The sight before Hei Yuan’s eyes made him extremely furious. To begin with, they had already suffered a setback in the previous battle. The treacherous Humans suddenly mobilised a lot of soldiers to come over and help, which caught them off guard. Now, there wasn’t even a single Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in this Squad, but they had managed to kill so many of the Black Ink Clansmen. Certainly, Hei Yuan would never tolerate this.
When did the Black Ink Clan become so weak? He was already in a terrible mood, and now, he was practically fuming.
The Feudal Lord said in a shaking voice, “Sir, one of the Seventh-Order Humans is unbelievably strong.”
Hei Yuan remained silent. In fact, he had already noticed this. The 3 Seventh-Order Humans were the core of this Squad, and while 2 of them were quite normal, displaying what would be expected from Seventh-Order Humans, the spear-holding young man was distinct as he was able to easily wipe out any Black Ink Clansmen that came near him. The extent of his strength was inconceivable.
While gazing at the spear-holding young man with narrowed eyes, Hei Yuan was astounded. It was no wonder that the Humans had the guts to intercept them here, for they had this young man with them.
However, such a young man was still too weak in front of a Territory Lord.
Hei Yuan snorted, “Pass on my orders. Kill them all regardless of what it takes!”
The Feudal Lord replied, “Yes.”
Without stopping, the large ship continued to inch closer to the battlefield. Following Hei Yuan’s order, the already intense battle became even more violent.
Initially, after Yang Kai killed some reckless Feudal Lords, the remaining hidden Feudal Lords didn’t dare to make a rash move again. They remained hidden and waited for better opportunities to strike.
Nevertheless, following Hei Yuan’s order, these Feudal Lords wouldn’t dare to delay despite their fear. They all started moving at once.
In an instant, Yang Kai and the others felt tremendously pressured and Xu Ling Gong and the Seventh-Order Vice Squad Leader were injured by some Feudal Lords in a moment of carelessness.
On such a battlefield, even the slightest injury could be fatal, for the Black Ink Strength permeating this place was highly corrosive. As time passed, even if their injuries didn’t worsen, they would still turn into Black Ink Disciples as they were no longer able to resist the Black Ink Strength.
Presently, Yang Kai’s left eye had turned golden while his right eye was completely black. In the darkness, he saw a Feudal Lord coming at him from the side. The Feudal Lord came at the worst possible moment as Yang Kai had just used a powerful attack and had yet to regain his balance. If nothing unexpected happened, this sneak attack would be successful.
However, the figure that Yang Kai was seeing through his black eye contorted in a weird manner all of a sudden. As if struck by lightning, the ferocious-looking Feudal Lord felt like a blade had cut across his waist. An excruciating pain spread from out, which delayed his sneak attack.
It was because of this momentary delay that he lost his life.
The Azure Dragon Spear bluntly jabbed into the Feudal Lord’s head as easily as if it were tofu.
As World Force surged, the bulky head exploded as dark blood started spurting from the neck of the headless corpse.
Right then, a Golden Crow was heard cawing as a Great Sun leapt into existence and crashed into the Black Ink Clansmen. Wherever the dazzling light covered, the Black Ink Clan instantly lost their lives.
Several Feudal Lords were killed by Yang Kai in just 10 breaths of time; however, there didn’t seem to be an end to this torrent as the Black Ink Clan continued charging towards him. The battle didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
On this battlefield, Yang Kai was like a sheep that was surrounded by a pride of lions. Regardless of how hard he tried to resist, he was fated to be eaten alive.
Xu Ling Gong felt his heart sinking. While battling against the enemies, he caught sight of a large ship that had come to a halt not far away from them.
This was a flight-type artifact that the Black Ink Disciples had specifically refined for the Black Ink Clan.
In such an environment, only the Territory Lords had the right to ride such a flight-type artifact.
Their target might very well be on this ship, and Xu Ling Gong could feel that someone strong was paying attention to them with a pair of gloomy eyes.
According to their plan, as long as Yang Kai came across that Territory Lord and got captured, their objective would be achieved.
Unfortunately, the Territory Lord didn’t seem to have the intention of showing up. Judging from the fierce reaction of these Black Ink Clansmen, Xu Ling Gong reckoned that the Territory Lord must have given the order to kill them ruthlessly.
In that case, how were they supposed to achieve their goal? It wasn’t like Yang Kai could simply go ahead and request to be a Black Ink Disciple. That would be a foolish thing to do.
It seemed that this Territory Lord had become bloodthirsty after the previous battle; hence, whenever he saw Humans, he just wanted to kill them all instead of turning them into Black Ink Disciples.
This was giving Xu Ling Gong a headache. However, things had come to such a point where he could only grit his teeth and soldier on.
A moment later, more Feudal Lords were killed.
On the deck, Hei Yuan sported an extremely gloomy expression. This couldn’t be helped, as the Feudal Lord he had sent to pass on his order was killed right in front of him.
The extent of the spear-holding young man’s power was inconceivable, which made Hei Yuan determined to end his life. This young man was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm now. When he grew to be powerful enough one day, even Hei Yuan wouldn’t be a match for him.
At the thought of this, he turned to look to the side.
There was an injured Feudal Lord who was just standing beside him, and the instant their eyes met, the Feudal Lord knew that Hei Yuan wanted him to join the battle as well. At that moment, he was terrified.
Presently, he was badly wounded, so he wouldn’t be of much help if he did join the battle. Even if he was still at the peak of his power though, he still wouldn’t be a match for the spear-wielding young man.
It was clear that this Human could chop up a Feudal Lord as easily as one would chop fruits and vegetables.
The Feudal Lord quickly racked his brain to come up with a solution, and before Hei Yuan could say anything, the Feudal Lord cupped his fist, “Sir, this Seventh-Order Human is indeed significantly more powerful than the others in the same Order. If you can capture him, he will be of great service to you.”
Hei Yuan frowned and fell silent when those words were spoken.
In fact, he had thought about turning the Seventh-Order Humans here into Black Ink Disciples; however, he was horribly injured right now, so it was difficult for him to make a move. Certainly, he would be more than happy if these Feudal Lords were able to corrupt them with Black Ink Strength. By then, he could just give an order, and these Feudal Lords wouldn’t dare to keep the Black Ink Disciples to themselves.
Nevertheless, these Feudal Lords were too timid in front of the young man, so they wouldn’t stand a chance to corrupt him. That was the reason he decided to kill the young man.
Still, Hei Yuan became increasingly tempted as the spear-holding young man was indeed an extraordinary cultivator. After corrupting such a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could start nurturing him, and by the time this Black Ink Disciple ascended to the Eighth-Order or even the Ninth-Order, Hei Yuan would have the right to stand on equal footing with the Royal Lords.
Having said that, it wasn’t easy to corrupt a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with Black Ink Strength. Most Humans didn’t seem to fear death at all, and there had been countless precedents where the Humans would rather commit suicide than become Black Ink Disciples.
If he decided to make a move, he had to achieve his goal in one swift strike; otherwise, the young man would definitely launch a desperate counterattack.
If he was still at the peak of his power, dealing with a Seventh-Order Human would be a trivial matter; however, since he was wounded now, Hei Yuan had to be more cautious.
Therefore, if he wanted to turn this young man, he had to weaken him first in order to achieve his goal.
Just then, the Feudal Lord exclaimed in a pleasantly surprised tone, “Sir, that Human has been invaded by Black Ink Strength!”
Hei Yuan looked over and saw that the young man’s face was indeed covered in a thin black aura, which was obviously Black Ink Strength. Hei Yuan was naturally familiar with this sight.
After giving it a thought, he realised that it wasn’t surprising. Regardless of how powerful a Seventh-Order Human was, he couldn’t possibly resist Black Ink Strength forever.
If nothing unexpected happened, this young man would have to give up a portion of his Small Universe in order to save himself soon.
This kind of situation was commonly seen on the battlefields. Whenever the Humans were corrupted, they would rather damage their own foundations than degenerate into Black Ink Disciples.
Hei Yuan was already used to this, but he was pleased to see this moment. When the young man’s foundation was damaged, it would be much easier to corrupt him. Humans could give up a small part of their Small Universe once or twice, but they couldn’t possibly keep doing it endlessly.
However, what happened next was vastly different from what Hei Yuan had imagined.
On the battlefield, the young man fished out some kind of Spirit Pill and stuffed it into his mouth.
After a short moment, the dark aura around the young man’s face dissipated.
Hei Yuan widened his eyes in disbelief, “What did he just eat?”
The Feudal Lord was unable to reply to him as he had no idea what had happened either.
“What the Hell did he just eat!?” Hei Yuan roared. The young man had shown signs of being corrupted, but he resolved that crisis by consuming a Spirit Pill. In other words, the Humans had developed a method to resist Black Ink Strength!
In fact, the Black Ink Clan already had some speculations about this. That was because they hadn’t managed to turn any Humans into Black Ink Disciples since more than 10 years ago. However, that remained a speculation that couldn’t be verified.
Now, Hei Yuan saw it with his own eyes.
In that case, the thing that the Humans relied on to deal with Black Ink Strength was a kind of Spirit Pill. What kind of pill would have such an effect? Hei Yuan was deathly curious about this and was determined to get to the bottom of it.
If he could figure out this secret, it would be a huge merit that would more than offset the fact that he had lost the previous battle.
On the battlefield, Xu Ling Gong seized the chance and secretly spoke to Yang Kai via Divine Sense, “Brat, what are you doing?”
He was fully aware of Yang Kai’s situation. This guy had a World Spring, so he could never be corrupted by Black Ink Strength; however, he pretended to be invaded by Black Ink Strength and consumed a Spirit Pill to put on an act.
Since Xu Ling Gong was literally standing beside Yang Kai, he saw that it was just an ordinary Open Heaven Pill, not a Purifying Black Ink Pill.
Yang Kai swept his spear across the Black Ink Clansmen in front of him and killed them all. While catching his breath, he replied, “Since we’re putting on an act, it has to be convincing. This Territory Lord is a patient one, so we have to tempt him to show up.”
A speechless Xu Ling Gong decided to stop talking and focused on killing the enemies.
The Territory Lord hadn’t shown up despite being nearby, which suggested that he was badly injured and was thus acting more cautious in every decision he made.
Xu Ling Gong became a bit more at ease at the thought of this. A wounded Territory Lord would naturally be less intimidating to them.
The intense battle continued, but it wasn’t long before Xu Ling Gong appeared exhausted as he secretly spoke to Yang Kai, “I’m running out of energy.”
A Seventh-Order Master was unable to bear the intensity of such a battle over a long time. Even though half of the pressure was borne by Yang Kai, Xu Ling Gong and his Seventh-Order Vice Squad Leader still found it difficult to deal with these enemies.
It had come to a point where all 3 of them were wounded. Worse, as more Black Ink Clansmen were killed, the Black Ink Strength on the battlefield became increasingly ample. Xu Ling Gong and his Vice Squad Leader were no longer able to keep resisting the Black Ink Strength.
Black Qi had begun appearing around their faces.
“Both of you, retreat to the Warship. We’ll have to fight our way out of here!” Yang Kai shouted.
“We’re going to fight our way out?” Xu Ling Gong was astounded upon hearing that. If they really did that at this point, all their efforts would go to waste; however, he soon realised Yang Kai’s intention. He nodded and sent a signal to the Vice Squad Leader, and then the two of them returned to the Warship.
The current situation was vastly different from their original plan. With that said, it was to be expected. Regardless of how immaculate a plan was, there would be unexpected incidents when they went to carry it out. Only by reacting accordingly would they stand a chance to succeed.
It was the best idea to fight their way out of here at this point. As for how the situation would unfold, that was beyond their control. Even if they couldn’t achieve their goal this time, there was nothing they could do about it. They could only come up with a new plan.
The next moment, Yang Kai turned to look in a different direction and led the way for them. As he was followed by the Warship, they tried to fight their way out of this battlefield that was covered with corpses.
On the Black Ink Clan’s flight-type artifact, Hei Yuan narrowed his eyes and snarled, “Trying to flee? Dream on! Stop them at all costs!”
“Yes,” Upon receiving the order, the Feudal Lord hurriedly left to pass down the order.
The Black Ink Clansmen did their best to stop the Humans from running away, causing the battle to further intensify.
Hei Yuan paid close attention to the battlefield. He could see that the spear-wielding young man had been invaded by Black Ink Strength again, but this time, he didn’t consume any Spirit Pills. Instead, he clenched his teeth and persevered. As time passed, the Black Ink Strength around him became increasingly richer.
It seemed that the Spirit Pills were extremely rare. The young man probably only had one with him.
[Finally, some good news!] Hei Yuan relaxed slightly. If those Spirit Pills were easily made and widely available, every Human could bring several of them with them. In that case, life would become difficult for the Black Ink Clan.
Seeing that the Warship led by the young man was about to break through the siege, Hei Yuan snorted and stomped his foot on the deck.
