Inside High Heaven Pavilion, as soon as people started to duel, any place could become a battlefield. The distance from where Su Mu was getting beaten up to where Yang Kai stood wasn't far; a short walk was all it took to arrive.
Over there, quite a number of people were spectating. As Yang Kai scanned the scene, he clearly saw two main groups. About ten feet away stood the familiar figures of Li Yun Tian, Zhao Fu, and assorted other underlings. Their expressions were full of wrath as they confronted the people opposite them.
Something didn't seem right. The duels between Main Gate disciples, no matter the winner, wouldn't escalate to such a degree. Li Yun Tian and the others clearly looked indignant, as if ready to start a gang war.
Apart from these two groups, many High Heaven disciples surrounded the fighters, eagerly watching the spectacle.
With doubts in his mind, Yang Kai pushed through the crowd and slowly walked over to Li Yun Tian.
He saw that Su Mu had a bloody nose and a swollen face, cutting quite the sorry figure. Opposing him stood a young man, not much older than Su Mu, calm and composed, without a single scratch on him. He smiled at Su Mu contemptuously, effortlessly blocking his attacks while provoking him further. As Su Mu yelled and jumped forward, his attack was easily countered.
After watching for a while, Yang Kai frowned. It wasn't that Su Mu's attacks missed, but rather that they had no effect. When Su Mu's fist landed, the young man didn't even flinch, while Su Mu took damage instead.
The difference in their Qi energy fluctuations was small; their strengths were about equal. So how could there be such a massive disparity in their battle?
"What's going on?" Yang Kai patted Li Yun Tian's shoulder as he asked.
Li Yun Tian's face brightened upon seeing Yang Kai. "Senior Brother Yang!"
Hearing this, Zhou Hu and the others also greeted Yang Kai before turning back to the opposing group.
"Why isn't Su Mu his opponent? Their strengths should be about the same," Yang Kai voiced his confusion.
Li Yun Tian nodded, his expression souring. "En, Young Master Su is at the Initial Element Second Stage, while that guy is at the Initial Element Third Stage. So Su Mu isn't exactly stronger, but the gap isn't that wide. The problem is that this person is despicable. Normally, when we duel as fellow disciples, we don't use artifacts. But he dared to wear a defensive artifact! How can Su Mu's attacks do anything?"
Yang Kai pondered. "A defensive artifact?"
"Right," Li Yun Tian clenched his teeth. "He's the Grand Elder's blood grandson, Wei Zhuan. His artifact was personally given to him by the Grand Elder."
"Another second-generation master?" Yang Kai muttered.
"The Grand Elder and the Second Elder never got along, and even Su Mu and Wei Zhuan have bad blood. Now, Wei Zhuan is taking this chance to humiliate Su Mu," Li Yun Tian said, worried.
"So this is just some senseless internal strife," Yang Kai mused.
"Senior Brother Kai, please help Young Master Su! If this keeps up, he'll suffer serious injuries."
Yang Kai remained calm. "The exchange of notes between Main Gate disciples—if you're weaker, you get beaten. Are you saying High Heaven disciples fear this?"
"But this isn't a fair duel! Wei Zhuan is hiding behind his artifact."
Yang Kai chuckled. "The world was never fair. The strong prey on the weak, and only the strong are respected. You should already know this."
Li Yun Tian was left speechless.
On the battlefield, Su Mu was on the verge of collapse. His attacks had lost their strength. Wei Zhuan laughed loudly, pleased with himself. Proudly beating his chest, he mocked, "Su Mu, don't be polite. This young master won't even move! If you can hurt me, I lose."
Su Mu's vision blurred. His fists, smeared with his own blood, trembled. The artifact not only defended Wei Zhuan but also reflected attacks back at the attacker. That's how his fists had been injured.
Hearing Wei Zhuan's arrogant words, Su Mu spat blood and retorted, "If you have guts, take off that turtle shell! If I don't beat you till you crawl, you aren't my grandson!"
