Who would have thought that this transmission would reveal a piece of news so chilling it made one's blood run cold: many Great Emperors' descendants and disciples had gone missing, all within the past two or three years.
The number of Great Emperors involved had already reached four or five. In addition to the ones Yang Kai already knew about — You Hun and Ming Yue — there was also the Celestial Pivot Great Emperors, the Flower Shadow Great Emperor, and the Iron Blood Great Emperor!
Lin Yun'er was missing as well!
Whether any other Great Emperors had lost descendants or disciples, Spirit Beast Island had no way of knowing for the time being. After all, not every Great Emperor maintained contact through spatial beacons. But judging by the current situation, the number of Great Emperors whose disciples or descendants had met with misfortune was likely more than five — perhaps even more.
The others were one thing, but what truly twisted Yang Kai's heart was that girl Lin Yun'er. They had parted ways in the Western Region all those years ago, and they had never met again. He never imagined that the next news he heard about her would be this.
He exchanged a glance with Xiao Yuyang, and both saw the shock in the other's eyes. Though neither knew who had really pulled the strings, they both vaguely felt the sensation of an invisible black hand reaching out to engulf the entire Star Boundary.
These missing descendants and disciples of Great Emperors were scattered across every region of the Star Boundary. Whoever had the audacity and the power to pull this off was no ordinary figure — it was almost certainly some vast, covert organization.
What Yang Kai couldn't quite figure out was the motive behind it all. Great Emperors were the most powerful existences in this world. What could anyone possibly gain by offending them?
After a long silence, Yang Kai suddenly spoke up. "Elder Xiao, you mentioned earlier that you had a suspicion about who abducted Princess Lan Xun, though you weren't certain. May I ask who you believe it was?"
Xiao Yuyang considered the question for a moment before answering. "Our initial suspicion was that the Shadow Kill Hall was behind it."
"Shadow Kill Hall!" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
He was certainly familiar with the name. It was the overlord sect of the Western Region and the force of the Night Shadow Great Emperor. But the organization was extraordinarily secretive — much like the Night Shadow Great Emperor himself. Even the martial artists of the Western Region didn't know where the Shadow Kill Hall was actually located. They only knew that such a colossus existed somewhere in the Western Region, but pinning down its precise location was next to impossible.
"Because the message the Great Emperor sent back pointed to a location in the Western Region?" Yang Kai asked. It was a reasonable guess — anyone bold enough to lay hands on a Great Emperor's daughter would have to be another Great Emperor, and the message Ming Yue had sent back ultimately pointed to somewhere in the Western Region. That naturally led Xiao Yuyang and the others to draw certain conclusions.
Hearing this, Xiao Yuyang shook his head. "That was only one reason. There were others."
"Oh? I'd like to hear them."
Xiao Yuyang said, "You may not know this, but the one in the Western Region and our Great Emperor have had bad blood between them for a long time. The two of them have been entangled in a grudge since the very beginning, back when they were still nobodies."
Yang Kai was taken aback. "Why?"
"A clash over the Great Dao, that's all." Since Xiao Yuyang had already opened up, he saw no point in holding back. "Think about the titles of those two Great Emperors."
Yang Kai frowned and murmured, "Ming Yue, Night Shadow…" After repeating the names a few times, a look of sudden realization crossed his face.
"Under the bright moon, the faintest detail is laid bare — nothing can hide. So where would any night shadow exist? These two Great Emperors are fundamentally opposites. If one represents light, then the other represents darkness."
Yang Kai frowned. "But without light, where would darkness come from?"
Xiao Yuyang stared, then let out an amused laugh. "That's something you should bring up with those two Great Emperors. See what they think about it."
Yang Kai's expression twitched. He waved his hand dismissively. "Just a passing remark. But Elder Xiao, if your original suspicion was that the Shadow Kill Hall took the Princess, didn't you go to the Shadow Kill Hall to demand her back?"
Xiao Yuyang sighed. "In this world, the only ones who probably know where the Shadow Kill Hall is located are a handful of Great Emperors. How would we mortals know? Besides, if it really was the Shadow Kill Hall, that would mean they had declared war on our Star God Palace. Wouldn't going there be walking right into a trap? We had that suspicion only because of the relationship between those two Great Emperors, but now it seems… it's more likely someone is trying to frame the Shadow Kill Hall."
Yang Kai nodded slightly. If Lan Xun's disappearance had been the only case, that theory might still hold water. But with so many Great Emperors involved, the Night Shadow Great Emperor, even if he did have a grudge against Ming Yue, wouldn't drag everyone else into it.
"Of course, a suspicion is still a suspicion, and we can't rule it out entirely. After all, the trail does lead to the Western Region. The truth may only come to light once we find the Princess and the others."
Yang Kai nodded again, and both men fell into silence.
Xiao Yuyang's heart ached for Lan Xun's safety and the whereabouts of the Great Emperor Ming Yue. Yang Kai, for his part, was consumed with worry over Lin Yun'er. He had no idea whether the girl was at their destination. If she was, things would be simple — they could rescue her along the way. If not… in this vast Star Boundary, where on earth would he even begin to look?
The Iron Blood Great Emperor must have known about this. If so, Yang Yan would have learned of it too. Would they take action?
The flying vessel streaked onward like the wind, driven by Xiao Yuyang without regard for the cost, pushing its speed to the absolute limit.