Chang Qi was not at all surprised that Yang Kai had made it here. Other people might not know just how capable Yang Kai was, but he did. He had watched Yang Kai fight Sacred King Realm Stage Three cultivators more than once, from beginning to end. If someone like that couldn't penetrate the scorching zone, it would be a travesty.
What made Chang Qi happy was that the two of them actually had the chance to meet here.
"Where's Patron Hao?" Yang Kai glanced behind Chang Qi but didn't see Hao An anywhere, and quickly asked.
"Old Hao isn't with me. We haven't seen each other since we entered. But don't worry — old Hao may be getting on in years, but with his abilities, passing through the first scorching zone shouldn't be a problem," Chang Qi said with a smile. Only then did he turn his gaze to Shen Shitao and the others, his expression turning to one of surprise. "These people are…?"
"We're from the Qiantian Sect," Shen Shitao said with a demure smile, secretly thinking that this old man must be a warrior from the same clan as the young man. Judging by appearances, they really weren't from any prominent family — otherwise they wouldn't have sent someone of such advanced age.
"Qiantian Sect!" Unlike Yang Kai, the moment Chang Qi heard those words, his expression turned solemn. He hurriedly cupped his fists. "So it's the honorable disciples of the Qiantian Sect! Please forgive my discourtesy!"
He looked at Yang Kai with a perplexed expression, unable to understand how Yang Kai had gotten mixed up with people from the Qiantian Sect. The Qiantian Sect's influence was no weaker than that of the Shadow Moon Hall. Although they hadn't produced any particularly outstanding disciples in recent years, their accumulated resources and deep heritage spoke for themselves, and their reputation remained resounding.
So when Shen Shitao told him they were from the Qiantian Sect, he naturally dared not be remiss.
Now that was the reaction one would expect from someone of humble origin upon hearing the name of the Qiantian Sect… Shen Shitao thought to herself. The embarrassment from Yang Kai's earlier coldness vanished in a flash.
"Patron Chang, were you chasing that Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature?" Yang Kai asked urgently.
"Indeed!" Chang Qi slapped his thigh, his face full of vexation. "That thing is practically sentient. At first I thought it was just an ordinary little snake, but the moment I got close, it transformed into a streak of red light and flew away. I've genuinely never seen anything that could fly within the Molten Sands."
Hearing this, everyone was startled.
The Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature had flashed past moments ago, and the excitement had completely made everyone forget that the laws of this place suppressed all ability to fly. Now that they thought about it, it really was quite incredible.
That thing was extraordinary! The thought surfaced in every mind. The eyes of all five Qiantian Sect disciples instantly blazed with fervor.
"Let's chase it!" Yang Kai said. He immediately burst toward the direction where the red light had vanished. Chang Qi paused for a beat, then hurriedly followed, matching Yang Kai's pace.
"Senior Sister Shen…" The broad-faced, pockmarked man licked his dry lips and murmured, "He really is a person of extraordinary fortune!"
Earlier, when Shen Shitao had said that the young man had incredible luck, they had been half-skeptical. Who would have thought that barely after meeting him, they would encounter a Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature! Such things were rare anywhere, each one priceless beyond measure. The proof was right before their eyes, and now there was no room for doubt. Their gazes toward Shen Shitao were filled with admiration, feeling she truly had an eye for people.
"What do we do?" another female warrior asked.
"Chase, of course!" Shen Shitao stamped her foot and her lithe figure shot forward. The other four immediately followed suit, channeling their Sacred Yuan to push their speed to the limit.
"Yang Kai, those Qiantian Sect elites…" Chang Qi glanced back uneasily at the five who were catching up.
"I'm not familiar with them — we just crossed paths by chance," Yang Kai replied with a smile. "Don't worry about them. If we catch up to that Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature, go ahead and seize it. Whoever grabs it, keeps it. If they try to get rough, then we won't need to be polite!"
"Good, with that said I can relax," Chang Qi said, his expression easing as he became brimming with energy.
He had come to the Molten Sands seeking opportunity, and now that opportunity was right before him. Forget Qiantian Sect disciples — even if the War Heaven Alliance or the Thunder Terrace Sect stood in his way, he would fight for it. He didn't have many years left to live, and dying in pursuit of the martial path was no wasted death.
Although both groups — six people total — had pushed their speed to the absolute limit, the inability to fly in this place still caused them tremendous trouble. Yang Kai had already wasted several breaths of time waiting for Chang Qi earlier, and now the red light was far beyond reach. They could only follow the path it had taken and carefully sense the lingering life force and spiritual energy it had left behind.
Only in this way could they avoid losing the trail.
"Patron Chang, can you describe what this Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature looked like?" Yang Kai found a moment to ask amid the pursuit.
"I didn't get a clear look. I just know it resembled a small green snake, coiled motionlessly on a patch of Soul-Nurturing Flowers. I only discovered it when I went to harvest those flowers."
"Soul-Nurturing Flowers?" Yang Kai couldn't help but furrow his brow. As an alchemist, he naturally had a say when it came to the properties of herbs. Soul-Nurturing Flowers were a Sacred King-grade medicinal plant — the medicinal fragrance they emitted could soothe the mind, stabilize the soul, and nourish one's spiritual consciousness. They were used to refine several types of pills.
But the Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature was itself a type of spiritual herb or medicine. Why would it be absorbing the fragrance of Soul-Nurturing Flowers?
Had this snake-like Heavenly Earthly Spirit Creature already developed a spiritual soul and awakened intelligence? Even so, it shouldn't have any interest in Soul-Nurturing Flowers.
How strange.
While Yang Kai and Chang Qi were talking, the group behind them — Shen Shitao and the others — were utterly astonished.
They had discovered that Yang Kai, at only the first level of the Sacred King Realm, was moving at a speed that was in no way slower than theirs. No matter how hard they tried, they simply couldn't catch up to him.
Shen Shitao was greatly surprised, finding this Sacred King Realm Stage One warrior quite impossible to figure out.