Ever since the Thunder Terrace Sect was founded, the Thunder Wind Canyon had always been its territory.
In the early days, when the Thunder Terrace Sect had yet to make a name for itself, no small number of Sects had set their eyes on this prime location and attempted to seize it — but none had succeeded. Every last one had served as a stepping stone for the Thunder Terrace Sect's rise to fame.
Through these conflicts, the Thunder Terrace Sect grew at the speed of a rolling snowball, eventually ascending to become one of the two great powers of the Dark Star.
The outer perimeter of the Thunder Wind Canyon was perpetually shrouded in toxic miasma, making it virtually impossible for outsiders to approach — a natural defense for the Thunder Terrace Sect. Even its own Disciples required special antidote pills before entering or leaving, or else had to rely on spatial Formations.
Without such precautions, even a Saint King realm cultivator could not withstand the miasma's potency. At best, one would suffer weakened limbs and disrupted Saint Yuan circulation; at worst, one would collapse from poisoning and perish on the spot.
This was the foremost reason the Thunder Terrace Sect had been able to hold this ground for so long.
Beyond this natural barrier, rumor had it that the interior of the Thunder Wind Canyon was riddled with restrictions and Formations of every conceivable scale — so many they were beyond counting. Any who dared break in would surely die without so much as a whole corpse.
Though Yang Kai had his warship to rely on, he did not dare let his guard down. The Thunder Wind Canyon was nothing like Battle Heaven City — once you charged in, getting back out would be no simple matter.
So after the warship passed through the zone enveloped by the natural toxic miasma, Yang Kai ordered it slowed considerably. They probed the surroundings while pressing forward with caution.
Yet to his surprise, they triggered not a single restriction or Formation along the way, nor did they spot a single living soul.
Under the sweep of his divine Sense, nothing within a hundred-li radius could remain hidden.
The vast Thunder Terrace Sect was completely empty — as though everyone had evacuated in advance.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed.
Ye Xiyun wore an equally incredulous expression. Granted, they had been sweeping through everything in recent days, conquering Battle Heaven City and annihilating the Heavenly Martial Alliance — a dazzling display of the Lingxiao Sect's might. But the Thunder Terrace Sect was a major Sect that had been famous for ages. There was no reason for it to simply retreat without a fight.
To abandon an ancestral legacy held for over ten thousand years — what kind of resolve did that require? And what authority would it take to command every Disciple in the entire Sect to obey without question?
Fang Peng. He seemed a trickier opponent than Qu Zheng. Yang Kai mulled this over in his mind.
"Yang Kai, the Thunder Terrace Sect actually withdrew ahead of us. What do we do now?" Qian Tong asked, looking exasperated. He had expected a replay of the last time — a brutal battle was surely in store. He had never imagined things would turn out like this.
"How interesting!" Yang Kai sneered.
A Sect's foundation lay in its people, not its territory. As long as the Disciples were kept alive, there would always be a chance to make a comeback. Fang Peng clearly understood this principle.
The Lingxiao Sect's mighty punch had landed on cotton — the frustration of it was palpable.
"Since we're here, there's no reason to leave empty-handed. Raze the Thunder Wind Canyon for me," Yang Kai snorted coldly. "If Fang Peng doesn't want this ten-thousand-year legacy, there's no need for us to preserve it for him."
"Ruthless," Qian Tong muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
The order was relayed, and Crystal Cannons fired ceaselessly as the warship advanced, leveling everything in its path. The thunderous booms never once subsided, and every building belonging to the Thunder Terrace Sect was reduced to powder under the barrage.
Then, without warning, Yang Kai's expression shifted to one of surprise. His divine Sense surged toward a particular direction.
Over there, he had detected a significant energy fluctuation. It didn't feel like an Artifact — more like an enormous accumulation of Saint Crystals piled together.
Had the Thunder Terrace Sect left them behind in their haste, or was it a trap?
But no one was going to complain about having too many Saint Crystals. To produce energy fluctuations this intense, the pile had to number in the hundreds of millions. Even for the Thunder Terrace Sect, that was a considerable fortune.
"There's something over there. I'm going to check it out." Yang Kai stood up.
"Sect Master, be wary of a trap," Ye Xiyun said, her delicate brows knitting together.
"It's fine," Yang Kai replied with a grin. "A trap is almost certainly what it is. But I want to know what Fang Peng is playing at. Stay on the warship — I'll be right back."
With that, Yang Kai shot out of the warship. His figure flickered, and he streaked toward the source of the energy fluctuation.
Within moments, he arrived before a palace. His divine Sense swept through it, laying bare everything inside.
It was empty save for some tables and chairs. But beneath the palace lay a hidden chamber, and within that chamber were stacked more Saint Crystals of superior grade than one could count.
Hundreds of millions, just as he had estimated.
Such a vast fortune was not something he was willing to leave behind. His skill gave him courage, and he showed no hesitation — striding directly into the palace, he groped around for a moment before finding a concealed door in one of the corners, then descended.
Moments later, Yang Kai stepped into the hidden chamber. His eyes brightened at the sight. After confirming that nothing suspicious lurked nearby, he waved his hand and swept the Saint Crystals into his Space Ring.
Meanwhile, some ten thousand zhang below the Thunder Terrace Sect's main headquarters, there existed another hidden chamber.
Five wizened elders sat within it. Every last one of them had hair and beards as white as snow, their appearances impossibly aged — as though they had endured the ravages of countless years, with precious little vitality remaining in their bodies.
Yet each of these five was a powerhouse of the third level of the Return Void realm!