Time pa.s.sed by quickly and soon, it had been half a month. It was the date the Monster Race Great Senior had agreed to complete his withdrawal by.
The Ancient Demon Clan was packed and ready to go, just waiting for Yang Kai to give the order to move to the nine peaks.
Because of their relations.h.i.+p with Yang Kai, the Ancient Demon clansmen already saw the nine peaks as their new home, so it was only natural for them to be filled with expectations and curiosity towards what kind of paradise it was.
The crowd of Demons gathered together, pointing towards the nine peaks, whispering amongst themselves.
Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense as he explored the situation of the nine peaks. Starting from last night, many Monster Beasts and Monster Race masters had been streaming out until now there were only a few living auras left.
Those who still stood among the nine peaks were the Alchemists and Artifact Refiners who originally belonged to Nine Heavens Holy Land.
A few years ago, Yang Kai and Great Senior had made an agreement to leave these Alchemists and Artifact Refiners behind to provide Alchemy and Artifact Refining services. Today, when the Monster Race left, Great Senior had kept his word and not tried to take these people away.
Yang Kai nodded, feeling that Great Senior had maintained his upright character.
A ray of coloured light glistened and flew towards Yang Kai, Cai Die’s pretty face and fluttering wings soon appearing before him. Sweeping her eyes over this crowd, her eyes quickly landed on Yang Kai as she spoke coldly, “My entire clan has left, you can return home now. Great Senior wanted me to pa.s.s a message to you, thanking you for providing my family with such a good opportunity to develop these past few years and extending you an open invitation to visit the Beast Sea Jungle!”
“Many thanks for your hard work, Ms. Cai Die, please give my regards to Great Senior and tell him I will definitely visit when I have time,” Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
“I’ve said what I needed to, goodbye!” Cai Die snorted, turned around, and flew off.
“That little girl… her temper is quite short,” Yin Ya muttered in a somewhat dissatisfied voice.
“Her strength is good though, higher than our own by a Minor Realm. She’s also quite pretty!” Xue Ji grinned villainously as he stared in Cai Die’s direction.
“Be careful how you speak. Remember that indiscriminate remarks only bring about trouble!” Li Rong reprimanded, “My clan has just reappeared in this world, try not to cause problems.”
Yin Ya and Xue Ji nodded quickly, expressing their understanding.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai waved, leading the way.
The nine peaks were lush and verdant, filled with a beautiful and refres.h.i.+ng spring-like air. The Nine Peaks Spirit Array was also still operating, enhancing the ambient World Energy density.
The Ancient Demon Clan immediately took a liking to this place upon entering it, many of them glancing around excitedly.
The conditions and environment here were infinitely better than the ones back in that Mysterious Small World. Living here would no doubt feel comfortable for both their minds and bodies.
Many clansmen couldn’t help feeling like they were dreaming. Even if they had left that Mysterious Small World almost three months ago, they still found themselves wondering from time to time if they were actually still back in that world without a sun, moon, or stars.
The only way to dismiss these concerns was to immerse themselves in the excitement outside.
At the base of the central mountain peak, in front of the main hall Great Senior had been occupying, stood a few hundred people, silently waiting.
These people were none other than the Holy Land’s Alchemists and Artifact Refiners. These men and women had varying ages while the strongest among them was only a Second-Order Transcendent.
When Yang Kai led the thousand or so Ancient Demon clansmen over, the waiting crowd hurriedly bowed, “Greetings Holy Master. Holy Master has finally returned.”
“You’ve all worked hard,” Yang Kai gently nodded, “Having all of you work for the Monster Race for nearly three years was truly an unavoidable choice, please forgive me.”
“Not at all!” The most powerful and senior figure stepped forward and shook his head, “The Monster Race did not mistreat us; in fact, they were always quite polite. Holy Master need not concern himself over this matter.”
Yang Kai gently nodded, brightly calling out, “Since I have returned today, the Holy Land will also return to its former glory. Furthermore, from this day forward, anyone who dares trample on my Holy Land’s majesty and invade its lands will be swiftly destroyed!”
The group of Alchemists and Artifact Refiners all cheered excitedly.
The leading old man then turned his attention to the Ancient Demon clansmen and furrowed his brow. Although he didn’t understand why Yang Kai had brought this group of Demon Race people here, he knew well enough not to ask any question, setting the matter aside and instead asking, “What about Great Elder Xu Hui and the others? Why have I not seem them return as well?”
“They are already here in the Holy Land,” Yang Kai chuckled, “You wait here first, I’ll go retrieve Great Elder and the others.”
Glancing back, he said to Li Rong, “You all wait here too.”
Li Rong and the others nodded lightly.
Yang Kai’s figure flickered and a few breaths later he arrived in front of the Holy Tomb.
Lifting the Holy Master Spirit Ring on his finger into the slow on the giant stone slab and filling it with his True Qi, Yang Kai opened the hidden Void Corridor and stepped into it.
Inside the Holy Tombs, the thousands of disciples of Nine Heavens Holy Land all sat silently.
After spending a few years inside this dark and desolate s.p.a.ce, everyone had gradually become accustomed to it.
Although some would occasionally become frustrated and impatient, the Elders and Saintess would quickly comfort them and settle the situation.
The Elders and Saintess continued to tell the others that the new Holy Master would surely return to bring them out of this place and that their most important task right now was to improve their own strength so that they would never again have to experience the shame of abandoning their home.
Xu Hui and the others regarded their failure three years ago as the greatest disgrace of their lives.
