Liu Zi An hadn’t expected Yang Kai to spout such nonsense, and his upright attitude made it look like it was really what had happened, so he quickly refuted, “That’s not true!”
A calm Yang Kai turned to look at him, “It’s not true? Why don’t you tell everyone why we fought then, Brother Liu? It’s not like a newcomer like me would ask for trouble by offending you for no reason.”
Liu Zi An snapped, “It’s because…”
Yang Kai stared fixedly at him, “Go on.”
Liu Zi An was rendered speechless. The demand he had mentioned to Yang Kai on this day couldn’t be exposed in public; after all, this was just his speculation of Gui Liao’s intention. If it was exposed, Gui Liao would be humiliated. As his Black Ink Disciple, Liu Zi An wouldn’t dare to bring trouble to his Master.
Yang Kai promptly said, “See? He can’t say anything! Sir Gui Liao, the truth is right before our eyes. It’s not that I wanted to get into a conflict with him; instead, he was the one who went too far. Please stand up for me, Sir!”
Gui Liao stared fixedly at him for a moment, then turned to glare at Liu Zi An, “Waste!”
Liu Zi An was unable to say anything despite feeling aggrieved. He felt apprehensive and terrified as Gui Liao reprimanded him. It all happened because of Yang Kai, but he could only keep the resentment in his heart for the time being and try to get his revenge in the future.
“Regardless of the cause of the conflict, you two, as Black Ink Disciples, shouldn’t have gotten into a fight in Sir Territory Lord’s castle and caused so much damage. Both of you have to be punished. Liu Zi An!”
Liu Zi An replied in a shaking voice, “Yes.”
“That will be 3 World Spheres from you.”
Liu Zi An’s face instantly turned pale as he pleaded with Gui Liao, “Sir…”
“If you dare to say anything more, it will be 5 World Spheres!” Gui Liao snorted.
Liu Zi An instantly kept his mouth shut, but his expression was evidently furious and aggrieved.
“As for you…” Gui Liao gave Yang Kai a dispassionate look, “It will be 1 World Sphere.”
Even though Yang Kai had no idea what the punishment was, he knew that it was definitely terrible. That was the reason Liu Zi An turned pale upon hearing it. Yang Kai then cupped his fist, “Sir Gui Liao, I’m the victim.”
“You’re the victim?” Gui Liao sneered, “There’s a saying you Humans like to use, it takes two hands to clap. Both of you are in the wrong for what has happened today. I’m sure Sir Territory Lord will be fine with how I handle this matter. What’s wrong? Are you unwilling?”
[Of course I’m unwilling!] Yang Kai gritted his teeth for a moment before saying, “I’ll accept this punishment, then.”
Gui Liao stared at him for a while before nodding, “You’re quite good.”
“Many thanks for the compliment, Sir,” Yang Kai replied unenthusiastically.
“Enough, enough, go back to your own places.” Gui Liao waved his hand and chastised the Feudal Lords around him. It was then that the Feudal Lords left.
Seeing that Gui Liao was about to leave, Yang Kai called out to him, “Sir, when will you give me the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit as promised by Sir Territory Lord?”
Without turning his head, Gui Liao replied, “Just wait. I’ll give it to you when I find one.”
He soon disappeared, but he never said when he would find the fruit. Yang Kai reckoned that after he kicked up a fuss this time, he wouldn’t be able to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit in short order. Nevertheless, he didn’t regret his decision. There was no way he would agree to opening up his Small Universe and letting Gui Liao feed on his World Force.
With that said, he had to get his hands on a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit quickly; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to explain himself when his Small Universe was fully repaired by the World Tree clone.
When he felt a resentful glare on him, Yang Kai turned around and saw Liu Zi An glowering at him. He sneered before striding off. Liu Zi An was so enraged that he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
After the battle, not only was he defeated by his opponent, but he was also punished by Gui Liao. Besides that, his residence was also destroyed. It could be said that he had suffered immense losses.
On the other hand, Yang Kai had received a much lighter punishment. There was no way Liu Zi An could tolerate this.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai wasn’t interested in responding to him. This Black Ink Disciple could never be saved, but he didn’t feel like killing him either, so he could only let him perish on his own.
Not long after Yang Kai returned to his room, a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman came over and passed him a World Sphere. After saying that it was Gui Liao’s order, he left.
Certainly, Yang Kai had seen World Spheres before. When he was Nu Yan’s subordinate in the past, that guy would bring him to different territories to fight against other Black Ink Disciples. The Black Ink Coins he earned would be used to buy World Spheres so that he could cultivate.
Nu Yan had a dream, which was to earn enough Black Ink Coins and head to Black Ink Nest to ascend to become a Feudal Lord.
However, before he could realise his dream, he was killed by Feng Ying.
To Black Ink Clansmen, World Spheres were cultivation resources, and every piece was costly. The average clansman couldn’t afford one.
If not for the fact that Yang Kai was powerful enough to win every life-and-death gambling match he entered, Nu Yan wouldn’t have earned enough Black Ink Coins to keep buying World Spheres.
Another Black Ink Disciple of Nu Yan’s, D-4, once told Yang Kai that the World Force in the World Spheres was basically collected from the battlefield. After Open Heaven Realm Masters passed away, their Small Universes would collapse, and their World Force would dissipate. World Spheres could be used to capture that leaking World Force.
However, Yang Kai felt that the explanation was unreasonable. Even though a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters were killed on the battlefield, there shouldn’t be enough World Force that could fill World Spheres to be sold to so many Black Ink Clansmen.
After asking about this, D-4 told him that Black Ink Disciples could also infuse their World Force into the World Spheres, which was actually the most common way for the Black Ink Clansmen to create World Spheres.
Therefore, every Black Ink Disciple was a valuable asset to their Master. Black Ink Disciples were loyal and would never betray their Master, and they could tag along when the Master went to war. During their free time, Black Ink Disciples could even make World Spheres for the Masters to cultivate with. As long as the Black Ink Disciples were not killed, the Masters would have an unlimited supply of World Spheres.
Back then, Nu Yan had bought several empty World Spheres and told D-4 and the others to infuse their World Force into them; however, Yang Kai was Nu Yan’s money tree, so he was spared from this task. He just had to continuously win battles in different arenas.
When Yang Kai heard the punishment announced by Gui Liao, he didn’t understand what that meant; however, when he saw this empty World Sphere, he finally comprehended Gui Liao’s intention.
It was apparent that he was required to fill this World Sphere with his World Force.
It took a long time to completely fill a World Sphere, at least a few months given Yang Kai’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm strength. Not only was this time-consuming, but it would also exhaust his heritage.
Certainly, Yang Kai wasn’t willing to do such a thing. Why would he make a World Sphere for Gui Liao when the latter wasn’t even willing to give him a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit?
Nevertheless, since he had offended Gui Liao, life would be hard for him in the future. At the very least, before Hei Yuan left the Black Ink Nest years later, he had to be cautious so that Gui Liao wouldn’t have a reason to punish him.
Moreover, he had to come up with a way to complete his true objective, which was to find out the Artifact Refining Grandmaster’s identity and whereabouts.
Having said that, the most pressing issue for him was to obtain a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. Since he couldn’t pin his hopes on Gui Liao, he had to look for a different way to achieve his goal.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai rose from the chair and left his room.
It was business as usual inside the castle. The passing Black Ink Clansmen would look curiously at him; after all, they had never seen a new Black Ink Disciple who had the guts to get into a fight in the castle.
Yang Kai randomly caught a Black Ink Clansman and asked, “Do you know where Zha Gu lives?”
The Black Ink Clansman was puzzled, “Who is that?”
Even though Zha Gu was a Feudal Lord, there were many Feudal Lords in Hei Yuan’s territory. Naturally, the Black Ink Clansmen in the castle couldn’t possibly know all the Feudal Lords.
Yang Kai didn’t give up though and kept asking around. After asking more than a dozen Black Ink Clansmen the same question, he finally got some clues. He found a Black Ink Clansman who knew a little about Zha Gu, he had no idea where he lived exactly, but he told Yang Kai to look for him in a particular area in the territory. A Feudal Lord like Zha Gu would generally look for a place outside of the city to establish their own home.
This was permitted by Hei Yuan and the other Territory Lords.
However, if one was incapable of acquiring a Black Ink Nest, he wouldn’t really have a territory to his name.
After thanking him, Yang Kai shuffled in that direction. No one stopped him along the way. It seemed that after the incident earlier, Gui Liao wasn’t ready to complicate the matter.
The universe fragment that was as large as a Universe World was directly owned by Hei Yuan, and the surrounding region occupied by his subordinate Feudal Lords was also considered his territory.
The location of the Black Ink Nest and the castle were the centre of the universe fragment. It could be considered the most prosperous place in the universe fragment.
Flying was not prohibited in the city, so after leaving the castle, Yang Kai directly shot into the sky where he met a lot of passing Black Ink Clansmen.
When the Black Ink Clansmen detected his Human, they looked curiously at him; however, no one made things difficult for him or had their eyes on him.
After all, he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so not just any Black Ink Clansman could capture him.
Soon, Yang Kai left this big city.
After flying a few hundred kilometres, he saw a manor below him. He speculated that it was a Feudal Lord’s territory.
Without hesitation, he descended towards the manor, not hiding his aura.
Before he even landed, a burly figure shot out from somewhere of the manor and came to him.
He soon stopped in front of Yang Kai and examined him. With a surprised expression, he asked, “A Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
There were only a small number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples on this universe fragment, and he had met most of them before, but he wasn’t aware of Yang Kai’s existence, which made him feel curious.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Sir, do you know where Sir Zha Gu lives?”
Instead of answering his question, the Feudal Lord asked, “Whose Black Ink Disciple are you? Why are you here?”
Yang Kai replied politely, “I’m Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple. Sir Gui Liao told me to look for Zha Gu as there’s a matter he has to discuss with him.”
Upon learning about his identity, the Feudal Lord said, “So, you’re the new Black Ink Disciple that Sir Territory Lord has taken on. It’s no wonder I had never seen you before.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai asked curiously, “Does everyone know about it now?”
The Feudal Lord chuckled, “It’s only natural to pay attention to Sir Territory Lord’s affairs.”
Upon hearing the reason behind it, Yang Kai nodded, “I see.”
The Feudal Lord’s expression turned milder after he found out that Yang Kai was Hei Yuan’s Black Ink Disciple and he replied, “If you’re looking for Zha Gu, just head in that direction. According to Human measurements, he lives in a place that is 3,000 kilometres away from here.”
After looking in the same direction, Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Many thanks.”
He then bid the Feudal Lord farewell and shot in that direction. It took him a short moment to move across 3,000 kilometres.
From afar, Yang Kai could see a castle that was similar to Hei Yuan’s that was built on an island. There were no traces of other Black Ink Clan estates within a 100-kilometre radius. If he wasn’t mistaken, this should be Zha Gu’s residence.
Yang Kai landed in front of the castle and activated his Divine Sense. There were a lot of Black Ink Clansmen inside, but they were all insignificant Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen with High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen being quite rare.
There was an aura that Yang Kai was familiar with in the deepest part of the castle; Zha Gu.
Upon confirming that the other party really resided here, Yang Kai called out, “Brother Zha Gu!”
In an instant, all the Black Ink Clansmen in the castle were shocked as they looked in the same direction. Zha Gu, who was recuperating, was alerted as he opened his eyes and stared out.
A moment later, the gates were opened as Zha Gu stepped out of the castle and looked at Yang Kai with surprise, “Why are you here?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and smiled, “I’ve come all the way here to visit you, Brother Zha Gu. I hope I haven’t bothered you.”
Zha Gu nodded, “Come in first.”
After entering the castle, they arrived at a room and took seats.
“Has Sir Territory Lord issued any orders?” Zha Gu asked. He reckoned that a Black Ink Disciple usually wouldn’t dare to come all the way here on his own. Yang Kai probably had received a secret order from the Territory Lord.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “Sir Territory Lord has not shown up since he entered the Black Ink Nest. I heard that it would take him several years to recuperate.”
Zha Gu was evidently relieved upon learning that it wasn’t Hei Yuan who told Yang Kai to look for him.
“The reason I’ve come here to visit you is that I need your help,” Yang Kai expressed his purpose for the visit.
Zha Gu frowned, “What can I help you with?”
Although Yang Kai was a Black Ink Disciple treasured by Hei Yuan, he was still a Black Ink Disciple. Zha Gu was willing to be on good terms with him, but he wouldn’t fawn over him, so he would of course find out what help Yang Kai needed before he would make a decision.
Yang Kai let out a sigh and went on to say, “I’d like to ask you if there is a way I can earn money in Black Ink Clan’s territory.”
