Martial Peak

Translator: Silavin & Tia

Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

When it came down to it, these people had Wu Kuang to thank for their positions. If not for Wu Kuang's rampage in the past, they would never have gotten the chance to become Great Emperors.

"But, there will always be a chance, right? A Great Emperor is not immortal after all," Sheng Yu Zhu smiled. She might have been a beauty with a sweet smile back in her heyday, but her current appearance was not suitable for showing a smiling face. It only made her look uglier than if she had cried instead, "Your greatest advantage lies in your youth."

Yang Kai nodded, "What Senior says makes sense." Up until today, it had only been a little over a hundred years since he started cultivating; moreover, it was not a problem for him to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm or even the stage that was half a step away from becoming a Great Emperor with his aptitude. He had a long life ahead of him, so it was not impossible for him to stand at the top when the time came.

Sheng Yu Zhu leisurely stated, "If such a day really comes… I'm just saying; if such a day really comes, I will tell you how to become a Great Emperor."

Yang Kai's entire body stiffened for a moment at those words and his eyes gleamed brightly as he stared at her, "Senior, you know the secret to becoming a Great Emperor?"

This had been a question he had always been wondering about. He only knew that he had to master World Force in order to become a Great Emperor but he didn't know anything more than that. Nevertheless, what kind of existence was a Great Emperor? Even if he could master World Force, he might not succeed in becoming one. On the contrary, what Sheng Yu Zhu just said gave him an infinite sense of hope.

Sheng Yu Zhu replied, "I might have stood a chance if I had not been plotted against by Wu Kuang back then. I've experienced something similar once before, so how could I not know something?"

Yang Kai suddenly had the impulse to grab at his ears and scratch at his cheeks. He was itching to know more, so much so that he was tempted to use force to pry the secrets out of her mouth. If he could understand the secrets to becoming a Great Emperor, then he would be one step ahead of the others when the time came. Be that as it may, he was not a person who could not distinguish between right and wrong. Sheng Yu Zhu was simply reciprocating a favour, so how could he go against his original intentions? Nevertheless, he had to admit that the repayment she was giving him was extremely valuable. It might sound rather vague and unreliable, but it was still worth more than any artifact in the world.

Yang Kai grinned sheepishly, "Can't you just tell me now?"

Even though he knew the possibility was slim, he still had to try asking. Who knows? She might teach him everything out of goodwill.

Unfortunately, Sheng Yu Zhu just slowly shook her head, "There's no point in telling you if the time isn't right. You should just focus on cultivating for now. Opportunities will come to those who are prepared."

Nodding, he did not force the issue. Then, his expression suddenly changed as he asked, "I might be competing against Senior when that time comes. Aren't you worried that you might raise a strong contender against yourself?"

Even if an opportunity presented itself, it was a very slim chance. It was impossible for something like the battle at the Shattered Star Sea to occur again where several positions for Great Emperor suddenly became vacant. For somebody as superior as a Great Emperor, the death of any one of them was a world-shaking matter in itself; therefore, even if an opportunity presented itself in the future, chances were that it would only be for one spot. What Sheng Yu Zhu was doing was equivalent to creating a strong rival for herself. Moreover, this rival would know everything she knew.

Sheng Yu Zhu laughed when she heard his question though, "Disputes in the Grand Dao are matters of life or death. Besides, did you really think that you and I will be the only ones fighting over that spot? When that time comes, all those qualified in the world will sense it. We might even be able to work together against them when the time comes."

"So that's how it is, Senior," Yang Kai's doubts were assuaged. He had to admit that what Sheng Yu Zhu said was reasonable. When the time came, all the hidden Old Monsters cultivating in some corner of the world would swarm towards this chance, so what difference would one more person make? On the contrary, forging a friendship now might allow them to work together to fend off their enemies in the future before having a final showdown between themselves at the last moment.

Taking all this into consideration, Yang Kai no longer hesitated. Cupping his fists, he said, "Senior, this Junior is grateful for the kindness you have shown me. Now then, let's leave this place."

"Thank you," Sheng Yu Zhu nodded gently. Despite doing her best to suppress the trembling in her voice, it was still shaking noticeably. It could be seen just how emotional she was at the moment. She had been trapped here for tens of thousands of years after all, and if she did not leave soon, she would really turn into a pile of bones.

Knowing that it was difficult for her to even move, Yang Kai did not act reservedly. He walked over, apologized slightly, then reached out to pick her up. Sheng Yu Zhu was extremely light, making Yang Kai sigh in pity as he felt as if he was carrying a mere skeleton.

To think that an existence that was only half a step away from becoming a Great Emperor would find herself in this position. Just how much hardship had she suffered over the years? She didn't even know what she did to offend Wu Kuang so greatly that he would set such a trap for her before she even had the chance to fight for the position of Great Emperor.

Space Principles surged as Yang Kai opened a corridor along the path he came from and returned to the mountain valley in the blink of an eye.

When the rich World Energy rushed in from all sides, Sheng Yu Zhu couldn't help but moan in his arms. Her dull gaze immediately bloomed with a shocking brilliance. [How many years has it been!? How many years has it been since I last felt the existence of World Energy!?]

There had only been an endless nothingness and chaos in the Void, and if not for her Secret Techniques that protected her body, she would not have survived for so many years in there.

Yang Kai clearly felt her body trembling slightly in his arms and could at least somewhat understand her feelings; thus, he deliberately brought up a different topic, "This place is Luo Sha Sect, which is located in the Southern Territory. Senior, you would not have heard of it before, but this Sect has just been attacked and the majority of its Masters fell as a result. I had some connections with a certain member of this Sect, so I came here to serve as a High-Rank Guest Elder to shelter them. Senior, if you don't mind, you can stay here for the time being to recuperate. Why don't you figure out your plans after you recover a little more?"

