Yang Kai was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but even if a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor came here, they would not be confident about facing off against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
All he could do was go all out!
“I’ll stay here with you!” Hong Hu declared.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior Hong Hu, you heard what Elder Lu said, right? Someone needs to take this information back to the others. There’s no one else here apart from you and me. Who will pass this information along to our allies if we both die here? I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip, Senior.”
Hong Hu wanted to argue, but no words came out.
At first, she wanted to say that Kun Ao was here too, but Lu An and Ye Ming had managed to sneak attack him earlier. Kun Ao was still unconscious from his injuries and it was uncertain whether he would even survive or not, so how could he be the messenger?
“Before I came, I asked someone from the Dragon Clan to rush over to the Barren Territory battlefield; unfortunately, the situation has changed and we’ve run out of time. You must leave now, Senior!”
Hong Hu clenched her jaw and nodded solemnly, “Be careful.”
Immediately, she turned around and sped out of the Demon Sealing Land. After locating Kun Ao, who was still unconscious, she swiftly left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land with him.
Meanwhile, Ji Lao San went through the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate and finally arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield. Soon, he saw the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who was overseeing the nearby battlefield.
“Senior, have any of the Eighth-Order Masters on the Barren Territory battlefield been corrupted by Black Ink Strength?” Ji Lao San quickly asked as per Yang Kai’s instructions.
The Old Ancestor did not understand why Ji Lao San was asking about this all of a sudden, but he did know about such a situation, so he nodded, “Many years ago, a Royal Lord managed to sneak into the battlefield and use his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
That Royal Lord who used the Royal Lord Secret Technique even sacrificed his life to do so.
This was the reason why the Royal Lords dared not arbitrarily use the Royal Lord Secret Technique. It was incredibly useful as even Eighth-Order Masters could be immediately turned into Black Ink Disciples, but each time it was used, it would also damage the user’s foundation.
A nearby Old Ancestor took advantage of the opportunity to strike the Royal Lord down after he corrupted a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength.
Although the Humans lost a handful of Eighth-Order Masters, they managed to kill one of their enemy’s Royal Lords. Generally speaking, it could be said that the Humans came out on top.
This Ninth-Order Old Ancestor could still remember that the Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength included Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Lu An, Azure Nether Paradise’s Ye Ming, and an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise.
No one could figure out why that Royal Lord had done such a thing. Throughout the past 500 years of war, a significant number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords had died, leaving the top battle strength of both races at around 30% of their peak, with the rest having fallen in battle!
Under these circumstances, Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were indispensable forces to the war. Both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan were now far less inclined to have their top Masters engage in battles as any casualties among them could tip the balance of the war.
“How did you know about this?” The Old Ancestor stared at Ji Lao San in puzzlement. According to what Ji Lao San had said, Yang Kai was the one who brought him back through Black Territory via a hidden Void Corridor on the Black Ink Battlefield before travelling through the Shattered Heaven to arrive at the Barren Territory battlefield.
Shouldn’t this Dragon be clueless as to what happened here?
All the colour drained out of Ji Lao San’s face as his heart filled with dread. It was exactly as Yang Kai deduced.
Ji Lao San hurriedly explained about how he and Yang Kai chased down a Black Ink Disciple in the Shattered Heaven and discovered that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had entered the Shattered Heaven.
The Ninth-Order Old Ancestor’s expression turned extremely grim as he listened to this story.
Several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength some years ago, so it could not be a coincidence that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had shown up at the Shattered Heaven now. There was a high possibility that Yang Kai was right. There had to be another passage between the Barren Territory battlefield and the outside world, though it remained to be seen whether the passage connected to the Shattered Heaven.
The Old Ancestor could not afford to waste any more time and quickly passed the message along to the other Old Ancestors.
All at once, flashes of Divine Sense whizzed through the air through all forms of communication devices.
The Human Race learned from the functions of the Black Ink Nest and created a set of artifacts that would make communication and transmitting messages a lot more convenient.
While many of the functions had not been perfected, it was still good enough to use to communicate across the entire Barren Territory battlefield.
Soul Avatars began popping up in that Artifact Space and the news soon reached every single one of the Old Ancestors, whose expressions slowly hardened.
Divine Senses resonated as they communicated, and soon, the Old Ancestors agreed.
The most important task right now was to find the opening that connected the Barren Territory battlefield to the outside world. Once they found where it was, they could address the core of the crisis.
The Barren Territory was naturally formed, but was heavily altered by Human hands. The ancestors of the Human Race mimicked the actions of Cang and the others and isolated the Barren Territory by splitting it from all other Great Territory.
There had originally been more than one Territory Gate that led to this Great Territory, but the ancient Humans had done everything they could to either destroy or seal up the other Territory Gates, leaving just a single one that connected to the Shattered Heaven.
This new opening had to be one of the original Territory Gates, but as they had been sealed up hundreds of thousands of years ago at least, even the Old Ancestors were unclear where the original portals were.
They had no choice but to send messages back to the various Cave Heavens and Paradises’ Master Sects to ask those there to go through the ancient books and records in hopes of finding some clues.
They also sent word to the Phoenix Clan Masters and sought their help as their attainments in the Dao of Space meant they could search for Space Principle fluctuations within the Barren Territory.
If there was indeed an opening somewhere, then there would be faint traces of Space Principle fluctuations emanating from it. The Phoenix Clan was the most adept at investigating this.
In this way, a month passed as the numerous Phoenix Clan Masters searched the entire Barren Territory, but found nothing. However, several Cave Heavens and Paradises sent word that they found records pertaining to the original Territory Gates in the Barren Territory.
The Old Ancestors came together and combed through the records.
According to these ancient records, the Barren Territory originally had four Territory Gates. One connected to the Shattered Heaven, while the other three connected to three other Great Territories.
After comparing the records and confirming the present topography of the Barren Territory, the Old Ancestors soon located the opening!
It was where the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God had died!
The Black Ink Clan had two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. The first was the one who came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but at the time, Cang had borrowed the strength of Mu and forcefully closed the Grand Restriction, slicing that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body in half.
The second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was revived from the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
It was these two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who combined their powers and doomed the Crusade Force. The Human Race were forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass, but as they were confronted by the combined strength of two Giant Spirits Gods, they could not defend the No-Return Pass either. In the end, they retreated once more to the Barren Territory.
Once there, the Human Race relied on arrangements they had made over the millennia to finally establish a solid defense line. It was also there that the Humans gained a powerful ally in the form of Ah Er, the Giant Spirit God who flew in and dealt a crushing blow to the enemy.
Ah Er and numerous Old Ancestors joined forces to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose body had been broken in half by the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, leaving its corpse to rot in the void.
Yang Kai even encountered that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body when he led Ou Yang Lie and the others out of the No-Return Pass and into the Barren Territory.
However, no one had ever imagined that the place where the fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body had landed was atop one of Barren Territory’s former Territory Gates.
The Phoenix Clan could not detect any sign of Space Principle fluctuations throughout the past month, but that was most likely because they were being hidden by the dense Black Ink Strength that remained after the death of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At last, the Humans figured out the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
There was a high chance that the Black Ink Clan had already decided to sacrifice that first Black Ink Giant Spirit God and use its body to hide the existence of the original Territory Gate. On top of that, the concentrated Black Ink Strength could be used to wear down the seal on the portal and create an opening.
Next, one of their Royal Lords used his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt numerous Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength. In the chaos of the war, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength silently snuck out through the opening and headed to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in the Shattered Ruins to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God there!
While these were merely conjectures by the Old Ancestors, it was in fact, the reality.
What they did not know was that it was three, not two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who left through the opening. While Lu An and Ye Ming travelled to the Shattered Heaven together, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise had another task assigned to him that the Humans were as of yet unaware of.
Now that they had come to this conclusion, a lot of things became clear to them.
One of the things they now understood was the reason why the constant battles between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan over the past years mainly occurred a great distance away from that fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body.
Up till now, the Humans never thought much of it since the Black Ink Strength that had spread after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God terrified them and they did not want to get near that area.
Yet, from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan had done this on purpose and were pleased that it worked.
Furthermore, even the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was surprising to all, even though Ah Er and numerous Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had joined forces to kill it.
At the time, the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield had not come forward to aid the first one, despite being completely capable of joining the fight and saving the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At the time, the Humans assumed that Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods did not have a high enough sentience to understand tactics, or what it meant to rescue an ally, but from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan was merely taking advantage of the situation.
Even if Giant Spirit God Ah Er did not come to help the Humans, the Black Ink Clan would have probably have found a way to make sure that the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God died in battle at that very spot.
Only with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s death could they use the dense Black Ink Strength inside its body to erode the boundary walls while simultaneously concealing what they were doing.
This was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s sinister plot!
Even the Royal Lords could not have plotted this. The only one who had the ability to formulate such a strategy had to be Mo, the ancient Supreme Master.
Since Mo was so ancient, it most likely knew about the original situation of the Barren Territory; thus, it was aware of where the original Territory Gates were. What’s more, this plan involved the sacrifice of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the Royal Lords could not possibly have the authority to make such a decision, only their creator, Mo, could do so.
“Where does that Territory Gate lead to?” An Old Ancestor asked.
Another Old Ancestor promptly replied, “Wind Mist Territory!”
Everyone fell silent in thought.
Wind Mist Territory was an unassuming place among the 3,000 Worlds. There were too many Great Territories, so apart from the Great Territories that were well-known due to the Cave Heavens and Paradises having their headquarters there, the most famous ones were now High Heaven Territory where the Star Boundary was located, and Void Territory.
Wind Mist Territory was presided over by Wind Mist Sect. Although the sect had a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among its ranks and could be considered a local hegemon, it was still just a Second-Class great force.
Prior to this, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors might not have even heard of Wind Mist Territory before, but now, the name of this Great Territory was seared into their minds.
Why were the Humans willing to lay down their lives against the Black Ink Clan Army here in the Barren Territory?
Was it not to hold the Black Ink Clan back and stop them from swarming into the 3,000 Worlds?
Now though, a few Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had managed to enter Wind Mist Territory through a forgotten portal; was there still any meaning to the efforts and sacrifices made by the Human Army in the Barren Territory?
This news would have shaken the beliefs of someone with a feeble mind, even if he had held fast to them all this while.
However, those present were all Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. Steadfast would not even begin to describe their Will. No matter how dire a situation seemed, they would not waver in their resolve to eliminate the Black Ink Clan and protect the Human Race.
This was the mission of their lives, their very reason for being.
The Old Ancestors were the Human Race’s strongest Masters and their pillar of strength; thus, after a brief moment of silence, one of the Old Ancestors said, “The Black Ink Clan went through all this effort and even sacrificed one of their Royal Lords just so they could corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength and send them out. This proves that even if there’s an opening that connects the Barren Territory to the outside world, it’s unstable and one would probably have to pay a heavy price to get through.”
The others nodded in agreement. If the opening to the outside world was stable, the Black Ink Clan Army would have poured through it by now without having to go through all this trouble.
“Perhaps the opening can only allow a few on the level of Eighth-Order Masters to pass through, or there’s some kind of adverse effect to using the opening that we don’t know about yet.”
For the sake of creating the Barren Territory, the Second Battlefield as it were, the Human ancestors had worked meticulously for millennia. There were originally four Territory Gates, so an enormous amount of time and effort had gone into either sealing off or destroying three of them. It would not be so easy to reopen one.
Even if the Black Ink Strength that spread out after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was intense and concentrated enough to erode the existing seals on the portal, that was apparently not enough to actually open it.
“The best-case scenario would be if only three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples left. If that’s the case, then the situation isn’t too dire yet.”
“However, if things are just as Yang Kai suspects, then the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land is going to cause serious trouble for us.”
“Don’t forget about Wind Mist Territory. Since those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples could enter Wind Mist Territory, they would’ve surely done something there. It would be child’s play for Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to corrupt others with Black Ink Strength.”
“It should be simple enough to resolve the situation in Wind Mist Territory. Right now, the Black Ink Clan are most likely trying to keep a low profile to avoid their plans being exposed too early. Since Yang Kai found traces of two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, then it seems that one must have stayed behind in Wind Mist Territory. We should deploy a Division to Wind Mist Territory, along with a Purifying Black Ink Battleship, and have the Phoenix Clan send a few of their Masters as well. They can seal off the Territory Gate linking to Wind Mist Territory. We must keep the threat of the Black Ink Disciples contained within Wind Mist Territory. It must not spread anywhere else!”
