In the void, Yang Kai quietly stared at Fan Xiu Qi for a while before asking, “Do you have any last words?”
Fan Xiu Qi’s face was filled with dread and panic. He shook his head vigorously, begging Yang Kai, “Sir, save me!”
He had regained his rationality after Yang Kai had completely expelled the Black Ink Strength from his body, but his energy had become extremely unstable. The World Strength in his Small Universe was uncontrollably leaking out, showing obvious signs of collapsing.
This was the hidden danger of the Black Ink Strength.
When Fan Xiu Qi had broken through to the Open Heaven Realm, he had been a Third-Order, and his limit was the Fifth-Order, but under the influence of the Black Ink Strength, he had broken through to the Sixth-Order, which was nothing short of a miracle.
However, such a miracle came at a price.
As a Black Ink Disciple, Fan Xiu Qi could still control his Sixth-Order strength, but without the support of the Black Ink Strength after it was expelled, his Small Universe could no longer handle his Sixth-Order cultivation; it had exceeded the limit he could bear.
This ultimately caused his Small Universe to become unstable and it was now on the verge of collapsing.
In short, he could not control his Sixth-Order strength.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head in response, “Forgive me. There’s nothing I can do.”
A look of despair appeared on Fan Xiu Qi’s face as the World Force fluctuations around his body became even more unstable. He knew in his heart that there was no way he could escape this calamity today, so he couldn’t help but look up and roar toward the Heavens in grief and indignation.
As his roar resounded across the void, his Small Universe collapsed and his World Force dissipated, resulting in a severe backlash. The next moment, Fan Xiu Qi’s entire body exploded into a bloody mist.
Yang Kai lightly sighed before returning to the ship.
Luan Bai Feng must have guessed everything as she gave Yang Kai a questioning look when she saw him return.
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “He died.”
Luan Bai Feng was momentarily speechless.
“How many others?” Yang Kai asked.
Luan Bai Feng knew what he was asking. She thought for a moment before replying, “Not many, about 20 in total.”
“Find them all,” Yang Kai ordered.
Luan Bai Feng nodded before turning around and leaving to find the 20 or so subordinates who had broken through their Open Heaven Realm limit under the influence of the Black Ink Strength and set them aside.
During the next few days, Yang Kai was completely focused, not relaxing for even a moment. He kept expelling the Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Disciples, one by one. Furthermore, every time he purified a person, Yang Kai would carefully examine their Small Universe to make sure there were no problems.
Finally, when only the 20 or so people who had been set aside were left, Yang Kai found himself in a dilemma.
Having seen Fan Xiu Qi’s fate, Yang Kai didn’t need to imagine what would happen to these people after their Black Ink Strength was dispelled, but he had no choice but to do so. They had been contaminated by the Black Ink Strength and had been reduced to Black Ink Disciples. If he allowed them to do as they pleased, they would be lurking peril for this vast universe.
After thinking about it for a while, Yang Kai decided to ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s help.
These two might have some way.
Currently, each of them had 16 Seventh and Eighth-Order Generals under their command and were launching fierce attacks against each other every day. Yang Kai was able to easily find Big Brother Huang, who was in charge of overseeing his rear forces on a certain battlefield.
The battle in front of them was quite intense, but Big Brother Huang didn’t seem to be worried at all, not in the slightest. In the past, they had to command the Small Stone Race to do everything by themselves; but now, with the help of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, things were much easier.
Seeing Yang Kai arrive, Big Brother Huang only gave him a sideways glance before carefully listening to the report of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm General. He then nodded his head and issued orders, displaying the dignity of a commander.
When Big Brother Huang was done, just when Yang Kai was about to speak, he interrupted him, “We can’t save them, just kill them all, it’ll save you time and trouble.”
Yang Kai had a lot of things he wished to say, but was unable to speak, which made him very uncomfortable.
He then went to look for Big Sister Lan, but received the exact same answer.
Yang Kai knew these two weren’t just giving him a perfunctory answer. If there was really some kind of method they could try, they wouldn’t hide it from him as doing so would be beneath them. If even they couldn’t do anything about it, then there really was nothing to be done.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai still didn’t give up. He returned to the ship and started dispersing the Black Ink Strength in the bodies of the 20 or so people.
But the result was extremely tragic.
Just like what happened to Fan Xiu Qi, after dispersing the Black Ink Strength, all of these people died because of the collapse of their Small Universe. Not a single one escaped this tragic fate.
Luan Bai Feng and the others all felt a sense of sadness while also secretly rejoicing that when they were immersed in the Black Ink Strength, they had not broken through their limits; otherwise, they would have suffered the same fate.
The thousands of Black Ink Disciples had already regained their senses. As every one of them was personally rescued by Yang Kai, they were naturally extremely grateful to him.
Yang Kai had consumed a lot of Yellow and Blue Crystals in this time, but compared to the harvest he had obtained here, it was nothing; after all, the cultivation of these Black Ink Disciples wasn’t high.
Purifying a Third-Order Black Ink Disciple only required a Third-Order Yellow Crystal and a Third-Order Blue Crystal.
Yang Kai’s consumption could be considered almost negligible as a result.
Having spent several months in the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai started to become concerned about the situation in Black Territory. He still didn’t know what to do with the Black Ink Clansman, so he immediately went to say his goodbyes to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
“You’re leaving just like that?” Big Sister Lan looked at him in surprise.
Yang Kai nodded his affirmation, “There are still some things I need to take care of outside, so I can’t stay here for too long. I’ll come visit you two when I have time in the future.”
Big Sister Lan nodded and stated, “Then go. It doesn’t look like you’ll have a short life, so just come back when you’re free.”
Liu Mu, who was standing behind Big Brother Huang, shot Yang Kai a fierce glare at that moment.
Yang Kai understood what that glare meant and gave him a calm gaze in return before stating, “Before leaving, this Little Brother has a presumptuous request.”
“What is it?” Big Brother Huang asked.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and requested, “This Little Brother earnestly requests Big Brother and Big Sister to leave the mountain and destroy the imprisoned Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory!”
This was also something Yang Kai had discussed with Liu Mu and Da Yi before. If he could ask the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to come out of their seclusion, the Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory would no longer be a problem.
Because of this, Liu Mu and Da Yi did not nag about the Black Ink Clan to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan over the past few months because they wanted to lay the groundwork for Yang Kai’s request.
Unfortunately, Big Brother Huang shook his head in refusal after hearing Yang Kai’s request, directly stating, “We can’t.”
Big Sister Lan also refused, “It’s impossible.”
Yang Kai looked confused and couldn’t help asking, “Why?”
“If we can’t do it, we can’t do it. There’s no need to ask why,” Big Brother Huang impatiently stated.
Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, was the one to explain, “The outside world cannot accommodate our existence. If we really leave this place, we will only bring destruction wherever we go. Are you sure you can bear this result?”
Yang Kai was stunned. Suddenly, he recalled the first time he had come to the Chaotic Dead Territory. At that time, he had witnessed the collision between the two behemoths of light. Their clash had caused the entire Chaotic Dead Territory to tremble.
Although Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in front of him looked like little children, these weren’t their true forms.
Their true forms were avatars of destruction.
The Chaotic Dead Territory had nothing inside of it, so they could stay here without worry. However, if their true bodies left the Chaotic Dead Territory and traveled to the outside world, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yang Kai immediately realized that he had been too naive. He had considered the possibility that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan would refuse, but he had never considered the possibility that their true bodies would be unable to leave the Chaotic Dead territory.
“However…” Big Sister Lan tapped her lips thoughtfully, “If you can lure that Black Ink Clansman here, we can still help you kill him!”
Yang Kai looked at Liu Mu and Da Yi.
Liu Mu shook his head in response, “That’s too dangerous!”
The Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned in the central part of Black Territory, where countless ore stars and Spirit Arrays formed a Super Array to suppress it. If they really wanted to lure them to the Chaotic Dead Territory, they would have to first breach the Super Array and then lure them here, crossing numerous Great Territories in the process.
Such a situation would be very hard to control. The Black Ink Strength was so treacherous and difficult to deal with, and wherever the Black Ink Clansman passed, the surrounding area would be filled with danger, and countless people would die.
“Then there’s nothing we can do about it,” Big Sister Lan shrugged, wearing a helpless look on her face.
“It’s fine, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have robust and long heritages, I don’t believe they can’t deal with a single Black Ink Clansman!” Liu Mu comforted Yang Kai.
Big Brother Huang glanced at Yang Kai and stated, “With the power in your hands, it shouldn’t be a problem to deal with the Black Ink Clan!”
Yang Kai immediately came to a realization and cupped his fist in gratitude, “Many thanks, Big Brother.”
Suddenly, he was struck with a thought and asked, “Can the two of you also leave a mark on Senior Liu Mu and Senior Da Yi? This way, they can also use your strength to deal with the Black Ink Clan.”
Liu Mu immediately winked at Yang Kai with an approving and even grateful look on his face.
Although he had no idea what Yang Kai was talking about, it was definitely not a bad thing.
Big Brother Huang, however, refused, “You are practically a Divine Spirit, so you have some connection with us, so you can use our strength, but they aren’t, so they can’t. Even if we leave a mark on them, they won’t be able to use it.”
Yang Kai didn’t know there was such a relationship between them, so he had no choice but to give up on this.
Yang Kai thus made up his mind to take a trip to the Ancestral Land and bring Su Yan and the others with him so that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could leave their marks on them.
While speaking, Big Brother Huang suddenly realized something and turned to look at Liu Mu, “You’re leaving too?”
Liu Mu took a step forward and cupped his fist, “We have heavy responsibilities weighing on our shoulders, so we cannot stay here for long.”
Big Brother Huang was dumbfounded as he muttered, “Then what should we do?”
Working with Liu Mu and the others during this period of time had saved him and Big Sister Lan a lot of trouble. If all of their subordinates were to leave, they would be back to square one.
Big Sister Lan also bluntly commanded, “You can’t leave. The dead can leave, but the living must stay!”
Liu Mu and Da Yi immediately broke out into a cold sweat. They quickly looked at Yang Kai for help. If they were really trapped here, they would be finished.
Yang Kai also felt a headache coming on. These two were not to be trifled with, and although they had always been calm and approachable, if he really angered them, he had no idea what would happen.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s eyes flickered with an intelligent gleam before he asked, “Please wait a moment!”
Saying so, his figure flickered and disappeared.
When Yang Kai returned, there were over 100 people behind him.
All of them were Black Ink Disciples who had been rescued by Yang Kai. Yang Kai simply explained the current situation to them and asked if any of them were willing to stay behind to serve the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, resulting in hundreds of people stepping forward.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s fame was universal, and only a destined few could have a chance to meet them, not to mention being able to serve them at close range. As far as an ordinary Open Heaven Realm Master was concerned, it was an extremely attractive opportunity.
Had it not been for the fact that Yang Kai had personally hand-picked them, more people would have stepped forward.
“What Big Brother and Big Sister need are only generals who can understand your orders, it has nothing to do with their cultivation. These people are all extremely intelligent, so I don’t think they will let you down. How about they stay here with you?” Yang Kai asked.
This was equivalent to exchanging 100 people for the freedom of 32. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan glanced at each other but didn’t refuse and nodded instead.
Yang Kai immediately let out a sigh of relief.
After everything was settled, Big Brother Huang waved his hand once more as streaks of yellow light flew toward Liu Mu and the others before he indifferently stated, “You have worked hard these past few days, this is the reward for your service.”
Liu Mu looked down and noticed that these yellow lights were actually Yellow Crystals, each emitting a rich Yang Element aura.
These Yellow Crystals were at least Seventh-Order materials.
Liu Mu was even holding an Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal!
After blankly staring for a moment, Liu Mu smiled broadly and cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Big Brother!”
The remaining 15 also expressed their gratitude.
Da Yi and the others couldn’t help but feel envious. Fortunately, Big Sister Lan also had a reward, but what she bestowed were Yin Element Blue Crystals.
When the 100 or so Open Heaven Realm Masters who came with Yang Kai saw this, they were all extremely excited and secretly rejoiced at their decision. So long as they served the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer well, they too would receive some rewards. This was great news for them. Basically, all of them were poor; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been drawn to Black Territory to mine for materials in the first place.
They secretly made up their mind to win the favour of these two. Their bright future depended on whether they could grab this opportunity or not.
After dealing with a few minor things, Yang Kai and the others bid farewell to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
For the time being, every single one of the thousands of Black Ink Disciples had to be brought back to Black Territory. All of them were from different Sects and even came from different Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds, and since the matter of the Black Ink Clan had not been settled, they couldn’t be allowed to leave just yet, lest they spread rumours and cause trouble.
