Yang Kai once used the Black Ink Strength within his Small Universe to trick Lang Ya Paradise’s Black Ink Disciples into believing he was one of them. If the other end of the Void Corridor was really the Black Ink Battlefield, then there was a high chance that he would encounter the Black Ink Clan or Black Ink Disciples. In that case, this disguise would provide a large degree of security.
Outside the Void Corridor, many Ancestors spoke to Yang Kai, sharing with him what they knew about the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai took note of everything.
However, as Liu Mu had said before, they did not have personal experience in the Black Ink Battlefield, and all the information was passed back from beyond the No-Return Pass. Although this information could likely be attained as long as Yang Kai paid attention once he entered the Black Ink Battlefield, knowing ahead of time was still helpful.
A few days had passed.
The rate of dissipation of the ancient sealing power in the Void Corridor seemed to have accelerated again.
Mo Sha said, “We can’t wait any longer, let’s start sealing it as soon as possible.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Seniors, please wait just a moment longer!”
Saying so, he turned around and walked towards Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s group.
His Wives stood at the forefront of the group, each looking at him with intense expressions. Their eyes were full of worry and reluctance. When he got close to them, Yang Kai smiled faintly at them but did not try to comfort them. Any words of comfort at this time would only be self-deception. Everyone knew and understood the dangers of this trip.
Yu Ru Meng stood forward and her crimson lips began to quiver. There was much she wanted to say, but she held herself back. In the end, she simply said, “Be careful in everything you do!”
Yang Kai nodded and replied with a smile, “I will.”
He suddenly looked beyond the crowd and towards the depths of void, where several rays of light could vaguely be seen coming towards them in a hurry.
Yang Kai heaved a long sigh of relief that the ones he wanted to see had arrived at the last moment.
The leader of the group was Lan You Ruo, who had left Black Territory and returned to the Star Boundary a few months ago.
Perhaps due to pushing herself to her limit, even though Lan You Ruo was now a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she still looked slightly pale and exhausted.
“Greetings, Proprietress!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and said.
Lan You Ruo glared at him, then at the Void Corridor, before asking in a dark tone, “Do you really have to do this?”
Yang Kai said helplessly, “It can’t be helped. There is no other way.”
Lan You Ruo pursed her lips and did not answer. She also knew that the workings of fate could not be changed by an individual’s power. Since the Cave Heavens and Paradises had already agreed to this, they could only follow the plan.
Yang Kai then looked at those behind her. There was the Fatty Chen Tian, Yun Xing Hua, Hei He, and Hua Qing Si. All of them were brought over from the Star Boundary by the Proprietress.
When their eyes met, they hastily saluted.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and called out one by one, “Mao Zhe, Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, Hui Gu, Hei He, Chen Tian Fei, Yun Xing Hua!
“Subordinates are here!” The seven of them announced.
“In the past, due to various circumstances, all of you had to leave your names on the Loyalty List. I know some of you have complaints against me and are not resigned to your positions, but it matters not now. You’ve worked hard all these years, and your efforts and sacrifices have allowed High Heaven Palace and Void Land to grow to their current heights. All of you have contributed greatly to the Sect. It is unknown if life or death awaits me, so today, I will set you free. You are free to stay, or to go, but I hope that when we meet again in the future, we can still chat and share a drink with no animosities for one another!”
Saying so, Yang Kai took out the Loyalty List, took the Xie Zhi horn, forced out a drop of Blood Essence and dipped it. He then scratched their names from the list.
Fresh blood seeped into the Loyalty List, and the names on the pages gradually faded and disappeared.
The seven people whose names were on the Loyalty List suddenly felt a sense of relief. They inexplicably had a feeling of freedom from bondage.
Mao Zhe frowned slightly and looked at Yang Kai with conflicted emotions.
Of all the people who had signed the Loyalty List, he was the one who was most unconvinced by Yang Kai. He had endured his humiliation in order to one day advance to the Seventh-Order and free himself from the Loyalty List.
He had heard that by reaching the Seventh-Order, he would become free from the restrictions of the Loyalty List; however, he did not know if that was true or not. Regardless, he still worked hard towards that goal over the years.
He had never imagined that Yang Kai would take the initiative to dissolve the master-servant relationship between them. This made him slightly surprised and relieved.
In the days leading up to today, he was not unaware that Yang Kai was going to seal the Void Corridor, nor was he unaware of what may happen to Yang Kai once that happened.
Geng Qing, Zhou Ya, and his lives were connected to Yang Kai’s, so if anything happened to the latter, they would also suffer.
Now that the constraints of the Loyalty List had been lifted though, he no longer had to worry about their life or death because of Yang Kai’s problems.
However, Mao Zhe was not as happy as he imagined he would be.
Looking back on the years in Void Land and High Heaven Palace, it was no exaggeration to say it was an extremely easy and comfortable life. They had all the resources and status they could have wanted!
He had not advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm simply because he had not felt a turning point.
Now that he was free, even if he left High Heaven Palace and Void Land, what other place could provide such a favourable environment for cultivation?
If Yang Kai could make this decision at the last moment, it was obvious that he had been thinking about this matter. This also hinted at the dangers of this trip.
Even Yang Kai was unsure if he could survive.
“Sect Master, since we have entered Void Land, we will not be duplicitous. Sect Master may rest assured and go. We will guard the Sect. You need not worry about anything here,” Mao Zhe said and cupped his fist.
Geng Qing and Zhou Ya also said, “Sect Master, please rest assured!”
Fatty Chen was far less dignified as snot and tears dripped from his face as he loudly proclaimed, “Sect Master, whether there is a Loyalty List or not, this Chen Tian Fei is a man of Void Land in life, and will be a ghost of Void Land in death! I swear to never do anything to betray the Sect! If I break my word, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death. With me, Chen Tian Fei, as its guardian, the Sect will never be in danger!”
Mao Zhe couldn’t help glancing sideways with a disgusted look on his face, thinking this ass-kisser had always been like this. [What can he do as a mere Fourth-Order Master? How dare he boast so shamelessly!]
When Yun Xing Hua and Hei He saw the others making their declarations, they also quickly expressed their loyalty to the Sect.
Honestly, they had lived a good life in Void Land all these years, and it was impossible for any other Sect to provide them with so many resources for cultivation. They would not leave even if they were driven away at this time.
Hui Gu was not so melodramatic, but his loyalty was unquestionable as he asked, “Sect Master, why don’t I accompany you so I may offer whatever assistance I can.”
Yang Kai, however, waved his hand and said, “This is a dangerous endeavour, and even the first step of entering the Void Corridor will not be safe. I am not sure what will happen, and if I take you with me, it will only serve to distract me.”
Hui Gu had nothing else to say when he heard this. If he was going to be a burden, then it was better not to go.
The seven of them were removed from the Loyalty List; Luan Bai Feng and Xin Peng had long been set free from its constraints. The latter naturally did not need to express their appreciation for the gesture.
Yang Kai looked at Hua Qing Si and said, “Head Manager, I’ll have to trouble you with the management of the Sect.”
Hua Qing Si squeezed out a smile and said, “Sect Master may rest assured, when you return one day, I will hand you back a Sect that is a thousand times better than the current one!”
Halfway through the journey, she had heard Lan You Ruo talk about some things and was clear about the dangers Yang Kai would be facing.
It could be said that this was definitely the biggest risk Yang Kai had ever had to take. This was not a task that could be accomplished by simply being careful. Even the slightest mistake would result in death.
No one would depend on luck for something as important as this.
Yu Ru Meng suddenly grit her teeth and said, “You’d better survive! If you dare to die, I will take all my Sisters and remarry! I mean what I say!”
“Good!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely, not knowing whether he was promising to survive or acknowledging that he approved of the remarriage.
What should be said, had been said. All things had been taken care of and he had no more worries left.
Yang Kai took a few steps back, looked out at Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s members, put on a solemn expression, cupped his fist, and declared, “Everyone, this is goodbye!
His eyes swept over the faces of Yu Ru Meng and the others as if he wanted to engrave them into his heart.
After saying that, he turned around and dashed towards the Void Corridor.
The women suppressed their emotions so that Yang Kai would not worry; however, the moment he turned around, all of them could not hold back anymore and began to shed tears.
However, none of them made a sound and continued to suppress their voices!
Yu Ru Meng clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her skin and blood began to seep out along her fingers.
In front of the Void Corridor, Yang Kai nodded to the Eighth-Order Ancestors and said, “Junior is ready.”
All the Eighth-Orders cupped their fists in a solemn salute.
The burden of maintaining the peace of the 3,000 Worlds was placed on the back of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Junior, which made all of them feel ashamed.
However, they all knew that only Yang Kai could seal the Void Corridor.
Fortunately, he understood the importance of the situation and did not object in any way.
The 3,000 Worlds was lucky to have such a son.
“May good fortune and longevity accompany you!” Liu Mu shouted in a deep voice.
“May good fortune and longevity accompany you!” The chant came from the mouths of the Cave Heavens and Paradises Masters and resounded throughout the void.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, turned around, and boldly rushed into the Void Corridor without hesitation or looking back.
The Void Corridor opened up and swallowed Yang Kai’s figure.
Not long after, space churned at the entrance of the Void Corridor. A black hole emerged and looked as if it could swallow everything for as far as the eye could see, but within half an hour, everything had disappeared.
Many Ancestors released their Divine Senses to inspect the region carefully before exchanging glances and nodding.
Even with their cultivation, they could not detect anything at the spot where the Void Corridor once stood. In other words, the entrance of the Void Corridor had been completely sealed. Unless someone like Yang Kai, who was proficient in the Dao of Space, chanced upon it and forced it open again, no one would ever be able to find this entrance.
However, the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not dare to be careless. After a short deliberation, they decided to designate Black Territory as a Restricted Area and seal all Territory Gates leading to it. No one from the 3,000 Worlds could enter without permission and at least one Eighth-Order Ancestor would be dispatched to monitor the situation at all times to guard against any potential problems.
It would be a similar setup to the Chaotic Dead Territory where an Eighth-Order Ancestor and a team of High-Rank Masters would be stationed at the Territory Gate, monitoring the movement of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
This matter did not take much effort. There were as many Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises as there were clouds in the sky; therefore, they only needed to dispatch an Eighth-Order Ancestor along with some Seventh-Order Masters to take turns on duty.
After a short discussion, everybody agreed on a plan.
There were suppressed weeping sounds coming from the people of Void Land High Heaven Palace, which annoyed Lan You Ruo greatly and caused her to snap, “Why are you all crying? He’s not dead yet! If you really want to help him, then you should hurry back and cultivate hard!”
Yu Ru Meng seemed to realise something, “Big Sister, do you mean…”
Lan You Ruo might be their Senior, but she had always regarded Yang Kai as a Little Brother; hence, it was normal for Yu Ru Meng to address her as ‘Big Sister’ based on Yang Kai’s status.
Lan You Ruo nodded, “If he returns safely from this trip, then it can only mean that he did not enter the Black Ink Battlefield. If so, he will be safe and sound and nothing will change. On the other hand, if he fails to return, then it can only mean that he entered the Black Ink Battlefield after all. If you have the time to cry, then you might as well use that time to cultivate hard and advance to the Seventh-Order as soon as possible. When that happens, I’ll bring you all to the Black Ink Battlefield to look for him!”
As soon as she made the statement, several pairs of eyes immediately brightened.
The people from Void Land and High Heaven Palace were basically made up of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The Great Emperors and Yang Kai’s wives had all advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the limit of their future achievements was the Eighth-Order.
Although Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were generally considered strong, they were actually the weakest of soldiers on the Black Ink Battlefield. Only those who had advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm had enough strength to defend themselves.
A single statement from Lan You Ruo was enough for them to suppress their depressed feelings and redirect their attention towards a new goal.
Yue He took out a bunch of Space Rings and handed them to Hua Qing Si, “Head Manager, Young Master handed these to me previously and asked me to pass them to you.”
Hua Qing Si took the Space Rings and investigated them with her Divine Sense, a look of astonishment appearing on her face in the next instant. That couldn’t be helped though as all of these Space Rings contained Yin and Yang Element materials. Furthermore, the Yellow Crystals and Blue Crystals were piled up like mountains in the Space Rings, all of which were of excellent quality. Some crystals were even the size of small mountains all on their own.
These materials could be said to be invaluable. The Sect would have more than enough cultivation resources thanks to these materials, which would greatly shorten the cultivation time of its disciples.
Hua Qing Si was vaguely aware of the source of these Yellow and Blue Crystals. She had also heard about Yang Kai’s unique methods against the Black Ink Clan from Lan You Ruo, so she couldn’t help feeling worried and asked, “If Sect Master left all of these materials behind, then what would happen to him if he encountered someone from the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield?”
Without these resources, Yang Kai would not have any means to activate his primary weapon, the Purifying Light.
Yue He whispered, “Young Master told me that he only left half behind. He has taken the other half with him.”
Upon hearing those words, Hua Qing Si nodded her head with a sense of reassurance. Nevertheless, she was also extremely shocked inside. These Space Rings were literally filled to the brim with resources and the number of Yellow and Blue Crystals inside them were practically incalculable.
[And this merely half the total amount!? Just how many benefits did Sect Master gain in the Chaotic Dead Territory?] Composing herself, she stored the Space Rings away carefully. She was High Heaven Palace’s Head Manager and was responsible for the overall distribution of its resources; therefore, it was best if she kept these Space Rings in her possession.
