Zong Ao's cultivation realm was also at the Return to Void Realm—not necessarily higher than Halika's or Lin Mufeng's, perhaps even weaker than theirs. But because he had spent the past century continuously refining pills for the Hengluo Chamber of Commerce free of charge, and the sheer volume of pills he had produced was staggering, he had earned himself an extraordinary status. Chairman Aio held him in particularly high regard and had issued strict orders to Halika and the others: Zong Ao was to be treated as the Chamber's honored patron, and not the slightest negligence would be tolerated.
One could say that on Rain Waterfall Star, no one stood higher in status than Zong Ao!
That was why these Return to Void Realm powerhouses were so cautious in his presence, not daring to show even the slightest carelessness.
They knew full well that Zong Ao intended to forcibly seize the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water—a supreme cultivation treasure—yet they didn't dare put on any sour faces, much less make a move. All they could do was continuously beg him to show mercy, and so on.
The three took turns, wearing their tongues raw, but Zong Ao remained unmoved. Finally, irritated by their endless pestering, he erupted into a torrent of abuse, hurling the vilest curses imaginable. Yet Halika and the others didn't dare talk back, enduring his tirade with grim expressions.
After berating them for a while, Zong Ao finally stopped. He glanced at the three and sneered, "Don't think this old man doesn't know—you wouldn't dare report what's happening here back to the main planet. At the very least, not before that girl is safe and sound. All you can do is bury the news. So what if I take the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water? What are you going to do about it—bite me?"
Hearing this, Halika and the others exchanged bitter smiles, none daring to respond.
"The treasures of this world belong to those with the ability to claim them." Zong Ao gazed at the three with haughty pride. "Even if I set aside my interest in those drops of Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water—could you collect them? Would you collect them? Without knowing the proper method, you can only stare at the food right under your noses, forever unable to take a single bite."
"That's true, Master..." Halika stopped his whining and replied in a bitter voice.
"Master knows how to collect the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water?" The middle-aged woman caught the implication in his words and looked at Zong Ao with a glimmer of hope.
"If I didn't, why would I bother coming here?" Zong Ao snorted and waved his hand. "Move, move. Whatever business you have can wait until I've collected everything."
He paid no further attention to Halika and the others. With Yang Kai in tow, he descended straight into the mining pit and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye—the very picture of a rogue brigand.
Halika and Lin Mufeng exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and had no choice but to follow.
Inside the mine shaft, Yang Kai walked behind Zong Ao, guiding him along the way.
The last time Yang Kai had ventured in alone, he had relied on his ability to tear through space, reaching the interior of the ancient ruins without much effort. But this time, that wouldn't work.
The ruins were riddled with all manner of dangerous and vicious restrictions. When Halika and Xue Yue had previously brought people to explore, they had lost quite a few warriors along the way.
But Zong Ao was clearly no ordinary figure. He led the way at the front, holding a five-prism crystal in his hand. The crystal emitted beams of brilliant light that shot outward in every direction, illuminating the dark mine tunnel so thoroughly that every detail was laid bare, the radiance almost blinding.
From time to time, faint and nearly imperceptible energy fluctuations would emanate from nearby. Each time this happened, Zong Ao became extremely cautious, guiding Yang Kai to detour around the areas where those energy reactions were detected.
This five-prism crystal seemed to possess some kind of detection function. Using it, Zong Ao could avoid many unknown dangers. Their progress was slow, but there was no need to worry about danger, and they made their way deeper with ease.
The temperature in the air gradually dropped, and a thin layer of ice appeared on the stone walls of the mine tunnel.
Zong Ao's expression grew increasingly excited. He knew the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water was growing closer.
Halika and his two companions followed not far behind Zong Ao and Yang Kai, tracing their path. As they walked, they communicated through divine sense, discussing how to handle this situation. But after lengthy deliberation, they couldn't come up with any good plan, burning with anxiety.
"Boy, which way now?" At a fork in the tunnel, Zong Ao stopped and turned to Yang Kai.
"This way!" Yang Kai casually pointed in a direction. His thread of consciousness had long since penetrated beyond the constraints of space, locating the exact position of the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water.
Zong Ao didn't question it and walked straight into the indicated tunnel.
After venturing deeper for another half day, Zong Ao—leading the way at the front—suddenly couldn't help but shudder. He squinted ahead, his body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes overflowing with fervent obsession.
There it was—the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water. Dozens of drops hovered eerily in mid-air, maintaining the exact state they had been in when Yang Kai departed, waiting for a worthy person to collect them.
"It really is Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water!" Zong Ao swept his divine sense over them and immediately perceived the extraordinary nature of those droplets. Each suspended drop was as heavy as a mountain, concealing within it a truly terrifying power.
Nothing else in this world possessed such characteristics besides the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water.
He crossed the distance in two or three strides, arriving before the dozens of drops. His eyes blazed with radiant light as he circled them, examining them from every angle, clicking his tongue in admiration.
That Zong Ao could lose his composure to this extent showed just how immensely valuable the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water truly was.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, appeared perfectly composed. He stood in place without moving, harboring no intention of coveting or seizing the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water.
He knew his own abilities all too well. Setting Zong Ao aside, every one of Halika and the others who had followed them was a Return to Void Realm powerhouse. In their presence, Yang Kai maintained a healthy sense of self-awareness.