In the Meteorite Sea, Yang Kai stared blankly at the two women not far away, visibly surprised.
Those two women were undoubtedly even more surprised than Yang Kai. When the pursuing Return Void Realm cultivator had inexplicably died, both women had cried out in unison, whipping their heads around to look, clearly trying to spot who had come to their aid.
There was no one around. They finally turned their gazes back to Yang Kai, and a suspicion had already taken root in their hearts. Disbelief flickered in both pairs of beautiful eyes.
"Why are you just standing there? Get over here quickly!" Yang Kai called out in a low voice, beckoning with his hand as he spoke.
Only then did the two women snap back to reality. They exchanged a glance, then one turned and alighted three zhang in front of Yang Kai, sizing him up with expressions caught between shock and uncertainty.
Yang Kai regarded them with a grin, raising an eyebrow. "What? Haven't seen me in years and you don't recognize me?"
Hearing him say this, both women finally let out a heavy breath of relief, confirming that their guess had been correct. But that only made everything feel even more incredible. The older of the two covered her small mouth with her hand and whispered, "Yang Kai?"
"Is it really you? Was that person just now killed by you? How did you become so powerful? And what are you doing here?" The younger-looking woman rattled off a string of questions without pause, then suddenly grew wary, clenching her teeth. "Don't tell me you're one of Li Minghai's people?"
Once she started talking, it was as if she would never stop, and Yang Kai had no time to answer her questions.
The older sister studied Yang Kai carefully and slowly shook her head. "Little sister, don't talk nonsense. If he were one of Li Minghai's people, why would he have helped us just now?"
Yang Kai chuckled, glancing at the younger girl with a teasing look. "He Miao, you're still as rash as ever, aren't you?"
He Miao blushed at his words, fidgeting slightly. "Sorry about that, I was just... a bit too shaken."
"It's fine." Yang Kai smiled faintly. He looked at the two women and sighed with emotion. "I never imagined that after all these years, I'd run into you two again in a place like this."
These two women were none other than He Zao and He Miao, the very first martial artists Yang Kai had encountered when he first entered the Star Field.
So many years had passed since they had parted ways after leaving the Suspended Continent. They had never seen each other again since. So encountering them now had genuinely surprised Yang Kai. But thinking about it more carefully, it made sense — He Zao and He Miao were both martial artists of the Sword Union, and their presence here wasn't impossible.
It was just bad luck that the two sisters had gotten dragged into this sort of mess.
"It really has been so many years," He Zao said with a touch of nostalgia. "I can't believe you've become this powerful. That person just now — you killed him, didn't you?"
"Mm."
Even though they had already guessed as much, Yang Kai's confirmation still left the sisters momentarily speechless with shock.
Back when they had first met Yang Kai, he had only been at the first level of the Origin Return Stage. The sisters had both been slightly ahead of him in cultivation — He Zao at the third level and He Miao at the second level.
Nearly thirty years had passed since then. Both sisters had advanced to the third level of the Saint King Realm, which spoke to their considerable talent and rapid progress.
But compared to Yang Kai, they still seemed to fall short!
To instantly kill a Return Void Realm cultivator at the second level — even in a sneak attack — meant that Yang Kai had at minimum reached the Return Void Realm himself. Perhaps... the third level of the Return Void Realm!
Because in the instant Yang Kai had struck just now, He Zao had sensed energy fluctuations no weaker than those of Young Union Master Gu Jianxin.
Both sisters were deeply shaken.
Suddenly, He Zao's expression changed, and she spoke up. "Yang Kai, could I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Please save my master!"
"Your master?" Yang Kai frowned. He quickly realized who she meant — that beautiful woman, Yue Xi!
Back when they had been stranded on the Suspended Continent, He Zao and He Miao's master Yue Xi had been there as well. Yang Kai had interacted with her to some extent, though their relationship had been less than pleasant. Yang Kai had come from a remote, backwater place, and his cultivation was low at the time, so Yue Xi had looked down on him.
On top of that, Yang Kai had killed one of Yue Xi's disciples back then, which made her despise him all the more.
However, due to various circumstances, Yue Xi had eventually changed her impression of Yang Kai and even used his strength to successfully escape from the Suspended Continent. And as it turned out, that disciple of hers hadn't been a good person either — his death was no great loss.
"Yue Xi is here too?" Yang Kai craned his neck toward the battlefield again, but all he could see was a vast expanse of dazzling light, making it impossible to tell who was fighting.
He Zao's face was taut with anxiety. "We were only able to escape because our master held the enemy off, but her situation is dire. I don't know how much longer she can hold on. Yang Kai, could you..."
She clearly knew this request was asking a lot. The battlefield was utter chaos, and there were Void King Realm powerhouses fighting in it. Anyone who charged in could be ground to dust in an instant.
But as a mere third-level Saint King Realm cultivator, she had no way to assist Yue Xi. Her only option was to swallow her pride and plead with Yang Kai.
"Big Brother Yang..." He Miao called softly, her face full of desperate entreaty. She had lost all her usual spark and seemed utterly at a loss. The thought that the master who had raised her might fall on that battlefield was enough to bring tears to her eyes.