"You wish to lure them into the trap, my Lord?" Ashbone's expression shifted as he saw through Yang Kai's intentions.
He had been puzzled before as to why Yang Kai had spared him and even gone out of his way to bring him under his control with the Loyalty Scroll. After all, based on the strength Yang Kai had previously displayed, no Sixth-Order Open Heaven on this Sin Planet was his match, and Ashbone himself would have made a fine addition to his record.
Now it all made sense. Yang Kai had subjugated him to leverage his connections.
"Going after them one by one is far too much hassle," Yang Kai grinned. "Much more efficient to have them walk right into the slaughter!"
"I understand." Ashbone lowered his head. "However, my Lord, the ones I know don't stay in any fixed location. Some prefer to wander, and others are even more reclusive. I may not be able to contact all of them."
"Just do your best," Yang Kai said.
If not for this, he wouldn't have needed to subjugate Ashbone Tianjun. A Sixth-Order was worth five stars to him on their own. It was precisely because Qu Huashang's jade slip had informed him that the Sixth-Order Open Heavens on this Sin Planet were mostly nomadic and extremely difficult to find that Yang Kai had taken Ashbone in, intending to use him as bait to lure the others.
Ashbone Tianjun immediately set about making arrangements. Contacting the other Sixth-Order Open Heavens was no simple matter. On the Sin Planet, while the various Sixth-Order cultivators did occasionally cross paths, genuine friendships between them were rare. Ashbone sent Whitehair out with his personal token, heading to the places he knew to deliver messages to those Sixth-Order cultivators, inviting them to his cave dwelling to discuss strategies for the Dao Discussion Assembly.
Whitehair's loyalty to Ashbone Tianjun was beyond question. He had previously even dared to intercept Yang Kai alone, buying his master a chance to escape. With him as the messenger, there was no risk of the plan leaking.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai brought Lu Jing along and returned with Ashbone to the tree hollow deep within the dense forest.
The forest had been scorched into a mess by the Golden Crow True Fire. Ashbone still needed to redecorate and restore the surroundings, lest the incoming Sixth-Order cultivators notice anything amiss.
Yang Kai, for his part, settled into seclusion within the tree hollow, refining Open Heaven Pills.
After just a few days of waiting, criminals from across the Sin Planet began trickling into the forest in succession — though none were Sixth-Order. Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order cultivators arrived, some alone, others in small groups. Whitehair had spread the word along his route, loudly proclaiming that his master and Giant Clam Tianjun had now joined forces and were preparing to resist the participants of the Dao Discussion Assembly.
Many of the criminals on the Sin Planet had been leaderless and full of dread ever since they learned that numerous Sixth-Order Open Heavens would be taking part in the Assembly. Now, upon hearing that two Sixth-Order Tianjun were willing to raise the banner of resistance against the Sixth-Order cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands, they came flocking to pledge their allegiance.
By doing so, they had walked straight through the gates of hell.
Yang Kai didn't need to lift a finger. With Ashbone Tianjun doing the work, every person who entered the forest was captured alive and brought before Yang Kai, who executed them on the spot.
In just a few days, several more stars lit up on the golden ring at Yang Kai's wrist. And as time passed, more and more criminals came to the forest to pledge their allegiance, and Yang Kai's harvest grew ever larger.
Lu Jing watched it all with undisguised envy.
For Yang Kai to simply sit back like this, doing absolutely nothing, while criminals delivered kills to his doorstep — it was almost too easy. But he knew this was not something to be envious of. Yang Kai could reap such effortless rewards only because he had overwhelming strength to back him up. Without strength, all of this would be nothing but empty words.
Half a month later, the stars on Yang Kai's golden ring had reached a full fifteen. Excluding the five contributed by Giant Clam, every single one had been earned by killing criminals below the Sixth-Order.
The Dao Discussion Assembly had been underway for less than a month, yet Yang Kai had already amassed such results. Lu Jing simply couldn't imagine who among the other participants could possibly compete with him.
Even if the other participants killed criminals nonstop, their rate of lighting up stars could never match Yang Kai's.
And all of this had come from subjugating a single Ashbone Tianjun. Compared to simply killing Ashbone, leveraging his network and reputation had yielded far greater returns.
One day, Yang Kai was in the middle of refining Open Heaven Pills inside the tree hollow, with Lu Jing sitting quietly beside him, when a thunderous roar echoed from outside.
"Ashbone! Giant Clam! I have arrived — why haven't you come to greet me yet?"
Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam radiating from his pupils. After days of patient waiting, a big fish had finally taken the bait.
Ashbone Tianjun's figure flashed into the hollow, cupping his fists. "My Lord!"
"I know," Yang Kai rose slowly. "Who is it? How strong?"
Ashbone replied, "It's Shenluo Tianjun. In terms of cultivation, he's just slightly weaker than Giant Clam and me — but not by much. Though, of course, he is absolutely no match for you, my Lord."
This was no flattery. Having witnessed Yang Kai's true power firsthand, Ashbone was convinced that no one at the Sixth-Order level could possibly be Yang Kai's opponent. Only a Seventh-Order might be able to suppress that terrifying strength.
"However, Shenluo didn't come alone this time. He's brought quite a few subordinates with him."
The array laid throughout the forest allowed Ashbone to perceive everything within its bounds.
"Even better!" Yang Kai licked his lips and stood. "Leave the small fry to you. Shenluo is mine."
"Understood!" Ashbone responded in a deep voice.
Within the grand array, the towering figure of Shenluo Tianjun called out impatiently, "Ashbone! Giant Clam! Are you both dead?! I honored your invitation and came to discuss important matters, yet you refuse to show yourselves — what is the meaning of this?!"
Beside him, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven furrowed his brow in a guarded expression and warned in a low voice, "My Lord, be cautious. Something doesn't seem right here."