“Earn money?” Zha Gu was surprised.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai coughed, “You know, when Human soldiers go to war, we don’t bring a lot of resources with us. I was enlightened by Sir Territory Lord not long ago, so I only have a few resources with me. Now that my Small Universe is damaged, I need a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair it, and I need resources to cultivate as well; however, since Sir Territory Lord is recuperating in the Black Ink Nest, I have no means to purchase anything. I can neither repair my Small Universe nor cultivate in this state.”
A puzzled Zha Gu asked, “Profound Yin Spirit Fruit? Before Sir Territory Lord started recuperating, he told Sir Gui Liao to get one for you. Given Sir Gui Liao’s status, it shouldn’t be hard for him to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.”
“Perhaps,” Yang Kai nodded, “However, I’ve offended Sir Gui Liao, so he doesn’t seem willing to give it to me now.”
Zha Gu was shocked upon hearing that, “You offended Sir Gui Liao? What happened?”
A helpless Yang Kai told Zha Gu about what had happened between Liu Zi An and him.
Zha Gu gazed at him with a weird expression, “You offended Sir Gui Liao just because of that?” He seemed to think that it was fine to agree to Gui Liao’s demand, so he didn’t understand why Yang Kai turned him down.
Yang Kai spread his palms, “You’re also aware that I sacrificed a part of my Small Universe twice in the recent battle. My strength has plunged because of the damage to my foundation, so if I still let Sir Gui Liao feed on my Small Universe, my Order might drop. When that happens, I will become useless to Sir Territory Lord. By then, I will most likely be discarded.”
“You have a point,” Zha Gu nodded.
“So, I had no choice but to disappoint Sir Gui Liao; however, since that is the case, I can’t hope to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit from him.”
Zha Gu frowned, “I don’t think so. He wouldn’t dare to disobey Sir Territory Lord’s order, but you might need to wait a little longer.”
Yang Kai internally cried that he couldn’t possibly wait. The World Tree clone was continuously repairing his Small Universe, so if he couldn’t obtain a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to cover up this process, he would be exposed.
Zha Gu placated him by saying, “Don’t worry. Before Sir Territory Lord leaves the Black Ink Nest, Sir Gui Liao will get you a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’d rather come up with a way to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit myself. I suppose the fruits are for sale in the city.”
Zha Gu replied, “Yes, but they’ve always been expensive. They cost a lot of Black Ink Coins.”
“That’s why I’ve come here to ask for a way to make money. Can you enlighten me, Brother Zha Gu?” Yang Kai looked humbly at him.
Zha Gu fell into a dilemma.
Since such an incident had happened, he would offend Gui Liao by lending Yang Kai a hand, and this was obviously not worth it just to help a mere Black Ink Disciple. Moreover, he didn’t know any way he could make money. Even if he did, he wouldn’t want to share it with Yang Kai.
As Yang Kai observed his expression, he said, “Don’t worry, Brother Zha Gu. If there’s a proper way that allows me to earn Black Ink Coins, I’ll not forget your assistance and properly compensate you.”
Zha Gu appeared tempted at the prospect of making a profit, so after giving it a thought, he said, “Given your situation, there’s indeed a way.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, “Oh? What is it?”
Zha Gu said, “Do you know World Spheres? I can give you some money to buy some empty World Spheres, then you can infuse your World Force into them and sell them. Each World Sphere will earn you a lot of Black Ink Coins. Just by selling 10 World Spheres, you’ll have enough money to buy a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.”
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he hadn’t expected Zha Gu to mention this method, so he shook his head, “Please stop pulling my leg, Brother Zha Gu. I can’t even cultivate now, so how am I supposed to infuse my World Force into the World Spheres? If I do that, I’ll definitely see my Order regress.”
“You have a point. I suppose this is what your Humans call ‘killing the goose that lays the golden eggs’.”
Yang Kai thought that this guy had misused the idiom, but he didn’t bother to correct him and simply said, “I heard that there’s a Blood Arena in the city.”
“You want to engage in a life-or-death fight with others?” Zha Gu instantly realised his intention.
Yang Kai nodded, “However, I’ll need a Black Ink Clansman to bring me there. Taking everything into consideration, I think that you’re the most suitable person to help me with it. If you can go there and bet against the others, I’ll not disappoint you. When the time comes, I’ll share half the profit with you.”
Zha Gu shook his head, “That’s indeed a good way, but it won’t work for you.”
“Why not?” Yang Kai was perplexed.
Zha Gu explained, “Since it’s a life-or-death fight, both parties have to be equally matched. You are a Seventh-Order Master, so there are no suitable opponents for you in the Blood Arena. The Black Ink Disciples there are all below the Seventh-Order.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that he really hadn’t seen any Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting in the Blood Arenas when he followed Nu Yan around. He soon realised the reasons behind this. First of all, the battle between two Seventh-Order Masters would be too destructive. Secondly, there were only a small number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples. Since they were rare, the Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t let them go to the Blood Arena and put their lives at risk.
Even though Yang Kai’s idea was not feasible, he was well prepared. He then let out a sigh, “It seems that I have no choice but to make use of my hobby.”
Zha Gu asked curiously, “Hobby? What do you mean?”
Yang Kai explained, “I realised this some time ago on the battlefield. It seems that Black Ink Clansmen rarely use artifacts to fight. Even Feudal Lords don’t use artifacts, let alone the High-Rank and Low-Rank Clansmen. It seems that you all are used to fighting with Humans using only Black Ink Strength and Secret Techniques.”
Zha Gu nodded, “To us, Black Ink Strength is the source of our powers, just like World Force is to Humans. Although we’re physically stronger than Humans, we know nothing about the Dao of Artifact Refining. The artifacts we have were all snatched from Humans or refined by Black Ink Disciples, so they’re quite rare. However, most artifacts we snatch from the Humans are not suitable for us to use.”
Yang Kai asked, “Do you have your own artifact, Brother Zha Gu?”
Zha Gu shook his head, “I once used a sword I obtained from a Human, but that thing’s Grade was too low, and it didn’t suit me. I threw it away after using it a couple times.”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai reckoned that given Zha Gu’s size, it would be akin to holding a knife for him when he grabbed a Human sword. The weapon wouldn’t be useful for him on the battlefield.
With his brow arched, Yang Kai asked, “What if I refined an artifact that was tailored to you?”
Zha Gu was startled for a moment, “You know how to make artifacts?”
“I know a thing or two.”
“You really know how to refine artifacts?” Zha Gu was astounded, “Are you what the Humans call an Artifact Refiner?”
Yang Kai put on a faint smile, “I supposed I could be considered an Artifact Refiner.”
Zha Gu sized him up while feeling doubtful, “Is that what you mean when you said you wanted to monetise your hobby?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai frowned, “Don’t you believe me, Brother Zha Gu?”
Zha Gu shook his head, “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I’m just… surprised that you’re an Artifact Refiner. Humans are always highly protective of their Artifact Refiners. Why did you appear on the battlefield?”
Yang Kai explained, “Artifact Refining really is just a hobby for me, so I haven’t spent a lot of time practising it. In fact, not many Humans are aware that I’m an Artifact Refiner as I haven’t made anything since I ascended to the Open Heaven Realm. However, I should still be able to make some simple artifacts.” He then leaned forward and spoke in a tempting voice, “Do you want to give it a try, Brother Zha Gu? With a suitable artifact, you’ll be more powerful on the battlefield.”
Certainly, Zha Gu couldn’t resist such a temptation so he rose from the chair and declared, “Come with me.”
Yang Kai followed Zha Gu to the deepest part of the castle. After they descended nearly three kilometres, they arrived at a huge cave where hot air blew right at their faces.
As Yang Kai lifted his head and was surprised by what he saw. That was because there was natural Earth Fire in his underground cave. The omnipresent hot air billowed from that Earth Fire.
In this cave, there were some traces of restrictions set up by Humans and the entire cave was covered with a Grand Array.
The centre of the Grand Array was where the Earth Fire gathered.
There were also some miscellaneous materials strewn around the cave. It seemed that many of the materials had been used here before.
Yang Kai frowned with a puzzled expression.
Zha Gu shuffled towards the centre of the Grand Array. His aura seemed to have triggered the Grand Array’s power and the Earth Fire, which was hot enough to melt metal, came right at him. Ignoring it, Zha Gu covered his hand with Black Ink Strength and extended it into the Earth Fire.
When he retracted his hand from the Earth Fire, he was holding something.
He walked away from the centre of the Grand Array and passed the thing to Yang Kai, “Look at this.”
Yang Kai took it with both hands and instantly felt a hefty weight. Even with his strength, his arms still sank slightly, which went to show how heavy this thing was.
It was a giant halberd that was about 15 metres in length and as thick as a Human leg. This giant halberd looked awkward in Yang Kai’s hands, but it did suit Zha Gu’s size quite well.
“This…” Yang Kai examined the giant halberd in shock. As he scanned it with his Divine Sense, he soon realised something, “Was this created by a Human Artifact Refiner?”
He then turned to look at Zha Gu in astonishment, “Where did you get it?”
Given his eyesight, he could see that even though this giant halberd was made by a Human Artifact Refiner, it wasn’t fully refined. It was more like a half-finished prototype. This kind of weapon wouldn’t be useful on the battlefield as any Open Heaven Realm Master could easily destroy it.
“I used to have a Black Ink Disciple who knew a little about Artifact Refining. He spent a lot of time and resources creating this thing for me.”
Yang Kai was stunned as he hadn’t expected that to be the story behind it.
“It was because of his suggestion that I decided to build my estate here. This place has an Earth Fire he needed for Artifact Refining so that he could make full use of his skills. Unfortunately, before he could finish refining this thing, he… Before that, he left behind a set-up and told me to nurture this thing in the Earth Fire. He said that perhaps it would be usable after 100 years or so.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s useless. Since the foundation isn’t solid, it’s pointless to keep nourishing it.”
Zha Gu arched his brow, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai explained, “I have no idea what kind of achievements your former Black Ink Disciple had in the Dao of Artifact Refining, but this thing looks mediocre to me. The foundation of this artifact has been set, so even if it is nurtured for 100 years, you will only obtain a Low-Rank artifact.”
Zha Gu’s eyes brightened, “Are you saying that you’re more skilful than he was in Artifact Refining?”
Yang Kai put on a proud smile, “Indeed.”
An agitated Zha Gu asked, “If you were to refine it, what do you think you can make out of it?”
After a moment of deliberation, Yang Kai replied, “The artifacts used by Humans are categorised into Low, Mid, and High, which correspond to the Ranks of the Open Heaven Realm. People who can make High-Rank artifacts are called Artifact Refining Grandmasters. My Artifact Refining skills are average, so I’m far from being a Grandmaster. Nevertheless, it won’t be hard for me to make Mid-Rank artifacts.”
Yang Kai had spent 10 years learning Artifact Refining, and the one who taught him was Chai Hao, who came from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven.
Chai Gao was the Sixth Disciple of Dong Guo An Ping, and even though he wasn’t as skilful as a Great Grandmaster like Dong Guo An Ping, he was still a Grandmaster. With such a person as a teacher, anyone would grow a lot regardless of how terrible their aptitude was.
Moreover, there were many similarities between Artifact Refining and the Alchemic Dao. Additionally, Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with outstanding strength and aptitude. During the 10 years he had spent learning Artifact Refining from Chai Hao, his skills improved greatly.
Now, his Dao of Artifact Refining had reached the third level of comprehension, Taking the Initial Steps.
However, due to the limit of his aptitude in this Dao, it was destined that Yang Kai wouldn’t achieve great things in Artifact Refining. Perhaps he would be able to refine High-Rank artifacts one day if he kept improving his skills, which would make him a Grandmaster. Nevertheless, that would be the limit he could never break through in his lifetime. He could never become a Great Grandmaster like Dong Guo An Ping.
As Yang Kai had learned from a Grandmaster from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven, regardless of his level of Artifact Refining now, his vision was much sharper than that of the average Artifact Refiner. He could clearly see the weaknesses in this giant halberd.
He hadn’t expected that Zha Gu had a subordinate who was an Artifact Refiner in the past; nevertheless, judging from the way this giant halberd was made, it was safe to assume that the Artifact Refiner who refined it was not very accomplished in this Dao, and since he wasn’t around, he had probably lost his life on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Artifact Refiner had at least built a set-up to allow the giant halberd to be nourished in the Earth Fire, so it was possible that Zha Gu could obtain a Low-Rank artifact in 100 years.
Nonetheless, as a Feudal Lord, it would be of no help to him to use a Low-Rank artifact in combat.
Meanwhile, Zha Gu became increasingly excited, “You must not lie to me.”
Yang Kai tiled his head and asked, “Why would I lie to you?”
“Prove it to me, then. Make me an artifact based on this one here. I’ll provide all the materials you need. If you succeed, I’ll give you a reward.”
