Hearing the call, Shan Qingluo froze for a moment, then turned to look. Their eyes met, and she cried out excitedly, "Foster Mother!"
Back when she and Bi Luo had left the Middle Capital World together, they had passed through a bizarre altar and been transported directly to Emperor Star. Had it not been for Red Moon's generous care — even taking her in as a foster daughter — they would likely have met a grim fate given their strength at the time.
To Shan Qingluo, Red Moon was not merely a lifesaver but a second mother. She had known before coming that she would see Red Moon on this trip, and her heart had been full of anticipation.
On the other side, A'ou gazed at Xue Yue in a daze. The latter's eyes reddened as she softly called out, "Father!"
A'ou suppressed his emotions and nodded. "Good, good, good — as long as you're safe, that's all that matters." He turned his head to glance at Yang Kai, and all the previous resentment had long since evaporated. The man had already returned to the Star Field and brought his daughter back — what more was there to say?
Although Su Yan and Xia Ningshang had no relatives to reunite with, they had not seen Ghost Ancestor in many years either, so they naturally stepped forward and bowed in greeting.
Gu Cangyun watched on eagerly, stammering, "Palace Master — you went back to the Star Field?" Red Moon and A'ou could call Yang Kai by his name and even refer to him as "lad," but Gu Cangyun had no such nerve. He dutifully addressed him as Palace Master.
"I did. I just got back from there," Yang Kai replied with a slight smile.
"Then I wonder how my Sword Alliance is faring…" Gu Cangyun looked at Yang Kai with hopeful eyes.
"Rest easy, Senior Gu. I brought Brother Gu along this time, as well as quite a few of your Sword Alliance's people."
"Where?" Gu Cangyun's eyes lit up.
"No rush — you'll see them soon." With over a hundred thousand people crammed into one section of the Small World, Yang Kai couldn't immediately locate Gu Jianxin and the Sword Alliance members. The reason he had been able to easily call Su Yan and the others out was precisely because they weren't staying in the same place as the rest.
"Da Jun, bring out the Mountain Wave Map," Yang Kai said, raising his hand.
Nanmen Dajun didn't know what he intended, but he didn't hesitate — he promptly produced the Mountain Wave Map and opened it. Instantly, light blazed across its surface, and a miniature Lingxiao Palace, scaled down countless times, came into view. Rolling mountain ranges stretched in undulating waves, and even the tiniest stream and smallest hill were rendered in perfect detail.
The artifact had been crafted by Nanmen Dajun and Hou Yu themselves, so its quality was naturally impeccable.
Yang Kai pointed at several peaks and asked, "These are all occupied now, right?"
Bian Yuqing leaned in for a look and said, "That's right. Ye Qianfeng Peak is where Old Master Ye Hen settled with the Thousand Leaf Sect's people. Five Saints Peak is where Red Moon and the others reside…" She had been at Lingxiao Palace for over a decade now, so she knew the layout of its personnel distribution inside and out.
Yang Kai nodded. "A lot of people are going to be coming out shortly. I need you to help settle them in."
"How many?" Bian Yuqing asked.
"Over a hundred thousand!"
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone drew in a sharp breath. Lingxiao Palace had always had a modest population — Yang Kai had never intended to recruit disciples on a large scale. Ever since the palace's founding, its gates had seemingly remained closed, and no one had understood Yang Kai's intentions. Only now did they realize he had been preparing for this very day.
"That many people — I'll need some extra hands to help," Bian Yuqing said.
"Mm. You can call the Thousand Leaf Sect's people over," Yang Kai nodded. "Let me get them out first."
Bian Yuqing immediately produced a transmission compass and flooded it with divine sense, clearly summoning reinforcements.
Yang Kai, meanwhile, produced the Mysterious World Bead. Wreathed in dark energy, the enormous tadpole-like Gun Gun made its leisurely appearance, opening its cavernous black maw and stretching across the heavens and earth.
The terrifying aura radiating from Gun Gun caused the three great Demon Kings' expressions to shift subtly. They had no idea what this thing actually was — it wasn't made of flesh and blood, yet it gave off an overwhelmingly dangerous feeling.
From within that massive opening, a figure was the first to shoot out. Glancing left and right with a stunned expression, the person stood rooted to the spot, utterly dumbfounded. It was none other than Meng Wuya.
The rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth surrounding them made him feel as though he had wandered into a dream. Back in the Star Field, the area around Lingxiao Sect on the Dark Star already boasted some of the finest spiritual energy around, but compared to this place, it was like comparing clouds to mud.
He didn't even need to circulate his cultivation technique — the spiritual energy was seeping in through his pores of its own accord, filling his body and mind with comfort.
Another figure emerged from Gun Gun's mouth. A third. A fourth…
Every single person wore the same expression.
Yang Kai called out in a clear voice, "Everyone, please keep moving forward — don't stop here. There are still more people coming out behind you."
Roused by his reminder, the first group to emerge finally snapped back to reality. They exchanged glances and saw the same excitement reflected in each other's eyes. They had received word long ago that this trip would take them with Yang Kai to a higher world called the Star Realm. Now, from the looks of it, they had clearly arrived safely.