After chatting with the Blood Servants for a while, Yang Kai let them all disperse.
Only Tang Yuxian remained.
Yang Kai had made a small joke earlier, and Tang Yuxian's cheeks were still flushed. She had no idea why Young Master had asked her to stay behind.
"Yuxian, we're not outsiders here. There are some things I won't keep from you," Yang Kai said, his expression turning serious as he spoke in a low voice.
"Please speak, Young Master. Yuxian is all ears." Tang Yuxian composed her own expression as well.
"It's hard to explain in words—just feel it for yourself!" Yang Kai finished speaking, and a formidable surge of Divine Sense burst forth, sweeping toward Tang Yuxian.
Tang Yuxian's delicate body trembled violently, a strange light flickering through her beautiful eyes as she stared at Yang Kai in disbelief.
"You felt it?" Yang Kai asked.
Tang Yuxian was stunned for a long moment before she gave a slight nod. "Young Master, that was your own Divine Sense?"
"That's right!"
Yang Kai had already cultivated Divine Sense, but neither Tang Yuxian nor Tu Feng had known about it. The only reason he was revealing it now was because he wanted to consult her on matters related to the Divine Soul, so he had decided to give her a small demonstration.
"So that's how it is. The Divine Sense that erupted that night at Yang Tie's residence—it was yours, Young Master." Tang Yuxian suddenly understood. Months had passed, yet she still remembered clearly: on the very first night of the War of Succession, a fierce battle had broken out at Yang Tie's estate. Yang Kai had burst onto the scene out of nowhere, and along with him came a powerful wave of Divine Sense that blanketed the entire residence, intimidating everyone in the area.
At the time, she had been wondering which expert it belonged to. Now she finally had her answer.
"But Young Master, you're only at the ninth layer of the Zhenyuan Realm. How is it possible that you...?"
How could he possess Divine Sense at the peak of the Shenyou Realm? Moreover, he had already had it months ago. By the look of it, Yang Kai must have been cultivating his Divine Sense for quite some time.
"I don't know either," Yang Kai shook his head without going into further detail. "Your attainments in Divine Soul techniques surpass those of most others. I was hoping to draw on some of your experience."
Meng Wuya and the Earth Demon were both experts among experts, and their mastery of the Divine Soul was certainly no weaker than Tang Yuxian's. But everyone had their own particular strengths.
Yang Kai was only a single step away from the Shenyou Realm. Naturally, he wanted to prepare in advance, especially for that critical barrier to breaking through!
The Zhenyuan Realm represented a watershed for martial artists—the Yuan Qi within their bodies would transform into True Essence, becoming denser, purer, and more potent.
The Shenyou Realm was equally a tremendous watershed. At this stage, a martial artist would open up their own Sea of Consciousness and nurture their cultivation of Divine Sense.
"What specifically would Young Master like to ask?" Tang Yuxian composed herself and asked calmly.
"For example, how did you go about opening your own Sea of Consciousness?" Yang Kai thought for a moment and said.
"I remember it clearly. At the time, I took some rare spiritual treasures that supplemented Divine Sense." Tang Yuxian recalled for a moment, then spoke slowly. "It's hard to explain in words. How about this, Young Master—allow me to demonstrate. I still remember what it was like back then."
"Demonstrate? How?"
"Young Master, please enter my Sea of Consciousness!" Tang Yuxian showed not a shred of wariness and simply lowered the defenses of her Sea of Consciousness without hesitation.
"Very well." Yang Kai nodded, and his Divine Sense merged into a single stream, surging directly into Tang Yuxian's mind.
What spread before his eyes was a vast, cloudless sky. Clear water stretched to the horizon, a boundless ocean laid out before him. Within that infinite sea resided the full force of Tang Yuxian's Divine Sense, and Yang Kai's expression shifted slightly at the sight.
So far, Yang Kai had entered the Sea of Consciousness of three people.
The first was Shan Qingluo. The second was his Little Senior Sister. The third was Tang Yuxian.
Entering another person's Sea of Consciousness allowed one to clearly sense the shifts in their inner heart and the workings of their thoughts—a subtle, almost uncanny experience. It was as though one had become a worm in their belly, privy to every flicker of emotion that no observer could hope to conceal.
This was precisely why, unless the bond between two martial artists was truly deep, one would never open one's Sea of Consciousness to an outsider.
Each of the three Seas of Consciousness had given Yang Kai a different impression.
Shan Qingluo's was filled with seduction and allure. That vast ocean of Divine Sense seemed capable of pulling Yang Kai's own soul in, making it impossible to extricate himself.
His Little Senior Sister's gave off a feeling of freshness and natural ease. Simply existing within her Sea of Consciousness allowed one to forget every worry and distraction. Her aura could bring Yang Kai to a state of calm in an instant, his heart still as water.
Tang Yuxian's, on the other hand, radiated maturity. Even the gentle breeze sweeping across the surface of the sea felt like the embrace of a full-figured woman, enveloping Yang Kai completely.
Right now, Tang Yuxian's Divine Soul form stood not far before him.
Beneath, the ocean suddenly churned with rolling waves, and the cloudless sky above shifted and wavered, becoming unstable and unfocused.
Yang Kai looked surprised.
Tang Yuxian said sheepishly, "This is the first time anyone has entered my Sea of Consciousness. I'm not quite used to it yet."
The condition within one's Sea of Consciousness was a direct reflection of their inner emotional state, and at this moment she was undeniably nervous. After all, she was essentially laying bare the greater part of her secrets before Yang Kai—a prospect that was rather embarrassing for any woman.
Had Yang Kai delved deeper into her Sea of Consciousness, he could have peered into every trivial detail of her life from childhood to the present. But Yang Kai would never do such a thing.
Hearing her words, Yang Kai simply nodded and waited patiently for her composure to return.
Sure enough, after a short while, the surface of the ocean was calm once more.
"Young Master, watch carefully. I'll demonstrate now." Tang Yuxian spoke softly, and Yang Kai suddenly found his vision plunged into darkness.
He could see nothing—the ocean, the sky, the breeze, everything had vanished.