“Fair enough.” Yang Kai directly agreed to it. This was the reason he had come all the way here in the first place, but he hadn’t expected that things would go so smoothly.
Moreover, there was already an environment that an Artifact Refiner needed. It could be said that Yang Kai had acquired the inheritance left behind by Zha Gu’s former Black Ink Disciple.
As he felt the giant halberd with his hands and examined it, Yang Kai commented, “It would be wasteful to create an entirely new weapon. Although this thing is a bit shoddy, and its form has been finalised, the materials used are precious. I just need to enhance it.”
“What do you need? I’ll prepare them for you.” Zha Gu asked, high-spirited.
Yang Kai replied, “Just get me some cultivation materials.”
“You only need those things?” Zha Gu was surprised.
Yang Kai nodded.
This wasn’t difficult. Zha Gu fished out a Space Ring and passed it to Yang Kai, “Do you think these are enough?”
After taking it, Yang Kai realised that there were a lot of Open Heaven Pills and several sets of Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials.
The origins of these Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials were untraceable; however, only Humans could refine Open Heaven Pills, and they were only useful to Humans. It was apparent that Zha Gu had acquired these pills from the battlefield.
Judging from the number of Open Heaven Pills in this ring, Yang Kai reckoned that Zha Gu had killed quite a lot of Human soldiers.
While forcing himself to remain calm, Yang Kai put away the Space Ring and examined the Grand Array in this cave. He then turned to Zha Gu, “Where’s the Array Plate that’s used to control this Grand Array?”
Zha Gu landed a slap on his own forehead, “Right.”
Upon finishing his words, he tossed an Array Plate at Yang Kai, who took it and started refining it.
It wasn’t difficult to refine this thing, so it only took Yang Kai a dozen breaths to finish. With this token in possession, he had full control over the Grand Array in this place.
With the help of the Earth Fire in this place, he would achieve twice the results with only half the effort.
When everything was prepared, Yang Kai extended his hand and summoned out a glittering silver hammer.
This nameless hammer was given to him by Chai Hao. It was used by Chai Hao when he was younger, but it fell into disuse after his skills improved and he acquired a better one. If not for the fact that Yang Kai was somewhat talented in the Dao of Artifact Refining, and that he was eager to learn, Chai Hao wouldn’t have given this sentimental hammer to him.
Although this thing was no longer useful to Chai Hao, it was a symbol of his growth that carried special meaning with it.
While it was useless to Chai Hao, it was precious to Yang Kai, and given his level of Artifact Refining, he could only utilise a small part of its full potential. It was also pointless for him to use better tools as he couldn’t bring out their strength with his low comprehension.
Yang Kai gently jabbed the hefty giant halberd into the ground so that it stood straight.
Zha Gu could see that Yang Kai raised the hammer in his hands and forcefully struck the giant halberd.
The moment the hammer was lifted, the Earth Fire in the cave madly streamed into the hammer, making the tool glow red.
A deafening clang was then heard.
A strike of such intensity should have destroyed the entire cave, but what was strange was that all the force stayed within the giant halberd without any of it escaping from the weapon. This was apparently because Yang Kai had full control over his strength, allowing him to put all of it to use.
Zha Gu arched his brow at the sight. For all intents and purposes, a Feudal Lord was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Human Master. However, Zha Gu reckoned that he didn’t have such precise control over his strength.
This went to show the vast difference in power between Yang Kai and himself, and he reckoned that it was no wonder Yang Kai was able to kill so many Black Ink Clansmen on his own.
However, what he saw made him feel puzzled.
In the past, he had observed from the side when his Black Ink Disciple created some artifacts. Although he knew nothing about the Dao of Artifact Refining, he could see that the way his Black Ink Disciple refined artifacts had a certain beauty and abstrusity to it. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s approach was brutal and blunt. It was as though he was just striking with all his might.
While Zha Gu was perplexed, he heard another clang the next instant.
A series of clangs were continuously heard and each time Yang Kai wielded the hammer, he seemed to be using all of his strength. The intervals between the strikes were precise, and every time he lifted the hammer, the Earth Fire in the Grand Array would be drawn into it, causing it to burn.
There were 81 strikes in total as Yang Kai hammered the giant halberd from the tip of its blade to the butt of his shaft.
Initially, Zha Gu hadn’t noticed anything, but as time passed, he could feel that the prototypical giant halberd was going through a kind of transformation. However, the transformation was so vague that he wasn’t even sure if he was seeing an illusion.
After 81 strikes, Yang Kai’s aura had become a bit unstable.
He then stored the hammer and sat down with his legs crossed before stuffing a handful of Open Heaven Pills into his mouth.
Zha Gu knew that Yang Kai’s strength had plummeted as a result of the damage to his Small Universe, so he didn’t dare to disturb him as the latter must be exhausted from all the hammering.
It wasn’t until a few days later that Yang Kai’s aura stabilised and he opened his eyes.
Zha Gu took a step forward and imitated the Humans by cupping his fist, “Many thanks, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai put on a smile, “Don’t mention it, Brother Zha Gu. Since you trusted me, I naturally wouldn’t disappoint you.”
A puzzled Zha Gu asked, “I watched my Black Ink Disciple refine artifacts before, but the way he did so was different from you. Why is that?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “There are many methods of Artifact Refining in the Human world, and each Sect has their own distinct Artifact Refining techniques. I have no idea which Sect your Black Ink Disciple belonged to, but my method is named Thousand Tempering Art. It’s from a very ancient Sect in the Human world and it’s a time-tested method.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Zha Gu nodded, “I see.”
Yang Kai wasn’t just talking nonsense. The method he used to enhance the giant halberd was indeed named Thousand Tempering Art. This kind of technique was especially suitable for refining offensive and defensive artifacts. Even in Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven, only people who held important positions had the right to cultivate it.
Yang Kai learned Artifact Refining from Chai Hao, and with Dong Guo An Ping and Zhong Liang giving the order, Chai Hao naturally wouldn’t hide anything from him.
Yang Kai followed up by saying, “Don’t worry about it, Brother Zha Gu. You’ll understand the result when the weapon is fully refined.”
Zha Gu nodded repeatedly, “I certainly trust you, Brother Yang.”
“I’ll continue, then,” Yang Kai said, then got to his feet and lifted the hammer. As he activated his power to draw on the Earth Fire, he repeatedly struck the giant halberd with all his might.
What Zha Gu saw was only the surface. Every time Yang Kai struck the giant halberd, he not only activated his power to draw on the Earth Fire, but also refined the weapon’s internal structure. Yang Kai was imbuing the giant halberd with his own strength each time his hammer struck, purifying and tempering it from the inside out.
Day after day, deafening clangs were continuously heard coming from the cave.
Yang Kai’s movements alternated between fast and slow. Sometimes, he would be gentle with the strikes, as though he was just tapping on the weapon, but sometimes, he would strike it rapidly and loudly as a series of clangs were heard in quick succession.
He also had to rest from time to time.
Initially, Zha Gu watched from the side with excitement, but he soon lost patience as time passed. Furthermore, he was injured in the previous battle and hadn’t recovered, so he needed time to recuperate.
Hence, he would only come over and have a look at the giant halberd every half a month. Each time he did so, he would realise that the weapon had gone through a conspicuous transformation.
Three months later, when Zha Gu came over again, he saw that Yang Kai was seated on the ground with his legs crossed, a shiny giant halberd standing straight in front of him.
This giant halberd was already much thinner than the original one, though the length remained the same. However, Zha Gu could feel that this weapon radiated an imposing aura.
If the initial giant halberd was like a pearl that was covered in dust, then this one radiated a dazzling glow after the dust was removed.
Zha Gu’s breathing became rapid.
As he stepped forward, he grabbed the giant halberd and lifted it off the ground. After holding it in his grip, he realised that the weight, length, and thickness of the weapon perfectly matched his build and strength. It was as though the weapon was custom-made for him.
There were some abstruse patterns on the shaft of the weapon, and as he infused Black Ink Strength into it, the giant halberd started humming and growling like an awakened beast. The complicated patterns were able to amplify the power of his Black Ink Strength.
He couldn’t help but put on a bright smile.
Even though the Black Ink Clan had Black Ink Strength to rely on, and they were physically more robust than the Humans, they were incapable of studying Artifact Refining. They had suffered immense losses during the battles because of the artifacts used by the Humans. Humans had all sorts of artifacts that could strike them in the most unexpected ways. As the two Races clashed, a lot of Black Ink Clansmen were killed by the artifacts that the Humans used.
If the Black Ink Clan were able to make artifacts, the Humans would have been destroyed by now; however, even a Feudal Lord like him found it hard to get an artifact that was useful to him. This couldn’t be helped, as the artifacts snatched from the Humans were not suitable for him. Although he had a Black Ink Disciple who knew a thing or two about Artifact Refining in the past, that Disciple’s skills were mediocre.
It never crossed his mind that he would obtain such a weapon on this day.
With this artifact in his hands, Zha Gu could feel that his combat power had increased by 20%. The increase might not be much, but it might save his life and turn a battle around at a critical moment. Furthermore, with such a giant halberd in his possession, he could easily deal a heavy blow to his enemies even without activating his power.
He could already imagine how imposing he would be when he next went to war.
“It seems that you’re pleased with this artifact, Brother Zha Gu,” Yang Kai was suddenly heard saying.
When Zha Gu turned his head, he saw that Yang Kai had opened his eyes and was smiling at him.
“Yes, I couldn’t be happier with it,” Zha Gu guffawed, “Is this thing fully refined?”
Yang Kai replied, “It was your Black Ink Disciple who created this thing, all I did was enhance it. This is already the best I can do with my skills.”
“Is this considered a Mid-Rank artifact?” Zha Gu asked.
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded. Given his eyesight, he reckoned that this giant halberd could be considered a Mid-Rank artifact. It was still far from being a High-Rank artifact; however, it was already a wonderful weapon for Zha Gu, which was why he was elated.
“You have some incredible skills in Artifact Refining, Brother Yang,” Zha Gu praised him liberally. The outcome of the Artifact Refining sessions suggested that Yang Kai was significantly more skilful than his former Black Ink Disciple. After all, his Black Ink Disciple had spent many years and resources, but he only managed to create a rough prototype.
“Many thanks for your compliment,” Yang Kai replied humbly.
After examining the giant halberd in his hands, Zha Gu carefully stored it and glanced at Yang Kai, “I said that if you’re able to fulfil my demand, I would give you a reward. Why don’t you tell me what you want? I’ll get it for you as long as I’m able to.”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Don’t you know what I want, Brother Zha Gu?”
Zha Gu was startled upon hearing that, but he soon realised what the other man meant, “Got it; however, a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit is quite costly. Even if I sell all of my assets, I might not be able to afford one.”
Yang Kai said, “If you can help me buy a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, I’ll refine an Artifact Armour for you. The quality will be just as good as this giant halberd.”
Zha Gu fell silent for a moment. He couldn’t help feeling tempted when he envisioned himself wearing an Artifact Armour and holding the giant halberd on the battlefield, so he soon nodded, “Deal!”
Yang Kai added, “You’ll have to provide all the materials for making the Artifact Armour, though.”
“Of course.”
“When will I get the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit?”
“I’ll get it for you within three days.” Upon finishing his words, Zha Gu turned around and left. It was apparent that he was trying to come up with a way to buy a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.
Even though he was just a Feudal Lord, he had accumulated some funds over the years, so in truth, it wouldn’t be hard for him to purchase a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.
After he was gone, Yang Kai let out a breath. His most pressing problem had been solved as he had secured a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. After he was done making artifacts for Zha Gu, he hoped to spread the news that he was skilful in Artifact Refining. That way, he would be able to move on to the next stage of his plan when Hei Yuan was done recuperating.
Zha Gu was indeed a man of his word, and just three days later, he returned to the cave and passed a wooden box to Yang Kai.
After taking the box, Yang Kai opened it and saw a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit inside.
“Many thanks, Brother Zha Gu.” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Zha Gu waved his hand, “There’s no need to thank me for fulfilling a deal. You should quickly refine this Profound Yin Spirit Fruit and repair your Small Universe.”
“That’s what I thought as well.”
“I’ll not disturb you for now. Just notify me when you’re ready.”
Yang Kai nodded.
Zha Gu then turned around and left the place.
It wasn’t until Zha Gu was out of sight that Yang Kai fished out the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. Even though the World Tree clone was continuously repairing his Small Universe, and there were already some results, the progress was quite slow.
He didn’t have so much time to spare, and with the help of this Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, he reckoned that his Small Universe would recover much more quickly.
Without hesitation, he stuffed the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit into his mouth and started refining it.
Soon, a warm stream of energy rose from his stomach and penetrated his Small Universe. As the medicinal efficacies of the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit circulated, the damaged part in his Small Universe was being repaired at an incredible pace.
