Under these circumstances, Yang Kai only needed to wait for Li Shi Qing to wake up on her own. He couldn’t help being amazed. Thinking back to what happened just now, he had the vague feeling that the only reason she managed to remain safe and sound was related to the light radiating from her chest.
As the Disciple of Flower Shadow Great Emperor, she would surely be carrying all sorts of protective treasures on her body. Although it was said that everything on her had been taken from her, the things she had refined into her body could not be so easily stripped away. Nevertheless, he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he was supposed to tell Flower Shadow Great Emperor if something happened to her because of him.
Lifting his head to look around, he saw Xiao Wu looking at him anxiously and he immediately beckoned to her, “Take care of them!”
She finally returned to her senses, nodded vigorously, and ran over quickly. Picking Bo Ya and Li Shi Qing up, one person in each arm, she swiftly retreated towards the back of the camp. Yang Kai took advantage of this fleeting interval to stuff a Spirit Pill into Bo Ya’s mouth. Her injuries might look serious, but they did not threaten her foundation. She only needed to recuperate for some time to recover fully.
Straightening up again, he glanced gloomily at the blood mist. Space Principles fluctuated around him and he disappeared out of sight. When he reappeared again, he stood in the sky above the blood mist that covered several thousands of metres of area.
Lifting his hand, a cyan bottle gourd appeared in his grip. It was the Wind Gourd he obtained from the Void deep in Orthodoxy Temple’s Restricted Area. Yang Kai ardently poured his Emperor Qi into it and pointed its mouth at the blood mist. In the next moment, a gust of strong wind that swept through the world transformed into a torrent of wind blades that slashed towards the depths of the blood mist.
A black light flashed as the Embodiment, who was connected to Yang Kai, had already escaped from the blood mist ahead of time. The torrent of wind blades continuously rained down on the blood mist, cutting it into pieces and shattering it apart. Among the chaos, a muffled grunt sounded. It was clear that Yue Sang had been injured.
The entire process took no more than ten breaths at most. The blood mist began to churn strenuously before, all of a sudden, it converged in the centre to reveal Yue Sang’s figure again. Yue Sang didn’t stop there though and had swiftly transformed into a blood beam that rushed towards Yang Kai. Lifting his hand, his entire arm transformed into a blood-coloured python with horns on its forehead. It opened its mouth wide and bit down towards Yang Kai, seemingly intending to swallow him whole.
The Embodiment was a Half-Saint, so Yue Sang couldn’t do anything to him in a short period of time as they were evenly matched. On the other hand, the strength Yang Kai showed was only that of a Mid-Rank Demon King, so if Yue Sang was helpless even against somebody like Yang Kai, then he might as well just commit suicide out of shame.
The blood python struck instantly. Its huge mouth bit through the barriers of space and devoured where Yang Kai was standing without giving him any time to react. By the time its huge mouth snapped shut, Yang Kai was gone.
Yue Sang sneered, “Hmph. A fool who doesn’t know his place!”
There was nothing Yue Sang could have done to Yang Kai if he had hidden himself away somewhere. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, so it was not easy to kill him; hence, it was a surprise that he came out all on his own. It was simply an act equivalent to asking for death, but it was just what Yue Sang wanted.
The blood-coloured giant python became distorted as though it was going to turn back into its original shape. At that moment, the expression on Yue Sang’s face changed drastically. He looked at the python’s head intently. It felt like… there was an unbelievable aura awakening inside the python that aroused an involuntary sense of fear. Simultaneously, a muffled cry floated into his ears, “Dragon Transformation!”
The python’s head swelled abruptly and a behemoth subsequently appeared inside its maw, forcing the python’s mouth open again. It was accompanied by a Dragon Aura, one only those Pureblood Dragons could emit, that radiated out into the surroundings.
Yue Sang could not tell what method Yang Kai had just used; however, he was familiar with the aura that belonged exclusively to the most powerful of Divine Spirits. He had once fought against a female Dragon Clan member on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield, and while the other party’s bloodline could not be considered impure, it was enough for her to fight against him on equal terms.
[The Dragon Clan! This Human has the Dragon Clan’s bloodline!]
[What’s more, his Dragon Aura is much purer and stronger than that woman’s…]
The blood python’s mouth was stretched to its limit as two sharp Dragon Claws gleaming with cold light suddenly appeared in Yue Sang’s field of vision. One Dragon Claw gripped the top and the other gripped the bottom of the python’s jaws. A moment later, the two Dragon Claws forced the python’s mouth open from both sides. A tearing sound rang out, and the huge blood python’s head was ripped in half…
Blood splattered everywhere as the figure of an enormous Monster entered Yue Sang’s vision. The sight was also burned into the eyes of the army below. A moment of strange silence swept across the noisy battlefield as almost everybody was looking up at the huge figure with a confused expression.
Yang Kai’s body was more than three hundred metres tall and covered in gleaming Golden Dragon Scales. Dragon Horns grew out of his forehead, both hands had transformed into Dragon Claws, and a long Dragon Tail whipped about behind him, stirring up a strong wind.
A Dragon Roar sounded, reverberating throughout the sky. Yang Kai reached out his hand and grabbed the remains of the blood python’s body that he had torn into two before violently pulling on it.
An overwhelming force spread out as Yue Sang’s body was involuntarily yanked in that direction. The blood python was transformed from his arm, so it was inseparable from him. He had no way to resist such a powerful force. In terms of cultivation alone, he was far above Yang Kai. Unfortunately, he was not Yang Kai’s opponent in terms of brute force.
Hurriedly, Yue Sang had the blood python explode into a blood mist before he withdrew it and had it transform into an arm again. It was just that a long gash now extended up his forearm. The pain enraged Yue Sang as his carelessness caused him to fail such an easy task. It was a complete humiliation. Borrowing the pulling force coming from Yang Kai, he stopped resisting it and rushed forward instead, approaching Yang Kai in the blink of an eye.
The tiny figure formed a very sharp contrast with Yang Kai’s large body. Nevertheless, his gaze didn’t show the slightest bit of hesitation. Rather, he looked down at Yang Kai condescendingly as if he was the larger one instead.
Despite the heavy punch coming from Yang Kai’s side, Yue Sang had no intention of evading. Instead, he opened his mouth and spat out something. A blood ball sped towards Yang Kai and soon smashed against the incoming fist, but not only did the blood ball not break, it actually enveloped Yang Kai’s claw instead. The blood ball quickly grew larger and larger, enveloping the entirety of Yang Kai’s Half-Dragon Body.
Yue Sang glanced downward, reaching out his hand to point at Yang Kai, “Die!”
The loosely floating blood ball suddenly began contracting at that moment. The thin walls of the Blood Ball displayed an extremely astonishing force of restraint, and the sound of all the bones in Yang Kai’s body creaking immediately rang out…
At that critical moment, the Embodiment swooped down and swung his War Hammer towards Yue Sang’s head.
A trace of reluctance flashed across Yue Sang’s eyes, but he couldn’t afford to take the blow head-on. It was a Saint Artifact after all. Who knew what kind of consequences he would face? Thus, he could only retreat.
Inside the Blood Ball, Yang Kai struggled a few times but discovered that he couldn’t break through this shell due to its extreme resilience. It was not something that could be resolved with pure brute force. Nevertheless, the crushing pressure around him was getting tighter and tighter and he would soon become unable to breathe, so he could only open his jaw. Accompanied by the sound of a Dragon Roar, a raging flame spurted from his giant mouth.
Flames spread out and under their burning effects, the blood ball quickly evaporated, allowing him to quickly escape from its restraint.
On the other hand, the Embodiment was chasing after Yue Sang. Yang Kai didn’t stop after he escaped and followed closely. Working together, their battle against Yue Sang became chaotic. During the fierce battle, Yang Kai could clearly feel himself and the Embodiment growing stronger.
Back in the Eastern Territory, Yang Kai had teamed up with the Embodiment to fight against Cang Mo with all his strength. Cang Mo was a Pseudo-Great Emperor, who was probably as strong as Yue Sang.
At the time, the two of them had tried their best and even injured Cang Mo, but the latter still had plenty of leeway and was still holding back for the most part. If Cang Mo had truly gone all out at the beginning, Yang Kai and the Embodiment would only barely be able to protect themselves against him. In that battle, they were left in a miserable state. In the end, Qiong Qi showed up and forced Cang Mo back. With Li Wu Yi and Jiu Feng following after, Cang Mo had no choice but to retreat. But today, Yang Kai and the Embodiment had the upper hand in the battle against Yue Sang. Needless to say, the main reason was the Embodiment’s growth as Yang Kai had barely grown any stronger since then.
Yang Kai suddenly felt a bit miserable about this in his heart. His own strength was indeed his biggest shortcoming. He was now a Second-Order Emperor, and whether it was the Demon Realm or the Star Boundary, he already stood ahead of many others. Be that as it may, he began feeling more and more powerless as his power increased as those he came into contact with became increasingly distinguished.
His current situation was the perfect example. He and the Embodiment had the upper hand in the fight against Yue Sang, but it was an unrealistic dream if they wanted to kill him, unless Yue Sang made some kind of huge mistake.
Nonetheless, it was a mistake to pin his hopes on others making mistakes. Yang Kai might as well focus on improving his own strength if that was the case. There was no need to improve too much. He only needed to reach the Third-Order Emperor Realm. That way, he would be in a much better situation if he ever faced another Half-Saint again.
High above the sky, various mighty and terrifying Dragon Clan Secret Techniques shone brightly in his hands as Yang Kai tried to buy time for the Embodiment. The Heaven Devouring Domain had been activated and quietly spread out into the surroundings without Yue Sang’s knowledge, devouring his power, bit by bit.
With enough time, their advantage would become increasingly obvious. One man’s loss was another man’s gain. When the time came, Yue Sang would not be able to avoid death even if he wanted to.
[This bastard has been after my life since we met, how can I let him get away with that? Now that I have the chance, I’m going to make him pay the price; otherwise, I won’t be able to live in comfort with a Half-Saint eyeing me all the time, trying to murder me.]
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as Yang Kai wished. The fight was in full swing when Yue Sang suddenly withdrew and retreated. He transformed into a blood beam and hurried away without hesitation.
The Embodiment tried to stop Yue Sang, but there was nothing he could do if a Half-Saint went all out to escape. The War Hammer swung down and smashed into empty air.
There was even less Yang Kai could do. Yue Sang’s speed during his bloody escape was no slower than Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement. Thus, Yang Kai could only watch as Yue Sang fled and disappeared out of sight. He glared in the direction in which Yue Sang disappeared with a savage expression. There was nowhere for him to vent the rage inside him, not to mention how upset he was.
“Somebody is coming,” the Embodiment said quickly as he casually put the Demonic War Hammer away.
Yang Kai turned his head to look and saw a stream of light swiftly approaching this place from not far away. When the figure got closer, he realized that it was Bai Zhuo. Bai Zhuo looked at Yang Kai’s enormous body with an expression of wonder. He studied Yang Kai’s appearance carefully for a while before making out Yang Kai’s face; then, he frowned and looked down at the chaotic battlefield below, quickly asking grimly, “What happened here?”
Bai Zhuo had heard the reports from his men claiming that there seemed to be a disturbance in this area, so he hurried over to check out the situation. Yang Kai had headed in this direction after they went their separate ways, so he suspected that something had happened here.
From the looks of things, it was indeed so. Judging by the remaining aura in the area, it looked like a battle between Half-Saints had taken place and he couldn’t help taking a few more glances at Embodiment.
“Yue Sang is here!” Yang Kai looked at Bai Zhuo with a grim expression.
“How could that be!?” Bai Zhuo was shocked, “Could you be mistaken?”
Yang Kai gritted his teeth, “I’m not so blind that I can mistake the person who tried to kill me.”
“But, shouldn’t he be on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield…” Bai Zhuo murmured. He frowned deeply as though mulling over something. Realization suddenly dawned on him, and he nodded lightly, “If that’s the case, it’s not strange for him to return.”
Yang Kai snorted coldly while dismissing his Dragon Form and restoring himself to his original appearance.
Bai Zhuo couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed; after all, he had just told Yang Kai that Yue Sang had stayed on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield. Who could have known that Yang Kai would be attacked by Yue Sang as soon as they went their separate ways? Fortunately, nothing big had happened. If anything had happened, he would have been held partly responsible too. He couldn’t help chuckling softly, “Were you hurt?”
Yang Kai knew that Bai Zhuo wasn’t to blame for anything, but his expression remained sullen. It wasn’t because the misinformation provided by Bai Zhuo had caused him to fall into a trap, but rather because Bai Zhuo had arrived too quickly.
The reason why Yue Sang had retreated so decisively was that he had sensed Bai Zhuo’s aura. He probably knew that Bai Zhuo would not take his side as the two of them already held grudges against each other. He had secretly sneaked back to the Demon Realm and would never be spared if he were caught red-handed by Bai Zhuo. If Bai Zhuo, Yang Kai, and the Embodiment joined forces against him, he would not be able to escape anymore.
Yang Kai suppressed the resentment in his stomach and said dully, “It’s nothing too serious.”
Bai Zhuo gently nodded, “Holy Venerable will arrive in half a day. Let’s wrap things up here.”
Although Yue Sang had retreated, millions of the Demons were still fighting below. It was not something that could be resolved any time soon unless somebody intervened. It would be bad for everyone if Yu Ru Meng arrived to see this scene. This could already be considered a civil strife and it would only make Yu Ru Meng the butt of jokes among all the other Demon Saints for being inadequate in her leadership.
