Besides, what did he even have on him that someone like the Ghost Soul Great Emperor would care about?
The Million Sword? That couldn't possibly be it...
The Million Sword was decent enough, but the Ghost Soul Great Emperor might not think much of it. A Great Emperor of his caliber could have any Emperor Treasure he wanted — why would he bother with the Million Sword?
Then what did he want to exchange with him? Yang Kai racked his brain but couldn't fathom what the Ghost Soul Great Emperor was after.
"Your Excellency wants to exchange... it's not my life, is it?" Yang Kai chuckled awkwardly.
Elder Fu scoffed, "A worthless life — what use would I have for it?"
Yang Kai's face darkened. While he didn't exactly consider his life to be priceless, being told straight to his face that it was worthless naturally didn't sit well with him. If not for the vast gap in their status, he would have lunged at the old man already.
"Just tell me whether you agree or not." Elder Fu regarded Yang Kai with leisurely amusement, a hint of mockery playing at the corners of his mouth.
How could I agree without you even explaining? Do you really think I'm as simple-minded as your daughter? Letting out a cold snort, Yang Kai said, "If Your Excellency cannot speak plainly, then I'm afraid I cannot agree."
The being before him was a monster who had lived for untold ages. Yang Kai didn't dare make any rash promises, lest he fall into a trap and end up at this man's mercy — that would be no laughing matter.
Elder Fu said flatly, "I want to exchange for one of your bells!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Yang Kai's mind shook violently, and his vigilance soared.
Exchange a bell! What bell? The only bell he had was the Mountain and River Bell!
How did he know? In today's battle, Yang Kai hadn't used the Mountain and River Bell at all. Every enemy who had seen it before was already dead. How could the Ghost Soul Great Emperor know about it?
Had he sensed it? That seemed unlikely — the Mountain and River Bell had already been refined by him. Unless he released it against an enemy, no one could detect its presence.
But the old man spoke with such certainty, looking utterly convinced that Yang Kai had a bell on him. It left Yang Kai unsure whether the old man was bluffing or truly had everything figured out.
Could it be that he intended to kill him and seize the treasure? Yang Kai gritted his teeth secretly. If the Soul Devouring Great Emperor truly harbored such thoughts, his days ahead would be far from pleasant.
"What bell? What does Your Excellency mean!" Yang Kai's thoughts raced, but his face remained perfectly composed, wearing a look of utter confusion.
Elder Fu eyed him with amusement and sneered, "Do you truly not know, or are you pretending?"
Yang Kai naturally dared not let any crack show. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I would appreciate Your Excellency making it clear. I'm completely bewildered and have no idea what you're talking about."
Inwardly, he swore bitterly — if the old man brought up the bell again, he'd send his precious daughter to her grave first.
But Elder Fu simply said, "In that case, I won't force you."
As he spoke, his Emperor Yuan enveloped Lin'er and swept outward in a flash. In the blink of an eye, they plunged into the ancient land passage and vanished without a trace.
He actually just left — clean and decisive, without giving Yang Kai the slightest chance to react.
"Damn it! If you won't give me the Jade Osmanthus Bowl, at least hand over some Source Crystals — I didn't take this beating for nothing!" It took quite a while for Yang Kai to come to his senses, after which he erupted into curses.
This time he'd really taken a loss. Lin'er had harassed him repeatedly, even joining forces with the Yellow Springs Sect to threaten his very life. And all he'd gotten in return was forcing the Ghost Soul Great Emperor to descend with his soul for nothing more than a verbal spat — without a single scrap of benefit to show for it...
But before long, Yang Kai felt a cold sweat seeping through his back.
The Ghost Soul Great Emperor's sudden mention of the bell had genuinely shaken him to his core.
Glancing left and right, Yang Kai decided he couldn't stay any longer. He walked over to the dead Yellow Springs Sect disciples, collected their spatial rings, and then hurried into the depths of the ancient land.
Once he passed through the passage, he had officially set foot in the Primordial Ancient Land.
This was a region that had never been developed — one of the most dangerous places in the entire Star Realm. Even an Emperor Sovereign entering its depths couldn't guarantee their own safety.
Within this ancient land lurked countless overwhelming hazards. The myriad natural prohibitions, the primordial remnant species that dwelled here — all of them were deadly.
There were even rumors that Sacred Spirits lived within the ancient land, though no one knew whether that was true or not.
After penetrating less than a hundred li inward, Yang Kai sensed the strangeness of this ancient land.
An inexplicable energy flowed through the surrounding air, and it seemed to have the effect of suppressing a martial cultivator's power. The deeper he went, the more pronounced this effect became.
Towering ancient trees rose into the clouds, and the ground was covered with all manner of extraordinary flora that Yang Kai had never even heard of. An aura of age-old desolation washed over him.
The Primordial Force!