The drawbacks of using the Universe Transference Law were too great, and it had to be performed under extremely stable conditions. Right now, at a critical point between life and death, how could any Squad member still be able to use the Universe Transference Law?
The only thing they could do was make a desperate attempt to resist by relying on their positional advantages under the leadership of the two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in their Squad.
It was also fortunate that this Squad had two Seventh-Order Masters. If there had been only one of them, then they might not have held on this long.
The Black Ink Clansmen were all hiding themselves in the Black Ink Cloud and using it as a cover as they came in and out to attack occasionally, or they would use Secret Techniques to stir things up for the Human cultivators from within the cloud. As time passed, the circle formed by the Black Ink Cloud was rapidly shrinking, leaving the Human Squad with no place to retreat.
It was at this point that Dawning Light came to their rescue.
The Black Ink Clansmen inside of the Black Ink Cloud had clearly noticed Dawning Light’s arrival. As a certain part of the Black Ink Cloud stirred, a few dozen Black Ink Clansmen emerged, led by one with a ferocious appearance and emitting an aura from top to bottom that clearly belonged to that of a Feudal Lord.
The imposing Feudal Lord, armed with a huge spear, was clearly intent on intercepting Dawning Light.
As they continued drawing closer, Dawning Light’s camouflage suddenly dissipated, revealing its true appearance.
After having suffered so many losses to this unique Warship, the Black Ink Clan forces had naturally become aware of it, and that their forces were frequently wiped out once this powerful Human Squad was encountered.
This Feudal Lord was well-informed and had naturally heard about the rumours concerning Dawn and Dawning Light. He had thought that he would not come across them in this vast warzone, but after seeing Dawning Light with its disguise gone and true face appearing, how could he still not know that he truly did bump into them?
When he thought of the rumours, the Feudal Lord did not dare to confront them and immediately retreated back into the Black Ink Cloud.
The Black Ink Clansmen that had rushed out with him were all relatively weak, so they were slightly slower to react. When they saw their Feudal Lord retreating without a fight, they could not even figure out what happened before Dawning Light’s terrifying attacks struck them.
Each attack was so powerful that it was not something that these High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen could resist. In an instant, many of them were wiped out, but Dawning Light did not stop there. It passed through the mess of gore and broken limbs, crashing straight into the Black Ink Cloud.
The Black Ink Clansmen who were hiding under the cover of the Black Ink Cloud took this opportunity to bombard Dawning Light with their attacks, but Dawn had long been prepared for this and had already activated their defensive array, enveloping Dawning Light with a powerful light barrier.
Wave after violent wave spread across the light shield, causing deep dents to appear on its surface. With the deep pits as the centre, there were even ripples spreading out in all directions.
Dawning Light pushed through the Black Ink Cloud’s blockade while withstanding the Black Ink Clan’s attacks, reaching its centre mere breaths later.
The Squad that had been trapped there for a long time were already in dire straits, but when a Human Warship appeared before them, they understood at once that reinforcements had arrived, and it was the Special Operations Squad, Dawn, to their absolute delight.
“Get on board!” Feng Ying shouted from the deck.
With a change of her hand seal, a gap opened in Dawning Light’s shields.
The eight cultivators were completely exhausted and their auras were weak, so they did not hesitate to leap on board.
By the time they got on board, Yang Kai had already disappeared from the deck. When he reappeared, he was in the middle of the dense Black Ink Cloud.
His left pupil instantly turned into an awe-inspiring vertical golden slit.
The Black Ink Cloud was not only extremely adept at corrupting Human cultivators, but also obstructing their senses, but the Demon Eye of Annihilation, which could see through all illusions, was a perfect fit for such an environment.
Not far away, a Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord was silently approaching. It was the same one who had run away when he saw Dawning Light earlier.
He had just escaped back into the Black Ink Cloud and had yet to settle his nerves when Yang Kai suddenly appeared near him.
He was both shocked and delighted to see this. He was shocked because this seemed to be the rumoured Human Squad Leader who was ridiculously strong, but also delighted that this man would be so arrogant as to invade the Black Ink Cloud of his own volition.
The invasive power of Black Ink Strength towards Humans was inexorable, and he had no idea why this man would proactively run into the Black Ink Cloud, but since he was here, then he better not think about leaving.
Through the rolling cover of the Black Ink Cloud, the Feudal Lord quickly advanced to a distance of 300 meters away from Yang Kai. For a Feudal Lord, this was the perfect distance to launch a sneak attack.
The power in his body poured into the giant spear. There was a fierce glint in the Feudal Lord’s eyes as he raised his weapon, preparing to pierce it into Yang Kai’s unsuspecting back.
But at that moment, Yang Kai, who should have been oblivious to his presence, suddenly turned around and stared at him, the corners of his mouth turning into a cold smile. The golden vertical slit in his eyes seemed to contain unopposable majesty that caught the Feudal Lord off guard for a moment.
The Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord was ashen with shock. He could not figure out how he had been spotted, but a spearhead was rapidly expanding in his vision, ensuring him that he was not imagining things.
The Feudal Lord cried out in terror and raised his spear, attempting to block the incoming attack. As their spears clashed, the Feudal Lord felt a terrifying force erupting in front of him, forcing his large body to reel backwards. Even his hand which held the spear was shaking.
An aura of death lingered around him. Looking up, he saw Yang Kai chasing after him like a shadow after the unsuccessful strike, his spear thrusting forward indomitably. Meanwhile, the strength inside of his body was roiling, leaving him powerless to protect himself.
[I’m dead!]
Despair filled the eyes of the Feudal Lord in that instant. He had heard about how strong this Human Squad Leader was, and it was said that only a Territory Lord could defeat him; however, those were just rumours he had heard, and it was only now that he was facing him head-on that he understood that it was not just empty gossip.
True enough, this level of strength was not something that a Feudal Lord could withstand. At the very least, four or five Feudal Lords would be required to besiege this man to have some chance of beating him.
As the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord was about to die under the Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed, and as if he were possessed by a ghost, he stopped in place and brandished his spear out in front of himself.
An extremely faint golden light appeared, breaking through the Black Ink Cloud. The attack came from outside and struck the Azure Dragon Spear with a loud bang.
After the strange noise sounded, Yang Kai was pushed back by a huge force and his body retreated hundreds of meters before he could steady himself.
When he was able to check, he saw a tiny scratch on the Azure Dragon Spear which had been left by the attack earlier.
If Yang Kai had not reacted quickly and protected himself with his Azure Dragon Spear, the sneak attack would have gone right through his chest.
[It’s that guy!] Yang Kai’s lit up with a frightening glare.
He had been keeping an eye out for this Black Ink Disciple from Divine Feather Paradise since the last time they met, but unfortunately, his search had not been fruitful.
However, after being ambushed once, Yang Kai made sure to keep a part of his focus on his surroundings during every fight in order to ensure that something like that never happened again.
It wasn’t until just now that the feeling of being watched appeared again, and sure enough, that guy took advantage of the moment when he was fighting with the Feudal Lord to deliver another blow.
If Yang Kai had not been prepared for it, then he might have gotten caught by this attack again. Though it was unlikely to kill him, the injury Yang Kai might sustain from it was definitely not going to be light.
The first time he was attacked, Yang Kai was caught unprepared and allowed his arrow to pierce right through him. Then, when he tried to pursue his attacker, he had completely lost sight of him.
Now that he was prepared, how was he going to let that man get away again?
As soon as he steadied himself though, another golden light struck his way, but this time, the golden light came from the opposite direction compared to before. If that previous sneak attack came from the front, then this one came from the back.
[There’s two of them?]
This second attack was not aimed at him though, but rather at Dawning Light.
Dawning Light had also sustained a lot of attacks when they rushed into the Black Ink Cloud. Even though their light barrier did not break, it had grown noticeably dimmer.
With that one attack, the light barrier surrounding Dawning Light actually shattered to pieces, which showed just how powerful it was.
On the Warship, all three of the cultivators in charge of controlling the defensive array grunted and coughed up blood, their faces turning pale.
The defensive array that they had been in charge of had been broken, resulting in them suffering some of the backlash. What’s more, the array itself was damaged, so it was clear that it could no longer be used.
However, Yang Kai’s attention was not on Dawning Light. There was more than one defensive array installed on Dawning Light, so they could temporarily compensate for the destroyed one.
At the second blow, Yang Kai had already rushed over in a hurry, not even wasting time to kill off that Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord who was in front of him.
Previously, he let the sneak attacker get away because he was unprepared, but if he still let him get away even though he was ready for him this time, then it would be a disservice to the Dao of Space that he had been cultivating for so many years.
There were not two attackers, only one. The second attack was a Secret Technique the attacker used in order to confuse Yang Kai.
It was clear that the attacker was also extremely wary of him and feared that he would chase after him.
As Space Principles surged, Yang Kai disappeared from the battlefield in an instant and arrived at a nearby Universe Fragment.
The place seemed empty when he looked around, but there were obvious traces of a weak aura left behind.
[He just left!]
Just like last time, the attacker left immediately after his attack failed. This guy’s wariness was simply impeccable.
Only, Yang Kai could not figure out what sort of Secret Technique it was that this person used that enabled him to run away so quickly. In front of Space Principles, distance was no obstacle at all, so could it be possible that his opponent was also proficient in Space Principles?
If that were the case, then this would be very troublesome to deal with, and it reinforced Yang Kai’s idea that he had to capture this hidden ambusher no matter what.
Under the view of his Demon Eye of Annihilation, the faint traces that remained in the void that were almost imperceptible were revealed.
These traces were clearly left behind when the attacker left.
Yang Kai was about to move to pursue him when an obscure pattern suddenly lit up at his feet, followed by a shattering noise coming in from all directions that instantly enveloped him.
The many attacks were the power erupting from a Killing Array, converging into the shape of wind blades that were cutting towards Yang Kai’s direction as their centre.
It seemed that the attacker had anticipated that Yang Kai would investigate this place and had set up the Spirit Array here in advance.
*Hong hong hong…*
The attacks erupted with a series of loud noises. Yang Kai was able to escape without much injury, but not without looking like a mess. His face was also livid.
The sneak attacker was an archery master, and although he had some knowledge of the Dao of Spirit Arrays, he was not very proficient, so the Spirit Array that he set up was not very strong. Even if Yang Kai just stood in place, the Killing Arrays would hardly be able to do anything to him.
However, it succeeded in disrupting his pursuit. To be tricked to such an extent by this person also left Yang Kai very annoyed. It felt like his intelligence was being crushed by someone else, and it left him feeling a little defeated.
It could be seen that whether it be in terms of cunning or methods, his attacker was First Class.
But that was not all. After rushing out from the Killing Array, Yang Kai was greeted by three golden lights speeding his way. The golden lights were extremely fast and almost seemed like they could ignore the barrier of space, arriving before his eyes in just an instant.
One aiming for his forehead, one for his chest, and one for his abdomen, the three golden lights came in one straight line. Though it was completely silent, it made Yang Kai’s skin crawl.
At the edge of life or death, Yang Kai brought out his Space Principles to their fullest extent and activated Near Distant Horizon, stretching out the Void in front of him infinitely.
The Void seemed to congeal at that instant, and Yang Kai could clearly see the three golden lights that were shooting his way slowed to a turtle’s crawl under the effects of Near Distant Horizon.
However, the violent power held within the golden light broke through the Secret Technique in the blink of an eye, restoring their mobility and piercing through Yang Kai’s body in unison.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s body disintegrated and disappeared without a trace. It was clearly just an after-image. His true body had already travelled away using Instantaneous Movement.
At that exact moment, on a Universe Fragment 1,000 kilometres away, Yang Kai suddenly appeared and threw a fierce punch.
A violent force erupted, and the fragment no more than several dozen square kilometres in size turned to dust in an instant, revealing a figure behind it.
The figure was wrapped in all black, and even their face was hidden underneath a hood, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to see their true appearance. It was impossible to even tell whether it was a man or a woman. This person did not look very tall, and even the longbow they were holding was longer than their entire body.
When he saw the sudden appearance of the figure, Yang Kai sneered, “Caught you!”
The Black Ink Disciple from Divine Feather Paradise had such terrifyingly powerful archery skills that Yang Kai had already eaten a loss from them twice. Any other Seventh-Order Human would not have been able to withstand such attacks. Perhaps they may not even know who their killer was even after being assassinated by them. If a Master of this calibre was not taken down, they would definitely be a snake in the grass for the Human side.
If this person had immediately fled far away when Yang Kai was pursuing them, then even he may not have been able to find them again after being delayed by the Killing Array.
But this guy truly didn’t fear the Heavens. Leaving the Killing Array behind to trap Yang Kai was not enough for them, they had even hidden themselves and tried to snipe him again, giving Yang Kai the opportunity to pursue them.
The person was clearly surprised at the sudden attack, not expecting Yang Kai to have arrived so quickly.
