Just so you all know, today's just one chapter. Something came up and I have to head out shortly.
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The first time Yang Kai had seen these people was back in Mapleleaf City. At that time, Gao Xueting and the others had still been only First Order Emperor Realm cultivators, yet even then they had loomed far above him in status.
Now, after all these years, Gao Xueting had advanced from the First Order to the Second Order Emperor Realm. Chen Wenhao and Feng Ming naturally hadn't fallen too far behind — both had been striving hard and had also made a breakthrough in recent years.
Among them was also a dignified-looking middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe cinched with a jade belt. He cut an imposing figure, clearly someone of high standing — a leader of sorts. His cultivation was at the First Order Emperor Realm.
Behind this middle-aged man stood some twenty-odd warriors, all dressed in uniform attire. Their cultivation ranged between the Emperor Realm and the Dao Source Realm. Yang Kai took a single glance and roughly guessed where these people had come from, because he spotted a familiar face among them.
Gong Wenshan!
Yang Kai didn't have much of a personal relationship with the man — they had simply crossed paths in the Four Seasons Land. He remembered that this fellow had quite the nerve; back then, he had even dared to provoke Wuchang of the Heavenly Martial Holy Land and had been hunted down for days without suffering so much as a scratch.
If Gong Wenshan was here, then the origins of this largest group became crystal clear.
The Gong Family of Tianhe Valley! That middle-aged man leading them, a First Order Emperor Realm cultivator, was presumably the current Gong Family patriarch — Gong Zhen.
He was the foremost formation grandmaster in the entire Southern Region. In terms of fame, he was no less renowned in the south than Nanmen Dajun was in the north — arguably even more so, since Gong Zhen was a family patriarch while Nanmen Dajun was merely a lone wolf.
Xiao Yuyang held a shuttle-shaped Artifact in his hand, its surface shimmering with flowing light of obvious high quality. He had presumably used this Artifact to force his way in with the others. Yang Kai had already experienced the power of that toxic barrier firsthand — an Artifact capable of breaking through it was no ordinary treasure.
"Elder Xiao, Elder Chen, Elder Feng…" Yang Kai clasped his fists and greeted each of them in turn. A feeling of time's passage washed over him. Back in the day, when he had stood before these powerful figures, he'd had to maintain the proper deference of a junior and address them as seniors. Now he could meet them on equal footing.
He saved Gao Xueting for last, and she gave him a slight nod in acknowledgment. They were all part of the same side, so there was no need for excessive formalities.
"You really are… the kind of person who can stir up trouble no matter where you go," Xiao Yuyang said with a helpless, bitter smile, clearly having a headache at the sight of Yang Kai once again.
After all, Yang Kai had only recently left the Star Soul Palace. Even back at the Star Soul Palace, the Five-Colored Pagoda had malfunctioned, and Xiao Yuyang and several other Elders strongly suspected Yang Kai was involved. But since the Great Emperor hadn't said anything, they hadn't pressed the matter. Fortunately, the problem with the Five-Colored Pagoda hadn't been too serious, and the whole affair had been quietly swept under the rug.
"I'm innocent," Yang Kai said flatly. "I was only doing someone a favor. Running into this mess was just… pure coincidence."
"No one's blaming you." Xiao Yuyang waved a hand, then his expression turned grave. "We've already heard the general account from Hua Yulu and the others. We know this wasn't your fault — in fact, the Southern Region has you to thank for being spared a catastrophe."
Yang Kai replied with a straight face: "I'm a cultivator of the Southern Region as well. Helping avert disaster for the South is only natural."
"Pfft…" Gao Xueting scoffed from the side, clearly reminded of Yang Kai's identity as the Palace Master of the Lingxiao Palace in the Northern Region. She still harbored some resentment over that — in her view, Yang Kai had no business founding a sect in the north. He should have stayed put as an Elder of the Divine Temple, where he belonged.
Yang Kai pretended not to hear. He looked at Xiao Yuyang and asked: "Elder Xiao, now that you've led the team here, what's the plan?"
Xiao Yuyang replied: "Just as you'd expect — reinforce the prohibition seals. Additionally, this area will be designated a restricted zone. No one will be allowed in or out."
Yang Kai stroked his chin. "That works well enough. But there are always people in this world who aren't afraid of death and can't resist their curiosity. The more forbidden a place is, the more they want to sneak in. It's as if they're afraid of living too long…"
Xiao Yuyang smiled faintly. "Which is exactly why we need the help of Patriarch Gong." He gestured toward the middle-aged man standing nearby. "Once the prohibition seals on the other side have been reinforced, this entire landmass will be shrouded in a formation. Ordinary people won't be able to find their way in, no matter how curious they are."
"That would be ideal." Yang Kai turned to face the middle-aged man and clasped his fists. "Patriarch Gong, I'm pleased to meet you."
Gong Zhen's expression was complex as he returned the gesture. "Elder Yang is too kind. I have long heard of Elder Yang's great name. To finally meet you in person today — you truly live up to your reputation as a dragon among men."
Yang Kai smiled and replied modestly: "Patriarch Gong flatters me."
Gong Zhen continued: "Our elder has caused everyone a great deal of trouble. On behalf of the Gong Family, I offer my sincere apologies to Elder Yang."
Yang Kai shook his head. "There's no need for apologies, Patriarch Gong. All I ask is that you reinforce those seals."
Gong Zhen nodded slightly and spoke up: "Although I've already heard the account of what happened from Palace Master Hua Yulu, I would still like to hear it from Elder Yang himself, if you'd be willing."
This concerned the reputation of the Gong Family's former patriarch. He had no choice but to verify every detail carefully.
"Of course." Yang Kai gestured forward. "Let's talk as we walk — the seals are deep underground."
The group followed Yang Kai as he descended. As they walked, Yang Kai recounted everything that had happened that day in meticulous detail. At his level of cultivation, recalling minor details was no trouble at all. He spoke rapidly but covered every last detail — including what prohibitions they had encountered along the way and how everyone had reacted.
Everyone listened in silence. No one asked a single question.
But when Yang Kai brought up that demonic rune, the composure of several Emperor Realm cultivators visibly shifted.
They too found the method too inconceivable to accept — that a single character containing some profound truth could implant demonic nature into a person, even making the breaking of the Blood Gate's seals feel like a sacred duty. Yet Yang Tai's behavior before this had already proven it beyond any doubt.