After 3 years of silence, chaos suddenly broke out inside of the Black Ink Nest Space with the final blaze of the lives of 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as the starting signal.
As their Souls were damaged, the painful wails of 3 injured Territory Lords and Yang Kai’s echoed in unison.
The other 3 uninjured Territory Lords were all on high alert, none of them daring to lower their guards. Who knew if the Human could launch a fourth attack?
They had no idea what that artifact was, but it was something that even the Territory Lords could not defend against, to the point where it could almost be described as a sure hit.
A long time passed before the Territory Lords gradually relaxed, because it seemed like the Human really lacked the strength to attack again. Just from looking at his state, they could tell, for his Soul Avatar seemed to be warping constantly, as if it had sustained great damage. The glow of his Soul Avatar had also dimmed, like it was on the verge of collapsing.
If not for the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, then such damage would have been enough to extinguish his Soul entirely.
Only then did the 3 Territory Lords dare to check on the injuries of their 3 companions. After a short while, all of them were frowning.
Just like the conditions of the few Territory Lords who were hit in the past, the artifact was able to dig into and shred one’s Soul Avatar. Moreover, it was extremely stubborn and difficult to expel in short order.
Things suddenly became extremely tricky for them.
Hong Di’s face was so dark that the abyss would blush in shame.
6 Territory Lords and 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, they had a whole 10 top Masters equivalent to 10 Eighth-Order Human Masters lying in ambush inside the Black Ink Nest Space, but the result? The Seventh-Order Human was able to last until now, leaving them with 3 alive and 3 injured. The 4 Black Ink Disciples had truly perished, without any chance of survival.
Counting the 4 Territory Lords from the previous battles, there were now a total of 11 powerful Masters who had either been killed or seriously injured by this one Seventh-Order Human.
Hong Di could not understand how things had come to this state; however, there was no point in getting entangled with this Human any longer. Even 10 Masters could not kill him, so what could they do now that only 3 Territory Lords remained unharmed?
Were they going to wait until that Human fully recovered and then wiped all of them out?
That would be the epitome of foolishness.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the thought of withdrawing rose in Hong Di’s heart. Among other things, he had to first get the 3 injured Territory Lords back so they could heal their Souls. Indeed, the dead Black Ink Disciples were a painful loss for the Black Ink Clan, but to lose another 3 Territory Lords would really damage their foundation.
However, the Human seemed to be able to read his mind, and as soon as the thought came to Hong Di, the Human who was wailing incessantly said through clenched teeth, “Want to run? If you dare to open this place, I’ll immediately escape!”
Those words left Hong Di in a horrible mood, not knowing whether to go forward or retreat, there was no need to mention how aggravating that feeling was.
Another Territory Lord howled in anger, “A petty human dares to act so impudently!? You’re just a trivial Seventh-Order brat! It’s pure luck that you’ve lasted this long, how much longer do you think you can last!?”
Yang Kai snickered, “I’m afraid I won’t last for long, but at the very least, I can hold longer than those 3! Why don’t you place your bets!?”
The Territory Lord coldly snorted and said nothing more.
There were only 2 choices for the Territory Lords at this point in the confrontation. First, they could ignore the life or death of their injured companions and continue fighting it out with Yang Kai.
3 years have passed, so even if this Seventh-Order Human’s body could hold out this long, he must be near his limit.
It would be best if his World Energy was depleted before the condition of their 3 peers deteriorated; however, the Territory Lords were concerned that this Seventh-Order Human had some method to replenish his World Force. If that wasn’t the case, it did not make sense for him to be able to last 3 years. If that truly was the case, then wasting any more time with him would be pointless.
The second choice was naturally to open up the Black Ink Nest Space so that both sides could retreat.
However, that would mean that the Black Ink Clan had put in all that effort and capital for nothing, and the 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples would also have died in vain. How could the Territory Lords bear to accept that?
The 3 uninjured Territory Lords conversed through their Divine Senses for a moment, none of them knowing which choice to make.
Inside of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai was barely able to maintain a trace of mental clarity.
Using the Soul Rending Thorn thrice in succession was no different than an insane test of his ability to cheat death, but it was a chance that he could not miss as he might never get it again.
Currently, with his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, it would be amazing enough to be able to escape if he truly faced off against a single Territory Lord. If he wished to injure or even kill such a Master, then favourable conditions and an advantageous position were required, along with a good deal of luck.
However, in this Black Ink Nest Space, the number of Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples that he had either cut down or crippled already reached 11.
Of course, that also meant he only had a single Soul Rending Thorn left of his original 12.
This was the best chance he had to reduce the number of Territory Lords without taking too much of a risk. Whether it be for him or the Human Race, this was an extremely rare opportunity.
Thus, Yang Kai was unwilling to leave before finding a way to use his final Soul Rending Thorn.
Otherwise, how could he be in any mood to provoke the Territory Lords? Currently, the best way for him to describe his condition would be a life worse than death. Even the Soul Warming Lotus’ power was barely able to dampen the extreme pain he felt in his Soul.
In spite of his immense suffering, Yang Kai had no choice but to divert some of his attention to the Territory Lords’ movements.
Who knew whether they would open the Black Ink Nest Space or not? If, on the off chance, it did happen and he missed the timing, then he might truly be trapped here forever.
Something else seemed to confuse him, but with his Soul in such turmoil, he didn’t have much energy to be thinking about anything else.
As Yang Kai was in the middle of suffering, the 3 uninjured Territory Lords were also discussing their options.
After only a short debate, the 3 Territory Lords decided to open the Black Ink Nest Space. As things stood, the Human’s physical body showed no signs of withering; otherwise, how could his Soul Avatar have been so full of energy just now?
3 years passed and there were still no obvious changes to his physical body. This Seventh-Order Human must have some special trick that allowed him to maintain the World Force of his Small Universe.
If this went on, once he had a chance to restore himself, the 3 of them would be the unfortunate ones.
Furthermore, the other 3 Territory Lords who were injured could not stay here any longer as this situation was only exacerbating their condition.
Hong Di had an ugly look on his face as he could almost imagine the Royal Lord’s fury when he found out about this debacle.
The withdrawal of his Army from Great Evolution Pass, and his abandonment of his own Black Ink Nest could be said to have been forced, and the Royal Lord was also responsible since it was his order, so the blame could not be put on him.
However, this failure was likely going to affect Hong Di’s position in the Black Ink Clan, but what else could they do now that things had come to this?
Since they finished their discussion, there was no need to delay things.
The Black Ink Nest Space was sealed off by a special technique, and unsealing it was not a difficult task. The Territory Lords just had to use the same technique to open it again.
However, while they were opening the Black Ink Nest Space, the Territory Lords took precautions and opened it for just a brief moment. The 3 uninjured Territory Lords escaped with their injured compatriots at the same time, then they quickly sealed off the Black Ink Nest Space again.
They hoped that the Human would not be able to react in time and then be trapped inside; however, the results were bound to disappoint them. Hong Di had clearly seen the Seventh-Order Human make a quick escape as they were leaving.
The entire Black Ink Nest Space became empty in an instant without any signs of life left behind.
At the universe fragment where the Black Ink Nest was located, Yang Kai woke with a stifled grunt.
Gong Lian, who had been watching over him from the side, came over immediately and helped Yang Kai steady himself while shouting, “Honoured Master, Brother Yang is awake!”
Ou Yang Lie breathed a deep sigh, “Brat, you’re finally back. You really scared me this time.”
Saying so, he stuffed a large handful of Spirit Pills into Yang Kai’s mouth as if they were common candies.
Yang Kai did not even have the energy to thank him and quickly refined and absorbed the pills.
Only after watching his condition stabilize slowly did Ou Yang Lie let out a sigh of relief. He gave his Disciple a look with his eyes, signalling for him to come out of the Black Ink Nest with him.
“What are your orders, Honoured Master?”
Gong Lian asked curiously.
Ou Yang Lie said, “Go back to the Pass and report to the Old Ancestor. Tell her that Yang Kai has made a safe return.”
After receiving the order, Gong Lian left quickly.
As he watched his Disciple’s back, Ou Yang Lie’s tense heart finally relaxed; not because Yang Kai was able to return safely, but because of the Old Ancestor.
Since Yang Kai’s Soul entered the Black Ink Nest Space, he had not returned for 3 years, a fact that could not be hidden from the Old Ancestor.
Everyone knew that something must have happened to Yang Kai in the Black Ink Nest; otherwise, he couldn’t have been trapped inside for so long, but nobody knew what happened exactly.
They could only guess that the Black Ink Clan must have used some sort of trick to seal off the Black Ink Nest Space, preventing Yang Kai from returning.
It was not known how the news had reached the Old Ancestor’s ears, but when it did, she immediately declared she would visit the Royal City to ‘ask’ about the situation.
A panicked Mi Jing Lun hurriedly tried to stop her.
He knew that the Old Ancestor would not just show her aura from afar to taunt the Royal Lord like she had done before. If she really did go there now, then she would definitely attack the Royal City to put pressure on the Black Ink Clan to see if she could help Yang Kai out of his predicament.
Even if she was an Old Ancestor, to attack the Royal City alone still bore serious risk.
How could Mi Jing Lun allow that to happen? He immediately negotiated with the Old Ancestor, and they finally agreed to wait 3 years to see whether or not things would change. If Yang Kai still did not return after 3 years, then the Great Evolution Army would join the Old Ancestor to attack the Royal City!
The reason why they decided on 3 years was because Mi Jing Lun had received news from Ou Yang Lie that it would take around 3 years of time for Yang Kai’s Soul to recover after each attack.
According to Mi Jing Lun’s estimation, the stalemate would definitely break once Yang Kai’s Soul was able to recover.
And now, that did seem to be the case. As soon as the 3-year limit hit, Yang Kai’s Soul returned.
Ou Yang Lie was naturally in a hurry to send Gong Lian to Great Evolution Pass to report the matter. In case the Army really was mobilized and the soldiers followed the Old Ancestor to attack the Royal City, it would be difficult for them to revert that decision.
Sometimes, Ou Yang Lie wanted to cut Mi Jing Lun’s head open to see what was inside. How could he be so far-sighted and always know what others did not?
However, he did not feel discouraged since to him, everyone had their own strengths. At the very least, charging through enemy lines was his strength, something that Mi Jing Lun could not replicate. Moreover… He was manlier than Mi Jing Lun!
News of Yang Kai’s Soul returning quickly reached Great Evolution Pass, and the Old Ancestor, who was ready to mobilize her troops and spur her horse, asserted that she wished to make a trip to the Royal City to visit the Royal Lord and thank him for taking care of her subordinate for the past 3 years.
Mi Jing Lun was unable to stop her this time, nor did he even try to.
Since Yang Kai was fine, then the Old Ancestor would surely act more prudently.
Another 3 years went by in the blink of an eye, and the trauma on Yang Kai’s Soul finally recovered.
The successive recoveries after heavy injuries actually increased his Soul’s strength by about 10% compared to just over a decade ago.
If Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was comparable to that of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had just advanced a dozen years ago, then his Spiritual Energy was now on par with an established Eight-Order Master.
This was indeed a shortcut to cultivating one’s Soul, a shortcut that belonged only to Yang Kai. Without the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection, anyone trying to use the same technique would just be digging their own grave.
However, Yang Kai never wanted to cultivate in such a way again after experiencing that much pain. It was simply inhumane torture.
He would not consider using such a method to raise his Spiritual Energy unless he was left with absolutely no other choice one day.
12 Soul Rending Thorns, 10 years of time, entering and leaving the Black Ink Nest thrice. As many as 11 Territory Lord equivalent Masters either died or were seriously injured at his hands, it was an unprecedented feat in all of history.
There were no Open Heaven Realm Masters who could replicate this feat in the Seventh Order or even the Eighth Order.
But Yang Kai knew that the greatest reason why he could achieve such a feat was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus. He did not achieve it because of his own strength, so even though the results were great, he did not dare to be arrogant.
If he underestimated the Black Ink Clan too much, then he would be the one to suffer a loss in the future.
Right now, there was another matter for him to consider, and it was the strange reactions displayed by the 2 Black Ink Disciples at the final moment inside of the Black Ink Nest Space.
Yang Kai had noticed the unusual reactions of the 2 Black Ink Disciples back then, but he was in no mood to contemplate such a thing at that time. He just instinctively seized the best moment to strike and unleashed a Soul Rending Thorn, severely injuring a Territory Lord.
Then, after 3 Soul Rending Thorns were used, Yang Kai’s Soul was so unstable and he was in such miserable pain that he simply had no energy to be thinking about anything else.
Now that the damage to his Soul had been restored, he naturally recalled the strange movements shown by the 2 Black Ink Disciples at the end of their lives.
There were all sorts of signs that indicated that the 2 Black Ink Disciples had recovered their true natures when their Souls were about to dissipate. Otherwise, there was no way that they would launch an attack on the Territory Lords. Only, they were already too weak at that time, so even if they joined forces, their hasty attack still failed to deal any sort of damage.