Da Yi remained behind to guard the Territory Gate and watched the ship depart.
It had taken them several months to arrive, but the journey back was still quite long.
Fortunately, the matter with the Black Ink Disciples had been resolved, so everyone’s mood wasn’t as heavy as it was before. Moreover, Yang Kai had obtained a method to purify the Black Ink Strength, which might be of great help to deal with the situation in the Black Territory.
The trip to Black Territory was smooth and uneventful. Even though the situation in Black Territory had caused the Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises to gather, the ordinary forces were completely oblivious to it as all the news had been sealed off. As such, the other Great Territories had no idea that there was a Master hidden in the Black Prison that could overturn the entire universe.
Everyone returned to Black Territory in a few months.
High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises guarded the Territory Gate, preventing anyone from entering.
Naturally, the Golden Antelope Paradise’s ship was allowed to enter. The thousands of rescued Black Ink Disciples were temporarily placed under supervision by the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, chances were they would not be able to obtain freedom anytime soon.
Shattered Spirit Provinces had become the temporary bases for the various Cave Heavens and Paradises.
High Heaven Palace also had its own station.
Qu Hua Shang had returned to the Star Boundary to deliver Yang Kai’s message; as such, High Heaven Palace had also received the news. Head Manager Hua Qing Si had personally ordered High Heaven Palace to assemble in full force.
When Yang Kai arrived, Xia Ning Chang, Xue Yue, Yu Ru Meng, Ji Yao, Qu Hua Shang, Tao Ling Wan, Lin Yun’er, Mo Xiao Qi, Yang Xue, Yue He, Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Hua Yong, Shu Mu Dan, Iron Blood, Beast Martial, Serene Soul, Flower Shadow, Ice Feather, Wondrous Pill, Heavens Revelation, Fang Yue, Xiang Yin, Li Wu Yi, Bing Yun, and several others were waiting for him.
It could be said that apart from Mo Mei who was in charge of Void Star City and Bustling World Great Emperor who was in charge of High Heaven Star City, all of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters Yang Kai could mobilize had arrived.
This time, Yang Kai was not fighting alone.
Furthermore, High Heaven Palace also had its own Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master this time!
The Proprietress had broken through at last!
Yang Kai had learned about this matter from Yu Xiang Die when he was in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but he had not had the time to go back and check on her. It was the Proprietress who had come looking for him first.
After she entered retreat in Void Land, the Proprietress took some 200 years before she was able to sense a turning point and break through. Furthermore, Senior Bi Xi stood guard for her during her breakthrough, so while her ascension was by no means assured, it was at least safe.
Afterwards, she rushed to the Star Boundary, but at that time, Yang Kai was not there. So, she remained in the Star Boundary to consolidate her cultivation until the incident with the Black Ink Clan occurred, whereupon she led the many High Heaven Palace Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters over to assist.
Naturally, they started chatting when they met. Yang Kai first asked about the situation in Black Territory.
Because High Heaven Palace only had a single Seventh-Order Master, the Proprietress, she was the only one who had the qualifications to participate in the meetings between the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Lan You Ruo replied, “They still haven’t come to a consensus on how to deal with the Black Ink Clansman.”
“They still haven’t reached an agreement?” Yang Kai was rendered speechless. Half a year ago, when he had taken thousands of Black Ink Disciples away from this place, the Cave Heavens and Paradise Ancestors had already been arguing about this matter for some time, yet they still hadn’t reached a decision even after he returned.
“Even though the Cave Heavens and Paradises have existed for a long time, they have never encountered a situation like this. Whether we rashly start a war with the Black Ink Clan or continue to strengthen the seal in Black Territory, the Ancestors are still hesitant. As of right now, they are divided into two factions, arguing all day long.”
Yang Kai nodded upon hearing this. He might feel that the Cave Heaven and Paradise Ancestors had wasted too much time on this matter, but he also understood their concerns.
No matter what decision they made, it came with great risk.
If they chose to reinforce the Black Territory Spirit Array and keep the Black Ink Clan sealed, for instance, they could not be certain of how successful they would be. The Super Array was the handiwork of ancient Great Experts and each Ore Star was a part of the Super Array. Furthermore, as many of the ore stars had already been destroyed, no one was able to restore the Super Array to perfect condition. Even if the Super Array was somehow patched, its power would likely suffer.
What’s more, the Black Ink Clansman inside the prison had not died yet even after so many years. Who could say that they would not be able to break free from the imprisonment of the Super Array on their own in the future? Leaving them sealed would only leave a hidden danger for this vast universe.
However, if they were to rashly start a war, the risks they would face would be tremendous.
The first risk they had to face was the threat of the Super Array itself.
The Super Array might have the power to imprison the Black Ink Clansman, but it also had a great impact on the Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Liu Mu was unable to remain inside its range for long. So, the time a Seventh-Order or Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could last was naturally shorter.
No one could say what kind of consequences would befall them if they were to fight against a powerful Black Ink Clansman in these conditions. Perhaps they would be affected by the Super Array and harm their foundation before they killed the Black Ink Clansman. At that time, they would simply be waiting for death.
If they really wanted to kill the Black Ink Clansman, the first thing they had to do was take care of the effects of the Super Array; otherwise, it would be impossible to fight.
“Recently, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises have all been urgently cultivating Profound Yin Bamboo. At the same time, many Spirit Array Grandmasters have been dispatched here to study the Super Array to see if they can find a better solution,” Lan You Ruo added, looking at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lightly nodded, “The Profound Yin Bamboo is one of the Twelve Minor Universe Pillars. If a sufficient amount of it is cultivated, not only will one be able to resist the power of the Black Ink Strength to a certain extent, but it will also be possible to resist the influence of the Super Array. Of course, this is not something that can be completed in a short time.”
Lan You Ruo nodded, “They naturally know this, but since things have reached this point, we have no other choice.”
Yang Kai sighed and added, “High Heaven Palace is unable to intervene in this matter, so let’s see what the Cave Heavens and Paradises decide. If they need our cooperation, we’ll cooperate.”
He might have said as much, but Yang Kai had a faint suspicion that there was a high chance they would be called to join the battle with the Black Ink Clansman. Only the enemy’s death would be able to completely eliminate this hidden danger.
Yang Kai even had a trump card to deal with the Black Ink Strength from the Chaotic Dead Territory now, and he believed that Liu Mu, who was a leader of the faction which sought to eradicate the Black Ink Clansman, would use this as leverage to try and persuade others.
“No matter what, the most important thing is to increase our strength. Only with enough strength will we be able to cope with all possible contingencies. Since our High Heaven Palace does not lack cultivation resources, everyone should focus on cultivating. The 3,000 Worlds in the future may not be as peaceful as before.”
There was a hidden Black Ink Clansman in Black Territory, so who knew if there were others hiding elsewhere in the vast 3,000 Worlds? Yang Kai also had a faint premonition that this incident was just the beginning of matters related to the Black Ink Clan.
Everyone obeyed and dispersed.
Yang Kai suddenly called out, “Xue’er!”
Yang Xue stopped and Yang Kai caught up to her from behind and asked, walking side by side with her, “How are Father and Mother doing?”
Yang Xue smiled, “They are doing well. No one dares to speak of your trip to the Chaotic Dead Territory in front of them, so you don’t need to worry, Big Brother.”
When he crashed into the Chaotic Dead Territory with the Giant Spirit God, everyone thought he was doomed to die. When the news reached High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si immediately ordered them to seal off the news, preventing it from reaching Yang Kai’s parents.
Although from the fact that Mao Zhe and the others were still alive, so it could be inferred that Yang Kai was still safe and sound, it was natural for parents to worry about their children. If the two elders were to learn of this news, they would definitely be unable to eat or sleep in peace.
“They’re currently focused on teaching Xiao Bai and Xiao Ya, so they aren’t as idle as before.” Yang Xue smiled.
Zhao Ye Bai and Zhao Ya, these two Disciples, were being raised by Yang Kai’s parents. With them accompanying Dong Su Zhu and Yang Ying Feng, the two wouldn’t be lonely.
“Right, did you meet a Senior named Luo Ting He who went to the Star Boundary?” Yang Kai asked.
Yang Xue shook her head, “I’ve never heard of her.”
Yang Kai replied, “Perhaps you missed each other.”
Had she not just advanced to the Eighth Order and urgently needed to consolidate her cultivation, Luo Ting He would not have left Black Territory in such a hurry; after all, the Black Ink Clansman problem had just popped up. As a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven Ancestor, it was her bounden duty to take care of it.
When she was leaving, Yang Kai asked her to take his Third Disciple, Xu Yi, with her to the Star Boundary.
Xu Yi had cultivated in his Small Universe for many years and had a solid foundation. Now that he had achieved a certain level of competence in cultivation, it was time for him to go to the Star Boundary and enjoy the benefits of the World Tree.
If it was any later, it would be too late.
Yang Kai was unable to take him to the Star Boundary personally, so he asked Luo Ting He to take him with her.
However, when Luo Ting He left, High Heaven Palace’s group happened to have already set out for Black Territory, so it was quite natural for them to have missed each other.
During the hundreds of years he had been away from High Heaven Palace, a large number of Open Heaven Realm Masters had appeared in the Sect. Among them, Yang Xue, Mo Xiao Qi, and Lin Yun’er had advanced straight to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Also, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had advanced previously, such as the Great Emperors, spared nothing to cultivate, owing to which, their foundation had greatly strengthened.
What’s more, because of the Good Fortune Divine Furnace, Yang Kai had reached an agreement with the Cave Heavens and Paradises that High Heaven Palace would also have the chance to enter their Small Source Worlds for training.
Almost every High Heaven Palace and Void Land Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who entered the Small Source World, had obtained great benefits.
Coupled with the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Proprietress, Yang Kai’s forces could be said to have greatly increased.
At a large piece of land where those from the Cave Heavens and Paradises gathered, there was a huge hall where the various Ancestors were discussing official matters.
At this moment, almost every representative Ancestor from the Cave Heavens and Paradises was present, sitting or standing. There were nearly 100 of them in total.
Many Ancestors happened to be expressing their opinions at the same time, which sounded very noisy. Nonetheless, each Ancestor could clearly hear every word spoken in the hall. Some among them even began to simultaneously converse with several people.
Among them, Liu Mu’s voice was the loudest. He had come straight here after having just returned from the Chaotic Dead Territory with Yang Kai. As a member of the battle faction, he was naturally doing everything he could to persuade the Ancestors who disagreed with him.
“The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer have bestowed a technique to Yang Boy. It could be said that after obtaining that technique, it will be as easy as flipping his hand to purify the Black Ink Strength. With such a method in our grasp, we’ll be like tigers with wings! What are you old farts still so afraid of? Let’s drag that Black Ink Clansman out and fight them to the death! If we leave them alive, we will always have a hidden danger looming in the darkness!”
Many people were moved by his words, but some still insisted on their own opinions.
Liu Mu had a violent temper and couldn’t wait to beat all those who opposed him and force them into submission.
However, their worries were just and reasonable; after all, Yang Kai had only purified some weak Black Ink Disciples, and he himself was just a Sixth-Order Master. If he really ran into the Black Ink Clansman here, it was hard to say if his new technique would have any effect.
Liu Mu argued till his throat went dry, and the persistence and stubbornness of the others made him furious.
After a few more words of disagreement, Liu Mu flicked his sleeve and left.
This was not the first time this had happened. The last time they had quarrelled, Liu Mu had followed Yang Kai to the Chaotic Dead Territory, so none of the Ancestors stopped him.
“A bunch of old farts!” An indignant Liu Mu looked toward the deepest part of the Black Prison as a crazed light flashed across his eyes.
[Since these people are suspicious of Yang Boy’s purification methods, they will be convinced once they see how effective it is.]
Liu Mu decided to take a huge risk; otherwise, he had no idea how long they would take to reach a decision if they continued arguing like this.
He thus flew off, his figure transforming into a streak of light as he flew toward the depths of Black Territory.
Half a day later, he easily arrived at the central part of Black Territory, where the Black Ink Clansman was imprisoned.
If he continued ahead, he would be inside the Super Array’s killing zone. Although Liu Mu was strong, he was not proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so he did not dare to rashly advance.
Now that he was here, he could clearly feel his Small Universe’s foundation being rapidly depleted under the effect of the Super Array.
“What a damned place!” Liu Mu cursed silently. Even he wouldn’t be able to last for more than a few days in this kind of place. By then, every bit of his Small Universe’s foundation, which he had accumulated over thousands of years, would be sucked away.
For a moment, he was filled with admiration for the ancient Great Experts who had arranged this Super Array in Black Territory. In this era, even if the 108 Cave Heavens and Paradises joined forces, they might not be able to set up such a Super Array.
