The Grand Void Realm was about to close, and all outsiders would be forced to leave. If he still couldn't rendezvous with Zhu Jiuyin before that happened, Yue He and the others would be trapped here forever.
With no hope of escape, Zhu Jiuyin would inevitably take her anger out on them, and when that time came, Yue He and the other two would be in grave peril.
Time was running out, and Yang Kai couldn't afford to worry about his crippled state. He kept channeling the Laws of Space, his figure flickering and darting as he surged forward at full speed.
An hour later, the surrounding mist had grown considerably denser, roiling and churning as though it intended to flood the very heavens and earth.
Yang Kai could clearly sense the aura of another world seeping through the mist, and understanding dawned on him—this fog served as a bridge between the Grand Void Realm and the outside world. The two planes were already beginning to merge.
Yet there was still no sign of Zhu Jiuyin in his field of vision, and anxiety gnawed at him.
After a few more moments, Yang Kai's eyes suddenly lit up. Ahead, a streak of light came hurtling toward him—who else could it be but Zhu Jiuyin? At this critical juncture, the two had finally met.
But the situation was still far from optimistic. Behind Zhu Jiuyin, Jin Wu and the numerous Sacred Spirits gave relentless chase, clinging to her like bone-deep maggots that couldn't be shaken off.
Zhu Jiuyin spotted Yang Kai as well, her beautiful eyes brightening, and she rapidly closed the distance. Before she even reached him, a strand of spider silk lashed out and wrapped around Yang Kai, pulling him to her side as they continued to flee.
"Why haven't you shaken them off yet!" Yang Kai demanded, a hint of displeasure in his voice.
He had previously used the Spirit Void Bead to flee back to Star Market for two reasons: first, staying put wasn't an option—Jin Wu and the other Sacred Spirits had clearly been out for his blood, and every extra moment he lingered meant greater danger; second, he had hoped to split their attention and create an opening for Zhu Jiuyin to break free.
He hadn't expected it to be completely ineffective.
Zhu Jiuyin let out a cold snort. "I'm not known for my speed! Getting rid of those pests is easier said than done!" As she spoke, her face turned slightly pale.
To rush back to the Crimson Star Market as quickly as possible, she'd had to invoke a secret technique that consumed her vital blood essence. On top of that, being relentlessly pursued and attacked by Jin Wu and the others along the way had left her with no minor injuries.
If she'd been alone, she wouldn't have fared this poorly. The crux of the problem was that she was still carrying Yue He and the other three, and she had to split her focus to protect them.
Yue He and the others were her leverage against Yang Kai, but during this chase they had become a crippling liability, costing her dearly. What made it worse was that she didn't dare abandon a single one—if she angered Yang Kai, she wouldn't enjoy the consequences either.
"Kid, we're in serious trouble now!" Zhu Jiuyin's expression was grim. She had now linked up with Yang Kai, completing the first step of her grand plan. All that remained was to enter that peculiar space within the back of Yang Kai's hand. Once the Grand Void Realm closed and Yang Kai departed, she would be able to escape with him.
But that would take some time. Though not much—perhaps only a few breaths—that would still be more than enough for Jin Wu and the others to kill Yang Kai a hundred times over.
"Can you use that technique of yours again to get us out?" Zhu Jiuyin asked in a low voice.
Yang Kai shook his head solemnly. "You should have sensed it too—their auras have sealed off heaven and earth. They're clearly guarding against me pulling the same trick twice."
The moment he and Zhu Jiuyin had joined forces, Jin Wu and the others had fully unleashed their combined auras, sealing off an enormous swath of the surrounding space. Having suffered at Yang Kai's hands before, they were hardly about to let their guard down now.
"But..." Yang Kai paused. "If you have some way to break through their seal, we could escape. You can do that, can't you?"
"I'll try!" Zhu Jiuyin nodded gravely.
"Give the people to me," Yang Kai said.
Zhu Jiuyin shot him a glance, clearly reluctant.
Yang Kai snapped, "What more do you want? Are you still afraid I'll go back on my word at a time like this? The Grand Void mist is already spreading and we're running out of time. Who else can I possibly cooperate with but you?"
Zhu Jiuyin's expression softened somewhat. "I hope you're not lying to me!"
With that, she released Yue He and the others.
Yang Kai told them to relax their minds, then immediately produced the Six Harmonies Bag. He swept it over them, enveloping all three within. They were all Open Heaven Realm cultivators—his Small Divine World was far too limited to contain them, so the Six Harmonies Bag was his only option.
In this brief interval, the surrounding mist had grown ever denser, nearly coalescing into continuous walls of fog that threatened to become a veritable sea. Jin Wu and the others had evidently realized that time was running short as well. Every one of them blazed with light as though injected with adrenaline, rapidly closing the gap while shouting provocations without end.
Yang Kai reached out and grasped Zhu Jiuyin's slender hand, his voice heavy. "Do it!"
Zhu Jiuyin let out a low cry. "Hold on tight!"
As her words fell, a terrifying aura erupted from her delicate frame. The dharma aspect of the Celestial Moon Demon Spider manifested once more—eight legs thrashing wildly as the silver moon marking on her back blazed with radiance. Countless strands of spider silk tore through the void, raining down upon Jin Wu and the others in a merciless barrage.
The pursuing Sacred Spirits were thrown into a fury, each of them launching their own devastating counterattacks.
Energy ran wild. Heaven and earth changed color.
Zhu Jiuyin grunted, her dharma aspect shattering as blood sprayed from her mouth.
Clashing head-on against seven or eight Sacred Spirits single-handedly, she had suffered a grievous blow in a single exchange. Even her Origin was damaged, and the aura that had been pushed to its peak plummeted to rock bottom in an instant.
But the result of all these Sacred Spirits striking at once was a momentary crack in the seal they had placed over heaven and earth.