On the contrary, Yang Kai was dying to kill all of the female Charm Demon’s subordinates. Even so, he knew that it was no longer a realistic option the moment Bai Zhuo appeared. Besides, there were a lot of casualties on his side too. Nearly a tenth of the two million army had died in such a short time.
In any case, nobody could escape forever. Regardless of whether it was Yue Sang, Di Li, or the female Charm Demon, Yang Kai had already pinned them on his list of enemies. He would find them again one day as long as they still worked under Yu Ru Meng.
Without another word, he and the Embodiment rushed down. They killed many among the enemy army to completely break their opponent’s fighting spirit, defeating the opposing army by a huge landslide before they stopped in satisfaction.
Afterwards, Lao Ke and the others took a headcount of the battlefield. There was no need for Yang Kai to worry about anything. Meanwhile, Bai Zhuo followed Yang Kai every step of the way. He was probably afraid that Yue Sang would wheel back and kill Yang Kai. Not long after the battle ended, Zhui Feng ran back triumphantly. He even shamelessly approached Yang Kai with an attitude as though asking for praise.
Yang Kai whacked him right in the head while scolding, “Did I ask you to chase her!? Who asked you to chase her!? Why don’t you change your name to ‘Chasing People’ instead!? Don’t call yourself ‘Chasing the Wind’ anymore!”
[If this guy had not been lured away by the female Charm Demon, I might have been able to keep Yue Sang here earlier.]
Zhui Feng, who was smacked upside the head, looked extremely aggrieved and didn’t know what was going on.
Bai Zhuo was shocked by the sight. He had long heard of Zhui Feng’s great reputation. As the mount of Hundred Spirits Continent’s Master, he was not known for his peaceful temper and his true strength was extremely terrifying. Bai Zhuo watched Yang Kai scolding Zhui Feng and couldn’t help worrying that Zhui Feng might kick Yang Kai to death in a fit of rage…
What surprised him though was that Zhui Feng neither fought back nor resisted the scolding. He only neighed occasionally to indicate his grievances… After the severe scolding, he lowered his head, ran over to the side, and lay down with a wounded appearance.
Bai Zhuo was utterly amazed.
Both Bo Ya and Li Shi Qing had woken up by now. The latter was not seriously injured and even smiled at Yang Kai when she saw that he was safe and sound, which warmed his heart. Since they were both from the Star Boundary, it was only natural that he felt an inherent closeness to her. If not for the fact that they needed to pretend otherwise, he would not have treated her so poorly. Unfortunately, he had to be careful in everything he did while in the Demon Realm.
Although Bo Ya was pale, her condition had improved greatly after consuming some Spirit Pills. It seemed she would not experience any permanent damage from her injury.
He spoke some encouraging words to them and ordered Xiao Wu to take good care of them. Only then did he look into the distance with Bai Zhuo. Compared to the battle between a Great Emperor and a Demon Saint, the conflict from before could only be said to be a small fight. The thundering sounds from across the horizon never stopped. Rays of light occasionally burst out from that remote location, causing the world to dim and the space to shudder ceaselessly.
No matter who it was, they would be able to sense that the surrounding World Principles had begun to shatter as long as their strength had reached a certain height. That was the power of the Great Emperors and the Demon Saints. Their every move was capable of affecting the survival of the continent.
“If most of the Half-Saints returned to the Demon Realm, then what about the situation on the Two Worlds’ Battlefield?” Yang Kai asked suddenly.
Bai Zhuo shrugged, “Probably holing themselves up somewhere. What else can they do?”
Yang Kai turned his head to look at Bai Zhuo and chuckled softly, “Are the Holy Venerables planning to use overwhelming numbers to exhaust a Great Emperor to death?”
Now that most of the Half-Saints had been summoned back here and gathered in Eternal Sky Continent, it could only mean that these Half-Saints would eventually face Bright Moon. One or two Half-Saints might not have made much of a difference, but even ants could kill elephants if there were enough of them.
Bai Zhuo frowned and pondered in silence for a moment, “Although you can say that, this matter is not quite as simple as you think. The Holy Venerables have a much deeper plan. Besides, what is happening here is not just a gamble of survival, but also a great opportunity for all the Half-Saints.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows at those words, “I wish to hear the details!”
Bai Zhuo smiled wryly and shook his head, “You should ask Holy Venerable about this matter. If she is willing to tell you about it, she will surely tell you clearly herself. If she is not willing to do so, then it is not my place to tell you anything.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed, but he did not inquire any further into the matter. Bai Zhuo had made his stance very clear, so there was no point in asking any more questions.
Yang Kai could understand a life-and-death gamble as a Half-Saint facing off against a Great Emperor is nothing if not a life-and-death gamble! They may even be killed the moment they meet the Great Emperor, but what was this great opportunity they sought? Could it be that there is some sort of benefit to be gained by killing Bright Moon?
He couldn’t ignore the information Bai Zhuo had revealed to him, even if he wanted to.
Before they could finish cleaning up the battlefield though, a terrifying aura quickly came from afar. Zhui Feng, who had been lying on the ground all this while, immediately got up and looked in that direction warily. It was clear that he had felt the incoming pressure; however, he soon lay back down on the ground again.
Similarly, Yang Kai and Bai Zhuo looked up in unison as the latter’s expression changed, “Holy Venerable is here.”
Needless to say, Yang Kai could feel Yu Ru Meng’s aura too.
A brilliant light flashed a short while later and Yu Ru Meng’s figure appeared in front of the two of them.
“Greetings, Holy Venerable!” Bai Zhuo quickly cupped his fists. On the other hand, the army behind them fell to their knees quickly.
Yu Ru Meng nodded lightly. Glancing around, she couldn’t help furrowing her delicate brow tightly as she asked, “What happened here?”
The Blood Qi was very dense throughout the mountain valley and there were corpses lying all over the place. It was obvious that a huge battle had taken place here. Even Yang Kai looked a little pale, as though he had suffered some injuries. She couldn’t help being shocked by what she saw here and even thought that collateral from the battle with Bright Moon in the distance had spread this far.
Bai Zhuo turned and glanced at Yang Kai, but seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he quietly sighed in his heart. As such, Bai Zhuo had no choice but to step forward and relay all the information he had gotten from Yang Kai earlier to Yu Ru Meng.
Upon hearing how Yue Sang had returned from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield and even attacked Yang here, she turned red with rage, gritted her teeth and roared, “Impudence!”
She turned to look at Bai Zhuo and ordered, “Bring Yue Sang to me!”
It was one thing for Yue Sang to return from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield without receiving authorization, but he even dared to try and assassinate Yang Kai! How could Yu Ru Meng forgive him for that? Putting aside the Heart Seal Secret Technique that existed between her and Yang Kai, Yang Kai was now the key to the stability of the entire Demon Realm. Without him, who would maintain the unstable Territory Gates? Without him, who would repair those lost Territory Gates? For both public and private reasons, she had to give Yang Kai a reasonable explanation.
Receiving the order, Bai Zhuo immediately walked to the side and took out an item. He was presumably trying to find a way to contact Yue Sang.
Yu Ru Meng turned to look at Yang Kai next as her expression became gentle, “Are you alright? Is what Bai Zhuo said true?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’m fine. It’s just that Brother Bai Zhuo only understands a part of it.”
She asked, “What else is there that he doesn’t know about?”
Yang Kai sneered slightly, “I have Zhui Feng protecting me, so what could Yue Sang possibly do to me alone? He clearly knew that too. That’s why somebody helped him lure Zhui Feng away.”
“Who!?” Yu Ru Meng’s pretty face darkened. A person who could lure Zhui Feng away had to be a Half-Saint. She truly had not expected these Half-Saints under her command would be so ignorant of the general situation. [How can they create even more trouble for me at such a critical moment!?]
“I don’t know who she is. Just that she is a female Charm Demon,” Yang Kai replied.
Although he did not know who it was, there were only so few people among the Half-Saints under Yu Ru Meng’s command. Combined with the fact that the perpetrator was from the Charm Demon Clan, it was probably very easy to identify who it was.
“Aside from her, Di Li probably played a role too.”
“Di Li too!?” Yu Ru Meng couldn’t help scowling deeply. Nevertheless, realization came over her when she recalled how close Di Li and Yue Sang had always been with each other. When she had previously named Yang Kai as Great King and charged him with overseeing Cloud Shadow Continent, many of the Half-Saints under her had objected to the decision. After all, only a Half-Saint was qualified to manage a continent in the Demon Realm. How could a weak young Human male stand on equal footing with them?
Among these Half-Saints, Di Li had objected the most. Yu Ru Meng had forcibly suppressed their dissension at the time, so Yang Kai was unaware of this fact; even so, she never expected Di Li to be involved in this incident. That would mean that three Half-Saints under her command were involved in this debacle. She couldn’t help feeling extremely troubled. If it had only been Yue Sang alone, it would have been easy enough to handle. She could just kill him and be done with it; however, it was simply too much if three Half-Saints were involved. It might cause dissatisfaction among the rest of the Half-Saints if she punished all three of them severely.
Although a Demon Saint was a supreme existence in the Demon Realm, the number of Half-Saints under their command was the basis of their strength. It would be meaningless if all a Demon Saint had was their cultivation but not a single person under them to carry out their commands.
While they were speaking, Bai Zhuo walked back to them with a gloomy expression, “Holy Venerable, there is no response from Yue Sang!”
“Is there no response from him or is he refusing to answer?” Yu Ru Meng turned to look at Bai Zhuo.
He replied, “He is probably refusing to answer…”
“This is rebellion!” She raged. The incident today was wholly spearheaded by Yue Sang. Di Li and that female Charm Demon were probably just lending him a hand, but now, they couldn’t get in touch with Yue Sang, “Continue to contact him and tell him this, ‘never show up before me again if he doesn’t appear in front of me within an hour’.”
Bai Zhuo was startled to hear those words. He did not expect her to hand out such a harsh punishment. Nevertheless, he soon bowed and left to give Yue Sang the ultimatum.
Yu Ru Meng fumed in anger for a while before she reassured Yang Kai, “Don’t worry. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer to this matter.”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “No need for that. I’ll deal with it myself.”
She frowned a moment and glanced at the Embodiment, who was standing by the side. Nodding gently, she said, “Suit yourself, but you have to wait until we settle things here. This matter is too important.”
She felt relieved in her heart. Although she was willing to handle things on his behalf, if she had to come forward personally, forget Yue Sang, even Di Li and the female Charm Demon would not be spared. If word of this incident were to spread, it was quite possible that her subordinates would lean towards other Demon Saints instead.
On the contrary, if Yang Kai were to deal with it himself, the situation would not be as serious. She could tell that the Embodiment was a Half-Saint now. Even so, Di Li and the female Charm Demon were not easy targets either; hence, Yang Kai might not necessarily have the strength to do anything to them if he dealt with this matter on his own.
It wasn’t as though the Half-Saints under her did not have conflicts between themselves; for example, it was a well-known fact that Yue Sang and Bai Zhuo had always held grievances against each other. It was just that she did not intervene in such matters without reason as long as these disputes did not hinder her overall interests. Having kept out of these matters in the past, it was best if she continued not to intervene now; otherwise, it would be hard for her to deal with things justly in the future.
“I heard you were hurt,” Yang Kai turned to look at Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng was not willing to speak much on this matter so she replied nonchalantly, “It’s just a small injury, nothing to worry about. What about you? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Hundred Spirits Continent?”
“I heard that something big had happened here, so I came to join in the fun.” He grinned, “Even so, I never expected to find the Bright Moon Great Emperor here.”
“He has always been here.”
“If you managed to trap him here, then why haven’t you killed him?”
She slowly shook her head, “Things aren’t as simple as you think. If we only wanted to kill him, he would have died long ago. Naturally, we had our reasons to keep him alive. But…”
“But, what?”
She sighed, “Nobody could have imagined that he would recover to his prime even under such conditions. So, the situation has changed.”
Yang Kai frowned at those words and asked, “Just now, Brother Bai Zhuo mentioned that this matter is both a life-or-death gamble and a great opportunity for all Half-Saints. What is going on?”
Yu Ru Meng turned and glanced at Bai Zhuo upon hearing that, seeming to blame him for being too talkative.
Yang Kai shrugged, “You don’t need to tell me if it’s inconvenient for you. I only came here to join in on the fun anyway. It’s not bad to be able to witness the fall of a Great Emperor. By the way, does Bright Moon still have any chance of survival?”
She chuckled softly, “Is your resentment toward Star Boundary still so deep?”
He coldly snorted, “Would I have fallen into such a state if not for how unjust they had been?”
She glanced sideways at him, “What’s so bad about the Demon Realm? You seem to me like you’ve been living quite well recently.”
“There’s nothing wrong with it, but in the end I’m still Human. I will always be a little out of place here.” He chuckled and changed the topic, “You haven’t answered me. Does Bright Moon have any chance of survival?”
She looked at him with a smile, “The Twelve Demon Saints have all taken action together. Do you think he still has a chance of survival?”
He couldn’t help letting out a short whistle at those words, “Looks like his death is certain.”
At this moment, Li Shi Qing suddenly rushed over from not far away, clutched at his arm with a pale face and begged him urgently, “Please save Senior Bright Moon!”
She had been resting not far away to recover and it was clear that she had heard the conversation between Yang Kai and Yu Ru Meng. That was why she was acting this way.
