In front of the Hall of Talent Recruitment, an unremarkable-looking young man strolled over at an unhurried pace. Though his appearance was plain, he was dressed to the nines—brocade robes of fine silk, a jade-green outer garment, and a folding fan in hand. With the Northern Region locked in its bitter winter cold, he actually fanned himself as he walked, striking a dashing and carefree pose.
Every martial artist who passed him on the street could only shake their heads in contempt, utterly disgusted.
The young man was, of course, Yang Kai. After leaving Ice Heart Valley, he had made his way here cautiously, alerting no one along the way, and had headed straight for Ice Wheel City. After making a few brief inquiries about where they were recruiting talent, he arrived at the Hall of Talent Recruitment.
The folding fan in his hand was an Artifact of considerable grade—an Upper-Grade Dao Source weapon, no less. He had no idea whose corpse he had looted it from, but over the past few years he had slain plenty of powerful enemies and claimed no small amount of spoils. Now this folding fan had finally found its use.
Two disciples of the Questioning Heart Sect stood guard outside the hall. Their strength was nothing impressive—only at the first level of the Dao Source Realm—but in a place like this, nobody dared cause trouble for the Questioning Heart Sect, so their cultivation hardly mattered. Their role was purely that of gatekeepers and messengers.
When they saw Yang Kai swaggering toward them, the two guards exchanged a glance, both wearing looks of disdain.
Their cultivation might not be particularly high, but they were still disciples of the Questioning Heart Sect, and their status was clear for all to see. Yang Kai's demeanor screamed young master from some wealthy clan—dressed so flamboyantly and making a spectacle of himself on the streets, as though he truly believed he was somebody important.
If he had at least been strikingly handsome, such a getup might have been passable. But his features were utterly unremarkable. The brocade robes, the fine jade fan—none of it suited him in the slightest, naturally inviting scorn.
"Halt. What's your business?" One of the guards extended an arm to block Yang Kai's path, his expression icy.
Yang Kai glanced up at the plaque overhead, then snapped his folding fan shut and gave it a casual slap against his palm. "This is the Hall of Talent Recruitment. What do you think someone like me is doing here?"
The guard's brow furrowed. "You're here to accept the Recruitment Decree?"
"That's right." Yang Kai gave a faint smile. With a flourish, he flicked the fan open and fanned himself with an air of pleasant self-satisfaction, looking every bit the picture of an approving teacher.
Since he had come to accept the Recruitment Decree and serve the Questioning Heart Sect, the two guards had no grounds to stop him. The one who had spoken earlier gave a slight nod. "Go straight in, then turn left. You'll find several stewards there."
Yang Kai nodded and strode through the entrance.
Following the guard's directions, he walked straight ahead, then turned left and entered a great hall.
To his surprise, the hall was already packed with people standing in lines. Behind a series of desks, stewards of the Questioning Heart Sect were questioning the martial artists who had come to pledge their allegiance, asking for their names and backgrounds. If everything checked out, they would register the applicant in the records and issue a Recruitment Decree.
Possessing a Recruitment Decree meant temporary service under the Questioning Heart Sect. Once the Sect-Protecting Grand Array of Ice Heart Valley had been breached and the valley destroyed, rewards would be distributed according to merit.
Those with clean backgrounds who accepted the Recruitment Decree were led away by Questioning Heart Sect disciples and assigned their tasks.
Long queues stretched behind every single desk, and the sight of them made Yang Kai's brow tighten. So many people coming to accept the Questioning Heart Sect's Recruitment Decree—this was anything but good news for Ice Heart Valley.
He stood in place and observed for a moment, quickly grasping the process. Without further hesitation, he picked a desk and headed straight for it, swinging his folding fan left and right without any courtesy as he went. "Out of the way, out of the way, out of the way!" he barked. "A good dog doesn't block the path."
He carried himself with such overbearing arrogance that anyone unaware of the situation might have mistaken him for some important figure of the Questioning Heart Sect.
The martial artists waiting in line were struck by the fan and cried out in pain. The queue dissolved into chaos in an instant. Everyone glared furiously at Yang Kai, but not knowing his true strength, they dared only seethe in silence.
Yang Kai let out a derisive snort, barely deigning to notice any of them. They were here to join the Questioning Heart Sect and oppose Ice Heart Valley—once battle was joined, they would be enemies. He owed them nothing. The sweeping fan strikes concealed a devious, targeted force, more than enough to leave anyone it touched in pain for ten days to a half-month.
Behind the desk, a steward of the Questioning Heart Sect watched Yang Kai's outrageous behavior—the man showed not the slightest respect for the sect—and his anger flared. He let out a cold snort. "Mind your noise, junior!"
"Exactly, exactly! This man is far too rude. Steward, please teach him a lesson!"
"He hurt me! This brat just attacked people without reason—Steward, you must uphold justice for us!"
"Don't let him off!"
A crowd of struck martial artists began clamoring all at once.
"Insufferable!" Yang Kai's expression turned cold, and he slapped a palm toward the crowd. In an instant, Emperor Yuan surged, laws descended upon his body, and the entire great hall shuddered with a deep hum.
"Emperor Realm!"
"Heavens—an Emperor Realm master!"
The martial artists who had been shouting moments ago were struck with terror. Even the several Questioning Heart Sect stewards presiding over the hall felt their expressions change dramatically. They might be stewards of the Questioning Heart Sect, but their cultivation was only at the third level of the Dao Source Realm. Against an Emperor Realm expert, they would have no power to resist whatsoever.
Boom!
Under that single palm strike, dozens of people were sent flying. Every one of them vomited blood in midair before crashing down in a sorry heap. Yet to everyone's relief, though the palm strike was fearsome in power, it had not taken a single life—though the injuries sustained would surely not heal in ten days or half a month.
"Keep chattering and I'll take your miserable lives!" Yang Kai let out a cold snuff, the very picture of unbridled arrogance—as if heaven was first and he was second.