In the blink of an eye, the burly man had been seized and pulled to Yang Kai's side, his bull-like eyes bulging with pure terror.
He was at the very least at the Third Stage of the Saint King Realm, yet against this young man of the same cultivation level, he'd been utterly powerless to resist. The realization sent a chill down his spine. Only now did he seem to remember to fight back, but the moment his Saint Power began to coalesce, Yang Kai had already placed a gentle palm on his shoulder. The burly man let out a muffled groan, his face going pale as every scrap of power within his body dissipated into nothing.
Yang Kai swept out with a kick, sending him sprawling before Yu Feng and the rest, then casually snatched the whip from his hand and tossed it over. "Avenge yourselves," he said coldly. "Settle your scores."
Yu Feng caught the three-finger-thick whip and froze for a moment before coming to his senses. He exchanged glances with several companions who'd suffered terribly, then surrounded the burly man with vicious grins.
The next instant, the sounds of fists and feet hammering flesh and the sharp crack of the whip filled the air, mixed with the burly man's piercing screams and desperate pleas for mercy.
Xie Quan's face had gone iron-gray, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying ferocity as though he could devour someone whole. He nodded toward Yang Kai. "Good. Young men are indeed full of fire. Let's see how long you can keep up this bravado!"
With that, he swept his hand, and suddenly figures burst out from every direction—no fewer than several dozen. They ringed the ruins of the Gathering Source Hall in a tight circle, fixing Yang Kai and his companions with predatory gazes. Though none of them were at the Void Return Realm, their sheer numbers were enough to make Chang Qi and Hao An's expressions shift.
Moreover, from all corners of Tianyun City, even more people were flying toward the scene, among them no shortage of Void Return Realm powerhouses.
In just a short moment, the situation reversed completely. Yang Kai's group, which had held a slight advantage moments ago, was now thoroughly outmatched in both numbers and cultivation levels.
Chang Qi swept his gaze around, his expression darkening. He counted seven or eight Void Return Realm experts encircling them—reinforcements Xie Quan had clearly summoned. He'd anticipated this before coming; after all, they were venturing into the tiger's den. The enemy couldn't possibly fail to call for backup. But he hadn't expected such an overwhelming show of force.
He stole a glance at Yang Kai and was startled to find him perfectly composed and self-assured. That both surprised and reassured Chang Qi, who found himself wondering what trump card Yang Kai had been hiding.
"Brother Xie, so this is the brat who destroyed the Gathering Source Hall?" An old man with a goatee who had just arrived exchanged greetings with Xie Quan, then turned a cold stare on Yang Kai.
Xie Quan cupped his fists, his expression pained. "I'm ashamed—it was indeed this brat. I never expected he'd have two Void Return Realm experts at his side. I was alone, outnumbered, and failed to protect it. Once this is settled, I will personally apologize to your hall."
The goatee old man chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "You're too modest, Brother Xie. It was only a Gathering Source Hall—destroyed, so be it. Our Moon Shadow Hall is vast and wealthy; we don't care about such trifles. But your junior here seems to be in a spot of trouble, wouldn't you say?"
As he spoke, he glanced toward the burly man being beaten by Yu Feng and the others, his expression turning cold. "Now that we've arrived, you still dare commit violence? Isn't that rather brazen? I said, stop!"
As his words fell, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes and a powerful wave of Divine Sense pressure descended from above, washing over Yu Feng and the others.
At the same moment, Chang Qi grinned and released his own Divine Sense power. The two forces met in midair and silently cancelled each other out. Both at the first level of the Void Return Realm, Chang Qi had no reason to fear him—the clash was dead even.
Yu Feng and the others were compelled to stop, looking up toward Yang Kai. They had never been surrounded by so many Void Return Realm experts before, and a knot of unease tightened in their chests.
"Keep hitting," Yang Kai said, sweeping his gaze over the assembled Void Return Realm experts with a look that suggested not a single one was worth his attention. His brazen arrogance furrowed every newcomer's brow with undisguised displeasure.
The goatee old man seemed about to speak, but Yang Kai cut in. "You're from the Moon Shadow Hall?"
"That's right!" The old man stroked his beard. "I am Ma Xinyuan, a low-level steward of the Moon Shadow Hall."
"Low-level steward..." Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, a mocking smile playing at his lips. "Tell me, where is Elder Qian Tong these days?"
"Elder Qian..." Ma Xinyuan's expression shifted, a flicker of wariness crossing his face. And not just him—when Yang Kai had mentioned Qian Tong, the vast majority of the Void Return Realm experts gathered there had shown the same reaction. Seeing this, Yang Kai understood immediately. These people were definitely not on Qian Tong's side. They were likely his opposition within the Moon Shadow Hall, or they wouldn't have worn such expressions.
It seemed his earlier speculation about Qian Tong and the upheaval in the Moon Shadow Hall had been spot on.
"Elder Qian naturally remains stationed at the Moon Shadow Hall," a middle-aged man to the right barked. "Boy, you destroyed our Gathering Source Hall and injured people here. Don't think knowing Elder Qian gets you off the hook. Even if the Heavenly King himself came today, you won't escape!"
Yang Kai glanced at him and chuckled softly. "Before this is settled, I'm not going anywhere. I came here today for only two things."