Yu Ru Meng glanced at Li Shi Qing, then glanced back at Yang Kai. A sly smile curling along the corners of her mouth, “How do you feel staring at this face all day long?”
Back when they had been in the Star Boundary, she had taken on Li Shi Qing’s appearance to remain beside Yang Kai. Many things had occurred between Yang Kai and her during that time. Only after returning to the Demon Realm had she finally removed her disguise and returned to her original appearance.
“What am I supposed to feel about it?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “You are you, and she is she. How can I lump the two of you together?”
While speaking, he swung his hand vigorously and shook Li Shi Qing off, coldly snapping, “Go away.”
Li Shi Qing didn’t comply with his demands this time though and rushed up to grab at his arm again, her beautiful eyes were filled with a beseeching look, “Senior Bright Moon is a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary! Nothing must happen to him! Please find a way to save him! Please! Aren’t you a Master of the Dao of Space!? You can bring Senior Bright Moon away from this place!”
“I said scram!” His expression was frosty. He was already upset because of what Yu Ru Meng had said just now, and now Li Shi Qing was bothering him. He was in no mood to play nice with her. If his mastery over the Dao of Space was powerful enough, he wouldn’t be stuck here watching helplessly either.
Space Techniques could still produce some rather unexpected effects when used against Half-Saints, but how much use would they be against the Twelve Demon Saints of the Demon Realm? Everything else aside, if he so much as made a strange move, the Demon Saints only needed to seal off Eternal Sky Continent. Afterwards, he would be a fish on the chopping block. Yang Kai wanted nothing more than to rescue Bright Moon right now, but he was helpless to do so.
Seeing that Li Shi Qing was still harping on, Yang Kai stretched out his hand, whacked her over the head, and knocked her unconscious. Then, he shot a look at He Yin.
He Yin immediately stepped forward to help carry Li Shi Qing away.
“You actually hit her?” Yu Ru Meng gave Yang Kai a sideways stare, “Are you doing that on purpose for me to see?”
He laughed softly, “What do you mean by ‘on purpose’?”
As he said that, he stretched out his hand and reached out to her chin.
Her expression changed. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, “There are so many people here! Don’t embarrass me here!”
He grinned meaningfully and smoothly stroked her hair.
Feeling helpless, she swept her gaze over her surroundings where she saw Bai Zhuo looking up at the sky. Thus, she couldn’t help feeling both furious and amused as she changed the topic, “What’s the situation with Yue Sang?”
Bai Zhuo quickly bowed in response, “Still no response.”
“Hmph! Looks like he really has betrayed me!” She smirked in anger, “I can’t wait to see just how he plans to die!”
He replied, “Holy Venerable, do you need me to go and capture him?”
Bai Zhuo couldn’t let such a good opportunity to rub salt into Yue Sang’s wounds slip him by.
But instead, she waved her hand dismissively, “No need. Let’s deal with the matters at hand first. We can deal with him after we finish things up here.”
“Yes!”
“You can head back too. The situation might change at any moment. Relay my orders so that all can be ready at a moment’s notice.”
Bai Zhuo received the order and left, quickly disappearing out of sight.
After Bai Zhuo left, Yang Kai finally asked suspiciously, “What preparations? Do I need to make preparations too?”
Yu Ru Meng looked up at Yang Kai, hesitation flashing in her eyes. A long time passed before she sighed, “You shouldn’t have come. The reason I didn’t ask you to come here previously is that this place is simply too dangerous.”
He shrugged, “But I’m already here.”
She smiled bitterly, “It’s probably impossible to ask you to leave now, right?”
He grinned, “There’s nothing I can do if you knock me out and order somebody to take me away.”
He was quite worried that she might actually do this in fact. Although he didn’t know why she wanted him to leave, it was best if he spoke first and cut off the idea.
“Can’t you go back for me? I didn’t bring you back from the Star Boundary for you to die here.”
Yang Kai thought about it quietly for a moment before shaking his head, “I’ll be careful!”
“I knew it would turn out this way.” She pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at the battlefield in the distance. After a moment, she began to explain, “Bai Zhuo is right. This matter is both a life-or-death gamble and a great opportunity for all Half-Saints. That’s because… They will be the ones to deliver the final blow!”
Yang Kai felt extremely shocked, so much so that his complexion paled. She had only used the words ‘will be’. It wasn’t something that had already happened. Nevertheless, it was very likely to come true since a Demon Saint had said so.
Forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, Yang Kai tried his best to speak in a calm voice, “It’s not difficult to understand the part about a life-or-death gamble. Half-Saints aiming to kill a Great Emperor certainly requires them to put their life on the line, but what do you mean by a great opportunity? Could it be that they would gain some sort of benefit from killing Bright Moon?”
This was what puzzled him the most. What benefit would they gain from killing a Great Emperor? Perhaps it was because his current cultivation was not enough, which was why he couldn’t figure it out.
Yu Ru Meng gently continued, “We didn’t kill Bright Moon at the beginning and instead arranged a grand Spirit Array and used a profound Blood Sacrifice Technique to trap him here. At first, we planned to let him weaken gradually until he died in this place. He is a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, so his very existence represents a part of the Great World’s Will belonging to the Star Boundary. If he dies here, under the right circumstances, that part of the Star Boundary’s Will would be absorbed and assimilated into the Demon Realm, bringing it unimaginable benefits!”
That point was consistent with what Bright Moon had said before. He also mentioned that one of the reasons why the Demon Saints didn’t kill him was that they were afraid he might fight back like a cornered beast and cause serious problems for one or more of them before dying. However, the more important reason was that they wanted to let the Demon Realm ‘eat’ him. The capacity of the world would increase in turn, allowing for the rise of another Demon Saint. Meanwhile, the Star Boundary would permanently lose a Great Emperor. This trade-off would have an enormous impact on the two Great Worlds.
The number of top Masters in the Star Boundary was already considerably lower than the Demon Realm. Be it Great Emperors or Pseudo-Great Emperors, their numbers were incomparable with the numbers of Demon Saints and Half-Saints in the Demon Realm. The only advantage the Star Boundary currently held was the ‘home court’ advantage.
Yu Ru Meng continued, “We don’t know how Bright Moon managed to heal himself. He even broke through the Blood Sacrifice Technique and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array, but it’s impossible to try and trap him here again, so we made some adjustments to the original plan. The twelve of us will work together to bring him to the brink of death, then the Half-Saints will land the final blow. The person who kills Bright Moon will have an opportunity to snatch the part of the Great World’s Will in him!”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes when he heard those words, “Something like that is possible?”
She replied indifferently, “You are currently not strong enough, so it’s normal that you don’t understand these things, but it’s precisely because of this point that the person who lands the last blow must be a Half-Saint. In that way, the person who accepts the part of the Great World’s Will into themselves will have a great chance of growing into a new Demon Saint.”
Although it was easier for the Demon Saints to kill Bright Moon themselves, accepting the Great World’s Will would be of little use to them, far less so than compared to the birth of a thirteenth Demon Saint.
[So, this is the situation behind the so-called great opportunity.] Yang Kai was slightly stunned. [Based on what she told me, the odds are stacked against Bright Moon. Damn it! What can I do to help him!?]
“If anything, it would be best if you killed Bright Moon with your own hands.” Yu Ru Meng suddenly looked at him with a complicated expression.
“What do you mean?” He forced himself to compose his emotions, lest she saw through him.
She smiled, “Every Great World is distinct and unique in its properties. It is extremely difficult for a member of the Demon Race to accept the Star Boundary’s Will. For all we know, even if a Half-Saint manages to kill Bright Moon and snatch the Great World’s Will that belongs to him, they might explode and die from the backlash. But you are different. You are originally from the Star Boundary. Compared to the Demon Race, it would undoubtedly be easier for you to accept that Great World’s Will. It is also easier for you to obtain the Great World’s Will’s recognition.”
His eyes lit up upon hearing that, “I can try!” [If I can openly approach Bright Moon with a valid reason, I might get an opportunity to leave with him.]
“No!” Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed as she shouted, “You must not get such thoughts in your head!”
“Why?” He frowned.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ll be careful.”
She looked at him firmly, “Don’t force me to knock you unconscious! I will never allow you to take such a risk!”
Yang Kai felt exasperated but could only nod in response, “Good. Since you’ve said so, then I will only watch the fun from the side.”
After a pause, he gave a bitter laugh, “Having said that, there’s nothing fun to see here anyway.”
The battlefield was too far away. Although he could feel the world-shattering commotion coming from that direction, he couldn’t get a glimpse of anything with his current eyesight. It left him feeling extremely frustrated.
Yu Ru Meng pondered for a while and gently said, “It’s not like you can’t watch… But you have to obediently watch from here. Don’t think about doing anything else.”
“I know, I know.” He looked at her somewhat excitedly. Although he didn’t know what methods she was going to use, since she said as such, it could only mean that she had a way to let him see what was going on clearly.
Yu Ru Meng shook her head helplessly, and with a flip of her hand, she took out a mirror-like Demon Artifact. Her Demon Qi surged and the mirror suddenly rose up with the wind, becoming as big as a table in an instant, lying horizontally in front of him. When the pitch-black Demon Qi churned, the surface of the mirror rippled like a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. As the ripples spread, a scenery gradually appeared on the surface of the mirror. It was not clear but not blurry either. It was tolerable in terms of clarity.
Yang Kai looked at it probingly, then turned his head to look at his surroundings and wondered, “Does this mirror reflect everything you see?”
The scenery shown in the mirror at this moment was clearly reflecting the mountain valley where they were located currently. It wasn’t a static image either. Rather, it moved as her vision moved; thus, the scenery in the mirror was constantly changing.
Yu Ru Meng gently nodded, “That’s right.”
“Amazing.” He couldn’t help praising. The function of the Demon Mirror might not seem very useful, but it was exactly what he needed at this moment. It was impossible for Yu Ru Meng to stay with him constantly. When the time came, she would have to join the battle personally. At that time, the situation on the battlefield would become clear at a glance.
“Remember what you promised me.”
She did not go into battle right away; instead, she found a place to meditate cross-legged. She did not seem to be injured on the surface, but Yang Kai had the feeling that she was still wounded; otherwise, she would not be so quick to try to recuperate. It was not easy for a Demon Saint to heal once they were injured.
Since Yu Ru Meng didn’t join the fight, Yang Kai couldn’t see what was happening on the battlefield. He could only wait patiently regardless of how anxious he was. During this period, he brooded hard over something. He was trying to see if there was a way he could get Bright Moon out of trouble, but he couldn’t think of anything no matter how hard he racked his brain, not unless he could persuade Yu Ru Meng to help. Unfortunately, the chances were not great even if she did agree to help.
As time passed, the battle up ahead became more and more intense. It seemed as though other Demon Saints had rushed over. Bright Moon had already been outnumbered in the first place. Now that the number of enemies had increased, his situation became even less hopeful. Concurrently, the entire Eternal Sky Continent’s World Principles were becoming increasingly fragmented. Wave after wave of aftershocks coming from the attacks swept over, making all the Demons present extremely nervous. They were worried that the continent might be destroyed, and they would all be swallowed up into the Void as a result.
All of a sudden, Yu Ru Meng abruptly opened her eyes. She looked into the distance with a deep gaze. Then, she stood up.
Yang Kai turned to look at her before she swayed slightly and disappeared from that spot, leaving only a light fragrance blowing in his face. Upon seeing that, he hurried over to the front of the Demon Mirror, grasping the edges of it with both hands as he anxiously lowered his head to look. The scenery in the Demon Mirror was changing rapidly, making it obvious that Yu Ru Meng was moving swiftly.
Approximately thirty breaths later, dazzling bursts of light shone out from the Demon Mirror and were immediately followed by loud explosions booming out from within. Yang Kai was stunned. He never imagined that not only could the Demon Mirror transmit pictures but also sounds. It was a good thing for him. This would make it easier for him to understand the situation on the other side.
The image froze as Yu Ru Meng stopped in her tracks. When the dazzling bursts of light faded, seven or eight figures stood proudly in the sky. One person stood in the centre and the rest were scattered around him.
The person in the middle was covered in blood. His originally white clothes were dyed blood-red. Nobody knew whether the blood belonged to him or the enemy. He looked rather tired but was still as calm as the wind.
Yang Kai’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
Bright Moon’s situation as of this moment was extremely dire. Even though he had recovered with the help of the leaves of the Immortal Tree that Yang Kai had given him, it was clear that he was badly injured again after going through such an intense battle. He was no longer bound by the Blood Sea and the Spirit Array, but the Twelve Demon Saints were still gathered in Eternal Sky Continent. It was now as difficult as ascending to the Heavens for him to escape from this place.
The Demon Saints surrounding him were greatly varied, including both men and women. They represented the Demon Realm’s strongest combat forces. Whether stern and gloomy, smiling, or cold and distant, they all had different expressions.
Yang Kai did not know many of them. He had some small dealings with Bei Li Mo before, so they were not strangers, and he had seen Xue Li once from a distance. Xue Li originated from the Blood Demon Clan and was the one who presided over the Blood Sacrifice Technique. The abundant Blood Qi in his body was not something that other people could match up to; however, his current condition was not much better than Bright Moon’s. He was also covered in wounds. It would seem that he had suffered quite terribly at Bright Moon’s hands.
In addition to Xue Li, there was also a bloated, short, crimson Demon Saint that concerned Yang Kai greatly. [If I’m not mistaken, this guy… is probably a Red Demon. What!? Even a Red Demon can become a Demon Saint? Aren’t they the lowest caste of Demons in the Demon Realm? What other means do they have aside from their own self-destruction?]
