“There has never been a precedent, but after today there will be many,” Yang Kai grinned meaningfully.
Zhu Jian couldn’t help but laugh, “Given your tiny figure, you have quite a big mouth. How would you be able to make this majestic Zhu Jian recognise you as my Master? Instead, I will give you some opportunity if you submit to me.”
The Divine Spirits of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and their chosen Bearer had a mutually beneficial relationship. These chosen Human cultivators could often benefit from the Divine Spirit and quickly get stronger.
Gu Pan, Qu Hua Shang, Ning Dao Ran, and other powerful youths from that time were all the same.
The Divine Spirits also wished for these Bearers to be as strong as possible because they would be taking part in the Spirit Seizing War. Only when their Bearer was powerful would they be able to seize the opportunity to leave this cage.
Zhu Jian wasn’t lying when he stated he would give Yang Kai opportunities as he actually planned to do so. The notion was, of course, that Yang Kai must pass some of his assessments. Zhu Jian would not want to waste his time if this Human was mediocre.
Saying so, Zhu Jian raised a hoof and pressed it down at Yang Kai. Though his movements weren’t particularly fast, the pressure of a Divine Spirit became stronger with every metre it descended.
Zhu Jian could almost foresee the sight of the Human trembling under his majestic self.
He had done this many times before, and each time, those Humans would submit and become well-behaved.
However, this time was destined to be an exception…
Yang Kai simply lifted his hand and stopped Zhu Jian’s hoof dead in its tracks. The sight was akin to an ant lifting its limb and holding up an elephant’s foot.
“I’m short on time, so let’s stop the nonsense and get right to the point.”
Just as the voice of the Human sounded in Zhu Jian’s ears, he immediately found himself lifted before being slammed down onto the floor.
There was a huge explosion as it seemed like the entire Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary shook. The mountain valley cracked, with spider web-like fissures spreading out from a massive depression that had just been opened up at its centre. From inside the crater, Zhu Jian’s figure could be vaguely seen through the dust and debris.
Zhu Jian was so flabbergasted he didn’t even get angry from being smashed to the ground.
In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, Zhu Jian could unleash strength equivalent to a Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which while powerful, was a huge gap from his true strength. Still, how could Yang Kai toy with him like this when all Humans who arrived here were no stronger than Emperor Realm Masters?
*Hong Hong Hong…*
More bangs and explosions sounded one after another as in a flash, Zhu Jian’s rising wrath transformed into terror. He became dizzy as a result of being repeatedly thrown around and smashed into the ground. He had never before, since his birth, come across a situation that made him feel this helpless.
Only after 100 times did Yang Kai release him. Zhu Jian lay limp on the ground, twitching all over as if all the bones in his body had been dislocated, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.
“Acknowledge me as your Master, and I will take you out,” repeated Yang Kai as he stood on the bridge of Zhu Jian’s nose and stared straight into his eyes.
As if just waking from this nightmare, Zhu Jian roared in fright, “You’re not suppressed by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary!?”
Yang Kai’s might was clearly not that of the Emperor Realm, but of the Open Heaven Realm! Despite never having witnessed the true strength of a Human Open Heaven Realm Master, Zhu Jian could instantly identify that the Human in front of him was someone in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
“Stop talking nonsense and recognise me as your Master already,” Yang Kai urged impatiently.
There were a lot of Divine Spirits in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so he didn’t want to waste time convincing each one of them, he only wanted to dispatch these Divine Spirits to the battlefield as swiftly as possible so that they could be of some use against the Black Ink Clan.
Despite how humiliated Zhu Jian felt, a Divine Spirit’s pride was not something that could be dampened so easily. As for submitting to an ‘inferior’, that was impossible; thus, he roared, “In your dreams! This Zhu Jian will not submit so easily!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, then complimented him, “Seems your backbone is quite sturdy.”
Immediately, Yang Kai lifted his hand, and the 3,000-metre-tall Zhu Jian floated up into the air. Zhu Jian frantically struggled, but it was of no use as there seemed to be an invisible set of shackles which kept him in place.
The next moment, Yang Kai raised a flame from his free hand, within which a three-legged exotic bird cawed.
Throwing the Golden Crow’s True Fire in his hand towards Zhu Jian, it soon exploded and burned furiously, enveloping the whole beast.
Then, Yang Kai took out a massive knife from somewhere as he swept his gaze back and forth across Zhu Jian’s juicy, meaty body.
By now, Zhu Jian was panicking. The Golden Crow’s True Fire made him suffer excruciating pain, but that was still barely bearable; after all, he was a mature Divine Spirit whose power was just being suppressed by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. It was an imposed weakness, which did not affect how intrepid his body was.
Though the Golden Crow’s True Fire was indeed impressive, flames of this intensity could not burn him to death.
However, looking at the giant knife, and seeing Yang Kai’s behaviour, it was obvious that he was going to grill him up and eat him.
“What are you doing?!” Zhu Jian shouted in panic.
Yang Kai took out an equally giant honing steel from who knows where and grinned menacingly as he said, “I’ve been told about the taste of a certain powerful Black Ox whose flavour was supposed to be quite exquisite. I’ve always wanted to try such meat, but in the end, l wasn’t able to get my hands on some. You look quite similar to that Black Ox, which should be able to fulfil my wish. What’s more, a Divine Spirit should be more appetising than an ordinary Black Ox.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” Zhu Jian roared angrily.
“I wouldn’t?” With a snort, Yang Kai approached Zhu Jian with the now gleaming knife in hand, eying Zhu Jian’s rib-roast section, lifting his blade as if preparing to slice off a piece.
When Zhu Jian saw this Human was being serious, he couldn’t bear it anymore so he hurriedly cried out, “Wait, wait, wait! We can talk this out!”
Yang Kai’s knife rested on his flank as he said, “If you want to say something, speak quickly before it’s too late.”
Zhu Jian was agitated, “I’ll leave you with all I’ve collected during my life. I own many treasures that are very helpful for Humans to cultivate with.”
Yang Kai sneered, “Your ‘treasures’ are all useless to me.”
Zhu Jian tried again, “Then I will give you some of my Source Strength. With it, you will have the opportunity to comprehend the Innate Divine Ability of my Clan!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai frowned and asked, “What is the Bloodline Talent of your Clan?”
He was oblivious to it previously, but during his trip to the No-Return Pass to cultivate, he had come to understand that every Divine Spirit Clan had their own Bloodline Talent which would awaken once they matured thanks to their Bloodline Inheritance.
For example, the Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time while the Phoenix Clan’s was the Dao of Space.
Since he didn’t interact with other Divine Spirits much, Yang Kai didn’t know much about them.
Seeing that his interest was piqued, Zhu Jian immediately continued, “The Bloodline Talent of my Clan is one of strength! If you comprehend this Innate Divine Ability, your physical strength will be boundless!”
“Garbage!” Yang Kai immediately lost all interest. When it came to raw physical strength, none exceeded the Dragon Clan! It was a purely useless Bloodline Talent for Yang Kai.
Zhu Jian felt like breaking down. How could he have offered some of his Source Strength if he hadn’t been forced into a dead end? The loss of even a bit of his Source Strength would have a significant detrimental effect on him.
Yet, such huge sacrifices were dismissed as ‘garbage’ by this Human.
“If you have anything else for me in exchange for your life, speak up. Or else, I will start my meal,” Yang Kai threatened.
Zhu Jian sighed, appearing to accept his fate, “What more do I have when you don’t even seem pleased by my Source Strength? Forget it. This is my fate. Please start.”
“Even if you die, you still won’t recognise me as your Master?” Yang Kai questioned.
Zhu Jian was greatly humiliated; even so, his words oozed contempt as he spoke, “Trivial Human, it will bring shame to all Divine Spirits for this Zhu Jian to submit to you! Instead, death will be a relief for me as I will finally be able to escape this prison.”
“What if I wasn’t a Human?” Yang Kai asked. Zhu Jian’s heart tightened as he saw Yang Kai step onto his nose once again and gave him a stern look.
When those words came out, even though Yang Kai’s figure remained the same, the phantom image of a Dragon Head appeared behind him and intense Dragon Pressure erupted forth.
“You’re from the Dragon Clan!?” Zhu Jian asked in shock.
As a Divine Spirit, Zhu Jian could naturally feel the extremely pure Dragon Pressure that washed over him in that instant, something that only a True Dragon could possess. Under this Dragon Pressure, even a Divine Spirit like him couldn’t help but feel inferior.
The Dragon Head disappeared as Yang Kai nodded and declared, “Indeed, I am from the Dragon Clan!”
“Why didn’t you expose your true identity first if you are from the Dragon Clan?” Zhu Jian almost wept. Still, the next moment he attempted to sound intimidating by declaring, “Even if you are a True Dragon, I won’t recognise you as my Master!”
The way he spoke, nonetheless, was not nearly as forceful as it had been before. Clearly, Yang Kai’s revelation of his identity caused Zhu Jian to reconsider his decision.
Of course, Yang Kai, on the other hand, knew what he was thinking; thus, he tempted him again, “I can bring you out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary!”
Zhu Jian looked at him for a while, then shook his head and said, “Impossible, all Divine Spirits that have entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary will never have a chance to leave unless they win that fleeting opportunity. This applies to those in the Dragon Clan as well.”
Yang Kai only replied nonchalantly at this statement, “If I say I can do it, I can do it. Just because all of you can’t leave doesn’t mean that I can’t.”
For a brief while, Zhu Jian pondered before asking, “Do you dare to swear upon your Bloodline?”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “Why would I not?”
At this point, Zhu Jian no longer had any doubts. To any Divine Spirit, an oath sworn on one’s Source was binding, while one sworn on their Bloodline was of even greater significance. Violating a Bloodline Oath would result in a Bloodline backlash. In light cases, their Bloodline would forever be destroyed, whereas in the worst case, they would lose their life. Worse yet, a Bloodline Oath concerned not just an individual, but an entire Clan, meaning it was a matter of honour to one’s whole Race and would be enforced with a corresponding level of intensity.
This was one of the most ancient Oaths in existence.
“How are you going to get out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?” Zhu Jian inquired while frowning.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Of course, I have my own means. You don’t need to ask.”
“Even if you are from the Dragon Clan, I can’t possibly acknowledge you as my Master. Even so, I can swear loyalty to you,” Zhu Jian stated after giving it some thought.
[What’s the difference?] Yang Kai thought; however, seeing how Zhu Jian would rather die than agree to his original request, proved how the Divine Spirits indeed exhibited unyielding pride and arrogance.
This level of conviction was unbreakable, even in the face of death.
“That works too,” Yang Kai nodded, not actually intending to enslave the Divine Spirits here, just to bring them out to fight against the Black Ink Clan. Recognising him as a Master was for nothing but to give it an easy title to understand.
When Zhu Jian cautiously turned to look at Yang Kai, he added, “This type of loyalty needs to be limited to 100 yea…”
It was clear from what he observed that Yang Kai was not someone who could not be reasoned with; thus, he intended to negotiate and gain some advantages for himself.
“3,000 years! You will swear loyalty to me for 3,000 years and I will swear to release you when that time is up,” Yang Kai cut him off and firmly declared.
Zhu Jian seemed to be unwilling. Even for a Divine Spirit like him, 3,000 years was a long time, but before he could even speak, Yang Kai interjected, “There’s no need for any further discussion if you can’t even guarantee 3,000 years.”
When Zhu Jian saw there was no space for negotiation, he sighed dejectedly and said, “Good, 3,000 years.”
It was only then that Yang Kai put him down and retrieved the Golden Crow’s True Fire. This was followed by both sides swearing Oaths upon their Bloodlines. In that Oath, Zhu Jian swore loyalty to Yang Kai for 3,000 years after Yang Kai brought him out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
“Lead me to the other Divine Spirits,” Yang Kai ordered.
Zhu Jian understood instantly that this Human did not only intend to subjugate him but all the other Divine Spirits in the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary as well. No one could escape from him.
However, this matter was not necessarily a bad thing for the Divine Spirits of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. They had always wanted to escape from here, so now that there was such an opportunity, nobody would be willing to pass it up.
Understanding this, Zhu Jian stopped being long-winded and immediately led Yang Kai to the closest Divine Spirit.
After an hour, in front of a cave, Yang Kai waited patiently for Zhu Jian to discuss with the Divine Spirit inside. Sometime later, a three-headed, 3,000-metre-long snake emerged from the caves and looked down at Yang Kai while keeping his head high up.
At a glance, Yang Kai recognized that this was Fei Yi, who had Qu Hua Shang as his Bearer.
The middle head of Fei Yi’s three heads asked, “You are able to take me out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I dare not go against my Bloodline Oath.”
Fei Yi nodded, “If that’s the case, I can work under you for 3,000 years.”
Yang Kai was spared a great deal of hassle thanks to Zhu Jian’s mediation. The two parties once more swore an Oath, just like Yang Kai did with Zhu Jian.
