Outside Shentu's palace, Garon pointed at Yang Kai and said, "Young Master Yang wants to go buy some things. Go with him and keep him safe."
"Young Master Shentu's guest?" The demon race expert turned to look at Yang Kai and gave a slight nod. "No problem."
He had clearly already heard of Yang Kai's existence.
After all, Shentu rarely brought anyone to the palace as a guest. Anyone he brought back was someone he held in particularly high regard.
"Please, follow me," the expert said, beckoning to Yang Kai.
"Much appreciated," Yang Kai replied with a slight smile.
Following behind this demon race expert as they traveled at high speed, the man seemed rather taciturn—not much for talking.
Yang Kai had to take the initiative and ask, "What should I call you, friend?"
This demon race expert was definitely a Saint King Realm powerhouse, because whenever Yang Kai faced him, he felt an inexplicable pressure that only a Saint King Realm expert could produce.
But since he was Shentu's subordinate, calling him "friend" wasn't out of line.
"You flatter me. Just call me Xue Tong."
"Xue Tong?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Which branch of the demon race are you from?"
"Blood-Eyed Mane Lion!" Xue Tong answered casually.
Only then did Yang Kai notice that the color of his eyes was indeed somewhat unusual, displaying a faint reddish tint. But that was merely his normal state—once he truly entered combat, his eyes would likely turn crimson, and he would become savage and violent, his combat power surging dramatically.
"You're a human, yet I sense the presence of Demon Yuan within you..." Xue Tong furrowed his brow as he studied Yang Kai. "Moreover, your bloodline seems remarkably pure—nobler than my own. That's the aura of a Demon Emperor! Did you have some extraordinary encounter related to the demon race in the past?"
"Mm, something like that," Yang Kai replied with a faint smile.
The golden dragon and ice phoenix patterns on his body did indeed contain traces of the demon race's aura. It was only natural that Xue Tong could sense it. The golden dragon and ice phoenix were both emperors among demon beasts—a truth that held even across the entire Star Field.
Xue Tong said nothing more. But perhaps because the Demon Yuan aura on Yang Kai made him feel a sense of kinship, his expression grew noticeably friendlier.
Before long, the two arrived at a city. Above it, arcs of cyan light flashed and darted through the air. Many warriors rode their star shuttles forward with casual abandon.
Xue Tong led Yang Kai through the city with practiced ease, asking as they walked, "What are you looking to buy?"
"A decent star shuttle, and some rare ores!" Yang Kai answered.
"That shouldn't be hard to come by," Xue Tong mused for a moment. "So, do you want to buy here or somewhere else?"
"What's the difference?" Yang Kai asked.
"This city isn't particularly prosperous on Water Moon Star, and the goods inside aren't top-tier. If you want a star shuttle, I'd suggest getting a Saint King grade upper-tier one. The speed of that grade is something you can just barely bring out, and it'll last you a long while without needing a replacement."
"A Saint King grade upper-tier star shuttle then!" Yang Kai nodded.
"That means we'll need to go to another city—about thirty thousand li from here. That's where you can find the good stuff."
"That's quite far." Yang Kai frowned. Thirty thousand li—even riding a star shuttle, it would take a good while.
Xue Tong smiled mysteriously. "Not too far. We can get there right now."
Yang Kai was puzzled but didn't press the matter. He followed as Xue Tong continued weaving through the city.
Before long, the two arrived in front of a building. Before even stepping inside, Yang Kai sensed a peculiar fluctuation emanating from within—quite distinctive. He focused his perception and immediately understood what it was.
It was the Power of Space!
He couldn't quite figure out why the Power of Space would be present here.
Outside the building, several guards from the Heng Luo Commerce Association stood watch. Upon seeing Xue Tong approach, they all bowed in greeting. They all seemed to know him—knowing he was one of Shentu's protectors.
Xue Tong strode straight inside.
After passing through several grand doors, the fluctuations of spatial power grew stronger and stronger.
When they reached the innermost chamber, Yang Kai took one look and couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. A startled cry escaped him: "A Space Formation?"
Before him stood a massive formation, its layout nearly identical to the one the Ghost Ancestor had established on the Floating Continent. The only differences were in the minor details—the Ghost Ancestor's mastery of space formations had been somewhat lacking, with many aspects falling short.
But the Space Formation before him was impeccably constructed, without the slightest error. At the center of the formation stood a mirror-like object, its surface covered with a thick layer of Void Crystals.
At the base of the mirror were several slots, clearly designed for placing Saint Crystals.
"This thing actually works?" Yang Kai stared at Xue Tong in astonishment.