52: Entering the cave

Yang Kai and Zi Ning entered the cave together. Yang Kai's Divine Sense probed deep into the cave, searching for the Yao Beast guarding the area in the shadows.

"So it's hidden underground. No wonder Yuan Xiangwen and his subordinates, despite having so many people, didn't dare to enter here rashly." Yang Kai's Divine Sense enveloped the entire cave, but he didn't find any trace of a Yao Beast. Instead, about ten meters underground, there were several secret passages, and a centipede about ten zhang long was coiled there.

"Yang Kai, look at these corpses; they are all abnormally shriveled, clearly having had their essence and blood absorbed. Until we find this mastermind, we shouldn't rush in." After witnessing Yang Kai's methods, Zi Ning no longer felt superior to him; instead, she spoke in a consulting tone.

"No matter, I've already found that Yao Beast. However, it's hidden underground. Do you have any good way to drive it out?" Yang Kai pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Hidden underground, huh... I've got it! My father once gave me a Magic Treasure, a replica of a powerful Spirit Treasure. That Spirit Treasure has the ability to move mountains and split the earth. Although the replica I have isn't as powerful as the original, its function is similar." Zi Ning's beautiful eyes flickered as if she had thought of something, and she excitedly took out a shuttle-shaped Magic Treasure.

Under Zi Ning's control, the shuttle-shaped Magic Treasure gradually grew larger, then plunged fiercely into the ground. Subsequently, waves of strange fluctuations spread along the ground in all directions, especially deep underground.

"Hiss!"

A moment later, the ground suddenly collapsed, forming a void. The dark-colored centipede crawled out from deep underground, and a spine-chilling low growl echoed through the cave.

"Good! Taste this!" Yang Kai's eyes lit up when he saw the centipede emerge. He immediately attacked. Before the Azure Dragon could strike the centipede, Yang Kai's Divine Sense attack took effect first, a rising sun suddenly blooming in the Yao Beast's Sea of Consciousness.

However, the previously unfailing Divine Sense attack did not work this time. Although this Yao Beast had not yet awakened its intelligence, its Divine Sense was not weaker than that of Human Race Cultivators of the same Realm; it simply hadn't mastered the methods of Divine Sense attack. Yang Kai's Divine Sense attack could only be said to barely meet the minimum requirements of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and it was far from being able to instantly kill a Foundation Establishment Stage Yao Beast at will. Nevertheless, it could still cause considerable trouble. The Yao Beast immediately ignored other attacks, using all its strength to try and extinguish the burning sensation in its Sea of Consciousness.

"As expected of a Foundation Establishment Stage Yao Beast. The solidity of this Sea of Consciousness means my Rising Sun cannot shake it, and instead, it has provoked this beast's ferocity." Yang Kai watched the constantly hissing, frenzied Yao Beast, while simultaneously controlling the Azure Dragon to transform into a crescent moon, deeply embedding itself into the Yao Beast's body.

"Yang Kai! This is a Peak Foundation Establishment Yao Beast, let's get out of here quickly!" Zi Ning, at this point, had also discerned the Yao Beast's cultivation through her own methods. Her face changed drastically, and she quickly urged.

Yang Kai remained expressionless upon hearing this. This place was restricted by the Immortal Liuyun, who created it back then. All the Yao Beasts here were unable to Core Formation and could only be confined to the Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation throughout their lives. Moreover, their intelligence was far inferior to Yao Beasts from the outside world. They possessed a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation but fought only by instinct, unlike outside Yao Beasts who mastered Spells. This also gave a glimmer of hope to Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators like Yang Kai to defeat a stronger opponent. However, only a few prodigies whose combat power reached the Early Stage or even Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment during the Qi Refinement Stage could achieve this. Zi Ning had suffered a loss before; if Yang Kai hadn't rescued her, she would have long since perished.

"It seems I'll have to get serious now." Yang Kai exhaled a slight breath of turbid air. The Nine Revolutions Primordial Body Refining Art circulated within his body, signifying that Yang Kai was about to go all out.

Yang Kai slowly walked towards the Yao Beast, then gradually quickened his pace, finally leaping up and stepping onto the Yao Beast's body, pulling out the Azure Dragon that was embedded in its body. The Yao Beast's external defense was astonishing; that previous Moonfall attack had failed to penetrate its surface defense.

"Demon Subduing Six Forms! First Form, Barrier Break!" Yang Kai held the Azure Dragon and chopped down at the Yao Beast's body. A sharp force coiled around the blade. The Azure Dragon, which already cut through iron like mud, easily sliced open a huge gash more than three feet long on the Yao Beast's surface with the added sharpness, and foul Yao blood immediately splattered.

At this moment, the centipede had just recovered from the effects of its damaged Divine Sense and immediately sensed the injury to its body. Numerous tentacle-like mouthparts drilled out and shot towards Yang Kai.

Yang Kai, ignoring the opportunity to press his advantage, quickly swung his sword at these tentacles. However, there were simply too many tentacles. Over a dozen tentacles landed on Yang Kai's body, and the sharp, ant-like fangs at their tips attempted to pierce Yang Kai's skin and extract his essence and blood.

But Yang Kai, having Cultivated the Nine Revolutions Primordial Body Refining Art, also had astonishing body defense. Yang Kai only felt some pain, but he hadn't been bitten through. His confidence immediately grew, and he decisively abandoned defense, once again striking at the large wound that was gradually closing.

"Hiss!!!"

After abandoning his defense, countless tentacles immediately covered Yang Kai's entire body. Yang Kai multi-tasked, two talismans appearing in his hands. Two giant fire dragons leaped from the paper, circling around Yang Kai, finally forming a large array that protected him. All the tentacles were melted by the high temperature and turned into flying ash.

Seeing that these methods could not stop Yang Kai, the giant centipede immediately tried to burrow back into the ground. The enormous momentum caused Yang Kai to be suspended in the air. He quickly plunged the Azure Dragon into the centipede's body and followed the Yao Beast into the ground.

The air underground was thin, and these secret passages were just wide enough for the centipede's body. Even if Yang Kai lay flat and pressed himself tightly against the Yao Beast's body, he couldn't avoid being scraped by the rocks, and most of his clothes were torn. However, the Yao Beast's condition was not good either. It originally had a hard exoskeleton, allowing it to move unimpeded in these passages, but now its body was gashed open, and the uneven rocks in the passage greatly worsened the wound. It was a mutually destructive fighting style; it just depended on who, man or beast, would give out first.

"Hmph! You want to be ruthless with me? I'm even more ruthless than you!" Seeing this, Yang Kai retracted the Azure Dragon, pried at the wound with both hands, and with all his might, peeled back the skin on both sides of the wound, revealing a gap wide enough for a person.

Yang Kai held his breath, took out the Azure Dragon again, and actually burrowed directly into the Yao Beast's body, wreaking havoc madly!

The giant centipede immediately shrieked in pain, its path veering off as it crashed into the thick rock layer. It struggled for a moment longer, then finally stopped moving.

On the surface, Zi Ning stood guard above the sinkhole, anxiously looking into the depths of the earth. After the Yao Beast burrowed back underground, there had been continuous significant tremors. Now, all vibrations had ceased, but neither the Yao Beast nor Yang Kai were anywhere to be seen.

Just then, on the ground nearby, a sharp sword pierced out from below, and then a person 'grew' out of the ground, collapsing and panting heavily. It was Yang Kai.