For the next half a month, Yang Kai wandered around the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and met one Divine Spirit after another. The subdued Divine Spirits helped convince the new ones, making things simpler.
As Zhu Jian was the first to surrender to Yang Kai, he played a vital role in the subsequent subjugation process, so he also subconsciously took on the role of leader.
When Yang Kai returned to the Old Tree again, there were over 100 Divine Spirits of various shapes and sizes following him. These Divine Spirits had a wide range of strength, but the one undeniable fact was that all of them were at least on par with Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The 100 or so formed quite a strong force.
On the other hand, Wu Kuang remained immobile and stuck in place. He was so furious after seeing Yang Kai’s return that his nose puffed smoke. If he were able to speak, he would have cursed Yang Kai to death.
In front of the World Tree, Yang Kai bowed, “Old Tree, I want to send them to the Star Boundary through you.”
On the trunk of the World Tree, Old Tree’s face emerged, “Help yourself.”
Yang Kai nodded and connected to the World Fruit on the World Tree that corresponded to the Star Boundary. Then, he manipulated Space Principles which prompted a Void Corridor to appear in the next instant.
He turned to look at the numerous Divine Spirits following behind and declared, “You can enter the 3,000 Worlds from here. Now that the 3,000 Worlds are at war, we need you to help us in our fight against our enemies. Go to the Star Boundary’s High Heaven Palace and search for a woman named Hua Qing Si. Tell her that I sent all of you as reinforcements. Remember, you must obey her commands when I am not around. If you dare to commit crimes or disobey her orders, I have plenty of ways to make you suffer.”
Many Divine Spirits felt the foreign aura coming from the portal, making them thrilled. Despite Yang Kai’s repeated assurances that he would lead them out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, it wasn’t until they saw his ability in action that they were able to completely trust him.
After going through this portal, they could finally escape the restrictions of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and restore their power as true Divine Spirits.
Zhu Jian cupped his fist and said, “Sir may rest assured, since we have established a Bloodline Oath, we dare not violate it.”
“En. Go.” Yang Kai responded with a nod and a wave.
The first to rush towards the portal was Zhu Jian, who was soon followed by several more Divine Spirits. They all shrunk their figures to travel through the portal, disappearing one after another.
It was only after all of the 100 or so Divine Spirits crossed the portal that Yang Kai shut it.
There would certainly be a disturbance with the arrival of 100 plus Divine Spirits at the Star Boundary, but that was not Yang Kai’s concern now.
Grabbing Wu Kuang, Yang Kai addressed the World Tree, “Old Tree, I need to go to Black Territory. May I ask you for guidance?”
Each fruit on the World Tree represented a Universe World which still had its Grand Dao intact. These Universe Worlds were scattered throughout the Great Territories, but there were none in Black Territory.
This was because the entire Black Territory was a Dead Territory, with no Universe Worlds remaining.
Yang Kai couldn’t enter the Black Ink Battlefield or Black Territory directly, so the next best option was to travel to the Great Territory adjacent to Black Territory and enter from there.
Yang Kai could only consult the Old Tree, because he was unsure which World Fruit corresponded to the relevant Universe World closest to Black Territory. Given that the World Fruits were grown on the World Tree, it would know better than anyone which World Fruit corresponded to which Universe World.
After hearing what Yang Kai had said, the Old Tree said nothing, but one of its fruits immediately lit up.
Yang Kai understood what this meant. As he looked up, he saw a black, almost-withered fruit emanating Black Ink Strength from within. Such fruits were not uncommon and represented Universe Worlds that had been corroded by the Black Ink Clan, quickly losing their World Force and Grand Dao.
This was not the worst-case scenario, but it also wasn’t a good situation. After a few years, the sickly fruits would ultimately become completely black, and in the end, they would eventually wither and fall off.
“Take care, Old Tree!” Yang Kai offered his thanks and headed towards the World Fruit while carrying Wu Kuang.
The small World Fruit got bigger in front of their eyes, and transformed into a Universe World.
When Yang Kai and Wu Kuang recovered, they had already arrived on the outskirts of the Universe World. Looking from afar, a Black Ink Nest was ravenously absorbing the remnants of its World Force. Furthermore, dense Black Ink Strength enveloped this whole Universe World.
Yang Kai sighed even though he had encountered numerous situations like this throughout the years.
This Universe World was on the brink of falling. There was no longer a need to refine a Universe World that was filled with Black Ink Strength like this one.
All the living beings here had already been transformed into Black Ink Disciples, becoming servants of the Black Ink Clan.
Of course, Yang Kai could destroy the entire Universe World, but that meant killing all the transformed Black Ink Disciples as well.
There were hundreds of millions of them, so how could Yang Kai be merciless enough to slaughter them?
At this moment, Wu Kuang finally managed to break free from Yang Kai’s grasp and erupted into a fit of rage, roaring, “You Brat! I will remember this and never let you off!”
But, with a single sentence, Yang Kai tamed his enormous rage.
“I’ll give you a World Tree clone.”
Wu Kuang was momentarily stunned, his anger fizzling out as he asked in disbelief, “Really?”
Yang Kai had obtained three clones from the World Tree. Though Wu Kuang desperately wanted one, he knew Yang Kai wouldn’t be willing to give it to him; if it wasn’t because he was weaker than Yang Kai, he would have already snatched one away.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai offered a clone to him willingly, which made him both shocked and delighted.
If he were given this clone, which would stabilize and fortify his Small Universe, Wu Kuang would not need to worry about signs of his Small Universe being unstable due to any sudden increase in strength. He could also maximize the effects of his Heaven Devouring Battle Law with no need to worry about any kind of side effects in the future.
Yang Kai then replied, “But, you’ll have to follow me somewhere.”
Wu Kuang became alert at once, “Where?”
“Don’t ask so much. You’ll know when we arrive.” Saying so, Yang Kai simply took out a World Tree clone and threw it to Wu Kuang.
Wu Kuang quickly accepted it and made sure that it was real before becoming overjoyed. As soon as he put it in his Small Universe, he felt that his aura grew somewhat denser.
He could feel that his Small Universe started getting perfected after he had placed the World Tree clone inside, and in time, Wu Kunag was confident there would be even more benefits as the World Tree clone grew.
He also learned about the mystery of the World Tree clone from the World Tree, like how it absorbed the power of other Universes Worlds. With this World Tree clone, he would be able to save many years of cultivation and ascend to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm in no time.
Unlike other cultivators, Wu Kuang was not bound by the restrictions of the Open Heaven Realm. Nobody knew how or why, but after acquiring the body of Great Demon God Mo Sheng, he directly ascended to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Logically speaking, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm should be his limit.
Wu Kuang was currently in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm already, but despite that, he felt that his Martial Dao had not reached its peak. He could still ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm or even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Over the years, Wu Kuang had thought about this matter a lot, and in the end, he concluded that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law he created was so exceptional, that it broke the innate restrictions of the Open Heaven Realm.
On the other hand, it was unfortunate that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could only be safely cultivated by him. If it was someone else, he or she would first notice rapid advancement during the early stages of cultivation, but as they continued to cultivate, the backlash would grow. Furthermore, there was only one solution to this, the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus. However, there was only one such lotus in existence.
Having obtained a World Tree clone, Wu Kuang squinted at Yang Kai, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll run away?”
To which Yang Kai returned a sneer, “You can try!”
Wu Kuang’s expression instantly darkened. Although he was in the Seventh Order, Yang Kai was already in the Eighth Order. On top of that, this man was proficient in the Dao of Space. In the face of someone superior in both cultivation and speed, Wu Kuang had no confidence he would be able to escape under his watch.
He immediately surrendered, “Gifts blind the eyes. Now that I received a World Tree clone from you, I shall follow you wherever you go.”
Yang Kai gave him a long, thoughtful look, [How carefree of you to say that. I hope you won’t regret this in the future.]
Although Yang Kai had no intention to destroy the Universe World in front of them, he did not intend to leave the Black Ink Nest in this Universe World alone. As he extended his palm and slammed it down, the few thousand metres tall Black Ink Nest was crushed into dust. This caused the Black Ink Clansmen in the Universe World to panic, wondering which Human Race Master had come.
Universe Worlds were beginning to fall, all of them with Black Ink Nests planted on them. The dense Black Ink Strength permeated throughout the Universe Worlds, transforming countless living beings into Black Ink Disciples.
As Yang Kai and Wu Kuang travelled, what they witnessed and heard shocked them.
Yang Kai would not hesitate to eliminate any targets that could be rapidly removed along the way, but he was not focused on removing those Black Ink Nests.
His current task was more pressing.
After a few days, the two came across a Universe World that had a Black Ink Nest on it. One could tell that it hadn’t been here for long by the sparse Black Ink Strength and by how much of the World Force remained.
Yang Kai examined it and asked, “Now that you also have a World Tree clone to stabilize and protect your Small Universe, do you want to keep some living beings inside? If there are living beings living and breeding in your Small Universe, it can greatly help you with your cultivation.”
Of course, Wu Kuang desired it. The Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had already evolved from immaterial to material, capable of hosting living beings in it; however, owing to how often one would engage in battles, and how detrimental that would be to a Small Universe, few High-Rank Masters would ever raise living beings in their body. With a World Tree clone or one of the Four Universe Pillars to stabilize their Small Universe though, such an option became viable.
The safety of the living beings within Wu Kuang’s Small Universe could only be ensured if it remained unaffected by external shocks.
Wu Kuang already wanted to house some living beings when Yang Kai first handed him the World Tree clone, it was just that he was short on time and had no source of such beings.
Once Yang Kai asked though, he understood what Yang Kai meant and thought that this Brat was quite a good friend for bringing him to a Universe World like this one.
Immediately, he nodded and said, “I’ll go in and look around!”
Saying so, he rushed towards the Universe World.
If Yang Kai and Wu Kuang chose to ignore this Universe World, the living beings within it would all transform into Black Ink Disciples after a few years. This Universe World’s World Force would be completely gone and it would break apart and die soon enough as well.
In this vast Universe, there were countless Universe Worlds like this one.
When Wu Kuang entered the Universe World, he recklessly took in all the living beings he could find. Yang Kai was able to see clearly how Wu Kuang immediately incorporated all of the busy, packed cities of living beings into his Small Universe.
Even the Black Ink Nest and the Black Ink Clan that were plundering this Universe World were not spared.
Wu Kuang’s Heaven Devouring Battle Law could consume everything and anything, so while it might be difficult to take in and resolve Black Ink Strength for others, to Wu Kuang, it was just another method to enrich his heritage.
In less than 10 days, there were no more living beings in this Universe World, they had all been taken into Wu Kuang’s Small Universe.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel surprised. Even though this Universe World was fairly small, and it had recently been attacked by the Black Ink Clan, there were still a billion living beings inside. Being able to take in all those people as a mere Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master demonstrated that Wu Kuang’s Small Universe was far from average.
When Wu Kuang returned happily, Yang Kai purged all the Black Ink Strength from this Universe World and began to refine it.
This confused Wu Kuang, “There are no longer living beings in this Universe World and its World Force is also close to being completely depleted. It can’t be saved, so why bother?”
“I have my reasons,” Yang Kai replied.
Without wanting to bother him, Wu Kuang simply sat cross-legged beside him and began to sort the living beings in his Small Universe. Now that he had collected over a billion of them, he had to properly settle them in and provide what they needed to survive otherwise it would be a waste to have taken them in.
Thus, they both worked in silence.
Two days later, Yang Kai refined the Universe World into a World Bead. The only difference from the others that he previously refined was that this one was empty and devoid of any living beings and had barely any vitality.
After informing Wu Kuang, they continued travelling.
Through this adjacent Great Territory, Yang Kai led Wu Kuang into Black Territory.
As expected, there was no trace of the Black Ink Clan here. This Great Territory simply contained an empty void, so the Black Ink Clan would certainly not be interested in it.
The two arrived at the centre of Black Territory after a few days where the Void Corridor connecting to the Black Ink Battlefield was located.
Previously, Yang Kai used this Void Corridor to return to the 3,000 Worlds from the Black Ink Battlefield. He never imagined that a few years later, he would have to return to the Black Ink Battlefield from here. He felt as if fate was playing with him.
After pondering for a while, Yang Kai turned his head and looked at Wu Kuang, “Do you mind entering my Small Universe?”
Since he was in the Eighth Order and Wu Kuang was in the Seventh Order, it would not be a problem for Yang Kai to keep the latter in the Small Universe as doing so would be more convenient for the next leg of their journey. After all, travelling through the Void Corridor involved many dangers. If Wu Kuang needed to be taken care of on top of that, it would be more burdensome for him.
Wu Kuang frowned, “Why?”
Under normal circumstances, cultivators of higher Orders would not allow strangers into their Small Universe unless they had complete faith in one another because if the detained person caused disturbances in their Small Universe, it was very likely that they would also go through serious issues.