As soon as the figure was exposed, it used the impact of Yang Kai’s punch to back away. At the same time, it reached out to pull their bowstring, and with a harsh whistle, golden light after golden light rained down on Yang Kai like raindrops.
Yang Kai’s vision was instantly obscured by a field of golden light. After summoning his Azure Dragon Spear and blocking all of the attacks, his attacker was long gone.
Only a golden light remained far off in the void, fading away remarkably quickly.
[So fast!] Yang Kai was secretly speechless, and he was also growing increasingly irritated. Gritting his teeth, he snorted, “I’ll take your surname if I let you run again!”
If Yang Kai, who cultivated the Dao of Space, were to let someone get away from him in such a situation, then he would have cultivated all these years in vain.
In an instant, his figure disappeared.
Yang Kai thought he would be able to catch up to the assailant easily, but even with his Instantaneous Movement, he could not reach them within a short amount of time. He had no idea what sort of movement technique this person was using, but it was so profound it was almost not inferior to his use of Space Principles. Yang Kai kept on chasing after them, but all he could see was a fading golden light in the far distance.
It was unfortunate that he was unable to intercept them using Instantaneous Movement so far away. If he did try, then he could very well lose that person’s tracks.
He had no choice but to follow from behind and wait for his chance.
Their chase ended up going on for a whole day and night, and it was not known how many millions of kilometres they crossed.
Yang Kai was originally worried that his ambusher would escape to the Black Ink Clan’s territory. If that were to happen, then Yang Kai would not dare to follow lest he encounter a Master that he could not beat.
But after a long pursuit, it became apparent that this guy had no intention of escaping at all and was just circling around the wider battlefield with Yang Kai.
Whenever there was the slightest opportunity, that person would sneakily shoot out a thunderous blow at Yang Kai, and their attacks were so powerful that he did not dare to take them lightly. Each counter-attack left him worse for wear.
Yang Kai now had a stomach full of grievances and secretly made up his mind that once he caught this hateful person, he would definitely beat them up to vent his anger.
After a whole day and night passed, Yang Kai had more than a dozen new injuries on his body, all of them from his sneak attacker’s long-range attacks. Even though these injuries were not a threat to his life, any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might not have the strength to keep chasing at this point and would have been forced to find a place to heal.
Yang Kai suddenly understood why this sneak attacker had not escaped to the Black Ink Clan’s hinterland.
This guy obviously had a lot of confidence in their abilities. Yang Kai wanted to take them down, and they wanted to take Yang Kai down as well, and this constant badgering was because they were trying to exhaust Yang Kai before they struck.
[What an arrogant bastard!] Yang Kai judged. A person like this was difficult to deal with. This fact was already proven earlier during the chase, but if he were to take this guy’s personality into account, then they were not that hard to deal with.
With that in mind, an idea sprouted in Yang Kai’s mind.
After another day of chasing, another dozen injuries were added to Yang Kai’s body.
At a certain point, he suddenly stopped and glared resentfully in the direction where his attacker was fleeing before he let out a roar towards the Heavens.
The roar that sounded through the void was mixed with unwillingness and rage.
A short while later, Yang Kai turned around and sped off towards the forward base. When he passed by a certain Universe Fragment though, he dashed straight inside it.
After finding a good spot, Yang Kai set up a barrier and took out some Open Heaven Pills and healing pills before stuffing them into his mouth.
He was in a miserable state right now, covered in dried blood from top to bottom. Even his aura was slightly weak. He was clearly an arrow at the end of its flight.
Even though the chase only went on for two days, Yang Kai had manipulated Space Principles countless times during that period while constantly enduring the sneak attacks of that guy, which had been a tiring experience. The exhaustion that he was showing now was not completely fake. At least half of it was real, and it was indeed time for him to get a good rest to restore his energy.
As time passed, Yang Kai’s aura slowly recovered.
He did not feel any strange sensations, so Yang Kai was wondering whether that person had taken this opportunity to run away. If that were the case, then he would have just wasted a lot of effort for nought.
But on second thought, it should not be the case. That guy was extremely confident in their abilities, something Yang Kai knew well after their silent two-day chase. A person like this would not give up so easily when faced with ‘easy’ prey.
And, Yang Kai himself was currently that prey.
As expected, just as Yang Kai was wondering if that person had truly left, a faint energy wave suddenly appeared, coming from a certain direction.
Yang Kai’s eyes flitted open as he remained seated from cultivating. He forcibly twisted his body in order to avoid getting hit, but in the next instant, he felt a pain in his abdomen. There was no need to look and Yang Kai could tell that his body had been pierced through once again.
Even with his Dragon Vein, he could not resist the force of that attack.
However, as if he did not even feel it, his body suddenly turned into a blur and he disappeared in an instant.
When he reappeared, it was at a Universe Fragment about 1,000 kilometres away.
Summoning his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai displayed his Supreme Limitless Spear Art freely. The area passed through by his spear shadows seemed to be empty, but an object that appeared like a rock suddenly leapt up high and raised its longbow in front of itself to block the attack.
*Hong hong hong…*
A series of bangs sounded and in an instant, two people were engaged in a heated melee.
Yang Kai was still bleeding from his abdomen, but he completely ignored it and faced his hooded attacker with a fierce smile, “Let’s see you run now!”
The attacker was an archery master and at least somewhat proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays. Besides that, this person was first class both in concealing their aura and escaping techniques, but everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. It was impossible for one to achieve perfection in all fields.
Yang Kai thought that close combat must be this guy’s weakness; otherwise, there would have been no need for them to keep on running away.
Unexpectedly, when they finally crossed blades, Yang Kai realized that this guy was also quite amazing when it came to close-quarter combat. They did not have too many flashy Secret Techniques and just fought him instinctively with the longbow in their hand, thus began a back-and-forth tussle.
This longbow that he had never heard about was also quite an amazing item, not showing any weakness even when pitted against the Azure Dragon Spear.
Yang Kai was secretly shocked. This guy really had no weaknesses!
But even so, Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Art stood at the pinnacle of all Spear Techniques. In just a dozen breaths of time, the Azure Dragon Spear pierced through his ambusher’s shoulder in a moment of carelessness, and at once, blood was flowing uncontrollably.
The stab was followed by a grunt.
From this brief exchange, it became clear what the difference in strength between Yang Kai and themselves were, so they stopped messing around and, with a feint, sped down towards the Universe Fragment below.
Yang Kai followed closely like a shadow.
As the person passed through the Universe Fragment, they threw out an Array Plate.
Seeing this, Yang Kai knew that it was bad news. Sure enough, as soon as the Array Plate was launched, the entire Universe Fragment burst apart, and a violent power burst out in all directions. Yang Kai staggered as the force hit him and the space around him was also disrupted.
By the time Yang Kai emerged from the chaotic cloud of energy, the attacker had already escaped far away, as he had anticipated. Only, they left behind a clear trail this time that was not as indistinct as before.
Yang Kai coldly snorted. That strike from his Azure Dragon Spear was not easy to take. Even if his spear did not give his attacker a severe injury, it would still dampen their performance.
[One arrow for one spear, that makes it even!]
The biggest difference between them was the strength of their physiques. So, when it came to trading wounds like this, Yang Kai had the advantage no matter how one saw it.
Without dallying in place, Yang Kai pursued his attacker in the direction they left.
The fact that he was unable to catch this guy even after the plot he set up earlier showed just how difficult this ambusher was to manage.
Among Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai had never met one of this calibre before. Even if Feng Ying were to face this person, she would not be their opponent if they were facing off at a distance.
But with this, the boiling anger inside Yang Kai finally eased down. The more difficult his opponent was, the calmer he had to be. This was not an enemy he could take down simply, so he had no choice but to be patient. He believed that if he kept on going, then an opportunity would come to him eventually.
While chasing after that person by constant use of Space Principles, Yang Kai gradually shortened the distance between them.
It seemed that his attacker was now much slower after suffering a hit from his Azure Dragon Spear and also having exhausted their strength during this long chase.
They were both similarly in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, and Yang Kai had not advanced into this realm for long, but he had an abnormally strong heritage. So, despite not having broken through for many years, his Small Universe’s stamina was not something that an ordinary Seventh-Order Master could compare with. What was more, he was raising many living beings inside of his body and time flowed differently in his Small Universe, so even if he did not put effort into restoring his World Force, it would recover on its own at a steady rate.
That gave him the advantage when it came to a drawn-out fight.
On the other hand, even if his opponent was a veteran Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they would still not be able to withstand such intense consumption for such a long period of time, and that was also the reason why his attacker was slowing down.
Just as Yang Kai saw that he was about to catch up with his opponent, a large ship suddenly appeared in his range of vision.
It was a Black Ink Clan ship, which was easily distinguishable on the battlefield due to its strange shape, its large-bodied crew, and the ship’s own bulky size.
Naturally, Yang Kai would have no fear of facing this kind of large ship from the Black Ink Clan. As long as there was no Territory Lord standing by on the ship, then it was impossible for these scattered Black Ink Clansmen to do anything to him. And, even if he did bump into a Territory Lord, he was currently in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If he could not fight, then he could just run away.
The sudden appearance of a Black Ink Clan ship was a headache for him.
His fleeing attacker was headed straight for the large ship, and in a few moments, joined up with them, boarding the ship and disappearing.
The large ship was heading straight for Yang Kai, with many large Black Ink Clansmen standing on the deck.
His sneak attacker obviously intended to borrow the strength of these Black Ink Clansmen to disrupt his chase.
Even though Yang Kai understood their intentions, he did not slow down at all and instead rushed straight at the ship.
As the distance between them closed rapidly, a couple dozen Black Ink Clansmen suddenly formed up on the deck. This group was led by two Feudal Lords, while the rest were High-Rank Clansmen.
Faced with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the two Feudal Lords’ eyes were shining with greed; after all, Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples were still considered a rare sight in the Black Ink Clan. Generally, capturing them was possible only by the Territory Lords themselves. They had been leading this team and wandering around this zone for days and fought a few times with the Humans with wins and losses on both sides, but they had never encountered a lone Human before.
Today, they were able to come across one, and it was a Seventh-Order Human at that.
The two Feudal Lords shared the same thought. They decided that they had to capture this Human alive and convert him into a Black Ink Disciple no matter what. As for who this Human would belong to after his capture, that would have to depend on their respective skills.
Alone, they may be no match for a Human in the Seventh Order as Humans in the equivalent Realm were always slightly stronger than them, and they knew that.
But with two against one, and with so many subordinates for them to use at their disposal, adding on to the fact that this Human seemed to be injured, what was there for them to even be afraid of?
As they watched the Seventh-Order Human continue his charge with undiminished vigour, the Feudal Lord on the left waved his hand, and a dozen High-Rank Black Ink Clans charged out, going straight towards the Human.
Yang Kai’s face was indifferent. His spear was as steady as a mountain, but when it crossed paths with these Black Ink Clansmen, his spear turned into a torrent. His seemingly thin figure passed straight through the many High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen in the next instant.
The dozen High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen froze, as if they had been bound in place, their faces filled with horror before they all exploded into a black-blood mist.
The two Feudal Lords at the back were also in a state of shock. Even though they were not weak, they were not strong enough to see what had happened ahead during that instant.
[Is this guy really in the Seventh Order?]
Both the Feudal Lords were taken aback. If the Human Seventh-Order Masters were all so strong, then how were the Black Ink Clan supposed to continue this war?
When they saw the incoming attacker continuing his mad dash, one of the Feudal Lords finally came back to his senses and roared in anger. As he opened his mouth, a Black Ink Cloud was spat out.
“Get out of my way!” Yang Kai shouted, plunging into the Black Ink Cloud without hesitation and stabbing his spear out.
When his spear struck out, space trembled.
The Feudal Lord clearly did not expect Yang Kai to have so little fear of their Black Ink Strength. He thought that this move would definitely force Yang Kai back, but he never anticipated him rushing in head-first with unwavering murderous intent.
This Feudal Lord shrieked and hastily tried to fight back, but with a great splatter of blood, half of his neck had been sliced through.
Even though it was a severe injury, it was not fatal. Writhing in pain, the Feudal Lord backed away while the other took the opportunity to close in for a counter-attack. Yang Kai swept his spear to the side, sending an immense force out. Yang Kai stumbled slightly after blocking this blow, but the second Feudal Lord was sent flying.
Before Yang Kai could stabilize himself, a golden light shot through the void at him from the large ship. Yang Kai had once again been attacked by that sneak attacker he had been chasing.
His attacker’s grasp for an opening was exceptional. Just as Yang Kai had lost his balance and was powerless to resist, the golden light hit his forehead, throwing his head back and sending him tumbling.
The two Feudal Lords were overjoyed at this sight as both of them tried to flank Yang Kai from the left and right.
