Li Qingyuan and the others felt a complex mix of emotions. Three Demon Kings had joined Lingxiao Pavilion, yet all they sought in return were the positions of Guardian or Steward. Their strength naturally couldn't compare to those three Demon Kings—if they were to join Lingxiao Pavilion themselves, wouldn't they only rank among the ordinary disciples?
Of course, there was no way they would leave their own sects to join Lingxiao Pavilion. The waters of this Lingxiao Pavilion ran far too deep for them to navigate.
Still, with three Demon Kings joining its ranks, Lingxiao Pavilion would likely become one of the foremost sects in the Northern Domain. Once it developed fully, it would absolutely overshadow the former glory of the Wenqing Sect.
Li Qingyuan and the others seemed to glimpse the silhouette of a colossus rising on the horizon, and their hearts trembled with shock.
Such good fortune falling into Yang Kai's lap drove the assembled crowd into a frenzy of jealousy. Any one of these three Demon Kings, if they joined one of their sects, would be an immeasurable blessing.
Yet what truly stunned everyone was that facing the earnest requests of the three great Demon Kings, Yang Kai actually looked rather troubled and said, "Let's discuss this matter further!"
Li Qingyuan and the others nearly popped their eyes out of their heads, silently cursing Yang Kai for being utterly clueless. Something others would beg for, and he wanted to put it off for further discussion? Was something wrong with this guy's head?
There was nothing to discuss—the proper response was to agree on the spot.
Xi Lei and the others exchanged glances. They understood what was weighing on Yang Kai's mind. Though, given his current standing in the hearts of the three Sacred Sovereigns, recruiting three Demon Kings from the Primitive Wildlands to bolster his forces wouldn't be considered a major transgression, he clearly wasn't willing to poach from others so brazenly—especially when those others were the three Sacred Sovereigns themselves.
At the very least, he needed to give Luan Feng and the others a heads-up first.
Understanding this, Xi Lei and the other two Demon Kings didn't press the matter.
After a moment of deliberation, Xi Lei spoke. "Young Master Yang, these people… shall we kill them?"
He asked casually, as though what he proposed wasn't the execution of several thousand people, but several thousand chickens and ducks. Every face in the crowd turned deathly pale, and desperate gazes shot toward Yang Kai.
At this point, they all knew that their lives and deaths rested entirely upon a single thought from Yang Kai. If he wanted them to live, they would live. If he wanted them to die, surviving would be impossible.
The dozen or so Emperor Realm cultivators at the forefront stared at Yang Kai with fawning, terrified expressions, terrified that the word "kill" might slip from his lips.
"Kill? Kill what? We have no enmity between us." Yang Kai waved his hand, smiling amiably. "Didn't you hear them say they came to congratulate me on establishing my sect? Since they're here to congratulate, that makes them guests of our Lingxiao Pavilion."
"Exactly, exactly! Young Master Yang is wise!" Li Qingyuan hastened to chime in, a look of profound relief washing over his face—the relief of a man who had just survived a near-death experience.
He knew that now that Yang Kai had said this, their lives were surely safe. He felt boundless gratitude for Yang Kai's magnanimity.
Xi Lei nodded. "It was indeed rash of this old ox." Then he shifted tone, barking harshly at Li Qingyuan and the others: "You lot of trash—if you came to offer congratulations, where are the congratulatory gifts? Don't tell me you were just paying lip service!"
Li Qingyuan and the others were alarmed. "How could we dare! Gifts… of course we have them, of course, of course!"
As they spoke, the dozen-plus Emperor Realm cultivators frantically rummaged through their spatial rings. Expressions of resolve flickered across some faces, followed by looks of hesitation.
Before long, over a dozen spatial rings had been gathered into Li Qingyuan's hands. Clutching them with both trembling hands, he approached Yang Kai and forced out a shaky smile. "Young Master Yang, these humble gifts are but a token of our respect. I hope Young Master Yang will graciously accept them."
Yang Kai took them without bothering to inspect the contents of the rings.
His wealth was already considerable; a dozen or more spatial rings meant little to him now.
He nodded slightly. "Sect Master Li is most considerate."
A faint, barely concealed look of heartache flickered across Li Qingyuan's face. He had just surrendered the bulk of his personal savings accumulated over many years, fearing that Yang Kai might find the gifts insufficient.
He suspected every other Emperor Realm cultivator had done the same, judging by the pained expressions on each of their faces.
Yet the man had simply taken the rings without so much as a glance. If he'd known this would happen, why had he gone to such trouble? He could have just tossed in something mediocre and been done with it.
"Of course, of course. Young Master Yang… if you have no further instructions, then this Li will take his leave." The loss of his wealth sat like a stone in Li Qingyuan's chest, and he wanted nothing more than to leave this place as quickly as possible.
"Speaking of instructions, there actually is one small matter I could use your help with," Yang Kai said pleasantly.
"Ah…" Li Qingyuan panicked, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he asked nervously. "What instructions does Young Master Yang have?"
Yang Kai smiled gently. "Sect Master Li, there's no need to be so tense. What I need you to do is quite simple. After you leave this place, just spread the word a little throughout the Northern Domain—say that I have claimed this territory and established Lingxiao Pavilion!"
Li Qingyuan's heart eased upon hearing this, and he let out a long breath. "So that's all it was!"
Yang Kai gazed at him meaningfully. "And what did Sect Master Li think it would be?"