Outside the Celestial Net Spirit-Locking Formation, Ti Zheng and the others watched with focused attention. When they saw Yang Kai truly begin to refine the Fifth-Grade Sky Yin Sand, they all heaved a collective sigh of relief.
Once something like this started, there was no turning back. Yang Kai's Dao Seal would become tainted with the Yin-Attribute power of the Fifth-Grade Sky Yin Sand, thoroughly laying the foundation for his advancement to Open Heaven. The only way to reverse it would be to use some kind of treasure to cleanse his Dao Seal — the Grandmist Purifying Spirit Water, for instance.
But if that happened, everything Yang Kai had previously achieved would be washed away as well.
They had harbored some concerns that Yang Kai might go back on his word. After all, putting oneself in his shoes, anyone who could originally advance to Seventh-Grade would never willingly settle for Fifth-Grade. It would not have been the least bit surprising if Yang Kai had reneged at the last moment.
Yet Yang Kai's current actions were proof enough that he had truly made up his mind.
In that moment, they actually found themselves admiring the kid for being able to let go.
Throughout all of history, how many had been able to advance directly to Seventh-Grade Open Heaven? Those few had almost all reached the absolute pinnacle of martial cultivation, every single one of them legendary names that would echo through the ages.
An opportunity like that laid right in front of them — Ti Zheng and the others knew in their hearts they could never relinquish it under any circumstances. But Yang Kai could.
"He really is a sentimental and loyal kid," one of the High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators murmured with a slight nod.
"What a waste, what a waste!" another slowly shook his head, though it was unclear whether he was lamenting Yang Kai squandering his potential or something else entirely. Even though Yang Kai's current situation was the result of their own coercion, seeing it with their own eyes still stirred a measure of regret.
Ti Zheng chuckled lightly. "If he can't be of use to us, there's nothing to regret."
The one who had spoken earlier considered for a moment, then nodded. "That's true enough."
The last one had remained silent for a long while before finally speaking up. "This boy's Dao Seal really is remarkably solid. Don't you think his speed at refining the Sky Yin Sand is a bit fast?"
At his reminder, the others quickly focused their attention. Sure enough, just as he had said, Yang Kai's speed at refining the Sky Yin Sand was absurdly fast. The sand grains, which had been glowing with a faint luminescence, were visibly dimming before their very eyes.
At this rate, Yang Kai would likely finish refining the entire batch within a day or two.
They clicked their tongues in secret amazement. This was Fifth-Grade Yin-Attribute material — its rank was not the highest, but it was far from low. An ordinary cultivator might spend half a year or even a full year refining it. Even someone with exceptional talent would need ten days to half a month.
A day or two was simply absurd.
The only explanation was that Yang Kai's Dao Seal was extraordinarily robust. The impact of Fifth-Grade Yin-Attribute power entering his body was practically negligible against it, which was why he could refine it so recklessly.
All of them were High-Rank Open Heaven cultivators who had lived untold years and witnessed countless prodigies of breathtaking talent, yet not a single one had ever rivaled the boy before them. None had personally inspected his Dao Seal, but the speed at which he was refining the Sky Yin Sand alone was enough to deduce that the solidity of his Dao Seal was beyond anything ordinary.
A solid Dao Seal meant faster refinement of materials, which meant lower risk when achieving Open Heaven. Combined with the Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill in his possession, his advancement to Fifth-Grade Open Heaven was essentially a foregone conclusion — nothing could go wrong.
The only variable now was the strength of his Small World after he achieved Open Heaven. The greater its foundation, the stronger his future power; the weaker it, the weaker he would be. But this was only Fifth-Grade after all — how strong could its foundation possibly be?
Ti Zheng and the others kept close watch over Yang Kai's condition while Zhu Jiuyin and her group stood guard warily against Ti Zheng's forces. At the very center of the Celestial Net Spirit-Locking Formation, Yang Kai refined the Sky Yin Sand without a shred of distraction.
A thread of coolness seeped through his pores and into his flesh, guided by his Dao Seal and converging within it.
Inside the Dao Seal, the powers of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth along with the Yang-Attribute force had already gathered. Yin and Yang, the Five Elements — only one piece had been missing. Now, as the power of the Sky Yin Sand was refined, that gap was instantly filled, completing the cycle.
Yin and Yang, the Five Elements generated and restrained one another within his body in an endless loop, forming what seemed like a cycle of reincarnation. That cyclical force hammered against his Dao Seal, and with every impact, a sound like the tolling of a great bell exploded within Yang Kai's body, sending his mind trembling.
At first, the commotion was not particularly noticeable. But as more and more Yin-Attribute power was refined, the disturbance grew louder and louder.
The last time Yang Kai had refined the Gold-Attribute power and completed the Five Elements, his Dao Seal had suddenly sprouted countless tiny cracks. It had startled him at the time — he thought something had gone wrong with his cultivation. Yet he felt nothing amiss; whether cultivating or casting techniques, there was not the slightest impediment. In fact, his strength had actually increased after absorbing the Gold-Attribute power.
Still uneasy, he had gone to consult Yue He about it.
Only then did he learn that when a cultivator advanced to Open Heaven, their Dao Seal was supposed to shatter, allowing their personal Dao to merge into their Small World.
However, ordinary cultivators only experienced the cracking of their Dao Seal at the moment of advancement. Yang Kai's had happened ahead of schedule — perhaps because the grade of materials he had refined was simply too high.
Regardless, this was a good thing for him. Every cultivator had to pass through this threshold when advancing to Open Heaven, and if they failed to successfully merge their Dao into their Small World, the advancement would fail. Having the cracks appear early would make the process easier and smoother when the time came.
Now, as the Yin-Attribute power continued to be refined, the cracks in his Dao Seal multiplied and grew denser, as though it might shatter at any moment.
And at the same time, from within Yang Kai's body as he sat at the very center of the Celestial Net Spirit-Locking Formation, a primordial aura of chaos suddenly began to emanate.