MARTIAL PEAK Continued 140-uptodate(ONGOING)

418-430

Martial Peak - Chapter 418 - BoxNovel

Chapter 418: How Would You Choose?

    A few months ago, Lu Si had gone to Hidden Cloud Peak, handed Yang Kai’s letter and jade slip to Xiao Fu Sheng, and Grandmaster Xiao had immediately refined that Mysterious Grade pill for him.  After taking that pill and refining its medicinal effects, Lu Si’s meridians were completely healed and he at last truly became an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary powerhouse.

After returning to the Lu Family, Lu Si called Lu Liang and explained some secrets to him.

As for what the Grand Elder said to the Patriarch, no one else knew, but all of the Elders in the family could feel that after Lu Si’s return, Lu Liang’s opinion of Yang Kai had changed greatly. It was also because of this that he had so refreshingly ordered Lu Song to bring such a large amount of gifts to the Central Capital to offer Yang Kai.

Lu Song was unaware that all of these twists and turns had even taken place so to this day he still didn’t understand why his father had given such orders.

“If that Yang Kai is eliminated from the Inheritance War so quickly, what’s the point in giving him these things?”  Lu Song said as he shook his head in annoyance, muttering under his breath, “It will be such a waste!”

The guard next to him eventually relented, “Young Master, how about we wait and see how that Yang Kai performs?  In any case, Patriarch had only said that we must deliver him these things, he didn’t say when. If he can’t even last one day, then these materials will be useless to him and we’ll act according to Young Master’s plans.  If he does manage to survive though, we should follow the Patriarch’s instructions and deliver these things to him.”

“Good, we’ll do that,” Lu Song nodded in approval, “If he were to lose on the first day of the Inheritance War, then he’ll definitely have no future in the Yang Family.  Such a person, my Lu Family doesn’t need to fear.”

“It is just as the Young Master says!”  The guard also nodded.

War City northwest corner, Yang Kai’s mansion.

In one of the rooms, Yang Kai was sitting lazily, a pretty maidservant serving him tea, after Yang Kai took a sip, he casually waved to dismiss her.

Before the maidservant left, her eyes glanced towards Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu in fear.

The conditions of the two Blood Warriors had gotten worse and worse over the past few days, especially after Yang Kai had sent them out to help subdue the North City district’s small forces.  Their vitality drained quickly and their injuries noticeably worsened, even if they took the Yang Family’s special healing pills they would have little effect.

Their foundations had been compromised!

About this, both Yang Kai and they were very clear.  So long as their foundations weren’t shaken, with their cultivation realm and inherent blood force, they would still have had a chance to recover.

At this moment, the two Blood Warriors were pale white and their bodies were constantly sweating.  They were enduring severe pains all the time. The faces of the two men alternated between stern and fierce, blue veins throbbing on the foreheads like wriggling worms.

If any ordinary person saw this, they would naturally be terrified.

In spite of all this though, the two of them continued to stand there, straight and motionless.

Yang Kai looked up at them, his eyes filled with admiration.

He was also a very strong willed person, his temperament quite determined, but when he thought about himself enduring the same treatment as these two Blood Warriors, he felt that he wouldn’t be able to do better than them.

At the very least, watching a Young Lord who didn’t seem to see them as people but instead just wanted to squeeze whatever final value he could from them before their vitality passed, that alone would be something Yang Kai could never accept.

But the two Blood Warrior’s loyalty to the Yang Family made them feel no complaints.  Not only did they not complain, even their expressions didn’t betray any bitterness, only steadfastly fulfilling their oath to serve Yang Kai without the slightest hint of displeasure.

Feeling Yang Kai’s gaze upon them, Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu did their best to straighten themselves up.

After a long time, Yang Kai let out a laugh, “Which of you is Qu Gao Yi?”

To be honest, Yang Kai really didn’t know who was who, because after he came back from the Blood Warrior Hall that day, he hadn’t exchange a single word with either of them.

When the two Blood Warriors heard this question, their expressions didn’t change in the slightest, the taller of the two who also had a broader stature quickly cupped his fists, “Subordinate is Qu Gao Yi!”

“Then you must be Ying Jiu?” Yang Kai looked at the other person.

Ying Jiu nodded lightly.  Between the two Blood Warriors, Ying Jiu was more distinct, because although he was a man, his physique was slim and lean, the short mustache adoring his face giving him a particularly shrewd look.  His personality was reticent and taciturn, in some ways he resembled Yang Kai’s Eldest Brother Yang Wei.

From the words of the Yang Family Fourth Master and Dong Su Zhu, Yang Kai already knew what fields these two Blood Warriors specialized in.

Qu Gao Yi was best at the rapid outbursts of power.  He can completely expend his True Qi and Spiritual Energy in a short stick of incense worth of time.  Once he entered a fight, he would unleash a torrent of attacks that wouldn’t give his opponent time to breathe.  Within a stick of incense worth of time, he was basically invincible among those in the same realm.

(Silavin: stick of incense: 15mins)

In terms of instantaneous power, he was the strongest in the entire Blood Warrior Hall!  Although he was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, but over the years, the number of Peak Immortal Ascension masters he had defeated was a lot.

Even considering the entire Blood Warrior Hall, his strength was relatively high.

Ying Jiu was completely different as his specialties were speed and stealth, able to hide in the shadows and strike when least expected, he could often defeat his opponents before they even realized his presence.

There were rumors that the most difficult person to handle in the Bood Warrior Hall was not the Hall Master Feng Sheng nor the Deputy Hall Master Zhou Feng, but the shadow-like Ying Jiu.

Anyone stared at by him, even if he fled to the ends of the earth, could not escape his pursuit.

When these two worked together they complemented each other’s abilities perfectly, giving them a reputation as slaughterers amongst the Blood Warrior.

Previously, when the two of them were escorting the Yang Family’s Fourth Young Lord Yang Xin Wu they were besieged by a large number of Immortal Ascension Boundary masters.  The enemy’s strength was even higher than group encountered by Yang Kai.

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu put up a desperate fight but unfortunately Yang Xin Wu’s own strength wasn’t high so he had not managed to escape.

Yang Kai suddenly speaking to them confused Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu, both of them wondering what instructions he had to give, quickly composing themselves as they awaited their orders.

“Do you have any complaints about me?”  To their surprise, Yang Kai didn’t give them new orders but actually asked such a question.

As he spoke, Yang Kai smiled and stared at the pair deeply.

Qu Gao Yi quickly replied, “Subordinate doesn’t dare.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing?” Yang Kai sneered lightly, “I want to hear the truth.”

Qu Gao Yi couldn’t help but look a little embarrassed as he glanced towards Ying Jiu, both of them not sure what to say.

Back at the Blood Warrior Hall, the two had listened to Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian about how outstanding the Little Lord was and how he treated the Blood Warriors benevolently, and how later Yang Kai had agreed to use the two of them as in their moment of desperation.

With Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian’s high praise and Yang Kai’s willingness to support them, Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu naturally felt incredibly grateful to him and secretly decided to assist Yang Kai in making a name for himself, even if they were to lose their lives they wouldn’t hesitate.

After accompanying him these days though, Yang Kai had never met eyes with them, his attitude towards them extremely cold, not even allowing them time to rest and recover.

The Blood Warriors had pledged undying loyalty to the Yang Family, but they were still only human!  Them being willing to sacrifice themselves yet receiving such harsh treatment from Yang Kai would obviously make them feel uncomfortable.

“Speak freely,” Yang Kai took another sip from his cup as he stared at them seriously.

Qu Gao Yi eventually licked his cracked lips and said, “Ying Jiu and I had already given up on ourselves when the Little Lord extended his hand to us!  It was the Little Lord who gave us a reason and a place to continue to serve, so regardless of how we have been treated we would never dare to complain to the Little Lord, we are just… slightly disappointed!”

The words he spoke were earnest and his expression firm, it was obviously his heartfelt opinion.

Yang Kai calmly incited, “Do you think that I am different from what Tu Feng described?”

Qu Gao Yi and even the unsociable Ying Jiu nodded lightly.

“Of course I treated you differently, because I didn’t want you to begin with!”  Yang Kai stood up, “I wanted Tu Feng and Yu Xian. After all, we were already familiar with one another!”

The two Blood Warrior’s expressions dimmed slightly at these words.

“But the two of you have followed me for some time now so I think we are at least somewhat familiar with each other.” Yang Kai looked at the two and smiled, “At the very least, I understand what you really think.”

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu faces brightened once more as they stared forward silently.  Yang Kai saying this was equivalent to telling them that he wanted to open a dialogue with them, something the two of them very much hoped for.

“Your loyalty to the Yang Family and your gratitude towards me, are emotions that I no longer doubt!”  Yang Kai raised his brow and grinned, “But if there is a day when I find myself in conflict with the Yang Family, what will you do?  How would you choose? Would you stand by my side, or would you side with the Yang Family?”

The two men’s faces changed greatly as they looked at Yang Kai with amazement.

“Is the Little Lord making a joke?” Qu Gao Yi asked, frowning.

“I’m serious,” Yang Kai stared at him firmly and sharply.

Qu Gao Yi took a deep breath before replying, “Although I hope such a day never comes, but if it does, I and Ying Jiu will still follow the Little Lord!”

Ying Jiu also took the rare step of expressing himself, “Without the Little Lord, the two of us may have already wasted ourselves and retreated to the mountains, so our lives already belong to the Little Lord, if the Little Lord has need of us we will not hesitate to act.”

Listening to their responses, Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.

The reason why they had said this was firstly because Yang Kai was also a member of the Yang Family, so they didn’t believe such a situation would ever arise.  Secondly, because saying so now wouldn’t create problems for them, even if such a day came, they could worry about it then.

But in any case, Yang Kai finally got the answer he wanted.

“I once told Yu Xian, those who know my secrets either become my people or become corpses!” Yang Kai’s grinned fiercely, “Now you are qualified to know so of my secrets.”

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu glanced at each other before looking at Yang Kai with some surprise, not knowing what he was trying to say.

“Each of you take one of these pills.” Yang Kai reached into his sleeve and threw two pills out.

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu reached out and thanked Yang Kai, but still felt puzzled.

Silavin: Oyeah! This is a shoutout to all my current sponsors. I see that almost none of the low tiers are in the discord channels.

I now post in bulk on Monday. I forgot to mention this Monday but tmr, you will be able to read ahead of the week’s chapters + your tier’s chapters

Chapter 419: Someone Wants To Join You?

    Like Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian many days ago, when the two Blood Warriors discovered that the pill Yang Kai gave them was only an Earth Grade Top-Rank healing pill they couldn’t help feeling confused.  Even if it was a pill specifically for therapy, with such a low grade, what effect could it have?

Although they had their doubts, neither of them showed any signs on the surface.

“Time is tight, take this pill and refine it as quickly as possible, there’ll be a big role for you two to play in tonight’s show,” Yang Kai’s eyes were as deep as a well, his mouth slowly forming into a blade like sneer, “I can’t wait to see which of my brothers is the most impatient for me to exit the stage!”

“Yes!”  The two Blood Warriors nodded firmly, both of them knew that tonight would not be peaceful so they didn’t dare to delay, but just as they were about to swallow the healing pills, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became cold as he glanced towards the front of the mansion, grinning fiercely, “It’s not even night time yet but someone can’t wait any longer?”

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu were both startled, immediately responding by releasing their Divine Sense, quickly noticing that a number of people had gathered outside the compound, slightly angry at this development yet at the same time astonished.

Because Yang Kai was aware of this group before they were!

The location where the three people were at the moment was quite deep inside the mansion. The distance to the main entrance around a thousand meters, so not the slightest sound from there could possibly be transmitted here.

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu couldn’t understand how Yang Kai had discovered this group.

The number of people who had arrived weren’t many, their strength also not too great, but nevertheless there were still several Immortal Ascension masters among them.

“The two of us will send them off first,” Qu Gao Yi took the initiative to say.

“There’s no rush,” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly, “Qiu Yi Meng is coming.”

Not long after he spoke, the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady’s voice rang out outside the room, “Yang Kai, someone’s come to meet with you.”

Yang Kai and the two Blood Warriors looked at each other blankly, all of them confused.

Opening the door, Yang Kai saw Qiu Yi Meng standing outside wearing a light smile.  When the two Blood Warriors saw her their eyes brightened as they secretly praised Yang Kai, it seemed the Little Lord’s charm wasn’t small, even in such a desperate situation he had still won the assistance of such a beauty.

“Who is it?” Yang Kai asked suspiciously.

However, Qiu Yi Meng just slowly shook her head, “I don’t know, they’re led by a young man who asked to speak with you, but his attitude is a bit weird, do you want to meet them?”

“You don’t know where their origins?” Yang Kai was slightly surprised.

“He didn’t say, so how could I know?” Qiu Yi Meng stared back at him blankly.

“Is their leader a fatty?”  Yang Kai suddenly thought of Dong Qing Han, but two days ago he had clearly told his cousin not to show up today.  With his personality, Dong Qing Han would never ignore his request so recklessly.

“No, you’ll have to see for yourself.”

Yang Kai nodded and walked out; as Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu were about to follow, Yang Kai stopped them.

“Right now you have to heal yours wounds, there’s no need to follow me.”

“But…” Qu Gao Yi wanted to object but was quickly interrupted.

“With the strength of these people, there’s no way they can harm me,” Yang Kai said confidently as he walked off, leaving Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu behind looking at each other in confusion.

Yang Kai’s brief statement, if they analysed it carefully, actually contained some extraordinary information.

The Little Lord not only discovered this group of people before them, he also seemed to know what level of strength they possessed!

How did he know?  His cultivation was only True Element Boundary Eighth Stage, not even reaching the Immortal Ascension Boundary, so he didn’t have the use of his Divine Sense yet.

With only his own perception, it was impossible for him to grasp such detailed information.

Moreover, even if he really did know what kind of strength this group of newcomers had, why did he say that there was no way they could harm him?  This inexplicable confidence he exuded was what really confounded Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu.

The two of them were well aware that there were several Immortal Ascension Boundary masters in this group.

Looking at each other, Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu both saw the shock in each other’s eyes.

As Yang Kai walked, the Qui Family’s First Young Lady continued smiling lightly as she commented, “Looking at you, you don’t seem to be in a hurry.”

“What’s there to hurry for?” Yang Kai glanced over at her.

“You still want to play dumb with me?” Qiu Yi Meng’s smile disappeared as she grit her teeth, grabbing Yang Kai’s sleeve as she paused before saying, “Shouldn’t you make things clear to me?”

“Make what clear?  I don’t know what you are talking about.” Yang Kai’s brow wrinkled.

“How many connections you have, what forces will come to your aid, and how are you going to survive the coming storm tonight?” Qiu Yi Meng bluntly asked because she knew that if she didn’t, Yang Kai would only return some casual pleasantries to her.  Softening her tone slightly she continued, “Now I’m also your ally, although I can’t represent the Qiu Family and although I didn’t bring you much help, I’ve still come this far! Why do you still insist on shutting me out? Am I still not worthy of sincerely communicating with you?”

“Sincerely communicating?” Yang Kai smiled weirdly, staring up and down Qiu Yi Meng, a lasciviousness light flashing across his eyes, “How do you want to sincerely communicate with me?”

Seeing the aggressive light in his eyes and listening to his implied meaning, Qiu Yi Meng turned red and quickly calmed down, “Can you not confide in me?  If you have any troubles, you can tell them to me, I can discuss things with you.”

“No need, I only speak with women about love, chatting about trivial things is too superficial, it’s not suitable to me.” Yang Kai shook his head and replied seriously.

“Why you… you… why is it when you face me you never speak seriously!  Do you despise me that much!?” Qiu Yi Meng roared bitterly, her breath slightly ragged, stubbornly yelling, “Although I admit you’re amazing, by far the most outstanding member of our generation, but you don’t have to compare me with that Beguiling Demon Queen, I know I’m not her match!”

“I don’t despise you, it’s just that you’re too shrewd!  Whenever I’m around you I have to act carefully,” Yang Kai glanced at her coldly.

Qiu Yi Meng was stunned, her long lashes fluttering a few times before she suddenly wore a big smile, “So I can bring you pressure, I always thought that it was only me who felt tense around you.”

“You think too little of yourself.”

“I don’t know why, but I feel a lot better all of a sudden,” Qiu Yi Meng smiled happily, seemingly thinking that being able to make Yang Kai cautious around her was a wonderful thing.

“I won’t tell you anything else, as for tonight, just wait.” Yang Kai grinned confidently.

“You really have made arrangements,” Qiu Yi Meng muttered, “Seems I worried about you for nothing.”

Knowing that she was just saying as such to poke fun at him, Yang Kai didn’t bother responding, instead turning around to walk off again.

Before Yang Kai had realized, Huo Xing Chen had appeared from somewhere, fanning himself with a folding fan, as he followed the pair he grinned and asked, “How come I heard movement outside?”

“Your hearing is quite sharp!” Qiu Yi Meng stared at him coldly.

Huo Xing Chen just grinned back meaningfully and said, “I always like watching lively scenes, especially the scenes where enemies meet.  Tell me, who came looking for trouble with him?”

“They don’t look like they’re looking for trouble,” When the conversation shifted to business, Qiu Yi Meng’s look became serious, “Their leader’s attitude is very strange, it’s like he’s come to join you yet is unwilling to do so.  There are also a number of people with him as well as a lot of big boxes.”

“Oh shit!” Huo Xing Chen cursed loudly, his eyes staring towards Yang Kai in disbelief, “In your sorry state there’s still someone who wants to join you?  Are they blind or in love with you?”

“You shut up!” Qiu Yi Meng coldly shouted.  Huo Xing Chen seemed to be a little afraid of this Young Lady Qiu so he quickly fanned himself and kept silent.

“Watch your back, this may be some kind of trick!” Qiu Yi Meng spoke openly to Yang Kai, “I don’t want to see you lose because of a moments carelessness.”

