Pei Wenxuan's feelings were complicated.
It wasn't that he hadn't heard about Yang Kai defeating Yu Luosha in a single move at the Shura Arena — in fact, the matter had spread quickly after it happened, reaching the ears of many interested parties.
But Pei Wenxuan hadn't believed it, because he knew exactly how capable Yu Luosha was. She might not have been his equal, but she wasn't far off. Core Disciples from the great Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands like them could hold their own for several exchanges even against a low-rank Open Heaven cultivator.
Defeating Yu Luosha in a single move under the same level of cultivation? That could only have been a sneak attack, or Yu Luosha had been far too careless.
When he'd spotted Yang Kai by the blood lake earlier, he'd been itching to test the man's strength. But Qu Huashang had intervened, and he'd had to let it go.
He'd resented it at the time, but now it seemed he owed her — otherwise, he would have been the one losing face.
Against Black Crow Divine Lord's attacks, he'd been all but powerless, barely managing a few exchanges before even his Dragon Twisting Scissors were destroyed. Yet Yang Kai had fought the man with roaring ferocity, holding his own with impressive flair. The gap between them was laid bare for all to see.
Such strength was virtually unheard of. The claim that he'd defeated Yu Luosha in a single move no longer seemed like an exaggeration.
He had always held himself in high regard. Now, inevitably, a trace of dejection crept into his heart.
Within the vast hall, blood crows swirled and circled, their cawing grating on the senses. The Mystic Magnetic Divine Light blazed brilliantly — the power of the sixth-grade Gold Element kept the countless blood crows at bay, and the occasional crow that slipped through the defense was quickly struck down by Qu Huashang and Pei Wenxuan.
Every slain blood crow dissolved into a wisp of crimson blood-qi that dissipated into the hall's atmosphere.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of blood crows reconverged, twisting and merging back into their original form. But compared to before, Black Crow Divine Lord's complexion had turned noticeably pale, and his aura had fallen well short of its peak — he had clearly sustained no minor injuries. Those eyes of his burned with venomous hatred.
"Die!" Yang Kai spun the gourd's mouth around, and the Mystic Magnetic Divine Light immediately howled toward Black Crow Divine Lord in a sweeping torrent.
At the same time, his hand shot out and grasped at empty space. The Azure Dragon Spear materialized in his grip, and his figure blurred as he charged in for the kill.
Qu Huashang and Pei Wenxuan followed close behind. Both of them were keenly attuned to seizing combat opportunities. Black Crow Divine Lord's aura was clearly flagging — the chance to kick a man while he was down was right there before them. How could they let it pass?
Three figures, three directions, surrounding Black Crow Divine Lord completely. Yang Kai took the main assault while Pei Wenxuan and Qu Huashang flanked from either side, never allowing themselves to be drawn into prolonged clashes, striking only when an opening presented itself. Combined, the three of them launched a furious barrage against Black Crow Divine Lord.
But the longer the battle dragged on, the more alarmed the three grew.
Black Crow Divine Lord's strength had clearly plummeted, yet he could still fight them to a standstill. That spoke volumes about how powerful he had been at full strength. Fortunately, the three of them had spent the earlier part of the battle whittling away at his blood-qi with their respective techniques — otherwise, this fight would have been far more dire.
Inside the sealed hall, the light of secret arts and Artifacts flashed and blazed, punctuated by grunts of pain. Whether it was Black Crow Divine Lord or the trio of Yang Kai, Qu Huashang, and Pei Wenxuan, all of them were covered in wounds within the span of mere moments.
Black Crow Divine Lord's Blood Radiance Scripture was a tremendous problem. He himself suffered only a moderate drop in blood-qi from his injuries — even the most grievous wounds couldn't kill him. But when Yang Kai and the others were hurt, the blood flowing from their wounds seemed to be drawn by some unseen force, transforming into wisps of blood-mist that surged toward Black Crow Divine Lord and vanished into his body, converting into his power.
Yang Kai possessed the Wood Element power condensed from the essence of the Tree of Eternity and carried the bloodline of the Dragon Race, giving him extraordinary healing. His wounds closed in no time at all, so the Blood Radiance Scripture's interference was minimal for him. But Pei Wenxuan and Qu Huashang had no such luxury — in this brief span, who knew how much of their blood-qi had bled away. Their faces grew paler with each passing moment.
Yet none of them retreated, because all three understood that this battle was a matter of life and death. The slightest carelessness or cowardice could lead to utter ruin.
"Die!" Yang Kai's low shout echoed through the hall as he thrust his spear forward. Space itself buckled and warped under the force of the blow — the spearhead bypassed the intervening distance entirely and struck straight for Black Crow Divine Lord's skull a hundred zhang away.
Black Crow Divine Lord's pupils contracted. He raised both hands and pushed forward a wall of blood-qi to meet the attack.
A thunderous boom erupted. Yang Kai was sent flying backward, and Black Crow Divine Lord was blasted away as well. Halfway through his tumble, he executed a lazy midair flip and landed on his feet. His gaze cut toward Yang Kai with venomous hatred, and he spat through gritted teeth: "Just you wait, brat. Once this Divine Lord has recovered a bit, I'll come back and settle things with you!"
As he spoke, he whirled around and launched a streak of mystic light toward the rear.
A jolt shot through Yang Kai's heart. He immediately halted his backward momentum and roared: "He's trying to flee — cut him off!"
Pei Wenxuan and Qu Huashang didn't dare hesitate. They unleashed their secret arts at Black Crow Divine Lord in an instant. But Black Crow Divine Lord ignored them entirely, taking both attacks head-on. Blood sprayed from his mouth, and the skin across his back was reduced to a mangled ruin.
A deep rumble shook the hall. The massive doors, long sealed, suddenly cracked open. Before they had even opened fully, Black Crow Divine Lord transformed into a streak of blood-light and shot outward.
Seeing this, all three felt their hearts turn to ice.