Another twenty-something days passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, a thousand li outside Tianyun City, two figures appeared—a man and a woman. The man was tall and imposing, the woman clad in a black robe. They were none other than Yang Kai and Yang Yan.
After emerging from the Blazing Flame Sand Region, Yang Yan had the Flying Shark War Shuttle tear through the void once more. Unfortunately, while the distance of the teleportation remained the same this time, the direction was far less favorable, causing the two of them to spend several extra days on the return trip compared to the journey there.
It didn't matter much, though. The Emperor's Palace wouldn't be opening anytime soon, so there was no rush.
What struck Yang Kai suddenly was a realization about why the Emperor's Palace floated directly above Dragon Cave Mountain, placing the mountain and Tianyun City in such convenient proximity. It wasn't coincidence, nor was it simply Dragon Cave Mountain's good fortune—it was because Yang Yan had been at Dragon Cave Mountain at the time!
The Emperor's Palace was a Great Emperor's private retreat, and the Great Emperor's true body slumbered within it. Naturally, it shared countless threads of connection with Yang Yan. It made perfect sense that it would hover directly above Dragon Cave Mountain.
Of course, this was only Yang Kai's conjecture, and he hadn't sought Yang Yan to confirm it. But it was likely eight or nine parts out of ten correct.
At this moment, Yang Kai raised his head with a sudden sense of something amiss. To his astonishment, he saw multicolored lights flickering in the sky ahead. Faintly, strong waves of energy seemed to emanate from the direction. He paused mid-stride, exchanging a startled glance with Yang Yan, and then his expression darkened.
From the looks of it, some sort of battle was unfolding—and the location was right near Dragon Cave Mountain.
Could it be that in the mere month and a half he and Yang Yan had been gone, someone had already made a move against Dragon Cave Mountain?
With that thought, Yang Kai sent out his divine sense and urged the Star Shuttle toward the source at full speed. Yang Yan naturally followed close behind.
Yang Kai's suspicions were correct. Dragon Cave Mountain was indeed under siege, and the one leading the assault was none other than the Xie Family—those with whom Yang Kai had accumulated no small number of grudges.
Because Lu Ye had taken up residence with the Xie Family, and Yang Kai had been entangled in numerous matters recently, he hadn't found time to settle his grievances with the Xie Family. Yet now, the other party had struck first.
At this moment, before Dragon Cave Mountain's protective grand array, a middle-aged man in a purple robe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression gloomy and his eyes radiating authority. He stared fixedly at the flickering lights within Dragon Cave Mountain's array, his inner fury beyond measure.
Xie Li. The most powerful member of the Xie Family, who had already attained a cultivation of the two-layer Return Void Realm. He also held a respectable position within Shadow Moon Hall. Yet for the sake of this operation, he had not hesitated to sever ties with Shadow Moon Hall in order to avenge the death of Xie Hongwen!
Xie Hongwen's death at Yang Kai's hands was no secret. Although no one had openly exposed the truth, Xie Hongwen had been planted with a certain secret technique before venturing deep into the Blazing Flame Sand Region. Even if Yang Kai's killing of him had gone completely undetected by others, the secret technique had already transferred to the killer. Afterward, the Xie Family needed only a cursory investigation to confirm the murderer's identity.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had Qian Tong as his powerful patron, which made Xie Li somewhat wary of making a move. All he could do was bide his time and wait for an opportunity.
The opportunity came quickly. When Qian Tong had gone missing previously, Xie Li naturally wished to seize his chance at revenge. That was why he had secretly instructed his subordinates in Tianyun City to confiscate Dragon Cave Mountain's holy crystals and detain the cultivators there, hoping to lure Yang Kai out.
The plan was brilliantly executed, without a single flaw. But who could have predicted that Yang Kai's strength would be so terrifying? He had charged into Tianyun City single-handedly. Before the eyes of all, he had cut down a Return Void Realm cultivator of the Xie Family. Then Fei Zhitu had intervened, allowing Yang Kai to depart unscathed.
After that, Qian Tong—the very patron who had been his safety net—returned safely. Though Xie Li seethed with unwillingness, he had no choice but to stand down for the time being.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that Qian Tong would publicly announce that Shadow Moon Hall would not interfere in the dispute between the Xie Family and Dragon Cave Mountain. This news filled Xie Li with elation. Yet it also put him on extreme guard, as he suspected the old fox Qian Tong was feigning retreat to lure the snake from its hole.
But after making extensive inquiries, he learned to his surprise that it was Yang Kai himself who had made the request—and Qian Tong had merely cooperated.
Seeking his own death! Xie Li was overjoyed. Without Qian Tong as his backer, without Shadow Moon Hall's support, how could a mere Dragon Cave Mountain possibly withstand the Xie Family disciples' overwhelming assault?
As far as he knew, Dragon Cave Mountain harbored only two Return Void Realm cultivators—and they were mere first-layer Return Void Realm, having broken through only a few years ago.
Xie Li had even grown so impatient on one occasion that he personally rushed to Dragon Cave Mountain, intent on killing Yang Kai and avenging the fallen. But upon seeing the mountain's protective grand array, he realized he had somewhat underestimated the place.
The protective array was such that he couldn't discern a single flaw in it. He had dispatched numerous clan members to infiltrate and investigate, but none could find a way in. Instead, they suffered considerably and nearly suffered casualties.
Originally, Xie Li had planned to enlist the Cai Family and the Du Family—both renowned for their mastery of formations—to break Dragon Cave Mountain's array. Yet to his surprise, both family heads had refused his invitation, and the compensation he had sent over was returned to him.
Only after making further inquiries did Xie Li learn the reason: Yang Kai had once saved the lives of Cai He from the Cai Family and Du Sisi from the Du Family. Upon hearing that someone intended to move against Dragon Cave Mountain, the two naturally did everything in their power to obstruct the plan. As promising young talents within their respective families, they carried a certain degree of influence. Thanks to their interference, both the Cai Family and the Du Family had rejected Xie Li's invitation—a fact that left him seething with fury.