"You know me?" Yang Kai swept his gaze across all four groups, taking them in at a glance, then turned to the female disciple of the Star God Palace and asked suspiciously.
Of the two shouts that had just rung out, one had come from Xiao Baiyi, and the other from this woman.
If she didn't know him, why would she shout something like that?
However, what Yang Kai hadn't expected was that the female disciple of the Star God Palace gave a faint smile and shook her head. "You've mistaken me for someone else."
This was what Lan Xun said, because while she remembered Yang Kai's appearance, Yang Kai did not know her. Back in the third level of the Five-Colored Pagoda, Lan Xun had used the Pseudo-Face Pearl to alter her appearance — the face Yang Kai had seen back then was not the one she wore now.
"Uh…" Yang Kai was left speechless. He turned to Xiao Baiyi and said, "Xiao Bai, you're here too? What a small world!"
The vein on Xiao Baiyi's forehead was throbbing. He barked, "Are you looking for a death wish?"
Murong Xiaoxiao stood nearby, pressing her lips together in a slight smile as she gave Yang Kai a small nod of acknowledgment.
Yang Kai said, "Why so cold? It's rare that we all run into each other here — it must be fate!"
Xiao Baiyi snorted coldly. "What fate would I have with you? But the fact that you managed to escape the Flame Beast's pursuit alive is honestly a bit surprising. I'm almost impressed."
Though the words were meant as praise, his tone was dripping with mockery and sarcasm — though for what reason, it was hard to tell. Back then, the Flame Beast from the Summer Domain had seemed to go berserk. With so many people fleeing in every direction, it had singled out Yang Kai of all people. Many had assumed Yang Kai was done for — Xiao Baiyi among them.
After all, even Wu Chang had been chased into a headlong retreat. How could a mere First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator possibly survive?
Yet the reality had been astonishing. Yang Kai had appeared in the Two Seasons Mountain completely unscathed.
When they heard the words "Flame Beast," the male and female disciples of the Star God Palace both changed expression slightly. Clearly, their sect's intelligence reports also mentioned the existence of that demon beast whose power was comparable to an Emperor Realm master.
Even Wu Chang raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise crossing his face.
He couldn't quite figure it out — how had a warrior of such meager strength escaped the Flame Beast's pursuit? If the Qingyang Temple group hadn't drawn the Flame Beast's attention during that incident, he himself would have been in serious trouble.
"Oh, it was nothing!" Yang Kai wore an expression of perfect humility. "Running away is my specialty!"
His shameless pride in his own ability to flee left Xiao Baiyi staring at him with undisguised contempt for a long moment.
"Enough talk." Just then, a young man in blue robes — whose sect affiliation was unknown — suddenly barked in a cold voice. He addressed Yang Kai with brazen arrogance: "Hand over the Star Seal, and I'll spare your life."
He spoke as though Yang Kai should be grateful for the generous offer, and his matter-of-fact tone and self-assured demeanor made Yang Kai glance at him a second time.
The young man merely stared back coldly, making no effort to avert Yang Kai's gaze.
The two from the Star God Palace said nothing. The handsome man simply furrowed his brow, appearing somewhat displeased, while the woman rotated her beautiful eyes with undisguised interest, as though she were content to wait for the show to begin.
"This may be a bit redundant, but I'd still like to ask — might I have your name?" Yang Kai looked at the blue-robed young man with a smile, showing no trace of anger.
As he spoke, he had already sent a mental message into the Small World, asking Hua Qingsi to identify the two from the Star God Palace. After all, the Star God Palace was her sect — she should know who these two were.
The blue-robed young man snorted. "Luo Yuan, of the Eight Directions Gate!"
"So it's Brother Luo! I've long admired your reputation — my apologies for the slight!" Yang Kai feigned surprise, as though he had truly heard of Luo Yuan before. In reality, he had never even heard of the Eight Directions Gate.
The contempt on Xiao Baiyi's face deepened. He huffed, "It's a good thing you're not a disciple of my Qingyang Temple. If you were, I would have cleaned house long ago!"
"Heh…" Yang Kai chuckled. Then, suddenly, his expression shifted.
He had just received an answer from his Dharma Body, relayed through Hua Qingsi. What he hadn't expected was that both the man and woman from the Star God Palace turned out to be figures of considerable importance.
The man was none other than the son of Xiao Yuyang — Xiao Chen!
Yang Kai knew of Xiao Yuyang — a powerful cultivator at the Second-Order Emperor Realm, bearing the title of Silver Star Envoy of the Star God Palace, his name renowned throughout the Southern Domain. Like father, like son: Xiao Yuyang was formidable in strength and lofty in status, and his son was no mediocrity either. Xiao Chen stood among the elite of the Southern Domain's rising generation alongside Wu Chang, Xia Sheng, and Zhuang Bufan, having made a name for himself at a remarkably young age.
Xiao Chen was one thing, but the woman's background was even more staggering.
She was none other than Princess Lan Xun — the beloved daughter of the Great Emperor Bright Moon!
She was the most sought-after unmarried woman among the young men of the entire Southern Domain, perhaps even the entire Star Realm. Whoever managed to win her hand would be able to skip centuries of struggle overnight!