Although there were no Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Void World, they had some basic information about the Open Heaven Realm in the Dao Temple.
The First-Order to Third-Order were considered the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm, the Fourth-Order to Sixth-Order were the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm, and the Seventh-Order to Ninth-Order were the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
The Fourth-Order and Seventh-Order were thresholds, and the powers of the cultivators in the different Ranks differed greatly.
The Low and Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, while powerful, could not be considered true powerhouses as their heritage simply wasn’t ample enough. As such, even though they had formed their own Small Universes, they remained immaterial.
Only after one ascended to the Seventh Order would their Small Universe materialise.
Fang Tian Ci was only in the Sixth Order, so his Small Universe should be immaterial, but that wasn’t the case. For some reason, his Small Universe had fully materialised.
Moreover, he was certain that he had successfully made it to the Seventh Order, but for some unknown reason, he dropped down to the Sixth Order all of a sudden.
Everything was a mystery to him. His ascension seemed different from those of the others.
In front of him, a calming voice was heard asking, “Do you feel any discomfort?”
Only then did Fang Tian Ci come to his senses as he promptly replied, “I’m fine. Many thanks for your concern, Dao Lord.”
Yang Kai nodded and placed his hands behind his back.
After pondering for a moment, Fang Tian Ci cupped his fist and said, “Dao Lord, I have a question.”
Hearing this, Yang Kai turned to him and nodded, “Go ahead.”
Fang Tian Ci went on to say, “I think my Small Universe has materialised, but I’m only in the Sixth Order. How is that possible?”
Hearing that, the people around him were surprised. It went against common sense for a Sixth-Order Master’s Small Universe to materialise. Furthermore, they had seen Fang Tian Ci’s Order plunging earlier. As such, his friends and Juniors appeared worried.
Yang Kai looked at him and replied calmly, “There were not many instances where a Sixth-Order Master’s Small Universe materialises, but it’s not unprecedented.”
Hearing that, Fang Tian Ci was shocked, “There were such instances in the past?”
Yang Kai replied, “En, I am one such case. I suppose your mastery of the Dao of Space is quite high.”
Fang Tian Ci replied respectfully, “I only know a thing or two. Dao Lord, do you mean that the transformation in my Small Universe has something to do with the fact that I’ve cultivated the Dao of Space?”
[I didn’t say that!] Yang Kai thought; however, there wasn’t a better explanation now, so he could only nod, “When I ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, I didn’t make it to the High Rank. Nonetheless, the same thing happened to my Small Universe.”
Fang Tian Ci fell into his thoughts, but he was evidently relieved.
It was reassuring to know that there were similar instances in the past, and the same thing had happened to the Dao Lord. As such, it didn’t seem to be a serious issue.
Just as he wanted to ask why his cultivation had dropped from the Seventh Order to the Sixth Order, Yang Kai beckoned to Hua Qing Si.
She came over and called out, “Palace Master.”
Yang Kai ordered, “Bring them to the Star Boundary. After they manage to stabilize their cultivation, send them to Profound Nether Territory to receive some training.”
Presently, there were a lot of Third-Order and Fourth-Order Masters on the different battlefields, and in Profound Nether Territory, there were even First-Order and Second-Order Masters. On the other hand, the weakest disciples from the Dao Temple were in the Fifth Order; therefore, they had to go through some tempering.
However, Profound Nether Territory was no longer sufficient to meet the needs of training the Human soldiers.
That was because too many people had headed to Profound Nether Territory in the past 300 years.
Yang Kai was now preparing to open several similar training grounds.
Only by having more Great Territories that could be used to train the next generation would they be able to meet the Human Race’s growing needs.
Having made up his mind, Yang Kai cupped his fist at Zhan Wu Hen, “Senior Iron Blood, I’ll take my leave now.”
Zhan Wu Hen nodded in response.
The next moment, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot.
The disciples who had cultivated the Dao of Space were awestruck by this display. There was no denying the Dao Lord was a true Master of the Dao of Space. It was thanks to the Dao Lord’s blessing that these disciples had a chance to cultivate the Dao of Space, but none of them were able to see how Yang Kai disappeared just now.
Hua Qing Si then gathered these disciples together and introduced herself before leading them to the Star Boundary.
Liu Jing Shan approached Fang Tian Ci and gently nudged him with his elbow before saying smilingly, “Don’t feel dejected, Junior Brother Fang. The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm is good as well. Didn’t you hear the Dao Lord say that he didn’t directly make it to the high rank when he first ascended? Given enough time, we can still become as powerful as him.”
He was worried that Fang Tian Ci would feel downcast over the fact that his Order had dropped inexplicably, so he came over and consoled him.
Fang Tian Ci nodded lightly, “You have a point, Senior Brother. I just don’t understand why I failed to make it to the Seventh Order.”
In fact, he didn’t fail. He could feel that he had succeeded, but the moment he achieved his ascension, there seemed to be a force suppressing his cultivation, causing it to drop from the Seventh Order to the Sixth Order.
Regardless, he wasn’t dejected, nor was he dissatisfied. In the past, he was someone with terrible aptitude and in what he believed to be his final years, he just wanted to take in the wonderful sights of the Void World before passing on. It was for such a simple reason that he left the Fang Family Village. It had been more than 2,000 years since then, and he had grown from an Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator all the way to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was still a broad and bright future ahead of him, so he was more than content.
Liu Jing Shan said, “I’m glad that you’ve come to accept it… By the way, that tree is enormous. What do you suppose it is?”
Fang Tian Ci looked in the direction Liu Jing Shan pointed and saw the colossal tree in the centre of the Star Boundary. All the disciples from the Dao Temple were amazed as they had never seen a tree of such enormity before.
In fact, there was a similar tree in the Void World, but no one had seen it before.
Even in one of the newly formed Small Universes here, there was a similar sapling that swayed in the wind. However, the owner of this Small Universe was troubled by other matters and, as such, hadn’t examined himself carefully yet. Otherwise, he would have discovered this sapling’s presence.
After these disciples from the Dao Temple followed Hua Qing Si and landed on the Star Boundary, they dispersed to enter seclusion and consolidate their new cultivation.
On the other hand, Yang Kai headed to the Great Territory adjacent to the Star Boundary. Although there wasn’t any war in this Great Territory, it was extremely bustling. That was because many Human soldiers would gather together in this place to await the Supreme Headquarters’ deployments. Many Alchemy and Artifact Refining bases had also been set up here.
This was the Supreme Headquarters’ Territory, and it served a similar purpose to that of the No-Return Pass back then.
When Yang Kai arrived at this place, he made sure not to alert too many people and soon found Mi Jing Lun in one of the Grand Halls.
When they met up, Mi Jing Lun appeared rather haggard. He was one of the top Eighth-Order Masters, so it was rare to see him looking so exhausted. It was apparent that the affairs in this place had drained his energy greatly.
Seeing the man, Mi Jing Lun was surprised, “You’ve finally stopped cultivating in seclusion.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ve just returned from the Star Boundary.”
Mi Jing Lun raised a brow and asked probingly, “What’s your plan?”
Yang Kai glanced at him and laughed, “What kind of plan do you want me to have, Senior Brother Mi?”
Mi Jing Lun let out a sigh, “It seems that we share the same sentiment.”
“We should cut to the chase, then. Which Great Territory is in the most perilous situation right now?”
With a solemn expression, Mi Jing Lun replied, “Twin Poles Territory. The Black Ink Clan have been sending increasing numbers of troops to that place. It seems that they’re determined to occupy Twin Poles Territory. Although we’re dealing with them for now, I’m sure you know that the number of people on our side pales compared to the Black Ink Clan. They have no qualms about sending their soldiers to die, but it’s completely different for us Humans. Now, Twin Poles Territory is just like the Profound Nether Territory of the past. Although Xiang Shan has gone to take charge there now, it’s impossible to turn the situation around without sufficient power.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Got it. I’ll head to the Twin Poles Territory, then.”
Mi Jing Lun breathed a sigh of relief, “That would be for the best; however, if you show up, Profound Nether Territory…”
Yang Kai sneered, “They don’t have the guts to start a war.”
They had arrived at the peace deal in Profound Nether Territory because the Profound Nether Army had given up its absolute advantage, but if Six Arms dared to let the Territory Lords make a move, that peace deal would be nullified.
300 years ago, Yang Kai was able to make all Territory Lords cower, so 300 years later he could do the same.
Mi Jing Lun was stunned for a moment as he deeply felt that old men like them were gradually being surpassed by the young ones, which made him feel slightly dejected. One had to know that for a long time, Eighth-Order Masters like them had been the pillars of the Human Race for millennia. However, even someone like Xiang Shan was unable to affect the overall situation in a Great Territory on his own.
Although Xiang Shan had decided to assume command of Twin Poles Territory, he could only slow the Humans’ defeat, not stop it, much less reverse the situation.
However, this newly promoted Eighth-Order Master named Yang Kai, who was thousands of years younger than them, was confident to the point that he showed no regard for those powerful Innate Territory Lords whatsoever.
If Innate Territory Lords were like vipers, then Yang Kai was like an eagle hovering in the sky or a fierce wolf waiting in the woods. Be it an eagle or a wolf, his presence alone was highly intimidating to the enemy.
While Mi Jing Lun was dejected, he also felt gratified. It was because the rising stars in each new generation were able to cast a light into the darkness and illuminate a path for the Human Race to move forward upon.
They only had Yang Kai now, but there were bound to be more talented people in the future.
On the Profound Nether Territory Battlefield, the new Open Heaven Realm Masters had started showcasing their strength as they made a name for themselves through the blood and lives of the enemy. They were growing stronger by the day, and they would certainly be important figures in the fights against the Black Ink Clan in the future.
Nonetheless, there was only one Profound Nether Territory, and over the past few hundred years, as more and more soldiers streamed into this place, the originally spacious battlefield now appeared cramped.
If Yang Kai could see this, there was no way Mi Jing Lun and Xiang Shan hadn’t.
The Humans needed more training grounds.
Previously, Mi Jing Lun had wanted to ask Yang Kai to create another Profound Nether Territory; however, after the peace deal was reached, Yang Kai went into seclusion for 300 years.
Before that, Yang Kai had ordered that unless there was an emergency that absolutely required his assistance, no one should disturb him. Although no one knew what Yang Kai was doing, he must have had a very important reason to issue such a command.
As such, Mi Jing Lun didn’t dare to disturb him lightly.
Fortunately, Yang Kai headed to the Supreme Headquarters right after he left seclusion, and he shared the same sentiment as Mi Jing Lun, which allowed the latter to relax slightly.
This young Eighth-Order Master wasn’t only powerful, but he could also see the bigger picture. It was delightful to work with people like him.
“If it’s possible, please create several more training grounds. I’m sure the Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t dare to make a fuss if you’re the one proposing,” Mi Jing Lun urged.
Yang Kai guffawed, “That was my plan from the start.”
The war in Twin Poles Territory was at a stalemate.
Around 300 years ago, the Black Ink Clan was in a disadvantageous position in Profound Nether Territory, and many of their Territory Lords were killed. Although they arrived at a peace deal with the Humans later, that didn’t mean those fallen Territory Lords returned from the grave.
As though trying to boost their morale and restore their dignity, the Black Ink Clan had intensified their offensives in several Great Territories, and the one where they were the most aggressive was Twin Poles Territory.
Apparently, the Black Ink Clan had made this Great Territory their primary target. Over the years, they had been continuously sending more soldiers here in an effort to use their advantage in numbers to suppress the Humans.
In the past, if the Humans were faced with attacks of such intensity, they would have lost Twin Poles Territory to the enemy already. Nevertheless, with the continuous production of Evil Purging Divine Spears over the years, the Humans were not without the means to resist.
After the Evil Purging Divine Spears were crafted by the Artifact Refiners, the Divine Spirits who were able to use the Great Sun and Moon Marks would seal Purifying Light into them. Then, the Evil Purging Divine Spears would be distributed to the Human Masters who would put them to good use on the battlefields.
For this reason, half of the Evil Purging Divine Spears originally allocated to Profound Nether Territory had been diverted to Twin Poles Territory.
In any case, the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory wouldn’t dare to make a move; as such, those in Profound Nether Territory didn’t need as many Evil Purging Divine Spears as those in the other Great Territories.
In every great battle, the things that shone the brightest were the Evil Purging Divine Spears when they exploded. These miniature Suns lit up the endless darkness and helped the Humans persevere in battle.
When Yang Kai arrived at Twin Poles Territory, the two Races were already locked in an intense battle. The innumerable Black Ink Clan soldiers hovered in the void, as though trying to announce to the Humans that they were the owners of this place. On the other hand, the Humans could only use the fortresses they had built over the years to fend off the enemies.
The Humans in Twin Poles Territory were no longer able to confront the Black Ink Clan in the open, but even the strongest defence would be broken through one day if it was constantly under assault.
On the battlefield, Human Warships moved around in a narrow range and rained down Secret Techniques and artifact strikes on the enemy. At the same time, the Eighth-Order Masters were soaked in blood as they fought back against the Territory Lords.
Yang Kai concealed his aura and flew towards the battlefield like a phantom.
He didn’t have a particular target in mind, for he didn’t know any of these Territory Lords in Twin Poles Territory. As such, it made no difference as to whom he would kill first.
Since he had cultivated in seclusion for 300 years, he hadn’t used his Azure Dragon Spear for a long time. It was time he let these Black Ink Clansmen know what it felt like to be overwhelmed by fear.
Somewhere on the battlefield, an Eighth-Order Master was in a perilous situation as he was dealing with two enemies at once.
