Martial Peak

Before seeing this scene, Yang Kai had thought that Xue Li and Meng Ge were unwilling to let this insult pass and had called another Demon General to assist them, but now could immediately determine that this plain-looking middle-aged man was no Demon General.

Although his heart was calling out in alarm, Yang Kai maintained his tranquil look as he stared deeply at this middle-aged man, dread flashing across the depths of his pupils.

This middle-aged man’s way of dressing was eccentric but his eyes were incredibly sharp, radiating a fierce, piercing light, making others not dare to stare into them. His aura was also vast and immeasurably deep.

Cocking his head to the side, the middle-aged man’s eyes swept over the crowd down below before fixing on Yang Kai and revealing a light smile, “Holy Master Yang?”

This man had never met Yang Kai before, but amongst the thousands of people in front of him, he was able to determine who Yang Kai was at a glance, making it clear how sharp his eyes really were.

Yang Kai gently nodded, responding in a solemn tone, “Demon Commander?”

The middle-aged man raised his brow and laughed loudly, liberally praising, “Holy Master Yang’s vision is quite good, instantly seeing through this Senior’s identity. En, admirable!”

He hadn’t expected Yang Kai to be so perceptive, but what was more impressive to him was the show of indifference on this young boy’s face even after recognizing his true identity. Anyone who recognized him would inevitably reveal a panic-stricken look and either try to escape or immediately launch an attack.

Yang Kai, however, was different; although there was wariness in his eyes, there were no signs of panic, only a kind of tranquillity.

His admiration was genuine.

Yang Kai lightly snorted. Him being able to recognize the identity of this man was because of Xue Li and Meng Ge’s attitudes. These two were Demon Generals, the only one who they would willingly stand behind and show deference towards was the current Demon Commander.

Yang Kai had imagined countless times what kind of person the current Demon Commander was.

Perhaps he was a giant man with overbearing strength.

Perhaps he was a sinister snake that radiated cunning.

Perhaps he was a wanderer, free and unfettered.

But never had Yang Kai thought that the current Demon Commander was actually extremely ordinary. If it weren’t for the gaudy robes he was wearing, this man would be able to perfectly blend into a crowd and disappear from everyone’s vision.

Ordinary people who saw him would only take notice of his strange taste in clothes while completely ignoring the man himself.

[This is the Demon Commander that sealed Meng Wu Ya’s strength?] Yang Kai couldn’t help finding it difficult to believe.

“Holy Master Yang does not need to doubt, this Senior is truly the current Demon Commander, Zhang Yuan! En, this point Xue Li and Meng Ge can attest to for me,” Demon Commander still smiled indifferently as he genially said.

“I don’t doubt you,” Yang Kai gently took a breath, “I just don’t understand. Instead of sitting comfortably in the Demon Land, you actually decided to travel tens of thousands of kilometres to the middle of nowhere. Is there something here that is really worth you visiting in person?”

Perceiving the hostility and rejection of Yang Kai, Zhang Yuan rubbed his nose and grinned, “This Senior already said, I have come here to discuss a certain matter with Holy Master Yang.”

“Is there anything for us to discuss?” Yang Kai frowned.

“There is,” Zhang Yuan insisted, glancing around before asking, “This isn’t an ideal place for this. Can Holy Master Yang arrange a quiet place for us to sit down and talk?”

Saying so, he simply stared at Yang Kai with a smile.

“Master!” Li Rong stood close to Yang Kai and stared fixedly at Zhang Yuan, solemnly whispering, “Be careful not to be deceived by him.”

“Don’t agree with his request!” Han Fei also objected.

Yang Kai knit his brow deeply for a moment before shaking his head, “I’ll speak with him. From the looks of things, he doesn’t appear to have come here looking for trouble; rather, it seems there’s something he really wants to talk about.”

If he was here to find fault or seek revenge for Meng Ge and Xue Li, with Zhang Yuan’s strength, there would be no need to speak so much nonsense.

Although he might not have a way to kill or capture Yang Kai, if top-level Third-Order Saint Realm masters were to fight here, the thousands of people gathered at High Heaven Pavilion would definitely suffer.

This would be the best way to retaliate against Yang Kai.

“This way, please!” Yang Kai shouted before gesturing towards the inside of High Heaven Pavilion.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Zhang Yuan gently nodded before following behind Yang Kai with Meng Ge and Xue Li.

After the six figures gradually disappeared, the several thousand cultivators present finally took a gasp of air; the near tangible pressure just now had made it difficult for them to even breathe.

“Who was that man just now, he seemed to be very powerful.”

“Senior Brother Yang called him Demon Commander… What is a Demon Commander?”

“Senior Shi Kun, how much do you know about this matter?” Ling Tai Xu, Yang Ying Feng, and several other leaders went over to Shi Kun to ask as their understanding of Tong Xuan Realm was simply too shallow.

Shi Kun’s face was deathly pale as he heard the many whispers of the people around him, unable to hold back a bitter laugh, “Ignorance is bliss.”

Demon Commander… Even he had never seen this great figure before, but the people here were casually discussing what a Demon Commander was…

Shi Kun firmly believed that if this title was reported to anyone in Tong Xuan Realm, it would immediately cause great unrest, but here, it has only elicited people’s curiosity.

“The Demon Commander can be said to be one of the strongest masters in all of Tong Xuan Realm. As for how strong he is exactly… En, let’s make an analogy. Do you think I am strong?”

The group of people gathered around Shi Kun nodded.

