"Brother Li has endured the fatigue of the journey. Why not return to Li Long Palace and rest? As for the remaining matters, I have my own plans."
Li Jiao felt a measure of gratitude upon hearing this, understanding that Yang Kai was mindful of whatever small bond remained between him and Mi Qi, and therefore did not intend to drag him along to Mitian Sect. Otherwise, if Yang Kai truly made a move against Mi Qi, and Li Jiao stood by doing nothing, it would be difficult to justify on the grounds of loyalty.
But after thinking it over more carefully, Li Jiao still cupped his fists and said, "Brother Yang worries too much. Though this Li is not particularly talented, I am willing to lend Brother Yang a hand." His bond with Mi Qi meant nothing — their earlier falling out had already burned that bridge to ash. If Li Long Palace wanted to establish itself in the Northern Domain in the future, it would still need to rely on Lingxiao Pavilion's goodwill. At a time like this, his stance needed to be firm.
Moreover, the life-and-death bond between him and Yang Kai was something Mi Qi could never compare to. He knew perfectly well which side weighed heavier.
Yang Kai glanced at him and smiled. "Brother Li offers such kindness — then I would be rude to refuse. Please wait a moment. I'll go round up our forces, and then you can accompany me to Mitian Sect."
"Very well." Li Jiao nodded.
Yang Kai's figure flickered, and he vanished.
Standing in place for a moment in contemplation, Li Jiao exchanged a few words with Bian Yuqing, who was nearby, then turned and stepped back into the spatial transmission array, disappearing without a trace.
Not long after, several figures came hurtling through the air and landed inside the great hall.
Yang Kai looked left and right but couldn't find Li Jiao anywhere. "Where is he?" he asked, puzzled.
Bian Yuqing replied, "Palace Master Li said he would return to Li Long Palace first to gather some manpower and come cheer on the Palace Master."
"How thoughtful of him." Yang Kai smiled faintly, then turned to glance at the three figures behind him — none other than the three great Demon Kings.
Although Lingxiao Pavilion boasted over a hundred thousand members and no shortage of Emperor Realm cultivators, the ones who could truly fight were the three great Demon Kings. Hua Qingsi, as the chief steward, was not suited for bloody combat — it would be terrible if anything happened to her. Bian Yuqing needed to hold down the spatial transmission array and likewise couldn't easily be spared. As for Ji Ying, Nanmen Dajun, and Hou Yu, though they were all at the Emperor Realm, they were not adept at fighting and killing. Each excelled in their own field of expertise, making this particular outing unsuitable for them.
Ye Hen had also advanced to the first level of the Emperor Realm, but having one more or one fewer in a situation like this made little difference, so Yang Kai simply didn't call upon him.
Having the three great Demon Kings along was more than sufficient.
Just as he was about to signal Ying Fei and the others to set out, the sound of rustling fabric reached his ears from behind, accompanied by wind cutting through the air.
He turned to see Liu Yan standing at the entrance of the great hall, her lips pursed in a pout, glaring at him indignantly.
How had he forgotten her? Yang Kai slapped his forehead and waved her over with a beckoning hand.
Liu Yan's face immediately broke into a smile. She hopped over with a little skip, holding up her skirt, and clasped one of Yang Kai's large hands.
The group of five stepped onto the spatial transmission array. A flash of light, and they were gone.
At Li Long Palace, Li Jiao proved highly efficient. With a single command, seven or eight Emperor Realm cultivators and two hundred Dao Origin Realm experts had assembled and were waiting outside the array.
Vice Palace Master Chang Sheng's clothes were in disarray and his hair was a mess, as though he had just crawled out of bed. He possessed a cultivation at the second level of the Emperor Realm and naturally didn't need sleep, but the clear lipstick mark on his face betrayed what he had been doing moments ago.
While straightening his clothes, he asked in confusion, "Palace Master, where exactly are we headed?"
The group had gathered around the spatial transmission array, and this particular array connected directly to Lingxiao Pavilion. Could it be that they were about to attack Lingxiao Pavilion? Quite a few of them harbored such a guess, and the thought sent a jolt of alarm through them.
Lingxiao Pavilion was not to be trifled with. Who in the Northern Domain didn't know that it was guarded by three great Demon King-level powerhouses, not to mention the sect-protecting grand array laid down by Nanmen Dajun, a Grand Array Master of the Emperor Grade? With Li Long Palace's current forces, they wouldn't stand a chance. The Wenqing Sect was proof enough of that, and Li Long Palace was no better off.
"Why ask so many questions? You'll know when we get there." Li Jiao gave a cold snort and deliberately kept quiet. The main reason was that the Emperor Realm cultivators in the Northern Domain had extensive connections among themselves, and many of his Elder-level subordinates had ties with people in Mitian Sect. If word leaked now, it could compromise everything.
Chang Sheng was rebuked, his face flushing with embarrassment, and he dared not speak up again.
A flash of light, and five new figures appeared on the spatial transmission array. Before anyone could get a clear look, what surged forth was a terrifying wave of demonic aura that turned the faces of the Li Long Palace group pale. A closer look revealed that it was Yang Kai, and they all straightened their expressions, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed the Palace Master had no intention of opposing Lingxiao Pavilion after all — thank heavens.
Then they noticed the three figures beside Yang Kai, and their hearts clenched. Even though they had never seen them before, judging from that overwhelming demonic aura, these three had to be the famed Demon Kings.
There was also a little girl of seven or eight, exquisite as carved jade, who left them somewhat baffled. Could this little girl be Yang Kai's daughter? But no one had heard of Yang Kai fathering a child with anyone — could she be an illegitimate daughter from some affair? Many of them exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions peculiar.
"Brother Yang!" Li Jiao cupped his fists in greeting.
The rest followed suit. "Greetings, Palace Master Yang."
Yang Kai swept his gaze over the assembly and couldn't help but laugh. "What an impressive turnout." Aside from Li Jiao, there were eight Emperor Realm cultivators on this side, plus two hundred Dao Origin Realm fighters. Combined with what the Qingyang Divine Temple branch had to offer, Li Jiao had essentially mobilized every Dao Origin Realm expert and above in Li Long Palace.
Li Jiao smiled and said, "If Brother Yang feels the numbers are insufficient, I can call upon a few more — though their strength might not be—"
"That won't be necessary." He had never planned to bring a large force in the first place. Having Li Jiao mobilize so many of his subordinates to stand alongside was already an unexpected bonus. More would only be a burden, and what use was someone weak?