Martial Peak Chapter 6084, Yang Ji’s Gift
Previously on Martial Peak...
Chapter 6084, Yang Ji’s Gift
Author: Silavin
That sudden "wow" echoed in Lei Ao’s ears like a clap of thunder. His heart plummeted and his complexion turned deathly pale.
*Bang!*
The awkward scene was abruptly cut off by Yang Ji, who slammed the door shut before turning his gaze toward Yang Xu. She stood there with her hands clamped over her mouth, visibly startled by her own outburst.
“Sister, that was going a bit too far…” Yang Ji remarked, looking like he was struggling to find the right words.
“I'm sorry…” Yang Xu whispered, unable to say much else. She realized that her small exclamation had likely shattered the pride of a ‘man’. Her Mother, Yu Ru Meng, had frequently reminded her that men were incredibly prideful beings. Her Father was like that, and her Brothers were no different.
Yang Ji paced back and forth outside the room, lost in thought. Finally, he came to a decision. “Sister, why don't you head out for a bit. I’ll deal with Lei Ao myself. I can manage this. Facing a girl right now would probably be too humiliating for him.”
Yang Xu considered this for a moment. [Seeing him now would indeed be awkward. Besides, it’s just my Brother alone with another guy, so it should be fine…]
“Alright, I’ll leave him in your hands.” Agreeing with the plan, Yang Xu handed over the jade scroll. She then vanished from the immediate area, though Yang Ji could still easily feel her presence lingering nearby.
*Haa…* Now that he had inherited this troublesome task, Yang Ji sighed and pushed the door open again. Upon entering, he found Lei Ao sitting upright on the bed, looking perfectly composed as if nothing had transpired.
Yang Ji kept his expression neutral, though his lips twitched involuntarily. Internally, he felt a sense of relief. [Are you really going to pretend nothing happened? Fine by me, that makes this a lot less uncomfortable.]
“Teacher Li Wu Yi instructed me to help you catch up on your studies. He even provided this scroll containing the lessons you've missed while you were out.” Since Lei Ao wanted to play it cool, Yang Ji decided to get straight to business.
However, Lei Ao merely snorted in derision, “You? You’re going to teach me? *Ha!*”
Yang Ji’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh? For someone who couldn't even handle the heat of our bathwater, you certainly have a big mouth.”
“Th-that’s only because your cultivation realm is significantly higher! That has absolutely nothing to do with my talent in the Dao of Space!” Lei Ao snapped back.
“You are merely in the Transcendent Realm. How much could you truly understand about the Dao of Space? Furthermore, you are attempting to cultivate two Daos simultaneously,” Yang Ji stated flatly. This revelation hit Lei Ao like a physical blow, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
“W-wait! How do you know that!? Your Father may be the Principal, but he has no right to share my private records with you!” Lei Ao shouted, but Yang Ji quickly shut him down.
“What? Why would my Father need to tell me anything? I can clearly sense the fluctuations of Space Principles and Time Principles coming off you. It’s hardly a secret. You aren't even trying to mask it. Besides, your cultivation realm is lower than my Little Brother’s. Seeing through you is easy,” Yang Ji explained calmly. To an outsider, it might have sounded like he was boasting, though he had no such intention.
“Wait! Then… just what is your actual cultivation realm?” Lei Ao’s eyes widened, his heart racing with anxiety.
“I’m in the—” Yang Ji was prepared to answer honestly, but a voice suddenly rang out in his mind, stopping him.
“Stop! If you reveal the truth to him in his current state, you will cause irreparable harm to this child’s cultivation. His Dao Heart is already wavering. If you say more, it might shatter entirely,” the Heavenly Demon Queen warned.
“Wait, are you serious?” Yang Ji asked through his Divine Sense, but he received no further response.
[Are Dao Hearts truly that fragile?] Yang Ji wondered. He honestly didn't know the answer.
Deciding it was best to dodge the question, Yang Ji said, “I’m obviously at a higher realm than you. If you want to know the truth, find out for yourself once you’ve grown stronger.”
Lei Ao’s gaze sharpened. This was a challenge he couldn't back down from. “Fine! I’ll get stronger than you! Way stronger! Just you wait! I, Lei Ao, Young Master of Red Clouds Cave Heaven, swear that I will surpass you!”
The declaration of defeat meant little to Yang Ji; it was like background noise. Yang Hao had made similar vows countless times over the years, and after seven years, the gap remained. However, one detail did catch Yang Ji’s interest.
[Oh? He’s from a Cave Heaven?] Yang Ji’s eyes widened slightly. While he had met several disciples from the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises, he hadn't met them all. He tried to remember if he knew anyone from the Red Clouds Cave Heaven, but nothing came to mind.
