Die You and A Sun hurriedly bowed as well.
Miemeng's gaze swept over the crowd before settling on Yang Kai. She gave a slight nod and transmitted her voice: "Thank you."
Yang Kai cupped his fists. "Senior is too kind. You also did me a great favor — we each got what we needed."
Miemeng said, "The fact that you carry a Dragon Vein — it would be best not to let others know!"
Yang Kai blinked in surprise. "Why is that?"
Miemeng gave a derisive snort. "Your Dragon Clan has no shortage of enemies in this great world. If those who bear grudges against the Dragon Clan were to learn that you carry a Dragon Vein, what do you suppose your fate would be?"
A chill ran through Yang Kai's heart. He straightened his expression. "This junior will remember that. Thank you for the warning." If that was the case, he wouldn't be able to casually employ the Dragon Transformation technique in the future — at least not until he had grown strong enough. Otherwise, he really could invite serious trouble.
He had already witnessed the pride of the Dragon Clan back in the Star Boundary. The dragons beyond this realm were unlikely to be any different.
Miemeng continued, "However, your Dragon Clan is an exceptionally unified race. Though they are all elusive and rarely seen, if you were truly in danger, the other dragons would likely seek vengeance on your behalf. So if you ever face an unavoidable peril, you might as well reveal your Dragon Vein — it could give your enemies pause."
Yang Kai cupped his fists again. "This junior is grateful for the lesson!" He paused, then asked, "May I ask, Senior — if I wished to find other members of the Dragon Clan, where should I go?"
Miemeng let out a cold hum. "I already told you, the Dragon Clan is elusive and virtually impossible to find. But I have heard that there is a Dragon Altar — the Dragon Clan's stronghold and place of origin. However, no one knows exactly where the Dragon Altar lies. Only the dragons themselves can discover it. If you raise your bloodline sufficiently, perhaps one day you will be able to sense its location."
"Raise my bloodline..." Yang Kai's gaze grew distant. The only way to elevate his bloodline was to further awaken the Golden Sacred Dragon's primordial power within him. During his current transformation, his dragon form had already reached two hundred zhang, but he could sense that his Dragon Clan's primordial power was far from fully awakened — there was still enormous room for growth. The problem was that the Dragon Clan's growth typically required vast stretches of time. He simply didn't have that luxury.
The Great General hopped out of Yang Kai's embrace, flapping its wings and swooping up and down before landing in front of Miemeng. Miemeng lowered her head and caught it gently in her beak, then turned and set it upon her own back.
The Great General crowed for a while. Miemeng tilted her head to listen, glanced at Yang Kai, and transmitted her voice: "Boy, take care of yourself. The three golden feathers seal three of this palace's divine techniques. If you face danger, you may activate them to fight. If fate allows, we shall meet again!"
With that, a fierce gale swept across the area, blasting everyone's eyes shut. By the time they opened their eyes again, Miemeng had vanished without a trace. In the distance, a single point of golden light receded into the horizon.
Floating before Yang Kai were three golden feathers, each about a foot long, as if forged from pure gold without the slightest impurity.
Yang Kai stared in surprise. He hadn't expected Miemeng to leave him such a parting gift. It was most likely the result of the Great General's final plea — just before departing, the Great General had communicated something to Miemeng.
He seized the three golden feathers and stowed them in his Space Ring. Gazing in the direction Miemeng had departed, he raised his hand in a quiet farewell. Across this vast universe and boundless cosmos, this parting would likely mean they would never meet again.
Old Fang stared at Yang Kai's ring with burning eyes. He didn't know what use the three golden feathers Miemeng had left behind might serve, but they were clearly no ordinary items. He swallowed hard and asked, "What did Senior Miemeng say to you just now?"
When Miemeng had been communicating with Yang Kai, it had all been through voice transmission. Old Fang and the others hadn't heard a word.
"Nothing much — just thanking me for helping her escape," Yang Kai replied casually. He glanced at the group and asked with a wry smile, "So, where do we go now?"
All four of them were newcomers to this world beyond the realm. Though Old Fang and Die You had arrived earlier, they had spent all these years confined to Seven Talents Land and had never ventured elsewhere. Their knowledge of this world beyond the realm was hardly better than Yang Kai's or A Sun's.
Before, the Great General had led the way and given them at least some direction. Now that the Great General was gone as well, they truly had nowhere to go — it felt like blind flies buzzing aimlessly.
A Sun spoke up timidly from the side: "Would you all... like to go somewhere with me?"
Yang Kai turned to look at her. "Where?"
"The Great Moon State!" A Sun replied, her expression rather sheepish.
"What kind of place is that?" Yang Kai asked, confused.
Old Fang regarded A Sun with a thoughtful look and said in a measured tone, "This world beyond the realm is home to countless factions of varying size. If you were to divide them into three tiers, the very top would be those places like the Thirty-Six Blessed Realms and the Seventy-Two Paradises — organizations with Peak Open Heaven masters presiding over them. Below those would be secondary powers like Seven Talents Land, which are led by Mid-Tier Open Heaven cultivators. And below those exist numerous Spirit States — regions that have neither Peak nor Mid-Tier Open Heaven cultivators, only Low-Tier ones. The Great Moon State is likely one of those, isn't it?"
A Sun shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but it probably is."
Old Fang chuckled. "It seems Miss A Sun has quite the background, knowing about a place like the Great Moon State."
A Sun couldn't help but stick out her tongue. "There's a senior in the Great Moon State. I just want to go and seek her out."
Yang Kai asked curiously, "A Sun, didn't you say before that the world you came from had already collapsed and perished, and that you were the only person left?" He remembered that being exactly what she had told him the first time they met.
A Sun nodded. "That's right — that world really did collapse and perish, and I really was the only one. But a few hundred years ago, a senior who originated from that world went back once."
That sounded oddly familiar... Fang Tai had said something much the same.