The cosmos was vast and boundless, home to countless warriors. Lu Xue had traveled far and wide for many years and could be considered well-experienced, but how could she possibly recognize someone she had never met before?
Guo Ziyan was even less likely to. He was merely a Second-Order Open Heaven cultivator, with exceedingly limited knowledge.
"However, sir, that man is at least a Fifth-Order Open Heaven," Lu Xue said gravely.
Although the middle-aged man hadn't released any aura, making it impossible to accurately gauge his cultivation, Lu Xue had still felt a subtle pressure in his presence. As a Fourth-Order Open Heaven herself, anyone who could make her feel pressured had to be at least a Fifth-Order.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly. A Fifth-Order Open Heaven—someone of Lu Xue's and Guo Ziyan's strength simply couldn't contend with such a person. If he truly meant to harm them, it would be quite troublesome.
And that was the most conservative estimate. If the man was a Sixth-Order, it would be even worse.
"The odds are slim, but we can't let our guard down." Yang Kai pondered for a moment, then secretly transmitted his voice to Lu Xue and Guo Ziyan. The two immediately nodded and departed to carry out his orders.
Half a month later, Lu Xue retrieved her windmill Artifact, but didn't rush to set out.
Another two months passed before the three finally left the inn and set off.
Several days later, a massive Domain Gate appeared up ahead. The windmill plunged through it and vanished almost instantly.
And less than half an hour after Yang Kai and the other two crossed through the Domain Gate, a streak of light suddenly shot in from the distance at incredible speed, landing before the gate to reveal a figure.
It was none other than the sullen-faced middle-aged man Yang Kai had briefly encountered in the Qiankun Hall. He stared at the Domain Gate and muttered to himself, "They've gone through, have they? Hmph. There's no way you can escape from under this seat's hand."
With that, he dove straight into the Domain Gate. The World Force surged and coalesced into a formidable barrier to shield him from the crushing pressure within.
Traveling through a Domain Gate carried certain risks. Generally, only those who had reached the mid-tier of Open Heaven were capable of traversing one with their bare bodies, without relying on any external tools. For those below the mid-tier, attempting a crossing without the aid of an Artifact or secret technique would very likely result in being crushed to death—the pressure inside the Domain Gate was truly terrifying.
Even with the middle-aged man's Fifth-Order cultivation, the passage still caused his soul to tremble and his head to spin slightly.
He had been through this countless times, so he didn't panic. To avoid alerting his prey, he hadn't even used any Artifact. Before long, his vision blurred and cleared, and he knew he had arrived in a different Great Domain.
However, before he had even steadied himself, a brilliant beam of sword light slashed toward him from the side.
The middle-aged man's face went pale with shock. In that flash of lightning, he realized he had walked into an ambush—and the person who struck was no weaker than himself.
Who? Who would be lying in wait for him here?
There was no time to think. He retreated explosively, but the sword light clung to him like a parasite, impossible to shake off.
Under normal circumstances, with his foundation, he could have handled such an attack without much difficulty—after all, he was no weakling himself. But in this instant, having just passed through the Domain Gate, his soul and Dao Seals were still somewhat shaken, reducing his strength by at least thirty percent.
The sword light tore straight through his outer defenses and struck his body.
Cloth shredded and blood sprayed. A wound a foot long instantly appeared across his chest, flesh curling back to reveal bone beneath.
A wave of lingering dread washed over him. Had he not reacted quickly, retreating to buy himself enough time to deploy a defensive secret technique, that single slash would likely have claimed half his life.
Even so, he was in tremendous pain. Sword Intent permeated the wound, and he had to focus a portion of his attention to suppress it and prevent the injury from worsening.
At that very moment, another figure lunged from the side, wielding a massive dragon-crested shield and slamming it into him.
The middle-aged man, caught completely off guard, staggered from the impact. An overwhelming force sent him tumbling through the air, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
The sword light flashed again, splitting into a rain of countless blades that rained down upon him from every angle, airtight and each one lethal!
But after this brief interval, the middle-aged man had somewhat recovered. He let out a furious roar and raised his hand to summon a shovel-shaped Artifact. Channeling his World Force, he swung left and right, shattering the sword light into fragments.
He was an established Fifth-Order Open Heaven after all. Though the ambush had cost him dearly, once he found his footing, he immediately demonstrated the depth of his power.
The other person charged at him again with the dragon-crested shield, raising it high overhead before bringing it crashing down.
The middle-aged man erupted in rage: "A mere Third-Order dares to act insolently before this seat!"
Although he hadn't been able to make out exactly who ambushed him, with his spiritual sense now spread outward, he could tell that his attackers were a Fifth-Order and a Third-Order.
The Fifth-Order he could accept—they shared the same cultivation level, and he needed to remain wary. But for this Third-Order Open Heaven to dare provoke him? That truly ignited his fury.
He reached out and grasped at the void, and a long whip-like Artifact materialized in his hand. The sound of churning river water emanated from within, brimming with the power of Water. This Artifact had clearly been refined from a great river.