No wonder. Those One Boundary Beads had all been forged by Yang Kai from massive meteorites or even dead stars. Although Xia Ningshang and the others could wield them without issue, their sheer weight was still there. Caught off guard, the Shadow Demon Half-Saint naturally took a small hit.
But that was all. After his figure stuttered slightly, the Shadow Demon Half-Saint raised the dagger in his hand and slashed down toward Xia Ningshang, a savage grin on his face. "Die!"
"NO!" Su Yan screamed, her voice torn with anguish.
Xia Ningshang's vision seemed to freeze in that instant. Everything around her became impossibly slow. She could clearly see Su Yan desperately lunging toward her, a seven-colored divine phoenix materializing behind her with its neck stretched in a piercing cry. She saw Xue Yue and Shan Qingluo collapsed on the ground, their eyes filled with terror and helplessness. She saw the glint of cold light flashing on that dagger...
The aura of death rushed toward her face. The sharp energy pierced her neck with searing pain, and within her mind, the memories of her entire life flashed by like a revolving lantern.
And then...
She saw a towering figure suddenly appear before her, just like that time in the Zhongdu world—the first time she had gone with him to an unnamed valley to retrieve the Nine Yin Essence Condensation Dew.
That night, that kiss—their feelings tangled like threads, becoming an inseparable bond that lasted a lifetime.
That towering figure stood before her like a great mountain, shielding her from all the raging storms.
Xia Ningshang smiled. Even surrounded by armies of thousands, even standing amid seas of blood and mountains of corpses, standing behind this figure, a sense of peace and warmth rose unbidden in her heart.
Clang... A soft ring sounded as sparks flew in every direction. The Shadow Demon Half-Saint's expression shifted slightly, and he hastily pulled back.
Yang Kai held the Azure Dragon Spear with no intention of pursuing, merely staring at him in silence. The coldness in his eyes sent a chill through his opponent's heart.
Their eyes locked. The Shadow Demon Half-Saint furrowed his brow—he actually couldn't gauge Yang Kai's depth. The man standing before him showed absolutely no fluctuation of power whatsoever, as though he were an ordinary person who had never cultivated a day in his life. This phenomenon left him completely baffled.
Of course, the other party could not possibly be an ordinary person who had never cultivated. Just moments ago, that colossal cauldron in the sky had displayed the two characters "Void"—this was someone with a real chance of ascending to the supreme rank of Great Emperor.
"Junior Sister, are you alright?" Yang Kai turned to look at Xia Ningshang and saw a heartfelt smile blooming at the corner of her lips as she slowly shook her head, her eyes brimming with tenderness. However, on her fair neck, a clear bloodstain had appeared, with crimson blood seeping from it.
Staring at that bloodstain, Yang Kai was struck by a wave of dread, his scalp tingling.
He had come straight from Xuantian Hall the moment he arrived, without pausing for even an instant. Thank heavens he had made it in time—if he had been even a little bit later, how could he possibly see that sweet smile right now?
The heart-wrenching fear gave way to towering fury. When he turned his head again, his gaze toward the Shadow Demon Half-Saint cut to the bone with ice-cold killing intent.
The Shadow Demon Half-Saint let out a cold snort and refused to engage further with Yang Kai. His figure rapidly faded, vanishing as though he had never existed.
"Naive," Yang Kai sneered. Without any visible movement, his figure suddenly appeared in front of Xue Yue, and he thrust his spear forward.
With a ripping sound, as though something had been punctured, a spray of blood shot through the air from the void, and a blurry figure rapidly solidified.
It was the Shadow Demon Half-Saint who had just vanished. But now, his face was filled with horror as he stared at Yang Kai, one hand gripping the Azure Dragon Spear that had pierced through his chest. "You..." he uttered in disbelief, as though he had witnessed something utterly inconceivable.
He was a Shadow Demon Half-Saint, innately gifted in concealment and assassination. He had never imagined he could be found and grievously wounded so easily.
Unable to gauge Yang Kai's true strength, he had targeted Xue Yue instead. As long as he could take her—whether to kill or capture—he could use her as leverage against Yang Kai.
But that thunderous strike, devoid of any flourish, had shattered all his hopes.
He hadn't even seen how the spear strike had come before it hit.
A mysterious force surged into his body, rampaging through his meridians and flesh. The Shadow Demon Half-Saint's heart sank—he knew full well this was that bizarre martial dao true intent! Gritting his teeth, he pushed with all his might while pulling his body backward, wrenching himself free of the Azure Dragon Spear in a spray of fresh blood.
He didn't dare linger for a single moment. His figure flickered as he prepared to flee into the distance. That ghostly, unpredictable strike had completely shattered his fighting spirit and will to battle.
But before he could make a move, he saw a sky full of spear shadows bearing down on him from the opposite side. The Shadow Demon's face drained of color as he desperately swung the daggers in both hands to parry.
Clang, clang, clang—a series of crisp sounds rang out as the two figures darted back and forth within an area of less than ten zhang.
Three breaths passed, and the fierce battle came to an abrupt halt.
Looking on, Su Yan and the others' eyes lit up with wonder, their faces alight with mingled surprise and joy.
The Azure Dragon Spear had impaled the Shadow Demon's head, piercing straight through from forehead to the back of his skull. The Shadow Demon Half-Saint's eyes were wide open, his face frozen in an expression of sheer horror.
Yang Kai's expression was indifferent, showing neither joy nor sorrow. With a single shake of the spear, he reduced the Shadow Demon's entire body to dust.
"Protect yourselves!" Yang Kai called out urgently to the four women. His figure shot upward, soaring high into the sky until he reached a height of a thousand zhang before suddenly coming to a stop.