He had come in a hurry after hearing his subordinates report that something seemed to have gone wrong over here. Yang Kai had been heading back in this direction when he left, so Bai Zhuo had suspected something might have happened.
Now, a single glance confirmed it.
Moreover, judging by the residual aura lingering in the area, a battle between Half-Saints had clearly just taken place. Bai Zhuo couldn't help but cast several extra glances at the Avatar.
"Yue Sang is here!" Yang Kai said with a grim expression, his gaze fixed on Bai Zhuo.
"How is that possible?" Bai Zhuo was visibly startled. "Are you sure you didn't mistake someone else for him?"
Yang Kai spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't think I'd confuse the identity of someone trying to kill me."
"But shouldn't he be at the Two Realms Battlefield…" Bai Zhuo trailed off, his brow furrowing as something clicked in his mind. A look of realization crossed his face, and he nodded slightly. "If that's the case, then his return isn't all that strange."
Yang Kai reverted from his Dragon Form back to his usual appearance while letting out a cold snort.
This put Bai Zhuo in an awkward position. After all, just over an hour ago, he had told Yang Kai that Yue Sang was stationed at the Two Realds Battlefield — only for Yang Kai to run into an assassination attempt the moment he got back. Nothing had gone wrong this time, but if something had, Bai Zhuo would bear at least a share of the responsibility. He let out a sheepish laugh. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Yang Kai knew he couldn't really blame Bai Zhuo. The reason his expression was less than pleasant wasn't because inaccurate intelligence had left him at a disadvantage — it was because this guy had shown up too fast.
The reason Yue Sang had retreated so decisively was likely because he had sensed Bai Zhuo's aura. He probably knew that Bai Zhuo would never side with him once he arrived. The two already had a grudge, and now Yue Sang had secretly sneaked back into the Demon Realm — if Bai Zhuo caught him here, he would show no mercy. With Bai Zhuo and Yang Kai's Avatar joining forces, Yue Sang wouldn't have escaped easily.
Swallowing a bellyful of frustration, Yang Kai muttered, "Nothing serious."
Bai Zhuo nodded gently. "The Saint Sovereign will arrive within half a day. Let's clean up this area first." Though Yue Sang had already withdrawn, several million demons below were still locked in combat below. Without someone stepping in, it wouldn't be resolved anytime soon. If Yu Rumeng arrived and witnessed this, nobody's reputation would come out intact — this counted as internal strife, and would only invite ridicule from the other Demon Saints over Yu Rumeng's inability to keep her people in line.
Yang Kai would have loved to slaughter every last one of the female Succubus's subordinates, but he knew that with Bai Zhuo present, such a fantasy was entirely impractical. Besides, his own side had taken considerable losses — in this short span of time, nearly a tenth of his two-million-strong army had fallen.
Well, the monks might flee, but the temple couldn't. Whether it was Yue Sang, or Di Li, or that female Succubus, Yang Kai had already pinned them all on his list of enemies. So long as they all continued serving under Yu Rumeng, there would come a day when he could settle every score.
Without another word, he charged down alongside the Avatar, cutting through the enemy army in a series of devastating passes that completely shattered their fighting spirit and sent their ranks collapsing like an avalanche. Only then did he finally stop.
The aftermath was left to Lao Ke and the others to tally up the battlefield — Yang Kai had no need to worry about that.
Bai Zhuo stayed glued to Yang Kai's side, presumably afraid Yue Sang might double back for another strike. Not long after the battle concluded, Zhui Feng came trotting back with an air of triumph, and even had the audacity to sidle up to Yang Kai with a look that practically screamed "reward me."
Yang Kai laid into him without hesitation, beating and scolding him at the same time. "Did I tell you to chase after him? Who gave you permission to chase? You ought to rename yourself 'Chase People' — why call yourself 'Chase Wind'?" If this creature hadn't been lured away by that female Succubus, Yang Kai might very well have kept Yue Sang trapped here today.
He beat Zhui Feng until the creature wore a thoroughly aggrieved expression, completely bewildered about what he had done wrong.
Watching from the side, Bai Zhuo's heart was in his throat. He had heard of Zhui Feng's reputation long ago — this creature was the mount of the Lord of the Hundred Spirits Continent, and its temperament was famously far from gentle. Its strength was equally terrifying. Seeing Yang Kai beat and berate the creature like this, he genuinely feared that Zhui Feng might fly into a rage and kick Yang Kai to death in retaliation…
What shocked him even more was that Zhui Feng simply endured the beating without fighting back and didn't mutter a word in protest, only letting out the occasional whimper of grievance. After the thrashing was over, the creature hung its head and slunk off to the side, curling up in a posture of profound hurt.
Bai Zhuo watched the whole spectacle with clicks of amazement.
Boya and Li Shiqing had both regained consciousness. The latter had never been seriously injured to begin with, and upon seeing Yang Kai safe and sound, she even offered him a small smile that warmed his heart. Fellow natives of the Star Boundary, they shared a natural kinship — if not for the need to maintain his cover, Yang Kai would never have treated her so harshly. But in the Demon Realm, caution was paramount.
Boya's complexion was still pale, but after taking medicinal pills, her condition had improved and no lingering effects should remain.
Yang Kai offered them a few words of encouragement and ordered Xiao Wu to take good care of them, then turned his gaze into the distance alongside Bai Zhuo.
Compared to the clash between Emperors and Demon Saints, the conflict here could only be called a minor skirmish. The droning roar at the horizon had not ceased for a single moment, and in that unfathomably distant direction, bursts of radiance periodically erupted, draining the color from heaven and earth while sending tremors shuddering through the void.
Anyone who had reached a certain level of strength could feel that the very laws of this world were beginning to crack apart.
This was the power of Emperors and Demon Saints — their every action could truly determine the survival of an entire continent.
"With most of the Half-Saints having returned to the Demon Realm, what happens at the Two Realms Battlefield?" Yang Kai suddenly asked.
Bai Zhuo shrugged. "Hunker down, I suppose. What else can they do?"