In the forest, Yun Xuan and Ruan Xinyu leaned against a large tree, both completely drained of energy.
Yun Xuan was gravely wounded, and Ruan Xinyu, having busied herself for a while tending to the situation, was also deeply fatigued. She leaned against the tree for quite some time before gradually regaining some spirit.
A massive question burned in Ruan Xinyu's mind — how had the Charm Demon, who could so easily kill Sun Ying, ended up dying in such a baffling manner?
At the time, she had been unconscious, and Yang Kai and the others had been enveloped by the restriction the Charm Demon had cast, so she had no idea what had transpired inside.
Only once everything was settled did Ruan Xinyu finally voice her doubts to Yun Xuan.
Yun Xuan hesitated for a moment, then gave a brief account of what had happened. Ruan Xinyu was immediately stunned beyond words. "He killed her?"
"Mm." Yun Xuan gave a slight nod, her beautiful eyes full of confusion as she gazed at Yang Kai, who was meditating not far away.
"That shouldn't be possible." Ruan Xinyu quickly realized something didn't add up. "Even though the Charm Demon's physical body wasn't particularly powerful, her Divine Sense was unmatched by anyone. In her final moments, if she had unleashed a Divine Sense attack, it would have been more than enough to kill him. What ability could he possibly have to evade such an attack?"
"I don't know." Yun Xuan shook her head. "All I saw was the scene of him killing the Charm Demon. I can't really remember the rest."
"Then you and he..."
"Stop asking." A trace of embarrassment surfaced on Yun Xuan's face. Although she couldn't clearly recall exactly what had happened, those blurred, fragmented images still flashed through her mind from time to time. Moreover, the physical sensations couldn't lie — the lower part of her body still felt a tearing ache even now.
That sensation made Yun Xuan's cheeks flush scarlet.
"Truly a strange person." Ruan Xinyu seemed to have developed some interest in Yang Kai as well. "Just a seventh-level Shenyou Realm cultivator — how did he manage to kill the Charm Demon? And on top of that... even Zhou Luo couldn't withstand a single strike from him."
Zhou Luo was a squad leader in the Pride Alliance. In terms of strength, neither Ruan Xinyu nor Yun Xuan was his match. The fact that Yang Kai had killed Zhou Luo so easily meant he had the power to kill them both.
"You've found yourself a treasure. If you could recruit him into the Alliance..." Ruan Xinyu's eyes lit up as a good idea came to mind.
"What's the point of recruiting him? Ji Hong and the others are all dead..." Yun Xuan's expression darkened. Those squad members had served with her for at least three years each, but now they had all died for reasons unknown — without even seeing the face of their enemy before the end. She couldn't help but feel a pang of grief. "Besides, I don't know if he'd even be willing to join the Pride Alliance."
"Well, if you're not going to try, then I will." Ruan Xinyu looked eager, anticipation and excitement rising on her face. "All our squad members are dead — we need reinforcements anyway."
"You're not allowed to make a move on him!" Yun Xuan immediately became alert.
"Tsk, tsk, you woman... how interesting. If you won't recruit him yourself, you won't let me do it either? What kind of logic is that?"
"I said you're not allowed. Period!" Yun Xuan said flatly.
"Fine, fine, I won't argue with you about this. You're the wounded one here — I can't afford to upset you." Ruan Xinyu giggled.
Though the two women had never gotten along, after weathering this crisis together, the grudges between them seemed to have dissipated considerably. The knots in their hearts had loosened, and their relationship had actually become more harmonious.
As they were talking, a long, deep breath sounded from nearby. Both women perked up and looked toward Yang Kai, and sure enough, they saw his eyes open. His injuries were far from healed, but his spirit had improved significantly.
As if sensing their gazes, Yang Kai raised his head and looked over. His eyes met Yun Xuan's, and his expression grew slightly awkward. Yun Xuan averted her gaze at once, her voluptuous body trembling ever so slightly.
She was recalling those fierce, repeated impacts. Her body couldn't help but grow warm.
Ruan Xinyu took in both their reactions and smiled faintly. She beckoned Yang Kai with a finger and said in a sweet, honeyed voice, "Come here, handsome."
Yang Kai gave a dry cough, stood up, walked over to the two women, and sat down facing them, his expression composed.
Ruan Xinyu's beautiful eyes swept over Yang Kai's bare torso, marveling inwardly. She hadn't expected it — this young man actually had a solid build. Every muscle practically radiated explosive power. No wonder he'd had the nerve to lure the Charm Demon close and strike at the opportune moment.
"How are your injuries?" Ruan Xinyu asked.
"Nothing that'll kill me." Yang Kai flashed a grin.
"Nice body, though," Ruan Xinyu said, tossing him a flirtatious glance.
That expression seemed to irk Yun Xuan, who gave her a light pinch.
Yang Kai touched his nose and said awkwardly, "Yesterday..."
"Nothing happened yesterday." Yun Xuan cut him off immediately, deceiving herself as much as him.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "That's for the best."