When martial artists condensed the power of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, a higher grade wasn't necessarily better—what mattered was finding the power that best suited them. Every person had their limits: the limits of their physical body, the limits of their Dao Mark, the limits of their foundational reserves. These limits were invisible and intangible, yet they constrained a martial artist's development. If the grade of power they condensed exceeded this limit, it could well be more curse than blessing.
Ding Yi's aptitude was certainly outstanding, but even he would likely struggle to bear the impact of seventh-grade power. The backlash he'd suffered after mobilizing the Fire Element power earlier was proof enough.
Ding Yi was far from the only one in this predicament. Quite a few of the Bearers would face the same situation, and if they didn't resolve it, they'd be courting disaster when it came time to break through to Open Heaven.
Still, this was ultimately someone else's problem, and Yang Kai couldn't do much about it.
He reached into the Myriad Bag and released Yue He, Lu Xue, and Guo Ziyan along with the others. Upon learning that they had left the Grand Ancient Ruins Realm and returned to the outside world, all three wore expressions of elation.
By now, the area around them had emptied completely. Those who were leaving had long since departed, and only Yang Kai's group remained.
He glanced at Yue He and sighed inwardly at the unpredictability of fate. The reason he'd become entangled with Yue He at all was entirely because this woman, terrified that the Innkeeper would come after her, had taken him as a hostage. And as luck would have it, they'd both been swallowed by the Grand Ancient Ruins fog right there in the Star Market.
In the decade-plus they'd spent inside the Grand Ancient Ruins Realm, they had watched each other's backs and weathered hardships together. Whatever grudge had existed between them before was long gone.
Now that they'd left the Grand Ancient Ruins, though, it was time to part ways.
Yue He had clearly realized this too. The joy of leaving the Grand Ancient Ruins dimmed considerably on her face, and she stood with her head lowered, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve without a word.
"My Lord, where shall we head now?" Guo Ziyan asked, cupping his fists.
He had once been the Grand Commander of Red Star, but with the Star Market gone, he'd long since severed his ties with Red Star. From here on out, he would follow Yang Kai's lead.
Yang Kai took out the Universe Map and checked his group's current location, then searched for the Star Market where the First Inn was located. He couldn't help but click his tongue—the distance was staggering.
Getting back to the First Inn would require crossing at least five Great Domains. Without relying on the Universe Escape technique and flying the whole way, it would take months at minimum.
Yang Kai turned his head toward Yue He. "Want to come with me and make your peace?"
He didn't know the full story between Yue He and the Innkeeper, but judging by their conversation when they'd first met over a decade ago, the two clearly knew each other—and must have been close once, long ago. Something had turned them into enemies, driving Yue He to conspire with Qi Jin and the others to sabotage the Innkeeper, nearly causing Bai Qi's breakthrough to Open Heaven to fail.
That affair had escalated badly. Fortunately, Bai Qi had ultimately been saved by his help, narrowly averting disaster. Nothing truly irreversible had come of it. But had Bai Qi actually died because of it, the enmity between Yue He and the Innkeeper would have been truly irreconcilable.
As things stood now, there was still room to maneuver.
"Make what peace... I didn't do anything wrong," Yue He said, turning her head away and pouting.
"When you've done wrong, you admit it," Yang Kai said with a straight face. "You two were like sisters—how did it ever come to this? Just sit down and talk it through. The Innkeeper isn't unreasonable."
Yue He was silent for a moment, then murmured in a small voice, "If the Young Master tells me to apologize, then I'll go apologize. At worst, she can just beat me to death."
Yang Kai chuckled. "It won't come to that. Tell you what—you come with me to see the Innkeeper. If she really tries to hit you, I'll step in and block it for you."
Yue He gave a slight nod.
Yang Kai then turned to Lu Xue. "What about you? Anywhere you need to go?"
A look of bewilderment crossed Lu Xue's eyes, and she slowly shook her head.
Sword Pavilion no longer existed. She was a poor soul without a home now. But she was a fourth-grade Open Heaven cultivator with considerable strength—making a living wouldn't be a problem. Even if she wanted to join one of the second-tier forces, she'd likely be welcomed with open arms.
"We're heading to a Star Market. If you don't mind, you're welcome to come along," Yang Kai suggested.
Once they reached the Star Market, she could go wherever she pleased. Yang Kai certainly wouldn't keep tabs on her.
"That works," Lu Xue said.
He didn't bother asking Guo Ziyan. That fellow and the rest of his group had already become his subordinates, so naturally they'd follow him wherever he went. The First Inn couldn't accommodate this many people, but once they reached the Star Market, having the Innkeeper help them find a livelihood shouldn't be too much trouble.
The main thing was that these people were genuinely loyal, and every last one of them had gained enormously from the Grand Ancient Ruins Realm. If they continued to grow, they'd become a formidable force—a solid foundation for his future endeavors across the Thirty Thousand Worlds.
With everything settled, Yang Kai charted a course and set off toward the Great Domain where the First Inn was located.
His plan was to first check in with the Innkeeper and Old Bai at the First Inn, then settle Guo Ziyan and the others before heading back to the Star Boundary.
In the Realm of No Old, he'd obtained a tendril of the World Tree. That tendril possessed the extraordinary power to stabilize worlds, and he was eager to return to the Star Boundary to see whether it could heal the damaged World Tree there.