It wasn’t the first time Yang Kai had heard of ‘Hunters’. They were Human Masters who didn’t join the main Army on the frontlines for all sorts of reasons and would instead form small groups or even act alone to sneak into the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had taken over. Then, they would seek opportunities to do damage.
Most of them were proud of their great strength or had some unruliness in their personalities, which was why they didn’t like the strict regulations of the Army.
Hunters generally acted in very small numbers, so they lived dangerous lives where the threat of being wiped out was quite high; however, while the risks were high, the rewards were too.
The favourite activity for Hunters was destroying Black Ink Nests. If they could bring back proof of them destroying a Black Ink Nest to any of the Great Territory Battlefields, they would receive a massive amount of Military Merits. Once they had Military Merits, they could use them to exchange for cultivation resources or other benefits.
At this moment, there were quite a lot of Hunters roaming around outside, and as time passed, even more cultivators joined them.
Everyone had their own way of living, so if they dove into the Great Territories controlled by the Black Ink Clan and caused chaos, it could still be considered contributing to the war effort. Therefore, not only didn’t the Supreme Headquarters restrict such people, but they even richly rewarded the Hunters whenever they succeeded.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai’s actions before coming here were the standard behaviour of a Hunter. Of course, what he accomplished was far beyond what any team of Hunters could dream to achieve.
He alone had caused chaos at the No-Return Pass and then retreated safely. That was a feat no other Human could replicate.
The Hunters’ actions were indeed dangerous as they were moving around the Black Ink Clan’s territory, after all. Once their whereabouts were exposed, they would be targeted by many Black Ink Clansmen and would have difficulty escaping.
However, narrow escapes were not that frequent. Hunters weren’t foolish enough to sacrifice their lives for nothing, so as long as they acted prudently, they would be able to steer clear of trouble. After that, it was simply a matter of luck whether they survived or not. Moreover, as Wei Jun Yang just mentioned, most of the powerful Black Ink Clansmen were busy battling Human Race Masters on the frontlines, so there weren’t many just sitting behind and guarding their territory.
The Black Ink Clan had taken over many Great Territories, but there were only so many Innate Territory Lords. This meant that they couldn’t guard every territory they had, making it possible for the Hunters to sneak in and hit Low-Rank Black Ink Nests before making their escape, never having to face any true Masters.
With fewer people, the Hunters could more easily find places to hide after they achieved their objectives, which was why the Black Ink Clan found it so hard to deal with them.
Such situations enraged the Black Ink Clan, which caused them to hate Hunters to the core.
Besieging the cultivators trapped in Acacia Territory was a good chance for them to attract many Hunters over. The Black Ink Clan was planning to use this opportunity to wipe out the hidden dangers in their territories so that they could focus more of their attention on battling the main Human force.
After listening to Wei Jun Yang’s explanation, Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter as he asked, “Senior Brother Wei, have you known this since the beginning?”
Wei Jun Yang smiled, “Junior Brother, please forgive us. This was all Senior Brother Xiang’s plan and the final test given to you by the Supreme Headquarters.”
Feeling speechless, Yang Kai asked, “What would happen if I didn’t realize all this?”
Wei Jun Yang smiled apologetically, “Senior Brother Xiang hasn’t gone far, and the news of appointing Junior Brother as Army Commander hasn’t been announced to the Army yet.”
In other words, if Yang Kai wasn’t able to see the bigger picture and accurately assess the situation, Xiang Shan might have returned to take back the Army Commander Token.
When Yang Kai heard that, he rolled his eyes, [Fortunately the news of my appointment has yet to be announced to the entire Army. Although I’m young, I would like to keep some face. These old farts simply won’t act their age!]
He didn’t bother with these things though because he understood that it was normal for these Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to have some reservations. The Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army was an important and powerful position which could affect the direction of their future battles and the lives of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Human Race Army, so of course they would act cautiously. Moreover, there was also no fault in the Supreme Headquarters giving out a final test.
In reality, the test was relatively simple, because anyone with half-decent intelligence could think of such things. Only a ruffian like Ou Yang Lie wouldn’t bother thinking things through like this.
Thinking so, Yang Kai snuck a glance at Ou Yang Lie, and as he had expected, the latter seemed to be lost in his thoughts, giving Yang Kai a sense of intellectual superiority.
Wei Jun Yang then turned serious, “Since Junior Brother Yang has seen through the Black Ink Clan’s intentions, it proves that we old folks have made the right choice. Still, the matter of Acacia Territory needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, so please propose a plan of action.”
Yang Kai nodded, “The other battlefields are in the midst of heavy fighting, so for now, only Profound Nether Territory can send out troops. Since the Supreme Headquarters has entrusted us with this task, we must complete it perfectly.”
This was his first mission after he was appointed the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander, so it was of utmost importance for Yang Kai. Moreover, with a large number of Humans still trapped outside, even if Yang Kai was still all on his own, he would have tried to find a way to save them.
“Senior Brothers, do any of you have a plan in mind?” Yang Kai glanced around.
Kong Cheng De quickly said, “Since the Black Ink Clan intends to deal with the Hunters, there must be at least a few Territory Lords hiding in Acacia Territory. Although we don’t have solid intelligence from the Hunters, I suspect there to be between three and five Territory Lords lying in ambush.”
The Hunters weren’t weak, and though there weren’t any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them, Seventh-Order Masters weren’t lacking.
Feudal Lords could defeat Seventh-Order Masters in greater numbers, but killing them was another matter. The Black Ink Clan’s only option was to have the Territory Lords move if they wanted this thing to be settled conclusively.
Three to five Territory Lords standing guard in Acacia Territory could be said to be an extremely secure arrangement. Of course, the number might be different, but this estimate shouldn’t be too far off.
The arrangement of Territory Lords wasn’t without consideration because the Black Ink Clan needed a lot of Territory Lords to oversee the main battlefield in order to ensure that they had maintained the upper hand when fighting against the Human Race Army.
In addition, Territory Lords who were heavily injured after battling the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would be sent back to the No-Return Pass to sink into dormancy inside Black Ink Nests to heal more rapidly.
Therefore, although the number of Territory Lords on the whole exceeded the number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and they had the upper hand when fighting against the Human Race Army, the Human Race’s situation hadn’t worsened to the point where they didn’t stand a chance against the enemy.
Now that Yang Kai had brought back a huge amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals and given out ten Great Sun and Moon Marks, the Humans’ situation would only become better.
Fei Yong Ze spoke up, “Let’s plan for the worst. If Acacia Territory has five Territory Lords standing guard, we would have to dispatch eight Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters if we want to rescue the trapped cultivators!”
Eight Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters… That wasn’t a small number, especially when all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Profound Nether Territory were overseeing important sections of the frontlines and couldn’t be easily transferred. However, only by dispatching eight Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could they be sure they could suppress five Innate Territory Lords. Sending eight was also a precaution against the enemy having deployed more than five Territory Lords.
Though the mission to rescue the cultivators trapped in Acacia Territory didn’t seem difficult, it wasn’t an easy mission to execute.
Moreover…
Yang Kai looked at the crowd of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around him and noticed that they each had varying degrees of injuries. The previous battle was only about 10 days ago, so these Eighth-Order Masters hadn’t even gotten a chance to heal yet, which meant they could not exert their full strength at the moment.
The Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory didn’t fare much better, so they weren’t a pressing concern, but the Territory Lords in Acacia Territory would all be in peak condition.
Wei Jun Yang was clear about this too, so he proposed, “Perhaps we can ask the Divine Spirits for help?”
In its current condition, it would be difficult for the Profound Nether Army to carry out this rescue mission on its own; therefore, they could only ask others for help.
Hearing this though, Yang Kai shook his head, “The Divine Spirits might not be able to help us.”
Ou Yang Lie frowned, “How can you say that before trying?”
Yang Kai answered, “If the Divine Spirits could help us, Senior Brother Xiang would have told us beforehand, but since he didn’t, that could only mean that the Divine Spirits are also all battling the enemy on the various battlefields. What’s more… a few days ago, the Supreme Headquarters even dispatched the batch of Divine Spirits Tao Wu belonged to, which means that the other battlefields need extra help as well.”
If it weren’t their last resort, the Supreme Headquarters wouldn’t have sent the Divine Spirits from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Hence, even if the Profound Nether Army asked for help, the Supreme Headquarters might not be able to mobilise any manpower for them.
In contrast with the trapped cultivators in the Acacia Territory, the Great Territory Battlefields were more important at the moment. If the Supreme Headquarters had to make a choice, they would rather ensure the safety of the front lines rather than save those trapped cultivators.
“Makes sense,” Wei Jun Yang nodded.
At first, he thought it wouldn’t be much of a difficult task to save those trapped cultivators in Acacia Territory, but now that he thought more deeply about the situation, this matter was indeed a difficult task to complete.
Instantly, they were dumbfounded and didn’t know what to do!
It seemed like the Supreme Headquarters had given Profound Nether Territory a tough mission. Could this also be a test for Yang Kai after being appointed as an Army Commander?
After everyone fell silent, Yang Kai stood up and announced with a determined expression, “I’ll head over myself!”
The crowd of Eighth-Order Masters was shocked, and Fei Yong Ze was taken aback, “Junior Brother, are you really going to Acacia Territory by yourself?”
Yang Kai nodded, “We have no other options besides this.”
Profound Nether Territory couldn’t dispatch eight Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at once, and they couldn’t ask the Divine Spirits for help, so after careful consideration, Yang Kai decided that acting alone was the best course of action.
Kong Cheng De quickly objected, “Junior Brother, you can’t. You’re now the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army, so how could you risk your safety? Moreover, what will happen to Profound Nether Territory after you leave?”
This statement just made Yang Kai burst out laughing, “Senior Brother Kong, your words are exaggerated. This Junior Brother has just been appointed to the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander position, but before now, when have I not been roaming around the dangerous territories? Since I was able to safely cross those territories back then, why can’t I do the same now?”
No matter how dangerous Acacia Territory was, could it be any more dangerous than the No-Return Pass?
Yang Kai had safely returned from the very heart of the Black Ink Clan’s headquarters, so a trivial Acacia Territory was nothing to him.
“Moreover… Before I was appointed, Senior Brothers and Sister have kept Profound Nether Territory well organised, so there’s no way that you all won’t be able to do the same without me. The Black Ink Clan here has just suffered a heavy defeat and lost three Territory Lords, so there won’t be any huge battles in Profound Nether Territory for at least a few years.”
Without giving them a chance to talk, Yang Kai concluded, “It’s settled then. I will personally take a trip to Acacia Territory, and once I leave, I must ask Senior Brothers and Sister to guard Profound Nether Territory. This is also the first order I issue after being appointed as Army Commander.”
Since he had put it that way, what could the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters possibly say?
But after careful consideration, it did seem like Yang Kai personally moving was the best option they had.
No longer trying to stop Yang Kai, Wei Jun Yang Said, “How many troops do you intend to bring, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai answered, “I don’t need too many. How about this… I’ll bring the original members of Dawn. That should be enough.”
When the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters saw Yang Kai’s enthusiastic state, they felt some lamentation and shame. They were lamenting because the younger generation was growing so fast. Though Yang Kai was the only youngster with a high position now, others from his generation had begun showing their talents on the battlefield and would soon rise up.
These Juniors who had shown their brilliance on the battlefield were the future of the Human Race and were the reason the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors sacrificed themselves to pave the way forward for them.
As for why they felt ashamed, it was because these old fellows couldn’t help Yang Kai…
After calming his thoughts, Wei Jun Yang spoke, “Since you’ve made your mind up, we won’t try to dissuade you, but you must remember that you’re now an Army Commander, so if you find yourself in a dire situation… you must ensure your own safety first.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded heavily.
“Junior Brother, when will you leave?”
“Immediately!”
Wei Jun Yang raised his hand and summoned his Universe Chart. Then, he moved his hands to display an image of the void, “There are three Territory Gates that lead to different Great Territories in Profound Nether Territory. Junior Brother can quietly exit through here,” While he spoke, he reached out and pointed at one of the Territory Gates.
One of the three Territory Gates was guarded by the Human Race so that they had somewhere to retreat if they lost the war. Another one had been taken over by the Black Ink Clan, while the last one was still unclaimed. However, both sides had set up camps there to prepare for any spontaneous battles.
The Territory Gate Wei Jun Yang was referring to was that third gate.
Although the Human Race couldn’t claim that Territory Gate, they could absolutely find a way to send Yang Kai and a small team through the portal. A minor battle would be enough of a distraction to slip through the Territory Gate.
However, Yang Kai instead asked, “Which Territory Gate is the nearest to Acacia Territory?”
Going through different Territory Gates meant they would have to take different routes. Sometimes, a slight difference might mean they had to cross several additional Great Territories to get to their destination.
Wei Jun Yang studied the three Territory Gates before pointing to the Territory Gate being guarded by the Black Ink Clan, “This one!” He was then slightly stunned and asked, “Junior Brother, don’t tell me you want to go through this one?”
Yang Kai replied, “There’s no time to waste, so we naturally have to take the fastest route possible.”
“Nonsense!” Fei Yong Ze reprimanded, “The Black Ink Clan Army’s main camp is there! How are you going to pass by them? If you get surrounded, you’ll die!”
Smiling, Yang Kai assured him, “That’s why I need the Profound Nether Army’s help.”
