Martial Peak
chapter-3013

Chapter 3013, Follow What Your Heart Tells You

As Yang Kai stepped forward, a beautiful figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way.

He looked up and a cold yet beautiful face entered his vision. The graceful figure was slender, and her white skirt fluttered in the wind. She looked like an immortal fairy that had descended into the mortal world. A refreshing fragrance wafted into his nose, clearly this woman’s natural scent, and a very pleasing one at that.

“Junior Sister Yao, it’s been a while. I trust that you’ve been well since we last met!” Yang Kai smiled at her lightly.

Ji Yao nodded lightly, sweeping her eyes over him before parting her red lips to utter a sentence that nearly made him spit blood in response, “I see you are still alive, Senior Brother.”

“Haha…” The corners of his mouth twitched, “Many thanks for your concern, Junior Sister. I’m doing well.”

“Where have you been all this time?” She asked.

“Just wandering around,” he replied offhandedly, feeling guilty for some reason.

Speaking of which, he had barely met with Ji Yao after he annihilated Seeking Passion Sect as he had been busy running around all this time; however, Hua Qing Si would always mention that Ji Yao was looking for him during his rare trips back to High Heaven Palace. Each time he had remained in High Heaven Palace for a while after hearing that; unfortunately, he would leave again before he had the opportunity to meet her.

[I believe Hua Qing Si also mentioned that Ji Yao was looking for me again when I returned this time.]

There had been many misunderstandings between him and Ji Yao.

Ji Yao had not been in the right state of mind while wandering about in the Ancient Wild Lands of the Eastern Territory. During that period, she somehow mistakenly identified Yang Kai as Bing Yun. As a result, some embarrassing incidents occurred. Even now, Yang Kai could recall the shocking scene he had witnessed in Luan Feng’s bathing room.

Seeing her at this moment instantly caused that shocking image to pop up in his mind again.

Fortunately, she later regained her senses from the shock of meeting the real Bing Yun. Regardless, Yang Kai still felt somewhat guilty when facing her as he was certain that she remembered those embarrassing incidents as well. Nevertheless, she never mentioned them and he was not foolish enough to mention them either.

Ji Yao looked at him coolly for a moment before the corners of her mouth lifted, “How many flowers have you picked this time?” Then, she actually sniffed the air around him a little and nodded, “Mm, very fragrant.”

Yang Kai felt even more guilty and quickly wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead before he smiled brightly, “Junior Sister, what are you saying…”

While speaking, he snuck a sniff of his aura and thought to himself, [It has been so long, so how could Zhu Qing’s scent possibly still be on me?]

“Is Yang Kai here? Come in if you’ve arrived. Why are you still standing outside?” Bing Yun’s voice suddenly called out from inside the palace.

When he heard Bing Yun’s voice, Yang Kai reacted as if he had received a Heavenly pardon and made some non-committal sounds before hurriedly rushing inside. Meanwhile, Ji Yao gave him a vicious look, one that made him feel as if a knife was stabbing into his back.

Upon entering the room, Yang Kai hastily greeted Bing Yun.

In response, Bing Yun studied him with a smile before nodding to Ji Yao, who had followed him into the room. Shen then gently said to him, “You’re not an outsider. Please, have a seat.”

Yang Kai thanked her graciously before sitting down opposite her.

On the other hand, Ji Yao knelt by the side with an indifferent expression. She took out a tea set and started making preparations without saying anything. Clearly, she was very familiar with the process and it would appear she was also quite skilful at it.

“When did you return?” Bing Yun asked warmly.

“I came back two months ago,” he replied.

Ji Yao’s hands paused slightly in their movements when she heard those words. Lifting her head, she looked in his direction and happened to meet his gaze. He saw the hint of blame in her eyes when their gazes collided in mid-air. She initially thought that he had just returned not long ago but how could she have known he had been back for two months now, yet she had received no word from him?

Yang Kai immediately retracted his gaze and straightened his back somewhat awkwardly.

“Have you been well, Senior?” Yang Kai desperately looked for a topic to fill the silence.