How did they break free from the Black Ink Strength’s corruption and restore their true natures?
After some thought, Yang Kai had a vague feeling that there could only be one explanation.
The reason why those two Black Ink Disciples died was not because they were injured or some other reason, but because their Small Universes had collapsed due to their World Force being drained by the Black Ink Nest over a long period.
Black Ink Strength corrupted the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master, which meant their Small Universe, which in turn overrode their minds.
Since the Small Universe which had been corrupted had already collapsed, then the foundation that the Black Ink Strength affected was already gone. So, at the end of their lives, they were able to recover their identities as Humans and made a sudden attack against a Territory Lord.
That must have been why they were laughing so unreservedly and so happily before their deaths.
For a Black Ink Disciple, such a death was undoubtedly the greatest release they could have from life.
Yang Kai had heard that the Black Ink Clan had left behind over 100 Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples when they withdrew from Great Evolution Pass as was agreed with Mi Jing Lun.
Even Xiang Shan and the others had no idea how they were going to deal with these Black Ink Disciples, so in the end, they had no choice but to ask for the Old Ancestor’s instructions.
Even though the Old Ancestor was a woman, she had a firm heart and decisive will. With one move, the over 100 Black Ink Disciples were executed.
The Old Ancestor seemed to have used an inexplicable power then to return the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples to their senses for a brief moment, allowing them to die as Humans in Great Evolution Pass.
This was the best way to honour the warriors who fought against the Black Ink Clan all those years ago.
The fall of the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples was different from those of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples at Great Evolution Pass, but it was also similar at the same time.
Yang Kai was relieved that at the very least, they died a worthy death. If they truly died on the battlefield as Black Ink Disciples, then they would have died muddle-headed.
Their final attack may not have brought any harm to the Territory Lord, but it did create a good opportunity for Yang Kai to strike.
In that respect, they could be considered to have fought alongside Yang Kai.
At the sound of footsteps, Yang Kai looked up to see Ou Yang Lie approaching.
Ou Yang Lie had come over from time to time to check on him recently just to see how he was recovering from his injuries. Without interrupting, he would just take a glance and leave.
Every time he came, the condition of Yang Kai’s Soul became better. Even after experiencing it twice, Ou Yang Lie had to admit that the Soul Warming Lotus was truly invaluable when it came to matters of the Soul.
With such a Supreme Treasure, would one still have to worry about injuring their Soul?
“You look full of energy, kid. You even look like you’re glowing. Have you recovered?” Ou Yang Lie joked.
Yang Kai got up, “This Junior is fine now.”
Then, he bowed, “Many thanks for standing guard for me, Sir.”
Ou Yang Lie waved his hand, “It’s nothing. Actually, I have a question to ask you.”
“Please ask away, Sir.”
Ou Yang Lie moved closer with a curious look on his face, “After all those years going in and out, how many Territory Lords did you do in?”
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly. Without bothering to question Ou Yang Lie’s crass use of words, he answered honestly, “2 Territory Lords during the first round, and another 2 during the second. The third round, I managed to get 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 3 Territory Lords. 11 altogether.”
Ou Yang Lie’s eyes widened as he listened, thinking back to the battle back then where he nearly lost his life charging into an Army of tens of thousands only to cut down a single Territory Lord.
Yet Yang Kai’s back-and-forth venture netted him 11 casualties…
There was simply no comparison! As he looked at the young face in front of him, Ou Yang Lie sighed inwardly, feeling like a small wave about to be swallowed up by a giant tsunami coming from behind.
But more than that, he was relieved.
Only when the latter wave becomes successful would they, the front waves, have no lack of worthy successors.
Ou Yang Lie did not know how exactly the battle went on inside of the Black Ink Nest Space, but he had also heard some scattered information from Mi Jing Lun over the years and learned that Yang Kai was able to achieve this level of success seemingly because of a strange artifact that was given to him by the Old Ancestor, complemented by the Soul Warming Lotus.
This was something that no other cultivator could emulate.
Yang Kai added, “It is certain that the 4 Black Ink Disciples perished, but this Junior is unsure about the conditions of the 7 Territory Lords.”
Ou Yang Lie broke out in laughter, “At least one of them must be dead. Previously, I heard your Martial Uncle Mi mention that the Old Ancestor just happened to feel the aura of a Territory Lord perishing during one of her visits to the Royal City to see their Royal Lord, and there might have been more than just one death.”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, this Junior’s efforts over the years have not been in vain. Sir has come at a good time today. I was just about to make another visit to the Black Ink Nest Space and require Sir’s protection again.”
Ou Yang Lie’s face turned serious, “Boy, one does not play the same trick thrice. After going back and forth from the Black Ink Nest, you’ve killed a total of 11 already, it’s too risky to continue. We’ve already taken a huge advantage of them, so the Black Ink Clan will surely be targeting us.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Rest assured, Sir. If this Junior’s guess is correct, then we may not need to fight the Black Ink Clan this time.”
Of course, he wasn’t afraid even if he did have to fight. He still had one last Soul Rending Thorn that he was itching to use.
“What do you mean?” Ou Yang Lie was confused.
Yang Kai explained, “It isn’t that this Junior is trying to hide anything, it’s merely a guess at this point. I don’t dare to be sure, but we’ll know after another visit.”
Ou Yang Lie looked deeply at him for a moment, feeling at a loss over whether he should let him continue or not.
Yang Kai followed up, “If this Junior does not return within a few days, then I must have encountered the Royal Lord inside the Black Ink Nest Space. In that event, I will need to ask Sir to please inform the Old Ancestor and ask her to rescue me.”
The Territory Lords were unable to do anything to him, so if they were truly planning to fight, then the Royal Lord would have to come out personally.
However, the Royal Lord had also been going through hard times during these years. His wounds were not getting any better and he still had to be wary of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao showing up randomly at his doorstep, so where would he find the time to deal with him?
So, Yang Kai felt that it was unlikely for him to be attacked this time.
Ou Yang Lie’s mouth twitched, “You really don’t stand on ceremony, but that’s fine. I’ll allow you to go, but you must be careful. If things go awry, withdraw immediately. Don’t go quiet on me again for years like last time.”
“I will remember!” Yang Kai bowed in response and then circulated the power within his Small Universe, opening it, allowing the Black Ink Nest to devour his World Force. With the World Force as a bridge, he connected his consciousness to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness and prepared to enter the Black Ink Nest Space.
After a moment, Ou Yang Lie looked curiously at him, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai blinked his eyes and turned to look at him, “I can’t enter.”
“What do you mean you can’t enter?” Ou Yang Lie was completely flabbergasted.
Yang Kai said, “I can’t enter the Black Ink Nest Space anymore! Previously, when this Junior’s consciousness connected to the Black Ink Nest’s, I would immediately arrive at the space, but now it seems to have disappeared.”
“Truly?” Ou Yang Lie was astonished, “Let me try!”
Yang Kai did not stop him either and withdrew his power, allowing Ou Yang Lie to try.
After a few moments, Ou Yang Lie had a surprised look on his face, “I really can’t get inside! But how could this be?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “There can only be one explanation for this situation.”
“What is it?”
“Our Black Ink Nest has been cut off by the Black Ink Clan. In other words, the Black Ink Clan has severed all connection with the Black Ink Nest in our possession.”
“Can the Black Ink Clan do such a thing?” Ou Yang Lie was astonished.
Yang Kai explained, “Based on this Junior’s understanding, the situation of the Black Ink Nest Space is as such, each Black Ink Nest has its own consciousness, but it doesn’t have a Will, so it cannot be considered alive. The consciousness of the Black Ink Nest can take the form of a strange space that acts as a platform for the Black Ink Nests spawned from it to communicate with each other and to exchange information.”
“For example, in Great Evolution Theatre, the consciousness of the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest is the highest-ranking platform that allows all Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests’ consciousnesses to enter it. Similarly, the consciousness of our Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest can also be a platform that can allow Low-Rank Blank Ink Nests’ spawned from it to enter. Of course, we do not have any Low-Rank Black Ink Nests, so we are unable to ascertain that.”
“The relationship between the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest and the High-Rank Black Ink Nest is that of subordinate and superior. The former is derived from the latter, and the latter, I’m afraid, has complete control and domination over the former. If the latter has the intention of severing the link with the former completely, then it may not be impossible; otherwise, there is no other way to explain the situation we have at hand.”
Upon hearing this, Ou Yang Lie was silent for a moment, “It’s like a woman who gave birth to a bunch of Sons, and one of them brought home some unwelcome guests to cause trouble, which angered the woman, so she expelled him from the household and cut off their relationship.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “That sounds about right.”
Ou Yang Lie laughed, “I think I understand now. Just like Big Head Mi, if you speak in a roundabout way, it’s easy to get someone confused.”
Yang Kai answered readily, “It was this Junior who was not considerate enough.”
Ou Yang Lie waved his hand, “So that means that the Black Ink Clan have completely given up on this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in our hands?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That should be the case!”
Ou Yang Lie guffawed, “Truly, we were wearing out iron shoes while seeking our feet, but now we ended up getting it without any effort instead.”
As early as when Mi Jing Lun requested the Black Ink Clan to leave this Black Ink Nest behind, he had intentions of building an intelligence network for the Human Race through it. Only, even if it was him, he would never have expected that the Black Ink Clan would put up such a fierce struggle with them over the Black Ink Nest, unwilling to back down in the slightest.
As a result, there was nothing they could do about it.
After 10 years, Yang Kai’s efforts have caused the Black Ink Clan to give up on the Black Ink Nest on their own initiative, which means that Mi Jing Lun has now more or less achieved what he initially intended to do.
Yang Kai was also surprised since he had only acted to deal with those Territory Lords. He never thought that they would end up taking over this Black Ink Nest completely as well.
The Royal Lord Black Ink Nest may have completely severed its connection with this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, which was in the hands of the Humans; however, the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest did not wither away as a result of it. The crux of the matter was that this connection could be severed. Though the space created by the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest could deny access to this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, the hierarchical relationship between superior and subordinate could never be broken.
In other words, as long as the Black Ink Nest in the Royal City was not destroyed, then nothing would happen to this Black Ink Nest in their hands.
“Big Head Mi will be ecstatic once he hears the news. I’ll go and tell him now,” Ou Yang Lie left after saying so.
After he left, Yang Kai immersed his consciousness again, opening up his Small Universe and connecting it to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness.
Even though he could no longer enter the space created by the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, there were no problems when it came to connecting to the consciousness of the Black Ink Nest he was inside. Moreover, he no longer had to put his guard up in preparation for any possible attacks.
Without any disturbance, Yang Kai easily brought the entire Black Ink Nest under his control. As his thoughts shifted, it was as if the Black Ink Nest had become his arms and legs, with all of its functions and abilities within his grasp.
Yang Kai had, after all, many experiences before. Not to mention the Black Ink Nest before him now, even back in the Black Ink Clan’s territory, he had connected to the consciousness of countless Black Ink Nests, so he was no stranger to it.
Only, he was in no mood to mess with anything else back then, so he did not probe too deeply into the Black Ink Nest’s capabilities. But now, things were different. The Humans were trying to make use of this Black Ink Nest to create their own information network. So, naturally, the more he could find out about it, the better.
A short while later, Yang Kai had more or less figured out all the Black Ink Nest’s functions. Though, unlike the last time, preparations to create a sub-nest was not as readily set up.
In a flash, he arrived at the Black Ink Pool and poured a large amount of resources into it as he controlled the Black Ink Nest inwardly to absorb and refine the power within the resources.
The Black Ink Pool was a very important place for every Black Ink Nest. It was also the source of its power, so no matter what resources were put into it, they could quickly be turned into nutrients for the Black Ink Nest.
With these nutrients, the Black Ink Nest could spawn new Black Ink Clansmen or sub-nests. Even when it came to the strange mental Soul Space, energy was required to maintain it.
Of course, Yang Kai would not spawn Black Ink Clansmen using the Black Ink Nest, he only wanted to obtain a sub-nest.
He needed a sub-nest for his Small Universe so that he could familiarize the disciples of the Void Dao Temple with the Black Ink Clan’s special characteristics early on.
The Human Race also required a large number of sub-nests to create its intelligence network. At the same time, he also wanted to confirm his and Ou Yang Lie’s guess from earlier.
He wanted to see whether a higher-class Black Ink Nest was truly able to sever its connection with one of its sub-nests and whether that connection could be restored afterwards.
If the connection couldn’t be restored, then that would naturally be a good thing for the Humans. It would mean that they could rest assured and use the Black Ink Nest in the future.
If the connection could be restored, then they would have to tread carefully; after all, nobody could tell when the Black Ink Clan would suddenly restore the connection and try to spy on the Human Race’s communications. It would also be no small matter if they were to suddenly attack the Humans standing by inside of the Black Ink Nest.
Under Yang Kai’s control, the mass of resources in the Black Ink Pool was quickly refined, and all of its energy was directed towards the surrounding flesh walls.
Soon, a tumour bulged out from one part of the flesh wall.
