Visibility was severely restricted within the mist—eyes could see nothing, and even Divine Sense was heavily suppressed. Within that mist, a tremendous danger seemed to be brewing, poised to strike at any moment.
Rumbling sounds erupted suddenly, and waves of earth-shaking power surged upward, far exceeding the Fifth-Order Open Heaven level—they had clearly reached the Sixth-Order.
Within Golden Rainbow Province, apart from the Ancestor who remained in seclusion, there was no other Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. The fact that such an attack could be unleashed meant it was borrowed from the power of a grand array, channeling the formation's might.
Several cries of alarm rang out. Those were Open Heaven Realm cultivators from Void Land who had charged into the mist and been caught off guard by the attack. In an instant, several Lower-Order Open Heaven cultivators fell on the spot.
The grand array's power burst forth. At the same time, Yang Kai's expression turned grave as he extended his Divine Sense outward. In the next instant, his face changed, and he shouted in a low voice: "There are foreign creatures in the mist! Stay vigilant!"
Under his perception, countless tiny insects—invisible to the naked eye—were hidden within the mist, slipping through people's pores and into their bodies without detection to siphon their vital blood.
As he shouted, the Golden Crow True Fire surged. In an instant, raging black flames erupted across Yang Kai's body, transforming him into a ball of fire that illuminated a hundred-zhang radius.
Crackling explosions rang out, dense and unbroken. Under the Golden Crow True Fire's searing heat, the tiny insects in the mist burst apart by the thousands.
Yang Kai strode forward without stopping. Wherever he passed, everything was swept aside like dry grass. However, with his Divine Sense suppressed, locating the enemy's positions was extremely difficult, and he had to avoid injuring his allies, so his attacks were inevitably restrained.
Only now did he truly appreciate what the Hundred Families Alliance had felt when they charged into the illusion array of the Nine Heavens Grand Array. The sensation was truly awful.
Golden Rainbow Province's protective array, while lacking the profundity of the Nine Heavens Grand Array, shared a certain similar ingenuity.
A mere Golden Rainbow Province could use its accumulated heritage built over countless years to hold off his formidable forces. Across the entire Three Thousand Worlds, which major power didn't have its own protective array?
By that logic, rashly attacking another faction's headquarters—even with an overwhelming disparity in strength—could very well end in disaster.
The reason they had previously taken Senluo Platform so easily was that Senluo Platform had been completely unprepared for their arrival. The protective array hadn't even had time to activate before Yang Kai had shattered a breach and charged straight in. Had Senluo Platform been given advance warning to activate its protective array, it would likely have been another brutal battle.
Rumbling sounds continued to echo by his ears, one after another, accompanied by piercing screams—though whether they came from allies or enemies, it was impossible to tell.
Yang Kai was furious. They had come in overwhelming force with a stellar lineup. If they couldn't even take Golden Rainbow Province, it would be the laughingstock of the ages. As his body vibrated, the cry of a Golden Crow rang out.
Behind him, a great sun soared into the sky, rising rapidly. Within that sun, a three-legged anomalous bird could be seen frolicking and tumbling.
In an instant, it was as though a dazzling sun hung above all of Golden Rainbow Province. No matter how thick the mist, it could not block the sun's radiance.
Under the scorching sunlight, the mist that had blocked their vision rapidly evaporated, and the tiny insects hidden within it died in droves.
Golden Crow Forging the Sun was the only divine ability manifestation that Yang Kai had comprehended, and its power was immense. To avoid collateral damage, Yang Kai carefully controlled the output of this technique rather than unleashing its full might.
Even so, once the mist had fully dissipated, quite a few of his own people still had flushed faces, with blisters rising across their exposed skin. The weaker the cultivator, the more pronounced the effect—those above Fourth-Order Open Heaven were comparatively less affected.
Without the mist's interference, friend and foe could instantly be distinguished.
Mao Zhe and the others, who had been holding back a bellyful of rage, seized this opportunity without hesitation. Their figures blurred as they surged toward the array cores one after another.
Screams rang out. The Golden Rainbow Province Open Heaven cultivators stationed at the array cores stood no chance against Mao Zhe and the others, and were cut down where they stood.
In a mere dozen breaths, Golden Rainbow Province's protective array was completely shattered.
Atop the spirit peak, Chang Qishui trembled from head to toe as though struck by lightning. He watched helplessly as his disciples fell in droves, utterly powerless to resist. He let out a long, weary sigh—with the Ancestor still hidden away, would Golden Rainbow Province truly be annihilated today?
Yang Kai had already withdrawn Golden Crow Forging the Sun and now cast a cold gaze toward Chang Qishui, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Without moving his body, he raised a palm and struck it downward toward Chang Qishui.
He had already given them a chance. Had Golden Rainbow Province been like Senluo Platform—submitting without resistance—he might not have slaughtered them all. But since they had chosen to fight back, they could only blame themselves.
The pressure of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven bore down from above. Chang Qishui's body buckled, and he felt the aura of death rushing toward him.
At that very moment, Yang Kai's eyes narrowed. His palm, which had been striking downward through the void, suddenly clenched mid-air, seizing the Azure Dragon Spear. He flicked the spear in a flower-like flourish and thrust it forward with savage force.
Where the spear tip reached, a pale jade-like hand materialized like a phantom, gently positioning itself in front of Chang Qishui. A finger curved and tapped the Azure Dragon Spear three times in an unhurried rhythm.
An irresistible force crashed into him. Yang Kai felt as though an entire mountain had slammed into the Azure Dragon Spear—despite his own strength, he nearly lost his grip. His body shook and shook again, and as he drifted backward, his face turned slightly pale.