"So this is the Giant Clam Palace?" Yang Kai gazed up at the massive palace perched atop a towering peak, its structure built entirely from rough-hewn boulders—crude and wild in its construction.
Following White Hair's lead, the three of them had sprinted tens of thousands of kilometers before finally arriving at this place. Before they had even begun climbing the mountain, Yang Kai had clearly sensed a number of hostile gazes fixed upon them from above.
It was easy to imagine that unlike Grey Bone Heavenly Lord, whose underlings were sparse—White Hair being his only known subordinate—this Giant Clam Palace would certainly be packed with powerful experts, far more than just Giant Clam Heavenly Lord alone.
But this suited Yang Kai just fine. The more people there were, the greater the rewards once he was done—and it saved him the trouble of hunting them down one by one.
"Brother Yang, are we really going to climb up there?" Lu Jing's face had gone slightly pale. Though his cultivation was far inferior to Yang Kai's, his sensitivity to danger was razor-sharp, and the hidden auras of power pressing down from the mountain were overwhelmingly oppressive to him.
"Would you prefer to wait for me down here?" Yang Kai glanced at him.
Lu Jing hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I'd rather go with you, Brother Yang."
This was a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, brimming with peril. Staying out here alone would likely be even less safe than remaining at Yang Kai's side. At the very least, if they encountered any truly formidable enemies, being together meant they could watch each other's backs.
"Let's go." Yang Kai stepped forward. Back when he had first advanced to Sixth-Order Open Heaven, he had single-handedly shattered Xuan Yang Mountain and fought three Mountain Masters head-on. His strength had grown immeasurably since then. No matter how impressive Giant Clam Palace might be, it was unlikely to surpass what Xuan Yang Mountain had been—so there was nothing to fear.
The path ahead was completely clear. Not a single soul in sight. Yet Lu Jing could distinctly feel the concealed killing intent lurking all around them, coiled and ready to strike.
Before long, the trio reached the mountain's summit.
On a flat, smooth plateau near the peak, numerous figures milled about. A rough count put at least a dozen people gathered there, and the sight brightened Yang Kai's eyes.
These dozen-plus individuals ranged in cultivation from Third-Order to Fifth-Order, and behind them stood two more figures, still and silent, observing the newcomers with undisguised interest.
Yang Kai noticed those two immediately. There was no missing them— their auras were noticeably more potent than the rest. While he couldn't pin down their exact cultivation, if his guess was correct, these two were none other than Grey Bone Heavenly Lord and Giant Clam Heavenly Lord.
"Master!" White Hair followed behind Yang Kai, gazing at Grey Bone Heavenly Lord with a pitiful expression, tears brimming in his eyes, brimming with a silent tale of blood and suffering.
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord gave a slight nod. "I know what happened. The fault was not yours. Come here!"
White Hair cast a wary glance at Yang Kai but couldn't bring himself to move.
Grey Bone Heavenly Lord said calmly, "Rest assured—no one can harm you in my presence."
"Yes!" White Hair answered hastily. His figure darted sideways, looping around Yang Kai and bolting straight toward Grey Bone Heavenly Lord.
Yang Kai didn't so much as flinch, as though he hadn't even noticed White Hair slipping away. He simply stood there, counting the figures before him. After a moment, he nodded. "Thirteen. A bit on the sparse side, but it'll have to do."
Everyone froze. Grey Bone Heavenly Lord frowned. "Young friend, which Cave Heaven or Paradise hails you? State your name!"
"Grey Bone Heavenly Lord?" Yang Kai glanced sideways at him, answering a question with a question.
Grey Bone nodded. "I am."
"Then you must be Giant Clam Heavenly Lord?" Yang Kai shifted his gaze to the burly figure beside him.
Giant Clam snorted. "That's right—it's your grandfather here, brat. I don't care which Cave Heaven or Paradise you come from. You dared to cause trouble in my Giant Clam Palace, so don't expect to leave."
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Giant Clam Heavenly Lord is quite the hospitable host!"
Giant Clam snorted again. "Still in the mood for banter, are you? Let me show you my way of welcoming guests!" He swept his great hand forward and barked, "Attack!"
In an instant, all thirteen Open Heaven cultivators standing before him and Grey Bone Heavenly Lord surged with the power of their Small Worlds. The might of secret techniques and Artifacts erupted, crashing down upon Yang Kai in a devastating barrage.
Lu Jing's face went white. Without a second thought, he retreated at full speed.
Against such an overwhelming onslaught, there was no way he could weather it—he could only dodge.
No sooner had he steadied his footing than a cascade of booming explosions ripped through the air ahead. Ripples of violent energy swept outward. Amidst the flashing of spear-light, grunts and cries rang out in quick succession. Blood sprayed in every direction, flesh tore apart, and shockwave after shockwave spread like ripples on a pond, hammering into him and sending his blood and qi into chaos. His Small World trembled violently within him, and his vision blurred. A wave of terror surged through his heart.
Daring not be negligent, he immediately channeled his own power to stabilize the upheaval in his Small World.
It took a full dozen breaths before he regained his senses, and by then the tumult ahead had abruptly fallen silent.