The remaining Void King Realm cultivators were even more terrifying in number — a full hundred thousand.
How many people did Half-Dragon City have in total? Yang Kai didn't know the exact figure, but it certainly couldn't exceed a million — probably only a few hundred thousand at most. Yet among those few hundred thousand, a hundred thousand were Void King Realm cultivators. In other words, roughly one in every few people in Half-Dragon City was at the Void King Realm.
Such a terrifying ratio would be impossible in any city across the Star Boundary. Only Dragon Island, which had enjoyed long ages of peace, could produce such an abnormal phenomenon.
With Fu Ling's single cry, a fifth to a sixth of Half-Dragon City's entire population mobilized. The city instantly became much more open and clear.
Such a scale naturally satisfied Yang Kai greatly. The only minor shortcoming was that the number of third-level Emperor Realm cultivators was a bit low. Of the roughly two hundred Emperor Realm cultivators, only a handful had reached the third level — the majority were at the first or second level.
This phenomenon ultimately came down to the Dragon Blood Flowers. Dragon Island had cultivated the Dragon Blood Flowers primarily by using the blood of the half-dragons in Half-Dragon City, especially the more powerful ones. With so much essence blood drained, their strength was naturally affected. Had that not been the case, the number of third-level Emperor Realm cultivators would have been far greater.
Even so, Yang Kai had no complaints. A force this massive, once deployed, would be enough to shift the course of a war within a limited theater.
Fu Ling reverted to her human form and stood beside Yang Kai. "Brother-in-law, everyone's here."
Yang Kai nodded. "Tell them what they need to know."
"Right." Fu Ling acknowledged, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the crowd as she called out sharply, "Listen up, all of you! The one standing beside me is Yang Kai, Palace Master of the Lingxiao Palace in the Northern Region of the Star Boundary, and also my brother-in-law. The Star Boundary is currently under invasion by the Demon Race, and we need your strength. This time, my brother-in-law and I will lead you off Dragon Island to the Star Boundary as reinforcements, to fight the Demons together. I'll say this upfront — once we leave Dragon Island, you follow my orders. I have only one requirement: obedience. If I find anyone defying orders, don't blame me for showing no mercy! Is that understood?"
This woman put on a rather casual act around Yang Kai, but before the inhabitants of Half-Dragon City she carried no small amount of authority. When she finished, a thunderous response rose from below: "Understood!"
Fu Ling nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Yang Kai. "Brother-in-law, anything you want to say?"
Yang Kai glanced sideways at her. "I only have one question."
"Mm." Fu Ling bobbed her head.
"You're leaving Dragon Island too? And coming with me?"
"Of course." Fu Ling nodded matter-of-factly, a glint of cunning in her eyes and a smile that looked for all the world like a fox that had just stolen a chicken.
Yang Kai chuckled. "Did you ask the Grand Elder?" This woman had been punished for her past offense related to Yang Kai and assigned to guard the entrance for a hundred years. Only a decade or so had passed — nowhere near the full term. Yang Kai didn't believe for a moment that the Grand Elder would allow her to leave Dragon Island.
"Of course I asked." Fu Ling showed not a hint of panic. She winked at Yang Kai and said, "If you don't believe me, send a message and ask for yourself."
Yang Kai snorted. "I fully intend to."
As he spoke, he produced a message compass and contacted Zhu Qing. After a moment, he frowned, put the compass away, and stared at Fu Ling with an expression of utter disbelief.
"Well?" Fu Ling looked thoroughly smug, the very picture of someone with nothing to fear.
Yang Kai nodded and said nothing more. Zhu Qing had confirmed that the Grand Elder had indeed approved Fu Ling leaving Dragon Island together with him. Of course, it was also the result of Fu Ling volunteering — she wanted to earn merit to offset her past offense. She had a legitimate reason as well: the people of Half-Dragon City had always lived exclusively on Dragon Island and had never set foot in the outside world. They were numerous and powerful, and even if handed over to Yang Kai, he might not be able to command them smoothly. If a dragon accompanied them as an overseer, these people certainly wouldn't dare act up.
Fu Ling's primary task was to keep the hundred-thousand-plus inhabitants of Half-Dragon City in line and ensure they followed orders.
Since the Grand Elder had given his approval, Yang Kai had little grounds to object. He cautioned Fu Ling, "Don't cause trouble once we're out there, or I'll send you back immediately."
Fu Ling nodded her head up and down like a chick pecking at rice. "Don't worry, Brother-in-law! I absolutely won't cause trouble. I'll be obedient — whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it without the slightest resistance!" The last sentence carried a rather ambiguous undertone that made Yang Kai grit his teeth.
He turned to face the hundred-thousand-plus crowd and spoke. "Some among you may find my face familiar. Some of you may have already recognized me. That's right — I came to Dragon Island over a decade ago. I entered Half-Dragon City, stole a bride from the Dragon Clan, and ended up falling for the Fifth Elder. We've since married!"
His words drew gasps of astonishment from the hundred-thousand-plus crowd. Quite a number of them had indeed recognized Yang Kai. After all, many had been conscripted back then to build the palace for Fu Chi's grand wedding and had crossed paths with Yang Kai.
The bride-snatching had been witnessed by countless eyes, though what happened afterward remained unclear to most. Now, hearing Yang Kai declare that he had fallen in love with and married the Fifth Elder of the Dragon Clan, they regarded him with something close to awe.
"The current situation in the Star Boundary is far from optimistic. Once you leave Dragon Island, many of you may struggle to adjust, and you will face all manner of danger. I have only one requirement for you." He turned his gaze across the crowd and spoke, word by deliberate word: "Stay alive."
A look of solemnity fell over the hundred-thousand-plus faces.