At this point, the Beast Martial Great Emperor had no choice left. If Fu Xuan had been willing, he could have forcibly taken the person away. But since Fu Xuan himself didn't want the Beast Martial Great Emperor's relationship with Dragon Island to become too strained, what else could he do? In the end, he could only withdraw in low spirits.
Before leaving, Mo Huang had warned that if Fu Xuan suffered any mistreatment, he would wash Dragon Island in blood.
After Li Wuyi finished speaking, he suddenly seemed to realize something and asked, "You're going back to Dragon Island?"
Yang Kai said, "Naturally. I came to the Eastern Region for two reasons — one was to consult Senior Li on certain matters regarding the laws of space, and the other was to visit Dragon Island and bring Zhu Qing out."
The moment these words left his mouth, Li Wuyi and Jiu Feng both stared at him as though he were some kind of monster.
"Is... there a problem?" Yang Kai looked between them.
Jiu Feng chuckled, "No problem at all. Let me wish you success from the start." Though she said as much, she clearly didn't hold much hope for Yang Kai's trip. Even their own lord hadn't been able to bring the mistress out — how could Yang Kai possibly manage it?
Yang Kai gave a slight nod, then said, "However, before that, this junior actually has one more matter to consult you both about."
Li Wuyi said, "Speak freely. Though my words yesterday were partly meant to elevate your standing, one thing I said was no empty talk — you are now half a member of Spirit Beast Island. Whether you acknowledge it or not, your ties to our Spirit Beast Island run deep. Do you understand that?"
If anything happened over at Spirit Beast Island, Liu Yan certainly wouldn't sit by and watch. If Liu Yan couldn't stand aside, then Yang Kai naturally couldn't either. In other words, if trouble came knocking on Yang Kai's door, Spirit Beast Island wouldn't stay out of it either. The two sides had long since become inextricably linked.
Yang Kai nodded and offered a faint smile. "This junior understands. Precisely because I understand, I didn't stand on ceremony with you two seniors."
"Good."
Yang Kai gestured to the side and asked, "What's the deal with this old fellow?"
The flamboyant old man's expression twitched. "Young Master, I am not a ghost!"
Yang Kai ignored him entirely. "You two seniors said you came for him and intend to take him back to Spirit Beast Island. I can see that he's a Sacred Spirit, but why does he insist on calling me 'Young Master' and seeking my protection? And on top of that, Senior Li said I should recognize him — that this title isn't without cause. This junior is truly confused, so I beg you both to enlighten me."
Li Wuyi smiled. "You really don't know?"
Yang Kai thought, What would I know? He did have some guesses related to Zhang Ruoxi, but on closer reflection it didn't seem likely. Even if a Sacred Spirit knew of his relationship with Zhang Ruoxi, they would only feel wariness and apprehension toward him, not groveling flattery — because sycophancy held no meaning for beings of their stature.
He shook his head gravely, humbly requesting guidance.
"He was released by you," Li Wuyi reminded him.
"Released by me?" Yang Kai was stunned. "Released from where?"
Jiu Feng's rosy lips parted, and four words sprang from her vermilion mouth: "The Land of Four Seasons."
"The Land of Four Seasons?" Yang Kai's eyes widened. Then something suddenly struck him, and he whipped his head around to glare at the flamboyant old man. "You're...?"
The old man bowed deeply. "Qiong Qi greets the Young Master!"
Yang Kai drew in a sharp breath, nearly jumping to his feet in shock.
Qiong Qi! This old coot was actually that Qiong Qi?
Speaking of the Land of Four Seasons and connecting it with Sacred Spirits, Yang Kai had already guessed the old man's identity. After all, there had indeed been a Qiong Qi back in the Land of Four Seasons all those years ago. But hearing him confirm it with his own mouth still sent a jolt through him.
It really was Qiong Qi — the mount of the Time-Flowing Great Emperor. Yang Kai studied him up and down. How had the creature ended up looking like this after taking human form? Not the slightest bit majestic or awe-inspiring — instead, his face was a mess of brutish flesh, fierce and menacing, as if the words "villain" were practically carved into his forehead.
Throughout all of history, who knew how many Great Emperors had existed, yet the only one who had ever coaxed a Sacred Spirit into serving as a mount was the Time-Flowing Great Emperor. The current Beast Martial Great Emperor might claim to command ten thousand beasts, and Spirit Beast Island even had a Phoenix Clan member in Jiu Feng, but their relationship was more like family than master and mount.
Sacred Spirits might not rival Great Emperors in power, but they possessed their own dignity. Who would willingly serve as someone's mount? Qiong Qi was quite possibly the only one — no one knew how the Time-Flowing Great Emperor had tamed him back then. Even after the Time-Flowing Great Emperor's fall, Qiong Qi had remained in slumber within the Temporal Temple, guarding it for countless ages.
It wasn't until the most recent opening of the Land of Four Seasons that he had finally walked out.
It wasn't as though he'd lacked the ability to leave. With his power, had he truly wanted to abandon the Temporal Temple, he could have departed at any time. But for certain reasons, he had stayed. Yang Kai, who had once ventured into the Temporal Temple with measly cultivation, had sensed Qiong Qi's aura on those Temporal Stairs. Zhang Ruoxi, who had been with him at the time, had even been whisked away by Qiong Qi's grand divine ability.