Ghost Hand Shen Tu — which of these figures did Qin Chaoyang not know? They were both Dao Source Realm powerhouses who had lingered in Maple Forest City for years. He and Shen Tu had crossed paths on several occasions, and due to differing allegiances, they had clashed on two prior encounters.
As for Shen Tu, though his deeds were despicable, Qin Chaoyang could not deny the man's strength, considering him a formidable foe. In those two skirmishes, he had barely managed to gain a slight upper hand, never once managing to actually do anything to Shen Tu. In the end, he could only watch as the man fled with arrogant impunity.
But judging by what Qin Yu had just said, Yang Kai had managed to grievously wound Shen Tu at the very moment of his breakthrough to the Dao Source Realm!
In other words, Yang Kai had not yet been a Dao Source Realm cultivator at the time — he was merely at the peak of the Void King Realm Third Stage.
Qin Chaoyang simply could not fathom just how powerful a person would have to be to injure Shen Tu under those circumstances.
Did that not mean that Yang Kai at that time was already someone he himself could not hope to contend with?
Now that he had advanced to the Dao Source Realm, crossing an entire major level in cultivation, his strength had surely doubled — or more!
At this thought, Qin Chaoyang suddenly found his breathing growing heavy, realizing that even though he had already overestimated Yang Kai's capabilities as much as possible, he had still underestimated the man!
"Where is Shen Tu now?" Qin Chaoyang asked urgently.
Shen Tu and the Qin Family had their share of enmity. If they could track him down while he was wounded and recuperating, they might be able to cut the grass and pull up the roots, eliminating a future threat.
Qin Yu smiled bitterly. "That's actually what I was about to tell you, Ancestor — Shen Tu is dead!"
"Dead?" Qin Chaoyang's eyelids narrowed. "Didn't you just say he was merely gravely wounded? How is he dead?"
"That Yang… that Lord Yang had another Dao Source Realm expert standing guard in the shadows during his breakthrough. When Shen Tu retreated after being wounded, that person killed him in a single strike! Unfortunately… I couldn't make out what that guardian looked like, nor gauge what level of strength they possessed."
"Oh?" Qin Chaoyang's face lit up with interest. "You mean to say that Young Brother Yang has a hidden powerhouse behind him?"
Qin Yu nodded, her spirits lifting. "Ancestor, this person is a wandering cultivator. If we could win him over to our Qin Family, our strength would surely increase enormously. And beyond that, he has even more powerful figures standing behind him. Befriending him would only benefit our Qin Family!"
A flicker of calculation passed through Qin Chaoyang's eyes, and he spoke: "I understand what you're saying. But this matter will have to wait until we've dealt with the crisis at hand."
"I know, Ancestor. Just keep it in mind for now. Whatever you do, we must not offend this man." Qin Yu's tone was grave, an unusual light gleaming in her beautiful eyes as she continued in a low voice, "Perhaps… the revival of our Qin Family will rest on his shoulders."
Hearing Qin Yu say this, Qin Chaoyang's expression grew solemn, and he said intently, "Yu'er, have you seen something else?"
Qin Yu shook her head. "My Fortune Celestial Eye can only reveal that this person carries extraordinary fortune and destiny. His future is absolutely not confined to Maple Forest City."
Qin Chaoyang's expression shifted, and he said deeply, "With those words of yours, I have my answer."
After that, the two of them turned to look outward together, but outside was pitch black — nothing could be seen at all. All that was vaguely visible was the rolling surges of demonic qi, seemingly converging toward a single direction. Within that pitch-black demonic qi, the shrieks and howls of all manner of demonic creatures echoed ceaselessly, enough to make one's skin crawl.
"Where did all these wretched things come from?"
Outside the city, Yang Kai's brow was tightly furrowed. While still inside, he hadn't noticed. But the moment he left the city and entered this boundless world of darkness, he discovered that the demonic creatures hidden within the demonic qi were virtually endless — countless beyond counting.
And he himself was like a single point of light in that vast darkness, drawing countless demonic creatures to attack him from all sides.
Under the suppression of the Law of Space, the space around him had become incredibly dense and viscous. Any demonic creature that intruded within twenty zhang of him, regardless of cultivation level, found its movements instantly halting, its body growing sluggish.
Beneath a sky full of flashing golden light, every demonic creature was sliced to pieces by strands of Gold Blood Silk.
Even with Yang Kai displaying such heroic and invincible prowess, the demonic creatures continued to charge at him without fear of death. Before long, the ground beneath his feet had already become a mountain of corpses.
Shrouded in source power, he could resist the erosion of the demonic qi on his body, but judging by the hissing and crackling sounds it produced, the corrosive force of the demonic qi was also extremely potent. Remaining in such an environment for an extended period would place an enormous drain on Yang Kai's reserves.
"Come out!"
After killing for a while, Yang Kai furrowed his brow and issued a low command. The Monster Insect Mother and the Azure Flame Lightning Jackal appeared on either side, one to his left and one to his right.
The moment the two Blood Beasts materialized, they received Yang Kai's orders.
The twin swords — one purple, one cyan — mounted on the Monster Insect Mother's twin claws swept outward in a flourish of dual-colored radiance, and a frigid icy intent spread in all directions. In an instant, within a hundred zhang, the world froze over and snowflakes drifted down from the sky. Each snowflake swept past the bodies of the demonic creatures, cleaving them in half amid piercing shrieks.
The Azure Flame Lightning Jackal opened its great maw, spewing forth waves of fireballs and purple lightning. Though its strength could not match the Monster Insect Mother's, it was more than capable of holding its own.
Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss…
The bloody aura emanating from the two Blood Beasts had almost solidified into substance, radiating a faint golden-red glow that repelled the all-corroding demonic qi.