Northern Domain, Wenqing Sect.
As one of the Northern Domain's premier Sects, Wenqing Sect occupied an enormous territory with countless Disciples. Its sprawling complexes of architecture were imposing and extraordinary in every detail, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was remarkably dense.
From within an unremarkable building, a furious roar suddenly erupted. In an instant, the entire Wenqing Sect seemed to tremble, and innumerable Disciples turned toward the source of the sound, their expressions filled with shock.
Everyone recognized that voice — it belonged to the Sect Master himself. But no one knew what could have provoked him into such a sudden fit of rage.
Feng Xuan was already a Third-Stage Emperor Realm powerhouse, his mind as still and tranquil as ancient, undisturbed water. For him to exhibit such violent emotional upheaval, something truly unbearable must have occurred.
And what kind of matter could possibly enrage a Third-Stage Emperor to this degree?
At that moment, a pale-faced man came rushing toward the building, threw open the door, and dropped to his knees in trembling terror. "Sect Master, terrible news! I just received word — the Young Sect Master's Soul Lamp..."
Before the man could finish, Feng Xuan struck out with a single palm.
Though the man possessed the considerable cultivation of a Third-Stage Dao Source Realm, he stood no chance against a powerhouse of Feng Xuan's caliber. The palm struck him flat, crushing him into a smear of gore.
"Yang Kai!" Inside the sealed chamber, Feng Xuan's face was deathly pale, his expression savage as he spat the name through gritted teeth, twin flames of fury blazing in his eyes.
His soul had descended into Feng Xi's body, so though his physical form remained at Wenqing Sect, he had been able to sense fragments of what occurred in the Shattered Star Sea — not everything, but the death of Feng Xi he had felt with absolute, crystalline clarity.
His son had finally broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Shattered Star Sea, only to be killed by a mere Third-Stage Dao Source cultivator — and all of this had happened while his own soul was inhabiting the boy's body. To Feng Xuan personally, and to the sect as a whole, this was a humiliation of monumental proportions.
If not for the fact that he could not enter the Shattered Star Sea, he would have set out immediately to settle the score with Yang Kai.
The murder of one's son — a debt of blood that could never be forgiven. Rage churned within Feng Xuan's heart. He rose abruptly, transformed into a streak of light, and shot out of the Wenqing Sect, hurtling in a specific direction.
Judging by the way he flew, he was heading toward Ice Heart Valley.
He could not go after Yang Kai right now. His only option was to find Bing Yun at Ice Heart Valley first. Regardless of anything else, Yang Kai had to die, and only by finding Bing Yun could he obtain information on Yang Kai's whereabouts.
Feng Xi's death had pushed him into a complete, uncontrollable fury. He no longer cared about the rivalry between the two factions — if Bing Yun could not give him a satisfactory explanation, he would bath Ice Heart Valley in blood!
……
In a haze of drowsiness, Yang Kai felt someone calling out to him. He struggled for a long while before his eyes finally snapped open and consciousness returned.
"You're finally awake!" A voice sounded suddenly beside his ear.
Yang Kai stirred inwardly and knew at once that the one summoning him was none other than his Avatar.
He and the Avatar had always shared a spiritual link, so even across the Small Mysterious Realm, the Avatar could reach him at any time.
After Yang Kai had suddenly fallen unconscious, the Avatar hadn't dared pull him into the Small Mysterious Realm for healing. It could have done so, but if it had, the Mysterious Boundary Bead would have been exposed in the void for all to see.
The Shattered Star Sea was crawling with powerful cultivators. If someone spotted the Mysterious Boundary Bead, it would invite yet another heap of trouble.
So the Avatar had been forced to let Yang Kai drift through the void, calling out to him continuously.
"How long has it been?" Yang Kai communicated with the Avatar through divine sense and struggled to prop himself up.
"Not too long — just a few hours."
"Good enough." Yang Kai let out a quiet breath and assessed his current condition. The injuries weren't too severe — he'd been grazed by Feng Xuan's finger-wind, leaving the flesh on his back in a shredded, bloody mess.
The biggest problem was his extreme weakness. Activating the Mountain and River Bell had consumed every last ounce of his strength, and in these few hours there had been no way to fully recover. Even now, the mere act of extending his divine sense sent a sharp pain lancing through his mind. If he ran into any danger in this state, his only option would be to retreat into the Mysterious Boundary Bead immediately.
He thought it over, summoned his wooden boat, and let it carry him forward. Then he sat cross-legged on the deck, pulled out several spirit pills for recovery, popped them into his mouth, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
In the vast, desolate expanse of the Shattered Star Sea, Yang Kai's figure was no more noticeable than a speck of dust, drifting along with no particular destination.
Two full days later, he finally exhaled gently and rose to his feet, a cascade of pops and cracks echoing through his body as his bones and meridians settled back into place.
He wasn't completely recovered, but the worst of it had passed.
He raised his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Nothing of note — not even his Seven-Pointed Star Seal had detected the presence of anyone nearby.
He had been inside the Shattered Star Sea for two or three years now. He had initially thought he'd made a decent haul, but after encountering the Ice Heart Valley group and Feng Xi, he realized he had actually fallen behind.
Even Feng Xi had long since broken through to the Emperor Realm, and Zi Yu had been on the verge of doing the same — she might well have already succeeded and ascended to the Emperor Throne by now. And what about him? He hadn't even sensed the first stirring of a breakthrough.
The Phoenix True Fire, the Mountain and River Bell — both were undeniably extraordinary, remnants once possessed by a Great Emperor himself. But the strength of a warrior had always been rooted in his own power. Everything else was merely icing on the cake.