The average cultivator wouldn’t experience such a rapid result after ingesting this Spirit Fruit. The reason Yang Kai’s Small Universe could heal quickly was that he also had the help of the World Tree’s clone.
Even so, it still took him three months to finish. The moment his Small Universe became complete again, Yang Kai felt his aura surging. He was overwhelmed with a sense of ecstasy.
The damage to his Small Universe made him feel as if something was missing. Be it activating his power or cultivating, he had been greatly affected. Now that his Small Universe was complete again, the sense of discomfort had faded away.
In the battle against Liu Zi An previously, even though he managed to gain the upper hand, it took him quite some time and effort to defeat the other party. If he were to fight against Liu Zi An now, Yang Kai had the confidence to subdue him in just a few moves.
Although the damage to his Small Universe had been repaired, the loss of heritage from sacrificing pieces of his Small Universe had to be made up slowly. There was no rush to do so though as the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master was all about accumulation over the long term.
Yang Kai’s speed of refining materials was already much greater than that of an average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and the living beings in his Small Universe continuously strengthened his heritage, so he would still be able to ascend to the Eighth-Order at an unimaginable speed.
Only by ascending to the Eighth Order would he be considered an important piece on the Black Ink Battlefield. Meanwhile, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were the pillars of strength in their respective Great Passes.
After examining himself and confirming that there was no problem, Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense.
Soon, Zha Gu’s burly figure came into sight as he gazed at him in shock, “You’ve recovered?”
He could feel that Yang Kai was different now. In the past, he always had a feeling that Yang Kai was somehow incomplete, but that feeling was now gone. It suggested his Small Universe had been fully repaired.
“Many thanks for your assistance, Brother Zha Gu!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Zha Gu waved his hand, “Don’t mention it, Brother Yang. You deserved that Spirit Fruit.”
Yang Kai said, “Now that my Small Universe is fully repaired, I can start refining an Artifact Armour for you. Are you ready?”
Zha Gu replied, “I’ve prepared some materials, but I’m not sure if they’re enough. Have a look.”
Upon finishing his words, he fished out a Space Ring. After taking it, Yang Kai looked into it with his Divine Sense and realised that there were many precious items inside, mainly rare resources and ores.
“Is it enough? I can get more materials if you want,” Zha Gu asked fervently.
“It’s enough.” Yang Kai put away the Space Ring, “I’ll start refining the Artifact Armour for you immediately. While I’m working, I would prefer not to be disturbed. I’ll inform you when it’s complete.”
After agreeing, Zha Gu left.
When Yang Kai was learning the Dao of Artifact Refining in Blue Sky Pass, he had made some Artifact Armours; however, they were sub-par items in Chai Hao’s opinion; after all, they were not refined well enough for combat use. They would be putting the Human soldiers’ lives at risk by letting them wear such Artifact Armour and going to war.
Although such artifacts were not good enough for Humans, they would be invaluable to the Black Ink Clan.
Therefore, Yang Kai didn’t have to produce a high-quality artifact, he just had to make sure that the Artifact Armour was as good as the giant halberd. Given his mastery in Artifact Refining now, he had the confidence to achieve this.
It took him three months to enhance the giant halberd; however, it only took him two months to create an Artifact Armour from scratch.
There were two reasons why it took him a shorter time. First of all, his Small Universe had been fully repaired, so he had better control over his own power. Secondly, during the process of Artifact Refining, his skills had also improved significantly.
Although he had spent 10 years studying Artifact Refining in Blue Sky Pass, it wasn’t enough time for Yang Kai to really hone his skills. It required a much longer period of work and experience for anyone to become a Master in Artifact Refining.
During the 10 years of training, Chai Hao had taught Yang Kai everything he knew about the Dao of Artifact Refining until there was nothing else he could teach him.
Of course, this did not mean that Yang Kai was already on par with Chai Hao when it came to his mastery of Artifact Refining. It would take a person hundreds, if not thousands of years of studying and practising Artifact Refining in order to become a Grandmaster like Chai Hao.
However, Chai Hao was no longer able to teach him anything else, for Yang Kai had already grasped all the theoretical knowledge that was passed down to him. As for how far he would go in the Dao of Artifact Refining, that would depend on his own efforts and opportunities.
Growth could only be achieved by continuously practising Artifact Refining.
Therefore, when Yang Kai got around to refining this Artifact Armour, his mastery of Artifact Refining was already much better than before, and after he was done, his skills improved again.
The quality of the Artifact Armour he had made was obviously higher than that of the giant halberd, and the glow radiating from the armour suggested that the artifact was quite extraordinary.
He then released his Divine Sense to inform Zha Gu about it. Upon his arrival, Zha Gu eagerly put on the Artifact Armour and realised that it perfectly fit him. The Artifact Armour covered his vital parts like the chest, abdomen, and back very well. More importantly, it made him look even more imposing than normal.
He was evidently elated.
With the Artifact Armour and the giant halberd in possession, Zha Gu felt that his combat capabilities had increased by 30 to 40%.
When he was in a one-on-one fight against a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the past, he wouldn’t be a match for them; however, with these two artifacts in possession, he believed that he could easily defeat any average Seventh-Order Human now.
It was the first time he realised that the artifacts made by Humans could increase a person’s strength so tremendously and his emotions undulated. On the battlefield, the Humans were able to activate the powers of artifacts while the Black Ink Clan could only fight with their fists. It was no wonder that the Black Ink Clan would always suffer huge losses in each battle, even those that they eventually won. It was because they didn’t have any artifacts with them while practically all Humans had one or two artifacts on them.
If the Black Ink Clan could be equipped with these artifacts, they would be able to destroy the Human Race with ease.
“Are you satisfied with it, Brother Zha Gu?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Zha Gu nodded repeatedly, grinning from ear to ear.
“I’m glad that I haven’t disappointed you.” Yang Kai got to his feet, “Since I have finished it, I’ll take my leave.”
Zha Gu was astounded, “Where are you going?”
Yang Kai replied, “Well, I’m going back to Sir Territory Lord’s castle. It’s been quite some time since I left the castle. I came all the way here to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, and since my goal has been achieved, and I’ve helped you make two artifacts, it’s time I went back.”
“There’s no hurry to leave!” Zha Gu quickly stopped him.
A puzzled Yang Kai gazed at him and asked, “Is there anything else, Brother Zha Gu?”
After hesitating for a moment, Zha Gu replied, “Brother Yang, just some time ago, you asked me how you could make money. I’ve given it a thought, and I think there’s a good opportunity now.”
Yang Kai broke into laughter, “Are you going to tell me that I can earn money by helping other Black Ink Clansmen refine artifacts?”
“Yes.” Zha Gu nodded with a solemn expression, “There’s no doubt that you’re skilled in Artifact Refining, and if you refine artifacts for other Black Ink Clansmen, you’ll be able to earn a lot of Black Ink Coins. Wasn’t that your initial intention?”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “The reason I helped you make artifacts was that I wanted to get a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. Now that my Small Universe is complete, there’s no reason for me to keep doing it. It takes a lot of time and energy to refine artifacts, and I would prefer to focus on the Martial Dao so that I’ll be useful to Sir Territory Lord when I go to battle with him.”
Zha Gu shook his head, “That’s not right, Brother Yang. By cultivating, you’re just increasing your own power; however, if you can make artifacts for the Black Ink Clan, you’ll help lots of people grow stronger, and that will help Sir Territory Lord as well. I’m sure he’d be more than willing to see you refine artifacts for the Black Ink Clan.”
“You have a point, but…”
“Brother Yang, you need resources to cultivate, right? However, do you have any of such resources with you now?”
Yang Kai parted his lips as he seemed to be lost for words. A moment later, he replied dejectedly, “I don’t.”
“See?” Zha Gu appeared sincere, “Humans always say that one must sharpen their tools before they get to work. In order to cultivate, you need to buy a lot of resources, but what can you do without any Black Ink Coins? By refining artifacts for others, you’ll be rewarded handsomely.”
The corner of Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, “You’re indeed knowledgeable, Brother Zha Gu. You seem familiar with many sayings Humans use.”
Zha Gu replied with a smile, “I learned those sayings from my previous Black Ink Disciple. In any case, I’ve been sincere with you, and I don’t intend to harm you in any way.”
“I know…” Yang Kai scowled and fell into his thoughts.
Zha Gu said, “What’s there to consider? If you’re willing to refine artifacts for others, I’ll do all the heavy lifting for you. I’m friends with a lot of Feudal Lords, so I’m sure they’re interested in getting their own artifacts.”
Yang Kai replied hesitantly, “It’s been a long time since I left the castle. If I don’t go back, I’m worried that Sir Gui Liao will punish me.”
Zha Gu said, “You’re Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple. Since he’s not around, no one else can boss you around, including Sir Gui Liao.”
“Well…” Yang Kai appeared tempted, “If I listen to you and help those Feudal Lords make artifacts while they provide all the materials, how much should I charge them?”
Zha Gu instantly replied, “You’ll be able to charge 10,000 Black Ink Coins for each artifact.” His prompt reply suggested that he had been pondering on this issue for quite some time.
Yang Kai was secretly shocked by Zha Gu’s greed. Zha Gu might think that he didn’t know the purchasing power of Black Ink Coins, but when he stayed by Nu Yan’s side in the past, he already gained some understanding of the value of Black Ink Coins. According to his estimation, if there was a conversation rate between Black Ink Coins and Open Heaven Pills, 1 Black Ink Coin would be worth 10,000 Open Heaven Pills.
In other words, 10,000 Black Ink Coins would be worth 100 million Open Heaven Pills, which was about enough to purchase a full set of Sixth-Order materials.
Of course, this was only a rough estimate as no one had ever used Black Ink Coins to trade for Open Heaven Pills before, but the conversion rate should be around there.
A set of Sixth-Order materials obviously didn’t matter to Yang Kai, but it was a lot of money for a Feudal Lord who didn’t own his own estate.
Despite knowing this full well, Yang Kai pretended to know nothing and asked, “What can I buy with 10,000 Black Ink Coins?”
Zha Gu replied in a serious tone, “A set of Sixth-Order materials!”
Yang Kai gasped as he appeared astonished.
Zha Gu persuaded him by saying, “It’s a great business idea. You just have to make a few artifacts for others, and you won’t have to worry about getting resources anymore.”
Yang Kai instantly made a decision, “It’s indeed a viable business.”
Upon successfully persuading the other man, Zha Gu guffawed, “Have you agreed to it, then?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Why wouldn’t I agree to such a great business idea? However, in order to refine artifacts, I’ll need to use the Earth Fire here. Also, Brother Zha Gu will have to help me contact those Feudal Lords. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a Black Ink Disciple like me to directly contact them.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything for you,” Zha Gu appeared ready to make this business a success.
Yang Kai was certainly aware of the other man’s intentions, so he nodded, “Good, we can split the profits evenly from selling the artifacts.”
Zha Gu was shocked upon hearing that, “No no, that’s too much. You’re the one doing all the hard work, and the Earth Fire is practically inexhaustible. I don’t deserve 50% of the profit. I’ll just take 30% of it.”
Yang Kai was startled as it was the first time he saw someone not wanting to earn more when it was offered to them; nevertheless, he wouldn’t waste time persuading him, so he nodded and said, “In that case, do we have an agreement?”
“We do,” Zha Gu nodded firmly.
They smiled at each other as they were ready to make a lot of money.
Since an agreement had been reached, Zha Gu immediately got to work. After telling Yang Kai to get some rest in the castle, he ordered his subordinates to spread out in various different directions.
Three days later, while Yang Kai was cultivating, he felt the aura of a Feudal Lord approaching. The person soon arrived and landed in front of Zha Gu’s castle. Then, Zha Gu’s subordinate led him inside.
The arrival of this Feudal Lord was just the beginning. In the following half a month, more and more Feudal Lords came over. Yang Kai did some calculations and realised there were more than 10 Feudal Lords present now.
It seemed that Zha Gu was on good terms with quite a number of Feudal Lords.
More than 10 Feudal Lords were led to the reception hall in the castle and were seated. Zha Gu took the head seat and had some small talk with all of them.
The Feudal Lords here were all familiar with each other; after all, they lived in Hei Yuan’s territory, so they had come into contact with one another before.
They were naturally curious about why Zha Gu suddenly invited them to this place, and even after a brief chat, no one knew of the reason. When Zha Gu was asked about it, he just acted mysterious by smiling in silence.
It wasn’t until the last Feudal Lord arrived and took his seat in the Grand Hall that Zha Gu gently clapped his hands to attract everyone’s attention. Then, he rose from the chair and said with a smile, “I’m sure you’re all curious about why I’ve invited you over. It’s simple. I want to show you two items.”
A Feudal Lord, whose figure was especially burly, asked impatiently, “What items are you talking about?”
