Yang Kai had no shortage of experience when it came to bluffing with borrowed authority. Now, with the four of them outnumbered and outgunned, any conflict would only end badly for them. The problem was that Yang Kai was completely unfamiliar with the major domains in this area — he had no idea what powers operated here. The only name he could drop was Great Moon Prefecture, so he had no choice but to borrow their reputation for the time being.
Besides, Ah Sun did have some connection to Great Moon Prefecture, so there was no risk of being exposed. With that in mind, Yang Kai spoke without so much as a blush, though Old Fang and the others felt their hearts tighten with unease.
The young man furrowed his brow upon hearing this. "Great Moon Prefecture? You're from Great Moon Prefecture?"
"The genuine article!" Yang Kai replied in a deep voice, his expression perfectly composed.
The young man's face immediately took on a look of distaste. Great Moon Prefecture wasn't exactly a powerhouse, but his own background wasn't particularly impressive either — roughly on par with them. Now that Yang Kai had thrown out that name, he genuinely had to weigh his options. On the other hand, backing down now would look like he was afraid of Great Moon Prefecture, and that didn't sit well with him.
While he was vacillating, an elderly man stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Young Master, the Sun Star's fire is about to go out. Matters over there take priority — there's no need to invite trouble."
The young man snorted and shot Yang Kai and the others a cold glare before his figure vanished from the deck. Moments later, the great ship surged forward once more, covering a thousand li in the blink of an eye.
Watching the ship disappear into the distance, Old Fang and the others finally let out long, heavy breaths. The tension they had been holding finally released. Die You glanced at Yang Kai and pressed her lips together in a soft smile. "You really are something else."
She couldn't help but admire his quick thinking. In a situation like that, to have come up with a way out on the spot — his reflexes were anything but ordinary.
Yang Kai sighed. "Let's go. Stay alert, everyone."
Running into that group so suddenly had put all four of them on edge. They hadn't had much contact with people from beyond the realms before and hadn't known what the customs were like out here. Now it seemed that beyond the realms was no different from within — strength ruled all. With enough power, you could do whatever you pleased. Without it, you just had to swallow the insult and move on.
Fortunately, nothing similar happened on the rest of their journey. Though plenty of flying Artifacts sped past them, none seemed inclined to cause trouble. Everyone was probably focused on the Sun Star, and few had the leisure to stir up conflict.
As they pressed onward, a massive star gradually came into view. It was a dark red star, its scorching heat radiating outward and warping the void around it.
The Sun was dying, its former brilliance gone. If it were still at full strength, who would dare approach?
The closer they drew, the more oppressive the heat became. Eventually, the four of them had no choice but to channel their energy just to resist the searing warmth.
After several more days of travel, they finally reached the outer perimeter of the Sun Star. From a distance, Yang Kai and the others could already see numerous figures standing in the void and a great many flying Artifacts hovering in place — clearly, the forces from several nearby domains had all received the news and come seeking their share of the spoils.
Among them, Yang Kai spotted a few familiar faces — people he had seen at First Inn.
The Sun Star was enormous, and the surrounding space was naturally vast as well. Although many had arrived, the distance between each group was considerable. Everyone was biding their time for the right moment, so things remained peaceful with no conflicts breaking out.
Yang Kai and his group didn't dare get too close given their meager strength. They stopped at a considerable distance, and Yang Kai turned to Ah Sun. "That attendant at First Inn said Great Moon Prefecture's people are here, but how to find them is up to you. Did that senior mention anything about a special marker or sigil for Great Moon Prefecture?"
Ah Sun shook her head. "He didn't mention anything like that."
Yang Kai frowned. "What about when you first met that senior — was there anything distinctive about his clothing or appearance? Take a look at the people here and see if anyone is dressed similarly."
"Nothing particularly special... He seemed to be wearing ordinary clothes. He just handed me the white jade fox and told me that if I ever went beyond the realms, I could use it to find him."
Yang Kai exchanged a glance with Die You. Die You said, "That's going to be difficult. With no leads and so many people here, how are we supposed to find him? We can't just go asking around one group at a time."
Yang Kai shook his head. Going from group to group would waste time, and if they were lucky, they might encounter someone patient. But if they stumbled upon someone ill-tempered — like the force on that great ship they had run into earlier — it could very well be a one-way trip with no return.
"Let's just search around for now," Yang Kai considered for a moment. "Maybe that senior came here as well. If he did, Ah Sun will definitely recognize him."
Ah Sun nodded firmly. "If I see him, I'll know him for sure!"
There was nothing more to discuss. The four of them immediately set about their search. They flew in wide circles around the Sun Star's perimeter, not daring to approach any single faction, simply observing from a distance and ruling them out one by one.
Several days passed without success.
At the very least, the search allowed them to see a remarkable variety of flying Artifacts. Ship-shaped ones were the most common, but there were also palace-shaped Artifacts — which wasn't that surprising, considering the Temple of Years had been a rather impressive Artifact in its own right, one that Yang Xiao and Yang Xue could activate for flight after refining it. Some cultivators even rode on exotic beasts and divine birds. Those creatures radiated formidable power, and Old Fang and the others stared with undisguised envy, all agreeing that if they could tame a spirit beast like that, there would be nowhere in the world they couldn't go.
After days of searching with nothing to show for it, Ah Sun was growing discouraged. Yang Kai also felt that this aimless approach wasn't going to work. He pondered for a moment, then said, "Ah Sun, let me see that white jade fox."