Every artifact that Chang Qi and Hao An possessed — whether offensive or defensive — was of the Void Grade superior rank, and even the pills they took were of a quality that made Ning Xiangchen's heart ache with envy.
Poor him. He had drifted through life for so long, yet the finest artifact he had ever owned was barely Void Grade inferior rank. To repair even that, he had to travel far and wide, seeking out materials.
Just moments ago, Chang Qi had given him several restorative spirit pills, and he had been too reluctant to take even one, secretly tucking them all away.
The more he thought about the fact that he too could now possess such things, the more certain Ning Xiangchen felt that his choice had been the right one.
Laughter filled the air on this side of things, but Yang Kai suddenly furrowed his brow, the cheerful look on his face darkening once more.
Chang Qi noticed the shift and asked in confusion, "What is it now?"
"We have many distinguished guests arriving. Why don't you all come with me to take a look?" Yang Kai said with a cold laugh.
"Distinguished guests?" Chang Qi and the others exchanged glances, but they quickly realized what he meant. Their brows furrowed tightly, and they followed Yang Kai outside.
The dense mist shrouding Dragon Cave Mountain once again churned and rolled apart, parting to reveal a corridor leading straight to the interior. Moments later, Yang Kai and the four others appeared at the far end.
In an instant, countless pairs of eyes fixed upon the group. The moment they realized that Yang Kai and his companions were completely unharmed, their expressions froze — then shifted through a parade of emotions: astonishment, confusion, suspicion, shock, disbelief, and everything in between.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhitu, however, raised their eyebrows in a markedly different reaction from the crowd. Both silently breathed a sigh of relief and gave Yang Kai an almost imperceptible nod, a greeting of sorts.
"What a grand assembly!" Ning Xiangchen stood behind Yang Kai and swept his gaze across the scene, letting out a gasp of astonishment.
Outside Dragon Cave Mountain's protective grand array, an untold number of powerful figures had arrived. They hovered in midair in twos and threes, peering into the mountain's interior with curious eyes. Setting aside the obvious presences of Qian Tong and Fei Zhitu, Ning Xiangchen spotted Mo Xiaosheng from the War Alliance, Cheng Pengxuan from the Thunder Terrace Sect, Jin Shi from the Demon Blood Cult, Granny Feng of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, Gong Aofu of the Glazed Gate — and beyond them, members of the Blazing Fire Sect, the Heavenward Sect, Twin Heart Valley, the Ocean Palace, and many more. Even Yan Pei and Ren Tianrui of the Treasure Gathering Tower — that sullen-faced master and disciple — were present.
Each group had brought their own disciples, forming a semicircle around Dragon Cave Mountain. Every faction radiated a presence that made the heart tremble.
Among the peak experts alone, those at the Void Returning Stage third level, there were a full dozen or more. Of those at the second and first levels, the numbers were too many to count.
Dragon Cave Mountain had suddenly become the most coveted prize in the land!
Ning Xiangchen drew a sharp breath, a deep unease settling in his chest.
Setting aside the sheer strength of all these powerhouses who had gathered here, the sects and factions they represented encompassed more than half of all the first-tier powers in the entire Profound Dark Star.
In particular, the gazes of Jin Shi and Granny Feng nearly burned holes through Yang Kai — anyone could see the towering fury in their eyes. After all, not a few of their own disciples had taken part in the attack on Dragon Cave Mountain. Among them were powerful figures at the second level of the Void Returning Stage, like that old man surnamed Du and the middle-aged man. Yang Kai had appeared safe and sound, but there was still no word from their people. The fate that had befallen them was not hard to guess.
But had Dragon Cave Mountain truly been capable of such a thing — annihilating every intruder who had set foot inside?
Not only Jin Shi and Granny Feng harbored deep suspicion, but every single person present was turning the same question over in their minds. Yet if those people were still alive, how could Yang Kai have dared to show his face here?
What exactly had happened inside Dragon Cave Mountain during the time its protective grand array had been deactivated? Every person was lost in confusion. Though all who had come were powerful figures, not one dared underestimate Dragon Cave Mountain any longer. Still, when their eyes fell upon the protective grand array and the layers of restrictions within, their gazes burned with desire.
There was no other reason for it — these formations and arrays were nothing short of wondrous. If they could track down the person responsible for setting them and bring them back, their own sect headquarters' formations would surely undergo a tremendous upgrade.
"Junior Yang Kai greets all the seniors!" Yang Kai called out in a clear, ringing voice, his bearing neither servile nor arrogant. "I had no idea you would honor my humble mountain with your presence. I failed to receive you at the gates — please forgive any discourtesy."
The expressions of the various faction leaders shifted slightly, but none of them bothered to respond. After all, very few of them had any prior connection with Dragon Cave Mountain or Yang Kai. Most had come out of sheer curiosity, and a few had come to gather intelligence. As for Yang Kai being merely a Holy King Realm cultivator, not a single one of them took him seriously.
Only Qian Tong let out a hearty laugh and said, "Don't mind us, kid. We old fogeys just had nothing better to do after a good meal, so we came out for a stroll."
With that one remark, Qian Tong swept his sarcasm across the entire crowd, drawing fierce glares from many of the assembled powerhouses.
"Oh… is that so?" Yang Kai flashed a grin and said lightly, "Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you all. Dragon Cave Mountain is poor in land and short on people. The scenery isn't much either. There probably isn't anything worth seeing here."
The dismissal could not have been more obvious — even a deaf person would have caught it. Yang Kai had very nearly told them to go back where they came from.
But since so many powerful figures had already made the trip, how could they simply leave without getting answers? Most of them wouldn't have minded, but Jin Shi and Granny Feng certainly would not let the matter drop. Realizing this, the majority of the onlookers turned their gazes toward Jin Shi and Granny Feng, waiting to see how they would respond.