In truth, those seven factions were merely outsiders—these dozen or so Primordial Worlds were his true allies. Previously, the Qiaoqiao Lands had been their superior sect, exploiting them relentlessly. Now that the Void Lands had taken over, Yang Kai's conduct was nothing like Qiaoqiao Heavenly Lord's, giving them a glimmer of hope.
These dozen-odd representatives were all Great Emperors of their respective worlds, recognized by the fortune and will of heaven and earth within their domains—much like Yang Kai's standing in Star Boundary.
Such figures, barring an untimely death, would generally achieve some measure of success. The degree of that success, however, depended on individual fortune and effort.
"How many people can you each contribute?" Yang Kai, well aware of their thoughts, asked directly.
The representatives exchanged awkward glances. One of the Great Emperors cupped his fists and replied, "Reporting to True Monarch—our Sanhuang World can field approximately forty people."
Another Great Emperor spoke up: "My Jinyang Continent can contribute thirty-five!"
And so it went...
To break free from the confines of a Primordial World, one needed at minimum the cultivation of a Third-Order Emperor Realm. Anything less simply wouldn't do. And how many Third-Order Emperors could a single Primordial World produce? One need only look at Star Boundary's former strength to get an idea. Whether it was Sanhuang World or Jinyang Continent, they were Primordial Worlds on roughly the same level as Star Boundary—having several dozen Third-Order Emperors was already an impressive reserve.
In the future, if they wished to achieve the Open Heaven Realm, they would have an enormous demand for Open Heaven Pills. Now, by coming to Yang Kai's aid, they could earn Open Heaven Pills as payment. Naturally, none of them wanted to fall behind.
Each Primordial World could only field a few dozen people—the smallest contributed just over twenty, the largest around sixty or seventy. In total, they amounted to roughly six or seven hundred.
Which was about the same number of personnel a single third-rate faction could muster.
Yang Kai waved his hand grandly. "Very well—I'll go with your numbers. All of you, return and make your preparations. The payment will be uniform: two Open Heaven Pills per person per day."
The representatives were overjoyed and hurriedly bowed. "Thank you, True Monarch!"
In their excitement, none wished to linger. They took their leave one after another, and the bustling great hall fell quiet.
Next came another stretch of waiting. However, those third-rate factions from the Jinguang Dock proved remarkably efficient. Within a mere month, they had gradually begun sending their Disciples over, and without any prior coordination, each faction had quietly added more people to the numbers they had originally reported.
Yang Kai turned a blind eye to this. After all, repairing the grand formation would require an enormous amount of manpower—the more people, the better. As for the Open Heaven Pills, he couldn't have cared less.
The matter was entrusted to Yue He, who coordinated the headcount and singled out warriors proficient in formation work. They could be assigned as assistants to the formation masters the Boss Lady was bringing in.
Payment was calculated from the very first day, which only deepened Hong Ji and the others' gratitude. After two rounds of dealings with Yang Kai, they felt the Void True Monarch was far more merciful than that Qiaoqiao Heavenly Lord, and their favorable impression of him grew immensely.
With all these new arrivals, the Void Lands naturally became livelier. The leaders of each faction kept a firm hand on their own Disciples, however, so there were no fights or friction.
One day, while Yang Kai was in seclusion, his expression suddenly shifted. He opened his eyes and gazed at the mysterious pattern on the back of his hand.
This pattern had formed after the Primordial Spirit Fruit he had seized in the Land of No Old had shattered, leaving its mark on his hand. Within it lay a peculiar space, and it was there that Zhu Jiuyin had been slumbering.
At this very moment, Yang Kai could clearly sense that Zhu Jiuyin's aura was reviving!
About time she woke up! Yang Kai felt a twinge of exhaustion. He had initially thought that with a powerful Sacred Spirit as his guardian, he would be able to walk through the Three Thousand Worlds without anyone daring to provoke him. Yet the moment they had left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, this woman had fallen into a deep slumber. He'd had to scheme and fight just to deal with mere existences like Crimson Star, leaving him thoroughly drained.
A moment later, Zhu Jiuyin slowly came to. Her voice resonated deep within his mind: "How long was I asleep?"
"Just over three months," Yang Kai replied. He probed her aura carefully—Zhu Jiuyin's aura was still somewhat weak. Presumably, the injuries to her origin had yet to fully heal.
"Where is this place?" Zhu Jiuyin asked again.
"It used to be the Qiaoqiao Lands. Now it's the Void Lands—my territory!"
No sooner had he spoken than the back of his hand suddenly tingled. A streak of light flew out from the pattern and landed before him, taking the form of Zhu Jiuyin. It had to be said—this woman was a natural-born enchantress. Her features were flawless, her figure sensational, her eyes brimming with coquettish charm. With her origin currently damaged, the slight furrow of her delicate brows only added a touching fragility that no man could remain indifferent to.
As she materialized, the eerie pattern on the back of Yang Kai's hand slowly faded away and vanished without a trace.
An terrifying divine sense, radiating outward from Zhu Jiuyin, erupted across the surroundings like a shockwave!
In that instant, as though the world were ending, an indescribable terror seized every heart. Within the Void Lands, thousands of Disciples from the various factions all went pale.
Hong Ji and the others' eyes went wide as saucers, all of them snapping their gazes toward the spot where Yang Kai had entered seclusion, their hair standing on end, their souls practically fleeing their bodies.
But the divine sense was quickly withdrawn. Zhu Jiuyin had merely been surveying the situation here—she harbored no ill intent.
"What was that just now? Was I imagining things?" Hong Ji and the others were still shaken.
Inside the sealed chamber, Zhu Jiuyin glanced at Yang Kai and pressed a hand to her forehead. "Now that this Empress has emerged, that space will collapse on its own."