Chapter 1553, Meeting Old Friends Translator: Silavin & PewPewLaserGun Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys “This is great, nothing has changed,” Yang Kai stood mid-air as his Divine Sense swept across the Holy Land, nodding in satisfaction. Shi Kun was in something of a daze, not understanding how he had arrived at the inner peaks, but soon he realized that this was Yang Kai’s doing. But what exactly had he done? It was all too bizarre. Shi Kun felt both reverence and awe. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, took a step forward, heaved a deep breath, and shouted out to the Nine Peaks, “Holy Master has returned to the Sect!” This shout echoed throughout the Nine Peaks. All movement in the Nine Peaks seemed to be overwhelmed by this shout, and a strange atmosphere suddenly filled the Holy Land, along with complete silence. However, a moment later, the Nine Peaks seemed to burst into a frenzy, with streaks of light shooting up from each of the peaks and rushing over at full speed. Inside the Pill Room, the Saint Grade Alchemist Du Wan was refining a Clear Snow Pill, a Saint Grade Low-Rank pill. The person who requested this pill was also waiting outside the Nine Peaks at the moment, and their status was not low, so Du Wan had taken action personally. It had been more than a day since Du Wan began, and at this moment the Pill Room was filled with a strong fragrance and a faint chill. Carefully controlling the heat, Du Wan was staring at his pill furnace, preparing for the final moment where he would condense the pill. To the side, Chang Bao sat with his great belly and rotund face, squinting his eyes as he observed and studied Du Wan’s refining techniques. The expressions of the two Saint Grade Alchemists were both solemn and excited. These two had been the managers of Alchemist Guild branches in Grand Boulder City and Lightning Flash City respectively, holding great status, but after studying Alchemy together in Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had both promoted to the level of Saint Grade Alchemist. So, they both resigned from their previous post and had joined Nine Heavens Holy Land. In addition to the two of them, there was also Hong Fang, He Feng, and Kong Ruo Yu who were all now Saint Grade Alchemists as well. The Alchemy level of Tong Xuan Realm had undergone explosive growth since Yang Kai had left, with all the credit being given to the Old Man of Heaven’s Keep Li Rui’s generous teachings, and the inspiration of Xia Ning Chang. Previously, only Li Rui had been a Saint Grade High-Rank Alchemist. The pill refining was now at a critical juncture, and Chang Bao’s small eyes narrowed tighter, filled with light as he sweat just as much as Du Wan. Even they could not guarantee a one hundred percent success rate when refining Saint Grade pills. Du Wan’s refinement being so smooth this time was a combination of his own skill as well as luck. At this most critical moment, there was no room for negligence or disturbance. However, right then, a loud shout suddenly came from outside, penetrating even the barriers around the Pill Room, reaching straight to the ears of the two Saint Grade Alchemists. Du Wan’s old hands shook, and his Saint Qi became slightly disordered. Immediately after, a bang resounded from the pill furnace in front of him. A burnt smell soon filled the air. Du Wan was stunned, and his expression contorted into a truly ugly one. Chang Bao also frowned deeply. They had fallen short! [That idiot Shi Kun! His life is over! Du Wan will certainly hold him responsible for this failure.] Chang Bao immediately took pleasure in Shi Kun’s misfortune in his heart. “Old Chang, what did that boy Shi Kun just say?” But contrary to Chang Bao’s expectation, Du Wan did not get angry right away, instead turning a strange look towards him and asking. “I didn’t hear clearly,” Chang Bao shook his head. Although both of them had heard Shi Kun yelling something just now, Chang Bao hadn’t cared about its content because all his focus had been on the pill refinement. “Did I hear him say something about the Holy Master?” Du Wan frowned. “Holy Master?” Chang Bao was stunned, but soon seemed to think of something, and like a cat that’s tail had been stepped on, his plump body showed unimaginable lightness as he leapt up from the ground and shouted, “You mean that Holy Master?” Nine Heavens Holy Land had only one Holy Master, and that was Yang Kai. Since Yang Kai had left, the position of Holy Master had remained vacant, but in the eyes of the cultivators of Nine Heavens Holy Land, Yang Kai was and always would be their Holy Master. “I could have sworn I heard Shi Kun saying something about the Holy Master returning to the Sect,” Du Wan knit his brow. “Are you sure?” Chang Bao yelled. “I’m not certain.” The two looked at each other for a moment before both of them rushed out towards the door of the Pill Room where they were greeted by the equally flustered He Feng, Hong Fang, and Kong Ruo Yu. Dashing out of the Pill Room all together, all of them showed spiritedness not inferior to youths hundreds of years their junior. “Old ghosts, wait for this old master!” Chang Bao struggled to move his fat body as he yelled from behind. Of course, no one answered him, all of them only rushing out even faster. Atop another of the Nine Peaks, inside a mountainside secret room, a rich Demonic Qi swirled. Inside this secret room, two beautiful women with closed eyes were synchronizing their breathing, one possessed a dignified and elegant air while the other was cold and aloof, two vastly different temperaments. The former had a peak cultivation at the Third-Order Saint Realm while the latter was a Second-Order Saint. Both were wrapped in a thick swirling Demonic Qi, apparently cultivating some kind of Secret Technique. When Shi Kun’s voice reached them, however, the two women opened their eyes involuntarily, with the dignified beauty turning to her companion, frowning, and asking, “Han Fei, did