Inside the great hall of Lingxiao Peak, upon learning that the two realms had been connected and that the Demon Race had appeared, Hua Qingsi's face drained of color. She immediately produced a compass and sent messages to all parties. The entire Lingxiao Palace, along with the Wuhua Hall branch sect, sprang into rapid motion.
Of the hundred thousand people who had come from the lower-star domains, many had advanced to the Dao Source Realm over the past few years—several hundred at the very least. Although most were only at the first level, that was merely due to the limited time. Given sufficient time and room to grow, the number of Dao Source Realm cultivators would certainly be greater.
The Void King Realm cultivators were too numerous to count.
A rough estimate showed that Lingxiao Palace alone could field nearly ten thousand people this time, all of them Void King Realm or above. Consider that even a peak Sect like the Qingyang Divine Temple had only a few thousand members. In this world, apart from a behemoth like Lingxiao Palace, no other Sect could deploy ten thousand Void King Realm combatants in a single mobilization—their total membership didn't even reach ten thousand, so how could they?
This force would surely become a sharp blade in the great war between the two realms.
Hua Qingsi was busy at work, and Yang Kai wasn't resting either. He summoned Ying Fei and dispatched him to the Primordial Desolate Lands to relay a message to the three Sacred Venerables there. Though Yang Kai had visited the Desolate Lands multiple times to bother Luan Feng and the others, and had even conscripted them during the Wuhua Hall incident last time, the present matter was no trifling affair. As long as Luan Feng and the others possessed any sense of the bigger picture, they would not stand by idly.
Even the Great Emperors were running about making preparations—how could they remain detached? Hiding in the Primordial Desolate Lands might ensure temporary peace, but if the Star Boundary truly fell to the Demon Race, would the demons spare them?
Yang Kai believed Luan Feng and the others would see the reality of the situation and make the right choice, so he didn't make the trip in person.
The demon tribe of the Primordial Desolate Lands would be an incredibly powerful source of aid. The three Sacred Spirits and the various Demon Kings were all among the foremost powerhouses of their era. Moreover, having lived in the Desolate Lands' environment for so long, their resistance to demonic energy far exceeded that of ordinary people. Yang Kai even harbored some doubt as to whether demonic energy affected them at all.
With their help, handling this matter would become far more manageable.
As for the Dragon Clan...
Yang Kai pondered for a long time and decided not to disturb them for now. If the Great Emperors felt it necessary to enlist the Dragon Clan, they would find a way to get word to them. There was no need for him to do so himself. Since the Great Emperors hadn't mentioned it, he would not act on his own initiative.
The Dragon Clan might serve as a hidden card.
After bustling about for a time, Yang Kai suddenly felt a vague sense of disharmony. It took him a while before the realization struck. He looked up at Hua Qingsi. "Where's Liu Yan?"
Only now did he understand what felt off. He had not seen Liu Yan upon his return this time. In the past, she would always be the first to rush over whenever he came back, but this time so much time had passed with no sign of her.
At his question, Hua Qingsi looked up. "I forgot to mention it, Palace Master. Miss Liu Yan has disappeared."
"What do you mean, disappeared?" Yang Kai looked baffled.
Hua Qingsi's expression turned grim. "It's not just Miss Liu Yan. Qiongqi, who came back with you last time, has vanished as well. And..." She paused, then continued with difficulty, "Yang Xiao and Yang Xue are both gone."
"What!" Yang Kai was shocked. Liu Yan and Qiongqi going missing didn't worry him much—they were both Sacred Spirits, and only a precious few in this world could threaten them. But now Yang Xiao and Yang Xue had vanished too.
His first thought was that they might have been captured like Lan Xun and the others, but he immediately dismissed the notion. The speculation had no basis whatsoever.
Hua Qingsi hurriedly said, "Miss Liu Yan left a message for you before she left. There might be some clues in it." As she spoke, she produced a jade slip from her space ring and handed it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai accepted it with a grave expression and swept it with his spiritual sense. Four characters were inscribed within the jade slip.
The Land of Four Seasons!
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, and the tension on his face eased. The Land of Four Seasons was the former palace of the Temporal Great Emperor. It was through the last opening of the Land of Four Seasons that Yang Kai had obtained the secret technique Time Flies Like a Shuttle and comprehended a sliver of the Laws of Time. Qiongqi, too, had escaped from the Land of Four Seasons.
But many years remained before the next scheduled opening. What were they doing there now? Could old Qiongqi open the entrance to the Land of Four Seasons at will? Otherwise, why would the group have gone there?
It was not entirely impossible. After all, Qiongqi could be considered half-owner of the Land of Four Seasons. He might well possess certain unknown techniques.
That Yang Xiao was always a handful. Yang Kai wasn't certain about Qiongqi's character, but since Liu Yan had gone along, there was nothing to worry about—she was always careful in her actions.
As for Yang Xue...
The little girl had probably been dragged off by that brat. Their parents must be frantic... At the thought, Yang Kai's head began to throb.
Clutching at a sliver of hope, Yang Kai activated one of the Void Spirit Pearls on his wrist. There was no response, and he couldn't help but sigh.
After his last return, he had given both Yang Xiao and Liu Yan a Void Spirit Pearl. If they were still in the Star Boundary, activating his would surely produce a resonance on their end. The complete silence now confirmed that they were no longer in the Star Boundary.