An eternity had passed — so long that even the Holy Spirits, a race blessed with extraordinary lifespans, could no longer say with certainty what had truly transpired in the ancient era.
Yet Yang Kai's deductions were eminently reasonable, and perhaps they did indeed reflect the truth of that distant age.
The only thing that still puzzled Yang Kai was this: why had the Giant Spirit, a creature of gentle temperament that never provoked trouble of its own accord, unleashed such a devastating war within the Ancestral Ground? He had seen it with his own eyes — in that battle, the number of Holy Spirits that fell at the Giant Spirit's hands was staggering. Even the Dragons and Phoenixes had suffered casualties. That generation's Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress had burned every last drop of their essence blood to forge a binding force, and only by combining the power of sixteen sacred artifacts with half the Ancestral Ground itself had they managed to seal the Giant Spirit away.
What a magnificent battle that must have been.
Following behind Kunyu, the three of them traversed the Sea of Divine Abilities, their journey proceeding uneventfully. Every activated divine technique was effortlessly neutralized by the trio.
Several days later, the view ahead suddenly opened up, and the three burst forth from the Sea of Divine Abilities.
Kunyu halted and turned to the Honghu, cupping his fists. "Senior, we have exited the Sea of Divine Abilities. I shall see you no further — when you wish to return, simply retrace your path along the same route."
"I understand. Thank your Clan Master on my behalf when you return. Tell him the Phoenix Clan owes him a debt of gratitude." The Honghu nodded. She had memorized the route on the way here, and had left traces along the path using her own Holy Spirit power, so she had no concerns about making the return journey.
Kunyu bowed his head. "I will deliver the message. Farewell!" With that, his figure flickered, and he shot back into the Sea of Divine Abilities.
Only after Kunyu departed did Yang Kai and the Honghu set off.
This was the Honghu's first time leaving the Ancestral Ground, so despite her formidable cultivation, she could not help but feel curious about the outside world. She gazed around and saw nothing but the vast, desolate expanse of the void stretching endlessly in every direction. A trace of disappointment crept into her voice. "Is the outside world all like this?"
Yang Kai smiled. "The Shattered Heaven is a special case. Once we reach a more prosperous Grand Domain, Senior will see quite a different scenery."
The Honghu nodded. "Then I shall look forward to it."
"Let's go," Yang Kai said, taking the lead.
He had previously fled deep into the Shattered Heaven with Xia Linlang, and now retracing his way back would require considerable time.
Traveling through the void was tedious work, but at least having company meant they could pass the time with conversation. Yang Kai told the Honghu about various things in the outside world — whether great events or minor trifles, she listened to every word with keen interest.
Ever since exiting the Sea of Divine Abilities, Yang Kai had felt a strange sensation stir within him, deep in his bloodline — as though something far, far away was intimately connected to his own blood.
At first, he could not quite figure out what this sensation was.
But before long, the answer struck him with sudden clarity: this was the resonance between himself and the Dragon Clan's Dragon Altar!
Bixi had once told him that once his bloodline reached a certain level of advancement, he would naturally be able to sense the Dragon Altar's location — an inheritance embedded deep within the bloodline of every Dragon.
Previously, when he had manifested his dragon form, he had been only three hundred zhang long and still half-human, half-dragon. Naturally, he could not perceive the Dragon Altar.
But now he had ascended from a young dragon to the ranks of a true Dragon, his dragon form stretching a full thousand zhang. With this advancement, the resonance had emerged of its own accord — an unbreakable connection that no distance, however vast, could sever.
Yang Kai was certain that if he followed this sensation, he would one day find the Dragon Clan's Dragon Altar.
A small thrill of excitement surged through his heart.
Ever since arriving in the Three Thousand Worlds, he had been searching for the Dragon Altar. Yet the Dragon Altar remained shrouded in mystery — though counted among the Thirty-Six Blessed Lands, no one knew its location.
Now, the resonance deep in his blood would undoubtedly point him the way.
Unfortunately, pressing matters still demanded his attention, making it inconvenient to seek out the Dragon Altar just yet. That would have to be deferred for the time being.
The Shattered Heaven was vast beyond measure, and with no Hall of Heaven and Earth available for transit, the two of them flew for a full month and still found themselves within its borders.
One day, the Honghu suddenly sensed something and turned her head to gaze in a particular direction. After a moment, she frowned. "There's a fight going on over there."
Yang Kai followed her gaze and indeed saw several streaks of light darting and weaving through the distance, locked in a relentless chase.
The Honghu's cultivation far surpassed his own, so it was only natural that she would detect things before he did.
"The Shattered Heaven is not like the other Grand Domains — it's chaotic. Brawls are a common occurrence here," Yang Kai explained, with no intention of intervening.
However, though he had no wish to involve himself, the combatants in the distance seemed to have spotted him and the Honghu, for they headed straight toward them.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed slightly. This was a familiar scenario — when one side in a fight found itself outmatched, it was all too common to drag bystanders into the fray, whether by leading the enemy toward them or crying out for help.
Either way, anyone caught in the middle usually ended up knee-deep in trouble.
This was hardly Yang Kai's first time encountering such a situation, and he understood their intentions perfectly.
Still, he had no intention of dodging. With the Honghu by his side, who in the entire Shattered Heaven would dare act rashly in front of her?
"Hm?" Yang Kai let out a soft exclamation. As the leading streak of light drew closer, he detected a familiar aura.
A moment later, when he caught a clear look at the person's appearance, he finally confirmed that he did, in fact, know this person.
Qin Fen!
One of the very few Open Heaven Realm cultivators under Xia Linlang's command.