With only a glance at the tumour, Yang Kai could not bear to look at it any longer. This couldn’t be helped as he could already feel very clearly that what was coming out of the tumour was not the sub-nest that he wanted, but a Black Ink Clansman!
The first attempt was a failure.
Yang Kai was not discouraged. He killed the Black Ink Clansman before it was even fully birthed and tried again.
After several failed attempts, a new aura appeared inside the Black Ink Nest. It was Mi Jing Lun who had rushed over after receiving the news.
He was not alone, however. Xiang Shan and Li Zhi Ping, the two Army Commanders, came with him. Including Ou Yang Lie, all four Army Commanders of the Great Evolution Army were now gathered in this place.
It could be seen how much importance the higher-ups placed on the Black Ink Nest from this alone.
Yang Kai had no choice but to put his attempts on hold and went forward to greet them.
They had already heard the gist of the situation from Ou Yang Lie, so when they saw the situation here, they knew that Yang Kai must be trying to create a sub-nest. Xiang Shan asked at once, “How is it progressing?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have tried a few times, but have not succeeded so far.”
Xiang Shan nodded, “If the Black Ink Clan can produce a sub-nest, then there’s no reason why we can’t. If a few tries aren’t enough, then just keep at it. One matter should not bother two men. I will leave you to deal with the Black Ink Nest and wait for you to create a sub-nest.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai responded.
Liu Zhi Ping was encouraging, “Do a good job, and if you succeed, I will personally ask the Old Ancestor to grant you more merits.”
Yang Kai answered humbly, “This Junior is merely attending to his responsibilities and dares not take credit for the work done.”
Mi Jing Lun laughed, “You’ve basically injured or killed 11 Territory Lord level figures in 10 years. If such an outstanding feat is not rewarded, then it would seem as if our Great Evolution Army has no order. Think about it and see if there’s anything that you want. Once matters here are settled, you may come forward with your request, and as long as it’s not excessive, we will satisfy it.”
There wasn’t anything that Yang Kai wanted, other than the sub-nest. All his previous actions were aimed at that goal to begin with.
However, since Mi Jing Lun had already spoken, Yang Kai did not drag things out any further and just thanked him.
Xiang Shan also asked about Yang Kai’s struggle with the Territory Lords inside of the Black Ink Nest Space over the past few years. Naturally, Yang Kai explained everything to them without concealing any details.
The Army Commanders listened with raised brows, even Ou Yang Lie.
Even though he knew the outcome, he had never asked Yang Kai the details of the fight. It was only now that he realized just how devious Yang Kai’s method of attack was. Even they would not have been able to resist it if they were the Territory Lords. Unless they gave up on the Black Ink Nest, there was simply no solution for them in this matter.
One does not play the same trick thrice was true for Yang Kai, but also for the Black Ink Clan. After Yang Kai entered and left the Black Ink Nest Space thrice in a row, they made a firm decision to give up.
They did not have too many Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples left to lose after all.
Repairs were still going on in Great Evolution Pass, and the Army Commanders were also busy. After leaving matters here in Ou Yang Lie and Yang Kai’s hands, Xiang Shan and the others soon left.
Ou Yang Lie was a hands-off type of person, so the task of breeding a Black Ink Nest sub-nest was left to Yang Kai, and he did not refuse that responsibility either.
However, the Inner Sanctum was quick to move over a large amount of resources for this matter. After all, Yang Kai was already putting in the work, so it would be unreasonable to have him contribute the materials as well.
With the support of these resources, Yang Kai could rest assured and continue his attempts with increased boldness.
After failing again and again, Yang Kai finally got a hang of the process.
When his consciousness was connected to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, he could control the entire Black Ink Nest and use it to move the energy output of the Black Ink Pool.
The countless pits on the Black Ink Nest’s flesh wall were where the Black Ink Clansmen were born. If the Black Ink Nest’s energy was directed to these pits, then naturally, new Black Ink Clansmen would be born.
However, if all the energy was concentrated in the Black Ink Pool and not allowed to flow out, then once the energy reserves reached a certain level, a sub-nest would be created.
Yang Kai had to fail many times before finding this technique. Previously, he had been trying to find where the sub-nests were created, and since the pits were the breeding grounds for the Black Ink Clan, he assumed that the sub-nest would also be born from one of them.
In the end, he realized that something was not right about that speculation, and it turned out that the sub-nests were actually spawned from the Black Ink Pool itself.
After having found the solution, things were simple from there.
With a lot of resources invested, Yang Kai constantly gathered the Black Ink Nest’s energy inside of the Black Ink Pool, and at a certain point, the liquid in the Pool began to form waves as if something was about to rise out of it.
Under Yang Kai’s perception, he could clearly feel that it was a new sub-nest.
The black water parted, and a black growth resembling a flower bud emerged, just like the sub-nest that he saw back then at Zha Gu Feudal Lord’s place.
Yang Kai carefully picked it up and breathed a sigh of relief for a job well done.
However, when he considered how many resources it took to create this sub-nest, he could not help but feel speechless inside. It was no wonder why the Feudal Lords who had their own Black Ink Nests would treat them with such importance, and why most of the Feudal Lords had no Black Ink Nest of their own.
The cost to create a sub-nest was not small, so only a few Feudal Lords had the capital to afford one.
Moreover, this was only a Low-Rank sub-nest. It was not hard to imagine just how much it would cost to create a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest. It would probably cost several dozen to 100 times the amount of resources.
Ou Yang Lie rushed over after receiving the news, and as he looked at the sub-nest in Yang Kai’s hand, not even as large as one’s palm, he clicked his tongue in wonder, “Is this what a Black Ink Nest looks like when it’s just been spawned?”
“Indeed. I’ve seen one before in the hands of a Feudal Lord, and it is no different.”
“What is the next step?” Ou Yang Lie asked.
Yang Kai answered, “Even though the Black Ink Nest has been created, it still requires a significant amount of resources to nurture it. I intend to place this one inside my Small Universe to observe. If all goes well, then more sub-nests can be bred for the creation of our intelligence network.”
“Good!” Ou Yang Lie nodded. Yang Kai was not afraid of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so it did not matter if the Black Ink Nest was placed inside of his Small Universe. No one else would not have the guts to do such a thing.
The Humans simply knew too little about the Black Ink Nests, and were ignorant in many ways in regards to them. Take the last time for example. If Yang Kai had not entered the Black Ink Nest Space alone and caused the Territory Lords to suffer huge losses with the help of his Soul Warming Lotus and Soul Rending Thorns, then the Humans would not have known that a higher-rank Black Ink Nest could cut off connection with their lower rank sub-nests.
The Black Ink Nests were the foundation of the Black Ink Clan. If they could uncover all the secrets of the Black Ink Nests, then the Human Race may have less to lose against the Black Ink Clan in the future.
The Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in the possession of the Great Evolution Army was particularly valuable for that purpose.
Inside of his Small Universe, Yang Kai found a suitable area to plant the Low-Rank sub-nest before using his World Force to seal off a large area around its vicinity, creating a kind of Forbidden Zone.
In this manner, none of the living beings inside of his Small Universe, whether they be part of the Human Race or the Small Stone Race, could possibly get close to the Black Ink Nest, which also prevented it from being damaged unnecessarily.
There was less to worry about with the Human Race as even if they did approach it by accident, it was unlikely for them to raise their hands against this strange thing. However, it was hard to say what the Small Stone Race would do. This was a race with low sentience and acted entirely based on their instinct. Heavens know what reaction they would have if they ever saw the Black Ink Nest.
Incubating the Black Ink Nest was not difficult. Back then, Yang Kai saw how Zha Gu was able to grow his own Black Ink Nest, so he had some idea of what he had to do.
In fact, when he brought the Low-Rank Black Ink Nest into his Small Universe, Yang Kai had already sensed something unusual about it.
From his knowledge of Black Ink Nests accumulated over the years, he could almost conclude that the Black Ink Nests were living things rather than inanimate objects. That was because each Black Ink Nest possessed a consciousness of their own, only that it had no Will.
If it was a living thing, then it should naturally have its own instincts.
The Black Ink Nest’s instinct was to devour all kinds of energy to turn it into nutrients for itself, especially World Force, which for it, was considered the greatest delicacy in the world.
Naturally, there was no lack of World Force inside of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, so it was not strange for the Black Ink Nest to react after arriving at this place.
Yang Kai did not try and suppress it, but rather allowed the nest to devour the energy.
As his madly World Force drained away, the Black Ink Nest, which was not even the size of a palm before, could be seen growing at a visible rate.
And, perhaps due to how pure and rich Yang Kai’s World Force was, the speed at which the Black Ink Nest grew far surpassed that of the growth rate he saw with Zha Gu back then.
After just a few days inside of the Small Universe, the Black Ink Nest had already grown to the height of a man.
A few more days passed, and it was already many metres tall.
More days passed, and it reached as tall as a tall building, and one had to crane their necks to look upon it.
In a month, the small Black Ink Nest had grown to a gigantic size. Even though it could continue to grow, Yang Kai could perceive that no matter what, it couldn’t grow as fast as it did before. At the very most, it would only increase in size a little bit at a time.
Once it reached this point, it was more or less ready.
Controlling his World Force, Yang Kai poured it inside, and the Black Ink Nest resembling a large flower bud expanded and contracted, spreading out rich Black Ink Strength in all directions.
If Yang Kai did not restrict it, then this Black Ink Strength would surely spread out to cover his entire Small Universe, and if that were to happen, all the living beings inside would surely suffer. All of the Humans and the Small Stone Race would likely transform into Black Ink Disciples.
However, as this place was his Small Universe and with the assistance of the World Tree clone, he could control everything with a single thought.
The large area he had previously sealed off with his power was the limit of where the Black Ink Strength could spread. This was also the place where he was going to raise some Black Ink Clansmen, and where they would live.
Only when the entire area became suitable for the survival of the Black Ink Clan did Yang Kai stop and begin using the Black Ink Nest to nurture some Black Ink Clansmen.
Inside of the Small Universe, the current Void Dao Temple was thriving with the elite cultivators from across the entire Void Continent gathered in one place, each of them a rarely seen talent in the outside world. In fact, if their talent was low, then they would not have even been able to enter the Void Dao Temple to begin with.
The Dao Temple had more resources than any Sect in the World and provided cultivators an excellent environment for training. There was also a vast collection of books that were inaccessible to the common man.
The entire Void Dao Temple had already become a self-sustaining entity of his own after being in operation for thousands of years.
The spiritual source of the Dao Temple was, of course, Dao Lord Yang Kai, whose Small Universe was rumoured to be the entire Void Continent, and that everyone was living inside of his Small Universe.
Though they revered him, the Dao Lord was only a legendary figure to them.
The ones in charge of the Dao Temple on the surface were the Temple Master and Deacons, whose aptitudes may not be better than the disciples of the Dao Temple, but they excelled in terms of life experience. All of them were Emperor Realm Masters originating from the top great forces of the Void Continent, so they were mature and stable Seniors, responsible in handling some of the Dao Temple’s administrative matters.
Generally, the Temple Master and the Deacons did not interfere with the cultivation of the Dao Temple’s disciples, and to tell the truth, they were oftentimes unable to even manage them. That was because of the gap present between them whether in terms of talent or current strength.
Most of the time, the only thing they could do was provide care in their daily lives and also logistical assistance.
From a certain point on, a new tradition was born in the Dao Temple. At the end of every year, the disciples of the Dao Temple would burn incense and pray to the Dao Lord Yang Kai’s statue under the leadership of the Temple Master and the Deacons for the good fortune of the disciples of the Dao Temple in the coming year.
The huge and majestic statue which stood at the centre of the square inside of the Void Dao Temple was said to be crafted by the hands of the first Temple Master.
It was because the Temple Master of that generation had seen the Dao Lord with his own eyes.
That day of every year was also the one filled with most excitement in the Dao Temple. As long as one did not have important matters to attend to or was in secluded retreat, they would generally be present.
It was a day of both incense burning and worship.
Thousands of disciples, led by the Temple Master and Deacons, burned incense and bowed down to pray in order.
The disciples were all looking forward to the exciting days to come after this. That was because the day after prayer day was always a time for the disciples to step onto the field and spar with each other, testing the results of what they had learnt during the year. Especially for those who had not been inducted into the Dao Temple for long and whose abilities were still not very strong, they needed to make good use of these few days as it was a time when they could seek out their Seniors to ask for advice on cultivation.
Usually, these powerful Seniors were all in retreat, so they couldn’t be found even if they wanted to seek them out.
At the same time, the Dao Temple’s shopping district would also be open for the disciples to pick up anything they fancied.
Burning incense and praying had now become a major festival in the Void Dao Temple, affecting the entire Void Continent along with it. On this day, the sound of gongs and drums reverberated through the sky with great festivity.
As was always the case in previous years, everything progressed without a hitch; however, just as the ritual was coming to a close, an unnatural wave of energy suddenly spread out.
Everyone in the square looked up in shock as if they had been drawn in by something, all looking up at the statue.
What they saw shook their hearts.