Wei Jun Yang thought about it and asked, “You want the Profound Nether Army to pressure the Black Ink Clan? Aren’t you afraid they might suddenly rise up and attack you?”
Yang Kai explained, “I just killed three Territory Lords a few days ago, so the Black Ink Clan is definitely paying more attention to me. Now that I’m overseeing Profound Nether Territory, those Territory Lords might be feeling on the edge, wondering which one of them would be next. Senior Brothers, place yourselves in the Territory Lords’ shoes, if I suddenly try to leave this Great Territory, would you give your all to stop me, or just let me pass?”
Fei Yong Ze was about to continue reprimanding Yang Kai, but hearing this question he frowned and hummed for a moment.
The other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were looking at each other.
Eventually, Wei Jun Yang spoke up, “If Junior Brother is the only one leaving, of course, they would pick up a fight because the ability you displayed is too shocking, so the Black Ink Clan naturally wants to get rid of you. If you give them the opportunity, why wouldn’t they take it? But if you add the Profound Nether Army…”
[That is another story… Would the Black Ink Clan really make things difficult?]
Originally, the Black Ink Clan here had the upper hand and almost seized Profound Nether Territory completely, but Yang Kai appeared and foiled their plans.
The Black Ink Clan would naturally be wary of a Master like Yang Kai, who could easily kill Territory Lords like they were random chickens or dogs.
Therefore, if such a Master wanted to leave Profound Nether Territory, it would be great news for the Territory Lords, so the Black Ink Clan might really not stop him but welcome him leaving.
Such a plan might sound far-fetched, but after careful consideration, it seemed there was quite a lot of space for manoeuvring.
At that instant, Wei Jun Yang looked at Yang Kai with a complicated expression and remembered how Ou Yang Lie had joked that Yang Kai should be called Big Head Yang.
The next generation was very admirable indeed! If one only had brawn but no brains, they would be nothing more than a ruffian. However, like Yang Kai, people with brains and brawn were the bane of the Black Ink Clan.
“It’s also fine if they don’t let us pass. We can just start another battle,” Yang Kai beamed, “If they still aren’t afraid of me, I’ll just kill another three Territory Lords. There are only so many Territory Lords here, so they will have to let us pass sooner or later.”
Ou Yang Lie felt his blood boiling when he heard that, “I agree! If we really start a battle, I’ll be the vanguard!”
Wei Jun Yang glared at him before looking at Yang Kai, “Even if the Black Ink Clan are willing to let you pass, isn’t your departure the same as telling the Black Ink Clan that their biggest concern has left and that they can start another war without fear while you’re gone?”
Although the Human Race wasn’t afraid to start another battle, they had suffered a significant loss during the last one and still needed time to recuperate.
Yang Kai answered, “They won’t have the guts to do that. Since I can leave Profound Nether Territory, I can return as well. How can they rest assured that I’ve really left? If they see me leave right in front of them, they will only become even more cautious because if they start another battle, they will have to worry about me attacking them from behind!”
After a short pause, he continued, “Moreover, it doesn’t matter if another battle happens. I’ve already distributed many Small Stone Race soldiers to the others. I must say, the idea of treating the Small Stone Race as Artifacts to be refined rather than beasts to tame is quite ingenious. With their addition, the Profound Nether Army’s capabilities are much stronger than they were before.”
The Small Stone Race was a sharp tool when used to deal with the Black Ink Clan, the only problem was that they had very low sentience and were hard to control.
Many times, the Small Stone Race ran off after killing all the enemies. Those with quick reflexes could capture some of them, but those who weren’t quick enough could only watch as they ran away.
When Yang Kai first began giving out the Small Stone Race soldiers, he told others to try using Beast Taming Techniques to control them. Although the method worked, the results weren’t very good.
It wasn’t until one day when an Open Heaven Realm Master tried treating them like artifacts that a new method was discovered.
Using this method to refine Small Stone Race soldiers was far more efficient than using a Beast Taming Technique because this was far easier for most cultivators. By spreading this method, many more Small Stone Race soldiers could be better controlled to kill the enemy and then be brought back after the battle.
After all, not every cultivator knew Beast Taming Techniques, but everyone knew how to refine an artifact.
This methodology was now widespread throughout the Human Race Army. Now, all Humans would use similar techniques to control the Small Stone Race soldiers!
The Open Heaven Realm Master who discovered this method was praised and rewarded heavily by the Supreme Headquarters, which made him the envy of many.
Yang Kai currently only had a single army of Great Sun Small Stone Race and another of Great Moon Small Stone Race on hand, each with 1 million troops. All the others had been distributed to others.
The ones he kept with him were his trump card for dealing with a Royal Lord. There was only one Royal Lord left, and there was no telling when he would encounter him again, so Yang Kai wanted to keep a hidden hand just in case.
Although it hadn’t been long since their last battle, the soldiers of the Profound Nether Army now had several million Small Stone Race soldiers on hand, so the overall combat power of the Army had only increased, not decreased.
If they did start another large-scale battle, the Humans of Profound Nether Territory wouldn’t have to be wary of the Black Ink Clan.
Inside the Main Conference Hall, all the Eighth-Order Masters looked at each other and kept silent.
Yang Kai had made a clear and concise argument to persuade them, so they had nothing more to say.
Seeing that the others were silent, Yang Kai announced, “This matter is settled then. Pass down my order, the centre outpost’s frontline soldiers are to form up and advance towards the Black Ink Clan’s main camp!”
All the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood up and bellowed, “Yes, Sir!”
Soon, the Eighth-Order Masters dispersed and returned to the frontline Universe Fragments where Yang Kai’s orders were relayed, and all 200,000 recuperating soldiers moved out.
When news of their operation got out, a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters overseeing the auxiliary fronts were shocked. [Is there something going on at the frontline? Didn’t the battle there end recently?]
They went and asked around, and in the end, they were told this was an order from the newly appointed Army Commander Yang Kai.
It was only then that those Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the auxiliary fronts found out that the Profound Nether Army had a new Army Commander.
That was because the news of Yang Kai being appointed as Army Commander hadn’t been announced yet.
Now, this matter has caused a stir among the Army.
They said a new broom sweeps clean, and the new broom called Yang Kai was so good at cleaning that he was thinking of cleaning out the Black Ink Clan.
At that instant, some people were worried while some were excited.
The Masters from the auxiliary fronts could only cooperate with those at the frontlines, so they relayed their orders. All the auxiliary front soldiers also began preparing for battle, increasing the Army’s momentum.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan were shocked.
They had lost three Territory Lords last time, and they only had a limited number of Territory Lords at the frontline, so not only was their Army’s combat power weakened, but the Territory Lords were now hiding inside their base camp.
The scene of that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master killing three Territory Lords was still fresh in their memories, and every Territory Lord was wary of him. Therefore, they didn’t dare take any impulsive actions before they could figure out how to deal with that Eighth-Order Human.
During that last battle, the Black Ink Clan suffered significant losses, but the Humans didn’t fare much better. Everyone thought both sides would pause and rest for at least a few years, but now the Humans were making such a big move within less than half a month!
[Did the Humans get more reinforcements?]
All the Territory Lords appeared and observed the situation, but when they discovered that the Human Race Army was really preparing for war, they all felt worried.
Though they couldn’t figure out what was happening, since the Humans were gathering their troops, it was obvious that they were planning to attack.
At the same time, inside the Main Conference Hall, Yang Kai sat alone while lost in thought, feeling like he was forgetting something.
After careful thinking, he discovered that he was now an Army Commander but didn’t have an adjutant.
Before, no matter whether it was Xiang Shan or any of the other Army Commanders, they all had adjutants, which made it easier for them to relay their orders. After all, it was impossible for people in high positions to do everything themselves.
Profound Nether Army wouldn’t assign him with an adjutant as such people were usually the Army Commander’s most trusted associate.
Yang Kai didn’t have any potential candidates in mind, but he wasn’t in a hurry either. This matter would have to wait until he was back from Acacia Territory.
Hua Qing Si was a good option. While she was the Head Manager for High Haven Palace, not only had she managed High Heaven Palace well but also the Star Boundary by extension.
She was an exceptionally meticulous woman and was perfect for the role of an adjutant.
It was a pity that the Head Manager still needed to oversee High Heaven Palace and had no time to spare.
With the mass mobilisation of the Human Race Army in the Profound Nether Territory, the originally peaceful battlefield became chaotic again.
Not only were the Black Ink Clan caught off guard by this movement, but the Human soldiers were also surprised.
Both sides thought that after the previous battle, there would be a long break before the next round of fighting, but it had only been a dozen days or so, and the Humans were already planning something big.
More than 200,000 Human soldiers moved out and headed for the Black Ink Clan’s base camp.
Meanwhile, all the Humans from each auxiliary front were also deploying to put pressure on the enemy.
One day later, Warships carrying the Human Race Army formed up just 10 million kilometres from the Black Ink Clan’s main base. There was high and low drumming coming from each Warship, fueling the army’s momentum.
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“War! War! War!”
The Human soldiers roared together, almost shaking the entire Profound Nether Territory.
Although the soldiers were surprised about this sudden mobilisation, now that they were here, they were determined to fight the Black Ink Clan to the death.
On the Black Ink Clan’s side, their Army was also standing by with the Territory Lords standing in the forefront, looking quite gloomy as they felt humiliated.
During the several dozen years of war in Profound Nether Territory, this was the first time the Humans had arrived at their doorstep…
They were usually the ones who initiated the battles, with the Humans always defending or at most, counterattacking, never venturing deep into their territory.
This was where the Black Ink Clan’s main base was located, so they couldn’t stand such provocation from the Humans. If they hadn’t been wary of the Eighth-Order Master who had suddenly appeared that day, the Territory Lords would have ordered their Army to attack already.
When had the Black Ink Clan ever been wary of Humans?
However, even the strongest Territory Lords couldn’t help but tremble when thinking about that strange Eighth-Order Human Master.
That man used less than a half cup of tea’s time to kill three Innate Territory Lords. They had never witnessed such a thing before, but what shocked the Territory Lords even more, was that this wasn’t the first time this Eighth-Order Human had killed Territory Lords like this.
According to the intelligence they received from the No-Return Pass, that Human had caused a huge commotion at the No-Return Pass. He had attacked twice and killed three Territory Lords right under the Royal Lord’s nose. Moreover, he had destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests!
Even the powerful Innate Territory Lords were like children before this Human.
When that news arrived, the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory couldn’t believe their ears.
Killing Territory Lords and destroying High-Rank Black Ink Nests was one thing, but to be able to do so in the presence of a Royal Lord was an entirely different matter. What’s more, even the Royal Lord himself couldn’t stop that Human.
The intel they received stated that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could control a massive Small Stone Race Army and used it to summon an extraordinarily massive explosion of Purifying Light. When that Human charged through the No-Return Pass, he unleashed that burst of Purifying Light to engulf the Royal Lord and a dozen Territory Lords, causing the latter to all fall to the Feudal Lord Realm. Those Territory Lords were still recuperating inside High-Rank Black Ink Nests now, but it was unknown if they could ever restore their full strength again.
This Human was a terrifying opponent.
No Territory Lord would dare to make a move without first determining where this Human was.
That was why the Territory Lords didn’t dare to act rashly despite the Human Race Army pressing in and openly provoking them. They were afraid that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master might be hiding among the soldiers, seeking a chance to sneak attack them.
There were more Territory Lords than Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but that didn’t mean the Territory Lords would just let themselves be butchered by that Human.
While the Territory Lords were searching for Yang Kai, Yang Kai had just sent out a message from inside the Main Conference Hall.
Meanwhile, among the Human Race Army was a Warship transformed from Bi Xi’s Soul Clone. Yu Ru Meng took out a communication bead, checked the message inside, and gnashed her teeth, “That smelly man is abandoning us again.”
All the Madams were shocked with Su Yan quickly asking, “Where’s he going?”
Yu Ru Meng shook her head, “I’m not sure. He only said he would be heading out and would be back soon. Also, he asked that we not worry and wait for his return!”
Although his Wives were angry about Yang Kai’s departure, they were stuck in an urgent situation where a major battle might break out at any moment; therefore, they could only force this issue from their minds and focus on the matter at hand.
Inside the Main Conference Hall, Yang Kai had finished sending his message and tried to link his mind with the Old Tree. Instantly, the Void shook and Yang Kai appeared beside the World Tree located in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Looking up at the giant canopy, Yang Kai was shocked because even though it had only been a few years, there was a significant change to the Old Tree.
When he came here last, many of the World Fruits on the Old Tree were withering, but at least they were still hanging on the branches.
This time, there were far fewer World Fruits than before, and even the Old Tree looked sicklier.
Yang Kai realised that the World Fruits on the Old Tree symbolised the known Universe Worlds, and if a Universe World’s Grand Dao collapsed, it would be reflected in its World Fruit, which would decay and eventually disappear.
Over the last few years, countless Universe Worlds had their Grand Daos destroyed and World Force stolen, so the situation reflected on the Old Tree was the loss of many World Fruits.
Just as Yang Kai was looking around, one of the decayed World Fruits fell and disintegrated.
“Old Tree!” Yang Kai called out softly.