The Eighth-Order Masters were used to such situations by now, and despite being in a tight spot, this one was able to persevere for now. Furthermore, he still hadn’t used his Evil Purging Divine Spears. For this reason, the Territory Lords remained somewhat wary and didn’t dare to go all out, preferring to keep some distance and wear down their opponent.
During the intense battle, World Force and Black Ink Strength clashed as the void trembled. The Black Ink Clansmen who didn’t manage to dodge were either killed or injured by the fallout from this clash.
At this moment, the Eighth-Order Master was focused on dealing with the Territory Lords. He pondered on the feasibility of severely injuring one Territory Lord despite knowing that he would be wounded as well.
When Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords traded injuries, there was no doubt the Humans gained the advantage.
That was because when an Eighth-Order Master was wounded, they could recuperate by consuming Spirit Pills and meditate to restore their strength. However, a Territory Lord couldn’t do that. They could endure the pain if it wasn’t severe, but if a Territory Lord was badly injured, they had to return to a Black Ink Nest and hibernate to heal.
There were not many Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests in Twin Poles Territory, and all of them were currently occupied by wounded Territory Lords. If more Territory Lords were injured, they had to head to the No-Return Pass where there were more Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests, as well as some 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Over the years, more and more wounded Territory Lords headed to the No-Return Pass to recuperate. On the other hand, the Territory Lords who had recovered would return from the No-Return Pass.
It was by using such mutually damaging tactics that the Eighth-Order Masters effectively limited the number of Territory Lords who took part in the war.
If all the Territory Lords could join the fighting, there was no way the Eighth-Order Masters could fend them off. They would have to give up at least three Great Territories to rally their forces together.
However, once they did that, the Black Ink Clan could also concentrate their forces to regain the upper hand. That was the reason the Humans were not willing to lose any Great Territory.
This Eighth-Order Master soon made up his mind as was preparing to expose an opening at the right moment so that one of the Territory Lords would make a move. He was putting his life on the line, but as long as he didn’t die, he would be able to achieve his goal.
Nonetheless, before he could do anything, a Divine Sense transmission suddenly reached his ear. He was startled for a moment before becoming elated.
Although he never showed a chance of expression on his face, he secretly got prepared.
A few breaths of time later, he bellowed, “Bastards, let’s all go to Hell together!”
Following that, an Evil Purging Divine Spear appeared and turned into a light beam that shot towards one of the Territory Lords. The Eighth-Order Master seemed determined to destroy the other party no matter the cost.
The two Territory Lords were fully prepared, however; as such, they immediately surged their Black Ink Strength and formed a thick Black Ink Cloud in front of them.
This was the method the Territory Lords had come up with to deal with the Evil Purging Divine Spears.
Purifying Light was indeed the archnemesis of Black Ink Strength, and once an Evil Purging Divine Spear was sent out, a Territory Lord would find it hard to dodge regardless of how agile they were.
Since that was the case, their best option was to release a lot of Black Ink Strength to block and offset the Purifying Light’s power.
The instant the light exploded, the Eighth-Order Master and the Territory Lords were temporarily blinded.
However, the battle intensified at that moment.
Just as both parties believed they were on the winning side, fatal moves were cast all of a sudden.
The thick Black Ink Strength was dispersed in the blink of an eye. One of the Territory Lords, who was targeted by the Evil Purging Divine Spear, grunted as his aura plunged.
On the other hand, the unaffected Territory Lord extended his hand towards the white light. Enduring the scorching heat, he sent his attack towards the Eighth-Order Master.
Both parties were in close quarters. Since the Eighth-Order Master had just used an Evil Purging Divine Spear, there was no way he could dodge this attack. The Territory Lord could already imagine the Human spraying out a mouthful of blood.
However, just then, a flash of Spiritual Energy could be felt from nearby. Following that, the attacking Territory Lord felt like something had pierced into his head. The sharp pain in his mind made him lose focus for a moment and his Black Ink Strength faltered.
His hand froze as an excruciating pain suddenly came from his chest.
When he looked down, he saw a spear penetrating through him. A violent force burst forth as his burly figure exploded into countless pieces, which then spread out across the void.
These two Territory Lords had been guarding against the Eighth-Order Master using the Evil Purging Divine Spear; as such, neither of them would have expected that someone would use a Soul attack on them at that moment. The Territory Lord lost his life while completely unsuspecting.
As the blood-spattered, Yang Kai hovered in the void with his spear in his hand and arched his brow.
After his most recent seclusion ended, it seemed it had become easier for him to kill a Territory Lord.
He couldn’t help thinking that an Open Heaven Realm Master, especially a High-Rank one, indeed had to cultivate for a long time to build up their heritage.
Over the past 300 years, Yang Kai had consumed an enormous amount of resources to strengthen his World Force. With the purifying effects of the World Tree clone in his Small Universe, he estimated that he was now 10% stronger than before he entered seclusion.
It was said that old ginger was spicier, and this seemed especially true for Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Now, Yang Kai wasn’t someone who had just ascended to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could be considered an experienced Master.
Besides the increase in heritage, he also had to literally tear his Soul in half to cultivate his Human Self. This kind of tearing was unlike activating a Soul Rending Thorn where Yang Kai would only sacrifice a small portion of his Soul.
For this reason, he became weak for the past 300 years.
It was only thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus’ help that he gradually recovered.
With that said, the improvement this time was conspicuous. Before, whenever Yang Kai activated a Soul Rending Thorn, he would feel a sharp pain in his head, which he could somewhat endure thanks to many repeated experiences.
However, when he used a Soul Rending Thorn today, the pain he felt was less aggravating.
It went to show that his Soul had strengthened.
Many thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as the pieces of the dead Territory Lord floated past him.
On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Master, who received the warning from Yang Kai earlier, forcefully struck out at the Territory Lord who had been affected by the Evil Purging Divine Spear.
The turn of events had stunned the Territory Lord as he had no idea why his companion was killed all of a sudden. While in a dazed state, he turned to stare at Yang Kai.
According to their original plan, he would get hit by the Evil Purging Divine Spear and offset the Purifying Light with the gathered Black Ink Strength from earlier on. Then, he would join forces with his unaffected companion. He was confident that they could injure or even kill this Eighth-Order Master.
Nonetheless, his companion was killed in the blink of an eye.
Following that, he saw a spear-holding young man with a dispassionate expression standing beside him.
He found the young man familiar, as though he had seen him before.
“Yang Kai!” After a moment of pondering, he finally recalled where he had come across this young man before.
This guy was Yang Kai, the one who had managed to completely suppress the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory. He was also the one who had kicked up a storm in the No-Return Pass and even escaped from the Royal Lord’s pursuit.
All the Black Ink Clan’s top Masters had seen Yang Kai’s image before.
It was rumoured that this Human had some mysterious method he could use to kill Innate Territory Lords in an instant.
Some 30 Territory Lords were directly or indirectly killed by him in Profound Nether Territory within just 30 years. The Royal Lord was so enraged by this that he had repeatedly reprimanded Six Arms who was in charge of that place.
Left with no other choice, the Black Ink Clansmen in Profound Nether Territory were forced to accept a peace deal Yang Kai had come up with. As such, the Territory Lords there couldn’t have a hand in the war.
When word got out, the Black Ink Clan Masters in the other Great Territories were both shocked and doubtful. Many of them felt that their comrades in Profound Nether Territory were exaggerating Yang Kai’s abilities. This Human was only in the Eighth Order, after all; therefore, how was he supposed to suppress all the Black Ink Clan Masters in Profound Nether Territory on his own? Even Xiang Shan was unable to achieve that.
This Territory Lord had thought much the same, feeling that Six Arms and the others in Profound Nether Territory were too weak and had simply let Yang Kai run rampant. If this Yang Kai had the guts to come to Twin Poles Territory, he would certainly teach this arrogant Human a lesson.
Now, Yang Kai had really come, and it wasn’t until this moment that the Territory Lord realised how naïve he had been. It was said that Yang Kai was able to cow and intimidate all the Black Ink Clan Masters of an entire Great Territory on his own. Even if there was a bit of exaggeration, there was no denying Yang Kai was powerful, but up until now, the Territory Lord still had no idea how his companion was killed.
There wasn’t any time left for him to ponder though. While he was still in a daze, the Eighth-Order Master struck him with his fist. As the violent World Force exploded, an indent formed on the Territory Lord’s chest, which caused him to spray out a mouthful of black blood.
The Eighth-Order Master was surprised that he had succeeded. It never crossed his mind that the Territory Lord would fall into a dazed state because of his companion’s death. Certainly, he wouldn’t let him off while the other party was beside himself.
He quickly called out to Yang Kai, “Kill him!”
Following that, he charged towards the Territory Lord again.
Certainly, Yang Kai needed no reminder as he shot forward and made sure the Territory Lord couldn’t escape. As he wielded his Azure Dragon Spear, the spear shadows rained down on the Territory Lord. Although his attack seemed unsophisticated, its hidden power was enormous.
As the injured Territory Lord was pincered by his enemies, he swiftly fell into an absolute disadvantage.
10 breaths of time later, the Azure Dragon Spear penetrated the Territory Lord’s head and reaped his life.
Two Territory Lords had died within moments of each other. Despite the noisy battlefield, their deaths couldn’t be concealed.
Everyone on the battlefield froze for a moment when the second Territory Lord fell and countless pairs of eyes turned in the direction of the disturbance.
The Eighth-Order Masters were elated while the Territory Lords were soon overwhelmed with fear.
All of a sudden, one Territory Lord yelled, “Yang Kai!”
At that instant, all the Territory Lords realised who the murderer was.
He was the Human who had suppressed all the Black Ink Clan Masters in Profound Nether Territory on his own. The Royal Lord had even issued a warning to all the Territory Lords to be cautious of this menace.
They had heard about the incident in Profound Nether Territory, and while some felt sympathetic or wary, most dismissed the story; after all, they had never dealt with Yang Kai before, so how were they supposed to know how powerful the latter truly was?
Fortunately for them, after the two Races arrived at a peace deal 300 years ago in Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai went missing. Based on what the Black Ink Disciples revealed to them, Yang Kai seemed to be cultivating in seclusion.
Nevertheless, he appeared in Twin Poles Territory today, and the instant he did, he managed to kill two powerful Innate Territory Lords.
The Territory Lords, who had dismissed the stories from back then, now knew that what they had heard was true.
It wasn’t that no Territory Lords had lost their lives before in Twin Poles Territory over the centuries; nonetheless, there was no precedent where two Territory Lords died in such quick succession.
There was no denying Yang Kai had some inscrutable methods up his sleeve.
Fear and wariness soon spread across the Black Ink Clansmen.
With the spear in his hand, Yang Kai guffawed, his laugh as loud as thunder as he called out, “I’m back! Did you miss me?”
[Why didn’t you stay gone forever?] The Territory Lords cursed at him under their breath while wondering, [What’s wrong with Six Arms? This madman exited seclusion, but we’ve received no warning from Profound Nether Territory at all.]
However, at this moment, the Territory Lords didn’t have time to curse out Six Arms. When Yang Kai swept a gaze over them, they felt their chests tightening as they were worried they would be targeted next.
Meanwhile, things got much better for the Eighth-Order Masters.
Originally, the Eighth-Order Masters were at a disadvantage as they were greatly outnumbered by the Territory Lords. Nonetheless, at this moment, all the Territory Lords slowed down their attacks as they were wary of Yang Kai, allowing the Humans to catch their breath.
Many veteran Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t help feeling amazed that Yang Kai alone was able to exude such deterrence on so many enemies.
“No one seems happy to see me. That’s fine, I won’t force you to respond,” as Yang Kai wielded his spear, he disappeared from the spot the moment he finished speaking.
The Territory Lords nearby felt their hair standing on end. None of them had seen how Yang Kai vanished; as such, they had no idea where he would reappear.
This kind of uncertainty was extremely unnerving.
At this moment, the Territory Lords could only carefully guard their Souls against any potential sneak attacks.
That was because they knew that once Yang Kai made a move, he would directly use that strange method that could penetrate one’s Soul before launching life-threatening attacks on them.
A shriek was suddenly heard from a certain direction on the battlefield. As expected, a Territory Lord was hit.
The Soul Rending Thorns were extremely powerful, so even if a Territory Lord was determined to protect their Soul, they couldn’t possibly ward it off entirely, only somewhat weakening the impact.
On this chaotic battlefield, once an individual’s Soul was disturbed, they would immediately find themselves in a life-and-death crisis.
The Territory Lords who hadn’t been hit felt relieved, which immediately after made them feel ashamed, but there was nothing they could do about it.
When they looked at the source of the cry, they indeed saw Yang Kai appearing there like a phantom. Working with another Eighth-Order Master, he bombarded an Innate Territory Lord with attacks.
It was the first time the Territory Lords in Twin Poles Territory witnessed Yang Kai’s power.
The power of his spear seemed able to shatter the Void itself, so while the targeted Territory Lord intended to flee, space around him contorted and warped, causing his movements to become sluggish and disjointed. How was he supposed to escape under such circumstances?
Just several breaths of time later, the targeted Territory Lord was horribly injured. His dark blood and Black Ink Strength spurted out of his wounds at the same time as his aura plunged.
Following that, the Eighth-Order Master, who had been dealing with the Territory Lord, pushed out a palm and smashed his opponent into a paste.
[How brutal!] It wasn’t until the Territory Lords witnessed Yang Kai’s power that they realised he was more formidable than what they had heard.
The Eighth-Order Master then flew to the nearest battle to offer his help. On the other hand, Yang Kai remained on the same spot and said something that horrified the Territory Lords.
“Who’s next?”
It was as though he was playing some sort of sick game, and whoever he had his eyes on would die.
Naturally, no Territory Lord volunteered to be the next victim.
