Inside the grand hall, every pair of eyes turned toward Mi Qi. To his credit, the man was perceptive enough to immediately step forward on his own, cupping his fists in a salute. "Palace Master Yang possesses peerless divine might and a heart as vast as heaven and earth. I, Mi, am truly humbled. The entire Mi Tian Sect is willing to submit to Lingxiao Pavilion and obey all commands from this day forward. Through mountains of blades and seas of fire, we shall never harbor disloyalty."
Whether sincere or feigned, the words were beautifully spoken, and they earned him a measure of goodwill from the people of Lingxiao Pavilion.
Li Jiao's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected Mi Qi to be so brazenly pragmatic. Though the two had had some dealings before, he'd never seen this side of him. When Yang Kai had demanded his submission earlier, Mi Qi had resisted and maneuvered repeatedly, yet now he was putting on the airs of a man who had accepted his fate — and doing so while positioning himself and his attitude with remarkable skill. It gave Li Jiao a new appreciation for the man. Still, he couldn't shake a tinge of the兔死狐悲 sentiment — the fox mourning the hare.
The Li Long Palace and the Mi Tian Sect were comparable in strength. Li Jiao figured that if it hadn't been for the times he'd gone out with Yang Kai and shared life-and-death experiences, the Mi Tian Sect's fate would have been a cautionary tale for his own Li Long Palace. It was precisely because of the bond he'd formed with Yang Kai that Yang Kai hadn't moved against the Li Long Palace. Then again, the Li Long Palace wasn't much different from the Mi Tian Sect now — technically independent, but practically a vassal in all but name.
"Everyone has heard Sect Master Mi's words. Why don't you all introduce yourselves?" Yang Kai waved his hand.
Hua Qingsi stepped forward with a graceful smile and dipped into a slight curtsy. "I am Hua Qingsi, Grand Steward of Lingxiao Pavilion. Greetings, Sect Master Mi."
"The Grand Steward is too kind." Mi Qi returned the courtesy, though inwardly he was curious — what in the world was a "Grand Steward"? He'd never heard of such a title. But judging by the position she stood in, ahead of everyone else, even below only the three great demon kings, she apparently held no small standing in Yang Kai's eyes. He'd have to be careful not to offend her and make sure to cultivate a good relationship. Otherwise, who knew when she might find some petty way to make his life miserable.
He even harbored a suspicious thought — could there be some sordid relationship between Yang Kai and this woman? Otherwise, how could a mere first-level Emperor Venerable hold such a high position?
Hua Qingsi had no idea what was running through his mind. If she had, she would have fought him to the death on the spot. Smiling, she pointed to the side and made introductions. "This is the Demon King Xi Lei. Sect Master Mi, you should have already met."
Mi Qi smiled and clasped his fists in greeting. How could he not have met him? It was Xi Lei who had tangled with him in battle back at the Mi Tian Sect. Mi Qi had clearly felt that he was no match for the demon king.
Xi Lei bared his fangs in a grin, and the sight of those sharp teeth made Mi Qi's skin crawl.
Hua Qingsi continued, "This is the Demon King Ying Fei."
Ying Fei gave a faint nod.
"And this is..."
One by one, she introduced each person. Mi Qi kept a smile plastered on his face throughout. Regardless of the other party's cultivation level, he felt a head shorter than all of them — there was no helping it. His Mi Tian Sect had already submitted to Lingxiao Pavilion, so when facing these pillars of the pavilion, he naturally didn't dare put on any airs.
Xie Wuwei, Ye Hen, Nanmen Dajun, Hou Yu — numerous Emperor Venerable realm experts. Qin Chaoyang, Chi Yue, Ai Ou, the Ghost Ancestor, Gu Cangyun, Ruan Biting — a whole crowd of Dao Source realm cultivators...
Going through the introductions one by one, the sheer number of people was staggering.
Mi Qi recognized Nanmen Dajun, but this was the first time he'd learned that this renowned Emperor Formation Master was actually serving under Lingxiao Pavilion. It caught him completely off guard. Nanmen Dajun enjoyed great fame across the Northern Domain. Though he didn't quite rival Miao Dan the Great Emperor's disciples, an Emperor Formation Master was an Emperor Formation Master — coveted wherever he went. Mi Qi himself had once harbored thoughts of recruiting the man, but Nanmen Dajun had paid him absolutely no mind.
With an ordinary first-level Emperor Venerable, Mi Qi would have found some way to put them in their place, but the status of an Emperor Formation Master made him hesitate. If he moved against Nanmen Dajun, the other powerhouses of the Northern Domain would never let him off, and the Mi Tian Sect couldn't afford to provoke the combined fury of so many strong cultivators.
When he then heard that Hou Yu was an Emperor Artifact Master, Mi Qi nearly popped his eyes out of his skull.
What kind of place was this Lingxiao Pavilion? It was one thing for Nanmen Dajun to be here, but there was actually an Emperor Artifact Master too? An Emperor Artifact Master! How many Emperor Artifact Masters existed in the entire Star Boundary? And this Emperor Artifact Master was a woman, no less.
He truly couldn't fathom where Yang Kai had recruited such an extraordinary group of misfits. Three great demon kings, an Emperor Formation Master, an Emperor Artifact Master — this kind of foundation would be enough to astonish anyone no matter where it appeared, and having them all gathered in one place was almost unbelievable.
Mi Qi suddenly felt that his submission might not be such a bad thing after all. Lingxiao Pavilion's foundation truly did surpass the Mi Tian Sect's. Surrendering wasn't such a great loss, and there might even come a day when he would need to rely on Nanmen Dajun and this Hou Yu. The only drawback was that it was a bit hard on his pride.
Hua Qingsi's next words froze him on the spot. "Our pavilion also has an Emperor Pill Master, but she is currently refining spirit pills and unable to come out. Please forgive her absence, Sect Master Mi."
"An Em... Emperor Pill Master!" Mi Qi nearly bit off his own tongue, his face frozen in utter astonishment.
Hua Qingsi smiled faintly. "Come to think of it, Sect Master Mi should know that Emperor Pill Master."
"I know her?" Mi Qi's eyes went wide as a thought flashed through his mind, and instinctively, he couldn't believe it.