This couldn’t be helped, as the eyes of the statue, which was supposed to be inanimate, were now glowing and filled with spirituality. It was as if the entire statue had come to life.
Everyone felt as if they were being watched silently as the statue’s gaze swept over them.
A commotion broke out instantly among the crowd.
[Is the Dao Lord making an appearance?]
Not to mention the ordinary disciples of the Dao Temple, even the Temple Master and Deacons themselves had no idea what was happening.
In the midst of the confusion, a powerful Divine Sense exploded in everyone’s minds, transmitting a message to them.
“Void Continent, the Black Ink Clan has invaded. If left alone, life will perish and the World will collapse. Disciples of the Dao Temple must set an example. It is your inescapable duty to slay the Black Ink Clan and destroy evil.”
The same words were repeated three times. When the crowd came back to their senses, the statue returned to normal.
After a few moments of silence, the disciples broke out into an uproar, discussing in groups with Divine Senses passing to and fro.
Many of the Dao Temple’s disciples were in the Emperor Realm so they could naturally guess that the Dao Lord must have transmitted a message to them through the statue. This could almost be said to be the Dao Lord’s guidance.
However, Black Ink Clan in the Void Continent?
The Dao Temple had some knowledge of the Black Ink Clan and knew that the Dao Lord was currently in the midst of a great war with the Black Ink Clan, and the cultivators who walked out of this Void Continent would also join the battle alongside the Dao Lord while facing the risk of losing their lives at any moment. Anyone without that awareness was in no position to make that step.
However, they never imagined that the enemy would one day appear in this Void World.
Could their Dao Lord have fallen into an unfavourable position in his fight outside, thus causing his Small Universe to be infested by the Black Ink Clan?
No one knew the answer, but the message from the Dao Lord was still clearly guiding them, pointing in a certain direction.
The Dao Temple’s Temple Master and Deacons briefly conferred with each other and decided to follow the lead to see what was going on.
A few moments later, three figures took to the skies, heading in the direction where the Dao Lord had pointed them in while the rest of the Deacons stayed behind to pacify the many disciples.
Some days later, the three figures who set off from the Dao Temple stopped and gazed at the murky void in the distance. That place seemed as if it had been stained with ink with an immensely evil power surging inside of it. The oldest of them, the Temple Master, muttered, “The peaceful days of the Void Continent are over.”
Even from such a great distance, the malevolence of the black power there could be felt, so what would it be like if they were to face it personally?
The Deacon on the left was thoughtful, “The Void Continent has been peaceful since the advent of the Dao Temple, and the disciples are lacking in hardship during their training. This may be an opportunity to change that.”
Before the advent of the Void Dao Temple, battle was quite common on the Continent, with each major Sect vying for territory, talents, and resources. Large fights would often break out and even the eradication of an entire Sect was a common occurrence.
One can say that though the average realm of the cultivators on the Void Continent back then was low and gifted people were rare, many heroes fought bravely and fiercely.
However, since the emergence of the Void Dao Temple, all of the cultivators on the continent put their focus on the Dao Temple and were most proud that their disciples could be chosen by it. Who would care about other trivial matters?
It was good that there were no large-scale wars since that meant fewer people suffered and died.
However, this was not an entirely good thing either since the cultivators raised in such an environment would lack the insight and honing of trials of life and death. No matter how high their cultivations became, if they did not encounter any great difficulties along the way, then it would also be hard to entrust them with serious and dangerous missions.
Many years ago, some of the Dao Temple’s Elders realized this problem, but there was no suitable way for them to solve it. They could not just pick an excuse for the Dao Temple’s disciples to kill each other, right?
Even if there was some tension between the large Sects, they would simply exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk upon the intervention of the Dao Temple’s disciples’ mediation.
After all, every Sect now more or less had a few disciples who were cultivating in the Dao Temple.
The appearance of the Black Ink Clan might solve that problem.
The old Temple Master said thoughtfully, “Do you mean to say that this situation is the Dao Lord’s intention?”
The Deacon quickly waved his hands, “A trivial person like me dares not speculate on the Dao Lord’s thoughts. I was just putting it forth as I see it.”
The Temple Master pondered for a moment and said nothing more. As the Deacon said, the appearance of the Black Ink Clan in the Void Continent may not be a bad thing. The disciples of the Dao Temple could make use of it to hone themselves in the future.
The Deacon who spoke earlier looked left and right before saying, “This is a suitable place to set up a base. If we can build a defence line here, then with the Dao Temple’s disciples as the main force and the major Sects providing auxiliary support, we can stop the spread of the Black Ink Clan and protect the peace of Void Continent’s mortals.”
The Temple Master nodded lightly, “Very good!”
With the decision made, one of the three men stayed behind to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan while the others hurried back to the Dao Temple. Immediately afterwards, the entire Void Dao Temple was mobilized.
The Dao Temple’s disciples came from all corners of the Void Continent, so as soon as they were mobilized, the forces of the Sects behind them would also begin to move.
In less than a month’s time, a towering fortress was built in the open lands, facing the Black Ink Clan.
As if by some divine providence, a large batch of oddly shaped monsters covered in the colour of Black Ink came to attack as soon as construction was complete.
The Void Continent’s cultivators had known of the existence of the Black Ink for many years, but this was the first time they had seen them, even though these Black Ink Clansmen were just serfs who were hardly worth mentioning in the outside world.
During the battle, the Dao Temple’s disciples charged forward and felled many enemies; however, it was unavoidable for there to be some who were accidentally tainted by Black Ink Strength out of carelessness.
Those who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength all lost their wills and began siding with the enemy.
At this time, the Dao Lord passed down another decree, granting them the refining techniques for the Purifying Black Ink Pill. It was only by countering the Black Ink Strength with this method that they were able to avert danger.
After several victories, the Dao Temple’s disciples wanted to make a counter-attack to cut off the problem at its source, but the Black Ink Strength was so dangerous that it was difficult to progress, thus they were forced to abort their plans to launch a counter-offensive halfway through and retreat to the fortress to gather their strength.
Years went by with this pattern continuing.
Yang Kai opened his eyes. The situation in his Small Universe had already stabilized, and with the energy supplied by his own Small Universe, the Low-Rank Black Ink Nest was able to produce a steady stream of new Black Ink Clansmen. Once they reached a certain level of strength, they would attack the Human defence line and further hone the Dao Temple’s disciples.
These Black Ink Clansmen were not very strong at the moment; after all, their growth period had been too short, so the Dao Temple disciples were enough to deal with them with ease. However, as time passed, stronger and stronger Black Ink Clansmen would begin to appear, so Yang Kai believed that it would become more difficult for them to be dealt with.
However, Yang Kai was mainly intending to train his future troops, allowing the Dao Temple’s disciples to familiarize themselves with the special characteristics of the Black Ink Clan early on, so he naturally would not let things get out of hand.
So, no matter how the Black Ink Clan grew, there was still a limit. They couldn’t surpass the Dao Temple in strength.
Doing so was a great burden to Yang Kai.
After all, the power being absorbed by the Black Ink Nest was the World Force of his own Small Universe.
Yang Kai had already prepared a large amount of resources for the Black Ink Nest to refine, but soon, he realized that he had been worried for nothing.
The Black Ink Nest gave birth to Black Ink Clansmen, and the Dao Temple’s disciples killed them. That in itself was a part of the cycle of life and death, which resulted in a large amount of World Force being produced in his Small Universe.
Even though it was not equivalent to the amount being devoured by the Black Ink Nest, it was better than his energy being consumed one-sidedly.
Currently, though Yang Kai’s Small Universe had expended a lot, he also received sizable returns. It was not an equal exchange, but it was still much better than what Yang Kai had initially anticipated.
By occasionally supplying some resources for the Black Ink Nest to refine and absorb, the loss of World Force in his Small Universe could be disregarded.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe right now was more or less like a miniature Black Ink Battlefield. It seemed that since ancient times, Humans had always had an indescribable tacit understanding on how to deal with foreign enemies.
He had not given the Dao Temple any detailed instructions on what to do, but the Dao Temple had done exactly what the Humans did on the Black Ink Battlefield. They built a fortress similar to the Great Passes and used it as a shield against enemy invasion.
With this large-scale tempering exercise now set up, Yang Kai believed that the next time disciples walked out of his Small Universe, they would carry a different spirit compared to those who came out before.
Fighting and killing should become natural to them! It was impossible to avoid death if they joined the Black Ink Battlefield.
He was looking forward to it.
Over the years, Yang Kai had researched all there was to know about the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in the possession of the Humans, and also created some Low-Rank sub-nests with its power.
Ou Yang Lie sent these sub-nests to Great Evolution Pass while Mi Jing Lun arranged for men to incubate them in different places so that they could test out the intelligence network.
The results were a success. The Low-Rank sub-nests were able to communicate with each other easily through the space of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest no matter how far away they were.
Whether or not there was a limit to that distance was yet to be determined; however, the closure of the Black Ink Nest Space and the severance between the connection of higher and lower rank Black Ink Nests had already been tested.
It was Yang Kai who carried out this research.
Since he had been standing inside of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest these past years, testing matters such as these should naturally be left to him.
When the Humans connected to the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest’s consciousness via the sub-nests and communicated with each other, Yang Kai discovered that he could sense everything without deliberately looking into it.
That was because the space that they were communicating inside of was created by the consciousness of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that he was overseeing, so he was aware of everything that happened within it.
Yang Kai could even urge the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness to seal off the Black Ink Nest’s space completely.
Just like what he encountered back then inside of the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest Space, he could block or sever the connection to any specific Low-Rank sub-nest.
The connection could be easily restored if it was merely blocked, but if it was severed completely, then it appeared irreversible. It was equivalent to giving up on the connection between them forever.
In Ou Yang Lie’s words, it was like a mother driving out her rebellious son, forbidding him from entering the house ever again.
The results of these experiments were very valuable for the Human Race.
If Yang Kai had known this information beforehand, he would not have been trapped inside the Black Ink Nest Space for 3 years.
However, Yang Kai could not figure out whether the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest had merely blocked off the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that he was occupying, or if the connection had been severed completely.
Naturally, it would be for the best if it were the latter, then the two of them would not have to deal with each other in the future; however, if it were the former, then they would have to be careful. If the Black Ink Clan suddenly restored that connection, then there was a high chance that they would launch an attack and make the Humans overseeing the Black Ink Nests suffer a serious loss.
So, if Yang Kai was to oversee the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, then he had to be careful and prepared at all times.
Great Evolution Pass, Dawn’s courtyard.
During Yang Kai’s many years of absence, the courtyard that Dawn had been assigned to had been beautifully tended by the several female members of the Squad and was filled with fragrant flowers.
Inside of the courtyard was a small bridge with flowing water underneath it, giving the place an idyllic appearance.
At this moment, in the garden, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was lounging lazily on a taishi armchair, sunbathing with narrowed eyes, appearing very comfortable.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood to the side with a bitter look on his face.
He had been ordered to return recently to help out with repairing the Great Pass.
The matters regarding the Black Ink Nest had already come to an end and all immediate issues had been worked out. The Black Ink Nest’s capabilities had all been passed on to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking his place in overseeing the Black Ink Nest, and there was nothing that anyone could not be rest assured about with an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking on that task.
However, Yang Kai reckoned that the ones in charge of overseeing the Black Ink Nest in the future were likely going to do so in rotation.
After all, not everyone was like him, able to ignore the encroachment of Black Ink Strength. Even though Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were stronger than him cultivation-wise, Yang Kai had a unique advantage in being able to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength.
So, the person in charge of overseeing the Black Ink Nest would have to be replaced at regular intervals, and with great frequency at that.
With the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters taking over, Yang Kai was also happy to regain his freedom and returned to the Inner Sanctum decisively.
These years, he had not been taking part in the rebuilding of Great Evolution Pass since he had been tangled up with matters concerning the Black Ink Nest. When he returned to Great Evolution Pass after more than a decade, he discovered that it had changed completely,
The entirety of Great Evolution Pass was filled with a sombre atmosphere, something that was always absent when the Black Ink Clan occupied this place. Great Evolution Pass now finally regained some semblance of how it once was when the Humans controlled it.
The Great Passes of the Humans could only bring out their true potential in the hands of Humans.
The restoration of Great Evolution Pass was still in progress, and it was impossible for construction to be completed without at least 100 years of effort. After all, there were far too many Spirit Arrays throughout the Great Pass, and many artifacts also needed to be repaired or replaced.
In fact, Yang Kai was a little bit confused as to why they were doing this. Currently, the foundation of the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Theatre had been severely damaged. There was simply no way for them to be able to attack the Great Pass again, so what was the difference whether they heavily fortified and armed Great Evolution Pass or not?
As things stood, as long as the Humans did not let their guard down, then the Black Ink Clan should never even think about having the chance to retake Great Evolution Pass.
Moreover, if he was right, then the Human Race’s crusade should not be too far off. Once the Human Army took the initiative to strike, then what would the various fortifications be used for?
