While refining the Open Heaven Pill, Yang Kai inspected his Small World. Thanks to that bizarre wind, the interior was in a complete shambles.
Suddenly, his expression froze, and he sank his consciousness into a particular spot within his Small World.
It was the place where the Grand Evergreen Secret Art had manifested — where a colossal, sky-reaching ancient tree stood tall.
The area surrounding the tree, all the ground beneath its vast canopy, was completely unscathed. There was no trace of the violent wind's devastation, as if the bizarre gale had blown right up to this spot only to be blocked by something.
Yang Kai's brows furrowed slightly. He carefully inspected the rest of his Small World once more, confirming that every other region bore the marks of the wild wind's passage. Everything except this one place.
The discovery made his eyes light up. Could it be that his Grand Evergreen was actually capable of resisting that wind? Otherwise, why would this spot alone be perfectly intact? Unfortunately, when the gale had been raging earlier, he hadn't noticed this place — he could have observed it more closely at the time.
He would have to wait for the next bout of wind to verify his theory. If his suspicion proved correct, it would give him one more life-saving trump card within the Shadowless Heavenly Cave. At the very least, he would no longer need to worry about the foundation of his Small World being continuously drained away.
Composing himself, Yang Kai rose and set off.
He had no idea where Xuanyang Mountain was located, but so long as he ran into someone, a quick inquiry should be enough. Ma Tianyuan had mentioned that there were three major factions within the entire Shadowless Heavenly Cave, and every cultivator belonged to one of them — without joining one, it was simply impossible to survive here.
Perhaps because the gale had only just subsided, everyone had gone into hiding. Yang Kai walked forward for half a day without seeing a single soul.
It was only after that half-day that the edge of his vision caught two figures dashing past not far away.
Yang Kai immediately urged his movement technique and gave chase.
The two were quite alert. They quickly detected Yang Kai's approach, halted at once, and turned to look warily, adopting defensive stances.
Yang Kai landed a short distance in front of them and gave them a quick once-over. Both were Fourth-Grade Open Heaven cultivators — one rough and burly, the other tall and lean.
The aura of a Fifth-Grade Open Heaven that Yang Kai let slip drew visible wariness from the pair. The burly man called out in a low voice, "Who goes there? Why are you chasing us?"
"There's no cause for alarm — I bear no ill intent. I simply wish to ask for directions." Yang Kai clasped his fists with an easy smile.
The two disciples exchanged a glance. The burly man's expression turned peculiar. "Ask for directions? What directions are you looking for?"
"Could you tell me how to get to Xuanyang Mountain?"
The burly man's expression grew even more strange. "You don't know where Xuanyang Mountain is?"
The other man was quicker on the uptake. He seemed to grasp the situation and quietly sent a voice transmission. The burly man's face cleared in understanding. "This brother must have just arrived in the Shadowless Heavenly Cave?"
Only a newcomer would not know where Xuanyang Mountain was.
"Exactly!" Yang Kai nodded. "I fell into the Shadowless Heavenly Cave by accident. I've heard that there are three major factions here, and that Xuanyang Mountain is foremost among them. I've been eager to join, but I didn't know the way, so I thought I'd ask you two. Forgive any offense!"
The burly man burst into hearty laughter. "So that's what this is about! We thought someone was trying to rob us on the road. You're right, though — among the three great factions of the Shadowless Heavenly Cave, our Xuanyang Mountain is indeed number one. We have four Mountain Masters, each a Sixth-Grade Open Heaven, and the First Mountain Master is infinitely close to the Seventh-Grade. Wushuang Society has only three Sixth-Grades, and Twin Islands has just two. When it comes to strength, there's simply no comparison with Xuanyang Mountain."
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. "You two are from Xuanyang Mountain?" What a coincidence — he had barely run into two people, and they turned out to be from Xuanyang Mountain. Then again, it wasn't so strange. With only three factions in the entire Shadowless Heavenly Cave, and having already encountered people from Wushuang Society, running into Xuanyang Mountain members was perfectly natural.
The burly man smiled with a touch of pride. "Indeed!"
Yang Kai's face beamed. "What wonderful timing! If it's not too much trouble, could you guide me to Xuanyang Mountain? Or if that's inconvenient, just point me in the right direction and I'll go myself."
The burly man glanced at his companion and they exchanged a brief voice transmission before he nodded. "We don't have anything pressing to attend to. If this brother wishes to join Xuanyang Mountain, the Mountain Masters will surely welcome him. We'll accompany you on the journey."
A Fifth-Grade Open Heaven was a formidable presence in the Shadowless Heavenly Cave — what faction wouldn't welcome such a recruit? Not to mention, newcomers were expected to present tribute upon joining, and as the ones who brought him in, the two of them would receive a handsome reward.
That was exactly why Ma Tianyuan had tried to lure Yang Kai into Wushuang Society.
"Then thank you both!" Yang Kai clasped his fists in gratitude.
The burly man chuckled. "No need for such formality, brother. Once you've joined Xuanyang Mountain, we'll all be one family. Our strength is rather modest, so we'll likely be relying on you to look after us in the future!"
"Of course, of course," Yang Kai replied with a laugh.