The face of the Old Tree appeared on its trunk, revealing a dark-looking face. It seemed like the Old Tree had been affected by Black Ink Strength. In a strained voice, he asked, “Is there something you need?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Old Tree, please look into Acacia Territory and see if there are any intact Universe Worlds there.”
If there were, he could rely on the World Tree’s power and simply teleport to that existing Universe World, saving him much time and effort.
Of course, seeing the current state of the World Tree, Yang Kai knew that chances were slim.
The Black Ink Clan had taken over the Acacia Territory for many years and would definitely not let off any of the Universe Worlds because, to them, they were the most delicious delicacies.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had already refined and collected every Universe World that could be saved. Nonetheless, he came here intending to just give it a try.
Unfortunately, as he had expected, the Old Tree said, “At this moment, besides the Great Territory Battlefields that are being occupied by Humans and the Great Territories behind them, there are no more living Universe Worlds in the other Great Territories.”
Since Yang Kai had expected that answer, he nodded, “I’m sorry to trouble you, Old Tree.”
Calming himself, Yang Kai linked his mind with a Universe World in Profound Nether Territory and took a step forward, immediately finding himself standing above that Universe World.
There were still a few Universe Worlds in Profound Nether Territory that had survived; however, if this was the situation in Profound Nether Territory, it meant the other Great Territories would be in the same situation. After all, there were still Humans stationed there. Therefore, the Black Ink Clan would have to defeat the Human Race Army before consuming the entire Great Territory.
Sighing, Yang Kai moved back to the Main Conference Hall where he found a distinct-looking Warship.
Dawning Light!
At this moment, a group of people standing on Dawning Light’s deck had their heads turned to face the Main Conference Hall. They were the members of Dawn Squad.
Dawn was part of the Great Evolution Army, so when it was dissolved, Dawn naturally joined the Profound Nether Army.
However, Dawn had been assigned to one of the auxiliary fronts rather than the main battlefield. Yang Kai had been so busy these days that he didn’t have time to visit his old friends.
Now, Dawn Squad came!
They had received transfer orders and came here to receive their next assignment, but their higher-ups didn’t tell them who they would be getting orders from.
While they were looking around, a figure suddenly appeared on the deck. Everyone turned to look at the figure and the few in front were overjoyed and called out, “Squad Leader!”
Yang Kai looked at them and saw Feng Ying in the lead. Then, he saw Shen Ao and Bai Yi, as well as Blood Crow and Miao Fei Ping, followed by over a dozen unfamiliar faces…
Not recognizing many of the faces here, Yang Kai fell into a slight trance.
Aboard this very Warship, he had previously fought side by side with Ning Qi Zhi, Qi Tai Chu, and many others. Later, Ren Bing Bai and Yu Zi You joined Dawn, followed by Blood Crow, Zhang Yang…
But now, many of those people were gone. Many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had fallen, and even more in the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order had died.
There were only a dozen or so familiar faces among the entire Dawn Squad.
The Human Race had fought three huge wars, so even a Special Operations Squad composed of the strongest elites below the Eighth Order like Dawn had been reduced to this state. From this alone, it was easy to imagine just how heavy the Human Race’s losses had been over the past 600 or so years.
Dawn could even be considered quite lucky because it still existed, though many newcomers had replaced the old members.
Back in the day, there were four Special Operations Squads in the Great Evolution Army. Yang Kai’s Dawn Squad, Chai Fang’s Old Turtles Squad, Yao Kang Cheng’s Snow Wolves Squad, and Ma Gao’s Profound Wind Squad.
But now, only Dawn remained.
Yao Kang Cheng’s Snow Wolves Squad was wiped out by a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple back when the Great Evolution Army attacked the Royal City.
Ma Gao’s Profound Wind Squad was destroyed during the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Chai Fang’s Old Turtle Squad was left with only a few surviving members after the battle in the Barren Territory. Their Warship was also destroyed, so they had no choice but to disband.
Yang Kai sighed. For countless years, generations of Humans fell and were replaced by the following generation. No one knew how many elites had died in this never-ending war, and though it seemed like the Human Race’s situation had only gotten worse, Yang Kai was confident that the 3,000 Worlds would rise from the ashes and would one day wipe out the Black Ink Clan!
All their efforts today were to ensure they could survive and thrive in the future!
“Senior Sister Feng,” Yang Kai nodded lightly at Feng Ying.
Feng Ying had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm before him, so according to standard procedure, she should no longer be a member of Dawn. However, Wei Jun Yang and the others still called her over, obviously intending for her to assist Yang Kai.
After all, there were many things an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could do that even an elite Squad could not.
“I heard Junior Brother has broken through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and came to Profound Nether Territory. I wanted to congratulate you sooner, but the Black Ink Clan on the western front have been quite active lately, so I couldn’t leave. I hope Junior Brother won’t blame me for not coming sooner.”
Yang Kai smiled, “Senior Sister is too kind.”
Then, he nodded at Shen Ao, Bai Yi, and the other familiar faces before looking at Blood Crow and frowning slightly.
It seemed like the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was indeed incomparable to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Yang Kai hadn’t noticed this before, but now that he took a look at Blood Crow, he saw that though the latter had improved a lot, his aura was unstable, which meant that Blood Crow had faced quite a huge drawback while refining Black Ink Clansmen for his cultivation.
“Stop refining Black Ink Clansmen or you might die,” Yang Kai exhorted.
Blood Crow snorted, “You haven’t died, so how could this King die?”
While he sounded stand-offish, Blood Crow was secretly thinking to himself, [This Brat’s luck is truly astonishing. Back at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the others said he was doomed because a Royal Lord was chasing him. Just how did he escape such a strong opponent when he was only in the Seventh Order back then?]
Some 600 years had passed since then, but not only had Yang Kai returned safely, but he did so as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
As for the Royal Lord who was hunting him back then, no one knew what happened to him.
Blood Crow silently snorted, [They say good people don’t live long, while a scourge lasts 1,000 years. Could that be the truth?]
[If that is true, I’m quite the scourge as well, so I shouldn’t die easily.]
Blood Crow thought about nonsense, while Yang Kai stopped caring about him. Cultivators had to walk their own Martial Dao, and the best Yang Kai could do was remind Blood Crow to be careful. Whether Blood Crow would take his words into account wasn’t something Yang Kai could control.
He wasn’t Blood Crow’s elder or ancestor, so he had no right to interfere.
“Xiao Cai has advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm?” Yang Kai looked at a cute young woman in surprise and couldn’t help nodding, “Not bad. Not bad at all.”
During these years, numerous disciples had left the Void Dao Temple in his Small Universe. Back on the Black Ink Battlefield, several disciples broke through to the Open Heaven Realm. Then, after Yang Kai returned to Void Land, he released some 5,000 more who all broke through to the Sixth Order and Seventh Order, shocking Mo Mei and the others at the time.
Among all those disciples from the Void Dao Temple, the one Yang Kai was most familiar with was definitely Miao Fei Ping.
Miao Fei Ping was the first to ascend from the Void Dao Temple and break through to the Open Heaven Realm, making him the Eldest Senior Brother of all the cultivators from the Void Dao Temple. In fact, there was still a statue of him in the Dao Temple to motivate the younger generation.
Besides him, Yang Kai was most familiar with this young woman called Xiao Cai.
Back at Great Evolution Pass, Xiao Cai regularly visited Dawn’s stationed area and helped out; however, anyone could see that helping out was just an excuse, and her real intention was to visit Miao Fei Ping.
It seemed like there was some kind of story between Xiao Cai and Miao Fei Ping…
In terms of respect, there was only one figure in this young lady’s heart, and not even Yang Kai, the Dao Lord, could compare.
At this moment, Xiao Cai and Miao Fei Ping were standing side by side and looking at each other affectionately, indicating that they had obviously gotten together.
When they saw Yang Kai, Miao Feng Ping and Xiao Cai were also very excited. Ordinary people would find it hard to understand why the cultivators from Void Dao Temple respected Yang Kai so much, but for those who came from the Void Continent, it was different.
“Dao Lord…” Xiao Cai elegantly bowed.
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Xiao Cai’s aptitude wasn’t bad and could even be said to be extremely high. In fact, all those who could leave the Void Dao Temple and break through to the Open Heaven Realm had outstanding aptitudes. Back then, Xiao Cai was able to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm directly, and now she had advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm after a mere 700 years or so.
She must have encountered some kind of opportunity, or else it would be impossible for her to grow so quickly.
However, Yang Kai didn’t ask about it because the opportunities one obtained were considered private matters.
The disappointment in his heart disappeared as he thought that at least Dawn still had over a dozen surviving veteran members.
Yang Kai’s expression then became serious as he announced, “This time, you will be following me on a mission.”
Feng Ying asked, “Squad Leader, what’s our mission?”
Yang Kai replied, “We will be heading to Acacia Territory. There are a few cultivators trapped there, and our mission is to rescue them.”
Frowning, Feng Ying asked again, “There are still cultivators trapped in Acacia Territory?” She didn’t know about this because the Supreme Headquarters had only recently received the news. Though Feng Ying was also a Division Commander now, she was still new and couldn’t get her hands on such news.
Yang Kai nodded, “This mission will be quite dangerous, so if any of you don’t want to take part, I won’t force you to go. If that is your decision, you may leave now.”
Turning around and looking at everyone, Yang Kai saw that the veteran members of Dawn all looked unperturbed and didn’t show any signs of retreating; however, a newly joined Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master spoke up, “Sir, how many troops will be deployed for this mission to Acacia Territory?”
While looking at him, Yang Kai replied, “Dawn Squad plus me!”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was dumbfounded. How could Yang Kai think to save the Humans trapped in Acacia Territory with just one Squad? Although Dawn was a Special Operations Squad with 50 members, that was still far too few people!
Since the Black Ink Clan could surround the cultivators in Acacia Territory, it meant there would be quite a lot of them, and there might also be Territory Lords guarding that place.
Looking around, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saw Shen Ao and the others showed no signs of surprise or disapproval; instead, they all looked eager to head out.
After a short pause, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master spoke up again, “Sir, there have been rumours about you killing three Territory Lords on your own during the last battle, are they true?”
“They are!”
Despite knowing that it was unlikely that such news was fake, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was still shocked when he heard Yang Kai personally admitting it.
When had there been an Eighth-Order Master strong enough to kill three Territory Lords in a row? The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had previously seen battles between Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Innate Territory Lords, but the powerful Eighth-Order Masters never got the upper hand, which showed how strong Innate Territory Lords were.
Yet now, three such powerful Innate Territory Lords died in one battle, and they were all killed by the same man.
Shen Ao laughed while patting that Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s shoulder, “Old Hou, back when our Squad Leader was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had teamed up with Junior Sister Bai Yi and killed a Territory Lord. Now that he’s an Eighth-Order Master, so there’s nothing unusual about him killing a few Territory Lords.”
Meanwhile, Bai Yi didn’t say anything as she silently noted, [That Territory Lord was already half-crippled, which is why Yang Kai and I were able to kill him. If it had been a Territory Lord in his prime, Yang Kai and I might not have returned alive that day.]
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Hou chuckled wryly as this wasn’t the first time he heard Shen Ao mention this matter. A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master killing a Territory Lord was indeed an impressive feat, but the Territory Lords from the Black Ink Battlefield were entirely different from the Innate Territory Lords of today.
The current Innate Territory Lords possessed extremely high strength because they had sacrificed all their future potential for immediate power.
Despite there being many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Human Race Army, less than 10 of them could kill an Innate Territory Lord in a one-on-one fight.
Old Hou had previously heard a lot about Yang Kai, and after he joined Dawn, Shen Ao and the others had regaled him with many heroic stories of the past.
Those veteran Dawn members respected Yang Kai to the extreme.
Now that he also had the chance to fight alongside the original Squad Leader of Dawn, the Seventh-Order Master suddenly began looking forward to this mission.
He thus cupped his fist and quickly said, “I am willing to follow you and obey your commands, Sir.”
“We are willing to follow you and obey your commands, Sir!” The crowd vowed in unison.
Yang Kai looked around and nodded in satisfaction, “Good, let’s go!”
The crowd dispersed and took their stations. Soon, Dawning Light turned into a ray of light and shot towards the depths of the void.
At the Black Ink Clan’s base camp, large numbers of Black Ink Clan soldiers were frantically moving about, forming a line of defence. The Human Race Army suddenly moving against them had caught them off guard.
What further confused the Territory Lords though was that the Humans didn’t take advantage of this opening to start a battle and instead just stayed outside while acting like they would strike at any moment.
Such a situation, where the enemy didn’t attack or retreat, made the Territory Lords feel very uncomfortable.
If they weren’t wary of that particular Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they wouldn’t need to suffer such humiliation.
However, that Eighth-Order Human still hadn’t shown up, and no one knew where he was. The Territory Lords were constantly sweeping the surroundings with their Divine Senses, trying to seek out his whereabouts.
While the Territory Lords were in doubt though, it seemed like someone with high authority had arrived. The Human Army separated to the left and right, and a Warship larger than an ordinary Squad-Class Warship suddenly appeared before the Territory Lords’ eyes.
That Warship was charging straight at the Black Ink Clan’s base camp without any intention of turning around or stopping. What was even more shocking to the Territory Lords was that they saw a familiar figure standing on the deck of the incoming Warship.
It was that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the one who killed three Territory Lords in the last battle!