Bing Yun smiled, “En, I’ve been fine.”

That was not a statement made out of politeness, but rather just the plain truth. Ever since Yang Kai helped Ice Heart Valley tide over its crisis, the Sect had been progressing by leaps and bounds. Now that the Sect had a close relationship with High Heaven Palace, who in the entire Northern Territory dared to be discourteous towards them? Ice Heart Valley used to be one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory, but Bing Yun had been missing for many years. During that time, the Sect had been managed by Bing Yun’s disciples who, despite being stronger, were not as powerful as their Master. Combined with the fact that they were all women, they were constantly looked down upon or coveted, sometimes both. The so-called title of being one of the top Sects in the Northern Territory was nothing more than a name on paper. If this was not the case, Seeking Passion Sect would not have dared to attack Ice Heart Valley.

However, things were different now. High Heaven Palace had become one of the most prestigious Sects in the Northern Territory, second only to Medicine Pill Valley. Consequently, Ice Heart Valley had also benefited from being connected with High Heaven Palace. Nobody dared to provoke an Ice Heart Valley disciple when she went out anymore.

Bing Yun asked, “I heard that Wondrous Pill Great Emperor invited you to the Medicine Pill Valley. Have you gone yet?”

Yang Kai shook his head, “Not yet. I’ve been caught up with some trivial matters recently, so I have not had the time to go pay my respects.”

She advised, “The Great Emperor’s invitation should not be neglected. You should head there once you have the time. It will benefit you greatly if you can receive guidance from any Great Emperor.”

“En, you’re right.” Yang Kai nodded.

The two chatted for a bit and a short while later, the tea was ready. Ji Yao poured a cup for each person, and then sat there quietly.

Taking a sip of the tea, Yang Kai praised her, “This tea is delicious. Junior Sister, your tea-making skills are impressive.”

His flattering words did not seem to have any effect as she gave no response whatsoever. Hence, Yang Kai gave a dry cough and continued to drink.

Bing Yun chuckled, “Did you run into trouble?”

Yang Kai was startled before he responded with a wry smile, “Senior certainly has sharp eyes.”

To which she replied with a smile, “You seemed absent-minded, like you were lost in your own thoughts. I’d be blind if I couldn’t even see that.”

Yang Kai gave a faint nod, “I did run into something troublesome.”

Upon hearing those words, Ji Yao looked up at him and stared fixedly. Bing Yun followed up, “If you don’t mind, you may discuss it with me. I might not be able to help you, but I can at least listen.”

Yang Kai’s expression became solemn, “I seem to have encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation.”

“Oh?” She looked at him in surprise.

“I have been cultivating in retreat recently and I can clearly tell that I’m very close to breaking through, but I just can’t seem to grasp that vague opportunity.”

“And?” She asked.

“And that’s what’s been troubling me so,” he sighed helplessly.

Bing Yun failed to stifle her laughter and asked, “Is that all?”

Yang Kai looked speechlessly as he thought, [This is a huge deal to me!]

Seeing his face, Bing Yun laughed once more and tried to give him some sense of comfort, “I don’t know your exact age, but if I were to guess, you don’t seem a day over a hundred.”

He nodded affirmatively, “More or less,” while thinking to himself, [I don’t even remember how old I am anymore…]

Bing Yun then continued, “For most mortals, such an age is indeed close to the end of their lifespan, some might even have passed away already, but for cultivators like us, such an age is just the beginning. You have already reached the First-Order Emperor Realm despite how young you are; moreover, you climbed your way up from a lower Star Field. Just that alone is enough for you to be considered an unparalleled genius.”

“You are praising me too much, Senior.”

She shook her head, “I’m not praising you; it’s simply the truth. Do you know how long it took me to cultivate to the First-Order Emperor Realm?” Before he could answer, she raised a finger and continued, “A thousand years. I cultivated for a whole thousand years! Compared with your achievements, my aptitude for cultivation is insignificant.”

Yang Kai felt ashamed as he muttered, “How can I compare myself with you, Senior.”

