Pei Wenxuan concealed his aura, but it was obvious he had advanced to the Sixth Order some time ago. His Small World's foundation had settled deep, and Yang Kai could not gauge his exact rank.
By the same token, Pei Wenxuan could not gauge Yang Kai's either.
Since returning from the Shadowless Hollow Heaven, Yang Kai had struck twice — once at the Senluo Altar and once at Jinhong Prefecture. The Senluo Altar's Ancestor and Li Luoshui, who had fled Jinhong Prefecture, both knew Yang Kai's true strength.
The problem was that Li Luoshui was presumably in seclusion recovering from her injuries, and the Senluo Altar Ancestor had suffered at Yang Kai's hands, losing a sect legacy that had endured for tens of thousands of years. He naturally had no face to broadcast the matter far and wide.
According to the intelligence circulating among the various Hollow Heavens and Blessed Lands, Yang Kai had only advanced to the Fifth Order outside the Shadowless Hollow Heaven. That was why Pei Wenxuan had said what he did — even Su Yingxue and Qing Kui had previously believed Yang Kai to be no more than Fifth Order.
"You're remarkably lucky, managing to walk out of the Shadowless Hollow Heaven alive," Pei Wenxuan scoffed. He had heard of that Hollow Heaven's fearsome reputation — it was said that those who entered never came out. He had never expected Yang Kai to prove the exception.
Yang Kai chuckled and said nothing.
The half-aged elder from Myriad Demons Heaven, however, darkened. "You are Yang Kai, Master of the Void Land? No wonder you looked familiar!"
He had sensed something about this youth before but couldn't place it. Now it clicked — he had seen him before, though not in person. It had been an image.
Yang Kai regarded him calmly. "That's right. This King is Yang Kai, Master of the Void Land. What can I do for you?"
The half-aged elder's voice turned grave. "Let me ask you — outside the Shadowless Hollow Heaven, what exactly happened to Elder Ti Zheng? Why did he perish without explanation?"
Yang Kai started. "Ti Zheng is dead?"
"You didn't know?"
Yang Kai turned to Su Yingxue and asked, "Senior Sister Su, is what he says true?"
Ti Zheng was an Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivator of Myriad Demons Heaven. If he had truly perished, word would have spread — Su Yingxue should have heard something.
Su Yingxue nodded. "He did perish. I heard that the Life Lamp he left behind in Myriad Demons Heaven has already gone out."
Yang Kai was genuinely startled. An Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivator, dead? How was that possible? He had witnessed Ti Zheng's strength firsthand — a man capable of manifesting a Divine Ability Avatar, far beyond an ordinary Upper-Rank Open Heaven. Though Zhu Jiuyin had dealt him a grievous blow and left him severely wounded, that surely wasn't enough to kill him.
When Yang Kai had entered the Shadowless Hollow Heaven, Ti Zheng had still been alive and well.
This was no small matter — it involved an Upper-Rank Open Heaven from a Hollow Heaven, after all. But for Yang Kai, it was actually welcome news. Ti Zheng knew about his possession of both the World-Destroying Demon Eye and the Black Pupil Purgatory. Yang Kai had been deeply wary of him, but now that Ti Zheng had died for unknown reasons, that secret could probably remain hidden for a while longer.
"When did this happen?" Yang Kai asked, looking up at the half-aged elder.
"So you truly didn't know?" The half-aged elder's gaze sharpened as he stared at Yang Kai, trying to peer into the depths of his heart.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly. "This is the first I've heard of it."
The half-aged elder studied his expression carefully but found nothing amiss. Yang Kai appeared genuinely shocked by Ti Zheng's death. The elder gave a cold snort. "Elder Ti Zheng perished in the Shattered Sky. The exact time is impossible to pinpoint, but it was most likely around the time you encountered him."
Yang Kai said, "When I entered the Shadowless Hollow Heaven, Ti Zheng was severely injured but not in mortal danger. You can verify this by asking the other three. As for what happened afterward, I have no knowledge."
He privately mused: could it be that Zhu Jiuyin had secretly finished Ti Zheng off? Back then, the only person in that area capable of killing an Upper-Rank Open Heaven would have been her.
But knowing her temperament, she wouldn't have done something like that. Ti Zheng represented Myriad Demons Heaven — assassinating him covertly would mean declaring enmity against the entire faction. She was a Sacred Spirit of immense power, but she wasn't so foolish as to invite that kind of trouble.
Moreover, when Yang Kai had returned, Zhu Jiuyin hadn't mentioned anything about it. Clearly, she hadn't been the one responsible.
The half-aged elder from Myriad Demons Heaven furrowed his brow. What Yang Kai said matched the intelligence Myriad Demons Heaven had gathered. After Yang Kai had been forced to advance to the Fifth Order, he had immediately fled into the Shadowless Hollow Heaven. The four Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators had then dispersed separately. Beyond that, no one knew what had transpired.
"If your Sect wishes to investigate this matter, you might try tracking down the Black Crow Divine Lord. This may have something to do with him," Yang Kai suggested, a thought striking him.
If Zhu Jiuyin hadn't killed Ti Zheng, then it was likely connected to the Black Crow. That creature had been reborn through a Divine Lord's body-snatching, and his methods were treacherous and unpredictable. A gravely wounded Ti Zheng might well have fallen prey to his schemes.
As for whether that was actually the case, Yang Kai couldn't care less. The Black Crow had a deep grudge against him too — let Myriad Demons Heaven and that creature tear each other apart.
"We at Myriad Demons Heaven will handle the pursuit of the Black Crow," the half-aged elder said. "As for whether what you say is true... you had better come with me to see Elder Zhuo first!" As he spoke, he reached out to seize Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn't move. Beside him, Qing Kui had already thrown a punch.