The void rippled, and Yang Kai and Zhai Yao materialized out of thin air. The instant they appeared, Zhai Yao hastily brought forth a defensive artifact, a layer of earth-yellow light wrapping around both him and Yang Kai. With a solemn expression, he cautioned, "Brother Yang, don't leave the protective range of my artifact, or your life will be in danger."
Yang Kai didn't reply. He was staring, dazed, at the sight before him.
Above, below, all around was nothingness, as if they stood in an endless abyss.
In every direction, stars glimmered. There were sun-like bodies radiating scorching energy and moon-like ones emanating a cool, ethereal light. Bathed in their glow, Yang Kai felt as if he were dreaming.
In this void, the light wasn't dim, but the boundless, infinite vastness filled him with a profound sense of unease.
There was no solid ground beneath their feet. The two of them floated lightly in the air. The mountain peaks, the Cliff Gazing at the Sky, the Millennium Demon Flower—all had vanished. Behind them gaped a fearsome, dark portal.
It was a Void Tunnel.
The stamen of the Millennium Demon Flower had apparently served as the entrance to a Void Tunnel. Yang Kai had no idea where he'd been transported to.
"Where is this?" he asked quickly.
"The Starry Sky!" Zhai Yao took a deep breath, his expression excited as he looked around.
"The Starry Sky?" Yang Kai's brow twitched. A realization struck him suddenly. "That legend is true?"
"Of course it's true." Zhai Yao nodded emphatically. "Most powerhouses have heard rumors of the Starry Sky. There are even quite a few items from the Starry Sky on the Profound Xuan Continent, but no one has ever reached it or seen what it looks like. Who would have thought that the Millennium Demon Flower was the key to reaching the Starry Sky?"
"This is really the Starry Sky? Not some small Profound Realm?" Yang Kai still found it hard to believe. Relatively speaking, he was more inclined to think this was a magical small realm.
"Would I lie to you?" Zhai Yao chuckled. "Teacher told me, this is the Starry Sky. See that planet down there, radiating vibrant life? That's our Profound Xuan Continent!"
Yang Kai looked down. Indeed, beneath his feet floated a colossal planet, but from this vantage point, it was only the size of a fist. He stretched out a hand, as if he could grasp it tightly.
A strange, subtle emotion stirred within him.
"Why is it round?" Yang Kai frowned. He hadn't expected the so-called Profound Xuan Continent to be spherical. Wouldn't people standing on the far side simply fall off? He worried silently.
"That, I don't know," Zhai Yao shrugged.
As the two spoke, their expressions shifted simultaneously. They turned their heads to look back at the Void Tunnel.
Zhai Yao actively maneuvered his defensive artifact, pulling Yang Kai swiftly to the side.
The next instant, two more figures emerged from the Void Tunnel.
They were the alchemists from the two other teams. The moment they stepped out of the tunnel, both assumed combat stances.
They clearly understood that obtaining the Millennium Demon Flower's essence would inevitably lead to conflict with Yang Kai and Zhai Yao.
These two Spirit-grade high-tier alchemists were no longer young, and their cultivation wasn't low—both at the first level of the Transcendent Realm. However, due to their specialization as alchemists, their combat prowess was only slightly above the peak of the Shenyou Realm, not truly comparable to a genuine Transcendent Realm expert.
Yet facing two youngsters like Yang Kai and Zhai Yao, they felt no fear and believed they could win.
Yang Kai let out a sinister chuckle, about to step forward and test them, but Zhai Yao reached out to stop him, slowly shaking his head. "No need to fight them."
"Why not?" Yang Kai was surprised.
Zhai Yao laughed. "Because they're dead for sure."
He then called out to the pair, "Friends, you'd better quickly bring out your own defensive artifacts, or you might die very miserably."
Hearing this, the two alchemists frowned. Upon clearly perceiving the situation, their eyes widened in shock, and they were momentarily stunned.
They had no idea that exiting the Millennium Demon Flower's stamen would lead them into the Starry Sky.
The vast, infinite abyss surrounding them filled their hearts with extreme terror.
Before they could even steady their minds, they felt waves of inexplicably powerful energy tearing at their bodies.
Their faces changed drastically, and they dared not hesitate any longer. They produced their strongest defensive artifacts, shielding themselves completely.
Alchemists were not poor, so their artifacts weren't bad. Both of their defensive treasures were at least mid-grade or high-grade Spirit-tier. This level of defense was enough to withstand a full-strength strike from a third-level Transcendent Realm expert.