Somewhere within the Two-Season Mountain, the atmosphere was eerily tense.
Luo Yuan and Wuchang both wore expressions of shock, their eyes fixed on what lay before them.
Xiao Baiyi and Murong Xiaoxiao stared just as wide-eyed, scarcely able to believe what they were seeing.
On the other side, a strange light flickered in Lan Xun's beautiful eyes as she inwardly gasped. Xiao Chen even let out a low cry: "What's going on?"
Just moments ago, Luo Yuan and Wuchang had both struck at Yang Kai simultaneously. Everyone had assumed Yang Kai was dead for certain. Setting aside whether that arrogant Luo Yuan was merely an embroidered pillow or actually had the talent to back up his bluster — Wuchang alone was no ordinary Dao Origin Realm cultivator. His notoriety preceded him, his nature was cruel, and no one who caught his eye ever met a good end.
These two had attacked together, one from the front and one from behind, without any warning. Yang Kai had no way to dodge.
Everyone could practically picture the miserable scene of Yang Kai dying before their very eyes...
Yet the result was the opposite — it was Luo Yuan and Wuchang who had been knocked back, while Yang Kai showed no sign of injury whatsoever.
How had he done that?
Looking more carefully, Yang Kai was still standing in the exact same spot, having not moved an inch. But his face was pale, his expression panicked, as though his wits had been scared out of him. His body trembled slightly, and sweat beaded his forehead.
He looked a bit wretched, but he was truly unharmed.
"What did that kid just do?" Xiao Chen couldn't make sense of it.
Luo Yuan and Wuchang couldn't have been knocked back for no reason. The only explanation was that Yang Kai had secretly employed some incredible technique to turn danger into safety — it was just that no one had seen it clearly.
Xiao Chen's brow furrowed as he grew increasingly suspicious that something about Yang Kai was off.
"Interesting..." Lan Xun's beautiful eyes brightened with a look of keen interest as she examined Yang Kai with great enthusiasm.
Though she was only at the first level of the Dao Origin Realm, as the beloved daughter of the Bright Moon Great Emperor, she had inherited the Emperor's special physique. Having grown up at the Emperor's side, absorbing knowledge through years of observation, her insight, experience, and eye for detail surpassed everyone present.
Even though she hadn't seen everything clearly either, she had fared better than the others.
Just at the instant when Luo Yuan and Wuchang's attacks were about to make contact, Lan Xun had clearly seen Yang Kai's body blur for a fraction of a second. In that instant, he seemed to have vanished entirely from this world, slipping into another space altogether.
At the same moment, Wuchang and Luo Yuan's killing moves arrived simultaneously.
Having lost their target, their techniques collided head-on with each other.
In other words, it was Wuchang who had knocked back Luo Yuan, and it was Luo Yuan who had knocked back Wuchang!
The two of them had simply exchanged a blow!
"What a bizarre secret art!" Lan Xun's eyes gleamed. She glanced at Luo Yuan again and thought to herself: "This one is also absurdly powerful — to fight Wuchang to a standstill. Eight Directions Gate... when did they produce such a monster? It seems Father was absolutely right — never underestimate anyone. No matter how humble their origins, they can have a brilliant future ahead. This Luo Yuan is the perfect example... And that other fellow is definitely not as useless as he's pretending to be. Hmph, this act is far too obvious. Only those muscle-brained fools would actually fall for it... But come to think of it, what is his name again?"
Various thoughts flickered through Lan Xun's mind. Convinced that Yang Kai was playing the pig to eat the tiger, she shot a mocking glance at the trembling figure suspended in midair, wearing an expression that said, "I've already seen through every last bit of you."
And just then, Wuchang finally snapped back to his senses. His gaze passed over Yang Kai and fixed coldly on Luo Yuan: "You looking to die?"
Though he hadn't figured out what technique Yang Kai had used to knock him back, he could work out whose blow he'd actually taken after a moment's thought.
Given his arrogance and his tendency to look down on everyone, he naturally turned his hostility toward Luo Yuan right away — believing it was Luo Yuan who had ruined his plans and given Yang Kai the chance to use that bizarre technique to escape danger.
"Who, me?" Yang Kai said, his face a mask of panic, pointing at himself. "You're not talking about me, are you? I don't want to die, please don't kill me..."
As he spoke, he even called out to Xiao Baiyi: "Xiao Bai, explain things to Brother Wuchang, won't you? Ask him to let me go?"
Xiao Baiyi glared at him, speaking through gritted teeth: "I want nothing more than to rush over there and kill you right now."
Fortunately, Yang Kai was not a disciple of Qingyang Divine Hall. Otherwise, Xiao Baiyi might actually have done it — sharing a sect with someone like this was truly mortifying. Xiao Baiyi cursed himself internally for not seeing Yang Kai's true nature sooner; otherwise, he would never have agreed to give Xue Yi's spot to Yang Kai, no matter what.
Even Murong Xiaoxiao, standing beside him, shot Yang Kai an odd look.
"If you want to fight... then let's fight!" Luo Yuan's gaze also sailed past Yang Kai. His resolute voice and determined expression — even eager anticipation — made it clear he feared the fearsome Wuchang not at all. Deep down, he was impatient to face Wuchang in battle and prove himself.
Both of them completely ignored Yang Kai.
"Impressive!" Wuchang bared his teeth in a grin, looking genuinely delighted. "It's been a long time since I've come across someone like you. This is truly exciting!"