Another Feudal Lord, who had wings on his back, said, “Zha Gu, stop stalling and get on with it. We have no time to waste.”
Upon hearing that, Zha Gu put on a smile, “See for yourselves.”
As he spoke, he stepped forward. By the time he finished speaking, he was already standing in the centre of the Grand Hall. In front of everyone’s eyes, he extended his hand into the void and pulled out a giant halberd that was 15 metres long. At the same time, he took off his shirt and revealed an Artifact Armour that covered the upper half of his body.
The Artifact Armour and the giant halberd radiated a dazzling glow, which went to show that they were no ordinary artifacts.
More importantly, the Artifact Armour and the giant halberd seemed to be custom-made for Zha Gu as they fit him perfectly.
Clad in a piece of armour and holding a halberd, Zha Gu looked quite imposing. He appeared especially outstanding among these Feudal Lords.
They were all instantly attracted to him with shocked expressions.
Given these Feudal Lord’s eyesight, they could see that both the giant halberd and the Artifact Armour were no ordinary artifacts. They were undoubtedly made by a skilled Human Artifact Refiner.
While remaining on the spot, Zha Gu looked around and was pleased with their reactions.
In fact, if he hadn’t known the background of these two artifacts, he would’ve sported the same expression if he saw a Feudal Lord who possessed them.
The burly Feudal Lord, who spoke earlier, was so shocked that he stood straight up and walked up to Zha Gu. After examining the artifacts, he knocked on the Artifact Armour and nodded lightly, “Astounding. This thing can withstand an all-out attack from me.”
Zha Gu flashed a smile at him, “This is truly a life-saving treasure if it can take an all-out strike from someone whose power is equivalent to a Feudal Lord.”
Since it could bear an all-out strike from a Feudal Lord, it could also save the wearer from a Seventh-Order Human’s all-out attack.
The Feudal Lord said in a bitter tone, “You’re so lucky to acquire these things. It seemed that you got quite some benefits from following Sir Territory Lord to the battlefield previously.”
Zha Gu said, “Do you think I obtained these things from the battlefield?”
The Feudal Lord asked with surprise, “Didn’t you?”
Zha Gu put on a faint smile, “You’re fully aware of the average size of Humans, aren’t you? How could I have possibly gotten these things from them?”
The burly Feudal Lord was startled for a moment, but after giving it a thought, he realised that Zha Gu was right. Even though there were some slight differences between the Humans when it came to their sizes, they were all petite in the Black Ink Clan’s eyes. Both the giant halberd and the Artifact Armour obviously didn’t belong to Humans. They must have been custom-made for Zha Gu. Even if another Black Ink Clansman got his hands on these two artifacts, he would have a hard time using them if his size was too different from Zha Gu’s.
Another Feudal Lord thought of something as he asked excitedly, “Zha Gu, where did you get these artifacts from?”
He had hit the nail on the head. Zha Gu turned to look at the Feudal Lord and decided to stop keeping them on tenterhooks. He said with a smile, “I asked someone to specifically refine these artifacts for me.”
“What?”
“You asked someone to make these artifacts for you?”
“A Human Artifact Refiner?”
All of them were flabbergasted.
The Feudal Lord with wings gave it a thought and said, “Previously, the Royal Lord gave an order that all Black Ink Disciples who were proficient in Artifact Refining were to be brought to the Royal City. Where did you find a Human Artifact Refiner to help you make these artifacts?”
“That’s right. Moreover, these artifacts appear quite extraordinary. The Human Artifact Refiner who is able to make these things must be a Great Master. Such a Black Ink Disciple should’ve headed to the Royal City long ago. Did you visit the Royal City?”
Zha Gu shook his head, “I certainly didn’t go to the Royal City, and even if I did, I couldn’t possibly interfere with the Royal Lord’s plan. The Royal Lord had indeed summoned all the Black Ink Disciples who were skillful in Artifact Refining, but what if this Human Artifact Refiner arrived at a later time?”
“What do you mean?”
Zha Gu went on to say, “The Black Ink Disciple that Sir Territory Lord recently brought back is an Artifact Refiner.”
“Him?”
“I heard that this Black Ink Disciple was pretty bold. Just because he’s a Black Ink Disciple serving Sir Territory Lord, he offended Sir Gui Liao back at the main castle. He left after that, and no one knows where he went.”
Zha Gu said with a smile, “I was beside Sir Territory Lord when he corrupted that Human. On our way back, I had a chat with that Black Ink Disciple, so it could be said that we’re on good terms. That Human came to my place after leaving the castle. As for his grudges with Sir Gui Liao, I’m sure all of you are aware of Sir Gui Liao’s hobby. That Human’s Small Universe was damaged seriously in the last battle, so if he gave in to Sir Gui Liao’s demand, his Order would have regressed. That was why he left in fury and came to my place.”
The Feudal Lords nodded. They were aware of Gui Liao’s hobby; in fact, some of them had this hobby as well, so they could relate to Gui Liao.
A Feudal Lord asked, “He’s an Artifact Refiner?”
“The halberd I hold and the Artifact Armour I wear were refined by him. He’s indeed an Artifact Refiner, and a good one at that.”
“Where is he?” Another Feudal Lord asked agitatedly. The giant halberd and Artifact Armour in Zha Gu’s possession were indeed extraordinary. They certainly wanted something similar.
Zha Gu replied with a smile, “He’s still in my place.”
“Tell him to see us. I want him to make artifacts for me.”
The other Feudal Lords agreed with him.
Zha Gu grinned, “The reason I’ve invited all of you to come here is to help you get the artifacts you want. Be it a weapon or an Artifact Armour, you can place any order; however…”
“Go on.”
Zha Gu went on to say, “That Black Ink Disciple is a newcomer with no valuable items or resources on him. He certainly doesn’t have Black Ink Coins to purchase resources either. Therefore, he can help you refine artifacts, but you have to pay him a reasonable fee.”
The Feudal Lord with wings snapped, “He should be honoured that we’re here to tell him to make artifacts for us. How dare he demand a fee from us!”
A glint flashed through the burly Feudal Lord’s eyes, “Zha Gu, I guess it’s you who wants the fee, not that Human.”
Zha Gu replied solemnly, “He’ll be the one making the artifacts, while I’m just acting as a middleman. The money will be given to him; however, since he’s promised to share a part of the profit with me, I naturally wouldn’t turn him down.”
A Feudal Lord snorted, “I knew that a Black Ink Disciple wouldn’t be so audacious!”
Zha Gu refuted impassively, “That Black Ink Disciple was personally corrupted by Sir Territory Lord, so he’s different from the other Black Ink Disciples. He doesn’t even have any regard for Sir Gui Liao. Does any one of you think you’re more powerful than Sir Gui Liao?”
They had heard about what happened in the castle; after all, the battle between Yang Kai and Liu Zi An raised such a fuss that it couldn’t be hidden.
Upon hearing Zha Gu’s words, these Feudal Lords were unable to refute him.
In fact, he was right to say that since the Black Ink Disciple didn’t even have any regard for Gui Liao, it would be useless for them to try to force him to refine artifacts for them; after all, he was the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, so they wouldn’t dare to cross the line. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to explain themselves when Hei Yuan was done recuperating.
“Brothers, with such artifacts in your possession, your attack and defence capabilities would be greatly enhanced. They could potentially save your life on the battlefield. Such treasures are hard to come by, so what’s there to hesitate over when you’re able to get them now? What are a few Black Ink Coins compared to your life? Many Feudal Lords die on the battlefield, and once they do, their Black Ink Coins become useless. To be honest with you, I spent my entire fortune in order to refine these artifacts.”
He wasn’t lying, for he had indeed spent all of his money. Nevertheless, the cost included the Black Ink Coins he had spent to get Yang Kai a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.
A Feudal Lord suddenly said, “It’s no wonder that you borrowed some money from me recently.”
Zha Gu turned to look at that Feudal Lord, “If you want an artifact, I’ll give you a 20% discount, and your order will be prioritised.”
The Feudal Lord nodded lightly.
Zha Gu’s sales tactics were effective. Just like he had said, it was hard for them to get their hands on useful artifacts. Now that there was a chance, they wouldn’t want to miss it. The reason they were furious was that a Black Ink Disciple had the guts to charge them a fee for his services.
However, any fee would be worth it if they could earn greater merits and preserve their life on the battlefield.
Another Feudal Lord asked, “How much will that Black Ink Disciple charge?”
Zha Gu directly replied, “You have to provide all the materials, and each artifact costs 20,000 Black Ink Coins.”
“What?” 20,000 Black Ink Coins?”
“Why don’t you just rob us instead!?”
“Are you messing with us, Zha Gu?”
…
These Feudal Lords were infuriated. It had to be noted that 20,000 Black Ink Coins was a huge sum to them. Even though most of them were able to fork out 20,000 Black Ink Coins, that could only buy them one artifact. If they wanted two, that would cost 40,000.
These Feudal Lords served Hei Yuan Territory Lord, which meant they were not powerful enough to have their own independent territories and were thus not very wealthy.
By forking out 40,000 Black Ink Coins and paying for all the materials, all their savings would be gone.
Faced with their wrath, Zha Gu just smiled in silence.
He knew that regardless of how furious these Feudal Lords were, they would ultimately agree, for there were no Black Ink Disciples who could help them refine artifacts. Even if there were such Black Ink Disciples in the past, these Feudal Lords didn’t have the right to get artifacts from those Human Artifact Refiners.
Zha Gu told Yang Kai that they would charge 10,000 Black Ink Coins for every artifact, which was a hefty price in the latter’s opinion; however, Zha Gu directly doubled the price in front of these Feudal Lords.
His intentions were obvious; otherwise, he wouldn’t have tried so hard to make it happen. He naturally wasn’t willing to do anything that wouldn’t bring him any benefits.
This way, for every artifact that was crafted, he only had to give Yang Kai 7,000 Black Ink Coins according to their agreement. On the other hand, he would be able to pocket 13,000 Black Ink Coins. He would earn more than Yang Kai, who was the one actually making the artifacts.
He already realised that it was a great business opportunity when Yang Kai made the artifacts for him. As a Feudal Lord, he naturally yearned for his own territory; however, that would require a lot of Black Ink Coins. Although he had taken part in countless life-and-death fights on the battlefield before, he still hadn’t accumulated enough wealth. If he could make good use of this opportunity, his dream would come true.
A Feudal Lord with his own territory was totally different from those that had no territories.
The boisterous Feudal Lords in the Grand Hall were furious at the fact that Zha Gu demanded such an unbearably high price, but an unfazed Zha Gu shuffled towards his own seat and said calmly, “Each of you is only allowed to get one artifact.”
Upon hearing that, all of them fell silent.
A Feudal Lord frowned, “What do you mean by that, Zha Gu?”
Zha Gu replied with a smile, “Just as I said.”
The Feudal Lords exchanged glances as they had no idea why Zha Gu came up with such a restriction. Every artifact would earn him 20,000 Black Ink Coins, so he should be more than happy to get more orders for making more artifacts. Why would he limit how much he could earn?
Zha Gu swept a glance over them with a solemn expression, “Do all of you think he can keep on making artifacts for you forever?”
The Feudal Lord with wings on his back thought of something as his expression changed, “You mean…” He then pointed towards the ceiling.
Zha Gu nodded gently, “More than 10 years ago, the Royal Lord suddenly summoned all the Human Artifact Refiners to the Royal City. All the Black Ink Disciples who know anything about Artifact Refining have been gathered up. I’m sure you’re aware that I used to have a Black Ink Disciple who was an Artifact Refiner, though he was not very skilful. Despite his lack of aptitude, even he was summoned. We have all heard rumours about what is going on in the Royal City, that it is a project that will secure the Black Ink Clan’s future, so not even the slightest negligence is allowed. Black Ink Disciples who know a little about Artifact Refining have all been summoned, so how could Yang Kai, who is an expert in Artifact Refining, be exempted? The reason he’s still free now is that the news hasn’t spread. Moreover, Sir Territory Lord is still recuperating. If my speculation is correct, when Sir Territory Lord is done recovering and finds out that Yang Kai is an Artifact Refiner, he will send him to the Royal City to take part in that project. When that time comes, no one will be able to help you make artifacts no matter how many Black Ink Coins you have.”
Everything he had said was reasonable and well-known, so the Feudal Lords nodded in agreement.
Upon realising the situation they were faced with, those who were not willing to pay 20,000 Black Ink Coins were caught in a dilemma.
If Yang Kai was sent to the Royal City, there would no longer be an Artifact Refiner who could make artifacts for them.
Just then, a Feudal Lord asked, “Zha Gu, how long does it take for him to make an artifact.”
