In the Open Heaven realm, the gap in strength between each rank was enormous, and the higher the rank, the more pronounced that gap became.
A Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator could casually handle ten Fifth-Order cultivators working in unison, and still have the strength to counterkill. Under normal circumstances, the twenty-odd Fifth-Order cultivators from
Yet in this moment, their presence had become the deciding factor between victory and defeat.
Across the battlefields where Sixth-Order cultivators clashed, among their own lineup, only
The addition of numerous Fifth-Order cultivators made things even worse for the invaders. They might not be able to directly contend with any single Sixth-Order, but flanking from the sidelines and seizing the right moment to launch surprise attacks was well within their capability. On a battlefield where life and death hung by a thread, these Fifth-Order cultivators darting about were extremely troublesome and lethal to the enemy.
Old Bai even had the leisure to check on
He knew that whether this battle ended in victory or defeat hinged most critically on Yang Kai's side. If Yang Kai could hold his ground against
Fury roared, spear shadows filled the air, and the might of worlds surged and fell. In another corner of the Void battlefield, Yang Kai felt himself constantly walking the razor's edge between life and death.
This was not his first time clashing with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator. After returning from the
He had met little resistance at Senluo Tan. The old ancestor there had wisely abandoned the sect's headquarters, taking his disciples with him and leaving Senluo Tan in Yang Kai's hands to deal with as he pleased.
However, at Jinhong Prefecture, they had encountered the sect's own old ancestor —
But Li Luo Shui had ascended hastily at that time, his foundation unstable, and just how much strength he could actually bring to bear was hard to say.
By comparison, Zuo Quan Hui was an inner sect Elder of Thousand Crane Blessed Land who had ascended to the Seventh Order untold years ago. His foundation in this realm was deep and his reserves formidable — the power he could wield was incomparably greater than what Li Luo Shui had managed.
At the very least, Yang Kai himself had grown enormously in recent times. His experiences in the Divine Artifact Realm had greatly bolstered the reserves of his Small World, making him far stronger than he had been that day. If he were to face Li Luo Shui again now, Yang Kai estimated he could handle him even better.
Yet now, facing Zuo Quan Hui, he was shrouded by an indescribable sense of crisis, as though a sharp blade hung above his head, ready to fall at any moment.
Every clash with Zuo Quan Hui sent his blood churning and his spirit quaking. The world might contained within a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator's Small World was overwhelmingly vast. Yang Kai felt as though he were fighting an entire world.
Even with
After less than half a cup of tea's worth of fierce combat, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were already drenched in their own blood, their faces pale with terror.
If not for the fact that moments earlier, the four Fifth-Order cultivators from Zuo Quan Hui's lineage had been killed, causing Zuo Quan Hui's mind to waver for just an instant, Yang Kai wouldn't even have had a chance to catch his breath.
The only thing Yang Kai could take solace in was that this Zuo Quan Hui did not possess a Divine Ability Manifestation! While every strike of his was extremely fierce and his secret techniques were all devastatingly powerful, there was no trace of a Divine Ability Manifestation being deployed.
If he wasn't using it at a time like this, it certainly wasn't because he was holding back — it was because he couldn't manifest one!
It seemed that Zuo Quan Hui was still somewhat inferior to
Sword rain fell like a waterfall, each beam of sword light containing the world might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator. Yang Kai, Mao Zhe, and Geng Qing combined their strength to fend it off. With a series of sharp tearing sounds, Mao Zhe and Geng Qing were sent spitting blood and flying backward, their faces masks of horror.
They had never fought a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator before. Only now did they truly grasp the chasm between the Seventh and Sixth Orders — it was like the difference between clouds and mud.
On the surface, it appeared to be three against Zuo Quan Hui, but both Mao Zhe and Geng Qing knew that Yang Kai alone was bearing eighty percent of Zuo Quan Hui's power. The portion split between the two of them amounted to roughly ten percent each.
And that single ten percent was enough to make their lives a living hell, each of them feeling they could die at any moment.
While they were shocked by the strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven cultivator, they were even more horrified by the terrifying depth of Yang Kai's reserves. It wasn't as though they were unaware of Yang Kai's power — back at the Shadowless Cave Heaven on Xuanyang Mountain, they had experienced it firsthand. They simply hadn't imagined he could be this formidable!
Both were Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators, and Mao Zhe considered himself to have cultivated to the peak of the Sixth Order. Given sufficient resources and opportunities, he could even attempt to break through to the Seventh Order.
Yet his peak Sixth-Order cultivation, when compared to Yang Kai's, was laughable.
And Yang Kai had only ascended to the Sixth Order how long ago? If he reached the peak of the Sixth Order, would even ordinary Seventh-Order cultivators be no match for him?
How could such a monster exist in this world!
Zuo Quan Hui was equally stunned. A Sixth-Order cultivator was able to contend with him for this long without dying — had he not experienced it personally, he would never have believed it.
Every time he thought he could cut Yang Kai down with his sword, the brat managed to find that one slim thread of survival at the critical moment and escape death. This youth's grasp of combat opportunities was beyond description, and the depth of his Small World was thoroughly abnormal.
Even a peak Sixth-Order cultivator couldn't have withstood his relentless bombardment for this long, yet Yang Kai had not only endured it but was also desperately fighting back at every turn.