The short Open Heaven Realm Master that led the way didn’t talk much as he focused on driving the ship. Faced with Yuan Tong Guang’s attempt to befriend him, he only responded in a perfunctory manner.
Yang Kai looked around while standing on the deck.
He had been to Black Territory twice. Even though he wouldn’t say that he was familiar with this place, he wouldn’t find it strange at the very least.
Soon, he found that there were a lot of shattered Spirit Provinces in the void on his right side. Those countless shattered Spirit Provinces were barren and strewn about disorderly.
Noticing his gaze, Yuan Tong Guang came over and asked, “Brother Yang, are you curious about what happened to those shattered Spirit Provinces?”
Yang Kai had an answer in his heart, but he could only play dumb and ask, “You know what happened, Brother Yuan?”
There was a meaningful grin on Yuan Tong Guang’s face as he replied, “I heard about it when I visited this place previously. It’s said that the Void Land’s Lord and Star Boundary’s Great Emperor, Yang Kai, is immensely powerful. When he visited Black Territory in the past, he used a Divine Ability to move the Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery so that it would be easier for Warden Luan’s subordinates to extract resources from them. The shattered Spirit Provinces you see now are the debris that were left behind after the Ore Stars were fully extracted.”
Upon hearing that, Luo Ting He gazed at Yang Kai in shock.
Although she hadn’t seen any Ore Stars so far, she reckoned that they were just Universe Worlds with abundant materials. It would require an incredible Divine Ability to move a whole Universe World from one place to another.
She was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was actually a simple matter for her to destroy a Universe World; however, she didn’t think she would be able to move a Universe World intact.
Yuan Tong Guang’s Junior Brothers were curious about it as well. One of them asked, “The Ore Stars were moved to this place? For real? Isn’t Senior Yang Kai a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master? Could he really do that?”
Yuan Tong Guang shook his head, “I don’t know whether it’s true or not, but it’s very likely to be what happened. Moreover, as you can see from the scale of the debris, Senior Yang Kai didn’t just move one Ore Star. It’s said that it took him some time to move hundreds of Ore Stars from the Inner Region to this place.”
“Hundreds of Ore Stars!?” All of them were dumbfounded as they found it inconceivable. Judging from the scale of the debris, they could see how large the Ore Stars originally were. Could anyone really pull off such a feat?
[Is Yang Kai even Human?]
Another Junior Brother said, “I suppose that happened a long time ago. There are no more materials left on these Ore Stars. It must have taken a lot of time to fully extract all the materials there.”
Yuan Tong Guang nodded, “Yes, it’s said that the incident took place 300 years ago.”
As he spoke, he took a glance at the short Open Heaven Realm Master, as though he was trying to get confirmation from him. Unfortunately, the short Open Heaven Realm Master didn’t intend to respond to them. It wasn’t certain whether he had no regard for Yuan Tong Guang and the others at all, or was just untalkative in general.
Yang Kai became increasingly doubtful as they moved forward.
Luan Bai Feng already had quite a number of subordinates to begin with, and she had previously captured almost 100 people from Heavenly Sword Union. 300 years had passed, so they should have fully mined out the 30 or so Ore Stars that Yang Kai had moved to this place, which was why the void was full of debris now.
However, what made him feel doubtful was that he couldn’t feel the strange strength that Black Territory was supposedly filled with.
He had personally experienced it on his previous visits. The further he went into Black Territory, the more conspicuous the strange strength would be. Engulfed in the strange strength, he could feel the heritage of his Small Universe leaving his body.
Therefore, even though Luan Bai Feng had occupied Black Territory, which was abundant with materials, for many years, she didn’t have a way to mine most of them.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai couldn’t detect the presence of the strange strength this time.
This made him feel perplexed, and the many surprising changes in Black Territory overwhelmed him with a sense of unease.
Half a day later, they reached a place that was definitely beyond the periphery of Black Territory.
In the past, no one could easily reach this place. Before anyone could arrive, the heritage of their Small Universe would be completely wiped out under the influence of the strange strength.
However, even Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yuan Tong Guang and his group, who were from White Fang Province, could easily reach this place now.
The ship then landed on a large Ore Star.
After sending them to this place, the short Open Heaven Realm Master said, “This is Ore Star 16. All of you should do your best to extract the materials here. If there’s anything valuable, you can return on your own to turn it in.”
“Many thanks, Sir.” As Yuan Tong Guang spoke, he stepped forward and stuffed a Space Ring into the other man’s hands.
The short Open Heaven Realm Master took it and nodded before he turned the ship around and returned.
They finally arrived at their destination after quite some time, so Yuan Tong Guang and the other Open Heaven Realm Masters from White Fang Province appeared excited as they looked around.
One of them asked, “What should we do now, Senior Brother?”
Only Yuan Tong Guang had some experience here, and he was the most powerful among them, so it was expected that he was the leader in this group.
Yuan Tong Guang replied with a smile, “There’s nothing to take note of. You just have to mine as you please. The materials here are hidden in Black Stones. Before we shatter the Black Stones, we don’t know whether there are any materials in them or the Orders of the materials; hence, our mission is to find those Black Stones. Even if we destroy the entire Ore Star, those from the Black Prison won’t care about it.”
Upon hearing his explanation, all of them nodded.
Yuan Tong Guang went on to say, “Black Stones are very special and require World Force to dissolve. We can divide up the work. One group can mine Black Stones while the other breaks them down, taking turns to relieve ourselves.”
As he spoke, he turned to look at Yang Kai, “What do you think, Brother Yang?”
There was a solemn expression on Yang Kai’s face as he looked into the depths of the void, as though he was able to see a very faraway place. Upon being called out though, he replied, “You make the arrangements, Brother Yuan.”
Since an agreement had been reached, Yuan Tong Guang bowed his head. Just when he was about to speak, a tremendous figure suddenly descended from the sky and landed on a spot that wasn’t far away from them. The hefty figure crashed into the solid ground and caused a cloud of dust to rise.
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were flabbergasted as they looked intently in that direction and shouted, “Who goes there!?”
When the dust settled, a gigantic figure was revealed before their eyes. The figure had a big belly, and its skin was full of warts. There was a green aura, which was apparently poisonous, that swirled around its body.
This was an enormous Blue-Eyed Toad that was as tall as a three-storey building. Moreover, its aura suggested that its strength was at the peak of the Fifth Order, possibly even reaching the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Instantly, Yuan Tong Guang and the others turned pale.
They had never expected to come across a poisonous Star Beast on an Ore Star in the Black Territory’s Inner Region.
As the Blue-Eyed Toad’s chin contracted, a gurgling sound was heard coming from its throat. Just then, a displeased voice was heard saying, “Those brats from Black Territory have received this Uncle Yu’s benefits, but they’ve still sent some people to come over and snatch materials from me. They’re such a bunch of ungrateful people! Anyway, since you’ve come to this place, all of you will work for me now. You have to give me 30% of the materials you’ve extracted; otherwise, I won’t let you off!”
Tao Ling Wan widened her eyes in disbelief as she said to Qu Hua Shang, “Junior Sister Qu, this… I-It can speak!”
Qu Hua Shang replied with a smile, “It is not the one that can speak.”
A surprised voice was heard saying, “There are three ladies here? They’re quite beautiful. This Uncle Yu is in luck!”
Following that, a head stuck out from the top of the Blue-Eyed Toad as he swept a glance over Qu Hua Shang and the others in a lascivious manner.
It was then Tao Ling Wan saw clearly that there was a person riding on the Blue-Eyed Toad. The person was too petite compared to the gigantic Blue-Eyed Toad, so she didn’t discover him just now.
Luo Ting He sneered, “Who is this oaf that dares to call himself Uncle?”
Yuan Tong Guang turned pale as he sent a signal to Luo Ting He to motion for her to stop spouting nonsense, for he finally recalled who the Blue-Eyed Toad and its owner were.
He had heard that there was an old man surnamed Yu who had occupied an Ore Star in this place. Those who were sent there had to pay him 30% of the extracted materials and those who resisted would end up in a horrible state.
It didn’t really bother him when he heard about it at first. It wasn’t until he came across the duo that he felt horrified.
This couldn’t be helped, as this old man surnamed Yu was at the peak of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the Blue-Eyed Toad was even more powerful than he was. With the two of them joining forces, they could go against a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
This kind of cultivation was unrivalled among the cultivators who had come here to mine ores, so there was basically no one who could fight against them.
Moreover, those from Black Territory wouldn’t care about such a minor matter. They just wanted the people who had arrived at Black Territory to follow their rules, and these people’s safety didn’t concern them.
Yuan Tong Guang secretly cursed at his so-called friend who had assigned Ore Star 16 to him back in the reception palace. The person had received some benefits from him, but he still sent him to this place, which was no different from sending him to a trap.
Fully aware that they were unable to escape unscathed, Yuan Tong Guang hurriedly cupped his fist, “White Fang Province’s Yuan Tong Guang greets Old Yu. Don’t worry. We will follow your rules when extracting the materials here, and we wouldn’t dare to keep anything to ourselves.”
With his hands placed on his hips, Old You was standing on the Blue-Eyed Toad’s head as he grinned, “You’re pretty tactful, brat. However, this woman doesn’t seem to understand the rules here. In that case, I’ll teach her a lesson so that she’ll learn not to speak nonsense and invite trouble!”
Upon finishing his words, he stomped his foot on the toad.
There seemed to be a ray of light that flashed across everyone’s eyes. Before Yuan Tong Guang and the others could figure out what was going on, they heard a loud slap. The next moment, a gale gusted through them as the sands and stones were blown into the air.
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were dumbstruck and hurriedly surged their strength to protect themselves.
Just then though, the man surnamed Yu was heard exclaiming in disbelief.
When the dust settled, Yuan Tong Guang and the others opened their eyes and were shocked by the sight before them.
The Blue-Eyed Toad had already extended its tongue in an attempt to attack Luo Ting He, but at this moment, the woman was gripping the tongue with just two fingers. Regardless of how hard the Blue-Eyed Toad struggled, it was unable to retract its tongue.
Yuan Tong Guang was astounded.
It had to be noted that this Blue-Eyed Toad was a Star Beast that was on par with a peak Fifth-Order or even a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even its casual attack had to be taken seriously; however, Luo Ting He was able to easily catch its mighty tongue with just two fingers.
What kind of cultivation did she possess? How powerful must she be?
Moreover, it was obvious that the Blue-Eyed Toad was venomous, so its tongue must be coated in venom as well. The average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to fend it off, so how did this woman even grip its tongue with her fingers?
Yuan Tong Guang didn’t quite understand Luo Ting He now as he had a feeling that something was off. He thus quickly turned to look at Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai didn’t even bother to look in their direction, as though he wasn’t aware of the conflict going on. After a moment, he simply said, “I’ll leave it to you. I’m going out to have a look.”
Upon finishing his words, he shot into the sky and headed towards the depths of Black Territory.
[He’s leaving just like that?] Before Yuan Tong Guang even came to his senses, he saw Luo Ting He exerting more force with her hand, after which the gigantic Blue-Eyed Toad was thrown into the air and then crashed into the ground. The old man surnamed Yu, who was on the toad’s back, was covered in dust as well.
Before he could get to his feet, Luo Ting He directly stepped on his chest and said smilingly, “You were going to teach me a lesson?”
The old man surnamed Yu immediately begged for mercy, “Please forgive me, Great Aunt! I’m sorry for my impudence, and I should be taught a lesson instead! From now on, 30% of all the materials extracted here will go to you! I’m willing to work for you!”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others were dumbfounded.
Yang Kai shot towards the depths of Black Territory. As Space Principles undulated, he was able to move at an astounding speed.
This area was supposed to be filled with the strange strength, and the average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t be able to come anywhere near here; however, at this moment, his progress was unimpeded, which concerned Yang Kai.
He had never figured out what the strange strength truly was. In the past, he planned on thoroughly investigating Black Territory when he was free one day. Perhaps he could get to the bottom of the strange strength when the time came.
He knew that Black Territory was an expansive place with ample materials, but the reason it was easily occupied by Luan Bai Feng, a mere Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, was that this place was filled with that strange strength.
Without the strange strength, the Ore Stars in Black Territory would have been targeted by others long ago. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises would covet such treasures.
However, it was because of the strange strength’s presence that it was extremely difficult to extract materials in Black Territory. Most of the time, Human lives had to be traded for materials; therefore, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had never had their eyes on this place before.