Moreover, this Red Demon Saint was in the same state as Xue Li. He was heavily injured. In particular, there was a gentle glow coming from his chest area that continued to radiate soft white light. It was causing him a certain degree of interference and injury with every passing moment. This was clearly Bright Moon’s doing.
Bo Ya’s weak voice suddenly came from beside him, “That person is probably Senior Huo Bo of the Red Demon Clan.”
He turned to look behind him and saw that He Yin, Lao Ke, and the others had gathered around too. It was clear that they were very concerned about the situation on the battlefield. Be that as it may, they did not dare to get too close without his permission. Bo Ya was the only one who did not act like an outsider, standing next to him and watching along with him.
[So, that’s Huo Bo!] When Yang Kai went over to Bai Zhuo’s station previously, he had heard from him that Bright Moon was fighting against Xue Li and Huo Bo. He had made a mental note of their names at the time. From what he could see, all three who had fought since the beginning were not doing so well. On the other hand, the other Demon Saints who came later seemed to be unharmed. At the very least, that was how they looked on the surface. The rest of the Demon Saints had their Soul Wisps destroyed, so they were surely suffering from a certain degree of damage.
“Didn’t I tell you to go and get some rest?” Yang Kai frowned and glanced at the injury on Bo Ya’s shoulder.
Bo Ya shook her head, “It’s nothing serious. Not to mention, this is such a rare battle that only occurs once every few thousand years. I really don’t want to miss it.”
Nobody wanted to miss spectating this battle. Judging from the looks on the faces of Lao Ke, Ke Sen, and the others, it was obvious that they thought the same way. Thus, Yang Kai left them alone.
“I can’t believe even a Red Demon can become a Demon Saint. He is a Red Demon, right?” Yang Kai frowned, voicing his suspicions as a question.
Bo Ya chuckled, “The entire Demon Realm considers it a miracle. You aren’t the only one to find it hard to believe. Nobody in the Demon Realm can believe it either. Even now, no other Master has been born to the Red Demon Clan. Senior Huo Bo is certainly one of the Twelve Demon Saints. Nobody knows what opportunities he came across in his early years.”
The world was vast and full of surprises. There was always something unthinkable that nobody could ever have imagined.
Yang Kai’s eyes shifted. He pointed at another Demon Saint and asked, “What about him?”
He was only observing the situation on the other side through the mirror-like Demon Artifact. Even so, this Demon Saint stood out as the most conspicuous existence. It wasn’t his appearance, but rather the feeling he gave off that made him impossible to ignore. Yang Kai could tell at a glance that this person was not to be trifled with.
Likewise, Bo Ya’s expression was extremely solemn as she identified that person carefully and replied, “If I’m not wrong, that would be the First Demon Saint, Senior Huang Wu Ji.”
“The First Demon Saint?” Yang Kai was surprised, “There are rankings among the Twelve Demon Saints?”
It had been a long time since he came to Demon Realm, but he had never heard about that before. [I wonder how Yu Ru Meng ranks. And, what about Bei Li Mo?]
Bo Ya, however, laughed and shook her head at his question, “The other Demon Saints do not have ranks. Senior Huang Wu Ji is the only person publicly recognized as the First Demon Saint!”
“Is he the strongest?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice.
“Not only that. He is also the oldest Demon Saint,” She nodded lightly.
He studied the image seriously and memorized that person’s appearance before asking, “Which Demon Clan does he come from?”
“The Strength Demon Clan!”
Yang Kai nodded slightly. The Strength Demon Clan from the Demon Race was naturally known for their incredible strength. Additionally, this person was the strongest and oldest Demon Saint. His strength had probably reached a realm that was difficult to even imagine. Was there anybody who could even fight against him in the Star Boundary?
Afterwards, Yang Kai got to know each of the Demon Saints through Bo Ya’s explanations. In truth, she had never met any of these Demon Saints either, but their racial characteristics were very distinct. Moreover, many of them were exceedingly well-known throughout the Demon Realm, so she only needed to match their appearances to their names.
Flame Demon Chi Yan, Feather Demon Fu Yu, Stone Demon Mo Kan, Shadow Demon Wu Hua, Corpse Demon Zu Liao, Bone Demon Ge Meng, Sand Demon, You Qiu… Adding Charm Demon Yu Ru Meng, Snow Demon Bei Li Mo, Red Demon Huo Bo, Blood Demon Xue Li, and Strength Demon Huang Wu Ji, these were the Twelve Demon Saints who stood at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm. All of them were gathered in this place. Furthermore, each of the twelve Clans represented by the Demon Saints, aside from the Red Demon Clan, were among the most powerful Clans in the Demon Realm.
Staring at the scene in the mirror, Yang Kai held his breath, feeling as if he was experiencing the calm before the storm.
Bright Moon stood alone on a battlefield located an unknown distance away, explicitly, or implicitly confronting the Twelve Demon Saints. His expression was calm and unruffled. On the other hand, many of the Demon Saints did not seem to have the intention to make the first move either. They had an absolute advantage in numbers and were confident that they could keep him in this place forever. Even so, one or two among them might end up severely injured if Bright Moon fought back desperately. A moment of carelessness, and he could drag any one of them down with him. Therefore, none of them were making the first move even though they held the upper hand on the battlefield. What’s more, their plan was not to kill Bright Moon, but rather to exhaust his strength as much as possible to create a greater chance for the Half-Saints behind them to kill him.
Silence blanketed the entire world. Even the sounds of breathing were practically undetectable. This stand-off lasted for several days and nights. The figures of the Great Emperor and the Demon Saints were so motionless that they looked like they were part of an eternal painting of the world, leaving Yang Kai feeling extremely anxious.
He might not be on the battlefield, but he knew that the longer they dragged things out, the slimmer Bright Moon’s chance of escaping became. Although the confrontation had lasted for several days, Bright Moon had not been able to rest at all during these few days. The Twelve Demon Saints’ auras were firmly locked on him, and if he so much as showed the slightest weakness, they would immediately rain down a storm of attacks on him. Thus, he needed to always maintain peak vigilance to overcome this calamity. Under these circumstances, his mental strength was being consumed at a rapid rate. How could he possibly even get a moment of respite?
Even as a bystander, Yang Kai understood such an apparent truth, so how could Bright Moon, who was stuck in the centre of the vortex, be unaware of it? In order to break the stalemate, he would need to take great risks to have a chance of surviving. If this stand-off were to continue, his situation would only get worse and worse.
All of a sudden, without warning, Bright Moon moved. He slowly raised a hand, straightening his palm in front of his chest to use a Secret Technique. His surface was instantly covered in a layer of gentle light. Many of the Demon Saints changed their expressions in unison the moment he made a move. The Demon Qi coming from each individual roared into the sky.
The reflection in the mirror-like Demon Artifact showed Xue Li’s figure flickering. He turned into a blood ray and rushed at Bright Moon, seemingly going for the kill. The blood ray instantly arrived in front of Bright Moon and abruptly transformed into a blood web that could corrode anything and engulfed Bright Moon from above.
Bright Moon’s other hand grabbed at something in the void. A longsword that seemed to be formed from condensed moonlight appeared in his hand. Without even bothering to look, he slashed out with the sword.
The blood web split into two, skimming past his body. Then, it gathered together again to form Xue Li’s figure. He opened his mouth and spat out a cloud of blood mist at Bright Moon. Bright Moon had no time to bother about anything else as a round moon suddenly appeared behind him, hanging above his head. The moonlight illuminated the place, and the blood mist quickly evaporated. At the same time, his sword slashed out like a Dragon. The Moonlight Longsword transformed into a rain of swords and created a shield in front of him.
Meanwhile, clusters of crimson balls had already flown to his front during that time. It was Huo Bo who had launched a sneak attack while Xue Li was keeping Bright Moon busy. Yang Kai could clearly see that the clusters of crimson balls had been shot out by Huo Bo from a distance at an unimaginably high speed.
The sword net collided with the crimson balls and loud explosions immediately rang out. The small balls burst open as though many Red Demons had self-destructed on the spot, wrapping Bright Moon’s figure in a dazzling light.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
Three rays of light appeared at that moment, shot from a far distance. It was the supreme archery performed by Feather Demon Fu Yu. There was also an incomparably tall skeleton of withered bones that approached from below, his jaws opening and closing as he approached, letting out a chattering sound that was extremely disturbing.
A sandstorm blew violently while the Shadow Demon Saint had already concealed his figure. The Stone Demon’s body glowed with a rocky lustre as he rushed to the forefront, acting as a physical shield to block Bright Moon’s continuous attacks with his strong defensive ability.
A chilly wind howled as snowflakes danced. Each snowflake was like a sharp blade and formed together into a deadly whirlwind. On the other side, there was a blazing fire that illuminated the world as Flame Demon Saint Chi Yan incinerated his surroundings as though he wanted the entire world to burn to ashes.
A dreamy murmuring sounded as the scene on the Demon Artifact mirror changed so rapidly that it was shocking. The smallest flinch had set off a chain reaction. With a single move from Bright Moon, the Twelve Demon Saints attacked all at once and the silent battlefield instantly broke out into a ferocious melee.
The scenery on the mirror-like Demon Artifact was shaking fiercely as all kinds of light flooded the scene and bursts of deafening explosions blasted out one after another. Yang Kai no longer had a clear view of the situation there anymore and clasped the edges of the Demon Mirror tightly with both hands, his expression so solemn that it was dreadful.
Bo Ya turned to look at him curiously and ruminated over something for a moment before she spoke up comfortingly, “All Twelve Demon Saints are there. Nothing will happen to Holy Venerable. You don’t need to worry so much.”
Yang Kai naturally remained silent. He was not worried about Yu Ru Meng, he was worried about Bright Moon!
The Demon Saints had successfully injured Bright Moon heavily and trapped him in Eternal Sky Continent back then, so it was possible for them to do it again today. Compared to back then though, the Demon Saints had an even stronger line-up today. Bright Moon’s current situation was truly worrying.
The battle showed no signs of stopping once it began. Be it Bright Moon or the many Demon Saints, they were going to fight to the death here. When the scenery in the Demon Mirror occasionally paused for a moment, Yang Kai could see a blur of the situation there.
Without any surprise, Bright Moon was being besieged by attacks. He was being hard-pressed, and his situation became increasingly severe with each passing moment. Facing so many enemies alone, it was already astonishing for a single person to be able to hold out so well, but what were his odds of survival even if he fought back desperately?
Yang Kai didn’t know what Bright Moon had planned, but it was clear his chances of escaping were very slim now that things had progressed to this point. Yang Kai assessed his own strength over and over again, wondering what he could do to help if he rushed over, but what discouraged him was that he concluded he would not be able to get close to the battlefield even if he brought out all his trump cards.
His fingernails cut into his flesh, causing Golden Blood to dye the edges of the Demon Mirror. His expression was so savage that it looked like he was about to kill somebody.
Bo Ya and the others could sense his foul mood and feeling that silence was golden, none of them dared to disturb him.
Time passed slowly, and with the help of Yu Ru Meng’s occasional pause between attacks, Yang Kai could see a little bit of the situation on the battlefield through the Demon Mirror. Bright Moon was covered in blood and terribly injured, his complexion was as pale as a sheet, and even if Yang Kai wasn’t on the scene himself and could not experience the power of the Secret Techniques and the Divine Abilities Bright Moon displayed, he could tell that they were not as powerful as before.
On the contrary, the Demon Saints became more relaxed. The Innate Divine Abilities of the Twelve Demon Saints were different, and they mutually reinforced each other’s strengths while covering for their weaknesses. Two or three of the Demon Saints were gathered around Bright Moon at every moment to tie him down while the Demon Saints who were proficient in long-range attacks took distance to severely wound him. Blood repeatedly splashed across the sky.
The Shadow Demon Saint, Wu Hua, was also lurking around elusively. He would appear whenever Bright Moon showed an opening, leaving another wound on his target’s body.
The full moon hanging behind Bright Moon’s head had become cloudy and sallow. It could no longer shine with the brilliant light it had before.
The world shattered as enormous cracks in space split open. Nobody could tell how much time had passed, but suddenly, Bright Moon let out a soft chuckle on the chaotic battlefield and his voice spread over his surroundings, “Bright Moon is honoured that all Holy Venerables think so highly of me that you have all turned out in full force. I will have no regrets even if I die in this place, but… my life is not something you can take just because you want to!”
After saying so, a light suddenly flooded the world. It was so bright that even the surface of the Demon Mirror turned blazing white. Immediately after that, a sensational aura spread out from the distance.
Yang Kai raised his head abruptly and looked in that direction, his complexion deathly pale as he felt like he was going to faint.
[Has Bright Moon been forced to self-destruct out of desperation!?]
It would be impossible for a Great Emperor to choose such a decisive way to end his life unless he had no other choice. At this moment, Yang Kai only felt as though somebody was squeezing his heart. It was so suffocating that he could barely breathe.
Yang Kai never imagined that he would witness the fall of a Great Emperor with his own eyes one day. He did not know what the Great Emperor War had been like tens of thousands of years ago, but it must have been simply astonishing with Heaven Devouring Great Emperor dominating the battlefield. Although many Great Emperors had worked together to fight him, quite a few of them had still been killed in the end. Wu Kuang, who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, had terrifying recovery abilities and endurance, but even he had lost his life in the Shattered Star Sea, so what more need be said about Bright Moon?