Lan You Ruo led everybody over to bid their farewells to the Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises before setting out. The other party did not stop them from leaving. By venturing deep into the Void Corridor to re-seal it, Yang Kai had already made the greatest contribution possible, so there was no need for Void Land and High Heaven Palace to remain involved in this matter anymore.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters led by Liu Mu told the leaving party to inform them clearly if they had any need of help in the future. They promised that they would ask their disciples and subordinates to cooperate as much as possible.
Lan You Ruo thanked the Ancestors and departed with the others following behind her.
Thanks to the promises of the Ancestors, both High Heaven Palace and Void Land would be able to maintain a stable and independent position in the future. There was no need to worry about being pushed aside or excluded; after all, Yang Kai had only just made a huge contribution to the safety of the 3,000 Worlds. If his Sect was oppressed after that, it would be too dishonourable.
…..
Inside the Void Corridor, Space Principles surged around Yang Kai as he guided the Void Turbulence around him to exert a sealing effect.
In order to explain his plan to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors earlier, he had specially used a small tube of bamboo to demonstrate. The power of the ancient seal that used to fill the Void Corridor was gradually fading away; therefore, what he needed to do now was refill the spot where the ancient seal had disappeared in order to conceal the existence of the Void Corridor.
This was an extremely energy-consuming task since Yang Kai had to mobilize Space Principles at all times. Moreover, sealing the path behind him meant that he could no longer turn back. He could only forge forward and continuously seal the route ahead.
The Void Corridor was filled with chaos and darkness, with neither light nor sound. Even Yang Kai’s perception became quite hazy. Under such conditions, he could only wield his power instinctually and rely on the dispersion of the ancient seal ahead of him to estimate his progress.
Time passed, little by little. Yang Kai was forced to stop and rest from time to time as he did not dare to exhaust himself completely. Nobody could say whether or not he might encounter any dangers in the next moment, so he had to maintain a necessary level of strength to deal with any unknowns.
Everywhere he passed, his power flooded the Void Corridor and sealed it up tight. One would either need to use brute force or have similar attainments in the Dao of Space to break this seal.
Yang Kai did not know how long he spent inside the Void Corridor as the flow of time became blurry in a place like this. Due to the dissipation of the ancient seal, the Void Turbulence also became extremely dangerous and crashed towards him from all directions at all times.
If Yang Kai had faced this situation in the past, he might not have been able to resolve it. It was fortunate that his current attainments in the Dao of Space were extraordinary. According to the division of the Dao he created, Yang Kai had reached the eighth level, Summiting the Peak, which was a level far beyond what most people could reach in any Dao.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai noticed that there was an invisible force behind him blocking his way. This discovery calmed him down. In his haste, he had finally caught up!
He knew that the invisible force behind him was the power of the ancient seal, which could only mean that his speculation at the beginning was not wrong, and the opportunity to conceal the other end of the Void Corridor was completely in his grasp. If he was lucky, no one on the other end of the Void Corridor would ever know it existed.
The power of the ancient seal continued to dissipate, and as a result, Yang Kai found himself stuck between two walls in the Void Corridor. One of those walls was the ancient seal, and the other wall was the seal formed from his own Space Principles.
While the wall behind him dissipated continuously, he only needed to retreat along the path of the dissipating wall and plug up the path behind him with his own sealing power. There would come a day when the power of the ancient seal completely dissipated, and at that moment, Yang Kai would simultaneously seal the Void Corridor’s entrance once more.
As the days passed, Yang Kai kept up the boring and repetitive actions of maintaining the seal. Every time the ancient seal dissipated, he took a step forward and the cycle continued. This situation went on for a long time, and it wasn’t until a certain moment that Yang Kai suddenly realised that something was different about the environment behind him.
A small ray of light had abruptly emerged in the originally dark Void Corridor. The light seemed to be blocked by something, so it could not enter the Void Corridor completely and was thus a little hazy. What’s more, Yang Kai could vaguely sense the aura of another world coming from where the light originated!
His expression couldn’t help brightening. He knew that he was probably nearing the other end of the Void Corridor. The light and the aura from the other world were the best evidence; therefore, he immediately cheered up and focused his mind in anticipation!
There was no saying what kind of situation lay on the other side of the Void Corridor. There were speculations that he might emerge on the Black Ink Battlefield, and it was time to learn if that was true. It was a lie to say that Yang Kai was not nervous. If it turned out to be the Black Ink Battlefield, then he would never be able to return to the 3,000 Worlds for the rest of his life.
His heart was filled with anxiety and a primal fear that stemmed from stepping into the unknown. Be that as it may, the movements of his hands never stopped as hand seals changed constantly, and Space Principles surged around him. With every step backward that he took, the sealing power continued to fill the Void Corridor. Meanwhile, the light became brighter and brighter while the aura from the new world became clearer and clearer.
At a certain moment, the power of the ancient seal disappeared without any warning. Yang Kai who was clinging close to the retreating ancient seal immediately slipped out of the Void Corridor and his Divine Sense swiftly spread out to monitor his surroundings.
This was a world filled with abundant vitality. There were towering trees soaring into the skies with trunks that spanned the width of several grown men in the surroundings. World Energy was incredibly rich and the World Principles were perfect. There were also bushes by the side, as well as a Spirit Fruit Tree growing vigorously nearby. Several bright red Spirit Fruits hung from the tree and released a tantalising aroma while looking deliciously sweet.
Yang Kai could not recognise the fruit, but even so, he could tell that it was of good quality at a glance. It was most likely very beneficial to Open Heaven Realm Masters.
[What is this place?] He frowned. The Black Ink Battlefield filled with Black Ink Strength that he had imagined was a place where the environment was harsh and violence was rampant, nothing like where he currently stood.
[Could it be that the Void Corridor does not connect to the Black Ink Battlefield!?] As soon as that idea entered his head, Yang Kai became overjoyed. [It’s fine as long as its not the Black Ink Battlefield! That means I can still find a way to home! If I entered the Black Ink Battlefield, then I would have lost all hope of ever returning!]
There was no time to pick the spirit fruit though as Yang Kai had higher priorities. He hurriedly began to seal the Void Corridor. The entrance was a potential danger, so he had to seal and conceal it as soon as possible to ensure the safety of Black Territory.
Fortunately, this was not difficult as he had been sealing the path behind him all this time, so he was already accustomed to these actions. The black-hole like entrance of the Void Corridor was thus quickly closed.
Just as it seemed like the entrance of the Void Corridor was about to disappear entirely, Yang Kai furrowed his brow. There was a powerful aura approaching swiftly from the edge of his perception. Judging by the energy fluctuations coming from that person, this newcomer was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Yang Kai scowled and the movement of his hands sped up even more.
A short while later, the entrance to the Void Corridor finally became completely sealed and vanished from sight. Yang Kai had only just finished his task when the sound of something cutting through the air entered his ears. A figure landed lightly at a spot only a few dozen metres away from him and quietly observed him a moment later.
Turning to look in that direction, Yang Kai saw that the person who just arrived was a spirited old man. The old man’s figure was thin, and he was dressed in a loose robe. Just by looking at his external appearance, Yang Kai could not figure out his origins; however, he was probably from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises since he was in the Seventh-Order.
The old man stared at Yang Kai, then glanced around the surroundings with a suspicious look.
Yang Kai’s heart sank. He knew that even though he finished sealing the Void Corridor in time, there were obvious fluctuations from the existence of the Void Corridor itself. The energy fluctuations must have been detected by this old man. It was just that the entrance had completely vanished out of sight at this moment, so the old man did not understand what had happened here.
In fact, Yang Kai had the feeling that the energy fluctuations coming from the Void Corridor were what attracted this old man here in the first place.
This was something Yang Kai had been worrying about all along. There was bound to be some movement when the entrance to the Void Corridor on this side was revealed. His initial concern was that the Black Ink Clan might discover the Void Corridor. If that were to happen, the Black Ink Clan would be able to invade Black Territory through the Void Corridor.
If that was truly the case, then the existence of the No-Return Pass would become meaningless and the countless years of dedication and sacrifice of the Cave Heavens and Paradises would also become worthless.
It was precisely because he was worried about this issue that Yang Kai took the risk to come and seal the path himself. He even went so far as to cut off his return path. Looking at the current situation, it was a good thing that he had gone ahead with his actions; otherwise, people were bound to investigate the situation once the entrance to the Void Corridor appeared.
What puzzled him right now was the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him. Just where did this person come from? And, where was this place?
After pondering for a moment, he cupped his fist and said, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior!”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man raised his eyes to look at Yang Kai. The look in his eyes was as tranquil as an ancient well. He seemed to be a person of few words. It might also be that he was too proud to speak to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator like Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s heart pounded in response as a vague feeling of unease gripped him. In truth, he had deliberately revealed his name to verify something.
Nowadays, Yang Kai could no longer consider himself to be a nameless nobody in the 3,000 Worlds. Whether it was his identity as the Lord of Void Land, Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, or his various actions in the Black Prison, it was enough for his name to be circulated around all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. If the other party was a Master from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, then it would make no sense for him to have never heard of Yang Kai’s name before.
However, judging by the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man’s reaction, it was clear that he had never heard of Yang Kai until now.
The old man’s gaze turned towards the fruits next as he said lightly, “These Profound Yin Spirit Fruits are mine. Do you have any objections?”
Yang Kai couldn’t even recognise those Spirit Fruits, so how could he object to anything? Nevertheless, looking at the old man’s attitude, he had the feeling that these so-called Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were very beneficial to Open Heaven Realm Masters. Still, Yang Kai immediately cupped his fist, “Treasures belong to those who are capable of taking them. Please help yourself, Senior.”
The old man nodded lightly, satisfied with Yang Kai’s performance. Moving to stand in front of the Spirit Fruit Tree in a flash, he stretched out his hand and picked the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits before placing them into a wooden box that he had prepared in advance.
Yang Kai obviously noticed the joy that flashed across the old man’s eyes; thus, he became even more convinced that the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were indeed very valuable to the old man.
Just as he was about to ask some questions to learn more information about his situation though, a sudden change occurred.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man turned around and suddenly slammed his palm towards Yang Kai without any warning. The World Force around this palm surged violently, and murderous intent burst out as though he wanted to kill Yang Kai on the spot.
Yang Kai was startled. He never imagined that the other party would try to kill him after picking the fruits. Was this old man trying to silence the witness to the crime by killing him lest he expose this matter later?
Fortunately, despite his shock, Yang Ki was not defenceless. He had come to this place all on his own, so he had not relaxed his vigilance for even a moment.
Faced with this sudden palm strike, Yang Kai did not dare to be careless. He hastily mobilised the power of his Small Universe and launched a counterattack.
There was a huge explosion. When their World Forces collided, Yang Kai’s figure was sent flying backwards. Meanwhile, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man staggered unsteadily.
A soft cry of surprise leaked from the old man’s mouth. Although it was only one exchange, he could sense that Yang Kai was special. Logically speaking, after being struck by the sudden ambush of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself, a Sixth-Order Junior should be heavily injured if not dead. On the contrary, the brat in front of him seemed to be unaffected. That was absolutely unbelievable.
Even Yang Kai was surprised at this outcome. His opponent might be stronger than him, but he couldn’t shake the vague feeling that something was wrong.
There was no time for him to think about anything else though as the Seventh-Order old man was already chasing after him like a shadow.
As the old man approached, he formed a seal with his hands. A mysterious light shot out from his palm the next moment and blasted towards Yang Kai. Before the light got too close though, it suddenly transformed into a large light barrier and blocked off all routes where Yang Kai could dodge.
Yang Kai gave a furious roar and drew on the power of his Small Universe. Summoning the Azure Dragon Spear, he swept out with his Supreme Limitless Spear Art. His spear shot out like a Dragon and transformed into spear shadows that covered the entire sky.
The light barrier shattered while Yang Kai’s figure drew back.
At the same time, the Seventh-Order old man closed in as the bewilderment on his face grew stronger and stronger. He was shocked by the strength Yang Kai displayed, but he did not pause his attacks. Summoning a longsword into his hand, the old man slashed out with a frigid sword light. Thousands of sword waves erupted outward around him.
Amidst the clashing sounds, World Force collided endlessly. The two figures became entangled in battle and smashed up the world around them, leaving devastation in their wake everywhere they went.
Halfway through the battle, Yang Kai raised his brow and finally realised what was wrong.
This old man was indeed in the Seventh-Order, but he was far weaker than any Seventh-Order Master Yang Kai had ever met before! It could be said that Yang Kai had never met such a weak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
The aura from the old man’s body clearly indicated he was a Seventh-Order Master, but be that as it may, the power he exerted was only slightly stronger than what a Sixth-Order Master could muster. It was far from the standard of a Seventh-Order Master.
His intention to kill Yang Kai was as clear as day, and the fact that he had launched a sudden sneak attack was the best proof. That was why Yang Kai believed that the old man was not holding back his strength. In other words, he was going all out!
[What’s going on?] Yang Kai could not understand, but he vaguely guessed that the other party was injured and could not exert his true strength. Nevertheless, he was secretly grateful. It was a fortunate situation for him; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to resist.
Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all, and although he could be considered invincible among Sixth-Order Masters, it was still tough for him to fight a Seventh-Order Master. He would only be qualified for a frontal confrontation with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master if he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form.
During the confrontation, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man couldn’t help growing anxious when he saw that he could not defeat Yang Kai even after so long. Pitch-black aura slowly seeped out from his body, and even his eyes were gradually overtaken by darkness.
When Yang Kai looked up and their eyes met, he felt his heart sinking all of a sudden.
A Black Ink Disciple!
The pitch-black aura and eyes filled with darkness were the most obvious features of a Black Ink Disciple. Besides, Yang Kai had encountered more than one Black Ink Disciple in the past, so this kind of appearance was not unfamiliar to him.
