Chapter 44 Chapter 4490 – They Don’t Believe Translator: Silavin & Tia Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys In less than three days, the energy contained within the White Jades and the Black Jades in Yang Kai’s surroundings was completely exhausted. The Spirit Jades turned into dull and dim waste as a result. That was not all. Over two hundred bottles of pills had also been cleanly devoured by him. In exchange, his cultivation rose from the First-Step Earth Realm to the Third-Step Earth Realm. This outcome surprised him. He originally thought that he could increase his cultivation by five or six Minor Realms with so many cultivation resources, but in the end he was unable to continue after reaching the Third-Step Earth Realm. There were many reasons for this outcome. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was powerful indeed. As soon as Yang Kai activated this Evil Art, his body would turn into a bottomless hole that refined all the energy in the world for his own use; however, his body was unable to withstand the burden. It would not have been a problem for his Sixth-Step Open Heaven Realm body, but in the Divine Armament World, he was just a trivial Earth Realm Master. His body was unable to digest the enormous amount of power pouring into his body in such a short period of time. Some of the energy was inadvertently wasted, but a larger portion of the energy was diverted to temper the physical quality of his body. That was why his cultivation only increased from the First-Step Earth Realm to the Third-Step Earth Realm. With the improvement of his physique, his Dragon Vein was further stimulated. In turn, the power of his Dragon Vein further enhanced his physical quality... It was worth the effort and sacrifice. However, the improved strength of his physical body resulted in him needing more energy than ordinary to advance to the next Realm. On another note, Yang Kai was starting to feel the drawbacks of cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Most people would suffer from a weak foundation if their cultivation improved too quickly, and a weak foundation would put them at risk of experiencing cultivation dissonance one day. Fortunately, he did not have such worries. His original cultivation was in the Sixth-Step Open Heaven Realm after all, so there was nothing to worry about since his comprehension and consolidation was already far above the mere Earth Realm. This was a drawback he could ignore. The more serious drawback was that the energy devoured by the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was very complex and filled with impurities. This Secret Art was meant to devour all the energy in the world for one’s own use, but it did not differentiate between what energy was useful and what was harmful, everything was simply devoured altogether. Although he only started cultivating this Secret Art, he was already feeling the effects of this drawback. Surprisingly, the power of his Dragon Vein was slowly removing the impurities in his body and refining it into pure, useful energy. A sudden understanding washed over Yang Kai. It would seem that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could be cultivated as long as the impurities drawn into the body could be purged. [I’m not sure if I can do that when I return to the 3,000 Worlds. If it’s possible, then my speed when refining large amounts of cultivation resources will be increased significantly. I should find an opportunity to experiment in the future.] Tian Luo Hall’s storehouse had now been emptied. There were a few remaining items that were valuable, but they were not beneficial for cultivation; thus, Yang Kai stood up and walked out the door. A familiar figure stood outside the door, and when she heard movement, she quickly turned around and exclaimed in a mixture of shock and wonder, “Eldest Senior Brother, you really are here!” The person who came was his Little Junior Sister Wan Ying Ying. The newly-appointed Palace Master, Li Zheng Qing stood nearby and smiled when he heard those words, “Sir, Young Lady Ying Ying came here to look for you, so this Old Master told her you were cultivating in retreat inside. Unfortunately, she did not believe this Old Master and nearly resorted to violence.” He turned to look at Wan Ying Ying, “How is it, Young Lady Ying Ying? This Old Master did not deceive you, right?” A look of shame appeared on Wan Ying Ying’s face for a moment, but her embarrassment was quickly tossed to the back of her mind as she began shouting, “Eldest Senior Brother, what happened!? Yesterday, many people from Tian Luo Hall came to the Sect to help with mining the Black Jade