Steadying his nerves, the young man called out, "Might I ask the names of you two friends?"
Having realized that Yang Kai and the Ghost Ancestor were not to be trifled with, he immediately dropped his arrogant posture, losing all the bluster he had displayed moments ago.
Before his words had even faded, a figure flickered before him. The one who had plummeted from the sky moments ago had suddenly appeared right in front of him, a sinister face so close it was practically dripping menace, nearly pressed against his own. Meeting that gaze, the young man's heart lurched with fear, and he scrambled backward.
"Who are you, and where did you come from?" Yang Kai asked coldly.
Among the black-robed figures here, only two had reached the first level of the Return Void Realm. The rest were mere Holy Sovereigns — cultivators he wouldn't even spare a glance.
What he wanted to ascertain most right now was their origins and how they had arrived on the Tongxuan Continent.
The two Return Void Realm cultivators guarding the young man hadn't even seen how Yang Kai had closed the distance, and they instantly understood that this person was far more terrifying than they had assumed. Their hearts pounded. One of them mustered his courage and offered a careful, ingratiating smile: "To answer this young master's question — we are from the Soul Devouring Sect. This is our Young Sect Master, Mu Chengfeng!"
As he spoke, he gestured toward the young man, introducing him to Yang Kai.
Mu Chengfeng straightened his chest, apparently realizing his earlier display had been less than dignified, and tried to compose himself to salvage some face.
"Soul Devouring Sect?" Yang Kai frowned slightly and glanced back at the Ghost Ancestor.
"I've never heard of this sect either. Probably not worth mentioning," the Ghost Ancestor remarked flatly.
Mu Chengfeng and the two Return Void Realm warriors bristled at the Ghost Ancestor's dismissal of their sect, but since their fists weren't big enough, they didn't dare push it.
"Did you create this ghost formation?" Yang Kai pointed behind him at the great hexagram formation.
"Yes..." the Return Void Realm cultivator who had spoken earlier hurried to reply, secretly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "It took no small effort from our sect to set it up."
"Good!" Yang Kai laughed coldly. "Since you're the ones responsible, then—"
"Young brother!" The Return Void Realm cultivator, sensing what Yang Kai was about to say, interrupted in a panic: "Allow me to inform young brother — formations like this one aren't the only ones on this continent. The entire Soul Devouring Sect is currently stationed here. Our Sect Master is personally leading us in a grand endeavor. I would ask young brother to be accommodating."
"There's more than one?" Yang Kai's face darkened. He laughed in fury. "No wonder the spiritual energy here is even thinner than before. So it was all your doing. You people have a lot of nerve."
The Return Void Realm cultivator smiled sheepishly: "Young brother, you shouldn't put it that way. The cultivators on this continent are far too weak. Even if we left the spiritual energy for them, they'd never amount to anything in their lifetimes. But if our Soul Devouring Sect were to absorb this spiritual energy, it would be an entirely different matter. Our Sect Master is a Void King Realm powerhouse. If he could devour the spiritual energy of this continent, his strength would increase tremendously. Once he refines the Star Origin of this continent, it could even bring a glimmer of vitality to this land — a case of finding life in the midst of death. With young brother's profound strength, surely you understand this reasoning."
He made a point of emphasizing that the Soul Devouring Sect's Master was a Void King Realm cultivator, hoping to make Yang Kai think twice.
To his surprise, Yang Kai's expression only grew more furious: "You dare try to refine the Star Origin?"
"Of course!" Mu Chengfeng puffed out his chest. "Father has already taken the sect's elites to the planet's core. The origin will likely be refined within days."
Thinking of his father's status as a Void King Realm powerhouse, Mu Chengfeng's confidence surged.
He was certain these two would never dare lay a killing hand on him. He still had no idea who they were or how powerful they were, but no sane person would want to make an enemy of a Void King Realm cultivator.
And so he resumed his leisurely, self-assured bearing.
After finishing his speech, however, he noticed Yang Kai staring at him with an even more terrifying look. Mu Chengfeng jumped in fright. "What are you doing?!" he shrieked.
Yang Kai bared his teeth in a savage grin: "What am I going to do? Take your lives!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a series of soft hissing sounds rang out. Every black-robed disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect collapsed simultaneously, struck down in the same instant. They hadn't even managed a scream before every last one of them was dead.
"Aaah!" Mu Chengfeng screamed in terror, his eyeballs trembling wildly. He pointed a shaking finger at Yang Kai: "You... you dare make an enemy of my Soul Devouring Sect?!"
"Make an enemy?" Yang Kai sneered. "Don't flatter yourselves. You're not even worthy. Daring to run wild on my turf — I'll make sure you never return."
The Soul Devouring Sect had not only been brazenly draining the spiritual energy of the Tongxuan Continent and enslaving its cultivators, but they had also set their sights on the Star Origin. How could Yang Kai not be furious?
The Star Source had already been claimed by his Little Senior Sister, so there was no risk of the Soul Devouring Sect getting their hands on it. But their reckless actions would surely cause some harm to her as well.
"You... you... my father is a Void King Realm powerhouse! You dare kill me?!" Mu Chengfeng had been scared witless. He had assumed that invoking his father's name would make Yang Kai hesitate, yet this young man didn't seem to care in the slightest.