The strange strength could be said to be the natural barrier of Black Territory.
Nevertheless, the barrier was now gone.
On the other hand, Luan Bai Feng made a counterintuitive decision by spreading the news to attract a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters to come over and extract materials. There was something off about what was going on.
Yang Kai passed by a lot of Ore Stars along the way and it was obvious that many Open Heaven Realm Masters were busy extracting materials on those Ore Stars. They used their own Secret Techniques and were making a lot of noises. Some of the smaller Ore Stars were completely shattered as all of the Black Stones had been found.
As he continued moving forward, there came a moment when Yang Kai suddenly felt the strange strength engulfing him. He couldn’t help but arch his brow, as he finally realised that the strange strength that had originally filled Black Territory was not completely gone. It was just that the area it covered had significantly shrunk; therefore, the safe area in the periphery had expanded, which allowed others to mine Ore Stars that were previously too dangerous to visit.
However, the strange strength was still existent in Black Territory’s Inner Region, and it was extremely dense.
On his previous visits to Black Territory, Yang Kai used his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation to protect himself and ward off the strange strength’s corrosion. However, even with his Wood Element Power that was condensed from the Immortal Tree’s essence, he was still unable to go very deep into Black Territory.
Once his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation was no longer able to bear it, he couldn’t proceed any further.
Nonetheless, it was different now. Yang Kai had obtained the World Spring in the Shattered Heaven, and with one of the Four Universe Pillars in possession, it could ensure that his Small Universe would always remain intact and impenetrable.
Therefore, even though he could feel the strange strength’s presence, it didn’t have any influence on him.
His expression changed upon that realization.
Perhaps he could finally find the source of the strange strength.
This strength had engulfed a large portion of Black Territory, so there must be a source. In the past, Yang Kai had wanted to find the source, but he was incapable of doing so. Now that he had the World Spring, he was no longer afraid of the strange strength’s corrosion. He was also not worried about the heritage of his Small Universe leaving his body anymore.
Perhaps he could really find the source of the strange strength this time and properly investigate the matter.
In this region, there was no one extracting materials on the Ore Stars, for Humans were unable to stay here. Yang Kai kept moving further and soon reached an area he hadn’t managed to visit on his previous trips.
The strange strength kept intensifying. Yang Kai reckoned that even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Luo Ting He wouldn’t be able to remain here for long.
In this place, Yang Kai could faintly feel the presence of another kind of strength; however, with the interference from the strange strength, his perception was blurred, so he was unable to identify what that strength was.
He continued moving forward, but barely two hours later, he found it hard to go any further.
What stopped him from going further wasn’t the strange strength. With the World Spring’s protection, the strange strength in Black Territory wouldn’t pose a threat to him.
What hindered him were the Natural Spirit Arrays that were seemingly everywhere in Black Territory.
Black Territory was dangerous for two reasons. First was the presence of the strange strength, and second was the countless Natural Spirit Arrays.
The reason Luan Bai Feng had such high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays was that she had been living in Black Territory for a long time. She didn’t have an Honoured Master, so she taught herself the Dao of Spirit Arrays and eventually became an expert in this field. All the Natural Spirit Arrays in Black Territory were her teachers.
Yang Kai was a complete amateur in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, and the reason he could even reach this far was that he was able to see through all illusions with the help of his Demon Eye of Annihilation. He had obtained the Demon Eye of Annihilation from Great Demon God, but it was actually a Secret Technique from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven. The Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye were very abstruse Eye Techniques. Yang Kai didn’t have a way to cultivate them as he had only obtained these Eye Secret Techniques by chance. Although they were already fairly powerful, he couldn’t improve them further.
Unless he was able to acquire the proper method to cultivate those techniques from Myriad Demons Heaven one day, he would never be able to strengthen them.
At this moment, Yang Kai could see that it was a land of certain death in front of him through the Demon Eye of Annihilation. If he really barged into it, he would definitely die.
After retracting the Demon Eye of Annihilation, everything he saw became normal; however, Yang Kai knew that underneath the serene facade of the void hid an intense murderous intent.
He could only make a detour, but he soon encountered a similar situation. The same thing repeated a moment later.
A large area in front of him seemed to be covered in Spirit Arrays, which barred anyone from intruding.
The area that was surrounded by the Spirit Arrays was likely the centre of Black Territory. Yang Kai had a feeling that the source of the strange strength was just inside this place. If he could go in and have a look, he would be able to figure out many things.
However, faced with the hindrance from the many Arrays, he could only give up on the idea.
Just when he was ready to return, he suddenly felt some people approaching.
This discovery astounded him. The reasons he could reach this place were that he had the World Spring to protect his Small Universe and the Demon Eye of Annihilation to guide him past the various Spirit Arrays. How were others able to come to this place?
Moreover, he could feel that there was more than one person.
Yang Kai quickly manipulated Space Principles and let his figure merge with the Void.
A moment later, rays of light came into his sight. Soon, these lights reached a place near Yang Kai and revealed themselves.
Yang Kai observed them in silence and realised that he didn’t know them. Furthermore, these people were not powerful as most of them were in the Second-Order and Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. The most powerful one was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Their clothes suggested that they were not from the same Sect. There were seven of them in total.
The mass of Natural Spirit Arrays in front of them was like an invisible barrier that blocked their path. They stood silently in front of the Arrays, silently staring forward, making for an eerie atmosphere.
Yang Kai was astounded as the strange strength was extremely dense in this area. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Luo Ting He wouldn’t be able to persevere for a long time, so how were these Second-Order, Third-Order, and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters still fine?
Supposedly, they couldn’t have come anywhere near this place. Before they even arrived, the heritage of their Small Universes would have been completely drained.
Yang Kai thought that perhaps he had perceived it wrongly since he had the World Spring’s protection, but just when he was beginning to doubt himself, he saw something even more shocking.
These people, who had been silent, suddenly shuddered as they were soon engulfed in a dark aura. At the sight of this dark aura, Yang Kai felt a sense of disgust and loathing overwhelming him.
Black Ink Strength!
He almost failed to stifle a cry of surprise at this revelation. Although he hadn’t frequently come into contact with the Black Ink Disciples, he would never forget about the encounters he did have with them. He was fully aware of the Black Ink Strength’s eeriness.
On his trip to Lang Ya Paradise previously, he found some of the hidden Black Ink Disciples and even detected the presence of a true Black Ink Clan member.
After he left Lang Ya Paradise, the Cave Heavens and Paradises examined themselves and looked for more Black Ink Disciples, then began searching for the Black Ink Clansman.
Nevertheless, more than 100 years had passed, but they hadn’t found any traces. All of them suspected that the Black Ink Disciples and Clansman had hidden in the Shattered Heaven, but they hadn’t found anything despite an extensive search.
The fact that there was no progress in this matter worried the leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; after all, the Black Ink Strength was too strange. If they couldn’t find the Black Ink Clansman and kill them, a large number of Black Ink Disciples would start appearing in the 3,000 Worlds eventually and the situation would steadily grow out of control.
Yang Kai had never expected to come across Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, and so many of them at that.
Unlike the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise who were all Open Heaven Realm Masters with bright futures, these Second-Order, Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters should be valueless.
Hence, it was obvious that they were not transformed into Black Ink Disciples through the invasion of Black Ink Insects.
To the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Insects were precious items that had to be used sparingly. It would be a waste if the Black Ink Insects were used on these Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The likely explanation was that they had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength directly.
Compared to using a Black Ink Insect, it was harder to transform someone into a Black Ink Disciple through the Black Ink Strength, but that didn’t mean it was impossible. Less powerful cultivators were unable to resist the Black Ink Strength, and could thus be corrupted given enough time and effort.
Even if the more powerful Open Heaven Realm Masters were accidentally corroded by the Black Ink Strength, they had a chance to resolve the crisis. For High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they could cut off the territory in their Small Universe that had been invaded, and they would be free.
Nevertheless, the heritage of their Small Universe would suffer a big loss if they did so; therefore, after Shi Zheng from Lang Ya Paradise killed himself previously, the Black Ink Strength he had left behind in High Heaven Territory gave the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters a headache. In the end, it was Yang Kai who solved the problem by storing the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe.
With the help of the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe, Yang Kai was able to fool Yuan Du in Lang Ya Paradise. Unfortunately, the Black Ink Strength he had suppressed and sealed was then destroyed by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had been searching for the Black Ink Clansman and Disciples in the Shattered Heaven for more than 100 years, but to no avail.
Presently, Yang Kai came across seven Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, which was why he was astonished.
As these Open Heaven Realm Masters were engulfed in the dark aura, the whites of their eyes became black, which made them look even eerier.
The next instant, they dashed forward without hesitation.
After they moved forward a couple hundred metres, the Natural Spirit Arrays hidden in the void activated. Yang Kai, who had hidden in the Void, was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of crisis as all his skin tightened.
These seven people didn’t resist at all and were soon turned into dust by the Arrays. Their Small Universes collapsed, and their World Forces dissipated. They were killed in the blink of an eye.
The sight stunned Yang Kai.
He initially thought there was a plot going on as these Black Ink Disciples suddenly appeared in this place. Since they stopped in their tracks in front of the Natural Spirit Arrays just now, it was apparent that they were aware of the danger ahead of them.
Despite knowing that they would be killed though, they still resolutely charged forward.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why did these Black Ink Disciples proactively try to get themselves killed?
A sense of unease engulfed him.
The fact that there were Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory was a major issue for the 3,000 Worlds, so he had to quickly inform the Cave Heavens and Paradises about it.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush to return. The sight he saw made him feel that he had caught a glimpse of something very serious. The actions of those Black Ink Disciples who got themselves killed wasn’t the end.
Yang Kai thus remained hidden in the Void and waited patiently.
A few days later, another group of people arrived from the periphery. There were only three people this time. These people were even weaker as two of them were in the Third-Order and the remaining one was in the Second-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, the same thing happened again, just like Yang Kai had seen a few days ago. These Black Ink Disciple resolutely charged into the Natural Spirit Arrays and killed themselves.
Yang Kai had never seen these Black Ink Disciples before, so he reckoned that they were not Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates; instead, they should be outsiders who were attracted to the materials in Black Territory.
He decided to stop his observation here as he had figured out many things after witnessing two batches of Black Ink Disciples killing themselves. Now he needed to verify his theories.
Yang Kai supposed it was time he looked for Luan Bai Feng. Perhaps he could get the answers he needed from her.
Following that, he turned around and flew back.
He didn’t come across any Black Ink Disciples along the way as the cultivators were still busy extracting materials on the Ore Stars.
Before he even went near Ore Star 16 though, he saw Xin Peng rapidly approaching him.
“Sect Master, why did you come all the way here? I’d been looking for you.” There was a sense of anxiety on Xin Peng’s face. He was previously told that he would enter Black Territory with Yang Kai after he came back from the Star City; however, when he returned, he realised that Yang Kai was nowhere to be found.
Left with no choice, he quickly entered Black Territory and informed Luan Bai Feng about Yang Kai’s arrival.
After giving it a thought, Luan Bai Feng told her subordinates to go through the list of the people who had arrived in Black Territory to mine materials in the past few days. The records suggested that Yang Kai had headed to Ore Star 16.
However, when she arrived at Ore Star 16 with her subordinates, she only saw Luo Ting He and the others. Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Left with no choice, she told her subordinates to look for him. Xin Peng was lucky enough to come across Yang Kai, who was on his way back.
“There are a lot of changes in Black Territory, so I decided to take a stroll by myself,” Yang Kai nonchalantly replied, “Where’s Luan Bai Feng?”
Xin Peng quickly said, “Elder Luan is waiting for you on Ore Star 16. It’s hard to look for you since she doesn’t know where you were, so she’s decided to wait for your return.”
Yang Kai grunted in response, “Let’s meet up with her now.”
Xin Peng hurriedly led the way for him.
A moment later, they arrived at Ore Star 16 where a beautiful and luxurious ship had landed.
The old man surnamed Yu, Yuan Tong Guang, and the others were obediently standing there in silence.
On the deck, there was a table that was covered in spirit fruits and bottles of wine. Luan Bai Feng, Luo Ting He, and the other ladies were seated by the table as they seemed to be enjoying a joyful talk.
Upon detecting the man’s presence, Luo Ting He looked up at the sky, “Yang Kai’s back.”
The next instant, two rays of light landed on the deck.
