As for the cultivation technique, He Yunxiang had no time to examine it just yet, but she trusted that anything produced by the hand of the great figure before her certainly wouldn't be anything less than excellent—at the very least, it would be far superior to the one she had been cultivating before.
The quality of the Ribbon Artifact in her hands, however, was plain for all to see.
She ran her fingers along the ribbon, feeling the aura fluctuations emanating from within, and a look of excitement surfaced on her face. Eyes shining with boundless longing, she said, "My lord is truly above the Void King Realm!"
Martial artists from lower-star domains, while certain that realms beyond the Void King existed, had no idea what mysteries that higher level held, what kind of heights it represented, or even what that realm was called. Above the Void King—that was as far as their knowledge reached.
The Ribbon Artifact in her hands had absolutely surpassed the Void King grade. Anyone who could casually bestow such an Artifact was, without question, a being who had ascended beyond that level.
"That is called the Dao Source Realm," Yang Kai said with a faint smile.
"The Dao Source Realm?" He Yunxiang looked up at him, her gaze filled with excitement. For the first time in her life, she had learned the name of the realm beyond the Void King. It felt as though a brand-new door had opened before her, revealing an entirely new world.
"Only after you have converted all the Holy Energy in your body into Source Force will you be qualified to attempt a breakthrough to the Dao Source Realm. Work hard—there is still a long road ahead. For now, what you need to do is stabilize your cultivation."
He Yunxiang suppressed the excitement and longing in her heart and replied respectfully, "Yes, my lord."
"Go on. When we're nearing the Taiyi Star, come and notify me. At all other times, don't disturb me."
He Yunxiang bowed and withdrew, clutching the ribbon to her chest as though she were holding the most important thing in her life.
Once outside the door, she didn't seek out a secluded chamber for cultivation. Instead, she sat cross-legged right at the doorway, her posture one of an impeccable guard.
Before long, Lu Huaishuang found her way over.
She had been dealing with the He Family's warship, splitting off a portion of the Lu Family forces and sending them back to Chaoyang Star aboard the He vessel. The He Family patriarch was dead and several hundred elites had perished—this news had to be relayed as quickly as possible so that the Lu Family could make preparations early. That way, when she returned to Chaoyang Star, she could move against the He Family immediately.
With one side growing and the other declining, she believed the He Family would never again cause any waves.
Seeing He Yunxiang outside the cabin once more, Lu Huaishuang glanced at her idly—then froze, staring.
They had parted only two hours ago, yet somehow the Gale's chieftain seemed to have undergone a remarkable transformation. She appeared more alluring, more enchanting. As a fellow woman, even Lu Huaishuang couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat.
Then shock seized her: "You… how are you at the third level of the Void King Realm?"
Having just broken through moments ago, He Yunxiang's aura was impossible to conceal—her cultivation at the third level of the Void King Realm was on full display.
Two hours ago, she had been only at the second level!
He Yunxiang smiled but said nothing. It wasn't that she was being stingy with secrets or unwilling to share; it was simply that Yang Kai's methods were truly unfathomable. She couldn't guarantee that Lu Huaishuang wouldn't develop ideas of her own after hearing about it. What if this woman also sought to pledge herself to the great figure? Then she would end up with one more rival for attention.
The Gale's chieftain had no intention of inviting that kind of trouble.
But her silence told Lu Huaishuang everything she needed to know. "It was him?" she asked in disbelief.
He Yunxiang smiled gently. "The great figure is in seclusion, and I need to meditate as well. If you have no other business, please excuse us. The great figure's orders are to notify him when we're nearing the Taiyi Star."
Lu Huaishuang's expression shifted through a series of complicated emotions before she finally gave a slight nod. "I understand. Congratulations."
Seeing He Yunxiang again—witnessing the enormous changes in her—had delivered a shock that Lu Huaishuang could never have imagined.
Pledging oneself to a powerhouse could bring such tremendous benefits? Then what had all her years of perseverance been for? The burden of the Lu Family was crushing, weighing on her shoulders until she could barely breathe. Perhaps she, too, should seek out a powerful figure to align herself with?
The man inside that cabin was the best choice there was. If he had accepted He Yunxiang, there was no guarantee he wouldn't accept her as well. When it came to appearance, Lu Huaishuang was confident she fell short of no one.
That was a woman's natural advantage.
No! Others walked their own paths, and the road beneath her feet was her own. Vines clung to great trees to climb higher, but saplings, nurtured by sunlight and rain, could likewise grow into towering giants.
Some long-standing shackles within her loosened ever so slightly, causing her entire aura to undergo a subtle shift. The brilliance in her eyes steadied with resolve, and deep in her heart, she let something go. A faint smile crossed her lips. "I understand. I'll come and notify you when the time comes."
We are not on the same path. You have your way of surviving, and I have my own method of growing stronger. One takes the broad highway, the other a narrow plank bridge—difficult and easy are not the same, yet all roads lead to the same destination. When we meet again in the future, I hope you won't be too surprised.
…
The dark warship set off once more, its speed gradually increasing from a crawl as it left the Dead Star's orbit behind and headed into the vast, boundless star field.
For the first time in all these years, Yang Kai had slowed down.
On the path of martial cultivation, he had always been running full tilt, never daring to slacken for a moment. What drove him was the constant threat from all sides and his own insatiable hunger for power. Now, having suddenly come to a stop, he realized that life's road was not limited to the one beneath his feet—the scenery along the way was quite beautiful too.
Hiding away in his cabin, he would occasionally step into the Small Sealed World to chat with Liu Yan's avatar and the others, or brew a pot of fine tea and lose himself in a tome for days at a time, perfectly content and at ease.
The path of cultivation required a balance between tension and relaxation. An expert archist would loosen the string of their bow when not in use, ensuring the weapon's longevity.