Yang Kai should have expected this situation a long time ago. Even so, he found it hard to believe when he actually witnessed it. His figure swayed and he instinctively began to push his Space Principles to rush over. It no longer mattered what he could do to help, he was the only one who could save Bright Moon now. If he didn’t do anything, then there was nobody else in this world who could give Bright Moon a hand. As for the consequences… Yang Kai had no time to think about them. The main reason why he came to the Demon Realm was to save Bright Moon. Now that Bright Moon was in danger, he could not simply stand by and watch him die without doing anything.
Cries of exclamation came from many Demon Saints in the Demon Mirror. The scenery in the mirror was also retreating rapidly and it was obvious that Yu Ru Meng was fleeing from the battlefield after sensing something was wrong, so as not to be affected by Bright Moon’s self-destruction. A moment later though, her shout came through the Demon Mirror loud and clear, “Damn! We were fooled!”
Yang Kai froze in his tracks and the Space Principles around him instantly fell silent as he turned his head to look at the mirror. The incandescent light that originally filled the entire mirror had disappeared at some point. In Yu Ru Meng’s field of vision, Bright Moon had turned into a white streak. Just as the many Demon Saints pulled away and retreated, he took advantage of the opening to rush out of the encirclement and dash in a certain direction.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The sound of something slicing through the air echoed as the Feather Demon Demon Saint Fu Yu stood above the clouds and rapidly drew her bow. Several rays of light flew out like falling stars chasing after the moon. Those arrows ignored the barriers of space and appeared right behind Bright Moon the moment they left the bowstring.
Yang Kai had only just begun to feel relief when anxiety filled him again. Even though he had never experienced it before, he could still imagine the horror of the Feather Demon Saint’s archery skills. Bo Ya was only a Mid-Rank Demon King, but more than one High-Rank Demon King had died at her hands. The Feather Demon Clan specialized at sniping from a distance. Bright Moon might not be able to avoid such an attack in his best condition, so what about now?
Just when Yang Kai was feeling extremely nervous, Bright Moon’s figure urgently swooped downward, as though he had grown eyes on the back of his head. He narrowly avoided the series of sharp arrows, but before Yang Kai could rejoice, those arrows that were like streaming lights simultaneously turned around and chased after Bright Moon without pause.
Fu Yu’s arrows seemed to be guided by her Divine Sense to lock onto Bright Moon. Even if he escaped to the ends of the world, he couldn’t get them off his tail. He twisted and turned several times but still couldn’t shake off the streaming arrows chasing him. Taking advantage of his preoccupation, the Demon Saints he had deceived previously regained their senses and their figures shifted as they gathered around from all directions. It wouldn’t take any longer than three breaths for Bright Moon to be surrounded again. Then, he would lose his slight opening he spent so much effort creating. As such, he was extremely decisive. Flipping mid-air, Bright Moon weaved a set of hand seals and flashes of moonlight swiftly shot out behind him.
An explosion rang out and the flashes of moonlight vanished out of sight. The streaming arrows were shot down, one after another. Blood flowed from the corners of Bright Moon’s mouth due to the shock. The price might have been high, but he would still have a good chance of escaping as long as he managed to disrupt Fu Yu’s attack. The encirclement of the Demon Saints had yet to close and the Blood Demon Saint, who was the one nearest to him, was at least fifty kilometres away. He might be able to take this chance to escape as long as he could rush to the nearest Territory Gate…
It was at that moment that a black shadow suddenly appeared behind Bright Moon like a ghost, and a gleam of light slashed past him lightly…
Yang Kai’s eyes abruptly widened to the size of saucers. All the blood in his body turned as cold as ice in that instant! Time seemed to freeze. Reflected in the surface of the Demon Mirror, Bright Moon was still facing the various Demon Saints when, behind his back, a black shadow clung to his side. Nobody knew when that black shadow had appeared there, almost to the point where it seemed it had always been there.
The glow from the flashes of moonlight had yet to fade when fresh blood spurted out from Bright Moon’s waist…
The picture began moving again. Blood splattered everywhere and Bright Moon’s entire body shuddered as if he was struck by lightning. He didn’t even think about it as he struck behind him with a backhanded blow. That ghostly figure quickly retreated, avoiding the blow and stood at a distance of several thousand metres away from Bright Moon, glancing forward with an indifferent gaze. The figure was holding a pitch-black dagger in their hand, one that was dripping with red blood, making it very eye-catching.
Many Demon Saints stopped in their tracks, no longer having any intention to give chase. All of them were gazing at Bright Moon with complicated looks. They didn’t show any excitement at their success nor hostility towards their enemy. Even Xue Li and Huo Bo, who had been fighting Bright Moon before, were silent…
Bright Moon was nearly severed in two from that blow, and the Demon Saints no longer needed to take action. That was because Bright Moon would never escape from this place even if they didn’t do anything. That blow had not only cut him deeply, it also severed all his hopes of escape.
The next stage of their plan was prepared for the Half-Saints who wanted to compete for the opportunity. The many Demon Saints had long agreed that none of them could interfere unless forced to do so. Whoever received this opportunity would be up to the means of the Half-Saints serving under them.
“Wu Hua…” Standing in front of the mirror, Yang Kai clenched his fists, ground his teeth, and muttered coldly. However, he soon discovered that the person who had attacked Bright Moon was not Wu Hua. That was because the Shadow Demon Saint, Wu Hua, was clearly standing on the other side of Yu Ru Meng’s field of vision.
If it wasn’t Wu Hua, then who was it?
The person who attacked clearly belonged to the Shadow Demon Clan; moreover, a person who would dare to attack a Great Emperor at this time would definitely be a Demon Saint. Otherwise, the attack would not have succeeded.
Recalling the scene when this strange figure appeared, Yang Kai’s mind flashed back to the time when he was attacked outside Orthodoxy Temple. That scene was extremely similar to what had happened just now. In that tense moment, a name popped out.
Night Shadow Great Emperor, Can Ye!
[I can’t believe he’s here!] It seemed that Can Ye had been hiding in Eternal Sky Continent for a long time now, just waiting to land a fatal blow on Bright Moon at this critical moment. Yang Kai wasn’t expecting this, and it was clear that Bright Moon had not been expecting it either. It could also be said that he would have been powerless even if he had taken precautions against the attack.
Bright Moon couldn’t stop coughing up blood. The aura of a Great Emperor was fading quickly. A feeble light appeared at the location of the huge wound. It was barely able to stop the deterioration of the injury, but it was just part of his dying struggle. Can Ye’s blow had not just sliced open a wound that was visible to the naked eye. It had also sliced through the invisible foundation of the Great Emperor.
Bright Moon staggered, turned to face Can Ye, and wiped at the blood at the corners of his mouth with his hand. Although he was in a desperate situation, his expression remained unchanged in the face of death and his dry lips parted to ask, “Is the Demon Realm really that great?”
If not for Can Ye, the two worlds’ passage would not have been opened. If not for Can Ye, there would be no war between the Star Boundary and the Demon Realm. It could even be said that most of the responsibility for the current situation in the Star Boundary lay with Can Ye.
Can Ye didn’t answer. His body which was wrapped in a black shadow gradually faded and slowly vanished out of sight. Just as he came without a trace, he also left without one.
Bright Moon slowly shook his head. He then turned around to face the Twelve Demon Saints. His gaze flicked across the faces of each of the Demon Saints. In the end, his gaze landed on Huang Wu Ji as he spoke softly, “Many thanks for joining hands and facing me. I will die with no regrets. Although I will be dying here today, the light of the bright moon will not be extinguished.”
Huang Wu Ji stood with one hand behind him, lifting his other hand slightly to gesture politely at Bright Moon.
Bright Moon smiled slightly, stretched out his hand to grab at something in the void, and the Moonlight Longsword appeared in his hand again. He glanced sideways as an unknown number of Half-Saints had gathered in all directions, staring at him either openly or covertly. The eyes of every one of those Half-Saints were filled with obvious greed and covetousness.
Bright Moon staggered to turn around. The sword in his hand danced gracefully as many of the Half-Saints retreated in unison. Although his aura had weakened considerably and the aura of a Great Emperor was rapidly fading, he was still not an ordinary person and could not be underestimated. Who knew how many Half-Saints he could kill before he died?
Therefore, none of the Half-Saints that came from many different continents dared to act rashly, even though they couldn’t wait to rush in to kill Bright Moon. Clearly being first here was not wise.
The expressions on the faces of the Demon Saints were quite gloomy, but none of them spoke up to criticize the Half-Saints. They knew what these Half-Saints were scared of after all.
More than ten thousand kilometres away, the Space Principles around Yang Kai’s body fluctuated as he performed consecutive Instantaneous Movements without stopping. He was rushing towards the battlefield. The regret in his heart could not be any deeper. [If I had known earlier that this would have happened, I would have taken Bright Moon away from this place one year ago. Although Xue Li and the Twelve Pinnacles Grand Demon Array were there at the time, it would still have been better than the current situation where all Twelve Demon Saints have gathered.]
Unfortunately, he also understood that Bright Moon had been severely injured back then. Bright Moon could not have faced off against Xue Li in that condition, and he didn’t have the strength to take Bright Moon away either. Now that things had reached this point, he no longer understood why Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had wanted him to enter the Demon Realm to rescue Bright Moon. Bright Moon’s situation was doomed from the beginning. What was the use of sending him here? Could it be just so that he could witness the fall of a Great Emperor?
On the battlefield, the Twelve Demon Saints watched quietly as Bright Moon swung the sword in his hands. He walked across the sky, blood spilling along the way. His aura was disappearing at a speed that was visible to the naked eye, but even so, the Half-Saints blocking his way backed away constantly with every step he took forward.
A gloomy atmosphere pressed down on the hearts of every single Half-Saint present. It felt as though they were standing in the eye of the storm with the howling winds rampaging around them. The concealed murderous intent coming from Bright Moon made chills run down their backs.
All of a sudden, a certain Half-Saint could no longer withstand this tormenting pressure. He gave a loud roar and lunged towards Bright Moon, striking out with his fist. Wherever the fist passed, space collapsed.
However, Bright Moon didn’t even bother looking up and just casually slashed out with his sword. An explosion sounded and that Half-Saint and Bright Moon locked in an impasse for a fleeting moment. Then, the Half-Saint was cleaved into two. Blood spurted out like rain and his body turned into a cloud of mist.
At the same time, Bright Moon coughed up a mouthful of blood and his body trembled slightly. Under normal circumstances, it would have been absolutely terrifying to hear that a Half-Saint had been killed in a single move. It was also enough to deter anybody from daring to act rashly, but surprisingly, it didn’t horrify the Half-Saints today and instead many of them revealed pleasantly surprised expressions.
It was just that… even though the Half-Saint had been killed, he had also worsened Bright Moon’s injuries. This was something that was basically impossible under normal circumstances. A Great Emperor was that powerful after all. He could kill a Half-Saint on the spot with a mere wave of his hand; and yet, Bright Moon was currently coughing up blood non-stop. In other words, the Half-Saints present here were more than qualified to threaten the life of this Great Emperor of the Star Boundary!
That was enough! One or two Half-Saints might not be a match for him, but what about ten? Or twenty? There were more Half-Saints than that here. He would die even if all they used were their numbers to kill him by piling themselves on top of him. Before coming here, all the Half-Saints had mentally prepared themselves to put their lives on the line, so how could they shrink back at this time just because one of them had fallen?
Nevertheless, the fall of that leading Half-Saint was not without effect. At the very least, the remaining Half-Saints were afraid to act rashly. Everybody could see that Bright Moon was no longer at his peak, but he was still more than capable of killing off a few Half-Saints with ease. Nobody wanted to sacrifice themselves for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to help somebody else.
For that reason, everybody else simply surrounded Bright Moon tightly after the fall of that Half-Saint. They followed his movements and constantly kept their distance, but nobody dared to take action.
Meanwhile, messages were sent out. All the Demon Race armies stationed at various locations in Eternal Sky Continent suited up, marched in unison, and rushed towards the place where Bright Moon was located.
The Half-Saints did not want to die in vain; hence, they could only pin their hopes on the Demon Race armies under their command, hoping to exhaust Bright Moon’s strength further. There would definitely come a time when the Great Emperor of the Star Boundary would be completely spent. That would be when the Half-Saints would fight for the opportunity.
A short while later, one of the Half-Saints did not hesitate to give the Demon Kings in his army the order to attack the moment the first group arrived at the battlefield. The Demon Kings were full of reluctance, but they did not dare to disobey the order; thus, they could only grit their teeth and charge. Their roars resounded across the sky as armies of millions floated into the air and swept out like a dense swarm of locusts.
Bright Moon sighed. The Moonlight Sword in his hand shone dazzlingly. Several sword waves sped through the air and smashed millions to pieces…
The second army arrived, followed by the third… Countless Demon Race armies were arriving in a steady stream. The world was dyed crimson with blood. The Moonlight Sword flashed a few more times, and thousands of the Demons fell from the sky at every moment. It looked like the battlefield was raining from a distance. Even though the Demon Race suffered countless deaths and injuries, what caught everyone’s attention was the tragic yet majestic fate of the Great Emperor.
“A Great Emperor from the Star Boundary sure is amazing.” Bei Li Mo suddenly came to Yu Ru Meng’s side and sighed lightly.
Yu Ru Meng wrinkled her eyebrows, secretly feeling wary of Bei Li Mo. The two of them had always been at odds with each other. She didn’t know what kind of intentions Bei Li Mo held in her heart for her to run over here so suddenly, so how could she not be vigilant? Thus, she snorted softly and said, “I don’t think you will be any worse than him if you were driven to such a desperate situation.”
