Martial Peak

The Old Man could not help but look up to Yang Kai.

The truth is, Yang Kai seemed to have endless Yuan Qi only because he has the ability to accumulate them.

The True Yang Secret Arts that Yang Kai cultivates and the Martial Skill that Yang Kai had just received both share similar abilities. Both are able to store an accumulated amount of Yuan Qi. True Yang Secret Art allows Yang Kai to absorb Yang Yuan Qi and turn it into Yang Liquid, storing it in his Dantian. Meanwhile, this Martial Skill allows Yang Kai to inject his Yuan Qi into a pocket of space, which can be used in the form of an explosion.

However, there are some differences between the two. In his Dantian, Yang Kai is able to store limitless amounts of Yang Liquid. Meanwhile, the space from the Star Chart on his hand was different. It had a limit.

Yang Kai spent two days converting 10 drops of Yang Liquid into Yuan Qi and injected it into the space. He could feel the saturation in it.

Once Yang Kai felt that it was enough, he began to revolve True Yang Secret Arts to restore his Yuan Qi once again. Whenever he felt the Star Chart on the back of his hand crave for more Yuan Qi, he would inject more into the space and rinse and repeat the process. It was an easy Martial Skill that took little time to master. It was the perfect Martial Skill for Yang Kai.

Two more days passed, and Yang Kai opened his eyes to find that the Star Chart now looked more lifelike. The constellations seemed as though it was real, and grew on his hand. It was now comparable to the stars of the night sky!

By simply concentrating, Yang Kai managed to make the Star Chart invisible, as it hides under his skin.

Yang Kai took a deep breath and exhaled. The Star Chart was an outstanding attention magnet. It would no doubt raise suspicions, causing potential problems. Thankfully, it is easy to conceal..

Yang Kai recalled something and asked the old man, “You said that you have seen this Martial skill before. Do you know its name?”

“I apologise for my incompetence, Young Hero, but I cannot recall”. The old man’s voice sounded as horrific as before but had a tad bit more obedience in it after two days.

Yang Kai’s eyes sparkled. Although he does not know what caused it, he could tell that the Old Man has gained a newfound respect for the boy.

“Alright. I’ll give you an opportunity. Help me give it a name.” Yang Kai remembered himself previously taking a while to decide on a name for the Burning Sun’s Blast. With the old man’s presence, why not make use of him to choose a name that may strike fear in enemies’ hearts? What’s more, the old man is seasoned. Surely, a simple task as thinking of a name is easy for him.

“Yes!” The voice that had been silent for a long time changed its tone. “Since there is a Star Chart on the back of your hand, why don’t we call it the Star Mark?”

“Star Mark... The mark of stars...” Yang Kai muttered before nodding, “Yes. Star Mark sounds good!”

The old man zealously congratulated Yang Kai. “Congratulations in mastering the Star Mark, Young Hero! With such unparalleled talents and matchless vigour, there will come a day when everyone will only look up to your figure in awe!”

Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Humph!”

The Old Man shut up after realising that his flattery produced an undesirable effect.

“Have you thought of a means to save your life?” Yang Kai provocated.

The old man remembered how fragile his life is and petitioned, “Young Hero! If you spare me, I will certainly deliver you a sacred treasure!”

Yang Kai looked around the cave and spoke, “If you actually had a sacred treasure on you, its home would be this cave. All I have to do is to look around, meaning I don’t need you. So remind me, what is the point of keeping you alive with this information in hand? If you ask me, you living is against my personal interest. I’d rather build you up and absorb your strength.”

The old man wasted no time in begging once again for mercy, “Young Hero. Please have mercy! I will recognise you as my sole master for life! As long as you keep my Immortal Soul Brandmark on you, you can decide my death in an instant! Please! I beg of you! Show mercy, Young Hero!”

“Oh? Yang Kai’s opinion seemed to sway as he opened his mouth to answer, “How do I know if what you are saying is true?”

The Old Man made a forced smile. “I am currently trapped within your body and I have no idea how to escape. You can kill me with a snap of your fingers. Young Hero, how would I possibly dare to deceive you?”

Yang Kai didn’t say anything. Although the thought of keeping such evil around was revolting to him, he thought it’d be a waste to kill him, given his vast knowledge and extended experience.

Only because Yang Kai wished to obtain as much knowledge as he could this Old Man has, he hesitantly spared him.

Yang Kai’s silence only worsened the old man’s anxiety. He nervously spoke, “Young Hero. If you spare my life, I will show you how to use the Sacred Treasure I kept here. However, if you kill me, you will not be able to use this Sacred Treasure...”

“Why?” Yang Kai asked.

“Because my Sacred Treasure is an evil weapon! It pulls the Immortal Souls of victims when it makes contact! Young Hero, your Yuan Qi’s attribute is Yang. It is impossible for you to use it without me.”

Yang Kai took a deep breath as he responded naught once again, and a frown slowly formed over his cheeks.

The Old Man knew that the decision Yang Kai makes now would determine his life and death. Naturally, he dared not interrupt. His chances of dying were already fairly high, and he did not want to escalate it any further.

Only after a long time did Yang Kai speak again. “How do I get recognized as your master? What do I need to do?”

Instantly, the old man’s heart sank and he spoke like he was shivering in the cold, “Young Master, please relax. This old servant will enter your mind and pass to you my Immortal Soul Brandmark.”

The corner of Yang Kai’s lips curled.

The old man then elaborated, “Young Master, please understand. Even if you were in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, you do not have the means to use your own Divine Senses. I plead that Young Master believes in this Old Servant’s sincere intentions.”

