Those Void Grade alchemists, out of respect for Master Zuode's status, didn't dare speak much with Yang Kai. Zong Ao alone was completely unconcerned, walking over to Yang Kai's side and engaging him in quiet conversation.
Yang Kai took the opportunity to ask about Gu Bihu's condition. Zong Ao had been staying in this palace these past days, constantly monitoring changes in Gu Bihu's injuries, so he knew her situation inside and out.
Yang Kai gathered quite a bit of useful information.
"Oh right, who is that guy? Why did he jump out before I even said a word, latching onto me like a dog with a bone?" Yang Kai gestured toward the hook-nosed man and asked.
Zong Ao replied in a low voice, "His name is Zhan Yuan. His alchemical talent is decent enough, but lacking a proper mentor, he never amounted to much and stayed obscure. Later, through a chance encounter, he received some guidance from Master Zuode, which suddenly opened his mind. He rapidly advanced to become a mid-tier Void Grade alchemist. Because of this, he's always considered himself the Master's student. With that connection, he naturally couldn't tolerate hearing you say what you did."
"So that's how it is." Yang Kai's expression showed understanding.
It seemed Zhan Yuan didn't merely admire Zuode—he regarded him as a benefactor who had opened his eyes. Zuode's weight in his heart was therefore immense. Yang Kai hadn't actually said anything bad about Zuode, merely mentioned that the Master was a bit full of himself, but even that was hard for Zhan Yuan to swallow.
"However, Master Zuode himself... sigh, it's hard to say." Zong Ao's words carried hidden meaning, and he left the rest unsaid.
But Yang Kai understood what he was trying to express.
Both being alchemists, Zuode being the senior master, Zong Ao could not be disrespectful toward him under any circumstances. To disrespect Zuode would be to disrespect the Dao of Alchemy itself. So there were simply things Zong Ao couldn't bring himself to say openly.
"Just be careful, that's all. Even though you're already a Void King Second Stage powerhouse, never underestimate the power of a Void King Grade alchemist. To put it bluntly, if President Ai Ou had to choose between you and Master Zuode, I'd estimate there's an eighty percent chance he'd pick the latter!"
"I understand." Yang Kai smiled faintly.
The two were chatting quietly when a warrior in golden armor suddenly rushed in from outside. He cupped his fists and reported to Ai Ou with a grave expression, "President, Master Zuode... has arrived!"
"He's here?!" Ai Ou's eyes blazed with light. He waved his hand and barked, "Quick, show him in!"
Then he immediately corrected himself, "No—I'll go greet him personally!"
For over half a year, they had been waiting in constant anxiety, fearing that Gu Bihu wouldn't hold on until the Master could arrive. Now that the Master had finally descended upon Water Sky City, the great weight on Ai Ou's heart immediately lifted by half.
Once the Master finished refining the Primordial Soul-Transfer Pill, Gu Bihu could be awakened from her coma.
As he spoke, he straightened his attire and strode swiftly outward.
The others in the hall naturally didn't dare linger. Nearly everyone present was an alchemist, and upon hearing that Zuode had arrived, none could contain themselves—they all followed Ai Ou rushing outside, eager to catch sight of the Master's visage.
That hook-nosed man named Zhan Yuan, as he passed by Yang Kai's side, shot him a vicious glare with a savage grin hanging on his face, as if to say: "The Master is here now—you're dead."
Yang Kai curled his lip and paid him no heed.
"Come on, we should go greet him too. If the Master sees us standing here doing nothing, it'll likely displease him and cause unnecessary trouble." Zong Ao shook his head with a wry smile and walked unhurriedly toward the exit.
Yang Kai thought for a moment, then followed him out.
Outside the hall, led by Ai Ou, over a dozen Void Grade alchemists stood in a line behind him, all gazing up at the sky.
At some point in the heavens above, a streak of rainbow light was hurtling toward them at tremendous speed—clearly someone was using a flying Artifact.
Few people dared use flying artifacts in a place like Water Sky City, and even fewer had the audacity to be so ostentatious about it. But Master Zuode absolutely had that right, and no one dared say a word against it.
Yang Kai had initially expected the Master to be arriving on a Star Shuttle.
But upon closer inspection, he realized that wasn't the case.
Though the rainbow light was still some distance from the palace, with Yang Kai's cultivation and keen eyesight, he could see it with perfect clarity. It was an elaborately designed sedan chair carried by eight people—four in front and four behind, all of them young women with lithe figures and lovely faces, their feet wreathed in wind as they bore the sedan swiftly forward, trailing streams of brilliant light.
The sedan chair itself was luxuriously adorned, with a spacious seat. On it sat two figures—one old and one young. The elder had hair and beard as white as snow and appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, utterly at ease. The younger was a woman standing on the sedan, looking this way and that with curiosity, as if everything she saw was new and fascinating.
"This Flying Star Chase Moon Sedan Chair was custom-crafted for the Master by the Heluo Trade Association. It's even ten percent faster than the finest Star Shuttles, and those women were also presented to the Master by the Association. This thing has practically become his signature," Zong Ao explained quietly to Yang Kai from the side.
Yang Kai chuckled. "If Master Zong Ao takes one more step forward to become a Void King Grade alchemist, you'll certainly enjoy such treatment in the future."
Zong Ao shook his head with some disdain. "I only wish to pursue the ultimate heights of the Dao of Alchemy. These external trappings—I have no need for them."
Yang Kai nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Shortly after, the Flying Star Chase Moon Sedan Chair descended before the palace hall and landed steadily. Ai Ou straightened his robes, and before he could even open his mouth to speak, a figure shot out from the sedan chair.