Back on Cloud Shadow Continent, the reason she had tried to assassinate Yang Kai was that she had personally witnessed Emperor Ming Yue die at his hands. Her heart had burned with the desire to avenge the Emperor — otherwise, how could she have laid a finger on Yang Kai?
Although she had since guessed that on that day, with or without Yang Kai, Ming Yue would have died regardless — perhaps Ming Yue had even chosen death willingly to preserve the Emperor's fortune — in the end, Ming Yue had been killed by Yang Kai.
Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of that scene of Ming Yue's death. So after Cloud Shadow Continent was devoured, she had left the Guardian City Palace and come to this place, fleeing from it all.
She had thought she would never have to see Yang Kai again, never have to feel so conflicted. She had no idea that every move she made had been under Yang Kai's watchful eye.
If she ever returned to the Star Boundary and reunited with her Master, there was no way she could conceal what she had witnessed. She would certainly report everything in full. And the crime of slaying an Emperor — how heavy a charge was that? Li Shiqing had no idea how the Star Boundary would deal with this man once they learned the truth.
Since the great war of the Emperors tens of thousands of years ago, no Emperor had fallen. Ming Yue was the first in tens of thousands of years — and the only one in all of history to have been killed by someone at the Emperor realm.
"Once I see Lady Hua Ying, I'll release you, and you and your Master can be reunited." Yang Kai spoke as though he hadn't heard her words just now, simply stating a fact of his own.
Li Shiqing gritted her teeth. "When I see my Master, I will report everything that happened in full detail."
Yang Kai nodded. He had never intended to conceal the battle at the Zhou Tian Realm. Even if Li Shiqing said nothing, he would report everything to the Emperors himself. His figure gradually turned blurry, then he added, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and be careful around that Mo Sheng. I get the feeling something's off about him."
It wasn't fear-mongering, nor was he deliberately trying to impart some deeper lesson — it was simply a feeling. In theory, within this Small Mystic World, so long as Yang Kai willed it, he could peer into even the thoughts running through Mo Sheng's mind. Everything he had seen and heard before, combined with Bo Ya's report, confirmed that Mo Sheng's background was flawless.
But Yang Kai had this feeling — an inexplicable, nagging feeling. Since the feeling was there, he naturally had to warn Li Shiqing. If he was wrong, it wouldn't matter; she would simply be a little more vigilant.
Li Shiqing froze at his words, and was about to ask more questions, but Yang Kai's figure had already turned transparent before vanishing entirely.
She stared at the spot where Yang Kai had disappeared, gritting her teeth, and muttered something under her breath.
The crescent moon hung high, stars glittering overhead, and beneath the vast starry sky, Yang Kai streaked across the void like a brilliant arc of light.
Comfortable. Incredibly comfortable. He had spent quite a few years in the Star Boundary — his Cultivation had climbed steadily from the Void King realm all the way up to the Emperor realm. He had made many friends here, and in the Northern Domain he had founded the Lingxiao Palace, bringing his family and loved ones over. One could say that the Star Boundary was his home now.
But never before had he felt this kind of comfort.
He had noticed it the moment he stepped out of the Small Mystic World. Returning to the Star Boundary was like coming home after a long absence, like cradling back in his mother's embrace. The scenery stretching in every direction, the air surrounding him, the Laws of Heaven and Earth of the Star Boundary — everything felt impossibly familiar.
It wasn't quite the homecoming of a wanderer returning to familiar shores — perhaps that played a small part, but the far greater reason lay in the Emperor's fortune.
He carried the acknowledgment of the Star Boundary's Heaven and Earth within him! The entire world had opened its arms to him; the Star Boundary was embracing him.
Like a tiger returning to its mountain, like a dragon plunging into the sea!
This sense of ease filled Yang Kai with an inexplicable good mood. He actually couldn't help humming a little tune as his arc of light tore across the sky, the melody scattering along the way.
It wasn't just comfort alone. Earlier, while Yang Kai had been meditating to recover, he had noticed something different from the usual. The moment he circulated his technique, the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth had poured into his body like returning swallows flocking to their nest — dozens of times more efficient than before.
The acknowledgment of Heaven and Earth had instantly elevated his absorption of spiritual energy by more than a single tier.
This alone was enough to demonstrate the terror of an Emperor's fortune. There were likely many more benefits he hadn't yet discovered.
He had already returned to the Star Boundary. He could have used the Void Spirit Pearl to teleport directly to the side of someone close to him. The reason he chose to fly all the way back was to savor this feeling properly, and to take stock of the Star Boundary's current situation along the way.
But when he thought about the price of all these benefits — an Emperor who had perished at his hand — Yang Kai's mood darkened despite himself. That trip to the Demon Domain, and in the end he still hadn't been able to bring Emperor Ming Yue back whole. He recalled Lan Xun's pleading, earnest gaze when he had left the Star Boundary, and felt powerless to face her.
Now that he had returned, how could he possibly look her in the eye?