Yang Kai landed lightly on a lotus leaf and raised his gaze toward what lay ahead.
Only now did he have the opportunity to size up his visitor.
To his surprise, the man turned out to be a half-aged elder, short of stature—Yang Kai estimated he'd be a full head shorter even when standing straight. His complexion was dark as the bottom of a wok, no different from Yan Pei's infamous black face back at the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Perhaps because his precious treasure had been claimed by Yang Kai, his already dark face had grown even blacker.
He wore crude garments fashioned from some unknown sea beast's hide, tattered and hanging in strips, exposing bulging muscles that jutted out like mounds, brimming with explosive power that commanded attention.
It had to be said, aside from his diminutive height, the old man's proportions were remarkably well-balanced—the most direct and obvious testament to formidable physical prowess.
The elder clearly hadn't anticipated that Yang Kai could take his punch head-on and hold his own. After landing, he furrowed his brow slightly, then immediately charged forward at even greater speed, roaring, "Brat, surrender your life! Today, either you die or I perish!"
Yang Kai had harvested two-thirds of the Chaos Sky Lotus—that was practically worse than robbing the old man of his life. How could he possibly let Yang Kai go?
If it were possible, Yang Kai would have preferred not to get into a muddled fight with someone like this. But one look at the elder's expression and tone told him there was no room for a peaceful resolution. Besides, he rarely encountered an opponent of this caliber, and the thrill of the chase surged within him. Rather than retreating, he laughed and charged forward to meet the attack.
Midair, the two figures clashed and separated in a single instant. It was a long while before the violent boom of their collision finally reached them.
The second exchange was no different—the two were still dead even, neither gaining an edge. There was no time to catch their breath before they charged at each other once more.
The little dolphin hid in the island's lake, gazing upward, its eyes brimming with worry.
Boom, boom, boom…
The island was rocked by a continuous stream of explosions as Yang Kai and the elder gradually shifted the battlefield, careful not to disturb the sea lotuses in the lake.
On this point, both shared the same concern—neither wanted to destroy those precious alchemy ingredients.
After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, the battlefield had been relocated entirely to the open sea.
With no more reservations, Yang Kai's eyes blazed bright as he pushed the power of his physical body to its absolute limit, grappling with the nameless elder in a storm of fists and kicks.
This savage, brutal style of combat gave him a thrill unlike anything he had ever experienced. He roared with laughter, utterly heedless of his own injuries, looking for all the world as though he was ready to trade his life blow for blow with the elder.
Not once did he show a hint of defeat.
The elder's expression turned grave. A chill crept into his heart.
He had been on Phantom Island for several hundred years now, long since figuring out what kind of Cultivation path one needed to choose in order to survive here. He had believed his physical body had already reached an exceptionally high level — enough to rank among the very top of the Star Domain. Yet he never expected that a youth who had just suddenly appeared would be able to fight him to such a standstill.
This young man's physical quality was in no way inferior to his own!
The sound of bones cracking echoed continuously, and blood splattered through the air.
The elder was shocked to discover that the youth's blood was not red — it was a golden hue.
Within that golden blood lurked a life force and energy fluctuation so powerful it left him stunned, as though the youth's very blood could rival the most precious divine materials!
"Kid, your luck ends here!" The elder's eyes turned vicious. With a flip of his wrist, an iron hammer-shaped Artifact suddenly appeared in his palm. Seizing the opening while Yang Kai was still deflecting his previous punch, he swung it with devastating force, smashing it straight toward Yang Kai's forehead.
Even though he couldn't channel Saint Essence and thus couldn't unleash the Artifact's full power, wielded by the elder's immense strength alone, this hammer was still capable of splitting heaven and earth.
If it connected, Yang Kai's head would absolutely be reduced to dust.
Yang Kai hadn't anticipated that this old wretch would be so cunning either. Watching the hammer close in, his pupils contracted slightly. He quickly tilted his head to the side, and at the same time, a five-colored radiance suddenly bloomed from his body.
The radiance swirled and shifted, and gradually a yellowish earthy glow came to dominate, coating the outside of Yang Kai's body.
Indestructible Five Elements Sword! Earth Sword Qi!
The Earth Sword Qi Yang Kai cultivated drew its power from Da Yan Divine Sand, a rare Void King-grade material that possessed extremely high defensive properties.
Under the control of Yang Kai's spiritual sense, the Earth Sword Qi quickly coalesced into the shape of a shield, blocking the incoming hammer.
Boom...
The earthy yellow energy shield was blasted apart, and the hammer smashed onto Yang Kai's shoulder. His body sank slightly under the impact, but he adjusted in the next instant. He ferociously grinned, crouched low, and burst into the elder's defense perimeter, thrusting both hands violently upward.
The elder shrieked in alarm and retreated hastily, but he still couldn't dodge this desperate counterattack.
His chin was struck by Yang Kai's hands, and his entire head snapped violently backward. If his physical body cultivation hadn't been strong enough, this single blow would have been enough to send him to the yellow springs.
Even so, the elder saw stars and nearly blacked out.
Staggering back over a dozen meters, before he could even regain his footing, he cast a wary glance at Yang Kai and then swiftly fled!
Yang Kai frowned, standing his ground without giving chase. Only after the elder's figure disappeared from sight did he roll the shoulder that had been struck by the hammer.
A series of cracking sounds rang out as the dislocated bones reset into place.