Luan Bai Feng quickly rose from the chair and saluted him, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
Upon hearing that, Yuan Tong Guang, who was kneeling on the ground, widened his mouth in disbelief. When he saw that Luo Ting He easily defeated the old man surnamed Yu, he instantly knew that she was a senior expert. Then, Luan Bai Feng’s arrival confirmed his speculation that Yang Kai’s group was from a powerful background.
Despite his speculation, he wasn’t certain about Yang Kai’s identity.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the young man he chanced upon on the way to Black Territory was the famous Void Land’s Lord.
At that moment, he was overwhelmed with conflicting feelings.
Yang Kai looked dispassionately at Luan Bai Feng without saying a word.
The silent pressure caused Xin Peng to tremble as he couldn’t help but gulp.
To the side, Luo Ting He fiddled with her glass and then took a sip of the wine. Despite the faint smile on her face, her Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm pressure slowly began leaking out.
A horrified Xin Peng directly fell to his knees on the deck.
“How dare you, Luan Bai Feng!” Yang Kai finally let out a snort.
Without lifting her head, Luan Bai Feng replied in a humble manner, “Forgive me, but I don’t know what mistake I’ve made. Please enlighten me, Sect Master.”
“Do you even need me to tell you what you’ve done?” Yang Kai’s piercing gaze seemed able to cut across her face.
Luan Bai Feng fell on one knee, “If I’ve really made a mistake, I’m willing to receive the punishment without any complaints; however, please point out what I’ve done, Sect Master!”
Yang Kai scoffed, “Who allowed you to let outsiders come in and extract materials here?”
“It was my decision,” Luan Bai Feng replied in a grim voice.
“I want the reason!”
Luan Bai Feng said, “A few months ago, I detected some changes in Black Territory. You’ve been to the depths of Black Territory, so you must be aware that the area that is covered in the strange strength has significantly shrunk. The originally dangerous places have become safe, and we can now visit Ore Stars that couldn’t be reached in the past. This is good news for Black Territory as well as Void Land and High Heaven Palace. The materials in the Ore Stars are abundant, but I didn’t have enough subordinates to extract them efficiently, So, I decided to spread the news to attract more people to come over and help with the mining. Certainly, we have to give them some rewards for their work, so I set up some rules. Those who follow the rules will get some benefits from Black Territory.”
Yang Kai said coldly, “There are more than 10,000 Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace now. If you wanted to mine the Ore Stars, you could have just informed Head Manager or Second Manager about it, and they would have made the arrangements. Why even rely on outsiders’ help and waste precious resources?”
Upon realising the reason behind his fury, Luan Bai Feng replied, “Sect Master, if that’s what you’re angry about, please allow me to explain myself.”
“Go on.”
“There are indeed a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace now, but most of them are needed to explore the New Great Territory while the rest are required to maintain the order in the two Star Cities. Moreover, the cultivators who have just ascended to the Open Heaven Realm need time to solidify their cultivations, so it’s not appropriate for them to take on any tasks for the time being. Therefore, Void Land and High Heaven Palace probably can’t send a lot of people to this place. Furthermore, there’s something off about the changes in Black Territory. Before I find out the truth, I wouldn’t dare to let my fellow disciples take such a risk. If… I’m saying if… I’d really gotten them to come over, I was worried that the strange strength in Black Territory would suddenly experience a resurgence. If that happened, a lot of people from Void Land and High Heaven Palace would die, and I wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility for such a tragedy.”
Upon hearing that, Yuan Tong Guang and the others were soaked in cold sweat. It wasn’t until this moment that they discovered they had actually been exposed to much more risk while extracting materials in Black Territory than they originally thought.
On the deck, Yang Kai stared at Luan Bai Feng with narrowed eyes, “Are you saying that it was all with good intentions?”
Luan Bai Feng replied solemnly, “Sect Master, since I became your subordinate, I’ve always taken you and the Sect into consideration whenever I act. I would never dare to betray you.”
Yang Kai fell silent while Luan Bai Feng remained kneeling on one knee. The atmosphere was somewhat grave at that moment.
The apprehensive Tao Ling Wan darted her gaze around as it was the first time she saw Yang Kai looking so grim. She was extremely worried that he would start a fight at any moment.
Upon noticing her timid sister’s uneasiness, Qu Hua Shang patted her hand to placate her.
After a long silence, Yang Kai lifted his hand and engulfed Luan Bai Feng in his power, “Get up.”
With the help of the power, Luan Bai Feng got to her feet, “Yes.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Whatever happens next time, you have to inform Head Manager and Second Manager first before taking action. If you explain your suggestion to them, I believe they’ll support your idea; however, you have to make it clear to the outsiders the risks associated with extracting materials in Black Territory. It is not appropriate to simply attract them with benefits without telling them the potential danger.”
Luan Bai Feng obediently hung her head low, “I’m sorry for not taking that into consideration. I’ll make the arrangement after this. By then, they can decide for themselves whether they want to leave or stay.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That’s for the best. Since time immemorial, people have always been willing to take great risks to seek wealth. As long as you make it clear to them the risks hidden in Black Territory, whatever happens after will be their responsibility.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded again.
To the side, Luo Ting He said with a smile, “I told you that Yang Kai would only be scaring you instead of really punishing you, but you didn’t believe me.”
Luan Bai Feng put on a faint smile, “Many thanks, Senior.”
“Have a seat and tell me when the changes in Black Territory started taking place.”
After Luan Bai Feng was seated, she began, “I’m not sure exactly when the changes in Black Territory started, but it didn’t happen all at once. After some investigation though, I speculate that the changes started taking place after you left Black Territory previously, but we were not aware of it until recently.”
On his previous visit to Black Territory, Yang Kai personally refined an incredible artifact called the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. With this Hallowed Treasure, he was able to move some 30-plus Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery so that Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates could easily extract the materials inside them.
300 years had passed since that time.
The changes in Black Territory started taking place after he left.
Just like Luan Bai Feng had said, they were not aware of the changes going on in Black Territory because the cultivators here had been focused on mining the Ore Stars that had been moved to the periphery.
It took them about 100 to fully mine out those 30 or so Ore Stars.
Luan Bai Feng then headed to the Star Boundary to look for Yang Kai as she wanted him to visit Black Territory again and use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors to move more Ore Stars out.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai was being pursued by Bright Sun Divine Monarch’s in the Shattered Heaven at that time. Then, he arrived at the Ancestral Land, and there had not been any news about him since then.
Since Yang Kai was nowhere to be found, Luan Bai Feng’s subordinates had nothing else to do. She was not a kind-hearted person, so she ordered her subordinates to go further into Black Territory to begin mining Ore Stars. She would never allow them to stay idle.
Although the ore slaves and captives were displeased, they could only obey her order.
It wasn’t until they began venturing into the Inner Region that the changes in Black Territory became known to Luan Bai Feng. The originally dangerous places had become safe, and the area initially engulfed in the strange strength was now unimpeded. When they were staying there, the heritage of their Small Universes wouldn’t leave their bodies.
This discovery astounded Luan Bai Feng while the ore slaves and captives were ecstatic; after all, no one was willing to work in a dangerous place. It was good news to them that Black Territory had become safe.
“Initially, the safe area in Black Territory wasn’t so big, but it became increasingly wider as time passed. More Ore Stars were free from the strange strength’s influence, and I didn’t have enough people to extract the materials, so I came up with a solution.”
“You spread the news and attracted outsiders to come over by promising to give them some benefits?”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes. Even though we’ll suffer some losses, it wouldn’t matter to pay a small price as long as we could have control over the valuable materials. That’s what I thought at least. If you think this is a bad idea, I’ll chase all of them out now.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Since the news has been spread, others will have a bad impression of us if we go back on our word now. Moreover, you have a point. As long as we can keep the valuable materials, it’s fine to pay a small price. The rules you’ve set are sufficient.”
Luan Bai Feng hung her head low, “Many thanks, Sect Master.”
“You may continue handling the affairs in Black Territory; however, if you come across something like this again, you must not make any rash decisions. If you can’t find me, you can consult Head Manager and Second Manager.”
“Yes,” Luan Bai Feng replied respectfully. Then, she parted her lips as though she was trying to say something.
Yang Kai shot her a glance, “Speak.”
Luan Bai Feng said, “Sect Master, an interesting thing was found on one of the Ore Stars some time ago.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai asked with an arched brow.
Luan Bai Feng looked around and replied hesitantly, “This thing is a little strange, so it cannot be shown to everyone. I’m not sure how to describe it, but you’ll know what it is at first glance. Please come with me.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai said, “Very well.”
“This way please,” Luan Bai Feng extended her hand.
Yang Kai rose from the chair and followed her into the cabin. Soon, they entered a room, after which Luan Bai Feng performed different hand seals and activated the barrier in the room to bar anyone from entering.
Her actions made Yang Kai feel curious as he wondered what it was that they had found. Luan Bai Feng was so careful that she even asked him to enter a private room just to have a look.
Just as his curiosity was piqued, Luan Bai Feng suddenly fished out a wooden box from her Space ring and held it out to him with both hands, “Sect Master, it’s this thing.”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at the wooden box and narrowed his eyes.
That was because he found the wooden box familiar. A couple hundred years ago, someone had fished out a very similar wooden box and presented it to him as a Hallowed Treasure.
In the end, it turned out to be a plot.
All these years later, the same thing happened again right before his eyes!
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling forlorn. Even though there were a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land and High Heaven Palace, there were only a small number of Sixth-Order Masters. Despite the fact that he had subdued Luan Bai Feng using the Loyalty List, she was of great help to him, not to mention that she was extremely talented in the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
In fact, Yang Kai regarded her highly and had decided to help her ascend to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm when the time came.
Now, it seemed that there would be no need for that.
He suddenly realised why the names of Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had disappeared from the Loyalty List. Initially, he thought that they had passed away, but it turned out that they were still alive and kicking.
Nevertheless, they were no longer the Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng that he knew.
They had turned into entirely different people, so they were no longer loyal to Yang Kai; instead, they were loyal to someone else.
That was the reason their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List.
After taking the wooden box, Yang Kai didn’t immediately open it; instead, he said, “Elder Luan, we haven’t met in years, and it seems that you’re being overly polite to me now.”
With her head hung low, Luan Bai Feng replied, “You’ve become more powerful now, and I wouldn’t dare to be impudent in front of you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Do you know what’s inside this wooden box?”
Luan Bai Feng replied, “It’s a very interesting thing, but I don’t know how to deal with it. You’ll have to make a decision, Sect Master.”
“Good,” Yang Kai said, then opened the wooden box as a nervous Luan Bai Feng watched him.
The next instant, a black light dashed out of the wooden box and came right at Yang Kai’s face at the speed of lightning.
At the same time, Luan Bai Feng took a few steps back to widen her gap with Yang Kai, then performed different hand seals as a Grand Array completely sealed off this room.
She was an expert in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, and she had personally set up the Spirit Arrays in this room and on this ship. In this area, she could temporarily exert the power of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It seemed that Yang Kai was about to dodge the black light, but under the influence of the Spirit Array, he froze for a moment.
This moment of delay allowed the black light to penetrate his body.
While he started shuddering, an elated Luan Bai Feng gazed at him with a faint smile on her face.
A stream of Black Qi billowed from Yang Kai’s body and engulfed him. He gritted his teeth and roared as his eyes slowly darkened.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng parted her lips and started murmuring to him in a charming manner, “Obey the Black Ink Clan, Sect Master. When our Master ascends to his throne, we shall rule over the world together!”
Yang Kai soon stopped resisting as the Black Qi around him thickened.
A moment later, the Black Qi contracted and revealed Yang Kai’s face; however, his eyes had turned completely black.
An ecstatic Luan Bai Feng pressed one hand against her chest and nodded at Yang Kai, “Black Ink Eternal!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai saluted her, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Since they were companions now, Luan Bai Feng stopped acting polite. She took a seat on the chair and picked up a cup of tea as she wanted to give Yang Kai some time to get used to his new reality.
Standing on the same spot, Yang Kai examined his Small Universe.
There was some Black Ink Strength that had been suppressed in a particular spot in his Small Universe. The Black Ink Strength was even richer than what he had collected from Shi Zheng previously, but this wasn’t surprising as it was formed from a dead Black Ink Insect, so it was extremely pure. Although it was now suppressed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, it was still squirming as though it was trying to kick up a storm.
