Chu Lingxiao was quite concerned about Lingxiao Pavilion's current situation, and Ling Taixu was also eager to chat more with his predecessor. Seeing that the two still seemed to have much to discuss, Feiyu waved Yang Kai over from the side, then quietly slipped out.
Yang Kai excused himself and hurried after her.
Outside the chamber, Cangyan and the others followed right behind Yang Kai, emerging one after another.
They had originally come here to report something to Chu Lingxiao, but seeing how engrossed he was in his conversation with Ling Taixu, they hadn't wanted to interrupt.
"Little Nephew, I hear the Nine Heavens Holy Land is doing quite well?" Feiyu gazed at Yang Kai with a smile.
"So-so," Yang Kai replied with a sheepish grin.
"I also heard that the Holy Maidens of the Nine Heavens Holy Land obey the Holy Lord's every command. Is that true? How many Holy Maidens have you taken, Little Nephew?" Li Wan poked his head forward, wearing a lewd expression as he asked, then added with an air of solemnity: "Young man, you may be in the prime of your youth and vigorous, but everything should be done in moderation. Don't hurt yourself."
Yang Kai's face darkened with a helpless expression. Not knowing what to say, he quickly changed the subject. "It seems like you four Senior Uncles just came back from outside?"
"Mm." Cangyan nodded. "We went to investigate the situation in that snow mountain."
"What happened? Something wrong?" Yang Kai asked, surprised.
The four exchanged glances. Feiyu thought for a moment and said, "Little Nephew is no outsider. I suppose there's no harm in telling him?"
Cangyan nodded. "We can tell him. Besides, it'll serve as a warning for Little Nephew so that the Nine Heavens Holy Land can stay on guard as well."
Seeing their solemn expressions, Yang Kai immediately realized this matter was probably no ordinary affair—otherwise, why would four Sacred Realm experts treat it with such gravity?
"Come with us." Feiyu beckoned, and the four Senior Uncles led Yang Kai to the side.
"You should know about how, roughly half a year ago, the Small Mystic Realms across the land began opening on their own?" Cangyan asked in a low voice as they walked.
"I do." Yang Kai nodded slightly. In fact, he strongly suspected that the Small Mystic Realms opening simultaneously had something to do with him destroying that space where the Great Demon God's split consciousness had resided.
Though he had no definitive proof, the timing was remarkably coincidental—it was right after that space was destroyed that all the Small Mystic Realm entrances had opened.
"We don't know whether there's any connection between the two events, but ever since all the Small Mystic Realms opened, something unexpected has appeared near the snow mountain."
"What kind of situation?" Yang Kai asked.
"A top-tier expert has appeared under bizarre circumstances," Cangyan answered gravely.
"An expert?"
"A peak Sacred Realm Third Stage expert!"
Yang Kai's expression shifted.
A Sacred Realm Third Stage cultivator was exceedingly rare across the entire continent. Among the human, demon, and monster races combined, the total number of such powerhouses did not exceed twenty.
Yang knew that among the demon race, there were only five of this caliber. Besides the Demon Lord Changyuan, there were the Four Great Demon Generals.
Among the monster race, only three Great Venerables had reached this level—the Scarlet Flame Thunder Dragon, the Earth-Shaking Divine Bull, and the Ice Jade Python.
The human race had slightly more, but not by much.
A sudden appearance of such an expert near the snow mountain naturally demanded attention.
"Which race?" Yang Kai asked urgently.
The expressions of his four Senior Uncles turned odd. Cangyan pondered for a moment before saying, "The problem is precisely that we can't determine which race they belong to—that's what makes it so puzzling. Once we arrive, you'll see for yourself."
Yang Kai blinked in surprise but dropped the matter and followed the four of them.
Judging from what they'd said, that Sacred Realm Third Stage expert seemed to currently be imprisoned somewhere within the Tianxiao Sect, which struck him as almost inconceivable.
Capturing a peak Sacred Realm cultivator was no simple task.
Puzzled but silent, Yang Kai followed the four through the sect. Before long, they arrived at the base of a mountain. A concealed entrance lay at its foot, and they ducked inside into a subterranean passage carved through the rock.
Bright torches flickered along the corridor walls, casting an eerie, gloomy light.
Sensing the invisible pressure bearing down on his body, Yang Kai's expression turned serious.
Feiyu spoke up to explain. "There's a grand formation here with binding properties. The Tianxiao Sect uses this place to imprison powerful enemies, though it's usually empty. It was only opened a few months ago."
"That expert is locked in here?"
"Yes. The situation is very strange—we don't even know how to describe it. You'll have to see it with your own eyes." Cangyan nodded.
As they descended, the pressure Yang Kai felt grew steadily stronger. An illusory sensation crept over him—as though the entire mountain were pressing down on his body—making his breathing grow heavy.
This was clearly the residual force of the formation. Even though it wasn't specifically targeted at him, he could feel its weight. He couldn't imagine what kind of person could withstand it if it were.
After descending roughly a thousand zhang, the group finally arrived at a dim stone chamber. Inside, lines of bright, luminous patterns traced across every surface, converging into a massive, intricate formation diagram. And at the very center of that diagram, a humanoid figure was bound in place.