Four Cave Heavens and one Blessed Land—every single one of them wanted Yang Kai dead!
Those were only the ones who had spoken up. There were still more who hadn't declared themselves, studying Yang Kai with undisguised interest. Many gazes lingered on his neck and heart, as though weighing where to strike first when the fighting began.
A rough count put the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands at more than a dozen, led by Pei Wenxuan and Yin Xinzhao among others, with some twenty to thirty warriors in total. Not a single one among them was less than a Core Disciple of the respective powers—each had at minimum condensed Fifth-Order Open Heaven strength, and those who had reached the Sixth Order were hardly rare.
This gathering could well be called the congregation of the most talented and promising warriors across all Three Thousand Worlds. Given time, every warrior present who succeeded in breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm would inevitably become a supreme powerhouse ruling over their own domain.
A wave of shock rippled through the onlookers. From the peaks nearby, eyes turned toward Yang Kai—none of them could fathom who this man was or what he could have done to earn the murderous intent of so many Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands.
On the same peak where Yang Kai stood, the handful of warriors who had come over to greet him earlier now wore grim expressions. They had greeted Yang Kai solely because they had once received his favor in the Grand Void Boundary. Who could have guessed they would stumble into a situation like this?
They were not the kind of people who failed to repay a debt. The grace of saving one's life outweighed the heavens, and every one of them wished to repay him properly. But each of them had their own Sect to consider, and if they were seen standing with Yang Kai now, they could easily drag their elders and entire Sects into the mess. For a moment, they hesitated, caught between honor and self-preservation.
Ye Cheng of the Azure Firmament Blessed Land smiled faintly, his expression warm and genial, as he looked at Yang Kai. "I have long heard of Brother Yang's great name. Meeting you today, I see the reputation is well-deserved. What a pity that I won't have the chance to share a cup with you—it truly is a regret."
Yin Xinzhao snorted coldly. "Why waste words? We all rush him together—whoever kills him claims the head!"
Pei Wenxuan let out a dark chuckle. "Then you'd all better step aside. I'm the one who's killing him." If not for the fact that he had held on to some means of preserving his life, Yang Kai would have gotten him killed already. The grudge burned deep.
"Unrelated parties—withdraw now, or you will be killed without mercy!" A third voice boomed from somewhere among the crowd, the speaker unidentified but radiating an imposing aura.
Yang Kai had arrived relatively late, and the peak had originally been crowded with people. When the conflict first appeared imminent, some had slipped away silently. Now, with that warning, even more departed at once. In the blink of an eye, the warriors scattered like swallows fleeing their nest.
The few who had greeted Yang Kai earlier wore expressions of deep conflict.
After a long pause, one of them cupped his fists. "Brother Yang, my apologies." He let out a heavy sigh and turned to leave. He truly had received Yang Kai's help in the Grand Void Boundary, but he had no desire to make enemies of disciples from so many Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands. If he did, not only was he likely to die here, he could also bring trouble crashing down on his Sect. If these people killed him, his Sect wouldn't dare seek revenge—and his death would be for nothing. He still had a bright future ahead of him. How could he be willing to bury himself here?
Once one left, the others followed suit, each offering their apologies before covering their faces and withdrawing.
"Qu Huachang, why aren't you leaving?" Ba Liang of the Asura Heavens called out, his gaze fixed on her.
"Why should I leave?" Qu Huachang snorted. "The sky is vast and the earth is boundless. I go where I please—what's it to you?"
Ba Liang replied, "It seems the Yin-Yang Cave Heavens intends to stand on this Yang fellow's side?"
Qu Huachang shot back, "You lot, stop hiding behind your Sects. You can only speak for yourselves."
Ba Liang inclined his head slightly. "If Junior Sister Qu insists on putting it that way, I have nothing more to say. I only hope that when the fighting begins, you won't blame me for being ruthless."
Qu Huachang laughed lightly. "By all means—try it."
"Sister Zhang, what are you still doing over there? Get over here right now!" a voice hissed from the crowd opposite. The speaker was grinding his teeth.
Zhang Ruoxi looked up and saw that it was none other than Du Xu, the companion she had been traveling with. She had no idea when he had made his way here, but he was now mixed in among the crowd, staring at her with a stern expression.
Zhang Ruoxi glanced at him and shook her head slowly. "I'm not coming over."
Du Xu's expression shifted. "Sister Zhang, do you have any idea what you're doing? Do you even know who he is?"
Du Xu and Zhang Ruoxi were both Inner Disciples of the Langya Blessed Land—neither had yet reached the rank of Core Disciple or True Inheritor. They had not heard of Yang Kai's exploits before, but that didn't stop Du Xu from reading the situation. With disciples from so many Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands intent on killing Yang Kai, he naturally wanted nothing to do with the trouble. Now, seeing Zhang Ruoxi standing beside Yang Kai, he hurried to call her over, fearing he would be dragged down with her.
"I know exactly who he is," Zhang Ruoxi replied, raising the Heaven's Punishment Sword in a single fluid motion, her bearing sharp and resolute. "He saved my life. If anyone wishes to kill him, they'll have to go through me first!"
Yin Xinzhao turned to look at Du Xu. "Junior Brother Du, that's your fellow disciple? You'd better talk some sense into her. Once the fighting starts, blades won't have eyes—if she gets hurt, that would be such a shame."