Then, she pointed to Ji Yao, “Do you know how long it took for your Junior Sister Yao to reach the Emperor Realm?”

Yang Kai looked at Ji Yao curiously.

Ji Yao raised her hand, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup for Bing Yun while speaking softly, “Master, please have some tea!”

Bing Yun smiled and did not continue with the previous line of conversation. Instead, she focused back on the primary subject, “To be so accomplished at your age… I’m sure you’ve gotten accustomed to a smooth-sailing journey.”

[Did I have a smooth-sailing journey?] He considered it briefly. [It doesn’t feel like everything has been going smoothly for me. Rather, it feels like the journey was very difficult and bumpy.]

“That’s why you feel like it is a serious matter now that you’ve encountered a bottleneck.” Bing Yun smiled, “But in my opinion, this is nothing to be concerned over. Who doesn’t experience a bottleneck or two when cultivating? Who doesn’t encounter setbacks during their growth? A blade gets sharper the more it is honed, the same goes for cultivators. Bottlenecks and setbacks are just tools for polishing yourself…”

“Senior’s words make sense,” Yang Kai nodded.

Bing Yun then narrowed her eyes slightly and abruptly remarked, “Though, that does not really seem to be your main cause of concern. You aren’t worried about the bottleneck you encountered.”

Yang Kai now looked at her in amazement.

She smiled, “You have long understood what I mean, and you also know that you will break through this bottleneck sooner or later. You are worried about something else.”

“What do you mean?” He looked at her strangely.

She continued to smile enigmatically, her piercing gaze seemingly burning a hole into him to the point he felt uncomfortable. Then, all of a sudden, she advised, “Follow what your heart tells you.”

After saying that, she closed her eyes and gestured for him to leave.

Yang Kai’s eyes flashed and he pondered in silence for some time before picking up the cup in front of him and downing its contents. Following that, he stood up and bowed, “Many thanks, Senior.”

Bing Yun gave no reply, so he simply turned to Ji Yao and added, “Goodbye, Junior Sister Yao.” He then strode out in large strides.

Ji Yao stared at his back as he left and did not chase after him. She waited until he left before speaking, “Master, what happened to Senior Brother Yang?”

“I don’t know,” Bing Yun shook her head slowly. “But, he must have been hesitating about something. That bottleneck issue is just an excuse for him to avoid that.”

“So, Senior Brother Yang didn’t encounter a bottleneck?”

“The bottleneck is indeed there, and the opportunity for him to break through that bottleneck hasn’t arrived yet, but he understands that such an opportunity will come in due time. However, the other matter he is worrying about isn’t something as easily resolved.”

Ji Yao looked out, wondering what Yang Kai was hesitating over.

Yang Kai stood in Ice Heart Valley, summoned the Flowing Clouds Shuttle, boarded, and disappeared in a flash of light. He did not return to High Heaven Palace through the Space Array because his goal for this trip was not located in the Northern Territory. His goal was in the Eastern Territory; Dragon Island!

Zhu Qing never came back. At first, he assumed that she had been delayed on her way; however, it had been two months since he returned to High Heaven Palace. In other words, she must have returned to Dragon Island.

Yang Kai had been hesitant to go to Dragon Island to find her; but even so, he had been looking forward to Zhu Qing’s return to High Heaven Palace. They were now husband and wife, their relationship inseparable. Unfortunately, there had been no news even after waiting for so long, so it left him feeling rather uncomfortable.

[What are you trying to do? Are you trying to make us into a couple with a short-lived relationship? You can’t just eat your fill then not pay! Just you wait for me, little girl, I’m going to find you, and when I do I’ll spank you hard!] He vowed ruthlessly in his heart. Recalling what she had said to him before, he smiled coldly.

He knew that she had made this choice for his sake; however, he was not convinced that it was the right choice nor could he accept her decision. [I’m a man. I don’t need her protection.]

Yang Kai had been hesitating between waiting for Zhu Qing to come back and going to Dragon Island to find her. At this moment, he finally made his decision.