Thinking this, the Monster Race warrior subtly flicked his wrist, shifting the trajectory of the whip he'd been about to lash Yang Kai with. It cracked against empty air with a sharp snap.
He couldn't gauge Yang Kai's depth and didn't dare act rashly. On the other hand, it was his responsibility to uphold Young Master Mitian's dignity. After all, even so many powerful Monster Race experts had bowed to Mitian — for a mere human to simply stand there was truly unacceptable.
It was a slap in the face to Mitian and an insult to the Monster Race as a whole.
The warrior found himself at a loss, not knowing what to do. He cast a pleading look toward Mitian.
"What gall you have, human — you dare not kneel when you see me?" Mitian smiled lightly, seemingly harmless, yet anyone could hear the contempt in his words.
His exalted status and supreme strength gave him every right to speak this way.
*This human is doomed!* The thought crossed many warriors' minds, and their gazes toward Yang Kai filled with sympathy.
But even more felt a sense of schadenfreude. If Yang Kai drew Mitian's attention, then this notoriously wicked Evil-Eyed Mad Young Master probably wouldn't have the spare energy to bother with Huiyue City's beautiful women.
Thinking along these lines, quite a few people actually felt grateful toward Yang Kai. They quietly pressed down the heads of the attractive women beside them, making sure their faces weren't fully visible.
"Kneel?" Yang Kai chuckled, locking eyes with Mitian without the slightest fear. "On what grounds?"
A Monster Race creature had the audacity to demand he kneel? Yang Kai was amused by the sheer arrogance of it.
In truth, he had no desire to stir up trouble on Dichen Star. If Mitian had simply pretended not to see him, the whole thing would have blown over and no one would have said a word. But now, conflict seemed unavoidable, and Yang Kai was not one to back down.
"Because you're human!" Mitian snorted coldly, his presence still imposing. "When humans see me, they must kneel!"
As if sensing his fury, the two Thunderfire Flying Lizards pulling the carriage grew agitated, turning their heads to fix their gaze on Yang Kai's position. Steam hissed from their nostrils, and their beastly pupils radiated a bloodthirsty, cruel light.
The people around Yang Kai's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, they scattered, no longer daring to stay near him. They feared that when the city gate caught fire, the fish in the moat would suffer too.
In an instant, within a radius of over ten zhang around Yang Kai, he was the only one remaining.
He stood out even more now.
"Human, on Dichen Star, you'd better not be so insolent — otherwise, you'll pay a devastating price!" Mitian regarded Yang Kai with an indifferent expression. Even the two stunning women beside him glared at Yang Kai with narrowed eyes, as though he were the most discourteous person in the world.
"Dichen Star is the territory of our Monster Race. You, a human... tch, you'd best keep your tail between your legs. I'm not an petty man — considering this is your first offense, I can pretend I didn't see it. Kneel, and I'll spare your life!" Mitian extended a finger and pointed downward with a commanding air, every inch the entitled aristocrat.
"And if I don't?" Yang Kai's eyes glinted cold as he continued to smile at Mitian.
"That's not for you to decide!" Mitian snorted.
The moment those words left his lips, the Thunderfire Flying Lizard on the left suddenly opened its massive jaws. A ball of fire crackling with arcs of electricity materialized in an instant and hurtled straight toward Yang Kai with overwhelming force.
Feeling the searing heat and the terrifying destructive power contained within the fireball, many warriors' faces went pale with shock.
Most of them had heard of the Thunderfire Flying Lizard's fearsome reputation but had never witnessed it firsthand. Today, they were finally seeing it for themselves.
No wonder it was said that even second-level Return Void realm cultivators would flee at the mere sight of a Thunderfire Flying Lizard. This single fireball alone was not something an ordinary Return Void cultivator could withstand.
The terrifying fireball hurtled toward him, yet Yang Kai simply stood there as if unaware of the danger. Only when it was nearly upon him did he suddenly spread his hand wide and reach out to grab it.
*Seeking death!* The thought flashed through the minds of every warrior watching.
How could the Thunderfire Flying Lizard's attack be so easily neutralized? This kid looked like he wasn't right in the head — trying to block it with his bare body. No wonder he'd dared to challenge Mitian.
What happened next left them all stunned.
When Yang Kai's hand closed around the fireball, he was not, as they expected, instantly reduced to ashes. Instead, a soft *pop* sounded from the fireball in his grip.
An enigmatic wave of power rippled outward, flickering and vanishing in the blink of an eye. The terrifying fireball shrank rapidly, like a deflating balloon, until it disappeared entirely.
Yang Kai stood there without a scratch.
A chorus of sharp intakes of breath filled the air.
Mitian finally sat up straight, gently pushing aside the woman who had been half-draped across his legs. A look of genuine regard entered his eyes.
"Not bad — second-level Return Void!" Mitian bared his teeth in a grin, revealing a row of snow-white fangs. "No wonder you're so brazen. So you actually have some skill!"
The instant Yang Kai had made his move, Mitian had already seen through his cultivation level.
Second-level Return Void — on Dichen Star, that was already considered respectable. And for a human at that!
Dichen Star was dominated by the Monster Race. Although it was rich in resources and blessed with dense spiritual energy, human cultivators rarely produced Return Void realm experts. Anyone with such talent had long since been strangled in the cradle.
The Monster Race would never allow humanity to rise to power. They kept humans surviving in the cracks solely because they valued the unique talents humans possessed. There was no way they'd give humanity a chance to turn the tables.