Across the vast expanse of the Star Domain, all was silent.
In the void, a Space Passage stood as though it had existed since the dawn of time, utterly still. Unlike ordinary passages, this one radiated an aura of extreme instability, as though it could collapse at any moment—a dangerous, menacing presence.
The existence of this Space Passage was no secret in the Star Domain, but very few dared to venture near and investigate. Decades ago, a Void King Third Stage powerhouse had ventured inside and vanished without a trace, never to be heard from again.
So for all these years, even though some speculated that the Space Passage led to an unknown world, no one had bothered to explore it. If even a Void King Third Stage expert had disappeared without a word, who would have the courage to approach?
This place had lain desolate for decades.
Now, in this very moment, the Space Passage suddenly began to undergo an abnormal change. The entrance violently contracted, then expanded, repeating this cycle several times before abruptly spewing forth a cascade of resplendent light.
Along with that radiance, a figure shot out from the passage like an arrow loosed from a bow, blazing a hundred li before managing to stabilize.
This person was none other than Yang Kai.
At the moment, he looked rather disheveled, somewhat worse for wear.
Returning from the Ancestral Domain's Star Passage entrance to the Hengluo Star Domain and passing through the layered gaps in the void had taken considerable effort. He couldn't use too much force, lest he shatter the surrounding void, but neither could it be too weak, or the barriers wouldn't yield.
He had made many attempts before finally finding the way home.
After stabilizing himself, Yang Kai immediately focused his senses, and a look of joy spread across his face as he let out a hearty laugh.
He could feel the Dark Star.
He spread his arms wide, embracing the cosmos.
Hengluo Star Domain, this young master has returned!
When he had left his homeland all those years ago, could he ever have imagined he would return so soon? He had originally set a deadline of a hundred years for himself, but now he hadn't even used half that time. Every trial, every life-and-death battle along the way—all of it had become profoundly meaningful. The faces he had yearned for in his thoughts grew ever clearer in his mind. He wished he could sprout wings right now and fly straight to the Dark Star, present himself before them, and see the surprise on their faces.
He turned his gaze back and stared at the Space Passage, knowing it was the very place Su Yan had entered the Ancestral Domain. Sensing the aura emanating from within, a wave of fear washed over him—Su Yan had likely needed tremendous luck to enter the Ancestral Domain safely.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai raised his hand, and Su Yan appeared before him.
She seemed to have been meditating. Upon noticing the change, she opened her beautiful eyes, surveyed her surroundings, and smiled. "We're back?"
On the journey home, Yang Kai had stored everyone inside his Small World. For one thing, tearing through dimensions with others accompanying him was enormously taxing on his energy. For another, Su Yan had already reached the Dao Source Second Stage, far exceeding what the Hengluo Star Domain's heavens could accommodate. She needed to suppress and seal her cultivation.
It seemed she had done a decent job of it—perhaps too thorough, in fact. The aura she emanated was only that of a Void King Second Stage now.
"We're back!" Yang Kai drew a deep breath. There was naturally no air among the stars, yet he could smell something familiar.
He extended a hand forward, and Su Yan placed hers upon it.
He gripped it tightly, as though they would never be separated again. His large hand holding her small one, Yang Kai was as excited as a child. "We're heading home!"
There was no need to determine any direction. The deep bond between him and the Dark Star was more than sufficient to guide him. His figure blurred, and the two became a streak of light, hurtling toward the Dark Star.
With a beautiful companion at his side, the journey was no longer lonely.
Whenever the fancy struck him, he would pull Su Yan down onto a nearby dead star or meteorite, and the two would share a tender interlude. After a few such stops, Su Yan had to activate her Ice Crystal Body to put a damper on Yang Kai's enthusiasm.
A few days later, a colossal star finally came into view in the distance.
The Dark Star's Stellar Origin within his body pulsed with ever-greater joy, like a wanderer finally returning home.
Yang Kai's heart grew inexplicably nervous again, gripped by a sudden shyness at the thought of approaching home. His hand tightened—Su Yan had, in turn, squeezed his large hand. Their eyes met, and Yang Kai's heart flooded with clarity.
He pulled her close and planted a kiss on her forehead, murmuring, "Let's go!"
Another half day passed, and they were already drawing very close to the Dark Star.
But then Yang Kai and Su Yan both turned their heads to stare into a stretch of empty void. There, looming across the starry sky, were more than a dozen colossal warships, and from within them wafted the unmistakable presence of powerful auras.
"Which Sect do those belong to?" Yang Kai pointed at a skeletal emblem on the side of one of the warships.
Perhaps he had been gone too long—he didn't recognize which force that insignia represented.
But to his surprise, Su Yan shook her head as well. "I don't know."
She, too, had been away for many years. Whatever changes had occurred in the Hengluo Star Domain or on the Dark Star were equally unknown to her.
A figure suddenly appeared on the deck of the largest warship at the center. The aura was deep and unfathomable—a half-aged elder bearing the imposing presence of a Void King Third Stage. From hundreds of li away, his sharp gaze pierced in their direction, as though it could bore through the void and see to the essence of all things.