Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Ashish

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

"Aha… ha…" Yang Kai forced a laugh, "This Junior is not that capable or noble…"

Before he could finish, Mo Huang added, "I also think that it would be a little reckless to ask you to do this, but Old Chu said that you must do this."

"Why?" Yang Kai furrowed his brow, curiously looking at Chu Tian Ji.

Chu Tian Ji unhurriedly replied, "A few days ago, this Old Master suddenly felt restless and ill at ease. I vaguely felt that something momentous was about to occur and immediately started divining and received a premonition. Little Friend Yang, do you know what the prophecy was?"

Yang Kai thought to himself, [How would I know? If I knew it, then I would be Heaven's Revelations Great Emperor. What is wrong with you?] He immediately shook his head, revealing a curious look.

Chu Tian Ji turned his head, looking to one side as he replied in neither a hurried nor slow manner, "The Moon is slowly setting, but there is still a glimmer of light left."

Yang Kai pondered hard but he couldn't figure out what this prophecy had to do with him and humbly asked, "I understand the part about the moon setting, obviously it is an omen indicating that Senior Bright Moon is in danger, but what does this glimmer of light have to do with me?"

Chu Tian Ji raised his head, pointing, "Look there, what do you see?"

Yang Kai followed along his gaze and immediately saw a thick poplar tree that a human could completely embrace that had dense foliage.

Chu Tian Ji continued, "That day, this Old Master was divining there, and that tree is what resonated with the hexagrams. Look again, in which direction is that poplar tree?"

Yang Kai checked the directions before hesitantly replying, "North…?"

Chu Tian Ji agreed, nodding, "The Moon is slowly setting, but there is still a glimmer of light in the north poplar! So, can my little friend understand?"

Realization immediately dawned upon Yang Kai. [North's poplar, north's poplar, north direction, surnamed Yang. Who else could it be pointing to beside me? But is this really reliable?] It wasn't that he was doubting Heaven's Revelations Great Emperor's ability. Since the world gave him the moniker Heaven's Revelations, and he could peer into the past and see the future, so he had the necessary skills, but what kind of place was the Demon Realm? A team of Great Emperors was forced to leave one of their own behind just to escape from the entrance to that place. What could an insignificant Second-Order Emperor like Yang Kai achieve in such a land? Forget about rescuing Bright Moon Great Emperor, just getting there alive would be a miracle.

(TL note: Poplar in Chinese is Yang(杨), Yang Kai's surname.)

Yang Kai immediately fell into contemplation. To be honest, although he was a little curious about what the Demon Realm was like, he had never considered going there. It wasn't that easy to directly refuse two Great Emperors right to their faces though, so all he could say was, "Seniors, even if this Junior wishes to help, I'm afraid he is powerless to do so. This Junior is completely unaware of the Demon Realm's situation, or where exactly Senior Bright Moon may be, but more importantly, how to safely enter the Demon Realm is already an almost insurmountable obstacle. Although the passage between the two worlds is open, it is impossible for this Junior to openly or covertly make his way through it. If this Junior really tried, the Demon Race would surely tear him to pieces before he even got to the entrance. But apart from the passage, how else can this Junior enter the Demon Realm?"

"You have your own way!" Chu Tian Ji looked at Yang Kai with a smile.

Yang Kai's brow twitched as he asked, "And what way would that be?"

Chu Tian Ji slowly shook his head, "Although this Old Master is unaware of the details, he knows you have a way to enter the Demon Realm. Furthermore, you will surely meet a tribulation in the Demon Realm, but after you have overcome it, you will soar into the sky in a single leap."

Yang Kai asked, staring at him, "What tribulation?"

Chu Tian Ji just smiled and didn't explain.

Mo Huang, on the other hand, was a little shocked as he asked, "Brat, do you really have a way to enter the Demon Realm?"

Yang Kai rebuked, bitterly smiling, "What nonsense!? Unless all the Great Emperors escort me in, there is no way, but if we do that, the Demon Realm would surely know all about it. At that time, even if this Junior somehow safely made it to the Demon Realm, he would not have a moment's peace. This Junior would more than likely die a brutal death." His face turned serious as he stated, cupping his fists, "This Junior is really powerless. Seniors, please do not make things difficult."