Staring straight ahead, Liu Mu manifested his Small Universe behind him without any hesitation and roared, “Don’t you want to escape? Here’s your chance! Come!”
His Small Universe was completely defenceless. Furthermore, his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura was extremely rich. Such an aura was like the smell of blood in the sea, which could draw sharks from thousands of kilometres away, let alone the Black Ink Clansman that was so close!
Liu Mu had prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, but he hadn’t expected his opponent to act so quickly.
Before he could even finish speaking, a black light shot out from the depths of the Black Prison and crashed into his Small Universe.
It was as if the Black Ink Clansman had been waiting for his arrival.
The moment the black light fell into his Small Universe, Liu Mu noticed the true form of the black light.
Black Ink Insect!
As an Eighth-Order Ancestor of Golden Antelope Paradise, Liu Mu naturally knew what the Black Ink Insect was. He might not have seen one before, but he understood everything once it entered his Small Universe.
This was the most direct and effective way for the Black Ink Clan to transform people into Black Ink Disciples.
Liu Mu quickly withdrew his Small Universe before turning around and fleeing, his figure moving as fast as lightning. Meanwhile, the Black Ink Insect exploded inside his Small Universe and transformed into extremely pure Black Ink Essence.
As the Black Ink Essence started contaminating his Small Universe, it looked as if a drop of ink had been sprinkled onto a sheet of white paper, and this drop of black ink was rapidly spreading out.
Liu Mu’s complexion changed slightly as he realized he had overestimated his ability to resist the Black Ink Insect and had also underestimated the abilities of the Black Ink Clansman.
His original plan had to be changed slightly!
Yang Kai was discussing some matters with the Proprietress about her advancement to the Seventh Order when Yu Ru Meng rushed over to inform him that something had happened to Liu Mu.
Yu Ru Meng pushed open the door and entered with a solemn expression, “Husband, news just came from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, something has happened to Six Wood Divine Monarch and they want you to go take a look.”
Yang Kai was slightly taken aback, “What happened to Senior Liu Mu?”
Yu Ru Meng shook her head. She had only received news from the Cave Heavens and Paradises; no one had told her what had happened.
Yang Kai quickly got up and left, meeting an Eighth-Order Ancestor who was waiting outside High Heaven Palace’s camp.
Yang Kai didn’t recognize this person, nor did he know which Cave Heaven or Paradise the man belonged to, so he simply cupped his fist and greeted the opposite party.
“Follow me!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor stated before turning around and shooting off into the void.
Yang Kai followed closely behind as the two of them quickly disappeared into the distance.
On the way over, the Eighth-Order Ancestor reported, “Liu Mu has been corrupted by the Black Ink!”
Yang Kai’s first reaction was that it was impossible. He had returned with Liu Mu from the Chaotic Dead Territory just recently. If Liu Mu had been corrupted by the Black Ink, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan would surely have noticed it.
[Neither Big Brother Huang nor Big Sister Lan said anything, which means that when we left the Chaotic Dead Territory, Liu Mu was still perfectly fine. We didn’t encounter any Black Ink Disciples or Black Ink Strength on the way back. On top of that, Liu Mu is an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so how could he be so easily corrupted?]
The Eighth-Order Ancestor explained, “There’s no need to doubt it, you’ll understand once you see for yourself.”
Yang Kai suppressed his doubts, but worries still weighed on his heart.
Half an hour later, Yang Kai saw a Universe World sprawled out across the void up ahead. Although this Universe World was a physical entity, it was not a real Universe World, but rather the completely manifested Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Even though he was still far away, Yang Kai could feel the aura of Liu Mu from the Small Universe.
[This should be Liu Mu’s Small Universe!]
However, what entered his eyes next caused his pupils to contract.
This Small Universe World was filled with the billowing energy of the Black Ink Essence. Its evil aura was quite apparent.
Furthermore, there were eight huge pillars over the Small Universe, nailing its eight corners in place, immobilizing it at that spot.
A figure was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Small Universe World. It was none other than Liu Mu. He happened to be forming mysterious hand seals while chanting something. Yang Kai was too far away to hear what he was saying, but the situation was clear. Liu Mu had really been corrupted by the Black Ink!
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Yang Kai wouldn’t have believed it.
[How did this happen?]
Quite a few people were standing at the periphery of this Small Universe, staring at Liu Mu with solemn expressions.
Each of these figures exuded the aura of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Everyone turned their head upon sensing someone’s arrival, and when they saw it was Yang Kai, all of them lightly nodded at him.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and bowed before stopping just outside Liu Mu’s Small Universe. Furrowing his brow, he looked around for a moment before asking, “What happened? How did Senior Liu Mu get corrupted? Did the Black Ink Clansman make a move, or did some fish slip through the net?”
The Eighth-Order Master who led Yang Kai here shook his head as he replied, “Neither. It was Liu Mu who took the initiative to let the Black Ink Clan turn him.”
“He took the initiative himself?” Yang Kai was stunned, “Why would Senior Liu Mu do that?”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master fell silent for a moment before replying, “He probably wants to prove something to us.”
Yang Kai didn’t know what Liu Mu was trying to prove, but the fact that he had taken the initiative to seek out the Black Ink Clansman was no small matter.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master being transformed into a Black Ink Disciple was an extremely dangerous matter. If he were to secretly hide, who knew how many people would suffer?
Fortunately, it seemed Liu Mu had no intention of hiding.
“Although Liu Mu’s actions were somewhat rash, he should have a great deal of trust in you, which is why he did what he did. While he was still in control of himself, he used a Secret Technique to seal himself and manifest his Small Universe, explaining this scene.”
The eight giant pillars in the Small Universe of Liu Mu were the manifested form of a Secret Technique that had the effect of sealing and immobilizing. Furthermore, this Secret Technique was something Liu Mu had cast himself.
Before the situation reached a point where it couldn’t be cleaned up, he had sealed his strength first.
Yang Kai vaguely understood the events that led to this situation.
For some reason, Liu Mu had taken the initiative to seek out the Black Ink Clansman and let them corrupt him. However, he was unable to hold his sanity on the way back, so he had no choice but to manifest his Small Universe so that others could find him.
“Can he be saved?” The Eighth-Order Ancestor turned to look at Yang Kai and asked.
“I’ll do my best!” Yang Kai replied in a low voice. Having said so, he disappeared, instantly teleporting into the Small Universe.
Others didn’t dare to enter rashly, but Yang Kai had the World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars, so he had nothing to fear.
Sensing that someone had arrived, Liu Mu, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, his gaze meeting Yang Kai’s. Yang Kai found that black colour had already filled his eyes, but there was still a trace of clarity.
After taking just a glance, Liu Mu quickly lowered his head and started focusing on safeguarding his sanity.
Yang Kai didn’t dare to be negligent, and he couldn’t afford to be stingy at this point. So, he quickly took out an Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal from his Small Universe and held them in place, activating the invisible marks Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had left on the back of his hands.
The next moment, his left hand turned hot while his right hand turned cold.
Immediately after, the pattern on the back of his hand appeared and transformed into a bottomless pit, madly devouring the energy of the Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal.
The Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal disappeared in just a few breaths of time and were replaced by a brilliant yellow and blue glow in Yang Kai’s grip.
Under the tense gazes of all the Eighth-Order Ancestors, Yang Kai brought his palms together.
“Open!” Yang Kai shouted as he pushed his palms apart from each other.
Suddenly, a pure and flawless white light, without the slightest hint of impurity, rose up like the morning sun, instantly illuminating the world.
The white light became brighter and soon turned as bright as the sun itself. Many Eighth-Order Masters had to squint their eyes to see it clearly.
The Black Ink Essence surged like a tide and retreated from the surroundings as if it had encountered its nemesis. Wherever the white light passed, the black ink-like energy was quickly purified and reduced to nothingness.
The struggling look on Liu Mu’s face gradually turned calmer as he let out a long sigh, like a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
By the time the white light dissipated, Liu Mu’s Small Universe World had become clean again. The ink-like power that had filled it was nowhere to be seen.
Many of the spectating Ancestors looked moved.
Although Liu Mu had told them about Yang Kai’s method before, hearing about it was one thing and seeing it with their own eyes was another.
The pure white light created from the power of Yin and Yang was indeed the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength.
The eight giant pillars which were nailed into the Small Universe shattered as Liu Mu stood up.
Yang Kai asked with concern, “Does Senior feel anything wrong?”
Liu Mu replied with a grin, “No, I feel completely fine!” He then patted Yang Kai’s shoulder affectionately, “This King owes you one!”
“Senior is too serious,” Yang Kai humbly stated. Be that as it may, his heart was aching. The Eighth-Order Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystals he used up just now were worth at least a few billion Open Heaven Realm Pills.
However, obtaining a favour from an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in exchange wasn’t necessarily a loss either.
Liu Mu turned to the others in high spirits and asked, “What do you think?”
Immediately, the Eight-Order Ancestors started conversing via their Divine Senses. From time to time, some Eighth-Order Ancestors would lightly nod.
After a while, one of them looked toward Liu Mu and stated, “We’ll go with your proposal.”
Liu Mu burst out into loud laughter, “You should have agreed long ago. You old farts have lived too long, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten the hot-blooded passion of your youth!”
“However, we still need to consider this matter carefully!” Someone else added.
Liu Mu immediately became unhappy, “Another long-term plan? Who knows when you will come to a decision? Are you planning to wait until the Black Ink Clansman escapes on his own?”
“If you have any plan about how to proceed, feel free to voice it. If it is possible, we naturally won’t have any objections!” The man snapped back.
Liu Mu immediately scratched his head. Although he had taken a risk and had successfully persuaded everyone to fight a decisive battle with the Black Ink Clansman, he still had no idea how to go about doing that. He couldn’t just ask everyone to fight with the Black Ink Clansman head-on, as even he didn’t think that was a feasible method.
Right now, the biggest hurdle impeding them was the effects of this Black Territory’s Super Array. If they could not eliminate this issue, it would be difficult for them to last long in a fight no matter how many Eighth-Order Ancestors there were.
A battle with the Black Ink Clansman was definitely not something that could be decided in a moment of hastiness. If it was that simple, the ancient Great Experts wouldn’t have spent so much effort to imprison him here.
In this vast universe, the only one the Super Array could not affect was Yang Kai. Nonetheless, how could he be a match for the Black Ink Clansman with his strength alone?
While Liu Mu was silent, Yang Kai suddenly added, “Perhaps I can try!”
Liu Mu turned around and asked, “And what exactly are you going to try?”
Yang Kai explained, “I once stood guard at the centre of this cage for an extended period of time and found that there were many Grand Arrays there, preventing anyone from entering. It’s very hard to enter the core of the Black Prison, and that should be the place where the Black Ink Clansman is imprisoned. If I can enter the centre of that cage, perhaps I can cause some damage to him.”
Liu Mu couldn’t help worrying, “Can you do it?”
After all, Yang Kai’s cultivation was only at the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Although the Black Ink Clansman had been imprisoned for countless years and their strength had definitely fallen, no one knew just how much strength they could still display.
Yang Kai might not be afraid of the Black Ink Strength with the World Spring protecting his Small Universe, but the Black Ink Clan’s methods were definitely not limited to Black Ink Strength!
“We won’t know until we give it a try,” Yang Kai replied in a low voice. “If the Black Ink Clansman isn’t eliminated, a hidden danger will always be looming over our heads. Others might not have the ability to do so, but since I’ve received the power of purification from Seniors Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, I can’t very well disappoint them.”
As soon as he said this, the expressions of many Eighth-Order Ancestors became gentle, and Liu Mu even gave him a thumbs-up.
Yang Kai hadn’t given it much thought before coming here, but at this moment, he had made up his mind. He cupped his fist toward the Eighth-Order Masters and requested, “Junior has a direct responsibility for the matter of the Black Ink Clansman here, so Junior implores all Seniors present to let me give it a try. If it really doesn’t work out, then we can think of another way!”
Although it was unintentional, they would not be in such a predicament if Yang Kai hadn’t set his sights on the Black Territory’s materials; he would not have destroyed the Super Array here and the power of the Super Array would not have suffered.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clansman would have made a move tens of thousands of years from now, or perhaps even longer, but it would have definitely been a long time from now.
Yang Kai’s actions in the Black Prison had precipitated the Black Ink Clansman’s resurrection.
“What do you want to do? What kind of help do you need?” An Eighth-Order Ancestor asked.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying, “If this Junior wants to enter the heart of this cage, I must bypass many Spirit Arrays around it, so this Junior needs several Grandmasters proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays to help me find a way inside.”
