Ever since obtaining the Star Shuttle, Yang Kai had been using this incredibly fast artifact whenever he traveled.
He had set aside his Wind Thunder Wings.
But those wings, which had nearly evolved into a part of his body, still served an irreplaceable purpose.
With wind rising and thunder surging, Yang Kai transformed into a streak of light and soared away.
He knew full well the gap in strength between himself and Ke Luo, so he had no intention of foolishly fighting him head-on. He just needed to stall long enough for Meng Wuya, Chu Lingxiao, Chang Yuan, Lei Long, and the others to free themselves — then the tide of battle could be turned.
He was also certain that Ke Luo would never let him escape. The Blood Essence Stone was in his possession, along with the vast blood energy essence that Ke Luo needed to advance to the Saint King Realm.
As long as Ke Luo still had his wits about him, he would never let him go.
Yang Kai had seen right through him.
Sure enough, the moment Yang Kai flew off into the distance, Ke Luo's eyes narrowed and his expression turned savage. A pair of emerald eyes locked onto Yang Kai's retreating figure, murder and fury surging across his face.
His body flickered as he shot after Yang Kai.
His speed was extraordinary — not a bit slower than Yang Kai using his Wind Thunder Wings, perhaps even faster.
Space itself offered him no restraint. One step carried him hundreds of zhang away, and another step brought him somewhere else entirely, rapidly closing the distance between them.
The murderous intent at his back made Yang Kai's entire body go cold. While fleeing, he tried to tear through space, only to discover with horror that the space had become viscous beyond measure. Some uncanny force was sealing the area around him, making it impossible to rip open any spatial rift.
This Ke Luo must have some understanding of the laws of space as well. Otherwise, even with his higher cultivation realm, he couldn't have done this. Yang Kai was crystal clear on the matter, and he grew ever more cautious.
One pursued, one fled — it seemed as though it would never end.
Yang Kai deliberately began running in circles rather than charging blindly in one direction. He still needed to wait for reinforcements from the others. If he ran too far, they might not be able to catch up.
The stench of death pressed on his heart at every moment, bearing down on him like a mountain.
He had never encountered such a grueling, hopeless battle. Ke Luo's strength surpassed that of Chang Yuan, Meng Wuya, and all the others. He was the true foremost expert of the entire continent.
Whistle, whistle, whistle...
A series of piercing sounds came from behind. Before the attack even arrived, Yang Kai was struck with the illusion that his body was about to be sliced apart, his soul trembling in terror.
Heart racing with terror, he summoned the Silver Leaf Artifact. It transformed into ripples of water swirling around his body as he abruptly changed direction, weaving through the air with the agility of a serpent.
Boom, boom, boom...
The attacks still struck his back with pinpoint precision. Searing pain lanced through him — Yang Kai felt his back go numb, a warm sensation seeping through.
Even the saint-grade Silver Leaf Artifact had been scattered in an instant.
"You can't escape. Surrender obediently, and I'll give you a comfortable death!" Ke Luo's voice echoed right in his ear. The man seemed utterly confident of victory.
The next instant, he appeared right beside Yang Kai, flying alongside him. He cast a mocking sidelong glance and extended a single finger toward him. Energy surged at his fingertip, its power terrifying.
Before Ke Luo could strike, Yang Kai pressed his palms together and launched the Beast Soul Seal. A White Tiger and a Divine Bull roared and lunged at Ke Luo, tearing and biting. At the same time, Yang Kai halted and pivoted with nimble grace, darting off in another direction.
That brief instant of breathing room allowed Yang Kai to widen the gap between himself and Ke Luo once more.
Inwardly, his anxiety mounted. He prayed desperately that Meng Wuya and the others would finish their fight quickly.
"I'll make sure you die without even a grave to be buried in!"
Ke Luo shrieked savagely, his expression ferocious.
Perhaps it was because he had chased Yang Kai for so long without being able to do anything to him — it had pushed him into a complete rage.
A sky-blotting torrent of murderous aura swept across heaven and earth. Ke Luo was giving it everything he had, unwilling to continue playing this game of cat and mouse.
The sky suddenly darkened. Along the horizon, streaks of crimson light appeared — as though condensed from thick blood — like lightning, like rainbows, hurtling toward Yang Kai with terrifying speed.
An alarm blazed in Yang Kai's mind. He summoned the Silver Leaf Artifact once more while condensing several Haotian Shields behind him for defense.
Yet the overwhelming sense of crisis persisted, as though even such thorough precautions wouldn't be of much use.
"Freeze!" A sharp feminine cry suddenly rang out. Yang Kai saw a graceful figure rapidly approaching from ahead — it was Han Fei.
Han Fei's expression was cold and distant, like an ice mountain that had never melted since the dawn of time. Wild demonic marks crawled across her beautiful face, making her appear even more severe than usual.
In her slender hand she wielded an ice-crystal longsword. As it swept through the air, wisps of frigid energy spilled forth, unleashing the power to freeze heaven and earth behind Yang Kai.
Crack, crack, crack...
The earth turned to frozen ground, and the pursuing blood energy seemed to freeze over in an instant.
Han Fei flew past Yang Kai, apparently intending to hold Ke Luo off for a while.
But Yang Kai grabbed her in his arms and fled like a whirlwind, shouting in a low voice, "We can't fight him head-on!"
No match for Ke Luo, the best outcome she could hope for by staying behind was severe injury — and she would most likely be killed.