mine. Moreover, they claimed that you sent them there. Sect Master and the two Elders didn’t know whether it was true or not...” Yang Kai raised a hand and rubbed her head with a smile, “It’s true, I sent them over. En... Things happened so quickly that I didn’t have the time to report to Honoured Master. Come, let’s go back home. I’ll explain the situation to Honoured Master and the two Elders myself.” Turning around, he instructed Li Zheng Qing, “Prepare the horses!” Li Zheng Qing quickly left to carry out his orders. Wan Ying Ying couldn’t help feeling as though she was in a dream when she saw Tian Luo Hall’s newly-appointed Palace Master acting so respectful and deferential to her Eldest Senior Brother. Soon, Li Zheng Qing personally led two horses over and a short while later, Yang Kai and Wan Ying Ying headed straight for the mountain gates of Void Spirit Sword Sect. Meanwhile, Li Zheng Qing watched Yang Kai’s departure and secretly wiped away his cold sweat. When he turned around to check on the situation inside the storehouse, his vision turned dark and he nearly fainted at the sight. Half a day later, Yang Kai and Wan Ying Ying returned to the Master Sect. They went straight to the Main Conference Hall to meet Su Chang Fa and the two Elders. To their surprise, they saw many Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters gathered outside the hall in an extreme state of wariness. They gave off the air of those preparing to give up their lives for their cause. On the other hand, an elderly man stood outside the Main Hall with a bitter smile. He was all alone and looked to be in a rather awkward position. Upon hearing movement, the elderly man turned around to look and immediately reacted as though he saw the arrival of his saviour. He stepped forward to greet Yang Kai, “Sir, you’re finally here!” This elderly man was Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder. “What’s going on?” Yang Kai’s expression darkened. No matter how he looked at the situation, it seemed as though Void Spirit Sword Sect was prepared for battle. The Second Elder wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead and laughed dryly, “Sir, please understand. Your Sect seems to believe that this Old Master is here to harm them, so they got into formation to stop us.” Yang Kai was speechless, “Didn’t you explain the situation to them?” The corners of the Second Elder’s brow twitched, “I did! But, they don’t believe me! They stubbornly claim that this Old Master is up to no good. In order to appease your Sect’s disciples, this Old Master doesn’t even dare to let a single servant remain by my side; however, they are still on guard.” Yang Kai immediately understood the situation; after all, Tian Luo Hall’s Third Elder was killed here no more than a few days ago. Anybody would assume that the Second Elder was here for revenge when he suddenly brought several hundred people here for no apparent reason. As for something as absurd as Tian Luo Hall submitting to Void Spirit Sword Sect, how could Su Chang Fa believe such words? If he didn’t even have this bit of common sense after living for such a long time, then he would have been swallowed whole by others a long time ago. Therefore, this incident was not the fault of Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder. Yang Kai patted the Second Elder on the shoulder and said, “Wait here. I’ll go in and talk to Honoured Master.” The Second Elder nodded in response. “Eldest Senior Brother!” When Yang Kai strode forward, a group of Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters respectfully cupped their fists in greeting. Although they were curious as to why their Eldest Senior Brother was on such friendly terms with Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder, they did not ask any questions. Ever since Yang Kai turned the tides and rescued the Sect from disaster, his position as the Eldest Senior Brother in their hearts had been elevated to an unreachable level. “You’ve all worked hard!” Yang Kai responded and continued forward along the path they opened up for him. A short while later, he entered the Main Hall and explained the situation to Su Chang Fa and the two Elders... Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu were utterly dumbfounded by what they just heard! What happened over the past few days was too ridiculous to believe. When Yang Kai resolved the annihilation crisis looming over the Sect, it was still possible to explain that incident away by saying that the Ancestor had shown himself and bequeathed his legacy upon his descendent. But now, Tian Luo Hall had surrendered and became Void Spirit Sword Sect’s Tian Luo Hall Branch!? “So, you’re saying that Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder was not joking?” Su Chang Fa asked with a little uncertainty. Yang Kai replied, “How could he joke around about something like this? Rest assured, Honoured Master. The entire Tian Luo Hall is now under my control. Don’t we lack the manpower to mine the Black Jade lode? That’s why this Disciple took it upon himself to let them mine the Black Jade for us.” Gu Kang Ning said, “And, Shu Wan Cheng agreed to cooperate so easily? He is not such an easy-going person.” ... “I didn’t ask him. I made an example of him by killing him!” Yang Kai declared with a calm and relaxed expression. Hong Xiu was flabbergasted, “Shu Wan Cheng is in the Ninth-Step Earth Realm! How can you possibly kill him!?” All of a sudden, she seemed to recall something, “Did you use the True Void Sword Qi again!?” “You’re worrying too much, Second Elder. The True Void Sword Qi is an ultimate weapon, how could I possibly waste something like that on trash? This Disciple killed Shu Wan Cheng with his own abilities. En... I’ve already inquired around previously. Shu Wan Cheng has done many atrocious things in his life, so his death isn’t worth pitying! At the moment, Tian Luo Hall’s Palace Master is Li Zheng Qing.” Su Chang Fa and the others looked at each other and wondered, [If a Ninth-Step Earth Realm Master like Shu Wan Cheng is trash, then what does that make us?] Although they did not dare to believe what Yang Kai was telling them, there was no other reasonable explanation for the situation in front of them. When several hundred people from Tian Luo Hall came marching here yesterday, they thought that death was inevitable. Who could have known that the other party would plunge directly into the Ash Mountain and leave only the Second Elder to communicate with them? Even so, Void Spirit Sword Sect was powerless against the other party. Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder was an Eighth-Step Earth Realm Master after all. If he wanted to harm Void Spirit Sword Sect, he would have taken action a long time ago! Seeing that Su Chang Fa and the others were still doubtful of the truth, Yang Kai turned his head to the side and called out, “Hey, you! The one standing outside! Come inside and explain!” Tian Luo Hall’s Second Elder... Actually, he should be regarded as the Great Elder now; Li Zheng Qing had taken over as the Palace Master, so the Second Elder would naturally be promoted too. It was just that Yang Kai was uncertain how to address him and had not bothered to ask clearly either. Upon hearing Yang Kai’s shout, the elderly man hurriedly walked in with a deep bow and an ingratiating smile, “Sir, this Old Master is Shi Ming Hui. What orders do you have for me?” Seeing his grovelling attitude made Su Chang Fa and the others eyes bulge in shock. ... This man was an Eighth-Step Earth Realm Master! Eighth-Step Earth Realm Masters rarely even bothered to glance at a person below them under normal circumstances. When had they ever behaved so obsequiously before? “Tell my Honoured Master about the current situation in Tian Luo Hall.” Yang Kai instructed. “Yes!” Shi Ming Hui responded before he turned to face Su Chang Fa and the two Elders sitting in the hall. Then, he spoke righteously, “The entire Tian Luo Hall admires Sir for his great character and virtue; therefore, we decided to make a change and show our proper respect to him. From now onward, we will serve under him, come Hell or high water!” Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction and waved Shi Ming Hui away, “You can go now.” “Yes!” Shi Ming Hui retreated respectfully. Meanwhile, Su Chang Fa and the two Elders stared down at Yang Kai from above with very complicated gazes. They seemed to have aged considerably in the blink of an eye, but they were mostly filled with excitement and gratification. After a long while, Su Chang Fa finally said, “Child, I’m not going to ask you how you did all of this. Since the Ancestor passed his Legacy Inheritance down to you, it can only mean that you are the future hope of Void Spirit Sword Sect. It would now seem that the Ancestor has very good eyes. Even so, you need to be more careful. Tian Luo Hall is... much stronger than us after all. If you are not careful, you may get burned.” “This Disciple understands. Please don’t worry, Honoured Master.” Yang Kai nodded solemnly. “I’ll leave the matters regarding the Black Jade mine to you then.” Su Chang Fa waved his hand to dismiss Yang Kai. It could be seen that the incidents today had been a huge shock to him. He needed some time to digest the overwhelming information he received today.