In an instant, the Territory Lord’s immense pressure reached out, forming into an invisible force and clashed with the young man’s spear.
The next moment, the seemingly unstoppable young man froze for an instant. While he was in a dazed state, a nearby Feudal Lord seized the chance and landed a punch on his chest, which caused him to spray out a mouthful of blood.
“A Territory Lord!?” The young man appeared horrified as he turned to look at the large ship. As their eyes met, one of them sported a solemn expression while mockery was written all over the other one’s face.
The young man appeared surprised, as though he had never expected to come across a Territory Lord here.
The next moment, he yelled, “All of you, leave now! I’ll bring up the rear!”
Aboard the Warship, Xu Ling Gong was finally able to put down his worries. Even though the Territory Lord didn’t show up in person when he made a move, it showed that he was no longer able to sit back and do nothing.
In that case, they had partially achieved their goal, and their task ended here. It then depended on luck whether Yang Kai would succeed; therefore, without hesitation, Xu Ling Gong sported a sorrowful expression and yelled, “Let’s go!”
The Warship started glowing up as the defensive and propulsion arrays were activated to the fullest, sending the Warship charging forward.
Just a moment later, the defensive array on the Warship dimmed. Following that, some of the propulsion arrays stopped working as the Warship slowed down.
With that said, they had finally broken through the siege after paying a hefty price.
Without the defensive array, the Warship had become far less intimidating; after all, the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters aboard the Warship were unable to resist Black Ink Strength for a long time.
The instant they got out of the encirclement, they launched some attacks from the Warship on the Black Ink Clansmen that were chasing after them. Although many of them were instantly injured or killed, it wouldn’t change the overall situation.
“Go!” Yang Kai roared as he wielded his spear, which turned into innumerable shadows and cut many Black Ink Clansmen to pieces.
On the Warship, Xu Ling Gong appeared mournful. After a short moment of hesitation, he gave the order to withdraw from the battlefield.
Despite being soaked in blood, Yang Kai resolutely stood in the void with his spear in hand. With determination written all over his face, he blocked the Black Ink Clansmen from pursuing the Warship.
Aboard the large ship, Hei Yuan narrowed his eyes, “I really don’t understand. Are the Humans foolish or courageous?”
He had seen on the battlefield many times that a powerful cultivator would bring up the rear so that the weaker ones could flee; therefore, he wasn’t surprised when he saw what was going on as it was within his expectations.
However, regardless of how many times he witnessed it, he still didn’t understand why the Humans would act this way. All the Humans seemed willing to sacrifice themselves, but didn’t they know that a powerful Master was significantly more valuable than a bunch of weaker ones?
Just then, the Feudal Lord beside him asked, “Sir, do we pursue the enemy Warship?”
Hei Yuan took a glance at the fleeing Warship, then shook his head, “There’s no need for that. With this young man around, those useless dregs wouldn’t be able to break through his blockade for some time. Moreover, this person is the most valuable. It would suffice as long as we can capture him.”
Upon hearing that, the Feudal Lord secretly let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that the Territory Lord would tell him to keep pursuing them.
Meanwhile, Xu Ling Gong’s Squad soon arrived at a safe place. When they turned their heads, they realised that there wasn’t even a single Black Ink Clansman in sight.
Presently, all the Squad members were panting for breath. They had to exert themselves as the battle was truly intense. In fact, up until this moment, they still hadn’t figured out how a small Squad like them had managed to persevere for such a long time when facing the tide of Black Ink Clansmen.
They were fully aware of their Squad’s strength. In the past, they would’ve been destroyed after just an hour of such combat.
Nevertheless, not only had they fought against the Black Ink Clansmen for half a day this time, but they had also escaped unscathed. Even though the Warship was tattered, the Squad members didn’t suffer from any serious injuries. As for the damage to the Warship, that could be repaired by spending some Military Merits when they returned to the Inner Sanctum.
All of this was made possible because of Yang Kai.
Qing Kui gazed at Xu Ling Gong and asked in a grim voice, “Honoured Master, are we really leaving Yang Kai behind?”
Although the Squad members were directly involved in this plan, only Xu Ling Gong was aware of the details and objectives. The Seventh-Order Vice Squad Leader had some speculations, but he couldn’t verify them.
Qing Kui had no idea what the plan was; after all, this was top secret, so it would be best to let fewer people know about it.
Presently, Qing Kui felt extremely apprehensive as the Squad had escaped while Yang Kai brought up the rear for them. He had the urge to go back and stand by Yang Kai’s side. Being killed on the battlefield would be much better than waiting here.
“What do you intend to do?” Xu Ling Gong sported a dark expression.
Qing Kui appeared hesitant as he had no idea what to say, but a moment later, he said resolutely, “Honoured Master, please allow me to go back and assist Yang Kai!”
Besides him, the other Squad members sported the same kind of expression.
“You want to go back and get killed?” Xu Ling Gong glared at him, “You’re just a Sixth-Order brat! What can you do even if you go back? You’ll only become a burden to him!”
Qing Kui clenched his teeth. Just when he was ready to speak, Su Ying Xue suddenly pulled his sleeve and said in a small voice, “Senior Brother, stop. Have you forgotten about a particular ability he possesses?”
With a frown, Qing Kui soon realised she was talking about the fact that Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space.
Therefore, Yang Kai was extremely adept at fleeing. Even if he was unable to deal with so many Black Ink Clansmen, he could easily escape. Qing Kui supposed that was the reason Yang Kai decided to bring up the rear.
All of a sudden, the Seventh-Order Vice Squad Leader said, “Qing Kui, do not act on a whim. Your Honoured Master and I are unable to persevere any longer. We have to return to the Inner Sanctum as soon as possible.”
Qing Kui was shocked upon hearing that. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the faces of his Honoured Master and the Deputy Squad Leader were tinged with some Black Ink Strength. It was apparent that they were being corrupted by it. Despite being Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they had been contaminated by Black Ink Strength from a protracted battle with the Black Ink Clan. Moreover, there was only one Squad here. Presently, the 2 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to divert most of their attention to suppress the Black Ink Strength.
They wouldn’t fall into danger immediately; nevertheless, if this dragged on, their Small Universes would be completely eroded by Black Ink Strength. By then, they would turn into Black Ink Disciples.
Xu Ling Gong ordered in an authoritative tone, “Listen up. Head back to the Inner Sanctum as soon as possible. We must not delay!”
Despite being unresigned, these Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t dare to disobey the Squad Leader’s order.
A moment later, huge arrays started appearing beneath everyone’s feet. As a light flickered, they disappeared at the same time. It was obvious that they had used the Universe Transference Law and returned to Yin-Yang Pass.
After all of the members were gone, the Vice Squad Leader nodded at Xu Ling Gong, “I’ll be waiting for you in the Inner Sanctum, Squad Leader.”
Upon finishing his words, he activated the Universe Transference Law as well.
Xu Ling Gong nodded and watched him leave. Then, he turned to look in the direction where they came from and let out a sigh. After transferring the tattered Warship to his Small Universe, he too activated the Universe Transference Law.
On the battlefield, Yang Kai fell into a perilous state without the Warship’s support and was surrounded by a large number of Black Ink Clansmen once again.
Despite being terrified, the Black Ink Clansmen had no choice but to charge forward following the Territory Lord’s order. Fortunately, Yang Kai didn’t seem able to persevere any longer; otherwise, they wouldn’t have the confidence to keep fighting.
An incense stick after the Warship left the battlefield, an asteroid that looked like a universe fragment abruptly appeared on the battlefield. The asteroid was covered with Black Ink Strength, and the instant it appeared, the World Force around it dissipated.
At the same time, Yang Kai, whose aura was already unstable, significantly weakened.
The Feudal Lord’s eyes brightened when he saw what was going on from the large ship. He said in a pleasantly surprised tone, “Sir, that guy can’t hold on any longer. He’s starting to give up parts of his Small Universe.”
After years of conflict, both Races were fully aware of each other’s patterns of behaviour.
On the battlefield, it wasn’t rare to see an Open Heaven Realm Master giving up a part of his Small Universe after he was invaded by Black Ink Strength; therefore, after every major battle, there would be a lot of asteroids floating around the battlefield. Those were the territories that the Humans had cut off from their Small Universes.
When a Human did this, it suggested that they were already on their last legs. In fact, this action wasn’t really useful. Even though he could spare himself the fate of being invaded by Black Ink Strength, his foundation would be damaged, thus causing his strength to plunge. This way, he would only get killed much quicker on the chaotic battlefield. Or, it would be easier for the Black Ink Clan to corrupt him again.
Yang Kai had showcased an incredible power as countless Black Ink Clansmen were killed by him, so it was apparent that he was no ordinary Seventh-Order Master.
It wasn’t until he gave up a part of his Small Universe that the Black Ink Clansmen were relieved. This Human wasn’t invincible; he could be defeated or even killed.
Back then, when Yang Kai decided to give up his World Spring in Blue Sky Pass, he cut off a small part of his Small Universe to do so. He still clearly remembered the excruciating pain he had gone through as though the incident had happened just yesterday.
At this moment, he wouldn’t have done such a thing if he still had a choice.
However, he had to act like a normal Seventh-Order Human. Regardless of how powerful a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was, he couldn’t possibly resist the Black Ink Strength after fighting against the Black Ink Clansmen for such a long time; therefore, he had to show them that he had to take a Spirit Pill, and presently, he also had to sacrifice a small part of his Small Universe.
He was doing all this because he wanted to carry out his plan without arousing anyone’s suspicion.
Fortunately, he had a World Tree clone with him now. Even though he had sacrificed a small part of his Small Universe, the clone would help him repair the missing part over time. He wouldn’t have to worry about his foundation being permanently damaged.
As he cut off a part of his Small Universe, Yang Kai was overwhelmed by a sense of excruciating pain once again. This caused him to tremble and growl like a beast.
In an instant, countless attacks were directed at him. Upon impact, he almost lost his balance as blood spurted from his wounds.
The missing part of his Small Universe caused his strength to plunge. Earlier, he had showcased a power that was much greater than that of the average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but now, he was just like any other cultivator in the same Order.
Given his cultivation, could he save himself in such a hostile environment?
The Black Ink Clansmen around him had undoubtedly noticed this. Emboldened, they started launching violent attacks on him.
At that instant, things could not have been worse for Yang Kai.
One hour later, his face was covered with Black Ink Strength once again, making it seem like his Small Universe was eroded by Black Ink Strength for the second time.
However, as another asteroid was quickly released, his suffering seemed to have been alleviated.
Hei Yuan was watching silently from the ship. At this moment, he couldn’t help but praise, “He’s indeed a resolute person.”
Although he had no idea how much pain a Human had to go through when sacrificing a part of their Small Universe, it definitely wouldn’t be a pleasant experience. A Human could be considered bold and determined when he cut off a part of his Small Universe in order to save himself on the battlefield.
However, this spear-holding young man had done that twice in a short time.
It must have taken him a lot of courage and grit to do so. This Human was not only ruthless to the Black Ink Clan, but also to himself.
“Sir, why don’t I go capture him?” The Feudal Lord, who had not dared to join the battle earlier, suddenly made such a request.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai’s aura plunged after he gave up a part of his Small Universe twice. He was almost unable to remain in the Seventh Order. If he did that one more time, he would probably regress to the Sixth Order.
The Feudal Lord wouldn’t dare to make a move when he saw how intimidating Yang Kai was just now, but now that Yang Kai was at the end of his rope, the Feudal Lord was certainly not afraid of him.
If he could capture this Human, he would make a big contribution in front of the Territory Lord.
Nevertheless, Hei Yuan snorted, “Who do you think you are to do that?”
The horrified Feudal Lord instantly fell silent. Even though he had no idea what the Territory Lord’s intention was, he reckoned that the latter was interested in this Human. The Territory Lord would most likely turn this Human into a Black Ink Disciple; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stopped and waited here for so long.
On the battlefield, Yang Kai was battered and his hair hung loose over his shoulders.
This wasn’t an act; he really was running out of energy. Despite having the World Tree’s clone, he suffered tremendous damage after giving up a part of his Small Universe twice. The prolonged fight also exacerbated his wounds. Presently, the World Force in his Small Universe was almost completely depleted.
However, the Black Ink Clansman he had been waiting for still hadn’t shown up.
Even though he had no idea who the Territory Lord on the large ship was, he knew that the latter was paying close attention to the battlefield. Nevertheless, the Territory Lord still didn’t seem to have the intention of making a move.
The fact that he was so cautious suggested that he was badly injured. He wouldn’t rashly make a move unless he was confident that he could achieve his goal with one strike.
In that case, Yang Kai had no choice but to lend him a hand.
Upon making up his mind, Yang Kai fiercely swept his spear across the Black Ink Clansmen around him to drive them back. While he was holding his spear, his aura started rising rapidly.
He was imposing as he glared at the enemies around him.
