Cai He thought it over and let out a bitter laugh. This area had been thoroughly searched by all four of them while the old woman was still alive. There were no other passages besides the exit guarded by the puppet. In other words, if they wanted to get out, they had no choice but to go through that circular door.
Unless they stayed here and waited for Fei Zhitu and the others to come rescue them — but that was something no one could guarantee. Whether Fei Zhitu's group could even find this place was questionable. Staying any longer would just mean sitting around waiting to die.
Rather than that, they might as well take a gamble. If luck was on their side, they might actually find some weakness or feasible way to leave this place.
The chances were slim, but at least it was better than waiting endlessly.
With that thought, Cai He's expression hardened with resolve. He nodded at Yang Kai and said, "Brother Yang, I'll go with you. Though I, Cai, am not particularly skilled at combat, having one more person means a little more strength."
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. "There's no need. I'm just going to test what it's really capable of. I don't need your help for now, Brother Cai. Once I've figured it out, we can work together to find a way out of here."
"That works too. But Brother Yang, you must be careful!" Cai He urged nervously.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly and, with utmost caution, approached the puppet. Cai He and Du Sisi stood in place, watching tensely.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai came running back covered in dust.
This probing test had forced him to use nearly all his techniques. But thanks to his strength far surpassing that of ordinary warriors at the same level, he hadn't suffered any major mishaps. He'd taken only a glancing blow from the puppet's giant club, yet half his body was still numb.
Cai He and Du Sisi had watched the whole thing from start to finish. When Yang Kai returned, their eyes were filled with considerably more respect. During the probing, Yang Kai had essentially been using his own life as a test subject. Multiple times, the two had been certain he was doomed, yet somehow he always found a sliver of survival in those desperate situations.
Watching for half an hour had left both of them more exhausted than Yang Kai himself, who'd been the one doing the actual fighting. Every second had felt like an eternity, their palms and backs drenched in sweat.
But through this, they'd gained some insight into the fact that Yang Kai was no ordinary Saint King Realm warrior. The techniques he'd unleashed were powerful, bizarre, and unpredictable — even a Return-to-Void Realm cultivator might not possess such abilities.
How could Cai He and Du Sisi dare to underestimate Yang Kai in the slightest?
After returning, Yang Kai said nothing. He took out a few healing pills and swallowed them, then sat cross-legged in meditation.
A full day later, Yang Kai finally let out a soft breath and opened his eyes. A brilliant light shone within them, showing he had recovered. Cai He and Du Sisi, who had been waiting beside him all this time, immediately moved closer, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Yang Kai knew exactly what they were thinking and didn't keep them in suspense. He said, "There's a chance!"
At these words, Cai He and Du Sisi's eyes lit up, both showing a trace of joy. Cai He hurriedly sat cross-legged in front of Yang Kai and asked urgently, "How do we deal with this puppet? Please instruct us, Brother Yang. Sisi and I will cooperate with everything we have."
"Deal with it?" Yang Kai looked amused and gave a carefree smile. "We can't exactly get around it. When I was testing it earlier, you saw for yourselves — it may be massive, but it moves like the wind, incredibly fast. If it were just me, I might have a slim chance of slipping past. But for the two of you? Absolutely no way."
This wasn't Yang Kai looking down on them — it was just the truth. Even with Yang Kai going all out and using the Wind and Thunder Wings for a speed boost, he only had a bit less than half a chance of breaking through the puppet's blockade. During his earlier tests, he'd tried multiple times to bypass it and rush for the circular door, but each time the puppet had forced him back.
The puppet seemed to harbor immense hostility toward any living thing that tried to pass through the circular door. It would kill without hesitation.
Hearing Yang Kai's words, Du Sisi's pretty face changed and she immediately cried out, "You can't just leave us behind!"
She instinctively assumed Yang Kai meant to go on his own.
Cai He forced a smile. "Sisi, you're overthinking it. Brother Yang wouldn't do that."
This was partly to comfort Du Sisi and partly to comfort himself. At the same time, he was quietly watching Yang Kai's reaction, worried that he might actually do so.
But Yang Kai didn't bother with much explanation. Honestly, if he had been able to break through the puppet's blockade earlier, he would indeed have left on his own. But he had no intention of abandoning them. If he could get out, he would find Fei Zhitu and the others to come rescue them — after all, one person escaping was better than all three being trapped here with no hope of survival.
Hearing Cai He's probing question, Yang Kai had no desire to elaborate further. He simply said, "If we want to leave now, we have to work together. If I try to take it on alone, I can barely protect myself, let alone win."
Cai He nodded vigorously. "Brother Yang is right. But you just said we can't get around it — so what do we do? It seems to guard the exit and never moves far from it."
Yang Kai had already confirmed this during his earlier tests. The moment anything came within ten zhang of the exit, the puppet would spring into action. But if you left that range, it became as lifeless as an inanimate object.
When Cai He asked this, Yang Kai gave a sly smile. "Simple — we kill it!"