Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Tia

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

As always, Profound Pill Sect was bustling with noise and excitement. That was especially true in the vicinity of the Seeking Pill Pavilion and the Recruitment Stage. People would gather around these places all year round; after all, there was a never-ending stream of cultivators who wished to make pill requests or attach themselves to an Alchemist.

All of a sudden, a figure descended from the sky and landed directly in front of the Seeking Pill Pavilion. The undeniable aura of a Spirit Realm Master radiated from the figure, startling passers-by with the sudden turn of events.

Everybody hurriedly turned to look at the figure in amazement, secretly marvelling at who would be so bold as to act so presumptuously in front of Profound Pill Sect. It had to be said that Profound Pill Sect was one of the Ten Great Sects in the Divine Armament World, so no matter who came here, they had to walk up from the foot of the mountain; otherwise, their conduct would be considered disrespectful.

On the other hand, the expressions of the guards on duty at the Seeking Pill Pavilion became very sullen. They quickly stepped forward to confront that figure only to become respectful upon recognising the figure. Then, they immediately cupped their fists in greeting, “Alchemist Yang!”

Yang Kai nodded lightly and ignored them. Looking up at the Reception Palace located at the top of the mountain, he strode forward without hesitation as a series of exclamations rang out from behind him.

Over the past few years, Yang Kai’s reputation in the Seeking Pill Pavilion had flourished. Countless Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had been refined by him personally, and the lowest quality among them was Mid-Rank. Many cultivators had advanced into the Heaven Realm thanks to those pills and for that reason, eight out of ten cultivators who came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill would seek out Yang Kai for help.

It was just that Yang Kai generally performed Alchemy on Fixed Moon Peak and rarely ever appeared in person at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. That was why only people from Profound Pill Sect could recognise him. No outsiders knew what he looked like, so when they learned that this man who was almost excessively youthful was actually the famous Alchemist Yang, they suddenly had the feeling that knowing somebody by their reputation was not as good as meeting them in person.

When Yang Kai walked past the Recruitment Stage, the melodious tolling of a bell suddenly rang out from the depths of Profound Pill Sect. The bell rang nine times in quick succession.

The expressions of everybody who heard the bell immediately changed drastically. They glanced in the direction of Profound Pill Sect’s Headquarters in disbelief. For the bell to be tolled nine times meant that something major was happening. There were only a handful of times where the bell had rung nine times throughout the history of Profound Pill Sect, and every single time had spelled an impending disaster that almost destroyed the entire Sect!

The bodyguards of the Seeking Pill Pavilion immediately started dispersing all the people who came to make pill requests and sealing the passage leading up the mountain. It didn’t take long for all the people to be chased out.

Although most of the people in Profound Pill Sect were clueless about what was going on, the entire Sect was now shrouded in a sense of turmoil.

One man stood in front of the Reception Palace with a bitter smile, watching as Yang Kai walked up the mountain, his expression a little bewildered. He could not imagine how Yang Kai, who had only been an Earth Grade Alchemist just a few years ago, could cause such a huge commotion in the Sect today.

This person was the one who introduced Yang Kai into Profound Pill Sect, and it was also thanks to his close personal relationship with Yang Kai that he was sent here.

A cool breeze blew past as Yang Kai looked up at the man blocking his path and cupped his fist, “Senior Brother Gao!”

Gao Xin Peng looked at Yang Kai with a complicated look in his eyes and returned the greeting, “Junior Brother Yang!”

The two bodyguards behind Gao Xin Peng gripped their swords tightly, their expressions solemn. Like wolves that were about to pounce on their prey, they were ready to attack at any time.

“Why are you here, Senior Brother Gao? Does the Sect Master have instructions for me?” Yang Kai asked.

Gao Xin Peng smiled bitterly, “You caused quite a commotion this time, Junior Brother. The higher ups want to have a good chat with you.”

Yang Kai nodded, “That was what I was thinking too; otherwise, I would not have returned to this place.”

