"Then we thank you in advance." Hua Yong smiled. "That bamboo grove from before — if you don't mind, I'll have it given to you. There are always attendants nearby outside the grove. Feel free to make any requests you need."
The Landlady replied, "Thank you, Island Master Hua."
Hua Yong glanced at Yang Kai. "If the day ever comes when Brother Yang changes his mind and wishes to join Twin Islands, the positions of First and Second Island Master will be held open for you!"
Whether those words were genuine or mere courtesy, Yang Kai didn't bother to respond. Setting aside the fact that he had no intention of taking over Twin Islands, his entire purpose for coming to the Shadowless Grotto-Heaven was to bring the Landlady out — he had no interest in wasting time here. Moreover, he was a newcomer with no established foundation. Even if Hua Yong and his wife truly stepped down, how could he command respect with no prestige to speak of?
Others couldn't find the exit from the Shadowless Grotto-Heaven, but that didn't mean he couldn't. After all, he had forced his way in here through his own ability, unlike the others who had stumbled in by accident.
The demonic qi in the Landlady's body hadn't been fully purged yet, and she needed careful recuperation. It wouldn't do to stay much longer. The four of them soon took their leave.
Watching their figures gradually disappear, Hua Yong let out a small sigh of relief. From what he could tell, Yang Kai and Lan Youruo truly had no intention of usurping the place — that was somewhat reassuring.
But this was only temporary. Just as he had told his wife before, there probably wouldn't be any problems in the short term. But once enough time passed, once Yang Kai and Lan Youruo became certain that there was truly no way to leave the Shadowless Grotto-Heaven and that they were trapped here for good, who could say what thoughts might cross their minds?
Suddenly energized again, Hua Yong spoke up. "Wife, our chance to strengthen Twin Islands has arrived."
Shu Mudan regarded him thoughtfully. "You mean..."
"Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, and the others have gone missing, Xuan Yang Mountain has collapsed, and its followers have scattered. There will surely be a large number of displaced cultivators. And if you look across the entire Shadowless Grotto-Heaven, the only ones besides us capable of taking them in are the Peerless League — and they may not have reacted yet. We need to strike first!"
He turned and ordered that Zhang Shun and his group be brought over. After greeting them warmly, he readily agreed to let them join Twin Islands.
Zhang Shun and the others were now homeless, and they had been anxious and unsure of their standing. Hearing this, they were overjoyed.
Hua Yong further instructed them to reach out and recruit their friends and relatives, saying that Twin Islands' doors were always open to them. Zhang Shun and the others were deeply moved and soon departed Twin Islands to seek out their former colleagues from Xuan Yang Mountain.
With them acting as go-betweens, Twin Islands quickly attracted a large number of cultivators originally from Xuan Yang Mountain, significantly bolstering their own strength.
At the bamboo grove, the Landlady went into seclusion to recuperate. The Chef and the Accountant each took over a bamboo cottage and began refining resources to cultivate.
The two of them had advanced to the Open Heaven Realm while inside the Blood Monster Grotto-Heaven. Strictly speaking, it hadn't been long since their breakthrough, so naturally they needed considerable time to consolidate their cultivation.
Yang Kai did as well.
Huge quantities of Open Heaven Pills were consumed, gradually strengthening the foundation of his Small Universe.
During cultivation, he simultaneously contemplated the Sun Moon Divine Wheel, striving to refine it further.
Since he had first set foot on the path, Yang Kai had rarely sat in meditation like this. In the past, there had been no need. His rate of advancement had always been swift — after every breakthrough, it wouldn't be long before he could advance to the next realm. There was simply no need to enter seclusion for ten or eight years like other cultivators, spending that time refining all manner of resources.
His cultivation speed was already fast. If he sat idle the way others did, it would only result in a shaky foundation.
So after each breakthrough, he had always been out on the move, tempering his foundation through one fierce battle after another.
But the Open Heaven Realm was different. At this level, what a cultivator needed was patient, steady grinding. The foundation of a Small Universe simply had to be accumulated bit by bit.
This was something Yang Kai found deeply unfamiliar. At the Fifth Grade, he had refined Open Heaven Pills before and they were consumed quickly enough. Now at the Sixth Grade, the consumption was even faster, and the gains from refining Open Heaven Pills were rather modest.
He tried refining some other cultivation resources, and the returns were considerably better than simply consuming Open Heaven Pills.
Understanding dawned on him. No wonder cultivators in the Open Heaven Realm were still so eager for resources of various grades — especially those corresponding to their own grade. The efficiency of refining those resources was on an entirely different level compared to Open Heaven Pills.
He hadn't originally possessed many cultivation resources, since most of his previous hauls had been handed over to Bian Yuqing. Void Land's demand for materials had been enormous.
The resources in his possession now had all come from robbing Ti Zheng and the others — four Upper Grade Open Heaven cultivators' spatial rings, plump enough to ooze grease. They contained cultivation resources of every grade, including several portions of Upper Grade materials.
However, after half a month, Yang Kai abruptly ceased cultivation, his brow furrowed as though pondering something.