The black light from the wooden box was a Black Ink Insect. Yang Kai still had a Black Ink Insect with him now, so he could instantly figure out what was inside the box when he saw it.
After that, he only put on a pretence in front of Luan Bai Feng.
It wasn’t easy to fool her, for the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe was already destroyed by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in the Chaotic Dead Territory. He was no longer able to pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple using Black Ink Strength.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Insect that had penetrated his body gave him a chance. Although a Black Ink Insect was threatening, it was frail. Any Open Heaven Realm cultivator could easily kill it if they were prepared.
Just now, Yang Kai directly killed the Black Ink Insect, and after it exploded, a pure Black Ink Strength streamed out of it.
He had previously used a similar method to fool the many Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise, so it wasn’t hard to do the same with Luan Bai Feng.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had done their best to stop any news about the Black Ink Clan from spreading.
Be it the suicide of Shi Zheng or the many Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise, only the Inner Elders and Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were aware of the incident. None of the disciples knew anything about it, let alone Luan Bai Feng, who was far away in Black Territory.
If she knew what Yang Kai had experienced, she wouldn’t have used a Black Ink Insect to deal with him and even thought that he was her companion and wouldn’t have his guard up against her.
She could never have expected that Yang Kai had a World Spring in his Small Universe either.
They hadn’t met for hundreds of years, so when Yang Kai obtained the World Spring, Luan Bai Feng was still monitoring her subordinates to extract materials in the Black Prison. It wasn’t until this day that they reunited, and she had no way of knowing Yang Kai’s current situation.
With the World Spring’s protection, his Small Universe was impervious to outside influences. Even Black Ink Insects couldn’t harm him one bit.
Both Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng were now Black Ink Disciples. Perhaps many Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were mining ores in Black Territory, had also been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength as well.
Yang Kai already had this speculation when he saw two groups of Black Ink Disciples killing themselves in the centre of Black Territory. Now, his speculations were verified.
Only in a Black Ink Clansman’s hiding place would there be so many Black Ink Disciples.
The leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises thought that the true Black Ink Clansman was hiding somewhere in the Shattered Heaven, but no one could have expected that they were really hiding in Black Territory instead.
It was then Yang Kai realised what the other kind of strength was besides the strange strength when he arrived at the depths of Black Territory.
It was the Black Ink Clansman’s power, but it was obscured by the strange draining strength, which was why he couldn’t sense it clearly.
Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp when he recalled the intimidating consciousness he had previously faced.
Presently, he was not powerful enough to go against the owner of that Will.
Hence, he had to immediately inform the Cave Heavens and Paradises about it, for he was no longer able to handle the matter in Black Territory on his own. The leaders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to intervene.
However, he had to get the answers to his questions before that.
Yang Kai directly took a seat beside Luan Bai Feng and picked up a cup of tea.
It was apparent that Luan Bai Feng was in a jovial mood. As she gazed at him, she asked smilingly, “How do you feel?”
In a muffled voice, Yang Kai replied, “I’m fine. It seems that I’ve found a goal in my life.”
There was a fervent expression on Luan Bai Feng’s face, “Our goal is to sacrifice everything for our Master, including our lives!”
Yang Kai bowed his head, “Is Master in Black Territory now?”
Luan Bai Feng was shocked, “How do you know?”
Yang Kai explained nonchalantly, “When I was investigating Black Territory over the past few days, I noticed something and had a speculation.”
“I see,” Luan Bai Feng didn’t ask what he had seen. Since they were companions, she could trust him unconditionally.
“Do you have a way to let me see Master?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “We can’t do that now, for Master is still asleep. The last time he awakened momentarily, he only gave some brief instructions, so I can’t bring you to see him. However, our main goal now is to help Master break free from his shackles.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “Break free from his shackles?” What he had just heard surprised him. He initially thought that the Black Ink Clansman was hiding in the centre of Black Territory that he had visited before; however, judging from Luan Bai Feng’s words, it seemed that the Black Ink Clansman was actually trapped there instead.
“En.” Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Master has been trapped in the Black Prison for countless years. Before coming across Master, I’d always thought that the Black Prison was just a name; however, after I met Master, I realised that the Black Prison is a real prison that’s specifically used to imprison him.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean?”
He recalled the Demon Sealing Land in Ancestral Land.
Although the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land were aware of the Demon Sealing Land’s existence, the current generation of Divine Spirits had misunderstood the place after a long time had passed. All the Divine Spirits thought that the thing that was sealed in that place had something to do with Demons. It wasn’t until the Demon Sealing Land was opened up that they realised it was a Black Ink Sealing Land that was used to suppress a Black Giant Spirit God.
It surprised Yang Kai to learn that the situation in the Black Prison was similar.
This was a real prison where a powerful Black Ink Clansman was trapped.
While in a dazed state, Yang Kai recalled that when he visited the Black Prison for the first time, an idea came into his mind that the Black Prison could very well be a gigantic cage, but he didn’t ponder on the issue at that time.
It wasn’t until this moment that his speculation was confirmed through Luan Bai Feng’s words.
He couldn’t help but fall into his thoughts for a moment, then ask, “Are the countless Natural Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars in Black Territory part of the prison?”
With a solemn expression, Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes. Those so-called Natural Spirit Arrays were not naturally formed at all. Instead, they were arranged by ancient Humans; however, the people who set up the Spirit Arrays were so skilful in the Dao of Spirit Arrays that no one realised it. Everyone believed that the Spirit Arrays were naturally formed. The Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars form into a Super Array, and at its centre is where Master is imprisoned.”
There was a horrified expression on Yang Kai’s face, [The entire Black Territory is one giant Super Array. Just who could have done this?]
He increasingly felt that the situation in Black Territory was similar to that of the Ancestral Land. There was the Black Ink Sealing Land in the Ancestral Land while there was the Black Prison that was used to trap a Black Ink Clansman here.
The Ancestral Land was surrounded by the Divine Ability Sea, which served as a secondary barrier; meanwhile, there were innumerable Spirit Arrays in Black Territory which acted as a cage.
Perhaps the setups in the Ancestral Land and the Black Prison were built by the same group of people. In ancient times, a group of Great Experts clashed with the Black Ink Clan. While the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed in the Ancestral Land, the true Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned in the Black Prison.
Luan Bai Feng went on to say, “The incident took place a long time ago, so I don’t know the exact time it happened, and Master didn’t tell me about it. Perhaps to Master, it is a kind of humiliation to be trapped for so many years. His power is irresistible. The setup in the Black Prison is to prevent anyone from approaching Master and giving him a chance to escape.”
The Black Prison was originally filled with a kind of strange strength. With its influence, no one could visit the depths of the Black Prison. In that case, there wouldn’t be a risk of anyone getting turned into a Black Ink Disciple and working for the Black Ink Clan.
“Fortunately, you visited this place back then,” Luan Bai Feng looked excitedly at him.
“What does it have anything to do with me?” Although Yang Kai had a speculation in his heart, he wasn’t certain about it.
Luan Bai Feng explained with a smile, “I didn’t lie to you just now. It was the truth. It was because you moved several Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery that the Super Array was weakened, which allowed me to have a chance to serve Master.”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze, “Every Ore Star in Black Territory is part of the Super Array; therefore, for every Ore Star that is removed or destroyed, the Super Array will weaken a little.”
“Exactly.” Luan Bai Feng nodded, “The removal of 30 or so Ore Stars can’t really affect the Grand Array, but what if thousands of Ore Stars are destroyed? There will come a day when Master breaks free from his prison and makes a comeback to the 3,000 Worlds. When that happens, no one will be able to stop his hegemony.”
Upon realising something, Yang Kai said, “That was why you spread the news to attract outsiders to come over and mine the Ore Stars.”
Luan Bai Feng smiled, “I don’t have enough subordinates to destroy the Ore Stars quickly. Just like you’ve said, since time immemorial, men die for wealth just as birds die for food. The rules I’ve established are reasonable, which is why many people are willing to come here and help.”
Yang Kai praised her by saying, “That’s indeed a great idea.”
“You think so too?” Luan Bai Feng appeared eager as she looked at him, “With you around, we’ll be even more efficient. I need you to tell the people from High Heaven Palace and Void Land to come over.”
“I can make the arrangements,” Yang Kai directly agreed.
“After Master breaks free, you will be rewarded,” Luan Bai Feng said with envy.
“This is what I should do. It is every Black Ink Disciple’s dream to die for Master,” Yang Kai appeared solemn as he secretly let out a sigh of relief. Judging from what she had said, it would take quite some time for the Black Ink Clansman to really break free from his prison. In other words, he still had time to stop this.
Upon recalling something, Yang Kai said, “When I investigated Black Territory some time ago, I managed to reach the centre; however, I couldn’t go any further as that area was covered with Arrays. I suppose that’s where Master is trapped.”
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “Yes, I’ve been there as well. But given my current mastery of the Dao of Spirit Arrays, I couldn’t find any loopholes to exploit, let alone a way to break them. It will only bring danger to the Master if I make any rash moves.”
“I also saw some people getting themselves killed by crashing into the Arrays.”
“I know who you’re talking about.” Luan Bai Feng let out a sigh, “They’re our companions as well; however, Master is frail now from his long imprisonment, so he needs nourishment to restore his strength.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Nourishment?”
“The World Forces that leak from their bodies after their death are the best food for Master.”
Upon learning that those in the Black Ink Clan lived on World Force, Yang Kai felt his heart sinking.
“Since that place is engulfed in the Grand Array’s power, how did they arrive there safely?”
Although the Super Array’s power had been weakened after many Ore Stars were destroyed, the strange strength was still present around the centre. Before Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters even arrived at that place, the heritage of their Small Universes would have been wiped out.
Luan Bai Feng replied with a smile, “That’s because they had the protection of Master’s power; otherwise, they couldn’t have reached that place given their strength.”
It was then Yang Kai realised that the Black Ink Strength could even resist the Grand Array’s power.
“Is there anything else you want to know? You can ask me anything. I’ll tell you whatever I know.” Luan Bai Feng showed complete trust in him.
“How were the cultivators turned into our companions? I can see there are many of them.”
Luan Bai Feng put on a smile, “There are indeed a lot of them. I suppose we have about 1,000 companions now; however, that’s just the beginning as we’ll have even more soon. As for how they were transformed… Well, I was the one who personally turned the cultivators into our companions initially. Those Second-Order, Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are unable to resist the Black Ink Strength, so I can easily subdue them. Now, you’re able to transform others into our companions as well. Companions who have been transformed by Black Ink Insects are able to do that; however, those who are not transformed by Black Ink Insects can’t.”
“What happened next?” Yang Kai asked. Regardless of how energetic Luan Bai Feng was, it was unrealistic for her to turn 1,000 people into Black Ink Disciples on her own.
“I had more companions to help out after that. They have their own Fellow Brothers and friends. I’ve also received some Black Ink Essence from Master. It has slowly developed into such a scale, and it’ll only grow bigger in the future.”
“Black Ink Essence?” Yang Kai arched his brow as it was the first time he heard about such a term, which was why he was concerned.
Luan Bai Feng explained, “You were transformed by a Black Ink Insect that was gifted directly from Master, but he doesn’t have a lot of Black Ink Insects. They’re usually used to transform Open Heaven Realm Masters that are above the Fifth Order. As for Black Ink Essence… you can take it as something inferior to Black Ink Insects. Although Black Ink Strength has some corrosive power, it can’t fully turn a cultivator into our companion. Black Ink Essence is different, for it can fully turn Open Heaven Realm Masters that are below the Fifth-Order into companions who would be loyal to Master.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Black Ink Insects, Black Ink Essence, Black Ink Strength… In that case, what’s inside my body is supposed to be Black Ink Essence, am I right?”
“Well, you can say that. So, you can also transform Open Heaven Realm Masters that are below the Fifth Order. Those who are transformed by you can’t turn others into our companions. The Black Ink Strength in their body is threatening to the enemies but can’t turn them into our companions.”
“I see.” Yang Kai bowed his head, then asked for a vital piece of information, “Do you have other Black Ink Insects with you?”
“I only have a few of them. These things are precious, so even Master can’t give me many. It requires quite a bit of his remaining strength to condense a Black Ink Insect,” Luan Bai Feng replied.
This was similar to what Yuan Du had said. Black Ink Insects were very precious to the Black Ink Clan; however, it wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai found that the Black Ink Clan had to use its own strength to condense Black Ink Insects. The Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory had become frail from a long imprisonment, so they had to preserve their own power. It was impossible for them to condense many of Black Ink Insects.
