converged within the saber aura wave. The Demon Sovereign panther's body was restrained by the gale, and its speed dropped suddenly.

Boom!

The saber aura wave was too fast. It cut through the sky and sliced a huge fissure in the sky, heavily cutting the Demon Sovereign panther. Accompanying a huge explosive sound, the Demon Sovereign's body was heavily cut down. The mountain ridge below it was also cut, forming a huge crevice that stretched ten thousand feet.

The scene was terrifying. That slash by the saber was like an attack from a god; it could not be resisted, could not be matched.

“Pfff…”

Zhan Tianlei spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his body gave in as he fell unsteadily from mid-air. His battle saber stabbed into the ground as he tried to stabilize himself. He revealed a look of anguish from his blood-stained mouth, closed his eyes, and said, “Based on my current strength, using the Wind-Cloud Ghost Slayer seven-star dao pattern is still too much for me to handle.”

“Go!”

After resting for a mere five minutes, Zhan Tianlei rose up and flew towards the next mountain in the distance. He wiped the blood from his mouth mid-air and said, “Ruobing, wait for me. I will definitely bring the Mystic Divine Palace and marry you, definitely!”

Chapter 1113 - Pig-Faced, Monkey-

Bodied

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The Divine Sound Heaven Skill enabled Jiang Yi to kill the demonic beasts with ease as if cutting grass. Many peak-stage Demon Thearchs knew demonic arts; they did not have the chance to use them at all and were easily killed by him. Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing proceeded without difficulty, clearing nine mountains consecutively within a day and a half.

“Why have we not encountered any Demon Sovereigns? Isn't that strange?”

Jiang Yi was perplexed as he killed three Demon Thearchs and asked Yin Ruobing. Yin Ruobing also felt it strange. Even though she and her companions were not as strong the previous time, there was indeed a Demon Sovereign guarding each mountain. This time, the lowest-grade demonic beasts that appeared was of the peak-stage Demon Thearch; there ought to be Demon Sovereigns present as well.

Hoo-Hoo!

Speaking of the devil, a hot wave surged from afar while from even further away thick smoke could be seen. An immense aura also swarmed over. As Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing looked into the distance, their faces turning cold at the same time. Jiang Yi growled and said, “It's a Demon Sovereign; a fire-element one?

Ruobing, step back. A fire-element Demon Sovereign is nothing much to me. Take care and protect yourself.”

“Jiang Lang, you be careful, too.”

Yin Ruobing sensibly retreated. Her power might be enough to deal with a peak-stage demon king, but she would just be a burden to Jiang Yi if they went up against a Demon Sovereign. Jiang Yi had the Fire Spirit Pearl and was not afraid of fire, making her at ease.

Roar! Roar!

The hot wave continued to come closer while black smog started heading this way. Accompanying the Demon Sovereign, the trees in its vicinity all caught fire. That monster started roaring from afar, its voice causing a tremble in the surroundings, with rocks flying about. The tremors caused Jiang Yi's blood to boil as his essence force was disrupted slightly; it was very terrifying.

“A pig's face and a monkey's body?”

Jiang Yi took a look at the demonic beast galloping his way and couldn't help it but laughed.

He had seen this type of demonic beast. When he was with Qianqian and the Black Deity in the Endless Deep Sea, he had seen a race that looked like this on a barren island. This type of demonic beast looked very ugly.

It had a huge head that looked like a swollen pig's head but had a body like a monkey. Its body was not as big as the head and made it look very comical. Even when they transformed into humans, they still preferred this body proportion, thinking that it made them look suave.

As this type of monster did not live in the sea, Qianqian had even introduced them to Jiang Yi. This demonic beast had an eccentric temper and frequently killed sea beasts. It did not have a high intellect and was just like an addle-minded person. However, their power was terrifying.

Their mode of attack was using their voices. It was said that the roar of the most powerful pig-faced monkey-bodied demonic beast could shake mountains and rivers and roar down the stars. Of course, this was but a legend.

They still had another attack which was to spit fire. They could spit out purple flames that had extremely high temperatures. A breath of purple flames could evaporate an entire water body into a fog. However, Jiang Yi was not sure how hot exactly the temperature could get. As the beast was closing in, Jiang Yi did not feel any heat at all; the Fire Spirit Pearl had activated automatically and was protecting its master.

Clang-clang!

As it was—after all—a Demon Sovereign, Jiang Yi did not dare to be careless. He immediately released his Divine Sound Heaven Skill, sending waves of sonar waves forward. The pig-faced, monkey-bodied demonic beast's triangle eye shrunk as it stopped its galloping self. An even louder howl emerged from its mouth, causing the collapse of stone peaks in the surroundings. It also pushed back Yin Ruobing even more as she could not bear it.

Jiang Yi was also feeling exceptionally terrible. His blood was boiling while his essence force was being disrupted. He almost fell from mid-air.

He hurriedly entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man; he could then be able to block out the roaring while his soul spirit would not be affected either. The disturbance to his essence force could also be easier to manage.

