Only after hearing Kang Siran's explanation did Yang Kai finally understand the full picture.
The Five-Colored Pagoda was a supreme treasure of the Star God Palace, and its reputation resounded throughout the Star Boundary.
This was not merely because it was an Emperor-grade Artifact—it was also because of its extraordinary nature. The interior of the Five-Colored Pagoda contained a self-contained world, somewhat similar to a Mysterious World Bead, though more refined and complete than the one in Yang Kai's possession.
It was said that the Five-Colored Pagoda had been born from the hands of the Star God Palace's Master, Emperor Bright Moon. However, in truth, the pagoda had already existed in rudimentary form long before Emperor Bright Moon rose to prominence. It was only after he acquired it, refined it, and improved it that it took on its final shape.
The space inside the pagoda was rumored to be an ancient battlefield, littered with remnants of ancient treasures and rare spirit herbs. The terrain within was treacherous and ever-changing. It had always been housed inside the Star God Palace and was the favorite destination—and the most accessible training ground—for the palace's disciples.
Any disciple of the Star God Palace who met the required qualifications could enter the Five-Colored Pagoda for training.
Inside, they could hone their Cultivation, sharpen their combat skills, and gain insight into the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Dao, the Martial Dao, and the Laws.
Though the Five-Colored Pagoda had existed for countless ages, and innumerable cultivators had entered it over the years to seek their own opportunities, the treasures inside had never diminished—only increased.
The reason was simple. Entering was not without risk. Many of the Star God Palace disciples had perished within, and the spatial rings they carried became the remnants left inside the Five-Colored Pagoda, serving as targets for the next wave of challengers.
The pagoda was divided into five levels. The first and second levels were for Void King Realm cultivators, the third and fourth for Dao Source Realm cultivators, and the highest fifth level was reserved for Emperor Realm powerhouses seeking the Great Dao.
Inside the pagoda, beyond the hidden ancient Artifacts and spirit herbs that had grown for countless millennia, what truly set cultivators' hearts racing were the fleeting manifestations of the Laws of Heaven and Earth and the Star Essence that appeared from time to time.
Because the interior was a shattered ancient battlefield. In the primordial era, countless mighty beings had clashed within, shattering the sky, fragmenting stars, and tearing apart the Laws. As a result, the broken power of Laws and incomplete Star Essence were abundant inside the pagoda.
Neither was complete, yet both contained a wealth of mystery and wonder. If a cultivator could gain insight from them, the benefits would be immense.
In a cultivator's journey, after the Void King Realm came the Dao Source Realm, where one had to begin comprehending the Laws. However, Dao Source Realm cultivators could only make rudimentary use of them. Truly turning the Laws to one's own command—where one's word was law—that was a mystery only Emperor Realm powerhouses could touch.
In the Star Boundary, countless Void King Realm cultivators had fully converted their Source Power yet still failed to advance to the Dao Source Realm. The greatest bottleneck was their inability to comprehend the Laws of Heaven and Earth.
It was precisely for this reason that cultivators who were Star Masters were so welcomed throughout the Star Boundary.
Take Yang Kai, for example. He had already gained an initial understanding of the Dark Star's Laws as far back as the Void Return Stage. Though it was merely the Law of a single Cultivation Star and could not compare to the grand Laws of the entire Heaven and Earth, mastering one principle illuminated a thousand others. Yang Kai had gained a glimpse of the path, and his future advancement to the Dao Source Realm would face far fewer obstacles. He would even enjoy a unique advantage when the time came to break through to the Emperor Realm.
However, this welcome did not stem solely from admiration and expectation—jealousy and covetousness played an even greater role. What Yin Lesheng of the Yellow Spring Sect had done was the perfect illustration.
Yang Kai would never reveal the secret of his Star Master status.
"In that case, Alchemist Yang should understand just how beneficial the opening of the Five-Colored Pagoda is for us?" Kang Siran asked, his face lit up with excitement.
"I understand. If that's truly the case, then the Five-Colored Pagoda is indeed an excellent destination." Yang Kai nodded.
"There's more," Kang Siran said with a slight smile. "Alchemist Yang, you know as well as I do that Maple Forest City is crawling with all manner of factions this time around—great and small, countless powers have shown up. So after the Star Envoy decided to open the Five-Colored Pagoda, those top-tier forces wouldn't dare fail to show some generosity, would they?"
"Manager Kang means to say..." Yang Kai's body jolted as a possibility struck him.
"Heh heh heh... I won't hide it from you, Alchemist Yang. The Heavenly Martial Holy Land, the Wu Hua Hall, the Qing Yang Divine Temple, and many other powers have each contributed batches of precious resources, deposited into the pagoda's interior. They include not only spirit pills and medicinal elixirs, but also cultivation techniques and secret arts—and even Dao Source-grade Artifacts!"
Yang Kai's eyes lit up instantly.
If that was truly the case, then all of Maple Forest City would be thrown into a frenzy.
In the past, ordinary cultivators or those from humble backgrounds had found it nearly impossible to obtain anything of value from the great powers. But now, with such an enormous windfall falling from the sky—countless treasures hidden inside the pagoda, waiting only for those fated to find them—how could the masses of cultivators not swarm to it?
"The Heavenly Martial Holy Land even contributed three Dao Source Fruits!" Kang Siran's expression turned manic with excitement, his voice trembling. "Alchemist Yang, as an alchemist, you surely understand the value of a Dao Source Fruit better than anyone."
"The Dao Source Fruits used to refine Dao Source Pills?" Yang Kai exclaimed.
"Exactly!" Kang Siran's hands trembled uncontrollably, spilling tea everywhere as he lifted his cup. "Dao Source Fruits—in the entire Star Boundary, only a handful of top-tier powers can cultivate them. And in the Southern Domain, not even the Star God Palace possesses a Dao Source Fruit Tree. The Heavenly Martial Holy Land is the only one—they have no equal. They produce only six Dao Source Fruits every ten years, and this time they've put three of them in at once. The Heavenly Martial Holy Land has truly emptied its coffers this time."