Over a dozen teams, several hundred strong, had gathered in the nameless valley where the Four Seasons Domain lay, lying in wait in silence—it was impossible to tell what they were up to.
Among those dozen or so Emperor Realm cultivators, their cultivation varied widely, ranging from the first level to the third. Had
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but Yang Kai suspected that the vast majority of those gathered in the valley had come from the Demon Heaven Dao.
After frowning in scrutiny for a while, Yang Kai decided to wait and see how things developed. Any matter involving the Four Seasons Domain was bound to be significant. If he struck now, with
These people had most likely all been ordered here!
Being ordered here meant someone had given them the command to assemble at this location.
That person had to hold a position of immense authority within the Demon Heaven Dao—quite possibly a False Emperor! Killing these small fry was nowhere near as valuable as catching the big fish. The choice was as simple as it got.
For the next dozen or so days, Yang Kai concealed himself somewhere within the Four Seasons Domain, secretly observing the movements of these Demon Heaven Dao members. He had initially considered finding an opportunity to infiltrate their ranks, but the people in each team seemed to know one another. Having neither learned the art of disguise nor possessed any items to alter his appearance, he could only give up on the idea.
During the day, these Demon Heaven Dao members were remarkably quiet, each hiding in their respective spots to meditate and cultivate. But when night fell, they became busy.
After observing for over ten days, Yang Kai discovered that these people appeared to be setting up a formation—a massive one that encompassed nearly the entire nameless valley where the gateway to the Four Seasons Domain was located.
Not just anyone could manipulate formations, but among these Demon Heaven Dao members was a remarkably skilled formation master. Under his direction and command, the mysterious grand formation gradually took shape.
Yang Kai memorized every key detail of the formation and inscribed them into a jade slip. During the day, he found an opportunity to send the jade slip back to
However, since the Demon Heaven Dao's formation was being constructed incrementally, the information Yang Kai had gathered was incomplete. Even though Nanmen Dajun was an Emperor Formation Master, deciphering it still required considerable effort.
A few days later, Nanmen Dajun sent a message, informing Yang Kai that this appeared to be a summoning formation—albeit one with modifications built upon a standard summoning array. Since the formation was incomplete, Nanmen Dajun could not determine what the Demon Heaven Dao intended to summon. He immediately requested permission to come from Lingxiao Pavilion to see it with his own eyes.
When it came to formations, the man was nothing short of enthusiastic.
Yang Kai flatly refused.
Nanmen Dajun was only at the first level of the Emperor Realm. If he came here, there would be no way to conceal his aura. Even with Yang Kai providing cover, their tracks might still be exposed.
Since Yang Kai would not agree to let him come, Nanmen Dajun could only reluctantly instruct him: "Setting aside the formation's power for now, since it is a summoning formation, you should be on guard against whether the Demon Heaven Dao people are summoning some terrifying creature. If that is the case, Pavilion Master, please exercise utmost caution."
Yang Kai replied: "Understood."
Nanmen Dajun did not know that Yang Kai's Mysterious Realm Pearl still harbored three Half-Saints. Even if the Demon Heaven Dao did summon some monstrous creature, it was far from certain who would end up killing whom. Yang Kai found it hard to believe that whatever they summoned could surpass three Half-Saints fighting together.
Hearing the perfunctory tone in Yang Kai's response, Nanmen Dajun earnestly admonished once more: "Please observe carefully over the next few days, Pavilion Master. This formation appears to be missing some crucial component. If you discover anything, inform me at once."
What exactly was missing, Yang Kai did not know. But since Nanmen Dajun had made this judgment, there had to be sound reasoning behind it. Naturally, Yang Kai could only observe with even greater care.
A few more days passed, and the grand formation seemed to grow ever more complete. Formation foundations were hidden beneath the valley floor, invisible from the surface. The entire nameless valley was shrouded in a mysterious aura that gave one a sense of oppression.
It was then that a telepathic message suddenly arrived from his Dharma Avatar inside the Small Mysterious Realm.
Upon detecting it, Yang Kai's expression brightened. While continuing to observe the formation's changes, he projected his divine sense into the Small Mysterious Realm.
When Yang Kai appeared, both Bo Ya and Bai Zhuo cupped their fists in greeting: "Brother Yang."
Yang Kai looked down at a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged on the ground and raised an eyebrow: "Brought him back?"
This middle-aged man was none other than the Emperor Realm cultivator from the Demon Heaven Dao who had been captured alive earlier. Over these past days, Bai Zhuo had been researching how to break the secret art that the Blood Demon clan had planted in the Demon Heaven Dao member's body, and only today had he made progress.
At this moment, the middle-aged man's face was deathly pale, his aura incredibly weak and unstable. He appeared to have sustained serious injuries.
Upon hearing Yang Kai's voice, the man hurriedly opened his eyes and struggled to stand. Yang Kai smiled faintly, pressing a hand lightly over his shoulder in a gesture for him to remain seated. The man, who clearly had no strength left to spare, could only bow from his seated position: "Many thanks to Pavilion Master Yang for saving my life."
"Truly saved?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Bai Zhuo turned his wrist, revealing a drop of crimson blood writhing and squirming on his palm as though it were alive. The blood was filled with demonic energy and malevolent intent—it was unmistakably a drop of demon blood. Bai Zhuo said: "This is the root of the trouble."