Yuedxi and her two disciples stared at the face in the Soul Mirror — twisted with rage — and wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Because just as Hemiao had said, there was a restriction from Lü Guichen inside Yang Kai's body. With her strength and means, she simply couldn't remove it. On the entire Suspended Continent, only two people could possibly undo that restriction.
One was Yuedxi herself, whose strength was on par with Lü Guichen's. The other was that mysterious old man.
Though the old man possessed extraordinary abilities, his temperament was bizarre — he almost certainly wouldn't be kind enough to lend a helping hand. And Yuedxi certainly hadn't helped Yang Kai remove the restriction.
So how had he recovered his strength?
Moreover, even if he had returned to his peak state, he was only at the first level of the Saint Realm. How could he possibly be a match for Wei Wu, who stood at the third level of the Saint Realm?
"No matter what happened, Wei Wu was definitely killed by this brat!" Yuedxi's beautiful face was contorted with anger. "Daring to kill someone from my Sword Alliance — I'll make him pay!"
"Master, shouldn't we investigate the matter thoroughly before making any decisions?" Hezao hurriedly tried to calm her.
Yuedxi glanced at her sideways and said coolly, "I know he did you sisters a great favor, and we've wronged him before. But this brat really is somewhat suspicious. Leave this matter to me — I'll handle it myself."
Sensing their master's firm resolve, Hezao and Hemiao exchanged a look, both wearing bitter expressions.
Wei Wu might have been their senior brother, but there wasn't much emotional bond between them. The sisters actually found him rather annoying. So even though Wei Wu had been killed, they didn't particularly care.
The trouble was that Yang Kai was now in serious danger. They worried silently, uncertain how to handle the situation, and couldn't help but sigh.
Inside the cave, Yang Kai stood drenched in blood, his entire body a horrifying crimson. He stood in place, adjusting his state and suppressing the dark, bloody aura emanating from him, while savoring the euphoria of having his power restored.
The sensation of regaining what he had lost gave him the illusion of being reborn.
A tingling numbness spread from the massive wound at his neck, where the flesh seemed to squirm. Under the formidable regenerative power of the Demonic God Golden Blood, the gaping wound quickly sealed itself shut.
He casually wiped away the dried blood, and his neck was once again flawless. There was no trace left of the near-decapitation he had just suffered.
Just as he was staring at Wei Wu's corpse, preparing to burn it and destroy the evidence, an unsettling, sardonic laugh suddenly echoed from nearby.
Yang Kai's expression changed drastically. He whipped his head around. In the darkness, a figure stood perfectly still.
The glowing strange stone Wei Wu had been holding earlier lay at the figure's feet, its light illuminating the person's face with perfect clarity.
The moment he saw that face, the strength Yang Kai had just mustered drained away involuntarily. His expression turned grave, and his heart soured beyond bitter.
Facing this person, he didn't even have the slightest desire to fight.
Because the one laughing was none other than the mysterious old man who had been living on this continent!
The old man had easily grievously wounded both Lü Guichen and Yuedxi. He was, at minimum, a Returning Void Realm powerhouse. Yang Kai, at just the first level of the Saint Realm, was as insignificant as an ant before him.
"Senior..." Yang Kai called out with a frown.
He had no idea when the old fellow had arrived. It seemed like the old man had simply been standing there all along, as ethereal as a phantom. A wave of chilling, unsettling aura radiated from him, making the entire cave feel like a haunted den.
"Ruthless and decisive — not bad, not bad!" The old man let out an eerie cackle, and a trace of admiration actually flickered in his eyes as he studied Yang Kai with keen interest. "Killing a third-level opponent in a head-on confrontation while only at the first level... You must have had some external power to draw upon?"
Hearing this, Yang Kai instantly understood that the old man hadn't actually witnessed his clash with Wei Wu. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to ask such a question.
"Yes!" Yang Kai gave a slight nod, making no attempt to hide it.
"Young man, it seems you've had quite a few fortuitous encounters. No wonder you've cultivated to this level at such a young age." The old man regarded Yang Kai with approval, nodding with satisfaction. "Very good, truly very good. Your physical body is also remarkably sturdy — far beyond warriors of the same rank. It's practically at the Saint King Realm level. And you have two or three different types of energy coexisting inside your body, perfectly harmonized at that."
With casual ease, the old man laid bare all of Yang Kai's secrets. Those eyes of his seemed capable of piercing through everything, seeing through to every asset Yang Kai possessed.
Yang Kai felt a chill run through him, and his expression shifted involuntarily.
The old man bared his teeth in a grin, revealing a row of snow-white fangs. "Don't worry, I won't steal your things. Those little trinkets of yours are of no use to this old man. However..."
His tone shifted abruptly, and his expression turned sinister. "Did I not say it before? No one is to cause trouble in my territory. On my land, your worthless lives belong to me. If anyone dares to take one freely, I will make that person pay!"
"He attacked first!" Yang Kai retorted.
"I don't care who started it!" The old man snorted coldly. Tendrils of dark, frigid, sinister energy suddenly surged from his body. The energy manifested like the incarnations of countless demons, thick with malevolence and brutality, and the moment it appeared, all of it locked onto Yang Kai and surged toward him.
In an instant, Yang Kai was engulfed by the sinister energy. His entire world plunged into impenetrable darkness — every trace of light vanished.
An aura of utter despair spread outward.
Yang Kai's whole body trembled as an overwhelming illusion seized him — that he was being devoured alive, that those demonic forms were consuming his flesh and devouring his power.