Martial Peak
chapter-4719

Cheng Yang was absolutely ecstatic when he first heard the news that the World Spring had fallen into the hands of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. With his strength, what was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in comparison? He initially assumed that it would be easy pickings if he took action himself. Who could have known that Yang Kai would give him such a huge and unpleasant surprise instead?

The strength of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was certainly nothing in front of Cheng Yang, but the other party was not only proficient in the Dao of Space, but also an expert at escaping. He failed to capture Yang Kai as a result. When Cheng Yang’s chase brought him into the Divine Ability Sea, he became stuck in an impossible situation. It was a miserable experience.

If not because Yang Kai wanted to borrow his strength to leave the Divine Ability Sea, Cheng Yang was certain he would have been abandoned in that shattered space. If that had happened, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself would have been trapped inside.

It would have been impossible for him to turn his fate around again; after all, he had personally experienced the strangeness of the shattered space himself. That was why it was not a complete lie when Cheng Yang claimed that he admired Yang Kai. There was some truth and sincerity to his words.

After staying in the Ancestral Land for some time, he learned that Yang Kai was not only closely related to the Dragon Clan but he was now being personally escorted by a Master from the Phoenix Clan. At this point, there was no longer any need to yearn for the World Spring again. Cheng Yang did not have the guts to make an enemy of the Phoenix Clan in the Ancestral Land, as they were an existence even stronger than the Kun Clan.

Having gone through so much, though, it might be possible to make up for some of his losses if he could work together with Yang Kai. It was for that reason that he opened the portal of his cave mansion so enthusiastically.

After several rounds of drinks, Cheng Yang brought up the topic again, “Little Brother, I have connections and resources while you have the ability. If you and I work together, I’m sure we will profit enormously. Won’t you consider it?”

Yang Kai raised his glass and looked at Cheng Yang with a smile, “Are you talking about the matter regarding the Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens, Divine Monarch?”

“Naturally!” Cheng Yang nodded. In the Shattered Heaven, only such valuable prizes would interest an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him. There was no saying what good things he might discover inside.

Yang Kai was about to refuse when he suddenly recalled that Xia Lin Lang seemed to be homeless after the destruction of Pear Flower Cave Heaven. The destruction of Pear Flower Cave Heaven was more or less related to him. Not to mention, she was reluctant to leave the Shattered Heaven. What would happen to her once he left?

Yang Kai pondered in silence for a moment before he said, “You mentioned that you know five or six locations suspected to have Universe Cave Heavens or Universe Paradises, right, Divine Monarch?”

Seeing that Yang Kai was interested in this matter, Cheng Yang immediately raised his brow, “That’s not all. The possibility of these five or six locations is just higher. If I include the areas with a lower probability, then there are more than ten locations. This Monarch might be in Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but my cultivation is useless in this regard. I have no access to them, much less the ability to determine whether a portal exists in these places. However, things would be different if you are involved, Little Brother.”

The portal of his cave mansion had been found easily by Yang Kai, and if Cheng Yang had not revealed himself in time, there were signs that the portal would have forcibly opened. The fact that the portal could even persist for that long was thanks to Cheng Yang’s years of work to reinforce and conceal it. On the other hand, the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises scattered around the Shattered Heaven were completely unoccupied. These places would be even easier to open.

Yang Kai took a small sip of his wine with an expression of indecision.

Cheng Yang struck while the iron was hot, “Rest assured, Little Brother. I won’t let your efforts be in vain. Lady Hong Hu is here too. We can ask her to be our witness.”

Yang Kai looked up at Cheng Yang, “Divine Monarch, do you mean…”

“Every undiscovered Universe Cave Heaven or Universe Paradise contains the assets and property of its former owner. If you help me determine the location and open the portals, Little Brother, this Monarch is willing to share all the proceeds with you in a 30/70 ratio!”

Yang Kai looked at Cheng Yang with a smile, “70 for me and 30 for you, Divine Monarch?”

Cheng Yang responded seriously, “You must be joking, Little Brother. Exploring the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises will require massive amounts of time and energy. They might even contain unpredictable risks. It is only natural that this Monarch will take the largest slice of the pie. Your role is only to open the door after all. You don’t need to worry about everything that comes afterward. You only need to sit back and wait for the rewards.”

Yang Kai shook his head, “30% is too little. If that’s the case, I might as well go home, bring a group of people over, and search on my own. That way, no matter how many discoveries we unearth, they will all belong to me.”

Cheng Yang chuckled, “I will not deny that you are capable, Little Brother; otherwise, I would not have asked you to cooperate with me. But, even if you are proficient in the Dao of Space, how many Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises can you find over the years without any clues? The Shattered Heaven is vast, so even if you spend hundreds or thousands of years searching, you might not find a single one. On the other hand, it will be different if you cooperate with this Monarch. I can point you to several likely locations, which will save you precious time and effort.”

Yang Kai nodded, “Your words make sense, Divine Monarch. Be that as it may, you will need to show me some sincerity if you want to cooperate with me, Divine Monarch. 30/70 is unacceptable.”

Cheng Yang showed a pained expression. After hesitating for a long while, he gulped down a glass of wine and slammed his glass on the table forcefully. He quickly said, “40/60! This Monarch will take 60 and you will take 40! Let’s just say this Monarch is your friend now, Little Brother!”

Yang Kai shook his head again and raised his palm, “50/50! We’ll split the profits evenly!”

Cheng Yang bitterly said, “Little Brother, you are trying to take the lion’s share!”

Yang Kai rapped his knuckles against the table lightly, “That’s my bottom line. If it’s not okay with you, Divine Monarch, we can remain friends, but don’t bother speaking of this matter again. I will be honest with you, Divine Monarch, I do have something urgent to attend to so I need to return home as soon as possible. Lady Hong Hu is here for that reason.”

