The war between the two Realms was inevitable, so the Witch Arts would undoubtedly play a tremendous role in the coming conflict. Never mind anything else — the Life Chain alone would be enough to dramatically reduce the Star Boundary's casualties.
But Yang Kai simply couldn't manage it alone. With the previous hundred thousand, his Witch King-level Cultivation had allowed him to barely keep up. If the number grew much larger, he wouldn't have the capacity for it.
That left only one option: the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape. If he could truly enable others to cultivate the Witch Arts within it, that would prove immensely beneficial for the war effort going forward. That was precisely why Yang Kai hadn't been stingy about it — the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape was one of Ling Xiao Palace's foundational assets. Under any other circumstances, he wouldn't have been nearly so generous.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai said, "However, this matter should ideally be carried out in secret, and we need to select only trustworthy candidates."
Tie Xue nodded. "Naturally. Don't worry about the selection — within ten days, we'll have a list ready for you. When the time comes, you'll bring them to Ling Xiao Palace and send them into the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape. As for their Cultivation levels, are there any particular requirements?"
"Higher is better," Yang Kai replied, "but even in ancient times, not everyone could master the Witch Arts. I can't guarantee that everyone who enters will succeed. Perhaps only one in ten, one in a hundred, or even one in a thousand will manage to cultivate them. And even then, there's no telling how far they'll be able to progress."
"When there's a will, there's a way. Now that we have this opportunity, we can't afford to let it slip by."
Yang Kai nodded, then added, "But we can't pin all our hopes on the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape."
He understood the Witch Arts' abstruse and esoteric nature better than anyone. The reason Witches had been so rare even in ancient times was precisely because the Witch Arts were exceedingly difficult to Cultivate — far less accessible than modern martial Cultivation. Send a thousand people in and perhaps only a handful of Witches would emerge, and low-level ones at that — Witch Acolytes, Witch Apprentices. If that turned out to be the case, it wouldn't amount to much.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Mo Huang asked, gazing at him.
Yang Kai said, "In the Northern Domain's Permafrost, there exists a Secret Realm called the Wheel World. It was an ancient battlefield where the Barbarian and Demon Races clashed. Inside, there are quite a few Witch King-level existences already!"
"Existing Witch Kings? On your level?" Everyone's eyes lit up at the news.
"In terms of mastery over the Witch Arts, they are indeed on par with me. If we can enlist their aid, the Star Boundary's side of this war will be considerably easier."
Hua Linglong looked at him. "Can you bring them out?"
"I can give it a try." Yang Kai wouldn't have made the suggestion without a plan. The Wheel World truly did house many great Witches. The last time he had ventured into the Permafrost to find Zhu Qing, he had stumbled into the Wheel World and barely managed to escape.
He had thought he would never set foot in that cursed place again in his life — and yet here he was, preparing to return.
"Good!" Mo Huang's spirits surged. "If you truly manage this, you will be the Star Boundary's greatest hero."
"I'm only doing what I can," Yang Kai said modestly.
Tie Xue spoke in a grave tone. "This matter is of the utmost importance. I'll go with you."
Yang Kai shook his head with a rueful smile. "There's no need for that. I've been to the Wheel World once before — there's nothing inside that can threaten me. I can make the trip on my own. You're all needed here to hold the line, and it would be unwise for you to leave, Lord Tie Xue."
Hearing this, Zhan Wuhen considered for a moment, then nodded. "Then take care."
Once the discussion was concluded, Yang Kai left the great tent and returned to his quarters to wait.
Per the arrangement he had agreed upon with the Great Emperors, the Star Boundary would select three thousand cultivators from the army of three hundred thousand to return with Yang Kai to Ling Xiao Palace, where he would arrange for them to enter the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape and cultivate the Witch Arts. These three thousand were a trial run — if the results proved promising, more could be trained in the Witch Arts afterward. Only then would Yang Kai depart for the Permafrost and the Wheel World.
It didn't even take ten days. In a mere three, the three thousand had already been assembled. Among them were over a hundred at the Emperor Realm, with the remaining spots filled proportionally by Dao Source Realm and Void King Realm cultivators.
The Great Emperors clearly understood that not everyone could reach Yang Kai's level as a Witch King. But even if a cultivator managed to become the most basic Witch Acolyte, that would still prove helpful for the war to come.
Of these three thousand, as long as three hundred became Witches, the Great Emperors' expectations would be met.
There was nothing for Yang Kai to do at the Western Domain battlefield anymore. Seven Great Emperors were stationed here — the Demon Race would hardly dare make any rash moves. He only needed to wait for these three thousand to complete their training and return, then combine their strength with the great Witches he would bring out from the Wheel World, and they could face the Demon Race in a final, decisive battle.
The three thousand cultivators hailed from all three domains of the Star Boundary, with a quota of one thousand per domain. They didn't yet know what they were being sent to do — only that they would be returning with Yang Kai to the Northern Domain.
These were orders issued directly by the Great Emperors. Who would dare disobey? Each and every one waited obediently for their assignments.
Yu Rumeng was naturally inseparable from his side. Yang Kai glanced at her but said nothing further.
At the teleportation formation, Yang Kai arranged for everyone to return to Ling Xiao Palace, going through last himself.
An hour later, before the entrance to the Myriad Illusion Dreamscape, Yang Kai stood in silence as three thousand cultivators waited quietly behind him.
The Myriad Illusion Dreamscape was less a Secret Realm and more an Artifact — an Artifact that had birthed a sentient spirit. It had been formed from the Myriad Illusion Dream Butterfly and contained a vast array of worlds within, none of them static. Anyone who entered could find fortune meant for them alone.
Yang Kai communicated with Butterfly for a long while before finally persuading her to open that ancient world for the assembled group. With a wave, all three thousand were cast inside.