Those of lower Order were also apprehensive about entering another’s Small Universe as doing so basically gave the other party control over their life.
Even though he knew that Yang Kai would not harm him, Wu Kuang couldn’t help but ask.
After Yang Kai explained the reason, Wu Kuang nodded, “Why should I be afraid if you’re not.”
“Come on then,” Yang Kai opened up his Small Universe, and Wu Kuang plunged into it without hesitation.
Without Wu Kuang to burden him, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and reopened the Void Corridor that he previously shut, flashing into it.
As he travelled forward, Yang Kai closed the path behind him.
This Void Corridor was an unknown route leading to the Black Ink Battlefield, so Yang Kai definitely did not want it to be revealed so easily, as it might come in handy one day.
After some time, Yang Kai eventually made his way through the Void Corridor and returned to the Black Ink Battlefield once again. He then released Wu Kuang from his Small Universe as soon as possible and gave him a stern look, “Bastard! How shameless can you be!?”
Yang Kai’s rage was, however, understandable considering that Wu Kuang, activated his Heaven Devouring Battle Law while being in his Small Universe and devoured some of his heritage while they were travelling through the Void Corridor.
This was simply unacceptable!
Though Yang Kai quickly overpowered and sealed him, Wu Kuang still got a taste.
Faced with Yang Kai’s scolding, Wu Kuang simply chuckled and asked, “Where are we going now?”
Yang Kai only glared at him in response, [Indeed, old ginger is spicier. Shamelessness has already seeped into his bones. If it wasn’t for his value, I would definitely beat him up without mercy.]
Originally, he had intended for Wu Kuang to stay in his Small Universe indefinitely, making it easier for him to travel; however, as a result of what just happened, Yang Kai was no longer confident about keeping this menace.
Luckily, Wu Kuang hadn’t consumed much of his heritage or he wouldn’t have let him off that easily.
After calming his frustration for a time, Yang Kai grumbled, “Come with me.”
The pair travelled in silence.
Only a few days later, Wu Kuang suddenly realised, “This is the Black Ink Battlefield?”
Despite never having been to the Black Ink Battlefield, he knew a little about it because he used to be a member of the Great Evolution Army in the Barren Territory. There, he hung out with Blood Crow, so he knew that the Human Race were defeated on the Black Ink Battlefield and were forced to retreat to the Barren Territory.
The void was pin-drop silent here, and the Universe Worlds they saw along the journey were all dead, some with traces of mining. Wu Kuang, who was not a fool, recognised this as the Black Ink Battlefield right away.
“En, this is the Black Ink Battlefield!” Yang Kai nodded.
Wu Kuang grew excited at once, “We’re taking the fight to the enemy?”
There was obviously something big waiting for them or Yang Kai wouldn’t bring him to the Black Ink Battlefield for no reason and even give him a World Tree clone as a token of his appreciation.
Wu Kuang believed that all Royal Lords were completely wiped out, and that the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were restrained; thus, the strongest Black Ink Clansmen around were the Territory Lords.
As Wu Kuang had previously witnessed how strong Yang Kai was, effortlessly able to kill a Territory Lord, he misunderstood and thought Yang Kai had brought him here to raise chaos behind enemy lines.
This was precisely what he wanted. When Yang Kai killed the Territory Lord earlier, he didn’t dare to simply consume the remnant strength since his strength had advanced too quickly over recent years, and he needed to stabilize his cultivation.
But with a World Tree clone, Wu Kuang’s Small Universe had now been completely perfected, and he could even vividly perceive how his World Force was constantly being refined and purified by it. Now that his foundation would consolidate itself all on its own, the more strength he devoured, the better it would be.
Yang Kai glanced at him suddenly, nodded and said, “En, we’re going to solve the problem at its source!”
He didn’t want to explain himself, but secretly hoped that Wu Kuang would not despise him too much as what they were about to face might cost him his life!
The pair flew forward while Yang Kai left a trail of Space Beacons behind.
The placing of Space Beacons could save Yang Kai a lot of time when he returned.
Wu Kuang, who had originally been eagerly anticipating being able to have a sumptuous meal, eventually came to realise that something was wrong as the days passed. They hadn’t even come across a single Black Ink Clansman along the way, only the never-ending void.
After he asked Yang Kai multiple times, the latter simply said that the Black Ink Battlefield was too vast and that the Black Ink Clansmen were all assembled around the No-Return Pass right now; so, the two of them still had a long way to go.
Of course, Wu Kuang had no idea where the No-Return Pass was.
He only heard from others that the No-Return Pass was originally the only route connecting the 3,000 Worlds to the Black Ink Battlefield. Initially, it was guarded by the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan, but now the Pass had fallen into enemy hands.
Therefore, Wu Kuang could only follow Yang Kai obediently, despite the fact that he still had some doubts in his heart. He also dared not leave on his own since they had already gone far and this place was devoid of anything that could be used as a landmark for him to find his way back.
Anyone unfamiliar with Black Ink Battlefield would undoubtedly become lost in this never-ending void.
It took a few years, but the pair eventually reached the Late Ancient Era battlefield. Wu Kuang immediately realised the dangers of this place and soon after bore witness to the magnificence of the Celestial Phenomena, something that absolutely could not be witnessed in the 3,000 Worlds.
It took his breath away.
The Late Ancient Era Battlefield contained not only the remains of the Late Ancient Era, but also the remnants of the Human Race Army as they retreated from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction hundreds of years ago.
Yang Kai even spotted a lot of shattered Warship debris along the way!
When the Human Race Army was retreating from Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to the No-Return Pass, he was being chased by the sheep-headed Royal Lord, so he did not know how the Human Race Army was defeated while they were evacuating.
However, after viewing the remnants of the battle, he could imagine the valiant struggle of his allies at that time.
Years passed before the two finally crossed that Late Ancient Era battlefield.
Wu Kuang could no longer stand it, “Brat, what are you planning? We’ve been travelling for almost 10 years. Are you certain this is where the No-Return Pass is?”
Over the last 10 years, the World Tree clone in his Small Universe had grown significantly, and the living beings he had taken in had gradually settled in, but they had yet to encounter a single Black Ink Clansman, which made Wu Kuang lose patience.
When Yang Kai knew that lying was no longer an option, he said, “We’re not heading to the No-Return Pass.”
Wu Kuang exclaimed in rage, “You lied to me!?”
Yang Kai ignored him and continued, “From Chaos, Heaven and Earth first split apart and the first Primordial Light was born alongside the Primordial Darkness.”
Yang Kai began to speak of the many secrets he heard from Cang back then.
Since Wu Kuang had lived longer than him yet never heard about any of this before, he was quickly fascinated and set aside his anger.
The Divine Spirits of the Primordial Era, Monster Race of the Early Ancient Era, the Human Race of the Late Ancient Era…
The change of dominance of these Races represented the change of each era.
Though Yang Kai explained it nonchalantly, Wu Kuang felt as if he personally experienced the unfolding of the events during that time and finally understood the origins of Mo.
After Yang Kai finished speaking, Wu Kuang pondered for a long time and asked, “As you said, if we want to completely eradicate the Black Ink Clan, we need to find the Primordial Light?”
“Indeed.”
Wu Kuang frowned, “How do we find that thing?”
“I already have some clues, but you shouldn’t be concerned about this.”
[I’m too lazy to care anyways,] Wu Kuang thought.
“Wu Kuang, is the Heaven Devouring Battle Law really a Secret Art created by you?” Yang Kai questioned afterwards.
Wu Kuang snorted, “Of course it was created by this King. In this world, is there anyone else who can use this Secret Art?”
Yang Kai shook his head in response, “The Star Boundary is located in a remote corner of the 3,000 Worlds where the Martial Dao is still quite underdeveloped. No matter how gifted you are, without having been in contact with the outside world, how would you be able to create such a magnificent Secret Art like the Heaven Devouring Battle Law? Have you ever wondered why this Secret Art can assist you to quickly enhance your cultivation even up to this day?”
1,000 years ago, the strongest Masters in the Star Boundary were the Great Emperors. It would still be reasonable if the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was only useful up to that level, as it would still remain within the scope of what the Star Boundary’s Martial Dao allowed. However, this Secret Act was still helping Wu Kuang climb through the Open Heaven Realm, which should be impossible.
Wu Kuang frowned this time, but instead of speaking aggressively, he just asked, “What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t think you personally created this Secret Art. It may be regarded as your creation in a certain sense, but… it may not be created by you in this life!”
Wu Kuang was stunned and looked at Yang Kai with a menacing gleam in his eyes, but that was ignored by Yang Kai.
Only after a long time did Wu Kuang calm his thoughts; after all, Yang Kai revealed his biggest secret in one go, which utterly shocked him.
Then, Wu Kuang nodded, “Yes, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law may not have been created by me; however, when I was young, I frequently dreamed of some fragments of this Secret Art in my sleep, which is the foundation of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. If I cultivated according to it, my strength grew steadily, and the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was fully perfected once I became a Great Emperor!”
It was not as if Wu Kuang hadn’t given this matter any thought. He understood why he had dreams about the Secret Art and knew that with it, he could become a Great Emperor.
It was because, in his previous life, he was already one!
In the Shattered Star Sea, he killed multiple Great Emperors all on his own thanks to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Over the years, as his cultivation strengthened, Wu Kuang frequently saw visions that he had never experienced before and vaguely suspected that there was more to his origin than met the eye.
Wu Kuang had also come into contact with the theory of reincarnation, even suspecting that he was such a case, but he had no evidence either way.
It was just that he did not expect nor wish for all of this to be revealed by Yang Kai so suddenly.
“Is there something that made you aware of this?” Wu Kuang asked solemnly.
Yang Kai remained silent and just led him forward.
After a short pause, Wu Kuang stopped asking. He knew that Yang Kai would tell him when it was time. If he refused to say anything now, then it was not time yet.
Half a year passed before Yang Kai finally stopped and Wu Kuang hurriedly halted as well.
Just as he was going to ask, he felt something, looked up, and his pupils immediately shrank.
A massive void filled with Warship debris and innumerable dismembered Black Ink Clansmen could be seen in front of them.
Wu Kuang even caught a glimpse of a magnificent Great Pass that was seemingly ripped apart by some overwhelming force.
This was a grand battlefield!
Wu Kuang quickly came to his senses. This must be a recent battlefield as the Warships seemed familiar to Wu Kuang, like the ones the Humans used when he was fighting with the Great Evaluation Army in the Barren Territory.
“This is…” He turned to look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai kept his silence before saying, “The battlefield outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. This is where the Human Race’s Crusade Force first arrived, and where we met our first defeat.”
Wu Kuang immediately understood as he had heard about the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction too. He just did not expect that he had followed Yang Kai all the way here, travelling for 10 years straight.
Yang Kai then pointed forward, “Beyond this battlefield is the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which is also the origin of the Black Ink Clan. There, the True Body of Mo is sealed.”
Wu Kuang experienced a startling surge of emotion.
The origin of the Black Ink Clan was already not a secret. The Royal Lords, Territory Lords, Feudal Lords, and even the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were all created by Mo, showing how powerful Mo was.
“At the end of the Late Ancient Era, the 10 Martial Ancestors received enlightenment from the World Tree to comprehend the Open Heaven Realm. It was under the instructions of the Heavenly Way. Those 10 were well aware of the dangers Mo posed, and they worked extremely hard to set up this Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to seal it. Though they were able to seal Mo, they were unable to completely destroy it. After millions of years, guarding this place, they passed away, one after another, leaving only one in the end. When the Human Race Army arrived here, we met an individual who called himself Cang. It was also through him that the Human Race learned about the secrets of the past.
“Unfortunately, Cang also passed away during the battle here. Currently, this place is no longer guarded. Though Mo is still in a deep sleep thanks to the final trick left behind by another Master, no one knows when it will awaken. If no one stands guard over this place, no one will be able to stop it, and the 3,000 Worlds will be unable to resist.”
“Fortunately, before Cang passed away, he gave me something. And now… I will hand it over to you!”
Saying so, Yang Kai stretched out a finger towards Wu Kuang. Instinctively, Wu Kuang wanted to dodge, but that was impossible in the face of Yang Kai’s vastly superior strength. As Space Principles inundated, he was made immobile.
Wu Kuang could only watch helplessly as Yang Kai tapped a golden light onto his forehead with his fingertips.
In an instant, Wu Kuang trembled hard and his vision went blank.
“Shi, are you still not awake?” Yang Kai said in a deep voice.
Although his voice was soft, it rang like a bell in Wu Kuang’s head. Following the burst of the golden light that Yang Kai placed on him, memories of the past flooded Wu Kuang.
That golden light was actually a piece of Wu Kuang’s past life’s Soul, which had preserved all of his memories.
Back then, when Cang activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in front of him, Yang Kai immediately recognised it and hit the mark with a single comment.
