……………………
Yang Kai extended his great hand, seizing the Yulu twins as easily as pinching two little chicks.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the twins' faces were streaked with terror and alarm. They involuntarily drifted toward Yang Kai before being swept up and carried toward the Demon Race's rear.
The remaining shamans and shaman apprentices could only watch it all unfold, a chill seeping out from every pore in their bodies as they stood rooted in place.
Shaya's triumphant laughter echoed across the entire battlefield, piercing and grating.
A figure flickered past, and Die blocked the way.
The Yulu twins simultaneously lit up with desperate hope, calling out in unison: "My Lady, the Shaman Bull has defected to the Demon Race — stop him quickly!"
Their recent time together had made it clear to the Yulu twins that this Die was also a Grand Shaman, equal in cultivation to the Shaman Bull. If she intervened, perhaps it could make a difference.
Die paid them no heed. She stood motionless, merely regarding Yang Kai with a calm, detached gaze.
Yang Kai halted as well, squinting at Die. "You want to stop me?"
Die was silent for a moment, then parted without a word. The light of hope in the Yulu twins' eyes was snuffed out in an instant.
Yang Kai nodded and swept past Die with the twins in tow.
"Be careful," Die murmured softly, her voice so faint that without close attention, one might not have realized she was speaking at all.
Yang Kai had already vanished into the distance, disappearing from sight in moments.
"The battle isn't over — why are you all dazed?" Die called out to the thirteen shamans below, her sharp voice cutting through the air. She was the first to move, her graceful figure dancing across the battlefield. In one moment she used her extraordinary agility to reap the lives of the Demon Race, in the next, the radiance of shamanic arts bloomed from her hands, bestowing the Barbarian warriors with all manner of enhancements.
Seeing her in action, the thirteen shamans and shaman apprentices found their anchor once more and gradually steadied their formation. Chants rose again, and the light of shamanic arts flickered across the field.
On one side of the battlefield, Yang Kai alighted lightly to the ground and flicked his hand. The Yulu twins tumbled to the earth. Their gazes blazed with hateful fury, as though volcanoes lay hidden within. They glared at Yang Kai, then at the provocatively dressed Shaya. Silver teeth were clenched tight. They burned with humiliation over their predicament and with indignation at Yang Kai's cowardly treachery.
If they had known the Shaman Bull was this kind of person, they would never have agreed to follow him.
"Is this sincerity enough?" Yang Kai asked with a smile, looking toward Shaya.
Shaya wore an enigmatic smile. Her beautiful eyes swept over the Yulu twins, then turned to Yang Kai, and she slowly shook her head.
Yang Kai frowned. "Those two are the backbone of my three thousand. I've captured them and come to defect — why isn't that enough?"
Shaya raised a hand languidly and pointed casually at Lu. "Kill her!"
The moment those words left her lips, both twins' faces changed.
"Kill her, and I'll believe you," Shaya said, tilting her head to regard Yang Kai, a trace of provocation in her eyes.
She was no fool. Though this Barbarian Grand Shaman had been poisoned with Green Demon toxin and had shown willingness to defect, that alone was not enough to win her trust.
This was the final test. If this Barbarian Grand Shaman truly could kill one of his own, then his intent to surrender would be beyond doubt. If not, it was a trick — a ploy to get close to her.
Shaya's mood was rather conflicted. On one hand, she hoped the Barbarian Grand Shaman would hold firm to the end, choosing death over submission. Only prey that struggled between life and death was truly satisfying. On the other hand, she felt it would be a waste if he died like that. She wanted him to obey her, but a slave who obeyed too readily… what use was that? She had no shortage of such people under her command.
So even she didn't know what decision she wanted the Barbarian Grand Shaman to make.
She watched closely, hoping to see hesitation and struggle on his face — that would at least bring her a measure of pleasure.
What amazed her, however, was that after hearing her order, Yang Kai simply strode forward without a single word of protest. Not the slightest hint of hesitation.
The twins' expressions changed drastically. Yu forced herself to stand and shield her sister, her beautiful eyes locked on Yang Kai as she shouted fiercely: "Kill me instead — let her go!"
Yang Kai stood before her like an insurmountable mountain, looking down at her. He inclined his head slightly. "Sisters bonded by deep love — touching, truly. What a pity…"
A dull thud rang out as Yu was sent hurtling through the air by a single kick, flying more than thirty feet before crashing heavily to the ground. She tumbled several times, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
"That was Lady Shaya's first command — I must obey it properly!" As Yang Kai spoke, his hand had already closed around Lu's slender neck, lifting her slowly off the ground.
Lu struggled desperately, her face flushing crimson, but with all her power sealed, how could her mere physical strength possibly break Yang Kai's grip? The way she flailed with both arms and legs was almost comical.
"Let… cough… let her go!" Yu screamed hoarsely from where she had crawled up nearby, lunging toward them once more — only to be pinned down by a dark shadow.
The force in Yang Kai's hand grew heavier and heavier. His shamanic power began to surge and roil, radiating an aura of extreme danger.
As if sharing some unspoken connection, the struggling Lu turned her head to look at her sister. Yu was gazing back, her heart breaking. When their eyes met, Lu parted her lips softly, but no sound came out.
Yu understood — she was saying goodbye.
"No!" Yu screamed, her voice raw and hysterical.
Boom…
A mist of blood suddenly erupted. Lu, held aloft in Yang Kai's grip, simply burst apart — no bones, no body remained. Only blood and fragments of flesh rained down in a ghastly shower.