“Nameless Divine Art!”

After entering the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, Jiang Yi started to activate the Nameless Divine Art to stabilize his essence force. He also started churning out astral winds that formed ten astral wind blades and surged forth. He did not dare to use his Rainbow Soul Spear this time. This demonic beast could spit fire; if it burned his Rainbow Soul Spear, that would be bad.

Clang-clang!

The Divine Sound Heaven Skill continued to suppress the Demon Sovereign. Its body could no longer move and was obviously being held down. However, it was still roaring at the top of its voice. Its aura also became more violent. If Jiang Yi wasn't in the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, the violent aura would have suffocated Jiang Yi.

Bang, bang, bang!

The ten astral wind blades furiously slashed at the Demon Sovereign, with sparks flying with each impact. The Demon Sovereign's huge body was sent flying. However, although a considerable amount of its fur was destroyed, it did not seem to have suffered much damage. Only a faint line of blood could be seen; it was evidently just a superficial wound.

“This is going to be troublesome…”

Jiang Yi's face darkened. He wasn't so perturbed by this Demon Sovereign per say, but more of being worried about how he could break through the subsequent mountains.

This Demon Sovereign was not that strong, and yet its defensive ability was already so strong. When they encountered even stronger Demon Sovereigns after this—even if his Divine Sound Heaven Skill could affect the Demon Sovereigns, how was he going to kill them? If they came in contact with a Demon Sovereign with an insanely high defensive ability—even if he tried, he would not be able to kill it.

“Forget about it for now; let's kill this one first!”

Jiang Yi decided and flew to the front swiftly. He had just flown for a thousand feet before a purple-colored fire snake came soaring by. All the trees in the vicinity were all burned to a fine powder. Even the soil had turned black-brown and was still releasing black smoke.

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled slightly as he withdrew his Astral Winds Divine Shield, allowing the flames to engulf him. His Fire Spirit Pearl was just nice out of burning flames; it would be good for it to absorb some purple flames. It looked as if these flames could rival thunder fire; after all, they were demonic flames from a Demon Sovereign.

Roar! Roar!

The two-hundred-feet tall pig-faced, monkey-bodied demonic beast was crazily rushing forward. Its triangular eye was full of rage. It took big steps as it ambled, roaring out loud, shaking the mountains and the rivers, and cracking the rocks in the vicinity.

“Stop—in my name!”

Jiang Yi's heart growled as he waved his flexible sword. His Divine Sound Heaven Skill suppressed the Demon Sovereign and prevented it from getting any closer. After his Fire Spirit Pearl had absorbed enough of the burning flames, Jiang Yi's astral wind blades continued to fly forward.

This time, he only concentrated on one area; that was the Demon Sovereign's left leg. As long as Jiang Yi could chop off two legs, the Demon Sovereign would become fish meat on a platter, at the mercy of Jiang Yi.

Bang, bang, bang!

The ten astral wind blades incessantly attacked that same spot, and the effects were very obvious. The Demon Sovereign's left leg was slashed into a pile of blood and flesh. A huge chunk of bloody flesh was minced into bits as a white bone in the leg was revealed. The Demon Sovereign's huge body was once again sent flying.

“Continue with the burning flames please.”

Jiang Yi flew over slowly as he gave the Demon Sovereign time to spew fire. Jiang Yi needed more purple flames as they could be of use against even stronger Demon Sovereigns. These flames were also useful the last time he had activated the Smelting Divine Furnace. Although he was not very sure—he was guessing that without the powers of the star spheres, it would not be possible to activate and use the Smelting Divine Furnace. There was no harm in gathering more burning flames.

Just like this!

Jiang Yi slowly killed the Demon Sovereign. This Demon Sovereign's strength was really nothing compared to Jiang Yi's. To him, killing this Demon Sovereign was no pressure.

After an hour, two of the Demon Sovereign's legs were cut. It could only lie on the floor and turn about, occasionally spewing out burning flames. Jiang Yi was actually very satisfied as he held onto his Fire Spirit Pearl still absorbing the burning flames. Before long, the Fire Spirit Pearl had absorbed as much as it could.

“It's about time; let's end this.”

Jiang Yi verified and secretly nodded his head. He controlled his astral winds and fiercely sent them slashing at the Demon Sovereign's neck. However, its defensive power was too strong; he would not be able to kill it within five or ten minutes.

“Oh, right!”

Jiang Yi suddenly thought of something and opened his eyes wide, his face revealing something strange.

During the Trials of Wind and Fire, Jiang Yi had seen how perfectly the astral winds could actually fuse together. It was just nice the perfect opportunity to test his ideas on this Demon Sovereign—on how to combine the astral winds to perfection. If they could be completely fused together, his attack power would definitely be multiplied while his chances at clearing the Evil Spirit Ridge would be even higher. He would then have the chance of obtaining the Glazed Pagoda.

“Eh?”

