Setting aside the favor Yang Kai had done by escorting Ah Sun to the Great Moon Sect, his comprehension of the Space Laws alone was enough to convince Wei Que that the young man was a talent worth bringing into the sect. For that reason, Wei Que had been treating Yang Kai as one of his own disciples all this while. Now that Yang Kai had met with an accident, even without Ah Sun's plea, Wei Que would never have stood by and done nothing. Within the limits of his ability, he would naturally conduct a thorough search.
Once the arrangements were made, the group plunged back underground under Wei Que's lead — though this time, they were not searching for Solar True Fire. They were hunting for traces of Yang Kai.
Yang Kai's unexplained disappearance was proof enough that something genuinely dangerous lurked beneath the magma. Every person proceeded with extreme caution, none daring to stray more than a stone's throw from the others.
Half a shichen later, the group emerged one after another. They had found nothing.
Wei Que and Tao Rongfang exchanged a glance. Without a word, the latter led another team of disciples deeper to continue the search.
They repeated this several times. Two full shichen had passed, and every Great Moon Sect disciple was pale-faced with exhaustion. Only the two Opening Heaven Realm cultivators could still hold up, but with no sign of Yang Kai whatsoever, there was no point in continuing.
Tao Rongfang and Wei Que looked at each other and slowly shook their heads.
Die You's voice trembled when she saw this. "Seniors... are you not going to look anymore? Yang Kai is still down there."
Wei Que turned to face her, his expression grim. He sighed. "It has been too long. With his strength, there is no way he could have held out this long. I'm afraid... the chances are slim."
Die You's already bloodless face turned snow-white in an instant. Her body swayed, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. She knew Wei Que was right, but she simply could not accept it.
The man who had created one miracle after another in the Seven Mysteries Ground — who could turn the tide against overwhelming enemies as easily as flipping his hand — the man who had given her the Flawless Golden Dew — the man who had led her out of the Seven Mysteries Ground and freed her from her suffering — gone, just like that?
She could not accept it. She pressed a hand over her lips, her shoulders shaking as quiet sobs escaped her.
Ah Sun's eyes had reddened as well. She buried herself in Tao Rongfang's arms and wept bitterly.
Nearby, Old Fang beat his chest and stamped his feet. "Heaven is jealous of talent! Heaven is jealous of talent! Brother, you were so young — taken before your prime, how is that fair? Heaven has no eyes! Why wasn't it me, Old Fang, who got into trouble? Brother, come back — I'll take your place!"
Grief hung heavy in the air. The Great Moon Sect disciples watched in somber silence, several of the young women quietly shedding tears.
Wei Que raised a hand and patted Die You on the shoulder. "Try to bear it. We did everything we could. All we can do now is pray that fortune favors him!" He did not believe those words himself, but what else was there to say? He could not fathom what danger lay beneath that magma — something so lethal that it could make a living person vanish without a trace. They had combed through the area several times over and found not a single trace of danger.
Die You wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and spoke up. "Senior, I want to go down and search again. He is not the kind of person who dies young!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Wei Que glared at her. "Are you not aware of your own condition? Rest — that is what matters now."
"But—"
Wei Que cut her off before she could finish. "I would rather not use force against you, but if you insist on going down there, I will have no choice but to knock you unconscious."
Tao Rongfang reached out and took Die You's hand, speaking gently. "Rest first. We can discuss the rest later."
Die You pressed her lips together. Tears slid down her cheeks, and she gave a faint nod.
Just then, a sudden change erupted. A deep, rumbling boom rolled up from underground, and the entire Sun Star seemed to shake. The Great Moon Sect group startled, spinning to look in every direction. They saw that the magma in the vents along the surface had begun to boil violently. Enormous bubbles burst open one after another, and a palpable sense of danger spread through the air.
Wei Que's expression changed. "Move — up! Now!"
Even as he spoke, he surged his power and swept everyone skyward in a single bound.
Simultaneously, pillars of magma erupted from the vents like fire dragons born into the world. The spectacle was utterly terrifying.
They soared ten thousand zhang into the air. Looking down, every face had gone deathly pale. The Sun Star below appeared to be splitting apart — countless massive fissures had opened across its surface, forming deep ravines where magma churned and surged, scouring everything in its path.
The thunderous rumbling was ceaseless, pounding against their eardrums.
A blinding radiance poured in from one direction. A Great Moon Sect disciple cried out, "What is that?!"
Every eye turned toward the source of the sound, and every pupil contracted. At the edge of the horizon, the phantom image of an enormous palace had materialized, standing tall among the clouds like a mirage — ethereal and insubstantial.
But even as a mere projection, the palace still radiated a sense of towering majesty and ancient grandeur. It seemed to have traversed countless aeons, crossing the vast river of history from an age inconceivably remote.
A palace — on the Sun Star itself!
Wei Que blurted out in shock, "The Golden Crow Divine Palace!"
Rumors had long circulated that the Sun Star not only contained materials as rare and precious as Sun Star True Gold, but that it might also house the Golden Crow Divine Palace. The Solar True Fire was on the verge of dying out because the Golden Crow itself was perishing!
But rumors were only rumors. Most people believed the claim about Sun Star True Gold. As for the Golden Crow Divine Palace — nine out of ten would dismiss it outright, and the tenth would at best be half-believing, half-doubting.
Yet at this very moment, a palace had actually appeared on the Sun Star. What else could it possibly be, if not the Golden Crow Divine Palace?
Tao Rongfang's beautiful eyes went wide. "The rumors are true?"