Upon realising his intention, Luan Bai Feng asked, “What are you trying to do?”
“I’ve brought some companions with me,” Yang Kai replied, “Maybe we can turn them into our comrades.”
Luan Bai Feng rejected the idea, “We’d better not make any rash moves. We could have given it a try if the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were the only ones here; however, you’ve brought an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with you this time. It is unlikely for a Black Ink Insect to turn an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master into one of us. Master will have to personally make a move to have any chance of success. If others are alerted, Master will be in danger. Both of us can’t bear the responsibility for that.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai nodded, “I shouldn’t have tried to act impulsively.”
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “It’s fine. You’re just trying to help Master achieve his goal.”
She had turned Yang Kai into a companion and told him everything, so she decided to end the conversation, “We should leave now. The people you’ve brought with you will be doubtful if we stay here for too long.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
A moment later, they left the room together and acted normally. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with them.
The ship had already left Ore Star 16 and was now heading to the periphery.
Standing on the deck, Yang Kai looked at the centre of Black Territory with doubt in his heart.
Was the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison the owner of the consciousness he had previously detected? If they were not the same individual, it meant that there were more Black Ink Clansmen hiding in this expansive universe.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai had a feeling that it was the same Black Ink Clan member.
He tried to recall what he had felt during the sacrificial offering to the Black Ink Clan in the Universe Paradise that was left behind by Yuan Du after his death. When the consciousness descended, he could feel the other party’s prowess, and he could somewhat sense that the owner of the consciousness was trapped somewhere.
After the incident, he informed the leaders of Lang Ya Paradise about it.
Now, it seemed that the owner of the consciousness was trapped in the Black Prison. Nevertheless, it was just a speculation. As for whether the two were the same Black Ink Clansman, Yang Kai had to feel the other party’s consciousness to be certain.
Half a day later, they arrived at Luan Bai Feng’s palace which was in the periphery of Black Territory. Without any delay, he respectively passed Qu Hua Shang and Luo Ting He a jade slip, “One of you will go to High Heaven Palace while the other will head to Void Land. Pass the jade slips to the High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager Hua Qing Si and Void Land’s Second Manager Bian Yu Qing. Tell them to send over some people to Black Territory to help with the mining operations here.”
Qu Hua Shang was shocked, “Now?”
Yang Kai had never discussed this matter with her before, but he suddenly passed her a jade slip and told her to get more people to come over, which made her feel doubtful. After going through nine reincarnations with him, she had a feeling that something was off about how he was acting. Despite her doubts though, she didn’t insist on probing him.
“Go, now.” Yang Kai nodded and took a glance at Tao Ling Wan, “Wan’er will go with you so that you two can take care of each other.”
Qu Hua Shang replied, “Good.”
Tao Ling Wan had always been an obedient person, so she didn’t object to this arrangement. She just felt reluctant to part ways with him.
On the other hand, Luo Ting He was displeased, “I’m not done having fun here. Why did you tell me to pass a jade slip to someone? I’m not your subordinate.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Aren’t you going to take a look at the World Tree in the Star Boundary? High Heaven Palace is in the Star Boundary, so you can just pass the slip along on your way there.”
Luo Ting He pressed her lips together and stopped refusing, “Fine, fine, I’ll do you the favour.”
Qu Hua Shang gazed at Yang Kai, “We’ll set off now. Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry.” Yang Kai nodded to her.
Qu Hua Shang then summoned a ship. After the trio boarded, it turned into a ray of light and shot towards the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai and Luan Bai Feng saw them off. After the ship was out of sight, she said, “Let’s go. I’ll show you the things we’ve obtained so far. When you were not around, we’d extracted quite a lot of materials in Black Territory.”
The ship soon shot past the Territory Gate. The moment they arrived at the next Great Territory, Luo Ting He’s expression sank as she turned to Qu Hua Shang, “Something is wrong with Yang Kai.”
Qu Hua Shang was surprised, “You sensed it as well, Martial Aunt?”
Luo Ting He nodded, “Don’t forget that throughout your nine reincarnations, I’d started following you two since your sixth life. We’ve spent dozens of years together, so I’m somewhat familiar with his behaviour. Something must have happened, which was why he hurriedly chased us away.”
Tao Ling Wan was shocked, “S-Something has happened to Husband? What’s going on?”
“We don’t know yet.” Luo Ting He shook her head, then fished out the jade slip Yang Kai had passed her, “We’ll find out about it after looking into the jade slips.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded in agreement.
They infused their Divine Senses into the jade slips at the same time, and the next moment, their expressions changed drastically.
That was because there was only one sentence in both jade slips.
‘The Black Ink Clansman is hiding in the Black Prison!’
As a Core Disciple of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Qu Hua Shang knew a thing or two about the Black Ink Clan. She was aware of the Black Ink Clan’s existence and the danger they posed, but she had never seen them before.
On the other hand, Luo Ting He was now an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Before she was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion, she was already a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so she definitely knew more about the Black Ink Clan than Qu Hua Shang.
Moreover, after got out of the Samsara Pavilion, she heard a lot of things about Yang Kai from Yu Xiang Die. She knew that Yang Kai had previously made a scene in Lang Ya Paradise and went to great lengths to find the Black Ink Disciples hidden in that place.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises then spent 200 years examining themselves, while looking for the Black Ink Clan inside the 3,000 Worlds. They had even performed a thorough search of the Shattered Heaven, but they still couldn’t find a single Black Ink Clansman.
No one could have expected that the Black Ink Clansman was hiding in the Black Prison.
The two ladies instantly realised the severity of the matter. Anything that was related to the Black Ink Clan was no small issue.
The fact that Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng were still alive even though their names had disappeared from the Loyalty List might have something to do with this incident.
“Martial Aunt,” Qu Hua Shang lifted her head and looked inquisitively at Luo Ting He.
After giving it a thought, Luo Ting He made a decision and said, “Head to the Star Boundary. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have all set up Dao Temples there, so you only need to inform them about this and they will handle the rest. You must not accidentally leak this news to anyone.”
Qu Hua Shang nodded, “Understood. What about you, Martial Aunt?”
Luo Ting He replied, “I will head to the nearest Cave Heavens and Paradises and tell those old farts to come over.”
After Qu Hua Shang arrived at the Star Boundary and spread the news, it would then take the envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises quite some time to get into contact with their respective Sects, then even more time for those Sects to mobilize.
Yang Kai was in danger since he was in the Black Prison alone. Certainly, Luo Ting He had to bring reinforcements to Black Territory as soon as possible.
That was already the best arrangement, so Qu Hua Shang quickly replied, “Good.”
Luo Ting He said, “Both of you must be careful. I’ll be going now.”
Upon finishing her words, she shot off the ship and flew towards the nearest Paradise.
Fully aware of the severity of the matter, Qu Hua Shang wouldn’t dare to waste any time. She and Tao Ling Wan fully activated their powers to drive the ship forward so that they could arrive at the Star Boundary as soon as possible and tell the envoys there about what was going on in Black Territory.
…..
The amount of materials that had been accumulated over the past few hundreds of years in Black Territory was staggering.
Before Yang Kai left previously, he had moved more than 30 Ore Stars from the Inner Region to the periphery. After these Ore Stars were fully mined out, the Super Array that had engulfed the entire Black Territory had weakened, which caused the area that was covered with the strange strength to shrink.
After that, more Ore Stars were exposed to be within the safe area, and as more of them were destroyed, the Super Array’s power continued to decrease.
It was a vicious cycle.
Over the past few months, countless cultivators had been attracted to this place to extract materials, which resulted in even more Ore Stars being destroyed.
The result was the Super Array’s became increasingly weaker while more materials extracted in Black Territory had been accumulated.
In the vault inside the palace, the materials of different colours dazzled Yang Kai’s eyes. Materials below the Third-Order were not good enough to be put in this vault, so everything here was Fourth-Order or higher.
There were even some Eighth-Order materials. Although there were not a lot of them, it showed the stunning heritage of Black Territory.
There were countless Ore Stars in Black Territory. So far, only a small number of them had been exploited, but the rewards were already staggering. If they managed to mine out all the Ore Stars in Black Territory, the materials they would get would be incalculable.
The Yin and Yang Element materials Yang Kai had were already inexhaustible, coupled with Black Territory’s materials, they wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation resources for the disciples of Void Land and High Heaven Palace anymore. Regardless of how many disciples they had, the materials would be enough to last them several tens of thousands of years.
With an excited expression, Luan Bai Feng showed Yang Kai the harvest she had reaped from Black Territory so far.
Although she was a Black Ink Disciple, her temperament and her way of doing things didn’t change, it was just that the core faith in her heart was now different.
As long as she never revealed her identity as a Black Ink Disciple, she was the same as before.
Moreover, Black Ink Disciples still required resources to cultivate, which was why she was elated when looking at these treasures.
“You’ve just submitted to Master, so you might not be aware of it yet. Master’s power is profound. With this kind of power, Black Ink Disciples will no longer be chained by the limits of the Open Heaven Realm.” Luan Bai Feng spread her arms as though she was trying to embrace the world.
Yang Kai pretended to not know anything, “What do you mean?”
Luan Bai Feng shot him a glance, “What I mean is that as long as you work hard enough, you can even make it to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai appeared astonished, “Are you serious?”
Luan Bai Feng chuckled, “Why would I lie to you? If my memory serves me right, you directly ascended to the Fifth Order in the past. If nothing unexpected happens, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm will be the end of your Martial Dao. There’s no way you can make it to the Eighth Order. With the limit out of the way though, you can ascend to the Eighth Order and even the Ninth Order.”
Admiration was written all over Yang Kai’s face, “Master’s power is truly mesmerising!”
As time passed, more Open Heaven Realm Masters from different parts of the 3,000 Worlds steamed into Black Territory. They were then sent to the different Ore Stars to extract materials.
Since Yang Kai was already one of them, he had the right to know more information about the Black Prison.
The number of Black Ink Disciples was increasing by the day. In just one month, the number had increased by several hundred people. Moreover, several Black Ink Disciples would head over to the place where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned and crash into the Grand Array to kill themselves every day.
Their reason for doing so was to feed their World Forces to the Black Ink Clansman after their death so that the latter could restore his strength.
Luan Bai Feng was extremely cautious about this and never let a lot of Black Ink Disciples make a move at the same time; after all, the secret might be exposed if a lot of people went missing all of a sudden. Hence, it was the best arrangement to let several die each day. No one would care about the life or death of a small number of people who had gone missing. They were all attracted to the abundant materials on the Ore Stars in Black Territory.
Yang Kai would look around Black Territory every day. Everything he saw and the information he had gathered made him feel heartbroken.
If the situation was left unhindered, it would only take a few decades for the number of Black Ink Disciples to grow to a staggering figure. Besides that, the most important thing was that the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison would also be freed. When that time came, the entire universe would be gripped by a reign of terror.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was unable to stop it now. A Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might be able to reign as an overlord of a normal Great Territory, and the fact that he was a Great Emperor from the Star Boundary allowed him to stand on equal footing with the envoys of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. However, at the end of the day, this kind of cultivation was too weak in the face of a major crisis that could affect the entire 3,000 Worlds.
His power was completely insufficient in this matter.
Yang Kai felt a great sense of helplessness, so he could only hope that the powerful Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would arrive at Black Territory soon to take charge of this matter. Only the old fossils who had cultivated in seclusion for millennia had the right to go against the imprisoned Black Ink Clan and end this threat once and for all.
One day, upon receiving Luan Bai Feng’s invitation, Yang Kai arrived at a Grand Hall.
There was no one else in the Grand Hall as Luan Bai Feng was already waiting inside. Seeing him, she nodded.
Yang Kai looked around and asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
Luan Bai Feng replied with a smile, “Wait a moment.”
A short time later, a timid-looking person walked into the Grand Hall. When Yang Kai realised who the person was, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
The person was none other than Yuan Tong Guang, a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from White Fang Province.
Upon seeing Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai, Yuan Tong Guang sported an anxious expression. He hastened his pace and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sect Master Yang, Warden Luan.”
Even though he was just here to hand in some materials and get his reward, he still felt apprehensive.