One Feudal Lord had his head half cut off by Yang Kai, and the other had a huge gash in his waist, both very serious injuries. It had to be known that these were the injuries resulting from just one exchange of moves with Yang Kai, which clearly showed the great disparity in their strengths.
After sustaining such wounds, both of the Feudal Lords had immediately wanted to flee; however, when they saw that Yang Kai was also badly injured, they couldn’t resist trying to take advantage of this situation.
Unfortunately, before they could even get close, the tumbling Yang Kai regained his footing and stood up straight again.
The Dragon Scales on his forehead had shattered, and at the centre of his forehead was a wound so deep that one could see the bone. Clearly, the last attack had almost pierced through his head.
In fact, if Yang Kai had not used his Dragon Scales at the last moment to protect himself, the sneak attacker could have taken his life.
Golden Blood dripped from his forehead, blurring his vision and making Yang Kai look even more miserable than before.
After their long chase, this was the biggest loss he suffered, and it sent him into a complete rage.
Throwing a cold look at the Feudal Lords trying to pincer him from the left and right, Yang Kai inhaled softly, and a chilling aura surrounded his body.
The two Feudal Lords felt as if they had been thrown into an ice cellar. The Feudal Lord who had half of his neck cut through tried to turn around and run when he sensed that things were going to get bad, but as soon as he turned around, a long spear had already pierced through his back and into his heart before emerging out his chest.
He looked down and his eyes were filled with horror.
A violent energy burst through his body, instantly blasting the Feudal Lord into a blood mist.
Yang Kai did not even care about the second Feudal Lord. He wrapped his body in his spear aura and shot directly at the Black Ink Clan ship.
*Hong…*
The large ship was blasted apart and many of the High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen hiding inside were killed, but Yang Kai saw no sign of the accursed Black Ink Disciple he was hunting.
That person had obviously escaped after the attack earlier.
This made Yang Kai so angry that he could only laugh. It was no longer possible for him to catch that person even if he wanted to now. After that chaotic situation earlier, he could no longer grasp that person’s trail, and with their concealment skills, he would not be able to catch them anyway unless they decide to reappear on their own.
It was a lost cause!
If not for the sudden appearance of the Black Ink Clan’s ship here to spoil his good deed, Yang Kai was confident that he could take that person down within half a day.
When he turned around, the second Feudal Lord who was still alive was fleeing far away. Eyes narrowing coldly, Yang Kai’s body rushed out in pursuit.
Since he failed to catch that Black Ink Disciple, then he had no choice but to kill off this Feudal Lord to vent his anger.
Even though the Feudal Lord ran fast, there was no way he could outrun Yang Kai. Within moments, he was caught and could barely resist for more than a dozen breaths before being executed under Yang Kai’s spear.
After the fierce battle, Yang Kai was able to exterminate a large number of Black Ink Clansmen, but he let his true target escape, much to his dismay.
However, with his past experiences as references, Yang Kai was suspicious about whether or not that person had truly left or not, or whether they were just hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity to launch another sneak attack.
With that in consideration, Yang Kai did not go too far; instead, he stopped at a Universe Fragment nearby and began to recuperate from his injuries.
The wound he sustained this time around was by no means minor. Even though it was blocked by his Dragon Scales, the violent force behind that attack still penetrated his skull, and Yang Kai was somewhat dizzy even now.
A wound of this level was enough to affect his strength adversely.
The healing pills produced by Blue Sky Pass were quite effective though, and Yang Kai had exchanged his Military Merits for some of them at the Inner Sanctum, so he took them now so that he could recover quickly from his injuries.
However, despite keeping a close eye on his surroundings, he could not sense any movements from his attacker.
It seemed from this that the ambusher had well and truly left, unlike last time when they were still lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to make their move.
It was a shame that he failed to catch that guy, but as long as he was still active around this battle zone, then Yang Kai would see that person again sooner or later.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai relaxed.
There was little for him to worry about in regards to Dawn. Even though he left chasing after an enemy, there were still 4 Seventh-Order Masters there to watch over Dawn, led by a Master like Feng Ying. As long as they did not bump into an enemy that was too strong, then it should be no problem for them to protect themselves.
Forming several hand seals, Yang Kai tried to activate the Universe Transference Law.
There was a Universe Array arranged inside Dawning Light, and all of Dawn’s members had already left their Imprints inside of it. As long as the distance was not too far away, one could use the Universe Transference Law to return instantly.
Following his attempt to activate the Universal Transference Law, Yang Kai’s face turned solemn.
He had arranged a Universe Array on Dawning Light, and also left behind his Imprint on it. As long as the distance was not too great, then the Universe Transference Law could resonate with Dawning Light, creating a connection between them.
He wasted a lot of time chasing down a powerful foe, but judging from the distance he actually travelled, he should still be well within range to use it.
However, he was completely unable to establish a connection with Dawning Light using the Universe Transference Law, which surprised him. There was only one possibility for such an occurrence, and that was that the Universe Array on Dawning Light had been damaged, rendering the Universe Transference Law ineffective.
The Universe Array was located in the deepest part of Dawning Light. If the defensive arrays and hull were not seriously damaged, then it was simply impossible for the Universe Array to have been affected, yet Dawning Light’s Universe Array was indeed damaged. It was not hard to infer from that that Dawn must have encountered a strong foe and engaged in a fierce battle with them.
[Was it a Territory Lord that they bumped into this time, or just a very large swarm of Black Ink Clansmen?]
Yang Kai frowned. No matter how he thought about it, these were the only two possibilities; otherwise, it was impossible for anything to happen with Dawn Squad’s combat capabilities.
However, he did not have to worry too much. There were 4 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Dawn, and Feng Ying was also there. Even if they did have to face off against a Territory Lord, they could escape if they could not beat them. Being wiped out was basically impossible.
It was no use worrying about it now since he had no way of rushing back quickly through the Universe Transference Law. The fight on that side should also have long subsided given how long he had been gone for. Right now, there was a great possibility that Dawning Light was returning to the forward base.
After taking out his Universe Chart and checking his position, Yang Kai found his bearings and began making his way back to the forward base as well.
On his way back, he occasionally encountered Black Ink Clan Squads, all of which he eliminated. After chasing that sneak attacker for so long yet still failing to beat them, Yang Kai was nursing a stomach full of grievances. The only thing he could do was vent his annoyance on those unfortunate Black Ink Clansmen.
In just half a day, he encountered two Black Ink Clan Squads. Their numbers were not high, and they were not very strong in general either. They did not even have any Feudal Lords among them. They seemed to be scouting parties.
However, since they bumped into Yang Kai, there was naturally no other fate for them except death.
After advancing for a short amount of time, violent power fluctuations could be felt from the void a distance away. Yang Kai’s thoughts stirred, realising that there had to be Masters fighting up ahead. He immediately focused his eyesight as far as possible on the energy fluctuations.
He could see two figures tangling up with each other in the void. One of the figures was extremely large, while the other was of ordinary size. Both of them attacked with such ferocity that even from a great distance, Yang Kai could feel the terrifying fallout of their clash.
This was a fight between a Territory Lord and an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
The battle was too far away, so Yang Kai could not see who this Eighth-Order Master was, much less how they were faring in the fight, but after a moment’s deliberation, Yang Kai hastily concealed his aura and quietly approached them.
Universe Fragments littered the battlefield, meaning there were many good hiding spots nearby.
If this were any other time, then the two Masters would definitely have noticed Yang Kai at this distance; after all, his concealment skills were good, but it was still difficult to hide from a Master an Order above himself.
However, both the Territory Lord and the Eighth-Order Human Master were preoccupied with their fight, so how could they have any time to pay attention to their surroundings?
Yang Kai easily reached a spot 1,000 kilometres away from the battlefield and hid behind a small Universe Fragment. Then, he gathered in his aura as much as he could. If one were not paying attention, then one would miss his existence even if they were looking directly at him.
After a careful glance, Yang Kai quickly looked away again, not daring to stare too long. Masters such as the Territory Lord and the Human Eighth-Order Division Commander were extremely sensitive to the gazes of others, and one could easily reveal their whereabouts if they were not careful.
With that quick glance, Yang Kai realised that he did not recognize who the Eighth-Order Master was.
There were 4 Eighth-Order Division Commanders standing guard in the fourth forward base; of them, Yang Kai had met Cha Hu and also knew Lu An, but he did not know this man, which meant that this was either Xie Xiu Ping or Xu Bo Liang.
Whoever it was, this Division Commander lived up to his name as he had an absolute advantage over the Territory Lord, who could hardly catch his breath under the former’s relentless assault.
Yang Kai was amazed by this fight.
Under the premise that one was in the same Order, due to the difference in accumulation of cultivation experiences, Humans were slightly stronger on average compared to Black Ink Clansmen. However, the higher the Order, the smaller that gap between them became. Upon becoming Old Ancestors and Royal Lords, the gap was almost negligible. Any Black Ink Clan Royal Lords had amassed thousands, if not tens of thousands of years of cultivation, making them no less experienced than any Human Race Old Ancestor.
The gap between Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Feudal Lords was still quite obvious, but the difference between Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords was still noticeable, but not by a significant amount. Back then, when Zhong Liang fought with a Territory Lord around Blue Sky Pass, he still suffered some losses.
However, what Yang Kai saw on this day was an Eighth-Order Human Master holding an absolute advantage over a Territory Lord, who could only defend without any ability to fight back. Not only that, but the Territory Lord’s body was covered in horrific injuries, and ink-black blood was flowing out from all over his figure.
[Is this Eighth-Order Division Commander just that strong? Or is this particular Territory Lord just that weak?]
Yang Kai was now quite glad he snuck over.
Even though the Human Master had the upper hand in this fight, and the Territory Lord seemed to be on the defensive without any means to fight back, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. That was still a Territory Lord, so although it would be easy for the Eighth-Order Master to injure him, killing him was going to be difficult.
Yang Kai felt that if he could find an opening to help the Human Master, there was a chance he could tip the scales just enough for a kill to be made. However, he would have to wait patiently for such a chance, if one even presented itself.
He was a Seventh-Order Master, so it would be dangerous for him to intervene in a battle of this level. Not even an Eighth-Order Master would easily choose to face the final desperate blow of a Territory Lord.
That was probably the reason why the Eighth-Order Master did not push his enemy too hard and instead focused on wearing down his opponent’s strength while biding his time.
As the battle raged on, Yang Kai only peeked at the two figures from the corner of his eye to judge the progress of the fight.
As time passed, it became clear that the Territory Lord was losing ground and was repeatedly trying to escape, only to be stopped by the Human Master. Every time he was about to grow desperate, the Eighth-Order Master would slow down his attacks, giving the enemy the illusion that he could hold out just a bit longer.
That was how their fight dragged on, seemingly without end.
The Eighth-Order Master was also injured during the fight, but not very seriously. The only thing that kept him at bay was the Black Ink Strength used by the Territory Lord.
Even though Masters in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm had a high resistance to Black Ink Strength, that did not mean that it was impossible to be corrupted by it after long periods of exposure. Once Black Ink Strength entered his Small Universe, then he would have no choice but to return to the forward base to cleanse it with the Purifying Light.
However, this was a rare opportunity, so even though he was powerless to kill this Territory Lord, this Division Commander was determined to hit him hard enough to send him back to a Black Ink Nest to recover for several dozen years.
Time seemed to pass quickly, but also dreadfully slowly. Half a day seemed like a million years as Yang Kai kept on waiting for a chance to strike, but that chance never came.
Just as he was starting to grow impatient, there was a sudden change in the battlefield.
He had no idea what sort of Secret Technique the Territory Lord used, but eight strands of dense Black Ink Strength suddenly gushed out from his body, turning into black chains that suppressed and sealed the surrounding space, trapping the Eighth-Order Human Master almost instantly.
The Eighth-Order Division Commander’s movements were sealed, but with a stern look on his face, he launched Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities in the Territory Lord’s direction.
The Territory Lord’s face changed at once and he clearly wanted to dodge, but he seemed to be restrained by his own Secret Technique, causing him to freeze in place without being able to move a muscle. One by one, the Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities landed solidly on his body, hitting him until he spat blood repeatedly.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by this sudden turn of events, and so was the Eighth-Order Master. It was hard to understand how this Territory Lord could have made such a foolish move.
It was an amazing Secret Technique that he used, but what use would it be if even his own movements were restricted by it?
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up when he saw this scenario, as the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Just as he was about to rush into the battlefield using his Space Principles to assist the Eighth-Order Master, a brilliant bolt of light suddenly flew over from a Universe Fragment 1,000 kilometres away from the clash.
The bolt of light had an astonishing glow to it and swiftly took on the form of two spread wings. As soon as it appeared, it had already reached the side of the Eighth-Order Human Master.
At that moment, the Eighth-Order Master’s movements were restricted by the Territory Lord’s Secret Technique and he was unable to dodge. Moreover, the attack came so quickly and so stealthily without so much as a warning.
