Martial Peak

In Tong Xuan Realm, there was a cultivation paradise that had given birth to many talents. It was the world-famous Nine Heavens Holy Land, which was surrounded by nine peaks. Strength was revered here. It had untold masters and was the ruler of the entire Tong Xuan Realm.

But many years ago, the people in the Nine Heavens Holy Land had disappeared all of a sudden. No one knew where they left.

Some rumours had it that they were taken to the vast Star Field by the Nine Heavens Holy Lord, but others said that they had provoked some extremely powerful character and were completely annihilated. There were all kinds of tales, but no one had a clear idea.

Be that as it may, Nine Heavens Holy Land no longer had any owner.

Many Sects and families were eyeing this paradise. After the disappearance of the Nine Heavens Holy Land disciples, everyone was locked in a fierce struggle to grab it, leading to many fights and friction in which countless people lost their lives.

Afterwards, this paradise fell into the hands of two cultivators: Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai.

Both of them were lone wolves with no fixed abode and they had no reputation, for they had never participated in worldly affairs. They only cared about wine and roses, and their goal in life was to tour the entire continent, taste all the best dishes and see all the famous scenic spots.

But when they were passing by the Nine Heavens Holy Land, saw its rich World Energy and beautiful scenery, they occupied it impolitely.

Both of them were Third-Order Saints, so how could any run-of-the-mill Sect or family stop them? All they could do was retreat unwillingly.

This status quo remained for several years, and the two of them slowly got accustomed to this place, so they never left.

At this moment, the two were sitting in a pavilion located on one of the nine peaks facing each other, boiling tea and discussing the Dao. All in all, they were enjoying themselves.

They were surrounded by a dozen or so beautiful young girls who served the duo, their beautiful eyes were glimmering with a strange glow. All these girls were either rescued by the duo during their travels or brought back when their family was destroyed. All of them had either lost their homes or were bullied by villains, unable to defend themselves.

These two were free and easy-going. They neither competed with others nor with the world, and were handsome and suave. Despite being Third-Order Saints, the strongest cultivators in Tong Xuan Realm, they were very amiable and therefore loved and admired by these girls.

At this moment, a Go board filled with criss-cross black and white pieces was lying on a stone table between the two. The way they played was also in line with their temperament; there was no sense of killing on the chessboard. Amazingly, they had surrounded many of each others’ pieces but had not taken them out.

(Ashish: Go here means game. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_(game))

“Brother Yi, I heard that the Money Sect that had 3,000 members was destroyed by a group of people with unknown origins a few days ago. Apart from the people who died or fled, the rest were enslaved by them. These outsiders are really abominable.” Lin Yu Hao gracefully placed a piece but a faint worry was quite visible on his face.

Yi Zheng Kai fiddled with the piece but didn’t place it. He then raised his head and glanced at Lin Yu Hao before speaking indifferently, “Is Brother Lin planning on leaving and doing something about it?”

Lin Yu Hao chuckled as he opened the folding fan in his hand and fanned himself. He then said, “Back then, when you and I became sworn brothers, we swore that we will only seek freedom and will not kill anyone in this life, and if we do, we should be struck by lightning and split asunder. It’s tragic, many people have lost their families, but what’s that got to do with me?”

“Does Brother Lin actually think so?” Yi Zheng Kai looked at Lin Yu Hao with a shadow of a smile on his lips as he went straight to the heart of the matter, “I’m afraid that’s not the case! Brother Lin has been upset these days, even your playing style has changed.”

The latter lowered his head and pulled the Go board before him before laughing in embarrassment. “Haha, that’s really the case. My last move was really wrong.”

“Brother Lin didn’t make a wrong move but… Brother Lin’s heart is filled with murderous intent!” Having said this, Yi Zheng Kai placed his pieces with a solemn look on his face. At that moment, the entire atmosphere of the board changed. Its original calm atmosphere immediately turned fierce and murderous. That cold murderous intent seemed as if it would flow out of the board and soar straight to the sky.

Lin Yu Hao’s expression changed ever so slightly as he remarked calmly, “Brother Yin, it might not be a bad idea!”

Yi Zheng Kai burst into laughter. “You and I are indeed sword brothers. We even think alike.”

Lin Yu Hao heaved a sigh. “All these years, you and I only cared about living freely. We never really cared about the life and death of others on this continent. Even these girls…”

He glanced at the girls around him as a trace of guilt appeared on his face. “I really couldn’t ignore them, so I brought them back. I have been living freely for most of my life. But sometimes I think, is that kind of living really good?”

“In the past, when the Bone Race revived, we completely ignored it. But the masters of three races, the Human, Monster, and Demon Race, under the leadership of Nine Heavens Holy Lord defeated them and protected this land. If not for the Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord and the masters of three races, you and I wouldn’t have been able to live freely all these years! I’m afraid our bones would have been swallowed by the Bone Race already, sow could we make tea and discuss Dao today?”

“You are right!” Yi Zheng Kai nodded his agreement and said, “So Brother Lin is thinking what this Yi is thinking. In the past… we should have fought with the masters of three races. Even if we might have ended up dead, we would have died with a clear conscience.”

“Whenever I think about what happened back then, this Lin feels uneasy. The peace of this continent was bought with their lives, but we have been enjoying and squandering it wantonly…. We don’t deserve this.” Lin Yu Hao had a guilty smile on his face.

