I'll be out of town until the 10th, so updates may be a little slow. Please bear with me.
……
The main reason for the delay was that just now, controlling his Dharma Body to throw a punch out from the Profound Realm Bead had drained his Divine Sense too heavily. His head still ached somewhat. The Warm Spirit Lotus was already at work, wisps of cool sensation spreading through his mind as his depleted Divine Sense recovered rapidly.
Tan Junhao had been gravely wounded. That punch from the Dharma Body was no trivial matter — even facing Tan Junhao at full strength,
They had never met before, yet the old man had schemed to bring him down. Yang Kai was determined to kill him right here and now.
"Young brat, you're courting death!" Tan Junhao roared. Both hands rose to gather the momentum of heaven and earth through his body, and through gritted teeth he declared, "You dare defy this old man? Today I'll make sure you die knowing exactly why."
The moment his words fell, figures materialized all around them, gathering at his side.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the newcomers. In short order he realized that every single one of them was an Emperor Realm cultivator.
Most were First-Order Emperors, though a handful had reached the Second Order. Quite a few looked familiar — they seemed to be the Sect Masters and Elders of the various great sects who had been attending the auction.
There were no small number of them either — a full twenty to thirty people.
These Emperor Realm cultivators had appeared under mysterious circumstances, and each one wore a look of bewilderment. After Tan Junhao had activated his formation, they had all been separated from one another, trapped in an endless darkness, searching desperately for a way out but never finding one.
Then an inexplicable force had dragged them all here. The moment they turned to look, they spotted Yang Kai and Tan Junhao standing before them.
Upon seeing the injuries on Tan Junhao's body, the Emperor Realm cultivators all felt a chill run through them, secretly horrified.
Tan Junhao was currently radiating the powerful aura of a Third-Order Emperor, yet he was wounded — and the injuries looked rather severe. The only other person present besides him was that young man called Yang Kai standing over there.
Could these injuries really have been inflicted by that youth? A mere First-Order Emperor — what ability could he possibly possess to wound a Third-Order Emperor?
"Elder Tan!" A middle-aged man studied Tan Junhao more carefully and suddenly let out a cry of surprise. He stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Greetings, Elder Tan. What brings you here?"
Tan Junhao swept him with a glance and gave a slight nod. "You know me?"
The middle-aged man smiled apologetically. "More than a decade ago, I had the good fortune to receive a reward from the Star God Palace and entered a heaven-grade secret realm for a period of cultivation. I once saw Elder Tan from afar during that time, though Elder Tan likely does not remember me."
Though this middle-aged man was a Sect Master in his own right, his cultivation was only at the First-Order Emperor Realm, and his sect was merely a second-rate power within the Southern Domain at large. How could he dare act casually before an Elder of the Star God Palace? It was precisely that grant from the Star God Palace — the chance to cultivate in the heaven-grade secret realm — that had allowed him to break through to the Emperor Realm in the first place.
His gratitude toward the Star God Palace ran bone-deep, so upon suddenly encountering one of its Elders, his manner was naturally one of utmost respect.
Tan Junhao gave a faint nod and said nothing further.
But the middle-aged man's words sent a ripple of shock through the others.
"Elder Tan… the Star God Palace… does that mean…"
Though most of the Emperor Realm cultivators present did not recognize Tan Junhao and had never laid eyes on him before, they now all harbored a similar suspicion.
The Star God Palace was a Great Emperor's sect. To become an Elder, one had to possess Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivation — and Third-Order Emperors were rare even within the Star God Palace, numbering only a handful.
They had never met Tan Junhao, but his reputation was something they had all heard.
A solemn gravity settled over the crowd as they stepped forward one after another to cup their fists. "Greetings, Elder Tan!"
"No need for such formalities!" Tan Junhao waved his hand, cutting an impressive figure of authority.
The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier now wore a grim expression. "Elder Tan, who would dare attack you so brazenly — and actually manage to wound you?"
Tan Junhao's face turned cold. He fixed his gaze on Yang Kai and said, "It was this little friend here. I was momentarily careless and let him land a sneak attack on me."
Yang Kai nearly rolled his eyes out of his skull. The words weren't exactly wrong — he had indeed landed a sneak attack. But if Tan Junhao hadn't gone out of his way to provoke him, why on earth would he have sneak-attacked a Third-Order Emperor for no reason?
Hearing this, the middle-aged man flew into a rage and shouted at Yang Kai, "So it was you, you little beast! Elder Tan is an Elder of the Star God Palace — a man of lofty standing and noble status! The Star God Palace itself is the ruling power of our Southern Domain, sheltering the hundreds of millions of martial artists who call it home! For a little wretch like you to even lay eyes upon Elder Tan is a privilege! And rather than showing any gratitude, you actually dare launch a sneak attack? Get over here at once and offer your apology! If Elder Tan is merciful, he may spare your life. If you remain obstinate, we will kill you without hesitation!"
The words rang with force and conviction. Tan Junhao listened with deep satisfaction, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
The other Emperor Realm cultivators, however, wore a variety of expressions. They were not like the middle-aged man — they had not received such generous benefactions from the Star God Palace. While they held the institution in reverence, they were not about to throw themselves at Tan Junhao's feet in fawning devotion.
Still, none dared openly object. They simply stood where they were, watching Yang Kai with quiet sympathy.
At the auction earlier, Yang Kai had mentioned something about a Star God Palace Elder. Now it appeared that this Elder was none other than Tan Junhao.
They truly had no idea how he had managed to earn Tan Junhao's enmity. Offend the Star God Palace's Elder — was there any path left for survival in the Southern Domain? Young people really were too hot-blooded, knowing no restraint.