Cang was equally as shocked; after all, an old friend of his created this Secret Art millions of years ago. However, Yang Kai was able to recognize the Heaven Devouring Battle Law at a glance, which revealed a lot to him.
After talking with Yang Kai, Cang learned that there was a man named Wu Kuang in this world who also cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Since then, Cang concluded that Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of his friend, because the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was a Secret Act created by Shi.
For precisely these reasons, Cang offered Yang Kai the part of Shi’s Soul that the latter had left in his keeping.
Yang Kai wasn’t aware of what he had been given at the time; still, a Royal Lord pursued him all the way to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon for it.
Over the years, Yang Kai had also come to understand the importance of the mission Cang had given to him before he passed away. Subsequently, he began to inquire about Wu Kuang when he was in the Shattered Heaven, hoping to find him.
In the end, by fate, Yang Kai met Wu Kuang in a random Great Territory, as ordained by Heaven’s Will.
Now that he had returned that Soul wisp, completing the mission entrusted to him by Cang, Yang Kai heaved a sigh of relief while turning to stare at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Though Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of that Martial Ancestor, he was not Shi himself.
Before Shi was about to pass away, he sent another piece of his Soul away, hoping to be reincarnated, in an effort to find a solution to destroy Mo after his death.
After so many years without any news, Cang thought Shi had failed.
Now that Wu Kuang was brought back by Yang Kai and given back the preserved bit of Shi’s Soul, Yang Kai wasn’t sure if Wu Kuang would do as Cang wished.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction needed to be guarded; otherwise, once Mo woke up, it could not be held captive.
The best person to guard this place was none other than Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai secretly made up his mind that if Wu Kuang was unwilling, he would beat him until he was willing, after all, Wu Kuang was currently not his opponent. So, doing so would not be hard.
The Soul fragment exploded, and information about Shi filled Wu Kuang’s mind, causing his expression to continuously change.
Several days later, Wu Kuang regained consciousness and was plainly lost in thought.
Rather than the free and unfettered Heaven Devouring Great Emperor, he was now unexpectedly burdened with tremendous responsibility, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After observing him in silence for some time, Yang Kai asked, “Do you now understand everything?”
Wu Kuang nodded.
Many questions in this life had now been answered, including how he was able to acquire the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in his dreams when he was a child, and why there were no restrictions when he broke through, even in the Open Heaven Realm. Although he only directly ascended to the Fifth Order, he felt that he had the potential to reach the Ninth Order. After he received that bit of Soul left by Shi, Wu Kuang now possessed vastly more knowledge than Yang Kai.
Now, Wu Kuang couldn’t even tell if he was the Heaven Devouring Great Emperor or Shi.
“Now that you understand, you should know the reason why I brought you here, so make a decision. Whether you stay here and guard this place for Cang, or leave this place and be free,” Yang Kai commented.
Wu Kuang glanced at the Azure Dragon Spear that Yang Kai was playing with and his brow twitched, “If I say no, are you going to stab me to death?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “How could I? Shi is Shi, and you are you. You are both separate individuals. Shi is one of the Martial Ancestors who guarded the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction every day with the world in mind. Even when he died, he did so for the Human Race. He is a true role model. You, on the other hand, are an infamous bandit. Your story is used as a lesson for misbehaving children in the Star Boundary. I can understand if you say you don’t want to stay. Considering that guarding this place is not a matter of a day or two but a matter of thousands or even tens of thousands of years! Not everyone can endure such solitude.”
Even as Yang Kai spoke such words though, the Azure Dragon Spear glinted an icy light.
Sneering, Wu Kuang said, “Stop speaking nonsense. It took you more than 10 years to bring me here. I’m afraid that if I say one wrong word, I’ll die on the spot.”
“You misunderstand me deeply,” Yang Kai stated firmly.
Yang Kai received a cold snort in response before Wu Kuang turned and glanced in the direction of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, “But, there is no need for you to threaten me. I will guard this place from now on!”
Yang Kai raised his brow, “This matter is not forced on you.”
Wu Kuang shook his head and said, “I’m not forced. If I did not want to, I would rather you kill me than stay. This is… my own choice.”
With a serious expression, Yang Kai retrieved the Azure Dragon Spear and lowered his head to Wu Kuang, “Senior is indeed kind and understanding. This Yang Kai would like to thank Senior on behalf of the 3,000 Worlds and Cang. If Mo can be destroyed in the future, much credit will belong to Senior!”
Wu Kuang snorted coldly at his words.
When Yang Kai did not need help from him, he would only address him by his name, now that he had needed help though, he was suddenly ‘Senior’. This Brat’s skin was just too thick.
Yang Kai added, “May I ask Senior, why are you willing to endure thousands of years of loneliness to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Wu Kuang glanced at him, knowing that this Brat was still not assured about him; after all, everything was just a verbal promise at this point. When Yang Kai left, he would have the chance to leave this place; thus, he explained, “Rest assured. Though I am in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, I am still not strong enough. You know more about the characteristics of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law than anyone other than me. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law can help me to greatly enhance my cultivation, and in the vast Universe, there is no place I can benefit more from than this Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.”
Yang Kai instantly understood, “You’re planning to devour the Black Ink Strength here?”
“The Black Ink Strength here is many times denser and purer than in any Black Ink Clansmen. If I can consume the Black Ink Strength here, it will be much more beneficial than killing a few Feudal Lords outside,” Wu Kuang laughed wickedly.
“Senior, you’re indeed wise.”
“Don’t pat my ass, it’s pointless.”
Yang Kai continued, “Although Mo is now in a deep slumber, I don’t know when it will awaken. Senior is currently only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, are you even strong enough to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
This was a legitimate concern. It was possible that Wu Kuang, who was currently in the Seventh Order, wouldn’t be able to exert even 1% of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s power. In which case, he might not be able to restrict Mo.
Wu Kuang gushed with pride, “Within 3,000 years, this King can ascend to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. As long as Mo does not wake up before then, there will be no problem.”
Nobody else in this world except for Wu Kuang dared to boast about being able to cross from the Seventh Order to the Ninth Order in a mere 3,000 years.
It was, however, true that Wu Kuang, who cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, could borrow the power of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to rapidly enhance his strength. This was something he was absolutely confident about.
Once Wu Kuang really ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he would be able to somewhat control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; after all, he was not any ordinary Master but the reincarnation of Shi. He and his nine old friends created the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so naturally, he was more familiar with this place than anyone else currently alive.
Still, 3,000 years was a steep hurdle to vault.
If Wu Kuang found it hard, what more needs to be said about the entire Human Race?
After 3,000 years, even if Wu Kuang ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and completely took control of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, there was still no way to resolve Mo if the Human Race did not have sufficient strength to fight back and did not find the Primordial Light.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Then, I hope Senior’s path in the great Martial Dao is as you wish.”
“About the Primordial Light…” Wu Kuang frowned, “Did you ask the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer already?
Previously, when he asked about the Primordial Light, all Yang Kai said was that searching for it wasn’t his concern.
But, now that Wu Kuang obtained that part of Shi’s Soul, and recalling his current life’s experiences, it was no surprise that Wu Kuang guessed that the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had some relationship with the Primordial Light.
“I did.”
“What did they say?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “They couldn’t explain it clearly. Right now, the only thing that can be said with certainty is that those two do indeed have some connection to the Primordial Light. They might be a part of it but were separated from it somehow. They even did as I asked and tried to fuse together, but it was to no avail. We are still missing a key component.”
Wu Kuang frowned.
The key was missing. If they couldn’t find out what the one missing key was, they would never be able to locate the Primordial Light.
Turning his head to look in the direction of Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Wu Kuang paused and said, “Do you know why Shi took the risk of reincarnation when he hadn’t reached his predestined time of death? If he hadn’t done so, with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he would still have been able to live on for many years, yet he chose to give that all up.”
Yang Kai instantly felt more energised. Despite hearing many ancient secrets from Cang, he had never personally lived during that period. He had a slight feeling that he might have learned a big secret when Wu Kuang asked this out of the blue.
Immediately, he replied seriously, “Senior, please enlighten me.”
“To eliminate Mo, finding the Primordial Light is one way. It was just that Shi sensed that the Primordial Light might not be able to be found, so we could only try the second option.” He turned to look at Yang Kai and said in a deeper voice, “To reach the same realm as Mo or surpass it, and crush it with absolute power.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “What realm is Mo in?”
“Mo possesses the power of Creation, so it is in the Creation Realm. This realm is also the realm that Shi and the other nine had been pursuing, but it is a pity that none were able to achieve it.”
A little distracted, Yang Kai muttered, “The Creation Realm!”
He still remembered that when he and the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors visited Cang, they enquired about that realm from him. Cang only chuckled and claimed that he was only in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, just further along that path than others.
At that time, Yang Kai vaguely guessed that there might be a higher realm above the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
His guess was now confirmed by Wu Kuang. There was indeed a realm above the Ninth-Order Realm, which was the Creation Realm!
Being in the Creation Realm, Mo could create Royal Lords, Territory Lords and even Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. This was the might of the Creation Realm.
“Back when Mu dove deep into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, she witnessed Mo use hints of power that should only belong to the Creation Realm. Through that, she knew that its breakthrough to the Creation Realm was just a matter of time. Due to the characteristics of Black Ink Strength, Mo was born with an innate advantage. So, not long after she returned from inside the Grand Restriction, she sacrificed her life to the restriction to fortify it, leaving behind one last trump card for Cang to play, which must be the reason why Mo is in deep sleep right now,” Wu Kuang recalled the past while seemingly sifting through his new memories.
“Although Mu was an unparalleled talent, she was still a woman, which made her hesitate and act more conservatively. That trump card she left behind can only temporarily keep Mo in check. It is unable to resolve the issue entirely. Compared to her, Shi chose another approach.”
“To reincarnate?” Yang Kai slightly lifted his brow.
Wu Kuang gave a nod, “Shi and the other nine used the power of the World Tree to reach the Open Heaven Realm, but it was also due to this that they couldn’t go beyond the Open Heaven Realm. No matter how high they climbed, they would never surmount the Ninth Order. One needs other means to break this shackle, so Shi chose to reincarnate, hoping to find a way to break through the Ninth Order in his next life.”
“Is there any chance for Senior to do so now?” Yang Kai inquired.
Wu Kuang smiled and said, “The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters have consistently been the most powerful Supreme Masters of the Human Race since ancient times. The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm is the limit. Not to mention, I’m only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm at the moment, making such a breakthrough even more challenging.”
After hesitating for a moment, he continued, “Maybe I will discover more when I reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but for now, my cultivation is just too low.”
Yang Kai was aware that this situation could not be rushed, but finding a way to surpass the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm was indeed another option.
The Creation Realm.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but yearn for it.
Then again, he remembered that the Eighth Order was his limit in this life. To want to break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm was already close to impossible, not to mention reaching the Creation Realm.
Wu Kuang seemed to have noticed what was going on in his mind, so he turned and asked, “You have already reached your limit as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Stop thinking about other nonsense.”
With a trace of Shi’s Soul, Wu Kuang gained quite a bit of a Senior demeanour.
Yang Kai only smiled in response, “There’s always hope.”
“The Universe Furnace?” Wu Kuang sneered, “Innate Open Heaven Pills from the Universe Furnace can indeed help you break through that barrier, but the Universe Furnace is the most mysterious entity in the Universe. Nobody knows when it will appear. Let’s say it does appear one day, do you think you’ll have a place among all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from all the Cave Heavens and Paradises? Do keep in mind that the number of Open Heaven Pills that a furnace produces is limited.”
Yang Kai thought secretly in his heart, [If the Universe Furnace shows up one day, and the Human Race manages to obtain its Innate Open Heaven Pills, I should be able to take some for my breakthrough; after all, I have always fought with those above my realm. To allow me to ascend to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm is a better choice than any other.]
The only issue was that the Universe Furnace was nowhere to be found, and no one knew when or where it would appear.
“Other than the Universe Furnace, there is actually another way,” Wu Kuang smirked.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he immediately bowed again, “Senior, please enlighten me once more!”
Wu Kuang didn’t explain the method to him directly; instead, he said slowly as he recalled, “At that time, Cang and the other nine each had their own accomplishments. Even though Mu was the only female among them, she was undoubtedly the strongest. Due to this, the other nine were willing to listen and follow her requests. Let’s not talk about what the other nine are skilled at, do you know what Shi is best at?”
[How would I know anything about something so long ago?] Yang Kai muttered in his heart, but he kept his expression completely neutral and simply shook his head.
Wu Kuang did not intend to keep him waiting and simply explained, “Shi was unmatched when it came to developing techniques. Many Secret Techniques and Arts in the 3,000 Worlds stem from Shi’s creations. For example, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture cultivated by Blood Crow is a semi-finished product created by Shi, one he came up with when trying to develop the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Therefore, these two are quite similar. Honestly, what Shi was first deducing was the Blood Light Scripture. It was after he gained more comprehension that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was created.”