“About two to three months,” Zha Gu replied and swept a glance over them, “There are more than 10 of you here; in other words, we can ensure that every one of you will get an artifact before Sir Territory Lord is done recuperating. That’s why I’ve come up with this restriction. Certainly, no one knows for sure when Sir Territory Lord will leave the Black Ink Nest. If he comes out sooner than expected, some of you might not get your artifacts.”
Upon hearing that, an impetuous Feudal Lord shouted, “I’ll pay 20,000 then! I want an artifact!”
Following that, another Feudal Lord said, “I’ll buy one as well.”
In an instant, the Feudal Lords in the Grand Hall scrambled to place an order. Zha Gu slowly dealt with them with a smile.
After everything was settled, he told these Feudal Lords to start preparing materials and Black Ink Coins; then, he personally saw them off.
He was pleased to see them leaving in a hurry.
Barely two hours later, a Feudal Lord returned and brought with him sufficient materials and 20,000 Black Ink Coins. After taking the materials and Black Ink Coins, Zha Gu headed to the cave and told Yang Kai about the Feudal Lord’s size and requests.
Yang Kai memorised them, and after Zha Gu left, he started making the artifact.
Over the following days, Yang Kai stayed in the cave and focused on refining artifacts. He didn’t have to worry about cultivation resources as Zha Gu would prepare everything for him. He just had to craft the artifacts according to the Feudal Lords’ demands.
For every artifact made, Zha Gu would give him 7,000 Black Ink Coins.
As Yang Kai refined artifacts day after day, his skills in Artifact Refining improved rapidly.
At first, it took him two months to make an Artifact Armour for Zha Gu, but two years later, it would only take him 45 days to create such an artifact, and its quality would be higher as well.
However, he had only been making huge offensive artifacts. No one ordered an Artifact Armour. It seemed that Black Ink Clansmen were fond of offensive artifacts but not interested in Artifact Armours that could potentially save their lives.
Over the past two years, Yang Kai managed to craft about 20 artifacts.
As time passed, more and more Feudal Lords found out about Yang Kai’s ability to refine artifacts through word of mouth. An increasing number of Feudal Lords came over to place an order, and the fee for refining an artifact rose to 30,000 Black Ink Coins per piece.
It wasn’t until this moment that the first batch of Feudal Lords invited to Zha Gu’s castle got over the bitter feeling. They even thought that they had picked up a bargain for their own artifact.
As for the actual fee, Yang Kai knew nothing as he focused on refining artifacts in the cave. Even if he found out about it, he wouldn’t be bothered. Everything he was doing was to better position himself to carry out his mission. Since more and more Feudal Lords asked him to create artifacts for them, it suggested that more people were becoming aware of his ability. That would allow him to have a higher chance of achieving his goal.
His skills in Artifact Refining had improved significantly compared to two years ago, and even though he was far from being a Grandmaster, he could be considered a Great Master.
Great Master, Grandmaster, and Great Grandmaster were the different Ranks of Artifact Refining. Although there wasn’t a systematic classification, such Ranks were universally acknowledged.
Only those who were able to make High-Rank artifacts could be regarded as Grandmasters.
Now, Yang Kai could only create Mid-Rank artifacts, so he was just a Great Master.
He was now just waiting for Hei Yuan to leave the Black Ink Nest. After making some calculations, he reckoned that this would probably happen in a few years.
Inside Hei Yuan’s castle, a Feudal Lord respectfully left the main hall while Gui Liao sported a solemn expression.
He summoned this Feudal Lord because he had some routine business with him, but he was surprised to learn a piece of shocking news.
The Black Ink Disciple named Yang Kai was actually an Artifact Refiner, and a skilful one at that.
Gui Liao was truly astonished. After the battle between Yang Kai and Liu Zi An, he respectively punished them. He thought that by using the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit as a threat, Yang Kai would soon make a concession; however, that guy simply went missing for the past two years.
This matter didn’t really bother Gui Liao. As the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai couldn’t possibly have gone far and must be hiding somewhere on the universe fragment and recuperating.
Perhaps he was waiting for the Territory Lord to come out of the Black Ink Nest to stand up for him.
That was what Gui Liao originally thought, so he never expected that Yang Kai had gone to Zha Gu’s place and started refining artifacts for the Feudal Lords. He was shocked when he learned this. The other Feudal Lords might not be aware of how valuable a Human Artifact Refiner was; however, as Hei Yuan’s confidant, Gui Liao was.
The Royal Lord was carrying out a grand plan that would affect the entire Black Ink Clan’s future, and it had something to do with Human Artifact Refiners. It could be said that every Artifact Refiner was an invaluable asset to the Royal Lord and were thus regarded quite highly.
A Human Artifact Refiner was no longer just any ordinary Black Ink Disciple.
In that case, despite Gui Liao’s noble identity, he couldn’t possibly oppress Yang Kai; otherwise, Hei Yuan would punish him when he exited the Black Ink Nest.
However, Gui Liao couldn’t apologize. As a noble Feudal Lord, he wouldn’t give in to a Black Ink Disciple no matter what.
After giving it a thought, he called out, “Liu Zi An!”
Liu Zi An stepped out from the darkness, “Master.”
“Go to Zha Gu’s place and tell him to come over.”
“Yes,” Liu Zi An replied.
Barely four hours later, Zha Gu appeared before Gui Liao and saluted him. Then, he asked respectfully, “Is there something you want me to do for you, Sir Gui Liao?”
Gui Liao stared fixedly at him, “Zha Gu, I heard that you’ve earned quite a lot of Black Ink Coins recently.”
Zha Gu was startled for a moment, but he soon pulled himself together and put on a fawning smile, “You’ve found out about it, Sir Gui Liao?”
He knew that this matter couldn’t be hidden from Gui Liao, and he had already expected it to get out at some point.
Gui Liao snorted, “Before Sir Territory Lord entered the Black Ink Nest, he told me to manage the affairs in his territory. Since such an incident has happened, how could I possibly not be aware of it? How dare you, Zha Gu! Since that Black Ink Disciple is an Artifact Refiner, why didn’t you inform me immediately and instead hid him away in your place to make artifacts for others!?”
Zha Gu slightly bent his back, “Sir Gui Liao, that Human is Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple after all. Since he wants to stay in my place, I can’t possibly chase him away.”
Gui Liao sneered, “You just aren’t willing to let him go, are you? You’re charging 30,000 Black Ink Coins for an artifact. It would take you dozens, if not hundreds of years to earn that much money.”
Zha Gu forced a smile, “Please understand my situation, Sir Gui Liao.”
“How much do you give that Human?” Gui Liao asked.
After hesitating for a while, Zha Gu replied, “I told him that we’ll charge 10,000 Black Ink Coins per artifact, and I would get 30%.”
“You’re really something,” Gui Liao mocked, “He’s the one doing all the work, but he only gets 7,000 Black Ink Coins for each piece while you get 20 to 30 thousand. You’ve been treating him well, haven’t you? Aren’t you worried that when he finds out about it, he’ll file a complaint against you in front of Sir Territory Lord?”
Zha Gu turned pale, “I suppose Sir Territory Lord won’t bother dealing with such a small matter.”
Gui Liao replied calmly, “Who knows? After all, Sir Territory Lord regards him quite highly.”
Zha Gu instantly became apprehensive upon hearing Gui Liao’s words. Over the past two years, the amount of Black Ink Coins he had earned off of Yang Kai was significantly more than what he could possibly make in his lifetime. With so much wealth in his possession now, he naturally wouldn’t want to give it up; however, just like what Gui Liao had said, if Yang Kai found out about it and filed a complaint with the Territory Lord after the latter left the Black Ink Nest, Zha Gu would be doomed.
Although he believed that the Territory Lord wouldn’t care about such a trivial matter, Yang Kai’s identity was special after all. Not only was he a Human Artifact Refiner, he had also gained the Territory Lord’s favour. What if the Territory Lord was willing to stand up for him?
An anxious Zha Gu gazed at Gui Liao, “Sir Gui Liao… do you think I should give all the money back to him?”
Gui Liao sneered. Without directly answering his question, he asked, “Zha Gu, how long have you been a Feudal Lord?”
Even though Zha Gu had no idea why the other man suddenly asked about it, he still replied honestly, “I’ve been a Feudal Lord for 3,000 years.”
“You’ve been stuck as a Feudal Lord for 3,000. Have you ever thought about ascending to become a Territory Lord?”
Zha Gu said solemnly, “It is every Feudal Lord’s dream to become a Territory Lord one day; however, there’s never been an opportunity for me.”
Just like Open Heaven Realm Masters, accumulation was key to a Black Ink Clansman’s cultivation. However, Humans could refine all sorts of cultivation materials while that wasn’t possible for the Black Ink Clan. There were two ways Black Ink Clansmen could grow their strength. First, they could absorb World Force and convert it into their own Black Ink Strength. Secondly, they could directly absorb Black Ink Strength produced in Black Ink Nests to enhance their powers.
The omnipresent Black Ink Strength in Hei Yuan’s territory was born from the Black Ink Nest, and every Black Ink Clansman could absorb it freely. Black Ink Strength in this place was like World Energy in the 3,000 Worlds.
However, there were innumerable Black Ink Clansmen living in this territory, and everyone was absorbing and refining the ambient Black Ink Strength. With so many people sharing the Black Ink Strength, Zha Gu wouldn’t be able to absorb a lot of it to strengthen himself regardless of how hard he tried.
“An opportunity, huh…” Gui Liao smiled, “Sir Territory Lord once said that we shouldn’t wait for opportunities to come to us, we have to create them for ourselves.”
Suddenly realising something, Zha Gu looked fervently at him, “Sir Gui Liao, you mean…”
Gui Liao stared fixedly at him and changed the topic by saying, “Do you want your own Fief?”
Upon hearing that, Zha Gu felt his breathing becoming hurried. He instantly nodded, “Of course I do. The reason I’ve been trying so hard to earn Black Ink Coins is that I want to buy a sub-nest from Sir Territory Lord; however, he’s recuperating now, and the Black Ink Nest has been shut. Moreover, I don’t have enough Black Ink Coins.”
Although he had earned a lot of money by relying on Yang Kai to make artifacts, he had only amassed 300,000 Black Ink Coins. This was a considerable sum of wealth for a Feudal Lord as 300,000 Black Ink Coins were worth about 3 billion Open Heaven Pills.
A Feudal Lord was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and there were rarely any Seventh-Order Humans who possessed so much wealth. It was the same case for the Black Ink Clan.
In order to own a Fief, not only did a Black Ink Clansman have to become a Feudal Lord, but they also had to possess a Black Ink Nest of their own, only then would he have a right to apply for a Fief from the Territory Lord.
Nevertheless, the lowest Rank Black Ink Nest cost 500,000 Black Ink Coins.
The average Black Ink Clansman would never be able to amass so much wealth in his lifetime. This was the reason there were so many Feudal Lords but only a small number of them had their own Fiefs. Although they were powerful enough, they didn’t have sufficient finances to purchase a Black Ink Nest.
Once a Feudal Lord possessed his own Black Ink Nest, it would be far more convenient for him to cultivate or recuperate when he was injured. For example, after Zha Gu returned from the battlefield, even though he was wounded, he was unable to enter the Black Ink Nest to recuperate as the Territory Lord had shut it. He could only go back to his own castle and wait for his wounds to heal slowly. However, if he had his own Black Ink Nest, he would recover far more quickly.
By owning his own Black Ink Nest, he could also cultivate inside it and increase his strength rapidly so that he would stand a much better chance of becoming a Territory Lord.
There were many benefits to owning a Black Ink Nest. One such benefit was that he would have his own Fief, which could attract a lot of lower-rank Black Ink Clansmen to settle in his territory. If High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen wanted to ascend to become Feudal Lords, they would have to get the help of his Black Ink Nest’s power. By doing so, they would have to pay him a fee. That would bring him a steady source of income.
Besides that, he would also have the right to conscript the Black Ink Clansmen living in his Fief when war broke out. By then, he could establish his own Army to fight against the Humans. If he made a contribution on the battlefield, he would be rewarded handsomely.
Feudal Lords with their own Fiefs were very different from those who didn’t have their own Fiefs. It was Zha Gu’s dream to have his own Black Ink Nest and Fief, and he had been working hard to achieve it.
When Gui Liao asked him such a question all of a sudden, he couldn’t help but fall into his wild thoughts as he secretly anticipated what the other man would say next.
As expected, Gui Liao said with a smile, “It’s not hard for you to get your own Fief. In fact, I can help you with that.”
Zha Gu felt his throat tightening as he asked agitatedly, “How are you going to help me, Sir Gui Liao?”
Gui Liao replied, “You’re strong enough, but you’ll need 500,000 Black Ink Coins to buy a sub-nest. How much money do you have now?”
After hesitating for a moment, Zha Gu said meekly, “300,000.”
