Seizing this opportunity, Yang Kai studied the warriors who had arrived alongside Fei Zhitu. There were three Return Void Realm cultivators—one was a middle-aged man who looked roughly the same age as Fei Zhitu and stood at Return Void Stage Two, while the other two were at Return Void Stage One: an elderly man and woman.
However, although these two were only at Return Void Stage One, the auras emanating from them were remarkably deep and far-reaching—not something that could be compared to those who had only recently broken through into the Return Void Realm. They had likely been immersed in this realm for many years, their cultivation profound and substantial.
The appearance of these Return Void Realm cultivators put Yang Kai somewhat at ease. It seemed Fei Zhitu hadn't come unprepared, and given the current situation, secretly gathering this many Return Void Realm experts couldn't have been easy for him.
After all, rescuing Qian Tong was something he had personally spearheaded, making it inconvenient to requisition manpower from the Shadow Moon Hall. At the same time, he needed to keep this operation under wraps, hidden from prying eyes. Having this many Return Void Realm cultivators participate had already exceeded Yang Kai's expectations—not to mention that Fei Zhitu himself, a Return Void Stage Three powerhouse, was leading the group. On the safety front, there shouldn't be any problems. The only thing to worry about was whether any hidden dangers lurked within those ancient ruins.
After Fei Zhitu exchanged a few cordial words with Cai He and the others, he smiled and said, "It looks like you young ones have all gotten to know each other. That's good—on this trip, you'll each have your part to play, so knowing one another in advance will make cooperation easier. Regardless of whether this endeavor succeeds or not, this City Lord will remember the favor you've done. When you return, tell your clan heads that if the time ever comes when you need Fei Zhitu's help, don't hesitate to call on me."
Cai He, Du Sisi, and Lian Guang all showed a flash of delight upon hearing this and hurriedly offered their thanks.
"Alright, since everyone's here, let's set out!" With a sweep of his arm, Fei Zhitu summoned a Void Grade Lower Quality Star Shuttle and took the lead, hurtling off into the distance.
Yang Kai had assumed he would introduce the other three Return Void Realm cultivators, but the man clearly had no such intention. After a brief moment of surprise, Yang Kai quickly produced his own Star Shuttle and followed.
Earlier, during his chat with Cai He, Yang Kai had learned that this trip to the ancient ruins was solely for the purpose of rescuing Qian Tong. But as for where exactly these ancient ruins were located, Fei Zhitu hadn't revealed even the slightest hint.
Now that everyone had gathered, the man still showed no intention of explaining, which had Yang Kai cursing under his breath. Still, he didn't press the matter, simply trailing behind in silence as they raced onward at high speed.
The three Return Void Realm cultivators who had come with Fei Zhitu all seemed quite interested in Yang Kai, occasionally glancing at him with their Divine Sense or their eyes. The elderly man in particular—when Yang Kai finally couldn't help but look back, the old man actually smiled and gave a friendly nod, looking for all the world like a kindly grandfather. This left Yang Kai thoroughly puzzled, wondering what the old man's game was.
The Return Void Stage Two cultivator and the elderly woman, while not showing such overt friendliness, also seemed to harbor a measure of goodwill toward him.
Even though Yang Kai was fairly certain these three bore him no ill will, he still felt a prickle of unease. He kept his head down and traveled in silence. For him, less trouble was always better than more. He was already entangled in a host of matters, and if Qian Tong hadn't run into trouble, he never would have left Dragon Cave Mountain—he would have entered seclusion long ago to continue cultivating his various secret techniques.
Ever since the fire bird artifact spirit had awakened, the efficiency of refining the Dragon Bone and Dragon Pearl had increased dramatically, significantly shortening what had originally been estimated to take several years. Yang Kai had been itching to enter seclusion and activate the Artifact Refining Furnace at full power to finish refining both treasures as soon as possible.
The group of eight flew onward in silence. At first there was still the sound of Cai He trying to curry favor with Du Sisi, but after being rebuffed rather thoroughly, he sensibly ceased bothering the beauty.
After flying south for four consecutive days, when a vast mountain range that stretched across the landscape like a reclining dragon appeared ahead, Fei Zhitu suddenly veered and dove toward it.
The other seven naturally followed close behind.
A short while later, the group landed at the outer edge of the mountain range. Fei Zhitu retrieved a yellowed beast-hide map from his Spatial Ring and studied it carefully.
"Isn't this Fallen Emperor Mountain?" Cai He clicked his tongue in amazement. "Could those ancient ruins actually be hidden in Fallen Emperor Mountain?"
"That can't be right?" Du Sisi slowly shook her head. "Countless people visit Fallen Emperor Mountain every year—even you and I have been there several times. If there really were ancient ruins, how could not even a whisper have leaked out?"
As the two conversed, Yang Kai was observing the so-called Fallen Emperor Mountain. It was his first time hearing about this mountain range and his first visit here, so he naturally had no basis for comment. Looking out, all he could see was a vast expanse of peaks stretching endlessly into the distance, blanketed in lush greenery. But what was peculiar was that the entire range was eerily silent—not a single insect chirp or bird call could be heard.
Furthermore, there was not a trace of any beasts or birds in sight, which only deepened his confusion.
"Heh heh, is this your first time at Fallen Emperor Mountain, young friend?" Just as Yang Kai was puzzling over this, the elderly man suddenly appeared at his side, stroking his salt-and-pepper beard with a genial smile.
"Yes, this junior's first visit indeed." Yang Kai furrowed his brow, unsure why the old man had sought him out.