With the strength of those bastard Demon Kings and Holy Envoys, the ones who would ultimately stand out definitely wouldn't be themselves.
For a moment, both Xie Wuwei and Ying Fei couldn't help but feel a measure of relief. Ying Fei in particular felt more and more convinced that escorting Yang Kai a few days prior had been the right call.
At that moment, Xi Lei also noticed something was off. His eyes widened as he stared at Ying Fei and Xie Wuwei. "You two aren't injured?"
Ying Fei laughed. "Why would we be injured?"
Xi Lei shook his head back and forth. "Don't tell me those fellows just handed you this sweet deal for no reason. It took this old bull a tremendous amount of effort to get this chance."
Ying Fei replied smugly, "Lord Cang Gou personally assigned us. How could those bastards dare to object? As for Brother Xie… I wouldn't know."
Xie Wuwei snorted, putting on an air of profound mystery, and offered no explanation.
Xi Lei grumbled indignantly, "No justice, no justice, absolutely no justice!"
After all, when the news had come out a few days ago, all thirty-two Demon Kings of the Ancient Lands and the eight Holy Envoys had been thrown into a frenzy. Every one of them had been itching for a chance — who wouldn't be envious of that assignment? Xi Lei had fought them all tooth and nail and won by sheer force. Yet when it came to Ying Fei, Lord Cang Gou had personally made the appointment, saving all that trouble. How could Xi Lei not feel the imbalance when he compared the two?
Still, after a moment's thought, he figured that regardless of the process, he had landed the assignment, and the outcome was what mattered.
The three were chatting when the palace gates opened and a woman in elegant robes stepped out.
The three Demon Kings looked at her and clasped their fists in greeting. "Miss Tian Long!"
Though Tian Long's cultivation was inferior to theirs, she was Luan Feng's confidante. None of them dared to be rude — if Tian Long so much as whispered a few complaints in Luan Feng's ear, it would be enough to make their lives miserable.
"The Madam asks you to come in," Tian Long said simply, then turned and led the way.
The three hurried to follow.
Entering the grand hall, they saw Luan Feng seated regally in the seat of honor. Yang Kai sat below her, with an old man and a young girl standing behind him.
The three kept their eyes straight ahead and clasped their fists in unison. "Your subordinates greet Lady Luan Feng!"
"Mm." Luan Feng inclined her head slightly, every inch the picture of regal composure. She parted her lips and said, "You should all understand the situation by now. You have been summoned here to accompany Young Master Yang to the Northern Domain and relieve the crisis at Ice Heart Valley. I expect you to follow Young Master Yang's commands without question. Should anyone dare disobey or act behind his back, the punishment will be severe."
The three responded in unison with deep voices, "Your subordinates will not fail this task!"
How could they dare to disobey? Being granted this opportunity was like smoke rising from the ancestral grave — a sign of extraordinary fortune. Even without Luan Feng's instructions, they would have served Yang Kai loyally. After all, building a good relationship with Yang Kai was a rare opportunity.
Luan Feng nodded with satisfaction. "Young Master Yang is no stranger. Go ahead and introduce yourselves."
The three turned, clasped their fists, and said, "We greet Young Master Yang."
Yang Kai smiled, glancing at the three Demon Kings before him. His mind was as clear as a mirror.
Of these three Demon Kings, he already knew the backgrounds of two. Xie Wuwei was under Fan Wu's command, and Ying Fei served under Cang Gou. That meant the remaining one must be one of Luan Feng's. He had come here to ask Luan Feng for help, but instead she had pulled one Demon King each from the other two Holy Sovereigns — a clear attempt to spread the risk.
He saw no need to call her out on it. He simply said, "There's no need for formalities, gentlemen. I'll be counting on all three of you going forward."
Three Demon Kings was exactly what Yang Kai had expected, so he wasn't disappointed. If Luan Feng had actually assigned seven or eight Demon Kings to accompany him, that would have been a fool's fantasy.
Xie Wuwei and the others naturally protested their unworthiness, their attitudes exceedingly respectful.
Yang Kai rose to his feet. "Lady Feng, everyone is here. I'll take my leave now."
Luan Feng was only too happy to see the back of him and had no intention of urging him to stay. She stood as well. "I'll see you out."
Seeing him out was merely for appearances. What she really wanted was to see the look on Yang Kai's face when things fell apart.
The last time this brat had come through the Ancient Lands, he had stripped away a fortune in resources. Then at the Yellow Springs Sect, he had dragged her into his mess. This time he had even the audacity to come begging for her help. Luan Feng couldn't do anything to Yang Kai directly, but watching him make a fool of himself would at least provide some satisfaction.
She had personally tested that so-called cross-domain spatial formation. It was nothing but useless trash.
She was quite looking forward to seeing his expression when he discovered that for himself.
The group made straight for the spatial formation's location. Once they arrived, Yang Kai instructed everyone to take their positions, then produced high-grade source crystals and set them into the grooves along the formation's base.
"Lady Feng, farewell. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will certainly come to visit again."
"Go on, go on, don't waste any time," Luan Feng said with a restrained smile, waving him off.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly. Something about Luan Feng's expression seemed odd, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. He glanced at Tian Long, who was standing nearby — and she too wore the expression of someone struggling to hold back a laugh.