“Who will head to the Shattered Heaven then?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao volunteered, “I’ll go. Yang Kai went missing under my watch. I should go and bring him back. However, the Great Evolution Army…”
One of the other Ninth-Order Old Ancestors said, “Go on. I’ll help you keep an eye on the Great Evolution Army. It’s just a couple of Royal Lords. I can handle them!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gratefully replied, “Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
Though it was extensive, it did not take the Old Ancestors long to finish their discussion. In just a few breaths, they formulated a plan to deal with the crisis. A series of orders were soon passed down and a Division of Human soldiers and three Phoenix Clan Masters withdrew from the Barren Territory battlefield before quickly rushing towards Wind Mist Territory.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao then concealed her aura and quietly left.
There were two reasons why she volunteered. The first was as she said earlier, Yang Kai was her subordinate and he was lost under her watch. She had thought that he was bound to have met his death, but since he was still alive, it was only natural that she had to bring him back.
Secondly, she was truly annoyed by Yang Kai’s wives, especially that Yu Ru Meng from the Demon Race, who would scowl at her and demand she compensate them by bringing her Husband back.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not stand it anymore…
At the same time, she also knew the grave importance of this task.
The situation in Wind Mist Territory was no big deal; at most, a few Humans might have been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, and a 500-strong Division was heading over there with a few Phoenix Clan Masters so they could handle that with ease.
The real trouble was happening in Shattered Heaven. If the Black Ink Clan’s plan was a success, then they might truly be able to open the passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven.
…..
Just as Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao left the Barren Territory and arrived at the Shattered Heaven, Yang Kai was breathing heavily with the look of someone who was refusing to resign himself to the situation. His hand was trembling violently as he gripped his Azure Dragon Spear inside the Black Ink Sealing Land of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
He had been attacking the Black Ink Giant Spirit God for a full month and now completely understood why the Dragon and Phoenix Clans chose to seal it here instead of destroying him completely.
That was because it was impossible to accomplish that!
Yang Kai never would have thought that a living being’s body could be this strong and unbreakable.
He was by no means weak as he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was proficient in numerous Dao Strengths, Divine Abilities, and Secret Techniques. He could easily destroy a Universe World in a blink of an eye, but even after a month had passed, he failed to deal any real damage to this Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This being’s restorative capabilities were simply ludicrous, completely capable of recovering from any and all injuries within a matter of moments.
Of course, this was probably also due to the fact that he and his opponent were worlds apart in terms of true strength.
Although Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was even stronger than Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; thus, due to the power differential, his wide repertoire of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques all amounted to nothing.
It was just as if a First or Second-Order Master was to try to attack him; even if Yang Kai just stood there, the former would not be able to do anything to him either.
It had been a month and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was nearly fully revived now. The formidable aura was deeply alarming, and the Demon Sealing Land seemed to have a hard time withstanding the pressure as space itself continuously cracked and healed under its weight.
Yang Kai was beginning to lose hope. He was attacking with full force while his opponent did not fight back at all, but even so, he couldn’t even wound him. Just what was he supposed to do to stop this Black Ink Giant Spirit God?
After consuming handfuls of pills, Yang Kai quickly restored his strength. He knew that he did not have much time left. Calamity would befall the entire 3,000 Worlds if this Black Ink Giant Spirit God walked out of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Feeling he had little to lose, Yang Kai stared at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and suddenly asked, “Mo, how do you benefit from destroying the 3,000 Worlds?”
This was Yang Kai’s first attempt at communicating with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God throughout this entire month.
All along, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s eyes had been closed as he continued to restore his aura. He ignored everything that Yang Kai did, but when he heard this question, his eyes flew open as he stared at Yang Kai in surprise, “How did you know I’m Mo? Even Cang and the others were deceived by me.”
“What’s so shocking about me knowing that you’re Mo?” Yang Kai retorted coolly.
Yang Kai would not have known that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were Mo’s Soul Clones if Lu An had not regained his senses just before his death and informed him about this.
A Soul Clone like this was far too powerful, so much so that no one would even consider the possibility of him being a Soul Clone.
Mo studied Yang Kai solemnly for a while before it abruptly shook its head, “You’re smart. Smart people aren’t good people.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt the urge to curse.
[This guy, the source of all chaos and disasters, and possibly the calamity that would befall the 3,000 Worlds, resulting in the extermination of all life, is saying that I’m not a good person!?]
However, before he could say anything, Mo sighed heavily, “Mu was the smartest, and she wasn’t a good person.”
Mo had been tricked by Mu. That was why it was sealed up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and could not escape even after millions of years. Thus, it seemed to have somewhat of an aversion to smart people.
[That old man Cang was right. Mo is quite dumb, or rather naïve to be more accurate. It’s a pity he eventually grew smarter.] Yang Kai swallowed the words that were right on the tip of his tongue as his brow furrowed slightly. Mo was behaving rather childishly, which reminded him a lot of what Cang had said about Mo in the past.
Mo was an ancient entity that formed out of nothingness. It was the darkness of the first Primordial Light and was not a true sentient being; therefore, even though it had been alive for many millions of years, its sentience was still on the level of that of a child.
Back then, when it used Black Ink Strength to corrupt all those Great Territories, it did so because it was its natural born power, not due to any malicious intent.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai agreed decisively, “Smart people are despicable. Dumb people like me often get tricked. If only all the smart people ceased to exist.”
Mo felt a tinge of kinship, “Do you feel the same way too?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Mo quickly extended an invitation, “Why don’t you let me enlighten you with Black Ink Strength? Join me. We can kill off all the smart people that exist. That way, we can become the smart ones.”
Yang Kai remained silent and stared at Mo for a while before chuckling all of a sudden, “You’re already smart, to begin with. Why do you need to kill off everyone else?”
Perhaps Mo was a little childish in its thoughts, but that did not mean it was foolish.
However, Mo seemed to have missed what Yang Kai said as it stared at Yang Kai curiously, “Do you have a World Tree clone? Are you like Cang and the others? Why can’t my Black Ink Strength corrupt you?”
The Black Ink Sealing Land was now, ironically, filled with Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was not affected by it at all, which meant that he could stave off the effects of Black Ink Strength.
“You know about the World Tree clones?” Yang Kai asked.
“Of course,” Mo replied, “That Old Tree isn’t a good thing either. I haven’t seen him in so long now, so I don’t know how he’s doing.” Then, Mo shook its head, “How annoying. You might not be able to withstand it if my true body was here. It’s a shame that I’m just a Soul Clone right now and can’t corrupt you with Black Ink Strength.”
A thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he recalled what Cang said to him back then. He said that Yang Kai should not feel at ease simply because he had a World Tree clone inside his Small Universe, which helped to seal and protect it. Even that was not infallible against Black Ink Strength.
From the looks of it now, the strength of Mo’s true body was most likely able to break through the World Tree clone’s protection. Perhaps the only thing that could stop the encroachment of the strength of Mo’s true body was the World Tree itself.
However, if even the World Tree clones were not enough to withstand the strength of Mo’s true body, then how did Cang and the others avoid getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength?
Perhaps if Mo wanted to use Black Ink Strength to corrupt Cang and the other Martial Ancestors, it would have to pay a heavy price, similar to how the Royal Lords would suffer when they use their Royal Lord Secret Technique!
Setting aside such thoughts, Yang Kai asked a question that he was more concerned about, “Since you know that Old Tree, do you know where to find it?”
The World Tree was within the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but no one knew where the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was. One could only enter if one chanced upon it. Throughout all these ages, there was no record of anyone being able to find the entrance to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary on purpose.
Yang Kai was now an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and had basically reached the peak of his Martial Dao. At most, he could hit the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he couldn’t become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, he could resolve this issue if he had a High-Rank World Fruit.
“You want to look for him?” Mo asked instead of answering the question.
“Do enlighten me,” Yang Kai got up and bowed.
Mo shook his head, “I can’t find him. He’s hiding from me.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “He’s hiding from you? Why is he hiding from you?”
Mo chuckled and said nothing.
Yang Kai frowned. He could not understand at all. Mo and World Tree were two of the oldest entities in existence. What kind of history and resentment was there between them, that the World Tree actually had to hide from Mo?
Cang’s words flashed across Yang Kai’s mind once more. The 10 of them had relied on the power of the World Tree to gain enlightenment on how to reach the Open Heaven Realm before passing on that knowledge to future generations, becoming the Martial Ancestors of the current Martial Dao! This was how the Humans managed to carve out a place for themselves in the harsh, brutal environment of ancient times. It was also the spread of Martial Dao that put a stop to the encroachment of Black Ink Strength.
Cang also said that this was a form of self-preservation. The 10 Martial Ancestors had been chosen, and likewise, Yang Kai was chosen as he had received a World Tree clone.
Since it was a form of self-preservation, who was the one who was trying to save themselves?
Was it the vast universe? Was it some mysterious and inexorable Will that somehow existed?
The World Tree was the key factor in this method of self-preservation as it worked through the World Tree’s power.
One was focused on self-preservation while the other was determined to destroy; thus, it stood to reason that it was impossible for the World Tree and Mo to peacefully coexist.
There were too many mysteries and unanswered questions from the ancient era. Perhaps Cang had some of the answers, but everyone from those ancient times that they could possibly ask had passed on, and it was difficult for even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the present era to fathom the circumstances of that distant past.
Yang Kai did not linger on these unanswerable questions and instead turned to Mo and sincerely tried to convince him, “Mo, just give it up now. The Human Race have sacrificed too much throughout all these years in their attempt to fight back against the Black Ink Clan. The 3,000 Worlds is flourishing. Why must you destroy everything?”
Mo eyed Yang Kai with interest, “Will the Humans let me go if I stop now?”
“The Humans can form a truce with you. You can have the Black Ink Battlefield, and as long as you promise to never invade the 3,000 Worlds again, the Human Race won’t interfere with the Black Ink Clan,” Yang Kai replied.
Mo suddenly chuckled, “I thought you were a smart person. Who knew that you’d turn out to be a fool? You’re an Eighth-Order Master. How can you represent the entire Human Race?”
“I can’t, but there will be someone who can,” Yang Kai declared firmly.
Mo slowly shook his head, “It’s impossible. You’re telling me to give it up now because the Humans are at a disadvantage; however, if there comes a time when the Humans have faith that they can overpower me, they will surely try to find a way to get rid of me once and for all. The Humans and the Black Ink Clan have been fighting for countless eons now. The chasm between us that grew out of our blood feud has grown too deep. This bitter resentment will only end when one of us has been completely wiped out. It cannot be resolved with a simple truce.”
“When there’s a will, there’s a way!”
Mo stared at Yang Kai fixedly. All of a sudden, he started looking a little wistful, “Mu used to say that I’m very naive. I didn’t understand what that meant back then, but now I do.”
Yang Kai did not care about Mo’s insult as he continued to try and persuade the latter, “It’ll be an unthinkable catastrophe if Black Ink Strength invades the 3,000 Worlds. You don’t gain anything from doing this, so why do you insist on being so stubborn about it?”
“It was Mu and the others who betrayed me first!” Mo became furious all of a sudden, “I never thought about destroying the 3,000 Worlds. It was them! They were the ones who thought that my very existence was a sin! That’s why they locked me up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. I had no way of getting out even after millions of years, but you know what’s ironic? They died just to keep me locked up in there!”
Yang Kai had nothing to say in response.
Even though Yang Kai knew that he would only be wasting his breath, he still had to try, and now that he had tried and failed, there was no reason for him to continue.
Just as Mo had said, a blood feud that lasted countless years could only end when one party was completely wiped out. The truth behind the conflict and being right or wrong no longer mattered in this war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan.
Mo slowly rose to its feet. Although its movements were sluggish and somewhat clumsy, every single move it made seemed to give off an explicable pressure that suffocated those around it. As Mo stood up and its feet pressed down on the ground, even the Demon Sealing Land was struggling to bear its massive body.
“You’re so wearisome!” Mo snorted as he reached out to grab Yang Kai.
It felt as if the sky had come crashing down as Yang Kai suddenly felt a heavy pressure descend on him. It was as if something was weighing down on his shoulders, thoroughly immobilising him.
Even so, he did not attempt to flee or hide. He raised his head to stare at Mo’s face, which was nearly out of sight and sighed quietly, “In that case, you’ll just have to join me in exile!”
