South Dipper Peak was a secondary peak of Star Moon Mountain, where the Star God Palace resided. Even so, the cultivation environment was exceptionally rich — the density of heaven and earth spiritual energy there was in no way inferior to the main peak of Void Temple.
The location of the Star God Palace was the focal point where the vital energy of billions of warriors across the Southern Domain converged. It was not only intimately connected to the fortune of the Southern Domain, but also suppressed the ley lines of the entire region. It was only natural that such abundant heaven and earth spiritual energy flourished here.
After settling Yang Kai in, Lan Xun took her leave.
For a time, South Dipper Peak fell into a deep and distant tranquility. Yang Kai's state of mind seemed to be influenced by it as well, growing extraordinarily calm. With no one to disturb him, he simply closed his eyes and sat in meditation, practicing the Dragon Transformation secret technique that Zhu Qing had imparted before her departure.
Time slipped by until nightfall.
Deep in cultivation, Yang Kai seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes. His figure blurred as he stepped out of the side chamber and stood atop South Dipper Peak.
What greeted his eyes made his jaw drop involuntarily.
A crescent moon hung in the sky, and countless stars glittered in every direction. Above the entirety of Star Moon Mountain, it was as if a magnificent and wondrous painting had unfurled — every single star radiated dazzling light, so bright it seemed within arm's reach.
What Yang Kai found most unbelievable was that from each of those stars, cascading beams of radiant light descended, connecting heaven to earth. Those starlights seemed to contain some kind of mysterious power that made all the spiritual energy of Star Moon Mountain feel alive and fluid. The space between heaven and earth was suffused with an intangible quality impossible to perceive during the day — elusive and ungraspable, yet secretly in accord with the supreme principles of the Great Dao.
In that moment, Star Moon Mountain looked like an immortal realm, the kind of place one would never want to leave.
Yang Kai gazed in a daze, even forgetting to breathe, his mind calmer than it had ever been.
"This is the Star Tide. It occurs once a month. The Grand Emperor once said that within the might of the Star Tide lies the Great Dao of heaven and earth — if one can gain even a fleeting glimpse of it, the benefits are limitless. Mm, in fact, many disciples of our Star God Palace have reaped considerable rewards from the Star Tide. Some have had sudden epiphanies and broken through bottlenecks in their cultivation, while others have gained flashes of insight to comprehend divine abilities. For those disciples who cultivate the Star Moon Divine Art, the benefits are even greater."
A voice suddenly spoke from nearby.
"So that's how it is." Yang Kai showed no surprise. Immersed beneath this blanket of starlight, he had sensed its wonder and marveled at its mystery. Yet perhaps because he was not a disciple of the Star God Palace, he had not been able to draw any real benefit from it.
After a moment, Yang Kai turned his head and looked toward a sturdy young man standing not far away with his hands clasped behind his back. "May I ask your name?"
The young man turned around and flashed a grin, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Lei Ting!"
Yang Kai furrowed his brow in thought. "I've long heard that among the four Emperor Realm Third-Order Elders of the Star God Palace, Grand Elder Lei Hong possesses the greatest strength — far surpassing an ordinary Third-Order Emperor. You and Grand Elder Lei are… what relationship?"
Lei Ting curled his lip, seemingly displeased at the mention of Lei Hong's name, but answered honestly nonetheless. "Uncle and nephew!"
"Oh," Yang Kai said. "So you're Grand Elder Lei's nephew."
Lei Ting's gaze sharpened, cutting and intense. "I'd prefer to hear you say that Lei Hong is my uncle — Lei Ting's uncle."
Yang Kai shrugged. "Sorry, I've only ever heard of Grand Elder Lei's distinguished reputation."
Lei Ting let out a cold snunt, and faint blue arcs of electricity began to dance among his hair, crackling and snapping. He spoke in a low voice: "I've spent most of my time in seclusion within the Star God Palace and rarely traveled the outside world. Naturally, you've never heard of me. But that's fine — starting today, you'll be hearing my name quite often."
"Well then, Brother Lei—" Yang Kai smiled faintly, not particularly impressed by the young man's bravado. "You've come to visit in the dead of night. What business brings you here?"
Lei Ting's eyelids lowered, and from between those narrowed slits shot a glacial, piercing light. "I heard that when you arrived today, Her Highness the Princess personally came to greet you?"
"That's right," Yang Kai nodded.
Lei Ting's aura surged abruptly. Through gritted teeth he said, "In that case, you must be on very intimate terms with Her Highness?"
"I wouldn't say that. We've only met a few times." Yang Kai rubbed his chin, a mild headache creeping in. "I think I more or less understand why Brother Lei has come looking for me."
"Good — then you understand! Fight me now. If you lose, get out of the Star God Palace immediately and never see Her Highness again!" Lei Ting roared, and the aura of his Emperor Realm First-Order cultivation actually began to boil. It was as though the person standing before him was not a stranger he had just met, but a sworn enemy who had murdered his father and stolen his wife.
Yang Kai stared wide-eyed. "You've picked the wrong opponent, haven't you? Your real rival should be Xiao Chen — he's the biggest obstacle between you and Her Highness!"
Lei Ting scoffed derisively. "Xiao Chen can go to hell! If he dares to disobey, I'll beat him so hard his own father won't recognize him!"
Yang Kai was taken aback. Xiao Chen was, after all, one of the Southern Domain's rising stars and had already advanced to the Emperor Realm. Lei Ting might look impressive, but he was only at the First-Order Emperor Realm himself — how could he make such an outrageous claim?
That said, Yang Kai truly had never heard of this Lei Ting before. He had always assumed that this generation of the Star God Palace was led by Xiao Chen and Lan Xun. But it seemed there was at least one more to add to that list.
Recalling what Lei Ting had said earlier, Yang Kai quickly came to terms with it. If the young man spent most of his time in seclusion within the Star God Palace and seldom ventured outside, it made perfect sense that his reputation had yet to spread.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai spoke with a serious expression. "Brother Lei, I think you may have a bit of a misunderstanding about me…"
Lei Ting's confrontational attitude from the moment he arrived was certainly off-putting, but Yang Kai was a guest here nonetheless. If a real conflict erupted between them, it could easily sour his standing with the Star God Palace's higher-ups — especially considering Lei Ting's uncle was Grand Elder Lei Hong.
It would be a terrible waste if all of this derailed his plans to cultivate in the Five-Colored Treasure Tower.