The yin souls were not particularly powerful, and under Yang Kai's assault, they dissipated in the blink of an eye. However, the commotion naturally exposed his position, and the four people nearby immediately took notice.
All four were startled, their expressions growing solemn as they turned to look in his direction. They saw Yang Kai standing there with a slightly helpless and awkward look on his face.
Among the four, the two men naturally looked displeased. Trapped inside a restriction with someone lurking about outside, suspicion was inevitable—they assumed Yang Kai was up to some nefarious scheme in the vicinity. They immediately ceased what they were doing, spun around, and fixed Yang Kai with wary, hostile stares.
The two women, on the other hand, were momentarily stunned upon seeing Yang Kai, though it did not take long for Shen Shitao and the other delicate-featured woman to recognize him.
Although nearly two years had passed since they last parted, how could Shen Shitao forget this man who had brought her enormous benefits? A look of delight appeared on her face, and she raised a slender hand in greeting. "So it's you!"
The delicate woman also offered Yang Kai a sweet smile—utterly lovely.
Yang Kai's head throbbed, but he had no choice but to feign surprise. "You are...?"
Shen Shitao covered her mouth and let out a charming laugh, her eyes sparkling like silk threads. "What's the matter? Little Brother Yang doesn't remember me? I am Shen Shitao of the Qiantian Sect. We met in the Flowing Flame Sand Region."
"Flowing Flame Sand Region?" The two men beside Shen Shitao exchanged grim looks and re-examined Yang Kai with renewed scrutiny.
Anyone who could survive the Flowing Flame Sand Region was generally not to be underestimated. The two of them had missed the opportunity to enter the region at the time due to various circumstances and had considered it a great regret. Later, when they learned that Shen Shitao and the others had reaped enormous rewards from within, their regret had only deepened. Still, their knowledge of the Flowing Flame Sand Region was limited to what Shen Shitao had described. Encountering another martial artist who had returned safely from the region naturally warranted extra attention.
However, upon sensing that Yang Kai was only at the second stage of the Saint King Realm, one of the men gave a barely perceptible sneer and lost interest, apparently concluding that Yang Kai must have survived by sticking to the first level.
The other man, who had a lower cultivation but appeared far more spirited with bright, keen eyes, found himself more interested in Yang Kai instead.
He shared the same cultivation level as Yang Kai—both were at the second stage of the Saint King Realm—which naturally stirred a sense of competition.
Seeing Shen Shitao act so familiarly with him only added to Yang Kai's headache. The last time he had encountered this woman, he had already known she was trouble. He simply hadn't expected to underestimate just how forward she could be. With her being this enthusiastic, all Yang Kai could do was smile and say, "So it's you. I remember now."
"I'm glad you finally remember. I was starting to think Little Brother Yang was truly an important person with too much on his mind to spare a thought for little old me~" Shen Shitao seemed perfectly delighted, laughing away despite being trapped inside the restriction, leaving the other three utterly bewildered.
Hearing her words, Yang Kai could only laugh awkwardly and deflect.
After a bout of laughter, Shen Shitao suddenly fixed Yang Kai with her glistening, beautiful eyes and asked, "By the way, Little Brother Yang, what brings you all the way out here?"
"I stumbled into this place by accident. It seemed rather peculiar, so I came in to take a look. I happened to hear the commotion over here and didn't reveal myself right away—please don't hold it against me!" Yang Kai cupped his fists lightly.
"Stumbled in by accident..." Shen Shitao smiled knowingly, casting a meaningful glance at Yang Kai. While she clearly did not believe a word of his explanation, she chose not to press the matter. Instead, her eyes darted about, and she said, "Forgive me for being forward, but could I ask Little Brother Yang for a favor?"
"What kind of favor?" A tingling sensation shot across Yang Kai's scalp. He instantly knew trouble had found him.
"Could you and your companion attack this restriction from the outside? It has a reflective property—we simply can't fight freely from inside. But I believe that attacking from outside should pose no problem."
Yang Kai hesitated for a moment, then turned to glance at Yang Yan, who gave him a slight nod.
Only then did Yang Kai agree. "Of course."
Shen Shitao's pretty face lit up with joy, and she quickly said, "Then thank you so much, Little Brother Yang. Once we're free, I'll come thank you in person."
"It's the least I can do—Miss Shen, there's no need to worry about it!" Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, motioned for the four of them to stand back, and then produced the Hundred Peaks Map. He activated it, projecting phantom silhouettes of mountain peaks that crashed toward the restriction.
He did not draw upon his own holy yuan, primarily because he did not wish to reveal too much before outsiders. The Hundred Peaks Map was merely an artifact, so others would not be able to discern anything significant from his display of force.
One phantom mountain after another boomed downward with overwhelming momentum. Just as Shen Shitao had anticipated, the reflective property of the restriction only affected those trapped inside—attacking from the outside triggered no such rebound.
Under Yang Kai's assault, the dome-shaped energy barrier quickly began to falter. It swayed as if it might collapse at any moment, its color fading steadily. It would likely not survive even the time it took to finish a cup of tea.
Shen Shitao and the delicate woman watched with rising excitement. After all, the four of them had been trapped here for two full days. While they could have eventually forced their way out in another day or two, having someone lend a hand was ideal—and it saved them from lingering in this wretched place any longer.