The moment he stepped inside the Minor Mysterious World, Yang Kai's expression changed drastically. He stared at his surroundings in horror and cried out, "What — what happened here? How did it become like this?"
Though he had already braced himself for some degree of impact after extracting that sliver of Heavenly Force, he had never imagined the consequences would be so severe.
The Minor Mysterious World was now a scene of utter devastation. The earth was scarred with crisscrossing gashes and ravines, as though a battle between Duan Hongchen and Wu Kuang had raged across this very land.
The flowers, grasses, and verdant trees that had once lined every corner had vanished in enormous swathes. Even the rich spiritual energy between heaven and earth had dimmed noticeably.
The entire Minor Mysterious World felt lifeless and dead — like the arrival of the apocalypse.
Yang Kai's heart bled at the sight. Ever since obtaining the Mysterious World Bead on the Dark Star, this spatial treasure had granted him tremendous convenience, saving him from peril on more than one occasion. He never would have guessed it could end up looking like this.
The Dharma Avatar stood beside him, wearing an equally pained expression. It spoke in a deep, resonant voice: "Wu Kuang said that the Heavenly Force is the origin power of heaven and earth itself. You extracted a sliver of this world's origin — naturally, the results would be anything but good."
"What about Liu Yan and the others? Are they alright?" Yang Kai asked in alarm, simultaneously releasing his Divine Sense to check on Liu Yan and the rest.
The Dharma Avatar replied, "They are unharmed. However, Ruoxi and Miss Xiaoqi are still deep in slumber. There's no telling when they will wake."
Yang Kai nodded and flickered to where Liu Yan and the others were. Just as the Dharma Avatar had said, Zhang Ruoxi and Mo Xiaoqi remained unconscious.
Earlier, Mo Xiaoqi's emotional outburst had triggered the Sacred Soul Seal. Duan Hongchen had then taken a drop of Zhang Ruoxi's essence blood to suppress the seal, after which Mo Xiaoqi had lapsed directly into unconsciousness. Both girls had likely simply exhausted themselves, and were now breathing steadily — asleep but in no immediate danger.
After checking on them for a while, Yang Kai finally felt at ease. He then shifted his Divine Sense to the herb garden, only to find that the Tree of Eternity, the Ancient Tree, and all the rare flora he had planted there had suffered no damage whatsoever. Only then did he truly breathe a sigh of relief.
If the Tree of Eternity and the Ancient Tree had been affected, Yang Kai would have had nowhere to turn for comfort.
Fortunately, despite the severe damage to the Minor Mysterious World, the truly important things had been spared. That was a blessing in disguise.
But still — how was he supposed to repair this damaged Minor Mysterious World? Yang Kai's head was spinning. Though he was well-versed in the power of space, the Minor Mysterious World was not something he had personally refined. Even if he wanted to repair it, he wouldn't know where to begin.
Within the Origin Sea, the Mysterious World Bead had absorbed a massive quantity of origin power. That power now permeated the space, but due to the damage, the spiritual energy and origin power stored within the Minor Mysterious World were continuously leaking out.
He could imagine that if he didn't find a solution, all the spiritual energy and origin power would eventually drain away entirely. When that happened, the Minor Mysterious World would no longer be able to provide a suitable environment for Liu Yan and the others to cultivate.
As he pondered this, a light suddenly sparked in Yang Kai's eyes.
The reason the Minor Mysterious World had become like this was that he had extracted the Heavenly Force from this world — fundamentally, it was because a sliver of the world's origin had been lost.
If he could replenish that lost sliver of origin, the Minor Mysterious World should be able to return to its former state!
The power of heavenly origin permeated all of heaven and earth, but one would need to reach the level of a Great Emperor to even perceive it. Yang Kai wasn't there yet — but he did have a ready supply of Heavenly Force, the very power suppressed beneath the Mountain and River Bell.
If he infused the Heavenly Force beneath the Mountain and River Bell into the Minor Mysterious World, would it produce some miraculous effect?
The suppressed Heavenly Force was far more vast than the sliver he had extracted. Used wisely, it might not only repair the Minor Mysterious World but potentially elevate it beyond what it had been before, perfecting the laws of heaven and earth within it.
At this thought, Yang Kai could not help but grow excited, eager to put his plan into action at once.
After all, if he did nothing, the Minor Mysterious World would inevitably become a ruined world. But if he succeeded, the benefits would be self-evident.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai flickered and reappeared in the oasis. He then waved his hand, releasing the Dharma Avatar, Liu Yan, and the unconscious Zhang Ruoxi and Mo Xiaoqi from inside.
"What are your orders, Master?" Liu Yan asked, gazing at Yang Kai curiously.
Normally, Yang Kai would never release them from the Minor Mysterious World. If he was doing so, it had to be for something important.
Yang Kai said solemnly, "I intend to repair the Minor Mysterious World. It may not be safe for you to remain inside."
"Repair the Minor Mysterious World?" A flash of confusion crossed the Dharma Avatar's eyes, but it quickly caught on and exclaimed, "Are you going to use the suppressed Heavenly Force?"
Yang Kai nodded, his voice low and steady: "It's the only possibility. I have no choice but to try."
The Dharma Avatar pondered for a moment, then said, "It is indeed an opportunity."
"But before I begin — Liu Yan, I have something for you." Yang Kai fixed Liu Yan with an intense gaze.
"The True Phoenix Fire?" Liu Yan's breathing hitched slightly.
"So you sensed it." Yang Kai grinned.
After retrieving the True Phoenix Fire from the Star-Shattered Sea, Yang Kai had tossed it into the Minor Mysterious World. Once Liu Yan had entered, she would naturally have been able to sense it.