After several interactions, Yang Kai had come to realize that Yu Rumeng wasn't difficult to get along with — it was just that she changed faces faster than one could flip a book. The moment something didn't go her way, she transformed into an entirely different person. But she was also easy enough to coax; a few soft words here and there, going along with whatever she wanted, and she'd be back to normal in no time.
With nothing better to do, Yang Kai asked, "Did you really kill Li Shiqing?"
"I was just saying that. I didn't kill her," Yu Rumeng replied.
Yang Kai let out an "oh" of relief. If Li Shiqing had actually been killed, there would have been no way to answer to Flower Shadow Great Emperor. The current situation was hardly ideal, but at least Li Shiqing was still alive. Even if Flower Shadow Great Emperor discovered Yu Rumeng's disguise, he probably wouldn't do anything too drastic — at most, he'd use some means to interrogate her about Li Shiqing's whereabouts.
Suddenly, Yu Rumeng asked, "Want to see what I really look like?"
Since she was pretending to be Li Shiqing, she was naturally using Li Shiqing's appearance. Her true features had been concealed.
Yang Kai smiled. "Whether you're beautiful or ugly makes no difference to me." This was entirely the truth — with the Heart Seal Secret Technique in play, it didn't matter what Yu Rumeng looked like; Yang Kai wouldn't be affected one way or the other. Unless, of course, the secret technique was removed.
Yu Rumeng gave a sweet smile. "Don't worry — I'm not worse-looking than this."
"Stop distracting yourself and focus on healing. We can talk about everything else later." Yang Kai said one more thing, then lapsed into silence.
He was thinking about whether he should seize this opportunity to have Soul Nether Great Emperor examine his condition, to see if there was any chance of locating and removing that Heart Seal Secret Technique. Otherwise, as long as that technique existed, he would remain under Yu Rumeng's control! There was no real feeling of repulsion in his heart, but that was only the effect of the secret technique speaking.
But the moment the thought arose, Yang Kai rejected it.
Not because Yu Rumeng had claimed that even a Great Emperor couldn't break the technique — Yang Kai felt she was clearly bluffing about that. The Heart Seal Secret Technique was indeed bizarre, but it was still within the realm of Soul Secret Techniques. Soul Nether Great Emperor was a master of that domain; with his intervention, it might very well be possible to dismantle.
The real problem was that Yang Kai's Spiritual Sea harbored the Seven-Colored Warm Spirit Lotus, a supreme treasure of heaven and earth. If he truly sought Soul Nether Great Emperor's help, the existence of this treasure could no longer be hidden. Yang Kai couldn't be certain whether Soul Nether Great Emperor would covet the Seven-Colored Warm Spirit Lotus upon learning of it.
If that were to lure a wolf into the fold, there would be no way to contain the fallout.
Perhaps he could seek Senior Tian Yan's help...
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had no idea where Tian Yan currently was.
The group waited in silence as time trickled by. The demonic energy continued to spread outward in all directions, its pace undiminished. Over the next several days, they had been forced to retreat again and again. Seen from high above, the vast desert region — spanning tens of thousands of li — had already been entirely engulfed by demonic energy, transformed into demonic ground.
And Mo Huang and Lord Yao Jiong, who had departed days ago, still hadn't sent back any word. This had begun to worry even the Star God Palace and the others, who had placed enormous confidence in them.
If even those two Great Emperors lost contact, then the Star Boundary would be finished.
But what on earth existed out there that could ensnare Great Emperor-level powerhouses one after another?
In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed. The demonic energy's domain of coverage had expanded to over a hundred thousand li. Everyone wore expressions of deep worry — if this situation wasn't brought under control soon, the entire Western Region and perhaps even the entire Star Boundary would be flooded with demonic energy. Billions of cultivators could end up as demonic beings.
It was at that moment that those who had departed earlier to warn the major Sects of the Western Region finally returned.
Several had gone out, but only one had made it back — and he was covered in wounds, his breath barely a whisper.
Everyone was horrified. They rushed to help stabilize his injuries, and Yang Kai even produced an Emperor Pill he had personally refined to give to the man.
He was a Protector of the Star God Palace, surnamed Chu. Yang Kai didn't know his full name, only that the others called him Protector Chu.
After much effort to stabilize his condition, the first words out of Protector Chu's mouth upon opening his eyes drained the color from every face present: "Everyone in the Dianxing Sect — thousands of people — has already fallen into demonic deviation!"
"What?!" Xue Zhengmao exclaimed in shock.
They had been wondering earlier how this Protector Chu, a powerhouse at the second-level Emperor Realm — someone who could hold his own anywhere in the Star Boundary — could have ended up beaten half to death just on a errand to deliver a warning. With the Star God Palace's backing, how would any Western Region Sect dare lay a hand on him so casually?
Now, hearing what he said, everything clicked into place.
Everyone in the Dianxing Sect — thousands of people — had fallen into demonic deviation!
Xiao Yuyang's expression turned grave. "Protector Chu, are you certain? This is not a matter to speak of lightly."
Protector Chu gave a bitter smile. "These injuries of mine were a parting gift from the Dianxing Sect's Master Lian Zheng and several Elders working together. How could I possibly be mistaken?"
The Dianxing Sect was one of the Western Region's premier Sects. Its Master, Lian Zheng, was naturally a powerhouse at the third-level Emperor Realm, and the Sect boasted over a dozen Emperor Realm cultivators in total. Any ordinary second-level Emperor Realm cultivator who stumbled into such a trap would have been dead ten times over. Protector Chu had only survived by the skin of his teeth because he hailed from the Star God Palace, carrying the weight and resources of a hegemon-class Sect behind him.
Hearing this, everyone's expression turned grim beyond measure.
Everyone in the Dianxing Sect — thousands of people — had fallen into demonic deviation!
The scene was... disturbingly reminiscent, conjuring involuntary memories of what had happened to the Wuhua Hall a few years back. The Wuhua Hall, too, had seen its entire population of several thousand fall to demonic deviation, the Hall Master Lei Gu included without exception.