It was precisely because of the scarcity of heaven and earth energy that the Entry into Saint Realm had become the pinnacle of cultivation for warriors on the Profound Mystic Continent. Since ancient times, only the Great Demon God had ever broken through that barrier. Sadly, he perished before he could even explore the Star Domain, leaving behind nothing but legend after legend.
Their insufficient cultivation and lack of resources meant that the warriors of the Profound Mystic Continent had neither the qualification nor the ability to explore the Star Domain, let alone integrate into it. They were trapped there, blind to the marvels the Star Domain had to offer.
But this also spared the Profound Mystic Continent from the fate of enslavement.
The overall strength of its warriors simply wasn't enough to carve out a place in the Star Domain. If they had truly merged into it, they would only have been taken in and subjugated by more powerful forces.
Yang Kai flew calmly across Shuiyue Star, crossing towering mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts at a speed of dozens or even a hundred li in the blink of an eye. He spotted many cities and settlements teeming with life.
These cities varied in size, but virtually all of them were prosperous. Only in the most remote locations did the populations thin out.
Just like on the Profound Mystic Continent, every city had a City Lord presiding over it. Depending on the city's level of prosperity, these City Lords ranged from the Saint King Realm down to the mere Entry into Saint Realm in the smaller backwaters.
This made Yang Kai realize that experts in the Return Void Realm were never numerous within any single faction—they formed the backbone of every power.
The density of heaven and earth energy also varied greatly from place to place. Some areas were brimming with spiritual energy, while others were comparatively thin.
All of these cities belonged to the Hengluo Chamber of Commerce, contributing their strength and slowly accumulating wealth within the Chamber's domain. Grain by grain, a mountain of sand was built—and that was how the Hengluo Chamber of Commerce had become the colossal entity it was today.
Yang Kai traveled at a leisurely pace, sightseeing along the way. No one paid him any mind, and he ran into no trouble.
Through idle chatter he picked up many interesting tidbits—about Chairman Io's legendary promiscuity, about the talent selection the Chamber was about to begin, about Io's several heirs…
Nobody, however, seemed to discuss Shentu. It appeared that on Shuiyue Star, Shentu's status as an illegitimate son was not public knowledge. That explained why even Lü Guichen had been unaware of his existence.
It took Yang Kai a month or two to traverse the entirety of Shuiyue Star. He came away with a solid understanding of both the cultivation star and the Hengluo Chamber of Commerce. During this period, the Star Shuttle he had recently acquired also bonded with him perfectly, responding to his will as naturally as an extension of his own arm.
Deep down, Yang Kai still clung to a sliver of hope—that Su Yan might be somewhere on this cultivation star. That was why he had flown with such tireless dedication.
But Su Yan was clearly not here. The two of them shared a heart-to-heart bond; as long as they were within reasonable range of each other, they would be able to sense one another's presence.
He felt no disappointment. He had never expected to find Su Yan so easily.
After about two months, Yang Kai turned back. This time he didn't stop anywhere, flying straight toward Shentu's palace.
One day, as he passed through a valley, his outwardly extended Divine Sense suddenly picked up the fluctuations of quite a few life forces coming from that direction.
He paid it little mind. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he deliberately altered his course, planning to skirt around the area from the side.
All this time he had been acting with great caution, wanting to avoid making enemies.
Floating in midair, he glanced casually toward the valley and noticed that on a flat stretch of ground below, a warship of moderate size sat at anchor. Its cabin doors stood open, and warriors streamed in and out without pause.
Beside the warship lay a great deal of supplies. The warriors appeared to be loading them into the ship's hold.
After this period of study, Yang Kai had picked up some common knowledge. Certain materials, for instance, could not be stored in spatial rings—either because they demanded extremely specific storage conditions and would lose their properties the moment they were sealed away, or simply because they were too bulky and too heavy.
In such cases, a warship was needed for transport.
That was why warships were indispensable to every major power. They were fast, carried enormous cargo, and were relatively safe.
The warship anchored in the valley was roughly thirty zhang long—about half the size Yang Kai had seen before. He estimated it was only a low- or mid-grade Saint King vessel.
Standing beside the ship was a young man in brocade robes, refined and elegant in bearing, chatting and laughing with the people around him.
He had very distinctive features—smooth, delicate skin and a face more alluring than most women's, with long hair draped carelessly over his shoulders.
Surrounding him, numerous female warriors gazed at him with smitten, covert looks, their beautiful eyes brimming with hidden affection. As if a single word from him would be enough for each of them to throw herself at his feet, offering body and soul for his pleasure.
Yang Kai couldn't help but glance at him a moment longer.
That passing glance immediately put the young man on alert. He raised his head, and across a distance of several thousand zhang, his eyes locked with Yang Kai's. His handsome features darkened, and he flicked his hand, pointing toward Yang Kai's position in the sky while murmuring a few words.
The next instant, several streaks of Star Shuttle light flashed and shot toward Yang Kai in unison.
Yang Kai couldn't help but frown, wondering why the man had singled him out.