In recent years, all of them had spared no effort in their cultivation.
The Holy Tomb was the place where every generation of Holy Master and his Saintesses would enter secluded retreat to cultivate. Although the environment was harsh to inhabit, the World Energy was very rich.
Also, it was seemingly inexhaustible.
No cultivator who wished to quickly improve their strength would be willing to miss such a great opportunity.
Over the past three years, almost everyone had achieved significant growth, so besides not being able to leave, everything was actually proceeding in a good direction.
Thousands of people meditated silently, drawing the dense, nearly visible World Energy around them into their physiques, creating a spectacular scene.
Although there were so many of them, it was still deathly silent. Even if someone stood up and moved around, they would tread extremely lightly for fear of disturbing others.
In one corner, An Ling’er, who was also closing her eyes and cultivating, suddenly noticed an unusual aura suddenly appear inside the Holy Tomb. Frowning suspiciously for a moment, her eyes suddenly burst open in the next as she stood up and began looking back and forth, a pleasantly surprised expression filled her face.
An Ling’er knew this aura better than anyone because she was the one who first instilled Yang Kai with the knowledge of the Nine Heavens Divine Skills.
In that instant, she realized that Yang Kai had appeared nearby.
“Ling’er, what happened?” Yu Ying also opened his eyes and asked softly.
“He came in!” An Ling’er continued looking around and shouted.
“Who?” Yu Ying asked, in the next breath covering her mouth in shock and exclaiming, “You mean…”
An Ling’er nodded vigorously.
The dialogue between the two alarmed the other Elders, all of whom hurriedly opened their eyes and also began searching their surroundings.
A moment later, everyone’s eyes fixed on a certain spot.
From the direction they were staring, the all saw a figure approaching and although the lights here were dim and they could not see this person’s exact appearance. Upon feeling this newcomer’s familiar life aura, all of the Elders couldn’t help becoming excited.
“Holy Master?” Xu Hui trembled as this name escaped his lips.
“Is it really Holy Master who came in?” Cheng Yue Tong’s beautiful eyes stared at the approaching figure, not daring to blink.
After a short pause, the young man they had been longing to see appeared in front of them, a light smile upon his face.
“It really is Holy Master!” Xu Hui excitedly shouted, immediately bowing together with the other Elders, “Subordinate greets Holy Master!”
“No need to be so polite,” Yang Kai chuckled.
“You finally came!” An Ling’er looked at Yang Kai faintly, “We’ve been waiting for a few years already…”
As she spoke, her eyes became somewhat watery. During these seemingly endless days of waiting, many had inevitably had thoughts about being trapped inside this place forever. If it weren’t for Xu Hui and the other leaders appeasing them from time to time, the situation could have rapidly deteriorated.
“En, I’ve kept you waiting for too long, I’m truly sorry!” Yang Kai said seriously as he sincerely apologized.
“Holy Master is too serious…” Xu Hui’s leaked a few tears from his wrinkled face, not knowing what to say.
The disciples who were all meditating had also been awakened by the movements here, and as soon as they became aware of Yang Kai’s arrival, cheers broke out and soon spread throughout the entire Holy Tomb.
After letting them indulge for a moment, Xu Hui quickly quieted them down.
However, everyone still gathered around and stared silently, all of them wondering if Yang Kai was here to bring them out.
The several Elders also had similar expectations.
Yu Ying asked, “Holy Master, since you’ve come, does that mean that everything outside has been processed?”
“Yes, everything has been settled. The Monster Race masters have withdrawn already so it’s time to return home.”
Listening to him say so, everyone was overjoyed, all of them extremely eager to leave this place and return to the nine peaks.
“I’ll go open the exit while the Elders arrange the disciples,” Yang Kai said with a smile.
“Good,” Xu Hui nodded quickly and began organizing the others.
As they hurriedly prepared to leave, Yang Kai opened the exit and left with An Ling’er.
From inside the Holy Tomb, one disciple after another came out in an orderly fas.h.i.+on. Upon seeing the sky again after several years, many of them could not contain their joy and began shouting and cheering.
Outside the Holy Tomb, Yang Kai silently observed the exiting disciples as he pondering how he should explain about the Ancient Demon Clan to Xu Hui.
Although Yang Kai was nominally in charge of Nine Heavens Holy Land now, he wasn’t sure whether Xu Hui and the others would object to him settling a large group of Demon Race people here.
[If they were to strongly oppose, how would I be able to deal with it?]
“Your strength seems to have improved greatly again,” An Ling’er suddenly said, “What realm is your cultivation at now?”
“Third Order Transcendent Realm,” Yang Kai replied casually.
An Ling’er couldn’t help covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes flas.h.i.+ng with shock as she stared at him.
She still remembered that when she first met Yang Kai, he was only a First Order Transcendent drifting atop the endless sea, yet in only four or five years, he had become a Third Order Transcendent, spanning two Minor Realms and now only a step away from the Saint Realm.
At that moment, An Ling’er suddenly believed the bold claim Yang Kai had made to her before.
He had said a long time ago that even if he didn’t become join Nine Heavens Holy Land, as long as he was given thirty years, he would still be able to stand on equal footing with the Holy Master of Nine Heavens Holy Land.
At that time, An Ling’er didn’t believe him, feeling his arrogance was simply higher than the sky, but now, An Ling’er had to believe him.
According to his current momentum, he could indeed achieve what he said he would.
In fact, he might not even need thirty years to reach that height…