Not knowing what was going on, these Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t dare to move forward.
Disdain was written all over Yang Kai’s face as he sneered, “How dare you trash violate my Human Race’s dignity!”
Then, he shouted, “Long live the Humans!”
Even though his aura had already reached its former peak, it continued to rise. With a resolute expression, he seemed determined to die.
When the Feudal Lord, who was standing beside Hei Yuan on the large ship, saw that, his expression changed as he shouted, “Sir, he’s going to kill himself!”
On the battlefield, it was common for Human cultivators to kill themselves in order to avoid being turned into Black Ink Disciples. There were always such people in every major battle; therefore, the moment the Feudal Lord saw what Yang Kai was doing, he realised his intentions.
The self-destruction of an Open Heaven Realm Master would create a terrifying explosion as all the World Force in his Small Universe would burst forth at once. This move would be more violent than any other attack the Human could muster. This was the final move that the Humans would never want to resort to unless it was absolutely necessary to do so.
The spear-holding young man was trapped in a dead end. He had given up a part of his Small Universe twice, so he was at risk of falling back into the Sixth Order. Moreover, surrounded by a sea of Black Ink Clansmen, he would never be able to flee. Other than killing himself, there was nothing he could do.
As soon as the Feudal Lord finished speaking, he turned to look at Hei Yuan, but the latter was already nowhere in sight.
He had no idea when the Territory Lord disappeared.
The Feudal Lord quickly looked back at the battlefield, where he saw the Territory Lord’s figure.
Hei Yuan had abruptly appeared in front of the young man as he hovered his hand above the latter’s head.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s aura had already reached an unstable state, and the illusory phantom of his Small Universe faintly appeared behind him. The moment he detected the Territory Lord’s aura, a glint flashed through his eyes as he thrust out his Azure Dragon Spear.
Hei Yuan effortlessly slapped the spear aside and the hand he extended first firmly came into contact with Yang Kai’s head.
Upon impact, Yang Kai was overwhelmed with a sense of dizziness.
Hei Yuan was indeed badly injured, but Yang Kai was not in any better shape.
The aura he had just accumulated dissipated following the blow to his head.
The next instant, a torrent of Black Ink Strength streamed out of Hei Yuan’s hand as it turned into a Black Ink Cloud that engulfed the two of them.
The Black Ink Clansmen were unable to see what was going on, but they could hear the Human growling furiously, “In your dreams!”
Following a brief exchange of moves, the place fell into silence.
When the Black Ink Cloud dissipated a moment later, the figures of Yang Kai and Hei Yuan were revealed.
Hei Yuan’s aura was slightly unstable while Yang Kai was soaked in blood, looking all battered, his spear still pointing forward.
Soon though, he put the spear away and cupped his fist before calling out in a respectful manner, “Master!”
Upon hearing that, the Black Ink Clansmen around them were evidently relieved. There was no doubt that the Territory Lord had successfully turned this Human into a Black Ink Disciple. From now on, he wasn’t just a Human but also the Territory Lord’s servant.
Hei Yuan nodded gently and examined Yang Kai. He was apparently pleased to be able to subdue him.
“Come with me,” Hei Yuan said, then flew towards the large ship. Yang Kai coughed before following him.
Upon boarding the large ship, he saw a Feudal Lord coming over, “Congratulations on subduing this Human, Sir. I’m sure he’ll be a capable aide to you in the future.”
Hei Yuan ordered impassively, “I’ll get some rest. Take care of him and make sure that no one oppresses him.”
Upon hearing that, the Feudal Lord was surprised, thinking that the Territory Lord truly treasured this Human; otherwise, he wouldn’t have given such an order. After all, Black Ink Disciples were the lowest of beings among the Black Ink Clan.
However, Hei Yuan had a good reason for valuing him, for this Human had showcased incredible power. This person was no ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
After Hei Yuan finished speaking, he strode into the cabin. Meanwhile, the Feudal Lord looked smilingly at Yang Kai.
With a dispassionate expression, Yang Kai looked around.
There were quite a number of Feudal Lords on the ship; however, they were all looking at him with hostile expressions. Just now, they had seen Yang Kai slaughtering their clansmen. Although they didn’t intend to avenge their deaths, they were instinctively resentful of Humans as the blood feud between the two Races had been ongoing for countless years. Despite the fact that Yang Kai had turned into a Black Ink Disciple, they were still displeased.
Nevertheless, having just heard Hei Yuan’s orders, none of these Feudal Lords would dare to make things difficult for him.
Other than these Feudal Lords, there were also a lot of injured High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen who were recuperating on the deck.
Yang Kai even detected the auras of other Territory Lords from the inner part of the ship, which made him feel flabbergasted.
Fortunately, even though there had been some hitches, he had eventually achieved his goal. He had sacrificed a lot by giving up a part of his Small Universe twice, but he had successfully become the Black Ink Disciple of a Territory Lord.
However, there was something he had to ascertain first.
Was the Territory Lord who had stopped him from committing suicide and corrupted him with Black Ink Strength the Hei Yuan that those from Yin-Yang Pass had chosen for him?
Those from Yin-Yang Pass had selected Hei Yuan because he was highly valued by Mu Guang Royal Lord, and he was also one of the most powerful Territory Lords. More importantly, he would frequently visit the Royal City, so it would be easier for Yang Kai to gather information; however, Yang Kai had no idea what Hei Yuan looked like, nor was he aware of what those from Yin-Yang Pass would do to make sure that it would be Hei Yuan who would turn him.
To find out about it, he had no choice but to ask around.
At the thought of this, he turned to look at the Feudal Lord beside him and cupped his fist, “How should I address you, Sir?”
The Feudal Lord was injured when he was in the resource harvesting area previously, but upon hearing that, he replied with a smile, “My name is Zha Gu. Just call me Zha Gu.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “So, it is Sir Zha Gu.”
Zha Gu was evidently pleased with the honorary title as he put on a brighter smile. He patted Yang Kai’s shoulder with his big hand in a passionate manner, “Don’t be overly polite with me. Since both of us are working for Sir, you can just tell me if you need help in the future.”
“Many thanks.” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude, then brought up the main topic, “What is our Sir’s name?”
With a solemn expression, Zha Gu replied, “Sir is named Hei Yuan in the clan. He’s one of the top 5 Territory Lords working for the Royal Lord. So, consider yourself lucky that you’ve submitted to Sir.”
[It’s really Hei Yuan!] Yang Kai set his mind at ease. It seemed that everything was going to plan.
Zha Gu let out a sigh and turned to look at the cabin, “Other than Sir Hei Yuan, the other Sirs who are in charge of this region have been knocked out by the Humans. When we return, Sir Hei Yuan will most likely be reprimanded by the Royal Lord.” Then, he placated Yang Kai by saying, “Having said that, our Sir has always been valued by the Royal Lord, so the punishment wouldn’t be severe. He will be stripped of some of his territories at most. Forget it. Let’s not talk about it. It seems that you can’t hold on any longer. Find yourself a place and get some rest.”
Yang Kai thanked him again and sat down with his legs crossed on the deck. Then, he stuffed some Spirit Pills into his mouth and adjusted his breathing.
He managed to figure out many things through his brief conversation with Zha Gu. At the very least, he finally realised how those from Yin-Yang Pass made sure that it would be Hei Yuan who would corrupt him.
Other than Hei Yuan, the other Territory Lords were all ‘knocked out’ by the Human cultivators; hence, only Hei Yuan was able to make a move.
However, the Humans must have paid a hefty price in order to achieve this result. To severely injure so many Territory Lords, the Eighth-Order Division Commanders must have suffered serious injuries themselves. To the Black Ink Clan, the best way to recuperate was to fall into a state of deep sleep, and they would recover quicker if they were able to rest inside a Black Ink Nest.
Presently, there were several Territory Lords on this large ship, and apart from the wounded Hei Yuan, the other Territory Lords were sound asleep. Yang Kai couldn’t help but have the urge to secretly kill those Territory Lords.
If he could destroy these Territory Lords here, the pressure they faced in the Yin-Yang Theatre would lessen.
Having said that, he had a more important task at hand, so he suppressed this urge.
With Hei Yuan’s large ship leading the way, the battered Black Ink Clansmen headed to the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
About one day later, a figure suddenly appeared in the previous battlefield as he scanned the surroundings. This place was left with the traces of the epic war, and there were countless Black Ink Clan corpses hovering in the void.
The outcome showed that the war was truly bloody.
After wandering around the battlefield for a while, this person stopped in his tracks and looked towards the depths of the void.
A moment later, a ray of light approached him from a distance and landed beside him.
Wu Qing, who had arrived at this place first to investigate, asked, “How is it? Is there any news from the Inner Sanctum?”
Tang Qiu, who came later, replied, “En, I’ve just received some news. Yang Kai didn’t return to the Inner Sanctum. Have you found anything here?”
“The situation is just like what Xu Ling Gong and his Squad reported, but there’s a notable discrepancy.”
“What do you mean?” Tang Qiu asked with a frown.
“Look over there,” Wu Qing suddenly pointed in a particular direction.
Tang Qiu looked intently in the same direction, then his expression changed, “Those look like universe fragments… That brat gave up parts of his Small Universe?”
Wu Qing nodded, “Xu Ling Gong and his Squad told us that Yang Kai fell into a perilous situation, but they had no idea what happened next. Apparently, Yang Kai sacrificed some parts of his Small Universe after they were gone, which was why they didn’t see it.”
With a solemn expression, Tang Qiu said, “His foundation must have been damaged after he gave up some parts of his Small Universe; however, those from Blue Sky Pass told us that he has obtained a World Tree clone which replaced the World Spring he owned. With the clone’s presence, not only is he immune to the corruption of Black Ink Strength, but it can also apparently repair the missing parts of his Small Universe. Obviously, he did that in order to fool the Black Ink Clan, so it could be considered a clever move. Now, it seems that everything was well under his control. If he were in danger, he wouldn’t have sacrificed parts of his Small Universe to weaken himself.”
Wu Qing nodded, “We can only hope that he has been subdued by Hei Yuan and become his Black Ink Disciple. I was initially worried about this part of the plan as it had the most uncertainty, but his actions seem to have made up for it.”
Even though Wu Qing didn’t point out what the cause of the uncertainty was, Tang Qiu was fully aware of it. In fact, the cause was glaring when they were devising the plan. However, there was nothing they could do about it, so they could only hope that Yang Kai would be lucky enough.
“Yes, I was worried about it as well. Even if he has successfully pretended to be corrupted, his secret will be exposed if Hei Yuan decides to examine his Small Universe.”
Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when he pretended to be a Black Ink Disciple previously, and the person who corrupted him was just a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, so it never crossed the latter’s mind that Yang Kai had retained his sanity, so he never thought to examine his Small Universe.
Moreover, the Black Ink Clansmen had always believed that the Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master hadn’t materialised, so there was no need to inspect it.
Nevertheless, things were different now as Yang Kai was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
If Hei Yuan suddenly had the urge to ask Yang Kai to open up his Small Universe to him, would the latter agree to it or would he be forced to flee? As soon as the Small Universe was opened, his secret would be exposed.
With that said, there was only a slim chance that this might happen; after all, a Territory Lord had personally made a move on a Seventh-Order Human, so he probably wouldn’t doubt whether he had succeeded. However, accidents happened when one least expected them to.
Now though, during the intense battle, Yang Kai had even given up some parts of his Small Universe, which could effectively fool the Black Ink Clan; after all, no Human would want to go through the pain of cutting off parts of their Small Universe if there was any other choice.
It could be said that Yang Kai’s action landed him in a safer situation.
Moreover, as far as the Black Ink Clan was concerned, the Four Universe Pillars had always been in the possession of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Seventh-Order Humans didn’t have the right to own these treasures that could ward off Black Ink Strength.
If nothing unexpected happened, Hei Yuan most likely wouldn’t try to examine Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
“Given his capabilities, even if something had gone wrong, he could have fled from Hei Yuan. Since he never returned to the Inner Sanctum, it means that he must have followed Hei Yuan to the Black Ink Clan’s territory.” Tang Qiu let out a sigh, “The only thing we can do now is go back and recuperate. As soon as he finds some useful information, there will be an epic battle to fight.”
Wu Qing nodded, “Let’s go.”
The next moment, they activated the Universe Transference Law and two Grand Arrays appeared beneath their feet.
As a light flickered, they disappeared from the spots and returned to Yin-Yang Pass.
The Black Ink Clan had successfully retreated. Along the way, some teams left the larger group and returned to their own places, but the large ship led by Hei Yuan was still heading towards the depths of the void. It wasn’t certain where the ship was going.
On the deck, Yang Kai silently adjusted his breathing and recuperated. He had exerted himself and even given up parts of his Small Universe in the previous battle. These losses couldn’t be made up for in short order.