Three Territory Lords had lost their lives in a very short period. It seemed that once Yang Kai made a move, he would certainly succeed. It was only natural that nobody wanted to be targeted by him.
The Territory Lords, who originally had the upper hand on the battlefield, started retreating. On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Masters were relentless. They had been suppressed by the Territory Lords for years, so now that the tables had turned, they ecstatically attacked the enemies while the Territory Lords grumbled in annoyance.
Just as the Territory Lords were feeling anxious, another one of them suffered tragedy.
Spirit Energy fluctuations flared up momentarily, then a violent force exploded as a Territory Lord lost his life.
In one of the battles, a brawny Innate Territory Lord with purple skin and hair roared, “He can only use the same move three times! There’s no need to be afraid of him now that he’s used up all his chances!”
There were over 100 Territory Lords who were involved in this battle in Twin Poles Territory; however, this purple-haired Territory Lord was apparently one of the strongest.
In fact, he was the Territory Lord who was in charge of Twin Poles Territory, his status equivalent to that of Six Arms in Profound Nether Territory.
He had been vigilant after he realized Yang Kai’s presence, but he never said a word. It wasn’t until he was certain that Yang Kai had used the Soul Rending Thorns three times that he reminded the other Territory Lords.
There had been three Territory Lords who got struck by the strange Soul attacks, and now that Yang Kai was no longer able to use this trump card again, he became just a slightly more powerful Eighth-Order Master. Therefore, the Territory Lords wouldn’t need to be as wary of him.
Hearing that, the Territory Lords finally came to their senses, [That’s right. Yang Kai has used that move three times already, why should we be afraid of him?]
The Territory Lords, who had been retreating, immediately turned around and, this time, it was the Eighth-Order Masters who suffered.
“You like running your mouth, don’t you?” Across from the purple-haired Territory Lord, Xiang Shan wielded his sabre as the dazzling sabre light formed a crack in the Void.
For the past 100 years, Xiang Shan had been stationed in Twin Poles Territory, and he had exchanged moves with this purple-haired Territory Lord dozens of times. Since both of them were equally matched, neither could destroy the other. Despite facing this imposing attack, the Territory Lord easily dodged it.
However, the next instant, the purple-haired Territory Lord’s expression turned solemn, for he realised that an aura had locked onto him. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Yang Kai, who was over a million kilometres away just a moment ago, had appeared right beside him.
A spear quietly extended towards him and was about to strike its mark.
Instinctively, the purple-haired Territory Lord leaned backwards to avoid the attack. Nevertheless, when he detected the familiar Spiritual Energy fluctuation and was flabbergasted.
[He can still use his Soul attack? Impossible!]
Yang Kai had used the same move in Profound Nether Territory many times before, but in every battle, he only ever used it three times before he became powerless to fight. Why was it different now when he was in Twin Poles Territory?
It was only then that the purple-haired Territory Lord recalled that Yang Kai had been cultivating in seclusion for 300 years, so it was unlikely that his power hadn’t increased at least a bit.
His three-time limit was information the Black Ink Clan had gathered 300 years ago. Now, Yang Kai could probably use the same move four times, maybe even five times!
Upon that realization, the purple-haired Territory Lord regretted opening his mouth. If he had known this would be the outcome, he wouldn’t have called out and attracted Yang Kai’s attention.
Unbeknownst to him, even if he said nothing, Yang Kai had already saved his last Soul Rending Thorn for him.
Xiang Shan was locked in an intense battle with this guy, so it was apparent that the purple-haired Territory Lord was an important figure in Twin Poles Territory, most likely the Commander of the Black Ink Clan’s forces.
If Yang Kai could kill him, he could deal a heavy blow to the Black Ink Clan’s morale in Twin Poles Territory.
Certainly, Yang Kai could recognize such a tempting target.
Around 300 years ago, he could only activate three Soul Rending Thorns in succession. Now that his Soul had become more robust, he could easily use the same move for a fourth time.
As his Spiritual Energy flared, the Soul Rending Thorn was silently sent. The purple-haired Territory Lord’s Soul was torn open, and the sharp pain in his mind caused him to roar.
At the same time, all his Black Ink Strength undulated violently.
Yang Kai’s spear brushed past the Territory Lord’s face, the intense weave of Dao Strengths scraping off a large piece of flesh, drawing an even more pitiful wail from the latter’s lips.
Since his attack was unsuccessful though, Yang Kai swept his spear down like a whip, forcing the Territory Lord back.
At the same time, Xiang Shan swung his sabre, sending out a burst of sabre lights that formed a cage, covering the section of the void around the Territory Lord.
Xiang Shan was a veteran of thousands of battles, so he naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.
The sabre light cage swiftly contracted towards the centre, and when they dissipated, the purple-haired Territory Lord’s battered figure was revealed. His brawny figure was covered in wounds which were so deep that one could see his bones. There was no denying he was in a sorry state.
All the same, he hadn’t lost his life. As his thick Black Ink Strength undulated, a fire seemed to ignite in his eyes as he charged towards Yang Kai instead of backing down.
Now that he was so badly injured and both Xiang Shan and Yang Kai, two of the most powerful Eighth-Order Masters in the entire Human Race, were targeting him, this Territory Lord had no doubt he would die here today. As such, he abandoned all thoughts of escape and instead was determined to drag one of them down with him in death.
Naturally, Yang Kai was his target. As long as he could kill Yang Kai, his death would be meaningful.
The Innate Territory Lord unleashed every last bit of his power, causing even more dark blood and Black Ink Strength to spurt from his wounds. At that moment, the purple-haired Territory Lord was like a fierce God who emerged from the primordial chaos, his majestic presence causing the universe around him to tremble.
Since his return from the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai had dealt with a lot of Innate Territory Lords and even killed many of them. His impression of these Innate Territory Lords was that, even though they were powerful and overbearing, they were also extremely afraid of death.
Bravery was something that had nothing to do with them; however, he finally met an exception today.
It seemed that not all Innate Territory Lords were the same and that some of them were indeed not scared of dying.
Perhaps it had something to do with their situation as well. The purple-haired Territory Lord knew that he was unable to leave this place alive; as such, his fighting spirit had been ignited.
Xiang Shan moved forward to intercept the enemy, wielding his sabre as he sent out a stream of sabre lights to engulf the purple-haired Territory Lord.
Nevertheless, the other party did not even attempt to dodge this flurry of attacks. Although the sabre lights opened even more wounds on his body, the Territory Lord still steadfastly charged towards Yang Kai.
The next instant, he was faced with a spear.
The purple-haired Territory Lord jerked his head to the side, causing the spear to graze his neck. The fresh wound on his neck exploded as his dark blood spurted out, but despite that, he relentlessly approached Yang Kai.
Yang Kai tried to retract his spear, but his attempt failed.
That was because the other party had already clenched the Azure Dragon Spear and exerted an immense amount of force with his hand, ensuring that Yang Kai couldn’t retrieve his weapon.
“Get over here!” Determination was written all over the purple-haired Territory Lord’s hideous face as he thrust his free hand towards Yang Kai.
He had channelled all his power into this attack, causing the space around them to shatter in an instant.
Initially, Yang Kai wanted to use Space Principles to dodge using Instantaneous Movement, but to his surprise, the other party had anticipated this move and preempted him. Furthermore, he had used four Soul Rending Thorns already, so his head was throbbing and his thoughts had become sluggish. With the nearby Void shattered, Yang Kai’s figure was rooted to the spot.
While he was in a dazed state, the purple-haired Territory Lord seized his shoulder.
Black Ink Strength madly surged as Yang Kai’s shoulder was torn into. The Territory Lord’s sharp nails penetrated Yang Kai’s flesh, and even the Dragon Scales hidden under his skin were unable to block the intrusion.
Seeing his gambit succeed, the purple-haired Territory Lord quickly pulled Yang Kai towards himself and trapped him with both arms.
His face was covered with dark blood, so his original facial features were barely visible. When Yang Kai looked up, all he saw was the Territory Lord looking hideous and smug.
“Let’s see how you run away now!” The purple-haired Territory Lord grinned while ignoring Xiang Shan, who was coming at him from behind. Then, he tilted his head back and brought it forward at a remarkable speed.
He was trying to headbutt Yang Kai.
Following a loud crash, with the two tangled up figures at the centre, a violent shockwave propagated out.
Even Xiang Shan found himself staggering back as he had no choice but to retract his weapon for fear of hitting Yang Kai by accident.
*Hong! Hong! Hong!*
The purple-haired Territory Lord repeatedly struck Yang Kai with his head. At this moment, he looked nothing like a powerful Innate Territory Lord with astonishing cultivation. Instead, he was more like a common thug engaging in a backstreet brawl. There were no sophisticated moves to speak of as he seemed determined to destroy the other party by smashing his head open with his own.
The sight stunned all the other Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters.
No one had ever seen a Territory Lord acting so brutal.
Yang Kai started seeing stars from the first clash. He had already used a massive amount of Spiritual Energy on top of sacrificing a significant portion of his Soul, which was why he was no longer able to keep fighting at full strength. Now that he was repeatedly struck by the opponent’s head, he found himself in a passive position.
Any other Eighth-Order Master would’ve lost his life by now.
Since his ascension to the Eighth Order, Yang Kai had never suffered such a setback because of a lone Territory Lord before.
Even though he was struck dizzy, he only turned more furious and aggressive.
Yang Kai let go of his spear and grasped the purple-haired Territory Lord’s arms. His face, which was covered with Golden Blood, became hideous as fire burned in his eyes. As the other party tilted his head back, he mirrored the action.
A hint of surprise flashed across the Territory Lord’s eyes, for he thought that Yang Kai had lost all his strength before now.
The next moment, an even louder crash was heard. Xiang Shan, who was hovering nearby, waiting for a chance to strike, was dumbfounded as he felt a violent shockwave rush towards him and push him back even further.
When he looked up, Xiang Shan felt his face twitching as a single thought flashed across his mind, [This brat is crazy!]
The headbutt of a powerful Master was no laughing matter, and now both parties were doing the same thing to each other, so the power of the clash was naturally astonishing.
Xiang Shan even thought he heard the sounds of bones cracking.
*Hong hong hong…*
Several booms were then heard, and with the purple-haired Territory Lord and Yang Kai as the centre, the countless limbs, Black Ink Clouds, and Black Ink Strength drifting in the void were all swept away.
Every time their heads smashed, it was as though two Universe Worlds were colliding, sending shockwave after shockwave across the battlefield.
A moment later, both Yang Kai and the purple-haired Territory Lord saw stars and were close to blacking out, their blood-soaked faces looking more menacing than ever.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai could sense that the other party’s grip had weakened. As such, he exerted more force with his hands while grasping the other party’s arms.
The purple-haired Territory Lord’s eyes shook as his maddened determination turned to shock and disbelief.
He had taken such an aggressive stance because he had been pushed over the edge, but for some reason, his final desperate struggle had only caused this Eighth-Order Master to become even more ferocious than him.
Following another headbutt, the sounds of bones breaking became audible and the Territory Lord’s arms lost all strength.
Yang Kai roared, “All you bastards will never understand what it means to fight for the ones you love!”
They were in the 3,000 Worlds, and this Great Territory was one of the last lines of defence for the Human Race. If they allowed the Black Ink Clan to advance further, their very existence would be threatened.
In this place, all the Human soldiers who had been battling the Black Ink Clan were fighting to protect those who huddled behind them.
Unlike these evil invaders, the Humans did not have a choice to retreat. Since the enemies were brutal and ruthless, they had to be even more savage.
After another headbutt, a clear indent was formed on the purple-haired Territory Lord’s head. His eyes had completely rolled back and his aura was weakening by the breath like a ball leaking air.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai appeared bored as he said dispassionately, “It seems my head is harder than yours.”
Then, he sent out one last headbutt, knocking the purple-haired Territory Lord’s head off while sending a headless corpse flying away.
Yang Kai hovered in the void alone. The pain in his body and Soul almost made him lose his mind; however, his ferocity and murderous intent did not wane in the slightest after he killed his opponent. Instead, he became even more bloodthirsty.
As a high-pitched Dragon Roar sounded as a golden light exploded into existence. Following a series of crackling sounds, a 70,000-metre-long behemoth manifested in the void.
“Kill!”
The Ancient Dragon roared as his Dragon Form whirled around and charged towards a place where many Black Ink Clansmen gathered together. Wherever he went, a trail of bodies formed in the void.
“Kill!”
More roars were heard coming from all directions in Twin Poles Territory. Following the purple-haired Territory Lord’s death and the advent of the Golden Ancient Dragon, the Human soldiers, who had been suppressed for almost 400 years in Twin Poles Territory, charged towards the enemies like maddened beasts.
In the blink of an eye, the Black Ink Clan found themselves on the wrong side of a raging slaughter.
Five Territory Lords had lost their lives in less than an incense stick’s worth of time, which horrified the ones still alive. They finally realised the terror the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory must have felt 300 years ago.
The deaths of the first four Territory Lords had already caused a storm to rumble in their hearts, but it was the sheer brutality of the fifth Territory Lord’s demise that finally collapsed their will to fight.
It was said that Yang Kai was only able to use his special Soul attack three times before becoming powerless to fight on, but that was no longer the case.
The purple-haired Territory Lord, who was their Commander, was dead. On the other hand, Yang Kai had transformed into a 70,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon and charged straight into the centre of their lines, his majestic presence causing the entire Twin Poles Territory to shake.
At this moment, none of the Territory Lords was willing to deal with Yang Kai, worried that once they were targeted, they would not be able to survive. Hence, they decided to run as far away as possible.
Back then in Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai had to fight over a dozen battles for 30 years before he fully intimidated the Black Ink Clan there.