Qiu Yi Meng had all but defied her family in order to support Yang Kai, so if he were to be eliminated because of some half baked scheme, it would only prove that she was blind.

Outside the main entrance, a sturdy young man dressed in a black gown stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest.  Behind him there were at least twenty more cultivators, four of whom had reached the Immortal Ascension realm, though the strongest was only at the Fourth Stage.

Although an Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master wasn’t weak for a first-class family, they also weren’t anything outstanding.

What was more remarkable was the set of large scarlet boxes this group of people carried with them.

It was unknown what was inside these boxes, some of them appeared light, some very heavy, some of them even giving off a faint medicinal smell.

There were four such red boxes in total, all of them lined up neatly beside the gate.

The young man who appeared to be the group’s leader had firm determined eyes as well as a tranquil expression.  All twenty of these people stood silently as they waited indifferently for Yang Kai to appear.

A short while later, Yang Kai, Huo Xing Chen, and Qiu Yi Meng emerged from the mansion together.

The young man’s eyes swept over the trio but upon seeing Huo Xing Chen and Yang Kai, his expression became slightly confused.  He couldn’t tell which one of these youths was Yang Kai.

Yang Kai was also quite confused; he had thought the one who had come was Dong Qing Han, but now, at first glance, he realized it wasn’t his cousin, but what was even more puzzling was that… he didn’t know who this person was!

It was unreasonable for someone who he didn’t know to come seeking an alliance at this moment.

Given the current state of this Inheritance War, as long someone had a little bit of sense, they would see think his hope of winning was almost zero, even his chances of lasting the first night weren’t good.

So this group of people appearing right now was somewhat intriguing.

But if they hadn’t come to join him, why would they have brought four large crates which clearly contained war material with them?

Shaking his head secretly, Yang Kai couldn’t quite understand.

Even without Qiu Yi Meng’s reminder though, how could Yang Kai act carelessly here?

Before he had the chance to speak though, Huo Xing Chen flipped opened his folding fan and waved if gently, smiling as he asked, “Which force’s disciple are you?”

As soon as he spoke, the leading youth immediately fixed his eyes on Huo Xing Chen, but seeing his playboy delinquent style, his brow couldn’t help but wrinkle, some coldness creeping into his expression as he asked, “Are you the Yang Family’s youngest Young Lord, Yang Kai?”

Huo Xing Chen’s appearance had instantly made him very disappointed, so his tone was naturally not too polite.

After hearing this man’s question, Huo Xing Chen’s face turned dark as he let out a dark laugh. “Judging by your cluelessness, you must be a bird-brained grunt that isn’t informed of anything. How about this Young Lord spare some time to give you some advice then?”

Without waiting for the other party to respond though, Huo Xing Cheng continued, “After tonight, this place will definitely change owners so listen up bird-brain. You’re free to go wherever you’d like, but you should first open your eyes and think for a moment, among the eight Yang Family Young Lords, picking this place to join is nothing less than hopeless.”

Chapter 420: This Kid Can’t Be Saved

    In front of Yang Kai’s mansion, Huo Xing Chen had taken the lead and made several rude comments.  Not only did Yang Kai’s brow wrinkle, but the young man opposite was also unhappy, coldly snorting at this so called advice.

Huo Xing Chen was unaffected by the atmosphere though, grinning as he started to say something again, but before he could speak Yang Kai had already grabbed his clothes and tossed him aside.

Tumbling through the air a few times, Huo Xing Chen face planted on the floor. After standing up, he rubbed his nose awkwardly but not daring to have any complaints, simply glaring back at his attacker bitterly.

Seeing this scene, the young man couldn’t help turning his attention to Yang Kai, the cultivators who stood behind him also whispering amongst themselves.

“I’m the one you are looking for,” Yang Kai said indifferently as he swept his gaze over the crowd.

The lead youth looked a little stunned, his eyes quickly flashing a trace of disdain and insolence, staring towards Yang Kai in a provocative manner.  Without bowing or cupping his fists, he flatly spoke, “Greetings Young Lord Kai!”

“Who are you?” Yang Kai also found this situation interesting.  No wonder Qiu Yi Meng said that this person’s attitude was strange, there was indeed a problem with how he acted.

By all accounts, it looked like he had come here to form an alliance with him; he had brought a lot of cultivators and four large crates of materials, but his expression was clearly filled with unwillingness, almost like being here was some kind of punishment for him.

On top of all that, Yang Kai simply couldn’t remember where he had met this person.

“Xiang Tian Xiao!” The young man replied curtly.

“Xiang Tian Xiao?” Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, suddenly hearing his surname and thinking of something.  A grin appearing on his face, he spoke in a dismissive tone, “Who is Xiang Chu to you?”

Xiang Chu, a Young Lord of the first-class Xiang Family, was someone Yang Kai had met at Tai Fang Mountain a few months ago; he was the next in line to inherit the Xiang Family.

At that time, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng had joined forces to oppress Yang Kai, but at the last moment two Yang Family Blood Warriors had appeared.  Yang Kai had secretly plucked two feathers from the Golden Feather Eagle and then pushed responsibility onto Nan Sheng, resulting in two of the Nan Family’s Ascension masters losing an arm as well as Nan Sheng losing two fingers.

The identities of the Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng weren’t low, so Yang Kai couldn’t kill them outright and was forced to let them go; however, he had told them before they left that within three months he expected to see their sincerity in the Central Capital.

Given this series of events, it was obvious that this Xiang Tian Xiao and Xiang Chu were related; as such, then the origins of these cultivators and materials could also be explained.

“He is my elder brother!”  Xiang Tian Xiao responded faintly.

Sure enough, Yang Kai nodded slightly and grinned at the cultivators behind Xiang Tian Xiao, “This is the sincerity of your Xiang Family?  Good, I’m very satisfied!”

However, Xiang Tian Xiao slowly shook his head and said, “You don’t have such big face yet.  The cultivators here are the sincerity of my Xiang Family, and these four boxes of material are the sincerity of the Nan Family!”

“Very well!  I don’t mind.  Although these people’s strength is a little weak, together with this material they’ll be a little useful.” Yang Kai smiled care freely.

Between these two first-class families, one had sent manpower while the other had sent resources, such an arrangement was still acceptable.  Yang Kai estimated that these two families greatly feared that their descendant’s attempt to kill a Yang Family Young Lord would cause the Yang Family to seek trouble with them, so they had choked back their tears and paid a hefty sum to resolve the issue peacefully.

Xiang Tian Xiao’s eyes overflowed with an angry light, his mouth forming into a disdainful sneer as he shot back, “Young Lord Kai’s tone is higher than the Heavens!  Whatever your grudge with my big brother is, I have no mood to ask, but if you want my Xiang Family’s help in this Inheritance War, you’ll have to prove to me you have the skills first!”

“Hahah!  You want to fight him?”  Huo Xing Chen suddenly burst into laughter, staring at Xiang Tian Xiao with a look of pity.  His eyes flashed a look of interest before slowly shaking his head, “Even if you’re the second Young Lord of the Xiang Family, I can’t say your chances of success are high, it’s really not a wise decision to play with him.”

To the side, Qiu Yi Meng also giggled and looked at Xiang Tian Xiao with a funny smile.

Both of them had exchanged blows with Yang Kai, but when Qiu Yi Meng and Yang Kai had fought, he was still only a True Element Boundary Third Stage cultivator.  At that time, he was able to fight evenly against her while still concealing part of his strength. Now that Yang Kai had reached the True Element Eighth Stage, even though Qiu Yi Meng had successfully broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary First Stage, she didn’t dare think she could defeat Yang Kai.

As for Huo Xing Chen, the night’s experience still haunted him like a nightmare.

When all was said and done, he was still a direct descendant of one of the Eight Great Families, and the sole heir at that.  Although he spent a lot of his time indulging in pleasure seeking, he had still cultivated diligently and taken countless Precious Treasures so his strength was by no means weak, on top of that he carried a number of excellent artifacts on him as well.

But even with this kind of foundation and background, he was still taken hostage by Yang Kai before he even had time to react; this alone was enough to understand Yang Kai’s tyrannical combat strength.

Huo Xing Chen didn’t believe this Second Young Lord had a chance of beating Yang Kai in a fight.

Amongst the younger generation, only the Liu Family’s genius Liu Qing Yao had any hope of fighting evenly with this freak Yang Kai, besides him there was no other who was his match.

Huo Xing Chen and Qiu Yi Meng’s expressions didn’t escape Xiang Tian Xiao observation, causing a faint curiosity in his heart.

With his eyesight, he could naturally see the strength of these two people.  Although he didn’t recognize who these two were, but having such cultivation and bearing at such a young age, they were no doubt children of the Eight Great Families, yet these two, even if they didn’t say much, from their attitude and tone had made their opinions clear.

Was this Yang Kai really that powerful?

Staring at Yang Kai carefully, Xiang Tian Xiao secretly shook his head.  He couldn’t see Yang Kai’s depths. As this Yang Family Young Lord stood there, he didn’t release the slightest bit of aura, his True Qi as calm as an ancient well, his Spiritual Essence also showed a similar degree of restraint.  Such a degree of control either indicated he was extremely powerful, or had used some kind of artifact to conceal his strength.

Xiang Tian Xiao couldn’t tell whether this was his real ability or simply an illusion, if he wanted to understand his true strength, the only way was for him to fight.

But now that things had reached this point, Xiang Tian Xiao had no way to retreat, saying to Yang Kai, “If you really just relied on those two Blood Warriors to make my brother submit, then you’ll never convince me. If you want me to help you sincerely, you’ll have to defeat me yourself.”

Huo Xing Chen couldn’t help but sigh, walking over to Qiu Yi Meng and muttering with a sad face, “This kid can’t be saved!”

Qiu Yi Meng also nodded lightly, expressing her full agreement.

Listening to them, Xiang Tian Xiao suddenly felt irritated, even the four Immortal Ascension Boundary masters behind him looked at Huo Xing Chen with unfriendly eyes, seemingly thinking he should not despise their Second Young Lord.

Yang Kai’s eyes flashed a meaningful light as he frowned slightly, “It seems that your big brother didn’t tell you everything about that incident.”

From Xiang Tian Xiao’s words, Yang Kai quickly realized some issues.

“If your big brother didn’t tell you, then so be it, but didn’t your cousin Nan Sheng at least explain what happened?”  Yang Kai grinned treacherously, revealing a lot of hidden meanings.

Qiu Yi Meng’s long eyelashes fluttered, quietly remembering some rumors she had heard before turning her gaze towards Xiang Tian Xiao, slowly revealing a sympathetic look.

Xiang Tian Xiao expression became firm, coldly snorting, “Things heard are unreliable, seeing is believing!  If you have the confidence, fight with me, if you refuse, then I’ll leave here immediately, regardless, these people and these materials will remain and the accounts between you and my Xiang Family will be considered settled.”

Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I don’t need a headless snake, I accept your challenge!”

Without this Xiang Family Second Young Lord to lead them, even if these cultivators remained they wouldn’t bring him benefit to Yang Kai.  These people, at first glance, were obviously quite loyal to Xiang Tian Xiao.

Saying so, Yang Kai casually strode a few steps forward before calmly signaling to Xiang Tian Xiao to begin.

Such a contemptuous appearance only further angered Xiang Tian Xiao; however, he swiftly took a deep breath and suppressed his surging emotions, firmly pressing down the resentment in his heart.

In an instant, Xiang Tian Xiao’s breath became calm as he seriously stared at Yang Kai.

This rapid change improved Yang Kai’s impression of Xiang Tian Xiao greatly, the greatest mistake when facing an opponent was to become emotional.  Therefore, when the cultivators faced enemies they considered strong, they would usually use words to try to stimulate each other and make their opponent take rash or impatient actions, thus increasing the chance that they would make a mistake that could be exploited.

Only by remaining calm could a cultivator exert their full strength, even possibly allowing them to display combat prowess above their usual limit .

Xiang Tian Xiao being able to instantly restrain his emotions showed that his strength and experience weren’t ordinary.

“Second Young Lord, be careful!”  The Xiang Family cultivators hurriedly stepped back, the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master calling out as he retreated.

“I know!” Xiang Tian Xiao calmly shouted.

As he spoke, his hand turned and a long blue saber suddenly appeared in his hand.

Heaven Grade artifact!

When this saber appeared, Xiang Tian Xiao’s aura immediately changed, suddenly becoming wild and unhindered, overflowing with a strong sense of self-confidence, it was as if no matter who or what stood before him, he could slice it apart.

No words were exchanged or signals given, as soon as Xiang Tian Xiao summoned his artifact, he instantly held it up towards the Heavens, a fierce wind pressure swiftly engulfing the blade as he swung it down towards Yang Kai.

“Isn’t this considered a sneak attack?” Huo Xing Chen asked.

Qiu Yi Meng was too lazy to take respond to him.  Yang Kai had already agreed to his challenge, what more needed to be said?  Xiang Tian Xiao was obviously a straightforward person, so any further conversation was unnecessary.

Moreover, his strength was not low, a True Element Boundary Ninth Stage elite!

Her eyes quickly turning, Qiu Yi Meng wants to see how Yang Kai would resist this strike.  Although she knew Yang Kai was very powerful, it had been a long time since she had fought against him, just how much Yang Kai since then was also of great interest to her.

As this storm like sword strike approached, Yang Kai simply stood in place, his expression completely indifferent, seemingly having no intention to dodge or avoid it, gently lifting a single hand and pushing it towards the falling blade.

A fierce True Qi burst forth as a large palm strike visible to the naked eye met the blade head on.

*Hong!*

A loud bang resounded as waves of energy splashed out.

The blade storm and the palm strike collided together and exploded, both perfectly offsetting one another.

Under the cover of the resulting dust cloud, Xiang Tian Xiao had at some point closed the gap between them, a wild True Qi bursting from his body as a blue radiance pulsed from his saber’s tip.  This chilling brilliance was enough the make the heart of any who saw it jump.

This blue ball of light was as large as a plate and gave of a fierce, murderous, aura filled with the power of thunder and lightning.

Channeling this elemental lightning force, Xiang Tian Xiao’s speed seemed to be boosted greatly, only leaving behind a blurry afterimage as he stepped in.

Thunder Flash Saber!

This was Xiang Tian Xiao’s absolute killing strike, it had never failed him before, under this single attack he would often be able to rout his opponents.

The Xiang Family cultivators also showed a faint smile on their faces, full of expectations.  All of them wanted to see how Yang Kai would suffer under this blow.

Chapter 421: They’re Like A Fox And A Racoon

    Xiang Tian Xiao had long honed this Xiang Family secret technique, integrating his own understanding of the power of thunder and lightning into it, obtaining the praise of many of the family’s masters.

This was his ultimate killing strike that he only used when facing the most powerful of enemies, it would often determine whether he obtained victory or was defeated.

When they saw their Second Young Lord use this move, the Xiang Family’s cultivators knew that he had truly been angered; otherwise it was impossible for him to have such strong murderous intent.

[Let’s see how you block this!]  The Xiang Family’s Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master silently sneered, thinking that after the Second Young Lord defeated Yang Kai, they would immediately leave this place and not be forced to help this Yang Family Young Lord in this Inheritance War.

After all, given how pitiful Yang Kai’s chances appeared, all of them whole heartedly wished to stay out of this mess.

As for the war material they had brought, that was the Nan Family’s compensation to Yang Kai, leaving it behind had no effect on them.

Qiu Yi Meng was also secretly shocked. She hadn’t expected this Xiang Family Second Young Lord to possess such great combat strength and to have cultivated such a powerful killing strike.  She silently estimated that against this move, no one under the Immortal Ascension Boundary would be able to resist. Even she as an Immortal Ascension Boundary First Stage felt it would be best to avoid taking this attack head on and instead look for opportunities to dodge then counterattack.

She didn’t know if Yang Kai could block this strike.  Although she had witnessed just how powerful Yang Kai was, that was a long time ago so she wasn’t sure just how much he had grown.

But when she remembered about that day a few months ago, when Yang Kai had single handedly fought an Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage master to a standstill, Qiu Yi Meng calmed down.

Even if this Xiang Tian Xiao was much stronger than an average True Element Ninth Stage cultivation, could he possibly be as strong as an established Immortal Ascension Boundary Third Stage master?

As light burst and wind howled around Xiang Tian Xiao’s saber, the glowing blue sphere at his blade’s tip suddenly burst open, forming a dense web of lightning that engulfed a ten meter radius.

Thousands of lightning bolts, like tiny spirit snakes, swam through the air, each one containing Xiang Tian Xiao’s sharp and unparalleled killing intent, forming an inescapable torrent of attacks.

Huo Xing Chen’s always aloof expression finally became slightly serious, an astonished light flashing across his eyes

However, Yang Kai still stood in place, like an ancient glacier, cold and motionless, his expression indifferent as he silently observed the numerous bolts of lightning which surrounded him.

Although Xiang Tian Xiao’s eyes remained focused, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help inadvertently curling upwards.

He had won!  Xiang Tian Xiao was completely confidant that no one below the Immortal Ascension Boundary could resist his Thunder Flash Saber.

The white light was so dazzling that those watching couldn’t open their eyes, but if they were watching, the instant Xiang Tian Xiao’s attack was about to hit its mark, they would have noticed that Yang Kai’s figure suddenly blurred, disappearing without a trace.

The next moment, from within the lightning storm, the burst of True Qi suddenly exploded outwards.

A great palm print quickly filled Xiang Tian Xiao’s vision, seemingly obscuring the entire sky, creating the illusion that no matter how he tried to block or avoid, it would inevitably smash into his chest.

With a sorrowful cry, Xiang Tian Xiao’s Thunder Flash Saber was torn apart like paper and he was subsequently hurled through the air, spitting out a cloud of blood fog in the process.

