The next day, Shen Kai—now bearing the power of the eight star symbols of Venerable Bifu—left the Buddha Realm. The sacred wind fluttered his black-gold robes, his steps light but purposeful. Behind his sharp eyes, only one intention filled his heart: to find Yuan Jin.
Traversing ancient sects, great nations, and even hidden kingdoms, Shen Kai continued to search. No human, animal, or spirit could stand in his way. The scent of Yuan Jin's power, which he had touched in the past, was now a faint trail that he followed.
After days of wandering, Shen Kai finally stopped in front of a majestic gate that read: Blue Moon Sect.
His golden eyes sharpened.
"I sense your aura here, Yuan Jin," he murmured.
Without wasting any time, Shen Kai stepped into the sect grounds, slipping in unnoticed. He wandered between blue-lit buildings and misty hills, until his eyes finally caught a familiar figure in a large kitchen.
There, a young man dressed in a simple white robe was refining pills over a fire furnace. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his serious expression showed extreme dedication.
Yuan Jin.
Shen Kai watched silently from behind a stone pillar, his eyes reflecting a thirst for something more than mere admiration, it was obsession.
But as he was lost in his observation, a hand tapped his shoulder.
"Excuse me, are you looking for something?" said a friendly voice.
Shen Kai turned his head quickly. In front of him stood a young man, dressed in the light blue uniform of the Blue Moon Sect, with a friendly yet wary face. The name on his chest emblem read: Wang Jifei.
Coldly, Shen Kai replied, "This is none of your business."
Wang Jifei raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that you are an intruder? Are you spying on this sect?"
Shen Kai's anger exploded instantly.
"I told you not to interfere! You are courting death!" he snapped.
In an instant, before Wang Jifei could utter a sound, Shen Kai grabbed his neck with one hand. A hoarse voice escaped Wang Jifei's mouth as he struggled to free himself, but Shen Kai's power was too absolute.
Wang Jifei's scream echoed loudly, causing the disciples and elders of the sect who were around the kitchen to scatter.
A few seconds later, Shen Kai flew into the air, his body hovering over the Blue Moon Sect arrogantly, still clutching the dying Wang Jifei.
With a violent movement, he threw Wang Jifei's now lifeless body into the middle of the sect grounds.
"I return your disciple," Shen Kai said, his voice echoing loudly among the stone pillars of the sect.
The sect master and the elders immediately appeared, their faces full of anger and wariness.
"Excuse me, has our Blue Moon Sect ever offended you?" one of the elders asked cautiously.
Shen Kai grinned, his eyes glowing golden.
"All kneel before me! Anyone who resists will die!" his voice was like a clap of thunder.
The elders looked at each other. Shen Kai's murderous aura was so thick that it made the air feel heavy, even the high-level disciples shivered in fear.
Shen Kai then continued, "I see, this sect has a disciple named Yuan Jin. Hand him over to me."
The disciples immediately whispered in fear. The name Yuan Jin was a new name that had recently caught everyone's attention in the Blue Moon Sect. There were many rumors about his strength that had not been fully revealed.
An elder, Li Sanzhou, finally stepped forward. With a hand gesture, he called someone from within the main hall.
Light footsteps were heard. A young figure with short black hair, a stern face, and a burning gaze, walked in front of Shen Kai.
Yuan Jin stood firm, looking directly at Shen Kai without fear.
"I'm here," Yuan Jin said.
A small smile appeared on the corner of Shen Kai's lips.
"Finally... You've come," he said softly, as if finding prey that had been chasing for a long time.
"What do you want?" Yuan Jin asked, his voice calm but full of alertness.
"Hand over the sword you've been hiding," Shen Kai said as he pointed at Shidou, the sword on Yuan Jin's back.
Yuan Jin's eyes narrowed.
"If you want it, you have to take it from me."
The surrounding atmosphere turned tense. Even the elders had activated a bit of their defensive aura, sensing that a great battle was about to break out.
"Truly stubborn," Shen Kai muttered.
Then, one of the eight stars— Nivaltra Star—floated above his head, emitting a dark purple light that shook the entire space.
"Then… Experience the fury of the Demon God King!" Shen Kai shouted, raising his hand to strike.
However, before the attack could be unleashed, the sky above the sect cracked like shattered glass. A sparkling crack opened up, connecting the mortal world to a hidden sacred space.
Everyone held their breath.
From within the crack, an ancient artifact in the form of a golden-plated book shone brightly, emitting an unrivaled aura—the God King's Inheritance Key!
"What is that?!" one of the elders exclaimed.
"The God King's Inheritance… has finally appeared!" a disciple shouted.
Even Shen Kai widened his eyes, shocked by this unexpected appearance.
Yuan Jin, with his sharp instincts, immediately made his move.
In an instant, he charged towards the crack, passing through the aura of chaos and the exploding holy light.
But before he could reach the key, a black lightning bolt shot towards him—thrown by Shen Kai in anger.
"How dare you steal this opportunity! Die!!" Shen Kai roared.
Yuan Jin gritted his teeth, pulled Shidou out of his sheath, deflecting the lightning with a powerful slash.
A massive explosion erupted, tearing through the air, creating a shockwave that shook the entire sect valley.
In the chaos, Yuan Jin charged towards the inheritance crack, chasing after the key that would determine his future fate.
While Shen Kai, with burning anger, cursed in his heart.
"If I don't get it... then no one else can have it!"
To be continued...