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat at those words. The Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was a magnificent Secret Art, one that could refine the Blood Essence of others for its user to quickly enhance their cultivation.
Previously, he also felt that the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture had many similarities with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Both had the ability to refine the energy of others, but the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was unquestionably superior as it could devour anything and everything rather than just Blood.
Yang Kai had no doubts about Wu Kuang’s claim when he said that Shi was best at deducing and creating Secret Arts and Techniques.
After so many years of cultivation, Yang Kai had never come across any Secret Art superior to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Although it had certain limitations, which was the challenge of cultivating it without the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus, this drawback did not diminish its power.
If even such a Secret Act could be created by Shi, there was absolutely no doubt in his ability to understand or create other Secret Arts.
Yang Kai understood, “Shi came up with a Secret Art to break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm back then?”
“It’s more of a combination of a Secret Technique and Secret Art, but yes. Do you want to learn it?” Wu Kuang nodded.
Of course, Yang Kai responded immediately, “Yes!”
“Then, I’ll teach it to you!” Saying so, Wu Kuang stretched out a finger and lightly touched his forehead, just like Yang Kai did before.
Yang Kai did not resist. When Wu Kuang’s finger met his forehead, an abstruse Secret Art instantly appeared in his mind and Wu Kuang’s voice rang in his ears, “This Secret Art was inspired by the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction itself. Although it is considered complete, nobody has ever cultivated it to this day so I’m not sure if it can be successfully used, but if you choose this path, you will have to take responsibility for yourself. Don’t hold me accountable if something goes wrong.”
Yang Kai remained silent as he processed the profundities of this Secret Art and eventually, he understood why Wu Kuang had chosen to give it to him.
This was because he knew that Yang Kai carried the Soul Warming Lotus. Though it was not essential for this Secret Art, it provided great convenience.
There might not be anyone who was better qualified than Yang Kai to cultivate this Secret Art.
Realising this, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a little sad. He thought that if this Secret Art could help the Human Race to break through the innate limits of the Open Heaven Realm, it could dramatically increase their strength in short order.
There were numerous peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the many Cave Heavens and Paradises, but they were all stuck there due to their natural limits. If this Secret Art could be popularized, many Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could quickly be created.
There were only two Ninth-Orders Old Ancestors currently, but if there were even a few more, it would not take long before the Black Ink Clan that invaded the 3,000 Worlds could be driven back. They might even be able to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods with just 10 more Ninth-Order Masters.
However, this dream was simply not meant to be; after all, the first step to cultivating this Secret Art was a life-threatening gamble. Without the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, the risk of simply dying right from the start was extremely high.
Even so, Yang Kai again bowed his head, “Many thanks, Senior, for enlightening me!”
After Wu Kuang received his gratitude, he spun around and hurried into the battlefield. From afar, his voice could be heard, “If the Human Race does not defeat the Black Ink Clan within 3,000 years, our race will face extinction. Brat, you’re on your own now.”
Yang Kai sighed softly as he watched Wu Kuang’s figure vanish into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Although 3,000 years seemed like a long time, when compared to how long it took for a cultivator to fully mature, it was incredibly short.
Nobody could predict what would occur 3,000 years from now, so the only thing the Humans could do now was to strive to grow stronger!
Soon after, Yang Kai took out a World Bead, the one he refined on the way here. It was from the yet-to-be-destroyed Universe World, which had its living beings extracted by Wu Kuang.
Wu Kuang had no idea what he was doing at that time, trying to refine this Universe World; after all, there didn’t seem to be a point.
Although such a World was falling apart, Yang Kai halted its collapse as he intended to use it as a marker.
He could go from one Universe World to another by using the World Tree as a transit point. If he left this World Bead here, he would undoubtedly save years of arduous travelling when he returned in the future.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was a crucial location, and since it was challenging to transmit any news back to the 3,000 Worlds from here. Leaving a World Bead behind in the vicinity would be more convenient for Yang Kai to travel back and forth between in the future.
What’s more, because this Universe World had lost almost all its World Force, it gave off barely aura so it was almost impossible to detect. If Yang Kai had fully restored this Universe World, it might attract the attention of the Black Ink Clan, which could lead to trouble if they visited this place and found out what was going on.
After finding a concealed location, Yang Kai set the World Bead down and attempted to use it to link to the World Tree. Confirming that there was no problem, he felt relieved.
He then turned around instead of going back to the Old Tree, following the direction of the trail of Space Beacons he left on his way here.
When he was coming here, he left a lot of Space Beacons along the way, and with them, he could easily find his way back to the Void Corridor leading to Black Territory.
Three months later, Yang Kai passed through the Spiritless Land and the Late Ancient Era battlefield, arriving at the Void Corridor.
It took him more than 10 years to travel one way, but just three months to return. This was the benefit of the Space Beacons.
Without stopping though, he continued on.
His target was not Black Territory.
Several months later, several majestic Great Passes came into Yang Kai’s vision as he arrived at his destination.
The No-Return Pass!
This was the third time Yang Kai came to the No-Return Pass. The first time he visited here was on orders of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao to attend the grand ceremony of the Dragon Clan, which helped him to successfully become an Ancient Dragon. It was also during that time that he completely lost his identity as a Human and transformed into a pure-blooded Dragon Clan member.
The second time was to bring Ou Yang Lie and the group of remnant soldiers to the Barren Territory. During that time, Yang Kai had taken out the corpse of Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor and the Black Ox to fight against the Royal Lord. To this day, the words of the Black Ox, ‘Go quickly. Niu Niu will stop them’, still rung in his ears.
This was the third time.
This time, Yang Kai came for no other reason than to raise havoc.
The No-Return Pass, the only publicly known passage connecting the Black Ink Battlefield to the 3,000 Worlds, was originally guarded by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans. Now, it had been taken over by the Black Ink Clan, who made this place into their central base of operations. When the Black Ink Clan and the Humans were battling on the Barren Territory battlefield, it was from here that the Black Ink Clan sent reinforcements and supplies, but Yang Kai put a stop to that after he sealed the Territory Gate.
When he came here last time, Yang Kai discovered that there were many High-Rank Black Ink Nests and even more Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests.
In the present 3,000 Worlds and in every Great Territory, countless Black Ink Nests were planted on the many Universe Worlds.
The majority of them were Low-Rank Black Ink Nests, and these nests were capable of devouring the World Force of those Universe Worlds and enveloping them in Black Ink Strength.
Of course, Yang Kai could easily destroy a couple Low-Rank Black Ink Nests, but going around to each individual Universe World to do so was far too inefficient. Instead, he intended to solve the issue at its roots.
There was an intrinsic connection between lower Rank Black Ink Nests and the Black Ink Nest it was spawned from. The lower Rank nests simply could not survive without the higher Rank nest it belonged to. Subsequently, destroying one High-Rank Black Ink Nest was far better than squashing 100 Low-Rank Nests.
Once a High-Rank Black Ink Nest was destroyed, the Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests spawned from it would all wither and die.
Yang Kai decided to go all out!
His targets this time were those High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
No matter how many Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests were destroyed, the Black Ink Clan could replace them eventually with enough resources. On the other hand, since the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been shut and Mo was now in a deep slumber, the number of High-Rank Black Ink Nests was fixed. Destroying one High-Rank Nest would mean there was permanently one less High-Rank Nest.
If all those High-Rank Black Ink Nests could be destroyed, no new Black Ink Clansman could be born.
Of course, Yang Kai was well aware that this was unrealistic as there was a Royal Lord guarding the No-Return Pass. As an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could easily cause chaos, but to destroy every single High-Rank Black Ink Nest was impossible.
The best he could do was to destroy as many as possible.
Outside the No-Return Pass, numerous Great Passes could be seen hovering the void. These Great Passes had been smashed and broken, some were even completely destroyed, all bearing traces of battle between mighty Masters.
However, many of them were still partially intact.
All of these were left behind when the Human Race Army retreated as due to the incredible mass of each Great Pass, they could not be stored inside a Small Universe easily, not even the Small Universe of an Old Ancestor.
This was humiliating for the Human Race!
Furthermore, many Universe Fragments were floating outside the No-Return Pass. Those Universe Fragments were undoubtedly remnants of Universe Worlds that had been dragged back here from various locations on the Black Ink Battlefield by the Black Ink Clan.
There were some Universe Fragments here when Yang Kai last visited, but there were many more today, which should be the result of the Black Ink Clan’s action.
Whether it was the Great Passes left by the Human Race or the many Universe Fragments though, they were all covered in Black Ink Nests.
Countless Black Ink Clansmen flooded in and out of these Black Ink Nests, delivering resources that had been mined from various places.
The entire No-Return Pass was bustling.
For several days, Yang Kai kept a quiet vigil but failed to locate the Royal Lord.
Both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had lost almost all of their top Masters. Every Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master save for two had fallen on the Barren Territory battlefield to bring down all but two Royal Lords.
Thanks to the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, one more Royal Lord was dead, so currently, only one remained.
Although Yang Kai did not find any trace of the last remaining Royal Lord, he was certain that he was in the No-Return Pass.
This was currently the most important location for the Black Ink Clan, so where else could their only Royal Lord be if not standing guard there as a precautionary measure?
[Is he trying to heal from his injuries?]
Previously, Yang Kai summoned the corpse of Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor, who engaged the Royal Lord in an intense fight. Even though the Old Ancestor was already dead, what he left behind before he died was enough to help Yang Kai to hold the Royal Lord back with the might of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It was impossible for that Royal Lord to escape without any injuries.
The best way for Black Ink Clansmen to heal was to rest inside a Black Ink Nest; thus, that Royal Lord was surely inside his Black Ink Nest somewhere as it had only been some 20 or so years since that fight.
That being said, Yang Kai had no way of ascertaining which Black Ink Nest the Royal Lord was in. After scouting around for days, he could tell that there were over 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests here.
This was in line with the reports the Human Race had previously gathered. A sizable number of Royal Lords came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restrictions, but most of them had been killed, at great cost to the Human Race.
When the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction ended, only around 100 Royal Lords were still alive, which matched with the slightly over 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests here.
Now, nearly all of those Royal Lords were also dead, but their Black Ink Nests had been left behind. These were now ownerless, so if the Black Ink Clan were to flourish again in the future, they could use these ownerless Black Ink Nests to become Royal Lords and claim the Black Ink Nest for themselves.
Every High-Rank Black Ink Nest that was destroyed was akin to diminishing the chances of a new Royal Lord coming into existence.
After deducing that the Royal Lord had to be in the midst of tending to his injuries, Yang Kai began scrutinising the No-Return Pass even more closely.
It would take a lot of energy to help the Royal Lord recover, which should be something traceable. Yang Kai wanted to locate the Royal Lord without being noticed as he didn’t want the latter to suddenly pop up when he was in the middle of something.
While there were quite a number of Black Ink Clansmen in the No-Return Pass, the place was not closely guarded. This made sense though as the Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds and the Humans were in a desperate situation, so how would any of them come running over here?
Furthermore, one had to pass through Barren Territory to get to the No-Return Pass. They would need to reopen the Territory Gate, not forgetting that there was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God there. Thus, the Human Race could not easily get here.
It would not have crossed the mind of any of the Black Ink Clan that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was just outside the No-Return Pass and eyeing them closely.
Yang Kai did not try to rush things. He was about to do something exceedingly important, so he had to be prudent and patient.
Time flew by in a flash, and soon, several months had passed.
Following Yang Kai’s prolonged observation, he had a fairly good idea about which Black Ink Nest the Royal Lord was in, since a few Black Ink Nests were drawing in far more resources compared to the others. The Black Ink Clan hauled large amounts of resources into these Black Ink Nests every few days.
While resources were also brought to the other Black Ink Nests, new Black Ink Clansmen would also emerge from them at regular intervals. This was true of both the High-Rank Black Ink Nests and the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Only a few of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests did not create new Black Ink Clansmen.
Where did the significant amount of resources go if no new Black Ink Clansmen were being created? Obviously, the resources were being used by a powerful Black Ink Clansman to heal.
Yang Kai memorised the locations of these High-Rank Black Ink Nests before he started selecting his targets.
He was aware that he might not have many chances to attack, and his first move would be the most successful as the Black Ink Clan would not expect an attack from a Human Race Master at this point in time.
Thus, the more Black Ink Nests he could destroy with his first strike, the better.
To accomplish this, Yang Kai switched hiding spots a few times to observe the dispersion of the Black Ink Nests from all sides.
After many more days passed, he finally settled on a plan of attack.
There was a Great Pass that was approximately 300,000 kilometres away from the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai did not know exactly which Great Pass it was, but he chose it because there were two High-Rank Black Ink Nests there.
The other remnant Great Passes had only one High-Rank Black Ink Nest at most, or several Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests instead. He would reap less of a reward by striking those areas.