Bei Li Mo glanced at Yu Ru Meng and chuckled, “Little Sister, are you trying to jinx me? How could I fall into such a piteous situation?”
Yu Ru Meng said coldly, “That’s hard to say. Who knows what might happen to you one day?”
Bei Li Mo’s expression darkened as she angrily snapped, “It’s true that nothing good comes out of the mouth of a dog. I thought I’d give you a warning, but… it looks like I shouldn’t have bothered.”
Yu Ru Meng frowned, “Warn me about what?”
Bei Li Mo sneered and didn’t bother to reply to that.
Yu Ru Meng stared at Bei Li Mo suspiciously for a long while, but seeing she had no intention of responding, she impatiently snapped, “Speak if you have something to say! Stop trying to act mysterious!”
Bei Li Mo pondered in silence for a moment before sighing, “Haah… Forget it. Why do I always have to be so kind-hearted?”
Those words nearly made Yu Ru Meng burst out into laughter. If Bei Li Mo was considered kind-hearted, then there could be no treacherous people in this world anymore!
Nevertheless, she could sense that Bei Li Mo truly had something to say to her; it was not a good time to be at each other’s throats.
“Where is that little boy toy of yours? Is he safe?” Bei Li Mo winked at Yu Ru Meng.
Yu Ru Meng’s expression changed drastically as she quickly turned her head to look in Yang Kai’s direction. In the next moment, a powerful Divine Sense spread out. Ten breaths later, she gritted her teeth and shouted, “Yue Sang, you court death!”
While speaking, her tender body moved to rush in that direction, but to her surprise, a figure suddenly stood in front of her and blocked her way. That person had a slender body, a head of crimson hair flying in the wind, and blood-red eyes that exuded a wicked light. Although his complexion was pale, there was a smile hanging from the corners of his lips.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, “What is the meaning of this, Xue Li!?”
Xue Li smiled faintly and answered her question with another question, “Where are you going?”
“What do my whereabouts have to do with you? Get out of the way!” She screamed.
He slowly shook his head, “The matter with Bright Moon isn’t over yet. You can’t leave, not until he is dead.
Yu Ru Meng roared furiously, “Bright Moon is already an arrow at the end of its flight! Why do you need to be so cautious!? Besides, it’s not like I’m leaving Eternal Sky Continent. I’ll be back soon.”
He shook his head, “These are Big Brother Huang’s orders. If you want to leave, you can go and ask Big Brother Huang for his permission.”
Yu Ru Meng couldn’t help turning and glancing at Huang Wu Ji, who was standing some distance away. When she saw his indifferent expression, she suddenly felt uneasiness blooming in her heart.
Huang Wu Ji was the First Demon Saint. He must have seen and heard what was going on here; however, he was not saying anything about the situation. It was clear that he tacitly agreed with Xue Li’s actions. [What is the significance of all this? Does making things hard for me benefit them somehow?]
Yu Ru Meng’s pretty face instantaneously became gloomy before she sternly asked, “Has Yue Sang defected to you?”
Otherwise, how could Yue Sang return from the Two Worlds’ Battlefield without saying a single word to her? How could he dare to attack Yang Kai earlier? What’s more, he was currently lying in ambush on the path Yang Kai was taking here… Yue Sang must have found someone to back him, which was why he was acting so fearlessly.
Xue Li grinned, “Don’t make it sound so heinous. It’s not defecting per se. Yue Sang is just returning to his roots. Don’t forget; Yue Sang is a member of the Blood Demon Clan!”
“What are your real intentions here?” Her expression was so dismal that it was practically dripping with gloom.
Bei Li Mo laughed softly by the side as she said, “It’s not like we’re trying to do anything. It’s just that brat can repair and maintain the Territory Gates, which is very useful to the Demon Realm. It’s such a pity that he seemed to be getting a little too close to Hundred Spirits Continent recently. We need to teach him his place. He might be from the Star Boundary, but he still needs to know who is in charge in the Demon Realm.”
Upon hearing those words, Yu Ru Meng’s heart sank. It would seem that Zhui Feng’s appearance had made the Twelve Demon Saints extremely concerned. When they had Bright Moon as an enemy before, they had no time to care about anything else; however, Bright Moon was already an arrow at the end of its flight. Now that they were about to make their move, they were quick to turn on a friend and showed no mercy in doing so. Biting her red lips, she coldly said, “If anything happens to him, you will definitely pay the price!”
“Oh, my…” Bei Li Mo patted her full bosom exaggeratedly, smiling brightly as she cheerfully said, “Little Sister, your angry expression is so frightening.”
Xue Li smiled slightly, “Don’t worry, he won’t die. I have talked to Yue Sang. He can only maim but not kill; after all, there are still many Territory Gates in the Demon Realm that need his attention. It will be a huge loss for us if he dies.”
With Xue Li and Bei Li Mo blocking the way, Yu Ru Meng knew that it was impossible for her to leave this place. Yang Kai would not be in mortal danger even if he fell into Yue Sang’s hands. Nevertheless, he would ultimately suffer severe torture. Yue Sang hated him deeply after all. It could even be said that he would most likely be placed under house arrest in the future. She herself would also be forced into a disadvantageous position.
She secretly cursed him in her heart. [Smelly man! How dare he cause trouble for me!? I told him to stay there and not make any reckless moves! Why is he even rushing over here!? Is the opportunity from a Great Emperor that easy to obtain!? Isn’t it great now? He won’t even get to see the shadow of the opportunity before falling into somebody else’s trap!]
…..
In the boundless Blood Sea, Yang Kai’s complexion became extremely gloomy. He glanced around his surroundings as the entire world was filled with a blood-red colour. The blood waters below churned like the foaming sea. The blood clouds gathered in the sky, obscuring his vision from extending further.
He was anxious to rush over to the Moon Great Emperor’s side, but to his surprise, he had plunged into this Blood Sea halfway there and could no longer distinguish north, south, east, or west.
With such an obvious method, Yang Kai instantly understood who he was dealing with. He swept a cold gaze over his surroundings and shouted, “Get out here, Yue Sang!”
Since Yue Sang had been chased away by Bai Zhuo’s arrival previously, Yang Kai was surprised to see he had not given up. What’s more, he attacked him while the other Half-Saints were fighting over the grand opportunity. Compared to the resentment and hatred between them, Yang Kai felt that the opportunity to become a Demon Saint was far more attractive; thus, he simply could not understand what Yue Sang was thinking.
There were blood clouds in the sky and the Blood Sea below them while the air in between was filled with Blood Qi. The Blood Qi was thick with evil intent. When Yang Kai plunged into this place, he accidentally breathed in some of it and instantly felt dizzy as a result, nearly tumbling into the Blood Sea. Fortunately, he promptly sealed all the pores on his body and held his breath. Only then did he feel slightly better.
He had already tried using his Instantaneous Movement Technique, but unfortunately, this strange place seemed to be an isolated world of its own, making it impossible to leave easily unless he broke the barrier first.
There was no movement in the surroundings. It was so quiet that it felt as though he was the only person in the blood-coloured world. Be that as it may, he knew that Yue Sang was definitely observing him from somewhere in secret.
Seeing this, Yang Kai sneered, “Does a Half-Saint like you need to play hide-and-seek like this? Aren’t you afraid you’ll become a laughing stock if people learnt how cowardly you’re acting?”
As soon as those words came out, Yue Sang finally reacted. An erratic voice rang out from all directions, “I couldn’t do anything to you before because you had help from external forces, but let’s see what you can do to stop me now that you are all alone!”
Yang Kai snorted lightly, “In that case, why don’t you show yourself? Why are you wasting so much time?”
Bubbles emerged in the Blood Sea as Yue Sang’s figure gradually emerged from within. He had a smirk at the corners of his lips and was just about to speak when Yang Kai’s figure flickered and disappeared out of sight.
When Yang Kai reappeared again, he was already right in front of Yue Sang.
Even though Yue Sang’s strength far surpassed Yang Kai’s, he still couldn’t help being shocked for a moment. He jerked his head up and when their gazes met, a golden light shone out of Yang Kai’s left eye, one that was both extremely domineering and mesmerizing.
While using the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai executed the Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique. A pure white lotus bud appeared in a flash and sank into Yue Sang’s mind.
Yue Sang’s vision was instantly filled with the pure white flower and his Spiritual Energy was forcibly sucked into the bud, out of his control. The petals subsequently began to unfurl, layer by layer. Immediately following behind the flowers, a sword light slashed out with horrifying killing intent!
Demon Eye of Annihilation, Blossoming Lotus Secret Technique, Heaven Severing Slash, and Instantaneous Movement. Yang Kai brought out four of his best methods in that instant, all to take his opponent by surprise. He had no other choice. The other party was a Half-Saint so he basically had no other card to play except taking a pre-emptive strike. Unfortunately, he had the feeling that using all these moves together was still not enough to do anything to his opponent.
With a cry of surprise, Yue Sang lifted his hand and struck out, his palm landing squarely on Yang Kai’s chest. A fleeting look of pain appeared on Yang Kai’s face as the sound of bones breaking rang out. Then, his entire person flew backwards like an arrow released from its string. While flying in mid-air, he forced himself to take a deep breath and summoned the Mountains and Rivers Bell to cover Yue Sang.
With a great splash, Yang Kai fell into the Blood Sea. The clothes on his body were quickly melted away, and even his intrepid physique could not resist the terrifying corrosive force. By the time he came back out of the Blood Sea, his entire body was covered in wounds. There was not a single spot on Yang Kai’s body that was not injured. Fortunately, the healing ability of someone with the blood of the Dragon Clan was so powerful that this level of injury could not be considered serious.
On the other hand, Yue Sang had been caught off guard and lost the initiative. He was currently trapped in the Mountains and Rivers Bell as an overwhelming suppressive aura permeated the air. Violent banging sounds came from inside the bell and it was clear that he was trying to break free of these restraints. At the same time, his voice roared out from within, “Yang Kai, I will rip your corpse into ten thousand pieces!”
His voice not only sounded absolutely livid, but also loud and energetic.
Yang Kai was secretly speechless. Even a High-Rank Demon King would be severely injured after receiving his four move combination, but they only had such minor effects on a Half-Saint. The gap in their strength truly was not something that could be compensated with mere tricks.
“That’s only if you can get out of there.” Yang Kai snorted coldly. Enduring the feeling as though his head was going to split apart, Yang Kai formed a set of hand seals, causing the engravings on the Mountains and Rivers Bell to flicker, increasing the world-suppressing aura to new heights.
Maintaining the activation of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was very exhausting, but Yue Sang would escape very quickly if Yang Kai did not do so. Yang Kai would be no match for Yue Sang the moment he freed himself from his predicament.
Neither Zhui Feng nor the Embodiment were nearby. Yang Kai was all alone in this place. However, he was certain that both Zhui Feng and the Embodiment were catching up. They had hurriedly rushed after him when he sped off just now, but their speed was not as fast as his. Perhaps they had already discovered this Blood Sea and were trying to find a way to destroy it. They were both Half-Saints, so their strength was comparable to Yue Sang’s. The Blood Sea would not be able to stop them though, so Yang Kai only needed to hold on for a short while before the opportunity to join up with them would come.
Even so, Yang Kai could not pin all his hopes on them. Who knew what strange tricks were hidden in this Blood Sea? It might have some sort of power to delay them that he didn’t know about. Therefore, he spread out his Divine Sense and explored the Blood Sea in his surroundings for a weak spot while maintaining the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell at the same time.
Regardless of how he searched though, Yang Kai could not find any useful clues. The Blood Sea seemed to be a gigantic Spirit Array and he had no way of destroying it unless he could locate its Array Core.
On the contrary, his Divine Sense seemed to have activated some sort of restriction. The Blood Sea in his surroundings churned tumultuously, constantly forming huge bubbles that burst and made the surrounding Blood Qi even denser.
“Did you think I wouldn’t be able to do anything to you just because you trapped me inside here!?” Yue Sang’s shouts came from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell, his voice a mixture of endless ridicule and mockery. Yang Kai did not know when he stopped banging against the Mountains and Rivers Bell, but he probably realized that this Ancient Exotic Artifact was very difficult to deal with so instead he simply called out, “Let me show you the power of my Blood Light Array!”
His words were accompanied by a loud splashing sound. A figure covered in blood suddenly sprang out of the Blood Sea. The figure lunged at Yang Kai at an extremely fast speed as soon as he appeared, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai looked in that direction and couldn’t help feeling shocked. That figure was completely devoid of vitality. Yang Kai did not know how long this person had been dead for, but their figure was tall, broad, and had crimson red eyes. When that person’s fist came slamming down, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. The attack caught Yang Kai off guard and he could only meet it directly.
*Hong…*
When both their fists collided with each other, Yang Kai’s eyes widened. He could feel the tremendous power rushing towards him as his body was inadvertently pushed back by a dozen metres. On the other hand, the figure was also blown away by his punch. The other party might be powerful, but it seemed Yang Kai’s strength was still greater.
*Hualala…*
A series of splashing sounds came out as dozens of figures suddenly emerged from the surrounding Blood Sea. Similar to the figure from earlier, they were devoid of vitality and had crimson red eyes. It was just that they came in different shapes and sizes. When these figures appeared, they attacked Yang Kai without saying a word. Several of them circled to the sides while each of them had powerful blood light coming from their forms. One of them was entirely covered in blood-red flames, similar to a Flame Demon’s Innate Divine Ability.
