Yang Kai and Gu Pan returned to the Spirit Continent, and within an hour someone flew over. The visitor was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator, one of Gu Pan's senior brothers—tall and imposing, with a distinguished bearing.
Gu Pan introduced the two, and Yang Kai learned his name was Dong Peng.
"Junior Brother Yang, this is for you!" Dong Peng handed Yang Kai a jade slip, then lowered his voice. "Master says you must be extremely careful with your safety."
Yang Kai nodded. "Thank you for Senior's concern. I will be careful."
Dong Peng nodded, then patted Gu Pan on the top of her head before shooting up into the sky and disappearing.
Yang Kai flooded the jade slip with his divine sense. After a moment's inspection, his brows furrowed.
Gu Pan asked concernedly, "How is it?"
"There are quite a lot of people. See for yourself." Yang Kai handed the jade slip to Gu Pan.
The list within was divided into two portions: one listing those who had close ties and good relations with Shi Zheng, and the other listing those connected to Zong Yuquan.
All told, there were close to a hundred people, every single one at least Sixth-Order, with seven or eight at the Seventh-Order.
This only underscored just how vast the reserves of the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands truly were—and this was merely a list of some of the stronger cultivators from Langya Blessed Land alone. How many more existed across the entirety of Langya?
Behind each name, not only was their cultivation level noted, but also the position they held within Langya Blessed Land.
Over a dozen of them were not currently in the Blessed Land, presumably away on assignments, and those could be set aside for now. But that still left over eighty people!
Yang Kai couldn't just go charging up to each and every one of them to probe for reactions—that would be far too foolish.
"Ink Will Eternity" was indeed the most convenient method for testing a Mo-corrupted individual. If they had been inked, they would inevitably respond. But blurting it out the very first time he met someone? If the person turned out not to be corrupted, it would be beyond awkward.
And this method couldn't be used too many times either.
As Li Yuanwang had explained, the high-order Open Heaven cultivators in every Cave Heaven and Blessed Land were at least somewhat aware of the Mo Clan. So whether or not they had been inked, once Yang Kai spoke those words in their presence, they would all react in some fashion.
Just as Li Yuanwang had done to him—catching him off guard and dragging him into the painted world!
If he wanted to identify the Mo-corrupted, he would need to think of another approach.
Zong Yuquan was indeed a potential breakthrough point, but Yang Kai felt there was no rush to seek him out. Being too eager would only be counterproductive.
And from Zong Yuquan's perspective, he already believed Yang Kai was one of his own. So even if Yang Kai didn't go looking for him, Zong Yuquan would surely find a way to make contact—and at that point, Yang Kai could extract more intelligence.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai settled in comfortably on Gu Pan's Spirit Continent.
With little to do each day, he accompanied Gu Pan here and there, taking in the breathtaking scenery of Langya Blessed Land. Langya possessed countless Spirit Continents, and each one offered its own unique landscape.
The sight of the two of them practically inseparable soon gave rise to a wave of gossip. Many quietly wondered whether Gu Pan, this Core Disciple, had something going on with Yang Kai.
At first, no one knew who Yang Kai actually was—his arrival had been kept quiet. But Gu Pan's status was different, and her constant presence beside Yang Kai naturally drew him a great deal of attention.
After some inquiries, word spread that this fellow was actually the master of Void Land—the one who had claimed first place at Yin Yang Heaven's Dao Discussion, costing several Cave Heavens and Blessed Land no small amount of face.
That was quite the reputation! Though Gu Pan held a lofty position within Langya Blessed Land, she hadn't cultivated for very long, and her petite, delicate frame led many of her senior brothers to see her as a little sister who had yet to truly grow up.
They doted on her and watched over her with great affection.
If the two of them had genuinely fallen for each other, that would have been one thing. But the problem was, Yang Kai was the future son-in-law of Yin Yang Heaven! He was meant to become a live-in husband there!
So what business did he have, instead of staying put and watching over Qu Huashang's enchanting self, waiting for her to emerge from seclusion and wed, only to come fluttering around Langya Blessed Land and stirring up feelings in their little junior sister?
And to make matters worse, little junior sister seemed rather taken with him, going everywhere in his company day after day—dragging him off to one Spirit Continent to admire the flowers and herbs, then whisking him away to another to watch the sunrise and sunset.
A whole pack of senior brothers felt their hearts shatter, as if the precious flower they had tenderly nurtured and only just managed to bloom was about to be rooted up by a pig.
Ironically, by this strange turn of events, the Mo-corrupted investigation had yet to yield any real progress, but a current of unrest was already surging throughout Langya Blessed Land.
One day, Yang Kai was following Gu Pan toward a particular Spirit Continent—rumor had it there was a market established there by the Langya disciples, stocked with all manner of fine goods.
Moreover, the one overseeing the market was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator who appeared on Li Yuanwang's list.
Yang Kai felt a touch of melancholy. He had been here for over ten days now, and aside from confirming Zong Yuquan, the Mo-corrupted investigation had produced not a single other lead. This trip to the market was primarily meant to see whether the Seventh-Order overseeing it might have any issues.
But before they could arrive, a streak of light shot out from the side, cutting across their path and blocking the two of them.
The newcomer radiated the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a towering frame. The moment they came face to face, he sized Yang Kai up without any pretense of courtesy, his gaze sharp with scrutiny.