The white-haired old man spoke thus, then curiously glanced at Yang Kai and chuckled lightly. "Young man, you're human, aren't you? Why are you colluding with a demon woman?"
"Colluding?" Yang Kai frowned. "Old sir, that's quite an accusation, isn't it?"
The old man shook his head. "Humans are humans, demons are demons. Humans hunt demons, and demons hunt humans — the two races have always been at odds. Now you've thrown in your lot with a demon woman. What else would you call it if not collusion?"
He had assumed, subconsciously, that the stronger cultivator, Xue Sun, was in charge and that Yang Kai was taking her orders.
"I'm asking you — this demon woman said that Brother Li and his junior sister have already perished. Is that true?" The old man's expression suddenly turned harsh as he growled the question at Yang Kai.
"Yes. I saw them die with my own eyes." Yang Kai nodded slightly.
"You were involved?" The old man narrowed his eyes, a killing intent faintly radiating from within.
"That's right."
"Why?"
"Justice demanded it — I saw an injustice and drew my sword!" Yang Kai answered in a steady voice.
Xue Sun, hearing this, subtly curled her lips from the side.
"Good, good, good!" The old man nodded repeatedly, his tone utterly cold. "You've got the nerve to own up to it. You've got some courage, boy. I've memorized your face now. Remember this — the Blood Prison will be your grave."
Yang Kai flashed a brilliant smile. "Old sir, before you talk big, you might want to check whether you've got the weight to back it up. Careful — a strong wind might just blow your tongue out."
The old man let out a cold, rasping laugh. "Whether I've got the weight, I know well enough. I won't argue with you now. Allow me to claim this Domain Stone first."
"Domain Stone?" Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, his tone turning arrogant. "The Domain Stone is mine. Don't even think about touching it."
The old man froze. The other two were equally stunned. Then all three burst into hearty laughter.
The one-eyed man sneered with undisguised contempt. "A brat who hasn't even finished growing his hair wants to take the Domain Stone? You'd better go back and cultivate for a few more decades first — get your realm up to something decent. The youth these days have no sense of what's what. A second-stage Return to Void cultivator dares to wade into the Blood Prison."
"You fools. I can't be bothered with the likes of you. I'm taking the Domain Stone, and that's that." Yang Kai curled his lip in disdain and strode toward the interior of the domain vortex.
"Be careful!" Xue Sun's face went pale as she quickly called out a warning.
She had already experienced the terrifying power of this vortex firsthand. She knew full well how formidable it was.
The white-haired old man and his two companions also turned to stare in astonishment. They hadn't expected Yang Kai to simply waltz straight into the domain vortex like that — was he courting death?
The old man couldn't help but let out a derisive snort, an amused smile playing on his face as he settled in to watch the show.
He was certain Yang Kai would be shredded by the domain vortex!
But the next instant, his smile froze on his face.
The very domain vortex that he and his companions had been so wary of failed to impede Yang Kai in the slightest. The big-talking youth strode forward with long, confident steps, leaving footprints behind him as he ventured inward, treating the domain vortex as though it were nothing at all.
The old man drew in a sharp breath, his gaze going slack as he watched Yang Kai's movements with increasing focus.
He could clearly see that Yang Kai's body was suffused with the power of force — a force no weaker than his own, and possibly far stronger. The formless, insubstantial field of force wrapped around Yang Kai like a perfect suit of armor, shielding him on all sides and allowing him to walk inward unimpeded.
Fortunately, this state of affairs didn't last long. After venturing inward less than twenty zhang, the young man's pace began to slow. After another ten zhang, he came to a complete stop.
Yang Kai closed his eyes, sensing the wondrous fluctuations around him, contemplating the mysteries of this domain.
Seeing this, the old man finally let out a long breath of relief.
If Yang Kai had truly walked straight to the center without breaking stride and claimed the Domain Stone, the old man might well have coughed up blood.
Fortunately, this kid was strange, but he wasn't truly immune to the domain vortex. He still had to comprehend its mysteries before he could reach the deepest point.
There was still a chance! The old man's eyes blazed with determination. He surged to his feet, ignoring the tremendous burden on his body, and pushed forward a short distance.
The other two, seeing this, were not about to be outdone and likewise advanced a stretch.
The domain vortex grew more powerful the closer one got to its center, and the pressure on the cultivators within it naturally increased as well. If one couldn't withstand it, the end result was being ground apart by the domain.
That was why cultivators inside a domain vortex generally exercised restraint when contemplating its mysteries — they didn't dare to push too far too fast, lest they court their own destruction.
Before Yang Kai's arrival, the old man and his two companions had planned to advance toward the center methodically, inching their way toward the Domain Stone at a gradual pace. They had the confidence to do so.
But Yang Kai's appearance and his bizarre performance had made them acutely aware of the danger. They realized that if they didn't speed up, the Domain Stone might well slip from their grasp.
The chaotic domain forces surrounding them made everyone wary of attacking each other — doing so could easily trigger a domain backlash, bringing suffering upon oneself.
If not for that, the old man and his companions would certainly have joined forces to eliminate Yang Kai first. As it stood, the contest had come down to this: whoever reached the center of the vortex first and claimed the Domain Stone would be the winner.