After watching for a moment, Yang Kai suddenly let out a soft exclamation. "There are still people here?"
Among the buildings of the War Soul Hall, a small number of martial artists were walking around, looking left and right as if searching for something.
"Oh, those are my Nethermoon Sect's disciples, working together with the War Soul Hall's original disciples to see if there's anything useful left behind," Wu Jie explained with a smile.
Yang Kai nodded and pointed downward. "I want this place. When you get back, make sure your disciples are careful not to destroy anything here."
"Understood." Wu Jie answered promptly. Although he had no idea what Yang Kai wanted with a pile of abandoned ruins, he wasn't about to ask unnecessary questions.
Talk less, do more — that was why Wu Jie understood how to read the situation better than Zhang Ao or Manager Cao.
"Let's go check out Broken Profound Mansion next." There was nothing else below that required particular attention, so Yang Kai waved his hand.
Wu Jie led the way once again.
A short while later, another two hundred li on, the three arrived above Broken Profound Mansion.
"This was Zhang Ao's territory," Wu Jie pointed downward. "Quite a bit better than both the War Soul Hall and my Nethermoon Sect."
Yang Kai observed calmly and found that the place was indeed decent. While it couldn't compare to the Sacred Land's Nine Peaks, it was still a rare find.
Broken Profound Mansion had established itself here for good reason.
"Sect Master, I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now," Wu Jie said after a brief wait.
"Mm, go ahead then," Yang Kai nodded.
With an apologetic gesture, Wu Jie departed swiftly.
Watching his fading figure, Li Rong covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "That fellow may look sinister and ruthless, but he's actually quite decent. Though why was he in such a hurry to leave? It's as if we were going to do something to him."
"Because he knows what I'm about to do next…" Yang Kai chuckled. "He'd rather not see too many secrets, so naturally he needed to get away quickly."
Li Rong was taken aback.
"Let's go down and take a look!" Yang Kai's figure flickered, and he shot straight down toward a specific spot below.
Broken Profound Mansion covered a vast area. Behind the sect's main hall, Yang Kai and Li Rong landed in a stone forest. Stone pillars of varying heights stood scattered throughout, seemingly random and without any pattern.
"Li Rong, where's that Blood Essence Stone?" Yang Kai turned his head to ask.
"I still have it here." Li Rong answered and produced the Blood Essence Stone, handing it over.
Last time, the Blood Essence Stone had absorbed a considerable amount of fresh blood, converting it into blood energy with miraculous power. However, after using that energy to heal the Ancient Devil Clan members, it had all been depleted. Now there wasn't the slightest fluctuation of energy within the stone.
Gripping the Blood Essence Stone, Yang Kai surveyed the surroundings.
"Master, what are you looking for?" Li Rong observed for a moment before asking thoughtfully.
"I'm looking for the gate to the Starry Sky," Yang Kai replied in a low voice.
"The gate to the Starry Sky?" Li Rong's expression turned serious, and she suddenly recalled what Zhang Ao had said before his death several months ago. Realization dawned on her. "Master, you're saying the gate to the Starry Sky is hidden here?"
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded. "I glimpsed some of Zhang Ao's memories. He did pick up this Blood Essence Stone in this stone forest, but I'm not sure of the exact location. Help me look around. See if there's anything unusual nearby, especially places with strange minerals."
"Do you really think we can enter the Starry Sky? That's just a legend, after all…"
"What do you think?" Yang Kai chuckled.
"I don't know." Li Rong shook her head slowly. "Since the day I was born, I've stayed in the Ancient Devil Castle. I've never even seen ordinary sun, moon, or stars, let alone the Starry Sky. I only left there a few months ago. But it all feels too unreal to me."
"Why is that?" Yang Kai asked, surprised.
"Because even the most powerful experts can only fly up ten thousand zhang at most. Beyond that, they're powerless. This continent seems to have some invisible force that pulls people back and won't let them leave. No one has ever successfully departed. How could anyone enter the Starry Sky? All those stories about it must just be legends."
Yang Kai didn't say much, simply grinning. "Let's look. If we find it, I'll take you to see for yourself."
Li Rong's beautiful eyes lit up. Yang Kai didn't seem to be joking. She nodded immediately. "Alright!"
The two split up and began searching through the stone forest carefully.
This stone forest appeared to be Broken Profound Mansion's forbidden ground. Yang Kai detected the presence of numerous restrictive formations here, all connected to extremely devious traps. If triggered, they could cause considerable trouble.
These restrictions had likely all been set up by Zhang Ao.
However, under Yang Kai's vast Divine Sense, the concealed formations were completely exposed. He had no need to worry about accidentally triggering them.
After a quarter of an hour, Yang Kai furrowed his brow as he surveyed the surroundings, having found nothing. Just as he was at a loss, Li Rong's voice called out from nearby.
His spirits lifted, and he hurried over immediately.
A moment later, he arrived before Li Rong.
"Master, something seems odd here!" Li Rong pointed at several stone pillars of different heights ahead. "And I also picked up these things nearby!"
As she spoke, she handed him the fragments of stone she was holding.