The Grand Arrays that surrounded the centre of the cage might have been perfect in the beginning, but with the passage of time and the destruction of many ore stars, a gap should have appeared in their arrangement somewhere.
The best evidence was that the Black Ink Clan was able to send out Black Ink Insect. Since they could send out Black Ink Insect, Yang Kai would have a chance to rush in. As long as he could find the weak point of this Array, he would be able to enter and exit.
“No problem.” The Eighth-Order Ancestor nodded his agreement. The Cave Heavens and Paradises were filled with talented people, so there was no shortage of Array Grandmasters, “However, it may take some time to identify weaknesses in the Super Array, and it’s hardly possible to just rely on one’s strength in that kind of place.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and stated, “This Junior can spread his Small Universe and use it as a shield to protect all the Grandmasters.”
With his Small Universe’s protection, these Array Grandmasters wouldn’t have to worry about being affected by the power of the Super Array. At that time, they could study the Spirit Array in peace.
“Good!” The Eighth-Order Ancestor nodded in approval.
After everything was settled, the rest was out of Yang Kai’s hands. The Eighth-Order Ancestor needed to find some Grandmasters who were proficient in Dao of Spirit Arrays from the Cave Heavens and Paradise, which would take at least a few days.
After returning to his camp, Yang Kai did not conceal this matter from the others, which naturally made the Masters of High Heaven Palace greatly concerned; after all, he was going to enter that cage and face the Black Ink Clansman head-on. It could be considered a very dangerous trip, and when the Proprietress learned about this, she became even more indignant and began openly cursing. She felt that the Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises were really too incompetent to actually entrust such an important task to a mere Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Junior.
If it weren’t for Yang Kai stopping her, she would have gone looking for those Eighth-Order Ancestors to give them a piece of her mind.
However, since this matter had already been decided, nothing could be done to stop it.
A few days later, Masters of the Dao of Spirit Arrays from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had finished their preparations and were just waiting for Yang Kai to set out for the central region of Black Territory.
A total of ten Grandmasters who were proficient in Dao of Spirit Arrays were joining Yang Kai on this trip. Each of them had attainments at least comparable to Grandmaster Wu Liang who had arranged the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array in Void Land. Moreover, all of them were Sixth and Seventh-Order Masters.
Luan Bai Feng also tagged along. Her mastery of the Dao of Spirit Arrays wasn’t low, not to mention the fact that she had reached such mastery over it on her own in Black Territory. This gave her a deep understanding of Black Territory’s Spirit Arrays. With her around, it was likely that she could achieve twice the results with half the effort.
In addition to Yang Kai and the other Masters who were proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had also joined the team. They were going to assist in dealing with any unexpected situations if they arose.
Liu Mu was the first one to volunteer for this.
The dozen-plus people flew towards the depths of Black Territory.
The further they went, the stronger the influence of the Super Array became, and the faster their Small Universes’ foundation leaked out.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could still endure, but the Sixth and Seventh-Order Masters were already having a hard time. What’s more, they had to rely on them to study the Spirit Arrays there and find flaws.
So halfway through, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors took the initiative to open up their Small Universes and take in these Grandmasters.
Half a day later, the group finally arrived at the central region.
Yang Kai stopped and immediately opened his Small Universe, spreading it out to isolate himself and the others from the outside world.
The five Eighth-Order Masters suddenly felt their bodies become lighter, and their Small Universes’ foundation, which had been constantly leaking, finally returned to normal. All of them secretly sighed at the wonders of the World Spring.
They then released the Spirit Array Grandmasters, who began to study how to crack the Super Array here.
The entire Black Territory was crowded with Spirit Arrays. These Spirit Arrays and the countless ore stars formed a Super Array that covered the entire Black Territory, forming a cage that had imprisoned the Black Ink Clansman since ancient times.
Of course, the Spirit Arrays in the central region were extremely powerful and profound. Finding a crack in these Spirit Arrays to find a safe way in was a daunting task.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Clansman had sent out a number of Black Ink Insects over the centuries, allowing the Array Masters to find some clues.
Furthermore, under Yang Kai’s Small Universe’s protection, they didn’t need to worry about the draining of their foundations. This gave them plenty of time to study.
Each of the dozen or so Array Grandmasters used their respective methods and busied themselves every day; sometimes lost in thought, sometimes using their Secret Techniques to peer into the mysteries of the Spirit Arrays, and sometimes gathering together to argue.
Yang Kai was completely helpless in this matter, as were the five Eighth-Order Ancestors who had escorted them here.
During his free time, Yang Kai began to study the method bestowed upon him by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to purify the Black Ink Strength. When Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan imparted this method, Yang Kai didn’t think too much about it. He simply thought that they found it troublesome and left him to take care of it.
However, when he left the Chaotic Dead Territory, Big Brother Huang’s words made him realize that it wasn’t just some means to save Black Ink Disciples who had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength.
Against the Black Ink Clan, this technique could be a lethal weapon!
It would be quite troublesome to utilize this method in combat though as he would have to first absorb the energy of Yellow and Blue Crystals and fuse Yin and Yang energy before he could use it.
The problem did not stem from the lack of Yellow and Blue Crystals as Yang Kai had literal mountains of them in his Small Universe. The issue was that even a small delay in a battle against a powerful enemy could result in death.
[My Small Universe is under my control, and the Yellow and Blue Crystals are stored inside my Small Universe. I don’t need to take them out of my Small Universe to absorb their energy. Absorbing them straight from my Small Universe would save me a lot of time and also catch my opponent by surprise.]
Reasoning so, Yang Kai immediately gave it a try.
From then on, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors would occasionally see Yang Kai form a ball of Yang or Yin Element energy in his left and right hand.
Realizing that Yang Kai was studying something, they didn’t disturb him.
After a month, the dozen Array Grandmasters who had been searching for flaws finally found a path to avoid the Grand Array and enter the heart of the Black Territory.
“It’s theoretically feasible to enter through this passage, but whether or not it will activate the Grand Array, we can’t say for sure. We’ll only know once someone probes it.” Luan Bai Feng explained to Yang Kai, “There are subtle differences between Ancient Spirit Arrays and modern Arrays. From today’s point of view, many methods used to set up Ancient Arrays are complete mysteries, so you must be careful and immediately retreat if you notice something wrong.”
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement, “I’ll be careful.”
Luan Bai Feng glanced at the other Spirit Array Grandmasters and continued, “When you’re ready, we’ll open the passage for you. The rest will be up to you.”
“I don’t need to prepare anything,” Yang Kai stated before turning to Liu Mu and the others and bowing, “Seniors, this Junior will be leaving now.”
Liu Mu stepped forward and suggested, “Hold on, there’s no hurry.”
Saying so, he suddenly stretched his hand out, pointing towards Yang Kai as a drop of dark red blood seeped out from his fingertip. That drop of blood contained a great deal of energy.
This was a drop of his Blood Essence.
Immediately after, Liu Mu’s finger gently danced as his drop of Blood Essence exploded, transforming into a mysterious symbol that entered Yang Kai’s body.
After doing all of this, Liu Mu’s face had gone slightly pale. Obviously, he had consumed a great deal of strength.
After him, the other four Eighth-Order Ancestors followed suit. Although their methods differed, all of them planted some kind of Secret Technique on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai didn’t try to resist. After they were done, he felt as if five powerful barriers were protecting his body. He immediately understood and cupped his fist in gratitude, “Many thanks.”
Liu Mu weakly waved him off, “Don’t mind it, we can’t help you in any other way. These five Secret Techniques were created by the five of us. In times of crisis, they can block five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm attacks.”
“It’s more than enough!” Saying so, Yang Kai turned to Luan Bai Feng and nodded.
Luan Bai Feng understood what Yang Kai meant and promptly stepped forward, joining the other Array Grandmasters, displaying a series of techniques as Array Plates scattered around the Void one after another. As everyone’s hand seals changed, ripples appeared in the void ahead as a glowing tunnel appeared, seemingly leading to the centre of the cage. The glowing tunnel was like a bridge of light, and it was extremely obvious against the black backdrop.
Yang Kai took a long, deep breath before he stepped onto the bridge, pressing forward step by step.
After just a few steps, when he turned around again, he failed to see anyone else. The others had already disappeared. Yang Kai suddenly found himself alone in the dark and lonely void.
There seemed to be a fierce murderous intent hidden outside the bridge of light. This murderous intent was undoubtedly the power of this Grand Array, so Yang Kai didn’t dare to even spread his Divine Sense, lest he trigger it by accident.
Step by step, Yang Kai steadily kept pressing forward.
After walking for who knows how long, Yang Kai still failed to see the end of the bridge.
There was no change in his surroundings, so Yang Kai even had the illusion that he was walking in place; however, he knew that he wasn’t just standing still and only felt that way because of the Spirit Array.
While he kept pressing forward, Yang Kai suddenly felt as if he had stepped into a bottomless abyss and his figure rapidly fell
Yang Kai’s expression became serious in light of this sudden turn of events. He quickly stabilized himself. The light bridge seemed to be missing a part for some reason, and he had failed to notice it.
When he looked up, the light bridge ahead was also getting dimmer and dimmer, as if it would disappear if he went any further.
Suddenly, a wave of murderous intent swept towards him from behind, causing Yang Kai’s hair to stand on end. When he turned his head, he saw nothing, but he could clearly feel something or someone rapidly approaching.
The accident just now must have triggered the Grand Array.
After a moment of hesitation, Yang Kai immediately decided to rush ahead. If he retreated, he would only find himself swallowed up by the Spirit Array, while if he forged on, he may just grasp a slim chance of survival.
The murderous intent behind him grew stronger and stronger, while the light bridge became dimmer and dimmer, seemingly on the verge of breaking apart at any moment.
Yang Kai felt that everything happened in an instant, but also seemed to drag on for 10 million years. When he rushed out of the area covered by the light bridge, he suddenly felt like he had fallen into endless darkness.
Outside the centre of the cage, the five Eighth-Order Ancestors took the Array Grandmasters into their respective Small Universes after Yang Kai left to prevent them from being drained by the Super Array.
Although the Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t resist it completely, they could at least last longer.
Under their watchful gaze, Yang Kai’s figure gradually disappeared into the light bridge, but at some point, the light bridge collapsed. At the same time, the Spirit Array outside the cage also began to surge. The power of this Spirit Array caused even these Eighth-Order Ancestors to turn pale.
This change occurred quickly and ended quickly.
Just as they were wondering whether they should retreat to avoid coming under the influence of the Spirit Array, everything became calm again.
Everyone looked at each other in dismay while Liu Mu’s face sank.
This sudden change was definitely not a good sign. Yang Kai had obviously encountered some kind of accident, and judging from the power of the Spirit Array, if a mere Sixth-Order Master like Yang Kai got caught up in it, he couldn’t survive.
Now, they couldn’t even tell if Yang Kai was alive or dead.
Everyone silently and intently stared ahead, trying to find some clues.
Meanwhile, endless darkness enveloped Yang Kai as a sense of cold isolation welled up in his heart. Yang Kai became disoriented and even felt like he was about to melt into this darkness.
Suddenly a majestic Will slowly awakened like a sleeping dragon, filling the endless darkness, instantly alarming him.
Yang Kai found this Will quite familiar. It was the Will of that Master from the Black Ink Clan! This place was definitely where this person was imprisoned.
In other words, he had successfully reached his destination.
Yang Kai immediately became vigilant. Although he had the World Spring sealing his Small Universe, making him fearless against the Black Ink Strength, if he were to face the Black Ink Clan Master directly, he didn’t know if he could resist the corrosion of this strange power.
As his perception slowly recovered, Yang Kai finally realized that the place he was standing at was filled with Black Ink Strength. The Black Ink Strength was extremely pure and strong, and was extremely corrosive.
Fortunately, his Small Universe was robust and flawless so no external strength could invade it; otherwise, he would have instantly been corrupted.
Under such circumstances, even an Eighth-Order Divine Monarch like Liu Mu wouldn’t be able to last long here.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also felt something crawling on him.
Suddenly, a hot yellow and a cold blue light emerged from Yang Kai. He then brought the two palms together as yellow and blue light fused to form a pure white light.
The endless waves of black light frantically retreated like frightened snakes. As the white light enveloped the area, crackling sounds rang out as a large portion of the Black Ink Strength was instantly purified.
However, the potent pure white light was only able to illuminate a radius of 100 metres around Yang Kai while the pitch-black darkness was still present outside its range.
As if stimulated by this pure white light, the awakening Will suddenly became extremely furious. Yang Kai could clearly feel an intense destructive aura coming from this Will, causing him to shiver. He secretly circulated his Small Universe’s strength to protect himself.
