The black-robed elder was hesitating when he suddenly frowned and looked up to one side.
Ripples spread through the air there, and Yang Kai's figure materialized, appearing as if by ghostcraft. The elder's eyes narrowed. With his level of perception, he naturally recognized this as a spatial divine ability—one cultivated to an extraordinarily profound degree, otherwise it would be impossible to achieve this near-teleportation effect. Taking a closer look at Yang Kai's face, a flicker of understanding passed through his eyes, as if he had recognized who Yang Kai was.
Yang Kai glanced at the elder, and his expression grew solemn. He could tell that this black-robed elder's cultivation had reached the Emperor Realm Stage Three—and the feeling this old man gave off was extremely dangerous, much like the sensation he'd felt when facing Cang Mo.
A Pseudo-Emperor! Yang Kai was inwardly shocked, though his face betrayed nothing. He had heard Yang Yan mention before that, due to the limitations of the Heaven and Earth Bottle, there were quite a few Pseudo-Emperor powerhouses hidden away from the world. But he had never imagined that someone he randomly encountered on this vast ocean would turn out to be a Pseudo-Emperor.
Counting Cang Mo, Yang Yan, Li Wuyi, and Sheng Yuzhu, this was the fifth Pseudo-Emperor he had encountered.
And the young girl beside the black-robed elder—upon seeing Yang Kai, the terrified gleam in her eyes suddenly bloomed with惊喜 light, transmitting a silent plea for help.
Yang Kai swept a glance over her, and his astonishment only deepened.
He actually knew this girl, and she was no minor figure.
Yao Lin!
The Nether Soul Emperor Yao Jun had one son and one daughter. His son was Yao Si, and his daughter was this Yao Lin. Yang Kai had met both siblings—the former in the Shattered Star Sea, though they had only crossed paths without any real interaction; the latter, he had actually clashed with, and had nearly killed her. At the critical moment, the Nether Soul Emperor himself had descended via soul projection, driving Yang Kai back and saving Yao Lin's life.
Running into Yao Lin here in the Eastern Sea wasn't strange, since the Nether Soul Palace was also in the Eastern Region. What surprised Yang Kai was—who was this black-robed elder? How did he have the audacity to lay hands on Yao Lin? Judging by her state, she had clearly been captured. The several corpses staining the seawater red below must have been Yao Lin's guards, though they were already beyond saving.
Did this black-robed elder have a grudge against the Nether Soul Emperor? Or had Yao Lin provoked him somehow and gotten herself taught a lesson? Yang Kai knew what Yao Lin's personality was like—arrogant, overbearing, and utterly dismissive of others. It wouldn't be surprising at all if she had offended someone.
But regardless, with Yang Xiao now also in this man's grasp, Yang Kai could not stay out of this.
His thoughts racing, Yang Kai ignored Yao Lin's plea for help and simply looked at Yang Xiao, who was being held by the elder. "Xiao'er, are you alright?"
Yang Xiao grinned. "Don't worry, Foster Father. I'm fine."
Foster Father? The black-robed elder's brow furrowed at this address. It was rather puzzling. He had assumed that the child's pure dragon aura meant he was a member of the Dragon Clan. But since when did any dragon call a human "Foster Father"? The Dragon Clan was such an arrogant race—even a newborn would never bow its proud head.
Was his guess wrong? Could this chubby little fellow not be a dragon after all, but merely someone with a trace of dragon bloodline? Strange, truly strange!
"I told you not to run around, not to run around, but you just had to! If you're fine, then get your back over here right now!" Yang Kai said with a stern face.
Yang Xiao's eye twitched. He wanted to come back, but with someone gripping him like this, he couldn't very well just leave. He could only put on a pained expression and say to the black-robed elder, "Grandpa, my Foster Father wants me to come back. Could you let me go?"
The black-robed elder said nothing, only gazing deeply at Yang Kai.
Killing intent gradually suffused the air.
He hadn't expected to encounter anyone else out here on the open sea. But what he was doing today could not be easily leaked. He was already considering silencing them. However, Yang Kai was proficient in spatial laws, which made things rather troublesome. Against someone like this, he had to be certain of a single lethal strike—otherwise Yang Kai would certainly escape.
The killing intent was so palpable that Yang Kai could hardly miss it. His heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Sir, my son and I are merely passing through. If my boy has been disrespectful in any way, I can apologize on his behalf. There's no need to keep holding him like this, is there? He's only a child."
Inwardly, he cursed: This little brat knows the Time Laws, doesn't he? He slipped away from my grasp like lightning just a moment ago—how did he become so helpless the moment this guy caught him? Hurry up and use those Time Laws to get free!
In this situation, he didn't dare make any rash moves. Yang Xiao was right in this man's grasp, and the slightest wrong move could trigger unpredictable consequences. Yang Xiao had only been brought off Dragon Island a few days ago—if something happened to him now, how could Yang Kai ever face the Grand Elder and Second Elder again? His anxiety was burning, yet his expression grew only more composed.
At that moment, a streak of red light came hurtling from the distance.
The black-robed elder, who had been staring fixedly at Yang Kai, frowned and turned to look. Then his face showed a flash of shock.
The red light materialized—Qiongqi, carrying Mo Xiaoqi, arrived on the scene. The moment Qiongqi caught sight of the black-robed elder, it let out a cry of surprise, clearly sensing the man's formidable power.
"Qiongqi!" The black-robed elder finally spoke, his eyes filled with wariness. He suddenly realized that events were slipping beyond his control. Even as a Pseudo-Emperor with strength surpassing that of an ordinary Emperor Realm Stage Three cultivator, he would still feel pressure facing Qiongqi, an ancient Saint Spirit.
How had Qiongqi ended up here? And with a young girl on its back, no less. Everything he had witnessed today grew more and more peculiar.