Space Principles flared as the World Force from Yang Kai’s Small Universe flooded out.
In an instant, a vast swath of the Black Ink Sealing Land turned into a shattered mirror with a myriad of cracks spreading out like a spider web as far as they eye could see.
All the streaks of Void Cracks were incredibly sharp and even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a hard time defending themselves from them. One false move and they might end up getting sliced in half.
Mo’s large hand continued its motion though. The Void Cracks left streaks of bloodied cuts all along its arm, causing black blood and Black Ink Strength to spew out, but it remained unaffected.
The next breath, the massive mirror that covered the Demon Sealing Land shattered entirely, and the area crumbled apart.
After a brief delay, a huge region of the Demon Sealing Land caved in and started collapsing towards its centre. As space warped, everything inside the Demon Sealing Land, including Yang Kai and Mo’s Soul Clone were all dragged in as well.
Meanwhile, outside Shattered Ruins, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao charged straight through the Divine Ability Sea, rushing all the way until she arrived at Divine Spirit Ancestral Land; however, as soon as she entered, her pupils shrank as she saw the expansive Void twisted up and teetering unstably. The collapse lasted for a brief moment before an impossibly large black hole appeared, filled with chaotic nothingness.
Her silhouette flickered and she immediately arrived outside the black hole, staring at it as she ground her teeth.
[I was a step too late!]
She knew that everything she saw in front of her right now was a result of Yang Kai’s use of Space Principles. While she did not know what the situation was like now, she knew that it could not be good if Yang Kai was forced to this extent.
Even though she was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she was unwilling to charge into this black hole because, once inside, she was not certain she could find her way out again. After thinking in silence for a moment, she turned around and flew off.
What she now knew for sure was that the opening in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to Wind Mist Territory, so if the Black Ink Clan did awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, it would surely head for Wind Mist Territory.
All she needed to do was wait there and she would be able to stand in her opponent’s path.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was in a rush, so she pushed herself as quickly as she could and soon, she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
However, she did not get far when she sensed a massive outburst of energy emanating from behind her. Turning around to see the source, she witnessed space itself being ripped apart as a massive hand the size of a mountain emerged from within.
The black hand was pulsating with extreme amounts of Black Ink Strength as it ripped the Void apart in a flash. A large silhouette appeared and roared, “Do you think this is enough to trap me?!”
“The Black Ink Giant Spirit God!” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook. Immediately after, she spotted the tiny silhouette beside the huge figure.
“Yang Kai!”
Before she could rush over, Yang Kai used Space Principles once more to invert Space and drag both him and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God back inside the Void Crack.
Inside the Void Crack, Yang Kai was extremely distressed.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was too humongous and his power was too immense. At first, Yang Kai figured that since he could not kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, he could at least exile Mo’s Soul Clone and leave it lost inside the Void Crack. Mo’s Soul Clone would never be able to escape, and thus, the Human Race’s present crisis could be resolved.
However, he never expected that Mo could easily find its way out of the Void Crack.
There were no traces of Mo using Space Principles, and Yang Kai had never heard of Mo being proficient in the Dao of Space, and yet, the Void Crack which frightened even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords seemed to pose no threat to Mo at all. It was as if it was walking on normal ground.
Mo could seemingly tear apart space with its bare hands. After easily finding a weakness to exploit, it ripped through space and escaped through the opening.
Initially, Yang Kai thought it was just a coincidence, but after Mo escaped from the Void Crack a second time, he then knew that it was not a coincidence. Mo could not be trapped within the Void!
Mo noticed the confused and disbelieving look on Yang Kai’s face and sneered, “I was born from the chaos of nothingness and existed inside of it for countless millions of years, it was my birthplace and home since before time itself, do you really think this would be enough to trap me?”
Yang Kai was struck with realization. He finally understood why Mo could easily escape from the Void Crack.
Mo was the Primordial Darkness born alongside the Primordial Light when the universe first formed, and just as Mo had said, it had lived inside that chaotic nihility all that time. The Void Crack might be an inescapable prison to all others, but to Mo, it was just the warm bed that once nursed it.
How could such a place serve as a trap for it?
Yang Kai felt chills down his spine. He no longer had anything else up his sleeve; after all, he was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That being said, he did not stop trying to drag Mo back into the Void Crack to delay it.
All of a sudden, he heard a cry and sensed a familiar aura rushing over to him. He turned around and saw a flash of light shooting over.
When the light came close and formed a silhouette, Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Old Ancestor!”
It was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao who came. Originally, she wanted to head over to Wind Mist Territory and make preparations for an ambush, but upon noticing the aura of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, she immediately changed course and rushed over.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao did not have any time to spare in greeting as two different coloured lights swam around her figure and she struck heavily at Mo.
Mo’s blood spurted out and rained down as it roared in pain, raising its hand to swat at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
A grunt was heard as the two-coloured lights shattered and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s silhouette reappeared. Blood was dripping out the corner of her lips and it was clear she had suffered an injury. She then shot over to Yang Kai in a flash and dragged him away with her.
Mo showed no intention of going after them. Although it was a lot more powerful than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, it would not be easy for it to kill her if she was determined to flee, so instead of wasting time here, it was better for it to start heading for its next destination.
This was also the reason why it did not bother killing Yang Kai earlier. Although Yang Kai was a fairly weak Human, he was proficient in the Dao of Space and would not be easily killed.
Moments later, somewhere in the void several million kilometres away from the Demon Sealing Land, Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s figures came to a stop.
“How are your injuries?” Yang Kai asked in concern.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and shook her head, “I’m alright.”
“Did Brother Ji of the Dragon Clan deliver my message?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes, but alas, I arrived a little too late.”
Yang Kai could not help but feel a little dejected as well. He had also been a little too late. If he had managed to stop Lu An and Ye Ming before they entered the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, perhaps things would not have been as dire as they were now.
Now that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Ancestral Land had been revived, the situation was not something Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could handle by herself.
Who would have thought that the Black Ink Clan would come up with such a plan?
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God began striding through the void. Though his movements appeared clumsy, every single step he took spanned hundreds of thousands of kilometres, and everywhere he went, the light faded and the area turned to darkness as Black Ink Strength diffused all around.
Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stared at the massive silhouette with the same thought in mind, [The Shattered Heaven is doomed!]
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and said, “He’s headed for Wind Mist Territory, which is where the other passage the Barren Territory battlefield connects to. He wants to go there and work with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory to open the passage for good!”
“Wind Mist Territory?” Yang Kai frowned. He had never even heard of this Great Territory, let alone been there; however, after hearing Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s explanations, he realised that he had been mistaken in his earlier guess. He thought that the other portal in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to the Shattered Heaven, but from the looks of it now, it was connected to Wind Mist Territory instead.
The only passage between the Shattered Heaven and the Barren Territory battlefield was still under the Human Race’s control.
Thus, Lu An and Ye Ming must have travelled from Wind Mist Territory to the Shattered Heaven instead of appearing in the Shattered Heaven directly.
Yang Kai quickly pulled his Universe Chart out and studied it before saying, “Wind Mist Territory isn’t far from here, just three Great Territories away, which means there’ll be three Territory Gates in the way!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at once, “I can seal off these three Territory Gates to buy us some time.”
In the past, he would have assumed that the Black Ink Clan would be stuck once he blocked off these Territory Gates, but since the Black Ink Clan managed to erode even a portal in the Barren Territory despite the Human ancestors having sealed it off for hundreds of thousands of years, it proved that it was just as Ji Lao San had said. Sealing off the Territory Gates was not a foolproof plan.
An ordinary member of the Black Ink Clan, or even a Royal Lord might not be able to reopen a Territory Gate that had been sealed, but the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone and could use his pure and abundant Black Ink Strength to corrode the boundary walls to reopen the portal.
Even if Yang Kai managed to seal off the three Territory Gates in the path that led to Wind Mist Territory, this would only serve as a delay. He could not block off Mo’s Soul Clone’s path entirely.
“Then what?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked.
Yang Kai quickly said, “The only ones who can stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God are the true Giant Spirit Gods or other equally powerful beings! Old Ancestor, is there a bald Giant Spirit God at Barren Territory battlefield, apart from the Giant Spirit God with a tuft of hair on his head?”
“I haven’t seen one like that,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head.
At present, there were only two Giant Spirit Gods in the Barren Territory battlefield. One was on the side of the Humans, which was the one with a tuft of hair on his head as Yang Kai described, while the other one was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. These two beings had been fighting for hundreds of years now, not showing any signs of fatigue. It seemed as if they would carry on until the end of time.
[Ah Da isn’t in the Barren Territory!] Yang Kai concluded.
If he could find Ah Da, perhaps he could get him to stop Mo’s Soul Clone. Of course, Yang Kai had no idea where to find Ah Da.
There had been no news of Ah Da ever since he left the Star Boundary. Although Giant Spirit Gods were easy to spot due to their massive size, they could also control the size of their body at will, or else, they would not be able to pass through the Territory Gates.
When Ah Er brought Yang Kai through the Territory Gates back then, he had shrunk down a lot.
Plus, Giant Spirit Gods were also heavy sleepers who frequently napped after a meal. What’s more, a short nap for a Giant Spirit God would be several years long, while a long sleep could last for over 10,000 years.
Since there was no way of locating Ah Da, Yang Kai’s only choice was to seek help from two others who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Giant Spirit Gods.
Yang Kai made up his mind and said, “I’ll leave you to handle things here, Old Ancestor. I have to head to the Chaotic Dead Territory!”
Upon hearing this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao immediately guessed Yang Kai’s plans, “You wish to seek the help of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer?”
“There’s no other option left.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s brows furrowed. Words seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she swallowed them back down and nodded, “Go. I’ll do my best to delay the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.”
She could not stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God by herself, but she could still find ways to stall him. Furthermore, Yang Kai was able to seal off the Territory Gates, while he was the only one who had a chance to convince the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to descend the mountain and enter the war.
However…
It might not necessarily be a good thing if they did.
Yang Kai was less experienced and did not know just how terrifying those two were, but Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao knew better.
Those two Supreme Beings were avatars of disaster and destruction, but thankfully, they seemed content to remain in their home and never actively left the Chaotic Dead Territory. If that was not the case, the 3,000 Worlds would have long ago ceased to exist.
Since things were decided, Yang Kai dared not waste any more time. He left at once, and with a flicker of Space Principles, his image lurched into the distance.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glanced at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was making its way across the void, took a deep breath, and transformed into a streak of light that lunged at its massive back. A series of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flashed out as she flew forward.
Prior to this, Yang Kai’s attention had been completely focused on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, so he did not notice the changes in the Shattered Heaven. However, now that he was rushing to his destination, he noticed that a lot of Humans had gathered in groups and were heading towards the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate.
They appeared frantic, as if they were fleeing in panic.
Yang Kai immediately realised what was going on; his earlier plan must have taken effect.
Earlier on, he asked the two Envoys from Heavenly River Palace to spread the news about the appearance of Black Ink Disciples. That way, cultivators in the Shattered Heaven would remain on alert for suspicious people.
The situation had not seemed that bad back then, for even if there were a few Black Ink Disciples, the troops under the command of the three Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven were more than enough to deal with them.
However, now that Lu An and Ye Ming managed to enter the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the situation had turned abysmal.
When Hong Hu left with a gravely injured Kun Ao, she actively spread the news that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been revived, shaking all the people living in the Shattered Heaven.
If anyone else had been the bearer of such news, the reckless and lawless inhabitants of the Shattered Heaven might not have believe it, but Hong Hu was a mature Divine Spirit whose strength eclipsed even the three Great Divine Monarchs, yet even she was fleeing in a fluster. Who would dare not believe her words?
Those who feared for their lives naturally packed their things and escaped their hideouts as soon as possible, wanting to evacuate from the Shattered Heaven as quickly as possible.
However, the majority still chose to stay behind and observe the situation first.
Most of the cultivators in the Shattered Heaven were those who had no other choice but to hide in this place. They would not be accepted anywhere else in the 3,000 Worlds other than in this place.
Thus, even though Hong Hu’s news was incredibly alarming, with no place to go, many chose to remain within the Shattered Heaven.
From the start, the Shattered Heaven was the land of chaos and violence. Right now, the people’s hearts were filled with fear and the three Divine Monarchs had all gone to the Barren Territory battlefield to aid in the war effort; thus, with no powerful Masters to keep some semblance of order, the Shattered Heaven completely fell into chaos.
