"My relationship with him is none of your business, Elder Cui. Aren't you talking a bit too much?" Luo Lan looked at the other man with undisguised distaste.
The warrior surnamed Cui let out a low chuckle. "Fine, keep your secrets. There's no need to be so overbearing about it."
As he spoke, he cast a sinister glance toward Yang Kai, his voice taking on a chilling tone. "Kid, the Lost Land is extremely dangerous. Make sure you don't die in there."
Yang Kai gave him a sidelong glance, his expression cold and indifferent. He had no intention of responding.
This only infuriated the Cui warrior further. Luo Lan publicly dismissing him was one thing — after all, she was a Sword Alliance Elder in her own right, with strength no lesser than his. But for Yang Kai, a mere third-level Return Void Realm cultivator, to act with such insolence? That was more than enough reason to pick a fight.
However, before he could make his move, a cold snort came from nearby: "What a joke. If you Sword Alliance have internal disputes, settle them before you come here. Why drag them into this? Shall I serve as your referee? You two can fight it out — the winner stays, the loser gets lost!"
The speaker wore a deep purplish-red robe. His features were hard and imposing, carrying an air of natural authority that commanded respect without anger. A suffocating aura radiated from his entire body.
Both the Cui warrior and Luo Lan's expressions shifted upon hearing this.
Luo Lan smiled awkwardly. "Please forgive us, Mr. Ni. I didn't mean anything by it."
The Cui warrior also chuckled ingratiatingly. "Mr. Ni, please don't pay it any mind. I was only joking with Elder Luo."
"Hmph!" Mr. Ni snorted coldly, making no effort to hide his disdain for either Luo Lan or the Cui warrior. "In that case, keep it down and don't disturb me!"
Both Luo Lan and the Cui warrior wore awkward expressions and fell silent. The Cui warrior, however, continued to glare at Yang Kai with cold, calculating eyes, as if committing his appearance to memory.
Having only just arrived here, Yang Kai had already drawn the unwanted attention of a Void King Realm powerhouse for no apparent reason. His mood soured considerably.
"That guy is Cui Hong. He's an Elder of our Sword Alliance — Li Minghai's sworn brother, and part of the Vice Alliance Master's faction. When we enter the Lost Land, you need to be careful. Don't leave my side. If he doesn't dare to move against me directly, he'll definitely target you." Luo Lan's voice reached Yang Kai's ears in a discreet transmission.
Yang Kai gave an imperceptible nod and quietly asked, "Who is Mr. Ni? You all seem to be quite wary of him."
"His name is Ni Guang. He's from the Heng Luo Commercial Association," Luo Lan replied. "He's a second-level Void King Realm cultivator. What do you think — should Cui Hong and I be wary or not?"
"So that's how it is!" Understanding dawned on Yang Kai, and he looked up toward Ni Guang.
His gaze happened to meet the eyes of someone standing beside Ni Guang.
Yang Kai froze.
The owner of that gaze had a smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with an unusual light as she stared at Yang Kai with undisguised interest, her gaze bright and lively.
Yang Kai's expression soured, and he nearly cursed aloud. He hastily looked away, lowering his head and shielding half his face behind a hand pressed to his forehead, silently chanting in his mind: You can't see me. You can't see me. You can't see me...
This was, obviously, a bit delusional...
Since arriving here with Luo Lan, Yang Kai hadn't bothered to observe the warriors who had reached this place before them in any great detail. Only now did he realize that standing beside Ni Guang was an old acquaintance of his.
The young man was strikingly handsome — tall and slender, with skin fairer than a woman's, smooth and luminous as freshly fallen snow. A modest smile graced his features, the kind that could drive any woman to distraction and would even cause men to steal lingering glances. He held a folding fan in his hand, the very picture of dashing elegance. In his presence, any young prodigy would feel a twinge of inferiority. He seemed born to stand above the rest.
He was the very definition of perfection.
This guy — if not Xue Yue, the Third Young Master, then who?
The last time Yang Kai had crossed paths with Xue Yue was in the Imperial Palace. They'd had quite the brawl, but fortunately, once the Imperial Palace closed, Yang Kai had successfully escaped her clutches. He certainly hadn't expected that coming to the Lost Land this time would lead to another encounter with her.
Then again, it wasn't all that surprising. The Lost Land was a place where opportunity and danger coexisted. Though its existence was known only to a select few powerful individuals, the Heng Luo Commercial Association, as one of the Star Field's greatest powers, would naturally be aware of it.
Sending a powerhouse like Ni Guang along with Xue Yue for experience — that was perfectly reasonable.
In a flash, a cascade of thoughts swept through Yang Kai's mind, bringing him to a clear understanding of his current situation.
Then he sighed, raised his head, and met Xue Yue's eyes squarely. With the brazen attitude of a dead pig that fears no boiling water, he flashed her a grin.
Xue Yue blinked, seemingly taken aback that Yang Kai would have the audacity to meet her gaze with Ni Guang standing right beside him. A flash of irritation crossed her face, and she shot Yang Kai a fierce glare — quite the captivating display.
In her current guise as a dashing young man, pulling such an expression was rather unseemly. Anyone unaware of the truth might have assumed something was wrong with Xue Yue's head. But Yang Kai knew her secret inside and out, and seeing her so flustered only made him grin all the wider.
His relationship with Xue Yue — it had always been something Yang Kai found difficult to untangle.