Be that as it may, it became apparent that Yang Kai was worrying too much. Although the Master from the Black Ink Clan was extremely angry, he seemed to have no intention of attacking him. At the edge of the pure white light, the dense black ink-like energy began to stir, but every time it came into contact with the light, it would be purified into nothingness.
Yang Kai finally saw what was squirming and crawling on his body.
Black Ink Insects!
And there were quite a number of them.
He had always heard from the Black Ink Disciples that the Black Ink Insects were extremely precious, even to the Black Ink Clan, but now it seemed that this was not the case.
Yang Kai could only make an educated guess that the Black Ink Clansman would need to expend a great deal of strength to deliver these insects out of this cage. In other words, the Black Ink Insect in the Black Ink Disciples’ hands were indeed extremely rare and precious.
Nonetheless, these Black Ink Insects were definitely nothing special to the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Insects were also unable to resist the purification of this pure white light, so thick black wisps emerged from the insects-like entities as they rapidly shrank and soon disappeared into nothingness.
The information he had obtained before was a little misleading. To the true Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Insects weren’t anything special.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clan had to pay a certain price in order to send out these Black Ink Insects from this place. That could be the only reasonable explanation.
As Yang Kai was thinking about the Black Ink Insects, a voice suddenly rang in his ear, “Look who it is?”
What caught Yang Kai by surprise was that this voice actually belonged to a woman, and it was extremely clear and pleasant to the ear. Hearing this voice, the first thing that appeared in his mind was a beautiful young woman with a graceful figure; however, Yang Kai would never believe that the owner of this voice was just a beautiful young girl.
The Black Ink Clansman had been imprisoned in the deepest depths of this prison for countless aeons. In this place, besides him, there was only the Black Ink Clan, so it was obvious who the owner of this voice was.
Yang Kai didn’t rashly answer. He knew nothing about the abilities of the Black Ink Clan, so if he opened his mouth, he would only end up in a passive position.
Yang Kai observed his surroundings with a cold gaze, but he couldn’t spot anything. About 100 meters away from the area of the pure white light, the endless darkness was stirring, as if it would rush over at any moment and bury the light.
“Boy, you dare appear before me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you?” The voice of this person from the Black Ink Clan continued to ring in his ear. Yang Kai had never heard such a pleasant voice before. He felt as if an invisible hand was gently caressing his heart, giving him an indescribable sense of comfort, making him even more vigilant.
Back in Lang Ya Paradise, Yang Kai had used a sacrificial offering in Yuan Du’s Small Universe, allowing both to sense each other’s existence.
For Yang Kai, he would never forget the majestic Will that had suddenly descended upon him, and naturally, neither would its owner forget Yang Kai.
He was the person behind the sabotage of her plan.
“What’s wrong, are you too scared to even make a sound?” The woman giggled lightly, her voice crisp and clear.
Yang Kai turned a deaf ear to this and tried to follow the source of the sound to find her location, but it seemed to echo from all around in an unpredictable manner, sometimes far, sometimes close, making it impossible to determine where it originated from.
While searching, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly looked towards a certain place in the darkness. He felt that there was something different there.
The pure white light in his hand suddenly expanded and shot in that direction.
The darkness quickly receded wherever the light passed, allowing Yang Kai to see everything.
Under the illumination of the pure white light, Yang Kai spotted a chain that was as thick as a washbasin hanging in the void, one end of it was connected to a certain place while the other was connected to the centre of the prison.
This chain gave him a familiar feeling; it reminded him of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God sealed in the Ancestral Land.
Inside the Sealing Black Ink Land, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was shackled by a bunch of Secret Technique Chains, which were formed from the Ancestral Strength of the Ancestral Land.
Over the years, even a being as powerful as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was drained of its strength and life force and was reduced to a corpse; he was no longer a threat to anyone.
The chain in front of Yang Kai now was obviously similar.
The pure white light moved along the chain and soon reached its end. The end of the chain was inserted into the Void, making it very hard to discern its starting point.
Yang Kai then began checking the other side.
“Between you and me, it’s best to maintain a bit of mystery,” the Master’s voice rang in his ear once more. The voice was so warm and gentle that it gave the impression that she had known Yang Kai for a long time.
The moment she was finished speaking, the pitch-black ink-like darkness surged toward the white light from all directions. Crackling sounds immediately rang out as the white light dimmed and then was quickly extinguished like a candle flame.
The world was drowned in endless darkness once more. Inside it, it felt as if a dawn could never be seen here.
Inside his Small Universe, the energy of the Yellow and Blue Crystals was rapidly absorbed by Yang Kai.
Immediately after, an even more dazzling white light bloomed from Yang Kai’s hand, quickly transforming into a small sun.
Yang Kai raised his hand as the small sun flew out from his hand, illuminating the entire cage in the blink of an eye.
The black energy, which was like a living creature, surged towards the small sun. Within three breaths, the energy which was extracted from a large amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals was extinguished.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai was able to clearly see everything inside the cage during this brief flash of light.
An incomparably huge spider-like creature, over 1,000 metres tall, was quietly lying in the centre of the cage. It had the body of a spider but the head of a beautiful girl. When their eyes met, fury and coldness filled the beautiful face’s eyes, as if she felt ashamed of her ugly appearance having been seen by others.
As for her massive body, it was pierced through by a bunch of Secret Technique Chains. These chains seemed to have an incredibly strong restrictive force, firmly locking her in place and preventing her from moving.
Surely, these chains were the physical form of the power of Black Territory’s Super Array. It was these chains that had imprisoned this Black Ink Master for countless years.
The world fell into darkness once more as the light faded away.
Yang Kai suddenly sneered. “You’re really ugly!”
Anyone who heard this Black Ink Master’s voice would probably think that the owner was a beautiful young girl, but only after seeing her for themselves would they know that it was just a disguise.
“A puny little ant dares act so presumptuously in front of this Royal Lord?!” The Black Ink Master suddenly became enraged, her originally pleasant voice was now filled with a hysterical rage as her majestic Will filled the entire cage. The next moment, a fearsome pressure came bearing down on Yang Kai.
Yang Kai promptly responded to the overbearing pressure with an even stronger and more dazzling white sun!
Yang Kai had failed to find the location of the Black Ink Master until now, but since he now knew her position, he felt that there was no need to act politely.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had given him a weapon to deal with the Black Ink Clan, so he naturally had to make good use of it. If he could kill the Black Ink Master right here and now, the Black Territory’s crisis would be resolved.
The dazzling little sun broke through the Black Ink Master’s defences and smashed onto her massive body.
A bloodcurdling scream immediately rang out; the Black Ink Master seemed to be in unimaginable pain and had suffered some gruesome injuries. She let out a piercing scream as her massive body struggled to break free, but she was unable to do so.
“What kind of power is this!?” The Black Ink Master roared in anger.
She had already been vigilant when Yang Kai first displayed the pure white light as she felt that it was not something to be trifled with. Now that she tasted the might of the white light first hand though, she understood just how terrifying it was. It was simply the Black Ink Clan’s nemesis.
Even a Royal Lord like her found it difficult to resist. She had never encountered something like this before in her long life.
When Yang Kai displayed another small sun, panic and anger became apparent on the Black Ink Master’s beautiful face under its illumination. Her enormous body started struggling more violently. She struggled so hard that even the Secret Technique Chains began to rattle.
“You will pay for this, I swear! You will pay an unimaginable price for this!” The Black Ink Master screamed.
The small sun-like light slammed into her massive body once more, creating a huge hole in it. Immediately after, massive and endless amounts of Black Ink Strength flowed out like blood, adding a sense of heaviness to the darkness of this cage.
Yang Kai ignored it and continued to bombard the Black Ink Master with his attacks. Each of his attacks was backed by a massive amount of wealth.
The wanton use of the Yellow and Blue Crystals caused much heartache to Yang Kai, but he couldn’t afford to care about such things right now. Although the Yellow and Blue Crystals were precious, it was more important to kill this Black Ink Master.
Worst case, he could just go to the Chaotic Dead Territory and ask for more from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
The more intensely he attacked, the more fiercely the Black Ink Master struggled.
After launching countless attacks for a full quarter of an hour, the Black Ink Master’s body was riddled with hole-like wounds; every time the light flashed, Yang Kai could clearly spot an extra hole in her massive body.
Furthermore, the aura of the Black Ink Master was growing weaker with every attack.
This greatly shocked him.
[Perhaps I can really kill her right here and now while she’s being restrained.]
At a certain moment though, an abnormal sound rang out, accompanied by the sound of something breaking.
Yang Kai was beside himself with shock for a moment before a violent force blasted towards him.
Just as this blast was about to reach him, a total of five dazzling lights suddenly appeared around him, one after another.
They were the defensive techniques placed on him by Liu Mu and the others at the expense of their Blood Essence before he entered this place.
These five defensive Secret Techniques could withstand the full power of five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm attacks, which ordinarily would be more than enough to ensure Yang Kai’s safety.
But not this time.
From their first encounter until now, the Black Ink Master had been the one being attacked one-sidedly. She was unable to fight back under the Super Array’s suppression, so Yang Kai had not experienced what she was capable of.
At this moment, he finally understood.
The five defensive layers around him were instantly shattered by this violent impact.
The next moment, Yang Kai felt as if an entire universe had smashed into his body and his figure involuntarily flew out. The fearsome attack had struck him right in his chest and abdomen, causing him to spurt out a mouthful of golden blood.
With the help of the small sun he had just sent out, Yang Kai clearly saw what struck him; it was a long claw-like foot!
Having broken one of the chains, the Black Ink Master regained some of her freedom and immediately retaliated.
The Super Array enveloping Black Territory had already suffered some damage over time, and coupled with the suicidal attacks of many of the Black Ink Disciples, it had given the Black Ink Master some nourishment to restore her strength. Furthermore, Yang Kai’s indiscriminate attacks have also stirred her up greatly. The Black Ink Master was obviously not willing to sit back and wait for her death; so, after a desperate struggle, she had actually managed to break free from one of the chains.
This was a terrible situation!
“Hahahaha… hahahahaha!” The Black Ink Master’s crazed laughter reverberated as her weakened aura rapidly recovered, “No one can trap me, no one can harm me. I am the Black Ink Clan’s Royal Lord! How dare you ants act so presumptuously in front of me!?”
*Crash…*
A violent quake rang out as the giant body of the Black Ink Master struggled to break free from the other chains.
Although the Super Array was powerful and had imprisoned the Black Ink Master for countless years, her foundation had not been destroyed. Now that a flaw had appeared, the situation would only become worse with time.
Liu Mu and the other Eighth-Order Ancestors were paying close attention outside the Black Territory cage.
Just after Yang Kai had entered the cage, the Grand Array before them suddenly activated; it was definitely because it was triggered by Yang Kai. This put them in a spot; they could neither determine whether Yang Kai was alive or dead, nor could they tell what was going on inside the cage.
At a certain point, a thick ink-like energy gushed out of the barrier of the Grand Array and spread out. The black tide of energy was like a belligerent army, pressing forward with unstoppable momentum.
Along with this black tide came a faintly discernible Will.
A solemn look immediately blanketed Liu Mu and the others’ faces.
Since the Black Ink Strength was leaking out, it meant that the hole in the Super Array had only gotten bigger, so big that they could even faintly feel the existence of the Black Ink Master inside.
[All of this should have something to do with Yang Kai; otherwise, there would have been no reason for such an accident. In other words, Yang Kai is probably still alive.]
Fortunately, the Super Array was still effective even if its power had weakened a little. The amount of Black Ink Strength leaking out was not much, and it was greatly restricted. The Black Ink Clansman would not be able to escape in short order; however, if this continued, it would only be a matter of time before she regained her freedom.
“We have to make preparations. If we wait any longer, it will be too late,” Liu Mu declared with a solemn look.
The other four nodded lightly in agreement.
Everyone glanced at each other but did not say anything, they just turned around and left.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Master was madly struggling inside the cage, trying to break free from the Grand Array’s chains. The Secret Technique Chains penetrating her body kept rattling as she used her long, sharp legs to cut into them.
The leaking of the Black Ink Strength was a manifestation of her struggle for freedom.
Outside, all the Eighth-Order Ancestors gathered once again to discuss the matter of the Black Ink Clan.
Liu Mu first briefly explained what had transpired before shaking his head, “Yang Boy disappeared deep inside the cage, we don’t know if he’s still alive.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone interrupted, “He’s not dead!”
Everyone turned around and saw that the one who spoke was the only Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master present at the meeting, Lan You Ruo, who had a loose relationship with Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.
