Just as Wang Yuhan was eyeing Yang Kai's shield artifact with envy, the Silver Night Thunder Beast let out a low growl. It seemed that its previous strike failing to land had thoroughly enraged it. The beast split its attention, devoting only half to dealing with Shen Shitao and the others while directing the rest at Yang Kai. The twin horns on its head crackled with lightning, its maw gaped wide, and rumbling thunder emanated from within, popping and snapping.
This filled Shen Shitao and the others with delight. The pressure on their side had eased considerably—the attacks that had been bearing down on them until they could barely breathe were now more than half diverted by Yang Kai. The three exchanged a glance and didn't waste his effort. Shen Shitao took command of the Nine Palace Heaven-Net Umbrella to maintain their defense, while Wang Yuhan and Shen Fanlei simultaneously brought out their own offensive artifacts, channeling their power to smash against the restriction that had trapped them.
In an instant, the area around the Thunder Pool erupted into a flurry of activity. Saint Yuan of every hue blazed forth as the might of numerous artifacts was unleashed in full.
Wang Yuhan and Shen Fanlei held some standing within the Extreme Dao Sect, so the artifacts they possessed were naturally of no low caliber. While they didn't have any Void Grade Superior pieces, they were certainly qualified to carry one or two of Void Grade Lower. With everything they had, that layer of restriction actually began to teeter on the verge of collapse within moments.
Witnessing this, both knew that success or failure hinged on this very push. They held nothing back, unleashing every ounce of their ability—even twelve parts out of ten. Even Lü Ying seemed bolstered by the sight, erupting with her full strength as well.
Outside the restriction, Yang Kai had his purple shield for protection and naturally feared no long-range attacks from the Silver Night Thunder Beast. Having drawn the beast's primary attention to himself, he poured his full power into the Hundred Peaks Diagram, sending streams of Saint Yuan without regard for the cost into each of the phantom mountain projections.
Working from both inside and out, in less than ten breaths, the Thunder-attribute restriction that had left Shen Shitao and the others helpless suddenly dimmed in its glow. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across its surface with crisp snapping sounds, looking as though it might collapse at any moment.
Wang Yuhan saw this and knew it was the perfect opportunity to shine. With a flick of his wrist, a spirit-gleaming azure longsword materialized in his hand. He held it upright before him, then bit through the tip of his tongue and spat a mist of blood onto the blade. Instantly, the azure longsword began to hum and tremble, as though Wang Yuhan had infused it with life and it struggled to break free from his grasp.
After spitting that mist of blood, an unnatural flush crept across Wang Yuhan's face. Clearly, the technique he was about to use would come at a certain cost to him.
As the sword hummed and sang, Wang Yuhan's aura fluctuations surged wildly upward. He then flicked the blade, and a ribbon of sword radiance shot forth from the longsword, streaking straight toward the restriction.
The sword radiance howled through the air, and Wang Yuhan himself was enveloped in its glow—there was a faint air of man and sword becoming one. In the blink of an eye, he reached the space above the restriction. The moment the blade made contact, countless tiny arcs of lightning sprang to life on the restriction's surface, swarming to intercept the sword radiance.
A cold snort rang out, accompanied by the violent trembling of the blade. Lightning and sword radiance crashed together and, for a moment, locked in a stalemate—two vastly different types of energy grinding against one another and dissolving on contact, while the empty air filled with a metallic screeching that set teeth on edge.
But the stalemate lasted only an instant. Wang Yuhan suddenly roared, "Break!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the sword radiance burst forward, tearing a massive hole through the top of the restriction. The lightning flickered a few times, and with a sharp, clear crack, the restriction that had enveloped the Thunder Pool was finally and completely shattered.
From the moment Yang Kai had made his move to now, no more than twenty breaths had elapsed.
On one hand, this was naturally because Yang Kai hadn't wanted to waste time and had gone all out. On the other, it was because Shen Shitao and the others were no ordinary Saint King Realm cultivators—each of them was an elite of their respective sects, and both the volume and refinement of their internal Saint Yuan far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators at the same level.
Furthermore, this restriction had been activated solely by the Silver Night Thunder Beast. Though no one knew how it had learned the method, it clearly didn't understand the art of restriction variation and couldn't unleash the restriction's full power. Otherwise, even with everyone working together in perfect unity, truly breaking it would have required far greater effort.
The instant the restriction shattered, Shen Shitao and her younger brother shot straight out from within, unwilling to remain inside for even a moment longer.
They clearly still had lingering fears.
Wang Yuhan descended from the sky with hearty laughter, his face brimming with smug satisfaction. The azure longsword in his hand gave a lazy flick before vanishing back into his body. He then assumed an air of unfathomable mystery, as though waiting for someone's praise.
Shen Fanlei gazed at him with adoration and said earnestly, "Senior Brother, you're truly incredible!"
With his junior brother playing along so perfectly, Wang Yuhan was naturally even more pleased. He offered a few modest words, but the corner of his eye kept drifting toward Yang Kai, carrying a faint hint of provocation.
"Isn't it a bit early to celebrate?" Shen Shitao threw cold water on Wang Yuhan from the side, her beautiful eyes gazing solemnly at the Silver Night Thunder Beast hovering in midair, consumed with extraordinary rage.
It seemed that the destruction of the restriction had sent the beast's demonic aura surging skyward. The mass of azure clouds overhead also radiated a terrifying pressure that resonated with the beast's aura from afar, making the scene absolutely dreadful.
Wang Yuhan's face twitched. He waved it off casually. "Junior Sister Shen, don't worry. Earlier, we were caught off guard and that's why we were trapped in that restriction, unable to fight at full strength. Now that we've broken free, we certainly won't give it another chance. Junior Brother, come with me—let's see what it can do!"