Xiang Shan did not leave them guessing as he answered, “Yang Kai. I’m sure you’ve heard his name before.”
Everyone nodded in realisation.
One of them piped up, “I heard that he’s now in the Eighth Order, right?”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “That’s right. Yang Kai is now in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He’s also the reason why Brother Ou Yang Lie and his group were able to return from the Black Ink Battlefield.
The one who spoke up earlier continued, “Even if he’s now in the Eighth-Order, he has only just recently ascended. There’s a Royal Lord standing guard at the No-Return Pass, not to mention countless Territory Lords as well. How could he do such a thing all by himself?”
Although this person who spoke knew of Yang Kai and heard about his past exploits, he was unfamiliar with Yang Kai, so it was not surprising for him to feel doubtful.
[He’s no ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He can easily slaughter Innate Territory Lords and he’s definitely stronger, not weaker than any of you here,] Mi Jing Lun thought to himself.
Ou Yang Lie had told Mi Jing Lun some astonishing things, but as this information involved other matters as well, Mi Jing Lun had classified the reports to prevent information leaks. Not many people knew of these things now, especially regarding just how strong Yang Kai was!
This was a way of protecting Yang Kai to prevent him from getting exposed to the Black Ink Clan and being targeted as a result.
However, judging by what was happening now, even though Mi Jing Lun wanted to protect Yang Kai, Yang Kai was not someone who would keep a low profile. [He has already run off to the No-Return Pass and destroyed High-Rank Black Ink Nests! The Black Ink Clan surely view him as their highest priority target.]
After a moment of silence, Mi Jing Lun said, “Perhaps it might be hard for him to accomplish this alone, but there’s something you shouldn’t forget, everyone. Even if he’s acting alone, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have help.”
“The Small Stone Race Army!” One of the Eighth-Order Masters exclaimed in realisation.
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “Exactly. Previously, Yang Kai travelled to various Great Territories and refined numerous Universe Worlds. He even gave out a lot of Small Stone Race soldiers to the cultivators in those Great Territories for protection, which proved to be a massive boon. Without those Small Stone Race soldiers, many more cultivators retreating from the various Great Territories would have died. According to my calculations, Yang Kai gave out at least 40 million Small Stone Race soldiers, including nearly 100 who had the raw strength of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!”
Even though it was not the first time these Commanders heard about this, they still could not help but feel thunderstruck when Mi Jing Lun brought it up again.
[40 million from the Small Stone Race…]
[Nearly 100 on par with Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters…]
[Even more that are on par with the Seventh-Order, Sixth-Order, and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters…]
They were all curious as to how Yang Kai cultivated so many Small Stone Race soldiers, creating a massive and powerful army all on his own.
They had already investigated the origins of the Small Stone Race and learned they were a unique species of living beings that came from a certain Universe World in the New Great Territory, which was adjacent to High Heaven Territory. They were only found in that Small Universe World. In fact, there was no trace of the Small Stone Race anywhere else.
However, they had also studied the Small Stone Race there, discovering that they were not fully sentient and quite weak as well. When compared to the massive Small Stone Race soldiers that Yang Kai gave away, it was as if they belonged to completely separate races.
Less than half of those 40 million Small Stone Race soldiers remained now, the rest had died in the battle against the Black Ink Clan. Even so, for the Humans, the 20-million-strong Small Stone Race Army provided indispensable strength in battle. This was especially the case because the Small Stone Race was not susceptible to the corruption of Black Ink Strength. When in battle, they fought valiantly with no fear of death. These characteristics greatly benefited the Human Army in battle against the Black Ink Clan.
As of now, the Small Stone Race had made a name for itself across all the various battlefields and the Humans had also found a way to control and command them. While this method had not been perfected yet, it was still a lot better than before.
It was no longer the same as the way it was last time when people would simply summon Small Stone Race soldiers and have them freely battle the enemy. Under the original circumstances, once these released Small Stone Soldiers killed off all the Black Ink Clansmen, if they were not collected quickly, they would begin fighting among themselves or simply run away, which made things rather awkward…
The Human Race’s failure to command the Small Stone Race partly contributed to the 40 million-strong Small Stone Race Army’s heavy casualties. Once the Humans figured out how to control them though, the loss rate decreased significantly.
Since Yang Kai could give away 40 million of them, it meant that he still had some on hand. Given his abilities, and with the help of a large number of Small Stone Race soldiers, it was not necessarily impossible for him to destroy a few High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass.
Right now, the Humans had only barely managed to set up a defence perimeter. They drew in all the forces they had and focused on the fight against the Black Ink Clan on a dozen different battlefields, but they could only defend themselves, not having sufficient leeway to launch a counterattack.
However, Yang Kai was able to wreak havoc at the No-Return Pass all by himself. When comparing themselves to him, these veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters felt somewhat embarrassed.
“What a shame!” Someone sighed.
It was a shame that Yang Kai had become a Fifth-Order Master back then. Even though he consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit, increasing his innate limit to the Eighth Order, that was still his limit. It would be… hard for him to become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
There was no sign of the Universe Furnace, and no one knew when it would show up. Even if it did, chances were it would lead to an even more frenzied bloodshed as the Black Ink Clan would not let the Humans get their hands on the Innate Open Heaven Pills easily.
“That Brat… Why wasn’t he born into a Cave Heaven or a Paradise…” another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master remarked lamentably.
Back then, it had been clear that Yang Kai could directly ascend to the Seventh Order, but in the end, he was forced to become a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Everyone knew the reasons behind this situation.
From the looks of it now, the attempt to suppress him back then was a grave mistake, but when considering the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ unspoken rules, they simply had no choice. Naturally, it was also partly due to the selfish motives of certain people.
Still, if Yang Kai had come from a Cave Heaven or a Paradise, who would have tried to keep him down? Quite the contrary, they would have showered him with resources to allow him to quickly reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Based on his rate of cultivation, if he had directly broken through to the Seventh Order back then, he might have already reached the peak of the Eighth Order by now and be set to become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the near future.
He would surely achieve great things the moment he became a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Xiang Shan gently rapped his knuckles on the table, “There’s no point looking back in hindsight now. Why did you bring this up, Brother Mi?”
Mi Jing Lun wore a serious expression as he commented, “When Yang Kai was with the Great Evolution Army, I interacted with him many times. No ordinary cultivator can compare to him. He is a hero who has done many services for the Human Race. Without him, we wouldn’t have Purifying Light, or Purifying Black Ink Battleships, or Purifying Black Ink Pills. Now that he’s alone at the No-Return Pass, what I want to ask is, should we send help over to him?”
After a pause, Mi Jing Lun added, “That boy simply does not know the meaning of the word ‘restraint’, so he definitely won’t stop. I’m afraid that if something happens to him… we might lose an essential talent!”
“Help him? How are we going to do that? Furthermore, all of our frontlines on the battlefield are barely holding on as it is. We can only manage to defend ourselves, so how can we pull a significant force off our lines to send over to him?” An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master immediately refuted Mi Jing Lun’s idea. He was not trying to go against Mi Jing Lun on purpose, just stating the reality of their situation.
The Human Race’s defense lines had shrunk to a dozen Great Territories, but their situation still did not look too good either.
Many of the others nodded in agreement.
Someone spoke up and said, “If we want to help an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him, we would have to reassign several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but each Eighth-Order Master is indispensable on the current battlefield. Where would we pull them from?”
Mi Jing Lun stayed silent for a moment before saying quietly, “If we can’t reassign anyone given our current defence perimeter, then why don’t we give up one of the battlefields?”
Everyone’s jaws dropped at his words, and the one who spoke earlier stared at Mi Jing Lun in disbelief, “Brother Mi, do you think the safety of Yang Kai is more important than the loss of an entire battlefield?”
Countless soldiers had shed blood to hold every single one of the dozen Great Territories. The frontlines were formed from their sacrifices and could not be given up so easily.
Mi Jing Lun’s suggestion shocked everyone to the core.
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “Giving up one of the Great Territory battlefields doesn’t imply that Yang Kai is more important than them. However, we don’t have enough manpower to maintain all of our current battlefields as it is. If we give up on one, we will reduce the pressure we are under. Also, everyone, don’t forget that Yang Kai is the only one who can use Purifying Light.”
The Eighth-Order Masters fell silent, and moments later, the air was filled with Divine Senses as they began discussing among themselves.
Xiang Shan gave Mi Jing Lun a somewhat helpless glance. This had started as an ordinary conference, but Mi Jung Lun was now suggesting that they abandon one of the battlefields. This was no small issue.
If they did decide to do this, it would cause a lot of disapproval and dissatisfaction.
So many soldiers had died in battle, each of them someone’s Brother or Sister from the same Sect. Who among the living did not yearn to avenge these deaths? Who among them was willing to retreat?
Even though they would still be heading into battle against the Black Ink Clan on a different battlefield, it was not the same.
If things didn’t go well today, Mi Jing Lun would become a target of everyone’s anger and reproach.
At this moment, Xiang Shan sorely missed the Purifying Light that Yang Kai had. The Human Race were having a hard time maintaining their current lines partially because of the lack of Purifying Light. The Human Race had nearly exhausted all the Purifying Light they had, with the little they had retained stored up inside just a few Purifying Black Ink Battleships. The Supreme Headquarters had set aside this supply of Purifying Light for special purposes, such as an Army Commander or other critically important characters being corrupted by Black Ink Strength. They did not have the leisure to use it for day-to-day situations.
Although Purifying Black Ink Pills could purge Black Ink Strength when a person had not been fully corrupted, the efficacy paled in comparison to Purifying Light.
Because of this, it felt as if the Humans had their hands tied when fighting against the Black Ink Clan.
[You Brat! Since you’re not dead, hurry back and create more Purifying Light! Why are you messing around at the No-Return Pass?!]
…..
Meanwhile, on the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai snuck over and was now hiding outside the No-Return Pass.
It had been six months since the day he destroyed five High-Rank Black Ink Nests. He had fully recovered from his injuries by now, but upon returning to the No-Return Pass, he saw that it was still heavily guarded.
Along the way, he encountered countless Black Ink Clan search teams with many Feudal Lords and even a number of Territory Lords patrolling around, keeping a vigilant watch over the surroundings.
[The Black Ink Clan is being too cautious!] Yang Kai grumbled to himself.
What he did not know was that after the chaos he caused at the No-Return Pass earlier on, the Royal Lord flew into an absolute rage. It was not just the Territory Lords, but even he who was standing guard at the No-Return Pass, not daring to enter a Black Ink Nest to recover from his injuries because he had to constantly be on alert in case Yang Kai launched another sneak attack.
The Black Ink Clan’s caution made things difficult for Yang Kai.
Originally, he wanted to attack a few more times and destroy as many High-Rank Black Ink Nests as possible, but from what he was seeing now, this was probably the last time he could act.
[In that case, let’s raise some real havoc one last time!]
Now that Yang Kai had made his mind up, he scanned through the No-Return Pass to find his target.
Soon, he zeroed in on a High-Rank Black Ink Nest on the right side of the No-Return Pass.
Despite not seeing any sign of the Royal Lord or detecting the latter’s aura, Yang Kai knew that the Royal Lord had to be hiding somewhere, waiting for him to show up.
Therefore, as soon as he made his move, he would be on the receiving end of the Royal Lord’s counterattack!
However, there was an obstacle in his path this time around. The Black Ink Clan had not been on their toes when he attacked the last time. That was how he could easily destroy two High-Rank Black Ink Nests with just one strike.
This time, the Territory Lords had spread out to guard the various Black Ink Nests. No matter where Yang Kai showed up, he would immediately encounter a Territory Lord standing in his way.
He chose the High-Rank Black Ink Nest on the right side of the No-Return Pass because the Territory Lord who was guarding that area looked quite worn out. Even his aura was unstable.
[He’s heavily injured, which means he’s an easy target!]
Most of the Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass were injured in some way or another. Yang Kai deduced that they had retreated from the battlefields in the 3,000 Worlds. He did not study them closely the last time he was here, but after observing them this time, he confirmed his inference.
The Black Ink Clan had managed to reopen the Territory Gate to the Barren Territory, which he had sealed up back then.
At the time, Yang Kai thought that he could cut off the Black Ink Clan’s supply lines entirely by simply blocking the portal. Later on, he realised that he had been wrong about that. The Black Ink Clan had a way of reopening the sealed Territory Gates, but it would take some time and they would have to pay a heavy price to do so.
To Yang Kai, this was not entirely bad news. Since the portal was open, it provided another escape route for him to take. If he made his way through the Territory Gate, the Royal Lord would not dare to chase after him quite so readily.
Yang Kai did not need to test the waters with anything else. Launching a swift and direct attack was the best choice under the circumstances.
With that thought in mind, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and in an instant, he was above the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, and with a forceful thrust of the Azure Dragon Spear, he stabbed right at the Territory Lord who was standing guard here.
Yang Kai also immediately used a Soul Rending Thorn for good measure.
Soul Rending Thorns were incredibly effective against the heavily-injured Territory Lords around the No-Return Pass as Yang Kai had found when he had a taste of the sweet victory the last time he was here, so he was not stingy this time.
All he had to do was sacrifice a small piece of his Soul, which was something he could bear.
This Territory Lord was unlucky. An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had severely injured him when he was on the frontlines of the war; thus, he had no choice but to retreat to the No-Return Pass to recuperate. However, after only getting to rest for a few days, Yang Kai had rushed in and raised Hell.
