A single glance was all it took to shock everyone, because the young man leading the trio was actually examining them with great interest.
Hiss…
A collective intake of breath rippled through the crowd. How was this possible?
Traveling from the Star Domain to the Ancestral Domain inevitably involved traversing the void, and such a crossing always left aftereffects due to the vast distances involved. The most obvious symptoms were an unsettled soul and dizzying disorientation.
Depending on one's strength, these aftereffects could linger for different lengths of time—some recovered after just a few breaths, while others might need ten or more.
Yet judging by the young man's appearance, he showed not the slightest hint of aftereffects at all!
What was going on?! Everyone was stunned.
When they swept him with their spiritual sense again, their expressions turned even stranger.
The young man's body carried not a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation. Any martial artist would inevitably emit some spiritual energy—either the gap in cultivation was too vast, making it impossible for weaker individuals to perceive it, or the person possessed an artifact capable of concealing their cultivation.
But what kind of high-quality artifact could a martial artist from the Star Domain possibly have? With so many people present, surely someone would be able to see through it.
This was a peculiar fellow indeed.
After a brief pause, He Yunxiang and Yan Luo gradually recovered as well. The moment He Yunxiang took in her surroundings, her delicate face drained of color. Her Sacred Origin energy surged forth immediately as she warily surveyed the area.
She hadn't expected that the very instant they set foot in the Ancestral Domain, they would encounter such a situation. What's more, looking at the cultivation levels of the surrounding martial artists, not a single one was below the Void King Realm—and quite a few of them radiated an aura that made her blood run cold.
Above the Void King! That was the aura of someone above the Void King Realm. It had to be the Dao Source Realm that His Lordship had mentioned!
Had they truly arrived in the Ancestral Domain? If not, how could so many Void King-level cultivators and above be gathered here? But why were they blocking the way? Could they be highway robbers? What would they possibly want from martial artists coming from the Star Domain? The two sides weren't even on the same level.
Would someone truly that powerful bother snatching things from children?
While she was on guard, Yan Luo suddenly moved, striding off to one side.
He Yunxiang was taken aback, while Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, watching his retreating figure.
Over there, three people stood atop a small earthen mound—two men and one woman. The one in the lead was a young man who hovered upon the wind, elegant and dashing, his aura deep and unfathomable. Beside him stood a woman who appeared to be under thirty, her face lit with a gentle smile. The third was a venerable old man with white crane-like hair and a youthful complexion, his face ruddy with vitality.
Yan Luo's expression was deeply emotional. Upon reaching the mound, he dropped to one knee, his voice trembling: "Yan Luo pays respects to the Ancestor!"
The moment those words left his lips, He Yunxiang's face changed drastically. She stared at the old man, a flash of realization striking her mind, and she immediately understood who he truly was.
Rumor had it that five hundred years ago, the Yan family's patriarch had departed for the Ancestral Domain, and his fate had remained unknown ever since. The way Yan Luo addressed the old man left no doubt—his identity was unmistakable.
He was none other than the Yan family patriarch who had left the Wuji Star Domain five hundred years ago—Yan Renhao!
A terrible sense of foreboding immediately took root in He Yunxiang's heart. Yan Renhao had already been the strongest cultivator in the Wuji Star Domain five hundred years ago, standing at the peak of the Void King Realm's third level. Now, after five hundred years of cultivation in the Ancestral Domain, he had surely ascended beyond the Void King Realm long ago.
This was a trap from the very beginning!
No wonder Yan Luo had so readily agreed to bring Yang Kai to the Ancestral Domain. No wonder he had insisted on coming along of his own accord. It had all been leading to this.
She had no idea what method the Yan family had used to contact Yan Renhao, but he would never have been waiting here for no reason. Clearly, after they had left Taiyi Star, someone from the Yan family had sent word ahead to the Ancestral Domain.
Yan Renhao had come here specifically to welcome Yan Luo's arrival.
This was bad! His Lordship's cultivation was certainly remarkable—he feared no one from the Yan family on Taiyi Star—but could he truly stand against Yan Renhao? And that was before accounting for the two apparent allies at Yan Renhao's side. The woman was one thing—only at the third level of the Void King Realm, something He Yunxiang could probably handle herself—but the young man gave her the impression that he might be even more powerful than Yan Renhao. Could His Lordship possibly be a match?
In the span of a single heartbeat, He Yunxiang's mind raced through countless possibilities, and her expression turned grim as she stole a glance at Yang Kai—only to find his face perfectly calm, utterly devoid of anxiety. She faltered.
"Good, good, good!"
Over on the mound, Yan Renhao laughed heartily. He stepped forward and reached out to help Yan Luo to his feet, looking him over from head to toe before patting his shoulder with an approving nod. "Not bad, not bad!"
Having a descendant of the Yan family arrive here naturally brought him joy. Before his own arrival, no one from the Yan family had ever successfully made it to the Ancestral Domain. In this world, though his strength had grown tremendously, he lived far less freely than he once had in the Wuji Star Domain. Yan Luo's arrival was a genuine surprise—and with the two of them working together, there was no reason the Yan family's prestige couldn't extend into the Ancestral Domain.