What’s more, the one presiding over this matter was a Black Ink Territory Lord! That was an existence on par with an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If they ran into a Master of that calibre, nobody could be his opponent.
Upon learning the seriousness of the issue, they did not dare to delay any longer. They quickly prepared for departure and hastily left the scene after the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered all the other cultivators into their Small Universes.
Their swift response allowed them to safely make their escape. Not to mention, the Black Ink Clan did not expect the Black Ink Disciples who originally belonged to them to leak their information to the enemy.
An hour later, the group of five hid inside another Black Ink Cloud and quietly focused their minds to conceal their auras. They did not dare to act rashly and instead laid low inside the Black Ink Cloud for the next half month.
From time to time, they would detect hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen passing by in the vicinity. It was obvious that the Black Ink Clan was searching for them. Fortunately, the Black Ink Clan only managed to infer that the enemy was a small team of Human cultivators causing havoc at the rear. They did not know who these people were or how many people were involved.
Every time Yang Kai and the others made a move, they would ruthlessly wipe out all the Black Ink Clansmen they encountered, so it was only natural that their information was not spread to the Black Ink Clan. In any case, the thought that the enemy was hiding inside a Black Ink Cloud would never occur to the Black Ink Clan. That was also why they failed to discover their targets despite searching very thoroughly and even passing by the spot where Yang Kai and the others were hiding a number of times.
On the flip side, the group of five were no longer free to take action as they pleased. It was fortunate that Yang Kai had created a safe area inside the Black Ink Cloud, so they could hide without worrying about being corroded by the Black Ink Strength.
Although they were safe for the time being, hiding like this was not a viable long-term strategy. The Black Ink Clan had failed to obtain results after searching for so long, so there was no saying whether they would begin to investigate the situation inside the Black Ink Clouds as a result. If they were to do so, then Yang Kai and the others would not be able to remain hidden for much longer. It would only be a matter of time before their whereabouts were exposed. At that time, they would fall into a situation where they could no longer take the initiative.
Inside the Black Ink Cloud, Feng Ying looked at the others with a solemn expression, “It’s time to take a risk.”
Ning Qi Zhi frowned, “Senior Sister Feng, what do you mean…”
She turned back to look at the front lines, “Aiming for stealth will only make our situation more and more difficult. I want to try and see if we can return to the great pass. What do you think?”
Everybody fell silent for some time. They were once Black Ink Disciples corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Having served the Black Ink Clan as servants for so long, it had been a long time since they returned to the great passes guarded by the Human Race. What they wanted more than anything in the world was to return. Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, they could not return just because they wanted to. There was bound to be a certain degree of risk involved.
Shen Ao said, “The Black Ink Clan has already been alerted to our presence, so choosing to remain here will not be beneficial to us. Although we don’t have many on our side, our numbers are not few. If we can find a suitable opportunity, we might be able to forge a path through the Black Ink Clan army. We still stand a chance to return.”
Qi Tai Chu nodded in agreement, “I agree. Back when I was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, this old man had already died once. Now that I have been given a second chance at life, it won’t be a loss if I can drag a few Black Ink Clansman down with me. In fact, it’s already a win if I can slaughter two Black Ink Clansmen. Therefore, this old man will go along with whatever you decide. I may not have the brightest mind, but I can contribute in terms of strength.”
Shen Ao added, “Let’s return then.”
Seeing as nobody else had any objections, Feng Ting nodded in satisfaction, “Then, let us return!” She turned to look at Yang Kai, “Please be careful. You must stick close to me.”
There were two reasons why she insisted on going back at this time. The first reason was that their current situation had gotten dangerous, and the second reason was that she wanted to send Yang Kai back. Yang Kai’s cultivation might not be high, but his very existence was extremely important to the Human Race as a whole. He could not risk himself by accompanying them here.
If not for these considerations, she might not have been so desperate. If possible, she even wanted Yang Kai to hide inside her Small Universe without revealing himself. In that way, he would not be in danger as long as she did not die; however, she could not do so because of his ability to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength. During a battle against the Black Ink Clan, his ability could be critical at any moment.
Once they finished their discussions, the group of five did not procrastinate. They immediately rushed out of the Black Ink Cloud and sped directly towards the front lines of the battlefield. Since they had already decided to return, then there was no need to hesitate or take detours.
The Black Ink Clan’s search had been ongoing all this time; moreover, they had increased their manpower since they failed to locate their targets after searching for so long.
As a result, the whereabouts of these five were exposed in just half a day! Even if they had expected this situation, they couldn’t help feeling flustered when they were found so quickly.
The ones who discovered their whereabouts was a small team consisting of no more than ten individuals. They immediately killed their enemies without mercy; however, more and more Black Ink Clansmen began to surround them from all directions.
The Black Ink Clan seemed to have divided their teams in order to perform an exhaustive grid search. By keeping in contact and exchanging news with each other, they could trigger a rapid response throughout the network if any issues cropped up somewhere.
Yang Kai’s group of five massacred their enemies along the way and slaughtered many Black Ink Clansmen as a result, but every attack exposed their own position
A few days later, an imposing and oppressive aura entered their perception from a great distance. When they looked up, they saw a rich darkness approaching them at a high speed from the direction where the aura originated.
“A Territory Lord!” Feng Ying, who was in the lead, shouted suddenly. Her expression instantaneously changed drastically.
What made her speechless was that the Black Ink Territory Lord gave her an extremely familiar feeling. If she remembered correctly, he was the one who tried to corrupt her with his Black Ink Strength previously.
At the time, he had poured his Black Ink Strength into her, and thinking that he had successfully corrupted her, he then rushed off to the battlefield after briefly instructing her to follow once she recovered her strength. How could he have known that one of the Human Masters had planted a Secret Technique inside Feng Ying’s Small Universe that allowed her to resist the Black Ink Strength corruption once?
In the end, Feng Ying killed Nu Yan as soon as she recovered. She initially thought that it would be difficult for them to meet again, but who knew that he would be the one overseeing the search for their whereabouts?
If the five of them had noticed the Territory Lord, then it was a given that the Territory Lord had also noticed them. It was just that they were too far apart, so nobody could do anything to the other yet.
A look of hesitation flashed across Feng Ying’s face. She was one of the strongest among the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and was only one step away from advancing to the Eighth-Order. On the other hand, Shen Ao and the other two had recently consumed Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. Their Small Universes had been repaired, so their strength was no longer compromised.
If the four of them joined hands to fight the Territory Lord, they might stand a chance against him. Even if they were not his opponents, they would not suffer a crushing defeat.
Nonetheless, this was not the time to pick a fight with a Black Ink Territory Lord. The Black Ink Clan army was closing in on them from all sides, and it would be difficult for them to escape if they were encircled. That was why Feng Ying shouted after a moment of hesitation, “Let’s go!”
She took the lead and sped in a certain direction. Yang Kai and the others quickly followed.
The Territory Lord chased after them like maggots on rotting bones. Moreover, his speed was strangely fast. Despite their best efforts, the distance between them continued to shrink.
At this rate, it would not take longer than a few days before the enemy caught up to them and a massive battle became unavoidable.
To make matters worse, the Black Ink Clan had regrouped and formed several hundred-man teams that blocked the way ahead. Although the five of them discovered this situation early, they had no other option but to change directions and take detours that delayed their escape.
After several days of repetition, a look of despair appeared on the faces of Feng Ying and the others. Leaving aside the Territory Lord who was gradually closing in on them, the encirclement by the Black Ink Clan’s teams had forced them into a corner where they could not take a step forward. They could only keep running around in a fixed region. Unfortunately, as the encirclement shrank steadily, there was less and less space for them to manoeuvre. If this situation were to continue, they would eventually become a turtle hiding in its shell.
During the chase, Feng Ying turned to look at Yang Kai, desperately trying to think of a solution. It did not matter if the rest of them died here, but the loss would be far too heavy if they failed to send Yang Kai back. The abilities he wielded were vital to the Human Race’s war effort.
Just as her thoughts were swirling around in her head, Yang Kai suddenly looked at her, “Senior, we should flee towards the rear!”
She glanced in the direction he was pointing and shook her head, “Although there is a gap in that direction, it is obviously part of the Black Ink Clan’s plan. We would be playing right into their hands if we did that. Even for us, that will be nothing more than a futile struggle prolonging our deaths.”
They came from the Black Ink Clan hinterland in the first place, so wouldn’t all their previous efforts be in vain if they were to go back there now?
Yang Kai insisted, “I have a way to get us out of this situation. Please trust me.”
“You have a way?” Feng Ying was astonished by his proposal.
Similarly, Shen Ao and the others looked at him in surprise. In this situation, it could be said that they were at the end of their rope. Their only option was to fight their way out. Even they were helpless, so how could he have a solution?
“What is your solution?” Ning Qi Zhi couldn’t help asking.
Yang Kai shook his head, “You will understand later. There’s no need to inquire further, Senior.”
Ning Qi Zhi smacked his lips and said nothing.
Feng Ying hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth, “Good!”
Taking the lead to turn around, she sped towards the rear. The others had no choice but to follow her and change their direction. At this point, they were truly heading towards a dead end. Not knowing Yang Kai’s plan, they couldn’t help feeling rather anxious.
The Black Ink Clan clearly did not expect the Human cultivators to make such a decision. Seeing that the other party was heading deeper into Black Ink Clan territory, they quickly gave chase.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord in the lead sneered coldly. From his point of view, these damned Human cultivators were simply prolonging their deaths. As long as he could catch up to them, he would show them just how powerful he was.
During the chase, the Territory Lord’s oppressive aura grew closer and closer while the expressions on the faces of Feng Ying and the others turned ugly.
Half a day later, Ning Qi Zi lost his patience, “Little Brother, if you have a plan, then you should act now. It will be too late if you don’t. If you don’t have a solution, then be honest with us. If we put our lives on the line, we might even be able to kill that Territory Lord.”
Killing a Territory Lord was far-fetched as his strength was not just for show after all. Even so, they could injure him to a certain extent.
After listening to those words, Yang Kai looked behind him. The Territory Lord was almost upon them, and if he closed the gap any further, he would be able to start attacking them.
Therefore, Yang Kai immediately nodded, “It’s about time.”
His figure stopped moving all of a sudden.
Feng Ying and the others quickly came to a stop. Caught off guard by his actions, they quickly turned to look back at him.
“Please come closer to me!” Yang Kai shouted.
Feng Ying and the others looked at each other, wondering what kind of bottle gourd medicine he was peddling, but they were influenced by his calm confidence and quickly gathered around him.
“No matter what happens, do not circulate your strength,” he added in warning.
They glanced at the Black Ink Territory Lord, who was fast approaching them and their faces twitched at the sight. The Territory Lord was almost upon them, so wouldn’t they be courting death if they didn’t even try to defend themselves?
“Little Brother, are you confident?” Ning Qi Zhi asked in a whisper, his fist clenched tightly, revealing the anxiety in his heart.
“Don’t worry, Senior. I will not joke around with my own life,” Yang Kai responded lightly while staring fixedly ahead. His statement was the truth as nobody would joke around with their life on the line. Even so, the fact that Yang Kai refused to tell them anything in advance made them very anxious.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord approached relentlessly. It was obvious that he had noticed the abnormality up ahead. The Human cultivators who suddenly halted in their tracks made him suspicious and wary, and he couldn’t help wondering whether there was a trap waiting for him; however, his powerful perception did not detect any traces of a trap.
Annoyance flared in his heart, [How dare they make a fool of me when they are on the verge of death!?]
His hand reached out to grab at something in front of him. His Black Ink Strength surged violently and gathered into a cloud that took the shape of a gigantic palm. Following that, a majestic aura loomed over Feng Ying and the others in an oppressive manner.
Feng Ying and the others couldn’t help feeling nervous. Moreover, they nearly activated their powers on instinct to defend against the attack. At that very moment though, a strange and mysterious energy fluctuation poured out from Yang Kai’s body to wrap around the others in an instant. In the next moment, the world spun dizzyingly!
This was a feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar to them. It felt familiar because they had experienced similar situations many times throughout their lives. On the other hand, it felt unfamiliar because they had not experienced this feeling since they arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield.
By the time they came back to their senses, they discovered that they were standing in a completely different part of the void. The Territory Lord, who was approaching them aggressively, was nowhere to be seen. Not to mention, they did not see a single Black Ink Clansman nearby when they turned to look around.
Feng Ying stared at Yang Kai in a mixture of amazement and doubt, “A Space Technique?”
The feeling just now was very similar to her experience when she activated the Universe Transference Law with the help of the Universe Temples in the 3,000 Worlds a long time ago. If not for that, she would not have made such a guess. What’s more, a strange energy fluctuation had come out of Yang Kai’s body right before that phenomenon. Looking back at it now, that was clearly the fluctuation of Space Principles.
On the other hand, Ning Qi Zhi hurriedly took out his Universe Chart and checked their current position. After he confirmed their location, he looked absolutely stunned.
In an instant, they had travelled several tens of millions of kilometres. Their current location was clearly somewhere they passed some time ago, the very spot where Yang Kai first suggested to Feng Ying that they flee to the rear in fact. In other words, they had travelled from deep within the Black Ink Clan hinterland to this spot in the blink of an eye. In addition, the Black Ink Clan chasing them relentlessly had been left far behind.
[How did he do it!?]
“This Junior is proficient in the Dao of Space.” Faced with the suspicious looks from the other four, Yang Kai was forced to provide a brief explanation.
Shen Ao could barely believe his ears, “I’ve heard of what Masters of the Dao of Space can do, but to travel over such a great distance in the blink of an eye… That’s difficult to believe.”
The corners of Qi Tai Chu’s brow twitched, “That’s right. If you had such means, then why were we fleeing all this time? You should have just brought us back directly!”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly and elaborated, “That’s impossible. What I did just now required the help of an artifact. That is why I was able to bring you back here directly. I don’t have an artifact at the great pass to act as a beacon, so I am unable to return there directly.”