During this period of time, he and his fellow Brothers from the same Sect had extracted quite a lot Black Stones on Ore Star 16. After spending some effort to dissolve the Black Stones, they were lucky to obtain quite some materials. Most of the materials didn’t really matter much, but amidst their harvest, they actually managed to acquire a Seventh-Order Earth Element material.
According to the rules in Black Territory, high Order materials had to be handed over immediately; therefore, Yuan Tong Guang quickly returned from Ore Star 16 and informed Luan Bai Feng’s subordinate about it.
The person directly brought him to the Grand Hall. Yuan Tong Guang had never expected that Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai would be waiting for him there.
However, after giving it a thought, he realised it was expected that those from Black Territory had to take this seriously; after all, this one material could be traded for 10 million Open Heaven Pills.
10 million Open Heaven Pills was an astronomical figure for a force like White Fang Province. It had to be noted that this amount of money was almost enough to purchase a complete set of Fifth-Order materials. It would allow them to create a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which would bring White Fang Province to greater heights.
When Yang Kai first entered the 3,000 Worlds, those from Great Moon Province had given him some compensation because of the matter regarding the Golden Crow’s carcass. The compensation was only 100,000 Open Heaven Pills, which was the maximum amount of money that those from Great Moon Province could take out at once.
Great Moon Province and White Fang Province were similar in terms of their power and financial strength. It could be said that for someone like Yuan Tong Guang to possess 100,000 Open Heaven Pills, he would be considered wealthy, not to mention 10 million. That was an unimaginable amount of wealth.
“This Yuan has obtained a Seventh-Order Earth Element material on Ore Star 16. Please inspect it.” Without any delay, Yuan Tong Guang told them the purpose of his visit and held out the Seventh-Order Earth Element material with both hands.
“You’ve done a good job.” Luan Bai Feng extended her hand and sucked the Seventh-Order Earth Element material towards herself before stuffing it into her Space Ring. She didn’t even intend to examine it. She then turned to Yang Kai and said smilingly, “Weren’t you curious about how to transform a cultivator into a companion? You can give it a try now.”
While Yang Kai sported a dispassionate expression, Yuan Tong Guang was puzzled.
Supposedly, after he presented the Seventh-Order Earth Element material, Luan Bai Feng would give him his reward; however, instead of seeing any reward, he heard some puzzling words from the woman.
He instinctively felt a great sense of unease. Could everything he had heard be false? Was Luan Bai Feng going to kill him so that she didn’t have to give him the 10 million Open Heaven Pills? However, if she really did that, her reputation would be severely tarnished. In that case, the people who had come to Black Territory to help with mining materials would no longer trust her.
Just when he was doubtful, Yang Kai suddenly took a step forward and pointed a finger at him.
As Space Principles undulated, Yuan Tong Guang was instantly bound in place.
He was only a Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how was he supposed to defend himself against Yang Kai? Since the Binding Secret Technique had activated, there was no escaping now.
“Sect Master Yang?” Yuan Tong Guang’s expression changed drastically as he was now certain that he was doomed; however, he didn’t understand the reason behind it.
As Yang Kai was facing away from Luan Bai Feng, he looked apologetically at the other man.
He had indeed asked Luan Bai Feng about how to turn a cultivator into one of their companions, but he was only doing so to gather information. It never crossed his mind that she would make him do it.
He wouldn’t dare to show the slightest hesitation, for that might cause his secret to be exposed. The powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises hadn’t arrived yet, so if he was exposed at this point, he might trigger some unexpected consequences, and he wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility for that.
As he stood in front of Yuan Tong Guang, he could see the fear and pleading behind the other man’s eyes.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng’s voice was heard coming from behind him, “Activate the Black Ink Essence in your Small Universe. That’s Master’s power, and no one can resist it!”
Without saying anything, Yang Kai lifted his hand as a squirming black fog formed on his palm.
An evil aura permeated the hall and made Yuan Tong Guang feel a great sense of discomfort.
He became increasingly horrified as he pleaded, “Please spare my life, Sect Master Yang! There are no grudges between us, and no one from White Fang Province has ever offended you! Please don’t kill me!”
“Don’t worry. I’m not killing you,” Yang Kai said, “In fact, I am going to grant you the most wondrous gift.”
Upon finishing his words, he covered Yuan Tong Guang’s face with his palm.
The squirming black fog seemed to have come to life as it streamed into Yuan Tong Guang’s body through his seven orifices.
Yuan Yong Guang widened his eyes and started shaking violently. A gurgling sound was heard coming from his throat, as though he was going through an unimaginable torture.
However, he was still bound to the spot by Yang Kai’s Space Principles, so regardless of how hard he struggled, he could never break free.
A moment later, the Black Ink Strength’s aura billowed from Yuan Tong Guang’s body as his eyes gradually darkened until they became completely black.
He slowly stopped struggling, as though he had resigned to fate.
“You can release him now,” Luan Bai Feng said from behind.
Yang Kai dispelled his Binding Technique, after which Yuan Tong Guang collapsed to the ground.
With a frown, Yang Kai asked, “Is it done?”
Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “It’s not that easy. Although the Master’s power is profound, it isn’t easy to transform a cultivator into a companion. It depends on how strong the other party’s willpower is. The time it takes the Black Ink Strength to invade a Small Universe also varies.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai felt his chest tightening as it was different from his previous pretence.
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “We are different of course. It’s much quicker for a Black Ink Insect to transform a person into a companion. Black Ink Essence is much less concentrated and thus takes longer.” She then took a glance at Yuan Tong Guang, who was lying on the ground, “He has basically transformed; all we have to do is wait.”
That was indeed the case.
After just half a day, Yuan Tong Guang was fully transformed into a Black Ink Disciple. He got to his feet and acted normally, but his eyes were now black.
“Greetings, Sir, Madam!” Yuan Tong Guang cupped his fist.
Luan Bai Feng nodded and tossed a Space Ring at him.
Yuan Tong Guang took the ring and infused his Divine Sense into it, after which he realised that there were countless Open Heaven Pills inside.
If he had seen so many Open Heaven Pills before today, he would have been ecstatic; however, he sported an impassive expression at this moment.
“Do you know what you should say after you go back?” Luan Bai Feng asked.
Yuan Tong Guang quickly replied, “I will ensure all know that Sir Yang is a man of his word.”
“Good. You may go now.” Luan Bai Feng waved her hand.
Yuan Tong Guang saluted them again and then left the hall.
After he was gone, Luan Bai Feng looked smilingly at Yang Kai, “See? It’s that easy.”
There was a sense of admiration on Yang Kai’s face, “Master’s power is indeed amazing.”
Luan Bai Feng said with a smile, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s go. I’ll bring you to see something else.”
Upon finishing her words, she led the way for him.
With his curiosity piqued, Yang Kai followed her closely as he wondered what she was about to show him.
Luan Bai Feng led Yang Kai to a very remote place.
There didn’t seem to be anyone passing by here. The visitors in Black Territory were aware that this place was filled with inconspicuous but dangerous Spirit Arrays that were hidden in the void; therefore, the cultivators who were in Black Territory to mine materials wouldn’t dare to wander randomly. They would only travel the paths that had been proven safe.
No one else dared to come to this particular area in the void that Luan Bai Feng had brought Yang Kai to visit.
A lot of shattered Spirit Provinces were scattered around this area. It was apparent that these shattered Spirit Provinces were parts of the destroyed Ore Stars.
Yang Kai looked around and realised in shock that there were cultivators standing on these shattered Spirit Provinces. Without fail, they were all engulfed in dark fog. They were obviously Black Ink Disciples.
It seemed that they were cultivating.
A strange energy fluctuation was felt coming from a particular direction, which prompted Yang Kai to turn his head and have a look.
Luan Bai Feng noticed it as well. She then said with a smile, “What a coincidence. Something is about to happen. Let’s go take a look.”
Without saying anything, Yang Kai followed her.
A moment later, they arrived at a spot that was 30 kilometres away from a shattered Spirit Province. There was a Black Ink Disciple on the shattered Spirit Province who was performing a set of hand seals. Black Ink Strength weltered around his figure.
Yang Kai found the Black Ink Disciple familiar, so he reckoned that the person was Luan Bai Feng’s former subordinate. He had been to Black Territory twice prior to this, so he should have seen him before.
At this moment, the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind the person was flickering, and his World Force was undulating. It was apparent that he was on the brink of achieving an ascension.
“Is he going to break through?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Luan Bai Feng nodded, “En. Fan Xiu Qi has been stuck in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for 2,000 years.”
Fan Xiu Qi was the name of this Black Ink Disciple. Luan Bai Feng was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so her subordinates were all below the Sixth-Order. She especially regarded Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters highly. Fan Xiu Qi was one of them and he had been her subordinate for 1,000 years.
He was a ruthless man who was originally from a small Sect. Since he was displeased with the Sect Master for distributing materials unfairly, he decided to kill him and fled from the Sect. As he had nowhere else to go, he eventually arrived at Black Territory and became Luan Bai Feng’s subordinate.
He had been stuck in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm for the past 2,000 years, so it was obvious that his aptitude was ordinary.
Yang Kai had a speculation about what Luan Bai Feng wanted him to see.
“You know, Fan Xiu Qi only managed to break through to the Third Order initially.” Luan Bai Feng looked in that direction with a fervent expression.
There were countless Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the 3,000 Worlds, making it the starting point for most Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The limits of their own aptitudes, the difficulty of acquiring materials, and their finances made it impossible for most cultivators to have a better choice when ascending to the Open Heaven Realm. Moreover, even ascending to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm was a dream that a lot of people could never achieve in their lifetimes.
Fan Xiu Qi was just one of those many people. Although he was ordinary, he was the epitome of those who could never achieve anything great in life.
If one directly ascended to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm, the end of their Martial Dao would be the Fifth-Order. In other words, if nothing unexpected happened, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was the best Fan Xiu Qi could achieve in his life. That was the reason he had been stuck in this Order for 2,000 years.
Nevertheless, he was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough at this moment.
This had nothing to do with his own aptitude or the materials provided to him from Black Territory. It was entirely because of the Black Ink Strength.
Black Ink Strength was able to shatter the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm and allow Fan Xiu Qi to have a chance of achieving greater heights after he reached his supposed Fifth-Order limit.
This was the other benefit of the Black Ink Strength that Luan Bai Feng wanted to show Yang Kai.
The wonders of the Black Ink Strength were manifested right before their eyes.
Yang Kai pretended to be fervent as well, but inside he was truly flabbergasted. He had never witnessed this before, so even though he understood the allure of Black Ink Strength to cultivators, it had never felt more obvious than now.
Those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were right to stop the news from spreading. If the wonders of the Black Ink Strength became known to the public, a lot of people wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. In order to seek a greater power, they would willingly side with the Black Ink Clan.
It wasn’t easy for a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to ascend to the Sixth-Order. With that said, Fan Xiu Qi had stayed in the Fifth Order for 2,000 years, so he had accumulated enough heritage. He was already at the peak of the Fifth Order, so even though the process was challenging, he managed to persevere.
A few days later, the noise gradually died down and Fan Xiu Qi successfully broke through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Luan Bai Feng was evidently pleased.
Even though there were a lot of Black Ink Disciples presently, she and Yang Kai were the only Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters due to various reasons. With Fan Xiu Qi ascending to the Sixth Order, their collective power was now strengthened greatly.
Fan Xiu Qi didn’t immediately stop cultivating, for he still had to solidify his cultivation after the breakthrough. However, upon realising that Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai were observing him, he opened his eyes and nodded at them.
However, Yang Kai had a feeling that something was off.
Although the Black Ink Strength was wondrous, it seemed it wasn’t as miraculous as he had imagined.
Before the ascension, Fan Xiu Qi had a short and frail-looking figure, but at this moment, his body had swollen up and become quite bulky, even a bit disfigured in fact. It was as though he had transformed into an entirely different person.
Even those who were familiar with him would no longer be able to recognise him.
The transformation in his body after the breakthrough was obviously a hidden danger of the Black Ink Strength. Although Yang Kai had no idea what consequences that the hidden danger would lead to, he reckoned that they wouldn’t be good.
He then turned to look at another shattered Spirit Province.
Over the past few days when Fan Xiu Qi was trying to achieve an ascension, the Black Ink Disciple in this particular Spirit Province was showing signs of achieving a breakthrough as well. Perhaps Fan Xiu Qi’s ascension had caused this person’s Internal Qi to surge as well.
