Miao Feiping's temperament was undoubtedly steady. Even in such circumstances, he remained calm and unhurried.
Until the Supreme Elder's voice transmission suddenly rang in his ears.
Normally, being disturbed during such a critical moment would cause one's mind to tremble. At best, one would suffer a Qi Deviation and lose all cultivation; at worst, one would perish on the spot—body destroyed and Dao extinguished.
Yet Miao Feiping felt none of that, because at the same moment the Supreme Elder's transmission arrived, a gentle force stabilized his mind, sparing him from catastrophe. Even the Emperor Yuan within his body, which should have surged violently, settled down.
He opened his eyes to find a figure standing before him with a gentle smile—none other than the Supreme Elder himself.
Miao Feiping hurriedly rose and bowed respectfully. "Disciple greets the Supreme Elder!"
Yang Kai gave a slight nod. At this moment, he had only arrived as a projection of his Divine Sense, much like how he had once roamed his own Small Universe with his spiritual consciousness. But in Miao Feiping's eyes, this projection was no different from the Supreme Elder's true body, and he naturally dared not show any disrespect.
"You've worked hard all these years."
Since the Void Arena's founding, only about twenty years had passed in the outside world, but within his Small Universe, nearly a century had elapsed. Over these hundred years, the Arena had taken in over two thousand disciples, every one of them a prodigy.
With Miao Feiping as the Arena Master at the helm, the numerous stewards selected by the Arena had been diligently guiding and caring for these disciples, which had indeed consumed considerable effort.
After all, the selected disciples were not particularly strong in cultivation—many were children who had never cultivated before. Looking after them was no easy task.
Though working at the Arena came with many benefits—the most direct being a fixed monthly allotment of Contribution Points, which could be exchanged for cultivation resources within the Arena—it had come at the cost of their own cultivation.
If not for this, someone of Miao Feiping's aptitude could not possibly have spent over a hundred years to reach his current level.
"It is my honor to share the Supreme Elder's burden. There is no hardship to speak of," Miao Feiping replied respectfully.
Yang Kai nodded. "You are now but one step away from Open Heaven. However, if you wish to achieve it, you must make a choice."
"A choice?" Miao Feiping looked puzzled. "Please enlighten me, Supreme Elder."
Yang Kai said, "With your aptitude and your current foundation, advancing to Sixth Grade carries some risk, but the risk is not great. Do you know why, despite your seclusion, you have been unable to break through?"
Miao Feiping said, "Perhaps this disciple is dull-witted. Despite all my efforts, I cannot grasp that sliver of opportunity for breakthrough. But rest assured, Supreme Elder—I will double my cultivation efforts and will not fail your expectations."
Yang Kai chuckled. "If you are dull-witted, then there are precious few clever people in this Void World."
Miao Feiping remained humble. "The Supreme Elder flatters me."
"Your inability to break through is not due to insufficient comprehension or lacking aptitude—it is a result of the environment. As long as you remain within this Void World, you will never be able to break through the shackles of the Emperor Realm and ascend to Open Heaven."
"Why is that?" Miao Feiping asked, utterly bewildered.
Yang Kai gazed at him with a smile. "Because this Void World is my Small Universe."
Miao Feiping stood frozen on the spot, his face full of shock.
Yang Kai continued. "Warriors of the Emperor Realm condense Dao Seals, gathering the power of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements. When the time comes, they can open heaven and earth within their own bodies, creating a Small Universe and achieving the Open Heaven Realm. Open Heaven is divided into nine grades—the first through third are lower grades, the fourth through sixth are middle grades, and only the seventh and above qualify as upper grades. The Small Universes of lower and middle-grade Open Heaven practitioners remain ethereal and intangible. Only the Small Universe of an upper-grade Open Heaven practitioner can transform from void to substance, just like this great Void World."
"Every Open Heaven practitioner has their own Small Universe, and the power of heaven and earth within it is the foundation of their strength. Even if two practitioners cultivate the same technique and comprehend the same Dao, their Small Universes will produce different heavenly powers after they achieve Open Heaven."
"This difference is a unique imprint of each Open Heaven practitioner. For others, it might be refined and absorbed to strengthen their own power, but if the disparity is too great, it becomes poison that corrupts one's very foundation."
"If you were to achieve Open Heaven within my Small Universe, the power of heaven and earth that escapes would corrupt my foundation and affect my cultivation. That is why I cannot allow you to reach Open Heaven within the Void World—this is essentially a restriction upon the entire Void World. Do you understand?"
Miao Feiping certainly understood, but learning that the world he had always lived in was none other than the Supreme Elder's Small Universe left him so stunned that he could not recover for a long time.
"To achieve Open Heaven, you must leave my Small Universe and venture into the outer world. Only then is it possible." Yang Kai's gaze grew solemn. "However, my current surroundings are far from safe. If you leave the Void World, your life could be in danger at any moment. You may even have to fight powerful enemies. Even with my abilities, I may not be able to guarantee your safety."
Miao Feiping murmured, "Is this the choice the Supreme Elder spoke of?"
Yang Kai nodded. "That's right. Whether you remain in the Void World, confined to the Emperor Realm, or risk leaving to achieve Open Heaven—the choice lies entirely in your hands."
Facing such a sudden decision, even Miao Feiping, an Emperor Realm cultivator, felt uncertain.
Yang Kai observed his expression and nodded gently. "Take your time to consider it. There is no rush—tell me once you've made up your mind."