At the same time Yang Kai and the others were making their move, inside Wuhua Hall, Lei Gu — wreathed in demonic energy — had clearly received the news as well. He turned his head toward a demonfolk beside him and glared. "You're sure you didn't see wrong?"
The demonfolk cupped his fists. "Reporting to my lord, I am absolutely certain. There are over two hundred people, and every last one of them is in the Emperor Realm." The demonfolk wore the attire of Wuhua Hall, marking him plainly as one of its own. His cultivation had reached the first-order Emperor Realm, suggesting he had once been an Elder of the hall — though at this moment, he had obviously been taken over by a demonic thought.
Lei Gu's eyes flickered and he frowned. "How is that possible?"
The Southern Domain's plan had been meticulous and finely laid. Exploiting the martial arts tournament to ambush so many Emperor Realm cultivators and tens of thousands of elite disciples — those who planned against those who were unaware — it should have been foolproof. Yet at the final moment, something had gone wrong with that one man, Yang Kai.
He hadn't expected Yang Kai, who had vanished for over a decade, to show up at the Southern Domain's martial arts tournament. That was why he'd had someone lure him away for a secret assassination — but even that had failed, leaving him thoroughly vexed. Only then had he realized that someone who possessed spatial arts truly understood the art of staying alive. And now, in less than a single day, where had this surnamed Yang found so many helpers — all of them Emperor Realm cultivators, no less?
But his subordinate's report had been delivered with absolute conviction, leaving little room for doubt. To be safe, Lei Gu decided to see for himself. He fired off a few instructions to the demonfolk, then shifted his body and in a few leaps arrived at the main gate. He cast his gaze outward, and his expression turned grave.
The Yang Kai who had left just a day ago had indeed returned — and he had brought quite a few allies. Aside from Shi Huo, who had remained here all along to monitor the situation, there were now eight or nine stone beings, and over a dozen Emperor Realm cultivators hovering in the surrounding area.
He looked further left and right. All along the perimeter of Wuhua Hall's great Sect-protecting formation, at regular intervals, figures stood suspended in midair. The moment he appeared, every one of them turned to look his way.
They really were all Emperor Realm cultivators, and there were quite a few of them. Lei Gu couldn't be certain exactly how many Yang Kai had brought, but from the look of it, the demonfolk's report hadn't been far off.
Where had he found so many Emperor Realm cultivators? In just one short day — even if he had raced nonstop to every major Sect in the Southern Domain to spread the word, it would have been impossible to summon this many reinforcements so quickly.
Lei Gu's expression grew somber. He had a vague feeling that things were headed in a very bad direction. If this plan failed, Yang Kai would absolutely be the one to blame. He seethed inwardly — after all these years of planning, the grand scheme was about to be ruined by a single man. How could he not be furious?
"He really has fallen to demonic corruption." Ji Yao stood right beside Yang Kai, and upon seeing Lei Gu she clicked her tongue in fascination, looking him up and down. It was her first time encountering demonic energy and a warrior who had been corrupted by it. Though it was her first such encounter, the black qi coiling around Lei Gu gave her an intensely uncomfortable feeling — a deep, instinctive revulsion rooted in her very soul.
So this was demonic energy. Truly foul and defiled.
"Lei Gu! Today, this place will be your grave!" Yang Kai's voice erupted through gritted teeth — meeting one's enemy made his eyes burn red with hatred.
Lei Gu kept his face cold and said nothing. Without warning, he turned and walked away, not even deeming it worth a single word to Yang Kai. He had come here primarily to verify whether the intelligence was correct. Now that it had been confirmed, there was no reason to linger.
Yang Kai started slightly, realizing the man was likely about to go all in with nothing left to lose. He immediately channeled his power and bellowed: "Hall Master, are you still there?"
The voice, powered by Emperor Yuan, rolled like pealing thunder deep into the heart of Wuhua Hall.
A hearty laugh immediately sounded from within. "Still kicking!"
"Hold on just a bit longer, Hall Master — I'm coming to get you all out!" Yang Kai shouted again.
Wen Zishan's voice rang out: "Good!" Though he had no idea what the situation outside was, Yang Kai had returned after leaving, which meant he had certainly found allies. Now everyone's hope of escape rested on Yang Kai's shoulders, so unconditional trust was the only option.
"Boy, if you're going to do something, do it! Keep dawdling and your Hall Master will fall to demonic corruption!" Ma Qing's exasperated voice also carried out from within.
Wen Zishan laughed loudly: "Bullshit! You're the one who's going to fall!"
Yang Kai cracked a grin at the sound. Good — if they still had the energy to bicker, it meant the situation hadn't yet reached its most critical point.
A single hand rose high into the air, his voice ringing out in all directions: "All of you — on my command!"
A chorus of metallic clangs filled the air as blades and swords were drawn. Emperor Treasures of every kind were summoned forth, and surges of Monster Yuan and Emperor Yuan surged through the crowd, building toward a devastating strike.
Yang Kai's raised hand slashed downward as he bellowed: "Attack!"