The Eighth-Order Master’s face changed drastically as he pushed his World Force madly to form a shield to protect his body.
However, the bolt of light still struck him hard. The barrier that he hastily raised was instantly shattered and fresh blood splattered out. The Eighth-Order Master’s waist had almost blown into a mess of blood and his aura was rapidly weakening.
He had been fighting with this Territory Lord for a long time, so he was nowhere near his peak condition. He also suffered many wounds himself in the battle, so when a mysterious assailant suddenly ambushed him from a secret location, he ended up taking a bad hit.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord, who had been suppressed by him all this while, was given the opportunity to withdraw his Sealing Technique and throw a punch forward.
The Eighth-Order Master barely managed to block it, but he still coughed up a mouthful of blood. Not only that, but the Black Ink Strength around him was also pouring into his body like crazy.
Before suffering such a heavy injury, he was just barely able to withstand the corruption of the Black Ink Strength. Now that he was suffering such severe injuries and had taken a direct punch from the Territory Lord, he could no longer resist the Black Ink Strength’s encroachment.
In the past, even an Eighth-Order Master would have to sacrifice a piece of their Small Universe as soon as possible in order to prevent any further corruption in such a situation, incurring great damage to their foundation.
However, there was a Purifying Black Ink Battleship on standby at the forward base now which had Purifying Light sealed in it. As long as he was able to return while keeping his sanity, everything would be fine.
So, rather than break away from the battlefield immediately, the Eighth-Order Master clasped his hands together before slashing his arms down like a sword at the Territory Lord.
The Territory Lord did not expect his enemy to be so brutal as to try and kill him even at the expense of his own foundation. He was planning to ride the wave of victory and advance, but when he saw the Human’s arms come down, he immediately shrieked and turned tail in order to escape.
The force of his arm slash turned into an amazing sword wave that cut into the Black Ink Territory Lord’s back, causing blood to spurt out from his large body through a gash deep enough to see bone.
However, the Territory Lord was able to take the opportunity to escape far away.
The Eighth-Order Master was about to give chase, but then his brow suddenly knitted together into a frown as he felt a throbbed pain in his back. This was the result of being targeted by a strong hostile intent.
The intent was well concealed but clearly a warning that if he really did try and pursue the Territory Lord, he would be met with force.
The Eighth-Order Master’s face turned ugly.
Naturally, he could dismiss this little threat if he were in peak condition. In top form, he would surely try to hunt down that Territory Lord and kill him no matter what; however, after a long fight, he had already exerted a tremendous amount of strength and was also heavily injured after suffering that sneak attack. Not only that, his Small Universe was being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so if this dragged on, his entire Small Universe might become tainted; then, even as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would lose himself and degenerate into a Black Ink Disciple.
That was a result that he could not accept no matter what. He could accept dying in battle, but there was no way he would allow himself to turn into a Black Ink Disciple and become one of the Black Ink Clan’s weapons.
So, even though he understood the sneak attacker’s intentions and also knew that a powerful attack like the one he had been struck with earlier would not show up again, he did not dare to take that gamble.
After a cold stare towards the source of the attack, the Eighth-Order Master’s body finally moved back until he arrived at a safe distance before activating the Universe Transference Law that was connected to the Universe Array on the forward base’s Purifying Black Ink Battleship. A short while later, a whirling pattern of a Grand Array appeared underneath his feet, and as the light rose to the air, the man disappeared.
Yang Kai, who had been hiding in the shadows, felt both a little regretful and pleasantly surprised when the intense battlefield regained its calm.
He felt regretful that the Territory Lord was able to escape. Opportunities to kill a Territory Lord were rare to come by. If that person hiding in the shadows had not interfered, he would only have had to jump out and join forces with the Eighth-Order Master and there would have likely been able to kill that Territory Lord.
As to his pleasant surprise, the target that he had lost earlier had resurfaced again and was now just a short distance away from him.
Yang Kai had no idea when this person arrived here, and he was not even sure whether this person had noticed his existence or not. If not for that sudden attack earlier, Yang Kai would not have known that person was here.
That definitely had to be the Black Ink Disciple from Divine Feather Paradise!
Previously, when this guy ambushed Yang Kai, the attack that they used was basically just reminiscent of a golden light or a golden arrow. However, when this person was ambushing the Eighth-Order Master, their attack took the form of a pair of unfurled wings.
Yang Kai had seen the power behind that attack and guessed that even a Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple would be unable to use such a powerful attack repeatedly. Using such an attack even once would probably put a huge burden on them.
Moreover, Yang Kai was also able to injure that person while he was chasing after them not long ago, and there was obviously no way those injuries would have healed in such a short amount of time.
From their body already being wounded to then using such an immensely powerful Secret Technique, it was possible that this Black Ink Disciple had little strength left at this moment.
Yang Kai almost could not endure the urge to throw his head back and roar in laughter. This really was the case of the mantis stalking the cicada, but the oriole waits behind.
Rather than rush out immediately, Yang Kai concealed his aura even more cautiously because he wasn’t sure whether his opponent was aware of his presence or not.
He knew how difficult this ambusher was, and if he missed them again, then he would just be repeating the same mistake. There was only one opportunity here, either he did nothing, or if he went all out, he had to make sure he got this right!
In fact, both Yang Kai and the Eighth-Order Master were correct. The Black Ink Disciple who was lurking in the shadows simply had no energy to unleash that kind of attack again. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even though they were ambushing an Eighth-Order Master from the shadows, they still had to use a sacrificial technique that, while dealing 1,000 points of damage to the enemy, dealt 800 to themselves. After using that attack, their entire person was drained.
They would never have used such a Secret Technique easily and did not even use it last time when they were ambushing Yang Kai; however, in order to land a good hit on an Eighth-Order Division Commander, they had no choice but to use such an attack.
However, the ambusher was smart. Despite having little strength left, they still used their hostile intent to ward off the injured Eighth-Order Master.
Only after confirming that the Division Commander had gone far away did they put down their longbow and lay limp on the ground, struggling to stuff some Spirit Pills into their mouth and refine them in order to restore some strength.
They did not stay in place for too long though since the previous attack had already revealed their whereabouts. They could not be sure whether that Eighth-Order Master would suddenly wheel around for a counterattack. If that were to happen, then they would definitely be powerless to resist.
So, when they regained a bit of their energy after a short rest, they stood up and tried to leave.
However, they had just begun to move when their heart suddenly jumped. They had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
This person reacted with great haste and twisted around to draw their bowstring. The bowstring whizzed and a golden light condensed.
At the same time, their body rose as they leapt backwards.
From the corner of their eye, they saw a figure appearing nearby, seemingly out of nowhere. The golden light struck that person in the chest and sent fresh blood bursting out, but the target did not stop and continued charging towards them. At the same time, a profound power spread out, locking the local space down.
The Black Ink Disciple was shocked.
After being tangled up with Yang Kai for many days, there was no way that they could not recognize his appearance. Only, this Black Ink Disciple could not understand how this guy actually appeared here. From how the current situation was developing, this person had clearly been here for a long time, just waiting for the moment they relaxed to strike.
Having seen his Instantaneous Movement before, there was no way they didn’t know Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space. Now that the space around them had been locked down, it had to be this person’s doing.
In the time it took for them to think through this, Yang Kai had already crashed into them. Instantly, the Black Ink Disciple’s bones cracked as if they had been struck by an entire Universe World. It was not known how many bones broke at that moment, but they were seeing stars and a mist of blood had been spat out from their mouth. In an instant, their aura weakened considerably.
Despite being pursued by Yang Kai for so many days, they had never been this close before, so the Black Ink Disciple knew that life or death was at stake here. At once, they circulated the power of their Small Universe and swung their bow down at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai completely ignored this attack and instead wrapped his arms around the person, holding them tight in his arms and grinning, “Bastard, eat this!”
Saying so, he slammed his head down. Headbutting someone at this distance was the most effective way to deal damage. The reason he did so was that Yang Kai did not want any distance to build up between him and this person at all.
After having seen what this guy was capable of, Yang Kai knew well that if he were to let them escape his grasp, they might escape again.
With a thunderous bang, Yang Kai’s vision went dark, and the Black Ink Disciple’s head was thrown back, revealing the face which had been hidden under the hood the whole time in full view of Yang Kai.
It was shameful to think about it, but even after facing off against this Black Ink Disciple for so long, Yang Kai had not seen their face until now.
As their long hair flew up, a round face came into Yang Kai’s view. It seemed like the face of a young girl, cute with a bit of baby fat remaining.
[A girl?] Yang Kai was taken aback. That was when he noticed the full and elastic feeling which was pressing up against his chest.
However, soon enough, he tossed gender concerns to the wind. So what if she was a woman? There was no differentiation between a man and a woman on the battlefield. Craning his head back, Yang Kai delivered another devastating headbutt.
The Black Ink Disciple’s forehead was all red and tears were flowing out from the corners of her eyes. With Yang Kai’s Dragonkin body, his physical body was incredibly strong, yet the impact was still enough to black out his vision, so nothing need be said about its effect on the Black Ink Disciple.
After two headbutts, her consciousness was shaken and she almost passed out.
Seeing this, Yang Kai quickly activated Purifying Light in order to disperse the Black Ink Strength in her body.
The reason why he rushed forward to grab her like this was because he planned to do this all along. Yang Kai never thought about killing her. All this while, Yang Kai had wanted to capture her alive so that he could cleanse the Black Ink Strength from her body.
After all, if such a powerful Seventh-Order Master could be saved, she would be of great help to the Human Race.
If he merely wanted to kill her, then Yang Kai could have easily killed her from afar by sending a powerful Divine Ability against her.
However, before Yang Kai’s Purifying Light could come out, the Black Ink Disciple in his arms, who looked like she was about to pass out, suddenly bent her knee and slammed it upwards!
With a grunt, Yang Kai’s face went white!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Black Ink Disciple freed an arm and sent two fingers right at Yang Kai’s eyes.
In the nick of time, Yang Kai turned his head, but he could still feel her fingers scraping away a layer of skin from his cheek.
The pain caused anger to surge up inside of him, and he squeezed even harder. The Black Ink Disciple yelped as her body creaked with the sounds of bones breaking. There was even blood spilling out from the corner of her mouth. It seemed like it would only take a bit more force from this person in front of her and she would burst apart.
In a moment of fear, her fingers, elbows, even her teeth and head all become weapons that rained down attacks on Yang Kai.
At such a close distance, she attacked Yang Kai completely haphazardly.
A fierce light flashed past Yang Kai’s eyes. He understood that if he did not completely subdue her, then he would simply have no chance to use Purifying Light. So, he restrained her body with both arms and even wrapped his legs around hers to prevent her from targeting his weak spot again.
Following that, Yang Kai used another headbutt.
*Hong Hong Hong…*
Every clash between them was a competition between their Small Universe’s heritages. At first, the Black Ink Disciple was able to put up a little bit of a fight; however, after seven or eight more headbutts, her resistance gradually faded away.
Her close-quarter combat strength wasn’t bad, but everything was relative, not to mention the fact that Yang Kai had practically restrained all of her movements at this moment, stifling her options.
Moreover, she was already exhausted after that sneak attack on the Eighth-Order Human Master. The amount of energy she could restore from her brief respite was limited, while Yang Kai was almost at full strength.
It was obvious who had the advantage in this comparison.
Blood splattered out as Yang Kai’s headbutts turned the Black Ink Disciple’s forehead into a bloody mess. As he watched the Black Ink Disciple’s eyes go white as she fell unconscious, Yang Kai finally stopped.
He shook his head to dispel the dizziness gripping his body before sighing. Yang Kai felt even more exhausted from this than if he were to face an Eighth-Order Master.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Disciple in front of him seemed to have lost all energy to resist and had finally fallen under his capture.
However, this woman had proven herself to be extremely cunning. It was hard to be sure whether she was just feigning unconsciousness or not, so Yang Kai had no intention of letting her go and just silently activated his Purifying Light.
A short while later, his left and right hands glowed in two different colours that merged and fused together into a dazzling white light, completely enveloping the two bodies that were in close contact with each other.
The almost unconscious Black Ink Disciple suddenly looked pained and a hoarse noise escaped from her throat. She instinctively tried to struggle, but with Yang Kai keeping her locked in place, it was useless no matter how much she resisted.
*Ci La La…*
Black Ink Strength could be seen seeping out of her body before disappearing without a trace. The pained look on the Black Ink Disciple’s face also gradually disappeared, and her expression softened.
After a few moments, when no more Black Strength came out, Yang Kai finally let go. Only now was he sure that she had no more energy to resist.
Exhausted, Yang Kai collapsed spread-eagled and gasped hard. Even though the woman next to him was unconscious, her brow was still furrowed, as if she were having a nightmare.
