Sword light blazed in every direction, and killing intent surged like a tidal wave. The numerous Spirit Grade cultivators who had formed the formation had long since scattered, each fighting for themselves. From time to time someone would cry out in pain, collapsing into a pool of their own blood.
A figure suddenly burst into the fray, his voice booming like a clap of spring thunder as he roared, "Rebellious disciple, cease this at once!"
Even as he spoke, the newcomer planted himself directly in front of Yang Kai, his long robes snapping violently in the wind.
The Clear Void Sword halted abruptly, its tip hovering at the bridge of the newcomer's nose. The flickering sword light had already pierced the skin of his brow ridge, and blood streamed down along the bridge of his nose.
Their eyes met. Yang Kai's gaze was crimson, brimming with violence and a light of sheer destruction that made the newcomer's eyelids twitch involuntarily.
In all his years of life, he had never before seen eyes so saturated with primal savagery. Old Man Qi had been right—this boy was truly approaching a limit, a threshold beyond which he could no longer maintain his sanity. Once that threshold was breached, he would instantly transform into a god of slaughter who would butcher all living things, and by then, perhaps he would have fully succumbed to Qi Deviation, his mind lost forever—but the entire Xuandan Sect would undoubtedly be buried along with him.
The battlefield, which had been wracked by ceaseless combat, fell into an eerie, oppressive silence in that single moment. The only sounds were muffled groans from the surrounding area. The seven or eight Spirit Grade cultivators who remained stood gasping for breath, not daring to make the slightest move.
Yang Kai blinked. The thick crimson in his eyes, dense as fresh blood, shifted downward, and he caught sight of the six fingers on the newcomer's left hand. A flicker of confusion crossed his gaze, as if something was stirring in his memory.
The newcomer barked another sharp rebuke, "Rebellious disciple, what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to stage a mutiny?"
Even with Yang Kai's spiritual weapon pressed against his brow ridge, the newcomer's expression did not change in the slightest—a testament to his formidable courage and iron will.
Yang Kai's eyes rolled slightly, and the thick crimson receded by a measure. The spiritual energy that had been roiling ceaselessly through his body gradually calmed as well. He tilted his head and regarded the newcomer. "Master?"
With the fighting concluded, the killing intent that had been flooding his mind began to dissipate, giving him the space to think.
He had never met the man before, but the six fingers on the left hand were far too distinctive—anyone with eyes could see it. Moreover, for someone to appear before him at this particular moment meant the newcomer had to be a high-ranking member of the Xuandan Sect.
Taken together, the newcomer's identity was practically screaming itself into existence.
His fabricated master—Dan Chengzi!
During his years at the Xuandan Sect, Yang Kai had naturally kept his ears open for any information about this so-called master of his. Unfortunately, his fellow-generation Heavenly Pill Masters didn't know much, and prying into the affairs of the older-generation Elders was not so easy.
Fortunately, there was Lan Yin. The two of them would occasionally cross paths within the forbidden grounds, and because Lan Yin harbored feelings for this so-called master of his, they shared certain common topics of conversation. Through Yang Kai's careful and occasional probing over the years, he had managed to extract quite a bit of intelligence about the man.
The so-called master's name was Dan Chengzi, and he was the most talented alchemist in the entire Xuandan Sect. What made him even more remarkable was that he was a dual master of both alchemy and combat—not only were his pill-refining skills superb, but his personal strength was equally formidable.
Because of his extraordinary gifts, Dan Chengzi was immensely proud.
Years ago, when the old Sect Master's lifespan was nearing its end, Dan Chengzi had assumed that he would certainly be the one to succeed him as head of the Xuandan Sect. To his shock, the old Sect Master had instead passed the mantle to Baili Yunsang. In a fury, Dan Chengzi had left the sect. Though the Xuandan Sect's leadership had been searching for news of him over the years, they had found nothing—no one knew where he had gone.
Such matters were naturally not for outsiders' ears, so throughout the entire Xuandan Sect, aside from the older-generation Elders who knew the full story, no one else was aware of Dan Chengzi's affairs. Most people only knew that the sect had a tremendously powerful Spirit Pill Master wandering somewhere out in the world, his whereabouts unknown.
All of this was information Yang Kai had gathered in fragments over the years from his interactions with Lan Yin.
"It's been over a decade. I thought you'd forgotten your own master—but I see you haven't!" Dan Chengzi's face was stern, though a single bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. Anyone who had a weapon imbued with killing intent pressed to their head would find it rather difficult to remain completely composed.
Still, the moment he heard Yang Kai address him as Master, a visible flicker of relief passed through Dan Chengzi's eyes.
The crimson in Yang Kai's gaze faded a little further, and he said calmly, "Master has shown me kindness as weighty as a mountain. How could I ever forget?"
With those few simple words, the tension between them eased in an instant. Each had grasped the other's intentions.
The whole business of master and rebellious disciple was utterly fabricated—Dan Chengzi had never taught Yang Kai a thing, and Yang Kai had never studied under Dan Chengzi. Both parties were perfectly aware of this.
But the current situation demanded a breaking point to defuse it, and Dan Chengzi had rushed over precisely with this consideration in mind. Since Yang Kai had declared him to be his master, he might as well play the part.
Dan Chengzi had laid down the stepping stones, and Yang Kai naturally saw no reason not to walk across them.
No prior arrangement had been necessary. Before this mortifying predicament, the old man and the young one had reached a tacit understanding.