Special thanks to Alliance Leader aaa999aaa for another 50,000-point contribution — thank you very much!
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Not being able to fly was truly agonizing. The crevice plunged down a thousand zhang, and even with Yang Kai's speed, it would take roughly half an hour to climb back up. Fortunately, he had reaped a handsome reward, and his mood was pleasant enough that he didn't begrudge the effort.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai finally made it back to the surface. After steadying himself, he exhaled softly and pulled the yuan magnetism compass from his spatial ring, confirming his bearings.
But before he could take another step, a sudden warning surged through his heart. Every muscle in his body contracted involuntarily as an inconceivable sense of danger descended upon him from above.
It felt as though Death itself were beckoning to him.
In a flash, Yang Kai surged his Sacred Yuan and threw himself sideways.
A streak of red light, swift as a startled swan, shot in from an unknown direction and struck Yang Kai square in the right side of his chest.
The tremendous force sent him tumbling through the air, the bones in his chest screaming in agony. Under that bizarre attack, Yang Kai realized with shock that he had actually been wounded — and not lightly, either!
Before his body even hit the ground, Yang Kai's massive Divine Sense had already spread outward like wildfire, instantly locking onto the source of the ambush.
One glance, and murderous intent surged through him like a tidal wave.
It was none other than that fool Xie Hongwen, and beside him were the two Saint King Stage Three warriors he had seen before — the very ones the Xie family had sent to protect him. One of them now looked utterly spent, clutching a crossbow-shaped artifact in his hands. The artifact radiated an eerily sinister aura, as if it were ravenously devouring the man's Sacred Yuan and draining him dry. What's more, Yang Kai could clearly see a vivid red gash on the warrior's hand, blood trickling steadily from the wound and pouring into the crossbow. And the crossbow was like a ravenous beast — the blood vanished the moment it entered, turning the artifact a deep, bloody crimson.
The other warrior quickly pulled several pills from his spatial ring and stuffed them into the weakened man's mouth.
As for Xie Hongwen, apparently thinking Yang Kai had been killed, he actually scrambled to his feet from behind the hill where he'd been hiding, his face alight with excitement and anticipation as he looked over, practically dancing with glee. He was even cheering loudly.
But when he saw Yang Kai land on his feet without so much as stumbling, Xie Hongwen froze.
Yang Kai didn't go after them immediately. Xie Hongwen was no threat at all, and the warrior who had fired the crossbow artifact looked like he was on his last breath — probably too weak to even move. In Yang Kai's eyes, they were already dead men walking. As for the remaining Saint King Stage Three warrior, Yang Kai was confident he could handle him without breaking a sweat.
He was more concerned with assessing his own injuries.
In the right side of his chest sat a small, exquisitely crafted arrow radiating potent spiritual energy. It had plunged more than three inches into his body, seemingly piercing a lung and making every breath a searing agony that burned through his entire chest.
A mix of shock and relief flooded through him. He was shocked that the other side possessed such a bizarre artifact capable of unleashing such a devastating strike, but relieved that he had sensed a sliver of danger in time and managed to evade the vital area.
No need to even guess — the attack had been aimed squarely at his heart. But thanks to his last-second dodge, it had struck his right chest instead, damaging only his lung. That was about the best outcome he could have hoped for.
His formidable physical body had also been crucial in withstanding the blow. If his muscles and flesh hadn't contracted on reflex, that strike would have punched clean through him!
Yang Kai's expression darkened like a stormy sea. Killing intent poured off him without a shred of restraint. He reached for the arrow embedded in his right chest to wrench it free — only for it to suddenly dissolve into nothing, vanishing without a trace. It left behind nothing but a bloody hole in his flesh, from which faint golden blood seeped. The life force contained within that golden blood immediately set to work repairing the damage.
He lifted his gaze toward the hill and began walking toward it, one deliberate step at a time.
Xie Hongwen collapsed onto the ground in a heap, his face white as paper, and stammered: "Xie... Xie..."
He stammered "Xie" for a good while but couldn't manage to call out either of the two warriors' names.
Xie Yun assumed he was worried about his weakened state and forced a smile. "No need to worry, Young Master. I'll recover in a month or two. Using this artifact demands such a price!"
It was precisely because he possessed such a bizarre artifact that he had been absolutely confident in assassinating Yang Kai.
No sooner had he spoken than the crossbow artifact, which had been clinging to the wound on his hand, finally fell free, ceasing its vampiric drain on his blood.
Xie Hongwen wanted to unleash a torrent of abuse. In his mind, why on earth would he care about this guy? Even if he died, what did that have to do with him?
But panic sharpened his tongue, and he cried out in alarm: "He's coming!"
"What?" Xie Yun and Xie Yong's expressions changed in unison. They turned to look and saw Yang Kai advancing toward them, killing intent billowing from his body like a tempest. With every step he took, it felt as though he were trampling directly on their frayed nerves, making their hearts nearly burst from their chests.
"Impossible!" Xie Yun's eyes bulged from their sockets, his face a mask of disbelief. "There's no way he's still alive!"