At first, Bo Ya didn't grasp Yang Kai's intentions, but soon she caught on to what was happening.
Within a hundred miles of their position, there were three separate ambushes—each one guarded by a High-Rank Demon King! She was only a Mid-Rank Demon King, and her divine sense was far weaker than Yang Kai's, but as a Feather Demon she cultivated a wondrous eye-art that let her perceive traces invisible to others. It was thanks to this eye-art that she managed to spot them.
This was clearly the work of the Blue Origin side. Bo Ya's expression grew solemn, and as she mused over it, understanding suddenly struck her. She turned her head toward the border gate, where she could see Kosen leading a group of subordinates in a fierce battle against the demons of Blue Origin, the clash raging at full intensity.
But while Kosen was reasonably powerful, two fists couldn't match four hands. The enemy had six High-Rank Demon Kings, and the number of Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Demon Kings was considerable as well. They had surrounded his group completely, and fighters were dying on the field from time to time.
Logically speaking, Kosen shouldn't have been able to hold out this long. But under Bo Ya's gaze, she realized that the Blue Origin side wasn't actually trying to kill him. Instead, they seemed to be toying with him—encircling him without finishing him off, keeping him teetering on the edge of life and death with every passing moment.
Siege to snare the reinforcements…
Bo Ya's eyes widened in sudden comprehension.
It was clear that the Blue Origin side was targeting Yang Kai. First, they'd used a force far exceeding Kosen's to pin him down here, then used the opportunity to pick off any reinforcements sent from Cloud Shadow.
If Yang Kai and Lauk had charged in without understanding the trap, they would likely have met a grisly end today. The thought sent cold sweat trickling down her back.
In that moment, her admiration for Yang Kai deepened another notch. She had no idea how he'd detected those three deeply concealed ambushes, but judging by his demeanor, he had clearly anticipated this.
Even so, the situation remained gravely unfavorable for the Cloud Shadow side. The disparity in manpower was enormous—whether High-Rank, Mid-Rank, or Low-Rank Demon Kings, the numbers on the two continents weren't even comparable. Even if Lauk and Yin arrived as reinforcements, it wouldn't make a significant difference to the current state of affairs.
Breaking through would depend on what Yang Kai had up his sleeve. Bo Ya wasn't particularly optimistic, but as things stood, there was no point trying to dissuade him. She could only stay alert and act as the situation demanded.
While they were speeding along, Bo Ya suddenly noticed Yang Kai flick his finger casually, as though he'd sent something flying off somewhere. Before she could get a good look, the Tiger-Head Chariot had already shot past, hurtling directly toward a certain direction.
That direction happened to be where a group of Blue Origin demons lay in ambush.
Lights flickered, and in just a few breaths the chariot had covered dozens of miles. Yang Kai suddenly turned to Bo Ya with a grin, revealing a row of white fangs, and spoke in a chilling tone: "Don't let this king down!"
The moment the last word fell, Yang Kai's figure vanished from the chariot in a flash. A breath later, he reappeared several miles away, his Emperor Yuan surging violently as his body blazed with brilliant light—like a small sun illuminating the surroundings—charging straight toward the ambush site.
Bo Ya's lips twitched involuntarily at the sight. She'd originally thought Yang Kai had some kind of intricate scheme in mind, but as it turned out, the man had simply charged forward in the most brazen, head-on manner possible—while making an enormous spectacle of himself to boot.
Was he afraid the enemy wouldn't notice him? How could anyone be this reckless?
Since the enemy planned to siege and snare reinforcements, the two of them could just as well use this opportunity to eliminate the outer ambushes. With her archery and Yang Kai's abilities, as long as they were careful, there was no reason they couldn't pull it off.
But now their cover was blown, and any element of surprise was gone.
Still, before long, Bo Ya frowned again, feeling a nagging suspicion that this might have been exactly Yang Kai's intention all along. She immediately composed herself, and a faint azure glow shimmered in her beautiful eyes as her eye-art activated, laying bare every detail within several hundred miles.
"Who is that?"
Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, a High-Rank Demon King looked at the approaching sun-like figure and spoke. Another demon king beside him glanced over and said, "It has to be that human!"
The incoming aura was unfamiliar, and the energy fluctuation was only at the Mid-Rank Demon King level. Combined with the distinctly non-demonic presence, the other demon instantly recognized Yang Kai's identity.
"So that's the so-called Prince?" The High-Rank Demon King raised an eyebrow, planted his hands on his hips, and burst into hearty laughter. "They say humans are cunning and treacherous, but看来也不过如此, 今日这大功, 本王便不客气地笑纳了, 谁给我去将那人拿下?" he said. "Who among you will bring me that human?"
Their primary goal in besieging Kosen had been to lure Yang Kai into coming to his rescue. Whether Yang Kai would actually show up was something they hadn't been certain about. If he didn't come, Kosen would die for certain, dealing a massive blow to Cloud Shadow and enough to shake Yang Kai's rule there. If he did come, all the better—Blue Origin's forces were more than sufficient to ensure he never returned.
Before this, they had estimated the chances of Yang Kai coming at no more than thirty percent.
Yet here he was. It hadn't been long since word of Kosen's predicament was sent back, and this human had already appeared—charging straight toward their position. The High-Rank Demon King was overjoyed, feeling as though a golden opportunity had fallen right out of the sky.
The chance was right in front of him, and he naturally had no intention of letting it slip away. If they could capture this human this time, Lord Yue Sang would reward them handsomely. The opponent was only a Mid-Rank Demon King. He might look impressive, but his cultivation level was right there—how strong could he really be? The High-Rank Demon King didn't even feel the desire to strike personally.
"I'll go!" Immediately, four or five Mid-Rank Demon Kings stepped forward. With such a prime opportunity for merit sitting right before their eyes, they certainly weren't going to let it pass.