"It's a small matter," Yang Kai said with a smile. "I've already looked into the Rakshasa Gate before, but unfortunately found nothing. Now that you've asked, Senior, I'll have them come back to the Lingxiao Palace with me. You can rest assured—as long as the Lingxiao Palace stands, they'll be perfectly safe."
"Then I have my thanks." A grateful look crossed Sheng Yuzhu's face. Though she had known Yang Kai wouldn't refuse if she asked, seeing him agree so readily still caught her slightly off guard. She truly hadn't misjudged him.
"Take some time to rest and recuperate," she said earnestly. "If the Profound Heaven Temple opens, it'll draw a storm of interest. When that happens, the enemies you'll face won't be limited to just the Demon Race." With that solemn reminder, her figure gradually faded, as though dissolving into a thin mist. Her voice drifted back from afar: "Take care!"
Yang Kai cupped his fists. "Safe travels, Senior. I won't see you off."
A moment later, Sheng Yuzhu's aura vanished entirely.
Overhead, the dark clouds dispersed and moonlight poured down, painting the earth in a layer of silver.
Yang Kai sighed softly. "I only stepped out for a bit—what are the three of you doing following me? And Old Qiong, your killing intent is way too heavy. I could smell it from a long way off."
As his words fell, the void not far beside him rippled. The ripples spread outward, and three figures gradually materialized.
"You actually spotted us, you brat?" Jiu Feng, clad in fire-red robes, stared at Yang Kai in astonishment. "Do you really have the qualifications of a Pseudo-Emperor?"
Qiong Qi frowned. "Is my killing intent really that strong?"
Yang Yan covered her mouth with a light laugh. "It's not that his killing intent is too strong—it's that his perception is razor-sharp. His soul cultivation has probably already surpassed the Pseudo-Emperor level. Tsk, tsk..."
"The Supreme Commander sent you?" Yang Kai looked at them, rubbing his head with a slight headache.
The moment he had left the Lingxiao Palace, he had sensed three tails on his trail. Though they had hidden themselves exceptionally well, how could they escape Yang Kai's detection? In terms of soul cultivation alone, Yang Kai had already moved ahead of all three of them. No matter how well they concealed themselves, they would inevitably leave traces.
Because he had recognized them, Yang Kai hadn't called them out. He figured this was likely Li Wuyi's arrangement. But having a veteran Pseudo-Emperor and two powerful Sacred Spirits deployed to protect him all at once left Yang Kai grateful yet somewhat burdened.
"You're tied to the fate of the Star Boundary now," Jiu Feng said. "Being careful can't hurt."
"I know," Yang Kai nodded.
"That person just now—who was she? It felt like I overheard something rather significant." Yang Yan gazed toward the spot where Sheng Yuzhu had disappeared, her beautiful eyes narrowing. Among all the intelligence she had gathered, there was no record of such a Pseudo-Emperor. That was truly inconceivable. The war between the two realms had dragged on until the flames of battle had spread across the entire world—not a single patch of pure land remained. Any cultivator with even a modicum of strength had long since stopped hiding in the shadows. Yet only now had she discovered that there existed a Pseudo-Emperor unknown to her.
Moreover, the conversation between that woman and Yang Kai had been deeply unsettling. It had involved the Profound Heaven Temple, and that woman seemed to know far more about it than anyone else.
That alone was reason enough for vigilance. Though judging from the woman's attitude, she harbored no ill will toward Yang Kai, anyone who knew so many secrets that no one else did would be a formidable opponent in the future Great Dao Contention.
Yang Yan was already weighing whether to strike first and eliminate the threat.
As though reading Yang Yan's intentions, Yang Kai explained, "Senior Sheng is from the same era as Lord Tiexue and the others."
Three pairs of eyes fixed on Yang Kai.
"You're joking," Yang Yan said.
Yang Kai shrugged. "I spoke with Lord Tiexue myself, and he confirmed it."
A collective intake of breath followed. If even Zhan Wuhen had confirmed it, then it had to be true. But still—a Pseudo-Emperor had survived from that era? That was the era of the Great Dao Contention two cycles ago, a full sixty or seventy thousand years ago.
How had she survived?
Yang Kai gave a brief account of Sheng Yuzhu's origins—how he had inadvertently discovered her trail and pulled her out from the cracks of the void.
Yang Yan, Jiu Feng, and the others listened with expressions of astonishment.
"Exactly. That's why Senior Sheng invited me here in secret to meet and hand this over." Yang Kai held up the jade slip in his hand.
"Examine it carefully," Jiu Feng said gravely. "Watch for any tricks."
Yang Kai nodded. "Don't worry about that. I've already scanned it—it only contains some information." He hadn't had a chance to dig into the specifics yet, planning to wait until he returned to the Lingxiao Palace.
"That's for the best. Given the current situation, you can never be too careful."
Yang Kai said, "Are you three planning to follow me into the Profound Heaven Temple?"