However, despite his doubts, the higher-ups surely had their own reasons to do so, and he was not arrogant enough to question them.
When he returned to Dawn’s courtyard, all of Dawn’s members happened to be resting.
Everyone in Dawn had been busy rebuilding Great Evolution Pass, only receiving some free time during the past two months. However, they would have to start work again after resting for another month.
As they chatted, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and immediately took it out.
It was the beef given to him by Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor when he went there to test the Space Array and pass on a report.
He had originally intended for it to be made into soup to share with the members of Dawn, but he had been busy all this while with the Black Ink Nest without any time to spare, so now was the right opportunity to bring it out.
Though Yang Kai originally meant for it to nourish his Squad member’s bodies, it had no such effect.
It was just ordinary beef, while even the weakest in Dawn were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even a gift from Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, if it had no spirituality, was nothing more than normal food.
However, it was still a gift from an Old Ancestor, which made it much more symbolic than practical. So, while everyone was free, Yang Kai decided to take it out and share it with everyone.
He had only mentioned that it was a gift from Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, but without saying anything else, Dawn’s members were naturally greatly looking forward to it.
Feng Ying led a few female members to handle the beef and simmer it into soup while Shen Ao and the others brought out long tables and benches, set out some fruit plates and fine wine, and then prepared for a big feast.
This was a rare occasion for everyone on the Black Ink Battlefield, where they could all get together and relax, so they naturally cherished the moment well.
Even Ning Qi Zhi, who was still recovering from his injuries, was helping out.
After years of recuperation, Ning Qi Zhi’s injuries have improved considerably. It should only take a few more years before he fully recovered.
Dawn’s members were drinking and chatting with each other, having a carefree time.
The Old Ancestor had then arrived, drawn over through the fragrance in the air. Yang Kai had no idea how the Old Ancestor’s nose came about, but when the smell of their soup wafted over, she came running over to get a bowl of her own.
Naturally, nobody dared to not welcome the Old Ancestor. In fact, her visit was a great honour for everyone in Dawn.
Only Yang Kai stood by the Old Ancestor’s side with a gloomy face. Looking up, a Great Sun could be seen hanging in the air, and he could feel the power in his Small Universe flowing out of him as if a floodgate had been opened.
“What are you pulling that bitter face for? All I’m asking for is a bit of sunshine from you, is that so difficult?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao muttered disgruntledly without even raising her eyes.
Yang Kai smacked his lips, “But, Old Ancestor, it takes a lot from me to maintain this Divine Manifestation.”
The Great Sun hanging in the air was no Sun at all, but rather Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao liked bathing in the Sun, a habit that she picked up inside his Small Universe.
During her youth with the hunter couple, the hunter personally weaved a wicker chair for the Old Ancestor, and the large wicker chair completely enveloped her small body so that she could sit comfortably in the courtyard and enjoy her leisurely time.
As her teacher at the time, Yang Kai had seen Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao relaxing in her yard countless times.
The hunter couple were mortals in the end, so as they reached the end of their lives 150 years later, they both returned to the Earth.
More than 100 years in Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s life was but a snap of her fingers, but Yang Kai knew just how important those days were to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, and no matter how much time passed, she would likely never forget even a moment of that period.
Feng Ying came at just the right time to save the day. The beef soup was done, and she brought a bowl over.
Yang Kai accepted the bowl from her and handed it to the Old Ancestor with respect, “Your meal, Old Ancestor.”
Only then did Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao open her eyes and sit up. Taking the bowl from him, she threw her head back and drank it.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yang Kai quickly withdrew his Divine Manifestation.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glared at him while she was drinking her soup, but Yang Kai pretended not to have seen it.
In just a few breaths of time, the bowl of soup was emptied. The Old Ancestor wiped the fat from her mouth using her sleeve without any care for her image and pouted, “How petty.”
Yang Kai raised a brow.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said, “Let’s talk about that old man. You spent all that effort to visit him and this is all he gave you?”
Yang Kai answered, “What else should he give, then? I wouldn’t dare to ask for more either.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao lectured him, “The next time you have the opportunity to see him, go and find the old ox with a broken horn and cut some of its flesh. That meat is very nourishing, and just one bite will give even better effects than 100 years of cultivating!”
While speaking, she had even begun to salivate.
Yang Kai quickly moved to cover her. If the members of Dawn were to see the Old Ancestor like this, she might lose all authority in their eyes. Even if the Old Ancestor did not care about her image, he still had to help defend it, which was tiring work.
“That ox… Is there something special about it?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao explained, “That old man has been taking care of that ox for many years, so it’s brimming with spirituality. The other oxen are the common descendants of that old ox that old man often brings out as gifts to others, but you all act grateful as if it’s some good thing.”
Yang Kai carefully recalled when he saw Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor that day, and there was indeed an old ox with a broken horn on its head.
The ‘many years’ that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao spoke of was probably far upwards of 10,000 years.
Any being that old was most likely incredibly powerful…
Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle-drum, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Moreover, without even mentioning whether or not he would be a match for the ox, how could Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor take things lying down if he really did cut the flesh from his prized ox?
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was the one who wanted to eat beef, yet she came to incite him. It was simply unreasonable.
As they were talking, a loud laugh was suddenly heard in the distance, “What a strong fragrance of meat. Yang Boy, did you make preparations beforehand knowing that you had guests coming?”
Following the emergence of the voice, Xu Ling Gong appeared, coming in a large stride with two of his disciples behind him, Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue.
When he came over and saw the Old Ancestor, Xu Ling Gong put away his smile immediately and like a Daughter-in-Law seeing her In-laws, he came respectfully before the Old Ancestor and bowed, “10,000 blessings to the Old Ancestor!”
While speaking, he made a look at Yang Kai, asking why the Old Ancestor was here.
Yang Kai returned the look, meaning that the Old Ancestor came to ask for food.
Xu Ling Gong understood.
There was not a single person from Yin-Yang Pass who did not know of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s gluttony.
In fact, Xu Ling Gong was not here for any business, just that he had been badly injured during their siege at the Royal City and had been recuperating in the years after they occupied Great Evolution Pass. After that, as Yang Kai was busy handling the matters concerning the Black Ink Nest, the two never got the chance to see each other.
Now that he heard that Yang Kai had returned to Great Evolution Pass, he decided to come over for a visit, but who would have thought that he would bump into Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao here?
That made him a little uneasy.
Even though Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was easygoing and did not put on airs, she was still an Old Ancestor. In all of Great Evolution Pass, apart from Yang Kai who had the guts to forgo formalities in front of her, nobody dared to act so presumptuously.
Instead of catching up with Yang Kai, Xu Ling Gong was called over by Shen Ao and the others to come in with his two Disciples and to share soup and wine with Dawn, and they soon settled in.
To the side, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had another bowl of soup and smacked her lips, looking as if she still hadn’t had enough. When Yang Kai went to grab her a third bowl, the Old Ancestor stopped him.
“One does not do the same thing thrice. Two bowls of this stuff are good enough. There’s no reason to have a third bowl.”
Yang Kai was tempted to say, [Why don’t you ever say that when you’re eating candied fruit and steamed stuffed buns?]
The Old Ancestor seemed to notice what he wanted to say and frowned, “What are you thinking?”
Yang Kai answered decisively, “Nothing at all.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao snorted and continued, “Inside of the Black Ink Nest Space, you fought against the Black Ink Clan alone, and as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you killed or injured 11 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. That’s a huge merit, so tell me, is there anything you want? If it’s not too much, I will happily fulfil it.”
Mi Jing Lun had mentioned this to Yang Kai before, but there was nothing that Yang Kai particularly wanted right now.
He had no shortage of Military Merits. The amount he had accumulated after fighting bloody battle after bloody battle with the Black Ink Clan all these years was already enormous.
He did not wish to cultivate any other Secret Techniques of other Cave Heavens or Paradises as the two Eye Secret Techniques of Myriad Demons Heaven were enough for him to digest for a long time to come. Things such as Secret Techniques should be strong in quality rather than high in numbers.
He had no shortage of cultivation resources either. In fact, right now, no one on the Human side lacked resources.
“Don’t say you don’t want anything,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stopped Yang Kai before he could speak, “Big Head Mi is right. Even if you do not want a reward for such a great achievement, the Great Evolution Army still needs to show our appreciation; otherwise, it would seem as if the allotted rewards and punishments are unclear and our system is handled poorly. Now that I happen to be here, I might as well handle this matter.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, to think that even a reward could be forced upon someone.
But really, why ‘Big Head Mi’? Ou Yang Lie called him that, and even the Old Ancestor was calling him that.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but ask, “Why refer to Senior Mi as such?”
The Old Ancestor said leisurely, “That man has a mind as vast as the sea, so is his head not big? Big Head Xiang is also the same.”
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead…
[Wonderful.] Not only was there a Big Head Mi in Great Evolution Pass, there was even a Big Head Xiang now. Yang Kai had a deep suspicion that this name actually started from the Old Ancestor.
“You haven’t told me what reward you want yet. I came here personally, so you can’t make me leave empty-handed, can you?” The Old Ancestor urged him.
Yang Kai was about to tell her that there was nothing that he wanted, but then he suddenly saw a graceful figure appearing and placing a bowl of beef soup down in front of Miao Fei Ping, red tinging her shy cheeks before she mustered in a tender voice, “Senior Brother Mao, please have some soup.”
Miao Fei Ping answered politely, “Many thanks, Junior Sister.”
The woman waved her hands, “Senior Brother is too polite.”
At once, Yang Kai pointed with his hand, “Xiao Cai was born from my Small Universe and cultivates the Dao of Space. I have the intention to nurture her properly. If I’m ever too busy in the future, she can help me handle some matters relating to the Dao of Space. I would like to ask Old Ancestor to please allow her to enter Dawn and become one of my Dawn Squad’s members.”
He did not speak very loudly, but how could Xiao Cai not have heard it? She was stunned in place and turned to look at Yang Kai in astonishment.
Since advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, she had been assigned to a different Squad just like the other cultivators who came out of Yang Kai’s Small Universe; however, she would still come around to Dawn to help out now and then.
Now that they had good things to share, Feng Ying naturally would not forget to call this young woman over.
Only, Xiao Cai never thought that she would encounter such a thing today.
Naturally, it was her dream to join Dawn, but after accepting Blood Crow and the others, Dawn was already full. The Army had its own system and it was impossible for them to make exceptions, so Xiao Cai knew that unless someone from Dawn fell in battle, she would never be able to join them.
However, if that opportunity were to come, it would mean that heavy casualties were sustained in both Dawn and the Squad that she was in leading to a mass culling of their numbers.
This was something that she was unwilling to see no matter what.
Yang Kai’s sudden comment came as a pleasant surprise to her, but she also felt at a loss, unsure of what to do for a moment.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was also surprised, “Oh? Are you planning to take on a Disciple? That’s not a problem. Most of these little ones who come from your Small Universe have traces of your Daos, so there would be no one more suitable to guide them than you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t need to go as far as taking in a Disciple. I can just give her a few pointers here and there.”
Yang Kai was not even done raising his current three Disciples, so how could he take on another?
To him, three Disciples were already sufficient. In his life, he was proficient in three Grand Daos, and so three Disciples was just right to receive one inheritance each.
It made him feel a little ashamed to say that he had not done his duty as a Master to his three Disciples, only tutoring them earnestly during their time inside of his Small Universe.
Since they came out of his Small Universe, not to mention teaching them, even seeing them was difficult.
Yang Kai did not even know how the three little ones were doing now, but obviously, with their aptitudes, and them living in the Open Heaven Realm Cradle of the Star Boundary, their future achievements should be boundless.
The Old Ancestor said after pondering for a moment, “Dawn is already full at 50 members. Reasonably, you can’t accept anyone else; however, since you asked, we can make one exception, just this once, but it will not become a precedent.”
“Many thanks, Old Ancestor!” Yang Kai bowed.
Over on the other side, Xiao Cai also thanked them with great glee. With the golden word from the Old Ancestor, it meant that she was one of Dawn’s members from now on.
The Old Ancestor waved her hand and looked thoughtfully at Yang Kai, “Was it worth it to you, exchanging such a large merit for this condition?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Merits are dead but people are alive. These things cannot be compared.”
The Old Ancestor nodded lightly and stood up from her seat, “I’m tired. I’m going back to sleep.”
Saying so, she disappeared in a flash.
“Farewell, Old Ancestor!” Everyone stood up in unison a saluted.
With the Old Ancestor gone, the atmosphere also became livelier. The crowd mingled with each other, exchanging glasses and drinking freely.
As they chatted, Xu Ling Gong was stunned to learn that the soup was made from the beef gifted by Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, and soon he sank into a state of introspection.
All eyes turned to him.
The aura inside of Xu Ling Gong’s body suddenly fluctuated in a not-too-natural way, and the noise in the courtyard transformed into noises of wonder and excitement.
Holding the wine cup in his hand, Xu Ling Gong grinned, “I thought there was something strange about this soup, but it turns out it was a gift from an Old Ancestor. Its effects are extraordinary indeed. After gaining such an opportunity today, I can’t let the Old Ancestor’s kindness go to waste. I will go and advance to the Eighth Order at once. Everyone, please wait for my good news.”
