The prospect of his Dharma Body refining a Star's Source left Yang Kai brimming with anticipation, for if he truly succeeded, he would become the first person in the history of the entire Star Field to lord over two stars.
The empty prestige was one thing—what truly mattered were the myriad benefits that came with becoming a Star Lord.
Just moments ago, after his advancement to the Void King Realm, he could clearly feel that his connection to the distant Dark Star, separated by billions of miles, had grown tighter. Moreover, with the increase in his cultivation, the Dark Star had undoubtedly received a significant boost as well.
Of that, there could be no doubt. The specifics, however, would have to be verified once he returned to the Dark Star.
Yang Kai extended his Spiritual Sense, silently monitoring the Dharma Body's condition. The next instant, his expression shifted abruptly into something utterly peculiar. He immediately soared high into the air and gazed down upon the Suspended Continent from above. After a moment, his body trembled and he cried out in shock, "What now?!"
He stared down at the Suspended Continent below in utter disbelief, his eyes threatening to bulge from their sockets.
Events had progressed far beyond his expectations and imagination. He had never anticipated that something like this would happen while his Dharma Body refined a Star's Source.
It wasn't that the refinement was going poorly—quite the opposite. As far as he could sense, the Dharma Body's refinement of the Source was proceeding with extraordinary smoothness. At some point, the Dharma Body had already fully absorbed the Source into itself and become the Star Lord of the Suspended Continent.
The Dharma Body's aura had surged dramatically as a result.
But that wasn't the crux of the matter. The crux was that the Dharma Body had fused with the entire Suspended Continent!
In his perception, the whole of the Suspended Continent below had become his Dharma Body.
Looking off into the distance, at one end of the continent he could vaguely make out a massive, hazy head. Though it had not yet fully taken shape, the outline was already discernible.
On either side of the continent, there appeared to be signs of arms taking form.
At the opposite end, traces of two legs had begun to emerge.
The Suspended Continent now resembled a giant, lying dormant across the void.
"Gulp!" Even Yang Kai, who had weathered countless storms, couldn't help but swallow hard. Cold sweat beaded across his forehead.
What on earth was happening?
His mind was in complete disarray. Nothing he had ever seen or learned could explain the bizarre scene before him.
He drew a deep breath, steadied his mind, and closed his eyes. Once more, he carefully probed the situation with the Dharma Body.
His Dharma Body was still underground. It didn't appear to have changed much on the surface, but it had indeed fused with the entire Suspended Continent. Moreover, under the Dharma Body's will, the continent itself was reshaping according to its form.
"The innate divine ability of the Stone Puppet race! It wants to devour and refine the entire Suspended Continent?!" The information flooding back into his mind genuinely startled Yang Kai.
What a staggering feat this would be!
The Suspended Continent was not particularly large, but it still spanned two to three hundred thousand li in area. If the Dharma Body could truly succeed in using the Stone Puppet's innate ability to refine it, it would become a stone giant standing with its head in the heavens and its feet planted on the earth.
A stone giant of such immense proportions would be overwhelming to behold. Even a Void King realm powerhouse facing it would likely have no option but to flee.
Just imagine—a fist larger than an entire mountain crashing down. Who could survive that?
"No way," Yang Kai murmured, still feeling as though he were caught in a dream, equal parts astonishment and elation.
He was startled because the Dharma Body's actions had far exceeded his expectations. He was elated because, if it succeeded, he would gain another formidable ally—one that would surpass both Little Xiao and Liu Yan in power.
The Dharma Body's will was an extension of his own. Though only a sliver of his consciousness was directing the Dharma Body, the fact that it had taken such an initiative meant everything remained under his control.
Circulating his cultivation technique, Yang Kai calmed his mind. He was genuinely curious to see whether the Dharma Body could pull this off—or whether it was nothing more than a fool's dream.
"Rumble rumble…" A deep, droning roar reverberated across the entire Suspended Continent. The ground shook ceaselessly. From within the quaking land came rhythmic thuds, steady as the beating of a heart.
With each beat, enormous chunks of earth crumbled into dust and dissipated into the void.
Countless jagged, interlocking fissures and sprawling chasms tore across the surface in an instant.
The scene was one of imminent apocalypse—the entire continent seemed on the verge of tearing itself apart.
Yang Kai's expression tightened. He watched in silence for a moment, then quickly relaxed, realizing this was simply the process of refining the Suspended Continent. The earth being shattered was nothing but useless impurities.
Anything still of value had been preserved and was being devoured and refined by the Dharma Body.
Refining an entire continent—even one spanning merely two to three hundred thousand li—should have been an impossible task. But the Dharma Body possessed the Stone Puppet's physique, with its innate ability to devour and refine. On top of that, it was now the Star Lord of the Suspended Continent, its very master, wielding absolute dominion here. With all these convenient and advantageous conditions met, such a monumental feat had become achievable.
How exciting!
Yang Kai discovered that his Dharma Body had delivered yet another tremendous surprise, and he felt a surge of exhilaration swell within him.
Thud… thud…
The rhythmic pounding continued without cease, and the continent's disintegration accelerated. The entire landmass was visibly shrinking, while the colossal head and limbs Yang Kai had noticed earlier were slowly becoming clearer.