A violent gale erupted inside the great hall. Everyone except Xueyue, who was shielded by Yang Kai, was thrown off balance, crying out in distress.
"President Ai'Ou, what is the meaning of this?" Yang Kai narrowed his eyes at the broad-shouldered, tiger-backed man before him, his voice flat and indifferent.
Ai'Ou's expression was one of startled uncertainty. His eyes were wide and round, like a fierce tiger or a blazing sun, awe-inspiring to behold. Suddenly, he let out a hearty laugh. "Heroes truly do come from the ranks of the young! Kid, you're more impressive than I imagined. When Ni Guang spoke of you, I had my doubts—but now it seems he underestimated you. Your aptitude surpasses Yue'er's by more than a mere step."
"You flatter me, Senior. I merely stumbled upon some opportunities," Yang Kai replied, his demeanor neither servile nor arrogant.
Ai'Ou abruptly extended his hand. "Give me the item."
Xueyue stood off to the side, her face still pale. She hadn't understood why her father had attacked Yang Kai the moment they met, but upon hearing those words, a sudden realization dawned on her.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed slightly. After a brief moment of thought, he too understood. A faint smile appeared on his face. "I wonder which item Senior is referring to?"
"You know perfectly well!" Ai'Ou sounded impatient.
Yang Kai said, "If Senior wants that single drop of mine, I can tell you right now—giving it to you would be useless. Madam Gu's divine soul is currently damaged, and that substance can only mend injuries to the physical body. Surely Senior understands this."
Xueyue's stepmother was named Gu Bihu—she had told Yang Kai this on the journey here—so calling her Madam Gu was perfectly appropriate.
"Of course I know that," Ai'Ou said in a heavy voice.
"Then Senior must be asking for that one particular thing?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline that request."
Inside the hall, a crowd of Void Grade alchemists listened in utter confusion, craning their necks with curiosity, having no idea what "that drop" and "that thing" Yang Kai was referring to.
But Yang Kai, Ai'Ou, and Xueyue all knew exactly what they were.
The Undying Origin Liquid. The Ageless Tree.
The reason Ai'Ou had attacked Yang Kai from the outset was that he wanted to seize the Ageless Tree to heal Gu Bihu. The Undying Origin Liquid could not restore Gu Bihu's damaged divine soul—but the Ageless Tree was different. Possessing the Ageless Tree meant immortality and invincibility; mending a damaged soul would be effortless.
"Don't tell me you've already fused with it!" Ai'Ou's eyes blazed with a terrifying light, as though he meant to devour Yang Kai whole as he glared at him.
Yang Kai merely smiled without a word.
Ai'Ou's heart plummeted. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
After all, according to Ni Guang's account, when they had entered the Lost Realm, Yang Kai had been at the same level as Xueyue—Return to Void, Third Layer. But that was only a few years ago! And now this kid had already advanced to Void King, Second Layer!
No matter how many opportunities a martial artist encountered, it was virtually impossible to achieve such a dramatic leap in strength in so short a time.
The only explanation was an extraordinary opportunity—and fusing with the Ageless Tree was exactly the kind of opportunity that fit.
Disbelieving, Ai'Ou swept his divine sense across Yang Kai's body and was shocked to discover that the vital blood force within him was extraordinarily vigorous. The surging, hidden pulses of blood energy were enough to make even a powerhouse of his caliber tremble with apprehension.
"You really have fused with it!" Ai'Ou cried out involuntarily, his face turning ashen. The last sliver of hope in his eyes was suddenly extinguished.
His despair didn't stem from the fact that such a priceless treasure was beyond his reach. It was because he could no longer use the Ageless Tree to save Gu Bihu.
Yang Kai offered no explanation, allowing the misunderstanding to stand.
After a long silence, Ai'Ou suddenly growled, "Even if you've fused with it, that changes nothing! Your blood must still contain the energy of that treasure. All I need to do is drain your blood, and Madam Gu will be saved!"
He was grasping at straws now, latching onto whatever desperate idea crossed his mind.
Hearing this, Xueyue's face changed dramatically. She rushed forward and threw herself in front of Yang Kai. "Father, you can't—"
"Get out of the way! This doesn't concern you!" Ai'Ou snarled.
"The mighty President of the Heng Luo Trading Company, overlord of an entire star region—so this is what you really are. The reputation truly doesn't match the reality!" Yang Kai snorted coldly.
"What did you say, kid? Watch your tone!" Ai'Ou's eyes narrowed to slits.
Yang Kai sneered repeatedly. "If not for Xueyue's sake, do you think I'd be standing here having a civilized conversation with you? For the way you just attacked me, I could tear this Shuitian City apart. If not for the fact that your mind is unsettled from trying to save the woman you love, today would be the day the Heng Luo Trading Company becomes nothing but a passing memory!"
Xueyue's face went deathly pale. She tugged urgently at Yang Kai's sleeve and whispered, "Please, just talk properly!"
Yang Kai smiled. "I'm perfectly willing to talk properly—but your father had better calm down first."
Ai'Ou snapped back to his senses as well, suddenly realizing that the person standing before him was not some soft target to be pushed around. This was a Void King Second Layer expert—someone who stood on equal footing with him, whose strength was nearly indistinguishable from his own!
If he truly provoked a powerhouse of that caliber to fury, then today would likely end in catastrophe. Putting everything else aside, the destruction of Shuitian City would be a certainty.