Wen Zishan said, "Elder Gao, that line is typically something men say to women… and only in very particular atmospheres and circumstances… with ulterior motives and hidden agendas… If this little brother had said it to you, I could understand, but for you to say it of your own volition… something doesn't quite add up!"
"Shut your mouth!" Gao Xueting snapped.
The moment those words left her lips, Yang Kai was rooted to the spot.
Qin Chaoyang was equally dumbfounded, his expression strange as he turned to look at Gao Xueting.
Gao Xueting might be a First-Order Emperor Realm powerhouse, but in the Qingyang Divine Temple she was merely an Elder, while Wen Zishan sitting above them all was the Temple Master!
For an Elder to tell the Temple Master to shut his mouth?
Wasn't that the height of insubordination?
What truly made Yang Kai and Qin Chaoyang's jaws hit the floor, however, was that Wen Zishan actually shut his mouth!
And glancing around, the others seemed entirely unfazed by the scene, showing not the slightest inclination to reprimand Gao Xueting for overstepping her authority. A few of them even cast looks of disdain at Wen Zishan!
Yang Kai's mind was a tangled mess…
The first thought that popped into his head was — the Wen Zishan sitting up there must be an imposter! That was the only explanation for why Gao Xueting could show him zero respect, and why everyone else could glare at him so brazenly.
But on second thought, that didn't seem likely either. When Wen Zishan had waved his hand just moments ago, Yang Kai had clearly felt the fluctuations of power within him.
This fellow was definitely a Third-Order Emperor Realm powerhouse!
And in the entire Qingyang Divine Temple, only one person had reached the Third-Order Emperor Realm. If he wasn't Wen Zishan, who else could he be?
Yang Kai was thoroughly confused. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the whole lot of Qingyang Divine Temple's higher-ups.
"You still haven't answered my question. Have I seen you somewhere before?" Gao Xueting turned back to Yang Kai, pressing him relentlessly.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, "I'm from Maple Forest City. Elder Gao visited Maple Forest City once before, to assist Lord Xiao Yuyang in opening the Five-Color Pagoda. I was present at the time and even entered it for a trial… Perhaps that's why Elder Gao finds my face familiar."
"I see…" Gao Xueting murmured, nodding as she found his explanation plausible enough. "That could be it!"
With that, she paid him no further attention.
Yang Kai let out an inward sigh of relief.
If Gao Xueting had recognized him here and now as the Demon he had fought previously, he imagined his fate would have been truly miserable.
The group waited quietly inside the great hall for a while longer before the divine sense fluctuations on Chen Qian's Message Compass suddenly rippled to life.
After examining it, she looked up and shook her head at Wen Zishan. "Temple Master, we don't have any Calamity Difficult Fruit in our treasury!"
"That truly is a disappointment…" Wen Zishan murmured softly.
Qin Chaoyang's face also fell with visible disappointment.
After all, obtaining a ready-made Calamity Difficult Fruit would have been the best outcome — there would have been no need to risk Yang Kai's life entering the Land of Four Seasons. But now the Qingyang Divine Temple didn't have the item, and he had no idea what decision these Emperor Realm cultivators would make next.
"If we don't have it…" Wen Zishan began, "then you'll simply have to go in and find it yourself. As for whether you succeed or not, that will depend on your own fortune."
He was speaking to Qin Chaoyang.
Qin Chaoyang was overjoyed upon hearing this.
Gao Xueting furrowed her brows slightly, seemingly about to say something, but since Wen Zishan had already spoken, she didn't feel she could interject further.
"Many thanks, Temple Master Wen." Qin Chaoyang bowed deeply. "However… I have one more request!"
Wen Zishan smiled faintly. "Go ahead and speak. If it's not too unreasonable…"
Qin Chaoyang said, "I humbly request that the Temple Master grant the spot for entering the Land of Four Seasons to this Brother Yang!"
As he spoke, he pointed at Yang Kai, his expression somewhat awkward. "Surely all of you lords can see — I am advanced in years. Though my cultivation has reached the First-Order Dao Source Realm, I am fully aware of my own actual strength. As Elder Gao just said, if I were to enter, there's no guarantee I'd come out alive. My death would be a minor matter, but if I fail to obtain the Calamity Difficult Fruit…"
"You're suggesting that if he goes in, he'll be able to come out alive?" Wen Zishan asked with evident interest.
Qin Chaoyang replied, "Brother Yang is… far more capable than I am."
"Well, at least you have some self-awareness!" Wen Zishan smiled warmly. "Since you've made the request… I'll grant it! After all, that person only specified that you be given a spot. As for who actually uses it, that's entirely your decision to make!"
"Thank you, Temple Master Wen!" Qin Chaoyang was elated.
Wen Zishan then turned to Yang Kai and said, "I don't know what connection you have with this old man, but I feel obliged to warn you — the Land of Four Seasons is no safe place. Your Source Power may be dense and vigorous enough to count you among the elite, but every single person who enters that place is elite. Be careful you don't stumble into a catastrophe in there."
Yang Kai grinned. "I've been meaning to test myself against the elite disciples of the great Sects!"
"Youth — so full of fire and arrogance!"
"He has no idea how vast the world truly is!"