However—

At this moment, an image surfaced in Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing's heads. The skies cracked open, and a crevice appeared. A beautiful green treasure pagoda was falling from the sky and was taken by a big hand. After that, the crevice mended; and the image disappeared.

Boom!

Jiang Yi felt as if he had been blasted by lightning from a clear sky; he was momentarily lost for words and couldn't move!

Someone had actually taken the Glazed Pagoda? That hand was obviously that of a man. If it wasn't Zhan Tianlei, it was Jian Wuying. Without the Glazed Pagoda, how was he going to rescue Su Ruoxue?

Chapter 1114 - I Understand

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Jiang Yi, what's wrong with you?”

From far away, Yin Ruobing noticed that Jiang Yi had suddenly stopped attacking and was just standing there in a daze, looking utterly dejected and dispirited. She hurriedly flew over and asked him anxiously. The Demon Sovereign had already been mortally wounded and was no longer a threat. The presence of the Demon Sovereign had also scared away the Demon Thearchs. Yin Ruobing was not concerned about their safety but was more afraid of Jiang Yi's expression. Besides the Mystic Divine Palace treasure hunting on the Pegasus Continent, she had never seen Jiang Yi with such an expression.

“Nothing!”

Jiang Yi recovered and forced a smile. He did not want Yin Ruobing to worry. He also liked to keep things to himself, for himself to bear alone.

Yin Ruobing more or less guessed what had happened and asked, “It is the Glazed Pagoda?”

“En!”

Since Yin Ruobing had guessed, Jiang Yi did not want to hide from her anymore. He sighed deeply and said, “The Glazed Pagoda is very important to me. If Zhan Tianlei gets it, I can only try to snatch it from his hands. However, Zhan Tianlei is definitely stronger than She Fei; we might not be able to catch up with him. Furthermore, if it was Jian Wuying who had obtained it, I would also never have the chance to get the Glazed Pagoda again.”

Once the Mystic Divine Palace treasure hunt ended, everyone would most probably be teleported out and sent down to the foot of Mystic Divine Mountain. The Demigods from the respective clans would definitely surge forward to protect their own. Jiang Yi was not a deity and wasn't an unbeatable god either. He could not possibly take down Jian Wuying or Zhan Tianlei under the watchful eyes of a group of Demigods.

Hence, he probably would no longer have the chance to get the Glazed Pagoda. This meant that he would not be able to exchange it for Su Ruoxue's peaceful return. Hence, he had been so dejected and dispirited just now.

“There will always be an opportunity!”

Yin Ruobing hugged Jiang Yi lightly from the back and smiled slightly. “Isn't there a saying that good fortune lies within bad, bad fortune lurks within good? It is still too early to give up; the treasure hunt has not ended. As long as we give it our all, no matter the ending at least we will not have any regrets, right?”

Smelling the fragrance of a beauty and hearing her warm and soft words in his ears, Jiang Yi could feel the warmth and affection coming from Ruobing. Jiang Yi's heart did a flip as a little color returned to his eyes.

That's right!

The treasure hunt had not ended yet. As it was not the last moment yet, it was still too early to give up. If he didn't give his best, how would he know the final ending? If he didn't give it his all, who could say who would be laughing at the end?

“Thank you, Ruobing. To be able to gain your favor and good grace is the best thing that has happened to me.” Jiang Yi turned around and hugged Yin Ruobing, softly kissing her on the lips. Jiang Yi's both hands started furiously sending out astral winds once more, continuously attacking the Demon Sovereign.

“Go!”

Under his insane barrage, Jiang Yi only took ten minutes before finishing off the Demon Sovereign. He was also not idle as he flew forward; he kept on sending out astral winds, attacking the nearby mountain peaks. He wanted to seize every second he had to try and perfect the fusion of his astral winds.

If he wanted to catch up with Zhan Tianlei, he needed to clear the Evil Spirit Ridge and enter the fifth stage. To pass through the Evil Spirit Ridge, his strength was still insufficient. If he could not perfect the combination of his astral winds, he would end up stuck in some mountain here.

The tenth mountain was cleared by Jiang Yi in only one hour. However, they had once again met a Demon Sovereign. Fortunately, this Demon Sovereign was not that much stronger than the pig-faced, monkey-bodied Demon Sovereign. Furthermore, its defenses were weaker. With the Divine Sound Heaven Skill suppressing it, Jiang Yi easily sliced open its tummy and killed it without a sweat.

The eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth…

Jiang Yi did not rest and continued attacking day and night, completely entering a crazy demon state of mind. He kept his eyes shut as he attacked while in the State of the Union of Heaven and Man, trying to fathom the technique of merging his astral winds. In merely three days, he had once again cleared ten mountains, reaching the twentieth mountain.

This time, he was not that lucky. The Demon Sovereigns that he encountered were starting to be stronger and stronger. While his Divine Sound Heaven Skill could still suppress them, its effectiveness had been weakening. If not for his Rainbow Soul Spear and Yin Ruobing's God Shooter Bow, it was getting very hard to kill Demon Sovereigns.

