One reason he spared Huo Lun's life was what Yang Kai had already explained, but another was that he wanted to test whether the expanded space inside the Mysterious World Bead was actually suited for demons to survive.
The world within the Mysterious World Bead now comprised three parts. The first was the Bead's own original space; the second consisted of those three Cultivation Stars it had devoured in the Great Desolation Star Domain; and the third was the vanished continents it had absorbed in the Demon Domain.
The first two parts had already merged into one, while the third remained a separate existence. Although those lost continents had been reduced to fragments and their Heavenly Laws were in shambles, ever since the Mysterious World Bead swallowed them, signs of reassembly had appeared—the shattered Heavenly Laws were gradually mending themselves, growing more complete with time.
If the demons could survive within it—or even cultivate—that would be enormously helpful to his plans moving forward.
It was to that newly expanded space that Huo Lun had been sent.
Only after seeing that task completed did Yang Kai hurriedly release the Dharma Body.
For him to break through his shackles and advance his realm here in Cloud Shadow, he needed the Dharma Body's help to suppress the resulting disturbances; otherwise, his presence would inevitably be discovered. That was the primary reason he had risked returning to Cloud Shadow in the first place.
After so many days of delay, Yang Kai's injuries had long since fully healed, but his fluctuating aura was growing increasingly difficult to control. It seemed to have reached some kind of limit—if he hadn't been exerting every ounce of effort to suppress it, he might very well have broken through while still on the road.
Time waited for no one. The breakthrough would happen now.
Yet just at that moment, Yang Kai's expression turned sharp. He whipped his head around and barked, "Who's there?!"
The Dharma Body, which had been about to lead him to a safe location, was startled by the sudden outburst. It immediately extended its spiritual sense in all directions, scanning the surroundings.
After a moment, the Dharma Body turned to look at Yang Kai with a puzzled expression, only to find the latter's face utterly grave—as though he were facing a formidable enemy. This left it rather confused. It rumbled, "What is it?"
Yang Kai's face was taut as he continued scanning in every direction. "You didn't notice anything?"
"Nothing at all," the Dharma Body replied, shaking its head.
Yang Kai stared at it in disbelief. "How is that possible?"
Just moments ago, that familiar sensation of being watched had returned once more. It was as though an invisible pair of eyes were gazing at him from somewhere in the void—chilling to the bone.
When this feeling had first appeared a few days ago, he had assumed a Demon Saint was tailing him. Yet in the days that followed, no Demon Saint had made any move, and Yang Kai had grown uncertain about what was going on.
Now, today, that feeling had struck again. This was no illusion—he was truly being watched.
And yet the Dharma Body, master of the Cloud Shadow Continent itself, had detected absolutely nothing. Yang Kai found that almost incomprehensible.
Could it be that his nerves were frayed and his senses were playing tricks on him? After all, this was the Dharma Body's territory. Even if a Demon Saint were hiding nearby, the Dharma Body couldn't possibly be completely oblivious.
If the Dharma Body weren't a split soul of his own, Yang Kai might have suspected it was deceiving him. Besides, no Demon Saint would have any reason to be so theatrical about it. Overwhelming strength was all the capital one needed—they could simply overpower and capture Yang Kai. Why bother with such drawn-out games of cat and mouse?
As he spoke, that sensation vanished just as inexplicably as it had appeared.
The Dharma Body asked, "Did you really sense something?"
Yang Kai froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I can't say for certain. I don't know if it was an illusion."
The Dharma Body fell silent. In a situation like this, it didn't know what to say.
A breakthrough was imminent, and Yang Kai had no attention to spare for anything else. Even if a Demon Saint truly were lurking nearby, he would be powerless to resist if they meant him harm. All he could do then was adapt to whatever came. And a higher level of cultivation would undoubtedly give him one more chance at survival.
"Let's begin," Yang Kai said in a firm voice, sweeping the tangled thoughts from his mind.
The Dhana Body nodded. Channeling its Demon Essence, it enveloped Yang Kai and carried him downward into the earth.
They burrowed through the underground, where not a sliver of light penetrated and not a sound could be heard. The entire world had fallen utterly silent.
He had no idea how much time passed before Yang Kai finally felt the pressure around him ease and the Demon Essence cocoon withdraw. The Dharma Body's voice rang in his ear: "This is a cavern thirty thousand zhang beneath the surface. With me standing guard, the disturbances from your breakthrough should be suppressed."
Yang Kai focused his vision and looked around. Despite the surrounding darkness, he could still make out that this was indeed an enormous cavern—damp, dim, with the faint sound of running water drifting through the air. An underground river was likely flowing nearby.
The conditions were rather poor, but Yang Kai wasn't about to be picky.
He took a deep breath and sat cross-legged.