It was only after a few moments that Yang Kai struggled to sit up and stuffed some energy-recovering Spirit Pills into his mouth and silently began refining them.
The woman still showed no signs of waking up. She had sustained several injuries from Yang Kai after being chased down by him for several days. Then, she had hidden in the shadows in order to ambush the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master, which led to her using a powerful Secret Technique that further aggravated her condition. Finally, she suffered a rough beating from Yang Kai. Even though she had regained her free will, she was still suffering from her overexertion and injuries.
Yang Kai sat cross-legged next to her and stuffed some Spirit Pills into her mouth, helping her swallow them before activating his Towering Evergreen Divine Manifestation, enveloping them both in its rich, soothing vitality.
Fortunately, there were no signs of any Black Ink Clansmen around this area; otherwise, he would surely end up in another battle after making such a ruckus.
The woman ended up sleeping for a whole day. At some point, her long lashes fluttered, then her eyes flitted open suddenly and her small body shot up from the ground. Reaching towards the void, she grabbed her longbow, which was even longer than the length of her body.
The bow was drawn with great familiarity, and a golden light was pointed straight at Yang Kai, ready to strike.
Yang Kai remained seated on the ground without moving, not even trying to defend himself. He just looked up at her with a compassionate expression and comforted, “No need to be nervous.”
The young woman looked steadily at him for a moment, then her expression changed slightly as she finally remembered what happened before she fell unconscious, and she could not help but frown. Lowering her bow, she asked with some surprise, “Senior Brother saved me?”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded.
Even though these were her own experiences that she remembered so vividly, the woman still found it hard to believe, “How was Senior Brother able to save me? What sort of technique did you use?”
Since time immemorial, Humans had no means to restore order from chaos after one was corrupted of Black Ink Strength and degenerated into a Black Ink Disciple. As soon as one was turned, from then on, they would stand on opposing sides from the Human Race. The only thing they could do then was to face them in a life-or-death fight on the battlefield.
Many others had either died at the hands of the Black Ink Disciples or turned into weapons against their own people by the Black Ink Clan. This had been the painful reality for the Human Race since the beginning of the war.
But now, what she experienced was a sure sign that the Human Race possessed some Heaven-defying method that could rescue Black Ink Disciples!
Despite her great mental strength, she still could not hide her shock.
Yang Kai smiled, “I have a Secret Technique that can purify and dispel Black Ink Strength.”
The young woman pondered for a moment, “That white light?”
“Indeed!”
The woman nodded, seemingly having an epiphany, “No wonder!”
“Hm?” Yang Kai looked at her in confusion.
The young woman explained, “During the war ten years ago, one thing that struck the Black Ink Clan as odd was the fact that there were essentially no new Black Ink Clan Disciples who were converted after a certain point in time. The Black Ink Clan suspected that we Humans had obtained some sort of countermeasure against Black Ink Strength, but they were never able to figure out what it was. Obviously, that would be the Secret Technique that Senior Brother wielded.”
Yang Kai nodded, “That is correct.”
The young woman had a solemn look for a moment, then she put away her bow and cupped her fist, “Bai Yi thanks Senior Brother for his life-saving grace.”
Only then did Yang Kai learn her name. He stood up and cupped his fist in return, “Don’t mention it. En, my name is Yang Kai. And also, I’m no Senior Brother. I’ve only just advanced to the Seventh Order not long ago. In terms of seniority, I think you might be my Martial Aunt.”
Bai Yi shook her head, “You are in the Seventh Order, and your abilities surpass mine, so you should be referred to as Senior Brother.” While speaking up to this point, Bai Yi recalled the days when she was fighting with Yang Kai in that deadly chase and asked in disbelief, “Senior Brother has only just advanced to the Seventh Order?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I broke through at the end of the last war between the two races.”
Bai Yi could not help but feel shaken. For him to have almost driven her into a corner despite only having recently advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, just how strong was his heritage? If Yang Kai had more time to cultivate, then how could she even be his opponent? She was considered a Heaven-sent prodigy, and even though she had the sense to know that she was not that different from other Seventh-Order Masters in terms of pure strength, once she has some distance from her opponent, ordinary Seventh-Order Masters would not even be able to get close to her.
However, after repeated tussles with Yang Kai, she finally understood that there were always people beyond people, Heavens beyond the Heavens.
“Senio… Junior Sister Bai, is your body all right?” Yang Kai asked out of concern. Since she insisted on calling him Senior Brother, so be it.
Only then did Bai Yi take the time to examine herself. After a moment, she responded, “Nothing serious. I overexerted myself a lot and will need to restore my energy. Has Senior Brother helped me recover from my injuries?”
She remembered her wounds well, and even though some of her injuries would recover while she was unconscious, there was no way they would heal so quickly. That meant that someone helped her recover while she was unconscious, and naturally, Yang Kai was the only possible person.
As she spoke, she touched her forehead, feeling a wave of dizziness coming on. Memories of Yang Kai’s world-shattering headbutts were still fresh, as if they had just happened. Even after living for such a long time, it was the first time in her life that she had been treated that way, so it was a novel experience for her.
Yang Kai laughed awkwardly, “As to what happened before, I had no choice but to do it. Please do not blame me for my indiscretion, Junior Sister.”
Bai Yi nodded, “I understand. Senior Brother was merely trying to save me, not to kill me; otherwise, there was no need to go so far. Only, during that time, I… I’ve caused a lot of trouble for Senior Brother. My apologies!”
Saying so, a look of remorse appeared on her face.
Yang Kai sighed, “Once corrupted and transformed by Black Ink Strength, only the Black Ink Clan is supreme; it is not your fault. En, since Junior Sister is fine, let us head back. There is a forward base nearby. Junior Sister should know about it.”
“Yes…” Bai Yi nodded, but she did not move; instead, she had a slightly hesitant look on her face.
Yang Kai looked at her in confusion, “Is Junior Sister feeling unwell?”
Bai Yi shook her head and suddenly looked straight at him, “Senior Brother, do you want to kill a Territory Lord?”
Yang Kai raised a brow, “Junior Sister, what do you mean?”
Bai Yi explained, “Usually, as you and I are both only Seventh-Order, we would definitely be no match for a Territory Lord; however, there is a good opportunity at hand now. If we do this right, then there’s a good chance we’ll be able to pull it off!”
Yang Kai understood what she meant, “Junior Sister is referring to the Territory Lord who escaped earlier?”
Bai Yi nodded, “That was Zhu Feng Territory Lord who served under Men Xie Royal Lord. I used to be his Black Ink Disciple. He and Xu Bo Liang, Division Commander Xu, were engaged in a particularly brutal fight. Though he managed to escape with my help, Zhu Feng’s foundation was severely damaged. He must be back at his Black Ink Nest, recovering from those injuries. If you and I were to ambush him now, there is a good chance that we can take him down.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, but the light in them was bright, “Is Junior Sister sure? If Zhu Feng is healing, then there must be Masters standing guard around him. You and I are only two people, and though our strengths are not bad, how high could the possibility of killing him be?”
Bai Yi shook her head, “Senior Brother may not know, but the Black Ink Clan is not a monolith, and there is a lot of treachery lurking in the dark. If given the opportunity, weaker Black Ink Clansmen can see their strength soaring by devouring the energy of higher-ranking Clansmen. Currently, Zhu Feng has been severely injured, so no matter what, he would not allow this news to reach the ears of other Territory Lords or even most of the Feudal Lords under his command. Otherwise, once this news is leaked, there is no guarantee that the other Territory Lords may not have malicious thoughts about him. Even the Feudal Lords under him might take the risk to attack him. Once they devour his energy, it would be enough for a Feudal Lord to advance and become a Territory Lord.”
Yang Kai nodded at her words, “I have indeed heard of such a thing.”
He had lived in the Black Ink Clan’s territory for two years, so he had naturally heard about this. Back then, Nu Yan had expressed his desire to devour a Feudal Lord more than once in front of him. Unfortunately, he never had any opportunities to do so, so he could only bring Yang Kai around to pick gambling fights and earn Black Ink Coins.
This kind of information was no secret either. The Great Passes of the Human Race all possessed this knowledge.
Bai Yi nodded, “If it were any ordinary injury, then those Feudal Lords naturally wouldn’t have any funny thoughts; however, Zhu Feng’s injuries were severe, so he surely wished to conceal the news. And, the place where he was recovering now was only guarded by a few of his most trusted subordinates.”
“You know where he goes to rest?”
Bai Yi nodded, “Approximately, yes; after all, I was one of the Black Ink Disciples under him and had access to many of his secrets.”
Yang Kai began to ponder.
The temptation of a heavily injured Territory Lord was great. If they could take this opportunity to kill him, then that would be enough to deal a severe blow to the Black Ink Clan’s activities in this region, which would naturally be a great benefit to the Humans.
However, doing this would mean taking on a hefty risk.
After all, that was still a Territory Lord. A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The desperate measures one could bring out when facing death were not to be underestimated, not to mention the fact that the Territory Lord had his trusted subordinates by his side, protecting him.
Even if they did succeed, there would still be a battle to be had during their escape.
“Senior Brother, this opportunity is not to be missed. If we wait any longer and Zhu Feng manages to make any sort of recovery, it will become impossible to succeed,” Bai Yi quickly tried to persuade Yang Kai when she saw his hesitance.
Yang Kai glanced at her and finally made up his mind, nodding, “Very well. I will join forces with Junior Sister to kill Zhu Feng.”
Seeing him agree, Bai Yi finally smiled, “Senior Brother definitely won’t regret this.”
“However, the two of us still have to recover before we go,” Yang Kai advised.
Personally, his condition was fine; however, Bai Yi’s aura was currently very weak, and it was indeed necessary for her to restore her energy first. Otherwise, where would she find the energy to ambush Zhu Feng?
As such, the two of them settled down to recover their strength.
A sneak attack on a Territory Lord came with very large risks, but if successful, it would become a severe blow to the top powers of the Black Ink Clan in this region of the battlefield, a clear benefit to Blue Sky Pass.
Speed was paramount in war, and Yang Kai had no time to seek help from others either; moreover, something like this was better done with smaller numbers.
A few days later, Yang Kai and Bai Yi, who had almost fully recovered, rose to their feet and headed off under Bai Yi’s lead.
There had been a delay of a few days, but that was unavoidable. However, this amount of time did not matter in the face of their plans as Zhu Feng was severely injured by Division Commander Xu Bo Liang during their fight which had damaged his foundation. A lot of time would be required for Zhu Feng to recover, so a few short days would not make any difference.
During their journey, the two of them discussed their plan, taking care of every detail and finally drew up a general outline of what they were going to do. There were bound to be variables when they finally put their plan into action, but that would be left up to their improvisation abilities then.
For Yang Kai, the reason why he agreed to take this risk with Bai Yi was because it was truly a rare opportunity to come by. Secondly, Bai Yi had been following Zhu Feng for many years and knew his habits well. Third was because of his own proficiency in the Dao of Space that would allow him to find an opening to escape if things did not go to plan.
It should be impossible for a heavily injured Territory Lord to try and stop him if he was determined to flee.
They encountered nothing special along the way as Yang Kai followed Bai Yi forward. They did not even encounter a single squad of Black Ink Clansmen.
The reason for this was not that all of the Black Ink Clan had already withdrawn from this war zone, but that Bai Yi had avoided these Black Ink Clansmen and prevented any encounters with them.
The only target of this trip was Zhu Feng. Naturally, killing a Territory Lord would be far more beneficial to them than killing off some small fry.
Occasionally, Yang Kai observed a strange light flickering in Bai Yi’s eyes, so she had obviously cultivated some sort of profound Eye Secret Technique.
He had his own Eye Techniques, but the two Eye Secret Techniques he inherited from Myriad Demons Heaven were best for seeing through illusions and trapping others, so both lacked the long-range detection and surveillance abilities of Bai Yi’s Eye Technique.
When compared, these Eye Secret Techniques all had their own strengths and weaknesses.
After flying for two days, Bai Yi’s body swayed when they approached a certain Universe Fragment, then she landed on it.
Yang Kai followed closely behind.
“We’re almost there,” Bai Yi said.
Yang Kai nodded, “Then, let’s begin.”
Saying so, he took a deep breath and the Small Universe in his body shook violently. Fresh blood spilled from the corners of Yang Kai’s lips after a grunt. At the same time, his aura was suppressed, turning extremely weak.
In such a state, anyone oblivious to what was going on would surely believe that he was heavily injured. If they were to ambush Zhu Feng, then they had to present themselves as weak in order to numb his sense of danger.
“Please excuse me, Senior Brother,” as she spoke, Bai Yi formed a set of hand seals before hitting Yang Kai with a Secret Technique. In the next moment, golden chains appeared, binding him firmly.