Be that as it may, the defensive strength of the Demon Sovereigns was also getting stronger. He had killed yet another Demon Sovereign, but that had taken him almost one full day.

“This cannot do. There are still twenty-nine mountains. Even if I can continue with this speed of killing, it will still take me twenty-nine days. That would take too long, and the treasure hunt would definitely be over by then.”

Jiang Yi was extremely anxious, and that was causing his mind to be less calm. He was also not able to realize the way of fusing the astral winds. This had created a vicious circle, making him even more annoyed.

“Jiang Yi, let's take a break. Continuing like this will actually make things worse. Furthermore, I am tired also.”

Yin Ruobing's voice transmission made Jiang Yi regain his senses. He turned and looked at the utterly tired Yin Ruobing and felt guilty all of a sudden. They had been pressing on for a few days and nights? Although he was used to such a life, Yin Ruobing was—after all—a prestigious young lady.

She was used to a cultured and relaxed life. Following Jiang Yi, she could only eat energy elixirs when she was hungry, some dry rations and some water. Even when she wanted to relieve herself, she could only find a random stone and squat down.

He had sworn in Fengdu City that he would give Yin Ruobing happiness, that he wanted to protect her forever. Now that she had just abandoned her clan, given up on her status, and given herself to Jiang Yi, he had brought her along to battle demonic beasts for three—four days consecutively?

The most important thing was that while Yin Ruobing had made the decision to give up everything to follow him, Jiang Yi had not even had a good chat with her about this. He hadn't given her even a sliver of assurance. Had he thought of whether she was feeling scared, fearful, or even feeling guilty towards the Yin Clan and her parents and deeply blaming herself?

Thinking about all these, Jiang Yi scolded himself for being an idiot; he was also really starting to like this absolute beauty. The past few days, Ruobing had never complained once, never showed any signs of weakness, never yelled about how difficult the journey was… never acted like a pampered girl. Conversely, she even had to console him, encourage him.

“Ruobing!”

His gaze looked towards Ruobing, full of guilt and was just about to say something. Yin Ruobing, however, shook her head, smiled, and said, “Jiang Yi, you do not have to say anything. I understand!”

A simple sentence and an exchange of glances rendered Jiang Yi speechless. He flew over to hug her tightly and brought her towards the ground. He found a patch of grass under a tree, took out a blanket from his ring, and laid it out before carrying her to sit on it.

After that, Jiang Yi went to fetch some water and took out some spirit fruits and some cured meats, starting a fire to cook the latter. Yin Ruobing, on the other hand, sat there and leaned on the tree as she saw Jiang Yi busy at work. A smile hung on her face, peaceful and warm.

Jiang Yi's culinary skills were still passable; he had spent many nights outside over the past years and was also used to living in the wild. It was a pity that the barbecued meat was cured meat, and so it didn't taste that fresh. However, it was hot food that was also prepared personally by Jiang Yi. Yin Ruobing ate with much gusto and actually fell asleep against the tree after eating.

Jiang Yi gently brought her into his arms and let her lie on his thigh while she slept. He gently caressed her hair and looked at her beautiful face. Jiang Yi felt very conflicted.

He did not sleep but started to concentrate and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. With it, he would know immediately when demonic beasts were nearby. He then continued to realize the technique behind fusing the astral winds.

Yin Ruobing suddenly opened her eyes wide after Jiang Yi started to meditate and looked as his sharp face, smiling sweetly. She then closed her eyes again and slept soundly. Her sleeping position was very graceful; even though she was asleep on a grass patch in the wilderness, she still looked like a wealthy lady laying on a bed. She created a unique and beautiful sight to behold in the Evil Spirit Ridge.

Chapter 1115 - : Perfect Fusion of

the Astral Winds

Chapter 1115: Perfect Fusion of the Astral Winds

Jiang Yi's meditation this time round was a lot more relaxed. Perhaps the lady sleeping on his thigh made him feel a sense of ease, or maybe it was the light fragrance from Yin Ruobing's body making him feel very comfortable. The effects of this meditation were much better.

Although the effects were better—if some things could not be realized, they could not be realized regardless. The fusion of the astral winds was even harder than a dao pattern. As every astral wind had a different body, it was easy to gather them together; to make them utterly fused together was very difficult.

This was the same logic with two ropes: it was easy to tangle them up, but they were two strings of a rope after all. They would not meld into one.

“What can I do to merge them? Or could it be the astral winds cannot be fused? What I saw back then was an illusion created by the Mystic Thearch?”

Jiang Yi's mind was full of doubts. He recalled what he saw during the Trials of Wind and Fire and rejected this thought. “The astral winds had indeed fused. I should still have the fused astral winds inside me. This is a real fusion and not just an illusion!

“Astral winds that could meld?”

Jiang Yi thought about this, and suddenly, something triggered in him. He brought forth the merged astral winds in his ninth star sphere and circulated them in his meridians, studying them in detail.

