Yang Kai felt his nerves tremble.Without thinking, he pushed off with his left foot, using every bit of force he had.
A burst of strength shot through his body, and he darted to the side just in time.
A green blaze, shaped like a dagger, flashed past where he'd just stood.It cut through everything beside him with terrifying precision.
This attack was sharper. Stronger.
Yang Kai broke into a sweat.Whether it was from fear or thrill—he wasn't sure.
"Hmm..." Mo Yanyu blinked in surprise.She hadn't expected him to dodge.That strike should have torn him apart.She hadn't prepared a second move.
Yang Kai didn't hesitate.He leapt into the trees, agile as a monkey.
He caught a hanging vine mid-air and swung forward.His hand snatched another vine. Then another.Smooth, practiced, wild.
He moved quickly—closing in on Mo Yanyu without a single pause.His body twisted and weaved through the branches with unpredictable precision.
Mo Yanyu frowned and raised her arms.More green daggers shot into the air, slashing at every vine near him.
But Yang Kai dodged them all—barely.Each time, he twisted his body just enough and latched onto another vine.
He was reading her now.He could feel the shifts in her YuanQi.Whenever he sensed a buildup beneath her skin, he changed direction.
It was instinctual. It was clear.
Then—suddenly—he dropped.
He landed like a hawk, arms stretched forward.Before Mo Yanyu could gather more Qi, he tackled her.
"Boom!"
She hit the ground with a sharp gasp, Yang Kai pinning her down.His body pressed close, controlling her limbs with force.
Yang Kai gave a crooked smile."Sorry about this. I don't usually get ... hands-on during introductions."
Face to face, Yang Kai could feel her soft body pressed against him. Her curves were undeniably attractive, and he couldn't help but appreciate her beauty.
"Let go of me!" Mo Yanyu's voice was filled with disgust, but she didn't struggle much. She cursed, "Let go, or you won't see the light of day again!"
Yang Kai sneered, "You nearly killed me. Why should I let you go so easily?"
Mo Yanyu's eyes narrowed. Before she could react, she felt a quick kiss on her cheek, followed by Yang Kai's hands daring to touch her inappropriately. He gripped her waist and began to rub her bottom in an insistent, teasing manner.
Mo Yanyu's anger flared instantly.
Yang Kai, lost in the moment, didn't notice the dangerous surge of power building in her.
Without warning, a jolt of electric energy shot through her body, striking him like a lightning bolt.
Yang Kai's body spasmed as the shock hit him, his nerves burning from the force.
"I won't let you die so easily, bastard!" Mo Yanyu's cold voice rang out.
In a fluid motion, she lifted him as if he weighed nothing.
With a face as cold as ice, she moved through the forest, heading toward the crowd.
Her cultivation was two whole realms higher than Yang Kai's—at the True Element Boundary.
That was why he couldn't fight back and had been captured.
Tall trees formed a massive umbrella above a small river, beside which was a dragon-like creature drinking water, carrying several bags.
Ten strong, tall warriors were seated nearby, dining and speaking lewdly, while a group of emaciated men crouched behind the creature, eating a coarse meal. The men were all shackled, their eyes dull and lifeless.
On a sedan chair atop the creature, a thin old man sat motionless, his expression cold and indifferent. Dressed in a black robe embroidered with five white cauldrons on his chest, he stared at the warriors and the chained men. Every warrior fell silent, trembling at the piercing gaze of the old man.
"Are you done? Then move it, and walk!" Mo Yanyu appeared from the bushes with a stiff expression, lifting Yang Kai effortlessly in her hand.
The warriors hastily finished their meals, embarrassed. "Yeah, we're done, we're done."
Mo Yanyu walked toward the old man, forcing a smile. "Master Karu, have you finished your meal?"
The old man nodded coldly, murmuring, "Miss Mo, it will take another three months to reach the Red Cloud Sect in Sea City. But we've only got 16 medicine slaves left. I'm afraid we won't make it..."
"Do not worry, Master Karu. We'll catch more medicine slaves for you." Mo Yanyu tossed Yang Kai onto the ground and laughed, "Look, here's a new one!"