There were signs of killing and robbery everywhere, which was the sight that greeted Yang Kai now.
His heart grew heavier as these scenes came into his view. News of the revival of a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God was enough to wreak havoc across the expansive territory of the Shattered Heaven, so what would happen when the Black Ink Clan Army invaded the 3,000 Worlds? Would there still be peace anywhere?
Unfortunately, chances were that all the Great Territories would turn into what the Shattered Heaven was like now.
Yang Kai travelled at breakneck speed, and in just a few days, he arrived at the Territory Gate; however, he was surprised to find that many cultivators were gathered outside the Territory Gate, forming a long line as they waited to pass through.
The order they maintained surprised Yang Kai as these were not civil people who would follow directions.
Soon though, Yang Kai understood why this was so.
A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was overseeing things at the Territory Gate, along with a group of cultivators who were standing guard together with him. Anyone who wished to pass through had to pay an enormous fee.
Yang Kai was immediately infuriated.
Even when all of the Shattered Heaven was in chaos, some people were trying to profit from the situation.
That being said, he knew that those holed up in this damned place were not the kind to uphold the pillars of morality. In the past, not many people used the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate, so a business like this would not be very profitable. Now that a lot of people wanted to leave the Shattered Heaven though, someone came up with the brilliant idea of making money out of it.
Yang Kai stormed up to the Territory Gate, his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation on full display, terrifying the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the portal.
No one would have expected the arrival of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at a time like this.
There were only three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the entire Shattered Heaven, and this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master heard that they had all left for some unknown reason; otherwise, he would not have had the gall to throw his weight around out here.
He was originally a cultivator from a small Sect, and though he was talented, he had coveted the Sect Master’s Wife and did something reprehensible. Thus, he was forced to flee and hide in the Shattered Heaven. However, he thrived in this place and after many years ended up becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
He was an ambitious fellow and did not choose to serve any of the Divine Monarchs. Instead, he formed a great force of his own as he believed it was better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. All in all, he led a pretty carefree life.
When he found out that a lot of people were leaving the Shattered Heaven to seek refuge in other Great Territories, he led his forces to block the Territory Gate and demand a fee from those who wanted to leave.
Some tried to protest but they were killed off as examples, causing those who remained to not dare to fight back anymore.
In front of these scattered cultivators, he was a high and mighty Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he knew he was nothing in front of an Eighth-Order Master.
Understanding that escape was impossible, he choked down his fear and came forward to meet Yang Kai, bowing politely, “Flower Butterfly Sect Nan Yun greets Senior!”
His manner was cordial and respectful as he observed the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s expression to try and figure out what he was thinking.
Only those that were quick to adapt to situations could survive in the Shattered Heaven while those who could not, died off before long.
Nan Yun was highly adept at reading other people’s thoughts and feelings.
However, after glancing at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his heart clenched up tight as the stormy look on this person’s face made it clear that he was enraged.
[I’m doomed!]
Nan Yun sorely wished that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was kind and benevolent to others. He had only just managed to flaunt his power, but from the way things were looking now, he might end up dying here instead.
The act of forcibly demanding payment for use of the Territory Gate was something that easily enraged others; after all, all Open Heaven Realm Masters would have had to use these Territory Gates. How could they possibly have enough funds to sustain themselves if they had to pay a fee each time they passed through one?
Nan Yun had only taken the risk to do such a thing because he knew that no Masters were around in the Shattered Heaven. As the saying goes, the monkey acts like the king when the tiger leaves the mountain. He never thought that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suddenly show up.
What made Nan Yun even more uneasy was the tension he sensed in this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s posture.
In that instant, he couldn’t help but think of fleeing, but he was also aware that as a Seventh-Order Master, he had no chance of doing so in front of an Eighth-Order Master as it would only take a wave of the other party’s hand to kill him.
With cold sweat dripping down his forehead, Nan Yun knelt on the ground to beg for mercy, “Senior, please forgive me. This Junior’s thoughts were clouded by greed. I dare not repeat the same mistake. Mercy, Senior!”
It was extremely rare for a majestic Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to be so meek and subservient; after all, all Masters in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were considered mighty existences in the 3,000 Worlds. Even in Cave Heavens and Paradises, they still existed as Elders and were highly regarded by many.
For such a Master, it was extremely hard to lose his composure and make such a meek and subservient gesture.
However, Nan Yun was not born in those Cave Heavens and Paradises. As a result of his lifelong wandering and hardships, he developed a fear of death and a tendency to behave to his benefit and act in accordance with the situation regardless of shame.
As long as he could save his life, put aside begging for mercy, it wouldn’t even be a big deal if he had to address the other party as Grandfather.
It was not like he hadn’t been in such a position before after so many years in the Shattered Heaven, facing the majesty of the three Divine Monarchs.
Little did he know, Yang Kai’s tense complexion was not due to this small character taking advantage during the disaster. It was just that a question crossed Yang Kai’s mind at this very moment.
[What will the cultivators of the Shattered Heaven do if I block this Territory Gate?]
Although the vast majority of cultivators here were criminals, there was no small proportion of kind individuals whose luck was just bad. In addition to that, many cultivators born in the Shattered Heaven were here simply because of their forefathers’ wrongdoings rather than their own.
This was not a matter of one or two cultivators, or even one or two Great Forces, but rather the fate of all living beings in the Shattered Heaven!
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already on its way here, and the Black Ink Strength it naturally gave off was many times more intense than even the Royal Lords, able to stain and corrupt countless cultivators wherever it went.
Once the portal here was sealed and the Shattered Heaven cultivators had no way to escape, the entire Shattered Heaven would soon become filled with Black Ink Disciples.
However, without sealing the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could not be delayed, and the Black Ink Disciples hidden in the Shattered Heaven would also escape to other Great Territories!
By that time, it would be a situation where a tiny spark kindled a whole prairie of fire.
[Perhaps the Black Ink Disciples have already left the Shattered Heaven by now…]
Yang Kai looked down at Nan Yun who was kneeling in front of him and quickly commanded, “Get up. I have a task for you.”
Yang Kai’s previous silence made Nan Yun feel like he was under a mountain of pressure, and the fear that he might die at any moment enveloped him, so as soon as he heard Yang Kai’s remarks, he dared not hesitate. Rising up swiftly he smiled ingratiatingly and said, “Senior, if you need anything, just give me your order. You can count on me.”
Yang Kai pointed behind himself and declared, “Lead them to a secluded and safe hiding place. The Shattered Heaven’s fate is already sealed and it won’t be long before there is no pure land left here. Spread the word as widely as possible for everyone to go into hiding and not come out until the issue is resolved.”
Nan Yun was taken aback and inquired, “Because of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
If it was more than a month ago, Nan Yun would have no idea what a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was at all; however, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was no longer an unknown since Hong Hu spread word about it after she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Nan Yun initially did not take this matter all that seriously, but after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he felt that he was too naïve previously.
The situation in the Shattered Heaven was probably far worse than he imagined; otherwise, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him wouldn’t be so solemn about this matter.
“Can you do it?” Yang Kai asked in a solemn voice.
Nan Yun cupped his fist and replied, “Junior will do his best!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Go. The more isolated and concealed, the better.”
After he waved his hand signalling him to leave, Nan Yun retreated respectfully and quickly used a Secret Technique to command everyone to follow him. Of course, there were a few who were unwilling to obey. Nan Yun tried to persuade them patiently but failed, and as a result, he lost his composure and wounded one of them. Later, he secretly cast a glance at Yang Kai, only to see no reaction from the latter and taking it as tacit agreement. Unshackled, Nan Yun wounded numerous people who refused to obey his commands one after the other.
Now, everyone was obeying him.
Following Nan Yun’s order, all the cultivators gathered in front of the Territory Gate turned around and headed for the depths of the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai felt desolate.
Blocking the Shattered Heaven’s portal was equivalent to cutting off the escape route for many cultivators, but if it was not sealed, it would only make the situation worse.
When disciples first left their Sects for life experience in the wider world, their Elders would often ask them whether they would save one or 100 to test their morals.
If they chose to save one, 100 people would die.
If they chose to save 100, one would die.
How would they make the decision?
In truth, there was no right answer to this question, it all merely depended on their heart.
Yang Kai never imagined that one day he would really face such a choice.
And his choice was to save 100!
Blocking the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate now might doom everyone living here to a miserable fate, but if it was not sealed, that disaster would multiply hundreds of times over as disaster would descend on the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Furthermore, even if the cultivators here were corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would not be at risk of losing their lives immediately, they would just lose their sense of self and become subservient to the Black Ink Clan. Such chaos could still be restored with Purifying Light, so there was no reason to hesitate.
This did not solely apply to the Shattered Heaven of course, but to the three Great Territories on the way to Wind Mist Territory as well.
The most urgent issue at the moment was keeping the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from entering Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai did not dally after Nan Yun took the crowd away. He flashed into Territory Gate, manipulated Space Principles to disrupt the Void, and sealed the portal.
Having previous experience sealing the Territory Gate connecting the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield, it was far easier this time for Yang Kai.
The portal had been entirely smoothed out by the time Yang Kai rushed through from the other end of the short Void Corridor.
With no delay, he immediately rushed to the portal leading to the other Great Territory while along his way, he warned everyone he could.
…
While Yang Kai was doing his best, the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan began a violent battle on the Barren Territory battlefield, surrounding the body of the slain Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
How could the Human Race sit idly by now that the location of a breach in the Barren Territory had been discovered? Under the mobilisation of all the Army Commanders, the Human and Divine Spirit forces quietly moved to occupy this portal.
As long as they could seize control of the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Clan would be unable to establish a link to the 3,000 Worlds. Likewise, the Human Race might be able to find a way to close the portal permanently.
Before this, the battle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had gradually decreased in intensity. After all these years of fighting, both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had suffered tremendous losses with even the number of Royal Lords and Old Ancestors falling to a third of their peak.
Both parties sought to maintain their strength while waiting for the circumstances to change.
Initially, the Black Ink Clan was unconcerned with this tiny loss as their Armies were essentially endless with fresh troops being sent from the Black Ink Battlefield constantly. There were over 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests many times more Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest breeding new soldiers, not to mention countless Low-Rank Black Ink Nests doing the same.
The Black Ink Clansmen could be created indefinitely as long as there were sufficient resources.
They could use this advantage to conduct a battle of attrition with the Human Race, slowly wearing the enemy down and eventually gaining an absolute advantage.
However, Yang Kai’s return trip from the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield completely wiped out that advantage.
He sealed the Territory Gate that connected the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield!
How despicable!
This seal was not unbreakable of course; the Black Ink Clan still had a Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was capable of tearing open the sealed Territory Gate.
However, because it lacked the necessary intelligence to be aware of its surroundings and was entangled with Ah Er in a battle, it did not have time to deal with the sealed portal. Only a Giant Spirit God could fight another Giant Spirit God. These two Giant Spirit Gods were engaged in a fierce battle on the Barren Territory battlefield and no one from the Black Ink Clan nor the Human Race dared to get within a million kilometres of that clash.
The Black Ink Clan never imagined that their side would one day face a shortage of troops. Many Royal Lords despised that Human with all their hearts, and they all secretly swore that they would rip his corpse into 10,000 pieces if they were ever given the chance.
Because of this, for the past 10 years or so, the battles between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had settled down considerably, to the point where it almost seemed tepid.
The strongest Masters would simply never join in the battle and the two Armies would often just launch tentative attacks, only pressing ahead when they were certain they would win.
However, the fragile peace was shattered the moment the Humans tried to seize control of the second Territory Gate.
The Armies of the two Races were never frightened of death and soon were going all out to gain control of that region.
The original Human Army was not dominant in terms of military might; after all, they had suffered way too much over the preceding years of war; however, they were on equal footing at the present moment.
This was thanks to the assistance of the Divine Spirits, who made up for much of the Human Race’s lack of high-end battle capability, particularly that of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan leaders who were stronger than even the strongest Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
These two were, after all, from the Races that ruled over the entire Early Ancient Era. When the Dragons and Phoenixes ruled the 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race was still among the weakest of all living beings, not even comparable to the Monster Race.
It wasn’t until Cang and the other Martial Ancestors were enlightened to the Open Heaven Realm that the Human Race’s status gradually rose.