Several other figures pulled away, each stretching out their hands to hold a strong bow. When they drew the bow and nocked the arrow, countless rays of blood light burst through the air to attack Yang Kai’s vitals like blood serpents.
Yang Kai was taken aback. He never expected that there would be an ambush lying in wait for him in this Blood Sea. Moreover, these people had clearly been dead for a long time now. He couldn’t believe how they still managed to display the abilities they had during their life.
Not daring to underestimate them, Yang Kai lifted his hand, summoned the Wind Gourd, and opened its mouth. His Emperor Qi surged violently, and the Wind Gourd slashed out waves of shocking gales. A fan-shaped area in front of him centred on the place where he stood instantly became a land of death.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
A muffled sound rang out as sharp blades of wind slashed everywhere, slicing up the numerous bloody figures into pieces. Even the blood arrows shot toward Yang Kai were completely blocked by the gale.
Before Yang Kai could rejoice, a chill suddenly came from behind him. At that critical moment, he activated Nihility and exiled himself into the void. He sprinted forward simultaneously, speeding thousands of metres away. When he looked behind again, he saw that a ghostly figure had suddenly appeared where he had originally been standing. That person was holding a dagger in his hand and slashing at the spot he used to be.
Shadow Demon!
Thinking back on the figures that were similar to Flame Demons and Feather Demons, Yang Kai suddenly understood. These people had been refined by Yue Sang. That was why even if they had died, they could still use the abilities they had when they were still alive.
Yue Sang’s voice came from the Mountains and Rivers Bell, “I have eight thousand Blood Corpses in this Blood Light Array. How many can you kill? Surrender obediently, and I’ll let you live!”
Yang Kai sneered, “If your Blood Corpses are only this strong, they won’t be able to do anything to me no matter how many there are!”
These so-called Blood Corpses might be extremely powerful, but they were only comparable to Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Demon Kings. As long as Yang Kai had enough Emperor Qi, he was not afraid of them with the Wind Gourd in his possession. The only thing he had to guard against were the sneak attacks from the Shadow Demon Blood Corpses. He didn’t know if it was because of Night Shadow Great Emperor, but there was nothing he hated more than the Shadow Demon Clan in the entire Demon Realm at this moment.
“How impenetrably thick-headed! Are you expecting someone to save you!?” Yue Sang sneered, “That beast and that strange Divine Spirit have indeed arrived and are right outside. But, what can they do even if I let them in?”
While Yue Sang was speaking, the Embodiment and Zhui Feng were blasting at the Blood Sea with various methods. Unfortunately, all they managed to do was cause the blood water to swirl violently and evaporate uncontrollably.
When Yang Kai had set off in such a hurry, they had rushed to keep up with him. Nevertheless, how could they possibly keep up with his Instantaneous Movement? Thus, they could only watch as he plunged straight into the Blood Sea. They might not know what secrets were contained within this Blood Sea, but they did know they had been blocked by the swirling sea when they tried to enter.
At this moment, the Blood Sea parted to the sides on its own after the duo let out another barrage of attacks, revealing a spacious passage that led straight into an unknown world. Zhui Feng and the Embodiment looked at each other and nodded. Both of them were extremely courageous, so they plunged into the Blood Sea without hesitation.
The sea that split apart on both sides closed again, swallowing them up in the blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, they lost each other the moment they stepped into the Blood Sea. Zhui Feng searched around but did not see Yang Kai and Embodiment. Thus, he couldn’t help neighing non-stop and sprinting away into the distance. Unfortunately, the Blood Sea seemed limitless and he could not see where it ended no matter where he sprinted, much less find Yang Kai and the Embodiment.
The Embodiment’s current situation was similar to that of Zhui Feng. Unlike Zhui Feng though, he quickly realized that the Blood Sea Spirit Array had some effect of creating an endless loop. There was no other way to swiftly break free of this place; hence, he quickly stopped in his tracks and did not bother with such useless efforts. With a flip of his wrist, the Embodiment took out a bead. Drawing on his power, the bead flashed with light and he disappeared from the spot.
In the centre of the Blood Sea, Yue Sang, who was still being trapped by the Mountains and Rivers Bell, was still mocking loudly, “I have let your two helpers into the Spirit Array. Nevertheless, they are simply walking straight into a trap. Unless they have my permission, they will never be able to find…”
At this point, he stopped abruptly. Immediately after that, he called out in alarm, “How is that possible?!”
There was an obvious incredulity in his voice and Yang Kai could almost imagine the shocked expression on Yue Sang’s face. That was because the Embodiment had appeared next to Yang Kai without warning, stretched out his hand to grab at a lunging Blood Corpse, squeezed it hard, and caused the Blood Corpse to explode.
Yang Kai shouted at that moment, “Time to die, Yue Sang!”
The Blood Light Array was truly amazing. Leaving aside the so-called eight thousand Blood Corpses lying in ambush that were prepared to jump out to attack at any time, it actually had the ability to seal off space, which greatly restricted the use of his Space Techniques. Yang Kai had no way to get out of this place via Instantaneous Movement without first destroying the Spirit Array, but all his Space Techniques worked just fine inside the Spirit Array. The same went for the Space Beacon.
The Embodiment was one of Yang Kai’s most powerful helpers, so how could he not possess a Space Beacon refined by Yang Kai?
Letting the Embodiment into the Blood Light Array was definitely Yue Sang’s biggest mistake. He probably never expected that the Embodiment could come directly to Yang Kai while ignoring the mysterious workings of the Spirit Array.
[That was already within the scope of the Space Techniques. Wasn’t that Human the only one proficient in the Dao of Space? Why was this weird Divine Spirit also proficient in it? How can it be so extremely versatile!?] Yue Sang was completely baffled and the shock in his heart caused the Blood Sea to churn in response.
Countless Blood Corpses were still coming out of the Blood Sea in all directions, lunging at Yang Kai as soon as they appeared; however, the strongest among these Blood Corpses was only as strong as High-Rank Demon Kings. Moreover, there were very few of them. The rest were Mid-Rank Demon Kings and Low-Rank Demon Kings. The real strength of these Blood Corpses lay in their numbers. Anybody who was trapped in the Blood Light Array would become flustered if they were besieged by so many Blood Corpses.
Be that as it may, the Embodiment was now as strong as any Half-Saint, so these Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Demon King Blood Corpses were nothing to him. He kicked and punched for a little while, and Blood Corpse after Blood Corpse burst into blood mist.
The surrounding area was cleared up in the blink of an eye.
The Blood Corpses did not reappear as Yue Sang was probably aware that something wasn’t quite right with the situation and stopped making unnecessary sacrifices. He might have claimed that he had thousands of Blood Corpses in his Blood Light Array, but judging by the speed the Embodiment was killing them, there was seemingly nothing they could do even if all of them charged together.
On the contrary, there was a violent sound coming from the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Yang Kai had been careless and nearly allowed Yue Sang to escape. It frightened him so much that he hurriedly pushed the power of the Ancient Exotic Artifact to further suppress Yue Sang.
The Embodiment exchanged a glance with him and immediately understood his current predicament, giving him a slight nod. There was no need for them to communicate as both understood what the other was planning.
In the next moment, the Embodiment reached out his hand and grabbed at something in the void. The Demonic War Hammer appeared in the palm of his hand, and with a slight shift of his body, he rushed towards the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai changed the hand seals he was using and opened a gap in the world-suppressing pressure. Yue Sang, who was trapped in the Mountains and Rivers Bell, keenly felt this change and immediately turned into a ray of blood light in an attempt to break free.
What he did not expect was that he would be greeted by the Embodiment’s head-on blow. The Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering aura that pressed down on Yue Sang startled him, and like a frightened rabbit, he quickly shrank back again.
Taking this opportunity, the Embodiment plunged into Mountains and Rivers Bell from below and Yang Kai sealed the gap once again. There soon came fierce and appalling sounds of fighting from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell. It was evident that the Embodiment and Yue Sang were battling each other inside. In support, Yang Kai pushed his strength hard to maintain the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, a pained expression showing on his face.
The power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell was beyond question; after all, it was an Ancient Exotic Artifact that used to belong to a Great Emperor. It was an existence that could even suppress the Phoenix True Fire for tens of thousands of years. Unfortunately, that was only provided Yang Kai could exert all of its power.
Yang Kai had obtained the Mountains and Rivers Bell many years ago, but because of his limited cultivation, he could not bring out its full power. It had been a surprise that he managed to suppress Yue Sang within it. If the Embodiment had not arrived in time, it would not have taken long before Yue Sang broke free of the restraints.
At present, the two Half-Saints were fighting each other with the Mountains and Rivers Bell as the battlefield. The aftermath of the fierce battle spread out and it was no less intense than the commotion made by Yue Sang before. Even if Yang Kai tried his best, he didn’t know how long he could maintain this situation.
The moment he failed to hold on, Yue Sang would instantly escape from the trap. That would allow Yue Sang to regain the initiative and take control of the situation with the help of this Blood Light Array. Yang Kai seriously doubted that he and the Embodiment could fight against Yue Sang inside this strange Spirit Array while also having to deal with thousands of Blood Corpses. A veteran Half-Saint could not be that easy to deal with after all.
The only hope he had was that the Embodiment could kill or severely injure Yue Sang in short order! That was the only way they would have any hope of victory. What made Yang Kai more anxious though was Bright Moon’s current situation. When he had been rushing over from the mountain valley, Bright Moon had already suffered a grievous wound and was surrounded by countless Half-Saints. Yang Kai didn’t know what situation Bright Moon was in now, which made him hate Yue Sang even more. If Yue Sang had not ambushed him along the way, he would not have been delayed.
Nevertheless, he could not ignore Yue Sang in this situation. He would not be able to escape from the Blood Light Array if he didn’t kill or severely injure Yue Sang first, much less go to Bright Moon’s rescue.
Incessant explosions could be heard coming from within the Mountains and Rivers Bell as the Emperor Qi in Yang Kai’s body flared strongly. His mind was closely connected to the Mountains and Rivers Bell. Following the emergence of those sounds, the patterns on the Mountains and Rivers Bell continued to flicker without stopping. The body of the bell would also become bigger and smaller from time to time, reflecting the fierce battle occurring inside.
In the beginning, a few Blood Corpses would occasionally jump out of the surrounding Blood Sea to obstruct Yang Kai; however, he had taken the time to kill them, and the Blood Corpses in the Blood Sea did not reappear again as time passed. It wasn’t that all the Blood Corpses weren’t there, it was just that Yue Sang could not afford to split his attention to control them!
Yue Sang might be a veteran Half-Saint with extraordinary power, but the Mountains and Rivers Bell that limited the scope of the battlefield was highly advantageous to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that the Embodiment was using. How could Yue Sang stop the Embodiment when the latter had a Saint Artifact in hand? Just resisting the Embodiment’s horrendous attacks exhausted all of Yue Sang’s mental capacity, so where would he find the spare energy to control Blood Corpses to attack Yang Kai?
While the fight was in full swing on this side, the main battlefield was also flowing with rivers of blood. Platoon after platoon of millions of Demons flooded in from all directions under the Half-Saints’ command. They threw themselves at Bright Moon, one after the other, and the Moonlight Sword continued to bloom with light in response. Troop after troop of the army was beaten half to death and the Demon Race suffered countless casualties as a result.
The scene looked like a group of ants trying to besiege an elephant. It was truly amusing. Unfortunately, the world was full of unspeakable tragedies. It was often said that even an army of ants could kill an elephant, but of course, that was under the premise that the elephant could not move to escape.
Even if Bright Moon was heavily injured, he was not somebody an ordinary member of the Demon Race could challenge. The Half-Saints did not expect the ordinary Demons to cause any new injuries to Bright Moon and simply planned on using these subordinates to tire Bright Moon out. Every time Bright Moon launched an attack, he would weaken a little more. The moment he reached a certain limit would be the moment the Half-Saints made their move.
Among the Twelve Demon Saints, eleven pairs of eyes were staring at Bright Moon. Only Yu Ru Meng looked into the distance with a frosty expression. Her Divine Sense was very powerful, so she could perceive some of the situation over there. Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing what the situation was within the Blood Sea. All she knew was that Yang Kai had plunged into the Blood Sea and fallen into Yue Sang’s trap.
It wasn’t until the Embodiment and Zhui Feng entered the Blood Sea together that her worries slightly lessened. Others might not know much about Yang Kai, but she was different. How could she not understand him after all the years she had spent beside him in Star Boundary?
[Yue Sang is in trouble!] Yu Ru Meng coldly snorted in her heart. [They will suffer for thinking themselves clever.]
Her subordinate’s betrayal was undoubtedly a blow to her reputation; however, her shaky reputation would stabilize again as long as Yang Kai could finish the matter for her.
…
“It’s over,” Nobody knew how much time had passed when Bei Li Mo’s voice suddenly rang in Yu Ru Meng’s ears. Her voice could not be said to sound excited; in fact, it sounded rather desolate instead, “The fall of a Great Emperor is truly spectacular.”
Yu Ru Meng was startled and when she turned to look in that direction, she saw that Bright Moon was standing alone in the sky. His figure looked bleak and the sky all around him was clear while the ground below him was covered in mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. Countless Demons had died there.