In Twin Poles Territory, he still carried his imposing reputation from 300 years ago, and after this one war, the spines of the Black Ink Clansmen in Twin Poles Territory would be shattered and never heal again.
Half a day later, the Human soldiers ceased their attacks. All of them were elated, feeling that they had finally vented out the fury that had been accumulating in their hearts over several hundreds of years. As they returned to their bases and camps, all of them smiled brightly as though they were celebrating some kind of festivity.
Killing five Territory Lords couldn’t be considered a war-ending achievement; however, in their follow-up pursuit of the enemy, the Human Army managed to slaughter over a million Black Ink Clansmen, which was a huge strategic victory.
All this had been brought about by Yang Kai alone.
While the soldiers were counting their kills, they realised that the biggest contributor, Yang Kai, was nowhere to be found. They speculated that he must be recuperating; after all, he seemed to be badly injured.
In fact, Yang Kai wasn’t just badly injured, he had almost lost his life.
Other than the drawbacks of using four Soul Rending Thorns in quick succession, his clash with the purple-haired Territory Lord later had left him half-dead.
Although his body was robust as he had a Dragon Vein, the series of headbutts still cracked his skull. It would probably take him several years to heal these injuries.
With that said, it was not like he hadn’t gained something after this battle.
After attacking so many Territory Lords using his Soul Rending Thorns, Yang Kai had become confident he could easily kill them, which caused him to underestimate those Innate Territory Lords as he thought that they were too cowardly to use their strength.
Now, he realised he had overestimated himself and underestimated the enemy.
The simple truth was no Innate Territory Lord was easy to deal with, it was only because of his unique methods and great infamy that most Territory Lords simply lost the will to fight when they were confronted by him. As such, he could easily kill many Territory Lords.
However, if every Territory Lord was like the purple-haired Territory Lord he met today, who was willing to sacrifice his life to drag him down with him, things would become far thornier.
The purple-haired Territory Lord was struck by a Soul Rending Thorn, then hit by attacks from both Xiang Shan and Yang Kai at the same time, but he remained undaunted. If this Territory Lord had been at his peak, Yang Kai wouldn’t have the confidence to defeat him without using a Soul Rending Thorn.
He was still an Innate Territory Lord, and as such, significantly more powerful than those Acquired Territory Lords.
Yang Kai was secretly glad that these Innate Territory Lords were unable to become Royal Lords; otherwise, the Humans might not be able to deal with them.
After giving it some thought, he realised that while he shouldn’t underestimate his enemies, he also shouldn’t dismiss his own capabilities. At the very least, he had managed to kill a lot of Territory Lords. Furthermore, it had only been a short time since he ascended to the Eighth Order, so he was still far from reaching his peak.
When he reached the very peak of the Eighth Order one day, Yang Kai was confident he could defeat these Innate Territory Lords with ease with just his own strength.
Back then on the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai and Bai Yi joined forces and killed a badly injured Zhu Feng, almost losing their lives in the process. Now, he had managed to kill several dozen Territory Lords and even a Royal Lord. Although the process was baffling, he had indeed ended a Royal Lord’s life.
While the Black Ink Clansmen were powerful, Yang Kai also gradually grew in strength. He had the confidence that there would come a day when he would be able to destroy any Innate Territory Lords as he pleased, so calming himself down, he began to recuperate in silence.
Yang Kai, who was supposedly in Profound Nether Territory, appeared in Twin Poles Territory all of a sudden and killed five Territory Lords. Even their Commander, the purple-haired Territory Lord, was gone for good, which resulted in the Black Ink Clan Army in Twin Poles Territory being routed. The advantage they had accumulated over the past several hundred years was lost in one go.
When word got out, many Black Ink Clan Masters from different Great Territories were astounded. While they were shocked by Yang Kai’s strength, they were also wary of his recklessness.
Since this Human was in charge of Profound Nether Territory, he wasn’t supposed to go anywhere else. It was unreasonable of him to appear in Twin Poles Territory and slaughter the Black Ink Clan Masters there.
One had to know that Yang Kai had been missing for 300 years before that. Such a period was neither long nor short; however, that was enough for his notoriety to fade somewhat. Still, he was able to shock the Black Ink Clan the moment he reappeared.
Rather than feeling astonished, the Black Ink Clan Masters were mostly anxious when they heard the news.
Yang Kai had appeared in Twin Poles Territory this time, but what about next time? Would he appear in Lang Ya Territory, Soul Shaking Territory, or some other Great Territory?
It was definitely easier to sneak into someone’s house than keep one’s guard up against a thief all the time. If Yang Kai was allowed to go wherever he pleased, it would pose a huge threat to the Black Ink Clan.
They were worried that when they were dealing with the Human Masters at any given time, Yang Kai would suddenly appear out of thin air.
Now, they could only try to restrict his movements. As such, all the Black Ink Clan Masters shifted their attention to Profound Nether Territory.
Since Yang Kai was from Profound Nether Territory, this issue certainly had to be handled by the Territory Lords from there.
Around 300 years ago, the Humans and Black Ink Clan arrived at a peace deal, which stated that the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords had to abstain from taking part in the war. After that, the Humans built 10 forward outposts in Profound Nether Territory for the Humans below the Eighth Order to launch attacks from and recuperate when they were injured.
Similarly, the Black Ink Clan had built several forward outposts as well; however, every forward outpost built by the Humans was guarded by two to three Eighth-Order Masters to prevent any attacks. On the other hand, none of the Black Ink Clan’s forward outposts was guarded by any Territory Lords. That was because they didn’t dare to do so.
Simply put, if it was just three Territory Lords gathered in one spot, they wouldn’t feel secure. Rather than scattering around and letting Yang Kai have a chance to deal with them separately, they reckoned that they would be safer all huddling together.
Therefore, the Innate Territory Lords had either assembled in the Universe World where the Black Ink Clan’s main base was or recuperated in hidden locations, constantly keeping an eye on the Humans’ movements.
Over the years, the Profound Nether Army had broken up as the Human soldiers practically moved around in Squads or small groups as they roamed around the battlefield to battle the Black Ink Clansmen.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clansmen used similar tactics to fight back. Both parties repeatedly launched sneak attacks and skirmishes against each other which often led to fierce but quick fights. Every breath of time there were countless battles taking place in this expansive Great Territory.
More and more Humans streamed into Profound Nether Territory because it was comparatively safer than the other Great Territories. Both parties wouldn’t fight each other in large Armies, and as such, the Human cultivators could put their innate advantages to good use.
The effects of 300 years of training were starting to show now. Many rising Stars had made a name for themselves. There were also veteran Sixth and Seventh-Order Masters who felt like fish in water as they continued to hone their strength in combat.
Inevitably, there were also some losses. Since the Humans had to train their soldiers in the fires of war, they couldn’t possibly do so without taking casualties. Regardless, the losses were still bearable.
More and more high-ranking officers realised the benefits of training the next generation in Profound Nether Territory; as such, the Juniors with excellent aptitudes, who were previously hidden from the public by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, were all sent to Profound Nether Territory. This allowed them to clash with the Black Ink Clan and experience life-and-death struggles which stimulated their growth.
All in all, even though there were countless battles in Profound Nether Territory, everything was well within the control of the Humans and Black Ink Clan.
For this reason, the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory could enjoy their lives with peace of mind for hundreds of years as they were no longer worried about Yang Kai launching a sneak attack on them.
However, their peaceful days had now come to an end. With those in Twin Poles Territory leading the way, the Territory Lords from a dozen or so Great Territories joined forces to pressure those from Profound Nether Territory, demanding they deal with Yang Kai.
In the Black Ink Clan’s main base in Profound Nether Territory, many Territory Lords had gathered together in the Main Conference Hall. The atmosphere was rather gloomy.
Six Arms was seated at the head of the hall as he swept a glance over them before solemnly declaring, “Let’s discuss how we should deal with this matter.”
However, no one said a word. With a grim expression, Six Arms snapped, “Are you all dumb!?”
Although they were all Innate Territory Lords, he was the Commander appointed by the Royal Lord; furthermore, he was also the strongest among them. Hence, the other Territory Lords were naturally afraid of him.
One of the Territory Lords spoke up, “Sir Six Arms, it’s not easy to handle this issue. The peace agreement we reached with Yang Kai only states that the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords are not allowed to interfere in the war in the Profound Nether Territory. He hasn’t broken his promise, so what can we do?”
Another Territory Lord nodded in agreement and said, “He has a point. Over the past 300 years, the Eighth-Order Humans have never made a move. It is not an exaggeration to say they have rigidly stuck to the agreement. If we make a rash move, Yang Kai might retaliate by slaughtering us.”
Then, a snort was heard, “That’s what those blockheads from the other Great Territories are trying to achieve. Only when we make a move will Yang Kai be forced to return; that way, they’ll have no more worries while we will be the ones suffering.”
“A clever plot indeed. Just because they fear death, they want us to sacrifice ourselves in their stead?”
“Sir Six Arms, you can not agree to this. If a total war breaks out in Profound Nether Territory again, what happened 300 years ago will simply repeat itself.”
…..
The Territory Lords started talking incessantly as they cursed at the Territory Lords from the other Great Territories for being selfish, but as Six Arms listened to them bicker, he only felt dispirited.
Certainly, he knew what was on these Territory Lords’ minds. They were worried that if Yang Kai returned, they would be butchered by him. Although he was mad at these Territory Lords for being cowardly, he couldn’t really blame them.
Forget the other Territory Lords, even Six Arms himself was wary of Yang Kai.
Around 300 years ago, he was confident that even if he was ambushed by Yang Kai, he still stood a chance to escape. Nonetheless, after what happened to the purple-haired Territory Lord in Twin Poles Territory, his confidence had been smashed to pieces.
He knew the purple-haired Territory Lord was just as powerful as him, but even he was killed by Yang Kai. It was even reported that Yang Kai was extremely brutal in that fight as he literally smashed the other party’s head to pieces by repeatedly headbutting him. Six Arms would feel a chill running down his spine just by imagining this kind of savage fight.
At the same time, he was furious at the Territory Lords from the other Great Territories for being so indifferent. They wanted those in Profound Nether Territory to do something to lure Yang Kai back; however, if the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory really did that, they would suffer miserably.
The Territory Lords were still arguing and expressing their complaints when Six Arms raised his hand and turned to a particular person, “Mo Na Ye, what do you think?”
Among the Territory Lords, Mo Na Ye was undoubtedly the most meticulous. Although what happened in Acacia Territory back then was a huge failure and humiliation to him, it wasn’t really Mo Na Ye’s fault. In fact, up until this day, the Black Ink Clan still hadn’t figured out how Yang Kai managed to flee even though the Territory Gates had all been sealed off.
Furthermore, he had even taken a large number of Human refugees away with him. It was an unresolved mystery.
Mo Na Ye had been silent all along, and it wasn’t until Six Arms called out to him that he stopped pondering and replied, “Sir Six Arms, have you ever thought about why Yang Kai headed to Twin Poles Territory to raise chaos after cultivating in seclusion for 300 years?”
Six Arms frowned, “Among all the Great Territories, the Humans in Twin Poles Territory were in the most perilous situation. It was said that Xiang Shan had assumed command of their forces there for the past 100 years, but it still wouldn’t take long before the Humans in Twin Poles Territory would be defeated.”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “I think that’s just one of the reasons.”
“Is there another?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head, “I have no idea. All I know is that Yang Kai only made a move in Twin Poles Territory at a critical moment. If he had wanted to lend a hand to the Humans in Twin Poles Territory, he would’ve done so a long time ago.”
“Wasn’t he cultivating in seclusion?”
“Humans can interrupt their cultivation fairly easily. Over the years, the Humans in Twin Poles Territory have increasingly been at a disadvantage, so I’m sure they asked for help on several occasions. If Yang Kai had received such a request, he would’ve made a move early on; however, he only headed to Twin Poles Territory recently.”
After giving it some thought, Six Arms realised Mo Na Ye was right. Still puzzled, however, he asked, “What does that have to do with what happened today?”
Mo Na Ye replied, “It has everything to do with it. First of all, we have to figure out Yang Kai’s intentions, or to be precise, the Humans’ intentions.”
The Territory Lords were perplexed.
Mo Na Ye went on to say with a smile, “300 years ago, Yang Kai acted extremely overbearing, like he couldn’t wait to slaughter us all, but then, all of a sudden, he came over on his own to propose a peace deal with us. There’s no denying it was good news to the Black Ink Clan, but what benefits would the Humans get out of it? Do you all remember what he said at that time?”
Many Territory Lords fell into their thoughts.
One of them eventually replied, “At that time, he said that he was worried the weaker Humans would be injured or killed from the fallout of the fights between Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters. Moreover, there were significantly more Territory Lords than the Eighth-Order Masters, so most of the time, without the Eighth-Order Masters’ restraint, the Territory Lords could butcher the Humans to their hearts’ content.”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Yes, that was what he said.”
“Was that a mere deception?” Six Arms’ face fell.
“Not exactly,” Mo Na Ye shook his head, “However, over the past 300 years, I’ve been observing what’s going on in Profound Nether Territory, and I’ve noticed that even though the excuse Yang Kai gave us wasn’t a lie, he was still hiding his true motive. For the last 300 years, more and more Humans have appeared in Profound Nether Territory, especially Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth Order and above. There have also been a lot of Seventh-Order Masters we have never seen before. Many of those newly appeared Open Heaven Realm Masters weren’t as powerful as the others in the same Order and did not have as stable foundations. It is likely that they only ascended to the Open Heaven Realm recently.”
