It seemed the cold had spread to his daughter too. Depressing.
**************
Left with no choice, the old man had to swallow his pride and call out to Yang Kai.
At his words, quite a few people from Ghost King Valley let out cold laughs, casting mocking glances at the old man.
Zhao Rong from Treasure Artifacts Sect looked particularly displeased, muttering under her breath: "This old fellow tried to screw us over just a moment ago, and now he's come crawling back to ask for help? The nerve!"
Everyone had seen the little trick the old man had pulled. Though they were all furious, his overwhelming strength kept them from lashing out.
The old man noted the expressions on their faces but paid them no mind, simply saying in a flat tone: "Young man, you should know that mountains and rivers meet again in this world. Who knows — you may soon find yourselves in need of this old man's help. Why not do me a favor now? Lend me a hand. From what I just saw, it doesn't seem to cost you much effort."
His tone was light, but the sharp gleam in his eyes made his threat unmistakable. The unspoken message was clear: help me, or else.
Yang Kai sneered inwardly, but on the surface he wore a serious expression and slowly shook his head. "I can't help. I've used up all my Zhenyuan. I need some time to recover before I can fight again."
As he spoke, he actually sat cross-legged on the ground.
The people from Ghost King Valley and Treasure Artifacts Sect were alarmed. They quickly produced the best Zhenyuan-restoring pills they had on hand and offered them to Yang Kai.
It wasn't that they were easily deceived — they were simply worried and not thinking straight. Besides, the display Yang Kai had put up had clearly consumed a massive amount of Zhenyuan. The energy contained in those layered defensive barriers was enough to take anyone's breath away. Anyone who had spent that much would certainly need time to recover.
Hu Jiao'er and Hu Meier exchanged a glance and smiled behind their lips.
They both knew Yang Kai had that miraculous Zhenyuan-replenishing liquid. There was no way they believed his story.
The commotion on the high platform caught the old man's eye, leaving him uncertain whether Yang Kai was telling the truth or lying. He didn't press further, merely smiling a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Very well. Take your time recovering."
With that, he turned his full attention to the battle before him.
On the high platform, the crowds from Ghost King Valley and Treasure Artifacts Sect clucked their tongues in amazement. They hadn't expected Yang Kai to be able to create a perfectly safe haven in the midst of all this chaos.
They watched the battle on the other platform with keen interest while murmuring their critiques in lowered voices. The running commentary was enough to make Yu Qing and his group seethe with rage, their blood boiling.
As expected of a Shenyou Realm expert, the old man's Zhenyuan flowed without end. His techniques appeared plain and unremarkable, yet carried devastating power. He held his own against four Evil Spirits single-handedly, refusing to give an inch.
During the fight, he also did his best to shield his three juniors. Meanwhile, the people from Carefree Sect looked like unwanted stepchildren — no one cared about them. They fought desperately as their Zhenyuan drained away at an alarming rate.
Yu Qing's already pale face had turned even whiter. The scantily clad Charm Slaves abandoned their seductive posturing, each one drenched in sweat, struggling to keep up.
Outside the True Yang Yuan Qi defensive barrier, the Evil Spirits circled ceaselessly, searching for weak points — but they couldn't find a single breach.
Before long, they gave up on this spot entirely and flew toward the old man's high platform.
In an instant, that platform became a scene of extreme peril. The old man roared as he unleashed his full power, unleashing a torrent of Artifacts and martial techniques one after another.
The people from Carefree Sect screamed in panic, but no matter what they did, they couldn't handle so many Evil Spirits at once.
"Elder! Elder!" Yu Qing cried out in desperation. "Save us!"
Though Carefree Sect's numbers were no fewer than Ghost King Valley's, every one of them — men and women alike — had refined their cultivation through sexual arts. Their Zhenyuan was turbid and impure, completely inadequate for handling this kind of chaotic battlefield. Seeing their defenses about to shatter, Yu Qing had no choice but to beg for help.
"Heh heh!" The old man let out a dark chuckle. "This old man can barely handle his own situation. What makes you think I have the time to save you?"
Yu Qing cursed inwardly, knowing full well this old fellow wasn't going to be easy to deal with. He quickly said: "If the Elder can keep us alive, the Carefree Sect will certainly offer a generous reward!"
"Let's hear it!" The old man's eyes flashed with interest.
"If we make it out alive, each of us will offer the Elder one of our Charm Slaves! The Elder must know our Carefree Sect's methods well enough to understand what a Charm Slave can do, yes?" On the brink of death, Yu Qing had no patience for pleasantries. He cut straight to the heart of the matter with his most tempting offer.
Upon hearing this, a look of lewd pleasure flickered through the old man's eyes, and he broke into a wide grin. "Naturally this old man knows. Your Carefree Sect's Charm Slaves can channel all of their vital essence into a man through a special cultivation technique during intercourse, can they not?"
"Exactly!" Yu Qing nodded eagerly.
The old man laughed heartily. "Splendid. You have four people here. If this old man could drain the vital essence from four Charm Slaves, my strength would increase considerably."
"As long as the Elder understands." Yu Qing's heart was pounding with anxiety, and he cursed the old man's endless stalling — but he dared not show it, forcing himself to laugh along. "Please, Elder, lend us your aid!"
The old man snorted coldly. "However, I've heard that each man of your Carefree Sect possesses more than one Charm Slave. Judging by your status, you must have at least four or five?"