"Thanks to your help, Senior Brother, I was fortunate enough to advance after leaving the Blood Monster Cave Heaven." Qu Huashang covered her lips and giggled.
Yang Kai's heart stirred slightly. This enchantress had once told him that she cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, and in order to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, she needed to first fall in love with someone and then sever that love.
At the time, she had been honest with him — the person she had chosen to fall in love with, and subsequently cut ties with, was him.
Throughout their harrowing journey in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they had shared life and death, supported each other through countless perils. Alone together, even a man like Yang Kai, who had frolicked through a garden of a thousand blooms, couldn't help but feel faint ripples in his heart, developing certain special feelings toward Qu Huashang. Yet for various reasons, he hadn't allowed those feelings to grow any further. As for Qu Huashang — more likely than not, she had already fallen in love during that journey.
Falling in love was simple enough. But severing that love?
Qu Huashang had now advanced to the Open Heaven Realm, which meant she had successfully severed her feelings. Yang Kai had no idea what method she had used to wield that sword and cut through the threads of emotion, breaking through to comprehend her own Grand Dao.
Then again, the Yin Yang Cave Heaven likely possessed all manner of remarkable techniques. Seeing that she had successfully advanced, Yang Kai was genuinely happy for her. He cupped his fists and smiled. "Congratulations, Senior Sister. With a Sixth-Order Open Heaven starting point, your name will surely resound throughout the Three Thousand Worlds in the future."
Qu Huashang pouted. "What's there to congratulate? Senior Sister is actually feeling quite upset inside. Don't believe me? Touch and see!" As she spoke, she pushed her chest forward slightly and leaned toward Yang Kai.
Bian Yuqing immediately fixed her gaze on the tip of her nose and focused on her breathing.
Yang Kai couldn't handle her at all and discreetly took two steps backward.
"Ahem…" A light cough came from nearby, followed by a somewhat familiar voice. "I'm not dead yet, you two. Could you save the flirtatious banter for when this old man isn't standing right here? I'm advanced in age — my blood and qi are sluggish enough as it is without being subjected to such a heated display."
Yang Kai turned to look at him. "This is…"
Qu Huashang hadn't come alone. When she had entered, another person had been trailing beside her, though this figure was clad entirely in black robes that concealed their build and features, making it impossible to determine even their gender.
Now that this person spoke, Yang Kai could tell it was a man, and not a young one at that.
Moreover, Yang Kai had the nagging feeling that he had met this person before — otherwise the voice wouldn't sound so familiar.
The black-robed figure pushed back his hood, revealing an aged face, and offered Yang Kai a faint smile. He cupped his fists. "Sect Master Yang. We meet again."
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then realization dawned. "Elder Zhou?"
This half-aged man was none other than a Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator from the Shura Cave Heaven, surnamed Zhou. Yang Kai didn't know his full name. He had come to know Elder Zhou entirely because the man had once been in charge of the Shura Arena at Thousand Bird Star City.
The last time Yang Kai had gone to Thousand Bird Star City searching for the Shopkeeper, he had been forced by Jade Rakshasa, a Core Disciple of the Shura Heaven, to fight her in the Shura Arena. In that battle, Yang Kai had wagered a hundred million on himself, and the resulting odds had been steep. He had made an enormous fortune from the arena, and in the end, it was this Elder Zhou who had personally delivered both the principal and the winnings to Yang Kai. At the time, Elder Zhou had even thrown in an extra hundred million as compensation, and in exchange, Yang Kai had agreed never to set foot in any Shura Arena again.
Yang Kai's abilities were virtually unmatched beneath the Open Heaven Realm — even Jade Rakshasa had been blown apart by him in three moves. Any fight in the Shura Arena would have been a foregone conclusion, and it was precisely for this reason that Elder Zhou had made that proposal.
Getting something for nothing? Yang Kai had no reason to refuse. What's more, Elder Zhou had at the time hinted that certain Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands were plotting against him — a goodwill gesture that had cost him little.
And as it turned out, Elder Zhou's warning had been spot on. The tallest tree catches the most wind. Inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, Yang Kai had indeed been targeted by disciples from numerous Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands, with Pei Wenxuan of the Great Demon Heaven and Yin Xinzhao of the Xuanyuan Cave Heaven being the worst offenders, repeatedly attempting to end his life.
Yang Kai hadn't expected that the person who had come to the Void Land alongside Qu Huashang would turn out to be Elder Zhou. He had assumed it was some powerful figure from the Yin Yang Heaven secretly protecting Qu Huashang.
Then again, it made sense. Qu Huashang was now a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. Although her realm wasn't yet fully stable, very few people in this world could kill her anymore. Those upper-Order Open Heaven masters were all reclusive old monsters — why would any of them bother coming out to make things difficult for a junior?
It was only Yang Kai who had attracted too much attention and provoked too much wariness, forcing two upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators to shadow the Hundred Clans Alliance in secret, biding their time — only to be driven off in the end by two Great Saints.
"Elder Zhou, you're not manning the Shura Arena — why come here? And with Senior Sister, no less." Yang Kai asked, a trace of suspicion in his voice.
Qu Huashang explained, "Senior Sister ran into Steward Zhou outside the Void Land. It wasn't prearranged. Steward Zhou asked me to help bring him in — he probably has some matter to discuss with you."
All of them came from the various Cave Heavens, and there were always connections of varying degrees between them. Qu Huashang had visited Thousand Bird Star City before and naturally knew Steward Zhou. When the steward made such a request, she couldn't very well refuse — besides, it was hardly a major thing, and she figured Yang Kai wouldn't blame her, so she had made the decision on her own.
Steward Zhou smiled faintly. "This old servant has indeed come with a matter to discuss with Sect Master Yang."
Yang Kai's eyes flickered briefly, and he smiled. "Please, come inside to talk." Guests were guests — he couldn't very well keep them standing outside. That wouldn't be proper hospitality.
He invited the two inside, where Bian Yuqing made the arrangements, having the maidservants serve fruit platters and fragrant tea before withdrawing.