“Second Young Lord!”  The Immortal Ascension Fourth Stage master who had been expecting to see a good show, immediately noticed that the situation was not right, his expression changing drastically as he darted towards where Xiang Tian Xiao had fallen.

When the dust settled, it looked as though Yang Kai hadn’t moved at all as he still stood in his original spot. His expression was calm and indifferent as ever.

Huo Xing Chen’s brow twitched as he ground his teeth, suddenly realizing that when Yang Kai had dealt with him that night, he had obviously been holding back.

All of the Xiang Family’s cultivators were stunned, staring at the scene before them, unable to believe what their eyes had just seen.

Xiang Tian Xiao coughed up some blood as he staggered to his feet, separating himself from his family’s master who had helped him up, his brows furrowed deeply as his eyes filled with unwillingness.

Staring at Yang Kai, it was only after a long silence that the unwillingness in Xiang Tian Xiao’s eyes slowly faded, a dispirited light slowly taking its place.

He had never dreamt that within the True Element Boundary, there was someone who could beat him so easily!  He was the genius of the Xiang Family, his aptitude far superior to his elder brother Xiang Chu, the Xiang Family’s most vigorously trained disciple.  At such a young age he was just one step away from breaking through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, it was not an exaggeration to say that his future was limitless.

It had always been him crushing his enemies in battle; never once had he suffered such a devastating defeat like today.

His strongest blow, filled with killing intent, hadn’t even managed to touch his opponent’s clothes!  It was a heavy blow to his pride.

“Second Young Lord…” The strongest of the Xiang Family Immortal Ascension Boundary masters was afraid that Xiang Tian Xiao could not withstand this setback and would become disheartened, losing his way along the Martial Dao, so he quickly comforted, “In battle no one can ever be certain of the outcome, do not let this defeat fester in your heart.”

Xiang Tian Xiao gently nodded, letting out a long sigh, the lost expression on his face gradually fading as he turned his eyes towards Yang Kai, a strong fighting intent smoldering in his gaze.

Yang Kai secretly nodded as he thought to himself. [Xiang Tian Xiao certainly has some skill.  If he was given enough time to hone himself, his future achievements would certainly not be worse than any of the Eight Great Families’ successors.]

Qiu Yi Meng’s lips curled up, a happy smile adorning her pretty face while Huo Xing Chen simply shook his head and sighed. “Why is he so strong?  Just how the hell does he cultivate?”

“Qiu Yi Meng, arrange some accommodations for them and let some people from the Autumn Rain Hall carry those four boxes into the mansion.”  Yang Kai calmly ordered, turned around and walking back inside, not looking at Xiang Tian Xiao again.

But before he left, Yang Kai seemingly inadvertently glanced off towards a certain place.

In that place, two extremely powerful Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage masters stood.

One of them nearly stumbled, suspiciously muttering, “Did that Young Lord Kai notice us?”

The other master also furrowed his brow before shaking his head, “Impossible, we’ve hidden ourselves so deeply and haven’t shown any hostility, simply observing from a distance. How could he have found us?”

“Then why did he look at us?”

“Strange…” The taller of the two whispered under his breath, “Never mind him.  Patriarch’s orders were simply for us to observe Young Lord Kai’s performance tonight. If it looks like he’ll be eliminated, then we just need to bring the Young Master back.  Who made the Young Master choose such an unpromising Young Lord as an ally?”

“But objectively, this Young Lord Kai’s combat strength is incredible, I don’t think any newly promoted Immortal Ascension cultivator would be his match.”

Outside the main entrance, Qiu Yi Meng smiled lightly at the Xiang Family cultivators as she walked over.

Immediately upon learning her identity, the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master respectfully cupped his fists, “Xiang Family Xiang Fei greets Young Lady Qiu!”

At the same time though, some suspicion flashed across his eyes, the Qiu Family had already publicly declared its support for the Yang Family’s Sixth Young Lord Yang Shen, so naturally they had heard about it. Thus, why was the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady here with Yang Kai?  Moreover, Yang Kai’s attitude towards her made it seem as if she was under his command. What was even more shocking was that this world famous Young Lady actually had no complaints about his attitude, and instead just calmly obeyed his orders!

[I don’t understand, what is going on?]

Xiang Tian Xiao also stood up straight and cupped his fists.

Seeing their respectful demeanor, Qiu Yi Meng let out a small laugh and said, “No need to be so polite, all of us will be working together from now on.”

Xiang Fei nodded firmly, “Since Young Lord Kai defeated my family’s Second Young Lord in fair combat, my Xiang Family will also fulfill its promise. As long as Young Lord Kai remains undefeated in the Inheritance War, we will do our utmost to support him.”

Qiu Yi Meng nodded with satisfaction

“Just… Young Lady Qiu, why are you…” Xiang Fei couldn’t help asking.

“I’m also his ally, hehe.” Qiu Yi Meng smiled but didn’t explain any further.

Xiang Tian Xiao and Xiang Fei suddenly noticed that this Young Lord Kai who no one was optimistic about had somehow quietly made allies of two of the Eight Great Families’ Young Masters, among the eight Yang Family Young Lords this was unique.

“Let’s go in first. I’ll arrange a place for you shortly.” Qiu Yi Meng said lightly before shaking her head and smiling wryly, “I didn’t expect that when I came here I’d end up acting as a house manager…”

As the Xiang Family group walked inward, Huo Xing Chen, still waving his folding fan, came up to Xiang Tian Xiao and grabbed his shoulders intimately, “We’re brothers in difficulty now!  Let us share a drink!”

Somewhat stunned, Xiang Tian Xiao replied casually, “Good!”

“After drinking, I’ll lead you to the local brothel!”

“There’s no need for that!”

……

Hearing the sound of footsteps outside his door, Yang Kai lifted his eyes and called out, “Come in!”

When the door was pushed open, Qiu Yi Meng’s graceful figure, wrapped in a fragrant wind, walked into the room, and without any thought to courtesy poured herself a cup of tea to moisten her throat.  Following her were some Autumn Rain Hall people carrying four large boxes. After placing the boxes to one side of the room, these people quickly excused themselves.

Qiu Yi Meng stayed behind though and took a seat, elegantly smiling at Yang Kai as she asked, “When did you force the Xiang and Nan Families into such a situation?”

“About three months after I separated from you and Luo Xiao Man.”

“Tell me about it, what happened at that time?  I asked that Xiang Tian Xiao but even he wasn’t too clear, only saying that his big brother and cousin both hate you to death and that you forced two Nan Family Elders to cut off an arm, while the Nan Family’s Young Master also lost two fingers.  You really are ruthless, forcing the successor of a first-class family to suffer such an embarrassment!”

“They brought it upon themselves.” Yang Kai sneered disdainfully as he casually recounted the situation at that time.

As Qiu Yi Meng listened, her eyes sparkled, absolutely no trace of disdain or displeasure apparent on her face. Especially when she heard how he had ruthlessly humiliated the two families while they were unable to resist, her mood seemed even more pleasant.

“If that’s the case, then choking down this insult is understandable. Attempting to kill a Yang Family Young Lord is no small matter after all, especially after the death of your Fourth Brother, if they were suspected of being involved at all, the Xiang and Nan Families would be finished.”

“Tell me about the Xiang Family, especially the relationship between Xiang Tian Xiao and Xiang Chu.” Yang Kai stood up and walked over to the four boxes, checking the materials as he seemingly asked a random question.

“They’re like a fox and a Racoon!” Qiu Yi Meng spat disdainfully

Yang Kai chuckled, “Xiang Chu obviously didn’t tell his brother about what happened back then or Xiang Tian Xiao wouldn’t have rushed to challenge me today.  When one brother hides information and plots against the other, the relationship between the two is obviously not good, if I couldn’t even see that wouldn’t I just be blind?”

Chapter 422: There Are Two Old Men

    At that time, Yang Kai had told the Xiang and Nan Families that he wanted to see their sincerity delivered to the Central Capital within three months.

The Nan Family had supplying him with four boxes of materials could be considered a big bleeding; however, the Xiang Family sending a group of cultivators personally led by the Second Young Lord was somewhat incomprehensible to Yang Kai.

But after a brief exchange with Xiang Tian Xiao, he also had some faint idea of what was happening, so he decided to follow up with Qiu Yi Meng about the situation.

This young lady was not the same as him. She had lived in the Central Capital all year round and was well informed about various matters.  It was likely that she had heard some rumors about the Xiang Family’s internal situation, given her Qiu Family’s heritage and methods.

Hearing Yang Kai’s comment, Qiu Yi Meng couldn’t help laughing bitterly, the sharpness of this man’s instincts made even her somewhat distraught.

“Xiang Family’s Xiang Chu, you’ve already met. He’s a direct descendant of the Xiang Family’s official wife and also its current successor.  The Second Young Lord is reportedly the son of a concubine, so his status is not as high as his big brother in the family, but this person’s aptitude and natural talent are outstanding.  He is the greatest genius the Xiang Family has produced in several decades. You just fought with him, so you should have a fair understanding of his strength, but even just the fact that he has reached the True Element Boundary Ninth Stage at such a young age is quite rare.”

“En.” Yang Kai nodded in agreement. Amongst the younger generation of the Yang Family, there weren’t many who had reached the True Element Boundary Ninth Stages, but that was also due to them practicing outside the family where their resources were limited.

Even so, this Xiang Tian Xiao’s aptitude really wasn’t ordinary.

Among the first-class forces, there were also many geniuses; for example, Wu Cheng Yi from the Nine Star Sword Sect who he had met in that isolated world was also a True Element Boundary Eighth Stage.  If he was still alive, he likely would have already broken through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but Wu Cheng Yi was also older than Xiang Tian Xiao.

“Xiang Chu prefers to use schemes and plots, his thoughts are quite treacherous, while his brother Xiang Tian Xiao is the exact opposite: an up-front, straightforward personality.  Coupled with his excellent aptitude, he is actually quite favoured by many of the Xiang Family Elders,” Qiu Yi Meng smiled meaningfully, “And so, you should understand the issue.”

“About which one should be the heir?”  Yang Kai frowned slightly.

“En, out of all the big forces, only your Yang Family chooses its next Patriarch through a direct contest like the Inheritance War.  Of the other Central Capital’s Eight Great Families, and most of the world’s first-class forces, the heir is almost always the family’s eldest son.”  When Qiu Yi Meng mentioned this, she couldn’t help showing a slight look of frustration, but she quickly composed herself, not even pausing for a moment before continuing, “As long as this eldest son isn’t too bad, his position is generally stable, because the one who inherits the Patriarch position doesn’t need to be the strongest, but instead capable of managing the whole family.  A good example is the Lu Family’s Lu Liang who you already met; he is only an Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage master, so amongst the Lu Family’s Elders there are a number who are stronger than him, but he is still the Patriarch, firstly because of his administrative ability and secondly because he was the eldest son of the Lu Family at the time, the same is true in my Qiu Family…”

“Ahem, but as for the Xiang Family, Xiang Chu is the current heir, but the excellent performance of Xiang Tian Xiao has put some pressure on him, so I heard… en, just heard, that Xiang Chu often plays some tricks on his younger half-brother to deal with him.  Xiang Tian Xiao, on the other hand, doesn’t put up any resistance; it would seem he’s not interested in fighting for power.”

As Yang Kai listened to these words, he became more certain about his own assessment, nodding lightly, “With Xiang Chu’s personality, it is indeed possible he would do such things.”

“En, so given this situation, you can understand why Xiang Tian Xiao would appear at your door, right?” Qiu Yi Meng asked with a smile.

“En, I know.” Yang Kai said blankly.

Xiang Chu dreaded his younger brother’s ability, so when Yang Kai blackmailed him, he had sent his younger brother here to help Yang Kai participate in the Inheritance War.

First off, Yang Kai really did need help in the Inheritance War, so there was nothing wrong with sending him some manpower. Such sincerity was also more useful than the Nan Family’s four boxes of materials.

Secondly, if Xiang Tian Xiao was here with Yang Kai, as long Xiang Chu worked with another of the Yang Family Young Lords to defeat him in the Inheritance War, it would be equivalent to proving he had superior skill to his brother, thus stabilizing his position as the Xiang Family’s heir.

For Xiang Chu, this was equivalent to killing two birds with one stone.

Most likely, he also planned to cut down Xiang Tian Xiao’s followers in this Inheritance War., because this group of people were strong supporters of Xiang Tian Xiao in the family.

“Do you think he’ll be useful?” Yang Kai looked over at Qiu Yi Meng.

Yang Kai asking her so casually suddenly made Qiu Yi Meng smile and feel happy, “I think he is useful!  But it’ll be up to you to decide whether to use him or not.”

“Let’s have them stand by for now,” Yang Kai said undecidedly.  Whether this Second Young Lord sincerely wanted to help him or not, Yang Kai had always been a cautious person. It was impossible for him to trust a complete stranger simply on their word and a few rumors he had heard.

Seeing through people’s hearts took a long time, only a long road would truly test a horses’ strength.

“En,” Knowing he would say this, Qiu Yi Meng simply grinned and said. “However, I got an interesting piece of information from Xiang Tian Xiao that’s not good news for you, do you want to listen?”

“Oh, what news?”

“His big brother and the Nan Family’s Young Lord are also in War City!” Qiu Yi Meng smiled.

Yang Kai didn’t show any surprised at all, his expression still light and carefree, “Who did they choose?”

“Your Second Brother, Yang Zhao!”

“Good eyes!” Yang Kai sneered, “It looks like there’ll be lots of fun tonight.”

Qiu Yi Meng also smiled lightly, no longer showing any of her former tension. Since Yang Kai wanted her to see a good show tonight, she naturally no longer felt the need to worry about him.

“Is there anything else Young Lord Kai requires?  If not, then this humble servant will retire first!”  Qiu Yi Meng said in a teasing tone.

Yang Kai glanced at her eccentrically and snorted, “Don’t tease me, I can’t afford it.”

Seeing the twitching brow on Yang Kai’s face, Qiu Yi Meng smiled more gleefully than ever before.

“However, there really is something I’d like you to do.” Yang Kai looked straight at her and said.

“Oh?  Like what?”

“A thousand meters outside the house, there are two old men on sitting atop a banyan tree, have someone send them two pots of wine.”

Qiu Yi Meng stared blankly for a moment, “Two old men?  Who are they?”

“My guess is that they’re from the Huo Family, probably sent here to secretly protect Huo Xing Chen.”

The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady squinted her eyes as she observed Yang Kai, not understanding why he seemed so sure that there were two people there.

Also, since they were here to protect Huo Xing Chen, they would no doubt be the two masters who always accompanied the Central Capital Wolf, but those two were Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage masters!

With their cultivations, how could Yang Kai possibly have discovered them?

Suddenly feeling confused, Qiu Yi Meng didn’t think Yang Kai was just speculating.

Although Huo Zheng was angered half to death by his delinquent son, Huo Xing Chen was still the Huo Family’s only heir.  Him accompanying the ‘doomed’ Yang Kai alone, it was understandable for Huo Zheng to send those two old men to secretly protect him.

Qiu Yi Meng withdrew with a suspicious look upon her face, frowning for a moment before personally fetching two pots of wine and diligently walking out.

A thousand meters outside Yang Kai’s mansion, on the top of a banyan tree.

The dense leaves obscured the figures of the two Huo Family masters.  The two of them breathed evenly, converging their auras to the extreme while a faint halo hung over them, further concealing them, the combination of all these techniques, from an outside observers’ perspective, made them both completely fade into thin air.

Even if someone were to be standing directly under the tree, looking up at them, they wouldn’t be able to discover anything, only if one used a powerful Divine Sense to examine the tree would they notice something.

At the moment, the two old men were bored as they sat with their backs against the tree trunk in a meditative state.

Both of their invisible Divine Senses covered the entirety of Yang Kai’s compound, allowing them to perceive every gust of wind and every blade of grass.  With such formidable Divine Senses deployed, they would notice any signs of attack in an instant and be able to respond in kind.

So even though they were hidden here, they were not worried that anyone would harm to their Young Master.

The two releasing their Divine Senses so blatantly obviously couldn’t escape the notice of Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu, but since there was no malicious intent, the two Blood Warriors simply continued healing themselves, essentially keeping one eye open and one eye closed.

Suddenly, the two old men noticed a set of footsteps  coming towards them. At the beginning, the two did not care, there were tens of thousands of people living in War City, so even though the location of Yang Kai’s compound was remote, there would still be the occasional pedestrian passing by.

But as the footsteps got closer and closer, the two masters couldn’t help opening their eyes and glancing at each other slightly strangely.

These footsteps… they seemed to be coming towards the two of them.

Looking down, the two suddenly felt shocked.

What they saw the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady Qiu Yi Meng, actually at the moment acting like a common maidservant, holding a tray in her hand with two pots of old wine atop it, smiling as she elegantly stepped towards their hiding spot.

Waiting until she had reached the base of the tree, Qiu Yi Meng looked up towards the two Huo Family masters.

Seeing this, both old man felt their hearts jump, thinking that the Martial Skill they were using to conceal themselves had somehow failed, but in the blink of an eye dismissing this thought. Their Martial Skill was clearly still functioning, and Qiu Yi Meng’s eyes weren’t directly aimed at them, instead just staring in their general direction.

[She can’t see us.]

“With the weather being so dry, the two Seniors have stayed up in this tree for so long, you’re no doubt thirsty. These two pots of wine are a gift for you to moisten your throats. Please don’t reject.”

(Silavin: I would die if I drink alcohol every time I was thirsty.)

When her sweet voice reached their ears, the two Huo Family masters stared at each other in blank dismay, immediately waving their hands and dispelling their concealment skill.

With a slight ripple of light, the two old men’s figures suddenly presented themselves before Qiu Yi Meng’s eyes.

Having already been exposed, the two were too embarrassed to feign ignorance, not to mention, Qiu Yi Meng’s identity wasn’t ordinary.