Half a year ago they didn’t even know about the existence of the Saint Realm, but after having fought against them a few times now, the Blood Warriors of the Yang Family had personally experienced the massive difference in strength between a Saint and a Transcendent.

In front of them, a Saint was an earth-shattering master with unfathomable means, none of which they could resist.

Shi Kun smiled bitterly, “In your eyes, I am truly fierce, but even if there were a hundred of me, the Demon Commander would still be able to crush us like ants.”

Everyone present paled, finally understanding how tyrannical this Demon Commander was.

“Isn’t Kai’er in danger then?” Dong Su Zhu cried out.

Shi Kun scratched his head, “Not necessarily. The Demon Commander didn’t seem to have come here for a fight this time. Moreover, the lady named Li Rong next to Holy Master is also quite fierce. With her by his side, the Demon Commander won’t be able to harm the Holy Master.”

“You mean to say that lady’s strength is on par with that Demon Commander?” The crowd was astonished, only now understanding the depths of Li Rong’s strength.

“I’m also not clear,” Shi Kun shrugged his shoulders, unable to give a definitive answer. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why the Demon Commander would come to this place and directly ask to speak with the Holy Master.

The two of them had clearly never met before, what matter could they possibly have to discuss?

Inside the main hall of High Heaven Pavilion, Yang Kai and the Demon Commander were seated with Li Rong and Han Fei standing behind Yang Kai, and Xue Li and Meng Ge standing behind the Demon Commander, seemingly staring each other down.

The atmosphere inside the hall was bleak and the air was heavy.

Yang Kai was filled with doubts and didn’t speak, simply staring straight at the Demon Commander, refusing to miss any of his actions.

The Demon Commander, on the other hand, was like a tourist, glancing around at the rather simple hall and commenting, “This is truly a miraculous place, actually able to produce a character like Holy Master Yang. This Senior really wishes he had been born a thousand years later so he could grow up alongside Holy Master Yang as fellow brothers, enjoying wine and travelling the world together!”

Inside the hall, everyone else’s expressions became awkward, none of them understanding what Zhang Yuan was doing.

Hearing such blatant praise and flattery after just sitting down instead made Zhang Yuan seem even more untrustworthy.

“Demon Commander, if you have something to say please speak frankly, this place does not welcome you,” Yang Kai said solemnly, his expression somewhat impatient.

With such a master sitting right in front of himself, even Yang Kai felt a great deal of pressure.

He wasn’t worried about his own safety of course. If a fight broke out, even though he knew he was no match for the Demon Commander, Yang Kai could simply tear space and escape, after which he could summon the Flying Heavens Shuttle and flee. With the Flying Heavens Shuttle’s speed, even the Demon Commander wouldn’t be able to do anything but eat dust behind his butt, unable to catch up for a lifetime.

No, what Yang Kai was worried about was the safety of the thousands of people gathered here; they were his friends, his Sect Brothers and Sisters, his clansmen, his parents and brothers…

He had too many concerns here.

“Impudence!” Meng Ge shouted, “Boy, don’t get too full of yourself, Demon Commander travelling to this place to see you is your honour!”

“He is the one who arrived here unsolicited whereas I am the master of this place, could it be I can’t expel someone from my own house?” Yang Kai sneered.

“Meng Ge, be silent!” Zhang Yuan shouted lowly, forcing Meng Ge to immediately lower his head.

Although both were Third Order Saints, the Demon Commander was far more powerful than any of the Demon Generals, which was why he could sit in his current position.

Zhang Yuan looked back at Yang Kai and said with a smile, “Holy Master Yang seems to be quiet wary of this Senior. Very well, this Senior won’t waste any of your time and get straight to the point.”

Maintaining a friendly expression his face, Zhang Yuan continued, “Actually, Holy Master Yang doesn’t have to be like this, the strength you grasp in your hands currently is not inferior to this Senior’s. The lady behind you may not be as strong as this Senior, but the difference is not great. This Senior has four Demon Generals as subordinates, all of whom are Third Order Saints, but the subordinates of Holy Master Yang are not weak either, if the two of us really have a falling out, neither of us will come out unscathed, correct?”

Yang Kai frowned, his face sullen, refusing to respond.

He didn’t understand why the Demon Commander wanted to point out their respective strengths.

However, the most logical conclusion would be that the Demon Commander really didn’t want to start a fight with Yang Kai. With the strength of both sides almost equal and no one possessing a decisive advantage, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say their respective statuses were also equal.

Zhang Yuan sighed and said, “This Senior has heard that these two short-sighted subordinates of mine have offended Holy Master Yang in the past, so naturally it is the responsibility of this Senior to punish them accordingly. Good, you two, apologize to Holy Master Yang, let us make big things small and make small things nothing so that in the future there are no grudges between our two sides.”

As soon as this statement came out, Meng Ge and Xue Li’s eyes both bulged as they stared dumbfounded at Zhang Yuan.

They had never dreamed they would hear such words from his mouth.

Even Yang Kai’s expression became strange.

If all Zhang Yuan wanted to do was show him some goodwill, this was too much; moreover, with his status, why would he need to show Yang Kai goodwill in the first place?

Yang Kai felt even more strongly that this Zhang Yuan had some kind of hidden intentions; otherwise, he absolutely would not humiliate his own subordinates in such a manner.

Thinking so, Yang Kai’s expression relaxed as he calmly stared at Zhang Yuan, a grin slowly creeping onto his face.

He wanted to see what the current Demon Commander was up to and what exactly it was he wanted from himself.

As long as Zhang Yuan wanted something from him, the initiative lay in Yang Kai’s hands, allowing him to put down most of his worries.