Chapter 4501 – Loyalty
Translator: Silavin & Tia
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Inside the Main Conference Hall of Void Spirit Sword Sect, Yang Kai sat valiantly in the main seat. To his left sat a group of Elders from Tian Luo Hall with Li Zheng Qing as their leader. On the other hand, to his right sat another group of people from Roaring Tiger Sect with Sect Master Zhuang Ju He at their head.
There was a clear distinction between the two sides. Moreover, all the people present today were cultivators in the Fourth-Step Earth Grade And above.
It had been one month since Yang Kai advanced into the Heaven Realm, and many things had happened during this time.
The biggest incident that affected the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect was that the Old Sect Master Su Chang Fa had abdicated his position. The Eldest Disciple of the younger generation, Yang Kai, had taken over in his stead.
This was also what everybody desired. Yang Kai was the one and only Heaven Realm Master in the entire Void Spirit Sword Sect. Not only was he the strongest, but he was also very young; thus, it was only a matter of time before he took over as the Sect Master. Su Chang Fa had simply brought this matter forward a little.
What’s more, Void Spirit Sword Sect was now a booming business thanks to Yang Kai’s efforts in developing the Sect. Not only did Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall become branches of Void Spirit Sword Sect, but all the other Sects and Clans within a thousand kilometres radius had also decided to submit to Void Spirit Sword Sect. Therefore, Void Spirit Sword Sect was indeed in need of a stronger Sect Master to act as a deterrent and a symbol.
Su Chang Fa was getting on in his years. Although he was happy to witness the rise of Void Spirit Sword Sect, he no longer had the energy to manage the Sect. In this aspect, Yang Kai was full of vigour, which was perfect for the circumstances.
For that reason, Su Chang Fa swiftly decided to pass the torch to Yang Kai after a simple discussion with Gu Kang Ning and Hong Xiu, regardless of whether Yang Kai agreed or not.
The succession ceremony was held half a month ago. All the nearby great forces sent their representatives to express their congratulations, making it a lively scene.
Aside from that, news of Yang Kai refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in Heavenly Martial City had spread like wildfire among the Elders of Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect.
This was something that could not be kept secret, and Yang Kai had no intention of keeping it secret either. That was why he did not care when Du Yu Yu and Shi Ming Hui either intentionally or unintentionally spread this news to the public.
The news caused a huge stir among the Elders of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall. Accordingly, the attitudes of these people were obviously much more respectful and attentive nowadays.
In the past, they had no choice but to surrender under Yang Kai’s brutal ferocity after he forced them to consume Poison Pills. However, it was different now. Yang Kai was not just a Heaven Realm Master but also a Heaven Grade Alchemist. A person like that was a pivotal figure in the Divine Armament World.
Once this information spread, there would be many Heaven Realm Masters willing to follow him.
In the Divine Armament World, it was not shameful for a Heaven Realm Master to serve under a Heaven Grade Alchemist. Rather, it was an act that was approved and recognised by the public!
That was because Heaven Realm Masters required large amounts of resources for their cultivation, while Heaven Grade Alchemists were wealthy people. As long as a Heaven Realm Master could serve under a suitable Heaven Grade Alchemist, there would be no need for them to worry about cultivation resources again.
Naturally, there was another, more important reason. If the Heaven Grade Alchemist they served could advance to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist, then they had hope of obtaining a Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and advancing into the Spirit Realm in the future. They were simply investing in their future in advance.
The two bodyguards at the peak of the Heaven Realm who served beside Gao Xin Peng were eagerly waiting for the latter to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist and subsequently refine Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pills for them.
After all, there were not many Spirit Grade Alchemists in the entire Divine Armament World. Even if Masters at the peak of the Heaven Realm like themselves begged those Spirit Grade Alchemists for a pill, they might not have a chance of success.
The people of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall were well aware that Yang Kai could easily amass a large force of Heaven Realm Masters with his current status and identity; therefore, they were dispensable pawns in his eyes.
It was not easy for them to gain a connection to a Heaven Grade Alchemist; hence, they would never let this opportunity slip by without a fight.
Inside the hall, these people sat upright with their backs straight. They also had attentive looks on their faces. Despite so many people gathering in the Main Hall, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Even the sound of their breathing had been suppressed to the limits.
They did not know the reason why Yang Kai summoned them all here. Ever since he returned from his previous trip, he had remained in retreat. Aside from the one time he showed up at the succession ceremony, there had been no sight of him.
Looking around, Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction after seeing the respectful behaviours of these Elders. He then shouted, “Li Zheng Qing!”
Tian Luo Hall’s Sect Master, Li Zheng Qing, hastily stood up and cupped his fist, “Subordinate is here!”
“How long have you been stuck at the peak of the Earth Realm?” Yang Kai casually asked.
Li Zheng Qing quickly replied, “Reporting to Sir, it has been thirteen years since this Old Master advanced to the Peak Earth Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded and looked to the other side, “What about you, Zhuang Ju He?”
Roaring Tiger Sect’s Sect Master, Zhuang Ju He, also stood up quickly and smiled brightly, “I’m slightly better off than Brother Li, it has been eight years for me.”
Yang Kai said, “This world has shackles that bind us tightly. Unless you break free of these shackles, you will never get a glimpse into the mysteries of the Heaven Realm.” Raising a hand, he threw out two bursts of light towards Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He, “Take this and cultivate hard. Don’t disappoint this King!”
Both Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He accepted the beams of light, and when they stared down at the item, they immediately became emotional.
Li Zheng Qing’s lips trembled, “T-This... Sir, c-could this be....”
Zhuang Ju He took a deep breath and finished the sentence for Li Zheng Qing, “Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill?”
There was an uproar among the people in the Main Hall and numerous gazes latched onto the pills that Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He were holding in their hands like leeches. They might not need this pill right now, but it was something they would need one day.