Yang Kai struggled a bit, but found that this sealing technique was quite sturdy. Even with his strength, it would be extremely difficult if he were really caught by such a technique. If he were to be hit by such a technique during a fight, then he would basically just have to wait for death.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai nodded at Bai Yi, signalling that everything was in order.
Bai Yi nodded and grabbed Yang Kai by the arm before taking to the skies. In this way, it seemed like Bai Yi had captured Yang Kai.
According to Bai Yi, it was absolutely impossible for Zhu Feng to return to his own territory after incurring such severe injuries as it would make it impossible to conceal his current state. If that were to happen, the troops under him would surely become distracted, and there was a great possibility that the ambitious ones among them would start to have thoughts about stirring up trouble.
So, he had no choice but to hide in a secret nest in order to recuperate. Due to having followed him for so many years, and also being one of the Black Ink Disciples under his command, Bai Yi knew the location of his hidden nest like the back of her hand.
However, they could not be sure as to whether Zhu Feng was in that nest. If he was, then they could carry out their plan as they had drawn up. If not, they had no choice but to give up.
There was nothing left to do but leave it up to chance. Bai Yi would not dare to make a guarantee that her guess was right either.
In fact, basically every Territory Lord, even some Feudal Lords, had their own secret Black Ink Nests that they prepared as a place to heal when they became seriously injured.
Zhu Feng’s nest was actually situated inside a Sealed World.
There were countless Sealed Worlds in the Black Ink Battlefield, and no one knew how these Sealed Worlds came to be. Every now and then, the entrance of a Sealed World would be discovered. Whether it be the Humans or the Black Ink Clan, there was much to gain inside these Sealed Worlds.
Bai Yi had no idea when Zhu Feng had settled down in that Sealed World, but she had followed him in and out of it several dozen years ago, so she knew where it was.
Half a day later, Bai Yi stopped at a certain place in the void.
On the surface, there was nothing out of the ordinary here, but Yang Kai could vaguely sense a hint of Space Principles pulsing in the Void.
In other words, this was where the entrance to the Sealed World was located.
Yang Kai was bound by Bai Yi’s Secret Technique, so his perception was not too clear. For that reason, he could not determine where exactly the entrance was.
However, after confirming the location, Bai Yi took out her longbow and lightly strummed the string three times.
There was a whirr, and ripples appeared in the void.
A few moments later, a portal opened up a short distance ahead of them, and from it came the clear aura of World Force.
Once the portal expanded large enough for them to pass through, Bai Yi grabbed Yang Kai’s arm and moved in with haste.
After their vision flickered, the two of them arrived inside the Sealed World.
Before Yang Kai could even take in the sights of this Sealed World though, he felt a huge surge of force coming over from the side. Shocked, he circulated his strength instinctively to resist, but he quickly remembered that he was bound by Bai Yi’s Secret Technique, so how could he still have any strength left to struggle?
Fortunately, Bai Yi’s reaction was also miraculously quick. With a twist of her hand, she moved Yang Kai behind her while quickly sweeping to the side at the same time.
However, their ambushers had caught them off-guard. The attack was so sudden that even though Bai Yi could react in time, they were still hit by the aftershock.
With a grunt, both she and Yang Kai rolled into a heap.
She quickly rose to her feet and knelt down on one knee. Like a cheetah ready to pounce on its prey, she held her longbow in front of herself and kept a wary eye on the tall figures at the front.
Behind her, Yang Kai spat out a mouthful of blood.
During that ambush earlier, Yang Kai was completely unable to defend himself. Though it was merely the aftershock, it was still enough to injure him.
Bai Yi moved slightly, clearly concerned about Yang Kai’s injuries.
Yang Kai reached out secretly to tap her on the waist, indicating that he was fine.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Bai Yi asked in a cold voice as she glared up at a Feudal Lord. Earlier, it was he who ambushed them, causing Yang Kai to sustain damage.
There were two other Feudal Lords standing by the first’s side. Each one of them was tall and imposing, looking Bai Yi up and down with mischief in their eyes.
As he observed the situation, Yang Kai had the feeling that what they encountered was not exactly what they expected.
His initial plan with Bai Yi was to have her offer him up to Zhu Feng; after all, Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if Zhu Feng was a Territory Lord, he would surely be moved by this opportunity. He would surely wish to convert Yang Kai with Black Ink Strength then and turn him into one of his Black Ink Disciples.
Once Zhu Feng did so, it would give Yang Kai and Bai Yi the opportunity to stir up trouble. Even if they were unable to kill Zhu Feng, it would surely add to his injuries.
But who knew that once they entered the Sealed World, before they could even see Zhu Feng, they would be ambushed by the Feudal Lords who were watching over his safety.
[Could it be that Bai Yi’s circumstances were revealed?] However, that possibility was slim as both he and Bai Yi were the only ones who knew of the plan. Before using the Purifying Light, Yang Kai had specially checked their surroundings to make sure that nobody would see them.
In that case, there seemed to be some other reason behind this current situation.
The Feudal Lord who was being glared at by Bai Yi suddenly chuckled and spoke up “So it is Bai Yi. I thought that it was some Human who had come to disturb Sir’s recovery. Just an accident, an accident!”
That was clearly just an excuse. The Sealed World’s portal was equipped with a Spirit Array, which made it impossible to open unless the proper technique was used.
The Feudal Lords inside naturally knew Bai Yi’s identity if they were willing to open the portal and let her in, but they still tried to attack her, which made it obvious that they had done it on purpose. There was no such thing as an accident here.
However, the Feudal Lord did have a sense of proportion when he attacked and did not go all out. At the most, Bai Yi would have to suffer a bit of pain. They would not actually kill or severely injure her.
After all, Bai Yi was one of the Black Ink Disciples under Zhu Feng Territory Lord’s command, and she was clearly highly valued by him. They were still counting on Bai Yi’s efforts in order to down their enemies in this war zone. If they really did kill or severely injure her, then they would have no way of explaining it to Zhu Feng.
So, once the first attack failed, the Feudal Lord immediately put on a smiling face.
When he heard this, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like Zhu Feng really was hiding in this Sealed World to heal. Bai Yi’s deduction was correct.
Bai Yi glared at the Feudal Lord for a moment before snorting, ‘There will be no next time!’
The Feudal Lord’s smile faded, and he coldly snapped, “A trivial Black Ink Disciple dares speak to me in such a way?”
No matter how strong a Black Ink Disciple was, they would still feel a sense of awe when facing an actual Black Ink Clansman. However, Bai Yi was so highly valued by Zhu Feng that she lost her instinct of respecting the weaker Black Ink Clansmen.
On the battlefield, Bai Yi was even allowed to use Feudal Lords as cover in order to kill Human Masters, killing friend and foe alike with a single arrow!
It was exactly because of that incident that these Feudal Lords became very upset with Bai Yi; after all, nobody was happy to have to watch their backs for attacks from their own allies while they were facing off with an enemy.
After that incident, some of the Feudal Lords went up to Zhu Feng to complain, but rather than punish Bai Yi, Zhu Feng reprimanded them for their poor performance in battle instead.
The unjust ruling of the Territory Lord further intensified the feud between Bai Yi and these Feudal Lords. If it were not for Zhu Feng, then these Feudal Lords would have united to kill Bai Yi already.
A Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple was rare, but a Black Ink Disciple who was willing to kill even her own allies to fulfil her mission was not desirable.
This time, Zhu Feng was badly injured and had to sleep inside a Black Ink Nest to heal, so there was nobody to stand up for Bai Yi. These Feudal Lords who had long been sour at the state of affairs would naturally want to teach Bai Yi a lesson and make her understand who her betters were.
That was what resulted in the sneak attack earlier, but they did not expect Bai Yi’s reaction to be so quick as to be able to avoid it, leaving her no worse for wear other than getting some dirt on her face.
Bai Yi’s unpleasant tone of voice angered the Feudal Lord who attacked her even more. When he was about to reprimand her again, he suddenly noticed Yang Kai behind her and asked in surprise, “You captured a Human?”
The other two Feudal Lords also had curious looks on their faces as they looked over.
Bai Yi specialized in long-distance attacks after all, so generally, any opponent she targeted would end up dead. She had never brought one back as a captive before, so there was no way that these three Feudal Lords would not think it strange when they saw this today.
The first Feudal Lord frowned, “What cultivation does this guy have?”
Yang Kai’s power was restricted by Bai Yi’s Secret Technique, so the Feudal Lords were completely unable to sense his cultivation.
Bai Yi frowned, but after hesitating for a moment, she revealed, “Seventh Order!”
“Seventh Order!?” The eyes of the three Feudal Lords lit up upon hearing this, and they all looked at Yang Kai with a burning gaze.
A Human in the Seventh Order was the equivalent to a Feudal Lord in the Black Ink Clan. When it came to a one-on-one fight, the Feudal Lords were basically no match for Seventh-Order Humans. Not being defeated by them was already good enough, much less capturing one alive.
Capturing a Seventh-Order Master would count as a great merit for any Feudal Lord, no matter whether they were turning them into their own Black Ink Disciples or offering them up to the Territory Lord they served. Both options would boost the power of the Black Ink Clan in general.
“Where is Master?” Bai Yi asked. Though she was almost certain that Zhu Feng was recovering here, she still had to make sure that everything was in order before she acted.
The Feudal Lord who spoke previously had a glimmer in his eyes as he grinned and said, “Sir returned with severe injuries and is currently resting in the Black Ink Nest. He is not to be disturbed. Bai Yi, hand that Seventh-Order Human you captured over to me. Once Sir is awake, I will present him to Sir.”
Saying so, he tried to reach for Yang Kai.
As he moved though, Bai Yi suddenly drew her bowstring and a faint golden light appeared, aiming straight for the Feudal Lord’s forehead.
The Feudal Lord’s hand froze in mid-air as he glared at Bai Yi, “What is the meaning of this?!”
Bai Yi glared at him and returned the sentiment, “What are your intentions?”
The Feudal Lord said, “I believe I’ve made my point very clear. As for you… Do you intend to kill me? Why don’t you try and make a move? Then we’ll see whether or not Sir will let you off!”
Bai Yi was unmoved, “You’ll already be dead by then. What does it matter to you whether Master decides to spare me or not?”
Her words implied that she was capable of killing this Feudal Lord. The Feudal Lord felt disdained and flew into a rage, “Trivial Black Ink Disciple, how dare you act so impudently?!”
Bai Yi’s voice was cold, “Open your dog eyes and take a good look at the situation. Do you really think you can snatch the credit for my merits?”
Yang Kai, who had been behind Bai Yi this whole time, felt a mixture of both a headache and anxiety piling on in this situation.
They had known that things would definitely not go exactly according to their plans, so they were ready to improvise a bit; however, neither of them expected to be provoked by these Feudal Lords before they could even see Zhu Feng.
The Feudal Lords in front of them were clearly intent on snatching away Bai Yi’s achievement. For a Seventh-Order Human to be captured alive meant that Zhu Feng would have a new Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple under his command, which was a great merit. Naturally, the Feudal Lords were all eager to take the credit for themselves.
Normally, they would be capable of doing such a thing; however, Zhu Feng was currently asleep in the Black Ink Nest in order to recuperate and was completely oblivious to the world outside. They just had to snatch Yang Kai away and force Bai Yi out of this Sealed World, and the credit would be all theirs.
This gave Yang Kai a headache.
Moreover, the presence of Black Ink Strength inside this Sealed World made him anxious. Even though it was not very dense, it was still Black Ink Strength.
Anyone inside this Sealed World would constantly be exposed to Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai was fine as he carried a World Spring, so even if Black Ink Strength did encroach into his body, it would be suppressed perfectly, rendering it harmless.
However, Bai Yi was different. Once her Small Universe was corrupted to a certain extent, she would turn back into a Black Ink Disciple.
Yet at this moment, she did not dare to use any of her power to resist the encroachment of the Black Ink Strength either, for if she chose to do so, then it would inevitably arouse the suspicions of the Feudal Lords in front of her.
As she tangled with the Feudal Lords, she could only allow the Black Ink Strength to infiltrate her body.
Yang Kai had no idea how long she could hold out in this situation, but it would not be long. Once Bai Yi became a Black Ink Disciple again, not only would their plans be ruined, he would fall into danger.
It was clear that Bai Yi understood this, too. So, even though she would normally compromise when the Feudal Lords tried to bully and suppress her, she was exceptionally firm today, which made the Feudal Lords very angry.
With just a few words, a storm began gathering.
As she gripped her bow tight, Bai Yi looked up in a certain direction where a huge flower bud-like object stood. The flower bud seemed to have a life of its own, and as it breathed in and out, Black Ink Strength emerged from it, spreading out in all directions.
That flower bud was the source of the Black Ink Strength that filled this Sealed World.
A Black Ink Nest!