With those words, he drained his wine and took to the skies, his aura still fluctuating incessantly.
He left the crowd to stare at each other and click their tongues in wonder.
Yang Kai did not say much when he took out the beef and handed it to Feng Ying and the others to make soup with, only informing them about its source.
The rest of Dawn was filled with anticipation; after all, it was a gift from an Old Ancestor, so it might have some extraordinary effects.
But when they heard what Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said after drinking the soup, there was no way that they did not know that this beef was just an ordinary thing without any special effects at all.
Only that the Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass had raised the ox well, and so the meat was able to impart a deep flavour to the soup.
Xu Ling Gong came later and did not hear what Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said. He did not know the truth of the matter and only heard by chance that it was a gift from an Old Ancestor, so it was a real surprise that he had been blessed by it.
Both Xu Ling Gong’s Disciples were confused at the strange reaction of the crowd, so Qing Kui asked Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, what’s going on?”
Yang Kai laughed, “It’s nothing. Martial Uncle Xu is advancing to the Eighth Order. This is a rare opportunity, so I will go and stand guard for him.”
As he spoke, he had already taken to the air.
Rather than call it standing guard, it was more accurate to call it observing and emulating. In fact, the moment Xu Ling Gong departed, Great Evolution Pass was filled with countless figures taking to the air, a number of whom were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
They had also sensed the fluctuation of Xu Ling Gong’s aura and realized that someone was going to break through to the Eighth Order. Even if none of them knew him before today, they would still take the initiative to stand guard for him.
Most of these people were in the Seventh Order, and among them, many were also qualified to take the same step. In the Black Ink Battlefield, even though a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master advancing to the Eighth-Order was not a once-in-a-millennium event, it wasn’t common either. It was rare for them to encounter such an opportunity, so they would naturally take this chance to observe the process so that when it was their turn to break through in the future, they at least had an example to learn from.
The qualified Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Dawn also followed suit.
Those under the Seventh Order did not move. Their goal for the time being was to advance to the Seventh Order, so Xu Ling Gong’s breakthrough was of little use to them. Premature exposure would not be beneficial to their cultivation either.
Feng Ying flew side by side with Yang Kai, asking through her Divine Sense, “That meat… is there some sort of mystery behind it?”
Yang Kai laughed, “What mystery could there be? The Old Ancestor said that it was just an ordinary item. You drank the soup too, but did you feel anything special about it?”
Feng Ying shook her head.
Yang Kai said, “This is likely just Martial Uncle Xu’s opportunity. Speaking of which, it has been many years since Martial Uncle Xu advanced to the Seventh Order, so he should have reached the critical point to advance to the Eighth Order. During the attack on the Royal City, he was heavily injured, so perhaps he gained some insight while teetering between life and death. When he heard that the meat was a gift from an Old Ancestor, he formed a preconceived notion that it was some sort of divine treasure. Perhaps that spark of inspiration was all he needed to make this next step.”
This was Yang Kai’s guess, but it should be close to the truth; otherwise, there was no way to explain why Xu Ling Gong would suddenly sense an opportunity for a breakthrough.
This was not the work of the Old Ancestor’s gift, but rather Xu Ling Gong’s own opportunity.
In the void, Xu Ling Gong stood alone with the aura inside his body churning like a tidal wave. He was making the final preparations before advancing.
Millions of kilometres away, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood ready in case anything were to happen. Even though they wouldn’t be of much help if something critical went wrong during Xu Ling Gong’s breakthrough, they could still provide a small amount of guidance, which may turn the situation around for Xu Ling Gong at a crucial moment.
Further out were the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, watching from afar.
Even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao in Great Evolution Pass was looking over in his direction at this moment.
The battle to retake Great Evolution Pass caused nearly half of the Great Evolution Army’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to be lost. Now that there were signs of a Seventh-Order Master making a breakthrough, she naturally would not ignore it.
Breakthroughs in the Open Heaven Realm were different from those below it. Below the Open Heaven Realm, the advancement to a new Great Realm was accompanied by a baptism from the Heavenly Way, which was naturally a risk that came from the outside world.
However, after a Small Universe was created inside the body of an Open Heaven Realm Master, breaking through each Order was really an advancement in one’s Small Universe, so all of the dangers came from within, which could be said to be even more dangerous. The slightest mistake could cause irreparable damage.
As time passed, Xu Ling Gong’s aura tumbled more and more violently. Where he stood, a Small Universe vaguely appeared, and this entire World was expanding and contracting, changing incessantly.
That Small Universe was a manifestation of his Martial Dao and all he had comprehended on that journey.
As time passed, the Small Universe gradually grew in size. This growth was destined to break through the limits of the Seventh Order and reach the ranks of the Eighth Order.
The breakthrough took just over a month, which was considered an extremely short amount of time. As expected of Xu Ling Gong as a veteran Seventh-Order. He had a strong heritage and a solid foundation, so even though the advancement process was not completely smooth, it was still calm and steady.
It was clear that he had been preparing for this day for many years.
Every Open Heaven Realm Master with plans to advance to the Eighth Order was the same. Without sharpening one’s spear before battle, who can guarantee that nothing will go wrong?
At one point, when the might of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm swept through the void, a long cry rang out filled with emotions of joy.
On that day, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Xu Ling Gong successfully advanced to the Eighth Order outside of Great Evolution Pass.
This was the first Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to advance in Great Evolution Pass after more than 30,000 years, so it bore great significance.
The Eighth-Order Division Commanders who had been standing guard for more than a month all came forward to congratulate him. Xu Ling Gong exchanged pleasantries with the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters all around with a wide grin on his face, greeting them warmly and happily. It was a proud moment in his life, so why dampen it with restraint and humility?
The Old Ancestor also withdrew her Divine Sense, and soon after, Yang Kai felt a faint fluctuation of Space Principles, appearing for just an instant in Great Evolution Pass.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he realized that the Old Ancestor had used the Space Beacon.
Her intentions were so obvious that even a child could understand.
This was a happy event for the Humans, so how could the Old Ancestor not go to the Royal City to report the good news? Who knew whether the Royal Lord was sick of her yet?
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai called out to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Dawn. Everyone gained something during this observation session. At the very least, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters knew what they should do, and had a better idea of what they were going to encounter when they advanced to the Eighth-Order in the future.
This was very useful knowledge for them, and it would save them from having to go through some detours.
On the way back, everyone was chattering loudly, with only Feng Ying remaining silent.
Yang Kai did not pay too much attention to this small detail along the way, and it was only when they returned to the courtyard that Feng Ying said, “Squad Leader, I want to enter retreat.”
Yang Kai looked at her, a little surprised, “Did you have an epiphany?”
Feng Ying nodded.
Yang Kai smiled, “That’s good. In that case, you better not delay it. Hurry and enter retreat.”
Feng Ying did not hesitate to return to her abode at once, activating the Spirit Array to isolate herself, and began cultivating in retreat.
For Xu Ling Gong to advance to the Eighth-Order with one sip of soup was surprising enough; but now, it seemed possible for that soup to birth two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai even began to question whether there truly was some sort of mysterious effect from that beef given to him by the Old Ancestor.
However, he did not notice anything special from the soup he drank and even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao herself said that it was just an ordinary thing.
Ultimately, opportunities were mysterious and unpredictable things. For many of Dawn’s members, the soup was just a tasty meal, but for Xu Ling Gong, it was an opportunity for a breakthrough.
Observing and emulating Xu Ling Gong’s advancement then resulted in an opportunity for Feng Ying.
Opportunity after opportunity, it was a mysterious and inexplicable thing.
Yang Kai had no idea where his own opportunity lay, but he knew that even if an opportunity were to appear in front of him right now, it would be difficult for him to grasp it because he did not have sufficient accumulation in the Seventh Order yet.
Only when he had raised his cultivation to the limit and accumulated enough experience would he have a chance to advance to the Eighth Order.
Still, Yang Kai had an advantage that could not be matched by others. There were countless living beings inside of his Small Universe being born, living their lives, growing old, getting sick, and dying, constantly increasing his World Force. Additionally, the World Tree clone was always refining that World Force, allowing it to become purer and denser than any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The purity of his World Force was the foundation that gave Yang Kai the power to suppress his peers in the Seventh Order. Despite being in the same Realm, he was able to exert power several times that of an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he was naturally much stronger. In the long run, it would also provide him with a lot of help when he advanced to the Eighth Order.
Yang Kai had no idea how long it would take for him to reach a breakthrough, but he estimated that it would take at least 1,000 years.
Advancement in the Open Heaven Realm had always been a long journey without any shortcuts.
The renovation and reconstruction of Great Evolution Pass was in full swing. As a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner, Yang Kang was extremely busy too. He collaborated with other Artifact Refiners to refine different large-scale artifacts, and then installed these artifacts as Array Cores in various areas all across Great Evolution Pass.
Now that the Pass’ Space Arrays had been fully repaired, many messages from the outside world could be transmitted through it.
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai didn’t have many qualifications to have access to any confidential information, but much news of victory was actually purposefully disclosed by the higher-ups, so everyone would eventually be aware of them.
There was plenty of news of victory, as the Human Race’s disadvantage on the Black Ink Battlefield appeared to have vanished overnight. The battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race resulted in a resounding triumph for the latter in most of the recent battles as opposed to the constant stalemates of the past.
On the whole, the Black Ink Clan’s forces seemed to be on the back foot. The Human Race joyously marched across the battlefield in celebration, and just like at Blue Sky Pass, forward bases were constructed in the direction of the Black Ink Clan Royal Cities to reduce the Black Ink Clan’s capacity for movement.
This was the change in the situation that had been in a deadlock for countless aeons. On the battlefront, the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, Black Ink Pills, and Void Yin-Yang Mirrors all played critical roles.
If one traced back all of these innovations, it could be seen that there was one person behind them.
Even taking the entire history of the Great War into account, this individual was without a doubt the one who caused the greatest change on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai’s days were incredibly busy, but equally fulfilling; it was even fair to say that the lives of the tens of thousands of soldiers in Great Evolution Pass were all fulfilling. On usual days, they would be busy repairing the Pass. Then, they would cultivate during their breaks.
Originally, it was estimated that Great Evolution Pass’ repairs would take 100 years.
But in reality, everything was only finished after almost 200 years.
The Great Evolution Pass of this day was completely different from when it was occupied by the Black Ink Clan previously. It took about 200 years, tens of thousands of people from the Great Evolution Army, and enormous amounts of energy and resources to restore it back to the state of more than 30,000 years ago.
It could be said that Great Evolution Pass was not any weaker than any of the Great Passes now.
With the current Great Evolution Pass and the Great Evolution Army, the Black Ink Clan would never retake it, even if their foundation was restored.
Not to mention, the Black Ink Clan could only turtle around the Royal City, too afraid to cross the Humans.
For the past 200 years, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao occasionally disturbed the Royal Lord, forcing him to remain on alert at all times. After such a prolonged period, rather than his injuries showing signs of improvement, they had worsened.
He was, without a doubt, the most miserable Royal Lord among all other Royal Lords.
Though Great Evolution Pass had been restored, the soldiers remained in a state of heightened tension. Everyone was waiting for the crusade to begin.
The crusade was initially a secret, which only the highest-ranking members of the Human Race were aware of; however, over time, the soldiers of the lower rankings became aware of the direction the Human Race was taking. Naturally, after the ‘seemingly’ unintentional disclosure by the higher-ups.
The war with the Black Ink Clan had continued for far too long, so long that it was impossible to trace it back to when it began. Throughout these endless years, the elite Open Heaven Realm Masters of the 3,000 Worlds were deployed to this battlefield one after another to wage war with the Black Ink Clan generation after generation. All their sacrifices were to protect the Human Race’s last line of defence.
Throughout these years, the Human Race had suffered countless losses.
This situation could not persist indefinitely. Every generation strived to make a difference and eliminate all possible future problems; yet, there was nothing they could do about it.
But now that the stalemate situation had been broken, the Human Race was no longer on the defensive and had what was necessary to take the fight to the enemy.
If they had an opportunity to end the Black Ink Clan once and for all, the Humans on the Black Ink Battlefield would sacrifice anything to seize it.
For this reason, a crusade was required, and it must be a joint crusade of all Humans in every Great Pass. Only with this, could the Black Ink Clan be eradicated.
Otherwise, if any single one of the Black Ink Clansmen escaped from the battlefield, the war would continue.
This cooperation and coordination between over 100 Great Passes was not an issue that could be addressed overnight. The planning alone would take at least 100 years.
Additionally, Yang Kai’s Purifying Light accompanied by the Evil Purging Divine Spear that Grandmaster Ma Fan created would be the greatest weapon to support the Human Race in this crusade!
That was another reason why Yang Kai was so busy these days.