Six Arms furrowed his brows, “So what?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head with a wry smile as he decided to cut to the chase, saying, “The reason Yang Kai wanted a peace deal with us back then was that he intended to train those soldiers!”
“Training?”
Many Territory Lords frowned and wondered, [What does that mean?]
However, some of the Territory Lords fell into contemplation upon hearing these words.
After pondering for a moment, Six Arms said, “You mean…”
Mo Na Ye continued, “Although all of you have always stayed in Profound Nether Territory, I’m sure you’ve heard about the Star Boundary and the World Tree before.”
All of them nodded.
Even though they rarely stepped out of Profound Nether Territory, they had their own ways of gathering information.
The Black Ink Clansmen had been clashing with the Humans for countless years, and many Human Hunters had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. With the help of these Black Ink Disciples, the Black Ink Clan had gathered quite a lot of useful information.
The Star Boundary and the World Tree were the names that were most frequently mentioned.
It was said that the World Tree had a mysterious power that allowed the Star Boundary to produce a lot of Human prodigies, many of whom were able to directly break through to the Sixth or even Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Mo Na Ye explained, “You may not have any regard for the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Humans born in the Star Boundary, but if given a chance, they will grow to be powerful one day. The Sixth-Order Masters have a chance to become Eighth-Order Masters, while the Seventh-Order Masters will eventually become Ninth-Order Masters. By then, even Territory Lords like us won’t be able to underestimate them. However, compared to the Black Ink Clan, it takes a much longer time for Humans to increase their strength, and cultivating in seclusion might not achieve that goal. As such, these so-called prodigies that the Humans pin all their hopes on need a place where they can fight and grow.”
One of the Territory Lords figured out what he was trying to say, “Mo Na Ye, do you mean the Humans have chosen Profound Nether Territory as a training ground?”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “That must be the reason Yang Kai struck a peace deal with us 300 years ago. Those Human prodigies needed a relatively safe place to grow. As such, Yang Kai’s objective was to restrict Territory Lords like us from acting.”
A Territory Lord roared, “The Humans are indeed cunning!”
Mo Na Ye smiled lightly. There was no denying Yang Kai had hidden his real intentions from them; nevertheless, even if he made it clear to the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory back then, they wouldn’t have had the courage to refuse him.
That was because the Territory Lords were horrified by Yang Kai’s ruthlessness.
With a relatively safe place to fight and grow, those prodigies, who had not appeared on the battlefield before, streamed into Profound Nether Territory.
Just then, a Territory Lord asked, “Sir Mo Na Ye, do you think we should start a war in Profound Nether Territory, then?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head, “There’s no need for that. While the Humans need to train their soldiers, we should also take this opportunity and do the same. I’m not sure if all of you have noticed or not, but I know Sir Six Arms must have realized. Over the past 300 years, we have had many more clansmen achieve breakthroughs than in the past.”
Six Arms initially didn’t pay attention to such a matter, but upon Mo Na Ye’s reminder, he nodded, “True. Many more Feudal Lords have been born in recent years than in the past.”
Only 300 years had passed, but if they were given more time, the effect would become even more conspicuous.
Mo Na Ye continued with a smile, “Therefore, the Humans are not the only ones who need to train their soldiers, we must do so as well. There is a firm limit to the number of Innate Territory Lords, but there will be many new Eighth-Order and Ninth-Order Humans in the future. If no new Royal Lords rise up in our Black Ink Clan, we won’t be able to deal with those Ninth-Order Humans when the time comes. As such, we can’t break the balance in Profound Nether Territory. Not only must we not make any rash moves, but we also have to take the initiative to protect our agreement with the Humans.”
The Territory Lords nodded as they listened to him. They weren’t fools, it was just that they knew too little about the Humans; therefore, they were unable to make sound judgements in many situations. Mo Na Ye had been collecting information over the years, especially from the Black Ink Disciples, which was why he was more informed than the other Territory Lords.
Six Arms asked, “What do you think Yang Kai’s intention is this time, then?”
Since they were back to the main topic, Mo Na Ye replied with a smile, “Before striking a peace deal with us back then, Yang Kai killed many Territory Lords to intimidate us. What do you think he’s trying to achieve this time, Sir Six Arms?”
This time, Yang Kai suddenly appeared in Twin Poles Territory and slaughtered five Territory Lords while the Humans also eliminated over a million lower Black Ink Clansmen, which was quite similar to how he behaved back then.
Six Arms’ eyes brightened, “He’s trying to turn Twin Poles Territory into a second Profound Nether Territory!”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Profound Nether Territory is no longer adequate to satisfy the Humans’ need to train their soldiers, and it’s the same for our Black Ink Clan. As more and more Human cultivators have streamed into Profound Nether Territory, this place has become cramped. The Humans probably don’t just want a second Profound Nether Territory, they likely want several of them.”
“I see,” Six Arms guffawed. He was initially in a tight spot as the Territory Lords from the other Great Territories had come together to pressure him, but now it seemed that it wasn’t difficult to deal with this matter. As long as he spread the news, those Territory Lords would stop blaming him for his inaction. Instead, they would be eager to hold peace talks with the Human leaders.
While he was elated, he also saw Mo Na Ye in a different light. Six Arms initially held some grudges against Mo Na Ye while the latter stayed in Profound Nether Territory; after all, it was because Mo Na Ye had sent false information that caused immense losses in Profound Nether Territory back then. Now, it seemed that those losses no longer mattered.
“With Brother Mo Na Ye around, we don’t have to worry about Profound Nether Territory being conquered by the enemy,” Six Arms laughed.
Just then, Mo Na Ye got to his feet and said, “I’ll have to leave this place, Sir Six Arms.”
Six Arms stopped laughing while the other Territory Lords looked at him in shock.
Mo Na Ye went on to say, “Sir Royal Lord has ordered me to head to Twin Poles Territory at once to take charge of that place. Besides that, I’m told that if the Humans want another peace deal, I will have to lead the negotiations from our side.”
Six Arms was startled for a moment, but he soon realised what was going on.
The purple-haired Territory Lord, who was initially in charge of Twin Poles Territory, was killed. As such, that place was basically leaderless now. Although Innate Territory Lords were all-powerful, there had to be a Commander among them. Mo Na Ye was indeed qualified to fill the role.
However, Six Arms felt jealous when he learned about the Royal Lord’s second order, for he wasn’t aware of it at all, and the Royal Lord apparently didn’t have the intention to inform him.
Perhaps there wasn’t a need to inform him since they had already set a precedent in Profound Nether Territory, but it also went to show that the Royal Lord thought highly of Mo Na Ye.
“It’s good that you’re heading to Twin Poles Territory; however, Yang Kai is there at the moment, so you must be careful.” Six Arms pretended to be concerned.
“Every time Yang Kai makes a move, he recuperates for two years. As such, there won’t be any conflicts in Twin Poles Territory for the moment,” Mo Na Ye replied calmly.
Furthermore, he wasn’t going to Twin Poles Territory to fight with the Humans; instead, he was going to strike a peace deal with them.
Just like what he had said to Six Arms, the Humans were not the only ones who needed to train their soldiers, the Black Ink Clan had to do the same. Once a peace deal was reached, no one party would have an advantage over the other.
Nevertheless, the Humans had realised this much earlier on, while the Black Ink Clan were only just understanding this now.
Then, Mo Na Ye left on his own without bringing any Territory Lords or subordinates with him.
In fact, he couldn’t take any Territory Lords with him. Although there had been a peace deal in Profound Nether Territory, both the Eighth-Order Masters and the Territory Lords wouldn’t dare to leave as they pleased. If there was a significant enough imbalance between the numbers of the most powerful Masters on the two sides, the stronger party might seize the chance and wipe the other out.
The moment Mo Na Ye arrived at Twin Poles Territory, he summoned all the Territory Lords to a conference hall and announced that he was going to hold peace talks with the Humans. All of them broke into a commotion, with some of them angered while others felt relieved.
However, when they heard that it was the Royal Lord’s order, they accepted it without any complaints. Many of them were even elated. If there was a peace deal in place, they wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into Yang Kai on the battlefield.
It wasn’t that they were just afraid of death, but also that they wouldn’t dare to disobey the Royal Lord.
Since a consensus had been reached, Mo Na Ye ordered some Feudal Lords to head to the Humans’ camp and convey his intention to hold peace talks. At the same time, he shared the information he had gathered with the other Great Territories.
This resulted in the Great Territories, which were initially filled with intense battles, suddenly falling silent. Although there were still some conflicts, they were minor skirmishes compared to the full-blown war from before.
What was more, the Black Ink Clan were at a distinct advantage in a number of the Great Territories, but even there they decided to take the initiative to retreat.
It was apparent that they were worried about being targeted by Yang Kai and ending up like those in Twin Poles Territory.
The Black Ink Clan decided to keep a low profile for the moment; after all, the reason Yang Kai appeared in Twin Poles Territory was that the situation there was the most severe for the Humans.
Every Great Territory had over 100 Innate Territory Lords assuming command, and Yang Kai could only kill a few of them at any given time; however, no one could guarantee that they wouldn’t be one of those unlucky few.
While Yang Kai was still recuperating, those Territory Lords were already anxiously preparing for the future. Everything would be fine as long as they didn’t push the Humans over the edge and attract the killing star’s attention.
Three years later, in one of the secret rooms in the Humans’ camp, Yang Kai opened his eyes.
This time, it took him longer to recuperate than in the past. Besides the fact that his Soul had been torn apart, he was also left with many physical wounds from his battle with the purple-haired Territory Lord.
At that time, he repeatedly headbutted the Territory Lord and shattered the latter’s head. As a result, many cracks also formed on his own skull.
After the battle, Yang Kai also stopped underestimating the Territory Lords. He came to realise that it wasn’t easy to deal with any of them if they suddenly rose up without fear of death.
He had a right to comment on this topic, for he had defeated many who were much stronger than him in the past. His ferocity and fearlessness played a crucial part in those victories. The Innate Territory Lords, who were struck by the Soul Rending Thorns and subsequently killed due to their own fear, couldn’t represent all of the most powerful Black Ink Clansmen.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai wouldn’t underestimate himself either.
Regardless of how powerful the Territory Lords were, he had killed many of them, which went to show that he was a capable person, and he would kill even more of them in the future.
In any case, he had to settle the issue in Twin Poles Territory first. Then, he would head to the other Great Territories and slaughter the Black Ink Clansmen there until they were thoroughly terrified of him. Only then would he talk to them.
When he left the secret room though, he realised that someone had been waiting for him. The person promptly cupped his fist with a solemn expression and said, “You’ve finally left seclusion, Sir.”
Yang Kai looked up and realised that he knew this person; it was Xiang Shan’s adjutant, Li Xing. Back then in the Great Evolution Army, Xiang Shan was the Army Commander of the Eastern Army while Li Xing handled the miscellaneous affairs and passed on Xiang Shan’s orders.
Yang Kai had come into contact with him on several occasions.
His gaze could not help being drawn to the other man’s right eye as he asked, “What happened?”
Initially, Li Xing was a handsome and dapper man, but he had become more mature after going through the vicissitudes of life. However, his right eye was blind, and there was a hideous scar that ran across his cheek, looking like a centipede crawling on his face.
Li Xing smiled, “It’s inevitable that we get hurt on the battlefield.”
Meanwhile, he thought back to when, back in the Great Evolution Army, just like him, Yang Kai was only a Seventh-Order Master who actually had less experience. However, Li Xing was still a Seventh-Order Master now while Yang Kai was now an Eighth-Order Master who had made a name for himself.
If they looked further back in history, Yang Kai was only a Sixth-Order Master when he arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield for the first time, while at that time, Li Xing was already a Seventh-Order Master.
On top of that, all the Territory Lords feared Yang Kai. The things that had happened over the past few years changed Li Xing’s worldview.
He finally realised that sometimes, just one person was enough to change the status quo.
At the same time, he felt sorry for Yang Kai, who only directly ascended to the Fifth Order back then. As such, he didn’t have a chance to make it to the Ninth Order in his lifetime.
If he was able to ascend to the Ninth Order, the chances of the Humans winning the war would increase by at least 30%.
Just then, Li Xing snapped back to reality and said, “Senior Xiang Shan has ordered that the moment Sir Yang exits seclusion, you must head to the conference hall at once. The higher-ups want to discuss with you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Understood.”
In the Main Conference Hall, Yang Kai waited for a moment before the other Eighth-Order Masters appeared and greeted him. While they were having some small talk with smiles on their faces, Xiang Shan arrived.
After they were seated, Xiang Shan tossed a jade slip at Yang Kai and said, “Before we begin, I want you to have a look at this. While you were recuperating over the past few years, things have changed a lot on the battlefields.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank, for he thought that something terrible had happened. As such, he quickly went through the jade slip’s content, but his expression soon turned awkward.
He looked up at Xiang Shan and asked, “What is the Black Ink Clan trying to achieve?”
Unlike what he had imagined, things didn’t take a turn for the worse; in fact, the situation had become quite peaceful across all other Great Territories.
Profound Nether Territory remained the same as there was already a peace deal in place, so more and more Human soldiers continued to stream into that place.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan soldiers in Twin Poles Territory had been staying put. They still clashed with the Humans from time to time, but those were minor skirmishes at best.
What made Yang Kai speechless was the situation in all the other Great Territories.
There were a total of 13 Great Territories where the Humans and the Black Ink Clan Armies were fighting. In most of the Great Territories, the Black Ink Clan held the advantage. In some of the Great Territories, the Humans were not doing much better than in Twin Poles Territory three years ago and were on the brink of being forced to withdraw.
However, after Yang Kai reappeared from 300 years of absence, the Black Ink Clansmen in all the Great Territories collectively retreated.
