Just as Yang Kai was about to press his advantage and keep going, the Third Elder suddenly began clawing at her own hair with all her might, wailing in utter despair: "Master, where are you? Your disciple can't find you…"
Clump after clump of matted hair was torn free by her own hands, falling to the ground.
The sight was desolate, her voice filled with grief and self-blame—enough to break any listener's heart and bring tears to any onlooker's eyes.
Zhang Ruoxi's eyes reddened on the spot, and she stole a glance toward Yang Kai. In her heart, she thought that if Master were to suddenly vanish one day, she would certainly go searching for him too—even if it took three thousand years, or thirty thousand years, the passage of time would never halt her steps.
"Master!" The Third Elder let out a sharp cry, her body shooting skyward like a cannonball before twisting and plunging deep into the Ancient Land.
"After her!" Yang Kai was both frustrated and helpless—frustrated because he had already told the Third Elder the truth, only for her to ignore it entirely, the shock pushing her mind into even greater chaos; and helpless because, in her current state, there was simply no reasoning with her.
His only option now was to chase after her and find an opportunity to knock her unconscious, even if it meant causing her a little injury.
With Zhang Ruoxi in tow, Yang Kai gave chase. Even though he made full use of his Space Force, teleporting several times over, he still lost the Third Elder's trail after the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
It had been like this before—if the Third Elder hadn't revealed herself of her own accord, he would never have found her.
But this time she had been provoked, and expecting her to show herself again was probably too much to hope for. Yang Kai looked around, his face a mask of vexation.
He had truly learned just how capable the Third Elder was—being able to come and go freely in a place like this. He couldn't help but be impressed.
Rumble rumble…
A commotion approached from the distance, sounding as though quite a few people were heading this way. Clearly, the disturbance from Yang Kai and Zhang Ruoxi's pursuit of the Third Elder had drawn some attention.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow and glanced toward the source of the sound, puzzled. He couldn't understand how so many people could suddenly appear inside the Ancient Land.
He swept his spiritual sense in that direction and, to his surprise, detected the aura of an Emperor Realm powerhouse. Moreover, that aura… didn't seem to be human.
Demon Tribe? A guess immediately formed in Yang Kai's mind.
Before long, a series of figures burst out from the jungle on one side. Each one looked fierce and menacing, clearly not to be messed with. Rolling waves of demonic energy surged from their bodies, converging together to form an overwhelming aura that pressed down with unstoppable force.
It really was the Demon Tribe!
The leader was a towering Demon Tribe warrior, gripping a bone spear in his hand. It was ghastly white and unsettling—forged from the bones of some unknown demon beast. Over fifty feet long and as thick as a man's thigh, he wielded it with casual ease. He wore nothing but simple beast hides, his solid, powerful muscles bared for all to see, exuding a raw aesthetic of strength. Beneath him sat a Steel-Backed Bristle Boar, its tusks a full two feet long and curling upward, hot steam billowing from its nostrils, all four hooves restlessly pawing the ground, and its crimson beast-eyes gleaming with a terrifying light.
The beast and its rider stood tall and imposing, as if gods had descended to the mortal realm.
This was clearly a Demon General!
Flanking the Demon General were roughly thirty to forty demon beasts of varying strength, arrayed outward from him in a loose, disorderly formation.
Dozens of gazes locked onto Yang Kai and Zhang Ruoxi in an instant, sizing them up—though most of them were directed at Zhang Ruoxi. After all, Zhang Ruoxi was lovely to look at, with a slender figure that inevitably drew the eyes of males, whether human or demon.
The scantily clad female demons, on the other hand, were none too pleased. They glared at Zhang Ruoxi with undisguised hostility, muttering insults through gritted teeth—the occasional "slut" or "tramp" just barely audible.
Zhang Ruoxi, for her part, was curiously studying the group that had suddenly burst from the trees. She had never seen the Demon Tribe before. She had encountered plenty of demon beasts, but demons who could take on human form were not so easy to come by.
Seeing that these creatures looked no different from ordinary people on the surface, she studied them with open curiosity.
As for fear, she felt none—after all, Yang Kai was right beside her, and she had absolute confidence in him.
"You humans, you've got some nerve, daring to trespass on my territory!" The burly Demon General sat atop his Steel-Backed Bristle Boar, pointing his bone spear at them from afar, cutting an imposing figure.
Yang Kai's mouth twitched. He wasn't sure how to respond.
He knew that many demon tribes lived within the Forbidden Ancient Land. The Demon Tribe was nothing like demon beasts—most demon beasts had never developed spiritual intelligence and simply absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth by instinct to cultivate. Though they could live for ages, their strength was difficult to advance, and they certainly could not take human form.
The Demon Tribe was different. Although they had originated from demon beasts, they had awakened spiritual intelligence, knew how to cultivate more effectively, and even possessed cultivation techniques specific to their kind.
Across the entirety of the Forbidden Ancient Land, the Demon Tribe was the most powerful force. Beyond them, there were also the many Remnant Bloodlines of the ancient era—countless races on the verge of extinction. Though few in number, they were extraordinarily powerful, for they carried the blood of the primordial age and could unleash abilities beyond imagination.
Yang Kai had little understanding of how power was divided within the Ancient Land. The only information he had came from the jade slip Pi San had given him free of charge, and even that was far from comprehensive—covering only the outer regions.
Now, seeing this group of demon warriors appear, Yang Kai immediately realized that in his pursuit of the Ice Heart Valley's Third Elder, he had stumbled unawares into this Demon General's territory.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The demon warriors suddenly erupted in shouts and battle cries. To anyone unfamiliar with the situation, they would have looked like a band of highway robbers lying in wait—enough to make one laugh.