"My Yellow Springs Sect… will absolutely not let you off easily!"
A voice barely above a whisper drifted over from nearby. Yang Kai turned his head to look and saw Hua Feichen lying on the ground, his life force on the verge of extinguishing. He stared wide-eyed in this direction, both eyes clouded over with a grey-white film, like the dead eyes of a fish that had been dead for who knew how many days.
After uttering those words, his head lolled to the side, and he finally ceased all breathing entirely.
Having been struck by the Stamp of Fleeting Years and managing to cling on this long before dying—he could be considered fairly remarkable.
Naturally, Yang Kai paid no heed to a dead man's threats. He reached out and plucked the spatial ring from Yin Lesheng's hand, tossing it into his own robes.
This man had been the chief disciple of the Yellow Springs Sect, so he was bound to have plenty of good things on him. How could Yang Kai possibly let that slip?
Before he could even turn to deal with Hua Feichen's corpse, Yang Kai's expression suddenly changed. He hastily flung the Emperor Sealing Pill from his hand.
Boom…
A muffled explosion rang out as the Emperor Sealing Pill burst apart, dissolving into fine powder that dispersed into the air.
Yang Kai's face flickered between dark and light, his previously good mood utterly ruined in an instant. Through gritted teeth, he snarled: "A restriction!"
He didn't know what kind of restriction had been placed on this Emperor Sealing Pill, but it was certainly tied to Yin Lesheng's life or death. After all, this was a protective treasure bestowed upon Yin Lesheng by the Yellow Springs Sect Master. Once Yin Lesheng died, the restriction triggered, causing this Emperor Sealing Pill to be utterly wasted.
Yang Kai's heart ached unbearably, but with things as they were, wallowing in regret was pointless. He could only suppress his emotions, walk over to Hua Feichen, and collect his spatial ring as well.
Over there, the Ghost King—now beyond anyone's control—was no longer a concern. Countless Soul-Devouring Insects were gnawing away at it, treating it as a delicious feast. It would surely not be long before they consumed it entirely.
More than twenty corpses lay scattered across the ground in twisted positions, the stench of blood acrid and suffocating.
Yang Kai himself was wounded as well. The gash from the Ghost King's scythe had yet to heal even now, and along the rolled edges of the torn flesh, dark energy coiled and writhed, ceaselessly corroding the wound.
Yang Kai raised his hand in a summoning gesture, and a small cluster of Soul-Devouring Insects immediately flew over to him, landing on his wound.
Since the Soul-Devouring Insects could gnaw through the Ghost King, the Yin-cold energy on the Ghost King would pose no problem for them either. He had called them over to tend to his injuries. Sure enough, the moment the insects alighted upon his wound, they set to devouring with vigor.
In a short while, the dark energy was completely consumed. Without the corrosive interference of that Yin-cold qi, the formidable regenerative power of the golden blood within Yang Kai's body finally kicked in. The flesh at the wound squirmed and knitted together—within just a few days, it would likely be fully healed.
Only now did Yang Kai turn his head to look toward the red-clad girl.
The moment their gazes met, Lin'er couldn't help but gulp. For all the brave words she had spoken moments ago, in truth she was terrified out of her wits. She had never seen anyone so savage—fighting alone against many and cutting down every last enemy. And these were no ordinary people. They were two Emperor Venerables from the Yellow Springs Sect, along with a whole group of Dao Origin Realm cultivators who had deployed the Heavenly Net Sealing Grand Array.
Combined with the gaping wound across Yang Kai's chest, the sight was doubly terrifying.
Seeing Yang Kai look her way, there was no use pretending she wasn't panicking. Lin'er was already regretting her decision—she should have fled with Elder Fu when she had the chance. What was the point of staying behind to put on a brave front?
Not that it would have mattered. With Yang Kai's abilities, even if she wanted to flee, she wouldn't have gotten far. The only way would have been for her and Elder Fu to retreat back through the Ancient Land passage, relying on the strange mists to throw Yang Kai off their trail.
Shhh… shhh… shhh…
Yang Kai advanced toward them step by step, his gaze glacial, placing immense pressure on Lin'er.
Elder Fu, driven by his duty to protect his mistress, had already moved in front of Lin'er, his face taut with vigilance.
"Cooperative, at least!" Yang Kai halted about ten feet from them, leveled his sword, and said coldly: "Since you've been well-behaved, I'll grant you both a quick end. Tell me—how would you like to die?"
Elder Fu's expression turned urgent at once. The man was serious? How many people in this world would dare point a sword at his young lady and ask how she wanted to die? Reading the murderous intent on Yang Kai's face, it seemed he truly had no intention of letting either of them go alive.
Then again, it was understandable. He had been trapped earlier by the young lady's Emperor Artifact and had nearly been killed by the Yellow Springs Sect's people. Anyone would be furious.
But how could the young lady die? If she perished, the whole world would likely descend into chaos.
Elder Fu spoke in a grave tone: "Young sir, enemies should be reconciled, not deepened. We were in the wrong this time. Show mercy and let today's events be as though they never happened. What say you?"
"As though they never happened?" Yang Kai shot him a sidelong glare, his fury boiling over. He snorted coldly: "Are these wounds on my body fake? How could this be as though it never happened?"
The wound hadn't healed yet—white bone was still visible through the torn flesh. How could that possibly be brushed aside?
Elder Fu's expression darkened. "I am saying this for your own good. If you remain obstinate, disaster is certain to follow."
Yang Kai laughed in his anger. "I know you come from a powerful background, with important figures backing you. But so what? In my hands, your lives hang by a single thread of my whim. Losers should know their place—yet you still spout such empty threats. Believe it or not, I'll run you through with this sword right now!"
As he spoke, Yang Kai pivoted the blade and pressed the tip directly against Elder Fu's chest. His wrist wavered slightly, and the razor-sharp point sliced through Elder Fu's robes, sending the old man stumbling backward in terror. The aura of composure he had mustered evaporated in an instant, and he wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant.
He truly feared that Yang Kai might stab him in a fit of rage. If the young lady were killed, this fellow would certainly face terrible retribution—but if he himself were slain, nobody would seek justice on his behalf.
He was nothing more than a bodyguard, tasked with protecting the young lady's safety. Now, unable to even protect his own life, how could he possibly protect hers?