Martial Peak

“May I ask why Little Brother Yang has come to Scarlet Wave Star at this time?” Bing Long asked again.

“I just passed by accidentally.”

“Do you know that Brilliant Flame Sect has been looking for you for nearly a year?”

“I’ve heard.”

“Why is Brilliant Flame Sect looking for you so fervently?”

After asking a few questions, Bing Long gradually became more straightforward.

Yang Kai smiled lightly, took a sip from his teacup, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know!”

“You don’t know?” Bing Long laughed slightly, her voice suddenly becoming solemn. “Then this Queen will ask a different question, has Green Mountains Star’s Star Master Sir Luo Hai come to Scarlet Wave Star because of you?”

“Since Senior already knows, why bother to ask?”

Bing Long was genuinely surprised and could not help asking again, “Sir Luo Hai really came for you?”

She had guessed that this was the case before, seeing how Luo Hai arrived on Scarlet Wave Star then went to Brilliant Flame Sect, after which, Brilliant Flame Sect began looking all over for Yang Kai. All these events could not have happened by mere coincidence, so Bing Long naturally had her suspicions.

However, guesses were just guesses, so after receiving confirmation from Yang Kai, Bing Long still felt surprised.

What kind of character was Luo Hai? Even considering the entire Star Field, he ranked amongst the highest of masters. What could possibly be of such great interest for him to come to Scarlet Wave Star from Green Mountains Star for Yang Kai.

“Why?” Bing Long asked again.

Yang Kai shook his head and said in a serious tone, “This Junior cannot answer that question. If Senior wishes to know, she might as well ask Luo Hai himself.”

Bing Long flashed an even more surprised look hearing this answer.

Yang Kai called Luo Hai directly by his name! There was not the slightest bit of respect in his voice at all.

One had to know that towards a master like Luo Hai, regardless of whether someone was related to him or not, they needed to show a certain level of deference by addressing him as Sir or Senior.

This was a type of etiquette which all cultivators had to display towards Origin Kings. Even Bing Long, as Ice Heart Valley’s Valley Master, had to address Luo Hai as Sir.

However, Yang Kai completely disregarded this convention.

After recovering from her shock, Bing Long asked, “Do you have some kind of enmity with Sir Luo Hai?”

“I was chased by him all the way from Green Mountains Star to Scarlet Wave Star and nearly died several times in the process. Does Senior think I wouldn’t have a grudge against him?” Yang Kai sneered.

Yang Kai did not attempt to conceal this fact because doing so was impossible to begin with.

Bing Long and Ran Yun Ting were thoroughly dumbfounded this time as they stared at Yang Kai incredulously.

After a long time, Bing Long wore a complicated look and said, “Your luck is truly great, even being able to escape from Sir Luo Hai’s pursuit!”

She thought that Yang Kai being safe and sound now was all thanks to luck. If not, how could a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm junior survive under the pursuit of a Second-Order Origin King?

“What kind of grudge do you have with Sir Luo Hai? Explain in detail!” Ran Yun Ting suddenly questioned. This was the first time she spoke since she arrived here, and her words were spoken in an almost commanding tone.

This made Yang Kai frown as he secretly felt that as a guest, not a disciple of Ice Heart Valley, this kind of domineering and commanding tone was inappropriate.

However, thinking that she was Su Yan’s master, Yang Kai could not snap back rudely, so he simply said, “Please forgive me, but I have no comment.”

“Boy, have you not figured out your situation yet? This is Pure Ice Island, and you have provoked a master like Sir Luo Hai. If you want to survive, you’d best cooperate with us obediently! Otherwise, no matter how smart you think you are, you won’t be able to escape!” Ran Yun Ting saw Yang Kai act so tactlessly and her face sank.

Yang Kai turned to look at her and narrowed his eyes, faintly asking, “Senior, are you threatening me?”

Ran Yun Ting’s pretty face became even colder, and she was just about to say something more when Bing Long hurriedly preempted, “Great Elder had no such intentions, but this matter is truly not trivial. this Queen will not try to abuse her status and will address you as an equal. Yang Kai, although your aptitude is good, having offended a master like Sir Luo Hai, I’m afraid your future is worrying.”

“I know,” Yang Kai nodded nonchalantly.

“Since you know, this Queen won’t bother with any nonsense. My Ice Heart Valley’s Supreme Elder is also an Origin King, and although she is not as powerful as Sir Luo Hai, her methods are profound and she has some small friendship with Sir Luo Hai. If you can tell us your story in detail, it may be possible for this Queen to request the Supreme Elder to come forward and say a few good words on your behalf to resolve this crisis. What do you think?”

Bing Long’s sincerity and generosity reduced Yang Kai’s anger slightly, but he still shook his head decisively and said, “Seniors need not trouble yourselves with this Junior’s affairs. Junior can take care of them by himself.”

“You? What kind of skill do you possess to handle such a crisis?” Ran Yun Ting seemed to be particularly eager to see Yang Kai suffer and smiled sarcastically, “Boy, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! If you never intended to say anything, why come to my Ice Heart Valley in the first place!”

“Rather than me coming here, wasn’t it Ice Heart Valley that was looking for me?” Yang Kai glanced over at Ran Yun Ting.

Ran Yun Ting became angered at his flippant tone and the Saint Qi in her body began welling up as she released a powerful Shi to envelop Yang Kai, as if she was about to attack him.

