Yang Kai's expression remained unchanged. After a brief moment of thought, he made a guess and said, "My lady reached this conclusion from the items in our space rings?"
"That's right!" The beautiful woman gave a slight nod. "Only warriors from the lower star domains would have so much trash!"
Having her precious belongings called trash put Liu Xianyun in a foul mood, but remembering the woman's strength, status, and methods, she could only swallow her complaints in silence. Perhaps treasures she considered extremely valuable really were nothing more than junk in this person's eyes.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. His space ring had always been filled with junk to throw people off the scent—even the few decent items he'd placed inside were of little real value. Calling them trash wasn't far off. He smiled faintly and said, "In that case, our suspicions have been cleared?"
The suspicions he referred to were, naturally, regarding the accusation of being spies for the Sun Crushing Hall.
The beautiful woman smiled lightly. "You could say that. However, I'm quite curious—which star domain are you from?"
"The Great Desolation Star Domain!" Yang Kai answered immediately, without a moment's hesitation.
Liu Xianyun knew better than to speak up.
"Oh." The beautiful woman looked thoughtful. "I've heard of that star domain. It seems there's a sect in the Star Realm that has some connection to it."
"You must be referring to the Huangquan Sect? We're not from the Huangquan Sect." Yang Kai could tell she was probing him, so he answered smoothly. At the same time, he let out a cold laugh. "As a matter of fact, we have some enmity with the people of the Huangquan Sect."
"Is that so?" The beautiful woman regarded Yang Kai with a half-smile, her lovely eyes radiating an strange light, as though trying to pierce into the depths of his heart to discern the truth.
"That's right. In the Starlight Passage, we were ambushed by Huangquan Sect people." Yang Kai let out a cold snarl, his eyes filling with venom, as though he harbored an irreconcilable grudge against the Huangquan Sect.
The beautiful woman nodded and said nothing more.
After a moment of contemplation, she spoke. "Since you're not spies for the Sun Crushing Hall, and you've come from a lower star domain, I can offer you two choices."
"We're all ears!"
"First—leave my Jade Feather Sect right now and get as far away as possible!" The beautiful woman raised one slender, luminous finger, smiling gently.
Hearing this, Liu Xianyun's expression flickered, and she was on the verge of blurting out her agreement. But before she could speak, she instinctively glanced at Yang Kai and saw that his face was completely unmoved. She hastily swallowed the words that had been about to leave her lips.
"And the second?" Yang Kai asked.
"The second, naturally, is to join my Jade Feather Sect and become our disciples. The Jade Feather Sect may not count as a major power in the Southern Domain, but we do have our own foundation. Joining us would give you a place to settle down. You'd have protection going forward, and if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation, I can offer you some guidance."
"Such a good deal?" Yang Kai's eyes lit up, looking thoroughly tempted.
The beautiful woman smiled without speaking, clearly satisfied with Yang Kai's attitude.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Kai asked another question. "I have one more concern."
"Speak." The beautiful woman tilted her chin up slightly, her demeanor proud and aloof.
"Our strength isn't particularly high. Why would my lady want to recruit us into the sect?" Yang Kai asked in a grave tone.
The beautiful woman covered her mouth and laughed delicately. "Because you come from a lower star domain. Warriors like you have great potential for cultivation. It's a pity, though, that neither of you possesses a Star Lord's constitution. If you did, you'd receive even more attention."
"So that's how it is!" Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
Liu Xianyun had mentioned something like this to him before. Warriors from lower star domains were invariably the most outstanding and talented geniuses of their respective domains. After arriving in the Star Realm, they were highly sought after by major sects. Even without a Star Lord's constitution, they would still attract the favor of many powerhouses.
With the beautiful woman's explanation, the reasoning made perfect sense.
"Then, how will you choose?" The beautiful woman looked at Yang Kai and asked.
"What's there to hesitate about? Of course I'll join the Jade Feather Sect." Yang Kai didn't even think twice before agreeing outright. Then he turned his head and said, "Xianyun, what do you think?"
Liu Xianyun looked stunned. She never imagined Yang Kai would make such a snap decision. When put on the spot, she felt quite flustered.
However, after meeting Yang Kai's gaze, Liu Xianyun still nodded. "Then I'll follow Brother Yang's lead. I'll join too!"
The beautiful woman smiled gracefully upon hearing this and rose from her chair. "Then from this day forward, you are both disciples of my Jade Feather Sect. For the time being, you will fall under my jurisdiction. Kou Wu, take them down and arrange their quarters. Let them cultivate in peace—and don't let me down."
With that, the beautiful woman turned and left.
Kou Wu bowed respectfully behind her.
After the beautiful woman had gone, Kou Wu turned to Yang Kai and Liu Xianyun with a smile. "Well then, from now on we're all fellow sect members. This senior brother hasn't even asked your names yet."
"Yang Kai greets Senior Brother Kou." Yang Kai cupped his fists with a cheerful grin, acting as though they were old acquaintances.
Though Liu Xianyun felt somewhat awkward, she could only introduce herself as well.