Seeing these two appear, Qiu Yi Meng’s expression remained calm, but in her heart she was secretly praising Yang Kai.

The two Huo Family masters jumped down from the tree and stood in front of Qiu Yi Meng, “Greetings Young Lady Qiu, thank you for your hard work.”

As they spoke, the two of them picked up the two pots of wine.

“Please enjoy it slowly,” Qiu Yi Meng smiled and bowed before turning back.

“Young Lady Qiu, a moment please!” One of them shouted.

“Hm?” Qiu Yi Meng turned her head and looked at him curiously.

The man frowned, remaining silent for a moment before finally speaking, “May I ask Young Lady Qiu, how did you know we were here?  Did the two Yang Family Blood Warriors inform you?”

Chapter 423: I Want To Go Out

    The two Huo Family masters obviously thought it was the two Blood Warriors who had exposed their hiding place.

However, Qiu Yi Meng slowly shook his head and giggled lightly, “The two Blood Warriors are currently in meditative healing and have no time to meddle in such matters, but it was also not I who discovered Seniors. I don’t have such great skill.”

“Then…”

“Hehe, Junior will take her leave here,” Qiu Yi Meng didn’t say much, just smiling brightly as she turned around.

The Qiu Family’s Eldest Daughter was as sharp as she was charming and excelled at making others dance to her tune, although she was always suppressed in front of Yang Kai, it was quite different with all the others.

At this time, she didn’t reveal anything; leaving the two Huo Family masters with some questions would only lead to greater benefits for Yang Kai right now.

After Qiu Yi Meng left, the two old men looked at the wine pots in their hands and sighed.

They also understood who it was that had sent Qiu Yi Meng, but they simply couldn’t understand how Yang Kai had found them.

“What do we do now?” One of them muttered with a frown.

The other master’s face was also ugly, shaking his head slowly, “Haa… We’ve been duped, now that we’ve accepted these two pots of wine, tonight…”

“This Young Lord Kai is really sinister.”

This was no doubt a case of offering gifts to exploit one’s weakness.  Although it was only two pots of wine, it had been personally delivered to them by Young Lady Qiu. The so-called light courtesy, heavy affection.  Having accepted such a gift, when crisis befell Yang Kai tonight, could they still just stand by and watch?

If it was someone else who had come to deliver wine to them, even if it was Yang Kai himself, these two masters could have simply rejected, but there was no way for them to refuse Qiu Yi Meng.

“But Patriarch hasn’t let us officially participate in the Inheritance War yet, not to mention that, over the years, although many forces would dispatched Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh or Eighth Stage masters to assist, some even sending out Peak Masters, but the other Seven Great Families would never send anyone who exceeded Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage. If we were to expose ourselves and someone were to recognize us… what face would our Huo Family have left?”

“Should we send this wine back then?” One person proposed.

The other person nodded, “Good, you send it!”

“Go to hell!”

Sending this wine back, wasn’t that like slapping Young Lady Qiu’s face?  Who would do something so stupid?

“Haa…” Shaking their heads and sighing, the two masters suddenly felt that these two pots of wine were burning lumps of iron instead.

With no way out, each of them took up their wine and drank it down, but there was no mellowness in their mouths, only a strong bitter aroma accompanied by a long aftertaste of helplessness.

As time slowly passed and sunset approached, a few bright stars began emerging, shimmering like gems in the darkening sky above, painting a beautiful and tranquil picture.

Inside War City, the noise of the day gradually calmed.

Tens of thousands of eyes were all staring at the movements of the Eight Young Lords.

A potent group of Divine Senses spread out over War City.  These powerful and tyrannical Divine Sense belonged to a group of masters whose purpose was to observe the Inheritance War’s progress.

The center of War City, Seal Temple.

In this majestic palace, around an octagonal table, sat eight white-haired old men.

Each of these eight people appeared as tranquil as ancient wells as they slowly circulating their Secret Arts.  It seems like they had completely removed themselves from all distractions from the outside world, but in fact the Divine Senses of these eight people had penetrated every corner of War City.

These eight people belonged to the Central Capital’s Eight Great Families, each one a top master at the Above Immortal Ascension Boundary!

When the Yang Family Inheritance War launched, War City became the gathering place the world’s young talents, almost all of them the leaders of their respective forces’ younger generation.

So every time the Inheritance War was held, the Eight Great Families would all respectively send an Above Immortal Ascension Boundary master to War City first to oversee the progress of the Inheritance War, and secondly to protect the young geniuses who had come to participate.

Were these masters not present and a strong master from the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land snuck in, the loss to the Great Han Dynasty would be unimaginable.

These eight people were all over a hundred years old, the eldest even reaching the two hundred year mark, essentially half a neck into the grave.  For these masters, they would not involve themselves with their families’ affairs, nor would they trouble themselves with worldly matters, instead solely cultivating the Martial Dao.

Although they were here, they would not interfere in the Inheritance War, their only responsibility was to supervise the outcome, and defend War City against external threats.

Whoever won or lost was not their concern.

At their age and with their cultivation realm, their entire focus was unravelling the mysteries of the Above Immortal Ascension Boundary.

At the eight Young Lords’ respective bases, some people were eager to move, some were worried and anxious, some prepared to sit back and watch the show from a distance, while others were waited to reap the fisherman’s benefits.

The differences in strength each one possessed naturally produced different mentalities.

The sun had finally set and the night grew deeper and deeper, but the eight Young Lords still showed no signs of movement, so many people who were looking forward to spectating the various battles held their breath and waited.

Yang Kai, with his hands behind his back, stood straight as a sword before his mansion, staring up at a flag hanging at the building’s highest point.

In the Inheritance War, this flag was also a vital symbol.

There were two ways to eliminate a Young Lord from the Inheritance War.

One was to capture the person directly, so that the Young Lord lost the qualification to continue.

The second however was related to this flag.

Once someone had taken this flag, the corresponding Young Lord would also lose the qualification to participate.

Moreover, this flag had to be hung in the position directly atop the mansion’s highest point and could not be carried on one’s body.

The Yang Family had used these rules for all of its past generations, it was probably designed as a way for the Young Lords to have more than one way to win, and also to increase the level of difficulty, forcing them to display their wisdom and wits to the very limit.

The flag hanging here was a constraint imposed on these Young Lords by the Yang Family!

Someone always had to guard this flag, in case an opponent tried to steal it. If it was lost, it meant elimination.

On the one hand, there was a need to protect your own flag, and on the other hand, it was necessary to think of ways to snatch others’ flags. The Inheritance War was also a battle of wits.

Looking at the big flag fluttering out in the open, Yang Kai’s mouth curled into a smirk.

Behind Yang Kai stood the Qiu Family’s First Young Lady Qiu Yi Meng, the Central Capital Wolf Huo Xing Chen, and the Xiang Family’s Second Young Lord Xiang Tian Xiao.

As of right now, all of Yang Kai’s allies had gathered here.

“Brother Kai, are you ready to hand over your Golden Feather Eagle to me?” Huo Xing Chen smiled dismissively as he swung his folding fan, “Let me tell you now, if anyone comes here looking for a fight, I’ll be the first to surrender. Don’t expect me to help you.”

Qiu Yi Meng glanced over at him coldly, “If you keep spewing nonsense I’ll give you a dozen slaps and then throw you out.”

“Hey hey hey, you’re a woman, aren’t you?  Why must you act so violently?” Huo Xing Chen said with a depressed expression.

Xiang Tian Xiao quickly added, “My Xiang Family’s troops will cooperate with you, deploy us as you see fit.”

“Feel free to arrange yourselves,” Yang Kai glanced over at him and replied casually.

Xiang Tian Xiao frowned but didn’t say a word, instead just turning around and walking off, apparently planning to deploy the people he had brought with him.  The strength of his group wasn’t very high, although there were four who had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary, in the face of real masters, they wouldn’t last long.

The only good thing was that tonight was the first day of the Inheritance War, so the other Young Lords also shouldn’t have too much available power, so the people he had brought could still play an important role.

“Now that we’ve reached this point, isn’t it time to tell me what you plan to do?” Qiu Yi Meng asked with a smile, “Do you have some hidden allies somewhere?  When are they going to show up?”

However, Yang Kai just shook his head, “I don’t have any hidden help, what you see here now is my complete current strength.”

“Seriously?” Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful face twitched slightly.

“I’m not lying to you this time!” Yang Kai said seriously.

“How are you going to defend this place then?”  The Qiu Family’s Eldest Daughter suddenly panicked. Although the two Blood Warriors were incredibly powerful, how much strength could they display right now?  Even counting the cultivators from the Xiang Family and her own Autumn Rain Hall, it really wasn’t enough to turn any spray.

As long as any of Yang Kai’s brothers could send out two Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh or Eighth Stage masters, it would be enough for them to conquer this place.

And right now, amongst the Yang Family Young Lords, there were at least three people who could send out these kinds of masters!

“It’s too late for you to regret it now,” Yang Kai said as he stared at Qiu Yi Meng coldly.

Feeling his gaze, Qiu Yi Meng’s brow wrinkled, suddenly realizing something, letting out a light laugh as she shook her head, “No, I believe in you.”

“Hahaha, well I don’t believe in you,” Huo Xing Chen laughed raucously as he walked off. “I’m going to find some bird food, I need to get a gift for my new eagle.”

Saying so, he quickly disappeared.

When there were only two people left in front of the main entrance, Yang Kai suddenly said, “I want to go out!”

Qiu Yi Meng’s face suddenly changed colour as she hesitantly asked, “Go out?  What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?”

The Qiu Family’s First Young Lady looked at Yang Kai incredulously, her mouth slightly agape, hoping that he was just joking, but seeing Yang Kai’s calm expression, she knew he was being serious.

“Are you sure?”

“Naturally, in the Inheritance War, if you defeat an opponent you can gain a lot of benefits!  Tonight is the first day so someone will surely be eliminated. This is a golden opportunity!”

If there were no benefits to be won from defeating an opponent, none of the participating Young Lords would proactively take the offensive, after all, attacking another’s stronghold was a time and resource consuming endeavor that would draw forces away from protecting one’s own flag.

As long as you could capture a Yang Family Yong Lord, or obtain their flag, you could exchange them with the main family for a lot of supplies.

“Are you crazy?” Qiu Yi Meng looked at Yang Kai with an amazed expression, “You don’t even have enough strength to defend your base yet you want to take the initiative to attack?  Who are you planning to take with you? My Autumn Rain Hall, or the people from the Xiang Family? Or perhaps the two Blood Warriors?”

The first two groups wouldn’t have much effect even if they went with Yang Kai while the latter two leaving would be the same as leaving his flag completely undefended.

“I’m going alone!” Yang Kai frowned.

“No!” Qiu Yi Meng yelled, her full chest heaving up and down as she snapped at Yang Kai.

Yang Kai suddenly smiled and stared at her undulating peaks, decisively saying, “I wasn’t asking for your opinion, only informing you about my decision, whatever I decide to do, no one has the right to object!”

Qiu Yi Meng’s expression suddenly became bitter, grinding her teeth in anger.

After a long time, she took a deep breath and let out a sigh, “Good, since you’ve decided so, I’m too lazy to try convincing you otherwise.  If you lose tonight, it just means that I, Qiu Yi Meng, was blind to follow such a man!”

“Woman, don’t say these kinds of easily misunderstood words!”  Yang Kai sneered, “Besides, who wins or loses tonight hasn’t been decided yet!”

    In the middle of the night.

Dong Qing Han was sitting in meditative cultivation while the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards stood watch.  Although two old men appeared to simply be sitting to his left and right, their Divine Senses had actually pervaded the entire surrounding, constantly on the lookout for anyone who had ill intentions towards their Young Master.

Tonight was the first night of the Inheritance War, it was destined not to be peaceful; whether the Eight Young Lords were on the attack or defence, there would certainly be action.

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards were somewhat confused as to why Dong Qing Han didn’t seem to be worried about Yang Kai’s situation at all, but since their Young Master wasn’t willing to say any more, they didn’t bother asking.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, who had been constantly surveilling the surroundings both turned their heads towards the entrance, their expressions half shocked half horrified.

Because under the two old master’s Divine Senses’ supervision, neither of them had even realized when someone had arrived at their doorstep.

If this unknown person was an enemy…

Able to approach them so closely without being detected, would they or Dong Qing Han have any chance to survive?

With this thought in mind, the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards leaked cold sweat as they hurriedly got up and began circulating their True Qi furiously.

Sensing this disturbance, Dong Qing Han also opened his eyes and frowned, “Who is it?”

“Me!” A familiar voice called out from outside the door.

When the voice reached their ears, not only did Dong Qing Han’s expression become strange, even the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards also gawked awkwardly.

“Young Master, beware of deception!”  The Wind Guard whispered as he signaled to the Cloud Guard with his eyes, one of them retreating towards Dong Qing Han’s side, the other cautiously moving to the door and slowly opening it.

As the door opened, a blurry figure flashed and suddenly there was another man present inside the room.  The head of this man was covered in a broad hat which covered his face, only allowing the Cloud Guard who had opened the door to see a pair of bright eyes.

“Yang Kai?” Dong Qing Han raised brow and asked hesitantly.

Under the watchful eyes of the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, the man slowly lifted his hat to reveal his true face before he grinned broadly at Dong Qing Han.

Seeing his appearance, Dong Qing Han couldn’t help cursing out loud, “Fuck!  It IS you.”

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards were both old masters who had seen and weathered countless storms, but at the moment they couldn’t help wanting to pinch themselves, wondering if everything they had just saw was some kind of dream, somehow managing to hold down this uncouth impulse.

“Junior greets two Seniors,” Yang Kai politely nodded at the Wind Guard and Cloud Guard.

“Young Lord Kai is too polite,” The two men hurriedly composed themselves before replying in kind.

“You little brat!” Dong Qing Han quickly got up and shut the window tightly while signaling to the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards to stay on alert before rushing over to Yang Kai, his slightly chubby face showing a dumbfounded look, “How did you know that I was here?”

“I have a small force of henchmen who are responsible for inquiring about intelligence,” Yang Kai explained.

A small part of the Bamboo Knot Gang had been deployed here by Yang Kai a few days ago and they had now penetrated every region of War City, so it was actually quite easy for him to find where Dong Qing Han was staying.

“Fine fine, but do you know what you’re doing right now?” Dong Qing Han slowly shook his head, bringing Yang Kai over to sit down.

This was the Inheritance War, not a game of house, yet this little cousin of his hadn’t sat in his base with the rest of his allies but instead actually ran out to find him…

However, after thinking about it for a moment, Dong Qing Han became a little excited, “Do you want to take the initiative?”

“That was my plan,” Yang Kai nodded.

“Good balls!” Dong Qing Han cheered up, “I knew that you wouldn’t just sit back and watch, let’s talk about it, how many people did you bring with you?”

(Silavin: Hahahaha. Just gonna keep it. Good Balls! It’s not correct but it is something PewPew left behind. The correct translation is: “You little bastard!”)

“Just me.”

The excitement on Dong Qing Han’s face quickly stifled as his brow began to twitch, staring at Yang Kai seriously and muttering, “I’m your cousin, is there a need for you to play tricks on me?”

But Yang Kai simply shook his head in an equally serious manner, “I’m not lying to you, I’m really alone right now.”

Dong Qing Han suddenly sat up straighter, the fat on his face trembling lightly. Even the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards couldn’t hide their shock.

At this sensitive time, he had actually ran out all on his own. Was he an idiot or a fool?  Why act so recklessly and arrogant? Did he really think that he was unparalleled in this world?

But what was more, was that he actually arrived here safe and sound, obviously not having been intercepted halfway, this was no doubt the most incredible part.

Yang Kai had a small force in his hands to inquire about intelligence, so how could his brothers who were equally determined to win this Inheritance War not have deployed similar resources?

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the eight Young Lords were all constantly monitoring each other’s movements, even the slightest sign of something suspicious would immediately be reported back.

“How did you get here?” Dong Qing Han still hadn’t recovered from his initial shock, “Did the two Blood Warriors around you dare to let you go?”

“They don’t know,” Yang Kai shook his head.  When he left the house, with the exception of Qiu Yi Meng, he hadn’t said anything to anyone, otherwise there was no way he’d have so easily managed to leave.

“Then your base…” Dong Qing Han’s expression filled with worry and anxiety, without Yang Kai, the people at his compound were equal to gang without a leader.

“There are no problems there.  Enough about that, I actually came here to borrow some people,” Yang Kai waved his hand and interrupted Dong Qing Han’s unending line of questions.

“Borrow people?” Dong Qing Han asked, immediately understanding, pointing to the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, “Them?”

“Good, if I go alone, I’m afraid I won’t be able to grab any advantages.”

“But with them you can?” Dong Qing Han’s brow furrowed, even with the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, there would still only be three of them, they might be able to steal a chicken or two, but if they wanted to stir up the wind and summon the rain it was still a far fetched idea.

“Not necessarily, but there’s always a chance,” Yang Kai didn’t say too much, as even he didn’t know what his final objective would be.

The only thing he was certain of was that tonight, like at his compound, was bound to be a lively mess in a number of places.

“If you want to borrow people, then so be it,” Dong Qing Han nodded, but quickly followed up, “But I’m coming with you too.”

“You can’t, you’re strength is too low, if you come you’ll just be a burden,” Yang Kai immediately refused.

“I…” Dong Qing Han was struck speechless, a bright red blush appearing on his face.

Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and patted Dong Qing Han’s shoulder, “Cousin, I’m not looking down on you, but as you are now, I can beat you as simply as flipping my hand, it’s best if you rest early tonight.”

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, although feeling awkward, didn’t raise any objections.

“Tomorrow, when you come to my mansion, I’ll tell you more about it, I’ll be borrowing Two Seniors first,” Yang Kai said to Dong Qing Han before directly standing up.

“Then get lost!” Dong Qing Han roared bitterly, his expression rather ugly.