Over the past three years, only a few large-scale battles took place in the various Great Territories. Furthermore, the Humans were the ones who initiated those battles.
What was more, apart from the Profound Nether Territory, the Territory Lords from the other 12 Great Territories subsequently sent some people to the Humans’ camps to convey their intention to hold peace talks. The peace deals were basically copies of the one established in Profound Nether Territory, which stated that the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords would not participate further in the war.
The Eighth-Order Masters were certainly pleased with the Black Ink Clan’s attitude, but they were not sure if they should agree to it. As such, the Eighth-Order Masters from different Great Territories passed the information to the Supreme Headquarters and let the latter make a decision.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he went through the information.
After he stopped cultivating in seclusion, he was looking forward to killing some more Territory Lords. Twin Poles Territory was no longer a suitable hunting ground, as after the incident back then, the Territory Lords here would surely have their guards up. With that said, Yang Kai could head to any other Great Territory. For example, Lang Ya Territory would be a good choice.
Nonetheless, he didn’t expect things to turn out this way.
It was no wonder that the Eighth-Order Masters looked at him with meaningful gazes. The changes in these Great Territories naturally had something to do with what he had done three years ago.
“First of all, I guess they must be wary of you. Secondly, they must have seen through our intentions,” Xiang Shan explained, “While we need to train our soldiers, they do too. As such, they’ve decided to just go with the flow.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Did those from the Supreme Headquarters say anything about it?”
Instead of answering his question, Xiang Shan asked, “What do you have to say?”
Yang Kai had single-handedly changed the status quo of the entire war; as such, those from the Supreme Headquarters had to respect his opinion. Otherwise, they could’ve made a decision on their own instead of waiting for Yang Kai to stop cultivating in seclusion.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai replied, “Even though they’ve seen through our intentions, there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s not like we could have hidden it forever. We can’t possibly give up on our plan just to stop the Black Ink Clan from training their soldiers. We have to strike some sort of agreement with them.”
“Do you think we should agree to it?” Xiang Shan asked.
“Yes, but we still need to negotiate with them. Since they’re the ones proposing peace talks this time, they should send a representative from each of the Great Territories over. Twin Poles Territory is as good a place as any for the talks, so we just need to set a time. Both sides will put their cards on the table and hammer out an agreement. In any case, we can’t make a deal without all the Great Territories being included in the negotiations.”
The reason the Humans had to train their soldiers was primarily to let the young talents of the next generation experience life-and-death struggles, which would stimulate their potential and allow them to reach greater heights sooner.
However, once a Seventh-Order Master ascended to the Eighth Order, they wouldn’t be allowed to take part in the war anymore if every Great Territory was included in this peace deal.
The Eighth Order wasn’t the ultimate goal of the Humans training their soldiers, the Ninth Order was.
As such, they needed a stage where Eighth-Order Masters could shine.
In fact, those from the Supreme Headquarters had considered all this without the need for Yang Kai to say anything. Since they had confirmed their agenda, they needed to decide how many Great Territories the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords couldn’t have a hand in the war and how many Great Territories where things would go on as usual out of the remaining 12 Great Territories, including Twin Poles Territory.
To the Humans, they naturally wanted things to go on as usual in the Great Territories where they had an advantage while obviously the Black Ink Clan would want the opposite.
It was expected that there were bound to be disagreements over the details of this peace deal. These arguments were not only between the Humans and Black Ink Clan though, perhaps there would be some disagreement within the Black Ink Clan as well.
After all, none of the Territory Lords hoped that the situation in the Great Territories they were responsible for would go on as usual.
Knowing what Yang Kai meant, Xiang Shan nodded, “We’ll assemble representatives from our side and hold the conference in two months, then.”
“Those from the Supreme Headquarters can just make the arrangements. I’m fine with anything.”
“You mustn’t go anywhere else these two months. We’ll need you to be there during the peace talk,” Xiang Shan reminded him. He was worried that Yang Kai would disappear when he wasn’t paying attention. Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space and was always elusive. If he wasn’t present during the peace talks though, the Humans would be far less intimidating to their enemies.
“I know,” Yang Kai replied. Certainly, he understood the matter’s importance.
Then, the Eighth-Order Masters discussed the agenda that would be brought up during the peace talk. Although the details weren’t confirmed, they soon had a general idea of what would be discussed.
To the Humans, it was necessary to gain several battlefields that were relatively safe.
The Black Ink Clan must have realised the Humans’ intention, which was why they proposed having a peace talk. While they were forced to do it, they were also pushing a sailing boat along at this point. To them, by killing the Open Heaven Realm Masters on the battlefields, they could strengthen their powers by absorbing the World Force from the Human corpses. They were able to directly grow stronger in battle, which was an advantage that the Humans didn’t have.
Both parties seemed to pin their hopes on the growth of their respective rising Stars, who were the key to their success or failure in this war. The Black Ink Clan had the advantage of having a larger population, so given enough time, there would be a lot of new Feudal Lords, Territory Lords, and even Royal Lords.
On the other hand, the Humans had the advantage of having the Star Boundary, Myriad Monsters World, and Yang Kai’s Small Universe. As time passed, there would be quite a number of Eighth-Order and Ninth-Order Masters rising up from these places.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clan was also trying to avoid a thorny issue.
To the Black Ink Clan presently, Yang Kai was the most difficult problem to deal with as he had managed to kill several dozen Territory Lords. However, once more and more Royal Lords were born, Yang Kai, regardless of how powerful he was, would no longer be a deciding factor in the war.
Naturally, the Black Ink Clan wanted to see the Humans giving up on their biggest trump card.
Despite it being called a peace talk on the surface, both sides were secretly waging a battle of wits. Both parties were preparing for the deciding clashes in the future where one party would emerge as the inheritors of the Universe.
For the next two months, Yang Kai focused on cultivating and did nothing else. He refined sets of cultivation resources and gulped down Open Heaven Pills by the handful.
To him, the most important thing now was to increase his strength and reach the peak of the Eighth Order as soon as possible.
If he wanted to have an impact on the war in the future, he had to strengthen himself first. Given his heritage, it wouldn’t be difficult for Yang Kai to reach the peak of the Eighth Order. At that point, even if he couldn’t make it to the Ninth Order, he wouldn’t be powerless when he came across a Royal Lord.
It was his forte to defeat enemies above his Realm after all.
During this period, many Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords from the other Great Territories arrived at Twin Poles Territory.
They had already chosen Twin Poles Territory to be the place where the peace talk would be held, which was because Yang Kai was there. To the Black Ink Clan, what they wanted to restrict the most was Yang Kai; as such, he had to be present during the peace talks.
As the date of the peace talks was just around the corner, both parties frequently mobilised their soldiers in Twin Poles Territory. Although they believed that there wouldn’t be any problem with the conference, they still had to be prepared.
If the discussion fell apart, a war might break out.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai didn’t cultivate in absolute seclusion this time. In other words, he could exit at any time.
One day, while he was refining resources in his room, Yang Kai realised that the restriction outside had been triggered. When he looked up, he saw a curvy figure stepping towards him.
“Ahem…” The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched, “I’m cultivating.”
The person guffawed, “I know, so I was just giving it a try. I didn’t expect that I could really just walk in like this.”
[That’s because I didn’t turn on all the restrictions so that people outside could contact me at any moment, or else I might have missed the peace talks.]
“Do you need something, Senior Sister Luo?” Yang Kai asked.
The person was none other than Luo Ting He, who was an Eighth-Order Master from Yin-Yang Heaven. Now, she was the Army Commander of Azure Sun Territory.
Out of all 13 Armies in the Great Territories, she was the only female Army Commander.
She and Yang Kai could be considered close friends. When he went to Yin-Yang Heaven to look for Qu Hua Shang in the past, the latter had entered the Samsara Pavilion to avoid pressure from the higher-ups of her Sect. Yang Kai entered the Samsara Pavilion and went through nine reincarnations with her before he managed to restore her memory. After that, he brought Qu Hua Shang out.
Thousands of years before then, Luo Ting He had been trapped in the Samsara Pavilion as well, and there was no word on whether she was dead or alive.
In the process of saving Qu Hua Shang, Yang Kai also managed to restore Luo Ting He’s memories and allowed her to leave the Samsara Pavilion.
Luo Ting He was a rare talent who had directly ascended to the Seventh Order and was now a longtime veteran Eighth Order Master with hopes of breaking through to the Ninth Order soon.
Although there were many Eighth-Order Masters now, only a small number of them had a chance to rise to the Ninth-Order. Out of the people that Yang Kai knew, Xiang Shan and Wei Jun Yang had the potential to do so. Meanwhile, Mi Jing Lun, Ou Yang Lie, and the others had already reached their limits and there was no way they could make further advancements.
After parting ways in Yin-Yang Heaven back then, Yang Kai and Luo Ting He hadn’t met again. He only knew that she was in charge of Azure Sun Territory and that she was the Army Commander of the Azure Sun Army.
He had no idea why she came looking for him all of a sudden.
“The peace talks with the Black Ink Clan will be taking place in a few days,” Luo Ting He sat down across from Yang Kai and said, “I heard that those from the Supreme Headquarters have come up with a general proposal. Out of the 12 Great Territories, six will be included in the peace deal while the other six will remain as they are.”
Yang Kai nodded, “En; however, that’s just the proposal from our side, so the Black Ink Clan might not agree to it. Regardless, there’s bound to be some arguments.”
The Humans were at an advantage in this kind of peace talk, but naturally, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t agree to everything they asked for, and those from the Supreme Headquarters were well prepared for this.
“I hope that Azure Sun Territory will be included in the six Great Territories where things will remain unchanged,” Luo Ting He directly told him about her purpose for visiting.
Yang Kai smiled helplessly, “Those from the Supreme Headquarters will be responsible for the discussion with the Black Ink Clan. I’m only required to show up. Since you have a request, why don’t you head to the Supreme Headquarters and tell Senior Brother Xiang about it?”
[She shouldn’t have come to me!]
Luo Ting He pursed her lips, “I did go to the Supreme Headquarters, but that damn Big Head Xiang didn’t agree to my request.”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “Then it’s pointless for you to speak to me either.”
“Why would it be pointless? Don’t underestimate yourself. The Black Ink Clan want this peace deal with us because they’re afraid of you. Your word has a huge influence on the outcome of this conference.”
Yang Kai wasn’t sure what he should make of this, so he just asked, “Does Senior Brother Xiang intend to include Azure Sun Territory as part of the peace deal?”
“En,” Luo Ting He nodded.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai said, “Senior Brother Xiang must have his reasons for making such a decision. I know a thing or two about the situation in Azure Sun Territory, so I’m aware the Black Ink Clan has gained the upper hand over there. If Azure Sun Territory could be included in the peace deal, that would be beneficial to the Humans overall. You’ll gain some benefits as well, so what’s the point of you insisting on maintaining the status quo? Furthermore, it has been quite a long time since you ascended to the Eighth Order. If things become peaceful in Azure Sun Territory, you’ll have plenty of time to cultivate to achieve a breakthrough.”
The moment Yang Kai finished speaking, Luo Ting He became infuriated, “That was what Big Head Xiang said as well! However, if cultivating in seclusion was useful at all, what would be the point of you building a stage to train those brats? Of those in my position, I’ve been in the Eighth Order longer than almost all of them and have essentially reached the peak. Nevertheless, it’s not easy to make it to the Ninth Order. To me, cultivating in seclusion is no longer useful.”
Yang Kai instantly understood what she was trying to say, “Do you want to achieve a breakthrough in battle?”
Luo Ting He questioned, “Isn’t that the ultimate goal of all of this?”
“Do you have the confidence to achieve it?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Luo Ting He smiled fearlessly, “I can’t guarantee that I’ll definitely succeed, but I’ll do my best. I know Xiang Shan has chosen Azure Sun Territory to be included in the peace deal to do me a favour; however, I know myself best.”
Yang Kai nodded and fell silent for a moment before saying, “I’ll talk with Senior Brother Xiang, then. However, I’m in no way able to influence his decision.”
Luo Ting He beamed at him, “Many thanks, Junior Brother.”
After Luo Ting He left, Yang Kai didn’t continue cultivating.
There were only a small number of Eighth-Order Masters who had the right to ascend to the Ninth-Order currently, because very few people managed to directly ascend to the Seventh-Order in the past. Such a person only appeared on average once every 1,000 years, and many of them died in battle with the Black Ink Clan over the years.
No one could guarantee when the Eighth-Order Masters like Luo Ting He, Xiang Shan, and Wei Jun Yang, who had the potential to make it to the Ninth Order, would achieve this.
Nonetheless, given the situation that the Humans were in, just one or two Ninth-Order Masters wouldn’t be enough to turn things around.
As long as Mo’s true body wasn’t destroyed, the Humans couldn’t root out the Black Ink Clan. However, it was extremely difficult to kill Mo. Now, Yang Kai still hadn’t the foggiest idea about what the Primordial Light was or where to find it. The only thing he was certain about was that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had something to do with the Primordial Light.
Two days later, Yang Kai left the secret room as it was time for the peace talks with the Black Ink Clan.
The moment he stepped out of the room, he felt some powerful and unrestrained auras which belonged to Eighth-Order Masters.
In the distant void, where the Black Ink Clan’s camp was located, there were also powerful auras gathered together. The Innate Territory Lords were also trying to make a show of force.
Before the discussion even started, the two sides were already clashing from a distance.
When Xiang Shan registered Yang Kai’s presence, he turned to look at him and nodded.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai sent him a Divine Sense transmission and brought up Luo Ting He’s request, after which Xiang Shan nodded.
“It’s time, let’s go!”
As a roar reverberated across the place, Xiang Shan took the initiative to soar into the void, and he was immediately followed by a dozen or so others.