Therefore, as long as he acted swiftly enough, he could at least instantly destroy two High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Furthermore, there were a few Universe Fragments near this Great Pass, and one of them had another High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
If luck was on his side, he could destroy three High-Rank Black Ink Nests with his first strike, along with a few Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Since Yang Kai had decided on his target, he no longer hesitated. He did not have to do any preparations and he didn’t have to sneak in either.
With a flicker of Space Principles, in the blink of an eye, he moved from his hiding spot to the top of that Great Pass. He had already summoned his Azure Dragon Spear earlier on, and now, he smashed down with it.
With his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, his attack was far from ordinary.
As World Force swirled, the looming shadow of the spear seemed to shroud the entire Great Pass.
Within the Great Pass, numerous Black Ink Clansmen who had only recently emerged from the Black Ink Nests and were cultivating with the help of the surrounding Black Ink Strength perished. Those who were weaker than Feudal Lords all died, and even the Feudal Lords had a hard time defending themselves from the power of that spear. Those that did not die were heavily injured. As for the two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, they exploded and scattered into countless shattered fragments.
All of the Black Ink Strength that had been stored inside the Black Ink Nests burst out as well. From a distance, the Great Pass now looked like two enormous Black Ink Clouds that were rapidly dispersing into the neighbouring space.
The moment Yang Kai’s attack succeeded, he rushed to the third High-Rank Black Ink Nest nearby.
At the same time, within a High-Rank Black Ink Nest inside the No-Return Pass, a formidable Will awakened from a deep slumber and an enormous figure several metres tall lunged towards Yang Kai.
The Royal Lord’s reaction had been incredibly fast, far faster than Yang Kai had expected. The Royal Lord was already approaching him as soon as he landed his first attack.
This meant that although the Royal Lord was still injured, it was not a serious wound; otherwise, he would not have been able to react so quickly.
A flash of imposing aura locked onto Yang Kai and before the Royal Lord even arrived, waves of a powerful Divine Sense surged towards him. It was clear that the Royal Lord was trying to use his Divine Sense to suppress Yang Kai.
An ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would at the very least be stalled by such an attack if he was lucky enough; however, a flash of coldness emerged in Yang Kai’s mind, and that was enough to entirely rid him of that Royal Lord’s influence. He did not stop moving, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the third Black Ink Nest.
The Royal Lord took this in from afar and roared, “Feeble ant, you court death! I will rip your corpse apart!”
One look and he could tell that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who suddenly appeared in the No-Return Pass was the one who emerged from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield several decades ago. This was the same one who charged back from the Barren Territory battlefield and sealed off the Territory Gate.
The memory of Yang Kai was seared into his mind as it was rare for a Royal Lord to suffer this much at the hands of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Over the past few years, the Royal Lord had sent Black Ink Clansmen into the Black Ink Battlefield to search for signs of Yang Kai, but sadly, they found nothing.
The Royal Lord had no idea that when Yang Kai escaped from the No-Return Pass back then, he took Ji Lao San with him through a secret Void Corridor and returned to Black Territory. Thus, the Royal Lord thought that Yang Kai was still hiding somewhere on the Black Ink Battlefield.
He never thought that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would appear yet again and destroy two High-Rank Black Ink Nests as soon as he did. It even looked as if he was about to destroy a third one.
How could the Royal Lord allow that to happen?
The High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass were the Black Ink Clan’s final pillar to rely on. The destruction of any one of them was an unquantifiable loss as it was not merely the loss of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, but the loss of all the Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests that were and could be created from it as well.
The Royal Lord had not fully recovered from his injuries yet, but his wounds no longer affected him much; thus, when he realized who Yang Kai was, he immediately attacked with his powerful Divine Sense. However, what happened next floored him. The Human seemed completely unaffected, and the attack that was supposed to have caught him off-guard and injured him did nothing at all.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai was above the third Black Ink Nest. He was about to attack, when a Black Ink Clansman with a slender, pole-like figure appeared from the Black Ink Nest. From his aura, it was clear that he was a Territory Lord.
However, in contrast to a healthy Territory Lord, this pole-like Territory Lord’s aura was noticeably weak. Yang Kai could even see the wounds on his body that had been left by Dao Strengths.
Yang Kai immediately realized that this Territory Lord was injured and had been recovering inside the Black Ink Nest.
Territory Lords also had to remain dormant inside Black Ink Nests when they tended to their injuries, but it would not be easy for them to occupy a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. However, there were a lot of High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass that were ownerless, so naturally, this Territory Lord could enter one.
While the pole-like Territory Lord was not fully recovered, he was still an Innate Territory Lord and that was enough to pose some challenge to Yang Kai. All he had to do was delay Yang Kai for a short while, and the Royal Lord would be able to come over to deal with the rest.
It was evident that the pole-like Territory Lord knew this as well; therefore, as soon as he appeared, he lunged straight at Yang Kai.
More than one hand was reaching out to Yang Kai. In fact, over a dozen hands were flying towards him. Nine hands grew out on each of the two sides of the Territory Lord’s body.
The 18 hands seemed to envelope all the surrounding space, like a kind of cage.
Faced with this assault, Yang Kai did not retreat and instead charged forward with a flash of coldness in his eyes, unleashing a Soul Rending Thorn.
Yang Kai had long since gotten used to the pain of his Soul being torn apart so his expression did not even twitch as he thrust out his spear.
The pole-like Territory Lord never expected Yang Kai to fight this fervently and launch such a powerful attack right from the start. He was caught off guard and his Soul trembled violently as a needle seemed to pierce right through it. Immediately, he was struck by agony. He was heavily injured in the first place and did not have much strength left in him, so now that he was hit by a Soul Rending Thorn, he lost all ability to fight back.
Yang Kai followed his spear and brushed past the Territory Lord before sending a thrust right into the High-Rank Black Ink Nest in front of him, a Great Sun exploding into existence at the point of the spear.
After striking this blow, Yang Kai shot into the distance without even sparing a moment to look behind him.
The Royal Lord was about to arrive, and if Yang Kai did not leave now, he might not be able to. Furthermore, he sensed numerous other strong auras awakening in the No-Return Pass. Without a doubt, the Black Ink Clansmen who had been recuperating inside the Black Ink Nests must have been awakened as well.
Not too far behind Yang Kai, the pole-like Territory Lord’s head separated from his body and flew upwards as black blood spewed out from his neck…
Once again, the Royal Lord’s Divine Sense surged forward, and at the same time, a ferocious palm slammed into Yang Kai from behind, causing him to stumble as he spat out mouthfuls of blood.
However, he used the force from this attack to flee even further away.
Yang Kai intended to use the Great Sun and Moon Marks to disrupt the Royal Lord’s aura lock on him, but another thought occurred to him and he swiftly changed his mind. Instead, he dragged his injured self further and further away in an attempt to flee.
By using Purifying Light, he could still use Instantaneous Movement and escape from the Royal Lord at a moment’s notice. He was no stranger to performing such a feat. Back when he was under the attack of the sheep-headed Royal Lord, he had used this very trick to widen the gap between him and his foe, and in the end, he managed to flee into the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
Today, Yang Kai succeeded in destroying three High-Rank Black Ink Nests and killing an Innate Territory Lord along with tens of thousands of lower-rank Black Ink Clansmen, so everything had been worthwhile!
However, right now, Yang Kai was being doggedly chased down by an enraged Royal Lord.
Once the Royal Lord charged out of the No-Return Pass, dozens of Innate Territory Lords followed closely behind. These Territory Lords were mostly injured in some way and had retreated from the 3,000 Worlds, planning to rely on the many Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass to recuperate.
Unfortunately, these Territory Lords were slower than the Royal Lord, and it was only an hour later that they all lost sight of the Royal Lord and Yang Kai. They had no choice but to return at that moment.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai wanted nothing more than to gripe about his situation.
It was not his first time being hunted down by a Royal Lord, but at this moment, he had to avoid using Purifying Light unless absolutely necessary, which meant that he could not shake off his enemy.
The distance between them kept getting smaller, and the Royal Lord continued to launch attack after attack from behind. Each attack was powerful enough to shake the void around them, causing Yang Kai’s body to toss and turn like a rag as more and more injuries piled up.
Thankfully, Yang Kai had thick skin and a tough hide, so he could withstand quite a beating. With the blessing of his Dragon Vein, these long-range attacks were not enough to cause a fatal injury; otherwise, he would not have been able to hold out this long.
In between the attacks, the Royal Lord did not stop sending wave after wave of Divine Sense at Yang Kai to make things even more difficult for the latter; however, with the Soul Warming Lotus protecting his Soul, even attacks from a Royal Lord’s Divine Sense were ineffective against Yang Kai.
And so, Yang Kai bided his time.
He was waiting for the Royal Lord to lose all patience and utilise his Royal Lord Secret Technique.
Yang Kai did not know for certain whether or not his opponent would resort to the Royal Lord Secret Technique as this was not something he could control, so what he was doing right now was gambling.
What he needed to do now was to keep taunting his opponent and enrage the latter.
The Royal Lord Secret Technique was a fatal move against any Human below the Ninth Order. On the Barren Territory battlefield, a Royal Lord had used this exact move to turn Lu An and two other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters into Black Ink Disciples. Although that Royal Lord was severely weakened after using the Secret Technique and was quickly slaughtered, the Black Ink Clan gained three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as a result, which then allowed them to revive the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and establish a connection between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory.
It could be said that the Royal Lord’s use of his Royal Lord Secret Technique was one of the most crucial pieces of the puzzle that led to the Black Ink Clan’s subsequent invasion of the 3,000 Worlds! The Royal Lord who had been killed was a heroic martyr for the Black Ink Clan.
In this particular situation, Yang Kai did not have to go to any lengths to do anything else. All he had to do was focus on escaping. He had destroyed three High-Rank Black Ink Nests and killed an Innate Territory Lord, so the Royal Lord who was trying to hunt him down was hellbent on killing him. If Yang Kai could drag this out long enough, there was a decent chance that the Royal Lord would resort to the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
Once the Royal Lord did that, then it would be Yang Kai’s opportunity to strike back!
During the fight outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, the sheep-headed Royal Lord had used his Royal Lord Secret Technique, which heavily weakened his foundation, and that was how Yang Kai managed to use the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel to land a devastating blow on the former before eventually killing him.
It was partly luck that led to Yang Kai’s successful killing of that Royal Lord as Yang Kai himself did not know exactly how he managed to do it.
Yang Kai was not fully confident that he would be able to repeat that feat, but if this Royal Lord did use his Royal Lord Secret Technique, then even if Yang Kai failed to kill him, he would still be able to turn it into an equal fight with both sides suffering injuries.
Even in that sort of a lose-lose situation, Yang Kai had the upper hand as he had his Dragon Vein and the essence of the Immortal Tree; thus, his restorative abilities were far superior. The Royal Lord, on the other hand, would have to fall into a deep slumber inside a Black Ink Nest for a long time to recover from grievous wounds.
During such a time, Yang Kai could accomplish a lot in the No-Return Pass.
These were the calculations he made that led to Yang Kai deciding against using Purifying Light to block the Royal Lord’s aura before fully escaping. Since he wanted to provoke his opponent, he had to let his opponent see a glimmer of hope yet fail at every turn.
This was an incredibly risky choice, as one false move and Yang Kai might truly end up dying.
Still, he was willing to make this bet.
The two figures, one the hunter and the other the hunted, travelled further and further away from the No-Return Pass, headed towards the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Even after half a day of chasing, the Royal Lord still did not show any signs of using his Royal Lord Secret Technique. Perhaps in his eyes, it would not be worth it to take such a huge risk just to hunt down a single Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Alas, Yang Kai could not hold out any longer.
Yang Kai could not completely lose his opponent via conventional methods as he was not as powerful either. Anyone would fail to hold out for long when being chased down like this. Upon seeing that his opponent was nearly as close to him as he could safely allow, Yang Kai knew that he might not be able to escape if he did not act now. Thus, he used Purifying Light and enveloped himself.
Instantly, the aura from the Royal Lord which had locked onto him was broken off.
With a flash of white light and Space Principles, Yang Kai’s figure disappeared.
The Royal Lord was stunned by this turn of events, never having expected that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have such a mysterious trick up his sleeve. This explained why the Human dared to launch an attack on the No-Return Pass. It was clear that this tactic of his was his trump card.
However, from the looks of it, the Royal Lord deduced that this technique could not be easily used; otherwise, the Human would not have avoided using it until now.
The Royal Lord was fairly quick to react. Even though it was his first time encountering such an occurrence, just as Yang Kai’s figure disappeared, a powerful wave of Divine Sense surged out and detected the lingering Space Principles where Yang Kai had disappeared towards. Following that, the Royal Lord sensed Yang Kai’s aura in that direction.
He was just about to give chase when even that aura suddenly disappeared.