Yang Kai half sighed half sneered, glanced at the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, and then casually walked out the door.

“That little bastard, just how much has he grown?”

When Yang Kai and the Wind and Cloud Guards left, Dong Qing Han slowly shook his shoulders to resolve the numbness in his body.  Just now when Yang Kai had patted his shoulder, almost half of his meridians had seemingly been imprisoned, obviously when Yang Kai said beating him was as simple as flipping his hand, he was neither lying nor exaggerating.

The last time he saw him at High Heaven Pavilion he had barely managed to eek out a victory against the Bai Family’s Bai Yun Feng. How had his strength reached such a horrifying height in only a few years?

“Freak!”  Dong Qing Han muttered to himself, a look of resentment clear in his expression.

Above War City’s rooftops, three dark silhouettes rapidly flew forward, even though the city was brightly lit and there were countless Divine Senses sweeping the area, no one had noticed this trio.

Once outside the inn, the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards felt a powerful Spiritual Energy enshroud them, completely hiding their auras, making it impossible for outsiders to discover their whereabouts.

This Spiritual Energy, even when compared to their own, was a fair amount stronger.  It was basically impossible for them to run into anyone with a more potent Spiritual Energy in War City.

As a result, the two of them only needed to follow Yang Kai closely and not make a conscious effort to expose themselves.

Their expression immediately improved as the Wind and Cloud guards finally understood how Yang Kai had safely arrived at Dong Qing Han’s temporary residence.

However, neither of them knew that what was shrouding them was actually Yang Kai’s own Divine Sense, the two of them only thought he had used some kind of high-end Soul type artifact to achieve this effect, but regardless their evaluation of Yang Kai’s chances for success tonight were still bolstered greatly.

With their Young Master’s younger cousin, under the cover of this Spiritual Energy, as long they concealed themselves and didn’t launch any attacks, it was unlikely any outsiders would discover them, giving them a huge tactical advantage.

Soon after, Yang Kai, who was leading, suddenly stopped and ducked into a nearby building, swiftly followed by the Wind and Cloud guards, both of them somewhat confused, not sure why he was suddenly acting so cautious.

Just as they were about to ask though, Yang Kai gestured to them to remain silent.

A moment later, the sound of flapping clothes could be heard, followed soon after by a number of figures flying forward at high speed.

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards’ expression rapidly change, realizing that Yang Kai wasn’t acting cautious but had already noticed that a group of masters was approaching.

[Such sharp perception!]  Both of them were secretly surprised.  Although they hadn’t released their Divine Senses to the surroundings out of caution, both of them were still high level Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, yet even with their intuition they hadn’t noticed anyone approaching, so Yang Kai being able to detect them was no doubt an impressive feat.

Gazing up at the shadows flying past, Yang Kai’s mouth bent into a strange arc.

This group didn’t make any attempt to hide themselves or even conceal their identities.

The leader was his Fifth Brother Yang Kang who was accompanied by Tang Yu Xian, obviously there to protect his safety.  As for Tu Feng, he was nowhere to be seen.

Probably still back at Yang Kang base to guard his flag.

The protection of one’s flag was crucial, so it was necessary to leave at least one of the powerful Blood Warriors to guard it at all times. It was impossible for Yang Kang to leave his base undefended when he went out on the attack.

Additionally, Yang Kang was accompanied by a number of cultivators, each of them not by any means weak.  These people were also rushing towards the northeast corner of War City and should be his allies.

In that direction was also the goal of Yang Kai’s trip, the compound of his Third Brother Yang Tie!

Shortly after Yang Kang’s group left, a fluttering of shadows also flew over the roofs, following behind Yang Kang and his team as they rushed toward the northeast corner.

These people were just tagging along to watch the fun.

Tonight’s battle was being watched by tens of thousands of eyes, naturally there were some bored people who wanted to witness the scene of the Yang Family’s children fighting up close; such a wonderful drama, how could they possibly miss it?

Seeing such a large group of spectators, Yang Kai also felt a bit delighted, winking towards the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards before ascending into the sky, casually mixing in with the crowd.

Chapter 425: First Battle

    The crowd bustled, and all of them wore looks of anticipation as they, along with Yang Kang, flew towards the northeast.

Although the size of War City couldn’t match that of the Central Capital, it was still comparable to other large cities. If it weren’t, the Yang Family wouldn’t have used this place to hold the Inheritance War.

If there was no massive space to allow a full range of battlefields, the Inheritance War couldn’t fully test the Young Lords’ abilities.

Yang Kang and the group of spectators flew unhurriedly, looking quite relaxed, many of them even leisurely chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

It took about half an hour to arrive at the northeast corner of War City.

Before the base of his Third Brother Yang Tie, Yang Kang and others calmly landed and the group of onlookers quickly scurried about to find a favorable position to watch the fun from, many of them sitting down or settling in after staking claim to a spot.

Yang Kai and the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards also landed in a position not too far away, waiting for the opening curtain to rise.

“Third Brother, Fifth Brother has come!”  Yang Kang stood outside the mansion and shouted with a smile.

“Since you’ve arrived, come on in!” Yang Tie’s voice called out from inside.

Yang Kang’s grin deepened as he didn’t hesitate to lead his troops past the main gate.  Yang Tie’s voice wasn’t weak, but anyone who heard it could tell there was much hidden bitterness and despair in his tone.

During all his years gaining experience outside, he hadn’t been able to secure any decent merits for the Yang Family, so he was unable to acquire the services of a Blood Warrior.  The lack of such a powerful guard around him had also discouraged other forces from siding with him, so all he could rely on was the help of his mother’s family.

Qiu Yi Meng’s judgment was roughly correct, the Third Young Lord Yang Tie was destined to be the first brother eliminated.

Inside the courtyard, Yang Tie stood as straight as a sword, standing behind him were two strong Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters and some other cultivators who didn’t appear weak, all of them were from Yang Tie’s mother’s Duan Mu Family.

The Duan Mu Family was the only support Yang Tie had in the Inheritance War.

Whether Yang Tie could pass this night safely or not was entirely dependent on the power of the Duan Mu Family.

In contrast, Yang Kang was flanked by a powerful Blood Warrior who was proficient in Soul Skills and members of the Gao Family, one of the Eight Great Families.  Gao Rang Feng had brought two Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters with him tonight.

These two were Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters of the Eight Great Families so they couldn’t be treated as ordinary cultivators, their true strength was enough for them to beat ordinary Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage masters in the outside world.

Other that these elites, there were also five or six Immortal Ascension Boundary masters as well as dozens of True Element Boundary cultivators, which side was stronger was obvious to all.

Yang Kang only needed to send out half of the people he brought to easily suppress Yang Tie, at which point it would be easy for him to capture Yang Tie himself, or to capture his flag.  Whether it was the person or the flag, either of them could be exchanged for a great deal of material from the family.

Yang Tie stared at Yang Kang as the latter strode forward calmly with an indifferent expression.

When Yang Kang stopped a dozen meters away, the two looked at each other for a while before Yang Kang grinned and said, “Third Brother, everyone here is family, why not listen to my suggestion so we can resolve this peacefully, how about it?”

He obviously wanted to let Yang Tie take the initiative to surrender, but seeing how he had the absolute advantage, he was naturally qualified to say this.

However, Yang Tie simply shook his head slowly and firmly, “I am also a member of the Yang Family, I will only be defeated, I will never surrender. Even if you are my brother, this truth will not change!”

“Good, I knew you would say that,” Yang Kang nodded gently as the smile on his face slowly converged, “If it was me in your place, I would also do the same. Since that’s the case, then don’t blame your fifth brother for not showing mercy.”

“Do as you will!” Yang Tie’s look suddenly became cold.

Behind him, the cultivators of the Duan Mu Family also pushed their True Qi, raising their guard as they prepared for battle.

At that moment though, Tang Yu Xian, who had not left Yang Kang side the whole time, suddenly wrinkled her brow and whispered something.

Yang Kang’s brow furrowed as he glanced back and sighed, “Seventh Brother, since you’ve already come, why lurk in the shadows instead of showing yourself?”

A burst of laughter rang out and immediately a group of people appeared in the night sky, slowly falling into the courtyard as they stood abreast Yang Kang’s group.

It was the Yang Family’s Seventh Young Lord Yang Ying and his allies.

Yang Kang had the Gao Family’s Gao Rang Feng as an ally while Yang Ying has the Kang Family’s Kang Zhan as an ally, and both of them had one Blood Warrior guarding them at the moment. The strength of both sides was basically equal.

The crowds watching the excitement suddenly cheered up; three of the Yang Family’s Young Lords had now gathered here so it was clear that tonight’s show would be nothing less than dazzling, now all that was uncertain was whether Yang Kang and Yang Ying would eat the piece of fat that was Yang Tie.

“Third Brother, Fifth Brother, Little Seventh has been impolite,” Yang Ying landed, first smiled and said hello, a look of enthusiasm upon his face.

“Seventh Brother, you’re too much. If it wasn’t for Yu Xian, Old Fifth is afraid he wouldn’t have noticed the oriole stalking him from behind,” Yang Kang smiled and shook his head.

“Don’t say this Fifth Brother. In the Inheritance War, one should do everything they can to achieve victory, Little Seventh just quietly concealed himself for a moment, but I’m worried there might still be more of our brothers in this crowd.”

As he said so, both Yang Ying and Yang Kang swept their eyes around the crowd.

Yang Kai wrapped his hat around his head a little tighter, making sure his was covered, doing his best to hold back a grin while the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards also felt like their skin was being pricked.

“No one else should have come,” Yang Kang shook his head slowly, “Big Brother won’t move, as the Eldest Brother, this is his way of showing courtesy to us little brothers, whatever trouble is stirred up, he won’t mix himself into it, all his forces will only stick to defence tonight.”

As for their Eight Brother Yang Quan, although he had a Blood Warrior supporting him, his mother’s family was only a second-class force, so it couldn’t provide him with much help, couple with the fact that he didn’t attract many followers during the day, he naturally wouldn’t dare take the initiative to attack others.

That said, with even just one Blood Warrior supporting him, his mansion wouldn’t be easy to take down, so no one would have ideas about him this first night.

“As for Second Brother and Sixth Brother, they should be at tonight’s other easy target, so right now, only us three brothers should appear here.”

Hearing this last comment, Yang Kai’s brow twitched, a devious smile creeping onto his face.

Second Brother Yang Zhao and Sixth Brother Yang Shen going to another easy-to-attack place tonight. Obviously, they were talking about his own mansion.

He was only a bit curious about what was going on there.

As Yang Kang spoke, Yang Ying laughed and replied, “Fifth Brother is quite well-informed, Little Seventh admires.”

To this little bit of sarcasm, Yang Kang just shook his head and said, “Enough about this, let’s first discuss how we’re going to deal with Third Brother here.”

“Ho… what does Fifth Brother mean?”

“The person and the flag, each of us takes one, what do you think?” Yang Kang smiled and asked, obviously not putting his Third Brother Yang Tie in the eyes, seemingly seeing him as nothing more than a dish to be cared up with Yang Ying.

Yang Tie’s face cramped and the cultivators from the Duan Mu Family also showed angry expressions.

Yang Ying smiled and shook his head, calmly replying, “Fifth Brother, don’t blame Little Seventh, my appetite is quite big, I want Third Brother, as for his flag, I want that too!”

Yang Kang was stunned for a moment before suddenly sneering, “Seventh Brother’s appetite is truly big, but you’ll have to have the ability to eat this meal from the tiger’s mouth!”

Yang Ying’s smile also slowly converged, his expression becoming cold.

The two brothers glared at each other and the surroundings became silent, the air seemingly stagnating.

A storm gathered, threatening everything in its path.

*Xiu Xiu Xiu!*

More than ten not weak burst of Spiritual Energy suddenly burst forth.  Almost as if they had coordinating with each other, the Immortal Ascension Boundary masters brought by Yang Kang and Yang Ying all simultaneously unleashed their Soul Skills.

As these invisible forces collided, some people screamed and stumbled backwards a few steps while others took the chance to step forward, launching another fierce wave of attacks.

Dazzling flashes of light erupted as a variety of Martial Skills and artifacts surged into action, blinding both the combatants and their audience.

Tang Yu Xian quickly brought Yang Kang out of the ensuing whirlpool of battle while another Yang Family Blood Warrior responsible for Yang Ying’s safety did the same.

The two Yang Family direct descendants continued glaring at each other across the several hundred meter gap between them, flashes of cold light seemingly colliding mid air.

As key figures in the Inheritance War, neither Yang Kang nor Yang Ying would personally go to battle unless they had no other choice.  When they came out from their compounds, taking the bigger picture into consideration, their first priority would always be their own safety as their strength wasn’t high.

The Blood Warriors who were responsible for guarding them were forbidden from initiating any offensive actions under the rules of the Yang Family.

Their only responsibility was to counterattack, so if no one attacked them or their Young Lord, even if the situation was in crisis, they had to stand by.

The strengths of the cultivators brought by Yang Kang and Yang Ying were roughly the same, so when they engaged, the situation quickly developed into a stalemate.

As the host to this show, Yang Tie and the cultivators from the Duan Mu Family had actually degenerated into part of the audience as no one came towards them at this moment.

After staring at this scene for a while, Yang Tie coldly snorted, “If you really think that your Third Brother hasn’t made any preparations, you’re in for a surprise, ready the arrows!”

*Shua Shua Shua*, on top of the walls surrounding the front yard, a number of figures appeared, each of them holding a sleek longbow in their hands.

Each of these bows was identical, their craftsmanship exquisite, at first glance they were obviously artifacts of not low grade.

The cultivators who held these bows had at least reached the True Element Boundary Eighth Stage, one or two of them had even arrived at the Immortal Ascension Boundary.

Pushing their True Qi madly, each of these cultivators lifted their respective bow and in just a few moments, each of them turned pale, seemingly having exhausted all their strength.

When these arrows were drawn, everyone who had been targeted immediately felt danger, their expressions changing greatly.

The violent energy each of these arrows contained could even be felt by the spectating crowd who were all quite some distance away from the battle.  As for Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s allies, their foreheads began to leak cold sweat as a chill ran up their spines, it was as if a fearsome group of beasts had suddenly appeared around them and were staring at them covetously.

*Shua…*

*Shua Shua…*

Seven twangs rang out as these cultivators released their bowstrings and sent their sharp arrows flying.  Like falling stars, these arrows glowed a brilliant white light as they swiftly descended upon the entangled cultivators below.

As the arrows fell, they instantly formed an inescapable net, engulfing Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s allies.

With a resounding bang, the earth shook and the sky cracked, broken limbs and clouds of blood flew in all directions.

Everyone’s eardrums were shaken, causing all who were nearby to lose their hearing temporarily.

Yang Kang and Yang Ying both stared in shock at the explosion of energy before them.

Tang Yu Xian and another Blood Warrior quickly pushed their True Qi in response, guarding Yang Kang and Yang Ying from the complementary waves.

Silavin: Yo, for all those wondering when I will set a new goal for the Patreon, out aim is to announce it by the end of this month (but it could take a little later).

As for those that are not aware, we post a chapter for each day right now (the new goal, once set on Patreon, will help increase this).

    After a while, the raging energy gradually subsided.

In the smouldering aftermath, these mere seven arrows had nearly razed half of Yang Tie’s mansion to the ground!

There were huge potholes everywhere from which several people were crawling out, the ground was littered with broken limbs and bloody chunks of meat.

The Inheritance War was not a child’s game, naturally there would be deaths!

This cruel reality was more than proven by these battered cultivators and ruined buildings.

Everyone inside and around Yang Tie’s compound was struck silent, only a few intermittent moans of pain could be heard.

The smell of blood chocked the sense of all who witnessed this scene.

Among the spectators, many younger female cultivators averted their eyes, covering their mouths as they bent down and vomited.

Yang Tie stood amongst the destruction indifferently, no trace of emotion apparent on his face.

On the other hand, Yang Kang and Yang Ying both abruptly went pale.  Neither of them had thought their Third Brother would set up such a devastating ambushed from such a disadvantages position.

The cultivators who were lying in wait along the walls had not eluded their detection, but both the Young Lords had ignored them as they had no idea Yang Tie had acquired such powerful slaughtering artifacts.

Shattering Star Bow, although only an Earth Grade Top-Rank artifact, was capable of absorbing a cultivator’s True Qi without limit and then releasing it all at once.

Once the arrow flew, the bow would crack, but whoever was targeted would surely suffer!

All seven Shattering Star Bows broke the moment the arrow left its string, even causing a severe backlash to the cultivators who used them, each of them now seriously injured, their bodies riddled with bloody wounds.

However, Yang Tie had achieved his goal.

He really could not resist the attack of either Yang Kang or Yang Ying, but before he was defeated, he had taken a bite out of his enemies!

Failure was certain, but whoever wanted to beat him, would pay a steep price!  Yang Tie’s Shattering Star Bow assault had perfectly expressed his meaning.

Under the attack of these arrows, at least a dozen of Yang Kang and Yang Ying allies had died, two of whom were Immortal Ascension masters, while more than twenty more were heavily wounded, those with minor injuries were countless.

At the outset of the Inheritance War, such losses were not small.

How could Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s expressions be good?  Looking at the horrible situation below, both of them ground their teeth and clenched their fists in rage.

““Kill them all!””  Yang Kang and Yang Ying almost simultaneously shouted in anger.  The next moment, the brief silence was broken, and seven cultivators who had fired the arrows were instantly besieged, all of them lacking any strength to resist, their fate was inevitable!

These cultivators were all from the Duan Mu Family, and although the Duan Mu Family was a first-class force, with many strong elites and masters, they obviously couldn’t commit their whole force to the Inheritance War.

What’s more, Yang Tie obviously had no chance of winning, so although the Duan Mu Family had indeed sent a lot of manpower, all they could do was try their hardest in the face of impossible odds.  In reality, the Duan Mu Family had already prepared to sacrifice all of them.