When he deliberately announced his name as a test earlier, the other party’s complete lack of reaction had given Yang Kai an ominous feeling. Be that as it may, he had held onto a glimmer of hope. He hoped that the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man was not from any Cave Heaven or Paradise but from one of the Second-Class great forces like those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, which would explain why the old man had never heard his name.
Judging from the current situation though, that was not the case. This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man was a Black Ink Disciple.
Yang Kai could not help clenching his teeth. A Black Ink Disciple could not be identified from their external appearance alone. If this intense battle had not forced the other party to actively expose himself, Yang Kai would have had no means to determine the identity of the other party.
Black Ink Strength could not increase the power of an Open Heaven Realm Master, it would only change their nature. However, the Black Ink Strength could allow an Open Heaven Realm Master to break through their limitations and advance infinitely in their cultivation.
Everything Yang Kai saw and heard in Black Territory had taught him that there were disadvantages to that kind of unlimited advancement though. Not everybody could withstand the pressure during the breakthrough. There were some Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory that had exploded and died when breaking through their original limitations. Some also experienced changes in their appearance, their bodies becoming misshapen or covered in large cysts and welts.
There were no free advantages in the world. If one wanted to enjoy an advantage, then they would need to pay a price.
Unfortunately, average people were ignorant and the ability of the Black Ink Strength to break through the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm was extremely attractive. That was why the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always kept information regarding the Black Ink Clan a secret, lest there were people who could not resist the temptation and took risks to seek them out.
This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man might have revealed the Black Ink Strength in his rage, but his strength had not increased in the slightest.
On the contrary, Yang Kai gradually figured out the old man’s background. If the other party had been in his prime, Yang Kai would have needed to use his Dragon Transformation to stand a fighting chance against him. Now that the old man’s strength was clearly reduced though, there was no need for such trouble.
Another fierce collision occurred, and when both parties were thrown backwards by the explosive impact, Yang Kai raised his spear with one hand and clenched his other hand into a fist. Then, he slowly threw his fist forward.
Yang Kai’s swing seemed harmless and even a bit comical, but the expression of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man changed drastically under this punch. The old man’s figure suffered an enormous shock, and he spat out fresh blood as a result.
Cow Punch!
Strictly speaking, Black Ink Disciples were simply Open Heaven Realm Masters corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. The power that they wielded was still the same power from their Small Universe.
How could Yang Kai fail to grasp this opportunity after fighting the old man for so long? Tracing the opponent’s World Force back to his Small Universe, Yang Kai’s Cow Punch Secret Technique achieved success in one-hit!
In the first place, it was a Secret Technique meant for the weak to defeat the strong, so as long as Yang Kai had enough time to prepare, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suffer tremendously after being struck by this blow.
The old man’s Small Universe was instantly turned upside-down, and his World Force failed to flow smoothly. A burst of Stars appeared in his vision and at that moment, the horror in his heart could not have been any stronger.
He initially thought that his opponent was just a Sixth-Order Master that he could easily kill, but who could have known that this Sixth-Order Junior would have such extraordinary combat power? It would have been nothing if that was all, but this little bastard even used some strange Secret Technique that could bombard his Small Universe directly. Such a Secret Technique was completely unprecedented!
Just as the old man’s Small Universe was shaking and he could not access his strength, Yang Kai dashed over and stood right in front of him. An ominous feeling immediately flooded the old man’s heart as he barely managed to raise his palm and slam it out at his opponent.
It was impossible for this attack to harm Yang Kai in any way as there was no power behind it. Yang Kai effortlessly blocked the palm strike and in the next moment, his hands shone with a blue and yellow light. Pressing his palms together in front of him, a pure and unblemished Purifying Light enveloped the Seventh-Order old man.
Having confirmed the other party’s identity as a Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai naturally had his own means of dealing with the old man.
On the other hand, the old man reacted as if he had been struck by lightning. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and his face twisted in pain. As the pitch-black aura in his body dissipated away though, the pain gradually subsided.
Yang Kai had fought a Black Ink Royal Lord in the Black Prison, and at that time, many Seventh-Order Masters had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. He had relied on the Purifying Light to restore order from chaos and rescue them; hence, Yang Kai was just performing a familiar action at this point.
A short while later, the Black Ink Strength stopped leaking from the old man’s body. He slowly opened his eyes and studied Yang Kai with a puzzled glance. Shock, however, was the greatest emotion he felt at this moment.
“Senior…” Yang Kai called out lightly.
Only then did the old man seem to wake from his daze. He anxiously gasped for breath and said, “Let’s go! We can’t stay here!”
The two of them had battled for quite a long time just now, so there was no saying whether the commotion had spread to the surroundings. Staying here would only attract others to come and investigate the situation.
Yang Kai had many doubts in his heart, but now was clearly not the time to ask questions. Nodding his head, he quickly followed behind the old man and hurried into the distance.
Not long after the pair departed, several figures arrived from different directions. It was obvious that they had been attracted by the fluctuations of the battle just now.
After investigating the messy battlefield though, all the people who came turned to glance at the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit’s tree; then, they dispersed and disappeared without a trace a short while later.
…..
There was a karst cave hidden deep inside the belly of a certain mountain. The Seventh-Order old man guided Yang Kai to this place, and once they entered the cave, he quickly set up various barriers to isolate it. Only then did he sit down cross-legged, silently circulate his Secret Technique, and adjust his breathing.
Yang Kai had so many questions that he didn’t know where to start asking; however, looking at the old man’s actions, he could only wait patiently. He had not held back when he used his Cow Punch during their battle earlier. With such a violent force slamming into the old man’s Small Universe, it was only natural that he was feeling quite unsteady.
A long while passed before the old man exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
Yang Kai sat upright beside the old man, looking concerned, “Senior, are you seriously wounded?”
He was the one who injured the other party after all, so he felt a little apologetic. It was just that the situation at the time had left him with no other choice. The other party had tried to kill him, so he could not be expected to sit still and wait for death.
The old man did not answer and countered with another question instead, “Are you not a Black Ink Disciple?”
The young man in front of him could even dispel and purify the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe. Such an ability was simply sensational. With this ability, it should naturally be impossible for him to become corrupted by the Black Ink Clan and degenerate into a Black Ink Disciple.
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “No!”
The old man looked astonished, “If you’re not a Black Ink Disciple, then how did you appear here?”
“The story is long and complicated. This Junior will explain later, but I have a few questions for you first, Senior.” Yang Kai looked at the old man.
The old man nodded, “Speak!”
Yang Kai asked, “Is this the Black Ink Battlefield?”
The old man furrowed his brow lightly and stared at Yang Kai puzzledly, as if asking ‘You’re standing right here, how can you not know where you are?’
After pondering quietly for a moment though, he answered the question anyway, “Yes and no.”
[What do you mean ‘yes and no’?] Yang Kai was perplexed by the answer.
Luckily, the old man explained, “This place is a Sealed World within the Black Ink Battlefield. Once you exit the Sealed World, you will arrive at the real Black Ink Battlefield.”
Yang Kai was greatly astonished, “A Sealed World? There’s a Sealed World in the Black Ink Battlefield!?”
The old man stared at Yang Kai, his confusion growing larger, “The Black Ink Battlefield is incredibly vast. There are countless Sealed Worlds here.”
His expression seemed to say ‘what’s so surprising about that?’
Yang Kai fell silent in contemplation… Nevertheless, he finally understood why the scenery he saw when he stepped out from the Void Corridor was so different from his expectations. It turned out that he had directly entered a Sealed World. Only once he left this Sealed World could he be considered to have arrived in the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Has this Sealed World always existed? Or, was it only discovered recently by accident?” Yang Kai asked again.
“Several months ago, the entrance of this Sealed World appeared. Only then did we discover this place,” the old man answered.
Several months ago coincided with the death of the Black Ink Royal Lord. Yang Kai did not know the connection between these two incidents, but he was certain that they were somehow related to each other.
In any case, this situation gave him some peace of mind. His greatest concern was that the Black Ink Clan would discover the entrance to the Void Corridor. It would now seem that the Ancient Great Experts had prepared in advance. This Sealed World might be related to the methods of the Ancient Great Expert who set up the Super Array in Black Territory; after all, concealing the entrance to the Void Corridor inside a Sealed World would certainly provide an extra layer of security.
Yang Kai thought for a moment before asking another question, “Based on what you said earlier, it doesn’t sound like you’re the only one who entered this Sealed World.”
The old man nodded, “Of course. There are many treasures in the Sealed Worlds scattered throughout the Black Ink Battlefield. These treasures are essentially worthless to the Black Ink Clan, but they are valuable to Black Ink Disciples. That is why many Black Ink Disciples will scramble to enter a Sealed World as soon as one appears.”
Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, secretly rejoicing that this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was on the weaker side. It would have been difficult for him to cope otherwise. After considering all this, he asked yet another question, “Senior, were you injured previously?”
How else could a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be defeated and spun around in circles by him so easily?
The old man gave Yang Kai a deep look before he shook his head, “I’m not injured per-say. It’s just that this Old Master’s Small Universe is incomplete.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before comprehending the meaning behind the old man’s words.
The reason for having an incomplete Small Universe was that he had sacrificed a portion of it! There was only one situation in which a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would willingly make such a sacrifice, when they were being corroded by the Black Ink Strength!
During the battle against the Black Ink Royal Lord, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength. For some, Yang Kai had managed to dispel the Black Ink Strength in time, but for others, they had no choice but to sacrifice a part of their Small Universe to save themselves. That was the only way to prevent themselves from completely being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength.
This old man had clearly undergone a similar situation before, which was why his Small Universe was incomplete and why his strength as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master seemed so feeble.
For the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who cultivated for tens of thousands of years, sacrificing a part of their Small Universe required great courage and determination.
While fighting the Black Ink Royal Lord, Yang Kai had witnessed the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises sacrificing pieces of their Small Universes with his own eyes, an act which greatly impacted him.
If such situations had happened in Black Territory, then similar situations would certainly be commonplace in the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Please forgive me, Senior. This Junior has only just arrived here, so there are many things that I don’t understand,” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
The old man narrowed his eyes slightly at those words, “Just arrived here? Which Cave Heaven or Paradise do you belong to?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “This Junior does not come from any Cave Heaven or Paradise. I did not enter the Black Ink Battlefield through the No-Return Pass either!”
He knew what the old man had been suspicious about this point, so he took the initiative to point out these facts.
The old man’s expression changed drastically after listening to Yang Kai’s reply, “There’s another way to enter the Black Ink Battlefield aside from the No-Return Pass!?”
The No-Return Pass was the last line of defence against the Black Ink Clan. As long as they steadfastly defended the No-Return Pass, the Black Ink Clan would never step foot into the 3,000 Worlds. That was the belief held by all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. That was also the reason why they had been struggling desperately for so many years.
However, Yang Kai claimed that he had not entered this place through the No-Return Pass, so how could the old man not be shocked? If somebody could enter this place through another path, then the Black Ink Clan could use that very same path to invade the 3,000 Worlds! That was something that would break the stalemate that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years!
“There’s no need to worry, Senior. I’ve already sealed the path that connects to this place. That is why I’m here in the first place.” Yang Kai waved his hand to reassure the old man, knowing that the other party had more doubts than him right now. After collecting his thoughts, he asked, “Senior, can you please allow me to check your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai had used the Purifying Light on the old man earlier, so logically speaking, the Black Ink Strength should have been removed completely. Even so, when it came to such matters, he could not feel at ease unless he checked the other party’s Small Universe. The secrets he needed to divulge were of immense importance, so it was better to err on the side of caution.
The old man undoubtedly understood Yang Kai’s consideration; hence, he nodded and took the initiative to open the portal to his Small Universe without any hesitation, “Go ahead!”
In the 3,000 Worlds, it was a great humiliation for someone to have their Small Universe inspected; on the Black Ink Battlefield however, it was a common practice. It could be said that all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Black Ink Battlefield would go through this process after every battle. This was a special custom created by the unique environment here.
Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony as now was not the time to be courteous to one another. His Divine Sense plunged into the Small Universe for an investigation.
After a while, he retracted his Divine Senses, “Forgive my rudeness.”
There were no remnants of the Black Ink Strength left in the old man’s Small Universe, and just as he mentioned earlier, the old man’s Small Universe was indeed incomplete. There were clearly parts which were missing, which caused the World Force in his Small Universe to flow in an awkward manner. That was also the reason why he could not exert the full strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
On the other hand, the old man showed no inclination to check Yang Kai’s Small Universe. He seemed to have absolute trust in Yang Kai’s Purifying Light.
“I’m sure you have many questions, Senior, but it is a long story. Please allow this Junior to slowly explain the situation to you.”
“Good. Please tell me in detail.”
Yang Kai nodded in response. First, he clarified his identity and background. Whether it was his identity as Void Land’s Lord, High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master, or a Star Boundary Great Emperor, all of these names were very unfamiliar to the old man.
After that, he explained about the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise. It was only then that the old man’s expression changed slightly, but he listened quietly and did not interrupt Yang Kai.
When Yang Kai mentioned the Black Ink Royal Lord in Black Territory, the old man’s expression changed drastically.
Although the Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds attached great importance to the Black Ink Royal Lord, none of them had fought on the Black Ink Battlefield before. On the other hand, as somebody who constantly walked along the edge of life and death on the Black Ink Battlefield, the strength of a Black Ink Royal Lord was well known to the old man and was a huge deterrent.
If the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not make a move, who could possibly be the opponent of a Black Ink Royal Lord?
Fortunately, that Black Ink Royal Lord had been trapped for countless years so her strength had declined tremendously. The Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises went all out in battle and paid a huge price, but their efforts eventually resulted in the death of the Royal Lord.
