"So Big Brother and the others really have been imprisoned by that old dog?" Chai Hu's expression darkened with fury as he demanded hotly.
"They have!" Chi Yue gritted her silver teeth, a flash of anguish crossing her face. "It's all my fault—I was foolish enough to believe that old dog's words, and now Big Brother and the others are held hostage."
"Despicable scum!" Chai Hu spat out a mouthful of blood. Though he was badly wounded, the wad of blood shot toward Luo Jin like an arrow loosed from a bow. Luo Jin simply stood there without moving, gently channeled his power, and deflected the blood spray with ease, his gaze dark and sinister.
Yang Kai frowned. "Senior, this Big Brother you speak of... who is he?"
He had a vague suspicion in his mind, but wasn't sure enough to presume, so he had to ask.
Chi Yue replied, "The Supreme Elder of your Lingxiao Sect—Ghost Ancestor!"
"Oh?" Yang Kai's brows shot up, and he said with undisguised delight, "The Elder is here as well?"
"Mm, but he is currently imprisoned somewhere within this City Lord's manor. I don't know the exact location." Chi Yue let out a soft sigh.
"And the others? Are they here too?" Yang Kai pressed urgently.
Chi Yue said, "Alliance Master Gu and Chamber Master Aoiu are both here."
Yang Kai studied her expression and noticed something off. A slight shock ran through him. "Then... what about Lord Wu Dao?"
When they had departed from the Dark Star, they had been a group of six. Besides Yang Kai and Chi Yue, there had been Aoiu, president of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, Gu Cangyun, leader of the Sword Alliance, Ghost Ancestor, Supreme Elder of Lingxiao Sect, and the last was Wu Dao—universally acknowledged as the strongest Void King Realm, third level, in the entire Star Domain.
Of the six, Yang Kai had been only a second-level Void King at the time, while the remaining five were all third-level Void Kings—the absolute pinnacle of the Star Domain's combat power!
The six had used the Star Emperor Token left behind by Yang Yan to open the Starlight Passage, hacking their way through to the Star Realm, only to be ambushed within the passage. A chaotic battle ensued, and they were scattered.
Yang Kai had previously guessed that, apart from himself, the others most likely stayed together. Now, hearing Chi Yue mention Ghost Ancestor, Aoiu, and Gu Cangyun, he immediately knew his guess had been correct.
But she hadn't said where Wu Dao was, and that made Yang Kai feel uneasy.
Sure enough, when Yang Kai asked, Chi Yue's expression turned somber. "Lord Wu Dao... he's gone!"
"What?" Yang Kai's face changed dramatically, and he could hardly believe it.
Wu Dao had been universally recognized as the strongest Void King in the Star Domain. He had reached the absolute peak of the third-level Void King Realm, only a single step away from breaking through to the Dao Source Realm—held back solely because the laws of heaven and earth in the Star Domain did not permit it.
Even Long Tianshang, the former Supreme Elder of the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, had treated Wu Dao with the utmost respect.
Chi Yue and the others had all regarded him as the supreme powerhouse.
Yet the one thing Yang Kai had never imagined was that Wu Dao would be dead! The strongest among them had simply died like that.
"How did Lord Wu Dao die?" Yang Kai's expression turned cold as he turned to look at Luo Jin. "Was it him?"
Though he hadn't interacted much with Wu Dao—having only met him when they left the Star Domain and opened the Starlight Passage, sharing some harrowing days together—learning this news filled him with rage.
There were so few people who had come over from the same Star Domain, and now one of them was gone. Yang Kai felt an inexplicable ache in his chest.
Chi Yue shook her head. "That had nothing to do with him. Lord Wu Dao... he failed in his attempt to break through to the Dao Source Realm. He perished under the Heavenly Tribulation."
Yang Kai stared blankly at her words. After a long pause, he sighed, "A tribulation of fate..."
He had believed that with Wu Dao's cultivation and foundation, breaking through to the Dao Source Realm after arriving in the Star Realm should have posed no problem—if not a certainty, then at least eighty or ninety percent sure. But according to what Chi Yue said, he had actually failed and died in the attempt.
If anyone other than Chi Yue had told him this, Yang Kai would never have believed it.
Because Chi Yue had already advanced to the Dao Source Realm. How could Wu Dao have failed?
It all came down to the Heavenly Tribulation—something no amount of human effort could overcome.
"And what about Ghost Ancestor and the others?" Yang Kai asked again.
Chi Yue said, "When we last parted, they were all doing well and had already advanced to the Dao Source Realm. I just don't know how they're faring now."
Yang Kai nodded slightly.
At that moment, Chai Hu, who had been listening from the side, suddenly spoke up. "Little brother, you actually know Big Brother and the others?"
Yang Kai smiled at this. "Your Big Brother is the Supreme Elder of my Lingxiao Sect, and I am the Sect Master of Lingxiao Sect. Would you say I know him or not?"
Chai Hu stared, then looked at Chi Yue. "So he's also...?"
Chi Yue gave a gentle nod.
Chai Hu's expression turned to one of deep respect. He cupped his fists. "My sincerest apologies—I did not know."