This technique of Xiang Tianxiao's had been tempered over many years, distilled from the Xiang Family's closely guarded secrets and his own insights. Infused with the power of lightning, it was unstoppable and had earned the admiration of numerous Xiang Family powerhouses.
It was his killing move, reserved only for the most formidable opponents. Its power was extraordinary, often deciding the outcome of a battle in a single strike.
The moment he unleashed it, the Xiang Family warriors understood that the Second Young Master had flown into genuine fury—otherwise, he would never have opened with such lethal intent.
"Let's see you block this!" The Shenyou Realm experts from the Xiang Family were secretly delighted, cold smiles playing across their faces. They were already thinking that once the Second Young Master defeated Yang Kai, they would leave this place immediately. There would be no need to stay and help him in the battle for succession.
This murky water was best left unstirred.
As for those supplies—they had been compensation from the Nan Family to Yang Kai. Leaving them behind was no great loss.
Qiu Yimeng was also secretly startled, her expression taut with worry. She hadn't expected this Xiang Second Young Master's combat strength to be so powerful, and he had opened with a killing move right from the start. A technique like this simply could not be confronted head-on by any warrior below the Shenyou Realm. Even she, at the first level of the Shenyou Realm, would have had to dodge its edge first and then look for an opening.
She didn't know whether Yang Kai could withstand it. Though she had witnessed Yang Kai's strength before, it had been quite some time since they had fought, and Qiu Yimeng wasn't entirely sure how much he had grown.
But the moment she recalled how Yang Kai had single-handedly slain a warrior at the third level of the Shenyou Realm by the banks of the Lan River, she calmed instantly.
However strong Xiang Tianxiao might be, he couldn't surpass a third-level Shenyou Realm warrior, could he?
With a tremendous crack, the ball of lightning at the tip of Xiang Tianxiao's blade suddenly split apart, weaving itself into an airtight net of lightning that blanketed an area over a dozen zhang in every direction.
Thousands of bolts of electricity writhed like spirit serpents, each one carrying the force of Xiang Tianxiao's blade qi—razor-sharp and overwhelming, blotting out the sky as they closed in from all sides.
Huo Xingchen's eyes went wide. The carefree, unrestrained look he always wore finally faltered, replaced by a mask of shock.
Yang Kai remained standing in place. Still as an ancient glacier that never thaws, motionless, his expression cold as a blade, watching the countless arcs of electricity entwine toward him with absolute detachment.
Xiang Tianxiao's face was a picture of absolute concentration. The corner of his lips, however, betrayed a faint, casual smile.
He had won! Once caught within this technique, no one below the Shenyou Realm could break free. They would only be brought down by the combination of his blade qi and lightning power. Of this, he was supremely confident.
A flash of light as bright as daylight erupted, searingly intense. In that very instant, Yang Kai's figure blurred, then vanished without a trace.
The next moment, the vast sea of lightning shattered explosively within a storm surge of true Yuan Qi.
A massive palm print swelled rapidly in Xiang Tianxiao's field of vision, as though it were blotting out the entire sky. An inescapable illusion gripped him—there was nowhere to dodge—and in the span of a heartbeat, it slammed into his chest.
A muffled groan escaped his lips as the Xiang Second Young Master flew through the air like a kite with its string cut, tumbling a great distance before crashing down. Mid-flight, his face drained of color and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Second Young Master!" The Shenyou Realm experts who had been watching the spectacle with amusement turned pale at the sight of things going wrong. They rushed forward in unison, catching the falling Xiang Tianxiao before he hit the ground.
When the dust settled, Yang Kai appeared to have never moved at all. He stood exactly as before, his expression light and composed, utterly serene.
Huo Xingchen's jaw ached. He suddenly realized that when Yang Kai had dealt with him that night… he must have been holding back.
The Xiang Family warriors, on the other hand, were struck with horror, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets in sheer disbelief.
Blood trickled from the corner of Xiang Tianxiao's mouth, and his body swayed unsteadily. He shook off the support of his own experts, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
He stared blankly at Yang Kai for a long while before the look of defiance slowly faded, replaced by something hollow and dejected.
He had never imagined that within the Zhenyuan Realm, someone could defeat him so effortlessly. He was a once-in-a-generation genius of the Xiang Family, his talent far surpassing even Xiang Chu's. The family had invested enormously in his development, and at such a young age, his cultivation was already approaching the Shenyou Realm. Given time, his future potential was limitless.
He had always been the one who emerged victorious in battle. Never before had he suffered such a thorough defeat.
His own technique hadn't even so much as stirred the hem of his opponent's robe. The blow to his pride was devastating.
"Second Young Master…" The fourth-level Shenyou Realm expert from the Xiang Family, fearing that Xiang Tianxiao would be crushed by the setback and lose his will to fight, set aside everything else and hurried to offer words of comfort. "Victory and defeat are a soldier's common lot. Don't take it to heart."
Xiang Tianxiao gave a slight nod, and the dejection in his eyes vanished in an instant. When he looked at Yang Kai again, a roaring battle spirit blazed within him, his eyes burning like twin flames.
Yang Kai observed this with secret admiration. This Xiang Tianxiao—his mental fortitude was remarkable. Given enough time to temper himself, his future achievements could surpass even those of some of the young masters of the Eight Great Families.
Qiu Yimeng was giggling beside him, beaming with delight, while Huo Xingchen shook his head and sighed, clicking his tongue. "Damn it, that's terrifying? How does he train like that?"
"Qiu Yimeng, get them settled in. And have your Qiuyu Hall people carry those four chests to my room." Yang Kai issued the instruction in a detached tone, sparing Xiang Tianxiao not a single additional glance before turning and walking back toward the residence.
As he departed, he seemed to glance almost casually in one particular direction.