"In her chambers, Chi Yue murmured softly, 'That kid Xue Lian has already mastered the essence of his Flood Dragon Form.' She focused her attention ever more intently on the commotion coming from the pavilion."
As one of the Ten Great Territory Lords, she certainly wouldn't rush over to watch the fight like Shan Qingluo and Yu Xiong. That would be far too beneath her station. But with her formidable Divine Sense, covert observation was no problem, and she didn't need to worry about being discovered.
Truth be told, Yang Kai's battle with Xue Lian had truly made her eyes light up.
Who was Xue Lian? He was the son of the Blood Flood Dragon Territory Lord, the successor the Blood Flood Dragon Territory Lord had groomed with all his effort, the future master of the Blood Flood Dragon Territory. With his powerful cultivation at the third level of the Void Return Realm, he had actually failed to defeat Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai could fight an ordinary third-level Void Return Realm cultivator to a standstill, that alone would mark him as a heaven-blessed genius. But his opponent was Xue Lian.
She hadn't expected that Yang Kai, a mere human, could actually force Xue Lian to unleash his Flood Dragon Form in a contest of physical strength.
Even among the demon race's powerhouses, very few could accomplish such a thing.
And Yang Kai had done it—as a human!
Such a thing had never happened on the Star of Dichen. The human cultivators of Dichen were suppressed by the demon race, starved of cultivation resources, and few had even reached the Void Return Realm, let alone anyone who could face the Blood Flood Dragon Territory Lord's son head-on!
Chi Yue's face betrayed her shock. She silently berated herself for having misjudged him, for failing to see Yang Kai's true capabilities.
Still... she wondered about his attainments in other areas. If his overall strength truly was this impressive, then he would be worthy of Shan Qingluo, and making this match happen wouldn't be out of the question.
That way, not only could she win Shan Qingluo's heart, but she could also bring a powerful ally under her wing—a win-win.
After the incident with Ba He two hundred years ago, Chi Yue no longer dared to be too authoritarian in opposing such matters. She feared provoking Shan Qingluo's resentment, feared making her repeat Ba He's mistake.
"I hope you won't disappoint me!"
With these thoughts in mind, Chi Yue concealed her divine sense around the battlefield, watching for any developments.
Outside the pavilion, Yang Kai stood with furrowed brows, regarding Xue Lian with an odd expression.
At this moment, Xue Lian's form was hideous and terrifying. Blood-red scales covered every inch of his exposed skin, red light steaming off his body, his battle spirit soaring high. Taking in the strange look on Yang Kai's face, he threw back his head and laughed. "Human—are you afraid? If you're afraid, it's not too late to beg for mercy!"
"Is trash talk all you're good at?" Yang Kai scoffed, the peculiar expression on his face growing even more pronounced.
The instant Xue Lian unleashed his Flood Dragon Form, Yang Kai had felt a force within his body stir restlessly, surging toward the surface almost beyond his control.
This greatly surprised him.
Once he figured out exactly which force was causing this reaction, he relaxed.
Yang Kai didn't let that mysterious power erupt. Instead, he suppressed it, and suddenly a five-colored radiance emanated from his body. The radiance seemed almost alive as it coiled around him, constantly shifting and flowing.
Yang Kai, already not weak in presence, experienced an instant explosion in his aura!
"What is that?" Ba He was stunned, craning his neck to peer at Yang Kai.
"Damn—he really wasn't using his full power? This guy is terrifying!" Yu Xiong's eyes nearly popped out of his head, his face a mask of disbelief.
Mi Tian, watching from afar, was equally stunned. He had assumed that once Xue Lian unleashed his Flood Dragon Form, Yang Kai's defeat was inevitable. Yet in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai had actually deployed some wondrous secret art of his own to boost his strength.
Human secret arts—truly profound and vast! Mi Tian's spirits soared as he stared unblinkingly at Yang Kai, seemingly trying to divine the true function of that five-colored radiance.
The five-colored radiance was distinct in its hues—yellow, azure, white, red, gold—intertwining with one another, each emanating a different aura. Yet these five auras fused together perfectly, without the slightest sense of disharmony.
Indestructible Five Elements Sword Qi!
The reason Yang Kai possessed such extraordinary physical strength was twofold: first, his foundation had always been solid; second, he had consumed vast quantities of Life Nectar, which had produced large amounts of pure Golden Blood, greatly enriching his blood energy and vital force.
Moreover, his cultivation of the Indestructible Five Elements Sword had elevated his physical strength to an entirely new level.
It was a wondrous body-tempering technique.
When Yang Kai had cultivated it, the Five Elements treasures he'd used had been of extremely high quality, so the results were naturally remarkable.
The Indestructible Five Elements Sword had now reached minor completion—more than sufficient to wield against any opponent!
Seeing Yang Kai enveloped in the five-colored radiance, Xue Lian paused for a moment. But soon a savage grin spread across his face. "Good, good, good! Human, it looks like you've played your trump card too. Then let's see which of us is truly stronger!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, his body transformed into a streak of crimson light that shot toward Yang Kai.
The red light resembled a mass of blood-colored clouds that hurtled directly above Yang Kai's head, splitting open and crashing down upon him, attempting to swallow him whole. The blood mist pervading the area was filled with an incredibly malevolent and violent aura, pulling at the deepest savage instincts within Yang Kai's heart, causing his eyes to turn crimson.
Yang Kai let out a deep shout. The five-colored radiance surged brilliantly, transforming into five layers of energy armor that encased him. Blinding golden light erupted from both fists—in an instant, Yang Kai's fists seemed covered in countless tiny golden needles as he unleashed a furious barrage against the blood cloud.
Among the Indestructible Five Elements Sword Qi, the metal element was the sharpest with the greatest destructive power, while the earth element excelled in defense. The Five Elements complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses, achieving absolute perfection.