The Royal Lord had given the order and this Territory Lord no longer had the chance to recuperate. He had to keep watch over the area assigned to him in case that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master launched another attack.
Half a year had passed and after seeing no signs of the Human, this Territory Lord had become less vigilant. Furthermore, he was quite severely injured.
At this moment, he was refining the Black Ink Strength that drifted out from the Black Ink Nest to slowly tend to his injuries. It was not particularly effective, but it was better than nothing.
When space rippled around him and Yang Kai’s spear came crashing down, the Territory Lord could not react immediately as his injury-laden body numbed his ability to sense danger.
The next instant, it felt as if a needle had pierced into his head and an agonising pain coursed through his whole body, causing him to shudder violently and almost knocked him unconscious. The sharp spear grew increasingly larger in his vision as the Territory Lord wanted to defend himself, but try as he might, he could not draw upon his Black Ink Strength. He had to watch as the spear pierced right through his skull.
Yang Kai hit his mark with just one strike, and the formidable power behind his blow did not dissipate as it flew out and annihilated the High-Rank Black Ink Nest below!
Another kill!
At the same time, the Territory Lords who were standing guard nearby jumped into action. They charged towards Yang Kai from all directions, and the Royal Lord’s enormous figure burst forth from within the No-Return Pass as well, a cold and menacing expression filling his face.
He had underestimated this Human’s boldness and recklessness. Initially, he thought that the Human would have to stay in hiding for several years, if not longer, but who would have known that he would show up again just six months?
Thankfully, he did not let his guard down and thus detected Yang Kai as soon as he showed up.
Unfortunately, even though the Royal Lord reacted quickly, he was not in time to save that Territory Lord.
Yang Kai had killed another Territory Lord in the blink of an eye.
However, the Royal Lord was not too affected by this. He considered the loss of a single Territory Lord and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest the price they had to pay in order to kill this pesky Human right here, right now.
No Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could escape with his life in a situation like this when a group of Territory Lords and a Royal Lord had him surrounded.
The Royal Lord had also learned from his previous mistake and channelled much of his energy into disrupting the local space to prevent Yang Kai from escaping by using Space Principles.
However, Yang Kai did not intend to escape this time.
After destroying the Black Ink Nest, he turned around and rushed deeper into the No-Return Pass, as if he wanted to have a showdown against the Royal Lord. The Territory Lords who were moving to encircle him were dumbfounded, wondering if this Human had a death wish?
Just as the Territory Lords were about to celebrate, they saw their closest fellow Territory Lord to Yang Kai howl in agony as he stumbled unsteadily. Yang Kai quickened his pace, and in a flash, he broke through their encirclement.
Yet another Soul Rending Thorn had been used, but Yang Kai did not have the time to kill the second Territory Lord. Between killing these heavily injured Territory Lords and destroying High-Rank Black Ink Nests, Yang Kai preferred doing the latter.
Once he broke out of their siege, Yang Kai raised his spear, and in a burst of light, yet another High-Rank Black Ink Nest turned to dust.
“Bold Human!” The Royal Lord who was charging over roared in fury.
If he included what happened six months ago, there were now a total of seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests that had been destroyed and three Territory Lords who were killed by this single Human, and all of this happened right under his nose, which made him feel deeply humiliated. The Royal Lord no longer wanted to simply rip Yang Kai’s corpse apart anymore. He had made his mind up. If he managed to capture Yang Kai alive, he was going to extract Yang Kai’s Soul and refine it before torturing him until he begged for death.
Even more Territory Lords stormed towards Yang Kai now and their auras were all as sharp as knives as the sent a flurry of attacks towards him.
The entirety of the No-Return Pass was in a frenzy, as if someone had dropped cold water into a boiling pot of oil.
Even though a Royal Lord was charging over, Yang Kai’s expression was still perfectly calm and tranquil.
All of a sudden, he put away his Azure Dragon Spear, and with a wave his hands, two Small Stone Race Armies of over a million each appeared, one bearing the symbol of the Great Sun, and the other the symbol of the Great Moon!
The sudden appearance of so many Small Stone Race soldiers startled the Black Ink Clansmen, but soon, some of the Territory Lords recognised these strange beings.
On the current battlefields, these beings fought against the Black Ink Clan under the command of the Humans. They did not fear being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, nor were they afraid of death. As a result, the Black Ink Clan suffered significant losses at their hands.
That being said, what could these dregs do when faced with so many Territory Lords and even a Royal Lord? No matter how large their numbers were, these strange stone men were no better than ants.
Under Yang Kai’s command, the two Small Stone Race Armies charged towards the Royal Lord; however, as soon as they came into contact with his aura, they were ground to dust. Countless of them turned into rock fragments as the Royal Lord was simply too powerful for the Small Stone Race soldiers to even get close.
Still, numbering 2 million in total, there were enough to swiftly bury the Royal Lord in bodies.
At the same time, Yang Kai found himself completely surrounded by the Territory Lords who came at him from all sides. One of the Territory Lords tried to land a deadly blow immediately and the concentrated Black Ink Strength turned into Divine Abilities that charged straight at Yang Kai.
Even a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not fare well if struck by such a ferocious attack, let alone an Eighth-Order Master.
However, it was as if Yang Kai did not see the attack coming at all as he simply stretched out his hands. The Great Sun and Great Moon Marks on the backs of his hands started to burn before they lit up in conjunction with the two Small Stone Race Armies.
The next instant, incredibly pure and concentrated Great Sun and Great Moon Energy were drawn out and swiftly combined to form the purest light imaginable.
The Royal Lord, who was surrounded by the Small Stone Race, immediately had a bad premonition. The Territory Lords who surrounded Yang Kai also felt greatly disconcerted for no apparent reason.
A tiny Sun that looked just like the real Sun suddenly exploded outwards with pure, dazzling white light illuminating the entire No-Return Pass. For a moment, several tens of millions of kilometres of the void seemed to glow with unimaginable white radiance.
Countless lower ranked Black Ink Clansmen simply vanished under the intense light.
Even most of the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, which were formed from Black Ink Strength that came charging towards Yang Kai disappeared without a trace, leaving just a few dregs to hit Yang Kai, causing him to stagger slightly.
The Territory Lords all howled in pain as they felt their bodies being bathed in the most toxic poison in existence. Black Ink Strength sizzled as it flooded out of their bodies.
The blinding light lasted for 10 breaths before it slowly faded away.
However, by the time the dust settled, the casualties suffered by Black Ink Clan both within and outside the No-Return Pass had climbed to an uncountable height. Many new Black Ink Clansmen had been born in the Great Passes nearest to where the light had shone, but now, not even a tenth of them remained. Although things were a little better on the Universe Fragments and Great Passes that were further out, there were still significant losses there. Only the Black Ink Clan Masters who were on the outskirts of the Great Passes were less affected.
The aura of over a dozen of the Territory Lords who were nearest to Yang Kai plummeted, dropping down to the level of Feudal Lords in one fell swoop, damaging their foundations permanently and sending their minds and Souls into disarray.
The Royal Lord, whom the two Small Stone Race Armies had completely surrounded, was equally stunned and shocked by what just transpired.
The two one-million-strong Small Stone Race Armies had all turned into shattered rocks. Obscuring the Royal Lord’s dishevelled figure. He had been at the centre of that explosion of Purifying Light, so he had naturally suffered the most.
Even though he was a Royal Lord, his aura had been thrown into utter chaos.
He knew about the existence of Purifying Light, but never thought that someone could unleash such a massive amount of it all at once.
Even he would not be able to withstand a few more attacks of such intensity!
The aura of those Territory Lords had dropped to that of a Feudal Lord because their heritage had been ground away, so naturally, the Royal Lord did not escape unscathed either.
Right now, about 10% of his foundation had been destroyed. While this was not enough for his cultivation to regress, even if the Royal Lord fully healed from his injuries now, he would no longer be as powerful as he once was and would need to cultivate for hundreds, if not thousands of years to return to his peak.
If he was struck by another blast of Purifying Light of such might, he was not certain he could even remain a Royal Lord.
Thus, once the light faded away, the Royal Lord instantly looked around to see where Yang Kai was, deeply afraid that the latter would repeat this stunt.
Soon however, the Royal Lord turned towards the Territory Gate and saw a pale-faced Yang Kai standing at its edge, staring back at him with a look of provocation and condescension.
Yang Kai and the Royal Lord locked eyes as Yang Kai made a slitting gesture across his neck, childishly taunting the Royal Lord before turning around and leaping into the portal.
The Royal Lord was so infuriated that he nearly spat blood!
He was about to dash after Yang Kai when he quickly stopped, his expression darkening as he realized a hard reality: He couldn’t leave.
The No-Return Pass was the Black Ink Clan’s most important base, with all of their High-Rank and many of their Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests having been set up here. As he was the only surviving Royal Lord, if an unexpected crisis occurred at the No-Return Pass because of his departure, then it would surely threaten the entire foundation of the Black Ink Clan.
Thus, even though he wished more than anything to chase after that Human and slaughter him, he had to suppress that impulse.
“Sir…” One of the Territory Lords approached the Royal Lord for orders.
The Royal Lord had not given chase, and they did not dare to do so either. Over the last six months, three Territory Lords had died at the hands of that Human and his spear despite him not even targeting them.
His target had only been the High-Rank Black Ink Nests, which all of the Black Ink Clansmen had figured out by now. If he had intended to assassinate Territory Lords instead, the number of dead would not be a paltry three.
Their opponent was far stronger than they could ever imagine.
If they went after him without the Royal Lord, what would happen if that Human had set up an ambush on the other side of the Territory Gate?
No one wanted to be sent off to their death just like that.
However, if the Royal Lord gave the order, then they had to give chase no matter how fearful they were.
Thankfully, the Royal Lord had considered the same possibility. He had personally witnessed just how formidable Yang Kai was, and he knew that the Territory Lords here were mostly injured; therefore, after mulling it over for a brief moment, he quickly said, “Don’t bother going after him!”
His words washed over the Territory Lords like a pardon from the Heavens.
Still, all of them were heavy-hearted.
It could not be helped as they had lost too much.
Not only did they lose another Territory Lord this time, but four High-Rank Black Ink Nests and over a dozen Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests had been destroyed as well.
Initially, that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had only destroyed two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, but when the dazzling white light exploded around them, the Black Ink Nests that were closest to the epicentre were shattered into dust as well, including two more High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Over a dozen Territory Lords had also regressed to Feudal Lords, while the others who were showered by the white light had their strength affected to varying degrees.
Their fear and apprehension only increased when they noticed that even the Royal Lord’s aura seemed to have weakened…
Six months ago, that Human appeared out of the blue, destroyed five High-Rank Black Ink Nests, and killed two Territory Lords.
Although he only destroyed four High-Rank Black Ink Nests and killed one Territory Lord this time, the total losses were actually more severe.
And these losses did not even take into account the lower-ranked Black Ink Clansmen, who were immediately vaporized when that burst of Purifying Light hit them.
All of the Black Ink Clansmen had one question in mind. What was that light and why did it have such a horrifying effect on the Black Ink Clan?
All they saw was the Human summoning two Small Stone Race Armies, and then everything went white, literally.
Now, the Small Stone Race Armies had turned into shattered rock and no longer existed.
While the Territory Lords were caught up in their uneasy thoughts, Yang Kai was already waiting on the other side of the Territory Gate, but to his dismay, no one came after him, even though he waited for quite some time.
Once he was certain that the Black Ink Clan dared not come after him, he casually sealed the portal again.
Although the Black Ink Clan had the means to reopen the Territory Gate, it would take them significant time and effort to do so. Yang Kai was more than happy to make things a little more difficult for his enemy.
After taking stock of the outcome, Yang Kai felt fairly satisfied. The only thing he felt bad about was the loss of 2 million Small Stone Race soldiers.
Still, this couldn’t be helped. There was no way he could avoid making sacrifices if he wanted to oppose a Royal Lord. The only thing he could do now to face off against a Royal Lord was to use a large number of Small Stone Races to set off a massive explosion of Purifying Light. Even the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel could not compare to this in terms of effectiveness.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was Yang Kai’s most powerful Secret Technique, but it did not have the special characteristic of being able to directly counter the Black Ink Clan.
Once the portal was sealed up once more, Yang Kai exhaled lightly. He achieved a lot in this risky gambit of his, and suffered significant injuries in the process as, at the last moment, he had to focus on igniting the Great Sun and Great Moon Strengths inside the Small Stone Race soldiers, disallowing him to block the attacks from the various Territory Lords.
While most of the attacks were significantly weakened or blocked entirely by the wave of Purifying Light, with so many Territory Lords attacking him at once, some of them inevitably hit their mark.
However, none of the attacks had been deadly, so Yang Kai simply checked over himself a little without bothering to spend time recuperating. He then turned around and flew in a different direction where he sensed devastating shockwaves emanating from.
The last time Yang Kai was in the Barren Territory, the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race were engaged in a fearsome battle that turned the entire Great Territory into a battlefield.
Now, all that remained were the scars left from that battle.
As he made his way forward, he saw far too many scattered remains belonging to both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan. There were also lots of wreckage from Humans’ Warships, as well as tufts of Black Ink Clouds of varying sizes.
The shockwaves would burst forth in irregular intervals, but each time they did, it seemed like the entire Barren Territory trembled.
The closer Yang Kai got to the source, the clearer he could sense what was causing it.
At last, Yang Kai stopped and stared into the distance as two enormous figures reflected in his eyes.
