After receiving Yang Kai's affirmative answer, Chai Hu wasted no time. He immediately swallowed a Banning Pill, while Red Moon and the others gathered around to help him disperse the medicinal effect. Everyone was extremely tense.
Three hundred li from the main peak of Thousand Leaf Sect, on another mountain, stood a towering grand hall.
Inside a side chamber of the hall, Shi Cangying stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression dark and sinister, listening to a disciple's report from behind him.
After a moment, he finally spoke. "You're saying those outsiders have taken up residence in the main hall?"
The disciple answered respectfully, "Reporting to the Vice Sect Master, that is indeed the case."
"Have they shown any signs of leaving these past two days?"
"I haven't seen any, though the Young Sect Master did visit once."
"Have you managed to find out what exactly they came here for?" Shi Cangying pressed further.
The disciple replied, "This disciple has been incompetent and hasn't uncovered any leads so far, however…"
"However what?"
"However, I've heard that the fellow called Yang Kai is skilled in the art of pill refining. He's the one who refined the Grand Mystery Pills in the Four Seasons Realm — a Dao Source-grade alchemy grandmaster. My guess is that their visit is related to alchemy."
"Alchemy!" A sharp gleam flashed in Shi Cangying's eyes, and he nodded slightly. "That is possible. Ye Hen is getting on in years, yet his cultivation has stagnated. Perhaps he's looking for a solution through medicinal pills. But if it's just pill refining, why does Ye Hen treat that brat with such importance — even going so far as to disregard my face?"
The disciple ventured, "Is it possible… that the brat surnamed Yang still has Grand Mystery Pills on him?"
He had only offered a casual guess, but when those words reached Shi Cangying's ears, his entire body trembled and a brilliant light burst from his eyes.
A moment's thought, and it all clicked into place. Ye Hen was currently at the third-order Dao Source Realm — precisely the stage where Grand Mystery Pills were most needed. If Yang Kai truly possessed such heaven-defying pills, then everything made sense.
No third-order Dao Source Realm cultivator would not covet such a miraculous pill. It was a peerless elixir capable of helping a warrior ascend to the Emperor Realm. Ye Hen must have known something, which was why he was so courteous to that brat — to the point of disregarding even him.
At the thought of this, Shi Cangying's heart blazed with heat.
He too was a third-order Dao Source Realm cultivator, and the prospect of ascending to the Emperor Realm was impossibly distant. If he could obtain Grand Mystery Pills, perhaps he could gain insight into the Great Dao in a very short time. A single step to the heavens, to rise above all others!
"Vice Sect Master, there is one more matter…" The disciple spoke again when he noticed Shi Cangying had been lost in thought for some time without saying a word.
"What is it?" Shi Cangying asked.
"I've heard that the Heavenly Illumination Palace and the Heavenly Ultimate Hall have been making moves — it seems they may be plotting against our Thousand Leaf Sect!"
Shi Cangying's body jolted. He turned his head sharply to look at the disciple. "Is this information reliable?"
The disciple answered, "There are only rumors. As for the truth, I'm not entirely certain."
"Go investigate! Spare no cost in verifying this information. The moment anything comes to light, report back immediately!" Shi Cangying said in a flustered tone.
If the Heavenly Ultimate Hall and the Heavenly Illumination Palace truly intended to tear off the pretense and move against Thousand Leaf Sect, the sect's current strength would be wholly insufficient to resist. Neither of those two sects was inferior to Thousand Leaf Sect. The Heavenly Illumination Palace was especially concerning — word was that Palace Master Qiu Ze had been attempting to break through to the Emperor Realm these past few years, though he had yet to find the path. If he succeeded in ascending to the Emperor Realm, then the balance of power within a million li would be completely reshuffled. Every sect would have to survive at the whim of the Heavenly Illumination Palace.
The moment he heard these two sects might act against Thousand Leaf Sect, Shi Cangying panicked. After the disciple departed, he continued to pace restlessly through the side chamber.
A long while later, he suddenly halted, a cold, sinister gleam flickering in his eyes. Through gritted teeth he said, "Ye Hen, oh Ye Hen — you really have gone senile. Since you insist on inviting wolves into the house and refuse to heed my warnings, then don't blame me for setting aside years of friendship. I too must consider the future of Thousand Leaf Sect. Our ancestors' legacy cannot be destroyed at your hands — otherwise, how could I face the sect founders in the afterlife?"
As he spoke, it seemed he had made some kind of resolve, his gaze hardening with determination.
A moment later, he subtly sent out his spiritual sense and summoned several trusted disciples, giving them quiet instructions. The disciples received their orders and departed swiftly.
…
Three days after Yang Kai and the others had taken up residence in Thousand Leaf Sect, Chai Hu's condition had improved considerably.
After taking the Banning Pill, the demon poison within his body had not been entirely neutralized, but it no longer ceaselessly eroded his dantian and meridians as before. As long as he continued taking pills according to Yang Kai's instructions, the toxins in his body would be completely purged in half a month.
Chai Hu was naturally grateful to Yang Kai beyond words.
Red Moon and the others, for their part, said nothing much about it. They had all come from the same star domain and were already inseparable from one another. Chai Hu was their sworn brother, which made him an elder to Yang Kai as well — lending him aid was only natural.
Yang Kai was also glad that Red Moon and the others had been able to befriend Chai Hu in this Star Boundary. From what they had told him at the time, if Chai Hu hadn't been looking after them these past two years, their lives in the Star Boundary would never have gone so smoothly.
And to rescue Red Moon, Chai Hu had even risked his own life. Though he knew the odds of success were slim, he had charged headlong into the City Lord's Mansion without a moment's hesitation, paying no regard to whatever dangers he might face.
The facts had proven it too — had Yang Kai not happened to be there, Chai Hu would have died without even a burial.
He was clearly a man who valued loyalty and righteousness above all else.
Such a friend, such a brother — you needn't meet many in a lifetime. One is enough! Yang Kai truly was happy for Red Moon and the others.