He had personally experienced the benefits of Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation, so he naturally knew that orthodox dual cultivation techniques were incomparable to those vile energy-draining arts. He did have some say in the matter.
These words struck a chord with Qu Huashang. She abandoned all thought of making trouble for Xu Zhen, her luminous eyes fixated on Yang Kai. "Now here's a sensible young man. Little brother, if you ever have free time, we could discuss the art of dual cultivation."
"Mm, mm, when the opportunity arises," Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Xu Zhen was slack-jawed. Yang Kai had barely walked through the door before he was flirting with that temptress Qu Huashang — how inappropriate! He was starting to regret inviting Yang Kai here. Who would have guessed this guy was such a lecher?
A trace of contempt also flashed through Lin Feng's eyes. He let out a cold snort. "Fatty, you're the one who brought him. If he ends up dead halfway there, don't go blaming anyone."
Yang Kai chuckled. "If I really do die, that's just because I wasn't skilled enough. Can't blame anyone else."
"Now that sounds more like a man." Lin Feng looked Yang Kai up and down, as if reassessing him.
Xu Zhen said, "Enough talk. Everyone's here now. Lin Feng, time to tell us about that Water Element treasure."
"Let's talk on the way. No point wasting time," Lin Feng said.
"Fine by me," Xu Zhen agreed.
Gu Pan rose to her feet. Ning Daoran drifted down from the treetop, pinching his fingers together. A willow leaf materialized out of thin air, then swelled in the wind, transforming with a resounding boom into a small willow-leaf boat. The sight left Yang Kai wide-eyed.
The willow leaf bore not the slightest trace of an Artifact's aura — it looked like an ordinary willow leaf. Ning Daoran must have employed some extraordinary technique to achieve such a staggering transformation.
The group boarded the willow-leaf boat one after another. Ning Daoran stood at the bow, commanding the wind at will as he steered the boat through the void. Yang Kai stomped a foot and found the boat remarkably sturdy — even a casual strike from him might not be able to destroy it. A chill ran through him. The disciples of these Heavens were truly formidable, each with their own extraordinary skills. The chubby Xu Zhen was one, this Ning Daoran was another — and he suspected Lin Feng, Gu Pan, and Qu Huashang were none of them pushovers.
A twinge of envy stirred in him. It really was nice to have a powerful backing. No matter what you wanted to learn, there was always someone to teach you, and you never had to worry about cultivation resources. Not like him — no matter where he went, he had to start from scratch, betting his own life on the line. Nobody cared, nobody looked after him, and even his cultivation path had to be fumbled out step by step.
With a sigh in his heart, he turned his attention to Lin Feng, who had already begun describing the situation with the Water Element treasure.
Those Heavens disciples had also been gathered in the Star City at the time. The moment they were swallowed by the Grand Void's miasma, they recognized it as an opportunity. Unlike ordinary martial artists who knew precious little about the Grand Void Realm, every single one of those Heavens had been passed down for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years or more.
Their respective sects certainly held many secret records, and some of their elders had even emerged from the Grand Void Realm themselves. They had all, to varying degrees, come across information about the place.
Once they arrived, they immediately split up and went searching for their own opportunities.
Over the past few years, each had found something. Xu Zhen needed no mention — by refining the Primordial Magnetic Spirit Gourd and trading with Yang Kai, he'd obtained a sixth-grade Primordial Magnetic Spirit Stone, a tremendous profit. Even as a disciple of Divine Cauldron Heaven, acquiring a sixth-grade Metal Element treasure within his own sect would have required an enormous expenditure of time and energy. After all, sixth-grade treasures weren't cabbages lying around for anyone to pick up.
The others had made comparable gains.
Lin Feng had wandered far and wide in his search. On one occasion, he'd ventured to these overseas regions and sensed abundant Water Element energy on an island. The energy was dense and rich, far surpassing any Water Element treasure he had ever encountered before.
"That is absolutely a seventh-grade, possibly even an eighth-grade Water Element treasure!" Lin Feng said gravely, his eyes burning with intensity.
Everyone's breathing quickened involuntarily.
A seventh- or eighth-grade Water Element treasure — how invaluable. Out in the world, such a treasure could anchor a region's fortune, and one might not appear for a thousand years. Yet here in the Grand Void Realm, one actually existed.
"I imagine it won't be easy to claim, though," Qu Huashang said with a smile. "If it were something you could just pick up at your leisure, you wouldn't have called on us to come help."
"Of course it won't be easy," Lin Feng said. "That island is home to all manner of strange sea-dwelling clans, and that Water Element treasure seems to be of great importance to them. The closer you get, the heavier the defenses become. I've made four attempts, and each time I was forced to retreat."
"Sea-dwelling clans?" The others were startled.
Xu Zhen asked, "Are there any powerhouses among them?"
Lin Feng shook his head slowly. "Nothing particularly strong. In a one-on-one fight, none of them could match me. The infuriating part is their sheer numbers — my two fists are no match for four hands."
"Did you actually see the Water Element treasure?" Qu Huashang pressed. "What exactly is it?"
Lin Feng flushed. "No, I didn't..." Seeing everyone staring at him with peculiar expressions, he grew somewhat defensive. "I may not have seen it, but I can confirm it's definitely a seventh- or eighth-grade treasure. If none of you want to go, I'll go alone — one way or another, I'm getting my hands on that thing!"
Xu Zhen hurriedly said, "We'll go, we'll go! When else are we going to get a chance like this? We'd be fools not to take a look."
Qu Huashang nodded in agreement. "Indeed."
Ning Daoran continued standing at the bow in silence, as if nothing in the world concerned him. Gu Pan had her head down, busying herself with something. These two offered no opinions whatsoever — both rather peculiar.
Lin Feng clasped his hands behind his back and swept his gaze toward Yang Kai. "We'll go, but let me say this upfront. There are six of us, but only one Water Element treasure. When the time comes, don't blame me for showing no mercy in the scramble!"