Yang Kai had expected Bu Lianzhong to ask for some kind of help, so when he heard what it was, he couldn't help but laugh. "Brother Bu, you can go and tell Lord Ye that yourself. I doubt he'd believe you anyway."
Bu Lianzhong frowned. "Brother Yang, it's just a small favor. It won't cost you much time or harm your interests in the slightest. Why refuse?"
The other four also frowned and stared at him.
Yang Kai realized there had been a misunderstanding but couldn't be bothered to explain. His figure flickered, and he passed straight through the area surrounded by spatial rifts, appearing right in front of Bu Lianzhong.
Bu Lianzhong jumped in fright and instinctively stumbled back several steps, staring at Yang Kai in shock. "You… how did you get in here?"
They had been trapped here for quite a while. It wasn't as though they hadn't tried to leave, but there was simply no way to determine which paths were safe. After several attempts, three of them had been injured, and in the end they hadn't dared to move an inch. Yet Yang Kai had just waltzed in as if it were nothing, as though the spatial rifts that plagued them simply didn't exist.
Was this man's luck truly that absurd? Earlier he had been racing across the swamp without running into any danger, and now he had walked into this deathtrap as though it were a stroll in the park. The fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.
Yang Kai smiled and said nothing more. He circulated his Emperor Yuan and wrapped it around all five of them. Before Bu Lianzhong and the others could react, his figure shifted, and he carried them out of the zone of spatial rifts in a single flash.
"Brother Bu, when it comes to Lord Ye, it would be better for you to report the matter yourselves." Yang Kai nodded at him.
Bu Lianzhong and the others were completely stunned. They turned their heads to look around, only to confirm that they were no longer where they had been a moment ago—they were now several dozen zhang away.Expressions of mingled shock and elation spread across their faces.
Bu Lianzhong's mind raced, and he looked at Yang Kai with astonishment. "Brother Yang, you could see those spatial rifts? Could it be that you've cultivated the Laws of Space?"
Yang Kai replied modestly, "I know a thing or two."
Bu Lianzhong sighed with emotion. To have pulled them—five people—out so effortlessly was far beyond "knowing a thing or two." This required an extraordinarily high level of mastery in the Dao of Space. It suddenly dawned on him: Yang Kai hadn't been racing across the swamp because of sheer luck. He had simply known exactly where the dangers lay and had nothing to fear.
"Thank you, Brother Yang!" Bu Lianzhong cupped his fists solemnly, and the four behind him did the same, offering their thanks.
"It was nothing." Yang Kai waved it off. "This swamp is treacherous, with hidden killing intent everywhere. Strange that the maps don't mark any of it?"
He had obtained his map from the Danxia Auction House, and the Da Zhantian Disciples certainly had maps of their own. Those maps not only showed routes but also marked areas of danger and opportunity—results accumulated by martial artists who had explored the region over generations.
Yet the map in Yang Kai's possession only indicated the swamp's location, with no warnings about its hazards. He suspected the Da Zhantian disciples' maps were the same. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.
Bu Lianzhong said, "The Blood Demon Cave Heaven is unstable, and the conditions within sometimes shift. This area probably posed no danger two hundred years ago—these changes likely emerged sometime within the last two centuries, which is why the maps don't mention them. Brother Yang, the maps may be useful, but they can't be taken as gospel. What we went through is proof enough of that. From now on, it's best to stay cautious and vigilant."
Yang Kai nodded in understanding. "Well said, Brother Bu." He turned to look at Bu Lianzhong. "Where are you all heading?"
Bu Lianzhong pointed in a direction.
Yang Kai smiled. "Looks like we're headed the same way. Shall we go, then?" With that, he took the lead.
Bu Lianzhong and the others exchanged glances and hurried to keep up. Since Yang Kai had been able to pull them out of that web of spatial rifts so easily, getting them through the swamp should pose no problem at all.
They certainly weren't about to let this opportunity slip by.
He didn't know if all Da Zhantian disciples were the quiet type, but throughout the journey, Bu Lianzhong and the other four hardly spoke. On the rare occasions that conversation arose, it was Yang Kai who had to initiate it.
Through casual chat, he learned that these five had entered the swamp from a different direction. At first, they hadn't encountered any trouble, but by the time they realized something was wrong and tried to retreat, it had already been too late. Had they not been lucky enough to run into Yang Kai, they might very well have perished in the swamp.
Though few in words, the gratitude the five carried was plain on their faces. This had been nothing short of a life-saving favor. The Da Zhantian Disciples were known for their straightforward and upright conduct—they repaid kindness without fail and returned grievances in kind.
With the five in tow, Yang Kai's speed didn't slow in the slightest. It took a full half-day before they finally left the swampy region behind.
Bu Lianzhong and the others let out deep, shuddering breaths. The feeling of having one's life entirely out of one's own hands was utterly miserable, and none of them ever wished to experience it again.
"We've made it out of danger, so I suppose we'll part ways here." Yang Kai cupped his fists toward Bu Lianzhong and the others. Bringing them out had been nothing more than a matter of convenience—when it came to treasure hunting, going solo was always better. Whatever he found, he could keep for himself.
Bu Lianzhong returned the salute. "Brother Yang, the kindness you've shown us today—my four brothers and I will remember it always. One day, we will repay you generously." He paused, and his expression suddenly grew grave. "Brother Yang, be careful in all things. Don't trust others too easily."
Yang Kai frowned slightly, sensing there was more to his words than met the eye. Before he could ask, a cry for help suddenly reached his ears, drawing closer by the second.