They belonged to two Giant Spirit Gods.
One was Ah Er, and the other was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who revived and came out of the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
Yang Kai had surmised as much when he noticed the commotion earlier, but still, he was dumbstruck by what he saw.
It seemed these two really never tired. They must’ve been fighting for over 100 years already, yet they had not even paused to take a break. The Humans and the Black Ink Clan had already retreated from the Barren Territory, but as the fight between the two Giant Spirit Gods was still perfectly even, they continued duking it out.
From the way things appeared now, there was no telling how much longer they intended to continue fighting.
It was fortuitous that Giant Spirit God Ah Er had suddenly appeared and pinned down this Black Ink Giant Spirit God; otherwise, the Human Race would have suffered catastrophic losses on the Barren Territory battlefield.
The fight between two Giant Spirit Gods was violent and brutal. They did not use any Divine Abilities or Secret Techniques and instead engaged in a simple hand-to-hand battle, but every blow delivered was enough to make everything around them quake and shudder. A region of over 10 million kilometres around these two was filled with volatile Void Cracks as space itself seemed unable to withstand the fury of their exchanges.
Yang Kai even wondered whether the Barren Territory would completely collapse if their fight carried on like this for long enough.
After silently observing them for a while, he raised his hands to form a cone around his mouth before yelling with all his might, “Ah Er, kill him!”
As if Ah Er had heard Yang Kai’s cheering, even his tuft of hair started giving off a formidable feeling as his attacks became more vicious.
Yang Kai chuckled and watched them for a little longer before leaving.
He could not get involved in a fight between two Giant Spirit Gods. Though he was in the Eighth Order right now, he could not even get close to them without being sent flying. Only Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could involve themselves in such a battle.
Yang Kai still had a long road ahead of him…
Half a day later, he arrived at a different part of the void. The place here was dark and covered in Black Ink Strength, but strangely, the Black Ink Strength did not scatter or move at all. It was completely concentrated together.
[The second Black Ink Giant Spirit God is standing guard here!]
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God was the one that Lu An and his companion had revived back in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
At this moment, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was sitting cross-legged in the void. His towering figure looked like a mountain, and in front of it was the passage that led from the Barren Territory to Wind Mist Territory.
The Black Ink Clan Army had used this breach to invade the broader 3,000 Worlds. One could even say that this place was the starting point that led to everything that happened later in the 3,000 Worlds.
When the portal had not been fully opened yet, Yang Kai had rushed to Wind Mist Territory in time and tried to stop it, but the Black Ink Giant Spirit God rushed from the Shattered Heaven to the Barren Territory and forced his arm right through the half-opened portal, managing to open up the Territory Gate.
Even now, his arm was still stuck in the same position.
It was not what this Black Ink Giant Spirit God wanted to be stuck here, it was simply that he could not move.
Yang Kai looked over and saw abstruse runes that appeared and disappeared along half of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arm which was thrust through the boundary wall. These abstruse runes were crawling around like snakes to form a large chain that locked it in place.
Yang Kai detected a familiar aura from those runes.
After calming his mind and focusing for a moment, it soon dawned on Yang Kai that it was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s aura.
It was not just Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao that he detected either. There was another person’s aura which was almost as powerful as Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s.
[Wu Qing?] Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly. The Humans only had two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors left. One was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the other was Wu Qing. This meant that the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors were currently in Wind Mind Territory and had used some sort of Secret Technique to restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here.
Naturally these two were no match in a battle against a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing had chosen the best opportunity to make their move. Back then, the two of them had commanded the Human Race Army to withdraw from the Barren Territory before making a few arrangements and then immediately rushing over to Wind Mist Territory.
At that time, it seemed that in order to maintain the Territory Gate between the two Great Territories, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could not retract his arm from the breach. The two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors arrived at Wind Mist Territory before the Black Ink Clan Army had fully moved out and then worked together to attach this chain-like Secret Technique to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arm.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God could have chosen to sacrifice his arm to free himself from these shackles, but he would lose a lot of his strength if he did so, and he was unwilling to do that.
Therefore, for the past few decades, he had been engaging in a silent battle of patience with the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God sensed Yang Kai’s arrival and was secretly shocked by the fact that the latter was still alive. At the time, a Royal Lord had specifically left the Barren Territory to hunt Yang Kai down, yet here Yang Kai was, alive and well. If Yang Kai was alive though, then the fate of that Royal Lord was evident.
However, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God showed no inclination of paying any attention to Yang Kai as most of his focus was on trying to outwit the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. Simply put, he felt no need to spare a puny ant-like Yang Kai any mind.
He ignored Yang Kai, who did likewise. Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly as he quietly took in everything in front of him.
Decades had passed and most of the traces of that great battle had faded away, but Yang Kai could still sense the tragic atmosphere looming over this place.
In the last moments of the battle in the Barren Territory, 33 Old Ancestors sacrificed their lives here, along with the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders. Only Old Ancestors Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing were spared from that tragedy.
The 33 Old Ancestors managed to kill 44 Royal Lords and over a million Black Ink Clan soldiers in their final blaze of glory.
There was no denying how tragic the battle had been.
And, this was the very battlefield where the fight had taken place.
Even though Yang Kai was not present during that last battle and could not witness it, as he stood here now and took in the traces left behind, he could almost imagine what it was like then.
When the Black Ink Giant Spirit God left the Shattered Heaven and came to the Barren Territory, he smashed through the Human Race Army’s defence lines and came here before using his arm to force open the passage between the two Great Territories. This allowed the Black Ink Clan Army to swarm into Wind Mist Territory.
For the Humans, the battle was lost at that moment as the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds could no longer be stopped.
Under those circumstances, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had two choices. One was to lead the Human Race Army’s retreat and leave the Barren Territory. They could then preserve their strength to fight another day.
They were the most powerful of all the Human Race Masters, and if they chose not to engage in battle, the Black Ink Clan could not do anything to them.
However, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors chose the second option.
They chose to fight to the bitter end!
The 33 Old Ancestors showed no regard for the cultivation and longevity that they had attained with great difficulty and fearlessly launched a final assault on the Black Ink Clan.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders followed suit.
44 Royal Lords had been killed in that battle, which was every single Royal Lord there was save for the one who left the Barren Territory earlier to pursue Yang Kai and the one who stood guard over the No-Return Pass.
Too much had been sacrificed in that battle, but it had also cleared the obstacles that stood in the way of the Human Race’s future.
The Old Ancestors had sacrificed their lives in exchange for giving the younger generation, including people like Yang Kai, time to grow stronger.
It had been over 20 years since then, but as Yang Kai stood in this place, it was as if he had travelled back in time and witnessed the tragedies of that battle. His heart constricted and his Dragon Blood started to boil.
When confronted with 33 Old Ancestors, along with the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders, the Black Ink Clan would have also put up a fierce resistance to withstand their sudden attack. Still, they could not resist the dying determination of these valiant souls.
Once the Royal Lords had been wiped out, the surviving Old Ancestors did not retreat though and instead continued to attack the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was pinned down here.
In the end, none of them survived.
What they had accomplished in that battle was still showing its effect now as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not come out of the fight unscathed. His colossal body was covered in wounds that could not heal due to the many Dao Strengths that crisscrossed around them. Black Ink Strength kept leaking out of the wounds, but the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would absorb it back into his body, and the cycle repeated.
This was most likely the reason why Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing could restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from afar.
If he was completely fine, then even if the two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm had the advantage of making the first move, it would still be incredibly difficult for them to keep this Black Ink Giant Spirit God locked in place.
It was the heroic sacrifice made by the Old Ancestors back then that allowed the current stalemate to exist.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes and looked over at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God as he coldly snorted, “Look at you now, Mo!”
Every Black Ink Giant Spirit God was one of Mo’s Soul Clones, but because Mo was so powerful and was already in the Creation Realm, his Soul Clones were also powerful beyond comparison.
Mo could not be bothered to trifle with Yang Kai. He ran into this Human boy when he awakened in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and knew that while he was a weakling, he was incredibly proficient when it came to escaping. It was not as if he did not want to kill this Human back then, but the latter did not give him the chance to act.
It was even more impossible for him to kill this Human now that it was restrained and could not move.
Thus, Mo did not wish to respond to Yang Kai’s taunting. What it needed to do now was to build up its energy and break free from the two Old Ancestors. Once it regained its freedom, no one in all of the 3,000 Worlds could stop it.
However, what Yang Kai said next would put an end to Mo’s silence.
“Mo, I just came back from Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction after bringing someone over there. Who do you think it was?” Yang Kai asked with a chuckle.
Mo finally glanced at Yang Kai before answering coolly, “It makes no difference who you sent over there. Mu’s trump card has already been used and Cang is dead. When my true body awakens, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will easily crumble apart!”
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Don’t be so sure about that. Since I sent that person over, it means I’m confident about this; after all, that person… is an old friend of yours.”
Mo’s expression changed for a moment, but it soon snorted, “Stop trying to scare me. All of this Supreme One’s ‘old friends’ died long ago.”
“Since a Soul Clone like you knows that Mu’s trump card has been used, then you should also know that Senior Cang left me something before he died. You’ve lived since ancient times, so you must be very knowledgeable. Why don’t you try guessing what it was? Why did Senior Cang pass it to me just before he died?” Yang Kai slowly said.
Mo stayed silent.
Yang Kai continued, “How many years will it take before your true body awakens? A few thousand years? Over 10,000 years? What Mu left behind must have been quite powerful, right? But, let me give you a word of advice, you should wake up sooner rather than later, otherwise, it will be too late. Even if your true body wakes up, you still won’t be able to do anything if you loiter for too long.”
Yang Kai was curious to know how much longer Mo’s true body would remain unconscious. Wu Kuang had shamelessly boasted that he could become a Ninth-Order Master in 3,000 years, but if Mo’s true body awakened before then, the situation would become a lot more challenging.
If that happened, Yang Kai would have to find a way to take Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing over to see if they could help Wu Kuang.
However, if he did that, then the Humans’ only remaining two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would be permanently occupied, and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here would be completely free.
Mo remained quiet for a long time before asking, “Who did you bring over there?”
Yang Kai chuckled and started to reply, “That person…”
“Don’t tell it too much,” A voice suddenly cut in from somewhere else and interrupted Yang Kai.
Yang Kai was startled at first but he soon snapped out of it and asked hesitantly, “Old Ancestor Wu Qing?”
Wu Qing did not respond; instead, it was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s voice that rang out, “The Black Ink Giant Spirit God is exceedingly powerful. Be careful. It might try to corrupt you.”
Yang Kai was overjoyed, “How are the two of you doing, Old Ancestor? Is everything alright?”
He never thought that Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing could communicate with him across the different territories, but now that he thought about it, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had cleared the passage between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory, which meant that the passage was open the whole time. It was unsurprising that the two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the other side could still communicate through that gap.
“We’re alright,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao replied, “As for you… You should hurry up and return to the Star Boundary. Your Wives miss you dearly.”
Yang Kai chuckled embarrassedly, “You met them, Old Ancestor?”
“Of course,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao responded in a huff, “They joined the Great Evolution Army earlier on.”
[Not only did I meet them, but that Yu Ru Meng! That annoying little girl never gave me face at all each time we met, always demanding I compensate them for losing their Husband.]
As Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao recalled this, she felt the urge to give Yang Kai a good beating.
“Don’t stay here too long,” Wu Qing said.
Yang Kai nodded and solemnly replied, “Junior understands.”
Mo had been silent for a time, but now, it could not resist cutting in and asking, “Who did you bring over there?”
Yang Kai grinned at Mo, “Why don’t you tell me how many years it will take for your true body to wake up first?”
Mo stared fixedly at Yang Kai and chose not to answer, “Did Cang teach you how to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?” [Why would he be asking about my true body if that wasn’t the case? It’s obvious that he’s afraid my true body will wake up and break open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.]
Yang Kai snorted, “Mo, don’t waste time on these unnecessary questions. Why would I need Cang to teach me how to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo frowned, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai looked at Mo dismissively, “Why would I need someone to teach me what I already know?”
Mo’s expression changed as a thought flashed across his mind, “Who are you?” he asked quietly.
“Take a guess!” Yang Kai flashed him a smile.
Mo was furious as it realised just how exhausting it was to communicate with the Human in front of it. After a moment of silence though, it said, “I can answer your question, but in return, you must tell me who you are.”
Yang Kai was startled. There was no rhyme or reason to the things he was saying at random, he merely wanted to see if he could trick Mo into telling him what was going on with its true body. It would be great if he did get the information he wanted, but even if he failed, there was no harm in that either. Plus, his vague and mysterious answers might even serve to rattle Mo.
He was just doing it because he could.
He did not expect Mo to actually lose its cool this quickly.
However, after giving it more thought, Yang Kai realised that this was indeed a child’s temperament!
Regardless of how old Mo was and how many years it lived, it barely had any life experience; thus, it had a childish personality which could be seen in the way it kept pressing on to find out what it wanted to know and was relentless if it did not get what it wanted.
Yang Kai nodded at once, “That works, but how will I know whether you’re telling the truth?”
“Why would I need to lie to you?” Mo retorted arrogantly, “I can’t prove whether you’re telling me the truth either.”
Yang Kai agreed with him on that.
“Don’t tell him any secrets,” Wu Qing reminded.
Yang Kai chuckled, “Rest assured, Old Ancestor. I know what I’m doing.”