After studying for a while, his soul spirit started to tremble; he had thought of an excellent idea.

Since he did not know how to fuse them, he could try to bring them apart. If he managed to separate that small amount of fused astral winds, he could then unravel the way to fuse them!

If one thought of something, one should do it.

Jiang Yi hurriedly closed his eyes and gently placed Yin Ruobing on the grass patch. He then headed to a small hill not far away. The astral winds were too dangerous, and he was afraid of losing control and hurting Yin Ruobing.

Yin Ruobing had really fallen asleep this time. She did not wake up. Jiang Yi looked over at her from a small hill a few hundred feet away and saw that she was sleeping soundly. He then relaxed and entered the State of the Union of Heaven and Man. He continued releasing the astral winds, trying to find a way to separate them.

Tsk! Tsk!

He brought forth a wisp of the fused astral winds. As these astral winds had been absorbed into his body, it had become his; and he could easily control them. He used his mind to manage the astral winds and slowly tried to separate and bring them apart.

However, these fused astral winds were too tightly intertwined. Jiang Yi thought of many methods but couldn't find a way to take them apart. Finally, he decided on the most violent approach: separating them by force!

Tsk! Tsk!

He used a few other wisps of astral winds to forcefully attack the wisp of fused astral winds. He tried to untangle the latter and—at the same time— locked in on them, trying to find the secret behind them.

“This…”

What shocked him was that after the astral winds were broken up, countless very densely packed small astral winds were actually inside. It felt as if this one wisp of astral winds was made up of countless small astral winds, just like how a strand of hair was formed by countless small hair fragments.

“This is it! I understand, I finally understand!” Breaking before forming. If I wanted to fuse the astral winds, I had to first destroy them and turn them into small fragments before allowing them to reform and automatically fuse together. Hahahaha…”

Jiang Yi laughed crazily as he looked to the skies. He had finally found the answer to this problem that had been troubling him for so long. He immediately released many astral winds and made them attack each other, transforming them into numerous fragments of energy. He then used the Nameless Divine Art to quickly absorb them.

Something amazing happened. When those fragments of astral winds entered his meridians and into the ninth star sphere, they automatically started to fuse and became wisps of perfectly fused astral winds. They had broken and formed again.

“Alright!”

Jiang Yi's soul spirit was extremely excited and kept on releasing astral winds. He quickly let the astral winds attack each other, formed fragments of energy and absorbed them again as they then completely fused together.

“Uh…”

In the near distance, Yin Ruobing was shaken awake. She saw that Jiang Yi's face was very agitated and felt the space fluctuations around him. Her eyes lit up. It seemed as if Jiang Yi had a great breakthrough. If not, he would not be so out of character.

“He is indeed a prodigy. His breakthrough speed is becoming faster and faster. If he was born among the Nine Thearch Clans, he would probably already be a six- or seven-star martial expert; even being an eight-star martial expert would not be ludicrous!”

Yin Ruobing smiled slightly, being proud of her man. Any genius that managed to rise up with the help of one's clan was not a true genius in Yin Ruobing's eyes. Men like Jiang Yi who depended on themselves, single-handedly killing their way forward were the true geniuses.

Jiang Yi was fusing the astral winds very quickly; he actually didn't need to do it himself. After the fragmented astral winds entered the ninth star sphere, they would automatically fuse. He just needed to continuously send his astral winds out and make them attack each other, and after they have been blown into bits, he absorbed them once again. He was just like a circular machine, reducing the amount of astral winds in his ninth star sphere as they were being fused.

Although his ninth star sphere contained a lot of astral winds, he only took a little more than a day to completely fuse all the astral winds. The amount of astral winds in his ninth star sphere had indeed been reduced significantly, but Jiang Yi did not mind this at all. At this moment, the amount of astral winds inside was sufficient for him to use for a couple of months. Outside the continent in the high skies, there was an unlimited amount of astral winds; he just had to absorb more once he depleted his supply.

Tsk! Tsk!

After the last wisp of astral winds had been fused, Jiang Yi laughed out loud and flew up into the sky, sending out his astral winds with one hand and then using them to form astral wind blades. He then struck them on a mountain peak in the distance. His astral wind blades were different from perfectly fused astral winds and were just tangled together like hemp. Hence, although the astral winds were perfectly fused, they could still congeal like astral wind blades; the two were not in conflict with each other.

“Tsk—”

There was no explosion but only a slight sound of cracking. The mountain peak was sliced without using too much of his astral winds. That mountain peak quickly slid down and collapsed, causing tremors and generating dust clouds as it impacted the ground.

“Ruobing, have you rested enough?”

Jiang Yi was very contented as he nodded his head, his gaze looking towards Yin Ruobing. She nodded as her jade-green battle armor and her God Shooter Bow appeared, and she flew towards Jiang Yi.

“Go!”

