The Azure Sun Divine Temple, atop the main peak of Myriad Sage Peak — the tower ship descended slowly, stirring up tumultuous waves of wind.
Below, the Temple Master Wen Zishan, Vice Temple Master Qiu Ran, Elder Chen Qian, and others had long since received word and were waiting with solemn expressions.
Before the tower ship even touched down, several Emperor Realm divine senses swept across it. In an instant, the assembled powerhouses formed a clear picture of how many disciples had been lost on this expedition.
A few elite disciples had perished, but thankfully the ones in whom the greatest hopes had been placed all returned safely. Everyone couldn't help but let out a quiet breath, their grim expressions easing ever so slightly.
Moments later, the tower ship landed.
The disciples leapt down one after another. Gao Xueting pinched a hand seal and stowed the tower ship away.
"Hahaha, little Xueting! I haven't seen you in days — I've missed you to death! Come, let Uncle give you a hug first!" Wen Zishan laughed heartily as he spread his arms wide and strode toward Gao Xueting with great enthusiasm.
Shing—!
The hum of sword qi, the emergence of killing intent.
Wen Zishan broke into a cold sweat and froze three feet in front of Gao Xueting. A cherry-blossom longsword was pressed against his throat. Gao Xueting's face was as cold as frost, the blade held steady in her hand as she stared at him icily: "Take one more step forward, and I'll kill you."
Wen Zishan didn't dare move a muscle.
"Sigh." Qiu Ran raised a hand to his forehead and let out a long, helpless sigh. "Temple Master, please maintain your dignity!"
"Just a joke…" Wen Zishan chuckled awkwardly and drifted back to his original position. His expression shifted to one of gravity. "Now then… this Temple Master congratulates you all on your safe return. Every one of you is a pillar of the Temple's future, a talent upon which our foundations will be built. This trial has been arduous — you've all worked hard."
The disciples said nothing, simply gazing at him in silence. Gao Xueting slowly lowered her sword.
"Your contributions, this Temple Master will remember. The deaths of your fellow disciples were not without meaning. Now… those of you who obtained surplus star tokens, follow me. The rest may disperse and rest."
"Yes!" With a single command, the crowd responded in unison.
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen people had departed, leaving only four or five behind.
Yang Kai glanced around and found that, besides himself, the others who had stayed were Xiao Baiyi, Murong Xiaoxiao, and a young warrior of the Dao Source Second Stage whom he couldn't put a name to.
Although this warrior was also a disciple of the Azure Sun Divine Temple and had entered the Four Seasons Realm, Yang Kai hadn't interacted with him much during the journey there and back. He knew very little about the man.
But judging by the young warrior's bearing and demeanor, he didn't seem like someone difficult to get along with.
"Where's that kid Xia Sheng?" After a moment, Wen Zishan looked at Gao Xueting with suspicion. He hadn't spotted Xia Sheng anywhere, and his expression shifted immediately — he feared Xia Sheng had run into some mishap in the Four Seasons Realm.
Even Qiu Ran thought the same, his face paling involuntarily. "Elder Gao, don't tell me Xia Sheng is…"
Gao Xueting replied flatly: "No. Here he comes now."
As she spoke, a figure came hurtling toward them from a great distance, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Wait for me…!"
Moments later, Xia Sheng landed before the group, fixing Gao Xueting with a look of deep grievance. He spoke in a pitiful tone: "Elder Gao, next time you decide to make a move, could you give your disciple a heads-up? I had absolutely no warning…"
"What the hell did you do, kid?" Wen Zishan reached out and flicked him on the head with a burst of qi from across the distance, making Xia Sheng shrink back with a wince.
"Temple Master, what are you doing!" Xia Sheng clutched his head, thoroughly aggrieved.
Wen Zishan snorted coldly: "One look at you and it's obvious you made Elder Gao angry. Can't this Temple Master teach you a lesson?"
Xia Sheng blinked rapidly, struck speechless.
"Enough. Since you're all here, follow me." As he spoke, Wen Zishan cast a glance at Yang Kai. "You too!"
Shortly after, inside the great hall of Myriad Sage Peak, the upper echelons of the Azure Sun Divine Temple took their seats in order. The several disciples and Yang Kai stood in the center.
From the seat of honor, Wen Zishan gazed down with a pleasant smile and said: "Elder Gao, you led this expedition into the Four Seasons Realm, so you should have a thorough understanding of the situation. Tell us — how many star tokens did each of these people obtain?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Xueting replied calmly: "I haven't compared notes with the other Sects, but judging by the number of star tokens these disciples have gathered, I'd say our haul this time is quite impressive."
With that, she turned her lovely face to the side and continued: "Xia Sheng obtained four star tokens. Xiao Baiyi obtained two. Murong Xiaoxiao obtained two. Shen Muji obtained two…"
Hearing this, Yang Kai finally learned that the Dao Source Second Stage young warrior was called Shen Muji.
She paused briefly. "Additionally, three other disciples each obtained one token. They are not present here."
Wen Zishan nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Because before the expedition, the Azure Sun Divine Temple had declared that any disciple who obtained a star token in the Four Seasons Realm would be granted passage into the Shattered Star Sea. Those three disciples who each held only one token had simply kept them — there was no need to come here and hand them over.
Those who had come were the ones holding surplus tokens.
"And this kid?" Wen Zishan turned his gaze to Yang Kai.
"He…" Gao Xueting's expression grew somewhat complicated. After a moment's contemplation, she parted her lips and said softly: "Seven."