Old Man Kang seemed intent on testing Yang Kai's abilities, for even when he could have intercepted certain exotic beasts, he deliberately let them slip through and charge straight at Yang Kai instead.
Yang Kai flicked his fingers repeatedly, sending crescent blades streaking outward. The charging beasts were cut cleanly in half before they could get close, their severed remains falling with edges as smooth as polished mirrors.
"Space abilities!" Old Man Kang's eyes narrowed. Could this young man actually be the scion of some great power? Even beyond the bounds of the Heavens and Earth, those who had mastered spatial abilities were few and far between, let alone someone who could condense a Dao Seal through space itself.
The Dao of Space was far more profound and abstruse than any other, and it was exceedingly difficult to achieve anything of note along that path.
Without vast resources and expert guidance, how could this young man have delved so deeply into the Dao of Space?
Thinking this, Old Man Kang found himself looking at Yang Kai with renewed respect. The young man's background was likely far from ordinary — otherwise, why would a Fifth-Order Open Heaven cultivator like Yue He address him as "Young Master"?
With that thought, he felt entirely at ease. The strength Yang Kai had demonstrated was in no way inferior to his own or Yue He's. With the three of them fighting together, their chances of breaking out had increased dramatically.
Old Man Kang's thoughts churned, but Yang Kai remained oblivious. Yue He, however, found a moment between attacks to glance back at him. Seeing him handle the beasts with effortless ease, she too felt reassured.
The three pressed forward, wading through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, yet the exotic beasts surged on without end — impossible to cut down completely.
Old Man Kang and Yue He had already swapped positions several times in succession, each exchange draining them heavily. Both wore expressions of grim concentration. The exotic beasts of the Taixu Realm seemed noticeably stronger at equivalent cultivation levels compared to ordinary demon beasts in the outside world — perhaps a consequence of the Taixu Realm's environment.
There were no Open Heaven cultivators within the Taixu. That applied not only to human warriors, but to these ancient remnant species as well. Having languished in a single realm for ages on end, the power they could unleash was all the more formidable.
Gradually, a sizable crowd began to gather around the three. At a time like this, anyone with half a brain understood the value of sticking together. Yang Kai's group had been cutting a swath of destruction through the beasts, naturally drawing the attention of those nearby. Driven by the desperate will to survive, more and more people flocked toward them.
Neither Yue He nor Old Man Kang objected. The more people rallied to their side, the better their odds — so they tacitly allowed the others to join.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, roughly a hundred people had gathered. And as time passed, even more were making their way over.
Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Brother Yang? Is that Brother Yang?"
The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Yang Kai turned in surprise and spotted a blood-soaked figure fighting its way toward them with a gleaming sword, several companions trailing behind — though a wall of exotic beasts still separated them, preventing an immediate approach.
Their eyes met, and Yang Kai blurted in astonishment: "Brother Meng?"
It was none other than Meng Hong of the Great Moon Province! Yang Kai hadn't expected to run into someone he knew here.
He and Meng Hong weren't exactly close, but they had spent some time together. Back when Yang Kai had been searching for relatives with A' Sun and had found Wei Que, their group had been housed aboard the Great Moon Province's sky vessel. It was Meng Hong who had arranged their quarters. Knowing Yang Kai was new to the world beyond the Heavens and Earth and had no idea what he was doing, Meng Hong had even given him a jade slip containing intelligence on the various powers and affairs of the outside world.
Later, when trouble erupted at the Golden Crow Divine Palace and Yang Kai had stolen the Golden Crow's corpse and fled back to the First Rest Stop, the Great Moon Province had been too weak to offer him protection. Wei Que and the leader of the Great Moon Province had given Yang Kai some compensation before departing, and at Yang Kai's request, they had also taken Old Fang and Die You back with them to the Great Moon Province.
Meng Hong was a decent sort — honest, generous, and the leading figure of his generation within the Great Moon Province.
Since they were acquaintances, Yang Kai naturally wasn't going to stand by and watch. He flickered forward in a blur, crescent blades flashing from his fingertips to carve through the beasts. In the blink of an eye, he had reached Meng Hong's side.
"It really is you, Brother Yang!" Meng Hong exclaimed with a mixture of shock and delight. "I thought I might have been seeing things."
Yang Kai grinned. "I didn't expect to find Brother Meng here either. We can catch up later — come with me."
Meng Hong nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Brother Yang." He turned and called to his companions: "Let's go!"
When Yang Kai had gone to fetch them, Yue He, who had been leading the charge at the front, immediately halted and waited. It was only after Yang Kai returned with Meng Hong and the others that she resumed her advance.
Old Man Kang frowned slightly at this, a flicker of displeasure crossing his face, but nothing had gone wrong, so he said nothing.
Over a hundred strong now, the group was still too small to alter the course of the tide of beasts, but at least they had some real fighting force. Though none of them knew one another, the shared instinct for survival bound them together. Every person channeled their power into a single spear, and the group punched outward like a gleaming arrow.
"Brother Meng, what were you doing here?" Yang Kai asked between strikes.
Meng Hong smiled bitterly. "Our Great Moon Province has a business interest in this Star City. I came to review the accounts."
Yang Kai laughed. "Then you really drew the short straw."
"What about you, Brother Yang? What brings you here?"
"Circumstance," Yang Kai said vaguely. It wasn't entirely an evasion — he couldn't exactly admit he'd been dragged here against his will. That would be far too embarrassing.
"Oh, let me introduce you. These are my junior brothers and sisters. This is Junior Sister Chen Yue from the Hundred Spirits Province." Meng Hong gestured to his companions as he spoke. When he mentioned his fellow disciples, his expression was relaxed and natural, but when he introduced Chen Yue of the Hundred Spirits Province, a hint of tender affection crept into his voice.
Yang Kai couldn't help stealing a glance at Chen Yue and found the young woman sweet-faced with a graceful figure. Understanding dawned immediately.
Meng Hong likely had feelings for her.