The members of the Jiang family turned deathly pale on the spot, their heads whipping around to face Yang Kai as he advanced toward them like the Grim Reaper, a bone-chilling cold enveloping their entire bodies.
They had suddenly realized that a single wrong choice had turned them into fish in a barrel, trapped here with Yang Kai.
"Very good, very good — all of you gathered in one place saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one." Yang Kai came to a stop a short distance from the Jiang family crowd, regarding them with a leisurely air, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Your ancestor doesn't seem to be a very generous man."
The moment these words left his mouth, Jiang Lin was struck as if by an invisible sledgehammer to the chest. His face flushed crimson, and he spat out a jet of blood before tilting his head back in a mournful wail: "I hate this… I hate this…"
The rest of the Jiang family wore the same deathly pallor, their expressions a complicated mixture of shame and despair.
By now, who among them could fail to understand that the reason the spatial array beneath their feet had ceased to function was directly related to their ancestor destroying the corresponding array on the other side?
The formation inside the cavern and the one in the mine shaft were linked — only when both remained intact could they teleport between them.
But the instant Jiang Taisheng had teleported away, this side's array had malfunctioned. Clearly, he had tampered with the one over there.
It was not difficult to understand why he had done it. He had simply wanted to slow Yang Kai's pursuit. But in doing so, he had sacrificed every other member of the Jiang family.
As the patriarch of a clan, fleeing for his own life in a moment of crisis while casting aside the lives of his kin — how could that not chill one to the bone?
Sinking into utter despair, Jiang Lin regarded Yang Kai with listless eyes and spoke: "Master Alchemist Yang, since matters have come to this, whether you kill me or flay me alive, I leave it entirely in your hands!"
He still had some backbone after all. Faced with certain death, he had no intention of begging for mercy. Instead, he welcomed his end — no doubt his heart had been thoroughly broken by his ancestor's betrayal, and he simply no longer wished to go on living.
But while he felt this way, not everyone in the Jiang family shared his sentiment.
Hearing Jiang Lin's words, several of the Jiang family Elders exchanged uneasy glances, while the younger generation's outstanding talent, Jiang Chuhe, turned pale with alarm. He hurriedly stepped forward, his face fixed in an obsequious expression as he gazed at Yang Kai. With desperate haste he pleaded: "Master Alchemist Yang, this Jiang once had eyes but failed to see, and I offended Master Alchemist Yang. I beg that Master Alchemist Yang show his magnanimity and not hold it against someone as lowly as me! I have now seen the error of my ways. From this day forth I will thoroughly mend my conduct and follow at Master Alchemist Yang's side, serving you like a faithful dog or horse!"
"Oh?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, looking rather amused.
"You wretched traitor—" Jiang Lin, already weakened by the blood rushing to his head, was further inflamed by Jiang Chuhe's words. He nearly collapsed on the spot. Gritting his teeth, he gathered what strength he had and pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Chuhe's back. "You cowardly rat, unworthy of bearing the Jiang name!"
Jiang Chuhe spun around and snapped: "Old fool, keep quiet! Our own ancestor has already abandoned us — am I supposed to throw my life away for nothing? I, Jiang Chuhe, am still young. I have a bright future ahead of me, and I have no intention of dying here for no reason! If any of you still have sense, you'll surrender to Master Alchemist Yang at once. Master Alchemist Yang is merciful and kind-hearted — he may well spare your lives."
"Very well said!" Yang Kai smiled faintly, regarding Jiang Chuhe with an approving look. "He who adapts to the times is a hero among men. Quite right, quite right!"
Jiang Chuhe immediately turned back to Yang Kai, his expression shifting to one of fawning flattery. He bowed slightly and simpered: "Master Alchemist Yang is too kind with his praise."
"But I despise cowards who cling to life!" Yang Kai's expression turned cold in an instant.
Jiang Chuhe's smile froze on his face.
"Enough — there's no need for more talk. I never intended to wipe out your entire Jiang clan. I only meant to punish the guilty. But since this blood feud has already been forged… then, ladies and gentlemen — farewell!" As he spoke, Yang Kai's expression grew increasingly ruthless, his killing intent surging like a tide. Slowly, he extended one hand and pushed it toward the Jiang family group.
The Jiang family's Void King Realm cultivators changed drastically in expression, instinctively trying to resist — only to discover in horror that the surrounding space had solidified at some unknowable moment. No matter how they struggled, they could not move a single inch. Worse still, the power within their bodies had seized in their meridians, completely beyond their ability to circulate.
The power of Laws!
The Jiang family members turned deathly pale, watching helplessly as Yang Kai's palm continued its slow advance. The aura of death pressed in upon them from the front.
But just then, an unexpected upheaval occurred!
The earth suddenly began to hum without warning, trembling violently. In the span of a single breath, a series of deafening cracks erupted from every direction, the sound thunderous, as though the end of the world had arrived.
Yang Kai's expression shifted. He released his divine sense, and upon clearly perceiving the changes occurring all around, he abandoned even the matter of dealing with the Jiang family. His form flickered, and he vanished from the cavern. The next instant, he appeared beside Mo Xiaoqi.
Xiaoqi had already recalled her demon beast and was hovering in midair, her face grave.
When she saw Yang Kai appear, she spoke urgently: "Big Brother Yang, it seems like that…?"
"I know. Let's go, now!" Yang Kai cut her off, circulating his Source Power to envelop her before shooting off into the distance at blinding speed.
Meanwhile, back inside the cavern, the Jiang family group had narrowly escaped death, and every last one of them wore an expression of lingering shock and unease.