The others did not fully understand his explanation or what artifact he was referring to either, but they understood one thing. If he had the ability to bring them back directly, he would not have taken such risks in the first place.
At the same time, they also understood why he had warned them not to use their strength earlier. It was because he planned to cast the Space Technique and transport them across the Void. If an external power had interfered with his technique, then there was a high chance that it would have failed. It was fortunate that they had forcibly held back under the threat of the Black Ink Territory Lord; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
“Now that we have shaken the enemy off our tail, we should not be in danger for the time being. But, we should hurry up and leave as soon as possible,” Yang Kai said with a glance at Feng Ying.
Feng Ying suppressed the astonishment in her eyes and nodded, “You’re right.”
Without taking the time to recover their strength, they sped towards the front lines at a high speed.
Along the way, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would turn to look at Yang Kai from time to time as though trying to spot something on his face. He had given them many unexpected surprises during this short period. They never imagined that he would pull out another surprise at that moment.
The Dao of Space was extremely profound. What’s more, it was very difficult for ordinary people to cultivate. Although they did not know how deep Yang Kai’s attainments were in the Dao of Space, judging from the phenomenon just now, they could ascertain that his accomplishments were not low. It would have been impossible for him to do such things otherwise.
Ning Qi Zhi leaned towards Yang Kai and whispered, “Little Brother, what other abilities are you hiding? Why don’t you tell us now so that we can mentally prepare ourselves and prevent your actions from catching us off guard again?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “That’s too much, Senior. This Junior is only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How can I have any hidden abilities?”
Ning Qi Zhi spat disdainfully, “Dishonest brat!”
There were many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield, but they had never met such a unique Sixth-Order Master before. It was just as Feng Ying had wondered in the past. How did somebody like Yang Kai end up in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory? Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to become corrupted by the Black Ink or be captured by them.
Whilst travelling, they quietly recovered their strength. Everybody knew that a deadly and desperate battle was waiting for them up ahead. At this time, the slightest extra bit of power could affect the entire battle situation. That was why they made haste to recuperate.
After repeating this cycle for more than ten days, a majestic structure entered Yang Kai’s field of vision. Even though he was only looking at the structure from a distance, he could clearly sense its enormity. Like a huge city that stood in the middle of the void, the structure was completely made of metal that gleamed with a cold light. At a rough estimate, it was at least 1,000 kilometres in length and breadth.
When he set eyes upon this majestic structure, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of awe. Although he had always known that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been guarding these great passes for countless years, he never expected the great pass to be so enormous. Moreover, if his guess was correct, the great pass itself was an extremely extraordinary object.
Turning to look at Feng Ying, Yang Kai interrupted, “Senior, is the great pass a kind of Mobile Palace Artifact?”
Feng Ying glanced at him suspiciously. Her expression seemed confused, as though wondering why he only learned about this now. Nevertheless, she explained, “That’s right. Every single great pass protected by the Cave Heavens and Paradises on the Black Ink Battlefield is a Mobile Palace Artifact. They were refined through an extraordinary amount of time and resources. That is the only method to prevent the Black Ink Clan from invading the 3,000 Worlds.”
Although he had some guesses, Yang Kai couldn’t help gulping nervously when he heard her explanation.
Such an enormous Mobile Palace Artifact was simply beyond his imagination. How many resources had been required to build this Mobile Palace Artifact? It had to be said that the average great force in the 3,000 Worlds was not qualified to possess their own Mobile Palace Artifact because the cost was so high that they simply could not afford one. Only the top Second Class great forces, Cave Heavens, and Paradises could afford to refine their own Mobile Palace Artifacts.
Be that as it may, comparing those Mobile Palace Artifacts with the great pass in front of him was like comparing the light from a firefly with the bright full moon.
Judging by the scale of this great pass, it was not something that was constructed in a day, or a year, or even a millennium. The structure was probably built little by little over an immeasurable amount of time; otherwise, it was impossible to reach such an impressive scale.
Taking out his Universe Chart and checking his current position, Yang Kai discovered that the great pass in front of him was the Blue Sky Pass!
Feng Ying came from Blue Sky Paradise; in other words, Blue Sky Pass was the great pass guarded by Blue Sky Paradise.
After so many years, Shen Ao and the others couldn’t help feeling emotional at the sight of the great pass. They never imagined that they would one day come back to this place as part of the Human Race.
Although they followed the Black Ink Clan onto the battlefield several times in the past, they had been part of the Black Ink Clan’s army and the enemy of the Human Race at the time. They also slaughtered many of their clansmen with their own hands. Upon recalling those memories now, they were absolutely heartbroken.
“With such a magnificent weapon, what is there to fear about the Black Ink Clan?” Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked curiously, “Can anybody control this object?”
Feng Ying shook her head in response, “It is far too large. Even the Old Ancestors are unable to control them freely. Be that as it may, we can operate most of its defensive and offensive abilities without any issue. The main problem is that we are unable to move the artifact; otherwise, the Old Ancestors would have mobilised these artifacts to invade the Black Ink Clan’s territory a long time ago.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors might be astoundingly powerful, but their strength was still not enough for them to mobilise such an enormous object on their own.
At this moment, Blue Sky Pass was enveloped in a tide-like pitch-black darkness. The Black Ink Clan was continuously attacking the great pass from all directions. Numerous dazzling beams of lights shot out from within the great pass, blasting directly into the middle of the Black Ink Clan army. Every attack was capable of turning the Black Ink Clan upside down.
There were also countless warships of different shapes and sizes shuttling across the battlefield, as well as innumerable figures fighting with the Black Ink Clan.
The battlefield was vast, and the situation varied from place to place. Some places had intense battles while others were relatively calm.
Yang Kai took in everything before him, feeling agitated by the sights. He was tempted to charge straight into the battlefield to support his allies. Be that as it may, he knew that his individual strength was insignificant in this environment. It was not realistic to break through the Black Ink Clan army’s blockade with his strength alone. At this moment, it remained necessary for him to work with Feng Ying and the others.
“Which way should we go?” Shen Ao asked.
“Let’s wait for now.” Feng Ying was closely monitoring the movement across the entire battlefront. There were approximately 300 people on their side, a force that was neither large nor small. They might not be able to change the situation across the entire battlefield, but they could influence the trend of the smaller battles. That was why they had to act cautiously.
Their wait lasted for two or three days. Fortunately, they were not a large target, so they did not attract the attention of the Black Ink Clan as they quietly hid in the distance.
Everywhere outside Blue Sky Pass was basically a battlefield. With their overwhelming numbers, the Black Ink Clan was extremely aggressive. Meanwhile, the Human Race was firmly defending against their attacks. Neither party was advancing or retreating, and both sides were fighting ferociously.
A certain spot on the battlefield caught Feng Ying’s attention. There was a Black Ink Territory Lord fighting an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in that direction. The fallout of their clash could be seen by the naked eye. As a result, both armies quickly scattered wherever they passed during the course of their battle.
The battle was extremely fierce, lasting for four to six hours. In the end, both figures retreated from battle. The Eight-Order Master retreated into Blue Sky Pass while the Territory Lord evacuated to the rear with the support of the Black Ink Clan. Neither Master could do anything to the other; nevertheless, both parties were wounded after the intense battle earlier.
Although the leading figures in the battle had retired, the armies under their command continued to fight unceasingly. The battle was extremely fierce.
Upon seeing the situation, Feng Ying pointed in that direction with a look of resolve in her eyes, “If we’re going to do something, we should do something big.”
Everybody had seen the situation with their own eyes, so how could they not understand her intentions when they heard her statement? All of them immediately looked nervous and excited, but nobody objected to her plan.
The Black Ink Clan army surrounded the entire Blue Sky Pass, so if they wanted to return, they needed to confront that army. Now that the Black Ink Clan Territory Lord who oversaw that region of the battlefield was injured, he could be said to be the weakest link. There was a possibility of success if they launched a surprise attack in that direction.
Looking around at the crowd, Feng Ying saw that nobody had any objections; thus, she immediately took the lead to rush forward with a shout, “Let’s go!”
Yang Kai and the others quickly followed after her.
There was a large ship at the rear of the Black Ink Clan army, and the injured Territory Lord from before had retreated to it. He was currently sitting on the deck and treating his injuries while monitoring the movements on the battlefield, ready to issue an order at any time to make adjustments to the strategy.
All of a sudden, he sensed something and glance towards the rear. He saw several streams of light speeding towards him. It was obvious that there were several Human figures hidden within those streams of lights. The sight made him furrow his brow, and he lifted his hand slightly as a signal.
A Feudal Lord beside him immediately stepped forward and shouted solemnly, “Who goes there!?”
Feng Ying shouted from a distance, “Dare I ask which Territory Lord oversees this place? Hong Lian Territory Lord has an order to convey!”
When Yang Kai and the others heard her statement, their brows twitched. They had heard this statement countless times recently. Feng Ying had repeatedly used the name ‘Hong Lian Territory Lord’ as an excuse, but she always succeeded at obtaining the Black Ink Clan’s trust every single time.
It was not that the Black Ink Clan’s defences were weak, they were simply too bold and reckless. When they were travelling across the Black Ink Clan’s domain and attacking various areas, the Black Ink Clan never even imagined that these Human cultivators would dare to be so fearless as to attack them. Instead, they would automatically assume that these Human cultivators were Black Ink Disciples under the command of Hong Lian Territory Lord.
The current situation was no different. How could the Territory Lord possibly think that these Human cultivators would aim directly for him with malicious intentions in their hearts? Still, he coldly snorted at those words and snarled, “What right does Hong Lian have to issue orders to this Territory Lord?”
As a Territory Lord himself, he could be said to be on equal footing with Hong Lian, so it was naturally impossible for him to obey the orders of the other. Be that as it may, there were times when the Territory Lords would work together, which was why he did not prevent the other party from approaching him even though he was not happy with the situation. He wanted to hear what Hong Lian had to say.
At his signal, the Feudal Lord who spoke just now stepped aside.
Feng Ying flew downward with the others, summoning her Divine Manifestation while she was still mid-flight. Amidst the crackling sounds, a 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon took shape as sword cries rang out endlessly.
Shen Ao and the others also unleashed their Divine Abilities at the same time. Ignoring everything else, they aimed their attacks directly at the Territory Lord.
The sudden turn of events left the Black Ink Clan stunned. Even the Territory Lord’s reaction was slower than usual. The main reason was that none of them expected these Human cultivators to be enemies at all. The enemy had concentrated all its forces around the great pass after all, so how was it possible for the enemy to suddenly appear from the rear?
In an instant, World Force surged. The gigantic ship exploded, and a number of Black Ink Clansmen aboard it were either killed or seriously injured. Simultaneously, the light of countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques enveloped the injured Territory Lord.
A short while later, the light dissipated to reveal the Territory Lord’s giant figure. He was in a miserable state, but there was no helping that. His previous battle with the Human Master had concluded with both sides suffering grievous injuries.
The sneak attack came before he could even begin to recover or treat his injuries, and it was so sudden that he blanked out from the shock. Nevertheless, the sudden sneak attack infuriated him greatly and he gave a furious roar, “You dare!?”
As he shouted, he reached out his hand and grabbed at them.
On the other hand, Feng Ying took the initiative to make her move. The Sword Dragon rotated at a high speed, allowing her to shoot towards the Territory Lord like a spinning top. The thousands of sword waves around her seemed capable of slicing apart the void itself. Shen Ao and the others supported her from the side, ignoring the rest of the Black Ink Clansmen around them. All their attacks were focused solely on the Territory Lord.
Meanwhile, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master who fought the Territory Lord earlier was tending to his wounds on the rampart of the Blue Sky Pass. All of a sudden, a Seventh-Order Master beside him shouted, “Martial Uncle Zhong, look at that!”
Martial Uncle Zhong opened his eyes and stared into the distance. Then, he revealed a look of astonishment, “That Sword Dragon Manifestation, it’s…”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master exclaimed in joy, “It’s Senior Sister Feng!”
The Divine Manifestation of each High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was different and it even could be said that one’s Divine Manifestation was a unique symbol that could not be duplicated by another. Even if two Fellow Brothers from the same Sect cultivated the exact same Secret Art, it was impossible for them to form identical Divine Manifestations.
That was why both Martial Uncle Zhong and the Seventh-Order Master immediately recognised Feng Ying’s identity when they saw the 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon. It was not just them of course, all the other cultivators on the ramparts had also recognised her and quickly turned to watch the situation.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master happily exclaimed, “Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is alive! She’s returned!”
Under the leadership of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor overseeing Blue Sky Pass, they raided the Black Ink Clan’s domain and destroyed many of the enemy’s territories. Unfortunately, their retreat was hindered by the Black Ink Royal Lord and many people were separated as a result.
The group that Feng Ying belonged to had been intercepted by a detachment of the Black Ink Clan army, and for that reason, she had sacrificed herself and stayed behind to stop the enemy’s pursuit and give her allies a chance to escape safely. She went missing after that incident, and the matter had been reported to the higher-ups.
She was among the best in Blue Sky Paradise in terms of talent and aptitude. Not only was she very strong, but she was also on the verge of advancing to the Eighth Order. It was only natural that her disappearance caught the attention of the pass’ leadership.
Be that as it may, it was impossible for Blue Sky Pass to dispatch a search party for the sake of one person. Besides, everybody knew the fate that awaited somebody who was lost in the Black Ink Clan hinterland alone; therefore, seeing her here was both expected and unexpected.
“Senior Sister Feng is alive!” The Seventh-Order Master was overjoyed. He cheered happily and even burst into tears, “Hahaha! Senior Sister Feng is alive!”
