Having come all this way, slinking back with his tail between his legs didn't sit well with Yang Kai.
He'd traversed domain gates in the flesh before. Last time he'd led Die You and the others out of Qiqiao Land, passing through several domain gates in succession. When Ah Sun's White Jade Fox ran out of energy at the last moment, Yang Kai had shouldered the pressure entirely on his own.
Recalling that sensation, Yang Kai had a vague feeling he could probably make it through under his own power. After all, he'd mastered the Laws of Space, and his physical body was far stronger than any ordinary warrior's.
With that thought, Yang Kai hesitated no more. He took a deep breath and strode toward the colossal domain gate.
An enormous pulling force surged from the gate. Before he even got close, his body was already being dragged forward. The harder he resisted, the weaker he felt. Yang Kai furrowed his brow, then abandoned resistance altogether, letting the current carry him as the force sucked him into the domain gate.
His vision blurred as he plunged inside. Terrifying tearing forces assaulted him from every direction, accompanied by an unbearable wave of dizziness that left him unable to tell north from south. Every bone in his body creaked and cracked.
Not daring to slacken, Yang Kai immediately activated the Laws of Space, subtly attuning himself to the spatial forces fluctuating within the domain gate. The pressure dropped sharply, and a surge of joy rose in his chest—his guess had been right. The Laws of Space could indeed mitigate the danger. With that, his confidence in traversing domain gates grew considerably.
He steadied his breath and calmed his mind, allowing himself to drift while the Laws of Space shielded him.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the tearing forces around him abruptly dissipated. His body felt significantly lighter in that instant, and he regained full control over his movements.
Looking around, Yang Kai broke into a grin.
This must be another great domain—which meant his direct traversal of the domain gate had succeeded. But the moment he shifted slightly, a wave of searing pain rippled through his entire body. He looked down and was startled to find himself covered in countless small wounds, blood dyeing his skin gold, his clothes reduced to tattered rags.
A pang of chagrin struck him. Old Bai's words hadn't been an exaggeration—domain gates could truly only be forced through by those at the Middle Stage of Open Heaven. Anyone below that level simply didn't have the capability.
It was only because of his own extraordinary physical strength and his ability to use the Laws of Space to reduce the pressure that he'd managed it at all. Otherwise, such a feat would have been utterly impossible.
He didn't dwell on it—these were mere superficial wounds that would heal in a few days. He casually changed into a clean set of clothes, took out the Cosmos Map to orient himself, and headed off in a chosen direction. Along the way, he tossed a Spirit Void Pearl behind him without breaking stride.
Ever since arriving beyond the Cosmos, there'd been one thing he'd wanted to verify: the maximum distance at which his Spirit Void Pearls could still function.
The Spirit Void Pearls were remarkable, sharing a similar principle with the Cosmic Escape Art, but their range couldn't be infinite—something Yang Kai was well aware of. He simply hadn't yet determined where that limit lay.
He hadn't had an opportunity before, but this excursion was the perfect chance to test it.
Several days later, Yang Kai held a Spirit Void Pearl in his hand, a contemplative look on his face.
Over the past few days, he'd sent out several Spirit Void Pearls. After repeated testing, he'd determined that their maximum effective range was roughly equivalent to two full days of flight at maximum speed.
Beyond that distance, the pearls could no longer sense him—and if they couldn't sense him, they naturally couldn't function.
Two days of full-speed flight was no small distance. That said, the Spirit Void Pearls' teleportation range couldn't compare to the Cosmic Escape Art—at the very least, the latter worked as long as one remained within the same great domain.
This was hardly surprising. The Cosmic Escape Art was anchored by the Cosmic Palace, which housed the Cosmic Escape Seal and was supported by numerous grand formations—so it made sense that its range exceeded that of the Spirit Void Pearls.
A few more days passed, and a familiar world appeared not far ahead of Yang Kai.
The Nine Serenities Continent!
Just as before, he broke through the world barrier and plunged into this small Cosmos world. In an instant, Yang Kai felt the divine senses of the Great Emperors here sweep across him.
Moments later, an old man materialized before him, offering a slight bow with a look of surprise on his face. "Envoy Yang?"
The newcomer was none other than Bao Zetong, Sect Leader of Tianshan—the same person who had greeted him during his last visit.
"Sect Leader Bao." Yang Kai clasped his fists in greeting.
Bao Zetong asked with puzzlement, "What brings Envoy Yang here? Does Madam Lan have any instructions?"
Yang Kai sighed. "No instructions, I'm afraid. The proprietress has been craving One Thread of Snow again, so she sent me over to pick some and bring back."
Bao Zetong started in surprise. "She wants it again?"
"Is there a problem?" Yang Kai looked at him, puzzled.
Bao Zetong waved his hands hastily. "No, no problem at all. Please come with me, Envoy Yang."
Though he found it odd that Madam Lan would want One Thread of Snow so soon—typically she didn't ask for it more than once every ten or twenty years, usually only when she happened to be passing through—it had been barely half a year since her last request. His curiosity piqued but unwilling to pry, he apologized for the familiarity, stepped forward to take Yang Kai's arm, and with a flicker of movement transported them both to Tianshan.
He summoned a middle-aged woman and instructed her to go pick some One Thread of Snow. As Bao Zetong was about to invite Yang Kai to sit and chat, Yang Kai said, "Let's go together."