They did indeed have the numbers, but if they were actually going to fight Yang Kai to the death, whether even half of them would survive was anyone's guess.
None of them were willing to trade their own lives to create an opening for someone else.
But the consequences of disobeying Tan Junhao's orders would undoubtedly be the same as that big fellow named Liu's.
In that moment, everyone was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Tan Junhao naturally saw through their hesitation. He gave a cold snort, his hand seals shifting once more.
Pained groans rang out yet again. Every Emperor Realm cultivator contorted in agony, cold sweat streaming down their foreheads as the Heart Corrosive Gu beneath their skin burrowed rapidly toward their hearts. Several could not endure the pain and let out blood-curdling screams, so shrill and wretched they sent shivers down one's spine.
"If the Gu enters the heart, death is certain!" Tan Junhao said flatly. "Whoever helps this old man kill this boy, I will extract the Heart Corrosive Gu from their body and restore their freedom."
The carrot and the stick — the tried-and-true method of subjugating hearts. As an elder of the Star God Palace, Tan Junhao had long since mastered this game.
The moment these words left his mouth, quite a few people's eyes lit up. This Heart Corrosive Gu was simply too torturous. If it could truly be extracted, it might be worth taking the risk. Most importantly, defying Tan Junhao meant certain death, while facing Yang Kai at least offered a sliver of hope.
It was such a simple choice, yet it left them with no choice at all.
Unable to endure both the agony and the temptation of Tan Junhao's promise, someone shouted, "Elder Tan, you must keep your word!"
Tan Junhao smiled faintly. "This old man always keeps his word."
"Good! Then today I, Xia, will lend Elder Tan a hand! Who else is willing to advance and retreat with me?"
As he spoke, he turned to look around. The various Emperor Realm cultivators nodded one after another. The arm couldn't twist the thigh — what could they do but agree?
With the support of the crowd, the Xia-surnamed warrior's confidence surged. His aura blazed to life as his Emperor Yuan roared into motion. He was a second-stage Emperor Realm powerhouse.
With a great roar — as if steeling his own courage — he lunged at Yang Kai with his entire body.
The others followed close behind.
In the blink of an eye, twenty or thirty figures transformed into streaks of light, all hurtling toward Yang Kai. Mid-flight, technique after technique erupted in brilliant radiance as Emperor-grade treasures were summoned, transforming into multicolored beams of light slashing down at Yang Kai.
Some even muttered as they attacked, "Don't blame us, young brother. We have no choice!"
Suddenly facing so many Emperor Realm cultivators, Yang Kai felt the pressure mount — it was as if mountains were pressing down on his chest, nearly suffocating him. Yet he threw his head back and roared to the heavens, "Hesitating and dithering — is this what it means to be an Emperor Realm cultivator? If you lack the courage to fight with life on the line, then don't start a battle in the first place!"
"You brat, you're too arrogant — die!"
Not everyone felt guilty toward Yang Kai. His actions at the auction house had already stirred the crowd's fury, and now they had been put under Tan Junhao's control and afflicted with the Heart Corrosive Gu all because of him. The speaker dared not harbor the slightest resentment toward Tan Junhao, instead venting all his rage on Yang Kai, believing that killing the latter would put an end to everything.
He struck without the slightest mercy.
Boom, boom, boom...
Twenty or thirty devastating attacks shrouded Yang Kai's position in an instant. Each was a formidable technique of the Emperor Realm. Divine abilities bloomed simultaneously, throwing the scene into absolute chaos.
Tan Junhao's eyelids narrowed as he watched. He reckoned that even with his own cultivation, facing such an onslaught would likely result in severe injury or even death. But this Yang boy was a master of spatial power — though the attacks were fierce, they might not necessarily lay a finger on him.
Although he had used the Great Circular Five Elements Formation to seal off this stretch of heaven and earth, it only prevented Yang Kai from teleporting outside the formation. Within its boundaries, Yang Kai could still move freely.
If that were not the case, why would he have gone to such lengths to leverage the power of these Emperor Realm cultivators? He was confident he could take Yang Kai down by himself.
Moments later, the dust settled. Where all the attacks had converged, there was nothing but empty space.
"Is he dead?" someone exclaimed.
"With so many of us attacking together, that kid wouldn't survive even if he had three heads and six arms. What a pity — a true prodigy wasted."
"Hahaha! Daring to stand against Elder Tan — he overestimated himself completely. He deserved to die!" someone laughed.
Now that Yang Kai was supposedly dead, it was naturally the time to flatter Tan Junhao. Perhaps in a good mood, he would extract the Heart Corrosive Gu from their bodies and set them free.
Even more were inwardly vexed. If they had known Yang Kai would be this easy to deal with, they should have gone all out earlier. Maybe they could have won a sliver of Tan Junhao's favor.
Pfft...
A strange sound rang out — faint, but every person present was at the Emperor Realm, each with keen senses. They all turned toward the sound, and when they saw what had happened, their faces drained of color.
A broad, thick sword tip protruded from the chest of the man who had spoken last. A phantom-like figure stood behind him, revealing a cold, sharp profile.
"Uh..." The man seemed to notice the chill in his chest and looked down. His eyes bulged instantly.
"If you make an enemy of me, you'd best be prepared for death." Yang Kai's calm voice drifted from behind, yet to the man's ears it struck like the tolling of morning bells and evening drums — a shock to the very soul.
Before he could react further, Yang Kai twisted his wrist. With a sickening crack, the man was cleaved in two. Blood sprayed everywhere as the bisected corpse and its innards rained down from the sky, a sight that made one's heart tremble.