The peak where the Ghost Ancestor had originally resided was lush and verdant, its scenery breathtakingly beautiful, filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers.
But now, the entire mountain peak appeared as though it had been scorched by fire — the summit was barren and bare, scorched earth and withered trees littering the ground, the previous beauty nowhere to be seen.
Even the formation that had been set up here to gather spiritual energy appeared to have been destroyed.
Inside the mountain, the Spirit Stream had completely vanished — it had dried up entirely, the stream water that once flowed through it long since gone without a trace.
Within a stone chamber, an invisible vortex was spinning, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth toward it, which was then absorbed.
The Ghost Ancestor's figure materialized unhurriedly, standing before Yang Kai, frowning at him intently, utterly motionless.
Yang Kai seemed completely unaware of his presence. It was only after a long while that he gently drew a breath and stopped the circulation of his cultivation technique.
After silently probing his own body, Yang Kai's expression turned elated.
The Yang Liquid within his dantian and the evil energy within his Proud Bone Golden Body had both completely vanished. They had fused together, forming a new kind of power that carried the characteristics of both yet was far more formidable and destructive than either Yang Yuan or the evil energy.
This power flowed gently through his meridians, nourishing every inch of his flesh and blood, and was stored within the Proud Bone Golden Body.
Yang Kai felt as though he had been utterly renewed from the inside out, as though he had undergone a complete rebirth, his entire body brimming with incomparable explosive power.
A single insight, a single session of cultivation, had brought about a heaven-and-earth-shaking transformation within himself!
He even felt he could fight against a powerhouse of the Saint King Realm!
His cultivation realm had also advanced somewhat, reaching the Second Stage of the Enter Saint Realm without any obstruction.
Yang Kai didn't even know when he had broken through. During this entire period, he had been immersed in the process of merging the two powers, completely oblivious to everything else. This unexpected bonus only added to his elation.
With a thought, Yang Kai attempted to activate the Demon God Transformation.
Invisible demonic runes climbed up his body, sinking into his flesh. In the blink of an eye, his blood and qi power surged wildly, his life force fluctuations skyrocketing...
It seemed he could still use the Demon God Transformation. Yang Kai's heart settled with relief. After all, the merged power carried all the characteristics of both Yang Yuan and the evil energy.
"Not bad, not bad — you truly are quite impressive!" The Ghost Ancestor's voice suddenly came from before him, carrying genuine praise.
Yang Kai opened his eyes. He dismissed the Demon God Transformation and clasped his fists in a respectful salute. "Senior, I thank you for your guidance the other day."
The Ghost Ancestor's expression turned odd, and he let out a cold snort. "I didn't teach you anything. There's no need to thank me!"
Yang Kai chuckled. "Senior may have merely said it in passing. But without those words of yours, I might have needed years, even decades or longer to reach this point. So regardless, I must still thank you for opening my eyes!"
"Think what you will." The Ghost Ancestor waved his hand impatiently, seemingly unwilling to have any further connection with Yang Kai. He spoke in a deep, stern voice, "It's been over a month since you entered seclusion. I was generous enough to give you all this time to improve your strength, and now you've succeeded. Isn't it about time you fulfilled your obligations?"
He stared coldly at Yang Kai, apparently somewhat displeased at having waited so long.
Yang Kai quickly nodded. "I'll start right away. But before that, I'd like to go take a look at that spatial formation."
"Suit yourself. As long as you can find a way out, I don't care what you fiddle with. But remember — if you fail to find a way to leave, I will rip out your soul and torture you for eternity. Disappoint me, and it will not end well for you — I assure you of that!"
He delivered this vicious threat, then casually sent a bolt of pitch-black energy into Yang Kai's body. It vanished in an instant.
The dark energy coursed through Yang Kai's body and, in no time at all, arrived at his arm, where it settled into the shape of a fearsome face.
Within it was the Ghost Ancestor's spiritual sense, through which the Ghost Ancestor could monitor Yang Kai's every move.
Yang Kai shook his head with a bitter smile and strode outward.
In no time at all, he had left the interior of the mountain and arrived at the flat ground where the spatial formation had been set up.
The spatial formation had been left idle here ever since the Ghost Ancestor had last used it. The countless Saint Crystals in the formation had dimmed, their stored energy nearly exhausted. The spatial gate, forged from battleship fragments, still stood in its original position, a thin layer of Void Crystal covering its frame.
Yang Kai had secretly observed this spatial formation more than once, hoping to gain some insights and improve his comprehension of spatial formations.
Only now, at this close range and with unrestrained scrutiny, did he realize that while the Ghost Ancestor's mastery of spatial mysteries was unremarkable, his thousand years of research had indeed yielded some genuine insights.
He had actually thought to use Void Crystal as the key for opening the Void Corridor, and as a medium to stabilize it.
However, unfortunately, the gate used to form the Void Corridor had been forged from Saint King-grade battleship fragments — its tier was still too low, and the Void Crystal covering the doorframe was insufficient in quantity. This was why the Void Corridor the Ghost Ancestor opened was so chaotic and unstable, liable to collapse at any moment.
If he were provided with sufficient materials, he might well have been able to successfully set up a stable spatial formation. As for where that spatial formation would teleport someone, the Ghost Ancestor probably didn't know either.
Yang Kai observed the spatial formation, penetrating the Ghost Ancestor's research into spatial mysteries, converting it all into his own understanding. His expression was one of deep concentration.
After a moment, the sound of footsteps suddenly reached him.
Yang Kai turned his head to look, only to discover that every surviving person on this continent had come over.
It seemed they had come because they had seen that Yang Kai had emerged from seclusion.
"Master..." Bi Ya paid no heed to the contemptuous stares from those around her, calling out warmly as she approached Yang Kai with a beaming smile. She said sincerely, "Congratulations on your great increase in strength and your enlightenment, Master."