Kong Feng's Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivation was nothing to scoff at, yet the hidden powerhouse within Void Land had crippled him with a single strike. Part of that was due to Kong Feng being completely off his guard, but it was enough to demonstrate just how formidable the attacker was.
That jade-like finger had pierced through Kong Feng's defenses from midair, sending him coughing up blood, its residual force relentless and unending.
Kong Feng's figure retreated explosively, but the might of that finger clung to him like a parasite burrowed into bone, refusing to let go—it meant to finish him off! The sight sent every hair on Kong Feng's body standing on end, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as both fists blurred into a sky full of fist shadows sweeping forward, frantically wearing down the finger's power.
But in the end, he was simply outclassed. As that finger continued pressing down on him, Kong Feng's heart burned with grief and fury.
Truth be told, had he known beforehand that Void Land harbored such a powerhouse on guard, he would have been on alert. In that case, things might not have turned so ugly—he might not have been able to match the opponent, but his life wouldn't necessarily have been at risk.
But the other party had concealed their aura entirely beforehand and struck with thunderous force the moment they acted. Combined with Kong Feng being weaker to begin with, that was why he had ended up in such a wretched state.
The stench of death shrouded him. Despite the unwillingness written all over his face, Kong Feng could only close his eyes and await his end.
It was then that an abrupt change erupted.
A cold snort suddenly rang out from beyond the sky. Immediately after, within the grand illusion array enveloping Void Land's perimeter, a heaven-rending sword light flashed into being. With a single slash, the churning illusion array was torn clean open from the middle. The sword light shot straight toward the jade finger, intercepting it just moments before Kong Feng would have perished. A thunderous boom shook the heavens as the sword light was annihilated and the jade finger shattered, sending tremors through heaven and earth.
Right on the heels of that sword light, two figures descended from the sky. One of them let out a strange cackling laugh and, the instant they flew over Void Land, lunged in a specific direction. Their hand clawed forward like an eagle's talon, and within their palm, a surging torrent of the might of heaven and earth churned the winds and clouds.
That direction was precisely where Zhu Jiuyin was secluded!
But this person arrived quickly and departed just as quickly. A jade-white palm met them from that direction, and another earth-shaking boom erupted. As a halo of light burst outward, the figure pulled back and landed beside the other newcomer.
The second figure held a long sword. The sword light that had just cleaved open the illusion array had clearly come from them.
Kong Feng had narrowly escaped death—shocked and elated in equal measure. Though he didn't know who had intervened to save him, the power behind that sword strike left no doubt: the one who had acted was unquestionably an Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivator.
He looked up and saw the two figures standing side by side, the might of heaven and earth radiating from each of them—sure enough, a pair of Seventh-Order Open Heaven masters! But both were shrouded in a layer of mist, making it possible to discern only their general builds. Their true faces were completely hidden; he couldn't even tell if they were male or female.
His mind raced, and he vaguely guessed at their origins, though he had no idea exactly which background they came from. He cupped his fists and bowed. "I thank you both, esteemed seniors, for the grace of saving my life."
The two Seventh-Order masters said nothing. They simply stood there in silence, facing a single direction, their auras extraordinarily heavy and solemn. From that direction, a slender figure approached with unhurried grace, her features delicate as a painting, a beauty that could topple cities, the long train of her skirt trailing behind her—who else could it be but Zhu Jiuyin?
From the moment Zhu Jiuyin had struck at Kong Feng, to the heaven-rending sword light flashing forth, to Kong Feng's narrow escape, and then to these two Upper-Order masters appearing like phantoms—barely three breaths had passed in total. Everything had happened so fast that Yang Kai still hadn't fully processed it.
He had assumed that with Zhu Jiuyin making her move, Kong Feng was as good as dead. Once Kong Feng fell, the so-called Hundred Sects Alliance would scatter like sand. With Void Land shrouged by the grand illusion array, he would leave them with no path to heaven or door to earth—every last invader would be utterly annihilated!
Who could have imagined that at such a critical juncture, this kind of reversal would occur?
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Yang Kai's eyes sharpened like blades as he looked toward the two Upper-Order masters. A fierce, predatory grin spread across his face. "Good, very good!"
Though he didn't know the background of these two Upper-Order Open Heaven cultivators, he could be absolutely certain they had come from some Cavern Heaven or Blessed Land that didn't wish to see him rise. The forces backing these two were most likely the ones who had directed Kong Feng to rally the Hundred Sects and invade Void Land!
It now seemed clear that the pair had been tailing Kong Feng all along. They hadn't revealed themselves earlier because there had been no need—the Hundred Sects Alliance had already assembled a massive force to attack Void Land. As Upper-Order Open Heaven masters from a Cavern Heaven or Blessed Land, showing up openly would have been nothing short of bullying the weak with their strength, which would have been hard to justify.
So they had shadowed the group from behind, observing how things unfolded.
But Void Land's hidden reserves had proven far more shocking than anyone anticipated—most critically, the large group of people Yang Kai had brought back from the Blood Demon Cavern Heaven. In one stroke, Void Land had gained over three hundred Open Heaven Realm cultivators, fundamentally transforming its strength.
No one could have predicted that. What faction could suddenly produce over three hundred Open Heaven Realm cultivators in such a short time, with a sizable number of Fifth and Sixth-Order among them?
The Hundred Sects Alliance's campaign was going poorly, and their losses had been severe, but the two masters had continued holding back—after all, those people's lives or deaths meant nothing to them.
It wasn't until Zhu Jiuyin had intervened and Kong Feng had found himself in mortal peril that they could no longer sit idle and had stepped forward. Even though this particular campaign had been orchestrated by Kong Feng rallying the Hundred Sects to stir up trouble against Void Land, anyone with eyes could see it was the work of certain Cavern Heavens and Blessed Lands.
To act so brazenly and still suffer a crushing defeat—that would be a complete loss of face.
So Kong Feng could not die. Whether they wanted to or not, they had no choice but to intervene!
At this moment, the two had used their techniques to obscure their true appearances, unwilling to show their real faces. Everyone knowing the truth in their hearts was one thing—being caught red-handed with irrefutable evidence was another matter entirely. This little charade of self-deception could at least preserve a shred of dignity for the forces backing them.
Only now did Yang Kai finally understand what Zhu Jiuyin had meant earlier when she said this matter would be troublesome and that he should pray for his own survival.