“Every Universe World has different Principles, so the obstacles you face will be different too. With acquiring the World’s Will as the prerequisite, you have to defeat the enemies present and suppress Mo’s Source pieces. Mu has left behind her shadows in all the Universe Worlds where Mo’s Source pieces have been sealed, so you won’t be completely on your own.”
“That’s indeed some good news,” Yang Kai said joyfully, “All the same, I have to settle the Source piece in the Primordial World first; however, since I’m only a True Element Boundary Master now, I don’t have sufficient power to deal with this.”
Mu nodded, “Yes, you need an increase in your power. Also, you need a helper. Oh, she’s here.”
Saying so, Mu turned to look at the door.
Yang Kai noticed someone approaching them under the moonlight.
A moment later, a slender figure stepped into the house. As they exchanged glances, the person was shocked, clearly not expecting a stranger to be there. What was more, the stranger was a man. She was rooted to the spot.
Yang Kai was surprised as well, for the person was the Fire Order Lord from Light Spirit Religion, Li Fei Yu.
Although he had some speculations, he turned to look inquisitively at Mu.
“Come on in,” Mu beckoned to the woman.
Li Fei Yu stepped forward and saluted Mu, “Greetings, Madam.”
Then, she glanced at Yang Kai, “Who is this?”
Mu said with a smile, “No disguises are needed here. Let’s show each other your real faces.”
Yang Kai and Li Fei Yu were astounded, clearly not expecting that both of them had put on some disguise.
Since Mu had said so though, they had to oblige.
Yang Kai ran his hand across his face and revealed himself. Across from him, Li Fei Yu also took off the mask that was as thin as a cicada’s wings.
As they exchanged glances, Yang Kai appeared doubtful, for he had never met this woman before. Although he had no idea who she was, he found her image somewhat familiar.
“It’s you!” On the other hand, the woman appeared excited, “I didn’t expect this!”
Realising something, she turned to look at Mu with a pleasantly surprised expression, “Madam, is he the real Holy Son?” She spoke in her real voice this time.
Mu nodded, “Yes, he’s the real Holy Son.”
At that instant, Yang Kai put on a helpless smile. Although he had never seen the woman’s face before, he had heard her voice some time ago; therefore, he could immediately recognise her.
He cupped his fist and said, “Greetings, Holy Saintess!”
It surprised him that the person pretending to be Li Fei Yu was the Light Spirit Religion’s Saintess whom he had met in the morning.
He didn’t expect the woman to disguise herself as Li Fei Yu and come to this place in secret, which was interesting in and of itself.
The Saintess explained, “I formed some speculations when I heard that he had the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will; therefore, I wanted to verify it with you, Madam. Now, there’s no need for that.”
If anyone else had said Yang Kai was the Holy Son, she would’ve looked into the matter; however, since the woman before her eyes had said so, she wouldn’t doubt her.
That was because this woman had founded the Light Spirit Religion and left behind the prophecy. She was the first-generation Saintess.
“Does the Saintess work for you, Senior?” Yang Kai asked while looking at Mu.
Hearing that, Mu nodded, “I’ve been secretly nurturing and supporting every Saintess over the generations; after all, this position is very important, so I can’t let outsiders take over it.”
Since the Martial Dao in this World was weak, the cultivators generally didn’t enjoy a long life; therefore, Mu had to feign her death and step down from her position as the first Saintess. Otherwise, she could’ve been the Saintess until now.
“What about the Eight Order Lords?” Yang Kai asked.
The Saintess explained, “Big Sister Li is one of us. Both of us were candidates to be the next Saintess back then. In the end, Madam let me become the Saintess while Big Sister Li took over the Fire Order. No one interferes in the process of selecting the other Order Lords.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai said, “In that case, are you aware that the Holy Son you are currently nurturing is a sham?”
With Mu behind the Saintess, the existence of the Holy Son shouldn’t be a mystery; however, before Yang Kai’s arrival, there was already a Holy Son that the Spirit Religion had been hiding from the public. Although the so-called Holy Son had passed the ‘test’, his identity was still up in the air.
As expected, the Saintess nodded, “Yes, but the matter is slightly complicated. Moreover, that person might not be aware that he’s a fake Holy Son. He’s most likely being used.”
“What do you mean?”
The Saintess explained, “Madam left behind a prophecy and a test back then. When the chosen one was discovered, the circumstances really did match the prophecy, and he also passed the test; therefore, the others believed that he was the true Holy Son. Although I knew he wasn’t, I couldn’t expose it at that time.”
“Is someone behind all of this?” Yang Kai realised the crux of the matter.
In response, the Saintess nodded.
“Do you know who the person is?” Yang Kai asked.
The Saintess shook her head, “Big Sister Li and I have been looking into the matter for years; although we have some clues, we’re not certain who the mastermind is.”
Yang Kai said, “This person is quite good at concealing himself. It’s no wonder that when Zuo Wu You and I were on our way to the Holy City, we were besieged by those from the Spirit Religion. An Order Lord even tried killing us back at the manor.”
