Once he knew, how could he let Yang Kai have his way?
His arms locked, unable to move, and while Wind Lord was shocked by Yang Kai's brute strength, he remained composed under pressure. With a low shout of "Wind!", the man actually transformed into a wisp of gentle breeze, ethereal and traceless. Yang Kai's grip went empty as Wind Lord escaped. The Mountain and River Bell, poised to descend, froze in midair—now that Wind Lord had broken free, there was no need for it to fall.
That wisp of breeze was visible to the naked eye, exquisitely mysterious. It drifted to the side and reformed into Wind Lord's figure. He smiled, calm and composed. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you here?" Without waiting for Yang Kai's answer, he supplied his own: "One hundred years. A full one hundred years!" Joy spread across Wind Lord's face. "This place truly is without peer. Emperor Time lives up to his name. My injuries have fully healed, boy—you're probably no match for me."
Though he had entered the Land of Four Seasons shortly after Yang Kai, he possessed the Emperor's remains and had gone straight into the Temple of Time. He had spent a hundred years here recovering and meditating, restoring what he'd lost before and waiting for Yang Kai to arrive.
Though his words were vague, Yang Kai understood their meaning perfectly.
The Temple of Time warped space and time. Wind Lord's full recovery naturally meant a hundred years had passed—though this particular flow of time was something Yang Kai had never experienced.
Conversely, what Yang Kai had gone through during that period, this Wind Lord before him likely knew nothing about—otherwise he wouldn't be speaking this way.
Wind Lord, confident his cultivation exceeded Yang Kai's and certain of victory, felt no urgency to attack. He simply fixed Yang Kai with his gaze: "I've long heard that you're connected to the dragons of Dragon Island, that you carry the dragons' primordial power. It seems the rumors are true. But external power is still external power—how can it compare to the subtlety of one's own cultivation? Where's your little helper? Won't you call it out?"
Previously, Yang Kai had summoned three Demon Race Half-Saints at once. Bai Zhuo and Bo Ya had been sealed by the divine abilities within the Emperor's remains, leaving only a Dharma Body unaccounted for.
Wind Lord was somewhat wary of that Dharma Body. If Yang Kai had brought it in as well, today would certainly see a great battle.
"I'll call it when I need it," Yang Kai said with a faint smile. "Don't worry about it."
Wind Lord nodded. "Boy, you may be young, but your strength is truly impressive. Honestly, I'm almost reluctant to kill you."
Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you just bend your neck and let me put you out of your misery? That'd save everyone the trouble."
Wind Lord naturally ignored that remark and tried persuasion: "Here's what I'm thinking—I'm reluctant to kill you, but you insist on being my enemy, which is quite the headache. Why not join the Heavenly Demon Path as well? If we could all be one family, there'd be no more concerns. That way, you keep your life, I have no regrets, and everyone's happy. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Besides, the Dao Lord would surely be delighted to welcome a young talent like you!"
Yang Kai stared at him with a strange expression. "You want me to join the Heavenly Demon Path?"
"Wholeheartedly!" Wind Lord's face turned solemn. "With your abilities, if you joined, you'd certainly win the Dao Lord's favor. You wouldn't reach our rank as the Four Great Lord Envoys, but you'd be the highest-ranked beneath us four. And when the Demon Race eventually unifies the Star Boundary, you'll be able to live without a care."
"Heh heh..." Yang Kai couldn't help but laugh.
Wind Lord's expression turned serious. "Why are you laughing?"
Yang Kai slowly shook his head. "I'm laughing at how you so willingly wag your tails for someone else while wearing such proud expressions. I'm laughing at how you've cultivated for so many years yet still haven't found freedom in your own hearts. You want to lure me with a position beneath the Four Great Lord Envoys—but do you even know who I am?"
"Who are you?" Wind Lord regarded him coolly.
Yang Kai stood tall, a proud smile on his face. "I am Yang Kai, Corps Commander of the Fifty-Fifth Legion of the Star Boundary—the Jizi Army. Why would I ever covet a dog's position in your Heavenly Demon Path?"
As his words fell, Yang Kai raised his hand and produced a massive command token!
The moment the token appeared, Wind Lord's face changed dramatically. He pulled out a small hourglass. At the same time, a flash of light erupted from the command token, and a burly figure shot forth from within.
The Corps Commander's Token was not merely a symbol of identity—it was also a lethal weapon for survival and killing, containing an Emperor's divine ability sealed within. The token in Yang Kai's hand had been forged by Zhan Wuhen himself, so the power sealed inside was naturally his.
Facing a Pseudo-Emperor alone, Yang Kai's ambush having failed, he immediately deployed the Corps Commander's Token, activating the Emperor's divine ability sealed within. His goal could be summed up in four words: end this quickly!
Pseudo-Emperors were not easy to kill. Wind Lord had been here for a hundred years, and who knew what benefits he'd gained—his injuries were fully healed and his confidence was overflowing. Yang Kai couldn't be sure he'd gain any advantage fighting him with his own strength alone, so he unhesitatingly unleashed the token's power.
Zhan Wuhen's figure solidified, as if he had stepped directly out of the token. The Emperor's aura surged forward, pressing down on Wind Lord so heavily he could barely breathe. Guided by Yang Kai's intent, Zhan Wuhen crossed the distance in two or three strides and appeared before Wind Lord, driving a fist straight at him.
No flourish, no trick—a simple punch, like two ordinary men brawling.
But horror filled Wind Lord's face. He flipped the hourglass in his hand. Within it, fine sand flowed downward, and a layer of radiance spread outward with the hourglass at its center. Zhan Wuhen's figure, caught within that radiance, was as if struck by a binding spell—frozen in place.
Yang Kai's eyes widened. This situation was exactly the same as what Bai Zhuo and Bo Ya had experienced before.