The Yang Clan members, though somewhat constrained, didn't truly consider a warrior like Yang Kai a threat. In their minds, as long as they found the right opportunity—at the moment the Divine Tree let its guard down—they could take Yang Kai's life in one decisive move.
So when they heard Yang Kai's words, the Yang Clan leader refused without a second thought.
An unspeakable humiliation! Under their own roof, the Divine Tree—their treasure and foundation—had been bewitched by an outsider! This was a disgrace to the entire Yang Clan. Only by killing Yang Kai could their fury be quenched.
Yang Kai let out a cold laugh. Sheltered securely among the Divine Tree's branches, he gazed down at them from his lofty position and said flatly, "I think I do have that qualification."
As he spoke, a peculiar strand of divine sense burst forth from his consciousness sea.
This divine sense carried no killing intent and no offensive power whatsoever, but when it swept across several Yang Clan members, they let out piercing screams, clutching their heads and rolling on the ground in utter agony.
Three breaths later, their movements froze, their life force dissipated, and blood streamed from their seven orifices as they died.
The remaining Yang Clan members turned pale with shock, and their leader stared at the scene in disbelief, his cold eyes trembling.
Even he hadn't detected what Yang Kai had done, yet several clan members of considerable strength had simply dropped dead.
A chill surged from the depths of his heart. Those still alive looked at Yang Kai differently now, their gazes filled with terror.
"Boy... you're provoking me," the Yang Clan leader said in a low voice, his killing intent thick enough to take solid form.
Yang Kai remained composed, shaking his head with a faint smile. "I'm merely proving to you that I have the capital to negotiate."
His voice turned cold and sharp: "My patience is running thin, old dog. Give me your answer quickly, or everyone here—except those at the Entering Sage Realm—will die!"
Hearing this, eighty percent of the Yang Clan members stumbled back in terror, thinking they might be safer at a distance—never knowing that Soul-Devouring Insects had long since infiltrated and lain dormant within their consciousness seas.
The Yang Clan leader gasped for breath, his gaze locked on Yang Kai with hatred and venom. After a long moment, he finally called out, "What are your demands?"
"Let us leave! That's the only demand," Yang Kai shouted.
"Leader, we can't let him go! Our clan has suffered such heavy losses—we can't just let him walk away! That would be far too easy for him!" Someone immediately voiced their opposition.
"Exactly! Killing this boy is the only way to calm the fury in my heart!"
"Kill him! We must kill him, even if it damages the Divine Tree!"
Several Entering Sage Realm experts clamored, insisting Yang Kai must die, leaving no room for negotiation.
Yang Kai laughed and called down to them: "Your losses are certainly considerable, but have you considered that you've also gained a great deal? Your Divine Tree has now developed its own consciousness! It's completely incomparable to what it was before. Once I leave, if you treat it kindly and earn its approval, you'll reap unimaginable benefits in the future!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the massive Divine Tree shuddered. From its heart came a wave of displeased divine sense, tinged with a sense of grievance—as if it was saddened by the thought of Yang Kai abandoning it.
Yang Kai's heart skipped a beat. He quickly sent out divine sense to soothe it, saying as he did, "But if you make me stay, things will be different. Since I'm the one who granted the Divine Tree this form of life, it's very close to me. Given enough time, I could make it entirely mine—something you could never take back. It wouldn't take long—perhaps a few days, maybe ten or so. So if I were you, I'd send someone who threatens the clan's interests on his way as quickly as possible!"
Every Yang Clan member's brow furrowed.
Yang Kai's words were spoken from their perspective. Though there was every reason to suspect deception, what he said made undeniable sense.
The Divine Tree's dramatic transformation was, after all, a pleasant surprise. Setting aside the earlier losses, such a change could only be considered an extraordinary blessing for the entire Yang Clan.
A Divine Tree blessed with intelligence and a soul—something the Yang Clan had never even dreamed of.
"We could still kill you and root out the threat for good!" The Yang Clan leader seemed somewhat swayed, but the memory of his clan's losses made him unwilling to let Yang Kai go. Through gritted teeth he said, "As long as you're dead, the Divine Tree will still belong to our clan."
"Sure!" Yang Kai chuckled. "You people certainly have the ability to kill me. I don't believe I could escape from so many of you alive. But I can at least drag some of you down with me—and the question is whether you can afford that price. Furthermore, to kill me, you'd have to damage the Divine Tree. If you hurt it, do you think it would still accept your approval? This little fellow's thinking is very simple right now—if you cause it trauma, it will remember it for the rest of its life. Old dog, be careful not to lose the hen while trying to steal the egg—end up losing both your wife and your soldiers, and then where will you put that old face of yours!"
Yang Kai's grand oration left the Yang Clan leader's face as dark as a storm, his expression caught between rage and helplessness.
The ones who had been clamoring moments ago to kill Yang Kai at once also furrowed their brows, privately realizing the situation was more troublesome than expected.
If the Divine Tree hadn't developed intelligence and a soul, they would have accepted some damage to it in exchange for Yang Kai's death.
But the Divine Tree now had its own mind, and this made them utterly unwilling to act rashly—they feared that, just as Yang Kai said, the Divine Tree would bear a grudge against them and refuse to let them absorb its Yang-attribute energy, which would spell the end of the entire Yang Clan.
They all turned their gazes toward their leader, leaving every decision to him. At this point, none of them were willing to readily speak up with their own opinions.
The Yang Clan leader pondered for a long while before finally looking up at Yang Kai with cold, dark eyes. "Can you guarantee that after you leave, the Divine Tree will accept us?"
"Why should I guarantee anything? That's for you to earn! You'd best treat me with some friendliness right now. The way you're glaring at me like fierce gods and wrathful spirits—oh, it's making the tree very unhappy."
As if to confirm Yang Kai's words, the Divine Tree's branches and dense foliage rustled and shook, like an enraged giant.