Moreover, over the past two years, Aunt Saint Nan had been killing people out in the world without asking about the reason or the identity of her victims. She would strike the moment she saw someone, as if the only thing left in her heart was the urge to kill. But before all of that, they had all heard that this old Holy Maiden of the Nine Heavens Holy Land was a kind-hearted, good person.
Comparing the two, she was like a completely different person. The change was too drastic.
Aunt Saint Nan's attack on the Nine Heavens Holy Land some time back had also been a verified fact.
Their expressions wavered on the spot. When it came down to it, they were still reluctant to become enemies of the Nine Heavens Holy Land.
"This kid is talking nonsense!" Zhang Ao glared at Yang Kai and shouted harshly. "You say Aunt Saint Nan is already dead? How can a dead person still kill people? What a joke — do you think we're all fools you can push around?"
"Exactly, if she's dead, how could she have done those things?"
"Then why would the Holy Land cause trouble for all of you? What benefit would the Holy Land gain from letting Aunt Saint Nan create carnage out in the world?" Yang Kai shot back.
Zhang Ao opened his mouth but couldn't come up with anything meaningful to say.
Most of the factions gathered here had been swindled over by the matter of Aunt Saint Nan. They wanted the Holy Land to give an explanation, to provide justice. Those who genuinely wanted to eradicate the Nine Heavens Holy Land were really just the three factions led by Zhang Ao — they were merely taking advantage of this golden opportunity to act.
"Kid, I'm not going to waste words with you. Who do you think you are, that you can speak with me?" Zhang Ao scoffed disdainfully. "The only one qualified to speak with me is Xu Hui. Xu Hui, have you gone senile in your old age? Relying on a brat to stand up for you — it's absolutely laughable."
"I'm not qualified?" Yang Kai grinned. "Sorry to say, I actually am."
Zhang Ao's brow furrowed, unable to understand what he meant.
"I am the new Holy Master of the Nine Heavens Holy Land. Tell me — am I qualified or not?" Yang Kai looked down at Zhang Ao and said flatly.
The moment these words left his lips, everyone fell silent, staring blankly at Yang Kai.
Xu Hui and his people, however, felt their spirits soar. Every one of them looked as if they'd received a great windfall. Their eyes brightened instantly, blazing as they fixed on Yang Kai's back, their hearts screaming inside.
He admitted it! He admitted it with his own mouth!
He admitted he was the new master of the Holy Land, right in front of several thousand people.
Xu Hui even felt an urge to throw his head back and roar with laughter. All this time he had been working so hard — working to make Yang Kai feel a sense of belonging toward the Nine Heavens Holy Land. But Yang Kai had stubbornly refused to budge. Although Xu Hui had sensed a shift in Yang Kai's attitude after their return from the Demon Territory, it wasn't until this very moment that his heart finally settled.
By openly admitting it before so many people, Yang Kai had cemented his status as the new Holy Master beyond any doubt. Even if he wanted to go back on it later, he couldn't.
In that instant, every powerhouse of the Holy Land — Xu Hui included — felt a massive stone lift from their hearts. Their relief was so profound that even the crisis before them now seemed trivial by comparison.
Yu Ying and Cheng Yuetong, the two beautiful women, saw their complexions immediately brighten with radiance, their lovely eyes shining with spirited light.
Faintly, it seemed to them that the pillar of the Holy Land that had toppled was now standing upright once more, propping up the foundation of the Nine Peaks.
"The new Holy Master?" Zhang Ao's face drained of color in an instant. He stared at Yang Kai in a daze, looking utterly unable to believe what he'd just heard. Cao Guan of the War Soul Hall also furrowed his brow, his gaze turning noticeably colder.
Wu Jie of the Netherworld Sect let out a low, eerie laugh, murmuring to himself in a voice no one else could hear: "Interesting. Now it's all been for nothing… They already have a new Holy Master."
These three factions had banded together, rallying and manipulating various experts, not merely to destroy the Nine Heavens Holy Land. Of all things, what they valued most about seizing the Holy Land's foundation was the legacy of the Nine Heavens Holy Land.
It was a legacy that could guarantee a person a smooth breakthrough to the third step of the Saint Realm. Who wouldn't be envious of that?
As long as they conquered the Nine Heavens Holy Land and captured An Ling'er, they could pair her with an elite disciple of their own sects. After a few decades, they could produce a top-tier powerhouse. By then, their factions would be able to turn things around completely, becoming existence on par with the Nine Heavens Holy Land.
So when they heard Yang Kai say those words, both Zhang Ao and Cao Guan felt a bitter mix of frustration and fury — the feeling of a treasure they had been coveting being snatched away by someone else.
"Xu Hui, what he said… is it true?" Zhang Ao demanded, his expression turning savage.
Xu Hui stepped forward, his face solemn. "That's right. Our Holy Land has had a new Holy Master for over half a year now. We simply haven't made it public because we've been busy dealing with threats both internal and external. But now that it has come to this, we see no reason to hide it any longer."
Hearing this, Zhang Ao felt his spirits plummet.
His greatest objective had now been cut off at the root. Even if they managed to conquer the Nine Heavens Holy Land, they would never get their hands on that mysterious legacy.
Seeing his dejected demeanor, Cao Guan quickly sent him a divine-sense transmission. Zhang Ao's eyes lit up, his gaze suddenly blazing with intensity as he stared at Yang Kai with a savage grin.
He had clearly found a new target. As long as he could capture Yang Kai and An Ling'er, the legacy would still fall into his hands.