"Indeed, this is the Immortal Tree. That drop of Essence of Immortality on the leaf belongs to this Elder. It was already distributed with Ni Guang and Zi Long earlier—their portions have been taken. Yang Kai, I have no way to reach deep into the Seven Luminary Treasure Light to retrieve the Essence of Immortality. Do you have any means to do so?" The Ghost Ancestor fixed Yang Kai with a look of eager hope.
Although Yang Kai was only at the third-layer Void Return Realm, everything he did never failed to astonish the Ghost Ancestor, so at a critical juncture like this, he could only turn to Yang Kai.
What if this kid actually had a solution?
As it happened, Yang Kai did have a way. He had tested it earlier while harvesting the Sky Infant Grass—the Stone Puppet could move freely within the Seven Luminary Treasure Light. Though it was somewhat affected, the impact wasn't too great.
So upon hearing the Ghost Ancestor's question, Yang Kai couldn't help but grin. "What's so hard about that?"
"Quick, stop him! You absolutely cannot let him make a move!" Zi Long's face changed drastically as he pointed toward Yang Kai and bellowed. From the moment Yang Kai had appeared, his expression had been grim, and now, seeing him on intimate terms with the Ghost Ancestor, exchanging hushed words, he immediately knew things were going badly.
The puppets he and Ni Guang had brought were already damaged and unusable. None of the people present here had any way to deal with the Seven Luminary Treasure Light. And that stone figure he had seen before was undoubtedly the key to determining who would claim the Immortal Tree.
So the moment he saw Yang Kai about to take action, he could hold back no longer. While shouting, he turned to Ni Guang: "Brother Ni, let's set aside the grudge between us for now. Help me take down this boy first! He has a wondrous treasure in his possession that can withstand the Seven Luminary Treasure Light!"
"What?" Ni Guang was greatly startled and turned to look at Yang Kai.
Although he wasn't particularly close with Yang Kai, they had traveled together before and he hadn't noticed anything special about him. Now, hearing Zi Long speak with such conviction, he couldn't help but feel curious—what exactly was this treasure Yang Kai possessed that could withstand the Seven Luminary Treasure Light?
After all, the puppets that both he and Zi Long had brought were specially crafted. Neither Purple Star nor the Hengluo Trading Company had more than one each.
Yet even those two puppets couldn't remain within the Seven Luminary Treasure Light for too long. Their damage, while partly caused by fighting each other, was primarily due to the suppression of the Treasure Light.
The suppression of the Treasure Light was terrifying.
Could the treasure in Yang Kai's possession be more powerful than those two puppets?
"Brother Ni, surely you don't want to stand by and watch the treasure fall into someone else's hands? Why don't we join forces—first seize the treasure, then claim the Immortal Tree. Once we have the Immortal Tree, we'll split it evenly!" Zi Long spoke at a rapid clip, seemingly paying no regard to Yang Kai's presence nearby, as though he weren't worth a second glance.
Ni Guang furrowed his brow and glanced toward Xue Yue.
He wanted to consult her opinion.
Xue Yue slowly shook her head, her expression grave.
Ni Guang caught her meaning and let out a faint sigh. "Brother Zi, your proposal really isn't very impressive. I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
"Fool!" Zi Long was so furious his blood boiled. In the current situation, anyone who wanted to obtain the Immortal Tree would necessarily need to rely on the treasure in Yang Kai's possession. And Yang Kai was clearly aligned with the Ghost Ancestor—the two were definitely on the same side. He feared the Ghost Ancestor greatly and could only try to win Ni Guang over to stand against them, but Ni Guang actually refused!
Did he not realize that given how things were developing, he too would have no chance of obtaining the Immortal Tree?
The sacred bird had left its nest—an opportunity this rare came along once in a lifetime. If he missed this chance, he would likely never again have the opportunity to obtain the Immortal Tree and achieve an undying, imperishable body.
Zi Long was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan...
"Heh heh heh..." The Ghost Ancestor let out an eerie cackle from the side, the dark qi surging around his body, betraying his displeasure. "The master of Purple Star, is it? Famous as you may be, seeing you in person is quite the letdown. Your performance has been truly disappointing. Hmph! If you want to go after the Sect Master of my Sect, you'll have to get through me first!"
As he spoke, the wailing of ghosts and howling of wolves emanated from around his body, sending chills down one's spine. He extended a hand, and the Myriad Soul Banner flew forth. Caught by the wind, it expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive ghostly head that seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth, hovering in midair.
The ghostly head radiated dense yin-cold qi, its enormous mouth opening and closing ceaselessly, the interior pitch-black like a bottomless abyss—a truly terrifying sight.
Zi Long's expression couldn't help but change.
"Uncle Ni, let's go to Yang Kai's side as well," Xue Yue said softly.
Ni Guang paused for a moment, then nodded. He circulated his Sacred Yuan, enveloped Xue Yue within it, and shot straight over to where Yang Kai and the Ghost Ancestor stood.
Earlier, when entering the Lost Domain, he had held a rather poor impression of the Ghost Ancestor, thinking that anyone who practiced dark and sinister cultivation techniques was bound to be a treacherous, difficult person. But just now, when Xu Wei had moved against Xue Yue and she was in dire peril, it was the Ghost Ancestor who had stepped in to help. Ni Guang had witnessed the entire scene.
He was immensely grateful.
And so, he felt little reluctance toward Xue Yue's proposal. He didn't know the exact nature of the relationship between Xue Yue and Yang Kai, but since she had spoken up, it was clear she intended to stand on Yang Kai's side.
After landing, Ni Guang gave the Ghost Ancestor a slight nod, and the Ghost Ancestor returned it with a soft chuckle.
Two Void King second-level powerhouses had allied in an instant.
Zi Long's expression grew even uglier.
He stood rooted in place, staring coldly at the Ghost Ancestor and Ni Guang, his emotions churning.
He knew that barring any unexpected turns of events, the Immortal Tree was probably out of his reach. With two Void King second-level cultivators joined forces, they held an absolutely decisive advantage.
But even so... he couldn't let them have their way easily!