The mere force of a single finger had helped someone break through their shackles and advance two whole layers into the Dao Source Realm. Such an extraordinary feat was utterly unheard of!
The reverence on everyone's faces in the great hall deepened further. The Elder who had just broken through bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the ground, his voice trembling: "Many thanks, Supreme, for the grace of rebirth!"
His aptitude had never been exceptional, and his age was already advanced. He had long assumed that the first layer of the Dao Source Realm would be the absolute pinnacle of his life, with no possibility of further advancement. Never would he have imagined that tonight he would forcefully break through to the second layer. He could even sense that if he pushed himself a little harder, breaking through to the third layer wasn't entirely out of reach.
Such a monumental favor was nothing short of rebirth! The others looked on with undisguised envy.
"It's the result of your own accumulated efforts over the years — I merely gave you a push." Yang Kai smiled faintly, then turned to Shangguan Ji. "Shop Master, I would ask that my appointment as Supreme of the Seven Stars Shop be kept secret."
Shangguan Ji was briefly taken aback. Though he didn't understand the reasoning, he still nodded respectfully: "Rest easy, Supreme. Only those present in this hall know of this matter. It will not leave these walls."
Inwardly, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment. He had been planning to make a big spectacle of it — spreading the word that the Seven Stars Shop had gained a new Supreme Elder. That way, their status as a first-rank Sect would be firmly established, and their standing on the Void Continent would rise considerably.
But since the newly appointed Supreme wished to keep it under wraps, he had no choice but to comply.
Night had fallen deep. Shangguan Ji had a plump female Elder personally escort Yang Kai to a spirit peak to settle in. He had already gleaned something of this new Supreme's temperament — he was rather low-key and disliked ostentation — so he arranged for him to be housed on the somewhat secluded Jade Green Peak.
The Seven Stars Shop occupied thirty-eight spirit peaks in total. Jade Green Peak was only average in quality and rather remote in location, so it had remained unoccupied for quite some time.
To Yang Kai's part, he was actually quite satisfied after settling in, which allowed Shangguan Ji to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Over the next several months, everything remained peaceful and uneventful. The new Supreme kept to himself on Jade Green Peak, rarely making an appearance.
Shangguan Ji gradually relaxed his earlier vigilance. When Yang Kai had first asked him to keep his appointment secret, he had secretly wondered whether this Supreme might have some powerful enemy out in the world, someone who might come seeking vengeance. If that were the case, the Seven Stars Shop's situation would be a mixed blessing at best.
But now it seemed he had been overthinking matters. Moreover, through months of observation, he had found that Yang Kai bore no ill will toward the Seven Stars Shop whatsoever. It truly appeared as though the man had simply grown weary of a life of wandering and had found a quiet place to settle down.
For the Seven Stars Shop, this was nothing short of a windfall. Though they couldn't publicly announce that their Sect now harbored a Dao Sovereign, the knowledge that such a powerhouse was watching over them gave the higher-ups a great deal more confidence.
Having learned that the Supreme Elder preferred solitude, Shangguan Ji issued orders for everyone not to disturb him without cause.
At the Seven Stars Market, Yang Kai continued to set up his stall every day. Since he was merely projecting his divine consciousness to roam his own Small Universe, there was little difference between maintaining one incarnation or two.
Several months later, the Seven Stars Shop's triennial Disciple Recruitment Assembly commenced. For a thousand li in every direction, the atmosphere was electric with excitement. Even the flow of martial artists passing through the Seven Stars Market increased noticeably.
At the entrance to the market town, Yang Kai stood watching as Yu Lu helped tidy up the clothes of two children, carefully instructing them to be well-behaved while they were away. If they could be accepted into the Seven Stars Shop, that would be the best outcome — but if they were eliminated, they shouldn't be too disheartened.
Both children nodded.
After a moment, Yu Lu took Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya each by the hand and led them over to Yang Kai. Her eyes were rimmed red as she said: "Brother Yang, I'm entrusting these two children to you."
Yang Kai grinned: "Don't worry, Madam Yu. I'll make sure nothing happens to them. If they're accepted into the Seven Stars Shop, I'll send word back when I return. If they aren't kept, I'll bring them right back with me."
Yu Lu nodded softly and gave the two children a gentle nudge forward. "Go on."
The children turned around and threw their arms around Yu Lu. She pressed a hand over her lips, her slender shoulders trembling.
Yang Kai raised his gaze toward the distance, and he couldn't help but wonder whether his own parents had felt the same way each time he had set out from home.
By the time the group of one adult and two children had walked far enough to look back, that slender figure was still standing at the entrance to the market town, watching them from afar.
The Seven Stars Market had been built as an extension of the Seven Stars Shop itself, so the distance between the two wasn't far — only thirty to fifty li at most.
Yang Kai carried a small bundle on his back, holding one child by the hand as the three of them made their way toward the Seven Stars Shop step by step.
The rumble of a horse-drawn carriage came from behind. The three stepped aside, and as the carriage swept past, the head of a ten-year-old boy popped out from inside. He shook his fist at Zhao Yebai: "Zhao Little-White, don't let me see you at the Seven Stars Shop, or I'll spank your butt till it blooms!"
Zhao Yebai stuck out his tongue and pulled a face. Zhao Ya bent down, snatched a pebble from the ground, and hurled it at the carriage, sending the boy scrambling back inside in alarm.
Yang Kai watched the children's antics with a grin. He recognized the boy in the carriage — it was the Miao family lad who had chased Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya under his stall a few months back. Miao Feiping, his family was somewhat better off than the two children beside him, and his aptitude was quite promising.
Two months earlier, a Seven Stars Shop Elder had come down the mountain on business and happened to encounter Miao Feiping. The Elder had immediately offered to take him as a disciple on the spot. This trip was merely a formality for him — unlike Zhao Yebai, whose fate remained uncertain, Miao Feiping was all but guaranteed a spot in the Seven Stars Shop.
Before the gates of the Seven Stars Shop, a sea of people had gathered. Aspiring disciples streamed in from every direction, their ages varying widely — some as young as Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya, others in their teens or twenties.
Yang Kai had been bustling about with the two children for quite some time before they finally managed to register. Each received a wooden token inscribed with a number. The testing hadn't started yet. Zhao Ya was staring unblinkingly at a nearby vendor selling candied hawthorn sticks, the bright red confections utterly captivating.
Yang Kai walked over and bought three skewers — one for each of them. They crouched in a corner, eating contentedly. Every now and then the two children's eyes met, and they shared sweet little smiles.
"Uncle Yang, what if I don't get picked?" Zhao Yebai suddenly looked worried about his prospects.
Yang Kai replied casually: "You're still so young. If you don't get picked this time, just come back next time."