The Samsara World wasn't large, but it wasn't small either. The last time Yang Kai had visited this world with Zhu Qing, her brother, and Li Jiao, they had spent several months here. Even if he wasn't entirely familiar with it, he wasn't exactly a stranger.
Hovering in the void, Yang Kai took a moment to orient himself before streaking toward the Human Emperor City.
Half a day later, a jade-green barrier resembling an inverted bowl came into view, and a familiar aura wafted from beyond it.
That was the Human Emperor City. The entire city was protected by a layer of jade-green light.
Yang Kai knew it was the power of the Sacred Tree.
Currently, the laws flowing through the Samsara World were those of the Demon Realm. This was the period when the demon race roamed free, and the residents of the Human Emperor City could not venture beyond the Sacred Tree's protection without being corrupted by demonic energy and transformed into demonkin.
Whenever this period came, the humans who had ventured out would return to the Human Emperor City to avoid the brunt of the demonic energy.
Yang Kai recalled everything he knew about the Human Emperor City and the Sacred Tree as he traveled. Before long, he arrived outside the city. Looking down, he could see the bustling streets packed with people jostling shoulder to shoulder.
However, the next instant, the urgent tolling of a bell rang out from a tower on the city wall, followed by someone shouting at the top of his lungs: "The demon race is attacking! The demon race is attacking!" Although the shouter's cultivation wasn't particularly high, he was still at the Dao Source Realm. With his power driving his voice, it was enough to echo across the entire Human Emperor City.
The ceaseless flow of people froze into an eerie stillness for a heartbeat. Three breaths later, the crowd erupted into chaos, everyone scrambling to spread the alarm and flee.
Yang Kai blinked. The demon race is attacking? What demon race?
He glanced around and suddenly realized—the "demon race" they were referring to... could that be him?
Looking down toward the tower from which the alarm had sounded, he saw that the Dao Source Realm cultivator who had been shouting was indeed glaring at him with an expression of utter loathing.
Yang Kai's face twitched. He seriously wanted to gouge out the man's eyes and force him to look closely—what about him looked anything like a demon?
But then again, he couldn't really blame the man for being so on edge. After all, the laws of the Demon Realm were what flowed through the outside world now, and the only ones still active out here were the demon race.
Being misunderstood was inevitable.
With that thought, he called out in a clear, commanding voice: "I am not of the demon race! Everyone, remain calm!"
The Dao Source Realm cultivator completely ignored him, continuing to ring the bell and shout without pause.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—cultivators kept flying toward the section of the city wall nearest to Yang Kai, every one of them wearing expressions of dire alarm. Among them were even several Emperor Realm experts.
This caught Yang Kai's interest. Although the Human Emperor City's population wasn't particularly large, its unique environment seemed to have produced a surprising number of Emperor Realm cultivators. The last time he had been here, he had encountered several at the third level of the Emperor Realm. A force like that, if brought out into the Star Boundary, could make a real difference.
While he was lost in thought, an angry shout suddenly rang out: "Who goes there!"
Yang Kai followed the voice and fixed his gaze on a half-aged elder at the second level of the Emperor Realm. He nodded slightly and said: "I am Yang Kai, not of the demon race. I would ask you to open the barrier, sir. I've come to speak with the Human Emperor about some matters."
The half-aged elder immediately roared: "Impudent! The title of Human Emperor is not for the likes of you demon filth to use so casually! If you know what's good for you, leave at once—or I will take your worthless life!"
Yang Kai's eye twitched. "Sir, look at me carefully. What about me looks like a demon?"
The half-aged elder snorted. "Spare me your silver tongue! I'll give you three breaths. If you haven't left by then, you'll bear the consequences!"
Yang Kai let out a long sigh, his expression one of helpless resignation. "You truly won't open the barrier?"
"Get lost!" the half-aged elder bellowed.
Yang Kai grinned and slowly extended a hand toward the jade-green barrier, pressing his palm against it. "In that case, I'll just let myself in."
The half-aged elder sneered repeatedly, making no move to stop him. After all, the Sacred Tree's protection had an extremely potent restraining effect on the demon race. Any demon that touched it would either die or suffer grievous injury—otherwise, over all these years, the Human Emperor City would never have remained safe. It would have been besieged by demons millions of times over.
This "demon" was actually foolish enough to try and break through the Sacred Tree's protection. In his eyes, it was nothing short of suicidal—the pinnacle of stupidity.
But the very next moment, the sneer on his face froze. His eyes went wide in utter disbelief.
Because Yang Kai's hand, pressed against the jade-green barrier, bore not a single mark of injury. More than that, the barrier itself was rippling in concentric waves, as though it were on the verge of being opened.
How was this possible?
This was the Sacred Tree's protection, which had shielded the Human Emperor City for over a hundred thousand years and kept it standing strong. And now it was actually accepting a "demon"?
Truthfully, the Sacred Tree's defensive power was incredibly robust. Even if the demon race really did attack, they would never manage to break through. But Yang Kai wasn't trying to break the barrier—he simply wanted to enter the Human Emperor City. And that made all the difference.
He was the Witch King, and one of those the Sacred Tree itself was meant to protect. So if he wanted to enter the city, why would the Sacred Tree stand in his way?