Restoring their sects was a major undertaking, one that might require decades or even centuries of effort. But for the time being, the sects and families all agreed that cultivating good relations with the Lingxiao Sect and Shadow Moon Hall was the top priority — from now on, they would follow those two powers' lead.
In the wake of this great catastrophe, the Lingxiao Sect and Shadow Moon Hall had rapidly accumulated prestige far exceeding that once held by the Battle Heaven Alliance, Thunder Platform Sect, and Star Emperor Mountain. The two powers had already become the strongest representatives of the Dark Star.
It could be said that the Corpse Spirit Cult's catastrophe had, in a roundabout way, paved the way for the meteoric rise of the Lingxiao Sect and Shadow Moon Hall!
Before the Cape Mountain Range, a flash of light appeared, and Qian Tong and Yang Kai materialized side by side.
Qian Tong glanced sideways at Yang Kai, so stunned he could barely form words.
He was already a Void King Realm powerhouse, a full level above Yang Kai's cultivation, yet he still couldn't figure out how Yang Kai had brought him here without his noticing.
This was absolutely not some simple spatial technique!
After a moment's thought, a shocking conjecture suddenly surfaced in Qian Tong's mind: "You refined the origin of the Dark Star — you've become a Star Lord?"
Only by becoming the lord of a star could one instantly transport someone from Cape City to this place without being detected. Combined with the subtle changes in heaven and earth he'd sensed recently, Qian Tong was almost certain his conjecture was correct.
"Heh heh, Elder Qian has a sharp eye. I have indeed refined the origin of the Dark Star." Yang Kai didn't bother denying it. In any case, this sort of thing couldn't be hidden, and Qian Tong was no outsider.
Qian Tong stared blankly, then let out an odd, rueful sigh: "I never expected you'd actually get ahead of this old man. Youth is truly fearsome!"
He seemed both happy for Yang Kai and somewhat struck by the blow.
"Just luck." Yang Kai naturally wouldn't grow arrogant. That he could refine the star's origin was entirely thanks to Yang Yan's efforts. Without her, he would have needed to cultivate to at least the third level of the Void King Realm before even attempting it. The Dark Star's origin had been imprisoned within Yang Yan's sea of consciousness for tens of thousands of years and had long since grown weary of that isolation. With Yang Kai's willingness to accept it, the origin had naturally submitted to his refinement with great ease.
This truly was luck.
"In that case, this old man needn't lift a finger. I'll leave the rest to you." Qian Tong chuckled. He quickly recovered his composure, showing no envy or jealousy, and simply stepped back to quietly observe.
Yang Kai wasted no words. He expanded his divine sense, sweeping across every corner of the Cape Mountain Range ahead. After confirming that only the Corpse Spirit Race remained within, he suddenly raised both hands skyward in a lifting gesture, then slowly pressed them upward.
Accompanying his movement, the entire Cape Mountain Range began to tremble. Fierce rumbling sounds erupted from deep within, booming like war drums beaten underground, the sound reverberating through every corner of the range.
Visibly, the entire mountain chain — stretching over a hundred thousand li — began to rise, lifted by a subtle yet inexorable force.
Qian Tong drew a sharp breath, his heart filling with longing and yearning.
This was the might of a Star Lord. In a single thought, one could transform seas into mulberry fields, move mountains and reshape oceans…
Moreover, this was precisely the method Yang Kai employed because he didn't want to destroy the mountain range. Otherwise, he could have simply flattened it entirely.
This kind of power was something Qian Tong could never achieve even at full strength.
The anomaly of the Cape Mountain Range clearly alarmed the Corpse Spirit Race hiding within. Countless members burst out, scrambling to investigate. But before long, they were horrified to discover that the entire mountain range had been locked down by an invisible force — they couldn't fly, and they couldn't flee from this hiding place.
What had once been their sanctuary had now become a cage.
The Corpse Spirit Race members screamed and shouted, panic-stricken, having no idea what was happening.
In barely more than a dozen breaths, the Cape Mountain Range had been raised a full zhang. Yang Kai let out a soft exhale, then drove his raised palms downward with force.
BOOM…
The hundred-thousand-li mountain range crashed back down.
The earth shook violently. Dense, explosive sounds erupted from within the mountains, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to transform into lethal blades, tearing through the bodies of the Corpse Spirit Race within.
BANG BANG BANG BANG…
One after another, Corpse Spirit Race members were blown to dust amid the thunderous noise, vanishing without a trace.
When the rumbling finally subsided, Yang Kai sent out his divine sense once more. Not a single trace of the Corpse Spirit Race remained within the Cape Mountain Range. The thousands who had fled here had been annihilated to the last.
Qian Tong watched in awe. After a long moment, he finally exhaled: "This catastrophe should be over now."
"After we kill the Sect Master of the Corpse Spirit Cult, we can finally rest easy." Yang Kai smiled faintly.
"That's something you'll need to handle, old man. I — well, once you've killed him, I'll discuss this matter with you. No rush for now."
Qian Tong clearly had something he wasn't saying, but since he didn't want to speak of it now, Yang Kai naturally didn't press.
The two soon parted ways. Qian Tong returned to Shadow Moon Hall to oversee the rebuilding of their sect, while Yang Kai headed straight for the Carefree Sea. This trip, he intended to find the Insect Emperor and make him vanish from this world for good.