From the moment this feather-crowned man had appeared, his bearing had been one of absolute indifference, his gaze hollow and detached, as though nothing and no one in the world was worth his attention. That was, until now — the arrival of Gun Gun had finally sparked his interest.
Yang Kai caught a clear glimpse of something burning in those eyes: the desire to possess.
Gun Gun was the materialization of the Small World's will — one could even call it the spirit of the Mysterious World Bead. But after devouring five or six Cultivation Stars, it had grown to an enormous size, sprouting a gaping maw lined with fangs and a long tail. Now it resembled nothing so much as a fat tadpole.
Its birth had been a coincidence. Yang Kai had never foreseen it. In recent days, while making himself at home behind the Great Desolation Star Domain, he had pondered a question — did Gun Gun's existence, or rather the Small World's transformation, conflict with his role as Master of the Heng Luo Star Domain?
He was Master of the Heng Luo Star Domain and Master of the Small World. That made him lord of two worlds. But there was an old saying about trying to chew more than one could swallow — Cultivation especially demanded this wisdom. Owning more worlds was not necessarily better. If he wished to comprehend the might of worlds, the Heng Luo Star Domain could serve that purpose, and in some respects the Small World did not even measure up to an entire Star Domain.
So the existence of these two worlds seemed redundant. Sooner or later, one would become nothing more than a useless ornament.
But seeing the look in that feather-crowned man's eyes, Yang Kai immediately realized he had been wrong.
The Heng Luo Star Domain and the Small World were not in conflict. The Small World was not inferior to an entire Star Domain. In certain domains he did not yet understand, the Small World's value likely far surpassed that of a Star Domain.
Otherwise, why would the feather-crowned man wear such an expression?
Yang Kai flashed forward, placing himself between the man and Gun Gun. The feather-crowned man's eyelids lowered slightly — he seemed to take some offense — but the flicker of anger in his eyes vanished almost immediately. "This small world is yours?"
Yang Kai knew he was not asking about the Heng Luo Star Domain, but the Small World. With this man's eye, seeing through Gun Gun's true nature at a glance was hardly surprising. It would have been stranger if he hadn't.
"What if it is? What if it isn't?"
"If it isn't, then I shall take it. If it is, I shall still take it."
"Then why ask at all?" Yang Kai's brow furrowed.
The feather-crowned man shook his head. "One must ask, naturally. I may be stronger than you, but I do not simply seize things by force."
"Oh? You mean to offer me something in exchange?"
"Indeed." The feather-crowned man nodded. "This small world is of great use to me. Name your price. Do not worry that I cannot afford it."
Yang Kai shook his head. "I'm afraid not. It is of great use to me as well." Though he did not yet fully understand why the man was so eager for Gun Gun, there was no way Yang Kai would trade it for any benefit. Setting aside the possibility that it might prove invaluable in the future, even if it were useless, he would never exchange it with this feather-crowned man.
"In your hands, it is nothing but a treasure wasted."
"Wasted?!" Yang Kai's face darkened. There was a limit to looking down on people. He did not deny that the man's strength was extraordinary — far surpassing his own — but the gap in their years of cultivation was likely enormous as well. If not for certain reservations, Yang Kai might well have thrown the old adage of "do not bully the young for their poverty" right back in his face. But then again, he was hardly a young man anymore, having long since left that stage behind. Best let it go.
"Young man, you ought to have some self-awareness," the feather-crowned man snapped, his patience wearing thin. The tone made it perfectly clear — he considered it an honor that he had taken a fancy to something of yours. "Exchange with me, and I promise you will not be shortchanged. I can make the decision — I shall hand over the neighboring Star Domain to you. You may refine and devour it to your heart's content. I can even deliver its Source Origin into your hands."
In just a few casual sentences, the fate of the Great Desolation Star Domain was decided. One could only imagine what Wu Heng might think if he heard these words.
Yang Kai shook his head languidly. "No deal."
The feather-crowned man continued, "Within ten years, I will see you promoted to the Third Layer of the Emperor Realm."
Yang Kai stared at him. "What, can't manage a fair trade so you've decided to resort to outright plunder?"
Even if this man truly was a Great Emperor, Yang Kai had met Great Emperors before — he had even fought alongside one. He would not be cowed by this man's aura. Push him too far, and Yang Kai would manifest his twenty-zhang dragon form and show him what true dragon might felt like.
"Young man, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" The feather-crowned man's expression turned cold, genuine anger finally surfacing. He believed his sincerity was more than generous — an entire Star Domain plus promotion to the Third Layer of the Emperor Realm within ten years, even he would pay a steep price for such a deal. All for a small world, and the boy hadn't even had the decency to agree.
Yang Kai flashed a grin. "I don't drink toasts, and I don't drink forfeits."
The moment those words left his lips, the vast power of the starry sky came crashing inward, squeezing toward the feather-crowned man from every direction.
Strike first, strike hard!
Though his time with this feather-crowned man had been brief, Yang Kai had already seen enough. The man was not a patient one. Since he had firmly decided never to trade the Small World, a rupture was inevitable sooner or later. Better to seize the initiative than wait to be struck — perhaps then he would still have a fighting chance.