Upon hearing the outcome of the battle, the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yang Kai told the story lightly, but the old man could imagine the dangers and brutality of that battle. The Cave Heavens and Paradises must have lost countless elites in that fight.
“After the Black Ink Royal Lord died, a Void Corridor appeared at the spot where she perished!” Yang Kai sighed softly, “Nobody knew where the Void Corridor would lead, but based on the Royal Lord’s behaviour before her death, we were certain that there was nothing good waiting for us at the other side. The destination would most likely be related to the Black Ink Clan, so we presumed that it would be the Black Ink Battlefield. If that were truly the case, then the 3,000 Worlds would be in danger. This Junior’s cultivation might be meager, but I am proficient in the Dao of Space, which was why I volunteered to enter the Void Corridor and seal it again. The task of sealing the Void Corridor brought me to this place. Truthfully, I had only just finished my task when I ran into you, Senior.”
At this point, Yang Kai could be considered to have finished explaining his origins.
The old man’s expression fluctuated many times while he was listening to Yang Kai’s story. It was an extremely exciting and colourful narration, but he was relieved after listening to its end.
It was a blessing among all the misfortune for a talented individual like this young man to have appeared in the 3,000 Worlds. His proficiency in the Dao of Space allowed him to seal the Void Corridor in a timely and effective manner, so the consequences had not been dire.
“No wonder this Old Master sensed Space Principle fluctuations just now, it turned out it was because of the Void Corridor.” The old man seemed to have figured out the answer to one of his own questions.
Yang Kai queried, “From the standpoint of a Black Ink Disciple, did you not suspect anything, Senior?”
The old man replied, “I had my doubts, but this Old Master was distracted by the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits at the time, so I couldn’t be bothered to investigate the issue. You did well. After the Void Corridor was sealed, this Old Master could not find any flaws. I believe that the other Black Ink Disciples will not find anything either even if they passed by that place.”
“Profound Yin Spirit Fruit…” Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at the name. If the old man had not said anything, he would not have known anything about that Spirit Fruit. What could be certain was that the Spirit Fruit was something that could only be found in the Black Ink Battlefield as Yang Kai had never heard of such a Spirit Fruit in the 3,000 Worlds before.
The old man took out a wooden box, opened it, and explained, “This Spirit Fruit is extremely useful for mending one’s damaged Small Universe.”
Yang Kai immediately understood, “The Heavenly Way is indeed fair in all things!”
The old man nodded, “That’s right. A cultivator’s Small Universe is akin to an independent world, and this Spirit Fruit has the ability to mend broken Small Universes. The ancestors named it the ‘Profound Yin Spirit Fruit’ as it symbolized renewal and rebirth.”
This Spirit Fruit was useless to the average Open Heaven Realm Master, but it was a precious treasure for those with a damaged Small Universe like the old man. It had to be said that once a person’s Small Universe became incomplete, their Martial Dao would never improve again in the future. Moreover, their strength would also be greatly reduced.
It would be similar to this old man in front of Yang Kai. If his Small Universe had not been damaged, Yang Kai would not have been able to defeat him so easily. But, if he recovered with the help of the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, then he would regain the strength he had at his peak.
It was true that the old man had noticed some abnormalities back when Yang Kai emerged from the Void Corridor, but his attention was quickly drawn towards the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit; hence, he did not bother to pursue the matter any further. In the first place, he only appeared at that spot because he had been attracted by the subtle fluctuations of Space Principles that spread out when the entrance of the Void Corridor opened for a moment.
“Even in the Black Ink Battlefield, this Spirit Fruit is probably a rare treasure, right?” Yang Kai asked.
The old man nodded, “Although there are many Sealed Worlds in the Black Ink Battlefield, not every Sealed World has a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Tree. This Spirit Fruit is certainly rare.” Having said that, he smiled brightly, “If not for that, this Old Master would not have tried to silence the witness to the crime, lest you reveal the existence of the Spirit Fruit to the others. Who could have known…”
Who could have known that he would be no match for his opponent? The fact that he couldn’t even defeat a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master made him feel rather ashamed. At the same time, he finally understood why the Cave Heavens and Paradises entrusted the heavy responsibility of sealing the Void Corridor to a mere Sixth-Order Junior.
How could this Sixth-Order boy be compared to ordinary Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters? Despite having lived for so many years, the old man had never met a more ferocious Sixth-Order Master in his life. Not to mention, the mysterious Purifying Light that Yang Kai displayed could even dispel the Black Ink Strength that had corrupted his Small Universe for so many years. It was simply unbelievable.
Likewise, Yang Kai secretly rejoiced that the old man had taken the initiative to attack him; otherwise, he would not have been able to figure out the old man’s identity. Black Ink Disciples were no different from ordinary people under normal circumstances after all. There was no way to notice any abnormality from their external appearance alone.
“That pure white light… What is it?” The old man could not hold back his curiosity, “Do the Cave Heavens and Paradises have such a Secret Technique now?”
If that was truly the case, then it was truly fortuitous news for all those who had crossed the No-Return Pass. This Secret Technique evidently had strong restraining effects on the Black Ink Strength, so no matter who was corrupted by the Black Ink Clan in the future, they could still be saved.
Over the years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had invested many people into the Black Ink Battlefield. Countless people had died in battle, but many others had been converted into Black Ink Disciples and became enemies instead. That was the biggest reason why the Cave Heavens and Paradises could never obtain victory on the Black Ink Battlefield. If not for that, their continuous investment of manpower would eventually have eroded away at the forces of the Black Ink Clan until nothing was left.
Yang Kai shook his head, “This is not a Secret Technique of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It is something that this Junior obtained by chance, and only this Junior can use it.”
He did not mention the existence of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer as there was no need to. It was enough to explain that he was the only person who could use this technique.
The old man was slightly disappointed, but he soon understood. If this Secret Technique had been developed by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, it would have been delivered to the Black Ink Battlefield a long time ago. There was no reason to hide it until today.
Looking at Yang Kai, he let out a long sigh, “The Heavens must be jealous!”
Yang Kai instantly burst out laughing. Somehow, those words sounded as though he was going to die at any moment.
The old man continued, “It is not easy for you to make such a sacrifice for the 3,000 Worlds. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have much to be grateful to you for.”
“This Junior only followed his own sense of justice. You praise me too much, Senior.” Yang Kai responded humbly.
The old man sighed once more, “But, since you are already here, then that means you can’t go back anymore. Do you have anything else that you wish to say before we begin?”
Yang Kai furrowed his eyebrows slightly, “Senior, what do you mean…”
Something about the old man’s statement set off alarm bells in his head.
The old man said, “You are a hero of the 3,000 Worlds. From an emotional perspective, you should not have had to carry such a heavy fate. Unfortunately, the existence of the Void Corridor is too important. This information must never be allowed to leak to others.” Then, his expression became solemn and his voice became grim, “Only the dead will never reveal a secret. I hope you understand what I mean.”
When he was met with Yang Kai’s silence for an answer, he clearly misunderstood the situation and opened his mouth once more, “I believe you would not want your efforts to go to waste either. I also believe that you have prepared yourself for the worst when you chose to seal the Void Corridor alone.”
Yang Kai quickly raised his hand to interrupt the old man, “I understand what you mean, Senior.”
The old man was pleased, “You truly are a man who understands the bigger picture.”
“But, Senior, this Junior might not have to die.”
The old man frowned and reprimanded Yang Kai, “Fool! I know that you have the means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength, so it won’t be easy for you to be corrupted by it; however, you are only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm! Once you exit this Sealed World, you will enter the true Black Ink Battlefield. There are countless Black Ink Disciples outside, not to mention there are Territory Lords overseeing this place. How will you resist them if you slip up? It’s only a matter of time before you become corrupted by Black Ink Strength and become a Black Ink Disciple. How will the existence of the Void Corridor remain concealed once you’ve been corrupted!? If you have the means to seal the Void Corridor, then I can only presume that you have the means to reopen it too! If you become a Black Ink Disciple, the first thing you will do will be to open that Void Corridor and lead chaos into the 3,000 Worlds! For that reason, you must die! Not only that, this Old Master will have to die too! This is the only way to ensure that this secret will remain completely hidden! If you cannot do it yourself, then this Old Master will help you. Don’t worry, you only need to wait a while on the road to the Yellow Springs. This Old Master will follow you shortly!”
Even though this old man kept telling him to die, Yang Kai could not bring himself to hate him.
Under normal circumstances, the old man’s suggestion would undoubtedly be the correct choice. Only the dead could keep secrets. Once they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength and became Black Ink Disciples, the existence of the Void Corridor would immediately be exposed. They would wholeheartedly devote themselves to the Black Ink Clan after becoming Black Ink Disciples.
In other words, even without the instructions of the Black Ink Clan, Yang Kai would willingly divulge the existence of the Void Corridor and take the initiative to open it for them.
What’s more, the old man even said that Yang Kai would only need to wait a while on the road to the Yellow Springs and he would follow soon after. At that time, they could travel together so that the journey would not be lonely.
The old man was staring at Yang Kai as though he was going to help send Yang Kai to the afterlife if Yang Kai refused to die; hence, Yang Kai quickly said, “Senior, I cannot be corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. This Junior was present during the battle against the Black Ink Royal Lord, and during that battle, the Black Ink Royal Lord used her Royal Lord Secret Technique to instantly corrupt five Eighth-Order Ancestors. However, this Junior remained safe and sound. One of them was even standing right beside this Junior when it happened.”
The old man shook his head, “The method of dispelling and purifying Black Ink Strength is extraordinary indeed, but on the Black Ink Battlefield, using this method to resist the Black Ink Strength will only attract the attention of Black Ink Clan!”
Explanations were clearly useless. At this point, only actual hard evidence would work, so Yang Kai simply stated, “Please see for yourself, Senior!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, a pitch-black aura seeped out from the surface of his body. Even his eyes were swiftly covered by the darkness.
The old man turned pale with shock. Activating his World Force, he nearly struck Yang Kai with his palm; however, his palm stopped right in front of Yang Kai. The reason was that the darkness had faded from Yang Kai’s eyes.
Yang Kai explained, “I will not conceal the truth from you, Senior. This Junior was lucky enough to obtain the World Spring through an opportunity a long time ago, so my Small Universe is impenetrable to external forces. I even have a large amount of Black Ink Essence suppressed and sealed inside my Small Universe, but it has not affected this Junior in any way.”
“A World Spring!?” The old man was astonished and delighted by those words, but he shouted, “Words are nothing without proof!”
Just as Yang Kai had prudently checked his Small Universe before, he had the same thoughts at this moment. Their situations were simply reversed.
Yang Kai gave a wry smile. Knowing that the old man would not be reassured if he did not allow the other party to check for himself, he immediately opened the portal to his Small Universe.
The old man poured his Divine Sense into Yang Kai’s Small Universe to investigate without any trace of politeness. In the next moment, he looked dumbfounded, “Are you really just a Sixth-Order Master?”
Under his investigation, he discovered that Yang Kai’s Small Universe had already transformed from immaterial to material! That was the capital that only High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could have! It was impossible for the Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Master to achieve something like that.
This old man was not the first person to be shocked by this. When Yu Xiang Die and the others had investigated Yang Kai’s Small Universe back then, they had the same reaction. The main reason was that nobody had ever seen something like this before, so it was very strange and novel.
“You’ve already checked my Small Universe, Senior. How can this Junior hide anything from you?”
The old man nodded. Under his investigation, he discovered that Yang Kai was indeed only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was not a lie. At the same time, he finally understood why a Sixth-Order Junior had such impressive combat power that even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself was not an opponent.
Yang Kai had a fully materialized Small Universe, so it was only natural that ordinary Sixth-Order Masters could not compare to him.
Inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe, the Black Ink Strength was being suppressed and sealed, and there was also a small spring that seemed to flow without end, spreading out a kind of protective aura to the rest of the World.
The old man had never seen a World Spring before, but he clearly saw the area where the Black Ink Strength was being suppressed and sealed. When he retracted his Divine Sense, he nodded lightly, “No wonder you dared to take such risks, it was because you had something to rely upon! Good! Very good!”
With one of the Four Universe Pillars like the World Spring supporting Yang Kai’s Small Universe, there was certainly no need for him to worry about being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. That was the greatest guarantee for his own safety.
Observing Yang Kai carefully, the old man’s eyes slowly began to brighten.
Yang Kai did not need to die or worry about being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, turning him into a Black Ink Disciple. In which case, his very existence was a huge blessing to the Black Ink Battlefield. Leaving aside his cultivation, just his ability to dispel and purify the Black Ink Strength alone would be a huge boost to the front lines.
The wheels turned in the old man’s head, and various thoughts crossed his mind at that moment. Soon though, his expression became firm and he said, “This Old Master is Meng Qi. I hailed from Exquisite Paradise! 4,000 years ago, I followed my Seniors from the Master Sect through the No-Return Pass and came to the Black Ink Battlefield.”
He had not bothered to introduce himself to Yang Kai before because he believed that they both needed to die in order to protect the secrets here, so introductions were redundant. Now that Yang Kai would live though, the situation was different. At the very least, if he told Yang Kai his origins, Yang Kai might be able to bring a message back to his Master Sect one day.
Yang Kai quickly cupped his fist, “So it is Senior Meng.”
Meng Qi gestured around him and asked, “How much do you actually understand about the Black Ink Battlefield and the Black Ink Clan?”
“Not much. Just before I came here, I only heard a little from the Ancestors.”
