Martial Peak
chapter-4649

Although thirty or so people was not a lot, the seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them were intimidating enough; therefore, while the onlookers were displeased to see that this group of people had joined forces to get ahead, they wouldn’t dare to reprimand them.

The burly man, who was standing not far away from Yang Kai, spat with a dark expression. He then took a glance at Yang Kai and Xu Wang before asking, “Why don’t we join forces?”

Yang Kai smiled without replying to him while Xu Wang didn’t bother to respond.

The burly man thought that they were timid, so he said with disdain, “People like you can never obtain anything in life. Just wait and see if there are any scraps left for you!”

He then stopped paying attention to them as he looked around in an attempt to seek reliable allies.

Just then, Yang Kai looked up and said in a small voice, “It’s about to start.”

A faint fluctuation of Space Principles was felt coming from the Void. While others might not notice it, the fluctuation was as conspicuous as a light in the darkness for Yang Kai.

As expected, right after he finished speaking, a black dot appeared at the spot where the portal had opened up several times before.

At that instant, hundreds of gazes turned to look at the black dot. The burly man didn’t have enough time to get any allies as he stared fixedly at the black dot as well.

In the blink of an eye, the black dot expanded to the size of a fist. Judging from the previous circumstances, the portal would be large enough for Humans to pass through this time.

The over thirty Open Heaven Realm Masters around the portal who had temporarily joined forces appeared excited and nervous.

Right then, a middle-aged man who was on his own shuffled forward from a particular direction. He looked just like the average cultivator when he took the first step, but his speed doubled when he took his second step, and it doubled again when he took a third step.

More than ten steps later, he turned into a ray of light and attempted to crash into the portal like a meteor.

The over thirty Open Heaven Realm Masters instantly felt threatened upon seeing that. All seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters turned to look at him as one of them bellowed, “Please be patient, Friend!”

They didn’t intend to stop others from entering the Universe Cave Heaven; they just wanted to be the first to enter; however, the portal hadn’t fully opened when someone came forward to make a scene. The person who called out just now naturally wanted to stop him.

As he spoke, he pushed out a palm that didn’t carry any murderous intent. It was obvious that he just wanted to make the middle-aged man back down for now.

The middle-aged man was unperturbed and didn’t even try to dodge the attack from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Instead, while moving forward, he simply swung his sleeve.

Instantly, his World Force surged like a tsunami as Seventh-Order pressure swept out across the void.

The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who made a move had his expression change drastically as he felt an immense force coming right at him. He lost his footing immediately and was sent flying away like a kite with a broken string in the next moment.

Besides him, the more than thirty people around the portal were all sent flying away as well. The weaker Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters spat blood as their faces turned pale.

The turn of events stunned everyone, as no one had expected that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had hidden among them.

After the Seventh-Order middle-aged man made a move, all the people around the portal were blown away. The portal happened to be fully open when the man arrived, and without stopping, he dashed inside and disappeared.

Following that, a few figures flew forward from different directions. There was an old woman whose hair was all grey, a young boy with delicate skin, and a woman with a curvy figure.

All of them exuded Seventh-Order auras. These people had all come here independently.

The hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were supposed to be scrambling into the portal, were shaking like quails in the winter without nests as none of them dared to move a muscle.

A small number of figures streamed into the Universe Cave Heaven and disappeared.

As soon as the last person entered it, the portal contracted and vanished.

The rest of the crowd was vexed upon seeing that the portal had disappeared; after all, they had been waiting here for days, but they didn’t even have a chance to enter. However, since so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had entered the Universe Cave Heaven, these people wouldn’t dare to pass through even if it was still open. To do so would be no different from trying to snatch food from Tigers.

Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he muttered, “There are so many High-Rank Masters here…”

He had never expected that so many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had hidden among these hundreds of Open Heaven Realm Masters.

Xu Wang snorted, “They’re just timid and useless people. They don’t deserve the title of High-Rank!”

A shocked Yang Kai gazed at him, “Are they not from the Cave Heavens or Paradises?”

If those people were from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, they would be considered Xu Wang’s Seniors, and he wouldn’t have made such a disdainful remark.

Xu Wang scoffed, “There is no scum like them in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”

Yang Kai frowned in puzzlement.

As though knowing what was on the other man’s mind, Xu Wang sighed, “The Shattered Heaven is more complicated than you think, Junior Brother. The waters are muddy here. There are even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, not to mention Seventh-Order ones.”

Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was astounded, “How can that be?” If that was true, he wondered why he hadn’t heard of them before. He was fully aware of how dangerous the Shattered Heaven was, but it never crossed his mind that there were Seventh-Order and even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in this place. He wouldn’t have believed it if it wasn’t Xu Wang who said it.