It could be said that the heritage he had accumulated over the years was almost wiped out due to his actions. If he hadn’t consumed a High-Rank World Fruit picked from the World Tree clone, his heritage would have plunged to when he just ascended to the Seventh Order.
Even so, he had lost a few hundred years’ worth of cultivation by giving up a part of his Small Universe twice.
Black Ink Clansmen were seen recuperating on the deck. The ones who had the right to stay here were all Feudal Lords, so it was expected that they were not friendly to Yang Kai; however, considering the fact that Hei Yuan truly treasured Yang Kai, they wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for him despite feeling displeased.
Moreover, Zha Gu was also seated beside Yang Kai as he was treating his wounds.
A few days later, all of Yang Kai’s flesh wounds had almost completely healed. However, the losses to his Small Universe couldn’t be made up in a short time, especially the missing pieces. Even though he had the World Tree clone to help repair it, it would take him several years to fully recover.
When Yang Kai was meditating one day, he suddenly heard Hei Yuan calling out to him. He quickly got to his feet and headed to the third floor of the large ship.
As he followed the voice, he soon found Hei Yuan in a luxurious room.
Although Hei Yuan still appeared pale, he had clearly restored some of his power. At that moment, he was seated on a large chair with his chin resting on his palm. He seemed to be lost in thought.
“Master!” Yang Kai called out in a subservient manner.
Hei Yuan didn’t respond to him as he was still thinking about something. A while later, he took a deep breath and straightened up, “What’s your name?”
Yang Kai reported his name.
Hei Yuan nodded gently, “Human names are so strange. In any case, I’ve asked you to come here because I have some questions for you.”
“Please go ahead, Master.” Yang Kai remained respectful, which was expected of a Black Ink Disciple.
“You must be an important figure on the Humans’ side, right?”
“I was just the Squad Leader of a Squad.”
“You’re just a Squad Leader?” Hei Yuan was surprised, “Given your strength, you could’ve held a more important position. According to the classification of the Humans, you should be good enough to be the Battalion Commander.”
With a proud expression, Yang Kai replied, “There are no other Seventh-Order Masters who are a match for me; however, I’m not well-versed in commanding soldiers. In previous battles, my conduct was somewhat reckless, so they only let me become a Squad Leader.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Hei Yuan said, “I see. It’s no wonder that you had the guts to ambush so many Black Ink Clansmen when you only had one Squad with you. You were eager to earn merits, weren’t you?”
Yang Kai immediately played along by saying, “Please forgive me, Master.”
Yang Kai was just replying to Hei Yuan’s questions in a perfunctory manner, but it happened to cause the latter to have some misunderstandings. Certainly, he wouldn’t try to correct him.
“I saw you consuming a Spirit Pill in the previous battle to dispel the Black Ink Strength.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded.
Hei Yuan leaned forward, “What kind of Spirit Pill is that? Show me.”
Yang Kai appeared to be in a dilemma, “Master, the pill is called the Purifying Black Ink Pill, which was newly invented by the Humans. Due to the difficulty in producing them though, I was only given one pill. I consumed it on the battlefield, so there are none left.”
“Purifying Black Ink Pill!” Hei Yuan felt his brow twitching, “When was it invented?”
After appearing to give it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “About 20 years ago.”
Hei Yuan gritted his teeth, “It must be thanks to these Purifying Black Ink Pills that the Humans have repeatedly fended off Black Ink Strength. Is that why there have not been any new Black Ink Disciples recently?”
“Yes.”
“Damn!” Hei Yuan was furious as he finally realised why there were no new Black Ink Disciples over the past 20 years. They had speculated that the Humans must have invented a way to defend against Black Ink Strength, but they had no idea what it was. If he hadn’t subdued this Human named Yang Kai by chance, they still wouldn’t have found out about it.
After blowing his top for a moment, he asked, “How difficult is it to make these Purifying Black Ink Pills?”
Since this was an important matter, Hei Yuan had to find out all the details possible and report them to the Royal Lord at a later time.
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “I know nothing about Alchemy, but I’ve heard some rumours that it is difficult to refine Purifying Black Ink Pills. Even the Alchemy Grandmasters wouldn’t always succeed in producing them, so the success rate is fairly low. Usually, a Squad would only be given one pill.”
Hei Yuan’s expression turned milder. Yang Kai’s statement verified what he had seen on the battlefield. There were a total of 3 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in that Squad; however, other than Yang Kai, who consumed a Purifying Black Ink Pill to dispel the Black Ink Strength, the other Seventh-Order Humans didn’t take such pills even though they had been affected by Black Ink Strength as well.
After, they fled from the battlefield and disappeared.
This was good news for the Black Ink Clan as every Squad was only given a single Purifying Black Ink Pill. Hei Yuan was most worried that it would be easy to refine these pills and that all Humans would be given several of them. If that were to happen, the Black Ink Clan would suffer a huge setback if they were caught unprepared.
As he set his mind at ease, he went on to ask, “Has the Old Ancestor from Yin-Yang Pass recovered from her injuries?”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment. He wouldn’t have known that the Old Ancestor in Yin-Yang Pass was injured if Hei Yuan hadn’t asked, so how was he supposed to know the Old Ancestor’s condition?
He thus tried to recollect the situation in Blue Sky Pass. Even though he had no idea what had happened, Yang Kai reckoned that the Old Ancestor in Yin-Yang Pass must have exchanged moves with Mu Guang before, so her injuries must have something to do with the latter.
Since the Old Ancestor was wounded, there was no way Mu Guang was in a better state. Yang Kai wondered when the two of them had fought against each other.
After pondering on it for a moment, he replied, “My cultivation is weak, so I haven’t gained the Old Ancestor’s favour. Moreover, her place is heavily guarded, so I was unable to go anywhere near it. However, she has been recuperating for quite some time now, so I would guess she has almost recovered.”
Hei Yuan nodded, “It has been about 100 years since the last great war. Regardless of how badly wounded she was, she must have recovered by now. I’m worried that another large battle will break out again soon.”
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai found out it had been 100 years since the Old Ancestor of Yin-Yang Pass was wounded. In other words, there was a grand battle in the Yin-Yang Theatre 100 years ago. Even the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord had exchanged moves at that time.
100 years had passed in the blink of an eye, and both Races had had enough time to recuperate, so war was now imminent.
However, the big battle in the resource harvesting area just recently would probably delay the all-out war by several years; after all, several powerhouses from both the Humans and Black Ink Clan were injured. It would take them some time to restore their strength.
Just then, a Feudal Lord entered the room. It was none other than Zha Gu who cupped his fist and said, “Sir Territory Lord, we’re about to arrive.”
Hei Yuan nodded and waved his hand at Yang Kai, “You can go back now.”
Yang Kai responded respectfully and left the cabin.
Upon returning to the deck, he looked into the distance and saw a huge universe fragment. It was so large that it was comparable to a whole Universe World.
The universe fragment was covered with a layer of darkness, which went to show that Black Ink Strength was abundant. By living in such an environment, the Black Ink Clansmen would see their powers rising quickly.
Yang Kai had lived in the Black Ink Clan’s domain for 2 years and followed the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman he belonged to into many different areas.
However, none of those places was comparable to this universe fragment.
Yang Kai soon realised that this universe fragment was directly owned by Hei Yuan, and the areas occupied by his subordinate Feudal Lords would form the Territory Lord’s territory.
The large ship continued heading towards the universe fragment. As the ship passed through the clouds of Black Ink Strength, it soon hovered above a large city.
The city was so vast that there was no end in sight. In the centre of the city was a gigantic Black Ink Nest that looked like a flower bud that was about to blossom. The Black Ink Nest seemed to be a living creature and every time it breathed, a lot of Black Ink Strength would be released.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes. Although he had seen a lot of Black Ink Nests before, the one before his eyes was undoubtedly the largest. Given enough resources, such a Black Ink Nest would be able to produce many Black Ink Clan soldiers in no time.
Black Ink Nests had always been the foundation that the Black Ink Clan relied on to survive. Black Ink Clansmen were born from the Black Ink Nests, and they also had to achieve breakthroughs inside the Black Ink Nests. If the Black Ink Nests were gone for good, the Black Ink Clan would be like a tree without roots or a river without a source.
For this reason, the Humans always tried to destroy Black Ink Nests so that they could cut the enemy off at its source.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy to carry out such plans. There was basically a Black Ink Nest in every Black Ink Clansman’s territory. Zhu Feng even had a small Black Ink Nest in his temporary hiding place.
There wouldn’t be enough Humans to destroy all of these Black Ink Nests, and it wouldn’t be useful if they only destroyed a few of them, for the Black Ink Clan could easily create new Black Ink Nests.
So far, the Humans still hadn’t figured out how the Black Ink Nests were born. Some people speculated that they were built by the Black Ink Clan, but this speculation was not logical because everyone who had seen a Black Ink Nest knew that this thing seemed to have a life of its own. Nothing the Humans had ever built was comparable to these Black Ink Nests.
There were also some people who speculated that the birth of Black Ink Nests was just like growing flowers. With a seed planted in the ground, it would grow into a new Black Ink Nest when it was well taken care of.
If this speculation was right though, what kind of seed was that? Where did it come from?
In the past, in order to study these Black Ink Nests, an Old Ancestor barged into the Black Ink Clan’s territory and stormed a Feudal Lord’s estate. After killing all the Black Ink Clansmen in that area, he snatched the Black Ink Nest; however, not long after the Black Ink Nest was taken away by the Old Ancestor, it started withering just like a plucked flower.
Obviously, no study could be conducted. Even the Old Ancestors were unable to figure out the secrets behind the Black Ink Nests; therefore, the Humans cast this idea away. Whenever they came across any Black Ink Nests, they would just destroy them.
Regardless, demolishing Black Ink Nests would mean immense losses for the Black Ink Clan.
The large ship directly landed in front of the gigantic Black Ink Nest. Some Black Ink Clansmen were already waiting for them. It was apparent that they had learned about Hei Yuan’s return just now.
Following Zha Gu’s lead, Yang Kai leapt off the deck and stood to the side.
The unfamiliar Human attracted the attention of many Black Ink Clansmen; however, there were already some Black Ink Disciples who resided in this place. Although many Black Ink Clansmen were curious, they soon looked away.
Hei Yuan’s figure appeared on the deck, but instead of leaving the ship, he waved his hand. As Black Ink Strength undulated, he shouted, “Wake up!”
Following his shout, powerful beings inside the large ship’s cabin started awakening.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he realised that they were the Territory Lords who had been sound asleep in the large ship. Even though these auras were powerful, Yang Kai could feel that they were somewhat frail. It was obvious that they were all severely wounded.
These Territory Lords hadn’t recovered one bit following a long time of deep sleep; therefore, Hei Yuan directly brought them to the Black Ink Nest so that they could make use of its power to recuperate.
A moment later, some burly figures stepped out of the cabin and stood on the deck.
The Black Ink Clansmen below saluted them respectfully.
Yang Kai stole a glance and realised that these Territory Lords were all injured as they were soaked in blood. The most severely wounded one had half of his neck cut. Yang Kai wondered who the Army Commander was that had made such a ruthless move. Black blood was still leaking out of the wound on his neck and there was a mysterious force around the wound that was stopping it from healing.
This Territory Lord was especially unstable and seemed to be muddle-headed. It was as though he would soon lose his life if he wasn’t given immediate treatment.
Including Hei Yuan, there were a total of 6 Territory Lords on the large ship. The 5 Territory Lords who had just awakened nodded at Hei Yuan and silently dashed towards the Black Ink Nest, soon disappearing.
After they were gone, Hei Yuan swept a glance over the rest, “While I am recuperating, all the affairs in the territory will be handled by Gui Liao.”
One of the Feudal Lords, who had been waiting for Hei Yuan’s return just now, bowed, “Yes.”
There was no doubt that this Feudal Lord was Gui Liao.
Hei Yuan then shuffled towards the Black Ink Nest, but he soon stopped in his tracks and turned his head to speak to Gui Liao, “He’s the new Black Ink Disciple I’ve taken on. Get him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit later.”
A hint of surprise flashed through Gui Liao’s eyes as he turned to look at Yang Kai.
In fact, he had caught sight of Yang Kai the moment the latter leapt off the deck, but he didn’t pay much attention to him; after all, it wasn’t rare for them to capture Black Ink Disciples on the battlefields.
However, what the Territory Lord had said suggested that he valued this Black Ink Disciple highly. That was why Gui Liao was surprised.
It had to be noted that most of the Black Ink Disciples had suffered some damage in their Small Universes, so Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were needed in order to repair them.
Even though the Black Ink Clan had some reserves of Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, they were not rewards that could be given out easily.
Only the Black Ink Disciples who had made immense contributions on the battlefield and proved their worth had a chance to be rewarded with a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit by the Black Ink Clan to repair their damaged Small Universes; however, Yang Kai had received this kind of treatment when he was just a newcomer, which was why Feudal Lords like Gui Liao were surprised.
