Yang Kai snorted: "This kid tends to speak nonsense whenever he's unhappy. Who knows, I might just spin today's events into a twelve-chapter, thirty-six-segment tale and send it off to every storyteller in the taverns and teahouses across the Eastern Region, letting them broadcast Senior Li's legendary prowess far and wide. I've even come up with a title—'The Daily Life of Nine Phoenix of Spirit Beast Island and Her Household Servant.' What do you think of that, Senior Li?"
Li Wuyi flew into a rage: "Didn't you just say you saw nothing? How can a junior's word be so worthless!"
Yang Kai replied leisurely, "Well, I suddenly remembered seeing a little something."
"You despicable wretch!" Li Wuyi's face drained of color.
Yang Kai drawled lazily, "People are pushed to extremes, you know!"
Nine Phoenix was giggling off to the side, her whole body trembling with laughter as though she found the whole thing immensely entertaining.
"Fine, fine, fine!" Li Wuyi sputtered through gritted teeth, glaring at Yang Kai. "You asked for this, boy. Don't blame me for teaching you a lesson. Take this!"
With that, he raised his hand and a streak of light shot toward Yang Kai at blinding speed.
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow but made no move to dodge. Instead, he reached out and caught the streak of light. Once it landed in his palm, his figure paused ever so slightly, his eyes darting about, before he discreetly tucked the object away without a trace of ceremony.
"Now you know what this old man is capable of? Let's see you spout nonsense and damage my reputation again," Li Wuyi snorted coldly.
Yang Kai grinned and cupped his fists. "Senior Li's cultivation is truly profound—this kid can only bow in admiration. If I have caused any offense just now, please do not hold it against me, Senior."
Li Wuyi declared grandly, "This old man is magnanimous. How could I stoop to arguing with the likes of you?"
Nine Phoenix watched the two of them with cold eyes, curling her lip. "You two look like you're having a grand old time."
Li Wuyi laughed heartily. "I merely gave a little lesson to a young man who doesn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth. Can't let the younger generation get too full of themselves. If Grandmother Nine has any instructions, this humble Li is all ears."
Nine Phoenix let out a cold hum, her beautiful eyes settling on Yang Kai with a long, measured gaze. After a moment, a hint of admiration surfaced on her face. "The last time we met, you were only at the first level of the Dao Source Realm. I didn't expect that in just a few short years, you've already advanced to the Emperor Realm. I must say, I misjudged you."
Anyone who could advance from the first level of the Dao Source Realm to the first level of the Emperor Realm in such a short time—on top of having a rock-solid foundation with no signs of instability, and wielding power that was pure and dense—could rightfully be called a genius.
"This senior flatters me. This kid only reached this point through a combination of luck and circumstance," Yang Kai said modestly.
Nine Phoenix said, "But the first level of the Emperor Realm is merely the beginning of the martial peak. If you wish to glimpse the true summit, you must work even harder and never let arrogance lead to recklessness."
Yang Kai's expression turned solemn, and he spoke in a low, earnest voice: "This junior will engrave Senior's words upon his heart."
Though Nine Phoenix's words were mild enough, at her level of power, she would not have bothered saying even that much unless she genuinely saw promise in Yang Kai. That she offered such encouragement and caution was already a considerable show of respect.
Nine Phoenix nodded gently, apparently satisfied with his attitude. Then her phoenix eyes narrowed, radiating a dangerous aura. Her piercing gaze seemed to bore straight through Yang Kai's body to the figure cowering behind him, and her voice turned icy: "Are you going to come out or not?"
Hearing this, Mo Xiaoqi pouted and shuffled reluctantly out from behind Yang Kai, her eyes darting this way and that, apparently scouting for an escape route.
Nine Phoenix was caught between exasperation and amusement. "You really thought hiding like that would keep Uncle Li and Auntie Phoenix from spotting you? Are you blind, or do you take us for blind people?"
Mo Xiaoqi shot back indignantly, "Your cultivation is so high—what difference does it make where I hide?"
"Dare you talk back?" Nine Phoenix's willow-thin brows shot upward, and she snapped, "Three days without a beating and you'll be climbing the roof to tear off the tiles. I think someone's itching for a spanking."
Mo Xiaoqi's lip trembled. She looked at Li Wuyi with pitiful eyes, her voice quavering with a hint of tears: "Uncle Li, Auntie Phoenix wants to hit me. You have to stand up for me!"
"She wouldn't dare!" Li Wuyi's expression turned fierce, and his aura surged powerfully, sweeping away all the meekness he had shown before. He blazed with a brilliance as dazzling as the sun.
Yang Kai felt a chill run through him, acutely aware for the first time of the colossal gap between himself and these veteran peak Emperor Realm powerhouses.
"Oh?" Nine Phoenix hummed through her nose, casting a sidelong glance at Li Wuyi.
Li Wuyi huffed, "Don't be afraid, Xiaoqi. If she really tries to hit you, I'll—I'll—"
"You'll what?" Nine Phoenix fixed him with a cold, searching stare.
Li Wuyi immediately broke into a sheepish grin. "I'll grab Xiaoqi and hold her still so you can spank her to your heart's content!"
Crack, crack...
Standing next to Yang Kai, Mo Xiaoqi was practically grinding her back teeth to dust.
Just then, Li Wuyi's expression suddenly turned grave. He stared at Mo Xiaoqi with a look of deep alarm and exclaimed in a low voice, "Xiaoqi—did you break the seal?!"
"What?!" Nine Phoenix was equally startled. She flashed to Mo Xiaoqi's side in an instant, seized her by the arm, and examined her closely.