Half a day later, two massive figures burst out from the underground cavern beneath Yuanci Mountain. The Crimson Flood Dragon led the way, with the Earth Dragon close behind. Standing atop the Crimson Flood Dragon's enormous head were a dozen or so figures.
After dealing with those who had been hiding deep in the cavern hoping to take advantage of the chaos, Yang Kai had departed immediately.
Ding Yi had already left as well. Although the Divine Stones beneath Yuanci Mountain had been thoroughly scavenged, that didn't mean there were no more Yuanci Divine Stones here. The entire mountain range stretched over a thousand li, and it had long since attracted countless cultivators to explore and search.
Even if the abundant underground deposits had been stripped clean, setting aside what lay beneath, opportunities were everywhere across Yuanci Mountain. It was just that the quality of the Yuanci Divine Stones found on the surface would naturally be inferior to those deep underground.
Ding Yi had led several hundred of Emperor Heaven's people, spreading them across various locations throughout Yuanci Mountain. Not only that, he had even sent word back to summon the remaining several thousand, seizing control of over a hundred li of the mountain range and digging it up inch by inch.
Descending through the air, Yang Kai let out a soft sigh.
In the end, he still hadn't found any Yuanci Divine Stones above the Seventh Grade. That was the main reason he had been blocking the passage and robbing people at the entrance — yet despite everything, he had turned up empty-handed. If he couldn't find them even deep underground, there was little hope on the surface.
Yue He read his expression and understood what was on his mind. She pursed her lips and said, "Sixth Grade is perfectly fine. Why be so greedy?"
She seemed to relish the idea of Yang Kai condensing Sixth Grade Gold Element power, never missing an opportunity to encourage him.
Yang Kai couldn't be bothered with her. He simply watched as several dozen people flew over from the distance.
When those several dozen people drew near, they all cupped their fists in salute. "Greetings, Sixth Master, Seventh Master!"
Their faces were flushed with fervent excitement.
Yang Kai looked at Guo Ziyan with a puzzled expression.
Guo Ziyan explained, "Sixth Master, these are the remaining brothers under my command. They were stationed too far from here before, so they couldn't arrive in time. By the time they showed up, we were already underground. I took it upon myself to have them stay up here."
Yang Kai relaxed. After he had become the Sixth Master of Crimson Star, the organization had allocated over a hundred people to him. Previously, only thirty-odd had shown up. The remaining several dozen had only now gathered together.
Fewer than a hundred people — a far cry from Emperor Heaven's forces, which could field thousands at the drop of a hat. Still, these were the only subordinates Yang Kai had under his command at present.
"How are things up here?" Guo Ziyan asked one of the young cultivators.
The young man stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Reporting to the Grand Commander: we've been searching for Yuanci Divine Stones these past few days as well, but our haul hasn't been great. The best we found was a single Third Grade Divine Stone."
As he spoke, he produced the Third Grade Yuanci Divine Stone.
Guo Ziyan turned to look at Yang Kai, who waved his hand dismissively.
Guo Ziyan caught the cue immediately. "Keep it for yourself." He knew full well that Yang Kai had already obtained nearly twenty Sixth Grade Divine Stones — how could he possibly care about some paltry Third Grade stone?
The young man's face lit up with delight. "Thank you, Sixth Master!" Although he had been the one to find it, if Yang Kai had insisted on claiming it, he would have had no choice but to hand it over. The fact that Yang Kai told him to keep it naturally made him happy.
After a moment's thought, Yang Kai said, "Commander Guo, take the brothers and stay here. The moment any high-grade Divine Stone turns up, send word immediately!" He still wasn't ready to give up entirely. The chances were slim, but what if someone really did find a Seventh Grade or higher Yuanci Divine Stone on this mountain?
"Understood!" Guo Ziyan nodded respectfully.
"Take this." Yang Kai casually produced a bead and handed it to Guo Ziyan.
Guo Ziyan accepted it, his face full of puzzlement. "Sixth Master, what is this…?"
"A Spatial Spirit Pearl." Another Spatial Spirit Pearl appeared in Yang Kai's hand. "These two pearls form a matched pair — they share a natural resonance with each other. Don't put it in your space ring; just keep it on your person."
He didn't elaborate further.
Guo Ziyan naturally obeyed, then glanced to the side and ventured, "But Sixth Master, while our several dozen people are a cut above the average loose cultivator, we're still far too few. If we really do find something valuable and run into a conflict with others, without you here to back us up, I'm afraid we wouldn't stand a chance."
"Spit it out," Yang Kai said, giving him a look.
Guo Ziyan smiled somewhat sheepishly and pointed at the Crimson Flood Dragon and Earth Dragon beside them. "I was hoping the Sixth Master would leave one of them with us — the Earth Dragon, preferably. That way, if things go south, it can dig us a tunnel and we can make our escape."
Yang Kai burst out laughing. "You've certainly got it all figured out. Fine — I'll leave them both with you."
Guo Ziyan was overjoyed. "Thank you, Sixth Master!" With these two exotic beasts at his disposal, he had nothing to fear — unless one of the few major powers decided to intervene personally.
"Are you coming or not?" Yang Kai turned to look at Yue He.
Yue He smiled sweetly, lips curved. "Wherever the Young Master goes, I go."
Yang Kai rolled his eyes, reached out and grabbed her arm, and with a flicker of his spiritual sense, the two of them vanished on the spot.
Every member of Crimson Star stood there slack-jawed. Not a single one of them had seen how Yang Kai disappeared. Under the sweep of their spiritual sense, his aura was completely gone.