Su Mu glared at Cheng Shaofeng with a venomous gaze, not blinking as he coldly declared, "Cheng Shaofeng, if you don't kill me today, I will never let this go!"
"Still so arrogant!" Cheng Shaofeng's fleeting hesitations were swiftly overtaken by fury as he brought the stone down with brutal force. If this blow connected, it would either kill Su Mu or leave him grievously injured.
"Young Master Su!" Li Yuntian and the others, huddled on the ground, shielded their heads while enduring the blows from the Fengyu Tower's men, their cries of anguish echoing in the air.
Huo Mei'er's eyes widened in surprise, her heart racing violently. This was merely a scuffle among junior disciples, yet she hadn't anticipated it escalating to this extent. Should Su Mu die here, given his status, a war between Lingxiao Pavilion and Fengyu Tower might ensue.
Despite the varied thoughts of those present, all eyes were fixed on the stone in Cheng Shaofeng's hand.
Just as the stone was about to smash into Su Mu's head, a somewhat emaciated hand suddenly blocked the blow. The hand, though not particularly strong and somewhat frail, was pierced by the sharp edge of the stone, immediately splattering blood.
The stone fell, but thanks to the hand's intervention, Su Mu was spared significant harm.
With the deadly strike thwarted, Li Yuntian and the others, who had been anxiously holding their breath, relaxed slightly. They turned their gaze to the person who had saved Su Mu, only to be met with an expression of embarrassment when they saw the rescuer's face.
"Senior Brother Yang?" Li Yuntian stammered in disbelief. He had not expected the savior to be Yang Kai, the very person they had plotted against earlier that day. Li Yuntian was now consumed with shame.
The scene fell into a sudden silence. The attackers halted, and those being attacked seized the moment to catch their breath.
Huo Mei'er stood to the side, her mouth slightly agape, gazing at Yang Kai with astonishment. Despite the blood streaming from Yang Kai's palm, his brow remained unfurrowed, his face devoid of pain, and instead, there was an expression of eagerness and a fierce glint in his bright eyes.
For some reason, Huo Mei'er suddenly felt a sense of danger emanating from him.
Drip... drip...
The dripping of bright red blood broke the stillness.
Cheng Shaofeng's face darkened as he stared at Yang Kai, coldly asking, "Are you a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion?"
"Yes!" Yang Kai nodded. The familiar sting of pain excited him, his blood surging with the eagerness for a fierce battle.
"Are you meddling in this matter?" Cheng Shaofeng's tone was unfriendly, prompting the other Fengyu Tower disciples to abandon Li Yuntian and the others and gradually close in on Yang Kai.
"Meddling?" Yang Kai grinned, "You've already identified me as a disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion. How can this be considered meddling? After all, they call me 'Senior Brother'."
"Good, another one delivered right to my doorstep." Cheng Shaofeng laughed heartily, "I despise Lingxiao Pavilion to the core! I'll take down as many of you as show up today!"
"Senior Brother Yang, run!" Li Yuntian, lying on the ground, shouted, "They are too many; you're no match for them. Hurry—"
Li Yuntian's misfortune continued. His current position was close to a Fengyu Tower disciple who, annoyed by his incessant noise, approached and struck him on the neck. Li Yuntian immediately fell silent.
Meanwhile, Cheng Shaofeng and Yang Kai were exchanging verbal barbs while contending over the stone. Cheng Shaofeng struggled to wrest it away, but the stone seemed to be firmly gripped by Yang Kai.
Though Cheng Shaofeng had reached the Opening Yuan Realm, he was vexed that this seemingly frail Lingxiao Pavilion disciple, at the level of Body Refinement, was causing him trouble. His irritation mounted.
He let go of the stone and, raising his arm, commanded, "Attack!"
At Cheng Shaofeng's command, the surrounding Fengyu Tower disciples lunged at Yang Kai. Yang Kai quickly rose, gripping the bloodstained stone, and swung it at one of the Fengyu Tower disciples.
While fists and kicks have their limitations, a weapon can deliver greater force. Although the stone was not a sophisticated weapon, it wielded power exceeding that of fists and feet. The first Fengyu Tower disciple charging at Yang Kai was struck on the head by the stone with a forceful blow, his skull splitting open as he fell to the ground.
Having downed one opponent, Yang Kai did not cease but instead intensified his assault, hurling the stone at other Fengyu Tower disciples.
Yang Kai's ferocity and brutality far exceeded expectations.
After taking down four Fengyu Tower disciples in succession, the stone shattered in his hand. Yang Kai threw a punch, sending shards of stone flying like a shower of hidden weapons, causing numerous injuries and cries of pain among the Fengyu Tower disciples.
Seizing the moment, Yang Kai kicked two more Fengyu Tower disciples aside, but he was soon overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.
The Fengyu Tower's forces were numerous, and despite Yang Kai's efforts, he found himself outnumbered.
As the clash continued with loud exchanges, Yang Kai staggered, several Fengyu Tower disciples collapsing around him. The fallen were flushed and hot, their skin reddened. Yang Kai's cultivation of the True Yang Secret Art was now displaying its might. The True Yang energy in his attacks was more than these Body Refinement Realm disciples could endure.
This was still without the use of Yang Liquid; had he employed it, his strength might have increased further. However, having cultivated for only a few days to condense a single drop of Yang Liquid, Yang Kai was reluctant to use it.
Despite the many Fengyu Tower disciples he had taken down, Yang Kai was not unscathed. With only the Body Refinement Realm's seventh layer and lacking any body techniques, evading so many opponents was impossible.
Blood streamed down Yang Kai's forehead, with wounds across his arms and legs, yet these injuries only fueled his combat fervor. The more he was hurt, the fiercer he became, and his strikes grew more ruthless.
A warm sensation spread through his bones, as if he had endless strength. With this warmth, his power and speed increased.
Yang Kai was unaware of the mysterious intricacies hidden in his body, but every injury and pain seemed to activate the effects of his Proud Bone Golden Body. Pain and injury only made him stronger.
Standing on the periphery, Huo Mei'er's eyes shone with amazement, her cherry lips parted in astonishment. She had initially expected the Lingxiao Pavilion disciple to quickly fall, only to be beaten by Cheng Shaofeng and the others. However, the battle had surpassed her expectations. Nearly ten of Fengyu Tower's disciples had been defeated, with those remaining on the ground writhing, their bodies emitting heat and their skin flushed.
Is this person using his energy to fight? Huo Mei'er was astonished. For a Body Refinement Realm warrior, using energy like this is self-destructive, making it difficult to recover. Doesn't he fear that it will affect his future cultivation?