With that said, since Hei Yuan had given the order, Gui Liao naturally wouldn’t object to it and bowed respectfully.
Hei Yuan then stepped into the Black Ink Nest. As he disappeared, the Black Ink Nest automatically closed.
Since the Territory Lords had to recuperate here, the Black Ink Nest wouldn’t reopen for a few years. In fact, the Black Ink Clansmen previously cultivating in the Black Ink Nest were all chased out in advance to make way for the Territory Lords so that they could derive enough energy to recuperate.
After the Territory Lords entered the Black Ink Nest, the Feudal Lords, who had returned alongside the large ship, dispersed. Soon, only Gui Liao, Zha Gu, and Yang Kai were left standing in front of the Black Ink Nest.
Gui Liao shot a meaningful glance at Yang Kai and asked, “What’s your name?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Yang Kai greets Sir Gui Liao.”
Gui Liao nodded gently, “Come with me.” He then turned to Zha Gu, “You too.”
Upon finishing his words, he led the way for them.
Yang Kai followed him closely. Despite not knowing what was going on, Zha Gu had no choice but to follow them as it was Gui Liao’s order.
Soon, they arrived at an exotic-looking castle that was in a prime location. It should be Hei Yuan’s castle.
There were many Black Ink Clansmen who resided in this castle. Following Gui Liao, Yang Kai stepped inside and looked around curiously.
Gui Liao called out to a Black Ink Clansman and ordered, “He’s the new Black Ink Disciple that Sir Territory Lord has taken on. Help him settle in.”
The person was just a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, and his weak aura suggested that he was only equivalent to a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. This kind of Black Ink Clansmen only served as cannon fodder to exhaust the Human cultivators on the battlefield, and they were not in a prestigious position within the Black Ink Clan. Having said that, they were good enough to be servants in such a castle.
Upon hearing that, the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman bent his back, “Yes.” He then turned to look at Yang Kai, “Come with me.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist at Gui Liao, then left the place with the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
Gui Liao watched him leave in silence. It wasn’t until Yang Kai was out of sight that he continued moving forward.
A moment later, Gui Liao sat down on a large chair in a side hall. Then, he fished out a World Sphere, which was full of World Force, from his Space Ring and sniffed at it. In an instant, he felt rejuvenated.
Zha Gu simply stood in front of him.
Even though both of them were Feudal Lords, one obviously had higher status than the other. This couldn’t be helped though as Gui Liao was Hei Yuan’s confidant; otherwise, Hei Yuan wouldn’t have said that Gui Liao would manage all the affairs while he was recuperating.
In fact, whenever Hei Yuan went to war, Gui Liao would be the one handling the affairs in his territory. Every Territory Lord had their own confidant; moreover, Gui Liao would most likely ascend to become a Territory Lord within 100 years. By then, he would no longer be in the same calibre as Zha Gu.
Therefore, even though Zha Gu was standing in front of him while he was still wounded, he wouldn’t dare to appear displeased.
Gui Liao breathed in the World Force from the World Sphere before asking slowly, “Tell me. What’s so special about that Yang Kai that Sir Territory Lord regards him so highly?”
[I knew he was going to ask about it!]
In fact, Zha Gu already had a speculation when Gui Liao told him to tag along, and it seemed that his speculation was right.
After giving it a thought, he replied with a solemn expression, “He’s very strong.”
Gui Liao narrowed his eyes, “Very strong? How strong?”
Zha Gu went on to say, “After the Sirs were ambushed by the Human Army in the resource harvesting area, they were defeated and forced to retreat. That Yang Kai led a single Human Squad around the battlefield to ambush our clansmen as they were escaping. He single-handedly killed several thousand of our clansmen, including more than 10 Feudal Lords.”
Gui Liao initially appeared nonchalant, but his expression turned solemn when he heard that, “He killed several thousand, including more than 10 Feudal Lords? Are you sure?”
Zha Gu put on a helpless smile, “Sir Territory Lord was standing beside me as we watched it happen. It’s because that person was so powerful that Sir Territory Lord wanted to subdue him despite the fact that he was badly injured.”
Gui Liao fell into a dazed state for a moment before saying, “Tell me everything you know in detail.”
Certainly, Zha Gu wouldn’t dare to hide anything as he vividly narrated the battle on that day. Gui Liao could instantly imagine an epic fight unfolding before his eyes.
“That guy gave up a part of his Small Universe twice. In order to let his companions escape, he took the initiative to stay behind and halt our forces. In the end, when he realised that he was unable to escape, he decided to kill himself. Sir Territory Lord promptly made a move and captured him,” Zha Gu felt the emotions in his heart undulating when he recalled what happened that day. He had a feeling that if Yang Kai hadn’t intended to protect his allies, he could’ve easily fled, and the wounded Hei Yuan wouldn’t have been able to turn him.
At that time, Hei Yuan was worried that the Human Masters were still pursuing him, so he wouldn’t have taken the risk of chasing after Yang Kai if the latter was determined to flee.
“The Humans are still as foolish as ever.” Gui Liao couldn’t help but snort upon hearing that. Then, he asked, “Who do you think will be the winner if he and I fight?”
Zha Gu hurriedly replied, “Sir Gui Liao, you’ll soon ascend to become a Territory Lord. Regardless of how powerful Yang Kai is, he wouldn’t be a match for you.”
Gui Liao snorted as he was somewhat displeased at Zha Gu’s prompt reply. Even though Zha Gu replied to him without hesitation, he didn’t seem sincere.
Nevertheless, Gui Liao didn’t intend to harp on this issue. He tossed the World Sphere, which was only left with half the original World Force, at him and said, “Good, I can see that you’re badly wounded. Go back and recuperate.”
After taking the World Sphere, Zha Gu replied joyfully, “Many thanks, Sir.”
Since the Black Ink Nest was closed due to the Territory Lords having to recuperate there, it would be hard for Zha Gu to treat his wounds as he was unable to make use of this territory’s power. It would probably take him a longer time to recover. However, with the World Force inside the World Sphere, it would significantly reduce his recovery time. Although he could afford a World Sphere as well, this thing was still expensive.
After Zha Gu was gone, Gui Liao narrowed his eyes and tapped on the armrest. Following a moment of silence, he called out, “Liu Zi An.”
A figure emerged from the darkness and replied, “Master.”
Gui Liao lifted his head, “There’s a newcomer in the castle. He’s the Black Ink Disciple that Sir Territory Lord has taken in. Since both of you are of the same Race, you should approach him when there’s a chance.”
Upon receiving the order, Liu Zi An replied, “Yes.”
After bringing Yang Kai to a side hall in the castle and helping him settle in, the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman left.
This side hall was built according to the Black Ink Clan’s average size, so the ceiling was pretty high. This place appeared too spacious when a Human lived here. In any case, Yang Kai didn’t really mind. After looking around, he was satisfied.
He then sat down with his legs crossed, though he wasn’t in a rush to cultivate. Now that his Small Universe had been damaged, it was less efficient for him to cultivate. Even though the World Tree clone would help him repair the damage done, it would take several years to fully recover.
Fortunately, before Hei Yuan entered the Black Ink Nest, he told Gui Liao to get Yang Kai a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, which solved the pressing issue for him.
He had planned on obtaining a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit upon arriving at the Black Ink Clan’s domain so that the secret in his Small Universe wouldn’t be exposed.
If his Small Universe fully recovered without a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit several years later, it would undoubtedly arouse Hei Yuan’s suspicion.
Moreover, there was one thing that concerned Yang Kai. After Hei Yuan and the other Territory Lords entered the Black Ink Nest, the entire territory was closed off.
Yang Kai had no idea how long it would take Hei Yuan to recover, but the latter obviously wouldn’t come out of the Black Ink Nest in short order. In other words, he probably wouldn’t see Hei Yuan for the next few years.
There was both a good and bad to this situation. The good was that Yang Kai could gather information on his own without any restraints. The bad thing was that he wouldn’t be able to head to the Royal City without Hei Yuan. He might not even be able to leave this universe fragment.
There was a Black Ink Disciple, who was approaching the Great Grandmaster level in Artifact Refining, developing Warships in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s domain. Yang Kai had to ascertain this individual’s identity and location, so if he was unable to leave this universe fragment, his means of gathering information would be limited.
The difficulty of the task made him feel anxious.
While this was giving him a headache, Yang Kai suddenly felt an unfamiliar aura approaching him. After becoming startled for a brief moment, he quickly tried to examine it.
He realised that it was a Human who was coming over.
Soon, Yang Kai heard someone knocking on the door.
He hurriedly got to his feet and opened the door, only to see a burly man standing outside his room.
There was no doubt that the Humans residing in this place were all Black Ink Disciples. Yang Kai had seen some Black Ink Disciples when he followed Gui Liao back to the castle though, so he wasn’t surprised.
However, the Black Ink Disciple in front of his eyes was overly towering as a Human. Standing in front of this man, Yang Kai only came up to his chest.
It had to be noted that even though Yang Kai wasn’t a particularly tall man, he wasn’t short by any means. This went to show how burly the man before his eyes was.
What bothered Yang Kai wasn’t this man’s height though, but his aura.
The energy fluctuations around this man suggested that he was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but his aura was tinged with a conspicuous sense of ferocity. Black Ink Strength could be seen wafting from his body, which made it look like he was covered in a layer of dark fog.
What concerned Yang Kai even further was the anomalies on his figure. There was a sarcoma on this person’s neck, and his hunched back really had a large hump in it.
The moment Yang Kai saw this person, he felt a sense of danger.
This kind of danger didn’t come from the threat this person might pose, but rather the other party’s own condition.
In other words, this person was constantly in a perilous state.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but recall what Luan Bai Feng, who was corrupted by Black Ink Strength at that time, had shown him in the Black Prison.
Back then, Yang Kai witnessed several people with similar conditions to this man.
One of the primary reasons the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been hiding the existence of Black Ink Strength from the general public was that this Strength was too dangerous, so a panic might be caused if this news was spread. Moreover, they were worried that some people couldn’t resist the allure of Black Ink Strength and would proactively seek to become corrupted.
Human growth was limited, especially in the Open Heaven Realm.
How high a cultivator could eventually push their Martial Dao was decided the moment they ascended to the Open Heaven Realm.
Usually, after a person ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, they could only increase their Order by 2 regardless of how hard they cultivated.
This was the reason the Cave Heavens and Paradises spent lots of time and resources nurturing the brightest disciples from a young age. Only the disciples who directly ascended to the Fifth Order and above had the right to become High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters one day.
If a person directly ascended to the Fourth Order, the limit in their lifetime would be the Sixth Order.
However, after an Open Heaven Realm Master was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they could break through this limitation and keep ascending to higher Orders.
This was an allure that many Open Heaven Realm Masters could not resist.
That was certainly the case for the Vice Sect Master of Lang Ya Paradise, Yuan Du. Despite his lofty status, he was still unable to resist this temptation, so he proactively sought to become corrupted and turn into a Black Ink Disciple. Ever since then, he became the source of disturbance in Lang Ya Paradise.
It was imaginable that once this news was spread, it would send a shockwave across the entire 3,000 Worlds; after all, Yuan Du wasn’t the only one who was unable to keep moving forward in the Martial Dao due to their innate limits.
However, most were not aware of the hidden dangers that came with this method. While Black Ink Strength could help an Open Heaven Realm Master achieve a breakthrough beyond their initial limitations, there was a price to pay, one that most people wouldn’t be able to bear.
Back in the Black Prison, Yang Kai had seen several Open Heaven Realm Masters who achieved a breakthrough with the help of Black Ink Strength.
Nevertheless, they all ended up in a horrible state.
The breakthrough beyond their limits and the sharp increase in their power could cause them to explode then and there, and those that did survive had their figures radically transformed, developing mishappen features and horrible tumours. In addition, their mental state deteriorated significantly, becoming far more aggressive and irrational.
The Black Ink Disciple in front of Yang Kai undoubtedly suffered such side effects.
The sarcoma on his neck, the hump on his back, and his unusually large build were all the result of the Black Ink Strength’s corruption.
In other words, this person wasn’t supposed to have ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. He broke through the limit by leveraging the Black Ink Strength. Even though he had successfully reached the next Order, his figure had also been transformed.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that even though the aura of this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was dangerous, his foundation was unstable. Like an insect-infected building, it would fall apart when someone gently pushed it.
If this person kept cultivating to increase his strength, he would most likely explode as his body was no longer able to bear a power that was too great for him.
Someone like him could never be saved even if his Black Ink Strength was dispelled with Purifying Light. The limit of his Small Universe was the Sixth Order, so the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm power had far exceeded what he could sustain. Once he lost the Black Ink Strength’s support, he would undoubtedly lose his life.
Countless thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he secretly sighed. He then asked, “You are…?”
The person cupped his fist and grinned, “I’m Liu Zi An, a Black Ink Disciple under Sir Gui Liao.”