Wei Zhuan's face darkened. Laughing sinisterly, he said, "You dare insult me? You'll regret this!"
Wei Zhuan charged. Su Mu tried to block, but his strength was no longer sufficient. The punch landed, causing his cheek to swell as his head snapped sideways.
"Call me grandfather, and I'll spare you!" Wei Zhuan taunted.
Su Mu glared at him, smiling in disgust.
Last time, he had barely avoided Cheng Shao Feng smashing a stone into his head. He hadn't yielded then. He wouldn't surrender now.
"You amuse me!" Wei Zhuan laughed and resumed his assault. Su Mu's teeth flew, blood pouring from his nose, making him look pitiful.
Wei Zhuan's strikes were cruel, worse than Cheng Shao Feng's.
"Wei Zhuan!" Su Mu bellowed, blood rising in his throat. "Between us, only one can exist!"
"You're stubborn!" Wei Zhuan clasped his hands together and struck Su Mu's abdomen.
With a loud bang, Su Mu coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious.
"Brother Wei Zhuan, you should stop," Yang Kai said, stepping toward them.
"En?" Squinting his eyes toward Yang Kai, Wei Zhuan sized him up, and a flash of suspicion passed through his eyes.
Yang Kai silently approached Su Mu with a stoic face. Moving his hand, he went to feel for Su Mu's breathing and found out that Su Mu had only fainted, leaving him at ease.
"Who are you?" Wei Zhuan wasn't happy.
Standing up, Yang Kai calmly looked at Wei Zhuan. "Trial disciple Yang Kai, please teach me!" He cupped his hands at Wei Zhuan as per High Heaven etiquette.
Wei Zhuan sneered. "What a joke! An insignificant trial disciple dares challenge me? You don't have the right!"
Yang Kai replied indifferently, "The Main Gate rules state that as long as the difference in cultivation doesn't surpass three stages, duels are permitted."
Wei Zhuan smirked. "This master is at the Initial Element Third Stage. What can you be considered as?"
"I am also at the Initial Element Third Stage!" Yang Kai replied while suppressing his cultivation.
A sound of bewilderment echoed. "That can't be possible. Yang Kai has already reached the initial element third stage?"
"Aaa, just start fighting," Yang yelled in his mind.
Wei Zhuan was also full of suspicions regarding Yang Kai, constantly wondering if he was lying or not. If he had reached the initial element stage, then why was he still a trial disciple? What he didn't know was that it was only last night that Yang Kai broke through. Furthermore, he had gone from the tempered body ninth stage directly to the initial element third stage.
"Don't I have the right to challenge you now?" Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he asked, an ominous glint in them.
"If you really have this level of cultivation, then you have the necessary right to challenge me." Wei Zhuan nodded his head and laughed maliciously. "Only if you are not afraid of death!"
Yang Kai laughed indifferently. "I hope that you are also not afraid of death!"
"Talking big!" Wei Zhuan was angry.
"Come. I'll allow you to punch me as a test!" Wei Zhuan waved his hand towards Yang Kai, full of arrogance and anger.
Yang Kai laughed in his mind and covered his palm with Qi.
"You think you can hurt me with a simple palm?" Wei Zhuan said angrily.
Yang Kai ignored him and slashed forward as if he had a blade in his hand, accompanied by slicing and cutting sounds.
Wei Zhuan only felt his stomach turn cold. As he looked down, his heart dropped, and he shrieked out: "My Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail!"
This Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail was an ordinary-grade middle-class artifact. Although its rank wasn't high, it was very suitable for someone at his level. He didn't know where the Grand Elder obtained it from, but he had given it to him. Back then, the Grand Elder had said very clearly that normally, an initial element martial practitioner would be unable to break through this defensive artifact's defenses unless they used a great killing weapon. But now, this treasure that he had such faith in had been cut by a fellow disciple in a duel, one who was only at the initial element third stage.
