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Pu Jingwan was pulled back into the group.

However, this time, Yang Jian, the Great Sage, and Xiao Yumei started playing peacekeeper to prevent them from blowing up again.

Only Idealism: You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine.

Invincible Adorable Beauty: I don't care, in any event.

The others felt rather awkward. Yang Jian's eyes darted around, and he sent a message.

Erlang Shen: Ye-zi, didn't you pull us into the group because you had something important to discuss?

Monkey King: That's right!

Ultimate Charmer: Mmhmm.

Only Idealism: I'll say it now, then.

Once he sent that message, Ye Zichen organized his thoughts.

He'd already thought about what he wanted to say, but after Pu Jingwan kicked up a fuss, he felt a bit scattered.

Only Idealism: First, what's happening outside?

Erlang Sheng: You mean with the Hermit Emperor and the others?

Only Idealism: Of course.

Yang Jian pursed his lips and stealthily glanced at the gazebo. Just relying on his n.a.k.e.d eyes, it was hard to tell what was going on over there.

Yang Jian recalled Ye Rong's fury, then gulped subconsciously.

Still, in the end, he gnashed his teeth and stretched out his divine sense.

By now, Ye Rong had already been half-convinced, and she'd reached out to her subordinates, the other star bearers. Regardless of her final decision, she needed confirmation of the existence of the second Emperor Star.

Xuan Ji and the Hermit Emperor were quietly waiting for the results when they felt Yang Jian's divine sense encroaching on them.

They sensed it immediately, but they tacitly agreed to overlook it. They even helped cover it up.

After all, they both felt about eighty percent sure that Yang Jian's choice to investigate was on Ye Zichen's orders.

"How is it?" The Great Sage, Pu Jingwan, and Xiao Yumei all looked at Yang Jian expectantly.

"They discovered me," said Yang Jian.

The others shrugged, but just as they were about to respond to Ye Zichen, Yang Jian stopped them. "I've been discovered, yes, but they didn't disperse my divine sense. They even used theirs to cover mine up and hide it."

"Nothing special. None of them are talking. They're just sitting there," said Yang Jian.

"What? Why?" The Great Sage knit his brows. "We should still tell Ye Zichen, though."

They left Yang Jian to keep investigating the gazebo, then turned their attention to their cell phones and typed out a response.

Monkey King: Nothing's happening.

Invincible Adorable Beauty: Nothing's happening.

Ultimate Charmer: Nothing's happening.

Yang Jian was clearly the one doing the investigating, yet the others jumped the gun and sent the messages first. Yang Jian had just finished typing "Nothing's happening" when he saw their messages. He promptly deleted his. After all, as a "loyal minister putting himself at risk in the line of duty," he had to stand out from the crowd.

Erland Shen: Nothing special is happening. Your mother seems in a bit of a daze. The master of the Profound Pavilion is playing with the pixies, while the Hermit Emperor is staring into the sky. None of them are saying anything.

Outside the chat group.

The Great Sage nodded. "The heavens will condemn you."

"Mmhm." Xiao Yumei nodded too.

In the face of their collective disdain, Yang Jian was rendered speechless. "Get a grip on the situation, alright? I'm the one gathering information, but you stole my thunder and shared my results before I got the chance. I'm giving my all here! Why can't I give my report in a bit more detail?"

"I disdain you," said Pu Jingwan. She and the Great Sage both put up their middle fingers.

Xiao Yumei didn't imitate them, but her gaze was every bit as disdainful.

"Wah, you guys… I hadn't realized you were that type of people."

Ye Zichen had no way of knowing what was going on between them. When he saw the message on screen, he knit his brows.

On their way here, the Hermit Emperor had said he could convince Ye Rong. Even after entering his room, he could hear the muffled sounds of cultivation.

But now his friends said nothing was happening?

Erlang Shen: Something's happening!

The others outside saw Yang Jian tense up, his hands still clutching his phone. They wanted to turn to look at Ye Rong, but they feared doing so would alert her, so they simply waited on tenterhooks for more information.

Although they didn't know it, when Ye Zichen saw that message, he was even more desperate for information.

Only Idealism: What's happening?

Invincible Adorable Beauty: Wait a moment. Yang Jian's busy.

Yang Jian focused on making his divine sense's undulations as small and unnoticeable as possible, while Xuan Ji and the Hermit Emperor tried their best to keep it hidden.

Ye Rong had already made contact with the star bearers. She narrowed her eyes and retracted her divine sense, only to notice her companions' divine senses forming a fluctuating barrier around her.

"What are you doing?"

"Aiya, just now…" Xuan Ji appeared by her side. "Your darling son's friend sent his divine sense over. The Hermit Emperor and I discovered it and ousted it. It seems they're investigating on your son's behalf."

"Who knows? Perhaps he didn't, and they're doing this on their own." Xuan Ji shrugged. "Nevermind them. Did you contact your subordinates? What did they say? There aren't really two Emperor Stars, are there?"

This question successfully diverted Ye Rong's attention. Her gaze grew solemn, and she glanced at the Hermit Emperor…. "Might I ask how you learned of this, Hermit Emperor?" Ye Rong didn't directly state her findings, but her follow-up question proved the Hermit Emperor's claim.

It was true!

Just now, Ye Rong had asked her subordinates, and the result she got was that a hundred years ago, before she'd become the Lord of Seven Stars, their starlight recovered twice as quickly as it did now.

"It seems you've already gotten your answer. As for how I learned of this, this old man naturally has his ways. Then tell me: do you believe me when I say there are two Emperor Stars?" The old man laughed, and without waiting for Ye Rong's response, continued, "There are two Emperor Stars, and transcendence just requires the light of a single one of them. Besides, the Xue Family's little lass's injuries don't need much starlight at all. Doesn't this news resolve your earlier concerns?"

If the Hermit Emperor didn't want to explain how he'd learned of their decreased rate of starlight recovery, Ye Rong felt no need to press the matter.

However, despite everything he'd said, she wasn't moved in the slightest.

"Starlight's recovery rate cannot directly prove the existence of a second Emperor Star. Unless you have some important information you've yet to share, everything is mere conjecture. If it's just conjecture, it's unreliable, and you still can't touch Zichen's starlight."

"Lord of the Big Dipper, you've cooler-headed than I realized!" The Hermit Emperor sighed. He took a few deep looks at Ye Rong, and his smile gradually faded. "It seems you'd like to learn more from me, but I can't tell you anything else. At least, not right now. If you've made up your mind, there's nothing more I can say. We'll just have to leave the matter of the second star up in the air for now."

"Naturally." The Hermit Emperor nodded, then continued, "Actually…."

His lips moved, forming a few words. In the blink of an eye, everyone present, from Yang Jian to Xuan Ji and Ye Rong, jumped to their feet.