Gui Liao nodded gently, “You need another 200,000, then. It’s fine. I can lend that much to you and you can pay me back when you have the money in the future.”
Zha Gu said, “Even if there’s enough Black Ink Coins, the Black Ink Nest is shut now. How am I supposed to get a sub-nest? I’ll have to wait for the Territory Lords to come out.”
The Black Ink Nests owned by the Feudal Lords were bred from the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest. The relationship between them was like that of a Mother and her children. That was why the Black Ink Nests owned by the Feudal Lords were called sub-nests.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Nests owned by the Territory Lords were bred from the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest. Similarly, they were the sub-nests of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.
It required a lot of energy to breed a sub-nest from a Black Ink Nest, so every sub-nest cost a substantial amount of Black Ink Coins. It wouldn’t be given to a Feudal Lord for free, with the exception of if he had made a massive contribution.
Therefore, even though Gui Liao was willing to lend Zha Gu some money, even the cleverest woman could not cook a meal without rice.
Right then, Gui Liao said, “I happen to have a sub-nest with me. I prepared it for myself back then; however, Sir Territory Lord has ordered me to help manage his territory and never lets me go. That’s why the sub-nest is still unused. Now that I’m about to ascend to become a Territory Lord, the sub-nest is useless to me. I can sell it to you.”
[What a coincidence!] Zha Gu was both shocked and pleasantly surprised.
Over the past two years, he had been exploiting Yang Kai just to get enough money to purchase a sub-nest, but he hadn’t managed to earn enough Black Ink Coins even now.
It never crossed his mind that not only was Gui Liao willing to lend him some money, but he would also sell his sub-nest to him.
Given his understanding of Gui Liao, Zha Gu knew that the other man wasn’t a kind-hearted person; hence, while he was excited, he asked cautiously, “Is there a condition attached to this deal, Sir Gui Liao?”
Gui Liao started chuckling, “I’ve always known that you’re clever, Zha Gu. It seems that I was right about you. There’s indeed a condition, but it won’t harm you in any way.”
“Please make it clear to me, Sir Gui Liao.”
With a solemn expression, Gui Liao said, “When you have your own Fief, I want you to bring Yang Kai to that place and make him continue refining artifacts. I can introduce some wealthy Feudal Lords to you who are much richer than your friends. Also, I will take half of the profit from the sale of these artifacts. Additionally, I want him to refine two artifacts for me first. One offensive artifact and one defensive artifact.”
Zha Gu thought that the other man was indeed greedy by demanding half of the profit. With that said, they could command a higher price from wealthier Feudal Lords; after all, just like him, the customers he introduced to Yang Kai were Feudal Lords who didn’t have their own Fiefs. Feudal Lords who relied on the Territory Lord to survive naturally were not affluent.
As for making two artifacts for Gui Liao first, that wasn’t really an issue.
After giving it a thought, Zha Gu asked, “Sir Gui Liao, how much do you think we should charge our new customers for artifacts?”
Instead of answering his question, Gui Liao asked, “What do you think?”
Zha Gu thought that the other man was a bit ridiculous for just throwing the question back at him, but despite what he thought, he still replied, “I’m currently charging my existing customers 30,000 Black Ink Coins per piece. As for the Feudal Lords that you know, why don’t we charge them 50,000 per artifact?”
If they charged 50,000 per artifact, other than the 7,000 Black Ink Coins that had to be given to Yang Kai, the remaining money would be equally split between Gui Liao and him. That way, he would still get 21,500 Black Ink Coins. It was only slightly less than the 23,000 he was receiving now, which was the amount of money he could get by exploiting Yang Kai on his own.
Furthermore, the deal would be worth it since he was able to get a Fief and a Black Ink Nest.
50,000 was a huge sum in his eyes; after all, when he demanded 30,000, many Feudal Lords were unwilling to pay for it. They would cross the line by asking for a higher price.
“100,000,” Gui Liao said coldly.
“What?” Zha Gu thought that he had misheard him as he gazed at him in shock.
“100,000. It’s decided.”
“Sir Gui Liao!” Zha Gu couldn’t help but call out, “Isn’t this price somewhat exorbitant? Will those Feudal Lords be willing to pay such a price to get an artifact?”
Gui Liao sneered, “Do not compare the Feudal Lords you know to my associates. They are all Feudal Lords who have their own Fiefs. Do you think Feudal Lords who can afford to buy sub-nests are not wealthy enough? They’re all eager to obtain artifacts made by Human Artifact Refiners; however, since all the Artifact Refiners have been sent to the Royal City, they aren’t able to get their hands on them even if they want to. If there’s someone who can refine artifacts for them, they’ll even agree to paying more than 100,000; after all, they only have one life, and they can always earn more Black Ink Coins.”
After a pause, he went on to say, “Moreover, when Sir Territory Lord leaves the Black Ink Nest, this business will naturally have to stop. He’ll definitely send Yang Kai to the Royal City, so if we don’t seize this opportunity to earn more money now, there won’t be such a chance again in the future. Don’t worry. You just have to bring Yang Kai to your Fief, and I’ll introduce some customers to you. You just have to serve them.”
Since Gui Liao had said so, there was nothing Zha Gu could do about it other than nod in agreement.
Gui Liao then asked, “Do you have any specific demands when it comes to your Fief?”
After giving it a thought, Zha Gu replied, “I don’t have any specific demands really, but it seems that Yang Kai needs to rely on an external aid like Earth-Fire to refine artifacts. Do you have a recommendation for that, Sir Gui Liao?”
Upon hearing that, Gui Liao started going through his Universe Chart and a moment later, he left a mark somewhere and passed it to Zha Gu, “There was originally a Great Sun in this area. Although the Sun is dead now, it still has a great amount of residual power. Let’s just make this place your Fief. The power of the Great Sun is still much greater than an Earth Fire.”
In the meantime, Zha Gu was glancing at the Universe Chart. Upon locating the dead Great Sun, he nodded, “Good.”
Gui Liao then waved his hand, after which Liu Zi An stepped out of the darkness with a unique-looking box in his hands. It wasn’t certain what the box was made from as it didn’t look like metal nor jade. It also wasn’t certain what was inside the box.
However, the moment Zha Gu saw the box, he became agitated and could not peel his eyes away.
Gui Liao said with a smile, “You have to keep this sub-nest in a safe place. I only have one sub-nest, so if you lose it, it will be gone for good.”
An excited Zha Gu took the box and thanked him repeatedly. This was the key to becoming a Feudal Lord with a Fief, and it was also the thing he had always dreamed of getting. It never crossed his mind that he could easily obtain it on this day.
“Do you need me to teach you how to hatch it?” Gui Liao asked.
“There’s no need for that,” Zha Gu shook his head. Suddenly recalling something, he said hesitantly, “Sir, it requires a lot of resources or World Force to hatch a Black Ink Nest. I…”
A generous Gui Liao waved his hand, “Just buy the resources with the 300,000 Black Ink Coins you have. It should be enough to hatch a Black Ink Nest. As for the 500,000 Black Ink Coins required to buy this Black Ink Nest, you can pay me back later.”
“Many thanks, Sir Gui Liao!” Zha Gu was grateful.
Although he now owed Gui Liao 500,000 Black Ink Coins, it was worth it for a Feudal Lord like him.
He secretly made some calculations and realised that if what Gui Liao said could be achieved, he would get 46,500 Black Ink Coins for every artifact. After making Yang Kai craft more than 11 artifacts, he would be able to pay off his debt.
He couldn’t help but think that it was easy to make money with a Human Artifact Refiner with him. He also felt fortunate that Yang Kai and Gui Liao were on bad terms; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to earn so much cash. Gui Liao would have taken full control over this matter.
Now, Gui Liao only assisted him in secret instead of taking matters into his own hands. He must be worried that the Territory Lord would investigate certain matters when he was done recuperating; therefore, even though Zha Gu would earn even more money, he would also have to take some risks.
Despite knowing all of that, Zha Gu still happily obliged.
After leaving the castle, Zha Gu was still in a dazed state. He still couldn’t believe that his dream had finally come true.
The box that contained the sub-nest couldn’t be kept inside a Space Ring. To the Black Ink Clan, a Black Ink Nest was also a living creature; therefore, Zha Gu returned to his castle and carefully put the box in a safe place before touring around Hei Yuan’s territory. He then spent his wealth by buying a lot of World Spheres and materials of different Orders.
300,000 Black Ink Coins were soon used up. Despite that, the substantial amount of resources in his Space Ring made him feel at ease.
While Zha Gu had gotten everything ready, Yang Kai was completing another artifact.
After telling Yang Kai to get some rest, Zha Gu started dealing with the Feudal Lords who were there to have their artifacts crafted.
Since he had come to an agreement with Gui Liao, he wasn’t willing to keep wasting time here; after all, he could only charge these Feudal Lords 30,000 for one artifact while Gui Liao promised that they would be able to charge 100,000 per artifact. Since there was a huge difference between the prices, Zha Gu naturally knew which one to choose.
Certainly, the Feudal Lords were not pleased with this; however, Zha Gu said that Gui Liao had summoned Yang Kai back to the castle. With this being the case, there was nothing these Feudal Lords could do about it.
After all, Yang Kai was the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to keep staying in Zha Gu’s abode.
When everything was prepared, Zha Gu gathered all his subordinates together and led Yang Kai to navigate across the void.
On the way to their destination, Yang Kai said worriedly, “Brother Zha Gu, it’s inappropriate that I’m suddenly leaving without informing Sir Gui Liao about it.”
Zha Gu replied with a smile, “Don’t worry about it, Brother Yang. I’ve informed Sir Gui Liao already, and he’s aware that you’ve been staying in my place for the past two years.”
“Did he say anything?”
Zha Gu shook his head, “Sir Gui Liao is busy dealing with the affairs in the territory. He can’t be bothered to handle such a trivial matter.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “That’s good.” Then, he asked in puzzlement, “Where are we going?”
An energetic Zha Gu replied, “We’re going to my Fief!”
Yang Kai nodded.
Upon seeing the other man’s lukewarm reaction, Zha Gu said with a smile, “Brother Yang, since you’re a Human, I suppose you have no idea how important a Fief is to a Black Ink Clansman.”
Yang Kai really had no idea about it. Although he had been staying by Nu Yan’s side for two years in the Black Ink Clan’s hinterland in the past, the latter was just a High-Rank Clansman who was equivalent to a Sixth-Order Human. Moreover, Nu Tan simply went from one Blood Arena to the next to earn Black Ink Coins.
Basically, Yang Kai knew little about the internal affairs of the Black Ink Clan. In fact, even though the two Races had been fighting against each other for millennia, the Humans still didn’t know much about the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai played along by saying, “Please enlighten me.”
There was a sense of pride on Zha Gu’s face as he spoke, “Let me put it this way, Brother Yang. Only with a Fief in possession will a Feudal Lord be considered a real Feudal Lord. The Feudal Lords who don’t have a Fief are like tigers without teeth.”
A puzzled Yang Kai said, “I don’t get it.”
Zha Gu chuckled, “Since you’re a Human, it’s expected that you don’t get it. Do you know why there are so many Feudal Lords but only a small number of them have their own Fiefs?”
“Is it because there isn’t enough land?” Yang Kai gave a random answer. In fact, he had pondered on this issue before, but he couldn’t figure out the reason behind it. Since Zha Gu mentioned it all of a sudden, he reckoned that his doubt would be solved on this day.
Upon hearing that, Zha Gu was startled for a moment before breaking into laughter, “That’s indeed one of the reasons. Sir Territory Lord has dozens of Feudal Lords working for him. If every Feudal Lord had their own Fief, there wouldn’t be enough land. Nevertheless, the main reason is the limited number of Black Ink Nests.”
“Black Ink Nests?” Yang Kai arched his brow with surprise, “What does it have to do with the Black Ink Nests?”
Zha Gu explained, “Although the Humans have fought against the Black Ink Clan for countless years, I guess you all still don’t know that there are different Ranks of Black Ink Nests. You’ve seen Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest. Don’t you think it’s enormous and imposing?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai bowed his head.
“The Black Ink Nests are the foundation of the Black Ink Clan, and there are three Ranks in total, which the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nests, the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nests, and the Feudal Lord’s Black Ink Nests. In the Human’s terms, these Black Ink Nests could be categorised into High-Rank, Mid-Rank, and Low-Rank. Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest is Mid-Rank. You might think that it’s splendid, but if you have the chance to see a Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, you’ll realise that the one owned by Sir Territory Lord is quite petite.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as it was the first time he heard about this. He reckoned that the Humans had no idea about such a categorisation as well. With his brow raised, he asked, “So, a Feudal Lord’s Black Ink Nest would be considered Low-Rank?”
“Yes.” Zha Gu nodded, “Every Black Ink Nest is dependent on the higher Rank one.”