On top of that, the Cave Heavens and Paradises recruited reinforcements from all the various Great Territories, bolstering the Human Army’s numbers. The only element they were lacking was sufficient numbers of Warships.
Every time a battle broke out, numerous Warships were either damaged or destroyed, and even though the Artifact Refiners strove their hardest to refine more and repair those that were broken, they were unable to keep up with the rate of destruction.
Complicating masters were the many cultivators who were new to this kind of battlefield.
These Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had never engaged in a real war and at best had experienced some struggles between rival Sects. None of them had participated in such a large-scale battle involving millions of cultivators!
It was not until these cultivators from the Second Class great forces entered the Barren Territory battlefield that they understood where all the heritage the Cave Heavens and Paradises accumulated over countless years had gone, and only then did they realize how great the sacrifice these top forces had made to protect the 3,000 Worlds.
They couldn’t help feeling shame upon learning the truth.
The initial location of this second Territory Gate was overlooked because it was covered by the corpse of the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God. The Human Race never imagined that this was all the Black Ink Clan’s deliberate attempt to conceal the truth. Now, however, this region had become a battleground for the forces of the two Races, with control see-sawing back and forth numerous times. The battle was so intense that the likes of it had not been seen since the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction 500 years prior.
Under such tense circumstances, the Human Race could no longer dedicate additional Masters to other tasks.
So, despite the fact that Hong Hu delivered the news about the Ancestral Land Black Ink Giant Spirit God awakening, only Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was able to intercede.
It wasn’t that the other Old Ancestor didn’t want to help, but that they simply couldn’t.
Originally, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao believed that if she arrived in time, the matter of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could be perfectly resolved, but unfortunately, she was one step too late. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God had awakened and was now passing through the Shattered Heaven, heading towards Wind Mist Territory!
Yang Kai raced through several Great Territories, sealing the Territory Gates as he went. Simultaneously, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was continually pestering the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that had awakened from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, delaying it as best she could.
She, however, quickly realised that something was off.
According to her and Yang Kai’s previous speculation, Mo’s Soul Clone would head from the Shattered Heaven to Wind Mist Territory, where it would cooperate with the Barren Territory’s Black Ink Clan Armies to rip open the sealed Territory Gate and allow an invasion of the 3,000 Worlds to begin in earnest.
If that was the case though, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God first had to leave the Shattered Heaven then travel across three Great Territories before arriving at Wind Mist Territory.
It was also due to this consideration that Yang Kai took the first step to block those connecting Territory Gates.
However, after more than a month of entanglement with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao realised that the route Mo’s Soul Clone was headed was not to the exit from the Shattered Heaven.
She first assumed that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was lost since it had suddenly awakened; after all, even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could get lost in the enormous void without an appropriate Universe Chart in hand.
A Universe Chart was a must-have item for all Open Heaven Realm Masters to travel through the Great Territories.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao first felt fortunate, because if the other party had truly lost its way, it would be delayed for longer.
But after a few days, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao realised something was off.
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God appeared to have no intention of heading to Wind Mist Territory as the direction it was travelling was actually towards the Territory Gate leading to the Barren Territory battlefield!
There were only two Territory Gates in the Shattered Heaven; one connecting to the adjacent Great Territory, and the other to the Barren Territory.
The two portals were on opposite sides of the Shattered Heaven, and no matter how lost the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was, it couldn’t be that foolish!
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was shocked and instantly recognised the issue that had been overlooked for so long.
What method did the Black Ink Giant Spirit God use to erode the boundary wall? Was it only the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who were capable of re-opening the sealed Territory Gates among all the Black Ink Clansmen?
Realising this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s increased the intensity of her attacks greatly.
This change caught the attention of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, who had been silent in the face of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s attacks, finally prompting it to speak, “This is your end. It is destined that the Black Ink Clan will rule the 3,000 Worlds. All of you will become my servants!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was taken aback and she asked in surprise, “You’re sentient?”
Whether it was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God encountered outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction or the one awakened from the Late Ancient Era battlefield, the Human Race were left with the impression that they were dealing with a monster who knew nothing but how to kill and destroy. Everyone believed that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was solely created as a weapon for battle by Mo. Nobody ever imagined it had sentience and was capable of communication.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods had never communicated with the Human Race, after all.
Mo laughed, “Sentience? Didn’t that naïve fellow tell you that all Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods are just my Soul Clones?”
This sentence disclosed far too much, and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s beautiful face paled, “You’re Mo!?”
Yang Kai never informed her that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone as he had only recently learnt about it from Lu An.
Before that, no one would have guessed that such a massive and powerful Master was solely a Soul Clone.
Seeing the sudden realization of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, Mo sighed, “You are all much more foolish than Mu.”
In this world, there was probably no one smarter than Mu.
How would Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao care about this mocking attitude when she was so irritated at the moment? She clenched her teeth as she asked, “Are you heading to the Barren Territory?”
While sprinting clumsily, Mo nonchalantly answered, “Of course.”
As Mo passed by a Universe World along its way, it waved its hand and sent out a wave of Black Ink Strength. The previously beautiful rivers and mountains were dyed with Black Ink Strength that instantly corrupted all living beings it touched.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao grit her teeth as she watched the scene, but was helpless to stop it.
Mo had performed this act several times along the way, contaminating countless Universe Worlds and Spirit Provinces with Black Ink Strength.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped attacking as she knew it was useless. It was a better idea to recover some strength and pry for some information, “You’re not going to Wind Mist Territory?”
Mo laughed lightly and said, “I don’t have to go there.”
“Someone else went there?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao frowned.
Mo shook its head, “No one went there. He was originally there from the start.”
Various thoughts flashed through the mind of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao before she blurted out, “The last Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple!”
Ji Lao San reported that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had appeared in the Shattered Heaven and were being pursued by Yang Kai. Yang Kai guessed that they were seeking to revive the Black Ink Giant Spirit God sealed in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. That was also why Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao hastened forth to assist.
As for who the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had no idea either.
But she was certain they were two of the three individuals who had been corrupted by the Royal Lord Secret Technique some years ago.
There were three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength at that time. Two went to the Shattered Heaven, so what happened to the last one?
Nobody has given it much thought before as although an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was certainly dangerous, it was insignificant in comparison to the awakening of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
It wasn’t until now that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao discovered that the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had a significant role to play! He remained in Wind Mist Territory, on the other side of the half-opened Territory Gate, for some unknown purpose.
Perhaps Mo was in a good mood since the plan it had been plotting for so many years was about to succeed, so it freely chatted with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
“Given that annoying guy’s capability to block portals, he must be quite gifted, but even if a Territory Gate is blocked, there always remains some traces which can be traced. My strength is not something that can be stopped simply by sealing those portals. In fact, even if he was capable of destroying a Territory Gate, I could always force it open again.”
“How do you open them?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked.
Mo was quite satisfied with this listener, so it continued patiently, “Cang was wrong to open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. At the time, I sent three Soul Clones and a thread of my own Will. That threat of Will could not completely leave the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction though, so it does not affect the overall situation. Putting that aside, can you guess where my three Soul Clones are right now?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao quickly said, “One was used to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God on the Late Ancient Era battlefield. One is in front of me, and one is… with that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
Mo praised, “You’re pretty smart after all! En, that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple has my third Soul Clone. The Territory Gate connecting your 3,000 Worlds to the Barren Territory has been blocked for many, many years, so it is actually quite challenging to force it open. I had to borrow my half-destroyed Soul Clone to open that portal, but that wasn’t enough. Thankfully, I have another spare Soul Clone, and by sacrificing it, that portal will be completely opened!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao clenched her teeth, “Since you are capable of completely opening the portal, why did you send people to Wind Mist Territory rather than doing it from the Barren Territory?”
Mo replied, “Awakening this body was always part of my plan. Besides, would you Humans allow me to take action before this body was awakened?”
An ancient existence like Mo was certainly malicious and cunning. To achieve its plan, it was willing to sacrifice a few Royal Lords as well as two of its Soul Clones.
However, the outcome was extremely remarkable. Two out of the three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that were corrupted by Black Ink Strength went to the Shattered Heaven to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God while one remained in Wind Mist Territory, preparing to open the portal by borrowing the power of the last Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao felt helpless in the face of such an enemy.
Yang Kai had no idea about this since he believed Mo’s Soul Clone intended to head to Wind Mist Territory, hence why he went all the way to seal the Territory Gates in between.
He even planned to ask the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to descend the mountain to intervene directly in the war.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could only hope that Yang Kai would notice the situation when he arrived in Wind Mist Territory, giving him a brief opportunity to foil the Black Ink Clan’s scheme.
As for her side…
There was no need to engage with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God any longer as she understood she couldn’t stop this Soul Clone of Mo on her own.
It was difficult for her to conceive what would happen to the Humans if this Black Ink Giant Spirit God entered the Barren Territory as well.
With this in mind, she no longer hesitated and she shot ahead.
She had to rush back to the Barren Territory before the third Black Ink Giant Spirit God to warn the others.
Mo didn’t even try to stop her. In fact, it actually stopped and simply stood there, watching her leave. At this point, all of its plans had been flawlessly carried out, and all that remained was to savour the sweet victory.
Despite having won though… it did not feel much happiness.
…..
Wind Mist Territory was not well-known among the Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds, with many never even having heard of it before.
Yang Kai got here less than a month after parting with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao as he had pushed his speed to the limit the whole way.
After blocking the Territory Gate he passed through, he took out his Universe Chart to check his route.
Next, he would proceed to Chaotic Dead Territory and ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan for help; if they were quick enough, they might be able to halt the Black Ink Giant Spirit God before it arrived in Wind Mist Territory.
With how dire the situation was. Yang Kai dared not be careless.
He immediately mapped out his next route, and determined he had to pass through five Great Territories to reach the Chaotic Dead Territory. It would take one and a half months with his current speed, so three months in total for a round trip.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth. Time was critical, and he was unsure if he would make it in time; after all, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was also extraordinarily fast. He could only pray that the sealed Territory Gates would buy him enough time.
Not daring to delay a single breath, Yang Kai set out.
There was also a Universe Temple in Wind Mist Territory, but since Yang Kai had never been there before, he had not left his Imprint on it; otherwise, he would be able to save a lot of time by utilising the Universe Transference Law.
However, he could leave his Imprint at the Universe Temple now, which would save him time on his journey back.
A few days later, Yang Kai noticed a quaint Grand Hall floating in the void from afar and realised that he had arrived at the Universe Temple of the Great Territory.
Just as he wanted to rush into the Universe Temple though, he saw countless cultivators streaming out of it, frantically flying in all directions.
This sight made Yang Kai feel uneasy.
The number of cultivators pouring out from the Universe Temple was so immense that he couldn’t help but suspect that all the cultivators in Wind Mist Territory who could traverse the void were gathered here; otherwise, it would be impossible to gather so many Open Heaven Realm Masters in a Great Territory like Wind Mist Territory on usual days.
Flashing forward, he grabbed a young man who had just stepped out of the Universe Temple and was about to depart, then questioned in a solemn voice, “What happened here?”
The cultivator was enraged that he was seized just as he was panicking fleeing for his life, so he tried to break free from Yang Kai but failed.
Fortunately, he was smart enough to realise that the other party was way stronger than him, so he restrained his rage and explained impatiently, “I don’t know what happened. All I heard was people saying the void had shattered and Wind Mist Territory was about to fall into a catastrophe. Everyone is fleeing, and so am I.”
“The void shattered?” Yang Kai muttered in a daze.
Taking advantage of this, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master struggled again, and finally successfully broke free from Yang Kai, fleeing in an instant.
At that moment, Yang Kai heard the sound of conversation from numerous individuals, so he instantly turned to look. He noticed those individuals were two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master talking to each other, and it appeared that they were the leaders of some Great Forces.
Yang Kai stepped forward, and learning from his prior experience, he deliberately released his Eighth-Order undulations.
The presence of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among a group of Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters undoubtedly gained everyone’s attention. The three Masters, who were conversing, fell into silence immediately and looked over at Yang Kai.
Striding over in an instant, he cupped his fist, “Star Boundary’s Yang Kai would like to inquire about what happened here.”
The eyes of the three people brightened, and the oldest-looking Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master hesitated before asking, “Is Senior… the Lord of the Star Boundary?”