Yang Kai was only in the Seventh Order when he had been chased down by that sheep-headed Royal Lord, and his mastery of the Dao of Space was not as high as it was now; thus, even when he used Purifying Light, he could only widen the gap between him and his enemy without being able to completely escape from their perception.
Things were different now though. Yang Kai was in the Eighth-Order and was more than 10 times stronger than he used to be. Cultivating within the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon had made him even more proficient in the Dao of Space.
Now, he no longer had to play any sort of games with a Royal Lord who was hunting him down.
If one use of Instantaneous Movement was not enough for him to get his opponent off his tail, then he would do it twice. If twice was not enough, then thrice…
Based on how strong Yang Kai was now, as long as he was not struck down in a single blow, or trapped with a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array, then not even a Royal Lord could do anything to him.
This was the reason why he had the gall to cause trouble in the No-Return Pass.
The Royal Lord’s Divine Sense no longer detected any sign of Yang Kai, and he had no idea how to find him again in this expansive void. He stood still for a moment before his expression changed. He turned back towards the No-Return Pass before clenching his jaw and growling, “Shit!”
The several-metre-high figure instantly turned into a black streak of light as the Royal Lord shot back towards the No-Return Pass.
He just realised that he might have fallen for what the Humans would call a strategy of ‘luring the tiger away from the mountain’! His opponent’s trump card was not something that could not easily be used; instead, that Human had intentionally not used it to lure him away from the No-Return Pass!
The Royal Lord assumed that the Human had a Dragon Clan companion. Considering the Human’s strength and the Dragon Clansman who had been taken hostage by the Black Ink Clan all those years ago, it would be easy enough for the two of them to work together to destroy a few more High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Anxiety filled the Royal Lord up as he pushed his speed as high as it could go!
At the same time, Yang Kai was stuffing handfuls of Spirit Pills into his mouth and refining them. He had suffered some serious injuries during the chase.
The Royal Lord thought that he had a Dragon Clan companion, which was Ji Lao San whom Yang Kai had rescued from the No-Return Pass back then, but the Royal Lord had no idea that Ji Lao San was not on the Black Ink Battlefield anymore. Yang Kai was acting alone.
However, it was true that Yang Kai was trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain.
Yang Kai had prepared two plans during this chase. If the Royal Lord did become enraged enough to use his Royal Lord Secret Technique, then Yang Kai would make sure that neither one of them left without being heavily injured. If the Royal Lord did not give him the opportunity for that, then he had no choice but to drag his opponent as far out as possible before doubling back to launch another attack.
Yang Kai did not intend to let the injuries he suffered be for nothing.
By repeatedly using Instantaneous Movement, Yang Kai was a lot faster than the Royal Lord. Unfortunately, during his attempt to flee earlier, he could not leave any Space Beacons behind, or else he would have been able to travel even faster.
Still, in less than an hour, Yang Kai could already spot the No-Return Pass in the distance, but he did not charge over right away.
After everything he had done today, all those stationed at the No-Return Pass had gone onto high alert. The Black Ink Clansmen were sweeping the surrounding area and their Divine Senses, forming a large, invisible web around the No-Return Pass. Several Black Ink Clan squads also patrolled the local space, checking for signs of suspicious activity.
Evidently, the loss of three High-Rank Black Ink Nests was hard for the Black Ink Clan to stomach.
Yang Kai stayed out of the Black Ink Clan’s surveillance range around the No-Return Pass and found a secluded spot to sit down and tend to his injuries.
He had led the Royal Lord on a chase that lasted half a day and had arrived back at the No-Return Pass in just one hour. Even going all out, it would take the Royal Lord at least another eight hours to return.
Yang Kai could use this reprieve to recover from some of his injuries, though he did not have a lot of time to spare and would not be able to recover fully. However, under the circumstances, he would take whatever he could. The stronger he was, the better.
[I need to find some divine medicines that can rapidly heal injuries!] Yang Kai thought to himself. The healing pills he had on hand were the ones he exchanged for Military Merits back in Great Evolution Pass all those years ago. They were not low-quality by any means, but they were not the best there were either. The effects of these healing pills were especially limited when in a time crunch.
Yang Kai quieted down as he focused on refining the medicinal efficacies of the pills and stimulating his Dragon Vein to heal the wounds on his body. Within his Knowledge Sea, the Soul Warming Lotus also kept releasing a clear and cool sensation that swiftly restored his damaged Soul.
He did not dare to waste too much time. Four hours later, Yang Kai stood up and turned towards the No-Return Pass, and with a flash of Space Principles, he charged forward again.
Territory Lords with varying degrees of injury were standing vigilantly around the No-Return Pass, their Divine Senses interlaced together.
Half a day earlier, an Eighth-Order Human’s surprise attack had completely humiliated them. Not only did that Human destroy three High-Rank Black Ink Nests, he even killed a Territory Lord as well.
Their Royal Lord had personally chased after the attacker, but they did not know what the situation was like over there.
That being said, they all believed that there was very little chance for the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to survive; after all, there was a huge disparity between an Eighth-Order Human and a Royal Lord.
Right now, what they were wary of was the possibility of that Human having a partner.
The Royal Lord was preoccupied elsewhere, and even though there were a large number of Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass, 80% of them were those who had returned from the 3,000 Worlds to recuperate. Less than 10 Territory Lords here were uninjured.
They could very well suffer a serious loss if a large number of Human Masters attacked them now.
Yet, after waiting around for half the day and seeing no sign of any incoming attack, the Territory Lords let their guards down for the most part. After all, the Black Ink Clan had taken control of the No-Return Pass and the Humans had long since retreated to the 3,000 Worlds. It was unlikely for a large number of Human Race Masters to appear.
Some of the more heavily injured Territory Lords had already returned to the Black Ink Nests to continue slumbering away in recovery.
The remaining Territory Lords were still standing guard, but they were not as vigilant as they were at the beginning.
Just then, a familiar aura suddenly appeared in their midst. The Territory Lords were alarmed as they quickly turned in that direction.
One look and they saw a Human figure manifest out of the blue above a High-Rank Black Ink Nest as a Great Sun rose into the sky.
A ferocious aura of destruction burst forth.
The Territory Lords dashed over at once to attack.
The Human had somehow managed to evade the Royal Lord’s chase! Not only did he not die, but he even wheeled around to attack once more and destroy yet another High-Rank Black Ink Nest!
By the time the Territory Lords rushed to that High-Rank Black Ink Nest, there was no longer any sign of their enemy. Once the Great Sun exploded, the Human Eighth-Order Master that had popped out of nowhere disappeared into thin air.
All that was left was the remains of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest that had been shattered to pieces and a Territory Lord who was in a terrible state.
This Territory Lord had been sleeping inside the Black Ink Nest earlier to recuperate, and although his life was not in any danger right now, he had already been heavily injured and after getting caught in Yang Kai’s attack, his wounds became much more severe.
He appeared after the Black Ink Nest was destroyed, and right now, he looked as if he was in a state of shock, though he was secretly thankful for being lucky enough to survive.
The Territory Lords were infuriated. They could not believe how arrogant that Human was for daring to return even though there were so many of them standing guard. He was clearly disdaining them all.
They started wondering where their Royal Lord was as he had chased after the Human, but the Human had returned while the Royal Lord was nowhere to be seen.
Alas, before they could figure things out, the same aura erupted from a different direction.
Nearly all of the Territory Lords had gathered in front of the Black Ink Nest that Yang Kai had just destroyed, which meant that the other areas were barely protected at all.
Yang Kai had originally intended to attack just once and leave, but with such a good opportunity in front of him, he could not resist showing himself again.
Just as he did before, he used Golden Crow Casts the Sun and a Great Sun rose and crashed down onto another High-Rank Black Ink Nest. This attack turned the Black Ink Nest into nothing but dust, and a host of Black Ink Clansmen who were in the vicinity died as well.
A large crowd of Territory Lords swiftly began rushing over to the newly destroyed Black Ink Nest, but one of them was quick-witted enough to realise what was happening and he roared, “Spread out quickly! Protect all the Black Ink Nests!”
They could not let themselves be dragged around by the nose like this. Their opponent could disappear and reappear on a whim, so even though they had the numerical advantage, their opponent showed no intention of engaging them in a fight. It was clear what this Human was trying to do. He wanted to destroy all the High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Thanks to this warning, the Territory Lords quickly realised what was going on and immediately separated into different areas to guard all the High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Thus, Yang Kai could not strike as easily as he did earlier. As long as a single Territory Lord kept him occupied long enough, more could rush over and join the fight.
After destroying the second High-Rank Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai wanted to back off and leave right away, but when he saw that the Territory Lords did not come after him and had, instead, scattered to guard the other High-Rank Black Ink Nests, he no longer felt rushed to escape. He simply remained standing where he was and observed them in silence.
The Territory Lord who had spoken earlier noticed this, and his expression turned grim as well. This Human was behaving far too arrogantly, and it was beyond what these Territory Lords could bear.
His Divine Sense flickered as he communicated with those around him, and all at once, a number of Territory Lords rushed into action and charged towards Yang Kai.
Half a day ago, they witnessed how Yang Kai appeared at the No-Return Pass and killed off a Territory Lord with just a single spear thrust, so they knew that this Human was incredibly powerful. In a one-on-one fight, there was no guarantee that any of them could hold their ground against him.
Furthermore, this Human even managed to escape from a Royal Lord’s pursuit, leaving the latter who knows where.
They knew that Yang Kai was no ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He had to be one of the strongest Human Masters in that realm.
Thus, the Territory Lords were joining forces because they feared their opponent.
When Yang Kai saw the group of Territory Lords rushing over, he secretly praised the Territory Lord who had taken charge for coming up with an appropriate strategy. If they simply grouped together without thinking things through, then the High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass would be left unguarded and undoubtedly suffer unimaginable damage.
However, the Territory Lords had split up to guard different areas now and had even organized a group to subdue him. This was the optimal course of action for them.
Yang Kai’s situation was less than ideal. He was fairly injured after being chased down by the Royal Lord for half a day, and although he got to recuperate for four hours or so, he was only able to slightly restore himself.
It would be hard for him to take on a single Innate Territory Lord who was at full strength, let alone a group of them unless he used more Soul Rending Thorns.
However, Yang Kai was not a reckless individual. Since he could not take these enemies on, he chose to avoid them instead.
Yang Kai’s eyes searched around before landing in a specific direction. It was the direction of the first Black Ink Nest he destroyed when he appeared earlier. He raised his hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear before smiling in that direction.
While it was true that the High-Rank Black Ink Nest had already been destroyed, a severely injured Territory Lord remained there.
This Territory Lord was the unlucky one who had been recuperating inside the Black Ink Nest and ended up getting caught in Yang Kai’s attack. His injuries, which had taken a turn for the better at first, had now worsened instead. Thus, he was currently in a rueful mood.
All of a sudden, a piercing aura locked onto him from afar and the Territory Lord looked up, only to see Yang Kai flashing him a wicked grin.
“Damn it!” The Territory Lord became alarmed. Naturally, he knew that he had become a target. He was now severely injured and could barely use half his strength. If this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had set his eyes on him, then he had no way of fighting back, so his immediate thought was to request help from his fellow Black Ink Clansmen.
However, after looking around, he realised that the other Territory Lords who had gathered near him earlier had all scattered off to defend the various High-Rank Black Ink Nests, leaving him all alone.
The Territory Lord was in anguish. He felt as if nothing had gone right for him ever since he walked out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
In the next instant, Yang Kai appeared in front of the injured Territory Lord and his Azure Dragon Spear pierced straight into the latter’s head.
Yang Kai had been prepared to use a Soul Rending Thorn as he was not in a situation to waste much time. Not only would the Royal Lord return at any moment now, but there were also a large number of Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass eager to kill him.
He had to kill this Territory Lord at once before fleeing.
However, even as his Azure Dragon Spear pierced through the top of the Territory Lord’s head, the Territory Lord did not react at all. Yang Kai deduced that it had to be because his opponent’s injuries were too severe, which saved him the need to use a Soul Rending Thorn.
By the time a group of Territory Lords rushed back to this place, there was nothing but a headless corpse with black blood spurting out. These Territory Lords were crushed by what they saw. They were overcome with a crippling sense of humiliation and felt extremely despondent.
It was not just them as all the other Territory Lords felt the same.
Once again, scores of Divine Senses surged out from the No-Return Pass, guarding against Yang Kai, but they no longer detected any trace of that Human.
After a half cup of tea’s time, the Royal Lord who had given chase earlier finally returned, and the Territory Lords who had been in a heightened state of anxiety the whole time could finally relax.
The Royal Lord naturally saw that something happened at the No-Return Pass, as it had not been in this state when he left. His eyes swept over the place and he quickly assessed the damage.
Two more High-Rank Black Ink Nests had been destroyed, and a Territory Lord had been killed as well!