Jiang Yi's confidence had increased a hundred-fold. With the fused astral winds, there should not be much trouble breaking through the Evil Spirit Ridge. Furthermore, his defensive ability had been greatly raised as well. He figured that She Fei's Heaven Wheel of Ruin would also not be able to slice through his Astral Winds Divine Shield now.

Swish!

The two of them flew straight into another mountain. After merely a few dozens of kilometers, they saw a one-eyed lizard rushing towards them. Jiang Yi did not even use his Divine Sound Heaven Skill this time or release his Astral Winds Divine Shield. He held onto Yin Ruobing with one hand and casually sent out an astral wind blade with the other, sending it flying towards the demonic beast.

Tsk! Tsk!

The one-eyed lizard was sliced in half with ease. As the astral wind blades were not visible, it felt as if with a casual wave of Jiang Yi's hand, the huge demonic beast in the distance had been split into half.

“Wow!”

Yin Ruobing was astonished and said, overjoyed, “Jiang Yi, your attack power has at least increased many folds! It should now rival that of a six-star martial expert.”

“Keke!”

Jiang Yi smiled lightly and said, “A six-star martial expert is not the goal; my enemy is a nine-star expert. There is still a long way to go. Additionally, only if I become a nine-star martial expert would your Majesty Father accept me. No… as I am from Sin Island, perhaps that would not be sufficient. I have to be as strong as the Mystic Thearch was that year, suppressing all the heroes of this world; then, the Yin Clan would really accept me.”

Yin Ruobing smiled sweetly—her eyes filled with light, nodded heavily, and said, “Ruobing will wait with anticipation.”

Chapter 1116 - Pure Heart and

Spirit

Chapter 1116: Pure Heart and Spirit

Jiang Yi easily cleared mountain after mountain, killing demonic beasts without much trouble. Within three days, he had cleared yet another twenty-odd mountains and had reached the forty-eighth mountain. He only had to clear the last mountain before arriving at the Wild Spirit Village and be able to enter the fifth stage.

“Let's take a break!”

Although Yin Ruobing hadn't had to fight much the past three days, the Demon Sovereign they encountered at the previous mountain was already very strong; the last mountain would definitely be even harder. Hence, Jiang Yi decided to take a break for a couple of hours for both of them to replenish their energies.

There didn't seem to be any danger resting in between mountains. Jiang Yi and Yin Ruobing cuddled and sat under a huge tree as they enjoyed the blowing cool breeze. The two of them were very satisfied.

Yin Ruobing closed her eyes and rested in Jiang Yi's embrace, both her hands hugging onto Jiang Yi's neck, her mouth turning into a small arc. She was just like a young lady going through puberty, enjoying her alone time with her partner immensely.

“Ruobing, since we are already lovers, there are some things I cannot hide from you. That would be disrespectful.” Jiang Yi gently held onto Yin Ruobing's shoulder, smiled bitterly, and said, “Actually, I do have a few other women that I cannot abandon. Will… you mind?”

Yin Ruobing's expression did not change much. Only the smile on her face grew slightly strained. She did not raise her head but sighed slightly and said, “My Majesty Father has many wives, too; so does my granddad and my cousins. Sigh… this world is one where men are superior to women. I have long known this; you men are all not good things.”

Jiang Yi awkwardly scratched his nose and asked gently, “Aren't you angry?”

“Angry!”

Yin Ruobing raised her head and looked at Jiang Yi seriously, saying, “Not one woman would want to share her man with another woman. No woman doesn't want to be whole-heartedly loved by one man. Although I had been used to it since young, I would be lying if I said I didn't have anything to say about this.

Jiang Yi, I only have one request. When you are with me, you cannot think about other women. In front of me, you also cannot flirt with other women.

What somebody doesn't see can't hurt them. If not, I will become a nun.”

“En, I promise you!”

Jiang Yi hugged Yin Ruobing tightly; his love for Yin Ruobing had increased by much. This was a lady with a pure heart and spirit. She was intelligent and knew what she should fight for and what she should give in. She had her own thoughts and was not like any other woman that would just blindly follow along; she was not a lady so deeply in love that she would allow herself to be manipulated and ordered around by a man. This was a woman with character and was also the type that men would fall in love with most easily.

After talking and cuddling with Yin Ruobing for four hours, they continued their journey again. This time, he did not dare to be overconfident. He asked Yin Ruobing to be fully armed and follow behind him as he activated his Astral Winds Divine Shield, holding his flexible sword in hand and looking very serious.

“Chu-chu!”

A group of avians flew towards them from a mountain peak far away. Their eyes were like blood moons, and their claws were like silver hooks. Their feathers were like iron arrows and though they were not big, their aura was astonishing.

The most important thing was their numbers. They were many and numbered at least a thousand.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The avians did not wait for Jiang Yi to attack. At ten thousand feet away, their feathers transformed into iron arrows and were all released at once. The scene was very impressive and imposing. Furthermore, these feathers all had a faint glow to them. These ten thousand arrows flying through the sky also generated a terrifying sound, creating fear in the hearts of those who were listening.

