"Young Master Yang!"
"Lord Yang!"
With light restored to their eyes, the Emperor Realm cultivators were both shocked and delighted. Turning to see Yang Kai, they clasped their fists and bowed one after another. Despite the fact that Yang Kai was undoubtedly much younger than them and his cultivation wasn't significantly higher, his recent display of power meant no one dared show him the slightest disrespect.
The beautiful woman in palace robes who knew Xia Sheng gracefully flew over to Yang Kai and offered a delicate bow. "Hua Yulu greets Young Master Yang."
Yang Kai nodded and asked, "How did those few get injured?"
Hua Yulu pressed her lips together in a smile, radiating charm, and said in a low voice, "Those friends were probably getting restless, wanting to get out. But they didn't have the strength, so..."
Yang Kai said "oh" and understood immediately.
He had suppressed them all for several days with the bell, so it was natural that they'd grow anxious, unsure of how Yang Kai would ultimately deal with them. Of course they would try to break free. But the Mountain and River Bell was a primordial treasure — how could they possibly shatter it? The backlash from their efforts was likely what injured them.
Hua Yulu glanced around, and seeing no other people nearby but battle scars everywhere, turned her attention to Yang Kai. His aura was steady, showing not a single injury. Slightly startled, she asked in a low voice, "Young Master Yang, where did Elder Tan go?"
Everyone looked over curiously, eager to know the answer. When they had been suppressed by the Mountain and River Bell, Yang Kai and Tan Junhao had already torn off the mask of civility, and a battle was inevitable. After the bell had suppressed them, they had no way of knowing what happened outside. Now, seeing Yang Kai standing here unscathed, a thought that they hardly dared believe began to form in their minds: Had Elder Tan been driven off?
That couldn't be right. Tan Junhao was an Elder of the Star God Palace, with the formidable cultivation of Third Stage Emperor Realm. Even if Yang Kai was impressive, surely he couldn't be Tan Junhao's match — especially since Tan Junhao had already set up a formation here to aid him.
"That old dog Tan engaged in perverse acts, was cruel and vicious by nature, and used the Star God Palace's name to tarnish its reputation. In name he was an Elder of the Star God Palace, but in truth he was a cancer on the palace — a disgrace to the Southern Domain. He has already been executed on the spot by this young master." Yang Kai laughed heartily and clapped his own hands. "Truly a cause for celebration! A cause for celebration!"
Everyone was dumbfounded, their eyes wide as they stared blankly at Yang Kai. Not a single person responded.
Yang Kai's face darkened. "What? Don't you believe this young master?"
Seeing signs that he was growing angry, the group felt a jolt of alarm and hurriedly said they wouldn't dare doubt him. It wasn't that they didn't dare believe — it was simply too incredible.
If the one standing before them now were Tan Junhao, saying he had killed Yang Kai, that would have been a plausible outcome. But instead it was Yang Kai, very much alive, standing right here, while Tan Junhao had vanished without a trace.
And besides... what was there to celebrate? Tan Junhao was, after all, an Elder of the Star God Palace. How many Elders of his caliber did the entire Star God Palace have? His death here was practically an earth-shattering event. Once the Star God Palace launched an investigation, everyone present would probably be unable to wash their hands of it.
Though they were all Emperor Realm cultivators, facing a colossus like the Star God Palace, they still felt their hearts quail.
Hua Yulu forced a strained smile — the coquettish charm had completely vanished from her face — and asked cautiously, "Young Master Yang, that Elder Tan was truly... killed by you?"
"I killed him, and what reason would I have to deceive you? Not just him — Wu Ming is dead too," Yang Kai replied with easy confidence, without the slightest hesitation.
Only then did the crowd believe him.
After all, there was no need to lie about this. Killing a Star God Palace Elder was no small matter — it could easily bring catastrophe down upon one's head. Yang Kai didn't look like a fool; why would he deliberately invite trouble?
In that moment, their awe of him deepened yet another threefold.
If he could kill a Star God Palace Elder, just how powerful had this young man become? Was there anyone in this world besides a Great Emperor who could suppress him?
"Young Master Yang, you killing Elder Tan — this is going to cause serious trouble." Hua Yulu's delicate brows furrowed, a worried expression crossing her face. Regardless of what Tan Junhao had done before, his status was undeniable. With him dead at Yang Kai's hands, the Star God Palace would investigate no matter what.
"Lord Yang, this has nothing to do with us! We had no idea what happened afterwards!"
"Exactly, Lord Yang! We have no intention of opposing the Star God Palace!"
"We only came to attend the auction — we know nothing about any of this!"
A group of Emperor Realm cultivators, as if they had stumbled into a catastrophe, began clamoring over one another.
How could Yang Kai not know what they were worried about? He sneered inwardly. If it weren't for the fact that he had killed Tan Junhao, not a single one of them would have survived. As an Elder of the Star God Palace, Tan Junhao had actually used the Heart-Eating Gu to control so many Emperor Realm cultivators. Once this was exposed, the Star God Palace would never tolerate him. So he would certainly have killed them all to silence them, then framed Yang Kai as the murderer.
At that point, he might have even become the great hero who had slain a demon and avenged the Southern Domain's Emperor Realm cultivators.
How laughable that they were now all scrambling to distance themselves from the matter, completely oblivious to the fact that Yang Kai had saved their lives.
Yang Kai didn't need their gratitude, of course. He had long known the fickleness of human nature and harbored no such expectations.
"Young Master Yang, you need to leave quickly — the farther the better. You can't stay in the Southern Domain." Hua Yulu suddenly transmitted to him in a secret voice. "Go to the Northern Domain. I've heard there's a forbidden zone called the Frozen Wastes there, where even Great Emperors dare not venture deep. If there's anywhere in this world that could be your sanctuary, it's that place."
Yang Kai glanced at Hua Yulu in surprise. He hadn't expected her to be different from the others — at least she showed some concern for his well-being.
"No need to worry!" Yang Kai gave her a reassuring smile, then turned and roared, "All of you, shut your mouths! What are you all yelling about?"