It was not surprising for him to be so emotional. He had been one of the people on board the warship that escaped after leaving Feng Ying behind previously.
Over the past few months, he could barely hold back his tears whenever he thought about her lonely figure as she stopped the Black Ink Clan army with her strength alone. He regretted not staying behind to fight beside her back then. Even if he died, it would have been better than suffering from guilt and heartbreak every single day. How could he not be elated to see her return alive?
Martial Uncle Zhong smacked the back of the Seventh-Order Master’s head and reprimanded sternly, “Why are you making so much noise!? I can clearly see whether she is dead or alive with my own eyes!”
In the 3,000 Worlds, Seventh-Order Masters were basically regarded as Inner Elders of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every one of them held an important position and a respected status. Even Eighth-Order Ancestors could not casually hit them on the back of their head in reprimand; after all, they had appearances to maintain too.
However, this was the Black Ink Battlefield, where Seventh-Order Masters were nothing special. While they were not exactly as common as cabbages, there were enough of them around for a random stone throw to hit them on the head.
After being slapped by Martial Uncle Zhong, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master finally seemed to calm down.
Martial Uncle Zhong continued coldly, “The fact that she is alive is worse than if she had been dead. You should know what kind of situation she is in.”
The smile on the Seventh-Order Master’s face suddenly vanished like snow under the scorching sun, morphing into an expression filled with bitterness instead.
Humans who fell into the hands of the Black Ink Clan were either killed or converted into Black Ink Disciples. It was better if it was the former option. Death ended all troubles after all. But, if it were the latter option instead, then they would become irreconcilable enemies.
Somebody nearby quietly spoke up, “But, Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is attacking the Territory Lord. Moreover, she seems to have several helpers around her.”
If she had truly fallen and become a Black Ink Disciple, it would be impossible for Feng Ying to attack the Black Ink Clan. Judging by the Territory Lord’s frenzied attacks, it was obvious that something was wrong with the situation. For Black Ink Disciples, the Black Ink Clan was supreme. Forget attacking, even the thought of resistance would never occur to them.
Under their observations though, Feng Ying and her allies seemed to be engaged in a pitched battle with the Territory Lord, one so intense they could almost feel it from where they stood.
Martial Uncle Zhong frowned as this fact had been puzzling him too.
“It’s likely that Senior Sister Feng was not converted into a Black Ink Disciple. She really returned!” The Seventh-Order Master exclaimed excitedly before shooting Martial Uncle Zhong a pleading look, “Martial Uncle, please help Senior Sister Feng!”
It could clearly be seen that although Senior Sister Feng and the others were strong, it was impossible for them to kill the Territory Lord in short order. Even if the Territory Lord had been heavily injured to begin with, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse. How could he be so easy to kill?
What’s more, upon realising that the Territory Lord was being attacked, many Black Ink Clansmen rushed over to provide support. Feng Ying and the others would suffer a disastrous fate once they were surrounded by the enemy.
A look of hesitation and struggle flashed through Martial Uncle Zhong’s eyes before he shook his head, “We must be wary of deception!”
Just as how the Black Ink Clan did not expect Human cultivators to be so reckless, the Human Race’s side could not imagine such a situation either.
Martial Uncle Zhong had a vague speculation that this was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s plan to lure their side into making a move so that they could take the opportunity to break through their defences. If he was deceived for that reason, then he would forever be a sinner to Blue Sky Pass.
However, the words had just left his mouth when a sudden change occurred on the battlefield! An extremely blinding pure white light bloomed as though a small sun had risen in the distance. Despite the great distance between them, the light was so bright that they could barely look at it.
Both sides had been fighting on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, but such a brilliant white light had never before appeared. The light was without the slightest impurity and even seemed to be able to cleanse one’s mind and soul.
Martial Uncle Zhong couldn’t help narrowing his eyes slightly and staring intently in that direction. With the help of his discerning eye, the situation over there came into clear view. An unfamiliar young man whom he had never seen before was holding up something that resembled a small sun at that moment.
It was not surprising to see an unfamiliar face as tens of thousands of Human Masters were stationed at Blue Sky Pass. As some died, reinforcements would be sent to replace them in an endless cycle, so it was impossible for Martial Uncle Zhong to know every one of them. The young man was probably one of the newly arrived disciples from the 3,000 Worlds.
In the next moment, Martial Uncle Zhong watched as the small sun in the young man’s hands slammed hard into the giant figure of the Territory Lord.
The white light exploded without a sound and enveloped the Territory Lord. Following that, large patches of pitch-black darkness quickly seeped out of the Territory Lord’s body and he seemed to instantly suffer heavy injuries, his face twisting hideously in agony. Even his originally vigorous figure stiffened for a short moment. Nevertheless, the Territory Lord instinctively struck a backhanded blow that sent the young man flying out, coughing up blood as he tumbled.
In that momentary delay though, the Sword Dragon spun rapidly and swallowed the Territory Lord with a fierce roar. Thousands of sword waves whirled about inside the Sword Dragon, causing pitch-black blood to splatter across the void. At the same time, dense Black Ink Strength erupted outward only to vanish into nothing when it came into contact with the remaining aftermath of the white light. The powerful aura of the Territory Lord vanished in the wake of the Sword Dragon’s charge!
On top of the rampart, Martial Uncle Zhong felt as though his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. He had been stroking his beard at the time, and in his shock, his hand jerked slightly and actually yanked out a fistful of his hairs.
[He died!? The same Territory Lord who fought on even terms with me for six hours died just like that!? Our battle ended with both sides suffering heavy injuries, but I still can’t believe that he died! Not to mention, he was killed by Feng Ying!?]
If he had not witnessed the battle for himself, he would not have believed it. Feng Ying was certainly very strong, but it was impossible for her to slay a Territory Lord with her strength, not even if she had help and the Territory Lord was already severely wounded!
In that instant, Martial Uncle Zhong realised the crux of the problem. [That white light must be the key!]
He had clearly seen the pain and horror reflected on the Territory Lord’s expression when that white light enveloped him, and that was exactly what gave Feng Ying the chance to land a fatal attack.
[What the Hell was that light!?]
Regardless of what the truth was, this was not the time to consider such questions. A Black Ink Territory Lord had been slain by several Human cultivators in a matter of breaths. As a result, many Black Ink Clansmen immediately flew into a rage. They surged over from all directions in overwhelming numbers, quickly surrounding Feng Ying and the others tightly.
On top of the rampart, the Seventh-Order Master asked hesitantly, “Martial Uncle Zhong, was this some kind of trickery?”
He felt as though his brain was not working very well. He had just witnessed the death of the Territory Lord, but if that was a trick of the Black Ink Clan, wasn’t the price a little too high? Who would use the life of a Territory Lord to lure out Humans? Moreover, Feng Ying and the others were still fighting desperately against the Black Ink Clan at this moment.
Following the death of the Territory Lord, numerous figures abruptly appeared around Feng Ying’s team. The original line-up formed from just a handful of people instantly turned into a large group of several hundred people. It was obvious that those figures were Humans, and as soon as they appeared, they unleashed various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan was caught completely off-guard and instantly suffered great casualties.
“That was no deception!” Martial Uncle Zhong stopped tending to his wounds and stood up. With a wave of his hand, he opened a hole in the shields and shouted, “Quickly come with me to provide support!”
He fully believed that Feng Ying was not corrupted by Black Ink Strength after witnessing the death of the Territory Lord. Besides, if the Territory Lord overseeing that region was dead, then the Human Race could gain a huge advantage on the battlefield. This was an extraordinary achievement. Martial Uncle Zhong could no longer sit back and do nothing with such an opportunity lying right before him.
After saying that, Martial Uncle Zhong took the lead and charged forward. Countless streams of lights quickly followed behind him. Once they left, the hole in the shield quickly sealed shut again to prevent the Black Ink Clan from sneaking inside.
At the rear of the battlefield, Shen Ao grabbed Yang Kai by the arm and asked in concern, “Are you alright?”
Yang Kai turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood, grimacing as he shouted, “I’ll live!”
When he unleashed the Purifying Light on the Territory Lord just now, he had been sent flying by the enemy’s backhand. He would have been severely injured if he had not retreated quickly and lessened the impact. Even so, the vitality in his body was churning violently. It was inevitable that he sustained some injuries.
In any case, he was also lucky that Shen Ao had caught him in a timely manner; otherwise, he would have been sent flying directly into the middle of the Black Ink Clan army. It would have been difficult for him to get away safely if that were to happen.
“Martial Aunt Feng is amazing,” Yang Kai couldn’t help but praise.
Although the Territory Lord had been shaken by the Purifying Light, it was the might of Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon that really sealed the deal. The power of her Divine Manifestation was so terrifying that even the Territory Lord died instantly after being caught up in her attack.
Nevertheless, it was only possible because the Territory Lord was severely wounded in the first place. If he had been in his peak condition, Feng Ying would not have succeeded.
“You are amazing too!” Shen Ao’s expression was full of approval. He never realised that the Purifying Light would cause such a destructive amount of damage to the Black Ink Clan. It was not until after Yang Kai’s attack succeeded and he was sent flying that Shen Ao came back to his senses.
It was actually not that strange once Shen Ao thought about it. Yang Kai had been using Purifying Light to return Black Ink Disciple to their original state and restore their mental clarity throughout this period. In other words, the white light was the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength. Seeing as Black Ink Strength inside the bodies of the Black Ink Clan was their source of power, how could they escape unscathed if they were hit by the Purifying Light?
By combining the strengths of Yang Kai and Feng Ying, they had managed to kill a Territory Lord. That was an outcome that never even crossed the minds of Shen Ao and the others before they made their move. Although they had moved according to Feng Ying’s suggestions, they had not expected much; therefore, the result was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise.
“Enough nonsense! Hurry up and defend yourselves!” Ning Qi Zhi roared from the side. Following the movements of his hands, he blasted out a Divine Ability at the Black Ink Clan.
They had already brought out all the reinforcements hiding inside their Small Universes; even so, they only had slightly over 300 people on their side. Their overall strength was not that great either. Most of them were only in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Thanks to their swift movements earlier, they had caught the Black Ink Clan by surprise; however, now that the Black Ink Clan had recovered from their initial shock, the enemy forces quickly formed a tight encirclement around their group.
Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon took the lead, charging towards the enemy lines. Without a leader to coordinate their movements, many Black Ink Clansmen died on the spot in the wake of her rampage.
Likewise, Shen Ao and the others split up to protect the flanks as they followed Feng Ying to charge forward.
Be that as it may, there was an overwhelming difference in their numbers. The group of several hundred Human cultivators could neither progress forward nor retreat backwards. Somebody was bound to be left behind with every step they took, and it was evident what kind of fate would befall them if they were left behind in this situation. If the situation were to continue at this rate, they would be wiped out before they could reach Blue Sky Pass.
All of a sudden, a Dragon Roar resounded across the void. The sudden roar startled both parties in the war and nobody knew what was happening.
In the midst of the chaos, Shen Ao and the others turned to look in the direction of the sound and their pupils immediately contracted at the sight.
Yang Kai was standing there while taking deep breaths. An enormous Golden Dragon Head emerged from behind him only to plunge into his body and disappear from view. Immediately after that, a horrifying pressure radiated outward with him in the centre. As this pressure spread outward, his figure abruptly began to swell.
No matter how many years passed after, the surviving cultivators of that battle would never forget what they saw at that moment.
In less than three breaths of time, the small Human figure transformed into an enormous behemoth. His Golden Dragon Body was 20,000 metres long, covered in a dense layer of Dragon Scales, his limbs adorned with sharp Dragon Claws, Dragon Horns protruded from his forehead, and a Dragon Beard fluttering magnificently beneath his chin. Moreover, his Golden Dragon Eyes resembled two small suns that illuminated the universe and penetrated the darkness on the battlefield.
A Grand Dragon!
A 20,000-metre-long Grand Dragon had suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield. It was difficult not to attract any attention with such a spectacle. Both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan couldn’t help feeling amazed by the sight.
Dragon Pressure exploded in a majestic and imposing manner!
The Grand Dragon opened his mouth and spat out a blast of Dragon Breath. The Black Ink Clansmen standing in a large area of the void before him were instantly swept away as a result. Then, the 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body stretched out and formed a half circle to wrap around the group of several hundred Human cultivators.
“Move!” A deep Dragon Roar shook the skies.
Only then did the Human cultivators return to their senses. Earlier, they had not known whether the Grand Dragon that suddenly appeared was an enemy or a friend, but how could they not realise that he was one of their own after seeing his actions? The anxiety in their hearts immediately calmed down!
Feng Ying, who was in the lead, had blanked out for a moment, but quickly composed herself again. Her Sword Dragon took point once more, leading them on another forward charge.
The Black Ink Clan army indiscriminately blasted attacks at them from all directions, but most of the barrage was blocked by the massive Dragon. As long as the Dragon endured, their defences stood strong! It was impossible to harm them without destroying the Dragon first!
The attacks sent Dragon Scales flying in all directions and Yang Kai’s flesh writhed in response, his Golden Dragon Blood splattering out across the void.
It didn’t take long before there was not a spot left that was unscathed on his 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body. Even so, the Grand Dragon did not flinch. No matter how severe the wounds he sustained, Yang Kai continued to provide the strongest defence to protect the forward charge of the Human cultivators.
At the same time, Yang Kai held the Azure Dragon Spear in his Dragon Claw. This artifact obtained from Giant Spirit God Ah Da contained seemingly unlimited power. What’s more, it could shrink or enlarge at will. At this moment, the originally three-meter-long spear had transformed into a 10,000-meter-long spear in the grip of the Grand Dragon’s Dragon Claw. With such a weapon, there was no need to use any Divine Ability or Secret Techniques. Even Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Arts were unnecessary as a simple sweep of the spear wrought destruction over thousands of metres of the battlefield. Countless Black Ink Clansmen were injured, and the weak were killed on the spot.
