After searching high and low for an entire year, the disciples of Fire Radiance Sect had finally stumbled upon the very person they had been hunting — completely by accident. Yan Chilei was overjoyed.
In that instant, he finally understood why Yu Xueqing had been redeploying her forces and launching frenzied attacks in recent days to divert Fire Radiance Sect's attention.
She had been feinting in one direction while smuggling her real objective through another!
Moreover, judging from the direction this group had been heading, they were indeed taking the route back to Ice Extinction Island.
"So that's how it is!" Yan Chilei nodded slightly, then turned his gaze toward Yu Xueqing. "So this was your goal all along. What a pity — now that Yan has run into you, failure is certain!"
Yu Xueqing's heart sank. She shot Yang Kai a glare, blaming him for running his mouth and bringing trouble upon himself, while shouting urgently, "What are you standing around for?! Run! No matter what, we have to get this boy to Ice Extinction Island!"
The moment she finished speaking, Yu Xueqing surged her Saint Source with full force. A column of freezing air visibly radiated outward from her position, spreading madly in every direction.
The cold was so intense it seemed to freeze heaven and earth. A thick layer of ice immediately spread across the ground.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh...
Countless ice spikes materialized behind Yu Xueqing, sharp and gleaming with a frigid light. With a graceful flick of her hand, the innumerable ice cones shot toward the Fire Radiance Sect cultivators like a plague of locusts.
"I've long heard of the Thirteenth Elder's great reputation! Yan is here to play — let's hope you don't disappoint me!" Yan Chilei bellowed, utterly unfaced by the barrage of ice spikes, and blasted out a single punch.
A deafening crack echoed as scorching intent erupted into the void. A titanic fist forged of flame surged forward to meet the ice.
Boom boom boom...
The ice spikes shattered by the hundreds, and the flame fist gradually diminished until it dissipated into nothing.
"Brother Jiang, do as you see fit with the others, but that boy must be taken alive!" After annihilating Yu Xueqing's attack in a single strike, Yan Chilei closed in on her at terrifying speed while issuing his orders.
"Heh heh heh... With those words, this old man can relax!" Jiang Xi let out a sinister laugh and activated his Poison Arts.
In an instant, the sky and earth within a ten-li radius were engulfed by a layer of multicolored poison mist, like an inverted bowl sealing the area tight. A nauseating stench permeated the entire space, making anyone who inhaled it want to vomit. Every Ice Heart Valley disciple who caught a whiff felt dizzy and weak. Their Saint Source became sluggish and difficult to circulate.
"No good — it's Jiang Xi's Annihilation Poison Mist!" one Ice Heart Valley disciple screamed in terror.
"No matter what, we have to get him out first!" Another woman followed Yu Xueqing's orders to the letter, calling out urgently to rally the others.
The Ice Heart Valley disciples snapped back to their senses.
Over the past year, at least a thousand of their sisters had perished out in the world, all for the sake of finding Yang Kai. Now that they had finally located him, if he were snatched away here, then those thousand lives would have been lost for nothing.
"Come with us!" A woman dressed as a young matron shouted at Yang Kai.
With Yu Xueqing tied up by Yan Chilei, the others looked to her as their leader.
"Can we even get away?" Yang Kai studied her, then slowly shook his head. "That old man is stronger than all of you, and this poison mist is no joke. If we try to flee, you'll be played to death."
"Why do you keep running your mouth?! We told you to run, so run!" The woman's teeth were nearly grinding together as she snapped. "He's incredibly powerful — we can't possibly fight him!"
"How powerful?" Yang Kai's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Peak third stage of the Void Return Realm! On Chilan Star, he's one of the candidates most likely to advance to the Void King Realm. Only the top five Elders of our Ice Heart Valley can hope to contend with him. Don't be reckless."
"Indeed quite powerful." Yang Kai nodded casually.
"You..." The woman was seething. Yang Kai's nonchalant attitude infuriated her. She had spelled out just how dire the situation was, and he didn't seem to care at all. Was he going to drag them all down with him?
"We've already missed our best window," another woman beside them said somberly.
Hearing this, the woman let out a heavy sigh.
If they had moved the instant the Thirteenth Elder had warned them, there might have been a chance to escape. But with Yang Kai stalling, what hope of survival remained?
Jiang Xi harbored a deep hatred for Ice Heart Valley. His strength was monstrous, and the Poison Arts he cultivated were treacherous and nearly impossible to guard against. The fate of this group of sisters was looking grim.
The thought made the woman glare at Yang Kai with bared teeth. "If we die, it'll be your fault. Even in the underworld, I won't let you off."
"What's with all the doom and gloom?" Yang Kai remained completely unconcerned. "Just kill him, problem solved."
The woman froze. Every Ice Heart Valley disciple stared at Yang Kai as though looking at a complete idiot, thinking that men really were stupid creatures. Did he have no idea about the gulf in power between himself and Jiang Xi? To say something so absurd with a straight face.
While the group had been distracted, a layer of the same multicolored poison mist had already risen around Jiang Xi, completely obscuring his figure. Only his bone-chilling, malicious laughter drifted out from within.
"Come along, little ones — but remember, don't you dare kill anyone! These Ice Heart Valley sluts all belong to this old man. I want to teach them that you can't judge a book by its cover!" Jiang Xi's sinister voice cut through the mist.
The Fire Radiance Sect warriors all rolled their eyes, but since they couldn't match his strength, they could only nod in compliance and follow close behind Jiang Xi. Flames surged from their bodies with overwhelming ferocity as they charged toward the Ice Heart Valley group.