A full day of discussion yielded no results. The group dispersed for a night's rest before continuing the next day.
Yang Kai had made a concession, agreeing to allow four spots per family per century — and still they weren't satisfied, pressing further and further. No smoke of battle filled the great hall, yet among these Seventh Order masters, the haggling was no less fierce than that of street vendors arguing over every last copper coin.
Without warning, the clamor inside the great hall died down. Every voice fell silent at the same instant.
Yang Kai snapped his head up, his gaze piercing toward the void beyond. His eyes narrowed slightly.
He had waited many days. The ones he'd been expecting had finally arrived.
They had yet to appear, yet two sharp, imposing auras were already extending unreservedly from an immense distance away. The entire Star Boundary seemed to hum for a single breath.
Those two auras had probably been intended as a show of dominance — but they faltered almost immediately.
The reason was simple: they hadn't expected that such a small Star Boundary would harbor over thirty Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators whose status and strength were in no way inferior to their own. Upon sensing this, both of them were equal parts startled and suspicious.
Xu Linggong spoke up lightly. "Since you've arrived, why not come down and have a chat?"
His voice was soft, yet it carried clearly enough for the two to hear every word.
The sealed doors of the great hall burst open with a thunderous crash, and two figures descended from the sky — one wreathed in rolling demonic energy, the other wearing an expression of natural, unforced authority.
The moment their eyes swept the great hall, both of them wore looks of bewilderment. They truly couldn't fathom why so many Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators had gathered here. An ambush against the two of them? That seemed neither plausible nor likely. They vaguely sensed that something of tremendous import had transpired.
Beside Xu Linggong, Yang Kai regarded the two uninvited guests with an air of calm detachment. He knew them both — Zhuo Buqun of the Myriad Demons Heaven and Yu Huan of the Xuanyuan Blessed Land.
Both had been present when the Dao Discussion Assembly concluded. As external affairs envoys of their respective sects, they wielded considerable authority, handling all matters of external dealings, and naturally made frequent public appearances.
Many of the Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators present were inner sect Elders of their own organizations, and quite a few among them also held the title of external affairs envoy within their respective sects.
"You've come a long way — you're guests. Please, take a seat!" Yang Kai gestured without even rising.
Zhuo Buqun and Yu Huan exchanged a glance, their brows furrowed deeply. They had come, of course, because of the deaths of their Core Disciples.
A Core Disciple who could advance directly to the Sixth Order was the kind of talent every sect would pour resources into nurturing — a future pillar of the entire organization. Zhao Xing had been killed, and Zuo Quanhui had gone so far as to betray the Thousand Crane Blessed Land in pursuit of vengeance. That wasn't merely out of a master's bond — to a large extent, it had been at the instigation of the Thousand Crane Blessed Land itself.
Were Pei Wenxuan and Yin Xinzhao any lesser in standing than Zhao Xing? They too were the favored prodigies of their respective sects, beings with the potential to one day reach the Eighth Order.
In times past, figures of their caliber roaming the Three Thousand Worlds — who would dare provoke them? Yet this time, both had fallen.
The Myriad Demons Heaven seethed with fury. The Xuanyuan Heaven seethed with fury.
Zhuo Buqun and Yu Huan had mobilized simultaneously, first making a trip to Void Land, arriving with aggressive intent to find Yang Kai and exact revenge for their fallen disciples.
Old Bixi was powerful in strength but timid in temperament. He endured their attacks for a long while, earnestly explaining at length, before the two finally believed that Yang Kai was not at Void Land.
The two then employed secret arts, following trails and tracking traces, journeying ceaselessly until they finally arrived at the great domain where the Star Boundary lay.
Yet before they could even begin their confrontation, they beheld this extraordinary gathering of Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators.
The moment Yang Kai finished speaking, the gazes of both men — sharp as blades, keen as swords — slashed toward him. The pressure of Seventh Order Open Heaven rolled toward Yang Kai without the slightest restraint.
Yang Kai sat motionless.
Xu Linggong and Yu Changdao, who had remained silent and composed the entire time, both lifted their gazes in unison.
An invisible collision erupted. The auras within the great hall detonated, and several muffled grunts sounded at once.
The onlookers all turned to Yu Changdao in surprise. Yang Kai had been attacked, and Xu Linggong had stepped in to defend him — that was perfectly understandable, for Yang Kai was the son-in-law of the Yin Yang Heaven. Of course Xu Linggong would protect him.
But Yu Changdao's sudden intervention left them scratching their heads. The Carefree Blessed Land had always been a sect of serene detachment and few desires. Among the one hundred and eight great powers, they had the fewest conflicts and grudues with the others. No one could quite figure out what Yang Kai had offered Yu Changdao to earn such favorable regard.
"Did you two swallow firecrackers? What's with the temper?" Xu Linggong asked with a chuckle, looking at Zhuo Buqun and Yu Huan.
Zhuo Buqun let out a cold snort, demonic energy surging. "Don't play dumb!"
"Cut the nonsense. If you want to fight, I'll keep you company. But if you're not going to fight, then sit down and behave. You're elders — bullying juniors over nothing? What kind of behavior is that?" Xu Linggong said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Zhuo Buqun's fury did not abate, but Yu Huan suddenly laughed twice. "Brother Zhuo, since we're here, let's make the best of it."
With Xu Linggong present, the two of them would not be able to kill Yang Kai anytime soon. Rather than making things unpleasant, it would be better to wait for an opportunity. What weighed more heavily on Yu Huan's mind was the question of why so many Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators had gathered here in the first place.
Neither he nor Zhuo Buqun had received any word of this.
Before taking his seat, his mind drifted back to the moment he had gazed through the void and glimpsed that towering, sky-piercing tree.
That looked rather like the World Tree described in ancient texts!
He had only caught a fleeting glimpse and hadn't had time for a careful examination, nor was he entirely certain. But now, seeing so many Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators assembled together, his thread of suspicion gained considerable weight.