“What do you mean by that?” Yang Kai frowned.
Zha Gu explained with a smile, “A Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest must be bred from the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, while a Feudal Lord’s Black Ink Nest is always bred from a Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest. Therefore, the Feudal Lord’s Black Ink Nest is a sub-nest of the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest while a Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest is a sub-nest of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.”
“There’s such a relationship between the Black Ink Nests?” Yang Kai was astonished, thinking that he had learned a great secret of the Black Ink Clan today. In the past, the Humans had some speculations about how the Black Ink Nests were born, but they were never able to discern the truth. It wasn’t until Yang Kai heard about it from Zha Gu that he realised a lower Rank Black Ink Nest was separated from a higher Rank Black Ink Nest.
With a solemn expression, Zha Gu went on to say, “It requires a lot of energy for a sub-nest to be born, so each one is extremely precious. We won’t be able to get it with ease.” As he spoke, he patted the box in his arms, “I bought this sub-nest with 500,000 Black Ink Coins.”
Yang Kai was flabbergasted, “That’s a sub-nest?”
Zha Gu had been carrying this box while on their way to their destination. Yang Kai could certainly see it. Although he was curious, he never asked what was inside the box. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised it was a sub-nest.
“Yes, it’s a sub-nest.” Zha Gu nodded seriously, “However, it hasn’t been hatched. After it’s hatched, it will be a real Black Ink Nest. With that said, it will naturally be much smaller than Sir Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest; after all, it’s just a Feudal Lord Black Ink Nest. With this Black Ink Nest though, I’ll become a real Feudal Lord.”
As he spoke, he started envisioning the bright future ahead of him, “With my own Black Ink Nest, I’ll be able to attract more Black Ink Clansmen to settle down in my Fief. If those High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen want to ascend to become Feudal Lords, they’ll have to rely on my Black Ink Nest’s power, and I can charge them a fee just to use it. When there are enough residents in the Fief, I can form my own Army and follow Sir Territory Lord to fight against the Humans.”
Yang Kai was practically beside himself as it was the first time he found out that a Black Ink Nest had to be hatched. Was it really a living creature? How was it hatched? He had seen a lot of Feudal Lord Black Ink Nests, but they were all gigantic. Although a Feudal Lord Black Ink Nest was not comparable to the one owned by a Territory Lord, it couldn’t possibly be stuffed into a box.
While feeling doubtful, he asked cautiously, “Brother Zha Gu, you said that if those High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen want to ascend to become a Feudal Lord, they would have to rely on your Black Ink Nest. What if you want to ascend to become a Territory Lord?”
Zha Gu replied, “I’ll have to rely on the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest, which is the one owned by Sir Territory Lord. This Black Ink Nest is not powerful enough to support my ascension.”
Yang Kai nodded upon hearing his explanation. In other words, a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest could help a Black Ink Clansman ascend to become a Feudal Lord while a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest could help a Feudal Lord become a Territory Lord. However, only the High-Rank Black Ink Nest could help a Territory Lord ascend to become a Royal Lord.
The different Ranks of Black Ink Nests were owned by Black Ink Clansmen of varying statuses. It was a clear and simple system.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai asked, “Can a sub-nest be born from a Feudal Lord Black Ink Nest?”
Zha Gu shook his head with a smile, “The Feudal Lord Black Ink Nest is the lowest Rank. How can a sub-nest be separated from it?”
“Then, whose sub-nest is the Royal Lord Black Ink Nests from?”
The question startled Zha Gu, “The Royal Lord Black Ink Nest is already the highest Rank.”
Yang Kai frowned, “However, according to you, every Black Ink Nest is separated from a higher Rank Black Ink Nest. In that case, there should be a source where all the Black Ink Nests come from. What is this source?”
A dazed Zha Gu gazed at Yang Kai for a moment before putting on a smile, “It beats me, Brother Yang. I have no idea what or where the source is; however, as far as I know, the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest is indeed the highest Rank. There isn’t a higher Rank Black Ink Nest. Perhaps the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest is the source.”
Yang Kai nodded as he could only acknowledge this statement to be true for now.
He decided not to delve into this topic further; instead, he grew curious about the box in Zha Gu’s hands, “Brother Zha Gu, how are you going to hatch it so that it’ll become a real Black Ink Nest?”
Zha Gu chuckled, “You’ll find out soon.”
As they spoke, they kept moving forward. A few days later, Zha Gu suddenly stopped and fished out a Universe Chart.
Universe Charts were initially invented by Humans; however, as the two Races fought against one another for countless years, many of the Humans’ inventions had been acquired by the Black Ink Clan. Some of the examples were flight-type artifacts and Universe Charts.
“It’s here.” Upon determining their exact location, Zha Gu became energetic, “With this place as the centre, a half-day’s journey radius will now be considered my Fief.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “Your Fief is pretty vast, then.”
It had to be noted that Zha Gu was a Feudal Lord, so he could cross quite a distance by flying for half a day. In other words, his Fief would be massive.
Zha Gu chuckled, “It’s just luck.”
Then, he looked around the area.
Initially, the entire Black Ink Battlefield was supposed to be a flourishing place; however, due to the Black Ink Clan’s characteristics, the Black Ink Battlefield was only filled with dead Universe Worlds now.
Now, all they could see nearby were Universe Worlds and universe fragments that were full of Death Qi.
Zha Gu soon found a suitable place and flew towards a Universe World that was neither small nor big, landing soon after.
The entire World was filled with Death Qi and there wasn’t even a tinge of vitality. Yang Kai couldn’t even feel a bit of World Force around here. With that said, he wasn’t surprised as this was only to be expected.
“I’ll choose this place, then.” Zha Gu looked around, evidently pleased with this area.
As he spoke, he carefully put down the box that he had been carrying in his arms. Although this square box was small, it seemed to be weighty. Yang Kai didn’t realise it when the box was in Zha Gu’s arms, but the moment he put it down, the entire ground shook a little. Even the area around the box sunk somewhat.
With a solemn expression, Zha Gu gazed at the box and said in an equally solemn tone, “Brother Yang, don’t you want to know how a Black Ink Nest is hatched? You should watch attentively, then.”
Yang Kai nodded gently and stared fixedly at the box.
Just then, Black Ink Strength started billowing from Zha Gu’s hand as he placed his palm on the box. It wasn’t certain what he had done, but the box cracked and split. In an instant, a flower bud that was yet to blossom came into Yang Kai’s sight.
This thing was similar to the Black Ink Nests he had seen before, only far, far smaller.
However, he could feel extremely rich Black Ink Strength streaming around this immature Black Ink Nest.
Just like all the Black Ink Nests he had seen before, this thing was like a living creature. Every time it breathed, Black Ink Strength would billow from it.
At this moment, Zha Gu’s subordinates stepped forward. Although no order was given, they all fell on their knees and pressed their heads against the ground in the Black Ink Nest’s direction in a sincere manner. They started chanting something as though they were performing a ritual.
Zha Gu was evidently agitated; then, all of a sudden, he stabbed a finger into his chest.
Yang Kai was stunned at the sight, thinking that Zha Gu was trying to kill himself.
Nevertheless, he soon realised that it wasn’t the case. Although Zha Gu had stabbed a finger into his chest, he wasn’t trying to end his own life. When he pulled out his hand, there was a drop of black blood on his finger.
Black Ink Clansmen were born in Black Ink Nests, so they had no need for sexual reproduction like Humans. With that said, they were not different from the Humans when it came to their anatomy.
Therefore, the moment Yang Kai saw the black blood, he knew that it was a drop of blood from Zha Gu’s heart. It was probably the equivalent of a Human’s Blood Essence. If it was lost, it would destabilise the Black Ink Clansman’s aura and even cause their strength to plunge.
As expected, after Zha Gu extracted a drop of blood from his heart, his aura became noticeably weaker.
Then, he dropped the blood onto the Black Ink Nest, which quickly absorbed it.
The next moment, a connection was formed between the Black Ink Nest and Zha Gu.
Yang Kai watched from the side as he thought that this was similar to how some Humans claimed the ownership of some artifacts by dropping their blood onto them. After absorbing Zha Gu’s blood, the Black Ink Nest was left with his Brand. From now on, this Black Ink Nest was Zha Gu’s property, and other Black Ink Clansmen could never snatch it from him, though it wasn’t clear how the Black Ink Nest would be impacted upon Zha Gu’s death.
Yang Kai reckoned that nothing would change though; after all, he had never heard of any incidents where the artifacts would shatter after their owners passed away. There would simply be a new owner after the original owner lost his life.
Although Zha Gu’s aura had weakened after he finished this, he was clearly high-spirited.
He then fished out something from his Space Ring. Yang Kai could see that it was a World Sphere that was filled with World Force. He wondered where Zha Gu got it from.
Without hesitation, Zha Gu threw the World Sphere into the middle of the flower bud.
The next instant, the Black Ink Nest started shaking and throbbing like a heart. The World Force inside the World Sphere was soon swallowed by the Black Ink Nest.
As this happened, the entire Black Ink Nest started squirming violently as something that looked like flesh grew out of it. The initially petite Black Ink Nest started expanding rapidly.
Just moments later, the originally small Black Ink Nest had expanded by several times, and its growth didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Zha Gu continuously threw more World Spheres, which were filled with World Force, into the Black Ink Nest, which never stopped growing.
A few days later, a 1,000-metre-tall Feudal Lord’s Black Ink Nest that occupied a large area was born. Yang Kai was shaken to the core as he watched the entire process.
It wasn’t until this moment that he figured out how the Black Ink Nests came about. In fact, he was probably the first Human to ever witness how a Black Ink Nest was hatched.
Perhaps some Black Ink Disciples had seen it in the past, but such information had never been collected by the Humans.
“It’s almost done,” Zha Gu was pleased as he gazed at the huge Black Ink Nest.
His subordinates had been repeatedly performing the same ritual in a sincere manner, and they didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
“Is this its final form?” Yang Kai asked. He had seen a lot of Black Ink Nests owned by the Feudal Lords before, but they were all much larger than this. That was why he was curious.
Zha Gu shook his head, “This Black Ink Nest can still keep growing, but I don’t have a lot of resources with me now. I need to use them for other matters. I’ll only be able to keep growing this Black Ink Nest when I have some spare money.”
“I see,” Yang Kai bowed his head.
“Let’s take a look inside,” Zha Gu was in a jolly mood and he couldn’t wait to share his joy with others. Nevertheless, other than his subordinates, Yang Kai was the only Black Ink Disciple there; hence, he could only invite Yang Kai to go in.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t turn him down.
In fact, he was curious about what the inside of a Black Ink Nest looked like. Although he had entered Zhu Feng’s Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest before, that one was specifically used for recuperating. Moreover, all his focus was on killing Zhu Feng back then, so he didn’t pay attention to anything else at that time.
After the Black Ink Nest took shape, it looked like a huge flower bud sitting on the ground.
Over the past few days when the Black Ink Nest was growing, Yang Kai could clearly feel that a profound force seemed to have expanded from beneath the Black Ink Nest and turned into roots, which connected the Black Ink Nest to this Universe World.
Zha Gu didn’t seem to have made a move, but the moment he stood in front of the Black Ink Nest, a gap appeared at the bottom and revealed a dark passageway.
He had used a drop of blood from his heart to refine this Black Ink Nest, so as he was now connected to it, he could easily control it.
After Zha Gu stepped inside, Yang Kai followed him closely.
They walked across the long passageway and arrived at an empty room. Yang Kai could see that the walls of this room seemed to be made from flesh. The entire Black Ink Nest was filled with Black Ink Strength and an indescribably evil aura.
Zha Gu said, “With this Black Ink Nest, it will be easier for me to cultivate. There even a chance for me to ascend to become a Territory Lord.”
“I’ll congratulate you in advance then, Brother Zha Gu,” Yang Kai cupped his fist, then asked curiously, “I saw you using up a lot of World Spheres earlier. So, it requires the World Force to hatch a Black Ink Nest?”
Zha Gu replied with a smile, “Yes, it requires the World Fore to hatch a Black Ink Nest. Of course, cultivation resources used by Humans would work as well. Let me put it this way, a Black Ink Nest can absorb anything that contains energy and transform it into Black Ink Strength.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai thought that it was no wonder wherever the Black Ink Clansmen went, the Universe Worlds would be filled with Death Qi. The Black Ink Clan was the natural enemy of the 3,000 Worlds. If they were allowed to invade the 3,000 Worlds, all life would be purged.
Since time immemorial, the Masters of every generation from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been trying to destroy the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield to stop them from threatening the 3,000 Worlds. For this reason, countless people lost their lives.
However, other than the cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, there was barely anyone in the entire 3,000 Worlds who was aware of what was going on. It was a tragedy for all these sacrifices to be made yet never recognized.