Merry Christmas — I almost forgot! Wishing all readers a happy holiday.
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The battle against the two Phantom Lightning Wolves had been brutally difficult, dangerous at every turn. Relying only on his cultivation at the third level of the Separation-Union Realm and unwilling to reveal his full capabilities, Yang Kai found himself in perilous situations time and again during the fight — yet each time, he managed to pull through by the narrowest of margins. It was like walking a tightrope high above a ten-thousand-foot abyss; the slightest misstep would have resulted in being torn to shreds by the two demon beasts.
Little by little, he whittled away at the wolves' momentum, inflicting wound after wound on their bodies. It took nearly a full hour before Yang Kai finally dispatched them one by one with his bare hands.
His body was drenched in blood — some from the Phantom Lightning Wolves, some his own. He bore at least seven or eight wounds, all inflicted by the wolves' lunges and bites. One gash had even torn away a chunk of flesh, the pain searing to the bone. He looked a sorry sight.
These injuries were no feint — they were genuine. A fourth-stage demon beast was roughly equivalent to a warrior at the Separation-Union Realm. For Yang Kai to have fought two on his own and still come out on top while deliberately holding back was more than enough to be proud of.
But whoever was hiding over there had extraordinary patience. Throughout the entire battle with the Phantom Lightning Wolves, they never showed themselves — and they still hadn't.
Yang Kai gasped for breath, casting a quiet glance toward that spot before dropping to the ground with a thud. He assumed a meditation pose, seemingly circulating his energy, and waited patiently for the two blood pearls to fully form.
Perhaps his acting had been too convincing. After confirming that there was no longer any danger, the person hiding in the shadows finally made a move.
Rustling footsteps approached, completely unhidden.
Yang Kai's eyes snapped open, a cold gleam flashing through them.
He looked up to see three figures swaggering toward him from not far ahead — all men, clad in dark crimson robes, looking exceedingly brazen.
The one in front was laughing uproariously, the sound loud and grating, his expression toward Yang Kai one of amused contempt.
Yang Kai put on a look of panic at precisely the right moment, his eyes brimming with hatred and chagrin. He rose slowly, body tense and guarded.
The three exchanged glances, then circled around to surround him.
"Gentlemen, what's the meaning of this?" Yang Kai licked his dry lips and asked in a low voice. That small, seemingly unconscious gesture only made him appear more frightened.
"Now that's an interesting question!" The man who had been laughing looked down at Yang Kai with contempt. "What do we want? Can't you tell?"
Yang Kai frowned. "Two blood pearls. If you gentlemen want them, take them — just don't make things difficult for me."
The man smiled coldly. "Two blood pearls? What kind of trash is that? Don't you know that blood pearls formed after a warrior's death are of far higher quality and grade than those from demon beasts? We want the pearls — and we want your life!"
Yang Kai's expression turned grim. "You gentlemen are going too far. I am a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion. If you kill me, my sect's elders will never let it go!"
"Hahaha!" The man burst out laughing again upon hearing this. "If this were outside, we might have some hesitation. But where do you think we are? If you die here, no one will ever know we had a hand in it!"
The moment these words left his mouth, the look of panic on Yang Kai's face vanished in an instant — replaced by cold, ruthless killing intent. His Yuan Qi erupted violently as he whipped around, a razor-thin blade of Yang Liquid materializing in his right hand. He slashed at the neck of someone who had been quietly creeping up behind him, not yet ready to strike.
These three had actually been quite cautious. After surrounding Yang Kai, they hadn't attacked immediately — their strength wasn't particularly high, none of them having reached the Zhenyuan Realm. Instead, one had kept Yang Kai talking to hold his attention while another circled behind to strike from the shadows.
What they hadn't expected was that Yang Kai had already seen through their plan. He had simply played along, turning their own scheme against them.
Once the warrior behind him was close enough, he struck without warning.
His sudden explosion of movement made all three men's faces change. The one behind him didn't even have time to react. The crimson blade swept across his neck, and all he felt was a streak of searing heat before a warm torrent of liquid gushed out uncontrollably.
Yang Kai moved like the wind. After the Yang Liquid blade cut through the man's neck, he shuffled his feet, unleashing the movement technique he had created himself. He lunged like a tiger pouncing on prey, landing before the second man.
That man hurriedly counterattacked with a single strike — his fist rang with the clanging of metal and gold, glowing brilliantly as it came crashing down with tremendous force.
Yang Kai simply hurled the blade of Yang Liquid straight at the incoming fist.
A scream tore from the man's throat as the blade buried itself in his fist, blood streaming down. While the man was still crying out in pain, Yang Kai ducked low and drove a devastating punch into his abdomen.
Yuan Qi surged into the blow in three crashing waves. The man's face went white. With three muffled thuds — bang, bang, bang — blood sprayed from his mouth and he staggered backward.
Yang Kai's body was light as a swallow. He leaped up, alighting on the man's shoulder, then clamped his legs around the man's head and twisted his body sharply.
With a sickening crack, the second warrior's neck snapped.
The fight had erupted and ended in a flash — two of the three were dead. The last one stood frozen in shock, not recovering until Yang Kai drifted lightly back down to the ground.
"You..." The warrior's face was filled with horror. The sudden turn of events had shaken him to his core, and Yang Kai's vicious, ruthless assault filled him with terror.