The Black Crow Divine Lord had already admitted it himself — he had fully comprehended the Blood Radiance Scripture. If that was the case, how could the various trials of the Blood Dao still be here?
"Precisely. If not for that, how would I find someone suitable to possess?" Black Crow Divine Lord admitted freely. "The trials here were indeed set by that old fraud Blood Demon during his lifetime. I merely used my own means to relocate them here. Originally, I had my eye on another young man — he appeared to have a foundation in the Blood Dao. Possessing him would have saved me a great deal of bitter cultivation. But... your vitality is absurdly vigorous, boy. If I can possess you, my future cultivation of the Blood Radiance Scripture will be twice as efficient with half the effort. So blame your own bad fortune for appearing before me at precisely this moment."
The person he referred to as having a Blood Dao foundation could only be Zhou Yi from the Great Thousand Blood Land. Among the handful who had made it to this lake-heart palace, only Zhou Yi possessed any foundation in the Blood Dao.
From Black Crow Divine Lord's words, Yang Kai also learned that the various trials here had indeed been arranged by Blood Demon Divine Lord during his lifetime as part of his attempt to pass on his Blood Dao legacy. They had simply been relocated to this place by Black Crow Divine Lord using some unknown technique.
For a dead man to still possess such power — these Divine Lords truly could not be measured by common sense.
While Yang Kai was still reeling from this revelation, the aura emanating from the grey mist suddenly surged. An instant later, a soul attack — invisible and without form — lanced toward him.
Yang Kai was caught off guard and struck squarely. In that instant, his soul destabilized, his mind shook violently, and his entire sea of consciousness churned in turmoil. Even the spiritual soul form he had manifested nearly collapsed.
This old fellow... he had been hiding his true strength all along! Yang Kai's heart lurched with alarm. He had seen Black Crow Divine Lord unable to even approach after being struck by the Soul-Slaying Blade, and had assumed the old man was nothing more than that. Now, seeing him unleash such a terrifying attack in an instant, Yang Kai realized he had been concealing his power all along — waiting for the perfect moment to catch him off guard.
Come to think of it, he was a Divine Lord after all. How could he possess only such meager tricks? If that were truly the case, he wouldn't even be able to breach Yang Kai's sea of consciousness, let alone attempt to possess him.
"Ha ha ha!" Black Crow Divine Lord laughed madly. The scattered grey mist reconverged, then lunged toward Yang Kai like a pouncing tiger. "You think I was kind enough to explain all this to you out of the goodness of my heart? I was merely distracting you! Young people these days truly don't know the height of heaven or the depth of earth. But don't worry — once I've taken your body, I'll take excellent care of it. If you have any unfinished wishes, feel free to tell me. Anything I can fulfill, I will!"
In the time it took to speak a few sentences, the mist had already closed to Yang Kai's front, on the verge of enveloping him completely.
It was at that precise moment that Yang Kai's clouded eyes snapped back to clarity. He retreated rapidly while issuing a sharp shout: "Senior's kindness is appreciated, but I'll fulfill my own wishes — no need for you to trouble yourself. Slay!"
The Soul-Slaying Blade erupted with blade light once more, slashing diagonally downward to cleave through the grey mist.
"You—" Black Crow Divine Lord's voice was tinged with disbelief. Though he was now merely a remnant soul with limited power, he was still the remnant soul of a Divine Lord. How could a mere Emperor Realm cultivator possibly resist? Yet here he was, having recovered in the space of a heartbeat, tearing a hole in what should have been an airtight plan.
Yang Kai gave him no chance to close in again. Having already learned his lesson the hard way, he no longer dared underestimate his opponent. As the blade light descended, he thrust his hand forward, surging soul power pouring outward, and shouted: "Living Lotus!"
A lotus blossom suddenly sprouted within the grey mist — a bud of pure white jade, delicate beyond measure, as though a single gust of wind might scatter it. Yet this bud was furiously absorbing the soul power within the mist. Fed by this nourishment, the flower bloomed rapidly, petal layer unfolding upon petal layer!
"Argh—" From within the grey mist came Black Crow Divine Lord's furious roar and agonized scream.
The Living Lotus secret art was costly in terms of soul power, but once activated, it used the opponent's own soul force as fuel. The greater the bloom, the more devastating its power.
Against an opponent of equal standing, this single technique would inflict catastrophic soul damage. But Black Crow Divine Lord could not be judged by ordinary standards. That was why, after casting Living Lotus, Yang Kai's outstretched hand suddenly clenched into a fist: "Wrathful Lotus!"
Another massive lotus appeared, directly encasing the grey mist within its pistil — a scene almost diametrically opposed to that of the Living Lotus. This colossal lotus rapidly closed inward, condensing into a tight bud that sealed the mist within, plunging it into endless darkness.
With a thunderous boom, an immense force detonated from within the flower. The lotus shattered into pieces, and the grey mist burst forth from the wreckage, hurtling toward him with murderous intent. Black Crow Divine Lord roared: "You think you can still resist? Before me, how dare you be so insolent!"
Only now had he finally revealed his true power. Everything before had been an act — designed to numb Yang Kai's senses and make the possession easier. After all, the power remaining in this remnant soul was precious. He had to use it sparingly, or else he would dissipate before ever completing the possession. Now wouldn't that be a joke?
No longer holding back, Black Crow Divine Lord's aura skyrocketed — more than double what it had been moments ago. The Soul-Slaying Blade struck down, but its effect had diminished considerably. It merely cut through the grey mist without slowing it in the slightest.
Yet Yang Kai's expression remained unchanged, his composure unshaken. His hand descended over the grey mist once more, and he bellowed: "Living Lotus!"
"Insolent wretch!" Black Crow Divine Lord was beside himself with fury. He had just been hit by this soul secret art moments ago. From the lofty height he had once stood upon, its raw power was unimpressive, but the ingenuity behind it was undeniable. And its weakness was directly tied to the cultivation of the one casting it — Black Crow Divine Lord had no doubt that once the boy's cultivation increased, this technique's power would only grow more fearsome.
The grey mist split apart of its own accord, dissolving into wisps of grey smoke that sought to evade the Living Lotus. But this was Yang Kai's sea of consciousness — Yang Kai was supremely sensitive to every change within it. How could it possibly escape?