A streak of mystic light suddenly shot forth from the Ascending Dragon Platform, aimed directly at the person retreating.
The man's expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he fled outward at even greater speed, light flashing wildly across his body as he unleashed every defensive measure at his disposal.
But no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outrun the power of the Ascending Dragon Platform. In the span of a single breath, the mystic light caught up to him and pierced straight through his body. Layers upon layers of defensive power — countless in number — crumbled like wet paper before that beam of light, fragile beyond belief.
"Aagh…!" A scream of agony rang out as the man toppled to the ground, his flesh, blood, and bones shattered just like the warriors the mystic light had killed before him. His death was equally gruesome.
Everyone nearby blanched with horror.
After all, from the moment Yang Kai had made his move to the deaths of these two men one after the other, barely three breaths had passed.
In a mere three breaths, two peak Void King Realm powerhouses stationed on the first level had perished in succession. Regardless of what artifact or technique Yang Kai had used, it was more than enough to demonstrate how powerful — and how dangerous — he was.
In an instant, the warriors around Yang Kai looked at him with entirely different eyes, filled with wariness and dread. Consciously or not, they widened the distance between themselves, making it clear they had no desire to be his enemy.
This was exactly the effect Yang Kai wanted. With a flick of his wrist, he stored the Soul-Severing Blade and strode forward with brazen confidence, treating the crowd of warriors around him as though they didn't exist — the very picture of arrogance.
"ROAR…!"
Suddenly, a piercing roar erupted from within the crowd. It sounded partly like a dragon's cry and partly like a beast's bellow.
Everyone startled, turning in unison toward the source. The next moment, their expressions froze.
At that spot, a man of about thirty wearing brocade robes had activated some unknown secret art. His entire body had turned an alarming shade of red, like a cooked shrimp, waves of heat radiating from him. And hovering above his head was the translucent image of a fiery flood dragon.
The phantom was almost solid, its fangs and claws bared in a display of domineering might. It swayed once, then dove downward and sank into the man's body.
The next instant, the man's aura surged dramatically, and interwoven with it was a faint trace of something resembling dragon pressure.
"Duan Tianci! It's Duan Tianci!"
Someone cried out in shock.
"The City Lord's own son?"
"I'd heard that this fellow stumbled upon a lucky opportunity when he was young — obtained a complete flood dragon soul. So it was true… This is bad. With that flood dragon soul assisting him, the resistance he faces going forward will be greatly reduced."
Warriors chattered among themselves in a clamor. Some wore expressions of unwilling envy, others of plain admiration, but most of all, of wariness.
Yang Kai instantly understood who this man was.
It was Duan Tianci, the legitimate son of City Lord Duan Yuanshan. That flood dragon phantom was clearly the flood dragon soul he had obtained in his youth, now unleashed through a secret technique to counteract the formidable dragon pressure permeating the area.
Although a flood dragon was not a true dragon, it still carried a trace of true dragon bloodline. At a time and place like this, it was the perfect counter to the dragon might pressing down on everyone.
Duan Tianci was clearly a patient man as well. He had kept this advantage hidden the entire time, only springing it once he had drawn close enough to the Ascending Dragon Platform. His ambitions were obviously far from small.
However… he was not the only one with such a scheme.
At the very moment Duan Tianci activated his flood dragon soul, a young man not far away let out a deep shout. A hemispherical defensive barrier suddenly materialized around his body, shaped like a great bell.
The attacks of surrounding warriors struck him, but he ignored them completely, his blazing eyes locked onto the treasure atop the Ascending Dragon Platform as he advanced step by step.
Not a single attack managed to breach his defense. All of them were deflected.
"That's the Immovable Heavenly King Bell from Blazing Fire Hall! That man is Zong Zijin, the Chosen of Blazing Fire Hall!"
A warrior instantly recognized both the man and the artifact he was using.
"A Dao Source-grade mid-tier defensive artifact, the Immovable Heavenly King Bell?"
"That's cheating! How are we supposed to fight that?!"
Numerous Void King Realm warriors cried out in outrage.
Although Zong Zijin's cultivation was insufficient to draw out the full power of the Immovable Heavenly King Bell, it was still a Dao Source-grade mid-tier defensive artifact. Ordinary Void King Realm warriors simply couldn't break through it — unless a dozen or more joined forces and struck with everything they had, there was no threat to him at all.
Zong Zijin walked forward, his head turning with a sinister expression toward those who had attacked him. "Zong will remember every one of you," he said coldly. "Once matters here are settled, Zong will make sure to pay each of you a visit!"
His words turned many Void King warriors pale in an instant.
"Young Master Zong, this was a misunderstanding! I was blind before and didn't recognize Young Master Zong. I meant no offense — please forgive me! If you had only revealed your name earlier, I would never have attacked you!" A Void King warrior hastened to submit, terrified that Zong Zijin would settle accounts with him later.
"I too, Young Master Zong! As the saying goes, it's better to make peace than to make enemies. Why must it be this way, Young Master Zong?"
Zong Zijin sneered repeatedly, his steps never slowing. "Very well," he said flatly. "Since it was a misunderstanding, let it be. However… if anyone else dares to trouble me, I will not be so merciful in the future."
"Of course not!"
"Young Master Zong is far too generous!"