It was true that Yang Xiao had been hatched by Yang Kai, and it was true that Yang Kai had taken him as an adopted son — the boy had even chosen himself a name meaning "Soaring Through the Skies." But at the end of the day, he was still the son of Fu Zhun and Zhu Yan, with the blood of the Dragon Clan flowing through his veins.
When Yang Xiao was still inside the dragon egg, his innate deficiencies had prevented him from hatching. According to Dragon Clan custom, such eggs were to be placed in the Dragon Tomb. But Fu Zhun, desperate with love for her son, had secretly hidden him on a remote island. Through a twist of fate, Yang Kai had ended up hatching him.
Fu Zhun doted on Yang Xiao beyond measure, wishing to pour every drop of her effort and devotion into him. If Yang Xiao hadn't feigned impure bloodline back then, there was no way he would have been allowed to leave Dragon Island with Yang Kai.
She had let her son be taken away, only for him to enter the Realm of Four Seasons and vanish without a trace. Naturally, Fu Zhun was furious. When she first received the news, she had been prepared to charge straight into the Demon Realm to settle the score with Yang Kai.
Fortunately, the Beast Martial Great Emperor Mo Huang had stopped her — otherwise, she very likely would have gone through with it.
She never made it to the Demon Realm, but she still demanded that Yang Kai give her an explanation.
The reason Yang Qing had appeared at Lingxiao Palace was precisely because Fu Zhun had left her behind to relay the message to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had a massive headache over this. How could he possibly go to Dragon Island to give Fu Zhun an explanation? If he went to Dragon Island at a time like this, she'd beat him black and blue without a second thought.
The Second Elder had never been one to listen to reason.
That said, regardless of whether it was for that brat Yang Xiao or for his little sister Yang Xue, Yang Kai had to make a trip to investigate the Realm of Four Seasons. But he couldn't place too much hope in this — Fu Zhun herself had searched for half a year without finding any leads, so his going likely wouldn't make a difference either.
Still, for his parents' peace of mind, he had to go.
On top of that, he also needed to make a trip to the Star God Palace, so the journey through the Southern Region was a foregone conclusion.
But before all that, there was another place he needed to check.
That he was truly burdened on all sides was not merely an excuse to put off Yao Si — it was simply the reality of the situation.
Ten days after returning to Lingxiao Palace, Yang Kai stepped onto the space formation once more, seeing Su Yan and the others off. With a thought, a brilliant white light blazed across the formation, engulfing him.
When the light faded, Yang Kai was gone.
He reappeared inside a treehouse.
The Eastern Region — the Primordial Ancient Land! This was the homeland of the Stone Puppet Clan. The treehouse was a modest little structure, and Yang Kai had left a space formation here years ago. Naturally, upon arriving, he materialized right inside.
It was silent all around. Stepping out of the treehouse, he saw not a single living creature in sight.
The Stone Puppet Clan and the Wood Spirit Clan that coexisted with them were both on the battlefield in the Western Region, fighting to resist the Demon Race. This place had been devoid of any life for years now. The spirit fruits and spirit herbs the Wood Spirits had planted, however, were thriving splendidly.
Yang Kai casually plucked a ripe red fruit and ate it as he soared through the sky.
Wherever he passed, signs of life were scarce. The Primordial Ancient Land had always existed in seclusion, but after the war between the Two Realms erupted, most of the Monster Clan here had followed Luan Feng and the others to the battlefield. All that remained were the old, the weak, the sick, and the young.
Compared to the bustling liveliness of his first visit all those years ago, the place felt profoundly desolate.
Yang Kai's destination was the Blood Gate — the place where Tianxing's bedchamber, the Sacred Spirit Palace, lay hidden.
Yang Xiao and Yang Xue had entered the Realm of Four Seasons and gone silent. Zhang Ruoxi and Little Little had entered the Blood Gate, and likewise no word had come from them. Comparatively speaking, Zhang Ruoxi and Little Little had been inside the Blood Gate even longer — it had been over a decade now.
It was said that the Sacred Spirit Palace housed the preserved essences of many Sacred Spirits. If it could be opened sooner rather than later, it could benefit a great many Monster Clan members of the Primordial Ancient Land. After all, wasn't the opportunity within the Sacred Spirit Palace precisely what had convinced Xi Lei and the others to follow Yang Kai in the first place?
Yang Kai's strength had grown immensely, and his speed had increased correspondingly. In roughly half a shichen, he had arrived at the location of the Blood Gate.
A range of barren, bald mountains lay empty and bare. If he hadn't already known the Blood Gate was here, there would have been nothing to draw his attention.
But Zhang Ruoxi and Little Little had indeed entered the Sacred Spirit Palace from this very spot. The surrounding valleys had once been the site of a fierce battle — the Sacred Spirit Stone Fire had been slain by a single strike from Zhang Ruoxi, who had extracted its Sacred Spirit essence. His Dharma Body had benefited from it as well.
No Blood Gate was visible, but Yang Kai wasn't particularly disappointed. If the Blood Gate had truly reopened, there was no way the various powers of the Star Boundary would have received no news of it whatsoever. He had come simply to have a look and confirm for himself.
Two strange whistling sounds reached his ears, and Yang Kai turned toward the source.
Hanging upside down from the trunk of a large tree nearby was a figure, arms crossed, a single foot hooked over the branch, seemingly fast asleep.
Yang Kai had sensed this being the moment he arrived — a Demon General-class Monster. He hadn't paid it any mind. But the Demon General's perception was quite sharp; even in sleep, it sensed something and opened its eyes, meeting Yang Kai's gaze directly.
Their eyes locked. The Demon General froze for a moment, then let out a startled yelp and tumbled off the trunk, hitting the ground with a thud. Scrambling to its feet, it hopped over with a deep bow: "This humble one greets Lord Yang! May Lord Yang enjoy boundless fortune and eternal well-being! Gu-gu…"