They thought he had been hiding in the dark, but they never expected that he wasn’t even here in the first place. At this moment, he was standing aboard a Warship, looking down on them with insufferable arrogance!
The Territory Lords were furious as they suddenly had a feeling of being humiliated and felt vexed.
Somewhere among the huge Human fleet, atop a Warship transformed from Bi Xi’s Soul Clone, Yue He’s sharp eyes spotted something and she pointed in that direction while yelling in shock, “Madams, Young Master is over there!”
All the women aboard the ship looked over and saw the scene of Yang Kai coming over aboard Dawning Light.
Yu Ru Meng frowned, “What’s he doing?”
The two armies were in a situation where they might start a war at any moment, so how could his Warship charge straight for the Black Ink Clan’s base camp all on its own?
Thinking back to the message Yang Kai had sent her just before, Yu Ru Meng felt confused.
As Dawning Light continued forward, Yu Ru Meng and the others felt their hearts tighten.
Dawning Light had completely separated from the Human Race Army at this point and continued sailing ahead alone. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before they met the Black Ink Clan Army.
If the Black Ink Clan Army attacked them at that point, would their Husband still be alive?
“That bastard!” Yu Ru Meng was furious, [That smelly man never considers us when doing things!]
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“War! War! War!”
The Human Race Army hadn’t stopped chanting even now, their voices shaking the surroundings. Added to the full might of the Human Race Army assembled here, the Black Ink Clan couldn’t help shivering slightly.
At that moment, if any of the Eighth-Order Masters ordered an attack, the Human Race Army would bravely charge forward.
The war was about to begin!
Dawning Light continued to move forward, confusing not only Yu Ru Meng and Yang Kai’s other Wives, but also the rest of the Humans and the Black Ink Clan.
The two clans had been battling each other for so long, but this was the first time a situation like this had appeared, so the Territory Lords also couldn’t figure out what was going on. However, they had to admit that Yang Kai’s appearance had attracted every Black Ink Clansman’s attention. The invisible pressure formed from all the gazes focused on Yang Kai was so strong that it almost warped the void.
Atop Dawning Light, one of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters felt his legs trembling as he looked at the Sixth-Order Master beside him with a bitter expression, “Senior Brother, I’m almost at my limit.”
With so many Territory Lords releasing their invisible pressure towards them, the force wasn’t something a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him could resist, even if it were still a large distance away.
That Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master also looked pale, but he still encouraged the Junior Brother, “Junior Brother, you have to believe in yourself. You can do it. Just hold on as long as you can. The two armies are now facing each other, so if we fall here, we will be embarrassing the entire Human Race while giving the Black Ink Clan something to laugh about.”
When the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master heard that, he instantly gritted his teeth and said, “I understand, Senior Brother. We may shed blood and die in battle, but we will never surrender!”
Following his low shout, he slowly straightened his legs, but he was still trembling while sweating profusely.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master noticed that and gritted his teeth as well, trying to hold on as long as he could while feeling confused. Yang Kai said they were heading to Acacia Territory to save the Humans trapped there, so why did he bring Dawn to the frontlines of an impending battle?
After moving forward for a while longer, Yang Kai suddenly raised his hand and exuded his might just as those Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could no longer resist the Territory Lords’ might.
At that instant, the terrifying pressure was like snow meeting the sun, gently melting away.
This foray to the Black Ink Clan’s base camp was not only about passing through the Black Ink Clan’s territory, but also a type of message. Therefore, Yang Kai didn’t activate the protective measures on Dawning Light, leaving it in a completely exposed state.
Seeing Yang Kai easily ward off the Territory Lords’ pressure, the Humans became even more motivated and chanted even louder.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lords all looked gloomy. [That Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master is indeed too powerful, no wonder he was able to escape from the Royal Lord’s grasp.]
Dawning Light continued to move forward and stopped just 3 million kilometres away from the Black Ink Clan Army.
To powerful Innate Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, such a distance could already be considered meeting each other face-to-face because they were within striking distance of ordinary Secret Techniques. Any sudden movement from either side could set off a great battle between the two clans.
During all of the previous clashes, there hadn’t been anyone brave enough to take such actions when both armies were facing each other because it was equivalent to courting death. If the Humans had provoked the Black Ink Clan to this extent, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have endured it and would have simply attacked.
But now, even when Dawning Light was sitting alone right in front of the Black Ink Clan Army, the Black Ink Clan still didn’t move.
Meanwhile, all the members aboard Dawning Light were nervous and excited.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn’t have dared to believe that one man could deter the entire Black Ink Clan alone.
The cultivator surnamed Hou was even more shocked. He was a new member who had joined Dawn only a few decades ago and had heard many anecdotes about Yang Kai from Shen Ao. He used to think that the latter was exaggerating, but after following Yang Kai here, he discovered that all those stories were real!
Not only was the man surnamed Hou excited, but Shen Ao and the other veteran members of Dawn were also elated. Every one of them was smiling and had rosy cheeks.
During the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai disappeared while many members of Dawn were either injured or killed. Later, Dawn almost fractured under the weight of their losses in the following wars. Although new members were joining in, it was difficult for Dawn to return to its former glory.
That was because Dawn lacked a leader.
Now, their leader had returned. This was their first mission, and the first thing Yang Kai did was lead Dawn to stand before the entire Black Ink Clan Army. Under the gazes of both clans, Shen Ao and the others didn’t feel scared but excited, feeling like they had returned to the days when they followed their Squad Leader, Yang Kai, to kill the enemy!
The chants continued to shake the void while both the Black Ink Clan and Human Race Army faced off with Dawning Light anchored between them.
This scene was meant to be written down in history books, destined to be remembered by all who witnessed it today.
Yang Kai raised his hand slightly and signalled the Humans to quiet down.
It was only then that the continuous chants finally ceased.
Then, Yang Kai strode forward on the deck and looked at the Territory Lords who were before him with a smile on his face, “Is there a Commander among you all?”
The Territory Lords either looked gloomy or ghastly pale, but none of them spoke.
While raising an eyebrow, Yang Kai asked, “What’s wrong? Every one of you is a powerful Innate Territory Lord, so you can’t be afraid of me, right? If that is true, you should just return to your Source Domain as there’s no need to embarrass yourselves here.”
The Territory Lords naturally couldn’t stand such provocative words and immediately began cursing Yang Kai from all directions.
However, Yang Kai turned a deaf ear and looked around, sneering, “I will remember all of you who cursed at me. You will be the ones I deal with first!”
Immediately, the roars of indignation and curses stopped. If another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had made such a threat, the Territory Lords wouldn’t have taken it to heart because they weren’t wary of Eighth-Order Humans in general.
But Yang Kai’s record of killing three Territory Lords was still fresh in their minds, so they didn’t dare to ignore his threats.
The war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan was ongoing, so if any one of those Territory Lords found themselves alone while being targeted by Yang Kai, they would almost certainly die.
It was also impossible for them to always move together; therefore, the Black Ink Clan’s already weak momentum was dampened even further with just a few words from Yang Kai.
Only then did one Territory Lord with several long arms step forward from the crowd. There was a straight-almond-shaped mark on his forehead, making him look quite strange.
He was originally unwilling to speak with Yang Kai because he knew and had experienced how cunning Humans could be. His way of thinking was simple, when dealing with Humans, it was best to just kill them!
No matter what the Humans said or did, the solution to any matter was to fight.
But if he didn’t come forward now, the situation would only worsen.
Yang Kai looked over and observed the Territory Lord, especially the almond-shaped mark on his forehead, he thought, [That mark isn’t just some kind of decoration, it carries some sort of powerful means.]
“Six Arms!” Back where the Human Race Army stood, Ou Yang Lie snorted coldly.
He had been battling the Black Ink Clan in Profound Nether Territory for a couple dozen years now, so he knew quite a lot about the Black Ink Clan’s Masters here. Though Innate Territory Lords were stronger than ordinary Territory Lords, there were still differences between them, possibly related to how much of Mo’s Source Qi they possessed.
Innate Territory Lords were spawned directly from Black Ink Nests using Mo’s Source Qi; therefore, the more Source Qi used, the stronger that Territory Lord was.
Six Arms was the strongest Territory Lord in Profound Nether Territory and had severely injured Ou Yang Lie during their last battle.
Although Ou Yang Lie kept bragging to Wei Jun Yang that he had also caused significant injuries to his opponent, the truth was that Ou Yang Lie’s wounds were much more severe because while Six Arms was only slightly injured, Ou Yang Lie almost lost half his life.
Xiang Shan had previously snuck into Profound Nether Territory and launched a sneak attack on Six Arms while the Human Race and Black Ink Clan Armies were locked in combat, but was unsuccessful.
Even Xiang Shan couldn’t deal with Six Arms with the element of surprise on his side, which showed how hard it was to deal with this fellow.
Hence, Six Arms was indeed the Territory Lord who could command the Black Ink Clan in Profound Nether Territory.
Ou Yang Lie quickly informed Yang Kai about Six Arms.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly. To be able to survive Xiang Shan’s sneak attack meant that this Territory Lord called Six Arms was indeed impressive. If Yang Kai were to compete with Six Arms in terms of pure strength, he might not come out as the winner as it hadn’t been long since Yang Kai advanced to the Eighth Order, meaning his heritage was still somewhat weak.
However, Yang Kai’s biggest advantage when killing Territory Lords now was his Soul Rending Thorns, so if it was he who made the sneak attack, he might have succeeded in killing Six Arms.
While Yang Kai was observing Six Arms, Six Arms was also observing him. Six Arms had received footage of Yang Kai’s attacks on the No-Return Pass and was sure that the Human before him was the one who caused all that chaos. Not only did this Human kill three Territory Lords, but he also destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
Six Arms felt his heart sink as he didn’t dare to belittle Yang Kai, eventually opening his mouth to shout, “Human, who gave you the guts to provoke us?”
Looking around, Yang Kai smiled, “This King came here with only one Warship to discuss some matters with you. Does this count as a provocation?”
Yang Kai touched his chin and nodded gently, “If you think it is, then so be it. What can all of you do about it? If you want to attack, go ahead. See if this King doesn’t beat you senseless.”
While saying that, Yang Kai had his nose pointed upwards, looking incredibly arrogant.
The Territory Lords were furious, and Six Arms also looked grim after hearing these words. During the years they had battled the Humans, they had never been in a disadvantageous position; however, they didn’t expect that the momentum they accumulated for so many years would be smashed by a single Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master aboard a lone Warship.
This Human only had one Warship with him, but the Black Ink Clan was acting like they were facing a powerful enemy. Their behaviour was indeed quite embarrassing.
Seeing the Humans’ side’s spirits rising even further, Six Arms didn’t dare to continue this topic and snorted coldly, “The Black Ink Clan has previously experienced the Human Race’s sharp tongue, so let’s get straight to the point. If you Humans want to start a war, the Black Ink Clan will gladly accompany you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Good, let’s get straight to the point. I came here today with only the intention of discussing something with you all, not to start a fight. Your side suffered quite a huge loss after the last battle, so you should take some time to recuperate. We Humans have always been generous and would never bully the weak just because we’re strong.”
Meanwhile, Six Arms looked at Yang Kai with a blank expression, thinking that Yang Kai was talking nonsense.
[They don’t want to start a battle? The Human Race Army is already at our doorstep. How can that not be counted as wanting to start a war?]
If the Humans didn’t want to start a battle, the Human Race Army wouldn’t be standing here.
Moreover, the situation in Profound Nether Territory today was that the Humans were weaker than the Black Ink Clan; therefore, Six Arms didn’t know where this Eighth-Order Master found the courage to say that the Humans wouldn’t bully the weak.
Shameless as well as arrogant!
That was the first impression Six Arms had about Yang Kai.
“What do you want to discuss?” Six Arms asked, “If you want the Black Ink Clan to retreat, that is not up for discussion.”
Shaking his head, Yang Kai replied, “I naturally wouldn’t ask you to retreat. The Black Ink Clan in Profound Nether Territory have killed so many of my fellow comrades, so who would I seek revenge on if you guys ran away? No, no, you must stay and not leave so that someday, the Profound Nether Army can kill all of you!”
Six Arms frowned, “If you came here just to taunt us, I don’t see the need to continue this conversation.”
Yang Kai chuckled and cupped his fists, “My apologies. My murderous intent was provoked by your words and I’ve forgotten my original intentions. This King came here today to ask that you grant us easement.”
“Grant easement?” Six Arms looked confused, “What do you mean?”
[Grant what easement? Does the Black Ink Clan have an easement to grant?]
Not only was Six Arms baffled, but the Humans were also confused.
As this was a decision made after private discussion, only a few higher-ups knew the whole story while the ordinary soldiers had no information at all. Moreover, the news of Yang Kai being appointed as the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army hadn’t been released yet either.
Just as they were feeling confused, they heard Yang Kai continue, “I want to leave Profound Nether Territory… through that portal!”
While saying so, Yang Kai pointed at the Territory Gate behind the Black Ink Clan’s base camp.
Once he said that, both the Humans and Black Ink Clan were shocked and finally realised what Yang Kai was referring to when asking to be granted an easement.
They were purely asking for easement because that Territory Gate was under the Black Ink Clan’s control, so if the Black Ink Clan was reluctant to let them pass, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to get past, no matter how strong he was.
