Back in the Ruins of True Heaven, Guo Ziyan had only been a Second-Stage Open Heaven cultivator, but his loyalty to Yang Kai had been unwavering. Yang Kai naturally had to treat everyone fairly—there was no reason to reward one person and neglect another.
At some point, Guo Ziyan had mentioned having a daughter and asked if Yang Kai could spare some resources for her. Yang Kai had agreed without hesitation.
He still remembered how Guo Ziyan's face had lit up with pride when he spoke of his daughter, boasting that her aptitude was countless times better than his own. In terms of raw potential, she had every chance of reaching the Middle-Stage Open Heaven realm.
However, Guo Ziyan had once served as the Grand Commander of Red Star. His position had been middling, his cultivation unremarkable, and his days had been spent living on the edge of a blade with no guarantee of a future. He could have been cut down by an enemy on any given day. For that reason, his daughter had not stayed at Red Star. Instead, he had sent her away to join some faction to begin her cultivation under proper guidance.
A thought stirred in Yang Kai's mind. "The place where your daughter cultivates—is it here in the Jinghong Domain?"
Guo Ziyan smiled sheepishly. "You've guessed correctly, sir. There is a place called Blood Swan Continent in the Jinghong Domain. I have an old acquaintance there—Elder Gu Zhixin of Blood Swan Continent. Not long after my daughter was born, I entrusted her to Elder Gu's care."
Speaking of his daughter, Guo Ziyan's pride was boundless once more. He clasped his fists. "Sir, I would like to bring my daughter to my side and take her back to Void Land so I can teach her personally. I humbly ask for your permission."
Yang Kai smiled. "This was something I already promised you. Why would I refuse?"
As he spoke, he took out the Universe Map and checked, finding that Blood Swan Continent was not particularly far from the Star Market. At Guo Ziyan's current speed, the round trip would take roughly three or four days.
He waved his hand. "Go on, bring your daughter back. I can't promise much else, but I can guarantee that within her capacity to absorb, she will receive the finest Cultivation resources available."
"Thank you, sir!" Guo Ziyan declared solemnly, turning to leave.
"Wait." Yang Kai called him back.
"What other instructions does the sir have?" Guo Ziyan turned his head, only to see Yang Kai toss a Space Ring to him. He sent his Divine Sense sweeping through it and was shocked to find several hundred thousand Open Heaven Pills inside. "Sir, what is this...?"
Yang Kai chuckled. "They raised your daughter for all these years, and now you're taking her away. It's only proper to show Blood Swan Continent some gratitude. Take these as a gift, no matter what. You and your daughter are both members of Void Land—we can't let our name be diminished."
Guo Ziyan gripped the Space Ring tightly, his eyes brimming with gratitude. "Thank you for your generosity, sir."
"Go and come back quickly. Stay safe on the road. We'll be waiting for you at the Star Market!" Yang Kai waved him off.
Guo Ziyan nodded, dashed out of the Lotus Blossom, and shot off in the direction of Blood Swan Continent.
After he departed, the Lotus Blossom resumed its course toward the Star Market.
Before long, they arrived at the Void Port of the Star Market. The port was bustling with activity—people streamed in and out constantly, and numerous large Flying Artifacts were docked all around the area.
Yang Kai found a spot and moored the Lotus Blossom, then stepped off with Yue He. The elegant vessel immediately drew considerable attention.
Compared to other Flying Artifacts, the Lotus Blossom was imposing in presence and unique in design. After all, it had been forged by the Flying Flower Galleon, a second-tier faction, at enormous expense—something no ordinary Artifact could rival. The third-tier factions certainly lacked the resources to produce anything comparable. In the entire Jinghong Domain, there was only one second-tier power: the Jinghong Pavilion. And even the Jinghong Pavilion might not be able to produce an Artifact on the level of the Lotus Blossom.
Pairs of eyes turned toward them, and when people saw that Yang Kai, walking at the front, was merely an Emperor Realm cultivator, they could not help but feel surprised.
Jinghong Pavilion Disciples stood guard at the port. Yang Kai and Yue He paid the required fees before being allowed to enter.
This was essentially the situation in every Star Market. The most powerful faction in the Great Domain where the Star Market was located controlled it, guarded the Void Port, and collected fees from those who wished to enter. All the shops within the Star Market were required to pay regular fees to that controlling faction as well.
Of course, while reaping the benefits of controlling the Star Market, that faction also had to ensure the Market's safety. The void was home to many Star Beasts, and if the Market came under attack, the controlling faction would need to mobilize its forces to repel them.
The Star Market in the Void Domain had previously been guarded by the Seven Harmonies, which had extracted resources from it. But after the Seven Harmonies had been taken over by Yang Kai, the Star Market had been left in a state of no oversight.
It wasn't that Yang Kai couldn't see the enormous profits embedded in the Star Market. He simply lacked the ability to act on it.
To station forces at a Star Market, one would need at least a Middle-Stage Open Heaven cultivator presiding there, along with a large number of Disciples to patrol and handle any disputes that might arise within the Market.
How many Middle-Stage Open Heaven cultivators did Void Land currently have? Yue He, Chen Tianfei, and Lu Xue—that was only three. Even counting Hei He, who had remained at the Star Boundary, there were only four in total.
Yue He was out of the question. Her Sixth-Grade Open Heaven cultivation was Void Land's greatest safeguard—using her to guard a Star Market would be a colossal waste of talent.
Lu Xue, as the Head of the Martial Hall, also bore the heavy responsibility of overseeing Disciples' Cultivation.