"It's good that you've advanced. Saves you from being targeted all the time. Alright, I won't keep you. Come visit this old man when you have time. The two little ones miss you."
Yang Kai responded respectfully, "Once this junior has settled in, I'll come to see you."
Everyone watched as the head that had poked through the mist withdrew, the fog rolling back in to conceal all traces. Mao Zhe and the others couldn't help but feel as though they had narrowly escaped death.
Their backs were drenched — they had broken out in a cold sweat without even realizing it.
"O-Old Master, what was that?" Shu Mudan's face was slightly pale as she leaned against Hua Yong, seemingly seeking some sense of security.
Hua Yong swallowed hard and said hesitantly, "A turtle's head?"
Shu Mudan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "There's no turtle that big..." If the head alone was that enormous, how massive must the body be?
"Bixi!" Mao Zhe's voice was hoarse. As he spoke, he looked at Yang Kai. "The Dragon had nine sons, and Bixi bears burdens. The Void Land has been raising a Bixi?"
The moment those words left his lips, a chill ran through everyone.
Yang Kai smiled faintly. "Brother Mao is indeed well-informed. But this venerable elder isn't raised by our Void Land — rather, it is the Void Land that has been carried on his back. He has been slumbering for many years, and over the ages, a spirit continent formed upon his back, which became what we now know as the Void Land. But this elder is compassionate and couldn't bear to see living beings perish, so he simply allowed us to frolic on his back."
Mao Zhe's eye twitched violently. Hua Yong swallowed again, his voice dry. "The Void Land... is being carried on a Bixi's back?"
This was something none of them had ever heard of, let alone seen! A Sacred Spirit was extraordinarily powerful and renowned throughout the world — every adult Sacred Spirit was comparable to an Upper-Grade Open Heaven cultivator. A creature like the Bixi, which had lived for untold ages, was surely no weaker than any Eighth-Order Open Heaven master.
The entire Void Land rested on this being's back. If any catastrophe were to befall them, would the Bixi really stand by and do nothing? In other words, such a formidable Sacred Spirit was practically the Void Land's most unshakable shield!
What Hua Yong couldn't quite understand was why the Bixi was so courteous to Yang Kai. A being of such power would find very few individuals in the entire Thirty Thousand Worlds worthy of a second glance.
Mao Zhe's eyes, however, flashed with a glint of understanding as a thought struck him. Back at Xuanyang Mountain, Yang Kai had revealed a three-hundred-zhang dragon body and obliterated the mountain with brute force, leading Mao Zhe to suspect at the time that Yang Kai was of the Dragon Clan.
Now that he thought about it, the Bixi's attitude might well be connected to that. After all, the Bixi did carry some Dragon bloodline.
The Void Land itself was magnificent — it possessed the foundations of a major sect. Add to that the thriving star market beside it, abundant financial resources, and now the Bixi's protection. A second-rate power like this was likely truly unique across the entire Thirty Thousand Worlds, with no equal anywhere.
Before coming to the Void Land, everyone had wondered what kind of place it truly was, and whether it could accommodate dragons like them who had escaped their captivity. If the waters of the Void Land were too shallow, even they — Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators — wouldn't be able to spread their wings, their talents going to waste.
Only upon arriving had they realized that the waters of the Void Land ran remarkably deep. Gone were any traces of condescension; instead, a sense of pride welled up in their hearts.
After all, in name at least, they were now all people of the Void Land!
Below, a gap parted in the mist, and two figures shot out from within, landing on the deck in the blink of an eye.
Yue He gazed at Yang Kai with a mixture of joy and relief, barely containing the excitement in her heart as she dipped into a graceful curtsy. "Young Master!"
"Rise." Yang Kai stepped forward and lifted her arm, patting the back of her hand gently. "Sorry to have worried you."
Yue He shook her head slowly. "As long as the Young Master has returned safely, that's all that matters."
Old Bai peered left and right behind her, but when he failed to spot the person he was looking for, his heart sank. "Where are the proprietress and the others?" he asked nervously.
Yang Kai smiled. "Don't worry. The proprietress and the others all made it out as well. We parted ways along the road — the proprietress needed to make a trip back to Thousand Bird Star City."
"Thousand Bird Star City..." Old Bai's expression eased upon hearing that. His greatest fear had been some terrible news. Now that he knew the proprietress would return safely, and was simply separated from Yang Kai — which was why she wasn't here — the weight on his chest lifted. "I'm going too," he said urgently.
"The proprietress asked you to wait for her here. She'll probably be arriving not long from now," Yang Kai called out toward his retreating figure.
"Can't wait." Without looking back, Old Bai transformed into a streak of light and shot off into the distance at full speed. As long as he hadn't personally confirmed the proprietress was safe, he would never be at ease.
Seeing him so determined to leave, Yang Kai had no choice but to let him go.
On the tower ship, Mao Zhe, Hua Yong, and the others were all studying Yue He with curiosity. They had heard that "Young Master" address loud and clear just moments ago. Looking at her now, though her cultivation was concealed and they couldn't pinpoint her exact level, they could vaguely sense that she was at least Fifth-Order Open Heaven — perhaps even Sixth-Order, like themselves.
Such cultivation, yet she still called Yang Kai "Young Master"...
Just what was their Sect Master's true background? A wave of suspicion and disbelief swept through them — they couldn't help but wonder whether Yang Kai had some powerful backer standing behind him.
"Let's go. Back to the Void Land first," Yang Kai ordered, and the tower ship continued on toward the Void Land.
Below, the grand formation parted of its own accord — clearly, those below had already assessed the situation. The Sect Master had returned; who would dare obstruct him?
Before the ship had even touched down, Yang Kai, standing on the deck, could see a crowd of figures gathered below. Leading them was none other than the Void Land's second steward, Bian Yuqing.