From what he recalled, Red Clouds Cave Heaven was a Sect that specialized in collecting rare resources and was famous for their Auctions. He didn't know much about their internal affairs, but he knew that anyone from a Cave Heaven or Paradise shouldn't be dismissed lightly.
So far, while the disciples he’d met couldn't beat him or Yang Xu, they were more than a match for his younger siblings.
[Ah, no wonder he’s here. High Heaven Palace is renowned for its masters of the Dao of Space and Dao of Time. Most other Sects only have proficiency in one of these abstruse Daos, but High Heaven Palace excels in both. For Red Clouds Cave Heaven, sending their Young Master here to build connections is a smart move…] Realizing this, Yang Ji nodded to himself. [Wait… rare materials, Auctions! Oh!!!]
Suddenly, Yang Ji’s gaze turned sharp, like a tiger eyeing a young deer. [My dear ‘friend’. I bet you know about all sorts of interesting places.]
Under that intense stare, Lei Ao couldn't help but shiver. [Wait. Is he getting mad because I said I’d beat him?]
This thought only fueled Lei Ao’s competitive drive. Rather than backing away, he forced himself to meet Yang Ji’s gaze.
Seeing that Lei Ao was also ‘interested’, Yang Ji nodded. [Mothers always said I should be kind to make friends. I’ll give him a gift then.]
Yang Ji thought for a moment before an idea struck him. [Yes! Father gave that to me and Yang Xu as a gift. He’ll surely be grateful if I share it with him!]
“Since this is our first real meeting, let me give you a gift.” Yang Ji offered a smile so innocent it would have made his Sister’s heart flutter.
But for Lei Ao, that smile would be burned into his memory forever… it looked like the grin of a Devil.
Yang Ji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, his eyes snapped open. Before Lei Ao could even blink, Yang Ji’s index finger shot forward and tapped Lei Ao’s forehead.
In that instant, Lei Ao felt the cold touch of death. The aura concentrated in that single finger was so potent it was beyond comprehension. It moved so fast he couldn't even react.
As soon as the finger touched his brow, Lei Ao felt his entire body lock up. His Soul was paralyzed. It felt as though his very existence was being pulled into quicksand. He tried to fight back, but it was useless. The darkness from below rose up, swallowing his Soul whole.
In the final second before his world went black, he saw that smile again. The smile he would never forget.
…
Yang Ji let out a long breath as a bead of sweat trickled down his face. He had just expended a massive amount of Spiritual Energy and Qi to pass his ‘gift’ to Lei Ao. He had even drawn upon Yang Xu’s reserves. He was completely drained after imparting the gift.
The ‘gift’ in question was his own personal experience with Space Principles and Time Principles. He had shared a ‘small’ portion of his memories, forcing Lei Ao to experience them firsthand.
Yang Ji considered himself to be ‘very thoughtful’. He hadn't physically thrown Lei Ao into such a space, only sent his Soul through the trial.
To Yang Ji, this was just like the gift his Father had given him—the Array Plate that he and Yang Xu used for training. The same one that had once trapped Fang Tian Ci.
This was the perfect solution. He could teach Lei Ao the Dao of Space while giving him a magnificent present at the same time! Yang Ji was convinced this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
However, Yang Ji had vastly overestimated his ‘good friend’. If he had only shared knowledge of the Dao of Space, it might have been fine. Lei Ao would likely have escaped the mentalscape after a few years. Upon waking, he would have jumped from beginner to advanced mastery of Space.
But Yang Ji had mixed in the Dao of Time. This made things incredibly complicated. The Dao of Time was even more abstruse than the Dao of Space, and combining them made it nearly impossible to distinguish between the two.
While such things were easy for Yang Ji and Yang Xu, the same couldn't be said for others.
To escape, one had to reach a certain level of mastery in both Daos. Could Lei Ao actually do it? Or would he be trapped there for eternity?
Yang Ji didn't even consider these questions. To him, escaping that space was easy, so he wasn't worried at all. In fact, he was currently feeling guilty that his gift was so small.
[If only my own comprehension were deeper… my gift could have been so much better…] Yang Ji sighed. He felt this was nothing compared to what his Father had provided. The training grounds and tools his Father gave him were far superior and much more difficult. By comparison, Yang Ji felt this ‘little gift’ was quite pathetic…
After all, if he had given this to Yang Xu, she would have solved it instantly.
Yang Ji thought about waiting for Lei Ao to wake up, but Yang Xu suddenly sent him a message, so he had to leave.
Before departing, he offered a parting wish to the unconscious boy. “Good luck. Let’s go on an adventure together one day.”
Even though only a few seconds had passed in the real world, Lei Ao had already endured several years… and the only thing he could remember before being cast into that void of endless darkness and time was that innocent, terrifying smile…
…
At that exact moment, Yang Kai sneezed. Despite being an expert in the World Creation Realm, he had sneezed. This was a truly terrible omen.