Liu Mu stated, “Yang Boy is indeed outstanding and also has the means to deal with the Black Ink Clansman. This Monarch also hopes that nothing happens to him, but now that he has ventured to the depths of that cage alone, it is difficult to say how he fares.”
Lan You Ruo spoke once again, “Since I said that he is alive, naturally I have my reasons!”
Having said so, she lightly clapped as a person walked into the hall.
The Eighth-Order Masters turned to look and discovered that the man who had entered was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. They believed that he should be a member of High Heaven Palace.
Lan You Ruo added, “Mao Zhe had once entered his name in Yang Kai’s Loyalty List, and his life and death is tied to Yang Kai. If Yang Kai dies, he will not survive either. Since he is safe and sound, it means that Yang Kai’s life is not in danger and he is still with us.”
Mao Zhe stood still and bowed to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Liu Mu raised his brow upon hearing this, “That’s good then.” He then asked Mao Zhe, “Since you and Yang Boy are connected through the Loyalty List, can you tell us how he is doing?”
Mao Zhe shook his head in response, “The Loyalty List can only verify the life or death of the Sect Master. This Junior has no idea what kind of state Sect Master is currently in.”
Although Liu Mu already had an inkling, he was still a little disappointed after hearing Mao Zhe confirm so.
Lan You Ruo waved off as Mao Zhe bowed once more before retreating. He had only come here to prove that Yang Kai was still alive.
An Eighth-Order Ancestor stated, “In that case, Yang Kai must somehow be behind the signs of the Black Ink Clan’s break out.”
Liu Mu nodded lightly in agreement, “I’m thinking the same. Yang Boy has the means to kill that Black Ink Master, so perhaps his actions have provoked the Black Ink Master. And with Super Array having weakened, it led to this.”
Lan You Ruo furrowed her brow and asked, “Could Senior be blaming him?”
Liu Mu waved her off and corrected, “Of course not. If the Black Ink Master really broke out, it would not be Yang Boy’s fault. Furthermore, he is putting his life on the line to eliminate the Black Ink Master. Also, as he is trapped inside the cage with the Black Ink Master, he might even delay the Black Ink Master’s escape. It is a highly meritorious deed!”
Saying so, he turned to look at the other Eighth-Order Ancestors, “What I mean to say is that we cannot delay the matter of the Black Ink Clan any longer. We old farts may have supreme cultivation, but we’re actually letting a boy face the Black Ink Clan alone. Do we amount to only this?”
Many people nodded lightly in agreement.
Someone suddenly stated, “The Black Ink Clan must be dealt with, but what can we do? The influence of the Super Array is extremely strong. Furthermore, the power of the Array in the depths of that cage is so great that even we can’t stay there for long, let alone fight with the Black Ink Master.”
“That’s right, we were bogged down with this problem before. If we can’t eliminate the issue of the Super Array, we won’t be able to deal with the Black Ink Master.”
Everyone’s Divine Senses surged as they began to discuss amongst themselves.
Liu Mu stood idly by.
Someone noticed his calm demeanour and asked, “Liu Mu, if you have any ideas, just speak up. There is no need for you to be so secretive with us.”
Liu Mu replied, “It’s not like I’m trying to hide anything, it’s just that the method I came up with might be a bit dangerous and I can’t make up my mind yet.”
“Let’s hear it.”
Liu Mu swept his gaze over everyone. After a long time, he finally replied in a solemn tone, “Let’s break the Array and seize life from the jaws of death!”
As soon as he said this, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood what Liu Mu‘s plan was.
Some of them shook their heads and started snapping at him.
Some people furrowed their brows and fell into deep thought.
Liu Mu continued, “In our current situation, the Black Ink Master will escape sooner or later even if we don’t do anything. If that happens, we’ll be forced into a passive position. By then, not only will we have to deal with the influence of the Super Array, but we’ll also have to fight with the Black Ink Master. Tell me, how much strength do you think our old arms and legs could display in that environment?”
“That’s right, but if we act according to your wishes, we will only be releasing the Black Ink Master ahead of time.”
Liu Mu agreed with a nod, “And that is what I am worried about. If we really do this, we’ll be helping the Black Ink Master, but from a different perspective, if we don’t do so, we will ultimately be in an even worse situation. Our Cave Heavens and Paradises are filled with outstanding Masters, so what can a single Black Ink Master do? What’s more, the Black Ink Master has been imprisoned for countless aeons. No matter how strong it is, it should not be anywhere near its peak. Furthermore, Yang Boy is still inside the cage, fighting it right now. He is just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and does not belong to any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, yet he takes the safety and stability of the 3,000 Worlds as his responsibility. I don’t understand what we’re hesitating about.”
Everyone remained silent, not because they were rendered speechless by Liu Mu, but rather because they were considering the feasibility of his plan.
“Countless of our fellow cultivators have given their lives fighting the Black Ink Clan over the years. Of course, the No-Return Pass is the natural moat between peace and chaos. Once one crosses that divide, there is no turning back. The peace of our 3,000 Worlds was obtained through the blood and sacrifice of many generations. We cannot allow the sacrifices of our ancestors to be besmirched at our hands.”
Liu Mu had qualms over the feasibility of this plan, but as he pitched the plan to the others, his expression became firmer and firmer. This was the only way to take care of the Black Ink Master. More importantly, it was not the style of the Cave Heavens and Paradises to be overly cautious.
“Everyone, make your decision. Do you want to wait for the Black Ink Master to break out and fight to the death with him then, or do you want to take the initiative to find an opportunity to kill him and end all future troubles? The peace of the 3,000 Worlds rests upon our decision.”
The hall sunk into silence for a long time before someone finally broke it, “Since things have reached this point, we have no choice but to go along with your plan.
“Then let’s do this.”
“Let’s set the time limit to be 100 years.”
“Good!”
After a discussion that lasted a few days, the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally reached a consensus.
Liu Mu let out a sigh of relief, but he also couldn’t help but be a bit worried. [100 years… Even if Yang Boy is still alive now, can he survive 100 years in there? Can this cage imprison the Black Ink Master for another 100 years? Nonetheless, we can’t shorten the time any more than this either!]
Lan You Ruo suddenly stood up and slammed her palm on the table, asserting in a heavy voice, “My High Heaven Palace has no objections to everyone’s plans and we will fully cooperate with you, but all the materials of Black Territory must belong to High Heaven Palace!”
Over 100 pairs of eyes instantly turned and focused on her, each of them belonged to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
An ordinary cultivator would fall into panic under such gazes, but Lan You Ruo simply craned her long, white neck and argued, “Each of you comes from a superpower, yet you still have the nerve to compete with High Heaven Palace for the materials here? Think about how Yang Kai is still holding back the Black Ink Master in that cage right now! If you really carry out this plan, he will have made the greatest contribution to it. So, the materials mined from Black Territory will be his reward!”
Everyone immediately looked away.
Liu Mu looked around and chuckled, “Little Girl, what are you thinking? Since Black Territory belongs to High Heaven Palace, the materials mined here will naturally be handed over to you. The Cave Heavens and Paradises will not eye them, you may rest assured.”
“That’s for the best!” Lan You Ruo sat down again, but she was under no illusions about the reality she faced. If she hadn’t spoken up and stopped these Ancestors right now, the materials of Black Territory would have been divided up by them. Black Territory was quite rich in materials, rich enough to be tempting even for the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
If she let the Cave Heavens and Paradises hog all the materials here, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself when Yang Kai returned.
Since the meeting had finally reached a decision, the news was relayed to everyone.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises wanted to destroy the Ore Stars and the Spirit Arrays spread across Black Territory in order to break the Super Array.
Only by doing so would the power of the Super Array not affect the combat power of the Open Heaven Realm Masters.
This was also what Liu Mu meant by ‘seizing life from the jaws of death’.
However, there was indeed a drawback to this method; and it was that it would only help the Black Ink Clansman escape even more quickly. Every time the Super Array weakened, the Black Ink Master’s chances of escaping would increase.
But if they didn’t do so, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would not be able to display their full strength no matter how many of them were gathered. This would put them at a disadvantage when they really fought with the Black Ink Clansman. Only by doing this could the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally have the chance to confront the Black Ink Master.
When Liu Mu made this suggestion, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood his intentions. Lan You Ruo was a bit slower to understand, but she quickly caught on to the plan.
The Super Array was composed of countless Ore Stars and Spirit Arrays spanning the Black Territory.
The most effective way to break this Super Array was to destroy the Ore Stars, just as Luan Bai Feng had done before.
The Ore Stars were a rich source of cultivation materials, and they belonged to High Heaven Palace. They could not just give away all these resources without protest.
Lan You Ruo’s argument allowed High Heaven Palace to maintain ownership of these materials and also spared the Black Prison’s materials from being divided up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
This was good news for High Heaven Palace and even Void Land, but the century-long plan might not be good news for Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, they could not shorten this time further.
It would take time for them to break the Super Array, and the Cave Heavens and Paradises also needed time to prepare for the battle to follow. At the very least, they would need to cultivate enough Profound Yin Bamboo in their Small Universes to best resist the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength.
Lan You Ruo understood this point, which was why she did not try to argue with it, because she knew that it would be useless in this situation. Right now, she could only pray that Yang Kai could hold on until then.
Soon, large batches of Open Heaven Realm Masters arrived at the Black Prison. They were all dispatched by the various Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every batch numbered in the hundreds or even thousands, and every cultivator was either in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm or above.
The entire Black Territory was divided into sectors, with each Cave Heaven or Paradise being responsible for one. They were to mine the Ore Stars in that sector and crack the various Spirit Arrays hidden in it.
One by one, the Ore Stars were destroyed as a tremendous amount of Black Stone was mined. The High Heaven Palace disciples also began to busy themselves, collecting the mined Black Stones, and sending them to the Star Boundary, where they were handled by Head Manager Hua Qing Si.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai confronted the Black Ink Master inside the cage.
The weakening of the Super Array allowed the Black Ink Master, who had been imprisoned for countless millennia, to gradually regain some of her freedom. This little bit of freedom might not seem like much, but it was extremely dangerous for Yang Kai.
Every extra bit of freedom was tantamount to the Black Ink Master being able to exert a bit more of her true strength.
Yang Kai found it difficult to imagine just how powerful this Black Ink Master was at her peak. Even though she had been imprisoned since ancient times and her strength had obviously suffered as a result, the power she could display was still far beyond what he could contend with.
If it weren’t for the fact that he possessed the means to suppress the Black Ink Strength, he would have been powerless to resist in front of this Black Ink Master.
It was by relying on the pure white light that Yang Kai was able to survive.
Almost at the same time, an ear-piercing grinding sound reverberated at the centre of the cage. This was the sound of the Black Ink Master using her sharp, long legs to cut away at the Secret Technique Chains. She was probably trying to free herself from her shackles, but as the source of these chains was the Grand Array, it was very hard to break them unless the Grand Array itself was weakened.
Everything she did was destined to be futile.
Thick and dense Black Ink Strength filled the cage. The only place that was free from it was the ten-metre region around Yang Kai.
Yang Kai maintained the white light in his hand at all times. The illumination of the white light formed a sturdy, invisible barrier, blocking the Black Ink Strength from reaching him.
Yang Kai did not need to worry about the threat posed by the Black Ink Strength owing to the protection of this pure white light, but there was more than just Black Ink Strength in this cage.
He had to constantly remain on guard.
The ear-piercing grating sounds kept ringing out to no end, disrupting Yang Kai’s thoughts. Everything seemed as usual, but suddenly, a silent yet devastating attack came from the endless darkness.
The pitch-black darkness was the best cover, and only when the attack was right upon him did Yang Kai manage to react.
Sturdy dragon scales promptly appeared on his skin, forming a solid defence. At the same time, a flash of white light glimmered from Yang Kai’s hand, illuminating the surroundings. Yang Kai immediately spotted a sharp, long leg cutting towards him.
Yang Kai hurriedly retreated.
Although his reaction was quick, he was still injured. Even the dragon scales covering his body couldn’t withstand this fearsome blow. Yang Kai was sent flying, coughing up a mouthful of blood. This attack left a forearm-length wound on his chest and abdomen through which his internal organs could be seen.
If he was even a single step slower with his retreat, he would have been sliced in half.
While he was sent flying though, a brilliant ball of white light flew from Yang Kai’s hand, slamming straight into the massive body of the Black Ink Master like a sun crashing down on her.
The Black Ink Master immediately let out a blood-curdling scream of pain. She kept cursing non-stop, swearing to rip Yang Kai into a million pieces one day before devouring his soul so he would never reincarnate.
Yang Kai naturally turned a deaf ear to her ravings.
