The five hundred thousand troops Bo Ya had promised were ready within a single night, and Yang Kai took charge without any hesitation, dividing them into five contingents. He assigned each group a destination: four of them were to seal off the interior and exterior of the two unstable World Gates, while the fifth was to proceed in advance to the location of the vanished World Gate and make preparations.
Bo Ya observed all of this with cold detachment, showing no intention of interfering. Bei Li Mo had entrusted the matter of the World Gates to him, so naturally he was to accompany Yang Kai throughout. For one, he needed to keep an eye on the man to prevent any tampering with the gates. For another, should Yang Kai have any other needs along the way, he could be on hand to provide assistance.
Having a Half-Saint at his beck and call certainly made things convenient. But if Yang Kai intended to devour the vanished continent within Bei Li Mo's territory — or even enter the Zhou Tian Continent — he would inevitably need to find an opportunity to shake Bo Ya off.
Opportunities came to those who waited. Things had only just begun, and Yang Kai was in no rush.
Half a day later, the group arrived at the first World Gate.
This gate had shown signs of instability several hundred years ago, and the situation had grown far more obvious since. It flickered between light and dim, as though it might collapse at any moment.
The hundred thousand troops had already fanned out to a perimeter of a hundred li, sealing off the area and prohibiting anyone from entering unauthorised. Yang Kai then positioned his own ten thousand subordinates in an inner ring to guard the ten-li radius around the gate itself. Only then did he turn to glance at Bo Ya, who had been trailing at his side the entire time. The meaning was clear — he wanted Bo Ya to withdraw for a while.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had sorely underestimated the man's thick skin. Bo Ya showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he casually struck up a conversation, chattering away about the culture and customs of the Proud Snow Continent as though nothing were amiss.
Yang Kai sneered inwardly, knowing he probably couldn't get rid of the man. Even if he laid it out bluntly, Bo Ya would find an excuse to stay — all he had to do was invoke the Holy Sovereign's orders, and Yang Kai would be powerless to refuse.
In any case, he wasn't afraid of Bo Ya learning anything from watching, so he simply ignored the man and flew straight to the vicinity of the World Gate. His body shuddered once as the Laws of Space surged around him.
The moment Yang Kai began to move, Bo Ya ceased his idle prattle. His eyes fixed unblinkingly on Yang Kai's actions, as though trying to decipher the secrets within. When he sensed the fluctuations of spatial power, a look of genuine interest crossed his face. His spiritual sense crept outward, silently probing the profound mysteries at work.
Though Yang Kai had his back turned, he could hardly miss such clumsy probing. He let out a derisive snort. If the Laws of Space were so easy to grasp, what need would Bei Li Mo have of him?
This was not his first time maintaining an unstable World Gate. With over thirty gates across the dozen-plus continents under Yu Rumeng's command, he had accumulated ample experience and confidence. The situation here was somewhat more serious, but if Yang Kai applied himself fully, he could likely restore it to perfect condition in less than half a day — and it would remain stable for at least a thousand years without issue.
However, if everything came too easily, he wouldn't seem important at all.
So Yang Kai was happy to drag his feet, putting on the appearance of being fully absorbed in strenuous effort while his mind wandered to the Zhou Tian Continent and Emperor Ming Yue. He paused several times over the course of his work, and each time the gate looked noticeably more stable. Bo Ya finally became convinced that Yang Kai truly possessed the ability to repair and maintain the World Gates.
It wasn't until several days had passed that the gate was thoroughly stabilised. Yang Kai flew back looking thoroughly exhausted, gave Bo Ya a nod, then sat cross-legged on the spot to meditate and recuperate.
Bo Ya perked up immediately and hurried forward to inspect the results.
Though he knew nothing of the Laws of Space, he could tell whether a World Gate was stable or not. He passed through the gate directly to another continent and returned from a different direction an hour later, his face beaming with delight.
Along the way, he had already sent word to Bei Li Mo, informing her of the situation. Bei Li Mo seemed quite pleased as well, ordering him to satisfy all of Yang Kai's requests within reason so that the man could repair every gate as quickly as possible.
Word of Yang Kai's abilities had already reached the ears of other Demon Holy Sovereigns. Naturally, they were all very interested. Several had already contacted Yu Rumeng, offering to pay a certain price to have Yang Kai visit their territories and assess the situation. Yu Rumeng had, in turn, sent a message to Bei Li Mo — between the lines, a warning not to cause trouble for Yang Kai and to send him back as soon as possible.
A human, having arrived in the Demon Realm not long ago, had somehow become a coveted prize that even the Demon Holy Sovereigns were watching with keen interest. It was nothing short of extraordinary.
Though Bei Li Mo also wished to keep Yang Kai in her territory permanently, she could not ignore the feelings of the other Holy Sovereigns. If she actually went through with it, she would inevitably become the common enemy of them all.
This was precisely why Yu Rumeng had not prevented Yang Kai from coming here — because she couldn't have stopped him anyway. Given the enmity between her and Bei Li Mo, she would never have let Yang Kai make this trip so readily otherwise.
After half a day of rest, the group set out once more. The hundred thousand troops standing guard at the hundred-li perimeter had already been dispatched by Yang Kai to the gate at yet another continent.
In just five days, both of the unstable World Gates on the Proud Snow Continent had been fully maintained and stabilised. Only the one that had vanished entirely remained.