"Proprietress!" Yang Kai stepped forward and greeted her. "Are you all preparing to move to my Void Star City?"
The proprietress smiled. "Move? What do you mean, move?"
"Then what is this…?" Yang Kai was confused.
Old Bai chuckled. "The Proprietress has already parted ways with the First Inn. She's a free woman now."
Yang Kai was taken aback. When he'd seen the Proprietress bringing so many of her old companions along, he'd assumed she intended to relocate the First Inn to Void Star City. He hadn't expected that she had already severed ties with it.
"We want to join the Void Land too. The question is — will you have us?" The Proprietress gazed at Yang Kai with a smile.
Yang Kai hurriedly replied, "Welcome, welcome! How could I not welcome you? If the Proprietress wants to become the master of the Void Land, that's entirely your call."
"Master of the Void Land, I'll pass." The Proprietress shot him a glare. "I've finally got a burden-free life. The last thing I want is to take on more responsibilities, so don't you dare try to saddle me with anything."
Yang Kai chuckled sheepishly. "Then whatever position the Proprietress would like, just name it."
The Proprietress shook her head slowly. "No position needed. Just prepare a secluded chamber for my cultivation retreat. I'll be going into seclusion soon."
Yang Kai's expression turned serious. "You're making a push for the Seventh Order?"
Golden Rainbow Province's Senluo Altar had been destroyed, and the Heart Devil Oath had been lifted. The Proprietress's path to the Seventh Order was now clear of obstacles. However, during her time in the Shadowless Hollow Heaven, her foundation had eroded somewhat. To advance to the Seventh Order, she would first need to spend considerable time restoring what had been lost.
The Proprietress nodded solemnly. "After so many wasted years, it's about time I made the jump to the Seventh Order."
Yang Kai asked with some nervousness, "Do you have confidence?"
Advancing to the Seventh Order was no trivial matter. Though the difference between the Sixth and Seventh Orders was only a single rank, it was the dividing line between Middle-Grade and Upper-Grade — a transformation of the Open Heaven realm. The peril during the advancement process was no less than that faced by a warrior breaking through from the Emperor Venerable stage into the Open Heaven realm.
If one failed, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Countless cultivators in the Open Heaven realm had perished during rank advancements. For warriors at this level, every advancement was a tribulation between life and death. Succeed, and one's world would be reborn. Fail, and body and Dao would both perish.
"I have some confidence, but this kind of thing… all you can do is try your best and leave the rest to fate." The Proprietress's expression was perfectly calm.
Yang Kai nodded. "Since the Proprietress has made her decision, I won't say anything more. Whatever resources you need, just ask. Yue He will have everything prepared for you."
The Proprietress smiled gently. "I'm not short on resources. I ran the First Inn as its proprietress for so many years — I've accumulated a fair share of good things along the way."
"That's good." Yang Kai thought for a moment, then produced a jade bottle and handed it to the Proprietess. "Take this. It may come in handy!"
The Proprietress glanced at it and found the bottle rather familiar. Suddenly she recalled exactly what it was.
Back when Yang Kai had emerged from the Blood Demon Hollow Heaven, he had once given her this very jade bottle. Inside were roughly a hundred Opening Heaven Pills — naturally formed by Heaven and Earth, born from the Chaos Oven. They were treasures that the Blood Demon Divine Lord had obtained in his day.
These Opening Heaven Pills were in an entirely different league from those refined by alchemists. Every single one was worth a fortune. A hundred might not sound like much, but if word got out, it would ignite a frenzied scramble.
At the time, Yang Kai had thought these pills might help the Proprietress advance to the Seventh Order, but she had politely declined. With the Heart Devil Oath still in place, even Opening Heaven Pills from the Chaos Oven would have been useless.
Now that the Proprietress was preparing to advance to the Seventh Order, the only thing in Yang Kai's possession that could possibly aid her was this.
The Proprietress considered for a moment, then reached out and accepted the jade bottle, smiling. "If I don't end up needing them, I'll return them to you when I come out of seclusion."
Yang Kai said earnestly, "Then I'll be waiting for the Proprietress's good news."
The Proprietress had originally advanced directly to the Sixth Order of the Open Heaven realm — a remarkable achievement that spoke to extraordinary talent. By all reasoning, with her aptitude, advancing to the Seventh Order should present no great difficulty. But there was always the possibility of the unexpected, and a bit of caution never hurt.
"Half a year from now, Yin Yang Heaven is hosting a Dao Discussion Assembly. Have you heard about it?" the Proprietress suddenly asked.
"You know about that too, Proprietress?" Yang Kai asked, then laughed at himself. The First Inn had always been an intelligence-gathering establishment. The matter had been stirring up a massive buzz — it would have been strange if the Proprietress hadn't heard.
"I'm not deaf. How could I not know about something of this magnitude?" The Proprietress gave him a reproachful look. "That Qu Huashang is one of Yin Yang Heaven's most core Disciples. In the future, she's qualified to inherit the position of Yin Yang Heaven's Sect Master. However, because she violated a taboo, Yin Yang Heaven must give the other Hollow Heavens and Blessed Lands some kind of explanation. This Dao Discussion Assembly is her punishment."
Yang Kai sighed. "This matter started because of me. I'm the one who brought this upon Senior Sister Qu."
Yue He asked from the side, "Young Master, could it be from last time…?"