"When have I ever been uneasy?" Tang Fushui's expression was grim, and he shot back with a hard tone.
A light, coquettish laugh rang out. Feng Yan, who stood beside Feng Pozi supporting the old woman, swayed gracefully forward and offered Yang Kai a delicate bow. Her beautiful eyes shimmered as she parted her crimson lips and spoke: "Junior Sister greets Senior Brother Yang. Senior Brother Yang, please don't be hasty. You've been away from Lingxiao Sect for so long that you're not too familiar with the situation here, so there may be some misunderstandings. The Corpse Spirit Cult is currently wreaking havoc across the Dark Star, and all of us have fled to Lingxiao Sect for refuge. As Sect Master of Lingxiao Sect, Senior Brother Yang is the master of this place. I'd ask that you prioritize the bigger picture first. If possible, why don't we all sit down and have a proper discussion?"
Feng Pozi gave a slight nod, clearly pleased that her granddaughter had spoken so appropriately.
Even the momentarily flustered Tang Fushui looked somewhat relieved.
"Who do you think you are? Whose Junior Sister are you supposed to be? Don't try to act familiar with this Sect Master!" Yang Kai glanced at her with cold indifference, making no effort whatsoever to hide the fact that she meant nothing to him.
Feng Pozi's face darkened.
Feng Yan's lovely features twisted with fury. She clenched her silver teeth and gripped her small fists tightly.
She hailed from Myriad Beast Mountain, a power of considerable strength in its own right, and she was Feng Pozi's own granddaughter with exceptional talent. While she hadn't previously been as renowned as Wei Guchang and the others, she was still among the standout rising stars of the Dark Star. Combined with her stunning beauty and sharp intelligence, she had always been the object of admiration among the young men of Myriad Beast Mountain, treated as a goddess they all worshipped. Even young men from other factions, upon meeting her, would flock to her side. She had seen far too many men completely besotted by her looks! She had never taken any man seriously, believing them all to be fools she could manipulate at will.
But Yang Kai's reaction made her flush with humiliation and rage. In all her years, she had never suffered such an insult. It was as though she had pressed her hot face against someone's cold backside—and in front of everyone, no less, leaving her utterly humiliated with no way to save face!
She was about to retort when Yang Kai had already stopped paying attention to her.
To Yang Kai, she was simply an utterly insignificant nobody.
This made Feng Yan even angrier. Her beautiful eyes blazed with hatred as she stared viciously at Yang Kai, looking as though she wanted to tear a chunk of flesh from his body.
"You have the time it takes to drink one cup of tea. Send someone over to explain the situation here clearly. If I still don't understand what's going on after that, every last one of you can get the hell out of Lingxiao Sect!" Yang Kai's eyes swept across the crowd like a hawk's, his voice ringing cold and sharp.
The crowd erupted. Those who had been avoiding his gaze, unwilling to meet his eyes, now wore expressions of anger and looked toward Yang Kai with open hostility.
And those who had already been somewhat hostile toward him now wore undisguised killing intent in their eyes.
Yang Kai sneered. He stood rooted to the spot like a spear thrust into the earth, facing head-on all those complex gazes and emotions, as though standing in the heart of a raging vortex, utterly unmoved.
As if he would be afraid. He had crossed swords with Luo Hai—a Void King Two-layer Realm Star Lord. Did he really fear the likes of these people?
Every person before him was at the Void Return Stage, and there were certainly a great number of them. But if Yang Kai truly wanted to kill, not a single one of them would escape Lingxiao Sect alive.
Their vicious glares were as absurd as a brothel girl winking at a blind man.
Having delivered his ultimatum, he paid them no further attention. Instead, he expanded his spiritual sense, searching for any trace of the Lingxiao Sect's people. But after a thorough sweep, he found nothing among the eighty-one peaks. Not a single sign of them.
Everyone from Lingxiao Sect had vanished without a trace.
This discovery made Yang Kai's expression grow darker and darker.
Now, he could already vaguely guess what had happened to Lingxiao Sect.
One possibility was that everyone had been killed by these outsiders, which was why he couldn't find anyone.
The second possibility was that they had all withdrawn from the eighty-one peaks—and as for where they had gone, Yang Kai could make a rough estimate.
The first scenario was unlikely. Although Lingxiao Sect had started with few people of uneven strength, after subduing the forces of Star Emperor Mountain, they were no longer a soft persimmon that just anyone could squeeze. These people alone would not have been enough to slaughter everyone including Ye Xiyun. It simply wasn't realistic.
That left only the second possibility: Ye Xiyun had likely led the members of Lingxiao Sect to retreat to the innermost depths of the Flowing Flame Sand Field! That was where Yang Yan lay in slumber, protected by the Triple Flame Fire Ring—no one could enter!
Yang Kai didn't know why Ye Xiyun had made this choice, but she must have had her reasons.
While his spiritual sense probed outward and his thoughts turned, an elderly man with an air of immortal bearing stepped forward from the crowd. He cupped his fists solemnly and said: "Sect Master Yang, this old man is Li Jianming, Grand Elder of the Medicine Pill Sect. Sect Master Yang has traveled a long way to return—surely you must be weary. Why not rest for a while first, and then we can discuss this matter in detail?"
The Medicine Pill Sect! This sect was a well-known power on the Dark Star. The reason was simple: its disciples were skilled alchemists. Just as Medicine King Valley had once held a special standing in the Central Capital World, the Medicine Pill Sect occupied a unique position on the Dark Star.
The Medicine Pill Sect had five Elders, all Void Grade Low-tier Alchemists—an exceedingly precious resource on the Dark Star. Even powers like the former Battle Heaven Alliance and Thunder Terrace Sect had treated these five with the utmost respect, not daring to show the slightest discourtesy.
As the Grand Elder of the Medicine Pill Sect, Li Jianming was a figure of great renown on the Dark Star, standing as an equal to the Sect Masters of the great factions.