“Then, hurry!” Yang Kai demanded and relaxes himself.

The Old Man stuttered in shock. As Yang Kai’s decision made him express more admiration towards the boy. If it was others, they would fear to take upon themselves such a risky endeavour. Yang Kai, however, was able to catch the bull by its horns and tame it like it was a timid little dog.

In actuality, Yang Kai did not need to feel worried at all. The last time the old man invaded his mind, he was able to prevent it by absorbing his Immortal Soul into his golden bones. If Yang Kai feels such an attack begin to occur again, he could quickly force the old man to stop by building up the Immortal Soul.

Sure enough, the old man had no evil intention in fear of Yang Kai. He submerges into the boy’s mind with a wisp of his Divine Sense, carefully and neutrally passing the boy his Immortal Soul Brandmark.

The old man then finally spoke, “Young Master, it’s done. From now on, this old servant’s life and death is all in your hands.”

Yang Kai opened his eyes and could feel a strong bond between himself and the Old Man. However, it was not a mutual relationship.Yang Kai had complete dominance over the old man.

“Do you need time to restore your Immortal Soul’s Spirit Essence?” Yang Kai asked in a gentle tone.

The Old Man replied. “After passing you my Immortal Soul Brandmark, I think I really do need to rest and replenish myself, but Young Master, you don’t have to be too worried. I will not make you lose anything. So, can you please take away your intention...?”

Yang Kai confidently grunted and spread out his intention.

TLN: (by simply thinking, he can bring pain to the person... ouch...)

In the next moment, a pitiful yell emerged. It was almost as though someone was being cooked in boiling oil.

“Young Master please forgive this Old Servant for his impudence! What I said was true!”

The Old Man kept begging for solace before Yang Kai let him off, “If you dare have any disloyal thoughts, I will torture you until you wished for death!”

“Old servant does not dare!” He sounded like he was shaking with fear. With what has happened, he has discovered that Yang Kai was a ruthless person.

TLN: (Damn! Took you long enough to realize!)

After being able to completely subdue the Old Man, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.

“What would I call you?” Yang Kai asked.

The Old Man hesitated, “... You can call this Old Servant anything you wish. However, I do vaguely remember others calling me the Old Demon! But, I cannot say for certain if that was my given name or not...”

Yang Kai’s forehead pressed against his brows, “Old Demon? You seriously are a devil incarnate!”

The Old Demon smiled awkwardly, “That is a thing of the past... a thing from a very long time ago. From this point onwards, this Old Servant will obey no one but your commands.”

“What about the Sacred Treasure that you’ve said?”

“Young Master, please redirect your attention to the Old Servant’s bleached bones...”

Following the Old Demon’s guidance, Yang Kai went back to the spot littered with the dust of his bones to find a piece that looked like a rib. However, this bone was entirely different from the other bones that crumbled like a cookie. This bone was jet black in colour! When Yang Kai listened closely to that very bone, he was shocked to detect a faint sound of shrieks and howls emanating from it!

“What strong Evil Qi!” Yang Kai commented.

The Old Demon explained, “This thing is called the Soul Breaker Awl. It was built up and chiselled into the Old Servant’s own bone. It has taken many lives before... so the Evil Qi is slightly overwhelming.”

“When you refined this, did you built up many Immortal Souls?” Yang Kai inquired further.

The Old Demon gave a hallowed laugh, “Young Master is wise. But because of that reason, it is not suitable for you to wield. If you were to build it up and exude your control over it, I fear that the weapons will greatly diminish in power. However, with the Old Servant’s Immortal Soul to act as a bridge for you, you do not have to worry. Unfortunately, this thing consumes much Yuan Qi and with my current strength, I will not be able to display its full might.”

The news did not perturb Yang Kai. He could tell that one day, he will be able to fully utilise this weapon with all its potential. Currently, its power was equal to that of an Earth Low Grade Attack Treasure.

“How do I use it?”

The Old Demon taught Yang Kai the methods of control and within another0 few days’ time, Yang Kai managed to learn how to use the Awl. Black Qi spawned out from Yang Kai’s fingertips, linking to the Soul Breaker Awl, causing it to encircle him. Yang Kai could also feel that he had a light relationship with this weapon, with the Old Demon’s Immortal Soul acting as a middleman between the both.

With a few experiments, Yang Kai felt satisfied. Although it consumed a lot of Yuan Qi due the need for it to pass through the Old Demon as a proxy, Yang Kai still managed to receive an Attack Sacred Treasure.

The Old Demon mentioned, “Young Master, if you wish to build it up thoroughly, it will require a lot more time.”

While saying his piece, the Old Demon felt extremely uneasy. He still fears annoying Yang Kai.

“I do not intend to fully build it up. It will be controlled by you.”

“Many thanks, Young Master!” The Old Demon gratefully replied.

Yang Kai did not wish to waste time to build up the Soul Breaker Awl. After all, he could already use the Old Demon to control it. Why would he need to waste any more time to build it up? The Old Demon’s life is his, anyway.

Strings of black gas oozed from Yang Kai’s fingertips and moved towards the Soul Breaker Awl. It was none other than the Old Demon, placing his Immortal Soul within the Soul Breaker Awl.

Yang Kai then took a look around the place again and expressed some disappointment, “You only have this one Sacred Treasure?”

The boy knew that the Old Demon was a high level cultivator in his life before death. For such cultivators, there was almost no chance for them to have only one Sacred Treasure.

The Old Demon forced a smile, “Young Master, you know that this place previously had a war that changed everything. When I was involved in the fight, all my other items were completely destroyed. The only thing that I could salvage was this Soul Breaker Awl...”