This person was also Luan Bai Feng’s former subordinate, but he was only in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. According to Luan Bai Feng, his name was Shu Yuan Si.
Shu Yuan Si only started out as a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so the Fourth-Order was his limit. However, under the influence of the Black Ink Strength, that limit no longer mattered as he was now able to make it to the Fifth Order.
After witnessing Fan Xiu Qi’s experience, Luan Bai Feng became even more excited.
Just like Yang Kai, she had initially broken through to the Fifth Order, so the Seventh Order would be her limit.
Now, she was only a step away from the Seventh Order, and when she finally achieved a breakthrough one day, there wouldn’t be any goal she could work towards.
However, the Black Ink Strength had given her the hope of possibly making it to the Eighth Order and even the Ninth Order. Even those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would have to look up to her by then.
Unfortunately, Shu Yuan Si’s ascension wasn’t as smooth as that of Fan Xiu Qi. The turn of events surprised everyone.
As Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai observed him, his aura rose from the Fourth Order to the Fifth Order. The moment it hit the Fifth Order though, the Black Ink Strength that had been swirling around Shu Yuan Si suddenly surged, as though it had gone out of control. A shriek was heard coming from that direction.
Luan Bai Feng’s expression changed, but she didn’t intend to interfere. The reason she was here was to observe her companions who would break through their limits so that she could get prepared for her future ascension. She didn’t know how to deal with this anomaly, nor was she willing to intervene.
As she and Yang Kai watched Shu Yuan Si attentively, his cultivation and strength fluctuated wildly. Sometimes he would be in a perilous situation, but sometimes he would be as calm as still water.
The dust finally settled more than ten days later.
In the Spirit Province, Shu Yuan Si was lying on the ground and gasping for breath.
Luan Bai Feng and Yang Kai came over and landed in front of him. Upon seeing his condition, they couldn’t help but frown.
Presently, Shu Yuan Si was in a terrible state. His power was undulating uncontrollably as his aura dropped to the Fourth Order, then rose to the Fifth Order in a seemingly random manner.
What concerned the two of them was that Shu Yuan Si’s appearance had changed drastically. His clothes were all tattered, and his body was covered with sarcomas. Some of them were as big as a head while some of them were as small as a fist. A dark power was seen flowing within these cysts.
Some cracks started appearing on some of the sarcomas as Black Ink Strength flowed out of them like pus.
At this moment, Shu Yuan Si could very well be described as hideous.
Realising that he was in critical danger, he pleaded with Luan Bai Feng, saying, “Save me!”
Luan Bai Feng dispassionately looked down at him. A moment later, she shook her head and pressed her hand against her chest before saying in a solemn manner, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Instantly, Shu Yuan Si turned from flustered to calm as he realised something. Without feeling resentful, he thumped his fist against his chest and shouted resolutely, “Black Ink Eternal!”
The next moment, Luan Bai Feng made a move by engulfing Shu Yuan Si with her Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm power and reduced him to dust.
Shu Yuan Si had no hope of survival. Even if she never made a move, he would have exploded sooner or later given his condition.
His Small Universe collapsed while his World Force dissipated.
Rich Black Ink Strength had also streamed out.
Just then, Luan Bai Feng took a deep breath. Instead of drifting away, all of the Black Ink Strength was sucked into her mouth.
She appeared elated and closed her eyes to enjoy it, as though she had just had a taste of the most delicious dish in the world.
Yang Kai felt all his bodily hair standing on end.
A moment later, he said, “It seems that there’s a risk of using Master’s power to shatter our shackles.”
Shu Yuan Si’s death was the best proof of it. On the other hand, even though Fan Xiu Qi had successfully broken through, his appearance had changed drastically. It was obvious that he would be faced with some hidden danger in the future.
Luan Bai Feng suddenly opened her eyes and shot him a piercing glare, “Are you doubting Master?”
An alerted Yang Kai hung his head low, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Luan Bai Feng stared fixedly at him for a moment before saying, “Master is omnipotent and all-powerful. Shu Yuan Si failed because he was incompetent. The reason Fan Xiu Qi has succeeded is that he is truly loyal to Master!”
“Indeed,” Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“I don’t want to hear any of that again. Any disrespect to Master is blasphemy!” Luan Bai Feng sternly warned, “Even if Master won’t settle the score with you, I’ll not let you off.”
“I will never speak so again,” Yang Kai assured her with a solemn expression. In the meantime, he secretly warned himself to be careful when dealing with Luan Bai Feng before the powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises arrived. He had to pretend that he was a loyal Black Ink Disciple until then.
When Luan Bai Feng saw that Yang Kai had shown enough sincerity, her expression turned milder. She nodded and said, “You’re already familiar with the situation here, and you had the experience of transforming a cultivator into a companion some time ago. It’s time you began actively helping the cause.”
“What do you want me to do?” Yang Kai asked.
“Go turn more people into our companions.” There was a faint smile on Luan Bai Feng’s face, “There are a lot of people in Black Territory now. They are the sustenance that Master will need when he awakens, so we can’t miss this chance.”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “It is my honour to aid Master.”
“Go now. I’ll be waiting,” Luan Bai Feng waved her hand.
It was then Yang Kai dashed towards the Black Territory’s Inner Region while pondering on how he should deal with this situation as a Black Ink Disciple.
The powerful cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises hadn’t arrived yet, so he had to make sure that Luan Bai Feng wouldn’t be alerted; however, her request to make him turn more people into companions put him in a tight spot.
There was indeed some Black Ink Essence in his body that could be used to transform people into Black Ink Disciples, and he had done just that to Yuan Tong Guang previously.
Nevertheless, he had no choice but to do so at that time as Luan Bai Feng was watching him.
Now that Luan Bai Feng asked him to do it again, Yang Kai definitely wouldn’t want to oblige. Nonetheless, if he never made a move, his inaction would be exposed sooner or later. How was he going to explain himself to her by then?
Another thing that concerned him was the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the depths of the Black Prison.
In the past, Yang Kai performed a sacrificial offering and summoned the great Will in an attempt to find out the other party’s hiding place, but his attempt turned out to be a failure. However, he had clearly felt the consciousness’ presence and prowess. Similarly, the other party must have detected his presence as well.
If the owner of the consciousness was a Black Ink Clansman trapped in the Black Prison, he would be in a perilous situation.
Due to a long period of imprisonment, the Black Ink Clansman in the depths of the Black Prison was in a deep sleep, but when they awakened, they might notice his presence.
When that time came, his identity would instantly be exposed.
Hence, Yang Kai believed that it was just a matter of time before his identity was compromised. It was a race against time.
If the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises could arrive before he was exposed things would be fine. However, if they couldn’t achieve that, he would be in danger.
While his emotions undulated in his heart, he headed to Ore Star 16.
The moment he descended from the sky, the cultivators on Ore Star 16 noticed his presence. Soon, the old man surnamed Yu, Yuan Tong Guang, and the others came over and saluted him, “Greetings, Sect Master Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’m just looking around. Tend to your own business.”
All of them replied, “Yes.”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others scattered and continued mining.
Yang Kai decided to stay on Ore Star 16 for now. Although he was at risk of having his identity brought to light, he wasn’t willing to turn more people into Black Ink Disciples. He could only pray that the Cave Heavens and Paradises would arrive sooner.
After making some calculations, he realised that it had only been one to two months since Luo Ting He and the others left. Regardless of how quickly they were, help must still be on the way to this place.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened in the next half a month. While Yuan Tong Guang and the others focused on extracting materials, Luan Bai Feng didn’t have the intention of looking for him. This allowed Yang Kai to have some peaceful days.
However, he soon discovered something that made him feel speechless.
There were a total of thirteen Open Heaven Realm Masters who were extracting materials on Ore Star 16 now. The most powerful one was the old man surnamed Yu, who was riding a Blue-Eyed Toad. He was in the Fifth-Order while the rest were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
All thirteen Open Heaven Realm Masters had been transformed into Black Ink Disciples.
It seemed that Luan Bai Feng had already made a move prior to this.
Yuan Tong Guang was transformed into a Black Ink Disciple by Yang Kai, after which he returned to Ore Star 16. With his cooperation, Luan Bai Feng could easily subdue the Open Heaven Realm Masters in this place.
It wouldn’t have mattered if everything ended there, but twenty days after Yang Kai arrived at Ore Star 16, Yuan Tong Guang and the others, who were extracting materials, suddenly gathered together.
Upon noticing it, Yang Kai decided to observe them despite not knowing what was going on.
He didn’t hide his figure. Even though the Black Ink Disciples were aware of his presence, they didn’t say anything.
With Yuan Tong Guang in the lead, they took off their Space Rings and passed them to the old man surnamed Yu. The latter silently took the rings with a solemn expression.
“You’ll keep these rings,” Yuan Tong Guang gazed at the old man surnamed Yu and said.
The older man nodded, “Don’t worry. You all go on ahead. This Old Master will join you soon.”
Yuan Tong Guang and the others pressed their hands against their chests, “Black Ink Eternal.”
The old man surnamed Yu replied, “Black Ink Eternal.”
The next instant, twelve Open Heaven Realm Masters shot into the sky and turned into rays of light.
Yang Kai sported a dark expression as he had a speculation about what was going on. He sauntered towards the old man surnamed Yu and stood beside him before looking in the direction Yuan Tong Guang and the others had left.
“Before Black Ink, all are ants,” the old man surnamed Yu suddenly said. There was a longing expression on his face, as though he was eager to run after Yuan Tong Guang and the others, “They will soon be one with Master and live eternally. This is an honour we all crave.”
Yang Kai’s speculation was instantly proven right.
There was something he was curious about though.
“Who gave you the order?” He asked.
The old man surnamed Yu shook his head, “No one ordered us to do anything. As long as Master has a need, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. It could be me next time, or even you.”
Yang Kai frowned. [Could the Black Ink Disciples sense the Black Ink Clansman’s need? Is that why they would proactively sacrifice themselves?]
However, Yang Kai didn’t have time to ponder on it. He had been waiting for a long time, and didn’t want to expose himself so soon, but things had come to a point where he had no choice but to make a move.
First of all, he was the one who transformed Yuan Tong Guang into a Black Ink Disciple. If the latter killed himself because of that, Yang Kai would be the murderer. It wasn’t that he had never killed anyone before, but the ones he had slain were all enemies he could not reconcile with. Yang Kai had never killed an innocent before, so he wasn’t willing to see Yuan Tong Guang die.
Secondly, the Black Ink Clansman trapped in the depths of the Black Prison lived on World Force. By intercepting Yuan Tong Guang and the others, Yang Kai could stop the Black Ink Clansman from restoring himself.
The old man surnamed Yu became alerted as he gazed at Yang Kai, “Didn’t you sense it?”
Yang Kai flashed a smile at him, revealing his snow-white teeth. While the old man surnamed Yu was confused, the illusory phantom of a Small Universe appeared behind Yang Kai and swallowed the old man up like an Ominous Beast.
The Small Universes of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had materialised, so they could accommodate living creatures, including Open Heaven Realm Masters of lower Orders.
Even though Yang Kai wasn’t a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master yet, his Small Universe had already materialised. As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was able to keep the old man surnamed Yu, who was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, inside his Small Universe as long as he could unleash a burst of force that the other party couldn’t resist. With that said, there would be a risk Yang Kai had to bear for keeping the other party inside his Small Universe.
This wasn’t really an issue for Yang Kai though.
He was nearly on par with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, so before the old man surnamed Yu had time to react, he was subdued and transferred into Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The next instant, he was engulfed in a restrictive power and became rooted to the spot, as though he had been struck with a Binding Secret Technique. He couldn’t even move a muscle.
In Seven Stars Sect, Xu Yi was feeding the golden carp that had obtained a Dragon Vein after drinking Yang Kai’s Dragon Blood when all of a sudden, the world around him started spinning. When he recovered, he realised that he was in an unfamiliar place.
There was a short and wrinkled old man who appeared bound in place there.
Beside the old man stood a Blue-Eyed Toad that was as tall as a three-storey building. A gurgling sound was heard coming from its throat, and the pustules on its figure exuded a poisonous aura.
Xu Yi was dumbstruck at the sight.
He felt an unimaginable energy fluctuation coming from the old man and the Blue-Eyed Toad. In the past, he thought that Emperor Realm Masters were the most powerful cultivators in the world, but even they seemed insignificant compared to the pair before his eyes.
He had only felt the same kind of formidable aura from his Honoured Master before.
