"No need to trouble yourself!" Yang Kai said with a curl of his lips.
Wen Zishan smiled, unperturbed. After a moment's thought, he said, "Then... would you like me to help you properly refine that Emperor Treasure? The compatibility between you and this Emperor Treasure is terribly low—you can't even unleash a fraction of its power. Time is running short for you. If I were to lend a hand, I guarantee that once you enter the Realm of Four Seasons, you'll be able to wield at least a tenth of its might, making you unstoppable within the secret realm. What do you say?"
He wore an expression of earnest persuasion, as though he were offering Yang Kai an extraordinary favor.
Yang Kai shook his head and regarded him with a teasing look. "Hall Master Wen, are you really that eager for me to make my request?"
Wen Zishan's mouth twitched at the words, and he muttered under his breath, "Confound it... he saw right through me!"
Yang Kai burst out laughing. "That request—I'll consider it carefully. The day I've thought it through, I'll come find Hall Master Wen to collect!"
He understood the situation perfectly. Wen Zishan was a Stage Three Emperor Realm powerhouse, and the master of the Qingyang Divine Temple at that. Though the man gave off an impression of being unreliable and somewhat unserious, such a powerful figure always kept his word.
He had promised that after Yang Kai defeated Xue Yi, he could make one reasonable request—and he would certainly honor it.
Yang Kai had nothing in mind to ask for at the moment, so it was better to save it. There might come a critical moment when it could prove invaluable.
"You little brat, far too cunning!" Wen Zishan said through gritted teeth. But soon enough, he put on an air of indifference and waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, consider it your due. Gather at Luoying Peak in seven days. Someone will be there to lead you all out together."
"Yes!" Yang Kai nodded, cupped his fists, and bowed. "Farewell, Hall Master Wen!"
Wen Zishan smiled faintly, his form gradually fading until, after a few breaths, he vanished entirely.
Once he was gone, Yang Kai furrowed his brow and cast several glances toward the empty air on one side, his expression one of puzzlement.
He had the distinct impression that someone was hidden there, yet he couldn't detect anything. But if the other party was an Emperor Realm cultivator, then everything made sense.
Since they hadn't revealed themselves, they were probably just here to watch the show. Yang Kai naturally wouldn't go looking for trouble.
He turned and walked back toward the dilapidated palace.
"That Yang fellow... did he sense us?" Chen Qian gazed at Yang Kai's retreating figure with a hint of surprise, her voice low.
"Probably just suspicious," Gao Xueting replied. "But even so, his perception is far from ordinary. He's... rather interesting!"
"Big Sister Gao, do you think he might be from... that place?"
Gao Xueting turned to look at her.
Chen Qian said, "If he didn't come from that place, how could he possess such strength—let alone an Emperor Treasure at his side? He's only at the first level of the Dao Source Realm."
Gao Xueting shook her head. "If he truly came from there, we would have heard of him. Still... the younger generation these days is truly producing remarkable talents."
Chen Qian nodded at this. "Indeed... Princess Lan Xun has perfectly inherited the Bright Moon Great Emperor's Bright Moon Illusory Body. I heard she advanced to the Dao Source Realm over a year ago and will definitely be going to the Realm of Four Seasons this time. The Tianwu Holy Land seems to have someone with a Yin-Yang Dual Physique as well. That Zhuang Bufan from Wuhua Palace may not possess any special constitution, but he's exceptionally gifted—he's treated cross-realm combat as a routine matter since the very beginning of his cultivation. At such a young age, he's already made a formidable reputation for himself, and he's now at the third level of the Dao Source Realm. The two great trading associations, though primarily mercantile, have also recruited a great deal of outstanding talent in recent years... Suddenly it feels as though the Southern Region already belongs to them. I'm getting old, aren't I?"
Gao Xueting remained silent, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
...
Yang Kai returned to his quarters and set about refining the Emperor Treasure with even greater urgency.
Wen Zishan had made it clear—seven days from now, they were to assemble at Luoying Peak. His remaining time was exceedingly short.
He simultaneously studied the insights left behind by the Qin family's ancestors and strengthened his connection with the Million Sword.
Wen Zishan hadn't been wrong about one thing: as it stood, Yang Kai couldn't even unleash a fraction of the Million Sword's power. The fact that he had crippled Xue Yi in a single strike was mostly due to his own strength. Only a small portion had come from the Emperor Treasure's might.
Days drifted by in a leisurely flow.
On this particular day, Yang Kai was deep in secluded cultivation.
Suddenly, his expression shifted and his eyes snapped open.
At the same moment, an extraordinary tidal force surged between heaven and earth—magnificent, profound, and utterly unfathomable.
Straining his ears, he caught the faintest hint of strange sounds drifting through the air.
Yang Kai's face turned grave. With a flicker of movement, he appeared outside the main hall.
The sky was dark and overcast. A colossal shadow blotted out the heavens, as though some enormous creature were passing overhead.
Yang Kai looked up—and froze where he stood.
Sailing slowly across the sky was an enormous white bird. Its shape was unremarkable at first glance—it looked much like a pigeon magnified countless times—but the oppressive aura radiating from its body was as heavy as a mountain.
"What is that? A Sacred Spirit?" Yang Kai's heart churned with alarm and uncertainty.
Moreover, judging by the giant pigeon's trajectory, it was heading straight toward the main peak of the Qingyang Mountain Range.