Morale in the squad was at rock bottom. Gu Ling'er and her two remaining teammates were racing toward a nearby Spirit Continent at top speed. With only three members left, they stood no chance against Yang Kai — their only option was to find another squad and seek shelter.
She had already sent an urgent message to the senior brother leading a squad on a nearby Spirit Continent. He and his team were rushing to intercept, terrified they wouldn't arrive in time and Gu Ling'er's group would meet with disaster.
"Why the hell is that Yang bastard targeting us nonstop?!" Junior Brother Sun, a Sixth-Stage cultivator in their squad, exclaimed with grief and fury.
Ever since Senior Brother Le Mang had relayed orders to change their strategy, their squad had been the first to encounter Yang Kai — and the first to suffer casualties.
It had been less than half a day, and one junior brother after another had vanished.
Other squads had also lost members, but none as badly as theirs. Yang Kai kept coming back for them again and again, until out of the original six, only three remained.
The situation couldn't have been worse. Their squad was well on its way to becoming the first team to be completely wiped out since the new strategy was implemented.
"Did we offend him somehow?" another Sixth-Stage cultivator asked.
Junior Brother Sun replied dejectedly, "I didn't offend him. Did any of you?"
"I didn't either!"
The two of them turned to look at Gu Ling'er. If none of them had offended him, then it was most likely because of Junior Sister Gu.
That bastard Yang Kai really was a lecher. Abandoning Junior Sister Gu after toying with her was one thing — but now he had set his sights on Junior Sister Gu as well?
At that thought, both Sixth-Stage cultivators felt a surge of righteous indignation.
Junior Brother Sun spoke in a grave voice: "Junior Sister Gu, when that Yang bastard shows up again, run! Junior Brother Qian and I will fight him to the death to hold him off. You must not fall into his clutches!"
If someone as gentle and kind as Junior Sister Gu ended up in that monster's hands, they didn't dare imagine what would happen.
Gu Ling'er's voice was soft and gentle: "How can I let you two senior brothers risk your lives? We're one team — we advance and retreat together!"
Junior Brother Sun was deeply moved, his eyes glistening. He was just about to say something more when Junior Brother Qian, the other Sixth-Stage cultivator, suddenly shouted: "He's here!"
The air rippled once more — the telltale sign of spatial laws being manipulated. Every time Yang Kai had appeared before, there had been this same disturbance.
Sure enough, moments later, Yang Kai materialized out of thin air, cutting off their path. He looked at the three of them and flashed a grin.
Junior Brother Sun gritted his teeth and surged forward, placing himself between Yang Kai and Gu Ling'er while bellowing: "Run, Junior Sister Gu!"
Then he charged headlong at Yang Kai without a moment's hesitation.
And then... there was no "then."
Staring at the spot where Yang Kai and Junior Brother Sun had vanished, Junior Brother Qian urged urgently: "Junior Sister Gu, we have to go! We can't let Senior Brother Sun's sacrifice be in vain!"
Gu Ling'er knew there was no way to avenge Junior Brother Sun, so she could only nod: "Alright!"
But barely ten breaths later, Yang Kai reappeared and captured Junior Brother Qian as well.
Now Gu Ling'er was the sole survivor of the squad. Gritting her teeth, bearing the hopes and future of her entire team on her shoulders, she hurtled toward the nearby Spirit Continent at full speed.
In the distance, streaks of light came into view — the senior brothers from the nearby Spirit Continent, arriving as reinforcements.
Gu Ling'er couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The leading senior brother on the other side had clearly spotted her as well, calling out warmly: "Junior Sister Gu, come quickly!"
Gu Ling'er nodded. But in that very moment, something changed. The void ahead suddenly collapsed, and a pitch-black vortex materialized out of nowhere.
The vortex led into the unknown — its depths utterly void, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Gu Ling'er's expression shifted. She tried to halt her momentum and barely managed to stop right in front of the vortex.
But before she could even catch her breath, a massive hand suddenly reached out from within the vortex and seized her, dragging her inside.
Gu Ling'er's startled scream was the only thing left behind.
"Junior Sister Gu!" the leading senior brother from the relief team cried out in anguish. He rushed forward in two or three strides, but Gu Ling'er was nowhere to be seen. The mysterious vortex had vanished without a trace.
The entire group was left dazed and shaken. The team leader's face was grim beyond words.
He had set out the moment he received Gu Ling'er's message. But he never could have imagined that Yang Kai's efficiency would be this terrifying — in such a short time, the last three members of Gu Ling'er's squad had been defeated one by one, and in the final moment, right before his very eyes, Gu Ling'er herself had been taken.
"Send word..." The team leader's expression was solemn and heavy. "Junior Sister Gu's squad — completely wiped out. Disha Spirit Continent has fallen."
The message was relayed outward.
The identity tokens that had been flickering nonstop suddenly fell silent.
Moments later, even more urgent messages began surging from the identity tokens of every Sixth-Stage Open Heaven cultivator, message after message streaking through the air.
"Avenge Junior Sister Gu!"