Martial Peak

Chapter 2164, Fight

Translator: Silavin & PewPewLazerGun

Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys

At the Flowing Time Steps, Yang Kai anxiously tried to climb upwards.

Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly disappearing in front of him had left him at a loss, not knowing what kind of danger this little girl was facing or whether something tragic had befallen her.

Yang Kai was secretly blaming himself, feeling that if it wasn't for his whim of wanting Zhang Ruo Xi to climb the Flowing Time Steps, she would not have encountered such peril.

Just as his anxiety was boiling over though, a flash of light occurred and a figure appeared.

Yang Kai was startled, looked up, and was stunned by what he saw.

Zhang Ruo Xi was now standing atop the Flowing Time Steps, looking down at him with a smile, her hair which should have turned white now returned to its original glossy black.

"An illusion?" Yang Kai was a little dazed. He clearly saw Zhang Ruo Xi disappear strangely just as the Flowing Time Force was eroding her body and causing her to age rapidly, but now she had re-appeared before him, safe and sound, like nothing had happened.

Everything seemed too surreal.

Yang Kai quickened his pace once more and after a stick of incense worth of time, he pantingly reached the top of the stairs.

As soon as he reached the top, the Flowing Time Force lingering around his body disappeared. Looking back, the Flowing Time Steps had now become completely ordinary, seemingly lacking any semblance of mystical power.

"What happened just now?" Yang Kai took a breath and asked quickly.

"Ruo Xi was reckless," Zhang Ruo Xi replied in a low voice that was filled with guilt, "Ruo Xi was immersed in the joy of gaining strength just now and completely forgot Sir's instructions… By the time Ruo Xi reacted, it was too late."

"Then how did you…"

"It was a powerful Monster Beast who saved me…" Zhang Ruo Xi replied timidly, carefully choosing her words, worried Yang Kai would become angry with her.

"A powerful Monster Beast?" Yang Kai was stunned, "Is there a Monster Beast in this Flowing Time Temple? What kind of Monster Beast?"

At this moment, Yang Kai was thoroughly shocked. The Flowing Time Temple had not appeared for tens of thousands of years. Even this time, its appearance was something of a strange coincidence. Yang Kai was certain nothing was alive inside this place, but now, according to Zhang Ruo Xi, there was actually a powerful Monster Beast here, one strong enough to instantly rescue her from the Flowing Time Steps. Such a powerful entity was enough to arouse Yang Kai's wariness.

"I can't say for certain…" Zhang Ruo Xi thought about it for a while, but didn't know how to describe what she experienced, soon just smiling and saying, "However… he said he was called Qiong Qi!"

"What?" Yang Kai's eyes bulged as cold sweat gathered on his forehead, gulping hard as he parroted, "Qiong… Qi?"

"En, that's what he called himself," Zhang Ruo Xi nodded and replied. After she finished speaking, she tilted her head and asked, "Sir, what's wrong? Why is your complexion so pale… Are you uncomfortable somewhere? You're sweating a lot… "

As she spoke, she took out a silk handkerchief, stood on her tip-toes, and gently wiped Yang Kai's forehead.

"Ahaha…" The corners of Yang Kai's mouth twitched as he really didn't know what to say.

"Sir, are you okay?" Zhang Ruo Xi asked softly.

"Okay?… en, I'm okay," Yang Kai replied subconsciously before turning to stare at Zhang Ruo Xi and ask, "Are you sure he said he was called Qiong Qi?"

"En, that's what he said."

"Did he do anything bad to you?"

Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head blankly, "No!"

After saying so though, she smiled joyfully and added, "He did give me something though."

"What?"

Zhang Ruo Xi smiled and began condensing her Saint Qi, soon causing a burst of light that could dazzle one's eyes to radiate from her body.

Yang Kai squinted his eyes to get a better look, only to have his heart shake violently the next moment!

On Zhang Ruo Xi, he now saw a tight-fitting pink garment, one that was both lithe and beautiful. Its appearance was only secondary though as what truly mattered was the rich Emperor Aura that pulsed from it…

[An Emperor Artifact!]

[It's actually a defensive Emperor Artifact!]

[What's going on here?] Zhang Ruo Xi had suddenly disappeared from the Flowing Time Steps, and after she came back, she said she had met a Monster Beast named Qiong Qi. Not only did that Monster Beast save her and treat her well, it even gifted her a defensive Emperor Artifact!

Yang Kai was at a complete loss…

After Zhang Ruo Xi activated this defensive Artifact, the Emperor Artifact shone brilliantly, highlighting her budding beauty. Timidly, she asked Yang Kai, "Is it pretty…?"

Yang Kai gave a dry smile and said, "En, very pretty!"

[This is an Emperor Artifact! How could it be described simply as 'pretty'!?] Yang Kai screamed wildly in his heart. Although he had five Emperor Artifacts on hand, none of them were of a defensive type, which showed just how rare such Emperor Artifacts were.

"Qiong Qi said it's called the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe!" Zhang Ruo Xi explained, "I don't like pink, but since Sir said it looks pretty…"

"En… it seems he gave you this with kind intentions," Yang Kai tried to calm himself down. "Next time you meet him, be sure to thank him properly."

"Ruo Xi will remember," Zhang Ruo Xi nodded respectfully.

