Just having been grazed by the power of the Emperor's Absolute Pill, Yang Kai felt his back tearing apart, his internal organs shifted out of place. He didn't need to probe with his divine sense — he already knew his back must be drenched in blood, a mangled mess of flesh.
Had he not been skilled in the power of space and fled without hesitation, there likely wouldn't even be ashes left of him.
He gasped for air, his face as pale as paper, struggling to weave through the meteorite sea for a while until he found a somewhat larger meteorite to hide in. He then summoned the Profound Realm Bead, flickered, and slipped into the Minor Profound World within.
This river of meteorites was in motion, carried by some unknown force in a single direction toward the depths of this boundless star field, heading to who knew where. But at the moment, Yang Kai couldn't afford to worry about that — healing his injuries came first.
Near the Medicine Garden, Yang Kai sat cross-legged, grabbed a handful of healing spirit pills from his spatial ring and stuffed them into his mouth. He then silently circulated his profound art to dissolve the medicinal effects while drawing upon the life energy of the Tree of Immortality to aid his recovery.
Feng Xi had hurt him badly this time, but Yang Kai wasn't particularly worried. His physique was incredibly robust, and moreover, the Medicine Garden held a Tree of Immortality. As long as he hadn't died on the spot, he would eventually make a full recovery.
What concerned him more was that he had burned a considerable amount of essence blood to escape the Emperor's Absolute Pill's reach, leaving his body extremely weakened. It would take a long time to recover from that.
Within the Shattered Star Sea, winds stirred and clouds churned. Tens of thousands of elite Dao Source Realm cultivators from across the myriad Star Realms poured into this place, seeking opportunities, pursuing the higher truths of heaven's Dao and the martial path, hoping to advance to the Emperor Realm here.
Within the meteorite sea, Yang Kai remained in seclusion, focused entirely on healing his wounds.
A month slipped by in the blink of an eye. After that month, Yang Kai slowly opened his eyes and gently exhaled, a complicated look flickering through his gaze.
He hadn't expected this recovery to take so long — something that had never happened before.
As expected of an Emperor's Absolute Pill refined by a third-level Emperor Realm powerhouse — the power of that Asking of Love finger strike had not only inflicted grievous wounds upon him, but some peculiar force had also seeped into his body.
It was precisely to purge this force that Yang Kai had spent an entire month. Had it been otherwise, his physique combined with the Tree of Immortality's effects would have healed him in just a few days.
His injuries had fully healed, leaving no lingering side effects. His strength had returned to its peak as well. But Yang Kai didn't rush to leave the Profound Realm Bead. First, he swept the area with his divine sense, probing the situation outside, and found everything silent with not a soul in sight.
Once he confirmed it was safe, he turned his hand over, and the next moment, four beads of different colors appeared in his palm.
These four beads were none other than the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter beads — relics left behind by the Time Emperor.
Long ago, Yang Kai had theorized that gathering all four beads would yield an unexpected reward. Unfortunately, the sole Winter bead had always eluded his sight — yet this time, he had obtained it in Ice Heart Valley.
Feng Xi's Emperor's Absolute Pill had made him aware of a certain danger. His current strength was indeed sufficient to not fear cultivators of the same level, but he couldn't afford to neglect the trump cards these cultivators might possess.
Feng Xi had an Emperor's Absolute Pill. Who could guarantee that the enemies he encountered next wouldn't have one too? Even if they didn't have an Emperor's Absolute Pill, they might still hold other hidden aces.
After all, every cultivator who made it into the Shattered Star Sea was an elite of the Star Realm. Many of them were descendants of powerful Emperor Realm cultivators or outstanding Disciples of the various top Sects.
Many among them could not be underestimated — doing so might cost one's life.
So Yang Kai was eager to improve his strength. He was already at the third level of the Dao Source Realm; the next step would be the Emperor Realm. But advancement to the Emperor Realm was far from easy. Until fate provided the opportunity, Yang Kai had no way of knowing when he might glimpse the secrets of the Emperor Realm.
Since breaking through to the next realm was out of the question, his only option was to work on his secret techniques.
The Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter beads were undoubtedly the best choice. If he could fully comprehend them, he might obtain the Time Emperor's legacy.
The Time Emperor had been a master of the power of time, and in his era, he had been among the top-tier powerhouses. Obtaining his legacy would unquestionably provide tremendous aid in boosting his strength.
So Yang Kai didn't hesitate for long. After taking out the Four Seasons Beads, he began to contemplate them, hoping to gain some insight.
Strangely enough, when the Winter bead had encountered the Summer bead in Ice Heart Valley's forbidden ground, the two had even produced a certain resonance. But now that all four beads were gathered together, they showed not the slightest reaction.
Yang Kai had no idea how to activate the Four Seasons Beads' power. All he could do was hold them cupped in his palms, circulate his profound art, and quietly sense their presence.
He wasn't impatient at all; rather, his mind was calm and steady.
Gradually, his entire being entered a state of ethereal emptiness. His mind was blank, his body and spirit relaxed, as though he were floating among the clouds, his consciousness drifting. He completely forgot where he was and what he had come here to do, wholly immersed in this sensation from which there was no escape.
Half a month passed. A month passed. Two months passed...
The Four Seasons Beads still showed no response, but Yang Kai was frantically absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the Minor Profound World, making his Source Power even more vast and refined. His cultivation at the third level of the Dao Source Realm steadily climbed, faintly approaching a state of peak perfection.
One day, three months later, Yang Kai's mind was suddenly shaken — a tremor that rose from the very depths of his soul startled him awake. Immediately after, a scorching sensation spread outward from his palms. His eyes snapped open, and he saw four-colored radiance suddenly spill forth from his hands, swirling slowly like colorful ribbons that wrapped around and enveloped his entire body.
Within that four-colored radiance, each hue harbored an exceptionally unique conception and power of law. The four types of law echoed one another across the distance, complementing each other in a manner reminiscent of the Five Elements' cycle of generation and conquest.