Gao Xin Peng breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m glad you think so, Junior Brother Yang. Since you’re of the same mind, please surrender your sword and seal your cultivation. Then, come with me to meet the Sect Master and the Elders!”

“Is that the Sect Master’s will?” Yang Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gao Xin Peng nodded lightly in response.

Yang Kai sighed, “I hold no malicious intentions towards the Sect. Although I have indeed kept some secrets, all I really did was go with the flow.”

Gao Xin Peng said, “I believe you, Junior Brother. It’s just that the current situation requires you to show some sincerity, Junior Brother.”

Yang Kai slowly replied, “The fact that I came back here is the greatest sincerity I can show! If the Sect insists on doing this their way, then I will be forced to slaughter a path out of this place! To be honest, I’m reluctant to do something like that, but if I have no other choice, then that’s all I can do.”

Gao Xin Peng’s expression changed, “Junior Brother, please don’t be so impulsive! You’re only one person!”

Yang Kai smiled slightly, “I may be alone, but I’m strong enough to represent a thousand men!”

“Junior Brother!”

He raised a hand to stop Gao Xin Peng, “You don’t need to say anymore, Senior Brother Gao. Please inform the Sect Master and the Elders that I can only persist an incense stick of time!”

Gao Xin Peng gave Yang Kai a deep look before he sighed heavily, “I will pass the message to them. You’re on your own now, Junior Brother!”

While saying so, he turned around and headed towards a Spirit Peak in the distance with his two bodyguards in tow. His figure vanished out of sight in the blink of an eye.

Following Gao Xin Peng’s departure, 8 figures emerged from their hiding places to surround Yang Kai. Every one of them wielded a Spirit Armament, and they eyed Yang Kai aggressively.

Yang Kai turned to look around and gently nodded, “The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard... A bunch of loyal fools indeed!”

When the last word left his mouth, Yang Kai’s figure abruptly became strangely hazy, and in that moment, he slipped past their encirclement and appeared where Gao Xin Peng had been standing earlier. The True Void Sword was held in his hand as fresh blood slid down the length of its blade.

The Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard were shocked. 8 Spirit Realm Masters had surrounded Yang Kai, but none of them saw how he managed to break out of their encirclement, and by the time they reacted, Yang Kai was already walking away.

They immediately acted to stop him, but something peculiar occurred. When they tried to push their Spirit Qi, streams of blood involuntarily spurted out of their bodies. All their strength quickly flowed out through their wounds and with a series of thuds, all 8 of them fell to one knee on the ground.

They were absolutely horrified. Only now did they realise that they had been injured by Yang Kai. Fortunately, while their injuries were severe, they were not lethal. They simply lost their ability to fight and could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai walked forward with a mixture of horror and reluctance to admit their loss. Nevertheless, they understood one thing clearly, with the unfathomable speed that Yang Kai displayed just now, killing them would have been as easy as waving his hand for him. The reason he wounded but did not kill them was definitely an act of mercy.

*Chi chi chi chi...*

A never-ending series of sounds sliced through the air next as countless arrows flew over from all directions, pelting down on Yang Kai’s location in a dense rain, each one containing an extremely terrifying force.

Under such an intensive barrage, even a Ninth-Step Spirit Realm Master might not come out unscathed. However, the angle and trajectory of these arrows had clearly been calculated with great deliberation with none of them aiming at his vital spots. It was clear that even now, Profound Pill Sect had no intention of taking his life.

Yang Kai did not move a single step, but the sword in his hands danced and formed a barrier of sword lights. Under the urging of his Spirit Qi, a series of rattling and clanging sounds rang out and every single arrow in that dense rain was cut down without a single exception.

Many of the cultivators hiding in ambush turned pale with fright at the sight. In that moment of daze, Yang Kai’s figure vanished from their field of vision. Immediately after that, the first scream resounded through the air. The screams of agony continued endlessly... Subsequently, the cultivators hiding in the vicinity collapsed limply in pools of their own blood.

