Fan Wu lowered his posture with clear intent to befriend Yang Kai, and Yang Kai naturally wouldn't snub him. The atmosphere at the banquet was warm and convivial, both host and guest enjoying themselves. After three rounds of drinks, Fan Wu casually remarked, "I wonder what brings Brother Yang to these ancient lands?"
"Just passing through," Yang Kai replied offhandedly.
"Just passing through, eh... heh." Fan Wu chuckled lightly, naturally not believing such nonsense. According to the intelligence he'd gathered, Yang Kai had established a sect called Lingxiao Pavilion in the Northern Region—yet here they were in the Eastern Region, in the remote and treacherous Primitive Wastelands. No matter how one "passed through," one wouldn't end up here by accident.
What Fan Wu didn't know was that Yang Kai was telling the truth. Coming from the Hengluo Star Domain, he truly had arrived here by chance. Since he was here, he might as well set up another spatial formation in the ancient lands—nothing more than a trivial matter for him.
But to Fan Wu's ears, the nonchalant response reeked of dishonesty. He grew ever more suspicious of this fellow's hidden motives, thinking he was surely planning to target the Demon Beast Kings of the ancient lands. His wariness spiked.
If Yang Kai were to wander through the ancient lands and raise his fist in a rallying call, chances were all twenty-nine Demon Beast Kings would follow him. Fan Wu couldn't tolerate such a thing happening right under his nose.
"Does Brother Fan have something on his mind?" Yang Kai glanced at him sidelong, growing increasingly suspicious about today's affair. He frowned. "If there's something, let's speak plainly—beating around the bush is pointless."
It's pointless because of you! The three Sage Sovereigns fumed inwardly. Luan Feng couldn't help but roll her eyes. Had it been anyone else speaking so boldly, the three of them would have turned hostile long ago. Regardless of whether the person truly harbored such intentions, any hint of suspicion was grounds for immediate execution to protect their interests.
But Fan Wu was convinced that Yang Kai's potential was limitless—sooner or later, his strength would stand on equal footing with their own. Besides, with a descendant of Tianxing backing him, how could they afford to offend him lightly?
With a chuckle, Fan Wu said, "We heard that Brother Yang established a sect in the Northern Region. The three of us have been confined to these ancient lands and couldn't pay our respects in person. We've felt rather bad about that."
Yang Kai waved it off. "Brother Fan, you're too kind. I merely made a small splash—how could it compare to the three of you living freely and abundantly in these ancient lands, surrounded by spiritual energy and exceptional terrain?"
These were genuine words of admiration. The Primitive Wastelands, though dangerous and saturated with primordial power that ordinary people couldn't endure, were in truth a natural treasure trove—rare flowers, exotic herbs, and abundant veins of Source Crystal ore. The three Sage Sovereigns had claimed one of the finest grotto-heavens in the entire world, with dozens of Demon Beast Kings at their command. Yang Kai truly envied them.
If he could establish Lingxiao Palace here, within a hundred years it would surely become the foremost sect in the entire Star Domain.
But these words landed like a heavy thump in the ears of Fan Wu and the other two. They couldn't shake the feeling that there were hidden meanings behind them. What was this? Not only was he coveting their Demon Beast Kings, but now he had his eyes on their territory as well? Was this fellow planning to seize their land? The sheer audacity!
With their preconceived notions already coloring their perceptions, the three Sage Sovereigns' expressions darkened. They abandoned any further pretense of verbal sparring. Fan Wu reached out and produced several space rings, placing them on the wooden table and gently sliding them toward Yang Kai. His smile never wavered.
Yang Kai looked at the space rings, then at the three Sage Sovereigns, and blinked. "What's this about?"
Fan Wu smiled faintly. "Brother Yang's Lingxiao Palace was only recently established, so you must be in need of substantial resources right now. There's little we three can do to help, but the ancient lands do yield some products. Please consider these modest gifts as a token of our respect—and as our small contribution toward your esteemed sect's growth. Brother Yang, please don't refuse."
What was going on? Yang Kai was genuinely taken aback.
He had to admit—yesterday, when he'd sent that two-horned Demon Beast Commander to relay a message to Luan Feng, he had fully intended to shake her down. He'd already composed his arguments in his mind: the cross-regional spatial formation had cost him enormous resources and effort, and since Luan Feng had destroyed it, she owed him compensation. If she refused, he'd shamelessly refuse to leave until he got something out of it.
Of the spatial formations he'd set up, two had already been destroyed—one by Luan Feng and probably one by the Iron Blood Great Emperor. He didn't dare go looking for trouble with the Iron Blood Great Emperor; he'd run the other way if they crossed paths. That left Luan Feng as the unlucky target.
But that scheme had been aimed only at Luan Feng—it had nothing to do with Fan Wu or Cang Gou. Moreover, he and Luan Feng weren't enemies. Back in the day, he'd even caught a favorable wind from her, so he wouldn't push things too far. A small token of compensation from Luan Feng would have settled the matter. He wasn't the type to make unreasonable demands.
Yet before he'd even had the chance to go extorting, they had walked right up to his door—not one, but all three of them together.
How strange. Since when did people volunteer to be extorted?
Nine space rings sat before him. Without a second thought, Yang Kai knew Fan Wu and the other two had split the cost evenly—three each.
Was there a trap? Yang Kai felt that today's affair was riddled with strangeness. Fan Wu and his companions were being far too warm—so warm it made him uncomfortable.
But even if there was a trick, he wasn't cowardly enough to lack the nerve to examine a space ring. He picked one up and swept it with his Divine Sense. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes went wide.
Good heavens—so many Source Crystals!
He couldn't count them precisely, but the ring was filled entirely with mid-grade or higher Source Crystals, with quite a few high-grade ones among them. A rough estimate put the value at no less than one hundred million high-grade Source Crystals. One hundred million high-grade Source Crystals—an staggering quantity. Converted to mid-grade Source Crystals, that was ten billion. In low-grade Source Crystals, it would be a trillion!
Yang Kai cleared his throat and, betraying no emotion, picked up a second space ring to examine. Countless rare flowers and exotic herbs immediately filled his vision, each one brimming with medicinal maturity.