Martial Peak
chapter-4789

Nobody knew how the Ancestor appeared. Even the Emperor Realm Masters from the other great forces who were sitting on the viewing platform had not noticed his presence until Guan Qian Xing, who was in charge of the Disciple Recruitment, suddenly turned around and saw him.

Guan Qian Xing almost thought that there was something wrong with his eyesight at that moment. After hastily greeting the Ancestor, he immediately rushed over to give his report.

When Shang Guan Ji arrived at the viewing platform, he saw that the Ancestor was indeed sitting in the highest seat right at the centre with an indifferent expression on his face. The rock that had been weighing down on his heart for so many years suddenly lifted at that moment. [The Ancestor did not abandon Seven Stars Sect! He came back!]

While he did not see the two Disciples under the Ancestor, the Ancestor had always been similar to a hidden dragon that showed its tail but never its face. In any case, he was not qualified to ask any questions.

What delighted him even more was the reactions of the Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform.

In the past, news of the Ancestor’s disappearance had been leaked to the public for some unknown reason. Many Sects in the Void Continent had repeatedly tried to probe for the truth, and various businesses under Seven Stars Sect had faced pressure from multiple directions.

Even the Disciple Recruitment had attracted Emperor Realm Masters from more than ten Sects to come and watch. What was there to see at a trivial Disciple Recruitment? Everybody knew that this was a test!

When Shang Guan Ji welcomed these Masters, all of them wanted to visit the Ancestor; however, he politely declined all their requests. His actions might have confirmed their suspicions about Yang Kai’s disappearance.

For that reason, the Emperor Realm Masters who came to watch the Disciple Recruitment became less polite towards Seven Stars Sect over the past few days. Their attitudes towards him also became much more condescending than before.

At this moment, the same Emperor Realm Masters who had been acting high and mighty were sitting upright and shivering in fear like quails during winter. Some of them also had pale complexions and feeble auras, almost as though they had been injured.

They had been sitting here and waiting for the Disciple Recruitment to begin, and during this period, they leisurely chatted among themselves to pass time. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

It was not until Guan Qian Xing hastily bowed at a certain person in greeting that they realised something in horror. An additional person had appeared on the viewing platforms at some point in time without their realisation. Moreover, that person was sitting in the main seat belonging to Seven Stars Sect.

This incident startled them greatly! There were First-Order, Second-Order, and even Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters among them. Nonetheless, none of them had noticed his presence. Did they meet a ghost in broad daylight!?

One of those present was a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master from the Spirit Sea Temple and he originally wanted to investigate this person with his Divine Sense. Who could have known that he would experience a severe backlash just from this probing action? It was fortunate that the mysterious young man held no killing intent; otherwise, he would have died on the spot.

A Third-Order Emperor Realm Master already stood at the highest peak on the Void Continent. Even so, a simple probe had ended with such an outcome. Just how high was the cultivation of the mysterious young man!? It was rumoured that there were higher Martial Dao Realms beyond the Emperor Realm. Could it be that this person was beyond the Emperor Realm!?

Judging from Guan Qian Xing’s respectful attitude towards the young man, there was a high possibility that this person was none other than the Ancestor who was rumoured to have gone missing.

When Shang Guan Ji rushed over with the Elders of Seven Stars Sect in tow and bowed to Yang Kai in greeting, the Emperor Realm Masters finally confirmed Yang Kai’s identity. That person was indeed the mysterious and powerful Ancestor!

They were puzzled and confused by the situation. Wasn’t it said that the Ancestor had been missing for many years!? The Spirit Peak where he currently lived was devoid of people, and there were no clues about his whereabouts across the entire Void Continent. Why would he suddenly appear here today!?

Nevertheless, nobody questioned the situation. They all just quickly stood up and bowed in greeting.

Yang Kai nodded lightly, “Please sit. All who come here are guests.”

Now that all his worries from before had been swept away, Shang Guan Ji had a healthy flush on his face and he asked for instructions, “Ancestor, do you have any orders regarding the Disciple Recruitment?”

“Just proceed as usual. This King is only here to have a look.”

“Yes!”

The Disciple Recruitment was held as usual, but the news of Seven Stars Sect Ancestor’s appearance quickly spread to the public. Although Yang Kai claimed that he was only here to watch, this piece of news was extremely important to the people who came to participate in the Disciple Recruitment.

The Ancestor was not just anybody. How could he possibly come to watch the ceremony for no reason? It had to be said that the last time he came to watch the ceremony, he took in two Disciples at once! Who could guarantee that he was not here for more Disciples!?

Therefore, as soon as the news came out, all the people who came to participate in the Disciple Recruitment became highly motivated and desperately showed off their skills.

The Disciple Recruitment lasted for a whole day. Regardless of how outstanding the aptitude of a disciple though, none of them caught the interest of the Ancestor. Many people who came to watch the excitement were extremely disappointed as a result.

Hence, they were shocked and confused when Shang Guan Ji personally led a dirty and dishevelled thirteen- or fourteen-year-old young man over to Yang Kai.

The many Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform hurriedly recalled the information on this young man and quickly came to a conclusion.

Xu Yi; overall assessment C-; aptitude below average.

Nowadays, Seven Stars Sect had a higher standard when selecting new disciples. Only those with an overall assessment of C+ and above had the qualifications to join the Sect. It was obvious that Xu Yi’s assessment did not meet the requirements, so he was bound to be eliminated from the selection. However, Yang Kai had summoned him! Nobody could understand what Seven Stars Sect’s Ancestor was planning to do.

On the other hand, Xu Yi himself looked so frightened that he resembled a terrified little beast. Shang Guan Ji had probably said something to him when leading him here; hence, he immediately dropped to his knees with a thud in front of Yang Kai and pressed his head against the floor, “This little boy from the mountains, Xu Yi, greets Senior!”

