The numerous Sixth-Order cultivators hidden in the shadows watching this confrontation were all pale-faced with shock.
Yang Kai's battle against Wang Gaoyang moments ago, his fight with Senior Sister Zhou—every exchange had been witnessed. There was no denying Yang Kai's strength. Even seasoned Sixth-Order veterans like Wang Gaoyang and Senior Sister Zhou had been no match for him.
But that kind of power still fell within the bounds of their understanding.
What was unfolding now, however, defied all reason. Senior Brother Zhao, who was stronger than both Wang Gaoyang and Senior Sister Zhou, had been defeated by a single punch, vomiting blood on the spot!
Was this really a Sixth-Order? This guy had to be Seventh-Order!
Yet the power fluctuations rolling off Yang Kai were unmistakably Sixth-Order, nothing more.
The onlookers couldn't fathom why Senior Brother Zhao had suddenly been injured, but Senior Brother Zhao himself understood perfectly. That punch had looked utterly feeble, yet a savage force had detonated inside his Small Universe, sending it into violent upheaval. The World Force coursing through his body had nearly gone berserk.
"Next!"
High in the void, Yang Kai surveyed his surroundings with an imperious gaze, his bearing lofty and untouchable.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivators who had been lurking in the shadows, itching to act, all fell silent. Wang Gaoyang had lost. Senior Sister Zhou had lost. Now even Senior Brother Zhao had fallen. Yang Kai's strength filled them with despair.
How could someone who didn't come from one of the Great Caverns and Blessed Lands possibly be this powerful? In their understanding, Open Heaven cultivators raised by those legendary sects had always been a cut above ordinary cultivators. Their foundations were different. Within the same grade, unless the gap in foundational resources was enormous, the disciples of Great Caverns and Blessed Lands would always hold the upper hand.
A suffocating sense of frustration settled over every heart. Senior Sister Gu had had her feelings toyed with—seduced and abandoned—and here Yang Kai was now, strutting about with contemptuous arrogance, looking down on them all. They would love nothing more than to avenge Senior Sister Gu's honor. But they simply couldn't beat him. Going up there would only be asking for humiliation.
Langya's reputation was being utterly destroyed.
On a distant Spirit Continent, a figure watched from afar. At the sight of what was happening, his brows furrowed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he sighed, took a single step forward, and his body blurred in place.
His movements were unhurried, yet his speed was astonishing. By the second step, he was already midair. By the third step, he stood directly before Yang Kai, the wild wind tousling his dark hair. His posture was ramrod straight, and World Force surged about him in violent torrents.
Yang Kai turned to look at him and broke into a grin. "The Great Caverns and Blessed Lands truly don't disappoint—what an extraordinary foundation!"
The ones coming at him just kept getting stronger. First Wang Gaoyang, then Senior Sister Zhou, then Senior Brother Zhao, and now this one, whose aura was even more formidable than all three combined.
"It's Senior Brother Le Mang! Senior Brother Le Mang is here!" someone in the shadows called out in a hushed voice.
"Senior Brother Le Mang has finally shown himself. Now this brat is going to pay!" Another voice brimmed with excitement and relief.
"How dare he bully Langya like we have no one. The nerve of this guy—Senior Brother Le Mang needs to beat him until he coughs up three pints of blood!"
"Can Senior Brother Le Mang actually beat him? If he loses too, then Langya's face will really be gone for good."
"Pah, pah, pah! The Sect Master himself said that Senior Brother Le Mang is the strongest fighter under Seventh-Order in all of Langya. How could he possibly lose? Three hundred years ago at the Sect Martial Assembly, Senior Brother Le Mang took the championship without breaking a sweat."
"Exactly! Senior Brother Le Mang, don't hold back. Give him a beating he won't forget!"
As the Sixth-Order Open Heaven cultivator named Le Mang made his appearance, spiritual senses swept through the surrounding void in fervent exchange.
Yang Kai glanced at him. "Looks like you're quite popular around Langya."
Le Mang chuckled. "Can't be helped. I'm the Eldest Senior Brother, after all. One has to maintain a certain dignity."
Yang Kai's thoughts drifted briefly to his own experience in the World of Divine Weapons, and he gave a slight nod. "I was an Eldest Senior Brother myself, for a time."
Le Mang's eyes brightened. "Then I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about."
"Oh?" Yang Kai smiled at him.
Le Mang said, "For instance, enemies are better turned into friends. This whole conflict strikes me as entirely unnecessary. Why don't you go apologize to Senior Sister Gu, and we'll put this whole ugly business behind us? What do you say?"
Yang Kai shook his head. "I have no intention of starting a conflict with Langya. It's just that none of the senior and junior brothers here are willing to listen to my side of things."
Le Mang said, "But when you've done something wrong, you ought to own up to it. In this world, matters between men and women are perfectly natural. If you had remained devoted to Senior Sister Gu, why would any of our brothers and sisters give you a hard time? Senior Sister Gu is young, and hasn't cultivated for long. To us senior brothers and sisters, she's a treasure beyond compare. No one wants to see her suffer even the slightest grievance, and whoever causes her to suffer becomes our enemy. So, really—"
He was cut off mid-sentence. Le Mang suddenly raised a hand to cover one eye and stared at Yang Kai in surprise. "What are you doing hitting me? I wasn't even finished talking."
Yang Kai held up his fist—roughly the size of a cauliflower—and paused for a moment. "My apologies. Couldn't help myself. Please, continue."
Le Mang eyed him with suspicion before resuming. "I've heard about you and Qu Huashang, too, but that shouldn't be a problem. You two aren't married yet. Just send a letter to Yin-Yang Heaven and call off the engagement. The reputation of Yin-Yang Heaven's disciples leaves much to be desired, and Qu Huashang can't compare to Senior Gu in the slightest—why are you hitting me again?!"
Le Mang clutched his other eye, looking distinctly displeased. "Are you going to listen to me or not?"
Yang Kai had already launched himself forward like a tiger descending the mountain, a wide grin splitting his face. "Talk all you want. I'll hit all I want."