Ai'Ou and the others were all figures of world-shaking renown, their mental fortitude far beyond what ordinary people could match. Yet before Yin Lesheng's boundless power—like a bottomless abyss coursing through his entire body—the strength they had always taken such pride in suddenly seemed no brighter than a firefly's glow, utterly insignificant.
After that single strike, no one dared move carelessly. Every face was grim with concentration, eyes warily fixed on Yin Lesheng, fearing he might strike again at any moment.
"Interesting!" Yin Lesheng remarked with a faint smile. "But with the strength you currently possess, thinking you can oppose this seat is still premature. This seat will warn you one last time—if you don't want to die, drop your sea of consciousness defenses!"
"Never!"
"Go ahead and kill us!"
"Heh heh, this seat has no inclination to take anyone as a slave!"
Though Ai'Ou and the others sensed the dire situation, their responses remained resolute.
"Very well. Since you're so eager to die, don't blame this seat for being ruthless!" Yin Lesheng's gaze turned cold. His figure flickered, and he vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already standing before Gu Cangyun.
He extended a hand and casually slapped it toward Gu Cangyun.
Within that palm, infinite power seemed to swirl, making even a powerhouse of Gu Cangyun's caliber unable to muster any will to resist. He desperately channeled the power within his body but couldn't break free, forced to watch helplessly as the palm descended upon him.
My life ends here! The thought flashed through Gu Cangyun's mind in a split second.
The next moment, a figure suddenly appeared before him. A radiant five-colored brilliance bloomed outward, dazzling to the eye.
"Alliance Leader Gu, fall back quickly!" Yang Kai's voice reached Gu Cangyun's ears. At the same instant the words rang out, Gu Cangyun joyfully felt the force gripping him loosen by a fraction.
He dared not hesitate. Pouring every ounce of power into his escape, he fled from the spot.
Yang Kai threw a punch. The Indestructible Five Elements Sword Qi enveloped his fist, the Five Elements in mutual generation and overcoming, cycling endlessly.
Boom...
Fist and palm collided, producing a thunderous crash. Yang Kai grunted. The five-colored radiance on his fist shattered like bubbles, and his entire body was sent hurtling backward like a tattered sack.
Yin Lesheng, on the other hand, swayed slightly, stumbling back several steps before he barely managed to steady himself.
The scene had unfolded so abruptly that everyone was stunned speechless.
By the time they came back to their senses, Yang Kai had already been sent flying, his fate unknown.
"Yang Kai!" Ai'Ou, Chi Yue, and the others' expressions changed drastically as they rushed toward the spot, desperate to find out what had happened.
Having narrowly escaped death, Gu Cangyun, Wu Dao, and the Ghost Ancestor stood together before Yin Lesheng, watching him warily, fearing he might strike again to finish them all off.
"This person..." Liu Xianyun, who had been standing inside the Yellow Spring Nether Domain barrier all along, narrowed her beautiful eyes in utter astonishment as she stared toward where Yang Kai had been knocked away. Her delicate face was filled with disbelief as she murmured, "He actually blocked Senior Brother Yin's attack?"
Not only that, but he had forced Senior Brother Yin to retreat several steps!
Though Yang Kai's own fate was now uncertain, for a Void King Realm martial artist to achieve such a feat was shocking enough—let alone the fact that the fellow was only at Void King Stage Two!
Beside Liu Xianyun, Feng De's jaw had dropped, his mind reeling.
He knew all too well how powerful Yin Lesheng was at this moment. When Yin Lesheng had turned on him earlier, Feng De hadn't even been able to summon the courage to resist before his life was taken into another's hands. Yet this young man from an unknown star domain had actually managed to achieve something like this—it was truly beyond Feng De's belief.
He should be dead, right? Feng De thought to himself. But even in death, it was something to be proud of. After all, he had exchanged a direct blow with Yin Lesheng using only Void King Stage Two cultivation.
Before this thought had even fully formed, a violent fit of coughing came from that direction.
"He's not dead?!" Feng De blurted out, his expression as if he'd seen a ghost. He wished he could gouge out his own eyeballs and place them right on Yang Kai to see more clearly.
Liu Xianyun also gasped, covering her mouth with her small hand.
On the other side, Yang Kai struggled to his feet and waved at Ai'Ou and Chi Yue, who had come flying over. His face was pale as paper, his chest churning with blood and qi. Unable to hold it back, he spat out a mouthful of golden blood.
"Remarkable!" Yang Kai took several deep breaths, straightened his body, and squinted toward Yin Lesheng.
Since being shaken back several steps by Yang Kai, Yin Lesheng had been standing there with a peculiar expression, not taking the opportunity to pursue and kill. His brows were tightly furrowed, as though he were questioning and deliberating over something.
Hearing Yang Kai speak, Yin Lesheng finally came back to his senses. He regarded Yang Kai calmly and nodded: "You're not bad either. This seat misjudged—turns out you're the strongest of this bunch!"
"Heh!" Yang Kai laughed defiantly, spitting a mouthful of blood to the side. He glanced sideways at Yin Lesheng: "I wouldn't dare claim that. I merely converted a bit more power than they did, that's all. But aren't you the same? The power inside your body must have already finished converting entirely, hasn't it?"
Yin Lesheng's eyes narrowed, and he clapped his hands: "Sharp eyes, boy!"
Yang Kai grinned: "If that weren't the case, how could you fight five opponents at once when all of you are at Void King Stage Three? It's not that they aren't strong enough—it's simply that there wasn't enough time."
At Yang Kai's words, Ai'Ou and the others suddenly realized the truth.