The surrounding Black Ink Clan army was now utterly terrified. It was not that they had never fought a Divine Spirit before. While there weren’t many of them, there were Divine Spirits on the Black Ink Battlefield. Moreover, every single Divine Spirit was an extremely mighty existence that caused great losses to the Black Ink Clan whenever they engaged in battle. However, a Divine Spirit who wielded such an enormous artifact was completely unheard of…
Although the appearance of a Grand Dragon greatly boosted the morale of the Human Race, it did not last for long. The momentum of their charge remained blocked; the Sword Dragon at the lead was falling to pieces, and Feng Ying who was hidden inside was soon exposed. Even the Grand Dragon protecting them was soon completely battered.
In front of them, the tightly packed Black Ink Clan army obstructed their way forward like the gathering storm that could not be wiped out.
At this rate, they would not be able to reach Blue Sky Pass before they exhausted themselves and perished.
It was at that moment that a huge commotion came from the back of the Black Ink Clan army. The lights from countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flared brightly in the pitch-black darkness, shining a guiding light to the Human survivors.
The commotion at the back of the Black Ink Clan army soon caught their attention. When Shen Ao looked in that direction, he immediately became joyful and shouted excitedly, “Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements from Blue Sky Pass have come to aid us!”
The others who were trapped and struggling to advance instantly felt their spirits lifting at those words. At the same time, their attacks became more and more relentless in order to stem the Black Ink Clan’s offensive.
Many people glanced at the wounded Grand Dragon beside them with solemn and thankful expressions.
They would have suffered great losses if the Grand Dragon had not used his tough body as a protective shield. He not only blocked most of the Black Ink Clan’s attacks, but also kept the Black Ink Strength away so that they would not be distracted by the worry of being corrupted. His efforts had allowed them to fight to their heart’s content without any worries.
The Masters who rushed out of Blue Sky Pass caused great chaos for the Black Ink Clan; as a result, the Black Ink Clan had to divide their forces to confront the incoming enemy. In this way, the pressure bearing down on Yang Kai and the others was reduced considerably.
Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon in the lead swiftly charged forward again. Riding the waves, she broke through the blockade of the Black Ink Clan army and formed a pincer attack with the people from Blue Sky Pass.
It didn’t take long for both parties to meet up.
Yang Kai raised his Dragon Head slightly and glanced in that direction. The person in the lead was an elderly man. His attacks were brutal, and he exuded the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It was obvious that he was the one who had previously been fighting the Black Ink Clan Territory Lord just now. The battle had ended in a draw where both parties were heavily injured. There was no saying which Cave Heaven or Paradise this Ancestor figure came from.
However, Feng Ying clearly recognised this person and a shout came out from within the Sword Dragon, “Martial Uncle Zhong!”
Martial Uncle Zhong nodded at her lightly. His gaze swept over Yang Kai’s enormous Dragon Form, but he did not have the time to say anything. The space around him shuddered briefly, and a violent force radiated outward to push back the Black Ink Clan in the surroundings before he beckoned loudly, “We withdraw!”
Behind him, various warships approached and activated their shields. There was no need for any command or dispatch. The Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters protected by the Grand Dragon quickly slipped into the warships.
Shen Ao and the other Seventh-Order Masters did not follow as there was no need for them to borrow the strength of the warships. They could defend themselves just fine while dealing out enormous amounts of damage.
Likewise, Yang Kai did not enter. His Grand Dragon body swayed slightly, and a flick of his Dragon Tail swept across a large patch of the void.
“Go!” Martial Uncle Zhong shouted. The numerous warships forged a path of retreat, rushing towards Blue Sky Pass. Feng Ying, Shen Ao, and the others stood guard on the flanks while Martial Uncle Zhong and Yang Kai brought up the rear.
The Black Ink Clan Territory Lord overseeing this area of the battlefield was dead, so although there were some Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords who could issue orders, the Black Ink Clan in this region were basically in a leaderless state for the time being. Faced with the aggressive breakout from Blue Sky Pass, they were unable to form an effective blockade.
Along the way, the Black Ink Clan suffered massive casualties in their wake. It didn’t take long for them to reach Blue Sky Pass where a hole in the defensive barrier was opened and the warships quickly entered. Only then could they be considered safe.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan army continued their pursuit, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
Seeing that everybody else was safe, Yang Kai who was bringing up the rear abruptly spun around. His 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body was armed with the 10,000-metre-long Azure Dragon Spear. With a single wide sweep, the Black Ink Clan charging forward was cut down as easily as though he was harvesting wheat, and a large area in the void was swept clean in an instant.
Yang Kai was not finished yet as a Dragon Roar shook the skies. The Grand Dragon shook its head and flicked its tail before slamming directly into the Black Ink Clan army to carry out a massacre.
What happened just now had vexed him greatly. While protecting hundreds of his allies from danger in his Grand Dragon Form, Yang Kai could only endure being attacked passively. There were few opportunities for him to fight back, and as a result, his enormous body had been reduced to tatters. Now that he no longer had to worry about others, it was only natural for him to go on a rampage.
After transforming into his Grand Dragon Form, his strength was on par with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. In addition, he was not afraid of being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. In this environment, as long as he didn’t face a Territory Lord, he could be said to be invincible.
The Dragon and his spear roamed the ink-coloured void freely, fighting from one end to the other. Looking at him from Blue Sky Pass, they could only see a 20,000-metre-long strip of gold navigating through the pitch-black darkness like a fish in water. The contrast between the colours was striking.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was enormous, his Dragon Pressure was imposing, and he even wielded a 10,000-metre-long spear in his Dragon Claws. The sight of him was truly a little excessive.
With just the strength of a single Dragon, the Black Ink Clan army that had already been disrupted suddenly lost ground and sustained heavy losses within a short span of time.
Martial Uncle Zhong had originally planned to return to Blue Sky Pass; unfortunately, he could not walk away just like that after what Yang Kai did. He turned to look back, his brow twitching violently at the sight. Then, he questioned Feng Ying, “Where did this Dragon come from?”
Feng Ying did not know how to explain. If she had to be honest, she herself only just learned that Yang Kai was part of the Dragon Clan! Throughout their journey together, Yang Kai had shocked her so many times that she was practically numb to surprises regarding him, but just now he had revealed himself to be part of the Dragon Clan! She had been shocked once more.
In response to Martial Uncle Zhong’s question, she could only answer, “I don’t know where he comes from either. I met him deep inside the Black Ink Clan’s domain. It’s a long story.”
Martial Uncle Zhong grimaced slightly. Logically speaking, it was impossible for the Dragon Clan to appear on the Black Ink Battlefield even though there were many other Divine Spirits scattered about.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans guarded the No-Return Pass, an extremely heavy responsibility. Even though the Dragon and Phoenix Clans were tyrannically powerful, they would never come to the Black Ink Battlefield so easily. That was because the No-Return Pass was the Human Race’s actual last line of defence. Nothing could be allowed to happen to it.
[I can’t believe a Dragon Clan member appeared at Blue Sky Pass…] Martial Uncle Zhong could not be certain whether or not Yang Kai had come from the No-Return Pass. Be that as it may, it seemed unreasonable for them to simply watch without doing anything in this situation. The Dragon Clan member was fighting hard on the front lines, so how could they hide in the shadows and watch without doing anything?
The gears in his head spun quickly, and Martial Uncle Zhong swiftly came to a decision. With a sharp look in his eyes, he shouted, “All forces, attack!”
Inside Blue Sky Pass, the Human cultivators had long since gotten hot-blooded and impatient after observing the battlefield from the ramparts. As soon as Martial Uncle Zhong’s order rang out, they hurriedly leapt into action.
Their efficiency was very high, and in less than ten breaths of time, the shields were released and numerous warship artifacts charged out of Blue Sky Pass like a school of fish. There were so many that they seemed to block out the sky. Following behind the warships were countless Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters.
The battle environment on the Black Ink Battlefield was special. Not only did the Human Masters have to guard against enemy attacks, they also had to defend themselves against the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. That was why only those in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm could rush into the battlefield without relying on the warships for protection.
Those below the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, be they in the Fifth or Sixth-Order, had to borrow the help of warships for defence. That was the only way for them to effectively defend against the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. Otherwise, they might be corrupted by the Black Ink Clan as soon as they stepped onto the battlefield.
There were several benefits to using warships. The first being that those in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would be protected from the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. As long as the warship was not damaged, the Black Ink Strength would not be able to harm them. The second reason was the power of the warships themselves, which was generally higher than what a Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Master could wield. Many warships had offensive and defensive Arrays that could compare with what a Seventh-Order Master could produce. In that way, they also enhanced the strength of the Human Race.
The Human Race had been fighting the Black Ink Clan for countless years since ancient times; therefore, they had their own strategies on how to deal with the Black Ink Clan.
Martial Uncle Zhong had not allowed many warships to accompany him just now on the rescue mission to help Feng Ying and the others. On the contrary, under the orders of a full-frontal assault, all the soldiers who could be mobilised had been dispatched into battle. Only those necessary to protect and maintain the operations of the great pass remained behind.
The figures of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the lead formed countless streams of lights while behind them, the innumerable warships sailed forward in a mighty procession.
The Black Ink Clan, who was currently besieging the Grand Dragon, quickly discovered the movement coming from Blue Sky Pass. Under the orders of the Feudal Lords, the Black Ink Clan army in the rear turned around to meet the enemy.
Before the armies collided with each other, the lights from various Divine Abilities and artifacts flashed through and illuminated the void. The colourful lights seemed to fall into the pitch-black darkness like a stone falling into a lake, creating layers and layers of ripples that spread out across the void and sending the Black Ink Clan tumbling.
Faced with the Humans’ attack, the Black Ink Clan naturally did not just sit around waiting for death; instead, they returned the gesture. Divine Abilities gathered and Black Ink Strength rained down on the Human army.
Without needing any commands, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the lead hurriedly scattered to the sides. Their actions exposed the numerous warships behind them.
The warships quickly moved around and adjusted their positions so that they formed small groups of three to five. It didn’t take long for them to assume a profound Formation. Then, mysterious energy fluctuations spread out from the warships as large rune patterns illuminated the void. These patterns formed a solid and impenetrable protection in front of them like a powerful shield that blocked the attacks of the Black Ink Clan.
This layer of protection would be broken from time to time, forcing the warships in the rear to scatter and avoid the attacks. At the same time, their defensive barriers would light up to mitigate the damage they received.
The collision of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques only lasted for several breaths of time before the armies on both sides entered close quarters. Various screams and roars rang out as the two Races fought each other. During this time, the aura of many lives withered and vanished.
Judging from the number of people alone, the Black Ink Clan undoubtedly had a huge advantage. They had almost ten times more people than the Human Race; however, the Human side had the advantage in terms of average strength.
That couldn’t be helped. Since ancient times, the only ones who were qualified to enter the Black Ink Battlefield were the elite disciples of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even the weakest among them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when they first arrived. The reason why there were Fifth-Order Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield was that they had originally fallen from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The major Cave Heavens and Paradises had always maintained the rule of dispatching their most elite fighters to the Black Ink Battlefield. That was because entering the Black Ink Battlefield with low strength was pointless. On the contrary, they would easily be converted into Black Ink Disciples and enhance the strength of the enemy instead.
In comparison, the Black Ink Clan was different. The Black Ink Clan army not only consisted of powerful Masters like the Territory and Feudal Lords, but High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were also common.
The High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were not too bad as they were on par with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in terms of strength; however, the Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were only equivalent to Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. How could such weaklings possibly be a match for the Human Race Army? That was why they immediately suffered horrible casualties at the first encounter.
On top of that, each Human warship was stronger than an average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of pure battle strength. How could the Human Race be at a disadvantage simply because there were fewer of them?
It could be said that the warships played a huge role in the reason why the Humans managed to persevere for so long on the Black Ink Battlefield. They were the most effective means to resist the corrosion of Black Ink Strength after all.
It was not as though the Black Ink Clan had never thought of getting their hands on a warship before. The truth was that they also yearned to refine warships for themselves; however, a warship was not something that could be refined by just any random person. The Black Ink Clan simply did not have any talented individuals who could refine a proper warship for them.
Every single cultivator proficient in Artifact Refining was carefully protected by the various great passes. No matter the situation, these cultivators would never be allowed to step foot onto the battlefield. As long as they never entered the battlefield, they would not be corrupted by the Black Ink Clan. In that way, they would never be converted into Black Ink Disciples who would help the Black Ink Clan refine a warship.
Both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan fought each other ferociously on the battlefield.
In the beginning, the Black Ink Clan army managed to fight back against the Human Race to a certain extent. Be that as it may, the balance of the battle slowly tilted with the passing of time. The clash of the warships and the agile movements of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters eventually brought a crushing defeat to the Black Ink Clan army. As a result, many Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives with every passing moment.
In such an environment, the strength of an individual no longer influenced the circumstances of the overall situation. It was only by uniting together that the outcome of the war could be determined. On that point, the Black Ink Clan in this particular sector of the battlefield was currently leaderless and lacked coordination. In contrast, the Human Race advanced in an orderly manner and supported each other in battle.
Less than an hour later, the Black Ink Clan army had lost more than half of their forces. There had been many Feudal Lords who could direct and command the Black Ink Clan in battle, but Martial Uncle Zhong viciously targeted and eliminated them. The Black Ink Clan army eventually fell into utter chaos after Martial Uncle Zhong killed more than a dozen Feudal Lords in succession. Under the brutal onslaught of the Humans, they were steadily forced to retreat while leaving behind a trail of corpses in their wake.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had gone on a wild rampage after transforming into his Grand Dragon Form. He made his way through the ranks of the Black Ink Clan army with his spear in hand, charging forward wherever there were enemies. Countless Black Ink Clansmen died to his Azure Dragon Spear, and the murderous intent around him had intensified over time until it was almost tangible. Everywhere he passed, the Black Ink Clansmen quickly scrambled to get out of his way.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai heard the deep sound of a horn entering his ears. It was immediately followed by a gentle but firm voice beside him, “Yang Kai, let’s go!”