Yi Zheng Kai narrowed his eyes. “But now, we have a chance to rectify it. Would Brother Lin join this Yi to follow the footsteps of Nine Heavens Holy Land Lord and make up for the regrets in my heart!?”

“It’s only right and proper!” Lin Yu Hao stood up at once and proclaimed with heroic ardour, “This continent birthed and raised me, how can I watch those outsiders act recklessly? You and I are the strongest cultivators in this world. If even we don’t do anything, then who would raise this banner?”

“Well said!” Yi Zheng Kai clapped and stood up, “Since Brother Lin has made up his mind, then this Yi will bet his life and join you in this fight!”

“Depending on you two!?” A disdainful voice suddenly rang.

The righteous and passionate flame in Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai’s hearts was suddenly doused with cold water. Their expressions immediately changed as they looked around and shouted, “Who’s there?”

Just as their words fell, a young man appeared out of nowhere and approached them step by step, treading the air with a scornful smile hanging on his lips.

He appeared without warning, as if he had come out of the Void.

Yi Zheng Kai and Lin Yu Hao immediately focused their gaze straight at him before releasing their Divine Sense towards the young man, but the two brothers turned pale as they noticed that their Divine Sense went right through him. Like a rock sinking into the sea, they didn’t get any reaction.

More importantly, they couldn’t sense any energy fluctuation coming from the young man. He gave the impression of an ordinary person.

However, the two knew that this young man was far from ordinary and it was all because his cultivation far superseded theirs.

“Are you an outsider who is wreaking havoc on the continent?” Yi Zheng Kai appeared to have been struck with a realization and he asked aloud, at the same time winking at Lin Yu Hao. The duo secretly started circulating their Saint Qi, preparing to fight to their deaths if something went wrong.

Yang Kai, on the other hand, didn’t even pay any attention to them. He just walked right by them and sat down by the stone table. He then beckoned to a dazed girl and said with a smile, “Miss, can you pour me a cup of tea? I just had a fight with someone, so I’m really thirsty.”

But that girl didn’t move an inch as if she was still reeling from a big shock.

In these girls’ opinion, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai were almost omnipotent. They were the strongest people in the world, but when Yang Kai appeared, the two men they admired looked as if they had encountered the God of Plague; their foreheads were drenched in sweat.

The girl immediately wondered what made Yang Kai so tyrannical? He looked very ordinary!

But after having heard Yi Zheng Kai, she gritted her teeth and said, “Bad Guy, I will not pour you the tea prepared for the Young Lords.”

“Bad Guy!?” Yang Kai was taken aback. He pointed to his nose and asked, “Me!? How do I look like a bad guy to you?”

“You are one of the outsiders who had been killing and enslaving us! If you aren’t a bad guy, what are you? A good guy?” The girl was young and ignorant. She spoke rudely. She didn’t give even a bit of face to Yang Kai.

Not just her, the dozen or so girls standing nearby were all glaring at Yang Kai.

Yang Kai felt extremely uncomfortable under their murderous gazes. He touched his nose and said, feeling ill at ease, “When did I say I was an outsider? Just because your Young Lord said so? Do you trust him so much?”

“Young Lord is always right!” The girl straightened her chest, which just emphasized her developing chest. It was quite an interesting sight.

Yang Kai took a side glance at Yi Zheng Kai before chuckling.

Yi Zheng Kai’s face turned ugly. He quickly reprimanded, lest Yang Kai was offended, “Ling’er, don’t be rude! Pour tea for this friend!”

After Yi Zheng Kai had spoken, the girl named Ling’er reluctantly walked up to Yang Kai, picked up the teapot, and filled up a cup before retreating angrily.

“Thanks.” Yang Kai thanked as he picked the cup and drank in one go. “It’s just passable.”

“Just passable!?” Lin Yu Hai’s veins bulged in anger as he quickly retorted, “Do you what kind of tea is this?”

“I don’t know.” Yang Kai shook his head.

Lin Yu Hao let out a cold snort and explained, “It’s White Snow of Sun. No money can buy it because it will only be produced once or twice in a century. Also, it’s prepared using Supreme True Water, yet you said it’s just…”

“Alright! Alright!” Yang Kai waved his hand and interrupted his grumbles. “It’s just tea, isn’t it? Isn’t it just used for drinking? What’s the point of praising it so much? It will be gone in one sip.”

“You…” Lin Yu Hao was almost angered to death.

Yi Zheng Kai said, “Brother Lin, why are you explaining this to him? You can see in one glance, this guy is not a man of elegance.”

“Hmph!” Lin Yu Hao let out a cold snort.

“What’s the point of elegance?” Yang Kai sneered. “Can you eat it? Can it kill anyone? The world is in chaos. If you are so elegant, why don’t you two wield this elegance and kill those guys, returning peace and order to this continent?”

Just as Yang Kai said this, Lin Yu Hao and Yi Zheng Kai looked embarrassed. Lin Yu Hao tried to justify himself, “You don’t need to tell us! Brother Yi and I were just about to go out and teach those scoundrels a good lesson.”

“Forget it.” Yang Kai burst into laughter. “You two would just be slapped to death if you really went with just this level of strength.”

“How dare you humiliate us!” Lin Yu Hao blew his top. He formed some weird seals and shouted angrily, “I don’t care who you are, since you dare to humiliate Brother Yi and I, be ready to accept due punishment! Plucking Flower Finger!”