Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!!! Eat well, have fun, rest well — and as for this miserable wretch of an author, still coughing away, with a dull ache in his lungs……
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Yang Kai took a deep breath, pondered for a moment, then said, "I need some time to think about this."
"That's only natural. There's still time, so please consider it carefully, little brother, and give me your answer after."
The fact that Luo Lan was willing to say as much was already a show of considerable sincerity.
Yang Kai adopted a solemn expression. "Very well. I ask that you stay here for a few days, Senior. In three days, I will give you my answer."
"Then this Palace Master will await your reply. With your help, I trust this journey will be considerably safer."
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Three days later, Yang Kai departed Twin Shark Island together with Luo Lan, setting out for the Green Wood Palace.
Truth be told, the Spirit Void Crystal that Luo Lan had described — born within the spatial rifts — wasn't all that appealing to Yang Kai. Though it was rare, as long as he was willing to visit a few more Cultivation Stars, he could eventually collect enough.
With the financial and material resources at his disposal now, he could already purchase large quantities of Spirit Void Crystals. It would just require a bit more time.
What truly drew Yang Kai was the Spatial Tempest Beast — that mythical creature capable of traversing the void itself!
This ancient exotic beast drifted through the void, wandering between spatial rifts. Its inner core was extraordinarily helpful for Cultivating spatial power. Yang Kai's mastery of spatial power had already reached something of a bottleneck — expanding the territory within his Mysterious World Bead had slowed to a crawl. But if he could obtain the Spatial Tempest Beast's inner core and use it as the primary ingredient to refine a Spirit Pill, it would allow him to achieve a qualitative leap in his spatial power.
Since no Third-Order Void King Realm cultivators had entered that Lost Domain, Yang Kai had nothing to worry about.
He had at least some confidence that he could escape from a Second-Order Void King Realm powerhouse.
And so, after three days of deliberation, he agreed to Luo Lan's request and decided to accompany her to the Lost Domain.
Before departing, Yang Kai gave Yue Xi and her two disciples detailed instructions. They were to remain at the palace, and if anyone bearing a token inscribed with the character "Ling" suddenly appeared, they were not to panic — those would be people from the Lingxiao Sect, and they should treat them as honored guests.
Though Yue Xi and her two disciples listened in a daze, unable to understand why people would suddenly appear at the palace, they didn't ask too many questions.
Several days later, Yang Kai and Luo Lan arrived at the Green Wood Palace.
After arranging accommodations for Yang Kai, Luo Lan set about making preparations. She would be leaving Green Wood Star this time, so there were naturally many matters to hand over. She also needed to make thorough preparations for entering the Lost Domain.
None of this concerned Yang Kai, however. He simply sat cross-legged in his private chamber, meditating.
Gu Jianxin was no longer here. According to Luo Lan, the Sword Alliance's Young Alliance Master had departed a month after arriving. Before leaving, he had repeatedly instructed Luo Lan to take good care of Yang Kai.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai, deep in meditation, sensed Luo Lan's Spiritual Sense calling to him. He immediately ended his seclusion, pushed open the door, and stepped outside.
Luo Lan was waiting beyond the door. Upon seeing him emerge, she gave a slight nod and led the way.
Outside the Green Wood Palace, a mid-grade Void-tier warship stood ready and waiting. The two boarded, and before long, the warship set off into the Star Field.
"The Lost Domain lies somewhere within the Star Field. Its entrance is surrounded by an almost infinite number of spatial rifts, making it impossible to enter under normal circumstances. Only when the fluctuations of those spatial rifts settle down slightly is there an opportunity to open the entrance. At that point, several Void King Realm powerhouses may need to work together to perform the necessary secret arts. We'll go wait there first, and once the timing is right, we can enter." Luo Lan led Yang Kai through the warship as she explained.
"The Void King Realm cultivators entering that place — do you know them all?" Yang Kai asked.
"Some I know by sight. Others I haven't met personally, but I've heard their names. However, I have no idea who exactly will be going this time. The intervals between entries into the Lost Domain are unpredictable, so only those who receive word and hope to achieve a breakthrough would dare take the risk of going in." Luo Lan stopped before a cabin and said, "You'll be staying here for now. If you need anything, just let someone know. It'll take us roughly a month to reach the place."
Yang Kai nodded and pushed the door open.
Once inside the cabin, he walked to the bed, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
The month passed without incident, and Yang Kai spent it entirely in meditation. Luo Lan did not come to see him during this time, and the other Sword Alliance warriors certainly wouldn't disturb him.
It was only after a full month that Yang Kai felt the warship come to a halt.
Luo Lan's voice rang out from beyond the door at just the right moment. "Yang Kai."
Yang Kai's figure flickered, and he appeared at the door. He opened it, gave Luo Lan a slight nod, and the two of them headed out together.