For a moment, Yang Kai found himself torn — uncertain whether to seize the opportunity and join the Azure Sun Divine Temple, where shelter under a great tree meant easy shade, or to continue walking his own path, answerable to no one.
"You may go back and think it over carefully for a few days. Give me your answer once you've made up your mind." Gao Xueting seemed to have noticed his dilemma and stopped pressing, choosing instead to take a step back of her own accord.
Yang Kai breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Thank you, Elder Gao. As for the Formless Mystic Grass…?"
"Price remains the same. Put it on your tab for now. I've already had someone deliver a thousand stalks to you." Gao Xueting said flatly, "Once you become a disciple of the Divine Temple, this debt will be considered settled."
"Alright…" Yang Kai's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but think that the Azure Sun Divine Temple really did place a great deal of importance on him, going so far as to use such a method to tie him down.
Another long stretch of silence followed.
At last, Gao Xueting opened her beautiful eyes once more. "You may leave now. The person delivering the Formless Mystic Grass is waiting outside. You can speak with him directly."
"Thank you, Elder Gao!" Yang Kai offered his thanks, then turned and withdrew.
Stepping out of the cave dwelling, Yang Kai indeed found a middle-aged man waiting outside.
The man appeared to be around forty, yet his cultivation was only at the first level of the Dao Source Realm. Such a level might be considered quite impressive elsewhere — in a place like Maple Forest City, for instance, the patriarchs of the great families were only at that level. But within the Azure Sun Divine Temple, it was rather underwhelming, clearly a case of insufficient talent.
Having traveled from Maple Forest City, Yang Kai had encountered far too many rising stars and brilliant young prodigies. His vision and experience had broadened considerably as a result.
The moment the middle-aged man saw Yang Kai emerge from Gao Xueting's cave dwelling, he hurried forward with an ingratiating smile and cupped his fists from a distance. "I was sent by Elder Chen to deliver one thousand stalks of Formless Mystic Grass. Might I ask if you are Brother Yang Kai?"
"That's me." Yang Kai nodded.
The man's eyes lit up, and he praised without pause. "I've long heard of Brother Yang's great name. Meeting you today, the reputation is truly well-deserved."
"Is that so? Am I famous within the Azure Sun Divine Temple?" Yang Kai touched his nose.
The middle-aged man chuckled. "Brother Yang has likely been sequestered in closed cultivation these past few days and has missed the news spreading through the outside world. Your name isn't just widely known within the Azure Sun Divine Temple — I'd say it has already spread throughout the entire Southern Domain."
"Really?" Yang Kai's expression darkened abruptly, a sudden sense of unease stirring in the depths of his heart.
The man, however, noticed nothing amiss and continued his flattery. "Brother Yang, when you refined the Grand Mystery Treasure Pill within the Four Seasons Realm and clashed with Wuchang of the Heavenly Martial Holy Land, it shook the entire world. Brother Yang is now a truly famous figure…"
As he spoke, he finally noticed that Yang Kai's face didn't look too good. Realizing the problem all at once, he gave an awkward smile, ceased his flattery, and coughed dryly. "Brother Yang, this is the Formless Mystic Grass that Elder Chen asked me to deliver. Would you like to count it?"
"No need." Yang Kai reached out and took the spatial ring the man offered, cupped his fists in thanks, and turned to take his leave.
Though Yang Kai had anticipated it after the events within the Four Seasons Realm — suspecting that some of his secrets could no longer be kept hidden — the speed at which the news had spread, and how widely it had reached, was something he had never imagined.
If this was truly the case, then he really did need to give serious thought to Gao Xueting's proposal about joining the Azure Sun Divine Temple.
With the protection of being an Azure Sun Divine Temple disciple, he could certainly avoid a great deal of trouble in the future. Otherwise, traveling through the Star Boundary, he would likely become a target of greed.
The warriors who had been in the Four Seasons Realm certainly knew that the Grand Mystery Pills were gone. But the matter of the Grand Mystery Pills involved far too much. There would inevitably be some stubborn fellows who refused to believe it and came looking to demand Grand Mystery Pills from him…
The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. It was only after returning to his cave dwelling partway up Purple Bamboo Peak that his mind gradually settled.
There was no point in letting this agitation gnaw at him now. If such a situation truly arose, it would be their own unwarranted trouble, and none of it would have anything to do with him.
Besides, he was not someone to be trifled with. Though his physical cultivation had not advanced after his tempering in the Divine Wanderer Mirror world, his spiritual sense had grown tremendously. For an ordinary warrior to try and deal with him would be no easy task.
Unless an Emperor Realm cultivator intervened.
But even a first-order Emperor Realm cultivator — if he couldn't defeat them, could he not at least flee?
At that thought, his spirit suddenly brightened, and a surge of pride rose unbidden within him. His entire being radiated an ineffable confidence, and he felt inexplicably lighter.
After settling into a cross-legged position, he produced the Insect Slave Bracelet and deposited all one thousand stalks of Formless Mystic Grass into it, feeding them into the wine jar that housed the Soul Devouring Insects.
The Compendium of Exotic Insects stated that Formless Mystic Grass was the finest herb for accelerating the evolution of Soul Devouring Insects. The grass's medicinal energy provided tremendous stimulation to the insects, and its effects could also aid their growth.
In an instant, a frenzied crackling and crunching erupted from within the wine jar — a sound like the clashing of gold and iron, the thundering of cavalry.
Yang Kai listened for a while, then paid it no further mind.
The evolution of the Soul Devouring Insects was something he could no longer interfere with. What the final result would be could only be proven by time.
He withdrew his spiritual sense and produced another item, holding it in his hand to examine carefully.