Meng Qi nodded, well-aware that this information had always been kept secret in the 3,000 Worlds. Even amongst the Cave Heavens and Paradises, only a few Elders and elite disciples knew anything. Unfortunately, even these people’s knowledge was not comprehensive, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to understand much.
Flipping his hand, Meng Qi suddenly took out an object. This object was round and the size of a fist.
Yang Kai glanced at the object and asked curiously, “A Universe Chart?”
Yang Kai possessed a similar object. It was something he bought from in Thousand Birds Star City. The 3,000 Worlds was too vast and there were countless Great Territories connected to each other. If not for the guidance of a Universe Chart, it would be impossible for one to navigate between destinations. That was why almost all Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a Universe Chart in their possession.
This object was something every single Cave Heaven or Paradise could refine and was a valuable source of income. Thanks to that, the Cave Heavens and Paradises gained a sizable income every year just by relying on sales of Universe Charts.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not understand why Meng Qi had taken out a copy of the Universe Chart at a time like this.
“This is the Universe Chart of the Black Ink Battlefield. Although the information contained within is from 3,000 years ago, it should be not that much different from the current situation.” While speaking, Meng Qi handed the Universe Chart to Yang Kai.
He had entered the Black Ink Battlefield with his Seniors from their Master Sect 4,000 years ago, but he accidentally became corrupted by the Black Ink Strength during a battle against the Black Ink Clan 3,000 years ago. Consequently, the information in his Universe Chart had not been updated since then.
Yang Kai readily accepted the Universe Chart from Meng Qi. In his present situation, this information was very valuable to him.
His Divine Sense immediately poured into the Universe Chart. In that instant, Yang Kai felt as though he had entered a vast universe on display before him. His vision expanded, and he saw the nearest great pass inside the Universe Chart that resembled a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array at a glance. He also saw the existence of various other great passes inside the Universe Chart. What’s more, the name of each great pass seemed to be related to one of Cave Heavens or Paradises. For example, he saw a Great Battle Pass, Yin-Yang Pass, Lang Ya Pass, Golden Antelope Pass, and so on…
These great passes seemed to resonate and reinforce each other. Connected from one end to another, they formed a gigantic Grand Array that stretched across the vast void. Yang Kai could almost imagine just how huge and majestic the actual great passes were in the Black Ink Battlefield.
Behind these great passes was where the No-Return Pass was located. The No-Return Pass marked the border dividing the 3,000 Worlds and Black Ink Battlefield. It was also the last line of defence. If the No-Return Pass ever fell, that would mean that the Black Ink Clan could invade the 3,000 Worlds with impunity. The 3,000 Worlds would be in peril once that happened.
“Senior, where are we now?” Yang Kai studied the Universe Chart for a moment but did not find their current position. Logically speaking, his current position should be extremely easy to locate on the Universe Chart. Even so, he could not pinpoint where they were. He had a vague suspicion that the reason was related to them being inside the Sealed World. A Sealed World was an independent world isolated from the outside world after all, so it was bound to hinder the display of the Universe Chart.
Meng Qi reached out and tapped on the Universe Chart. A certain spot on the Universe Chart immediately glowed with light, “Here.”
Yang Kai studied the distance between the spot of light and the great passes of the Cave Heavens and Paradises before gritting his teeth. The distance was not insignificant. It could almost be said that he was deep within the belly of the Black Ink Battlefield at this moment. There was no saying how much danger he would face if he wanted to head towards the great passes.
Meng Qi explained, “This area is located within the domain of Hong Lian Territory Lord. He has many Black Ink Clansman and Black Ink Disciples under his command. When you leave this Sealed World, that will be the first danger you will have to face.”
Before coming here, Liu Mu and the others had explained to Yang Kai about the strict hierarchy in the Black Ink Clan. The highest position within the hierarchy would be the Black Ink Royal Lords. Every single Black Ink Royal Lord had strength comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Under the Royal Lords were the Black Ink Clansman known as Territory Lords, each of them comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. Hong Lian Territory Lord was undoubtedly one of them.
After the Territory Lords came the Feudal Lords, the Black Ink equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters.
Below the Feudal Lords were the ordinary Black Ink Clansman. These Clansmen were divided into High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen and Low-Rank Clansmen. A High-Rank Black Ink Clan member was more or less equivalent to a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master while a Low-Rank Black Ink Clan member would be on par with a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. These Black Ink Clansmen did not pose much of a threat to Yang Kai, but they could still become an issue if their numbers were too large.
On the Black Ink Battlefield, a Black Ink Royal Lord would have numerous Territory Lords under him, and each Territory Lord would then have many Feudal Lords beneath them. In this manner, a chain of command was established where the lower-ranking members were subservient to their higher-ranking members.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Disciples would always be inferior to the Black Ink Clan, regardless of their cultivation. Even if it was only a Black Ink Clan member on par with a First-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, in the Black Ink Battlefield, their status would still be higher than a Black Ink Disciple in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Having said that, being weak was the greatest sin in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan so ordinary Black Ink Clansmen generally received worse treatment than Black Ink Disciples with high cultivation. That was because they would be used as cannon-fodder to exhaust the strength of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Furthermore, the Black Ink Strength that was left behind when they died would become a deterrent to the enemy and a boon to allies.
Countless ordinary Black Ink Clansmen were killed in almost every battle, regardless of whether they were Low-Rank or High-Rank. Be that as it may, these ordinary Black Ink Clansmen were akin to consumable items and remained virtually inexhaustible even after so many millennia of fighting.
“From what this Old Master saw, you seem capable of disguising yourself as a Black Ink Disciple with the methods you displayed just now.”
Yang Kai nodded, “If anybody wants to check my identity, this Junior can outwardly fool them, but I cannot let them check my Small Universe.”
Meng Qi nodded, “Although that is a practical method, you should not rely too much on it. You are not the only one on the Black Ink Battlefield with one of the Four Universe Pillars. In the past, there once was an Ancestor who disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple to sneak behind enemy lines and cause chaos; therefore, the Black Ink Clan is somewhat guarded against such behaviour.”
Yang Kai was a little surprised, but he quickly understood.
Precious treasures like the Four Universe Pillars could be said to be the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength, so how could the Cave Heavens and Paradises not use them to their advantage?
Over the eons, the Four Universe Pillars would occasionally appear even if such occurrences rarely happened. The Cave Heavens and Paradises would scramble to get their hands on any Four Universe Pillar and figure out a way to deliver it to the Black Ink Battlefield as soon as possible to increase their combat power.
Yang Kai even suspected that the Profound Fish Universe Pillar that appeared in Shattered Heaven 3,000 years ago was now with one of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this Black Ink Battlefield.
“The Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples have a Master-Servant relationship between them. In the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Disciples are nothing but livestock to rear and kill as they please. They also have a habit of devouring their Black Ink Disciple’s World Force to strengthen themselves. Doing so is also a method of cultivation for them. That is why the existence of the Black Ink Clan poses such a big threat to the 3,000 Worlds.”
There were countless Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds, and each one had abundant World Force. World Force was food for the Black Ink Clan to increase their strength. Once the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, then all those Universe Worlds would be doomed.
What’s more, there were countless generations of Open Heaven cultivators in the various forces in the 3,000 Worlds. The amount of World Force from all these people would be far beyond what the Universe Worlds alone could provide.
If it was said that the average Universe World or Spirit Province was food for the Black Ink Clan, then the Headquarters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be mouth-watering delicacies.
Yang Kai himself had learned of the Black Ink Clan’s love for devouring World Force from his experience with the Black Ink Royal Lord in Black Territory. If he had not stopped the Royal Lord in time, there was no saying how many Black Ink Disciples would have rushed to their deaths and been devoured by the Royal Lord to recover her strength.
“A Black Ink Disciple corrupted by the Black Ink Strength of a Black Ink Clansman will become the servant of that Black Ink Clansman. What’s more, Black Ink Clan members have the ability to sense their servants.”
“Senior, do you mean to say…”
Meng Qi explained, “In other words, if I was a Black Ink Clansman and you were corrupted by my Black Ink Strength, you would become my servant and I would be your Master. As long as you were nearby, I would be able to sense your existence. It makes commanding troops more convenient.”
Yang Kai nodded slightly.
“But, I don’t know if the Black Ink Clansmen can sense the status of other people’s servants.” Meng Qi frowned slightly, “In any case, you should be careful if you meet any of the Black Ink Clan members.”
Whether or not one was a Black Ink Disciple could not be determined just from outer appearances alone. That was also true for the Black Ink Clansmen. Since they could not distinguish friend or foe from outer appearances, then both parties would naturally come up with other methods.
For the Cave Heavens and Paradises, checking the Small Universe was the most effective and secure method.
“Among the Black Ink Clan, it is not uncommon for them to snatch each other’s servants. Open Heaven Realm Masters have a Small Universe in their bodies, and their World Force is extremely attractive to the Black Ink Clansmen. Therefore, it is common for them to fight for Black Ink Disciples. Besides, there will always be people corrupted by the Black Ink after every battle. If these people are lucky enough to survive, then they will automatically head towards the place where the Black Ink Clan members gather to search for the Masters who corrupted them. If you successfully leave the Sealed World, you should pretend to be a servant without a Master.”
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at those words, “Senior, are you saying I should claim that my Master is either dead or missing?”
Meng Qi nodded, “That’s the only way for you to protect yourself. There are dangers lurking everywhere outside the Sealed World. If your identity is exposed, then you will not be able to escape death.”
Other Open Heaven Realm Masters would become corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and retain their lives as a result; however, Yang Kai could not be turned. If he was discovered by the Black Ink Clan, and his identity exposed, they would surely eliminate him without mercy.
“Understood!” Yang Kai nodded.
“You can have the Universe Chart. It will be useful for you. You can have this too.” While speaking, Meng Qi took off the Space Ring on his finger and handed it over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai silently took the Space Ring. Meng Qi had rambled on and on, giving him so much advice, so how could he not understand what Meng Qi meant?
Yang Kai pursed his lips and said, “Senior, it doesn’t have to end this way.”
Meng Qi smiled, “Who would be willing to die if there was a chance to live? But, if I don’t die, it will only be a matter of time before I am corrupted by the Black Ink Clan again. The secret will be exposed if that happens! This Old Master has spent the past 3,000 years in a blur, so I am very glad that I have the clarity to make my own choice before I die. There is nothing to regret.”
Yang Kai sighed in his heart. Although he knew that the other party was speaking the truth, he couldn’t help feeling bad. This place was located deep within the hinterlands of the Black Ink Battlefield, and Meng Qi had no means to completely defend against the corruption of the Black Ink Strength. Under these circumstances, dying here was the only method to keep the existence of the Void Corridor a secret.
“It’s all my fault, Senior.” Yang Kai looked sad.
If he had not told Meng Qi about the Void Corridor, then Meng Qi would not have needed to make such a drastic choice. Meng Qi could have escaped this place with him instead. Even if Meng Qi only killed a single Black Ink Clansman in the future, it would have been a worthy trade.
Upon hearing those words, Meng Qi waved his hand dismissively, “You don’t need to blame yourself. For me, I would rather die in this manner than to become a servant of the Black Ink Clan again. Being enslaved is worse than death. In the future, no matter which Black Ink Disciple you meet, you don’t need to show them mercy. If you can kill them, then you should without hesitation. You will be liberating them from their suffering. We have long prepared ourselves for death the moment we stepped onto the Black Ink Battlefield.”
Yang Kai remained silent…
Meng Qi continued, “If… I’m just saying; if you can safely arrive at the great passes guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, you must keep the Void Corridor a secret from all others. The only one you can inform is the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor defending this area, no one else can be entrusted with this information!”
This was clearly a preventive measure in case anybody who was privy to this information became corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. Masters like the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors were essentially immune to the Black Ink Strength. Throughout the countless years of battle since ancient times, there had been several incidents where Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters became corrupted by the Black Ink Clan; however, there was no precedent of a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor becoming corrupted.
“This Junior will not forget!” Yang Kai nodded seriously.
Meng Qi glanced at Yang Kai and sighed again. Yang Kai had the World Spring, so there was no need to worry about becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength; moreover, his strength was far superior compared to the average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Be that as it may, Meng Qi did not believe that Yang Kai could leave the Black Ink Clan’s territory and safely return to the great passes guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. There were all kinds of dangers lurking along the way after all. The slightest careless mistake was enough to result in death.
Yang Kai asked, “Senior, do you have any message you wish delivered to Exquisite Paradise?”
Meng Qi’s gaze went blank, but after pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, “No. There’s nothing to tell them. I was dead the moment I became corrupted by the Black Ink Strength.”
Raising his head, he looked at Yang Kai once more, “It’s getting late. You should leave. Sealed Worlds also contain World Force, so they are very attractive to the Black Ink Clan. It’s just that there are treasures that will benefit Black Ink Disciples inside, so the Black Ink Disciples are allowed to enter for exploration first. In short order, the Black Ink Clan will enter this place to devour the World Force here. At that time, this Sealed World will be destroyed.”
Yang Kai frowned upon hearing those words, “Is the Black Ink Clan waiting outside the Sealed World?”
Meng Qi nodded, “These are several Feudal Lords outside! That is why you will be facing a crisis as soon as you exit this Sealed World. Unfortunately, you can only rely upon yourself to resolve this crisis. The Black Ink Clan will be very interested in a servant without a Master like you, but if you can demonstrate that you have great value, you might be able to retain your life; otherwise, you will only become food.”
Yang Kai immediately felt a headache coming. As soon as he exited this Sealed World, he would be met with several Black Ink Feudal Lords. That was no laughing matter.
After explaining the exit route to Yang Kai once more, Meng Qi shooed Yang Kai away, “Go! This matter cannot be delayed!”