When he faced such a sneak attack for the first time, he cursed and bickered with the Black Ink Master, but after having gone through this very situation over and over again, he had grown accustomed to it already.
Inside this cage, the man and the Black Ink Master seemed to have been forgotten by the whole world. They might be each other’s companions, but they were also mortal enemies. Sneak attacks and counter sneak attacks were carried out almost every day, and each time, both sides suffered heavy injuries.
In the beginning, Yang Kai found it difficult to resist the Black Ink Master’s sneak attacks, but with time, he gradually became familiar with her habits and was able to counter them.
Even if the Black Ink Master didn’t launch a sneak attack, he would find an opportunity to do so.
The white light’s power of purification was a very potent method to deal with the Black Ink Master. Every purifying attack would wear down some of her strength. If Yang Kai wanted to live, he couldn’t give her any chance to recover.
Yang Kai’s constant offence and defence had already consumed an enormous amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals, but he couldn’t be bothered to care about that right now.
In the darkness, the two silently recuperated after a recent confrontation. Even the Black Ink Master, who had been clamouring to tear Yang Kai into pieces, had slowly calmed down.
The only thing that could be heard in the pitch-black darkness was the Black Ink Master’s attempt to cut the chains.
Suddenly, an inexplicable gentle voice rang in Yang Kai’s ears once more.
It was hard to imagine that a Black Ink Master like her would be able to sing such a beautiful song. She wasn’t singing any words, only humming a tune. Her song also did not carry any strange power or anything.
However, when this song entered one’s ears, it gave off an indescribable tranquillity, as if one had returned to their mother’s womb, returned to the source of life.
“Do you know how to sing?” The Black Ink Master suddenly stopped singing and asked, “If you do, sing a song.”
“I won’t,” Yang Kai refused, “And I don’t know how to sing.”
The Black Ink Master immediately broke into crisp laughter, “Since we have nothing to do, we should find something to do to pass the time, right?”
“Then keep singing, I’ll listen.”
“Wouldn’t I be at a loss? I’m a Royal Lord, and I don’t have the habit of singing to slaves or animals. That’s how you flatter us.”
Yang Kai slightly furrowed his brow.
During the time he had spent with this Black Ink Master, she had brought up the topic of being a ‘Royal Lord’, as well as the subject of slaves and animals more than once, making him a little curious.
“The Black Ink Clan is divided into different levels?” Yang Kai asked.
The Black Ink Master lightly giggled in the darkness before replying, her voice sounding like a lover’s whispers, “Of course, the Black Ink Clan’s hierarchy is strict, unlike you animals who follow no order. Some clansmen have always been born high and mighty, while some clansmen are born at the bottom of the ladder. I have been a Royal Lord since I was born.”
“The Royal Lord role should be very noble, right? What about those below the Royal Lord?”
“Below the Royal Lord…” The Black Ink Master dragged out her voice, trying to keep Yang Kai in suspense as she laughed, “I’ll tell you if you sing a song.”
Yang Kai decisively refused, “I don’t know how to sing!”
“Just sing whatever you want. If you want to learn about my Black Ink Clan, I can tell you, but this information isn’t free, it comes at a price. Don’t be embarrassed, a long time ago, only the most beautiful girl had the qualifications to sing in front of me.”
“Then I am honoured.”
The Black Ink Master didn’t continue but the grating sound of her feet striking the chains did.
Yang Kai bit the bullet and began humming a tune that Qu Hua Shang had once hummed in front of him.
However, the Black Ink Master interrupted him shortly enough, “Enough! Your singing is terrible! Even the sound of me cutting these chains is more pleasant than your voice.”
In the darkness, Yang Kai’s face turned slightly red in embarrassment, but he simply shrugged and stated, “I told you.”
“Women are always curious,” the Black Ink Master’s words were filled with playfulness, as if she was acting coquettishly. Yang Kai, on the other hand, had goosebumps all over his body, mainly because her voice brought her image to his mind, disgusting him outright.
In order to make himself feel better, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly flickered as he appeared behind the Black Ink Master. The next moment, a pure white light suddenly flashed in his hand, shooting straight towards her.
The darkness instantly retreated wherever this beam of light passed as it struck hard on the Black Ink Master’s back, leaving an enormous hole in her massive body. Black Ink Strength flowed out this hole like blood as the Black Ink Master madly screamed in pain. She instantly retaliated as her lone free leg slashed towards Yang Kai’s head like a deadly scythe.
But Yang Kai had already retreated by then.
The Black Ink Master’s screams and curses continued for a while. She kept shouting the same things over and over again; it was nothing new. Yang Kai’s ears almost started aching from it.
His sneak attack had infuriated the Black Ink Master and she was so angry that she ignored Yang Kai for several days.
It wasn’t until a few days later that she finally smiled happily when she successfully launched a counterattack and severely wounded Yang Kai.
Furthermore, she still remembered their previous talk and honoured her promise.
“In the Black Ink Clan, Royal Lords are supreme. Below them are the Territory Lords, followed by the Feudal Lords. Below the Feudal Lords are the ordinary clansmen. Every class has absolute authority over the ones below,” the Black Ink Master slowly explained, and Yang Kai listened carefully.
“Does that mean your status is very noble?”
“I stand above all others!” The Black Ink Master’s voice was filled with indescribable pride.
“Yet you have been imprisoned here for countless years!” Yang Kai’s words were like sharp knives that drove straight into the Black Ink Master’s heart.
As such, she angrily snapped back, “Isn’t that all because of you rebellious livestock!? You pretend to be docile, but actually harbour wicked intentions! Sooner or later, the Black Ink Clan will transform these 3,000 Worlds into our farmland!”
Yang Kai continued, “Tell me about this livestock business.”
The Black Ink Master giggled, “I can’t be the one always talking.”
“Shall I sing you another song?” Yang Kai suggested.
“I’d rather die!” The Black Ink Master promptly refused.
“If you want information, I can exchange it for information, no one will be at a loss,” After listening to Yang Kai’s singing, she decided not to give him another chance to do so.
“What do you want to know?” asked Yang Kai.
“Anything would do. I’ve been imprisoned for countless years and know nothing about the outside world.”
“Didn’t you transform many people into Black Ink Disciples? Did they not provide you with any information?”
“Although Black Ink Strength is powerful, it cannot bring me the information I want.”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before replying, “The 3,000 Worlds are vast and boundless. There are countless forces of varying size and strength, but the 36 Cave Heavens and 72 Paradises reign at the top and are revered by all. They are the strongest of the forces and have countless Masters.”
This couldn’t be considered a secret, it was the most basic information. So, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about exposing anything.
The Black Ink Master rebuked with a snort, “A bunch of clowns dare act so arrogantly? Laughable!”
Yang Kai ignored her and continued, “They are the rulers and protectors of this vast Universe. They are responsible for the peace and stability of the 3,000 Worlds. It is admirable.”
The Black Ink Master sneered, “Just a dove occupying a magpie’s nest.”
“Your turn.”
The Black Ink Master snorted. Although she knew that Yang Kai was trying to trick her, she didn’t mind revealing a bit of information, “This vast space originally belonged to the Black Ink Clan. You people are nothing more than livestock raised by the Black Ink Clan. You pretentious bastards pretend to be docile, but have always harboured rebellious hearts. You stole everything from the Black Ink Clan and drove my Black Ink Clan to the edge of this Universe. Sooner or later, the Black Ink Clan will return and take everything back.”
Yang Kai frowned, “In this World, are there any other Black Ink Masters besides you?”
“Black Ink Eternal!” The Black Ink Master declared proudly.
This was not the first time Yang Kai had heard such words; he had heard them from the Black Ink Disciples many times.
By the looks of it, this obviously came from the Black Ink Clan’s own beliefs. The Royal Lord before him firmly believed that Black Ink was eternal.
But the other information she revealed worried Yang Kai even more.
“Where did the Black Ink Clan go?”
“You don’t know?” The Black Ink Master asked back.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Most people have never heard of your existence, only the Masters of the Cave Heaven and Paradises know. I only learned of your existence in the last few hundred years.”
“Hehehe…” The Black Ink Master suddenly laughed, “You all fear the Black Ink Clan, that’s why you’ve sealed anything related to us. You also know that you’re not the Black Ink Clan’s opponent. Just wait, that day will soon arrive. The Black Ink Clan will once again rule this vast Universe!”
Her words were filled with confidence, but Yang Kai remained indifferent, “We drove you away in ancient times, so we will wipe you from existence soon enough.”
“Shameless boasting!” The Black Ink Master sneered.
Yang Kai didn’t try to justify it with an answer and silently healed his injuries.
He might have obtained some information from the Black Ink Master, but she had been imprisoned here for countless millennia and had no idea about the outside world’s current situation. All she knew was some information from ancient times.
If what she said was true, then this vast world once belonged to the Black Ink Clan. Humans were nothing more than ants under the Black Ink Clan’s rule, reared by the Black Ink Clan like cattle, surviving at the whims of the Black Ink Clan.
But how could so many people bear to live in servitude like this? They finally gained freedom after countless years of accumulation and resistance. Perhaps the ancient people fought countless wars and sacrificed countless people before they finally managed to defeat the Black Ink Clan and expel them into the unknown.
As a result, the 3,000 Worlds finally welcomed a period of peace.
The relationship between Yang Kai and the Black Ink Master was extremely strange. Both of them wanted to kill each other, but neither of them could accomplish this. At times, they would calmly chat with each other, and at other times, they would be at each other’s throats. Yang Kai’s injuries kept piling up, and the Black Ink Master was also having difficulty gathering her strength.
Every time the light of purification was shot by Yang Kai, it would bring the Black Ink Master unimaginable torment and pain.
Yang Kai felt like he had really been forgotten by the outside world.
He silently calculated the time in his mind. It had been almost a decade since he volunteered to enter this cage, but the Cave Heavens and Paradises showed no intention of rescuing him.
He knew what the Cave Heavens and Paradises were wary of, so he had no complaints. It was just that after having been confronting the Black Ink Master for so long, he failed to see any hope.
All he could do was keep weakening the Black Ink Master; however, the gap between the two of them was too big, so he was simply unable to kill her.
Some day after the first decade, Yang Kai, who was healing his injuries, suddenly heard a strange sound.
He found it a little familiar, as if he had heard it once before.
However, before he could figure out what was going on, the Black Ink Master’s attack was already upon him. The aura of death instantly enveloped him, prompting Yang Kai to quickly dodge.
But before Yang Kai could stabilize himself, another wave of murderous intent engulfed him.
Yang Kai’s eyes went wide in surprise. He promptly used Space Principles and used Near Distant Horizon.
Space twisted and stretched, but under the fearsome attack, Near Distant Horizon was swiftly shattered.
Fortunately, this small delay gave Yang Kai some breathing room. Taking advantage of this, he promptly took out his Azure Dragon Spear and swung it to the side.
The next moment, a savage force struck him. It was so strong that Yang Kai was unable to resist it. He exerted all his strength and was barely able to hold on.
Yang Kai’s five viscera and six bowels were shaken, but he didn’t dare relax for even a moment before this danger. He intelligently used the rebound force to retreat to the edge of the cage.
“Count yourself lucky!” The Black Ink Master’s tone was filled with resentment and unwillingness. She might have chatted with Yang Kai like they were old friends at times, and she might have hummed a song for him at others, but the Black Ink Master had never given up on killing him.
She would launch a surprise attack as long as she found an opportunity.
This most recent attack had been quite a good chance, but unfortunately, Yang Kai’s reaction was too quick and he had quite a few powerful tricks up his sleeves, allowing him to ultimately avoid disaster.
Yang Kai didn’t say anything, but a flash of purifying light once again expanded into a small sun and shot straight towards the Black Ink Master.
But the next moment, two gleams of cold light flashed as the small sun was cut apart before it could even reach the Black Ink Master. The ball of purification light exploded, illuminating every inch of the cage. Although the purifying light could purify and disperse the endless darkness, even evaporate a great deal of the Black Ink Master’s Black Ink Strength, it still did not cause her much harm in this dispersed form.
Yang Kai’s pupils slightly contracted at what he saw.
With the help of the short burst of light, he noticed that the Black Ink Master actually had two free legs now.
He finally understood what the strange sound he had just heard was. It was the sound of the Secret Technique Chains breaking. He had heard it once not long after entering this cage.
Although the Black Ink Master had been continuously attacking the Secret Technique Chains over the past decade, she had not made any progress. Yang Kai had not expected that another one of the chains would suddenly snap, allowing her to regain a bit more freedom.
[Is it because of her constant attacks?]
