Martial Peak - Rise Of The Human Emperor-Chapter 61 – A Blooming Threat

"If they truly have only two people left, then we shouldn't need to fear them," Xia Ning Chang said, her brows furrowed tightly. However, a shadow of concern lingered in her voice. "But that True Element Boundary master is still a threat. Once the seal weakens and his cultivation returns, he'll definitely come after us. And when he does, we won't be able to run far."

Raising an eyebrow, Yang Kai asked calmly, "Once the seal breaks, he'll regain his full cultivation?"

"Yes," she nodded seriously, her gaze dark. "That formation wasn't meant to last forever—just long enough for us to retreat or regroup. Once it dissolves, his strength will slowly recover."

Yang Kai's eyes turned sharp, his expression cold. "Then we have no choice. We'll have to strike before he does."

If they didn't eliminate the True Element cultivator before dawn, then they were the ones doomed.

Xia Ning Chang let out a sigh, brushing her sleeve lightly. "But I've only recovered around twenty percent of my strength. Against someone like him, that won't be nearly enough."

Yang Kai reached into his robe and pulled out a collection of medicinal pills he had scavenged from fallen enemies earlier. "I took these from the corpses. See if anything here can help you recover more."

Xia Ning Chang inspected the pills quickly. A spark of hope lit her face. "These Qi Returning Pills should help. I can probably restore up to forty percent of my power."

"Good," Yang Kai nodded. "Recover your World Qi. I'll stand guard."

Although his reserves weren't fully depleted, he knew better than to waste the opportunity to recuperate. Danger was near.

Two hours remained before the first rays of sunlight would break through the valley.

After some rest and adjustment, the two of them stepped out from their hidden cave and followed the flow of Yin Qi weaving through the valley like a spectral river. The mist thickened with every step, the air growing colder and more oppressive.

It wasn't difficult to trace—the Nine Yin Dew Crystals devoured Yin Qi so intensely that even someone blind to spiritual energy could feel the imbalance.

Yang Kai knew the two remaining Blood Group enemies wouldn't ignore such an abnormality. They would come. And when they did, a confrontation was inevitable.

The only question was how much strength the True Element master had left.

After a short walk, they arrived at a glade cloaked in gloom. A gentle light flickered ahead—subtle, pale, and almost ghostly. Floating within it were the Nine Yin Dew Crystals, quietly absorbing the surrounding Qi like an eternal vortex.

"So that's the Nine Yin Dew Crystals," Yang Kai murmured, his eyes narrowing.

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They weren't flamboyant or dramatic in appearance. No, they looked more like a bud—delicate petals curling inward, barely formed. A flower not yet bloomed but already powerful.

They crouched about fifty feet away, concealing their presence.

"The crystals are nestled inside that flower bud," Xia Ning Chang whispered, her voice barely audible. "When it finally blooms, they'll be revealed. Only then can they be collected. My original plan was to activate the sealing formation and safely extract them, but I had to trigger the formation early to stop our enemies."

She bit her lip, eyes tinged with regret. "Now that the formation's locked until all intruders are dead, we have no means of safely securing the crystals unless we eliminate them. I'm sorry, Junior Brother. I must rely entirely on you this time. Your body's unique compatibility with Yang attributes makes you our only hope."

Yang Kai glanced at her, mildly frowning. "The crystals... they don't resist or run, do they?"

"No," she shook her head. "But the energy they release makes it hard for ordinary cultivators to even approach. Without the proper affinity, most would collapse just getting near them."

Yang Kai smiled thinly. "So we have a slim chance then. Better than none."

Still, Xia Ning Chang's fingers trembled slightly as she considered the risks. The Yin Qi was only growing denser. If reinforcements arrived—

"Say... if we killed the remaining enemies," Yang Kai interrupted her thoughts, "could the formation be used again?"

"Possibly," she answered after a moment. "But that's assuming they come here. What if they go elsewhere?"

"They're already here," Yang Kai muttered, turning his head.

From the mist came a booming laugh. "Heh, sharp eyes, brat!"

Xia Ning Chang's expression turned ice cold. Through the veil of Yin Qi, two figures stepped forward—Wen Fei Chen and Long Hui. They moved with sinister ease, side by side, like twisted reflections of camaraderie. Their eyes glittered—Wen Fei Chen with greed for her artifact, Long Hui with twisted lust.

Yang Kai stepped up beside Xia Ning Chang, shoulders squared, face blank.

"You two are surprisingly still alive," Wen Fei Chen chuckled darkly, halting twenty feet away. "Looks like those lackeys were useless after all."

He hadn't rested since the ambush. He'd been struggling to purge the Yin Qi seal from his body, his frustration growing with each passing hour. Not a single subordinate had returned. And now, sensing the strange disturbance in the valley, they followed it here.

Luck was with them—or so he thought.

Wen Fei Chen raised his voice, calling for reinforcements. His voice echoed into the valley.

But no one came.

Yang Kai stepped forward, sneering. "Call all you want. Your men are dead. No one's coming."

Wen Fei Chen froze.

"What...? What happened to them?"

Yang Kai's smile was icy. "They died. Every last one. And dead men don't answer calls."

