Yang Yan's expression was one of genuine grief and sorrow, not the least bit feigned. The energy fluctuations emanating from her Divine Soul Spirit Body were extremely unstable, a clear sign of her emotional turmoil.
Yang Kai grew curious, wondering just what kind of relationship she had with the Master of the Mysterious World Pearl.
"All right, let's not talk about him. He's been missing for so long that I've long since written him off as dead. Let me first find what that person left in your sea of consciousness." Yang Yan spoke as she settled into a cross-legged seat, her face bearing a solemn, almost sacred expression. Her fingers formed a series of spiritual seals, and her beautiful eyes gazed down at the sea of water below.
From her fingertips, a thread of Divine Sense power — visible to the naked eye — surged forth, coiling into the shape of a spirit serpent and burrowing into the water below.
Yang Kai stood nearby, watching in silence.
The sea of consciousness was calm at first, but before long, the crimson waters — burning like flames — began to grow restless. In one particular spot, enormous bubbles began to well up to the surface.
Yang Kai focused his attention there and was startled to discover a triangular seal mark that had appeared — vague, flickering, and intangible as mist.
The spirit serpent circled the triangular mark ceaselessly, and with each pass, the mark grew clearer and more defined.
Once the seal had been fully revealed, Yang Yan changed her hand seal. The spirit serpent withdrew, shooting back into her body.
She opened her eyes slightly. "It's a simple Soul-Tracking Seal. With your current strength, you couldn't remove it — or even detect it."
"You can't remove it either?" Yang Kai was astonished.
"I chose not to." Yang Yan rose slowly to her feet.
Yang Kai regarded her thoughtfully. "Playing the long game to catch the big fish?"
"Exactly." Yang Yan smiled coldly. "Tens of thousands of years of silence, and it seems some people in the Star Realm have grown restless again. This is a perfect opportunity to make an example of him. Once I return to the Star Realm, I'll hang his head above the Star Gate for all to see. Let's see who else dares come down to covet the laws of this Star Domain."
Yang Kai discreetly wiped away a bead of cold sweat that didn't actually exist on his forehead, feeling a twinge of pity for the unfortunate soul. "Just tell me what you need. I'll cooperate."
"There's nothing special you need to do. He'll come looking for you on his own. Carry on with whatever you've been doing — I'll be watching over you from the shadows." As she spoke, Yang Yan extended a finger, and a mote of mystic light shot into Yang Kai's Divine Soul Spirit Body. "This is the secret art for sealing the sea of consciousness. Study and cultivate it carefully."
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, closing his eyes to begin his contemplation.
His sea of consciousness contained supreme treasures like the Seven-Colored Warm Spirit Lotus and the Star Map. If he ever ventured to the Star Realm, powerful cultivators would very likely detect them. This secret art for sealing his sea of consciousness was, therefore, extremely necessary.
Seeing him absorbed in study, Yang Yan said nothing more. She placed several more restrictions within Yang Kai's sea of consciousness before departing at an unhurried pace.
A full day later, Yang Kai opened his eyes, a faint trace of fatigue on his face.
The secret art Yang Yan had passed down for sealing the sea of consciousness was extraordinarily profound. Contemplating it had been a significant drain on his spiritual consciousness, but despite the weariness, the gains were immense — his eyes were bright with vigor.
In the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Yang Yan and Lin Yun'er had vanished without a trace. Yang Kai extended his Divine Sense but could sense no trace of their presence. No one knew where they had gone.
Only the Ghost Ancestor remained, seated directly across from Yang Kai, his expression grave, apparently deep in thought.
"Elder!" Yang Kai greeted him.
The Ghost Ancestor snapped out of his reverie, looking up at Yang Kai. "Sect Master, that woman… what exactly is her background? Why was I utterly powerless before her, like a helpless child?"
The Ghost Ancestor had been genuinely shaken.
Reaching the second level of the Return Void Realm, he had thought himself capable of going anywhere in the world. Yet the moment he set foot in the Lingxiao Sect, Yang Yan had tormented him to the point of nearly destroying his confidence entirely.
Though he had gained some benefit from the experience, the Ghost Ancestor simply could not accept that he was truly so weak.
"If I told you she was the Stellar Great Emperor, would you believe me?" Yang Kai said with a grin.
The Ghost Ancestor's jaw dropped wider than a watermelon, staring blankly at Yang Kai as his eyeballs trembled violently.
"Hahaha… Elder, weren't you looking to refine Return Void-grade spirit pills? You can go to Danbao Peak and find my junior martial sister — she'll help you with the refinement." Yang Kai laughed and strolled away at leisure.
The Ghost Ancestor was left alone, unable to recover for a long time.
After quite a while, he slapped the table. "You brat, you dare try to fool me! The Great Emperor is nothing more than a figure of legend — surely such a person wouldn't truly appear before mortals, and certainly not a woman… Someone as shrewd as I am, how could I fall for that? Forget it, forget it — the pill refinement is what matters!"
No matter what background that woman called Yang Yan possessed, the Ghost Ancestor knew she was far beyond anything he could afford to offend. After being bested twice in a row, the Ghost Ancestor no longer dared to be so self-assured.
The path of martial cultivation was vast and endless — there was always further to seek.
In the Heavenly Pillar Palace, Yang Kai sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut.
His spiritual consciousness had already spread outward, merging with the entire Dark Star. If he willed it, he could sense every gust of wind and rustle of grass across every corner of the planet.
It was as if he and this cultivation star had become one — inseparable, indistinguishable.