Yang Kai quickly denied this conjecture. [The source of these chains is the Super Array that spans Black Territory. The Secret Technique Chains would never break until this Super Array breaks.]
The reason she could break one of the chains before was that the Super Array had weakened, but now she broke another one, and the Super Array couldn’t have weakened unless it was damaged intentionally!
Thinking so, Yang Kai vaguely guessed what was happening outside.
This immediately lifted Yang Kai’s spirits. [I haven’t been abandoned, and the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises are trying to find a solution. The weakening of the Super Array is the best proof.]
However, this would only make things more difficult for him in the meantime.
The Super Array would grow weaker and weaker with time, meaning the Black Ink Master could display more and more of her strength. Would he be able to resist once that happened?
Perhaps he would have already lost his life at the hands of the Black Ink Master before he could escape this cage.
A strong sense of crisis immediately gripped Yang Kai’s heart.
Black Territory had countless Ore Stars, and each one was extremely rich in cultivation materials. It was so rich in materials that even if a force mined for tens of millennia, or even longer, they would still not be able to mine out everything.
However, every Cave Heaven and Paradise was participating in this operation, and each of them had dispatched hundreds of disciples. Naturally, their mining speed was extraordinary.
In order to break the Super Array, the simplest and fastest method was to destroy all the Ore Stars.
Nonetheless, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were mining the Ore Stars step by step in order to complete this 100-year plan.
Massive amounts of Black Stones were constantly sent to High Heaven Palace, allowing it to gather an unimaginable amount of wealth in this short span of ten years.
Fortunately, they had made an agreement beforehand, and the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not do anything greedy with a great enemy like the Black Ink Clansman knocking at their door.
All of the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, regardless of whether they were Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order, had entered seclusion and were sparing no expense to cultivate Profound Yin Bamboo in their Small Universes.
Everyone knew that once the Black Ink Clansman was set free, a great battle would break out, and the Profound Yin Bamboo was the best treasure to resist the Black Ink Strength. At the critical moment, it might be able to save their lives.
It was precisely because cultivating the Profound Yin Bamboo needed time that the Cave Heavens and Paradises came up with this 100-year plan.
As years went by, the Ore Stars in Black Territory continued to wane and the Spirit Arrays were broken one after another, while the might of the Super Array was constantly weakened.
As the 100-year deadline was approaching, everyone was able to feel the tension in the air.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises might be oblivious to how much the Super Array had weakened, but Yang Kai, who was in the centre of the cage, could clearly feel it.
Inside the cage, Yang Kai could no longer remain in his Human Form and had already switched to his Dragon Form.
He was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his cultivation was insufficient to face off against a Black Ink Royal Lord, even if she had been imprisoned for so many years. As the power of the Super Array weakened, the Black Ink Master could display more and more of her strength. So, Yang Kai had no choice but to resort to his Dragon Form to protect himself.
A 20,000-meter-long Grand Dragon was as strong as a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which allowed him to preserve his life.
However, he was hanging on by the thread! It took everything he had to resist each of the Black Ink Master’s attacks, and each blow would leave him injured. Had it not been for the strong resilience of his Dragon Body and the restorative power of the Immortal Tree, he would have not been able to hold on for this long.
The purification light played a vital role as the power of the Super Array weakened over the years and the Black Ink Master gained more freedom and strength.
Every blast of purifying light Yang Kai fired dealt a certain amount of damage and suppression to her, preventing her from recovering fully.
Her hatred towards Yang Kai had already reached the apex. Had it not been for the fact that she had yet to completely regain her freedom, Yang Kai wouldn’t have had the chance to even breathe in this small cage.
Yang Kai’s 20,000-meter-long Dragon Form was riddled with wounds of all sizes. Many of his Dragon Scales had fallen off, making him look quite miserable.
Even if his strength was comparable to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, he still couldn’t hold a candle to this Royal Lord.
Yang Kai silently endured and calculated.
In the beginning, a total of twelve chains happened to be piercing the Black Ink Master’s body under the Super Array’s suppression, firmly locking her in place and making it next to impossible for her to even move.
But as the Super Array weakened over the years, she had already broken free from ten of those chains. Now, only the last two were binding the Black Ink Master.
The day these two chains broke would be the day the Black Ink Master escaped.
A few days later, another chain broke as the Super Array’s power weakened to the limit.
The Black Ink Master suddenly fell silent.
She was finally going to regain her freedom after countless millennia of imprisonment, but her reaction was quite strange. She no longer tried to sneak attack Yang Kai and essentially ignored his entire existence. She had gone completely silent, which was completely opposite to her past self where she kept chattering non-stop.
[She’s accumulating her strength!] Yang Kai cursed, fully aware of what was happening.
She also knew that once the Super Array was destroyed, she would be up against the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises; thus, she took this last moment to build up her strength.
Yang Kai welcomed a rare period of safety.
At this time, he should be trying to weaken the Black Ink Master as much as possible. Only by doing so would she not have too much power when she eventually broke free.
But he soon gave up on this idea.
Yang Kai also needed to gather his strength! Otherwise, he would most likely be doomed the moment she broke free. He had to save himself first.
In the current situation, he would be able to escape this calamity only by quickly advancing to the Seventh Order. Although Yang Kai had been fighting with the Black Ink Master all these years and hadn’t had the time to cultivate, the countless living beings in his Small Universe had been constantly helping him strengthen his foundation.
His Small Universe’s foundation was sufficient, so all he lacked now was the opportunity.
He vigilantly returned to his Human Form, all while paying close attention to the Black Ink Master’s movements. He was ready to transform into his Dragon Form at any moment to resist her assault.
Fortunately, his worries were unfounded. The Black Ink Master had really quieted down and did not make any moves against him.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai didn’t relax his vigilance. At the same time, he was silently searching for the opportunity to break through.
The Proprietress had gone into a retreat in Void Land for several hundred years before she was able to break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Her aptitude was quite extraordinary actually, but even then, it was very hard for her to break through to the Seventh Order.
The gap between the Sixth and Seventh Orders was like the gap between the Heavens and the Earth. While a Sixth-Order Master was quite strong and could be considered a powerhouse in the Open Heaven Realm, their Small Universe was still immaterial, while a Seventh-Order Master was entirely different. Their Small Universes had already become material, which was a qualitative leap.
Since ancient times, countless Open Heaven Realm Masters had been stuck at this juncture, unable to advance even a single step forward.
The fact that one had initially broken through to the Fifth Order did not mean that they would be able to advance to the Seventh Order someday. Ascending to the Fifth Order only gave one the possibility to reach the Seventh Order. More importantly, it was extremely dangerous to break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order. If one’s foundation was insufficient and one’s comprehension was lacking, a forceful attempt would only result in death.
Yang Kai felt that his accumulation should be enough; In fact, he had wanted to enter retreat and break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm a few centuries ago, it was just that he had been delayed by various matters.
But now, in the face of the Black Ink Master’s threat, he was left with no choice but to try his best to accomplish something he had failed to finish in the past. Yang Kai could only sigh with regret at the hand dealt to him by fate, and the results left him disappointed.
He was unable to sense the opportunity to advance!
The Black Ink Master was eyeing him like prey, ready to give a fatal blow at any moment, so how could Yang Kai focus on breaking through?
It was very hard to feel the passage of time in this pitch-black and monotonous darkness, but when Yang Kai heard a familiar sound, he instantly realized that several years had passed already.
The Super Array had been completely broken, and the Black Ink Master had gained her freedom at last.
The most dangerous moment had arrived, and Yang Kai could clearly feel the great power that the Black Ink Master desperately needed reviving. Her slumbering majestic Will instantly recovered, causing the entire cage to tremble.
At this point, a single moment of hesitation would be the difference between life and death.
Suddenly, the cry of a Golden Crow rang out as a great sun slowly rose, illuminating the world. Right behind it rose a bright round moon, radiating a chilling moonlight.
The sun and moon shone together as Time Principles began to churn.
At the same time, Space Principles also flared, merging with the Time Principles, transforming into a new and profound power.
The sun and moon intertwined, spinning like a top as they headed straight towards the Black Ink Master.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was the most powerful Secret Technique Yang Kai had ever comprehended. With just a Sixth-Order Heaven Open Realm cultivation, Yang Kai had overwhelmed three Sixth-Order Masters from the Shadowless Cave Heaven’s Profound Yang Mountain with this Secret Technique.
With this Secret Technique, he was able to injure the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Zuo Quan Hui who was far stronger than him.
Space-Time Strength was an extremely profound power, and Yang Kai had just scratched its surface.
The Black Ink Master’s crisp laughter rang out, filled with pride and ruthlessness. She was finally going to be free after countless years of imprisonment. This was indeed joyous news for her.
The next moment, her sharp foot promptly slashed towards the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
This Secret Technique, which was strong enough to even severely wound a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, failed to even put a scratch on her. Just a swipe of her foot had caused the Sun to dim and the full Moon to collapse, dispersing the Space-Time Strength.
But surprisingly, another dazzling sun suddenly appeared right behind the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
Naturally, it was a ball of purifying light!
Since Yang Kai was well aware of the gap between them, how could he place all his hopes on the Secret Technique he had created? The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was just a cover, while his real trump card was this purifying light hidden behind it.
This was the only method Yang Kai had that could restrain the Black Ink Master!
The Royal Lord obviously didn’t expect Yang Kai to be so shrewd, so in her moment of carelessness, the small sun-like ball of purifying light broke through her defences and smashed into her massive body.
The light immediately dispelled the darkness in the vicinity and left a giant hole on her body, from where thick ink-like liquid flowed.
Immediately after, a blood-curdling scream rang out before the Black Ink Master roared in fury, “I want you dead!”
She slammed her long leg that destroyed the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel straight down on Yang Kai’s head, sealing off all routes of retreat.
Yang Kai was already prepared for this counterattack though, and the moment he cast the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, his body had already transformed into his 20,000-meter-long Dragon Form, bolstering his defence to its highest.
Even so, her long leg scraped through the Dragon Scales as his blood splashed out.
The Black Ink Master’s leg left a several-hundred-meter-long gaping wound on Yang Kai’s Dragon Body, almost cutting him in two.
Although he had escaped death, it was clear that the Black Ink Master had no intention of letting Yang Kai off so easily. Her multiple long legs slashed at him from different angles, causing his face to turn ashen. Even if he had assumed his Dragon Form, he would not be able to resist this attack.
Furthermore, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn’t do so inside this cage.
Yang Kai promptly manipulated Space Principles, placing all his hopes on the Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Fortunately, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not disappoint him. The cage that was once flawless was riddled with cracks now. Since the Super Array had been broken, the cage that imprisoned the Black Ink Master was naturally no longer flawless.
Over the past hundred years, Yang Kai had continuously been using Space Principles in an attempt to find a gap in the cage, but he had found none until now!
Yang Kai quickly swung his Dragon Tail, smashing it into the invisible barrier of the cage.
The next moment, the cage completely broke, giving the impression that an entirely new world had been created.
Immediately after, one powerful aura after another immediately entered Yang Kai’s perception as countless figures came rushing towards his side, defending him.
These figures all exuded the powerful aura of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
*Hong hong hong!*
Deafening explosions immediately rang out as the Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Master blocked the oncoming legs for Yang Kai one by one. Some people let out muffled groans while some sneered.
After this fierce exchange, the entire world fell silent.
The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were already preparing outside to break this final barrier, so Yang Kai’s last attack had saved them a lot of time and effort, while also saving his own life in return.
Otherwise, if the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises attempted to break this cage themselves, it would have taken them at least a few breaths, which was far slower than Yang Kai using Space Principles from the inside.
At this moment, Yang Kai was disoriented and stars were circling before his eyes, but before he could recover from his near-death experience, he suddenly felt someone standing over him.
“Brat, you’re still alive?” Liu Mu asked from above.
Yang Kai replied, shaking his head, “Fortunately!”
Liu Mu meaningfully chuckled, “One who survives a great disaster is destined to have good fortune. Leave the rest to us old fogies and take a rest.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before warning, “Seniors, please be careful. She calls herself a Royal Lord, but I don’t know what it means.”
Liu Mu clicked his tongue, “Although we had already guessed as much, it is still disheartening to hear you say it.”
He took a pregnant pause before explaining, “This so-called Royal Lord is equivalent to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!”
[Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!]
Yang Kai’s heart trembled upon hearing this. Although the Black Ink Master was not at her peak after having been imprisoned for countless years, and Yang Kai had been constantly weakening her using the purification light over the past 100 years, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Who knew how much strength she could still display?
Thinking about how he had spent 100 years in the same cage with a Black Ink Royal Lord that was equivalent to a Ninth-Order Master, Yang Kai couldn’t help but shiver in fright a little.