The next day, at dawn.
Yang Kai strode down the boulevard of the Holy City with a spring in his step and a refreshed spirit, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips as he savored the lingering memories of the previous night's soul-stealing pleasure.
Yu Rumeng truly lived up to her origins as a Demon Charm — the bedroom arts she wielded had nearly overwhelmed his half-dragon physique. Her little mouth alone had almost driven him to the brink. Had his body not been sufficiently robust, he would have long since begged for mercy and retreated.
Compared to her, Shan Qingluo — that enchantress — was practically an amateur.
The only regret was that he hadn't truly conquered her. Yu Rumeng had held fast at the final line of defense, leaving Yang Kai utterly helpless.
According to Yu Rumeng, it wasn't that she was unwilling — it was simply that as the body of a Demon Saint, her essence of yin was far too vast for him to handle at present. If they had gone all the way, it could have damaged his very foundation. She had instructed him to diligently cultivate and raise his strength, and once he reached the half-saint level, they could truly enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.
Yang Kai was filled with eager anticipation.
As he approached the city gate, a voice suddenly carried from ahead: "Brother Yang, your brow is flushed red and your eyes are brimming with spring — looks like something wonderful has happened."
Yang Kai looked up and replied in surprise, "Brother Bai? What are you doing here?"
The figure ahead was none other than Bai Zhuo, whom he had just met the day before. And judging by his posture… Yang Kai couldn't help but ask, "Brother Bai, were you waiting for me specifically?"
Bai Zhuo smiled. "Did Brother Yang truly think the Holy Sovereign would send you to Cloud Shadow Continent alone?"
Understanding dawned on Yang Kai's face. "Brother Bai is coming with me?"
"I'll only be responsible for getting you there and handing you over to the Demon Kings on the other side. After that, you'll have to fend for yourself. The war on the Two Realms battlefield is urgent, and I can't remain in the Demon Realm for long."
Yang Kai very much wanted to ask about the current situation on the Two Realms battlefield, but feared that too many words might betray him, so he simply gave an "oh" and nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble Brother Bai!"
"Brother Yang, please!" Bai Zhuo gestured ahead, his courtesy so pronounced that Yang Kai couldn't help suspecting he had some ulterior motive. A half-saint going out of his way to be this polite — even out of consideration for Yu Rumeng, was it really necessary? Yesterday had been the same way.
Unable to figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it.
After passing through the city gate, Bai Zhuo was about to cast a spell to transport them to Cloud Shadow Continent when Yang Kai stopped him with a raised hand, producing the newly purchased Tiger Head Chariot.
There was no rush for this trip — he hadn't even figured out his true purpose for going to Cloud Shadow Continent, so there was no need to hurry. This was the perfect opportunity to test out this flying Artifact.
After some fiddling, he set the route, then called out and climbed aboard the chariot together with Bai Zhuo, Li Shiqing, and Xiao Wu. The interior wasn't especially large — the four of them filled it up, and there was no room for even one more.
He was certainly bringing Li Shiqing along to keep an eye on her. If not for fear of arousing suspicion, he would have long since stowed her away inside the Mysterious World Bead and saved himself all this trouble.
As for Xiao Wu, she had been ordered by Yu Rumeng to serve as Yang Kai's personal attendant.
Yang Kai suspected that Yu Rumeng had sent Xiao Wu to keep tabs on him and make sure he wasn't philandering outside. He had no objections to this — she was just a maid, after all. Fierce-looking though she was, a few days of interaction had made them quite familiar with each other. Better her than having to find a new servant over there.
He channeled a bit of Emperor Yuan into the chariot, and it immediately transformed into a streak of light that shot into the sky, racing toward the nearest realm gate.
Very quickly, Yang Kai discovered the charot's chief advantage — it required virtually no control. The route was pre-programmed, and as long as there was sufficient power, the Tiger Head Chariot would charge straight toward its destination. Its speed couldn't rival Bai Zhuo's flight spells, but it was far from slow.
The power driving the chariot could be Emperor Yuan, demonic energy, or even Demon Crystals placed inside as fuel.
Yang Kai toyed with it in high spirits for a while before settling down, turning to look at Bai Zhuo beside him. "Brother Bai, do you know why the Holy Sovereign is sending me to Cloud Shadow Continent?"
Bai Zhuo answered with a question of his own. "The Holy Sovereign didn't tell you?"
Yang Kai shook his head. "She only said that once I got there, someone would explain the situation to me."
Bai Zhuo nodded at this. "If the Holy Sovereign said that, then it must mean—" He caught sight of Yang Kai rolling his eyes and chuckled helplessly. "Fine, I'll let a little slip."
"Please do!" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"Cloud Shadow Continent… is about to vanish."
Bai Zhuo let out a heavy sigh, his gaze burning as he looked at Yang Kai. "I'm afraid you may be the only one who can stop it from happening."
"About to vanish?" Yang Kai was thoroughly astonished. "What kind of situation is that? How can an entire continent just disappear out of nowhere?"