Saying this, regardless of whether Yang Kai was willing or not, the two seized him and bolted.
Holy Son? Yang Kai grew even more confused.
Though the cultivation of these two was inferior to that scar-faced man's, for beings at their level, their movement techniques were remarkably impressive. With a hail of arrows raining down from behind, the pair coordinated seamlessly—deflecting attacks while carrying Yang Kai in a headlong dash, putting distance between them and their pursuers in the blink of an eye.
Soon, an enraged roar echoed from the rear: "Zuo Wuyou, you're courting death!"
"Aren't you lot here for me, Zuo? If so, then let's settle it here—one way or the other!"
"I'll hold him off, you all chase!"
"Nobody's leaving here alive!" the scar-faced youth Zuo Wuyou bellowed.
What followed was a burst of fierce combat behind them.
Yang Kai's brow furrowed, his expression one of complete bewilderment at the situation. He'd have liked to gather some intelligence, but now was clearly not the time.
That title—Holy Son—had also caught his full attention.
He had only come to this mysterious, unknowable place to investigate what contingency plans Mu had left behind. Instead, he had encountered Mu's River of Space-Time, been swept into it, and arrived here—a world where his strength was massively suppressed.
He was, after all, a Ninth-Order Open Heaven cultivator. The laws of any ordinary Pseudo-World should have been entirely incapable of suppressing him.
Yet in this world, the only power he could draw upon was at the True Essence level.
That meant some greater power had condensed and imposed the laws of this place—a power exceeding his own Ninth-Order might—which was why even he had been suppressed upon arrival.
It had to be Mu's doing!
As they hurtled forward at breakneck speed, Yang Kai kept pace with the two youths, leaping and vaulting through the terrain. During the lull, he took the opportunity to examine what lay in his palm.
It was something Wu Kuang had handed him before he entered the mysterious, unknowable place.
He hadn't had a chance to look at it earlier. Now he saw that it was a jade pendant carved into the shape of a human figure, the silhouette vaguely resembling Wu Kuang himself, still faintly bearing Wu Kuang's aura.
This thing… Yang Kai had a pretty good idea what it was for.
"You two can put me down—I can run on my own," Yang Kai said suddenly.
He still didn't know exactly where he was or what had happened, but being hunted was hardly a pleasant experience. These two youths were clearly on his side, yet carrying him between them—one on each side—was slowing them down. If they wanted to shake their pursuers, moving faster was obviously better.
As he spoke, Yang Kai gave a slight shake and broke free of their hold.
Both youths were visibly startled. It seemed they hadn't expected Yang Kai to possess such strength. But surprise quickly gave way to delight.
The youth on the left offered an apologetic bow: "This happened so abruptly that our conduct was lacking, Holy Son. Please forgive us."
"Mm…" Yang Kai waved a casual hand. "No matter."
The youth on the right said, "We never imagined the Holy Son would be so powerful. Now we should be able to shake them off."
As the three spoke, they didn't slacken their pace, still hurtling forward through the wilderness.
"That Zuo… Wuyou, shouldn't we be worried about him?" Yang Kai recalled the scar-faced youth who had stayed behind to hold the rearguard.
"Brother Zuo is formidable, and he has the Holy Maiden's personally bestowed divine sword. None among those scraps are Shenyou Realm cultivators—they can't do anything to him."
Another one to add to the list—a Holy Maiden!
As for how that related to him, this so-called Holy Son, he had no idea.
But from these few exchanges, he could confirm that the level of martial cultivation in this world was no different from what he knew.
And this world had the Shenyou Realm!
There was no time for lengthy conversation during their escape. The two youths had initially held back, worried that Yang Kai couldn't match their speed. But as time passed and they tested his limits, they found that no matter how profound the movement techniques they employed, the Holy Son who had descended from the sky followed like a shadow—not even slightly winded.
They immediately abandoned all restraint and fled at full power.
A full hour passed before the pair finally reached a sheer cliff face. One of them produced a jade token and pressed it against the rock. Instantly, a gateway slowly swung open.
This appeared to be their hideout.
The three filed inside, and the entrance sealed shut behind them.
Within the mountain's interior was a hollowed-out space—not large, not small—with clear signs of habitation.
Once everything was settled and they were sure no one had followed, the two youths who had led Yang Kai here finally let out a long breath.
Here, there was no longer any need to worry.
Yang Kai stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the surroundings—when the two youths suddenly dropped to one knee and bowed in unison: "We greet the Holy Son!"
"Mm…" Yang Kai paused in thought for a moment, then reached out and helped them to their feet. "I still haven't figured out what's going on, and this 'Holy Son' business is something I've never even heard of. Have you perhaps mistaken me for someone else?"
The thin-framed youth said, "We haven't made any mistake. You are indeed the Holy Son of the Divine Cult. Of course, this will need to be confirmed by the Holy Maiden upon meeting her—she will be the one to make the final judgment."
Yang Kai pressed, confused: "But we've never met before. This is literally our first encounter today. What made you so certain?"
The two youths exchanged a glance. It was the thinner one who explained. His expression turned reverent, as though in prayer, and his tone grew solemn: "A day will come when the sky splits open, and a single figure descends from above—igniting the brilliance of light, tearing through the seal of darkness, and conquering the final enemy!"