"A few days won't matter." Bo Ya smiled faintly, then glanced toward the spatial rift. "I've long heard that Brother Yang has achieved extraordinary mastery over the Laws of Space, and meeting you today confirms that your reputation is well deserved…"
Mid-sentence, his expression suddenly turned serious. He carefully oriented himself, and a look of astonishment crossed his face. "If I remember correctly, the continent connected by this World Gate disappeared long ago. Could it be that Brother Yang has managed to find it?"
The Laws of Space surged erratically within the spatial rift, as if it led somewhere mysterious. Though Bo Ya himself was no expert in spatial power, his Half-Saint cultivation was more than sufficient to pick up on the anomalies. He thought to himself that it was no wonder the Holy Sovereign held this human in such high regard—even dispatching him personally to receive him. When Bo Ya had first received this assignment, he'd been thoroughly annoyed. A Half-Saint of his stature, traveling billions of miles to greet a human? No matter how capable that human might be, the Holy Sovereign was surely placing too much value on him. But Bei Li Mo's orders were not something he could disregard, so he'd come reluctantly.
Now, it seemed, this human really did have something to him. If he could truly use the Laws of Space to recover those vanished continents, then a little inconvenience on his part was nothing.
Yang Kai smiled at the words and replied evenly, "Not yet, I'm afraid. I'm merely following the Holy Sovereign's orders to make an attempt. I've made some preliminary progress, but I still can't confirm the spatial coordinates of the continent on the other side."
"Spatial coordinates?" Bo Ya looked puzzled.
Yang Kai explained with a smile, "When a continent vanishes—swallowed by the void—it must still exist somewhere within that void, beyond ordinary reach. If one can determine its position within the void, there's a chance of finding it. Combine that with various spatial techniques, and it may be possible to reopen the collapsed passage. Its position within the void is its spatial coordinates."
Bo Ya nodded half-heartedly. He might be a Half-Saint, but he understood precious little about spatial power. Yang Kai's confident explanation, which was essentially a load of fabricated nonsense, was beyond his ability to verify. He gave a slight nod. "Brother Yang is truly gifted!"
If his earlier remarks had been nothing more than perfunctory pleasantry, then this compliment carried a genuine note of sincerity. The prospect of recovering those vanished continents was staggering enough. If Yang Kai could actually pull it off, he would be a hero to the entire Demon Realm—and might even earn that person's recognition. In that case, even if Yang Kai was merely a human, he wouldn't be someone to be taken lightly.
He had already made up his mind: even if they couldn't become friends, he absolutely must not make an enemy of this man.
"If Brother Bo Ya has no pressing matters, you're welcome to go ahead and wait for me in the Cloud Shadow for a few days. I'll return there shortly, and then we can set out together."
Bo Ya paused in surprise, but since Yang Kai had already said it, there was no way he could shamelessly linger. He smiled and nodded. "Very well. I'll be awaiting your arrival."
"Please!" Yang Kai gestured with his hand.
Watching Bo Ya depart, Yang Kai let out a quiet breath. That had been a close call. If Bo Ya had shown even a shred of suspicion and insisted on entering the spatial rift to investigate, the matter Yang Kai was trying to hide would have been exposed. Fortunately, the man seemed unwilling to offend him, allowing him to pass unchallenged.
But the experience made Yang Kai realize something. On Yu Ru Meng's territory, he could mobilize every resource at his disposal to safeguard his affairs. But if he went to Bei Li Mo's domain without his own people standing guard, he'd have no sense of security whatsoever.
That was precisely why he'd had the quick inspiration to send Bo Ya ahead to the Cloud Shadow. He needed to return first and bring some people along—having familiar hands around would make things far easier.
He waited in place for several days, staying until the Demon Realm's natural Laws had fully repaired the spatial rift, before setting off back toward the Cloud Shadow Continent.
Riding the Tiger-Head Chariot and passing through several World Gates along the way, he finally arrived back at Cloud Shadow City.
He didn't delay, immediately summoning Yin and issuing his instructions. Yin received the orders and departed.
Bo Ya had already been there for a few days. Lao Ke had been hosting him attentively, and upon Yang Kai's return, he came out promptly to greet him. After some casual conversation, the subtle hints of impatience threaded through Bo Ya's words amused Yang Kai.
Fortunately, there wasn't much to delay over. Even without Bo Ya's urging, Yang Kai was eager to head to Bei Li Mo's territory. Not long after, Yin returned and whispered a few words to Yang Kai. He nodded. "Then let's move out."
Stepping out of the city palace, he found several thousand demons already assembled outside. Among them were nearly fifty mid-tier and lower-tier Demon Kings, while the rest were uniformly Demon Commanders—not a single Demon General among them.
Bo Ya eyed Yang Kai curiously, unsure what this meant. Gathering so many demons at this juncture—was he planning to bring them all to the Azure Snow Continent? Yang Kai clearly picked up on his confusion and offered a slight smile. "Don't take this the wrong way, Brother Bo Ya. It's not that I distrust Holy Sovereign Bei Li Mo. It's simply that I'll need manpower when repairing the World Gate, and these people are accustomed to working with me. Swapping in unfamiliar faces would only slow down the progress, so I have to bring them along."
Bo Ya's expression was peculiar. "This is entirely Brother Yang's decision to make. I'm sure the Holy Sovereign wouldn't object." So much for not distrusting Bei Li Mo—that was plainly a lack of trust, plain as day. But you yourself are already going to the Azure Snow Continent, so what use are these few thousand? If the Holy Sovereign truly intended you harm, forget a few thousand—tens of millions wouldn't save you. Who could fathom what this man was thinking?
Still, it was a minor matter, and Bo Ya didn't care to press the point. He let Yang Kai have his way.
Yang Kai then turned to Lao Ke and Kersen. "While I'm away, you two are to manage the Cloud Shadow properly. If anyone dares threaten our territory, notify me immediately!"
He wasn't worried about most people—what concerned him was the possibility of Yue Sang suddenly returning from the Two Realms Battlefield. The chances were slim, but it was a risk that couldn't be ignored.
Lao Ke and Kersen naturally offered their respectful assurances.
Only then did Yang Kai sweep his hand forward and call out, "Move out!"
He gave Bo Ya a slight nod, and the two of them flew off side by side. Yin and the numerous mid-tier and lower-tier Demon Kings followed close behind, with the Demon Commanders bringing up the rear in a long, straggling column. The spectacle drew the attention of countless demons throughout Cloud Shadow City, all craning their necks to stare, wondering what had happened at the city palace.