The Moonlight Sword he held in his hand all this while was dim and lacklustre. It was as though it could be extinguished at any moment. His aura as a Great Emperor had long vanished and instead, he was as weak as an old man who was on his deathbed. Even his originally black hair had turned grey at this moment. The appearance of a handsome youth that he used to have no longer existed.
It was indeed over. The Demon Realm had paid a price of hundreds of millions of lives in this place to forcefully exhaust a Great Emperor to such an extent. It was time for the Half-Saints to take their places on the stage. It was time for them to compete between each other.
“I wonder who will come out on top!” Xue Li laughed.
The Half-Saints scattered in the surroundings, who had been watching Bright Moon’s condition nervously, gathered around again. Each of them was so incredibly excited that they surrounded the spot where Bright Moon stood tightly.
Many pairs of eyes turned to look at Huang Wu Ji, to which the tall First Demon Saint gave a slight nod with a solemn expression.
In the next instant, hundreds of Half-Saints moved like a pack of hungry wolves to rush at Bright Moon. In the centre of the storm, Bright Moon’s expression was indifferent. He remained calm in the face of death. There was only an indescribable exhaustion on his face, and his eyes closed slightly. The Moonlight Sword in his hands trembled slightly, before its light was extinguished.
…
Inside the Blood Light Array, Yang Kai was trembling. His complexion was as pale as a sheet, and Golden Blood steadily flowed from his seven orifices. He had overexerted himself when using the power of the Mountains and Rivers Bell. These actions had affected the injuries that he suffered previously, although they could not be considered serious. Nevertheless, it had worsened his current state.
There was no way around this. Two Half-Saints, the Embodiment and Yue Sang, were having a deathmatch inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell. The fallout of the attacks shook the Mountains and Rivers Bell endlessly, to the point that even he, as the Master of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, was affected by the impact. Thus, Yang Kai could only grit his teeth and hold on with determination. All his previous efforts would be in vain if Yue Sang were to break free from the trap.
The feedback Yang Kai received from the Embodiment allowed him to understand the situation inside the Mountains and Rivers Bell in an instant. Fortunately, Yue Sang was also facing unspeakable misery that was comparable to Yang Kai’s overwhelming burden. The narrow space forced him to face the Embodiment’s fierce attacks while the manifestation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law caused his aura to decrease steadily. On the other hand, the Embodiment only became stronger as the battle went on. He had the posture as though he was going to hammer Yue Sang to death on the spot.
Hence, Yue Sang was panicking. He could never have expected the situation to come to this in the end. Rather than the suppression of the Mountains and Rivers Bell, what scared him the most was the Embodiment. He did not know what kind of evil Secret Art this strange Divine Spirit had cultivated that had the effect of plundering and devouring his own aura, but it was clear the Embodiment was literally the Blood Demon Clan’s nemesis.
As a Half-Saint from the Blood Demon Clan, Yue Sang was the most proficient at using the various Secret Techniques of the Blood Demon Clan; however, he no longer dared to use them easily. That was because the Embodiment could refine and devour whatever Secret Techniques he utilized. Hence, his situation was becoming more and more unfavourable with the passing of time.
[Damn it! It was a foolproof ambush! How could things develop into this!?] There was no point in time when he was not trying to escape from this trap. Unfortunately, the bell-shaped artifact had an unimaginable force of suppression. Combined with the Embodiment making things difficult for him, Yue Sang was completely powerless to resist. It was humiliating that he had been held up by a trivial Mid-Rank Demon King for so long.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a flaw in the aura that had been suppressing the surrounding area. This discovery left him feeling overjoyed. He did not know why Yang Kai would make such a fatal mistake at such a time, but he guessed that the latter had reached his limits. After all, the other party’s cultivation was obviously much lower than his own. It was exceptional that Yang Kai could persist for such a long time already.
Without the slightest hesitation, Yue Sang spouted a cloud of blood mist. He had to stop the Embodiment for a moment, even if he had to sacrifice some of his Blood Essence to do so. Then, his figure transformed into a ray of blood light and rushed towards that gap in the defence.
The Embodiment could not stop Yue Sang in time and could only watch as Yue Sang dashed out of the suppression range of the Mountains and Rivers Bell.
At the same time, Yang Kai turned his head and looked in a certain direction. He had suddenly experienced an inexplicable sense of turmoil for a moment just now. It felt as though something terrible had happened. It was precisely because of this sliver of unease that his control over the Mountains and Rivers Bell had stopped for a moment and the gap that allowed Yue Sang to escape appeared. He instinctively knew that something had happened to Bright Moon, because he could no longer sense Bright Moon’s aura!
Although he had been fighting Yue Sang within the Blood Light Array all this time, Yang Kai could still sense the aura of a Great Emperor outside, albeit faintly. At that moment, however, the aura that belonged to Bright Moon became non-existent. It had thoroughly been extinguished from this world.
Yue Sang’s escape drew his mind back to the present in a panic, but unfortunately, there was nothing he could do at this point and his temper instantly flared to the extreme as a result.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, the counterattack he was expecting did not come. Likewise, Yue Sang vanished completely into the Blood Sea after escaping the trap. Yang Kai could not tell whether Yue Sang had fled or was hiding in ambush somewhere nearby.
The Blood Sea then began to churn, shrinking towards a certain direction.
At the same time, Yue Sang was fleeing into the distance with the help of the cover provided by the Blood Sea. His expression was full of hatred. He was also gnashing his teeth and cursing at something under his breath. A Blood Demon Half-Saint like him had ambushed Yang Kai only to end up in this miserable situation. Thus, the rage in his heart grew exponentially. Nevertheless, he did not dare to confront Yang Kai any longer due to his fear of the Embodiment’s power. He only wanted to escape, the further the better, lest Yang Kai used the Mountains and Rivers Bell to trap him again. He would most likely lose his life if he was caught again. On the other hand, he believed that he could still escape alive with the protection of the Blood Light Array. As for his grudges against Yang Kai… he could only leave that for later.
A ray of bright light suddenly tore through the boundless Blood Sea and the Moonlight Sword silently came slashing down. Yue Sang was heavily wounded and the expression on his face froze completely at that moment.
…..
Yang Kai retrieved the Mountains and Rivers Bell above the Blood Sea, but before he could catch his breath, he suddenly heard the Embodiment shouting, “Watch out!”
At the same time, a feeling of horror spread throughout his body. His eyes widened abruptly as he turned to look in that direction. Yue Sang was rushing directly at him with a blazing murderous intent.
Without the slightest hesitation, he forced himself to take a deep breath and punched out. Space collapsed in the path his fist took, but contrary to his expectations, Yue Sang, who was lunging at him, didn’t put up any resistance whatsoever when he threw this punch. Instead, Yue Sang opened his arms wide to accept it, even showing a small smile of relief. The murderous intent, which had been so dense that it practically felt tangible at that point, also vanished without a trace.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched violently and he instinctively realized that something was wrong, but it was too late to stop.
*Puchi…*
The punch that Yang Kai threw made a hole in Yue Sang’s chest. He had punched right through the body and the explosive power from his fist formed a wide hole. The rampant strength of his fist had shattered Yue Sang’s organs and meridians in an instant.
Yang Kai’s expression was one of utter shock. He was not feeling the triumph of annihilating his enemy. On the contrary, he felt an indescribable pain ripping through him. It felt as though a large, invisible hand was gripping his heart and that his body would collapse to pieces in the next moment.
[No! No! This can’t be…]
When their gazes met, Yue Sang smiled gently and softly muttered, “Everything is up to you now.”
While saying that, Yue Sang’s appearance distorted and transformed to become a heavily injured Bright Moon, covered in still wet blood…
“Senior!” Yang Kai shouted through gritted teeth, his eyes looking like they were about to break, “Why… Why…”
He could not accept what he was seeing before him, he had ended the life of Bright Moon Great Emperor with my own hands!
Yang Kai’s mind was a mess, and he could hardly think.
That punch had destroyed any chance Bright Moon had of survival. He no longer had any chance of escape from this ordeal.
[The person I wanted to kill was Yue Sang. Why did I end up killing Bright Moon instead!?]
Of course, it was not hard for a Great Emperor to deceive Yang Kai’s perception and make him mistakenly think that he was looking at Yue Sang; moreover, that realistic murderous intent was the key that forced him to act so decisively.
“This is what I wanted. The whole of the Star Boundary will thank you for this!” Bright Moon clearly understood Yang Kai’s feelings at the moment, so raising his hand, he grabbed Yang Kai’s wrist and looked straight into his eyes while speaking earnestly, “So, please don’t feel guilty.”
At that moment though, Yang Kai couldn’t hear what Bright Moon was saying. His mind had been filled with a chaotic buzzing ever since he saw the Great Emperor’s pale face.
A mysterious power flowed out from Bright Moon’s body and into his own along his arm right then, flooding his mind and body. This sensation finally brought Yang Kai back to his senses and the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. He wanted to take his hand out of Bright Moon’s chest, but Bright Moon gripped his arm tightly so that he couldn’t move.
“The Star Boundary’s Will cannot be taken by the Demon Race!” Bright Moon shouted, gritting his teeth. Blood flowed out from the corners of his mouth, dampening the shredded clothes on his chest. The warm blood flowed over Yang Kai’s arms, scorching like molten iron, “Only you can bring this Will back. This is also the reason Heaven’s Revelations sent you to the Demon Realm!”
Yang Kai looked startled and thought back on something Heavens Revelations Great Emperor had once said to him, “In the Demon Realm, you will face both an opportunity and a crisis…”
In the past, he had been unable to figure out the meaning behind ‘an opportunity and a crisis’. It wasn’t until now that he finally understood those words. Was there any greater opportunity than to obtain a Great World’s Will from a Great Emperor? Did Heavens Revelations predict this would happen back then? If that was the case, the reason he asked Yang Kai to come to the Demon Realm was never to rescue Bright Moon Great Emperor, but rather to inherit the Great World’s Will from him… But if this opportunity came at the cost of a Great Emperor’s life… Yang Kai didn’t want it!
Whilst in his dazed state, the mysterious power filled his entire body. The power did not make him stronger immediately; instead, it gave him an inexplicable and indescribable sense of clarity. It made his perception countless times sharper than before and he instantly understood that this was the Will of the Great World known as the Star Boundary.
“This King… is sorry!” Bright Moon forced a smile at Yang Kai, “But, this King had no other way. Please don’t resent me for this.”
Although such an opportunity was being fought over by hundreds of Demon Half-Saints, it was actually nothing but a massive burden for a Human. After all, Yang Kai had personally killed a Great Emperor, that was a truth that would never change.
This was also the first time in history that a Great Emperor died at the hands of an Emperor Realm cultivator. Rather than saying that Yang Kai had killed Bright Moon though, it was more accurate to say that Bright Moon had killed himself with Yang Kai’s hands.
“You must go now!” Bright Moon’s expression suddenly changed. He killed Yue Sang, and thus the Blood Light Array fell apart on its own. At this moment when the Blood Sea collapsed, the Half-Saints who had been chasing Bright Moon began appearing from all directions.
Many of the Half-Saints were dumbfounded by the sight of Yang Kai and Bright Moon’s current situation. Then, they immediately became angry out of shame. They had paid such a heavy price, with more than ten of them dying at Bright Moon’s hands. They went to great lengths just to force the Great Emperor of the Star Boundary into a desperate situation, and all that was left was to harvest the fruits of their labour. Who could have known that a mere Human brat would take advantage of their efforts? How could they tolerate this?
The Demons Saints had mentioned that no matter who killed Bright Moon, no one else could attempt to snatch away the Great World’s Will. As long as they could bear the weight of the Great World’s Will, that person would have a great chance of becoming the thirteenth Demon Saint of the Demon Realm in the future. That was the lifelong pursuit of all Half-Saints. The capacity of the world was limited, so with the opportunity to reach the summit so close at hand, they did not hesitate even if they had to put their life on the line in the attempt.
Following a burst of rage, the Half-Saints actually began sneering. Was it really an opportunity when a trivial Mid-Rank Demon King was the one to obtain this opportunity? Without the power to protect himself, that opportunity would become nothing more than a catastrophe. They would rather face a Mid-Rank Demon King than attack a Great Emperor on the verge of death.
Many Divine Senses locked on Yang Kai in an instant. Nearly a hundred Half-Saints fell silent at that moment. Nobody took the lead in attacking. Instead, their gazes swept around their surroundings warily. Yang Kai was nothing to them, it was the other Half-Saints that were the real obstacles in their climb to reach the summit.
Yang Kai stood in the centre of this mob with an expression that was extremely solemn. He glanced around in a circle, and by the time he looked down again, Bright Moon had closed his eyes and his vitality had dissipated.
Yang Kai’s expression shifted slightly, as he felt incredibly heartbroken. Before he could say his goodbyes to Bright Moon, before he could apologize, the Great Emperor had passed away.
He took a deep breath and forcibly restrained his chaotic state of mind. Then, he slowly pulled his hand out of Bright Moon’s chest in front of everybody and carefully placed Bright Moon’s body next to the medicine garden in the Small Sealed World.
Grief was stuck in his chest. He couldn’t bear not letting it out. Thus, he howled up into the sky. His howling gradually became louder, transforming into a thunderous Dragon Roar that resounded throughout the world.
As though being summoned at that moment, Zhui Feng’s mighty figure came galloping from a distance and arrived in front of Yang Kai in the blink of an eye. He reared up, practically standing on his two hind legs. By the time he landed on all fours, Yang Kai was already seated on his back. Yang Kai lightly patted the mane on his neck and ordered, “Run!”
Ah! My kokoro!