Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Ashish

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

Yang Kai asked the four to remain in place and be on guard for anything out of the ordinary. And if he didn't return after a set time, they should look for the Elders from Star Soul Palace and leave this place. After giving out instructions, Yang Kai flew along the direction pointed by Gao Zhan.

All along the way, he kept searching for Li Shi Qing, but to no avail. Only a faint fragrance of her lingered in the air.

[Gao Zhan pointed in the right direction! He really calculated Li Shi Qing's location.] Yang Kai couldn't help but admire him and these divining techniques.

But he found one thing strange. He only smelt the lingering fragrance of Li Shi Qing, and no one else. In that case, he could only assume Li Shi Qing left alone.

But why would she leave alone? If something was the matter, why didn't she inform everyone in advance?

After about the time it would take to boil a cup of tea, a lake appeared in front of Yang Kai's eyes and he could hear the splashing sounds of water coming from the distance. Yang Kai grew suspicious and immediately concealed his aura before approaching the lake.

After a short while, he arrived by the shore and hid behind a tree, quietly looking around.

After just one glance though, Yang Kai's face went red with embarrassment.

Because there was a graceful tender figure bathing in the lake. Although it was just a quick glance, Yang Kai's eyesight was quite amazing and the lake water was so clear that he saw everything that shouldn't have been seen.

The figure was so ravishing and enchanting that it could make anyone's nose bleed. Even a veteran of such affairs like Yang Kai couldn't help but have his heart skip a beat and start rapidly beating.

The person bathing in the river was none other than Li Shi Qing who had silently disappeared earlier.

How could Yang Kai have ever expected to see such a beautiful sight when he went searching for Li Shi Qing though? He found this infuriating and funny all at the same time. Apparently, Li Shi Qing hadn't encountered any danger, nor was she kidnapped. She should have left by herself.

But there was one that Yang Kai still puzzled over; how did she leave without a trace or anyone noticing?

While he was mulling this over, Li Shi Qing suddenly shouted, "Who's there?"

Perhaps it was because Yang Kai's emotions had been disturbed, but she discovered some clues and immediately turned her head, looking in the direction Yang Kai was hiding. When she shouted, she stirred the lake with her feet, stirring the sand at its bottom to muddy the waters and obscure the alluring sight.

Yang Kai, after momentarily hesitating, could only grit his teeth and call out "It's me, Yang Kai!"

"Senior Brother Yang!?" Li Shi Qing sounded a little surprised, "What are you doing here?"

Listening to her question, Yang Kai grew a little angry, "I was about to ask you the same question! Do you know what's going on in this damned place? You just ran here without saying a word. Are you courting death? Have you gone nuts?"

After he was finished, Yang Kai couldn't help but frown. [I don't know her, so whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me. What did she do to me? If she really wanted to kill herself, no one would stop her, but just now, I couldn't help but snap at her!]

After a moment of silence, Li Shi Qing's voice came the next moment, "Sorry, I just wanted to clean myself as I was feeling uncomfortable. I saw that everyone was busy with their own affairs, so I thought that I had some time, and as luck would have it, I noticed this lake when we were passing by. So I came here."

Yang Kai was surprised by her reaction and scratched his cheek as he stated, "In that case, you should have told us beforehand. Everyone was worried about you."

"Next time, I will," Li Shi Qing replied.

[There will still be next time?] Yang Kai couldn't help but roll his eyes. He firmly decided that he would part ways with this woman after leaving this place and in the future never meet her again. He had a faint feeling that nothing good would come out of associating with her.

"Brother Yang…" Li Shi Qing called out again, sounding a little embarrassed, "Are you still here?"

"Yes!" Yang Kai replied in a heavy voice.

"Can you please move back a little, I want… to put on my clothes."

These words could easily arouse some fantasies in the listener's mind and Yang Kai couldn't help but picture a certain naked figure in his mind. Quickly shaking his head and putting aside the distracting thoughts, he replied, "Alright, I'll go over there and wait for you."

"Many thanks," Li Shi Qing gently replied.

Yang Kai's figure rose and flew towards the distance.

But just as his feet lifted from the ground, he heard Li Shi Qing suddenly shout and he hurriedly stopped and turned back. The next moment, he saw the part of the lake where Li Shi Qing was previously bathing turn turbid and amid all the commotion, a struggling arm which quickly sank towards the bottom of the lake.

[What happened?] Yang Kai was dumbfounded.

At this moment, he didn't know what to think and promptly flew over and shouted, "Li Shi Qing!"

But how could he get an answer? The lake was in turmoil and he couldn't find Li Shi Qing anywhere in his sight. He could sense her with his Divine Sense, but he had no idea what danger she was in. Much to his surprise, she kept sinking to the bottom of the lake as she struggled.

Without giving it another thought, Yang Kai flipped in the air and dove straight down into the lake.