Noticing the Humans’ movements, the Innate Territory Lords started leaving the Black Ink Clan’s camp as well.
The armies of both Races were well prepared for any possible accidents and the entire Twin Poles Territory was engulfed in a dense murderous atmosphere as a sense of unease spread everywhere. It was as though a little spark would blow everything up.
The location of the peace talk had already been chosen a while back. It was right in the middle of the Humans’ and the Black Ink Clan’s camps.
The Black Ink Clan had even brought a Universe Fragment over from their own camp to use as a platform.
There was a huge table set on the platform, and rough-looking wooden chairs were placed on either side.
The Masters from both parties almost arrived at the same time.
It might have been a coincidence or an agreement, but both parties had respectively sent exactly 13 Masters to this place, one representative from each of the 13 Great Territory Battlefields.
They were supposed to be arch-enemies that could never coexist; nevertheless, due to various reasons, they had no choice but to come together today, which was quite ironic.
The Black Ink Clan Masters were mostly nervous and uneasy, as although they had the same number on their side as the Humans, if a fight broke out, some of them would undoubtedly lose their lives today.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai was present and had proven he could kill Territory Lords like them with ease.
Nonetheless, they couldn’t exclude him from the discussion; after all, he was the mastermind behind the initial peace deal. As such, these talks would be meaningless without him.
Before this, the Black Ink Clan had thought about sending more Territory Lords, but it wasn’t like the Humans couldn’t do the same by sending more Eighth-Order Masters. In the end, they could only accept this arrangement.
They only dared to steal glances at Yang Kai without looking at him for too long, for they were worried they would be targeted.
These powerful Innate Territory Lords were as timid as mice in a cat’s presence. Although they still pretended to be unperturbed, they were terrified deep down.
In comparison, the Eighth-Order Masters appeared calm and collected.
Yang Kai swept a glance over the Territory Lords and realised he didn’t know most of them; nevertheless, he did recognize two.
He had met them in Acacia Territory back then; in fact, they had appeared in Profound Nether Territory before as well, but for some reason, they were all now in Twin Poles Territory.
The purple-haired Territory Lord, who was originally in charge of Twin Poles Territory, had been killed by Yang Kai, so Mo Na Ye was tasked by the Royal Lord to take over. Since the peace talk was held in this Great Territory, he naturally had to show up.
Meanwhile, You Gong was actually the representative from Profound Nether Territory.
A peace deal had already been established in Profound Nether Territory for over 300 years, and the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords had stayed out of the war as agreed. However, since this was a peace talk that encompassed all the Great Territory Battlefields, Profound Nether Territory couldn’t just stay out of it. Six Arms didn’t want to meet up with Yang Kai; therefore, he only sent You Gong to this place so that the latter could report to him about the outcome later.
Naturally, You Gong didn’t want to come, but he had no other choice as he couldn’t disobey Six Arms’s orders.
As Yang Kai swept a glance over them, You Gong hurriedly hung his head low.
He was still traumatized from the incident in Acacia Territory back then; therefore, Yang Kai’s presence here was like a waking nightmare to him.
As Mo Na Ye observed the Territory Lords’ expressions, he couldn’t help but think that they were all useless. Both parties were there for peace talks, so as long as the Black Ink Clan didn’t cross the line, the Humans wouldn’t attack them. However, the reactions of these Territory Lords from the various Great Territories were quite embarrassing for Mo Na Ye.
As the Commander in Twin Poles Territory, Mo Na Ye naturally couldn’t let the Humans look down on the Black Ink Clan; as such, he extended his hand and said, “Please be seated. We’re all here for peace talks. The Humans always say that even if a deal falls short, both parties shouldn’t fall out. Although these peace talks aren’t really a deal, it’s not so different. Let us set the grudges between us aside for the moment until the peace talks are concluded.”
His calmness infected the other Territory Lords and they soon pulled themselves together.
One Eighth-Order Master sneered, “Destroying the Black Ink Clan is our ultimate goal. There’s no room for mercy.”
Mo Na Ye replied dispassionately, “If destroying the Black Ink Clan is your only goal, all of you wouldn’t have come here. Let’s dispense with the unnecessary probing and get to the main topic, shall we?”
Saying so, he swept a glance over the Eighth-Order Masters and eventually stared at Yang Kai. Then, he nodded gently, “What do you say, Sir Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai smiled, “I’m only here to enjoy the show. Don’t pay me any mind.”
When he was still weak back then, he had never expected that even the powerful Innate Territory Lords would call him Sir one day. It seemed that he was now an intimidating figure to the Black Ink Clan after killing so many of their Territory Lords.
While he was lost in such thoughts, Yang Kai pulled out a chair and took a seat. Then, he placed his legs up on the table and leaned back casually.
Only then did the Humans sit down at the table, followed by the Black Ink Clan Masters.
Realising something, Mo Na Ye turned to look at Xiang Shan and said, “It seems that you’re the lead representative on the Humans’ side, Sir Xiang Shan. Am I right?”
Since both parties had been clashing for years, the top Masters from both Races had heard a lot about each other. Even if they had never met or exchanged moves before, they could still recognise one another the moment they met.
Moreover, before Yang Kai’s rise, Xiang Shan was already a famous figure to the Black Ink Clan. He had been to all the battlefields in over 10 Great Territories, and he had managed to kill a few Territory Lords himself.
Many of these Territory Lords had never met Yang Kai before, but most had at least seen Xiang Shan in the past.
Xiang Shan grunted in response, “En.”
Mo Na Ye said, “In that case, let us cut to the chase. After a discussion with all the Territory Lords from different Great Territories, we’ve come to a consensus. We’d like to imitate the peace deal in Profound Nether Territory. From now on, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters can’t have a hand in the battles in all the Great Territories. What do you say, Sir Xiang Shan?”
Xiang Shan looked up at him and replied impassively, “No.”
Mo Na Ye kept a smile on his face, as though he had already expected Xiang Shan’s response, “Sir Xiang Shan, do you mean that the Humans do not want a peace deal?”
Meanwhile, he sneered to himself. If the Humans didn’t want a peace deal, they wouldn’t have taken the trouble to show up today. Now, the representatives of the 13 Great Territories from both sides had come together, and since the Humans were here, it showed that they wanted a peace deal as well. Mo Na Ye reckoned that the Humans were only putting up an act.
Xiang Shan said, “We’re pleased with the current situation, so there’s no need to change anything.”
Mo Na Ye refuted, “As far as I understand, the Humans are at a disadvantage in most of the Great Territories. If not for Sir Yang Kai’s appearance in Twin Poles Territory, the Humans would’ve already lost the war here.”
“That was the situation three years ago,” Xiang Shan replied calmly, “Things are different now, so what is the point of you bringing up the past?”
Mo Na Ye frowned, “Sir Xiang Shan, are you trying to say that you want the situation in all the Great Territories to remain unchanged?”
When he noticed Xiang Shan’s silence, he put on a helpless smile, “We’ve shown enough sincerity for this peace talk. Regardless of the advantages we have in those Great Territories, we’ve given up on them and retreated. I’m sure you can see that.”
An Eighth-Order Master scoffed, “All of you are just afraid of Yang Kai. Stop glossing over it, will you? You didn’t have to retreat if you had the guts…”
Before he could finish his words, Mo Na Ye cut him off loudly, “Sir Yang Kai is indeed powerful, and Territory Lords like us find it hard to deal with him. However, every time he makes a move, he can only kill a few of us. After that, he has to recuperate for an extended time. If we wanted to, we could’ve initiated a massive war while he was recuperating and none of you would have resisted us.”
The same Eighth-Order Master snapped, “Give it a try if you dare!”
As he surged his World Force, the Territory Lords were alarmed and raised their guard. At that moment, the atmosphere had become tense.
An unperturbed Mo Na Ye looked at Xiang Shan and said, “A peace deal will be beneficial to both the Black Ink Clan and the Humans. With Profound Nether Territory as an example, I’m sure you’ll make a wise decision, Sir Xiang Shan.”
Xiang Shan replied impassively, “A peace talk at this point will be beneficial to the Black Ink Clan as the Territory Lords no longer have to be anxious; however, what benefits will we get?”
Mo Na Ye said, “Isn’t it your intention to provide a safe space for those below the Eighth Order to fight and grow?”
He initially didn’t want to point it out so blatantly, but he had no choice but to do so now. Xiang Shan’s attitude suggested that the Black Ink Clan had to produce an adequate bargaining chip to make the Humans even begin to bargain.
Xiang Shan wasn’t surprised one bit. Over the years, some Humans had fallen into the Black Ink Clan’s hands and had been turned into Black Ink Disciples. As such, some information about the Humans must have been leaked.
“There seems to be a lot of rising Stars on the Humans’ side. If they’re accidentally killed by the Territory Lords in battle, you will suffer immense losses. After all, a Seventh-Order Master who might turn into a Ninth-Order Master in the future is a rare commodity. Some 300 years ago, Sir Yang Kai slaughtered a large number of Black Ink Clansmen in Profound Nether Territory but still took the initiative to strike a peace deal with us. Wasn’t that part of his consideration? Why are you making things difficult for us when we want a peace deal now? Do you want Profound Nether Territory to be dragged into the war again, Sir Xiang Shan?”
Xiang Shan looked up at him, “Are you threatening me?” It seemed that as long as the peace talk fell short, the agreement in Profound Nether Territory would be nullified as well. In that case, things would revert to the situation 300 years ago, and the Human Juniors would lose their only training ground.
Mo Na Ye replied calmly, “That’s not what I meant at all. I believe there is a phrase among you Humans called ‘standing at death’s door’. We are basically wandering around death’s door by coming to this place. A peace deal is all we want, so we wouldn’t dare to be provocative; after all, if Sir Yang Kai suddenly decides to act out, half of us will likely have to remain here forever.”
Despite knowing that Mo Na Ye’s words were insincere, Yang Kai was still pleased. It felt good to have someone flattering him, especially when that person was a powerful Innate Territory Lord. It was an enjoyable sensation on another level.
Mo Na Ye went on to say, “As for the benefits you’ve mentioned, Sir Xiang Shan, I have to admit that the peace deal will be beneficial to the Black Ink Clan. As such, we’re willing to offer some compensation.”
“What kind of compensation?”
“What about some resources?” Mo Na Ye asked inquisitively, “The Humans need resources to cultivate. For each Great Territory included in this deal, we will provide a certain amount of resources. As for the amount, there’s room for discussion.”
Seeing that Mo Na Ye appeared sincere, the Eighth-Order Masters were tempted.
No one had expected that the Black Ink Clan would be willing to make such a huge concession to secure a peace deal. They couldn’t help suspecting that a peace deal might bring even greater benefits to the Black Ink Clan than they had known.
After pondering for a moment though, they concluded that the Territory Lords were just too terrified of Yang Kai.
There was no denying Yang Kai couldn’t kill many Territory Lords at any given time. If the Territory Lords remained highly vigilant, he might not even kill any one of them; however, no one would be able to be at ease with such a powerful enemy eyeing them in the dark.
“There’s nothing else I can say if you still don’t want this peace agreement,” Mo Na Ye stared fixedly at Xiang Shan and spread his palms.
After a moment of silence, Xiang Shan nodded, “There’s room for discussion.”
The moment he finished speaking, the Territory Lords let out a sigh of relief as they became slightly at ease. Nonetheless, what Xiang Shan was about to say would unnerve them again.
“However, not all Great Territories will be included in the peace deal,” Xiang Shan tapped on the table, “Other than Profound Nether Territory, six places will be part of the peace deal and the other six will remain unchanged out of the remaining 12 Great Territories. If you can’t agree to this, there’s no need for any further discussion.”
Only then did Mo Na Ye realise this was the Humans’ true intention.
After giving it some thought, however, he felt that this condition wasn’t unacceptable. Just like what he had said to Six Arms before, while the Humans needed to train their soldiers, the Black Ink Clan did as well.
When Seventh-Order Masters ascended to the Eighth-Order, they needed a stage to keep on training, and it was the same for the Black Ink Clan when their Feudal Lords became Territory Lords.
As such, it was acceptable that only some Great Territories would be included in the peace deal.
Mo Na Ye turned to look at the Territory Lords and realised that they looked stiff and nervous. At that moment, he couldn’t help but smile helplessly. Although he felt that he should agree to Xiang Shan’s request, it would also put him in a tight spot.
Six out of 12 Great Territories would be included in the peace deal, so only half of the places would enjoy some peace of mind.
However, how was Mo Na Ye supposed to make this decision on his own?
The representatives of each Great Territory certainly hoped that they would be part of the peace deal.
After some deliberation, Mo Na Ye nodded, “We can agree to this, but I also have a condition.”
When the other Territory Lords heard Mo Na Ye’s words, their expressions changed slightly. They quickly tried to recall if there were any grudges or friendship between Mo Na Ye and them. The Royal Lord had put Mo Na Ye in charge of these peace talks, so if the latter wanted to get revenge on them and excluded the Great Territories whose representatives he hated from the peace deal, there wouldn’t be peaceful moments again for them in the future.
“What kind of condition?” Xiang Shan asked with a frown.
Mo Na Ye pointed his finger at Yang Kai, “From now on, Sir Yang Kai must not make a move in any of the Great Territories!”
The Territory Lords were startled as they had the urge to clap their hands for Mo Na Ye.
They had been anxious because they were wary of Yang Kai, but if they could ensure Yang Kai wouldn’t make a move again, they no longer had to worry about anything.
Xiang Shan was slightly surprised as well as he thought to himself, [This Mo Na Ye is a sharp fellow. He directly understood the crux of the matter and made a proposal to deal with it.]
