A few more days passed before Lu Huaishuang and Sheng Yao simultaneously felt a stir in their hearts. They looked up toward the mountain peak.
The young man who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation had finally risen to his feet. He lazily stretched, yawned twice, looking as though he had just woken from a long dream. He stood there with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Lu Huaishuang and Sheng Yao exchanged a glance, and in the same instant, their figures blurred as they streaked toward the peak.
The hundred-zhang mountain was reached in the blink of an eye.
The moment they landed, both of them froze.
At this moment, the young man before them gave off an impression of utter void. He stood there like a wisp of mist — ethereal and traceless. Had they not been able to see him with their own eyes, their spiritual sense would never have detected his presence.
He had been sitting here in seclusion for half a month. Could it be that the entire purpose had been to compress his aura to its absolute limit? But why would he do such a thing?
Not daring to be careless, Lu Huaishuang adjusted her sleeves and bowed gracefully. "This humble one is Lu Huaishuang. I thank the honored one for your righteous intervention, which allowed my Lu Family to turn misfortune into fortune. I am eternally grateful."
The young man said, "Think nothing of it. Consider it compensation for wrecking your warship."
So it really was him who had damaged the warship. Though she had had her suspicions, hearing him admit it so casually still sent a tremor through her heart. She replied respectfully, "You are too kind."
She was a powerhouse in her own right, yet standing before this young man who looked no older than herself, she found none of the confidence befitting a Void King Realm cultivator. Standing before him, she felt like a babe still learning to babble — a single casual flick of his finger could knock her flat.
She wanted to ask why someone of his immense power had ended up unconscious, but feared that saying too much might lead to a misstep, so she held her tongue.
Sheng Yao had sharper eyes and a more nimble tongue. He plastered on an ingratiating smile and took over the conversation. "May I ask the honored one's great name?"
Lu Huaishuang also looked at the young man with bright, eager eyes.
"Yang Kai. My name is Yang Kai," the young man answered.
A flicker of surprise passed through Sheng Yao's eyes. He had never heard this name before. He was certain that among the Star Domain's powerhouses, there was no one by this name. His heart surged. Could it be that this man came from that place?
If so, everything would make sense — including why he had been struck by lightning before. It was because the Heavenly Dao would not permit his existence!
His heart raced with excitement, and he grew ever more convinced that enduring this humiliation had been the right choice. With sacrifice might come reward!
Lu Huaishuang had clearly reached the same conclusion, and the extraordinary light in her eyes grew even more pronounced.
"Where is this place?" Yang Kai asked.
"A... dead star?" Sheng Yao answered cautiously. Had anyone else asked such an absurd question, he would have slapped them without hesitation. The Star Domain was littered with countless dead stars — remnants from the dawn of eternity — and no one could possibly name them all. The question was utterly nonsensical.
"I'm asking where this place is!" Yang Kai extended a finger and drew a circle across the vast expanse of the starry sky. The gesture was small, yet it seemed as though he could sweep all the stars into his embrace.
Lu Huaishuang suppressed the excitement in her heart and said softly, "The Infinite Star Field."
"The Infinite Star Field..." Yang Kai's eyes dimmed slightly, and he let out a quiet sigh.
He had indeed failed to return to the Heng Luo Star Domain. That disappointed him.
The spatial corridor within the Dragon Hall connected to lower-plane star domains, but Yang Kai knew there were countless such domains. The odds of returning directly to the Heng Luo Star Domain through that corridor were less than one in a hundred. He had no idea how to get back — once he had entered the corridor, he could only track Wu Kuang's aura and follow.
Unfortunately, he had eventually lost the trail.
He no longer knew whether Wu Kuang was even in this star domain, or whether the man had long since vanished without a trace, hiding somewhere to bide his time for a comeback.
"Could it be that the honored one... is not from the Star Domain?" Sheng Yao asked, mustering his courage. His heart was pounding so violently that his chest practically shook, and Lu Huaishuang stared at Yang Kai without blinking.
"No." There was nothing to hide, and with the discernment of these two, they had surely figured it out already — the question was merely seeking confirmation.
Upon hearing this, both Sheng Yao and Lu Huaishuang's expressions grew solemn. Sheng Yao was so excited that his lips trembled as he asked in a shaking voice, "May I ask where the honored one comes from..."
Yang Kai gave him a cold, indifferent glance.
Sheng Yao immediately clamped his mouth shut, chastened. He had gotten so carried away by excitement that he had forgotten the other party's power. A wave of fear washed over him.
Lu Huaishuang said, "This place is crude and unfit. Perhaps the honored one would do us the honor of coming with me where we can speak more comfortably." Since he was not from the Infinite Star Field, he must have many questions to ask — and there would be no shortage of opportunities to build a relationship. As long as she could host him properly, why would the Lu Family worry about failing to achieve great things?
Yang Kai nodded. "Very well."
Lu Huaishuang pressed her lips into a smile and extended her hand in a welcoming gesture.
Yang Kai began walking down the mountain.
The moment he reached Lu Huaishuang's side, his left foot caught on his right for reasons unknown. His body lurched forward, and with a dazed expression, he stumbled ahead. Instinctively, he flailed his hands to steady himself — and by the cruelest twist of fate, his palms seized upon two soft, full mounds. Remarkable elasticity instantly pressed into his hands.
The air seemed to freeze solid in that instant. Time itself came to a grinding halt, and the scene was sealed forever.