Though Yang Kai had no idea what had gone wrong with the Five-Colored Treasure Tower, it was obviously bad.
He flickered to Lei Hong's side and unleashed his Demon Energy in a wild torrent, pressing both palms against the tower's surface in an attempt to help stabilize it. But when his power surged forth, it found no way in — the five-colored radiance washed over him and repelled every last drop.
He wasn't a Star God Palace disciple, had never cultivated the Star God Palace's orthodox techniques, and his power was Demon Energy to boot. The Five-Colored Treasure Tower simply refused to accept his energy.
The moment his Demon Energy flared, every expert from the Star God Palace turned pale, thinking the Demonic Path had somehow invaded their sect. But when they recognized that it was Yang Kai, they relaxed. Xiao Yuyang and Xue Zhengmao both gave him a slight nod, steadied their focus, and continued channeling their power to keep the tower stable.
Yang Kai turned to Lei Hong. "Grand Elder, what happened?"
Lei Hong's expression was grim. He shifted his hand seals as he replied, "Her Highness entered the Qiankun Tower to refine the treasure. From the look of it, something has gone wrong — the Qiankun Tower is trying to break through the void and flee."
Yang Kai was stunned. "This tower's disturbance was caused by Junior Sister Lan?" Only now did he learn the true name of the Five-Colored Treasure Tower — the Qiankun Tower. He'd never known it before.
Lei Hong nodded solemnly. "That's right."
Yang Kai said angrily, "Why didn't you stop her?"
The Qiankun Tower was an ancient treasure of extraordinary power, already in existence when the Star God Palace was first founded. It had been personally refined by Great Emperor Mingyue and served as the Palace's most prized guardian artifact. In Great Emperor Mingyue's time, the Star God Palace had been unassailable — no one dared challenge it. But now that Mingyue was gone, Lan Xun, his sole descendant, naturally shouldered the burden of restoring the Palace's glory. Her cultivation wasn't particularly high — only at the first-order Emperor Realm. When one's cultivation was lacking, one had to rely on treasures, and within the Star God Palace, the only treasure she could rely on was the Qiankun Tower.
If she could refine it, then even without Great Emperor Mingyue, the Star God Palace could maintain its former splendor. And if she refined the Qiankun Tower, Lan Xun's strength would soar despite her first-order Emperor cultivation. She had inherited Mingyue's Moonlit Body and carried her father's legacy — the Qiankun Tower could be refined by no one but her.
But… she was far too hasty.
What manner of treasure was the Qiankun Tower? Forget a mere first-order Emperor — even a Pseudo-Emperor might not be able to refine it. That was precisely why it had caused such tremendous upheaval.
"She snuck in!" Lei Hong said through gritted teeth. If he'd known of Lan Xun's plan, how could he not have stopped her? The Great Emperor was dead, and Lan Xun was the Star God Palace's last hope and pillar.
Over ten days ago, he had retrieved the Great Emperor's remains from Seven Misty Seas. The entire Star God Palace had been overcome with grief — from elders down to the lowliest disciples, all donned mourning robes and knelt before the Great Emperor's memorial altar. Lan Xun had knelt there motionless for days.
Three days ago, she had suddenly risen. When asked where she was going, she gave no answer. Xiao Chen followed after her, but she caught him off guard and sent him tumbling. By the time he recovered, Lan Xun had already charged into the Qiankun Tower.
She must have received a special seal left behind by Great Emperor Mingyue. The moment she entered, the entire tower sealed itself shut. All the disciples who had been inside for training were ejected, and no one else could get in.
After that, the Qiankun Tower had lurched into turmoil, five-colored light spilling and flowing outward until it had become the spectacle before them now.
Hearing Lei Hong's explanation, Yang Kai's expression turned heavy. He knew no one could be blamed for this — when Lan Xun had set her mind on it, no one could have stopped her.
"Palace Master Yang, please save my junior sister — I'm begging you, save her!" Xiao Chen was nearby. He turned his head now, his face a mask of desperate pleading as he looked at Yang Kai.
This fellow had always been on bad terms with Yang Kai. In every past meeting, he'd never once given Yang Kai a pleasant look. The son of Xiao Yuyang, he carried himself with tremendous pride, believing that apart from himself, no one else in the world truly qualified as a prodigy.
But now this "prodigy's" eyes were bloodshot and his face was deathly pale — clearly from overexhausting his power. He hadn't watched over Lan Xun, had let her sneak into the Qiankun Tower, and his heart was drowning in guilt. In his desperation, he would grasp at any straw.
Yang Kai glanced at him, then gave a slight nod. "I'll do what I can."
He turned back to Lei Hong. "Is it really true that no one can get in?"
Lei Hong slowly shook his head. "No one can enter."
"Have the other Great Emperors been informed?" With the spatial teleportation arrays in place, travel was convenient. Something this catastrophic had happened at the Star God Palace — if the other Great Emperors knew about it, they certainly wouldn't sit idle.
Lei Hong said, "We sent disciples to Seven Misty Seas half a day ago."
As he spoke, both Yang Kai and Lei Hong tensed, turning to look toward the rear. A Great Emperor's aura had suddenly manifested in the distance.
In the next instant, a towering figure appeared before them.
Great Emperor Tie Xue, Zhan Wuhen himself, stood in the void, gazing up at the Qiankun Tower in silence. There was nostalgia in his eyes, and a trace of sorrow.
"My lord…" The Qiankun Tower's condition was dire — it looked as though it might tear through the void at any moment. Lan Xun was still inside. If the tower truly flew away, it might never be found again, and Lan Xun would perish within, growing old until her death. Yang Kai was burning with anxiety, and when Zhan Wuhen simply stared at the tower without a word, he couldn't help but call out.
Zhan Wuhen's gaze lowered to him. He regarded Yang Kai coolly and said, "What are you still standing here for?"
Yang Kai hurriedly replied, "I came to pay respects to the Great Emperor and happened to encounter this situation."
Zhan Wuhen smacked his lips. "I'm asking — why are you still standing here?"
Yang Kai was bewildered, staring at him with a questioning look.