"You fool!" The second elder's brow furrowed at the words, and he let out a sharp reprimand.
But the last one—a fierce-looking middle-aged man—threw his head back and laughed. "Well, since things have already come to this, why don't we turn this place upside down!"
Even as he spoke, he was about to make his move.
Red Moon saw that the three still hadn't grasped the situation and couldn't help but look exasperated. "Hold on. Take a look at who this is."
All three froze, then followed her gaze to where she was pointing.
One look, and all three of them were visibly shaken. Their eyes went wide, their faces filled with disbelief—as though they were seeing a ghost in broad daylight.
"Greetings, seniors! It's been a while." Yang Kai cupped his fists with a beaming smile.
"Sect Master?!" the Ghost Ancestor blurted out. Even a man who had weathered countless storms couldn't keep his body from trembling with emotion.
"Sect Master Yang?"
"Young Yang?"
Gu Cangyun and President Aiou both cried out in turn, as though they had stepped into a dream.
Red Moon smiled. "Everything that happened today was thanks to him. That's why the three of you were able to break free."
Hearing this, all three composed themselves and immediately sent out their spiritual sense to probe Yang Kai's cultivation. When they saw that he had already reached the second layer of the Dao Source Realm, they couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.
They remembered clearly that when they had departed from the Star Field, Yang Kai's cultivation had been merely at the second layer of the Void King Realm. Yet after a mere two or three years apart, he had already pulled ahead of all of them.
Such a pace of growth was nothing short of staggering.
That cultivation level would have been impressive enough on its own, but from what Red Moon had said, it seemed that everything that had transpired today had been set in motion by Yang Kai—and resolved by Yang Kai.
The air was thick with the stench of blood. On the walls, the word "die" had been written in fresh blood and shredded flesh, a sight that turned the stomach. Luo Jin, the City Lord of Heavenly Crane City, had been impaled through the chest with a broad, heavy sword and didn't dare so much as twitch. The surrounding guests stared with a mixture of shock and terror.
The three of them were old hands in the martial world. A single glance at the scene was enough for them to piece together roughly what had happened, and their shock only deepened.
How could a cultivator at the second layer of the Dao Source Realm accomplish something like this on someone else's turf? The Ghost Ancestor and the others could hardly imagine it.
"Are the three of you in good health?" Yang Kai asked.
The Ghost Ancestor replied, "We owe the Sect Master his concern. We are all well enough."
Yang Kai could sense that they were indeed unharmed. Luo Jin hadn't mistreated them much—likely he had simply captured them, sealed their cultivation, and thrown them into the dungeons. The restrictions had already been lifted, restoring them to their former state.
After all, the three of them were only at the first layer of the Dao Source Realm. With the forces at Luo Jin's disposal as City Lord, they weren't worth much worry—there was no need for excessive precautions.
"We can discuss the details later. Let's leave this place first," Red Moon suggested.
The Ghost Ancestor raised an eyebrow and smiled a wicked grin at Luo Jin. "A divine soul at the third layer of the Dao Source Realm—I won't be too polite about taking it."
As he spoke, he summoned his Myriad Soul Banner. In an instant, a chilling wind swept through the City Lord's manor, accompanied by the wailing of ghosts and the howling of spirits. Tendrils of black energy, visible to the naked eye, diffused outward and coalesced into indistinct humanoid shapes that prowled in every direction.
All the guests turned pale. Sensing the malevolent aura emanating from that Artifact, they were stricken with terror, wondering what sort of dark arts this old man practiced to produce such an evil treasure.
"Don't come any closer!" Though Luo Bing was pale with fright, her lovely features drained of color, she still planted herself in front of Luo Jin and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Luo Jin was panicking too. He stared at Yang Kai and stammered, "Young Master Yang… I truly never harmed them. And I've already released them just as you ordered—you can't go back on your word!"
Yang Kai cast him a cold glance, then raised a hand to stop the Ghost Ancestor.
The Ghost Ancestor didn't know what Yang Kai intended, but he held back. He merely kept chuckling in that eerie way of his, making everyone's flesh crawl.
Chai Hu swallowed hard and said, "Young brother, Miss Luo helped me quite a bit before. She was the one who snuck me in here—please don't hurt her."
The Ghost Ancestor and the others all turned to look at Chai Hu with peculiar expressions.
Chai Hu added, "A man should know to separate gratitude from grudges."
Red Moon smiled behind her hand. "Fourth Brother speaks wisely."
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then applied a bit of force and pulled the Million Sword free, drawing a spray of blood.
Luo Jin was overjoyed rather than alarmed. "Thank you, Young Master Yang!"
But before the words had even left his mouth, Yang Kai suddenly struck his palm against Luo Jin's chest. Caught completely off guard, Luo Jin had no time to react before a tremendous force sent him hurtling through the air, a mist of blood erupting from his mouth. He crashed heavily to the ground, his aura withering.
"Father!" Luo Bing shrieked and scrambled toward him on all fours.
Luo Jin, meanwhile, struggled to sit up. He raised his gaze toward Yang Kai, his eyes filled with horror.