“Yes, they are Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. As you know, I am now a Heaven Grade Alchemist. This King refined these two pills himself.” Yang Kai responded indifferently.
He had already learned the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill by heart, so a few days prior, Yang Kai sent his subordinates to purchase some herbs for him and quickly refined some Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. Seeing as he had no need to conceal his skills anymore, Yang Kai went all out during the refining process and produced six pills in the end. Out of which, one was a High-Rank pill and five were Mid-Rank pills.
To prevent standing out too much, he had only given Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He a Mid-Rank pill each. Even so, his actions made those two incredibly emotional.
They had known that Yang Kai would one day give them Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills to aid them in advancing to the Heaven Realm if they were loyal enough; however, they never imagined that such a great blessing would come to them so soon! They thought that it would take several years of loyal performance for them to obtain the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill...
Thinking about it again though, Yang Kai’s strength was obvious. Not to mention that he was also a Heaven Grade Alchemist. Earth Realm Masters like themselves were probably of little importance to him. As such, they could play a greater role if he helped them advance into the Heaven Grade as soon as possible.
Li Zheng Qing was the first to return to his senses. He put the pill away with great care and cupped his fist, “Many thanks for your gracious gift, Sir. This Old Master swears that he will repay your kindness!”
He used to be the Great Elder of Tian Luo Hall. Although Tian Luo Hall was not a bad place, he had been suppressed by the Palace Master Shu Wan Cheng, who stood above him.
Most of the resources had been taken by Shu Wan Cheng, so even if Li Zheng Qing wanted to ask a Heaven Grade Alchemist for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, he could not gather enough compensation to do so.
On the other hand, Shu Wan Cheng had managed to accumulate enough compensation to make such a request. Be that as it may, he still had to wait several years for his turn to come.
The problem Zhuang Ju He faced was similar to Shu Wan Cheng.
Back then, Zhuang Ju He travelled tens of thousand of kilometres to Profound Pill Sect to request a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. He had handed over a substantial reward only to be told that he had to wait for another eight to ten years. But now, there was a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill right in front of him.
He gave a deep sigh as he thought to himself, [The treatment sure is different when you have powerful friends.]
With this pill, he was 80% certain that he could advance into the Heaven Realm. Cupping his fist solemnly, he said, “Many thanks, Sir. This subordinate will not let you down. I will definitely advance into the Heaven Grade as soon as possible and dedicate my services to you!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and swept his gaze over the others below him, “As for the rest of you, there’s no need to be envious of them. If any of you reach the peak of the Earth Grade and wish to advance into the Heaven Realm, feel free to come to me. I will prepare a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for each of you.”
The expressions of the others changed upon hearing those words, and they thanked him with great emotion.
Even if Yang Kai tried to drive them away now, they would never leave. Staying here meant that there was no need to worry about the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that was required to advance into the Heaven Realm. Where else would they find such a beneficial deal?
Afterward, Yang Kai dispersed the crowd and went to check on the studies of Wan Ying Ying and his other two Junior Brothers. He taught them some common knowledge and techniques for Alchemy and only then did he return to his secluded home.
Out of the 100,000 pieces of Red Jade Yang Kai brought back from Heavenly Martial City, only half of them remained. If anybody were to learn about his consumption rate, they would be absolutely shocked. However, for a person who used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law like him, this was the result of deliberate suppression.
The power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was unfathomable. Even Yang Kai was horrified by this Secret Art that allowed him to devour everything in existence when activated. If he did not deliberately suppress the power of this Secret Art, he would have finished consuming the 100,000 pieces of Red Jade a long time ago.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai needed to allow his body to become accustomed to the surge in his cultivation and he also needed time for the might of his Dragon Vein to remove the hidden dangers brought about by cultivating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Therefore, he had no choice but to slow down his cultivation.
Fortunately, the toughness of his body gradually increased as his cultivation improved and more power from his Dragon Vein could be stimulated as a result. All of this formed a delicate balance with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, so there were no hidden dangers for the time being.
During this past month, his cultivation did not grow by much as he only advanced from the First-Step Heaven Realm to the Second-Step Heaven Realm. The main reason for such slow progress was that the amount of resources he required just to advance by one Step was colossal now that he was in the Heaven Realm.
Other cultivators might not face such issues, but Yang Kai knew that he was unlike other people.
If it was said that one’s body was a container, then other people might have the capacity of a large lake when they reached the Heaven Realm. In contrast, Yang Kai’s capacity was as large as an ocean. The Spirit Qi he needed to accumulate in order to advance into the next Minor Realm was many times greater than average. The reason for such an occurrence was that the gradual strengthening of his body allowed him to accommodate even more Spirit Qi.
That was why Yang Kai was confident that he could win against most Masters at the Peak Heaven Realm despite only being in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. Moreover, he could succeed purely with his own strength, without the support of the True Void Sword Qi.
The days went by smoothly. In addition to cultivation, Yang Kai would take the time to teach Wan Ying Ying and the others daily. Nothing else required his personal attention as ever since giving Zhuang Ju He and Li Zheng Qing the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills, the entirety of Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall had become absolutely loyal to him.
Meanwhile, the diligence of the younger Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples was gradually producing results in their cultivation.
At present, Void Spirit Sword Sect was no longer lacking in financial resources. Not only did they have the Black Jade mine, but Roaring Tiger Sect and Tian Luo Hall also kept sending various cultivation resources over as tribute. As a result, the disciples no longer needed to suffer through poverty like before.
Thanks to the consumption of various cultivation resources and supplemented by the Body Tempering Secret Art that Yang Kai taught them previously, the bodies of Void Spirit Sword Sect disciples not only became stronger, but their cultivation also improved at a steady pace.