“So, it is Brother Liu,” Yang Kai nodded gently, “Is there anything I can help you with?”
Liu Zi An put on a big smile, “I heard that Sir Territory Lord personally took on a Black Ink Disciple, so I came here to have a look out of curiosity. Sir Territory Lord is powerful, so he’s usually not interested in ordinary Black Ink Disciples. I’ve not seen him taking one over the years. You’re the first one, Brother Yang.”
“I’m truly honoured, then,” Yang Kai replied humbly. He reckoned that Liu Zi An must have a reason for visiting him, so he stepped aside, “Please come in, Brother Liu.”
Without being overly polite, Liu Zi An stepped into the room.
Yang Kai then closed the door. This side hall was basically empty, so it must have been vacant for quite a long time. He hadn’t prepared anything since he had just gotten here; therefore, he fished out a table and some chairs from his Small Universe and invited the other party to have a seat.
Liu Zi An directly sat down on a chair.
After Yang Kai was seated as well, he asked, “Brother Liu, you said you’re a Black Ink Disciple under Sir Gui Liao?”
“Yes.” Liu Zi An nodded.
“How long have you been living here?” Yang Kai asked.
Liu Zi An smacked his lips and sighed, “It’s been 1,000 years. Not a short time, is it?”
“It’s indeed a very long time.” Yang Kai nodded, “I’m new to this place, so I know nothing about the Black Ink Clan. You’ll have to give me some guidance in the future, Brother Liu.”
Liu Zi An guffawed, “Of course, of course. Since we’re both working for Sir Territory Lord, you can just tell me if you need any help. Although we’re Black Ink Disciples, we’re of the same Race, after all. Let’s meet up more often whenever there’s a chance.”
“You’re right.” Yang Kai agreed with him, “Which Cave Heaven or Paradise did you come from?”
Liu Zi An waved his hand, “Since we’re Black Ink Disciples now, the past no longer has anything to do with us. There’s no need to talk about where we came from. Since you’re now within the Black Ink Clan’s territory, you should quickly try to understand your place.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai replied humbly.
Liu Zi An went on to say, “To be honest, I wasn’t used to it when I first came here; however, after coming into contact with more people, I’ve realised that the Black Ink Clan aren’t any different from Humans. You just have to get along with everyone else. If you want anyone to help you with something, or if you want to be regarded highly, you have to be on good terms with others. If you do that, you’ll be fine.”
A glint flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes when he heard that, “You have a point, Brother Liu.”
Since this guy had made it clear, Yang Kai was naturally aware of his intentions. He then rummaged through his clothes and fished out a Space Ring before pushing it towards him, “Since we’re friends now, I’d like to give you a small gift. I’ll definitely need your guidance in the future.”
Liu Zi An arched his brow and guffawed, “Well, you shouldn’t have. There’s actually no need for that.”
Despite saying that, he directly picked up the Space Ring and scanned it with his Divine Sense. The next moment, his smile froze.
There were only a few hundred thousand Open Heaven Pills in the Space Ring.
This number of Open Heaven Pills could only last him for half a month. Even though he was a Black Ink Disciple, he was still a Human; hence, the cultivation resources he needed were the same as what Humans would use.
He directly shot Yang Kai a glance and made it clear that he was displeased, “That’s not very generous of you, Brother Yang.”
An unfazed Yang Kai explained, “This is already half of all my current assets, Brother Liu. You should know that when Human soldiers go to war, they don’t bring a lot of resources with them.”
The same rule applied to all the Great Passes as they were worried that once a cultivator lost his or her life on the battlefield, their resources would be lost as well. Therefore, the cultivators who went out to fight would leave almost all their assets in their residences. That way, even if they were killed, their fellow clansmen could still take the resources and make use of them.
Yang Kai was aware of this rule, but those from Blue Sky Pass had never restrained him with it; therefore, all his wealth was still in his Small Universe.
Liu Zi An frowned upon hearing that as he was unable to refute Yang Kai since what he said was indeed the truth. The Black Ink Clan had obtained a lot of Space Rings from the Humans on the battlefields in the past, but there weren’t really any valuable items in those rings.
After giving it a thought, he said, “Forget it. It’s the thought that counts.”
“Many thanks for your understanding, Brother Liu.” Yang Kai cupped his fist, then said,” Since you’re Sir Gui Liao’s Black Ink Disciple, can you help me with something?”
Even though Liu Zi An had accepted the gift, he didn’t seem ready to lend him a hand; instead, he asked vigilantly, “What help do you need?”
Yang Kai replied, “Before Sir Hei Yuan entered the Black Ink Nest, he had told Sir Gui Liao to obtain a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit for me. Since you are Sir Gui Liao’s Black Ink Disciple, can you help me ask him when he’ll give me the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit?”
Upon hearing that, Liu Zi An was startled, “Sir Territory Lord ordered a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit be given to you?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded, then asked curiously, “What’s wrong with that?”
Liu Zi An sized him up and shook his head, “Nothing.”
Then, he rose from the chair, “I can help you ask Sir Gui Liao about it, but it’s not up to me to influence his decision.”
“Regardless, I thank you for helping me.”
“En,” Liu Zi An nodded impassively, “I’ll inform you when there’s any news.”
Yang Kai got up and saw him off, “See you around, Brother Liu.”
Liu Zi An left the place and waved his hand without turning his head.
Yang Kai sported a dispassionate expression as he watched him leave. Even though both of them were Humans, he didn’t think Liu Zi An genuinely wanted to get closer to him after their conversation.
This was different from his previous experience.
When he pretended to be a Black Ink Disciple and worked for Nu Yan back then, Yang Kai had been on good terms with B-2, D-4, and E-5. Even though they had different temperaments, they sincerely wanted to get along with him. Perhaps it was because they were all Humans.
However, Liu Zi An was different as he didn’t even seem to regard Yang Kai as someone from the same Race. Perhaps the Black Ink Strength had fully warped his temperament. Even though all Black Ink Disciples would have their thinking changed so they were completely loyal to the Black Ink Clan, the impact of Black Ink Strength was obviously more severe on Liu Zi An.
This must have something to do with the fact that Black Ink Strength had helped him achieve a breakthrough.
Yang Kai had no idea whether it was Liu Zi An’s own intention to visit him or if it was Gui Liao’s order.
It would be interesting if it was the latter. Why did Gui Liao want to probe him? He was Hei Yuan’s Black Ink Disciple on paper while Gui Liao was the designated person to handle the affairs in Hei Yuan’s territory. They basically had nothing to do with each other as they had never met prior to this, nor were there any grudges between them.
Since he was unable to figure it out, Yang Kai decided to put the matter aside. He then returned to his room and refined some Open Heaven Pills.
He wouldn’t dare to refine any resources to cultivate; after all, he had just told Liu Zi An that he was broke. It wouldn’t be sensible if he was suddenly able to fish out a set of Seventh-Order resources.
Moreover, there wasn’t any restriction around his room that could block Divine Senses. Any energy fluctuations in this place could easily be detected by anyone else.
At the same time, in a Grand Hall that was in the deepest part of the castle, Liu Zi An was standing in front of Gui Liao and reporting to him about his conversation with Yang Kai.
Gui Liao listened to it with an unenthusiastic expression.
After Liu Zi An was done with the report, he stole a glance at Gui Liao. Upon seeing that the latter was expressionless, he summoned his courage and asked, “Master, Yang Kai said that Sir Territory Lord had promised to give him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.”
Gui Liao grunted, “Yes, that’s true.”
Liu Zi An frowned, “Why does Sir Territory Lord treasure him so much? He’s a newcomer who hasn’t made any contributions. If he’s given such a reward right away, he’ll most likely become arrogant.”
Gui Liao shot him a glance, “What’s wrong? Are you not happy with it?”
Liu Zi An quickly said he wouldn’t dare to, but he was evidently unresigned.
In the past, he had done everything he could to defend the Humans. After he was corrupted by Black Ink Strength on the battlefield, he sacrificed a part of his Small Universe; therefore, when he became a Black Ink Disciple, his Small Universe was incomplete.
Then, it took him 300 years to gain enough contributions on the battlefield before Gui Liao gave him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair his Small Universe.
The treatment he had received was totally not comparable to what Yang Kai could enjoy now, which was why he was unresigned; however, he wouldn’t dare to express his true feelings in front of Gui Liao now.
Upon seeing his expression, Gui Liao snorted, “You heard what Zha Gu said earlier. That guy is strong. That’s why Sir Territory Lord regards him highly. How are you comparable to him?”
A sense of haughtiness flashed across Liu Zi An’s face, “We’ll only find out about it after he and I fight.”
Gui Liao said impassively, “He’s Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple. If you really dare to do anything to him, Sir Territory Lord will not let you off when he’s done recuperating.”
Liu Zi An grinned, “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll only teach him a lesson when there’s a chance. It’s not like I’ll kill him. I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Gui Liao nodded, “Good, just don’t go too far.” After giving it a thought, he shook his head, “Actually, you’d better not complicate the matter. Even though Sir Territory Lord is recuperating in the Black Ink Nest, he’ll come out one day.”
Liu Zi An frowned, “Do we give him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit just like this?”
Gui Liao sneered, “Sir Territory Lord only ordered me to get him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. As for when I’ll find one, that’s up to me. I’ll also see if he’s tactful enough before I’ll decide whether I’ll give it to him.” He tapped on the table, “I guess he’ll look for you again. I’m sure you know what to do then.”
“I get it, Master. Don’t worry about it,” Liu Zi An replied respectfully.
“You may leave now,” Gui Liao waved his hand, then Liu Zi An left the place.
Yang Kai cultivated silently in his room. More than 10 days later, the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit was still nowhere in sight.
Logically, there should be all sorts of resources in the Territory Lord’s territory. When he came to this place with Hei Yuan, he witnessed the prosperity firsthand. Even though Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were rare, the demand for them among the Black Ink Clan should be far smaller than that among the Humans, so there should be a reserve of them in the castle.
Moreover, Hei Yuan had given the order in public, and Yang Kai had asked Liu Zi An to help him ask Gui Liao about it; hence, Gui Liao should’ve sent a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to him by now.
Yang Kai felt that something was off as he still hadn’t got his hands on a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit up until now.
Furthermore, it was truly inefficient to cultivate by refining Open Heaven Pills as it was much slower than what he could achieve in the past. Given his situation, he couldn’t possibly fish out a set of Seventh-Order materials and refine them though. He also couldn’t set up a restriction around this room.
After giving it a thought, he decided to look for Gui Liao and ask about it.
The moment he left the side hall, he saw a Black Ink Clansman who appeared to be in a hurry. This Black Ink Clansman was weak as he was only equivalent to a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai directly stopped him and asked, “Excuse me, where is Sir Gui Liao?”
The Black Ink Clansman was startled for a moment as he swept a glance over Yang Kai with surprise. It had to be noted that Black Ink Disciples were lowly slaves in the Black Ink Clan’s territory and had to be subservient whenever they saw any Black Ink Clansmen. It was the first time this Black Ink Clansman came across a Black Ink Disciple who dared to stop him like this.
However, he soon recalled that this Black Ink Disciple was personally corrupted by Sir Territory Lord, so he was unlike the other Black Ink Disciples. He supposed that was the reason this Black Ink Disciple was this audacious.
While suppressing his fury, he shook his head, “I have no idea.”
Upon finishing his words, he stopped responding to Yang Kai and left.
With no other choice, Yang Kai went on to ask several Black Ink Clansmen about it, but none of them knew where Gui Liao was. Perhaps they were aware of Gui Liao’s whereabouts, but they just were not willing to tell him.
This made Yang Kai furrow his brow.
Since he was unable to find Gui Liao, how was he supposed to ask about the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit?
After giving it a thought, he decided to release his Divine Sense to scan the entire castle.
The powerful Divine Sense swept across the castle like a tide, which prompted everyone in the place to react.
There were many Feudal Lords in the castle, so it was only natural that they were furious at Yang Kai who had the gall to scan the place with his Divine Sense.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai retracted his Divine Sense a brief moment later. Before the Feudal Lords could counterattack, his Divine Sense had returned to him.
During the momentary inspection, he was unable to detect Gui Liao’s aura. It seemed that those Black Ink Clansmen were not lying when they said they didn’t know where Gui Liao was.
After pondering on it for a moment, he headed in a particular direction.
A moment later, he arrived at a courtyard where there was a restriction set up. He directly flicked at the restriction and caused a layer of ripples to spread.
Soon, the restriction was turned off. After the door was opened, Liu Zi An’s furious-looking face came into Yang Kai’s sight.
It wasn’t because of luck that he found Liu Zi An’s residence. When he scanned the castle with his Divine Sense just now, the restriction in this place was triggered. For a brief moment, Liu Zi An revealed his aura to ascertain what was going on. That was how Yang Kai found out his whereabouts.
“Brother Liu!” Yang Kai took a step back and cupped his fist.