Yang Kai really didn't want to go to the Demon Realm. Even if Heavens Revelations Great Emperor said that the slim chance of Bright Moon Great Emperor making it through if he went, that was just a vague prophecy, that's all. Even if it was really accurate, what could he do when even Bright Moon Great Emperor was unable to do anything?

Just as he said this though, Yang Kai suddenly noticed a figure walking into the pavilion through the corner of his eyes.

Upon checking who it was, Yang Kai cried out in surprise, "Junior Sister Lan?"

It was none other than Lan Xun. Who knows when she came to Heavens Spying Valley, but during these days Yang Kai hadn't seen her, Lan Xun had become very haggard and it was clear from her red, puffy eyes that she had been crying frequently.

This wasn't surprising though as Bright Moon Great Emperor had been trapped in the Demon Realm for so long, and she had not heard any news from him. As a daughter, she must have been extremely worried about her father.

Lan Xun walked up to Yang Kai without speaking a word, and under his dumbstruck gaze, knelt down with a thud and pleaded in a trembling voice while kowtowing, "Please, Senior Brother Yang, I beg you to save my father!"

Yang Kai was shocked and hurriedly jumped up from his chair, trying to pull Lan Xun up by her arm, "Junior Sister Lan, what are you doing? Quickly get up."

Lan Xun, however, remained in her position, repeating, "I beg Senior Brother Yang to save my father!"

"Get up first. We can talk afterwards." Yang Kai was truly anxious. Ever since he first met Lan Xun in the Four Seasons Realm, they had been good friends who despite only meeting a few times, had helped one another greatly. When he was weak and unknown, Lan Xun had taken care of him many times. As the daughter of a Great Emperor and the Princess of Star Soul Palace, Lan Xun had never abused her status. Rather, she had always been gentle and courteous when dealing with others.

Yang Kai had a very good impression of Lan Xun. She was so many times better than Yao Lin.

Now though, this friend was actually kneeling in front of him, putting Yang Kai in a serious predicament. A friend should never kneel before his or her friend like this.

He tried pulling her up a few times, but Lan Xun refused to budge. Yang Kai finally lost patience and forcefully yanked her to her feet, but just as he was about to speak a few words to her, he saw her break into tears before him, her pretty eyes full of helplessness and pleading, forcing him to choke down the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Bitterly smiling, he sighed, "Junior Sister, why?"

Lan Xun stated, painfully shaking her head, "I have no other choice." She immediately added, "I know that I am forcing you to do something you don't want to, and that the Demon Realm is extremely dangerous. But Uncle Chu said only Senior Brother Yang can save Father. So, Junior Sister has no choice but to brazenly beg you. If Senior Brother agrees, Junior Sister is willing to do anything to repay you, whether it be a maid or a slave. Junior Sister is willing to serve you as you like to repay Senior Brother's kindness."

Yang Kai felt a deep, throbbing headache as he sighed, "Junior Sister Lan, please don't make such a tasteless remark."

She had gone as far as to declare that she would be his slave, serving him for a lifetime as he liked, so it was clear to Yang Kai that Lan Xun really saw him as her only life-saving straw.

And since she had said as much, it would obviously be reprehensible if Yang Kai still refused. It would have been fine if it was a stranger, or even a casual acquaintance, but Lan Xun had done him many favours and helped him immensely over the years. Yang Kai wasn't an ungrateful person.

After hesitating and struggling for a long time, Yang Kai finally let out the longest sigh of the day and said, "Junior Sister, don't worry. As this matter is very important, how about allowing me to think about it for a moment?"

Lan Xun nodded, "Yes! Senior Brother, if you want to refuse, please tell me straight. Junior Sister knows she has been ungraciously rude here." When she said this, a troubled look appeared on her face. Obviously, she didn't want Yang Kai to take the risk, but since it was related to her father and since Chu Tian Ji had said that Yang Kai was the only hope, she had no choice but to make a last attempt.