“The person who plotted against the two of you is undoubtedly the hidden mastermind,” remarked the Saintess.
“Has that person sided with Black Ink Cult?”
“I don’t think so,” replied the Saintess, “Every time an Order Lord comes back from the outside, I inspect them with the Purifying Heart Secret Technique to ensure that they haven’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Therefore, the person is probably not part of the Black Ink Cult.”
“Why has this person done such a thing, then?” Yang Kai was perplexed.
“It’s because the person craves greater power,” the Saintess smiled helplessly, “He must be an important figure, but ultimately, I am the leader. As such, he probably wants more influence; after all, in the Spirit Religion’s doctrine, the Holy Son is the true saviour. As long as he can control the Holy Son, he’ll effectively be in charge of the Spirit Religion.”
After hearing her explanation, Yang Kai recalled what Mu had said earlier and muttered under his breath, “Crafitness, malevolence, greed… The dark side of Human nature.”
The darkness in living beings could help increase Black Ink Strength and strengthen Mo’s power.
As long as Humans were Humans, things wouldn’t always be positive. Where light existed, so did darkness.
The Saintess continued, “In the past, I didn’t expose the lie to prevent the Spirit Religion from splintering; however, since the real Holy Son is here, the phoney no longer has to exist.”
“What do you plan on doing?”
The Saintess replied, “That person is still cultivating, and such a matter cannot be rushed. It’s common for an impatient person to suffer from cultivation dissonance and pass away.”
Despite her soft voice, her words were merciless. Yang Kai couldn’t help but take a second look at her. Certainly, a person who could be the Saintess wouldn’t be a naïve pushover.
After giving it some thought though, Yang Kai shook his head, “You just said that the person might not be aware that he’s a fake Holy Son and has probably been fooled. Since he’s innocent, there’s no reason for us to kill him. The mastermind is at fault.”
The Saintess nodded, “In that case, we should get to the mastermind. Big Sister Li and I have some suspects on our list. The fake Holy Son was brought back by Si Kong Nan from the Wind Order in the past, but the person who tried to kill you, Chu An He, worked for Luo Yun Gong of the Earth Order. On the other hand, the Lake Order Lord, Guan Miao Zhu, is also a suspect. These are just our suspicions, and we don’t have any evidence.”
Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “To me, the mastermind behind all this isn’t important either. It is inevitable for Humans to harbour a dark side. As long as the mastermind hasn’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength or sided with the Black Ink Cult, everything he’s been doing is simply to gain more power and influence, not to assist the enemy. Even if he is in control of the Holy Son and the Spirit Religion, he’ll still oppose the Black Ink Cult.”
“You have a point,” the Saintess nodded in agreement, “No Order Lord would ever be willing to side with Black Ink Cult and become their slave.”
“That’s right; therefore, we don’t have to find out who the mastermind is. Just let them be. We also don’t have to expose the fake Holy Son.”
The Saintess appeared surprised, “You mean…”
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “A while back, the reason I claimed to be the Holy Son and tried to enter the city was to verify some suspicions I had. Now that I’ve seen the person I need to see and found out everything I need to know, the Holy Son’s identity no longer matters to me. It can even be said that it will be easier for me to take action by hiding in the dark.”
The Saintess realised his intentions, “Do you want to remain in the shadows to monitor both the Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Indeed.”
Suddenly, his expression turned solemn, “Time is running out, Holy Saintess. The fight against Black Ink isn’t just about the survival of this World, it will affect the wider Universe as well. As such, we have to destroy the Black Ink Cult as soon as we can.”
Hearing that, the Saintess put on a helpless smile, “The Spirit Religion and Black Ink Cult have been fighting each other for countless years; however, we’re equally matched. Although I’m the current Saintess, I can’t initiate a full-scale war against the Black Ink Cult on my own. I have to discuss it with the Eight Order Lords, and I need a reason to persuade them.”
“A reason…” Yang Kai muttered. As an idea sprang to mind, he clapped his hands, “Maybe we can make use of this incident.”
The Saintess’ interest was piqued, “What is it?”
Yang Kai said, “Didn’t you tell me to go through the test when we were in the Grand Hall?”
“Yes,” the Saintess nodded. At that time, she was doubtful, so she asked Yang Kai to take part in the test; after all, he had gained the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will, so they couldn’t deal with him as they pleased. However, if he couldn’t pass the test, he naturally wasn’t the real Holy Son. By then, they could do whatever they wanted.
To those who were not aware of the truth, since the real Holy Son had been discovered, there was no doubt Yang Kai was a phoney. As such, he couldn’t possibly pass the test.
In truth, the Saintess wanted to know if Yang Kai could pass the test as well; after all, she knew that the Holy Son that the Spirit Religion had been hiding from the public was fake.
Nevertheless, she was puzzled as to why Yang Kai brought up the test all of a sudden.