Lower Realm star fields were not limited to one — there were countless of them. Some were completely sealed off, existing in solitary isolation, while others remained connected to the Star Boundary. The cultivators of those connected star fields were undoubtedly fortunate, for once their cultivation reached a certain level, they could travel to the Star Boundary and scale even greater peaks, witnessing far more wonders.
Many years ago, the Star Boundary had been linked to numerous lower Realm star fields. Not only could those below ascend when their cultivation was sufficient, but the powerful experts of the Star Boundary could also descend through various methods.
However, after the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, the passages from the Star Boundary to the lower Realm star fields had been sealed. This was because for the cultivators of those star fields, the experts from the Star Boundary were simply too overwhelming to resist. The number of star fields destroyed by the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor alone was beyond counting, and no one could guarantee that another such figure would not appear in the future.
The existence of the myriad star fields was vitally important to the Star Boundary, and such a seal was a form of protection.
The Star Court came into being as a result! This power was extremely mysterious, unknown to ordinary people, created by the Great Emperors of that era. Its duty was to guard the passages leading to the lower Realm star fields, forbidding anyone from the Star Boundary from descending at will.
If Yang Kai remembered correctly, the current Star Court was overseen by the Iron Blood Great Emperor.
He had always assumed that reaching the lower Realm star fields would necessarily require going through the Star Court. He had even made plans to find a way back to the Heng Luo Star Field once he had free time, to bring his friends and family over.
He had even speculated that Yang Yan, who had been completely without news all this time, might be within the Star Court.
Yet never in his wildest imagination had he thought that, before any of those plans could be carried out, he would discover a void passage to a lower Realm star field right inside the Dragon Palace on Dragon Island — and one opened by the infamous Heaven Devouring Great Emperor himself.
Though the odds of Wu Kuang having reached the Heng Luo Star Field were less than one in a hundred, how could Yang Kai rest easy? Some things — it wasn't about a one-in-ten-thousand chance, but about that one chance being enough.
So the moment Mo Huang mentioned that Wu Kuang had gone to a lower Realm star field, he immediately grew agitated.
After a brief pause, he spoke up in a clear voice: "Esteemed elders, Wu Kuang has not yet rebuilt his strength. If we do not seize this opportunity to track him down and kill him, he will inevitably become a great catastrophe in the future. What are you all still hesitating for?"
Zhu Yan glanced up at him, his already displeased expression darkening slightly: "If we could pinpoint Wu Kuang's exact location, I would go after him without needing you to tell me. But who here knows which star field he fled into?"
"And because of that, you would simply let him go?" Yang Kai retorted, refusing to back down.
Mo Huang frowned. "The matter is not as simple as you think."
Yang Kai craned his neck stubbornly. "Even if we don't know precisely which star field Wu Kuang escaped to, with so many people present, if we all pursue him, there's at least a slim chance of finding him. But if we don't even try, we'll only let him roam free. The day Wu Kuang returns at his peak, who in the Star Boundary could stop him? I don't suppose any of you want to wage another Great Emperor-level war?"
"Big guts, and a big temper to match." Mo Huang let out a derisive chuckle.
Yang Kai replied evenly, "I'm simply stating the facts."
Fu Xuan said, "This matter involves far too much — please be patient." Compared to the others, Fu Xuan's attitude toward him was relatively amiable. She couldn't quite understand why Yang Kai had suddenly become so worked up, as though he were desperate to go chasing after Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai shook his head. "I just can't wrap my head around it."
"Shut your mouth — how do you even have the nerve to speak?" Fu Zhun suddenly looked up, fixing Yang Kai with an icy stare.
Yang Kai met her gaze and felt his own temper flare. He replied in a flat tone: "Does the Second Elder have some advice for me?"
Fu Zhun said through gritted teeth: "If it weren't for you today, how would our Dragon Clan be plagued by so many disasters? If Fu Chi hadn't been injured by you, how could he have fallen so easily? And without Fu Chi's Dragon Clan Origin, how could Wu Kuang have penetrated deep into the Dragon Palace?"
The barrage of accusations was suffocating in its intensity.
Yang Kai sneered repeatedly. "The way the Second Elder puts it, it sounds as though I'm the root cause of everything. I'm still too green to bear that kind of responsibility — the Second Elder gives me far too much credit."
He had absolutely no favorable impression of Fu Zhun. She had tried to sabotage the relationship between Mo Huang and Fu Xuan, and she had also interfered with his own affairs with Zhu Qing. It was as though she was born to break up happy couples, unable to stand seeing anyone catch a shred of good fortune. Even if she was heaven-rendingly beautiful and as cold as frost, the moment she had tried to betroth Zhu Qing to another, she became nothing but repulsive in his eyes. I can't beat you now, so I'll bear it and yield for the time being. But the day comes when I can settle things with you, and I'll make sure you learn what it feels like to be pushed around.
After finishing, before she could react further, Yang Kai cupped his fists toward Zhu Yan: "Grand Elder, this incident originated on Dragon Island, and Wu Kuang escaped from Dragon Island. Regardless, the Dragon Clan bears undeniable responsibility. The most pressing matter now is to track down Wu Kuang's whereabouts and strangle this danger in the cradle, or else he will surely become a calamity in the future."
"Boy, don't push your luck!" Fu Zhun barked in a deep voice.
"Grand Elder!" Yang Kai ignored her entirely, his gaze fixed stubbornly on Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan frowned. "This matter does not concern you. Step aside."
He too was growing tired of Yang Kai. Though Fu Zhun's accusations just now had been somewhat extreme, the truth was that Yang Kai bore a considerable share of responsibility for the day's events on Dragon Island. Fu Chi had been injured at his hands, and numerous dragons had been held in check by him. Without that, Wu Kuang's scheme could never have proceeded so smoothly.
He knew this, and Yang Kai knew it too — he simply didn't like hearing Fu Zhun pile all the blame on him in one-sided fashion.
Yang Kai's expression darkened. He did not step back, and said calmly: "It seems Dragon Island has no intention of getting involved. Fine — if you won't handle it, then I will!"
At these words, everyone regarded him with peculiar expressions.
Fu Xuan quietly sent a voice transmission: "Don't say foolish things. Just listen and step aside — there may still be room to negotiate regarding your situation with Qing'er."
Yang Kai gave her a grateful look but slowly shook his head. "I only ask one thing — none of you stop me, and simply let me leave from here. If I can track Wu Kuang down, I'll deal with him myself. If I can't, you lose nothing either way."
As he spoke, he pointed at the void passage.
While they had been talking, the void passage had been slowly closing. After all, the natural laws of heaven and earth possessed a self-restoring divine might. This passage had been forcibly torn open by Wu Kuang with the power of the Dragon Palace, effectively constituting a form of damage to the world itself. Under the power of the laws, such damage would vanish before long.