Eyes met across the battlefield, and Ti Zheng and the others hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
It was then that the fourth Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator who had given chase after Black Crow finally returned. Taking in the scene before him, he was momentarily confused by the situation and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"
One of the other Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators moved his lips, sending a voice transmission to brief him, which only caused the newcomer's brow to furrow deeply as well.
Ti Zheng asked, "Where's Black Crow?"
"Escaped," the man said through gritted teeth. Unsurprisingly for an ancient monster who had lived countless years, died and been reborn through body seizure, and cultivated a heaven-defying technique like the Great Origin Immortal Blood Illumination Scripture — even with a Seventh-Order cultivator personally giving chase, Black Crow had still managed to slip away. Left with no choice, he had been forced to return.
Yang Kai could not be killed, and could not be allowed to go. Black Crow had abducted a number of their people and fled far into the distance. The Lure the Snake from its Hole plan could be called a complete and utter failure, and the faces of the four Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators were grim to the point of death.
Just as they were wondering what to do, Yang Kai suddenly called out in a sharp voice: "What exactly is the trick to this Shadowless Cave Heaven? Why can't I open the entrance?"
Ti Zheng had no intention of answering him. This failed operation would undoubtedly damage his standing and reputation back at the Myriad Demon Heaven. If he returned there now, his treatment would certainly plummet. All he could think about was how to salvage the situation — he had no interest in entertaining other matters. But then his eyes darted to the side, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and he fixed Yang Kai with a gleaming smile: "With your mere half-step Open Heaven cultivation, naturally you cannot open the entrance to the Shadowless Cave Heaven!"
"How so?" Yang Kai tilted his head to look at him.
Ti Zheng replied: "Because the Shadowless Cave Heaven has a layer of restriction on it, and the minimum requirement to bypass that restriction is the Open Heaven Realm. Just as the Blood Demon Cave Heaven once had a restriction that only allowed cultivators below the Open Heaven Realm to enter, the Shadowless Cave Heaven works in the opposite way — only those of the Open Heaven Realm and above can enter."
"Is that truly the case?" Yang Kai murmured softly, as though he had already anticipated as much.
Earlier, while the two sides had been locked in battle, he had been continuously attempting to open the entrance to the Shadowless Cave Heaven. He had managed to locate it, but had been blocked the entire time by a barrier of power that made success impossible. He had vaguely sensed that his own strength was insufficient — that with enough power, he would be able to enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven without issue.
"You want to get inside? Simple — achieve Open Heaven and you can enter," Ti Zheng said with a broad grin.
The other three Upper-Rank Open Heaven cultivators' brows rose slightly upon hearing this. They vaguely grasped Ti Zheng's intent.
"You're practically hoping I'll achieve Open Heaven?" Yang Kai regarded him with a cold laugh.
Ti Zheng shrugged slightly and cleared his throat. "Whether you achieve Open Heaven or not is entirely your own business. No one can force it. But I might as well tell you — the Shadowless Cave Heaven is no kind place. Over the many years, it's not as though no one has entered it before. The problem is that every person who went in never came out again. No one knows what's truly in there or what manner of danger lurks inside. Lan Yourou has been trapped in there for the better part of a year. If you dally too long, you might not even have the chance to collect her remains. But I hear you're well-versed in the Dao of Space. If you made it inside, perhaps you could find a way back out. Whether Lan Yourou lives or dies rests entirely on your decision."
His words were dripping with prodding intent. Yue He's expression changed upon hearing this, and she called out in a low voice: "Young Master, don't listen to him!"
Yang Kai maintained his three-hundred-zhang dragon form, his narrowed dragon eyes gazing down at Ti Zheng from above.
Ti Zheng's face was pale, but he returned the gaze with a broad smile.
After a moment, Yang Kai slowly closed his eyes and dismissed his dragon form, reverting to his original appearance. This battle had reached an impasse — it simply could not continue. Ti Zheng and the others would not dare deal a killing blow with the Dragon Clan backing him, and he, in turn, had no real means of dealing with them. There was no longer any point in maintaining his dragon form.
Ti Zheng studied Yang Kai's expression, watching as his face shifted and his eyes wrestled with indecision. Clearly, he was grappling with something difficult to resolve.
Zhu Jiuyin noticed it too, casting a sidelong glance: "Boy, you're not seriously thinking..."
Yue He urged anxiously: "Young Master, you've already walked so far down this path! It would be an absolute tragedy to falter at the final step. Young Master, please don't even consider it — don't do it!"
Yang Kai turned his head to look at her. Seeing the concern and worry in her eyes, along with the faint trail of blood at the corner of her lips that had not yet dried, the indecision that had been churning inside him suddenly stilled. His gaze hardened with resolve. He stepped forward and reached out to gently wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, his voice soft: "Faltering at the final step would indeed be a tragedy. But... I think it's time I had strength of my own."
Half-step Open Heaven. In the swirling vortex of conflict that permeated this world, it was simply far too small and fragile.
Earlier, when he had been ambushed by Shen Liang and Jiang Yunsheng of the Heavenly Sword Alliance, all he could do was hide behind the others' protection. When Ti Zheng and his allies had surrounded and besieged him, all he could do was be shielded once more — forced to watch Zhu Jiuyin fight for her life against their enemies, to watch Yue He and the others beaten to the point of coughing up blood.
He did not want to live through that kind of experience ever again. He did not want to stand by, powerless, whenever those close to him came under attack.
All the way along this journey, the haze that had clouded his heart suddenly cleared, leaving behind a single unwavering thought.
Achieve Open Heaven!
His state of mind opened up like the sky parting to reveal clear sun.
Only by achieving Open Heaven could he have the standing and the right to speak — to intervene — in the Three Thousand Worlds. Only by achieving Open Heaven could he enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven to find the Madam, and only then would he have a chance to bring her out.