In one corner of the Ink Purge Platform, Zhao Yebai stood rigid in place, his clothes soaked through with sweat.
In that brief instant just now, he had genuinely experienced the aura of death—one foot had already stepped through the gates of hell.
What terrified him even more was that he had been completely unable to move. When his Master had suddenly thrust that spear at him, he had possessed not the slightest power to resist.
In other words, if his Master truly wished to kill him, a single thrust would have been enough!
Such staggering, overwhelming power.
After all, he himself had reached the peak of the Eighth Stage. After Yang Xue had advanced to the Ninth Stage, he had sought her out for sparring and guidance. Though neither had used their full strength, Yebai had estimated that even if he couldn't defeat Yang Xue, he could at least hold out for dozens of exchanges.
He was also well-versed in the Dao of Space. If he focused solely on escape, even Yang Xue would have been hard-pressed to stop him.
Among all the human race's Eighth Stage cultivators, he belonged to the very top tier.
And yet, even so, before his Master's power, he was as insignificant as an ant.
That thrust had ultimately been blocked. At this moment, Zhao Ya stood before Zhao Yebai, her spear held horizontally across her chest. The tip of the Azure Dragon Spear rested against her weapon, and the devastating force that should have shattered heaven and earth dissipated without a trace the instant the two spears made contact.
Zhao Ya's face was filled with shock and lingering fear, mixed with a trace of bewilderment—she herself had no idea how she had managed to unleash such astonishing power, intercepting their Master's strike to protect her eldest brother.
The ink-black color faded from Yang Kai's body, restoring him to his original appearance. He glanced at the terrified and trembling Zhao Ya and asked simply: "Do you understand?"
Zhao Ya pressed her lips together and responded in a hoarse voice: "This disciple understands."
Yang Kai nodded. Of his three disciples, Yebai had the weakest aptitude and Zhao Ya the strongest—her talent was so extraordinary it surpassed virtually everyone Yang Kai had ever encountered.
Over these past several thousand years, the Star World, the Void World, and the Myriad Demon World had produced many prodigies who had leapt directly to the Seventh Stage, but in terms of pure cultivation talent, none could match Zhao Ya.
Her comprehension was naturally excellent. She had previously taken some wrong turns on the path of the spear, but he believed that after this experience, her spear Dao would undergo a tremendous breakthrough.
Only then did Yang Kai withdraw the Azure Dragon Spear. Zhao Ya felt all her strength drain away and collapsed weakly into Zhao Yebai's arms.
Yang Kai turned to look at Xu Yi.
Xu Yi swallowed hard and stepped forward: "Please instruct me, Master."
After what the Second Senior Sister had just gone through, he had no idea how his Master intended to guide him.
Fortunately, Yang Kai merely raised a finger and pointed. The power of the Great Dao manifested, the Dao of Time condensed, and just as he had done when instructing Zhao Yebai moments ago, he displayed the profound mysteries and true essence of the temporal Dao.
Xu Yi immersed himself in contemplation, reaping enormous gains.
Half a cup of tea later, Xu Yi bowed respectfully: "Master, this disciple has gained insight."
Yang Kai nodded.
Looking at the three disciples before him, a thought suddenly struck him. He spoke: "In the past, your Master comprehended a divine ability. This ability requires the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time to coordinate and complement each other in order to be executed, and its power is immense. Yebai and Xu Yi, if you find the time, you may study it together—perhaps you will glean some benefit."
As he spoke, he extended a finger and tapped the air.
The Dao of Space surged. The great sun rose into the sky, the full moon floated aloft, and sun and moon shone together in brilliance.
He tapped again.
The Dao of Time flowed forth.
Both Daos manifested simultaneously, intertwining with each other, immediately giving rise to wondrous transformations. Within that interweaving of space and time, the two diametrically opposed powers spun, driving the sun and moon to revolve around one another like a top, unleashing within that tiny space a force capable of annihilating all things.
Zhao Yebai and Xu Yi watched, utterly spellbound.
"This is the Sun-Moon Divine Wheel. To execute it, you two must work together in perfect harmony—only then is there even a sliver of a chance."
The Sun-Moon Divine Seal was the advanced version of this ability. With Yebai and Xu Yi's current capabilities, they could absolutely not perform it. In truth, Yang Kai himself wasn't sure whether they could even manage the Sun-Moon Divine Wheel.
He himself wielded both Daos within a single body, so executing it was effortless. But having two people cooperate on it—that was far less certain.
Still, there was no harm in trying. If Yebai and Xu Yi could truly coordinate to perform the Sun-Moon Divine Wheel, then their combined strength would grant them an additional lethal technique.
After all, they were trapped here now, unable to cultivate or advance. Contemplating and delving deeper into the Daos could only bring them benefit.
Yebai and Xu Yi nodded together: "Master's teachings are engraved in our hearts. We will not disappoint you."
Yang Kai said: "I still have some matters to attend to. Once the human race's army arrives, Wu Kuang will find an opportunity to send you out."
With that, his divine sense surged.
Fu Guang materialized in a flash.
"Senior, I must take my leave. I'll be counting on you to look after the Ink Purge Army."
"You're going over there?" Fu Guang had clearly sensed something.
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded. "It may be an opportunity, so I must go and see for myself no matter what."
Fu Guang said with concern: "Be careful yourself. I don't know the full details, but Wu Kuang shared some intelligence with me. That place should not be safe—don't let your guard down."
Yang Kai replied: "I'll play it by ear."
He looked up toward the void: "Wu Kuang, let's begin."
"Are you certain you want to go?" Wu Kuang's voice echoed.