However, many were dazedly looking at Yang Kai while secretly exclaiming, [Has he gone mad? How can he discuss such a thing with the Black Ink Clan? Isn’t this the same as humiliating them? If the Black Ink Clan are determined not to yield, it would be impossible for them to agree to this.]
In fact, there were signs of a riot building among the Black Ink Clan Army already. If it hadn’t been for the Territory Lords and Feudal Lords stopping them, the Black Ink Clan soldiers would have already charged at Yang Kai to rip him apart.
The Humans were astonished while the Black Ink Clan was in an uproar. At that instant, the already tense atmosphere became even tenser.
Wei Jun Yang secretly relayed his order for the soldiers behind him to get ready for battle.
Although all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were on board with Yang Kai’s plan and thought that it was feasible, no one could be sure it would work until it actually did.
If the Black Ink Clan were so enraged by Yang Kai’s provocation that they decided not to endure anymore, the battle today would be inevitable.
Judging by their current situation, the Human Race and Black Ink Clan would have a hard time in the battle because, as Yang Kai said, it hadn’t been long since the previous battle, and both sides still needed time to recuperate.
While the Human Race were secretly arranging their next move, the commotion on the Black Ink Clan’s side was growing louder with even the Territory Lords having gloomy expressions while yelling things like “How dare he?” and “courting death.”
[How arrogant is this Human? Not only did he come here with a single Warship, he even dares to boast so shamelessly! He clearly disdains us Territory Lords entirely!]
Though the Territory Lords admitted that this Eighth-Order Human was indeed very powerful, it didn’t mean they would accept any audacious request he made without reasonable grounds.
If they did, how could the Territory Lords continue to command the soldiers below them? What would their subordinates think of them?
The leader of the bunch, Six Arms, had a dark expression as he stared at Yang Kai while gritting his teeth, “Do you Humans like to joke about such things?”
Yang Kai remained calm, “Do I look like I’m joking?”
Six Arms frowned because he thought Yang Kai was really joking and just using this opportunity to show off his prestige and weaken the Black Ink Clan’s morale, but after careful observation, Six Arms discovered that this Human didn’t seem like he was pulling a poor prank and was sincerely asking them to grant him an easement. Enraged, Six Arms roared, “Impudence!”
Yang Kai casually retorted, “I’m only asking for an easement that wouldn’t cost the Black Ink Clan anything, why are you getting so riled up?”
Hearing that, Six Arms was even more furious. If Yang Kai only wanted easement, the Black Ink Clan naturally wouldn’t suffer any losses, but if they agreed to this request, wouldn’t that be admitting that they were afraid of the Humans? That would be a great blow to the already weak morale of the Black Ink Clan Army.
No matter what, they couldn’t agree to such an outrageous request.
In fact, if the sides were reversed, the Humans wouldn’t grant the Black Ink Clan easement either.
“What if I refuse?” Six Arms asked coldly.
Without saying anything, Yang Kai summoned the Army Commander Token. In an instant, the token glowed and illuminated the void. Then, Yang Kai used his strength to carry his voice throughout the void, “If the Black Ink Clan still won’t let us through after one incense stick’s time, the entire Profound Nether Army and Black Ink Clan will… fight to the death!”
The token floated above Dawning Light, and Yang Kai stood arrogantly on the deck while his voice, boosted by his World Force, sounded deafeningly loud.
The Human Race Army was shocked for a moment before they immediately began chanting so loudly that it felt like the entire Profound Nether Territory would shake apart.
“War! War! War!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Once the Army Commander Token appeared, no one among the hundreds of thousands of troops in the Profound Nether Army dared to disobey.
It was only now that the Humans learned that the Profound Nether Army had a new Army Commander. Wei Jun Yang was the de-facto Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army before, and though his performance was average at best during the several decades of war, he was at least able to maintain Profound Nether Territory.
But when comparing the two, obviously this new Army Commander was bolder and more courageous.
He had just been appointed and had already made such a big move. That was something the older and more prudent Wei Jun Yang would find difficult to do.
With such an Army Commander overseeing Profound Nether Territory, the Black Ink Clan would no longer have easy days.
“Young Master is the Army Commander?”
Aboard the Bi Xi Warship, Yue He was dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Yu Ru Meng and the others were all shocked as well. Their Husband was the Army Commander? They had no idea about this and hadn’t received any news of this matter. Moreover, Yang Kai didn’t even tell them about this.
But while looking at the figure enveloped by the token’s halo, who was also the centre of everyone’s attention, all the Madams felt an inexplicable sense of pride.
That was their man!
“Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander!” When the Army Commander Token was summoned, Six Arm’s eyes immediately lit up.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had suddenly appeared in Profound Nether Territory was actually the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander!
If Six Arms could kill this Human before the Human Race Army moved, that would be a crushing blow to the enemy’s morale.
A sudden urge began to fill his heart as his gaze turned vicious while staring at Yang Kai.
Not only Six Arms, but many other Territory Lords had similar thoughts. At that moment, several Divine Senses surged as the Territory Lords began secretly discussing their next move.
Six Arms soon suppressed such thoughts though while sending a warning to the other Territory Lords to not make any rash moves. This Human before them wasn’t easy to deal with, and if they acted on impulse, they might be the ones killed rather than their opponent, which clearly wasn’t worth it.
Since this Human had summoned the Army Commander Token before the eyes of the two armies, he might have something planned.
While suppressing the anger and ambition inside him, Six Arms said through gritted teeth, “If you Humans want to start a war, so be it…”
[Do you think the Black Ink Clan is afraid?] Since they were forced to this point, no matter how reluctant Six Arms and the other Territory Lords were, a clash between the clans was inevitable.
When Six Arms finished his words, he suddenly stopped and frowned because he could sense another Divine Sense surging inside the void.
It seemed like someone was contacting Six Arms.
Yang Kai smiled as he swept his gaze across all the Territory Lords and finally fixed his gaze on a figure that was enveloped by a dark shadow.
It was another Territory Lord, but he seemed like a shadow and was neither real nor illusory, which was quite strange.
As if sensing Yang Kai’s gaze, the pair of eyes amidst the dark shadow glanced back at him.
A short while later, Six Arms had a strange expression on his face when he raised his head to look at Yang Kai. The anger he felt had disappeared entirely, and he asked with a frown, “Are you only looking for easement?”
“What else can I ask for?” Yang Kai asked him back.
Six Arms coldly snorted and said, “Even if we offered you this easement, do you have the courage to take it?”
The Territory Gate was located behind the Black Ink Clan’s base camp, so if the Humans wanted to go through it, they would have to pass through the Black Ink Clan Army. Weren’t the Humans afraid they might walk into a death trap?
“You’ll know the answer after you accept,” Yang Kai looked at Six Arms with a slight smile.
Though Six Arms was strong, he didn’t have the sharpest mind. In contrast to him, the Territory Lord who looked like a shadow was a quick thinker.
It was the shadow Territory Lord who had contacted Six Arms just now and made him forget about his decision to fight the Humans.
Just like how Yang Kai had persuaded all the Eighth-Order Masters at the Main Conference Hall, that shadow Territory Lord might have realised that Yang Kai’s departure from Profound Nether Territory would benefit the Black Ink Clan.
[Perhaps… they might still be thinking about suddenly launching an attack after I’m halfway inside their territory.]
That was something Yang Kai had to be prepared for. Even though he was sure the Black Ink Clan would likely agree to grant an easement, he couldn’t be sure that they would be able to hold back their urge to kill him.
If that happened, there would definitely be a huge battle today!
However, it didn’t matter if things came to that because Yang Kai had considered such a scenario. He could just kill a few more Territory Lords and bring Dawn to escape any ambush set up at the Territory Gate.
He had a 2 million strong Small Stone Race Army on hand, which was his trump card to use against the last Royal Lord. Although it would be a waste to use them here against mere Territory Lords, Yang Kai wouldn’t be stingy when faced with a critical situation.
After all, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were still nurturing the Small Stone Race in the Chaotic Dead Territory, so he could just head there and ‘borrow’ some more after a few hundred years.
Therefore, he had nothing to be afraid of!
The two pairs of eyes met each other, one looking sincere while the other seemed doubtful.
A long while later, Six Arms sneered, “Since you claim to have the guts, prove it!” While saying so, he waved his hand, “Let them through!”
Once that order was given, the Black Ink Clan Army gathered in front, separated to both sides and left a narrow path towards the Territory Gate.
The scene stunned the Human Race Army.
When Yang Kai said he wanted to pass through the Territory Gate, everyone thought he was just taking this opportunity to provoke the Black Ink Clan and suppress their momentum; after all, how could the Black Ink Clan agree to such a humiliating request?
Though puzzled, the Human Race and Black Ink Clan had a blood feud, so since both sides had gathered their troops, they would just start another battle. The stronger and the weaker side would be determined after the fighting was finished, so what was the use of such provocation?
However, who would have thought that the Black Ink Clan would agree to such an absurd request and let Yang Kai pass?
[What’s happening? Did the lead Territory Lord lose his mind? Doesn’t he know that agreeing to the request is a big blow to their army’s momentum?]
No matter what the Black Ink Clan were thinking, the Humans were elated.
The Black Ink Clan had given in!
Yang Kai alone had managed to threaten the Black Ink Clan to compromise to this extent. This was something no one had ever seen or even heard of before.
Although they didn’t attack or kill any Black Ink Clansmen today, the current situation was better than slaughtering a couple of Territory Lords!
Before Yang Kai’s arrival in Profound Nether Territory, the situation here wasn’t looking good. They were constantly at war, and the Humans were in an extremely passive situation. Moreover, they would suffer quite a significant loss after every battle.
Profound Nether Territory was almost lost during the last battle.
Now, they had such a new, powerful Army Commander who could ask for an easement from the Black Ink Clan alone and with only a single Warship. Though the Black Ink Clan had snarled viciously, they still compromised in the end.
The hundreds of thousands of Human soldiers looked at the figure above the deck of Dawning Light and couldn’t help but feel astonished. That figure… seemed so high and mighty.
Profound Nether Army had risen!
Once the excitement had died down, the Humans quickly became worried because even the dumbest among them knew that Yang Kai was about to face a life-or-death crisis.
If the Black Ink Clan suddenly decided to attack, Yang Kai and Dawning Light would be utterly surrounded.
Despite their preparations for war, no one could be sure that the Humans could save Yang Kai from the Black Ink Clan’s besiegement in time.
On top of the Bi Xi Warship, Yu Ru Meng and the others felt their hearts leap into their throats.
Their Husband was still so reckless, but they could do anything about it. They could only support their Husband, but… could they stand to watch him battle the enemy alone? Though they were women, they weren’t weaklings.
Ever since they met Yang Kai, they had mostly lived apart. Although that didn’t affect their relationship, these Wives were thoroughly fed up with waiting at home and not knowing whether their Husband would return alive.
If he was destined to die, they wanted to die with him.
Wasn’t living and dying together the best ending for Husbands and Wives?
Yu Ru Meng looked at Su Yan, who just happened to look over at her, and then looked at all the others, their eyes filled with longing.
Having lived with them for over 1,000 years, Yu Ru Meng didn’t have to speak and only had to look into their eyes to know what they were thinking.
With a smile, she called out, “Senior, please!”
Bi Xi sighed, “Can’t you show an old man some mercy…”
Yu Ru Meng smiled and assured him, “It’s just a Soul Clone. I’ll get Husband to make it up to you if you suffer any damage.”
Bi Xi bargained, “I want to cultivate in the Dragon Pool. Help me convey my request to that boy.”
He had a Dragon Clan Bloodline and it was extremely strong, so if he could cultivate inside the Dragon Pool, it would be beneficial to him. However, it was a pity that only pureblood Dragon Clan Members could enter the Dragon Pool, so despite being a veteran Divine Spirit, the Dragon Clan wouldn’t allow Bi Xi in.
More importantly, Fu Guang was still healing inside the Dragon Pool and couldn’t be disturbed.
However, if Yang Kai spoke up for him, perhaps the Dragon Clan could make an exception. Also, Yang Kai had previously saved Ji Lao San’s life, and the Dragon Clan were beings that knew how to repay favours.
“Done,” Yu Ru Meng agreed straight away.
“Sit tight,” Bi Xi reminded them, and the Warship instantly turned into a ray of light and shot forward.
Division Commander Chen, who was overseeing this section of the Army, was shocked when he noticed this, but was too late to stop them as Bi Xi’s Soul Clone had already shot away. At first, he thought it was a Squad acting rashly and was about to reprimand them, but then he saw the female figures on the Warship. He moved his lips, but didn’t stop them because he could roughly guess their thoughts.
At the same time, Yang Kai sensed something and looked behind him to see a Warship speeding over. Yu Ru Meng stood proudly on the deck of the Warship with a group of alluring women behind her.
Yang Kai couldn’t hold in his laughter and stood upright while waiting for them.
Meanwhile, Six Arms had also noticed the incoming Warship and his eyes flashed as he raised his hand to stop the Black Ink Clan from taking any action.
They weren’t sure about the situation on that other Warship, but it didn’t seem like it was looking for trouble, so Six Arms didn’t want to start a dispute over something so minor.
A short time later, Bi Xi’s Soul Clone arrived beside Dawning Light and quietly stopped.
Standing on the Warship, Yu Ru Meng raised her chin daringly at Yang Kai.