Bang, bang, bang!

At the same time, a tremor could be felt underground. Numerous spiders as big as buckets emerged from the ground. They were just like a horde of ants, but each had huge stomachs as if they were pregnant. Their mouths also dripped with a green substance; it evidently contained lethal poison.

“This place is indeed dangerous!”

Jiang Yi was quietly astonished and looked at Yin Ruobing who was standing ten thousand feet behind him. He relaxed after realizing that none of the monsters were targeting her. Jiang Yi zigzagged about in mid-air and released his Divine Sound Heaven Skill and sent forth his astral wind blades. At the same time that the astral wind blades flew out, he also activated his Icebound Thousand Miles. There were too many demonic beasts, and it wasn't a good thing for them to get too close.

Jiang Yi's estimation was on point. It would definitely be troublesome if these demonic beasts came too close. Even before he managed to release his Icebound Thousand Miles, the spiders had already started spewing streams of silver threads. Furthermore, these threads did not get cut by Jiang Yi's Astral Winds Divine Shield but had actually stuck on it. Following that, countless spiders flew towards him and as they came near to his Astral Winds Divine Shield, they exploded.

Bang, bang, bang!

It was as if countless explosives detonated near him at the same time. The spatial zone around Jiang Yi was being disrupted incessantly and was being torn apart. Jiang Yi's Astral Winds Divine Shield's power was swiftly being diminished. It only took a blink of an eye, and hundreds of spiders had exploded around the Astral Winds Divine Shield, reducing its energy by half.

“Horrifying! Icebound Thousand Miles!”

Jiang Yi shouted deep in his heart as the Icebound Thousand Miles finally appeared. A wave of cold current emanated from his body towards all directions. The surroundings were frozen, and even Yin Ruobing had become an ice statue. Fortunately, Yin Ruobing wore a Bejeweled Armor ancient artifact; her body and soul spirit were not greatly affected.

Tsk! Tsk!

Jiang Yi's astral wind blades danced and ignored the avians in the sky, focusing on the hordes of spiders below. These big-bellied spiders were too terrifying. If they had continued with their attacks, Jiang Yi's body would have been exploded into pieces.

“Ruobing, retreat a little more. Being frozen by my Icebound Thousand Miles is not nice.” Jiang Yi turned and growled. However, Yin Ruobing smiled lightly and said, “It's okay. You don't have to bother about me. I am not so fragile.”

Jiang Yi nodded and did not waste his breath anymore. While he cleansed the demonic beasts near him, he continued to release the Icebound Thousand Miles and hurriedly dashed deep into the mountain.

Yin Ruobing's Bejeweled Armor flashed, and the ice encapsulating her broke. She hurriedly followed behind Jiang Yi. However, there were still signs of pain in her eyes. The cold current just now was too scary; the feeling of being frozen was also very uncomfortable.

While she tried to keep her distance, she also didn't dare to stay too far behind. This mountain was too terrifying; if those spiders were to explode on her, how many explosions could her Bejeweled Armor withstand?

Jiang Yi was furiously dashing ahead, drawing the attention of all the demonic beasts. Yin Ruobing was safe following behind Jiang Yi. She was only uncomfortable as Jiang Yi had no choice but to release the Icebound Thousand Miles to kill the demonic beasts.

A span of ten minutes felt so long to Yin Ruobing; it felt like a few years. She had been frozen a few dozen times. She knew now why Jiang Yi had not used this previously to kill the demonic beasts; the feeling of being frozen was unbearable.

An immensely strong aura appeared in front. The Demon Sovereign of this mountain had finally appeared. Yin Ruobing looked to the distance and felt disgusted and shaken at the same time.

It was a huge and ugly spider.

It was as tall as two hundred feet and was like a small mountain. It had twelve eyes, and its mouth was full of a black-green substance. Legs that were tens of feet long were covered in hair. Its stomach was also very large while its mouth kept spewing out small spiders. The spiders that had appeared from the ground were actually from its mouth.

Jiang Yi's gaze was as cold as iron, and he became exceptionally serious. This spider's children were already so dangerous; if this Demon Sovereign exploded, could he resist it?

“Ruobing, retreat five kilometers and protect yourself!”

Jiang Yi swiftly reacted as he shouted in his sharpest voice. There was no room for debate. Although Yin Ruobing wanted to stay, she did not dare to go against Jiang Yi. When this man was gentle, he could be changed; when he was dead serious, there was no room to question him.

Chapter 1117 - A Big Gamble

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Swish!

Yin Ruobing retreated as quickly as she could. With Jiang Yi in front, not many spiders attacked her. Only a few avians shot their metal feathers at her. Yin Ruobing kept trying to avoid getting hit by using her God Shooter Bow. They were barely getting by.

Clang-clang!

Jiang Yi tried to use his Divine Sound Heaven Skill. The giant spider seated atop the little hill in front of them spat out the little spiders at a slower pace. Its body trembled every once in a while, but it stayed still otherwise. It focused on spitting out little spiders instead. However, those little spiders were no longer attacking Jiang Yi. Instead, they all burrowed underground and disappeared.

