Chapter 4833

Soon, two figures rushed toward Kai and his group. Both were engulfed in flames, their faces concealed behind masks.

The moment Kai saw them, his brows furrowed.

But what caught his attention the most was the woman between them. There was something eerily familiar about her.

“Brother Ning…”

The two stopped in front of him, and Kai clasped his fists toward Ning Zhi in greeting.

Ning Zhi was momentarily stunned to see Kai standing beside Nan Batian. After a brief pause, he returned the greeting and asked, “Fellow Daoist Chen, have you completed the challenge?”

Kai nodded, then turned his gaze to the masked woman beside Ning Zhi. “Brother Ning, who is this?”

“Oh, this is my senior sister,” Ning Zhi replied.

“She looks strangely familiar…”

Kai stared at the woman, then extended his hand and said, “Hello…”

He wanted to make contact and sense her aura more carefully.

But before he could, Su Yuqi stepped back, watching him with clear wariness.

“I’m sorry,” Ning Zhi quickly interjected. “My senior sister is rather peculiar—she doesn’t make physical contact with men.”

Hearing this, Kai could only smile helplessly. He never would have imagined that the woman beneath the mask was Su Yuqi—the very person who had occupied his thoughts day and night.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, since you’ve completed the challenge, you can proceed to the second floor. We still have to fight our way through,” Ning Zhi said.

Then, his gaze sharpened as he turned to Nan Batian, clearly preparing for battle.

Nan Batian glanced at Kai but said nothing, choosing instead to step behind him.

“Brother Ning, there’s no need for you to fight. Once you leave, you’ll be able to proceed directly to the second floor,” Kai explained.

“He’s already surrendered—he’s one of my people now.”

“What?” Ning Zhi was dumbfounded, staring at Kai in disbelief. “How could you possibly subdue him? I didn’t even know that was possible!”

“Of course. They’re cultivators, just like us—living beings with thoughts and emotions, not mindless machines.”

Kai said this matter-of-factly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
After speaking, Kai smiled helplessly. He had just mentioned robots, but the other party likely had no idea what that was. After all, only those from the secular world would understand such a thing.

However, what Kai didn’t realize was that Ning Zhi—who stood across from him—was also from the secular world. Of course, he knew exactly what a robot was!

“Fellow Daoist Chen, are you trying to deceive us?” Ning Zhi still looked skeptical.

“Why would I lie to you? If you don’t believe me, you’ll see for yourself once you step outside.”

With that, Kai grabbed Nan Batian, and in a flash of thought, the two of them vanished, instantly appearing outside the Heavenly Ladder.

Seeing Kai actually leave with Nan Batian, Ning Zhi stood frozen in disbelief.

“Fuck…” he cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to deal with Kai now?

As soon as Nan Batian left the ladder, the world within the first level became engulfed in white light.

At that moment, all the cultivators from the Tianren Realm who had entered the first level felt a strange force surge through their bodies. A glowing pass mark appeared on each of them.

Then, without warning, an immense force teleported them all outside!

“What happened? Why was I suddenly sent out?”

“I didn’t even get to challenge anything—how did I clear the level?”

“Wait… does this mean we can pass the first level without fighting?”

A wave of confusion swept through the crowd as they tried to make sense of what had just happened.

Lin Keting was just as bewildered, scanning the area before spotting Kai. Without hesitation, she ran toward him.

Lin Chong, Taoist Wuji, and the others were equally puzzled. They had no idea why everyone had been ejected so soon after entering the first level.

Meanwhile, the massive stone steps of the first level’s gateway slowly dimmed as the light portal began to fade.

“Mr. Chen, what’s going on?” Lin Chong asked as he and Taoist Wuji approached.

“Relax, it’s nothing serious,” Kai reassured them, noticing their tense expressions.