Gong Yue had already fallen to the demonic path, and no one knew if he might return to sabotage the restrictions. The restriction formation on the crimson gate was ancient to begin with, and it had been damaged by Gong Yue once before. If it were tampered with again, it might truly be broken. Therefore, Yang Kai had to stay behind as a precaution.
This was something only Yang Kai could do, and he was the only one with the capability.
After a brief discussion, the group hurriedly sat down to meditate and recuperate.
Although Hua Yulu and the others weren't physically injured, the blood sacrifice within the Six Harmonies Supreme Formation had drained them enormously. To leave this place and head for Tianhe Valley, they needed to recover for a while. All were Emperor Realm cultivators, and they all carried precious spirit pills for saving their lives. Now was not the time to be stingy, so each took one and consumed it.
Half a day later, Hua Yulu and the others had managed to recover about sixty or seventy percent of their strength. They didn't dare delay further. After bidding farewell to Yang Kai, they returned along their original path, intending to leave this ancient cave dwelling together.
Before long, only Yang Kai remained alone within the stone cavern. The surroundings were so silent that even breathing was faintly audible, with only the occasional drip-drip of water falling from the stalactites above.
This expedition into the ancient cave dwelling had been fraught with peril but ended safely. Yet, whenever he recalled those perilous moments, Yang Kai still felt a shudder of fear.
Seven had entered, but in the end, only four emerged unscathed. Wu Kuangyi had been sacrificed by Yang Tai, Yang Tai had perished in self-destruction, Gong Yue had been corrupted by demonic thoughts, and the remaining four were utterly exhausted—a truly wretched state.
Now, finally granted some time to recover, Yang Kai naturally seized every moment.
Another day passed before he slowly opened his eyes. Silently assessing his current condition, he felt it was about sufficient, so he retrieved his Elder's jade token.
This was the item Wen Zishan had given him during his appointment ceremony. The Elder's jade token not only represented his status as an Elder of the Azure Sun Divine Temple but also held many other wondrous functions.
He gently circulated his Emperor Qi. The jade token hovered before him, and then his hands shifted through a series of seals, constantly pointing toward the token. It hummed continuously, and with Yang Kai's actions, streams of concealed information were transmitted through the token to the Azure Sun Divine Temple.
This method of communication wasn't perfect; it couldn't convey overly complex matters and was limited by distance, only usable within the same great domain. However, it was currently the only means of long-distance communication in the Star Boundary, and all major sects possessed similar devices, differing only in minor details.
After busy himself for a while, Yang Kai finally put away the jade token, confident that the Azure Sun Divine Temple had received the message. Before long, someone would come to investigate.
He continued his meditation to recover.
Over the next ten or so days, everything remained peaceful. Yang Kai's injuries gradually improved, and the damage to his soul was also slowly healing. Given a bit more time, he felt he should be able to make a full recovery.
He hadn't let his guard down, constantly maintaining a portion of his awareness to watch the crimson gate. No subtle disturbance could escape his notice.
On this particular day, while Yang Kai was meditating with his eyes closed, a remarkably profound feeling suddenly arose within him. It was as if he had gained some hazy insight into the Martial Dao. This delighted him greatly. This realization had come inexplicably, without warning, yet it was a rare opportunity that any martial artist would envy. Thus, he immediately immersed his mind, chasing after that deeper understanding and artistic conception.
That inexplicable feeling grew increasingly clear and vivid, like a sumptuous delicacy placed before him, within easy reach, yet separated by an invisible barrier—he could only smell its aroma but not truly taste it.
Yang Kai remained patient and steady, advancing step by step, slowly breaking through the obstruction before him.
He had a premonition that if he could truly penetrate this layer of insight, he would definitely be able to advance to the Second Order Emperor Realm.
He had broken through to the Emperor Realm in the Fragmentary Star Sea. Although not much time had passed since then and it should have been impossible for him to advance again, his experiences over the past days had been exceedingly rich. He had long accumulated the capital needed to reach the Second Order; all he lacked was a stroke of fortune.
Now, that fortune lay before him. Naturally, he had to seize it firmly.
Time trickled by. Yang Kai didn't know how long he'd been at it—it seemed like just an instant, yet also like a year or half a year. At a certain moment, when he felt that obstruction finally give way, a new world unfolded before his eyes.
All manner of wondrous sensations flooded into his mind from unknown corners, giving him a sudden, illusionary sense of omnipotence. Those feelings brought with them a unique artistic conception, making him involuntarily wish to immerse himself within it, to roam freely and peer into the mysteries of the Martial Dao's pinnacle.
In this moment, Yang Kai found himself in a peculiar environment. He felt as though he were standing amidst a starry sky, surrounded by countless twinkling stars. Each star represented an enigmatic artistic conception and the secret of the Martial Dao—a stepping stone toward the ultimate path of martial arts. They were within his reach, attainable with a mere stretch of his hand. If he could pluck those stars, he would be able to achieve an accomplishment that would shake the ages.
Yang Kai slowly extended his hand, reaching toward those stars.
Suddenly, a ball of flame ignited within this starry expanse. Yang Kai frowned, fixing his gaze intently upon the fire.
The moment he looked, he was struck by an intense sensation of scorching heat, as if his very body were being roasted over fierce flames. And this burning sensation grew ever more intense, increasingly violent, until it became almost unbearable for Yang Kai.