In the past, when Yang Kai was fighting all on his own, they could only hide behind him because they weren’t strong enough to help their Husband and share his burdens.
But now, they were all Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and were no longer burdens!
They didn’t want to stay behind anymore and worry every day because they were afraid they might receive bad news about their Husband. Even if they were to die, they would do so together!
“Follow close behind!” Yang Kai nodded lightly at Yu Ru Meng and the others before turning back to look at Six Arms and shouting, “Move out!”
Dawning Light moved forward with the Bi Xi Battleship closely behind. Yu Ru Meng and the others were in high spirits, while Luan Bai Feng was the only one shivering in fear.
[These women have all gone mad!] Even if they were willing to give up their lives for some smelly man, she wasn’t! She and Yang Kai had no feelings for each other, and her life was previously under Yang Kai’s control. It was only when Yang Kai decided to head to the Black Ink Battlefield and removed all names from the Loyalty List that Luan Bai Feng and Chen Tian Fei were able to get their freedom back.
Aboard the Bi Xi Battleship, Luan Bai Feng was so desperate to cry but was unable to shed any tears. If she left the Warship now, she would die, so she could only helplessly stay silent at the back while keeping her guard up.
As Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship moved forward, the Black Ink Clan on both sides stared at them like a flock of hawks, numerous Divine Senses surging about as they communicated with each other.
Meanwhile, on the Human side, hundreds of thousands of Human soldiers remained ready for battle. The Warships had begun humming, prepared to charge at a moment’s notice.
In an instant, no matter whether it was the Humans or Black Ink Clan, both armies were ready for battle.
The Humans were worried that the Black Ink Clan would attack after surrounding Yang Kai and the others while the Black Ink Clan soldiers were just waiting for orders from the Territory Lords. Once the Territory Lords gave the signal, the Black Ink Clan would charge forward and tear the two Warships to pieces.
However, the Territory Lords didn’t make that call.
Under the exchange of Divine Senses, the Territory Lords found it difficult to come to a unanimous decision.
On the one hand, they thought this was a hard opportunity to come by. This might be their best chance to kill this Eighth-Order Human scourge.
Though the other faction didn’t deny this, they were worried about things on a deeper level.
The Humans weren’t idiots. After so many years of battling them, the Black Ink Clan had deeply experienced how deceitful and cunning Humans could be.
Since that Human wanted to pass through the Black Ink Clan Army so recklessly, how could he not have come prepared? Without mentioning the battle that would break out once the Black Ink Clan initiated an attack, would they really be able to kill that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master if they attacked?
How could this Human have acted so boldly if he wasn’t confident about this matter? Or perhaps… this was what the Humans had planned.
At that moment, the Territory Lords were still arguing in secret. In the end, all the pressure rested on Six Arms’s shoulders because he was their leader in Profound Nether Territory. The other Territory Lords dared not to act rashly without his orders.
On the other hand, Six Arms was sweating profusely.
Several Territory Lords supported the idea of attacking and killing that Eighth-Order Master, so how could he not want to do the same? He had already secretly devised a plan earlier and was just waiting for that Human to head deeper into their ranks before making a move.
No matter what scheme the Humans had, that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was the key, so the Black Ink Clan would have won half the battle if they had managed to kill him! Even if it meant they would have to suffer huge consequences, it would be worth it.
Such a strong Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was someone all Territory Lords were wary of.
However, just when Six Arms was about to give the order, he suddenly felt a huge sense of crisis wash over him, as if he would immediately die if he made a move!
The sense of danger made him break out in a cold sweat, and he hesitated to decide.
He had never felt time pass so slowly before.
It was as if each breath was a million years long.
Suddenly, the sense of crisis disappeared entirely. Six Arms raised his head in shock and saw that Yang Kai was almost at the end of the Black Ink Clan Army’s formation and was moving straight towards the Territory Gate.
Six Arms felt dismayed, as if he had lost all strength in his body, but he also felt frustrated and relieved at the same time.
It wouldn’t be suitable for them to attack now because they had lost their best opportunity.
At the same time, Wei Jun Yang, Ou Yang Lie, and the others also felt relieved.
Yang Kai and the others had passed the most dangerous area. Since the Black Ink Clan didn’t attack, there was a high possibility that they wouldn’t try anything now; however, they still couldn’t let their guard down because anything could happen before Yang Kai entered the Territory Gate.
Sometime later, Yang Kai had already arrived above the Black Ink Clan’s base camp. He looked down and saw numerous densely packed Low-Rank Black Ink Nests and more than a dozen Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests here. Also, he could make out large numbers of Black Ink Clansmen moving in and out of these nests.
If he made a move now, he could destroy a few Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests, but he didn’t want to cause any chaos because the main purpose of this trip was to pass through this region.
Instead of trying to destroy the Black Ink Nests here, it was better for him to think up a way to wipe out the High-Rank Nests at the No-Return Pass. As long as the High-Rank Black Ink Nests remained, there was no meaning in destroying the Black Ink Nests here and now as all that would do is set off another battle.
Without slowing down, the two Warships sped past the Black Ink Clan’s base camp and soon arrived at the Territory Gate.
There was a Territory Lord and a Black Ink Clan Army standing guard here!
Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, the Territory Lord took a good look before waving his hand. Only then did the Black Ink Clan Army split apart. Though they were reluctant to accept what was happening, Six Arms and the others had compromised, so he didn’t want to cause any trouble either.
“Human, what is your name?”
Six Arms’ shout came from behind.
Even now, they didn’t even know what Yang Kai’s name was.
Dawning Light had already entered the Territory Gate, so Yang Kai didn’t turn around; however, his voice came from afar, “Profound Nether Army’s Yang Kai!”
“Yang Kai…” Six Arms muttered the name while engraving it in his heart.
Today’s events were a humiliation for the Black Ink Clan, and they had the right to know the name of the one responsible for their embarrassment.
From today onwards, they would spread that Human’s image and name to all the battlefields and remind the Black Ink Clansmen there to be wary of him!
This was how such an enemy Master should be treated!
A moment later, they were gone!
Under the Human Race Army’s watch, Yang Kai led two Warships through the Territory Gate and entered the neighbouring Great Territory.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan didn’t move and just let them leave.
For a while, many were confused because this disastrous world indeed followed the principle of respecting the strong.
The Black Ink Clan had always been overbearing and unruly, but when facing an Army Commander who could kill three Territory Lords all on his own, they didn’t even dare to make a sound. Not only did they agree to such an absurd request, but they also made way and watched them leave without the slightest hindrance.
“The younger generation is indeed more daring!” Wei Jun Yang couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
Back when they were at the Main Conference Hall, though Yang Kai had successfully persuaded him, he still knew that there was a huge risk to this plan. Any slight problem would have led to a war breaking out between the two sides, putting Yang Kai and those with him in a precarious position.
He wasn’t a fan of such risky moves.
However, this was Yang Kai’s first order after being appointed as the Army Commander, so he couldn’t undermine his authority by disagreeing. This was also why although he agreed to the plan, he also made preparations to save Yang Kai if anything happened.
As it turned out, his worries were all for nothing.
Yang Kai did manage to deter the Black Ink Clan and made them grant him an easement.
The moment Yang Kai led the two Warships through the Territory Gate, Wei Jun Yang had a feeling that he had passed his prime and failed to stifle his laughter.
He was old!
And he couldn’t deny it even if he didn’t want to.
He withdrew his thoughts and looked at the Black Ink Clan before announcing, “Six Arms, the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander has left. If the Black Ink Clan wishes to start a battle, we Humans are willing to accept the challenge.”
Six Arms looked at Wei Jun Yang before coldly snorting.
[He left? Who knows if he’s really gone? Maybe he’s hiding just beyond the Territory Gate, waiting for us to start a battle so he can sneak up on us from behind.]
Moreover, Six Arms recalled that when Yang Kai appeared that day, he brought along a massive army of Small Stone Race soldiers that helped the Human Race Army attack the Black Ink Clan Army from both sides, causing them to suffer a huge loss.
He couldn’t see any signs of that Small Stone Race Army, so there was no telling where they might be hiding.
Humans were indeed treacherous and filled with ill intentions!
Yang Kai’s figure disappeared, but the Black Ink Clan didn’t show any signs of attacking. Whether they were wary or powerless, such a situation was what the Humans wished for; after all, it wouldn’t do them any good to start a war now either.
Wei Jun Yang and the others soon gave the order, and the Human Race Army that was pressing in at the border slowly retreated in an orderly manner.
A while later, the noisy Profound Nether Territory became peaceful again, and the situation was back to when both armies were separated, each resting, recuperating, and preparing for the next battle.
In the Great Territory beside Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai turned around and stared at the huge Territory Gate. The Black Ink Clan didn’t set up any defences on this side, so Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship had made it through without any hindrance.
Meanwhile, the others were also looking at the Territory Gate, still unable to believe what had happened.
Their request for easement had gone smoothly!
When Yang Kai was standing before the Black Ink Clan Army’s formation on the lone Warship, they had already prepared themselves to fight to the death.
They all thought that the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t agree to Yang Kai’s request.
In the end, the result was surprising.
It was obvious that the Human Race Army pressuring the Black Ink Clan was only a part of the reason they granted passage while the main reason was the intimidation Yang Kai represented with his powerful abilities.
To the Black Ink Clan, a strong Master like Yang Kai leaving Profound Nether Territory was something they hoped for because, at the very least, they wouldn’t have to worry about him ambushing them for now.
“Squad Leader, why don’t you seal up the Territory Gate?” Feng Ying suddenly asked.
If they sealed up the Territory Gate to Profound Nether Territory, the Black Ink Clan would have no way of contacting the outside world and would also die while being trapped. Then, the Humans only needed to weaken the Black Ink Clan’s forces slowly and could one day wipe them out.
However, Yang Kai chuckled when he heard this suggestion and slowly shook his head, “No. If we did do such a thing, it would only force the Black Ink Clan to immediately start an all-out war. The Profound Nether Army… isn’t ready for such a battle.”
After listening to his reasoning, Feng Ying understood that she was being hasty.
What Yang Kai said was true. The Black Ink Clan had suffered a huge humiliation by granting them an easement, but since Yang Kai had already left, they couldn’t do anything about it. However, if they took the opportunity to seal this Territory Gate, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t just endure anymore. By then, no matter how wary they were, they would still insist on fighting it out with the Humans.
Yang Kai had left large amounts of Small Stone Race soldiers behind, and the Humans might not lose such a battle, but the best outcome would be both sides suffering crippling losses.
The Black Ink Clan could afford such heavy casualties, but the Humans couldn’t.
Yang Kai had thought about sealing the Territory Gate too, but that idea only lingered in his mind for a moment before he gave up on the idea.
At that moment, he suddenly understood something and said, “This is not any one person’s war, it is the entire Human Race’s war!”
One powerful Master could not change the Humans’ current situation alone, not even a group of powerful Masters could do that, only when the Human Race could continuously produce more Masters would they be able to truly defeat the Black Ink Clan.
It was at that moment that Yang Kai understood the intentions of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors.
The Old Ancestors were already extremely strong, but they still chose to sacrifice themselves on the Barren Territory battlefield to clear a path forward for the younger generation, opening up space for them to grow and mature.
It seemed like the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors had already foreseen everything back then.
The Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds. Without the Black Ink Clan’s invasion, the 3,000 Worlds would still be flourishing, and many living beings in the numerous Universe Worlds wouldn’t have died.
However, the situation was what it was, and now, the Humans needed to find a way to fight back.
Numerous thoughts surged inside Yang Kai’s head, and he suddenly realised many things that he had never thought about before. That was because he used to be a lone soldier, and though he had great strength, he didn’t need to manage anything and could do whatever he wanted as there would be others to worry about the bigger picture whenever problems arose.
Now that he was the Profound Nether Army’s Army Commander and in charge of the war for an entire Great Territory, he had to think about things from a much broader perspective, allowing him to see things he had never realised before.
He originally thought that after this mission, he would have to find time to seal up a large number of Territory Gates and cut off the Black Ink Clan’s supply lines and communication channels. But now that he thought more deeply about it, that seemed like the worst possible plan.
If he went with this idea, though the Humans would have a chance to wipe out the Black Ink Clan on the dozen or so current battlefields, it wouldn’t bring them any closer to solving the root of the problem. In the end, there would still be an endless number of Black Ink Clansmen that needed to be killed.
To the Humans, the wars in the dozen or so battlefields were a constant source of danger, but also an essential training ground. Life-or-death situations were not only crises, but also opportunities. Flowers grown in a greenhouse would never be as strong as the wild grass that had gone through rain and storms.
For now, the Human Race needed the Black Ink Clan to be their life-or-death enemy. Yang Kai himself got to where he was by going through continuous life-or-death battles with the Black Ink Clan, so he knew how these experiences could help one grow.
There was a vague idea forming in his mind, and perhaps after this mission, he could head to the Supreme Headquarters and discuss it further with Xiang Shan and the others.
For now though, the two Warships continued moving at full speed through the void. Dawning Light was a superior Warship. Back then, it had cost Yang Kai and Dawn an enormous amount of Military Merits to customize this Warship into one with outstanding offensive and defensive capabilities far beyond that of an ordinary Warship, but the Bi Xi Battleship was even better. Although it was just a Soul Clone, Bi Xi was a powerful Mature Divine Spirit, so in terms of speed, the Bi Xi Battleship was even faster than Dawning Light.