He looked up only to see the pale-faced Feng Ying calling out to him from within her battered Sword Dragon. Using her Divine Manifestation against the Black Ink Clan for such a long period had truly exhausted her.
He shook his enormous head slightly to clear his mind, then he turned around and rushed towards her. Casually swinging the Azure Dragon Spear in front of him, he helped to eliminate the group of Black Ink Clansmen around her.
“Go where?” He asked in a thunderous voice.
Feng Ying looked at the enormous Grand Dragon Head with a complicated gaze. She could clearly sense the terrifying murderous intent radiating from his body. She did not know how many Black Ink Clansmen he had killed to amass such horrifying momentum, but the murderous intent prickled her skin with a sense of cold as though it was something tangible.
“It’s time to go back!” She explained.
Yang Kai looked around him and abruptly realised that the Human army had begun to retreat after the horn sounded. It would seem that the horn was the signal to retreat. Since the army was withdrawing, he could not stay behind alone even though he had not killed enough to satisfy him; thus, he immediately nodded lightly in response.
One big and one small, the two Dragons chased after the Human Race Army and sped towards Blue Sky Pass. It was just that Yang Kai’s transformation into a Grand Dragon stemmed from his Dragon Vein while Feng Ying’s transformation came from casting her Sword Dragon Divine Manifestation.
Along the way, they did not run into any notable obstacles and the occasional Black Ink Clansman in their path was swiftly dispatched by them.
The defensive barrier around Blue Sky Pass had already been opened and the warships rushed inside, one after another. Meanwhile, Martial Uncle Zhong waited outside until he met up with Yang Kai and Feng Ying. Then, he entered together with them. Afterwards, the barrier sealed shut to isolate the inside from the outside.
Yang Kai dismissed his Dragon Form and turned to look back with a regretful expression, “We could have wiped them out.”
The Black Ink Clan army had been unable to put up an effective defence just now, and the Human army was enjoying great momentum. In his opinion, it was perfectly possible for them to clean up all the remaining Black Ink Clansmen on that battlefield. Therefore, he did not understand why they signalled the retreat and allowed this opportunity slip out of their fingers for no reason.
Feng Ying stood beside him and slowly shook her head, “The Black Ink Clan reinforcements from the other battlefields are coming. Besides, the longer the battle drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us. Not to mention, the current environment is not suitable for our allies to fight.”
As if to confirm her statements, Yang Kai saw that the Black Ink Clan reinforcements were approaching from multiple directions and their numbers were not few. Hence, he immediately realised something. If the Human army had not retreated in time and was surrounded by the Black Ink Clan reinforcements, their advantageous position would have been immediately reversed.
Furthermore, there was the situation on the battlefield at this moment. Due to the deaths of countless Black Ink Clansmen, Black Ink Strength released from their corpses had formed Black Ink Clouds of varying sizes throughout the void. While he was not afraid of these Black Ink Clouds, even Seventh-Order Masters could not fight in such an environment for long periods of time despite having a certain degree of resistance to the corrosion. This environment was certainly very disadvantageous to the Human Race.
After understanding this point, he couldn’t help grimacing slightly. The overall environment in the Black Ink Battlefield was too unfavourable towards Humans. It was amazing how they had persistently defended the great passes for so many years and prevented the Black Ink Clan from invading the 3,000 Worlds.
“Are you alright?” Feng Ying asked in concern.
Shen Ao and the others were observing Yang Kai with still slightly stunned expressions, as though they had seen a ghost during the day. The main reason was that Yang Kai’s previous performance had stood out too much. Since they first became acquainted with him, it was not until today that they learned he was a Grand Dragon. The sight of the 20,000-metre-long Golden Dragon Form carrying out a brutal massacre in the pitch-black darkness had left a great visual impact on them.
More importantly, Yang Kai had used his body to protect hundreds of their allies when he transformed into a Grand Dragon earlier. As a result, he had suffered innumerable attacks from the Black Ink Clan army. Now that he returned to his Human Form, it could be said that he was covered in wounds. There was not a spot on his exposed skin that was unscathed, and his clothes were dyed in his brilliant golden blood.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s nothing serious.”
For him, he was fine as long as he did not suffer a fatal wound. As a Dragonkin, he had an inherently strong restorative ability in the first place. Combined with the Wood Element Power that he condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree, in terms of recovery, nobody in this universe would dare to call themselves the best if he claimed to be second best. Although his injuries looked extremely bad at the moment, they would only take a few days to heal.
While the others were speaking, Martial Uncle Zhong walked over in large strides and came to a stop in front of Yang Kai. He briefly swept his gaze over Yang Kai before patting his shoulder with a look of approval, “Very good!”
Everything Yang Kai did earlier had not escaped his notice, so it was only natural that he was very impressed with Yang Kai’s performance.
Nevertheless, he had some doubts in his heart. It was rumoured that the Dragon Clan was very arrogant. Even though they were responsible for guarding the No-Return Pass, they never bothered to be friendly towards the Human Race. In fact, they always gave off the feeling that they were better than others.
Unexpectedly, from what he saw so far, Yang Kai’s attitude did not seem to match the rumours. If anybody told him that a Dragon Clan member would use their own body to shield Humans, he would never have believed such words a few days ago.
Feng Ying introduced them, “Yang Kai, this is Zhong Liang of Blue Sky Paradise. Martial Uncle Zhong is the person in charge of this sector of the battlefield.”
Yang Kai quickly cupped his fist, “Yang Kai greets Senior Zhong!”
[How polite!] Zhong Liang raised his brow. The feeling that Yang Kai was very different from the Dragons that he heard about in the rumours grew stronger. Nevertheless, he said nothing and simply nodded in acknowledgement, “We can finish our talk later. Let’s get inside first.”
He had many questions that needed answers from Feng Ying.
Yang Kai nodded and glanced at the back with a suspicious look, “What are they doing?”
After entering Blue Sky Pass, the people hiding inside the warships came out only to crowd around this area in small groups. Many of them stared at Yang Kai and whispered among themselves. It was clear that Yang Kai’s performance on the battlefield when he transformed into a Grand Dragon had surprised them.
There was an enormous gate at the front of this area and Yang Kai could not see what was beyond it. All he could see was a group of 100 entering the gateway, followed by another group of 100 a short while later. In this way, the cycle kept repeating over and over.
As soon as those words left his mouth, the people beside him glanced at him in confusion. Zhong Liang even furrowed his brow together into a scowl. Logically speaking, anybody from the Human Race would know what they were doing right now, yet for some reason, Yang Kai was ignorant of this fact.
Likewise, Feng Ying was filled with puzzlement. During the time they spent together previously, she had not noticed anything strange. Nevertheless, some of his actions today gave her the impression that he was completely clueless about the great passes. That was the case back when he first saw Blue Sky Pass, and that was the case now.
Despite her confusion, she quietly explained, “Everybody who returns from outside must be checked; otherwise, they will not be allowed into the Inner Sanctum.”
Yang Kai immediately understood upon hearing her answer, “Are they worried that Black Ink Disciples might have infiltrated our ranks?”
In terms of external appearance, Black Ink Disciples who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength looked no different from usual. If they mixed themselves into the crowd, they would not be exposed easily.
Feng Ying nodded, “It is not as if such incidents did not occur in the past. A single Black Ink Disciple can cause great losses to a great pass after all. That is why this rule was created. Regardless of who it was, as long as they leave the great pass, they would need to undergo a check upon their return.”
“How do they perform the check?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
She understood his concerns and secretly sent a transmission to him, “Don’t worry. They will not be inspecting your Small Universe. We have other means to perform the check. You will understand later.”
After hearing her say that, he did not ask any more questions and waited patiently.
In any case, their brief exchange had strengthened her belief that Yang Kai was completely clueless about the situation in the great passes. He would not have asked these questions otherwise.
Zhong Liang glanced at her with a hint of enquiry in his eyes. Feng Ying simply shook her head in response, indicating that she did not know anything either.
The speed of the inspection was very fast. Almost as soon as the previous batch entered, the next batch would prepare to enter. In this way, it only took about an hour for the entire Human army that had participated in the battle earlier to enter Blue Sky Pass. Only Zhong Liang, Yang Kai, Feng Ying, Shen Ao, and the others remained.
“Let’s go!” Zhong Liang beckoned and took the lead to step forward. The others quickly followed behind him.
Yang Kai looked around. Although two to three years had passed since he first came to the Black Ink Battlefield, he had spent most of his time serving under Nu Yan. It was not until today that he finally arrived at a great pass guarded by the Human Race; therefore, it was only natural for him to be curious about the situation here.
After entering the gateway, they appeared inside a Grand Hall. The floor of the Grand Hall immediately glowed with mysterious and complicated patterns that released faint Spirit Array fluctuations. Looking around, there was indeed a Spirit Array engraved into the ground of the Grand Hall.
Various orange and red rays of light wandered and moved about in the Spirit Array. Not only were they numerous, but they also moved as though they were alive.
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at the sight. He could tell that this Spirit Array was the key to the inspection process.
Moreover, he also detected the auras of several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters hiding in the shadows outside the Spirit Array and silently observing the people inside. He could clearly sense the wariness radiating from the people who were gathered around the Spirit Array. They were secretly urging their World Force as though they were ready to attack at any time should any abnormalities occur. These people were probably the Human Masters responsible for guarding and monitoring this place.
Everybody stood quietly inside the Spirit Array. During that time, the orange and red rays of light wandered over towards them. It didn’t take long before every one of them was enveloped by the orange and red rays of light.
Under the illumination of these lights, their expressions seemed a little strange. Nevertheless, nothing unusual happened to the others. Only the light enveloping Yang Kai suddenly flickered several times and turned from orange to pitch-black in an instant.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. At that moment, all eyes turned towards Yang Kai. The look in Zhong Liang’s eyes sharpened, and his murderous intent blazed strongly.
Meanwhile, the hidden figures who had been guarding and monitoring the area surrounding the Spirit Array came forward in unison. They instantly surrounded Yang Kai so tightly that not even a breath of air could pass through them unnoticed. In the midst of their haste, they also formed seals with their hands and the person in the lead shouted, “Seal!”
Immediately after that, he summoned many delicate and tiny artifacts specially created for this situation. These artifacts hovered around Yang Kai in all directions and seemed to be connected to each other. With a surge of energy, they turned the space around Yang Kai into a cage and trapped him inside.
Everyone secretly breathed out a sigh of relief once everything was done. Even so, the cultivators in charge of guarding the Spirit Array remained vigilant.
It had been a long time since a similar incident took place. The last incident happened several hundred years ago. A Black Ink Disciple had snuck into this place and activated a Secret Technique that caused him to self-destruct. Although his death did not cause great losses to the Humans, the Black Ink Strength that remained after his death had been very troublesome. It had taken Blue Sky Pass painstaking effort just to remove the remaining Black Ink Strength.
The same thing had occurred today. It was fortunate that every single great pass had since taken precautions against such incidents, so they responded in a timely manner.
The atmosphere in the Grand Hall immediately became solemn.
“Stop!” Feng Ying shouted anxiously, “This is a misunderstanding!”
The people guarding the Spirit Array ignored her and vigilantly kept a watch on Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood there with his head lowered, studying the pitch-black light covering his body. He had some guesses about what was happening; therefore, he immediately raised his hands and stood there quietly to indicate that he would not act rashly.
Zhong Liang calmly stared at Yang Kai for a moment before he turned to look at Feng Ying, “What do you mean?”
Feng Ying shot a look at Yang Kai. It was a signal asking him to remain calm. Quickly walking over to Zhong Liang, she sent him a Divine Sense transmission, “Martial Uncle Zhong, I can guarantee that Yang Kai is not a Black Ink Disciple.”
“How can you guarantee that? The Revealing Black Ink Array has reacted to him. That can only mean that he has Black Ink Strength in his body. If he has Black Ink Strength inside him, how can he not be a Black Ink Disciple?”
She sent another Divine Sense transmission, “It’s true that Yang Kai has Black Ink Strength in his body, but he has not been corrupted by it. He has a World Spring inside his Small Universe!”
Zhong Liang’s eyes narrowed at those words, and he turned to look at her, “One of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring? Are you sure?”
“I’ve inspected him myself. I can guarantee it!” She nodded sincerely, “Martial Uncle, if you don’t believe me, you can always inspect him yourself.”
He nodded sternly, “This is not something that can be done carelessly. I will certainly need to check for myself.”
She whispered, “Martial Uncle, a matter relating to the Four Universe Pillars is a big deal. There are too many eyes here…”
She did not finish her sentence. Even so, how could Zhong Liang not understand what she was implying? The Four Universe Pillars held great significance on the Black Ink Battlefield. For that reason, every single Human Master who possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars was considered a precious talent and resource. The existence of such a person was certainly not something that should be publicised; otherwise, there was no saying what kind of trouble would arise in the future.
Hence, Zhong Liang immediately nodded lightly and raised his hand to dismiss the others, “All of you, stand down and lift the barrier.”
Upon hearing those words, the people guarding the Spirit Array looked at each other in confusion. The leading Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master hesitantly spoke up, “But, Martial Uncle Zhong, the Revealing Black Ink Array, has reacted to this person. He is definitely a Black Ink Disciple. If we remove the barrier, what will happen if he does something strange…”
“I have my own considerations. Just do as I say,” Zhong Liang did not allow for any objections.
Seeing his insistence, the others could not do anything. Zhong Liang was the one in charge of this area after all.