"En, put it away for now, and don't expose it unless you have no other option, otherwise it will likely draw unwanted trouble."

"Yes." Zhang Ruo Xi nodded while moving her Divine Sense to take back the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe.

"By the way, Ruo Xi… did that Qiong Qi say anything else to you?" Yang Kai asked cautiously.

Zhang Ruo Xi thought for a while before saying, "He said to tell Sir that if he has a chance to enter the final room, Sir must choose the thing which seems the most useless."

"Choose the thing that seems the most useless?" Yang Kai frowned, puzzled, "What does that mean?"

Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head, "I don't know, he sent me back after saying it."

After getting along for so long, Yang Kai also understood how pure this little girl's personality was and knew she couldn't be hiding something from him. It was even more impossible for her to try to deceive him, so Yang Kai changed the subject to inquiring about the Qiong Qi she met, but he did not obtain much information.

This matter shocked Yang Kai greatly, and in the end, he could only chalk it up to Zhang Ruo Xi gaining a random opportunity. If that wasn't the case, how could a mere Second-Order Origin Returning Realm cultivator like her return safe and sound after meeting an ominous beast like a Qiong Qi? What's more, she returned with a gift like the Pink Clouds Phoenix Robe!

Afterwards, Yang Kai let Zhang Ruo Xi return to the Sealed World Bead before he sat alone at the top of Flowing Time Steps, calming his mind a little.

After a long silence, he got up again.

At the top of Flowing Time Steps, there was a single door. Yang Kai had noticed it before and understood that if he wanted to leave this place, this was likely the only way.

Reaching out, Yang Kai slowly pushed the door open…

A dazzling light came from ahead, causing Yang Kai to squint his eyes. Only after releasing his Divine Sense to probe inside and confirm there was no danger did Yang Kai step through.

A feeling of weightlessness came immediately, as if crossing a single step had transported him to a different space.

A living aura suddenly appeared nearby, one Yang Kai was vaguely familiar with, and one that was emitting a strong hostility…

Yang Kai was startled, raised his eyes to look forward, and after seeing the situation ahead, he couldn't help being startled.

The place where he now stood was a raised circular platform that was roughly a thousand meters in diameter. Around this stage was a dark abyss that one could hear faint howls coming from. It was a disturbing image, like staring into an endless purgatory from which there was no return.

However, when Yang Kai swept his eyes around, he found that the door he had just stepped through was nowhere to be seen.

On this high platform, one person stood holding a sword, waiting quietly.

When Yang Kai appeared, the eyes of this individual flashed like a hawk, fixing on him as they blazed with fighting spirit.

Four eyes soon met and both individuals were taken aback.

Yang Kai grinned and raised his hand to wave at this man, "Brother Xiao Bai, you're here too, what a coincidence!"

He discovered that the person on this high platform was none other than Xiao Bai Yi from the Azure Sun Temple!

However, Yang Kai didn't see Murong Xiao Xiao, who had been travelling together with Xiao Bai Yi this whole time.

As he called out, Yang Kai walked over towards Xiao Bai Yi while examining his surrounding environment, but what made him puzzled was that the stage seemed to be an isolated space with no way out.

Yang Kai frowned slightly, not knowing what mysteries were hidden here, but as he was lost in thought, he heard a buzzing sound from up ahead and a flash of light flew towards him at the same time.

Yang Kai paused in place, causing the blade of light to cut a line right in front of his foot, nearly hitting him.

Yang Kai looked up at Xiao Bai Yi, frowned, and asked, "Brother Xiao Bai, what are your intentions?"

"To fight!" Xiao Bai Yi's long sword flicked and pointed at Yang Kai from far away, a fierce fighting spirit boiling out from his body.

Yang Kai's brow twitched as he said, "There's no need for that now… if you want to fight, just wait until we leave the Four Seasons Realm. Fighting here with you … it's not right!"

Xiao Bai Yi slowly shook his head, his expression as cold as ice as he quickly said, "It is precisely because we are here that we must fight!"

Yang Kai heard this, seemed to think of something, and immediately became gloomy as he asked, "What Brother Xiao Bai means… is that only one of us can leave here?"

Xiao Bai Yi nodded, "It seems that you're not stupid!" He shouted loudly, "This is a type of trial. Only the winner here will be qualified to move on!"

As he spoke, Yang Kai noticed that above this high platform, three large characters were condensed from pure energy, floating gently in the air, that read 'One Path Stage'.

In an instant, he understood.

Xiao Bai Yi waiting here, was probably because he was waiting for an opponent! And now it just so happened that his opponent was Yang Kai.

Thinking so, Yang Kai wore a serious expression and said solemnly, "It looks like… we really must fight!"

"Yeah!"

"The winner advances, while the loser… what do you think?" Yang Kai asked.

Xiao Bai Yi shook his head, "I don't know, normally the loser dies!"

After saying so, he coldly snorted and said, "Why, are you scared?"

Yang Kai smiled bitterly and shook his head, "No, it's just that… I don't want to kill you, Brother Xiao Bai! You and I have no grievances, and although you seem to have a bad opinion of me, at any rate, we entered the Four Seasons Realm together, so if I were to really kill you here, how could I explain it to Elder Gao and the others?"