The pavilion sunk into silence for a while as Yang Kai appeared to be contemplating, facing the poplar tree in silence.

After a long while, a long sigh finally escaped his mouth as he turned around.

The three in the pavilion looked at him. Lan Xun looked even more restless; she wanted Yang Kai to agree, but at the same time, didn't.

Yang Kai smiled, "Junior Sister, I promise. I'll go to… the Demon Realm!"

Chu Tian Ji and Mo Huang looked at each other plainly, as if everything happened just like they had planned. They knew he would not agree happily, but fortunately, they had the forethought to bring Lan Xun here.

"Thank you, Senior Brother," Lan Xun lowered her head and added in a low voice. "This trip to the Demon Realm will surely be fraught with peril, so whether or not you can save my father, Junior Sister hopes that Senior Brother can safely return."

Yang Kai assured her, nodding, "Don't worry, I will definitely bring Senior Bright Moon back safe and sound."

Lan Xun stated, "I'll be waiting for you!" Having said this, she turned around and left.

Yang Kai scratched his head, [It sounded… a little unusual.]

After a while, Yang Kai glanced left and right before sullenly asking, "Are you two satisfied now?"

Mo Huang raised his brow in surprise as he asked, "Kid, you noticed?"

Yang Kai stated, snorting, "How could Junior Sister Lan just happen to be here for no reason? Obviously, this was part of your arrangements. You knew that Junior Sister Lan has shown me great kindness in the past, so I would definitely not be able to refuse her."

Chu Tian Ji chuckled, "This Old Master had no choice but to resort to such means. Little Friend, please forgive me."

Yang Kai stated, shaking his head, "Senior Heaven's Revelations, there is no need to be so serious. This Junior knows that Senior Bright Moon's safety is very important. If he can be rescued from the Demon Realm, it will certainly help the Star Boundary's situation. It is just that this is very important and this Junior is a little afraid of failing to live up to your expectations, so I would have preferred to refuse."

Mo Huang nodded his appreciation, "How very thoughtful of you, but then again, how will you enter the Demon Realm? And how can you ensure that you won't be corrupted by the Demon Qi and transform into a Demon after?"

Although Yang Kai had been fighting with the Demon Race these days, the Demon Realm was the Demon Race's backyard. Demon Qi was everywhere there and Yang Kai wasn't a Great Emperor, so who could guarantee that he would not be demonified?

Yang Kai lightly replied, "Senior doesn't need to bother about these things, this Junior naturally has his own way."

Everyone has their own secrets, so after hearing what he said, Mo Huang naturally didn't ask any more questions, he simply nodded and said, "Is there anything we can do to assist you? If you need something, feel free to ask."

Yang Kai replied, "After I go, I'm afraid that I won't be able to return for quite some time. I just hope that Senior can take good care of the people of High Heaven Palace and Tiger Roar City."

Mo Huang promised, "You can rest assured about this. Although this King cannot guarantee that they won't be injured, this King can guarantee that they will not die."

"That's good then."

Chu Tian Ji asked, "Do you have any other requests? We will fulfil whatever conditions you may have."

Yang Kai thought for a while before asking, "I would like to ask you to help me pass a message to Senior Iron Blood."

Mo Huang raised his brow, wondering what Yang Kai was planning on asking Zhan Wu Hen.

While he was being suspicious, he saw Yang Kai take out a jade slip and fed a message into the Divine Sense.

After a while, he handed the jade slip to Mo Huang.

"That's it?" Mo Huang looked confused.

"That's it." Yang Kai nodded, "For this Junior to safely enter the Demon Realm, I will need Senior Iron Blood's help."

Mo Huang became curious, "How can he help?"

Yang Kai grinned at him but didn't answer.

Mo Huang angrily stated, "Boy, acting all mysterious, what exactly are you planning?"

Yang Kai simply picked up the teacup in front of him and drank it in one gulp before he stood up and said goodbye, "This Junior will take his leave first. The next time we meet, I hope that we will be fighting side by side!"