The laughter slowly faded into the scorching desert wind.
The original Yang Kai lowered his head again, strands of messy hair falling over his dull eyes. Meanwhile, the other Yang Kai remained seated calmly beside him, his crimson-black robes fluttering lightly in the burning air.
Neither spoke for several moments.
Only the endless howl of the desert echoed around them.
Finally, the original Yang Kai spoke again.
"You really aren't human emotionally."
Yang Kai glanced sideways at him.
"That's not true."
"Oh?" The original Yang Kai smiled faintly. "Then why didn't my story affect you?"
Yang Kai leaned back slightly, resting one arm on his bent knee.
"Because pain isn't rare."
His tone was calm.
"Every realm has suffering."
"In the Immortal World, I've seen entire bloodlines exterminated over a single treasure."
"I've watched children devour corpses to survive famine."
"I've seen cultivators torture souls for thousands of years just to refine weapons."
His crimson-black eyes remained utterly still.
"What happened to you was cruel."
"But compared to the endless misery of existence…"
"…it's merely one tragedy among countless others."
The original Yang Kai stared at him silently.
Then laughed softly.
"Hah…"
"See? That's exactly what I mean."
"You say horrifying things like they're normal."
Yang Kai shrugged casually.
"They are normal."
The original Yang Kai shook his head helplessly.
"No wonder you adapted to this tower so quickly."
His gaze drifted toward the horizon.
"You know… I used to wonder what kind of person took over my body."
"For a while, I hated you."
Yang Kai didn't react.
"But after watching your memories…"
The original Yang Kai smiled slightly.
"…I realized you're even more fucked up than me."
Yang Kai smirked.
"That's probably true."
The original Yang Kai suddenly asked,
"Do you regret taking over my body?"
Yang Kai answered immediately.
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
Without guilt.
Without shame.
The original Yang Kai blinked once before laughing again.
"Damn…"
"You're honest at least."
Yang Kai looked toward the endless desert ahead.
"This world operates on survival."
"If I regretted every corpse beneath my feet, I'd never have reached the peak."
The original Yang Kai quietly observed him.
Then after a while, he asked softly,
"Will you at least use this body properly?"
Yang Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I already am."
"No." The original Yang Kai shook his head. "I mean… live better than I did."
Silence followed.
Then Yang Kai slowly stood up from the sand.
His robes swayed heavily in the hot wind.
The original Yang Kai looked up at him.
For the first time since their meeting, the lifelessness in his eyes lessened slightly.
"You know…" he muttered quietly, "…meeting you wasn't as bad as I expected."
Yang Kai looked down at him calmly.
"You're already dead."
"This conversation changes nothing."
The original Yang Kai smiled bitterly.
"Yeah."
"It doesn't."
Then he closed his eyes.
The desert wind passed between them once more.
"Still…"
"…thanks for listening."
Yang Kai stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then—
A crimson-black aura slowly emerged around his staff.
Death Qi coiled around the weapon like living smoke.
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
Oppressive.
The original Yang Kai sensed it immediately.
But he didn't resist.
Didn't move.
Didn't even open his eyes.
"Hah…"
"So this is the end."
Yang Kai raised the staff calmly above his shoulder.
"There's no reason to keep an illusion alive."
The original Yang Kai smiled faintly.
"Fair enough."
For a brief moment, silence reigned over the desert.
Then—
Boom.
The staff descended instantly.
The impact crushed the original Yang Kai's skull without resistance.
Blood splattered across the golden sand.
His body collapsed lifelessly onto the burning desert floor.
This time—
There was no hesitation.
No emotion.
No mercy.
Yang Kai merely stared at the corpse for a moment before turning away.
The desert wind slowly buried the spreading blood beneath drifting sand.
As though the world itself wanted to erase that broken existence.
Yang Kai began walking forward once more.
Alone.
His footsteps echoed softly across the endless dunes.
The scorching sun hung above like a merciless god while the vast desert stretched infinitely before him.
Yet his expression remained calm.
Cold.
Unreadable.
As he walked deeper into the wasteland, his crimson-black spiritual energy flickered faintly around his body.
And somewhere ahead—
Another opponent awaited him.
---
After a while—
The desert stretched onward without end.