The more this happened, the more frightened Jiang Yi felt.

This Demon Sovereign was obviously building up toward a stronger attack. If Jiang Yi did not act now, he would surely have his bones broken in the end. Just thinking about millions of spiders bursting out from underground sent a shiver down Jiang Yi's spine. His gaze hardened, and he released the Icebound Thousand Miles with one of his hands. At the same time, he kept using the Divine Sound Heaven Skill to affect the Demon Sovereign. As he did this, he flew steadily toward the king spider.

Jek-jek!

The demon king let out a terrifying laugh. All twelve of its eyes glared at Jiang Yi mockingly—it looked so much like a human. As it stared at Jiang Yi flying toward him, the spider did not panic. In fact, it did not even flinch. Ten thousand feet, five thousand feet… three thousand feet!

The closer he got to the king spider, the more cautious Jiang Yi became. He had a feeling deep in his heart that if he really went too close to the spider, he would die for sure. Yet, he did not know where the danger was exactly. He wanted to follow his gut and stop because he did not want to perish here.

“When enemies meet in a narrow path, the braver of the two will win. I'll go for it!”

Jiang Yi cried out. He had come to the point of no return. If he did not kill this Demon Sovereign, he would not be able to progress any further into the Wild Spirit Village. What's more, it was too late to turn back now. He could either kill the Demon Sovereign or die.

“Astral Wind Blades, Icebound Thousand Miles, Divine Sound Heaven Skill!”

Jiang Yi's eyes turned blood red as his red hair danced around his face. He shouted at the top of his lungs and hurled the ten Astral Wind Blades toward the king spider with as much might as he could.

At that moment, the king spider finally moved. It opened its mouth and finally stopped spitting out little spiders. Instead, it started spitting out a web. The web looked like it could cover the entire earth, and it was heading straight for Jiang Yi. It captured everything within a thousand feet radius, including Jiang Yi.

Bang, bang, bang!

Cracks began to appear on the ground, and at least a million spiders flew out from the gaps. These spiders could walk in and out of the king spider's web easily. They all shot toward Jiang Yi as quickly as they could.

“Die!”

At that moment between life and death, Jiang Yi could not afford to think about anything else. He got rid of all the distractions in his mind and focused solely on killing the king spider. He decided to give it his all, whether he would come out of it alive or not.

He had to win or die trying!

He had released the Icebound Thousand Miles a bit too early. There was no way at all to freeze up the little spiders. The Divine Sound Heaven Skill was also useless against these little spiders.

While the Astral Wind Blades did manage to cut holes into the king spider's body, the king spider remained stubbornly alive. It was almost like this spider had neither a heart nor a soul.

Swish-swish!

From between his eyebrows, the Rainbow Soul Spear flew out and turned into a rainbow beam that shot straight toward the Demon Sovereign. The Rainbow Soul Spear was a form of spiritual attack. It broke through the spider's web easily and traveled toward the demon king speedily. However, there was one problem. Jiang Yi's divine senses could not detect where the king spider's soul was!

Bang, bang, bang!

Countless small spiders were now heading toward him and causing themselves to blow up around him. There were many small explosions all around Jiang Yi, and the air around him seemed to twist and turn. The impacts weakened his Astral Winds Divine Shield. Even his body was being thrown from left to right because of the explosions.

“Die, die, die!”

He shouted out in anger, not bothering at all about the little spiders. He focused solely on aiming his Rainbow Soul Spear through the king spider's twelve eyes. He had to take a gamble—he was betting on the king spider's soul being located in one of its eyes. Its eyes must be its source of life. Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Bang, bang, bang!

The Rainbow Soul Spear shot through one of the king spider's eyes. The explosions around Jiang Yi became even more intense. His Astral Winds Divine Shield threatened to fall apart.

Tsk! Tsk!

The Rainbow Soul Spear quickly turned and shot through three of the king spider's eyes at once. After that, the spider's remaining eyes seemed to darken. Yet, this did not cause too huge of a reaction in the king spider. Instead, the remaining eyes continued to look at Jiang Yi mockingly, making him feel like he had been mistaken. The eyes were not where the spider had stored its soul.

“Whatever.”

Jiang Yi was going crazy. He continued to steer his Rainbow Soul Spear toward the other eyes. Three, four, five… ten.

“I was right!”

After piercing through ten of the king spider's eyes, Jiang Yi used his Rainbow Soul Spear and discovered that the king spider was trembling vigorously. The remaining two eyes looked at Jiang Yi with fear. Below it, the little spiders were traveling at an even faster speed.

Bang, bang, bang!

Jiang Yi's Astral Winds Divine Shield finally fell apart. At the same time, the king spider's twelve eyes exploded. The moment that happened, all the little spiders fell back through the cracks.

The king spider's body turned into a pile of rotten flesh. It fell down onto the ground.

“Pfff…”