If it had been someone else being surrounded by demon beasts, Yang Kai would have had to weigh his options carefully — the last thing he needed was to rescue someone only to have them turn around and target him, bringing trouble upon himself for nothing. In this day and age, people's hearts were not what they used to be, especially among young warriors tempering themselves in foreign lands. Who among them didn't wish they had extra eyes? They would sooner or later try to see right through your heart to determine whether it was black or red.
But since the two in danger were from the Bright Moon Sect, Yang Kai had far fewer reservations.
Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu had left a favorable impression on him — neither was a villainous type. They had crossed paths before, and Yang Kai considered them trustworthy.
If he wanted to gather information about this place, they were without a doubt the best people to seek out.
With that thought, Yang Kai hesitated no longer. He quietly slid down from the tree and made his way swiftly toward the battlefield.
Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu wore grim expressions, their True Yuan energy flowing freely as they unleashed devastating killing moves. Though they had managed to kill several fourth-tier demon beasts, the situation remained dire. The beasts were simply too numerous, surrounding them from every direction. The three fifth-tier demon beasts in particular possessed considerable cunning — they always seized the moments when Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu were engaged with the fourth-tier beasts to strike from the flanks, keeping the pair perpetually on the back foot. It was exactly how Chen Xueshu had sustained his current injuries.
Had it not been for the seamless understanding between them and their flawless coordination, they would likely have already perished.
Mid-battle, a flash of resolve crossed Chen Xueshu's eyes. He spoke in a low voice: "Junior Sister, in a moment I'll use everything I have to open a gap in the encirclement. You flee at top speed. I'll hold off the remaining beasts."
The moment she heard this, Shu Xiaoyu understood what he intended. She shook her head immediately. "No. If we leave, we leave together. If we die… we die together!"
"Listen to me!" Chen Xueshu barked. "Our True Yuan is nearly spent, and there are far too many beasts to shake off! Only by leaving one person behind to hold them off is there even a sliver of hope for the other to escape! After you leave, don't look back. Find somewhere safe to hide, and don't come out again. When this place closes, you'll be able to return to the Sect on your own!"
"I won't listen, I won't listen!" Shu Xiaoyu shook her head so hard it looked like a rattle drum.
Chen Xueshu was about to press further when Shu Xiaoyu cut him off with steely determination: "Say one more word and I'll charge in right now and let those beasts tear me apart!"
"How could you—" Chen Xueshu was equal parts furious and heartbroken.
"You think I wouldn't dare?" Shu Xiaoyu's almond-shaped eyes blazed wide.
"Fine! Your Senior Brother won't say another word. Then we'll carve out a path to survival! Let these brutes witness the ultimate technique of the Bright Moon Sect!" Chen Xueshu's spirit surged, and the death-willed resolve that had lingered in his heart vanished in an instant.
Shu Xiaoyu broke into a radiant smile. She and Chen Xueshu stood shoulder to shoulder, the True Yuan within their bodies surging violently. With a shared cry, they thrust their palms forward in unison.
Half a crescent moon materialized in the sky above. Silver, thread-like rays of moonlight cascaded downward, each beam carrying a terrifying destructive force. The dozen-odd demon beasts encircling them were pierced clean through. Every one of them let out a wretched howl. The majority of the fourth-tier beasts died on the spot, and even one of the fifth-tier beasts was gravely wounded, spraying blood across the earth.
The Bright Moon Sect's ultimate technique — Full Moon Overhead!
Had they been able to unleash its full power, not a single one of those dozen-odd demon beasts would have survived. But with Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu running on fumes, the combined strike could only conjure a broken crescent, drastically diminishing the technique's potency.
Still, the blow was enough to send all the remaining beasts stumbling backward. Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu panted heavily, exchanging a glance. There was no regret in their eyes — only warmth.
They had given everything they had. Ninety percent of their True Yuan was gone, and they had no strength left to mount another defense. The next time the beasts charged would be the moment they died.
The surviving beasts seemed to grasp this as well. After retreating briefly, they bared their fangs and crept forward once more, their cold, sinister gazes locked on the pair, poised to strike!
But the two were not the type to sit and wait for death. Chen Xueshu positioned himself protectively in front of Shu Xiaoyu, his battle intent blazing, his face an icy mask.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh — the remaining beasts lunged all at once. Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu cried out in unison, pouring out their last reserves of True Yuan.
A fourth-tier beast that had been charging at the forefront had its skull shattered on impact, dying instantly.
Another fourth-tier beast was sent flying backward with a wailing crash. It hit the ground and clearly had no fight left in it.
But there were still too many beasts. Four fists could not fend off eight hands. Mid-clash, the two uninjured fifth-tier beasts launched a coordinated sneak attack from the side, both lashing out at Chen Xueshu, who was in the worse condition.
The stench of blood rushed toward him, fangs gleaming cold and sharp — the aura of death descended.
A figure suddenly dropped from the sky above, plunging headfirst into the fray with a composed ease, landing squarely in front of Chen Xueshu and Shu Xiaoyu.
A flicker of shock passed through the senior and junior disciples' eyes.
In the very next instant, they watched as the figure's twin palms pressed squarely onto the backs of the two fifth-tier beasts.
Twin screams rang out simultaneously. The fifth-tier beast that had nearly sunk its fangs into Chen Xueshu was hammered into the ground by those two palm strikes.
A chain of muffled detonations erupted from within the two beasts. A searing heat radiated outward, bringing with it a wave of warmth.
Once the newcomer touched down, he erupted into motion with lightning speed, throwing four punches in rapid succession at the beasts surrounding them.
Bam, bam, bam, bam —
All four fourth-tier beasts that had been bearing down on them were blasted away. They hit the ground, twitching violently, but never managed to rise again, blood frothing from their mouths.
"It's you!" Shu Xiaoyu's small mouth fell open in astonishment, then quickly broke into a delighted, excited smile as she looked at Yang Kai.
"Junior Brother Yang!" Chen Xueshu could not help but let out a breath of relief. The sensation of being pulled back from the brink of death had never felt so wonderful.
"We'll talk later!" Yang Kai's feet blurred beneath him as he surged forward into the fray.