In an instant, Ying Fei's face darkened like a stormcloud.
He had always believed that with himself standing guard, even facing a Star God Palace Elder wouldn't be a big deal. He was a Demon King after all, comparable to a Third-Order Emperor Realm cultivator — why would he fear a mere Star God Palace Elder? But now this Eight Directions Division Array had separated everyone, and he didn't even know where Yang Kai was, let alone protect him. Worse still, whoever had set up the array could use its power to toy with Yang Kai effortlessly.
A deep sense of regret surfaced in his heart. If only he had insisted harder on bringing Xi Lei and Xie Wuwei along back then. Yang Kai had refused, and he hadn't pressed the matter.
But then he reconsidered — with the Eight Directions Division Array capable of splitting everyone apart, it wouldn't matter how many Demon Kings they brought.
He had already revealed his Demon King identity some days ago. For the enemy to act so brazenly, they must have made thorough preparations. And as it turned out, they had indeed arranged everything meticulously. Two arrays operating in tandem had not only trapped Yang Kai in this pocket of space, but had also thrown him into a solitary battlefield.
"Patriarch Gong, can the array be broken?" Ying Fei asked in a low voice.
Gong Tai heaved a leisurely sigh. "It can, but it will take time."
"How long?" Ying Fei felt a chill of dread.
"Ten days!"
Ying Fei fell silent. Ten days — by then the meal would be stone cold. Given Yang Kai's current predicament, how could he wait ten days?
Aio spoke from the side. "That kid Yang has always been blessed with incredible luck. Even though the enemy's methods are impressive this time, they won't necessarily be able to do him in. Patriarch Gong should focus on breaking the array first. We'll see if there's any way to locate the kid and lend him a hand."
It was the only option they had. Everyone knew he spoke the truth, so they split up immediately to search for any flaw in the array.
……
In the pitch-black world, Yang Kai felt as though he were adrift in the void. Yet the surroundings were distinctly different from the void itself. When he swept his spiritual sense outward, an invisible barrier blocked him on all sides, preventing him from detecting anyone's presence.
He stood motionless where he was, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned, showing neither fear nor alarm, simply waiting with patience.
In the darkness, a pair of eyes watched his reaction in silence. Seeing that he showed no trace of anxiety or panic, the observer immediately understood that Yang Kai's mental fortitude was far from ordinary and that conventional means would not suffice. With that thought, the figure abandoned any further concealment and stepped forward openly.
Light suddenly pierced the dark world, and ahead of him, a figure materialized.
Yang Kai looked up and immediately saw an old man. He appeared to have been standing there all along, manifesting without the slightest warning. Behind him stood two more figures — one was Wu Ming, who had vanished earlier, and the other was none other than Chi Yue, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
Chi Yue's cultivation had apparently been sealed as well. Her delicate face was slightly pale, and she was currently being restrained by Wu Ming, her hands pinned behind her back in his iron grip, unable to move.
The moment she saw Yang Kai, Chi Yue's eyes blazed with a mixture of shock and joy, as if she hadn't expected him to appear here. But her expression quickly darkened, and she shook her head slowly at him, urging him to flee.
Wu Ming observed all of this with a faint, cold smile. He applied a bit more pressure with his hand, and Chi Yue couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, her face growing even paler from the pain.
"Young friend Yang!" The old man looked every bit the otherworldly sage at first glance — three long whiskers flowing down his chin, clad in a blue ceremonial robe, carrying an air of mystique. He greeted Yang Kai with a warm smile.
"You old dog, you've finally deigned to show yourself," Yang Kai bared his teeth in a grin.
The old man smiled ruefully and shook his head. "Please watch your words, young friend. This old man is Tan Junhao!"
"Old dog Tan!" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
"You little brat, watch your mouth. Say that again and see what happens." Wu Ming's face twisted with fury.
Yang Kai threw back his head and rattled off at breakneck speed: "Old dog Tan, old dog Tan, old dog Tan, old dog Tan — puppy Wu, puppy Wu, puppy Wu, puppy Wu… I said it. Come and bite me."
"Bastard!" Wu Ming's nose was practically twisted sideways with rage. He was a Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivator — no one had ever insulted him to his face like this. A volcanic fury churned in his chest, magma on the verge of eruption.
Tan Junhao drew a slow breath and raised a hand to restrain Wu Ming's outburst. He narrowed his eyes at Yang Kai and said, "Young friend Yang seems to bear quite a grudge. It appears you have some grievances against this old man."
Yang Kai replied coldly, "What do you think?"
Tan Junhao smiled faintly and nodded. "I understand your anger, young friend. But this old man had no choice in the matter. I hope you can see reason."
"Die, and I'll forgive you."
Tan Junhao blinked, then burst into hearty laughter. "Young friend jests. I am an Elder of the Star God Palace, blessed by the Great Emperor's grace. Who in all the world would dare kill me?"
"So that's where your confidence lies." Yang Kai nodded lightly. Then his gaze sharpened, and his voice turned frigid. "Well, this young master would very much like to test what happens when you kill an Elder of a Great Emperor's sect!"
The corner of Tan Junhao's eye twitched. He sensed that Yang Kai was not joking at all — he genuinely harbored killing intent. Not that it bothered him much. Killing intent was all well and good; the question was whether one had the ability to follow through. He smiled. "Then this old man shall wait and see. But before that — shouldn't young friend Yang return something to its rightful owner? That item originally belonged to this old man and was obtained by you through sheer coincidence some years ago."
"You mean this?" Yang Kai casually reached into the void, and a token immediately appeared in his palm. Carved upon it was a vividly lifelike dragon, and on its face was a single, bold character: "Dragon." The token had an ancient look to it, crafted from some unidentifiable material that spoke of considerable age.