The situation had already been decided. Unless the Heavenly Sword Alliance had some hidden card to play, Shen Liang and the others had no hope of turning things around. Still, the Heavenly Sword Alliance was merely a second-rate power. After Kong Feng's death, being able to dispatch two Sixth-Order cultivators to set up this ambush was already their limit. Even if they had more experts, none could have appeared here — their headquarters still needed someone to guard it.
Unless the mastermind had arranged something else in this area, but that seemed rather unlikely.
Since the mastermind intended to use the proprietress to lure Yang Kai into the Shattered Sky, they would naturally make their move there. Shen Liang and the others were nothing more than a vanguard, testing whether Yang Kai was genuinely taking the bait.
In truth, Shen Liang's group hadn't gained nothing at all. At the very least, they had forced Zhu Jiuyin and Qu Huachang, who had been shadowing Yang Kai, to reveal themselves. That intelligence would certainly not escape the mastermind's notice, and when the time came, they could prepare specific countermeasures against Zhu Jiuyin.
Despite his suspicions, Yang Kai didn't dare let his guard down for even a moment. The Space Laws enveloped him constantly, ready to spirit him away at an instant's notice.
Luan Baifeng stood absolutely no chance against Zhu Jiuyin. After just two or three moves, she was gravely wounded, coughing up blood without end. The woman was decisive, though — she knew she was no match and that a prolonged fight would mean death. She employed some unknown divine technique, transforming her entire body into a streak of red light that shot thousands of kilometers away in the blink of an eye, vanishing into the distance.
Zhu Jiuyin didn't give chase. Killing a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator who was fully committed to fleeing wasn't easy, and moreover, she feared there might be other ambushes in the surroundings. Seeing that she hadn't managed to kill Luan Baifeng immediately, she gave up the pursuit and turned to attack Shen Liang instead.
Shen Liang was so frustrated he could have coughed up blood. Yue He alone was enough to contend with him, and now there was also Zhu Jiuyin. How could he possibly be their match? Despite desperate resistance, he was beaten into one perilous situation after another, teetering on the edge of death again and again.
On the other side, Jiang Yunshan, who had been intercepted by Qu Huachang, saw Luan Baifeng flee and realized Shen Liang was in dire straits. After pouring everything into a single devastating strike against Qu Huachang, he immediately fled in another direction.
He knew that once someone like Zhu Jiuyin had you in her sights, Shen Liang was finished. If he didn't leave now, the moment Zhu Jiuyin dealt with Shen Liang, he would be next!
Three Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators working together — yet the moment Zhu Jiuyin and Qu Huachang appeared, two of them had fled in an instant.
Shen Liang wanted to flee too, but how could he? Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his own Vice Alliance Master running faster than a rabbit, and his heart filled with mingled grief and indignation, his face ashen as death!
At the precipice of life and death, Shen Liang bellowed, "If you spare my life, henceforth the Heavenly Sword Alliance will follow the Void Land's lead in all things!"
Zhu Jiuyin's jade-like hand clamped down on his head, the violent power in her palm flickering like a serpent's tongue. She turned to look at Yang Kai, her expression questioning.
Shen Liang saw this and understood that his life and death hung on a single word from Yang Kai. He abandoned all pretense of dignity regarding his cultivation or status and hastily begged, "Shen is willing to swear a Heart Devil Oath! Please spare me, Sect Master Yang!"
Yang Kai remained unmoved. A single cold word escaped his lips: "Kill."
Shen Liang's eyes bulged. Zhu Jiuyin's jade hand clamped down on his forehead, then twisted sharply, ripping his head clean off. The headless corpse twitched a few times before going still.
If Yang Kai had truly wanted to bring Shen Liang under his control, he could have used the Loyalty Register. Only three names were currently inscribed upon it, leaving a full six blank pages available. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, Shen Liang would have been utterly powerless to resist the Register's authority. All Yang Kai needed was for him to leave his imprint and name on it, and his life would be in Yang Kai's hands — just as it was with Chen Tianfei, Hei He, and Yun Xinghua.
He might even have used Shen Liang to manipulate the Heavenly Sword Alliance from within.
But the Heavenly Sword Alliance had attacked again and again. How could Yang Kai possibly let them off? He had long since made a silent vow: once his strength was sufficient, he would wipe the Heavenly Sword Alliance from the face of the Three Thousand Worlds!
It was almost laughable — Shen Liang, this newly appointed Alliance Master, had lasted only two or three years before falling to the Void Land's hand once more. Counting Kong Feng, the Heavenly Sword Alliance had now lost two Alliance Masters to the Void Land. This kind of deep-seated enmity could never be reconciled.
Then again, the Heavenly Sword Alliance had willingly chosen to serve as someone else's blade. They should have been prepared for the day that blade would snap.
"I thank you, Senior, for rushing to our aid." Yang Kai cupped his fists toward Zhu Jiuyin in gratitude.
Zhu Jiuyin snorted coldly, "If A-Luo hadn't begged me so pitifully, did you think I would have come here? I only did it for her sake. Don't flatter yourself."
"Of course, of course. It's A-Luo's good fortune that Senior thinks so highly of her." Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, inwardly amused. Shan Qingluo had been in closed-door cultivation under Zhu Jiuyin's guidance for years, knowing nothing of the outside world — how could she possibly know he had ventured out? Zhu Jiuyin's excuse was obviously just a pretense.
She was probably afraid that if something happened to him, Shan Qingluo would blame her, which was why she had secretly followed along.
Yang Kai understood all of this perfectly well, but he didn't call her out on it.
"However, don't forget the conditions you previously agreed to, boy. This time I've aided you. If you die, so be it — and I'll be free of that Origin Oath as well. But if you somehow make it back alive, that earlier vow becomes null and void. From now on, I'll be free and unrestrained."
"Naturally!" Yang Kai nodded solemnly. "I may be young, but I have always kept my word. After this journey, Senior will no longer be bound by any constraints."
Zhu Jiuyin's expression softened slightly, "At least you know how to behave."
Yang Kai then turned to Qu Huachang and sighed, "Senior Sister, why did you come along too?"