The old man in the dark robes was already at the end of his strength. Even though he knew the golden blood threads were a lethal attack, he couldn't dodge in time, let alone muster any force to defend. In desperation, he could only circulate his Holy Energy to shield himself, hoping to survive the blow.
A soft hissing sound rang out. The Holy Energy barrier he had hastily put up was like paper before the razor-sharp golden blood threads—it offered no resistance whatsoever, being pierced straight through. Not only that, the threads drilled clean through his skull as well.
The old man's lips trembled slightly. He stared at Yang Kai with a face full of shock, seemingly wanting to say something, but he had no strength left. The light of life in his eyes faded rapidly.
By the time Yang Kai withdrew the golden blood threads, the old man's body crashed heavily to the ground.
From the moment Yang Kai launched his attack to the end of the fight, a mere half cup of tea's time had passed. The battle was decided in that brief span, and the final outcome was the death of the stronger fighter.
The swiftness of it and the unexpected result left everyone present pale with shock.
Yang Kai himself was somewhat surprised. With his current capabilities, he had no fear of a two-layer Return to Void Realm cultivator and was fully confident in killing one, but in this entire battle he hadn't used his full strength—relying only on the golden blood threads and the Artifact Spirit fire bird to fight, with just a single use of the Born Lotus Secret Technique at the end.
It wasn't that he was trying to hold back; he simply felt there was no need to deploy too many tricks.
The old man's swift demise was undoubtedly due in large part to the Artifact Spirit fire bird. If it hadn't devoured the Qiantian Thunderfire and made the old man's situation even worse, Yang Kai wouldn't have won so easily.
Although the other battles were all being fought independently, everyone had been keeping tabs on what was happening nearby. The old man's death naturally hadn't escaped anyone's notice.
Seeing the old man in dark robes fall and Yang Kai win so effortlessly, the bald and burly Kong Wendong was struck by a mixture of rage and alarm, his expression turning ugly beyond measure. Even the leader of the Ice Heart Valley—a young woman with delicate features—had a flicker of wariness in her beautiful eyes.
She had initially thought Yang Kai wasn't particularly strong. Although she had deliberately recruited him to bolster their side, she hadn't placed much stock in him, nor had she taken the terms they'd previously agreed upon seriously. Who could have guessed that this young man was a ruthlessly fierce and extraordinarily capable fighter?
On the whole, though, the young woman was more pleased than alarmed. After all, one member of the Fire Radiance Sect had fallen. That meant her side now held the upper hand.
With that thought, she immediately called out to Yang Kai in a sweet voice: "Little brother, go quickly and help my sisters!"
"Sure!" Yang Kai nodded casually, then turned his gaze toward the Return to Void Realm first-layer warrior who had been ambushed and seriously wounded earlier.
This man was already gravely injured. Beaten by the Ice Heart Valley woman until he could barely keep his guard up, he had been holding on by a thread. Now, seeing the old man in dark robes die and Yang Kai eyeing him with ill intent, how could he not realize his situation was dire?
His shaken mental state further diminished his combat ability. Facing the fierce attacks of the Ice Heart Valley woman, he couldn't even figure out how to defend, and his desperate attempt to flee only exposed more openings.
The Ice Heart Valley woman had no intention of letting him get away. Seizing the opportunity, she drove her Artifact into his back, sending him crashing to the ground in a spray of blood. He lay there gasping, more breath leaving him than coming in.
The woman was lovely enough to step right out of a painting, but she understood the principle of striking a snake until it was dead. She immediately stepped forward and delivered a finishing blow, ending her opponent's life for good.
After her victory, she exchanged a glance with Yang Kai, and the two of them joined the fray on another front.
This particular battlefield involved two two-layer Return to Void Realm warriors who had been evenly matched. But with Yang Kai and the first-layer helper joining in, the situation changed immediately.
Three against one, the female warrior of the Fire Radiance Sect didn't even have a chance to flee. She lasted less than thirty breaths before being cut down on the spot by the two Ice Heart Valley women.
Yang Kai had played mostly a suppressive role, but his contribution was still indispensable!
The speed at which the tide of battle turned took everyone by surprise. Using Yang Kai as the breakthrough point, the Ice Heart Valley side surged into complete dominance. Of the four Fire Radiance Sect fighters, only Kong Wendong remained, still tangling with the young woman leader.
Seeing that the situation was beyond salvage, a vicious, resentful glint flashed deep in Kong Wendong's eyes. He snarled, "You cheap harlot, one day you'll pay for this!"
As he spoke, he feinted to break free of the young woman's range of attack. A ball of flame materialized around his body, wreathing him in fire as he shot off into the distance at an inconceivable speed.
No one knew what secret technique he had used.
The young woman had been caught off guard, and before she could react, he had already put several li of distance between them. Her lovely face drained of color with anxiety.
She absolutely could not let Kong Wendong escape. If he managed to bring back reinforcements, the situation here would become complicated all over again. She cried out urgently: "Stop him!"
At her shout, the other two Ice Heart Valley women immediately gave chase. But Yang Kai merely furrowed his brows, standing in place without making any move.
Whether Kong Wendong lived or died had nothing to do with him. The Fire Radiance Sect was some faction from another star—there was no threat to Yang Kai even if the man got away. What Yang Kai cared about were the treasures hidden within the secret cave dwelling. As long as he broke through its restrictions, looted everything good inside, and left at his leisure, that would be enough.