He did figure out that Yang Kai lured him away on purpose, so he knew that there would be another attack on the No-Return Pass, but he still could not accept such an outcome. Clenching his jaw, he roared, “Search everywhere! I don’t care how many sacrifices need to be made, just find me that Human! I must shred his corpse into ten thousand pieces!”
With the order given, Black Ink Clan squads began charging out of the No-Return Pass, heading out in all directions towards the Black Ink Battlefield. Even the majority of the Territory Lords were deployed as well.
Most of the Territory Lords who were injured wanted to bemoan their fate. They retreated from the 3,000 Worlds because they needed to recuperate here, yet this was what they were faced with now. Not only did they not get to recover from their injuries, but they even had to risk their lives in a search for an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
They would have just stayed behind in the 3,000 Worlds if they had known that this would be the case.
Still, seeing that even the Royal Lord was actively guarding the No-Return Pass instead of returning to his Black Ink Nest to recover, none of them dared to voice their complaints and simply did as they were told.
By now, Yang Kai had already fled far away. He was aware that after everything he did, the No-Return Pass would become heavily guarded, and a great number of the Black Ink Clansmen would come looking for him.
He did not mind seizing this chance to kill off a few more Black Ink Clansmen, but right now, it was more important for him to tend to his injuries.
Thus, he continued fleeing at full speed for half a month before he finally located a dead Universe World deep within the Black Ink Battlefield. He made his way into it and opened a temporary cave mansion for himself.
After setting up a series of simple arrays to conceal his aura, Yang Kai finally felt at ease enough to sit down.
Even though Yang Kai sorely wished to destroy every single one of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests, he knew that was not a very realistic thought, unless he could somehow become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
As someone only in the Eighth Order, if he attacked one too many times, it was bound to backfire on him at some point and he would fail miserably at his goal; after all, if one walked by the river frequently enough, their shoes would eventually get wet.
His first strike had been the most rewarding as the Black Ink Clan had been taken by surprise.
All in all, Yang Kai had destroyed five High-Rank Black Ink Nests and killed two Innate Territory Lords, so he was pretty satisfied with the results of his efforts.
It would not be this easy for him to launch another attack.
In fact, Yang Kai could not even be certain whether or not he would have the chance to take action again.
It was not something that Yang Kai cared all that much about, though. While it would be good if he had the chance to strike again, he could simply return to the 3,000 Worlds if he did not; after all, he had the secret Void Corridor, which had served him well the past few years.
What he needed to do now was focus on his recovery.
As Yang Kai lay low, the Black Ink Clan went on a frenzied search for him all across the Black Ink Battlefield, but in the end, they failed to find any trace of him.
The Royal Lord was filled with pent-up fury and frustration. He had full knowledge of an enemy who was eyeing the No-Return Pass, and he knew full well that this enemy of his was not his equal in battle, but he could not find where this enemy was hiding, pushing him into a constant state of simmering rage.
The existence of that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master made him feel as if he had a sword hanging over his head, one that could fall at any moment. As a result of this incident, all of the Territory Lords, as well as the Royal Lord himself, feared entering into a deep sleep to recuperate. They had to put up with their injuries and remain on guard.
Six months after Yang Kai destroyed five High-Rank Black Ink Nests, the Human Race Army’s Supreme Headquarters, in a Great Territory which connected to the Star Boundary, had compiled reports from various Great Territories.
This particular Great Territory previously did not even have a name of its own on the Universe Chart and was simply identified with the code E-39.
Numerous Great Territories like this one existed among the 3,000 Worlds. These nameless Great Territories were usually those where the Martial Dao had not matured much or did not possess any resources worth exploiting. Even though they were often home to several Universe Worlds, the cultivators in those places could not free themselves from the shackles of their Universe Worlds and venture out into the Outer Universe.
Some of these Great Territories were even completely uninhabited.
This had been the case for the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was, but due to the Star Boundary’s soaring fame, along with the fact that the most powerful Sect in the Star Boundary was High Heaven Palace, the Great Territory was at one point re-named High Heaven Territory.
It had been several dozen years since the Black Ink Clan opened the passage between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory and invaded the 3,000 Worlds.
The Human Race Army had retreated from Barren Territory under the orders of Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, the two surviving Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. The Armies were then broken up and Squads were sent to the various Great Territories to organize the mass evacuation.
By now, the Humans had all retreated and migrated as planned.
With the help of the Human Army, most of the great forces arrived safely in High Heaven Territory; however, significant losses were suffered along the way too. An example of this would be the Swallowing Seas Territory. If it had not been for Yang Kai’s intervention back then, all of the cultivators from the entire Great Territory might have been lost.
Some evacuation fleets encountered Black Ink Clan Armies along the way and were either besieged or eliminated.
Even now, some Human refugees had been delayed for various reasons and were still making their way to High Heaven Territory, but the overall situation had been stabilised.
The Human Race Army was now deployed in a dozen Great Territories around High Heaven Territory to battle against the Black Ink Clan Army. Big and small clashes occurred constantly with the Humans and the Black Ink Clan Army both suffering casualties at an alarming rate.
Many of the Humans’ finest elites now fought in these Great Territories, doing their best to hold the line and push back the enemy.
Since Territory E-30 neighboured the Star Boundary and was the only way into High Heaven Territory from the wider 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race Army turned it into their final stronghold in the war against the Black Ink Clan.
Thus, the Army Supreme Headquarters was set up in one of the Universe Worlds in this Great Territory.
The Human Race had never had a Supreme Headquarters before as on the Black Ink Battlefield, each of the Great Passes functioned essentially independently. No one held overall command. In fact, even in the individual Great Passes, the East, South, West, and North Armies all had their respective Army Headquarters.
However, in the present situation, the Human Race could no longer afford to work separately. They had to establish a place where the entire strategic situation could be overseen and general orders could be issued.
This was how the Supreme Headquarters came to be.
There was a single Supreme Commander and over a dozen Deputy Supreme Commanders at the Supreme Headquarters, all of them the most elite Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, holding positions above the individual Army Commanders.
As Old Ancestors Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing were preoccupied with tying down the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, they could not pay attention to anything else. Therefore, the over dozen or so Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters acted as the heads of the Human Race Army.
The strategies to be used in the fight against the Black Ink Clan, the changes to the defence lines, the assignment of the soldiers, everything was coordinated through the Supreme Headquarters.
Xiang Shan, originally the Army Commander of the Great Evolution Army’s Eastern Army was now a Deputy Supreme Commander, and Mi Jing Lun had assumed the role of Supreme Commander.
On this particular day, the dozen or so Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered to discuss the current state of the war. After a lengthy discussion, they came up with a new set of plans to implement.
Xiang Shan glanced around at everyone, “If there’s nothing else, then we can adjourn now.”
These Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters did not just remain in this place. They were elites among the Eighth Order, so they would still head out to fight the Black Ink Clans now and again; however, for the most part, the majority of them remained on duty at the Supreme Headquarters so that they could quickly formulate strategies whenever a crisis cropped up.
Just recently, Xiang Shan received a report that a Territory Lord had separated from the rest of the Black Ink Clan Army in one of the neighbouring Great Territories. Thus, he had been working out a way to kill this Territory Lord. Now was the perfect opportunity to strike, so if there was nothing else that needed to be discussed, he wanted to get on with it.
The other Deputy Supreme Commanders were quiet as they had nothing to discuss, but Mi Jing Lun suddenly raised his hand, “Please hold on, everyone. I’ve recently received a rather intriguing report. Please have a look.”
Bolts of light whizzed out of his raised hand.
Jade slips soon landed in each of their hands as one of them queried with his eyebrow and commented, “A series of Black Ink Nests self-destructed?”
The jade slip had a record of multiple reports from various Great Territories about the sudden collapse of numerous Black Ink Nests. Most of these Black Ink Nests were Low-Rank Black Ink Nests, but there were a few Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests among them as well.
A fairly significant number of them had collapsed throughout over 100 different Great Territories.
Xiang Shan was taken aback, looked up, and asked, “When did you get these reports?”
“10 days ago,” Mi Jing Lun replied.
All of the Deputy Supreme Commanders had important tasks of their own, while Mi Jing Lun was in charge of gathering intelligence and reports. He was the first to know of any news that was transmitted back to the Supreme Headquarters.
“Is this information reliable?” One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters asked.
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “En. Some of these incidents were spotted by Hunters roaming through the Great Territories under the Black Ink Clan’s control, while some were even discovered from the dozen frontline Great Territories. We can’t confirm the ones in the Great Territories that fully belong to the Black Ink Clan, but I’ve sent people to check the dozen frontline Great Territories, and they’ve verified the reports.”
The ‘Hunters’ that he mentioned were those who had formed Squads to sneak into the Great Territories under the Black Ink Clan’s control to hunt and kill Black Ink Clansmen.
Some of these Hunters were the remnants of the various Army Squads that previously existed, but most of them were also formed by cultivators from the various Second Class great forces.
Cultivators from the Second Class great forces had never taken part in large-scale wars before and few of them were used to fighting in a structured army; therefore, the Supreme Headquarters decided to just leave them be. The Cave Heavens and Paradises no longer restricted the Second Class great forces and many of the Masters from those great forces had ascended to the Seventh Order.
Thanks to the existence of the Hunters, the Black Ink Clan suffered noteworthy losses every year.
However, Hunters generally worked in small groups no bigger than an Army Squad, or a dozen or so people, which meant that it was extremely dangerous for them if they ran into a real Black Ink Clan Army.
At the same time, being few in number meant they could move about more freely and stealthily, so there were pros and cons.
The Hunters mostly travelled through the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had seized and six months ago, a number of Hunters reported witnessing many Black Ink Nests in various Universe Worlds all of a sudden began to wither and die.
At the same time, the same thing had happened in the dozen frontline Great Territories where the main Human and Black Ink Clan Armies were clashing. Quite a few soldiers had seen massive Black Ink Nests falling apart for no apparent reason.
As Supreme Commander of the Human Army, Mi Jing Lun was always kept up-to-date on the latest intelligence, so no one doubted his words.
One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ eyes brightened, “Do we have a count of how many Black Ink Nests were self-destructed? How many Low-Rank ones and how many Mid-Rank ones?”
“For now, we’ve confirmed 637 Low-Rank Black Ink Nests and 13 Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests have withered,” Mi Jing Lun replied, “However, this is only what we have found, and what we can find is only the tip of the iceberg.”
There were obviously a lot more Black Ink Nests that had been destroyed than the ones the Humans could discover.
Mi Jing Lun looked around at everyone, “I’m sure you all know what this implies.”
It would not be a big deal if a few Low-Rank Black Ink Nests self-destructed. That would only mean that a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest had been destroyed somewhere. However, if multiple Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests had self-destructed as well, then the information gleaned from this news was a lot more significant.
Xiang Shan spoke up quietly, “We have not found any High-Rank Black Ink Nests on any of the battlefields, which is why we deduced that the Black Ink Clan left their High-Rank Black Ink Nests back at the No-Return Pass. The Black Ink Clan would consider the No-Return Pass to be a very safe location as we Humans are too busy defending ourselves to attack it. No one would head off to the No-Return Pass to try and mess with them, but from the looks of it now, someone did just that and even succeeded in destroying a High-Rank Black Ink Nest at the No-Return Pass. That’s why the Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests self-destructed. But, who is this person?”
“Although we have no way of confirming the situation at the No-Return Pass, based on what Brother Ou Yang Lie said back then, there is a Royal Lord who is standing guard there. No ordinary person can stir up trouble right under a Royal Lord’s nose,” Mi Jing Lun declared.
Ou Yang Lie was with Yang Kai when they returned through the No-Return Pass to the Barren Territory, which meant that Ou Yang Lie knew the situation at the No-Return Pass better than anyone in this room. He had naturally told Mi Jing Lun about what he knew.
“Could it be that one of the two Old Ancestors made a move?” One of the Eighth-Order Masters suggested.
Someone else shook his head and refuted that possibility, “The two Old Ancestors are currently busy subduing the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. They can’t go anywhere else, so they wouldn’t have gone to the No-Return Pass. If they did, it would have meant that they defeated the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and we would’ve heard about it if that was the case.”
The crowd continued making various guesses, but they had no way of verifying any of them. Based on the reports they had, they could only figure out that at least one High-Rank Black Ink Nest at the No-Return Pass must have been destroyed. That would explain why many Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests self-destructed.
That being said, they had no way of knowing who did this or even if it was just one person or a whole team of people.
All of a sudden, Xiang Shan looked over at Mi Jing Lun. Their eyes met and they could easily tell what the other was thinking.
“Could it be… that Brat’s doing?”
They could not think of anyone who could accomplish such a feat, but if it was that Brat, then perhaps it might be possible.
Immediately, one of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters asked, “Brother Xiang, who is this ‘Brat’ you speak of? Who do you believe is capable of doing this?”