Yang Kai opened his mouth, but in the end, he swallowed all the words he wanted to say. He did not try to persuade Meng Qi again. Standing up, he bowed deeply, “Take care, Senior!”
Meng Qi nodded and closed his eyes silently.
Yang Kai turned and left. Walking out of the karst cave in the belly of the mountain, he determined his bearings for a moment before he flew in the direction Meng Qi had pointed out to him earlier. He had not gone far when his figure came to an abrupt halt.
The disturbance caused by the collapse of a Small Universe spread out from behind him. The World Force dispersed into the surroundings and disappeared in a fleeting moment. Yang Kai could tell that Meng Qi had committed suicide; after all, in order to keep the secret of the Void Corridor, Meng Qi’s only choice was to die.
This Sealed World was not small, and Yang Kai was not very familiar with the area even though Meng Qi had pointed him towards the exit; therefore, it took him two full days to arrive at the entrance of the Sealed World after wandering around in circles.
Along the way, Yang Kai encountered many Black Ink Disciples. What surprised him was that the cultivation of these Black Ink Disciples was very uneven. There were Masters like Meng Qi, who were in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, there were even cultivators as weak as the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
This discovery puzzled Yang Kai greatly. Logically speaking, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were aware of the power of the Black Ink Clan. For that reason, the Open Heaven Realm Masters dispatched to the Black Ink Battlefield over the years could not be weak. It was obvious that Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were not qualified enough to step onto this battlefield, so the Sixth-Order should be the lowest limit!
After giving it some thought though, Yang Kai realised that the Black Ink Disciples in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm might have experienced a situation similar to Meng Qi’s. Meng Qi’s strength had fallen sharply because he sacrificed a part of his Small Universe in the past. Although he barely managed to maintain his cultivation of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could not display the proper strength of a Seventh-Order Master. If he had continued to sacrifice parts of his Small Universe though, then there was a high possibility that his Order would have regressed!
These Black Ink Disciples in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm might have been created in such a manner. They could have originally been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, or even the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but after repeatedly sacrificing parts of their Small Universe, their Order declined to its current state.
That was the only reasonable explanation for this situation.
Faced with these Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai did not stir up any trouble with them. Although he really wanted to use his Purifying Light to dispel the Black Ink Strength in their bodies and restore their original self, doing so would only cause more trouble right now.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Disciples had no intention of attacking each other either. The Black Ink Disciples might be under the command of different Black Ink Clansmen, but the only reason they entered this Sealed World was to search for treasures that would be useful to them. Without the orders of their Black Ink Clan masters, they rarely bothered to confront each other; after all, such actions were meaningless.
The reason why Meng Qi had tried to silence Yang Kai was mainly to prevent the latter from exposing the existence of the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to others. This treasure was extremely rare and precious. More importantly, the Spirit Fruit was very useful for repairing a damaged Small Universe.
What’s more, the Black Ink Clansmen themselves hoped that the Black Ink Disciples under their command would become as strong as possible. Only then could they gain more achievements in the war. Why else would they allow the Black Ink Disciples under their command enter the Sealed World for exploration before they made their move? They would have devoured the World Force as soon as they discovered the Sealed World if they didn’t have such calculations.
The entrance was a Void Crack that could not be considered small as it was as big as a house. Once Yang Kai stepped through this entrance, he would arrive at the Black Ink Battlefield.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was in no rush to leave after arriving at this place. He did not know what was waiting for him outside; however, according to Meng Qi, there were at least a few Black Ink Feudal Lords waiting outside. That was not good news for him.
For the next two days, Yang Kai watched as several Black Ink Disciples rushed out of the entrance and vanished from sight. Meanwhile, he lurked in hiding and waited patiently. He used Exile to hide himself in the Void so that both his figure and aura were completely concealed. With his current attainments in the Dao of Space, there was no risk of exposing his whereabouts as long as nobody was deliberately searching his hiding spot.
Another day passed when all of a sudden, ripples spread out from the entrance.
Yang Kai, who had been watching the entrance for movements all this while, immediately raised his brow and paid close attention. These ripples clearly indicated that somebody was passing through the entrance. Since nobody was exiting the Sealed World at this moment, then it could only be that someone was entering from the outside.
A few days ago, Yang Kai had formed a vague plan when he heard that the Feudal Lords were going to enter the Sealed World to devour its World Force.
It was obviously inappropriate for him to brazenly walk out of the Sealed World as the other Black Ink Disciples would surely head to the side of their respective Masters when they exited. If he went out and revealed that he was alone, he would surely be targeted by the Black Ink Clan immediately. Things would inevitably become very troublesome if that were to happen.
In that case, he simply needed to wait until the Black Ink Clan entered the Sealed World. He would not stand out if he left this place after the Black Ink Clan entered.
The ripples continued to spread outward, and a short while later, a tall and strong figure stepped out from the Void Crack.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly and watched.
In truth, this was only his second time seeing a Black Ink Clansman in person. This individual was different compared to the Black Ink Royal Lord he met in Black Territory last time. Judging by the external appearance of this Black Ink Clansman who barged into the Sealed World from the outside, he did not look very different from a Human. There were no traces of any Monster Beast features, but his physique was several times larger than what would be considered normal. With his size, he could be considered a small giant.
Yang Kai estimated that he would only reach the knees of this Black Ink Clansman if he were to stand in front of the other party. What stood out the most was that this Black Ink Clansman’s skin was completely pitch-black. His entire body also seemed to be enveloped in a dense layer of Black Ink Strength. Only his eyes shone brightly like two great suns. They were a huge deterrent to others.
This was a Black Ink Feudal Lord comparable to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength!
After the Black Ink Clansman resembling a small giant entered, he looked around for a bit and was quickly attracted by the rich World Force in this land. Taking a deep breath, he revealed a look of intoxication.
The ripples continued to spread outward behind him. It didn’t take long before another small giant figure stepped out of the Void Crack, followed closely by another figure… A total of six Feudal Lords entered the Sealed World at the same time. From their outer appearance, four seemed to be male while the other two were female.
Yang Kai did not dare to continue watching, lest he revealed his whereabouts. Exile might be an excellent concealment technique, but he could not afford to be careless.
After the six Feudal Lords arrived in this place, one of them spoke in a thunderous voice, “Let’s split up and act independently. We will be able to eat our fill this time.”
The sound of something slicing through the air rang out in the next moment, and the six figures sped off in different directions. It was evident that they were preparing to devour the World Force of this Sealed World.
Yang Kai waited in place for a short while. After confirming that no other Black Ink Clansmen were going to enter, his body flickered and he rushed towards the entrance. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he plunged directly into the Void Crack.
In the next moment, the world spun around him and he appeared in an unfamiliar void. Before he could react though, his entire body went stiff. That was because numerous Divine Senses had locked onto him from all directions, making him feel as though he had thorns stabbing him in the back. The power of his Small Universe automatically surged around him in response.
Looking around, his expression became solemn. There were countless figures standing nearby. Divided into six different camps, they surrounded the entrance so tightly that not a drop of water could pass.
There were many people among these six groups of people. Some had seven or eight members while others had only two or three. Moreover, many of them were familiar faces. These were the Black Ink Disciples Yang Kai leave through the Void Crack over the past few days.
It was clear that they had been in no hurry to leave after exiting the Sealed World. On the contrary, they had waited for their Masters to enter the Sealed World and were now keeping watch outside while their Masters were inside.
These six groups of people corresponded with the six Feudal Lords from before; thus, Yang Kai immediately panicked as he did not belong to any one of them!
Fortunately, these Black Ink Disciples showed no intention of doing anything. Yang Kai only hesitated for a moment before he grit his teeth and dodged out of the encirclement from below, immediately shifting his body to escape into the distance.
There was no other choice. After waiting for so many days, the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords finally entered the Sealed World. If Yang Kai did not leave now, his situation would only become more dangerous. As for whether the Black Ink Disciples would suspect anything after his sudden departure, he could not afford to care. Even if he was being suspected, he could only flee.
Yang Kai could clearly sense the numerous gazes staring into his back like leeches hanging onto him during his escape. Fortunately for him, the Black Ink Disciples had no intention of taking action. It was not until he disappeared from their field of vision that they finally retracted their gazes.
The void was vast, mysterious, and silent. Based on appearances alone, the Black Ink Battlefield was not that different from the 3,000 Worlds; however, Yang Kai could sense that dangers lurked around every corner here.
Numerous Continents and Spirit Provinces were scattered across the void. They contained faint traces of activity, so he did not dare to approach those places and avoided them from a distance. From what he could see from a distance, those lands overflowed with Black Ink Strength regardless of whether they were big or small.
Yang Kai’s current position was located deep within the domain controlled by the Black Ink Clan. If he wanted to head towards the nearest great pass under the control of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, then he predicted that he would need to travel for at least ten to twenty days non-stop. Moreover, there was no guarantee that his journey would be smooth-sailing. Nobody could say for certain what kind of dangers he might face along the way.
Meng Qi had assumed that it would be impossible for Yang Kai to safely arrive at the nearest great pass, and there were two reasons for this. One of the reasons was Yang Kai’s low cultivation. The other reason was that he had a much better understanding of the situation compared to Yang Kai. Even when he was in his prime, under the same conditions as Yang Kai, it would have been impossible for Meng Qi to escape from the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory. Be that as it may, he had not discouraged Yang Kai in the slightest. A person should not give up hope after all.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s gaze was attracted towards a strange scene in the distance. There was a huge Spirit Province stretched out across the void ahead, in addition to an extremely bizarre existence on top of the Spirit Province.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the strange object resembled an enormous flower bud. It was just that the entire entity was pitch-black and gave off an extremely sinister feeling. What’s more, the flower bud seemed to be alive. With every miniscule rise and fall of the petals, concentrated Black Ink Strength would gush out from within the bud and spread out in all directions.
It might be due to the existence of this strange flower bud, but Black Ink Strength permeated the void surrounding the Spirit Province for tens of thousands of kilometres.
[What is that?] Yang Kai was slightly surprised. Meng Qi had not told him about anything like this. In any case, he did not dare to carelessly approach and investigate the situation. It was a pity that he could not figure out anything after observing from afar and could only continue his escape.
Although he did not encounter any danger during his journey, the void was not a safe place. Yang Kai would occasionally come across large patches of Black Ink Strength residue that resembled Black Ink Clouds during his journey.
He finally understood why Meng Qi had not escaped with him. Meng Qi was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but his Small Universe was incomplete. An incomplete Small Universe meant that there were flaws to be exploited. Even if he could safely come out from the Sealed World, it would be very easy for him to become corrupted by the Black Ink Strength again in this environment. The consequences would be dire if something like that were to happen. At the very least, Yang Kai would be forced to fight him.
The hinterland of the Black Ink Clan was not a place where ordinary cultivators could remain for long. Without a treasure like one of the Four Universe Pillars, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was at risk of being corrupted by the ambient Black Ink Strength at any moment. On the other hand, both the Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples took to this environment like ducks to water.
Yang Kai travelled in hiding, so his progress was very slow, but that could not be helped. According to Meng Qi, his current status was that of a servant without a master. People like him were easily targeted by the Black Ink Clan. They either wanted to recruit him as their servant or regarded him as food. There was no other option.
For that reason, Yang Kai did not dare to meet any Black Ink Clansmen and constantly monitored his surroundings with his Divine Sense. The slightest rustling of grass or the gentlest breeze was enough to put him on guard. Unfortunately, despite his caution, it was impossible to control everything around him.
One day, Yang Kai was travelling forward when a large and luxurious ship came towards him from afar.
The Black Ink Clan also had flight type artifacts of their own. They themselves might not be proficient in Artifact Refining, but there were many talented people among the Black Ink Disciples. It was not unreasonable for a small number of people to be capable of refining some flight type artifacts.
Over the past few days, Yang Kai had seen many of the Black Ink Clan’s flight type artifacts. They came in all shapes and sizes, with the one in front of him right now being pretty normal in comparison. Some of the flight type artifacts came in extremely odd shapes after all.
However, there was no exception to one thing, the Black Ink Clan’s flight type artifacts were always very large. Yang Kai could understand the reasoning behind this particular aspect. Inside the Sealed World, he had discovered that the six Black Ink Feudal Lords were each the size of small giants. They were several times larger than normal Humans, so it was only natural that their flight type artifacts were larger too.
More importantly, most of these enormous flight type artifacts had at least one Black Ink Clan Master onboard.
Seeing this situation right now, how could Yang Kai dare to sit around twiddling his thumbs? He looked around him for a moment before manipulating Space Principles. His figure instantly vanished from the spot.
Be that as it may, he did not dare to use Instantaneous Movement over a large distance since he was not familiar with the terrain in this region. It would be self-defeating if he accidentally barged into a place where he should not enter; therefore, the destination was a Black Ink Cloud in his field of vision.
There were many such Black Ink Clouds in the void, so it was very easy for him to hide in them. Moreover, Yang Kai had always avoided the Black Ink Clan’s flight type artifacts in the same manner whenever he encountered any of them in the past. The passing Black Ink Clansmen generally could not be bothered to poke around seriously; after all, there was not much that could pose a danger to them in this place and Black Ink Clouds could be found anywhere.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai seemed to have used up all his luck. He had only just transported himself into the Black Ink Cloud when he noticed that something was wrong. It turned out that there were several auras hidden within the Black Ink Cloud. Seeming to notice his sudden intrusion, they immediately surrounded him from all directions. The sudden turn of events startled Yang Kai, but he was surrounded by those people before he could use Space Principles again. At the same time, numerous Divine Senses also locked onto his body.