Shock twisted Wen Fei Chen's face. His eyes flicked toward Xia Ning Chang, filled with disbelief. How? Just hours ago, Her energy had nearly run dry. Could she have recovered this quickly? Had she done this?

No. It didn't make sense.

"You're bluffing!" he snarled, voice cracking. "You think you can scare me with empty words? Even if they're dead, do you think I'll let you walk away?"

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Taking another step forward, Yang Kai activated his True Yang Tactics, his blood boiling and his killing intent soaring. Just as he prepared to land a devastating blow on Wen Fei Chen, a beautiful figure suddenly flew out from behind him, hurtling directly toward Wen Fei Chen.

Xia Ning Chang had taken the initiative to strike first. Moreover, it was a bold and direct provocation aimed at both Wen Fei Chen and Long Hui.

Clearly, she wanted to protect the Yang Kai by initiating what would now become a two versus one battle.

Her graceful figure swayed as ten Yin Qi arrows burst forth—seven of them targeted Wen Fei Chen, while the remaining three shot toward Long Hui. Their speed was lightning-fast, and their presence exuded overwhelming force and intimidation.

Wen Fei Chen let out a cold laugh. "Little girl, your killing intent is quite intense. That's not very ladylike!"

As he spoke, he casually used both hands to dissolve the incoming attacks with ease and continued, "Young Master Long, I'll leave that brat to you. I'll handle this girl myself."

"Okay," Long Hui nodded slightly, though he didn't forget to add nonchalantly, "Just don't injure her face."

"This Wen will be careful!" Wen Fei Chen replied with a knowing smile before dashing toward Xia Ning Chang to begin their fierce engagement.

Although Xia Ning Chang had managed to recover around forty percent of her strength, she was still nursing injuries that couldn't be ignored. Overall, her current combat power was roughly equivalent to that of a martial practitioner at the Qi Transforming Sixth or Seventh Stage.

However, Wen Fei Chen's condition was even more miserable. Due to his own injuries, he could only exert strength comparable to a practitioner at the Qi Transforming Third Stage.

Yet in truth, their actual cultivations were worlds apart. Xia Ning Chang was at the peak of the Separation and Reunion Boundary, her body brimming with World Qi, while Wen Fei Chen had reached the True Element Boundary, his body filled with True Qi.

True Qi versus World Qi—they were fundamentally different in essence. The killing power of the former could overwhelm the latter many times over.

Furthermore, Wen Fei Chen's battle experience was vastly superior to that of Xia Ning Chang. So when they exchanged blows, it was she who found herself at a disadvantage. Although she wouldn't be defeated instantly, relying on her strength alone wouldn't be enough to overcome him. At best, she could only hope to fight him to a stalemate.

Since both were seasoned fighters, their duel was complex and dynamic; their figures soared through the air, clashing and separating, landing hundreds of feet apart with every exchange.

Yang Kai, however, didn't devote much attention to Xia Ning Chang's battle—he had his own opponent to contend with.

Glancing over at Long Hui, who stood about ten feet away, Yang Kai suddenly grinned and said, "Young Master Long, right?"

Long Hui sneered. "Planning to beg for forgiveness? I'm afraid it's far too late for that."

"I just have a couple of questions I'd like to ask you."

Looking at Yang Kai as though he were an idiot, Long Hui responded indifferently, "If they're your final wishes before dying, then I suppose I can grant them for you."

"Just treat it like that." Smiling faintly and refusing to give a clear answer, Yang Kai continued casually, "You really came here just for Hu Mei Er, didn't you? That's the real reason you want to kill me, right?"

Long Hui's expression flickered slightly, clearly caught off guard, but he quickly regained his composure. With a sneer full of contempt, he retorted, "If not for her, why would this young master bother to travel all this way just to cause trouble with you? Do you really think I'm so idle that I'd waste my time on someone like you for no reason?"

His face twisted with anger, veins popping faintly along his temples. "For a nobody like you, she even dared to defy my grandfather's authority! She has never done anything like that before. Never! Not once has she stood up for another man to this degree! Who the hell do you think you are to have any designs on my woman?!"

Yang Kai gave a half-smirk and replied in a tone as casual as a morning breeze, "That's where you're wrong. I don't just share a close relationship with her. I've also slept with her."

The words hit like thunder.

Hearing that, the air around Long Hui changed drastically. His expression twisted into something truly monstrous—eyes wide, nostrils flaring, veins bulging. His aura flared chaotically as rage and disbelief consumed him. It was as if he had gone completely berserk, all sense of pride and rationality thrown into the wind.

"You bastard... DIE FOR ME!!" Long Hui roared with madness.

Cackling like a man possessed, he vanished in a blur, his figure flickering forward at high speed. In an instant, he was right in front of Yang Kai. The fury in his eyes burned with killing intent, and the World Qi from his Qi Transformation First Stage surged violently around his fists as he punched out with full force.

From each strike, feathers made of Qi burst forward like mini-explosions—an overwhelming flurry of glowing projectiles hurtling through the air.

Flying Exploding Feathers!

An Earth-Grade, Middle-Level martial skill!

