Originally, Yang Kai hadn't been very interested in this Blood Prison trial—after all, this place was specifically a training ground prepared for Return Void Third Stage cultivators.
He was only at Return Void Second Stage. Although he could fight across stages and feared no warrior below the Void King Realm, since his cultivation hadn't reached that level, Yang Kai had assumed he wouldn't gain much from the Blood Prison. That was why he had left Qian Tong and the others behind and gone to the Profound Path Continent to seek out his friends and family.
But ever since Shan Qingluo had told him that Domain Stones existed within the Blood Prison, his interest had been piqued.
Now that he was here in person, Yang Kai finally understood that even without the Domain Stones, the Domain Vortices permeating the Blood Prison alone could grant him benefits beyond imagination.
As long as one was capable enough, any Return Void cultivator, regardless of stage, could use the Domain Vortices to refine their own Domain and push it toward the Great Accomplishment stage! This had nothing to do with one's cultivation level.
That being said, the number of people who could actually do so was probably very small.
Yang Kai happened to be one of them.
At the same time, a hundred li outside the Blood Prison, there stood a towering mountain, ten thousand zhang in height, with a stone pavilion perched at its peak.
Inside the pavilion, seven or eight warriors sat with their auras restrained. These warriors varied in age and gender—old and young, male and female—but without exception, every single one of them was a Void King Realm powerhouse.
Anyone who witnessed this terrifying lineup would likely be struck speechless with horror.
This was unquestionably a formidable force.
The powerhouses sat in various positions within the pavilion. Some had their eyes closed in meditation, some were paired off in conversation, discussing the Heavenly Dao and the Martial Dao, while others observed in cold silence.
These were the absolute pinnacle experts gathered from cultivation stars across the entire Star Domain!
They made the journey to Cuiwei Star on the day the Blood Prison trial opened not for the spectacle, but to scout talent.
They were waiting for the day the warriors who had entered the Blood Prison emerged.
To enter the Blood Prison and walk out alive—that meant the warrior possessed extraordinary potential. Even if they never advanced to the Void King Realm in the future, they would still be top-tier experts within the Return Void Realm.
The Heng Luo Trading Company had sent experts. Purple Star had sent experts. The Sword Union had sent experts as well…
In short, these seven or eight Void King Realm powerhouses represented the most dominant forces in the entire Star Domain.
Every time the Blood Prison trial opened, they would come to Cuiwei Star to seek out promising talent they could bring back to their own factions for cultivation.
Of course, some came for the Domain Stones produced within the Blood Prison.
They already possessed Void King Realm cultivation and had no personal need for Domain Stones, but they had juniors and subordinates who did. Every Domain Stone brought out of the Blood Prison could be purchased at a premium price.
Among these seven or eight Void King Realm powerhouses, the most conspicuous was a man wearing golden robes with a purple-gold crown fastening his hair. When the other powerhouses looked his way, there was invariably a hint of solemn gravity in their gazes.
The man appeared young—no older than thirty, it seemed—with sharp, sword-like brows sweeping toward his temples. His expression carried an inherent authority without anger, as though he had been born to hold a position of power, commanding instinctive reverence.
At this moment, the man sat with his eyes closed in meditation.
Abruptly, he opened his eyes and let out a soft sound of surprise, as if he had detected something unexpected.
All of the Void King Realm powerhouses around him turned their attention his way.
An elderly woman furrowed her brow thoughtfully, then smiled at him and spoke: "Lord Luo Hai, have you discovered something interesting? If it's convenient, would you mind sharing? As we all know, on Cuiwei Star, only you—as the Star Lord—can sense the goings-on within the Blood Prison."
Another person nodded in agreement: "Indeed, Brother Luo Hai. We're stationed here, and while we're close to the Blood Prison, you know what kind of place it is. Our divine senses cannot penetrate it at all. What's the situation inside right now?"
The man called Luo Hai smiled, rose to his feet, and said unhurriedly: "I have indeed noticed something interesting, though it's nothing of great consequence. No need for everyone to make such a fuss. Hmm—this time around, a Return Void Second Stage junior has entered the Blood Prison."
"Oh? Return Void Second Stage?" The elderly woman looked startled.
The others also showed expressions of surprise.
"A Return Void Second Stage cultivator venturing deep into the Blood Prison—it's not unheard of, but it's exceedingly rare. And those who attempted it didn't fare well; they typically perished after spending only a day or two inside. They've always been the sort of arrogant young fools who overestimate themselves. This one is probably the same." The elderly woman slowly shook her head, a touch of disdain in her voice.
"Indeed. Such youngsters won't settle down until they've been taught a lesson. The Blood Prison has always been a place for Return Void Third Stage warriors only—there's no written rule and no formal restriction, but that's the conclusion drawn from tens of thousands of years of experience by our predecessors!"
"Brother Luo Hai, what's the situation with that junior right now? You seem rather interested in him—has he put on some impressive display?" A beautiful woman gazed at Luo Hai with a smile. She was strikingly attractive, her features as delicate as a painting, and she possessed the mighty cultivation of Void King First Stage. Yet even she had to tread carefully around Luo Hai.
This wasn't simply because Luo Hai's cultivation surpassed hers by an entire stage—it was also because this was Cuiwei Star, Luo Hai's territory!