The last time
The two women at the third-order Return Void Realm were certainly powerful fighters, and in this kind of special environment their combat prowess could be pushed even further. But the Heaven and Earth Spirit in its rabbit form also enjoyed a clear terrain advantage.
An even greater one than the women!
After all, this Heaven and Earth Spirit was born from the pure, frigid qi of this very place, coalescing over tens of thousands of years until it developed sentience and gradually evolved into its current form. The world within this ice passage was essentially its own back garden.
So even though the two women fought together, they were still utterly unable to gain the upper hand over the Heaven and Earth Spirit — if anything, they were being suppressed at every turn.
"What a coincidence," Yang Kai murmured with a faint smirk, watching the two women.
"Do you recognize them?" Biluo asked curiously.
"I don't, but I know where they're from," Yang Kai replied casually, leaving Biluo completely bewildered.
Yang Kai truly didn't know these two women, but from their attire and the patterns embroidered on their robes, they were most likely powerhouses from
It looked like Ice Heart Valley had split their forces, sending one group to explore outside the Imperial Garden and another into its interior. Not putting all your eggs in one basket — a rather wise approach.
Ice Heart Valley warriors cultivated ice-attribute Cultivation techniques and secret arts, so the temptation this Heaven and Earth Spirit posed to them was unimaginable. That was probably why they had risked engaging the white rabbit in battle, only to find themselves now in a situation from which there was no escape, forced to grit their teeth and endure.
The current situation was naturally perfect for watching from the sidelines. The two Ice Heart Valley women were no weaklings — even if they couldn't defeat the Heaven and Earth Spirit, they could still cause it considerable trouble. Yang Kai could easily wait for the right moment to strike, subdue the Heaven and Earth Spirit in one decisive move, or have the Ice Phoenix remnant soul devour it.
As for whether the two women lived or died, that had nothing to do with Yang Kai. They were mere strangers thrown together by chance with no bond between them. He really wasn't in the mood to play the hero rescuing people in distress.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai shot Biluo a meaningful glance, signaling her to stay calm.
Biluo caught on immediately. She gave a slight nod, composed on the surface but inwardly seething with tension. This kind of snatching prey from a tiger's jaws was quite the thrill. She hadn't expected Yang Kai to have the audacity to secretly scheme against two third-order Return Void Realm warriors!
Still… he was the man the Madam had taken a liking to. If he lacked that sort of courage, he wouldn't be worthy of her. With that thought, Biluo actually found herself growing a little excited.
The battle on the other side continued to rage. Yang Kai and Biluo remained hidden behind the ice mountain without their presence being detected. The two Ice Heart Valley women had their entire attention consumed by the Heaven and Earth Spirit — they had no spare focus to scan their surroundings.
As time passed, the fighting grew increasingly fierce. The two Ice Heart Valley women were practically fighting with their lives on the line, desperate to carve out an escape route. By now they were drowning in regret, cursing themselves for having recklessly barged into this place to provoke the Heaven and Earth Spirit. Not only had their ambitions gone unfulfilled, but they now faced the very real danger of perishing here.
But regret was useless. Facing the attacks launched by the cold qi mobilized by the white rabbit, they could only defend desperately while trying to find a way out.
The situation was growing more dire by the moment. Both women were drenched in sweat, their beautiful faces drained of color.
Yang Kai watched coldly from nearby, searching for the opportune moment to act. Suddenly, his brow furrowed as if he had sensed something, and a warning signal surged through his heart.
This feeling… it was as though someone was watching him.
The instant that thought arose, Yang Kai quickly reined in his emotions and swept his gaze around him. His eyes passed over everything in sight, but he spotted nothing suspicious. His Divine Sense couldn't extend very far from his body, and he couldn't rely on his powerful spiritual perception to probe the surroundings either.
But he didn't believe that feeling had been an illusion. Perhaps… there really was someone else hiding in this place.
With that thought, Yang Kai lowered his head slightly. A golden gleam flared from his left eye as he pushed the World Extinguishing Demonic Eye to its absolute limit.
This time, Yang Kai finally made a discovery.
Behind another ice mountain less than thirty zhang away from him, two human figures were huddled together. He couldn't tell what kind of mysterious treasure they had used, but it had completely concealed their tracks and auras. Even with the World Extinguishing Demonic Eye, he couldn't make out their true appearances — only their blurry silhouettes.
But judging by their builds, it was unmistakably one man and one woman. And the man was missing an arm.
Jinshi of the Demon Blood Sect, and that beautiful Sect Master?
Their faces immediately surfaced in Yang Kai's mind, and his expression shifted slightly. It was only a guess, but he was fairly certain it was correct. A man-and-woman pair where the man was missing an arm — aside from the two from the Demon Blood Sect, there was no other possibility.
Unless it was an unbelievable coincidence.
So they were here too. What an inescapable run of bad luck, Yang Kai silently cursed. His relationship with the Demon Blood Sect was anything but cordial, and before entering the Imperial Garden, Jinshi had even attempted to kill him — only to be stopped by the Imperial Might's power, injuring himself in the process.