Less than three breaths after those Transcendent Realm experts made their move, over a dozen martial artists failed to dodge in time and died on the spot.
And as the intensity of their attacks increased, the emerald-green gas emanating from the Coffin Bearer grew ever thicker and more powerful!
Screams rose and fell. The martial artists who had been brimming with excitement moments before now scattered in all directions, using their movement techniques to flee as far away as possible, crying out in panic.
Ji Yan swept his hand forward, and a wave of pure True Essence enveloped Yang Kai and the others, carrying them high into the sky—over a hundred zhang up. He looked down coldly and snorted, "Fools! Did you really think there was no danger if the Coffin Bearer didn't attack?"
He clearly understood what would happen if the Coffin Bearer took enough damage, but not everyone did.
Xu Qi, Zou Xing, and Yao Di hadn't stopped their attacks because of those deaths—those people's lives meant nothing to them. Under their relentless bombardment, the emerald-green gas spread wider and more violently.
Before long, the area centered on the Coffin Bearer had been blanketed in green for several li in every direction.
Yang Kai quickly came to understand the cruelty of this world. For those high and mighty experts, other people's lives simply didn't matter if it meant achieving their goals.
More martial artists were swallowed by the emerald-green gas and perished within it. Others who sensed the danger also retreated, flying high into the sky just as Ji Yan had.
The several dozen experts intensified their attacks, hammering the Coffin Bearer without restraint.
"Almost there?" Zou Xing muttered, eyes fixed on the Coffin Bearer below as he launched another strike, his face full of anticipation.
"It should be soon." Yao Di nodded slightly, watching intently.
Sure enough, the Coffin Bearer below seemed to have endured too much damage and finally changed his behavior. Those two enormously muscular arms rose slowly overhead, and a sound like rumbling thunder rolled from his throat—slow, deafening: "Take it... take it..."
It was half a roar of resignation and half a low, mournful wail. It sent a shudder through every heart.
In the sky above, mysterious runes and array patterns materialized out of thin air, shimmering with brilliant light. These runes were intricate and arcane. No one could decipher what they meant.
But the moment these runes appeared, the Transcendent Realm experts' eyes lit up, staring unblinkingly as if trying to sear the runes' structure into their minds to study more carefully later.
Then the runes flared, and beams of energy erupted from the void. Countless artifacts of strange shapes, pills, and martial techniques materialized from nothing.
These artifacts, pills, and techniques surged from the runes and shot outward in all directions along radiating trajectories.
The sight of this sent the fleeing martial artists' spirits soaring. They scrambled to give chase, using their movement techniques to follow whichever beam of light caught their eye.
This was the Coffin Bearer's compensation for the destruction caused to his resting place. No one knew where he summoned these treasures from, but among them were quite a few items of decent quality.
Several beams of light happened to fly straight toward Yang Kai and his group. The disciples of the Proud Alliance all looked eagerly at Ji Yan, who said nothing and merely gave a slight nod.
Their faces lighting up with joy, the Proud Alliance disciples launched themselves forward, trying to intercept the beams and see if they could grab anything of value.
Yang Kai watched impassively, with no intention of seizing anything. Ruan Xinyu and Yun Xuan, however, showed signs of wanting to try.
In the face of such extraordinary treasures appearing out of thin air, very few people could remain unmoved. It was only natural that they'd be tempted.
Before long, the treasures summoned by the Coffin Bearer had been snatched up. But under the fierce attacks of those Transcendent Realm experts, the Coffin Bearer waved his hand once more, still shouting those same two words, continuously summoning more treasures.
As before, several beams of light shot toward them. This time, Yun Xuan and Ruan Xinyu couldn't hold back either—they leaped out of Ji Yan's protective range and charged after one of the beams.
Yang Kai shook his head helplessly, extending his Divine Sense and channeling his power to shield them briefly.
Soon, the two girls snatched the unknown treasures into their hands and flew back, faces beaming with delight.
"What did you get?" Yang Kai asked with a smile.
"Seems like a martial technique manual. Not sure if it's useful." Yun Xuan held up the item. "A lot of what the Coffin Bearer puts out is damaged and worthless."
"Really?" Yang Kai was taken aback.
"Mm. It seems like the things he conjures up are quite old," Yun Xuan said with a faint smile.
As the two of them were talking, Yang Kai suddenly sensed something was off. He frowned, focusing his attention downward, and his heart lurched.
He found that within the shroud of emerald-green gas, the Coffin Bearer was staring directly at him. Those glazed eyes—usually clouded with confusion—now flickered with excitement.
Everyone noticed the Coffin Bearer's anomaly. Xu Qi, Zou Xing, and Yao Di all stopped their attacks, following the Coffin Bearer's gaze to examine Yang Kai. Confusion spread across their faces.
"Brother Zou, what does this mean?" Xu Qi asked with a frown. "Why is he staring at that kid from the Proud Alliance?"
"I don't know either. Is there anything special about him?" Zou Xing sent out his Divine Sense, sweeping it across Yang Kai, then shook his head in bewilderment.
He hadn't found anything remarkable about Yang Kai.
In the sky above, the people around Yang Kai had also realized something was wrong.
Yun Xuan quietly asked, "Yang Kai, is he looking at you?"
"Probably!" Yang Kai nodded, and for no apparent reason, a bone-chilling dread washed over him, his body turning cold.