"I'm so scared!" Yang Kai made an exaggeratedly theatrical expression, pressing his hand to his chest as though he truly were terrified. But the next instant, his face turned ice-cold and he said in a frigid voice, "Though that has nothing to do with you. If anyone from your Purple Star comes after me, I'll kill one if they send one, and two if they send a pair. I wonder how many Void King realm cultivators your Purple Star has for me to slaughter."
As he spoke, a cruel smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Zi Donglai began trembling from head to toe. The moment Yang Kai's gaze locked onto him, his entire body went cold. He could tell the other party wasn't bluffing or joking. Panic seized him and he screamed, "Father! Save me!"
He didn't even have the courage to fight Yang Kai. He simply cried out to Zi Long for help.
Figures like him, Xue Yue, and Gu Jianxin—young prodigies of their generation—should have possessed ironclad martial will. They should have been the type to grow stronger against opposition, to become braver with every setback. When Gu Jianxin had been ambushed by Li Minghai, he had charged in without a second thought to fight back.
Xue Yue, too, would never have screamed for help if she found herself in such a situation. She would have found a way to fight her enemy on her own.
So what if it was a Void King realm cultivator? Among the younger generation of geniuses, who didn't treat cross-realm combat as an everyday affair? If you lost the will to fight the moment someone one realm above you set their sights on you, then what was the point of Cultivation going forward?
A warrior who could only revel among peers would never reach the summit of the Martial Dao.
Zi Donglai had already forfeited all qualification to become one of the Star Field's future powerhouses. Ever since crossing paths with Yang Kai, he had been humiliated and crushed time and again. Deep in his heart, wounds festered endlessly, shrouded in gloom.
That was why he didn't dare face Yang Kai. Even if he survived this encounter, whether he could ever advance to the Void King realm was now anyone's guess.
"Boy, if you dare lay a single finger on my son, I will slaughter your entire clan and exterminate your nine generations!" From not far away came Zi Long's furious roar. But his voice was quickly swallowed by the explosive sounds erupting all around.
He wanted nothing more than to rush to his son's aid, but he himself was trapped within Ghost Ancestor's Myriad Soul Banner, surrounded on all sides by phantoms. There was no way for him to break free. Will and ability simply did not align.
"Is that so?" Yang Kai tilted his head, glancing toward the source of the voice. He let out a soft, cold laugh, then casually flicked his hand. A burst of sharp qi shot forth in response.
The next instant, Zi Donglai felt a chill pass over the crown of his head, and his entire body shuddered.
Am I dead? Could I already be dead? Zi Donglai's mind raced with wild, panicked thoughts. But moments later, he realized he was completely unharmed—only the top of his head felt oddly bare.
He reached up to touch it, and the next second, he let out a frenzied scream: "Aaaah—my hair!"
His flowing mane of lustrous hair had been sheared clean off by Yang Kai. The top of his head was now utterly bare. He must have looked absolutely ridiculous.
He had always considered himself a dashing, charming figure—carefree and unconventional. While he couldn't quite compare to the monstrous beauty of Xue Yue, he was still one of the most handsome men around. And that purple hair, inherited from his ancestors, was his proudest feature. It accentuated his good looks like nothing else.
And now that flowing purple mane had been lopped clean off and stolen from him!
Zi Donglai was heartbroken. And terrified beyond measure.
Yang Kai had struck casually, with no effort at all, and Zi Donglai hadn't even had time to react. If Yang Kai could cut off his hair, he could just as easily take his head. At that thought, cold sweat poured down Zi Donglai's back. His face was white as paper.
"I've touched quite a few of his hairs now. What are you going to do about it?" Yang Kai taunted.
Inside the Myriad Soul Banner, Zi Long was silent—likely seething with rage. Ghost Ancestor, however, burst into hearty laughter. "I've been sick of looking at those two and their purple hair for ages. Well cut. Well cut indeed!"
"Boy!" Zi Long's voice rang out once more. "Let my son go, and I'll withdraw as well. I'll never trouble you again. As the saying goes, you don't make friends without a clash. We all operate in this same Star Field. Someday you may well need Purple Star's help. As the master of Purple Star, I can grant you one reasonable request—as long as it's within our power, I will see it fulfilled."
"Well, isn't that generous," Yang Kai chuckled. "Having Purple Star do something for me would be quite the honor."
"You understand, you understand!" Zi Donglai nodded frantically. "As long as you don't kill me, anything can be discussed. If I become Purple Star's master one day, we could even become sworn brothers!"
As he spoke, a flash of venomous hatred passed through his eyes—there and gone in an instant, but it was impossible to escape Yang Kai's keen observation.
"So, I take it you agree?" Zi Long asked in a deep voice.
"I agree. What's there to consider? Senior Zi Long has eyes and ears everywhere. Our Sect's Supreme Elder may hold a slight edge over you, but he certainly can't guarantee he could kill you. Rather than both sides tearing each other apart, it's far better to part on good terms."
"You're a reasonable fellow, then." Zi Long nodded with satisfaction. The truth was, just as Yang Kai had said, Ghost Ancestor could temporarily trap Zi Long within the Myriad Soul Banner, but killing him outright was simply unrealistic. Both were at the second level of the Void King realm, with power roughly equal. Even if Ghost Ancestor managed to slay Zi Long, he would likely lose the greater part of his own life—or perhaps perish entirely.
Ghost Ancestor's brows were tightly furrowed. His friendliness toward Yang Kai did not mean he was a kind man—quite the opposite. Ghost Ancestor was ruthless and merciless. He knew this situation could not end amicably. Even if Yang Kai truly struck some sort of cease-fire agreement with Zi Long, Yang Kai would reap no benefit from it in the future.
Words carried no binding force. If Yang Kai actually went to Purple Star someday and asked them to fulfill a promise, he'd likely be seized on the spot by their numerous experts.
After all, the Zi father and son had lost tremendous face this time. And it concerned the Tree of Eternity. How could Zi Long ever let the matter rest?