Yang Kai continued walking alone beneath the blazing heavens while scorching winds swept endlessly across the dunes. The silence of the second test was unnerving. No beasts. No monsters.
Only illusions.
Only trials.
His footsteps sank into the burning golden sand as his crimson-black robes fluttered behind him. After killing the original owner of this body, his expression had become even colder.
Emotionless.
His mind remained focused on only one thing—
Advancing forward.
Then—
Far ahead—
Another figure appeared amidst the distorted heatwaves.
Yang Kai's eyes narrowed slightly.
At first, the silhouette looked familiar.
Too familiar.
The closer he walked, the clearer the figure became.
Then—
His footsteps slowed.
For the first time since entering this test, genuine surprise appeared within his eyes.
"What the hell…"
The figure standing ahead was—
Himself.
But not the broken Earth version.
Not the ugly suicidal shell.
No.
This was the real him.
Xuan Yuan.
Long black hair flowed behind the figure like dark silk, tied neatly with an ancient crimson ribbon. His robes were majestic crimson and black, embroidered with patterns resembling dragons and heavenly clouds. His face was impossibly handsome, carrying the arrogance and dignity of someone who once stood above countless realms.
Even his eyes were identical.
Sharp.
Domineering.
Ancient.
Yang Kai slowly walked closer while staring at the figure.
His mind churned slightly.
"What the fuck…"
"Why is my previous self here?"
The Xuan Yuan standing ahead remained completely silent.
No expression.
No emotion.
Then suddenly—
A crimson-black flash erupted.
The figure instantly summoned a bloody staff identical to Yang Kai's own weapon.
And without speaking even a single word—
He attacked.
Boom.
The staff descended violently toward Yang Kai's skull.
The air exploded from the force.
Yang Kai's eyes widened slightly.
Instinct took over immediately.
Clang!
He summoned his own staff and blocked the strike just in time.
A terrifying shockwave erupted outward from the collision.
The surrounding sand exploded into the air like a miniature storm.
Yang Kai slid backward several meters across the desert while gripping his staff tightly.
His arms trembled slightly from the impact.
Then his eyes sharpened.
"He's… F-Rank 3 Star?"
The spiritual pressure radiating from Xuan Yuan was exactly equal to his own current level.
Not weaker.
Not stronger.
Perfectly matched.
Before Yang Kai could think further—
Xuan Yuan moved again.
His figure vanished instantly.
Yang Kai's instincts screamed.
He twisted sideways.
Boom!
The bloody staff smashed into the desert beside him, creating a massive crater in the golden sand.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai retaliated.
Crimson-black spiritual energy exploded from his body as he swung his staff horizontally toward Xuan Yuan's ribs.
But Xuan Yuan blocked effortlessly.
Clang!
Another deafening impact shook the desert.
The two figures separated instantly before charging at each other again.
Boom!
Clang!
Boom!
Each collision released violent shockwaves across the dunes.
Golden sand exploded everywhere like tidal waves.
Yang Kai's eyes grew increasingly serious.
This opponent—
Was terrifying.
Every movement was flawless.
Every attack was precise.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
It felt like fighting a perfected mirror version of himself.
Suddenly Xuan Yuan spun his staff with monstrous speed before thrusting it directly toward Yang Kai's throat.
Yang Kai leaned backward barely avoiding the strike.
The tip of the staff sliced through several strands of his hair.
Before he could recover—
Xuan Yuan's knee slammed toward his abdomen.
Boom.
Yang Kai crossed his arms defensively, but the impact still launched him backward across the desert.
He rolled several times before digging his staff into the sand to stop himself.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
Not fear.
Excitement.
"Hah…"
"So this is how strong I used to be."
His blood began boiling.
Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan simply stood silently in the distance with the bloody staff resting beside him.
His expression remained cold.
Like a merciless heavenly emperor judging an inferior existence.
Yang Kai wiped blood from the corner of his lips.
Then laughed.
"Hahaha…"
"This is getting interesting."
Crimson-black spiritual energy erupted violently around his body.
At the same moment—
Xuan Yuan's aura exploded as well.
The two identical energies collided in the desert atmosphere like opposing storms.
The golden sand beneath them began cracking under the pressure.
Then—
Both figures vanished simultaneously.
Boom!!!
Their staffs collided midair with enough force to distort the surrounding air itself.
And the true battle began.