…..

Inside the Main Hall located several mountains away from the Reception Palace, all the higher ups of Profound Pill Sect had gathered together. With Sect Master Baili Yun Sang in the lead, many Elders, Deacons, and Protectors assembled behind him.

Gao Xin Peng had just finished reporting the results of his negotiation with Yang Kai, after which Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly and gave a wave of his hand to dismiss him.

Great Elder Wu Feng Hua said, “He certainly is a man who values his comrades. He came back despite knowing that he is no match for us. Unfortunately, he is a little arrogant.”

Yu Bo Yang frowned, “Sect Master, that brat has only just advanced into the Spirit Realm. No matter how unusual he is, how strong can he be? Don’t you think we are a little too nervous about this? We’ve deployed all the forces that can be deployed in Profound Pill Sect. If word got out about this incident, we will be the laughing stock of the public!”

Baili Yun Sang replied, “I certainly hope we are just overestimating his strength, but... I don’t dare to take what Old Qi said lightly.”

Yu Bo Yang turned to glance at Old Man Qi and scowled, “Old Qi, are you sure that brat is so strong that even you are not his opponent? Are you sure you’re not mistaken about this?”

Despite listening to Old Man Qi’s reports earlier, almost nobody in the entire Profound Pill Sect believed him. Be that as it may, his words were stated with utter certainty. Wu Zheng Qi also provided a testimony to the fact, so it was difficult for them not to believe the words of those two. Although they had agreed to deploy all the combat forces they could, Profound Pill Sect’s leaders still couldn’t help feeling that they were being overly cautious.

Old Man Qi lowered his eyes and spoke quietly, “This old man might not compare to you in the Alchemic Dao, Third Elder, but this old man has immersed himself in battle for centuries now. That boy is the strongest Master this old man has ever seen in his life! If he wanted to kill me, he could have taken my life within 10 moves!”

Yu Bo Yang blinked and burst out laughing, “Old Qi, why are you being so humble? You’re one of the strongest Masters in the Divine Armament World. Aside from the Armament Masters, there aren’t many people who can kill you, let alone in 10 moves.”

He subconsciously believed that Old Man Qi was exaggerating about Yang Kai’s strength to shirk the responsibility for failing the last mission. It was just that Old Man Qi was a highly trusted and influential individual in Profound Pill Sect thanks to his position as the Sect Master’s personal Blood Warrior, so Yu Bo Yang could not criticize him too much.

Old Man Qi simply chose to remain silent.

“Reporting!” A shout rang out as a cultivator sped through the sky and landed in front of them.

Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “How is the situation over there? Did you capture that brat yet?”

After asking his question, he realised that the messenger looked extremely panicked.

The messenger’s voice trembled, “Alchemist Yang has broken through the first and second lines of defences and is quickly approaching the third!”

“What!?” Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment.

Likewise, Baili Yun Sang and the other Elders also had horrified expressions on their faces. They could barely believe their ears. How much time had passed since Yang Kai arrived!? It had been no more than ten breaths since Gao Xin Peng came to report the situation, so how did Yang Kai break through two lines of defences already!?

It had to be said that the Blood Warrior Hall’s Heavenly Guard was in charge of the first line of defence, and they were all Spirit Realm Masters. Even if they were not the strongest Masters in the Sect, they highly outnumbered their opponent. Moreover, they were proficient in group tactics, so even if it was Old Man Qi, it was uncertain whether he could achieve victory against them.

Meanwhile, the second line of defence consisted of dozens of cultivators who were adept at archery. Falling into their encirclement would mean severe injuries at the very least, if not death.

[Did... Did he break through the defences just like that!?] Yu Bo Yang had not believed Old Man Qi earlier, but it would now seem that Old Man Qi had not been exaggerating, but what kind of Alchemist has such terrifying combat power!?