"Shiqing thanks Senior Brother for saving me. How should I address you, Senior Brother?" The woman across from him suddenly spoke, her voice crisp and clear, like a mountain spring trickling over stones — utterly pleasant to listen to.
"Yang Kai."
"So it's Senior Brother Yang." Li Shiqing nodded in acknowledgment, expressing her gratitude once more before rising to look around. "Where is this place?"
Lan Xun gave her an explanation, and Li Shiqing listened with a gentle nod.
Yang Kai frowned as he studied her profile. He had a vague sense that something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Thinking back carefully on what had just happened, it all seemed perfectly normal — she hadn't used any charm techniques on him. The momentary lapse of composure he'd experienced must simply have been caused by her innate beauty.
He shook his head slowly and let the matter go. He then clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention and spoke up: "This is a dangerous place — we shouldn't stay any longer than necessary. I suggest we leave as quickly as possible."
He had been lured here by someone before, and before entering, what appeared to be a Pseudo-Emperor or even a Great Emperor had broken into this area. This wretched place gave Yang Kai an inexplicable sense of dread, so naturally he wanted to leave as soon as he could. All the missing children and disciples of Great Emperors had now been found — all they needed to do was locate the exit to this Secret Realm and get out.
Lan Xun nodded. "Senior Brother Yang is right, but we know nothing about this place. We'll need you to lead the way from here."
Yang Kai smiled wryly. "I don't have much of a clue either. We'll just have to play it by ear. Our best bet would be to find the Star God Palace Elders and put our heads together with them. Perhaps they've made some discoveries of their own."
No one had any objections to this plan. After reaching an agreement, Yang Kai took the lead, picking a direction and heading forward at speed.
The group of six — aside from Yang Kai, whose background was relatively unremarkable, the remaining five were all beings of tremendous stature. Such a lineup was something you might not encounter even in a thousand years, since these individuals were normally scattered across every region of the Star Realm. If not for some hidden hand having captured and gathered them together, they never would have assembled in one place.
Despite their extraordinary origins, though, they were all quite easy to get along with. Apart from Yao Lin's rather overbearing personality, neither Lan Xun nor Lin Yun'er had ever bullied anyone with their status. As for Gao Zhan, that went without saying — though both his eyes were ruined, his manner toward others was refined and courteous. Li Shiqing was a bit cool in temperament, but it wasn't too bad. The fact that the first thing she did upon opening her eyes was call Yang Kai "Senior Brother" showed that she wouldn't look down on anyone because of her own background.
No one knew how large this Secret Realm was. The entire world was shrouded in a uniform grey haze. After a full day and night of travel, the group of six had yet to encounter a single living creature. The scenery before them seemed to consist of nothing but the same repeating landscapes, making it hard not to wonder whether they were simply going in circles.
Yet under Yang Kai's spiritual perception, there were no signs of any illusion array — which left him rather perplexed.
"Uncle Yang, Yun'er is hungry!" Lin Yun'er suddenly called out. She had been shouting about being hungry the moment Yang Kai woke her, and now her stomach was growling audibly.
Yang Kai was genuinely curious — what kind of Cultivation technique had the Iron Blood Great Emperor taught her, that she, a powerhouse of the Emperor realm, still needed to eat food to replenish her energy? Under normal circumstances, cultivators of the Emperor realm had long since shed all desire for food and drink, sustaining themselves purely on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
But Lin Yun'er was clearly not like that. Despite her astonishing strength, eating seemed to have a real effect on her. She was looking noticeably listless at the moment.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai said, "Go ahead and eat something then. We could all use a bit of rest."
After waking up, everyone had been following Yang Kai in a rush, and it was plain to see that they were all somewhat exhausted. This was a good opportunity to recover.
No one raised any objections, and they all settled down where they were to meditate and regulate their breathing.
Lin Yun'er, however, produced her enormous black pot directly, set up a small stove on the ground, poured in some clean water, tossed in a bizarrely shaped demon beast, put the lid on, lit the fire, and began cooking away happily.
Yang Kai's mouth twitched at the sight. He had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of that unassuming black pot — it was apparently an Emperor Treasure bestowed upon Lin Yun'er by the Iron Blood Great Emperor, known as Gui Yi. Its true power was beyond reckoning.
Yet in the hands of this girl, it served perfectly well as a cooking pot. He wondered what the Iron Blood Great Emperor would think if he knew.
That said, whatever was cooked in the Gui Yi really was delicious. Yang Kai had tasted it before — it was the kind of food that made you want to swallow your own tongue. Not only was it incredibly tasty, but it also condensed every last ounce of the essence of whatever was being cooked.
It wasn't long before Lin Yun'er's little operation began producing waves of rich, savory aroma that drifted through the air. The others, who had been sitting in meditation, all had their nostrils twitching. One by one, they opened their eyes and looked over.
Lin Yun'er no longer looked sluggish. Instead, her eyes were shining brightly as she stared at her black pot, smacking her lips over and over again.
Yang Kai could hardly bear to watch. He couldn't help but remind her: "Yun'er, you're drooling."
With a loud slurp, Lin Yun'er sucked back the drool and flashed Yang Kai an embarrassed smile. But in the next moment, she declared with full confidence: "There's a share for all of you too — it's almost ready. Don't rush me."
Lan Xun couldn't help but smile behind her hand. "We're not the ones who are rushing — you're the one who's impatient!"
Yao Lin curled her lip from the side. "I'm not eating any of that stuff." But even as she spoke, her eyes couldn't help drifting toward the pot. She was the daughter of the Soul Great Emperor, showered with endless adoration since childhood, yet she had truly never smelled anything so heavenly before.