On the Zhoutian Continent, deep within that valley, Li Shiqing slowly came to her senses. She looked around but saw no trace of Yang Kai. Instead, the Demon Mirror left behind by Yu Rumeng was surrounded by quite a few demons, all wearing anxious expressions as they peered into its surface.
Rubbing her neck, Li Shiqing tried to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness. She vaguely remembered that Yang Kai had been the one to knock her out…
Right—the Great Emperors were in danger! The moment that thought struck, Li Shiqing fully regained her wits.
Just then, the demons gathered around the mirror suddenly let out cries of alarm, as though they had witnessed something utterly shocking. Suspicious, Li Shiqing stepped forward and leaned in to look at the Demon Mirror. One glance, and her beautiful eyes went wide, her delicate body trembling.
Within the mirror stood two figures, observed from a great distance. Even though they were far away, Li Shiqing could still tell who they were.
One was Yang Kai. The other was the Great Emperor Bright Moon!
And at this very moment, Yang Kai's fist had actually smashed straight through Bright Moon's chest, tearing open a massive hole in the Emperor's torso. Blood trickled from the corner of Bright Moon's mouth, and his once-pristine white robes had been thoroughly soaked crimson.
What on earth had happened during the time she was unconscious? How had it ended like this—Yang Kai had killed a Great Emperor!
That horrifying thought, combined with the staggering scene before her eyes, crashed into her mind like an endless roar of thunder. Li Shiqing simply could not bear it. Her vision went black, and she collapsed into a faint once more.
…
In the void, Yang Kai vaulted onto Zhui Feng's back. The moment the steed let out its shrill cry, it charged toward the nearest realm gate with Yang Kai on its back, golden flames igniting around its hooves and leaving blazing marks upon the emptiness.
Countless spiritual senses had locked onto him, and wisps of killing intent trailed after him in an unbroken stream. Even knowing that Yu Rumeng was somewhere on the Zhoutian Continent, Yang Kai felt not the slightest sense of security.
In the current situation, Yu Rumeng probably couldn't protect him anymore. If he wanted to survive, his only option was to flee—as far as possible. Ideally, he could cross the Two Realms passage and escape back to the Star Boundary!
The Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Domain, and even the Night Shadow Emperor Can Ye, had all gathered on the Zhoutian Continent. The Two Realms passage would be at its most lightly defended right now—this was his best window to escape.
A flicker of regret passed through his mind. He should have sent Li Shiqing into the Small Profound World ahead of time. Now that he was running, she was certain to suffer for it. But at this point, he could no longer afford to worry about her. Comparatively speaking, the will of the Greater World was of paramount importance. The will that Great Emperor Bright Moon had entrusted to him absolutely could not be lost.
Over a hundred Half-Saints surrounded them, but before they could react, Zhui Feng had already burst through the encirclement with Yang Kai on its back. The Half-Saints seared with fury, each deploying their own means to give chase.
But Zhui Feng's greatest asset had always been its speed. How could these Half-Saints hope to keep up? From the very start, the gap between them widened at a breathtaking pace.
The expressions of the many Demon Saints darkened like storm clouds. Only Yu Rumeng's face held a mixture of elation and worry.
She had always known that Yang Kai was more receptive to the will of the Star Boundary than the Half-Saints of the Demon Domain. But because Yang Kai's strength was insufficient, she had never considered letting him participate in this contest for fortune.
What she never could have imagined was that Yang Kai would end up being the final winner—and from the looks of it, Great Emperor Bright Moon had willingly passed that fortune on to him.
Compared to that, the death of Yue Sang at Bright Moon's hands was no longer significant. Yue Sang had already defected to Xue Li's side and could no longer be considered her subordinate. Dead was dead—no great loss. But Yang Kai obtaining this fortune meant he had taken a step ahead on the path of the Great Dao. How could she not be overjoyed?
What worried her was that this fortune would not be easy to keep.
Sure enough, the very moment that thought arose, a furious roar reached her ears: "Insolent!"
With that, the man actually transformed into a streak of blood-light and shot off in the direction of Yang Kai's escape, clearly intending to intercept him personally. He was not the only one—the other Demon Saints all moved as well, hurtling after them.
The Half-Saints might not be able to catch Yang Kai, but that did not mean the Demon Saints couldn't. If those Demon Saints managed to cut off his path, he would inevitably be cornered and besieged by over a hundred Half-Saints. The outcome in that scenario was plain for all to see.
"You dare!" Yu Rumeng roared in fury. She had barely moved when a burly figure before her raised a hand, blocking her path.
Yu Rumeng stared darkly ahead and said in a low voice, "Huang the First—what is the meaning of this?"
The one blocking her way was none other than the Demon Domain's foremost Demon Saint, Huang Wuji. He had raised one hand in a casual gesture before him, an almost languid motion that nonetheless erected what felt like an impenetrable wall of bronze and iron before Yu Rumeng. Even as a fellow Demon Saint, she would not break through it easily.