A short while later, the artifacts were retrieved and the barrier that confined Yang Kai was removed; then, everybody left the Grand Hall under Zhong Liang’s command.
Shen Ao and the others turned back to glance at Yang Kai before they left. Their gazes were filled with confusion.
If anybody claimed that Yang Kai was a Black Ink Disciple, they would be the first to refuse such claims. During this period of contact, they had gotten to know what kind of person Yang Kai was and were familiar with his means. How could a person who had a method to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength be a Black Ink Disciple? What’s more, he had transformed into a Grand Dragon to protect his allies just now and massacred a large part of the Black Ink Clan army. There was no saying how many Black Ink Clansmen had died at his hands.
If such a person turned out to be a Black Ink Disciple, then there was no justice left in the world. However, the Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to him. It was extremely baffling. In any case, Zhong Liang had taken matters into his own hands. Even if they were suspicious, they could only wait and see for now.
It didn’t take long before Zhong Liang, Yang Kai, and Feng Ying were the only ones left inside the Grand Hall.
Zhong Liang did not relax his guard. Even though Feng Ying had guaranteed Yang Kai’s identity, he could not confirm anything until he saw the truth for himself.
“Open your Small Universe!” He instructed.
Yang Kai nodded.
Feng Ying opened her mouth and kindly gave a warning, “His Small Universe is a little special. Don’t be too surprised, Martial Uncle.”
Zhong Liang gave her a puzzled glance and thought to himself, [It’s just the World Spring. I already know about it, so why would I be surprised?]
Despite those thoughts, he couldn’t help raising his brow in surprise when his Divine Sense probed into Yang Kai’s Small Universe for inspection. He was absolutely shocked to the core as he began to mutter, “Why is your Small Universe…”
Everyone who inspected Yang Kai’s Small Universe had the same reaction. Yang Kai was used to this by now, so he casually explained, “This Junior is proficient in the Dao of Space, so my Small Universe fully materialized when I first broke through to the Open Heaven Realm. This Junior does not understand the exact reason behind this phenomenon.”
He really did not know the reason why his Small Universe was special. His proficiency in the Dao of Space was probably a factor, but the biggest factor was most likely him integrating the Sealed World Bead when he first advanced into the Open Heaven Realm. In any case, there was no need to explain such things to others.
Zhong Liang exclaimed in astonishment, “What Order were you in when you advanced into the Open Heaven Realm!?”
Yang Kai replied, “Fifth Order!”
The corners of Zhong Liang’s mouth twitched at those words. That was to say that Yang Kai’s Small Universe had already been fully materialized when he was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Zhong Liang recalled how he had worked so hard to cultivate in the past. Even so, he only managed to achieve that feat when he advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was no comparison at all.
The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master would only transform from immaterial to material when they reached the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was both common knowledge and a principle that had been upheld since time immemorial. Zhong Liang dared not say that nobody else would achieve such a feat as a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future, but this phenomenon was definitely unprecedented until today.
He suddenly remembered something and frowned deeply, “Are you part of the Human Race or the Dragon Clan?”
The Dragon Clan prioritised cultivating their bloodline. When their bloodline reached a certain level of purity, they would gain the corresponding strength. Therefore, there was no need for them to split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies. They would not have a Small Universe either.
For that reason, Yang Kai’s situation left him feeling confused.
Yang Kai answered honestly, “This Junior is from the Human Race. It’s just that I carry a Dragon Source in my body.”
Zhong Liang was slightly taken aback by those words. If Yang Kai had a Dragon Source, then it made sense that he could cultivate the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques and assume a Dragon Form.
Nevertheless, Zhong Liang couldn’t help feeling shaken when he recalled the 20,000-metre-long Grand Dragon Form he saw. That was a Grand Dragon after all!
A 10,000-metre-long Dragon was equivalent to an average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. In other words, a 20,000-metre-long Dragon had strength on par with a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
At the same time, he finally understood why Yang Kai’s attitude was different from the Dragon Clan that he had heard about in rumours. It was because Yang Kai could not be considered a part of the Pureblood Dragon Clan at all.
After that, Zhong Liang immersed himself in the investigation and saw the World Spring in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The effects of the World Spring suppressed and sealed the Small Universe so that it became impervious to external influences. He smacked his lips at the sight and revealed a look of envy.
Who would not wish to possess one of the Four Universe Pillars? That was especially true on the Black Ink Battlefield. If one had one of the Four Universe Pillars, they would not need to worry about becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength. That would put them in a very advantageous position in a battle against the Black Ink Clan. Unfortunately, these treasures were extremely rare and hard to find. Only those with great destiny could come across such treasures.
Zhong Liang also saw the Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Unable to stop himself, he asked curiously, “Does it not affect you to have Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “It doesn’t affect me at all. In fact, there are times when this Junior used Black Ink Strength to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple. It was by relying on this ability that this Junior survived for two years among the Black Ink Clan.”
While saying so, he controlled the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe and his eyes instantly turned pitch-black.
The corners of Zhong Liang’s mouth twitched, “You spent two years within the Black Ink Clan?”
That was extremely shocking information. Since time immemorial, there had never been anybody among the Human Race who could remain safe and sound after spending two years among the Black Ink Clan. Even with the protection of the World Spring, doing that was far too daring.
Feng Ying spoke up, “I was just about to tell you about this matter, Martial Uncle. It’s all thanks to Yang Kai that this Disciple managed to return.”
“What happened?” Zhong Liang asked.
Thus, she briefly recounted everything that happened to her. She spoke about how she had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength of a Black Ink Territory Lord, used a Secret Technique to escape danger, and killed a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman. Afterwards, Yang Kai took the initiative to reveal his identity and joined forces with her to rescue the Black Ink Disciples. In the end, they finally managed to gather 300 allies before they proceeded to make their way back.
Even though Zhong Liang was well-learned and very knowledgeable, he couldn’t help widening his eyes in astonishment after listening to her explanation. It was not until she finally finished speaking that he took a deep breath and asked, “Did you just say he had the means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength? Also, those people who came back with you were originally Black Ink Disciples?”
“That’s right.” Feng Ying nodded sincerely, “You should have seen his ability before, Martial Uncle. He performed that Secret Technique once when he aided this Disciple in the fight against the Territory Lord earlier.”
The realization struck Zhong Liang, “Are you referring to that white light?”
There was no way he did not have a deep impression of the Purifying Light. He had never seen such a pure white light that shone as brightly as the sun on the Black Ink Battlefield before. At the time, he had suspected that the death of the Territory Lord was likely related to the white light. From what he could tell at the moment, his guess seemed to be correct. It turned out to be the Black Ink Strength’s nemesis!
Zhong Liang was shocked to his core!
The fact that Yang Kai possessed a World Spring had astonished him greatly; nevertheless, that was nothing compared to learning about the existence of the Purifying Light!
It was true that the World Spring was a powerful treasure, allowing one to never fear the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength or worry about being corrupted by it. But, that was something that would only benefit one individual. Nobody else could enjoy the benefits of the World Spring but its owner.
On the other hand, Purifying Light was different. Purifying Light was the means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength, which was something that could benefit the entire Human Race. The hundreds of people who Feng Ying led back here were living examples.
The conflict between the Human Race and Black Ink Clan had gone on for far too long.
Although the Black Ink Clan had been trapped in the Black Ink Battlefield and could not invade the 3,000 Worlds easily, the Human Race was helpless to destroy the Black Ink Clan. That was especially true when it came to the corrosion of Black Ink Strength.
Since ancient times, many elites among the Human Race had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and turned into enemies. Faced with these people who used to be comrades, close friends, and even relatives who fought side-by-side with each other on the battlefield, they could only suppress their tears and ruthlessly kill them.
It was not that they had never tried to rescue these people. In the past, they had captured the Black Ink Disciples alive and tried various means to dispel the Black Ink Strength from their bodies. Unfortunately, even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors were powerless to do anything about the Black Ink Strength.
And yet, there was now someone who could do what even an Old Ancestor had failed to.
How could Zhong Liang not be shocked? He immediately realised that Yang Kai’s very existence was critical to the entire Human Race. The means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength would surely rewrite the unchanging situation that had existed since time immemorial on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Grabbing Yang Kai by the arm, Zhong Liang tightened his grip with an emotional expression on his face, “Come! We must meet the Old Ancestor!”
This matter was far too important and had to be reported to the Old Ancestor directly. Besides, they had been trapped on the Black Ink Battlefield for so many years, so such good news would absolutely boost morale greatly.
“Please make the arrangements, Senior!” Yang Kai nodded. In any case, he had been planning to meet the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who was in charge of Blue Sky Pass already since he needed to make a report about the Void Corridor.
Zhong Liang grabbed Yang Kai and hurried inside. All of a sudden, he seemed to recall something and turned back to look at Feng Ying, “How many people know that he has the World Spring?”
He did not ask how many people knew about Yang Kai’s Purifying Light. Since everyone who came with them was rescued by Yang Kai, they would surely have seen the white light before; hence, there was no need to ask. That was not something that needed to be concealed anyway. On the contrary, it would be better if the news were to spread. Such good news would greatly reduce their worries on the battlefield and allow their allies to fight the Black Ink Clan without fear.
Good news like this could greatly affect the trend of the battlefield by allowing the Human Masters to let loose and fight the Black Ink Clan without reserve.
Feng Ying replied, “Among those who came back, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters should know since they were hiding in his Small Universe.”
The 300 or so Black Ink Disciples who were rescued previously had been divided and hidden inside the Small Universe of Feng Ying and the other Seventh-Order Masters. Since Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could only take Fifth-Order Masters along with him.
Zhong Liang frowned slightly at those words. That was going to be troublesome. Purifying Light was something that should be heavily publicised, but the existence of the World Spring was something that needed to be concealed. Once this matter was exposed, it might attract trouble instead.
After hearing the exchange, Yang Kai chimed in, “Don’t worry, Senior. I might have accepted some of the Fifth-Order Masters into my Small Universe, but I did not reveal the existence of the World Spring to them.”
There were too many secrets in his Small Universe. If nothing else, there was the large population of the Small Stone Race and various other living beings that he raised in his Small Universe. The mountains of Yellow and Blue Crystals were also being stored in his Small Universe. These were not things that Yang Kai would expose so easily; therefore, he had deliberately blocked the perception of the Fifth-Order Masters when he took them into his Small Universe and only delineated a small area for them to use. In that way, they were unable to see anything that was placed beyond the boundaries of this area.
Just like the time when he allowed Zhong Liang to inspect his Small Universe, Yang Kai had only revealed the World Spring and the existence of the Black Ink Strength that was suppressed and sealed inside his body. He only allowed Zhong Liang to see what he wanted Zhong Liang to see. Nothing else had been revealed.
Zhong Liang nodded lightly in response, “Good.”
He had planned to ask Feng Ying to warn those Fifth-Order Masters so that they kept the existence of the World Spring a secret, but it would now seem that he was saved the trouble of doing that. From this incident, it could be seen that Yang Kai was a meticulous person who acted cautiously.
“You should get some rest. I’ll take him to the Old Ancestor,” Zhong Liang instructed before he hurried inside.
Feng Ying respectfully saw them off.
As soon as Yang Kai and Zhong Liang exited the Grand Hall, they saw a large crowd waiting for them outside. These people were allies who fought side-by-side on the battlefield earlier and the 300 or so Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai and the others brought back.
Upon seeing Yang Kai emerge from the Grand Hall, the cultivators, who were former Black Ink Disciples corrupted by Black Ink Strength, stepped forward with Shen Ao and the others in the lead. They cupped their fists to express their overflowing gratitude. It was just that Zhong Liang was also here, so they could not thank Yang Kai in person.
For them, it could almost be said that they had gained a new life. If Yang Kai had not removed the Black Ink Strength from their bodies, they would still be Black Ink Disciples right now. They might even have followed their Black Ink Clan Masters to this battlefield to kill their own clansmen in battle.
On the other hand, the Seventh-Order Masters in charge of guarding and monitoring the Revealing Black Ink Array stared at Yang Kai in amazement. The Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to him, which could only mean that his body contained Black Ink Strength. In other words, he was a Black Ink Disciple; even so, Zhong Liang had ushered him into the Inner Sanctum for some reason.
The situation left them puzzled indeed. What’s more, judging from the reactions of the surrounding crowd, this young man who was suspected of being a Black Ink Disciple seemed to hold great prestige among this group of people.
[Just what is going on?] The Seventh-Order guards looked at each other, feeling speechless.
Zhong Liang ignored them and waved the crowd away, “Why are you all loitering around here!? Quickly get some rest and recover your strength! This war is not over yet!”
Although they had obtained an absolute victory in the battle earlier, based on their experience over the years, the Black Ink Clan’s forces would not be pushed back in such a short amount of time. That feat would require years of effort. The Black Ink Clan would only withdraw their forces when they could not endure the losses any longer. For that reason, the duration of the war could be long or short. The shortest battles had lasted for three to five years, while the longest ones had dragged on for several decades to a century.
In any case, even if the Black Ink Clan withdrew their forces, the Human Race had no means to annihilate the Black Ink Clan completely; therefore, the Black Ink Clan would always rise again after a period of time.
For countless years, this vicious cycle had been repeated over and over again. The Human Race had stationed themselves at the various great passes to guard the last line of defence for the sake of the 3,000 Worlds.
Walking behind Zhong Liang, Yang Kai looked around in amazement.
The scenery inside Blue Sky Pass did not look very different from what one would see inside a city. There were houses situated along both sides of the wide and spacious streets, but of course there were no shops. Although these houses looked like places for people to live in, they seemed to be deserted at this moment. Even the occasional passing cultivator seemed to be in a hurry.
“Isn’t there a little too few people?” Yang Kai muttered.