Wu Qing hummed in acknowledgement and did not say anything else.
Yang Kai looked at Mo and said, “Go on. Tell me what’s happening with your true body.”
Mo scoffed, “I won’t stoop so low as to lie to you, but how do I know whether or not you’ll keep your promise?”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, “Shall I swear an oath first?”
Mo’s expression became extremely unpleasant, “Humans’ oaths are all worthless!” From the looks of it, it had been tricked by a Human’s oath before.
Yang Kai shrugged, “There’s no other way, then. You’ll just have to take the risk.”
Mo stared closely at Yang Kai as if it was trying to see right through him. After a long time, it finally said, “There’s no harm in telling you anyway. My true body will awaken sometime between 2,000 and 5,000 years from now.”
Yang Kai frowned, “That’s such a wide time frame.”
The answer was of no help at all. If Mo’s true body awakened in 2,000 years, then Wu Kuang would definitely not be able to become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but 5,000 would be ample time.
Mo shook his head and said, “I’m just a Soul Clone of my true body and can only make speculations regarding what’s happening. How can I be sure of anything? However, my true body created three Soul Clones and was affected by the trump card Mu left behind, so it won’t be waking up anytime soon.”
Even though Mo had reached the Creation Realm, splitting off three Soul Clones were still immensely taxing on it. Furthermore, it was also affected by the trump card Mu had left behind back then and thus fell into a deep slumber.
[2,000 to 5,000 years…]
Yang Kai silently pondered to himself. 2,000 years from now, he would have to make regular trips to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to check on the situation as Wu Kuang had no way of getting the word out if something happened there.
As Yang Kai was deep in thought, Mo grew impatient and started urging, “It’s your turn.”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not speak; however, with a quick flash of a certain Secret Technique, large amounts of pure Black Ink Strength poured out of Mo’s wound, which Yang Kai then absorbed and refined.
Mo’s expression hardened, “Shi! It’s you!”
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was unique, so it went without saying that Mo recognized it at once. What’s more, there was only one person in this world who could use the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the one who created it!
Yang Kai stopped using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law almost immediately, a faint smile lingering on his face as he remained quiet.
He noticed that Mo seemed to fear Shi, and after giving it some thought, it made sense to him. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law could refine anything, including Black Ink Strength, which made things difficult for Mo too.
As it was, Shi’s efforts back then greatly contributed to the reason why the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction managed to restrict Mo all these years. He kept devouring Black Ink Strength and refining it to weaken Mo.
Among Cang and the others, Mo showed the most respect to Mu, but the one it was most afraid of was Shi.
“I can’t believe you’re still alive…” Mo stared at Yang Kai incredulously.
Yang Kai remained silent with a faint smile on his face.
Meanwhile, over in Wind Mist Territory, Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, exchanged glances with puzzled looks on their faces. They knew about the situation in the Barren Territory, but they had no idea what the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was prattling about.
Who was Shi? One of the ten that included Cang? What did Yang Kai have to do with this person called Shi?
Although the two Human Ninth-Order Masters could not figure out what was happening, the fact that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was noticeably disturbed was great news to them. They quickly formed hand seals to strengthen their Secret Techniques, and in the next breath, more runes began creeping up the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arm towards its shoulder. The symbols turned into large chains which were about to lock up its entire torso.
Mo snapped out of its reverie and swiftly countered.
Immobilising one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arms was already the most that the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors could achieve, and while they managed to make a move while Mo was distracted, their efforts were neutralized as soon as it fought back.
All at once, the glowing runes began flickering, sometimes advancing, other times retreating.
Yang Kai saw what was going on and he swiftly growled, “Stop being so stubborn, Mo!”
Then, with a wave of his hand, a highly concentrated wave of Purifying Light launched straight at Mo.
Wherever the light passed, the darkness receded. The pure light entered the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s wounds next in an attempt to move through its body.
Mo let out a series of roars, and Black Ink Strength gushed out once more to fend off the Purifying Light.
The two lights, one bright and one dark, tangled together as they clashed and neutralized one another.
Yang Kai did not use his Small Stone Race soldiers this time as there was no reason for him to do so. Unlike the situation back at the No-Return Pass, Mo was a sitting duck here and could not move at all. All Yang Kai had to do was extract power from the Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe and merge them into Purifying Light.
Back at the No-Return Pass, using the Small Stone Race Army to confront a Royal Lord was a surefire way to catch the other party off-guard, but the Small Stone Race provided a great advantage, and Yang Kai did not want to sacrifice them unless absolutely necessary.
The dazzling white light continued to flow out, depleting massive quantities of Yellow and Blue Crystals.
Yang Kai was not in a position to feel bad about using them now though. In any case, if he ran out, he could just go ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan for more.
He had never used Purifying Light this way before.
The two lights continued their struggle in the void, but despite giving it his all, Yang Kai failed to break through the Black Ink Strength’s blockade; it was as if the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had endless strength.
Thanks to Yang Kai’s efforts though, Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors in Wind Mist Territory immediately felt the pressure they were facing lighten. While they did not know what Yang Kai did, they could tell that he managed to draw most of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s focus to himself.
The two Ninth-Order Masters naturally did not hold back. World Force flowed freely as they worked together, and soon, the chains around the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arm became a lot stronger.
This showdown lasted for almost an hour, which was long enough that two mountains’ worth of Yellow and Blue Crystals in Yang Kai’s Small Universe were expended. Even the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks on the back of his hands became burning hot.
Initially, Yang Kai had hoped that he could get rid of this Black Ink Giant Spirit God by using Purifying Light, but now that he tried it out for himself, he realised just how much of a dream that was.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s aura did weaken slightly, but by Yang Kai’s estimate, even if he used up all of his Yellow and Blue Crystals, it would still be insufficient to vanquish this opponent for good.
Moreover, if things carried on like this, Yang Kai could not be sure whether his Great Sun and Great Moon Marks could hold out. The burning sensation on the back of his hands was getting stronger and it felt as if his hands were about to explode.
Still, his actions were not futile. At the very least, with his help, the two Human Ninth-Order Masters managed to further suppress the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai figured this attack would take the Black Ink Giant Spirit God at least 100 years to recover from.
[Perhaps I should come by now and then, to ease the burden of the two Old Ancestors…] Yang Kai thought to himself.
Since he could not get rid of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God for good, he did not persist any longer. He withdrew his two marks and stopped drawing strength from the Yellow and Blue Crystals.
The dazzling white light lingered for a moment longer before being completely enveloped by Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai looked over at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, whose expression was gloomy. Darkness swirled around the giant figure that was undoubtedly furious.
It could have attacked Yang Kai if it had not been immobilised, but after a moment of silence, Mo simply asked, “Who did you send to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo was still hung up on this question.
Yang Kai could not be bothered to entertain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and instead turned towards the passage as he called out, “Old Ancestors, rest assured, the Human Race won’t lose!”
He originally wanted to head over to Wind Mist Territory to check on the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, but he did not need to anymore.
With the two of them together, it was unlikely that the Black Ink Clan would try to stir up trouble with them, so there was no reason to be worried about their safety for the moment.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s voice replied, “Go ahead! As long as Wu Qing and I are still alive, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God won’t be able to leave the Barren Territory!”
Yang Kai nodded before smirking at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, “Stay strong, Mo. I’ll come back and see you in a few years.”
Mo glared at Yang Kai in fury without saying anything as it recognized this blatant threat!
Yet, it could not do anything about it.
Yang Kai laughed before his figure flickered and flew off.
Two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were held up inside the Barren Territory, and the only Royal Lord alive was standing guard over the No-Return Pass. Thus, the strongest Masters among the Black Ink Clan now were merely Innate Territory Lords.
The Humans suffered heavy casualties throughout the many years of crusades, but the Black Ink Clan fared no better. Many of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had readily chosen to sacrifice their lives for the sake of clearing the way for the next generation. Their sacrifice had given the Human Race a chance to grow stronger. The younger generation would inherit the responsibility of the older generation, and all would work selflessly towards their common goal.
Such was the Human Race’s determination!
With such Will, how could they possibly lose?
Furthermore, Yang Kai now had two World Tree clones with him. If he could find a suitable place to plant them, the Humans would then have two more Star Boundaries.
In the future, the 3,000 Worlds would surely belong to the Human Race!
There would come a time when the Black Ink Clan was completely wiped out, and order would be restored from chaos!
Yang Kai firmly believed this and was eagerly anticipating that day’s arrival.
…..
Profound Nether Territory was one of the dozen or so frontline Great Territories where the Humans were now fighting the Black Ink Clan. This Great Territory was named for Profound Nether Sect, a Second Class Great Force.
In the 3,000 Worlds, Profound Nether Sect was not a prominent one. In fact, it was not even as powerful as the Profound Abundant Sect that Yang Kai went to previously. The Profound Abundant Sect once had two Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks, but Profound Nether Sect only had one Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, based on the way the great forces in the 3,000 Worlds were classified, Profound Nether Sect was considered a Second Class great force and thus had the right to claim hegemony over a Great Territory.
If a Sect did not possess sufficient strength, then the Great Territory that belonged to that Sect would not be much either. Although there were quite a number of Universe Worlds within Profound Nether Territory, few were suitable for Human inhabitation, and those that were did not have very flourishing Martial Daos.
Second Class Great Force was a general term, and there was a wide disparity between those that fell under this classification. The top Second Class great forces would all have multiple Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, while the weakest of the Second Class great forces might only have one Fourth-Order Master.
Strong Great Forces naturally claimed the best Great Territories, so the weaker ones could only choose the places that few others wanted as their base.
Now that Profound Nether Territory was one of the frontline territories in the war against the Black Ink Clan though, the Human Race had deployed over a million Masters to this Great Territory.
This was an alarming number as the over a million fighters were all Open Heaven Realm Masters. Anyone below the Open Heaven Realm was simply not capable of fighting the Black Ink Clan and did not enter the battlefield. Even if a few over-eager Emperor Realm cultivators tried to force their way in, they would only end up becoming meaningless sacrifices.
On the Black Ink Battlefield, there were usually 30,000 – 40,000 soldiers posted at each Great Pass, all of them Fifth-Order Masters and above, which was simply incomparable to the grand Human Army in Profound Nether Territory.
Now that the Black Ink Clan launched a full-scale invasion of the 3,000 Worlds though, the Order requirement for Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting back was not as strict as it was once. Even First-Order and Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could join the battlefield to kill the enemy if they volunteered to.
Naturally, this decision came with its own set of risks as well. The lower the cultivator’s Order was, the easier it was for Black Ink Strength to corrupt them and turn them into Black Ink Disciples, which would only benefit the enemy.
However, Purifying Black Ink Pills greatly decreased the chances of this happening. As long as a Purifying Black Ink Pill was consumed before one fought the Black Ink Clan, then before the medicinal efficacies wore off, even First-Order and Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would not be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
While this meant that the demand for Purifying Black Ink Pill ballooned, it was still good that more cultivators could join the fight.
As of now, the Human Race were mainly focusing on defending against the Black Ink Clan’s onslaught, unable to go on the offence.
This was the same across all the Great Territory battlefields.
Here at Profound Nether Territory, the Humans’ forward outpost was set up right in front of the rear Territory Gate. This way, it was convenient for them to guard the Territory Gate and prevent the Black Ink Clan from sneaking through. Apart from that, in the event of a defeat, the Human Army in Profound Nether Territory could still retreat through the Territory Gate and avoid being completely wiped out.
It could not be denied that such an arrangement had been done with a sense of sorrow and helplessness.
Alas, such was the situation that the Humans were in now. As things became more and more serious on the various battlefields, those at the Supreme Headquarters could not avoid planning for the possibility that the Humans might be defeated; thus, having the forward outpost right outside the Territory Gate was the best strategy.
Among the dozen or so Great Territory battlefields, the fight between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan in Profound Nether Territory was not the most intense, but it was still fraught with tension. The one-million-strong Army’s defence line had been quite long at first, but as the Black Ink Clan Army continued to press forward over the recent years, the front shrunk as well. Right now, the region that was under the Humans’ control was less than 30% of what they once had.
Once the Human Race Army retreated to a certain point, they would have no choice but to consider retreating from the Territory altogether, regardless of how reluctant the Humans in Profound Nether Territory were.
It would not be easy to organise the evacuation of over a million soldiers. The Human Race had to prepare their exit strategy in advance, or else, if they showed any signs of disorder, the Black Ink Clan would surely pounce and inflict massive losses.
Compared to the battles between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield, the Black Ink Clan’s invasion now had led to battle between the two sides becoming far more frequent and fierce.
Fights big and small broke out at every moment, and during each clash, both sides continued to suffer casualties.
At the moment, somewhere less than half a day’s journey away from the Humans’ forward outpost, the Humans and the Black Ink Clan were engaged in a relentless battle around a large Universe Fragment.
The Human Race had 300,000 soldiers stationed at this Universe Fragment, which was covered in countless arrays and artifacts to aid them against the Black Ink Clan’s attacks.
This battle had carried on for three months already.
Thanks to the arrays and artifacts installed on the Universe Fragment as well as a steady stream of reinforcements from the rear, the Human Race had managed to fend off the Black Ink Clan’s attacks over 100 times and killed countless Black Ink Clansmen.
That being said, just like the Human Race had reinforcements, the Black Ink Clan did too, and their numbers were far greater.
As of now, the Black Ink Clan occupied nearly all of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds and had planted Black Ink Nests in all of their conquered land. As a result, the Black Ink Clan Army had an endless stream of new soldiers to throw into the war.