Therefore, even though these seven people were mercilessly killed, those who were left didn’t so much as frown.

“Seventh Brother, I think it’s best if we deal with Third Brother first, what do you say?”  Yang Kang’s face was gloomy as he stared at Yang Tie, asking his Seventh Brother Yang Ying who stood nearby.

“I was thinking the same!” Yang Ying nodded gently.

“Who gets Third Brother and who gets his flag will depend on our respective skill,” Yang Kang snorted, signaling silently to his allies to begin their assault on Yang Tie’s remaining forces.

At the same time, Yang Ying also gave the order to attack.

In an instant, the vanguard of both Yang Kang and Yang Ying engaged Yang Tie and the Duan Mu Family forces.

Of the cultivators the Duan Mu Family had sent, the strongest were only two Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stages, so they obviously were immediately pressured.  Although the Shattering Star Bows had displayed great effect, that was under the conditions of an ambush, in this kind of frontal collision though, they didn’t have the slightest advantage.

The two Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters tried to guard Yang Tie as they slowly retreated.

At this time, one member from each of Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s allies separated themselves from the battle, concealed themselves, and dashed towards Yang Tie’s mansion.

In front of them was where Yang Tie’s flag was hanging.

Although Yang Tie saw this, there was nothing he could do to stop them, so he could only stand there helplessly and watch, his expression filled with unwillingness

“Get ready,” Having been silently watching the flow of events this whole time, Yang Kai suddenly called out to the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards, alerting both of them that he was about to make his move.

Turning his head and looking at the pair, Yang Kai grinned, “Although the strength of two Seniors isn’t weak, but in this kind of melee, I’m afraid neither of you will be able to create much stir.”

The Wind Guard nodded, “What Young Lord Kai said is true, among those people, there are several whose strengths are not inferior to us, a few of them are even stronger; however, whatever Young Lord Kai’s instructions are, Old Cloud and I will do our best to assist.”

“Good, follow me. After we sneak in, just play a few tricks to make the situation more chaotic, but make sure you don’t get tangled up.  Leave immediately after you finish,” Yang Kai whispered.

The Wind and Cloud Dual Guards were masters from the Dong Family and had faithfully accompanied Dong Qing Han for many years. If they were to die here, the blow to Dong Qing Han would not be small.

Yang Kai had brought them here to fish in troubled waters, but he didn’t intend for them to take unnecessary risks.

“En,” Listening to Yang Kai, the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards nodded firmly.

For them, sneaking in and stirring up trouble wasn’t too difficult, but they still had to be careful.  The ones they had to worry about the most were the Yang Family Blood Warriors, but as long as they didn’t attack Yang Kang and Yang Ying, these powerhouses couldn’t touch them.

“Also, when you go, help Yang Ying’s people attack Yang Kang’s allies, don’t bother trying to play both sides.”

If the two of them only helped one side, it would create the illusion that Yang Kang had received reinforcements, and although this ruse would be seen through quickly, it would be enough to give Yang Kai a fleeting opportunity.

If they were to help both sides, it would only end up being a thankless effort.

From the inside of Yang Tie’s mansion, two people suddenly ran out, one of them belonged to Yang Kang’s camp, the other Yang Ying’s, both of them were cultivators at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage.  One of them held a flag as he ran, a touch of excitement flashing across his eyes, while the other was rapidly pursuing him.

Apparently the former person was slightly faster and had gotten to the flag first.

Yang Kang saw this and no longer cared about the battle situation, quickly shouting, “Come here!”

The master holding the flag hurriedly rushed toward Yang Kang, as long as the flag was handed over to Yang Kang, with Tang Yu Xian guarding him, ownership of it would be as good as decided.

“In your dreams!”  Yang Ying coldly snorted, and with his guardian Blood Warrior behind him, rushed towards the man.

“Seventh Brother, why so anxious?” Yang Kang laughed as he went to intercept.

The Blood Warrior behind Yang Ying quickly turned pushed his Spiritual Energy while Tang Yu Xian’s Soul Skill also shot out!

In an instant, Yang Kang and Yang Ying had already engaged in combat while Tang Yu Xian and the other Blood Warrior also began their fight.

Amidst the chaos, Yang Kai led the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards onto the battlefield.

With so many eyes staring, naturally some had noticed their movements, but these people were simply here to watch the fun, so even if they discovered these newcomers, none of them would take the initiative to remind Yang Kang or Yang Ying, instead just feeling slightly suspicious about who these three people were.

The Yang Family’s two Young Lords and their respective Blood Warriors were all engaged in single combat. The two Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters who went to capture the flag competed with each other.  Yang Tie and his Duan Mu Family allies were fighting back with all they could to avoid him being captured.

The entire northeast corner of War City had been split into four battlefields.

The Duan Mu Family’s numbers continued decreasing at an alarming pace, leaving only four or five people still putting up a desperate resistance, even the two Immortal Ascension Boundary Seventh Stage masters had suffered multiple injuries.

Yang Kai whispered to the Wind and Cloud guards before he dashed towards the two Immortal Ascension masters who were vying for the flag.

At the same time, a massive Spiritual Energy descended upon the mansion!

This terrifying Divine Sense had suddenly engulfed Yang Tie’s entire compound, like a great mountain pressing down on everyone’s chest.

The expressions of everyone who was fighting couldn’t help suddenly changing, each of them subconsciously increasing their vigilance.

A Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master’s Spiritual Energy!

The two Blood Warriors also separated at that instant quickly arrived at Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s side, both of them on high alert as they scanned the surroundings.

As for the two Immortal Ascension masters who were competing for the flag, they felt the most pressure and almost fell to the ground, horrified at the thought that some peak masters was staring at them, and in the next instant, a black shadow has already rushed in front of them.

Both of them let out a low roar and prepared to counterattack.

But before they could launch their strikes, a series of faint purple ripples washed over them, like the waves that appeared after a stone was thrown into a clam lake.

“Soul Skill!” The two men exclaimed, but before they could react, a floral scent wafted towards their noses as a flurry of blood red petals wrapped in the cold killing intent scattered around them.

Caught off guard, both of these masters simultaneously retreated, rapidly dispelling the cold chill which had invaded their Knowledge Seas, a cold sweat dripping down their backs.  These two masters weren’t weak, and their Knowledge Seas were still quite calm even after they had ate Yang Kai’s Soul Skill, but the quick follow-up from the Thousand Blossoming Blood Begonia had still forced them off balances.

Taking advantage of this brief opening, Yang Kai had already rushed in front of the master holding the flag, revealing a big demonic grin.

When the man look up and saw Yang Kai’s face, he suddenly froze up.

After coming to his senses, the flag in his hand had already been taken by Yang Kai.

“You…”  The master couldn’t believe his eyes.  The faces of the Yang Family’s eight Young Lords who were participating in the Inheritance War were naturally known to him, but never had he imagined that the youngest of these Young Lords would suddenly appear before him here.

For a moment, he felt like he was dreaming, and was even suspicious that he had fallen into some kind of illusion.

Yang Kai didn’t give him any time to recover, pushing the Thousand Blossoming Blood Begonia to entangle him while he tossed his newly acquired flag high up into the air.

In the dark sky above, a golden light flashed, and two claws swiftly caught Yang Tie’s flag before shooting off into the distance.

The sound of flapping wings could be heard from this retreating figure.

Golden Feather Eagle !

“Fool!  What are you doing!?”  Yang Kang loudly cursed at the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage master who had just lost the flag.  In his opinion, his opponent had simply walked up and plucked the flag from him without encountering any resistance, but how could Yang Kang know what kind of shock this master was currently feeling?

“It’s… it was… no but… he… he…” The man knew that he had screwed up but in that instant he really couldn’t figure out how to explain.

On the other hand, Tang Yu Xian who stood guard beside Yang Kang wore a frown as she gazed towards the direction the Golden Feather Eagle had disappeared.  Her beautiful face took on a brilliant luster as she grinned slightly. Turning to look towards the hat covered Yang Kai, her gaze softened as she stared at him.

Silavin: there is no love here. Sorry to spoil you guys but do not expect love from Tang Yu Xian.

I’m trying to protect your heart <3

Skoll: Dammit Sil, you just made my dreams be dreams.

Silavin: Hey guys, I’m trying to make the site fast so bear with it for now. Sorry about the lag.

Chapter 427: Grab Him

    The flag which had originally been obtained by Yang Kang’s team was suddenly taken away. This made Yang Kang, who was filled of joy, unable to help feeling awkward.

Moreover, immediately after this unknown man snatched the flag, he had thrown it into the sky and it had subsequently disappeared.

But although Yang Kang let out an angry roar, he didn’t dare to act rashly.

The extremely powerful Spiritual Energy which could only belong to a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master still lingered about.

Not only did Yang Kang not dare to act, but everyone in the field didn’t dare move about hastily.

Such a master hiding nearby was an extreme deterrent to everyone. None of them knew who this person was, but they all knew that this master was not one of their own.

Because of the deterrent Divine Sense, the cultivators who were originally pressuring Yang Tie and the Duan Mu Family’s remaining masters had withdrawn a good amount of their strength.

The only exceptions were the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards; this pair of old men rushed about the battlefield, casually using their Martial Skills and launching attacks towards Yang Kang’s allies.  Although the people brought by Yang Ying felt that these two were somewhat unfamiliar, none of them gave it much thought as it had only been a day since most of them had met, allowing the Wind and Cloud guards to stroll freely upon the battlefield.

After a few rounds, the Wind and Cloud guards had already arrived in front of Yang Tie.

When he saw that the situation was deteriorating, Yang Kang couldn’t help yelling out, “What are you doing!?  Quickly capture my Third Brother!”

With the flag gone, the only prize left was Yang Tie himself, if he were to lose him too, Yang Kang would have not only failed to steal a chicken but also have lost his rice too.

Yang Kang’s shout finally shook everyone awake, all of his allies once again putting forth their best effort.

Yang Ying also roared, “Stop them!”

The cultivators on both sides once again engaged in an all out struggle.

As the Wind and Cloud Guards approached Yang Tie, amidst the chaos, they actually received a lot of assistance from Yang Ying’s allies, successfully bypassing the two Duan Mu Family masters who were stubbornly guarding Yang Tie and seizing the latter.

Yang Ying laughed happily when he saw this and called out, “Good work you two, bring him to me!”

“Yes!” The Wind Guard loudly replied.

“Hurry!”

“Catch!”

As he spoke, he threw Yang Tie out of the crowd.

But what happened next confounded Yang Ying.  The unknown man who had just snatched the flag, actually jumped into the air and caught Yang Tie before soaring away with him.

At the same time, the Wind and Cloud Dual Guards also leapt up into the air and flew away, disappearing into the night sky.

“Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, thanks!” A familiar voice drifted over from the distance.

The faces of Yang Kang and Yang Ying suddenly filled with shock and anger as they simultaneously exclaimed, “Ninth Brother!”

The spectators who heard the two brother’s cries also became amazed!

Ninth Brother!  Apparently the one who had appeared was the Yang Family’s youngest Young Lord, Yang Kai!

Earlier, Yang Kang had said that Yang Zhao and Yang Shen had taken their forces to Yang Kai’s compound to look for trouble, and given his performance earlier today, coupled with the fact that he hadn’t been able to recruit any significant help, even though his situation was better than Yang Tie’s, he was still in danger of being eliminated tonight.

At this time, shouldn’t that Yang Kai be holed up in his base?  How come he had suddenly appeared here to reap the fisherman’s benefits?

Also, he seemed to have brought two strong helpers with him.

[This person simply didn’t fear the Heavens!]

None of the crowd could understand, and even Yang Kang’s exclamation just now was filled with a thick tone of disbelief, yet all of this only further excited this audience.

It was as if this unexpected turn of events was just the good show they had wanted to see.

Only a moment later, Yang Kai had already taken Yang Tie several thousand meters away, his True Qi pushed to the limit as his figure flickered through the night sky, leaving behind only a long trail of afterimages.

“Sure enough, it really was the Little Lord!” Tang Yu Xian smiled and muttered; when she had seen the golden streak, Tang Yu Xian had already suspected it was the Golden Feather Eagle, so now after hearing Yang Kai’s voice she immediately confirmed her judgment.

“You already knew?” Yang Kang glanced at her unpleasantly.

Tang Yu Xian maintained her expression and shook her head, “It was just a guess. I wasn’t certain until now.”

Yang Kang’s expression was ugly but he didn’t say anything more, he knew that Tu Feng and Tang Yu Xian were both very respectful of Yang Kai.  For this time’s Inheritance War he had deliberately chosen these two as his guards, not only because their strength was good, but also to disturb Yang Kai.

He didn’t expect that at such a critical juncture, he would actually bring such a disgrace upon himself.

Both the flag and the person had actually been taken away by Yang Kai, while he and Yang Ying had both lost many of their troops but ended up with nothing.

The depression in his heart could easily be imagined.

“Pursue!”  Yang Kang gnashed his teeth and flew up.

Yang Ying also wore a gloomy expression and followed suit.

The two groups quickly soared away, leaving behind only the shattered ruins of Yang Tie’s mansion as well as the five injured Duan Mu Family masters.

In order to pursue Yang Kai and recapture Yang Tie who was robbed by him, both Yang Kang and Yang Ying had had no intention of dealing with these remaining Duan Mu cultivators.

The first battle of the first night had wound up with a fisherman reaping the entire harvest, this outcome had greatly exceeded the expectations of everyone present, the spectating crowds quickly followed the pursuers.

These people were also now very interested in this Ninth Young Lord, Yang Kai, who was both bold and daring. They wanted to know what kind of person the youngest Yang Family Young Lord was, and what gave him the confidence to pull off such a stunt.

In the back of their minds, this crowd actually didn’t want Yang Kai to be caught.

With such a person participating, this Inheritance War would no doubt be more interesting and exciting.

As for the bloody aftermath in Yang Tie’s compound, the five remaining Duan Mu Family masters exchanged a glance before smiling helplessly, sitting down, and tending to their injuries.

They had tried their best.

This time, the Duan Mu Family had sent out around forty people, but after this one battle, only five had survived!

The Duan Mu Family had suffered a great loss here in terms of personnel, but in terms of reputation, they had gained significantly!  Those who had witnessed this battle would have nothing but praise for the Duan Mu Family, who had loyally stood by their allies even in the face of certain defeat.

Such a family was worthy of becoming friends with.

So in the long run, the Duan Mu Family hadn’t just lost, but rather gained.

Yang Kang and Yang Ying hurriedly chased after Yang Kai with their respective allies, and at first they could still see his retreating figure, but as time passed, even his shadow disappeared.

Many Immortal Ascension Boundary masters had released their Divine Senses in an attempt to lock onto Yang Kai’s position, but as they did, it seemed like their Divine Senses sank into an endless sea, unable to play any effect at all.

It was as if Yang Kai and Yang Tie had simply vanished into thin air.

This result had made both Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s expressions grow uglier.

“The speed of your Ninth Brother is too terrifying!” Gao Rang Feng muttered, his face filled with astonishment.  Even while Yang Kai was holding another person, he had still managed to evade a large group of Immortal Ascension masters, such speed could only be described as monstrous.

“No matter how fast he is, with so many Immortal Ascension Boundary masters Divine Senses searching for him, how could he hide his whereabouts and aura?”  Kang Zhan shook his head, unable to understand how Yang Kai had accomplished this.

Yang Ying’s eyes flashed before glancing towards Tang Yu Xian and smirking, “Fifth Brother, I heard that the Blood Warrior you brought with you has a particularly powerful Soul, could it be that even with her Divine Sense she can’t find Ninth Brother’s trail?”

Listening to Yang Ying, Yang Kang also turned his eyes questioningly to Tang Yu Xian.

However, Tang Yu Xian just shook her head and said, “I tried, but I can’t find any trace of the Little Lord.”

Yang Kang frowned and quickly said, “Yu Xian, I know that you have a good relationship with Ninth Brother, but don’t forget, right now it is the Inheritance War and you are a Blood Warrior of the Yang Family’s Blood Warrior Hall!”

Tang Yu Xian obviously understood this and also understood this and replied without hesitation: “The Blood Warriors know the difference between public and private affairs, since Young Lord Kang has exchanged enough merits for my and Tu Feng’s services, before Young Lord Kang falls in this Inheritance War, both of us will fully assist you!”

After listening to Tang Yu Xian’s words , Yang Kang knew not to pursue this matter any further, correcting his expression and nodding slightly, “I didn’t mean to question your loyalty. Since even you can’t find him, Ninth Brother must have a powerful master helping him hide his whereabouts.”

“You mean… the owner of that Divine Sense?” Yang Ying suddenly remembered the horrifying Spiritual Energy which had suppressed all of them earlier.

“It should be. With such a powerful master beside him, he could easily do this,” Yang Kang brow wrinkled, muttering to himself, “Strange, where did Ninth Brother find such a powerful helper?”

In the Inheritance War, many of the world’s forces participated; among them, the Eight Great Families had never sent anyone who exceeded the Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage before.

Other first-class forces would generally not send out Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters either, such powerhouses tended to be older and of very high rank, so they would refrain from interfering in events like the Inheritance War. Additionally, other forces and families couldn’t afford to risk such masters, as they were part of their respective Sect’s foundation.

So for first-class forces, the highest level of master they would normally send would be an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, of course, this wasn’t some kind of absolute rule and as the Inheritance War dragged on and became more heated, Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters sometimes appeared on the battlefield.

As for second-class forces, they rarely had masters stronger than the Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage.

For instance, in the Blood Battle Gang, only Sect Master Hu Man was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage.  As the leader and pillar of the gang, how could he possibly get involved in such a dangerous affair? As for the Storm Hall, there wasn’t even a single Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage, Sect Master Xiao Ruo Han had only reached the Seventh Stage.

The available masters which second-class forces could send to participate in the Inheritance war were at most Immortal Ascension Boundary Sixth or Seventh Stage.

