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That was exactly how he had dealt with the artifact spirit Fire Bird.
To capture Yang Kai alive, Qi Tianche had spared no effort. Through multiple rounds of investigation, the intelligence he had gathered told him that Yang Kai had many terrifying allies at his side.
But he had absolute confidence in the Mystic World Bead.
The Mystic World Bead was one of the two Imperial Treasures. He had refined it and could control certain Laws within it. As long as he kept Yang Kai's helpers out of the equation, a mere Return Void Realm first-stage cultivator was not someone he feared in the slightest. Once he captured Yang Kai alive, he could not only extract the secrets of Space Force from him but also force Ye Xiyun into a desperate corner — and even return to the ancestral grounds of the Taixuan Sect. It would be killing four birds with one stone!
From the very beginning, he had never intended to fight Ye Xiyun to the death. His target had always been Yang Kai.
The vortex that had appeared once before materialized again, unleashing a terrifying suction force that sought to devour the Stone Puppet.
"Dream on!" Yang Kai roared, thrusting his hand toward the vortex in a violent grasping motion. Dense Space Force rippled outward, and the vortex shattered explosively under his grip. The Stone Puppet, whose movements had been disrupted, broke free and regained its freedom.
Yang Kai laughed heartily. "Old man, it seems your mastery of this world's Laws is somewhat lacking."
Qi Tianche's expression darkened, and a creeping sense of unease stirred within him.
He had never expected Yang Kai to be able to break even this technique of his. In a contest of Space Force mastery, even he — having refined the Mystic World Bead — was no match for the young man.
The Stone Puppet moved with the speed of wind. The instant it broke free from the suction, it took a massive stride forward and swung its staff down hard.
Qi Tianche didn't dare take the hit head-on and scrambled to dodge.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar grazed past his body, and his flank went numb once more.
Before he could even steady himself, a fierce wind descended from above, accompanied by Yang Kai's thunderous shout: "Let's see you take a punch from me, old thing!"
"Bring it on!" Qi Tianche's face registered surprise, but far more than that — delight.
Yang Kai had not summoned an Artifact, nor had he unleashed any secret technique. He wanted to meet him in pure physical combat. For one, the battlefield didn't permit anything else. For another, Qi Tianche was supremely confident in his own bodily constitution. Now, seeing Yang Kai foolishly try to match him blow for blow, he was naturally overjoyed.
He thought Yang Kai had let his recent success go to his head.
He feared the Stone Giant's strength — that was true enough. But that didn't mean he was afraid of a mere Yang Kai.
Without a moment's hesitation, he threw a punch to meet the attack.
Fists collided with a deafening boom.
Yang Kai's body shot backward like an arrow loosed from a bow, while Qi Tianche let out a muffled grunt. The sheer force drove him three feet deep into the ground.
His expression changed drastically.
Though they had only exchanged a single blow, a man of his experience and knowledge could easily see that Yang Kai's physical constitution was every bit as formidable as his own. In that exchange, both had suffered equally — neither had gained an advantage.
How was this possible?
He had lived for hundreds, even thousands of years. From the moment he had stepped onto the martial path, he had placed great emphasis on tempering his physical body. He had cultivated body-tempering secret arts, and his physique now was several times stronger than that of cultivators at the same level. He could even withstand a direct blow from an average Void-grade high-rank Artifact without issue.
But how old was this kid? How had he trained? How could he possibly possess such a powerful physical body?
The astonishing vital force radiating from within Yang Kai was something Qi Tianche simply could not believe.
Before the thought had even finished forming, the Stone Puppet's Heaven Shaking Pillar came sweeping toward him again.
This time, Qi Tianche had no way to dodge. More than half his body was embedded in the earth, and as the pitch-black staff hurtled toward his face, he drew a deep breath. The faint metallic glow that had been emanating from his body suddenly blazed brilliant, and in an instant, his entire form appeared to be sheathed in some mysterious metal, gleaming with an indescribable hardness.
He clenched both fists and raised both arms to shield his face.
The next moment, the Heaven Shaking Pillar struck.
Boom…
Qi Tianche was sent tumbling through the air by the tremendous force, flying all the way to the edge of this small Mystic World before crashing heavily to the ground. His face went pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Staggering to his feet, he gazed ahead with a grim expression.
That blow had cost him dearly. The Heaven Shaking Pillar had been forged from Celestial Crystal Mystic Iron — a relic passed down from ancient times that Yang Kai had brought out from the Emperor's Paradise.
Celestial Crystal Mystic Iron was a top-grade Void King-level material. A piece the size of a palm weighed ten thousand jin. If even a small amount was incorporated during Artifact forging, it would render the Artifact extraordinarily durable and nearly indestructible.
The Heaven Shaking Pillar was forged entirely from this extraordinary material, making it impossibly heavy.
Yang Kai could just barely lift it, but swinging it around was out of the question.
Only a unique being like the Stone Puppet could wield such an extraordinary Artifact.
Raw power overcame all technique. No matter how many hundreds or thousands of years Qi Tianche had spent cultivating his body-tempering arts, he could not withstand the violent strike of the Heaven Shaking Pillar.
"How does that taste?" Yang Kai shook his wrist, standing casually a short distance away. His hand still ached from the fist exchange with Qi Tianche earlier.
"Not bad!" Qi Tianche forced himself to compose his expression and gave a slight nod. "Sect Master Yang is truly formidable. Given time, you will surely become the brightest rising star of the Dark Star — perhaps even unify it entirely. What a pity you've run into this old man. You won't get that chance."
Metallic light flickered across his body as Qi Tianche charged toward Yang Kai with a solemn expression.