The Ghost Ancestor felt utterly miserable.
Three days of explaining the Dao and answering questions had made his image among the nearly ten thousand disciples of Lingxiao Sect surge to towering heights, and he had been rather pleased with himself, delighted that he'd managed to earn the disciples' acceptance and integrate so quickly into the sect.
Yesterday, he had been leisurely strolling through Lingxiao Sect. After all, this was going to be his sect from now on, so naturally he wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings first.
Lingxiao Sect's eighty-one peaks, brimming with rich spiritual energy and commanding majestic terrain, satisfied him immensely.
The Three Flame Fire Ring guarding the sect's outer perimeter had also shaken him to his core. He had no idea what kind of powerhouse had laid down such a formation—even someone of his caliber wouldn't dare venture deep into it.
When he happened to pass by the Hundred Flowers Residence, a whim seized him and he walked in.
Yang Yan had been resting with her eyes closed. The Ghost Ancestor stood nearby and watched for a while, mistakenly assuming she was cultivating some technique. Once Yang Yan opened her eyes, he put on the airs of a master and offered a few pointers, fully expecting to be met with gratitude and reverence. Instead, Yang Yan simply gave him a "hehe."
That single "hehe" left him completely dumbfounded.
He had frozen on the spot, that sound reverberating endlessly through his mind as if it would never stop, and he hadn't fully come to until today.
How could the Ghost Ancestor not realize he had kicked an iron plate? He immediately elevated Yang Yan to the status of an awe-inspiring figure and never dared act irreverently in front of her again.
To this day, he still had no idea what level of cultivation Yang Yan actually possessed.
A single meaningless laugh had been enough to trap him in a nightmare from which he couldn't wake. Even a third-level Return Void Realm expert couldn't pull off something like that. Had he not experienced it personally, the Ghost Ancestor would never have believed such an absurd thing.
The only thing he could be certain of was that Yang Yan's cultivation was definitely above his own, because no matter how he observed, he couldn't begin to gauge her depth—and she absolutely was not wearing any Artifact capable of blocking spiritual sense probing.
What kind of background did this woman have? Terrifying beyond belief!
That brat Yang Kai was thoroughly inconsiderate. Having such a powerful figure in the sect and not giving him the slightest heads-up, which led to him showing off his meager skills right in front of her. What an embarrassment.
Recalling the "guidance" he had dispensed yesterday, the Ghost Ancestor wished he could find a hole to crawl into and never come out again.
It felt like a toddler still learning to walk telling a grown adult, "Let me teach you how to fight"...
What kind of sect was this, really? Not only did it boast that freak Yang Kai—so young and already at the Return Void Realm—but there was also the woman in white, a Return Void Realm Alchemist, and now this terrifying woman had appeared as well.
Had he stepped right into a trap? The Ghost Ancestor's heart churned with unease, his mind in turmoil.
"Sect Master, you know what kind of person I am—please put in a good word for me," the Ghost Ancestor pleaded, seeing that Yang Yan was still upset, and cast a desperate look toward Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gave a light cough, thought for a moment, and said, "Yang Yan, the Ghost Ancestor senior meant well. Why don't we just let this go?"
The Ghost Ancestor nodded vigorously from the side. "It was truly an unintentional offense. As the saying goes, ignorance is no crime. I do hope you can be magnanimous, my lady."
Yang Yan let out a soft hmph, though her expression softened considerably.
Yang Kai smiled faintly. "It's been over a decade since you fell asleep. Surely you're not going to throw a tantrum the moment we see each other again?"
"Who's throwing a tantrum with you?" Yang Yan shot Yang Kai a cold glance.
Yang Kai rubbed his nose sheepishly. "You seem to have quite a temper these days—completely different from before."
The Ghost Ancestor chimed in from the side with righteous indignation, "It must be because you were off chasing romances and neglecting this lady!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the Ghost Ancestor realized his mistake. He had intended to curry favor with Yang Yan, but the remark was laced with unfortunate implications.
Sure enough, Yang Yan gave him a languid look and then let out a leisurely "hehe."
Not again...
The Ghost Ancestor's face drained of color. The next instant, his entire body went rigid. His eyes went vacant...