What martial weapon did he just use? Was that red blade also a secret weapon? And its grade should also be higher than the Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail. If not, how could this shocking event occur?
He was shocked that his Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail was unable to block even a single blow from his opponent and was crying over the tear in his defensive artifact. That was because it had lost all its defensive properties now.
He was extremely angry. Turning his body around, Wei Zhuan jumped toward Yang Kai and bellowed: "You dared to break my defensive artifact! I want you to die!"
Wei Zhuan was also at the initial element third stage, so when his strength burst out, he charged. When Wei Zhuan reached Yang Kai, the blade-like palm crisscrossed through the air, slashing Wei Zhuan multiple times and leaving various wounds.
Wei Zhuan's body immediately froze, his fist stopping three inches away from Yang Kai. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't move a step further because he felt a scalding hot feeling.
Shuddering, his eyes turned to face the ground. Only to see Yang Kai's hand, like a quick snake attacking incessantly.
"A defensive artifact isn't all it's made out to be." Yang Kai sneered as his eyes swept over the Embroidered Cloud Locking Mail on Wei Zhuan's body; it was full of holes and tears.
"Come and try to injure me!" Wei Zhuan's cheeks trembled, looking at Yang Kai with a bit of resentment. Even though his life was in the hands of Yang Kai, Wei Zhuan wasn't the least bit afraid because he was the grandson of the Grand Elder! With a person holding such an honorable position backing him, no one in High heaven would dare injure him.
"Brat, you probably don't know, but my grandfather is the Grand Elder, so if you dare injure me, you are looking for death!" Full of confidence, Wei Zhuan looked over at Yang Kai threateningly.
"I don't know whether it's you who dies first or me?" Yang Kai said to Wei Zhuan, his voice full of interest. On his face was a strange smile, and he slowly exerted strength with his fingers.
Slowly, a trickle of dark red blood dripped down from Wei Zhuan's chest, and he couldn't help but let out a groan. The moment that he got injured, Wei Zhuan felt a pain that burned his skin and flesh painfully.
"You actually dared..." Wei Zhuan looked at Yang Kai in disbelief. He couldn't believe that there were still people in High heaven who dared to injure him.
"It looks like you want to die." Yang Kai sighed softly and pushed his hand a bit further into Wei Zhuan's body.
Wei Zhuan cried out in fright because he could feel that if Yang Kai's hand were to penetrate even deeper, then it would stab his heart.
That was a fatal attack!
But before Yang Kai could push his hand further, from afar, a voice bellowed out in rage: "Stop!"
Immediately after this order, a row of people appeared in front of Yang Kai, and without waiting to give an explanation, one of them attacked Yang Kai, sending him flying backward.
"Senior brother Yang!" Li Yun Tian and the others turned pale in fright and quickly rushed forward to help him up.
Yang Kai stood up, and while sighing, trying to control his anger, he looked at the new youth. He stood beside Wei Zhuan, supporting Wei Zhuan with one hand and directing a look filled with maliciousness at Yang Kai. He spoke out, "Young master Zhuan, are you alright?"
Wei Zhuan looked over at Yang Kai, his gaze full of poison. His body appeared a bit unstable, and he shook his head: "I'm fine."
"It's good that you are fine. I have come late." The youth spoke again.
Wei Zhuan Hehe laughed and pointed his finger at Yang Kai: "Just then, this person threatened to kill me! Senior brother Cao, punish him as you see fit!"
With someone backing him now, how could Wei Zhuan possibly continue to act as submissively as before?
Cao Zheng Wen sternly asked: "You are serious?"
Wei Zhuan coldly nodded non-stop: "Senior brother Cao, when you arrived, didn't you see everything that happened with your own two eyes?"
Cao Zheng Wen nodded his head: "That's right, when I arrived, I truly saw this person, with a lethal weapon, pointing it at your chest."
Yang Kai sighed, "Leave it; no one will help me because his backer is the Grand Elder."