"Hmm." Karu examined Yang Kai with a calculating look in his eyes. "Too skinny. He won't last a week." He frowned.
"Yes, I know. But he's a practitioner."
Karu's interest peaked. His eyes brightened.
"That's good." He smirked, continuing to study Yang Kai. After a long pause, he nodded slowly, "Very good. Miss Mo, feed him. I want him to get strong first. A severely injured warrior can't handle what I'm about to do. It would be a waste if he dies from my medicine while still too weak."
"Don't worry, Master." Mo Yanyu's face remained stern as she snapped, "Johnson! What are you doing there? Shackle this man right now!"
A bald, burly man, easily six feet six, appeared and swiftly retrieved a set of shackles from the bags on the dragon. He expertly shackled Yang Kai's hands and feet.
This giant was dressed in heavy armor, but his muscles bulged beneath it, making the dark armor look as light as a feather. It didn't seem to slow him down at all.
"Johnson, take care of him! And keep a close eye on him!" Mo Yanyu shot Yang Kai a venomous glare before rushing to the head of the caravan, clearly eager to be done with him.
"I've got it, Miss! I'm the best at it!" Johnson grinned cunningly, punching his chest.
Yang Kai watched silently, despite the pain coursing through his body.
He knew that speaking up would be pointless for now.
"Bang!"
Yang Kai suddenly felt a sharp sting as a whip lashed across his back. The strike was so fast and forceful that it cracked his skin open, sending a wave of pain through his body. He turned to see Big Johnson smirking, the whip still in his hand.
"Damn medicine slave! Move faster! Or do you want another lash, huh?" Johnson laughed, his expression twisted with malice.
Yang Kai stared at him for a few seconds but said nothing.
As Yang Kai moved forward, Johnson's smirk faded, replaced by a strange expression. The sight of Yang Kai's silent composure unsettled him.
Along the way, many other slaves had been "taken care of" by Johnson, who was infamous for his brutality.
Two slaves had even been beaten to death before Master Karu could test his medicine on them. The other medicine slaves either looked at him with fear or hatred. But Yang Kai... he was different.
There was no fear in his eyes, no hatred—just an eerie, cold silence that seemed to grow stronger with every step he took.
Johnson couldn't understand it.
The other slaves had feared him. But this man, who was a prisoner just like them, did not. His eyes were calm, solemn, giving Johnson the unsettling impression that he was prey. It made him uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do.
Since Yang Kai had started marching without any resistance, Johnson couldn't find a reason to keep punishing him.
Still, Johnson swore to himself that he would force Yang Kai to be afraid of him. The fear in others' eyes was his ultimate pleasure. He thrived on having control over their lives.
In the following days, Yang Kai remained silent and obedient, following every order Johnson gave without hesitation. He showed no change in temperament, no interest in anything.
The other medicine slaves might have been desperate, but Yang Kai's quiet resolve set him apart.
He was different from the others—there was no desire to escape, no sign of weakness. Perhaps it was because he recognized the presence of the old man at the top of the dragon-like creature, which gave him the impression that this person was an True Element Boundary Peak Expert.
While he didn't fear death—since it couldn't even touch him—he could still be captured, just like in the current situation.Yang Kai knew he couldn't escape—not with someone of that level overseeing them. But that didn't mean he'd just stand still
--------------------
As the days passed, Johnson gradually grew uneasy. Every time he looked into Yang Kai's calm, solemn eyes, a strange premonition would rise in his heart—this man would become a calamity in the future. Yet, bound by Master Karu's orders, he had no choice but to provide Yang Kai with sufficient food.
Still, Johnson found comfort in the fact that Master Karu was no ordinary man. He knew what the old master was capable of, and he hoped Karu would take action before it was too late.
The wound on Yang Kai's chest had already healed—completely. It had taken only 4 day and a half, and not even a scar remained. He felt like a different person altogether.
But only Yang Kai truly understood what was happening within his body.
To avoid drawing suspicion, he had resorted to secretly injuring himself—inflicting new wounds daily just to make it appear as though the injury from Mo Yanyu hadn't healed yet.