Before he could figure out what was going on, Xu Yi heard his Honoured Master speaking to him, “Keep an eye on him. Call out to me immediately if anything happens!”
“Yes!” Xu Yi quickly replied. He no longer felt flustered upon hearing his Honoured Master’s voice. With his Honoured Master around, he wouldn’t have to fear anything.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already manipulated Space Principles to chase after the group which had just left.
A moment later, he saw Yuan Tong Guang and the others and directly hastened his pace to intercept them.
These Black Ink Disciple appeared startled and Yuan Tong Guang took the initiative to ask, “What’s wrong, Sect Master Yang?”
“Nothing. I’m just here to save your lives,” Yang Kai replied impassively. The next moment, he crashed into these Black Ink Disciples as his Small Universe expanded and engulfed all of them.
On the other hand, Xu Yi was staring fixedly at the old man surnamed Yu. Upon realising that the old man really couldn’t move a muscle, he shifted his attention to the Blue-Eyed Toad. He had never seen such a hideous-looking Monster Beast before. The golden carp he was told to take care of was much more pleasing to the eye than this Blue-Eyed Toad.
Just then, he caught a glimpse of several people appearing abruptly, and just like the short old man, they were all immobile.
Xu Yi quickly stayed further away from them as he wondered what his Honoured Master was doing.
It was apparent that his Honoured Master had captured and rendered them immovable, but what was his reason for doing so?
In the past, Yang Kai wouldn’t have spared the lives of Black Ink Disciples.
When someone was invaded by the Black Ink Strength, there was no way they could be saved. That was the firm belief those from Lang Ya Paradise had instilled in him.
That was what those from Lang Ya Paradise did as well. Those Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had exceptional aptitudes and held important positions in Lang Ya Paradise, were all killed. Even Gu Ling’er, who was popular among the disciples and Elders alike, was not spared.
Yuan Du and all other Black Ink Disciples were condemned to death the moment they were discovered.
However, Yang Kai wanted to save these Black Ink Disciples now. At the same time, he had to verify a speculation he had.
A cultivator’s temperament would change drastically after they were turned into a Black Ink Disciple, but that wasn’t their true selves.
If his speculation was proven right, it would mean that it wasn’t impossible to save these Black Ink Disciples. That would be good news for the entire universe.
Once again, Yang Kai arrived at the centre of the Black Prison where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned.
There were a lot of Black Ink Disciples scattered on the Ore Stars, and he had no idea which of those Black Ink Disciples would come over to sacrifice themselves, so he decided to simply wait for their arrival here.
With the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai was still able to clearly see the concealed danger in this place. The centre of the Super Array was the most intimidating. Even though he was strong, he wouldn’t dare to barge into its range.
The strange strength that derived from the Super Array was extremely violent in this place. If not for the fact that Yang Kai had the World Spring to protect his Small Universe, he wouldn’t be able to last here for long. Before he even arrived at this place, the heritage of his Small Universe would have been completely drained.
The reason the Black Ink Disciples could arrive at this place safely was that they had the Black Ink Strength’s protection.
There was one thing that puzzled Yang Kai, though. How did the Black Ink Disciples avoid the Spirit Arrays that were widely present in Black Territory? In this place, there was a Super Array that consisted of countless Spirit Arrays and Ore Stars which was used to imprison the Black Ink Clansman. Everywhere in Black Territory was potentially dangerous.
The reason Yang Kai could come all the way here was that his Demon Eye of Annihilation was able to see through all illusions in the world. He might not be able to see through the abstrusity of those Spirit Arrays, but with the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he could find the traces of their presence at least so he could avoid them.
Those Third-Order and Fourth-Order Black Ink Disciples were obviously incapable of doing that, so Yang Kai could only speculate that Luan Bai Feng had mapped out a safe route for them to come to this place and sacrifice themselves for the Black Ink Clan.
The next day after Yang Kai arrived at this place, he intercepted a group of five Black Ink Disciples. Just like what he had previously done, he put them inside his Small Universe and suppressed them.
Two to three days later, he intercepted another group of Black Ink Disciples.
Yang Kai initially wanted to find a regular pattern, but his attempt was futile. The frequency of their arrival and the number of people were irregular. Sometimes there would be a lot of people, but sometimes there would only be a small number. There were times when no one came over for five days in a row, but at other times, people would arrive every day.
In just one month, Yang Kai had stuffed more than 100 Open Heaven Realm Masters into his Small Universe.
Other than the old man surnamed Yu, who was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the rest were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Perhaps to the Black Ink Disciples, Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were indispensable for now, so they were not willing to sacrifice such people.
Yang Kai had a feeling that what was going on in this place would be exposed soon. In fact, he was already surprised that he had managed to stay here for a whole month without alerting Luan Bai Feng.
And soon that time came.
One day, when Yang Kai was resting in the void as he patiently waited for the Black Ink Disciples’ arrival, he suddenly opened his eyes. A chill gripped him, which prompted him to activate his World Force to protect himself.
There seemed to be a hidden gaze that took a glance at him from the depths of the void. The great consciousness he had felt during the sacrificial offering in the past appeared for a breath before vanishing again.
The consciousness could no longer be felt, as though it was nothing more than an illusion.
However, Yang Kai was fully aware that it wasn’t an illusion.
He had been intercepting the Black Ink Disciples in this place, so the Black Ink Clansman, who was sound asleep, hadn’t had any nourishment for an entire month. There was no doubt that the Black Ink Clansman had been alerted, which was why they had awakened from their sleep for a brief moment.
Yang Kai had no idea whether the other party had slumbered off again, but he was now certain that the Black Ink Clansman who had a hand in Lang Ya Paradise was the same as the one who was trapped in the Black Prison.
He had felt the same consciousness twice, so he reckoned that his speculation was right.
This was actually good news, for there might only be one Black Ink Clansman present in the 3,000 Worlds. Yang Kai was initially worried that there would be more members of the Black Ink Clan in hiding.
The bad news was that a battle was now imminent. There were probably thousands of Black Ink Disciples in the Black Prison, while Yang Kai was on his own.
The imprisoned Black Ink Clansman had already noticed his presence, so there was no way the Black Ink Disciples were still clueless now.
Over the past month, Yang Kai wasn’t just waiting around though; instead, he had been planning out his next move, and now was the time for him to take action.
He first fished out some Space Beacons and scattered them around the void.
These small Space Beacons were inconspicuous, and no one could notice them unless they were looking for them.
After he was done with placing the Space Beacons, Yang Kai charged towards the periphery of Black Territory at the speed of lightning.
He made a round trip after just half a day, and as he took a deep breath, he stared fixedly in a particular direction and waited.
The Black Ink Disciples didn’t let him wait for long.
Barely two days later, several rays of light rapidly approached him from the distance. Behind the rays of light were countless figures that navigated through the void like locusts.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, for he had underestimated Luan Bai Feng’s speed at turning more people into Black Ink Disciples.
Some time ago, Luan Bai Feng told him that there were about 1,000 Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory, but the number had increased by several times now.
As Yang Kai gazed at these Black Ink Disciples, who were densely packed in this place, and reckoned that there were at least 5,000 of them.
Although most of them were in the Third-Order and Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, 5,000 cultivators were still a force to be reckoned with.
The person leading the way was none other than Luan Bai Feng, who was followed by Xin Peng and the new Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Fan Xiu Qi.
They stopped in a spot that was several dozen kilometres away from Yang Kai. Luan Bai Feng stared at the man with a dark expression, fury and disbelief written all over her face.
She had seen the Black Ink Insect penetrate Yang Kai’s body and transform him into a Black Ink Disciple with her own eyes. Initially, she thought that Yang Kai was one of their companions, so she trusted him fully during this period of time.
However, she had never expected that it was all just an act.
If her Master hadn’t given the order in the brief moment he awakened, she would still have been in the dark about this.
She was fully aware of how strong Yang Kai was, so she knew that she was no match for him on her own, which was why she immediately gathered all the Black Ink Disciples together and came over to kill Yang Kai regardless of the cost.
“How did you do it?” Luan Bai Feng glowered at him. This question had been troubling her. Since Yang Kai was even able to resist the Black Ink Insect’s invasion, there were no other ways that could transform him into a companion.
If she couldn’t figure out the reason behind it, she wouldn’t be able to trust any new Black Ink Disciples. Without trust, the Black Ink Disciples could no longer work together.
“Why don’t you take a guess? Yang Kai grinned. It was expected that he wouldn’t tell her the truth, as he was more than happy to stall for time.
Luan Bai Feng said, “A lot of Profound Yin Bamboo was found in the New Great Territory. Since your Small Universe has materialised, you’re able to nurture Profound Yin Bamboo. As one of the Twelve Minor Pillars, Profound Yin Bamboo is beneficial to the Small Universe. Not only can it fortify the Small Universe, but it could also fend off any external influence. Is that the reason behind it?”
Yang Kai clapped his hands, “You’re indeed clever.”
However, Luan Bai Feng shook her head, “Although the Profound Yin Bamboo is incredible, it’s unable to resist a Black Ink Insect’s influence. In fact, none Twelve Minor Pillars can do that, unless you have one of the Four Great Pillars…” At this point, Luan Bai Feng’s expression changed, “I initially wanted to spare your life, but now it seems that I can’t do that.”
With one of the Four Great Pillars protecting his Small Universe, Yang Kai would never be turned into their companion. Although it was difficult to guard against the Black Ink Strength, the Four Great Pillars were its biggest nemeses.
Yang Kai shot a glance at the people behind her and sneered, “Do you think you can rely on these people to kill me, Luan Bai Feng? Are you sure it’s not all your wishful thinking? Even if they’re not familiar with my strength, are you clueless about it as well?”
Luan Bai Feng snorted, “Let’s see if they’re able to kill you or not.”
Despite what she had just said, she didn’t immediately order them to make a move. Instead, she asked, “You lied to me that those people were going to Void Land and High Heaven Palace to get more people to come over, didn’t you? They must have gone to seek help, right?”
“Correct.” Yang Kai nodded in admission, “If nothing unexpected happens, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises will be here soon.”
“So what if they come?” Luan Bai Feng wasn’t flustered one bit, “As long as Master breaks free from his shackles, those so-called Cave Heavens and Paradises are nothing more than weaklings. Before Black Ink, all are ants!”
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “Luan Bai Feng, listen to the voice in your heart. You are not your true self now! You’re just being influenced by the Black Ink Strength. As a woman, you’ve managed to make it to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, you shouldn’t be so weak-willed.”
“Impudence!” Luan Bai Feng snapped, “You have no right to criticize us!”
Yang Kai shook his head and fell silent. Luan Bai Feng was his former subordinate, so he wanted to give persuading her a try; however, he knew that after she was invaded by the Black Ink Strength, there was no way she would change her mind.
“I do have one question, though.” Luan Bai Feng frowned, “I hope you’ll answer it.”
“Go ahead,” Yang Kai nodded.
“It now seems to me that you were well prepared before coming to Black Territory. Were you already aware of the situation here?”
“You could say so.”
“How did you find out?” Luan Bai Feng appeared puzzled.
Yang Kai hung his head low for a moment before replying, “I thought you and Xin Peng were dead.”
As he spoke, he summoned the Loyalty List and turned to the pages where their names were supposed to be, “Your names suddenly vanished. I was heartbroken, so I decided to come to Black Territory to look into the matter, but it turned out that you two are still alive and kicking. That’s why I found it strange and began investigating.”
Luan Bai Feng was astounded as she had never expected the fact that the situation in Black Territory being exposed had something to do with the Loyalty List.
That explained everything. Yang Kai came over to find out the truth behind their deaths, but he came across Xin Peng just outside Black Territory. That was why he hid his identity and followed Yuan Tong Guang to enter Black Territory and look into the matter.
It wasn’t until Luan Bai Feng used a Black Ink Insect to deal with Yang Kai that all his speculations were verified.
“Fate is truly unpredictable. Our plan has been foiled.” Luan Bai Feng let out a sigh. If the situation in Black Territory hadn’t been exposed so soon, she could have come up with a way to help her Master break free from his prison. However, nothing was certain now. Even though she said she wasn’t bothered by the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, she actually regarded them as arch-enemies; after all, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been in existence for aeons, and they had accumulated an incalculable heritage. The weak Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory were certainly no match for them.
All this happened because of Yang Kai, so it was expected that Luan Bai Feng was resentful of him.