Zhong Liang explained, “The great passes are basically made up of two lines of defence. The first line of defence is the outermost barrier that you saw earlier. The second line of defence is where the Revealing Black Ink Array is located. Now that war has broken out, most of the people have rushed to the first line of defence. Even if some of them withdrew from battle, they would be resting in their respective residences. That is why the Inner Sanctum is relatively deserted at the moment. Truthfully, the Inner Sanctum is quite lively when we are not at war…”
After saying that, he turned to glance at Yang Kai, “I forgot to ask. Where do you hail from?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “This Junior can be considered part of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but I was not born into Yin-Yang Heaven.”
Whenever he introduced himself to others before, he had always claimed to be a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple. The main reason was that he couldn’t be bothered to explain the nuances of his situation. Be that as it may, Zhong Liang’s status was different. He was an Eighth-Order Ancestor, so it would be better to tell him the truth.
Zhong Liang was curious, “If you were not born in Yin-Yang Heaven, then how are you considered part of it?”
Yang Kai blushed slightly as he explained, “This Junior married a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, so I can be considered a Yin-Yang Heaven’s Son-in-law.”
Zhong Liang’s mouth fell open slightly. All of a sudden, he patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “How lucky. The women of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven are quite a catch.”
Generally speaking, the female disciples of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises would not marry outside their respective Sects; however, if an individual had outstanding aptitude, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would not hesitate to win these individuals over.
Yang Kai’s various performances had not escaped Zhong Liang’s notice. This boy was truly outstanding.
In Zhong Liang’s opinion, it was not strange for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to use the marriage of their female disciples as a means to win over a rising star like Yang Kai. Nevertheless, he would never have imagined that Yang Kai was not just marrying a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple but two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples, one of which was a Core Disciple. If he knew, he would have been shocked.
“There are also some people from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven here at Blue Sky Pass. I’ll introduce you to them if I get the chance!” Zhong Liang said casually.
“Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai cupped his fist and said curiously, “Isn’t Blue Sky Pass the great pass guarded by Blue Sky Paradise? Why are there people from other Cave Heavens and Paradises here?”
This was something he noticed earlier. Some of the Open Heaven Realm Masters who appeared on the battlefield earlier were clearly not from Blue Sky Paradise; he could tell because their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques clearly came from other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Zhong Liang replied, “Blue Sky Pass is indeed named after Blue Sky Paradise, and the one overseeing Blue Sky Pass is an Old Ancestor from Blue Sky Paradise. Be that as it may, the people here come from all over the 3,000 Worlds. In fact, there are people from almost every Cave Heaven or Paradise here. How could there only be people from Blue Sky Paradise? You should know that every Cave Heaven and Paradise has their own strengths and weaknesses. Only with sincere cooperation can we bring together each other’s strengths and make up for our respective weaknesses. That is the case at Blue Sky Pass and all other great passes.”
After listening to the explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. It would seem that his previous understanding had been flawed.
Zhong Liang furrowed his brow slightly at that moment as he muttered, “You don’t seem to have much knowledge about the great passes.”
Logically speaking, as long as a person resided in any of the great passes for a few days, they would naturally learn about such common knowledge; however, Yang Kai’s behaviour seemed to indicate that this was his first time at one of the great passes.
Yang Kai quietly said, “I will be truthful, Senior. I am mostly ignorant about the great passes. Moreover, this is also my first time coming to one of the great passes.”
Zhong Liang was astonished, “How can that be? If that’s the case, then how were you captured by the Black Ink Clan?”
He previously assumed that Yang Kai had been captured by the Black Ink Clan on one of the battlefields. Consequently, Yang Kai had been forced to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple and followed the Black Ink Clan back to their territory. But now, that did not seem to be the case.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I cannot tell you the exact reason, but the truth will come to light when this Junior meets with the Old Ancestor.”
Zhong Liang stared at Yang Kai for a while. He could not understand what in the world could be so difficult to say to him. As an Eighth-Order Ancestor, what was there that he was not allowed to know? Nevertheless, seeing as Yang Kai had said as much, there must be some sort of secret involved. It was not right for him to probe further, so he simply said, “Good. However, you might not be able to meet the Old Ancestor right now.”
“The Old Ancestor is wounded,” Before Yang Kai could inquire about the matter, Zhong Liang took the initiative to explain.
Yang Kai was taken aback! Someone with the title ‘Old Ancestor’ could only be a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How could a person like that be wounded!? In the next moment though, he quickly understood, “Was the Old Ancestor injured during the battle with the Black Ink Royal Lord?”
The only one who could harm an Old Ancestor was a Royal Lord from the Black Ink Clan. It would seem that the disturbance caused by the Old Ancestor’s attack that Yang Kai sensed previously when he was in the Black Ink Clan’s territory had belonged to the Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass.
Not long after the attack, the Royal Lord had led the Black Ink Clan army in pursuit of the Human army. He probably exchanged blows with the Old Ancestor at the time, which resulted in the Old Ancestor being injured in the process.
Zhong Liang nodded, “The Old Ancestor might be wounded, but that Royal Lord is in no better condition. We have no idea where the enemy’s leader is hiding to treat his wounds at the moment. For the time being, we will have to see who between them recovers first. That will determine the outcome of this battle!”
The strongest combatants on both sides had been injured and were busy recuperating; otherwise, their presence would definitely have been seen on the battlefield. In any case, the one who recovered first would obtain the absolute advantage. That was the reason why Zhong Liang could not be sure whether Yang Kai could gain an audience with the Old Ancestor right now. If this matter was not urgent, Zhong Liang would not have even considered disturbing the Old Ancestor at a time like this; after all, it was extremely important for the Old Ancestor to recover from his wounds. It was just that Yang Kai’s ability to purify Black Ink Strength was also extremely important, so they had to report this matter to the Old Ancestor as soon as possible.
There was a solitary mountain in the middle of Blue Sky Pass that towered high into the clouds. On top of the solitary mountain stood a majestic palace. That was the place where the Old Ancestor cultivated in retreat. He normally lived here in seclusion and rarely revealed himself without a reason.
Flight was not prohibited inside the Inner Sanctum, and it did not take long for Zhong Liang to guide Yang Kai to the palace located at the top of the solitary mountain. There were several figures standing guard outside the palace, and each one of them had a profound aura. Even the weakest among them was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was also an Eighth-Order Ancestor standing guard in the open, right before the doors, just in case an accident occurred.
Upon detecting movement, the Eighth-Order Ancestor, who had been sitting down cross-legged and resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes slightly and stood up to block their path.
“Senior Brother Sun!” Zhong Liang stepped forward in greeting.
Senior Brother Sun nodded lightly. Glancing at Yang Kai who was following behind Zhong Liang curiously, he asked, “Junior Brother Zhong, what is so urgent for you to come here?”
As Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors, Senior Brother Sun believed that Zhong Liang knew better and would not come here at this time unless there was something important.
“I have something to report to the Old Ancestor!” Zhong Liang replied. Stepping forward, he secretly explained the situation in detail to Senior Brother Sun via transmission.
At first, Senior Brother Sun listened with an indifferent expression, but it didn’t take long before his eyes contracted in astonishment. He turned to stare at Yang Kai in shock and anxiously asked, “Is that possible!?”
Zhong Liang nodded solemnly, “Feng Ying told me herself. Besides, those hundreds of people have already entered the Inner Sanctum. The information is trustworthy.”
Senior Brother Sun frowned, “Didn’t you verify the truth with your own eyes?”
Zhong Liang asked, “How do we verify this matter?”
Senior Brother Sun pondered in silence for a moment, “Capture a Black Ink Disciple and bring them back.”
Zhong Liang stared at Senior Brother Sun with his mouth agape, seeming to ask ‘are you serious!?’ with his expression. Even if he was an Eighth-Order Master, it was not easy to capture a Black Ink Disciple alive on that chaotic battlefield.
Senior Brother Sun glared at Zhong Liang, “This is an important matter! It’s better to be careful! Go quickly!”
Helpless, Zhong Liang could only answer, “Fine, fine, I’ll go.”
Yang Kai listened to the conversation from the side and vaguely guessed the contents of their conversation. Thus, he immediately cupped his fist and said, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble. If you wish to verify this matter, Senior, this disciple can show you at any time.”
Senior Brother Sun raised a brow at those words, “How will you do that?”
Zhong Liang slapped his forehead, “I forgot, he has Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside his Small Universe!” Turning around, he explained the situation to Senior Brother Sun, “This brat is extremely blessed. He possesses a World Spring, so he does not fear becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Moreover, he is bold and reckless. By suppressing and sealing Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe, he disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple and lived among the Black Ink Clan for a few years!”
Senior Brother Sun stared at Yang Kai, so shocked that his mouth fell open slightly. This was absolutely astounding information. Even with a World Spring, it was crazy for anybody to suppress and seal Black Ink Strength inside their Small Universe. Not to mention, Yang Kai had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple and lived among the Black Ink Clan for several years… Someone who did this could no longer be described as courageous, only reckless would suffice! Nevertheless, this would indeed save them a lot of trouble.
Senior Brother Sun nodded at Yang Kai and said, “This is an important matter. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I must verify the truth with my own eyes.”
Yang Kai nodded to indicate that he understood. Raising his hand, he opened the portal to his Small Universe and a mass of Black Ink Strength immediately poured out from within.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in charge of protecting this place had no idea what was going on, so they were shocked to see the pitch-black Black Ink Strength. Thinking that a Black Ink Disciple had infiltrated this place, they instinctively pushed their World Force. It was fortunate that Senior Brother Sun stopped them in time.
Senior Brother Sun stared intently at Yang Kai’s movements and soon saw Yang Kai’s hands glowing with two different-coloured lights. When Yang Kai pressed his palms together, the two different-coloured lights transformed into a pure white light!
Zhong Liang raised his brow slightly at the sight. It was that same white light! He had personally witnessed the white light inflicting great harm on the Black Ink Territory Lord he fought earlier. There was no doubt that the Black Ink Territory Lord had shown a panicked expression when enveloped by the white light; however, what he witnessed from afar could not compare to the shock he experienced at this moment. Under his Divine Sense perception, he could tell that the white light was completely pure and flawless.
The white light loomed over the Black Ink Strength, then they came into contact with each other in the next moment. The thick Black Ink Strength quickly vaporized and vanished out of sight. Only the white light remained without disappearing!
The Seventh-Order Masters, who reacted as though they were facing a great enemy earlier, were now dumbfounded by what they just witnessed. Even Senior Brother Sun was shocked beyond words. A long while passed before he said, “Astonishing!”
Although the white light did not contain strong destructive power, it had the effect of purifying the Black Ink Strength. That alone was worthy of his high evaluation.
“Please wait here. I will inform the Old Ancestor of your arrival, but I cannot guarantee that you will receive a response. The Old Ancestor is in the middle of recovery after all,” Senior Brother Sun said before he turned around and entered the palace.
Zhong Liang and Yang Kai waited patiently; meanwhile, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters studied Yang Kai intently, as though they were trying to figure out something from his body.
The Black Ink Strength that Yang Kai brought out earlier had already been dispelled, but the white light continued to exist. Zhong Liang couldn’t help feeling curious. Reaching out to touch the light, he discovered that it actually gave off an extremely gentle and comforting feeling.
“Can this still be used?” Zhong Liang asked.
Yang Kai nodded in reply, “It should still be effective, but it won’t last for long.”
Zhong Liang smacked his lips, “That’s such a waste.”
He was tempted to capture a Black Ink Disciple and throw them into the white light. In that way, the Black Ink Strength in the Black Ink Disciple would be dispelled and the Black Ink Disciple would regain mental clarity.
Yang Kai had already noticed this issue some time ago. There were many times when Purifying Light went to waste. Even after dispelling Black Ink Strength from the bodies of the Black Ink Disciples, the effects of the Purifying Light would not dissipate completely depending on its initial intensity. It was obvious that the light could still be used, but he could only let it go to waste as there was nothing to use it on.
It had to be said that the Purifying Light was formed from the power of the Yellow and Blue Crystals; therefore, it was these precious Yin and Yang Element materials that were being wasted.
Not long afterwards, Senior Brother Sun returned from inside the palace. Zhong Liang hurriedly looked over only to see Senior Brother Sun shaking his head slowly, “The Old Ancestor did not respond. He is probably at a critical juncture in his recovery.”
There was nothing Zhong Liang could do after hearing that statement; after all, he could not forcibly interrupt the Old Ancestor who was in the midst of healing. If anything were to happen to the Old Ancestor, he would not be able to bear the consequences.
Senior Brother Sun quickly followed up, “When the Old Ancestor comes out of retreat, I will inform him about this matter. In any case, Yang Kai is already in the Inner Sanctum. There’s no need to be anxious.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “That’s the only way.”
“But, what do you plan to do now?” Senior Brother Sun asked.
Naturally, Zhong Liang understood what Senior Brother Sun meant, “This matter cannot be concealed. In any case, it is not something that needs to be concealed either. I plan to announce this information to everyone. This is an uplifting piece of news, especially now that war has broken out. This information will allow the disciples to fight without worries, which will in turn boost their morale.”
Senior Brother Sun pondered for a while, “Good. The problem that has plagued us for so long has been resolved. This will certainly boost morale among the ranks. Do as you see fit.”
Zhong Liang replied, “Then, I will gather those old farts in the conference hall and announce this news to them.”
“Go ahead. I will inform the Old Ancestor about this matter as soon as possible. I’m sure the Old Ancestor will also agree with the plan.”
Zhong Liang cupped his fist and sent a Divine Sense transmission to remind Senior Brother Sun, “Senior Brother, the fact that this boy possesses the World Spring cannot be exposed.”
Senior Brother Sun understood, “Don’t worry. I will take care of it.”
Likewise, Senior Brother Sun understood what Zhong Liang was worried about. If it was revealed that Yang Kai possessed the World Spring, it would surely attract trouble.
