It was a full day before he returned to Twin Islands. Before he had even arrived, the dense mist on either side rolled apart to carve out a corridor, and a figure surged forward to meet him, cupping fists in salute. "Greetings, Lord Yang!"
The man was none other than the Open Heaven cultivator who had carried messages for the Landlady last time — likely posted here by the Twin Islands' two Island Lords. He had witnessed Yang Kai's display of overwhelming power on Twin Islands previously, and he regarded the young man before him with equal parts astonishment and reverence.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod.
The man said, "The two Island Lords have given orders — if Lord Yang returns, he may enter the islands at will!"
"The Island Lords are too kind." Yang Kai strode inward, but after a couple of steps he paused and asked, "Where is our Landlady now?"
The man replied respectfully, "Rest assured, my lord. Madame Lan is already in a seclusion chamber recovering from her injuries. There should be no serious harm. Once you enter the islands, someone will guide you to her."
Yang Kai nodded and stepped inside.
Upon entering Twin Islands, a faint, clean fragrance washed over him. The islands themselves were strikingly beautiful — birdsong, blossoming flowers, lush scenery — forming a stark contrast with the desolation outside.
A young woman with a fresh, lovely appearance was waiting. She stepped forward to greet Yang Kai upon seeing him, then led the way toward the Landlady's place of recovery.
Shortly after, deep within a bamboo grove on Twin Islands, Yang Kai came to a halt. Nestled among the bamboo were several rustic huts, simple in construction but set in a tranquil, elegant clearing — a fitting place for recuperation.
The Chef and the Accountant were stationed outside one of the bamboo huts, seated cross-legged on either side.
As if sensing the commotion, they opened their eyes and looked up. Seeing Yang Kai's return, both lit up with delight and quickly rose to their feet.
Yang Kai waved the woman who had guided him away, then stepped forward and studied the hut wrapped in layers of restrictions and formations. He asked in a low voice, "How is the Landlady?"
The Chef and the Accountant both shook their heads.
The Chef said, "The Landlady went into closed-door recovery the moment she arrived. We don't know the specifics."
The Accountant's dead-fish eyes slid sideways toward Yang Kai. "You're injured?"
Naturally, Yang Kai could not have emerged from the battle at Xuan Yang Mountain completely unscathed. Setting aside the wound on the back of his hand carved by Mao Zhe, he had taken his share of the haphazard techniques and secret arts hurled at him by those Open Heaven cultivators. It was simply that his physical constitution was formidable enough that the injuries posed no real problem.
"Nothing serious." Yang Kai shook his head. "What exactly is that battle armor of the Landlady's?"
The armor's power was undeniable, but its aftereffects were far too extreme — it had driven the Landlady into a state where she recognized no one, lashing out at him as well. If the Warm Divine Lotus had not safeguarded a sliver of her clarity at the last moment, the Landlady would never have sobered up so easily.
The Chef sighed. "We don't know what it really is either. The Landlady calls it the Blood Demon Battle Garment. We have no idea where she obtained it — she's never used it before. This was the first time."
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. "That's no good thing. She should use it as rarely as possible."
The Chef said, "You can tell her yourself when she comes out of seclusion — see whether she listens to you." Then, as though something had just occurred to him, he eyed Yang Kai with suspicion. "But you — how could you advance from Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade within a single month? And weren't you barely Fifth Grade to begin with?"
The Accountant fixed him with the same suspicious stare.
When Yang Kai had suddenly displayed Sixth Grade power, it had startled not only Yun Feibai and the others but also the Chef and the Accountant themselves. Both had thought their eyes were deceiving them. Yet he had undeniably sent Yun Feibai's forces scattering in panic. Feeling the aura around Yang Kai now, it was unmistakably Sixth Grade Open Heaven.
There was no point hiding things from these two. Yang Kai considered for a moment, then asked, "Have either of you ever heard of a World Fruit?"
…
In a palace on Twin Islands, Hua Yong clutched a communication bead, his expression shifting.
Shu Mudan looked up, puzzled. "Husband, what's wrong?"
Hua Yong said, "That Yang Kai is back."
Shu Mudan smiled. "So he's back. Why do you look so troubled?"
Hua Yong said, "He claimed he was going to pay a visit to Xuan Yang Mountain. It's only been a few days, and he's already returned. Xuan Yang Mountain… did he actually go, or didn't he?"
Shu Mudan said, "Whether he went or not is his business. Does it have anything to do with us?"
Hua Yong chuckled ruefully. "My dear, they say a pregnant woman loses her wits. I never believed it, but looking at you now, I'm starting to come around."
Shu Mudan shot him a look of reproach, brimming with charm.
Hua Yong continued, "Before, he was practically storming off in a fury, saying he would march straight into Xuan Yang Mountain. But what is Xuan Yang Mountain? It's the single greatest power in the Boundless Profound Heaven. Its Grand Mountain Lord, Mao Zhe, is an existence infinitely close to the Seventh Grade, and he commands a formidable host. If Yang Kai had really gone, how could he have returned in one piece?"
"Then he didn't go," Shu Mudan said.
Hua Yong said nothing. If Yang Kai had truly gone to Xuan Yang Mountain and come back, then his strength was nothing short of terrifying.