Yang Kai quietly watched Xu Yi. He originally entered his Small Universe with the intention to find some suitable candidates to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture. He could not cultivate the Secret Art himself, but if he could allow the people in his Small Universe to cultivate it in his stead, then he could monitor their condition at all times. That would be very helpful for his research into the Great Nothingness Scripture.

It was fortunate that he happened to be just in time for Seven Stars Sect’s Disciple Recruitment, but he did not expect to obtain such a harvest.

There was no denying that Xu Yi’s aptitude was not very high. He was only on par with Zhao Ye Bai in terms of overall talent. Be that as it may, Yang Kai could keenly sense that this child was compatible with Time Principles.

Yang Kai’s Small Universe had an abundance of Dao Essence, namely Space, Spear, and Time Dao Essence. These three Daos were also the Daos that he was most proficient in.

Before Zhao Ye Bai was born, Yang Kai had sensed that Zhao Ye Bai had extraordinary talent in the Dao of Space. Although Xu Yi was not as innately talented as Zhao Ye Bai, he was not bad either. If he was guided properly, he might reach great heights in the Dao of Time in the future. That made him the best candidate to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture.

In this way, Yang Kai had found heirs to all three Daos that he was proficient in. Zhao Ye Bai for the Dao of Space, Zhao Ya for the Spear Dao, and Xu Yi for the Dao of Time.

“Where are your parents?” Yang Kai asked.

Xu Yi lowered his head and respectfully answered the question, “This little boy is an orphan. My parents have long passed away.”

Everybody in the surroundings revealed a look of understanding. From the tattered clothes and dirty appearance of Xu Yi, it could be seen that he had nobody taking care of him at a glance.

“Are you willing to worship me as your Master?” Yang Kai asked again.

A commotion spread through the crowd. Many of the Emperor Realm Masters and the Elders of Seven Stars Sect on the viewing platform turned to look at Yang Kai in complete disbelief. In their opinion, Xu Yi’s aptitude and assessment had no cultivation value. Even if he were allowed to cultivate, his future achievements would be extremely limited.

Why would the Ancestor take an interest in someone like Xu Yi!? What’s more, he planned to take Xu Yi as his Disciple!?

Although Shang Guan Ji was puzzled, he did not question the decision. The Ancestor would surely have his own reasons for his decision. In any case, the thoughts of the Ancestor were not something Shang Guan Ji could figure out. Maybe there was something special about Xu Yi that the Ancestor could see but they could not.

That was why he couldn’t help giving Xu Yi a gentle prod when he saw the boy staring blankly at Yang Kai, “Silly brat, why are you still daydreaming!? Receiving the favour of the Ancestor is a great honour!”

Xu Yi quickly bowed, “Disciple Xu Yi greets Honoured Master!”

He might not understand what the Ancestor represented, but he knew of Shang Guan Ji’s status. The fact that Seven Stars Sect’s Sect Master was being so respectful to this person clearly meant that the Ancestor’s status was much higher. He had been eliminated from Seven Stars Sect’s selection because did not have the qualifications to join the Sect; therefore, he had been quite disheartened. Now that there was a ray of hope in the darkness, it was only natural for him to grasp this opportunity with all his might.

Yang Kai nodded lightly and vanished out of sight with a flicker of his body. Xu Yi, who had been kneeling on the ground, also vanished at the same time!

All the Emperor Realm Masters on the viewing platform secretly gasped at the sight.

Just like how Yang Kai had appeared out of nowhere, nobody managed to catch a clear glimpse of how he disappeared either. With such elusive movements, how could anybody stop him if he wanted to harm them?

There was no need to mention how after these events, the many Emperor Realm Masters politely said their goodbyes and departed with haste.

On a certain Spirit Peak, Yang Kai studied Xu Yi, who was standing in front of him, “You wish to gain a Master, and I wish to gain a Disciple. However, this matter should not be rushed. There is something I must first explain to you. You may answer after you’ve given this matter some thought.”

Xu Yi clenched his fists tightly and nodded. The young man was not very knowledgeable, but he instinctively sensed that his answer would affect his future destiny.

“I have a Secret Art that I need someone to cultivate for me. You are a good candidate. Unfortunately, cultivating this Secret Art comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. The good thing is that you are very compatible with this Secret Art and there is a high possibility that this Secret Art can make up for your lack of aptitude. If you cultivate this Secret Art, you might achieve great things in the future.”

Xu Yi flushed beet red. It was clear that he was very excited, but he still asked cautiously, “What are the disadvantages?”

Yang Kai nodded slightly. Xu Yi’s attitude satisfied him. If Xu Yi had been too eager to cultivate the Great Nothingness Scripture, Yang Kai might not have taught him the Secret Art lest he regret his choice in the future and feel resentment towards Yang Kai instead.

“Cultivating this Secret Art will not benefit you in combat. In other words, under the premise that your opponent is in the same cultivation realm as you, you might not be able to win against them. Moreover, when your cultivation reaches a certain realm, your lifespan will be greatly shortened.”

“I don’t like fighting!” Xu Yi said softly.

Yang Kai smiled, “In the path of cultivation, battles are inevitable. You can’t avoid battles just because you don’t like them.”

Xu Yi nodded and spoke like an old man, “One has to compromise; it is not always possible to act as they please.” After saying that, he blushed furiously, “That’s what I often hear from others…” Following some careful consideration he asked another question, “How high do I have to raise my cultivation before my lifespan will start to shorten?”

Yang Kai looked at Xu Yi and said, “Very, very high. What’s more, you may not be able to reach that point at all.”

The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was not something just anybody could achieve at will.