As the grandson of Long Zai Tian, Long Hui had naturally inherited top-tier martial techniques. Despite only being at the First Stage of Qi Transformation, the martial arts he cultivated allowed him to fight on par with much stronger opponents.

He was far from being just another pampered young master. In fact, to someone like Yang Kai—who was only at the Initial Element Fifth Stage—Long Hui still posed a significant threat.

But Yang Kai wasn't one to panic.

As the barrage of feather-shaped Qi attacks descended upon him, Yang Kai calmly sidestepped with astonishing agility, narrowly avoiding the deadly strikes. Long Hui's expression darkened in surprise, clearly not expecting his attack to miss.

In his mind, there was no way someone from the Initial Element Fifth Stage could dodge such a killing move. And yet, Yang Kai had.

A second later, powerful and ominous World Qi began to ripple outward from Yang Kai's body—thick, suffocating, and filled with bloodlust.

Feeling the sudden surge of energy, Long Hui's confident expression faltered for the first time.

What... What is this pressure?

"This can't be Initial Element Fifth Stage..." he muttered under his breath. "This is—this is the peak of the Initial Element Stage! And its purity... its density... it's not inferior to my own!"

Before the shock could fade, Yang Kai lunged forward like a shadow. Just as Long Hui raised his fists once again, Yang Kai vanished from his line of sight.

Long Hui swung—only for his blow to miss—and instead struck the ground with immense force. Dust and pebbles flew into the air from the impact, and when it cleared, a hole had been blasted into the earth.

Not wasting a second, Yang Kai charged forward. He raised his knee and launched a fierce, bone-crushing strike aimed straight at Long Hui's jaw.

But as he moved, a chill brushed past the nape of his neck.

His instincts kicked in instantly. Tilting his head to the side at the last moment, he felt a razor-sharp edge of World Qi graze his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

Yang Kai spun mid-air, a drop of Yang Liquid already forming in his palm. In an instant, it transformed into a thin, cicada-wing-like blood-red blade—silent, deadly, and aimed right for Long Hui's side.

But Long Hui's reflexes weren't dull. He intercepted the knee strike with his arm, locking Yang Kai in place momentarily, and then slammed down with force.

Their World Qi clashed—two opposing forces bursting forth in a shockwave. While Yang Kai staggered backward from the impact, Long Hui flew several steps away, forcefully dispersing the deadly blade strike aimed at him.

Both men took a moment to stabilize themselves, glaring at one another like two beasts ready to pounce.

Long Hui's eyes narrowed as he inspected Yang Kai carefully. "So, you've been hiding your true cultivation all along... But even so, even if you've reached the peak of Initial Element, it still won't be enough to beat me!"

Right after his declaration, golden light exploded at Long Hui's feet. His entire body blurred and, in the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Yang Kai.

Golden Rainbow Steps!

Another Earth-Grade, Middle-Level martial skill.

With this exquisite movement technique, Long Hui found the opening he'd been seeking. His World Qi gathered to a needlepoint and shot toward Yang Kai's neck.

He intended to end it with one blow.

"Not a bad reaction," Long Hui said with a sinister chuckle. He was now standing about ten feet away, his tone calm, confident, and cruel.

He wasn't in a rush anymore. After all, with the Golden Rainbow Steps, Yang Kai wouldn't even get a chance to land a proper hit. His continuous attacks would only waste his World Qi, draining him into exhaustion. Once that happened, Long Hui would finish it with a single strike.

He had already made up his mind: he would use the least amount of effort to humiliate and destroy Yang Kai.

"Too slow... you're far too slow," Long Hui sneered, his lips curling into a twisted grin as he slowly shook his head. "With movements like that, how do you expect to protect anyone—let alone a woman like her?"

He took a slow, deliberate step forward, the murderous gleam in his eyes now tainted by something darker—desire. "If you can't kill me now," he said, his voice dropping into a venomous whisper, "then this young master shall take that woman for himself."

His eyes gleamed with sick anticipation as he continued, "I wonder, what does she truly look like beneath those robes? I've only seen glimpses... but I imagine she's soft in all the right places. Her skin, delicate as jade... her lips trembling from shame and pleasure..."

Long Hui's voice dripped with perversion as he licked his lips, practically savoring the fantasy. "And the sounds... ah, the sounds she'll make when I ravage her... I'm quite eager to hear them. The gasps, the cries, the helpless whimpers..."

His gaze locked onto Yang Kai like a predator taunting prey. "Hehehe... this young master takes great pleasure in hearing unwilling moans torn from the throats of proud women. Watching them struggle beneath me, begging through tears as their dignity is stripped away..."

He spread his arms mockingly. "Just imagining it—her beneath me, her body reacting even as her mind rejects it—how could a man not fall in love with such a sight?"

His tone grew harsher, edged with bitter fury. "And to think you—a nameless brat—dared to touch My woman before I could. You defiled what was mine! You even had the audacity to sleep with her!"

Veins bulged along his temple as hatred flooded his features. "You'll pay for that with your life, Yang Kai! I'll destroy you! And when I'm done... I'll make sure she never forgets who she belongs to!"