Yang Kai had lived in the Black Ink Clan’s territory for two years and followed Nu Yan to many Feudal Lords’ territories. He had seen many Black Ink Nests, so this was not an unfamiliar sight.
Black Ink Nests were where new Black Ink Clansmen were born, as well as the very foundation of their existence, which meant they were critical to the Black Ink Clan. Usually, Black Ink Nests could only be found in large enough territories controlled by powerful masters.
Nu Yan, the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman Yang Kai had followed around, not only did he not have his own territory, but he did not have his own Black Ink Nest. Naturally, one would not have the right to possess such things without the appropriate power and status.
Zhu Feng was a Territory Lord, so it was not difficult for him to get a Black Ink Nest and set it up in this place.
After the shocking battle with Xu Bo Liang, Zhu Feng was severely injured and immediately returned to this place, entering the Black Ink Nest so that he could enter a deep sleep to heal.
This was confirmed through the words of the Feudal Lords.
So, as Bai Yi looked over in that direction, she grabbed Yang Kai and rushed towards the Black Ink Nest, “I will offer the captive myself. You don’t have to concern yourselves with him.”
The three Feudal Lords paled when they saw this and one of them called out in alarm, “Sir is currently recuperating and is not to be disturbed!”
Saying so, he threw a fist out in Bai Yi’s direction in an attempt to stop her.
Bai Yi’s actions were all planned out though. She had long expected such a move from them, so as soon as she saw the attack coming, her body shifted aside, easily avoiding the blow.
And, in a haste to strike, and because of his grudge against Bai Yi, the Feudal Lord had acted rashly. After Bai Yi dodged his strike, it simply continued on towards the Black Ink Nest.
When he saw this, the Feudal Lord felt shocked, as if his soul could leave his body.
The other two Feudal Lords also felt chills run up their spines in that instant.
Everyone watched in horror as the huge power of his punch struck the Black Ink Nest.
*Hong…*
The three Feudal Lords felt like this punch had struck them, rather than the Black Ink Nest. They could feel their hearts clenching and cold sweat was now dripping down their foreheads.
Bai Yi floated in mid-air, a cold smile lingering on her lips as she watched the disgraceful looks of the three Feudal Lords.
The flower bud-like Black Ink Nest’s breathing stopped after being struck, but it was not too badly damaged. Of course, a tidal wave of Black Ink Strength was released after the violent impact.
The dormant aura inside of the Black Ink Nest quickly awoke, followed by a powerful Divine Sense that swept through the entire Sealed World that held a strong sense of alarm and unease.
Zhu Feng was in a state of trepidation at the moment. He was deep asleep and borrowing the Black Ink Nest’s power to recover; however, after being disturbed all of a sudden, his first thought was that the Humans had found him and launched an attack on his nest, so it was unsurprising that he would be so anxious.
In his current state, it would not be good for him if the Human Masters were to appear.
After his Divine Sense swept over the Sealed World though, Zhu Feng realized that things were not as he thought they were.
The three Feudal Lords who were watching over the Sealed World were all on one knee, shaking with pale faces. Meanwhile, his most capable subordinate, the Human Bai Yi, was floating in the air, looking down at the three of them with a sneer on her face.
Looking at the situation and considering the attack that struck his Black Ink Nest earlier, Zhu Feng instantly understood what happened.
If he were at full strength, then he would not have let anyone who disturbed his healing live, but he was still recovering from his injuries right now and had to rely on these loyal subordinates to guard him. So, it was not advisable for him to cause a fuss in case he lost the trust of his men.
After forcing down the anger welling up inside of him, Zhu Feng shouted in a majestic voice, “What is the meaning of this?”
Yang Kai, who was being carried by Bai Yi, raised his brow at that. Though Zhu Feng’s voice sounded extremely imposing, it could not hide the weakness hidden within. It could be seen that Zhu Feng was indeed very badly injured during the fight with Xu Bo Liang, especially when he tried to run away at the end. The might of Xu Bo Liang’s final slash almost cut his entire back open.
That attack from Xu Bo Liang must have damaged Zhu Feng’s foundation.
The three kneeling Feudal Lords remained silent. It was hard for them to explain the situation as there was no way they could say that they tried to cause trouble for Bai Yi and snatch her merit, which ended with them accidentally hitting the Black Ink Nest and disturbing Zhu Feng’s recovery.
If they did tell him that, then there was no need for them to show their faces in front of Zhu Feng anymore in the future.
“Have you all gone mute?” Zhu Feng became even more annoyed when he saw this, so he called one of them up by name, “Bai Yi, speak.”
The faces of the three Feudal Lords turned ashen at once.
Bai Yi said in a crisp voice, “Master, I have captured a Seventh-Order Human, but these three Feudal Lords did not feel assured about him and had intentions of trying to test him. However, they did not expect to accidentally disturb Master’s rest. Please forgive them.”
At these words, the three Feudal Lords kneeling on the ground were all stunned. They thought that Bai Yi would try to add insult to injury here, but here she was trying to stand up for them, which did not make any sense.
But on second thought, even if Bai Yi really did reveal the truth, the Territory Lord would not have done anything to them given his current condition. Instead, it would only make the three of them hate Bai Yi even more.
Rather than do that, she might as well have them owe her a favour instead.
With such thoughts in mind, rather than feel grateful to Bai Yi, the three Feudal Lords became even more resentful towards her.
Because this would only make their Territory Lord think that Bai Yi was being considerate and that they were being petty.
Naturally, Bai Yi would not be so kind. She would happily do anything to borrow Zhu Feng’s hand to make these Feudal Lords suffer, but her plan with Yang Kai was far more important right now. Adding on the fact that Black Ink Strength was constantly encroaching on her Small Universe inside of the Sealed World, she simply could not hold on for long, so she could not be bothered to stir up any trouble.
Now, all that was left was for them to put their plan into action. If they were too slow, then they would never get this chance again.
When Zhu Feng, who was hiding in the Black Ink Nest, heard this, he was silent for a moment before speaking, “In that case, all of you withdraw. Guard this place carefully and do not let anyone else disturb my healing.”
The three Feudal Lords hastily abided by his orders.
Bai Yi, however, spoke up, “Master, I would like to offer you this Human that I have captured.”
Zhu Feng answered flatly, “That is very thoughtful of you. Keep him in captivity for now, we shall wait until I have recovered from my injuries.”
“Master!” Bai Yi cut in again, “This Human is strong and has a high position on the enemy side. He should know what means the Humans have been using in recent years to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength. If it is convenient for Master, please convert him first and ask him for the answer. In this way, the other Territory Lords will also not be able to take advantage of this opportunity to snatch away your rightful merits.”
Zhu Feng was badly injured and in a hurry to recover, so he was a little annoyed at having Bai Yi object to his orders; however, after hearing her words, he began to ponder.
Bai Yi was right. It was true that the Black Ink Clan had been extremely curious about what mysterious means the Humans had been using to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength during these recent years. Men Xie himself had personally ordered the Territory Lords under him to figure out the truth of the matter; however, the Black Ink Clan had been unable to capture a single Human recently, thus they were never able to figure anything out.
Since the last war, the Human that Bai Yi captured could be said to be the very first, and he was even in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Indeed, Humans in the Seventh Order held high positions in their race. It was enough for one to become a Squad Leader or even a Battalion Commander. There was a good chance that a Human like this would know something.
If he could squeeze the answer to that mystery out of this Human, then it would be a great merit indeed. Zhu Feng’s injuries were severe, and even with the Black Ink Nest’s help, it would still take him a year and a half just to stabilize himself. By that time, another Territory Lord might have already discovered the answer.
To lay aside merits that were in front of his eyes without taking them and let another Territory Lord profit, Zhu Feng would naturally be unwilling.
There was merely a short pause before Zhu Feng made up his mind, “Bring him inside.”
“Yes!” Bai Yi answered reverently. Then, under the envious and resentful eyes of the three Feudal Lords, she flew straight towards the Black Ink Nest.
The closer she got to the Black Ink Nest, the denser the Black Ink Strength became. Yang Kai, who was dragged along, could faintly sense her situation and felt concerned for her.
He had no idea how much longer Bai Yi could hold out, but it was obviously not much longer. So, this battle had to be a quick one. Only then would they be able to resolve the situation before Bai Yi turned into a Black Ink Disciple again.
Fortunately, though there were changes in their plan, the general progression of it was going smoothly.
Below the huge flower bud-like Black Ink Nest was a rootstalk-like tunnel that was connected to the ground. The root looked like flesh, yet not, and it was exuding an extremely sinister aura.
Bai Yi entered the opening below the Black Ink Nest with Yang Kai in tow and walked up through the rootstalk-like passage.
A short while later, they arrived in a large and spacious area.
Even though Yang Kai had seen Black Ink Nests many times before from a distance, this was the first time he had ever been inside of one, so he observed his surroundings carefully.
The space inside was filled with such rich Black Ink Strength that it was practically liquid. It was tumbling and surging in the space, and seemed to be flowing towards a certain point under an invisible force that was fervently devouring it.
At the source of the pull was a huge figure who was sitting down cross-legged.
The man had a majestic and imposing figure, but there was a weakness enveloping him that could not be concealed. Who else could this figure be if not Zhu Feng, who had escaped with dire injuries?
When the two of them entered, the Black Ink Strength permeating the hall was pouring into Zhu Feng’s large body.
“Master,” Bai Yi walked up to Zhu Feng and knelt down on one knee, bowing her head.
Yang Kai was set down in front of her, lying quietly. As their eyes met, Yang Kai’s chest tightened because he could see a darkness looming in Bai Yi’s pupils.
In less than half a cup of tea’s time since they entered the Sealed World, Bai Yi was nearing her limit. Once the Black Ink Strength fully seized her Small Universe, she would surely transform into a Black Ink Disciple once again.
“So this is the Human that you captured?” Zhu Feng lowered his head and looked down on them, his huge figure exerting intense pressure.
“Yes!” Bai Yi trembled, seemingly intimidated by Zhu Feng’s might; however, Yang Kai knew that it was just her struggling to maintain the clarity of her mind.
“This Human is in the Seventh-Order?” Zhu Feng asked another question.
Yang Kai was about to curse this guy’s mother for blabbering non-stop instead of converting him directly. Hateful!
“There is no doubt about it,” Bai Yi answered.
Zhu Feng naturally did not doubt her. As his Black Ink Disciple, Bai Yi could not hide anything from him, so he was willing to trust what Bai Yi said to be true. Even if he were suspicious of the Feudal Lords under him, he would definitely not doubt his own Black Ink Disciple.
Even though Black Ink Disciples had low status within the Black Ink Clan, they at least had no need to worry about their loyalty.
“You did well,” Zhu Feng praised Bai Yi with a tender look on his face. Previously, it was Bai Yi’s arrow that came out at the key moment that hurt Xu Bo Liang which allowed him to escape from the Division Commander by creating an opening.
“It was merely my duty,” Bai Yi’s head hung low, and the hair in front of her forehead cast a shadow over her face that blocked the light in her eyes.
Zhu Feng nodded lightly. Without further ado, he spat out a mouthful of dense Black Ink Strength in Yang Kai’s direction, which flowed incessantly like a living creature, burrowing into Yang Kai’s seven orifices and pores.
Yang Kai struggled but to no avail. Soon, he became still.
A short while later, Zhu Feng stopped; however, after spitting out that mouthful of Black Ink Strength, his aura had clearly weakened a little. Converting a Seventh-Order Human seemed to have been burdensome on his current state.
Zhu Feng raised his hand slightly and ordered, “Untie him.”
Since he had been converted into a Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai was on his side now.
Obeying his order, Bai Yi released the sealing Secret Technique around Yang Kai’s body. In fact, she was going to do so even without Zhu Feng’s order.
“Master!” Yang Kai was well versed in disguising himself as a Black Ink Disciple, and he naturally knew how he should present himself at this moment.
“Now tell me, what means are the Humans using in order to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength? Why is it that our Black Ink Clan has been unable to gain a single Black Ink Disciple after such a long time?” Zhu Feng looked apathetically at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai answered respectfully, “That is the latest Secret Technique researched by the Human Race. This subordinate has also cultivated it. If it is convenient, then this subordinate is willing to demonstrate it for Master to see!”
Zhu Feng was surprised, “Oh? You have cultivated it too?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded.
Zhu Feng nodded, “Then demonstrate it for me.”
“As Master wishes!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and spread his hands out. Two seals floated up from the back of his hands, and in the next instant, a dazzling yellow light lit up on his left hand, while his right hand shone a vibrant blue.
When both hands came together, the two lights fused, transforming into a pure white light. All of a sudden, it felt as if a small sun had appeared inside of the Black Ink Nest.
Zhu Feng’s heart clenched tight.
In fact, when Yang Kai activated the seals on both his left and right hands, he instinctively felt a sense of unease; however, it was only when the white light appeared that his unease grew palpable.