During the last 10 years of Great Evolution Pass’ restoration, a great number of Evil Purging Divine Spears were delivered through the Space Array and given over to him. Once he received the spears, Yang Kai would need to personally seal Purifying Light into each and every single one of them.
There was no way to seek the assistance of others in this matter because only he had the ability to use Purifying Light.
More than 100 Great Passes refined Evil Purging Divine Spears in enormous quantities during the years when the Great Evolution Army was reclaiming and restoring Great Evolution Pass. The number was simply uncountable after the accumulation of over 300 years.
All of these Evil Purging Divine Spears were transported to Great Evolution Pass, so what was presented before Yang Kai was a literal mountain of them. As a result, he had to drive the Purifying Light to seal it into those spears non-stop.
It was terribly dull doing the same thing over and over again. Yang Kai had no idea how many times he had used Purifying Light too; all he knew was that the amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe kept decreasing.
At this time, he was grateful that he had taken enough Yellow and Blue Crystals from the Chaotic Dead Territory; after all, he had no idea when or even if he could acquire more if they ran out.
During this period of sealing Purifying Light, Evil Purging Divine Spears were still occasionally transported from other Great Passes.
It was until a few years ago that the number finally began to reduce.
Only after another few more years did Yang Kai finish dealing with all the Evil Purging Divine Spears.
Yang Kai hadn’t counted, but he could feel that there were at least tens of millions of Evil Purging Divine Spears sealed with Purifying Light. As a result, almost half of the Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe had been used up, showing how huge the consumption was.
There were two types of Evil Purging Divine Spear; one designed for use against Feudal Lords, and the other for Territory Lords.
The former was easier to refine and also required lesser Purifying Light; as such, almost 90% of all the spears were of this rank.
The latter was no more than 10%, but that was sufficient.
Tens of millions of Evil Purging Divine Spears were divided among the 100-plus Great Passes, with each one receiving almost 100,000 spears. If such a number couldn’t make the crusade a success, then the Human Race should just give up any hope of defeating the Black Ink Clan.
In Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai was summoned to the abode of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Some time ago, he finished dealing with the Evil Purging Divine Spears, and he had been cultivating in retreat ever since.
The crusade was quickly approaching, so he was keen to enhance his personal strength, because only after he grew powerful enough would he be able to make a real difference in the approaching battle.
However, he received a summon from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao after only a few days of retreat.
When he saw the Old Ancestor, he realised that, as rumoured, the Old Ancestor was not in a good mood.
In recent years, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had been disturbing the Royal City regularly. Despite the fact that she went and returned whenever she pleased, she was still not in a pleasant mood for some reason.
Yang Kai arrived and said cautiously, “Old Ancestor, you asked for me?”
“En. I want you to travel to the No-Return Pass,” Old Ancestor replied.
“The No-Return Pass?” Yang Kai was taken aback when he heard the words, “What for?”
He had heard about the No-Return Pass many times before. Although this was the Human Race’s final line of defence, it was personally defended by the Dragon and Phoenix Clan, with numerous other strong Divine Spirits among them.
According to the information Yang Kai had acquired, a former Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress collaborated back in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in a great war against the Black Ink Clan. At the cost of their own lives, supplemented by the 16 Sacred Treasures of different Divine Spirit Clans, they managed to suppress and seal a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. At some point after that, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans left the Ancestral Land to take up the role of guardians of the No-Return Pass.
Even after so many years, they hadn’t returned to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Not only that, but ancient Human Great Experts set innumerable restrictions on the periphery of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to segregate the inside and outside and completely prevent the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from escaping.
Back then, when Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were chased after by Cheng Yang, they strayed into that Divine Ability Sea and experienced a lot of hardship.
Upon arriving at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, there were no signs of the Dragon Clan nor the Phoenix Clan, but a branch of the Phoenixes did remain, headed by Qing Luan, Yuan Chu, Yue Zhuo, and Hong Hu.
Countless years passed as the Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength wore down the power of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, eventually turning him into a lifeless corpse, but to do so, much of the Ancestral Strength produced in the Ancestral Land had to be siphoned away.
It was only after Yang Kai arrived in the Ancestral Land and helped unlock the Demon Sealing Land, that the Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength began to be restored, making it more suitable for the Divine Spirits to live in.
Su Yan, Zhu Qing, Shan Qing Luo, and the others from Void Land who had Divine Spirit bloodlines were currently cultivating in the Ancestral Land. All of them had Divine Spirit Sources, and cultivating there would undoubtedly bring them great benefits.
Hundreds of years ago, as ordered by Xiang Shan, Yang Kai left the Great Evolution East-West Army to circle behind Great Evolution Pass and search for the Great Evolution North-South Army. At that time, Yang Kai was able to sense the No-Return Pass from afar.
That was all due to his Golden Divine Dragon Source. The Dragon Pool was located at the No-Return Pass, and anyone with a pure enough Dragon Source and sufficient strength could sense the location of the Dragon Pool.
The feeling Yang Kai had at that time was the constant connection between his own Dragon Source and the Dragon Pool.
It was said that the Dragon Pool was the origin of all Dragon Sources, their birthplace so to speak, the root of the whole Dragon Clan.
When Yang Kai initially first stepped into the 3,000 Worlds, seeking out the Dragon Pool was one of his main goals; after all, it was only through finding the location of the Dragon Pool, that he could further cultivate his Dragon Source.
This thought, however, faded as he became stronger over the years.
Unexpectedly, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao actually requested him to travel to the No-Return Pass at this moment.
He had no idea whether there was another deeper intention to it.
“You’ll know why when you get there. No need to ask so much,” the Old Ancestor responded.
Yang Kai hesitated, “But Old Ancestor, the crusade is approaching. If I leave at this time…”
“You don’t need to worry about the crusade. You’re just in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There won’t be much difference with or without you. Even if you miss it, what would it matter?” Sneered the Old Ancestor.
Yang Kai went speechless.
Perhaps the Old Ancestor thought that her words were a bit too harsh; thus, she clarified, “The crusade is still in its preparatory stage. As long as you don’t take too long, you won’t miss it.”
If the barriers between the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield were to be described as a wall, then No-Return Pass would be the only hole in that wall.
This was also why the No-Return Pass was known as the Human Race’s final line of defence. If the Black Ink Clan managed to break past this barrier, they would be able to access the 3,000 Worlds, and if that really happened, it was destined that all living beings there would be plunged into misery. The whole 3,000 Worlds would be destroyed and remade according to the Blank Ink Clan’s will.
The No-Return Pass was the last line of defence, while the Great Passes were the outer line of defence.
If one were to stand high enough above and connect each Great Pass, one would notice that they could be arranged to form a kind of semicircle. This semicircle acted as a barrier to split off the 3,000 Worlds from the Black Ink Battlefield, with the centre of it being the No-Return Pass.
As long as the Great Passes were not broken though, the No-Return Pass would never be disturbed, keeping the 3,000 worlds safe.
This was why Great Evolution Pass had to be reclaimed before the crusade could begin. A Pass seized by the Black Ink Clan would leave an opening in their entire defence line. If Great Evolution Pass was not retaken, the Black Ink Clan might exploit this flaw and proceed directly to the No-Return Pass while the Humans were busy with their crusade.
At that point, would the Human Race Armies retreat to defend or continue the crusade? The situation was bound to fall into a dilemma.
In order to eliminate this potential risk, Great Evolution Pass had to be retaken. Fortunately, the Great Evolution Army had worked hard for more than 100 years and had achieved this objective after enormous sacrifice.
There were actually no East, South, West, or North in the vast Universe, as there were no fixed reference points, and the terms such as Eastern Army, Southern Army, Western Army, and Northern Army in each Great Pass were just helpful titles.
If directions were to be taken note of, there were only up, down, forward and backwards according to one’s own point of view in the massive void.
In a certain sense, the No-Return Pass lay behind all the Great Passes. This last line of defence, defended by the Dragon and Phoenix Clan, could be considered as a kind of support to the Human Race.
Yang Kai was perplexed in his early years when he learnt that the No-Return Pass was personally guarded by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans as the Divine Spirit had always been haughty regardless of their origins, something he knew from over 1,000 years of experience.
And these were the leaders of the Divine Spirit, the Dragons and Phoenixes.
How could such supreme Divine Spirits voluntarily assist the Human Race in guarding their final line of defence? It should be impossible; after all, they were of different Races and held no good will towards the other.
The only plausible explanation was that the Black Ink Clan was simply that great a threat. The Divine Spirits also understood the proverb ‘without the lips, teeth would go cold’. In the ancient past, a Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to seal and suppress a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. How could their descendants possibly disregard the sacrifices of their ancestors?
This was most likely why the Divine Spirits had defended the No-Return Pass for so long.
Yang Kai had no idea if there was some other reason or explanation, and it wasn’t an issue he had to be concerned about either.
Although going to the No-Return Pass at this time was a bit hasty, he might at least fulfil a long-cherished dream and see what the mythical Dragon Pool looked like.
In the void, Space Principles flashed and in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai’s figure flickered in and out of existence.
It was possible to use the Hyper Space Array to directly travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, which was convenient and fast; however, the restoration of Great Evolution Pass over the past 200 years had been a huge drain on resources. Additionally, materials were tight during preparations for the crusade; thus, Yang Kai could only choose to fly over.
After all, like the Old Ancestor had said, he was proficient in Dao of Space, so he had an advantage when it came to travelling. There was no need to waste resources unnecessarily.
What else could Yang Kai say to that? He could only obey and go.
Before he left, he notified Dawn, telling them he was going out on a mission.
Until now, Feng Ying had not come out from retreat, causing him to worry a little. After she observed Xu Ling Gong advance to the Eighth Order some time ago, she had an epiphany and chose to enter retreat. With her strength and foundation, her breakthrough shouldn’t be much of an issue.
However, there was no update from her even after so long, which was somewhat surprising and concerning.
Nobody else could provide any help in this situation. There were Masters that would guide a cultivator through the early stages of their journey on the Martial Dao, but one could only rely on themselves after one reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
After all, at this point, other’s methods would no longer be appropriate for another person.
Normally, it would take at least 3 years for a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master to travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, but Yang Kai covered that distance in less than half a year.
The journey was extremely dull and uneventful.
When a huge Parasol Tree came into view, Yang Kai knew that No-Return Pass was nearby.
This was the renowned Phoenix Nest, the ancestral home of the Phoenix Clan.
Yang Kai had always wanted to see what the Phoenix Nest looked like. Would a magnificent Divine Spirit Clan like the Phoenix Clan build a nest on the tree just like any other bird? That would be far too degrading.
Naturally, Yang Kai wondered if the Phoenix Nest was only a label; after all, the so-called Phoenix Nest could be referring to a grand palace the Phoenix Clan had built.
After thinking about it for some time though, Yang Kai felt that he was being too nosey. Since he had a Dragon Source in him, he should only be concerned about the Dragon Clan, not the Phoenix Clan.
As he got closer, Yang Kai felt the pulsing of his Dragon Vein, giving him a sense as though he was returning home.
He knew this was due to the connection between his Dragon Source and the Dragon Pool; after all, this was not his real home.
This type of mood, however, unavoidably made him a bit anxious. It was as if he was a wanderer who had been away for many years and was not doing well, forced to return home, not knowing how to deal with the Elders’ questioning.
However, Yang Kai did not get the ‘Elders’ ardent questioning’, but rather provocative Dragon Pressure.
A figure dressed in green blocked his path. The figure was tall and dashing, and had a noble complexion, with bright red lips and glowing white teeth.
But, the gaze from him was not at all welcoming. He sized Yang Kai up from top to bottom from afar, as if he wasn’t sure where to attack first.
Yang Kai could tell right away that this individual was part of the Dragon Clan since the Dragon Pressure gushing from him was far too obvious.
Based on the Dragon Pressure alone, this individual should be a Grand Dragon, which was equivalent to his present rank. As to who was stronger, it was beyond Yang Kai’s knowledge, so he would have to see it for himself.
Yang Kai was taken aback; he hadn’t yet reached the No-Return Pass, so why did this man block his path?
He couldn’t help feeling that his obstruction was intentional.
Since ancient times, many cultivators had travelled from the No-Return Pass to the other Great Passes, but few had returned here, yet the man blocking his way was clearly expecting him.
This man’s Dragon Pressure was extremely strong, implying that he was also one of the best among the other Grand Dragons; however, to Yang Kai, it was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Not knowing what he wanted, Yang Kai dared not show any hostility, so he took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai, has travelled to the No-Return Pass under the instruction of the Old Ancestor. Allow me to ask, how should I address this Fellow Brother?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Dragon Clansman in green shook his head angrily, opened his lips and roared. His Dragon Pressure solidified and rushed towards Yang Kai.
As he roared, he charged towards Yang Kai, reached out, and grabbed at him.
His fair hands resembled a woman’s in terms of fairness, yet they possessed deadly power; after all, he was from the Dragon Clan, and naturally had a powerful physique.
Even space appeared to shatter under his grasp.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also felt mysterious changes around him, which made him think he was surrounded by illusions.
