Hearing him speak, the leading man furrowed his brows and said unhappily, "I don't want to be too far from the Domain Stone Mountain. What good would it do from that far away? I want a spot in the innermost layer."
"Then we'll have to take it by force!" The man surnamed Cai grinned fiercely.
"Have you found a target yet?"
"I've already picked one out." As he spoke, the man surnamed Cai turned his head toward Yang Kai and the others, letting out a low chuckle. "And it's a pretty good spot, too."
The leading man glanced toward Yang Kai's group and immediately looked satisfied, nodding. "The position really is good. This is the spot."
"They might not agree to move," the man surnamed Cai said with a soft laugh. Noticing Yang Kai's gaze fixed in their direction, he turned and shot a cold look back. "That kid seems to have been watching us this whole time."
"Since we've set our sights on it, they'll move whether they want to or not!" The leading man snorted coldly and, making no effort to avoid Yang Kai's gaze, strode forward with large steps.
The other five followed close behind, their auras sharp and imposing.
In an instant, the six of them arrived roughly ten meters in front of Yang Kai and the others. The leading man looked down at Yang Kai from his vantage point and said coldly, "Kid, where are you from?"
Yang Kai flashed a grin and replied mildly, "Dark Star."
"Dark Star?" The leading man's brows furrowed, and he curled his lip. "Never heard of it. I've taken a liking to your spot, so pack up and move out. Otherwise, don't blame us for being inhospitable."
Yang Kai sat on the ground and casually picked at his ear, blowing on his fingertip. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you say it again?"
The leading man sneered. "You've got guts, kid. I trust you're not deaf. I won't repeat myself, so if you know what's good for you, get lost — unless you want to die!"
The five behind him let out low, menacing chuckles, thick with the threat of violence.
"What's all this? Friends, let's talk this over calmly. There's no need for such hostility." Zhao Tianze suddenly stood up, his expression one of helpless exasperation.
Although Yang Kai had said he would serve as their guardian while they comprehended the mysterious energies emanating from the Domain Stone Mountain, Zhao Tianze couldn't bring himself to entrust his life to Yang Kai. No matter how highly Qian Tong and Lin Yurao praised him, to Zhao Tianze, Yang Kai was still a stranger.
And a stranger at merely the second-stage Return Void Realm, no less! So he hadn't fully immersed his mind either. The moment things got heated over here, he'd noticed right away and jumped up to smooth things over.
"I am Zhao Tianze, City Lord of Green Water City on Cuiwei Star. Greetings, friends. Might I ask your names?" Zhao Tianze offered a dry smile and clasped his hands in a polite salute.
The leading man across from them looked at Zhao Tianze, then glanced sideways at Yang Kai, secretly assuming that the person in charge was likely Zhao Tianze, while the lower-cultivation Yang Kai simply followed orders. His demeanor softened considerably as he said, "I am Zhang Qing of the Fire Radiance Sect on Chilan Star. These are my friends and fellow sect members from Chilan Star!"
"Chilan Star? Fire Radiance Sect?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. So that was why he'd felt a vague sense of familiarity earlier.
When he'd encountered that Xu Dingyang who had been killed by the domain force, the man had said he was from Chilan Star, and Yang Kai had found it strange — he'd had the nagging feeling he'd heard the name of that cultivation star before.
Now, hearing Zhang Qing's introduction, he understood immediately.
Back in the Emperor's Domain, he had encountered martial artists from Chilan Star.
And there had been two groups.
One group hailed from this very Fire Radiance Sect, and the other from something called Ice Heart Valley. The two factions had been locked in a bitter battle over the ownership of an ancient cave dwelling, and Yang Kai had stumbled into it by chance, getting dragged into the fray.
In the end, Yang Kai had joined the fight, helping the women of Ice Heart Valley kill several Fire Radiance Sect members.
The Alchemy True Understanding and the Purple Void Cauldron had both been obtained from that hidden ancient dwelling.
No wonder the man surnamed Cai's attire had looked so familiar. They'd crossed paths before! Yang Kai's mouth curled into a smile, a playful look spreading across his face.
"So you're friends from the Fire Radiance Sect!" Zhao Tianze's expression shifted slightly, and he hurriedly said, "My apologies. I should have shown more courtesy."
He had clearly heard of the Fire Radiance Sect's reputation.
Zhang Qing wore a look of pride and gave a casual nod. "Since you've heard of my Fire Radiance Sect, that makes things easier. Tell your companions to tidy up and vacate the spot. I'm not looking to be too ruthless — as long as you leave on your own accord, I guarantee no one will be harmed."
"Well..." Zhao Tianze's expression turned bitter. He hesitated a moment before saying, "Brother Zhang, please forgive me, but I alone cannot make this decision. Allow me to discuss it with my friends here."
"There's nothing to discuss. This place isn't yours to take, so find somewhere else." Lin Yurao's crisp voice rang out.
She and Qian Tong had long been alerted to the commotion and had been sitting there watching coldly. Now, hearing Zhao Tianze's words, she naturally refused to back down.
Her determination to reach the Void King Realm was just as strong as Qian Tong's!
"Do you friends really think this isn't going too far?" Qian Tong's face was as dark as a bottomless pool as he fixed Zhang Qing and his group with a cold stare.