After a moment's thought, Yin Xinzhao spoke. "Fellow Seniors, since ancient times, the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands have been connected as one, sharing the same breath and the same roots. Why must we wound our bonds here? I humbly ask that you do me this small favor and withdraw."
Wei Buque smiled faintly. "And what if I refuse?"
Yin Xinzhao's expression darkened. "You are all talented, to be sure, but your numbers are few. If it truly comes to blows, can you guarantee you can protect this man named Yang?"
Wei Buque's brow furrowed slightly. As a Core Disciple of Shending Heaven, he did not fear those before him, but if a fight truly broke out, it would take only one of them to tie him down—and the same went for everyone else. In other words, the other side only needed to split off a small group to keep them occupied, and the rest could continue their siege on Yang Kai. At that point, even if Yang Kai's strength could touch the heavens, death would be all but certain.
The best possible outcome was for Yang Kai to flee immediately. However... Wei Buque turned his head to look at Yang Kai, finding him utterly composed. Even with so many of his generation's finest staring him down, Yang Kai showed not the slightest trace of fear—let alone any intention of running. Wei Buque felt a surge of admiration. He had heard Xu Zhen speak of Yang Kai before and knew the man was formidable, but he had never witnessed it firsthand and hadn't truly believed that Yang Kai could stir up heaven and earth by himself.
If a fight erupted this time, Yang Kai would almost certainly be in grave danger.
"More people, is it?" A furious shout rang out. "You think the First Inn has no one?"
With the shout, a portly man with broad shoulders and a round belly came thundering from the distance, a cleaver in hand and an apron tied around his waist. The apron was stained with grease, and a large character for "Butcher" was emblazoned across it, making him look as though he had just bolted out of a kitchen.
It was none other than the Cook!
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the Cook to show up here too.
The Cook charged forward with a murderous air, the flesh on his face jiggling with each step. He called out to Yang Kai, "Don't be scared, kid—just watch what I can do."
He raised his hand and fired a signal arrow into the sky. A piercing whistle tore through the air, and the Cook bellowed in a commanding voice, "A cloud-piercing arrow—let a thousand troops and ten thousand horses come to meet!"
No thousand troops or ten thousand horses appeared, but the Bookkeeper and Lang Qingshan, among others, emerged right behind the Cook.
When the Blood Demon Cave Heaven's entrance had opened, Yang Kai had seized several Xuantian Cave Heaven entry points and sent his subordinates into the Blood Demon Cave Heaven. After entering, they had split up from the rest.
Only a dozen or so people had gathered here. Another dozen or so had gone elsewhere—likely not in this part of the Blood Demon Cave Heaven, which spanned an enormous territory. Not everyone would converge on the same spot.
The Bookkeeper squinted with his triangular eyes, glancing sidelong at Yang Kai. "How is it that you manage to stir up trouble wherever you go?"
Yang Kai replied, "It's not that I like stirring up trouble—it's that trouble comes looking for me. What am I supposed to do?"
The Bookkeeper considered this seriously for a moment, then nodded. "Fair point. Can't blame you for that."
"Brother Yang, you're here too? I have arrived!" A delighted voice rang out, and a figure broke through the crowd, followed by a massive entourage of nearly forty or fifty people.
"Brother Ding!" Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise. The one who had bounded out was Ding Yi.
Yang Kai remembered this fellow all too well. Back in the Grand Void Boundary, Ding Yi had founded an organization called the Celestial Empire, gathering a large number of subordinates under his banner. He had used the Celestial Empire to roam far and wide throughout the Grand Void Boundary, building quite a reputation. When the Grand Void Boundary closed, most of the Celestial Empire's members had dispersed, with only a small core remaining at Ding Yi's side as they departed together.
Seeing Qu Huachang, Gu Pan, and the others here didn't surprise Yang Kai—the Blood Demon Cave Heaven was of immense importance, and these Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands would naturally send their Core Disciples in. But Ding Yi's presence was unexpected. He was only a half-step Open Heaven cultivator—how could he have secured an entry point? More importantly, how had he arrived with such a large following?
"Long time no see—how have you been, Brother Yang?" Ding Yi laughed boisterously, his manner so brazen that he clearly didn't take any of the sect disciples on the opposite side seriously.
Yang Kai smiled. "Brother Ding, your spirit is as vibrant as ever!"
Yin Xinzhao was furious. "Where did this stray cat or stray dog come from, daring to show his face and embarrass himself? Get lost!"
Earlier, when Gu Pan, Ning Daoran, and Wei Buque had suddenly appeared at Yang Kai's side, it had grated on him enormously—but there was little he could do about it, since they were roughly his equals in strength and standing. But Ding Yi looked like nobody of consequence, and for him to wade into this affair was practically suicidal.
As his words fell, Yin Xinzhao pointed a finger, sending a streak of light hurtling toward Ding Yi.
Though it was a casual strike, Yin Xinzhao's strength was far from ordinary, and the power behind that streak of light was terrifying. The onlookers on the surrounding peaks felt their hearts tighten, thinking that this was indeed a top-tier disciple of Xuantian Cave Heaven—a casual blow like this would be hard for any of them to withstand. In a one-on-one fight, he could claim the lives of nine out of ten people present within ten moves.
Yin Xinzhao's move also served as a warning to any others who might think of stepping forward—he wanted to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, before more strays kept popping up endlessly.
Ding Yi burst into hearty laughter and raised a hand to produce a long saber. "I've been wanting to test the skills of a Cave Heaven disciple."