They were all aware of the mighty reputation of the Star Boundary. Previously, these three had intended to send their talented disciples there to train in order to experience the nourishing benefits of the World Tree clone, but unfortunately, they lacked the means to do so.
They also knew that the Star Boundary had several Great Emperors recognized by it, one of whom was Yang Kai who bore the title ‘Void Great Emperor’.
It was just that according to rumours, this person had been in retreat for 1,000 years and had not been seen for that long.
They had never imagined that they would be able to meet an individual who claimed to be Yang Kai of the Star Boundary.
“It is this Yang!” Yang Kai nodded.
These three were equally delighted and shocked by his response. After many years of being unable to form a connection with anybody from the Star Boundary, they were ecstatic to meet the Lord of the Star Boundary in Wind Mist Territory’s moment of danger. What shocked them even more was the fact that Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master already!
As far as they knew, the Lord of the Star Boundary was only a Sixth-Order Master when he disappeared from the public eye some 1,000 years ago. While 1,000 years sounded like a lot, for those in the Open Heaven Realm, it could not be considered a long time, especially to cross two Orders.
[Are the Word Tree clone’s benefits that astonishing?]
They assumed that Yang Kai’s rapid advancement in cultivation was a result of the World Tree clone; however, this was not just a case of them being ignorant and uninformed. The World Tree clone was largely aggrandized by many and so the general public were unaware of its secrets since they had never visited the Star Boundary.
Additionally, the information made public by High Heaven Palace, the representative Sect of the Star Boundary, was the reason they believed Yang Kai had been in retreat for 1,000 of years. Though many individuals in the Cave Heavens and Paradises were aware of Yang Kai true location on the Black Ink Battlefield, it was unwise to inform the public about it, so they only announced that Yang Kai had been in retreat.
The three Masters exchanged greetings right away once they realised the man in front of them was indeed the Lord of the Star Boundary. These three were Sect Masters of the strongest three Sects in Wind Mist Territory. The oldest Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among them was the Wind Mist Sect Master, Zhao Long Ji, and the other two were subordinates of his.
Facing an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was also the Lord of the Star Boundary, they dared not act nonchalantly, so Zhao Long Ji immediately explained the situation from start to finish.
Some time ago, a disciple of Wind Mist Sect discovered something strange in the void while he was outside travelling. Since his cultivation wasn’t high, he dared not conduct a hasty investigation and instead quickly went back to his Master Sect to report the issue. In turn, one of the Vice Sect Masters led a team to investigate.
This Vice Sect Master was soon startled by what he saw.
It only took less than 10 days from when the disciple discovered the anomaly to when the Vice Sect Master led people to investigate, but in that time, the void, which was initially only slightly warped, seemed to have broken apart and a hole had appeared in it. From that hole, something that looked like the blackest gas imaginable had flowed out, filling the surrounding space.
Being a cautious person, the Vice Sect Master ordered a disciple to enter deeper to investigate the matter, but how could he have expected that as soon as that disciple entered that black gas, it would latch onto him and cause a kind of mutation which he struggled hard to resist.
Fortunately, the Vice Sect Master was strong enough to subdue him.
But what was shocking was that the disciple became perfectly normal after being subdued. Only after the Vice Sect Master carefully examined this disciple and determined that there was nothing amiss did he release him.
After several investigations, he realised that any disciples who came into contact with that black substance would struggle hard at first and then be perfectly fine as soon as it dissipated.
The Vice Sect Master was baffled and had no idea what in the world this black substance was.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had recruited many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to join the battle in the Barren Territory, yet they still did not disclose any news about Black Ink Strength to the outside world. So, the Masters from Wind Mist Territory were all not aware of the existence and characteristics of Black Ink Strength.
When Yang Kai heard this, he knew something was wrong.
This was unmistakably a case of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
A cultivator would instinctively struggle while being corrupted, but after they were completely overcome by Black Ink Strength, it would be impossible to see anything wrong with them unless their Small Universe was checked.
It was just that it was unthinkable for someone to want to inspect another’s Small Universe; after all, in the 3,000 Worlds, this was one of the greatest taboos. Many store their greatest secrets and valuables in their Small Universes; thus, it would be highly offensive to ask to see another’s Small Universe,
[Did the portal that connects Wind Mist Territory to the Barren Territory expand enough for Black Ink Strength to begin leaking out already?]
This was not a good sign. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God had yet to arrive, but if this situation persisted, the Territory Gate might be completely opened all on its own.
“What about those disciples who are contaminated with that black substance?” Yang Kai asked anxiously.
Zhao Long Ji sighed, “They’re dead. Something went wrong with them which caused them to suddenly assault Vice Sect Master Liu, who later put them to death on the spot. Unfortunately, Vice Sect Master Liu was also stained by that substance despite him escaping. He somehow managed to retain his senses and hurried back to the Sect to deliver a warning. Before the black substance completely changed him as well, he understood what fate awaited him and so he pleaded with this Zhao to spare him from it. It was a duty that this Zhao carried out with great reluctance.”
Vice Sect Master Liu was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and a Master like him was rare among Sects such as the Wind Mist Sect. Zhao Long Ji was devastated that had to be killed in this manner.
Suddenly, Yang Kai looked at him seriously and reached out to grab him. That startled Zhao Long Ji who originally wanted to fight back but was instantly seized by Yang Kai, completely immobilising him.
Immediately afterwards, he sensed an overwhelming force intruding into himself, examining his body inside and out.
Only then did he realise what Yang Kai was doing, so he instantly said, “Senior Yang, rest assured. After Vice Sect Master Liu, this Zhao found out about the peculiarities of the black substance and did not allow it to infect anyone else.”
When Yang Kai confirmed that Zao Long Ji was clean, he nodded and replied, “It seems you do understand the dangers of Black Ink Strength now. Anyone that is corrupted by it will become a Black Ink Disciple, who appears no different on the outside. The only way to determine the truth is to investigate their Small Universe. Forgive me for the offence.”
“Black Ink Strength?”
“Black Ink Disciple?”
The few of them looked at each other. This was the first time they heard such terms.
Then, Yang Kai sighed, “Have you all received the conscription order from Cave Heavens and Paradises?”
All three of them nodded upon his words. Some Masters of their Sects also received the order to gather at the Shattered Heaven.
“The Black Ink Clan is our Human Race’s greatest enemy while Black Ink Strength is the power they hold. It is extremely corruptive; once stained by it, it cannot be dispersed. Just like your Vice Sect Master and the few disciples, they will end up as Black Ink Disciples and lose their original selves. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have been fighting against the Black Ink Clan on a distant battlefield for countless years, preventing them from invading the 3,000 Worlds.”
Zhao Long Ji and others turned pale in shock, “We never knew about this!”
“The Cave Heavens and Paradises purposefully concealed this matter to avoid causing panic,” Yang Kai shook his head and said, “But now that the situation has taken a turn for the worse, we need assistance from even Second Class Sects like yours.”
The three came to a sudden realization.
They previously wondered why the Cave Heavens and Paradises suddenly sent out orders to recruit so many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Not only Wind Mist Territory, they also heard that all other Great Territories were the same.
They had guessed that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had encountered some kind of powerful enemy, but they never knew that this enemy had actually been fought against for such a long time.
Zhao Long Ji responded, “If this is the case, is the opening in the Great Territory caused by the invasion of the Black Ink Clan?”
“Indeed! What is the situation of the opening now?”
Zhao Long Ji replied worriedly, “It is expanding rapidly. The same goes for that thing you call Black Ink Strength. We had no choice but to send orders to everyone to evacuate Wind Mist Territory. As for what measures we should take next, we were discussing that just now.”
Many individuals objected to Zhao Long Ji’s decisions at first; after all, Wind Mist Sect had laid down its foundation in this Great Territory more than 10,000 years ago, making them reluctant to simply abandon it.
However, after witnessing what happened to their disciples and Vice Sect Master, and seeing the rapid expansion of the darkness, Zhao Long Ji overruled all objections and ordered a general evacuation of Wind Mist Territory.
Several other Sects immediately followed suit once word had spread, but the majority of the forces here stayed behind. To those smaller Sects, they would be the largest Sects after Wind Mist Sect and other Second Class Great Forces left, so they would now have an opportunity to rise.
Opportunity and danger coexisted; or at least, for those that were weak, that was how they saw the current situation.
“Your foresight and decisiveness are praiseworthy!” Yang Kai nodded. Although he was unaware of the present state of the Territory Gate, he deduced that Wind Mist Territory was bound to be thrown into chaos soon. The only way for the inhabitants of this place to avoid a disaster was to quickly flee.
“Senior Yang is too polite. This is merely an act of self-preservation,” Zhao Long Ji replied.
Yang Kai nodded and continued to ask, “Is there somewhere for you to go?”
“No. We have nowhere to go for now,” Zhao Long Ji answered as he exchanged glances with the other two Sect Masters.
When preparing to flee, Zhao Long Ji contacted the other Second Class Great Force in the neighbouring Great Territory, intending to shelter there for a while; however, this was not a matter that could simply be consented to despite their usual good relationship as they feared that if Wind Mist Sect had any malicious motives, they would find themselves in a vulnerable state.
Therefore, Zhao Long Ji and the rest could only take one step at a time because they had nowhere to go after they completely evacuated Wind Mist Territory. If they were fortunate enough, they might be able to locate a Great Territory that was not guarded by a strong Great Force to settle down and then make future decisions based on what happened in Wind Mist Territory.
“Head to the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai sighed as he vaguely sensed their troubles. Who would willingly accept competition, since each Great Territory possessed their own Great Forces?
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Long Ji and others were overjoyed, “Can we really go to the Star Boundary?”
If they were really permitted to go to the Star Boundary, they would willingly migrate there even if Wind Mist Territory wasn’t facing a catastrophe.
Their response made Yang Kai question in confusion, “Why can’t you go to the Star Boundary?”
When Zhao Long Ji heard his question, he suddenly realised that this individual before him, who had been in retreat for many centuries, might not know much about the Star Boundary’s current situation. So, he explained in a somewhat shocked manner, “I’m afraid Senior Yang might not be aware that the current Star Boundary is not somewhere that just anyone can enter at will. To enter the Star Boundary, you need to be sponsored by one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, or by the local Great Forces of the Star Boundary. Moreover, there is a restriction on the number of people allowed in.”
Only then did Yang Kai remember that the Star Boundary had the World Tree clone, which made it extremely attractive to all cultivators. If there were no such restrictions, the Star Boundary would instantly be overcrowded.
Knowing that continuing to speak without understanding the specifics would just cause more trouble, Yang Kai took out a jade slip and used his Divine Sense to engrave a quick message inside of it before handing it to Zhao Long Ji, “Bring this to High Heaven Palace in the Star Boundary and someone will settle the following affairs.”
Zhao Long Ji was thrilled. With this Faith Token awarded by the Lord of the Star Boundary himself, entering the Star Boundary would no longer be an issue. He was under no illusions that he would actually be able to settle in the Star Boundary, but even remaining in High Heaven Territory would be a massive boon. This worked in his favour as well because he was one step closer to his objective, a possibility of the talented Wind Mist Sect disciples being able to cultivate in the Star Boundary in the future, helping them greatly.
For this, he was extremely grateful towards Yang Kai.
“It’s not only you few. I need you to evacuate as many people from Wind Mist Territory as possible,” Yang Kai waved his hand and ordered.
He looked in the distance and continued, “I’m afraid that this Great Territory… will soon be engulfed in the flames of war.”
Zhao Long Ji’s heart tightened. He had a question, but it was difficult for him to ask, so he only cupped his fist and said, “Rest assured, Lord Yang. I will send disciples to the various Spirit Provinces of the Universe Worlds to deliver this message. Anyone willing to follow us shall not be forsaken.”
“Good.” Yang Kai simply said. Then, after some thought, he followed up, “I still have other responsibilities so I shall take my leave. Spread the news about the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength along your journey to the Star Boundary. If any others are willing to follow you, bring them along with you.”
Zhao Long Ji realised the seriousness of the issue when Yang Kai said this, so he respectfully agreed.
Soon, Yang Kai departed after asking for the exact location of the portal.
Zhao Long Ji frowned as he watched Yang Kai leave, “Although Senior Yang didn’t say much, judging from his words… I’m afraid that Wind Mist Territory really is facing a calamity.”
The Sect Masters of the other two Great Forces nodded their heads in agreement. They were not fools, so they had their own speculations and thoughts about the situation.
