The Spirit of Heaven and Earth had been practically within her grasp, only to be snatched away midway by Yang Kai's Ice Phoenix. The emotional whiplash from gain to loss was something the Demon Blood Sect Master could hardly bear—at this moment, she wished she could flay Yang Kai alive and grind his bones to dust just to vent the hatred burning in her heart.
However, after carefully sizing up the situation before her, the beautiful woman suddenly reined in her anger and let out a delicate laugh. Her lovely eyes swept back and forth as she spoke in a soft, honeyed voice: "Young brother, we really are fated to meet again—here we are."
She gazed at Yang Kai with undisguised excitement, and as she spoke, her small pink tongue slipped out to lick her red lips, as though she had just spotted a sumptuous feast and was ravenously hungry.
"Fate certainly has a funny way of bringing people together." Yang Kai replied with a grin and a casual nod.
Bi Luo stood beside him, her delicate eyebrows raised in fury, glaring viciously at Yang Kai. She asked in a low voice, "You know this wretched woman? You worthless lecher—have you been philandering around again?"
She clearly couldn't stand the Demon Blood Sect Master's brazenly seductive demeanor and assumed there was some shady history between Yang Kai and the woman.
At her question, Yang Kai cast her a glance but couldn't be bothered to explain.
"Young brother, we all come from the Dark Star—we're practically family. Why must you interfere with my business?" The beautiful woman continued to smile radiantly, every movement seemingly brimming with irresistible charm. She swayed forward two steps on her willowy waist, her ruby lips parting as she said, "If you're smart, you'll hand over that Spirit of Heaven and Earth to me, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened. What do you say?"
"Sure thing—once we're back on the Dark Star, come find me in the Burning Sands and I'll return the Spirit of Heaven and Earth to you." Yang Kai answered with an easy smile, as if chatting idly with the Demon Blood Sect Master, showing not a hint of tension.
The woman's pretty face went cold, anger flickering through her heart. The dismissive tone in his words was so obvious even a fool could see through it. If she really waited until they returned to the Dark Star, then no matter how powerful she was, she'd never be able to enter the Burning Sands to find him—so much for returning the Spirit of Heaven and Earth.
He was plainly intending to keep it for himself.
She let out a long, melancholy sigh, and a look of wounded desolation appeared in her lovely eyes—as though she had once been seduced and abandoned by Yang Kai. She spoke slowly, "Young brother, I have no wish to be your enemy. However, if you insist on being stubborn, then I won't hesitate to teach you a lesson. Think carefully—once I make my move, you and this young lady beside you may not leave this place in one piece."
"Give it your best shot!" Yang Kai sneered.
"Insolent brat!" Jin Shi erupted in fury and growled, "Sect Master, there's no need to waste words on him. Just take this kid down first. A mere Return Void Stage One whelp dares to be this arrogant—he clearly has no idea how high the heavens reach or how deep the earth goes!"
"Mm." The Demon Blood Sect Master gave a graceful nod, an unusual gleam sparking in her lovely eyes. She giggled softly and said, "This one's mine. I've never encountered such a powerful, sturdy man before—I imagine he'll add quite a lot to my blood essence!"
That day, when they had first entered the Emperor's Court, she and Jin Shi had passed by Yang Kai as he was condensing his Will, witnessing firsthand how he withstood the Emperor's Might with his physical body alone. The Demon Blood Sect Master had been shocked to her core, recognizing that his physical constitution was far from ordinary, and she had been deeply intrigued ever since.
The more powerful a man's physical body, the more useful he was to her. Over the years, the Demon Blood Sect Master had taken her share of vigorous young warriors, but not a single one among them could hold a candle to Yang Kai.
Even without today's business about the Spirit of Heaven and Earth, had she encountered Yang Kai within the Emperor's Court, the Demon Blood Sect Master would not have let him go. Her earlier attempts at cordiality had been nothing more than a ruse to distract him and make him lower his guard.
Now that the masks had come off, there was nothing left to say.
"Then I'll take these three women!" Jin Shi let out a hearty laugh, not only claiming Bi Luo as his prize but also eyeing the two severely injured women from Ice Heart Valley, who were lying nearby without the strength to move.
Those words reached the ears of the two Ice Heart Valley women, and their faces drained of color. They silently cursed their luck. In their prime, they might not have feared Jin Shi and the Demon Blood Sect Master, but now…
Unable to muster even twenty or thirty percent of their strength, they could only place their hopes on Yang Kai. But could a mere Return Void Stage One martial artist—who was also burdened by an obviously weakened, still-recovering companion—possibly withstand the assault of that man and woman?
The two Ice Heart Valley women stared at the scene with bated breath, never blinking, terrified that Yang Kai would be killed in the first exchange.
If that happened, they too would be doomed. Much as they hated to admit it, they and Yang Kai were grasshoppers tied to the same string—if one perished, all perished.
"Boy, I know your fire-type artifact spirit is impressive, but in this place—would you dare release it to fight?" Jin Shi sneered again and again, his expression savage. One remark had struck Yang Kai's weakness dead center.
The artifact spirit was currently serving as a protective barrier around Yang Kai and Bi Luo. If he sent it out to fight, he himself could endure the freezing environment for a short while, but given Bi Luo's condition, she would likely perish instantly.
Jin Shi had seen through the fact that the fire bird artifact spirit would be completely useless in the coming battle—at best, it could only provide a measure of protection.
"And what about it?" Yang Kai shot him a cold glance, utterly unconcerned.