Liu Yan had stayed on Spirit Beast Island for a time. Since she said so, she couldn't have been wrong.
Yang Kai hadn't expected the white-haired old man to have any real background. He'd crossed paths with several people from Spirit Beast Island before — he'd even met Martial Beast Great Emperor himself and caused a ruckus on Dragon Island alongside them. He naturally knew how deep their reserves ran. Though Spirit Beast Island didn't have a large population, every single member was formidable. Whether it was Li Wuyi or Jiu Feng, each one was a figure renowned across the world.
In the past, Yang Kai had assumed they were ordinary third-layer Emperor Realm cultivators, but after his conversation with Yang Yan, he'd come to suspect that Li Wuyi and Jiu Feng belonged to that select group of people caught between the Emperor Realm and the Great Emperor tier — people who could never ascend to the rank of Great Emperor simply because the vessel of Heaven and Earth had its limits. Otherwise, they would have been figures capable of standing as equals to Great Emperors.
All of that was mere speculation on Yang Kai's part, however. He couldn't be certain whether it was true or not.
That the white-haired elder before him hailed from Spirit Beast Island, though — of that there was no doubt.
After asking a few more questions, Yang Kai finally got the full story. The white-haired old man had apparently caught a distant glimpse of Liu Yan once, back when she had been comprehending the mysteries of the Fire Phoenix's origin. She hadn't noticed him at the time, which was why Liu Yan had said he knew her but she didn't know him.
What had tipped Liu Yan off was the cloth-bag Artifact the white-haired old man used.
She had seen that sort of Artifact in Jiu Feng's possession. The people of Spirit Beast Island called them Spirit Beast Bags — a peculiar type of Artifact that exerted a pronounced suppressive effect on the Monster Race, though it was largely useless against other races.
Sealed within each Spirit Beast Bag was a Beast Taming Seal, derived from Martial Beast Great Emperor's own techniques. Once a Spirit Beast Bag was deployed, virtually anything related to the Monster Race would find it nearly impossible to escape its binding.
That was precisely why the three Monster Kings had been captured so easily. In a real fight, the white-haired old man might not have been a match for any one of them, but with the Spirit Beast Bag, he had been able to whisk all three away without breaking a sweat.
"Spirit Beast Island is in the Eastern Domain. What's this old fellow doing in the Northern Domain?" Yang Kai looked puzzled. Getting slapped in the face like this today left him in a sour mood. Had the white-haired old man not hailed from Spirit Beast Island, he would never have let the matter rest.
But now that things had been laid out in the open, Yang Kai figured there probably wouldn't be a fight after all — though he was still curious about what had brought the old man here.
Liu Yan explained, "Spirit Beast Island collects exotic beasts from all over the world. Those beasts are obviously captured, and the island has people dedicated to doing exactly that. He's one of them. He probably came to the Northern Domain to track down rare beasts as well."
"I see." Yang Kai nodded slowly.
While the two of them were talking, Mi Qi's expression had grown increasingly uneasy. He didn't fully understand how the situation was developing, but he had clearly noticed the silent exchange between Liu Yan and Tao Lao.
A sudden premonition of trouble surged through his heart. Not daring to hesitate, he cupped his fists and said, "Tao Lao, if you could lend me your strength once more, I, Mi, would be eternally grateful. There will be a separate and generous gift after everything is settled."
His only hope now was for Tao Lao to intervene. Without him, his Mitian Sect stood no chance against Yang Kai's side.
Tao Lao sighed and patted Mi Qi on the shoulder. "Forget it. Give them whatever they want."
Mi Qi's eyes went wide. He never imagined Tao Lao would say something like that.
What he didn't know was that Tao Lao was just as helpless. Though he was a man of Spirit Beast Island, dispatched to the Northern Domain to seek out rare creatures, his actual standing on the island wasn't particularly high. On Spirit Beast Island, Martial Beast Great Emperor reigned supreme, and beneath him stood Li Wuyi and Jiu Feng.
That young woman appeared to share a deep connection with Lady Jiu Feng. How could he possibly dare to offend her?
While Mi Qi was still stunned, Tao Lao had already unfastened the bag at his waist and activated the Spirit Beast Bag. Three figures immediately shot out from within — Ying Fei and the others.
All three Monster Kings wore expressions of lingering fear. The moment they appeared, they looked sharply left and right, then turned to see Tao Lao and Mi Qi standing together. They exchanged a glance, and without the slightest hesitation, charged at Tao Lao in a tight triangle formation.
Though all three had suffered at the hands of the Spirit Beast Bag moments ago, their eyes were sharp. They had instantly identified the Artifact's flaw: its power was formidable, but it could only target one person at a time.
If all three attacked at once, they could easily kill Tao Lao before the Spirit Beast Bag could activate again.
In an instant, monstrous aura erupted toward the heavens. Three waves of killing intent locked onto Tao Lao, making every hair on his body stand on end. Mi Qi stumbled backward in terror and nearly fell to the ground.
"Stop!" Yang Kai's shout boomed across the battlefield.
Xi Lei and Xie Wuwei halted in midair, but Ying Fei's figure had already blurred — the one they'd seen was merely an afterimage. His true body had already lunged before Tao Lao, an eagle claw hovering a mere inch from the old man's face. The force radiating from that claw alone made Tao Lao's skin sting.
Having narrowly escaped death, Tao Lao was drenched in cold sweat down his back. He looked up at Ying Fei, so close he could touch him, and silently thanked heavens that he'd released this Monster King first. Otherwise, with that kind of speed, he genuinely might not have been able to beat him.
"No disrespect to elders!" Yang Kai's voice rang out from behind. Since the man was from Spirit Beast Island, he was no enemy — and Tao Lao had voluntarily released the three Monster Kings. How could Yang Kai stand by and watch him die?
Ying Fei was obedient enough. He retracted his eagle claw, hovered motionless for a heartbeat, then drifted backward as though some invisible force were pulling him, instantly appearing shoulder to shoulder with Xi Lei and Xie Wuwei. All three fixed their gaze on Tao Lao, eyes sharp with vigilance.