How would Yang Kai have given such a command if the circumstances weren’t incredibly dire?
The reason why they were sent to the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located was that Yang Kai felt that as the only Open Heaven Realm Cradle, the Star Boundary would be the last bastion of the Human Race if the Black Ink Clan really invaded the 3,000 Worlds. Any other Great Territories could be abandoned, but not High Heaven Territory.
As long as the Star Boundary remained, the Human Race would have a chance to make a comeback!
After four hours, Yang Kai finally arrived at the breach in Wind Mist Territory; his heart sank as he looked over the area.
The void here was enveloped in incredibly dense Black Ink Strength that formed into a huge Black Ink Cloud. This was the first time Yang Kai had seen such a pure and dense Black Ink Cloud. Even a Royal Lord’s Black Ink Strength wasn’t this pure.
Black Ink Strength filled a radius of a million kilometres, and it was still spreading out at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.
Yang Kai even felt the fluctuation of Space Principles coming from the centre of the Black Ink Cloud.
Things were far worse than he imagined.
This Territory Gate from Wind Mist Territory to the Barren Territory appeared to have almost completely broken open.
Yang Kai arrived at the same moment the battle in the Barren Territory battlefield reached its peak. Both the Human Race and Black Ink Clan had been directing vast amounts of troops in that direction, and now the whole void was nearly filled with blood and mangled bodies.
The roars of Divine Spirits echoed without stop across the battlefield.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had already hurried back, bringing back the news that saddened all the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Another Giant Black Ink Spirit God had awakened and was moving in their direction.
The Human Race had finally managed to stabilize the situation after borrowing manpower from the Divine Spirits and many Second Class Great Forces, but if another Black Ink Giant Spirit God rushed in, all their efforts would be in vain.
In the chaos, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was able to get in touch with the Phoenix Clan’s Leader and urged her to shut the Territory Gate leading to the Barren Territory from the Shattered Heaven.
The portal was immediately sealed shut after the Phoenix Clan Leader received the news.
Her mastery over the Dao of Space was stronger than Yang Kai’s, so whatever he was capable of, she was too.
The truth was, she had actually shut the Territory Gate from the Shattered Heaven to the Black Ink Battlefield when the Dragon and Phoenix Clans retreated from the No-Return Pass, but it was forcefully reopened by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This was also the reason why Yang Kai noticed the expansion and distortion of the Territory Gate back then. It was because the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had torn it open.
After the invasion of the Barren Territory by the Black Ink Clan, the Phoenix Clan leader intended to repeat the tactic once again, but was not given the chance as her objective was too obvious.
Fortunately, Yang Kai was there to help. He blocked the portal after the death of one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods while the other was being held down by Ah Er. The Black Ink Clan was unable to reopen the portal because they were lacking these Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, which as a result, prevented them from receiving reinforcements.
The Phoenix Clan leader was aware that shutting the portal would not solve the issue, only temporarily alleviate it; however, even another breath of time now was incredibly valuable.
It was no challenge to her to seal a Territory Gate, so she finished this task within moments; however, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the blocked portal suddenly began to crack. Immediately after, a gigantic hand that seemed to come from another universe punched through the barriers, bursting into the Barren Territory.
Black Ink Strength emanated from the gigantic hand, and it was so intense that it caused the nearby soldiers to freeze in fear under the intimidation of the gigantic hand.
Following, another gigantic hand burst through. Both hands then held onto the sides of the portal tightly, mercilessly forcing it open.
Despite their greatest efforts, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the Phoenix Clan leader were unable to hold back the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Soon, a huge crack was torn open and a giant head poked in, Black Ink Strength flowing off it like a tide.
The Humans in the area immediately scattered; nonetheless, some were still accidentally stained. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was far more powerful than a Royal Lord, so even if it was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they would quickly become corrupted and turn into a Black Ink Disciple without being able to resist. Fortunately, all the Humans carried spare Purifying Black Ink Pills with them, which they quickly swallowed when they noticed the danger.
Both the Grand Army on the frontlines and the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors noticed the abnormality in the rear, but before the Old Ancestors could even come to support them, they were entrapped by the Royal Lords who knew that it was now the critical moment in their plan.
The battle between the top Masters of both Races quickly heated up, and in less than an incense stick of time, Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Old Ancestors began dying.
Though the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had shrunk in size, it was still as majestic as a mountain. It struggled hard through the portal while enduring constant bombardment from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the Phoenix Clan leader, yet it showed no signs of backing down.
Half an incense stick later, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God finally stepped out of the portal, reaching the Barren Territory.
Its immeasurable intimidation spread around and all the Open Heaven Realm Masters of lower orders trembled under its awesome pressure.
“The Human Race shall perish! Only this Divine One, Mo, shall reign eternal!” After letting out this roar, as though it was venting the hardships of being imprisoned for millions of years, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God immediately slammed down its sky-covering hand.
When the Phoenix Clan Leader saw this, she wrapped Space Principles around Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and escaped instantaneously.
Just as she turned to look again, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already laughing wildly, heading in the direction of the second Territory Gate. On its way, Black Ink Strength surged, forcing the Human Race Army to retreat and give way.
The sudden intrusion of an unrestrained Black Ink Giant Spirit God on such a battlefield was simply disastrous for the Human Race. Many Open Heaven Realm Masters who had set foot on this battlefield not long ago had all lost their will to fight at this very moment.
They had never taken part in such a massive, violent war before they were called up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They were also far less capable than the elites from Cave Heavens and Paradises, whether it was their Will or strength.
Even with the full resistance of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Phoenix Clan Leader, it was impossible to stop this Black Ink Giant Spirit God from moving forward.
The Human Race’s earlier advantage, which placed both Races on roughly equal footing, instantly vanished and only became worse as more time passed. Once it reached the Barren Territory, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God erupted with unparalleled combat power.
In less than half a day, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God that broke into the Barren Territory from the Shattered Heaven arrived at the opening.
This was where the body of the other fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God was located, the Soul Clone of Mo that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. After its death, Black Ink Strength that flowed out from its corpse transformed into a Black Ink Ocean, covering a vast swath of the void.
With the help of this coverage, the Black Ink Clan secretly sent out three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples without alerting the Human Race.
By this time, all of the Black Ink Clan’s plans had been fully implemented, and the Human Race was powerless to stop them anymore.
With this Black Ink Giant Spirit God charging in all the way, let alone Humans, even the Divine Spirits appeared small and weak in the face of such existence.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God opened its mouth and inhaled deeply when it arrived. Immediately, the vast Black Ink Ocean was drawn in, accumulating towards its mouth like a whale gulping down water.
In just a short while, the Black Ink Ocean that filled the void was completely absorbed, strengthening the already ludicrously powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit God and causing it to grow in size by some 30%.
Without the cover of the Black Ink Ocean, the condition of the region where the sealed Territory Gate was located could be seen at a glance.
The enormous void appeared to be a layer of thin ice that shimmered like rippling light on water in the midst of its warping and distortion. Along with those ripples of light, dense Black Ink Strength could be vaguely felt surging from within as space contorted, as if it was about to shatter apart.
The numerous Ninth-Orders Masters looked at the scene with fire burning in their eyes. They were all aware that the Black Ink Clan’s plan had reached its most vital juncture and that the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory would soon be entirely connected after the boundary wall was broken apart.
Judging by the situation, it would not be long now.
The Black Ink Clan Army had begun to gather from all sides, obviously with the intention of guarding the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and the region as a whole.
The conflict over this territory had not ceased as neither the Black Ink Clan nor the Humans would give up. Now, it was not exaggerated to say that 80% of the two Races’ Armies were gathered in this region.
In the past, control of this region had gone back and forth between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan; however, neither side was able to occupy it for long.
However, things were different now.
The Black Ink Clan now had another Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose aura had just been strengthened after devouring the Black Ink Strength left behind by the fallen Soul Clone.
It would certainly be a challenge to the Human Race to snatch back this stretch of void from the Black Ink Clan now.
Under the orders of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor and Army Commanders, the Human Race Army, from all directions, intensified their assault.
Countless powerful Divine Spirits flitted around the battlefield, cooperating with the Army to wear down the Black Ink Clan soldiers. As the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts continuously blasted towards their enemies, the auras of many lives disappeared one after another.
The Human Race’s attacks were repeatedly repulsed however, as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that charged in from the Shattered Heaven had broken the balance of power between the two Races all on its own.
While the two Races were fighting, it sat still in the void. Although it rarely launched attacks, when it did, it carried an absolutely unstoppable force that even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters found difficult to resist. Only by working together could the Dragon and Phoenix Clan leaders somehow fight back, but they were still clearly at a disadvantage.
The scene was incredibly disheartening.
All of a sudden, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God abruptly turned its head to gaze at the position of the half-sealed Territory Gate, sneered coldly, then thrust out its palm, causing the already thin, sheet-like boundary wall to shatter.
At the same time, on the opposite side of the boundary wall, Yang Kai’s figure was sent flying several hundred thousand kilometres just from the shockwave before he could stabilise himself.
After cursing for a moment, he surged his Space Principles and used Instantaneous Movement to arrive in front of the almost broken boundary wall.
Upon separating from the Wind Mist Territory’s Sect Masters, Yang Kai followed their directions to locate this portal. Not daring to delay after witnessing the current state of affairs, Yang Kai tried to close and reinforce the breach. If he had succeeded, he might be able to delay things for a while, even if it wouldn’t be enough to stop the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
Yang Kai also found a dying man who was in the same condition as Ye Ming whom he encountered in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Yang Kai didn’t know which Cave Heaven or Paradise this individual came from, but he knew that he was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Ye Ming previously carried a Soul Clone of Mo and used a Secret Technique to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, over-drafting his vitality and ultimately causing his death.
Given Ye Ming’s experience, Yang Kai naturally understood what occurred to this Eighth-Order Master before him.
This individual also carried a Soul Clone of Mo! He had clearly unleashed the Soul Clone to corrode the boundary wall connecting this place to the Barren Territory.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened. He had assumed that the awakened Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land would arrive here, all because of the words by Lu An before his death.
It was Lu An who told him about the instability of the passage between the Barren Territory and the outside world which could only be completely opened if the Black Ink Giant Spirit God arrived and collaborated with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory.
However, it appeared that this was not the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not have to be present here as there was already an Eighth-Order Blank Ink Disciple with Mo’s Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall from this side.
Such a thin boundary wall would not be able to withstand the force of Mo’s tremendously strong Soul Clone.
[Did Lu An lie to me?]
If that was the case, it indicated that Lu An had yet to rediscover his true self and was still a Black Ink Disciple when he died.
However, Yang Kai was unwilling to believe that. After ascending to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Lu An had dedicated his life to the Black Ink Battlefield. He had no complaints even after more than 10,000 years of service, so Yang Kai hoped that he had died as a Human rather than a Black Ink Disciple.
If Lu An did not lie to him, the only explanation was that Lu An was also unclear about the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
His only mission was to wake the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land with Ye Ming.
The task of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple here was to use Mo’s Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall and open the Territory Gate.
Of course, in the current situation, it was pointless to seek answers to these questions. What worried Yang Kai more was where the awakened Black Ink Giant Spirit God was headed if it was not here.
Yang Kai understood almost immediately that it had gone to Barren Territory, the battlefield of the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan. If that was the case, the Human Race would not be able to interfere, allowing it to achieve its goal by collaborating with its Army and the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not stop it!
As soon as Yang Kai understood everything, he dared not delay anymore. He wanted to quickly block and reinforce the already eroded boundary wall.
However, just as he made a move, a tremendous force from the other side of the boundary wall blasted him away again.
Yang Kai was so anxious that his eyes burned with fire. Now, he finally understood that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had arrived as no one other than a Master like it could cause such an impact across a boundary wall, no matter how thin it was.
When Yang Kai rushed back a second time, what he saw made even his stalwart heart despair.
The boundary wall had entirely shattered, and from the broken Territory Gate, the aura of another Great Territory flowed through Yang Kai could even sense the chaotic energy fluctuating from the opposite side, obviously due to the battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race.
And from the broken boundary wall, a giant hand that radiated incredible energy protruded out, continuously enlarging the gap in the broken boundary wall.
With such a gigantic hand stuck in the boundary wall, Yang Kai had no hope to block the Territory Gate again, no matter how proficient he was within the Dao of Space.
