Over the next half day, Ghost Ancestor and the others peppered Yang Kai with questions about what had happened after he entered the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai didn't hold much back, recounting his experiences in a leisurely manner. The more Ghost Ancestor and the others listened, the more uneasy they became. Even knowing full well that Yang Kai would find a way out of every crisis, they couldn't help breaking into a cold sweat on his behalf.
Only then did the group realize that Yang Kai's adventures over the past few years had been far richer and far more dangerous than their own. Yet his growth had been faster, and he had traveled further than any of them. The realization left the old-timers feeling somewhat abashed, struck by an unexpected sense of faded glory.
Half a day later, the group dispersed, each finding a room to rest and recover.
Yang Kai sought out Ye Jinghan and asked her to procure several medicinal ingredients for him.
Refining that particular pill wasn't especially difficult—he simply didn't have the materials on hand. Otherwise, he could have started the furnace right here on the sky ship. The herbs he needed weren't hard to come by either, so he was perfectly comfortable handing the task to Ye Jinghan.
She agreed without a moment's hesitation and immediately sent a message back to the Sect.
The sky ship continued onward, and in just two days it had entered the heart of the Thousand Leaf Mountains.
At some point, Yang Kai felt a tremor run through the hull while he was meditating, followed by a low hum as the sky ship slowly ground to a halt.
He opened his eyes, realizing they must have arrived. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a knock sounded at his door, and Ye Jinghan's voice came through: "Young Master Yang, we're here."
Yang Kai rose and opened the door, offering Ye Jinghan a small smile before gesturing for her to lead the way.
Before long, the two of them stood on the deck. Ghost Ancestor and the others, along with the disciples of the Thousand Leaf Sect, had already gathered—it seemed he was the last to arrive.
When Yang Kai emerged, Ghost Ancestor and the rest turned toward him with welcoming smiles.
"Father!" Ye Jinghan suddenly cried out and leapt from the sky ship, flying straight into an old man's arms. She clung to him tightly, looking up as she asked, "Why did you come out?"
The old man appeared advanced in years. His hair was entirely white, and though he still carried a certain vigor, his vital energy was clearly in decline. In other words, he had already begun his descent on the martial path—his cultivation would only continue to weaken with time. Unless he broke through to the Emperor Sovereign realm, he would perish within ten years.
And his features bore a striking resemblance to Ye Jinghan's.
Yang Kai immediately understood that this was Ye Hen, Sect Master of the Thousand Leaf Sect—and Ye Jinghan's father.
Ye Hen smiled, gently patting Ye Jinghan's shoulder. "Distinguished guests have arrived, so naturally I had to come out to greet them. As for you—you're not exactly young anymore, yet you're still playing these childish games. You'll make our guests laugh at you."
Ye Jinghan wrinkled her nose. "Who says I'm not young anymore? I'm not even married yet!"
Ye Hen laughed heartily. "I'll marry you off tomorrow, then."
Ye Jinghan pouted. "I'd like to see you try!"
As they spoke, Du Xian and the others descended from the sky ship and landed before Ye Hen. They clasped their fists respectfully. "Greetings, Sect Master."
Ye Hen nodded. "You've all worked hard."
Du Xian replied, "It was nothing, Sect Master. Serving the Sect is our duty—we wouldn't dare claim credit."
Ye Hen nodded with satisfaction before turning his gaze to Yang Kai and the others. His eyes swept briefly across the group before settling on Yang Kai. With a smile, he clasped his fists. "You must be Master Yang? Indeed young and extraordinary—a dragon among men."
He had clearly received considerable intelligence from Ye Jinghan and knew exactly why she had brought Yang Kai to the Thousand Leaf Sect. There was a barely suppressed excitement in his words, though he kept it so well in check that no one noticed.
Yang Kai returned the clasped-fist salute. "Junior Yang Kai greets Sect Master Ye!"
When it came to the elderly and to elders, he had always shown proper respect, never looking down on anyone regardless of how powerful he had become.
"Master Yang has gone to great trouble to travel all this way. Ye is deeply grateful," Ye Hen said solemnly.
Du Xian and the others froze, unsure what the Sect Master had to be grateful for. They all assumed Ye Hen had simply misspoken, and their expressions turned peculiar.
Ye Jinghan had not told them the true purpose of Yang Kai's visit. Naturally, they had no idea.
It wasn't that she didn't trust these men—simply that the matter concerned the future survival and prosperity of the Thousand Leaf Sect, and the fewer people who knew, the better.