Shi Kun just say... the Holy Master had returned to the Sect?” The cold beauty heard these words and her tender body trembled, carefully thinking for a moment before she gently nodded. Four eyes suddenly met, before an amazing brilliance flashed across them. No longer giving any thought to the Secret Technique they were cultivating, two tender bodies wrapped in black Qi rushed out of the secret room and soared up into the sky. Similar scenes were happening all over the Nine Peaks. This was no doubt the liveliest the Nine Peaks had been in the past several decades. At this moment, the masters here who were worshipped and admired by countless cultivators across Tong Xuan Realm all suddenly seemed to lose all sense of dignity and turned into hot-blooded youths. When Holy Land Great Elder Xu Hui ran out, he couldn’t even be bothered using the doors and smashed his way through the walls of his palace directly, nearly causing it to collapse. Elder Yu Ying knocked over and broke a set of vases she had treasured for over a hundred years in her hurry. Saintess An Ling’er had been bathing at the time but still leapt from her bathroom after hurriedly throwing on her clothes, not even bothering to dry herself. ..... All of this was happening because of the words which had just echoed across the Nine Peaks. The Holy Master had returned! Everyone wanted to know whether this news was true or not. Everyone wanted to see the face of the young man they had not seen in over thirty years. As such, everyone rushed out of the places they were staying and soared towards the source of the voice from just now. Streams of light swiftly came and gathered in front of Yang Kai. After seeing Yang Kai’s face clearly, everyone showed a look of pleasant surprise; some were so joyful they were unable to stop themselves from weeping. All the Elders of the Holy Land, Du Wan, Chang Bao and the other Alchemy Grandmasters, as well as the leaders of the Ancient Demon Clan, gathered together. Just in terms of Saints, more than ten were present. This was a force capable of sweeping the entire Tong Xuan Realm, an existence no one dared to underestimate. It was precisely because of these peoples’ existence that Nine Heavens Holy Land had become famous across Tong Xuan Realm. Yang Kai’s eyes swept across these familiar faces and his heart could not help warming as a brilliant smile blossomed on his face. After not seeing them for several dozen years, all his old friends were still well, there could be no better news. “It’s really Holy Master!” “Holy Master is back, he’s really back.” Shouts of joy rang out from the crowd as everyone celebrated with excitement in their eyes. “Subordinate Xu Hui, together with all the Holy Land’s Elders, greets Holy Master. Welcome back to the Sect, Holy Master!” Xu Hui had always been attentive to etiquette and despite his own excitement did not forget courtesy and hastily shouted. The other Holy Land Elders also hurriedly saluted. “There’s no need for such formalities, I’ve simply come home,” Yang Kai waved, an invisible force lifting everyone up. “Master...” On a different side, Li Rong, the leader of the Ancient Demon Clan, called out through her tears. Han Fei, who was standing beside her, also had red puffy eyes. Yang Kai had inherited the mantle of Great Demon God, so for the Ancient Demon Clan who had served Great Demon God for generations, Yang Kai was their Lord and Master, a position not even the current Demon Commander Zhang Yuan could compare to. So even if Yang Kai was not in Nine Heavens Holy Land, they had chosen to remain here to wait for him. In fact, for the Ancient Demon Clan, the Demon Land was the ideal place for them to live, but out of respect for Yang Kai, Li Rong had eventually decided to let the Ancient Demon Clan settle in Nine Heavens Holy Land. Looking at Yang Kai’s face, Li Rong’s heart trembled. When Yang Kai left, she had asked to follow him, to use her own life to protect him, but Yang Kai was completely uncertain about his future at that point so he didn’t dare to bring Li Rong, making her stay behind. Over the past several decades, Li Rong had spent countless days and nights worrying. Whenever she thought about Yang Kai being all alone in the vast outside world, she would have trouble sleeping and eating. She hated that she had not insisted on following him at that time and allowed her Master to wander alone. She blamed herself greatly and felt truly tortured over the years. Now seeing Yang Kai return safely, she could not help weeping with joy. “Don’t cry, this is a happy occasion, I’ve returned, haven’t I?” Yang Kai laughed and comforted her. “Yes!” Li Rong pursed her red lips and nodded in response. She would meet any of Yang Kai’s requests unconditionally. “Little brat, you came back?” At this moment, a cry of pleasant surprise suddenly came from the side. Yang Kai turned his head and soon spotted Meng Wu Ya flying over. Even after not seeing him for several dozen years, Meng Wu Ya was still the same, dressing in extremely plain robes with his somewhat dishevelled hair and beard. If he were to walk amongst a crowd, many would only think of him as a dirty old man, never realizing he was a peak Third-Order Saint Realm master. “Treasurer Meng, I trust you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled brightly. “Of course I have been good, seems you’ve been living well yourself, you little brat. This old master can finally feel relieved,” Meng Wu Ya nodded heavily, a pleased smile on his face. Meng Wu Ya could be said to have watched over Yang Kai’s growth from the very start. Back then, he had been hiding his identity and staying in High Heaven Pavilion as the treasurer of the Contribution Hall. He had first met Yang Kai and became close because of his treasured apprentice Xia Ning Chang. So, after seeing Yang Kai returning to this place several decades later, it was as if a big rock was lifted from Meng Wu Ya’s heart. His concern for Yang Kai was not inferior to anyone else’s.