Yang Kai felt a twinge of regret. He had been thinking that if Mo Mei and the others were willing, he could have used the Mysterious World Bead to bring them out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. They had old ties with Madam Lan and the rest, so helping them along would have been no trouble at all.
Moreover, in his eyes, the people of Dingfeng City were rare talents. Judging from their earlier fight against the Golden Baboon King, these Emperor Venerable Realm cultivators possessed far deeper foundations than their counterparts in the outside world. Mo Mei and the elders in particular were no less impressive than Core Disciples from the great Grotto-heavens and Blessed Lands like Qu Huashang and Pei Wenxuan. Mo Mei had condensed a sixth-grade power, while the elders had each condensed fifth-grade ones.
After such long years of accumulation, if they were ever given the chance, they would have a much higher probability of advancing to the Open Heaven Realm than ordinary cultivators. When that happened, he would have a whole batch of fifth-grade and sixth-grade Open Heaven powerhouses on his hands.
What did Void Territory lack right now? Wasn't it Open Heaven Realm experts?
Yang Kai was confident that if he could bring these people out, getting them to join Void Territory would be no problem at all. After all, they had spent their entire lives inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. They would have nowhere to settle in the outside world, and Void Territory would be a perfect home for them.
Yet the Blood Dao Restriction that the Blood Monster Divine Monarch had planted on their ancestors before his death had crushed that idea before it could take root. If he took them into his Small Mysterious World, cut off from the nourishing energy of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, they would drop dead on the spot!
Mo Mei sighed. "This place has been growing more and more unstable lately. Our fate can only be tied to its survival. Thank you for your kindness, Master Yang."
Yang Kai was already aware that the Blood Monster Cave Heaven showed signs of collapsing. The most obvious sign was the ever-increasing number of entrances that appeared whenever it opened — a symptom of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven merging with the Blood Monster Domain. If such things were manifesting on the outside, there would certainly be even more dramatic signs within. Mo Mei and her people, who lived here, would have felt them most acutely.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment. "City Lord Mo, there's no need to worry too much. I happen to know someone who can undo the Blood Dao Restriction on you."
"Who?" Mo Mei asked, brightening with surprise.
Yang Kai bared his teeth. "A fellow called the Black Crow Divine Monarch."
The Black Crow Divine Monarch had seized the Blood Dao Inheritance left behind by the Blood Monster Divine Monarch and inherited the complete Grand Extinction Immortal Blood Illumination Scripture. If he were willing to lend a hand, removing the Blood Dao Restriction would be no problem at all. The trouble was that this fellow was sinister by nature, and he and Yang Kai had a deep grudge between them. If they met, it would be a miracle if they didn't immediately start fighting to the death — how could Yang Kai ever persuade him to help?
"The Black Crow Divine Monarch?" Mo Mei's expression changed. Though she had lived her whole life inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, she knew full well what the title "Divine Monarch" meant. He was a High-grade Open Heaven cultivator, a being far above them all. Why would he lift a finger to remove their Blood Dao Restriction without good reason?
"The Black Crow Divine Monarch is currently inside this Blood Monster Cave Heaven. If I run into him, I'll ask for his help. But this man and I have had… a misunderstanding. Whether he'll agree, I can't promise. I can only say I'll do my best."
Mo Mei bowed deeply, gratitude filling her face. "In that case, many thanks, Master Yang."
Yang Kai raised a hand. "It's nothing. Dingfeng City has ties to Madam Lan, and that makes it my concern too. I won't stand by now that I've stumbled into this. For the time being, City Lord Mo, you should focus on repairing the grand formation. I can't stay here long — I'll be leaving before long."
Mo Mei nodded and immediately issued her orders.
The grand formation of Dingfeng City took three days and three nights of round-the-clock work before it was finally restored. The buildings within the city that had been destroyed during Yang Kai's battle with the Golden Baboon King would take much longer to repair, and the countless wounded needed rest and recovery. After days of upheaval, Dingfeng City's vitality had been severely depleted, and it would not bounce back anytime soon.
Yang Kai and Qu Huashang, for their part, spent a few days properly resting and recovering.
Three days later, they took their leave. Mo Mei and the others did not try to keep them. They understood that visitors from beyond the sky like Yang Kai and Qu Huashang had entered the Blood Monster Cave Heaven to seek their own opportunities — they could not remain in Dingfeng City forever. When the time limit came, they would have to leave whether they wanted to or not.
The grand formation was activated. Mo Mei led the elders and stewards of Dingfeng City in a farewell from afar. Yang Kai and Qu Huashang stepped through the formation and looked back to see a shimmering lake stretching before them. Who would have guessed that behind that tranquil surface lay an entire hidden city?
"Let's go," Yang Kai called.
Qu Huashang asked, "Junior Brother, where are we headed now?"
"Deeper." Yang Kai took out a jade slip and examined it. The Blood Monster Divine Monarch had left behind two great Inheritances. The Blood Dao Inheritance had already been seized by the Black Crow Divine Monarch, but a second one — the Beast Taming Inheritance — remained hidden somewhere unknown. Rumor had it that the Blood Monster Divine Palace was located in the depths. Yang Kai had come here looking for high-grade Gold Element and Yin Element resources, and there was a chance the Blood Monster Divine Palace might hold exactly what he needed.
Yang Kai's anticipation grew. It would be amusing if he ran into Yin Xinzhao at this point. The last time, that fellow had chased him into a desperate flight — a humiliating memory he had no intention of letting stand. Now that his strength had partially recovered, an encounter with Yin Xinzhao would be the perfect opportunity to teach him a lesson.
They pressed forward for several days without seeing a single person. There were hardly any demon beasts in sight, and no rare spirit flowers or unusual herbs to be found either.
Yang Kai understood the situation. Because of his earlier misadventures and the extra days he had spent in Dingfeng City, he was well behind most of the other entrants. Anything worthwhile along the path ahead would have been claimed by others long ago — there would be no scraps left for him.
He was not particularly bothered. There were plenty of treasures inside the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, but very few that truly caught his eye. At the Emperor Venerable Realm level, it was virtually impossible for anyone in the world to be richer than he was.
Half a day later, the two of them suddenly came to a halt, standing atop a small hill and gazing at a battlefield that lay ahead.