"A Ghost-Faced Man, you say…"
While Yang Kai was still reeling from shock, a soft, sweet, and melodious voice drifted from behind the pink curtain. It seemed capable of penetrating one's very soul, sending invisible ripples through his consciousness and leaving his mind unsteady for a long while.
He quickly drew a deep breath and focused his mind to stabilize his soul.
"You may call this Palace's title thus… I suppose that isn't entirely inappropriate," the woman behind the curtain continued, her tone unhurried.
"Could it be that Senior is the ruler of this Divine Wanderer Kingdom?" Yang Kai's brow furrowed deeply.
"That's right!" the other party admitted frankly. "But no one has ever seen this Palace's true face. Not even Zhou Dian has laid eyes upon it."
Hearing this, Yang Kai was momentarily stunned, but before long, a vague sense of foreboding stirred deep within him.
Although her words hadn't revealed any critical information or intelligence, they gave him a profoundly unsettling feeling—as though she had just bared one of her greatest secrets before him, and he would inevitably have to pay some terrible price for it.
Yang Kai let out an awkward laugh. "This Junior is deeply honored. Might I ask why Senior treats me with such… special attention?"
As he spoke, his mind raced, but he couldn't grasp any key thread.
"Because… this Palace must." The languid figure on the chaise finally rose slowly and sat upright. Through the curtain, she beckoned lightly to Yang Kai. "Come here!"
Yang Kai's brow crept even tighter, his eyes glinting with cold light. "This Junior has no way to refuse, does he?"
"You can try!"
Yang Kai curled his lips helplessly and could only walk forward at a slow pace.
As he approached, he distinctly sensed the woman's soul fluctuate for an instant—an unstable waver, as though she were anticipating something, longing for something.
That anticipation and longing were so intense that even a powerhouse of her caliber could barely maintain soul stability.
Yang Kai was not naive enough to believe she had taken a fancy to him. If that were truly the case, she needn't have gone to such elaborate lengths. With the strength she had demonstrated earlier, a mere trick would have made him submit willingly.
If she wasn't drawn to him, then she must want something on his person.
At that thought, Yang Kai's heart lurched.
When he reached the curtain, Yang Kai drew a deep breath, lifted it with one hand, and peered inside.
The woman's visage came into view a short distance away.
Yang Kai couldn't help but be momentarily transfixed. Her beauty was indeed breathtaking—ravishing enough to topple kingdoms and enslave all who beheld her. He could find virtually no flaw; she was so perfect she seemed beyond mortal origin.
Yet… the instant he laid eyes on her, an inexplicable feeling arose within him. It was as though he somehow recognized this woman—as if he had seen her somewhere before, at some point in time.
He carefully combed through his memory of every Emperor Realm expert he had ever encountered, but found no one who matched. Puzzlement and suspicion churned deep in his heart.
Their gazes met, and in that moment, a blinding, fearsome light erupted from the woman's stunning eyes. The radiance condensed almost into substance, enveloping Yang Kai completely.
His body went rigid on the spot. It felt as though he were plummeting into a bottomless abyss, falling without end.
Panic surged through him and he cried out, "Senior—"
But the woman had no intention of heeding him. Her expression was alight with agitation as she declared, "You are the last one, just as expected. That item must be on your person! If this Palace can obtain that treasure, I will be able to refine this world and truly become its sovereign! Cooperate obediently, and this Palace may yet spare your life and ensure you enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of your days. Resist, and I will make you wish you had never been born!"
As she spoke that final sentence, the delicate, lovely face she had worn just moments before twisted into something utterly grotesque. Her tone turned bone-chillingly sinister, as though she had gone mad.
Yang Kai, meanwhile, listened in complete bewilderment.
The "last one" she spoke of, and the "treasure" capable of refining this world—he had absolutely no clue what she was referring to.
He wanted to fight back, but under the influence of her soul technique, even thinking clearly was beyond him, let alone raising his hand against her.
The woman rose to her feet. With a graceful sway of her slender form, she appeared before Yang Kai and extended one slender, jade-like finger, pressing it directly against his forehead.
In the next instant, a surge of pure, refined soul power flowed through that finger and invaded Yang Kai's body.
A violent tremor ran through him, and his eyes went blank in an instant. At the same time, his entire body convulsed and shuddered uncontrollably, as though he were enduring unspeakable torture.
Sinking consciousness and muddled thoughts—these were all normal responses to having one's soul tampered with.
Now Yang Kai finally understood why Xia Sheng and the others had returned in such a state.
They had clearly endured exactly what he was going through now. Against the soul assault of a Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivator, how could a Dao Source Realm warrior possibly retain his sense of self? That none of them had had their souls scattered entirely was itself proof of how formidable they were.
The woman continued her technique, apparently searching for something within Yang Kai's body. Her expression shifted ceaselessly, while Yang Kai's thoughts drifted in a haze, hovering somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.