The three of them hadn't been speaking loudly, but neither had they been whispering. Everyone present was an Open Heaven Realm cultivator — how could they not have heard?
Seeing that his attempts to recruit them had come to nothing, Hua Yong was about to press further when Yang Kai raised a hand to cut him off. "Let the three Brother Shi go as they wish. I wish them a bright future and abundant martial fortune."
Shi Shan chuckled and looked at Yang Kai. "We'll go out there and try our hand first. If we really can't make a name for ourselves, we'll come seeking you out."
Yang Kai laughed. "That goes without saying — the gates of Void Land are always open to the three of you!"
All three brothers were Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators, born of the same mother and trained in combined combat techniques. Working together, their fighting power rivaled that of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven. If they were to join Void Land, it would naturally bolster the faction's strength considerably.
But since Yang Kai's return from Shadowless Cave Heaven, he had first subdued the three mountain lords of Xuan Yang Mountain, and then Hua Yong and his wife had voluntarily offered to join Void Land. That meant Void Land had gained five Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators in one stroke — an enormous harvest.
The three brothers were unwilling to serve under anyone, and Yang Kai had no intention of forcing the issue.
He rose to his feet and swept his gaze across the hall. "If any among those present wish to join Void Land, you are most welcome. If you have other destinations in mind, I wish you a safe journey. The fact that we fought our way out of Shadowless Cave Heaven together means we've shared life and death. Those who choose to join Void Land — I will not shortchange you." He raised his wine cup and added, "Let me borrow this wine to offer a toast. For our tomorrow — drink up!"
A great clatter of cups rising.
The assembled Open Heaven Realm cultivators stood in unison, hoisting their cups high, every face brimming with gratitude and respect.
After draining their cups and sitting back down, the hall buzzed with renewed liveliness.
Everyone feasted to their heart's content, then retired to their rooms to rest.
Yang Kai, however, could not rest. Visitors kept arriving in groups of three or five, knocking on his door to declare their willingness to join Void Land and ask for shelter. Many of the warriors who had emerged from Shadowless Cave Heaven had been trapped there for countless years. Even now that they were free, they had nowhere to go.
Yang Kai had led them out of that prison, which had already won their gratitude. With Void Land available as a destination, they were naturally happy to follow him.
As Yang Kai had said — having shared that experience of life and death together, they would not be treated poorly. Moreover, the three mountain lords of Xuan Yang Mountain and the two island lords of Twin Island had already joined Void Land. Regardless of what Void Land had been before, with so many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators joining, its future prospects were bound to be promising.
To everyone who came to his room, Yang Kai accepted them all without exception, agreeing readily each time.
Void Land was different from other factions. It had only just been established and had no time to nurture its own warriors from scratch. For other powers, joining midway was difficult, because loyalty could not be guaranteed. But Void Land was in a phase of rapid expansion, and those concerns could be set aside for now. Once Void Land had truly stabilized, there would be time to consider such matters.
From another perspective, warriors who joined now could grow and develop alongside Void Land. Over the years, they would naturally develop a sense of belonging, and loyalty would follow.
Two days later, the three Shi brothers came to take their leave of Yang Kai. Having decided to venture out on their own, they had no desire to linger. They had spent far too long in the barren wasteland of Shadowless Cave Heaven and were eager to see the wider world.
Yang Kai saw them off. The three brothers took a considerable number of people with them — mostly warriors who had originally belonged to the Peerless Society, along with a few former members of Xuan Yang Mountain.
Having served as the leaders of the Peerless Society for so many years, the three brothers may not have been the sharpest minds, but their strength spoke for itself, and they commanded a certain degree of loyalty. Naturally, people followed them.
As for the warriors who had belonged to Xuan Yang Mountain, some were likely wary of Mao Zhe and the others' lingering authority. After all, when Xuan Yang Mountain had been destroyed, they had been quick to pledge themselves to the other two major factions — effectively abandoning their former masters. Now that Mao Zhe and his people had entered Void Land, they felt too ashamed to join as well, and so they had no choice but to depart with the Shi brothers.
Over a hundred and forty people had suddenly dwindled to half. Only seventy-odd remained.
Yang Kai did not rush to leave Broken Sky Star City. Instead, he spent half a month recuperating there. Though Broken Sky was in a state of ruin, it held no shortage of valuable goods. Warriors streamed in and out every day, and many returned from the depths carrying rare and precious resources.
Yang Kai had intended to purchase some cultivation supplies, but this did not work out. The prices here were simply too steep — roughly double what one would pay on the outside. More importantly, he could not find what he truly needed.
Now that he had reached the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he needed Sixth-Order resources to accelerate his cultivation. However, after his conversation with the Chef, he understood that in order to expand the foundation of his Small World, he needed to balance the forces he refined.
He was not lacking in Five-Element resources. What he lacked was Sixth-Order Yin and Yang materials, which were exceedingly rare. As for Fifth-Order resources, he had no need to purchase those either — Void Land possessed a Holy Medicine, the Gourd Vine, which produced a complete set of Yin, Yang, and Five-Element resources every month, effectively an inexhaustible supply.
Half a month later, a tower ship glided slowly out of Broken Sky Star City. Yang Kai had purchased the vessel. Its defensive capabilities were nothing to write home about, but it made up for that with sheer size — it could comfortably accommodate two hundred to three hundred people, so housing seventy-odd was more than easy.
A course was plotted, and someone was assigned to pilot the tower ship forward. Yang Kai retreated to a cabin to seclude himself in cultivation.
The scenery of the Void shifted between the fantastical and the desolate as the days passed one by one.
A month later, the tower ship gave a faint tremor, and a knock sounded at the door. Hua Yong's voice came through: "Sect Master, according to your planned route, we've arrived at the first destination."
Already? That was faster than expected.
Yang Kai opened his eyes, rose, and stepped outside. He gave Hua Yong a slight nod, then flickered to the deck in a flash.
Gazing ahead, he saw a spirit-rich continent stretching across the Void before them. Mist wreathed its borders, and through the haze, one could make out pavilions, towers, and terraces, along with ranges of uniquely beautiful mountains.
Behind him came the swift rustle of robes as Mao Zhe and the others hurried out, standing at Yang Kai's back as they stared toward the horizon.