Having obtained the information she wanted, Luan Baifeng hesitated no longer. She raised her hand and gave the order: "Kill him!"
The crowd of Ink Disciples had been waiting for ages. At her command, they collectively channeled their power and silently unleashed a barrage of secret techniques toward Yang Kai.
Brilliant, multicolored radiance surged toward Yang Kai's position like a tidal wave, filling the sky and covering the earth. The spectacle was breathtaking — enough to leave anyone dazed and mesmerized.
But that dazzling display carried with it endless killing intent.
Yang Kai's strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Sixth-Order cultivator. Moreover, he possessed the Laws of Space and was incredibly agile. That was why Luan Baifeng refused to let the Ink Disciples engage him in close combat — before someone like Yang Kai, these Third-, Fourth-, and Fifth-Order Ink Disciples were no different from ants.
But enough ants could bring down an elephant.
The secret techniques unleashed by several thousand cultivators converged into a massive torrent. Even a true Seventh-Order would have to avoid the brunt of that assault.
Yang Kai, however, showed no intention of dodging. His expression grew solemn as his figure swayed slightly. Channeling his wood-element power, a towering tree with dense foliage suddenly materialized behind him.
The tree blotted out the sky and earth. Its umbrella-like canopy became the most impenetrable shield, sheltering his solitary figure beneath it.
Rich life force radiated outward from that colossal tree.
Towering and evergreen, life and death bent to his will.
This wood-element secret technique was powered by wood-element energy refined from the essence of the Ageless Tree. It possessed not only extraordinarily powerful healing abilities but also inconceivable defensive force — the most formidable protective technique Yang Kai could currently deploy.
Yang Kai had never been able to determine the true grade of the Ageless Tree. Perhaps it was Ninth-Grade, or perhaps even beyond Ninth-Grade — after all, it was the one and only supreme treasure between Heaven and Earth. It would not be strange at all to say it existed beyond the Ninth Order.
The myriad techniques unleashed by the Third-, Fourth-, and Fifth-Order cultivators crashed against the massive canopy. Emerald light rippled across its surface, layer upon layer of waves splashing outward.
Yet not a single scratch reached Yang Kai.
Luan Baifeng gnashed her teeth, staring at him with cold indifference. She did not order the attack to cease, so the Ink Disciples' techniques continued without pause, one after another. Every one of them was unleashing their full power, treating the figure blocking their path as the ultimate enemy, determined to eliminate him at all costs.
With attacks this dense and relentless, Yang Kai could block the first wave, the second wave — but how long could he ultimately hold?
In the span of just a few breaths, the towering ancient tree shrank dramatically. Even its vibrant green hue began to dim.
After roughly an incense stick's worth of time, the colossal tree had dwindled to the size of an ordinary tree, its drooping branches barely shielding the small area where Yang Kai stood.
The Ink Disciples' assault showed no sign of weakening whatsoever.
A mocking smile curled the corner of Luan Baifeng's lips.
Yang Kai let out a soft sigh, knowing he could not hold out much longer. Though Towering Evergreen offered tremendous defense, it could not endure such a sustained, unrelenting bombardment from thousands of Ink Disciples. In truth, having held on this long was already a testament to the technique's extraordinary power.
The instant that smirk appeared on Luan Baifeng's face, Yang Kai's figure vanished without warning.
Luan Baifeng's expression changed drastically. Without a moment's hesitation, she flung out several formation plates!
She knew what Yang Kai intended and had long been prepared for it. As a grandmaster of formations, she had spent her days refining countless formation plates, each one containing a powerful sealed formation that could be unleashed against an enemy the moment it was activated.
In the blink of an eye, several formation plates shattered. One trapping formation and one killing formation manifested to block his path, while three illusion formations overlapped and enveloped her in their midst.
Boom, boom, boom — the sounds of impact echoed from ahead. The killing formation had barely taken shape before Yang Kai violently tore through it, and the trapping formation held him for only a fleeting instant before crumbling.
But Yang Kai's advance halted.
Before him stretched a thick veil of mist, filled with shifting illusions — and Luan Baifeng's figure had vanished entirely.
Hidden within her own grand formation, Luan Baifeng's voice drifted from somewhere unseen: "Capture the ringleader to capture the bandits? You're dreaming, Yang Kai. Come in here and try your luck if you dare."
Yang Kai's left eye instantly transformed into a solemn golden vertical pupil. The power of the Demon Eye of Annihilation blazed to life as he peered into the illusion formation, but for the moment, he could not see through it.
The formations Luan Baifeng had set up were no ordinary works. He knew nothing of the formation path and dared not rashly charge in.
Their clash had lasted only an instant with no clear victor, but the Ink Disciples were unaffected — their techniques continued to fly, redirecting toward Yang Kai.
Yang Kai gritted his teeth and let out a cold snort: "You'd better stay hidden. The moment you show yourself, I'll kill you!"
As his words faded, his figure was engulfed by countless secret techniques.
Some Ink Disciples showed looks of elation on their faces, but Luan Baifeng's sharp voice pierced through heaven and earth: "Everyone, stay alert — this man won't die so easily."
Sure enough, Yang Kai abruptly reappeared at a different spot on the battlefield. The phantom projection of his Small Universe behind him violently expanded, like a gaping maw, swallowing a large swath of Ink Disciples who had their backs turned to him.
The phantom of the Small Universe flickered and vanished. Yang Kai vanished along with it.
And gone with them were over a hundred Ink Disciples!