"Oh?" The man seemed to sense something, regarding the two with a smile as his aura erupted with a thunderous roar.
Zi Xiao and Xiao Wu both felt as though a massive mountain was hurtling straight toward them. They couldn't help but grunt, stumbling backward several steps, their chests churning with blood and qi.
"An Emperor Sovereign!" The two were horrified. This unremarkable-looking fellow was actually an Emperor Sovereign realm expert. Poor them — mere Void Return Realm cultivators. How could they possibly withstand the pressure of an Emperor Sovereign?
Had the man not restrained ninety-nine percent of his aura, the two would likely have already exploded and perished under that pressure.
Their minds shook ceaselessly. By the time they came back to their senses, the man was no longer before their eyes.
They exchanged a glance, cold sweat drenching them both, their backs going cold.
"Congratulations to you both." The Lingxiao Pavilion disciple stood up and cupped his fists in greeting.
Zi Xiao and Xiao Wu were baffled, having no idea what there was to congratulate them for.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Zi Xiao said, "Senior Brother, who was that gentleman..."
The Lingxiao Pavilion disciple chuckled. "You two specialize in formation arts yet don't know that gentleman's name?"
Zi Xiao said sheepishly, "My brother and I are just rustic folk from the wilderness with shallow knowledge. We humbly ask Senior Brother to enlighten us!"
The Lingxiao Pavilion disciple said gravely, "That gentleman's compound surname is Nanmen..."
At these words, both Zi Xiao and Xiao Wu's pupils contracted sharply. The latter cried out in alarm, "Could he be Lord Nanmen Dajun?!"
"That's right!"
Zi Xiao and Xiao Wu froze on the spot.
As formation masters, they had certainly heard of Nanmen Dajun — the greatest formation grandmaster in the entire Star Realm. It was said that Lingxiao Pavilion's grand protective formation had been designed and deployed under his direction. During the great war between the two realms years ago, Lingxiao Pavilion had relied on that grand protective formation to withstand countless attacks from the Demon Race, preserving the last bastion of purity in the Star Realm.
It could be said that the Star Realm owed its survival today primarily to the Void Great Emperor, but Nanmen Dajun's contributions were no less significant.
Even though they lived in remote, desolate mountains, they had heard Nanmen Dajun's name on numerous occasions.
The two brothers had always regarded this grandmaster as their ultimate goal, dreaming of the day they could stand as his equals and exchange insights on the formation arts.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined this grandmaster would appear right beside them so miraculously, even offering commentary on the Spirit Gathering Array they had set up — and they had just moments ago been entertaining thoughts of killing him to silence him!
If they had known his identity from the start, they would never have harbored such thoughts!
Xiao Wu immediately started scratching his ears and cheeks, his face flushing crimson. "Zi Xiao..."
Zi Xiao didn't know what to say either. He let out a deep, weary sigh, his expression defeated. If their performance had been seen by Grandmaster Nanmen, the old man would probably think the two of them were hopeless cases.
The Lingxiao Pavilion disciple's voice came again: "Grandmaster Nanmen has never given anyone such high praise. It seems your attainments in formation arts have already caught his eye..."
"What? What?" Xiao Wu looked over in surprise. "Grandmaster Nanmen gave us high praise?"
Was that so? How had he not known?
The Lingxiao Pavilion disciple said, "Didn't Grandmaster Nanmen say you were 'not bad'? He's made his rounds here several times before, but he's never said that to anyone else. You two should keep at it and not let Grandmaster Nanmen's expectations go to waste."
When the two brothers walked out of the great hall, they were still dazed and dizzy...
On Lingxiao Peak, the main peak of Lingxiao Pavilion, inside the bedchamber, a jade-like figure lay sprawled across the vast bed, the air thick with a peculiar scent.
Yang Kai raised his hand and moved Shan Qingluo — who was clinging to him like an octopus — off to the side. He slowly rose and turned to look, finding all the women sound asleep.
He chuckled in amusement.
After years of solitude, these recent days of fierce release had taken their toll. Even though all the women had cultivated to Emperor Sovereign, Stage Three, they still couldn't withstand his relentless onslaught. One by one they had crumbled like a collapsing mountain, pleading for mercy in soft tones.
Shan Qingluo refused to accept defeat and insisted on going head-to-head with him — only to end up fainting. Before her, Su Yan, Xia Ningshang, and Xue Yue had already succumbed to the ravaging, sinking into deep sleep.
In the end, it was Yu Rumeng who proved most skillful, matching him to a mutual collapse!
After all, she was a Succubus Demon Saint — her strength was extraordinary.
But in terms of recovery, Yu Rumeng couldn't hold a candle to him. Right now she was curled up at the edge of the bed, her delicate body trembling from time to time...
Yet Yang Kai felt he could still go another three hundred rounds!
He rose, dressed himself, and walked out with his hair still loose.
Outside the door, Chief Steward Hua Qingsi was waiting respectfully. A fleeting glance through the opening gave her a vague impression of the infinite spring scenery within, and she couldn't help but blush.
"How are things at Ice Snow City?" Yang Kai asked as he strode forward.
"I was just about to report to you, my lord," Hua Qingsi said, following closely behind. "Once the news was spread, all four domains were shaken. Countless warriors have come to Ice Snow City to register. In just half a month, nearly thirty million have signed up."
"That many!" Yang Kai was taken aback. He had expected a large number, but this was far beyond his expectations.
"May I ask how many my lord plans to take?" Hua Qingsi asked respectfully. "Please give me a number so we can arrange the subsequent screening process accordingly."
"No more than five hundred thousand," Yang Kai said as he reached the outer hall. He straightened his robe and sat down. A maidservant promptly served fragrant tea and withdrew respectfully.
"Five hundred thousand..." Hua Qingsi smiled wryly. Selecting five hundred thousand from thirty million was a monumental undertaking — and this was only after half a month. More would surely continue signing up.