Under the envelopment of the white light, Black Ink Strength turned into nothingness. The flesh walls around the Black Ink Nest contracted violently as if they were being eroded by a terrifying heat, emitting a chatter as the entire Black Ink Nest began to shake.
“This is…” Zhu Feng was shocked. That white light was a great threat to him. When his body was exposed to the white light, he was overtaken by a violent pain. The Black Ink Strength in his body melted just like snowflakes under a bright sun.
Before he could work out what was going on, the sun-like white light rapidly grew before his eyes.
“Please observe as closely as you wish, Master!” Following Yang Kai’s shout, the Purifying Light exploded out.
In an instant, Zhu Feng’s roar resounded throughout the Sealed World.
At the same time, Bai Yi, who had been kneeling on the ground, jumped to her feet and pulled the bow in her hands. A golden glow turned into a pillar of light that was blasted straight in Zhu Feng’s direction.
After Yang Kai had finished performing Purifying Light, he summoned his Azure Dragon Spear while using his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation at the same time. Guiding the great sun with his spear, Yang Kai stabbed it towards Zhu Feng mercilessly.
The combination of both his and Bai Yi’s strength burst out in an instant and contained terrifying killing power.
With an aura of death looming over his head, there was no way that Zhu Feng did not know that he had been tricked. He did not understand how a Human could withstand the corruption of his Black Ink Strength, much less how Bai Yi, who had been following him for so many years, would suddenly betray him; however, at the critical moment between life or death, he still unleashed the terrifying might of a Territory Lord.
His large body moved forcibly while he threw out a fist, and a terrifying power burst forth, causing space to tremble and rupture.
Outside of the Black Ink Nest, the three Feudal Lords stood together with bitter looks on their faces. They were unable to gain any benefits from Bai Yi this time and instead owed her a favour, which was exceptionally displeasing for them.
However, now that Bai Yi had been called into the Black Ink Nest by Zhu Feng, there was nothing the Feudal Lords could do despite their displeasure. Bai Yi was highly valued by the Territory Lord to begin with, and now that she was able to capture a Seventh-Order Human, her status was likely to rise even higher in the coming days. She might even be able to sit on top of their heads from now on.
How could the three Feudal Lords bear to endure having a lowly Human lord over them?
However, they did not know what they could do at this moment. While they were feeling at a loss, a loud bang suddenly came from the Black Ink Nest.
The three Feudal Lords were startled by the commotion and quickly turned their heads over; then, what they saw instantly sent chills down their spines as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.
Following the loud noise, the huge flower bud-like Black Ink Nest shook as if it had received a violent hit, and a strange, dazzling white light seemed to burst out from the gaps inside the flower bud, giving the three Feudal Lords an extremely dangerous feeling.
The white light seemed like their natural enemy. Even from such a long distance away, the Black Ink Strength inside of their bodies was conveying a sense of unease to them.
Immediately following that, they heard the raging roar of their Territory Lord.
As the violent energy exploded, the Black Ink Nest crumbled and several flower petals flew out, wilting and losing all their vitality before they could even reach the ground.
[The Black Ink Nest was destroyed?]
It had to be known just how important a Black Ink Nest was to the Black Ink Clan. The one here had been quietly brought over after much effort and expense from Zhu Feng. Now, its destruction was an immense loss for him.
All three of the Feudal Lords were terrified. They simply had no idea what had happened at their Territory Lord’s side for such a thing to happen.
However, it happened after Bai Yi brought the Human into the Black Ink Nest, so it was obvious that this had something to do with her.
Before they could figure out what happened, two figures flew out from the remains of the Black Ink Nest. While racing towards the Black Ink Nest, the three Feudal Lords looked over and discovered that the two figures were Bai Yi and the Human that she had ‘captured’.
They were both in a terrible state and were tumbling through the air while coughing up blood. It was clear that they were both wounded.
Inside the crumbling Black Ink Nest, Zhu Feng roared in rage, “Traitor! How dare you defy this Lord’s will!”
The roar could be heard all throughout the Sealed World. When a Territory Lord unleashed their anger, Worlds trembled.
Following his roar, a large figure rose from the destroyed Black Ink Nest. It was Zhu Feng. Only, he was clearly in bad shape at this moment. His aura was strong at times but weak at others, a sign that he had been seriously injured.
In fact, he was badly injured by Xu Bo Liang to begin with and had yet to recover since escaping back into this Sealed World before falling for Yang Kai and Bai Yi’s ploy. Suffering Purifying Light, Golden Crow Casts the Sun, and Bai Yi’s arrow technique yet not dying on the spot was already proof enough of how immense this man’s heritage was, but it would still inevitably compound his injuries.
At this moment, Zhu Feng could not even bring out half of his peak strength.
Yang Kai finally understood what the phrase, even a starving camel was larger than a horse, meant. Originally in their plan, if they failed to kill Zhu Feng with their initial attack, it would still at least be able to take half of his life. As long as they could cripple him and leave him half-dead, then with their combined strength, the two of them would have a good chance of winning the subsequent battle.
However, Zhu Feng’s strength was beyond their expectation. Though their surprise attack hit him hard, it did not achieve their desired effect and they had already exposed themselves. They could only charge forward now, as there was no turning back. Either their enemy died here, or they did.
Anger tumbled inside Zhu Feng’s chest. Compared to being attacked by Yang Kai, he was even angrier at Bai Yi’s betrayal. Bai Yi had been following him for many years and had rendered many meritorious deeds for him. Just days ago, if it were not for Bai Yi helping him from the shadows, he would not have been able to escape from Xu Bo Liang’s grasp.
Moreover, Bai Yi was truly very strong and Zhu Feng had treated her very well over the years, valuing her much more than the Feudal Lords under his command.
Back then, when he converted Bai Yi into his Black Ink Disciple, her Small Universe had been incomplete. Generally, every Black Ink Disciple’s Small Universe was damaged as a result of them giving up on parts of it in order to save themselves when Black Ink Strength invaded their bodies once or even several times before they were converted into Black Ink Disciples.
As a result, not only did their strength decrease, and their progress in the Martial Dao stall, but their incomplete Small Universes made them less and less able to resist the encroachment of Black Ink Strength, leaving them much more vulnerable to being converted into Black Ink Disciples.
Bai Yi had sacrificed parts of her Small Universe twice during the war before finally falling into Zhu Feng’s hands and transforming into one of his Black Ink Disciples.
After converting Bai Yi, Zhu Feng realised her potential and had even specifically searched for and obtained a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit for her so that she could repair her damaged Small Universe and regain her full strength.
Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were in great demand not only on the Human side but also among the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clansmen themselves were unable to use Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, but they needed them for the Black Ink Disciples under their command.
As a Territory Lord, it was not difficult for Zhu Feng to find a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit for Bai Yi; however, the price he had to pay for it was still not small.
So, he could not understand why Bai Yi would betray him! Or rather, how she could have done so?!
When he thought of the dazzling and pure white light though, Zhu Feng had the vague feeling that it might be the key to everything. When that white light emerged, the Black Ink Strength in his body squirmed with unease, as if it had met with its nemesis.
That white light had a purifying effect on Black Ink Strength!
That must have been the Human Race’s method for resisting Black Ink Strength, which is also the reason why no Black Ink Disciples had appeared in recent years. When he thought about that, Zhu Feng was shocked. If the Humans had grasped such a technique, then the Black Ink Clan’s advantage would be gone in the future.
If the Humans had such a technique, then how could the Black Ink Clan resist from now on?
As he roared, Zhu Feng raised his hand and pushed his strength wildly.
In that instant, whether it be Yang Kai or Bai Yi, both of them felt a tingle on their skin, a sign of impending danger.
Yang Kai cursed in his heart. How could Zhu Feng still be so powerful even after incurring so much damage? How strong would he be if he were at his peak, and how strong was Xu Bo Liang to be able to hurt him?
But in the next instant, Zhu Feng suddenly coughed up ink-black blood, and the power that had soared up fiercely dissipated again.
His injuries were truly too serious. During that ambush earlier, he had used up all of his strength in a desperate attempt to fight back, and now he was powerless to do anything more.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at this. How could he not realize that while the enemy appeared strong on the outside, he was in fact dried up on the inside? What were they waiting for? If they did not kill him now, then when?
The change happened too quickly, and it was only a matter of breaths between the initial ambush and Zhu Feng’s counter-attack.
In an instant, Yang Kai stabilized his tumbling body. He had no time to check on his own injuries and instead raised the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands, stabbing it straight in Zhu Feng’s direction while shouting, “Suffer death!”
All the strength in Yang Kai’s body had been poured into that spear thrust. Even though it was nothing fancy, or blessed with any Secret Technique or Divine Ability, this spear was still Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering.
The World Force inside of the Small Universe in Yang Kai’s body was pouring like mad into the Azure Dragon Spear. His entire being transformed into a stream of light that charged towards Zhu Feng’s face.
Yang Kai’s spear, which contained such intense power, was blocked by a thick flower petal. However, it shattered the flower petal, and the residual force still struck Zhu Feng, which caused the latter to spit blood once more, but not enough to kill him on the spot.
The thing which blocked his spear was a piece of the Black Ink Nest.
Their initial exchange of blows had severely damaged the Black Ink Nest, but at this moment, Zhu Feng’s body was rapidly sinking into the centre of what remained of it. Following his descent, the damaged Black Ink Nest closed up again, transforming into a bud that wrapped Zhu Feng completely into its centre.
Even without actively inspecting it, Yang Kai could clearly feel the power contained in the Black Ink Nest converging rapidly into Zhu Feng’s body. And, as the power drained away, the Black Ink Nest also rapidly withered while Zhu Feng’s aura rapidly recovered.
Yang Kai had no idea what sort of Secret Technique that was, but it was clear that the Black Ink Nest was healing Zhu Feng. It seemed like Zhu Feng was being pushed to a desperate point and had no choice but to do this.
“Kill them, kill them all!” Zhu Feng bellowed from within the Black Ink Nest.
Following his raging roar, three large figures charged towards Yang Kai and Bai Yi at the same time. It was the three Feudal Lords who had arrived late after hearing the commotion.
In fact, they were not slow. They had already charged over as quickly as they could, but everything happened so suddenly and the initial exchange lasted mere moments, which made it seem as if they had arrived late to the rescue.
Three Feudal Lords rushed over, one charging towards Bai Yi while two charged at Yang Kai with a clear division of labour.
It was not that they were underestimating Bai Yi. On the contrary, they were more afraid of her than Yang Kai because they had worked with each other for so many years and knew what she was capable of better than anyone.
So, it would take the combined power of the three of them in order to take down Bai Yi.
The Feudal Lord who was charging for Bai Yi did not expect to be able to kill her alone. His task was merely to delay her and occupy her attention to prevent her from shooting her arrows, allowing his two clansmen to kill Yang Kai first.
Yang Kai was greatly dismayed to sense the two auras charging over from both sides of him as he and Bai Yi definitely could not allow Zhu Feng the time to recover from his injuries. No matter what Secret Technique Zhu Feng was using, as he was draining the potential of the Black Ink Nest, the healing effect must be extraordinary. Once he was given the time to breathe, then killing him would become difficult.
However, with two Feudal Lords coming at him, he could not just ignore them either.
Thus, Yang Kai turned around hastily and thrust his spear towards the two Feudal Lords.
In the next instant, Yang Kai grunted and could not stop his body from flying back several thousand meters. Even the hand holding his spear was trembling slightly.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai would naturally not fear facing two Feudal Lords together; however, whether it be him or Bai Yi, the counter-attack from Zhu Feng during their ambush hurt them, so in this exchange, his injuries were enough to affect his performance.
However, he still did not eat too much of a loss after clashing with the enemy. The two Feudal Lords were similarly sent skidding back a dozen steps, and a long cut could be seen on the waist of one of them.
The wounded Feudal Lord could not help but feel shocked when he looked down at himself.
He thought that two Feudal Lords joining hands would definitely be able to take down their injured opponent, but how could they have anticipated that this opponent’s strength was not below Bai Yi’s. In fact, this man could prove to be even more difficult to deal with than Bai Yi!
If he had not dodged quickly enough just now, that spear would have stabbed right through him.
The wounded Feudal Lord was still gawking at his own injury when his comrade next to him paled and shouted, “He’s coming, don’t get distracted!”
Looking up, the Feudal Lord saw the spear of the Seventh-Order Human who was forced back piercing at them again, suffused with intense killing intent.
The two Feudal Lords immediately separated from each other and began to counter-attack. After just several breaths of time though, they were both secretly wailing inside. This Seventh-Order Human was simply insane, fighting desperately with no regard for his own life as soon as he came at them, as if he meant to take them down even if it meant his own death! Under such a fierce assault, even the two Feudal Lords who had worked together for many years were put into a desperate situation. In just a few moments, all three of them were bruised and battered.