Even though many Hunters moved through these Great Territories and destroyed numerous Black Ink Nests, this barely made a dent in the number of Black Ink Nests there were.
No matter how many Low-Rank Black Ink Nests they destroyed, it was no use if the Humans did not destroy their source, which were the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests. Each time the Human Race destroyed one Low-Rank Nest, the Black Ink Clan would immediately re-grow another, so it was merely an exercise in futility that wasted resources.
For the Black Ink Clan who currently occupied basically all of the 3,000 Worlds, they did not lack resources, and furthermore, they were receiving more from the Black Ink Battlefield as well.
The battle was particularly fierce just outside the Universe Fragment. Scores of Human Warships flew about as the light from Spirit Arrays and Secret Techniques shot out to push the Black Ink Clan Army back.
Atop the Universe Fragment, an imposing middle-aged man dressed in a set of golden armour sat cross-legged as he stared out into the battlefield with a look of concern.
The situation in Profound Nether Territory did not look good, but the Human Race could not afford to lose this battle in particular. If they did, then the Profound Nether Army would have no other place to retreat to. They would have to give up the entire Profound Nether Territory, and the Human Race would lose yet another one of their frontlines against the Black Ink Clan.
This outcome was hard for the Human Race to stomach, and a defeat here would surely cause a precipitous drop in morale.
However, the difference in strength between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan was clear, so how were they supposed to hold onto Profound Nether Territory?
The middle-aged man had no answer. He was not an expert in military strategy, what he excelled at was charging in and wreaking havoc! Yet, the situation was deeply worrying right now. Although he wanted to join the fight, his injuries were severe enough that he needed to rest and focus on healing right now, so he had to quell his itch to fight.
All of a sudden, a figure fell from the sky and landed near him. The man stumbled and coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
The middle-aged man turned to look, and the newcomer grinned, “Tending to your injuries, Old Wei?”
[Isn’t that obvious? Why would I be sitting here if I wasn’t tending to my injuries?] Wei Jun Yang snorted to himself, but as they were old friends, there was no reason to stick to formalities. After thinking briefly, Wei Jung Yang said, “Brother Ou Yang, just focus on healing yourself. Don’t force yourself to keep up.”
The person flashed a stubborn smile, “Don’t just pay attention to my injuries. That Territory Lord isn’t having a good time either! I was so close! I nearly bashed his head apart. Alas, what a shame!”
However, he did sit down cross-legged and stuffed a pill into his mouth.
If Yang Kai was here, he would have recognised the person that Wei Jun Yang addressed as Brother Ou Yang. It was Ou Yang Lie, the one he brought back from the Black Ink Battlefield a few decades ago.
They were all well-acquainted with each other as their paths crossed numerous times at Great Evolution Pass.
The two Eighth-Order Masters shared a preference for charging straight towards the enemy; thus, they got along well and had been friends for many years.
There were quite a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Profound Nether Territory as the one-million-strong Human Army was made up of the remnants of the Armies from over a dozen Human Great Passes that fought on the Black Ink Battlefield.
This included Great Battle Pass and Great Evolution Pass.
Wei Jun Yang was the Army Commander of the Eastern Army at Great Battle Pass.
Over the past 500 or so years, the Human Race Armies of the various Great Passes had gone through battles at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the No-Return Pass, and the Barren Territory. These three major wars greatly depleted the Human Race’s reserves.
Thus, when the Human Race retreated to High Heaven Territory and the Star Boundary, the various Great Pass Armies were disbanded and reorganized into Armies named after the dozen or so Great Territory battlefields.
The army here at Profound Nether Territory was the Profound Nether Army.
If they failed to hold their ground in Profound Nether Territory, then the Profound Nether Army would be broken up and re-distributed to the other Armies.
Right now, Wei Jung Yang and Ou Yang Lie were both Commanders in the Profound Nether Army. As long as no Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master showed up, the veteran Eighth-Order Army Commanders would remain in charge.
They were not the only Army Commanders here though as there were several other Eighth-Order Masters who held such a rank.
After quietly tending to their injuries for a while, Ou Yang Lie abruptly said, “It’s hard to fight against these Innate Territory Lords.”
Compared to the Territory Lords they were used to facing on the Black Ink Battlefield, these Innate Territory Lords that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were far stronger.
Back on the Black Ink Battlefield, Ou Yang Lie could kill average Territory Lords if he pushed himself to his limits, though he would suffer serious injuries in the process.
However, when facing off against Innate Territory Lords whose powers were on par with his, even his most fervent attacks did not achieve similar results.
Earlier on the battlefield, he was clashing with an Innate Territory Lord for quite some time, but in the end, both of them were heavily injured and had to withdraw to tend to their injuries.
Ou Yang Lie and Wei Jung Yang both ranked among the strongest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so if this was the case for them, then it was not hard to imagine the pressure the ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters faced.
On the Black Ink Battlefield, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were generally stronger than Territory Lords, but now, the positions had been flipped.
“That’s to be expected,” Wei Jung Yang nodded coolly, “It’s said that the Innate Territory Lords are born straight from the Black Ink Nests and possess a trace of Mo’s Source. They are born with immense strength, but have to sacrifice their future for it.”
Innate Territory Lords could not become Royal Lords because all their potential was exhausted from the moment they were created, but due to this, they possessed great strength from the moment they came to be and could stand toe to toe against the Human Race’s most powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
“I know that. I just don’t like it!” Ou Yang Lie grumbled.
Humans had to work hard and spend countless years to become Eighth-Order Masters. Along the way, they had to brave numerous risks and perils; however, the Black Ink Clan did not have the same problem. A High-Rank Black Ink Nest could give birth to numerous Innate Territory Lords, all they needed was sufficient resources.
Although Ou Yang Lie considered the Black Ink Clan his mortal enemy, he had to admit that their method of creating new Masters was an unsolvable conundrum.
After a moment of silence, Ou Yang Lie asked, “What did those at the Supreme Headquarters say?”
Wei Jun Yang sighed, “They said that if the Profound Nether Army can’t hold out against the enemy, we need to start making preparations to evacuate.”
“Retreating again!” Ou Yang Lie’s expression hardened as he snarled, “We’ve gone from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to the No-Return Pass, from the No-Return Pass to the Barren Territory, and then from the Barren Territory to here. Why are we retreating further still? Will there be any space for the Human Race to survive in if we keep retreating like this? What are Big Head Mi and Big Head Xiang doing!? Aren’t they supposed to be the best strategists!? Can’t they think of a way to ease the situation here!? Sooner or later, I’m going to tear their heads off and kick them around like a ball!”
Wei Jun Yang shook his head, “It’s not a failing on the Army’s part if we can’t stand against the Black Ink Clan. You know the situation that we’re in right now. It’s not necessarily a bad thing if the Profound Nether Army evacuates. The battles in the other Great Territories are just as intense and worrying. If the Profound Nether Army breaks up into smaller units to support the other Great Territories, we might be able to stabilize the situation. My guess is the Supreme Headquarters is considering giving up on Profound Nether Territory because the other Great Territories can benefit from it.”
Ou Yang Lie snorted, “Is that the so-called making sacrifices for the greater good? Don’t listen to that nonsense. If they can give up on Profound Nether Territory today, they can give up on Heavenly Wolf Territory tomorrow, and what about the day after tomorrow? Are they going to give up on Twin Poles Territory too? Why don’t we just give up on all the Great Territories? Everyone can just hide inside High Heaven Territory and gather all of the Human Race’s strength together. I’m sure the Black Ink Clan won’t be able to force their way in then.”
Wei Jung Yang eyed him and said, “You and I both know that what you just said might very well happen!”
Ou Yang Lie’s expression twitched as he knew that it was a possibility… but still, he was unwilling!
After centuries of retreating and evacuating, even their spirits had left as well! He did not want to retreat anymore!
“What about our reinforcements? The Profound Nether Army has a million people, but there are only 300,000 here. Where is the rest of the Army?” Ou Yang Lie asked.
Although he was one of the Profound Nether Army Commanders, he was a man of action and not someone who could be left in charge of strategy and logistics. When the battle started, all he cared about was fighting the enemy. He did not care about plans or the bigger picture. The way he saw it, why make complicated strategies when you can just kill off all the enemies and be done with it?
Thus, Ou Yang Lie did not know much about what was happening with the overall Profound Nether Army.
Wei Jun Yang sighed once more, “Although there were a million of us in the Profound Nether Army at the start, over the years of battle, many have died. We now have just over 700,000 left. Some of them need to stand guard at the forward outpost at the Territory Gate, and some need to fend off the Black Ink Clan at the various bases, so we… won’t be getting any reinforcements.”
Ou Yang Lie opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, all he could do was curse at the situation.
“However, I’ve sent a message to the Supreme Headquarters and requested that they deploy the Divine Spirits to aid us. Judging by how many days it has been, they should be arriving soon.”
“Divine Spirits…” Ou Yang Lie raised his brow.
There were many Divine Spirits who fought alongside the Human Race now. Apart from the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, which had stood guard at the No-Return Pass, there was also a large group of Divine Spirits who came from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. What’s more, just over a decade ago, some 100 Divine Spirits suddenly appeared outside the Star Boundary, which gave the Human Race Masters who were on guard there a huge fright.
These Divine Spirits were strange as they had appeared out of nowhere. They did not come from the No-Return Pass nor the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
After making contact, the Divine Spirits specifically stated that they wanted to talk to a woman named Hua Qing Si from High Heaven Palace.
High Heaven Palace dared not do anything to slight them and Hua Qing Si immediately came forward, finally figuring out that it was Yang Kai who convinced these Divine Spirits and sent them over from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary to aid them.
The Human Race cheered when they heard this news.
They did not have enough combat power right now, so the sudden appearance of over 100 Divine Spirits was undoubtedly a great boost.
Everyone thought that they would be a powerful backup for the Army; however, no one would have expected that upon arriving at the Star Boundary, these Divine Spirits were not interested in standing with the Human Race in battle. Instead, they remained inside the Star Boundary and threw their weight around haughtily.
In the end, Fu Guang, who had been tending to his injuries, had to come out and teach them a harsh lesson before they restrained themselves.
Following that, Hua Qing Si acted as a mediator and communicated with the Divine Spirits who came from Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Eventually, they were willing to help the Human Race, but they refused to listen to anyone’s orders. If the Humans needed their help, the Human Race had to discuss the situation with them in advance and they reserved the right to refuse.
While the process had been difficult, the 100 or so Divine Spirits were still a force that could not be overlooked.
Now, all Divine Spirits had been separated into several teams, not standing guard over any one battlefield and instead being deployed by the Supreme Headquarters to any of the battlefields that needed aid. This way, the Divine Spirits’ utility was maximised.
There had been several times when the Human Race’s defence lines in various frontline Great Territories had nearly been overrun when the Divine Spirits showed up and managed to turn the tide. Thus, one could say that the Divine Spirits played an essential part in moments of crises that allowed the Human Race to maintain their current lines.
Therefore, when Ou Yang Lie heard that Wei Jun Yang had already sent word to the Supreme Headquarters to ask for help from the Divine Spirits, he felt a lot less worried.
However, he quickly started having concerns again and asked, “The Divine Spirits who’re coming won’t be the ones who came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, right?”
Those Divine Spirits were a lot less reliable than the ones from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and the No-Return Pass.
Wei Jun Yang shook his head, “I’m not sure. There aren’t many Divine Spirits, only six teams in total, and it’s those at the Supreme Headquarters who have to decide which one to send to us.”
The two were still talking when something changed on the battlefield. Although the Human Race was under great pressure, they were still able to maintain a balance with the Black Ink Clan. However, all of a sudden, over 10 incredibly powerful auras burst out on the battlefield. The Human Race Army was caught off-guard and multiple Warships exploded one after the other. Open Heaven Realm Masters were slaughtered as well, and the Black Ink Clan swarmed in from over a dozen different directions.
Wei Jun Yang and Ou Yang Lie who had been tending to their injuries immediately got to their feet with stormy expressions.
“What are those people at the Supreme Headquarters doing!?” Ou Yang Lie ranted, “Why didn’t we get any news that over a dozen Territory Lords were coming over?”
Although there was a disparity in numbers between the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Territory Lords on the Profound Nether Territory battlefield, it was only a slight difference and both parties were fully aware of each other’s strength. However, the dozen plus auras that suddenly appeared were all unfamiliar, which meant that they were new and had not been seen on this battlefield before.
While over a dozen Territory Lords was not necessarily a high number, they were all Innate Territory Lords, and with the element of surprise on their side, it was quite possible for them to break through the defence lines.
Wei Jung Yang’s expression was also dark as he quickly said, “Perhaps they did not come from other territories. Every now and then, some Territory Lords disappear after suffering heavy injuries. Those at the Supreme Headquarters have guessed that they might have gone back to the No-Return Pass to heal as they have many High-Rank Black Ink Nests there, which makes it easier for them to rapidly recover. There’s a high chance that these Territory Lords… came from the No-Return Pass.”
Both parties were stuck in a deadlock across all the various battlefields, so if over a dozen Innate Territory Lords left any one of the frontlines, there was no way that the Supreme Headquarters would not have noticed.
Since the Supreme Headquarters did not send out any warnings, it meant that they did not know about the presence of these Territory Lords either.