The water splashed as he swam deeper, urging his Emperor Qi to push away the surrounding water as he reached down to grab.

A soft and silky feeling came from his hand, as if he was grabbing the most exquisite silk in the world, and Yang Kai fiercely pulled Li Shi Qing over, flying up with a completely bare, shapely, snow-white figure in tow. Her soft, silky, and snow-white body was enough to make any man in the world go crazy, but Yang Kai didn't have the time to appreciate it as he just stared into her eyes and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"

Li Shi Qing didn't answer though and instead, she let herself be pulled along with his strength and crashed into Yang Kai's arm. In that instant, Yang Kai felt something, or rather two somethings softly press against his chest.

When he gazed down, he saw a beautiful face that could make everyone fall head over heels for it.

The veil that was covering her face had disappeared, revealing Li Shi Qing's true appearance.

As Lan Xun had said, she was indeed an incredible beauty. The Heavens seemed to have put all the most beautiful features on her, resulting in a breath-taking countenance.

As their eyes met, warning bells immediately rang in Yang Kai's heart as Li Shi Qing gently whispered in his ears, "Look at me…"

Her voice had a mysterious power that caused Yang Kai to involuntarily stare at her.

A strange gleam suddenly appeared in the depths of her eyes, like the starry sky in the night, full of glittering points of light. Yang Kai felt as if a binding technique had been cast upon him, making it impossible for him to move. An invisible burst of Divine Sense easily broke through Yang Kai's Knowledge Sea defences and left a kind of brand on his Soul in the next instant.

Time seemed to have been frozen at this moment.

After some unknown time, Yang Kai's pupils finally moved and when he finally regained his vision and looked ahead, he saw Li Shi Qing gently smiling at him. That smile was enough to make everything in the world lose its colour, like that smile would only bloom for him and him alone.

Yang Kai was furious, however, and grabbed Li Shi Qing's slender neck, leaping out of the water and landing on the shore as he pressed her up against a tree and gloomily asked with a cold glare, "What did you just do to me?"

At this moment, if Yang Kai still couldn't understand Li Shi Qing's distress was just a ploy on her part and that there was no danger under the lake, he would be a true fool.

From the start, he felt that something was wrong. The lake was so clear that it was impossible for a Monster Beast to hide in it. And Li Shi Qing was a Second-Order Emperor as well as Flower Shadow Great Emperor's personal Disciple, so how could it be possible for her to fall into danger so easily?

Now he finally understood that everything was a trap to draw him closer to herself. [And laughably, I got myself tricked.]

But how could he have expected that Li Shi Qing, whom he had met by chance just a day ago, would use this kind of ploy to trick him.

Suddenly, he recalled Gao Zhan's previous warning!

[Could it be that he was warning me about Li Shi Qing?]

[But why? Why did she entrap me? What did she just do to me?] Yang Kai didn't feel any discomfort, nor did he find any injuries on himself while his Knowledge Sea looked just fine as well.

But he clearly noticed that Li Shi Qing had done something to him just now, something involving his Knowledge Sea, but if that was the case, why didn't the Seven Coloured Soul Warming Lotus react?

Yang Kai even suspected that Li Shi Qing came here alone just to draw him out.

By the small lake, a naked and enchanting figure, that could make anyone's nose bleed, was pressed against the tree and held by her neck by Yang Kai, who had a furious and murderous look on his face. This situation looked extremely weird.

Having fallen into her trap without even noticing it, Yang Kai became somewhat angry out of shame. Naturally, Yang Kai didn't show mercy but neither was he cruel. Although Li Shi Qing's cultivation was fairly good, he literally had her by the neck now, making it difficult for her to breathe, flushing her face red.

But Li Shi Qing didn't complain at all; rather, a smile that could melt even a statue's heart hung on her face as she calmly gazed at Yang Kai, as if she would have no complaints even if he really killed her now.

Yang Kai's heart ached inexplicably seeing this but he forced down his feelings of discomfort and shouted, "Speak!"

"From now on, we will never separate," Li Shi Qing suddenly stated.

Just as she said this, Yang Kai felt his heart flutter, but his frown only grew deeper, "Are you insane? If you utter any more nonsense, I'll kill you! Don't think that I won't dare!"

Li Shi Qing smiled at him, as if she knew no fear, lifted one of her slender jade-like hands, and asked in a gentle voice while gently holding Yang Kai's arm, "Are you willing?"

Yang Kai coldly smiled, "Why wouldn't I be willing?"

On the inside though, Yang Kai was cursing vehemently, [Damn it! I'm really reluctant to do it!] As soon as he thought of killing her, it was like his mind, body, and soul all rejected the very notion violently. At this moment, the woman before him, whom he had only known for a day, actually appeared like the most important person in his life. He felt as if he had already known her for decades, and they shared a deep and unbreakable bond with each other.