"There, that's better!" Yang Kai smiled faintly, then thought for a moment and added, "I might as well tell you—if I so wished, I could crush everyone on this ship into dust in the blink of an eye. The strongest person on board is that old man at the first stage of the Void Return Realm at most. But I'm of a merciful disposition and would rather not do such a thing. I hope you'll think carefully about your family and friends. If you truly anger me, you won't be able to bear the consequences."
The young woman's beautiful eyes went wide, and she nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai had casually revealed the cultivation level of the strongest person on the ship, and the realization that this young man might truly be terrifying sank in for the young woman.
She certainly wouldn't dare gamble with her own life—or the lives of her clansmen—any further.
Yang Kai released her, and true enough, she stopped screaming. Instead, she stared at him with fearful unease, not daring to utter a word.
"Mm, don't be afraid. I'm no saint, but I'm no villain either. Behave yourself, and there'll be rewards for you," Yang Kai offered in a reassuring tone.
The young woman was actually quite bold. After the initial shock and terror passed, seeing Yang Kai looking amiable and easygoing, she calmed down considerably—though she still didn't dare speak freely, standing there nervously.
Yang Kai extended his Divine Sense and carefully swept the surrounding area, forming a vague suspicion as to why he had appeared here.
Back then he had hidden the Mysterious World Bead at the bottom of a river. It now seemed the bead had been found by this young woman by chance.
As for exactly how she had obtained it, he wasn't too clear.
Her cultivation was only at the third stage of the Transcendence Realm—not even at the Holy King Realm. She was slender in build, appeared quite delicate, and had delicate, refined features.
"Where is this place, and who are you people?" Yang Kai composed himself, pulled up a chair, sat down, and looked at the young woman.
She swallowed hard, suppressing the terror in her heart, and answered in a trembling voice, "Senior, this is Thorn Lake. We're from the Wang Family."
Thorn Lake. The Wang Family! Yang Kai had never heard of them and figured they were a minor clan on this Cultivation Star.
He didn't dwell on it. Now that he was out of the Mysterious World Bead, his first priority was to find out whether Luo Hai was still on Scarlet Star.
Although over a year had already passed and Luo Hai probably wasn't looking for him anymore, caution never hurt. He couldn't afford to be too conspicuous, which was why he had pressured this young woman in the first place—hoping to glean some information from her.
The chances of her knowing anything were slim. But Luo Hai was a Void Return Realm powerhouse at the second stage; any movement on his part could attract attention. What if this young woman knew something?
"Mm, what's this Cultivation Star called?" Yang Kai asked again.
"Scarlet Star!" The young woman stared at Yang Kai in surprise, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity.
"Scarlet Star?" Yang Kai's brow furrowed as he immediately recalled that he had crossed paths with quite a few warriors from Scarlet Star. Setting aside the people from the Fire Radiance Sect and the Ice Heart Valley, that Xu Dingyang he had met in the Blood Prison seemed to be from Scarlet Star as well.
Before dying, Xu Dingyang had even asked him to visit the Azure Feather Sect and deliver news of his death.
Who would have thought that a wrong turn would bring him all the way to this Cultivation Star?
"Is there a Fire Radiance Sect and an Ice Heart Valley here?"
"Yes!" The young woman nodded. "The Fire Radiance Sect and the Ice Heart Valley are the two most powerful sects on Scarlet Star. Both have Void Return Realm experts overseeing them."
Having answered several of Yang Kai's questions, the young woman's composure had improved a great deal and her courage had grown. She stepped forward on her own initiative and poured Yang Kai a cup of water.
She could also see that Yang Kai truly didn't seem to be some sort of villain.
"Void Return Realm experts overseeing them!" Yang Kai was mildly surprised. He hadn't known much about these two great sects. But judging by the strength of the people he had encountered, it was only natural that cultivators of that caliber would be stationed there.
"Then is there a sect called the Azure Feather Sect?" Yang Kai asked.
The young woman's eyes brightened for an instant. "Does Senior have ties with the Azure Feather Sect?"
"Nothing of the sort—just answer my question!"
The young woman's expression shifted slightly, and she quickly nodded. "Yes, there is. My Wang Family is a clan that pledges allegiance to the Azure Feather Sect."
"Oh?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Is that really so?"
"I wouldn't dare deceive Senior." The young woman bit her red lip.
"Then tell me—what is the name of the Azure Feather Sect's Sect Master?"
"Sect Master Xu Dingyang!"
Yang Kai gave a slight nod. Observing her expressions carefully, he could see that her gaze was clear and there was no intent to deceive. He was now certain she wasn't lying. After a moment's thought, he produced a spatial ring and handed it to the young woman.
"Senior, this is...?"
"The Sect Master of your Azure Feather Sect died in the Blood Prison. This was his spatial ring. I had only a passing acquaintance with him, but before he died, he asked me to pass along the news to the Azure Feather Sect if I ever made it to Scarlet Star. Now that I've run into you, I'll entrust this errand to you. Take this spatial ring to the Azure Feather Sect, and they'll be able to confirm everything."
"The Sect Master is dead?" The young woman was horrified.
In her eyes, the Azure Feather Sect Master's cultivation had been vast and unfathomable—power she could never hope to attain in a lifetime. Yet such a mighty figure had actually died.
She couldn't help but stare blankly!
Yang Kai gave her a moment to digest the news, then asked, "What's your name?"
"This junior is Wang Ying!"
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded. "Wang Ying, has anything major happened on Scarlet Star recently? Have any important figures come here?"
"Important figures?" Wang Ying looked puzzled and shook her head. "This junior wouldn't know about that. But if you're talking about major events, there actually is one."