“In your dreams!” A hot-tempered Eighth-Order Master forcefully smacked his palm on the table and stood up. The Humans would be considered foolish if they agreed to such a ridiculous demand. By agreeing to that, they would be removing their strongest trump card, and no one would be able to intimidate the Black Ink Clan again.
An unfazed Mo Na Ye replied with a smile, “Since this is a negotiation, both parties naturally have to make some concessions. It’s not like we’ll let ourselves suffer losses while the Humans reap all the benefits. Even if I agreed to your demands, the Royal Lord wouldn’t.”
“We’ve made the biggest concession by having this peace talk with you, stop being so impudent.”
“That’s why we’re willing to offer a large amount of resources as compensation.”
“We don’t need your resources!”
“If the peace talk falls short, the agreement in Profound Nether Territory will be nullified as well!”
…..
The originally peaceful situation soon turned clamorous. The Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords were cursing at each other across the long table without any poise to speak of. If an uninformed individual arrived and saw what was going on, they might think they had entered a hawker market or something where vendors and customers were haggling back and forth.
Mo Na Ye remained silent. Since he had put forth this condition, the other Territory Lords had to work hard to make sure it would be included in the peace deal. He believed that they wouldn’t want Yang Kai to have a hand in the battles anymore. It was the outcome they all wanted.
“The Innate Territory Lords have an advantage over the Eighth-Order Masters when it comes to numbers, yet you’re now trying to restrict Yang Kai as well? Does that mean we can also limit the number of Territory Lords who will take part in the war!?”
“There’s room for discussion!”
…..
The noise stopped in an instant. All the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords turned to look at Mo Na Ye.
The Eighth-Order Master who spoke just now was dumbfounded. He was just venting while also making what he considered an outrageous demand to make a point; he never expected Mo Na Ye to actually agree to it.
Faced with all the stares, Mo Na Ye said with a smile, “Why are all of you looking at me like that? Just like what I’ve said before, both parties have to give and take to reach an agreement. It’s not like either party here would accept suffering immense losses. As such, we have to come to an agreement that both sides will find acceptable. Only then would the agreement be possible. If Sir Yang Kai is willing to stay out of all the battlefields, we can place some limits on the number of Territory Lords who will take part in the war at any one time.”
The biggest advantage the Black Ink Clan had was that they had greater numbers than the Humans; this was true of grassroots soldiers, but also of the Feudal Lords and Territory Lords compared to the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters.
It was thanks to this advantage that the Black Ink Clan had gained the upper hand in almost every Great Territory Battlefield. Even though the Humans had Purifying Light and Evil Purging Divine Spears, they still couldn’t overcome this fundamental disadvantage.
After all, the Purifying Light couldn’t be used to deal with enemies on a large scale while it took time to refine Evil Purging Divine Spears. Every Evil Purging Divine Spear that was used was gone for good; furthermore, the Black Ink Clan was now on guard against them, so these artifacts no longer played as decisive a role anymore.
However, if they could limit the number of Territory Lords taking part in the war, the Humans would be able to better stand their ground and limit their losses.
It had to be said that even though Mo Na Ye was a Black Ink Clansman, he understood the Humans very well. Moreover, he was an intelligent and insightful individual.
Yang Kai was suddenly interested. He didn’t pay much attention to Mo Na Ye in the past. Although he had exchanged moves with him in Acacia Territory before and he had come across him in Profound Nether Territory on several occasions, he couldn’t possibly pay attention to all the Innate Territory Lords as there were simply too many of them.
However, on this day, he suddenly had the urge to kill this fellow, for he seemed different from the other Innate Territory Lords.
If they allowed Mo Na Ye to remain alive, he might prove to be a hidden concern in the future.
As though noticing Yang Kai’s murderous intent, Mo Na Ye turned to look at him and nodded, “What do you say, Sir Yang Kai?”
Since the beginning, Yang Kai had never expressed his opinion regarding the peace talks, as though he was only there to watch the show. Nevertheless, Mo Na Ye knew that Yang Kai was the mastermind behind this entire affair. Although Xiang Shan was in charge of the negotiations, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan had to give serious weight to Yang Kai’s thoughts.
Yang Kai smiled and reigned in his murderous intent. Although Mo Na Ye was a powerful Innate Territory Lord, he was unable to make any further advancements in the future, just like Yang Kai. While Yang Kai had the chance to kill him today, he reckoned that he should prioritise the peace talk for now.
“The conditions we’ve mentioned aren’t sufficient, then.”
Since Yang Kai had been asked to speak, he couldn’t remain silent.
Mo Na Ye said, “There’s room for discussion about anything. If you have any conditions, please state them. We won’t turn you down if they are acceptable.”
Yang Kai replied, “Apart from the six Great Territories we have agreed upon where things will remain unchanged from the current situation, all other Great Territories will be part of the peace deal. If you agree to this, I’ll remove myself from all further battles.”
This was actually to Yang Kai’s advantage as he just so happened to need a lot of time to cultivate so that he could reach the peak of the Eighth Order sooner.
The rising Stars from the Star Boundary, the Myriad Monsters World, and his Small Universe needed battles to temper themselves with to reach new heights, but Yang Kai was different. He had gone through numerous life-and-death battles already and had been baptised in the blood of his enemies many times over. What he was lacking now was only the accumulation of his own heritage.
The reason Yang Kai even took action was to build a solid foundation for the Humans’ future. If he could get greater benefits for the Humans by staying out of the war, he would be glad to do it.
Hearing this, the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Masters were startled; however, Xiang Shan’s eyes soon brightened as he realised the crux of the matter.
The Humans had already set the agenda for the peace talk, but it didn’t include restricting Yang Kai from taking part in future battles. If the Black Ink Clan could agree to Yang Kai’s condition, the Humans could consider accepting the other party’s demand.
Mo Na Ye soon realised what Yang Kai meant as well and said with a frown, “Sir Yang Kai, do you mean that the peace deal will include not only the Great Territories where battles are still ongoing, but also the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clansmen have occupied?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded.
Only then did the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Masters come to their senses as they fell into their thoughts.
Mo Na Ye smiled helplessly, “You’re a little greedy, Sir Yang Kai.”
In the past, the main battlefields between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan were the 13 Great Territories, which included the Profound Nether Territory. However, many Hunters were active in the other Great Territories that ambushed the Black Ink Clan’s supply teams and reinforcement groups. They also destroyed many Black Ink Nests. More often than not, they caused huge trouble to the Black Ink Clan’s logistics.
For this reason, many Territory Lords would patrol the various Great Territories to deal with those Hunters.
If these ordinary Hunters came across Territory Lords, they were naturally powerless to resist. However, the 3,000 Worlds was expansive, and the Black Ink Clan didn’t have so many Territory Lords. Furthermore, the Hunters were both agile and prudent, so as long as they were not too unlucky, they would be safe most of the time.
However, since the Eighth-Order Masters and the Territory Lords had arrived at a peace deal in Profound Nether Territory, the number of Hunters had shrunk significantly.
As Hunters, they were at risk of losing their lives if they bumped into Territory Lords; however, once they entered Profound Nether Territory, they didn’t have to worry about being targeted by such Masters.
Now that Yang Kai had come up with such a demand though, it was expected that many Humans would aspire to be Hunters again, which would prove to be a thorny issue for the Black Ink Clan.
Currently, the vast majority of the Human forces were concentrated in the 13 Great Territory Battlefields, while some 99% of the 3,000 Worlds had fallen into the Black Ink Clan’s hands. However, since the Universe was so expansive, it was impossible for the Black Ink Clan to perfectly protect such a vast territory. Once a large number of Hunters appeared, the Black Ink Clan would no longer have any peaceful days.
Originally, the peace deal only considered the 13 Great Territory Battlefields, but Yang Kai’s demand had dragged the entire 3,000 Worlds into this.
“What’s wrong? Are you afraid of Human soldiers entering the other Great Territories? Over the years, many Humans have fallen into your hands and have been turned into Black Ink Disciples. If you want me to stay out of the war, there’s a price to pay,” Yang Kai looked impassively at Mo Na Ye.
After a moment of silence, Mo Na Ye nodded, “You have a point, Sir Yang Kai. In that case, we’ll agree to your condition.”
For both parties, there were pros and cons regarding this matter. Once the Hunters entered the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had occupied, they would have to bear a huge risk. If they were besieged by the Black Ink Clan soldiers, they would either fight to their death or be corrupted.
Nevertheless, this was also the Humans’ purpose for training the soldiers.
When the Territory Lords saw Mo Na Ye agreeing to it, they breathed a sigh of relief. Everything would be fine to them as long as they could restrict Yang Kai’s movements.
As for whether agreeing to this condition would bring about any terrible consequences, it was none of their business, for Mo Na Ye was responsible for the peace talks today. If anything went wrong, the Royal Lord would punish him first.
At this point, they’d finally built a foundation for an agreement.
The Black Ink Clan’s condition was that Yang Kai must not make a move in any Great Territory from now on.
On the other hand, the Humans had gained quite a few benefits. Apart from the six Great Territories where things would remain unchanged, all other Great Territories would be included in the new peace deal. The Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords were not allowed to have a hand in the war, and as a price to pay for restricting Yang Kai, the number of Territory Lords would be limited in the Great Territories where things would go on as usual.
Moreover, the Black Ink Clansmen were the ones who initiated the peace talk, so they would give the Humans a certain amount of cultivation resources as compensation.
The conditions were discussed one by one, and from the looks of it, the Humans were at an advantage. After all, they had only agreed to one condition, but the Black Ink Clan had to provide some resources and limit the number of Territory Lords who could take part in the battles in six of the Great Territory Battlefields.
However, in truth, the Territory Lords’ ultimate goal was to restrict Yang Kai as only this condition would allow them to be at ease when roaming around the battlefields.
Since the general direction had been confirmed, it was time for some bargaining.
Both parties were red-faced as they discussed the amount of resources that the Black Ink Clan had to give the Humans. Black Ink Strength and World Force kept clashing, as though a fight would break out at any moment.
Nonetheless, they knew that since the peace talks had come this far, there was no way they would fight. The initially cautious Territory Lords could now argue with the Humans as fiercely as they pleased.
If there was one thing the Black Ink Clan didn’t lack, it was resources; after all, they had occupied so many Great Territories and had the entire Black Ink Battlefield to exploit. As such, they could easily extract as many resources as they wanted. However, no one was willing to give their enemies resources for free. They promised that they would give the Humans some benefits, but they immediately became stingy when the discussion started.
The argument lasted for several days, but in the end, the details were confirmed with Mo Na Ye and Xiang Shan who were the lead negotiators for the two sides.
Then, another round of arguments started about the number of Territory Lords that would be allowed in the six unchanged Great Territories.
There were many more Territory Lords than Eighth-Order Masters, which was the fundamental reason that the Black Ink Clan had gained the upper hand in most of the Great Territory Battlefields. The numbers of the most powerful Masters on both sides would influence the state of the war.
Although they had agreed to limit the number of Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan would never accept being at a disadvantage.
The Humans came up with an outrageous demand as they wanted the number of Territory Lords that were allowed in the battles to be equivalent to the number of Eighth-Order Masters, and naturally, the Territory Lords stubbornly refused.
If they agreed to such a demand, their lives would be truly miserable. It wasn’t easy to deal with the Evil Purging Divine Spears. The reason they were at an advantage was that they had more people on their side.
The discussion this time was even more intense than when they talked about the resources.
They were fine with giving resources away, for the Humans needed time to refine those resources to increase their strength; however, once the number of Territory Lords decreased, they would lose control over the situations in many Great Territories.
Nevertheless, an agreement was reached in the end.
In the six Great Territories where things would remain unchanged, the number of Territory Lords couldn’t exceed the number of Eighth-Order Masters by 50%. In other words, if there were 10 Eighth-Order Masters, there could only be 15 Territory Lords.
The Humans were naturally not pleased with the outcome, for this meant there would still be significantly more Territory Lords than the Eighth-Order Masters. That way, the Black Ink Clansmen were still at an advantage.
However, this did ensure that the enemy no longer had an overwhelming edge which would constantly put the Humans on the brink of defeat, like what happened in Twin Poles Territory. Furthermore, because the Humans had to train their soldiers, this amount of pressure was quite suitable. As such, Xiang Shan agreed to it.
If there was no life-and-death pressure, it wouldn’t be training at all. Cultivating in seclusion would be faster in that case.
Since everything had been discussed, they just had to choose the six Great Territories where things would remain unchanged. At this point, the Eighth-Order Masters remained calm while the Territory Lords were apprehensive.
They were not willing to keep fighting the Humans. If the war continued, they would be at risk of losing their lives.
Nonetheless, they didn’t have any say over this matter.
Xiang Shan and Mo Na Ye took turns to select the six Great Territories where things would remain unchanged. When it was time for Xiang Shan to choose the last Great Territory, he hesitated for a bit before finally choosing Azure Sun Territory.
He didn’t agree to Luo Ting He’s request back then because things were not looking good in Azure Sun Territory; as such, it would be beneficial to the Humans if it could be included in the peace deal.
However, the number of Territory Lords would now be restricted, so even if things remained unchanged in Azure Sun Territory, the situation would improve significantly for the Humans.
Since Luo Ting He wanted to achieve a breakthrough in battle, Xiang Shan could only let her be. Apart from her, Xiang Shan also needed battles to train himself. Without these life-and-death struggles to serve as stimuli, it would be hard for them to grasp the opportunity to break through to the Ninth Order.
In the past, around 80% of Ninth-Order Old Ancestors achieved a breakthrough on the Black Ink Battlefield, while just 20% of them made it to the peak while cultivating in seclusion.