Zhong Liang thanked Senior Brother Sun and quickly departed with Yang Kai. Along the way, he took out a communication device and sent out several messages. A short while later, a stream of light sped towards them. A figure was revealed when the stream of light came close. It turned out to be Feng Ying.
“Martial Uncle!” Feng Ying cupped her fist in greeting. It was apparent that she had been summoned by Zhong Liang.
Zhong Liang instructed, “Lead him to the Main Conference Hall and wait for me there. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes!” She responded. Tilting her head to signal Yang Kai, she led him in a certain direction. On the other hand, Zhong Liang headed towards the outside of the great pass.
Along the way, Feng Ying asked, “Have you met the Old Ancestor?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “The Old Ancestor is recovering, so I didn’t manage to meet him.”
She was taken aback, “Is the Old Ancestor injured!?”
It had not been long since she returned, so she was not informed about the Old Ancestor’s injury.
“I heard Senior Zhong mention that the Royal Lord is in a similar condition. The Royal Lord is currently hiding somewhere to treat his wounds. At present, it all depends on who recovers first. The one who wins this race will hold the absolute advantage on the battlefield.”
Feng Ying nodded lightly. It was not the first time the Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass and the Royal Lord of this region had fought each other. Every time the Black Ink Clan launched an assault on Blue Sky Pass, the Royal Lord would step forward to keep the Old Ancestor in check. There was no other choice. The Royal Lord had to join the battle personally; otherwise, no amount of Black Ink Clansmen could ever hope to stop the Old Ancestor if he stood on the front lines.
“Why does Martial Uncle Zhong want you to go to the Main Conference Hall?” She inquired further.
Yang Kai answered, “He seems to believe that word of the Purifying Light will boost morale, so he plans to announce it to everyone.”
Feng Ying instantly understood, “It will certainly be beneficial. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with publicising this information. This matter cannot be hidden anyway. Everybody will know about it sooner or later.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had no intention of hiding this ability as it could restrain Black Ink Strength after all. If this ability could benefit his allies, then he would be happy to cooperate.
It did not take long for the pair to arrive outside a Grand Hall; however, they did not enter and simply waited outside. The hall was empty without a figure in sight, but after waiting for some time, a figure came towards them from a distance and soon landed not far away. The person who arrived was burly and had a head of dishevelled hair, like a raging wild lion.
“Martial Uncle Zhao!” Feng Ying faced the person who just arrived and bowed in greeting. Yang Kai also bowed slightly from where he stood behind her.
On the other hand, Martial Uncle Zhao stared at Feng Ying in surprise, “Feng Girl, you’re back! Didn’t they say that you were left behind in Black Ink Clan territory? How did you manage to return?”
She replied, “I was lucky to survive.”
As for how she managed to return, she did not explain in detail.
He nodded lightly, “You will surely receive a great blessing after surviving such a difficult ordeal. Don’t squander your opportunity. I hope that you can slaughter even more Black Ink Clansmen on the battlefield from now on.”
She responded affirmatively.
After that, he stuck his head into the hall and looked around before he frowningly asked, “Brother Zhong summoned us here, so why isn’t he here? Did something happen?”
She respectfully answered, “Martial Uncle Zhong has something important to announce. Unfortunately, this Disciple does not know the exact details. Please enter first, Martial Uncle Zhao. Martial Uncle Zhong will be here soon.”
“En,” Martial Uncle Zhao nodded. Then, he strode into the Conference Hall and randomly found a place to sit and wait.
Martial Uncle Zhao had only just entered the hall when numerous streams of lights came flying over from all directions. Every one of them was an Eighth-Order Master. They were clearly the people in charge of the various front lines on the battlefield. In other words, they had the same status as Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai stood outside the hall, greeting each arrival in succession. As the guests entered, Feng Ying told Yang Kai who was from which Cave Heaven or Paradise.
Although there were tens of thousands of Masters in Blue Sky Pass, there were only a handful of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them. In fact, there were only several dozen in total. Feng Ying had been living here for thousands of years, so it was only natural for her to know them all.
These Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could be said to be the pillars of every great pass. Every one of them was an incredibly valuable asset and they basically held important positions that placed them in charge of commanding the Human army and protecting the various defence lines.
As expected, there was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. It was just that he did not know Yang Kai’s origins, so he did not pay much attention to him. Besides, this was not a place where people made connections to climb up the social ladder.
Yang Kai simply memorised the name and appearance of this Eighth-Order Master without saying too much to the other party.
Most of the Eighth-Order Masters who came here were acquainted with Feng Ying. Some of them glanced at Yang Kai but did not pay much attention to him; however, Yang Kai felt as though the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Xi He Paradise had been observing him closely. The other party even seemed to have a look of doubt on his face when he entered the Conference Hall. Nevertheless, he did not say anything to Yang Kai.
In the end, Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering whether it was simply his own misunderstanding.
Everybody waited in the hall for some time, but there was still no sign of Zhong Liang anywhere. It didn’t take long before somebody lost their patience and complained, “What the Hell is that old fart Zhong doing!? I have an ongoing battle at the moment. Why did he send an urgent message to summon us here!? Is he playing a joke on us!? Where is that old fart Zhong!?”
“Brother Zhang, please don’t be so impatient. Since we received an urgent message from Brother Zhong, then it must be something important. Although you have an ongoing battle, the outcome will not be determined for some time yet. It’s time to let the subordinates under our command rest for a while.” Somebody earnestly responded. It would seem that this person was quite open-minded.
“Speaking of which, have you visited the Old Ancestor? Are his injuries severe?”
“I’ve sent a message and received a response claiming that Old Ancestor is in the middle of recovery, so I didn’t dare to disturb him. I don’t think it’s very serious. It’s not the first time something like this has happened after all. Old Ancestor is treating his wounds, as is the Royal Lord. It’s the same for both sides.”
“If I had to say, we should find an opportunity to charge forward. Once we find the place where the Royal Lord is recuperating, we can vanquish him. In that way, the war will go smoothly for us.”
“Brother, you’re not a child anymore. Why are you spewing such nonsensical words? The place where the Royal Lord is recuperating will surely be under strict guard! We might be able to charge forward, but we won’t be able to return alive! You should think before you speak!”
“Who did you just call brainless!?”
“Of course, I’m referring to the person who answered!”
…
For a time, the quarrel became very fierce. There was no saying whether these two quarrelling Eighth-Order Masters did not get along with each other in the first place, but as soon as they started arguing, they started to roll up their sleeves to get physical. Consequently, the people around them panicked and quickly stepped in to calm them down.
Outside the hall, Feng Ying and Yang Kai glanced at each other with speechless expressions.
Eighth-Order Masters held highly revered positions, so most people had the impression that they were all stern-looking and dignified people. Who could have imagined that these Eighth-Order Ancestors would be squabbling inside the Conference Hall like hawkers at the market? If news were to spread out to the public, nobody would believe the truth.
A stream of light suddenly sped over from a distance and landed in front of the two. It was Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai bowed in unison and looked up only to see Zhong Liang holding a person in his grasp. That person was clearly a Black Ink Disciple. His eyes were filled with inky darkness, and although there was a seal placed on his body that suppressed his strength and prevented him from circulating his power, he continued to struggle endlessly against his restraints.
Upon seeing this Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai immediately had a vague understanding of Zhong Liang’s intentions. No matter how beautiful his words were, nobody would believe them without proof; therefore, Zhong Liang had obviously rushed to the battlefield outside the great pass and captured a Black Ink Disciple so that Yang Kai could use Purifying Light in front of everyone.
Zhong Liang nodded and directed his words at Yang Kai, “Come with me.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded affirmatively; then, he followed Zhong Liang into the hall.
The noise inside the hall died down abruptly. Many people turned to stare at them in astonishment, wondering why Zhong Liang had captured and brought a Black Ink Disciple here.
“Brother Zhong, you’re finally here!” Somebody remarked.
“I’ve made you wait,” Zhong Liang cupped his fist apologetically, “It’s just that this is a very important matter, so I had to take some time to prepare.”
While speaking, he threw the Black Ink Disciple in his grasp to the ground. The Black Ink Disciple might have been placed under a seal, but his movements were unimpeded. Thus, he quickly stood up and looked around cautiously.
Everybody in the room was also scrutinising the Black Ink Disciple. All the people present in this room were Eighth-Order Masters, so this Black Ink Disciple did not pose any threat to them. Be that as it may, they had a vague guess that Zhong Liang’s announcement had something to do with the Black Ink Disciples. There was no need for him to capture one otherwise.
“What is going on, Brother Zhong? Can’t you tell us now? The front lines are still fighting. It will be a problem if we remain here for too long,” somebody urged.
Zhong Liang nodded. Just as he was about to speak, somebody else suddenly interrupted the conversation, “Brother Zhong, before you begin, there is something I want to confirm.”
Zhong Liang turned to look in that direction and nodded, “Please speak, Brother Tian.”
Likewise, Yang Kai glanced in that direction and discovered that the person who spoke earlier was the same person who was staring intently at him earlier. At the time, he had the feeling that this person’s gaze contained some sort of deeper meaning, but could not be sure. It would now seem that his guess was correct. He recalled that Feng Ying had introduced this person as Tian Xiu Zhu of Xi He Paradise.
Tian Xiu Zhu said, “I heard a message from a disciple under my command claiming that the Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to a certain individual when a group of people entered the Inner Sanctum earlier; however, you insisted on bringing him into the Inner Sanctum. Is that true, Brother Zhong?”
Zhong Liang frowned slightly. He knew that the person who sent the message was most likely one of the people guarding the Revealing Black Ink Array. Even so, he could not blame the other party. They were simply carrying out their duties. Unable to prevent him from bringing Yang Kai into the Inner Sanctum when he insisted, they could only send a message to the Ancestors of their respective Cave Heavens and Paradises to ask them to investigate and determine the truth of the incident.
[It looks like I won’t be able to keep this matter hidden anymore.] Zhong Liang smacked his lips. [I had hoped to avoid attracting trouble, but it looks like I won’t be able to avoid this issue.]
In the end, he nodded, “It’s true!”
Seeing his admission, somebody exclaimed in astonishment, “If the Revealing Black Ink Array reacted, that can only mean that they have Black Ink Strength in their body. That person is a Black Ink Disciple! How can you bring such a person into the Inner Sanctum, Brother Zhong? Could it be this person?”
That person glanced at the Black Ink Disciple that Zhong Liang had just brought in.
Tian Xiu Zhu shook his head, “It’s not this Black Ink Disciple. If my guess is correct, that person should have been him. Am I right?”
While speaking, he glanced towards Yang Kai, who was standing next to Zhong Liang.
Yang Kai bowed politely, “Junior Yang Kai greets Seniors!”
Many people studied Yang Kai curiously. Some people seemed confused while others seemed thoughtful. Zhong Liang sighed softly and looked at Tian Xiu Zhu, “Brother Tian, what are you trying to say?”
Tian Xiu Zhu said, “Brother Zhong, you insisted on bringing this boy into the Inner Sanctum without even placing a restriction on him. That can only mean that you are not worried about him in the slightest; however, the Revealing Black Ink Array could not have been mistaken. In other words, he most likely has Black Ink Strength in his body. But, judging by his appearance and actions, he does not seem like a Black Ink Disciple. Despite having Black Ink Strength in his body, he is not being corrupted by it. Looking at this situation, doesn’t anything come to mind?”
Somebody suddenly understood and shouted, “A Four Universe Pillar!?”
A series of gasps rang out, and many pairs of eyes flashed with interest at those words. Another person asked excitedly, “Does the boy really possess one of the Four Universe Pillars!?”
Only those who possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars would not be converted into a Black Ink Disciple despite having Black Ink Strength in their body. It was not as if something similar had never happened before; after all, Yang Kai was not the only person with a Four Universe Pillar among the Human Race.
With a Four Universe Pillar protecting their Small Universe, it stood to reason that Black Ink Strength could not invade one’s body regardless of the circumstances. However, it was a different case altogether if they took the initiative to open the portal to their Small Universe and accept Black Ink Strength into their Small Universe.
In the past, many Human Masters with the Four Universe Pillars had carried out various experiments to accept Black Ink Strength into their Small Universe. They wanted to see if the corrosion of Black Ink Strength was stronger or the power of the Four Universe Pillars was greater. The results naturally spoke for themselves. Those who possessed the Four Universe Pillars would not be affected in any way even if they opened the portal to their Small Universe and drew in Black Ink Strength.
Although this matter could be considered a secret, all the people present in this room were Eighth-Order Masters who had heard about this matter to some extent. That was why some of them immediately guessed the truth once they heard Tian Xiu Zhu’s statement.
Zhong Liang scowled deeply. Faced with so many inquiring eyes, he knew that he could not keep the secret hidden any longer even though he wanted to for Yang Kai. He had repeatedly reminded Feng Ying and the Senior Brother standing guard for the Old Ancestor not to reveal the secret that Yang Kai possessed a World Spring. His actions were to prevent these exact kinds of situations from happening.
Unfortunately, he failed to prevent such a situation in the end. The disciples guarding the Revealing Black Ink Array had sent a message to Tian Xiu Zhu, and the quick-witted Tian Xiu Zhu managed to deduce the truth based on such meagre information.
Hence, Zhong Liang nodded with a sullen expression, “Brother Tian is correct. Yang Kai does indeed possess one of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring.”
Despite having some guesses, the crowd could barely conceal the joy on their faces when they heard him confirming their speculations.
Somebody then asked, “Which Cave Heaven or Paradise does this boy come from?”
Zhong Liang turned to the side and looked at Yang Kai, indicating for him to explain the situation himself.
Yang Kai glanced at one of the elderly men and cupped his fist, “This Disciple married two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples and became a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Son-in-Law. Greetings, Elder Lu!”