Following the source of that earlier force, Ding Yi looked over and saw Yang Kai reaching out a massive hand toward him, space twisting and distorting within its grasp.
He understood immediately — Yang Kai had saved his life at the critical moment, and gratitude overwhelmed him beyond words.
Yang Kai fixed his gaze on the short man and bared his teeth in a savage grin. "So it's you, bastard?"
Before the words had even left his mouth, he had already slapped a palm down toward the short man. Yuan Qi between heaven and earth shuddered, coalescing into a massive azure hand that blotted out the sky.
The short man's expression shifted slightly. Forcing a breath upward, he shook the gourd vine in his hand. A series of whooshing sounds pierced the air as the seven gourd brothers flew over and landed on the vine, each transforming into a small gourd.
The vine's power surged dramatically. A single casual strike shattered the Yuan Qi hand. Without a moment's hesitation, the short man formed a seal with one hand, and his figure abruptly vanished into the void.
"Still trying to run?" Yang Kai snorted coldly. He activated the Laws of Space, sealing the heavens and earth. With his spiritual perception, he sensed a trace of life force in a certain direction and threw a punch toward it.
A muffled grunt rang out, and the short man's figure reappeared — but he had already dashed into the mountain, spitting blood from his mouth. He had clearly taken a significant hit from Yang Kai's punch across the distance. He turned his head and shot Yang Kai a venomous glare before his figure disappeared once more.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed deeply. His divine sense could not detect the man's presence. While this was partly due to the man's remarkable concealment technique, it was mostly because the situation on that mountain was somewhat peculiar — it suppressed the extension of his divine sense. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for the man to escape so easily.
"Do you have a grudge against him?" Xu Zhen asked curiously, watching Yang Kai.
In that brief instant when Yang Kai had suddenly struck, Xu Zhen had realized as much.
Yang Kai stared at the spot where the short man had vanished and nodded slightly.
Xu Zhen mused thoughtfully, "That technique just now should be the Dao-Breaking Seal. Could this person be from the Ziqiong Blessed Land? But I've never seen him before. If he really is from the Ziqiong Blessed Land, then Brother Yang, you should be careful."
Yang Kai snorted. "I don't care whether he's from the Ziqiong Blessed Land or not — I'm killing that man no matter what!"
Back when entering the Land of No Elders, within the seven-colored passage, Yang Kai had already been ambushed with the Dao-Breaking Seal. If he hadn't reinforced his Dao Seal with Dao One Spirit Water beforehand, he would have suffered greatly. Though he had immediately searched for the attacker at the time, he hadn't been able to find any trace of them. It was only later that he had learned about the Dao-Breaking Seal from Qu Huashang.
He hadn't expected to encounter this technique again once he arrived here.
In other words, there was a very high probability that the short man had been the one who ambushed them in the seven-colored passage. And the various methods he displayed, as well as the information, all matched what Yang Kai had speculated.
First, the man was proficient in a secret art that concealed both his aura and his figure. In the seven-colored passage, Yang Kai had been unable to find any trace of him — that had already been confirmed, and the short man likewise commanded a secret art for concealing aura and form.
Furthermore, there were no enmities without cause, nor favors without reason. Yang Kai hadn't previously understood why the man had tried to ambush him, seeking to end his life. But if this grudge stemmed from Jin Wu and Zhu Jiuyin, then it all made sense.
Jin Wu and Zhu Jiuyin harbored deep hatred for each other. As Jin Wu's Bearer, the short man would have received instructions from Jin Wu before entering the Land of No Elders — to find a way to deal with Yang Kai inside and sever Zhu Jiuyin's path forward.
Xu Zhen looked somewhat troubled. "Brother Yang, if that man truly is a Disciple of the Ziqiong Blessed Land, I'm afraid I won't be able to help much."
Between the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands, there was indeed competition — and even open conflict. But there were also those with good relations. The relationship between the Shending Heaven and the Ziqiong Blessed Land was quite cordial. If Disciples from the two ran into each other while out and about, they would at least not make things difficult for one another, if not actively support each other. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain to their elders upon returning.
Yang Kai said, "I won't put Brother Xu in a difficult position."
Xu Zhen sighed but offered no further persuasion. After a brief pause, he said, "If it truly comes to a life-or-death situation, Brother Yang, you must be extremely careful of this!"
Yang Kai turned to look and saw Xu Zhen holding his identity token, turning it over in his fingers.
Yang Kai's expression turned solemn, and he nodded slightly.
For Disciples of Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands like Xu Zhen, the identity token was more than just a symbol of status. There was a very high chance that a powerful technique from one of their elders had been sealed within it. For Disciples venturing out to train, the identity token sometimes served as a last-resort trump card to preserve their lives.
The fact that Xu Zhen had warned Yang Kai about this showed that he had done everything in his power.
Just then, Ding Yi came over to express his thanks. Had Yang Kai not used the Grand Dao of Space at the critical moment to teleport him away, he would have been struck by the Dao-Breaking Seal. In his state at the time, if he had taken that hit, his Dao Seal would have faced the risk of complete collapse.
Yang Kai's casual gesture had been nothing short of a life-saving grace.
"A great debt needs no words of thanks. Brother Yang, if ever there is anything you need from me, Ding Yi, or the Emperor Heaven, just say the word — I will not refuse!" Ding Yi declared with great boldness. Then he waved his hand and barked, "What are you all standing around for? Get in there and find that bastard for me! I want to skin him alive!"
His face was twisted with hatred — he clearly despised the short man beyond measure.
Two to three thousand Emperor Heaven warriors had been reduced by several hundred in the battle, but their numbers remained vast. At Ding Yi's command, they surged toward the mountain with a thunderous rumble.
Yang Kai said, "There seems to be some danger within that mountain. Tell your people to be careful."
Ding Yi froze. He had clashed with the short man the moment he arrived here and genuinely hadn't known about that. He quickly relayed the warning to his subordinates, and upon receiving the order, everyone immediately proceeded with heightened caution.