When it came to third-class forces, there were few masters who had reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary period, so the cultivators they could spare were even weaker than those sent by second-class forces.

Death in the Inheritance War wasn’t uncommon, and if these weaker forces suffered too many losses, it would lower their overall strength and quite possibly damage their foundation to the point where they might not be able to recover.

Because of this, no matter which forces were involved in the Inheritance War, the amount of manpower they would send out would only be as much as they could afford to lose.

As for Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, none of the Yang Family Young Lords had managed to attract one yet.

If Yang Kai really had such a boost with him, even pursuing him was a big risk for Yang Kang and Yang Ying, how could they have time to worry about grabbing benefits from him?

“It seems Ninth Brother has won big this time!” Yang Ying shook his head and grinned helplessly.

The flag was robbed by him and now even Yang Tie had fallen into his hands.  One person and one flag could be exchanged for many useful things from the main family.  Artifacts, Martial Skills, Secret Arts, pills, spirit herbs, refining materials, all of these things could be used to enhance his own strength, as well as the strength of his allies.

“Only if he can survive tonight,” Yang Kang coldly snorted.  Right now, shouldn’t his home base be under siege? Instead of consolidating his mansion’s defence, Yang Kai had actually ran out and launched an attack.  Although he had managed to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth, such a risk was definitely not worth it in Yang Kang’s opinion.

Chapter 428: He’s Not Home

    Unable to catch Yang Kai, even unable to find traces of him, and possibly being stared at by a mysterious Peak Immortal Ascension master, both Yang Kang and Yang Ying felt incredibly depressed.

After a long silence, Kang Zhan of the Kang Family suddenly smiled and said, “Two Young Lords, why don’t we pay a visit to your Ninth Brother’s base?”

Yang Kang and Yang Ying looked over at Kang Zhan for a moment before their eyes immediately brightened.

[Right, Yang Kai ran out and brought along two strong allies, as well as that mysterious Peak Immortal Ascension Master. The defense at his base must be all but empty!]

Moreover, Yang Zhao and Yang Shen also went there. If they were to go as well, the four of them together would be enough to absolutely crush Yang Kai.

Exchanging an intentionally indifferent glance, both brothers knew that the other had taken note of this hidden opportunity.

However, Gao Rang Feng shook his head and objected, “No, I think that the two Young Lords should rush back to their own compounds now. With a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary master as his ally, your Ninth Brother could easily pose a threat to your respective flags.”

Immediately, Yang Kang and Yang Ying’s expression changed dramatically!

They had been so focused on the opportunity to beat others that they had completely forgotten about their own situation.  This time, in order to eat the first piece of fat, both of them had brought a lot of their allies, so besides leaving a Blood Warrior in their bases to guard their flags, there was essentially no other powerful masters left on defence.

At this time, if Yang Kai were to attack their mansions, they might very well be eliminated.

Realizing this point, the two brothers quickly discarded the idea of attacking Yang Kai’s compound and instead led their forces back to their bases.

……

Outside War City, Yang Kai put Yang Tie down, not imprisoning his meridians or True Qi at all, just removing his hat and smiling, “Third Brother!”

“Ninth Brother’s methods are impressive!” Yang Tie said, his face filled with admiration.

Yang Kai simply shook his head, “I just took advantage of an opportunity.”

No one would have thought that tonight Yang Kai would dare run out to look for trouble, so Yang Kang and Yang Ying didn’t take any precautions when they began fighting each other, if not for this lack of vigilance, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to capture Yang Yie’s flag so easily.

As long as they were even a bit concerned with their surroundings, Yang Kai wouldn’t have succeeded this time.

“No matter what, Third Brother has fallen into your hands, that much is Ninth Brother’s credit.”  Yang Tie looked at Yang Kai flatly and said, “Seeing how I would have been captured by one of them anyways, Third Brother would rather be caught by you, at least you didn’t take the initiative to attack me.”

“Third Brother is too serious,” Yang Kai noticed the coldness in his tone and naturally understood that he was somewhat depressed being the first one eliminated, but he didn’t mind, just waving his hand casually, “You should head back to the Central Capital on your own, there’s nothing more for you to do here.”

Hearing this, Yang Tie’s eyes narrowed as he frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Just what I said, I already have your flag anyways.”  After that, Yang Kai didn’t wait for Yang Tie to say anything, instead leaping up and flying back towards War City.

Standing there awkwardly for a long time, Yang Tie’s tight expression gradually relaxed, gazing off in the direction Yang Kai had flown, a hint of gratitude apparent on his face.

Yang Kai not taking him to the family to exchange for war material was his way of saving him some face.

Over the past few years, Yang Tie hadn’t gained much, and had not achieved anything earth-shattering. In blunt terms, his performance had always been mediocre, but regardless of all that, he was still a child of the Yang Family and his pride was something ingrained deep into his bones. If it were not for this, knowing he would be eliminated tonight, he would have simply taken the initiative to surrender from the beginning.

If he was really brought back to the family by Yang Kai, in the future he wouldn’t have been able to hold his head up again.

Taking a deep breath and gazing up at the cluster of gem-like stars in the night sky, Yang Tie smiled lightly before turning towards the Central Capital.

The following battles here really had nothing to do with him.

The Yang Family Young Lords who were defeated in the Inheritance War were forbidden from participating any more, but their remaining allies would have the opportunity to choose a new Young Lord to support.

Yang Kai soared through the sky like a meteor, using his powerful Divine Sense to isolate his aura as he rushed towards his mansion.

Letting Yang Tie go wasn’t out of a sense of brotherhood.  Yang Kai’s feelings for his cousins were quite weak, but Yang Tie’s determination to fight to the end tonight had earned his respect.

There was no need to humiliate such a person.

War City, northwest corner, Yang Kai’s mansion.

Half an hour earlier.

Almost at the same time as the turmoil at Yang Tie’s compound, Yang Kai’s mansion has also been lively.

The information obtained by Yang Kang was not wrong.  Tonight, out of the Eight Young Lord’s, with the exception of the Eldest Brother Yang Wei who because of his status would not take any action, only the Eighth Brother Yang Quan didn’t move.

The Second Young Lord Yang Zhao and his ally Ye Xin Rou had led a lot of masters to Yang Kai base.

But before these people could begin, the Sixth Brother Yang Shen and Qiu Zi Ruo also arrived.  The two sides both stood firmly mid-air outside the entrance and exchanged greetings calmly.

Tonight, both of them had come to attack Yang Kai, so they didn’t want to deal with other enemies if possible, this was very clear to everyone here.

In front of the mansion, in the middle of the courtyard, Huo Xing Chen sat atop a comfortable chair casually fanning himself, two beautiful maids stood beside him occasionally pouring him wine and feeding him grapes, his expression couldn’t be more relaxed.

The arrival of Yang Zhao and Yang Shen didn’t seem to disturb his revelry in the slightest.

Beside Yang Zhao, Ye Xin Rou stood quietly, with her jade white skin and graceful demeanor, along with her enchanting smile and the obvious curves of her body, she exuded a kind of soft, indescribable temptation.  The Ye Family’s First Young Lady, although not as famous as Qiu Yi Meng, was still a prestigious figure amongst the younger generation.

Behind Yang Zhao, the Xiang Family’s Xiang Chu and Nan Family’s Nan Sheng gazed maliciously at the mansion below, their eyes filled with vicious light.

Especially Nan Sheng. Rubbing his two missing fingers, flashes of ruthless and sinister intent kept appearing on his face.

Yang Kai forcing him to cut off these two fingers had forged a hatred that could not be dispelled. Over the past few months, he had constantly been thinking about revenge.

Yang Zhao’s allies were powerful and numerous, but Yang Shen’s side didn’t appear any weaker.

With the help of Qiu Zi Ruo, Yang Shen had also gathered a lot of help, and he wouldn’t have trouble resisting Yang Zhao in the short run

On the other hand, in front of Yang Kai’s mansion, aside from the Central Capital Wolf who was enjoying his drink, Qiu Yi Meng and Xiang Tian Xiao also appeared, but aside from these three youths, only Qu Gao Yi was present, standing tall like a tower in front of the main entrance.

Ying Jiu was nowhere to be seen.

However, everyone knew that this stealthy Blood Warrior must be lurking in the shadows, just waiting to launch a decisive strike.

Across the short distance between them, Qiu Yi Meng and Qiu Zi Ruo’s eyes met, the former smiling slightly, her face filled with confidence, the latter’s gaze shrinking back involuntarily for a moment before quickly staring back, seemingly not wanting to show any weakness in front of this Elder Sister of his.

At the same time, Xiang Chu and Xiang Tian Xiao were faced each other. The former was solemn while the latter was cold. Their direct stares caused all outsiders to feel the tense aura emitted by the two.

“Sixth Brother, about Brother Kai here, what do you want to do?”  Yang Zhao suddenly asked with a smile.

Yang Shen also smiled back and replied, “If Second Brother eats meat, then little brother should be able to drink some soup, right?  Surely Second Brother doesn’t want to dine all alone?”

“Of course of course,” Yang Zhao slowly shook his head and appeared to ponder for a while before saying, “In that case, Second Brother wants Brother Kai, while Sixth Brother can take his flag, an even split.”

“En, Second Brother is too kind,” Yang Shen grinned meaningfully, apparently quite content with Yang Zhao’s suggestion.  Glancing over at Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng intentionally or unintentionally, he couldn’t help snorting disdainfully, his eyes filling with disdain.

Word of Yang Kai and their grudges had also spread to his ear.

It was not difficult to explain why Yang Zhao chose the person over the flag.  The Xiang and Nan Family people joining Yang Zhao’s camp had increased his available strength greatly so naturally he had to show some good will to his allies.

Capturing Yang Kai would make him lose a lot of face, in this way, Xiang Chu and Nan Sheng should be satisfied and would only be more loyal to Yang Zhao in the future.

“Hey, you two, aren’t you tired standing around talking up there?  Why not come down first?” Huo Xing Chen suddenly loudly shouted.

Yang Zhao shook his head and grinned, “No need Brother Huo, I should speak with Brother Kai first, I don’t want to embarrass him too much.”

“Yang Kai?” Huo Xing Chen sneered, “He doesn’t seem to be home right now.”

“Not home?”  Yang Zhao frowned, apparently thinking that Huo Xing Chen was messing with him, “Where has he gone if he’s not home at this time?”

“Wherever he went, I have no idea, heh,” Huo Xing Chen snickered, opening his folding fan and reclining into his chair, “In any case, he’s not home, if you don’t believe, ask Qiu Yi Meng, she should know where Yang Kai went.”

Yang Zhao glanced over at Qiu Yi Meng, but the latter just smiled and brushed the hair next to her ear back, softly saying, “If I told you he wasn’t here, would Young Lord Zhao believe me?”

Seeing her speak so ambiguously, Yang Zhao couldn’t help frowning, subconsciously feeling like Yang Kai was playing some kind of trick.

But soon, Yang Zhao’s expression became firm as he replied, “I don’t believe it.”

How could Yang Kai have left his base at such a sensitive time tonight?  He must be hiding somewhere not daring to show up.

“In that case, the two Young Lords can try searching here, perhaps you’ll be able to find him,” Qiu Yi Meng elegantly smiled while silently cursing to herself.

Yang Kai did tell her he was going out before he left, but it wasn’t like she approved or agreed at that moment.  In reality, she really didn’t know where he had gone or what he was doing.

“No need,” Yang Zhao showed a look of impatience on his face and shouted, “Brother Kai, come out by yourself and Second Brother promises he won’t embarrass you!”

After shouting so two times however, there was no sign of Yang Kai appearing.

Seeing this, Nan Sheng sneered, “Second Young Lord, it looks like your brother doesn’t want to give you face at all.  In this case, I don’t think there’s a need to speaking any more nonsense with him, as long as you directly attack, he certainly won’t be able to resist!”

His eagerness to beat Yang Kai was obvious to everyone, all of them aware that Nan Sheng didn’t really care about Yang Zhao’s face but simply wanted to seek revenge for his past suffering.

“How we brothers handle business doesn’t your concern!” Yang Zhao snorted.

Nan Sheng’s expression cramped as he grit his teeth, but eventually he didn’t dare to say anything more.

Seeing Nan Sheng’s failed attempt, Xiang Chu not only didn’t draw back but instead smiled and spoke, “Second Young Lord, I also think that a direct attack is the best choice, the defensive power here isn’t strong and with the help of Sixth Young Lord, why shouldn’t we act a little boldly?  You’ve already acted polite, but the opposite party simply acts ungratefully, as such… heh…”

Chapter 429: Flickering Shadow Strike, the Assassin in the Darkness

    Xiang Chu saw through what Yang Zhao was thinking in a single glance. Although he was rebuking Nan Sheng, he apparently agreed with his point of view; however, he had to give such a response in order to maintain his image.

At this time, someone needed to add fuel to the fire so that outsiders would believe Yang Zhao was being persuaded by his allies’ opinions.  This way, in the future, others wouldn’t accuse him of bullying his younger brother.

This was why Xiang Chu dared to continue discussing this subject.

[This Young Lord is a snake too!]  Xiang Chu being one himself, he could naturally understand the thoughts of Yang Zhao.

Sure enough, Yang Zhao wore a difficult expression for a time, appearing to hesitate over his decision for a while before slowly nodding, “Good, what brother Xiang says is true. As an Older Brother, I have done my best to convince Ninth Brother, but since Ninth Brother refuses to give me face, then there is nothing left to discuss.”

Looking over at Yang Shen, Yang Zhao smiled and said, “Since Ninth Brother doesn’t want to show up, Sixth Brother can go retrieve his flag.”

Yang Shen who was smiling and preparing to watch the good show, upon hearing Yang Zhao’s words couldn’t help cursing under his breath.

He immediately realized that he had walked into his Second Brother’s trap without the slightest resistance, but it was already too late to regret.

Yang Zhao had reached an agreement with him that he may take Yang Kai’s flag, all those present were witness to this.

Now that Yang Kai didn’t appear though, only the flag could be taken.  Naturally, grabbing it would be Yang Shen’s responsibility.

Perceiving Yang Zhao’s intention, the smile on Yang Shen’s face slowly converged and his expression becomes dignified.

Yang Zhao continued to smile though, simply saying, “Feel free to take it, Second Brother promises not to interfere.”

Pledging so in front of so many people had shown enough of Yang Zhao’s sincerity so although Yang Shen still frowned for a moment, he eventually nodded, “Good, many thanks Second Brother.”

Turning his gaze back to the cultivators he had brought, Yang Zhen pointed signaled to an Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master and said, “You, go retrieve the flag.”

This person was a helper sent by Yang Shen’s mother’s family which was also a first-class force.  His strength was neither weak nor strong, so seeing Yang Shen pick him, he suddenly wore a bitter expression, unconsciously glancing towards the towering Qu Gao Yi in front of the mansion.

The mere presence of a Blood Warrior was enough of a deterrent!

“What are you afraid of?”  Yang Shen snorted, “The two Blood Warriors serving Ninth Brother are both heavily injured, unable to display even thirty percent of their full strength.  On top of that, they are also restricted by the Yang Family’s rules and are unable to take the initiative to attack, as long as you don’t provoke him, he won’t attack you.”

“So they won’t care even if I take the flag?”  The Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master’s suddenly face lit up. If this was the case, then there was nothing for him to worry about.

“Obviously that’s impossible,” Yang Zhao shook his head and interjected, “They are only responsible for passively counterattacking, but if you go to grab the flag, they will naturally try to block you; however, as long as you’re fast enough, you can capture the flag and escape.  In their current condition, they won’t be able to stop you.”

“What are you waiting for?” Yang Shen shouted impatiently.

The Immortal Ascension Boundary Fourth Stage master felt helpless, but still walked out from the crowd, gazing vigilantly towards Qu Gao Yi while simultaneously releasing his Divine Sense to the limit, trying to find where Ying Jiu was hiding.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t discover any trace of Ying Jiu, this Blood Warrior renowned for his stealth was as good as invisible.

Huo Xing Chen continued waving his fan while Qiu Yi Meng’s pretty face also wore the same light smile she had from the beginning, her pair of beautiful eyes casually glancing at the person coming towards them, a clear gloating light apparent in her gaze.

Being stared at by her, this man couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous.

Slowly advancing, this person condensed his strength to the limit, guarding himself as best he could as he bypassed Huo Xing Chen and Qiu Yi Meng, finally arriving before Qu Gao Yi, his forehead dripping with cold sweat.

“Hmph!”  Qu Gao Yi suddenly snorted, greatly frightening the man, almost causing him strike back unconsciously.

If he had really attacked though, Qu Gao Yi could have fought back on the spot.

“Ha ha ha ha!” Huo Xing Chen saw this scene and couldn’t help laughing raucously, Qiu Yi Meng also let out a light giggle.

This person acting so shamefully had definitely affected Yang Shen’s prestige.

Now a bright shade of red, the man’s face couldn’t be more embarrassed, clenching his fists before charging forward recklessly into the hall, seemingly wanting to dispel his previous cowardly display.

Smoothly entering the empty hall, he unexpectedly didn’t encounter any obstacles.

After disappearing into the hall for only a moment, the man rushed out once again, a big smile on his face, the flag in hand.

“Sixth Young Lord, I…”

But before he could finish what he was saying, there was a faint ripple in the shadows and then… silence.

The man who was holding the flag still stood at the door, half of his body already outside, but forever unable to take that last step.

The faces of Yang Zhao and Yang Shen suddenly changed, and all the cultivators behind them also paled.

“He’s dead!”  The Blood Warrior beside Yang Zhao quickly said, his eyes focusing on the doorway, “It’s Ying Jiu’s Flickering Shadow Strike!”

“Fast!” Yang Zhao muttered involuntarily, quietly whispering, “Did you see where Ying Jiu was hiding just now?”

