The smile on Zi Donglai's face froze in an instant, his cheek twitching uncontrollably.
Even Zi Long snapped his eyes open, fixing Yang Kai with a deep, piercing gaze.
Though his temperament was normally well-controlled, Yang Kai had stoked his fury to heights he hadn't felt in ages. If not for the fact that the Seven Luminance Treasure Light could devour even the power of the soul, he would have used a soul technique to turn Yang Kai into a genuine imbecile and shut him up for good.
But as things stood, no matter how much grievance he harbored against Yang Kai, he could only grit his teeth and endure it. There was nothing he could actually do to the man.
He was certain Yang Kai had seen through this predicament, which was why he was being so brazenly defiant.
"I, Zi Donglai, swear that before long I will make you endure every torture under heaven!" Zi Donglai said through clenched teeth, his voice dripping with venomous hatred.
He was truly enraged. Being humiliated by Yang Kai time and again right in front of his own father—and having his father dragged into it as well—how could he possibly let that stand? Yang Kai would have to pay a devastatingly painful price before his fury could be quelled.
"I'm so scared," Yang Kai remarked coolly, staring at Zi Donglai. "But here's the thing, kid—oaths aren't something you just toss around for fun. If you fail to uphold yours, you'll definitely face heavenly retribution!"
Zi Donglai glared at Yang Kai, jaw locked in furious silence.
He had finally realized that in a battle of words, he was no match for Yang Kai whatsoever. After all, he'd never had this kind of experience before. Yang Kai had provoked him repeatedly until his composure shattered completely, his expression twisted into something monstrous.
Beside them, Zi Long's brow furrowed.
Zi Donglai, blinded by rage, might not have caught the sinister undertone in Yang Kai's words, but Zi Long was a Void King realm powerhouse with vast experience. How could he fail to grasp the implications?
On the surface, Yang Kai's words sounded like nothing more than pointless verbal sparring. But think about it more carefully, and the sheer viciousness became clear.
Because if Zi Donglai failed to accomplish what he had sworn to do, then Yang Kai's very existence would become an inner demon haunting him!
Zi Donglai was currently at the third level of the Return Void realm. One more breakthrough and he would face the critical threshold of the Void King realm—a stage of utmost importance. If an inner demon struck during that breakthrough, it would cause catastrophic interference. In the worst case, his soul would be obliterated, and his advancement would end in utter failure.
The moment Zi Long heard Yang Kai's words, he recognized just how cunning and underhanded they truly were.
This kid wasn't actually deranged. So why, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, did he keep pushing their limits over and over, offending not only himself but Xu Wei as well? What exactly was he after?
Did he really have that much confidence that he could escape right under their noses?
Even Zi Long, with his immense cultivation and vast knowledge of the world, found himself unable to divine Yang Kai's intentions at this point.
But based on the current situation, this kid absolutely could not be allowed to live. As long as he survived, he would become a thorn in Zi Donglai's path to advancement—an inner demon that would derail his breakthrough. So... he had to die!
Zi Long silently made his decision. The moment the Seven Luminance Treasure light dissipated, he would strike with everything he had, cripple Yang Kai, and then let Zi Donglai fulfill his oath. After dealing with Yang Kai, he would go contest the Dao Comprehension Flower with Xu Wei.
He was confident that with his strength, accomplishing this would not be difficult.
"Boy!" Xu Wei called out again from across the cavern, his tone impatient. "I'll ask you one last time—are you going to cooperate with me or not?"
"Get lost!" Yang Kai turned his head toward Xu Wei's position, wearing an expression of utter contempt. "Who do you think you are? Why on earth would I need to cooperate with you?"
"Fine, fine, fine!" Xu Wei was also thoroughly incensed by Yang Kai, his expression turning cold and severe. "Then I'll just sit back and watch how you die!"
Yang Kai was a dead man—of that, there was no question. Xu Wei was certain he wouldn't even need to lift a finger; Zi Long would never let Yang Kai go. There was no point trying to win him over anymore. He might as well watch the tigers fight from the mountaintop.
"Save your breath!" Yang Kai let out a light chuckle. He stood where he was and stretched his body, cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders. A series of pops echoed through the cavern. Half talking to himself and half addressing Zi Long and Xu Wei, he said, "That's about enough. I'm done wasting my breath on the likes of you."
He struck a posture that made it seem as though he was gearing up for a grand fight.
The other three stared blankly, none of them sure what Yang Kai was planning.
But in the very next instant, all three pairs of eyes went wide as saucers. They gaped at Yang Kai's movements, astonishment washing over every face.
There, Yang Kai calmly lifted his foot and took a single step forward. Then he lifted his foot again and took another step forward.
After just two strides, he had reached the very edge of the safe zone provided by the spatial rift at his back. One more inch and he would plunge directly into the Seven Luminance Treasure Light—an exceedingly perilous position by any measure.
"What's this? Convinced you're dead anyway, so you've decided to kill yourself?" Zi Donglai sneered.
He couldn't think of any other explanation. It seemed unlikely, but it was the closest thing to the truth he could come up with.
Yang Kai raised his eyes to glance at him, paying him no mind whatsoever. He simply lifted his foot once more and stepped forward.
"Haha!" Zi Donglai burst into laughter, figuring he wouldn't even need to lift a finger to vent the hatred in his heart.
But his laughter had barely begun before it cut off abruptly.