With that thought, Yang Kai decided not to stop her. Perhaps if Hua Qingsi acted on her own, she would stumble upon unexpected opportunities.
Moreover, Hua Qingsi's strength was nothing to scoff at, and she possessed a Five-Colored Spear Emperor Treasure in her possession — the kind of treasure that powerhouses like Yao Changjun would covet, which she had already refined and mastered to tremendous effect.
Ordinary martial artists should not be her match.
The only thing Hua Qingsi lacked was a Star Imprint. Without one, she would be unable to sense the location of the Origin Source and would have no choice but to search aimlessly.
"Take this with you." Yang Kai reached out and handed her a spatial ring.
Hua Qingsi took it and swept her Divine Sense inside, instantly letting out a soft cry: "So many Source Crystals!"
The ring contained nothing else — it was packed almost entirely with Source Crystals. Though she hadn't counted them precisely, there were at least two to three hundred million, including a fair number of high-grade Source Crystals among them. Besides the Source Crystals, there were also various spirit pills personally refined by Yang Kai.
"If you truly wish to break through the bottleneck here and advance to the Emperor Realm, Source Crystals are indispensable. The ambient spiritual energy in the Shattered Star Sea is extremely thin, so don't refuse these," Yang Kai said solemnly.
Hua Qingsi clutched the spatial ring and nodded gently, moved: "Young Master Yang, thank you. You are the kindest person to me in this entire world."
Though she had initially been forced to stay by Yang Kai's side — and had even been locked away in his Small Secret Realm — over these years Yang Kai had never done anything to harm her. On the contrary, he had given her a Tai Miao Pill that countless cultivators dreamed of but could never obtain, laying a solid foundation for her future advancement to the Emperor Realm. He had also bestowed upon her a Five-Colored Spear Emperor Treasure.
Now Yang Kai had just given her two to three hundred million Source Crystals on top of everything. Who else in this world could treat her so generously? Who else could provide her with such incredible gifts? Whether the Tai Miao Pill or the Five-Colored Spear, either was a treasure that would drive countless powerhouses to battle over it. Even her own master at the Star God Palace could not compare to this level of generosity.
Hua Qingsi was genuinely touched.
If she truly managed to advance to the Emperor Realm one day, the person she would most need to thank was Yang Kai. She had previously spoken of fortune and destiny, and in her heart she knew — hadn't meeting Yang Kai itself been a tremendous stroke of luck and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her?
"Sister Hua is too kind." Yang Kai smiled faintly, then suddenly remembered something. "Stay still!"
As he spoke, he reached out a hand and tapped a finger toward her forehead.
Though Hua Qingsi had no idea what he intended, she showed no hint of resistance, standing perfectly still.
A moment later, Yang Kai's finger touched her forehead. The next instant, Hua Qingsi's delicate body trembled, and she was suddenly struck by the sensation of an invisible set of shackles being shattered, leaving her entire being feeling light as air.
She understood at once what Yang Kai had done — he had removed the Soul Imprint branded into her Sea of Consciousness!
Back when she had been confined in his Small Secret Realm, he had forced her to open her Sea of Consciousness and allowed him to brand her with a Soul Imprint. From that moment on, she had been unable to defy him in the slightest, compelled to obey his every command.
But now, Yang Kai had voluntarily removed that imprint.
In other words, she was now a free woman, no longer bound by Yang Kai's control.
"Young Master Yang, you..." Hua Qingsi's beautiful eyes trembled slightly, gazing at him in disbelief.
Yang Kai smiled: "If you're going to attempt a breakthrough to the Emperor Realm, there can't be even the slightest interference."
Hua Qingsi pressed her red lips together, then suddenly raised a hand and pointed at the sky: "Young Master Yang, rest assured — I, your Sister Hua, will never reveal a single secret about you for as long as I live. Should I break this oath, let me suffer Qi Deviation and perish!"
She knew far too many of Yang Kai's secrets. Whether it was the World Crystal or the various trump cards he possessed, or the Ageless Tree and the Cang Tree planted in his Medicine Garden — if any of it leaked, Yang Kai would never be able to stand in the Star Field again. Wherever he went, he would be besieged by enemies.
She had taken this Heart Demon Oath of her own volition, so that Yang Kai would have no cause to worry about her betraying his confidence.
Yang Kai laughed: "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have removed the imprint. Go on, Sister Hua — be careful on the road."
Hua Qingsi nodded, then asked: "If the Shattered Star Sea closes, where should I go to find you?"
"If you want to find me, go to the Thousand Leaves Sect. Someday I will make my way there."
Chi Yue and Ai Ou and the others were all at the Thousand Leaves Sect, so regardless of everything else, Yang Kai would return there eventually.
"Very well. Then I will wait for you there." Hua Qingsi nodded, stepped forward, exchanged a few words with Liu Yan and Zhang Ruoxi, then launched herself skyward toward the starry void, vanishing from sight before long.
Watching the direction she had departed, Yang Kai let out a quiet breath.
Over these years, Hua Qingsi had helped him on quite a few occasions. When he had first imprisoned her, he had harbored no ill intent — she had simply witnessed some of his secrets, and he had no choice but to keep her contained. He had originally planned to grant her freedom once he himself advanced to the Emperor Realm; this was merely a little ahead of schedule.
After spending so much time together, Yang Kai felt that Hua Qingsi's character was trustworthy enough. Even without the Heart Demon Oath, he would not have had any cause for concern.
"Young Master..." A faint voice called out from beside him. Yang Kai felt someone tugging gently at his sleeve and turned to see Zhang Ruoxi gazing up at him with an expectant look in her eyes.
He raised an eyebrow: "What is it?"