"Oh? Your sect still has an elder who hasn't arrived yet?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Of course! Our martial uncle is currently resting in Tianyun City. He told us to find a suitable place first—and now that we have, I'll send word to him!"
As he spoke, the leading warrior produced his sect's communication compass and extended his Divine Sense into it, establishing contact with someone unknown.
Yang Kai made no move to stop him, simply watching with a smile. After the man tucked the compass away again, Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and said, "Lending you some accommodations is no problem at all. Dragon Vein Mountain has plenty of pavilions inside, with beautiful scenery and decent spiritual energy. I'm sure it will meet all your requirements."
"Heh heh, the only reason we set our sights on your little mountain is because the spiritual energy here isn't bad. Why else do you think I've been waiting here for days?" The leading warrior shook his head self-importantly and declared matter-of-factly, "With the strength of our Ocean Heart Sect, we could go to any of the nearby minor families, and they'd surely roll out the red carpet for us. Kid, you're in luck. My martial uncle may not have the best temper, but he's quite generous. As long as you make the old man happy this time, you won't walk away empty-handed."
"Is that so?" Yang Kai looked overjoyed, even appearing somewhat excited. He eagerly asked, "Then since you've all come from so far away, should I prepare a banquet to properly welcome you?"
"Hmm, how thoughtful. We don't indulge in food and drink—it doesn't matter to us either way. But our martial uncle happens to be quite the connoisseur, so let's do that. Just don't bring out any ordinary fare—he won't even look at it!" Seeing how effective his martial uncle's name was, the warrior immediately latched onto it, going on about "martial uncle" this and "martial uncle" that, as if he could read the old man's very thoughts.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Yang Kai nodded repeatedly. "Oh, I have to ask, my friend—does your elder have any other hobbies besides this one?"
"Other hobbies?" The Ocean Heart Sect warrior raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing smile. "You mean..."
"Heh heh!" Yang Kai chuckled slyly, the two of them looking every bit like partners in crime.
Watching from the side, Dai Yuan was utterly speechless. She had never known Yang Kai had such a side to him. But she could clearly tell that he was playing the other party for a fool—only they had no clue. They actually believed Yang Kai was genuinely intimidated and fawning over them. It was absurdly comical.
"Good, good, good—you're a sharp one, kid!" The warrior burst out laughing, leaned close to Yang Kai's ear, and whispered a few words with a lecherous expression.
Yang Kai's eyebrows shot up, and he exclaimed with delight, "Oh, is that so? Well then, that's easy—Dragon Vein Mountain might not have much, but beautiful women? We've got plenty."
At these words, many of the Ocean Heart Sect's male disciples brightened up. The leader added, "That's more like it. But before anything else, I want to take a look first—so you don't try to pass off second-rate goods and ruin my martial uncle's mood."
"No problem at all!" Yang Kai slapped his chest, pulled Dai Yuan in front of him, and pointed at her as he said to the warrior, "Take a look, friend—how about this young lady?"
Dai Yuan flushed with embarrassment and fury, glaring viciously at Yang Kai. Though she hadn't heard the specifics of what Yang Kai and the man had been whispering about, seeing both of them wearing those sleazy expressions, how could she not guess it had to do with women?
Though she had already regained her heart-stopping beauty, being dragged out like this by Yang Kai still irked her.
The Ocean Heart Sect warrior froze. He looked at Dai Yuan, and the smile quickly drained from his face. A cold light flickered in his eyes as he said icily, "Kid, you're not joking, are you? You call that a woman?"
Dai Yuan's pretty face grew even colder!
"I'm not joking!" Yang Kai smiled evenly. "This lady is supremely elegant, with beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms. Can't you see?"
Hearing this, Dai Yuan shot him a reproachful glance—but her irritation vanished entirely.
Others didn't know the true face hidden beneath that ugly visage, but Yang Kai knew perfectly well. So when he said these words, there wasn't a shred of dishonesty in him—he was completely at ease, and his smile was utterly sincere.
"Don't you have any other girls here?" The Ocean Heart Sect warrior asked, somewhat unwilling to give up.
"We do, but none of them compare to this one," Yang Kai said, shaking his head.
The Ocean Heart Sect disciples stared blankly for a moment, and even the leader sensed something was off. His face darkened, and with a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Kid, are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Yang Kai's lips curved slightly upward as he fixed the man with narrowed eyes.
Only then did the warrior realize that Yang Kai had been toying with him the entire time—that all the earlier admiration and flattery had been nothing but an act. He flew into a rage and bellowed, "You little bastard, you're asking for death!"
As he spoke, he lunged without hesitation, one hand shooting toward Yang Kai.
His cultivation was at the Saint King, Third Stage, and he was an elite disciple of the Ocean Heart Sect. He was certain that dealing with someone like Yang Kai would be effortless, so he hadn't taken Yang Kai seriously in the slightest.
His massive hand came bearing down, Sacred Yuan surging through his palm—fierce and overwhelming. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed and twisted, coalescing into a massive blue palm shimmering with water, crashing down over Yang Kai's head.
The Ocean Heart Sect had long dwelled upon the Wuyou Sea, so most of their disciples cultivated water-attributed techniques and martial arts. Combined with the favorable terrain, their cultivation was doubly effective.
The shimmering blue giant palm enveloped both Yang Kai and Dai Yuan in an instant, its devastating power coiled and ready to strike.