"Young Hero Yang, where is the Qiantian Thunderflame now?" Luo Li asked with another curious glance.
Yang Kai pointed down toward the magma below. "It's still inside for the moment, but I expect it won't be around much longer."
Luo Li's body trembled, and a trace of shock appeared in her beautiful eyes.
She knew full well how ferocious the Qiantian Thunderflame was, but Yang Kai's words implied he actually had the means to destroy that vicious flame. This was completely beyond Luo Li's expectations.
She had assumed Yang Kai might have the ability to hold the Qiantian Thunderflame in check, giving her the freedom to deal with the Fire Radiance Sect.
That was why, after finishing matters with the Fire Radiance Sect, she had rushed here immediately, intending to lend Yang Kai a hand.
She never imagined there would be nothing for her to do here at all.
"Young Hero Yang's methods are truly heaven-defying. This Palace Master is full of admiration." Luo Li bowed sincerely. Even if she had intervened, she wouldn't have been confident she could extinguish that vicious flame, yet Yang Kai had accomplished it.
"You flatter me, Senior."
"Since matters here are concluded, this Palace Master will not linger. Young Hero, if you find yourself at leisure, please do come visit our Ice Heart Valley. The entire valley will welcome you with open arms."
"Perhaps the opportunity will arise," Yang Kai replied noncommittally.
Luo Li was not one to dawdle; she departed swiftly.
After Luo Li left, another figure descended from the crater rim, bringing with her a refreshing, icy aura. She landed beside Yang Kai and sat down.
It was Su Yan.
Yang Kai turned his head, reached out, and took her delicate hand, gently playing with it in his palm.
Su Yan said nothing, only wearing a tranquil smile on her face. She gazed at the churning magma before them, resting her head on Yang Kai's shoulder, her expression one of utter contentment.
It seemed that only now, finally, did the two martial siblings have the time to truly savor the warmth of each other's company.
"Junior Brother, where will we go next?" Su Yan asked after a long silence.
"To the Dark Star."
"The Dark Star? Where is that?"
"The Dark Star? It's very, very far away. But it's much better than the current Profound Continent. Although there's a strange suppression from the laws of heaven and earth there, it's actually very suitable for people from the Profound Continent to develop. We have a Lingxiao Sect there, presiding over a treasure land..."
Yang Kai described the various virtues of the Dark Star one by one. Su Yan couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for it.
The vast star domain, with its boundless territories. It didn't matter where they went; as long as this man was by her side, even the ends of the earth would be home.
In that moment, Su Yan felt a contentment she had never known before.
The battle between the Fire Bird and the Qiantian Thunderflame seemed to have gone on for a very long time.
Yang Kai and Su Yan sat waiting at the crater's edge for half a month. The conflict below showed no signs of resolution.
It was Bing Long who came by, handing Yang Kai numerous space rings. Inside those rings were treasures that originally belonged to the Fire Radiance Sect: precious minerals, medicinal herbs, finished Artifacts, pills, martial manuals, hundreds of millions of Saint Crystals, and all sorts of miscellaneous items.
The Ice Heart Valley owed Yang Kai a great debt for helping them wipe out the Fire Radiance Sect. They naturally did not dare to hoard the wealth plundered from the Fire Radiance Sect's main stronghold. After receiving Luo Li's instructions, Bing Long personally divided the vast, heart-palpitating fortune in two: one portion for the Ice Heart Valley, and the other exclusively for Yang Kai!
This was the Ice Heart Valley's gesture of goodwill; they were attempting to mend their relationship.
Yang Kai understood this perfectly and naturally did not refuse. He accepted the space rings with open hands.
Now, with tens of thousands of people heading to the Dark Star, he was in desperate need of vast cultivation resources. The Fire Radiance Sect's accumulated wealth was enough to sustain the people of the Profound Continent for ten or twenty years without worry.
Although Yang Kai hadn't set foot outside the crater, he could sense the movements of the Ice Heart Valley's people.
With the Fire Radiance Sect eliminated, the Fire Radiance Mountain Range had become unclaimed territory. The Ice Heart Valley cultivated ice-attribute techniques, which were obviously unsuitable for establishing a branch sect here.
However, they had numerous subordinate sects. Over the past few days, some had already migrated to the Fire Radiance Mountain Range, reclaiming this auspicious location.
None of this concerned Yang Kai. For Chilan Star, he was, in the end, merely a passerby.
During the days of waiting, he and Su Yan talked about everything, recounting all that had happened to each other over the past thirty-odd years. Even the most trivial details were listened to with rapt attention.
Sometimes they would sit and cultivate.
They discovered that when they cultivated together, their speed was more than ten times faster than when practicing alone.
Their Sacred Energy merged and intertwined, flowing ceaselessly like a rushing river, frantically drawing spiritual energy from the surrounding world and pouring it into their bodies.
Another half-month passed in a flash.
The two, who had been cultivating, seemed to sense something simultaneously. They opened their eyes at the same moment and gazed downward.
Below, the once churning and roaring magma now showed signs of calming. Moreover, the terrifying heat surrounding them was dissipating at an astonishing rate. The fluid magma even seemed to be solidifying.
It was as if something was absorbing all the heat within this volcanic crater.
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. A vague suspicion formed in his mind, and he watched with growing anticipation.
Half a day later, the situation became even clearer. The temperature at the crater had dropped to its normal state. Even an ordinary person with no cultivation would not feel much discomfort here.