After giving Mo Yu some time to rest, Yang Kai began asking about the situation at Lingxiao Pavilion.
However, Du Yanling didn't know much either. Mohai City had been under siege for nearly a year and had long since lost contact with the outside world. Only when the occasional warrior fled into Mohai City for refuge could they bring any news.
According to those fleeing warriors, the entrance to Lingxiao Pavilion appeared to be surrounded by the Corpse Spirit Cult's army, making it impossible for anyone to enter or leave. As for the situation inside Lingxiao Pavilion itself, no one knew.
A year ago, Lingxiao Pavilion had frequently dispatched its experts to aid those besieged sect forces, but with the mounting losses among Lingxiao Pavilion's experts, the Pavilion had remained inactive for the past year. The situation seemed rather grim.
To prevent Lingxiao Pavilion's experts from leaving, the Corpse Spirit Cult had stationed a significant portion of their forces outside the Blazing Flame Sandlands to serve as a surveillance detail. Among them, it was said, was a Protector holding watch.
It could be said that although Lingxiao Pavilion was currently unable to proactively aid their fellow humans, its very existence tied down a great deal of the Corpse Spirit Cult's fighting power. This was an invaluable contribution.
Without it, Mohai City could never have held out for so long without being overrun. After all, the Corpse Spirit Cult possessed at least four Corpse Generals of the same caliber as Ye Xiyun, to say nothing of the Cult Master, who was elusive and whose true face no one had ever seen.
Hearing all this, Yang Kai nodded gently and asked no further questions.
After resting in Mohai City for a day, Yang Kai bid farewell to Mo Yu along with the others from Lingxiao Pavilion.
Yang Kai had originally intended to bring all the Qiantian Sect members into Lingxiao Pavilion. Once inside the Blazing Flame Sandlands, they would be completely safe, with no need to fear being killed by Corpse Spirit Cult experts.
But after careful deliberation, Mo Yu politely declined Yang Kai's proposal.
While the remaining disciples of Qiantian Sect were indeed few, Mohai City still held over a million lives.
If the Qiantian Sect members left with Yang Kai, those million souls in Mohai City would inevitably be slaughtered by the Corpse Spirit Cult!
Most of these people had fled here over the past two years, drawn by the reputation of Qiantian Sect. Mo Yu could not abandon them.
This notion might seem rather foolish, but it received unanimous agreement from Qiantian Sect's remaining leadership. They were all willing to stay in Mohai City and continue guarding the last bastion of Qiantian Sect!
Yang Kai was moved.
"Don't worry, Yang Kai. Though Qiantian Sect doesn't have many people left, Mohai City is well-populated. I'll find ways to bolster our fighting strength. As long as the warriors here can unite, defending this city shouldn't be too great a challenge," Mo Yu said with a smile before Yang Kai's departure.
Yang Kai nodded. "In that case, Senior Mo, take care!"
With a deep bow, Yang Kai also bid farewell to Du Yanling and the others before leading Su Yan, Xia Ningshang, and the rest out of Mohai City and straight toward the Blazing Flame Sandlands.
Only after watching Yang Kai and his companions disappear from sight did Mo Yu's expression turn grave. He waved his hand and ordered, "Inform all warriors in Mohai City who have reached the Saint Realm and above—if they are willing, they may temporarily join my Qiantian Sect and help me defend this city!"
"Yes!" Du Yanling and the others immediately set to work.
They had considered tapping into the strength of Mohai City's warriors before, but time had been far too pressing, leaving no room for such efforts. Moreover, with the Corpse Spirit Cult's army bearing down on the city, the warriors within had possessed virtually no fighting spirit and were unable to muster their true strength.
Now things were different. The Corpse Spirit Cult's year-long siege force had been repelled with enormous casualties, and morale in Mohai City was soaring. It was the perfect opportunity to strengthen their ranks and absorb fresh fighting power.
The distance from Mohai City to the Blazing Flame Sandlands, if traveling by Star Shuttle alone, would take at least seven or eight days.
Eager to return to the sect, Yang Kai directly deployed the Void King-grade warship.
Though the warship was incomparably massive, its speed far surpassed that of a Star Shuttle. Moreover, it was incredibly sturdy, making it quite safe inside.
Along the way, they encountered numerous scattered Corpse Spirit Cult squads—anywhere from a few dozen to over a thousand strong—each led by a member of the Corpse Spirit race, wreaking havoc across the Dark Star.
The warship's crystal cannons fired in unison, and without exception, these enemies were sent tumbling in disarray, suffering devastating casualties.
Yang Kai didn't order any stops. After each strike, the warship immediately departed.
After just three days of travel, the number of enemies killed by the warship's crystal cannons had already reached over ten thousand!
Only a small fraction of these enemies were of the Corpse Spirit race. The vast majority were human warriors who had pledged allegiance to the Corpse Spirit race, following in the Corpse Spirit Cult's wake to commit atrocities under their commands. There was naturally no need for mercy toward such people.
The experts of the human, demon, and monster races who had been residing inside the Mysterious Realm Bead were also released by Yang Kai and placed aboard the warship, made to witness the slaughter along the way.
Since they intended to establish themselves on the Dark Star, they naturally needed to connect with this world.
Yang Kai wanted them to integrate into this star as quickly as possible, to witness firsthand the caliber of warriors in this land.
Sure enough, upon sensing the strength of those enemies, Ling Taixu, Lei Long, and Chang Yuan all fell silent, but each pair of eyes burned with a desire to grow stronger.
Lin Yun'er, on the other hand, showed the lively energy befitting her age. The thought of returning to Lingxiao Pavilion soon and seeing the people she missed filled her with joy. Along the way, she fluttered around Yang Kai like a lark, chattering endlessly.
Su Yan and Xia Ningshang both adored this little girl. Upon learning of her tragic childhood, the two women were overcome with maternal affection and couldn't help but shed tears, leaving Yang Kai utterly exasperated.
Three days later, the Void King-grade warship arrived at the outskirts of the Blazing Flame Sandlands.