Ai Ou had actually been quite curious about whatever Yang Kai was going to produce. After all, Yang Kai's strength was extraordinary and his status far from negligible—anything he presented was bound to be remarkable.
But upon hearing it was a cultivation technique, Ai Ou immediately lost interest, curling his lip dismissively. "I was wondering what it might be. Turns out it's just a cultivation technique. The Heng Luo Commercial Union may be built on trade, but we place great importance on the martial path as well. Techniques like that… keep them for yourself, boy. The Union isn't lacking in such things."
Yang Kai smiled faintly and, with supreme composure, uttered a single line from his lips: "This technique is called… the Star Refining Art!"
The instant those words left his mouth, a sharp gleam blazed in Ai Ou's eyes. Then, with lightning speed, he snatched the stone tablet from Yang Kai's hand and stared at it intently.
Three ancient characters were clearly inscribed upon the stone tablet, their strokes profoundly mysterious and utterly distinct from any script that existed in the present day.
Yet upon closer inspection, one could discern a certain resemblance to the modern rendering of the three characters for "Star Refining Art."
Ai Ou's hands began to tremble involuntarily.
"Senior, isn't this behavior… a bit beneath your dignity?" Yang Kai taunted from the side.
"Shut up!" Ai Ou barked furiously, making absolutely no effort to guard against Yang Kai. He plunged his consciousness straight into the stone tablet, probing it with rapt focus.
This stone tablet was something Yang Kai had retrieved from the deepest reaches of the Imperial Garden. It was precisely by relying on the Star Refining Art that he had enabled Xia Ningshang to refine the origin of the Tongxuan Continent. Although he himself hadn't used this particular item to refine the origin of the Dark Star, it was unquestionably the supreme method for refining a star's origin.
Later, the Dharma Avatar's refinement of the origin of the Suspended Continent had further confirmed this.
Ai Ou's current cultivation stood at the peak of Void King Stage Two. If he could obtain the Star Refining Art and use it to refine the origin of a cultivation star, it would not only illuminate his future with limitless promise but would also make his advancement to Void King Stage Three an absolute certainty. That was precisely why he had lost all composure.
The last time he had sent Xueyue with a large contingent of experts to the Imperial Garden, it had been for the Star Refining Art. Unfortunately, it had ended up in Yang Kai's hands.
When Xueyue returned, she hadn't reported the full truth. So Ai Ou had no idea the Star Refining Art was actually with Yang Kai.
Encountering it now without warning, he was naturally ecstatic beyond measure.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and stood to the side, waiting patiently.
As time passed, Ai Ou's expression shifted in rapid succession. Excitement, tension, anticipation, exhilaration—every shade of emotion flickered across his face in quick succession.
After a good while, he suddenly burst into hearty laughter, his cackling ringing out unrestrained and joyous.
"Has the Senior made any discoveries?" Yang Kai asked with a smile.
Ai Ou turned to look at him, his expression finally softening considerably. He nodded. "You're a fine one, boy—knowing how to appeal to a man's interests. What's truly rare is that despite your personal strength and status being no less than my own, you still know how to respect your elders. I'm quite pleased with that!"
"As long as the Senior is pleased."
"I'll be taking this. As for your matters with Xueyue… I'll give them serious consideration!"
Yang Kai smiled faintly but didn't press the issue. Ai Ou's willingness to say as much meant he had already given his tacit approval—he simply couldn't bring himself to lose face outright.
"Come, walk with me. There are some things I'd like to ask you." Ai Ou's overbearing demeanor from before had shifted entirely; he was considerably more genial now.
Yang Kai nodded. "When an elder gives an order, this junior wouldn't dream of refusing!"
Ai Ou was thoroughly satisfied with this response. With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode forward and spoke. "I'd like to know—how old are you this year?"
"Ah… I'm not entirely sure myself." Yang Kai grinned sheepishly. Ever since leaving the Tongxuan Continent and entering the Star Domain, he had been constantly on the move, with no opportunity to keep track of time or count his age. "Fifty or sixty, give or take."
"Fifty or sixty?" Ai Ou's expression changed. "You're certain that's all?"
Fifty or sixty years—for an ordinary mortal, that was already approaching old age. But for a warrior who had achieved notable cultivation, fifty or sixty was barely the beginning.
The current saint grade warriors, saint king grade warriors—who among them didn't have at least that many years under their belt?
Even some of the less talented individuals in the Transcendent Realm and Shenyou Realm were considerably older than that.
And Yang Kai? Void King Stage Two!
In the entire Star Domain, which Void King Realm cultivator wasn't a centuries- or even millennium-old monster? Without the accumulation of time and the tempering of the ages, it was simply impossible to advance to the Void King Realm!
So upon learning that Yang Kai was only fifty or sixty, Ai Ou nearly regarded him as something beyond human.
"I took a look at your bone age—you don't mind, do you?" Ai Ou eyed Yang Kai with a mix of suspicion and awe.
"Not at all!" Yang Kai replied with a smile, proactively extending his hand.
Ai Ou reached out, placed his fingers on Yang Kai's wrist, and sent his divine sense probing inward. After examining for a moment, he released his grip in sheer astonishment.
What he had discovered was that Yang Kai truly was only a few decades old, not lying in the slightest. While a warrior's outward appearance might not change dramatically with increasing strength, bone age was an unfailingly accurate indicator of a warrior's true age.
How on earth had he cultivated like this? Ai Ou suddenly felt as though he had wasted his entire life. But what shocked him even more was that, while probing Yang Kai's bone age, he had sensed that the blood and qi vitality within Yang Kai's body was terrifyingly vigorous.