Before the divine bird, the force of the void churned and surged. Space rifts that buckled and contracted sent out waves of power that chilled the bone. In barely a moment, the rift-space within the Lost Land had compressed into a single mass.
Yet it did not vanish entirely. Instead, before the divine bird it formed a vast, spinning vortex — semi-transparent in appearance, like a mirror.
Through the mirror's surface, one could faintly make out the scene on the other side.
On that side, a figure was turning his head to look around, appearing somewhat dazed. Who else could that figure be but Yang Kai?
The divine bird saw it all in an instant. Without the slightest hesitation, it let out a sharp cry, spread its wings, and plunged headlong into the vortex before it. In the next moment, its silhouette appeared on the other side of the mirror.
Once the divine bird departed the Lost Land, its overwhelming pressure dissipated without a trace.
The Void King Realm powerhouses who had been fleeing earlier now reappeared one after another, gathering not far in front of the vortex, their expressions odd as they stared at what was happening on the other side.
Over there, Yang Kai was being chased by the divine bird, fleeing desperately as his figure grew more and more distant.
And the space where he and the divine bird were situated looked remarkably familiar.
"That's the Star Field on the other side?" Ni Guang raised an eyebrow, recognizing the region as the very place they had entered the Lost Land from.
"How can this be?" The Ghost Ancestor was equally bewildered, unable to make sense of it no matter how he thought.
Nearby, Zi Long's expression shifted as though he were deep in thought. But it wasn't long before he made his decision. He sent a mental message to Zi Donglai, then wrapped the latter in his saint yuan and charged toward the vortex.
Xu Wei, held under constraint, had no choice but to follow.
Once all three rushed through the vortex and appeared on the other side, they immediately pursued in Yang Kai's direction. From the look of it, they clearly had no intention of letting the matter rest. After all, the Ageless Tree was now in Yang Kai's hands — as long as they could catch up to him, there was a chance to seize it.
"Uncle Ni, let's go too!" Xue Yue urged in a hurry.
Ni Guang nodded. "Judging by the look of things, exiting through this vortex will take us back to the Star Field, and there's no danger in it. There's little left of value here… so let's move."
As he spoke, he glanced back at the Ghost Ancestor. "My friend, do you plan to…?"
The Ghost Ancestor snorted coldly. "Our Sect Master is being pursued. Naturally, I cannot stand by and do nothing!"
"Good. Then Ni will go with you."
The two reached an accord and charged toward the vortex together.
Kong Fa, the only one remaining, thought for a moment, then hurriedly followed after them.
Just as Ni Guang had said, there was little left of value here. Staying wouldn't yield much, and it might even attract the attention of the dangerous existences lurking in the area. Chasing after them, on the other hand — with a bit of luck, he might even snatch some benefit from Yang Kai.
Before long, everyone had vanished without a trace.
A short while later, a figure crept furtively into the open at the same spot, glancing around with a look of lingering fear. It was none other than Meng Tong, who had departed early.
No one knew where he had been hiding. He only revealed himself once things had quieted down.
Whoosh — whoosh —
A piercing sound cut through the air, approaching rapidly from the distance.
"Is there still someone here?" Meng Tong started in surprise and turned toward the source of the sound. Moments later, a striking figure appeared within his field of vision.
Once he had a clear look at the newcomer's appearance, Meng Tong offered a slight smile in greeting.
"Oh, Brother Meng?" The newcomer recognized Meng Tong and called out joyfully.
"Elder Luo!" Meng Tong returned the greeting. He knew this person — it was Luo Lan of the Sword Alliance. While they were not particularly close, they had met on several occasions. Meng Tong was just like that. He bore no grudges against the other Void King Realm powerhouses, nor did he forge deep connections. He had always walked alone.
"What happened here? I was in the distance earlier and thought I caught sight of the divine bird," Luo Lan asked curiously. She had indeed seen the divine bird when it left its nest, but she had been far too distant at the time. By the time she arrived, everything had already been settled, so she was completely in the dark about what had transpired.
"It's a long story," Meng Tong said with a wry smile. "But right now there is an opportunity to leave this place. Would Elder Luo care to depart first and discuss it later?"
Luo Lan paused, then gazed thoughtfully at the vortex. She parted her red lips and said, "Leave through this vortex?"
"That's right. They've all gone already. Perhaps only you and I remain in the Lost Land, and I was just about to leave myself." Meng Tong nodded.
"They've all gone?" Luo Lan was astonished. After a moment's thought, she nodded. "In that case, I shall leave with you."
"That would be ideal." Meng Tong smiled faintly. With that, he took the lead and charged toward the vortex.
Only after he and Luo Lan had left the Lost Land and returned to the Star Field did Meng Tong find the time to give Luo Lan a brief account of what had happened.
When she learned that the Ageless Tree had ultimately fallen into Yang Kai's hands, Luo Lan was thoroughly shocked.
After all, so many powerhouses had been present — including three formidable existences at the second level of the Void King Realm — and yet the one who ultimately claimed it was Yang Kai, a mere Return to Void Realm cultivator. It was nothing short of ironic and unexpected.
Luo Lan couldn't help but marvel at just how extraordinary Yang Kai's luck was.
But the divine bird had clearly not given up. It had chased Yang Kai out of the Lost Land and into the Star Field. Yang Kai's situation right now must be extraordinarily perilous.