Xu Wang went on to say, “They have been living here for a long time, and they usually don’t expose their cultivation. That’s why most people are not aware of their existence. In any case, it’s true that there are many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven.”

Yang Kai’s expression changed, and then he asked slowly, “There’s something I’ve always been curious about. Would you please enlighten me, Senior Brother Xu?”

Xu Wang turned to look at him, “Please ask, Junior Brother.”

“Great forces in the 3,000 Worlds are categorised into different classes. A great force with only Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters is Third Class, while a great force with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters is Second Class. Only the Cave Heavens and Paradises can be considered First Class great forces. Logically, Third Class great forces would become Second Class one day, and Second Class great forces would become First Class one day. After all, even if there are no cultivators who have directly ascended to the Sixth Order in those Second Class great forces, quite a number must have directly broken through to the Fifth Order. As time passes, those Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would naturally ascend to the Seventh-Order. However, why is there not even a single Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in any Second Class great forces I know of? I haven’t been able to figure this out.”

“I know what you’re trying to ask, Junior Brother,” Xu Wang replied with a smile, “There are rumours that in order to maintain their dominant positions in the 3,000 Worlds, the Cave Heavens and Paradises never allow the Second Class great forces to have any High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Once that happens, the Cave Heavens and Paradises will either suppress or make the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who come from those Second Class great forces join the Cave Heavens and Paradises.”

Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t believe such a rumour. Given the depth of the heritages of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, it wouldn’t matter if there were some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Second Class great forces. They wouldn’t do such a thing just to destroy their reputations.”

“Is that how you look at it, Junior Brother?” Xu Wang gazed at him.

Yang Kai knitted his brows, “Is it not true?”

Xu Wang said with a smile, “What if I tell you that the rumour is real?”

Yang Kai scowled as he suddenly thought of the Proprietress, who was trying to achieve a breakthrough to the Seventh Order back in Void Land. If the rumours were true, after she made it to the Seventh Order, she would be suppressed or forced to join one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.

“If that’s true, it’d appear that those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises are rather narrow-minded.”

Xu Wang asked with a smile, “Are you disappointed in those so-called Cave Heavens and Paradises?”

Yang Kai replied dispassionately, “I never had any hopes for them, so why would I be disappointed?”

Xu Wang let out a sigh, “Junior Brother, the rumours you’ve heard about are true, but there’s a reason behind it, which I’m not at liberty to tell you. Given your aptitude, you’ll find out when the time is right. However, I can tell you that the reason the Cave Heavens and Paradises do such a thing isn’t to strengthen their rule over the 3,000 Worlds, nor are they worried that the Second Class great forces would someday grow powerful enough to threaten them. There’s a reason that most people are not aware of. The Cave Heavens and Paradises always act with a clear conscience.”

Yang Kai arched his brow without giving any remark.

Xu Ling Gong once told him that the 3,000 Worlds were not what it seemed, and now Xu Wang was saying something similar. At that instant, Yang Kai felt that his eyes had been shaded by a fog of mystery, which barred him from seeing through the nature of this expansive universe.

“Besides, do you think there are really no High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in those Second Class great forces?” Xu Wang put on a smile, “There are quite a number of them actually. Just like what you’ve said, some of them directly ascended to the Fifth Order, and as time passed, they reached the Seventh Order; however, they wouldn’t dare to show up easily. That’s because once they do, they will instantly catch the attention of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. By then, they’ll lose their freedom. Many of those at the peak of the Sixth Order from the Second Class great forces suppress their cultivation and don’t dare to achieve an ascension because of that rumour. They’re worried that a calamity would befall them once they make it to the Seventh Order.”

Yang Kai suddenly recalled a person he had come across in the past, Li Luo Shui, who was the Old Ancestor of Golden Rainbow Province. When Yang Kai brought his people to storm Golden Rainbow Province, the woman’s appearance gave him a real shock. If it wasn’t because her realm was unstable since she had just broken through to the Seventh Order, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to defeat her.

Now, it seemed that just like Xu Wang had said, Li Luo Shui was one of those cultivators at the peak of the Sixth Order who hadn’t dared to achieve an ascension. Otherwise, it was unlikely that right after he arrived at Golden Rainbow Province, Li Luo Shui was able to make it to the Seventh Order.

Previously, he was still worried that the woman would come to retaliate against him; however, he hadn’t heard any news about her over the years. Now, it seemed that the woman was either subdued by one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, or that she wouldn’t dare to show up easily for fear of just that.