Fury was written all over Liu Zi An’s face. Upon seeing Yang Kai, he snapped, “It’s you! I was wondering who had the gall to do such a thing.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I’m sorry, but I had no other choice.”
“What’s wrong?” Liu Zi An asked in a grim voice.
Yang Kai nodded, “There’s something I need to ask you about.”
Liu Zi An frowned and stepped aside, “Come in first.”
After thanking him, Yang Kai entered the courtyard with him.
As he looked around, he arched his brow. This courtyard was definitely much better than the room assigned to him by Gui Liao as it was more suitable for Humans to live in. It was apparently because Gui Liao regarded Liu Zi An highly.
On the other hand, even though Yang Kai was Hei Yuan’s Black Ink Disciple, he wasn’t close to Gui Liao. That was the reason Gui Liao didn’t give him the same treatment and settled him down in a random room.
Even if Hei Yuan found out about it, he wouldn’t be displeased; however, it showed how little Gui Liao cared about Yang Kai.
There was only a table and a chair in the courtyard. Liu Zi An directly took a seat.
Yang Kai stood in front of him and looked around. He felt as if he was here to report to him regarding work-related matters.
“Whatever you have to say, just say it,” Liu Zi An said impatiently.
With a smile, Yang Kai fished out a chair from his Small Universe and took a seat across from Liu Zi An before replying, “Brother Liu, I’m here to ask you about the matter I had mentioned previously. Is there any update?”
Liu Zi An shot him a glance, “What matter are you talking about?”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Are you playing dumb, Brother Liu? I had only mentioned one thing.”
He felt frustrated in his heart. The last time they met, he already realised that Liu Zi An was haughty and aggressive, but there wasn’t much hostility between them. However, this time, he could feel that Liu Zi An was hostile towards him. He wondered what had happened as Liu Zi An also spoke in a weird tone.
In any case, both of them were Black Ink Disciples, so what was the point of him acting standoffish? Moreover, he had previously asked him to inquire about the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, but the latter played dumb now.
Although he didn’t need the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, Yang Kai had to get his hands on it to cover up the secrets in his Small Universe; hence, he was determined to obtain the fruit.
An unfazed Liu Zi An remained seated and said impassively, “Are you talking about the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit?”
Yang Kai nodded, “You finally recalled it.”
Liu Zi An replied, “I asked Sir Gui Liao about it on your behalf, but he didn’t say anything. It’s not up to me to influence Sir’s decision.”
Yang Kai knitted his brows together, “Where is Sir Gui Liao, then?”
Liu Zi An snorted, “This Liu is a Black Ink Disciple under Sir Gui Liao. Since he’s the Master, it’s not like he has to tell me where he’d go whenever he heads out. How am I supposed to know where he is?”
Yang Kai was rendered speechless as he had the urge to summon Azure Dragon Spear and kill him.
Upon noticing the gloomy expression on the other man’s face, Liu Zi An changed the topic by saying, “Brother Yang, do you remember what I told you previously?”
Yang Kai replied, “You told me many things at that time. Which one do you mean exactly?”
Liu Zi An grinned, “Since you’ve forgotten about it, this Liu will tell you one more time. The Black Ink Clan and the Human Race are not so different. You just have to get along with everyone. If you need someone’s help, you can obtain it by being on good terms with them.”
Instantly, Yang Kai appeared to be in a dilemma, “Brother Liu, I only have a small number of Open Heaven Pills. I gave you half of them, so I’m left with very few now.”
Liu Zi An snorted, “No one is coveting your pathetic number of Open Heaven Pills.”
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “What do you want then, Brother Liu?”
Liu Zi An replied impassively, “It’s not what I want. I have no say when it comes to the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.”
Upon realising his meaning, Yang Kai leaned closer and asked in a small voice, “What does Sir Gui Liao want, then?”
This guy had been beating around the bush in order to make Yang Kai understand that he had to gain Gui Liao’s favour. It was up to Gui Liao to make a decision regarding the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, and Liu Zi An was Gui Liao’s Black Ink Disciple. Yang Kai was certain that Liu Zi An must have gotten Gui Liao’s permission to do all this.
[So, he’s waiting for me to take the initiative to contact him.]
Yang Kai finally understood why Gui Liao didn’t immediately give him the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit even though it was Hei Yuan’s order. He hadn’t expected that there was such a practice in Black Ink Clan.
He thought that it was a terrible inconvenience.
Then, he went on to say, “Brother Liu, I’m sure you’re aware that I have nothing valuable with me. I’m worried that I can’t give Sir Gui Liao anything he would want.”
Liu Zi An put on a meaningful grin, “Don’t worry, you have plenty of what Sir Gui Liao likes the most.”
Upon finishing his words, he started sizing Yang Kai up. Yang Kai’s expression slowly turned cold as he narrowed his eyes, “Please make it clear to me, Brother Liu.”
It had come to a point where there was no longer a need to beat around the bush.
Liu Zi An said, “I’m sure you know that Black Ink Clansmen are able to consume World Force. This doesn’t just help increase their power, but it’s also a kind of hobby for them. Sir Gui Liao’s hobby is slightly different from others, though I suppose it’s not accurate to say that. Perhaps many Black Ink Clansmen have this hobby. They love consuming fresh World Force.”
Yang Kai was startled upon hearing that. It was the first time he heard someone describe World Force as ‘fresh’. World Force was the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master’s power, not a living creature. Was there such a thing as stale World Force, then?
Feeling puzzled, he asked, “What do you mean by fresh World Force?”
Liu Zi An replied with a smile, “Have you heard of the World Sphere before, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
Liu Zi An explained, “Strictly speaking, World Spheres are a kind of artifact invented by the Black Ink Clan. It’s used to absorb the World Force that leaks out after Open Heaven Realm Masters are killed on the battlefield. World Spheres are sold in every Black Ink Clan’s territory, and they’re quite expensive. By buying a World Sphere, a Black Ink Clansmen can consume the World Force inside it to cultivate. The World Force in Sealed Worlds could be consumed by the Black Ink Clan as well; however, that kind of World Force is like a tree without roots or a river without a source. It’s dead. To the Black Ink Clan, this kind of World Force is not fresh enough. It’s like stale food for Humans.”
He paused for a moment and went on to say, “On the other hand, Open Heaven Realm Masters like us have very fresh World Force in our Small Universes. Sir Gui Liao is pretty picky, so he prefers to consume this kind of World Force.”
Then, he looked fervently at Yang Kai, “So, it’s easy for you to gain Sir Gui Liao’s favour. You just have to open your Small Universe and let him consume your World Force to his heart’s content. After that, he’ll grant your wish.”
Yang Kai lowered his gaze and said impassively, “Is this how you please Sir Gui Liao?”
Liu Zi An directly nodded, “Yes. However, according to Sir Gui Liao, the World Force of every Open Heaven Realm Master tastes different. This Liu has been Sir Gui Liao’s servant for a long time. In the past, he loved to consume my World Force, but he hasn’t done so for a long time now. I suppose he’s already sick of it. Since you’re a newcomer, you can let Sir Gui Liao have a taste of a different kind of World Force. He said that the more powerful a Human is, the more delicious his World Force will be, and you’re a powerful cultivator. If you’re willing to do this, I’m sure Sir Gui Liao will see you in a different light. It’ll be much easier for you to get things done as well.”
“Is this the condition?” Yang Kai lifted his head and asked.
Liu Zi An shook his head, “It’s not a condition. It’s just my suggestion. Brother Yang, a wise man will adapt to the circumstances. This is the Black Ink Clan’s territory, and we’re Black Ink Disciples.”
“I’m Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, not Gui Liao’s.”
Liu Zi An’s expression changed, “Stop being obstinate, Brother Yang! You’ll only lose a bit of your World Force. If you can get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, you’ll be able to repair the damaged part of your Small Universe. By then, you can slowly cultivate and make up for the losses.”
Yang Kai shot him a piercing glance, “Before Sir Territory Lord entered the Black Ink Nest, he ordered Gui Liao to get me a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. Is he going to disobey Sir Territory Lord?”
Liu Zi An chuckled, “No one has the guts to disobey Sir Territory Lord’s orders. In fact, Sir Gui Liao has left the place to look for a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit for you; however, I’m sure you know that it’s a very rare item. As for when he’ll find it, or whether he’ll be able to find it at all, that is up to the Heavens.”
[Up to the Heavens?] Yang Kai secretly cursed. It was apparent that Gui Liao wanted to force him to make a concession in such a way. He had never expected that Gui Liao had a hobby of consuming fresh World Force from Humans.
Even though the one whose World Force was getting absorbed would suffer some losses, they would be fine as long as not too much of their World Force was sucked and their foundation was undamaged. The lost World Force could be replenished easily enough.
However, there was no way Yang Kai would agree to such a demand.
First of all, there wasn’t a reason for him to agree to Gui Liao’s request. Secondly, if he really opened up his Small Universe in front of Gui Liao, his secret would be exposed.
Previously, he gave up a part of his Small Universe twice on the battlefield because he had no other choice. Additionally, he was doing that to fool the Black Ink Clansmen so that they wouldn’t examine his Small Universe.
Fortunately, everything had gone well. Why would he expose his secret at this point?
Liu Zi An leaned against the seat and said calmly, “Why don’t you go back and sleep on it? Everything I’ve said to you is sincere.”
“There’s no need to sleep on it,” Yang Kai shook his head.
Liu Zi An stared fixedly at him, “You mean…”
Yang Kai snorted, “This Yang is Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, not Gui Liao’s. Regardless of what Sir Territory Lord tells me to do, I’ll not hesitate to do it for him. As for Gui Liao’s ridiculous demand, I’ll tell Sir Territory Lord about it when he comes out of the Black Ink Nest.”
Liu Zi An’s expression changed drastically as he landed a slap on the table, “Don’t go too far, you little bastard! It’ll take Sir Territory Lord several years to recuperate. During this period of time, you’ll have to work for Sir Gui Liao.”
“What’s wrong?” Yang Kai shot him a glance, “Is he going to kill me?”
“You’re just a Black Ink Disciple. If you make a mistake, why wouldn’t Sir Gui Liao kill you?” Liu Zi An appeared ferocious.
Yang Kai sneered, “Let’s see if he has the guts to do so!”
Liu Zi An fell into a dazed state. After staring at him for a long time, he shook his head, “You’re insane! Insane!”
He couldn’t sense any respect for Gui Liao from Yang Kai, which was inconceivable. As a Black Ink Disciple, how did Yang Kai have the guts to dismiss a Feudal Lord like Gui Liao? It seemed that he didn’t know his place.
Was he confident because he was the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple? Liu Zi An couldn’t help but feel bitter.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai extended his hand, “Give them back.”
“What?” Liu Zi An was startled.
“The Open Heaven Pills I gave you the other day,” Yang Kai pulled a long face.
Initially, even though Liu Zi An was deplorable, Yang Kai didn’t intend to be on bad terms with him; after all, he was new to this place, so he didn’t want to complicate things. However, what had happened totally disappointed him.
Gui Liao wanted to consume his World Force, and he even told Liu Zi An to con him into accepting.
Yang Kai would never agree to such a demand; however, he needed a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to cover up the secrets in his Small Universe. After taking everything into consideration, he decided to make a huge fuss so that Gui Liao had to take notice.
In this castle, Liu Zi An was the best breakthrough he could make use of to achieve his goal.
Liu Zi An couldn’t believe his ears. A person must be extremely thick-skinned to have the nerve to take back what he had given out.
Honestly speaking, several hundred thousand Open Heaven Pills didn’t matter to Liu Zi An; however, he could never give them back to Yang Kai given the latter’s attitude. If he really did so, it would be the same as admitting he was afraid of Yang Kai.
After a moment of silence, Liu Zi An sneered, “What Open Heaven Pills? I’ve consumed them all.”
Yang Kai balled up his fists as cracking sounds were heard. His aura was rising rapidly, “Since you’ve consumed my Open Heaven Pills, I just have to make you spit them back out!”
Liu Zi An was astonished as he gazed at Yang Kai in disbelief, “You want to fight with me?”
He couldn’t help but have the urge to laugh.
Previously, he had suggested giving Yang Kai a lesson in front of Gui Liao. At that time, he was just displeased with the different treatments he and Yang Kai received. This brat surnamed Yang could immediately get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit upon arrival while it wasn’t until 300 years after he became a Black Ink Disciple that he got the fruit. Moreover, he only obtained it because he had made many contributions.
Nevertheless, Gui Liao told him not to complicate things, so he cast the idea aside.
Now that he was provoked by Yang Kai though, he could seize the chance to teach him a lesson. Certainly, he wouldn’t dare to disobey Gui Liao’s order; however, there was nothing to worry about now since it was Yang Kai who made the first move. This way, he could explain himself to Gui Liao.