"This body is barely alive, so anywhere is fine." Sheng Yu Zhu didn't seem to care about such matters as she breathed in the surrounding air greedily, as if she had just been reborn.

Yang Kai nodded, "Since Senior doesn't mind, I will make the arrangements."

"Wait a moment," Just as Yang Kai was about to leave this place, Sheng Yu Zhu suddenly patted him on the arm to stop him. Even though he didn't know the reason why, he still stood there motionlessly.

At this moment, it was almost dawn and the sun was rising from the East. After waiting for a short while, a gentle light slowly enveloped the land. Sheng Yu Zhu was staring into the distant horizon at that moment, and when she saw the first rays of sunlight, her eyes were filled with a miserable and slightly emotional look as she muttered, "I never thought I'd have the chance to see this again."

Yang Kai felt a little dumbfounded when he heard those words. He thought she had something important she needed to do immediately upon returning to the outside world, but how could he have known that she wanted to stay here to watch the sunrise? It had to be said that no matter how long they lived, women would always be women…

Having said that, Yang Kai truly admired her. If he had been trapped in the Void Crack for tens of thousands of years, he was certain his personality would have warped dramatically, or more likely, he would have gone insane even if he somehow managed to survive through various means. However, Sheng Yu Zhu had held onto who she was throughout all those aeons of suffering. It could be seen just how strong her mental fortitude and perseverance were.

Yang Kai had no doubt that as long as she recovered to her peak, he might not be a match for her when the battle for the Grand Dao occurred. [Perhaps, nobody in the world will be able to stand against her. But, so what? She doesn't even mind sharing one of her greatest secrets with me, so how can I, as a man, cower now? As someone also pursuing the Grand Dao, one who understands things thoroughly should simply forge straight ahead.]

Looking to the East, Yang Kai suddenly felt a sense of pride. The small exchange he had with Sheng Yu Zhu made him feel a kind of urgency. Opportunities were indeed for those who were prepared. Although he had no idea when that ethereal opportunity would appear, he had to obtain the qualifications to fight among the best in the world before that happened. If he didn't even have the qualifications to join that battle, then he could only watch as the opportunity passed him by. In the end, strength was the key to everything.

Yang Kai spent some time watching the sunrise with Sheng Yu Zhu before bringing her back to Luo Sha Peak. Ran Yi Rou and Yu Ke Ran were shocked when they saw him coming back with a woman who was nothing but skin and bones. The main reason was that Sheng Yu Zhu's current image was too horrible to look at. Even so, they didn't dare to ask anything and respectfully arranged for Sheng Yu Zhu to be settled in one of the rooms under Yang Kai's instructions.

When the two young women left, Yang Kai finally said, "Senior, please recuperate here. Let me know if there's anything else you need."

Sheng Yu Zhu did not act pretentiously and asked bluntly, "Can you lend me some Source Crystals and Spirit Pills? I will pay you back in the future."

Yang Kai's top priority was to swiftly improve his strength and finish his preparations in advance; on the other hand, Sheng Yu Zhu wanted to restore her strength as quickly as possible. Yang Kai did not know if her cultivation had experienced regression after being trapped for tens of thousands of years, but after surviving such an ordeal, she would certainly gain some benefits as well. With her perseverance and determination, it would not be too difficult to regain her former might.

Sheng Yu Zhu spoke in a light-hearted manner, but Yang Kai did not mind her attitude. Taking out an empty Space Ring, he placed a few million High-Rank Source Crystals and some useful Spirit Pills into it for her before handing it over.

When Yang Kai came out of the palace, he encountered Tao Ying Ruo, who had rushed over in a hurry.

"Elder Yang," Tao Ying Ruo bowed and glanced inside the palace. It was obvious that she had received some news and came to get a better understanding of the situation.

Yang Kai lightly replied, "Acting Sect Master, you came at just the right time. There's something I need to tell you."

He was just about to tell her about Sheng Yu Zhu so that she knew Sheng Yu Zhu would be recuperating in Luo Sha Sect for the foreseeable future, but before he could even say a word, he received a Divine Sense transmission from Sheng Yu Zhu, "Tell her to come in."

Yang Kai was slightly taken aback for a moment before he smilingly said, "Acting Sect Master, please go inside. Senior seems to have something to say to you."

"Senior…" Tao Ying Ruo was shocked. In her opinion, Yang Kai was already a superior existence, but to think that he would call somebody else by the title 'Senior'! Could it be that he brought back a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master from somewhere!? According to the report from Ran Yi Rou and Yu Ke Ran, that person seemed to have trouble moving about and her aura was very weak. Moreover, she is so emaciated that she was practically just skin and bones. How can a person like that be Yang Kai's Senior?

Although those thoughts went through her mind, Tao Ying Ruo did not dare to be disrespectful. Asking to be excused, she hurriedly walked inside.

Meanwhile, Yang Kai waited outside quietly. Ran Yi Rou and Yu Ke Ran walked over at that moment, knelt at his feet, and firmly declared, "Please forgive us, Elder." They both lowered their eyes demurely and looked extremely pitiful.

Yang Kai looked down at them in surprise, but after some slight thought, he couldn't help chuckling lightly. He guessed that these two girls were afraid that he might blame them for reporting to Tao Ying Ruo. Having said that, even if they had not done so, he would have had to visit Tao Ying Ruo anyway. This place was Luo Sha Sect after all, so it was not appropriate for him to bring a stranger here for no reason. Helping them up, Yang Kai casually comforted them with a few words and eventually got them to relax.