It was quite likely that these dozen or so Territory Lords came from the No-Return Pass. It was clear that they swarmed here because they wanted to break the Profound Nether Territory’s defence perimeter and claim the whole Great Territory for themselves.
The two Eighth-Order Army Commanders could not spare any more time to tend to their injuries and immediately shot off into the sky, each of them heading for one of the newly appeared Territory Lords.
At the same time, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from all directions shot out as well.
Both Wei Jun Yang and Ou Yang Lie knew full well that this might very well be the end of the battle here in Profound Nether Territory. The support of over a dozen Innate Territory Lords was enough for the Black Ink Clan to overrun the Profound Nether Army’s defence lines.
Under these circumstances, the Profound Nether Army could not even retreat, for if they did, the newly reinforced enemy would surely hit them from behind and inflict heavy casualties. Their only option now was to push back the Black Ink Clan at risk of their lives, trying to open up a window to evacuate.
This time, it had to be a fight to the death!
The Human Race had encountered this situation far too many times though; thus, even though the crisis had been sudden, the Human Army did not panic or back down.
In the next instant, Masters from both sides began clashing. With the support of a dozen more Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan Army instantly gained the advantage and began pushing into the Human lines. Countless flashes of light sparked across the void in bursts of varied colours.
In less than half a day, 30% of the 300,000-strong Human Race Army had died, and two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had died as well.
Although the two Eighth-Order Masters had given it their all before their death, they only managed to severely wound their opponents.
None of the Innate Territory Lords had died!
The loss of the two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sent the Human Race Army into a frenzy.
Somewhere on the battlefield, Ou Yang Lie spat out mouthfuls of blood, but he showed no signs of retreating. He kept attacking again and again; however, he was already injured and could not exert his full strength, so how could he best an Innate Territory Lord?
Fortunately, Ou Yang Lie’s ferocity managed to make the Innate Territory Lord he was facing somewhat hesitant; if that had not been the case, the latter would have killed Ou Yang Lie by now.
That being said, the Territory Lord was in no rush. The Humans were on the verge of collapse and the Black Ink Clan was sure to come out victorious, so the Territory Lord had no reason to risk his neck in this fight against Ou Yang Lie. Even if he just dragged the fight out, his side would still win!
Not to mention the fact that there were more Territory Lords than there were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The Black Ink Clan had the absolute advantage here.
After more fierce battling, the Territory Lord abruptly shot a menacing smirk at Ou Yang Lie, whose heart jolted at the sight as he had a foreboding feeling.
Just then, a piercing murderous intent came at him from the side, and the Territory Lord in front of him charged towards him as well.
At this life-or-death moment, Ou Yang Lie did not choose to back away. He charged forward and spat a mouthful of Blood Essence on his weapon which instantly glowed brightly.
As the two passed each other, blood spewed out of Ou Yang Lie’s chest, and at the same time, a deep gash appeared on the Territory Lord’s neck. It was so deep that bone was visible and Ou Yang Lie’s Sword Intent lingered around the wound.
The Territory Lord’s expression darkened. Earlier, he had nearly died to his opponent’s blade. It was true that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not be underestimated.
Ou Yang Lie slowly turned around and looked at his opponent who had another Innate Territory Lord beside him now. It was the one who had snuck up on him just now.
As it was, Ou Yang Lie could barely hold his own in a one-on-one fight, let alone if he had to fight two of them.
[What a pity!]
Ou Yang Lie sighed lamentably to himself. If he had managed to kill his first opponent just now, his death would not have been in vain; but now, it was unlikely that he would have the chance to do so.
He looked around and saw Wei Jun Yang fending off two enemies despite his injuries. He was at a great disadvantage, and many of the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were in similarly hopeless situations.
How many of the Profound Nether Army could survive this battle today?
Ou Yang Lie’s vision was blurred by the blood dripping down his face, but he could still see that the two Territory Lords did not want to waste any more time and were charging at him together.
“Want to kill me, huh? One of you is coming down with me!” Ou Yang Lie laughed maniacally as the blade in his hand shattered into a burst of light that exploded across the void.
This was an artifact that he had cultivated for many years, and now that it was shattering on purpose, the sudden surge of power it released was quite terrifying.
The two Territory Lords who were charging at Ou Yang Lie sensed danger and immediately moved backwards while he seized this chance to go forward. He had his eye on his first opponent and launched a flurry of attacks that left his opponent in tatters.
Alas, that was all he could do!
After his attack, Ou Yang Lie’s strength swiftly diminished, and the very next moment, he was a shadow of his previous imposing self. The two Territory Lords noticed this and knew that their opportunity had come. Both began unleashing their Secret Techniques, and a series of terrifying Divine Abilities came straight at him.
Ou Yang Lie’s body moved slightly as he wanted to avoid the attacks but did not have the strength to do so. He could only sigh and resign himself to this. In a way, this was preferable for him. Over the last few centuries, the Human Race was forced to retreat again and again, driving him to the limit of his tolerance. Perhaps dying in battle was a better option than slinking away in defeat.
The constant overexertion had left Ou Yang Lie in a bit of a daze, so when a voice called out from nearby, he wasn’t sure if he was hearing things or not.
“Exile!”
A deep voice rang out, and Ou Yang Lie’s figure became hazy as if he no longer existed. The two Innate Territory Lords’ attacks flew straight through Ou Yang Lie’s body and the enormous strength shook the Void, causing Ou Yang Lie to cough up a mouthful of blood, but he was not dead.
As the Territory Lords reacted in shock, a dense murderous intent fell over them.
A great distance away, a golden light broke through the void like a shooting star, weaving through the battlefield from the rear of the Black Ink Clan Army, and wherever it passed, the Black Ink Clan lines collapsed.
In the blink of an eye, the golden light was right in front of them. Profound and mysterious strengths swirled as the glow of a spear swiftly enlarged within the vision of one of the Territory Lords.
The Territory Lord was terrified by the murderous intent that enveloped him. He wanted to fight back, but all of a sudden he felt a piercing pain in his head. Pain wracked his entire body as his Black Ink Strength no longer circulated properly.
In the next instant, the spear covered in multi-coloured light pierced through the head of the powerful Innate Territory Lord, causing his life aura to immediately swell up before bursting apart and dissipating!
All of this only took a single breath, causing the other Territory Lord’s expression to stiffen. He looked over and finally saw a young man with a cold look in his eyes withdrawing his spear. At the same time, the air seemed to quiver and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had been on the verge of death immediately disappeared, seemingly sent off somewhere.
The Territory Lord locked eyes with the young man who snapped icily, “What have you all been doing while I was gone?”
While he spoke, space seemed to freeze, and the Innate Territory Lord felt as if he was about to meet his doom. [A Ninth-Order Human Master!? Wasn’t it said that the only two left were held up somewhere else!?]
Where did this Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master come from?
However, upon closer inspection, the Territory Lord noticed that his opponent only had the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which only confused him further; after all, how could a mere Eighth-Order Human kill an Innate Territory Lord in one blow?
Ou Yang Lie suddenly appeared on top of the Universe Fragment at the frontlines of Profound Nether Territory, covered in blood and in complete disarray. Even his aura was in total disorder.
The intense battles against the Innate Territory Lords seemed to have exhausted all of his energy. His mind was dazed and his head felt heavy. He was on the verge of losing consciousness at any moment and he figured it would take over a year for him to recover from his ghastly injuries.
He should be celebrating his escape from the clutches of death, but he had no clue how he managed to survive and why he ended up here.
However, a theory soon formed in his mind when he recalled the familiar voice he heard earlier.
Thus, he gathered all the strength he could muster and looked out into the void.
Immediately, he saw a familiar figure who was battling the Innate Territory Lord who had snuck up on him earlier.
[It really is that Brat!!] Ou Yang Lie was thunderstruck.
Moments ago, he had already come to terms with his impending death, yet in that life-and-death moment, space around him warped. He sensed that he had somehow merged with the Void at that instant, allowing him to survive the attacks from two Territory Lords.
[Space Secret Technique!]
He knew that Yang Kai was the only one who could do this. Yang Kai also had to be the reason why he suddenly appeared on this Universe Fragment. [That Brat must’ve used his Space Secret Technique to move me here!]
[It’s good that he came!]
Ou Yang Lie exhaled slowly before collapsing to the ground, no longer able to hold himself up anymore. All his strength seemed to evaporate at that moment.
As he watched the Innate Territory Lord scrambling around the battlefield to dodge Yang Kai’s fierce attacks, a strange feeling formed in his heart.
[When did I start feeling a sense of relief whenever this Brat shows up?] It felt as if the Humans would surely emerge victorious if Yang Kai was here.
Ou Yang Lie chuckled at the thought of how old men like him seemed so useless. Despite their millennia of cultivation, in the end, they had to rely on a younger generation when it came down to it.
Yang Kai had saved him twice now if he included what happened back at the No-Return Pass!
“Honoured Master, take this pill!” All of a sudden, a voice called out behind Ou Yang Lie.
Ou Yang Lie turned around and saw his treasured Disciple limping over to him with a bottle raised, one that contained valuable Spirit Pills.
Gong Lian was severely injured as well. There was a large gash across his abdomen that had nearly cut him in half. He would not have retreated from the fight if it had not been for such grave injuries.
Ou Yang Lie glanced at his Disciple’s sorry state before glancing at Yang Kai’s magnificence on the battlefield and could not help but exclaim with a sigh, “How useless!”
This Disciple of his was someone whose talents surpassed many others. He would not have taken Gong Lian in if that had not been the case. Gong Lian was now a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master after Ou Yang Lie took him under his wing and put a lot of thought and effort into training him. While Gong Lian was indeed a remarkable talent, that was still nothing in comparison to Yang Kai’s achievements.
[Why did I not consider taking Yang Kai as my Disciple?]
Gong Lian had purposely come over to give his Honoured Master some medicine. He thought that this would lead to a touching moment between the Master and Disciple, so he did not expect to be criticized in such a manner instead and felt rather aggrieved, “Honoured Master, the speed of this Disciple’s cultivation is already fast enough.”
It took him 200 years to become an Emperor, another 100 years to condense his Dao Seal, and yet another 100 years to break through directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Then, in less than 1,000 years, he became a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. All in all, he had only been cultivating for about 1,500 years.
Few people in all the 3,000 Worlds became Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at such a young age.
However, Gong Lian’s Honoured Master just called him useless. The comment made him feel as if he had been stabbed in the heart.
“Haa… never mind. Not everyone is a freak like that Brat. I can’t demand it of you,” Ou Yang Lie sighed once more before taking the Spirit Pill from Gong Lian and consuming it. If his Disciple was considered a genius, then Yang Kai was the most extraordinary genius among all geniuses.
Gong Lian eked out a faint smile, but he felt even more crushed on the inside.
Just then, they sensed the death of yet another Innate Territory Lord. Ou Yang Lie turned to look before loudly exclaiming, “Astonishing!”
As expected, Yang Kai had killed the Innate Territory Lord who snuck up on Ou Yang Lie earlier.
It had not even been 30 breaths of time since Yang Kai’s appearance, but in that short span, he had killed two powerful Innate Territory Lords.
Ou Yang Lie had a feeling that Yang Kai was even stronger now than he was back when they met at the No-Return Pass.
“Look over there, Honoured Master!” Gong Lian noticed something unusual and pointed it out.
Ou Yang Lie followed Gong Lian’s gaze and noticed that the rear of the Black Ink Clan Army was in chaos. A series of Great Suns and Great Moons illuminated the darkness. Under the glare of these lights, countless strange creatures were attacking the Black Ink Clan Army from the back which caused their formation to crumble.
“Small Stone Race!” Ou Yang Lie’s eyes brightened as he quickly figured out that Yang Kai must have brought these creatures here.
In general, the Human Race Masters did know that Yang Kai had many Small Stone Race soldiers with him; after all, the Small Stone Race found in all the various battlefields were handed out by Yang Kai previously.
There were even some Small Stone Race soldiers here in Profound Nether Territory, though their numbers were fairly small. After so many years of fighting, a significant number of the Small Stone Race that Yang Kai had given away back then had died.
The Small Stone Race was useful when it came to dealing with the Black Ink Clan, but they had their weaknesses too. They were hard to control and varied greatly in strength.
Based on the fighting prowess of each of the Races’ armies, when the numbers were equal, the Humans were stronger than the Black Ink Clan, but the Black Ink Clan was a lot stronger than the Small Stone Race.
Therefore, although the number of Small Stone Race was tremendous, many were sacrificed in each battle.
Those at the Supreme Headquarters ran the numbers half a year ago. In total, Yang Kai had given away approximately 40 million Small Stone Race soldiers; however, only about 17 million of them were still alive right now. The remaining 23 million had been slaughtered by the Black Ink Clan.
The loss of 23 million in just a few decades of fighting was deeply alarming. The Human Race would have long been driven to extinction if they suffered such casualties.
There were just over a million Small Stone Race soldiers in Profound Nether Territory; thus, including the one-million-strong Human Army, there were about two million soldiers.
That being said, only 400,000 of the Small Stone Race were deployed to the frontlines of the battlefield while the rest were spread out across the various auxiliary fronts, including the forward outpost.
If that had not been the case, just the 300,000 Humans here might not have been enough to hold the frontlines of the battlefield.
After the fierce battle, it was quite likely that most of the 400,000 Small Stone Race would be sacrificed.
Nevertheless, right now, countless Great Suns and Great Moons were streaking across the sky behind the Black Ink Clan Army, their blinding light illuminating nearly half of Profound Nether Territory.
