Hearing Mo Xiaoqi's words, Yang Kai's gaze couldn't help but grow heated. Even though he knew this was no place to linger, his legs simply refused to move.
He had already reaped more than enough rewards in this Shattered Star Sea, but upon learning that this skeleton might belong to the Heaven-Devouring Great Emperor, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of greed stir within him.
If even he felt that way, what about all the other cultivators?
That spatial ring worn on the skeleton's finger had already drawn every last pair of eyes.
"All you trash, get out of my way!" A low shout suddenly erupted, followed by a spear that tore through the void and slammed straight into the densest cluster of cultivators.
The overwhelming spear intent blanketed a vast area, and every cultivator who sensed it blanched, scattering in all directions.
Boom, boom, boom...
The spear flickered back and forth, clearing an enormous stretch of open ground beside the black hole in moments.
Most of the cultivators had already fled the moment things looked bad, but a handful of slower ones were still caught in the spear's sweep. They didn't even manage a scream before exploding into mists of blood.
Yang Kai's expression darkened. He looked over and saw a figure standing tall with a spear in hand, radiating overwhelming dominance and an aura that brooked no defiance. The man's build was heroic and imposing, and around his body pulsed unmistakable Emperor Realm fluctuations.
It was him!
Yang Kai recognized the man instantly — the spear-wielding young cultivator in tight-fitting combat gear whom he had encountered the last time he ventured deep into the Origin Sea.
"Liang Qiu, you bastard! Have you lost your mind?!"
"Screw your grandfather!"
"You killed my Junior Brother — I'll fight you to the death!"
The cultivators who had been forced back hurled curses at the young man. Those who recognized him had already shouted his name, and some were clamoring about avenging their fallen Junior Brothers. But it was all talk — not a single one of them dared to actually step forward.
With the other party's Emperor Realm cultivation right there for all to see, charging in would be nothing but suicide.
Liang Qiu let out a cold snort, rested the spear across his shoulders, and said with arrogant disdain, "What? Not happy about it? If anyone's got a problem, step right the hell up. I'll beat you until you are."
He swept a imperious glance across the crowd. Every cultivator who met his gaze averted their eyes. Only then did Liang Qiu spat to the side, sneering, "A bunch of trash. Daring to covet a Great Emperor's treasure — truly clueless. If you don't want to die, get the hell out now."
"Don't get too cocky, Liang Qiu! So what if your Hundred Barbarian Mountain can lord over the Western Region — in the Shattered Star Sea, you think you can still act this high and mighty? Do you really believe everyone in the world fears you?!"
A sharp shout rang out from somewhere in the crowd. The voice drifted and indistinct — no one could tell who was stirring things up from the shadows. But it was clear the speaker feared both Liang Qiu and the Hundred Barbarian Mountain behind him, not daring to speak out openly for fear that Liang Qiu would settle the score later.
Liang Qiu let out a soft, cold laugh. "In the Shattered Star Sea, heroes gather from everywhere. My Hundred Barbarian Mountain alone certainly can't stand against the entire Star Domain. But..." He raised an eyebrow and snorted. "What about adding these friends into the mix?"
The moment his words fell, seven or eight figures stepped out from various directions and gathered at Liang Qiu's side in unison.
A collective hiss of indrawn breath went through the crowd. Everyone took several involuntary steps backward, their faces filled with horror.
Those seven or eight who had stepped forward were every last one of them Emperor Realm cultivators, and each radiated deep, powerful auras — clearly not the sort anyone wanted to cross.
Yang Kai frowned and swept his gaze across them, recognizing most of the group. Among them were Red Ghost, Yao Si, and Wu Chang, whom he had seen before in the Origin Sea, along with that plump, heavyset fellow. The rest he didn't know personally, but they were undoubtedly elite disciples from various major Sects across the Star Domain who had seized opportunities in the Shattered Star Sea and broken through to the Emperor Realm.
Though only seven or eight in number, their combined presence carried overwhelming deterrence — because they were all Emperor Realm cultivators.
"You — you're bullying the weak with your strength!" someone shouted indignantly.
"That's right! Treasures belong to those fated to find them! What gives you the right to drive us away?!"
"We're not leaving! If you've got the guts, kill every last one of us!"
"Don't be afraid of them! How many of them are there? We've got thousands!"
"As cultivators, we press forward against the current! We never retreat!"
Jeers and shouts rose one after another. It was clear that none of these cultivators were willing to leave — even facing seven or eight Emperor Realm powerhouses, they intended to stay and see if they might have a chance at the skeleton's spatial ring. If they were truly fated to obtain that ring, it could mean an overnight transformation, a rocketing ascent to the highest reaches of power. Such opportunities were exceedingly rare and absolutely worth gambling their lives for.
"If you won't leave, then die," Yao Si said flatly, spreading his hands. Dark energy instantly surged across his body's surface, accompanied by spine-chilling wails of ghosts and wolves. Tendrils of black qi shot outward from within him like living creatures.
The moment those tendrils left his body, they morphed into hideous, fanged specters that lunged and snapped at the surrounding cultivators with bared claws and fangs.