“No,” the Blood Warrior slowly shook his head, “Ying Jiu specializes in concealment and assassination, no one in the Blood Warrior Hall can surpass him. It’s extremely difficult for even the Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master to seek out his location, there’s almost no point in my trying to look for him.”

After a short pause, this Blood Warrior shook his head and said, “What’s curious is that Ying Jiu shouldn’t have recovered from his injuries; so how could he execute his technique?”

“Could he have managed to recover from his wounds?” Yang Shen asked gruffly, suddenly seeing one of his allies die had put him in a bad mood.

“Impossible,” Yang Shen’s Blood Warrior interjected, also shaking his head, “Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu both sustained serious injuries, and when we saw them earlier today, their Blood Force and True Qi were both unsteady. It’s not possible for them to restore themselves after less than one day.”

“Mad Tyrant Blood Skill!” Yang Zhao confidently inferred.

The two Blood Warriors who spoke before silently nodded, a trace of grief on their faces.

Ying Jiu activating his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill in his condition was no different from burning through the rest of his life force. After tonight, there would be no more Ying Jiu in this world.

The Blood Warriors were both saddened; although they wouldn’t show anything on their faces, but each of them was as close to each other as blood brothers, any of them would gladly give their own life if it meant saving their fellow Blood Warriors.

“How long can he sustain his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill?” Yang Zhao asked.

Even though he was not willing to answer, the Blood Warrior beside him still resolutely responded, “About half an hour, after that his vitality will be overdrawn.”

“Then we wait!  After half and hour we’ll try again!” Yang Zhao declared firmly.

Immediately after these words, the front entrance of Yang Kai’s compound entered a slightly tense yet tranquil reprieve, only Huo Xing Chen was able to relax as he sat back in his chair, drinking and having fun while humming an unknown tune, his dandy appearance drawing looks of anger from all around.

As time slowly passed, the long silence was difficult to endure.

After half an hour, Yang Zhao nodded, “It’s time.”

Yang Shen’s eyes flashed a decisive light as he ordered, “Brother Qiu, this time, let two of your Qiu Family masters go, I don’t believe that I can’t win Brother Kai’s flag this time!”

Qiu Zi Ruo heard this and smiled, “Good, we’ll follow Sixth Young Lord’s plan.”

Saying so, Qiu Zi Ruo nodded towards two Immortal Ascension Fifth Stages masters from the Qiu Family, the two men stepping forward a moment later.

As they were about to enter the yard though, Qiu Yi Meng suddenly said, “Little Brother, if I were you, I wouldn’t treat the lives of both of them so lightly, your decision is far too reckless.”

Qiu Zi Ruo frowned for a moment before sneering, “Elder Sister, don’t try to deceive me. Yang Kai is destined to be eliminated tonight.  You have always been excellent at reading people, but this time you’ve really made a mistake. With so many of us here compared to so few of you, what hope do you have of resisting?”

“Stubborn fool!” Qiu Yi Meng shook her head in disappointment, no longer trying to convince her younger brother.

Yang Shen waited for the sibling’s to finish their conversation before waving his arm, “All of you go up, half of you entangle Qu Gao Yi, the other half seize that flag for me!”

*Shua Shua Shua* With a fluttering sound, more than a dozen people flew down from the sky, half of them Immortal Ascension Boundary masters, the strongest of which had reached the Eighth Stage, while the rest were not weak.

Among this dozen or so people, the Eighth Stage master along with five other strong Immortal Ascension cultivators moved to encircle Qu Gao Yi.

None of them attacked though, instead simply surrounding him.

Even though they knew that this man had suffered a heavy blow, these first-class force cultivators still didn’t dare take the initiative to attack a Blood Warrior.

Qu Gao Yi on the other hand stood tall like the ancient mountain, unmoved by wind and storm, just glancing around at these people indifferently.

Everyone else rushed towards the mansion’s entrance, each of them racing towards the fresh corpse who still held Yang Kai’s flag.

Clear excitement could be seen on these people’s faces, as if they had already seized victory.

Ying Jiu shouldn’t be able to attack any longer, which meant that whoever got to the flag first would be the one to obtain it.  This in itself was a great achievement for Yang Shen, so how could there not be some kind of reward?

Eight cultivators all ran frantically, each of them reaching out for the flag.

But at that moment.

The faint ripple which had appeared earlier resurfaced from the shadows and a thin figure suddenly flickered before them.  This man held two daggers in his hands and almost seemed to be one with the darkness. Instantly, the excitement on the faces of these eight people transformed into horror.

This thin figure blurred once again, splitting into a dozen phantoms, each one still exuding a cold dark pressure akin to a sharp drawn blade.

Flickering Shadow Strike!

A short burst of exclamations, screams, and blood splashed out.

These eight cultivators who were completely focused on trying to snatch the flag were utterly unable to withstand the silent assassination of this Immortal Ascension Boundary Eighth Stage Blood Warrior.  In the twinkling of an eye, three people had already collapsed to the ground.

The remaining five cultivators responded instantly, halting their advance and retreating as swiftly as possible, but none of them could avoid being injured in the process.

A moment later, the scene fell silence again as the dust settled.

Ying Jiu stood there alone, holding his pair of daggers, just like a ghost in the darkness.  Drifting back towards the mansion’s entrance, he reached out and plucked the flag from the battle’s first casualty before tossing it back into the hall.

After accomplishing all this with ease, his figure slowly blurred once more, disappearing into thin air, leaving no trace behind that he was ever there other than a few scattered corpses.

“He hasn’t used his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill!” Yang Zhao muttered under his breath.

The characteristics of a Blood Warrior after using their Mad Tyrant Blood Skill were obvious, but Ying Jiu showed no such signs at all.

“Second Brother!”  Yang Shen roared. He had mistakenly believed Yang Zhao, which had in turn led to the injury and deaths of several of his allies. Obviously he would be angry.

Yang Zhao glanced at him coldly and frowned. “It was Second Brother’s mistake in judgement.”

“Then my losses…” Yang Shen started but hesitated, understanding that it was unrealistic to expect Yang Zhao to compensate him for his losses. He was only able to blame himself for not acting prudently enough.

Chapter 430: You Go Too!

    In front of the mansion’s entrance, Ying Jiu had appeared like a ghost, killed three people, and then faded back into the shadows.  This brief series of events cause Yang Shen’s allies to not dare intrude rashly again, each of them glancing around at one another, their gloomy expression speaking louder than any words could.

Yang Shen’s face was also sullen, his stomach full of grievances, but still he didn’t issue any further orders.

Yang Zhao frowned as well, a million questions flashing across his mind.

Ying Jiu hadn’t used his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill, but the strength he displayed was still so fierce. If he was still injured as he was earlier today, this should definitely not be the case.  Yang Zhao had gathered intelligence before coming here and knew that although both Ying Jiu and Qu Gao Yi were the elites of the Blood Warrior Hall, they were so heavily wounded right now that any Immortal Ascension Boundary Sixth Stage master should have easily been able to beat them.

Did he really recover from his wounds already?

Or did he have some special method to suppress his injury?

In his confusion, Yang Zhao continued to speculate about various possibilities.

As for Qu Gao Yi, he hadn’t said a word from the beginning, nor had he moved at all, the biggest motion he had made was the simply glancing of his eyes. If not for him still breathing, this Blood Warrior could have been mistaken as dead.

After being surrounded by five people, his expression hadn’t changed at all, still remaining completely indifferent.

Yang Zhao suddenly felt a headache.

Although the strength he and Yang Shen had brought wasn’t weak, if they wanted to snatch the flag under the eyes of two Blood Warriors, they would need to take some big risks.

The biggest question now was just how much strength these two Blood Warriors could display.

If all of this was simply an act to deceive them, then Yang Zhao had confidence in letting Yang Kai retire tonight, but if not…

After a long silence, Yang Zhao coldly snorted and said, “Sixth Brother, it looks like you can’t eat the flag alone.”

Yang Shen’s face remained cold and aloof.

“In this case, Second Brother will lend you a hand,” Yang Zhao stared down below and said unhurriedly.

Tonight was a rare opportunity, and Yang Zhao didn’t want to miss it. Even knowing that this decision wasn’t the safest course of action, his instincts were telling him that this was the right decision.

“If Second Brother helps me, then the flag will belong to…” Yang Shen had just suffered a loss, so he acted much more prudently, making sure to ask this question before agreeing.

“We can discuss that later.”  Would Yang Zhao be willing to make a losing investment?  Now that it wasn’t clear where Yang Kai was, if he agreed to relinquish the flag as well, he might not gain anything for his efforts tonight.

Yang Shen’s brow wrinkled but he didn’t quarrel with Yang Zhao about him going back on their agreement, eventually just nodding in agreement, “Good.”

With four of the masters amongst his allies being killed already, Yang Shen was anxious to achieve a win in order to salvage the situation.

“Then, let’s go!” Yang Zhao chuckled and waved his hand.

Two Immortal Ascension Boundary Fifth Stage masters behind Ye Xin Rou as well as masters from the Xiang and Nan Families stepped forward.  Yang Shen also signaled to the people he had brought, silently telling them to prepare.

At this moment, the two brothers had joined forces, and more than a dozen Immortal Ascension masters flew down towards the mansion’s front yard along with a large group of True Element Boundary cultivators.

“Heh heh, let me make it clear first, you all can play, but don’t get me involved, this young master is just here to watch the fun,” Huo Xing Chen chuckled and took the initiative to step back.

Qiu Yi Meng sneered at his words and sent swift kick to his ass, causing him to stumble forward while Xiang Tian Xiao also stepped up.

The people from the Autumn Rain Hall and the ones brought by Xiang Tian Xiao also suddenly appeared, immediately filling out the defence line; unfortunately, although there were a lot of them, their strength wasn’t high.

The masters brought by Yang Zhao and Yang Shen obviously weren’t afraid of these newcomers, not even slowing their pace as they approached the mansion’s entrance.

Qu Gao Yi, who had stood still as a mountain this whole time, suddenly roared, a violent wave of True Qi bursting from his body causing a heavy pressure to be felt by everyone in the yard.  Calling out in a thunderous voice, he firmly declared, “If you want to enter the mansion, you’ll have to pass me first!”

Full of vigor, Qu Gao Yi showed no signs of injury at all.

Yang Zhao and Yang Shen’s people who had been focusing on the shadows where Ying Jiu was lurking suddenly froze, listening to Qu Gao Yi, they fell into a dilemma, not knowing which option was worse, many of them eventually deciding to advance towards Qu Gao Yi.

Seeing this, the tall Blood Warrior showed a fierce grin.

The Blood Warriors were only responsible for passively counter attacking because of the family rules. If they didn’t attack him, he couldn’t take the initiative himself, but now that others had shown aggression, Qu Gao Yi could display his strength without hesitation.

His figure suddenly turning into an azure flash, the next moment Qu Gao Yi appeared in the middle of a large group of enemies.

Known as the most explosive member of the Blood Warrior Hall, Qu Gao Yi was most proficient at short bursts of intense strength!

He could completely burn through his True Qi and Spiritual Energy in a single incense stick worth of time.  During this period, amongst the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he was basically invincible.

A pulse of Spiritual Energy so thick it was nearly visible to the naked eye bursts forth from Qu Gao Yi’s mind as a potent Soul Skill swept the surroundings swiftly followed up by a series of lethal Martial Skills.

In an instant, the entire yard had turned into a chaotic battlefield.

No one had thought that this supposedly heavily wounded Blood Warrior would dare to rush head first into their lines and that each move he made would be an all-out attack, not paying the single bit of attention to defending himself.

After three breaths of time, one person had fallen to the ground dead, and another had been sent flying, bursting into a blood mist, even his bones disintegrating into dust.

Yang Zhao, Yang Shen, Xiang Chu, Nan Sheng, Qiu Zi Ruo and all the other youths hailed as prodigies of the younger generation suddenly trembled at the bloody massacre occurring before them.

None of them had expected that the outbreak of battle would be so ferocious.

On the other hand, the two Blood Warriors who followed the two Yang Family Young Lords looked at each other and grinned.

With their eyesight, it was natural for them to see that Qu Gao Yi had already completely recovered from his injuries, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to display such overwhelming combat potential.

(Silavin: So weird that they used eyes sight here…)

The question was, how did he restore himself?  When they saw him during the day, he was still teetering on the verge of death. How had he managed to recover in less than a day from such a terrible condition?  This was something beyond the comprehension of the two Blood Warriors.

Qu Gao Yi’s bold ferocity had immediately sent chills down his enemies’ spines. After the deaths of two people, everyone shrunk back, no one dared to rush forward and face this monster again.

“What are you afraid of? With so many people, you can’t even contain a single Blood Warrior?”  Yang Zhao saw the situation was deteriorating and roared vigorously.

Now, he had already committed himself, there was no way out, there would only be victory or defeat.

He had already witnessed Yang Kai’s potential. If he didn’t defeat his Ninth Brother tonight, this youngest brother of his would definitely become a strong enemy to him in the future, even more terrible than his Eldest Brother Yang Wei.

[I must end this tonight!]  Yang Zhao secretly decided in his heart.

His shout managed to improve his men’s morale. The people who were attacked by Qu Gao Yi were only deterred by the Blood Warrior’s sudden burst of strength, but once they stabilized themselves, they quickly discovered that even this fierce warrior wasn’t invincible.

Qu Gao Yi had only attacked and completely neglected his defence, so although he had forced all of them back and even took the opportunity to kill two people, he had also wound up with a lot of minor scars on his body.

What’s more, they had an absolute numerical advantage, as long as they paid attention to avoiding Qu Gao Yi’s killing blows, they shouldn’t have any trouble containing this Blood Warrior.

Of course, that was unless he active his Mad Tyrant Blood Skill, but with no one to buy him time, he was unlikely to be able to use this forbidden technique.

After a moment of consideration, everyone’s regained their confidence and began launching their own Martial Skills and using their artifacts to fight back.

Instantly, a flurry of attacks from all directions flew towards Qu Gao Yi, tightly encircling him in an inescapable net.

Facing so many varied attacks, even though Qu Gao Yi was an elite of the Blood Warrior Hall, he still wound up with many new bloody scars on his body.

However, never once did he let out a sound, still continuing to wantonly unleash his True Qi and Spiritual Energy.

If this continued, the final outcome would undoubtedly be Qu Gao Yi’s death, but more than half of Yang Shen and Yang Zhao’s allies would certainly be accompanying him to the underworld.

Qiu Yi Meng’s beautiful expression tightened, quickly glancing over at the mansion’s entrance before turning to observe Yang Zhao and Yang Shen, her thoughts quickly revolving.

Ying Jiu couldn’t move now, once he left his position, Yang Zhao and Yang Shen could easily intrude and seize the flag under the protection of their respective Blood Warrior.

Him hiding in the darkness was the ultimate deterrent to Yang Zhao, Yang Shen and their allies.

Ying Jiu was obviously aware of this fact, so even though Qu Gao Yi was in a life threatening situation, he continued to watch indifferently.

However, without Ying Jiu’s assistance, Qu Gao Yi alone was not enough to defeat their enemies, Qiu Yi Meng understood this well.

At this moment, there is nothing wrong with the flag’s defence, the biggest problem was that this Blood Warrior couldn’t be allowed to die, otherwise the power that Yang Kai had in his hands would be greatly damaged.

“Go up and assist!” After a moment of contemplation, Qiu Yi Meng decisively ordered.

The members of the Autumn Rain Hall all dashed out in response, quickly followed by Xiang Tian Xiao and the Xiang Family’s cultivators who accompanied him.  Lead by their Second Young Lord, all of them bravely drew their artifacts and charged into the fray.

With Xiang Tian Xiao’s strength, it was naturally impossible for him to challenge the Immortal Ascension masters, but among the people brought by Yang Zhao Yang Shen, not all of them had reached such a boundary, there were still plenty of True Element cultivators amongst them.

These people were Xiang Tian Xiao’s current objective.

Killing one of them meant there was one less of them!

Seeing Xiang Tian Xiao rushed into battle, Xiang Chu couldn’t help snickering, his eyes revealing a hint of disdain.

This younger half-brother of his really had excellent aptitude, and his forthright personality had made him quite popular amongst the family Elders, but even if he was an outstanding warrior, he would never be the Xiang Family’s Patriarch!

It was precisely because he would always be the first to charge into a fight that he was incapable of being the Patriarch.

What Patriarch would be the first to enter a battle when he had the option to sit back and observe?  If this was really the case, then this world’s families would have to change their Patriarch every few days.

A Patriarch had to have the bearing of a Patriarch, it was the Patriarch’s responsibility to stay behind the front lines and coordinate the overall situation.

Rushing ahead was the way of an uncouth barbarian!

Staring at Xiang Tian Xiao’s figure, Xiang Chu’s gaze gradually became cold, a hint of malicious intent flashing across his eyes.

“You go too!” Qiu Yi Meng turned to look at Huo Xing Chen, who even now was simply standing to the side smiling.

“Me too?” Huo Xing Chen widened his eyes and gawked.

“Of course you idiot!  You’re the Young Lord of the Huo Family, who here would dare kill you?” Qiu Yi Meng said in an exasperated voice before grabbing Huo Xing Chen’s collar and throwing him into the chaotic battlefield.

Huo Xing Chen let out a pitiful cry before falling like a meteor into the middle of the crowd, slamming into the ground and bouncing a few times.

Qiu Yi Meng called out in a sweet voice as she laughed pleasantly, “No one here dares to kill you, at most they’ll just hurt you a bit.”

“Smelly woman!”  Huo Xing Chen roared out bitterly as he struggled to his feat, gradually restoring his thoughts as she ground his teeth, suddenly raising his head and shouting with a cheap grin, “Don’t even think of hitting me!  I’ll tell you now, I am Huo Xing Chen, the sole inheritor of the Huo Family! Anyone who hits me will from now on be my enemy!”