The three of them — senior and junior disciples alike — had tracked him down, fully expecting that bringing Yang Kai back to the Azure Sun Sect would be a simple affair. Instead, one of them had perished right here, and the remaining two had sustained serious injuries. Gazing at Yang Kai's cold face, Yin Sudie suddenly realized that she might have made a terrible mistake.
"Even if I wanted to overturn the entire world, she would only support me from behind — she would never stand in front of me and ask if I'd regret it." Yang Kai suddenly spoke words that left Yin Sudie somewhat bewildered, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "A woman like you dares to take on her appearance? You truly have no regard for death!"
His words fell, and a streak of pitch-black energy shot forward, striking directly into Yin Sudie's delicate body.
Yin Sudie's beautiful face drained of color. She was certain that this time there was no escape for her, and two tears involuntarily slid from the corners of her eyes.
That black demonic flame had effortlessly reduced Senior Brother Hou's body to ashes just moments ago — now it had plunged into her own body. Where was the hope of survival? Yet to her surprise, the flame was not searingly hot as she had imagined, but bone-chillingly cold. The instant it entered her body, she shivered involuntarily. Her sacred energy froze as though encased in ice, ceasing to circulate, and a layer of white frost quickly covered her.
"I won't kill you this time. But if you ever dare cross my path again, I'll make you wish you were dead!" Yang Kai let out a cold snort, flicked his hand, and the golden thread that had bound the martial artist surnamed Lu flew back, burrowing into his body before vanishing.
Then, under Yin Sudie's complicated gaze, he departed with Yang Yan in tow.
It was only after Yang Kai and Yang Yan's figures had long disappeared that Yin Sudie and the martial artist surnamed Lu dared to move. Though both were badly injured, neither wound was fatal. The martial artist surnamed Lu had merely broken a numerous bones throughout his body — nothing life-threatening. Yin Sudie's condition was somewhat worse: her Divine Sense was damaged, and an intensely cold energy continued to course through her meridians, causing her great discomfort.
"Sister Yin... are you all right?" The martial artist surnamed Lu forced himself upright and asked with concern, extending a hand as if to help her up.
"Does it look like I'm all right?" Yin Sudie's lovely face twisted with displeasure, and she slapped his hand aside without ceremony. She wobbled to her feet, hair disheveled and hairpins askew — gone was the graceful beauty of before.
The martial artist surnamed Lu knew she was blaming him for his incompetence, so despite his own frustration, he didn't dare say a word in his defense.
Then again, had he known beforehand that this fellow Yang was so powerful, he would never have come with Yin Sudie to ambush him — that was practically seeking death! Fortunately, Yang Kai had ultimately refrained from killing him; otherwise, he would already be on his way to the afterlife alongside Senior Brother Hou.
He still couldn't figure out why Yang Kai had killed only Senior Brother Hou. Was it killing the chicken to scare the monkey?
"Sister, should we find a place to rest? We're not too far from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, and disciples from that sect sometimes roam these parts. If they spot us, it could stir up more trouble," the martial artist surnamed Lu gently suggested while Yin Sudie straightened her clothes. Despite her earlier rebuff, he couldn't simply leave her — if he did, there would be no good outcome once they returned.
Hearing this, Yin Sudie's expression softened slightly, and she nodded. "Fine. Let's find a place to tend to our wounds first. Besides, we need to discuss how we're going to report this to the sect elders when we get back."
The martial artist surnamed Lu paused briefly, then nodded in agreement. "As you say, sister."
The two of them forced themselves onward, dragging their wounded bodies to a nearby hidden spot, where they sat down to meditate and heal.
……
Thousands of miles away, Yang Yan followed silently behind Yang Kai, guiding the Star Shuttle in a certain direction. She gazed at his back and, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, suddenly sensed a trace of loneliness and desolation emanating from it. Ever since parting with Yin Sudie and her group, Yang Yan had noticed a change in Yang Kai's mood — he had been charging ahead with his head down, as though still lost in thought about something.
She didn't approach to disturb him, simply following quietly behind.
She knew that whatever was affecting Yang Kai likely had to do with the secret technique Yin Sudie had employed at the last moment, and with the name of a woman that he himself had called out.
After a full day and night, Yang Kai, who had been leading the way, suddenly changed direction and descended onto a small hill nearby. By this point, the sense of solitude radiating from his back had vanished entirely.
Yang Yan controlled her Star Shuttle and landed beside him, glancing at his profile. Seeing that he had truly returned to normal, she secretly exhaled in relief. Her eyes darted, and she asked, "Who is Su Yan?"
"Why do you ask?" Yang Kai turned his head to look at her.
"Just wondering." Yang Yan pursed her lips and immediately realized he didn't want to say more. Sensibly, she didn't press the issue. But even if Yang Kai hadn't told her, she could guess — this Su Yan must be the most important woman in his life.
She didn't ask further, yet Yang Kai suddenly found himself in the mood to talk. He smiled and said, "She's my real senior sister. Not like you — a fake one."
"You two..." Yang Yan let out a sly laugh, as though she had discovered something remarkable, her smile brimming with insinuation.
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded frankly. "But right now, she's somewhere in the Star Field, and I don't know where."