[Two Sixth-Order and two Fifth-Order Masters!] Yang Kai raised his brow in surprise, deducing his opponents’ cultivation from the energy fluctuations coming from around him. Not only were they Open Heaven Realm Masters, but they also appeared in this place. There was no doubt that they were Black Ink Disciples.
It would have been bad enough if those people consisted only of Black Ink Disciples, but the key point was that Black Ink Disciples would never stray far from their master’s side under normal circumstances. In other words, the master of these four Black Ink Disciples was definitely within this very Black Ink Cloud as well.
Sure enough, when these four people surrounded Yang Kai, an enormous figure stepped out from the depths of the Black Ink Cloud and slowly came to stand in front of him. This person looked down at Yang Kai from above with a look of curiosity mixed with faint surprise in his eyes.
Yang Kai immediately felt a bitter taste filling his entire mouth. He was tempted to attack and ruthlessly eliminate the Black Ink Disciples and the Black Ink Clansman in front of him; however, he was worried about the ship that was passing by nearby!
Two Sixth-Order and two Fifth-Order Black Ink Disciples were nothing in his eyes, and the Black Ink Clansman did not seem to be particularly powerful either. At the very least, he did not give Yang Kai any sense of oppression. It was incomparable to the Feudal Lords that he had encountered before at least.
Unfortunately, there was bound to be a Feudal Lord aboard the ship he had just seen. If Yang Kai stirred up chaos here, the other side would surely be alerted to the commotion and approach to investigate. There would be endless troubles in the future if Yang Kai could not cut weeds and pull out roots related to this matter.
In any case, it was impossible to run at this point. A Black Ink Disciple who was brave enough to escape after coming into contact with a Black Ink Clansman; that in itself was an issue worth investigating. Among all the Black Ink Disciples Yang Kai had encountered before, every one of them prioritised the Black Ink Clan above all else. If he made a move here, then his actions would inevitably lead to an endless pursuit.
Yang Kai suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and forced a trace of trepidation onto his face. Under the gaze of the Black Ink Clansman, he seemed to take a few steps back in fear.
The Black Ink Clansman studied Yang Kai with interest and asked, “Where did he come from?”
A sturdy Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master beside the Black Ink Clansman answered, “I don’t know. He suddenly intruded into this place.” Turning to look at Yang Kai, he interrogated Yang Kai on behalf of the Black Ink Clansman, “Where are you from? Who is your master?”
Yang Kai’s thoughts swirled around in his head, but he responded without hesitation, “I came from the battlefield. I don’t have a master.”
Since the Black Ink Clan had been fighting with the Cave Heavens and Paradises for so long, the front lines of the battlefield must be extremely fierce. Although Yang Kai had never experienced such a battle before, he could guess that many people were corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and become Black Ink Disciples during each clash. These Black Ink Disciples were generally all alone with no support, and it was naturally impossible for them to return to the great pass guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so their only option was to escape into the hinterland of the Black Ink Clan in search of protection.
That was the explanation that Yang Kai came up with along his journey. He had prepared this explanation just in case something went wrong, but he never expected his preparations would actually come in handy. It was just that he did not know if there was anything suspicious about his statement.
Fortunately, neither the Black Ink Clansman who resembled a small giant, nor the Black Ink Disciples showed any doubts after listening to his explanation. The Black Ink Clansman even showed a look of great joy and spoke in a voice that rumbled thunderously, “What good luck. I can’t believe I came across such a huge blessing.” While speaking, his large hand loomed from above and stretched out towards Yang Kai’s head, “Since you don’t have a master, then I will be your master from now on!”
Yang Kai forced himself to remain still and did not dodge aside because he did not sense any murderous intent coming from the Black Ink Clansman.
What’s more, this Black Ink Clansman only had two Sixth-Order and two Fifth-Order Black Ink Disciples under his command. It could be inferred that he probably did not enjoy a particularly high identity or status, so a Sixth-Order Master like Yang Kai would be attractive to him.
A gigantic hand covered the top of Yang Kai’s head, then thick Black Ink Strength gushed out to envelope Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not move a single muscle. The Black Ink Strength that invaded his Small Universe was suppressed and sealed by the World Spring. At the same time, he covertly allowed the Black Ink Strength to cover his eyes at just the right time, and his body trembled slightly.
A short while later, the Black Ink Clansman withdrew his hand. Sweeping his gaze over Yang Kai, he nodded lightly to himself as though he was very satisfied with the results.
“From now on, your name will be…” Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly seemed confused. He scratched his face and asked one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciples, “What is he called?”
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple answered respectfully, “E-5!”
“Ah! That’s right! E-5!” The Black Ink Clansman sneered disdainfully and seemed a little impatient, “You Humans are so troublesome.”
Yang Kai did not know why he suddenly received a new name, but he could only accept it passively.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple seemed to notice Yang Kai’s doubts. Pointing at himself, he explained, “I am called A-1!” Then, he pointed to the others and introduced them, “B-2, C-3, D-4!”
Yang Kai immediately felt speechless when he realized how they were named. It was most likely that the Black Ink Clansman could not be bothered to remember his servants’ names, so he came up with such a simple method of identifying them. It might even have been suggested by the Black Ink Disciples themselves.
A-1 and B-2 were both in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm while C-3 and D-4 were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. B-2 was a middle-aged man with a clean and beardless face; C-3 was a woman with a bloated body; and D-4 was a short old man.
Yang Kai could not tell which Cave Heavens or Paradises these people came from, but regardless of their origins, they probably used to be elites in their respective Sects who came to the Black Ink Battlefield with the determination to fight and die if need be. However, they had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and currently served under the Black Ink Clan as slaves.
That was a very sad, but inevitable ending. Such occurrences were nothing new on the Black Ink Battlefield. It was also the reason why Liu Mu once stated that those who crossed the No-Return Pass only had two futures waiting for them, die at the hands of the Black Ink Clan, or die at the hands of their comrades. There were no other options besides these two.
The Black Ink Clansman examined Yang Kai, who had been named E-5, “What Order are you in?”
Yang Kai activated the power of his Small Universe. Pretending to be respectful, he answered politely, “The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
The Black Ink Clansman raised his thick eyebrow and broke out in a savage grin, “Very good!”
It was clear he was very satisfied with Yang Kai’s strength.
“Let’s go.” After that, he gestured with his large hand and took the lead to step out of the Black Ink Cloud.
A-1 and the others quickly followed behind. Yang Kai did not dare to hesitate and hurried to keep up with them. Nevertheless, he was feeling extremely frustrated inside. With the current situation, it was temporarily impossible for him to head towards the great passes guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. He could only take one step at a time.
The Black Ink Disciples all had different personalities. A-1, B-2, and C-3 seemed rather reserved and quiet, but the short old man named D-4 was very talkative. Quietly dropping behind the others, he travelled side-by-side with Yang Kai and asked, “Little Brother, which Cave Heaven or Paradise did you come from?”
Yang Kai turned sideways to look at the short old man, then he glanced forward at the Black Ink Clansman in front.
D-4 smiled and said, “There’s no need to be afraid. Our master is very easy-going. The Black Ink Clan is similar to us in that they all have their own distinct temperaments. You’ll be fine as long as you diligently finish whatever task Master commands you to do. He will not restrict you during other times.”
He seemed to think that Yang Kai was scared of the Black Ink Clansman, which was why he explained the circumstances; after all, it was only natural for a person who had just gotten a new master to experience a period of adaptation.
Thinking back to the time when he first became a Black Ink Disciple, he too had been very cautious. He felt like he was constantly walking on thin ice, scared that he might be punished for making a mistake. It was just that he had relaxed considerably after working for his current master for so long.
“Senior, which Sect did you hail from?” Yang Kai countered the question with a question of his own instead.
He had to tell himself over and over again that the Black Ink Disciples often seemed no different from usual on the surface even though they had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. It could be seen just by looking at the behaviour of D-4. Before being corrupted by the Black Ink, this old man had probably also been very talkative.
The reason Yang Kai did not answer was that he feared he might name the same Cave Heaven or Paradise as the other party and accidentally make a mistake.
D-4 smiled and said, “There’s no need to bother with formalities, just call me by my name. This Old Master comes from Nine Stars Paradise.”
Yang Kai was familiar with the Nine Stars Paradise; after all, he had interacted with the foreign affairs envoy of Nine Stars Paradise in the Star Boundary.
The truth was that he really wanted to ask which Cave Heaven or Paradise the others came from, but it was difficult for him to ask any questions if D-4 did not take the initiative to mention the subject; thus, he could only steel himself and report, “I came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, Yang Kai saw that none of the others had much of a reaction. He was relieved by their response as it would seem that none of them came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
D-4 showed a look of realization, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, that’s a good place.”
Yang Kai was reluctant to speak further regarding this subject as saying too much could result in a mistake, so he swiftly changed the subject, “Where are we going?”
“The Fierce Wind Estate!” D-4 replied, “Our master can be considered part of the Fierce Wind Estate, so we have to go there.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed slightly before asking in a low voice, “Is Master a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman?”
The ‘Fierce Wind Estate’ that D-4 mentioned was most likely the territory of a Black Ink Feudal Lord. In that case, a Black Ink Clansman who not only served under a Feudal Lord but was also quite strong could only be a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
Yang Kai originally guessed that this Black Ink Clansman was equivalent to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength, and it would seem he was correct.
D-4 also nodded in affirmation, “Master is indeed a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman!”
Along the way, Yang Kai casually chatted with D-4 and discovered that the situation was just as D-4 described. The Black Ink Clansman was relatively easy to get along with. Even though he noticed his servants chattering away behind him, he showed no intention to stop them.
Although Yang Kai’s murderous intent surged countless times, he did not dare to act rashly. This place was the hinterland of the Black Ink Clan, and if he was not careful, he would easily expose his identity. What’s more, he would occasionally come across other Black Ink Clansmen every once in a while. There were not many chances for him to take action, so he could only grit his teeth and endure.
A few days later, a patch of land covered in Black Ink Clouds appeared in their field of vision. It was an incredibly enormous Spirit Province with dense Black Ink Clouds that permeated the void for hundreds of thousands of kilometres.
Yang Kai once saw an object in the void that was similar to a huge flower bud from a distance. There was one on this Spirit Province too, and it stood tall in the middle of the Spirit Province. When the flower bud relaxed and opened, dense Black Ink Strength gushed out from within.
D-4, who had been travelling side-by-side with Yang Kai all this while, quietly poked Yang Kai in the arm, “This is Fierce Wind Estate, and the Feudal Lord in charge is named Kuang Feng.”
A look of realization appeared on Yang Kai’s face. A Feudal Lord was a Black Ink Clansman equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in strength.
“What is that?” Unable to suppress the questions in his heart, Yang Kai asked a question while staring at the black flower bud.
D-4 glanced at Yang Kai curiously, “Don’t you know about the Black Ink Nests?”
Yang Kai had already prepared his excuse in advance, “It has not been long since I came to the Black Ink Battlefield, so I don’t know much.”
D-4 understood and explained, “Black Ink Nests are the foundation of the Black Ink Clan. It is also the place where Black Ink Clansmen come from; therefore, all Black Ink Nests are extremely important to the Black Ink Clan.”
Yang Kai’s expression froze, [That’s the place where the Black Ink Clan come from?]
He had caught a glimpse of many Black Ink Nests throughout his journey. If a Black Ink Nest could give birth to Black Ink Clansmen, then how could the Black Ink Clan be annihilated completely?
He couldn’t help asking in puzzlement, “The Black Ink Clan are born from this?”
D-4 nodded, “The Black Ink Clan do not have any reproductive ability whatsoever; all of them are born from the Black Ink Nests. Moreover, the Black Ink Nests have the ability to devour everything in existence. No matter the object, it can be transformed into nutrients for the Black Ink Nests as long as they contain energy. Once there are enough nutrients, a Black Ink Clansman will be born and Black Ink Strength will be released. The Black Ink Strength is the foundation for increasing the cultivation of the Black Ink Clansmen. Of course, they also love to devour World Force as doing so will improve their cultivation greatly.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding and stared deeply in the direction of the Black Ink Nest.
During their conversation, they arrived above the Fierce Wind Estate. This place was overflowing with Black Ink Strength, and the entire world seemed to be shrouded in shadows.
There were large buildings scattered throughout the Fierce Wind Estate. These buildings were built in a crude and rough style, which clearly showcased the nature of the Black Ink Clan. That was not difficult to understand though as many Black Ink Clansmen had a large stature, so it was not surprising that their buildings were also big.
Along the wide and spacious streets, large Black Ink Clansmen came and went. There were many of them. While most of them travelled alone, some of them were accompanied by their servants. Be that as it may, their numbers were not high. Some only had one while others had two or three servants with them.
It was very rare to see a Black Ink Clansman with five servants like Yang Kai’s situation. For that reason, the Black Ink Clansman walking in front attracted lots of attention everywhere he went. Moreover, many of those gazes were filled with envy.
This situation caused the leading Black Ink Clansman to become increasingly proud. He walked with an air of arrogance, as though nobody in the world was superior to him.
Yang Kai looked around and his expression showed some uncertainty. That was because he discovered that there were buildings similar to shops lining both sides of the street. In addition, there was a wide assortment of items being sold, many of which were actually resources needed for the cultivation of Human cultivators.
“The Black Ink Clan does business?” After holding back for a long time, Yang Kai finally couldn’t take it and secretly asked D-4 about this matter.
D-4 smiled and said, “These items are naturally useless to the Black Ink Clan, but they are useful to us. We may serve as Master’s servants and our lives may lie in his hands, but it will also benefit Master if our strength improves. We can help him gain more servants on the battlefield, help him devour more World Force, and ensure his safety; therefore, we will also benefit if we serve a good master as they will help us improve our strength.”
