Gu Pan moved with incredible speed. After casting a spell to bind Yang Kai, her figure shot into the sky without the slightest hesitation.
Both were Sixth Order Open Heaven cultivators, but Gu Pan had personally witnessed Yang Kai's capabilities. Back at the Yin Yang Heaven Dao Discussion Assembly, on that Sin Star, Zhao Xing of the Thousand Crane Blessed Land had been Sixth Order as well, yet facing Yang Kai, he had been quickly killed.
Zhao Xing had been a Core Disciple of the Thousand Crane Blessed Land, and had advanced to the Sixth Order even earlier.
Though Gu Pan was also a Core Disciple of the Langya Blessed Land, even after so many years of cultivation, she assessed that compared to Zhao Xing at that time, she was roughly on par.
Back then, Yang Kai had been able to effortlessly slay Zhao Xing. The Yang Kai of today was simply not someone she could hope to contend with.
So after catching Yang Kai off guard and binding his freedom with a spell, Gu Pan immediately prepared to flee. Had it been anyone else, she would likely have seized the opportunity to strike them down right then. But facing Yang Kai, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Her ankle was suddenly seized by a large hand. When Gu Pan turned her head to look, her expression was one of shock.
Those layer upon layer of forces binding Yang Kai had been instantly broken free by him. Yang Kai sat cross-legged right where he was, one outstretched hand gripping her ankle like an iron band.
Gu Pan's heart turned to ash with despair!
Even though she had known Yang Kai was incomparably powerful, she hadn't imagined he could be this powerful.
"Get down here!" Yang Kai growled, yanking hard with his hand. Gu Pan was pulled straight down, crashing onto the table. The wooden table shattered, sending up a cloud of dust.
World Force surged and rippled. The brush in Gu Pan's hand blazed with light as she prepared to resist, but Yang Kai had already pressed a palm against her forehead. The vast power in his palm pulsed and shifted, like a razor-sharp blade.
Gu Pan pressed her lips together, lying quietly before Yang Kai, her entire body rigid, her clear eyes fixed on him without looking away.
Yang Kai bared his teeth in a grim smile. "Junior Sister, why did you suddenly attack me?"
Gu Pan replied calmly, "Why I attacked you? Don't you understand that yourself?"
Yang Kai said, "I'll have to ask Junior Sister to enlighten me!"
A flash of heartache crossed Gu Pan's eyes. She shook her head. "You are no longer the Senior Brother Yang I knew."
"If I'm not me, then who am I?" Yang Kai leaned down, his sharp eyes boring into Gu Pan as if he could devour someone whole.
Gu Pan turned her head away. "There's no point in talking. Just kill me!"
Yang Kai chuckled. "Kill you? Wouldn't that be letting you off too easy?" As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and produced a wooden box from his Space Ring.
With a wave of his hand, World Force surged as he set up a barrier around them. Only then did he open the box.
The Ink Bug burst out from the box and was snatched up in Yang Kai's hand.
The expression of Gu Pan, who had been calmly resigned to death, instantly changed. "So you really have been inked. You even have something like an Ink Bug."
"Oh?" Yang Kai looked at her with surprise. "Junior Sister actually recognizes an Ink Bug? Then this will be easy to discuss. Junior Sister, how about I point you toward a better path?"
Gu Pan closed her eyes and said faintly, "Though I'm no match for you, I can still collapse my own Small Universe."
Yang Kai said with surprise, "I didn't expect it—Junior Sister has quite the backbone! But that's fine. I happen to enjoy opponents with backbone. Later, I'll crush your bones one by one. Junior Sister better not cry!"
Gu Pan opened her eyes and glared at him. "If you're going to kill me, then kill me. If you're trying to ink me, I advise you to abandon that idea. If you dare send that Ink Bug at me, I'll end myself immediately!"
Yang Kai stared at her coldly, his killing intent overflowing. Gu Pan met his gaze without the slightest fear.
After quite a long moment, Yang Kai suddenly released her and put the Ink Bug back into the box.
Gu Pan immediately leaped to her feet, creating as much distance between herself and Yang Kai as possible, eyeing him with suspicion.
Yang Kai stood up, cupped his fists toward Gu Pan, and said, "My apologies, Junior Sister. That test just now was truly unavoidable. Please don't hold it against me!"
Gu Pan stared at him. "What scheme are you plotting now? If you don't kill me here, I'll go back and expose your identity as one who has been inked to the entire Langya Blessed Land. Then you'll have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide."
Yang Kai grinned. "If I die, won't your Senior Sister Qu have to become a widow? Can you bear that?"
Gu Pan said calmly, "Senior Brother Yang is already dead. You are not him!"
Yang Kai knew that no amount of explanation would help now. Anyone who knew anything about the Ink Clan, upon seeing him holding an Ink Bug, would undoubtedly conclude he had been corrupted.
As he activated his World Force, the gateway to his Small Universe opened. Yang Kai said, "As for the truth, Junior Sister, see for yourself. I'll explain afterwards."
Gu Pan eyed him suspiciously. Yang Kai's expression was sincere—he really didn't seem like someone who had been inked. Most importantly, if Yang Kai had truly been inked, his actions just now wouldn't make sense. He could have simply placed the Ink Bug into her Small Universe, letting her be corrupted as well.
Yet he hadn't done so!
While still puzzled, Gu Pan sent her divine sense flooding in, probing into Yang Kai's Small Universe, examining it carefully.