The Sacred Tree was the very foundation upon which the Human Emperor City stood. It was the tree's protection that had allowed the city to endure in this world for over a hundred thousand years without falling. For the Imperial Clan, nothing could be more important than the Sacred Tree.
So when the Fourth Prince realized Yang Kai was heading toward the Sacred Tree, how could he not panic? He had no idea what Yang Kai intended to do, but this was clearly an ominous sign.
Word was immediately relayed to the Human Emperor, who had been monitoring developments. Horrified, the Emperor rushed toward the Sacred Tree, naturally accompanied by numerous Imperial Clan members and palace powerhouses.
Over a hundred people swarmed to the location in short order.
But they stopped short — thirty zhang away from the Sacred Tree.
The reason was a stone giant standing on the path ahead, its body covered in sharp, protruding barbs and wreathed in eerie flames. The giant had angular features, stood several zhang tall, wore a ferocious expression, and radiated a monstrous killing intent that left the Emperor Realm cultivators and Imperial Clan members trembling with fear.
The Human Emperor could likewise sense that the stone giant was not to be trifled with, but he couldn't figure out where such a massive creature had come from. There hadn't been the slightest trace of it before.
At this moment, however, the enormous being was blocking their path and was clearly one of Yang Kai's helpers. What's more, judging by the changes in its expression, it seemed to possess its own thoughts and awareness.
The Human Emperor pondered briefly, then did not immediately order an assault on the Dharma Body. Instead, he raised his head and called out, "Lord Yang, the night is deep. Why have you not rested, but instead come to this forbidden ground?"
Yang Kai stood beneath the Sacred Tree, one hand resting on its not-so-thick trunk, perfectly still, as if he hadn't heard the Human Emperor's call. Yet before everyone's eyes, he appeared to have fallen into some sort of resonance with the Sacred Tree. The tree flickered with emerald light, pulsing erratically, and the glow rippled over Yang Kai's body in turn.
A profound and mysterious aura radiated outward.
The Human Emperor's expression darkened. He raised one hand and swept it forward.
Zhou Yuchuan stepped out immediately. As his Emperor Essence surged, his fist shot forth like a dragon. In an instant, fists rained down across the sky, hammering toward the Dharma Body and setting the void trembling while the four directions seemed to collapse.
A tremendous rumbling filled the air. When Zhou Yuchuan withdrew his fist, his eyes narrowed — the stone giant before him was completely unscathed. Worse, it grinned at him, and a palm the size of a door plank was already reaching out, swatting at him as though he were a mere fly.
Zhou Yuchuan was pale with shock. He raised both palms skyward, channeling every ounce of his power to resist.
A deafening boom…
The sound of bones cracking rang out. Zhou Yuchuan's entire body convulsed, blood trickling from his nose and mouth. He staggered backward, his aura dropping drastically.
Every person present changed their expression.
In terms of cultivation and combat strength, Zhou Yuchuan could firmly claim a spot among the top three in the entire Human Emperor City. The other two who ranked alongside him were not significantly different. In other words, Zhou Yuchuan was already one of the city's absolute peak powerhouses.
And such a being couldn't withstand a single palm strike from this stone giant? Just how powerful was this creature? What in the world was it?
The Human Emperor's expression shifted again. He waved his hand once more, and this time over a dozen Emperor Realm cultivators stepped forward simultaneously — clearly intending to join forces against the Dharma Body. After all, if even Zhou Yuchuan was no match for the stone giant, perhaps no one in the entire city could defeat it. Their only hope lay in overwhelming it with numbers.
But before they could make a move, Yang Kai — who had been standing there all along with his hand pressed against the tree trunk — suddenly stirred. He released a soft sigh, slowly withdrew his hand, and said flatly, "Human Emperor, I have no wish to wage war in this world. I merely intend to bring you out of it."
The Human Emperor said gravely, "I appreciate Lord Yang's good intentions, but I have no desire to leave this world. I'm afraid I must disappoint you."
Yang Kai turned around and regarded him with a faint smile. "If this were before, I wouldn't have minded if you refused to leave. After all, you can't force a melon to be sweet. Where you choose to stay is your business — nothing to do with me. But now… whether you want to leave or not, you're leaving. It's not up to you!"
Anger surfaced on the Human Emperor's face. "Lord Yang yourself said that you can't force a melon to be sweet. If that's so, why trouble us?"
Yang Kai broke into a grin. "You can't force a melon to be sweet — but it sure quenches your thirst!"
What kind of nonsensical logic was that? The assembled Imperial Clan members stared dumbfounded.
"What exactly is Lord Yang's purpose?" the Human Emperor frowned. Yang Kai was formidable in his own right, and the stone giant's strength was beyond comprehension. With such overwhelming power already at his disposal, why bother targeting the Human Emperor City? What could he possibly want from here? If it was the Sacred Arts, he himself knew Sacred Arts and was in no way inferior to any member of the Imperial Clan. The Human Emperor truly could not fathom what Yang Kai was after.
"You'll find out once we're outside," Yang Kai replied evenly.
The Human Emperor slowly shook his head. "Lord Yang wishes to take us from this world, yet refuses to tell us why. Forgive me, but I cannot agree. If Lord Yang intends to use force, my Imperial Clan is not one to shy from trouble. At worst, we'll fight to the bitter end."
Yang Kai let out a savage laugh. "Fight to the bitter end? You don't have the ability for that. I don't say this to belittle you, but if I wished you harm, you wouldn't be able to resist."
The Human Emperor said, "Even an ant clings to life. We will certainly not sit idle and await our doom."
Yang Kai nodded. "Then I'm willing to give you a chance."