When Yang Xiao first appeared and took the Endless Hourglass from Feng Jun's hands, the connection between Yang Kai and the artifact had been severed. But when Yang Xue formed her seal, that connection was re-established.
It was invisible and intangible, yet unmistakably clear in his perception—as though his very life force was bound to the Endless Hourglass.
Yang Xue did not invert the hourglass as Feng Jun had done. Instead, she simply extended two fingers and tapped the surface. In that instant, within the hourglass, the ten thousand and eight Divine Sands of Time churned and danced, bursting free of the artifact's confines to form a slender stream of sand that began circling above Yang Kai's head.
Yang Kai stared wide-eyed. This scene meant that Yang Xue could actually channel the power of this Grand Emperor's relic—yet he had seen no trace of her ever refining it. How had she managed such a thing?
What astounded him even more was that the hourglass had been in Feng Jun's possession all along. Feng Jun had spent a full century refining it here and could barely draw out its power, and even that was negligible. But judging by the way Yang Xue wielded it now, she far surpassed anything Feng Jun had ever achieved.
The slender stream of sand circled three times before plunging straight into the crown of Yang Kai's head, passing through as though it were immaterial and flooding entirely into his body.
Yang Kai shuddered, and then overwhelming joy surged through him. The moment those ten thousand and eight Divine Sands of Time poured into his skull, he could clearly feel his drained life force rapidly returning.
He raised one hand. His withered skin regained its luster at a speed visible to the naked eye, flesh filling out gradually. That was only what could be seen—what could not be seen was the strength returning to his body, his declining vitality recovering its vigor…
Yang Kai could not help but laugh aloud.
He had pushed himself to the brink, nearly trading his life to bring down Feng Jun. At the time, he truly hadn't thought it through—his only thought was that the Endless Hourglass absolutely could not be allowed to leave with Feng Jun, and he would have been willing to die right here to ensure that.
But afterward, he had genuinely been afraid.
Not afraid of death, exactly.
He had feared what would become of the Mystic Boundary Bead after his passing. The Demon Territory's encroachment. The billions of lives in the Star Boundary. His family and friends…
So yes, he had been afraid. But now it was all right. The lost life force had been returned through the Divine Sands of Time, and he no longer needed to worry about his lifespan running out and his body withering to nothing.
With his life force restored, Yang Kai's injuries seemed to have improved greatly as well. He was no longer in that state of being a lamp guttering out its last drop of oil; instead, he felt a renewed vitality buzzing through him.
Yang Xue's expression was extraordinarily focused. Fine beads of sweat had broken out across her forehead—clearly, performing this feat placed a considerable burden on her. It was not until an incense stick's worth of time had passed that her body trembled faintly and her face turned deathly pale. She abruptly changed her hand seal, and Yang Kai felt an itch all over his body as tiny grains of sand began flying out through his pores. He looked closely—those were none other than the Divine Sands of Time!
Guided by Yang Xue, the ten thousand and eight Divine Sands of Time returned to the hourglass. Yang Xue caught her breath a few times, then waved her hand before Yang Kai like a stage magician. Instantly, a dharma mirror materialized, reflecting his current appearance. She grinned and said, "Big brother, take a look at yourself now—are you satisfied?"
Yang Kai fixed his gaze on the mirror and studied himself carefully.
His face had changed somewhat, though the difference was barely noticeable—he looked perhaps five or six years older at most. His hair, however, had gone partially white, lending him an air of weathered experience.
Yang Xue sighed. "This is all I can manage for now. Once Xiao'er and I have fully refined the Endless Hourglass, we'll be able to recover all the life force you've lost."
"Not bad at all, not bad at all." Yang Kai was already more than satisfied. He had been on the verge of dying of old age, and now he had been restored to the prime of his life—how could he not be pleased? Yang Xue's abilities left him amazed, though he understood deep down that this likely wasn't her own doing but rather the power of the Endless Hourglass itself. As a Grand Emperor's relic, its might was truly unfathomable. Feng Jun had barely scratched the surface of this treasure's potential—hardly a fraction of its true power. After finishing that thought, he asked, "Just how many years of lifespan did I lose?"
Yang Xue's eyes reddened again, and she replied softly, "A few hundred years…" Her face was heavy with self-reproach—if only she had been a little more skilled, she might have been able to recover every last bit of her brother's lifespan. She cursed her insufficient cultivation and incomplete refinement.
Yang Kai laughed heartily and patted her on the head. "A few hundred years is just right—an older brother shouldn't look younger than his little sister." As he spoke, he moved to stand up.
"Don't rush, Big Brother. Check yourself for any hidden problems first." Yang Xue pressed him back down, then turned her gaze toward Feng Jun, who lay curled on the ground like a dead dog. Her phoenix eyes narrowed, flickering with killing intent. "Leave him to me and Xiao'er."
It was the first time Yang Kai had ever seen the little girl bristle with such murderous intent. When she was younger—only a few years old—even when she was provoked, she would merely puff out her cheeks and pretend to look fierce, which was utterly adorable. Now she had suddenly grown into a woman and was radiating killing intent, and Yang Kai found it genuinely hard to adjust.
But she was still his little sister, and no matter what, she was a joy to behold. He smiled and said, "All right then. Just don't kill him—keeping him alive may still be useful."