Having made his decision, Yang Kai didn't delay and immediately headed toward the only World Gate with Yin.
The last time they'd come to the Cloud Shadow Continent, he and Bai Zhuo's group had passed through this very World Gate, though at the time he hadn't known this was Lie Kuang's territory. Now that Lie Kuang was dead and the Demon Kings under his command had been scattered and recruited, this place had become unclaimed territory. But since Yang Kai hadn't given the word, Lao Ke and the other three High-rank Demon Kings hadn't dared to occupy it on their own, simply waiting for his eventual decision.
Lao Ke and Ke Sen were nearby. Yang Kai had previously sent them to investigate the situation at the Ten Thousand Demons Lair, and after several days, they should have results.
Along the way, Yin sent word to the two of them.
When Yang Kai arrived near the World Gate, sure enough, he found Lao Ke and Ke Sen waiting respectfully with a group of Demon Kings. Before he even reached them, they hurried over to greet him, bowing with deep deference.
"How are things?" Yang Kai looked at Lao Ke and asked.
Lao Ke clasped his fists: "Just as Your Majesty predicted, Lie Kuang was colluding with the Blue Plains Continent. When he went to Cloud Shadow City, the Ten Thousand Demons Lair was guarded by Tu Qialuo!"
Seeing Yang Kai's look of suspicion, Yin quietly explained from the side: "Tu Qialuo is a Demon King from the Blue Plains Continent, serving under Lord Yue Sang. He's quite capable."
For Yin to say someone was "quite capable," they were probably a High-rank Demon King.
Yang Kai nodded. "Where is this Tu Qialuo now?"
An embarrassed look crept across the faces of Lao Ke and Ke Sen.
Seeing their expressions, Yang Kai understood at once — they'd let the man slip away. But this was only natural. Though the Blue Plains Continent had extended its reach into Cloud Shadow and meddled in the Ten Thousand Demons Lair and the Ten Thousand Demons Pill, they ultimately had a Half-Saint backing them up. That was nothing like Lao Ke and the others, who had no one looking after them — unwanted by anyone, stuck in an awkward position. Even though Yang Kai's earlier killing of Lie Kuang had given them a bit of confidence, they still didn't dare to truly oppose Yue Sang. With the forces at their disposal, killing one Tu Qialuo wouldn't have been difficult, but doing so would certainly invite trouble. If Yue Sang ever came to hold them accountable, they'd be dead for sure with no burial to speak of.
So they had merely followed Yang Kai's orders and recaptured the Ten Thousand Demons Lair. As for Tu Qialuo, they'd let him go freely.
Now that Yang Kai was asking about it, they naturally felt very awkward.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had no intention of pursuing the matter. He merely gave them a long look, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his lips, then waved his hand: "The overall situation in Cloud Shadow has now been settled, and the Ten Thousand Demons Lair is firmly in our grasp. I will begin investigating this World Gate starting today, working out a way to maintain this only passage. All of you must cooperate fully. Effective immediately, this gate is temporarily sealed. Without my explicit command, no one is to enter or exit." In order to study the World Gate and discover the principle behind its continued existence, he needed a quiet, undisturbed environment — which meant the gate had to be sealed off to prevent people from coming and going.
Fortunately, there were plenty of personnel on hand, and the surrounding defenses were more than sufficient.
"Yes!" Lao Ke and the others responded respectfully, thinking to themselves that their good days had indeed come to an end. The Cloud Shadow Continent now had a master, and from now on, their freedom was gone. But then again, if Yang Kai could truly stabilize this World Gate and ensure it wouldn't disappear, that would bring them enormous benefits as well — at the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about their escape route anymore.
Yang Kai then spoke: "Lao Ke."
"Your subordinate is here." Lao Ke stepped forward.
"Go back to Cloud Shadow City and bring Bo Ya to me."
Though he had previously warned Li Shiqing to be cautious around Bo Ya, who knew whether that woman would still target Li Shiqing after he'd left? It would be far safer to have her brought here. Moreover, in order to comprehend the secrets of the World Gate, he would inevitably be too distracted to attend to other matters. He couldn't fully trust Lao Ke and the others yet — only Bo Ya could serve as his protector and guard while he focused on studying the World Gate. With the Soul Puppet in hand, he wasn't afraid of Bo Ya harboring any divided loyalties.
Lao Ke received his orders and departed.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then turned to Ke Sen and Yin: "I've been meaning to ask — can Ten Thousand Demons Pills be bought?"
The Ten Thousand Demons Pill was extremely useful for his Dharma Body, but the quantity he needed was simply far too great. If he could buy them, that would save a great deal of trouble. He now controlled the Cloud Shadow Continent, meaning everything here was at his disposal. With the current state of Cloud Shadow, he certainly had the financial means to purchase some Ten Thousand Demons Pills.
"They can be bought, but not easily." Ke Sen furrowed his brow. "Every Demon King needs these pills. Once obtained, they're consumed and refined immediately."
Yin added: "Every time Ten Thousand Demons Pills were collected in the past, we'd each receive one or two. But there was never any surplus — they were all used up quickly." She paused, then said: "Your Majesty, you want to buy Ten Thousand Demons Pills?"
Yang Kai nodded: "I've been considering it."
Yin said: "Then I'd advise Your Majesty not to bother. The price is outrageously high."
"How outrageously?" Yang Kai looked at her, amused.
Yin replied: "Fifty to eighty million high-grade Demon Crystals for a single pill. And even at that price, supply never meets demand."
Yang Kai couldn't help but bare his teeth at the news. He'd thought that winning a billion Demon Crystals from the Blood Arena had made him quite wealthy, but if what Yin said was true, he could only afford a dozen or so Ten Thousand Demons Pills — and he might not even be able to get those.