Moreover, the Bi Xi Battleship had an extremely strong defensive ability, which was why Yu Ru Meng and the others did not need to worry about protecting themselves. If it hadn’t been for the Bi Xi Battleships’ sturdy defences, Yu Ru Meng and the others might have been injured or even killed during all those large-scale battles despite being Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Since they had the Bi Xi Battleship protecting them, their Squad of women was still fully intact.
Their journey to Acacia Territory would take them through six Great Territories. That was already the fastest route, but even with the speed of their Warships, it would take at least two months to arrive.
This was the route they needed to take even when exiting through the Territory Gate that the Black Ink Clan controlled in Profound Nether Territory. Their journey would be significantly longer if they chose to go through another Territory Gate.
As there were cultivators trapped in Acacia Territory in a critical situation, Yang Kai didn’t want to waste any time, which was why he decided to ask for an easement from the Black Ink Clan. After all, what would the point of arriving late be?
When the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, almost every living being in the various Universe Worlds died or was enslaved. Everywhere the Black Ink Clan went, they would destroy Universe Worlds, leaving these previously flourishing places in dead silence.
On the contrary, the Black Ink Clan left all the Universe Temples intact!
The Black Ink Clan could use the Universe Temples to save them a lot of time moving about; therefore, they intentionally left them standing and even posted guards to protect them.
When Yang Kai returned from the No-Return Pass, he used many of the Universe Temples as transit points and also killed every Black Ink Clansman who was guarding them.
Those Black Ink Clansmen left to guard the Universe Temples weren’t very strong, and since the Black Ink Clan didn’t have so many Territory Lords, most of the defences were led by Feudal Lords.
Yang Kai had killed more Feudal Lords than he could count by now.
On this journey to Acacia Territory, Yang Kai didn’t have to make a move to deal with the Black Ink Clansmen guarding those Universe Temples because they were easily dealt with by Dawn and the all-female Squad.
Later, they encountered a few Black Ink Clan teams sending resources to each of the frontlines. Those Black Ink Clansmen naturally wouldn’t have a good end, and the resources they carried were pocketed by the two groups.
This was also something the Hunters enjoyed doing.
Currently, in the entire 3,000 Worlds, besides the 20 or so Great Territories that weren’t fully taken over by the Black Ink Clan, the rest counted as the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
The Black Ink Clan were now mining resources they found in all those Great Territories and sending them to the frontlines. The battle between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan was never-ending, so the demand for resources was enormous.
As such, the Hunters would have many opportunities to snatch these resources.
Although the Hunters could gain Military Merits from killing the enemy and use them to exchange for resources, that couldn’t compare to what they obtained by looting the Black Ink Clan.
Every Black Ink Clan supply team carried an enormous amount of resources on them; therefore, killing them and looting them was far more profitable than simply earning Military Merits on the battlefield.
For the past couple dozen years, the Hunters and Black Ink Clan teams that were tasked with delivering resources had been constantly waging a battle of wits against each other.
This resulted in the Black Ink Clan sending out more powerful troops when transporting resources because they didn’t want the Hunters to snatch away the goods.
There were even some Territory Lords patrolling around the various Great Territories, trying to find any traces of Hunters.
In this way, although Hunters weren’t fighting alongside the Army, they did manage to lessen the burden of the frontline soldiers because they occupied quite a number of Territory Lords.
A part of the dozen or so Territory Lords that suddenly appeared in Profound Nether Territory were dispatched from these patrols.
It was said that back in the day, many Hunters travelled alone and would only have two to three good friends accompanying them. But as the Black Ink Clan began sending larger escorts for the supply teams, the Hunters gradually formed groups similar to Army Squads to respond.
The Black Ink Clan hated Hunters more than any other Humans and wished to slaughter these vultures clean. It was unfortunate for them that the Hunters were all bold yet cautious, and since they were quite strong, the Black Ink Clan couldn’t kill them all off.
The trapped cultivators in Acacia Territory were a great opportunity, so the Black Ink Clan didn’t kill them immediately and instead released news of this matter, trying to lure a large number of Hunters over to wipe them out.
The Black Ink Clan weren’t afraid of the Hunters finding out their intentions because there were always some who didn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth and acted recklessly because they believed themselves strong enough to do so.
Moreover, even if the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory didn’t initially understand why Yang Kai had left, they would soon understand he was moving to save the Humans trapped in Acacia Territory. Otherwise, why would the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army leave instead of overseeing Profound Nether Territory?
As such, Acacia Territory would only become more dangerous and a large number of Territory Lords would surely be lying in wait.
Two months later, Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship finally arrived at Acacia Territory. When the two Warships passed through the Territory Gate, everyone on board, from the members of Dawn to Yu Ru Meng and the others, silently circulated their World Force in preparation for a large battle. However, there were actually no Black Ink Clansmen defending the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai stood on the deck of Dawning Light, his gaze flashing slightly as he observed his surroundings. Thanks to his Demon Eye of Annihilation, he could vaguely detect traces of Black Ink Strength surging on a Universe Fragment in the distance. The Black Ink Clan scouts were most likely monitoring them from afar.
The situation was not too bad. Seeing as the Territory Gate was only being monitored and not defended, it would seem that the Black Ink Clan was not ready to spring their trap yet.
If the Black Ink Clan had deployed a large Army to garrison the Territory Gate, it would be an indication that they were prepared to annihilate the Humans in Acacia Territory once and for all. If that were the case, Yang Kai and the others would already be too late. Therefore, the current situation was undoubtedly what Yang Kai had hoped for.
Yang Kai ignored the Black Ink Clansmen monitoring them, not wanting to startle the enemy. Taking out his Universe Chart, he checked his direction and then guided the two Warships into the depths of the void.
On the distant Universe Fragment, a team of Black Ink Clansmen quietly lay in ambush. The leading Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord was carefully observing the situation at the Territory Gate as it was just as Yang Kai had guessed. These Black Ink Clansmen were only monitoring the movements here while calculating the number of Hunters that entered Acacia Territory.
The sudden appearance of Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship startled the Feudal Lord slightly and he quickly took out a jade slip and poured his Divine Sense into it to check its contents. A short while later, his eyes flashed and he shouted, “Send a message to Sir Mo Na Ye and inform him that those two Warships have appeared!”
Mo Na Ye was one of the Innate Territory Lords overseeing Acacia Territory. Furthermore, he could be regarded as the Commander of this area. His strength was powerful enough that he was not inferior to the Territory Lord Commanders on the primary battlefields.
The Feudal Lord had previously received an order from above to pay close attention to the whereabouts of these two Warships. Although he did not know the reason these two Warships were receiving so much attention, he could only obey the orders he was given. The jade slip he took out earlier contained a detailed description of the two Warships, but he never imagined that these two Warships would actually enter Acacia Territory, just as the higher-ups had predicted.
Located on the Universe Fragment was a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest that had not hatched completely. The Black Ink Nest was only several metres tall and could not produce more Black Ink Clansmen. However, it was not only convenient to carry around but also provided them with a means of long-distance communication.
As soon as the words left the Feudal Lord’s mouth, a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman immediately plunged into the Black Ink Nest to report their discovery to their superiors.
Elsewhere, five figures of different shapes and sizes lay dormant at an extremely hidden and secluded spot. These five figures had concealed their aura to the point where they almost seemed dead. If one was not powerful enough, they might not discover their presence even if they passed by them.
There was no saying how long these five figures had been lying in ambush here, but they didn’t even move a muscle. Judging by their posture, they seemed prepared to lay dormant forever.
At this moment, a large figure in the middle abruptly opened his eyes. He took out a communication bead and immersed his mind into it before checking the contents. His eyes flashed a moment later, and he muttered, “Everyone, Yang Kai… has arrived!”
The remaining four figures opened their eyes at the same time, and their dormant auras quickly began to recover. Although they did not reveal their full strength, their auras clearly indicated that they were Territory Lords.
One of the Territory Lords flicked his forked tongue, hissing softly like a snake as he chuckled, “Did he really come?”
These five Territory Lords were originally tasked with wiping out the Human Hunters that were lured over by the imprisoned cultivators in Acacia Territory. Otherwise, five Black Ink Clan Territory Lords couldn’t remain in Acacia Territory when the battle on the front lines was raging so intensely.
Unfortunately for the Black Ink Clan, the Hunters were simply too troublesome to ignore. Over the years, at least 30% of the resources that the Black Ink Clan transported to the front lines had been intercepted by these Hunters and countless Black Ink Clansmen had fallen at their hands.
The actions of the Hunters enraged the Territory Lords and in retaliation, they began to patrol the various Great Territories in search of the whereabouts of these Hunters. Although their efforts were somewhat successful, the effects were minimal.
The Hunters were extremely cunning and shrewd. If there was the slightest hint of danger, they would not show themselves. On the contrary, they would strike like a thunderbolt and flee at the speed of lightning if their victory was certain.
A large number of Human cultivators had recently been discovered in Acacia Territory. It was a splendid opportunity for the Black Ink Clan; hence, they deliberately spread the news far and wide in hopes of luring many Hunters into rescuing these Human cultivators.
With five Territory Lords and a vast army hidden around Acacia Territory, the Black Ink Clan certainly regarded the Hunters very highly.
According to their original plan, once enough Hunters had entered Acacia Territory, the hidden Black Ink Clan Army would move to secure the various Territory Gates. Then, the Territory Lords would emerge to attack. That was their strategy to block off the enemy’s retreat and wipe them out.
However, they received a critical piece of news from Profound Nether Territory a month ago stating that the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army, Yang Kai, had personally led two Warships out of Profound Nether Territory. His destination was unknown, but there was a high possibility that he was heading to Acacia Territory to rescue the trapped Humans.
They had never heard of Yang Kai’s name before, but his status as the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army was enough to garner the attention of the Black Ink Clan Territory Lords. The Army Commanders of the Human Race were among the strongest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Fighting any of the Army Commanders was extremely difficult, so if the Territory Lords could kill such a Master, then the morale of the Human Race Army would suffer a heavy blow.
That in itself was enough to be tempting, but Yang Kai’s identity as the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army was not worrying enough to make special plans. It was his other identity that left the Territory Lords unable to remain calm. He was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who previously caused a huge commotion at the No-Return Pass, destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests, and escaped alive from the pursuit of the Royal Lord!
It was said that not only were seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests destroyed at the No-Return Pass, but three Territory Lords had also been killed. In addition, the cultivation of more than a dozen Black Ink Clan Territory Lords had regressed to that of Feudal Lords as a result of that battle. They were currently recuperating inside the Black Ink Nests, but it was unknown how long it would take, or even if they could fully recover.
After that incident, the Royal Lord had flown into a rage and issued a command for all the Territory Lords to search for the whereabouts of this Human and kill him no matter the price they had to pay!
Nobody could have expected that Human to appear in Profound Nether Territory, much less become the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army. Furthermore, he was now taking another huge risk by leading just two Warships to Acacia Territory. Not only was this an opportunity for the Black Ink Clan, it was a rare and precious opportunity!
The snake-tongued Territory Lord asked rather excitedly, “Are you certain it’s Yang Kai?”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “It’s almost certain. Although Yang Kai himself was not observed on the Warships, the appearance of those two Warships matches the information from Profound Nether Territory.”
Be it Dawning Light or the Bi Xi Battleship, both were different from ordinary Squad-Class Warships. Their special characteristics were extremely distinguishable. These were the two Warships that Yang Kai had led out of Profound Nether Territory. Since they were currently in Acacia Territory, it was only natural that Yang Kai was too.
“Not bad, not bad. I can’t believe we managed to catch a big one!” The snake-tongued Black Ink Clan Territory Lord looked eager for blood.
Originally, the Black Ink Clan only planned to target the Hunters; however, if they could eliminate Yang Kai along with their original targets, then they would have contributed greatly to the war.
It wasn’t just the snake-tongued Territory Lord who looked excited, the other Territory Lords also had the same reaction.
Yang Kai’s name was well-known throughout the Black Ink Clan. The lower-ranked Clansmen might not know of him, but almost all the Feudal Lords and above had heard his name before. This person was the Black Ink Clan’s greatest enemy!
“We must not act carelessly. Yang Kai attacked the No-Return Pass twice and killed three Territory Lords. In Profound Nether Territory, he only attacked once but killed another three Territory Lords. Although we are Innate Territory Lords, even we would not get away lightly if we encountered him alone.”
Mo Na Ye’s words made the Territory Lords’ expressions sombre. An Innate Territory Lord was very difficult to kill, but be that as it may, the information they received indicated that as many as six Innate Territory Lords had died at Yang Kai’s hands alone.
One of the Territory Lords with fleshy wings on his back quickly said, “It’s not like we’ve never fought Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before. Even the strongest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are nothing special. This Yang Kai is also just an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It does not make sense for him to be so powerful.”
