After finding a concealed location to hide, Yang Kai recalled the half of the Heaven and Earth Source Liquid he had failed to obtain, and his heart ached terribly. Though he had already collected a fair amount, who could ever have too much of such a treasure?
The Chaos Qi of primordial creation contained within that Heaven and Earth Source Liquid was enough to allow an Emperor Realm Third-Order cultivator who had been stuck at a bottleneck for years to break through the barrier and ascend to the Pseudo-Emperor level. If he could gather more, he would be able to create many more Pseudo-Emperor powerhouses for the Star Boundary in the future.
One could only say that what was destined to be yours would not escape, and no amount of longing for what wasn't yours would help.
He let out a long, heavy sigh several times before finally setting aside the knot in his heart. With a thought, he sent his consciousness into the Small Profound World and discovered that Bing Yun, Yang Yan, and Gan Li had all regained consciousness. The three of them were gathered together, engaged in conversation.
They had evidently realized they were in Yang Kai's Small Profound World, so their expressions were not particularly panicked. Still, recalling their recent ordeal, each of them wore a lingering look of lingering fear.
Yang Kai's divine sense manifested physically, and after exchanging greetings, Gan Li said, "I owe Lord Yang my thanks for this. Had it not been for Lord Yang, I'm afraid I would have been done for."
Yang Kai smiled. "Lord Gan is too polite. We both serve under Commander Li, working together for the peace of the Star Boundary. Now, with external demons coveting our realm, if I were the one in peril, I'm sure Lord Gan would not stand idly by if he had the means to help."
"That goes without saying," Gan Li agreed with a solemn nod. "However, regardless, I will remember Lord Yang's life-saving grace. If there is anything Lord Yang requires of me within this Profound Heavens Temple, you need only say the word."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and neither mentioned the Heaven and Earth Source Liquid. It was unclear whether Gan Li had not seen it or had deliberately chosen not to bring it up. But considering that Yang Yan had spotted it earlier, Gan Li could not have missed it—he had surely been drawn into that deadly formation by the Source Liquid as well.
As for whether he could actually identify it as Heaven and Earth Source Liquid, that was another matter entirely.
"May I ask what Lord Gan plans to do next?" After some idle conversation, Yang Kai got straight to the point Nominally, it would be to strive for the opportunities of the Great Dao and seek out the traces of the Profound Heavens Cauldron. Gan Li furrowed his brow and said with a bitter smile, "But to be honest, ever since I entered this Profound Heavens Temple, I've been searching for the Profound Heavens Cauldron the entire time, yet I've found nothing at all. Has anyone among you made any discoveries?"
Yang Yan replied, "Not a single clue." She turned to look at Yang Kai. "Kid, are you sure that Yu Zhu wasn't lying to you? Maybe she deliberately threw out bait to draw everyone's attention while she went off to do something on her own?"
Yang Kai pondered for a moment. "It's not impossible, but it is the only lead we have." He hadn't been able to extract any useful information from the Demon Race half-sages either. All he knew was that the Demon Sages had ordered the killing of Star Boundary Pseudo-Emperors—but wasn't that obvious without needing to be stated?
The conflict between the two realms had never ceased. When powerhouses from the Human Race and the Demon Race crossed paths in a place like this, was there ever any possibility of peace?
"Regardless, our top priority right now is to search for the Profound Heavens Cauldron and gather whatever other intelligence we can." He turned to Gan Li. "If Lord Gan doesn't mind, why not join us?"
Bing Yun and Yang Yan were definitely going with him—that had been decided before. He carried the Will of the Heavens, and the Demon Race would undoubtedly target him specifically. Even with the Space Laws at his command, being alone would put him in a very precarious position. And it wasn't just the Demon Race—in the final moments of the Great Dao contest, even the Star Boundary's own Pseudo-Emperors might not hesitate to strike against him.
Gan Li clearly understood the situation. The current Yang Kai was essentially in the position of an innocent man who becomes guilty the moment he possesses a treasure. Though Gan Li wanted to ally with others, he had been afraid that Yang Kai and his companions might misunderstand his intentions, so he hadn't brought it up himself. He never expected Yang Kai to be so straightforward about it, which left him feeling somewhat abashed.
Without even giving him a chance to speak, Yang Kai continued, "There are thirty Star Boundary Pseudo-Emperors who entered the Profound Heavens Temple this time, and forty Demon Domain half-sages. In terms of numbers alone, the Demon Race holds an overwhelming advantage. If we don't band together for warmth, we'll likely be picked off one by one. So if possible, I would earnestly request that Lord Gan stay with us. When the time comes for the final battle over the Great Dao, we can make our plans then."
With things put so plainly, any further refusal on Gan Li's part would be tone-deaf. Moreover, he had just been saved by Yang Kai—how could he possibly turn around and decline? Not to mention that this was what he wanted as well. He cupped his fists and said, "That is precisely what I would have asked for, had I dared."
Yang Kai smiled. "Excellent, then I'll go fishing."
"Fishing?" Gan Li looked at him in confusion.
Yang Yan, however, caught on immediately and smirked. "Just make sure you don't hook a shark."
"Sharks would be fine too." Yang Kai chuckled softly, his figure fading away. Before he left, he caught Yang Yan shooting him a meaningful glance.
By now, Gan Li had clearly figured out what Yang Kai meant by "fishing." His eyes lit up in realization. "Interesting, very interesting." As he spoke, a look of anticipation appeared on his face.
Yang Kai's physical body dashed through the landscape at high speed while he devoted a portion of his mind to the Small Profound World, secretly communicating with Yang Yan. That glance she had secretly sent him earlier clearly meant she had something to discuss privately.
"Kid, what about the Heaven and Earth Source Liquid? Did you get your hands on it?"
Sure enough, the moment he connected with Yang Yan, her voice came through via divine sense transmission with that very question, even as she was ostensibly chatting with Gan Li about something else.