The other bearers recruited from the Taixu Pavilion had all refined Sixth-Order resources under the guidance of their respective Sacred Spirits while in the Taixu Realm. However, most of them lacked the aptitude to advance to the Sixth Order. For the sake of long-term stability, they had no choice but to settle for the Fifth Order instead, which was the best option available.
The Sacred Spirits of the Taixu Realm had no interest in considering the bearers' long-term futures. They helped the bearers refine high-grade resources for one reason alone: to ensure the bearers possessed greater strength and held an advantage in the Spirit Seizure Battle. As for whether doing so might leave behind hidden dangers, the Sacred Spirits couldn't have cared less.
That said, when all was said and done, the risks that Fang Yue and Xiang Ying would face when advancing to the Sixth Order would far exceed those of the various Great Emperors.
They lacked the Great Emperors' deep foundations and didn't have Dao Yi Divine Water to reinforce their Dao Seals. Even if they could now refine Sixth-Order resources, the dangers they would face down the road would be vastly magnified.
If not for that, why would they have pledged themselves to the Void Land? There were countless factions across the Three Thousand Worlds, and with their aptitudes, joining any one of them would have been no difficulty at all. They had been drawn here by the reputation of the Tianyuan Zhengyin Pill.
It was entirely foreseeable that when the time came to advance to the Sixth Order, they would be facing a trial of life and death—success meant survival, failure meant death, with absolutely no room for choice.
"Besides those two, everyone else has been perfectly well-behaved. None of them applied for Sixth-Order resources—they all chose Fifth-Order!" Bian Yuqing replied.
"Mm. If there's one thing the Void Land isn't short of, it's Fifth-Order resources in abundance." Yang Kai nodded. With a Holy Medicine like the Gourd Vine, a complete set of Fifth-Order resources encompassing Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements could be harvested in a single month. Given enough time, the Void Land would truly never lack for Fifth-Order materials.
In the short term, however, until the crisis posed by the Heavenly Sword Alliance was resolved, every resource the Void Land possessed was scarce.
The two were still talking when Yang Kai suddenly raised his head and looked outward. What met his eyes were two small figures rushing in from outside—Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei.
True to their original forms, Xiao Hong, having taken human shape, was exquisitely beautiful as if carved from jade, while Xiao Hei remained as ugly as ever, a sorry sight to behold, with drool trickling from the corner of his mouth from time to time.
Yang Kai smiled. "What brings you two here? Does the old master have some instructions?"
Xiao Hong said urgently, "Young Master, you need to come quickly! The Young Mistress's condition is acting up. Grandpa sent us to fetch you."
Yang Kai's expression turned grave. He rose to his feet. "Which Young Mistress?"
Bian Yuqing's face grew solemn as well.
"The, the... the one with the red hair!" Xiao Hei added from the side, pausing to slurp up the saliva that was about to drip from his lips.
Red hair—that meant Zhu Qing.
Yang Kai didn't know what had happened, but since Bixi had sent someone to summon him, it certainly wouldn't be trivial. He didn't dare delay. Channeling his Space Laws, he vanished from the spot in an instant.
When he reappeared, he had arrived at a plateau on Dragon Son Peak.
A large crowd had gathered there, all of them Dragon Clan members, standing in a circle around something. It was unclear what they were watching, but the moment they sensed his arrival, Grand Elder Zhu Yan, Second Elder Fu Zhun, Third Elder Fu Xuan, and Fourth Elder Zhu Kong all turned their heads toward him.
"Godfather!" Yang Xiao called out.
"Yang Kai is here," Zhu Yan acknowledged with a slight nod.
"What's going on?" Yang Kai's heart was lodged in his throat. He pushed through the crowd and moved forward.
Bixi, standing within the circle, didn't even turn around. Hunchbacked as always, he stood in place and offered reassuringly, "Don't worry—it's not a bad thing. It should be a good thing, in fact."
"What do you mean?" Yang Kai was baffled.
"See for yourself." Bixi pointed ahead.
Yang Kai looked forward and saw Zhu Qing sitting cross-legged, her entire body shrouded in a layer of blood mist. The mist moved like a living thing, spiraling and weaving around her body. Zhu Qing was enveloped within it, apparently plunged into a deep slumber, her expression serene.
Yang Kai let out a soft exclamation and studied the blood mist enveloping Zhu Qing, sensing the dragon bloodline power within it.
"You've noticed?" Bixi asked softly.
Yang Kai said uncertainly, "Qing'er's dragon bloodline power is intensifying?" He himself possessed dragon bloodline power, so his perception of such things was naturally keen.
"Exactly." Bixi nodded.
"Why is this happening?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
Zhu Yan spoke up. "We were just listening to the old master's teachings on methods for refining and advancing the bloodline. The Fifth Elder seems to have achieved some sort of enlightenment."
"This is a good thing, right?" Yang Kai asked, still not quite certain.
"Of course it's a good thing!" Bixi nodded. "The growth of Sacred Spirits requires constant metamorphosis. Each metamorphosis brings a tremendous leap in power, and the Dragon Clan is no exception. The girl Qing'er is in the midst of a metamorphosis right now."
Yang Kai's heart, which had been clenched tight in his chest, finally eased. He broke into a grin. "I have the old master's tireless guidance to thank for that."