An accidental discovery left Yang Kai's heart in a state of anxious uncertainty. Whether that mass of energy was truly a Star Source or not, Yang Kai himself was unclear.
Under the Ghost Ancestor's vigilant surveillance, he didn't dare probe it deeply, so he had no choice but to let the matter rest.
Still, he had his own conjectures. If it really was a Star Source, it must have formed within the last fifteen hundred years. Or perhaps it was capable of deceiving the Ghost Ancestor's probing, otherwise it was impossible for it to have remained unharmed and unnoticed by him.
One wisp of Yang Kai's spiritual consciousness was not retracted. It remained there all along, being nourished and strengthened by that inexplicable energy.
He planned to wait for an opportunity to return and check the situation later.
That wisp of spiritual consciousness left behind would provide him with a precise location.
Yang Kai had done this without a trace, silently and without attracting undue attention from the Ghost Ancestor.
As time passed, Yang Kai's attainment in the mysteries of Space grew ever deeper. His spiritual consciousness, when released, could easily cover half the continent. Infused with the subtle essence of space, it could leap and shuttle through the void, arriving effortlessly at any location he wished to observe.
He repeatedly examined the seven-colored sky, conducting constant experiments. After countless strands of his Divine Sense were lost in the chaotic domain, he finally gained some confidence in leaving this place.
He kept his composure, made no announcement, and continued his investigations and trials, striving for perfection and zero error.
Each day, Yang Kai would report his progress to the Ghost Ancestor, but he revealed nothing of the truth, so the Ghost Ancestor remained completely ignorant.
This day, as Yang Kai returned from the seven-colored sky and reached the plateau on the mountainside, he caught the scent of a stench of blood drifting through the air.
His expression shifted slightly. His spiritual consciousness spread out, and he quickly detected the anomaly.
The surviving people on this continent were all gathered together, their atmosphere heavy as they seemed to be discussing something.
"What's happened?" Yang Kai walked over to ask.
"Someone's dead!" Shen Tu's face looked grim.
Yang Kai looked ahead in surprise and indeed saw a warrior lying on the ground, all traces of life extinguished. His entire body appeared to have endured immense pressure, causing his flesh and blood to explode in an instant, leaving his corpse a ghastly sight.
"Which side's man was he?" Yang Kai asked.
"One of ours," He Zao replied with a somber look.
He Miao and Yue Xi wore expressions of grief and indignation. Even Lü Guichen showed a trace of the sorrow one feels for a dead rabbit when the fox has gone.
Recall that when their Purple Star and Sword Union first fell into misfortune here, over a hundred warriors had been stranded. Yet after more than a year, only around ten remained alive. They had enjoyed several months of relative peace, and now, another one had died right under their noses.
None of them even knew how he had died.
"Who killed him?" Yang Kai raised his head and asked.
No one dared to answer, only offering bitter, helpless smiles.
Yang Kai immediately understood. Here, no one besides the Ghost Ancestor dared to take a life — no one else had the nerve.
That old monster's mood appeared to be terrible; otherwise, he wouldn't have struck a junior without any provocation.
"Yang Kai, could you go speak to Senior Ghost Ancestor? We have no intention of resisting him, so could you ask him to stop killing?" He Zao pressed her red lips together, gazing at Yang Kai.
This time, it was a warrior from the Sword Alliance who died. Next time, if the Ghost Ancestor decided to kill again, who would fall victim?
It could be anyone — it could be themselves!
Everyone present, aside from Yang Kai who could rest easy, had to live in constant fear!
And once the Ghost Ancestor killed everyone here and saw no hope of leaving, he would likely spare Yang Kai's life no longer. He would use the Soul Searching technique to strip away Yang Kai's memories, devour his understanding of spatial mysteries, and then, with no retreat left, research a way out on his own.
"That's right, Yang Kai." Shen Tu also spoke up. "You're the only one here who can actually talk to Senior Ghost Ancestor... I'd rather not die without even knowing why."
Everyone else gazed at him earnestly, seeing him as their lifeline.
Yang Kai gave a slight nod. "I'll talk to him, but whether he'll actually listen, I can't say."
"As long as you talk to him, that's enough." Shen Tu smiled bitterly, helpless.
"He Zao, He Miao. Help me bury him." Yue Xi said softly.
"Yes." The remaining three members of the Sword Alliance worked together to carry the dead warrior's body away and found a place to bury him.
Yang Kai turned and walked into the depths of the mountain. After a few turns through the passages, he found his way with ease to the stone chamber where the Ghost Ancestor resided.
Yang Kai had never been to this particular stone chamber before. He only knew that the Ghost Ancestor lived here. This was his first time visiting.
This stone chamber was vastly different from everywhere else. It seemed shrouded in endless darkness, without a trace of light. Within the chamber, phantom shadows flitted about, and ghostly streams of energy drifted to and fro. The moment Yang Kai stepped inside, a chill swept through his entire body. Eerie sounds of wailing and howling filled his ears, shaking his mind, and in an instant, strange visions flashed before his eyes.
In those visions, green-faced, fanged demons lunged toward him, seeking to gnaw at his flesh and soul, to drag him into the Nine Abyss Purgatory, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation again.