Pei Wenxuan smiled and said, "Merely a single Void Land — why bother troubling the Sect? Uncle-Master Zuo, do you still remember Yin Xinzhao from Xuanyuan Cave Heaven?"
Zuo Quanhui pondered briefly, then recalled the image of a young man, and nodded. "Of course I do." These rising stars who could advance directly to the Sixth Order all enjoyed considerable renown, and Zuo Quanhui was naturally familiar with them. Moreover, Yin Xinzhao had visited Yin Yang Heaven before, and Zuo Quanhui had indeed met him in person.
"Brother Yin of Xuanyuan Cave Heaven and I are on very good personal terms, and he also has some enmity with that Yang Kai. If I send him a message, I'm certain Brother Yin would be more than happy to come join the excitement."
Zuo Quanhui's eyes brightened. "Does Nephew feel confident about this?"
Pei Wenxuan didn't overcommit. "I'll have someone send the message first and see. Whether Brother Yin comes or not is ultimately his own decision."
"Good!" Zuo Quanhui slapped the armrest of his chair. "Then I'll leave this matter to Nephew Pei. If Nephew Yin truly comes, that will be a tremendous help to me."
A faint, inexplicable bitterness stirred in his heart. At what point had he been reduced to pinning his hopes on a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator who had only recently advanced? Still, with the current situation at a stalemate, even a single Sixth-Order ally was an invaluable asset.
"Xuanyuan Cave Heaven is not close from here. It will be three months at the earliest, six at the latest, before Brother Yin replies," Pei Wenxuan said. He then rose and dispatched someone to send word to Xuanyuan Cave Heaven.
Zuo Quanhui issued a few more admonitions to the assembled crowd before finally dismissing them.
Within the Void Domain, no large-scale battles erupted, but minor skirmishes were constant. Nearly every three to five days, the Heavenly Sword Palace side would launch a raid, and Void Land had no choice but to fight back, keeping the fires of conflict burning hot.
Looking across the Three Thousand Worlds, clashes of this scale were truly uncommon. Thousands of Open Heaven cultivators from both sides were involved, with twenty alone at the Sixth Order. There was even one Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivator — enough to attract the attention of many.
Time passed swiftly, and several more months went by.
In the Zhao Bai Domain, within the Qiankun Hall, a small group of people emerged from the building, looking travel-worn.
The Qiankun Halls had been jointly constructed by the various Cave Heavens and Paradises. Virtually every major domain had one. Given the vastness of each domain, many warriors relied on the Qiankun Halls as transit hubs, saving considerable time on their journeys.
The group walking out of the Zhao Bai Domain's Qiankun Hall wore identical blue-and-white uniforms. At their head was a strikingly handsome young man whose aura was deliberately restrained, though his robes differed slightly from those of his companions — a few conspicuous gold lines adorned his sleeves.
Once outside, the young man glanced left and right, then strode straight ahead, with the others following a step behind.
The surrounding crowd, upon seeing them, showed expressions of awe and respectfully made way. Hushed murmurs drifted from the sidelines.
"That group — they're actually from Xuanyuan Heaven."
"How do you know?"
"They're wearing Xuanyuan Heaven disciple uniforms. I've seen them before."
"What brings people from Xuanyuan Heaven to the Zhao Bai Domain? This place is nothing but barren land."
"How can mortals like us fathom the affairs of the Cave Heavens? Shh — stop talking. That one leading them is an outer sect elder of Xuanyuan Heaven."
"An outer sect elder? That would make him a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator."
"Naturally. In all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, only a Sixth Order is qualified to serve as an outer sect elder. A Seventh Order would be an inner sect elder. Look at the gold lines on his sleeves — that's the mark of an outer elder."
"I see."
The murmurs around them clearly pleased the young man at the head of the group. He walked with his chin held even higher, his gaze fixed resolutely ahead. They were merely transiting through this Qiankun Hall and had no intention of lingering. After a few blocks, they headed straight for the exit.
Then, without warning, the young man's eyes flickered. He turned his head toward a teahouse along the street.
Inside the main hall, a man and a woman sat facing each other across a table. The man was slight of build, his expression cold and stern, and he seemed the quiet, taciturn type. The woman, on the other hand, appeared curious about everything, her eyes wandering ceaselessly around her surroundings.
Their gazes met. The woman blinked in surprise, then quickly looked away.
"Interesting!" The corner of the young man's lips curved upward. He withdrew his gaze and continued walking. Moments later, he left the Qiankun Hall and led his entourage into the void, vanishing without a trace.
Half an hour later, inside the teahouse, the slight man spoke. "It's time to go."
"Oh." The woman immediately rose to her feet and followed behind him.
A short while later, the two departed the Qiankun Hall. The slight man produced a small tower ship. They boarded it, channeled their power, and the vessel transformed into a streak of light, hurtling away at tremendous speed.
Inside the tower ship, the woman said, "Senior, you still haven't told me how far we are from Void Land."
The slight man replied evenly, "There are still several major domains to cross. Roughly a month's journey."
"Is Void Land very powerful now?" the woman asked.
The slight man shook his head. "I wouldn't know. Once we arrive, you'll see for yourself..." Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed. His hands shifted through a series of seals, and the tower ship, which had been charging forward, swerved sharply to one side.
The woman, caught off guard, nearly lost her footing. She quickly channeled her power to steady herself.
"What happened?" she asked, alarm evident in her voice.