The Golden Crow True Fire blazed furiously, and even though Zhou Ti was a Sixth Rank, he could not withstand its power. His agonized screams never ceased from the very beginning, and despite struggling with all his might, he could not break free from Yang Kai's grip.
Zuo Quan Hui's eyelids twitched violently as World Force surged covertly within him. Another strip of flesh sloughed off from the cracks across his face. After a moment of hesitation, the surging World Force gradually subsided.
Just as Yang Kai had said, it wasn't that he didn't want to save Zhou Ti — he couldn't! The final strike Yang Kai had unleashed, the Sun Moon Divine Wheel, contained an extraordinarily mysterious power that was now ravaging his flesh and even his Small Universe, leaving him in excruciating pain with the laws within his Small Universe thrown into complete disarray.
This single Divine Ability could actually cause such tremendous damage to his Small Universe!
He had no choice but to devote the greater part of his mind to suppressing the corrosive power. Otherwise, his own Small Universe would be thrown into turmoil with consequences too dire to contemplate. The strength he could currently bring to bear was less than thirty percent of his peak!
He had no confidence that he could snatch Zhou Ti back from under the noses of the Void Earth crowd. If he truly attempted it, his injuries might only worsen.
"Master... save me!" Zhou Ti's desperate cries still echoed in her ears. The Sixth Rank woman's eyes were already blurred with tears as she watched her senior brother suffer a torment beyond human endurance. The pain in her heart was utterly indescribable.
Watching Zhou Ti's life force drain away at an alarming rate, his entire body charred beyond recognition, the Sixth Rank woman could endure no more. She lunged forward, intent on rescuing Zhou Ti regardless of the consequences.
A streak of sword light blocked her path. The Sixth Rank woman turned to look at Zuo Quan Hui. "Master?"
Zuo Quan Hui slowly shook his head.
The hopeful light in Zhou Ti's eyes rapidly dimmed. A vague understanding seemed to dawn on him, and a bitter smile surfaced on his face. He stopped struggling and screaming.
Moments later, a tremendous surge of World Force erupted violently, dissipating into the void — Zhou Ti had finally perished, his Dao extinguished, his Small Universe collapsing.
Yang Kai withdrew the Golden Crow True Fire, then flicked his hand, obliterating Zhou Ti's charred corpse until not a trace of bone remained. Only then did he fix Zuo Quan Hui with a cold gaze. "You were willing to vent your anger on innocent lives just to avenge your disciple. Did you ever think you'd lose another? But no matter — I'll send each and every one of you to the Yellow Springs so your whole family can be reunited!"
His gaze swept over the five figures before him one by one, as if searing their appearances and auras into the depths of his soul.
The Yellow Springs Heavenly Lord and the other two men wore ashen expressions. This was truly a disaster beyond imagining. They had thought that by allying with Zuo Quan Hui, they could secure a promising future. Who would have guessed they'd provoke someone so ruthless? Had they known, they would never have waded into these murky waters. Having escaped the Sin Star and regained their freedom, the three of them as Sixth Rank Open Heaven cultivators could have established their own sects and lived in carefree leisure.
"You've killed two of my disciples in succession. If this old man doesn't kill you in this lifetime, I swear I'm not a man!" Zuo Quan Hui growled through clenched teeth.
Yang Kai sneered repeatedly. "Anyone can talk big. If you've got the guts, let's go another round — we'll see who dies and who lives!"
Zuo Quan Hui said nothing. He merely fixed Yang Kai with an icy stare, then swept backward with the Sixth Rank woman in tow. The Yellow Springs Heavenly Lord and his two companions quickly followed.
Soon, they vanished without a trace.
"Sir, should we pursue?" Grey Bones asked, his voice tinged with reluctance. Yellow Springs was right before his eyes — he wished he could kill the man right now to avenge White Hair, and he certainly didn't want to watch him leave so brazenly.
"We can't pursue," Yang Kai shook his head. "Zuo Quan Hui isn't without the strength to fight. He is a Seventh Rank Open Heaven after all, but he cherishes himself too much to risk another battle. If we truly fought again, it would only end in mutual destruction."
Had Zuo Quan Hui fought without regard for the consequences earlier, there was a strong chance he could have saved Zhou Ti. But doing so would have only aggravated his injuries further. It was even possible that the power of the Sun Moon Divine Wheel could have affected the very foundation of his Small Universe, causing his strength to drop.
To ensure his own preservation, he was willing to sacrifice even the lives of his disciples. To put it charitably, Zuo Quan Hui was someone who could take things or leave them. To put it more honestly, he was nothing more than a coward who feared death.
Yue He said with worry, "But Young Master, what if they keep lurking in the Void Domain?"
Yang Kai shook his head. "That's unlikely. Their plan has failed, so they probably won't linger in the Void Domain any longer. They'll need to find somewhere to recuperate — they won't stay here. Still, one must always prepare for the unexpected... cough cough. Let's go — back to Void Earth first!"
This battle had left him utterly spent. If Zuo Quan Hui truly decided to fight again, he wouldn't have much power left to resist. Fortunately, the Sun Moon Divine Wheel had been enough to deter Zuo Quan Hui into retreating.
Before long, everyone returned to Void Earth to tend to their wounds and rest.
At Longzi Peak, Yue He supported Yang Kai as they went to visit Bi Xi. Seeing Yang Kai's wretched state, the old Bi Xi was startled. "What happened to you? How did you end up in such a miserable state? Hmm? This wound... the power of a Seventh Rank Open Heaven — did you fight a Seventh Rank?"
Yang Kai grinned painfully. "The old master has a sharp eye!"
Bi Xi quickly urged, "Sit down quickly!"
Little Red and Little Black, the two small creatures, looked over with anxious expressions and hurriedly helped ease Yang Kai into a seat.
After catching his breath, Yang Kai said, "I've come to ask for the old master's help in healing my injuries. The sword intent of a Seventh Rank Open Heaven is extremely difficult to dispel. On my own, I have no idea how long it would take."
On the way back, Yang Kai had already tried to disperse the sword intent that had invaded his body, but with little effect. Those strands of sword intent clung to him like maggots embedded in bone, impossible to shake off — and the more he tried to purge them, the more troublesome they became. So as soon as he returned, he had headed straight for Bi Xi.