The Great Abundance Domain also had Star Markets and Qiankun Halls. If Master Mafan wanted to gather intelligence, those two places were the most convenient. Whether it was a Star Market or a Qiankun Hall, all sorts of people flocked there—every kind from every walk of life—and information flowed freely and swiftly.
So in just over ten days, the old man returned.
Yang Kai had been waiting for him in the main hall. Upon seeing him return, he didn't rise, but the old man's demeanor was clearly different from usual. It was the barely contained excitement of someone who had lost hope for so long and suddenly glimpsed a ray of light. Even though he tried to suppress it, how could he possibly hold it back?
The intelligence gathered at the Star Market and the Qiankun Hall confirmed that what Yang Kai had said was no exaggeration. The Star Realm truly did possess a World Tree of infinite mystery, one that had already drawn the attention of the entire Three Thousand Worlds. The one hundred and eight Blessed Lands and Grotto-heavens had established their own branch halls there, and numerous Seventh-Order Open Heaven masters had gathered in force.
The Star Realm had even been hailed by enthusiastic people as the cradle of all Open Heaven cultivators across the Three Thousand Worlds! That was a tremendous honor.
Although Master Mafan hadn't gone to see the Star Realm for himself, he could now largely confirm that Yang Kai had not been exaggerating.
Faced with such a temptation, the old man couldn't resist—and neither could Great Abundance. So even though he knew accepting this bait would require paying a price, Master Mafan still had to take the hook.
He sat down heavily in front of Yang Kai and got straight to the point. "Great Abundance may be down on its luck now, but it was once one of the Seventy-two Blessed Lands. Following the same terms you offered the other Blessed Lands and Grotto-heavens, Great Abundance needs to recruit five disciples per century in your Star Realm, and requires five hundred thousand li of territory to establish a branch hall."
"Done!" Yang Kai nodded, with no intention of haggling.
The old man regarded him with newfound respect, then continued. "I don't know what benefits those other Blessed Lands and Grotto-heavens gave you, and Great Abundance doesn't have much to offer in the way of compensation right now. However, you owe me a favor from back in the day, and you must have your own reasons for coming here this time. I won't take advantage of you—consider the favor repaid, and consider your request granted as well."
Yang Kai broke into a grin. "Senior, you're a straightforward man, and I won't beat around the bush either. Shall we seal the deal, then?"
Master Mafan nodded. "But you may need to stay here a while longer. I want to send Great Abundance's young ones to your Star Realm first, get them settled, and only then come back to craft the artifact for you."
Yang Kai smiled. "The artifact I need isn't urgent. Senior, please handle Great Abundance's affairs first."
How could he not understand the old man's unease—he wouldn't rest easy until he'd seen the Star Realm with his own eyes? Only after he'd personally visited the Star Realm and witnessed its prosperity would this deal be truly settled.
After a brief pause, he added, "Senior, might you be interested in serving as a Supreme Guest Elder of our Lingxiao Pavilion? If you could agree to such an arrangement, Great Abundance's juniors would surely receive even more support in the Star Realm!"
Master Mafan fell silent at this.
Seeing that he hadn't immediately refused, Yang Kai knew there was a chance. He didn't press the matter, simply saying, "No rush to decide, Senior. Wait until you've visited the Star Realm and seen it for yourself—then we can discuss it further. To be honest, Elder Yu Changdao of Carefree Blessed Land is already a Supreme Guest Elder of our Lingxiao Pavilion!"
Master Mafan gave him a long, deep look. "It seems the Star Realm you speak of truly has tremendous appeal."
If it didn't, why would a Seventh-Order Open Heaven master condescend to go so far?
Yang Kai chuckled.
The old man rose to his feet. "I'll go make the arrangements for Great Abundance. Make yourself at home."
After taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, "What exactly did you want me to craft this time?"
Yang Kai quickly replied, "A Traveling Palace Artifact. Last time I fought Zuo Quanhui, I took quite a beating. I figured it'd be nice to have one of my own."
Master Mafan nodded slightly. "Crafting a Traveling Palace Artifact requires enormous resources. Be mentally prepared."
Yang Kai smiled and nodded. "I'm aware, Senior."
The old man said no more and left directly.
Arranging for Great Abundance's juniors to leave the mountain and be sent to the Star Realm was naturally an incredibly complicated affair. He first had to identify disciples with suitable aptitudes. Not to mention how shocked Nalan Lüshui and the others were upon learning the news—Yang Kai waited a full month at the old man's retreat before he finally saw Master Mafan again.
After inquiring about the situation, he learned that Nalan Lüshui's side was still selecting disciples and needed more time to finalize the list.
Yang Kai said, "Senior, the round trip to the Star Realm will take at least half a year. I won't wait here. Once you arrive at the Star Realm, go straight to Lingxiao Pavilion and find my chief steward, Hua Qingsi—she'll make all the arrangements. As for the materials needed for the Traveling Palace Artifact, don't hesitate to let her know your requirements. She'll prepare everything."
As he spoke, Yang Kai handed the old man a jade slip as a token of identification. He had already written all the relevant details inside, and Hua Qingsi would understand at a glance.
Master Mafan took it, frowning. "You're not coming back with me?"
Yang Kai smiled. "I won't be going back just yet. I still have some matters to attend to. I'll come pick up the Traveling Palace Artifact next time I return."
"Very well!" The old man nodded gently and didn't press the matter. Then he suddenly said, "Take out that Void Yin-Yang Mirror of yours."