How many Small Stone Race soldiers did it take for such a display? Millions? Tens of millions?
Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple did not know for sure, but they were certain about one thing. The Black Ink Clan in Profound Nether Territory was in serious trouble!
“Come with me! Let’s charge out at our enemies once more!” Ou Yang Lie’s fervour for battle bubbled up once more, but as he stood up, blood gushed out of his wounds.
Gong Lian jumped in fright, “Don’t do anything reckless, Honoured Master! You’re severely injured right now and can barely exert a tenth of your strength! How can you possibly join the fight? You should be focusing on tending to your injuries right now!”
Ou Yang Lie smacked Gong Lian across the head, “Enough of your nonsense. I know very well what my condition is like right now. I can’t kill any Territory Lords, but I can still kill a few Feudal Lords! Hurry up!”
Saying so, he rushed off without a moment’s hesitation.
Gong Lian was speechless, but since his Honoured Master had rejoined the battle, he could only follow along behind him.
The changes on the battlefield, which included the sudden emergence of a massive Small Stone Race Army behind the Black Ink Clan, caused the entire flow of the battle to change. What’s more, the death of two Innate Territory Lords in a burst of golden light had caught everyone’s attention.
With this sudden change of fortunes, the Black Ink Clan was fully aware that a powerful Master had come to aid the Humans, a Master who could kill Territory Lords as if they were random chickens or dogs.
The other Territory Lords were both shocked and furious. The Black Ink Clan had been planning this operation in Profound Nether Territory for some time now and had even secretly sent out the over a dozen Territory Lords for this purpose. They were right on the cusp of success, but none of them expected a sudden twist at the critical moment. None of the Territory Lords could accept this outcome.
As the streaks of powerful Divine Sense weaved through the void, the Territory Lords could not decide whether to retreat or to continue the attack.
Before they could discuss what to do though, the aura of yet another Territory Lord swelled up before vanishing.
When they looked at where the aura had vanished, they saw the same Eighth-Order Master standing tall with his eyes sweeping across the battlefield condescendingly.
A third Territory Lord had been killed!
All three Territory Lords had been killed in less than a half cup of tea’s time.
The Territory Lords could not hesitate any longer. They were deathly afraid that they would be the next to fall, so they immediately shouted for their forces to retreat.
After receiving the order from the Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan Army started withdrawing.
Naturally, the experienced Human Race Army could tell what was happening, so even without an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s command, the soldiers began chasing down the retreating enemy. All at once, the Black Ink Clan Army was in the unfortunate predicament of being sandwiched between the Human and Small Stone Race Armies.
Yang Kai’s figure continued flickering across the battlefield as well. Wherever his spear passed, Black Ink Clan soldiers met their demise.
He no longer targeted the Territory Lords, not because he did not want to, but because he could not.
Yang Kai had already reached his limit after using Soul Rending Thorns thrice in a short span of time. Right now, his Soul was cracked and in great agony. If he tried to use another Soul Rending Thorn, he could very well lose consciousness, just like he had back at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
If he did not use a Soul Rending Thorn, then with his current strength, it would be hard for him to kill an Innate Territory Lord who was determined to escape.
Since that was the case, he started slaughtering the other Black Ink Clan soldiers instead.
Attacked from two sides, the Black Ink Clan Army suffered calamitous casualties, but since the Small Stone Race only acted according to their instincts, while they were courageous on the battlefield, they employed no form of strategy.
It was fairly easy for the Black Ink Clan Army to break through the Small Stone Race’s siege with just a few sacrifices.
The tides had changed in a flash for the Human Race who were on the brink of doom just moments ago. The void was thick with World Force as the light from all sorts of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques blazed across the battlefield.
The Human Race were victorious in this battle!
Now, it was only a matter of how many of their enemies they could destroy today.
The Eighth-Order Masters were truly glad and relieved that victory was theirs. Just an hour ago, it seemed certain that the Human Race would lose. They were already considering sacrificing all the remaining Small Stone Race soldiers to buy time for the Human Race’s evacuation, but everything changed with the arrival of one person.
In a flash, the Human Race Army and the Small Stone Race grouped together as they pursued the Black Ink Clan for several million kilometres, slaughtering them as they went.
Suddenly, Yang Kai’s heart jolted and he turned his head as he sensed a familiar aura coming from a certain direction.
He swiftly leapt across the Void, and in the next instant, he appeared before a certain Warship. As he looked up, he was greeted by several familiar faces, including some that looked coquettish, some glamorous, and some dignified…
Those on the Warship had been alarmed by the sudden appearance of this figure, but once they took a good look at him, their hearts settled back into place.
A gentle expression settled on Yang Kai’s face as he smiled at these people.
The cultivators onboard this Warship were all women with not a single man in sight. They were a true female army, and most of them had intimate relationships with Yang Kai.
Earlier on, he rushed over because he sensed their auras.
All at once, Yang Kai’s heart was flooded with yearning. His mind raced with all that he longed to say to them, but in the end, all he said was a simple greeting, “I’m back!”
Yes, he was back.
It had been around 1,000 years since he left Black Territory, and now, he was finally back. It was nearly 5,000 years since then if he included the time he spent in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
While it was a pity that he did not return triumphant, at least he was back!
Yang Kai dreamt of this moment countless times during the crusade against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield, and at last, his dream had come true.
Yu Ru Meng immediately rushed forward in agitation and Yang Kai opened his arms as he waited for her to fly into his embrace…
However, the Charm Demon Saint simply brushed past Yang Kai and sent forth a Divine Ability that battered the fleeing Black Ink Clan soldiers in the distance.
Yu Ru Meng’s cultivation had reached the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm now!
“Enough of that nonsense. Our priority now is to kill the enemy!”
Yang Kai wore the most awkward expression possible as he stood frozen on the spot with his hands outstretched.
This was not what he had been expecting!
[It has been 1,000 years since your Husband left. Now that he’s back, shouldn’t you all be crying tears of joy and throwing yourselves at me? Shouldn’t we be enjoying the sorely missed warmth and loving embrace? What’s going on? Why are you ignoring my presence instead?]
Meanwhile, Su Yan and Ji Yao who were in front of him were frozen as well. Their eyes reddened, but before they could say anything, Yu Ru Meng called out firmly, “Su Yan, Yao’er, Luo’er, come with me. Yue’er, Hua Shang, Wan’er, Qing’er, you all will form a team as well! Proceed with caution!”
The women’s expressions became solemn when they heard this and the others swiftly rushed forward as the eight women formed two groups before charging out of the Warship.
They formed two Four Symbols Formations, which was the simplest Battle Formation that was commonly used on the Black Ink Battlefield as all it required was sufficient numbers in the same Order. Yang Kai had also used this Battle Formation with other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Dawn on occasion. While it was a simple Battle Formation, it allowed the cultivators to cover each other’s backs and combine their strengths. Thus, it was incredibly useful in the chaos of the battlefield.
There were only 10 people onboard the Warship, so now that eight of them left, only two remained.
“Greetings, Sect Master!” Luan Bai Feng, one of the last two, bowed elegantly.
Yang Kai nodded with the sternness that befitted his position as the Sect Master and waved his hand, “At ease.”
Alas, it seemed his subordinates were more reliable…
As for the Madams… They seemed to be showing signs of rebellion. However, Yang Kai could understand their reactions; after all, he did basically abandon them for 1,000 years. It was not surprising that they were upset about it.
These women had every reason to react the way they did.
“Young Master…” Yue He called out with a choked voice.
Yang Kai walked over and stroked her head with a smile, “Good. You’re a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now. I see that you didn’t neglect your cultivation.”
Yue He was not the only one who was now in the Seventh Order; in fact, all 10 women aboard this Warship were in the Seventh Order!
It was not unexpected in the case of Yue He and Luan Bai Feng. They were already in the Sixth Order when Yang Kai left, and during this time, neither Void Land nor High Heaven Palace lacked the resources for cultivation. There was also a World Tree clone in the Star Boundary as well. For those in the Open Heaven Realm like Yue He and Luan Bai Feng, the clone’s feedback effects did not give them any boost to their innate talent, but the environment still boosted their cultivation speed.
Yu Ru Meng and Yang Kai’s other Wives had directly become Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and a number had even become Disciples of Ancestors from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Naturally, their cultivation would rapidly increase since they did not lack the resources or guidance they needed.
This team of 10 consisted entirely of people Yang Kai trusted implicitly, so it was clear that someone had arranged this on purpose.
No other Squad could possess such a luxurious lineup. If 10 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joined forces, they were even able to face off against a Territory Lord for some time.
This was probably the reason why none of these women showed any signs of serious injury.
Of course, there was another reason for this as well. Their Warship was a little unique, and Yang Kai sensed it as soon as he came over.
Based on age alone, Yue He was much older than Yang Kai; after all, she had already been a veteran Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master when she first met him.
However, the moment Yang Kai stroked her head, she could not stop her tears from flowing as she stared at him with a teary-eyed smile.
“Kill!” Yu Ru Meng shouted fiercely from in front of the Warship. She did not hold back at all as she mercilessly slaughtered the Black Ink Clan.
[Smelly man! How can he still be getting all sentimental at a time like this? Does he not know the meaning of the word ‘death’?!]
Yang Kai bowed, “Senior, you must’ve had a hard time all these years. Many thanks for your care.”
The Warship trembled slightly as an old voice rang out with a slightly teasing tone, “This Old Master didn’t have to do much. You’re the one… who must work hard from now on.”
This was not a true Warship but rather one of Bi Xi’s Soul Clones.
Naturally, this clone did not possess the full strength of Bi Xi’s true body, but it was similar in strength to a veteran Seventh-Order Master, so it was not weak by any means.
Furthermore, Bi Xi was most proficient in defence. It would not be easy for Yu Ru Meng and the rest to encounter any form of trouble as they had the protection of such a Warship.
These 10 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were paired with one of Bi Xi’s Soul Clones, and this combination was enough for them to fear nothing on the battlefield if they did not target the Innate Territory Lords.
Yang Kai did not know who the Commanders were for the Army here, but it had to be people who were well acquainted with him and knew about his importance. That was why they made these special arrangements for his family.
Thus, Yang Kai made a note of the favour they had done for him.
Yang Kai then turned around and said, “We’ll catch up later. Please take over, Senior!”
That was all Yang Kai said before he rushed out in a flash. He did not focus on helping Yu Ru Meng and the others and instead charged forward with his spear in hand.
Under the looming shadow of this spear, the Black Ink Clan who were trying to flee were shredded like paper. Occasionally, some would survive the onslaught from Yang Kai, but Yu Ru Meng and the others who were following behind would easily deal with them.
The Human Race Army and the Small Stone Race both chased down the retreating Black Ink Clan, turning the once-contested battlefield into a meat grinder filled with mournful screams and furious roars.
“Withdraw!” All of a sudden, a piercing call echoed across the battlefield.
The Humans, who had been fervently hunting down their enemies, finally stopped. They could not continue chasing down the Black Ink Clan anymore, lest they stretch themselves too thin and suffer serious losses from a sudden counterattack. Still, they had already dealt a crushing blow to the Black Ink Clan Army in Profound Nether Territory, making this a triumphant victory.
They could not destroy the Black Ink Clan in one blow, and if they forced the Black Ink Clan into fighting back out of desperation, the Humans would also suffer greatly. Thus, withdrawing after gaining some benefits was the optimal strategy.
Yu Ru Meng and the others swiftly returned to the Warship, all of them breathing heavily and covered in sweat with visible streaks of blood on their clothes. It was evident that they had suffered some injuries in this battle.
No one could guarantee that they would remain unscathed in the chaos of the battlefield as accidents would always happen.
Yang Kai did not return to the Warship right away and instead used his Great Sun and Great Moon Marks to gather the surviving Small Stone Race Army first before rejoining the others. However, no one paid any attention to him. Yue He wanted to talk to him, but a glare from Yu Ru Meng forced her to remain still.
[Haa… All is not well within the family!] Yang Kai lamented to himself as he watched these women sitting down cross-legged, none of them showing any signs of wanting to talk to him. He could not help but miss his gentlest Little Senior Sister.
[If Little Senior Sister was here, she wouldn’t ignore me like this…]
Although he did not see Xia Ning Chang, he knew that she would not be here on the battlefield as her specialty was not fighting. Alchemy was her strong suit.
The Human Race Army’s need for all kinds of Spirit Pills was enormous, so Alchemists like Little Senior Sister had to remain behind in safety to refine Spirit Pills for those on the frontlines.
The Human Race could not afford to lose such talents, so the higher-ups would never allow them to join the battlefield unless there was no other choice.
As the Army retreated, numerous Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters passed by, but they merely nodded to Yang Kai in greeting and showed no intention of coming over.
It was clear that they knew what Yang Kai’s relationship with the women on this Warship was. Since it was his first time reuniting with them, he would have a lot to talk about with his Madams. They were not obtuse enough to disturb him now.
However, they were also puzzled by what they saw. Something was amiss about the atmosphere on the Warship. While there was no fighting, it felt as if the Warship was a frigid purgatory, causing many of them to shudder lightly…
They were also secretly exclaiming over the luck Yang Kai had with love, for he had so many Wives who were all High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. They were truly envious of him.
Bi Xi’s quiet chuckle sounded, as if he was enjoying the show. Luan Bai Feng was also glancing around at the others as she stood by the side. She was the only outsider among this group, but she did not treat herself as one. Instead, she was taking in the strange atmosphere in amusement.