The boundary wall between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory had been completely broken through!
The next instant, a hulking figure with two horns on its head and the aura of a Feudal Lord emerged from the passage, displaying a smug sense of complacency.
He noticed Yang Kai standing not far away and immediately grinned wildly, “How lucky of me! There’s a Human!”
Saying so, he charged towards Yang Kai.
But before he even got close, a pallid light bloomed in his eyes, and his vision became distorted. In that distorted vision, he saw a decapitated body with black blood spurting freely from the neck.
For some reason, he felt that this corpse was somewhat familiar…
He suddenly came to his senses, [Isn’t that my body?]
Without figuring out what happened, his consciousness sank into darkness.
Following him were more Black Ink Clan storming through the passage from the Barren Territory battlefield to Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai clutched the spear in his hand, his expression cold as he weaved his Supreme Limitless Spear Art, using the Azure Dragon Spear to unleash a barrage of spear shadows in all directions, slaughtering all the Black Ink Clansmen that were emerging from the Territory Gate.
These Black Ink Clansmen varied in strength, but none were very strong, so in the face of Yang Kai’s attack, they were almost powerless to resist.
The Black Ink Clan were no longer contained in the Barren Territory battlefield since the boundary wall had been breached. Clearly not interested in battling to the death with the Human Army, the Black Ink Clan poured out of the Barren Territory once the Black Ink Giant Spirit God forced open a new portal.
Only in this manner would the Black Ink Clan be able to carry out their next plan.
In such a predicament, Yang Kai had no choice but to stand his ground and kill all the enemies that came through.
He stood alone in front of the passageway and wielded his spear. Before even gaining a clear look at Wind Mist Territory, the Black Ink Clansmen that poured out from the passage died one after another.
As the saying went, as long as one man guards the mountain pass, even a thousand warriors would not be able to enter.
However, no matter how strong Yang Kai was, he couldn’t completely wipe out the seemingly endless stream of Black Ink Clansmen that flooded out through the passageway.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God soon noticed the abnormality too and tried to use the gigantic hand that was forcing open the boundary wall passage to capture Yang Kai several times, but each time Yang Kai managed to avoid its attacks as they were significantly weakened across the Great Territories.
As more Black Ink Clansmen arrived, Yang Kai’s rate of slaughtering became unsustainable.
Initially, these Black Ink Clansmen tried to surge forward to kill Yang Kai, whom they perceived as a formidable enemy; however, after a series of costly defeats, the Black Ink Clansmen must have gotten some sort of command not to engage with Yang Kai at all and instead spread out in all directions as soon as they came out from the passageway.
Yang Kai did everything he could to stop this, but he was ultimately just one man.
Left with no other option, Yang Kai madly surged his Space Principles, causing the surrounding void to fracture like a broken mirror.
This time, things were much simpler. Even without Yang Kai having to take further action, the Black Ink Clansmen that emerged from the passageway were cut to death by the myriad of Void Cracks.
There were still some that managed to avoid being sliced apart by this web of Void Cracks, but Yang Kai’s follow-up attacks took care of them.
This Secret Technique was something Yang Kai only recently developed, and while it was not particularly powerful, making it useless against truly strong foes, it was highly effective against masses of weaker opponents.
With such a Secret Technique deployed outside of the Territory Gate, any Black Ink Clansman that rushed out from the passageway would inevitably fall into this trap.
All Black Ink Clansmen weaker than Feudal Lords would perish on contact with the Void Cracks, and although the Feudal Lords were slightly more powerful, the innumerable Void Cracks still severely damaged them. Only the Territory Lords were immune to the damage caused by this shattered mirror.
All the current Territory Lords were Innate Territory Lords directly created by Mo’s power. They were absolutely strong and were no weaker than the Human Race’s finest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In less than an incense stick, Black Ink Clansmen corpses were piled up as high as mountains outside the exit of the Territory Gate. It was impossible to estimate how many had died. Additionally, besides the weaker Black Ink Clansmen, Yang Kai even managed to kill two Territory Lords right after they appeared.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had reached his limits. More and more Black Ink Clansmen were pouring out of the portal, and his Space Secret Technique was starting to crumble, a sign that it would collapse any time from now.
Yang Kai had the ability to cast this Secret Technique again, but he was currently being attacked by five Territory Lords so he was rather occupied at the moment.
Taking full advantage of his mastery of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai was fighting back fiercely against these five Innate Territory Lords, and despite his disadvantage, it was the Territory Lords who were constantly leaking cold sweat in the face of Yang Kai’s spear.
After comprehending so many Grand Dao Strengths in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Art had evolved even further, allowing each of his attacks to become illusory and unpredictable, throwing off these Territory Lords’ senses and forcing them onto the defensive. However, these five learnt quickly after two of their own were injured and now refused to act separately no matter how weak Yang Kai appeared to be, insisting on battling him as a single unit.
Yang Kai repeatedly cursed these five Territory Lords in his heart, but there was nothing more he could do.
If they split up and acted independently, Yang Kai could still find a way to break through and pick them off one by one, but facing all five, he was strong in will, but weak in strength, frequently having to take risks to push them back, which only caused him to suffer more injuries.
As time passed, more and more Black Ink Clansmen emerged from the Barren Territory before quickly dispersing in all directions, ignoring the battle between Yang Kai and the five Territory Lords. In no time, their figures disappeared.
Yang Kai experienced a deep sense of despondence and silently understood that Wind Mist Territory was doomed.
The Human Race would no longer have a place in this Great Territory with so many Black Ink Clansmen arriving and scattering in all directions.
Just like a spark, the Black Ink Clan would set everything aflame with their Black Ink Strength. No Great Territory could resist now that the Black Ink Clan had breached the Barren Territory and were spreading out unchecked as the Human Army’s main force remained in the Barren Territory.
The Human Race had been at war with the Black Ink Clan for countless generations, losing innumerable lives in the process, but on this day, all those sacrifices were rendered pointless.
After today, there would be no peace in the 3,000 Worlds!
Filled with shame and resentment beyond words, Yang Kai’s movement became more and more vicious as all he could think about was butchering every single Black Ink Clansman who rushed out from the passage.
On the Barren Territory battlefield, the Human Race Army was equally at a loss when they saw the boundary wall being completely breached and endless Black Ink Clansmen streaming into it.
No matter how difficult things were previously, the Human Race Army was determined to fight the Black Ink Clan to the very end because they were fighting to protect the 3,000 Worlds and every Great Territory teeming with life.
However, when the boundary wall was completely breached, allowing the Black Ink Clan Army to flood out, the determination and Will that drove them previously ruptured as well.
At that moment, countless were at a loss on the battlefield.
Even the Old Ancestors unconsciously came to a halt.
Defeat!
The Human Race had lost.
Looking back to some 600 years ago, it seemed like victory was within their grasp. The goal to eradicate the Black Ink Clan and put an end to the threat they posed for millions of years was near at hand. They gathered more than 100 hundred Great Passes and the accumulated heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises from the past 100,000 years and launched a grand crusade to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
However, outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods flanked them from opposite sides, causing the Humans to suffer their first defeat and forcing them to flee back to the No-Return Pass. While retreating, hundreds of thousands sacrificed their lives to protect their companions.
Despite gaining the assistance of the Dragons, Phoenixes, and several other Divine Spirits at the No-Return Pass, the Human Army still lost to the Black Ink Clan. After this second loss, they abandoned the No-Return Pass and retreated to the Barren Territory.
Now, after just 200 years of battle, the Black Ink Clan managed to break through the boundary wall and completely connected the Barren Territory with Wind Mist Territory.
At this moment, the Humans had been completely defeated, unable to recover from the invasion of the Black Ink Clan.
How did things end up like this?
No one could figure out the reason. The Human Race was not weak, and they had never underestimated the Black Ink Clan; but today, the Black Ink Clan had beaten them. Though the Human Army remained mighty, right now, they could do nothing but watch.
Disheartened, all the soldiers of the Human Race Army secretly wept.
At this moment, the Barren Territory battlefield that was once filled with chaos and death became utterly silent.
The only fight that continued was the one between Ah Er and his opponent. Their battle seemed like it would last until the Universe itself shattered and died. These two Giant Spirit Gods had not stopped ever since they first met. Even though it had already been 200 years, neither side seemed to have gained any kind of advantage.
Suddenly, someone pointed at the gap in the boundary wall and shouted, “Someone is blocking the Black Ink Clan Army!”
The Territory Gate had been substantially widened now, and the two Great Territories were entirely connected due to the arm of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that stretched across the passageway, allowing the Humans in the Barren Territory to see the view on the opposite side, though the image was blurry thanks to the distortions of the Void.
Just as all of the soldiers on the Barren Territory battlefield were losing the will to fight, they realised there was still someone attempting to stop the Black Ink Clan Army on the opposite side of Wind Mist Territory.
And it was just one person!
This one unknown person had killed millions, causing blood to flow like rivers.
Across the passage, black blood and Black Ink Strength almost flood the entire void.
This discovery soon spread as more and more soldiers looked up to see the scenario in Wind Mist Territory.
They didn’t know who this person was, but they certainly knew that they were fighting alone, with no signs of backing down or becoming discouraged.
Seeing this, all of them couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
That one individual was still fighting on while they, the grandest Army the Human Race had ever assembled, had already given up.
It was as if a spark had been lit and was now setting their hearts aflame with the burning desire for victory. The courage and Will to resist that had almost died moments ago was stimulated once more and the need to take action spurred all of them on.
They were the guardians of the 3,000 Worlds and the Human Race, fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield and fending off the invasion of the Black Ink Clan.
The sky was truly falling, but if they, the tallest and strongest did not rise to hold it up, who would?
The 3,000 Worlds was home to their Master Sects, their families, their descendants, and everyone they knew and loved. In a battlefield unknown to ordinary people, they constructed an impregnable line of defence with their own flesh and bones, sheltering the entire Human race.
If they admitted defeat, it would be the end.
“The Human Race will never surrender!” Suddenly, someone lifted his long sword and yelled furiously; his voice rang out across the void as his World Force.
That shout was followed by another, then another, and another…
“Never surrender!”
The shouts erupted one after the other, forming a torrent that shook the Universe.
The previously dejected ambience now burned anew.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God guarding the passageway was first fascinated by the Human Race Army’s hopelessness and grief, as this was something it had never witnessed before, it was extremely intriguing.
But just as it was preparing to stir up trouble to further suppress the Humans, they suddenly regained their fighting spirit and determination, even pushing it to new heights.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was taken aback by what it saw and frowned as it gave it some thought before turning to look at the Territory Gate. Using its vision that could penetrate the Void, it saw a lone Human figure fighting against the Territory Lords in Wind Mist Territory.
[The Humans changed so drastically because of him?]
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was suddenly enraged. If it had known this would happen, it would have gone all out to murder this annoying Human back in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Even if the Human Race did not know who was obstructing the Black Ink Clan in Wind Mist Territory, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God did.
Not only did it know, but the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors all understood who it was on the other side.
The shift in the mentality of the whole Army had also shaken the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors out of their daze. Nobody could have imagined that one person’s effort and persistence would inspire the fighting spirit of the entire Race.
Even they, who had lived for countless years, seemed to have become younger at this moment, with enthusiasm surging in their hearts.
“The young ones are indeed energetic, no?” A Ninth-Order Old Ancestor suddenly said.
“Yes. There is hope for the Human Race with youngsters like these.”
“We were like that once, it’s a shame that the years have dulled me so.”
It was not simply due to their old age, but also the constant weight of their responsibilities. Their existences were burdened by their Sects, their Passes, and their entire Race, disallowing them to be as carefree as they were when they were young.
“Who among you has the courage to be young and passionate with me once again?” With a grin, the oldest and most respected Old Ancestor asked. This Old Ancestor was born in Pure Yang Cave Heaven and had lived the longest among all living Old Ancestors. Before many Ninth-Order Old Ancestors present here were born, he was already a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In terms of age, he could even be considered an ancestor among all Ninth-Order Old Ancestors.
“It should have been like this a long time ago. Ever since I ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and started guarding the Black Ink Battlefield, my spirit has grown dull. Every move had to be made with innumerable considerations for all possibilities. When was the last time I simply took action? All I wanted in my life was to be happy and unrestrained.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“Stop being so long-winded. Those who are truly young act as soon as the words leave their mouths. How can you sentimental old farts be considered young?”