"Last time you saved my life and I never got the chance to thank you. Please allow me to offer you a toast." Hua Yulu raised her cup and drained it in one gulp.
Though the Palace Mistress of the Hundred Flowers Palace looked delicate and fragile, as though a gust of wind might topple her, she possessed a spirit that rivaled any man's boldness. Having finished her drink, her cheeks flushed an even deeper crimson.
"Palace Mistress Hua is too kind. It was actually because of Tan Junhao's affair that Palace Mistress Hua was questioned by the Star God Palace," Yang Kai said with a faint smile, finishing the wine in his own cup.
Hua Yulu shook her head. "They didn't make things difficult for me—they only asked a few questions. I answered truthfully. That didn't cause trouble for Elder Yang, did it?"
Yang Kai chuckled. "The fact that Palace Mistress Hua spoke the truth was actually a great help to me. How could it cause trouble?"
Hua Yulu's expression visibly relaxed. She glanced around and said in a low voice, "Why isn't Xia Sheng around?"
Last time in Liuying City, Hua Yulu had mentioned she was friends with Xia Sheng. Now it seemed the two really were old acquaintances—otherwise Hua Yulu wouldn't be so concerned.
"Senior Brother Xia is on duty at Spirit Lake Palace. He probably won't be back for a while," Yang Kai explained. "If you'd like to find him, Palace Mistress Hua, you could try going to Spirit Lake Palace."
"I see…" A flicker of disappointment crossed Hua Yulu's face.
Just then, Gao Xueting walked over with a cold expression.
Hua Yulu immediately said, "Elder Yang, please carry on. I'll take my leave." With that, she turned and walked away.
"How are your injuries?" Gao Xueting sidled up to Yang Kai and asked in a quiet voice, though her gaze remained fixed on Hua Yulu's retreating figure.
"Manageable," Yang Kai replied.
Xue Zhengmao had struck him square in the chest. For most Emperor Venerable Realm First Layer cultivators, that blow would have either killed them or left them bedridden for days. But Yang Kai's body was already extraordinarily tough, and he was now wearing the Flying Rainbow Black Dragon Armor underneath his clothes, so the damage amounted to no more than a few broken bones—nothing had harmed his internal organs. An injury like this would heal on its own in a day or two even without treatment.
"How do you know that woman?" Gao Xueting asked abruptly, her expression tinged with distaste.
"I ran into her once last time in Liuying City. Why?"
"No reason. If you're hurt, go recover. Don't waste your time on dubious characters when there's nothing else going on."
Dubious characters…
Gao Xueting clearly held a rather poor opinion of Hua Yulu. Realizing this, Yang Kai decided not to say anything more on the matter.
Gao Xueting snatched the wine cup from his hand. "Later tonight, there will be an exchange meeting among Emperor Venerable Realm cultivators. Good things might show up—come take a look if you're interested."
"An exchange meeting?" Yang Kai's interest was immediately piqued.
Gao Xueting nodded. "It's rare for this many Emperor Venerable Realm cultivators to gather in one place, so it's only natural to take the opportunity to trade what we have for what we need. This is the Temple Master's idea. Our Azure Sun Divine Temple is hosting it. Hmm, if you have any treasures you don't need, you can put them up for exchange too."
"All right, just let me know when it's time," Yang Kai said, nodding.
"Go on then." Gao Xueting waved him off.
The inauguration ceremony had concluded, and Yang Kai had rightfully become a Divine Temple Elder. However, given the rushed timeline, he had no residence of his own yet, so he could only return to Purple Bamboo Peak.
Half a day of meditation and healing later, by evening, his injuries had mostly recovered—seventy to eighty percent at least.
The message compass sitting nearby shifted slightly. Yang Kai reached out, picked it up, and swept it with his divine sense before rising to his feet.
It was Wansheng Peak once more, though this time the exchange meeting was being held inside the great hall. The visiting guests had apparently received word beforehand, so very few had left—only three or five people who were dealing with genuine emergencies. No one would willingly miss an exchange meeting like this.
Several Azure Sun Divine Temple disciples stood at the entrance greeting arrivals. Upon seeing Yang Kai, they all showed respectful expressions and bowed their heads. "Elder Yang."
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgment and strode inside.
A quick glance revealed that the great hall was already packed. Virtually all of the day's guests were present—a full hundred or more Emperor Venerable Realm cultivators along with the disciples and descendants they had brought along.
Though the crowd was large, everything was orderly and there was not a hint of commotion. Even when people conversed, they did so quietly through private voice transmissions.
The hall was brightly lit, its radiance making it feel as bright as daylight.
"This way!"
Still turning his head to look for a seat, Yang Kai suddenly heard Gao Xueting's voice in his ear. Following the sound, he spotted her on the left side of the hall, sitting in a chair and waving him over.
Yang Kai smiled faintly and walked in that direction.
This section appeared to be reserved for the Azure Sun Divine Temple's own elders. Besides Gao Xueting, sect elders such as Chen Qian, Di Rong, and You Kun were all seated there. When they saw Yang Kai approach, they all offered warm smiles.
Yang Kai greeted each of them in turn before taking his seat beside Gao Xueting.
"Junior Brother, have you ever attended an exchange meeting like this before?" Gao Xueting suddenly turned her head and asked.