While Kang Ping looked the same on the outside, the despondence within his heart was not any less than that of his wife and Qi Wei.

However, he could only tolerate all of it now, accompanying Chen Zhiliang east in leaving the Royal Reed Sea as they travelled to Golden Court Mountain where the Southeastern Exalt"s dao arena was located.

Madame Kang and Qi Wei watched on gloomily as Kang Ping left together with Chen Zhiliang.

Looking again at the ma.s.sive divine vessel in the sky that was enveloped by multi-coloured light, the two both felt rather stifled.

They could not see Yan Zhaoge who was amidst the multi-coloured light. However, they knew that the person who had wrecked their major plans was right aboard that Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel.

Multi-coloured light flickered, the ma.s.sive vessel finally moving off once more, riding the wind and breaking the clouds as it was far away in an instant.

Qi Wei and the others could only sigh.

Kang Jinyuan hollered dissatisfiedly, “Mother! Why didn"t we get rid of them? While the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel is powerful, it is unable to rival father. Along with the geographical advantage from the formations set up by senior apprentice-uncle Qi, they would not be our opponents at all!”

Qi Wei remained silent, his expression also ugly to the extreme.

Madame Kang shook her head, “They would indeed most likely have been unable to rival us. Still, if they had been fully set on running, there was a great chance of them doing so successfully.”

“It would be fine if we successfully managed to kill and silence them, but if it failed and the news was leaked, it would be equivalent to sowing irrevocable enmity with the Southeastern Exalt.”

Kang Jinyuan said, “They are just disciples of the Southeastern Exalt, not being the Southeastern Exalt himself. We could just have killed them. If the Southeastern Exalt were to pursue the matter, with the Emperor behind us, how would we have to fear him?”

Madame Kang heaved a long sigh towards the heavens, “It is not as simple as that.”

While they had a backer supporting them, covertly setting up the Heaven Bearing Efficate Formation in the Royal Reed Sea had been on secret orders from the start.

Now that they had been exposed, stirring up a ruckus, they had undoubtedly failed in their mission.

Not only did they have to account for things to the Southeastern Exalt now, it would probably be hard to explain themselves to their backer as well.

It was true that their backer did not fear the Southeastern Exalt. Still, if a major conflict arose between the two, they who had already failed in their mission igniting a yet greater conflict, Kang Ping and the others would likely have no good end.

Therefore, Kang Ping had no choice but to head to Golden Court Mountain, working to alleviate the problem as much as possible. If he did this, there might still be a turnaround waiting for them.

Madame Kang and Qi Wei both understood this rationale. However unwilling they were, they could only tolerate it for now.

“Senior apprentice-brother Qi, I"ll trouble you to handle the remaining matters here. I"ll head over to meet King Xuanmu, “Madame Kang looked at Qi Wei, “It is fine for our two lineages, but their lineage would likely be unhappy having to lower their heads in the Royal Reed Sea.”

In the past, King Xuanmu, Shen Lingzi and Daoist Shi had led their disciples in coming to the Royal Reed Sea basically because there were clues as to the location of the legendary Earth Queen here.

The Royal Reed Sea possessed unique geography, with the Heaven Bearing Efficate Formation being set up much more efficiently here within this valley.

The descendants of Shen Lingzi and Daoist Shi had remained in the shadows, leaving all the surface matters for King Xuanwen"s lineage to handle.

So many years having pa.s.sed, the Grand Xuan Dynasty was used to lording over the Royal Reed Sea.

Qi Wei asked coldly, “So what if he is unwilling? King Xuanwen and King Xuancheng aren"t here at the end of the day. Without us to help him, that his already unstable territory can still temporarily remain secure is something he should already be thanking his ancestors for.”

Madame Kang said, “After we"ve stopped, the anti-Xuan forces should not dare to counterattack too rampantly. After all, no one what knows what kind of att.i.tude the Southeastern Exalt might take.”

“Our strength is laid out there for all to see. If someone wants to act against us, they would still have to appraise their own worth first.”

Qi Wei said, “They will most likely be keeping an eye out for the news from Golden Court Mountain as well.”

Madame Kang pondered for a moment, “Why not we fabricate things a little for them.”
……

On the Riding Wind Heavenly Vessel, Yan Zhaoge"s trio left alongside Zheng Ming"s group.

