On the Suspended Continent, the old man departed in a carefree manner, leaving Purple Star and the Sword Alliance groups standing in place, at a complete loss.
The Sword Alliance members especially looked as though their parents had died — their faces were twisted with grief and fury. Even Yue Xi, that beautiful woman, had her lovely features contorted, her gorgeous eyes fixed on the direction the old man had left, too furious to speak a word.
Lu Guichen glanced at her and burst out laughing. "Well now, isn't this something? Everyone was fighting over it, and in the end, it all amounted to doing someone else's work for them. What a complete waste."
"You still dare to speak!" Yue Xi whipped her head around, glaring at him with her silver teeth clenched tight. "If it weren't for your Purple Star people chasing my two disciples, they would have brought the Star Gate Token back to Sword Star long ago! They wouldn't have stumbled into the Chaos Abyss, and we wouldn't have ended up stranded here, forced to dance to someone else's tune. This entire mess was caused by you!"
Lu Guichen's expression turned cold. "I think you've got that wrong, don't you? Your two disciples found the Star Gate Token on a continent belonging to my Purple Star. Strictly speaking, that token is the property of Purple Star. I haven't even pressed charges for theft, and here you are, turning around and blaming me?"
"Lu Guichen, you'd better remember this — if I ever escape from here, I'll make sure you suffer eternal damnation!" Yue Xi spat through gritted teeth, laying the blame for the loss of the Star Gate Token squarely on Purple Star.
"Escape first, then we'll talk." Lu Guichen scoffed, paying no heed to her threats. He waved to the Purple Star warriors. "All of you, come here. Take inventory of what's inside and figure out how much belongs to us. Don't let anyone steal our share."
Dozens of Purple Star warriors immediately swarmed toward the mountain-like pile of supplies.
Yue Xi's slender body trembled slightly, and she ordered the Sword Alliance members to begin their own count.
Over a hundred people crowded together, searching for their belongings.
"Star Gate Token — it's actually a Star Gate Token! My heavens, it's actually the Star Gate Token!" Shen Tu kept shouting, his expression wild with excitement, as though he were so worked up he could barely contain himself.
From the moment the old man had taken the Star Gate Token, Shen Tu had been in a state of frenzy, and he still hadn't calmed down.
Yang Kai sat beside him in silence. Only after Shen Tu finally stopped babbling did he ask, "What is that thing? Why does it seem like everyone wants it?"
"Of course they want it!" Shen Tu hissed in a low voice. "That's the Star Gate Token! When the Star Gate Token appears, the Star Domain bows in submission! It's a devastating weapon. If I could only get my hands on that..."
He muttered under his breath, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, hungry light — like a wolf foraging in the snow — fantasizing about all the wonderful things that would come his way if he obtained the Star Gate Token.
"I see. No wonder Purple Star was willing to charge into the Chaos Abyss just to chase the Sword Alliance. So it was all for the Star Gate Token. Hah, that makes sense — a single Star Gate Token is certainly enough to make them risk everything." Shen Tu mused thoughtfully. "What a shame, what a shame. In the end, that old monster ended up with it. Sigh, now that it's in his hands, I'm afraid there's no getting it back."
He struck a pose of deep regret, as though the Star Gate Token had been his to begin with.
Yang Kai was just about to press him for more details about the Star Gate Token when he noticed that beautiful woman called Yue Xi walking rapidly toward him. He couldn't help but frown, his guard rising immediately.
Yang Kai didn't entirely trust this woman.
Perhaps because of the treatment she'd endured earlier, Yue Xi's expression was none too pleasant.
She walked straight up to Yang Kai, pressed her ruby-red lips together, and hesitated, as though debating whether to speak.
"What is it?" Yang Kai frowned.
"Could you return that space ring to me? You saw what just happened — that old gentleman took all of our space rings. We have no artifacts to store our things in now, and it's very inconvenient." Yue Xi's voice carried a note of embarrassment.
Her attitude toward Yang Kai the day before hadn't exactly been stellar. And now she was asking to take back something she'd already given away — her expression was somewhat strained.
If she weren't absolutely forced to, she never would have done this.
After speaking, she gazed quietly at Yang Kai, waiting for his answer.
"If I'm not mistaken, this ring was given to me by you yesterday. It's already mine," Yang Kai said, his expression peculiar.
"Yes." Yue Xi nodded. "But we need this ring right now, so I'd like to take it back. Don't worry — once we leave this place, I'll give you far more in compensation. I'll make sure you're satisfied. How about it?"
"I don't really have the option to refuse, do I?" Yang Kai smiled faintly.
"You can refuse," Yue Xi said, her expression turning cold. "And while we're still stuck here, even if you refuse, I won't be able to do anything to you."
"So what you're saying is — once we leave, you'll deal with me then?" Yang Kai picked up on the meaning behind her words.
Yue Xi neither confirmed nor denied it. She simply said, "I can remove the restriction inside your body right now and restore your own power. That way, you'll have an easier time moving around."
"No need." Yang Kai shook his head. After what had happened the day before, there was absolutely no way he would let Yue Xi manipulate his body again.
As he spoke, he stirred his divine sense and emptied the one thousand Holy Crystals from the ring. Then he slipped it off his finger and tossed it to Yue Xi. "I just want you to know — the recovery items I gave He Zao and He Miao earlier weren't for the sake of your reward. But I'll keep these one thousand Holy Crystals. We're even — neither of us owes the other anything."
Yue Xi caught the ring, and her expression turned peculiar. She seemed somewhat guilty. Parting her crimson lips, she said softly, "Without my help, no one here can break the restriction that Lu Guichen placed on you."
"Don't trouble yourself."
Yue Xi's lovely face shifted, and she let out a cold snort. "Ungrateful!"
She hadn't expected her goodwill to be rejected by Yang Kai. In her mind, this young man should have been grateful — after all, this was an unknown continent, and no one wanted to be powerless.
It made her feel angry and humiliated, as though she had pressed her warm face against a cold backside.