“Time Principles?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow, wondering if this Dragon Clan member he just met in the No-Return Pass was skilled in the Dao of Time.
Furthermore, his mastery over the Dao of Time did not appear to be mediocre.
In fact, if Yang Kai had not also cultivated the Dao of Time, he would have most likely been completely overwhelmed by this mysterious change and been defeated without a fight.
When Yang Kai came to his senses, the hand was already in front of him, and there was no way for him to escape.
He didn’t want to fight someone from the Dragon Clan just after arriving here, but according to what his opponent had said, he was clearly waiting for him. In addition, the moment he arrived, he was greeted by this attack. Thus, was all of this the result of some kind of grudge?
[But why? There’s no resentment or conflict between the two of us.]
Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out, but all living beings acted for the sake of their benefit. If the other party was pursuing him in this manner, he must have a reason for doing so.
Even so, in what way could Yang Kai have offended him? Was it because he was not a pureblood Dragon?
Yang Kai couldn’t help but sigh. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had ordered him to go to the No-Return Pass, and it now appeared that there was going to be nothing pleasant to be expected from this trip. It was no surprise the Old Ancestor didn’t tell him anything.
He could no longer dodge the hand, so he extended his palm to resist it.
On a branch of the Parasol Tree at the No-Return Pass sat a young woman in a colourful attire. Her legs dangled slowly in an extremely relaxed manner.
A young man stood alongside her, with both of them staring into the void.
“Ji Lao San still has such a short temper,” the woman stated when the man in green made his move, “After all, that guy was sent here by the Human Race’s Old Ancestors. How is Ji Lao San supposed to explain it to the Humans if anything happens to that man?”
“The Old Ancestors of the Human Race can’t control the No-Return Pass. What’s more, this matter involves the Dragon Pool. Ji Lao San has been waiting for this day for thousands of years, and when he finally got a chance, some Human wants to jump the line? How could he possibly tolerate it?” Said the young man standing beside her.
The woman turned her head, “Speaking of which, it’s strange the Ancient Dragons consented to the Human Race’s request. Were they out of their minds?”
“People can hear what you say,” the young man replied as the corner of his mouth twitched.
When the woman in bright clothing realised, she stuck out her tongue and swiftly changed the subject, “Obviously, the Humans must have paid a high price, or else the Dragon Clan would not have agreed to it. How long do you think that Human can survive under Ji Lao San’s assault?”
The man replied, “You’re asking the wrong question.”
“The wrong question?”
“You should question it the other way around. How long can Ji Lao San survive the assault from that Human.”
“You are so optimistic about him? Do you know him?” The girl replied in shock.
“I don’t know him, but since the Humans are willing to pay such a great price to send him here, it implies that he has great significance. And naturally, he would not be a soft persimmon that can be crushed so easily,” the young man replied, shaking his head.
The serious attitude of her companion made the colourful-robed young woman ponder.
As he pointed out, the fact that the Humans dared to send this young man over indicated that they had faith in his abilities and that he would encounter challenges once he reached the No-Return Pass. This Human from the Black Ink Battlefield was most likely one that should not be underestimated.
As she rolled her eyes, the colourful-robed young woman asked, “Shall we make a bet then?”
The days were incredibly monotonous for those who lived at the No-Return Pass. This was the final line of defence, and the hundred-plus Great Passes surrounding it were enough to intercept the Black Ink Clan Army.
When Great Evolution Pass was taken over 30,000 years ago, there were daring Black Ink Clansmen that came from Great Evolution Theatre to try and break through the No-Return Pass, but after experiencing the might of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, no Black Ink Clansman dared to approach it anymore.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans, being the two most powerful of the Divine Spirits, were naturally bored as they remained at the No-Return Pass. However, they were bound by the oath their ancestors took and were unable to freely roam about.
It was unusual for there to be such a show like today, so people naturally wanted to participate.
“What are we betting on?” The young man replied casually.
“Let’s bet on the visitor and Ji Lao San; who will win and who will lose,” the colourfully robed young woman replied.
“The prize?”
The woman placed one finger on her crimson lips, went silent for a moment, then snapped her finger, “Whoever loses will give the Human a tail feather!”
The young man glanced at her speechlessly. This way, the Human would receive the reward no matter the result.
The girl didn’t give him a chance to respond before saying, “I bet this Human will lose!”
As soon as she spoke those words though, her jaw dropped as an expression of utter disbelief appeared on her face.
She already acknowledged that if the Humans dared to send this youth alone to the No-Return Pass, there had to be something about him that made him special. Nonetheless, Ji Lao San wasn’t weak. He might not be able to do much harm to this Human, but even so, she did not believe he would really lose. It should at worst end in a tie.
Right after she had spoken though, the visitor had somehow grabbed Ji Lao San by his neck, as if it was as easy as grabbing a chicken, and strolled over from the void.
Their figures had appeared right in front of the pair after just a few steps, leaving behind a trail of afterimages in the distance.
“Space Principles!” The young woman with the colourful robe’s eyes were filled with astonishment. With her ability, it was normal for her to notice that this Human had cultivated the Dao of Space, and to an exceedingly high level of mastery at that. Even she would most likely have to acknowledge his superiority.
She had met several exceptional Humans who cultivated the Dao of Space during her long lifespan, but even so, none had reached such mastery over it.
Yang Kai had long been aware that a man and a woman atop the Parasol Tree were watching him, and that numerous Divine Senses in the No-Return Pass were also observing him.
Counting the actions of the man who blocked him, Yang Kai had no idea what the No-Return Pass had been expecting of him. The blocker’s acts might have been due to something personal, but that didn’t preclude the possibility of him being instigated by the higher-ups of the Dragon Clan.
[Are they trying to test me?]
Yang Kai wasn’t sure why the No-Return Pass held such an attitude, but he could also be considered as half a Divine Spirit; thus, he understood that he couldn’t be too modest while dealing with other Divine Spirits.
Due to the extreme arrogance of the Divine Spirits, only those who were more arrogant could speak to them on an equal footing.
As a result, when confronted with the blocker’s attack, Yang Kai retaliated without holding back.
Still, he just didn’t expect this Grand Dragon to be like an embroidered pillow, pretty to look at but overall useless in the end. Yang Kai hadn’t even used any strength yet, but the opposite party couldn’t resist; thus, currently, he was like a stray cat being dragged around by Yang Kai.
This was the simplest conclusion to a battle he had faced since entering the Black Ink Battlefield. Even the Feudal Lords understood how to fight back, but this Grand Dragon had no power to resist him at all.
Yang Kai raised his head and smirked, “Hello, pretty young lady.”
The colourful-robed young woman’s face twitched and she replied, “You have a sweet tongue.”
Yang Kai then passed what he was grabbing on to her, asking, “Does he belong to you?”
She smoothed her hair and shook her head, “He’s someone else’s.”
“Oh,” Yang Kai simply said, recognising that the female in front of him should be from the Phoenix Clan, which was not surprising given that she was perched on the Parasol Tree.
Ji Lao San on the other hand, who was grabbed by Yang Kai, was exceedingly embarrassed and enraged. He had never experienced such humiliation and disgrace in the tens of thousands of years of his life. Worse yet, all the Divine Senses in the No-Return Pass lingered on him, exposing his embarrassment to everyone.
He had shamed the other Dragons as well. How was he going to face his peers and the Phoenix Clan in the future?
“Let go of me!” He struggled hard and his cheeks flushed. He couldn’t figure out how he was instantly seized without even delivering an attack to his opponent.
In his eyes, the other party was nothing more than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Human.
Although a Grand Dragon was technically equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master, if a battle took place between them, the Grand Dragon always had the upper hand.
No Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could compete with a fully grown Grand Dragon, which was the Dragon Clan’s advantage as the head of the Divine Spirits.
This Seventh-Order Human, on the other hand, simply lifted his hand and easily captured him.
Ji Lao San felt like he was in a bad dream when he recalled what had happened just now. When he came into contact with his opponent, his strength was immediately restrained, making it nearly impossible for him to access the power of his Dragon Vein. This was the reason for his humiliation.
“Quit squirming!” Sensing the Grand Dragon’s struggle, Yang Kai forcefully shook his arm.
That caused Ji Lao San to feel dizzy for a moment, but this only made him feel more embarrassed and irritated. Such humiliation was worse than death for an arrogant Grand Dragon.
Dragon Force erupted all over his body, and even the forceful suppression couldn’t stop it.
When Yang Kai noticed something was wrong, he scowled and lifted his hand, throwing Ji Lao San away. Then, he said, “You and I don’t know each other. Why did you attack me?”
Ji Lao San’s Dragon Force was out because he unleashed his own Dragon Bead. This was a move that was equivalent to risking his life. Still, Yang Kai had felt he could merely resist the power of this Dragon Bead. In fact, if he hadn’t released him, even if Ji Lao San could escape, his Dragon Bead was certain to break, severely damaging the latter’s foundation.
Yang Kai had a Dragon Bead too, so he could identify what just happened and what would happen if he took certain moves.
It was not prudent to half-cripple a Grand Dragon before he even entered the No-Return Pass, so he chose to let Ji Lao San go.
It was necessary to demonstrate one’s strength when in front of those from the Dragon Clan; nonetheless, it was equally important to do so in moderation.
When a high-pitched Dragon Roar erupted, Ji Lao San suddenly transformed into a Grand Dragon close to 50,000 metres long. The Grand Dragon’s head was held high, and his Dragon Eyes glared at Yang Kai as if staring at an ant on the ground. His whole body was full of thick Dragon Scales, as he was clearly inflamed with rage.
Yang Kai was as small as dust in the face of this Grand Dragon.
“Trivial Human, you dare!” The Grand Dragon roared violently, and the void around him shook. With a disgruntled expression, the colourful-robed young woman on the Parasol Tree lifted her hands to cover her ears.
“How dare you humiliate me like this! You must pay the price with your life in the name of the Dragon Clan!” When Ji Lao San finished speaking, he opened his lips and spat forth his Dragon Breath, enveloping the ant in front of him.
Dragon Breath was the most common attack method of the Dragon Clan. Though common, it was extremely strong, especially when delivered by a Grand Dragon. Even a Feudal Lord would vaporize if hit by such a blast. What’s more, Time Principles were woven into this Dragon Breath, so along with terrifying destructive force, it also seemed like the withering of 1,000 years was carried along with this Secret Technique.
No Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could survive an attack like this.
After Ji Lao San’s rage had subsided a little, his Dragon Eyes suddenly widened as if he was struck by lightning.
Against the force of his Dragon Breath, there was a figure that was moving upstream. That figure didn’t seem hurried, in fact, it seemed like it was taking a stroll in a garden. Arriving slowly at Ji Lao San’s massive Dragon Head, he put out his hand to tenderly tap it while saying, “Anger will only bring harm to the body, you should calm down!”
With one tap, the majestic and massive Ji Lao San felt his Dragon Vein shiver violently. Being unable to sustain his Dragon Form, his body shrank rapidly and returned back to his Human Form.
Yang Kai once grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and said while facing the No-Return Pass, “Great Evolution Pass’ Yang Kai has come to the No-Return Pass under the command of the Old Ancestor. Is there anyone here?”
Noise broke out as the No-Return Pass’ gate, which was originally closed, opened.
Yang Kai bowed from a distance before entering, dragging Ji Lao San along with him.
As he entered the Inner Sanctum, figures on both sides stared at him. The young man and woman Yang Kai saw on the Parasol Tree earlier were also present.
Those stares were a mix of scrutiny and curiosity.
Being able to stand here indicated that these people were either Dragons or Phoenixes, and they had long known that there would be a Human with a Dragon Source coming to the No-Return Pass. However, both Clans did not know much about him. They had been defending the No-Return Pass, so all the information from the outside world reached them from word of mouth. Rumours from the 3,000 Worlds or the Black Ink Battlefield.
The Phoenix Clan was relatively carefree compared to the Dragon Clan; after all, this wasn’t their Clan’s business. In fact, they’d all come here to watch the drama play out.
The Dragon Clan was different, however. They didn’t stop Ji Lao San from picking a fight and causing havoc. It was probably because they desired to test this visitor’s skill; after all, a visitor from the Human Race only brought disadvantages to the Dragon Clan.
Rather than testing him though, what made the Dragon Clan speechless was that they didn’t witness how the Human fought against Ji Lao San at all.
Ji Lao San seemed to lose all strength to resist after this Human simply waved his hand.
Since when did the Dragon Clan become so weak? If that was the case, how did the Dragon Clan establish such a domineering reputation?
Apart from being perplexed, what happened to Ji Lao San surprised the whole Dragon Clan.
If they did not have the answer to this question, the Dragon Clan would be unable to sleep comfortably in the future.
Yang Kai couldn’t resist smiling and nodding at the people on both sides, regardless of how powerful or old they were, as if they were all here to greet him.
Though, that was far from the case.
After walking a short distance, another figure blocked his path. It was a woman, who looked at Yang Kai with fiery eyes and Dragon Pressure radiating from her body.
She was also from the Dragon Clan, and a Grand Dragon at that!