Zheng Ming would not mind Yan Zhaoge continuing to stay on the vessel. It was just that this way, he would be like Bai Ziming, just lounging there without anything to do.

This was not a scenario that Yan Zhaoge would like.

Beneath his manipulations, the heavens of the Royal Reed Sea had changed. Wanting to gain more amidst this situation, his own continued hard work was still needed.

Still, before they were to separate, Yan Zhaoge began asking questions all around, obtaining much useful information relevant to the World beyond Worlds from Zheng Ming, Wen Luoxia and the rest.

During his earlier stay at the branch altar of the Dim Darkness Sect, Yan Zhaoge had vaguely had a feeling from his discussion with the Dim Darkness Sect martial pract.i.tioners there.

Following the Great Calamity, in the relatively long history of the World beyond Worlds, some people and some matters seemed to have been played gradually down over time.

At the current time, much historical knowledge had gradually been buried, few being aware of it.

The Dim Darkness Sect had a longer history as compared to the likes of the North Sea Sword Pavilion and Copper Men Island, with much historical information still preserved. Their knowledge should thus be more abundant.

However, most of the information that Yan Zhaoge had been able to obtain from the Dim Darkness Sect regarding the World beyond Worlds was from the current era or the past thousand years or so.

Going even further back, the veracity of things would be less certain. Also, more and more would have been lost, far from being as detailed as in recent years.

As compared to this, Zheng Ming"s group was of the Southeastern Exalt"s lineage, and the background of Kang Ping"s group would not be simple as well.

Over on the vessel, he was able to learn information from even further back in time.

The Radiant Light Sect and the Dim Darkness Sect had once flourished together for a time as the past Dim Radiant Sect. However, when the Dim Radiant Sect had split apart that year, with numerous higher echelon experts also having perished, much of its historical records had been lost.

“The Exalted Solar Luminary, Gao Han, said to be a fortunate survivor of the Great Calamity,” Wen Luoxia was looking rather strangely at Yan Zhaoge, clearly still disbelieving somewhat that he was unaware of the specific origins of the Extreme Yang Seal.

As she saw it, if Yan Zhaoge was of the direct lineage of the Exalted Solar Luminary or even his very disciple, him possessing such a cultivation base at such a young age would be more understandable.

“Following the Great Calamity, he and a few other experts established the World beyond Worlds together, forming the environment that we currently live in in this day and age, reinvigorating the lineage of Daoism and rebuilding Kunlun Mountain.”

Wen Luoxia slowly continued, “These senior experts became known as the Nine Luminaries of Kunlun of post-Great Calamity times. Still, the environment here back then was still very unstable with the Great Calamity just having pa.s.sed, numerous dangers still existing within the world.”

“In order to quell these dangers, some of the Kunlun Nine Luminaries died as well. Later, there were even some who went missing like the Exalted Solar Luminary, their whereabouts hence unknown.”

Yan Zhaoge appeared greatly entertained by Wen Luoxia"s narration, causing her to feel rather irritated.

He totally ignored Wen Luoxia"s strange gaze, numerous thoughts rapidly flashing through his mind.

Hearing Wen Luoxia"s narration, Yan Zhaoge had gradually gained an increased understanding of the original owner of this high-grade Sacred Artifact that he possessed.

This Exalted Solar Luminary had unquestionably been a major figure of post-Great Calamity times.

Currently, his whereabouts were unknown. If he was still alive, bar any major occurrences, his natural progression of strength would undoubtedly make it such that he would still be able to traverse this World beyond Worlds as domineeringly as he wanted.

Just looking at the other members of the Kunlun Nine Luminaries of the past, it could basically be projected how this Exalted Solar Luminary would have ended up now.

The Exalted Earth Luminary of the Saturn Star, the current Earth Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns.

The Exalted Hidden Luminary of the Ketu Star, currently the Hidden Sovereign alongside him.

Yan Zhaoge smacked his lips.

By the same reasoning, none of the Kunlun Nine Luminaries of the past would have been incapable.

In the post-Great Calamity era, they should undoubtedly have been unforgettable figures whose role no one would be able to dismiss at all.

However, why had they gradually been buried amidst history in post-Great Calamity times following those earliest years?

If it was a deliberate action on someone"s part, who could that person be?

And also, why?