Bing Long’s face changed slightly as she quickly interjected, “Yang Kai, since you don’t want to say, then this Queen and Great Elder won’t force you. However, should you change your mind, please feel free to let one of the disciples here inform this Queen and this Queen will surely ask Supreme Elder to come forward to help you resolve this matter.”

“Many thanks, but Junior will have to decline Senior’s kind intentions!” Yang Kai said lightly.

“In that case, please feel free to stay here a while, as for what happens next… we will discuss it when the time comes,” Bing Long sighed and got up to leave.

Ran Yun Ting glared at Yang Kai for a moment before letting off a cold snort and getting up as well. When she arrived at the door to the room, however, she suddenly turned around, glared at Yang Kai icily, and asked sternly, “Boy, don’t think this Elder doesn’t know what you’re plotting! I advise you to give up now, she will eventually fly from this tiny branch to become a phoenix, she is not someone a nothing like you can get involved with. Don’t ruin her future!”

After saying so, Ran Yun Ting turned around and left without giving Yang Kai a chance to respond.

Yang Kai stared at the door with indifference, watching her and Bing Long leave.

However, listening to what Ran Yun Ting said, he understood that she knew about his relationship with Su Yan, which also explained why she was so hostile towards him.

Realizing Ran Yun Ting was just trying to protect her precious disciple, Yang Kai took a deep breath and calmed the anger in his heart.

In all honesty, Su Yan having a Master who cared so deeply for her future wasn’t a bad thing but Ran Yun Ting’s attitude had still made Yang Kai very unhappy.

—

“Junior Sister, there’s something wrong with you today.” On the way back to the Inner Island, Bing Long looked at Ran Yun Ting thoughtfully, “Do you know something? Why did you speak so harshly to that Yang Kai, almost like you knew him from somewhere before?”

“I don’t know him!” Ran Yun Ting shook her head, pondered for a moment, then let out a sigh, “Senior Sister, I’ll be honest with you, that Yang Kai and Su Yan know one another!”

“Oh? How do the two of them know each other?” Bing Long was surprised.

“Remember how he said he was from Tong Xuan Realm? Su Yan is also from that place! They used to have a Senior Sister Junior Brother relationship, and…”

Bing Long frowned, vaguely becoming aware of something, and asked in surprise, “Could it be that they…”

“En! Not only that, Su Yan is no longer a pure white jade!”

“What?” Bing Long’s expression changed dramatically as she asked in shock, “But… but hasn’t Su Yan cultivated the Ice Jade Secret Art? That’s strange. Why hasn’t she received any backlash?”

“Before she had not, but now she has. Su Yan’s cultivation has regressed, and there is now a flaw in her mood while her Ice Jade Heart has become clouded!” Ran Yun Ting grit her teeth as she said, “If my guess is correct, that little animal took the initiative to come to Pure Ice Island just to find Su Yan. Yesterday, I even discovered the two of them were communicating with a strange Soul power.”

Bing Long’s expression fluctuated rapidly as she murmured, “The two of them can communicate with each other using their Souls, like a form of heart resonance? It seems that their relationship between them is quite extraordinary. If that is the case though, is Su Yan’s future really beyond redemption?”

“No, there is a way to solve this problem!” Ran Yun Ting’s gaze became ruthless.

Seeing her look, Bing Long also quickly realized her intentions and hurriedly shook her head, “You can’t do this yet. Sir Luo Hai is here for him, and if he dies here, now, there’s no way our Ice Heart Valley can appease Sir Luo Hai, and this method is also not a guarantee. If it causes Su Yan to bear a grudge against you…”

“It doesn’t matter if she bears hatred towards me!” Ran Yun Ting chuckled, with a hint of madness in her smile, “Senior Sister, I am not ashamed to admit that I have no hope of breaking through to the Origin King Realm in my life, but Su Yan has such potential. Even if I cannot, she can! As long as she can reach such a height, what does it matter if she hates me? One day, she will understand that I did all of this for her own good!”

“Junior Sister, you…” Bing Long looked at her and suddenly sighed, a look of sadness appearing on her face.

If Ran Yun Ting was saying she had no hope of breaking through to the Origin King Realm, what about her? Bing Long had remained at the peak of the Third-Order Origin Returning Realm for countless years, hitting the bottleneck countless times, always failing, completely unable to grasp the mysteries of the Origin King Realm.

As Ran Yun Ting said, they would probably remain stuck at the threshold of the Origin King Realm for their entire lives. Unless they encountered some kind of Heaven defying opportunity, they would have no chance of rising higher!

Bing Long understood Ran Yun Ting’s thoughts, but she also felt it was quite inappropriate to act on them, so she could only say, “Give me some time to consider this matter, don’t act rashly!”

“I know.”

After walking forward for a while, the two separated.

Ran Yun Ting walked straight to Su Yan’s residence. She needed to speak frankly with her disciple and make her understand that only strength was eternal while love between men and women was a fleeting distraction not worth treasuring.

Not long after, Ran Yun Ting arrived near her destination, where she saw her a disciple speaking with the two guards outside Su Yan’s ice room with a pleading expression.

Upon closer inspection, Ran Yun Ting realized that this disciple was actually Qing Ya, who came to Ice Heart Valley with Su Yan.

Ran Yun Ting still had some impression of this disciple; after all, when she brought Su Yan back to Ice Heart Valley, Qing Ya also followed, but since the latter’s aptitude wasn’t as good as Su Yan’s, she had to remain on the Outer Island.

Seeing Ran Yun Ting approach, Qing Ya and the two women quickly stopped talking, turned around, and saluted respectfully, “Disciple greets Great Elder!”