That was the same reason why Black Ink Disciples like Meng Qi were allowed to enter the Sealed World before the Black Ink Clan.
Meng Qi also mentioned that the Black Ink Clan wanted the Black Ink Disciples under their command to be as strong as possible. In any case, it was impossible for the Black Ink Disciples to betray their masters once they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so their loyalty would never be an issue.
That was why the Black Ink Disciples were allowed to enter the Sealed World first so that they could search for treasures and improve their strength. Only after that would the Black Ink Feudal Lords enter the Sealed World to devour the World Force.
However, Yang Kai focused on something else instead. Something D-4 said had given him the hope of escaping from the Black Ink Clan!
All Black Ink Clansmen were bound to return to the battlefield sooner or later, so as long as he waited patiently, he would eventually find a chance to escape or kill them when he followed them out to war. Then, he could meet up with the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises and head for the nearest great pass.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, all the worries that had been plaguing him immediately disappeared. Yang Kai knew that what he needed to do now was to wait patiently until the opportunity to follow the Black Ink Clan onto the battlefield came!
Meanwhile, D-4 was still chattering away, “Also, Master currently lacks a flight type artifact. If he wants to obtain one, he has to buy the materials and hire somebody to refine the artifact for him. Nonetheless, their businesses are not only for Black Ink Disciples like us. The Black Ink Clan themselves also have business dealings among each other.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
During their conversation, the Black Ink Clansman led them into a shop. Inside the shop, another Black Ink Clansman greeted him. They seemed to be familiar with each other and chatted happily for a while.
Yang Kai looked around and found that the store had everything, including artifacts for cultivators, pills, and even some high-quality cultivation resources. These items were common in the 3,000 Worlds.
What attracted his attention were numerous objects the size of a head that resembled crystal balls. There were not many of these objects, only a dozen or so in total. Moreover, they were placed in the most conspicuous locations.
Before Yang Kai and the others arrived, there were already several Black Ink Clansmen gathered around the crystal balls. They were scrutinising these balls with greedy expressions, as though they were very useful to them.
Yang Kai glanced at the crystal balls, but could not figure out anything from them. All he could see was that something was flowing within them. Secretly releasing his Divine Sense, he investigated the crystal balls and immediately frowned in response. Although he did not dare to be presumptuous, in that moment of investigation, he seemed to have noticed an extremely intense World Force inside the crystal ball!
“Be careful!” D-4 noticed his actions and quickly warned him.
In a place where the Black Ink Clan was gathered, there was a high possibility of provoking an ill-tempered Black Ink Clansman by suddenly releasing his Divine Sense to probe the surroundings. If that were to happen, their Black Ink Clan Master would not defend them.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had acted very carefully just now. His Divine Sense had retracted after a brief touch. Although the Black Ink Clansmen around the crystal balls detected what he did, they couldn’t be bothered to care.
“What are those?” Yang Kai asked softly.
D-4’s expression became rather complicated as he lowered his voice and answered, “World Spheres. They contain large amounts of World Force in them.”
“World Force?” Yang Kai raised his brow with a look of astonishment.
It was his first time hearing that World Force could be sealed into a container. Judging from the appearance of the so-called World Spheres, they were clearly refined artifacts.
“Many Open Heaven Realm Masters die in each battle. After these Open Heaven Realm Masters die, their World Forces will disperse. Under normal circumstances, the Black Ink Clansmen can devour and refine the World Force on the spot; however, the situation on the battlefield is ever-changing. If they greedily try to devour the World Force then and there, they will most likely encounter various dangers. Besides, the Black Ink Clan is not allowed to devour and refine World Force at will during a battle. There is a group of people on the battlefield who are specially tasked with collecting and sealing World Force inside World Spheres. These World Spheres are considered treasures to the Black Ink Clan.”
Yang Kai’s heart was heavy when he heard those words, but his expression remained unchanged on the surface.
These World Spheres had never been seen in the 3,000 Worlds because they were useless to cultivators. On the other hand, the World Force sealed within these items was very useful to the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai believed that these items were artifacts specially developed by Black Ink Disciples who were proficient in Artifact Refining; after all, the war between the Black Ink Clan and the Humans on the Black Ink Battlefield had been ongoing for countless years. It was highly probable that some bizarre objects had been produced as a result.
During their conversation, they saw a Black Ink Clansman completing a negotiation with the seller. Then, he took out a large handful of pitch-black round objects that resembled copper coins. After handing these coins over, he casually reached out to grab a World Sphere and strode out of the shop.
Yang Kai was astonished, “Does the Black Ink Clan have their own currency?”
D-4 nodded, “Black Ink Coins. They have no value and cannot be used to cultivate, but they are used by the Black Ink Clan for trading. Every Black Ink Coin is produced by a Royal Lord, so they have the mark of that Royal Lord and cannot be replicated.”
Yang Kai exclaimed in wonder, “If they are worthless and cannot be used to cultivate, then what is the significance of the Black Ink Coins?”
Open Heaven Pills were the primary currency in the 3,000 Worlds and any kind of resources could be valued in terms of them. That was because Open Heaven Pills were Spirit Pills used by Open Heaven Realm Masters in their cultivation. Anything that was used in circulation should have its own intrinsic value.
D-4 laughed, “If they are in circulation, then there must be a reason. Let’s put it this way; if a Black Ink Clansman spends a certain amount of Black Ink Coins, then they can enter a Black Ink Nest to cultivate. You should know that Black Ink Nests are the place where those from the Black Ink Clan are born. Hence, entering the Black Ink Nest is like returning to their Mother’s womb. It is very beneficial for the improvement of their cultivation. Furthermore, if they want to advance, the advancement must be done inside a Black Ink Nest!”
Only then did Yang Kai understand. Black Ink Coins might not have any value on their own, but they could be used to purchase things the Black Ink Clan required. That made Black Ink Coins valuable. Just the fact that their advancement had to be done inside a Black Ink Nest was enough to make the entire Black Ink Clan gather these Black Ink Coins.
“Did Master come here to buy a World Sphere?” Yang Kai saw the Black Ink Clansman who brought them here lingering around the World Spheres and constantly haggling with the seller over the price. It was easy to guess the other party’s intentions.
D-4 shrugged nonchalantly, “He probably can’t afford one.”
Their Master was only a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman whose strength was equivalent to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if he had some Black Ink Coins, what he had was not enough to pay for a World Sphere.
As D-4 had been serving under this Black Ink Clansman for a long time, he was familiar with the other party’s finances.
Sure enough, despite his efforts, the Black Ink Clansman eventually shook his head in disappointment and led Yang Kai and the others out of the shop.
Yang Kai secretly laughed to himself, [Looks like my ‘Master’ is poor.]
After leading Yang Kai and the others out of the shop, the Black Ink Clansman walked in a certain direction without stopping.
D-4, who had always been a chatterbox, fell silent all of a sudden. In fact, Yang Kai had the feeling that D-4 was rather nervous about something. It was not just D-4 alone. A-1 and the others also showed the same reactions; therefore, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling curious. He did not understand what was making them so nervous.
It didn’t take long before the Black Ink Clansman led Yang Kai and the others to a gathering place bustling with people.
Even before approaching the area, Yang Kai detected the violent collision of World Forces coming from that direction. There seemed to be several Masters fighting each other. Moreover, the battle was extremely fierce. The explosions of their battle rang out incessantly, and blinding rays of light flashed out from time to time.
[Are fights allowed within this Fierce Wind Estate?] Yang Kai was absolutely bewildered. It had to be said that there were rules at any place where cultivators gathered in the 3,000 Worlds that basically prohibited personal fights. On the contrary, the Black Ink Clan did not seem to prevent such occurrences.
The place of battle was a large basin-like crater in the ground with a radius of several hundreds of metres. Even so, this space seemed relatively small for both parties participating in the fight. That was because the ones fighting in the crater were two Sixth-Order Masters.
In addition, there was a Barrier Array that formed a semi-circular light dome over the crater. The light barrier was extremely powerful so even though both parties participating in battle were attacking furiously, they could not deal any damage to it.
Many large Black Ink Clansmen stood around the crater. Not all the Black Ink Clansmen resembled Humans that were enlarged several times though. Many of them had peculiar and bizarre appearances. Some of them even looked completely like Monster Beasts. That was something Yang Kai had already noticed when he first arrived at the Fierce Wind Estate.
The giant humanoid appearance seemed to be considered mainstream among the Black Ink Clan, followed by some having Monster Beast appearances. There were numerous others, some intense and grotesque, some perfectly ordinary.
The Black Ink Clansmen standing around the crater were showing expressions of great interest, as though they were watching two ferocious beasts fighting each other. They even cheered loudly from time to time.
When Yang Kai and the others arrived, both parties participating in the fight had reached the stage where who lived and who died would be decided. They attacked each other mercilessly as Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques blasted out. The violent forces within the crater ran rampant, and fresh blood splattered across the ground.
Yang Kai looked down for a while and sighed inwardly. He did not know which Cave Heaven or Paradise these two Sixth-Order Masters fighting below were originally from. They might have held lofty positions once, or even knew each other in the past, maybe even fought side-by-side before. In the end though, they had fallen to this state. It was truly a sorrowful sight. Unfortunately, Yang Kai was powerless to stop this. There was nothing he could do to interfere in this spectacle. He could only watch silently.
“Nu Yan, are you here to benefit me again?” A snide voice suddenly rang out from the side.
Yang Kai turned to look in that direction and saw a tall Black Ink Clansman smiling in their direction. There were several Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding that Black Ink Clansman, probably his Black Ink Disciples.
The Black Ink Clansman who led Yang Kai and the others here coldly snorted at those words, “It’s uncertain who will benefit who. Lang Ya, don’t boast so shamelessly!”
It was only at this moment that Yang Kai realised his ‘Master’ was called ‘Nu Yan’. Although he had been travelling with his ‘Master’ for several days, the Black Ink Clansman had not taken the initiative to reveal his own name. Unfortunately, he was not in the position to ask and D-4 had not told him the name of their Master either.
It would seem that Nu Yan had a grudge against this Black Ink Clansman named Lang Ya; otherwise, they would not have gotten into a dispute as soon as they encountered each other.
“Whether or not my words are shameless boasting, you will know after you try,” Lang Ya remained smiling slightly.
Nu Yan nodded coldly and agreed, “Good.”
As soon as those words came out, Yang Kai distinctly noticed the expressions of D-4 and the others becoming more solemn and anxious. After combining everything he had seen so far, he vaguely formed a guess in his heart.
The winner was soon decided among the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting below. Their capabilities were not very different from each other, so they were basically equals in terms of strength. However, there seemed to be a distinct gap in their combat experiences. The one who had a deeper understanding of battle obtained the victory. Even though he paid a price, he succeeded in defeating his opponent.
When the Small Universe collapsed, World Force dispersed into the surroundings. A World Sphere was thrown into the crater at just the right moment. Following the flash of a blinding light, the scattered World Force was absorbed and sealed inside the World Sphere.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple who won was covered in blood and one of his arms had been chopped off at the shoulder, but he endured the pain and cast a Secret Technique to stop the bleeding. When the World Sphere finished absorbing all the dissipating World Force, the Black Ink Disciple reached out his hand to grab the World Sphere. Then, he came over to one of the Black Ink Clansmen standing outside the crater, knelt down on one knee, quickly reporting, “Master, fortunately I did not fail my mission!”
The Black Ink Clansman lowered his head to look at the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple and nodded lightly, “Very good.”
Reaching out his hand, he placed the World Sphere into his Space Ring and sent the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple to rest.
With that, the crater became unoccupied and Lang Ya turned to look at Nu Yan, “Shall we have a warm-up first?”
Nu Yan had no objections and nodded in agreement, “Good!”
Lang Ya asked again, “Just a bout or a deathmatch!?”
Nu Yan’s eyes overflowed with rage and hostility, “Of course, it will be a deathmatch!”
“Bold indeed!” Lang Ya immediately turned to look at the Black Ink Disciples beside him and reached out to point at one of them, “You go!”
The Black Ink Disciple who was picked out by Lang Ya was a fair-faced young man whose expression remained calm as he jumped down into the crater. Judging from the energy fluctuations coming from him, he was probably in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Nu Yan turned to look at A-1 and the others. His gaze flickered between C-3 and D-4 for a moment, then he pointed at D-4, “You go!”
Despite his uneasy expression, D-4 cupped his fist respectfully, “Yes!”
It was impossible for Black Ink Disciples to refuse the commands from their masters. The only thing they could do was show complete obedience.
Yang Kai finally understood why D-4 had been so nervous since earlier. D-4 had clearly known that Nu Yan would bring them to this kind of place and that he might have to participate in a life-or-death battle.
Although Black Ink Disciples were willing to offer up everything to their Masters, no one would be fearless in the face of death.
Both participating parties did not exchange any pleasantries with each other. It could even be said that the opponent cast a Secret Technique to attack as soon as D-4 flew into the crater. An impressive sword light slashed towards him from the front as World Force surged fiercely. In response, D-4 hastily took action to defend himself.
D-4 was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and so was his opponent. Although their cultivation was one Order lower than the previous battle, the intensity of their battle was not inferior in any way.
The opponent was obviously proficient in the Sword Dao. With the longsword in his hand, he covered the entire sky with a curtain of sword light.
On the other hand, the artifact in D-4’s hands was a pair of daggers. In the first place, he had always been small-sized but agile. His figure floundered under the fierce onslaught from his opponent, and his situation looked very precarious.