In the blink of an eye, they were before Yang Kai. Their figures materialized — a man and a woman.
Both had aged considerably. One was a doddering old man with hair and beard completely white; the other a wrinkled old woman whose entire body radiated a thick stench of death. At this moment, the old man gazed at Yang Kai with eyes filled with venomous hatred, as though he wished to skin him alive and tear out his tendons.
The old woman swept her gaze across the blood pool and immediately flew into a hysterical rage. She glared at Yang Kai, grinding her teeth. "Boy, you dare kill the people of our Nether Spring Sect? I will make you wish you were dead — wishing for death but finding none."
Disciples of the Nether Spring Sect had been running rampant on Cuiwei Star. Even when they encountered some resistance, it was quickly suppressed. They had never imagined that anyone would dare slaughter their disciples — and so many at once.
As the ones in charge of the Nether Spring Sect's operations here, the two of them naturally bore a measure of responsibility. Moreover, among the slain disciples, many had been like their own children. Such a blood debt could not be endured.
"You're from the Nether Spring Sect?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
The Great Desolate Star Domain, the Nether Spring Sect… what an unfortunate reunion.
"Boy, it's too late to beg for mercy now. Your soul belongs to me, your body belongs to her, and you will never reincarnate for all eternity." The doddering old man's voice cut through the air like a jackal's, making one's skin crawl with revulsion.
Yang Kai regarded them with contempt. "Did I look like I was about to beg for mercy? You old fossils must be losing your eyesight."
"Insolent!" The doddering old man, enraged by Yang Kai's retort, thrust a withered hand toward him. The hand was nothing but skin and bone, its nails pitch-black — terrifying, like the claws of some spectral demon.
As that withered hand lashed out, it whipped up a bone-chilling wind that pierced to the marrow, freezing one's very soul.
Yang Kai threw his head back and laughed. "Brains are a fine thing to have, but it seems not everyone was blessed with them. I actually wanted to ask you a few questions, but since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll grant your wish." He threw a punch forward.
The doddering old man's expression changed instantly. Although he detected no trace of Yang Kai channelling any power — it was just a simple punch — it gave him an overwhelming sense of unease, as though he could not withstand the blow.
Though his cultivation was only at the Void King Second Stage, the saying goes that he who survives to old age without dying is a cunning thing indeed. His intuition regarding matters of life and death was uncanny.
His claw hadn't even reached its target before he hastily withdrew it.
But he was already a step too late. The savage fist force swept across his five fingers, carrying an unstoppable destructive power that blew them apart in a burst of mangled flesh and blood.
"What!" The old woman's expression also changed. What the devil was this boy? A casual punch carrying such terrifying force — how was that possible?
Only now did the sound of howling wind come rushing through, buffeting their bodies until they swayed.
The two exchanged a glance and saw the same horror reflected in each other's eyes. Without a shred of hesitation, they each unleashed their killing techniques.
Simultaneously, they extended their hands toward the blood pool and summoned with a beckoning gesture.
Two great banners flew out of the blood pool and into their hands. One was blood-red, as if forged from liquid blood, radiating a dense aura of carnage. The other was pitch-black as night, devoid of any light, with the faint outlines of countless human faces drifting within — writhing, struggling, screaming.
"Blood Sea Banner! Ten Thousand Souls Banner!" Peng Shizong, watching from a distance, gasped. Those two Artifacts — forged from countless human lives — filled his eyes with revulsion, and the others wore similar expressions.
On Cuiwei Star, countless people had perished because of these two Artifacts. How could they not know the names of the Blood Sea Banner and the Ten Thousand Souls Banner?
With their natal Artifacts in hand, the old man and old woman felt their composure return. Both fixed Yang Kai with sinister, malevolent stares.
Yang Kai said in a low voice, "So this was your purpose in slaughtering the city?"
He could sense that these so-called Blood Sea Banner and Ten Thousand Souls Banner were extremely evil Artifacts. Their immersion in the blood pool was clearly meant to use the blood and wandering souls within to nourish the spirituality and power of the Artifacts.
The moment these two Artifacts appeared, the entire blood pool fell silent, and even the color of the pool water faded considerably.
"Their trash is fortunate to enter my banner," the old man snorted coldly.
The old woman grinned maliciously. "Don't worry — you'll be joining them soon enough."
Yang Kai chuckled coldly. "Then by all means, hurry up and take me in."
The old woman snorted. "As you wish."
She rolled the Blood Sea Banner in her hand and cast it down over Yang Kai's head, turning the entire sky a deep crimson.
Yang Kai glanced up with a completely nonchalant expression. The old woman had been on guard for any resistance from him, but even after sweeping Yang Kai into the Blood Sea Banner she saw no movement from him whatsoever. She immediately sneered, "So ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth — how dare you enter my Blood Sea Banner. Now let's see how you die."
The old man said, "This person is somewhat extraordinary. Don't be careless. Let me go in — we'll deal with him together."
The old woman said, "You're far too cautious. Once inside the Blood Sea Banner, even a Void King Realm Third Stage expert would lose a layer of skin." Despite her words, she still gripped the old man's arm, flickered, and brought him into the Blood Sea Banner as well.
Peng Shizong and the others watched from afar, their hearts pounding with anxiety. They thought that the young man had looked remarkably composed — how could he be so foolish? The Blood Sea Banner was an extraordinarily powerful Artifact, and with the old woman's Void King Realm First Stage cultivation commanding it, whoever entered would surely perish. Not only would he fail to kill the old woman, but he would merely add another measure of power to the Blood Sea Banner for nothing.
They had thought a savior had arrived, only to find he was a reckless fool.
"Brother Peng, what do we do?" someone asked, looking toward Peng Shizong. At this point, only their own people remained near the blood pool. The Yellow Springs Sect's disciples had been slaughtered to the last, and both Void King Realm experts had entered the Blood Sea Banner. One could say that in the entire city, only they were left.
"Run! We have to run!" Before Peng Shizong could answer, someone was already shouting.
Peng Shizong smiled bitterly. "Run? Where could we possibly run to?"