When she said that, the three Demon Kings finally noticed Yang Kai's figure as well, and they hurriedly clasped their fists in greeting, their expressions exceedingly awkward.
Ying Fei was quick-eyed and quick-handed, snatching up the dice cup and dice from the stone table in one swift motion.
Three Demon Kings and an Emperor Artisan, neglecting their proper duties — gathering here to gamble, and caught red-handed by Yang Kai at that. It really was rather unseemly.
"Mm, I sensed you all here, so I came to take a look," Yang Kai said casually.
Xi Lei hastily asked, "Young Master Yang, do you have some instruction for us?"
"Not really!" Yang Kai made no mention of their gambling. He reached out and grabbed Hou Yu, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed, pulling her back.
"Palace Master… we won't dare do it again next time." Hou Yu dangled in Yang Kai's grip, forcing an ingratiating smile onto her face. "Spare us this once, will you? I'll go refine artifacts for you right away. Didn't you bring back a whole bunch of materials the other day? Don't worry, leave it all to me."
Yang Kai released her and asked, "When you run into a bottleneck during cultivation and can't break through, what do you do?"
"What?"
"A bottleneck?"
"What bottleneck?"
All three Demon Kings stared at him blankly, not expecting him to suddenly ask such a completely unrelated question.
Ying Fei said, "We've never run into any bottlenecks."
Yang Kai stared at him. "Not even once?"
Xi Lei chuckled. "Young Master Yang, we demon folk rely on bloodline and heritage — it's a bit different from you humans. Bloodline and heritage essentially determine the highest level one can achieve in this lifetime. Of course, there are occasional exceptions and lucky encounters, but by and large, demon folk don't experience cultivation bottlenecks."
"Exactly, exactly." Xie Wuwei nodded as well. "Our demon folk cultivation is an inborn talent, unlike the myriad techniques of the human race. So the concept of a bottleneck has no meaning for us."
"Right, I forgot — you're all demon folk." Yang Kai nodded, then looked at Hou Yu. "What about you?"
"Me?" Hou Yu still hadn't recovered from her fright. Seeing Yang Kai's gaze on her, she smiled awkwardly. "Palace Master, I'm an artifact refiner — I don't really focus on cultivation. I don't even know how I stumbled into the Emperor Realm. Asking me this question… it's a bit too profound."
"You've never hit a bottleneck?" Yang Kai asked, not quite believing her.
"I think I have, actually." Hou Yu thought back and nodded. "Yes, there was one."
"How did you break through?"
"Just waited. Refined some artifacts, gambled a bit… When the time came, I broke through naturally."
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then nodded gently.
"Young Master Yang, you…" Ying Fei looked at him, hesitating to speak.
"It's nothing. Carry on," Yang Kai said with a slight smile. His figure flickered and he vanished on the spot, leaving no trace — just as mysteriously as he had arrived, he departed without a trace.
"Young Master Yang has hit a bottleneck in his cultivation?" Xi Lei mused thoughtfully.
"Most likely." Xie Wuwei nodded. "I heard he's been in secluded cultivation these past few days, but from what I saw today, his cultivation hasn't increased. He really may have hit a bottleneck."
Ying Fei said, "Humans have techniques and secret arts to assist them, so their cultivation advancement is generally faster than that of demon folk, and their growth potential is higher. But if they encounter an insurmountable bottleneck, they can end up stuck. I hope Young Master Yang doesn't stall at the first level of the Emperor Realm."
Xi Lei said, "He's still young. Even if he's hit a bottleneck, it's no big deal. Who hasn't faced a setback or two? Young Master Yang doesn't seem like the type to be easily discouraged. Don't worry — he'll push past this hurdle."
"Let's hope so!"
"Are you three going to keep playing or not?" Hou Yu looked at the three Demon Kings with eager eyes, her hands practically itching.
Xi Lei gave her a sidelong glance. "What else do you have left to lose?"
Hou Yu thought about it and found herself utterly without an answer.
…
Yao Dan Peak — one of the main peaks of Lingxiao Palace. Its scenery and spiritual energy were in no way inferior to Lingxiao Peak, and it was the residence of Ji Ying, Miao Dan Great Emperor's fifth disciple and Lingxiao Palace's chief alchemist.
When Yang Kai arrived, he heard a gentle voice ringing out, as if someone were expounding on the dao of alchemy.
He looked over and spotted a person sitting cross-legged at the summit, speaking at length with eloquence and passion.
Below, over a dozen warriors of varying cultivation levels were listening with rapt attention, wearing expressions of deep contemplation.
These warriors were all disciples of the Thousand Leaf Sect. Presumably they wished to learn the dao of alchemy and had come here to study under a master. But Ji Ying was of a status far beyond ordinary — one of the Star Boundary's rarest Emperor Alchemists. He certainly wouldn't give lectures to them personally. Even if he were willing, they likely wouldn't be able to understand.
The one lecturing now was one of Ji Ying's own disciples. Yang Kai had seen him before and knew him to be a Dao Origin-tier alchemist with a solid foundation.
"Brother Yang is here — please, come in!" A voice suddenly transmitted directly to his ear, clearly from Ji Ying, who had already detected his arrival.
Yang Kai smiled faintly, and his figure flickered as he entered a grand hall.