Everyone else was tending to their injuries; thus, Yang Kai joined them awkwardly by sitting down cross-legged and stuffing a fistful of Spirit Pills into his mouth. He looked like an injured animal who was quietly licking his wounds, making for a pitiful sight.
Yue He felt a pang in her heart, but before she could do anything, Yu Ru Meng’s eyes flashed open and shot her a glare.
Yue He sighed. Although her heart ached for her Young Master, Madame Ru Meng seemed to want to teach him a lesson, and it was best for her to stay out of these family issues.
She knew that all the other Madams followed Yu Ru Meng’s leadership and would go along with what she decided.
After thinking about it, Yue He figured that it was probably a good thing to teach her Young Master a lesson so that he would not keep running around all the time. Previously, it was a little better as he only left for a few decades at most, which could not be considered long for cultivators of their Realm. Plus, regardless of where he was, he was still within the 3,000 Worlds back then. However, this time, he left for around 1,000 years and had gone to an extremely dangerous place, constantly putting his life at risk.
Amid the void, people were cleaning up the battlefield and retrieving the bodies of the fallen soldiers. This was done in silence as sorrow and grief spread through the area.
While Yang Kai tended to his injuries, he checked with Bi Xi about the Humans’ current situation.
After the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai spent several centuries running around without even stopping for a moment. He did not partake in the battles at the No-Return Pass and the Barren Territory either; therefore, he knew nothing about the Human Race’s present state.
Now that he was back, the first thing he wanted to do was get some information.
Bi Xi kept nothing from him.
A long conversation later, Yang Kai had the gist of what happened with the Human Race in recent years.
Back when the Black Ink Clan broke through the passage between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory, the Human Race began withdrawing and evacuating with their end destination being High Heaven Territory where the Star Boundary was located.
Yang Kai knew about this in a general sense. He had helped the cultivators besieged in Swallowing Seas Territory and several other Great Territories over the years. Many would not have been able to deal with the Black Ink Clan if it had not been for his assistance and the Small Stone Race soldiers he gave them to aid in their evacuation.
This was something Yang Kai often did as he went around refining over 2,000 Universe Worlds in several hundred Great Territories. One could tell just how many evacuating Great Forces he must have run into solely based on the fact that he had given away some 40 million of the Small Stone Race.
Most of the cultivators in the Great Territories had already evacuated, saving those forces in their entirety. However, many had also been set upon by the Black Ink Clan Army on the way, wiping them out as a result.
There was nothing that could be done about this. The Black Ink Clan had invaded the entire 3,000 Worlds and few Great Territories could defend themselves from such an attack. The weaker cultivators from the scattered Second Class Great Forces could not put up a fight against a massive and organized Black Ink Clan Army.
All hope for the Human Race’s future depended on the Star Boundary as it was a true Open Heaven Realm Cradle. This was the reasoning behind the evacuation plan set by the Human Race’s leaders. Otherwise, there was no reason why out of all the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race had to head for High Heaven Territory where the Star Boundary was.
However, not all of the Great Forces could be housed within High Heaven Territory. Firstly, High Heaven Territory did not have a great number of Universe Worlds that could sustain life. That being said, the New Great Territory could ease some of this burden as it neighboured High Heaven Territory and the conditions there were much better, including the cultivation environment. It also had a lot more habitable Universe Worlds than High Heaven Territory did.
The New Great Territory could only be accessed from High Heaven Territory, so Yang Kai had set up a restriction back then to only allow those from Void Land and High Heaven Palace inside. Of course, this restriction was taken down now given the current circumstances.
As long as the Human Race did not lose its hold on High Heaven Territory, the Black Ink Clan couldn’t invade the New Great Territory.
Secondly, the Humans could not resign themselves to surrendering without a fight. If they did stop trying to fight back, then all the Black Ink Clan had to do was target High Heaven Territory. This would put the Human Race in a far too vulnerable position.
Thus, the many leaders of the Human Race came to a decision. They gathered as many Open Heaven Realm Masters as they could and formed over a dozen Armies based on the framework of the remnants of the Armies from the Black Ink Battlefield. These Armies were then posted to defend the surrounding Great Territories with High Heaven Territory at the centre.
Profound Nether Territory was one of these battlefields, along with Heavenly Wolf Territory, Twin Poles Territory, and several others.
Profound Nether Territory was said to have an army of a million soldiers, but after many years of fighting, that was no longer the case, unless the surviving Small Stone Race were counted as well.
Throughout the past few decades, Profound Nether Territory and the other frontline Great Territories were in a constant state of battle.
While the Humans did pay a heavy price in the process, they managed to gather most, if not all of their strength in these dozen or so Great Territories and just barely managed to maintain their current perimeter.
However, from the way things were progressing, the situation was gradually deteriorating.
Over a dozen Territory Lords had appeared out of the blue and joined the main battle in Profound Nether Territory. The Human Race Army had been caught off-guard and suffered significant casualties as a result. Chances were they would have failed to hold onto Profound Nether Territory if the tides had not turned following Yang Kai’s arrival.
If the Humans lost Profound Nether Territory, it would be a crushing blow not only to their Army, but to their morale as well.
The Human Race Army in Profound Nether Territory was formed from over a dozen remnants of previous armies, including the Great Evolution Army, Great Battle Army, Nine Stars Army, and Purple Jade Army.
These Armies had previously gone through the three major wars at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the No-Return Pass, and the Barren Territory; thus, they were truly veterans with a wealth of experience. They formed the core of the Profound Nether Army with cultivators from other various Great Forces making up the rest of the numbers.
This was the reason why Yang Kai ran into Yu Ru Meng and the others here.
Back then, the cultivators from Void Land and High Heaven Palace had joined the fight in the Barren Territory and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao personally recruited them into the Great Evolution Army.
Thus, they could be considered soldiers who belonged to the Great Evolution Army.
After hearing everything, Yang Kai was secretly relieved. He could have chosen any of the numerous routes that would have taken him back to the Star Boundary, but as he wanted to get there as quickly as possible, he chose the shortest one, which meant that he had to pass through Profound Nether Territory.
He was filled with lingering dread at the thought of how terrible things would have been in Profound Nether Territory if he had not made it here in time.
“Thanks to your pre-empting back then, those from Void Territory were able to prepare in advance; therefore, when the order to evacuate was given, all of the Great Forces of Void Territory were able to leave safely. But, it’s a shame… when we think about the other living beings in those Universe Worlds.” Bi Xi sighed mournfully. The Human Race could not bring all the living beings in those Universe Worlds along with them when the Black Ink Clan invaded, so they must have been turned into Black Ink Disciples by now.
“I’ve already refined those Universe Worlds, Senior. You don’t need to feel bad about them,” Yang Kai said.
Void Territory was considered Yang Kai’s territory, so he would not stand by and do nothing when it faced this existential crisis. When Yang Kai went to Void Territory back then, he purposely checked on Void Land. When he realised that Void Land had completely disappeared, he figured that Bi Xi must have evacuated everyone. At the time, the Black Ink Clan had not invaded Void Territory yet, so Yang Kai refined all the Universe Worlds and took them with him.
Bi Xi froze for a moment, not quite understanding what Yang Kai meant when he said he refined the Universe Worlds, but just as he was about to ask, he saw Yang Kai turning ashen-faced before coughing up a mouthful of Golden Blood. His aura swiftly deflated as he slumped backwards.
Bi Xi was alarmed while cries rang out from all directions.
However, Yang Kai did not end up falling to the ground as a soft and nimble figure caught him.
Yang Kai’s eyelids parted slightly and he saw Yu Ru Meng’s anxious expression.
The others swiftly gathered around him with similarly concerned looks in their eyes.
“Husband, what happened?” Yu Ru Meng asked with a trembling voice. The Demon Saint’s previous coldness was now replaced with great fear and worry.
Yang Kai opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, he spat out another mouthful of blood that dyed Yu Ru Meng’s clothes gold. Then, he rasped, “I-I’m fine. It’s just some minor injuries.”
He tapped his finger ever so gently against the deck of the Warship.
Bi Xi was startled for a moment before he quickly exclaimed, “How can you call that a minor injury? Your aura’s unstable and your World Force circulation is a mess right now. Did you get hit by one of those Territory Lords’ final counterattacks?”
“It’s alright, it’s nothing serious,” Yang Kai insisted weakly.
The more he insisted though, the more fraught the women around him became.
Earlier on, they witnessed from afar the way Yang Kai had slaughtered three Territory Lords in quick succession. It went without saying that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai would have had to pay a heavy price in order to kill three Territory Lords like this.
It was just that he had been hiding his injuries and putting up a strong front earlier.
“Healing pills!” Yu Ru Meng cried out, and Su Yang quickly stuffed a few high-quality Spirit Pills into Yang Kai’s mouth.
Shan Qing Luo quickly kneeled beside Yang Kai and grabbed his hand to check on his injuries, but a moment later, Luo’er frowned. She did not detect any trace of physical wounds, so she stared at Yang Kai in puzzlement and began to ask, “Husband, your injuries…”
Yang Kai forced out a weak smile, “My body’s fine. It’s my Soul that’s injured.”
“Soul Rending Thorns?” Zhu Qing asked grimly.
Yang Kai was taken aback as he asked, “How did you know?”
“Senior Ou Yang told us about them. He told us a lot about you actually,” Xue Yue explained softly.
“Senior Ou Yang… Ou Yang Lie?”
Xue Yue nodded.
Yang Kai came to a sudden realization. Since there were remnants of the Great Evolution Army here in the Profound Nether Army, it was not unusual that Ou Yang Lie was here as well. Ou Yang Lie did know about the Soul Rending Thorns as back then, outside Great Evolution Pass all those years ago, Ou Yang Lie was the one watching over Yang Kai. With just his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, Yang Kai managed to kill and critically wound numerous Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples inside the Black Ink Nest Space with the help of the Soul Rending Thorns.
From the looks of it, it had most likely been Ou Yang Lie’s doing that led to Yu Ru Meng and the rest forming this special Squad.
Yu Ru Meng noticed that Yang Kai wanted to ask more questions, so she quickly blocked his mouth with her hand, “Stop talking. You should be focusing on tending to your injuries now.”
Yang Kai paused before nodding lightly and settled into a more comfortable position in Yu Ru Meng’s arms before closing his eyes.
The women around him were all beside themselves with worry.
Meanwhile, on the Universe Fragment at the frontlines, the Human Army returned in victory and settled down to rest as well.
However, the news that Yang Kai was seriously injured spread in next to no time; therefore, quite a number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wanted to visit him, with Ou Yang Lie and Wei Jun Yang at the helm. However, Yu Ru Meng and the others stopped them by saying that their Husband was too injured and could not see anyone as he had to focus on his recovery first.
Naturally, Ou Yang Lie and the others were understanding enough. They asked about the cause of Yang Kai’s injuries, and when they found out it was the price he had to pay to be able to slaughter three Territory Lords, they were deeply troubled.
One of the Eighth-Order Masters brought out some special Spirit Pills he had been safekeeping and passed them to Yu Ru Meng before assuring her that she could focus on tending to Yang Kai. Yu Ru Meng accepted the pills and thanked him.
“That boy killed three Innate Territory Lords in less than an incense stick of time. He… has grown too quickly,” Wei Jun Yang turned back to glance at the Warship that was formed out of Bi Xi’s Soul Clone with an indiscernible expression.
When Wei Jun Yang first heard about Yang Kai back then on the Black Ink Battlefield, the latter had only been a Sixth-Order Junior, yet Yang Kai had the same cultivation as him now.
However, Yang Kai was even stronger and more formidable in battle as he could slaughter Innate Territory Lords who were a lot stronger than ordinary Territory Lords.
In a one-on-one fight, there was no guarantee that even peak Eighth-Order Masters like Wei Jun Yang and Ou Yang Lie could kill an Innate Territory Lord.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai did just that, though it seemed that he had paid heavily in the process.
“Have we grown too old?” Kong Cheng De chuckled. He was originally the Army Commander of the Nine Stars Army’s Southern Army. He and the other Eighth-Order Masters were some of the finest talents back in their day. They had cultivated for many years to achieve the strength they had now, but when they compared themselves to Yang Kai who was generations younger than them, they could not help but feel somewhat ashamed of themselves.
“During the last battle in the Barren Territory, this Old Master didn’t agree with the Old Ancestors’ decision,” one of the old men spoke up abruptly. It was Fei Yong Ze who was originally the Army Commander of the Purple Jade Western Army, “The Ninth-Order Old Ancestors are the backbone of our Human Race, our strongest and most experienced fighters. It’s incredibly difficult for someone to become a Ninth-Order Master. Even after all these years, only a handful of Ninth-Order Masters existed. As long as we Humans still had them, we would still have hope. And yet, during that fateful battle, the Old Ancestors boldly and without hesitation chose to sacrifice themselves in a battle to the death!”
“This Old Master believed that the Old Ancestors made the wrong decision back then. They had been too reckless in entrusting the future of the Human Race to the hands of the younger generation.”
“How about now?” Kong Cheng De turned to look at him.
Fei Yong Ze remained silent for a moment before saying, “Perhaps this Old Master was too conservative and narrow-minded. Let’s see how things go… in the future.”
His opinion had been shaken by the way Yang Kai slaughtered three Innate Territory Lords in one go, but only time could tell whether the Old Ancestors’ had made the right decision back then. It was not something that he could determine just like that.