That was one of the questions that had been puzzling the Black Ink Clan for a long time. It would take more than an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to kill a Territory Lord so easily. Such a feat was only possible for a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Mo Na Ye spoke in a solemn voice, “The Human Race has many unpredictable means in their arsenal. In a life-or-death battle, one’s strength cannot be determined through generalised standards. Judging from the information we have on Yang Kai, his true strength might not be as great as shown so far, so he must have used some strange method to kill those Territory Lords in one blow. At the No-Return Pass, the Royal Lord speculated that Yang Kai’s Secret Technique might have something to do with his Divine Sense. That speculation has been confirmed by Profound Nether Territory. It seems that there is a flash of Spiritual Energy every time Yang Kai makes a killing move.” Turning to look around him, he continued, “Everyone, just imagine this scene. What would happen if your Soul was struck by an unexpected and heavy blow and you were then immediately attacked by a Master of equal strength?
The snake-tongued Territory Lord hissed, “We’ll be gravely injured even if we survive the attack!”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “It only takes a moment for Yang Kai to kill, so I believe his method is highly related to this unique Secret Technique of his. Therefore, the most important factor when dealing with him is to protect your Soul and prevent him from finding an opportunity to ambush you.”
The Black Ink Clan was not stupid, so how could they not have learned anything after suffering such heavy losses? Not to mention, Yang Kai had activated the Soul Rendering Thorn in front of the Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass, so there were bound to be traces of his attack that could be noticed.
“In addition, the Royal Lord has observed that Yang Kai also suffered some kind of backlash to his Soul after activating his Secret Technique. He is probably using some kind of sacrificial technique that harms both his enemy and himself. In other words, he can only wield this Secret Technique a limited number of times!”
The eyes of the fleshy-winged Territory Lord gleamed, “Are you certain?”
Mo Na Ye nodded again, “Profound Nether Territory has confirmed this fact. After Yang Kai attacked and consecutively killed three Territory Lords, he did not target the Territory Lords. In other words, using that Secret Technique thrice is his limit. The burden is too great on his Soul for him to unleash it a fourth time.”
One of the Territory Lords with a humanoid appearance, who had remained silent all this time, joined the conversation, “In that case, we will be able to restrain him if four of us act together!”
There were five Territory Lords here, so if four of them were to work together, then one of them would be free to move about. However, if all five of them were to act together, it would be equivalent to being completely restrained by Yang Kai instead.
Mo Na Ye slowly shook his head, “There’s no need to be so cautious. A team of two should be more than enough. Even if Yang Kai were to attack, he could only deal with one enemy at a time. The other one should be fully capable of restraining him. As long as he is restrained, it will be easy for us to take him down together.”
The other Territory Lords nodded in agreement.
Four Territory Lords acting together was certainly making a mountain out of a molehill. It was more than enough for two Territory Lords to cooperate to pin Yang Kai down.
Besides, they could not make a foolproof plan if they wanted to take down somebody like Yang Kai. On the contrary, they had to allow him to exploit so that he would take the risk of attack. If four Territory Lords were to openly work together, he would probably end up hiding without showing himself, which would only make things more difficult for the Black Ink Clan.
“What’s more,” Mo Na Ye continued, “The message from the Royal Lord indicates that Yang Kai is extremely proficient in escaping. His movements are elusive and unpredictable. Yang Kai managed to escape even though the Royal Lord himself gave pursuit. If you encounter him by accident, you must make sure to keep him pinned down at all costs. He must not be allowed to escape!”
The other four Territory Lords nodded, “Understood.”
The snake-tongued Territory Lord eagerly asked, “Mo Na Ye, are we going to tighten the noose now? The big fish has already taken the bait. There’s no need to wait any longer.”
Mo Na Ye was silent for a moment before he nodded, “We can seal off the Territory Gates now, but we should not rush to make a move. There are five other Territory Lords on the way right now and they should be arriving soon.”
The other four Territory Lords were stunned, with the winged Territory Lord asking, “Did you call for more reinforcements?”
There were five other Territory Lords on the way. Combined with the five Territory Lords that were already here, there would be 10 Territory Lords gathered in Acacia Territory alone! 10 Territory Lords against a single Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master… That was certainly a high valuation of their enemy.
“There’s nothing wrong with being cautious!” Mo Na Ye quickly said, “If we can get rid of Yang Kai once and for all, then the Royal Lord will definitely be pleased with our efforts. If a little extra help can accomplish that, why hesitate?”
Seeing as Mo Na Ye had brought up the Royal Lord as his reason, the other Territory Lords could not say anything to refute him.
A short while later, Mo Na Ye issued an order. The Black Ink Clan Armies that had been hiding around the five Territory Gates in Acacia Territory emerged and formed a blockade. There were now a million troops at each Territory Gate, and although no Territory Lords were overseeing them, such Armies were simply insurmountable. Even if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master tried to break through their defences, the Black Ink Clan would be able to stop them if they disregarded the losses that they would sustain.
Just as Mo Na Ye and others were having their discussion, Bi Xi’s Soul Clone suddenly seemed to notice something and turned to look in a certain direction. There seemed to be an aura that was extremely similar to his coming from that direction. Although they were separated by hundreds of millions of kilometres, the aura from the same Source could not be blocked by such a trivial distance.
He immediately became confused. [Why is he here? If that guy is here, then wouldn’t the little ones also be here? Why aren’t they cultivating in the Star Boundary? Why did they appear in Acacia Territory? They truly do not fear the Heavens! What if something happens to them? How am I supposed to explain it to Yang Kai?]
He quickly calmed himself and sent out a message to the other side, “Why did you bring the little ones here?”
The other side answered quickly, “Why are you here?”
He replied, “It’s a long story. Yang Boy wanted to come to Acacia Territory. Yu Ru Meng and the others insisted on following him, so I had no other choice.”
The other side fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, he seemed slightly guilty, “Has Yang Boy returned? Ahem… Did he return to the Star Boundary?”
“Probably not,” he responded angrily, “You are too bold! How could you bring them here?”
The other side said, “I had no choice. These little ones had some success in their cultivation; moreover, they are young and ambitious. How could they bear just hiding away in the Star Boundary without doing anything? They’ve been complaining incessantly. As you know, I’ve gotten old. I can’t stand the endless begging and coaxing of the little ones. In a moment of weakness, I…”
“You’re such a useless fool!” Bi Xi’s Soul Clone spat in disdain.
The other side was silent for a moment, “You are me, and I am you. If you scold me, then you are scolding yourself too.”
Bi Xi’s Soul Clone was at a loss for words for a moment. Thankfully, he did not forget the main issue at hand and quickly said, “There’s something wrong with the situation in Acacia Territory. The Black Ink Clan is probably trying to lure us all into a trap. You should take them away before the situation becomes chaotic. You don’t have much time, so move quickly!”
“Good!” The other side responded just as rapidly. It was obvious that he had also realised something was wrong in Acacia Territory.
After their simple exchange, both sides immediately cut off contact. Bi Xi’s Soul Clone couldn’t help feeling slightly melancholic. [Should I tell Yang Kai about this? If I tell him, he won’t be able to ignore their situation, but if I don’t tell him, how will I explain myself if he learns about this matter in the future?]
Just as Bi Xi’s Soul Clone was feeling hesitant and indecisive, Yang Kai suddenly looked back with a frown from where he stood on the deck of Dawning Light. He vaguely felt as though there was a strange energy fluctuation coming from behind him earlier; however, he did not discover anything when he carefully searched for the source, which left him puzzled.
With his strength, it was generally impossible for him to mistake such a subtle feeling, so he couldn’t help feeling worried. [Could someone from the Black Ink Clan be spying on us from the shadows?]
He immediately sent a Divine Sense transmission to Bi Xi’s Soul Clone, “Senior Brother Bi Xi, did you notice anything abnormal just now?”
Bi Xi’s Soul Clone felt extremely guilty but still hastily replied, “No? Did you detect something abnormal?”
Yang Kai felt even more confused, [Could I have been mistaken?]
Just in case, he surged his Divine Sense and swept his surroundings. His investigation immediately revealed the presence of five powerful auras in the distant void, travelling at a high speed.
[Five Territory Lords! The Black Ink Clan sure is determined. I can’t believe that five Territory Lords are overseeing Acacia Territory! It seems the Black Ink Clan truly harbours a deep hatred for the Hunters. Of course, it might also have something to do with me…]
The Black Ink Clan had probably predicted that he would come to Acacia Territory, so these five Territory Lords might have made a special trip here just to eliminate him.
When Yang Kai detected the five Territory Lords, the five Territory Lords also noticed his presence. Their powerful Divine Senses immediately traced back his probe and discovered the whereabouts of Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship. It was just that the distance was too great, so they could not learn much other than that there was a powerful Human Race Master spying on them from afar.
It was one thing if they had not discovered the Warships, but having noticed them, they could not ignore their presence. They were Territory Lords after all. Across the vast Universe, the only two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were fully occupied and unable to move, so why should they be afraid of anyone? They immediately turned around, transformed into Black Ink Clouds, and rushed in the direction of the Warships.
Aboard Dawning Light, Yang Kai immediately withdrew and concealed his aura so that he resembled a dead rock as he shouted, “We’ve got incoming! Continue at full speed!”
After the words left his mouth, he vanished without a trace.
On Dawning Light, Feng Ying’s expression turned solemn as she hastily cooperated with the rest of the Squad members to fully activate the Warship’s strength. Behind them, Bi Xi’s Soul Clone mustered all his strength to follow.
The two Warships transformed into two streams of dazzling light as they shot forward with astonishing speed, but regardless of how fast they moved, there was no way they could outrun Innate Territory Lords, so the distance between them closed rapidly.
In less than a stick of incense, the two Warships appeared in the eyes of the Territory Lords. When the five Territory Lords detected the two Warships with their Divine Senses, they immediately became overjoyed. An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a dozen or so Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters! It was certainly a huge harvest.
These five Territory Lords were the reinforcements that Mo Na Ye had requested. They only knew that they were here to cooperate with Mo Na Ye against a Human Race Master, but did not know the identity of their target.
They never imagined that they would encounter two Human Squads as soon as they arrived at Acacia Territory, much less that their discovery would be so plentiful. In any case, they did not think much of a lone Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as any one of them was enough to restrain the other party. Nevertheless, they couldn’t help feeling puzzled for a moment. Did the Hunters have Eighth-Order Masters among their ranks?
The situation did not match the information that they possessed. As the Human Race did not have many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, each one of them was a pillar of strength that would have to join the front lines in the primary Great Territory Battlefields.
Although there were many Hunters, there had never been any Eighth-Order Masters among them. There were many Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, as well as Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Needless to say, none were weaker than that. The Hunters who roamed the various Great Territories would not survive without a certain level of strength, so Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters generally did not have the necessary capabilities. Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm was the lowest acceptable limit.
The reason Hunters were extremely difficult to kill was that they were extremely elusive and hard to find. Now that the five Territory Lords had encountered the two Hunter Squads, how could they allow them to escape? They naturally gave chase with all their might.
After a brief period, the distance between them grew even closer.
The pursuing Territory Lords surged their strength, sending out numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques towards Dawning Light and the Bi Xi Battleship. A short while later, the void shook as both Warships lit up with a thick and durable defensive Spirit Array that constantly flashed from the impact. The occasional counterattacks were also easily deflected by the pursuing Territory Lords.
The battle that took place here seemed to set off the entire Acacia Territory.
In the distant void, a Warship was speeding in the direction of a Territory Gate. 10 figures were standing on the deck of the Warship, five of them very young, consisting of both males and females.
There was a pair of children, a little girl with delicate and adorable looks and a boy with a large gaping mouth that dripped with saliva. The little girl constantly wiped his saliva for him, but there was no end to his drool. Be that as it may, she did not show any impatience. She simply repeated her actions over and over again, which made the boy giggle endlessly.
There was a small Stone Man. From his external appearance alone, he seemed very similar to the Small Stone Race which was actively playing a role on the various Great Territory Battlefields. However, a closer inspection would reveal that he was a different species altogether.
Whether strong or weak, the Small Stone Race generally had low sentience. Even the 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members who could rival an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would only act according to their instincts and did not seem to have the ability for autonomous thinking.
On the contrary, the small Stone Man was clearly different. Not only was he sentient, he was highly so. At this moment, he was climbing the edges of the Warship in disinterest as he stared into the void with a look of loneliness and forlornness in his eyes.
There was also an Ominous Beast lying on the deck with its eyes closed. It was obvious that this Ominous Beast was a Divine Spirit of similar rank to Tao Wu that Yang Kai slaughtered in Profound Nether Territory.
Beside the Ominous Beast was a delicate little girl. She was stroking his fur lightly with a leisurely expression. She looked rather young, but her eyes were filled with the vastitudes of countless years. It was obvious that she was not just a simple little girl.
The line-up in this group certainly looked very strange; however, everybody in the group, be it the young people, the two children, or the Ominous Beast, seemed to be rather powerful.
At first glance, even their Warship looked very similar to Yu Ru Meng and the others’. That was another Bi Xi Battleship, one that was modified and formed from Bi Xi’s Soul Clone.
The other party in the communication with Bi Xi’s Soul Clone on Yang Kai’s side earlier was none other than this Warship.
They were both Bi Xi’s Soul Clones; therefore, they had no problems communicating with each other regardless of the distance between them as long as they were in the same Great Territory and unaffected by a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array or Technique. They could also communicate in secret. Even a Master like Yang Kai could not detect anything. He could only perceive a slight disturbance in the void, which had prompted him to investigate his surroundings. Nevertheless, he never expected to catch the attention of five travelling Territory Lords, which was just an unfortunate coincidence.