When Zha Gu reported to Gui Liao about the battle that Yang Kai had taken part in, Liu Zi An, who was hiding in the darkness, could hear it clearly as well. He knew that this new Black Ink Disciple that the Territory Lord had taken on was powerful as Yang Kai was able to lead a Squad to kill several thousand Black Ink Clansmen, including more than 10 Feudal Lords.
Liu Zi An didn’t think he was capable of doing that.
However, that was what Yang Kai could achieve when he was at his peak.
During that battle, Yang Kai sacrificed pieces of his Small Universe twice. Now, his Small Universe was incomplete, and his foundation had been damaged. There was no doubt that his power had plunged.
In that case, why would Liu Zi An need to fear him?
He was instantly infuriated by Yang Kai’s provocation and his Seventh-Order aura flared sharply. His entire figure was engulfed in a dark fog as he pushed his power, his figure seemingly expanding as well. The sarcoma on his neck throbbed against his skin like a beating heart.
He slowly rose from the chair and looked condescendingly at Yang Kai. With a grin, he snickered, “Brat, do you know the consequences of provoking me?”
Even though he appeared to be giving Yang Kai a warning, he was actually eager to see him make a move.
Yang Kai scoffed, “Anyone ever tell you, you talk too much?”
Upon finishing his words, he threw out his fist.
Liu Zi An almost had the urge to cheer for Yang Kai. He had never expected this person surnamed Yang to be so impetuous that he would make a move on a whim. It was unlike how polite Yang Kai had appeared to be up until now.
This was exactly the outcome Liu Zi An wanted.
The moment he saw Yang Kai making a move, he also pushed out his fist without hesitation. He was a burly man, so his fist was also significantly larger than that of Yang Kai.
When their fists came into contact, it was as though two Universe Worlds had clashed. As the World Force surged, Liu Zi An abruptly stopped appearing haughty as his huge figure was sent flying away like an arrow. He directly crashed into a wall and formed a pit in the ground.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was forced to back several steps before he managed to stabilise himself.
His surging aura made his clothes flap in the wind.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai stepped forward. He wasn’t used to the condition he was in.
If he were still at the peak of his power, he could’ve severely wounded someone like Liu Zi An with one punch and killed him in three.
However, his strength really had plunged as a result of the damage to his Small Universe, leaving him far weaker than before.
Fortunately, his opponent was Liu Zi An.
Even though Liu Zi An was also a Seventh-Order Master, he reached this Order by using the Black Ink Strength to break through his natural limit, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Liu Zi An’s foundation was unstable, so he was unable to fully utilise the power of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
After an exchange of moves, Yang Kai had a better judgement of Liu Zi An’s true power. He was indeed a Seventh-Order Master, as manifested by his ample World Force; however, he was unable to fully utilise that power. His cultivation was nothing more than a castle built from sand.
On the other hand, even though Yang Kai had sacrificed a part of his Small Universe twice, which caused his foundation to be damaged, he still had the World Tree clone to continuously purify his World Force; therefore, while he was no match for the other party when it came to strength output, the quality of his power allowed him to overpower his opponent. That was the reason he gained the upper hand following the exchange of moves.
An increasingly ferocious aura billowed from the ruins. A burly figure stepped out of the demolished building. For every step Liu Zi An took, the entire ground seemed to be shaking. Black Ink Strength was seen swirling around him, and even his eyes had turned completely black. He glared at Yang Kai and said through clenched teeth, “Boy, you court death!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he charged towards Yang Kai at the speed of lightning.
While in mid-air, he turned his fists into innumerable phantoms and engulfed Yang Kai with them.
Yang Kai had already intended to make a fuss, so he naturally wouldn’t back down at this point. He charged right at Liu Zi An and engaged him in a brutal melee.
The noise of the battle soon alerted everyone in the castle.
The Feudal Lords, who resided in different places, subsequently appeared and watched them from a distance. When they realised it was a battle between Gui Liao’s Black Ink Disciple and the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, they were astounded. They had no idea what had happened that caused these two Humans to get into a life-and-death fight.
Nevertheless, these Feudal Lords didn’t have the intention of interfering or stopping them. To them, even though these Humans had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they were not the same as Black Ink Clansmen like them, who had a noble bloodline. Naturally, they wouldn’t care whether one of them was injured or even killed. In fact, they had fun watching the battle and chatted among themselves.
The battle in the courtyard between Yang Kai and Liu Zi An was intense. As time passed, Yang Kai realised that this guy indeed had a problem mobilizing his strength.
Sometimes, his attacks would be so forceful that even Yang Kai found it hard to fend off, but sometimes, his strikes would be so powerless that Yang Kai could easily find openings and land direct hits on his figure, which caused him to groan in pain.
It meant that Liu Zi An was unable to use his power flexibly; instead, his utilisation of his World Force was unstable. Sometimes, he could showcase his real power, but sometimes, he would be strong in will while weak in strength.
Any Open Heaven Realm Master with a solid foundation wouldn’t face such a problem. One must be fully at ease with using their power in order to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm, so they wouldn’t have to deal with such a situation. The reason Liu Zi An was unable to effortlessly use his strength was that he didn’t deserve to be in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the first place.
Given his condition, he would be killed soon after he stepped onto the battlefield. Once his weaknesses were detected by the opponent, he would lose his life.
In fact, it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to kill him now, but he didn’t have the intention of doing so. It was no longer possible to save Liu Zi An. Even if the Black Ink Strength inside his body was dispelled using Purifying Light, his Small Universe would shatter as it was unable to bear Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm power. Nevertheless, he was Gui Liao’s Black Ink Disciple, so if he was killed here, Gui Liao would definitely avenge his death.
Liu Zi An was right to say that it would take Hei Yuan several years to recuperate, and Gui Liao was tasked with handling the affairs in the territory until then. Yang Kai would have a hard time here if he offended him too seriously.
It wasn’t long before Liu Zi An fell into a complete disadvantage.
This made him increasingly infuriated. He initially thought that Yang Kai wouldn’t be a match for him as the latter’s foundation had been damaged, but after the battle started, he realised that things were different from what he had imagined. Yang Kai was still powerful even though his Small Universe was incomplete. It was no wonder that when he was at the peak of his power, he was able to kill so many Feudal Lords and Black Ink Clansmen.
At this moment, Liu Zi An found himself in a dilemma. He could only madly push his power in an attempt to suppress Yang Kai while at the same time, he prayed that the latter wouldn’t be able to persevere due to his weakened foundation.
The more he exerted his strength, the thicker the Black Ink Strength around him became while the aura wafting from his body became increasingly unstable.
However, Liu Zi An seemed oblivious to all of that while Yang Kai had faintly detected it.
By activating the power he was unable to control, Liu Zi An would soon suffer a backlash. When that happened, he would be crippled even if he didn’t lose his life.
Just then, Yang Kai detected something as he slowed down his attack.
Liu Zi An was elated upon seeing that, but just as he was preparing to push his advantage, a voice was heard snapping, “Both of you, stop right there!”
In the next instant, a figure descended from the sky and landed between Yang Kai and Liu Zi An.
An agile Yang Kai promptly leapt backwards. On the other hand, Liu Zi An, who was blinded by wrath, forcefully pushed out his fist and attacked the person in front of him; however, the instant he made out the person’s face, he was flabbergasted as he quickly retracted his fist.
Forcefully withdrawing his strike caused Liu Zi An’s Small Universe to shake and his World Force to descend into chaos.
The next moment, he was heard spraying out a mouthful of blood. His aura had withered as he was unable to bear the consequences of this impact.
While trying to support his own weight, he cupped his fists, “Master!”
Gui Liao shot him an impassive glance, which caused his back to be covered with cold sweat and his legs to tremble. A Black Ink Disciple could never go against his Master, and this time, he seemed to have screwed things up. That was why he was apprehensive.
“Sir Gui Liao!” Yang Kai cupped his fist while secretly scoffing at the fact that Gui Liao was finally alerted.
Judging from the direction he came from, he was indeed not in the castle moments ago; however, the repercussions of the battle between two Seventh-Order Masters could spread across half this universe fragment. As long as he wasn’t too far away, Gui Liao could definitely sense it.
Upon hearing that, Gui Liao turned around and glared at Yang Kai.
While the Territory Lord was still recuperating, two Black Ink Disciples got into a fight and caused a large part of the castle to be damaged. Regardless of the cause of the fight, Gui Liao would be held responsible for not managing the situation properly.
When the Territory Lord returned from the Black Ink Nest and asked about it, Gui Liao would probably be reprimanded. Although it wasn’t a big issue, he was still displeased.
“Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” Gui Liao asked in a grim voice.
Liu Zi An wouldn’t dare to say anything. It wasn’t like he could say Yang Kai had turned him down and wanted to get back the Open Heaven Pills given to him, which was why they got into a fight.
While Liu Zi An was timid, Yang Kai was confident as he cupped his fist, “Sir Gui Liao, I’d like to file a complaint against Liu Zi An for oppressing a newcomer like me who doesn’t know the customs in the Black Ink Clan’s base. He has demanded a lot of benefits from me using your name.”
Right after Yang Kai finished speaking, Gui Liao felt his heart sinking as he regretted asking such a foolish question.
He didn’t give it any serious consideration as he was furious earlier, but now that he thought about it, he should’ve brought these two Humans to a quiet place so that there wouldn’t be so many Feudal Lords watching them.
“Is that true?” Gui Liao narrowed his eyes and glanced at Liu Zi An.
Liu Zi An’s face was covered with cold sweat, “No.”
Yang Kai glowered at him, “Do you have the gall to say that you didn’t take my Open Heaven Pills on the first day of my arrival?”
Liu Zi An snapped, “I didn’t make such a demand. You gave them to me!”
Yang Kai snorted, “If you hadn’t asked for them, why would I give anything to you? Indeed, you didn’t make it clear, but you implied that I should give you some benefits if I wanted to live a better life here. I’m not a fool, so it’s expected that I would be able to read between the lines. I’m a newcomer, so I wouldn’t dare to say no. I could only make a sacrifice.” He then turned to Gui Liao and cupped his fist, “Please stand up for me, Sir Gui Liao. I only had a small number of Open Heaven Pills, but I still gave him half of everything I had, thinking that I could befriend him. To my surprise, this guy was greedy as he thought that my gift was not valuable enough. He even used your name and tried to demand more from me today.”
“Stop spouting nonsense!” Liu Zi An roared as he was worried that Yang Kai would break the secret to everyone.
The Black Ink Clansmen in the castle were aware of Gui Liao’s hobby; in fact, many of them enjoyed doing it as well. However, knowing was one thing, but making it public was another.
It would be fine to do some things in private, but it would be ugly when they were talked about publicly. It was especially true as Yang Kai’s identity was special; he was the Black Ink Disciple personally corrupted by Hei Yuan Territory Lord.
It would’ve been fine if Yang Kai wasn’t Hei Yuan’s Black Ink Disciple; however, this relationship was truly significant. Since Gui Liao had his eyes on his Black Ink Disciple, it would suggest that he had no regard for Hei Yuan at all. This issue could be small or big. It might not be worth mentioning as Yang Kai’s life was not at stake; nevertheless, if Hei Yuan felt insulted, it would mean that Gui Liao had crossed the line by offending his superior.
Gui Liao wouldn’t be able to bear the wrath if the Territory Lord blamed him.
It would’ve been alright if Gui Liao could secretly settle the matter. From his standpoint, he believed that a newcomer like Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to resist as it wouldn’t matter to lose a bit of World Force; however, he hadn’t expected the other party to be so obstinate and defiant.
While remaining silent, Gui Liao felt his brow twitching.
Yang Kai asked, “Sir, don’t you want to know how he tarnishes your reputation?”
It had come to a point where Gui Liao had to get to the bottom of it in front of everyone; otherwise, he would only appear guilty, so he replied with a nod, “Speak.”
Despite his casual look, Gui Liao’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Seemingly oblivious to this, Yang Kai proclaimed loudly, “Before Sir Territory Lord entered the Black Ink Nest, he had told you to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit for me. I’ve been waiting for days, but there hasn’t been any news about it. I initially wanted to ask you about this; however, since you were not around, I could only look for Liu Zi An. By leveraging his position as your Black Ink Disciple, this guy demanded a lot of resources from me. He said that as long as I could satisfy his demands, he would put in a good word for me in front of you so that I could get the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit sooner. He even said that…”
At this point, he seemed hesitant to continue.
“What else did he say?” Gui Liao gritted his teeth.
Yang Kai went on to say, “He even said that those demands were not for himself but for you, Sir Gui Liao. It was Sir Territory Lord who told you to get me a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, so I’m sure that you wouldn’t be negligent about it. Why would I need his help to begin with? Moreover, it’s not like a Black Ink Disciple like him can affect what you do. After I exposed his lies, he became furious out of shame and started a fight with me. Please stand up for me, Sir!”
A dumbfounded Liu Zi An gazed at Yang Kai with widened eyes.