The Earth Demon's screams were unceasing, rising and falling in pitch, filled with terror and dread.
"Earth Demon!" Yang Kai called out, enduring the pain pounding inside his skull. "What's wrong?"
"Young Master..." The Earth Demon's voice trembled. "What is this cursed place? Why is my soul being attacked?"
Hearing this, Yang Kai suddenly realized with a jolt! No wonder the pain in his skull felt so familiar—it was the sensation of his soul taking damage.
All this time, Yang Kai had been using this very method to torment and intimidate Zi Mo and Leng Shan. He never imagined he would be the one enduring this same agony today.
Truly, good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished. The retribution may be delayed, but it always comes.
Chi Xue had led him charging into this jungle shrouded in white mist with clearly ill intent—only to find himself dozens of zhang away, screaming in agony. It seemed he hadn't known the secrets of this place either, having blundered in and being unable to withstand it himself.
Now both of them were suffering the torment of soul damage, completely unable to continue fighting.
"Young Master, get out of here quickly! This white mist is bizarre... it doesn't harm the body, only the soul—this old servant can't take it!" The Earth Demon urged frantically.
Though he was a demon of ten thousand years, he was now nothing more than a soul entity, possessing no physical body. Normally he could hide comfortably inside the Soul-Breaking Awl, but once he fell into this place, he immediately met his match. The torment and pain he endured far exceeded what Yang Kai and Chi Xue were experiencing.
In just this brief moment, the Earth Demon could distinctly feel his soul power weakening. This discovery threw him into a panic, as though mourning the death of his own parents.
"Hold on!" Yang Kai raised his head with difficulty and glanced at Chi Xue, seeing him also thrashing wildly through the white mist, desperately trying to find a way out—but failing to find any clue.
Gritting his teeth against the piercing agony, Yang Kai retreated at full speed along the direction he had entered.
After pulling back over a hundred zhang, the surrounding area was still blanketed in white mist.
Yang Kai's heart lurched. He immediately sensed something was wrong.
He had charged into this white mist penetrating only a few zhang at most—so why hadn't he managed to retreat out of it yet? Unwilling to give up, he pulled back another hundred zhang. The same result!
"Earth Demon... this place is very strange. I can't get out!" Yang Kai's expression changed drastically.
The Earth Demon let out hoarse screams of anguish, and upon hearing this, a note of despair crept into his voice. "Could it be that this old servant... is destined to perish here today? I refuse to accept this!"
He had been sealed within the Inheritance Grotto-heaven for countless ages, only breaking free when its restrictions were finally overcome. Though he had been subdued by Yang Kai, at least he was out in the world again. Now facing a life-or-death crisis once more, the Earth Demon was naturally seething with resentment.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed tightly as he struggled against the throbbing pain in his head, scanning the terrain on either side while racking his brains for a way to escape.
There was definitely some kind of restriction deployed here, which was why it was so bizarre. The Earth Demon was no help right now, and Yang Kai himself couldn't locate the source of the restriction—how could he possibly break it?
"I'm starting to feel lightheaded..." Suddenly, golden stars exploded across Yang Kai's vision. His steps grew unsteady.
"It's over—this is the danger! Those are signs of soul damage! If it happens a few more times, Young Master, your soul will be utterly annihilated!"
Yang Kai's expression turned grim. Forcing himself to endure the accumulating discomfort, his thoughts raced.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said, "Earth Demon, get inside my Golden Body and try!"
"What Golden Body? Oh..." The Earth Demon didn't quite catch it at first, but then understanding dawned, and he quickly retreated into Yang Kai's Proud Bone Golden Body.
In a moment, the Earth Demon's hearty laughter rang out: "Hahaha... Young Master, this Golden Body of yours is truly remarkable! It can actually withstand that white mist's assault—this old servant is safe now!"
Yang Kai could only smile bitterly. "You're safe, but now I'm in danger!"
The Proud Bone Golden Body encompassed all things and accepted every force like the ocean takes in rivers. It could absorb any kind of energy. Yang Kai didn't know what exactly the white mist concealed, but since it could attack the soul, it had to be some manifestation of energy—which was why the idea of having the Earth Demon try it had suddenly occurred to him. And the result proved it worked.
"Young Master, you have to hang in there!" The Earth Demon cheered nervously on Yang Kai's behalf. He was free from worry himself now, but if Yang Kai died, he wouldn't escape the same fate either.
"Is there any way for my soul to also retreat into the Golden Body?" Veins bulged on Yang Kai's forehead. His entire robe was soaked with sweat, his fists clenched tight, his body shuddering uncontrollably.
"You haven't reached the Shenyou Realm..." The Earth Demon sighed. Without reaching the Shenyou Realm and cultivating Divine Sense, how could one possibly project one's soul into the Golden Body?
Yang Kai clenched his teeth, pouring every ounce of his strength into resisting the agony emanating from his mind. His Yuan Qi spun into uncontrolled chaos.
The pain persisted for a long time before that dizzying sensation swept over him once again. Yang Kai staggered and collapsed directly to the ground—his soul suffering damage for the second time!
At this rate, it would not be long before his soul was truly annihilated, wiped from existence entirely. He had to find a way to break out of this predicament.
Though his situation was dire, the adversity only sharpened Yang Kai's composure. Seizing that brief window of dizziness before the next wave of pain arrived, he gathered every shred of his will and focus, searching for a method of escape.
Just as Yang Kai concentrated with absolute focus, he suddenly felt a wave of cool clarity wash through his mind. It was no illusion—it was a genuine, tangible sensation.