Ma Tianyuan frowned. "What do you mean, Junior Brother?"
Yang Kai chuckled lightly. "You said those three are honored guests of your Peerless Society — you can't possibly not even know their names, can you? You're a Fifth Grade Open Heaven cultivator at minimum, so your standing within the Peerless Society shouldn't be too low. Yet you know absolutely nothing about those three, which means they aren't part of your society at all."
As he spoke, Yang Kai's expression slowly darkened. "Since they aren't part of your society, but you still tried to lure me there — what exactly are you after?"
Ma Tianyuan said, "Junior Brother, you must be misunderstanding. That lady is indeed a guest at our Peerless Society, but it's the three leaders who are hosting her. I don't know her name..."
"Things have reached this point, and you're still trying to hide the truth?" Yang Kai cut him off with a cold stare.
Ma Tianyuan fell silent. After a long moment, he sighed. "Since Junior Brother has already noticed, I won't hide it from you. Yes — that lady is not at our Peerless Society."
"Where is she?" Yang Kai demanded.
Ma Tianyuan shook his head. "I don't know. More than half a year ago, I did see the three of them. The three leaders wanted to recruit her into the Peerless Society, but she refused and left with her people. As for where they are now, I have no idea. However, I heard that people from Profound Yang Mountain had been pursuing the three of them. Perhaps they've already been captured — or perhaps they're already dead."
"Profound Yang Mountain?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Ma Tianyuan said, "Within this Shadowless Grotto-Heaven, there are three major powers. The first is Profound Yang Mountain, the second is our Peerless Society, and the third is the Twin Islands. Each has several Sixth Grade Open Heaven cultivators presiding over it. They don't interfere with one another and coexist in peace."
"Why would Profound Yang Mountain pursue them?" Yang Kai asked again.
Ma Tianyuan replied, "Newcomers rarely enter the Shadowless Grotto-Heaven. Moreover, the environment here is harsh and cultivation resources are scarce. So every newcomer who arrives gets recruited, and whatever cultivation materials they carry are seized."
Yang Kai's expression cleared. "So that's why you tried to lure me to the Peerless Society?"
Ma Tianyuan nodded candidly. "That's right. Junior Brother, you may have only just advanced to the Fifth Grade, but you should still have some cultivation materials on you. Once you join our Peerless Society, your belongings become ours. And your three companions are quite capable — they should have plenty of good things on them. It's no surprise that people from Profound Yang Mountain have their eye on them. Besides, the Second Mountain Lord of Profound Yang Mountain is a known lecher. If he saw that lady — who is breathtakingly beautiful — he'd certainly have some ideas."
"Profound Yang Mountain..." Yang Kai let out a soft, cold laugh. The proprietress was a Sixth Grade Open Heaven cultivator, and after years of tempering, she was far beyond an ordinary Sixth Grade — she had essentially reached the peak of the grade. It was only because of her Heart Demon Great Vow that she couldn't advance to the Seventh.
The cook and the accountant were both Fifth Grade cultivators. Even if Profound Yang Mountain was powerful, they probably couldn't do much against the three of them. So the proprietress's safety wasn't a concern. What mattered now was finding out where they were.
Ma Tianyuan continued, "Junior Brother, I tried to recruit you into the Peerless Society not just for the resources you carry. It's also for your own good."
Yang Kai scoffed. "Now that's a novel excuse."
Ma Tianyuan said, "The Shadowless Grotto-Heaven is extremely dangerous. If you don't join one of the three existing powers, there's no way you'll survive here long-term."
Yang Kai asked, "How so?"
Ma Tianyuan shook his head, clearly unwilling to elaborate. He simply said, "Once you've been here long enough, you'll naturally understand what I mean. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to ask those two whether I'm lying."
The Fourth Grade woman sighed. "Senior Brother Ma is right. If you don't take shelter under one of the three great powers, you'll likely fall within three to five years. When I first fell into this Shadowless Grotto-Heaven, I learned that lesson the hard way. It took me a very long time to recover."
Yang Kai snorted coldly. The woman's words sounded earnest enough, with no visible signs of deception — but they were all in this together. There was no guarantee they hadn't rehearsed this beforehand. Yang Kai naturally wouldn't trust them so easily.
Ma Tianyuan pressed on, "Actually, relatively speaking, joining our Peerless Society is the best deal. You only need to contribute sixty percent of your resources, and the remaining forty percent stays with you. As for Profound Yang Mountain and the Twin Islands — they take seventy or even eighty percent."
Yang Kai shook his head slowly. "I have no interest in joining your Peerless Society. I came to this Shadowless Grotto-Heaven to find someone."
Ma Tianyuan's voice turned grim. "Junior Brother, why must you be so stubborn? You've only just advanced, and your aura is unstable. I don't want to make a move against you. I advise you to cooperate quietly."
Yang Kai glanced at him sideways. "And if I refuse?"
Ma Tianyuan sighed. "In this wretched place, resources are scarce. For the sake of cultivation, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to offend you. But don't worry, Junior Brother — I'm not one to push people to the brink. As long as you don't resist too fiercely, I won't take your life!"
Yang Kai chuckled. "For the sake of those words, I'll spare your life in a moment."
Ma Tianyuan's face darkened. "Junior Brother, you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin?" He waved his hand and roared, "Attack!"
The instant the word left his mouth, he struck out with a palm toward Yang Kai. The formidable might of his world power surged forth, as if an entire world were pressing down. At the same time, the Fourth Grade woman and the Third Grade young man also attacked simultaneously, each unleashing their secret techniques at Yang Kai.
It was evident that Ma Tianyuan truly had no intention of killing Yang Kai — otherwise, he could have simply brought out his Artifact. He had originally been a Sixth Grade Open Heaven cultivator, but after spending too long in the Shadowless Grotto-Heaven and encountering some misfortune, he had fallen to the Fifth Grade. Even so, among Fifth Grade cultivators, he remained at the very top.