Cheng Yang glanced at Hong Hu as though trying to determine whether Yang Kai was speaking the truth. It was just that Hong Hu was eating the spirit fruit in her hands with her head lowered, so there was no way to read her expression.

After a brief struggle, he finally spoke again, “50/50 is not impossible, but this Monarch has two conditions that both Little Brother and Lady Hong Hu will need to accept.”

Hong Hu raised her head to look at him and smiled, “The affairs between the two of you have nothing to do with me. Why did I get pulled into this?”

Cheng Yang, however, replied seriously, “This matter requires you to come forward yourself, Lady Hong Hu.”

Curious now, she asked, “Go on.”

Cheng Yang abruptly ripped open his shirt and exposed his chest.

Everybody immediately looked in that direction and Xia Lin Lang gasped in shock while Yang Kai revealed a look of understanding.

Cheng Yang’s chest area was covered in what looked like fish scales. They grew densely on his skin, spreading from his chest all the way down to his waist.

He quickly explained, “After venturing deep into the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land, this Monarch’s body began showing signs of Monster Transformation caused by the erosion of the Ancestral Strength. Although I managed to withdraw in time, I did not come out unscathed. Following years of recuperation, I managed to resolve most of the Ancestral Strength in my body; however, a small portion remains. Like maggots on rotting bones, I am unable to get rid of them. I would like to ask Lady Hong Hu to help me resolve this calamity for me.”

The Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength was an extremely bizarre force. It was a force that could even suppress and seal a being as mighty as a Giant Spirit God. Cheng Yang might be in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he suffered greatly for the past few years after being contaminated by the Ancestral Strength.

It would have been nothing if he was a Divine Spirit as the Ancestral Strength would have been highly beneficial and contain no drawbacks for him. Unfortunately, he was pure Human, so the Ancestral Strength was nothing more than poison to him.

Cheng Yang was lucky that he had not been exposed to too much of the Ancestral Strength; otherwise, he would have undergone complete Monster Transformation, losing his conscious mind as a result.

Hong Hu examined him with a frown. A long while passed before she said, “I will need to check your condition thoroughly before I can be certain whether I can help you.”

To which Cheng Yang nodded, “No problem!”

After saying that, his figure flashed as he came to stand in front of her. She raised her hand and lightly touched the scales on his chest. Bits of fluorescent light flashed at the tips of her fingers and wandered across each of those scales. A short while later, she withdrew her hand.

He looked at her nervously.

Hong Hu lightly said, “Thanks to your powerful cultivation, you not only dispelled most of the Ancestral Strength, but also prevented the remaining Ancestral Strength from eroding too deeply into your body over the past few years; otherwise, it would have been useless even if I tried to help you.”

Cheng Yang was elated to hear those words, “Do you mean that you can help me dispel the rest of the Ancestral Strength, Lady Hong Hu?”

She nodded, “Give me three days.”

“Many thanks!” He breathed out deeply, feeling as though a large weight had lifted from his heart. Ever since leaving the Ancestral Land, the past few years had not been pleasant for him.

The Ancestral Strength was extremely peculiar and difficult to dispel. It did not affect his daily life for the most part, but it caused great inconvenience when it came to his cultivation. Every time he tried to exert his power, the Ancestral Strength would show signs of movement. This phenomenon made him extremely nervous. Now that he received Hong Hu’s guarantee, the depressed mood that shrouded over him for so many years lightened considerably.

“The way the Kun Clan handled this affair is wildly inappropriate. I will reprimand them for you when I get back,” she said.

Cheng Yang jumped in fright at her words and hurriedly waved his hands, “No, no. It’s simply caused by my lack of ability.”

Although he was exposed to so much Ancestral Strength because the Kun Clan had forced him to venture into the Demon Sealing Land, he did not dare to voice his dissatisfaction despite the grievances in his heart. He would not have enough lives to survive the ordeal if the Kun Clan came out of the Ancestral Land to cause trouble for him.

Yang Kai spoke up, “The first condition has been fulfilled. What is your second condition, Divine Monarch?”

Cheng Yang chuckled, “The second condition is indefinite and may never be fulfilled.”

“Please speak freely, Divine Monarch.” Yang Kai gestured politely.

“I became acquainted with you thanks to one of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring, so I will be truthful with you, Little Brother. I believe that there might be other Four Universe Pillars contained within the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises hidden in the Shattered Heaven. After all, the Profound Fish appeared in the world 3,000 years ago, only for the World Spring to appear now. These incidents indicate that the Four Universe Pillars might be rare, but they were not extinct in ancient times. My second condition is that… If we find any of the Four Great Universe Pillars or Twelve Minor Universe Pillars during the period of our cooperation, this Monarch will be the one to receive them. For me, most ordinary items are no longer useful. On the other hand, the Four Great Universe Pillars and the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars are extremely useful to me. Of course, if we come across such an opportunity, this Monarch will not take these items for free. You can consider it as part of my share!”

This request was not excessive. Cheng Yang was probably still obsessed over the World Spring, but Yang Kai was closely connected to the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land, so he could not make any moves on him. In that case, he could only settle for the second-best option.

Yang Kai nodded readily, “Good!” After a pause, he added, “But, since you have two conditions, Divine Monarch, I also have a condition of my own. I wonder if you will be able to grant my request, Divine Monarch.”

Cheng Yang smiled and said, “Since you agreed so readily, Little Brother, this Monarch will not take advantage of your good intentions. Please speak freely if you need something, Little Brother.”

Yang Kai said, “I need one of the Universe Cave Heavens after we finish exploring them. Moreover, I want you to promise me that you will never expose the location of that Universe Cave Heaven to anyone, Divine Monarch.”